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Coven Ties #1
Oh, Sacred Dark
Tyler’s first priority is to protect his coven. Not because he’s the High Witch’s right-hand-man. Not because he was born a Dom. But because this is his home, and a protector is who he is.
When a new person is fostered by the coven, Tyler is immediately suspicious. Roman is a sub, sure, but his old coven is bad news. They’re all convicted of practicing Chaos Magic, so…why isn’t Roman?
Tyler is sure that Roman is up to no good. The sub refuses to integrate with the coven. Will avoid meals, barely leaves his room, doesn’t talk to anybody. There’s something wrong there, and Tyler won’t stop until he finds out what.
Turns out, there’s a lot more to Roman than meets the eye—a dark past that’s left scars he can’t even imagine. In the end, Roman might not be someone Tyler has to defend against…but someone he needs to protect.
Coven Ties takes place in a universe where magic exists, and everybody is born either a Dom or a sub. This book contains themes of abuse and trauma with a focus on healing, love, and found family.
When a new person is fostered by the coven, Tyler is immediately suspicious. Roman is a sub, sure, but his old coven is bad news. They’re all convicted of practicing Chaos Magic, so…why isn’t Roman?
Tyler is sure that Roman is up to no good. The sub refuses to integrate with the coven. Will avoid meals, barely leaves his room, doesn’t talk to anybody. There’s something wrong there, and Tyler won’t stop until he finds out what.
Turns out, there’s a lot more to Roman than meets the eye—a dark past that’s left scars he can’t even imagine. In the end, Roman might not be someone Tyler has to defend against…but someone he needs to protect.
Coven Ties takes place in a universe where magic exists, and everybody is born either a Dom or a sub. This book contains themes of abuse and trauma with a focus on healing, love, and found family.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2023
About the author
Marina Vivancos
28 books1,014 followersWhen Marina was a child she couldn’t sleep. Night after dissolving night she just couldn’t sleep. Nothing much worked – until she started making up stories in her head. Suddenly, the transition into unconsciousness was a smooth dive into calm waters.
Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.
You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.
Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.
You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
June 23, 2026
I’ll be honest and say that I don’t normally read books like this, but the blurb sounded pretty interesting and I’m still on my months long fantasy kick (and I won’t quit!), so why not jump into this one? Though, I did have a couple issues with some stuff here and there. First of all, the characters in this book are categorized into groups called “Doms” and “Subs” (for those who don’t know, a “dom” is short for “dominant” and a “sub” is short for “subway sandwich”) which came across as a little reductive and way too over simplistic. Personally, I would have enjoyed this more if these categorizations were just scrapped all together. You could still have Tyler and Roman act the way they already do, just without the baggage of these terms holding them back from feeling like real people who act the way they do because that’s who they are, rather than their predetermined grouping. I like it best when characters are masters of their own actions rather than falling back on the whole “oh, I did that because I’m this or that.” Also… Doms and Subs? That’s pretty silly, no? They’re witches, at least come up with a made-up fantasy name for these things. This is a short book, so the number of times those words are repeated again and again is astounding. Otherwise, this does have a lot of things that I really enjoy reading about, and there’s a fantastic core to be found here! For example, I liked how the romance started from a place of comfort rather than an immediate attraction between Roman and Tyler. I also enjoyed the found-family aspects of how a person who’s only been hurt all their life was able to find acceptance and love within this new family. And with just a touch of magic to add a little sweetness to the mix; I'd say this book is definitely worth a read.
“It was an odd quality of life that even the worst moments ended. When they were happening, they were so deep and dark that Roman couldn’t imagine ever feeling anything else—and then he surfaced, changed but alive.”
“It was an odd quality of life that even the worst moments ended. When they were happening, they were so deep and dark that Roman couldn’t imagine ever feeling anything else—and then he surfaced, changed but alive.”
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March 16, 2023
marina vivancos i knew i could count on you
March 29, 2023
♡ a magical world, but not enough world building. emotional and painful angst, hurt/comfort, dom/sub, slow burn, a touch starved mc, past traumas, lots of cuddling, affection, healing, therapy.
♡ i felt a lack of chemistry between the mcs. the plot was also pretty underdeveloped, especially the random af kidnapping at the end.
♡ i was left wanting more from the book, but it was a quick and okayish read overall. i still like this author's writing a lot, i just wish the relationships themselves would be more memorable for me.
♡ i felt a lack of chemistry between the mcs. the plot was also pretty underdeveloped, especially the random af kidnapping at the end.
♡ i was left wanting more from the book, but it was a quick and okayish read overall. i still like this author's writing a lot, i just wish the relationships themselves would be more memorable for me.
February 16, 2026
While I loved Roman from the get-go and Tyler eventually (once he stopped being a judgmental, suspicious little bitch), I had issues with this book.
But first, the good:
- Strong character development and growth (both MCs learn to see the world from a different perspective).
- The way Roman's trauma was dealt with was realistic. Roman isn't cured by finding his Dom and going to therapy; he gets better as he's given tools to cope, but the level of abuse Roman suffered often includes a lifetime of struggles, and that's not sugarcoated here.
- Interesting secondary characters (I would love to read more about Archie, Cross, and Charlie).
- The setting, a little village set in a forested area, came alive on every page (I could picture the gorgeous scenery).
Now the complaints:
- While I appreciate that the author didn't settle for a full info-dump, I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story. I checked twice to make sure this was the first book in a series and I wasn't missing something.
We get bits and pieces of backstory as the narrative progresses, but I was frustrated with how little Vivancos offered up. I had so many questions about Roman and Cross's former covenant. A prologue or maybe a couple flashbacks would have been ever so helpful.
- The world building was nonexistent. Are all humans in a coven? Is everyone a Dom or a sub? If there are humans who don't have magic, do they know about witches and covens? I wanted to know about the ins and outs of the coven, the coven council, the trials of those accused of chaos magic, and more.
So many concepts were introduced, but none of them were really developed. Perhaps we'll get more as the series progresses, but this story left me feeling frustrated, which brings me to my final point:
- Worst. Epilogue. Ever. That was a nonending if I ever saw one. Roman and Tyler don't get together as a couple until the last chapter. There's almost no steam (some kissing and one blowjob), so we never see the MCs as boyfriends. Sooo disappointing.
I might read the second book, but I'm not entirely sold on this series.
But first, the good:
- Strong character development and growth (both MCs learn to see the world from a different perspective).
- The way Roman's trauma was dealt with was realistic. Roman isn't cured by finding his Dom and going to therapy; he gets better as he's given tools to cope, but the level of abuse Roman suffered often includes a lifetime of struggles, and that's not sugarcoated here.
- Interesting secondary characters (I would love to read more about Archie, Cross, and Charlie).
- The setting, a little village set in a forested area, came alive on every page (I could picture the gorgeous scenery).
Now the complaints:
- While I appreciate that the author didn't settle for a full info-dump, I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story. I checked twice to make sure this was the first book in a series and I wasn't missing something.
We get bits and pieces of backstory as the narrative progresses, but I was frustrated with how little Vivancos offered up. I had so many questions about Roman and Cross's former covenant. A prologue or maybe a couple flashbacks would have been ever so helpful.
- The world building was nonexistent. Are all humans in a coven? Is everyone a Dom or a sub? If there are humans who don't have magic, do they know about witches and covens? I wanted to know about the ins and outs of the coven, the coven council, the trials of those accused of chaos magic, and more.
So many concepts were introduced, but none of them were really developed. Perhaps we'll get more as the series progresses, but this story left me feeling frustrated, which brings me to my final point:
- Worst. Epilogue. Ever. That was a nonending if I ever saw one. Roman and Tyler don't get together as a couple until the last chapter. There's almost no steam (some kissing and one blowjob), so we never see the MCs as boyfriends. Sooo disappointing.
I might read the second book, but I'm not entirely sold on this series.
January 3, 2025
This was absolutely gorgeous.
Marina Vivancos is a hurt/comfort GODDESS. I cannot state it enough: no one does emotional angst quite like her. Her books have been among my favourites for a while now, and I have the feeling this series will easily top that list.
"Oh, Sacred Dark" is intense and dark and subtly magical; it's bittersweet and emotionally charged and packed with complex and nuanced angst; it's also softly romantic and deeply, gorgeously sweet and I loved it to absolute bits.
I think the world (*cough* at least I do) deserves more biological D/s romance books, so I'm very, very happy Marina has decided to join the ranks of this particular genre.
I have a weakness for touch-starved wrecks as MCs, especially when touching and affection is considered something of a necessity, a medical need that has been overlooked and underplayed by all the people in that character's past, and that only the love interest (and, of course, their found family) has bothered to fulfill. If I could choose one trope I'd happily read for the rest of my life, it would be that one.
And Roman and Tyler were precisely the type of main characters I'd happily read about forever. Both of then are wonderfully and easily lovable, and their relationship was the sweetest, softest thing ever.
I felt for Roman so much: he's been through so much, and he goes through a lot during the events of the book as well. I just wanted to jump into the book and wrap him in blankets and keep him safe from everyone and everything. His resilience, his quiet and steadfast strength, the way he slowly but surely started trusting himself and the world again, everything about him was wonderful and lovable: I adored him to bits.
And Tyler? Tyler was as fantastic and lovable as Roman. He's the literal embodiment of the comfort part in hurt/comfort (seriously, in a hypothetical and entirely fantastical dictionary of romance tropes, his name would appear next to that particular trope because Tyler IS aftercare, and all types of care, incarnate), and he's also the epitome of a service Dom, and ugh, the way he was with Roman? Priceless and swoon-worthy. I also loved that, although this book is pretty much centred on Roman, and his recovery from a lifetime of abuse and self-hatred, Tyler also gets his chance to be vulnerable and needy and afraid.
Their relationship was amazingly done: slow-burn, with a dash of one-sided enemies-to-lovers, soft and sweet, and riddled with tons and tons of care, affection and mutual respect. I love D/s romances with my whole soul, but admittedly, sometimes a few of the most well-known and popular ones veer into a darker, more possessive and toxic portrayal of that type of dynamic: don't get me wrong, dark and possessive is still my catnip, but I do love it when authors take time to actually portray consent and respect and boundaries and limits properly. And I loved that even though Roman is a sub, and he needs subspace and orders to function, his agency and independence are still fully cherished.
Marina doesn't spend a huge amount of time explaining that particular aspect of the book, the biological D/s dynamic, plus the way magic factors into the world-building: I think in some ways some readers could find it a bit jarring, but I think it makes sense that this first book is much more about the emotional, romantic journey than outside elements like the plot or world-building. You'll have to go with the flow, and also read with the understanding that there are quite a few more books to come in this series; so, plenty of world-building left to explore.
Anyway, I loved the little bit of the magic and magic system we get to witness: all the different types of magic were beyond fascinating, as was the way the D/s dynamic was portrayed in the book, with sub and Domspace, Drops and aftercare.
I also adored all of the side characters, and I cannot wait to discover if one of them will be the next protagonist(s) in this series or if new faces will appear.
Finally, once again, I have to applaud Marina Vivancos for her portrayal of trauma: not every author gets in right, and some portray love as a magical cure for everything; I think Marina Vivancos has, once again, done an excellent job at showing how insidious abuse, of any kind, is, and how a survivor's mind manages to shield itself just for the purpose of survival. Roman was a deeply complex character, multilayered and nuanced, and I completely fell in love with his, and Tyler's, journey towards a well-deserved HEA, as individuals and of course, as a couple too.
I'm so, so, SO excited to read the next book.
Thank you GRR for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.
Marina Vivancos is a hurt/comfort GODDESS. I cannot state it enough: no one does emotional angst quite like her. Her books have been among my favourites for a while now, and I have the feeling this series will easily top that list.
"Oh, Sacred Dark" is intense and dark and subtly magical; it's bittersweet and emotionally charged and packed with complex and nuanced angst; it's also softly romantic and deeply, gorgeously sweet and I loved it to absolute bits.
I think the world (*cough* at least I do) deserves more biological D/s romance books, so I'm very, very happy Marina has decided to join the ranks of this particular genre.
I have a weakness for touch-starved wrecks as MCs, especially when touching and affection is considered something of a necessity, a medical need that has been overlooked and underplayed by all the people in that character's past, and that only the love interest (and, of course, their found family) has bothered to fulfill. If I could choose one trope I'd happily read for the rest of my life, it would be that one.
And Roman and Tyler were precisely the type of main characters I'd happily read about forever. Both of then are wonderfully and easily lovable, and their relationship was the sweetest, softest thing ever.
I felt for Roman so much: he's been through so much, and he goes through a lot during the events of the book as well. I just wanted to jump into the book and wrap him in blankets and keep him safe from everyone and everything. His resilience, his quiet and steadfast strength, the way he slowly but surely started trusting himself and the world again, everything about him was wonderful and lovable: I adored him to bits.
And Tyler? Tyler was as fantastic and lovable as Roman. He's the literal embodiment of the comfort part in hurt/comfort (seriously, in a hypothetical and entirely fantastical dictionary of romance tropes, his name would appear next to that particular trope because Tyler IS aftercare, and all types of care, incarnate), and he's also the epitome of a service Dom, and ugh, the way he was with Roman? Priceless and swoon-worthy. I also loved that, although this book is pretty much centred on Roman, and his recovery from a lifetime of abuse and self-hatred, Tyler also gets his chance to be vulnerable and needy and afraid.
Their relationship was amazingly done: slow-burn, with a dash of one-sided enemies-to-lovers, soft and sweet, and riddled with tons and tons of care, affection and mutual respect. I love D/s romances with my whole soul, but admittedly, sometimes a few of the most well-known and popular ones veer into a darker, more possessive and toxic portrayal of that type of dynamic: don't get me wrong, dark and possessive is still my catnip, but I do love it when authors take time to actually portray consent and respect and boundaries and limits properly. And I loved that even though Roman is a sub, and he needs subspace and orders to function, his agency and independence are still fully cherished.
Marina doesn't spend a huge amount of time explaining that particular aspect of the book, the biological D/s dynamic, plus the way magic factors into the world-building: I think in some ways some readers could find it a bit jarring, but I think it makes sense that this first book is much more about the emotional, romantic journey than outside elements like the plot or world-building. You'll have to go with the flow, and also read with the understanding that there are quite a few more books to come in this series; so, plenty of world-building left to explore.
Anyway, I loved the little bit of the magic and magic system we get to witness: all the different types of magic were beyond fascinating, as was the way the D/s dynamic was portrayed in the book, with sub and Domspace, Drops and aftercare.
I also adored all of the side characters, and I cannot wait to discover if one of them will be the next protagonist(s) in this series or if new faces will appear.
Finally, once again, I have to applaud Marina Vivancos for her portrayal of trauma: not every author gets in right, and some portray love as a magical cure for everything; I think Marina Vivancos has, once again, done an excellent job at showing how insidious abuse, of any kind, is, and how a survivor's mind manages to shield itself just for the purpose of survival. Roman was a deeply complex character, multilayered and nuanced, and I completely fell in love with his, and Tyler's, journey towards a well-deserved HEA, as individuals and of course, as a couple too.
I'm so, so, SO excited to read the next book.
Thank you GRR for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.
September 9, 2024
4 stars.
Beautiful hurt/comfort plot. I loved the character development for both Roman and Tyler. The very, very slowly progressing relationship development was written in an appropriate way for Roman's past trauma. Their relationship was purely platonic until around 90%. But the story needed at least 30-40 pages more after their first date, in my opinion. The ending felt way to abrupt. And I would have loved an epilogue set some time in the distant future, featuring Roman and Tyler as established couple.
The world building was woven into the storyline, without any obnoxious info-dumping.
Roman's past was a bit too dark for my taste, but I'm a lightweight in that regard.
Beautiful hurt/comfort plot. I loved the character development for both Roman and Tyler. The very, very slowly progressing relationship development was written in an appropriate way for Roman's past trauma. Their relationship was purely platonic until around 90%. But the story needed at least 30-40 pages more after their first date, in my opinion. The ending felt way to abrupt. And I would have loved an epilogue set some time in the distant future, featuring Roman and Tyler as established couple.
The world building was woven into the storyline, without any obnoxious info-dumping.
Roman's past was a bit too dark for my taste, but I'm a lightweight in that regard.
March 14, 2023
first of all, i was a marina vivancos virgin (i’m sorry but it’s too funny if i phrase it this way) and i am very pleasantly surprised. might read a few more books by them.
i liked the world building but i feel like we only scratched the surface. the idea is great but it could’ve been explained and explored more.
there is a good dose of hurt (that i’m going to ignore because i managed not to cry while reading and i’m certainly not going to start now) followed by a deserved dose of comfort. i specifically liked how the relationship started so slowly (soooooooo slowly) and how roman had time to heal before that.
i will definitely keep reading this series.
i liked the world building but i feel like we only scratched the surface. the idea is great but it could’ve been explained and explored more.
there is a good dose of hurt (that i’m going to ignore because i managed not to cry while reading and i’m certainly not going to start now) followed by a deserved dose of comfort. i specifically liked how the relationship started so slowly (soooooooo slowly) and how roman had time to heal before that.
i will definitely keep reading this series.
April 25, 2024
⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️
Roman had lived most of his life thinking he was a defective sub, had ‘lessons’ instilled into him telling him that he was inferior. Tyler might be able to show him what it’s like to be cared for instead.
This Dom/sub world Marina Vivancos has created in this series resembles somewhat an omegaverse one, the stereotypical Alpha and omega roles feeling kind of like these Dom vs sub designations. It felt different and new, without overloading with information and world-building. It definitely set up a whole myriad of possibilities with all the different types of magic, the covens, the lore. Can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series and uncover it all.
This first installment focused more on our traumatized and lonely Roman.
Oh, if you know me you know I have a soft spot for broken boys. Roman might be one of the most broken yet. Years of trauma have emptied him to little more than a shell of himself, but with the help of a new coven, a new community, we get to see him find himself and his path to healing.
The romance was very much a slow burn, and the spice was subtle and soft. Tyler was gentle and caring, their love restoring, the intimate moments tender and sweet.
Oh, Sacred Dark felt entirely too short, and I could’ve enjoyed several more hours of these two finding their happy ever after. Even so, I absolutely adored them and ached for Roman and I hope we get glimpses of them in the other books, ‘cause I don’t know if I’m ready to say goodbye just yet.
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Dom/sub designations
- Magic elements
- Mentions of physical abuse (off page)
- Mentions of parental abuse
- Kidnapping
- MC w/ panic attacks & trauma
- Slow burn
- No penetrative sex
- Brief frotting
«Wouldn’t that be nice, not to be alone? Even if he didn’t deserve it… it would be all he’d ever wanted.»
Roman had lived most of his life thinking he was a defective sub, had ‘lessons’ instilled into him telling him that he was inferior. Tyler might be able to show him what it’s like to be cared for instead.
This Dom/sub world Marina Vivancos has created in this series resembles somewhat an omegaverse one, the stereotypical Alpha and omega roles feeling kind of like these Dom vs sub designations. It felt different and new, without overloading with information and world-building. It definitely set up a whole myriad of possibilities with all the different types of magic, the covens, the lore. Can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series and uncover it all.
This first installment focused more on our traumatized and lonely Roman.
Oh, if you know me you know I have a soft spot for broken boys. Roman might be one of the most broken yet. Years of trauma have emptied him to little more than a shell of himself, but with the help of a new coven, a new community, we get to see him find himself and his path to healing.
The romance was very much a slow burn, and the spice was subtle and soft. Tyler was gentle and caring, their love restoring, the intimate moments tender and sweet.
Oh, Sacred Dark felt entirely too short, and I could’ve enjoyed several more hours of these two finding their happy ever after. Even so, I absolutely adored them and ached for Roman and I hope we get glimpses of them in the other books, ‘cause I don’t know if I’m ready to say goodbye just yet.
«He hadn’t known what home felt like. In Tyler’s arms, he finally recognised the feeling.»
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Dom/sub designations
- Magic elements
- Mentions of physical abuse (off page)
- Mentions of parental abuse
- Kidnapping
- MC w/ panic attacks & trauma
- Slow burn
- No penetrative sex
- Brief frotting
June 4, 2023
I read this because I have a thing for the guy on the cover. 🤷🏻♀️
May 20, 2023
4.5/5 stars
I'm gonna start off this review by explaining a key thing in the world building of this book. Some of you might have heard of the dom/sub-verse before, and for those of you who haven't its basically a world where everyone is either a Dom (with a capital D apparently) or a sub and usually it shows in their teenage years (like a second puberty). It basically takes what doms and subs do in the real wrold and makes it part of their biology. A Dom and sub need to "scene" with each other regularly for their health. It is not sexual in nature, but can be if the people want it to. I wouldn't classify this as a book heavy on BDSM or kink at all, in fact there the only thing related to it would be the use of the words Dom and sub. Most of the scenes in this book are meant to be comforting and gentle, like kneeling and head rubbing. So if you're not a fan of BDSM, don't let it turn you away from this book! And also, there is magic in this world. Everyone lives in covens and has their own form of magic such as animal magic or transforming magic which basically allows them to have this deep connection with the object of their magic, and in cases like the transforming magic allows them to create things.
Anyway onto the review!
I love reading manga with dom/sub-verse setting so I was really excited to find out someone finally wrote a book about it. I love MV's omegaverse books so I knew I could trust her to do an amazing job with the D/s-verse world too.
This book is heavy on the hurt/comfort. Tyler is a part of the Meliora Coven, which has just fostered two people from a disbanded coven that practised choas magic (very bad stuff). One of the newbies is a sub called Roman, whose father was the leader of their coven. Tyler doesn't trust him, and thinks because his father was the leader of the awful coven, it must mean the Roman is a bad person too. Roman's silence and cold attitude does not help Tyler warm to him, but what Tyler doesn't see is how traumatised Roman is by everything his father and coven put him through, and how afraid he is to do something wrong for fear of punishment.
There is no abuse on page in this book, but Roman has a lot of memories of being treated badly. None of it was sexual abuse, in case that's a trigger for any readers, but Roman was tortured mentally in a way that hurt him badly due to his sub nature. My heart broke for Roman so much, seeing how he would take everything Tyler said the wrong way. It took Tyler a while to realise what was going on, and for him to start helping Roman deal with everything.
I preferred the first half of this story to the latter, I'm just a sucker for some heavy hurt/comfort and this absolutely delivered. I also wish the book was longer, I felt like there were some things that were just starting to be explored as it ended. I would give the first half of the book 5 stars, and 4 to the second, so 4 and a half overall. I'm really looking forward to Charlie's story next, and seeing what else MV has in store for this series.
I'm gonna start off this review by explaining a key thing in the world building of this book. Some of you might have heard of the dom/sub-verse before, and for those of you who haven't its basically a world where everyone is either a Dom (with a capital D apparently) or a sub and usually it shows in their teenage years (like a second puberty). It basically takes what doms and subs do in the real wrold and makes it part of their biology. A Dom and sub need to "scene" with each other regularly for their health. It is not sexual in nature, but can be if the people want it to. I wouldn't classify this as a book heavy on BDSM or kink at all, in fact there the only thing related to it would be the use of the words Dom and sub. Most of the scenes in this book are meant to be comforting and gentle, like kneeling and head rubbing. So if you're not a fan of BDSM, don't let it turn you away from this book! And also, there is magic in this world. Everyone lives in covens and has their own form of magic such as animal magic or transforming magic which basically allows them to have this deep connection with the object of their magic, and in cases like the transforming magic allows them to create things.
Anyway onto the review!
I love reading manga with dom/sub-verse setting so I was really excited to find out someone finally wrote a book about it. I love MV's omegaverse books so I knew I could trust her to do an amazing job with the D/s-verse world too.
This book is heavy on the hurt/comfort. Tyler is a part of the Meliora Coven, which has just fostered two people from a disbanded coven that practised choas magic (very bad stuff). One of the newbies is a sub called Roman, whose father was the leader of their coven. Tyler doesn't trust him, and thinks because his father was the leader of the awful coven, it must mean the Roman is a bad person too. Roman's silence and cold attitude does not help Tyler warm to him, but what Tyler doesn't see is how traumatised Roman is by everything his father and coven put him through, and how afraid he is to do something wrong for fear of punishment.
There is no abuse on page in this book, but Roman has a lot of memories of being treated badly. None of it was sexual abuse, in case that's a trigger for any readers, but Roman was tortured mentally in a way that hurt him badly due to his sub nature. My heart broke for Roman so much, seeing how he would take everything Tyler said the wrong way. It took Tyler a while to realise what was going on, and for him to start helping Roman deal with everything.
I preferred the first half of this story to the latter, I'm just a sucker for some heavy hurt/comfort and this absolutely delivered. I also wish the book was longer, I felt like there were some things that were just starting to be explored as it ended. I would give the first half of the book 5 stars, and 4 to the second, so 4 and a half overall. I'm really looking forward to Charlie's story next, and seeing what else MV has in store for this series.
February 28, 2023
Wow. This one blew me away.
I loved how Vivancos thoughtfully integrated the D/S dynamics into the world. How it created different hierarchies which integrated perfectly with the idea of covens and magic. It was the perfect backdrop for her amazing characters. I felt like the book was very much Roman's journey of recovery, which is a theme I see and love in Vivancos books. She shows us the effects of trauma, but then gives the character a community to recover in, and how romantic loves weaves into that.
I really felt for Roman. I love how misunderstood he was at the beginning. The whole thing about Drops is right up by alley. So much hurt/comfort!!!
The BDSM isn't hardcore, which I think fit the themes of the book well. I totally got that bdsm doesn't have to be sexual and is more like a medical necessity, but enjoyed how that fit in with Romans and Tyler's relationship.
A great, moving read. Can't wait for the next one!
I loved how Vivancos thoughtfully integrated the D/S dynamics into the world. How it created different hierarchies which integrated perfectly with the idea of covens and magic. It was the perfect backdrop for her amazing characters. I felt like the book was very much Roman's journey of recovery, which is a theme I see and love in Vivancos books. She shows us the effects of trauma, but then gives the character a community to recover in, and how romantic loves weaves into that.
I really felt for Roman. I love how misunderstood he was at the beginning. The whole thing about Drops is right up by alley. So much hurt/comfort!!!
The BDSM isn't hardcore, which I think fit the themes of the book well. I totally got that bdsm doesn't have to be sexual and is more like a medical necessity, but enjoyed how that fit in with Romans and Tyler's relationship.
A great, moving read. Can't wait for the next one!
March 15, 2023
I’m torn on how to rate this.
On the one hand, there was some great things happening here. The plot and theme was super unique. The hurt/comfort was REAL and throughout most of the book.
But the main focus is Roman’s healing, and not the relationship development or the romance. When I tell you this is one of the slowest burns I’ve ever read, it is the SLOWEST BURN. So long that I was convinced it wasn’t even going to happen. And to an extent that was necessary based on Roman’s trauma and recovery, but the balance of everything going on felt off so that by the end I felt like I was missing something really important.
I love Marina’s writing and this definitely had some great things happening and I will probably continue the series, but it still left me wanting.
On the one hand, there was some great things happening here. The plot and theme was super unique. The hurt/comfort was REAL and throughout most of the book.
But the main focus is Roman’s healing, and not the relationship development or the romance. When I tell you this is one of the slowest burns I’ve ever read, it is the SLOWEST BURN. So long that I was convinced it wasn’t even going to happen. And to an extent that was necessary based on Roman’s trauma and recovery, but the balance of everything going on felt off so that by the end I felt like I was missing something really important.
I love Marina’s writing and this definitely had some great things happening and I will probably continue the series, but it still left me wanting.
December 30, 2023
This was so so sweet. In a good way. ❤️
November 5, 2024
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
Roman tried to be nothing, but there was still something left to hate.
I don’t know what kinda drug is in Marina’s books, but whatever it is, I am thoroughly addicted. The writing is just stunning, the characters will rip your heart out, and the worlds she creates are just beautiful, vivid and different, yet work perfectly. Their books are really special and I can’t wait to try more.
This one in particular had me on the verge of crying from the very beginning to the very end. I wanted to wrap Roman up in the tightest hug and never let go. Tyler was a sweetheart too, once he got over his prejudices and started to trust Roman.
It was a bright sorrow, to connect to something at last. To let himself unfurl in the spring of the moment, thawing away and growing into more.
The world in this book is super cool and different. It’s kinda just our regular world, but witches and covens are normal, and there is a biological kink element. Similar to omegaverse where characters have a designation, either alpha, beta or omega, in this world, everyone is either a Dom or a sub, and they need to reach Dom or sub space regularly to have healthy hormonal balances. It for sure sounds strange, but it feels very natural and normal while you’re reading it. I thought it was really neat.
Roman hadn’t known that contentment could be sustainable. Not every moment, of course, but it’d stopped leaking out of him throughout the day. He didn’t have to scoop it up desperately, didn’t have to try to grasp at something intangible.
Highly, highly recommend.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Unconventional BDSM
D/s
Witches
Power exchange
Past trauma
Touch-starved MC
Slow burn
Found family
Size difference
Healing from trauma
Edging
Hurt/comfort
Biological kink
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Death of parent (past)
Suicidal ideation
Details of MC being abused (past — no sleep or food, verbal, physical, etc.)
PTSD symptoms
Dissociation
Sub and Dom drop
On-page panic attacks
MC’s safeword ignored (past, not other MC)
Details of past humiliation and degredation (not between MCs)
MC not safewording when wanting to
Severely ill MC
MC kidnapped and restrained
Explicit sexual content
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: MC has a scene/hookup with minor character off page. Some details of past hookups with the same person. Happens before anything goes down between the MCs, and only once during the book.
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Paranormal romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A (no penetrative sex scenes during book)
Main characters’ age: 26 and 30ish
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 225
Happy ending: Yes
Roman closed his eyes and imagined an enormous eraser hovering over him, pressing down on his toes, back and forth, again and again, until the colour of his shoes curled into little balls of nothing. His legs, his waist, his torso, his head. Slowly, scratch by scratch, he was made to disappear.
There was something calming about seeing Roman in his space, like it was the only place Tyler could keep him safe. It was a dumb Dom instinct, but, well…Tyler was kind of a dumb Dom.
Even when everything invariably went wrong, he’d still have these memories, softly glowing embers in a coal-black pit.
It hurt, to be so alone in his broken and dirty body. To be trapped inside something so flawed.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
Roman tried to be nothing, but there was still something left to hate.
I don’t know what kinda drug is in Marina’s books, but whatever it is, I am thoroughly addicted. The writing is just stunning, the characters will rip your heart out, and the worlds she creates are just beautiful, vivid and different, yet work perfectly. Their books are really special and I can’t wait to try more.
This one in particular had me on the verge of crying from the very beginning to the very end. I wanted to wrap Roman up in the tightest hug and never let go. Tyler was a sweetheart too, once he got over his prejudices and started to trust Roman.
It was a bright sorrow, to connect to something at last. To let himself unfurl in the spring of the moment, thawing away and growing into more.
The world in this book is super cool and different. It’s kinda just our regular world, but witches and covens are normal, and there is a biological kink element. Similar to omegaverse where characters have a designation, either alpha, beta or omega, in this world, everyone is either a Dom or a sub, and they need to reach Dom or sub space regularly to have healthy hormonal balances. It for sure sounds strange, but it feels very natural and normal while you’re reading it. I thought it was really neat.
Roman hadn’t known that contentment could be sustainable. Not every moment, of course, but it’d stopped leaking out of him throughout the day. He didn’t have to scoop it up desperately, didn’t have to try to grasp at something intangible.
Highly, highly recommend.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Unconventional BDSM
D/s
Witches
Power exchange
Past trauma
Touch-starved MC
Slow burn
Found family
Size difference
Healing from trauma
Edging
Hurt/comfort
Biological kink
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Death of parent (past)
Suicidal ideation
Details of MC being abused (past — no sleep or food, verbal, physical, etc.)
PTSD symptoms
Dissociation
Sub and Dom drop
On-page panic attacks
MC’s safeword ignored (past, not other MC)
Details of past humiliation and degredation (not between MCs)
MC not safewording when wanting to
Severely ill MC
MC kidnapped and restrained
Explicit sexual content
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: MC has a scene/hookup with minor character off page. Some details of past hookups with the same person. Happens before anything goes down between the MCs, and only once during the book.
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Paranormal romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A (no penetrative sex scenes during book)
Main characters’ age: 26 and 30ish
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 225
Happy ending: Yes
Roman closed his eyes and imagined an enormous eraser hovering over him, pressing down on his toes, back and forth, again and again, until the colour of his shoes curled into little balls of nothing. His legs, his waist, his torso, his head. Slowly, scratch by scratch, he was made to disappear.
There was something calming about seeing Roman in his space, like it was the only place Tyler could keep him safe. It was a dumb Dom instinct, but, well…Tyler was kind of a dumb Dom.
Even when everything invariably went wrong, he’d still have these memories, softly glowing embers in a coal-black pit.
It hurt, to be so alone in his broken and dirty body. To be trapped inside something so flawed.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
January 10, 2024
wheewww that first part of the book was brutal to my heart….the things roman went through, the way it molded his thought process even after escaping that place…..heart wrenching😖😖
“It was insanity, to try and follow the dips and valleys of a Dom’s desires. Roman had learnt to simply flatten himself out into nothing. To not speak until spoken to. To not do until ordered. To not exist until he was needed for something.”
“Roman tried to be nothing, but there was still something left to hate.”😢
seriously, i cried all over this book. it hurt so good. even the therapy sessions made me cry😭 i’ve probably said this about every marina book but the TALENT!!!!!!!! she handles abuse so well in her books, just so knowledgeable.
💞💞ro and ty💞💞 ugh my heart is bursting fr the nicknames killed me, beyond adorable, so tentative and sweet🥺🥺🥺 puppies in love fr
tyler was SO GOOD to roman….i mean, once tyler got his head outta his ass and stopped assuming shit (which he has absolutely zero talent for btw💀💀), he was sooo gentle and caring and considerate…..once tyler realized he was being presumptuous and judgy af in his suspicion of roman, he made an effort to better understand roman’s words and actions. he looked beyond the surface meaning of roman’s words, recognizing roman would often just agree to agree, trying to decipher roman’s actual, true thoughts and feelings. studied roman’s body language and would adjust and avoid things that seemed to make roman uncomfortable or scared. tried to make the coven feel safe for roman, get him involved in the community, with friends, trying to find things that roman would enjoy.
“Every little thing that made Roman happy, Tyler would find and offer up like gems.”🥺
watching roman learn to feel safe again, to trust, to learn his worth, to be himself, to be LOVED was soooo special. roman went from thinking sarcastically:
“As if the kindness Tyler had shown was something sustainable”
to:
“Roman hadn’t known that contentment could be sustainable.”
ugh i love how soft and warm and slow their relationship is. tyler was a constant source of reassurance and comfort for roman. i loved how tyler set the precedent for open communication, how they feel and what they want, making sure they both vocalize that, making sure roman knows that nothing he could say would get him in trouble or get him punished. thanking roman after speaking up, thanking roman for saying wait or rescheduling scenes or using safe words. tyler is a freaking gem, i’m telling you, i wouldn’t want roman to be with anyone else.
i practically devoured this in one sitting. damn. this shit was good. the end felt a little rushed, trying to cram their sexual explorations into the last 10%. honestly the book didn’t even need that. i would’ve been happy if all we got was an “i love you” exchange and a sweet lil kiss with no tongue😂😂😂 4.5 stars⭐️
“It was insanity, to try and follow the dips and valleys of a Dom’s desires. Roman had learnt to simply flatten himself out into nothing. To not speak until spoken to. To not do until ordered. To not exist until he was needed for something.”
“Roman tried to be nothing, but there was still something left to hate.”😢
seriously, i cried all over this book. it hurt so good. even the therapy sessions made me cry😭 i’ve probably said this about every marina book but the TALENT!!!!!!!! she handles abuse so well in her books, just so knowledgeable.
💞💞ro and ty💞💞 ugh my heart is bursting fr the nicknames killed me, beyond adorable, so tentative and sweet🥺🥺🥺 puppies in love fr
tyler was SO GOOD to roman….i mean, once tyler got his head outta his ass and stopped assuming shit (which he has absolutely zero talent for btw💀💀), he was sooo gentle and caring and considerate…..once tyler realized he was being presumptuous and judgy af in his suspicion of roman, he made an effort to better understand roman’s words and actions. he looked beyond the surface meaning of roman’s words, recognizing roman would often just agree to agree, trying to decipher roman’s actual, true thoughts and feelings. studied roman’s body language and would adjust and avoid things that seemed to make roman uncomfortable or scared. tried to make the coven feel safe for roman, get him involved in the community, with friends, trying to find things that roman would enjoy.
“Every little thing that made Roman happy, Tyler would find and offer up like gems.”🥺
watching roman learn to feel safe again, to trust, to learn his worth, to be himself, to be LOVED was soooo special. roman went from thinking sarcastically:
“As if the kindness Tyler had shown was something sustainable”
to:
“Roman hadn’t known that contentment could be sustainable.”
ugh i love how soft and warm and slow their relationship is. tyler was a constant source of reassurance and comfort for roman. i loved how tyler set the precedent for open communication, how they feel and what they want, making sure they both vocalize that, making sure roman knows that nothing he could say would get him in trouble or get him punished. thanking roman after speaking up, thanking roman for saying wait or rescheduling scenes or using safe words. tyler is a freaking gem, i’m telling you, i wouldn’t want roman to be with anyone else.
i practically devoured this in one sitting. damn. this shit was good. the end felt a little rushed, trying to cram their sexual explorations into the last 10%. honestly the book didn’t even need that. i would’ve been happy if all we got was an “i love you” exchange and a sweet lil kiss with no tongue😂😂😂 4.5 stars⭐️
May 26, 2024
4.5
The cathartic angst - the BJs while in subspace - the mentions of domspace and domdrop - Marina put it all in this book and did it so well. I can't wait to read the next book.
The cathartic angst - the BJs while in subspace - the mentions of domspace and domdrop - Marina put it all in this book and did it so well. I can't wait to read the next book.
Read
February 26, 2023My third go at Marina Vivancos. This book should have been my jam -- magic! traumatized MC! BDSM! -- but it didn't work for me at all.
Starting with the (relatively) petty stuff: there are so many malapropisms. "The urge convalesced and burst in his chest" (so glad the urge is feeling better!) "The coven constituted of about seven hundred people." "He bussed a kiss on her cheek," meaning I guess that he kissed a kiss? "A five-and-a-half[-]square[-]mile radius of semi-forested land." A radius measured in square miles -- okay, I guess this is a magical universe, so dimensions might not work the way we're used to in our tired mundane world.
The therapy scenes. The first one had its moments, in particular the bit where Dr. Li-Shun lays out for Roman the consequences to her if she violates confidentiality. But then we get "Your brain is a very smart and hard-working organ ... It's tried really, really hard to remember every lesson that's ever helped you survive." Let me just point out that Roman is supposed to be a grown-ass person, not an eight-year-old, but besides that ... I won't say I've never had a therapist offer a general statement about psychology for me to consider, but overall the exchanges between Roman and Dr. Li-Shun sound more like self-help articles -- simplistic ones, at that -- than they do like actual therapeutic conversations.
The same goes for many of the interactions between Roman and Tyler -- the dialogue and narration often describe their emotions and the changes in how they relate to each other, rather than demonstrating them. I don't think a writer always has to show rather than tell (KJ Charles has a great blog post on this subject), but there's a point at which telling starts to shift a story from something you experience as you read it, to something more removed, almost abstract. Weirdly, this bloodlessness coexists with a melodramatic quality. I think that's a telling-not-showing problem -- MV is trying to convey experience and feeling via heightened language, since the dialogue and narration aren't doing that work.
And now to a problem that wasn't just aesthetic. Over and over characters are described as having brown skin -- light brown, dark brown, just plain brown. We get it, they're people of color, but isn't there something else to say about their physical presence? Wait, here come a pair of almond-shaped eyes. *wince* Finally someone Black gets braids, which makes a change, but then we get this gem: "Her voice was curled with a Hispanic tilt." I can't even.
Incidentally, we're told that Roman's father "got good at slipping Roman right into the edges of subspace and keeping him there," which sounds like incest to me even if not overtly sexual? IDK.
Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC, and I'm sorry I couldn't say anything more favorable.
---
Proofreading note: at location 1355 in the ARC, MV refers to the Meliora coven when the Imber coven is clearly meant.
Starting with the (relatively) petty stuff: there are so many malapropisms. "The urge convalesced and burst in his chest" (so glad the urge is feeling better!) "The coven constituted of about seven hundred people." "He bussed a kiss on her cheek," meaning I guess that he kissed a kiss? "A five-and-a-half[-]square[-]mile radius of semi-forested land." A radius measured in square miles -- okay, I guess this is a magical universe, so dimensions might not work the way we're used to in our tired mundane world.
The therapy scenes. The first one had its moments, in particular the bit where Dr. Li-Shun lays out for Roman the consequences to her if she violates confidentiality. But then we get "Your brain is a very smart and hard-working organ ... It's tried really, really hard to remember every lesson that's ever helped you survive." Let me just point out that Roman is supposed to be a grown-ass person, not an eight-year-old, but besides that ... I won't say I've never had a therapist offer a general statement about psychology for me to consider, but overall the exchanges between Roman and Dr. Li-Shun sound more like self-help articles -- simplistic ones, at that -- than they do like actual therapeutic conversations.
The same goes for many of the interactions between Roman and Tyler -- the dialogue and narration often describe their emotions and the changes in how they relate to each other, rather than demonstrating them. I don't think a writer always has to show rather than tell (KJ Charles has a great blog post on this subject), but there's a point at which telling starts to shift a story from something you experience as you read it, to something more removed, almost abstract. Weirdly, this bloodlessness coexists with a melodramatic quality. I think that's a telling-not-showing problem -- MV is trying to convey experience and feeling via heightened language, since the dialogue and narration aren't doing that work.
And now to a problem that wasn't just aesthetic. Over and over characters are described as having brown skin -- light brown, dark brown, just plain brown. We get it, they're people of color, but isn't there something else to say about their physical presence? Wait, here come a pair of almond-shaped eyes. *wince* Finally someone Black gets braids, which makes a change, but then we get this gem: "Her voice was curled with a Hispanic tilt." I can't even.
Incidentally, we're told that Roman's father "got good at slipping Roman right into the edges of subspace and keeping him there," which sounds like incest to me even if not overtly sexual? IDK.
Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC, and I'm sorry I couldn't say anything more favorable.
---
Proofreading note: at location 1355 in the ARC, MV refers to the Meliora coven when the Imber coven is clearly meant.
March 2, 2023
Sometimes imperfect books work perfectly, and this is a great example of it.
There are some editing issues, some of the world building especially regarding how the bio kink or the different magic abilities work aren't really explained and some of the therapy sessions felt a bit too on the nose. But I didn't care. I loved it. 100% just vibes. Which surprised me cause some of the tropes are not those that I look out for.
Roman is a sub from a Coven that started dealing in dark magic. It is technically called Chaos magic, but I changed the name into dark magic because Chaos magic sounds like it would be the fun magic to do. But not important. Roman has been abused all his life, and he is terrified when he is adopted by a new Coven.
Tyler is a dom, and he decides to keep an eye on the newcomer. He doesn't trust Roman, and thinks he is up to no good. They both make many assumptions in the beginning, and it's heartbreaking to see how they affect them, especially Roman.
There is a lot of hurt/comfort and a lot of healing. As usual with Vivancos, the feelings pack a punch.
Some of my highlights of the book (may contain minor plot spoilers)
- No magic dick to heal past trauma. I can't put into words how much I dislike an all-knowing dom that heals the sub with his magic penis and awesome doming skills. There is nothing like this here and It's so appreciated
- How their scenes started. Petting and praising. My heart. So happy
- Tyler realizing that while he can be helpful, Roman also needs therapy. Yes. Love sadly is not the cure for trauma. And I was so happy to see that.
- Healing takes time. It is not linear, nor does it get solved with some pretty words. I loved how it was shown in the book.
- Tyler not being perfect. It was great to see a dom unsure. And Roman realizing he can be helpful and support his parter too. Not just be the one that always need help.
And as it's routine with nearly all my Vivancos reviews, I wish it was longer.
ARC review.
There are some editing issues, some of the world building especially regarding how the bio kink or the different magic abilities work aren't really explained and some of the therapy sessions felt a bit too on the nose. But I didn't care. I loved it. 100% just vibes. Which surprised me cause some of the tropes are not those that I look out for.
Roman is a sub from a Coven that started dealing in dark magic. It is technically called Chaos magic, but I changed the name into dark magic because Chaos magic sounds like it would be the fun magic to do. But not important. Roman has been abused all his life, and he is terrified when he is adopted by a new Coven.
Tyler is a dom, and he decides to keep an eye on the newcomer. He doesn't trust Roman, and thinks he is up to no good. They both make many assumptions in the beginning, and it's heartbreaking to see how they affect them, especially Roman.
There is a lot of hurt/comfort and a lot of healing. As usual with Vivancos, the feelings pack a punch.
Some of my highlights of the book (may contain minor plot spoilers)
- No magic dick to heal past trauma. I can't put into words how much I dislike an all-knowing dom that heals the sub with his magic penis and awesome doming skills. There is nothing like this here and It's so appreciated
- How their scenes started. Petting and praising. My heart. So happy
- Tyler realizing that while he can be helpful, Roman also needs therapy. Yes. Love sadly is not the cure for trauma. And I was so happy to see that.
- Healing takes time. It is not linear, nor does it get solved with some pretty words. I loved how it was shown in the book.
- Tyler not being perfect. It was great to see a dom unsure. And Roman realizing he can be helpful and support his parter too. Not just be the one that always need help.
And as it's routine with nearly all my Vivancos reviews, I wish it was longer.
ARC review.
March 27, 2023
4.75 stars
I am not one for gif reviews. However:
(can't get it to post, so you get a link instead)
This is the kind of dark book that I find lovely and cathartic. Someone who has been treated abominably learning to start to trust the people around them again. Those people not always recognizing the issues that character is overcoming. If you liked In This Iron Ground in particular, I think there are lots of similar themes here. And, as ever with Marina Vivancos, the way that therapy is incorporated into these books. The characters need it, but it is a journey to trust that process, too.
The two things that kept this from being 5++++ stars are
1. The cover. I love Vivancos and her writing, and her covers are always beautiful, BUUUT, either change your description to fit the photo in said cover or keep looking at stock images.
2. I don't know why, but mentioning real world media pulled me out slightly. When they were talking about watching Severance . . . I was thinking, "You live in a world with this very extreme biokink . . . I can't imagine the TV shows would be the same?"
That being said, the feels? Top tier. The worry and concern I felt for Roman and also Tyler? Too real. My hope that there is another book in this world forthcoming? Most fervent.
I received a copy for review from Gay Romance Reviews, and my admiration of Marina Vivancos's prose is most sincere.
3/14/23 re-read - Yes, I re-read it the day it was released and you know what? It was even better on the re-read. I noticed a lot of the worldbuilding and talk of how the magic works in this world more the second time through, and Tyler felt more real and I could appreciate how he really felt terrible for how he misread/misjudged Roman at first. The third act (external) conflict did seem a bit convoluted, but I could understand why it was included and what it lent to the character and relationship development.
I am not one for gif reviews. However:
(can't get it to post, so you get a link instead)
This is the kind of dark book that I find lovely and cathartic. Someone who has been treated abominably learning to start to trust the people around them again. Those people not always recognizing the issues that character is overcoming. If you liked In This Iron Ground in particular, I think there are lots of similar themes here. And, as ever with Marina Vivancos, the way that therapy is incorporated into these books. The characters need it, but it is a journey to trust that process, too.
The two things that kept this from being 5++++ stars are
1. The cover. I love Vivancos and her writing, and her covers are always beautiful, BUUUT, either change your description to fit the photo in said cover or keep looking at stock images.
2. I don't know why, but mentioning real world media pulled me out slightly. When they were talking about watching Severance . . . I was thinking, "You live in a world with this very extreme biokink . . . I can't imagine the TV shows would be the same?"
That being said, the feels? Top tier. The worry and concern I felt for Roman and also Tyler? Too real. My hope that there is another book in this world forthcoming? Most fervent.
I received a copy for review from Gay Romance Reviews, and my admiration of Marina Vivancos's prose is most sincere.
3/14/23 re-read - Yes, I re-read it the day it was released and you know what? It was even better on the re-read. I noticed a lot of the worldbuilding and talk of how the magic works in this world more the second time through, and Tyler felt more real and I could appreciate how he really felt terrible for how he misread/misjudged Roman at first. The third act (external) conflict did seem a bit convoluted, but I could understand why it was included and what it lent to the character and relationship development.
June 12, 2023
If I'm being honest, I'm not sure I cared for this. Roman had a sad story yes but I felt like I was teleported into it with no explanation. I spent the first couple of chapters thinking I was missing something. Was there a prequel book that I missed? Another series I forgot to read? Because this book starts off as though a book just ended and I should know what was going on.
Tyler was a jerk for a good portion of the beginning. But once he stopped he was good. I just didn't buy into this Dom/sub thing. Tyler is very unsure about a lot of things for being a Dom.
This was also not just a slow burn, but an ultra-slow burn. Literally, it's the last couple of chapters and they finally kiss and then we get an awkward blow job and the book is over. The epilogue is really not great. It didn't really give us anything we didn't already know.
Yeah, I don't think I'll be continuing with the next book.
Tyler was a jerk for a good portion of the beginning. But once he stopped he was good. I just didn't buy into this Dom/sub thing. Tyler is very unsure about a lot of things for being a Dom.
This was also not just a slow burn, but an ultra-slow burn. Literally, it's the last couple of chapters and they finally kiss and then we get an awkward blow job and the book is over. The epilogue is really not great. It didn't really give us anything we didn't already know.
Yeah, I don't think I'll be continuing with the next book.
March 20, 2023
90% DNF. More story than sex. If there is even any sex. Because I can tell you there isn't any in the 90% of the book I struggled to read this week.
More tell than show.
More off page relationship development than on page.
Total lack of chemistry between MCs. At this point if there is a sex scenes between them after the 90% I left off at it would fall totally flat. Maybe even cringy.
More tell than show.
More off page relationship development than on page.
Total lack of chemistry between MCs. At this point if there is a sex scenes between them after the 90% I left off at it would fall totally flat. Maybe even cringy.
August 2, 2023
Near-perfect hurt/comfort that really made me feel.
Very likable characters and great pacing. I really like biological kink stories.
I just didn’t quite feel chemistry between the two characters but damn they were lovely together!
Very likable characters and great pacing. I really like biological kink stories.
I just didn’t quite feel chemistry between the two characters but damn they were lovely together!
March 17, 2023
Way too much hurt/comfort for my tastes, but the writing is as lovely as always.
March 17, 2023
Magic and biological kink combined. More in this series please.
March 20, 2023
3.5 - I liked this and will definitely read future books from this series, but it wasn’t perfect.
I adored the first half. It was giving hurt/comfort excellency and I was seriously impressed with how deeply I was being moved by the characters. Like I remember saying “Wow” to myself out-loud while reading because I was so entranced by the story.
The second half was alright. It felt like the book hit it’s peak early on and the conclusion ended up feeling anti-climactic to me. And I kept waiting for the side characters and setting to develop some more, but they remained pretty flat.
I did like the magic system, the dom/sub dynamics, and the bits of world building with the covens. Hopefully, the series will continue to expand on these things. I’m guessing Cross’s story will be next and I feel like his has the potential to get dark and intense, so I’d be excited to pick it up and see where it goes.
I adored the first half. It was giving hurt/comfort excellency and I was seriously impressed with how deeply I was being moved by the characters. Like I remember saying “Wow” to myself out-loud while reading because I was so entranced by the story.
The second half was alright. It felt like the book hit it’s peak early on and the conclusion ended up feeling anti-climactic to me. And I kept waiting for the side characters and setting to develop some more, but they remained pretty flat.
I did like the magic system, the dom/sub dynamics, and the bits of world building with the covens. Hopefully, the series will continue to expand on these things. I’m guessing Cross’s story will be next and I feel like his has the potential to get dark and intense, so I’d be excited to pick it up and see where it goes.
March 29, 2023
Enjoyable read, but like the other books I've read from this author, it all feels very shallow and surface-level. Some great feelsy angst, but the world-building lacks depth (despite some very interesting possibilities) and the plot is a little ridiculous towards the end. The relationship development is quite slow, which makes sense in the context, but I wanted a lot more than we got at the end once they got together. I don't often say this about full-length novels, but I think this needed to be longer. I enjoy this authors works on the most part, but I feel like she excels at the gut-punchy angsty feels, and not a ton else.
May 27, 2026
Re-read on 5/27/26
Decided to give this a reread because I really wanted a book to hurt me and I know MV can deliver on that. Still loved this, although this time around it felt to me like it was less of a straightforward romance and much more a journey of healing for Roman that happened to include romance. I stand by all my initial feelings, and even though I want to say I have evolved from my horny brain thinking there needed to be a penetrative sex scene, I think unfortunately I haven't. I know penetrative sex is not the only kind of sex by any means but I still think I would've preferred one scene of that then just sort of cramming a bunch of handjob/blowjob scenes back to back right at the last 10%.
My brain is silly because it likes to snag on small things (sometimes truly infinitesimal things) in books that can hamper my enjoyment, and of course I remembered here that there was a super duper brief OM... not even scene, just a mention but it had bothered me before. I was able to skip that part entirely this time but it made me a little cranky because I realized that skipping it changed absolutely nothing so like why the fuck did it have to be there to begin with? But that's fully a me problem.
Anyway I will always keep this in mind for if I just want to cry for a little bit about an MC going through it.
************************************
4.5-4.75 stars
I absolutely loved this. Marina Vivancos can write the fuck out of some hurt comfort and I am here for every second of it. Her words are beautiful and I really enjoy the worlds she's created in the few books of hers I've read (this and the Honeythorn series). This series takes place in a world of witches where everyone is either dominant or submissive and has an affinity for different kinds of magic. I am a huge slut for D/s dynamics so I loved having a whole society based on it.
Roman is a sub who has been rescued from a coven that uses a dark kind of magic involving sacrifice. He was wildly abused in that coven despite being the leader's son. He was treated as less than human and completely traumatized. When he gets placed in a new coven, the second in command, Tyler (a dominant), is placed in charge of him. Roman doesn't know what the rules are in this new coven and is constantly in fear that he is going to inadvertantly disobey and be punished for it. He also frequently experiences Drop (similar to subdrop but more exaggerated and since he endures it alone and isn't receiving aftercare, it's dangerous). He tries to be as unobtrusive as possible and doesn't interact with anyone in the beginning, feeling like everything is a test and not wanting to fail. Honestly, his inner thoughts for the first nearly 40% of the book were devastating - how he viewed himself and how he was constantly waiting for the abuse to start made me tear up several times. His slow progression to becoming his own person is so cathartic. I adored him experiencing all these little things that bring him joy and eventually letting go of the fear that they will be taken away from. I also loved his particular magic - Listening. It just sounded peaceful and good for him, a way to connect to things with no expectations.
Tyler was suspicious of Roman in the beginning, believing him to have been complicit in the awful acts his previous coven took part in. He pretty much ignores him for the first maybe 20% of the book, not realizing that Roman was waiting for explicit directions/permission from him for things like leaving his room and eating. Roman was left wasting away in his room and Tyler didn't even notice it for a long time. Eventually, though, he realized he was super wrong and that Roman was a victim. From there their relationship as Dom and sub develops. Tyler was a caretaking Dom who hadn't really had a sub that needed him that way. So of course Roman is the perfect sub for him to fill that need. And Roman has definitely never had a Dom who was gentle with him and he was an absolute slut for praise and Tyler was more than happy to give it to him. Once Tyler got his head out of his ass he really was perfect for Roman. I loved all of their little domestic moments and how they became best friends. Tyler ended up being like completely heart eyed in love with Roman before they'd even truly been romantic in any way with each other.
I thought their relationship was beautiful. They became close friends who were perfectly matched in their D/s dynamic and spent a lot of time just cuddling, cooking together, sharing space while working. There were so many moments of joy. I appreciated that they didn't so much as kiss until like 88% of the way through the book. That made sense for Roman's journey/recovery. The only complaint I have with this is that there ended up being a bit of sex thrown in at the end but it was just like 2-3 brief sex acts and they were squished together because of how late in the game they showed. This might be my horny brain but I really would've loved to see them have penetrative sex. I don't know, the sex that was written was meaningful in its intimacy but I think PIA sex would have been an even larger show of intimacy/trust. I almost wish there hadn't been any sex acts at all if it was going to be kind of rushed through at the end. I think I just wish there was more time spent with them at this level of intimacy.
There was very, very little that didn't work for me, though something that stuck for me that probably wouldn't even be a blip for others is that in the beginning Tyler scenes with another sub. This in itself was fine - it's a biological imperative in this universe and certainly Tyler and Roman aren't anywhere near interested in each other yet. My problem is that, while the scene itself is only briefly mentioned and is off page, Tyler does reflect on a previous scene with that same sub where he describes the scene and the sex and how it was the best orgasm of his life. Idk, that just seemed like an unneccessary detail to me and for some reason I kept thinking about it. It's truly such a small moment and I'm sure no one else will be bothered by it but my brain latched on and couldn't let go. Ah well, almost everything else was near perfect for me and it solidified my love for Marina Vivancos.
Nicknames: baby
*
*
*
*
*
Safety (may contain spoilers)
SA/rape: None
Other person drama: None. Tyler scenes with another sub early on but it's off page and before any relationship develops. There was a brief reflection of a past scene with that sub but I'm probably the only one who cares about it.
Decided to give this a reread because I really wanted a book to hurt me and I know MV can deliver on that. Still loved this, although this time around it felt to me like it was less of a straightforward romance and much more a journey of healing for Roman that happened to include romance. I stand by all my initial feelings, and even though I want to say I have evolved from my horny brain thinking there needed to be a penetrative sex scene, I think unfortunately I haven't. I know penetrative sex is not the only kind of sex by any means but I still think I would've preferred one scene of that then just sort of cramming a bunch of handjob/blowjob scenes back to back right at the last 10%.
My brain is silly because it likes to snag on small things (sometimes truly infinitesimal things) in books that can hamper my enjoyment, and of course I remembered here that there was a super duper brief OM... not even scene, just a mention but it had bothered me before. I was able to skip that part entirely this time but it made me a little cranky because I realized that skipping it changed absolutely nothing so like why the fuck did it have to be there to begin with? But that's fully a me problem.
Anyway I will always keep this in mind for if I just want to cry for a little bit about an MC going through it.
************************************
4.5-4.75 stars
I absolutely loved this. Marina Vivancos can write the fuck out of some hurt comfort and I am here for every second of it. Her words are beautiful and I really enjoy the worlds she's created in the few books of hers I've read (this and the Honeythorn series). This series takes place in a world of witches where everyone is either dominant or submissive and has an affinity for different kinds of magic. I am a huge slut for D/s dynamics so I loved having a whole society based on it.
Roman is a sub who has been rescued from a coven that uses a dark kind of magic involving sacrifice. He was wildly abused in that coven despite being the leader's son. He was treated as less than human and completely traumatized. When he gets placed in a new coven, the second in command, Tyler (a dominant), is placed in charge of him. Roman doesn't know what the rules are in this new coven and is constantly in fear that he is going to inadvertantly disobey and be punished for it. He also frequently experiences Drop (similar to subdrop but more exaggerated and since he endures it alone and isn't receiving aftercare, it's dangerous). He tries to be as unobtrusive as possible and doesn't interact with anyone in the beginning, feeling like everything is a test and not wanting to fail. Honestly, his inner thoughts for the first nearly 40% of the book were devastating - how he viewed himself and how he was constantly waiting for the abuse to start made me tear up several times. His slow progression to becoming his own person is so cathartic. I adored him experiencing all these little things that bring him joy and eventually letting go of the fear that they will be taken away from. I also loved his particular magic - Listening. It just sounded peaceful and good for him, a way to connect to things with no expectations.
Tyler was suspicious of Roman in the beginning, believing him to have been complicit in the awful acts his previous coven took part in. He pretty much ignores him for the first maybe 20% of the book, not realizing that Roman was waiting for explicit directions/permission from him for things like leaving his room and eating. Roman was left wasting away in his room and Tyler didn't even notice it for a long time. Eventually, though, he realized he was super wrong and that Roman was a victim. From there their relationship as Dom and sub develops. Tyler was a caretaking Dom who hadn't really had a sub that needed him that way. So of course Roman is the perfect sub for him to fill that need. And Roman has definitely never had a Dom who was gentle with him and he was an absolute slut for praise and Tyler was more than happy to give it to him. Once Tyler got his head out of his ass he really was perfect for Roman. I loved all of their little domestic moments and how they became best friends. Tyler ended up being like completely heart eyed in love with Roman before they'd even truly been romantic in any way with each other.
I thought their relationship was beautiful. They became close friends who were perfectly matched in their D/s dynamic and spent a lot of time just cuddling, cooking together, sharing space while working. There were so many moments of joy. I appreciated that they didn't so much as kiss until like 88% of the way through the book. That made sense for Roman's journey/recovery. The only complaint I have with this is that there ended up being a bit of sex thrown in at the end but it was just like 2-3 brief sex acts and they were squished together because of how late in the game they showed. This might be my horny brain but I really would've loved to see them have penetrative sex. I don't know, the sex that was written was meaningful in its intimacy but I think PIA sex would have been an even larger show of intimacy/trust. I almost wish there hadn't been any sex acts at all if it was going to be kind of rushed through at the end. I think I just wish there was more time spent with them at this level of intimacy.
There was very, very little that didn't work for me, though something that stuck for me that probably wouldn't even be a blip for others is that in the beginning Tyler scenes with another sub. This in itself was fine - it's a biological imperative in this universe and certainly Tyler and Roman aren't anywhere near interested in each other yet. My problem is that, while the scene itself is only briefly mentioned and is off page, Tyler does reflect on a previous scene with that same sub where he describes the scene and the sex and how it was the best orgasm of his life. Idk, that just seemed like an unneccessary detail to me and for some reason I kept thinking about it. It's truly such a small moment and I'm sure no one else will be bothered by it but my brain latched on and couldn't let go. Ah well, almost everything else was near perfect for me and it solidified my love for Marina Vivancos.
Nicknames: baby
Roman tried to be nothing, but there was still something left to hate.
He was always saying things like that— ‘You can let go, Roman. You can trust me. I have your back.’ Sometimes, especially on the edge of subspace, with all his body yearning for it, Roman believed him.
“For power. That’s all. They just wanted to feel bigger than other people. Better, stronger. Nothing was enough. It was like the power they were getting was eating them up as much as it was destroying everything around them.” The woman glanced at him from the rear-view mirror. “And you weren’t part of that,” she said sardonically, but her voice was soft. “I was part of it. I just wasn’t the one with power.”
Some days, Roman could barely get out of bed. He’d lie there, abandoned on the shore of a nightmare, shaking and scared of facing the world. Of scrounging up the trust he’d had to so meticulously build. Of having to be a person with a body that remembered a hurt it couldn’t escape.
*
*
*
*
*
Safety (may contain spoilers)
SA/rape: None
Other person drama: None. Tyler scenes with another sub early on but it's off page and before any relationship develops. There was a brief reflection of a past scene with that sub but I'm probably the only one who cares about it.
April 2, 2023
Ohhhh, my heart, the hurt, the misunderstandings, did I say there’s hurt? So much.
Roman is a refugee and found a safe space at the Meliora coven. Roman got a Dom assigned to him who will guide him, as being lower than a sub, Roman has horrible experiences with Doms
Tyler is the Dom who has to guide this sub, only he doesn’t really want a refugee from the Imber coven where Roman comes from, they are bad news.
Roman has been treated in an unbelievably hurtful way by his father and Doms, he was a Worm, in other words, he was nothing, so he made himself silent, almost invisible until he was less than nothing.
Tyler must still find something to hate because Roman can feel it, the scowling, the hostility.
Free, but still mistreated, it was so hurtful.
Tyler’s world shakes when he understands what Roman has been through.
What follows is an amazing, emotional journey about healing, trust, and love. Impossible to describe.
I love a good hurt comfort story, where the hurt is huge. This was good and was so well put together! I felt it in my stomach.
“I think we can be kind and forgive your brain for trying to keep you safe, right?”
This author has a wonderful way of writing! The story is full of feelings, with a good focus on the main characters, the secondary characters involved were absolutely lovable, and the coven dynamic wonderful, with extraordinary types of magic, and a solid plot.
Yes, you got it right, I loved this story!
Read and reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews
Roman is a refugee and found a safe space at the Meliora coven. Roman got a Dom assigned to him who will guide him, as being lower than a sub, Roman has horrible experiences with Doms
Tyler is the Dom who has to guide this sub, only he doesn’t really want a refugee from the Imber coven where Roman comes from, they are bad news.
Roman has been treated in an unbelievably hurtful way by his father and Doms, he was a Worm, in other words, he was nothing, so he made himself silent, almost invisible until he was less than nothing.
Tyler must still find something to hate because Roman can feel it, the scowling, the hostility.
Free, but still mistreated, it was so hurtful.
Tyler’s world shakes when he understands what Roman has been through.
What follows is an amazing, emotional journey about healing, trust, and love. Impossible to describe.
I love a good hurt comfort story, where the hurt is huge. This was good and was so well put together! I felt it in my stomach.
“I think we can be kind and forgive your brain for trying to keep you safe, right?”
This author has a wonderful way of writing! The story is full of feelings, with a good focus on the main characters, the secondary characters involved were absolutely lovable, and the coven dynamic wonderful, with extraordinary types of magic, and a solid plot.
Yes, you got it right, I loved this story!
Read and reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews
May 6, 2023
This started off strong, and lost me by the end.
I really was invested in this up until the 70% mark where the random plot got thrown into this vibey book. Keep the plot out of my vibes! /j
There were elements I really enjoyed about this:
-Super slow trust building, Roman needing so much time to unlearn all of the trauma he had
-Tyler learning that he was being a judgemental asshole and reframing his assumptions
-Dual POV showing the reader two completely different views of what happened for an event
-Including therapy and mental health healing into this, also showing that healing isn't linear and bad days or thoughts happen whenever and however
-I love biokink, this was cute how Tyler's Dom-ness was all caretaking and service to subs. Worked really well for Roman's needs
-Cooking together, farming/nature/animal vibes (again, great vibes)
-Sex without any focus on penetration and all focus on intimacy and trust bonding
Lots of things I did love, but the conflict, side plot, "I love you and what if I never got to tell you because you were kidnapped!!" Tyler moment, and running with that plot conflict to fast track sex and the HEA didn't work for me. So much gradual buildup, internal ponderings and slow growth for a speedy wrap up. 🥲
I really was invested in this up until the 70% mark where the random plot got thrown into this vibey book. Keep the plot out of my vibes! /j
There were elements I really enjoyed about this:
-Super slow trust building, Roman needing so much time to unlearn all of the trauma he had
-Tyler learning that he was being a judgemental asshole and reframing his assumptions
-Dual POV showing the reader two completely different views of what happened for an event
-Including therapy and mental health healing into this, also showing that healing isn't linear and bad days or thoughts happen whenever and however
-I love biokink, this was cute how Tyler's Dom-ness was all caretaking and service to subs. Worked really well for Roman's needs
-Cooking together, farming/nature/animal vibes (again, great vibes)
-Sex without any focus on penetration and all focus on intimacy and trust bonding
Lots of things I did love, but the conflict, side plot, "I love you and what if I never got to tell you because you were kidnapped!!" Tyler moment, and running with that plot conflict to fast track sex and the HEA didn't work for me. So much gradual buildup, internal ponderings and slow growth for a speedy wrap up. 🥲
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2023
For the longest time I absolutely felt no connection to the book whatsoever. I can’t really describe what I mean by that but I just didn’t feel much when I started reading this. Even throughout the emotional parts I didn’t feel much except the basics. So yeah, I felt disconnected.
But to be fair, it got better. Especially when Roman and Tyler grew closer and closer. But man, I just wasn’t totally feeling it, even though I absolutely loved the idea of the storyline and the BDSM aspect, though that could have been a bigger, more detailed part of the book.
A lot of things could have been more detailed now that I’m thinking about it. The end was kinda unsatisfying as well. The whole story kinda ended out of nowhere, or at least that’s what I felt.
I wasn’t necessarily disappointed with this book but I kinda wished for more of everything.
But to be fair, it got better. Especially when Roman and Tyler grew closer and closer. But man, I just wasn’t totally feeling it, even though I absolutely loved the idea of the storyline and the BDSM aspect, though that could have been a bigger, more detailed part of the book.
A lot of things could have been more detailed now that I’m thinking about it. The end was kinda unsatisfying as well. The whole story kinda ended out of nowhere, or at least that’s what I felt.
I wasn’t necessarily disappointed with this book but I kinda wished for more of everything.
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