The Killing Game: Book 1, Horror Romance, Final Girls Never Die Duet

by Sage Mitchell

No one plans on becoming the survivor of Graveslake's infamous serial killer’s deadly game their senior year of high school. Yet, Ashe Nikko secretly wears the moniker of final girl while living life like it never happened.

Now, nearly three years later, she thinks the past is dead and buried. With plans to focus on the future with a successful career as a horror romance author, Ashe embarks on one final trip with her friends to the family cabin on the outskirts of town before they go their separate ways into adulthood.

Four friends. Three days off-grid. Two final nights to explore an old crush that won’t fade. And one secret that died with her sanity. Nothing could ruin this weekend.

But when threatening notes start appearing around the cabin accompanied by a strange feeling none of them can shake, Ashe must face the truth: some secrets never stay dead long. Once a final girl, always a final girl. And her killer past has come to collect.

Welcome to the killing game.

The first book in the Final Girls Never Die Duet, The Killing Game is a fast paced, thrilling story filled with burning desire, chilling chases, and a killer that refuses to stay dead.

Genres: Dark Romance, Horror, Dark, Romance, Ebooks, BDSM, Thriller

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2024

About the author

Welcome to the Club, Final Babes! Find all my books on Kindle Unlimited or your favorite book shop!

Need Horror Romance?🔪🩸🌲🏚️—>
1. The Killing Game
2. The Killing Secret (Fall 2026)
#FINALGIRLSNEVERDIE

🎃Need Queer, Cozy Romance?—> Haunted Midwest Hookup Series
1. Scream - WLW x Best Friend’s Sister
2. Possess - Best Friends to Lovers
3. Trick - Grumpy x Sunshine

💖Intro to Horror & Thriller?—> Karmic Salvation

😈Splatterpunk Horror?—> Snapped

🦇Paranormal Sapphic Romance?—> Lust In The Shadows

Horror•Thriller•Romance•Dystopian•18+

Reviews

[Bria Boyd]

LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH AND THE ENDING!?!?!? FLOORED!

[Dani (Daniiireads)]

3.5 ⭐️

I was looking for something dark and spicy involving serial killers when I stumbled across The Killing Game, and had a damn good time.

If you love/d Scream, this is for you.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- dark erotic horror
- cabin in the woods
- masked man
- friends to fuckers
- knife + rope play
- final girl twice over

[Ashton Reads]

3.5⭐️ Disclaimer that this is erotic horror, not romance. If you’re looking for something campy and reminiscent of 2000s slasher films, but with some dark smut, definitely recommend giving this one a try! It’s great for spooky season, and though it was pretty predictable I did have a good time with it. And at only 200 pages it’s a quick one to curl up and binge.

[Alexsis]

Absolutely loved this book! It was everything I needed right now. I loved the subtle romance/spice element. It didn’t overtake the storyline. I thought I had it figured out, then I didn’t, then I was right, then I was so wrong haha. It was perfect. Really great book and can’t wait to read more by this author!

[Rachel]

If you loved the original scream movie and movies like it, this book is right up your street. Four friends, cabin in the woods, serial killer(s) on the loose. What's not to love? I felt great nostalgia reading this. It has a traditional slasher feel to it. Really enjoyed it. Ashe is a great, strong FMC but will she make it to be the 'final girl'? Highly recommend

[Sabrina]

4.5⭐️

I’m actually surprised by how much I liked this 😭. There were some very cringe sentences but I still enjoyed the story so I guess I got past them.
I can’t wait for book two !

Also, up until that cliffhanger, I was confused as to how this was dark romance 😭

[Olivia Sawyer]

🔪𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬🩸

this is my first Sage Mitchell book and my god, this was a page turner! I had my theories on who was it and BOYYYYY i was flabbergasted to find out who really was behind it. I can't wait for book two because that cliffhanger had me scratching my head! 😂

if you like scream meets cabin fever with a dash of breakfast club, you'd enjoy this one! 🔪🩸

tropes:
✨🔪play
✨ bisexual rep
✨ final girl
✨ dark plot twist
✨ serial unalivers
👻 horror erotica

rating: 4.5 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Erin]

Well. I certainly am dead 💀 this was so much fun and such a short spooky spicy book!

The cliffhanger that you end on leaves you with your jaw on the floor!

I enjoyed this more than I expected as someone who’s not totally a horromance reader! I would recommend it to everyone who likes a little mask/knife play though!!

[Seara Dodson]

devoured this book!

OMG! Combining horror/final girl with some smut? Love! It gave the thriller vibes we love but the spice and drama also.

[Sammy]

Spannend, schnell zu lesen, blutig und spicy. Super für Zwischendurch in der Halloween Zeit. Hat mir gut gefallen. Das Ende war krass und hoffe auf eine Fortsetzung.

[Stormborn Bookshelf]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Waaa, this book was so good I can’t get over the fact I now need to wait for a possible sequel 🥲

If you’re a huge fan of classic horror stories like I am, you’re going to love this book.

A little sneak peek: four friends spending a night in a cabin in the woods, a serial killer with a unique modus operandi, and a badass FMC who’s a horror writer hiding more than just one secret.

Aren’t you just a bit curious about how this will end? If so, don’t miss The Killing Game, releasing on Friday, September 13th 🔪

Tropes:
- Final Girl
- Cabin in the Woods
- Serial Killer(s)
- Kn!fe play
- Strong FMC
- Dark Plot Twist
- Cliffhanger

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[xXTomeRaiderXx]

A S/ashing Good Time

Well, color me both terrified and completely captivated. This novella lives up to its name in EVERY WAY. From page one, Mitchell grabs you by the “vocal cord area” and refuses to let go. We’re talking masked unalivers, shocking twists, and tension that keeps your pulse racing.

Imagine Scream colliding with Cabin in the Woods— and then turning the dial up with just enough chemistry and chaos to keep you glued to every page. Every scene hums with dread, intensity, and that addictive sense of danger you can’t look away from. Just when you think you’ve figured out who’s behind the mask, Mitchell flips everything on its head and leaves you breathless.

The pacing is ruthless, the atmosphere deliciously unsettling, and the writing sharp as a blade. This isn’t your typical masked man romance… there’s no guaranteed happy ending here, only heat, horror, and hunger in equal measure.

And that ending? Let’s just say the cliffhanger is MASSIVE.

If you love thrillers that blend suspense, passion, and perfectly timed twists, The Killing Game will be your next slashing good time. And knowing this is only part one of the Final Girls Never Die duet? I need the next installment immediately. Come on  Fall 2026!

[Amanda]

“All those years obsessing over true crime and horror movies, for what?”

AHHHHHHH, I absolutely devoured this book. I loved every second of it! This storyline was great and I really enjoyed it right up to the end! There was plenty of gore and twists throughout as well as some very steamy scenes as well - pretty much all I need in a book! I enjoyed that descriptive writing that really made it feel like I was watching a horror movie. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

[Corrina]

If you love scary movies, specifically Scream or Friday the 13th, go pre-order this erÖtïc hörr0r now! You won't regret it. When I tell you I sent @sagesbookstack the play by play because I was unwell 😭 She toyed with my emotions 😭😭 Now she refuses to give me the HEA because "there's no HEA in erÖtïc hörr0r" 😭🙄 excuses. excuses.

But in all seriousness, 10/10 recommend this for the spooky season! 👻🎃✨️

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤]

уσυ кησω тнαт єηтєяιηg α ¢αвιη ιη тнє ωσσ∂ѕ ¢αη ѕσмєтιмєѕ ℓєα∂ тσ мαѕѕα¢яєѕ….

Our four seemed to think they were safe, turns out their 72 hours didn’t go to plan at all. When the Slayer wants to play 🩸💀🔪🪓 Our FMC is an author of horror romances, writing about the senior slayer but she holds a secret of her own that may or may not have led her friends to their demise. There may be a twist or two 😈

Read the trigger warnings ⛔️

[Jess]

3⭐️

This one was just ok for me. Multiple grammar errors, and the dreaded "I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding" line. 🤦‍♀️

The plot was decent but started slow. Maybe I'm desensitized, but I didn't think it was as spicy as others said it was? And considering part of it was r@pe/s0d0my, it wasn't doing anything for me. Definitely read the TW list, but I think it's a little much for what was actually given to us.

It did end on a cliffhanger so I'll probably read a sequel if there is one, but I won't go in with high hopes.

[ashlee]

The Killing Game

I know it’s Christmas time but, you need to check out this slasher vibe book. It was such a change from things I been reading and it was so good. When the name of the killer came out my mouth literally dropped. Then that ending…??? Ugh this was so good. Go read it!

[Rissa]

This book took me by surprise but I could not put it down! Going into this blind, the FMC showed a lot of Dominant badass tendencies. A weekend away with her friends turns into a night she’ll never forget. I enjoyed the twists & turns and I’m glad I read the epilogue!
Looking forward to book 2?:)

[Mandy Christman]

I liked the set up much more than I liked the actual action, and its usually the opposite for me. I think the characters had potential, and I was really rooting for our final girl, but the last half of the book felt rushed and fell flat for me personally.

[Holly Zak]

Classic Horror Plot With Hints of Spicy

Sage Mitchell did an amazing job of engulfing her reader into a classic horror story without making it cliché or overdone. She added her own elements to the story that gets readers wanting to come back for more!

[reads_by_paige]

4⭐️ • 3.5🌶️

✨ARC REVIEW✨

If you want a dark, spicy, twisted Halloween vibe, trilling book. Add this to your TBR. If you are like me and planning a whole two month long spooky season reads, then add this one!!
I enjoyed this book SO much. My little pet u was absolutely perfect. I haven't read a thriller book in so long and then you sprinkle in some smut, Sign. Me. Up. I had so many moments when I figured everything out and so many moments where I audibly gasped.
Such a good book, I seriously cannot wailitttt for book two. I want it right now!

What to Expect:
Cabin in the Woods
Bisexual Rep
Friends to F*ckers
Strong FMC
Serial Killer xa Play
Cliffhanger

BLURB-
Ashe, a survivor turned horror author, reunites with high school friends for one last getaway, confident they've outgrown the terror of the Senior Slayer-a masked killer haunting their past. But as history menacingly repeats itself at a secluded cabin, they are confronted with a chilling truth: some nightmares are never truly over. Can Ashe outsmart the darkness once more, or will this trip claim the final chapter of their survival story?

Happy Reading Friends 🫶🏻

Instagram: @reads_by_paige
https://www.instagram.com/reads_by_pa...

[Emily]

4.5⭐️

Excuse me? I need a sequel and I need it now!

Slowish start, solid storyline, and a good amount of horror elements.

[Kristi]

Welp. This was fun... It's giving spicy slasher movie... a little scream a little Valentine. Overall a fantastic time. Ashe is an FMC that's easy to like...

A little sequel might be nice....

[Cane (FeelinNoCane)]

If you like 2000s slasher horror movies, then this would be right up your alley. The story follows a classic slasher formula but with multiple twists. Our FMC (female main character), Ashe, escapes her town’s serial killer and uses her trauma to become a horror-romance writer fresh out of school. What makes this serial killer unique is that they target one senior every year, leaving behind a grotesque scene in their wake.

Ashe and her friends embark on their annual camping trip one last time before starting their new lives, but from here, things go downhill. I loved every part of this: the FMC was snarky and quick-witted, the banter between characters was sharp, and yes, there’s some spice. If you don’t read this now, it’s definitely a perfect spooky season.

[Corrinonthecob]

Cute little spooky read! I would have loved to sort out the main character's motives more, but a solid read
(Ps I LOVED the main character's name🤭🤭)

[Ivy Winters 🥀]

4.5 ⭐️
Read in one sitting, kept me locked in and flying through pages. Although I picked up on who was involved fairly quick, I’m still highly curious about the slayer himself 👀 and what, if anything, happens next

[Natalie]

‼️ please read trigger/content warnings before reading ‼️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Wow, I was not expecting this book to go the way it did! But I loved it. Call me obsessed with a masked man. 😂 I devoured this one.

Ashe is one BA FMC and I loved her. I was not expecting her story, but in a way I kinda thought it was going to go the way it did. She’s witty, she’s a firecracker, and she’s a horror queen!

This book definitely gives off scream vibes and if you’re a fan then you MUST read this one! I love me a spooky read with spice!

And that ending!!? WHAT! I need books 2 asap, I can’t wait for it to come out.

[✿ Deanna Lea ✿]

First of Sage I'm so proud of you!!! You kicked ass with this book 😍😍

Omg wow , just aboutslet WOW. From the very start this story pulls you in , keeps you hooked and guessing . The characters are so will written . The story line and its growth through out the book was so well done. You can't look away... Ashe is just perfection from start to finish and oh boy Jason 👀

HOLY SHIT THE ENDING !!!!!

[Frances Clark]

Hey , Hi, Howdy and OMG!!!!!!
what can I say other than wow. I've actually been working on my review for a while , trying to find the right words to say. I had the absolute pleasure of reading the rough draft as part of the arc team at the very beginning and I loved it even then, but after all the finishing touches all I can say is "HOLY SHIT!" and I mean this in a good way. I feel like I literally watched this book grow up in a sense , from the draft arc to the cover art and now the final copy. So here is my review , short ,sweet and no spoilers. If you like spoopy stuff, horror of any kind , and smutty erotic novels then this one is for you, it transports you into the world of a blue haired badass , she and her longtime friends are staying in a cabin near the lake and the slayer....well he already took his victim this year and they were all marked safe from the senior slayer long ago. I mean they graduated a few years back so they are safe ..... Right? WRONG! If you are reading this and think you have it all figured out you are wrong ...I assure you, because sage throws in twists , turns and spice that will leaving you feeling dizzy. If you decide to buy this book and you definitely should I hope you love it as much as I do. The head scratching cliffhanger will leave you wanting a second book like immediately , Ive read it multiple times and this cliffhanger still has a chokehold on me .I will say this book does have trigger warnings, please read them and decide for yourself if you will be able to read this book.
Happy reading everyone and Sage , thank you for letting me come on this crazy cool journey with you , I have enjoyed all of it and I am so proud of you and can't wait to read even more books from one of my new favorite authors!

[Madeline Rose]

“As the resident crime junkie, I was confident I could survive on my own. I had been preparing for this my whole life. My cockiness almost got me killed.”
•
Four friends head to a secluded cabin in the woods for their last trip before they go their separate ways. Sure, there’s a serial killer that’s been terrorizing the town for years but it’s outside of their normal killing timeline and they only kill high school seniors. So, what could go wrong? Everything.
•
Our FMC, Ashe, is THE final girl of all final girls. Picture your favorite slasher flick, but make the FMC a plus size, sassy, bi queen. Talk about perfection. She’s confident, she’s bold, and best of all, she is everything your horror filled heart desires. Mind you, this is a horror romance. So, the trigger warnings are TRIGGERING. But if you’re into that (don’t worry- we don’t judge here and love it too), let me tell you this book is HOT. You can’t tell if you’re panting from the spice or because you’re terrified of who is waiting in the dark but isn’t that the point?
•
Y’all, I cannot believe The Killing Game is almost here and y’all get to obsess over this book like I have been for months! I started as a beta reader and now am an ARC reader and I cannot put into words the care and love that was poured into this book. I could not be prouder of my friend; she deserves all the flowers for this incredible debut! The Killing Game is out this Friday, September 13. It’s time to play 🩸🔪