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Cruel Malady : A Necrosis of the Mind

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An enemies-to-lovers romance that explores the darkest chasm of the mind to discover what makes our dark hearts tick. With cameo appearances from London and Grayson from the Darkly, Madly Duet .

I was born a psychopath, but he made me a killer.

Blakely Vaughn

Revenge is a lucrative business, and for a psychopath with zero empathy to inhibit her, it’s more than profitable, it’s how I achieve that elusive adrenaline rush.

My life is structured. Controlled. Meticulously tailored to my needs. Then he botches one of my jobs. Alex is intelligent, sexy in an oblivious way. He’s a buttoned-up scientist looking for thrills.

And I never saw him coming.

His deception was flawless. He used my vain nature against me to lure me into his trap. His fixation with finding a cure has spiraled into a deadly obsession with me—and now I’m at the mercy to a mad scientist whose cruel experiment shatters my mind.

Revenge is my ethos.

And I vow to have my revenge on Dr. Alex Chambers.

Alex Chambers

The ticking of the clock is the soundtrack to my life, counting down the precious seconds I have left to discover an antidote. My hunt for the perfect subject leads me to her, and oh, she’s a beautiful revelation.

I want her.

I need her.

Blakely’s malady is death to her mind. And against society’s laws and even the very laws of nature itself, I bring her necrotic, unfeeling humanity to life.

I may have gone mad in the process, and after numerous failed attempts, my body count is stacking. I’ve attracted the attention of the infamous Angel of Maine serial killer—the vile catalyst for my very research.

But my sacrifice is worth it, worth her—my lovely creation. It’s even worth her exacting revenge on me, the villainous prince of her dark fairy tale.

If this is my end, there are far worse ways to die than at the hands of my beautiful monster.

536 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2023

76 people are currently reading
1766 people want to read

About the author

Trisha Wolfe

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USA Today bestselling romantic thriller author. From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fictional worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fictional worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.



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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
Profile Image for Marianna Moore.
479 reviews66.9k followers
December 27, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ That was fun and hot. A dark psychological thriller romance following a psychopath FMC who works as a revenge for hire, and a mad scientist MMC who’s trying to “fix her”. Ohhhhh and how they HATE each other!!! When I say I screamed when we got Grayson and London cameos… OH MY GOD!! This book immediately had me intrigued but then I think the issue I had was that it felt too long. The middle really dragged for me and it got a little predictable but then it picked up again and I couldn’t put it down. Nothing revolutionary but I still liked it overall and giggled and kicked my feet. The hate spicy scenes had me losing my mind!!!
Profile Image for Tatianna.
300 reviews94 followers
July 9, 2023
Cruel Malady: A Necrosis of the Mind by Trisha Wolfe is a psychological enemies-to-lovers dark romance duet. And when I say enemies-to-lovers, I don't think I've ever meant it quite so much. This story is deliciously dark and twisted with a depth and intensity only Trisha can spin. This is top shelf dark romance for me. All the freaking stars!

While it could technically be labelled a spin-off of the Darkly, Madly duet, that wouldn't do justice to this thrilling and original story that absolutely stands on its own. I do, however, recommend reading the Darkly, Madly duet first, as it will provide valuable context.

"Even the most cruel and monstrous villains desire love."


Ever since childhood, Blakely Vaughn has known she is different than most. Lacking emotions and empathy, she grows into an unshakeable woman that makes a satisfying living as revenge for hire. With her own unique moral code, she's an expert at messing with people's lives — as long as she believes they deserve it.

Dr. Alex Chambers is a biomedical scientist, dedicating his life to curing disease. His newest focus: psychopathy. Locking eyes with Blakely's telling stare ignites the beginning of the end for her. Obsession, compulsion, and delusion muddy the waters as these two opposing forces collide. Who chases who down the depraved rabbit hole? And who is the true monster?

"Maybe there is some deeper level of love that goes beyond poems and sonnets, a darker love that is so maddening, you crave to destroy what you love only because you want it so badly, it has to be consumed or demolished."


Blakely has to be one of my favourite female protagonists! She is headstrong, resilient and so badass!! I fell head over heels for her quick wit and relentless pursuit for justice. She is so cheeky and made me laugh and smirk the whole way through, but her challenges also tugged at my heart! Despite everything she endures, she never loses her fire and takes every opportunity to let Alex know how deranged he is. I adore her.

Alex and Blakely's dynamic is nothing short of explosive as they move through all the twisted colours of their relationship. Whether they are fighting or fucking (or both!), their chemistry is off the charts. Alex is a true villain, in my opinion, as he has the emotional capacity to understand the impact of his destruction. And yet, my toxic ass rooted for him. He may be the most delusional antihero I've ever encountered, but the level of obsessive and unhinged love he has for Blakely is everything.

"What is love but simply chemicals in the brain that make us believe in our feelings?"


It's no secret that I will read anything Trisha Wolfe writes with rapt fascination. Her brilliance consistently shines through in her work, and always leaves me with the sinking realization that little else will compare. I hunger for her poetry and I'm a glutton for her madness. This story was everything I didn't realize I needed from her and more.

Did I highlight almost this entire book? Yes, yes I did. The science motif woven throughout and the nods to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland absolutely enchanted my dark and nerdy heart. Combined with Wolfe's classic intensity and poeticism? Big fucking swoon. This is a story that I cannot wait to revisit.

"Trying to unravel the workings of a madman's brain is a descent right into madness itself."


And because I am positively lovesick for Blakely and Alex, I made a playlist. Enjoy!

This story is for readers who appreciate a taste of horror with their dark romance, true morally grey and mentally unstable antiheroes, true enemies to lovers, badass and unique FMCs, thrilling plotlines and poetic writing. I cannot sing enough praise... If this sounds like your thing, just read it!

Note: There is a bonus epilogue for London & Grayson that you can get by subscribing to Trisha's email list. This must be read after Darkly, Madly or you will spoil the story, but it definitely adds to the crossover between these books.
Profile Image for Mahnoor.
90 reviews52 followers
August 1, 2023
5 Stars ☆

The forest rot has leached into him, and only the cleansing water will free us.

No one ever does it like Trisha. The way she meticulously plans and writes each one of her gripping and peculiar stories.
Perfection ✨
Always.

Dr. Crazy and his Peitho have me in a chokehold and forever refuse to let go of me.

Oh, I touched. I put my hand right into her flame. Then I begged her to burn me again.

Their compelling and twisted story built on the foundation of the bones of madness and obsession will always remain engraved into my soul.

Like the rotted soil devouring the roots, he poisons my body...

Their strange souls constructed and then intwinted together, and the threads of their love woven within the twine because even the most cruel and monstrous villains like Alex desire love.

▪︎“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account, we shall be more attached to one another.”▪︎
        ~Mary Shelley

Alex straddles the thin line of reality and delusion, but driven by rage and in need of retribution, he takes it a step too far and ends up blurring that very line into the bloody forest sky.

The chemistry and tension between these two is absolutely intoxicating.

Alex and Blakeley honestly own every chamber of my heart. I love them, their darkness and all.

I'll be taking their duet to my grave and will re-read it till my last breath.🧎🏻‍♀️

"Goddamn, you’re all I think about, all I want.”
Profile Image for Brittany Ferraro.
245 reviews1,358 followers
January 7, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ Another banger by Trisha. After reading the Darkly, madly duet, I knew I had to jump into this immediately since it’s set in the same world, and I honestly cannot believe I loved it just as much. At first, I was a little worried it wasn’t going to hit the same because I had no idea where the story was going… but let me tell you, I fucking loved where it ended up going.

I am always a little SIT sat for some Stockholm
syndrome, and this book absolutely pushed the limits. I kept thinking, how is she going to fall in love with this man? I genuinely had no idea how these two were going to end up together, but somehow it worked so well. The couple who does electric shock therapy together stays together??? LMAO 😅

I also loved the push and pull, especially how hard she fought her feelings for him (I mean… as she should??). But then it gave “fuck me like you hate me” energy, and I was a goner. When he said this to her, I screen recorded that shit so fast so I can play it over and over again….

Once again, this story felt super unique and unhinged.. Alex truly thinks he can fix Blakely, and that man goes to extreme measures to make it happen. She’s a sociopath who can’t feel, and he is absolutely determined to change that. The way his past and history overlapped with Grayson (from the Darkly madly duet) gave me life. I wasn’t sure how much we’d see of London and Grayson, but it was so fucking perfect the way it was done. I was literally on the edge of my seat and got so excited every time they popped in.

The audiobooks are absolutely incredible, full duet narration and this story and world are so twisted. It’ll have your brain working overtime while still delivering a super interesting plot, great tension, and plenty of spice to top it all off. I absolutely devoured this, and when I finished, I just sat there like… what the fuck did I just read, and why did I love it so much?
Profile Image for ✩ Yaz ✩.
708 reviews3,865 followers
August 1, 2023
3 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Some look for love in flowers and sweet professions of adoration and devotion. Ours is not sweet. Ours is not naïve. Ours is a sick and cruel love born in a lab. Violence and obsession are only a measure away from passion, and our depraved passion owns us wholly.

Cruel Malady is a dark thriller romance following a psychopath avenging angel and an obsessive mad scientist entangled in a depraved romance that unhinged both of them.

Blakely is a revenge for hire, reaping vengeance for her clients who mostly are scorned women. On the surface, she is an avenging Angel, but if you look a little deeper you'll find someone with an immense desire to inflict pain.

And that's how Dr. Alex Chambers found his perfect subject.

It didn't take long for Dr. Chambers to find out the unwilling subject he *welcomed* into his lab is in truth a parasite—an infection invading his system and will be his undoing.

Thus begins Blakely and Alex's descent into unhinged passion and madness.

Lust. Greed. Covet—I’ve committed every deadly sin in the pursuit to own her, and I deserve my damnation.

I must say this book had a great start and I was following the story for Blakely more than Alex. I was intrigued by their connection at first but eventually the spark faded and I found Alex to be... bland.

I have no issues with obsessed MMCs, however his obsession surrounded his idea of fixing her rather than who she actually is.

I found Blakely to be a compelling character but I wasn't even rooting for her to be with Alex because of his own obsession.

I finished this book with mixed feelings and will be honest and say that I did have to skim through the pages (a better option than DNFing) because I was truly waiting for the story to reign me back in again.

It might just be a "me" issue and my own expectations since many reviewers here enjoyed it.

It wasn't bad but it just didn't win me over.

Trigger Warnings: this book is an adult dark romance which includes disturbing scenes such as abduction, dubious consent, drugging, death, murder, assault, violence, trauma, etc.
Profile Image for 💜VGreedyReader🖤.
652 reviews127 followers
July 10, 2023
★5 maddening perfect stars★

As the saying “I have never met a calorie I didn’t like” goes, I have never met a female character by Trisha Wolfe I didn’t like. And by that I don’t mean simply “like” I connect to them on an elemental level. It’s widely acknowledged that romances focus on male characters, and even if Trisha’s males lack nothing in deadly charm, sex appeal and brains her females aren’t merely a support to make them shine. They are their own entities bright stars with hot, sexy and strong personalities to match.

~𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚~

Besides formidable characters this author has also mad narrative skills, her stories are never dull nor predictable, you may be misled to believe you have everything figured out but you’ll be mistaken, her tales are never simple to figure out until the end. This duet is no exception, the fast paced narrative glued me to the page, the lyrical writing a dark poison impossible not to crave more of. The fast paced action, well described background accompanied by beautifully portrayed characters. Blakely and Alex are a force, two unforgettable minds. As far as I’m concerned this story ticks all my boxes, truly, it’s a perfect fit!

~𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡~

I also like how each chapter is named that isn’t left to chance either, midway through reading I found myself “ohhh” and “ahhh” thinking “now I get it!” I love how every little detail is taken care of.

~𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙢. 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢~

What I also love about Trisha’s stories is how her references are always related to myths, mythology, ancient history or even philosophy, needless to say the nerd in me rejoices in indulging in such pleasure.

~𝙑𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮~

I thoroughly loved this duet, and I know it’s cruel I don’t give anything away about its plot or characters but trust me, my fellow readers, it’s for your own pleasure, if you don’t mind some clever psycho action some bold, dark vibe and don’t shy away from some spilled blood then don’t miss out on this adrenaline rush.


𖤓❥ℂ𝕣𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕕𝕪 𝕆𝕞𝕟𝕚𝕓𝕦𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 ℂ𝕣𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕕𝕪 𝕓𝕪 𝕋𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕒 𝕎𝕠𝕝𝕗𝕖, 𝕒𝕟 𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕖𝕤-𝕥𝕠-𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕞 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕜 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕜. 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕔𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕠 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕃𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕝𝕪, 𝕄𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕪 𝔻𝕦𝕖𝕥.❥𖤓

Profile Image for Katy.
487 reviews23 followers
July 6, 2023
• Stalking
• Psychopath FMC
• Biomedical Scientist MMC
• Captor/Captive
• He Falls First
• Forced Medical Procedures
• Alice In Wonderland Vibes
• Serial Killer
• Hate Sex
• Enemies to Lovers



“𝙊𝙝, 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙. 𝙄 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.”

If there’s one thing you should know about me it’s that I’m a whore for Trisha Wolfe. I’ve yet to read a book of hers I haven’t liked! The research/love/ time she puts into her books is always obvious and it’s one of my favorite things about her writing, it’s always so well done.

“𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮.”

I absolutely loved getting scenes with Grayson and London from the Darkly, Madly Duet even if I became a little upset with them (although I shouldn’t have expected anything less from Grayson and London).

"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚-𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙮 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙄 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚.”

At one point I was really worried there wouldn’t be an HEA but thankfully there was. The things Alex put Blakely through was wild but I ate up every second of it. And the waterfall scene 🥵 Things aren’t what they seem when it comes to Alex and I loved that, he surprised me. Blakely is a bada$$ fmc who has zero fucks to give (the pet crematory 😂). I like them together a lot!

"𝙁𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚.. 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧."

If you’re looking for an unhinged (in the best ways) romance then definitely check this out!

"𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮. 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚.”

"𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙒𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚.”
Profile Image for Mimiorphee.
698 reviews41 followers
August 30, 2023
Cruel: What a deep book!
Trisha Wolfe is an author I discovered not long ago, and whose work I absolutely adore.
Cruel, the first book in the Cruel Malady duet, took me by surprise and led me down into the rabbit hole. Did I like what I found? I utterly loved hating Alex. The madness of the plot and the psychological disorders of the characters gripped mento no end and kept me thrilled from beginning to end. Delusion, obsession. Cruel is dark, unhinged. It blurs the limit of right and wrong, playing with scientific concepts and medical procedures, on a background of mythological references.
Great writing, great storytelling.
A must-read that sent me reeling. I can't wait to dive into the second book.

Malady continues on the vibe of the first installment. Unhinged and deeply psychological are the words that come to my mind to describe this duet. The author's ability to play with my sanity is brilliant... and it felt awesome. Twisted and unconventional, this second opus concludes the duet with perfection.
Did I relate to the characters? Not at all, and strangely enough, that's what blows my mind. I loved the execution, the psychiatric/psychological references, the bold plot and most of all, the thrill of not knowing what was going to happen. Who runs the show? Who plays whom? The uncertainty had m3 screaming in the best way.
Profile Image for rereadqueen .
85 reviews10 followers
September 12, 2025
ℂ𝕣𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕕𝕪: A 𝘕𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘧𝘦

* 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 *
10 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 10 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥! 𝘐'𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘉𝘚𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘌𝘋! 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨...𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥! 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴!!

📸🔪𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴🥼🧪
* 𝘔𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵
* 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦/𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘳
* 𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥/𝘏𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵
* 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳
* 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘹
* 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳
* 𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
* 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴
* 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴

𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴! 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 '𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵-𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦' 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺’𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘣.

"𝚈𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝. 𝙸'𝚖 𝚗𝚘 𝚐𝚘𝚍, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙸 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚜, 𝙸 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎'𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚊𝚏𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚎."

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨! 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘦𝘵! 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘮𝘪𝘹 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺! 𝘜𝘎𝘏!!! 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵! 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.
Profile Image for Spinning  pigeon .
156 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2024
Angel's wings were clipped. This was awful. I hate how he could only love her if She wasn't a psychopath I hated that he "cured" her illness. This was a first book where I was reading about a Woman who was a psychopath and you had to go and destroy it. Why we can't just let woman who are psychopath be themselves.
Profile Image for Deni.
819 reviews15 followers
October 19, 2025
Not bad but not as good as Darkly, Madly 🙃 Комбинацията от Алиса в Страната на чудесата и Франкенщайн беше странно пленителна. Не съм сигурна как точно да приемам Алекс и Блейкли. Алекс беше много убедителен в маниакалността си. В същото време беше с толкова безпардонно афиширан божествен комплекс, че изключително трудно човек може да изпита симпатия към него. Блейкли ми беше много по-симпатична преди Алекс да я "излекува". След това ми стана фантастично нереална. Подозирам, че Триша целенасочено ги е изградила така, че да не можем да им симпатизираме по никакъв начин. Което реално погледнато е добре. Но прави книгата малко по-трудно смилаема. Любовната история (ако изобщо мога да я нарека така) беше disjointed. Преминаваше се от фаза във фаза по някакви необясними, необозрими причини. И това при все, че изобщо не разбрах как е възможно да се мине като цяло на следваща фаза. Стокхолмския синдром ми покриваше логиката само до някъде. След средата на книгата липсваше и реален злодей, а с него и убедителен конфликт, респективно напрежение. Въпреки всичко да четеш Триша е истинско удоволствие. Стилът ѝ е толкова специфичен, толкова опойващ и омайващ, така изкусно преплетен с философски разсъждения и прозрения, които те водят по пътеките на нейната логика, че я следваш с усмивка и лесно забравяш за всички обективни пропуски и пробойни.

Финална оценка: 3,75⭐

P.S. Правилния ред на четене е Darkly, Madly Duet и след това Cruel Malady 🤓 Cheers! 😊🤟

P.S.2. Франкенщайн ме чака в TBR-а за октомври от месеци. Cruel Malady по стечение на обстоятелствата я чета сега. Доста сладка случайност 👀
Profile Image for Ines Jlaiel.
121 reviews18 followers
September 20, 2023
The novel is Propulsive, erotic and dark..

Blakely, our main character is revenge on hire, she was born a psychopath but never really killed anyone, she has total control over her life until she meets Alex, a fucked up delusional scientist who believe he can cure her, make her able to feel human emotions.


"To do something only for the praise, to not dare to do the dangerous and frightening thing that goes against expectations, that is a weak and cowardly way to go through life."

While reading the book it felt like the author knew what she was doing , she had total control over the narrative which proves that she’s a master of her craft, the writing is effortlessly smart, the different POVS helped me read faster.

Blakely was an interesting character to read, she is such a bad ass and has this strength inside her that keeps her going

" the room moves around her, yet she remains still, a vibrating current humming with her own frequency. "

I LOVED the reference to Alice in wonderland and Frankenstein

You're Alice, chasing your compulsion to some deranged Wonderland."

An intense novel with messy characters, delving into the dark side of the human nature. Totally recommend this for the weirdos
Profile Image for Jessica.
237 reviews3 followers
December 17, 2025
First things first, I really liked the first half of this book and all the narrators were great! (Hello Josh from Lights Out, what are you doing here? Pleasently surprised nontheless 👀) My favorite were Heather Firth as Blakely, she was amazing 😊
However, the last half of this book were like... eeeh? for me. Wished for more I think.
Profile Image for V • NotAStringOnMe.
56 reviews11 followers
July 16, 2023
⁝⁝ ARC REVIEW ⁝⁝

❝Some look for love in flowers and sweet professions of adoration and devotion. Ours is not sweet. Ours is not naïve. Ours is sick and cruel love born in a lab. Violence and obsession are only a measure away from passion, and our depraved passion owns us wholly.❞

CHARACTERS

» Blakely Vaughn – Intelligent. Clever. Cool. Sharp. Sassy. Resourceful. Blakely is collected and unremorseful. I love the contrast between who she is at the beginning of the book, and how she changes as the story progresses. How the scales are tipped later in the book to balance her personality to a "new" Blakely is simply striking.

» Dr. Alex Chambers – Obsessive. Focused. Smart. Intense. Possessive. Alex is a very compelling character who is blind to the things he does in pursuit of his passions—as he puts it. He's always a step ahead and can be deceiving but the way in which his mind work is fascinating.

❝Tell me you want me.❞
❝Never happening.❞
❝Tell me you love me.❞
❝In your sick fucking dreams.❞
❝Then the more you starve me, the more depraved I'll become.❞


CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

» I don't want to spoil too much because I feel like this book should be experienced without knowing much about what happens in it. (At least, that's how I dived into it.) But I can say that Blakely and Alex have one of the most gripping love-hate relationships I've ever read. They're always studying each other, trying to figure out and outsmart the other, and that's only one of the elements that make this story so thrilling. The attraction and chemistry between the MCs is scorching and electrifying. And when they clash, sparks fly! Let's just say that Trisha redefined hate-sex for me with these two.

❝She's the spark to my fuse. A fire lit down deep in the bowels of my torment and self-degradation. Her soulless, penetrating eyes strip me of every pretentious facade; she sees down to my stained marrow. And there's a part of me that yearns for it, to be cleansed by her fire.❞

DETAILS & TWs

🔞 18+ read due to explicit content. Trigger warnings can be found at the beginning of the book.

◈ Dark Psychological Thriller Romance
◈ Enemies-to-Lovers
◈ Forced Proximity
◈ Slow Burn
◈ Dual POV
◈ Mad Scientist & Patient
◈ Captor & Captive Dynamics
◈ Frankenstein Vibes (Creator & Monster)
◈ Alice in Wonderland Vibes
◈ Possessive, Obsessive, and Handsome Mad Scientist MMC
◈ Smart, Sassy, Psychopath FMC
◈ Mutual Transformation
◈ Mutual Stalking
◈ Hand necklace
◈ Hottest Hate Sex Ever!
◈ "Take all of me"
◈ He Falls First


❝If this is love, it's the kind of love that makes you mad.❞

SCORES

Spicy content: 5/5
Spicy quality: 5/5
Overall Score: 5/5 (Honestly, I'd give this book ∞ stars. It's incredible!)

❝I am a god. And she is my creation. She is my beautiful monster. How can I not love her? She harbors a part of me.❞

FINAL THOUGHTS

Masterpiece. That's the only word I can use to sum up this book.

Trisha's writing is darkness in the form of compelling poetry. Each element in her stories is carefully selected, and then she surprises you with the most jaw-dropping plot twists like the remarkable storyteller she is. Her characters are a force of nature that draw you into the very heart of madness, and leave you wanting more. And the SPICE AND HEAT... Let me tell you that Trisha always delivers the most memorable scenes on that area. This book is no exception!

I fell in love with Alex Chambers' wildly obsessive nature as well as Blakely's cool and sharp personality. The two of them together are one of the most madly explosive pairs I've ever read. The way in which they challenge one another and force one another to change and adapt to new situations is fascinating. Their love-hate relationship made me feral because this is exactly the kind of dynamics I crave in an enemies-to-lovers story.

As much as Alex and Blakely now hold a very special place in my heart, I must confess that I went absolutely crazy over Grayson Sullivan too. This man... I have no words. This book was just too hot with him and Alex in it. That's all I'm going to say. And on that note, Alex and Blakely meeting Grayson and London was brilliant! It was like watching a game of chess between these two couples, not knowing who was going to win. I was spellbound and I couldn't get enough of them!

If you're looking for a wild, unhinged romance with Frankenstein and Alice in Wonderland vibes, this is the right book for you.

Thank you so much for the ARC.
Profile Image for Sarabeth.
64 reviews7 followers
July 11, 2023
I was a lucky duck who got to review an ARC of this book and let me tell you…. Trisha has done it again. Easily a 5⭐️ read for me.

I love Trisha’s ability to make me question my own sanity when reading her books. This story is a back and forth pull between two unhinged characters with chemistry that is off the charts when it finally hits. We also get to see another favorite unhinged couple in this book, London & Grayson make a special appearance.

This book will take you on a wild ride while you explore how minds work and realize there is no black and white just morally grey.

And we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t talk about spice: this book delivers! You can feel every emotion from both characters and the shift when their relationship changes.

I also loved the theme of Frankenstein and Alice in Wonderland that are referenced throughout the book.

Overall I highly recommend this dark romance especially if you like a psychopath theme mixed in.

“There is a little depravity in us all that craves to wander into the darkness.”

Thank you, Trisha, for sharing these words with me and allowing me an ARC for this amazing story! 🖤Also, this cover is so beautiful!
Profile Image for Sam Allen.
778 reviews11 followers
August 26, 2025
3.5 Stars

I always enjoy TW’s works even when they puzzle me and this was no exception. I would t say I liked this as much as Lovely Bad Things or Marrow, but it was still a good time.

I loved the references to Alice in Wonderland and Frankenstein, and I enjoyed the back and forth between Alex and Blakely. I think Vanessa is my favourite though - she was the true MVP of this one.
Profile Image for Mysteriousenchantment.
196 reviews10 followers
July 11, 2023
Listen if you guys haven’t read anything by Trisha Wolfe. You need to start. She has a dark and psychotic beautiful brain. I love every single book that I have read by her. The relationship between theses 2 characters is amazing. Don’t walk but run to read her books. You will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Tierney.
58 reviews
July 15, 2025
DNF at 67% started off good, but went on too long got bored
Profile Image for buzy_reading.
2,664 reviews57 followers
July 22, 2025
3.5 rating

Even the most cruel and monstrous villains desire love. A justice dealer seeks revenge against a man who cheated on his wife. As Blakely tracks and works her revenge against a target she’s unaware that she’s a victim herself. A born psychopath Blakely hunts Ericson Daverns to kill him. was at the top of a revenge list of one very dedicated justice dealer. One target draws two unexpected individuals together. Alex is seeking a subject. Blakely is seeking revenge. They help each other.

Alex obsessed with clocks finds himself in a predicament when Blakely steals his pocket watch. The subject changes towards themselves.

Blakely is a revenge for hire. Dr. Alex Chambers experimented on Blakely to cure psychopathy.

Alex lost his twin sister to the Angel of Maine serial killer. To avenge her death Alex tries to eradicate psychopaths. Alex hunts for a new subject stumbling upon Blakely, a woman hired for revenge. After observing her he determines she’s the epitome for his experiment. Before Alex, she was a harmless, unfeeling psychopath. He wanted her to experience a world of emotions she never felt before. He wanted to cure her sickness.

Trisha Wolfe writes a compelling intellectual dark romance about one man’s compulsion to cure a disease. In search of a new subject he observes a psychopath who is targeting a man. Ms. Wolfe ignites readers with a writing voice that surpasses my imagination. If you gravitate towards the darkness of trying to understand the mindset of a killer than you are in the right place.

Trisha Wolfe creates a love story like no other. Blakely a woman dedicating her life to seeking revenge against men falls in love with a villian. Alex is a man seeking vengeance for the wrongful death of his twin sister. An experiment to alter the brain chemistry turned a subject and scientist lovers.
Her love for him was created by the formula he created. A love potion?

Having the crossover with London and Grayson was exciting. Trisha Wolfe has a sick dark mind that draws me in. She appeals to my inner black soul.

Any opportunity to listen to a well written captivating book is worth it. Trisha Wolfe selected the finest voice actors to perform Blakely and Alex. I’m entranced with these skilled narrators who have brought this story to life. It’s magnificent reliving each and every word. She writes unconventional love stories about killers needing love.


Trisha Wolfe writes with a flourish of knowledge and intelligence as her research proves worthy of her characters ability to make believers out of her readers. The information is solid. I can’t dispute what’s written as it would require research of my own. Trisha is a diabolical evil genius when it comes to revenge schemes. Warning don’t get on her hate list she can destroy you so fast and hard.
Profile Image for Kali Dempsey.
2,222 reviews60 followers
July 27, 2025
4 ⭐ 3 🌶️ 5 🎧

The whole concept of this story was just so, so good. I don't even know what to say without spoiling it, believe me, going in blind is absolutely the right thing to do. While it was a little slow at times, this enemies to lovers story with some unique twists along the way was fantastic and worth the read.

I really loved both main characters. Alex falling first and being so adament was practically adorable at times, while Blakely's tenacity and drive had me head over heels. I love how they both had these moments that changed their whole beings and ultimately brought them together. I felt like there were so many chicken or egg moments where I couldn't figure out of their actions brought on these changes or if they had been that way all along.

The incorporation of the past into the second part of this book was what really hooked me on this story. The wild planning and scheming all parties did was mind bending and had me racing through the pages for answers. And I really loved how they all ended up.

I got to re-read this one via my ears and it was so so good. Heather Firth, Christian Fox, Samantha Brentmoor and Jacob Morgan were absolutely incredible in this DUET style, multi cast narration. I absolutely loved this listen. Thank you so much Trisha Wolfe for the advanced copy!
Profile Image for Jennifer Hickey .
100 reviews
November 3, 2025
RE-read (listened) by audio. Absolutely loved it all over again. The Alice and Wonderland theme mixed with Frankenstein is perfect. London and Grayson's cameos are my favorite though. THEY are my favorite. Blakely and Alex are great but there is no way they would ever outsmart London and Grayson.
Profile Image for Erin.
3,528 reviews78 followers
August 2, 2023
“Beauty is deceptive. Like all things in nature, one cannot trust their eyes. The brightest flower, the intricate butterfly wing, all designed to capture attention and warn: Do not touch…But the human male is more complicated, or rather – truthfully – he’s more simple. He takes the warning as a dare, a challenge. His ego demands that he override evolution and conquer that which threatens to make him weak.”

OMFG!! This was just absolute perfection. Brilliant in its captivating, and psychological word weaving! I was instantly consumed by the sheer mind-blowing twistedness that poured from the pages. I laughed and yelled a whole hell of a lot continually throughout this shockingly dark and twisted mindbender of a story.

Blakely is unique, creative, and so freaking smart, but she lacks emotion and empathy, making her a true psychopath. When her past is revealed, we are drawn into her lonely upbringing and sympathize with her. The fact that she doesn’t allow her inability to empathize with others or feel any emotion turn her into a soulless killer, but a woman who uses her smarts and incredible people reading skills to be in the business of revenge for hire instead. She is a badass and so freaking resilient even when faced with the ultimate adversary.

Alex is a scientist dead set on finding a cure for psychopathy, even if that means destroying lives to achieve his cure. He is utterly obsessed with his research and continually blurs the line of reality and delusion. While looking for his next target, Alex finds Blakely to be the perfect patient. He becomes obsessed with her and will do what is necessary to bring her to his lab for research purposes.

“The brightest flower, the intricate butterfly wing – she was designed for me, to lure me in, to make me weak. Trying to resist her snare was vain, and ineffective. Do not touch. Oh, I touched. I put my hand right into her flame. Then I begged her to burn me again. Obsession is the eighth deadly sin…and she owned me with one kiss. She’s a deviation. A flawed design. Yet so perfectly engineered for her purpose.”

Blakely and Alex are two damaged and unhinged souls that are drawn to each other continually. They are like two opposite forces that have collided, creating one explosive and destructive team. They have this ability to force the other to see many sides to the whole equation, making it hard to determine who is the actual villain of the story.

“She’s the spark to my fuse. A fire lit down deep in the bowels of my torment and self-degradation. Her soulless, penetrating eyes strip me of every pretentious façade; she sees down to my stained marrow. And there’s a part of me that yearns for it, to be cleansed by her fire.”

The incredible intensity of their connection is insanely intoxicating. When they continually collide, they are either fighting with such incredible veracity or fucking each other until the fire burns them both.

Brilliantly written with such intoxicating characters and with a storyline what weaves its way into your mind and forever becomes a part of you. It’s poetic and poignant, with so much suspense, action, violence and gore, making it hard not to devour every dark, depraved and deliciously sexy chapter.

I loved everything about it and will continually shout to everyone that they need to read all of this brilliant authors books!!!

“It’s not waiting for the beast to transform into a prince and save us. It’s about uncovering the terrifying beast within ourselves and…making it stronger and more terrifying than our fear so we can conquer that which weakens us.”
256 reviews
October 24, 2025
🎧 Audiobook review 🎧⚡ Spoilers might lie ahead—I usually like to talk shit about everything that goes down in these books

“Now is the winter of my discontent.” I truly love Trisha’s writing. I read a review saying that Trisha writes like she knows her readers are smart, and I agree. She pours so much effort and research into her work that she actually makes me question my IQ.
Do I fully grasp the underlying themes and philosophies in her stories? No. But I do feel compelled to research certain aspects, ideas, and quotes that lure me in.
“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” For this gem alone, I thank her for making me rediscover Poe.
She creates such complex and compelling characters, and I applaud her especially for her strong, capable, and interesting female characters who are not damsels in distress. They may need rescuing and love, but they are never driven by meekness. They claw and tear at danger and forge their own paths.
I love the premise of this book. The first half was a rush to my synapses — the meet-cute of two deranged people, the cat-and-mouse dance, the entrapments, the spiraling, the experiments, the loss of control while still being in control. Alex has such an eerie presence; his quiet deadliness and calculated moves thrilled me, and I was hooked.
But as the book progressed and their relationship was supposed to turn into love, lust, and obsession, I found myself unable to believe in their connection. I believe his side: his obsession with finding a cure and his conviction that she was the breakthrough to his years of research pushed him into needing to consume her and direct all her emotions toward him — like any madman in love with his creation.
But Blakely was so combative, violent, and angry that it became hard for me to invest in their push-and-pull dynamic. There’s a fine line in enemies-to-lovers stories, and when it’s crossed, I’m instantly snapped out of it. Blakely keeps pushing him away, extremely combative, sarcastic, and punchy… until the very end. There wasn’t enough angst or surrender for me to root for them.
I had the same issue with J.T. Geissinger’s “Liars Like Us”, where the FMC screams, runs, resists, and throws punches up until the last 10% of the book. I know some people enjoy that, but for me it ruins the whole thing. I’ll take instalust any day over that.
Then there’s the constant one-upping — and other characters one-upping them — and it was exhausting. Who’s going to trap whom today in this episode of NYPD Blue?
I admit I skipped a lot of inner monologues (personal preference). I enjoy dialogue; I enjoy show me, don’t tell me. I like quiet inner turmoil where I don’t have to listen to every thought from Adam to Apocalypse. That’s why the epilogue also deflated me — it’s a “tell”, not a “show.”
The audiobook is duet-style, which I love. The narrators are fantastic: Heather Firth is a goddess, and Christian Fox captured Alex’s eeriness so well.
Profile Image for Hanan .
2,025 reviews20 followers
July 11, 2023
Cruel and Malady now in a conveniently in a set.
No waiting for the other book. Both now bundled into one.
These books are phenomenal!
So very hard to put down once I started.

Cruel
An utterly spellbinding mind blowing read!
This psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat and my heart pounding so hard.
And my mind questioning who is the disturbed one.
And who is the sane one.
an absolutely thrilling read, it’s dark and truly twisted!
Alex and Blakely are fascinated by each other.
So much so they form a strange kind of alliance.
Which then turns into a twisted raw gritty hate/love “thing”.
Alex is a complex intriguing character.
He left me wondering was he always like this.
Or did the circumstances of his loss lead him down the dark dark rabbit hole he chose to go down in.
Blakely is also interesting.
She differs significantly from the definition of what “normal” is supposed to be.
But by the end of the book Ms. Wolfe had me questioning what is normal?
Does having the title of Doctor make the actions more acceptable than someone without it?
Does trying to “fix” a personality defect justify what is wanted as an outcome?
Would I rather be the doctor or the psychopath?
Just some of the few questions that was going through my mind this amazing author had me questioning and thinking about.
Now onto the next book to see how Ms. Wolfe will end this twisted tale.

Malady
SPECTACULAR!!!
That is what this book is.
Brilliantly written.
So well laid out.
Complex characters.
And a plot that had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath.
I get so freaking excited when I learn Ms. Wolfe is releasing a new book.
It’s like a treat I want to savor yet want to devour at the same time.
This story had me wanting to read as fast as possible.
But I also wanted to pace myself to appreciate all the moving pieces.
Not only was I already consumed by what was going on.
No of course that wasn’t enough for this genius writer but she throws in some bombs that exploded and left me speechless.
The twist and turns are stunning and I never saw them coming!
I absolutely loved this wild dark twisted ride I was taken on with these truly unforgettable characters.
Profile Image for cynda house.
388 reviews2 followers
August 7, 2023
Oh wow! This book was insane and I loved every minute of it! Trisha has such a way with crazy people and it rocks my world!! I will seriously read anything she writes!

Alex seemed so normal if not a bit nerdy, but turns out he crazy! Lol Blakley, seemingly a normal unfeeling person, just living life the only way she knows, is now out of her depth with her feelings and she is freaking out!

I mean to not have any feelings at all towards anything and then to all the sudden have all these emotions that you can control it’s probably like going through puberty again. I can’t even imagine!

So much happens in the cabin between Alex and Blakely and they have hot as hell sex out there under the waterfall and it's the first time B feels anything real with a sexual partner and I'm sure that scares the hell out of her, I mean... she now has feelings and emotions and she is emoting toooo hard it seems. But when she tricks Alex with her "emotionless" self and tells him his experiment didn't work well he freaks out too and sets the whole cabin on fire and keeps himself in there. Once Blakely escapes and makes it back to town she does something she never thought she would do! And there are eyes everywhere. She can feel that she's being watched, but by who?

Suddenly the guys from her revenge list are popping up dead and she know exactly who it might be, so she decides to go back out to the cabin to make sure that Alex died, but secretly hoping that he didn't. what a conundrum... but I think that's what love will do to you... maybe? we find out of course Alex isn't dead.... and London and Grayson are some how involved in this maddening story now. CHAOS ensues and not everyone makes it out.

it was a wild freaking ride to say the least and I loved every single minute of this journey! I could not put this book down!!!

also, I SERIOUSLY LOVE LONDON AND GRAYSON! lol I was shocked when they made a cameo! I really hope there might be more to both Alex and Blakely and London and Grayson's story... maybe they can become Frenemies? hahaha or maybe seriously have drink and chat it up, become a 4 some of death or something fun like that. I love it.
Profile Image for Tricia.
464 reviews
July 6, 2023
Oh my goodness, this was such an intense story. This author’s brand of dark is like no other and I absolutely loved it. It’s so unpredictable and twisty, intellectually deep and challenging. Dark psychological thriller, with a side of obsessive love, it’s truly mind blowing and I loved it. Alex and Blakely are complex characters and the power struggle between them in the beginning had me on the edge of my seat. Their story is truly unique. Ms Wolfe’s analysis and examination of the workings of this couple’s mind and behaviour all woven into the most suspenseful storyline was extraordinary. Just when I thought I’d got the measure of them, everything was flipped on its head. They both try to justify their behaviour but are they so unhinged that stepping over the line of morality is inevitable? Whatever their motives, neither of them could’ve foreseen the consequences of their actions, the proverbial spanner in the works, when their paths crossed in the way they did. It’s a wild ride and I loved every minute of it.

Despite their undeniable chemistry, in the beginning I couldn’t see how their relationship could possibly work and I had to keep stepping out of the story to collect my thoughts. Their relationship is obsessive and complicated and trying to decide whether they were for or against each other at any given time kept me on my toes for sure. The push and pull between them was brilliant and just when I thought I knew where the story was going, I had the rug pulled right out out from under me. I loved the complex plot and the way these two evolved, in both their mindset and emotions, both individually and together, was exciting and hugely satisfying.

The appearance of Grayson Sullivan threw the most fantastic spanner into the works. If you haven’t met him in the Darkly, Madly duet yet, you really should, but don’t worry if you haven’t. Ms Wolfe certainly makes sure you know exactly the kind of psychopath he is.

Another amazing, mind blowing tale by this author. I’m now off to lie down in a darkened room to recover while I wait for the next!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
342 reviews15 followers
July 10, 2023
Cruel Malady is a dark and twisted enemies-to-lovers romance that explores the darkest chasms of the mind. The story follows Blakely Vaughn, a psychopath who is also a highly successful assassin. When she is captured by Dr. Alex Chambers, a scientist who is obsessed with finding a cure for psychopathy, Blakely's life is turned upside down.

Alex's experiments on Blakely are cruel and unethical, but they also begin to awaken her humanity. As Blakely starts to feel emotions for the first time, she begins to question her own nature. Is she really a psychopath, or is she just someone who has been damaged by her experiences?

Meanwhile, Alex is also struggling with his own demons and the entire reason he became obsessed with finding a cure to begin with.

Cruel Malady is a dark and disturbing novel, but it is also a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the human psyche. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns. If you are a fan of dark romance, then you will definitely want to check out Cruel Malady.

Here are some of the things I liked about the book:

• The characters are complex and well-developed. Blakely is a fascinating protagonist, and I found myself rooting for her even though she is a psychopath. Alex is also a compelling character, and I was intrigued by his backstory.

• The plot is full of twists and turns. I never knew what was going to happen next, and I was constantly on the edge of my seat.

• The book explores the darkest chasms of the mind. This is not a light read, but it is an important one. The book raises some difficult questions about the nature of psychopathy and the possibility of redemption.

Overall, I really enjoyed Cruel Malady. It is a dark and disturbing novel, but it is also a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the human psyche. I highly recommend it to fans of dark romance.
Profile Image for Karina *kari_reads*.
495 reviews30 followers
July 24, 2023
This book was an addiction!! A madness in the sweetest form. A jump down the rabbit hole.

If you want a phenomenal serial killer romance, pick this book up. 😍😍

I loved it with my whole heart!! It is exactly my kind of dark, twisted, greedy, psychotic serial killer romance. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 It's spicy and I loved every twisted second of it. 🌶️🌶️🌶️ The hate sex in this book is like a drug. 🤤😄 But also t
hat waterfall scene. DEAR LORD, YES!!

Our female character Blakely is a psychopath but she is not a killer or violent. On the other hand we have Alex who is a mad scientist with a God complex. Them together is an explosion. A senses overload. 😍🤤❤️ I absolutely loved them and their schemes. It's the best kind of hate to love story and relationship. Because those two characters are sick and twisted but they are absolutely fascinating. 😮 Alex is absolutely OBSESSED with Blakely and I ate that up. 🤤👌There is no length to that he wouldn't go to keep her with him. And I mean murder, torture, framing, you name it, he will do it for her. 🤩
And now I'm the one that is obsessed.

Blakely is so fascinating to me. I loved her. She is strong and very smart. She fought her feelings for Alex hard and I loved how she punished him after their reunion because his sick obsessed ass deserved it. He knew that and let her take out her hate and anger on him. And I loved him for it. 🤩🙈

This book also made me think so much about the human psyche and desires. I underlined the hell out of this book because the quotes are phenomenal and they speak to my dark soul. 😍👌

And if that isn't enough we also have Greyson, who is a cold, calculated and bat shit psychicotic serial killer that comes after Alex and Blakely for "playing" on his playground. 🤣

I am telling you, this book will take you down the rabbit hole and you will enjoy every twisted, sick, fascinating second of you decent into madness. 😍
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