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Freaks of Nature Duet #1
Doves & Demons
When Irene is kidnapped by a gang of monsters, she is shoved straight into a world of magic and murder. A Mothman. An Unseelie. A Demonic Plague Doctor. The Freaks are a terrifying group ready to wreak havoc on the world that destroyed their humanity. But as these creatures drag Irene into the dark— they crave her soul, mind, and body . The longer these four are together, the faster they fall into a terrifying type of love. Will the demons take the wings from their caged dove, or will they set her free before their world devours her? Doves & Demons is the first book in the Freaks of Nature Duet and will be a complete story for the characters. This is a very spicy and dark Why Choose steampunk Monster romance. Follow Clio Evans on Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok to stay up to date on monster-related shenanigans.
386 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2023
742 people are currently reading
6279 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
March 16, 2023
A dark steampunk monster reverse harem with ⚔. The plot was decent, but I would have loved to see some world-building and depth; the characters and their relationships are what set this apart. We have a demonic plague doctor who likes to get rough and use dirty talk, an unseelie who loves to take Irene with his other mate and bring her all the pleasure, and a moth-man with a vibrating appendage and the need to be in control. Irene was so feisty and held her own against the three of them; she was not afraid to speak her mind. I loved that this was not insta-love and in fact, the men hated Irene at first; it felt fitting to see them realize their hate had evolved to absolute obsession and adoration for her.
February 2, 2025
Style over substance.
This was ok. It was equally too long but not long enough. Certain aspects would have benefit from a bit more fleshing out and a lot could have been cut - I did end up skimming quite a bit by the end because it just got a bit too repetitive.
I didn't find any of the harem particularly engaging and have no desire to finish the duet because those characters seem even less so.
*****
Steampunk monster reverse harem - where can I get in line?!?
This was ok. It was equally too long but not long enough. Certain aspects would have benefit from a bit more fleshing out and a lot could have been cut - I did end up skimming quite a bit by the end because it just got a bit too repetitive.
I didn't find any of the harem particularly engaging and have no desire to finish the duet because those characters seem even less so.
*****
Steampunk monster reverse harem - where can I get in line?!?
April 13, 2023
What a fun sex fest! I really liked Charles, and Morte is the sexiest demon I’ve had the pleasure to read about.
The plot sucked though. From the start it was obvious who Irene was, but her monsters had no clue, which made me question their authority as the second most important mob gang in London. How did they clawed their way to the top if they were so oblivious to things right under their noses?
The plot sucked though. From the start it was obvious who Irene was, but her monsters had no clue, which made me question their authority as the second most important mob gang in London. How did they clawed their way to the top if they were so oblivious to things right under their noses?
March 19, 2023
I liked the setting/world-building. The smut was decent. But the rest was pretty cringey. The characters were one dimensional and fmc's personality changed with the direction of the wind. I wish the MMCs were more than "I'll fucking kill you" or "look at how ebil I am mwahaha." Inconsistent characterizations make me lose my mind.
March 19, 2023
This book was great. Reverse harem dark monster romance is chef’s kiss. Irene is an independent and feisty FMC and she meets her match with a mobster mothman, a manipulative unseelie and a demonic plague doctor. It’s like Gangs of New York but steampunk and steamy as hell + monsters. I will Insta buy anything by Clio Evans and this did not disappoint!
Currently reading
December 10, 2024Intriguing
May 8, 2023
Steampunk Pick Me Girl
The more I read of this book, the more I disliked it. Irene is a total Pick Me Girl, and James and Charles are whiney and annoying. Morte was tolerable, but that may be different in the last half of the book, I wouldn’t know since I skimmed pretty heavily from 65% on. I “read” the entire book because the premise was SO promising, but the interesting parts of the world weren’t explored in favor of spice. Don’t get me wrong, I love spice, but why bother with a fantasy setting with a magic system and interesting stuff to explore if you are just going for straight spice. The whole gang premise felt forced, and the name Freaks seems ridiculous in a world full of monsters. They were not anymore freakish than the Rippers. Jack was another cool idea that fell flat due to immature quips and lack of exploration. Not worth the time, won’t read the second book.
The more I read of this book, the more I disliked it. Irene is a total Pick Me Girl, and James and Charles are whiney and annoying. Morte was tolerable, but that may be different in the last half of the book, I wouldn’t know since I skimmed pretty heavily from 65% on. I “read” the entire book because the premise was SO promising, but the interesting parts of the world weren’t explored in favor of spice. Don’t get me wrong, I love spice, but why bother with a fantasy setting with a magic system and interesting stuff to explore if you are just going for straight spice. The whole gang premise felt forced, and the name Freaks seems ridiculous in a world full of monsters. They were not anymore freakish than the Rippers. Jack was another cool idea that fell flat due to immature quips and lack of exploration. Not worth the time, won’t read the second book.
March 2, 2023
“For all of the things I have done to you, I will not ask for forgiveness. I enjoyed it all. I am a monster, a villain, a creature that belongs in the very pits of hell. I do not feel sorry for the pain I have caused you, only that I didn’t cause you happiness too. If you wish to cut out my heart, it would please me that your hands would be the one to wield the knife.”
Doves & Demons was such a different kind of monster romance from Clio Evans. I’ve always enjoyed her monsters who are obsessed with their human from the beginning but this book was a whole other side of Clio’s writing and I say that in the best way possible. This book was dark, gritty, messy, a dash of toxic and I reveled in this darker side. I’ve wondered what it would be like if Clio ever wrote a darker monster romance and a bitch was not let down. It was everything I wanted.
One thing to remember before going in: there are no good guys here. This is a brutal, violent, and bloody world full of war between rival monster gangs. These are villains who do villainous acts. They want to kill the FMC but they also kill anyone who could/would harm her. They want her blood but only they are allowed to make her bleed.
The only thing I will say about the plot (because I don’t want to spoil anything) is that it was action packed and very fast paced. I found it difficult to put Doves & Demons down but that’s me with all Clio Evans books if I’m being honest.
And of course it wouldn’t be a Clio book without high spice and high kink levels. I’m obsessed with her way of writing smut. It’s unapologetically kinky and sex positive. And I love characters who aren’t afraid to embrace their darker kinky side.
The type of love we shared was terrifying. It was the kind that turned cities to ash and made bridges burn, but it was also the kind that made monsters realise that they didn’t have to be alone in the dark.
Some of the kinks to expect: blood drinking, biting, fisting, double V penetration, degradation, praise, somnophilia, breeding, breath play, CNC, humiliation, squirting, Sadism/masochism and more. Clio has an extensive list of content warnings and included kinks at the beginning of the book.
What to expect:
Mothman, Unseelie, Plague Doctor, & A Human
Unique peens
True hate to love & hate fucking
Kinks on top of kinks
Rough sex
Sadism/masochism
Monster rival gang war
5⭐️ 5🔥
Doves & Demons was such a different kind of monster romance from Clio Evans. I’ve always enjoyed her monsters who are obsessed with their human from the beginning but this book was a whole other side of Clio’s writing and I say that in the best way possible. This book was dark, gritty, messy, a dash of toxic and I reveled in this darker side. I’ve wondered what it would be like if Clio ever wrote a darker monster romance and a bitch was not let down. It was everything I wanted.
One thing to remember before going in: there are no good guys here. This is a brutal, violent, and bloody world full of war between rival monster gangs. These are villains who do villainous acts. They want to kill the FMC but they also kill anyone who could/would harm her. They want her blood but only they are allowed to make her bleed.
The only thing I will say about the plot (because I don’t want to spoil anything) is that it was action packed and very fast paced. I found it difficult to put Doves & Demons down but that’s me with all Clio Evans books if I’m being honest.
And of course it wouldn’t be a Clio book without high spice and high kink levels. I’m obsessed with her way of writing smut. It’s unapologetically kinky and sex positive. And I love characters who aren’t afraid to embrace their darker kinky side.
The type of love we shared was terrifying. It was the kind that turned cities to ash and made bridges burn, but it was also the kind that made monsters realise that they didn’t have to be alone in the dark.
Some of the kinks to expect: blood drinking, biting, fisting, double V penetration, degradation, praise, somnophilia, breeding, breath play, CNC, humiliation, squirting, Sadism/masochism and more. Clio has an extensive list of content warnings and included kinks at the beginning of the book.
What to expect:
Mothman, Unseelie, Plague Doctor, & A Human
Unique peens
True hate to love & hate fucking
Kinks on top of kinks
Rough sex
Sadism/masochism
Monster rival gang war
5⭐️ 5🔥
March 27, 2023
I LOVED this - from the unique characters to the whole steampunk/1920s/mobster atmosphere, this was an easy 5/5 ⭐ If you like monster romance, poly romance, dark romance, and LGBT characters - then you'll like this a lot.
This was a HOT 5/5 🌶️ (how I rate spice is written in my bio).
This was a HOT 5/5 🌶️ (how I rate spice is written in my bio).
Read
April 11, 2023rtc
March 3, 2023
(Arc review)
Forget everything you’re used to read from Clio, in D&D she presented a very different side of her - except for the monsters and good smut, that’s still there.
In a steampunk reality, Irene is a young woman living her best life in roaring 20s NYC. She managed to get to the university and studies hard to become an engineer. She’s brilliant and super smart, but also loves to drink and dance at some speakeasy. And leaving with company. A goddess.
What she doesn’t know is that a family member created a powerful automat and many monsters are looking for it. When her sister’s fiance pretty much gives her away for a monster mafia ruled by Jack, The Ripper, she is kidnapped and wakes up in a blimp in London, with no memory of why is everyone dead and where is her sister.
And when she tries to flee, she’s kidnapped again 🤣 this time by the Freaks, the mafia rival to Jack: James, the mothman, Charles, the Fae and Morte, the demonic plague doctor.
They end up making a deal to unite against Jack, and that includes her being their little fuck puppet.
Lmao those 3 fall so fast. So fast. In a matter of days they go from “use and kill the stinky human” to absolute SIMPS. It’s one sided tho, Irene loves their monster 🐔, but hates and plans all the time to kill everyone and become big boss lady. How will that turn out? Find out reading.
Let’s take a minute to talk about Morte, the most feared and bloodthirsty monster in all the London, who will completely captivate you and offer us the best pet name in literature: marionette. 🫠
This is Clio’s best book so far! I love everything she wrote, but you can see her growth here, her huge progress as a writer.
World building 💎.
Characters 💎.
Story 💎.
Written / style 💎.
I love her so much for daring creating something so different and absolutely nailing it doing so.
I love it. Read this gem. 🖤
Forget everything you’re used to read from Clio, in D&D she presented a very different side of her - except for the monsters and good smut, that’s still there.
In a steampunk reality, Irene is a young woman living her best life in roaring 20s NYC. She managed to get to the university and studies hard to become an engineer. She’s brilliant and super smart, but also loves to drink and dance at some speakeasy. And leaving with company. A goddess.
What she doesn’t know is that a family member created a powerful automat and many monsters are looking for it. When her sister’s fiance pretty much gives her away for a monster mafia ruled by Jack, The Ripper, she is kidnapped and wakes up in a blimp in London, with no memory of why is everyone dead and where is her sister.
And when she tries to flee, she’s kidnapped again 🤣 this time by the Freaks, the mafia rival to Jack: James, the mothman, Charles, the Fae and Morte, the demonic plague doctor.
They end up making a deal to unite against Jack, and that includes her being their little fuck puppet.
Lmao those 3 fall so fast. So fast. In a matter of days they go from “use and kill the stinky human” to absolute SIMPS. It’s one sided tho, Irene loves their monster 🐔, but hates and plans all the time to kill everyone and become big boss lady. How will that turn out? Find out reading.
Let’s take a minute to talk about Morte, the most feared and bloodthirsty monster in all the London, who will completely captivate you and offer us the best pet name in literature: marionette. 🫠
This is Clio’s best book so far! I love everything she wrote, but you can see her growth here, her huge progress as a writer.
World building 💎.
Characters 💎.
Story 💎.
Written / style 💎.
I love her so much for daring creating something so different and absolutely nailing it doing so.
I love it. Read this gem. 🖤
April 23, 2023
absolutely not...
some of those scenes were super rapey...
one star for the steam punk aesthetic tho
some of those scenes were super rapey...
one star for the steam punk aesthetic tho
July 17, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤🖤🖤🖤
“She’d burned a hole into my soul with her existence.”
What a fantastic read! Not only was this the first steampunk themed book I’ve read that I actually enjoyed, the writing style was incredible. Gotta read some more Clio Evans asap!! We get a taste of all of our characters POVs. (ALL 4) I loved it because I feel like there’s usually 1 character who we don’t know much about, and we don’t get much from their POV if at all. It was different in this case, we didn’t know much about (M) until closer to the end, but we still got good amounts from his perspective - which made it even better because I STILL wasn’t fully sure of his feelings. I felt like I got to know all of the characters even better because of the way the POVs were written. I LOVED how different all our MMCs were. A Mothman, an Unseelie, and a Demonic Plague Doctor; who all have extremely different personalities that all complement each other very well, and sometimes don’t. Especially once they get their hands on Irene, they come together even more!
Our FMC Irene is a fucking bad bitch!! She literally got 3 monsters wrapped around her little finger, relatively quick might I add, considering they literally KIDNAPPED her and planned on killing her once they were done with her. I found it quite interesting how even though she’s human, she’s able to withstand the different types of magic. Is that thanks to the metal plates in her back? Or the dark magic that they can sense embedded in her. Also the monster smut in this book 😮💨😮💨😮💨 some of the best I’ve read in a while. It was kinky, dirty, filthy hotness, and so well written, the banter between characters out of bed was great, in bed WHOOF even better. I can’t wait to read Demons and Doves, and check out her sister’s POV and the harem she finds herself in.
🖤RH (MMFM)
🖤steampunk
🖤gang war
🖤monster romance
🖤captors x captive
🖤violence/gore/murder
🖤blood bonds / mating
🖤shadow tentacle play
🖤dub con / non con
🖤breeding (no pregnancy)
🖤choking
🖤DP, TP, fisting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤🖤🖤🖤
“She’d burned a hole into my soul with her existence.”
What a fantastic read! Not only was this the first steampunk themed book I’ve read that I actually enjoyed, the writing style was incredible. Gotta read some more Clio Evans asap!! We get a taste of all of our characters POVs. (ALL 4) I loved it because I feel like there’s usually 1 character who we don’t know much about, and we don’t get much from their POV if at all. It was different in this case, we didn’t know much about (M) until closer to the end, but we still got good amounts from his perspective - which made it even better because I STILL wasn’t fully sure of his feelings. I felt like I got to know all of the characters even better because of the way the POVs were written. I LOVED how different all our MMCs were. A Mothman, an Unseelie, and a Demonic Plague Doctor; who all have extremely different personalities that all complement each other very well, and sometimes don’t. Especially once they get their hands on Irene, they come together even more!
Our FMC Irene is a fucking bad bitch!! She literally got 3 monsters wrapped around her little finger, relatively quick might I add, considering they literally KIDNAPPED her and planned on killing her once they were done with her. I found it quite interesting how even though she’s human, she’s able to withstand the different types of magic. Is that thanks to the metal plates in her back? Or the dark magic that they can sense embedded in her. Also the monster smut in this book 😮💨😮💨😮💨 some of the best I’ve read in a while. It was kinky, dirty, filthy hotness, and so well written, the banter between characters out of bed was great, in bed WHOOF even better. I can’t wait to read Demons and Doves, and check out her sister’s POV and the harem she finds herself in.
🖤RH (MMFM)
🖤steampunk
🖤gang war
🖤monster romance
🖤captors x captive
🖤violence/gore/murder
🖤blood bonds / mating
🖤shadow tentacle play
🖤dub con / non con
🖤breeding (no pregnancy)
🖤choking
🖤DP, TP, fisting
April 10, 2023
"Could villains fuck? The answer is yes. And better than the good guys."
❗ Check triggers before diving into this one! This is Clio's DARKEST book and it won't be for everyone ❗
🖤 MMFM
🖤 Dark romance with a demonic plague doctor, a deadly Unseelie, a violent mothman, and a mysterious woman with a dark side
🖤 I hate you but let's fuck and get it out
🖤 Touch her, you die (but I'll let her kill you)
🖤 Villains that don't turn to the light
CLIO NEVER FREAKING DISAPPOINTS!!! As soon as I heard she was writing a MMFM dark romance with a demonic plague doctor, I was fucking IN!!
I loved everything about this book. I loved Morte, James, and Charles. Morte, even though he's a demonic plague doctor, had me giggling and kicking my feet through this entire book. Does that make me crazy? Probably but it's fine because Morte will be by my side.
The spice?? WAS SPICYYYYYYYYYY AS ALWAYS!!! It was sinful, it was dark, it was everything. Clio knows how to get the kitty purring.
❗ Check triggers before diving into this one! This is Clio's DARKEST book and it won't be for everyone ❗
🖤 MMFM
🖤 Dark romance with a demonic plague doctor, a deadly Unseelie, a violent mothman, and a mysterious woman with a dark side
🖤 I hate you but let's fuck and get it out
🖤 Touch her, you die (but I'll let her kill you)
🖤 Villains that don't turn to the light
CLIO NEVER FREAKING DISAPPOINTS!!! As soon as I heard she was writing a MMFM dark romance with a demonic plague doctor, I was fucking IN!!
I loved everything about this book. I loved Morte, James, and Charles. Morte, even though he's a demonic plague doctor, had me giggling and kicking my feet through this entire book. Does that make me crazy? Probably but it's fine because Morte will be by my side.
The spice?? WAS SPICYYYYYYYYYY AS ALWAYS!!! It was sinful, it was dark, it was everything. Clio knows how to get the kitty purring.
May 3, 2023
I was so excited for this and am so upset I didn't like it
Really good sex scenes but everything else...no
The steampunk setting was fun and how can you go wrong with a revere harem involving a moth man, a fairy, and a demonic plague doctor?
Unfortunately, the actual plot was not good. Honestly, it barely existed. Which is what I usually prefer in my smut but the setup here was intriguing and to see it barely go anywhere was disappointing.
The characters interactions often made very little sense. Their feelings swung around wildly with no rhyme or reason.
But it did have memorable sex scenes do for that it gets 2.5 stars.
Really good sex scenes but everything else...no
The steampunk setting was fun and how can you go wrong with a revere harem involving a moth man, a fairy, and a demonic plague doctor?
Unfortunately, the actual plot was not good. Honestly, it barely existed. Which is what I usually prefer in my smut but the setup here was intriguing and to see it barely go anywhere was disappointing.
The characters interactions often made very little sense. Their feelings swung around wildly with no rhyme or reason.
But it did have memorable sex scenes do for that it gets 2.5 stars.
September 7, 2023
The way I wish I could kidnap you all, tie you to a chair and not let you leave until you read this book 😁 it’s no surprise to anyone that I am obsessed with Clios writing but this one was sooo good. It’s definitely darker than her previous books and I’m so here for it. The smut tho🫠🫠I found some new nicknames that melted my non-existent panties (f*ck puppet, marionette, little dove, little c0ck sleeve). EVEN TYPING THOSE OUT HAS ME HOT AND BOTHERED. Clio is constantly writing new soulmates for me to salivate over and Morte will forever be a top spot for me.
March 21, 2023
4,75 stars!
Masterful and delightfully chaotic monster romance, with an insanely cool steampunk aesthetic. I really wish we'd gotten some more time to get to know the monsters and their stories, personalities and interests - but other than that I'm a very happy camper and got everything I wanted from this; Cool steampunk vibes, fun action, incredibly sweet moments, and smut so hot I had to take a walk to process it. Morte can fuck me up any day.
Masterful and delightfully chaotic monster romance, with an insanely cool steampunk aesthetic. I really wish we'd gotten some more time to get to know the monsters and their stories, personalities and interests - but other than that I'm a very happy camper and got everything I wanted from this; Cool steampunk vibes, fun action, incredibly sweet moments, and smut so hot I had to take a walk to process it. Morte can fuck me up any day.
April 29, 2024
I was wholly unprepared for the effect this book had on me. I just loved it so much.
I wish there was a bit more Steampunk, but I will overlook that because I got Morte.
I wish there was a bit more Steampunk, but I will overlook that because I got Morte.
October 19, 2024
No thoughts - just monster 🍆 (x3.5)
Need to evaluate why the plague doctor demon was my favorite in the trio- specially everytime he called her his marionette 💀 *adds to list*
Need to evaluate why the plague doctor demon was my favorite in the trio- specially everytime he called her his marionette 💀 *adds to list*
February 16, 2024
⭐️ overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚 plot intensity: 📚📚📚
🔥 burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
💋 spice: 💋💋💋💋
🍬 sweetness: 🍬
🩵 the feels: 🩵
🤣 humour: 🤣
🩸 gore/violence: 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
🍆 peen uniqueness: 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆
👤 POV: 1st person — multi POV
━━ † ━━
Grab onto your top hats and corseted chest, because this DARK steampunk monster/mafia romance is going to take you for a RIDE. One that I can guarantee you, WILL leave you questioning your morality and just how good the darkness can be.
‘Doves & Demons’ is a dark romance, much darker than anything I’ve read from Clio before, that’s packed with monsters who aren’t afraid to be monstrous (there are no cinnamonroll or morally grey men here!) and won’t hesitate in fucking you up, a mafia war between two factions of gangs & kinky, KINKY spice that’s just as hot as it is dirty—but then spinning your head with a sweetness that leaves you feeling dizzy, in the BEST way!
It’s actually quite refreshing to read monsters that are DEEPLY fucked up, as I usually read novels that have monsters that have a touch more humanity to them. James (a Mothman), Charles (an Unseelie) & Morte (A demonic plague doctor) are all seriously flawed MC’s who don’t hold back in their viciousness and their true monstrous natures and they are written SO well that you actually can’t help but sort of love them for it?? “like, oh, you’re covered in blood because you just disembodied someone for looking at me weird? That’s so sweet of you!” haha
Irene, our human FMC, is also fascinating to read as a character. When her world spirals downwards, you’re dragged down along with her and start to witness how her nature shifts and is manipulated by the darkness that’s suffocating her—or, more accurately, how it allows her TRUE nature to blossom. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s very interesting to see that character develop on the page to what she ends up being at the end.
I also REALLY love Jack as the “villain” (everyone’s a villain in this story but Jack is the villain to our monsters). I’m a huge fan of a badass, no holds back villain and Jack was perfect for that! I’m excited to see how their character is explored further in the sequel because—**TEENY SPOILER HERE, SORT OF**—I’m just a SUCKER for a good, TRUE vampire who doesn’t shy away from their demonic nature.
The plot is fantastic too! The war between the two monster gangs “The Rippers” & “The Freaks” is suspenseful and packed full of action and devious twist and turns. There are still a lot of questions left open at the end—which I’m sure are leading you into the next book and I’m VERY curious to see how everything plays out.
And then there’s the SPICE.
And my GOD, does it just fuck you up in the BEST way possible!! I haven’t read all that many dark romances myself, only a few, but I can definitely see the appeal and now I’m questioning to myself as to why I haven’t read MORE?! The spice is kinky, dark, dangerous but hot as HELL! Clio masterfully executes scenes that SHOULD make you question what you’re reading…and it DOES…but more so in “okay, I’m not NEARLY as put off by this as I know I probably SHOULD be” kind of way haha they’re dirty, fucked up but so deliciously GOOD that you just can’t stop reading them! And then on top of that; having 3 vastly different and unique monster peens, some breeding kink and a sweetness thrown in there too? Makes for the PERFECT balance!
This book is DARK and there are LOTS of triggers/content warnings that should be taken into account before reading it. There are things in here that WILL make some people uncomfortable, so bare that in mind. The author does have an extensive list at the beginning of the book (*AND PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE READING IF YOU TRIGGER EASILY*), but I have listed a few of the more intense ones below that will give you an idea of the direction of this novel and other triggers present—for a list of my full content warnings, I will post them in my review on Instagram.
━━ † ━━
⚔️TRIGGER LIST⚔️
— Explicit sex scenes (MM, MF & MMFM sex scenes)
— Violence, blood, gore, torture & murder
— Body mutilation
— Child abuse (off page, bruises seen, not done by any main characters)
— Mental abuse, gaslighting & manipulation
— Being locked in a box
— Dubious consent (dubcon)
— CNC
— Sadism & mascochism
— Blood play
— Past parental death & grief
— Discussions of sexual assault
— Murder
— Breath play & choking
— Forced breeding (without pregnancy)
— Somnophilia
— Exhibitionism & Voyeurism
— Fisting, DP & TP
━━ † ━━
‘Doves & Demons’ is, to put simply, a monstrous delight! I thoroughly devoured every page of this book and I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel! If you’re a fan of dark romance and monster romance, then I think you’ll love this book too! It has elements of both, some mafia romance, villainous MC’s to fall in love with, kinky spice, breeding kinks, mate bonds, touch her and I’ll rip your limbs off slowly and painfully kind of vibes as well as a jarring tenderness that leaves you feeling ALL sorts of things. I highly recommend giving this book a read! 5/5 stars!!
📚 plot intensity: 📚📚📚
🔥 burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
💋 spice: 💋💋💋💋
🍬 sweetness: 🍬
🩵 the feels: 🩵
🤣 humour: 🤣
🩸 gore/violence: 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
🍆 peen uniqueness: 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆
👤 POV: 1st person — multi POV
━━ † ━━
Grab onto your top hats and corseted chest, because this DARK steampunk monster/mafia romance is going to take you for a RIDE. One that I can guarantee you, WILL leave you questioning your morality and just how good the darkness can be.
‘Doves & Demons’ is a dark romance, much darker than anything I’ve read from Clio before, that’s packed with monsters who aren’t afraid to be monstrous (there are no cinnamonroll or morally grey men here!) and won’t hesitate in fucking you up, a mafia war between two factions of gangs & kinky, KINKY spice that’s just as hot as it is dirty—but then spinning your head with a sweetness that leaves you feeling dizzy, in the BEST way!
It’s actually quite refreshing to read monsters that are DEEPLY fucked up, as I usually read novels that have monsters that have a touch more humanity to them. James (a Mothman), Charles (an Unseelie) & Morte (A demonic plague doctor) are all seriously flawed MC’s who don’t hold back in their viciousness and their true monstrous natures and they are written SO well that you actually can’t help but sort of love them for it?? “like, oh, you’re covered in blood because you just disembodied someone for looking at me weird? That’s so sweet of you!” haha
Irene, our human FMC, is also fascinating to read as a character. When her world spirals downwards, you’re dragged down along with her and start to witness how her nature shifts and is manipulated by the darkness that’s suffocating her—or, more accurately, how it allows her TRUE nature to blossom. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s very interesting to see that character develop on the page to what she ends up being at the end.
I also REALLY love Jack as the “villain” (everyone’s a villain in this story but Jack is the villain to our monsters). I’m a huge fan of a badass, no holds back villain and Jack was perfect for that! I’m excited to see how their character is explored further in the sequel because—**TEENY SPOILER HERE, SORT OF**—I’m just a SUCKER for a good, TRUE vampire who doesn’t shy away from their demonic nature.
The plot is fantastic too! The war between the two monster gangs “The Rippers” & “The Freaks” is suspenseful and packed full of action and devious twist and turns. There are still a lot of questions left open at the end—which I’m sure are leading you into the next book and I’m VERY curious to see how everything plays out.
And then there’s the SPICE.
And my GOD, does it just fuck you up in the BEST way possible!! I haven’t read all that many dark romances myself, only a few, but I can definitely see the appeal and now I’m questioning to myself as to why I haven’t read MORE?! The spice is kinky, dark, dangerous but hot as HELL! Clio masterfully executes scenes that SHOULD make you question what you’re reading…and it DOES…but more so in “okay, I’m not NEARLY as put off by this as I know I probably SHOULD be” kind of way haha they’re dirty, fucked up but so deliciously GOOD that you just can’t stop reading them! And then on top of that; having 3 vastly different and unique monster peens, some breeding kink and a sweetness thrown in there too? Makes for the PERFECT balance!
This book is DARK and there are LOTS of triggers/content warnings that should be taken into account before reading it. There are things in here that WILL make some people uncomfortable, so bare that in mind. The author does have an extensive list at the beginning of the book (*AND PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE READING IF YOU TRIGGER EASILY*), but I have listed a few of the more intense ones below that will give you an idea of the direction of this novel and other triggers present—for a list of my full content warnings, I will post them in my review on Instagram.
━━ † ━━
⚔️TRIGGER LIST⚔️
— Explicit sex scenes (MM, MF & MMFM sex scenes)
— Violence, blood, gore, torture & murder
— Body mutilation
— Child abuse (off page, bruises seen, not done by any main characters)
— Mental abuse, gaslighting & manipulation
— Being locked in a box
— Dubious consent (dubcon)
— CNC
— Sadism & mascochism
— Blood play
— Past parental death & grief
— Discussions of sexual assault
— Murder
— Breath play & choking
— Forced breeding (without pregnancy)
— Somnophilia
— Exhibitionism & Voyeurism
— Fisting, DP & TP
━━ † ━━
‘Doves & Demons’ is, to put simply, a monstrous delight! I thoroughly devoured every page of this book and I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel! If you’re a fan of dark romance and monster romance, then I think you’ll love this book too! It has elements of both, some mafia romance, villainous MC’s to fall in love with, kinky spice, breeding kinks, mate bonds, touch her and I’ll rip your limbs off slowly and painfully kind of vibes as well as a jarring tenderness that leaves you feeling ALL sorts of things. I highly recommend giving this book a read! 5/5 stars!!
June 27, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book caught me off guard, in absolutely the best way possible. I went in knowing how dark is could be (Clio is the best at dark and taboo), and I did not expect to fall in love so freaking much! I also had many moments where I felt soft toward the characters, and I did not expect that!
I loved the mystery and intrigue throughout the book. It kept me guessing, and some moments gave me chills and goosebumps! Like
Irene. I loved how strong Irene was and how she was not willing to lose any of herself or let others disrespect her. Irene some times found herself going mad, but no matter what, she always stood up for herself. The most prevalent moment of that for me was when
Charles. He is my sweet baby boy and I fell in love INSTANTLY. He is Irish, a unseelie Fae, WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR !! I did not anticipate any of the men to give me baby boy vibes, buT OH GOSH DID CHARLES MAKE ME FEEL SOFT. And he could be so soft with Irene sometimes, it made me fall in love so freaking fast! I wanted him to be my man.😢
Morte. He was a slow burn for me. Off the bat I really did love his humour, accent, and nicknames but I was not sold on him as a love interest. But then the tension kicked in with Morte and Irene. Morte lost some of his footing and started to be enticed by Irene. Once that kicked in, I loved him and Irene together and craved more of him. (AND THAT WAS BEFORE THE GROVELLING!!! HIS GROVELLING WAS ESQUISTE!!)
James. This may sound strange, but James was a grower not a shower for me. He was honest with Irene during the beginning, which I appreciated, but he kind of just fell in the background for me. However, as more was revealed between him and Charles, I fell in love with him just like Charles and Irene did. I also thought it was fascinating and beautiful how Irene got James to realize what love was and that he did love Charles. I think a lot of the guys never experienced love, so it would be hard to identify it. I thought that was beautiful and relatable.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I was their dove and they were my demons— and we were the freaks of nature who had found love where no one else could.
This book caught me off guard, in absolutely the best way possible. I went in knowing how dark is could be (Clio is the best at dark and taboo), and I did not expect to fall in love so freaking much! I also had many moments where I felt soft toward the characters, and I did not expect that!
I loved the mystery and intrigue throughout the book. It kept me guessing, and some moments gave me chills and goosebumps! Like
Irene. I loved how strong Irene was and how she was not willing to lose any of herself or let others disrespect her. Irene some times found herself going mad, but no matter what, she always stood up for herself. The most prevalent moment of that for me was when
“I want her.” The silence in the room was murderous. James’ eyes darkened, his brows drawing back together as he looked at me. “You’ve never wanted a human before.” “I’m aware,” I said. “But when I licked her tears, all I could think of was how I wanted to taste her instead. To make her scream out in…different ways.”
Charles. He is my sweet baby boy and I fell in love INSTANTLY. He is Irish, a unseelie Fae, WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR !! I did not anticipate any of the men to give me baby boy vibes, buT OH GOSH DID CHARLES MAKE ME FEEL SOFT. And he could be so soft with Irene sometimes, it made me fall in love so freaking fast! I wanted him to be my man.😢
I looped my arms around his neck, gripping his soft shirt. It reminded me of what a pirate might wear, with an open neck and long sleeves with a frill— but then there was the black leather corset that hugged his torso. Even monsters looked divine in corsets. I shook the thought away, my head spinning.
“Are you an angel?” I croaked.
“Yes, once upon a time you were nothing more than food to me. You were my prisoner. And I wanted to hurt you. I still…want to hurt you sometimes, but I am doing my best not to because I’m finding—” I began to slide my hand between us, pressing my fingers against her heat. She gasped, the sound music to my ears. “I’m finding that I like pleasing you more than hurting you.”
Morte. He was a slow burn for me. Off the bat I really did love his humour, accent, and nicknames but I was not sold on him as a love interest. But then the tension kicked in with Morte and Irene. Morte lost some of his footing and started to be enticed by Irene. Once that kicked in, I loved him and Irene together and craved more of him. (AND THAT WAS BEFORE THE GROVELLING!!! HIS GROVELLING WAS ESQUISTE!!)
“For all of the things I have done to you, I will not ask for forgiveness. I enjoyed it all. I am a monster, a villain, a creature that belongs in the very pits of hell. I do not feel sorry for the pain I have caused you, only that I didn’t cause you happiness too. If you wish to cut out my heart, it would please me that your hands would be the one to wield the knife.”
“I want you to make sure Irene survives,” James said. “Even if we don’t. You’re stronger than Charles or me.” “I will make sure she does,” I whispered. “But I’d like for you to live. I’ve only just discovered how entertaining your cock can be.” James’ lips tugged up into a dry smile, his antennae twitching. “As if I’d bottom for you, Morte.” I shrugged, looking back out over the buildings. “Survive and we’ll find out.”
James. This may sound strange, but James was a grower not a shower for me. He was honest with Irene during the beginning, which I appreciated, but he kind of just fell in the background for me. However, as more was revealed between him and Charles, I fell in love with him just like Charles and Irene did. I also thought it was fascinating and beautiful how Irene got James to realize what love was and that he did love Charles. I think a lot of the guys never experienced love, so it would be hard to identify it. I thought that was beautiful and relatable.
“I hate you,” I gasped as the head of his cock pressed against me. “I hate you even more,” he snarled. “And yet you're dripping for my hard cock, little dove.” “Fuck you,” I groaned. “You will. And hold onto me tight, I’m not going to be gentle.”
Charles was one of the only creatures that I felt anything for. He infuriated me, but he also made me a better leader. It didn’t hurt that he was a good lover either.
Read
April 24, 2025DNF at 75%
I was forcing myself to get this far. Maybe I'll come back, maybe I won't.
I was forcing myself to get this far. Maybe I'll come back, maybe I won't.
June 1, 2024
5 stars ⭐️
RTC
RTC
July 23, 2025
3.75 stars
I'm still not exactly sure what the doves are, but for the most part, this was entertaining. I wish there was more steampunk, maybe a little more plot, but I liked it enough to move on to the second book.
I'm still not exactly sure what the doves are, but for the most part, this was entertaining. I wish there was more steampunk, maybe a little more plot, but I liked it enough to move on to the second book.
March 16, 2023
This boooooook!
If you don't like dark romance, monsterfuckery, and villains getting the girl, then this probably won't be the book for you.
But if you do like those things: this book was such a fun romp. I won't do a full list of kinks and CWs here, because they are numerous and varied, but the author makes them easily available
In a steampunk alternate history Roaring 20s, the protagonist Irene is an aspiring steam engineer by day and flapper party girl by night. Until she wakes up one night and finds her sister unconscious, attacked by her own fiance, and monsters attacking their house.
The monsters kidnap Irene, she blacks out, and when she comes to, she is surrounded by the corpses of her kidnappers and immediately re-kidnapped by a new set of monster mobsters who plan to keep her alive just long enough to figure out why their enemies wanted her so badly in the first place.
Since this is a Clio Evans book, things get pretty horny from there.
Of course, Irene still hates her kidnappers, and they still very much plan on destroying her when all is said and done. But if enemies-to-lovers romances have taught me anything, it's that hate sex is just as good (if not better) than the regular kind, and Irene soon finds herself with three monster lovers who are torn between their obsession with her and their desire to destroy (and maybe eat) her. They are:
James - a sexy British mothman with a proclivity for dominating in the bedroom, a rad steampunk prosthetic wing, and a prehensile dick (I said what I said)
Charles - James's mate, an unseelie fae banished from the fairy realm. He has three eyeballs, a fondness for corsetry and blood drinking, and a two-headed dick (you may be noticing a theme here)
and lastly
Morte - an ageless demon of indeterminate name and origin who, at some point, possessed a human body, which he has been making Frankenstein-like improvements to ever since. He has, apparently, decided to be French and wears a plague doctor mask wherever he might be seen. He is the murderiest of the group and has the most humanoid dick (which still sounds like something you could buy from Bad Dragon)
My favorite is Morte, the ferocious killer who believes that he is unlovable and turns into an absolute puppy when he gets just a taste of love.
The story itself is a fun steampunk gangland adventure full of airships and violence and (mostly) wild monster sex.
Can't wait for the sequel.
If you don't like dark romance, monsterfuckery, and villains getting the girl, then this probably won't be the book for you.
But if you do like those things: this book was such a fun romp. I won't do a full list of kinks and CWs here, because they are numerous and varied, but the author makes them easily available
In a steampunk alternate history Roaring 20s, the protagonist Irene is an aspiring steam engineer by day and flapper party girl by night. Until she wakes up one night and finds her sister unconscious, attacked by her own fiance, and monsters attacking their house.
The monsters kidnap Irene, she blacks out, and when she comes to, she is surrounded by the corpses of her kidnappers and immediately re-kidnapped by a new set of monster mobsters who plan to keep her alive just long enough to figure out why their enemies wanted her so badly in the first place.
Since this is a Clio Evans book, things get pretty horny from there.
Of course, Irene still hates her kidnappers, and they still very much plan on destroying her when all is said and done. But if enemies-to-lovers romances have taught me anything, it's that hate sex is just as good (if not better) than the regular kind, and Irene soon finds herself with three monster lovers who are torn between their obsession with her and their desire to destroy (and maybe eat) her. They are:
James - a sexy British mothman with a proclivity for dominating in the bedroom, a rad steampunk prosthetic wing, and a prehensile dick (I said what I said)
Charles - James's mate, an unseelie fae banished from the fairy realm. He has three eyeballs, a fondness for corsetry and blood drinking, and a two-headed dick (you may be noticing a theme here)
and lastly
Morte - an ageless demon of indeterminate name and origin who, at some point, possessed a human body, which he has been making Frankenstein-like improvements to ever since. He has, apparently, decided to be French and wears a plague doctor mask wherever he might be seen. He is the murderiest of the group and has the most humanoid dick (which still sounds like something you could buy from Bad Dragon)
My favorite is Morte, the ferocious killer who believes that he is unlovable and turns into an absolute puppy when he gets just a taste of love.
The story itself is a fun steampunk gangland adventure full of airships and violence and (mostly) wild monster sex.
Can't wait for the sequel.
March 14, 2023
First of all a big thank you to Clio for providing me with an ARC of her new release.
Second of all, this is definitely my favourite book Clio has ever written. So far.
I absolutely loved everything about this book. The setting was great, the characters even better and the smut? Hell. Fucking. Yes.
It's not often I'm sucked into a book like I'm watching a movie. This all just made sense. I could totally picture London in this book, instead of how we normally see it. It worked so well with Clio's story line.
Loved the addition of Jack the Ripper, but make it monsterly.
James, Charles and Morte are definitely my favourite monster so far. They were all so intriguing and I feel like we don't know half of their story yet. Even writing this I'm blushing (Yes, me) thinking about all the scenes with James' vibrating dick and Morte. I mean, I'm always thinking about Morte. How couldn't I be?
❝Your situation is dire, little dove, and while I might be your cage— I am also the only one that keeps the outside world away from harming you.❞
This book is definitely darker than we expect from Clio. I'm so here for it though. The vibes, sometimes literally, throughout this book were immaculate.
These three men made Irene's life a living hell. They captured her, literally put her in a coffin for days, tried to torture her, kind of tortured her and then made her their... slave?
But let's be fair, Irene gave as good as she got. Oh damn, this girl. She didn't back down, oh no. She fought the Freaks head on. They pulled, she pushed. They pushed, she pulled.
It was all a game.
Until it wasn't.
I'm really excited for the next book. (Also keeping my fingers crossed for more triple VP scenes, pretty please, thank you.) Clio made sure to keep me hooked until the very last page and I'm left with so many burning questions. I need answers, I need to know how this all plays out.
Definitely hope we don't see Irene's sister in book two, because she's the sole reason I initially gave this 4 stars instead of 5. Suck a dick, Florence.
---
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March 20, 2023
I do believe Cilo Evans might be one of the few authors I have read almost their entire backlog.
That being said, I usually enjoy her books; this had the potential, but it fell very flat in my opinion.
I honestly have no clue what about this was the flop. Usually my non complaint complaint for Clio’s books is that I wish they were longer. Here we get maybe over double the usual size of her books and I don’t know what it is that just isn’t hitting right.
The entire plot was so predictable, I think maybe less than 20% in I could probably tell you with about 95% certainty what the rest of the book looked like and I was right.
While this was meant to be enemies to lovers it definitely had a lot of insta love/lust.
The monsters: “I hate humans, I literally used to eat them as snacks arrrgh.”
*Irene enters the chat*
The monsters: “I wanna eat her, but not kill her 😏”
I don’t actually know what caused them to start loving each other, if it wasn’t magic. Like they barely know each other and it’s was all “I’d kill her” to “I’d die for her” in like all of a few days. And no. There was no fated mates magic at play here.
The magic/world building could have been expanded, especially with the length of this novel but it wasn’t. I wanted to know more about this monster mob and we got surface level details.
The repetition here was killing me. We got told the same thing multiple times. This is apart from the multiple times that all the MC’s were like “I hate the human” or “I hate the monster”. I was told more about the hate than shown. Especially with Irene. She said she hated them (in her inner monologue) and even told them to their faces that she hated them but again not shown. The monsters showed a bit more their hatred, only at the beginning when they had her like an actual prisoner.
Overall, meh. It’s a coin toss if I’ll read the sequel, the main character for the sequel is in this one and I’m not a fan.
That being said, I usually enjoy her books; this had the potential, but it fell very flat in my opinion.
I honestly have no clue what about this was the flop. Usually my non complaint complaint for Clio’s books is that I wish they were longer. Here we get maybe over double the usual size of her books and I don’t know what it is that just isn’t hitting right.
The entire plot was so predictable, I think maybe less than 20% in I could probably tell you with about 95% certainty what the rest of the book looked like and I was right.
While this was meant to be enemies to lovers it definitely had a lot of insta love/lust.
The monsters: “I hate humans, I literally used to eat them as snacks arrrgh.”
*Irene enters the chat*
The monsters: “I wanna eat her, but not kill her 😏”
I don’t actually know what caused them to start loving each other, if it wasn’t magic. Like they barely know each other and it’s was all “I’d kill her” to “I’d die for her” in like all of a few days. And no. There was no fated mates magic at play here.
The magic/world building could have been expanded, especially with the length of this novel but it wasn’t. I wanted to know more about this monster mob and we got surface level details.
The repetition here was killing me. We got told the same thing multiple times. This is apart from the multiple times that all the MC’s were like “I hate the human” or “I hate the monster”. I was told more about the hate than shown. Especially with Irene. She said she hated them (in her inner monologue) and even told them to their faces that she hated them but again not shown. The monsters showed a bit more their hatred, only at the beginning when they had her like an actual prisoner.
Overall, meh. It’s a coin toss if I’ll read the sequel, the main character for the sequel is in this one and I’m not a fan.
March 11, 2023
The Freaks won't hide themselves any longer! The city will be theirs at all costs.
Okay, maybe not all costs. One useless little human grinds their plans to a stop.
THIS FUCKING BOOK!
“No, I’d cut out her lungs if it wouldn’t kill her just so I could breathe the same air as her,”
Morte my dark and vicious baby Morte 🫠🫠 skin me alive and wear me for warmth because baby I know thats your thing. His doll is sick and the only cure is this Plague Doctors 🍆
"Could villains fuck? The answer was yes. And better than the good guys."
James leads his people through the underbelly of the city to a hopeful victory against Jack the Ripper. But who has time for that when his Dove holds him captive. This mothman doesn't stand a chance.
“Look at me,”he whispered. “All of me. See me. See the fucking monster that is about to breed your greedy cunt, little dove.”
Charles he is a beautiful but deadly Unseelie. His smiles can stop you in your tracks. His voice will bring you to your knees. How can one girl in a box chnage all of that.
Irene is just a student and sister. Learning her trade by day and attending parties by night. She didn't dream of being thrust into a world of monsters. Let alone a world where 3 monsters would do whatever it took to possess her mind, body, soul, and dove. Her biggest problem is that they aren't the only monsters after her.
This was amazing. Clio babe, I want to spend but a day in your mind crawling around and wrapping myself in all the dark and smutty parts. 🙌🏽🙌🏽
Smut ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Complete disregard for real life while consuming this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read TW!!
Okay, maybe not all costs. One useless little human grinds their plans to a stop.
THIS FUCKING BOOK!
“No, I’d cut out her lungs if it wouldn’t kill her just so I could breathe the same air as her,”
Morte my dark and vicious baby Morte 🫠🫠 skin me alive and wear me for warmth because baby I know thats your thing. His doll is sick and the only cure is this Plague Doctors 🍆
"Could villains fuck? The answer was yes. And better than the good guys."
James leads his people through the underbelly of the city to a hopeful victory against Jack the Ripper. But who has time for that when his Dove holds him captive. This mothman doesn't stand a chance.
“Look at me,”he whispered. “All of me. See me. See the fucking monster that is about to breed your greedy cunt, little dove.”
Charles he is a beautiful but deadly Unseelie. His smiles can stop you in your tracks. His voice will bring you to your knees. How can one girl in a box chnage all of that.
Irene is just a student and sister. Learning her trade by day and attending parties by night. She didn't dream of being thrust into a world of monsters. Let alone a world where 3 monsters would do whatever it took to possess her mind, body, soul, and dove. Her biggest problem is that they aren't the only monsters after her.
This was amazing. Clio babe, I want to spend but a day in your mind crawling around and wrapping myself in all the dark and smutty parts. 🙌🏽🙌🏽
Smut ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Complete disregard for real life while consuming this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read TW!!
June 21, 2023
The premise of the book had such potential, and I was pretty excited to read it tbh. Apparently I had too high expectations..?🫣
90% of the book is just kinky sex and the only personal progress the characters seemed to be making was through intercourse..
It's a little sad 'cause the story has such potential, but manages to turn the sex into its prime focus, and everything else is just a secondary, shallow dive into an otherwise intriguing world.
The personality of the heroine felt 'flat' and lacking; we were being told rather than shown how smart she is, etc..
At one point it was literally herself making statements as to what her personality traits are.
It never really felt like we got to experience any organic character development throughout a plot since it was just the 4 of them bonding and falling in love the more they do the smexy stuff.
Definitely just a book you should read for the kinks only and not expect anything deeper than that story wise. Then it can only be a better experience than my own 👌
90% of the book is just kinky sex and the only personal progress the characters seemed to be making was through intercourse..
It's a little sad 'cause the story has such potential, but manages to turn the sex into its prime focus, and everything else is just a secondary, shallow dive into an otherwise intriguing world.
The personality of the heroine felt 'flat' and lacking; we were being told rather than shown how smart she is, etc..
At one point it was literally herself making statements as to what her personality traits are.
It never really felt like we got to experience any organic character development throughout a plot since it was just the 4 of them bonding and falling in love the more they do the smexy stuff.
Definitely just a book you should read for the kinks only and not expect anything deeper than that story wise. Then it can only be a better experience than my own 👌
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