After Hours

by Rayne Matthews

Sometimes love isn't what you think it is.

After a night of drinking with her sister, Chrissy decides to go on a dating site and try to hook up. What she doesn't expect is for the lead singer of her favorite band to be on that same site.

Bentley Campbell is a rock God with the body and voice of an angel, and the attitude of a devil. Addicted, angry, but hot as Hell, he has skeletons hidden in his closet, so no one can ever get too close to discover them.

Except Chrissy.

But in a world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, what's a little murder between lovers?

**After Hours is a dark rockstar romance which contains adult situations, including instances of mental illness and DV. May be triggering for some**

Genres: Ebooks, Dark Romance, Dark

183 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2023

About the author

Rayne Matthews was born in the Desert of Southern California, and now resides in Los Angeles, with her husband, four children, two dogs, and a maniacal cat. After the "zoo" is closed each night, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and writing stories that make people question her sanity.

She is the author of dark romances such as the Twisted Road Series, Soulless Ryders Origins Series. Reverse harem suspenseful thriller Dilemma Duet, and revenge thriller The Journal.

Reviews

[lemon]

Dude what the fuck did I just read

[Sara MS · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a ride. I'll be honest, until I reached the 95% of the book, I was going to give it a star or two at most, if I didn’t DNF first. The twist in the remaining 5% has managed to save the whole book. If you are struggling, please keep reading. This book should have some giant TWs, it will mess your mind.

I feel like I need to review both parts, because if I review only based in what I learnt at the end won’t faithfully represent how I have felt throughout the whole book.
If you continue reading this review there may be spoilers, read at your own risk
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<95% - This is not dark romance. This is domestic violence. He is manipulative, selfish, a liar, a traitor, and a sadist (and she is not a masochist, so she doesnt consent or enjoy it). Make no mistake, I love DR, I love OTT men who are possessive, jealous, and have a sick love... but for whom she is their entire world and their priority, they care for her and protect her, not some fucking plaything like Chrissy is for Ben.

There is absolutely no chemistry between them. The writing doesn't help, all interactions between them are just dialogue, no description of non-verbal language, no thoughts, no emotions. There is no depth, facts are glossed over. Literally in a few pages they go from saying “hello” and go straight to f*ck to not talking to each other for two months, to telling each other “I love you” and commit to marry the next time they see after all that time. The MMC is hateful and incongruent. From his POV, he's supposed to be obsessed with her, wants to keep her for himself, and yet two days after proposing to her (there's no description of those two days) he gets overwhelmed and got head from three girls while FMC is in the next room, then goes sniff some coke "to break his woman's pussy" because "he's in love." They f*ck and they dont talk or see for days. Jump to New Year’s Eve, he calls FMC’s sister to tell her he “doesn’t have time for clingy bitches like her sister” but shows up at the party and talks to her about having kids and moving in together. An hour later manipulates her to take drugs and threatens with end the relationship because 10 years ago she almost slept with another band member and didn’t give him a pet name. The he tells her that she deserves that her ex killed her baby, really DUB f*cks her (feels like r*pe, she just want him to end) and then ask her to marry him in front of the entire family. A few hours later he lefts her to go fuck two other girls. He keeps cheating while controls her and doesn’t even allow her to talk to other men. Do you see know why I hated this part?

>95% Well it seems that the FMC had us all fooled, and that she is actually sicker and enjoys it more than she seemed. She is a sadomasochist, aware of his and her own toxicity, and tries to “solve it” in a morally dubious way. They both “open their eyes” and work to become better people. They get their HEA. As it’s says in my native language: “Siempre hay un roto para un descosido.”

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe 1.5 stars
This is probably the worst book that I've ever read. I don't say that lightly. I think the last 1 star book I read was close to 15 years ago, and was some foreign psychology tale.

Here's why...
I don't feel like this should be classified as romance, there was no romantic connection between these two. I mostly only read dark romance, so am used to anti-heroes and the morally gray/black things that they do. This was psychotic obsession, not romance.
I didn't love her sexually carefree attitude, how promiscuous she was. Though I will say, by the last half of the book, I was more okay with her like that, and less with him.
The hero, he's a dick, no other way to put that. He called a woman "a fat chick, the little troll", said "3 chicks doing what the good lord put them on tuis earth to do" (in a 3some) then joins them literally 2 pages after committing to the heroine, said [taking about his girl] "she's not blonde, & tits are small as Hell...nothing a good doc & hairdresser can't fix" and "the stupid b!+ch hung up on me", said that she deserved the ex who beat the crap out of her, causing her to go into premature labor then kidnap [and possibly unalive] the baby. There is no coming back from any of that, let alone all of it.

Honestly, the end [minus the epilogue], was the only way that this book could have ended. I saw no other way for it to go. It wasn't a twist, but does further confirm that I don't think this should be listed as a romance. I think I may have liked it a little more (rounded my 1.5 stars up to 2) had there not been an epilogue, because that did nothing to add to the story. It was unbelievable on top of everything else that we were already fed. EVERYONE just forgave her? Gods, this was 2 days worth of reading that I want back.

[Felicia Seay · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Okay Read

This book is a definitely dark drama, though I wouldn't quite call it romance. It's a fast paced adrenaline high story, that's funny and depraved in equal measure. The two main characters are both mentally disturbed, and the author wrote the story a little too accurately from the point of view of people who are high on alcohol and drugs. Because of the writing style, it wasn't as good of a mental mind-f### as it had the potential to be. The twisted h.e.a. ending, while a surprise, felt too rushed to completion. Overall, I think it's an okay read. But not one that I would highly recommend.

Trigger Warnings: Mentally Ill, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Stalking, Rough Sex, S&M Sexual Fantasies, Gun Violence, Physical and Mental Abuse, Death of a Baby, Attempted Murder Suicide and Serial Killer.

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could’ve been so much better - I don’t even have the right words but no I finished it cause I hate dnf’ing books but 60% of the way I was over it. You think hot stalker rock star all systems go right? No you get drugged up hot and cold mind game playing douche and the fmc is just weak for it.

[melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

blah

This book is Not a great read. They’re some what def a good story line. It’s extremely confusing to read. One minute he says he loves her but than his hateful toward her.

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was garbage, and it is NOT a dark romance. This is straight-up domestic violence and psychological abuse. This book needs to be reclassified and have TWs.

Semi-Spoilers Below:
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Ben is so hot and cold that you get whiplash. One second he loves Chrissy and the next he hates her. He says he loves her but then cheats multiple times, but doesn't want her talking to men. He fantasizes about harming her, which is not okay. The last 5% of the book was a surprise twist, to say the least, however, I don't see it working out the way that it did.

Either way, this book wasn't what I had expected, and even though I like thrillers, this was bad. I barely finished it, even with skipping paragraphs.

[DeeDeeWReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: Content/Trigger warnings... If mental health in any avenue is a trigger, please take gentle steps as you read. It's a great book, but mental health always comes first.

Anyone need some red flags for your yard? This book has them and then some! What a rollercoaster ride. Up, down, those twists and turns will keep you reeling...and scratching your head. The FMC and MMC must be cats, all I'm gonna say.

Once again, I am mind blown by what Rayne Matthews puts to 'paper'. I don't know how she does it, but I'm here for it and will continue to be. No matter how crazy it gets, lover for life of all crazy and warped.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one by Rayne. In typical Rayne fashion, this book is full of twists and turns as Ben and Chrissy navigate their relationship after meeting on a dating app. No matter the genre, Rayne will suck you into the world she's created, keep there until the very end, and make you want more! This book is no different and I loved it! Can't wait to read the next book she writes! As always, please read trigger warnings. Great read!

[Holly Hartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars is probably a bit of a stretch. The FMC is not likeable, she see and acknowledges all the red flags and just goes eh, whatever and dives in head first. The MMC is exactly what you think a famous Rockstar boyfriend would be like. The "twist" at the end was the only redeeming part, and it wasn't much of a twist, I could see most of it happening.
Not a bad book to pad the yearly numbers, but nothing too deep.

[Victoria Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rock star Ben meets Chrissy on a dating app. Once they finally meet in person things go back and forth before they form a relationship. But things are not what they seem Rayne as usual gives us a twist with her characters especially Ben. A mind twist read like she is good at doing. Another read I could not put down.

[Gloria Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just another example of how simply talented Rayne is. She was to be a writer. Her latest installment is a suspenseful thrill. Please go in with an open mind. I don't know of many authors who can pull a reader in like she does. Excellent jobas always Rayne.

[The Huntress Booktok · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darker than it sounds

With a hot and heavy start..this book then focuses more on the relationship with a few vague "deeds" I would have to say trigger warning reading is important here.

It is well written but dark in a lot of places.

[Mishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good. But so, so many twist and turns. Trust me when I say I was absolutely not prepared for the twist at the end. Reading the warnings was not enough to prepare me for what this book had in store. But I still loved it

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expect the unexpected when reading this book. You think you know what is going to happen, then boom, you get the unexpected. This was a good read and I enjoyed the storyline and the characters.

[Pinky Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book and learning about the FMC and how her relationship with the After Hours band member(s) began and the journey it is to the HEA they may find.

[Franceska Werner]

Wtf did I just read? I"m not sure I should rate this book because I was flipping pages. But if I must, it would be like 3* for original storyline

[Elina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now I understand why we get these ebooks for free during Stuff Your Kindle Day. This was trash.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! My mind was blown away few different times throughout the book!!

[Coralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it .

[Kaitlin Duffie · Rating 1 out of 5]

WTF

I know this book would be someone’s cup of tea. But it isn’t mine. It could use more details and back stories for sure. But it was wild.