Justice

Damned Connections #2

by Lark Taylor

Sebastian

Blood. Torture. Murder. They’ve been my only companions for centuries. I haven’t needed or wanted anything else.

Until I see Matty smile. Then something in me, something that’s been dormant for centuries, begins to reawaken.

Matty doesn’t belong in my world. He’s loving, innocent, and full of joy. The darkness of my life would corrupt him in a heartbeat, but when he’s dragged into it against his will, nothing can stop me delivering my personal brand of justice.

Matty keeps fighting for things I can’t give him, for things I’m no longer capable of. I can’t come between him and his family. I can’t give him what he needs.

But I also can’t stay away from him.


Matty

I’m surrounded by couples in love.

Once, I thought that’d be me. That I’d be swept off my feet and experience the kind of epic love you only see in movies.

Now, I know better.

A horrific night taught me to look for other things in a partner. Someone who’s predictable. Safe. Stable.

Sebastian is anything but.

Everyone tells me to stay away from him, but I don’t understand their concerns. How can he be a villain when all he’s shown me is kindness?

He makes me want things I thought I’d given up on. Things I’m too scared to admit I still want.

The trouble is, I can’t figure out what Sebastian wants. He tells me he can’t say no to me, but he won’t open up. He says to stay away from him, but he keeps coming around.

One thing is for sure, Sebastian is who I want in my future.

But how can I keep fighting for us if I’m the only one doing it?

Justice is a MM PNR romance about a grumpy vampire assassin and the sunshine human he can’t stay away from. The second in the Damned Connections series, each book will follow a different couple as they find their HEA. Although better read in order, these books can stand alone.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Found Family

476 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2024

About the author

Lark lives with her family in southern England. An obsessive romance fan, she loves nothing more than a Happily Ever After – especially if there’s a good plot and a hefty amount of spice along the way. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found hiding from adult life in escape rooms, travel and the MCU. As a Bi woman with OCD, Lark is a fervent supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community and an advocate for mental health awareness and support.

Reviews

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justice is a beautiful slow-burn romance between grumpy vampire Sebastian and sunshine-personified human Matty. Together they have one of the sweetest and most emotional romances that left me with all the feels as I anxiously waited for this couple to finally get their much-deserved HEA.

Sebastian has a heartbreaking origin and its reveal explains so much about his personality and persona in the present. Matty is the best counterpart who quickly breaks down Sebastian's protected walls due to his effortlessly kind and sincere attitude. I loved seeing these two dance around their mutually shared attraction. The journey of discovering their shared intense, primal, and devoted love for one another is an aspect of this story I could not get enough of.

Justice is an amazing story of forgiveness, second chances, and the deniable need for love and acceptance. I could not get enough of this story and loved every second of Matty and Sebastian's complicated love story where their HEA is hard-won and so well deserved.

[Mila · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4.0 rating***


I am convinced Lark is determined to make her readers cry in every book lol😭.

Seb and Mattie's story was wholesome, at times sad and sweet. I have become a Lark Taylor girlie since reading Patience, and Lark, as expected delivered with Justice. Sure, there were some things that I wish were done differently but ultimately this was a great read. Lark needs to put a trigger warning on her books stating "Be prepared I am gonna make you cry...again". LMAO, jk I love you Lark😂💗. I still have to catch up on the OG series. Hehe.


I received a complimentary copy of this arc for free and this is my honest opinion/review

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prologue gutted me. The author made the right choice in letting readers see Sebastian as he was before the darkness took him. Without the prologue, I would have spent most of the book hating on Sebastian.

Sebastian isn't easy to like. He's spent centuries alone, unaliving people for pay. He's rude, confrontational, angry, violent, and an opportunist.

But not with Matty, never with Matty.

Matty is Seb's sunshine, his long-buried joy, and his greatest dilemma.

Matty carries scars from a sexual assault, but he's not afraid of Seb. He wants Seb to want him, to touch him.

Seb tries to stay away because he doesn't think he's good enough for Matty. It's a tale as old as time.

There is a great deal of pining here, and Seb is definitely the problem. He blows hot and cold. He denies his feelings and hurts Matty in the process.

There is a rescue closer to the middle of the book, but this book is tamer than the first one in this series (and all The Reckless Damned books). It's sweeter and more relationship focused.

The secondary characters (all the demons and their mates, plus Danny, Leo & Ferry, and others) are very present, but I didn't mind.

There were a few humorous bits, and to my utter horror, I found myself laughing when Seb staked Danny (repeatedly). I mean, I've wanted to stake a few people, so I get it.

I'll warn you now that there's a long separation (all Seb's doing obviously), and both MCs suffer being apart, but the epilogue is the flipside of the prologue - hopeful and filled with redemption.

This book is not a standalone!

There was more MM romance title/author dropping that was no less annoying than in Lark Taylor's other books. It's such an odd choice that pulls me straight out of the story every time (why???), but I'm kind of resigned to it by now.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️

“I think it’s been a long time since anyone has fought for you rather than against you. I’m going to do that, Seb, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Grumpy vampire broken from his past, and his sunshine human that brings him back to the light.

Not as emotionally captivating as Patience, but still a great love story. I loved seeing Sebastian slowly become happier with Matty. Also, the little sweet things he’d do, while still trying to kid himself he wasn’t completely in love with Matty. So swoony.

I absolutely despise the ‘I’m not good enough for you so I push you away’ trope, so that’s why it was not a full five for me. Thankfully, the groveling made up for it, for the most part.

«If I was going to shatter, I may as well make the fall worth it.»

CW and tropes(spoilers):
- Vampire vs human
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Violence, assault, death
- Possessive MC
- Touch him you die
- Rimming
- Strict top/bottom
- Biting
- Light bondage (bonus scene)

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this made me feel like a rabid squirrel on cocaine and before you ask, yes, it’s a good thing.

of course that means my thoughts were scattered and i didn’t have a single coherent one.
but i thought i’d post my notes here so you guys can understand what was going on in my head:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

yep, that’s all.

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

I refused to be the darkness that would eclipse his sunshine.

Alright, first off, bring tissues, because ouch. I cried a lot, lol. SO good, though, and absolutely worth the pain. I fully expected to love the book after meeting Matty and Sebastian in Patience, and I wasn’t disappointed. I was already pretty much in love with Matty, and now I feel like I would die for a fictional character. He is the most precious and adorable man ever. He deserves to get everything he wants out of life, and thankfully Sebastian will give it all to him.

Their story was far from smooth sailing. It was like they had this third entity in their relationship, namely Sebastian’s deep trauma. He’s not the easiest to like, but thankfully the prologue gives us an understanding of all he’s been through and what he struggles with. He’s one of those characters where, even if you wanna shake him when he messes up, you also want to hug him, tell him it’s going to be okay and that he’s worthy of love.

“I think it’s been a long time since anyone has fought for you rather than against you. I’m going to do that, Seb, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Seeing Matty get all he wanted and Sebastian’s personality shine through (beyond the snark) was beyond nice. They both deserved it, and they really did turn out to be perfect for each other. The epilogue made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Really appreciated that we got to see them happy for a good while to make up for some of the heartache. Very highly recommend this book.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Vampire/human
Found family
Paranormal
Assassin
Mates
Makeup
Lingerie
Past trauma
Edging
Hands-free orgasm
Size difference
Slight age gap

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Death of family (past, on page)
Death of a child (sibling, past, on page)
Graphic violence
Past sexual assault (no details)
Injured MC
Anxiety attacks
Dismemberment
Kidnapping
Stripped naked without consent (by bad guys)
Suicidal thoughts
Explicit sexual content

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Paranormal romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 21 and 700 ish
Pages: 476

Apparently one kind gesture didn’t make up for centuries of being a cunt. Who knew?

I’d been so scared of Matty falling for me, I hadn’t protected myself. This human held my heart in his hands, and he had no idea.

“You shouldn’t look at it that way. It’s toxic, red flag behaviour.” His teeth sank into his lower lip as he looked up at me from under his lashes. “Did I ever tell you I’m colour blind?”


You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[taylor :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book, and this is my honest review.

I’ve been waiting for this book for 84 years. Ever since I finished Patience, and I realized that Sebastian and Matty were the next love interests, I have not known true peace until this book came out. I’ve been waiting, but it delivered. Praise satan and all that.

This is the definition of grumpy/sunshine + grumpy who is only soft for his sunshine. Matty is the sweetest little darling angel baby ever created, and Sebastian is this big grumpy vampire who hates everyone, but his sunshine. I was kicking my feet and squealing. I LOVED this.

Sebastian has a rough past that explains his disposition. The prologue was pretty sad. It’s not Ferry and Leo sad. NOTHING will beat the tear jerker that is that prologue, but this was still sad.

The sex didn’t happen until after halfway through. There was reasons for them holding back. And it was definitely not from lack of trying on Matty’s part. Sebastian just had some stuff he needed to go through and get over. It didn’t make me upset, though. The story was so good without it that I wasn’t upset it was taking a minute to get to it. But when it happened???? Oh yeah. I never have to worry about the level of spice when it comes to this author. She keeps me well fed.

There was a very sad part in this book. I’m honestly not a crier. Like it happens rarely. But, my eyes starting tearing up reading a certain part. I almost sent this author a crying selfie. She would’ve considered it a win if I did and cackled evilly. But, I refrained. Point is, be prepared to be super sad towards the middle-end of this book.

This review doesn’t flow well, but I covered the basics. I loved this book and everything about it. I loved watching Sebastian and Matty getting close. I loved everyone’s confusion that Matty liked Seb. They were like he’s an awful person??? and Matty was like not to me <3. It was so freaking cute, and I loved it so much. Also the epilogue is the best one I’ve ever read. Thank you and good night.

[Jay H (Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

RTC

"Someone had hurt my sunshine. Someone had put that haunted look on his face. Someone had done exactly what I’d threatened to do." 🔥🔥

"For the first time since I was a little boy, I’m making a Christmas wish.
I wish that I’ll wake up in the morning and you’ll be in my bed next to me, right where you belong.
It didn’t come true." 😢

"Something unreadable rippled over Leo’s face. “Hang on…have you not been getting his messages?”

[Iman (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a goood way to start my February :)

At first, I thought this was just like Patience but ngl, I loved that book way more.

I love Sebastian. One thing I love about Sebastian is how he handled Matty’s trauma and how he won’t stop spoiling Matty with love and care. He’d go great lengths for Matty. I think everybody who’s read this book loved that about him, but what truly shines about Seb was his refusal to punish Matty for what happened with Laurent, instead he merely believed he wasn’t good enough for Matty. The loved he had for his past didn’t overshadow the love he has for Matty and that was beautiful. Oh, my heart. I love this dude. While Matty may deserve the world, but Sebastian, undeniably, deserves everlasting gratitude and admiration.

Their love resonates deeply with me. It was raw and honest. Above all, it was realistic and I feel seen with Sebastian. His reluctant to open up mirror my own challenges in opening up to relationships where I often hurt people before they hurt me in order to protect my heart. Without realising I am breaking theirs too. They both were complicated, and some might feel frustrated for Seb, but I feel connected to him and his struggles. I am very glad Matty never give up trying. It must have been so heartbreaking to be in his shoes, yet he became my inspiration. I love them both.

It’s like you’ve taken one of my lungs with you, I can’t breathe without you here.

Changing the topic, have you guys ever read a book where your favourite characters from another series have a different perspective? Yeah, I’ve got some bookish trauma around that issue. Take Ferry and Leo, my favourite couple last year and I adored their story, but seeing them portrayed in this one was a bit disorienting. It made me think, “Huh, that’s not the Leo I know.” Obviously, I get the reasons behind how their narratives were written, but still it damn sucks. I like Lucky though, very supportive and caring as Matty’s friend. Cant wait for his book. I also looved Toby.

Back to the review.

I didn’t give this higher because it didn’t hit me hard as I expected. I know I shouldn’t put expectations, but I am only human :). This was great, didn’t make me wail in tears, (not that I’m saying only good books can make me cry, but you get me.) I only teared up when it gets somber at 70%

The grovel. This part was crucial to me because I know how challenging it is to execute this trope perfectly. Sometimes it can be very good it tear hearts open in a good way, but sometimes it can leave readers feeling numb. For me, it didn’t quite achieve either outcomes, and I was legit scared when I started reading this particular part. I don’t think this book had a good grovelling. I could see it though, the sense of love Seb had for Matty and the raw emotions. However, coming from the depressing and somber climax, the grovelling fell short. This left me feeling dissatisfied by the time I reached the epilogue.

SPOILERS AHEAD
❗️
❗️
❗️
my favourite details:

🧛 kill for him
🧛 “my sunshine”
🧛 bought him CHARLOTTE TILBURY?? 😫
🧛 “you are perfect, just the way you are.”
🧛 rearrange the bed coz of nightmares 🥹😩
🧛 the emotional talk with Toby
🧛 Matty’s messages

[Megan [At The Cottage] · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM Romance
Grumpy/Sunshine
3.5 Stars ⭐️


🎵Narrated by Dan Calley & Will M Watt🎵 💗💗 The narration was stellar plus I was so happy to see that this author replaced Joel Leslie so I could actually listen to this.


I’m so conflicted over this book that I’ve put off reviewing it forever but it’s the end of the year so I need to just do this. I want to make it clear that I absolutely LOVE Sebastian and Matty as individuals and as a couple. In some ways I love them more than Leo and Ferry which I didn’t think was possible but they were just such a lovely couple and both of them deserve all the love and protection in the world. Sebastian may hate humans after what happened in his past but he never treats Matty like shit because of it. Instead, he literally worships the ground Matty walks on and tries to make his life easier any way he can. The things he did for “his sunshine” made me swoon. The shoes, the yarn and just the term “my sunshine” said ever so sexily in Dan Calley’s fuck hot accent 🥵🥵 OMG he was just adorably smitten by him and swore he’d stay away only to stay hidden on the roof outside all day making sure he was protected. Anyone who even looked at Matty the wrong way was going to get fucked up because no one made “his sunshine” sad. And then Matty was just as down bad for Sebastian. The angsty tension between the two was everything and this had a slow burn that just tore open my soul at times because I wanted them together so bad.

BUT

My first book by this author was Patience and I absolutely loved Ferry and Leo. I 5 starred that shit and part of why I was so excited to read this one next was the cameos of my favorite couple. However, Ferry and Leo were NOT my Ferry & Leo in this book and while I understood why (Matty doesn’t know supes exist among other things), I was so disappointed to have them on page and not be the way they were in their book. I can’t even explain how it was different, it just was, and anytime they were on page it would take me out of the story. The other issue for me is how fucking long this book was. It’s over 400 pages and at times it just dragged. I was so bored at about 65% that I wasn’t sure I was going to finish this but then my friend found out I was reading it and picked it up. This friend has a bad habit of spoiling books (🫶🏻) and I knew if I didn’t finish this thing I wouldn’t want to ever go back to it so I kept going. I should really thank him (🫶🏻) because I did enjoy what I read and had I DNF’d, I would have missed out on a beautiful hard fought love story. However, it was a slog to get through at times and I absolutely hated the 3rd act whitefanging that happened between them. Ugh it was so unnecessary and just made the book dragggggg. I wanted to strangle Sebastian for hurting “his sunshine” and ultimately himself. The voicemails Matty left him made me sob but I will say Sebastian made up for all of it and more. It was just too long and too damn much. Had I been reading this and not listening to it? I definitely would have DNF’d this because there is just no way I could have stayed awake sometimes but Dan Calley and Will M Watt made this so angsty and hot 🥵 that it kept me hooked to it. That and the fear of spoilers 🤣

So like…what do I rate this? What do I rate a book I would have DNF’d had someone else not picked it up? 3 stars feels way too harsh and 4 feels way too high for how I felt about this. However, I read this in October, never took any notes and amazingly am able to not only remember their names but detailed enough information to review this book. I can’t even remember what I read yesterday let alone their names nor do I really care about the couple or the side characters or anything else that makes a book special the way I care about everyone in this book months later. I absolutely adore Sebastian and Matty to the point I’ll overlook the BS and 4 star this but I think it should be noted that if 3.5 stars was an option, that would be my choice.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You don’t need to worry, sunshine,” he murmured in my ear. “You don’t need to be jealous where I’m concerned. You’re all I can see. All I can think about. No one else exists for me. It’s just you."

Justice by Lark Taylor is book 2 in her Damned Connections series, which is a spin-off from her successful The Reckless Damned series. This is Matty and Sebastian's story, and if you recall from book 1, Patience, Matty is Leo's little brother and Sebastian is the snarky vampire assassin.

You'll love this one if you enjoy:

❣️slow burn
❣️grumpy/sunshine
❣️redemption arc
❣️"mine"
❣️vampire/human
❣️all the steam
❣️HEA

3.5 rounded up stars

[Sheena · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars

this is going to my favorite book of the year. i love this with my entire heart, soul and being. seb and matty were so cute together that i cried when they got together for the first time 😭

these are some of the quotes i think are just pure perfection:

• In truth, I was drinking in every drop of information Matty gave me. No, I couldn’t say I cared about the people or things that he was telling me about, but for some disturbing reason, I cared that Matty cared.

• “It’s okay, Seb. You don’t have to make me feel better.” But I did. I fucking did. I needed him smiling. I needed him happy.

• my heart stuttered at what I saw. The same gentle smile Sebastian had given me earlier. “Of course, sunshine.”
I didn’t reply, too in awe of how his face transformed when he smiled. He looked…lighter. Younger. At peace.
Right then, my life gained a new purpose. To make this man smile every single day. To tease one out of him so frequently that his brain forgot what it was like to not do it. Until it became as familiar to him as breathing. He kept trying to make me happy. And darnit, I was going to do the same thing for him.

• because when Sebastian was holding me, all the scary stuff seemed to fade away. The horrors I’d gone through today, even the ones from months before, they all disappeared when he touched me. I just felt calm. It was the most addictive feeling in the world. I didn’t think I’d ever get enough.

• “I’m not giving up on you. I’m going to keep pushing until you realise you need me. That you need people in your life. Even if that turns out to only be one person, I’m going to make fudging sure that person is me.”
Bending down, I kissed the top of his head. “I think it’s been a long time since anyone has fought for you rather than against you. I’m going to do that, Seb, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

literally i cried, like full on sobbing 😭 they are so fucking cute together 🥹

• “You are the least selfish person I’ve ever met, and you deserve everything.”
“I don’t want everything, I just want you.”
“Have me, and I’ll spend the rest of eternity finding a way to give you everything.”

• But the one thing that will never change is the love I have for you. You’re it for me, Matty. The one I want. The one I choose. Always.”

• “I love you, sunshine. Thank you for showing me the way home.”
“I’ll always help you out of the darkness. It’s what we do for those we love.”
Then my mate, my future husband, smiled up at me, his contentment blooming in the bond.
After almost six hundred years of torment, I’d finally found my peace.

• “I’m glad I held out for you,” I whispered, reaching up to cup his face. “You told me once that I deserved everything. And that’s what you are to me. Everything.”
“No, sunshine. That’s what you are to me. And I’d go through every day of darkness again and again if it meant finding you at the end of it.”
“You’re the one I love. The one I choose. Always.”

what in the actual fuck, like literally they are made for each other 🥺

• Sebastian’s face lit up at the sound of my voice. I used to think his scowl was the most perfect sight, but that wasn’t true. It was his smile that I treasured.

okay that’s all i have but one takeaway is read this please 😋

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. (human) Sunshine vs (very!) grumpy vampire.

Matty: the sweetest young man that ever lived, who has a penchant for crocheting, yarn and make up, makes up the most intriguing swear words and makes everyone around him smile (and yes that also goes for all those demons and humans from the previous series).

Sebastian: the assassin vampire, generally referred to as the c***, the a*****e and a man not to be trusted. He’s a cold as ice and cares about nothing and nobody and is able to insult virtually anyone within seconds of talking to him. Renowned for his vitriolic, acerbic comments. It’s quite a skill set he’s got!

I loved the scenario wondering how on earth these two would find a common denominator and how they’d fall in love.
Well, it all starts with a smile. Matty’s smile. Sebastian sees him once and pouff!! he is a goner. Now for me, that felt very very insta. One smile is enough to send a guy like Sebastian on to rooftops for days on end, so he can stalk Matty and get obsessed by him? Right. I was struggling a little with that.

However, I really liked the romance that followed, with Sebastian constantly reining in his desire and Matty falling head over heels but so full of uncertainty, he’s virtually brimming over with it.
I also thought that the eventual heart-break, the hurt and the pain is very well described. I felt the pain of both guys vividly, with the odd tear or two.

But for me, there is too much of …
.) you deserve everything.
.) I would do anything for you.
.) I’m not good enough for you.

The reason why these two (supposedly) can’t be together are repeated so often throughout the book I was very close to eye rolling with a whisper of ‘Not again!’ on my lips.
This, together with a few very questionable plot developments, and the very very sweet last 15% or so, definitely chipped a star off my rating.

But then there is the humour, the feels and the intense love that pours out of these two.

For me, I guess, this is a solid 3,5 stars .
Rounded down, because I didn’t enjoy this as much as book 1.

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Do not punish yourself, Seb. Of us all, you are the one with the biggest heart. Do not let this break it”.

Cuatro estrellas bien merecidas por todo lo que me ha hecho sentir esta novela. Ha conseguido que casi llore y va directo a mis favoritos en lo que llevo de año.

“I need to fix it. I need justice for him”.

Atención: esta es la segunda parte del Spin-Off de la serie The Reckless Damned. Puedes intentar leer el primero pero lo que te va a ocurrir es que pierdes mucho hilo de la historia, al menos es lo que me sucedió a mi y por ello tuve que recurrir a leer la saga principal y conocer al resto de personajes.

“You have nothing to offer Matty except a broken heart.

Ahora en cuanto respecta a esta novela me ha encantado, no, voy a ser más específica. Me ha chiflado. Le tenía ganas ya desde un inicio, pero fue empezarla y enamorarme de los personajes de mala manera. No paraba de tener una sonrisa en la cara por cada encuentro de ellos al inicio de la novela. ¿Qué tiene escenas inmorales? Obvio, pero teniendo en cuenta quien es el protagonista y su naturaleza se le perdona todo y tiene hasta sentido. Además que el resto de personajes tampoco están para hablar de moralidad.

“You’re alive, Sebastian, but you’re not living”.

No es una historia que se caracterice por su worldbuilding ni su argumento sino por los personajes. La autora con cada libro va puliendo su escritura y aquí nos encontramos con unos personajes mucho mejor escritos que su anterior saga y con más consistencia. Sebastián me ha parecido un personaje muy roto, pero a la vez real, al menos para mí.

El final me destrozó, pero me ha dejado feliz que es lo más importante. Ahora no puedo evitar pensar de quien es el siguiente y me pongo nerviosa. Le tengo muchas expectativas.

“I’m so sorry sunshine”.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting to cry so much!

Sebastian's story was so sad, no wonder he's such a dick to everyone! Matty was so sunshiney in comparison, and I actually felt he was too cheerful, if that makes sense? Like he didn't feel realistic to me for some reason. I also liked that Ferry, Leo and Danny were all heavily featured in the book, but I did feel like Ferry was pretty underutilised - he's possibly my favourite character in the whole interconnecting series so far, so I wanted to see more of him!

My only gripe was the going round in circles way too many times about whether they should have a relationship or not. This is always something that frustrates me because if it's done too many times it really slows the plot down and just gets annoying.

I liked the little set ups for the stories of Micah and Nox (who I cannot wait to read), and Danny and maybe Riley it seems, or someone from his clan in Scotland? Intriguing either way. I also liked the little glimpses at Toby and Blaise - I am dying for their story now and have been waiting for it since they were first introduced!

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐︎ 4.5 Stars Rounded Up! ⭐︎

Okay, let me start my saying I absolutely loved this. Matty and Sebastian were everything to me. Dare I say my favorite couple of this spin-off and the original series? Of this world the author has created? Yeah, I think I would.

There's just something so addicting about a sunshine character and grumpy, brooding character falling in love. Of one being so sweet and kind to everyone and the other being kind and sweet to no one...except the sunshine character.

All it took was seeing Matty smile, and Sebastian was done for. He became obsessed. He couldn't help but stalk Matty throughout the day, watch over him, and come to his 'rescue' whenever he needed it. Or even when he didn't particularly needed it. But he was there anyway.

The more he was around Matty, the harder it was for Sebastian to stay away.

If not for the prologue, we'd all be like the rest of the gang. Sebastian did seem like such a prick in the last book. He seemed so unevenly matched to the sweet, kind, happy-go-lucky Matty.

But really, of course, all of it is just surface with him. To hide behind walls upon walls upon walls.

And we learn why in that prologue. And it is suitably horrific. No wonder he spends centuries in the darkness, not trying to make any emotional connection of any kind with anyone.

But Matty...there's just something about him Seb just can't stay away from, no matter how much he tries.

And boy does he try. He's almost relentless with his "this can't be anything, it will never anything" attitude, and it would have gotten annoying if I didn't completely understand why. He comes up with a lot of surface excuses, but Matty hits it on the head. Seb is just very, very scared to try.

When something so horrific happens to you, who wouldn't be scared to try and be happy? To trust that it all won't get taken away from you a second time?

But Matty is almost relentless in his own pursuit of Seb. He falls hard and fast for vampire assassin, and soon enough can't picture himself with anyone else.

But Seb is nothing if not stubborn, and broken, and scared out of his mind to be happy.

Seb does a lot of the behavior I might usually find annoying, except he has the biggest excuse in the world for it, so it makes sense, however much it frustrated me reading his stubbornness.

He doesn't want to hurt Matty, but of course he does in the "trying not to hurt him" he goes about doing. But he thinks so low of himself he can't imagine Matty feeling so strongly for him, can't imagine Matty being legitimately in love with him.

Of course Seb eventually gets sense knocked into him. And he has to spend some time working to earn his sunshine's trust back.

And I'm glad that was included. He wasn't just instantly forgiven, even after he explains himself and gives promises to never leave Matty again. But Matty needs more than that. He needs actions. And I'm glad this book did that. Some books just throw in the drama for drama's sake, and it's obvious when the one who did wrong is instantly forgiven.

But this drama had been building the whole book, so it made sense, as much as it sucked. And Seb wasn't instantly forgiven.

But also, Matty wasn't too rigid either. He needed time, but he was open to giving Seb a chance, to let him prove himself to Matty.

It made the end all the most wonderful, and so earned. I damn near almost cried at one scene near the end where Sebastian and Matty visit Seb's home in France and his family's grave. It got me good.

Their love was just so immense and that translated across the page. The spice level was good too and I loved their intimate scene. Sexy and hot but also full of love and passion. And the utmost care and consideration for the other. They just...made my heart melt they were so sweet and wonderful together.

Now, unfortunately, I did give .5 stars off. This would have been a full 5 star read, but I could not let that silly use of "unaliving" in a novel go. Or the mentions of other MM romances and authors. This author has done this for several books now and I cannot take it anymore. Every book from now on where this author has "unaliving" used instead of the word killing, and tacky insertions of other MM romances/authors, it's getting .5 stars off automatically.

I hate to do it to this wonderful book, but it was in this several times. It made me cringe so hard.

This 700 or so year old vampire assassin would not use unaliving. He would not give a fuck. A guy who can so easily rip people apart would not fucking care about using the word kill. Give me a fucking break.

Matty uses it once too, but mostly just because Seb has used it. Like yes he's a sweetie pie who doesn't swear but even he can use the word kill in every day life! For fucks sake. It might be used on social media some times for censor reasons or whatever, but not in real life. I can't with the use of it. Especially in a novel. It's just so...juvenile. Grown adult men who kill people for a living don't need to worry about saying kill. Fuck, it was so annoying. It was used in the beginning and then not for a long while in this, and I thought I was home free, and then it was used twice near the end and I was like "UGHhhh" all over again.

Also there was at least 2 - I think maybe 3 - mentions of MM romance books/authors and that was also so cringy. It just comes across like a free advertisement. I don't need what is essentially product placement in these novels. (Which, is also cringe in other novels that continually mention a product or company from our real world, now that I think about it.) It's just so...tacky to me. Even with this mentioning Lily Mayne's Monstrous series, which I adore. Like just...man, just leave that out of your books. It's so very cringe. They can have a book club and have it just mentioned they're reading some gay romance books or something, and they're enjoying it. Since it's not at all related to the plot, we don't need detailed book titles.

It sucks to give this book less than 5 stars, as I so adored it. But I can't keep letting those two things slip, as this author does it basically every book. Definitely the last several this author has released, for sure.

So yeah. Author, please use the word 'killing', and also drop the free advertisement. Those are my only real complaints (and also there was a few grammatical errors here or there. Very few and far between, but still).

But otherwise I absolutely loved this. Seb and Matty stole my heart and I couldn't get enough of them. I loved that this was over 400 pages because I didn't want their story to end.

So overall, I definitely do recommend this, as I absolutely loved it. And yeah, I'd say Seb and Matty were my faves of this universe too.

(Oh also I absolutely loved Seb fucking up anyone who messed with his sunshine. I love me some possessive/"touch him and die" trope. I eat that shit right up.)

Can't wait to finally get Blaise and Toby's love story next. And to also find out what they were up to for so long that no one knew where they were. Also Danny and Riley certainly intrigued me as well. Can't wait for whenever they get a story as well.

Onto the next! 😍

My Ratings for the Damned Connections Series:

✨ Patience: 5 stars (my review)
✨ Justice: 4.5 stars
✨ Temperance: TBR

[⭐Toonasa⭐ •Romance Book Lovers' Haven• · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my dear, Seb & Matty, you deserve everything 🥺💕.
A MM paranormal romance with a grumpy vampire assassin, a sweet sunshine human, many beloved characters, ALL THE FEELS & so many tears, & a well-fought HEA. I savored my #ARC, I'd been so excited!! Read in 2 days (13 hrs). Loved Seb & Matty so much.

Sebastian's a vampire, a hacker & assassin, he's been grumpy & asshole in other books, so I'd low hopes but FUDGE he obliterated em 😭. His past, his fears, his capacity to love. Gosh, he's so swoony (all for M 🤭), possessive, caring & HOT, I fell for him so hard!!

Matty's a human, Leo's bro from "Patience", he's so cute, sunshiney, loves yarn & makeup, we all wanna cuddle & protect him 🥰. His smiles light up Seb's darkness. M has a fierce protective side too, as we see ;) M fought for Seb when no one did, I respect.

Their story's so sweet, how they meet, push eachother yet fall, but they can't be right? They've both through pain, so of course that's major issues. My lil babies 😭😭. They also didn't deserve to be caught in PNR crossfires 😤 (but plenty set-up for other couples 🤭😳). Seb won't taint Matty 🥺 (& other reasons). They're so perfect together, & FINALLY when S can see it too, they're beautiful 😭🥰. I love them, they're so adorable!! I cried, I sobbed, I smiled, I laughed. That epilogue's awesome! Such an amazing book, worth my wait! I'm so excited for what's next ❤️. RTC.

Story Ratings:

POV: 1st person, Dual POV
1) Overall Enjoyment—> 5+/5
2) The Characters: 5❤️/5
3) Top feels: 🥺🤭😊😏😤😭🥰😁😭😘😟😭😳🥰💕
4) Steamy scenes: 3.5/5
5) Levels: Cute+Swoon: 4.25/5
Angst: 3.5/5 (so emotional 🥺)
Dark: 3/5 (past & PNR)
6) Creativity + world: 5/5
7) Plot arc: (Emotional, fighting for love) 4.7/5
8) Writing style + pace: 4.8/5

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Sebastian & Matty happened and my heart is full ❤️

🦇Grumpy Vampire
☀️Human Sunshine
🤕🤕 broken boys
💬Texting
🔪Hurt him, better touch him, wait… Think or look at him and die!
🧁🧶Baking and Crochet
🤫I hate people except one 1 person, my sunshine
🥹Mutual pining
🎁The most thoughtful gifts ever
⚡Delicious UST
🩸The most delicious nectar
🔥Hot blackmail
🥵Riding and biting
➿ Loop of stupidity
💔Light fading
🤌Premium groveling
🫠Kidnapping with consent
🏰 🌹 Family
🏠 Shared Dreams
🌈 HEA


I love this, Sebastian is my kind of character, broken, grumpy, a murderer of bad people, in denial and completely in love with a small bundle of yarn and happiness,and the plus those sexy fangs, SOLD! Matty, pure sunshine, maybe that's why it's said 200 times throughout the book ☀️😅.
This is sweetness, lameness overload, who knew a grumpy vampire was such a sap? This was fun, sweet and bloody adorable, sexy and hot. But super mega Lameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee😅

The angst hurt… reading Matty’s messages were little nails in the coffin (pun intended), but the groveling was just perfect, maybe to lame, but perfect anyway. I think Sebastian changed too much while begging for a second chance, because Matty loved him and his grumpy ass, so sarcastic Seb was a winner, why chance so much?

The book is way too long for the plot… 20% is spent on a loop of 'i want, but i can't’, but i do it anyway, then i feel guilty, because i cant want but do. Rinse repeat. Besides the stress at the beginning nothing else really happens, beside the relationship issues.
The noiseeeeeeee…. Like in the previous book, all those couples from past books just stroll around like we know them, but I don't and it's confusing.Book 1 should have come with a warning that reading the crossed series would be advised. I like then, I just don’t know their story ☹️
While I don't judge Matty’s ambitions for his life, they sounded too old fashioned… He basically, without ever working, wanted to be a stay at home husband, even without the husband part, there were no work expectations…

NEWS ALERT *- Vampires are not cold, they are hot and lame AF-*

🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

“I love you, sunshine. Thank you for showing me the way home.”
“I’ll always help you out of the darkness. It’s what we do for those we love.”
Then my mate, my future husband, smiled up at me, his contentment blooming in the bond.
After almost six hundred years of torment, I’d finally found my peace.”

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

He was slamming into me now, my cock caught between us. I wasn’t ready to come though. Not yet. Not without his bite. “Seb⁠—”
“I’ve got you,” he said simply, without me needing to finish my sentence. “Let me see your neck, sunshine. I’m going to bite you right where I made you mine. Remind you just who you belong to.”
Oh god, I wasn’t going to make it. My mind was screaming to just let go, but I fought against it.
“Need it,” I whined. “Now.”
He didn’t make me wait. The instant his fangs pierced my skin, I finally let go.
“Sebastian!” My shout filled the room as I came. I’d barely got over the first wave when Sebastian’s orgasm slammed into me too.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲, 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐫. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐣𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

There’s something about a crazy possessive and obsessive man that makes me go absolutely feral, and Sebastian LeClerc for all his snark and assholery was an absolute marshmallow for Matty. He was willing to do any and everything for his sunshine, and I loved it so much.

- vampire x human
- grumpy x sunshine
- stalker
- touch him & ☠️
- hurt x comfort

[Kaity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio: 4 stars, Will Watt was better in my opinion than Dan Calley, but they both did well.

Book: 3-3.5 stars

To me the beginning of the book was better than the second half. I do think that the third act break up gave very strong “New Moon” vibes haha! Especially with how Matty acted! That kinda took me out of the story in a way haha! Even though I love Twilight, I cannot reread those again, but they will always hold a special place in my heart! Haha

I did love seeing how Matty got Seb’s sweet side!

Overall a good edition but wished for something more for these two!

[caffeinated.crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was INCREDIBLE.

I'll post a better review when I can form real words and stop crying.

UPDATE :::: It took me almost three entire days to be able to even attempt to write my thoughts down about JUSTICE.

Lark DELIVERED. I went into this story with skyscraper high expectations and Lark delivered on every single one. I absolutely recommend this story, and you really should be emotionally devastated from book one, Patience, before reading Justice. Trust me, it's worth it.

Justice is Matty and Sebastian's story. Sebastian is the centuries old vampire assassin committed to never opening his heart to love after [REDACTED, OH MY GOD IT WILL DESTROY YOU] - but he meets his match in the human embodiment of sunshine that is Matty.

Matty is haunted by [redacted] and fights hard to not let his past dim his smile and his sunshine. He feels an almost instant pull to the grumpy, but kind to HIM, Sebastian.

That is literally all of the story I will give you. You can get that from context clues in book one and the blurb. I refuse to spoil this gem, and you'll appreciate that later.

I'll also say that this gave me all the goodness of a Twilight-esque book without the religious purity angle. Moody vampire and adorable human. Bad guys. Epic moments. Kindness. Tortured [redacted]. 🎶 there's a possibility 🎶 and if you know my fondness for twilight vibes (I still read twilight fanfic) you know that I mean this as a total compliment.

🔪 Did I cry? Yes. It's a Lark book.
🔪 Was the story awesome? Yes.
🔪 Do I recommend? Yes. It's a Lark book.
🔪 Should you read all of her books? YES.

Justice was everything I wanted. Lark, you're amazing. I love you. I loved Matty and Sebastian. I loved JUSTICE.

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort, paranormal, vampire/human
Feels: 4.5/5
Steam*: 4/5
Kinks: vampire... So blood kink, lacy underwear kink
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: murder, past assault, grief, trauma, third act break up

Sebastian is a 700-year-old vampire. He's an assassin and hacker. He's an a****** to everybody. He's helped the gang of "heroes" occasionally but he's always been on the periphery, not a friend of theirs. When he spots Leo's 21-year-old human brother Matty, he is instantly fascinated, infatuated, and protective. But Sebastian doesn't want to get involved with anyone, he doesn't like attachments, he doesn't feel worthy, so he stalks Matty from afar and just secretly gets his fix of his sunshine/smiles.

But Sebastian finds himself pulled in to being friends with Matty, and he can't deny him anything. He's more and more involved and getting to know him and the relationship turn sexual. And then everything blows up and they break up. And Sebastian has a long journey to make things up to Matty and for both of them to heal their own traumas. Sebastian lost his family because of human lover betrayed him hundreds of years ago.

I really enjoyed this book. Great storytelling, great characters, a lot of tension and emotion between Sebastian and Matty. Sebastian was whipped and would do anything to make Matty happy and protect him / avenge him. Sebastian was also a grumpy, cranky, sarcastic and stabby even with friends guy, a type of character I really like. It was beautiful. Matty was such a pure soul. The text message exchange from Matty had my eyes leaking steadily, so heartbreaking. I liked that things weren't instantly resolved, they both had to work things out. I liked that there was less of a big bad supernatural drama in this particular book, because of Sebastian's lack of involvement in the supernatural politics and because Matty being human, it made sense. It wouldn't have been there drama and it wouldn't have fit in their story if it was taken over by supernatural drama. There was a little but it was balanced.

I also love the book club in the series. I love how the author keeps mentioning books by real authors. Every time a new book name appears I just get warm fuzzies, cuz I've usually read the book already and loved it.

Some notable moments:

"I froze at the sight of his cum-stained lace panties on the floor. No. I shouldn’t take them. That would be wrong. So very wrong. Did I shove them deep in my pocket before leaving the room? Of course I fucking did."

"“If you’d told them all how you feel about Matty, they might’ve let you be the one to watch over him.” “I don’t have any feelings for Matty.” “Really? Then why are we tearing down the M3 at a hundred and thirty miles per hour? Why have you staked me twice over him?” My vision turned red and I staked him again. “Three times,” I muttered. Unfortunately for me, all that did was get more blood over the car."

"“But you’re right that you don’t deserve him,” he continued like I hadn’t spoken. “Matty deserves to be fought for. Worshipped. Cherished.” I nodded. Good, Leo understood. “So, you going to do that?” My head snapped up. “What?”"


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are in the mood for a story with an MC who hates everyone but the other MC and is full-on “touch him and die” literally then this is the story for you!! I wasn’t sure how I’d like this story as I wasn’t super invested in the characters but that changed almost from the beginning of the story. Lark Taylor has such an amazing way with words that I fell in love with the characters from the start.

The prologue was devastating and made me feel so much for Sebastian. With one chapter we understand him so much more and realize why he is the way that he is. He does soften up throughout the book but he’s still Seb and there were so many parts that I laughed out loud at his craziness. I would have been passed out if I took a shot every time Seb thought about or actually did stake someone!

Matty was the absolute sweetest character. I loved how he was the sunshine in the darkness and how he was able to bring the old Seb to the light! These two together was perfection. They were such a great balance and I loved the fierce protectiveness.

This story was funny, sexy and sad at times. I was in tears at one point! I’m so happy they had an amazing HEA and I loved the epilogue! I would highly suggest reading Patience and the Reckless Damned series before this one as those characters are in this a lot and everything will just make more sense. Plus they are amazing books so you don’t want to miss them!

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know, maybe I’ll change the rating to 4 stars later but not sure.

Like I liked it ok buttttt Patience is way better.

There were lots of things that annoyed me, starting with everyone acting as if Matty is a child when he is 21! I mean he is not even a teenager anymore.

Also, everyone’s holier than thou attitude judging Sebastian because he is what? An antisocial dick vampire assassin? The other ones are literally demons! And did they all suffer from a case of amnesia where they all forget that Sebastian was pretty instrumental in saving Ferry’s life?

But overall it was fine

[☆Kylie☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars.
Steam: 5 out of 10.
Triggers: kidnaping, violence, blood
Love Triangle: No
Cheating: No
HEA: Yes

Good book!
Review in details to come.

[L Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the first three quarters of this story. Sebastian's constant declarations of not being good enough for Matty were teetering on the edge of being too much, but the story was good enough for me to ignore it.

The last quarter was more of a mixed bag. I enjoyed some parts, but other parts were way too sweet, considering how the rest of the story was written. My brain didn't like the contrast and it, along with the way Sebastian still doubled down on the idea of him not being good enough for Matty (I seriously wanted Leo to clobber him again when they were in Argentina 🙄), kind of ruined my overall impression of the story.

Up until chapter 28, the story was a solid 5 stars. After that? I'm not sure how to rate it. I LOVED the beginning, but didn't like the way the ending was written (...not to be confused with the HEA itself, which I was very happy about).

*sigh* I guess I'll go with 3.5 stars

“I’m not good enough. He deserves better than my brokenness. He deserves someone whole.”
“But he wants you,” Leo pointed out. “Not someone else.”
“I’m not enough.”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is, do you want to be enough? If there was a way for you to be with Matty and both be happy, would you take it?”

*Not sure how interested I am in Toby and Blaise's story. The reviews I've read haven't convinced me that it'd be something I'd like. I may have to skip it and just wait for Danny's story. I want to know what happened when he left to speak with his former clan member.

[EmilyReadsRomance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen. I’m really good as suspending my disbelief for the sake of story. 800 year old vampires? No worries. Sons of Satan? Sure. A MM romance book club obsessed with Cora Rose comprised of all men in their 20’s-4000’s? Get the f outta here. Absolutely not.

[S E L E N A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating⭐️: 5/5
Spice🌶️: 3.5/5
Memorable Moment(s):

“But then he’d smiled…and all was lost. I couldn’t get enough of it. After centuries of feeling nothing, Matty’s smile made me feel too much. It was addictive.”

“All you need to know is you went after the wrong person. You hurt my sunshine, so now I’m going to hurt you.”

Tropes:
•MM PNR Romance
•Vampire x Human
•Vampire Assassin
•Grumpy x Sunshine
•Angsty
•Touch him & 💀
•Chosen Mates
•Found Family

I am obsessed with Matty and his grumpy vampire Sebastian, that’s all.

Favorite couple of the series for sure 😍

[Gabs (gaybism) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook reread

Hearing about Seb’s pain is so much worse than reading about it😭


Original review:

Whilst everybody hated Sebastian in the previous books…I fell in love with him. I don’t know what deep soul connection mojo that was, but I loved him in all his assholery! If anything that made him more endearing. (I’m starting to see a pattern in myself)

While he is a rude boi indeed, he had a pretty good reason! Granted, he was a little petty holding a grudge for hundreds of years but he is a drama king like that.

Now Matty, sweet, innocent, precious little Matty. Somehow Seb is the perfect man for him. He is just so good and kindhearted that he needed someone stabby to balance it out.

These two were so adorable together. Seb remained stabby towards everybody BUT Matty. For Matty he was the most soft spoken and obedient gentleman there ever was! When he bought him make up and his glow in the dark knitting needle I melted!🥹

As always, there was the usual pain that accompanies any Lark book and this one was especially gut wrenching. The babies get their HEA and we get the rowdiest, funniest found family!

[♥ Rebecca ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book ripped my heart out and stomped on it and then put it back together again! This was just intense from start to finish! I felt like I couldn’t breathe the whole time! From Sebastian thinking he’s not good enough for Matty and Matty’s family telling him to stay away from him. To Sebastian breaking his heart, and then Matty chasing him in turn and seducing him back, and then Sebastian telling him his painful past! Definitely my favourite of Lark Taylor’s books so far. I only have 1 more to go but I doubt it will be able to compete with this.