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Can't Hide Forever

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A dark romance, modern-day reimagining of Jekyll & Hyde.

The man of two faces has one obsession… Her.


My name is Dr Jackson Keller, but the cops call me Hyde.
By day, I'm a respected therapist who lives to help others. By night, dark urges take control of my mind.
Hyde. My masked alter ego. He craves bloody vengeance.
And the Detective determined to hunt me down just happens to be my newest patient.
Ava doesn’t know she’s baring her secrets to the killer she’s chasing.
She’s drawn to my light yet captivated by my shadow. Torn between two forbidden men—both of them me.
Corrupting her is my addiction. I know she’s not as honorable as she appears.
I will claw out her buried demons.
Before she unmasks me.
Ava may long for Jackson, but Hyde will claim her soul.

Unknown Binding

Published April 24, 2024

455 people are currently reading
4816 people want to read

About the author

Lauren Marcie

6 books113 followers
Lauren Marcie is a dark romance author who’s fallen utterly in love with all things morally grey. She’s obsessed with villains, plot twists, badass heroines, and the anti-heroes who can’t resist them. When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her planning her Halloween costume way too early or staging impromptu photoshoots of her cat.

You can find her here!

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5 stars
592 (34%)
4 stars
588 (34%)
3 stars
378 (22%)
2 stars
103 (6%)
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40 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 365 reviews
Profile Image for Ash.
394 reviews122 followers
August 9, 2024

“I’m yours for eternity, Ava Cain. I’m your master and your servant. I’ll own you, but you’ll own me too. I’ll give you the world to have for your own.”

“You own me, Jackson Keller.”


Dare I say this may have been one of my favorite dark romance thriller for this year. Like once I started I had a hard time putting this down. This really goes deep into what we think is good and bad, light or dark and I was intrigued. Reading about Jackson who has a whole Jekyll and Hyde persona was so fun and seeing how those persona interactions were with Ava and how they brought out different sides to her.


Hyde is the night, Jackson is the day. Hyde is the moon, Jackson the sun. Hyde is my dark past, while Jackson is the belief I can one day escape it. Hyde ignites my body, Jackson touches my heart.


Jackson and Ava my loves are both tortured souls who honestly were just trying to seek vengeance in their own ways but I am glad they found each other. I am totally down to read more books by this author!

P.S
The spice 🤭🙂‍↕️
Profile Image for Medollga.
750 reviews207 followers
November 4, 2025
Hard to say if this was mid because my previous read was epic, or because it's weak all on its own🤷🏼‍♀️

Don't get me wrong: this has potential 👌 The premise was intriguing, a reimagining of Jekyll/Hyde of sorts. I liked the thriller aspect of it, although it was a bit underdeveloped.

The main problem for me was the weird pacing: the book was on the longer side, yet it spent too much time describing unnecessary things, instead of focusing on more important turning points.

Plus I feel like the whole police procedure was turned into a joke in this book, that's how unbelievable it was 🤡

I liked that it focused more on 'plot' and less on smut, even though it wasn't my assumption going in. And although the plot was quite interesting, it was still rushed and in need of an editor 👉👈

Read this book if you like psychology, romantic thrillers, and stories about unaliving bad people I guess 😅
Profile Image for Emily Kurosawa.
350 reviews18 followers
April 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5

“You can run from me, Ava. You can even try to hide. But you can’t hide forever.” - Jackson

One of my favourite books to read is a reimagining/retelling. And as soon as I saw the tropes, it was an immediate yes from me! Plus, I haven't read a Jekyll & Hyde reimagining (just another reason to read this book!) If romantic suspense or dark psychological romance is your jam, Can't Hide Forever is for you!

Reading Can't Hide Forever kept me on the edge of my seat! It was a thrilling experience, a wild ride to say the least. Lauren Marcie did an excellent job of bringing this story to life. Hooked from the very first page, I fell into the world Lauren created. And the spice! It was so good 🥵

“You’re a monster,”
“I’m the monster who’s going to f*ck you until you’re seeing stars.” - Jackson

Before I reached part two of the book, it felt like I knew or kept a secret (the main characters, Ava and Jackson, weren't clued in yet.) And as the storyline unravelled, I thought I had an idea of where the plot was heading or figured out certain things. But, boy, oh boy! I was so wrong! 

"This is insane. Psychotic. Toxic in the most life-ruining way possible." - Ava

Ava fought and failed to resist the temptation of falling into Jackson's dark embrace. And Jackson was dead-set on bringing Ava's dark side lurking beneath the surface. (He can be very persuasive 😏) In a way, Jackson and Ava healed each other; all their fractured pieces fitted together perfectly.  

"His eyes look dark. Dark, deep, and entirely f*cking mad. And, with every inch of my being, I want to fall right into those depths." - Ava

For many years, Ava and Jackson hid their secrets and dark, broken parts of themselves from the world. But the problem with hiding everything (eventually) comes out.  

Detective Ava Cain is a promising homicide detective; she's passionate about her work (a workaholic) and devoted her life to justice. During one of her missions, Ava disobeys a direct order from her mentor and commanding officer. If Ava wants to keep her badge, she needs to attend therapy sessions. 

Dr Jackson Keller is a renowned psychiatrist and Ava's new therapist. Jackson always had an interest in the intricacies of the mind/psyche. Hence, he dedicated his life to helping people and having a hand in making the world a better, happier place. However, there's more to Jackson than meets the eye; he has a darker, sinister alter ego that comes out to play in the night.

A serial killer on a path of vengeance: Hyde craves destruction, to spill blood by eliminating the people who hurt him and anyone who dares to touch her. 

A spark of obsession, a game of hide and seek or cat and mouse begins.

The hunt is on; a serial killer is on the loose. Ava's team are searching for the perpetrator. Despite the gruesome crime scenes, Ava is fascinated with them, igniting her curiosity about the killer. 

Ava is drawn to both men: Jackson's gentleness, good nature and his light, and Hyde's roughness, dangerous aure and his darkness. She knows it's wrong, forbidden to feel this way, but it's hard not to when they speak to different parts of her. What will happen when she uncovers the truth? You'll just have to read to find out!

*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review

What to expect:
- Jekyll & Hyde reimagining
- Romantic suspense
- Psychological romance
- Forbidden
- Primal play
- Stalking
- Detective FMC
- Psychiatrist/Serial k*ller MMC
- Touch her and die
- Crime scenes
- M*rder/bløod
- Mentions of physical and psychological abuse
Profile Image for Sober Decay.
53 reviews16 followers
April 22, 2024
So so good! This dark romantic psychological thriller reminded me of Hannibal. Strong character development and lots of twists and turns. I’m very good at predicting the end and I truly had no idea how this complex story was going to manage to play out, but Marcie managed to surprise me and give me the HEA everyone deserves.
Profile Image for Megan.
306 reviews
June 8, 2025
The first half was amazing and completely different to what I've read before, but the second half was repetitive and boring until the last 50 pages
Profile Image for Bria  Boyd.
446 reviews
May 11, 2024
That ending though 🫠🙌😭 perfection! This entire book was so so good!
Profile Image for Lanie Reid.
32 reviews
April 23, 2024
"Can't Hide Forever" by Lauren Marcie was insane.

First things first, this book is a retelling of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. I have loved that story since I was a little kid, and this modern retelling was impeccable. Marcie did a fantastic job keeping me engaged throughout the novel, I could barely put it down.

I rated this book 5/5 stars for multiple reasons, mainly the depictions of violence and the way Marcie truly paints a clear picture with her words. Reading this book felt as if watching a movie, I value that in my reads.

The characters were complex, leaving you with a deeper understanding rather than a surface-level feeling, the main character Ava Cain's emotional and internal journey through the chapters will leave readers with a fulfilling sense of character development. I know I did.

Now, the spice, it was phenomenal. I truly have not read anything like it, if you're a fan of very in-depth spicy scenes this is a book for you.

With all this being said, I 100% recommend reading "Can't Hide Forever" by Lauren Marcie. Please do not forget to check the list of Trigger Warnings on her website.

I am incredibly grateful to have received an Advanced Readers copy (ARC) of "Can't Hide Forever" by Lauren Marcie, and I look forward to reading her next release.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Allia Reads (semi hiatus).
259 reviews126 followers
August 3, 2024
The book is dark and twisted, and I loved it.😮‍💨

The story is a retelling of Jekyll & Hyde. Ava is a detective trying to catch a serial killer, while Jackson is a therapist with a dark secret😏🤭

Safety info:
- Owd/omd: none
- Cheating: none
- Third act breakup: none
- Hea: yes with a epilogue
Profile Image for Amy Martindale.
16 reviews
April 24, 2024
ARC Review


*spoilers​*


I received an arc copy (thank you Lauren) of Can't Hide Forever, and finished it within two days. It's a reimagining of Jekyll and Hyde, with a detective FMC and therapist/serial unaliver MMC. This book is written really well, and I loved the retelling of Jekyll and Hyde, but also the darkness that resides within Ava, and how alike her and Jackson actually are. The masked man/alter ego element is one I adore, especially with showing the good and bad in everyone. The forbidden love trope in this was also something else extremely well written and had me reading on with anticipation. My one feedback would be that I wished the book was a bit longer, with more moments of Ava and Jackson/Hyde to really develop their relationship even more.

Overall this book was a good read, had a great plot and really well written characters. I would definitely recommend if the masked man/alter ego and forbidden love tropes are some of your favourites!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Shhh ... I’m Reading.
89 reviews23 followers
April 21, 2024

An excellent Jekyll and “Hyde” dark, suspenseful romance story! Perfect amount of 🌶️. I give it 4.5 🌟 - due to some grammatical writing errors.

HYDE ~ “God made you just for me,” he gasps between rough thrusts into me. “Or maybe it wasn’t god. Maybe the devil crafted both of us from the same piece of clay.”

With pasts of childhood abuse and neglect that both Ava & Jackson go through, the intriguing story line and plot twists along the way - all I can say is WOW!

The twists and turns 😳 what a ride!

Highly recommend, but read the trigger warnings 😉





Profile Image for Isabooklover.
116 reviews
July 11, 2024
Usually if a star is a one start I don’t even finish but I was tricked.

You see for about half of the book I was leaning towards 3.5 ⭐️ part two was missing something but I wanted to see how it’d end and it was lowered to a 3.

But the end? The ending sucked ass. There was no build up and it made me dislike the entire book. Instead of all the unnecessary and useless scenes in place could’ve been the build up of what’s to come so it’s a reasonable plot twist.

I want my time back and I am upset about the wasted potential this story had.
Profile Image for Smut Cartel.
247 reviews29 followers
May 13, 2024
A dark romance, modern-day reimagining of Jekyll & Hyde.
The man of two faces has one obsession… Her.

My name is Dr Jackson Keller, but the cops call me Hyde.
By day, I'm a respected therapist who lives to help others. By night, dark urges take control of my mind.
Hyde. My masked alter ego. He craves bloody vengeance.

Can't Hide Forever is filled with so many twists and turns you don't see coming. You think you know what's going to happen..... you don't. This Jekyll and Hyde retelling is so well written, the character development of Ava and Jackson, and plot have you deeply captivated from the very start.

Tropes:
- Touch her & die
- Detective FMC
- Therapist/serial killer MMC
- Forbidden
- Primal play
- Romantic suspense
- Psychological romance
- Stalking
Profile Image for Anita Hickman.
615 reviews14 followers
April 24, 2024
I wasn't expecting that at all.
At first in the beginning it was pretty clear what was going on. Or. So. I. Thought. Wrong!!
That was one hell of a twist.

Before you go into the book. Read the CW and TW. Please!!! This book is NOT for the meek. This is no fairy tale and white picket fence relationship.

This is close to a Dr. Jekyll and Hyde-type book as you will experience.
Twists turns and a Twisted relationship

I didn't read it all in one night. I thought I had it figured out. Oooh boy!! That ending.
I didn't. It shocked me but good.
I love it when a book has you thinking one thing and at the end. WTF just happened 😳

This book and writer were amazing.
The book was also written really well.
I am so glad I got to read Lauren Marcie's book.
It won't be the last
I look forward to seeing what is coming up next.
Profile Image for Izzah ꒰Hiatus ಇ Duchess of Cabria꒱ .
1,222 reviews319 followers
July 11, 2024
Thriller romance that steadily lost both

This started out so strong, so... thrilling, for lack of a better adjective. A dark romance retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde seems like a match made in heaven.

The detective heroine that hides a terrible darkness and the therapist who doesn't know why he's having wholes in his memory/serial killer hero both of whom are obsessed with the heroine.

It just worked.

Until it didn't?



It was too long and too filler-y. It took the book out of the 'thriller' ambiance and made the story mundane...

The steam was nice and the tension as well as their attraction was well written. (I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have since I thought this would have breeding kink, but it was one of those 'clean breeding' where she's taking bc. For me, that's like going bungee jumping... from the top of the bunker bed)



I read a bunch of reviews praising the ending but for me it was the 'mundane' winning over the 'thrilling'.



All in all... not really happy to have read this, but it wasn't bad enough for 2 ★. So 2.5 rounded up it is...
Profile Image for Urtė Caspo.
397 reviews143 followers
July 7, 2025
3,5 🌟 šiaip jau.

Idėja gal ir nieko: detektyvė ir ją gydantis psichiatras, kuris pats ligonis, kenčiantis nuo Džekilo / Haido sindromo kai dieną yra gerietis, o naktį – žudikas... visgi 😩 šiai idėjai įgyvendinti trūko gilesnio autorės pasamprotavimo. Skaitydama knygą dažnai jaučiausi taip, lyg psichiatro dvilypiškumas būtų juokinga parodija.
Profile Image for Hailey Owen.
147 reviews4 followers
May 14, 2024
Can’t Hide Forever by Lauren Marcie

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

This is a modern day retelling of Jackal and Hyde with dark romance twists. I loved the dynamic between Ava the detective and Jackson the therapist. If you want a thrilling and sexy cat and mouse serial killer game to read this is it!

I mean COME ON HE CALLS HER LITTLE DOVE!! 😍🥵
Profile Image for Vivi the reader.
323 reviews8 followers
May 1, 2024
3.5 ⭐️

I loved the unique twist on the Jekyll and Hyde story and the fact that the MMC’s name is Jackson Keller (see what the author did there?). I loved that!

As for the FMC, she always had that darkness within her which Hyde forced out, but in my opinion, she didn’t fight him that hard anyway…

In the end, the plot twist, the big reveal, didn’t make me feel “I SHOULD’VE SEEN THAT COMING!” but I was like, “huh…”.

Not that it was disappointing or didn’t make sense, but I love it when the book has some foreshadowing about who the bad guy is, so by the time of the big reveal readers have a sense of foreboding.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Ruth♡.
426 reviews55 followers
June 28, 2024
3.5 ⭐

Yo entre a este libro muy a ciegas y si siento que uno debe entrar así, pero quiero mencionar que es un dark romance, tiene un misterio policíaco y siento que es lo necesario que deben saber 🙂‍↕️

Ahora de forma general diré mi opinión, siento que la historia es muy buena, los personajes también me gustaron mucho peroo siento que la autora deja mucho huecos que en mi opinión son muy importantes para entender bien a cierto personaje y el por qué actúa así, lo toca muy por encima, también el final de ese personaje me dejó con dudas, no me convenció nada eso de aceptarse, necesita más desarrollo, en resumen uno de los protagonistas en mi opinión debió ser más desarrollado para entender mejor TODO y también para que tuviera un mejor cierre.
Profile Image for Bookbun8.
172 reviews5 followers
May 14, 2024
"Your body is begging to be touched by a killer." Oh baby, THIS! Literally, THIS!

Can't Hide Forever is OUT!!! 🔥🔥🔥

This dark retelling of Jekyl and Hyde is enthralling! It takes you on twists and down a steep roller coaster. Hell, I'm still thinking about this story. The way it was written, the different POVs, the darkness that overcomes them, they're all just 👩🏻‍🍳💋

Everyone, drop whatever book you're reading and get your hands on this book NOW! Just imagine a detective, a therapist, a masked killer, and a bunch of secrets 🌚

I absolutely love this book and will definitely reread it over and over again until I have them memorised 😍
Profile Image for Erin_ReadsAfterDark 🖤.
246 reviews4 followers
April 25, 2024
Little Dove 🕊️

✨ ARC Review ✨
📖: Can’t Hide Forever by Lauren Marcie
⭐️: 4/5
🌶️: 2.5/5

Serial Killer Romances are starting to become a vibe for me and I’m here for it. 😈 The connection Jackson/Hyde and Ava had throughout this entire book was so good. I loved how she said Jackson was like sunlight and Hyde was like moonlight. It was the perfect way to describe them. The plot twist was something I definitely did not see coming but I liked the way it ended. This was my first Lauren Marcie book and I loved it!
Profile Image for Milica.
1,103 reviews12 followers
dnf
July 18, 2024
DNF @ 51%

It sounded interesting, but it was actually very boring and repetitive. I think that if it was written better, it would've been a great story.
Profile Image for Millie Rose.
234 reviews4 followers
September 4, 2025
I absolutely love retellings and this was an amazing take on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I LOVED the fact that Ava was a detective hunting a serial killer who just so happens to be our mmc Jackson. I also loved the forbidden aspect of Jackson being Ava’s therapist.

Tropes
- therapist x patient
- Secret persona
- Serial killer x detective
- Obsessed mmc

Quotes <3

“I want Ava Cain. I’m forbidden from acting on that desire. Her presence is stoking whatever darkness lives inside me.”

“You can run from me, Ava. You can even try to hide. But you can’t hide forever.”

“Hyde is the night, Jackson is the day. Hyde is the moon, Jackson the sun. Hyde is my dark past, while Jackson is the belief I can one day escape it. Hyde ignites my body, Jackson touches my heart.”

“I know that if such a thing as a soul exists, then our souls are cut from the same obsidian cloth.”

“I’m yours for eternity, Ava Cain. I’m your master and your servant. I’ll own you, but you’ll own me too. I’ll give you the world to have for your own.”
Profile Image for cloudy.
599 reviews86 followers
April 26, 2024
“take off your own mask. show me everything that’s underneath.”

i don't know what fascinates me more, the criminal x detective relationship or the psychiatrist x criminal one. but this book combined the two to near perfection, weaving the tension and power dynamic between the main leads into a deliciously dark web of blood and lust. i didn’t know i needed a dr. jekyll and mr. hyde reimagining, but this gave me all the psychological mindfuck goodness. i love an unreliable narrator.

*i received an advance review copy through booksirens for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily
Profile Image for Hayley.
119 reviews27 followers
April 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Can't hide forever was an amazing
dark romance and retelling of Jekyll and Hyde!

The plot had me hooked since the very beginning. I loved the main characters. Ava being a detective and Jackson being a therapist and a serial killer with an alter ego. I enjoyed how dark and twisted it was. I highly recommend reading this book!

Please make sure to read the trigger warnings!

Tropes:
Touch her & die
Detective FMC
Therapist/serial killer MMC
Forbidden
Primal play
1,558 reviews27 followers
May 5, 2024
My first read by this author and it definitely intrigued me! A retelling of Jekyll & Hyde and it was well told.
Ava is FBI and finds herself entangled with her therapist and the serial killer she's chasing but don't you just love when there's a twist....

A good read. 3/3.5 stars
Profile Image for Ivy b.
114 reviews5 followers
May 14, 2024
I had the amazing opportunity to read this as an ARC book and can I just say - FULL BLOWN OBSESSED W/ THIS BOOK.

Like idk what Lauren put in this book, but I could not put her down. My first retelling of Hyde I’ve read and I’d let that man do anything to me.

If I could give infinity stars I would. I can’t wait to get my physical copy 🥰
Profile Image for reignofpersephone.
60 reviews6 followers
August 14, 2024

❤︎

Can’t Hide Forever by Lauren Marcie
Rating: 6 Stars
Spice: 3/3
Tropes: Forbidden, Doctor/Patient, Serial Killer, Stalking
TW: Mental Health decline, murder, grief, childhood abuse, family trauma, drug abuse, primal play, touch her/him and die

“You can run from me, Ava. You can even try to hide. But you can’t hide forever.”

I honestly don’t know where to begin. I have so much to say but words are failing me. So I’m going to try my best writing this haha.

This story is a Jekyll and Hyde retelling. The blurb had me hooked as well as the tropes. It’s as if the author knew exactly what I like and put it into a very dark novel with a pretty bow just for me.

Our FMC is Detective Ava Cain. A young, ambitious and talented police officer. She is in her first year of being a detective when an incident while working has her sent to mandatory sessions with a psychiatrist who is our MMC Dr Jackson Keller.

While on leave she is called in by her commanding officer to consult on murders that point to all the makings of a serial killer.

This is one hell of a ride. Just when you think you know what’s happening a twist comes your way and you’re left with your jaw hanging open.

I think it’s best to just dive in without reading any reviews and spoiling it for yourself.

It really enhances the reading experience when you are reading it without any knowledge as what is to come.

I can’t say much more because I don’t wanna spoil the fun hehe.

This book will definitely stick with me. I just wish I could read it for the first time again.

As always please read the TWs my loves.

Happy Reading xo
Profile Image for Shelby • the_kindle_girlie.
173 reviews4 followers
September 6, 2024
| Can’t Hide Forever | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By @laurenmarcieauthor

THIS WAS SO GOOD! I love the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and this retelling was amazing! I was so sad when we learned of Jackson’s past. My heart ached for him. Ava is a badass and I really enjoyed her character. I ate this book up in about 2 days. It reminded me of the crime solving dramas that I love, but spicier 😏.

A young detective named Ava is assigned therapy after a bust gone bad. She is reluctant, but goes to keep her job. She doesn’t want to sit with a dusty old man and talk about her feelings. She walks in with her leather jacket and full of attitude but is pleasantly surprised with a young attractive therapist who starts makes her feel comfortable enough to start talking. Dr. Jackson Keller shouldn’t find his new patient attractive, but he can’t help himself. His job is to clear her fit for duty (or not). He needs to focus and not get distracted by the attractive detective. Especially when he is having blackouts and notes are being left for him by the familiar name of Hyde.

#kindle #kindlegirlies #bookstagram #booksta #darkromance #bookgirl #fantasy
Profile Image for Melissa Houpt.
384 reviews10 followers
April 24, 2024
“All I know for certain is that in one session, this man with a stare like sunshine has dug deeper than anyone has in years.”

After going against her captains orders in a hostage situation, detective Ava is sent to mandatory therapy. The therapist just so happens to be a major part of a new case she is throw into. This dark romance has true Jekyll and Hyde vibes. I really thought I knew what was going on until the last 10% of the book. I did not see that plot twist coming!! 🤯The undeniable chemistry between Ava and Jackson/Hyde was perfection. Ava truly was fighting her conscience between her moral stand point and for the man/men she had fallen for. I highly recommend! It definitely had me hooked.
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