Moments of Mayhem

The Hunters #3

by T.L. Smith

We met for the first time in high school.
As adults, we married. But it was all fake.
The wedding, us, what he did for a job. None of it was real.
Except it was.
They say he’s nothing but Mayhem, yet when he’s with me, he’s my salvation. Everything I need and more. The problem is…
He has a fascination for blood.
I can’t handle it, in more ways than one.
He has a fascination for me.
I hate it, even though I can’t stop thinking about him either.
Some people should not be together, and that’s us; we could never work.
But letting go is impossible when my serial killer of a husband is determined to prove me wrong.

Moments of Mayhem> can be read as a complete standalone or third in the series of the Hunter brothers.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Dark, Smut, Marriage Of Convenience, Crime, Contemporary

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2023

About the author

USA Today Best Selling Author T.L. Smith loves to write her characters with flaws so beautiful and dark that you can’t turn away from. Her books have been translated into several languages. If you don’t find her in her home town of Queensland, Australia you can usually find her travelling around the world to sitting on a beach in Bali, to exploring Alcatraz in San Francisco or walking the streets of New York.



Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authortlsmith/
Instagram - tlsmith1313
Twitter - @LsmithT
Tiktok - tlsmith.13

Reviews

[Melly Gem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, where do I start with the roller-coaster of eye rolls.
Well, let's start with the FMC.. Mayve for the first few chapters she is a introvert, with severe social anxiety and always wears "bland" clothes, she has a birth defect in one eye that leaves her partially blind in it, oh and she faints at the sight of blood (any sight including her period).
Enter Kenzo unhinged, with a blood kink and rude as hell. The first thing he says to her when they meet is "what's wrong with your eyes" because every person with an insecurity wants an arsehole they just met to point it out. (Insert eye roll).
Of course, he becomes obsessed.
Now Mayve wants to apply for a promotion at work (social anxiety be damned and forgotten), but her boss will only give her the roll if she is engaged or married.. WTF (insert eye roll), so of course, the next scene, our little introvert who won't even leave her apartment and only goes into work twice a week but tries to stay invisible, is on a work trip in Vegas... huh.
Oh, and of course, kenzo is there on a job... (insert eye roll)
So, of course, when in Vegas and you need a job promotion that you can only get if you're married.. she's drunk, he isn't. Let's GET MARRIED (insert eye roll).
Now we get down to the insanity (yep) they barely see each other, and she gets the promotion and is little miss social butterfly and her biggest client is a mafia boss (sure). she dresses better and goes to dinners and events and in the office every day (who knew the answer to getting over social anxiety was marrying a psychopath and getting a promotion). She also, would you believe it.. gets over her blood fainting issue as long as she is horny 😒 (insert biggest eye roll). The author never thought maybe he could change... (To think this is a female author)
Next a weird, gross, questionable smut scene in a cemetery (yep because this author always needs one these days) so they are mid getting it on (yes in a graveyard in the middle of the day) he then shots someone, then straight away wraps the gun in a condom and inserts it without consent into her butt.. now I'm Australian, so I don't know a lot about guns, but.... im pretty sure a gun is quite hot as soon as it's discharged???
Oh, and the last titbit.. so out of nowhere at the end, Mayve says she can't have and doesn't ever want children (great love this representation), but... She hasn't produced any eggs.. now hang on 1 second here, so this girl faints at the sight of blood. She struggles with her periods (which would be irregular if any since she has no eggs to ovulate), she is on birth control.... anyone else confused. Why didn't the author just make this a point at the beginning when he asked her about periods.. could have said she can't have and never wants kids, so she got a hysterectomy because of her blood issues.
This author keeps churning out books at the moment that are lacking the better writing she did with the chain hearts duet series. She makes the women ridiculous and always has a stupid smut scene, which would make any sane women run and report him to the cops but they always just get over it and accept his kinks.
I read this because it was the last in a 3 book series about the brothers.. I don't know if I will read anymore of this author as she seems to be just churning them out, which makes them be lacking good substance. Hopefully, she stops thinking about the money grabs and gets back to quality.

[Iqra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*

[Joyffree · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Stop growling you aren't a werewolf"
Omg, she had me rolling
The way she handled Kenzo
He didn't have a chance

"Yours truly, but not truly yours..."
Our dark broody crimson obsessed Kenzo is about to meet his match
He can play the denial game all he wants
But when he discovers how to "bypass" her aversion

Game over

I might be a tad biased when it comes to these adorable brothers
Each of their stories has been a humorous mix of crimson splatter, hades hot smexy, slightly off (fine completely psy cho) alpha leads, and the sassy heroines who (eventually) love them
Each is an interconnecting standalone.
However, I recommend reading them in order.

Yes, there is...
Trigg Gers galore
Dark humor dots the pages
Splattered with colorful Crimson
and dotted with dubious moments
all while no docks are given amidst the burning heat that is our
Sweet Mayve and her Mayhem

So if the above is not your cuppa...
But for those who enjoy the questionable and like the sweet tang of completely messed up
You don't want to pass these brothers up

[Houda Frg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Naaaah wtf are y’all on? Nothing made sense from the start of the book. It was too fast-paced, no world building and the characters were SO bland. AND Let’s not talk about the dialogues 😍. They were so cringey I almost died of second hand embarrassment. I honestly can’t believe people find the MC hot 😭

[Ari Loves All The Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE these brothers! && this book about Kenzo .. the deadliest brother was great. I absolutely love Mayve and Kenzo & the rest of the gang.

[Nainika Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a creative use of a gun...um at least there was protection and he wasn't just rawdogging it? AND IN A GRAVE TOO. Wow.

Notes: Taken.

[Baiba Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!

[Laura Reads Too Much · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third Hunter brother gets his story and it's not a straightforward one for him!

I'm not sure how to describe Kenzo, he's dangerous and very aloof, he doesn't like people, he doesn't like society, he doesn't like many things apart from murd3r and bl00d - lots of bl00d! Even s3×ually, he likes blood, probably more of a 'need' tbh.

Then he sees Mayve and for whatever unknown reason, tells her boss they're married! And because she doesn't like telling lies, they actually marry 🤦🏻‍♀️

Mayve's a recluse, really good at her job but doesn't like people! Doesn't like society, doesn't like a lot of things. But her biggest hate, the one she can't stand to look at (literally!) Is bl00d!
When she finally admits she deserves more and goes for more in work, it seems Kenzo is the missing needed part...
She finds a backbone when dealing with Kenzo and I loved that! She stood up to him and I think that's what intrigues him...

It's a good story, really like the characters, they interest me and they make me want more and I loved the dry-wit!








*I voluntarily received an arc and this is my honest review.

[(betts) ⚜ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐ / 2🌶️

I think this book was the most believable and even passable of the 3.
I liked them but I didn't and I even did not want to read them but idk why I couldn't stop.

I knew Kenzo was my fav brother, even tho the character's personality was a little more deeper than a puddle. Let's just ignore the background plot just for my sake.

✌ thank god I'm out

[Fin · Rating 3 out of 5]

He’s the weirdest brother by far 😂 none of his actions make any logical sense and don’t even get my started of the conclusion to Pops role in these books 🙄

I’m glad I know how it all ends but god dam the writing just got worse by the 3rd book, was there no editor for this???

Any hoo that was alright, not the worst thing I’ve read but far from the best, overall the series is a 3 star ⭐️

[Chelcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so… bland. I really dont like to read something and leave a bad review but this book in no way raised my interest. The writing i feel could have been better it all felt rushed.

[Crystal (Crystalreads2) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t get enough of The Hunter Brothers; I’m obsessed with them, especially Kenzo. The most dangerous one out of the three of them.

Kenzo and Mayve have crossed paths in the past. Years later, they’re reunited, and Mayve is in a situation that requires a husband. Kenzo steps in and volunteers himself. Now
If you know Kenzo, you’re as shocked as I was.

But have no fear. These two are more alike than you think. Mayve may come off as
Innocent but far from it when it comes to Kenzo. These two are perfect for each other. Kenzo is one dirty bird. My favorite kind, and I will never look at a cemetery the same way again.


I love the direction the author wrote Mayve. I was nervous but trusted the process and fell in love with her.

If you are looking for a new Dark Romance series, this series is for you. The burgers are the hunters, and you are their prey. But make no mistake, their women are far from weak and are independent. They will make you laugh.

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining addition to the series. I liked it more than Zuko’s book, but not quite as much as Kyson’s.

[Cait]

Should’ve DNF’ed it.
Writing is horrible.

[Tori Wils · Rating 1 out of 5]

…this book needs a Clorox wipe down

[Mandyloves2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg these two are everything I love about T.L. Smith’s characters! I especially loved sweet Mayve I loved how she handled Kenzo he definitely met his match in her! These books in this series just keep getting better and better! I absolutely loved it!

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[Roza · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun read. Some stuff were funny and Kenzo and Mayve were actually cute. A plus was this book being short and a quick read, but sadly there was not much plot happening and everything was going super fast 😭 I loved the brothers moments and the girls and also Kayson daughter was such a cute 🥹 Overall loved the family moments and end was cute too 🧡

I think Marco will be getting a book (a new series maybe) but it better not be with Vanessa or whatever that nasty girls name was 😭 If it has to be a coworker of Mayve that we saw in this book then it can be Emma, because she was the sweetest and such a good friend and coworker to Mayve 🫂

[Lexi Cubbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I've read all three books in this series in less than 12 hours. And I regret nothing!

Kenzo is the quiet one of the Hunter brothers and we all know what that means. He's the most psychotic and dangerous one for sure.
He runs into Mayve right after a job and he recognizes her as the shy, timid loner girl from high school with the devil eyes that suck him right in and the woman he saved not that long ago.
He really, really doesn't want to get involved with anyone, especially not with a woman who faints at the sight of blood when his desires are all about blood play.
But what does he do when he runs into her in Vegas and she's in need of a husband to get the promotion at work? That's right, he's ready with a ring and to say I do.

The first book remained my favorite but I enjoyed each book a hell of a lot and I'll have to make sure to check out more of the author's work.

[Bose Néné · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I started this on a struggle tin and I was like it's gonna be a 3 ⭐ read for me cos it was so fast paced in the beginning then I read a few of Kenzo's POV and I was like 'YES LET'S F**KING GO!'
Absolutely loved reading this short dark romance and truly I wanted more. I needed a read to get me out of my slump and for what I picked it for, I can say it truly and thoroughly worked for me.
Kenzo is special, intense and beautiful
Mayve is sweet, soft and wonderful
They are perfect for each other cos they bring the best out of each other especially Kenzo for Mayve.
Still think there was so much left out and there was a lack of depth in most of the story but I just fell in love with the characters so that helped a lot.

[ThatBookishWriter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was my favorite of the series!!! I love Kenzo!!
He is truly an all but nothing kind of guy. Seeing him fall for Mayve and his addicted he was to being with her.

I loved when she said Stop growing, you aren’t a werewolf. I laughed out loud there.

I love how so alike they are and of course neither of them would admit it. Honestly they bring the best out of each other and I just love them so much!! Honestly I love all the brothers!!

Love seeing all the girls hanging out together too! Truly hooked with this series.

If you love fake marriage, stalker romance, touch or look at her and unalive vibes. This is for you!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

We now have the end, and what a final book it is. Kenzo and Mayve were brilliant. TL Smith definitely went back to the beginning with the way she wrote this. It had Mr. Black vibes all over it. I love it when an author goes back to their roots and writes the kind of books I've always loved.

Kenzo and Mayve were fate the second their eyes met. He was for sure Hypnotised, especially by her eyes. This book is for sure filled with death and destruction, but through all that, you get to read a beautiful love story that neither one can escape.

This book is a huge recommend from and making this a must-read series.

[Mariam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆

This book was so good... until they threw me off so far, I couldn't see the start line.

I also planned to read the first two books of the series until, halfway through the book, I deleted them and decided to forgo this idea.

This book is rated the highest and the other two just don't seem as appealing anymore (after finishing this book and while I was reading it with them throwing all the spoilers in my face).

Do check the trigger warnings first.

[Angelic · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

Oh man, I’m sad the series is over but I absolutely loved it!!! I do think these two are absolutely perfect for each other it’s wild. They really are the same but different and I’m happy it worked out in the end. I did rate it a little lower because the ending felt rushed but that’s just a personal opinion. Other than that I’m sad to see the book series come to an end. However, I’m happy with all their stories and how they came to be.

[Amy Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenzo, slice me open and call me dinner because HOLY. SHIT. Blood play? Sold. Hates literally everyone? Double sold. This man is the definition of unhinged perfection, and I was here for every second of it. And don’t even get me started on Mayve—her evolution in this book had me cheering like a proud mother. Women getting the power? We love to see it! This book slayed in every possible way, and I devoured it like it was my last meal. Obsessed. 10/10, no notes. 🔥📖✨

I am so sad this series is over, I now need to go through T.L Smiths entire back catalogue, see you when I come up for air!

[Jennaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this book was a rollercoaster. I loved Mayve and Kenzo. I've looked forward to Kenzo's book since the beginning and I am both happy and sad that everything was wrapped up in this book. This was a binge read and I thoroughly enjoyed every second. Thank you for the chance to read this. Seeing characters from the first books was such a treat, and I love the women supporting each other's crazy.

[Alex Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m here for all the fucked up-ness 😂 I think the scene with Pops could have been better, I felt like that was a little rushed and didn’t give much details. Otherwise it was an easy quick read and the spice was 👌🏼

[Ri ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ rounded down. I actually really enjoyed this

[Katie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Stop growling you’re not a werewolf” - this sentence right here has me absolutely cackling 🤣

Kenzo honestly just loved calling her his wife and I was absolutely L I V I N G for it💅

[Cassie Reeke Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5. The best brother yet🩸🐍🦋🔫