Alice, a reclusive author, has spent her life hiding behind her computer and only writing about love. But her hopes soon falter as she stumbles upon a little wooden box beneath the twisted roots of a fallen oak tree. Inside she finds a long forgotten heirloom.
A ring bound to a fierce man who had died a hundred years ago.
A ring that pulls his dark, tortured soul to her.
She can hear him.
She can feel him.
But can she love him?
Henry’s life ended in betrayal. An oath he swears upon his father’s ring holds him back from eternal peace, tethering his spirit to this plane.
He moves amongst the living, unseen and intangible.
A man out of time, out of touch.
There is only one thing in his grasp.
There is only her. She is his everything.
Will he win her love, or is he destined to linger in her shadow eternally?
*Please note this portrays dark themes and has incredibly graphic scenes that may be shocking or disturbing for some readers
- for a complete list of potential triggers, please visit the author's Instagram
Extra erotic, dark, twisted, and surprisingly emotional. This is my second book by M.A. Cobb. She is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Less horrific than The Dire Reaction, but still Hitchcockian in its ending. This was an immensely pleasurable ride. If you want an extremely sizzling hot novel with intense love and a twisted ending, this book is for you.
The twists and turns of this book had me on the edge of my seat for the entire second half of the book. And Henry. Oh man. He may be my favorite of all M. A. Cobb’s MMCs! If you enjoy high angst, lots of spice, and a unique twist to a ghost story I suggest you check out this quick but fulfilling read!
While I don't love when the MC speaks to the reader, I did find myself grinning a few times because I was having the same thoughts as Alice, and chuckling at Henry's quips.
This was a cute, quick, saucy, dual POV darkish paranormal romance, and it did throw me for a bit of a loop with its ending! I was floored when it was the end, and eager to flip to the next page.
The instant obsession that Henry has for Alice was intense, and sweet and a little bit heartbreaking.
Alice is a romance author who lives alone with her dog, Daisy. She chose a cozy spot to live, surrounded by woods and far away from anyone else.
One night, during a storm, a 200 year old oak tree falls on top of her car. Alice finds a small wooden box beneath the ancient tree's roots and inside, a square ring with a skull on it and an ominous note addressed to a Henry.
"Henry, your love was fierce, but my heart lies with another."
Suddenly consumed by the thought of someone loving her the same way, Alice wishes she could find someone to love her fiercely - and it comes true.
After centuries of being stuck in a void, Henry is summoned to join Alice. She can't see him, but she can sense him, she can hear him, she can touch him. And if she didn't think she had a tumor growing in her head making her absolutely crazy, she could even love him.
My thoughts: @m.a.cobb_author has done it again!! I absolutely loved this book. The story is short and so easy to read. The story line was so unique. I loved Alice's character, her inner dialogue was hilarious and so were her conversations with Daisy. But OH MY SOUL did I love Henry!! He was such a fierce character, with such a dirty mouth! I loved how much he cared for Alice and his reactions to modern world changes were so good! This book was so damn spicy and the ending was so not expected!
I loved this paranormal romance!! It was super hot and also kind of sweet! A bad boy and a recluse author somehow meet in time and space and you don’t know how it will play out.
I’ll be honest, I guessed how it would end and boy was I wrong!! And it couldn’t have been more perfect!
I'm not a huge fan of stream of consciousness writing. It's supposed to put you more into the mind of the main character but for me it's distracting. I end up skimming the seemingly unimportant details and it takes away from the vibe of the storyline. Because of that, the beginning of 'Curse of the Mourning Ring' by M.A. Cobb with Alice and Daisy didn't really grab me. I couldn't identify with the character's internal conversation and I was expecting more of a fast paced start. The writing and editing are fine, it's just a personal style preference. I wanted the ghost scenes to be more horrifying and less romance. It ended up feeling more like Lifetime horror mixed with a bodice ripper like our mothers/grandmothers used to read but THAT ENDING with JJ was fantastic. I wish the book had been them becoming the serial killers, using bodies and dumping them. Something darker. If you're a fan of bodice rippers and Darcy Coates this is the indie author you need to support. She blended the two very well. Thanks so much for allowing me to review it prerelease. Curse of the Mourning Ring by M.A. Cobb is out June 15th.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Dark romance, fantasy, historical fiction. This book has it all! A wild ride following out main character, Alice. She's an author who ends up in quite the predicament.....bound to the soul of a man from a different time.
The writing style of Cobb is outstanding. This book kept me pulled in. I don't always love fantasy but this is definitely an exception!
It's a quick read. If you are a dark romance and fantasy lover then I highly recommend it!
Paranormal. Dark Romance. Alice and Daisy live a mundane life, until one stormy night a metal box is unearthed that carries a cursed ring encased with a note. Henry’s ghost soon appears and just can’t help himself to this woman who sleeps naked and parades her ankles in broad daylight. Alice can’t believe in ghosts and tries everything to prove Henry doesn’t exist. But, Henry is doing his damnedest to prove he does and the screams that come from Alice are not exactly in protest.
I had fun reading this book. It had me laughing and biting my nails. While Henry becomes Daisy’s bff (Alice’s dog), I still didn’t know if he could be trusted. He’s a cowboy outlaw, after all. And, he puts Alice in some tough positions, ahem. I somehow forgot this wasn’t a rom-com and was quickly reminded this is a dark romance. By the end of this book my jaw dropped. I recommend this book if you’d like a fun, very steamy paranormal romance with a crazy ending.
Wow. Absolutely loved it! Loved Alice and Henry… his filthy words made me blush. That ending… I have no words. BUT it was perfect. Can’t wait to read more from M.A.Cobb
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Yes I was scared to read it and not like it. But god is this amazing pure smut. This is first book I read from this author and she brought it to the table. If you like smut and paranormal this is your book.
I finished this book yesterday, but I've had to sit on it for a bit, trying to find the words to review it. I've read a lot of dark romance, my fair share of spice, and a handful of ghost stories. I've honestly never read a spicy, dark, romantic ghost story quite like this one.
Alice is a reclusive romance author who finds a little wooden box beneath a fallen oak tree. Inside that box is a ring which is bound to Henry, a man who had died a hundred years ago. An oath sworn upon that ring ties Henry's spirit to this plane, and now, it binds him to Alice.
Even as I sit here and type out this review, I'm unsure how I really feel about this book. I'm giving it 5-stars, but not for my usual reasons. It's not because I fell in love with these characters or because it made me deliriously happy or an emotional mess. It did make me feel though, and I went to sleep last night thinking about this book and I woke up this morning with it being the first thing on my mind.
From the beginning, I wasn't quite sure how this story might unfold. I thought that I knew the direction that it was taking, but then it went completely off the rails and took a turn that I was not expecting. This is a twisted, dark and steamy story, and it does have some graphic scenes that some readers might find disturbing. If you have triggers, you will want to check out the warnings.
As I read THE END in this book, I think that my heart stopped for a moment. I was cursing the author and ready to throw my Kindle until I turned the page and found an Epilogue. If you're one of those readers that doesn't read the epilogue -- how do you do that?! -- you may want to make an exception for this one. Although I've never been more thankful for another couple of chapters, I was still left feeling unsettled as I turned that final page (and yes, I did keep trying to find just one more page).
This is one of those stories that I don't think that I'll soon forget, and this is a new-to-me author that is now definitely on my radar. This one is original. It is different. It deserves all the stars.
This story is a little different from my norm. A spicy ghost romance that has a little plot to it. The FMC Alice is a reclusive Author or erotica who lives a life in peace away from dealing with people. She is content living with her Heeler Daisy and the comforts of home. Her life took a weird change after a wicked thunderstorm uprooted a century old Oaktree in her front yard.
Finding a ring among the debris propelled Alice into a spicy love affair with a century's old ghost. Henry is a man out of time. Existing in a void of darkness and nothing; soon finds himself thrust into another world being tethered to a woman who has the ring he once swore an oath.
Alice and Henry were smoking hot together but of course she could not see Henry. She could only hear his dirty mouth and feel his scintillating touch. Allice spent most of the relationship questioning her sanity while Henry was trying to find a way to stay by Alice's side.
I wish this novella could have been a little bit longer. Henry's past was not expounded on as well as Alice's need to be away from people. Henry was betrayed centuries ago by his lover and best friend but that was the gist of his backstory. It seemed that Alice was a perfect match for Henry because there was no mention of family or friends. Her life was literally sitting in the house writing her erotica novels and drinking wine.
Of course, a relationship between a living being and a ghost is not without its struggles. Part of the book dealt with Alice going to and from doctors to determine if she was crazy as well as her throwing caution to the wind to indulge in Henry every chance she got. Then the story pretty much rushed along to get them to their HEA. Not sure how to feel about certain parts of the book and Alice's lack of self-preservation but regardless of the obvious triggers the story still worked.
Firstly, thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. Here is my honest review.
I’m going to break down the good and the bad to make it easier…
The bad: - There were quite a few mistakes. Mostly typos but a few grammatical errors too. Nothing serious and could’ve easily been corrected during the editing process. - This book is listed as ‘dark romance’ but honestly, it doesn’t fit. Paranormal romance? Yes. Ghost romance? Yes. It’s definitely not dark enough to be classified as dark romance though. Calling it a romance at all brings me to my next point. - It’s pure erotica. They shag like bunnies and apparently that’s love? I would’ve loved to see more of the romance aspect of their relationship. I’m well aware that he’s a ghost and can only do so much but come on, use your imagination. More conversation would have been a start.
The good: - I loved the FMC! She’s smart, quirky and oh so sassy. She could do with more showering but otherwise, I really enjoyed getting to know her. - I loved the humour in this book. Had a few good giggles while reading it. - Daisy! Enough said 👌🏼😂 Though I would’ve liked closure on her story too. - The shmexy scenes were 🔥🔥🔥 If you’re into super smutty books, but with ghosts, this would be perfect for you. - I loved how broody and possessive the MMC is of the FMC. How he wanted to protect her. I love that he is what would be considered as ’less than perfect’, physically speaking. Yet the man is fine AF! Scars and all. - I loved the unexpected ending. My heart literally sank when ‘it’ happened. I had a whole other ending in mind and it was totally blown out of the water. Kudos to the author for smashing my expectations on the ending.
Hope this helps you decide wether or not you’re going to pick this book up and read it.
The Curse of the Mourning Ring was a spicy read, filled with ghosts, mystery, and murder.
Alice was rough around the edges, to say the least, especially at the beginning of the book. I'll admit I barely made it past her irritable attitude and unhygienic ramblings. Being crass and insufferable isn't a lovely personality type to read about. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the story to take off, and I was quickly pulled into the paranormal anomaly that was Alice and Henry's relationship.
Despite being a ghost, Henry was the typical possessive alpha male. His world was completely centered on Alice, the one person he can interact with, and he quickly became obsessed. A morally grey character, he was surprisingly full of sweet words. Even if they did stem from a need to own Alice and claim her mind, heart, and body.
Thanks to the physic-bending rules of Henry's existence, this book was filled with creative smut that went well beyond the norm. When clothes or physical objects don't provide a barrier, sex can happen anywhere and at any time.
I found the author's writing style took a couple of chapters to get used to. Sentences and paragraphs felt like they jump from thought to random thought of our characters and I really had to pay attention to what was going on.
From the blurb alone, I knew this book would stand apart from anything I had read before. I still couldn't tell you if this book finishes with a happy ending or not. The premise was a bit out there from the get-go, but if you are willing to roll with this good kind of crazy, you won't be disappointed.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you M.A. Cobb for the opportunity.
Holy wow this book! This is unlike any book I’ve ever read, and I absolutely loved it! The super sassy and hilarious Alice had me hooked from page 1 with her smart mouth and ongoing banter with her dog, Daisy. The storyline in and of itself was totally new to me and took the paranormal and ghost story to a different level entirely. The way that M.A. Cobb laid the story out to bring it all together and execute it was masterful, and that ending… at first all I could yell out was “wtf”, but it worked, and I am super pleased. Now, Mr. Henry. Hubba, hubba, dirty mouth! 1800’s scoundrel was absolutely an accurate description of him. However, getting to read through his trials and tribulations in his current environment was great and some of the things he yearned to be able to do most, brought out his romantic side. M.A. Cobb’s ability to give you Henry’s perspective in such detailed little ways including the vocabulary used really brought the character to life (or death lol) and sold the idea that he was brought back from hundreds of years ago. The spice level in this book was amazing and plentiful (but definitely NOT too much), the fact that there was as much spice while still maintaining a plot was an extra bonus. All I can say is please do not sleep on this book. Even if (and perhaps especially if), the paranormal or ghost element is not usually your thing, give this book a shot. I cannot emphasize enough on how well this book was brought together and what an enjoyable, refreshing, sexy, and funny book this was. Five stars!
To see more, including which drink I picked for this book, visit my blog tapsandtropes.com
I wanna start off with I love Henry. I love him so much oml😭🩷
This book was soooo good and wayyy better than I expected. Henry is so sexy and his whole vibe is so🫣🔥🔥 He's such a sweet talker but at the same time with such a dirty mouth, I love that about him A LOT.
When I read this line I just broke down. I kept screaming "HENRY IS REAL VERY REAL" 😭 if at the end it turned out to be that I would've kms Every time Alice mentions him not being real it just hurts. Like he is very real. at least to me💔
THE ENDING. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ENDING. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT. I DID NOT EXPECT TO CRY READING GHOST SMUT. LIKE WHY DID JJ HAVE TO WAKE UP DURING THAT AND I DID NOT EXPECT HIM TO DO THAT TO ALICE LIKE??? SEEING HENRY FEEL HELPLESS HURTS SO MUCH BUT ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE EPILOGUE. I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP WITHOUT THE EPILOGUE.
This was my first book by this author, but I was intrigued by the blurb - definitely glad I gave it a go, I was hooked from the start - if you want something different, on the dark side with a supernatural / paranormal twist, you should really give this a go!
Alice is a reclusive author, living in the countryside with her dog, love has past her by and she has given up on it apart from writing about it. After a storm she finds a trinket box under a tree, it contains an old ring, which draws a spirit to her.
Henry has been dead over a 100 years, but suddenly finds himself in Alice's house, drawn to Alice. He can see her and he wants her. Alice cannot see Henry, but can sense him, and when he touches her she can hear him and feel him. She thinks there is something wrong with her and goes for tests, thinking her brain has made him up, but she desperately wishes it was all for real.
A great read, not particularly long, but I loved the characters - Alice is drawn to Henry and his dark and dirty ways, and Henry is more than happy to show her everything he knows and likes, with his dirty mouth playing a big part. Henry's reactions to the modern day world is quite funny. But the twist at the end I was not expecting!!
Wow! I ABSORBED this book in one sitting. I absolutely could not put it down.
Alice is a lonely smut author who lives by herself with her dog, Daisy. She seems to have no friends or family, and quite literally does nothing all day long except write, drink wine, and putter around the house. When a storm causes a tree to become unrooted, Daisy finds a box with a mysterious ring and note in it.
Henry is a ghost that has been dead for hundreds of years. He lost his love and life to his best friend and was brought back when his ring was dug up. There’s a bit more to it but I don’t want to leave any spoilers. Henry is a real ghost. He’s not able to take shape or move objects. He quite literally is just there. The only thing he can seem to do is touch Alice and speak to her (and dogs can hear him).
Reading as their love story unfolds was amazing. I was so nervous for the ending because I wanted them to stay together so badly!! I will say (without spoilers) that it does have a HEA, if rather morbid.
I was offered a free copy of this book for my honest opinion and I recommend it!!
Alice is a homebody. Mother Nature causes a large tree to fall onto her car. Her dog found a ring, that Alice slipped onto a necklace - where she made a wish. Little did she know, that wish would come true. Just not how she expected it. At first, she thinks she is going crazy. Yet, every day it's easier and easier for her to accept him and the situation. Can she handle the strings that come with her ghost lover Henry? What happens when the game they play goes too far?
Henry is called from the abyss, by a tether that Alice is wearing. Yet, he realizes that she can't hear him unless he's touching her. Those innocent touches graduate to sultry caresses and more. Then he realizes that whoever wears the ring, he can control. Henry wants more. He wants to feel and touch Alice. They hatch a plan, that goes down a rabbit hole. Can Henry stay with Alice?
This is a quick read. I was intrigued when I first started reading it, but when they involved other people in their plan, I was a little unsure of how this was going to play out. Those people were used plain and simple, without being asked.
I was hoping for more of a story. Like a back story for them both.
ARC: “ Curse Of The Mourning Ring” by @m.a.cobb_author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨Tropes✨ Paranormal/Ghost Romance Touch her and die
I was so excited when I was asked to Review this book! The minute I began I wasn’t able to put it down. It had intensity, humor, smut and oh the dirty talk! (This book did not disappoint)
Alice- a reclusive author of erotica and her pup Daisy come across a box with a ring that holds an attachment to a ghost named Henry.
Henry- a bad ass Cowboy (idk that’s how I pictured him 🫣) who died many many years ago is pulled back from nothingness and bonded to Alice.
I really enjoyed this one. The smut, twist and emotions! The ending took me by surprise and definitely unexpected but it was a perfect one!
A humongous thank you to @m.a.cobb_author for trusting in me to receiving this book and reviewing it before it being released. It is truly and honor.
If you are into dark/paranormal romance to support this book!! It drops tomorrow June 15! You will not be disappointed!
Seeing as this was this was my first ARC read I was really nervous when this book hit my kindle. But then I read the dedication page and I knew we’d be ok 😝 M.A. Cobb’s writing style sucked me in from the very first page. Alice is my type of woman. A wine-loving, sweatpants-wearing romance writer, she’s pretty much living the dream. The only thing missing from her life is a man to love her fiercely and satisfy her baser needs. Enter Henry, a dirty talking ghost from the eighteen-hundreds. Say what? I know! I thought this storyline was quite unique and a ton of fun. The main characters were entertaining, the spice was top-tier and that surprise ending left me gasping. The only thing that’s niggling at me now is what happened to her sweet puppy? This was my first dark ghost romance ever, but having thoroughly enjoyed this book, I don’t think it will be my last. Highly recommend! Curse of the Mourning Ring is available for pre-order now. Go get yourself a copy of this short but intense page-turner.
Curse of the Mourning by M.A. Cobb is a dark, paranormal romance. You have the fmc, an author who is always behind a computer, starting to feel like she wants someone to truly love her. Then you have this guy who has been betrayed, sees her, and falls so damn hard for her. The problem is, the guy has been dead for 100+ years!
Like I said, this book was so incredibly fun to read. The fmc was awkward and quirky. She wasn't quite sure how to handle the whole situation. It was hard to imagine the mmc because he was a ghost, and no, the fmc could not see him! I repeat....she could not see him!!! In my opinion, it made the spicy scenes so damn hot. Lol.
The book was fast paced, easy to read. I was pleasantly surprised with this one! Definitely check your trigger warnings below, it is a dark paranormal romance!
TW from authors website: Alcohol use, Assault, Breath Play, Death, Drug use, Non-consensual sex, Mention of medical procedures, Murder, Profanity, Sexually explicit scenes, Somnophilia, Violence
Seeing as this was this was my first ARC read I was really nervous when this book hit my kindle. But then I read the dedication page and knew I’d be ok 😝 M.A. Cobb’s writing style sucked me in from the very first page. Alice is my type of woman. A wine-loving, sweatpants-wearing romance writer, she’s pretty much living the dream. The only thing missing from her life is a man to love her fiercely and satisfy her baser needs. Enter Henry, a dirty talking ghost from the eighteen-hundreds. Say what? I know! I thought this storyline was quite unique and a ton of fun. The main characters were entertaining, the spice was top-tier and that surprise ending left me gasping. The only thing that’s niggling at me now is what happened to her sweet puppy? This was my first dark ghost romance ever, but having thoroughly enjoyed this book, I don’t think it will be my last. Highly recommend! Curse of the Mourning Ring is available for pre-order now. Go get yourself a copy of this short but intense page-turner.
Thank you @m.a.cobb_author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🖤
If you’re an elder millennial, such as myself, you may have watched a little film called 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳 in 1995, in which Casper goes from ghost to Devon Sawa (aka every young teenager’s crush) for just the shortest of scenes. I know I’m not the only one to watch and rewatch that short scene over and over and over again…(on VHS! ⏪▶️)
Well, this book definitely delivered on some smutty Casper dreams! 🤣
Alice discovers a mysterious ring after a tree falls outside her home during a storm. This ring brings her into contact with an invisible man named Henry, who actually died in the 1800s, and although she can’t see him, she can hear and touch him. Henry is smitten immediately. Alice thinks she is going insane.
This was definitely a fun, quick read. Entertaining, spicy, and culminates in some absolute wildness at the end.
Do be sure the check those TWs on the author’s website!
And trying not to be too spoilery (but think it’s important to be aware of) this book does have a bit of a non-traditional HEA…so prepare for that! 😜
What this book is giving: ✅ Dark Paranormal Romance ✅ Ghost MMC from the 1800s ✅ Smutty book writing FMC ✅ Dirty Talk ✅ Non-Traditional HEA
I want to start off saying I loved this! I was gripped right from the first page! Now don’t get me wrong some of it was very very twisted. But it had a sweet romance behind it and I really enjoyed watching the relationship bloom.
I don’t want to give too much away so all I will say is that Henry knows what he’s doing! And Alice is my kind of woman - the only negative is that I feel more depth could of been given to her author characteristic - I get it isn’t a major part of the storyline but I feel it could of just lifted the first part of the story a little bit before meeting Henry.
Now I can honestly say I did not see that ending coming!! The last few chapters were a shock to say the least. However I feel like it was a very sweet way to end the book and I feel it really did the storyline justice.
When I start a dark romance, I'm pretty prepared of what is going to appen, in broad terms...
The story is not a simple romance, no sir. The author adds this shad of mystery, paranormal by adding shades of sexual elements that keep you reading❤️🔥
The story itself reminds me of two stories, one from a movie and the other one from a dilogy series: Ghost (1990) the romantic story of a phantom who remains on earth since he can't let go his love; then we have Haunting Adeline - Cat and Mouse Duet ⬅️ since the spirit cannot behave to not desire the girl, he still craves her, still want to have her, carnally and emotionally❤️🔥 I didn't enjoy a lot the final part, but I understand why the author decided to end it like that. ᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ, ᴍᴜsᴛ ʙᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʟᴀsᴛɪɴɢ🥰
If you've loved these two, you'll appreciate this narrative.
This was my first paranormal romance read and it blew me out of the water. How the author created the story for them to meet was incredible. This book also highly makes me wish I had a sexy ghost that would protect me but also completely rail me as well. The smut scenes in this book are amazing as well, detailed and oh so spicy.
The only thing I didn’t really like was I feel there should be more to the story now. The afterlife of Alice and Henry, my jaw completely dropped at the ending of this book, I was not expecting that but it was such a great way to have a Happily Ever After.
I highly recommend this book. The only reason I gave 4 instead of 5 is the hope that there will be a book two!