A review by originalbooknerd
Deviant by Ivy Fox

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

πŸ…³πŸ…΄πŸ†…πŸ…ΈπŸ…°πŸ…½πŸ†ƒ πŸ†πŸ…΄πŸ†…πŸ…ΈπŸ…΄πŸ†† 
 
Author: Ivy Fox 
 
Couple: Rowen Hawthorne & Elias Larsen 
 
Tropes: 
πŸ–€ α΄…α΄€Κ€α΄‹ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ 
πŸ–€ ᴇɴᴇᴍΙͺα΄‡κœ± ᴛᴏ ΚŸα΄α΄ α΄‡Κ€κœ± 
πŸ–€ κœ°α΄Κ€α΄„α΄‡α΄… α΄˜Κ€α΄xΙͺᴍΙͺᴛʏ 
πŸ–€ Κ™α΄œΚ€Ι΄ α΄›Κœα΄‡ α΄‘α΄Κ€ΚŸα΄… κœ°α΄Κ€ Κœα΄‡Κ€ 
πŸ–€ α΄‹ΙͺΚŸΚŸα΄‡Κ€/κœ±α΄α΄„Ιͺα΄α΄˜α΄€Κœ 
πŸ–€ α΄α΄Κ€α΄€ΚŸΚŸΚ ɒʀᴀʏ ᴍᴄ 
πŸ–€ α΄α΄€κœ±α΄‹α΄‡α΄… ᴍᴀɴ 
πŸ–€ α΄œΙ΄ΚŸα΄α΄„α΄‹κœ± Κœα΄‡Κ€ α΄…α΄€Κ€α΄‹ ꜱΙͺᴅᴇ 
πŸ–€ α΄€Ι΄Ι’κœ±α΄› 
πŸ–€ α΄›α΄Κ€α΄›α΄œΚ€α΄‡ Ι’α΄€α΄α΄‡κœ± 
πŸ–€ α΄˜α΄α΄‘α΄‡Κ€ κœ±α΄›Κ€α΄œΙ’Ι’ΚŸα΄‡κœ± 
πŸ–€ ɒᴀᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ κœ±α΄œΚ€α΄ Ιͺα΄ α΄€ΚŸ 
 
Review: 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑡𝑻  was one of my most anticipated Spooky Season releases and Ivy Fox did not disappoint with this darkly disturbing read! Blackwater Falls kept me in a COMPLETE chokehold while reading and I found it IMPOSSIBLE to put down once I began. Elias, Rowe and the Harvest Dozen will be haunting my thoughts for the foreseeable future as I come to terms with the ABSOLUTE WILD ride Ivy put me through while reading this book. 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑡𝑻 had ALL the vibes for a dark romance from the forbidden and taboo to the deeply dark and morally gray anti-hero and Ivy led me on a path that made me question my morals, sanity and taste in book boyfriends as I fell HARD for Elias Larsen! 
 
𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑡𝑻 is all about the dark and disturbed. The way Ivy set the plot for the book BLEW my mind in ways I never thought possible. The whole foundation of the story hinged on the mystery, intrigue and suspense surrounding The Scourge and the Harvest Dozen. The depravity Ivy put into this book…I have no words for it. I found myself questioning everything as I read and was left baffled when the final events unraveled. Ivy was able to both captivate me and disturb me with the unhinged and blood thirsty vibes Blackwater Falls and The Scourge created in my head while reading and I was not ready for all the secrets and betrayals that she left me with. 
 
The romance in 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑡𝑻 hinged on the way Elias both HATED and LUSTED after Rowen and the way he sta!ked her to get his revenge! The moral compass this man lacked allowed for an absolute wreckage for my mind while reading and I found myself submerged inside his POV every chance I got! The way he went from obsessed about his revenge plans to obsessed over her safety and attention flabbergasted me but also warmed my little dark heart since this morally gray red-flag of a man fell hard, fast and all consumingly for his woman. 
 
While Elias was everything bump in the night, Rowen was a conundrum in contradictions. Her POV was littered with guilt, hatred and self loathing which left me questioning her sanity from page one. Ivy was able to capture her story PERFECTLY from start to end and while her story arc was devastating, I appreciated how it was written and the beauty Ivy put into the brokenness of her character. Rowen is a character that truly hits a certain way and her growth and journey to her HEA is one that is wholly deserved after everything she preserved through to get it! 
 
𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑡𝑻 is a DARK romance that pushes boundaries and toys with the forbidden. The tension and sparks that flew between these two every time they shared space added a nice point of contention and Ivy dominated the forbidden lust between them while also toeing the line of cheating since Rowen is dating Elvis’ younger brother when we meet her. I found myself questioning EVERYTHING in this book but one thing I always felt safe knowing was Elias would truly do everything to keep Rowen his. The absolute FILTH that came out of this man lit the pages on fire and if Ivy did one thing on an immortalized level it was the way Elias perfected the dirty talk and degradation. 
 
Elias and Rowen bled me dry in this book and I don’t think I’ve completely recovered yet. Ivy Fox once again left me in a book hangover with 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑡𝑻 and the whole world of Blackwater Falls and I can only hope we see more of this darkly disturbed world again! 
 
Rating: 100+; Ivy Fox destroyed my mental sanity with this book! Elias, Rowe and the Harvest Dozen took me on the most taboo, deliciously 𝑫𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑡𝑻 ride and I have yet to recover after the madness! 
 
 
Thank you to Ivy & Wordsmith Publicity for sending me this eARC!