Debts and Desires

by Hollis Kay

Robbed? Check.

Stranded? Check.

A dead car, no money, and no phone?

Check, check, and check.

Oh, and it’s raining.



That’s how my grumpy knight-in-oil-stained overalls finds me.

He seems nice enough but he wants payment up front.

With nothing to offer but myself, I make a deal.

A week seems like a fair trade… right?

But I realize too late that he counts time differently.

And Carter Black never plans to let me go.

Genres: Dark, Slow Burn, Dark Romance, BDSM, Forced Proximity

550 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2024

About the author

Hollis Kay is the pen name of a stressed-out mom who’s addicted to caffeine and has a passion for words.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading, working, gaming, or spending time with her small zoo (also known as ‘family’) which includes a small human-sized tornado known as a toddler, a grumpy cat with a mustache, a goofy brown dog who has no concept of personal pace, and a loving husband.

Hollis has enjoyed writing since she was young and followed her dreams to share her ideas with the world.

Reviews

[Montana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carter ❤️ Emmy

5 ⭐️ 4 🌶️

This book has a little bit of everything. Insta lust, a morally gray mmc who has a filthy mouth with total touch her and die vibes and you shouldn’t love him but you do. Emmy is a sweet girl who is down on her luck one night and ends up being rescued by Carter but it comes at the cost of her body. Don’t worry it’s all her idea 🤣.

But seriously I loved this story and devoured it in less than a day and found myself invested in the two characters and their relationship and at the end I was totally rooting for them.

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

[help · Rating 4 out of 5]

tw/cw (spoilers if you read): dub-con (?), there's intentional birth control misplacement, abusive parents (both mentally and physically), mention of sexual abuse - murder - spiking of drinks - substance addiction - rehab, step-sib relation (not main characters), domestic violence (not main characters), stealing, robbed at gun point, groped (not my MMC), death of parent, pet hurt, verrrry long

yeah I know I just read through all that

I am not a big fan of angst, but I just read 551 pages of it??????
I have no idea how
I read a book with 551 pages
after so long,
its a feat in itself.


so take it from Hollis Kay, to make you hate a guy and then make them their biggest defender
ok so maybe not the biggest, but god I was definitely just very ok with however the plot turned out to be, no eyelash batting at anything


also,
dear Levicitus (:
OHMYGOD ARE YOU (very respectfully) AUTISTIC?
like?????????????????
BAHAHAHAHA
the entire book I thought no, it couldn't be just that reason or even tthatt reason but fml


it was very predictable but I suppose that was not the angle Kay was aiming for
but honey???????
it was funny. ok?
like 30 year old guy doing that
I was flabbergasted surely the author would know better????

if you are done with me using "?????", then suffer cause I was like "?????" the entire time.

so you ask me how it got 4?
I mean????? (I'm lovin' this "?????")
pfft duh
the guy might have 0 social skills but romance did he know now
loved the banter between the characters, and as I mentioned have HK makes you curse someone and then makes you want to throw yourself into an expedition to find a way to break it?
all side dishes OOOOOFFF, chef's kisses.

I swear I might ask to be born as either their Mac or BJ, cause forget about humans the animals were awesome, and I don't even like pets

notice how I didn't want to the FMC?
yeah lol
she was great
great love interest(??)
great parents(???)
great life(????)
just kidding, she was infact quite lovely
but I simply do not like doormats (:
even if I was rooting for them to just get back together but yeah. (trust me I saw no red with his reasons)

maybe you should have let him dug his own grave then lay in it for a while before y'all jumped each other? no?

loved it.
I would like to willingly read it again, if my memory was wiped.
but maybe again fall into a trap cause, 551 pages really?
I was scared to open the content's page cause of you 88 chapters.

solid, 3.8/5.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Wow...wow. This book was very spicy, but not much of the spice was duplicative, which was nice. Given the premise, I certainly expected a lot of spice, but even so I was kind of shocked by the amount of it. Carter's mouth is dirtier than his hands after working in the garage all day.

I found this book pretty gripping despite its length (and it's a long one). The initial/main plot twist was pretty obvious to me before we even met Carter (the male lead), but I didn't really think it was meant to come off as a surprise.

The pacing was great for the first 80-90% of the book, but it did sort of fall apart for me at the end. There were a few other plot twists that seemed to come out of nowhere and it started feeling very rushed when a book is usually wrapping up. I wish some of those plot points had been laid down a little more throughout the entire book. Carter's also got a pretty weak grovel game.

Tropes:
- Forced proximity
- Age gap (8 years, 22 & 30)
- Mid-/Plus-sized FMC (size 16)
- Rockstar romance (sort of, Emogen is a struggling, up & coming musician)
- Disinherited trust fund baby
- Damsel in distress
- He falls first
- Obsessive/possessive alpha
- accidental pregnancy
- secret pregnancy

Kinks:
- Humiliation/degradation
- Praise
- Free use/total control
- Somnophilia
- BDSM
- Breath play
- Spit play
- Orgasm control/denial
- Bondage/rigging

Triggers:
- Coercive control
- Dubious consent
- Low self-esteem
- Childhood abuse
- Sexual assault (on page, descriptive)
- Domestic violence (to side character)
- Birth control manipulation

[Emily Honey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually before writing a review, I have it perfectly outlined in my mind – not this time around.

While reading “Debts and Desires” I went back and forth between loving it, marveling about the ingenuity of the author and impatiently tapping my foot waiting for the story to end.

As with all other stories maybe it is best if we start at the beginning. I was spellbound by the first page, truly, couldn’t put it down. In the dark romance genre authors often run two risks:

1: Overdoing the smut

2: Underdoing the darkness

For the first 40% or so the main characters, Emogen and Carter, fornicate at a pace I have never come across before – and I’ve been on Wattpad since 2016. Yet, it still doesn’t get to much, because the smut is sort of the plot. Them going at it is vital for the plot to progress. I think this is nothing short of genius. Sometimes I feel like spicy scenes are constructed without minding the actual story but more as an afterthought under the title “This could be hot!” or as a weak attempt of providing a character with a personality by giving them a kink. This is certainly not the case here. At the beginning I loved the spice, but I must admit I was probably blinded by how it was woven into the storyline and later how it was specific to the environment of the story, rather than I enjoyed the actual smut.

I mean it was not bad, there was just a lot, which meant it became very much the same. And though I think the frequency decreased a bit, there were still too much, especially after the 40-50% mark where their relationship developed, and I would have preferred that the author put the sex on the back burner so other aspects of their relationship could shine through.

I know I sound like a total hypocrite complaining about the sheer amount of smut (and I know some of you freaks a probably gonna read it because I said there were too much 😉) and that’s okay. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Now, the second point on the agenda – not enough darkness. This book scarred me, because at the beginning it was dark in a way I have never seen before (Again I’d like to point out that I’ve been on Wattpad for 8 years).
Usually, the element of darkness derives from the psychopathic traits of the MMC, which is mirrored in his day-to-day profession (Crime lord, mercenary, English football player – the list goes on). Sometimes the MMC is not even that psychotic – he is just suppressing his emotions. Carter is a mechanic and a tow truck driver, meaning that he is the nice guy down the road that always saves your ass. His everyday life doesn’t involve murdering people that cross his territory or being a professional hot head. This book is veiled in darkness due to the social environment; it is dark because one can in fact be deranged soul with a normal day job. Like people like this could walk undetected among us.

Though it is still fiction, so a degree of unbelievability is allowed, I could totally see the conditioning of their agreement happening in real life. I do not include spoilers but lets just say that Emogen can’t pay with neither cash nor card and that leaves her with very few options, very little room for negotiation and Carter takes full advantage of that. To me this is a scary darkness, because it could happen. It made my skin crawl when Carter continued to find loopholes in their agreement and Emogen lulled herself into a sense of safety. As always the element of real life scares me more than fiction.

The, for me, new take on how to make a romance dark was (just like the smut) was better executed in the first bit of the story. In the later half… I mean crazy things happen, but nothing I really didn’t see coming. And because the pacing of the last 20% is very choppy, the erring creepy vibes the first half had don’t come across very well. I can’t quit decide if I think everything was solved a bit too fast or too slow. On one hand, the story really dragged on after the 50% mark for me, but on the other hand I don’t think the author succeeded with wrapping up all the loose ends in a way that made the first half justice. Just so there is no speculation on the matter; she did not forget parts of the plot everything is accounted for in the end – so no complaints there. But since the bulk of the non-smutty plot plays out in the end, the book progresses very fast. Up until this point the characters had been well developed in my eyes, but their ability to forgive and not get overwhelmed did not translate to perseverance but rather to a one-dimensionality.

Had this story ended before the majority of the non-sexual plot took place I would have given it 5 stars, but it didn’t. Truthfully, I think removing a few sex scenes from the second half and making the scenes important for the main plot longer, would up the rating for me, since this would reduce the pacing issue.

At the end of the day, this book still got a good rating – because I liked it – and because when I asked myself: “Would I tell my friends about it?” The answer where “Hell yeah!”

A wicked dark romance book with an actual plot and imaginative sex scenes in a mechanics shop (I learned a new thing or two about tools…) – it would be a crime to keep it all for myself.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Troped and Bound · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing! I was sucked in from the beginning. The spice, the tension, the everything! Also, Mac is my fave let’s be rea haha. But that mouth on Carter. SHEW.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollis does it again!! The spice, the story, just amazing!

[A.A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmmm okay soooooo I finish/ DNF this book…🙃 uughhhhh I hate doing a review with a DNF. So this will be quick…

Alright, so first off I gave this book a three star because the story flow was going very well and the end of the book came together very well abruptly but not too bad.

Personally, I felt this book was very repetitive with what the main characters were doing on the day-to-day basis. I mean, I guess I can’t complain because that’s life sometimes but damn I wanted a little bit more excitement or something!!!!

Didn’t get much until the middle/end of the book! So be mindful of that. Just like the other reviews and they are all correct when it comes to the intensity of the book, the characters… etc..

In the end personally for me, I wanted a little bit more of a UMPH. *Sigh* ya…. I just really wanted to finish up this book.

Enjoy tho ✌🏽💋

[Sarah Yumblat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The smuttiest smut that ever smutted, this book started out with a bang and kept going from there. D&D had me feeling all kinds of ways and kept me guessing throughout.

[MsV · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings while reading Debts and Desires. There were moments where I really enjoyed the creativity, but at other times I found myself impatient for the story to move along. Emmy, the main character, frustrated me with some of her decisions, especially early on—she drove me up a freaking wall! And while Carter had a mysterious side that made sense eventually, his manipulative tendencies left me conflicted. Their dynamic was interesting but left me with a bit of a bad taste, particularly in how he handled their agreement. The smut is definitely there… on just about every other page… Some scenes had me 🥵 and some had me 🙄 But it was just too slow for me with my A.D.D. and I was almost wanting to DNF a few times. I require a lot for long, drawn out stories to keep my attention and this one was close to failing.

[Mafia Wife · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is an aspiring singer, nothing to her name but a big dream. She has a gig one night at a local bar, and then gets robbed in the parking lot. As she is driving away her car breaks down and she knows this is the worst day of her life, when he shows up. The tow truck driver on his way back from a call agrees to tow her into town for a price. She has no money after the robbery and impulsively offers him the first thing she can think of.... her. I have to admit when she offered herself up and he accepted, I was not sure that I was going to like this story. Their chemistry was hot, very spicy and consuming. I thought this was going in the direction of an erotic story. It seemed transactional and not the story I wanted to read. Then things changed, and their romance developed and as wild and as untraditional as it was, it was oddly sweet. There are lots of childhood traumas and family secrets. There are secrets that are revealed that are very morally gray. After being caught up in their romance and rooting for them, it puts you back a step or two. Then things circle back again and more truths are reveled. He did some amazing loving things for her, and some horrible filthy things, it really drags you through the wringer. When they finally get their HEA, I was done being mad and happy that they made it back together. It was too long. It was a little like two books were being crammed together, this erotic story in the beginning with lots, LOTS of spicy scenes, and I thought that was the book I had committed to, but once things change, they still had spice.... and plenty of it, but the story was so much more than that. I would have enjoyed this more with some editing. It was a good story with characters that I came to love, but there was a lot of extra weight weighing it down. Ultimately I enjoyed their story and the characters and am not sorry I went on the ride.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ruth Padin · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

So this is my first time reading a book by this author and wont be my last. Emmy drove me crazy with the decisions she made in the beginning. Like the issue that happened with her bff. Communicating is hard for this girl let me tell you lol. I felt Emmy made decisions that could have been handled a little bit differently to avoid situations that lead her to where she got. But then she would have never met Carter so I’m glad she did.

Carter is our MMC who is morally grey and OTT, touch her and die and I’m here for it. Little things happened that made me double question his motives but then getting his perspective you see he really wasn’t all that bad. I mean, he did do some very questionable things but Carter is daddy allllll the way lol, so it’s okay! This book had lots of spice. And I mean LOTS. Like in every single chapter lol. Midway through the book we start getting into all the good drama. They both fell for each other hard but neither wanted to put it out there in fear of getting their feelings hurt if the other didn’t feel the same. I don’t want to explain too much because a lot of the story dwindles down to why things happened the way they did. And lord knows I love me some drama. And oh boy was there drama. I ate this up in a couple of days and def worth the read. I love a long detailed book and this had it all. I saw other people say that it could have been shortened a bit but I think it needed the extra details to gradually fall in love with the characters and see them really truly fall in love together. It was cute and unexpected and I’m glad I picked this up.

[Malini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving me everything by MeemsAngel82

This was a very, very high heat book so you might not want to read at work… or at least not get caught! The whole concept of this book was so steamy, he really wanted his due! They have a very sexy relationship, both are very attracted to one another but he doesn't want her doing certain things and it frustrates her but she keeps giving into him because of their crazy chemistry. I absolutely love his dog and another little one and seeing the bond between the humans and this wonderful guy was great!

Her life hadn't been going well at all. Then she meets him on the literal side of the road and offers herself as payment for his help.

And so beings a cycle of steam and frustration, of needing and wanting someone so much you'd think of staying though you get upset at certain things. They have fantastic chemistry. The sheer amount of moments between them…! They obviously take their vitamins! I wasn't a fan of his past encounters, not my cup of tea. I was thinking of his somewhat mysterious side and and it all made complete sense after all was said and done. I don't agree with some aspects of what he did but understand his desperation and yearning. Saying that, there are triggers in here for some. I felt for the two of them, their pasts were terrible and there is some danger in the mix here, some shocking moments. This was over the top hot and emotional. There are so many emotions here it was something else. A great read with very high heat, a lovely couple and their HEA.

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

[Michelle Frater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, where do I even begin? I freaking loved this. If you’ve read the blurb, you might think you know what’s coming, but trust me—you have no idea what you’re about to dive into. If you're not a fan of things heating up fast (and I mean fast), this one might not be your cup of tea. But then again, that's the whole premise of the story, right? And let me tell you, this is not your typical love story. And Carter? Oh boy. He’s got a filthy, twisted mind, and every scene between him and Emmy sizzles. Plus, he has plans and letting Emmy go isn’t on the agenda. Not that Emmy seems in a hurry to escape. But here’s the thing: my feelings about Carter were all over the place. His manipulations, the way he bent their agreement to his advantage, had me feeling conflicted. It definitely left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, given how he coerced Emmy. Were there reasons behind it? Maybe. But at the end of the day, it is fiction, and I have to admit I found myself rooting for him in the end. But be warned, the story dives deep into some seriously kinky territory. The trigger warnings are there for a reason, so tread carefully if you're sensitive to certain content. That said, my only gripe? It may have been a tad too long and dragged a bit in places, plus the ending felt a little rushed. But despite that, it was an intense, gripping read that was definitely worth the journey.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[The Smutty Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpected find. Dark romances usually throw you into over-the-top, unrealistic lives, so having Carter, our MMC, as a small-town mechanic was a refreshing change. But don’t be fooled- Carter’s mind and mouth are filthy. The whole ‘free use’ dynamic was new to me, but damn, it worked. Oh, did it work...

Long story short, Emmy’s stranded, broke, and out of options after being robbed. Carter offers to tow her back to town and fix her car—but all she has to offer him in return is... her body. And let’s just say, he has no plans to let her go anytime soon.

This book is spicy as hell, but what really surprised me was how varied the scenes were. Given the premise, you’d think it would start to feel repetitive, but Carter keeps things interesting.

The plot itself is gripping, even though the main twist is pretty obvious early on. But honestly, it’s not about the surprise - it’s about watching these two navigate their chaotic situation.

This book is pure tension and heat, but there’s real emotion buried beneath it all. The connection between Carter and Emmy had me rooting for them, even if I didn’t always agree with their choices. It’s a long read, but it definitely pulls you in.

[Jen D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to do my best to convince you to give this one a read without giving too much away.

It's been more than a minute since I've picked up a book that I literally hated to put down. I stayed up way too late, got up way too early, snuck pages in during meetings, and every break I was able to grab.
If you’re looking for a romance that will leave you breathless, Debts and Desires by Hollis Kay is your next must-read.
The connection between Carter and Emmy is electric, and the heat these two give off is off the charts.
Grumpy Carter, the filthy-talking, delicious MMC has claimed his place in my book boyfriend HOF. Although I wanted to smack some sense into Sunshine's Emmy a few times, she won me over with her smart mouth and her sassy demeanor.

Let's not skip over the music. The way that music and lyrics were woven through the story… chef's kiss!

Although on the longer side and while I caught the main twist early on, Hollis Kay still managed to keep me engaged and invested right to the end. I knew what was coming and was in it for the fallout.
This was my first read by this author and now I'm off to find more!

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emmy thought her life couldn't get any lower. Kicked out by her parents, at odds with her best friend, robbed of her last stash of money and stranded at the side of a mountain road in the dark. She was wrong. A grumpy, gruff, crude mechanic offers to tow her into town only his means of payment is dark.

Carter is blindsided by the beautiful little singer and wanted her with a gut wrenching passion. He knew he shouldn't but he just couldn't help himself.

Emmy and Carter's relationship is anything but normal. However they both have past hurts that are soothed by the others presence.

Emmy is a sunshine, creative survivor meeting each day with a positive outlook. Whilst Carter is a dark, grumpy mountain of a man with secrets buried deep.

This is an intense, enthralling romance with an edge of darkness, psychotic estranged relatives, emotional betrayals and passion off the scale. A page turner from the very start and absolutely enjoyable.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stacie Finley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpy v. Sunshine will always be one of my favorite tropes, and this book does it well! I felt engaged the entire time, here are some of my highlights!

What i enjoyed:
•The main female character (Emmy) was relatable! She had her own multilevel personality.
•I felt engaged in the novel the entire time, it never fizzled out.
•The side characters developed and grew along with the plot and main characters.
•Overall interesting plot points!

What kept it from a 5-star review:
���Literally, the main male characters involvement in why she stayed in Hudsonville. I felt like Carter grew and grew and it was stripped away from him. He didn't seem like a character who would openly put someone else in harms way but he did. It left a bitter taste in my mouth so late in the book.

I would highly recommend this to anyone!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprisingly wild ride!

Debts and Desires is the story of up-and-coming musician Emmy who is definitely down on her luck. A string of unfortunate events leaves her stranded on the side of the road with a broken car, no money, and very limited options. Enter Carter, her rescuer. Emmy and Carter make a deal to let her get back on her feet.

This story tells the daily events of Emmy and Carter as they build their lives together. At some points it felt like there were too many details of what happened every day, but then I was thrown for a loop around the 3rd act.

I loved the suspense, the twists, and the action of this story. There was TONS of spice and definitely heed the author's trigger warnings if you are sensitive to certain topics. 4.5 stars from me.

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

[Sonia Dille]

Have you ever made a choice in life but then the execution of your plan turns into a disaster? Have I got a main male character for you! This book is the frustrating concept of "Just talk about it! Communicate!" and none of these problems would be a thing BUT with that being said, if they did we would get the pleasure of reading the book. Emmy is just the sweetest thing and the world will love her, but never as much as this man.

The two main characters have an unconventional love story but the love is explosive. There was excitement, tears of heartbreak, and so much laughing! Oh, the book characters did that too. I loved this story and I am so excited to see what this author comes out with next!

As always check your trigger warnings. This review is based off of a free ARC, the review is honest and at will.

[Jasmine Acena · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know that I have an obsession when it comes to Hollis’ Storm series. While reading Debts & Desires, I saw bits and pieces of various Storm characters but truly, this book is in a realm all its own.
We first meet Emmy, the sunshine of the story, and she’s finally living life for herself. Or at least trying her very best to rid herself of the expectations that have always been set forth for her.
She hits a few bumps in the road very early on and, just when the other shoe drops, she meets Carter. In the middle of a nowhere town that’s unfamiliar, there he is to rescue her in a time of need. But don’t let the gesture fool you—he’s the town mechanic and tow truck driver—it’s his job.
Y’all this story has a little bit of everything and I’m here for it. Sweet, angsty, spicy, full of banter.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warning: dub con, childhood ab*se, s*xual ass*ult, domestic v*olence.

Tropes: BDSM, forced proximity, age gap, dark romance, grumpy/sunshine, mechanic mmc, aspiring musician fmc, accidental/secret pregnancy.

Kinks: BDSM, free use, somnophilia, humiliation, breath play, spit play.

Emmy is down on her luck when she is robbed and stranded with a dead car when Carter arrives to her rescue, but with no money she needs to come up with payment another way. They make a deal, he helps her, and she's his for a week.

Carter has a dirtier mouth than his occupation of being a mechanic. As their story progresses, real feelings develop (as we all know they do), but they are both scared to voice out their changing feelings, in case the other doesn't reciprocate.

An intense read that is filled with secrets, twists and turns, and also has LOTS of spice and kinks.

[Sammyll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why oh why haven't I picked up a book by Hollis before! She is an amazing, smutty talented author that needs more promoting. The twists and turns had me gripped and i couldnt put it down. It is a dark read filled to the brim with lots of smut, a possessive grouchy male, but also a lovable guy. A talented singer/ songwriter that turned his world around. I love a long book and this ticked all the boxes for me. It was refreshing that Emmy wasn't a usual petite sized girl, she was a plus size, also Mac has to have a mention, the adorable dog , reminded me of Lassie.

The ending was a little sudden, but im glad we had an epilogue, hoping there will be more to come in the little town of Hudsonville.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Daryn Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review:

This book centers around Emmy and Carter, who are an aspiring musician and a mechanic respectively. After things go wrong for Emmy, one right after another, she meets Carter.

This book was on the darker side of a romantic novel with a flawed yet caring and rough around the edges MMC and a bright and sassy FMC with her own sadness. I enjoyed the whole, very spicy, book and the story of these two falling in love and their pain and danger along the way. I grew to care for these two and root for their HEA. I loved the community they had around them and Carter’s support of Emmy’s dreams, even with his issues. I liked this book, and felt for them. Great novel, I’ll be reading more from this author. I had a wonderful time reading this book.

4/5🌟.

[Katie Gilroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book!

The FMC Emmy is a singer and musician who is trying to hit it big.
The MMC Carter is an auto mechanic. Guess how they meet? You got it! Emmy was stranded after getting robbed and Carter comes to the rescue. Since Emmy doesn’t have her purse or money, she suggests a deal to pay for it another way. Hey, at least she has a place to live while her car is being fixed… with some extra perks.
Emmy and Carter get to know each other and feelings grow. But Carter has secrets… quite a few of them.

I love how the story progressed. The character development was intriguing. And the spice was fire!! I also liked how the chapters were labeled with dates and hours.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Intense with all the feelings!

Debts and Desires in one of the best books I have read recently! I went through every emotion there is to go through. Wonderfully written characters and my feelings for them frequently changed and that kept me on my toes! Emotional turmoil, obsessive mutual attraction, twists and turns, childhood trauma, betrayal, dangerous predators, found family, happy, sad, some laughs and plenty of spice and the best pet ever! You will want for nothing.

I will be exploring more of Hollis Kay’s books because if they are even close to as good as this one is I do not want to miss them.

[Darrion Woulleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

'A year ago, I took a leap and followed my dreams to Hudsonville Georgia. Little did I know that fate would first throw me a grumpy six-foot-something @$$hole mechanic that was obsessed with me, and then make my dreams come true.'



This book is the best thing I have read in months..
From the start I was hooked on Emmy's story and her unfortunate events leading to her dreams. I gasped, kicked, screamed, cried, I was on a roller-coaster of emotions reading this. The spice in this was fantastic. There was a mystery to this book, one I thought I had figured out right until the end. The writing was spectacular and I am so glad I could read this book.

[Ashley Bolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy freaking smuttiness!!!! Not only is this book smutty but it has a fantastic story to go with it. This is my first book by Hollis Kay but I guarantee it will not be my last. She did a fantastic job of building and evolving her characters as the story progressed. Carter and Emmy where the perfect musical couple. Carter is definitely your morally grey character but his love and obsession for Emmy is perfect. Oh and you have to love Big Mac and BJ too. I love how the author blended the story with the dark romance elements. It did not have forced or shock factor elements. The cherry picker scene is chefs kiss. IYKYK

[Kaitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was an ARC reader of this book. It wasted no time getting to the spice which I appreciated. Overall, I thought it was an interesting, well written story with plenty of spice. The author did a great job with character development. I think it could have been shorter. It seemed to drag on in some places. I don't want to leave any spoilers. I don't want to post any spoilers, but there was a mystery/secret of sorts that was mentioned in passing a few times. It ended up being more prominent at the end of the book. I thought it wasn't alluded to enough and I actually forgot about it a few times throughout the book. I would still recommend this book to others.

[Kaitlyn Kirby Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic, Carter might be my new favorite book boyfriend

Ohmygoodness
That was FANTASTIC.
Not too dark, definitely a hint on dubcon and a WHOLE LOT OF SWOON!

I’m not usually a very contemporary genre person but the premise to this had me willing to switch it up and BOY AM I THANKFUL I DID.

Carter? What an over the top possessive morally grey dream boat 🥵🥵❤️‍🔥
The storyline was SOOO well thought out!
And don’t get me started on the spice?!? 4.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

🛠️🎤❤️‍🔥🥵❤️‍🔥🎤🛠️
M/F
Standalone
Morally grey mechanic x struggling musician
So swoon worthy
A splash of dubcon
A LOT of BDSM
Overall 10/10 ⭐️s

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was steamy and filled with twist after twist, leaving me wanting more.

At first, I didn't like Carter but then he grew on me.

This is a dark steamy romance with shock plot twists. This was brilliantly written though it was a bit lengthy to me and could have been about 10 chapters less.

I would definitely recommend this book to all of you who enjoy spicy smutty romance like me, you will not be disappointed.

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