Love to Fear You

Dark Love #1

by Kati McRae

Do you know what you do to me, Willow Baker? My thoughts of you are turning into obsession.

Your appetites are dark, and you crave someone who is not afraid to go to the most depraved depths of human desire.

Which is why I want you to run from me, not toward me.

I want you to fear me. I want you to know the darkest parts of me, because only then will you truly be mine.

Run, malishka. Because when I catch you, I will never let you go.

***

After her mother passes away, Willow is sent to live with her father, a U.S. Ambassador to a small nation in eastern Europe. Angry at her dad for chasing a career over his family, Willow feels like she’s living in a stranger’s home in an even stranger country—with rising political tensions.

Aleksandr Kurochkin is the charming and mysterious son of Andarusia’s president. At school, he’s known as Prince Alek, and he rules the students and staff with an iron fist. He and his friends zero in on Willow as their next target, but when she pushes back against their bullying, their antics escalate with dangerous consequences.

Despite his father’s warning to stay away from Willow, Alek’s curiosity toward her turns into a forbidden obsession.

And Willow will discover the lines between love and fear are often the same.


Please check the author's website for TWs.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Amazon

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 19, 2024

About the author

Growing up, I was always unsatisfied with fade-to-black romance scenes in books and movies. So I took matters into my own hands and started writing about what happens after the happily ever after. As I got older, these romantic fanfictions and one-shots became original full-length novels—with lots of steamy action.

When I’m not writing, you can find me exploring my home state of Arizona with my husband, stepdaughter, and three dogs (two Shih Tzus and a wacky golden retriever).

Reviews

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book

[Nyxie · Rating 5 out of 5]

꧁𝔸ℝℂ 𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎꧂
𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕋𝕠 𝔽𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝕐𝕠𝕦 ʙʏ 𝕂𝕒𝕥𝕚 𝕄𝕔ℝ𝕒𝕖
I could not put this dark bully book down!!! It kept me up late into the night, just so I could see how it ended!

You need to double check those tws: talk of suicide, teenage sexuality, bullying, death of a parent, teen abuse, etc

Willow, the FMC, has had a rough couple of years. She uses sex, rather unashamedly, as an escape from her life. I really like that she & Prisha like reading smut!
Prince Alek, the MC, has a dark side, but he is 100% into Willow. His friends must be fans of the movie "MeanGirls." They are vile.

l'm excited to see what happens in the next book!

[SanLynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but with a lot of the dark romances I read the second half let me down. The first half and build up to the Alek/Willow relationship was great but after they got together I started to sort of meander mentally and stopped being as invested.

[R. Vesper · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

This book is definitely darker than some of the dark romances I read before. This book isn't for me especially that I'm sensitive to some topics mentioned in the book. I tried to give it a chance, but it's not for me.

[Tonii 🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

I really loved this book, the depth of willows depresses is real which I can relate to as I suffer with it, the emotion that you feel whiles reading the book is so relatable. Of course you also have to love a happy ending can’t wait to read more of kati McRae books!!!

[Lammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story 😊. It was cool that it took place in what would be an Eastern European country if the setting was real. The dash of politics thrown in was interesting without being overbearing.

[aic9ha]

this book was so bad, i cant-
first of all the 🍇 scene was so disgusting and not tolerable… the fmcs could not have a conversation and the emotional abuse and blackmail from willow were crazy.
hated this book, i was so suprised that nobody said anything about the 🍇 scene and how bad this book actually was.
this book doesnt even deserve one star…

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in less than a day, and I could not put it down. It is definitely a dark romance, and trigger warnings need to be read. The content warnings pages are actually my favorite that I have ever read in any book. It is very detailed without spoiling the book, and you can tell the author really cares about your mental health, stating, "Bullying is not okay. You are important, you are loved, and your mental health matters." I usually treat the trigger warnings list like a shopping list, but there was one scene (without spoilers) that was uncomfortable to read. It is mentioned in the content warnings, and if it makes you uncomfortable, you can skip to the end of the chapter.

All that being said, this book was so unique to me and is not your typical bully/dark romance. Almost Romeo & Juliet vibes with the political divide. Willow being the daughter of the US ambassador and Alek, the son of the president in his country. They both had great character development.

Tropes:
*Possessive MMC
*Bully
*Forbidden Love
*Primal
*Gun AND Knife Play
*exhibitionism/voyeurism

[KayBeReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I loved every single minute and it had my attention from start to finish. I love me a bully romance and Alek did not disappoint! I need the second book immediately!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️ “He is a dark prince with the power to swallow me whole.”
___________________________
✔️ Bully.
✔️ Posessive MMC.
✔️ Forbidden Love.
⚠️ Check the triggers.
___________________________
“I like to play with my prey before eating it.”
___________________________

Love to Fear You is the first book in Alek and Willow’s journey. It ends in such a way that there is room for more to come, but it didn’t make me feel as though I will be biting my nails for a year waiting to see what happens. Does that make sense? Either way, I’m still looking forward to their next book because I’m not ready to say goodbye to them. This book was an emotional rollercoaster ride! And I loved every second of it. Alek is the son of the Andarusian President, and Willow is the daughter of the American Ambassador. So there are some political aspects in the storyline, especially towards the end of the book but I really enjoyed it. As for Alek and Willow, their relationship happens quickly and it’s spicy AF. With all the good stuff, including primal play, breath play, g*n & kn!fe/blo0d play and lots of dirty talk. Alek had a filthy mouth. Yum! I really love a morally gray possessive MMC. And Willow dealt with a lot through this story, and she had a lot of emotional struggles. I also loved her friend Prisha. I originally thought that Willow was my spirit animal because she’s an emotional hot mess who uses sex to numb the pain. But it turns out I’m really Prisha - she was always talking about books from naughty Peter Pan retellings, dark and why choose romance novels. And I wonder if her letter will be mentioned in the next book. Either way, if you’ve made it this far 10/10 recommend! You won’t be disappointed.
___________________________

🔥”That’s right. Come for me, malishka. Let me see you fall apart so I can put you back together again.”
___________________________

☎️ The Suicide Hotline is available 24/7 by contacting the number 988. You can call or text if you are struggling with suicidal thoughts. You are not alone.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Spice Meter: 3/5
This slow burn, dual POV, spicy, possessive MMC story sizzles. The spice kicks off from the very first page when we meet Willow, a high school senior who recently lost her mother and is being forced to go live with her father in an author-created Russian/german adjacent country. Willow and Alek are drawn to each other from day one, and the love becomes possessive.
Tropes:
Possessive MMC
Bully
Forbidden Love
Primal
Gun AND Knife Play
exhibitionism/voyeurism
It is VERY IMPORTANT to read the trigger warnings on the author’s website before reading.
Characters:
Willow: High School Senior who uses sex to forget her problems and trauma – of which she has plenty. Forced to be a diplomat’s daughter and attend an elite school, Willow is determined to get to her 18th birthday and then leave. Maybe for good. (Suicidal ideation are one of the trigger warnings).
Alek: Son of the corrupt president of the country, Alek is determined to break Willow, and possess her. He’s used to taking charge, and when Willow is threatened, he does anything and everything he can to make it better. When the entire country is threatened, he sacrifices himself to avoid losing Willow’s life.
Some highlights:
- This book started slow – I only got into it about 60% of the way in – right around the time Willow and Alek stopped fighting their urges. The book was slow burn, but at times it burned a little too slow.
- Alex and Willow are perfection. She brings him out of his perpetual darkness into the light, and he makes her darkness okay.
- I thought it was unnecessary to make Alek and his family leave the country at the end, but I suppose the author was setting up book two – which I would very much like to read!
- Overall, this was a great slow burn book. There are a LOT of trigger warnings, readers should pay attention to. Most of the time I am not bothered by triggers, but this one got me. (The gun in the car scene? Jeepers).

[VicReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖤 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝙵𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚈𝚘𝚞 🖤
𝚋𝚢 @kati.mcrae.author

🄰🅁🄲 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆

4.25/5 ⭐️ 
1.5/5 🌶️

𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝙵𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚈𝚘𝚞 releases 3/19

↓↓
Willow finds herself in a foreign country after her mom passes. At a dinner party, she catches the eye of Alek. From there things spiral out of control a bit. I really felt for Willow alot of the book. She was dealing with a lot and her depression through her into a downward spiral in the beginning of the book. By the end I'm so glad that she realized what she needed to do and healed some parts of her as well as mended the relationship with her dad. 

Of course you have your mean group and just as always they are absolutely horrid. I loved how Willow immediately stood up to them with no questions asked and wasn't afraid. I loved Parish! She was also so kind and a breath of fresh air in the craziness of that school. 

Alek is a dark dark soul and I am here for it. He sees the same darkness in Willow and is drawn to her. I enjoyed watching their relationship go from despising each other to them both opening up and allowing themselves to be seen.

I love a good bully romance!! My only complaint, and this is just a me thing,  is I wish it lasted for a bit longer. I wanted more hate, more angst, the bully aspect just came to an abrupt stop and it was like nothing ever happened previously. 

I can't wait to see what else happens for these two! 

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤 / 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥
🖤 Bully Romance
🖤 Bad Boy MMC
🖤 Forbidden Love
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 Possessive MMC
🖤 Touch Her and 💀


🏷️
#darkromance #bullyromance #bullyromancebooks #romancereaders #forcedproximitybookrecs #katimcrae #lovetofearyou #booktropes #smutbooks #romancereader #arcreaders #bookboyfriendsdoitbetter #spicyromance #smutlovers #igreads #romancebooks #spicyromancebooks #ReadNow #momswhoread

[A. Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book 4.5 stars. This book is a high school, dark romance, bully romance, and oddly is very political. It does contain some triggering topics, the obvious is bullying, but also depression, suicide, death of a parent, abuse, and a lot of explicit sexual content. I recommend to check the book directly because I didn't list all the warnings. The majority of this book takes place in a fictional European country of Andarusia, that has deep Russian roots. Willow has to move from Texas to this country because her only remaining parent is a US ambassador there. Willow is not happy about going! Willow meets Alex. Alex's father is basically the president of this country, a dictator, and not a nice man. Willow is not a appropriate girl for Alex to have a interest in for many reasons 🫣. It is curious to me that Alex thinks he is the man for the job to help Willow, however, Alex can't stand up to his own father? I do think Alex and and Willow are much the same. Codependent? Probably, but I can certainly live with that. I wouldn't want Alex and Willow to live apart. These letters 😭, made me sad. I kept thinking Alex might make a move against his father, but not necessarily the book playing out the way it did. I do wonder what's next in their story?

Best quote for me: "You want a man to possess you, to tap into your deepest fears and desires and twist them into pleasure like you’ve never known. It’s why you’re drawn to me, and I to you.”

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

[Summer Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

*BOOK REVIEW*

BOOK: Love to Fear You
AUTHOR: Kati McRae
REVIEW: Love to Fear You follows Willow who, after the death of her mother, moves to a small European country to live with her father who is a US Ambassador. There, she meets Aleksandr Kurochkin and his friends. They relentlessly bully her and make her life a living Hell. Alek has a different motive for bullying her. Turns out, he is in love with her. While facing political upheaval, and Alek's father, who is unsupportive of them being together, they try to maintain a relationship. Will they find a way to be together, or will they have to part ways forever? This book was an absolute roller coaster. I literally spent a whole night in tears as I finished the book. Alek is extremely unhinged, but when it comes to Willow, he's an absolute cinnamon roll! The way he loves her and would burn the world for her is magnificent! I love a man who would do anything for the woman he loves! Willow's story is heartbreaking and seeing her rise above all the awful things she's been through is inspirational! She's an extremely strong FMC! The love that Alek and Willow find together is extremely heartwarming and it made me happy to see them find healing and love as they grew as people together! I cannot wait until Kati releases the second part of Alek and Willow's story because I NEED to know what happens next for them!

RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of “Love to Fear You”, by Kati McRea. This book is intended for mature readers as it contains violence, mature sextual content, and other adult themes that may even trigger adults. I highly recommend reading the author’s trigger warnings on her website.

***** Spoilers*****








This is a dark, modern, slow burn version of Romeo & Juliet set in a fictional former USSR country. The story is centered around 17 year old Willow who turned to sex as an outlet for dealing with her mother’s illness, father’s abandonment, and finally the death of said mother. Willow is forced to move to Andarusia where her estranged father is the US Ambassador. She falls head over heals for the Andarusia’s President’s son, Alek. Willow not only is she forced to deal with her estranged father but is thrusted a whole different class of diplomates’ children. We find out through changing points of view that Alek has his own family problems that mold him into who he is as a person.

This book takes the reader through Willow’s and Alek’s struggles through depression, social class isolation, high school bullying, political unrest, familial pressures/expectations, etc. So imagine dealing with all this high school bullying political unrest. Yikes. Only reading this book can you find out what happens two these two star crossed lovers.

From my own experiences, Kati captures the themes of depression, bullying well. The characters, both main and secondary, that represent each theme played their parts very well. Whether Kati meant it or not, I found that there are rays of light that give the reader the sense that there is still some good and hope to be had. This also includes some of the secondary characters that are struggling, i.e. Andarusia and Willow’s father.

Overall, “Love to Fear You” was a fast and good read. I found gratification in the ending and a little sadness (read to find out why). Whether or not a reader will find book to their liking this story is up to their own personal experiences. I am aware that there is going to be a second book, so I am curious where Kati will take us next.

I rate this book 4.5 out of 5.

Disclaimer: I received “Love to Fear You” as an Advance Reader Copy.

[Kelsey Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This spicy slow burn captivated me as soon as I read the blurb and I knew I needed to read it.

Alek is this walking red flag and he’s got his eyes on Willow. He wants to possess and break her. As the son to the very corrupt president, he’s sitting on a mighty high amount of power, and while he wants to break Willow down, the moment she is in harms way he jumps to the occasion.

Meanwhile Willow is forced to be a diplomats daughter and is likewise forced to attend an elite school for her senior year. Well, she’s determined to make it to 18 and then leave, literally, one way or the other. That being said, make sure to check your triggers because this books is overflowing with them and your own mental health is ultimately more important. But, Willow basically uses snexual relations as a means to escape her trauma and other problems.

I really loved how our two main characters ultimately complemented each other — Willow being the light in his darkness, and Alek being the darkness she needed in order to see the light. I love a good bully romance and the author did not miss the mark, period. This book was everything I’d wanted plus some!


Thank you to Flying Pig PR and Kati McRae for the eARC!!

[Robyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

dark adult romance despite the characters ages

Tropes/Vibes:
•dark academia
•bully
•I can’t live without you; if you die, I die
•DubCon/Non-con (there is a r@pe scene, not FMC, not overly detailed & it’s not meant to be seggy)
•Obsession

This is my first Kati McRae read. I really enjoyed the relationship between Alek and Willow. The parental abuse that Alek suffered is tough to read on page but it’s important to understand his character.

Willow’s depression is unfortunately heartbreakingly realistic and not uncommon. The way she acted out, and the way she disassociated, made me very grateful that I had a strong role model during my teen depression years. (That would be my gram who would clutch her pearls over this book.)

There’s a part of this book with a political plot line that’s very important to the overall direction of the book. I don’t see that in high school dark academia very often so that was really cool to see. I would have loved to have some of the major scenes repeated from Alek’s point of view (like post-graduation).

If you’re a lover of dark academia, dark romance, and like some Russian-esque characters in your books, you won’t be disappointed by this one!

[plantbookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was dark and deals with a lot of hard emotions.

Willow was a complex character. She was dealing with such immense grief and depression that you could feel it too. Alek was a great MMC once he realized how special Willow was. Alek was a dark soul who didn’t apologize for it and recognized that same darkness in Willow. I enjoyed seeing the relationship progress from hating each other to opening up about themselves. I can’t wait to see where the next book picks up.

“It’s not normal teenage behavior, but I’m not a normal teenager. I’m a girl who had to grow up too fu€king fast”

“I hate Aleksandr Kurochkin. I hate him, and I’m afraid of him. But Lord help me. I need to be committed because I’m also turned on by him.”

“I want a guy with more red flags than the Russian Red Army…”

“I thought I’d shed all my tears after Mom’s death, but as it turns out, I’m an endless well of despair.”

“Fùck you. And I’m not your girlfriend.” “Not yet.”

“Depression is a sapling that grows into a tree, but the first su!cidal ideation is a lightning strike. It’s jarring. It wakes you up.”

“This is the first moment I truly realize the depth of his obsession. He would burn the fúcking world down and lay the ashes at my feet.”

[thebeespot72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many readers and reviewers often say, “I couldn’t put it down” regarding books they’ve read. One might roll their eyes and say, “right”. But Kati McRae’s “Love to Fear You” was truly exciting and suspenseful, with interesting characters and a story that piqued my interest in the first few pages. And I couldn’t put it down.

Readers will be brought into Willow’s world in Texas to understand how broken she is without her mother and the lack of her father’s presence. Then, she is shifted to another life in Eastern Europe, yet she still struggles.

At this point, I found Kati McRae’s ßüll ¥ trope type of story so different from others I’ve read. It was so much more than the long TWs —which there are—and the intense bully scenes. I think McRae’s storyline of the political uprising of Alek’s father, the President of the country, and Alek’s role to take over as leader balanced well with the budding romance that evolved between Willow and Alek.

I enjoyed the story and look forward to more.

E.T.A: The FMC & MMC are 17 y.o for most of the story until they graduate from high school. Read TW/CWs.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Losing myself in physical pleasure became my solace."

Thank you, Kati, for the opportunity to read Love To Fear You as an Advance Reader Copy. I was a little unsure when I found out the FMC was 17.. but once I got to know Willow, I was hooked.

A girl who had to grow up way too fast: bad habits, bad crowds, and adult vices. A boy who was destined to follow in his father's footsteps: forbidden love, power, and political divide. This book is filled with darkness, turmoil, romance, bullying, revenge, strength, and growth. (*Check TWs)

"Give me until June 11th."

Both the FMC, Willow Baker, and the MMC, Alek Kurochkin, go through massive amounts of character development in this story. Both pretty unlikeable at the start, but left us with wanting more. The writing style was like watching a movie in my head. The side characters (although some aggravating) all served a purpose and added to the plot!

"Without Alek, I was destined to die. But with him, I'm alive."

The gun scene?! HELLO! The Baltic Sea?! WHAT! The insane revenge?! HOLY TWIST! 5/5

[missbemba · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was… okay. Not terrible, not amazing — just somewhere in between.
It’s a fast-paced read, which I appreciated, but I wasn’t obsessed. I didn’t fully connect with the characters — especially Willow. Some of her life choices had me side-eyeing hard 😅 but considering the pressure she was under and dealing with her mom’s cancer alone… I get it. Still, I can’t 100% excuse the way she handled things. She’s young, sure, but whew.

Alek? He was fine — broody, reserved, and clearly cares deeply about his country even if he hides it behind the typical bad boy mask. I’m hoping book two gives us more depth because I need to see more of who he really is.

The first half of the book pulls you in fast, but the second half started to drag. A little repetitive, though there was a brief moment of action I appreciated.

So yeah, I’m curious enough to check out book two, but I wouldn’t rush to recommend this one if you’re looking for a top-tier dark romance with bully/forced proximity tropes and trauma-driven characters. There are stronger stories out there — but if you want something quick and angsty, it might do the trick.

[Jordan Fiest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intense dark read. Please read the trigger warnings before reading. Contains bullying, talk of unaliving yourself, cnc and many more.

Willow is trying to get over some pain from her past so she uses sex as a coping mechanism. She isn't ashamed of it and nor should she be, but due to this she isn't fully able to move on from the pain in her life.

Alek is the son of the president of the country. He is the leader of the school and his friends are major jerks and bullies. But Willow stood up for herself and this kind of caused the bully aspect to not be a major part of the story.

This was a slow burn when it came to the relationship of Alek and Willow. They were fighting their feelings and urges for about half of the book. Due to this the first half was kind of slow to read but once you get to the half way point it majorly picks up and gets really good. It definitely gets super spicy between the two of them.

It leaves you in a relatively good spot, but knowing there will be a second book in the series.

[Ali Alley EscapeThroughABook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. I did not like the age of the FMC where the book was so spicy. I just aged her up in my mind, and it was fine.

This Dark Bully Romance is a provocative, and exciting read. It is a darker romance. Please check all trigger warnings before getting consumed by the story.
The romance is a fast burn, instant connection. There is also a forbidden love addition too.
This book is extremely spicy, with frequent very descriptive scenes. The age of the MCs may be an issue for some readers, this is included in the trigger warning information.
The book moves at a quick pace. The book follows the FMC after the death of her mother. She moves to a new country to live with her father, and meets the love interest. The love interest is forbidden to be with her, and they must find a way to overcome it.
The characters are written extremely well. The author lays most of their information out from the beginning, so that you can focus on the budding romance, and challenges surrounding the couple.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great storyline, didn’t love the couple

I’m a dark romance fanatic so I love toxicity. But the female lead took it to a whole new level. I wouldn’t call this a bully romance, more a dark high school romance. Alek has layers and it was lovely to witness his story and watch him grow. But Willow she was just a bad friend, bad daughter, bad girlfriend and I found myself not wanting her to win. I think this is because Suicide and death in general are heavy parts of this story and Willow was like metaphorically holding a gun to her head the whole book and using it as a threat for people to behave how she thought they should.
It’s unfortunate because we don’t get sex positive or sexually promiscuous FMC’s a lot and Willow was definitely both of those characteristics but a poor example. Like I just was screaming for her to “own it” the whole book. Whether that be her promiscuousity or her mental health, her grief, her horrible judgement, etc. instead she adapted the nickname she earned and didn’t wear it like a queen.

[VirgoLoverofAllBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first…
⚠️🚨I CAN NOT stress this enough🚨⚠️
Check TW .. it’s mentally/emotionally dark

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🖤 Bully Romance
❤️‍🔥Forbidden Love
🖤Forced Proximity
❤️‍🔥Possessive/Bad Boy MMC
🖤Touch Her and💀
❤️‍🔥Mental Health Rep
🖤Sü1c1d3 Attempt

This a dark bülly romance..with heavy topics and scenes

Alek is instantly attracted to the new girl Willow at school.
The same darkness that Willow had within her is what ultimately attracts these two.
The pull is so angsty strong that you know they’re about to collide, crash and burn.
Their dynamic is alluring and tantalizing in the most unhinged and toxic feral manner that will have you reading this book in one sitting.

I LOVE Willow and her Dad’s, an American Ambassador
(Some politics mentioned that is just enough touch for the story line) relationship.
I hope to see more them.

If you like angsty, dark romance, true bully
touch her and d13,vibes that will keep you at the edge of your seat with hidden secrets lurking within these two, then this is a must read and high on your tbr!!

[kae · Rating 1 out of 5]

just super uncomfortable, as someone who has read generally worse dark wise.

bad fmc alert!
biggest ick is when a mc has on page sex with a side character. multiple times.
it's worse when the fmc is a literal minor about 60% of the book.
i can also tell the author's trying to make the fmc oh-so relatable with her love for dark romance, but it's a shit attempt. it's downright cringe.
she keeps saying she's such a failure, but she's doing NOTHING to fix it. at this point, it's on you. total false advertising with the "strong fmc" description in the blurb. mmc tells her to stay where she is. she doesnt, and instead tries to save him... did that work out? no

no chemistry.
these mfs can't even name eachother's favourite colour if a gun was pressed against their heads.
also the revenge rape was a questionable approach...

last complaint is that the author is dragging this shit show out. there's a book two. nobody wants that.

[Bissan Bookln📖💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in a day and couldn’t put it down! It’s definitely a dark romance, so be warned. The content warnings pages are actually my favorite part of any book. They’re super detailed without spoiling the story, and the author really cares about your mental health. They say, “Bullying is not okay. You are important, you are loved, and your mental health matters.” I usually treat the trigger warnings list like a shopping list, but there was one scene (without spoilers) that was a bit uncomfortable to read. It’s mentioned in the content warnings, and if it makes you uncomfortable, you can skip to the end of the chapter.

All that being said, this book was so unique to me and not your typical bully/dark romance. It’s got almost Romeo & Juliet vibes with the political divide. Willow is the daughter of the US ambassador, and Alek is the son of the president in his country. They both had great character development.

[Booksaddict2020 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is dark, steamy and romantic. This is a dark, high school, bully romance with an obsessed MMC. The fierce and strong FMC will be liked by its readers. The story is fast paced with some dark themes, so the readers are suggested to read the TWs before reading this one. The book has a Romeo and Juliet vibe with a dark twist. It is narrated in dual POV and has an HEA but the author ends the book with a hint of Book 2 for the couple, making the readers interested to see what the author beholds for them in the next book. It is a recommended book for readers who like this genre.

Personal Take:
I liked the overall, forbidden- Romeo Juliet vibe for the couple. Even though many parts were over dramatic and felt unnecessary at times to me. It was a quick read for me and the end has me curious for the next book in the series.

[GKP2460 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I want you to fear me. I want you to know the darkest parts of me because only then will you truly be mine. Run, malishka. Because when I catch you, I will never let you go."

Willow Baker is the daughter of the Ambassador of Andarusia and Aleksandr Kurochkin is the son of the President of
Andarusia. These two are quite the unlikely couple. Willow, who's home is in Texas, is sent to her father in Andarusia. These two are from totally opposite worlds yet there's something that pulls them toward each other. Their story is much like "mean girls". She doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. This story is emotional, angsty, intense and so, so good. It's my first read by this author and won't be my last!
"The lines between love and fear are often the same."

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book broke my reading slump! I loved the interactions between Willow and Alek!! I could not put it down. The connection between Willow and Alek is so intense that there were times that I had to pick my chin up off the floor!

There are definitely Trigger Warnings with this book! Please check them out before reading this book.

I enjoyed having complex characters. Neither are perfect, but perfect for each other. Willow is dealing with her immense grief from the loss of her mother, and a father who is on the other side of the world. Alek struggles with being the future ruler of a (fictional) country that is rife with struggles. Their chemistry is undeniable and the sparks FLY!

I look forward to seeing what happens next for Willow and Alek.