A Crimson Carol

by J. Rose

Athena Cirillo.

Goddess of War.
Heir to an empire of blood and ash.

Hiding in plain sight as an unremarkable, workaday paediatrician, Athena’s spent fifteen years running from her birthright.

The day she left the Greek cartel behind, she shed her old identity, seeking a life beyond the violence and death of her father’s criminal empire.

But when tragedy strikes and the devil incarnate comes knocking, Athena can’t run from her sordid past any longer. She has one last job to do.

Revenge.
Served cold and bloody.

The turkey’s carved. Presents wrapped. Blades sharpened. Athena will stop at nothing to get her vengeance… even if it means sacrificing her heart.

It’s time to go home for the holidays.
Merry f*cking Christmas.

Genres: Dark Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Enemies To Lovers, Second Chance, Novella

94 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2023

About the author

J Rose is an independent dark romance author from the United Kingdom. She writes challenging, plot-driven stories packed full of angst, heartbreak and broken characters fighting for their happily ever afters.

She’s an introverted bookworm at heart with a caffeine addiction, penchant for cursing and an unhealthy attachment to fictional characters.

Feel free to reach out on social media, J Rose loves talking to her readers!

Enquiries: j_roseauthor@yahoo.com

Stalk J Rose here:
www.jroseauthor.com/socials

Newsletter sign up:
www.jroseauthor.com/socials

Buy J Rose's books:
www.jroseauthor.com/books

Reviews

[Celia {Hiatus until August} · Rating 5 out of 5]

•| ⊱✿⊰ |• 4,9 Stars •| ⊱✿⊰ |

Athena, the daughter of a cartel boss, works in a hospital since she left that life.
She turned her back to her family, and goes for a different name.
Near the Christmas holidays, she receives a package in the hospital, and it's her father decapitated head, with a note with her real name.
So it's time to move on...



Although, Athena left that life, the need for violence never left her, so she goes to an underground fight club, and it's a fight for life and death.
She feels someone watching her...
Drake it's there...
Her father's number one...



Drake never forgave Athena for left him, when she left the cartel life, she turned her back on everyone, including the man she loved.
Now, together they'll find out who killed her father, and there's more to that story, than meets the eye...

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐ time out because this was actually freaking GOOOOD.

I really enjoyed this little holiday short story that's not you're average cute lil holiday story. I will say, I would've LOVED a full story because these characters were great. But, the story was also perfect.

I truly dig it. And now I want more from this author

-Merry Christmas
-Dark Romance
-Second Chance
-Revenge
-Blood play / Knife kink

[Hailey Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5✨

this was an amazing sort of "dark christmas" / snowy dark romance novella. i loved the plot and the plot twist really caught me off guard.

i loved drake so much because i could feel his trauma and the man he wanted to be fighting with the man he was raised to be.

i loved athena because she just commanded power, she was such a boss while also still being in touch with her emotions after being trained to not have any at all.

two murders in love? yes please. i felt like this story was really unique, especially the epilogue. i was a bit disappointed by their epilogue because i wanted a bit more from those last few pages to match their intense connection...but at the same time it was really fitting for the story? i was conflicted but i still loved it!! i loved that athena did what had to be done in the end even if it hurt, i felt so much satisfaction from that aspect. (iykyk)

j rose writes so beautifully, she writes pain and grief and healing in a way that no other author can capture in my opinion. she writes these amazing lines and i always highlight 95% of her books as i read. i love how much depth she puts into her characters. 🖤

do i reccomend? absolutely. if you're a dark romance girly who isn't really into the fluffy christmas novellas, this one is FOR YOU!! 🩸

[Zabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️/5 📚282

🔞check TW🔞

🇺🇸Honest to god this was so fr3ak!ng good, I’m stunned. Just 90 pages ish and the story just put me in a chokehold and didn’t let me go one second. I’m a sucker for second chance romance but I think I never read a second chance dark romance before! The writing was amazing, all this longing and the angst and oh boy it was so so hot too. I’ll definitely check the other books of this writer!

🇫🇷C’était absolument incroyable et je ne m’y attendais pas du tout car l’histoire fait ‘seulement’ 90 pages et généralement quand c’est aussi court, je reste sur ma faim. Mais ici, l’auteure est vraiment talentueuse, elle a réussi à me faire ressentir tout le passif et le desir entre les deux personnages. C'était hypnotisant et tellement sexy! Il faut absolument que je lise d'autres livres de cette auteure.

[M KM ﾐ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was 🌶️, dark, bloody & short!! Everything I needed

[Alina Fuchsia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ой, мені сподобалося. Для новели...це прям добре зайшло мені))) Це було не ідеально. Але цікаво)))

[💜VGreedyReader🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your average Christmas story, if you’re on the lookout for something dark and sinister then look no further! A tinged red Christmas will light the way to a journey filled with blood and blades.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Christmas romance that grips you from the beginning. With it being a novella you are just thrown in fast and I really enjoyed how fast paced this was. The ending twist was predictable and solved a little unrealistically but I’ll take it since it’s a novella.

[My_book_obsession25 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a amazing filled with blood short Christmas story J Rose delivered!

Athena’s hase spent fifteen years running from her birthright and from the Greek mafia with her fake indenty.
But when unexpectedly tragedy struck her family, she is forced to return,and once again to face her past.
But of course she hase one more thing to do.

To get her Revenge.
Served cold and bloody.
Athena will stop at nothing to get her vengeance… even if it means sacrificing her heart.

I love bloody story's, and when is added to them obsessed, filed with tattoos hitman...omgggg 🤤🤤 I fell like my pants will drop 🤭
Definitely interesting read,but unfortunately to short 😭

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, J Rose's writing always wins me over. I absolutely loved this! It hit all the right spots for what I wanted to read. This has a bit of deceit, some violence, a little spice, and it is very short. This does have a happily ever after type ending, which made me so happy.

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spooky fun, forgettable execution.

[Alli Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started so strong with me thinking, “I really like these characters, I wish this was a full-length novel.” Then it took a predictable turn. Spice was excellent though!

[Gracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like best friends-to- lovers, Mafia, cartel, stalker romance and that stuff,with a BADASS FMC then this book is for you....
It was not too bad not too good...
And a quick read with spice...

[Sílvia [ silviasbooknook ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was brutal..and I mean that in the violent sense of the word.

I was looking for short Christmas novellas when I remembered that our J. Rose had written this one.

Who doesn’t remember the three ghosts from A Christmas Carol?
The ghost of the past, the present, and the future…

Well, those ghosts knock very loudly on Julienne’s door.
Or rather, Athena’s...the daughter of the infamous Greek mobster Elis Cirillo, who fled that world of crime and blood in order to live a normal life.

After her father’s murder, she’s forced to abandon her life as a pediatrician and become, once again, the ruthless assassin she once was.
With the help of her old friend Drake, she sets out to uncover who attacked her family.

As always, J. Rose managed to surprise me.

This is a violent, toxic story filled with blood and betrayal…
A slightly different take from the dark romances I’ve read from her, but just as intense and twisted.

I couldn’t put it down, with every page, my heart rate was completely out of control.

I loved this book, and the female character was incredibly powerful.
I adore every woman you write, dear J. Rose.

It was perfect!!!

[Catte Coelho · Rating 5 out of 5]

🇬🇧 J. Rose never disappoints.
My God, what an incredible Christmas novella.

Action, betrayal, smut, mafia energy — all packed into just over 100 pages? Insane. I know Athena and Drake’s story (Crimson Carol) is a novella, but if this were a 600-page book, I’d read it without hesitation.

The Mr. & Mrs. Smith vibes were everything. We love a badass FMC, and Athena absolutely delivers.

Short, intense, addictive, and ridiculously satisfying.
Hands down, the best Christmas novella.


🇵🇹 A J. Rose nunca desilude.
Meu Deus, que novela de Natal incrível.

Ação, traição, smut, máfia — tudo condensado em pouco mais de 100 páginas? Loucura. Eu sei que a história da Athena e do Drake (Crimson Carol) é uma novella, mas se isto fosse um livro de 600 páginas, eu lia sem pensar duas vezes.

As vibes de Mr. & Mrs. Smith foram tudo. Adoramos uma badass, e a Athena é uma baddie!

Curta, intensa, viciante e absurdamente satisfatória.
Sem dúvida, a melhor novella de Natal.

[Kailee (kaileereadsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Def check the trigger warnings on this bad boy. Probably don't read if you don't enjoy a dark, bloody romance.

I was pleasantly surprised how much I LOVED this! This was about past, present, and future of family, pain, loss, betrayal, and forgiveness. The plot HAD ME, honestly though, I think back and I'm like "well wasn't that obvious?", but I guess I was too caught up in the read to even notice.

Athena has spent 15 years running and hiding from her Greek mafia family and her given birthright to be "queen" by adapting a fake identity of a pediatrician. Tragedy unexpectedly strikes her family; she is forced to return and face her past/possible future. But she also is out for revenge for the death of her father. Even though their relationship had been tarnished, she will stop at nothing to avenge him, even if that includes sacrificing her heart.

This novella had me SO emotional from the beginning to the end. Completely worth the $2 on Amazon in my opinion.

[Sian R Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ Merry F**king Christmas! “

Over the last 15 years Athena has built herself a new life, a paediatrician, it’s a far cry from what she used to be.
But when she gets a parcel she knows it’s time for her to go home and find the person that murdered her Father. Just in time for Christmas.
Then the ghost of Christmas turns up to drag her back himself, he also has no plans to let her run away again. She is his, always has been and always will be.

I loved it, loved it, loved it! It’s such a short story but it was so good and jam packed!

It was all kinds of messed up but it was so hot at the same time!
Athena is a complete badass. And Drake, well he is the hottest grim reaper you’ll ever know.

I thought the storyline was great and the little twist, well I was hooked and it definitely be excited if we got to read more about Athena and Drake’s story.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This was a dark, depraved and utterly thrilling novella that left me speechless. It was filled with edge of your seat action and suspense, plus so many adrenaline inducing twists and turns that kept my heart racing throughout!

Athena and Drake are both very twisted and unhinged characters with dark and tortured pasts. Their relationship is filled with anger, pain, heartache and an undying love that neither of them can escape from. Together they are definitely toxic but perfectly matched in every way.

This novella may be short but it sure packs one hell of a punch. Definitely not a sweet and sappy story, more of a debauched, wicked and sinfully delicious love story.

A perfect little twisted bit of darkness to read on a cold winters night!

[Regina 00regi00 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's just start there. This is not a fluffy, cute, little Christmas romcom. No, this is a story for those who prefer their holiday tales with a darker twist.

Our protagonist, Athena, is determined to break free from her past, her family, and the weight of her infamous last name. But just when she thinks she's well on her way to a fresh start, a shocking Christmas surprise threatens to unravel everything. She was taught to be a leader, it's in her blood, and I love that side of her when she overrules the big bad alpha who's his father's right hand. And let me tell you, Drake is completely and utterly obsessed with her. No exaggeration here, folks. This man would stop at nothing to win her back. We love a possessive hero, right? He is not a good man, but he paid for his sins.

If you're new to J Rose's books, this one is definitely a good start. It's a short, quick read, and I guarantee you will fall in love with her writing. With its concise and captivating storytelling, you'll be hooked and amazed by the brilliant plot twists and intricate characters. Trust me, you won't be able to resist this brilliant writing style.

[lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

a dark christmas romance novella?? spectacular, give me 14 of ‘em right now
•
this was so freaking good. the toxic, tension-filled relationship between the fmc & mmc UGH! 😩🙌🏻 & the writing >>> i literally highlighted the sh!t out of it. too many amazing quotes to even ramble on about.
•
absolutely loved the eery/gothic/mystery vibes of this one as well. really made it that much more unique. honestly wish this were a full length novel, i’m sad it’s over 😢

[Chelsea (2_girls_bookin_it) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.75 stars

I love J. Rose's dark romances, so I decided to dive into the world of dark holiday reads with A Crimson Carol. I honestly went into it blind just because of how much I've liked her other books. I saw the twist coming, but I didn't want to believe it. So I was still shocked when it was revealed. And the ending? Yea, I should have guessed that one too, but I didn't.

This was a fun little dark romance read that throws in some mystery with its romance.

[Anna Naniot · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️/5
🌶🌶🌶/5

I absolutely loved this Christmas novella. Dark, spicy, and organized crime with a hint of Christmas, sign me the fu€k up.
The most unrealistic bit was two doctors setting up IVs in a hospital trauma bay. 😂 Sorry babes, I've paged docs multiple times before they'd get to the trauma bay let alone help SET IT UP. 🤭

Great read for only 82 pages. 🎄🔪

[Courtney Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was SO good...really, really wish it was a full length novel instead of a novella, but regardless- it told the story well & made me feel all the things.

Favorite moment:
"I own every twisted piece of you."

"I'll give you the whole goddamn world if that's what you want."

"I will follow you to the end of the motherfucking earth if I have to. I will never, ever stop."

[Chloe Downie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ & 2.5🌶️🌶️. God I love J rose’s writing. How does she possibly captivate my dark soul so much with such a short depraved little ‘festive’ story?

I loved this, twisted heathens is one of my favourite dark romances ever so I knew I was going to dabble more with J rose. Next on the list is sabre security and harrowdean manor.

[purlpur · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
сімейні мафіозні інтриги та боротьба за владу намічались грандіозними, доки не завезли домініка торетто із фірмовим «сім'я - це головне» 😁 але про це правило швидко усі забувають, коли дізнаються, хто насправді вбив татка, і не карають вбивцю. торетто не схвалює 🌚
токсичні стосунки, сильну героїню і одержимого мена не забули завезти, але епілог трішки здув історію для мене ☹️

[Phylicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Got the guts to use that, kitten? I’m all yours. Take your best shot.”


4🌟 So I get to 22% and realise I’ve read this story before and then I go back through and it’s actually from the silent night anthology that I read last year. I love this book, this story was great!

[The Bookworm Hermit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Holiday read

This was a fun little read. About past, present and future...family, pain, loss, betrayal and forgiveness. Some Christmas thrown in as that is the time for family after all

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick dark Christmas book, and I loved it! I would love to have more of these two and their dark draw to each other. His possessive, aggressive ways, his stalking her. Yes please to all this! If you’re looking for a fast Christmas read, you need this!!

[Kimberly Rahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I want more of Athena and Drake. I do think that some of it was a little unclear after Athena finds out certain things and it just jumps to her living a new life with no explanation. But overall a great dark and spicy book!

[Michelle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Christmas novella for those that like the darker side of romance!
This is short, spicy and has a murder mystery all packed into 80 pages.
This was my first read from this author and has definitely made me want to pick up her full length novels.