Heartless

Pleasure & Prey #5

by A.J. Merlin

Fifteen years ago, Cassian Byers murdered his older sister.

And I witnessed the whole thing.

For years, I’ve fought to bury the memories of my troubled childhood, which includes the haunting image of my babysitter’s murder. Life in Hayden Fields has been eerily calm—no big crimes or chaos—until now.

Until the first girl dies.

And I see Cassian outside of my work like he never left.

It seems he remembers me just as well as I remember him. And when people I know start showing up dead, there’s only one likely suspect.

No matter that he promises me with sweet words and an obsession that makes my heart race, I refuse to believe that he isn't doing this.

I refuse to let him in this time.

*HEARTLESS is a contemporary dark romance standalone set in the Pleasure & Prey universe. This is an MF romance. This book contains scenes of violence and explicit content that may bother some readers.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Serial Killer, Contemporary, Horror, Erotica

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2025

About the author

AJ Merlin would rather write epic love stories than live them. I mean, who wants to limit themselves to only falling in love once? She is obsessed with dark fantasy, true crime, and also dogs. From serial killers to voyeurs all the way down to the devil himself, AJ's specialty is in writing irredeemable heroes who somehow still manage to captivate their heroines (and her readers).

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do i want a serial killer to be obsessed with me, no. Unless they were written by AJ then the answer is yes

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

mama I’m in love with a criminal 🎶
no but seriously Cassian can get it raw and passionately
everyone say thank you AJ mom

[Kade · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Listen. If AJ Merlin write it, I’ll always read it.

Now that that’s done, I wanna say that I have been waiting for this book for what seems like ages and while I enjoyed it, it was underwhelming. I wanted more from this. Whenever our main man, Cassian was on the page it didn’t seem like he did much. With the previous serial unaliver men, I felt we got much more than in this one, more of well, 🔪, you know?

Brutal will always be my fave in this series 🤪

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a dark, spicy and fun series with all kind of dark mmc and awesome ffc. this is I'm my top 3 of the series.

[Emma Lounsbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear god. Burn my kindle before showing everyone my highlights.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my new favorite of the series!

[ً · Rating 4 out of 5]

bringing back yearning men in 2025? yup.
cassian, the man that you are.. been wanting him so bad since his little snippet in the first book about him being so patient when he stalks someone. that’s just so sexy to me

[Kate V · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars!

Heartless definitely didn’t have my heart. Winnie witnesses Cassian murder his sister when they were younger, years pass, things happen and then Cassian is back to claim what he considers his. Winnie doesn’t mind. Throw in some mystery and intrigue and well…the end.

I’ve been waiting for Heartless forever and I was really disappointed in this story. The other books focused a lot on the MC relationships and their character. Here I felt like Cassian and Winnie’s relationship was lacking. How did we actually get from point A to point B? Cassian didn’t even have a whole lot of actual screen time and the smut wasn’t hot or all that descriptive and passionate. Winnie felt very one dimensional and dry.

I’m not saying this was bad but stacked next to the previous stories in this series, well it lacked in all the ways that mattered for me. O well.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

First new book of 2025 - and of course it's by the wonderful AJ Merlin ❤️

I liked this book! I loved the little bit of murder mystery that we got and how I wasn't even expecting to twist for like the first half of the book. I got a little bit suspicious but then it all came together.

Cassian is wonderful and I was very excited for his book. Winnie is also great and I loved her character as well.

I took off a star because I really felt like there could have been more to the book. Or at least like an epilogue of what happened at the end. I basically just want to know if she made it out of the town and is now living with Cassian. I was also low-key hoping that there was going to be like a diner date with all four of the main couples so I'm hoping that happens in like a future book or in a bonus chapter or something later on.

Overall, I really liked it!

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Danny Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Not for my usual romance friends that follow me as this is a serial killer romance series. I found this to be completely underwhelming. I was expecting so much more from Cass. I also couldn't get into the FMC. I kind of despised her. Sorry. Wren in Brutal is still my fav. Don't think A.J. will be able to top him.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You opened the door for me, sweetheart… You let the monster in, so closing it now won’t make me go away.”

I have honestly loved every book of this series. That probably says something about me, a girl who is incapable of watching the scary movies these MMCs are inspired by, but that’s neither here nor there. This one starts when 8 year old Winnie witnesses a 12 year old Cassian murdering his older sister, her babysitter, on Halloween night. Now, more than a decade later, murders are happening again in her small town, suspiciously coinciding with Cassian’s return. Winnie has had to battle her demons pretty much alone while he has been gone and doesn’t know if she is ready to add another one to the list. She has been putting on a brave face, but the life she has been living really hasn’t been much of a life at all. I found myself tearing up but also chuckling at times at Winnie’s inner monologue. AJ Merlin does a really nice job of incorporating a bit of humor that way and also in the banter between the characters. Nobody writes a better chase scene through a Halloween haunt either. It felt like I was watching a movie in my head. Virgil and Wren both made appearances, which was also a nice touch. Serial killer bffs for life. As always for this author, this book was unhinged in the best ways. I loved Cassian and Winnie’s story and can’t wait for the next one.

“He tastes like perfection, like everything I’ve always wanted in a relationship but never found. He tastes like home, a home I’ve never found in Hayden Fields without him.”

[Luna ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

»I‘ll kill for you.«
»I know.«

★ ★ ★

❥ 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
She is likeable and it was fun to read her pov.

❥ 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒂𝒏 ࣪⋆✮
Another psychopath in this series and although he is a walking red flag I liked him.

✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This was good but not as good as the first two books in this series. It kept me entertained and I had a great time regardless. The author has a great writing style which is fluent and easy to understand (even as a non native english speaker). I like the way the vibe is held easy and while it is a dark plot everything is silly.
Winnie and Cassian have great tension. Their interactions were hot and I liked them as a couple. Their past is connected which was well written.
All in all I liked this book but I think know it is enough of this series. The books are great for a mindless read but kinda repetitive.

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Maybe.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 3/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 3/5
couple/tension: 4/5
world building: 4/5
happy end?: yes

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, instant attraction, he falls first and harder, touch her and die, masked man, serial killer

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Depraved ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Brutal ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3 Vicious ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#4 Delicious ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#5 Heartless ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kricketland · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: Heartless
GENRE: Dark Romance
AUTHOR: AJ Merlin
TROPE: Serial Killer, Stalker
TYPE: Standalone Series (Pleasure & Prey Book 5)
POV: 1st Person
MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

⚠️ Check trigger warnings; this dark content is for +18 readers

What I liked:
✔️ Cass & Winnie’s Connection
✔️ Angsty
✔️ Twists
✔️ A Quick, dark & spicy read
✔️ Revenge
✔️ Fiesty FMC

What I didn’t like:
❌ I can’t have a Cass of my own

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Pleasure and Prey series, and Heartless is another great installment. If you are a fan of AJ Merlin's books, you will not be disappointed. Heartless can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the series if you are a dark romance fan of morally grey characters.

Cassian and Winnie’s story enthralled me from beginning to end, so much so that I did not want to put the book down. I finished reading Heartless in a single afternoon. For fans of the series, there are cameos from Wren and Virgil, which I loved. Cass and Winnie have a sorted past, which we learn more about as the story progresses. Winnie is the sole witness to Cassian murdering his older sister, leading to Winnie’s troubled childhood and the feeling of being ignored or underappreciated by those around her. Even with his dark past, Cass is the only one who seems to see and understand the real Winnie. Heartless falls into the category of a dark romance I will read again, making it worth a 5 / 5-star rating, in my opinion.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, die Geschichte hat nochmal alles getoppt. Ich liebe Winnie und oh hell, ich liebe Cassian. Er ist genau der possessive und gleichzeitig zuvorkommende Typ den ich mir in dem Band gewünscht habe. Auch sehr gut wie die beiden zusammen finden und wie spannend es dann auch noch Richtung Ende wird. Ich hab total mitgefiebert und die beiden sind mein absolutes Highlight der Reihe. Sehr gelungen.

[Stephanie Newland · Rating 5 out of 5]

If A.J. writes it, Im going to read it. I am quite literally obsessed with all these deranged, morally black characters she creates and I am not ashamed🤣
Jed will always be my favorite but Cassian is trying hard to get that #1 spot.
If you like dark romance and a man that is OBSESSED with his woman, this was fun and an easy read and you should 100% read it. As well as A.J.'s entire backlog😬🤣

[Brookelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was disappointing. The writing wasn’t as good and it was insta love between the main characters. The MMC didn’t even feel at all like a killer he’s supposed to be. Didn’t feel like the same world as the previous books.

I knew as soon as we met Reagan she was obsessed with Winnie and the serial killer.

Felt like someone else wrote this.

[Samantha Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the hot stalker for me 😮‍💨
I love the Pleasure & Prey series, full of masked men and all the “touch her & die” vibes you could possibly want.
Cass and Winnie are quite a pair, especially when Winnie gets bratty 😈
I devoured their story, my very first 5⭐️ read for 2025!

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘴. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯, 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘯‘𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jan 2025
Kindle edition

Probably should've done a recap first up. Wren and Virgil pop up and my first thought was, wasn't he the guy at camp or something. Not quite heartless since he did everything for her and she was chill with it. Little on page murder, two kidnappings and a whole lot of babysitting. I'm a little surprised nothing happened to the mother. Unsurprised by the detective. It was alright, but not feeling Halloween in January and I do need to do a read through from book 1.

[Lindsay Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited for this next installment in the Pleasure and Prey series! Cass and Winnie have a dark and bloody past, and a dark and bloody present. But this time it’s not clear who is to blame…and things get spicy as the bodies accumulate. I love the long-term connection between Cass and Winnie, and the way he comes on strong, but gives her time to process his attention and adoration.
I also love having quick cameos from Wren and Virgil, plus the dry/sarcastic humor I’ve come to expect from AJ Merlin books.

[Jessica Sexton · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️
3/5🌶️

I love this series from AJ Merlin! As a 80’s and 90’s slasher flick fan this series is everything. You get to love the unaliver! Cass is no different! He will do anything to protect Winnie!

[Sue Harbers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Heartless seemed more like a movie to me than a book. I couldn’t put it down! Winnie seems to draw in people who are slightly unhinged and it’s interesting to see. Cass is such a great character, I loved his crazy devotion to Winnie. Those two together are explosive!

[Bob Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the best of the series

Slightly disappointed that there wasn't more meat in this story, especially with the outgoing Cass.
In saying that though, I did very much enjoy this quick read, just wanted more. The series has been brilliant so far and i look forward to the next book.

[Courtny · Rating 4 out of 5]

fast paced and single POV

Another really good installment to the series. It was a quick one for sure and only told through the FMC POV so we didn’t really get internal on the MMC but that was ok. These MMC are morally black and unapologetically so.
Overall, the plot was good and the characters were fun. Lots of sass and humor that had me chuckling. If you’ve enjoyed the series thus far you will enjoy this addition.
It can be read as a standalone though!

[Amber McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw. Next question.

[Gwen (Draco’s Version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

no cause I got scared also a childhood love history WILL ALWAYS gets me

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it a literary masterpiece? No. However it is absolutely a fun time and I enjoyed it

[citylights · Rating 3 out of 5]

feel underwhelming compared to the other books in the series

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

This was good but I def like the others in the series more. I wish the book was longer too ahh😫

[Snow · Rating 2 out of 5]

the hero's obsession with the heroine didn't feel as intense as in the previous books in the series. it might have something to do with the fact that the hero and heroine already knew each other when the book started, so their connection was already established. this robbed us of much of the development between them. it just all seemed weak and superficial compared to the previous books.

[Chase N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creeping Shadows with a Dash of Slasher Love

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice/Romance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Writing/Prose: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Back at it again with book five of A.J. Merlin’s Pleasure and Prey series, and this time, we’re stepping into the Halloween-heavy, eerie-as-hell mindscape of Cassian “Cass” Byers. Cass is basically the literary equivalent of Michael Myers—but with the added horror of actually killing his older sister on-page, and in front of our FMC, Winnie. And yes, they were both kids when it happened. Buckle up.

Fifteen years later, we’re dropped into a version of Winnie that’s clearly still living with the trauma. She’s 23 now, and Cass is 27, and the whole book swims in that kind of barely-contained anxiety and detachment you’d expect from someone who saw what she did and survived even more. There’s definitely a psychological weight to her—numb, jumpy, dissociated. The setting being right around Halloween? Salt in the wound.

Winnie’s got layers of trauma that get peeled back slowly—psych ward memories (oh, where Cass also happened to be), an abusive father (whom she kills to save herself), and two cats hilariously named Doom and Gloom. So yeah, you’re in the right headspace if you’re imagining this book wrapped in that cold, creepy Halloween fog.

The tone here is different from the first four books. It’s got that subtle off-key piano note under the score feel—something just a little wrong in the atmosphere, and it works. I liked it, even if it felt like a risk.

I cheered when familiar names like Wren and Virgil started popping up, but Cassian’s entrance had me giggling. He’s lurking in corners, standing eerily still like he’s doing his best Michael Myers cosplay—and yes, it’s creepy, but he’s also supposed to be hot, so... duality?

Once Winnie realizes Cass is back and not just stalking from the shadows, something shifts. Their banter becomes genuinely funny at times, and surprisingly, she even manages to unsettle him. That felt earned. But while she loves playing the brat, it occasionally grated on me. It felt like she was poking the bear just to see what would happen—and while Cass plays along, it's only when he knows he can win.

This one leans into mystery and whodunnit vibes a lot more than the previous entries. Unlike the earlier MMCs, who proudly claim their kill count, Cass is trying to prove his innocence. That twist on the formula kept me intrigued. Everyone around Winnie acts weirdly—except for her sweet nine-year-old nephew, Scott—and it really amps up the sense of something being off.

Then came the twist with Reagan. I knew something was foreshadowed there, but I didn’t expect it to go that route. Honestly, it felt off. Like an extra villain added for the sake of a twist when Cassian was already enough. I get it, it tracks with 80s slasher tropes where not everything makes perfect sense, but still—it didn’t quite land.

And that’s kind of how I feel about the book overall. I didn’t hate it. I still loved Cass, and I was rooting for his connection with Winnie. I just wish he’d been given more. More weight. More development. Less of the convenient plot curveballs. It wasn’t my favorite of the series—but even in the shadows, Heartless had its moments.

Cass deserved better. But damn if he didn’t make the most of what he got.