Review: Carnage

 Title: Carnage

Series: Lords series

Author: Shantel Tessier

Release Date: October 31, 2023

An all-new dark standalone romance from the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Shantel Tessier. Carnage is based in the Lords' world and can be read as a standalone.

A PUPPET 

The men in the secret society known as the Lords think they rule the world. And in a way, they do. Each has sold their soul to the devil at a young age in exchange for power and wealth. Like anything else, they have different levels of success. The more they’re willing to serve, the more power they have. 

Among them are the Spade brothers, who run Carnage. It’s where the Lords who have not held up their oath go to live out the rest of their lives in shackles. Tucked away from the world as if they never existed. 

I VOW. YOU VOW. WE VOW. 

I once belonged to a Lord—Saint Beckham Carter. Although nothing was holy about him, I still kneeled as if he could grant me eternity in a world where only evil existed. 

At the time, I willingly vowed to be his and allowed him to share me with his “brothers.” But things changed. And what I thought couldn’t get any better got exceptionally worse. So I did the only thing I could and ran from him, knowing I could never return. 

Now he’s found me and dragged me back to his hell, where he will make me his pet. The world already thinks I’m dead, so no one will miss me. And I’m just another name on a long list of those who will never know freedom. 

What he doesn’t know is why I ran from him in the first place. A Lord doesn’t listen to reason, so it’s not like he’d care anyway. Saint was born a Lord, and he will die as one. 

If life has taught me anything, it’s that we all pay for our sins. And Saint will never let me forget that my place is at Carnage, serving him on my knees until death is granted.

Carnage is a dark revenge romance- check TW before going in! And while it's not required to read the rest of the Lords series before hand- I definitely recommend it.

Ashtyn was set to become a Lord's chosen one- and not just any Lord, but Saint Carter- one of the Spade Brothers who is set to run Carnage. And as a Chosen, Ashtyn belongs to Saint- but when things get complicated - Ashtyn must make an impossible choice. She tries to run... Only to be dragged right back. But now instead of Saint's love, she is faced with his revenge. Will Ashtyn survive, or will Carnage be the death of her? 

So, ai absolutely love Shantel's books- she is the queen of dark romance & I devour everything she writes- and Carnage is no different. 

I loved Saint & Ashtyn's story. It was hot & spicy & dark & twisted and I loved every second of it. 

Saint was dark and wicked and down right delicious. If you love diving into the deep end, and love the depravity then I definitely recommend this book. 

5⭐ out of 5⭐

5🌶️ out of 5🌶️. -s*x over plot & in detail. All the k!nks, spice, & dirty talk, etc. 

Tropes: 

→ dark romance 

→ new adult romance

→ secret society 

→ revenge romance 

→ sharing 😏 (NOT an RH)

→ possessive/OTT Hero 

→ touch her & 💀 

Trigger Warning 

Review: Sick Fux (reread)

 

Title: Sick Fux

Author: Tillie Cole 

Release Date: October 2017

When Ellis Earnshaw and Heathan James met as children, they couldn’t have been more different. Ellis was loud and beautiful – all blond hair, bright laughs and smiles. Heathan was dark and brooding, and obsessed with watching things die.

The pair forged an unlikely friendship, unique and strange. Until they were ripped apart by the sick cruelty of others, separated for years, both locked in a perpetual hell.

Eleven years later, Heathan is back for his girl. Back from a place from which he thought there was no return. Back to seek revenge on those who wronged them.

Time has made Heathan’s soul darker, polluted with hatred and the thirst for blood.

Time has made Ellis a shell of her former self, a little girl lost in the vastness of her pain.

As Heathan pulls Ellis out of her mental prison, reviving the essence of who she once was, down the rabbit hole they will go.

With malice in their hearts and vengeance in their veins, they will seek out the ones who hurt and destroyed them.

One at a time.

Each one more deadly than the last.

Tick Tock.

Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, disturbingly sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and very mature topics. Recommended for ages 18 and over.

Oh my goodness. 

So this is a reread of Sick Fux, & I still very much love it as much as the first time. 

Definitely check TW on this one, bc it's fake, and twisted and fucked up. 

Heathen "Rabbit" & Ellis "Dolly" deserved sooo much better in their childhoods - but they grew attached to one another, until they were ripped apart. 

Now Rabbit is back to collect his Dolly, and take revenge on the twisted bastards who destroyed them. One at a time. Each one more deadly than the last. 

Tick Tock. 

I loved Heathen. He was dark even before the men ruined him- he enjoyed watching things die. And the moment Ellis stepped into his life- he had his eyes set on her. Always her. 

Ellis was sweet, innocent, and pure. She was the light to Heathen's darkness. The two making an unlikely pair. She loved to dance, loved Tea, and Alice in Wonderland. Heathen would do anything to prevent the darkness from tainting her - until he was ripped away from her, not able to protect her. He waited eleven years in hell - biding his time. Until he could escape. Steal his Dolly back and seek revenge on all who have harmed her. 

This book has MANY triggers, so definitely look them up before going in. 

But it is dark and twisted. Heathen and Ellis painted the world in the blood of all those who have wronged them. My heart hurt for the pair. As always, I fall for the most dark and twisted and broken, and this was no different. I love Heathen. And loved their story. 

If you would love a dark and twisted Alice in Wonderland tale, then I recommend picking up this book. 

5⭐ out of 5⭐. 

4🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - detailed scenes throughout, including kinks, dirty talk, etc.

Tropes: 

→ dark romance 

→ contemporary romance 

→ emotional reads 

→ revenge 

→ touch her & 💀 

→ possessive & OTT Hero

Trigger Warnings

Review: Mindf*ck series

 

Title: The Mindf*ck series 

Author: S.T. Abby (C.M. Owens)

Release Date: April 2019

May Contain Spoilers

The Risk - book 1

They took too much.

Left too little.

I had nothing to lose...until him.

*****************

~Lana~

I didn't expect him.

I didn't want to fall in love.

But I can't let him go.

Logan Bennett makes the world a safer place.

He's brilliant.

He's a hero.

He locks away the sick and depraved.

But while he's saving lives, I'm taking them. Collecting the debts that are owed to me.

Ten years ago, they took from me. They left me for dead.

They should have made sure I stayed dead.

Now I'm taking from them.

One name at a time.

I've trained for too long.

I've been patient.

I can't stop now.

Revenge is best served cold...

They never see me coming, until I paint their walls red.

Logan doesn't know how they hurt me. He doesn't know about the screams they ignored. He doesn't know how twisted that town really is.

He just knows people are dying.

He doesn't know he's in love with their killer.

No one suspects a dead girl.

And Logan doesn't suspect the girl in his bed.

They're looking for a monster.

Not a girl who loves red.

Not a girl in love.

I'm a faceless nightmare.

At least until I tell them the story they've pretended never happened.

But in the end, will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together?

**Graphic

**Adult language

**Some triggers could be too much for the easily disturbed reader

**Sexual content

**Fucked up moral compass; read at your own risk.

Oh my goodness. Why did I wait so long to pick up this series? 

I love CM Owens Wild Ones series, & I love the Dark Side series by her pen name Kristy Cunning- but I have been hesitant to read this series for years now. 

But I loved it. 

The Risk follows Lana, a girl who is out seeking revenge on all those who have left her for dead. The ones she is after never sees her coming until it's too late. And Logan, the guy she may be falling for- who also just happens to be an FBI agent. 

I love Lana. She may have went through hell when she was younger, but she's back stronger then ever & out seeking revenge on those who have wronged her. 

And I loved this book. I can't believe I have put off reading it for so long. They are short, quick reads but sooo good, and are perfect fall reads. It's the perfect combination of dark but fun.. And I cannot wait to read the next one to find out what happens next. 

5⭐ out of 5⭐. 

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - a couple scenes in some detail. 

Tropes: 

→ dark romance 

→ contemporary romance

→ serial killer h, x FBI H

→ forbidden romance 

→ revenge 

Sidetracked - book 2

They always want to break me, but I'm too strong now. Untouchable. 

Or at least I was...until her. 

**** 

LOGAN 

I've had tunnel vision for one main goal for so long, that I forgot there was a whole other world just outside. Until Lana. 

She's everything I never expected, and I love the fact I can never guess her every move or reaction. It's part of the reason I keep falling. But I also know she shuts me out, hides things from me she feels she can't share. 

One day, I hope she trusts me enough to share. 

It isn't until my job puts her at risk that I realize just how fierce she is, but it doesn't stop me from doing all I can to protect her. I should walk away to protect her better, but I can't. Instead, I'm forced to find other ways to keep her safe. 

I just hope it's enough. 

Though she is fierce, she's still fragile... 

Right?

I am seriously loving this series, and can't believe I waited so long before picking it up. 

It may be dark- following Lana who is a serial killer as she is out for revenge on those who wronged her when she was younger, and her relationship with Logan- who is an FBI agent who has her case, and is trying to hunt her down, but it's also fun- and funny. It is a great quick read, and I am loving every second of it - and cannot wait to continue the story. 

5 ⭐ out of 5⭐. 

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - a couple scenes in some detail. 

Tropes: 
→ dark romance 
→ contemporary romance
→ serial killer h, x FBI H
→ forbidden romance 
→ revenge 

Scarlet Angel - book 3

To kill a monster, you have to be twice as monstrous. To love a monster, you have to share your soul... 

Logan Bennett makes me want to have a future not tainted by the constant hunger for revenge. Doesn't mean I can stop. Doesn't mean I want to stop. It just means I want more...one day. 

But how do you make a good man love the monster inside you without stripping his soul away as well? He is all the best parts of me right now, resurrecting bits of my heart I forgot could even exist. 

He makes me feel something other than cold. 

He also thinks I'm weak and fragile. Something I laugh about to myself, while secretly soaking in all his protectiveness and concern. 

If anyone touches him, harms him, or even threatens him, then they should probably run. Because his girlfriend is a little bit crazy. They just don't know it yet.

I am seriously loving Logan & Lana's story. As the FBI is uncovering answers to what happened ten years ago, they are also closing in onto the serial killer. Even if Lana could stop, she doesn't want to until her revenge has been made, avenging the death of her family, and who she used to be. But once Logan uncovers the truth, she fears that he will see her as the monster she truly is. 

Each story is fast paced, and dark, but also sprinkled with humor. I love Lana & how absolutely strong she is. How she over ame the hell and horrors she had been through. 

5⭐ out of 5⭐. 

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️. 

- a couple scenes in some detail. 

Tropes: 
→ dark romance 
→ contemporary romance
→ serial killer h, x FBI H
→ forbidden romance 
→ revenge 

All the Lies - book 4

To understand the monsters in the world, you have to get inside their heads. It's a dangerous place to be, especially when you start to empathize and lose your own sense of morality. 

But that's never happened to me... 

I've never felt conflicted on any case. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It's simple. Black and white. There's no such thing as a gray area. 

But fuck this case. I don't even know what side I'm on anymore. I don't understand how this town can continue to function without breaking under the weight of all the lies they've spun and lived. 

Every time I find a shard of truth, my gut twists, my heart beats faster, and I hate this place a little more. Every time I think I've heard the worst, another truth is dug up from the ashes of more burning lies. 

Worst of all, I don't even know who to trust anymore. My head is all messed up. 

I pride myself on being impossible to fool. 

I'm an expert at knowing when someone is lying to me. 

I never believed in being blinded by love...until Lana. 

**BE WARNED: Some flashbacks can get intense to readers with a sensitive trigger. Skip the blocks in italics if that's the case.

As the FBI are closing in, to uncover the dark secrets of the small town, they are also closing in on the serial killer case they have been working on- and closing in on Lana. But will she survive if her secrets come to light? 

I love how strong that Lana is- after everything she has been though, not only is she still facing each day- but she is getting the revenge she deserves- and ridding the world of all the monsters from her past. I cannot wait to read the conclusion of Lana's story. 

5⭐ out of 5⭐.

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️ - a couple scenes in some detail. 

Tropes: 
→ dark romance 
→ contemporary romance
→ serial killer h, x FBI H
→ forbidden romance 
→ revenge 

Paint It All Red - book 5

Hush, little baby, don't say a word... 

Will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together? 

It's time to fuck with their minds. 

It's time to finish it all. 

It's time to paint it all red... 

Monsters don't usually wish for happily-ever-afters.

Oh my goodness. 

Lana finally burned down the town that stood by and watched her horrors she endured unfold- painting the streets red, and dropping bodies of the guilty in her wake. 

But monsters don't get their happily ever afters. 

I loved this book - loved Lana's story from start to finish. I loved seeing Lana seek out her revenge. And also cried for her, and everything she lost. She may have been a victim to a horrible crime, but she rose up and became a nightmare to those who wronged her- becoming so much stronger- not just physically, but mentally as well. These books were amazing, and I'm mentally kicking myself for putting them off for so long. These books were dark and twisted, but I loved them, and loved Lana. 

5⭐ out of 5⭐

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - a couple scenes in some detail. 

Tropes: 
→ dark romance 
→ contemporary romance
→ serial killer h, x FBI H
→ forbidden romance 
→ revenge 

Trigger Warnings 

Review: Scorn

 

Title: Scorn

Series: The Huntsmen

Author: P. Mulholland

Release Date: January 15, 2023

Like a good daughter, I'll wear my scar proudly on my mom's wedding day.

Hell, it's not like I can hide it. The red line runs from an inch under my left eye down my cheek to the corner of my mouth. It's a reminder of where I've been, how far I've come, and who I killed to get here.

My mom is marrying Robert Huntsman—rich, elitist, and handsome, if you close one eye. And soon I'll have two arrogant, attractive stepbrothers to avoid-Royce and Dalzell, and their sullen, mysterious cousin, Layne. Jock kings of Addington University. Perfect sons. Handsome devils who can do no wrong. That's what my mom says anyway.

The plan was to come for the ceremony and fly back home the following day. But that's before I stumbled across something sinister in the forest on the morning of the happiest day of my mom's life.

I saw what those boys did.

And now that I'm a witness to their crime, they won't let me leave.

The Huntsmen is a dark, gritty, enemies to lovers, reverse harem romance series, meaning the FMC will have more than one love interest. The Main Characters are in their early 20's. Single POV. Three book series set at Addington University.

Author's note: This series contains bullying, fighting, cussing, violence, murder, explicit sex scenes, and drug use. Ends on a cliffy.

So, I have been in a book funk off and on all year & struggling to find books to pull me out. And this time was no different. I must have picked up and put down a handful or two of books before I picked up Scorn. 

I added this book to my TBR a few months ago, not only because I love the cover, but because I love dark, why choose, and stepbrother romances. 

This book follows Charlotte, who was only supposed to be in town for her mom's wedding. But when she stumbles upon something she shouldn't have- her new step brothers refuse to let her leave. Now forced to keep her mouth shut, and her head down, she desperately is searching for a way to escape... But as she settles in to her new life, maybe it won't be so bad if she stays for awhile...

So Charlotte is strong. The story keeps hinting at something she has been through in her past- the reason why she left town to begin with all those years ago, and had the scars to prove it. She's a fighter, which is something I love in my fmcs. She also is always on the hunt for answers, and doesn't stop searching for them. 

Her step brothers are rich and powerful- sons of their father. But have no problem getting their hands dirty, and playing in the dark. 

There was a couple minor inconsistencies, and at times the relationships or dynamic between the fmc & mmcs felt a little rushed, but overall it was a fairly good, quick read at under 300 pages. Even though it wasn't my favorite stepbrothers or dark why choose romance, & I am unsure if I will be continuing the series or not, it was still a good read. 

3.5 ⭐ out of 5⭐. 

3🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - multiple detailed scenes throughout. 

Tropes: 

→ dark romance

→ contemporary romance

→ why choose romance 

→ step brother romance 

→ enemies to lovers 

Trigger Warnings 

Review: Fate of a Faux

 

Title: Fate of a Faux

Series: Lords of Rathe

Authors: Meagan Brandy & Amo Jones

Release Date: October 6, 2023

The King of Darkness is dead.

It’s time for a new one to rise…

London Crow isn’t who I thought she was. 

She’s worse. 

My hate for her knows no bounds. 

My need for her has no end. 

But it’s my inability to have her that might just end us all, as the fates refuse to be ignored. 

Now, there’s a darkness sweeping the streets of Rathe, threatening to destroy the Kingdom we know and love, and it’s all because of her. 

The mate I can’t have. 

The bond I can’t let go. 

There is only one way to restore balance, and it begins and ends with her. 

The problem? I broke the girl into a thousand tiny pieces without a second thought. Earning her forgiveness won’t be easy, but that’s fine. 

If she won’t give it freely, I will take it. 

One mistake at a time.

First, this book picks up where Fate of a Royal leaves off, so you MUST read Fate first before diving into this book. 

London had been taking from her home, everything she had ever known and loved stolen from her. The one responsible? Knight. Her mate. And the Lord and future King of Rathe. Darkness sweeps through the streets of Rathe, and hate brews between London & Knight, but the Kingdom hangs in the balance between them. 

So, I absolutely love everything Meagan has ever put out. I greedily read it all, falling in love with every story, every character, every word. And Amo has this way about her stories- the mysteries and secrets won't be known until she is ready to reveal them. So these two authors coming together to write this dark and compelling story & series has been perfection. 

I loved Knight and London's story- the darkness and everything they had to face, not only against each other, but together was fascinating. I loved the dark and thrilling world of Rathe, and the side characters too. The story was gripping and action packed, digging its claws into you, and holding on, making you want more. To know more of what is going on, and salivating over the next installment. 

If you are a lover of fantasy romances, or new to the fantasy genre and want to dip your toes in, and if you love the dark and twisted, I recommend these books. 

4.5⭐ out of 5⭐. 

4🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - detailed scenes throughout including kinks, dirty talk, etc 

Tropes: 

→ dark romance 

→ fantasy romance 

→ romantasy 

→ paranormal romance 

→ enemies to lovers

→ fated mates 

→ bully vibes 

→ possessive/OTT hero 

Trigger Warnings