The Hand that Feeds

by K.M. Mixon

My life was on the rails. Heading in the right direction down the tracks as I raced toward my future as a registered nurse. Until I stepped foot inside Mercy Asylum and met Neo Wade, prolific serial killer, and patient on the floor for the criminally insane. I was a good girl. One with integrity and morals. Before him. His mouth said, “Crawl to me.” And I did. And the woman who got up off her knees hasn’t been the same since. Neo Wade has become the catalyst for the change in my psyche. The alteration in my cells. And there’s no going back. For once your bathed in the blood of the damned, you become the damned.

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

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 3, 2024

About the author

Www.instagram.com/Kmixonauthor

K.M. Mixon is an up-and-coming fantasy/romance author. Her hobbies include books, her kindle, writing, and keeping her home life in order. She can be found either reading a fantasy book or writing inside of a fantasy world.

Reviews

[ChieraRose · Rating 4 out of 5]

My god this was HOT 🥵
MY HEART IS BEATING SO FAST 🤣 I’m in awe of what I’ve just read. NEO IS A GOD. HIS MOUTH😮‍💨🤭 shut up I can’t cope.

“𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨, 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡. 𝙊𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮.”🫡🤪

I loveeeddd the plot & the story. So fast paced and so easy to get into! I wish it had more about Neos past though. Only gave us a snippet🫠 & also wish it was longer than 188 pages but here we are🤣

THE SPICE IS 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. Some questionable scenes but nothing I’ve not read before 🤣 I’ll happily re read this over and over.

The killer and his stupid girl 🤩
“𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙄 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮? 𝙊𝙧, 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨? 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩, 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙. 𝙄 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙙. 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙮. 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡.”🥵

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

i’m baffled how someone can write a book this bad. put the pen down and burn the computer

[↬ Ⓛ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should be titled “stupid girl.”

[Vanessa ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goddddd🫨🫨🤌🏼🤌🏼

I can’t. I ate this shit UPPPP!!! I am obsessed, NEO😍🤪😮‍💨
I am feeling HOT🤣🤪 I can’t even find my words.. STRAIGHT TO THE NEXT🤪👏🏼

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should have listened to the reviews. Tonally off and requires a major suspension of disbelief that is unearned. Does it want to be sinister or silly? Unfortunately, it veered to the latter. It felt like one of those shock value books that leaves you empty. Like it’s trying to be Natalie Bennett or Lauren Biel.

I was looking for dark romance in an institution, but do not recommend.

[Jordanna Apryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not my kinda dark romance. His nickname for her was stupid girl… well I felt like the stupid girl reading this at the end.
Please friends don’t judge my Goodreads from this.

[Grace Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so dark and so good

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

“You see how you just pushed further into me right then, Lyla? That’s what tells me you belong to me. That you’re my brand of fucked up.”

Neo Wade? How have we only just been introduced?!
This book is a masterpiece. And I not only have a new book boyfriend but he’s wiggled his way into my top 3!

I ended up buddy reading this in a matter of hours with my 2 besties and we’re all obsessed. It was such a quick and easy read with plenty of spice and plot (for a novella)
This story follows Lyla, she’s a typical girl who wants to get her life started some where new. Wants to move out of her parents home and get her career started.
She ends up working at an asylum for the criminally insane and here she meets serial killer Neo!
He’s unhinged, he’s hot as fuck and he gets into Lyla’s head right away.
He was giving us Killian Carson vibes but with less self control.
This man is something else I’m telling you. I fell in love with him literally right away.
I should not have found this as hot as I did. Like every single part. Definitely questioning my morals 😂.

“Open up, stupid girl. It’s breakfast time.”

I didn’t feel this book was lacking anything at all. All of my questions were answered. I Might have wanted more details as I couldn’t get enough but everything was clear. I just didn’t want it to end.
But @kmixonauthor let us know there’s more to come! 👏🏻🙌🏻

In the words of one of my besties, I’d recommend this book to everyone and their nan and I’d die on a hill for it 👌🏻🙌🏻🖤

I’m 💀 and I’m done.

Goes without saying always check the trigger warnings. This book has a few of them.

[Melinda | mello_reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Im pretty sure this is Harley Quinn/Joker fanfiction.

Ive tried to write this review 4 times now and I just can’t articulate my words in a way that doesn’t come across like an asshole. But basically everything constructive I could say about this book can be summed up by the fact that I could not wrap my head around 99% of the fmcs actions and behaviors. She did not behave or emote like someone who was sleeping with a patient (and a serial killer no less).

Her transition from a normal young nurse to a real life Harley Quinn was so abrupt, the end almost gave me whiplash.

Also I’m choosing to believe Grimace is living happily ever after in a loving forever home.

[K.M. Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been in the worst reading slump and this book pulled me right out of it! The quote on the cover pulled me in and I’m so glad it did.
Lyla takes a job at an asylum and meets our unhinged serial deleter Neo! The two of them definitely give off Joker and Harley Quinn vibes!
If you’re a fan of crawling, wildly dark MMCs, and spice this is absolutely for you!
It’s a quick read too! Loved it so so much!

🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Essa · Rating 5 out of 5]

You need to turn off your brain to read this one, but if you can, it's a gooood experience.

It def has TSTL FMC, but lmao I don't care. THIS WAS FUN!!!!!!!!

[Bria Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this book 🫠🙌 loved it from start to finish!

[Charley · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you think you know what dark romance is then think again. This book made haunting Adeline seem like a fun little rom com.

Now from an objective point of view this book isn’t great but I did read the whole thing in under an hour so make of that what you will. I can’t tell if I devoured this book because I already need therapy or if this will be the cause of my therapy.

[TheReaderVert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stupid girl

"But then, stupid girls make stupid choices, don’t they?”

Authors, especially dark romance authors, have a hard job. Readers must walk in suspending some disbelief to enjoy the story. If something is too unrealistic, you run the risk of being criticized. The MMC here has certain motivators, and I was invested in the biggest kink in the armor. Here is the FMC. Her decisions and actions walk that tightrope of unbelievable; sometimes she falls off, and sometimes she catches herself:

🫠 says noncon but gives dubcon
🫠 says degradation but feels CNC
🫠 It's ok to be a murker if you have good reasons
🫠 munchausen syndrome by proxy thrown in
🫠"I must keep going in to see the very dangerous murderer so i can flip the tables on him." mindset
🫠"do whatever the dominant killer says that's how he'll crack" advice

Sooo the author says to leave your brain at the door. I agree. I also had more fun when I realized I wasn't meant to like the FMC because she's a "stupid girl"

Funsies:
👍🏾 forced "crawl to me"
👍🏾 hands being shoved into panties
👍🏾 facials and not the kind you have at a spa
👍🏾"spit it in my mouth"
👍🏾 "come lick my mouth to check then"
👍🏾"stupid girl"
👍🏾 tears of shame
👍🏾 smacked faces
👍🏾 "you're mine" growling
👍🏾 lots of 🩸...aka F*ing in 🩸
👍🏾something unholy with a c♡rpse
👍🏾 If you dont like dudes named Kevin...effing Kevin 😒

#wishes
Really wish the whole book was told in his pov. And this would work better as a novelette but it was a fun ride.

#roundofapplause
🔥 the smex was pure fire
Scenes were well written, and the steam becomes addictive

[Casey Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an advance copy of this title for free by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First of all, this book is very dark—think the color B L A C K, and be sure to check content warnings and be aware of/ safe from any triggers you may have.

So many triggers. So many chili peppers. And I am all the way here for it.

K.M. Mixon always takes me on a wild ride, this being maybe the wildest yet, and the rush is more than worth it. I’ll take a ticket for the next ride in advance please!

Lyla has started a new job at an asylum that houses far more than just the mad. All she wanted was to do her job, and go home to her house, continuing on the fast track toward becoming an RN— but she gets a whole heck of a lot more than she bargained for, and it doesn’t take long at all for Neo Wade to get her within his sights.

Instantly, it’s like a fatal attraction that Lyla can’t pull herself from. He is the magnetic field and she is mindlessly drawn in. She’s a “stupid girl”, who continuously makes the decision she knows she should should balk at. She knows that nothing good- nothing at all- can come from fraternizing with a serial killer. Meanwhile, Neo is more than pleased to take her as his own. Neither of them could have anticipated what they’d find in each other or what they’d do together.

This was supremely spicy, a whole lot dark, and maybe a little unhinged— and you’ll devour it and then lick the remnants off of your fingers because it’s just. that. delicious.

Another job well done xx

[Lacey Devane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is on the horror erotic side, as well as dark romance so PLEASE if you have any triggers absolutely check the CW in this before diving in! If you don’t I highly suggest jumping in for a spicy fun twisted ride!!!

Unhinged…..this book is a twisted crazy unhinged hot mess and I’m absolutely in love with all of it!!! I’m so here for Neo and Lyla. The Joker and Harley Quinn vibes are everything. 🖤 I couldn’t stop reading, I finished this in one sitting and really didn’t want it to end!

Neo……..ummm good god this man, he is a sexy sick man and gives absolutely no fucks and well I have fallen in love 😅 This man has got me in a chokehold 🖤😉

Lyla……this beautiful sweet woman doesn’t know what she has gotten herself into but once she meets Neo her whole world is flipped upside down and she begins to find out who she truly is!! I can’t wait to read book two and see what these two are up too!

[Julie R · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 50% was meh. The last 50 though? I fuck with it.

[Mimi Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars because i’m deranged and love books like this. you will always catch me reading about a serial killer falling in love and pushing the innocent doll to his lengths. it gave me a bonnie and clyde type of love, a joker and harley type of love. so yk what…hell yeah!

[Thaila Higson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was dark as hell but I couldn’t put it down. It was so good!

[Ashley Beman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the f was that 😃

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hand That Feeds is the kind of book that gets under your skin and refuses to let go. K.M. Mixon pulls you into a world that’s dark, unsettling, and completely addictive, with an atmosphere so vivid it feels like you’re living every moment alongside the characters. The pacing is relentless, keeping me flipping pages, heart racing, and completely unable to stop reading.

And let’s talk about the MMC—completely unhinged in the most mesmerizing way. He’s intense, unpredictable, and the kind of character that keeps you both terrified and fascinated at the same time. Every interaction crackles with tension, making the story even more gripping. Mixon’s writing is sharp, immersive, and effortlessly pulls you into every twist and turn.

By the end, I was wrecked, obsessed, and already desperate for more. If you love a thriller that’s dark, fast-paced, and packed with an unhinged MMC that will live rent-free in your head, The Hand That Feeds is it.

[Pitch Black J · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I began this book, I definitely did not expect it to go the way it did. Reading more and more of the book I realized this is one of the best Harley Quinn and Joker retellings I have come across. The way Neo was able to find his way into the arms of Lyla. Lyla may be sweet and innocent, but she has a dark side only Neo is able to find. He opens Lyla's world up to the depraved mind of a madman and all the secrets hidden behind the doors of the asylum. I can't wait to finish this series.

[Taylor Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok so I've read my fair share of dark romance and this is the first time where I got some serious ick.

First off the writing is VERY juvenile, which when writing content such as this book contains it most definitely should not be. Most charachters are capable of saying full sentences and screaming one liners during the 🌶 scenes made the MMC and eventually the MFC sound like toddlers.

Also trigger warnings mention debasement of a corpse, I'm sorry no, that was necrophilia. And if that had been listed I probably would have passed on this one. Since the act didn't happen until the last 10% of the story I pushed passed it.

This book is most definitely trying to be a Joker&Quinn retelling but is not very well thought out.

[Lexie Merriman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so bad. The premise of it is genius, but the plot (or attempt of one) was nonexistent. I wanted to know about Neo’s background from him. SOME semblance of angst would have been good too. It bordered the line of completely unbelievable to the point it kind of ruined the book for me. Neither MC was remotely likable, and with the initial reason of Neo’s unaliving I don’t think it would have been too hard to make him likable. The writing itself wasn’t terrible and it was very much all smut no plot which is fine if there isn’t a potential for a great plot.

[readwithcharlotteb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short read, not for vanilla lovers at all. This book was HOT

[Z · Rating 1 out of 5]

He gave me the ick when he growled at the dog…

[Katherine M · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

Sick and twisted so check your triggers. But you know I love this stuff! Great book! If serial un-alivers are your thing, then you definitely need to read this.

[F ౨ৎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

calling her stupid girl as a form of endearment? absolute garbage.

[TarynXO · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, no. I just don't think I'm a fan of this kind of dark romance. Otherwise, I can see why others like it.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for unhinged, fast paced, and very spicy then look no further. This novella was a fast paced wild ride. Lyla is a nurse who is ready to take her career seriously. She decides to apply to a bunch of jobs and take the first one willing to hire her and that just so happens to be asylum in a small town. Moving and getting settled into her new job go fairly smoothly until the night it doesn’t. She is on shift by herself and has to give medicine to a patient she wasn’t allowed to before. When she enters Neo’s room she is nervous to be in a serial killers presence but she has no idea what is waiting for her on the other side of the door. Neo is intrigued with the fresh new nurse and cant wait to play with her. He exudes dominance and it doesn’t take long for him to have the nurse crawling across the room to him. Neo and Lyla’s relationship is inappropriate, toxic, dangerous, and bloody. So many boundaries are crossed and a lot of violence ensues. This story is definitely for those who like their romance bloody and unhinged. The tension was high and the emotions were all over the place. Neo was danger incarnate. He was irrational and dangerous but also had the tiniest bit of control. Neo went through a lot of trauma and for some reason he saw something in Lyla and latched onto her. Layla is a good girl who is trying to make something of herself. She has never struggled with her morality until she finds herself ensnared by Neo. She is plague with guilt and shame but also exhilarated by the serial killer. Their relationship build quickly and Layla finally breaks. These two were deranged and it was so entertaining reading how they evolved. Check out this novella if you are looking for a Joker and Harley type love, nurse and patient, serial killer MMC, bloody lust, asylum setting, branding, and an FMC who gives herself to the darkness.