the_morrigan18 's review for:

Monstrous Grave by Rainelyn

3.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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SHE'S HIS. SHE JUST DOESN'T KNOW IT YET.

Five years on from the death of her foster brother, Arcane is enthralled with grief – living with lingering memories of Kaiden and the unconventional relationship they shared. The only thing keeping her going is her thirst for vengeance against those who betrayed her. Thrust into the criminal underworld, she finds herself forced into a reluctant alliance with a masked biker from a rival cartel. Viper García is every bit as dangerous as he is mysterious. And he’s totally obsessed with Arcane…

This a short book and a relatively quick read. By the authors own admission – “this book was primarily crafted for the enjoyment of dark smut romance enthusiasts” – and gods does it deliver on these vibes.

I adored both Arcane and Viper – who each showed their strength of character, albeit in very different ways. I loved that the physicality of Arcane wasn’t that of the standard we often find in these kinds of books. The mental health representation was great – Arcane’s struggles with self-doubt, anxiety and depression felt relatable. It also made it all the sweeter as she evolved into a badass FMC living in a world of misogynistic men. For his part, Viper delivered as an obsessive, dedicated MMC. Let’s be honest – he was just plain hot!

As usual – I’d recommend you check the trigger warnings before you pick this book up, because the spice be spicing!

With this book being on the shorter side it did mean the plot moved quickly. Rainelyn has a fantastic descriptive writing style, which I enjoyed, although at points I did feel like I needed a little less description and a little more plot exploration.

Altogether, this was a dark, twisty, entertaining read. If you want a fast paced, steamy read – this is it.

Thank you for Rainelyn for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.