Dark Obsession

Whiskey Men: Wounded Heroes #2

by Hope Ford

Curvy Divorcee and the Wounded Hero. Together in an against all odds romance. When you’re on a date with one man and get a text from another.
“Don’t let him touch you tonight. You’re mine and I don’t share…” After I’m finally free from my cheating ex-husband, I am not looking for another failed forever.
Nope, I’m a footloose and fancy-free kind of woman.
That is until I meet Jason Hawk. I’m immediately drawn to the wounded military man, but he thinks he’s too damaged for me. He’s spent the last two years believing he’d regain his sight. But when he discovers there’s no cure for his blindness, he’s ready to walk away to give me my freedom. I’m ready for something else.
For the first time in a long time, I want to give something–someone–my all.
I just hope I’m enough. The Whiskey Wounded Heroes series is about a group of wounded ex-mercenaries. They each have their own battles they’re fighting but with the love of a woman, they no longer have to do it alone. Dark obsession is a wounded hero, Curvy divorcee, later in life, possessive, all the feels, small town romance. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Romance, Military Fiction, Contemporary, Disability, Small Town Romance, Contemporary Romance, Military Romance

222 pages, Paperback

Published October 9, 2023

About the author

Bestselling short romance author Hope Ford writes short, steamy, sweet romances.  She loves writing about ALPHA MEN that fall in love with CURVY WOMEN.  She has over 70 books and they are all available on Amazon.

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www.authorhopeford.com
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Reviews

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olivia was annoying as fuck. But I do love a damaged hero.

[Not your Mother’s Romance(semi-hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Sit on my lap.” She huffs again. “I am on your lap.” I shake my head. “No, sit the way I like you to sit. Put your pussy right here, Olivia.”

This line above ⬆️ 😱🫠🔥🍆😋

It’s been a minute since I read my last Ford Hope and it was fun.

Jason lost his eyesight in the military and is awaiting to see if he will ever get it back. Initially I rolled my eyes at the plot but reading from a POV of a blind person was so fascinating. Jason could only go off of his 4 senses and there was something extremely intimate and beautiful about it.

Olivia is a hairdresser and after being in an unhappy and unfaithful marriage she is finally free and living her version of a happy life.

However when both of them meet the instant chemistry is undeniable and both of them have some issues to work through if they want to pursue anything.

Expect a little spicier than the average read from this author, a good dose of reality, two hurt people trying to figure out if they can live and love again. Sweet and very safe.

💕💕💕/5
🔥🔥🔥/5
😂😂/5
😳😳/5

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled upon this book, it sounded good, and I took a chance, and I am so glad I did. Jason and Olivia were super easy to fall in love with. Their story is sweet and spicy, funny and heartfelt, and epically swoon worthy. Really looking forward to continuing this series and I plan on reading book one just as soon as I can.

[Kiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely not dark but I enjoyed this one nonetheless. It was a sweet read 🩷

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% Obsessed

This short, romantic, spicy book was a great filler for me. I wasn't in the mood for what I was reading so I switched to this and was hooked! The love story is cute and showcases real anxieties people have when liking someone new. The spice scenes are definitely hot, but not overly so. I'd say spice 3/5 stars, max. I want me a Whiskey Man now ;)

[Lexi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is this book called Dark Obsession because he's blind? 'Cause he ain't obsessed with her, let alone in any particularly dark way

This was either too short or too long. The content of a 50pg novella in a 200pg shell

[CYNDY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

This was so a quick read but a good one. Jason found love thinking he never would have that. Olivia found her second chance.

[Jenn (booksspicycoffeeicy09) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Hope Ford’s books! I have the whole Whiskey Run: Sugar set. Those were first I read of hers. I love the way she writes the curvy FMCs. They’re not normally the shy omg I’m fat type. Like they know they’re plus size but they don’t whine and cry over it. I’m definitely going to have to get ALL of her Whiskey Run series.

I’m also glad that she didn’t dwell on the MMCs disability either. She showed him dealing with it in a healthy way. I think more military men need to read about men like that. I know a lot of them feel like they’re alone.

The spice level was perfect! It wasn’t smut on every page like most smaller books/novellas are. It wasn’t right off the bat but it wasn’t a slow burn either. It didn’t all happen at once either. It was stretched out through multiple chapters and it was just so good!

Definitely recommend!

[Michelle Delp (Fazio) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet HEA!

This was my first Hope Ford book and I really enjoyed it. It was short and sweet but, it was packed full of love with a really sweet, happy ending.

If you love a wounded hero type, who is closed off from the world until he meets the right gal? Then, this is your book. Our MMC Jason, is every bit possessive and swoon worthy and absolutely melts for our FMC Olivia. They complement each other really well.

I can’t wait to dive into more of her books!

[Kaitlyn Kirby Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a cute feel good story!

Okay, I’m not usually a contemporary romance fan, especially not small town stuff. But this? This was cute! I read it all in one seating and smirked like a schoolgirl with a crush the whole damn time!

[Alberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad.

This wasn’t a bad read. It was decent. I might consider continuing the series if I need a book palate cleanser.

[Jitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book

Well that was an emotional story. I glad they got their happily ever after. I hope her exes get fictional crabs .

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet but underdeveloped

I loved the characters in this book but it felt way too rushed. It felt like a week after the first date they were already saying I love you. I think this book could have been great and it had potential, but there was no time for the characters to grow and develop and we never really learn a lot about who they are as individuals or as a couple.

[Ki Taeni · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn’t dark 🙄 I liked the couple, not a fan of the authors writing.

[Emily Kepler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I miss the person I was 220 pages ago.

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walker always has all his fellow servicemen, mercenaries, and friends' best interests in the forefront, when they are injured in the line of duty. As each one is close to being discharged, they come up with a service plan that can work to rehabilitate, give therapy for mind and body, but then provide employment. The best part is it is within the contained community that was designed for injured retirees. They have housing, the therapy on site, and the work they will be doing will nine times out of ten be on sight too.

In this book, the lucky one is, Jason. He unfortunately lost his eyesight. His friend, Davis, and his fiancee, Abby are taking him to the hairdresser who happens to be her friend, Olivia. The thing is, he doesn't like to be out in public because it brings him a lot of attention because of his blindness, his height, and his gruffness. Although the cut is mandatory, per Walker, he still does not want a haircut. So, when Olivia is being nice and tells him exactly what she doing each step of the way he finds it interesting and endearing. He tries to talk to her but he gets tongue-tied. Botching everything. To the point where it appears rude.

He makes an apology to Olivia that goes fairly well until he tells her she gives him a stiff willy. Yup! He did. Olivia tries not to think of him but there is so much muscle, tattoos, and gorgeous man meat being wasted. Most of all, he wants her, a plus-size girl. When you consider the second date guy, which she normally never goes on, she went out with him. Olivia caught him flirting, with their waitress openly but didn’t say anything. Until, he comes back from a business call, with lipstick on his upper lip. This is a quick OTT but, Olivia is just as strong. Not too many women would have called him on the lipstick in the middle of the restaurant, for fear of him saying something bad about them, in front of the other people at the restaurant. Very good book.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ Romance Comfort-Read Alert ✨

This review comes from a reader who loves:
🛑 No cheating / no OW-OM drama
💞 Low angst (together > apart)
🚫💔 No third-act breakup — I’m tired and I want them happy
👑 Strong FMC
💪 Take-charge MMC
🔥 Reformed playboy > current manwhore
💬 Miscommunication allowed if resolved like adults
🏡 HEA ALWAYS

I read for joy, vibes, and emotional safety. If you’re here for chaos and pain… we might not be reading the same book 😌📚 I also tend not to rework the summary into reviews because chances are you’ve already read it to get to the book review part of the show.

I've got a soft spot for stories involving veterans, as I'm from a military family. This series is about a group of veterans who were on a mission together, each injured in some way, save one, who has orchestrated bringing the gang back together and given new purpose.

This one is about a guy who has lost his sight. Having experience with former soldiers who are dealing with some sort of scar, visible or not, I've enjoyed these books. I was particularly moved by this one because I can't imagine being a person who suddenly loses sight later in life. I can't imagine the adjustment to that, going from such a purpose, like the military, to working on a new purpose. I feel like Hope Ford does a good job at hitting the emotional part of that story.

I enjoyed his growth and journey. The love story was cute and sweet. Once they stopped trying to avoid feelings, it was all in, and I love that. It's a bit insta-love, but I'm not a hater on that.

I think this is a good read. There is a very minimal moment of OM drama, but our MMC nips that and I really liked it. Truthfully, the FMC wasn't into the OM, so it wasn't really a point of worry.

This book is lower spice, sweet, touching, inspiring, and an easy, safe read.


🔐💞👑💪🚫💬🏡
(Safe • Low Angst • Strong FMC • Take-Charge MMC • No Cheating • HEA)

[Olivia (to infinity & books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars.

This was on par with the first book in all honesty. A very simple story that was predictable and mediocre overall. Though a handy little palette cleanser to pass the time with, like with most Hope Ford books I’ve read. 😗

This is an instant attraction romance, and I’m usually not great with those. It’s very hit or miss for me and this was more miss then hit. It wasn’t boring however, it’s not a lengthy book either. It did what it set out to do, told the story it wanted to tell and wrapped it up quickly.👍🏻

I thought some dialog was ott like with previous Hope books and the ending felt a rush (like book 1) but it wasn’t terrible and I did think Jason was a likeable hero and I felt for him and his situation, but Olivia was a little more wooden for me and very two-dimensional. There wasn’t much to say about her unlike Jason.

There’s not a lot of spice despite it being a fast pace book but all in all it had the same vibes of book 1 and I gave that a 3 as well so that’s that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

All in all if you’re behind on your reading goal and need something quick and easy and you like the tropes then grab this up and read it. As I’m mainly reading this series due to the fact I am behind on my reading challenge.

•tropes/genres•
💚instant attraction
🏘small town
🧑‍🦯blind MMC
💓curvy FMC
🥰slow burn
🌶spice (1/5)
🪖ex-mercenary hero
💍divorced heroine
📖24 chpts & epilogue
👥dual POV
✨HEA guarantee

[Thisbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason is a wounded hero, used to be a mercernary for Walker. Now he is in Whiskey Run for rehab and offered a future, if he dares to take it . He is blind and kind of lost himself a little. He used to be confident, now he does not like to go to new places. When his friend drags him out for a haircut he meets Olivia. She makes him feel something for the first time in two years. He is rude, then apologizes, is truthful about his feelings but makes it clear that nothing can come out of it between them. Olivia is drawn to Jason, but has a no serious dating policy for herself. She found her then husband with another woman. Also she has agreed to go on a second day with another man he seeks out Jason. He realizes that he has to stop going through the motions, but taking a grip on life again. Somehow Olivia and Jason mesh together, but also clash. Things are intense and Olivia knows she has to open up her heart, if she wants Jason, they are not casual together. Can she do that?
Somehow Jason and Olivia are frustrating in the best of ways. Finding their way together is not easy, but so worth it. Hope Ford does it again, creating such special characters and a story with finds it way straight to the heart.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hanna Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book number 2 of the Whiskey Men: Wounded Heroes series and focuses on Jason and Olivia. Jason was injured 2 years prior while on a mission and that resulted in him losing his vision. He has struggled since trying to figure out how to live his life now that he isn’t the same man he was when he had his sight. He has been in a funk and just existing for the most part until he is dragged to get his haircut by Olivia, Abby’s best friend. He immediately feels an intense connection to Olivia and can feel parts of himself that he thought were gone come back to life. I love how the two of them navigated their lives around each other and how they just intrinsically knew how to best interact with each other. They each woke up a new part of themselves for the other person and it was wonderful to see. Olivia brought Jason back to the land of the living and he showed her how a real man loves and takes care of his woman. I loved everything about Jason and Olivia together and am so excited to see what book number 3 in the series has to offer. This was a great book and a great addition to the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Grinning Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much I forgot to take notes! Just a minute…

MMC/FMC- Jason and Olivia

POV- 1st person dual

Genre- Contemporary Romance

Heat 🌋🌋🌋 they do the thing and use the P word while naming the parts.

Safety: Y. There’s no cheating, no S. Violence, no sharing, no OW/OM drama, no cliffhanger, HEA.

Triggers- language, explicit erotic content, small-town gossip.

Tropes- Former Military, Injured/Disabled Hero, Instalove, Lovers Touch

What I liked- Jason was a lot more able than he thought he was; he compensated for his visual impairment. And that the book shared how he did. (Although, he could have someone sighted fold the different denominations of bills in his wallet so that he doesn’t overpay again). I liked when he told her that she smelled beautiful. It seemed like an honest and realistic compliment. And I like that Olivia didn’t look at him like he was broken. Good side characters and good, supportive friends. I think Walker is absolutely wonderful. The chemistry between Olivia and Jason is amazing and the resulting zexytime scenes are super hawt, especially with the tactile element. I felt that although the book is relatively short, that absolutely nothing was missing.

What I didn’t like- can we talk about the title? Dark Obsession. First off, it makes it sound as though the book will be dark, dangerous, and deeply intense. Spoiler: it’s not. Instead, the author was apparently going for a play on words. Dark because he’s blind? Dude, not cool. I thought we stopped making ableist jokes in 1986. And I have no idea where the hell “Obsession” comes from. Yeah, he thinks about her a lot. I think about cheese a lot, but it doesn’t mean that I’m obsessed. Oh, wait….

Verdict- despite the unfortunate title, I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it for readers who want something that is both Safe and hot.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melly Gem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised but I really enjoyed this book.
It was really nice to read a story about someone being vision impaired and not just glaze over it.
The MMC Jason has lost his sight during a military mission. He has adapted to life fairly well but struggles to be out in public. Until he meets Olivia, who is his hairdresser and best friend to his friends girl.
She instantly respects him and treats him like everyone else but knows to explain what she is doing but not be condescending about it. She has amazing patience.
I was so worried this was going to be one of those annoying miracle he gets his sight back stories but was so glad it was realistic.
It was actually a beautiful story.
The only thing that was missing was I wanted some more details about what happened to Jason and what the future job was.. (What were the 40 coffee tables for???) And a bit more on Olivia and maybe why she was so good at working with him.. some of the things she did made me think she had worked with someone blind before or knew someone.. I just needed slight more background on the pair, but none the less it was a cute quick read.
Definitely recommend.

[Betty · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, hmmmm…. This had a cute premise but oof, the writing was thin. Everything happened insanely fast and there was no real connection other than some insta obsession.

- no third act breakup
- mature MMC (mid 40’s), FMC (30’s)
- blind MMC, ex military
- insta everything - no small moments, just bad communication and then they’re in love and getting engaged
- no OW/OM; both are instantly obsessed; she had one date w another guy; no mention of him w anyone else.
- cringy dialogue
- mid spice; low angst

So Jason went blind two years ago in some sort of military (?) accident and is having trouble accepting it. He meets Olivia when he gets his hair cut and they both fall instantly. The dialogue is so middle school awkward it was painful. Then she just shows up at his place, but then gets cold feet, and then weirdly offers him a haircut and then freaks out when they kiss and then he goes to her place and…. Anyway, they finally get over themselves, talk and get together.

Such a sweet idea for a story; love the inclusion of the blind obsessed MMC, but the writing needed a lot more finesse and the story needed a lot more depth.

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Obsession is book 2 of the Whiskey Men: Wounded Heroes series. It's a steamy instalove, grumpy-sunshine, girl gets her hunky military man romance. Olivia is a strong, sassy, independent, and curvy hairdresser. Jason is a hunky, grumpy, blind ex-military man. Olivia is a divorcee and not looking for anything serious, but when she cuts Jason's hair, she is instantly attracted to him. Jason has been blind for two years after an accident in the military and thought he was broken until Olivia made him feel again. Are they both able to open themselves to love again? I loved this story so much. Jason is such a drool-worthy hero, and Olivia is so sweet with him. They were both able to bring out the best in each other and help each other to heal. It was also so cute how possessive they were with each other. The chemistry was hot 🔥 and we got a great happy ending. I loved it! I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rainbowlovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy age gap romance, military romance, wounded solider, dual pov writing, spice, alpha male, strong willed females, he falls first and hard, wary in love female, HEAs then the second installment of from the Whiskey men:wounded heroes will not disappoint.

Hope writes brilliant stories with the perfect mix of steam and drama. The characters are written so amazingly you can connect with then and go on their emotional roller coaster with them.

In this installment we follow Olivia and Jason. Jason is injured for an operation gone wrong, two years later he's still coming to terms with it. Because of this he comes across abrupt, but when he meets Olivia he wants her. Only he's scared of the feeling. Can Olivia help him overcome self imposed limitations? Can Jaosn help Olivia see her past doesn't have to be repeated?

5/5 stars!!! Amazing read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[ljamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason was injured while serving and now he is blind. It’s been two long years. He has kept to himself and doesn’t believe he is worthy or capable of doing anything productive. Olivia is a hairdresser who was asked to cut Jason’s long hair. While Jason is in the chair and Olivia is working on his hair. Jason becomes aroused something that hasn’t happened in two years since he was injured. He’s extremely embarrassed and tries to emotionally and physically withdraw from her. They later talk about what happens and she actually hopes that he will ask her out. Although she is known for only giving guys just one date. But, Jason never calls. This relationship is filled with miscommunication and fear of commitment. This book is a great book as the first one in this series was focusing on people with disabilities and having them be our main characters. Love this book can’t wait to read the rest in this series.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Jason's character, well written. However, I got whiplash from Olivia changing her mind and gaslighting him into thinking he's the one at fault.

1st "date" they kiss - she runs b/c she doesnt want anything serious, which she makes clear to him
2nd "date" he makes her see stars, but then has to leave b/c his ride is there to pick him up and she explicitly told him she doesnt want anything serious but he knows he wants more and cant just bump uglies with her and not get serious
she gets mad he left... "you dont want me waaaaah" ... ummm pretty sure he is just respecting your boundaries.
he doesnt text her for like 12 hours and she loses her mind... he has a doctor's appointment which he kept private since they've only known each other a hot minute but she gets mad at him for not telling her... oh yeah and she drops the love bomb on him...

Olivia is just a terrible person. Jason deserves better.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Dark' Obsession cause he's blind right? Yikes.

cause this certainly wasn't a dark romance. I could hardly call it a romance at all considering they fall in love in the span of 3 days? I know military romances are often a whirlwind, but there were a lot of problems with this that spelled a red flag more so than it did an instant love connection.

I think that there should have been more content surrounding both of their trauma and healing from said traumas, there's a lot of 'love fixes all' in here that was not very believable.

The author does not do a good job of remembering that Jason is blind, and often writes in visual cues that Jason would not know are happening because he's BLIND. He cannot see her nod her head or see her reactions to things when he's not directly touching her, and yet the author writes several scenes as if he can magically sense what Olivia's doing when she's nowhere near him.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whiskey Men is a group of ex mercenaries who have been injuried and are rehabbing at the rehab facility built by their leader. Jason is a man who was lost his sight. He is unsure of what he is going to be able to do now. He mainly stays around the compound. His friends are taking him to get his haircut. He meets the hairdresser Olivia. Olivia has butterflies in her stomach from her interactions with Jason. Jason also feels attracted to her. He feels something happen to him. But he really can’t believe it! A week passes and Olivia has thought about him everyday. She is going to go see him. What will happen? It’s a really amazing story filled with refocusing your life, wanting to succeed, connecting with on another. It’s a warm, tender, passionate, loving story. A really enjoyable read!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.