Once upon a time, there were three men forged in suffering. They lived their lives in servitude to the monster who created them. Broken boys became vicious men.
Years of brutality stripped them of their humanity and hardened their hearts.
Each man retreating further into darkness.
Until her.
She is the beacon of hope and the spark that re-ignites their damaged and demented hearts.
But when their world threatens her life, they’ll do anything to keep her safe. Even if it means destroying everything they’ve ever known.
oh my fucking god, first of all i would like to thank Mila for letting me read this as an ARC.
OH MY GOD i’ve been eating up the darkly ever after series and this is hands down the best book in the series. i loved how much plot she was able to put into 129 pages. There is a perfect amount of smut compared to the plot AND MY GODDDDDD IS IT SPICY!!!!! Very taboo and VERY delicious
I can definitely see how this is a reimagined retelling of cinderella. Getting back at the evil stepmom made me screen but goddamn did she deserve it. I love how the guys and ellas story evolved. i wish it was longer!
🌶️ pierced FMC & MC 🌶️ torture 🌶️ MMMF 🌶️ pet play 🌶️ step sibling’s 🌶️ gory / violence 🌶️ fast burn 🌶️ serial killers 🌶️ multiple pov 🌶️ touch them and die 🌶️ degradation 🌶️ dvp 🌶️ tvp 🌶️ blood play 🌶️ creampie cleanup 🌶️ primal
I couldn't wait to read their book when we got a sneak peek. And this is the stepbrothers/sister.
Poor Ella, she gained a new family of snakes, and her father dies. I was sad she didn't feel more angry at the guys who knew their mother would do that to her father. She just brushed it aside i wanted more rage. besides that now, she's finally found out what the step mom wants. The guys informed her of the plan even if they didn't want to. She has to act like there whore there plaything until they get the papers with info about dear step mama. And as always it's spicy it's dirty and delicious.
I feel like Mila needs to change some background stories of her future guys since most have simillar ones.
No ow/on drama, no cheating, Drama, sexy times, no virgins and Manwhores (they talked about there past with stepfather and past flings)
Prologue Degradation 29H/21h/28H/29H Push away from H MM MMMF MF Primal Spit Play C*m Play Items in places Cream-pie clean up Pet play Toys Praise TVP DP Marking CNC Exhibitionism Blood play Knife play Step-Siblings CSA -CA Incest (not any of the Mains) Violence and Violent acts. Hea Epilogue
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Every time I read one of the Darkly Ever After books I feel like I’m prepared mentally for what I’m getting into… and every time I am still shook by them.
Dubious is a dark MMMF Cinderella reimagining. It’s filthy and will make you question all of your morals but god almighty it is HOT. Sorry… did I mention… STEP SIBLINGS?!
There’s pound town, drama and more pound town. It’s 132 pages DARK step sibling taboo shenanigans - HOW COULD IT GET ANY BETTER?
This book is terrible. It's a bunch of words that make absolutely no sense. Actually, the only thing that stands out was how much the MMCs disliked themselves. That's something I can agree with. Other than that, the characters are so flat they're almost nonexistent. What is it about you ask? 🤷♀️ Not a clue. I miss who I was before this book. Whoever recommended this book to me, I don't forgive you. Why did I continue you ask? Well, I thought maybe by the end, I'd get it. Nope.
Ella's life was simple. She was happy. living with her father everything was great. until her new step mother comes and flips her world upside down.
Alaric, River, and Asher have only ever known darkness and trauma. that is until their "mother" marrys a new man and they meet their new step sister. all three of them have something awaken in them and their plan changes.
Mila does it again!! the kinks, the dirty talk, i enjoyed this like i do most things mila writes. love this whole series and cant wait for the next one!!
Just when I think Milas books can’t get any more deranged, she gifts us with this masterpiece! This was DDDAAAARRRRKKKKKK and I am absolutely here for it, the whole series has been twisted and depraved. Mila is an artist when it comes to morally pitch black men!
Dubious is the 4th book in the Darkly Ever After series and follows the Cinders, who you’ll remember from Primal Beasts because they own the crazy club Eden goes to for information.
I really vibed with the first 85% of this book! It made me happy to see we got more plot in this to balance out the smūt bc the tension that grew from the build up was a nice change of pace for Milas novella. The flow of the story was great for me until we hit around the last 10-15%, I wish we would have had less t0rture time with the two men and more in-depth revenge coverage for the Stepmother. I didn’t feel a good sense of closure bc it felt rushed. I enjoyed the fact though Mila gave us another plus size FMC with men who love their ladies curves, I’ll never get tired of that!
Mila also never ceases to amaze me with how she can have such poetic and deep lines. Ex: ‘There’s a moment when you fall from the ideal of what others believe you should be and simply become who you are… I’ve lived my life for one solid goal, my whole being forged for one undeniable purpose. To make my father proud. But that wasn’t who I was; it was who I created myself to be.’
Then we get moments of comedic relief with stuff like this. Ex: ‘Ella’s p**sy is the definition of a nutcracker.’ I had to stop reading for a moment because I was laughing so hard.
There’s a lot of stuff I liked in here. The tab00 st*p siblings, plus size FMC, great pacing for the majority, good plot to smūt ratio and the degr*dation in here is my jam.
But I can also say I was disappointed in a couple things. I feel like one man in the group, in every book of this series, has the same traumatic background (csa). It’d be nice to be finished with that background usage and create something different for the next book because right now I it’s like I’m reading the same character over and over. Also the rush in the last 10-15% with how everything kind of played out, I wish the epilogue had scaled back on the smūt to give a more rounded finishing touch. I did like the marriage proposal though, I love poly marriage!
All in all I think this was a fair read for me, there were things I liked and equally disliked, I’m just super excited for the next book bc we’re going to get Dariyus’s sister!! (His book was In Dreams)
“He’s thicker than a snickers” is definitely one of my favorites lines in this book.. if you know you know 😉
🟣MMMF 🟣T@b00 🟣C•N•C 🟣Heavy D3gr@dat!0n 🟣Pr@is3 🟣Sp!+ play 🟣Sn0wb@|l!ng 🟣Cr3@m 🥧 cleanup 🟣P3+ play 🟣D•V•P 🟣T•V•P 🟣D•P
The grocery list goes on so make sure to check out the TWs before you dive into this fairy-tell gone D@rk 😉
⭐️4/5🌶️5/5
So it’s not secret that if Mila Crawford writes a book I’m reading it… why because yes Mila brings the spice like no other BUT why I keep coming back to Mila’s books is truly because of her writing and the writing done for Dubious was exquisite.. the word choice, the way Mila strategically describes and paints her scenes is simple amazing to me! Some of my favorite scenes that Mila wrote in this book had nothing to do with spice and EVERYTHING to do with the way she wrote and painted current scenes in such vivid detail making you feel those emotions and those moments… that’s what you get when you take the time to absorb and read Dubious!! And just like she paints a picture for the storyline she also makes sure that her readers FEEL the Spice as well!!
I think we can all safely say that Mila Crawford brings the SPICE in all her books so I personally had no doubts on the level of jalapeños this book would have BUT Mila still finds little…*cough..cough* (BIG) ways to surprise me and keep me on my toes!! Because the level of schminky Schmink she wrote in this book was…g00d lawwwdd the pages were in h3@t themselves.. that’s all I’m gonna say.. bring some water and a fan cause it’s gonna be hot
Um🥵 excuse me a moment while I cool off🥵🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 That sh*t was HOT AF!!!
I could definitely see the dark and dirty Cinderella spin in this story with the evil stepmother and 3 mean stepbrothers.
Similar to previous books, there were a few flashback scenes and although they were less confusing than past books, I don’t love the way it’s done. They interrupting the middle of a smoking hot scene to go into a flashback, taking you out of the spicy moment. It’s not terrible, and clearly the authors preferred writing style, but it could be done better IMO.
I liked that this one kept away from the religious aspects that plague previous MMC’s, only to mix things up and not be redundant. Of course, what happened to these 3 men as children (and on into adulthood) was equally horrifying and left them all physically and mentally scarred. I didn’t really understand why it took them so long to retaliate (one of the men is 30 yo), but I guess it reflects on how badly they were manipulated.
I didn’t feel the connection to the characters in this story quite as much as previous books in the series. In particular, I had a hard time understanding Ella’s character, and why she stuck around and also how she was so cold-blooded at the end (since she seemed to have the perfect childhood/ life with no history of trauma and was showered with love and praise from her father). In any case, it was still a super hot story and it was nice to see the guys earn their HEA.
Dubious is book 4 in the Darkly Ever After series and just like the rest, it was INCREDIBLE! The books are interconnected but can be read as standalones as well but I highly suggest reading the series. Now this is a book you MUST check trigger warnings on but if you love step-siblings, mmmf, primal, dark romance? Then definitely read this!
Alaric, River, and Asher are 3 brothers whose mother has a knack for marrying rich men and when they mysteriously wind up dead, she moves on to the next. These men are fierce, animalistic, and dark & depraved. Ella is their latest, new step-sister and each of the brothers feels something they’ve never felt before when it comes to her. Ella should fear these men.. but she’s finding herself more drawn to them instead of running from them. She has no idea these men will turn her world upside down.
Thank you Mila Crawford for allowing me (once again) to ARC read for you and read another part to this fantastically dark series of reimaginings. I knew when I saw Cinderella reimagining, that I would EAT. IT. UP. And I sure did! This novella has equal parts plot and filthy smut and the things these men do are deliciously dirty! I loved every single page. This novella will have you hot & at the edge of your seat! 5 stars!
Holy cow the pure filth that is in this book was off the charts between the three men & their new stepsister. Now don’t get me wrong this does have a great storyline, but there is a lot of spice in the mixed. This is a MMMF romance Alaric is the oldest & the only son that’s blood related to Celeste, but then you have River & Asher whom were groomed at a young age by the witch they call mommy dearest. She is a awful person having rich men fall for her traps just to kill them & sell their children to the highest bidder after her sons break & train them to perfection, but that all comes to an end when they meet their new stepsister Ella. They all fall for her in special circumstances, but one thing is for sure is that she is submissive & perfect for the three of these ruthless men. They all have their own kinks that do it for them & Ella sure loves all of it & all of them at the same time. When she finally realizes that her new step mom is capable of horrible things, the darkness elopes her & she cherishes the experience. I never thought she would be capable of the things she did in those last few chapters when I first started reading, but she definitely surprised me. Now that epilogue was both sweet & absolutely filthy in every amazing way, what a way to end a book then by having three men at the same time
"You think you deserve a reward, Ella? You think I'm going to bend for a little brat like you?"
This book is full of that slippery filth that dark romance readers crave. The Darkly Ever After series is interconnected, but can be read as stand alones. These men are ferociously protective of their women and have no problem handling her enemies accordingly. If Mila Crawford has written it, I've read it. I adore an insta-love RH with a plus size FMC and the bad men that have to have her. Dubious checked all of my boxes as I forecasted it would.
Ella believed that her new step-mother would bring light to her and father's life. She had no idea that the step-brothers in tow would change her life forever. They are the type of men that she could only conjure up in her deepest, darkest fantasies. Her world is turned upside down and she'll have to make the hardest choice of her life. Run away from their dark? Or be their light?
Please be mindful of the trigger warnings. My clip only shows a few of what is on the list.
Content:
MMMF Plus size FMC Degradation Primal Spit Play C*m Play Cream P*e clean up Pet Play Toys Praise TVP DP Marking CNC Exhibitionism Step-Siblings Knife Play Bl**d Play CSA and CA Gore/Violence
This book is for my fellow dark romance girls who have next to no TW we won't read.
Ella has lived a sheltered life. She has a father who loves her and wants for nothing. So when her dad comes home with her new stepmom and three new stepbrothers she's nervous but open to making it work for her dad. But nothing goes according to plan and as her world falls apart she doesn't know if she can trust her vicious and violent big brothers.
Alaric, Asher, and River know nothing but pain and suffering. Their lives have never been good and they gave up on the idea of a HEA early one. All they have is each other and their darkness. Until they met Ella. Can she be the light they've always needed? Or will she fall to the same misery every other person who's ever gotten near them have.
I think this might be my favorite Darkly Ever After book. It's also potentially the darkest. These boys past was HARSH so read triggers if you need to.
I honestly think Mila should consider writing like some true crime style books because the torture and violence in here had my jaw on the FLOOR haha.
The relationship between the boys was beautifully sad and cathartic and Ella really was the perfect match for them.
The spice was dark and deranged, just like I like it!
Mila does it again, this time with a DARK Cinderella retelling. I swear her men are on their own level because the mouths these guys have is just insane.
Ella thought she was gaining a new family to love. Little did she know they were a family a backstabbing snakes. Her stepmother is just plain evil, and her 3 stepbrothers are cruel but intriguing. After her father tragically died, she didn't smile anymore. She was lost and sad and her stepmother did nothing to help. But her stepbrothers were there trying to protect her from what she didn't know. Little did she understand her stepmother was way crueler than she thought. Then one night she gave into some of her desires and opened up the gates to some dark and dirty thoughts.
Like true Mila fashion and it was dark & trigger happy. Ella and her stepbrothers are hot and forbidden and dark. These men know how to please a woman with their mouths and other parts..... I love all the smut, Taboo romance, plus size FMC representation and all that dirty filth. If you have not read the other Darkly Ever After books, then I highly encourage you to. You will not be disappointed. Also like always please check trigger/ content warnings before reading. There are ALOT with this book.
You know that feeling when you read a novella/book and think oh yeah that's the stuff that's hot then you think wait why is that hot, what is wrong with me? This is the perfect example of that. Just 129 pages of smutty goodness with a great plot running alongside. In fact, more plot than we have had in the previous instalments of this series.
Ella lived a sheltered life and was pleased when her father remarried and she found out she was going to have three stepsons. Boy did she not expect what was coming but we, the audience, did which made for a deliciously dark setting from the outset. Alaric, Asher, and River have lived in a world of pain and cruelty at the hands of their mother who uses them for her own despicable gain. They no longer believe in happily ever after, that is until their new innocent stepsister shines a light to their darkness.
If you are like me, ignore the trigger warnings and go in blind for maximum enjoyment. This was pure depraved smut that even I found myself nervous giggling and clutching my pearls to. 10/10 bring on more Mila they keep getting better and better!
Dubious is the fourth book in the Darkly Ever after series. This is a standalone, with mentions of characters from previous (and future) books.
"“Well, well, well. Looks like the rabbit has been caught by the big bad wolves.”
You have 🟣MMMF 🟣Step-siblings 🟣CNC 🟣Degradation/Praise 🟣Pr!mal 🟣Sp!t play 🟣Bløød play 🟣Snowb@lling 🟣Crə@m pie cleanup 🟣Kn!fe Play 🟣Pət pl@y 🟣Sadism/Masochism 🟣Exhibitionism 🟣Strətching 🟣Tøys 🟣DVP 🟣TVP 🟣DP 🟣Air Tight 🟣V!olençe and viølent acts 🟣Səlf H@rm ( MMC ) 🟣CA and CSA ( off page )
Dubious is a whychoose, dark reimagining of Cinderella. What a ride that was!! I mean, GOTDAMN!!! This was veeeery dark, dirty, deranged, AND also delicious!! Alaric, River, and Asher had such a dark past and the moment they met Ella, they found their light and everything beautiful...even after the broken version. Celeste was LITERALLY the true epitome of evil!!! OMG!! I really, really wished the ending wasn't rushed and was longer, buuuuut I highly enjoyed it!
In the fourth installment of the Darkly Ever After Series, three tortured souls discover hope in an intriguing heroine, weaving a dark Cinderella reimagining that plunged me into an unexpectedly dirty and delicious world.
Forged in suffering, the characters evolve from broken boys to vicious men, their humanity stripped by years of brutality. The author skillfully portrays their retreat into darkness, enhancing the impact of their encounter with the beacon of hope. Warning: this tale isn’t for the faint of heart.
Explicit content and trigger warnings are abundant, underscoring the book’s bold and daring approach. The author’s narrative is a double-edged sword, adding a unique flavor while challenging those seeking a conventional read.
Personally, the series captivated me with its dark fairy tale vibes. Despite pushing my comfort zone, this installment’s strangeness was alluring. Offering a solid 3.5-star experience, it’s a tale for those who relish a quick, gritty journey into the shadows – not your typical fairy tale, and that’s what makes it stand out.
Ok, este es el más bajo porque realmente se pasó para enredado 🫠 Hay demasiados flashback que podrían haberse contado perfectamente en una historia lineal y no tenerlos entre medio haciendo que se perdiera el hilo.
Es verdad que en los otros no hay mucha explicación de donde nace está necesidad de proteger a las protas, más allá de que obviamente les pasan cosas a los hombres 🔥 y ella cumple el cliché de “Nunca nadie me ha hecho sentir así”, pero aquí no se entiende porque hay flashbacks metidos que te dejan con más dudas que respuestas 🧐🤨
Este también es uno de los que menos spice tiene, pero es el más “sanito” en cuanto a los protagonistas masculinos 👀 Obvio están traumados porque ajá es el componente de las novelas cortas con spice 🌶️ y muchas banderas rojas 🚩, pero dentro de la 4 que llevo, son los más cuerdos y eso es decir mucho 👀
En fin, igual me voy a leer el último porque me mantienen lejos del bloqueo y son para pasar el rato
Get ready for a wild ride with Dubious, the fourth installment of the Darkly Ever After series! Alaric, River, and Asher are on a mission to bring their wicked mother to justice for all the harm she has caused to them and their stepsister, Ella. Ella's father's sudden death left her feeling uneasy, and when their evil stepmom and her three sons entered their lives, she knew something was off. But, with her stepbrothers by her side, they are determined to take down the evil queen. Mila's knack for dark, twisted tales will have you on the edge of your seat!
Things to know Degradation, Primal, Spit Play, Cum Play, Cream-pie clean up, Pet play, Toys, Praise, TVP, DP, Marking, CNC, food play, Exhibitionism. Step-Siblings, knife play, blood Play, CSA, CA, Violence, MMMF Cinderella reimagining
“Princess, all three of us have our little proclivities….I like to chase. So start running.”
4🌟I love how even in these novellas Mila is able to create such depths to her characters, and alongside all and I mean ALL.THE.SMUT There’s some really open, raw beautiful characters that kind of speak to you with their trauma it’s just incredible. The mental health rep that Mila puts into her reads is just amazing, and she’s really true to the characters and respectful of their journeys, which I really appreciate as a reader.
I loved the pet play in this story. I haven’t read many stories with pet play in it, and this just seemed really well executed and very spicy. Goodness I think I have a new qink unlocked every time Mila writes haha 😛
Love the crossover of characters from previous series, and also the set up to the next one. I’m very excited to see what happens!
Mila Crawford is a new-to-me author. I was immediately intrigued by the blurb I just knew in my heart and soul that this would be an excellent read, and I was right. I will definitely be checking out Mila’s back log.
“Dubious” is a dark retelling of “Cinderella” but he has one heck of a twist that’s I’ll leave you drooling.
“Dubious” tells the story of three step brothers who have been doing their mothers evil bidding for a very long time, until they meet their new step-sister who becomes their light in a very dark world. Together will there be able to take down their evil mother/step mother?
I was immediately hooked with this incredible novella and I just couldn’t put it down! I would highly recommend you pick up this fabulous read if you enjoy dark romances then this is definitely for you.
This series just gets better and better. I loved how this one started, with a look into three men and their wicked, controlling, devious black widow mother. We get a peek inside their life so far before we meet Ella who had the perfect life with her father before letting poison into their home. Alaric, River, and Asher are fully prepared to do their mothers bidding until they get their taste of beauty that is Ella. Soon, they are making their own plans. I loved how twisted and dark these stories are. It pushes the norm while keeping you engaged and invested in the characters and plot. Shock value is there, yes but so is the happy ever after at the end. Such a good read and I'm looking forward to the next fairy tale spin.
This DARK retelling of Cinderella was filthy & delicious! Hands down my favourite book of the series. I devoured this
The trauma that Alaric, Asher & River went through… “They lived their lives in servitude to the monster who created them. Broken boys became vicious men.” Even with them stripped bare, you can feel the love they have for each other, the relationship between the bothers and now, their “beacon of hope” Ella
You can definitely see how this is a reimagined retelling of cinderella. Getting back at the evil stepmom made me giddy, i was holding my breath waiting for this, she deserved it and more. I love how the guys and Ella’s story evolved in this novella. Short but packed full of filthy dirty talk that hits just right.
sorry, I mean, Once Upon A Time… In a land far away, a princess named Ella took on 3 step demons and vanquished the evil villain to live Twistedly and Happily Ever After. This is their story. Mila! I just wanna talk babes. you babe have the ability to make me question my morals more than almost anyone else on this planet. Stick a corn cob in me, I’m done! lol. Nah, it’ll take a lot more than that to make me bend. Is that a challenge? Maybe… want a filthy, smutty, morally black fairytale that’ll make your therapist happy after funding their next vacation? Look no further than this bad boy. It’s got it all. Let’s see how far your imagination, and kinks can stretch. Don’t worry, you can take it. Asher, River, and Alaric like it when you beg…
I really like this book. It was a little slow in the beginning and the end was packed with stuff going on. The end is where all the spicy parts are. I always wish those parts were longer and more mixed into the book. That’s the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. I wanted the spicy parts sooner.
This is a short read. Took me about 3 hours to read it.
Dubious is MMMF. You can’t go wrong with that. The mouths on these men are amazing. The things they like are super dirty. Mix that with a little praise and degradation, you can’t go wrong.
The guys were lost and angry before they met Ella. She showed them what true love is and helped them become better men. It’s a great story.
A different kind of Cincderella Story! When Step Mommy Dearest really is an evil b***h! The flashbacks were well done and flowed with the story. Getting that look into their pasts were heartbreaking but helped to understand the characters. I wouldn’t be able to pick a favourite and I don’t say that often. 😅 The spice was most DEFINITELY fkn amazing. Great Plot. Great Spice. Once again Mila has given us the unhinged with heart. It was Crazy Good and another great story in the Darkly Ever After series!
Sentimental Psychos. Evil Step Mother. A not-so-innocent new Step Sister. Hehehe😈 What could go wrong?
I couldn't ask for more from Mila Crawford She know exactly how to deliver delicious unhinged psychopath...3 of them 🥵 Alaric, Asher and River. I did like Ella because she wasn't taking shit from anyone. Check your tw for me was more like a shopping list since now I know what to expect from Mila stories. To me is a great really dark kinda messed up retelling of Cinderella and I loved everything about it. The whole series is fantastic and I kinda wish I have stepbrothers like Ella has 😏 Highly recommend Dubious if you loved the first 3 books of this series or any of Mila books 🥰