Insane Obsession

by Lola Malone

They said that Saint James’s Asylum for Women was abandoned. They were wrong...

The abandoned sanctuary across the forest is the perfect place for my psychology research. Once the playground for a horrific crime scene, it will be the key to my future.

It has to be.

Because I need a good grade, need to find a well-paid job. Need to be freed from those who control my life.

And tonight's the night.

But as soon as I set foot between those gothic walls, I feel something sinister. And they're not just gruesome memories that make the others run and hide.

No, someone is out there, and they are creating a whole new playground.

One thing is for sure…the asylum is not abandoned.
And those who are inside, have been waiting…for me.

Insane Obsession is a dark mm romance novella. A list of trigger warnings can be found in the front of the book..

Genres: M M Romance, Dark, Dark Romance, Novella, M M M, Christmas, Crime

167 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2024

About the author

My name is Lola Malone and I'm a European-based author who has endeavored into the world of writing dark, morally gray characters who occupy fictive colleges.

When I'm not reading, writing, or fantasizing about other worlds and stories, I'm probably at the gym or away, visiting historic sites with my husband and three sons.

Follow me on my socials!

IG: @lolamalonebooks
TT: @lolamalonebooks

Patreon: @lolamalonebooks

Reviews

[kaye taz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook

This book had a lot of my guilty pleasure tropes, which is what tempted me to grab this ARC.

This story is dark, and there are major taboo elements. Both of which I am super okay with. You’ll get lots of hot, forbidden spice between three men, two of them being identical twins. There are also many examples of obsession, possession and absolute depravity. I loved all of these aspects.

Unfortunately the characters and pretty much the entire relationship felt rushed and flat. There was also no plot at all, which is fine in certain situations but I mean there was literally nothing going on to move the story forward at all. And once the smut started to blur together, it really left nothing to keep me entertained.

The dialogue was often very stilted and strange. The characters did bizarre things that were super unrealistic and kept taking me out of the story.

This book also needs major editing. I try not to hold that part against ARCs, but there was just so much wrong with spelling, sentence structure, and entire scenes that just didn’t make sense at all. “Bran” was written “Brant” at least four different times throughout the book.

So while there were parts that were enjoyable, I ultimately didn’t vibe with this one, which is a bummer.

*I received a free advanced copy of this book from BookSirens and this is my voluntary, honest review.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn in by the twincest aspect, but this was an absolute rambling mess that made zero sense! It was like being in someone's head as they were thinking this up but nothing was fully formed and there was no background detail to make sure the superficial surface could hold up.

The concept of two psychopathic twins who are in a relationship with each other and want to essentially kidnap a third was really interesting, the chemistry was good, but the execution was just a shambles. I swear they never mentioned lube and they're constantly having sex, the third being a virgin no less, over what seemed like a two-three day period - I felt myself wincing!!

If the plot details had made more sense then this would have been a really interesting story, but as it is nothing really makes sense about why any of this story is happening or who these characters actually are. If you just want smut and zero plot then I guess you might like it, but I need a plot to go along with the spice or I get bored!

[Collandherbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was wild!

The twins were dark and devious, and Finn - their flower - was so sweet with a hint of darkness too. I especially liked Castor - he seemed like the quiet, brooding type with a wicked side.

The twins are so far from morally grey but, the way they love and protect Finn is adorable. If you can call twisted, murders with a love for Christmas trees, adorable. So maybe not adorable - maybe all consuming is a better word.

Either way - I enjoyed their 'touch him and die' vibes and the way Finn blossomed in their dynamic.

It's a complete 'suspend belief' scenario but very entertaining and one I'd recommend if you like your Christmas novellas dark.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finn encounters more than he expected when touring an abandoned sanitarium with his classmates. Is he being haunted? Or hunted?

"good boys get treats, don't they?"

Insane Obsession is a short read about finding love in unexpected places. It's creepy, spooky and dark-ish. I personally didn't think it was super Christmassy but it was set at Christmas time so it kind of counts. I would say it's best to go in with an open mind and enjoy the story and not look for the plot to make a ton of sense. I liked the twins' relationship and the smutty scenes. The plot had some issues and there were continuity errors (outside of little things to fix up from an ARC copy to final publication version) such as side characters knowing one of the MC's nicknames without being told, and some scenes where movements and positioning of characters didn't make sense. With that said, there aren't a lot of stories like this one (spooky and 'cesty) out there so it was worth the read.

Rating: 2.75 stars
Angst: 3/5
Steam: 3.5/5

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly am not quite sure what to say about this one. The concept of psychopath twins finding a third that they obsess about is what got me interested in the story. When I read the trigger warnings I got even more excited because it seemed like a dark story but without toxicity in the relationship and while reading I had no issues because of that.

However, it almost seems like this was the first draft of the story and the author had to rush to release it for Christmas. The base was there but there was a lot of holes that needed to be filled and we could have used some more background about a lot of things (including the MCs themselves).

Overall I enjoyed the story but I know I would have loved it if it had been longer and more put together. I don’t think I’d really recommend this to anyone unless you don’t mind a story with plot holes and sooooo much sex I wondered if they ever did anything else.

[Mx. T *Chaotic Reader* · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

I'm still not sure what I've just read. It's a lot of things at the same time: a throuple with twincest, a revenge story, Halloween vibes but make it Christmas (or viceversa), virgin MC, DP, secret identities, MC rescued from his bullies by rich assassin twins obsessed with him. Zero relationship development, cool spooky vibes, our MC being spoiled rotten (I am ALL for that)

I don't know if I liked it or not, because who cares, we are here for the smut, right? So yeah.

ARC via Booksirens, all opinions are my own etc etc...

[Lauralee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t typically come on goodreads to tear a book up unless it is truly unreadable. This book was not edited at all. There is no possible way. At one point the author said the murder weapon was a piece of glass wrapped with cloth, then it was a knife two pages later??? Same thing happened with an event in the book. They said it happened seventy years ago and then a couple pages later, the same event happened seventy two years later. She gets her own MCs names wrong several times. It was impossible to read and truly just… bad.

I received an arc of this book and did not finish it. DNF 50%

[Audi♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinky, Cesty, psycho twins obsessed with the shy bullied guy 🥵 so good.

"I push my fingers between their kisses and stroke their tongues. A jolt of desire explodes in my stomach. “Wet this for me, sweet boys.” They both take the time to lick and suck at my fingers before they continue ravaging each others’ mouths"

[Krissreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️

——• 🖤

A hot 167 page novella about three men, two who are twins and yes they fuck… say what you want but it was 🔥🥵🫠

[kaleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

• MMM- establish relationship between twins + the college student they have been stalking
• No OW
• OM- one MMC (the college student) is being bullied by a guy he kissed one time in the past
• one virgin MMC (the college student) he has only kissed once
• top >> vers >> vers

[Leigh Gaskill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not vibe with this book. Wish I did, but here we are.

[Darkromancerobyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 30% I wanted to like this one ….. I just could not get into it at all. A couple problems for me:
-way too many characters/nicknames
-the nickname flower made me cringe slightly
-so much information thrown at you at once.
-MMC was not likeable for me

This had potential at first to be a spooky good time but it just wasn’t hitting it for me.

[Fen'Harel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a quick read for Christmas, I think you would find that this hits all the marks. It's short, sweet, and to the point.
I enjoyed our protagonist a lot and thought the plot was clean and concise. I'm not going to judge on spelling/punctuation as the author said that was currently being cleaned up and will be fixed by publishing date - however if you get an ARC of this, just know that it's in the works!
The whole 'twin thing' was an interesting concept - I just would have liked to have seen more about what made them tick. Being related to someone who wasn't sane doesn't automatically make them the same, and while the author gave both characters distinct personalities (I could tell who was talking without even needing to worry about their names), I would have loved to have seen them both have a different style of killing. They worked in tandem, but I would have loved to have seen them have preferences.
Altogether, this was a good novella and because technically it's around Christmas time in the book, I now consider it a Christmas read!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was something different, dang, the blurb alone already made me shiver.

Finn has permission to visit the abandoned sanctuary Saint James’s Asylum for Women.
It’s for a college project. More than seventy years ago a woman, a patient, killed several people.
It was a sinister historical story, the place is abandoned but it looks spooky in the dark.

He’s with some other students, among them is his nemesis, ugh.
Finn is a lonely guy, he has no family and no friends and is always put away as garbage.

There are lights flickering, and noises, it seems the place is not as abandoned as expected.

You don’t want to know what happens next in this asylum, oh yes you do!
I’m not gonna spoil, but there are twins involved, who are ridiculously rich. They are obsessed with Finn, and not only in a sexual way!

Oh boy, this was another awesome dark read by this author. I was plastered to the pages.
I think the author did a great job creating a scary, mysterious, and a LOT of hot hot sexy scene.
Take the story as it comes and enjoy!
The title does justice to the story!

[Natalie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always with Lola's books, this took us on a dark and twisted journey with all the intrigue and mystery and lots of spice.

Finn finds himself in a real-life horror story, but instead of meeting his demise, he meets a set of sexy twins who are literally obsessed with him.

This book had me hooked. It was dark and dirty and had me hooked. I have read lots of MMM books, but none that involved twins, but I loved this so much.

If you’re looking for a quick, dark Christmas read with sweet but unhinged twins and the man they are utterly captivated by, then this is definitely for you.

[Keri | Books_and_Hookers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may need to be committed to the Saint James Asylum for Women because holy shit I think I’m in love.

Bran and Castor had me SWEATINGGG. Their obsession over Finn? Hot. So hot.

The beginning is definitely spooky given the haunted asylum but once Finn meets his boys? Love love love.

I loved this whole book so fricken much. 10/10 stars. Will read again.

[ᐯEᖇOᑎIᑕᗩ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
Look, if Lola Malone writes it, I’m reading it—no questions asked. Add in my weakness for dark romances and morally questionable psychopaths, and Insane Obsession had me hooked from the start.

The story follows Finn, a college student desperate to ace his research project by investigating an abandoned women's asylum with a dark history. But as he uncovers the asylum’s secrets, Finn also finds himself at the center of an obsession that’s been brewing long before he stepped inside.

This novella gives us a creepy, darkish, and fast-paced ride that blends in a bit of psychological horror. Add in the spice, and there's a lot of it, with not one but two men, who are identical twins and things get delightfully twisted and taboo. If Taboo isn't for you, don't read this book.

Sure, the novella doesn’t leave much room for deep plot development, and you might need to suspend your disbelief a bit, but that’s part of the fun. Let's be honest, I'm not here for realism, I'm here for the drama, the obsession and the dark and twisted chaos. And that's what this story is, one that is dark, depraved, and deliciously taboo. I loved every moment of it.

I like dark Christmas reads, just as much as I like the fluffy ones. This was a perfectly dark Christmas novella. Nothing screams holiday cheer like an abandoned asylum, a little murder, and a pair of twins who deck the halls (and Finn) in ways you won’t forget.

Highly recommend!

[Jessie J melka · Rating 4 out of 5]

{Insane-Obsession}
Arc review by Jessie Melka
___________•___________

“Here’s to us. To chaos, because we’ll make this place something special. To cruelty. Destruction. Here’s to fucking death.”

SHORT BLURB START:

The abandoned sanctuary across the forest is the perfect place for my psychology research. Once the playground for a horrific crime scene, it will be the key to my future. It has to be.

Because I need a good grade, need to find a well-paid job. Need to be freed from those who control my life. And tonight's the night.
But as soon as I set foot between those gothic walls, I feel something sinister. And they're not just gruesome memories that make the others run and hide.

No, someone is out there, and they are creating a whole new playground.
One thing is for sure…the asylum is notabandoned.
And those who are inside, have been waiting…for me.

SHORT BLURB END:

I always jump up and down when Lola comes out with something new. I also know that she will always deliver the most exquisite phenomenal work. I’ve been so excited to read this and I’m incredibly happy that I got to in the first place so let’s get into it

insane obsession is a Christmas ish novel And our main characters are Finn the somewhat nerdy but still sexy guy who everyone sees as a loser except of course Bran and Castor the psychopathic twins who has been stalking Finn for while and now finally has him in their grip

I don’t know why, but I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more death more darkness these crazy motherfuckers have some incredible potential that I wish we could’ve seen more of not to in anyway downplay the serious fuckt up ness that is the twins, but I got to say the whole surveilling thing they had got going on was hot as sh!t

For a novel it was incredibly well written and had a great storyline with amazing twist and turns and also some surprising moments but most of all this was filled with the spiciest spicy moments with some filthy as God twincest like basically after they finally get their flower in their hands it was just fuck, fuck and more fuck and I approve I approve so hard

A bit of a short review, but I’m gonna round it off here and just let the books speak for itself. I rate this book at 4 out of 5 because I think it had a lot more potential but it was still so amazing and I am definitely going to reread this when I get the chance remember to read the triggers and I know that not everyone has the stomach to read about incest but in some case it can be hot as fuck, remember it’s also satire so stay cool 😎

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 4/5
Angst: 1/5
Would I read again?: Yes!

(I received an advance copy for free and I’m leaving this review voluntarily)


🎄Touch Him And Die
🎥 Forced Proximity
🎄 MMM taboo twincest
🎥 Virgin Mc
🎄 Possessive Twins
🎥 Morally Grey
___________•___________

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, I have a weakness for dark romances and psychopaths... So here's to skipping ahead in my ARCs list to a brand new one. Here's Lola Malone's "Insane Obsession."

[""Come to us, baby boy."

They said that Saint James’s Asylum for Women was abandoned. They were wrong...

The abandoned sanctuary across the forest is the perfect place for my psychology research. Once the playground for a horrific crime scene, it will be the key to my future.

It has to be.

Because I need a good grade, need to find a well-paid job. Need to be freed from those who control my life.

And tonight's the night.

But as soon as I set foot between those gothic walls, I feel something sinister. And they're not just gruesome memories that make the others run and hide.

No, someone is out there, and they are creating a whole new playground.

One thing is for sure… the asylum is not abandoned. And those who are inside, have been waiting… for me."]

Not just psychopaths, but hot, rich psychopaths with a vigilante streak and an obsession with someone so innocent and lonely and in need of home. Because, fuuuuuuck, I have such a soft spot for those crazy fuckers.

And this novella didn't disappoint. At. All.

There's a little taboo aspect, but if 9 times out of 10, if you're reading a romance as dark as this, a little taboo trope isn't all that much...I think. My brain is a little crazy and uber out the wall when it comes to a good romance.

But if those things don't bother you, you neeeed to read this. I get why all the reviews on goodreads so far are 5stars. Because saaaame.

And here's to trying NOT to push my ARCs aside to binge more of Lola's work....

Trigger Warnings: bullying (not between MCs), violence, attempted sa, assault, and more

#arcs #arcteammember #booksirens
#insaneobsession #lolamalone #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[CharlotteAtena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will forever bow to her genius writing.
Lola might not be for everyone, I get it, but she is for me. Her writing always has a way of touching parts of my soul that were abandoned and forgotten long ago... she just gets me. From the first book I've read from her to this day, I was never disappointed. She is that author who always delivers for me.

Insane obsession was not planned. It happened, but you can't tell this... when she puts her mind to something, you just know an amazing story will come out of this.

This is a novella, so of course it's fast-paced and burns fast... we don't have time to fall in love over time. It happened fast, and it was for life. This is the story of Finn and his psycho twins. It's a story about finding love in the most unexpected moment. Right person, right place? Of course, that's if you consider an abandoned asylum the right place 😅.

This novella is darker than her previous books, but as I always say, when it comes to Lola Malone books, it's its own brand of dark. It's familiar but different. It's nothing but everything. It's despair, but it's also hope.

Let's just say that this is an unconventional Christmas story... is it for everyone? Probably not. Check for TW & CW. You've been warned, and I don't wanna hear it.

Insane obsession should've been a full novel. This story stole my heart from page one, and I'll think about it for a long time. B&C have a special place in my heart, and they can definitely join Gaël & Arsène in the top tier category.

If you are a Halloween fan but also a Christmas diehard fan, Insane obsession is definitely for you. It's dark, it's interesting, it's twisted, it's everything that's good and sinister.

You've been warned, read this, love this, and recommend this. You will not regret it.

[gena_bookish_reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this spicy, fast-paced MMM Christmas novella isn't on your radar then what are you doing? I felt like this was such a good little hot and short story!

Heads up..it's tabooish since two of the characters are actual siblings. Yes Castor and Bran are doing all the forbidden stuff but who am I to judge? 💁‍♀️

I'm just a girl after all. 🎀 All i want is to enjoy my read. And I enjoyed it alright. 😏

This is one of those stories where the "couple" decides to add one more person into their relationship and make it a throuple. Well I'm not sure that there was too much thought here. Castor and Bran saw Finn and decided he was theirs.

Finn is a troubled young man that has gone through a lot and now for one time in his life he can sit back and let someone else take care of him. Like yesssss pookie. Let them. 💅

I really liked the horror vibes in this story. The setting is an old asylum and the spooky vibes had me giggling a bit too much. Yes the twins corner Fin in an asylum when he's there to do a research for his college assignment. No I didn't mind it at all. That shit was hot.

You see.. these two own that old asylum so they can do whatever they want. 😏

But I'm not gonna say anything else bc otherwise I'll spoil everything. If you're in the mood for something short and hot then check this out.

[Mary Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out sinister but ends up being really...sweet? There's probably something wrong with me. lol But I enjoyed this. Were there any "heroes" in here? Absolutely not. The twins were psychos, and they brought Finn over to the dark side, but they did it FOR him. And it was seriously so sweet. Finn, who hadn't had anyone to care about him, suddenly has TWO powerful, sexy men who want to give him the world. And back up their words with action. I barely took a break from reading.

Now, I didn't go into this thinking it would be a literary masterpiece, and the complaints about the errors are correct. But where I disagree with several others is that the characters drew me in, even with the shorter amount of pages. It also didn't hurt that the spice was different, and that made me even more invested.

This book is not for those looking for a full plot or expecting flawless execution. But it was for me at this very moment in my life.

I liked it. I'll probably read it again, and it would have been five stars with better editing because of those two things. Sometimes you need something to get you out of your head, and this was it for me.

[Maggie May · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ish stars? I am not sure how to rate this one. Objectively speaking, this is a poorly written book. The author doesn’t understand pacing, characterization, or even presenting a story in a logical procession. There is a lot of awkward wording and mistakes of grammar and vocabulary. “Usher” is used in place of “utter,” “off” when it should be “of,” things you would assume are typos if they didn’t happen multiple times. The story jumps from point to point with no rhyme or reason and often under explains the setup.

And yet… there were things I really enjoyed. The author has the filthy psychopath and obsessive love side of things down pat. The basic storyline is fun and creative. In the hands of a better writer, or this writer with a great content editor, this would have been brilliant- in a dark, depraved, and dirty way. Only read this if you can ignore a lot of problems and just enjoy the smutty madness.

[Jordy - Hard Earned and Slow Burn HEAs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would you go into an abandoned asylum? At night? On the anniversary of a tragic massacre than happened decades earlier? Yeah, me fucking neither, and yet that is exactly what Finn does, which acts as the catalyst for all the other events in this book.

The start of this book was fricken creepy. My anxiety was sky fucking high. I am not someone who would willingly put myself in the position that Finn finds himself in at the start of the book, uni project or not. A nice, guided tour in broad daylight? Sure, but a self guided tour through an abandoned asylum at night with a small group of nasty people who invited themselves along, yeah no thanks.

It was classic horror movie vibes with the nasty peeps getting scared off one at a time until finally poor little Finn is all alone, which is of course when the real fun begins. Finn meets sexy twin brothers Bran and Castor who are big fans of Finn’s and each other… if you get my drift 😏 and together the three of them get a little kinky, exact a little revenge, get a little murder-y.

For a short dark novella set at Christmas time it ticks a lot of boxes. Things happen quite quickly throughout, as expected since it is less than 200 pages, although I probably would have preferred reading this even more had it been a full length so we could have gotten more depth around the romance side of things especially from Finn’s POV.

As always, check trigger warnings. There’s a few and this book is definitely taboo so if that isn’t your jam, skip along to something else 💁🏻‍♀️.

[Christina Close · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

This was for sure an interesting read, I kind of walked into it blind and only knew that it was a MMM book. The abandoned asylum thing was totally a blind reaction for me which was the interesting part because now I never want to visit any abandoned buildings.



The whole brother on brother thing was a little weird at the beginning but once you mix Finn in it wasn't as weird to me. I can for sure say that the brothers have really messed up minds which makes you wonder is it in the genes since there grandmother went on that killing spree.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. It was my first Lola Malone book/novella so I wasn’t sure what to expect but I absolutely LOVED the spooky, haunted insane asylum vibes. The way Lola describes the desolate and abandoned building absolutely gives you the chills and I was here for it.

I loved the twins relationship and their obsession with Finn. My only regret? We didn’t get more!
I’d absolutely love to see them in their secret life and how shit goes down.

It’s a novella so expect fast paced feelings and conclusions but honestly? It doesn’t even matter because these 3 were perfectionnnn.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy Christmas book? Yes please! Finn is a sweetheart that gets walked on by his peers so when he meets the creepy and dashing twins, Castor and Bran, he’s very nervous and definitely turned on. Castor and Bran are so creepy at first but once you get to know them, they are madly sweet and absolutely devoted to one another and to Finn. Definitely glad David got what was coming to him, he would have hurt Finn if given the chance. So so Glad these boys found each other and got to live their dream.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feb 2025
Kindle edition

Read for a group challenge week 7. Picked because it was short, met the letter requirements needed and GR recced because I liked Devil in the details. Blurb didn't give anything away. Pretty much twincest. MMM. Fake friends and a bad crush. The twins were alright, rich, arrogant and obsessed over Finn. Bran felt more sandwich filling than Finn and a lot of it was based on Finn witnessing the twins going at it with Castor being the dominant one. It was alright.

[... · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOL, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected after reading some of the reviews! The beginning was honestly a bit chaotic and poorly written, but once the twins got Finn all to themselves in the basement the writing flowed a lot better, and for a dark, twisted bit of smut, it was a lot of fun!

[Janne Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Lola, and I must say I enjoyed it very much!

Too bad it was just a novella but I thoroughly enjoyed it from the beginning until the end.

I've always been a sucker for possessive men and Lola gave us Castor and Bran. Loved it. Keep it up, Lola!