What do you think?
Rate this book
RBGW #1
Red Hands
Criminals don’t speak of justice and insane about sanity. In my story, I was both, the Mayor’s crazy daughter and the Spade family’s criminal.
My altercation was not so simple when I claimed, I attempted a murder because I saw ghosts.
Who would believe me, a mad pianist who sees undead murdering?
And then it was him, the Spade I fell for—a hedonist who claimed to burn my monsters until he became one among them
This book is a dark college romance and a complete standalone in an inter-connected series. Please check the trigger warnings before reading the book.
My altercation was not so simple when I claimed, I attempted a murder because I saw ghosts.
Who would believe me, a mad pianist who sees undead murdering?
And then it was him, the Spade I fell for—a hedonist who claimed to burn my monsters until he became one among them
This book is a dark college romance and a complete standalone in an inter-connected series. Please check the trigger warnings before reading the book.
191 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 10, 2024
52 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Isis Melantha
12 books32 followersIsis Melantha loves to write anything dark with crime, chaos, and mystery and top the cherry with spicy romance, shaping the nastiest men and sassiest women. However, she is still on the journey to navigate her life and explore the world.
She is not your comfort author. She takes pride in making you uncomfortable
She is not your comfort author. She takes pride in making you uncomfortable
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 19, 2024
Rating:3.25 🌟
Spice: 4.75 🌶️
Treyton and Lyric are the quintessential MC of dark college romance. Lyric’s dilemma blooms into Treyton’s obsession. As their world collide, the chaos ensues.
Lyric’s broken family is the foundation to the vulnerability she has within the entire story. She was a prime target for the twisted crimes and obsession of Trey. As she cycled through her own nightmare, she unknowingly captures the attention of a darker soul who desires to burn for her.
Treyton finds his solace when he arrives to the University… Lyric. She is everything that he shouldn’t want, yet she everything that speaks to his darkest secrets. As he becomes more enamored with Lyric, he finds himself trying to save her. But in saving her, Trey also wants to claim her. And once he does… he has no intention of letting her go.
Isis definitely brought the most depraved sexual experiences into fruition. As I read this book, things I would have never thought of were cleverly written into this book. The level of shock was astounding. I have read plenty of dark romance novels, yet this one took me through a bit of a mental whirlwind. Some of the ideas regarding religion was bit out there for me. But I am not one to yuck someone else’s yum. Overall, it was a good read.
Spice: 4.75 🌶️
Treyton and Lyric are the quintessential MC of dark college romance. Lyric’s dilemma blooms into Treyton’s obsession. As their world collide, the chaos ensues.
Lyric’s broken family is the foundation to the vulnerability she has within the entire story. She was a prime target for the twisted crimes and obsession of Trey. As she cycled through her own nightmare, she unknowingly captures the attention of a darker soul who desires to burn for her.
Treyton finds his solace when he arrives to the University… Lyric. She is everything that he shouldn’t want, yet she everything that speaks to his darkest secrets. As he becomes more enamored with Lyric, he finds himself trying to save her. But in saving her, Trey also wants to claim her. And once he does… he has no intention of letting her go.
Isis definitely brought the most depraved sexual experiences into fruition. As I read this book, things I would have never thought of were cleverly written into this book. The level of shock was astounding. I have read plenty of dark romance novels, yet this one took me through a bit of a mental whirlwind. Some of the ideas regarding religion was bit out there for me. But I am not one to yuck someone else’s yum. Overall, it was a good read.
April 30, 2024
rating: ★★★.75
aesthetic: ❤️🔥🔪🥀🎼🥵💃🏽🔥🎒🏀💀
Isis is a passionate dark romance author and I have had the honour of reading both her books as arcs and I was equally invested in both. Her stories are both intriguing and mysterious as well as heavy and dark.
Red Hands follows two college students — Treyton, a basketball player and pyromaniac; and Lyric, a ‘mad’ music prodigy and prankster. Their romance is a twisted but also passionate, there is undeniable chemistry between the two, however their road that led to their happiness was not an easy road.
There are mysteries that take place within this college romance that surround Lyric causing her to be deemed ‘mad’, Treyton looks beyond her questionable tendencies and views someone he would quite literally ‘burn the world down’ for.
This book was a quick read, the mystery aspect kept the reader wanting more and the intensity of the darkness that lurks within the pages kept the reader on their toes, I had to stop myself from reading ahead on multiple occasions!
The only aspect I struggled with was sometimes the sentences hadn’t made sense and I found I had to read over the same lines to understand what was truly being said and what was being intended. But as a dark romance reader I was intrigued and overall enjoyed the story. The plot line showed promise and despite the intensity of the spice, it didn’t overpower the story altogether.
tropes: dark college rom-com, he falls first, enemies to lovers, serial-killer, non-con/dub-con, dirty-pranks
I will gladly be continuing this series and any other Isis writes! Thankyou so much to Isis and her team for providing me with an advanced copy of ‘Red Hands’ ❤️🔥
aesthetic: ❤️🔥🔪🥀🎼🥵💃🏽🔥🎒🏀💀
Isis is a passionate dark romance author and I have had the honour of reading both her books as arcs and I was equally invested in both. Her stories are both intriguing and mysterious as well as heavy and dark.
Red Hands follows two college students — Treyton, a basketball player and pyromaniac; and Lyric, a ‘mad’ music prodigy and prankster. Their romance is a twisted but also passionate, there is undeniable chemistry between the two, however their road that led to their happiness was not an easy road.
There are mysteries that take place within this college romance that surround Lyric causing her to be deemed ‘mad’, Treyton looks beyond her questionable tendencies and views someone he would quite literally ‘burn the world down’ for.
This book was a quick read, the mystery aspect kept the reader wanting more and the intensity of the darkness that lurks within the pages kept the reader on their toes, I had to stop myself from reading ahead on multiple occasions!
The only aspect I struggled with was sometimes the sentences hadn’t made sense and I found I had to read over the same lines to understand what was truly being said and what was being intended. But as a dark romance reader I was intrigued and overall enjoyed the story. The plot line showed promise and despite the intensity of the spice, it didn’t overpower the story altogether.
tropes: dark college rom-com, he falls first, enemies to lovers, serial-killer, non-con/dub-con, dirty-pranks
I will gladly be continuing this series and any other Isis writes! Thankyou so much to Isis and her team for providing me with an advanced copy of ‘Red Hands’ ❤️🔥
May 22, 2024
STORY: 3.5
CHARACTERS: 3.5
SPICE: 3
OVERALL: 3.5
TROPES:
-Dark Romance
-Murder Mystery
-Mental Health
This was definitely a different read for me. The murder mystery aspect drew me in, and when I say it was interesting, believe me. With that said, this book is hard to read. Not in the usual sense, but there are multiple places where the sentences did not make sense and there seem to be some tenses off.
This story is about Lyric, he battle with her mental health that was called into question due to murders she has witnessed. This is also about her romance with the FMC Treyton.
Please note, there are trigger warnings, READ EM!
I am not a fan of how fast Lyric and Treyton became a thing. There was just not enough in the book to reflect how this even happened. Treyton goes from watching her commit a prank, to her catching him in the music room, then we are announcing to the school about poked holes, then BAM, he is all about her.
I still have questions about how she got off a locked room...
There is a secret society that comes into play, but to me, there was not enough in there about them. Hopefully that gets expanded on in the rest of the series.
There are really good bones here for Isis, so I hope that grammatical issues get resolved to keep her readers more involved. I would love to see where this series goes.
CHARACTERS: 3.5
SPICE: 3
OVERALL: 3.5
TROPES:
-Dark Romance
-Murder Mystery
-Mental Health
This was definitely a different read for me. The murder mystery aspect drew me in, and when I say it was interesting, believe me. With that said, this book is hard to read. Not in the usual sense, but there are multiple places where the sentences did not make sense and there seem to be some tenses off.
This story is about Lyric, he battle with her mental health that was called into question due to murders she has witnessed. This is also about her romance with the FMC Treyton.
Please note, there are trigger warnings, READ EM!
I am not a fan of how fast Lyric and Treyton became a thing. There was just not enough in the book to reflect how this even happened. Treyton goes from watching her commit a prank, to her catching him in the music room, then we are announcing to the school about poked holes, then BAM, he is all about her.
I still have questions about how she got off a locked room...
There is a secret society that comes into play, but to me, there was not enough in there about them. Hopefully that gets expanded on in the rest of the series.
There are really good bones here for Isis, so I hope that grammatical issues get resolved to keep her readers more involved. I would love to see where this series goes.
May 19, 2024
This is the very first book that I have read from this writer. I read the blurb for this book and wanted to know more about the characters. This is quite the storyline indeed. It is completely unhinged, unpredictable and very dark with a ton of mystery between the pages and a jaw dropping plot twist you will never see coming. I absolutely loved this book because the storyline is completely original. I read a ton of books and never read one like this.
Lyric is one unique person. Not only is she the daughter of a well known politician but she is an incredible pianist. But there is something that is happening to her that no one can explain. She is plagued with delusions that happen every month on the 15th. Are these delusions or something far worse?
Treyton is the son of a police officer and arsonist. Overall he is a great guy but he has quite the dark side. He becomes quickly engrossed with Lyric despite the huge red flags.
These two play quite the game. But who will come out on the other end?
This was a page turning mind blowing book from beginning to end. It was different from books I have read but freaking amazing. There is more to the storyline for these two and I am hoping it is in the next books. Isis is going to be a writer that I want to read.
Lyric is one unique person. Not only is she the daughter of a well known politician but she is an incredible pianist. But there is something that is happening to her that no one can explain. She is plagued with delusions that happen every month on the 15th. Are these delusions or something far worse?
Treyton is the son of a police officer and arsonist. Overall he is a great guy but he has quite the dark side. He becomes quickly engrossed with Lyric despite the huge red flags.
These two play quite the game. But who will come out on the other end?
This was a page turning mind blowing book from beginning to end. It was different from books I have read but freaking amazing. There is more to the storyline for these two and I am hoping it is in the next books. Isis is going to be a writer that I want to read.
April 29, 2024
Red Hands is part of the RBGW Series. It showed a great depiction of how people with mental health problems are treated. The FL sees a ghost doing horrible acts, but because of her mental health, no one believes her. The ML was honestly perfect for the FL. They were both a little twisted in their thinking.
The FL does something unintentionally which hurts the ML. This causes the ML to take matters into his own hands. He does some mean things to the FL, but does regret it. He knows not all is what it seems and he works extremely hard to help the FL as much as he possibly can. When he wasn't in his vendetta mood, he really was a caring and protective person when it came to the FL.
We really got to delve into how people who we trust can manipulate us in horrible ways. It was good to see the truth finally come out into the light and get resolved.
The FL does something unintentionally which hurts the ML. This causes the ML to take matters into his own hands. He does some mean things to the FL, but does regret it. He knows not all is what it seems and he works extremely hard to help the FL as much as he possibly can. When he wasn't in his vendetta mood, he really was a caring and protective person when it came to the FL.
We really got to delve into how people who we trust can manipulate us in horrible ways. It was good to see the truth finally come out into the light and get resolved.
May 6, 2024
This is a great mix of dark romance with spice and a murder mystery. Lyric witnessed a murder by a “ghost” and no one believes her, claiming she has mental issues so she must be mistaken. Treyton is new to the school and has an affinity to fire. When he notices Lyric and has an instant obsession with her. Not wanting to believe what everyone is saying. He has a particular way of showing her he cares, proving to her some people do believe her. Their relationship is written in a way that keeps you guessing on how things will progress. The twist when who the culprit is revealed, I never even thought of that as the conclusion. I will say the writing was confusing at points with how the sentence was worded, but other than that it was a great story and I can't wait to read more in the series.
May 10, 2024
I cannot stress this enough: Red Hands is for 18+ readers. Please check the TWs/CWs before reading.
I just want to note quickly that Red Hands is written in British English – some things I had to read twice to understand as I’m a lowly American, but this didn’t detract from my experience or the enjoyability.
Lyric is the daughter of a well-known politician and, more importantly, an incredible pianist. She is also plagued with terrifying delusions that bring her to a murder scene every month on the 15th. Do you think she did it? Because she claims a dead man is the murderer…
Treyton is the son of a renowned police officer, a star basketball player, and an arsonist. He swiftly becomes enraptured by Lyric, despite his best friend warning against her. We follow both Lyric and Treyton (Dual POV) through their highs and lows, culminating in them falling in love.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading Red Hands! I will say there were points where I wish I got more information (specifically about the cult and secret society), but I’m hoping that more will be revealed through the series which is projected to be four books. I absolutely do not condone Treyton’s actions most of the time, but there’s just something about a “tough her and perish” morally grey MMC that gets me. I’m also not a huge fan of college romance usually, but I love that the typical drama of college isn’t at the forefront of Red Hands. There is a HEA, but it appears to be pending what happens in the books to come.
I’m very excited to see where this goes next!
XOXO
I just want to note quickly that Red Hands is written in British English – some things I had to read twice to understand as I’m a lowly American, but this didn’t detract from my experience or the enjoyability.
Lyric is the daughter of a well-known politician and, more importantly, an incredible pianist. She is also plagued with terrifying delusions that bring her to a murder scene every month on the 15th. Do you think she did it? Because she claims a dead man is the murderer…
Treyton is the son of a renowned police officer, a star basketball player, and an arsonist. He swiftly becomes enraptured by Lyric, despite his best friend warning against her. We follow both Lyric and Treyton (Dual POV) through their highs and lows, culminating in them falling in love.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time reading Red Hands! I will say there were points where I wish I got more information (specifically about the cult and secret society), but I’m hoping that more will be revealed through the series which is projected to be four books. I absolutely do not condone Treyton’s actions most of the time, but there’s just something about a “tough her and perish” morally grey MMC that gets me. I’m also not a huge fan of college romance usually, but I love that the typical drama of college isn’t at the forefront of Red Hands. There is a HEA, but it appears to be pending what happens in the books to come.
I’m very excited to see where this goes next!
XOXO
May 13, 2024
This was my first book by Isis and I did like her writing style for Red Hands.
With Red Hands, I LOVED the mystery aspect of this dark college romance. There were a lot of underlying twists and mystery takes through the book that really kept me captivated. This wasn't like every other dark college romance book I've read, Isis gave it a fresh and unique perspective that made this a favorite read for me. I really liked how Lyric and Treyton met, and how he really believed and cared about her when everyone else thought she was losing her literal mind. Thier connection and chemistry was a 4/5 for me. For my first book by Isis, I was pleasantly surprised and would easily dive into more of her books if they have the same mysterious thrill in them! :)
With Red Hands, I LOVED the mystery aspect of this dark college romance. There were a lot of underlying twists and mystery takes through the book that really kept me captivated. This wasn't like every other dark college romance book I've read, Isis gave it a fresh and unique perspective that made this a favorite read for me. I really liked how Lyric and Treyton met, and how he really believed and cared about her when everyone else thought she was losing her literal mind. Thier connection and chemistry was a 4/5 for me. For my first book by Isis, I was pleasantly surprised and would easily dive into more of her books if they have the same mysterious thrill in them! :)
May 24, 2024
My altercation was not so simple when I claimed, I attempted a murder because I saw ghosts.
Who would believe me, a mad pianist who sees undead murdering?
This was my first read by Isis, and I was captivated by the writing style and story line. I absolutely adore the unique main character names: Treyton and Lyric. I loved Treyton's love for Lyric.
The suspense had you guessing and trying to figure it all out, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I really look forward to more from this author.
Tropes:
- Morally grey MMC
- Mystery / Suspense
- Dark college romance
- Enemies to lovers
- He falls first
Who would believe me, a mad pianist who sees undead murdering?
This was my first read by Isis, and I was captivated by the writing style and story line. I absolutely adore the unique main character names: Treyton and Lyric. I loved Treyton's love for Lyric.
The suspense had you guessing and trying to figure it all out, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
I really look forward to more from this author.
Tropes:
- Morally grey MMC
- Mystery / Suspense
- Dark college romance
- Enemies to lovers
- He falls first
May 6, 2024
Whilst I really enjoyed the storyline of this book, I found it difficult to read and get fully immersed in it because a lot of the sentences didn't seem to make sense…not in the way that you couldn't understand them, because I could, just in the way they were worded. That being said, once I started, I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. I would like to continue the series because the author pulls you in! I also loved the mental health representation…I think it was done very well and very respectfully.
May 16, 2024
This was a nice and spicy, dark read.
I love the college setting (of course, wink wink), the darkness, the character development and world building. This book help my attention and I kept begging for more.
I thought I had the story figured out, right down to a tee, only to be blindsided by events that I didn't see coming.
This is a great read if you're looking for something, short, but spicy and packed with a punch!
I love the college setting (of course, wink wink), the darkness, the character development and world building. This book help my attention and I kept begging for more.
I thought I had the story figured out, right down to a tee, only to be blindsided by events that I didn't see coming.
This is a great read if you're looking for something, short, but spicy and packed with a punch!
May 23, 2024
This was an interesting dark college romance, and I do advise reading the TWs! Overall this book was intriguing with it's twists and turns, and it also focuses on mental health and how it is perceived on both sides. There were some parts as noted by others that I found hard to fully understand until I read it a couple times but once I understood it not an issue. Overall, I did enjoy the book and I look forward to reading more of her work!
May 15, 2025
I read this to get me out of this little slump I feel myself getting in. This book was interesting but it got confusing at times. We went from Lyric meeting the MMC for the first time to them end up pranking eachother?? Like what happened between that. Their relationship did happen pretty quick and I wish it was more. I liked the mystery aspect and the mental health and how she’s being treated became of her mental health. I honestly don’t know how to feel about this book.
April 24, 2024
Hands-down five stars spice spice spice!!!!!
From the moment I seen the trope and the triggers I knew I had to read it… I can’t wait for the paperback to be released I’m purchasing it immediately!!
Treyton and lyric became an unhinged couple
Chapter 12 made me put Treyton to the top of my book boyfriend list. He loves lyric for exactly how she is and matches her level.
From the moment I seen the trope and the triggers I knew I had to read it… I can’t wait for the paperback to be released I’m purchasing it immediately!!
Treyton and lyric became an unhinged couple
Chapter 12 made me put Treyton to the top of my book boyfriend list. He loves lyric for exactly how she is and matches her level.
May 19, 2024
Beautiful ❤️
I fell in love with this book , it was well written and I was hooked from the first page. I loved the fact treyton was overprotective of lyric when he finally understand the truth of what's going on with her. But I can't wait for the next book in the series I need to know what happens with treyton and lyric.
I fell in love with this book , it was well written and I was hooked from the first page. I loved the fact treyton was overprotective of lyric when he finally understand the truth of what's going on with her. But I can't wait for the next book in the series I need to know what happens with treyton and lyric.
May 10, 2024
This was completely unhinged, unpredictable, and dark! I enjoyed the mystery between these pages, cringed at the toxic dynamic of the main characters, and dropped my jaw at the plot twist. This story was original and nothing like I have ever read before. Highly recommend to those that like to be kept guessing and enjoy the darker side of romance. Let's not forget a few hot toe curling scenes to keep you fanning yourself.
May 6, 2025
"I asked you to live because, without you, I don't know how to. You're my priority. You're my reason."
January 25, 2026
2.75*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews