Vicious Secret

The Obsidian Order #1

by Morgan Bridges

Mors solum initium
Death is only the beginning.

The
The Obsidian Order only cares about three secrecy, loyalty, and power.
Every man born to the founding families is bred for this purpose, to serve the society and its objectives.
As a result, we are the elite.
Untouchable.
Unbreakable.
If we make it through the Trials.
I will, as long as my obsession doesn’t get the best of me.
This girl…
If the Order doesn’t kill me, she’ll be the death of me.
Because I won’t give her up.
She’s mine.

The Recruit:

All I want is my freedom and some coffee.
And to find my foster brother.
Every clue that leads me closer to Ben, only frightens me more.
Something dark and dangerous rules this campus.
Similar to the stranger I keep running into.
The one I can’t stop thinking about.
Xavier tells me to stay away from him,
But then I’m snared in a game of shadows and savagery.
Now the only way to survive lies in the arms of a man I once tried to kill.
The same one who’s made me his property.
His bride.

Vicious Secret is Book 1 in The Obsidian Order Duet that ends on a cliffhanger. It contains a stabby FMC and a morally gray hero that's OTT/JP, a stalker who falls first, has Touch Her & Die energy, and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her.
(A complete list of the TWs can be found on the author's website)

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Fantasy, Enemies To Lovers, College, Audiobook

340 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2024

Reviews

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last chapter made me mad 😂 but I love Declan and Raven they had me laughing the whole time, lol. I knew I'd love the mmc when he took out someone's tongue for saying her name, lol. It's definitely an easy read, dark romance! The only thing that threw me off was the fmc using weird immaturish curse words to name call, but otherwise, it was a smooth ride.

[Jen ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay; the first half got me intrigued, but the second half fell flat for me. It felt dragging and kind of repetitive, and reading this actually reminds me of "The Ritual," with all the secret society and women being used as pawns for this organization's games. I also think the slowburn pace didn't help hold my interest. 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, I did hope for Delilah (18) to, idk, maybe hold her ground against Xavier (21) but the attraction and her hormones got in the way. Sure, she would mouth off to him, but then one touch and she goes putty in his hands. It's not a good thing to read if you're expecting a headstrong heroine. 🤷‍♀️

Then Xavier was all like, "You're mine," in different varieties, or "I'm obsessed with you." Like I get it, it was sweet in the beginning in a dark romance sense, despite it being unhinged for the possessiveness it exudes. But to say it within every few chapters got boring along the way. 
 
This was only 320+ pages, but it felt more than that when I read it. Anyhoo, this might be a me case, and other readers might feel differently. Also, the book ended on a cliffy, I hope the second book is much more exciting than this. 


Book info:
- Part of a duet
- Secret society
- College romance
- Stalking
- Dubcon
- Breath play
- Chasing
- Child abuse
- Breeding (fantasy)
- Possessive MMC
- Virgin FMC 🙄😑
- No cheating, separation
- No real OPD
- Cliffhanger


Notes:
- OMD. Delilah's foster brother was part of the society, and he was interested in her. Not outright said, but his actions speak up for him.
- OWD. Not really. The girlfriend of one member was an addict. Xavier offered to help her get into rehab in the beginning, but she didn't take it. She was then forced to be a "bride" in the ceremony, but her "recruit" was a dick, and she went to X's room to ask for his help. Delilah was the one who talked to her, and this OW made it seem there was something more between her and X. 
- Celibate. He saw her three years ago. She was 15, and he was 18. And since then, he hasn't slept with any other girls. He waited for her to get into college while actively scaring away anyone who showed interest in her. 🥴🤦‍♀️

[Bailee Latham · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This was so fun!!! Was it perfect? No. Did I still have a good time reading it? Yes!
Secret society of assassins that essentially rule the world with their medical, tech (so on and so forth…) empires.
Some of the things Xavier said… gworl. I’m sweating. I did like that Delilah was so resilient. She stayed true to herself the whole book and didn’t lose her fire.
All in all, this was a good and entertaining read. I thought it was a standalone though, so that cliffhanger took me off guard!

[Elif Arslan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evet, sonunda bitti! O kadar yoğundum ki kısacık kitabı 13 günde bitirmiş olmama cidden utanıyorum 😿

Kitap hakkındaki en baskın düşüncem ‘tarikat’ etiketinin hakkını vermiş olması. Bu tür kuruluşlar erkekler tarafından yapılıyor ve kadınlar ikinci sınıf insan hatta mal olarak kabul ediliyor. Dolayısıyla erkeklerin onlara kapılmaması ve değer vermemesi isteniyor ama daha önce okuduğum bir kitapta adam kadını resmen koruyor, liderlerin gözüne sokuyordu. Ve hiçkimse bir şey demiyor hatta destekliyordu 🙄

Bu kitapta öyle değil. Xavier, Delilah’a ilk görüşte aşık oldu ve içinde bulunduğu boktan dünyadan onu saklamak için üç yıl boyunca ne onu açık açık görmeye gitti ne de iletişim kurdu. Uzaktan izlemekle yetindi. Tabi bir şekilde Delilah akademide onun karşısına çıkınca işler sarpa sardı ve tarikat onu fark etti. Bu noktada Xavier onu kovalayarak gelini olarak alsa dahi ve yanında tutmaya hak sahibi olsa bile liderler onu elinden almaya çalışmaya , ona zarar vermesine yol açmaya devam etti.

Dolayısıyla bence tarikatın amacı doğrultusunda iyi yazılmış bir kitap.

Fakat Delilah açısından bence sağlam bir temel atılmadı. Xavier ona kafayı taktığı için kızın hoşuna gidiyor anlıyorum ama bunun dışında hiçbir iletişimleri yok. Herhangi bir aktivite ya da birbirlerini tanımaları için geçirilen kısa zamanlar. Bu durumdan rahatsız oldum ve puan kırmama neden oldu. Delilah’ın daha akıllı olmasını ve Xavier’ı tanımasını istiyorum. Ama hakkını vermek lazım çok cesur ve erkeklere boyun eğmeme konusunda gayet kararlı 😎

Xavier ise benim çok hoşuma giden bir erkek oldu. ❤️‍🔥 tutarlı, korumacı ve akıllı birisi. Ayrıca gözü sadece Delilah’ı görüyor… Ben de burada eriyorum ❤️‍🔥kızı sevgilisi olarak görmeden önce bile evleneceği kadın olacağına karar vermişti. Yani… Biraz sorunlu bir düşünce kabul ediyorum ama çok ateşliiii 🙈 ayrıca tüm o katil durumu dışında kıza parmakları titreyerek dokunuyor. Alın beni abi alınnnnn!

O son sahneden sonra çıldırmamak için hemen ikinci kitaba geçiyorum 🥹

[Hailey Goshert · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s very much giving LORDS series… so for that + vibez, this gets 4⭐️ lol. this wasn’t super unique or anything but i really did have a fun time reading! also teddy hamilton narrated, soooo🤷🏻‍♀️

X was soooo OTT possessive and jealous, but sometimes it was a bit unbelievable ngl. don’t get me wrong tho, i ate that shit up. i really liked Delilah’s tenacity and show-no-fear attitude too. the side characters were fun but the whole thing with Ben felt a lil weird/awkward and a lot unnecessary.

in all, this was trashy dark romance brain candy, and i devoured it. no crumbs. *you listen & you don’t judge;)*

[AC's · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tho I'm genuinely curious how the author came up with the ''mine' written with dried cum on her back and glowing under the UV lights' scene

[Alexandraa XX · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is about the first and second book. What I really love about this author is that the heroes is soooo possessive!!! POSSESSIVE. You read that right. The possessive of this hero is freakin amazing i love it. And in my opinion, MY OPINION😅 The hero’s possessiveness is not toxic tho…

Most importantly; The book is a dark love story. But the dark parts is about the order that the hero is part of and the heroine’s foster brother. The love story about the couple is not dark tho… I repeat. Not. Dark. But the order, the campus, the teachers, the actions scenes is dark indeed… Thankfully the love story is very romantic and hot ❤️❤️❤️

You want to read a hero that says a lot of love and words of affirmation for the heroine? THIS IS THE MAN. I LOST COUNT CAUSE THATS HOW MANY IT IS!!! NO JOKE!!!


There are certain people and things that just too annoying to me about this book. Especially myself personally I don’t like to read about a cult or secret group that’s okay with killing for sport, and not for justice. For me personally that’s the downfall about this book because the “Order group of high society man” that takes the majority of the story. Yes you read that right. It’s more about the order and the dangerous activities that doesn’t even make any sense, that takes the majority of this love story between the couple. I understand sometimes authors like to make things interesting so they add something like that… I get it. But sometimes things like that is too much for other people, and that other people is me 😂 I don’t like to read a love story that involves with cult or group order like that. For me personally that’s too much… I read some love story about mafia and friend groups that do dangerous activities yes. Yes…. But not like this one 🥶

This one is just 🥶😧😭😳

This one is just… It’s a bit overwhelmingly dangerous. For me EVERY CHAPTER is intense! It’s like a horror scenes for me. You have to hold your breath 😂😂

Okay let me explain down bellow… Try to keep up cause the review is a bit long😚 I didn’t get paid to do this… Sorry for my review is a bit unorganized 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Hang on because it’s a bit dark 🫣

SOOOO….
The hero is the main first character to show up. Hello my favorite one 👌🏼 So the hero’s entire family especially his dad IS THE FOUNDING FAMILY OF A SECRET ORDER CALLED “OBSIDIAN ORDER” what an classic name 🤭 “The Obsidian Order, nestled in the shadowed fringes of a historical campus, this fraternity lies behind the imposing wrought-iron gates that lead to a castle. After years of restoration, the place that was once a battleground during the famous British invasion during the American Revolution is now home to a number of South Harbor University students. The Order is the source of many legends. Its members claim lineage from the ten founding families of the South Harbor colony, who still hold power and influence today. The Gothic stone mansion is rumored to be haunted by British redcoat ghosts, as well as those of American revolutionaries, but only those initiated know the truth.” So that’s the boring order, sorry but i called it boring and just too toxic 😂 So since the hero was born and growing up till now he is a college student, that was a big part of his life… Being in the order and him doing many things for the order. When i say many things, MANY DANGEROUS THINGS. MANY VIOLENCE THINGS… ALL THE TIME… So it was exhausted for me to read the whole order for order things like wtf 😳😨
SO ONE DAY… The order which is his toxic father ordered the hero to go to spy a kid that he want to use for the future… He wants the hero to see anything that he can use against the kid, aka a boy from a foster place. And because the hero is being programmed as a kid to follow order of his father, he goes as usual… When he see the boy, he was shocked because he saw a girl…
Not a little girl…
A pretty beautiful girl.
He was pretty surprised to see the girl is so sassy to the boy and very brave with her words. He never seen a woman like that before that just so confident and full of bravery (because the way he grew up is not fvckin normal). When he see the young girl try to defend the boy aka her foster brother, the hero IMMEDIATELY fall for her… The heroine… Which is so romantic to see that cause hey LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT for the hero 🥺 Then the hero goes to her house killed the man who is trying to hurt the heroine and her foster brother. The heroine accidentally saw the hero and they talked. HE IMMEDIATELY called her mine after that short talk they had… I know it’s a bit much to be doing that but i still love that part 😙😋😋 They only had one talk…
Then they meet again THREE YEARS LATER.
But IN THOSE THREE YEARS the hero always stalked the heroine everywhere and every single time. Stalker lover right here, hot handsome stalker 😋 The hero have to wait that long because he wanted to protect her from the order. Because the order is actually very dangerous… They are more dangerous than the mafia actually 😳 The mafia may have sympathy. But these people in the order, they kill and human trafficking and human slaughter for fun. FOR FUN. What a bunch of fvcked up people 😥 (see what i mean about the order is the dark one right here).
So I get why the hero can’t immediately have the heroine when he saw her because it’s going to be more dangerous for her… For three years he not only protecting the heroine from a far, but he also protecting the heroine’s foster brother cause they were living in the same house from the order. Because turns out the foster brother of the heroine is actually the son from founding order… He protect the foster brother for two reason; One for the heroine and Two for his father.
But SINCE HE FOUND THE HEROINE that night, the hero actually didn’t care about the order anymore… He didn’t care about the order fvcked up and even his own family. ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS THE HEROINE HERSELF… Like that night really change everything for him.
THE HEROINE BECOMES EVERYTHING AND THE MAIN PRIORITY FOR HIM…
It’s so romantic to see that 🥺 because all of his entire existence is about the order and doing what the order wants to do all the freakin time… like every single week is a new job to do and new kill to do (i know it’s very messed up with the order, they’re more fvcked up than the mafia).
And then one night…
ALL HIS FOCUS IS ON THE HEROINE AND THE HEROINE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIMSELF… EVEN TO THE ORDER…
Do not worry my dear readers, THE HERO IN THOSE THREE YEARS IS CELIBATE FOR THE HEROINE…
IMAGINE. CELIBATE FOR THREE YEARS FOR THE HEROINE 🥺
After three years, the heroine got scholarship to the same college as the hero and the heroine’s foster brother. She went there because she really cares about the foster brother of her and want to see him…
The hero and heroine meet again… And it changes everything.



“For the first time in my life, I’m hit with a sense of fulfillment and contentment that I didn’t know existed. Now that I know, I can’t live without it.”


What made me don’t like about the whole order bullsh*t thing is that THE HERO AND HEROINE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ALL THE FREAKIN TIME… It’s a bit exhausting to see them because it’s always the order. Watch out the order, watch out about order can see and hear from anywhere. Like wtf. And what’s more annoying is that THE HERO ONLY HAVE TWO FRIEND TO COUNT ON… TO RELY ON… TO TRUST… NOT MORE!! 😥
And they’re only normal human who have amazing killing skills and great fighting scenes… Nothing more. So reading the book made me always worry about them 😅 Worry whose going to attack them and who will follow them…
So when I read like a supernatural and shifting love story, I have zero worries because i know the main characters can literally save themselves…
But this characters in this book. I’m worry for them in like every single chapter 😂 Especially the heroine is so childish, always likes to ask questions when you can’t. And the questions is so random and unnecessary 😅 So it made me more worry for her life too 🤣
SO BECAUSE OF THIS FIASCO FROM THE ORDER, IT MADE THE LOVE STORY AND THE WHOLE BOOK DARKER…
So don’t try to read this in your normal day that you want a light romance 😄 Read this when you’re ready for some dark heavy love story 🙂🙂 The love story is not heavy…
But the fvcked up order is the heavy one…
And to be honest with you,
I will never ever read a love story that have fvcked up order or group cult in it. I rather read a mafia one than this. This is just a bit toxic and heavy for me…

The only thing that kept me going even tho the order is like that; the hero and the love he have for her… The obsession he have for her… From the beginning till the end his love for her is truly the best part of the book 🥺



“Even if that means taking on the Order. She’s worth it all. My money. My power. My sanity. I’ve lost my fucking mind over her. I’m beyond obsessed, beyond fucked when it comes to her. Unhinged, and willing to kill for her. Die for her. If she knew the depth of my dedication and loyalty, she would be the one with all the control. As I drag my gaze over her sleeping form, I repeat my vow to her, to serve her and only her.”



OH MY….
The hero ❤️❤️



‼️‼️‼️TRIGGERS: Many triggers as you can see above. KILLING, high and big on violence even to unnecessary violence, dangerous group of people that is more fvcked up than the mafia, drugs, poisons, kidnapping, weapons, assassination, hospital, foster care, alcohol and death.

‼️‼️‼️NO CHEATING.

‼️‼️‼️THE HEROINE IS A VIRGIN.

‼️‼️‼️SAFE ROMANTIC HOT LOVE STORY ❤️ The dark parts is about the other things. But the love story again is safe and very romantic and hot!

SAFE ALL THE WAY…
It’s a slow burn not too much and not too long 👌🏼

‼️‼️‼️THE HERO… Let’s talked about my favorite main character. XAVIER DONOVAN. Many people called him X…
and that is also actually my nickname too 😅
THE HERO IS VERY MUCH OVER THE TOP POSSESSIVE PROTECTIVE BILLIONAIRE ALPHA MALE. THE POSSESSIVE IS VERY MUCH… I’m not joking.

The hero’s personality is very intense. Many of his POV is thinking about the heroine nonstop and second is his stupid order group. And when he thinks about the order is mostly about how to survive… Which is pretty sad to read a guy that has to think more about survival than being alive… But thankfully his most pov is about the heroine so that’s very romantic for me.

The hero thankfully is not a manwhor3. Even people at the campus doesn’t talk about his manwhor3 ways because when he started going there, his feelings and life is already commitment and dedicated only to the heroine.
So he is safe from all that bullsh*t 😄 He doesn’t even talked about the past and anyone in campus doesn’t talk about his past with anyone… Even when one woman tries to flirt with him, he never even touch her and never look at the direction she wanted him to.
THE HERO IS LOYAL FROM THE BEGINNING 😙

‼️‼️‼️THE HERO IS SOOOOOO UTTERLY GREATLY OBSESSED AND ADDICTED TO THE HEROINE…
I literally lost count on how many times he literally will say to her and to himself that the heroine is everything to him.
TOO MANY 🥺
He will do everything to her. He will kill for her, sacrifice everything for her and to be with her, he will go to heaven and hell for her… His obsession is no limit. His obsession is out of this world ❤️❤️❤️
He always put her first than anyone even himself… Even when she’s being very childish, complicated, stubbornly stupid, he never ever gave up on her. He always tolerate with her through every mood of her… He always make sure she’s safe first than him. He always claims his obsession with her almost every single freakin day… He always thinks about her, like every minute of his life it’s always towards the heroine…
He claimed her since day one. And since then even before the heroine even properly introduced to him, the hero always called her his and mine. All the time.
So you will read a lot about the hero saying the heroine is MINE. MINE. MY GIRL. MY WOMAN. MY LOVE. MINE 😍

“When it comes to Delilah, I’m terminal. For the last two years, I’ve been watching over my girl. And keeping anyone else from having her. It hasn’t been easy. Sneaking away to be near her without my father’s suspicions following me is hard enough, but keeping other men from wanting her? Nearly impossible.”

“Her kiss is mine to taste. Her body is mine to touch. Her innocence is mine to own”

“Unlike mine. For years, I’ve weighed all the risks and considered every possible outcome. The reward is worth it. She is worth it. I will have Delilah. Even if it means I have to kill my father first.”

“I haven’t been with another girl since the day I met Delilah. I value control, but I swear she’s taken over my mind and body to the point I can’t get off unless I’m thinking about her. Not that it’s a problem. I think about that girl constantly.
Which means I fuck myself all the time because of her. If I make it through the day without groaning Delilah’s name, it’s a fucking miracle.”

“Every time I touch her, a thrill shoots down my spine. Every kiss makes me fucking hard until my balls ache. I wait with anticipation for every word that comes out of her smart mouth. Rumor has it girls refer to me like a narcotic, but she’s my drug of choice. And I’m a junkie that’s fucking desperate for my next fix.”

“My feelings for Delilah have transcended any pretense of mere possession. She’s etched herself into the very marrow of my bones, imprinted herself on my heart so that it beats for her. It lives for her.”

“Is it because I’m your bride? Your property?”
“No. It’s because you’re the only person in the world who matters to me.”
🥺🥺

“This girl has no idea how much I need her, how my very existence is dependent on her being alive and well. “

“It has nothing to do with my reasons for stealing it. You said you wanted something that is a reflection of what you mean to me. Delilah, you’re my reason for living. I’m giving you this weapon to protect yourself because I can’t live without you.”

“My little raptor doesn’t understand that her admission makes me want her more. Not only will I win her heart, but I’ll make sure that she falls so deeply, irrevocably in love with me that she becomes obsessed with me. Like I am with her.”

“You realize what you’re suggesting? Going against your father, the Order... Delilah is seen as a bride, not wife material. They’ll never accept her.”
“I don’t give a fuck.” I fold my arms. “I’ll make her my wife, no matter what it takes. The order’s rules be damned.”

❤️❤️

‼️‼️‼️The chemistry between the two is freakin hot and romantic 😚 It takes time with the heroine have to adjust some things but it is surely safe all the way which is the best part… Cause sometimes other couples have unsafe situation that makes you question the chemistry and the couple.. But not this one, this one literally safe from the beginning through all the way… Unfortunately the hero and heroine didn’t go on dates like that…

“No, you listen to me, little raptor. I would let the world burn for you. I would kill everyone on this goddamn planet to keep you safe. I will always choose you, regardless of the cost. There is nothing and no one that matters more to me than you. You. Are. Everything.”

🥺

The hero even updated the social media site of them or the campus saying;
“Xavier Donovan: Obsessed Delilah Scott. Relationship: Taken. Comment: Delilah is mine. Everyone else can fuck off.”

❤️❤️

‼️‼️‼️Let’s talk about the heroine. Not my favorite character in this book because she’s a very annoying character to like 😅 I don’t like her but i read her cause how much the hero loves her… Her pov is a bit unrealistic sometimes because of how she’s so small minded with things. She’s definitely not that smart when it comes with thinking right and how to say it right…
Even when the hero already tells her somethings, it will take a long time for her to understand 😂 I love her stubbornness but sometimes her stubbornness is sooo stupid… Like when in danger situation, when the hero told her to go, did she go? Nope. She will ask literally 3 times why she have to go 🤣 Like girl how stupid can you be… and that’s just one 🤣 There’s more 😄
I love that she’s not a doormat but her stupidity is so annoying to read…

‼️‼️‼️NO SEPARATION.

NOOOO ex girlfriend or ex fvckbuddy boyfriend ever shows up from both side.
NOOOO BULLYING.
NOOOO talking about past partner.
NOOOO STRIP CLUB.

‼️‼️‼️DRAMA WITH OW AND OM. But other woman is only one time.
and the OW only liked the hero but the hero never likes her and never even touch her. DRAMA WITH OM couple of times because the OM loves the heroine but the heroine didn’t like him back and told him that she loves him as a brother. Not more… But the drama with om is NOT too annoying and not much…
The drama here or the horror here is more from the order and the gang in it 🥶

‼️‼️‼️MANY.

MANY JEALOUS SCENES FROM THE HERO and little from the heroine…

“If you wanted my attention, then you fucking have it. Listen, because I’m only going to say this once. I’ll never give you up. And I’ll destroy anyone who tries to take you from me. If you look to another man for something I can give you, I’ll show you just how possessive I can fvcking be.”

“Never say another man’s name to me in my fucking bed.”

“I told you before, you’re mine. The other recruits have never had the privilege of touching your body. I have. They’ve never tasted you. I have. And they sure as fuck haven’t heard the sound of you coming. But I have. That’s why I marked you. That’s why I’ll kill anyone who thinks they can take you from me. Do you understand, Delilah?”

“But this high up, at the top of the stairs, that’s only visible to me. I’d rather fucking die than share that part of her with another man.”

“She spreads her legs, granting me access to the part of her I want to worship. The part of her that no other man will ever have.”

And that’s only half of it 😏


‼️‼️‼️VERY HOT S3X SCENES 🔥
You can tell by the hero always and all the time is obsessed with the heroine, of course he is obsessed with everything about her body… I lost count on how many times he confessed about her body is perfection…

“Those noises have me teetering on the edge of sanity. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve had her. It’ll never be enough.”

“The air is cool and damp, clinging to my skin, a contrast to the warmth I felt when last with Delilah. The image of her flashes in my mind. The way she says my name when she comes. The way her eyes light up when I touch her. The way her body takes my cock, welcoming it home.”

“It’s because I’m going to devour every inch of your body. I’m going to fuck you long and hard, giving your greedy cunt everything it can take. And more. I’m not stopping until you’ve come several times and your body is spent. Until you can’t move, think, or breathe without remembering the way my cock was buried deep inside you, the way you begged me to give you more. Until the only word out of your mouth is my name.”


‼️‼️‼️It has pushing away from the heroine couple of times… But the hero never ever push her away, not once.

‼️‼️‼️Both of them are young. I forgot the exact age but definitely young…

‼️‼️‼️LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT…

‼️‼️‼️HAPPY ENDING.
Engaged to be married 😍😍

Overall this book and whole storyline is not that bad. It’s mysterious, heart pounding, intense, shocking, secretive, violent, DEEP and thrilling….
But for me, the one thing that keep me going is the hero himself…

[Maddie Vaters · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
Uhm so I LOVED this!!! This is my first Morgan Bridges book and I think I’m going to have to read literally everything else she’s written. This literally had the perfect blend of smut, plot and darkness. I’m obsessed with the world this is set in. It gives the same vibes as The Ritual by Shantel Tessier but I liked how the secret society was set up in this book better. The MMC is a morally grey possessive, obsessed, stalker…but he was also kind of affectionate and sweet🤭 Truly an “I hate everyone but her” type of vibe. And the FMC is stabby and takes no shit, which I love to see in dark romances. There are so many iconic scenes in this book but obviously I’m not going to spoil so I’ll just say if you like a murderous possessive love interest…please pick this book up when it comes out. I was in a bit of a reading slump when I started this but now I’m just sad I have to wait for the next book to come out🥲

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for gifting me an early copy to review!

[Ana | SheSaidYestoBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw this book on TikTok, do I need to say more? yeah, that should’ve been my cue with this one.

[bookedbydeems · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

This was pretty insta-love. And it gave me L.O.R.D.S. by Shantel Tessier vibes, but I'm not complaining!

Xavier becomes obsessed with Delilah immediately and doesn't hesitate to show her and/or tell her, which to me was shocking (probably because I'm used to enemies to lovers lol). I liked their relationship, it was cute!

But this was a fun read -- there were times where it dragged but of course, the cliff hanger had me needing to jump right to the next book!

[Maham Shah · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5- tiktok got to me and I liked one of this author’s books. this is a bad knockoff of the ritual. smut was boring. overall a yawn

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah... not really sure if I would be able to forgive that 😂

[Kiandra 🦋 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I already forgot everything that happened in this oops

[Moss · Rating 1 out of 5]

Negative 5 stars. I wish, I WISH I could give this zero.

Do not be fooled by the high rating, the only people who are rating it highly are already interested in this type of thing. Unless you are deep, and I mean DEEP into the delusion that this type of stuff is okay, do NOT read it.
So let me explain.

FAIR WARNING- I'ma just jump right in. Please read the trigger warnings of this book before you read. Dont be like me. (Since they don't list them in the beginning, only give a website link💀)

1.This is the worst part. It's extremely rapey, He forces himself onto her, she says no. Verbally. She does not consent. He does it anyway, because he "knows her body wants it".
It also acknowledges the rape, literally a quote in the book was "you can't rape the willing" guys. She was not willing.
2.Writing is just bad. I suspect they simply wanted to write smut but had to set up the scene and story, so they did... as quickly as possible. This is not a book with smut, this is a SMUT BOOK.
3.The author constantly does one liners to make things "cooler"... Its not. You don't need to constantly be like "...but I'm not the one getting hurt tonight" and like DOUBLE SAYING everything as a thing on the end for "impact."
4. In the beginning, he's 18 and she is 15. *Fifteen.* The present is CONVENIENTLY 3 years later when she's FiNalLy an aDuLt.
Guess who's also 18 while she's 15? Her boyfriend not boyfriend. Guess who her boyfriend not boyfriend is?.....HER FOSTER BROTHER.
5.i thought this book was labeled as a stalker romance, but honestly, the stalking ends only a chapter in. She meets him very soon into the story, again, the is the opposite of a slow burn.
6.Okay and here's where else it gets bad. The love interest man PROFESSES TO THE AUDIENCE that he has masturbated to her image in his mind for the past THREE YEARS WHILE SHE WAS A MINOR. Istg the book is LITERALLY like "my dick is leading me towards her" LIKE HUH.
Everybody in this damn book is horny. They only talk about wanting men and the college is messy and there's people fucking each other and giving head all oveR the place and everyone's just like yeah. I want some of *insert random character, that character's friend, brother, teacher, ex-bestie, enemy, grandpa,,,

Again, if you want a book that's nice and does the minimum aka consent, not for you.
Just absolutely wild. If you think this man is genuinely okay, get help. Please y'all.

[syd · Rating 1 out of 5]

HORRENDOUS!

[Reanna Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

So bad it was kinda good (maybe)

[hitynka · Rating 5 out of 5]

-obsessed with her
-he fell first
-touch her and I'll kill you
-secret society
-kill for her
-stalker
-dark college romance
-run but if i catch you I'll make you mine

ten tom daje mi vibe haunting Adeline tylko nie w tak mocnej wersji, ale tak samo świetnie się bawiłam

[Gianna Bruzzese · Rating 1 out of 5]

Temu haunting Adeline

[Ece · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elimde süründü kendileri…

Öncelikle kitap ne dark romence ne romence bence ne olduğu belli değil🤔
Tarikat konusu belki iyi işlenmiştir pek okumadığım bir konu ama resmen esas çiftimizin sahnesi yoktu?
Adam kızı görür ona takıntı yapar ve 3 yıl onu takip eder sonunda kendi tarikatına saçma bir şekilde onu alır ve sahiplenir. Kız başta o kadar kısa süre ne oluyor yahu diyor ki hemen adamımıza kapılıyor. Delilah adama çekiliyor Xaiver zaten senelerdir takıntılı ama öyle kolay birlikte olamıyorlar bir sürü tarikat saçmalığı var yani aşırı sıktı.
Kitaba uygun bir etiket buldum bu kesinlikle bir stalker kitabı👍🏻

Toprakta kokar mı cefalar anaların hamurlu elleri gibi tarzınsa full betimlemeden oluşan bir kitap o kadar sıktı ki👎🏻yani her seferinde kalenin kapsında kaç çatlak olduğunu söylemeseymiş de olurmuş bence HER SEFERİNDE.

Ve içsel konuşmalar.. tamam tabi ki karakterin ne düşündüğünü önemsiyoruz bu önemli bir kriter ama birbirleri ile konuşmaktan çok kafalarının içinde kendileri ile konuşuyorlar 🤔 keşke hepten fantastik etiketi yapıştırıp telepati kurdursalardı gerçekten daha mantıklı olurdu.
Zaten tarikatın yaptığı şeylerde fantastikten hallice yani ormanda gelin kovalayarak gelinini seçme wtf?¿

Kitap aşırı uçurumda bitti ama devamını merak etmiyorum çok sıktı. Duyduğuma göre 2. Kitap daha çok çiftimizin üzerineymiş okursam ondan sebep okurum.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so if you’ve read the LORD series by Shantel Tessier you’re gonna see small elements that seemed influenced by them. College secret society, they’re given their version of a chosen senior yr, celibacy until senior yr, and going on missions of sorts to take other people out 💀 there are minor tweaks. I still very much enjoyed the book and can’t wait for the next one.

[viviana ʚ♡ɞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't lie, this gave me L.O.R.D.S. energy (iykyk) BUT I loved it. Yes, very similar because of the college romance except it's also very different. I put this on hold for about a week but once I was able to actually sit down and actually live in this book I couldn't put it down.

The bride initiation is not at all what I was expecting. The HUNT though, probably my favorite. The branding so quick in through me off but I understand why it had to be done and I'm not complaining. Xavier's "don't touch her or you'll die" attitude is CRAZY BOLD but I'm down for whatever when it comes to him.

This was the third Morgan Bridges book I've read, I read The Processing Her series (Once You're Mine & Now You're Mine: A Dark Stalker Romance) and was automatically obsessed with her writing.

This is a must read, and I'm impatiently waiting for the second book, this left me wanting MORE.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I'll be damned!!!! This was way more enjoyable than I thought, and I binged it within 2 nights.

The only thing that lost points is the mmc's constant "Your mine" tagline. It got annoying after the 10th time. We get it...you're obsessed and possessive 🤣🤣

This book ended in a cliffhanger, so you bet i will be picking up book 2 in this duology.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a typical TikTok rec that would probably appeal to YA or older teens, but as a 25 y/o this was so cringe (ito writing style, characters and story development - felt like a reused Wattpad plot) and truly gave me the ick every time I turned the page.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vicious Secret 💫4 stars💫
Vicious Society (conclusion of duet) 💫4 stars💫

Goodreads wouldn’t separate status or reviews

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Tropes : college romance, J/P H, rich guy x poor girl, orphan h, dark romance, touch her and 💀, secret society
Ending : cliffhanger
Triggers : forced proximity, 💀, gore, violence, abuse, murder, mention of SA
Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Angst : 🔥🔥🔥/5
OM/OW drama : OM & OW ( OM was h’s foster brother, OW was a girl that was seen with the H)
Celibate while separated: yes
Intimacy details: virgin h, rough sex, breath play(choking), hair pulling, oral, no condom (h on pills)
Standalone/Series : book 1/2

Hero : Xavier Donovan (18/21)
Heroine: Delilah Scott (15/18

I like how Xavier was celibate after he met Delilah when he was 18 and she was 15. She didn’t know who he was but he was stalking her throughout the years.

He was sent by his dad to found out things about Ben, Delilah’s foster brother because he was an only heir of MacKenzie dynasty. When he was stalking him Xavier saw Delilah. That day Delilah stabbed her foster dad and later on Xavier showed himself to her and admitted to killing the foster dad for good.

Soon after that she and her 2 other foster sisters were koved to another home. Ben enrolled in South Harbor University, the place where there was this group of rich guys being trained as an assassins. Delilah didn’t know about it and wanted to enrolled too. So apparently it wasn’t only for assassins, it was basically a normal college but there were a cult insidenof it for those rich guys/assassins.

Long story short, Xavier sabotaged Delilah’s attempt to date so she was still a virgin when she enrolled to the Uni.

Xavier didn’t approached her staright away although he wanted to. Then something happened that made Delilah one of the ‘bride’ for the ‘recruits’ (assassins in the making) and one of them was Xavier. Ben was there too as a recruit. Obviously Xavier fought to have her as his bride.

Things happened in between until one day Xavier had to hurt Delilah because if not she would be killed.

I quite enjoy this book with the secret society plot and Davier was so possessive of Delilah too and he didn’t sleep with anyone after he saw Delilah.

[Ms. Dess · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Duet Rating: 3.75⭐️⭐️⭐️

We Have:
✅ MF Romance
✅ Urban Romance
✅ Beyond OTT Possessive
✅ Legit Touch her and Die
✅ Stalking
✅ Slow Burn
✅ Dual POV
✅ Sassy FMC
✅ He Falls First

Ok BookTok!!! It’s rare in my opinion that they get it right. Usually books are overhyped and I’m reading them like this is neither dark NOR romance. This one was a fairly slow burn but it was realistic. Lemme just say - if he don’t love me like Xavier … I don’t want it.

Unhinged is my fav word for my book boyfriends and this is the most stable unhinged MMC I’ve read. He’s suuuuper yummy in all the wrong ways and I’m so here for it. I love the Sassy FMC and can appreciate her not being a formally trained bad ass but definitely instinctively knowing how to hold her own. Plus, the plethora of swear words she strings together is hilarious.

No real plot twists so far but that doesn’t lessen the interest. Also… not nearly smutty enough but with a virgin FMC it’s kind of expected - especially in a series or duet. Nevertheless, I ate this fucker up fast. I’m not even sad. If you really a truly like an OTT possessive MMC, this is going to scratch that itch. Since this is a duet - of course I’m diving right into book two. I love the lack of typical tropes and this seems to be a straight forward story… really ready to see how this one finishes up.

[Rochelle ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

a dark romance featuring a gothic-style, affluent college with a secret society of cold-hearted and murderous assassins, an obsessed and overprotective mmc who falls first and has “touch her and die” energy and a fmc who's (sometimes) fierce and doesn't bend over backwards (until she has body betraying syndrome)? i like it.

full rtc.

[Cristina]

DNF

Lost interest quickly in this. The H is instantly obsessed with the h. While the h is trying to survive day by day.
The story fell flat and couldn’t keep reading.

[Aaliyah Gozalo]

WHAT A MF BOOK. Book 2 ASAP.

[iremucka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vicious Secret (Tehlikeli Sır) 😒 Sır neydi anlayan var mı bu arada ne alaka?

Ay neden olmuyor Morgan ?!Uzun zamandır listemdeydi hemen etkilendim okudum ama bi çiğlik bi olmamışlık vardı çok laf az iş desek daha doğru olur heralde.

Delilah (18) foster home da yetişen gariban bir kızcağız, Xavier (21) ile bir şekilde karşılaşırlar ve olaylar gelişir. Xavier’ de zengin züppe parası var ama sevgi nedir bilmemiş gizli bir tarikate bağlı part time yaralı ceylan suikastçı. Tarikat tarzı bana aşırı Assassin’s Creed hatırlattı hatta resimlerinde adamı kapüşonlu faalan yapmışlar 🙂‍↔️

Olaylar aşırı yüzeyseldi, sadece içselleri ve smut okuduk. Yani ne neden nasıl cevapsız sorular.. Tamam yiğidim anlıyorum da gerek var mıydı?! Wattpad miydi bu acaba? Vaalla artık CNC içerikli kitapları sayıcam.

İkinci kitaba atladım hemen ama işte.. Bu tarz aşırı okuduğumdan 21 yaşındaki bebenin bu kadar OTT moduna geçmesi bana cok sacma geldi ay yooook harcanmış potansiyel..