Depraved Obsession

Wicked Souls #2

by Morgan Elliott

I hate the only man I've ever loved.
Balor Murphy stole everything from me to save my family's honor.
For five years, I've denied his very existence.
A cruel twist of fate brings that denial to a screeching halt.
Someone is watching me. Someone who wants me dead.
He taunts me with cryptic messages and violent paintings.
My brother’s best friend swears he can protect me.
But how can I trust him?
He slaughtered my only dream.
How could he be the one to save me from a nightmare?

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Mafia Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Ebooks, Forced Proximity, Second Chance

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2023

About the author

Morgan Elliott is a dreamer, lover, and believer in all things romance. When she’s not busy being a mother to her five children and wife to her very own soul mate, you can usually find her in her writing cave weaving together spicy stories with strong female leads and the men who fall hard for them. Morgan wholeheartedly believes everyone deserves a happily ever after, she strives to create one for every character that lives rent free in her imagination.

Reviews

[CriSsStina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This one was so much better than the first book. Even the writing improved. But, the spicy scenes need even more improvements because the usage of those annoying phrases and clichés in those scenes just cut the mood 😂🤪.

Also, nothing depraved about his obsession 😂 it was just perfect. Almost, I would have loved to see him try and make things right even earlier.

I liked these two so much 😭. Look, they could have solved their issues so much earlier. But the drama was top-notch. The obsession on his side was exactly how I love it! He truly only loved her 😭.

I also read their extra epilogue, and you can receive it by email. It takes place 5 years later, and their happy ending is so complete 🥹🥹.

The suspense part, the secrets, the danger, was a nice part of the plot. Sometimes, things moved too fast, while I just couldn't understand why the h kept that good for nothing best friend close to her ... What an awful woman.

I might skip the next one since I'm currently not in the mood for a RH read, but I might come back to that. But I definitely want to read the 4th book, Juliette's story. Soon, very soon 🤩.

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What to expect
- she's his one true and single love. He always waited for her and made sure she's safe 😭
- she's in danger, he protects her
- touch her and literally 💀
- spicy but not overdone (he waited for her, and I loved that while he let her heal on her own terms, he was also always watching over her wellbeing 😭)
- secrets, second chance, what a lovely HEA

[Belle (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

I liked the switch-up where the H stayed celibate (virgin actually!) and the h didn't - if that's something that bothers you, this might not be the one for you (there is a nonconsensual sex tape of her and OM that the H has to watch - her BFF was responsible). She was a virgin when she first approached him, but after the accident she went into a spiral of alcohol and sex (honestly understandably - she had a ton of trauma and believed it was because of the love of her life (H) had betrayed her for the 'family'). Full disclosure though: he kills every man she's been with and that's why they don't call her back.

Possible triggers: infertility, violence, mafia romance

☆ Dual pov
☆ Virgin H/celibate h (history mentioned above - celibate for at least 2 years)
☆ They've known each other since they were kids - he's always thought he wasn't;t good enough for her
☆ Older brother's best friend (2 or 3 year age difference I forget - <5 for sure)
☆ No cheating or OW drama
☆ OM drama: as mentioned above, there is a sex-tape that was made of h and OM without her knowledge and the H has to watch it when they infiltrate the ex-BFF's devices)
☆ HEA ending + epilogue

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★. He burned himself over the span of five years for the pain he caused her for a lifetime and would’ve continued if she didn’t beg him to stop. He also killed every man she ever slept with and stayed a virgin for her. She had this man wrapped around her finger without even doing anything.

[Ashleigh Brandstetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It kept me wanting to read more. I found myself not wanting to put it down, just wanting to read what happened next. I’m normally not a fan of redemption tropes but this one was really well put together. I was pulling for him to win her back. I do hate that she ended up not being able to have children of her own but it puts things into perspective for women who struggle with that everyday. It was nice to see her heal throughout the book and come to terms with her trauma and that fact that she can’t have kids. Totally shocked me about the best friend, I thought she was just a crappy friend. It was all over an amazing book!.

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

[Mandy Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t want it to end!!

I loved this so much!! Wicked Souls Series is quickly becoming one of my favorites! This mafia family is everything! Excited for book 3!

[destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

second chance romance / redemption will always have me CRYING 😭 add mafia on top of that … i’m deceased.

simone and balor are so precious !! i’ve been itching to know more about balor since book one. that man has me panting and pining over him omg 😩

this is a dark irish mafia romance, interconnected standalone, brothers best friend, virgin bodyguard mmc, broken fmc, friends to enemies to always been you, second chance, redemption, forced proximity, and dual pov 💚

“dance with me” bye. i love these scenes so much 🥹

balor swore to have her best interest in mind but five years ago he made the decision to take out her arranged fiancé at the time, not knowing it would ruin her hopes and dreams. simone ended up losing parts of herself and ultimately hated balor. she wanted nothing to do with him. she completely removed him from her life. she fell into the world of sex and alcohol. anything to make her forget about that day and what she lost.

the chemistry between balor and simone was PIPING HOTTT 😮‍💨 balor is SO GOD DAMN FINEEEE 😍 his protectiveness and possessiveness over simone is absolutely everything. he literally couldn’t lose his virginity because he just wants simone. like this girl is IT for him. yet he can’t have her because this man thinks he’s not good enough for her 🥹 simone was always in love with balor. she told him so when they were younger and her rejected her. not because he didn’t feel the same one but because he did and he didn’t want to ruin her. LIKE PLEASE THIS MAN IS PERFECT 🖤

🌶️🌶️

[Corrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan Elliott did it again!!

Yet another great mafia romance book! Simone & Baylor's story had me geeking from the start. Baylor's possessive and over protection of Simone, a woman he refused to be emotional honest with when they were younger caused Simone something she's always wanted. Children. When Simone attracts a stalker, Baylor stops at nothing to protect what he believes is his. This book had an excellent plot twists, and fabulous spicy scenes. If you love mafia romances, I urge you to read this book! You will not be disappointed.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

trigger warnings will be at the bottom of this review, to avoid spoilers
stalking is a main plot point (MC has a stalker), graphic mafia violence including torture and death detailed on page; mentions of the death of loved ones (including killing each other); mentions of human trafficking

Simone wanted a baby, so naturally that means finding the right man through a matchmaker. What she really wants is the one man she’s always wanted, but the one man she can’t have: Balor Murphy. No one understands her emotions, her pain, her heartache. And she doesn’t need them to. Simone doesn’t want to be babied, or get special treatment. Unfortunately, Balor would much rather treat her like glass. I mean…considering what he’s done, that man definitely has some groveling to do! He was there without hesitation, welcomed or not, it didn’t matter to him. He’ll always be her guardian angel, her knight in shining armor. Balor becomes a groveling pro. And when he’s not suffering, there’s DRAMA afoot! And plenty of it! He becomes more protective by the second! And once the emotions come pouring out (and WOW what a moment!), there’s no putting them back in! Things are never the same! I’m just not sure how I feel about the sudden switch between Simone being one step away from killing him to being a melted puddle for me? But then I got so caught up in the plot twistSSSSS, I forgot all about it!

My Favorite Quotes:
• “I'm the villain in your story when all I ever wanted was to be your hero.”
• “I love you. I have since I was six years old. Nothing, not even death, will change that.”
• “You kept this pretty pussy from me for years. I’ll decide when you’ve had enough.”
• “I couldn’t make myself stop loving you.”
• “You can taste me, but you kneel for no one. Least of all me.”
• “I’d do anything for you.”
• ““I’ve only ever wanted you.” “I know. But you’re worthy of so much more than I am.” “I don’t want more.”
• “At the end of the day, it’ll always be us. It’ll always be you.”

7/10 Dirty Birdy
5/10 Brother’s Best Friend
4/10 Enemies to Lovers
4/10 Forced Proximity
7/10 Mafia Romance
7/10 Second Chance
5/10 Slow Burn

Trigger Warnings include:
accident that resulted in hysterectomy

[vixen ‹&#x1d7f9; reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 + 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 ❤️‍🔥

Okay. Wow. This was the kind of start to snatch my attention. Seriously, after that prologue I literally felt my eyes laser focus in ready to devour every detail of this story.

And the details were soo good! That plot twist got me 😯 I’m completely new to this series and after finishing this one I immediately added the first book to my TBR (and the next one in June 🤫)

Devotion doesn’t even come close to the level of obsessed Balor is over Simone, and finding out the full extent of his devotion and the extremes he’s willing to go to, I was swooning through my tears 🥹

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

_____________

🏷️ 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦:
Brother’s Best Friend, Always Been You, Redemption, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Irish Mafia, Past Rejection, Protector, Forced Proximity, Bodyguard

😈 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦:
Height Difference, Self Care (Mutual), Devotion 🍒, Oh So Many, More Than “ILY”, The Ripper 👙

🫠 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀:
—> “You’ve always been mine,”
—> “Dance with me.”
—> “I’m always around.”
—> “You kneel for no one.”
—> “Give me one more.”

🚩 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 (𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 😉):
Touch Her & Bye, ‘Protective’ Stal/king

🌍 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲:
This book is part of a series but can be enjoyed as a standalone, however, it may include spoilers for previous books.

⛔️ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲:
• Violęnce • Infertility • Self-harm • and other potentially triggering themes. If you are unsure, check all the warnings before diving in, otherwise close your eyes and buckle in for the ride!

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Wicked Souls series #2
𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞: interconnected standalone
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: mafia romance
𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞: Simone McBride & Balor Murphy
𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫: Firefly
𝐏𝐎𝐕’𝐬: dual first person

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

[Simoné Wolmarans · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Firstly, I love that I have the same name as the main female character!!

Total bonus to a very exciting and spicy story. Speaking of spice… good grief, the spice was real nice!!

Balor is one of the sexiest characters I’ve ever read in a book. His whole demeanor is just perfection!! I absolutely adored his possessiveness. It made the anticipation just delicious!

I loved the hate/love relationship Simone and Balor portrayed at the beginning of the book and I really enjoyed their character/relationship development throughout.

I am so happy that they found their way back to each other and their happy ending was absolute heaven.

The plot - I did not see Simone’s stalker being Felix!! Honestly thought it was someone closer to the family and at one stage I even suspected Thomas.

The storyline kept me hooked and I really appreciated that the spice in the book didn’t overpower the story.

I thought that this book was well written. Not too long and not too short. Details were just the right amount.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves a good romance and some real nice spice!

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

OMG! Wow, I was absolutely astounded reading this book it was fantastic, the story was exhilarating and the characters were really captivating. This story was about Simone and Bajor, Simone has always wanted children to keep the family line growing and she has always wanted him. Bajor was homeless his parents died and his aunty didn't want to take him. He was treated like family when his best friends mother took him in, he knows he can never have her and won't let anyone else have her. There was so much going on in the story, she has two stalkers, people are not who they say they are, the self abuse, kidnappings, actions, danger, killings, enemies, pain, jealousy, betrayal, lies, secrets, v-card, Mafia, Bratva, secrets, twist and turns, happiness, lust, pleasure, passion, and maybe love, will they get together or not.

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

[Dorys Reading Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mafia possessiveness at its finest!

This was my first dive into mafia romance and OMG, Morgan did NOT disappoint! The “Touch her and die” is now literally my favorite trope - I’m hooked!

The subplot was a great angle and added a lot of suspense. There was a chapter that left me SHOOK! You’ll know when you get to it, trust me! All I will say is that Simone handles hers and is bad ass!

The intense chemistry between Simone, the FMC, and Baylor, the MMC is SO good and made the spice sizzling hot! Add Baylor’s unwavering love & devotion to Simone and he is now officially my new “book boyfriend”.

While this isn’t the type of book I typically read, I can honestly say I enjoyed it so much and I couldn’t put it down! I will definitely be reading more mafia romances in the very near future.

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

[cajareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

A mafia man in his early 30s and hasn’t been with any woman and is only loyal to one woman????? Sounds too good to be true but hey, that’s what fiction is for.

To be honest before starting this book, I didn’t think I as a reader could forgive him for what he did to the fmc but as things got revealed in the book and more things resurfaces, I do think in the end, he deserves her forgiveness.

Safety deets:
Virgin mmc (never done any of those fake virgin mmc stuffs)
Experienced fmc (had hookups and ons during the time skip) [honestly I didn’t mind it this time because she really did moved on from expecting anything from him and after what he did, I’m not surprised she didn’t stay “frozen”]
Mild ow drama
Mild om drama

[Holly Johnsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally finished this book in less than three hours. HOLY. COW. I’m in love. the spice? fantastic. character development? immaculate. plot? kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I’m a sucker for a good mafia romance with dual POV and this hits all the right spots.

Simone and Balor are two souls so deeply traumatized in their own ways that finally accepting that they deserve something beautiful is what truly helps them heal. they just have to stop fighting each other first and let the other person take care of them when they’re in their darkest days. watching these two characters realize what they truly feel and how connected they’ve been their entire lives was such a treasure and joy to experience. I loved every minute of their story.

[neus.dreamybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about two soulmates that suffer from life/bad decisions because one of them (Balor) thinks he isn't enough for her.
They are both in love with each other but when Simone confessed her love he rejected her because he is her brother's best friend/right hand and thinks he isn't enough.
Some years later and because of a killer stalker she is forced to live with him to be protected.
Will she discover how obsess Balor is with her or will he confess his feelings?
It's a great slow burn dark romance in the irish mafia in Vegas.

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

[Sumayya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in a day and loved it! I was drawn to Simone and Balor's love story because it is so heartbreaking and passionate, and it makes me want to learn more about each of them and their relationship. This novel has a strong subject of forgiveness and remorse, and it all comes down to the romantic relationship between the two main characters! I adore this book's dual point of view! A must read for all mafia romance book lovers!❤️

[Elle-Louise Cavanagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow wow wow. i absolutely loved this book. the chemistry oh my god i was shook!! Simone and Balor have know each other since childhood, Simone has always been in love with Balor and on her 21st birthday she is turned down by him… ouch. In hopes of having her dreams come true Simone decides an arranged marriage is what she needs but on Simone’s engagement night her life is turned upside down.

This book is truly amazing and i recommend it so highly definitely in my top 10 of 2023….
I need a Balor in my life so if anyone knows where i can get one 😩

[Kris Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? The first book had me on the edge of my seat but this book has me obsessed! I guess I should have been clued in by the title that it was going to happen but Baylor immediately stole all my attention and I found myself stalking him through each flip of the page. I couldn't stop and I dared anyone to try to stop me! I swear to the gods if anything happens to my Balor in this series...well let's hope no one has to go there!
The author was pure magic. I don't know how she does it! I am instantly swept up in her stories and carried away to a world I didn't even know I wanted to be a part of. I cannot wait for the next addition to this series to come out but I may need some time to heal from the anxiety! ❤️❤️❤️

[Book Addict Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

And I thought I was obsessed with the first book… What did you put into this book???? I literally could not put it down. I was excited for this book to come out. But it completely exceeded my expectations in more ways then one. I expect him to be in love with her but all of things that he did without her knowing had me in tears. Balor will forever be one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series but it don’t think anyone will be able to top him.

[Brittany Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the very verrrrrrry beginning. I had experienced so many damn emotions reading this book. At one point I audibly gasped “no fkn way”

The set up of the relationship is beautiful. They were always meant to be 🫠🖤🙌🏻 I loved this book. Both in this series are two of my top reads! So soo good

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The character development in this book compared to the first is stunningly different! Loved the complexity of the characters just wished there was more to the big plot points. Seemed to move a little fast through the twists and turns. Would rate a 3.8/5 overall with definite potential for a 4 or 5 on the next book

[Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all a good quicker read. You've got mafia, touch her and ☠️, brothers best friend and it all plays into eachother pretty well. I did feel like it got a bit whiney on Simone's part and the pining on Balor's side was even more dramatic. But overall a good book not super smut heavy.

[Cassandra Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! I could not wait to see more of Simone and Balor and this was perfect. I laughed, I cried, I even cheered!! Great romance. So sweet, but also so primal ;-)

[Dana Cutliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good couldn't put it down once I got started! Loved this couple. Can't wait for next book!

[C Crane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book had a good pacing and was easy to follow. Loved how Balor had only eyes for Simone and the love he has for.

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

[Monica Tavares · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. Easy story to follow and understand. The tension between Balor and Simone is noticeable from the start. Feel in love instantly with Barlor. His overprotectiveness and obsession with her is kind of admirable and scary at the same time. I only wish their was a little more about their earlier lives growing up together. But all around, a good read, I found myself wanting to come back and find out more.

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

[Carly Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely red flags all over but you still loved the characters and their twisted love for eachother, pulled at the heart strings and you were routing for them throughout, loved it

[Angela]

DNF 29%

Insufferable FMC.
I should have trusted the Goodreads reviews.

[Kimberly Marie Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simone & Baylor's story had me pulled in from the very beginning. I so didn’t expect all the twists in this book.

I

[Chelsea Newsome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book.