From Hell

Villainous Delights #1

by Mallory Fox

His name is Jack… but I’m the real ripper.
Jaxon Clémont knows who I am. Why else would a monster leave petals like breadcrumbs? Send love letters straight from hell? He’s stalking me, taunting me, chasing me into the darkness. He knows where I sleep, eat, and even where I live. He’s a brilliant surgeon and a billionaire, untouchable in every way, with a soul-sucking gaze and a predatory smile. And he knows my deep, dark secret.
But I won’t go softly into the night.
Jaxon might be my weakness with a beautiful face and a divine mission who can cut my heart open with just one look and rip me apart with only a word—but I’m not another of his victims.
I won’t fall for his deviant charms.
I’m the real ripper, and I’m going to make him pay.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Suspense, Serial Killer, Contemporary

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2023

About the author

Mallory Fox is a USA Today best-selling author who loves to write deliciously dark romance with heart and stories that have wicked, twisty plots, tainted-love, and all kinds of angsty redemption.

Mallory is addicted to canines, chocolate-covered pretzels, and lives in London with her bean-shaped dog and the rest of her non-furry family.

Find more about Mallory at linktr.ee/malloryfox or sign away your soul at www.malloryfoxauthor.com.

#wickedwordswithheart

Reviews

[Noa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It was only a matter of time before he found me. Watching, stalking. But I'm not his prey anymore; I'm his retribution. And I'm going to make him pay."

Laine Summers is the survivor of The Ripper.
9 years ago she survived the most horrendous night of her life.
She won't let that be in vain.
Laine is determined to find The Ripper if it's the last thing she does.
He might be a killer but he doesn't know that he created a monster.

"Don’t look at the Devil too long. You might catch fire."

Jaxon Clement remembers Laine Summers.
The fiery little fox that escaped him.
And he can't take his eyes off of her.
He is pulled into her world by mere coincidence.
At least that's what he wants her to think.
But the worst monsters are the ones that hide both in the dark and in the light.

"I know whatever I decide to do with my new vixen, I'm going to damn well enjoy it."

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

💫 4.5 stars 💫

"I refuse to be a victim any longer."

Laine Summers was attacked 9 years ago. Luckily, she survived, and she's gonna make The Ripper pay. He might be a killer, but he doesn't know what he created all those years ago. Laine Summer is going to make sure he finds out.

"He doesn't know what I can do now. I'm no longer a victim."

I love retellings. Saying this from the jump. It's one of my favorite things to read.
So when I heard about a Jack The Ripper retelling, I was like sold, done, delivered. And that is exactly what this book did.
In my opinion it fucking delivered on a silver platter.

"My monster may believe he's won, lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting. But soon, very soon, I'll be the one hunting him."

First we have Laine Summers. Out survivor turned femme fatale. She was written perfectly in my opinion. Always remembering what she went through but not letting it stop what she needs to do. And we love a badass serial killer FMC… They are just the best FMCs and I will DIE on that hill people!!

"So why do I keep letting myself be drawn to him? Because I'm just as full of darkness, and like attracts like."

And then we have Jaxon Clement. I mean a British morally grey surgeon??? It's like someone peaked into my brain ticked all the boxes and created and wrote this fictional man (thank you very much Mallory Fox). He is mysterious, addicting, and so 🥵🥵🥵. Legit I fell in love with him so quickly (yes I know he is fictional and no I do not want to talk about it… I'm still coming to terms with it 🥲🥲)

"Soon, it'll be my turn to take control. And when I do… She'll be my next victim."

"I prefer my little fox running when I chase her."

This playlist is serial killer coded and I will not apologize!! (And thank you so much because this is the OFFICIAL playlist mentioned in the book!!! Thank you Mallory Fox 🖤🖤)

(Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/14H... )

🎵 "Survivor" - 2WEI, Edda Hayes
🎵 "Werewolves of London" - Warren Zevon
🎵 "Maneater" - Nelly Furtado
🎵 "Knife Under My Pillow" - Maggie Lindemann
🎵 "Taste (Speed)" - Ari Abdul
🎵 "Control" - Halsey
🎵 "pretty little psycho" - finit hic deo
🎵 "Angry Too" - Lola Blanc
🎵 "Killer" - Valerie Broussard
🎵 "Playground" - Bea Miller, Baby Tate, Arcane
🎵 "Serial Killer" - Moncrieff, JUDGE
🎵 "Victim" - Halflives
🎵 "Nightmares" - Ellise
🎵 "Le Monde" - Richard Carter
🎵 "Be" - Hozier
🎵 "HAUNTED" - Isabel LaRosa
🎵 "Twisted" - MISSIO
🎵 "Twisted Nerve" - Bernard Hermann
🎵 "eyes don't lie sped up" - Isabel LaRosa
🎵 "Sociopath" - StayLoose, Bryce Fox
🎵 "You've Created a Monster" - Bohnes
🎵 "Elastic Heart" - Sia
🎵 "Looking At Me" - Sabrina Carpenter
🎵 "Big Bad Wolf" - Roses & Revolutions
🎵 "Devil Side" - Foxes
🎵 "What Was I Made For?" - Rain Paris
🎵 "Paint The Town Red" - Rain Paris
🎵 "pretty poison" - Nessa Barrett
🎵 "Desire - Slowed" - Hucci
🎵 "Blood On A Rose" - Everybody Loves An Outlaw
🎵 "VILLAIN" - K/DA, Madison Beer, Kim Petras, League Of Legends
🎵 "The Devil Is A Gentleman" - Merci Raines
🎵 "Raise Hell" - Dorothy
🎵 "Bang!" - AJR
🎵 "Morally Grey" - April Jai
🎵 "Hunger" - Florence + The Machine
🎵 "Throne" - Bring Me The Horizon
🎵 "Psycho Crazy" - Halestorm
🎵 "Joke's On You" - Charlotte Lawrence
🎵 "Last Resort - Reimagined" - Falling In Reverse
🎵 "Love The Way You Hate Me" - Like A Storm
🎵 "Psychofreak" - Rain Paris
🎵 "Natural" - Imagine Dragons
🎵 "Who Do You Want" - Ex Habit
🎵 "Angry Woman" - Ashe
🎵 "Heaven" - Julia Michaels
🎵 "Goddess" - Xana
🎵 "I am not a woman, I'm a god - Underworld Remix" - Halsey, Underworld
🎵 "How Villains Are Made" - Madalen Duke
🎵 "The Walls" - Chase Atlantic
🎵 "Therefore I Am" - Billie Eilish
🎵 "Kiss or Kill" - Stela Cole
🎵 "Red Flags" - Mimi Webb
🎵 "Stop, I'm Already Dead" - Deadboy & The Elephantmen
🎵 "Not Afraid Anymore" - Halsey
🎵 "Vienna" - Gretta Ray
🎵 "Teeth" - Lady Gaga
🎵 "Baby Outlaw" - Elle King


And if you needed anymore reason to fall in love with Jaxon…

"No one will hear you. I'll warn you, you might like that, and hearing you scream will turn me on."

"Spread your legs… God can't help you now."

"Fuck, Laine, I love it when you beg."

💉 Tropes 💉

🔪 Serial killer romance
🔪 Jack The Ripper Retelling
🔪 Enemies to Lovers
🔪 Billionaire Romance
🔪 Badass FMC
🔪 Possessive MMC

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0JalHQIF...

[Mallory Fox]

Available now!

Grab your copy: https://books2read.com/fromhell

Duet Narration by: Evelyn Rose & Shane East
Listen today!
Audible: http://bit.ly/3V4V673

🖤Billionaire Romance
🔥Serial unalivers
🖤Inspired by Jack The Ripper
🔥OTT J/P Anti-hero
🖤Bada$$ FMC
🔥E2L

[Betwixt the Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: morally grey characters bordering on unhinged made for delicious reading; STEAMY STEAMY STEAMY; mind the triggers; watch for some gore; side characters were more "side" than "characters" for me; DEVOURED this read!

Triggers: serial killers; murder; stalking; torture; child abuse and neglect; manipulation and narcissistic behaviour; drug addiction; mental health issues; knife play; blood play; graphic violence.

HUGE thanks to Mallory Fox, Black Jade Publishing, and Valentine PR & Literary Management for the ARC copy of this title! My review of this book is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.

"I didn't need rescuing," I declare, tearing my gaze away to reopen my notebook on the right page.

"They don't act like a fucking damsel." His soul-sucking eyes give me one last look before he turns away. Dismissed.

This read. THIS READ! I have read SOME dark romance/dark erotica before...but THIS. This took me to a whole other level, and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the journey. These characters are deliciously morally grey, believably human while still pushing the limit to how far most people would be willing to go under not-so-ordinary circumstances. Some of the... "secrets"...to who certain characters were and what backstory would unfold was, for myself personally at least, easy to spot from almost the get-go....but Mallory Fox considered all contingencies, and took steps to play with red herrings just enough that by halfway through I was questioning what I THOUGHT I knew from the start.

This journey was wild from beginning to end, fraught with a lucid-dreaming sort of feel. I connected easily with our FMC, Laine. I struggled, unfortunately, to really connect with her two best friends--they felt more like "sides" in the story than the bigger picture they really played, and I had a hard time imagining them beyond the in the moment scenes they played a role in. Still, there were some twists and turns I didn't expect throughout the read. AND THE STEAM. I don't know that a chili-pepper rating could do the steam in this book justice, honestly. That said...please please PLEASE mind the triggers--they're listed above for a reason.

When she's passed out, and her breathing deepens, I tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear and mutter, "Don't fall in love with a ripper. Your heart won't survive."

I don't know who I'm warning, myself or Laine.

I really enjoyed this read and this journey! The characters are wonderfully morally grey; the motivations are believable, though bordering the line; the steam was beyond deviously delicious. I definitely recommend to other dark romance/dark erotica girlies; readers who enjoy some "kinkier" play; and those who love to see the "villain" get the girl (or the guy? the villains get each other?) Please mind the triggers, Penguins...and only read if you're 18+. Do YOU have what it takes to hunt a killer, or will you end up the hunted? Open these pages if you dare to find out!

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes

🔪Serial Killers
🔪Enemies to Lovers
🔪Forbidden Love
🔪Revenge
🔪Tortured Lead
🔪Heroine in danger


"I love that she's a psycho. l've found myself a twisted little soulmate"


A skillfully deceptive, romantic suspense thriller by Mallory Fox, you are missing out if From hell isn't on your TBR.

Main characters having a past together and then getting acquainted again OH SIGN ME UP!!

Laine is being stalked by her almost murderer, she is the only survivor of the serial killer THE RIPPER, who got his name from leaving women ripped to death and beyond recognition. 🩸🔪

In the midst of all this, she crosses paths with her mysterious, dark medical school crush, the Jaxon Clement and while laine's life came to a standstill after her attack Jaxon has been making waves and rakking up accolades to his name.

With her life in danger and a mission brewed up in secret she is on the edge and the mysterious occurrences with Jaxon aren't helping her suspicions about what happened to her years ago but even the suspicions aren't strong enough for her to ignore the sizzling attraction growing between them ✨️

Will laine best the ripper once again ? is Jaxon's presence in her life simply coincidental ? or is something far worse coming for them BOTH

If you want your answers head right on and pick up FROM HELL by author MALLORY FOX!!!

Thank you to the author and valentine pr for providing an arc in exchange of an honest review 🫶

[Danielle's · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s darker than a dark romance? Something from Hell? Mallory Fox achieved this. This book isn’t just morally grey it’s beyond that. Straight away we’re told this is a Jack the Ripper re-telling of sorts and this book gives that kind of vibe from page one. I was like a moth drawn to the flame and could not resist this book.

9 years ago, Laney was attacked by the ripper but survived. It’s changed her whole outlook look on life as she plans to rid the world of evil men.

Jaxon is the big bad and he’s the guy she doesn’t know she wants. He’s her ripper.

If you want stalker, serial killer unhingedness you’ve come to the right place.

Morally grey RARE challenge.

[Madison · Rating 2 out of 5]

first of all, thank you to mallory and valentine pr for the arc!

this is a difficult book to review.

Laine survived her near murder by the ripper years ago when she witnessed her best friend being violated and then went missing.

As revenge, since Laine doesn’t know the identity of “The Ripper”, she goes after the men she witnessed violating her friend. Well known socialites with dark hobbies, these are killings she makes for the greater good whilst she works up to finding The Ripper.

Jaxon was an old, mysterious classmate part of this secret society that contained all of Laine’s victim, but as she didn’t see him that night when he ditched their “date” he was safe from her list. But now, Jaxon has returned.

Laine receives letters from her stalker, but she doesn’t know if it’s the Ripper or someone else lurking in the shadows.

I wanna say, don’t knock it till you try it. This was 100% the type of book I can see someone else absolutely loving. Unfortunately, I can’t say I’m one of those people.

I was often confused, there were multiple names for “The Ripper”, one of his names was Jack, as in Jack the Ripper, which is all fine and well, but there were a few times that led me to be confused on if we were referring to The Ripper or Jaxon.

Some of Laine’s plans weren’t well thought out, and it didn’t seem to make sense at times. Especially with her end goal being to kill The Ripper, and her naïvety in who was wandering around her home at night and lack of urgency on these occasions.

My chief complaint is going to have to be that Jaxon and Laine’s chemistry was sorely lacking for me. I think when writing these sorts of dynamics it’s difficult to not have something ONLY come off as a one-sided obsession. We see Laine trying to convince us how she’s just so drawn to him, but I’m still not sure why. Jaxon wasn’t well rounded enough for me to be squealing over him or when he was using her nickname. The intimate scenes showed the most chemistry, and even then I wasn’t fully convinced.

Again though, I repeat, this is a don’t knock it till you try it book. This may not have been the book for me, but it might be the perfect book for you. I felt as if I was missing *something* the entire time, but you might be entirely satisfied.

2.25 ⭐️

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

O.M.G.!!!! This story by Mallory Fox was sooooooooooo good!!!! On pins and needles the entire time!!! Wondering until the very last moment!!! This is the fascinating, dark, deadly story of Jaxon and Laine. They meet in medical school. He’s handsome, mysterious, and out of her league. She’s schoolish, works hard, and is dedicated to her studies. Then, the unforeseeable occurs. She’s left shattered and he leaves. Now, it’s years later…and there are things happening that could be disastrous and deadly for them both!!!! There’s a serial killer on the loose and no one knows who the next victim will be…Freaking AMAZING story!!! The ending was a tiny bit lacking…but, doesn’t change my rating in the slightest!!!! Excellent read!!! One of the best this year!!

There are potential triggers in this story! Heed the warnings

[Julie ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Don’t fall in love with a ripper. Your heart won’t survive.”

From Hell was a very complex but delicious and intriguing book.

Our FMC, Laine, has been the target of two vastly different entities. After trying to avenge her friend who was unalived, she comes face to face with the one who attempted to silence her that night. She managed to escape, or so she thought.

For years she’s been receiving letters from this individual. He who hides in the shadows, reminding her she’s his little bird. After moving, she thought she had rid of him.

That is, until the person who bailed on her that unfortunate night, returns. Never did she think she’d see him again and he thought she wasn’t there anymore.

Our MMC, Jaxon, is the son of a notorious occult head who uses Jaxon as a weapon to hide their secrets and silents those who need to be. However, Jaxon has a well kept secret and it has to do with the night Laine’s friend was unalived.

Trapped between keeping her or protecting her, Jaxon begins losing control on the one thing he thought he could control. Now, they both want what they shouldn’t and will do what it takes to protect her.

This book was very complex and at times a little confusing because as a reader, we’re not sure who is who until we dig deeper into the story. The book absolutely sucked me in and had me flipping these pages wanting to know what’s next. The tension and slight banter between Jaxon and Laine was exquisite, but the aspect of Jaxon chasing Laine had me kicking my feet 🥴. The romance between the two is a slow burn but the suspense kept me pushing forward. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect that this book included because it kept me engaged throughout. As my first read from Mallory, I am not disappointed and would definitely read again.

Although not explicitly ‘dark’, please read any TW’s before diving in. I really hope there’s some answers to Laine’s friends because I need to know what happened 🤣.

-eARC for honest thought and opinions.

[Laura (lady_h_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
My monster may believe he’s won, lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting. But soon, very soon, I’ll be the one hunting him.

I was sold on this book when I found out it was based on Jack the Ripper, with the promise of it also being a dark romance. From Hell is a delightful read, but is it wrong that I wished it to have been darker? I craved a book drenched in blood and death, with strong MCs similar to A Violent Agenda’s Viola. The unhinged MMC was almost too likable, and the FMC was a little too naive. Where were the depraved murderers I sought? (To be fair, I have read a ton of DARK romances recently, many delving into the horror category, so my view on dark is skewed to the black).

I loved the way Mallory handled the Jack the Ripper legend, meshing it into a modern setting and giving us the reason behind the murders. I was a massive fan of Jaxon’s dual nature and would have loved to see more of the Ripper’s POV. OTT J/P stalkers are my favorite!

This is a medium-burn with moderate spice MF romance.

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Tropes/Features: Dark elements, Jack the Ripper-based, enemies to lovers, billionaire, secret society, bloody revenge, stalking, serial killers, morally grey, OTT J/P anti-hero, traumatic past, touch her and die, darker kinks (knife & blood play, pleasure/pain)
Narrator: Dual 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: MF, medium burn, moderate spice
Book Type/Ending: Standalone with HEA
TW/CW: Available in book

[Katherine M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a crazy ride this was! Laine was attacked by The Ripper years ago and survived. Then she started getting flowers and letters from him. She wants to find who he is and wants revenge for what he did. Jaxon was a friend and fellow student at the medical university. Now he’s back and the sexual tension is real. Who can Laine trust? So many secrets. What a crazy, psychotic, serial killer thriller romance. So much suspense and I loved it!

Tropes: serial killer, secret society, revenge, billionaire romance, badass FMC, stalker

[Amy Pritt - Coffeeandbookobsessed · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

📖 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up to 4 on GR)
🔥⭐️⭐️.5

• Revenge • Morally Grey FMC/MMC • Stalker • Obsessed MMC • Second Chance • Mental Health Representation • Trauma Survivor •

I enjoyed the heart of this story: she’s on a revenge mission after surviving an attack by a serial k¡ller in London (Jack the Ripper). It’s been 10 years since she nearly died but survived when he was scared off. But she’s not just looking for him. He and several r*pists/m^rderers are all members of the “elite” high society Berner’s House and she wants all the men involved in her friend’s ritualistic r*pe and m^rder to be killed.

She soon realizes she’s not the only one to return to the city and on the hunt.

I enjoyed the dual POV in this book as well and the characters were interesting and dynamic. And the interactions between the two main characters kept me engaged in the story.

It did start to feel long, an insane amount of build to the climax, but then what should have been the climax was over in a fade to black. Then the last 12% of the book felt rushed and unnecessary. I skimmed the last bit because I lost all interest after the climax letdown.

This book could also have benefited from another round of beta reading. It’s set in London and there were references to things that are American specific, and American vernacular at times.

[Sara Books & Tips · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE NIGHT AN EVENT OVERHANDS YOUR LIFE AND YOUR BEING?

"𝐻𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑤. 𝑛𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑚."

Okay. OK? Guys, by now it's clear to everyone that I really appreciate dark romance books, but this one from the pen of Mallory Fox is definitely on another level! We are talking about a book that is freely inspired by the story of #JackTheRipper, so I'll let you imagine things from this...
If you appreciate badass FMC or, more generally, #morallygraycharacters, you can't miss it. The same thing applies if you are a lover of those breathtaking stories, where you won't have a second of pause thanks to a rhythm that is as fast-paced as it is adrenaline-filled.

Within its pages, we will get to know Laine Summer and Jaxon Clement.
Years ago, she survived the worst night of her life. As such, instead of letting herself be bowed down, she has decided to move forward with her head held high and she is determined to recover and make the one who hurt her pay.
Jaxon, despite the time that has passed, remembers well that night where a little girl managed to escape him and, from that moment on, he became obsessed with her. What will happen if the two meet again? With or without a nudge to help them?

Here we will learn about the meaning of pain and how it can change a person, for better or for worse. The most important thing was seeing Laine consciously decide to rely on his own strength and move forward with only one goal in mind. But it was very interesting to see our Jaxon, mysterious and all of a piece, melt and become malleable in front of the only person and thing that could smooth the edges of him.

So, even in this case, I advise you to take your book or e-reader), prepare a nice hot herbal tea, sit in bed and enjoy a journey worthy of a roller coaster!

[Sam Bartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

His name is Jack... but I'm the real ripper.

My rating: 4.5/5

Tropes: Morally grey characters (okay, they are probably dark, dark grey with a little redemption), steeeeeeeamy, lots of trigger warnings, friends to enemies to lovers.

Okay let's get into it. This is a multi POV book that really builds the world around you the deeper you go. This book is DARK, and I have read some steamy erotic chaos before. I LOVE Laine and Jack. That's the sentence. I am not posting any spoilers in this one, but I adore their banter, her strengths, the way he just exists, and gosh the freaking nicknames will always be a micro trope that just gets me. I love nicknames, and I love more when the author is so clever with choosing them.

I really really enjoyed this one, and devoured it in two nights (it would have been one if that pesky job didn't get in the way ;) ) and if you are looking for a dark romance with some dark play, this one is one I would HIGHLY recommend. I loved this book, PLEASE read the trigger warnings, don't read this if you're under 18 for the love of all things good in this world, and have fun little bird.

Massive thanks for Mallory Fox and Valentine PR & Literary Management for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[vixen ‹𝟹 reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 + 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 🚩

After surviving ‘The Ripper’ nine years ago, Laine is still receiving letters from him, so she sets out to make her own justice. Jaxon discovers her plans and sets out to help, reconnecting after years apart is great until it seems he’s following in the Rippers footsteps.

From the moment I knew what was going on, I WAS REELED IN! Absolutely hook, line and sinker with the bait that was served to me from that reveal. You know when you know, but then find out you only knew the half of it. THAT’S THIS 😮🫨

I devoured this in one-sitting that’s the hold it had over me. Not only was the MMC top tier, the FMC was just as good, moments I was swooning at his affections she’s holding her ground reminding him she can look after herself.

These two were like mixing a flame with gasoline 🔥😈 and I was living my best life in this world.

—— ❗️𝘔𝘠 𝘚𝘗𝘐𝘊𝘌𝘚 𝘉𝘌𝘓𝘖𝘞 𝘊𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 𝘉𝘌 𝘚𝘗𝘖𝘐𝘓𝘌𝘙-𝘠 ❗️——

_____________

🏷️ 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦:
Anti Hero, Billionaire, Boy Obsessed, British H, Doctor/Patient, Enemies to Lovers, Escaping a K!ller, Jack ‘The Ripper’ Inspired, Protector, Revenge Plot, Tortured Lead, Tragic Past

😈 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦:
Dominance, 🅱️Play, 🔪Play, Primal Play, Praise

🫠 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀:
—> “Because you’re mine.”
—> “You’ll pay for that.”
—> “Good girl.”
—> “Beg first.”

🚩 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 (𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 😉):
Stal/king, Serial Unaliving FMC/MMC, Psychotic Duo, Touch Her & Regret It, Extreme Poetic Justice, Jealous/Possessive, Breaking & Entering

🌍 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲:
This book is the start of a series and ends on a HFN, which could mean there’s more to come with this trio.

⛔️ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲:
This book contains potential triggers similar to most dark romance books, among others. If unsure always check them all first (available on authors website)

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Villainous Delights #1
𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞: HFN
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: dark romance
𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞: Laine Summers & Jaxon Clémont.
𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫: little fox
𝐏𝐎𝐕’𝐬: Triple first person 👩🏼🧑🏻💀

—— ❗️𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜❗️——

[Anatasia McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book right away gave me femme Fatale vibes, and it's not often I read a romance, and im obsessed with the FMC, not the MMC. Laine, our main FMC, is out for blood and revenge the whole book. She's fearless and bad ass with a take charge attitude that you will love. Our MMC is protective and jealous, just how we love a morally grey man. This book is a dark romance. It is loosely based on Jack The Ripper. This book has dark themes, and the author did a great job of warning you of the themes going in. Do not read if stalking, murder, rape or explicit content is a trigger for you. The spice level for this book is a 3/5 🌶 and it is a slow burn. If you're looking for your main characters to be doing their thing from page 1. This book is not for you. There is mention of a dissociative disorder for MMC. This can be hard to follow throughout the book, but the end will tie it up beautifully for you.

[Billie Pariseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This is a dark romance so make sure you read trigger warnings before embarking on this reading journey.

If you like dark romance, than this is the place to be!! Jaxon, Laine, the Ripper, and bad men. Laine was a victim, a victim who decided she was not going to be a victim forever. So she started the hunt, she became what tried to take her. Men that hurt women, hurt her, hurt her friend, they were going to be the prey for the first time in their lives.

Jaxon does things for the foundation, unspeakable things. Him and Laine went to school together before the Ripper changed her life. Jaxon is back and sees a change in Laine. A change that intrigues him. It brings out the predator side of him.

Two killers, both killing for a purpose. A wild ride. Who knew you’d be rooting for a serial killer??

[A.H. Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t want to give away too much because I want you, dear reader, to be mesmerized by this story just as much as I am. From Hell follows Laine and Jaxon. Laine went through some of the most horrible things that could happen to a person. Now, she has one thing one her mind, revenge. And Jaxon, our hotshot surgeon, helps her through it. What I admire about Laine is how she doesn’t stray away from her mission, eradicating all the evil that caused her pain. She is resilient, strong but also kind. Laine and Jaxon have a darkness surrounding them and IN them, and that makes this story fascinating. You can anticipate some of the twists in this story, but it will still leave you breathless when you come across them.
And it doesn’t hurt that this story is SPICY.

📕 * I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own.

[Peggy Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Hell is the first book in the new Villainous Delights series by Mallory Fox. It's a billionaire enemies-to-lovers romance, and it's pretty dark, so be sure to check the TWs. First off, this is the first book I've ever read by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Right off the bat, I could tell I was going to love this author's writing style, which I absolutely did. The actual story took me a minute to wrap my head around, but it was so interesting, I couldn't help but get sucked in, even though it took a while to really understand Laine's way of thinking. The book was very well-written, the story was well-thought-out, and, as long as you know what you're getting into, I would absolutely recommend it with more than five stars!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating:4.5/5
Spice: 2
Tropes: Billionaire, Enemies-to-Lovers, Anti-Hero, Boy Obsessed, Contemporary Romance, Tragic Past, Tortured Lead, Protector, British Hero, Doctor/Patient, Escaping a Killer, Forbidden Love, Heroine in Danger, Revenge, Romantic Suspense

Mallory Fox is a new to me author and she did not disappoint. From Hell kept me on my toes throughout the entire book. I could not get enough of Laine and Jaxson's chemistry. From their beginning, middle, to the end. Aghhh.. I don't even know what to say.

The only thing I wanted more of, and this is a personal preference, I wanted more gore. More Jaxson's POV, more Ripper POV.

Overall, if you enjoy stalker, serial killer, dark romance, this book is for you!!!

***Received an ARC for an honest review***

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Hell by Mallory Fox

Laine gives me Lana Myers vibes and I'm here for this era of vengeance 💅🏻 I'm reminded of the dark and twisted sense of justice from The Mindf*ck Series and the warped happenings within secret societies from Half Truths/Twisted Circles.

NGL ... Jaxon's nicknames for Laine were very amusing. (The kitten, my vixen, my little murderess, my sweet psycho, my little fox, my little bird)

Things progressed rapidly, and given the nature of the story I'd say that fits it pretty well. I'm not going to spill much.. but if you're looking for a Jack the Ripper retelling, this is going to be right up your alley. 👀

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

First I want to say a very big thank you to Mallory Fox for this ARC. This book was grand.

Second, PLEASE look at the triggers!!

Ok wow, I really didn’t want this book to end. I was confused in the beginning because there were a lot of unknowns, but once you knew …OMG. I was questioning who the Ripper was in the beginning and then I thought I knew, only to have not actually known. It was a wild ride !! Once I learned more about Jaxon, I really liked him ahahah I love a good morally grey mc.

I really enjoyed all of the characters - loved Laine’s friends and hope we see more of them in the future….especially with that ending AH.

[daphne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞.”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I support women’s rights but most importantly I support women’s wrongs. I like my main characters unhinged and this book gave me just that. I devoured this book and loved the main characters, however the side characters fell a bit flat for me. If you’re looking for a steamy serial killer romance, then this is the book for you. Do mind the trigger warnings though! ❤️‍🔥


** ARC provided by Valentine PR

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚠️My loves, beware the TWs⚠️

I don't know how to write this spoiler-free... Ok, so I had to give this 5 stars because The Ripper...what can I say? I'm a sick fuck. 😏 Mallory Fox is a first time author for me and I have to say I love her writing style. I could not put From Hell down! It is, as you could likely guess, violent, chaotic, steamy and darker than an abyss. The MCs had such a magnetic pull and phenomenal chemistry, I drank that shit in!

You need to get and read this book! I demand it!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was quite the romantic suspense I thoroughly enjoyed.

I've never read anything before by Mallory but this blurb was too good to pass up- a story inspired by Jack the Ripper, I am in!!

From Hell is told from both the MC's POVs - Jaxon and Laine. These two were quite an interesting pair to read about. These two are so different, yet so alike. I love them both separately and together.

Mallory does a really fantastic job of weaving one hell of crazy tale that involves murder, secrets and very dark scenes. Please read the author's TWs as this book may not be for everyone.

And that's it; that's all I am saying.

If you love a good, dark suspenseful, dark read - definitely grab this one.

[Nikki Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This was definitely interesting. It was full of suspense the entire time! Not my typical read, however it gave me the movie Venom vibes, as the main MMC has dissociative identity disorder. Also the FMC and MMC first met in medical school 9 years ago. They reconnected as he takes over her mom’s spot at the hospital. 9 years ago her life literally flashed before her eyes and almost died.. throughout the book she does her best to figure out who the Ripper is along with killing a few guys along the way that deserves to be killed. Jaxon always knew she be his, he is her Stalker.
I literally was on my toes 75% of the time.

[Readerwithacamera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one of them books that make you think “why do I like this” and question yourself

[meena · Rating 2 out of 5]

~Jaxon & Laine~
⭐️⭐️

Tropes
~ Serial killer romance
~ Revenge killings
~ Jack the Ripper retelling
~ Billionaire MMC
~ Secret societies
~ Dual POV & multiple timelines

Years after surviving a brutal attack herself and seeing her friend brutally attacked, Laine is determined to get revenge on her attacker...except she doesn’t know his real identity. Recently, her attacker has been leaving her notes and Laine knows that she’s being watched. She’s also being watched by her former classmate turned surgeon, Jaxson. While Jaxon helps her, she still can’t take him off her suspect list.

I was really hoping to enjoy this book, but I had a difficult time getting through it. There were a few times that I debated DNF’ing it but I really wanted to see it through. While I do enjoy dark & serial killer romances, it’s hard to read something that’s “new” and not done before. There were also a few times where I was confused about timelines and character references; the Jack/Jaxon pieces tripped me up sometimes. There wasn’t anything specific that I disliked per say, I just didn’t feel as invested as I would with other books.

[Jeanny · Rating 2 out of 5]

An inept serial killer/ damsel in distress. The love interests continuously saves her &/or outshines her at the vengeful murder business. I expected a baddie who’s proficient at killing. So disappointing . 2 stars

[book_lover_jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I signed for this ARC purely because it had some of my favourite trigger warnings in it. I sometimes wonder if I am any form of normal.

I will say the Jack The Ripper vibes that the book had was so good. I might be a little obsessed with Jack The Ripper. If you are hoping for smut it little bit of a slow burn. But the smut does come more towards the middle/end of the book.

I recommended this book to one of my book besties who yellow-tab dark romances scenes that she finds funny and there were a few that were yellow-tab-worthy scenes. I read out one line to her on Tiktok Live and it got the yellow tab approval from her.

Please read the trigger warnings for this book.

[Kaley ❄️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

・❥・2 ✧.*

First off, this took sooo long to finish because I kept slumping. My initial thoughts on this was that it was going to be Silence of the Lambs-esque romance that was using Jack the Ripper as the blueprint. Basically what I got from the synopsis was that this was going to be a Jack the Ripper retelling about a killer taking the FMC under their wing and making her into their protege with ✨romance✨

I love retellings, I love dark serial killer romances. This seemed like the perfect fit for me. Too some degree it was but there was a lot that left me unsatisfied. I want to say that I enjoyed the overall plot line that was created and the characters were also thoroughly done. The parts that left me rating this a 2 are the dual timeline and POV, the atmosphere, the writing style, the romance aspects and the MMC.

This is over 400 pages and is was so slow moving that I had to take breaks in order to get my enthusiasm up because I was getting bored, upset or confused as fuck for a majority of this book. I don’t know why I didn’t just DNF it but it still kept intriguing me to see what the end product would be so I just kept on reading.

First off, this timeline and duo POV is sooooo confusing and irritating that each point I stopped at was when there was a flashback. There was only so much I could take of it. It wasn’t answering any questions and just kept you in the dark. It kept messing up what was happening in the current timeline which it really shouldn’t have done. If anything, I wouldn't have minded it being confusing if it had just dropped little easter eggs along the way so that when it came full circle you were left with a “that’s how they fit!’ type of feeling. All I got was a ‘huh.’ Not a great motivator. The POV change made it even worse. I don’t understand Jaxon’s POV at all within the flashbacks nor do I think they go hand in hand with his current POV especially towards the ‘epiphany’ moment.

The atmosphere was probably my biggest issue with the book. In my notes I keep reiterating that I have no clue when this book is taking place. It is supposed to be present day I believe because there are cell phones, etc. but that is not how the atmosphere makes it to be. One paragraph its fitting in with present day, because of the usage or cell phones, cameras, paparazzi, or even the car model, but the wordage used, how things are referenced or the descriptions make it feel likes its in Victorian era which was just a mindfuck. It was truly upsetting me because nothing was making sense.

The writing style and the romance aspects are just mid. There isn’t much of a tension being created between the MMC and the FMC other than she’s upset with him because of a past transgression that we don’t find out about until the last quarter of the book. All I could think was, ‘why the fuck do you dislike him?’ because that wasn’t being answered and then when finding it out, I just felt a little bitter. The writing style just isn’t helping any of these issues either. I think they wouldn’t have nearly been as bad if this had been written a different way or the parts were sectioned a bit differently.

Jaxon was a dislikable character for me. I thought he was going to turn darker and/or at least help the FMC out in a different way. No, instead he sorta saves his own ass and I was majorly disappointed. I think how he is written was giving me the ick as well. I really wished I had liked him more because while I came into this expecting a Silence of the Lambs/Jack the Ripper MMC, it was actually giving Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde a lot more the more you read the book. Also the whole billionaire persona wasn’t vibing with me.

I think the ending was okay with the set up. Honestly, the more that I keep writing this review, the more I realize how much I disliked this book. I was going to rate it a 3.5 because I think there are some redeeming qualities and I do think it was entertaining. Now though, with digesting my personal thoughts, I am leaning more towards a 2.

My expectations and wants were not met and I felt very let down by this book. I feel bad for writing this because I don’t want to say that everyone else with hate this book as well. I know a few friends that would love this. My upset comes from that fact I wanted to love this book. I think the author made a really complex and interesting book, I just wasn’t a fan of the execution.

I can’t say I will be recommending this book but I think that if you are interested in cults, dark romance, serial killers and/or books set in London then I think this could be the book for you.