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A review by tlbrown
Beautiful Prey by Lora Darc
5.0
I was surprised by the hold this book had on me.
I haven’t read a lot of DARK dark romance, but I caught a reference to [b:Beautiful Prey|220166549|Beautiful Prey|Lora Darc|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1728240623l/220166549._SY75_.jpg|227097939] on TikTok, and my interest was piqued. What surprised me most about this book is how hard it was to put down. Early on, I was compelled to keep reading to find out what would happen next.
Author [a:Lora Darc|19127689|Lora Darc|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1728221654p2/19127689.jpg] created a captivating tale. While I wouldn’t say that the main character (Eve) resonated with me, once I got past her decision to secretly face her family’s killer (Emery), I understood why she kept going back. Each interaction with Emery delivered a reason to return. Each unexpected twist or hurdle appearing in the storyline gave me a reason to read another chapter. Eve might’ve made some unusual choices, but I found myself accepting them. Those choices seemed to be in line with the character the author wanted to present. As a result, she felt authentic.
I was a bit unnerved that I found myself rooting for Emery as the plot progressed. Honestly, the more I learned, the more I cared about him. I wanted to see something truly good in his life, even though he was a psychopath. Perhaps it was through Eve’s eyes that I (as the reader) felt compassion—or maybe it’s the compassion I felt as a reader that helped me more easily accept Eve’s decisions, even when they were dangerous.
To be clear, Emery is not the “bad boy who needs to be loved,” or some morally gray character who saves the day, or even the villain who does the right thing in the end. Emery *is* broken. He did very bad things and has no regrets.
We learn of his hidden past through Eve’s research. What she finds out is shocking and horrific. Turns out Emery’s trauma paved the way for his acute psychosis. If we’re to be honest, the chance of him “getting better” is not in the cards, no matter what Eve believes or what misguided therapists might think.
In spite of any compassion I might feel for Emery, I would not want to sit across the table from him and have a chat—even if he was chained to a chair. And yet, I really wanted to see him somehow win. I believe this was a result of the author’s planful character development through small but intricate scenes. Bit by bit, she built a character who was so much more than a run-of-the-mill slasher.
Through Eve’s interactions and in between his hallucinations, we find a man who is intelligent, fairly well-read, thoughtful, strategic, adept, creative, and confident. But there is another surprising side of Emery, one where intimacy is approached with trepidation and hopefulness laced with fear, and tenderness is expressed by the beast he is when least expected.
I want to touch on the skull mask that Emery wears through the majority of the story. He does let Eve remove it, and occasionally, he would leave it off (later in the book). To me, the mask is a symbol of what people perceive him to be—and even what Emery *wants* others to see him as: Something scary, a dealer in death. But behind the mask—the violent part of him that he presents to the world—is a broken man. When the mask is removed, the scars (literal and figurative) are there. Whether the mask is on or off, he’s deadly dangerous.
Expect some surprises, side characters you’ll like or hate, and all hell to eventually break loose. If you like steam or heat in your dark romance books, you’ll find it here. On a 1 to 5 scale, I’d say the steam/heat is about a 3. (It’s subjective.) Overall, there isn’t much sex in the book, but you will find some explicit scenes.
I anticipated the ending, and I think you will, too. I actually dreaded how the book would resolve. While I wasn’t completely off-base in my prediction as to what would happen, there was a surprise at the end that now has me excited to read the next book in the series. It’s due to be released in a couple of weeks.
If DARK dark romance is your thing, and your palette for the genre is pretty broad, give this book a go. You’re going to see the label “Stockholm syndrome” crop up in reviews (or in character dialogue), but don’t immediately go there. That’s too easy. Dig in deeper and ask: why does this book have a hold on me? Why am I compelled to keep reading?
Five stars to author Darc and Beautiful Prey.
I haven’t read a lot of DARK dark romance, but I caught a reference to [b:Beautiful Prey|220166549|Beautiful Prey|Lora Darc|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1728240623l/220166549._SY75_.jpg|227097939] on TikTok, and my interest was piqued. What surprised me most about this book is how hard it was to put down. Early on, I was compelled to keep reading to find out what would happen next.
Author [a:Lora Darc|19127689|Lora Darc|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1728221654p2/19127689.jpg] created a captivating tale. While I wouldn’t say that the main character (Eve) resonated with me, once I got past her decision to secretly face her family’s killer (Emery), I understood why she kept going back. Each interaction with Emery delivered a reason to return. Each unexpected twist or hurdle appearing in the storyline gave me a reason to read another chapter. Eve might’ve made some unusual choices, but I found myself accepting them. Those choices seemed to be in line with the character the author wanted to present. As a result, she felt authentic.
I was a bit unnerved that I found myself rooting for Emery as the plot progressed. Honestly, the more I learned, the more I cared about him. I wanted to see something truly good in his life, even though he was a psychopath. Perhaps it was through Eve’s eyes that I (as the reader) felt compassion—or maybe it’s the compassion I felt as a reader that helped me more easily accept Eve’s decisions, even when they were dangerous.
To be clear, Emery is not the “bad boy who needs to be loved,” or some morally gray character who saves the day, or even the villain who does the right thing in the end. Emery *is* broken. He did very bad things and has no regrets.
We learn of his hidden past through Eve’s research. What she finds out is shocking and horrific. Turns out Emery’s trauma paved the way for his acute psychosis. If we’re to be honest, the chance of him “getting better” is not in the cards, no matter what Eve believes or what misguided therapists might think.
In spite of any compassion I might feel for Emery, I would not want to sit across the table from him and have a chat—even if he was chained to a chair. And yet, I really wanted to see him somehow win. I believe this was a result of the author’s planful character development through small but intricate scenes. Bit by bit, she built a character who was so much more than a run-of-the-mill slasher.
Through Eve’s interactions and in between his hallucinations, we find a man who is intelligent, fairly well-read, thoughtful, strategic, adept, creative, and confident. But there is another surprising side of Emery, one where intimacy is approached with trepidation and hopefulness laced with fear, and tenderness is expressed by the beast he is when least expected.
I want to touch on the skull mask that Emery wears through the majority of the story. He does let Eve remove it, and occasionally, he would leave it off (later in the book). To me, the mask is a symbol of what people perceive him to be—and even what Emery *wants* others to see him as: Something scary, a dealer in death. But behind the mask—the violent part of him that he presents to the world—is a broken man. When the mask is removed, the scars (literal and figurative) are there. Whether the mask is on or off, he’s deadly dangerous.
Expect some surprises, side characters you’ll like or hate, and all hell to eventually break loose. If you like steam or heat in your dark romance books, you’ll find it here. On a 1 to 5 scale, I’d say the steam/heat is about a 3. (It’s subjective.) Overall, there isn’t much sex in the book, but you will find some explicit scenes.
I anticipated the ending, and I think you will, too. I actually dreaded how the book would resolve. While I wasn’t completely off-base in my prediction as to what would happen, there was a surprise at the end that now has me excited to read the next book in the series. It’s due to be released in a couple of weeks.
If DARK dark romance is your thing, and your palette for the genre is pretty broad, give this book a go. You’re going to see the label “Stockholm syndrome” crop up in reviews (or in character dialogue), but don’t immediately go there. That’s too easy. Dig in deeper and ask: why does this book have a hold on me? Why am I compelled to keep reading?
Five stars to author Darc and Beautiful Prey.