Alessia Valentín She’s an intelligence officer on orders to go overseas on her first deployment. Despite who her parents are, she’s determined to prove she belongs there. After getting informed by her step-father, Admiral Ravenmore, that she’s a target for multiple enemies, he assigns Operator Creature as her personal security to watch over her while she’s on deployment. Ever since they collided, she’s been under the mysterious, tall, scarred, and masked Daegan Hannibal’s spell.
Daegan Hannibal Everyone calls him Operator Creature, a nickname he earned after surviving situations he shouldn’t have. He’s a Navy SEAL who is the most lethal sniper in the entire military. He never misses. After enduring tragedy after tragedy, he doesn’t believe in love. He’s as cold as his ice-grey eyes. After avoiding his demise once, he runs into a different kind of one—his boss’s daughter.
Lexie Axelson is a Hispanic Author from South Texas. She is a military spouse currently residing on the East Coast. She loves to pen angsty, heartbreaking love stories. When she isn't reading a book, she loves to watch horror movies and travel with her family.
this girl, she works in navy seal(don’t ask me what she does) and she is literally the dumbest person alive. like i wouldn’t even trust this girl to make me my tea and she supposedly has an important job in the army???
so this girl has a boyfriend, okay? a boyfriend that rapes her, cheats on her, forgets her birthday and when she tells her boyfriend that his friend makes moves on her and she’s uncomfortable, guess what he says? WEAR. MORE. CLOTHES. 🤡
“You didn’t have to do that, Mr. Hannibal. I’m not a damsel in distress. I can fight my own battles.”
no that’s right, she’s not a damsel in distress. because calling her that is an insult to all damsels in distress😒 they’re capable so much more than this girl
AND THEN when we get to the hero’s pov!!! i’m hopeful because you know masked stalker🫦🫦 and everything, i thought his pov will save the book😜 but no🤡 he was watching them when her boyfriend raped her and when someone at the bar assaulted her but he waited to see how she will react🤡🤡🤡 fuck off please✋🏻
He has a head full of thick strands. But not just any hair. Beautiful dark hair that’s long but not too long. Their dark, wavy locks go down just past his ears.
on top of everything, writing was trash. like look at that quote why is she yapping about his hair✋🏻
Wow. Omg, Lexie done it again. Pretend is by far my favorite read in 2025. But that ending tho…. Can we talk about that ending?! Because I’m finna PRETEND that Kane isn’t…
Anyway, I don’t know who I love more, grim or creature? But daegan is my favorite as of right now. Also I really hope we get Grave’s book! Pretty pls?
Lexie write tons of badass and hawt navy seals! 🔥 I love the grittiness, depth, and rawness she brings. Gimme all the warning triggers, babe! 😈
Lexie, you did me proud of breeding. I eat that shit up! 👅 I WANT MORE, MAKE IT HAPPEN WOMAN.
My only pet peeve is Alessia let ppl talk and walk all over her. I wanted to see the heroine be confident with her intelligence and not be a pushover so much here and there. Only if it’s Daegan I don’t mind and care.
Now I think about, I’ll never see red 🩸 the same way again & it’s now also my favorite color bc red is creature/deagan favorite!
You wanna know why this is called “pretend” comin’ thru with my fave quotes.
“Can we pretend that Ravenmore is not your boss’s boss for tonight and that you’re not my bodyguard and maybe just…” she hesitantly asks. A solace pauses between us. “Please, hold me?” 🫂
“I won’t say anything. Again. We’re pretending. Just for one night. And your hard cock against my thigh tells me you want to pretend longer tonight, too.”
“Pretend,” he repeats, and his tone changes into something sultry and familiar, striking me hard. “Pretend it’s a shooting star.” 🌠 💫
“You’re gonna have to pretend like you’re safe with me because I’m about to fuck you like I want to kill the both of us. Just remember you wanted this, and I never quit.”
“I can’t believe this all began when I asked you to pretend with me.”
*I voluntarily leave my honest thoughts and feels, thanks so much for the arc*
Warning: this is a review written out of rage. Warning#2: amazon says this is a standalone. It is not.
How can an FMC be TSTL and in the military at the same time? She acts and thinks like a teenager, no mature thought behind those eyes. Being horny is also more important than your safety apparently.
Why is the writing so bad? It's jilted and doesn't flow at all, every kind of suspense is leeched out by weird flowery description in all the wrong ways and places. 'His face deadpans completely like stone. But his eyes soften like a cloud.' Keep in mind, the guy wears a mask. How does that even work?
The MMC has 4 siblings. 2 siblings with actual names, an 'older brother' and a 'younger sister'. Why would you not name half of the siblings?
She also is on and off birth control? One chapter she tells him she is, a few chapters later he pulls out because he doesn't want her to get pregnant.
I have never felt this much rage while reading a book.
This is another one of my rant reviews, but there were a few things I liked about it.
Let’s start with my rant though.
Most of this book was so painful. Both the main character and the writing are extremely juvenile.
The main character is one of those super annoying FMCs where she’s like, “Oh no, the sexiest, most capable navy seal has been assigned to be my bodyguard and protect me from being human trafficked. Poor me. I hate him. I can protect myself from terrorists.”
Bitch, no you cannot. Literally no one can protect themselves from an entire terrorist organization wanting to traffic and/or kill them. Shut up.
And she continued to preach about how she could “protect herself” and she was “safe” even after she was being stalked, repeatedly had her car and home broken into, been shot at, was harassed and groped in a bar, was almost bombed, among other things.
Let’s be real. Wouldn’t a woman in the navy have even just a shred of common sense? Wouldn’t she be more aware of her surroundings? Wouldn’t she have reported things? Wouldn’t her self defense skills be a little better? Wouldn’t she be intelligent?
I don’t understand why or how she was in the navy because she was so stupid, immature, and incapable that there’s literally no way a woman like this could be in the navy. She acted like a 13-year-old the entire book.
Also, after reading 4 Lexi Axelson books now, I have learned that she REALLY loves using the word “depraved.” This is the first time I’ve come across an author that aggressively overuses a word, and I hope I never encounter it again.
He was depraved. He looks at me depraved. He smirks depraved. He fucks me depraved. He’s depraved and possessive. Depraved. Depraved. Depraved. Depraved. Depraved. Depraved. Kill me now. For the love of god, find another word.
I’ve also noticed that she’s not very good at writing the evil characters. For example, Bailey, the boyfriend, creature’s step-mom, Stella, etc. are all douchebags, but every conversation with those characters when they “show their true colors” is so over the top and fan-ficy. Like a teenager writing a conflict scene. The conversations between the “bad” characters are so ridiculous and forced that it pulls me out the story every time.
Anyways, for what I liked.
Creature, the MMC intrigued me. He was literally the only thing that kept me reading. He’s the only reason I give this 2 stars instead of 1 because I liked his character.
The spicy scenes are also really cool. For example, there’s a scene where he fucks her with a knife handle and one where he fucks her with a bullet, so that was fun as hell. The spicy scenes are always brutal and unhinged.
I also liked the stalker element, because stalker MMCs are fun to read about. And I felt like the plot slightly redeems itself and gets more interesting towards the end.
But idk, I’ll probably be stopping this series now. I can’t decide. I like elements of Lexi’s books, but her writing style is often too cringy for me.
I seriously just can’t handle reading the word depraved anymore. I will never again hear that word without having PTSD and remembering Lexi Axelson.
Absolutely incredible! Lexie has outdone herself with this story. Daegan was absolutely unhinged, and I loved him!! This story was filled with trauma and drama and twists and turns I never saw coming. I love this series so much and I CANNOT wait for the next book.
“We all have broken pieces, love. We all have scars we hide underneath a mask. What’s that saying again? Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine? ” ____________________________________ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Pretend is the third book in the Scarred Executioners series and follows Operator Creature (Daegan Hannibal) and Alessia Valentín.
Creature has to be one of the darkest and depraved men I’ve ever had the privilege of getting to know through this book and I’m dying for more. And the mouth on that man? 🥵 Creature had me wanting to punch his lights out on multiple occasions, but then made me fall in love with him and want to forgive him at the same time. His protectiveness over Alessia and the things he will do for her ✨swoon worthy✨
This book had me giggling, crying, gasping, and on an emotional roller coaster the entire time and I never wanted it to end. @lexieaxelson, you have truly outdone yourself with this series! The plot is incredible as always, but that spice is E V E R Y T H I N G! I will continue to recommend your books 100 times over because they will live with me forever. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this series and share my love for these characters with the world!
If you’re looking for: 🐉 Dark Military Romance 🐉 Age gap 🐉 Masked MMC 🐉 Morally black & pierced 🍆 🐉 Forbidden romance 🐉 Bodyguard
Then this is the book for you! Please always check trigger warnings as this is a dark military romance with some heavy themes. Pretend will be released into the world July 10th so mark your calendars!
{an e-ARC of Pretend was given to me in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts here are my very own}
DNF'd at 22% I hate hate hate how this story starts. Why do all dark romances nowadays have to have a fmc who gets graped or sa'd to build her character or to make her current boyfriend unattractive? I don't understand. The book also starts in the POV of the mmc, who immediately comes across as a douchebag. He is getting tortured, and his inner thoughts are: "I think it is pretty funny how they think I’m scared about having a few scars on my face. They just made me more deliciously handsome." Brother, wth? I couldn't believe that the characters were supposed to be in their thirties bc they are acting like children and not like military personnel. The fmc to the mmc after she gets sa'd by a guy in a bar:" “It’s nothing, Mr. Hannibal. I'm okay. I'm not your assignment just yet. You don't have to protect me.”
Stupid stupid stupidest fucking fmc She is like an insult to all woman in abusive relationships
Also the call names were so weird Operator Texas?! Operator Creature?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
HELLO??? you know i love a man of very few words , and daegan hannibal was that mine. PLEASEEEEEE. i was dying. i loved their story , the forbidden romance , and everything in between was so good.
alessia- this poor girl was working and busting her butt , but everyone around her always assumed that since she was ravenmores step-daughter she got where she was bc of him , which in fact was not true. and then she has to deal with her shit boyfriend , jack. don’t even get me started on that waste of space. then everything changed when hannibal was assigned to be her personal bodyguard … hehe i loved her development throughout this book , and all she ever wanted was love , and i adored that so much. i loved , how she loved daegan with his scars , and she saw him as a normal person. i was crying reading that , he already felt not normal and she made him feel normal. goodbye 😭
daegan (operator creature)- this man has trauma. from being a prisoner of war AND losing his mom to postpartum depression had me in SHAMBLES. he worked and worked & was so closed off from love because he stopped believing. but when he fell for alessia , HE FELL HARD. how he opened up to her and only spoke to her ??? PLEASE. “my little valentine.” GOODBYE. i loved him , and seeing snippets of kane and grimm i was kicking my feet up in the airrrr.
i’m telling you right now , the twists in this book make me scream. and the cliffhanger ??? lexie , i need answers because i started choking. how are you going to do that to me , PLEASE. i’m sending you jars full of my tears bc your books destroyed me BUT I LOVE IT. i will be staring at my wall until book 4 releases , bye.
rating: 5 ⭐️ spice: 3 🌶️
tropes: ♡ bodyguard romance ♡ age gap ♡ forced proximity ♡ unhinged masked mmc ♡ slowburn ♡ forbidden romance ♡ military romance ⚠️read trigger warnings⚠️
I was in a book slump until I picked this up, and now Lexie's writing brought me out of said slump, just to throw me back into one lol.
I have been patiently awaiting Creature's books since he was first introduced, and Lexie delivered. This is book 3 in the Scarred Executioners series, and trust me when I say you don't want to miss out.
Daegan Hannibal aka Creature is a tortured soul, having endured so much as a POW. He uses work as a Navy Seal to outrun the nightmares that constantly plague him, but it never seems to be enough as they always return when the darkness of nightfall hits. That is until, he meets his "little Valentine." Alessia Valentín is the Admiral's step daughter and off limits. Daegan values his career as a Seal above all else, so he should have no issues staying away from the forbidden Alessia...That is until he gets assigned as her personal security/bodyguard after threats have been made to capture her. Now that he's forced to follow her every move, he finds it more and more difficult to keep a boundary between them. He's obsessed with her, and it's a madness he can't control. Being "normal" and loving someone in an ordinary manner are not in Creature's nature. He'd like nothing more to tear down the walls separating them and see just what it's like to have her break for him. She will be his ruination, but he just might be hers as well.
THIS BOOK. I could not put it down. I read 70% in about one sitting before I had to tear myself away from reading it. When Lexie announced she'd be releasing Creature's story early, I lost it. I've been wanting to know more about this tortured soul of a man since the first time he appeared in the series. Now that we have him, I need MORE. Lexie left us on quite the cliffhanger that had me bawling my eyes out, but I just know she'll give us the HEA we so desperately want in the next book... hopefully.
I can't wait to see what comes next for this incredible series that started me on my journey of love for dark romance books!
Read if you like: - dark romance - military romance/masked Navy Seals - tattooed and pierced MMC - forced proximity/ he's her body guard - "teach me" moments - spice - cliffhanger ending
a huge thank you to lexie for giving me the chance to arc read this book !! i just knew i was going to absolutely love this because ANYTHING lexie writes is a banger 🔥
this story follows daegan “creature” hannibal and alessia !!
from the very beginning i just knew i was going to love creature. he’s your morally grey with a side of golden retriever only for alessia. the way he calls her “little valentine” had me SWOONING 🥹 i loved getting to know him more because he intrigued me in “i promise you.” it’s always the quiet and mysterious ones that holds my interest. and creature surely delivered. this man is so chefs kiss 💋 and the mouth on him … oh my god 🧎🏻♀️
i completely saw myself in alessia. from the way she loved listening to the storms and cracks her windows open when a storm rolls by. to how she felt after a heartbreaking experience with her ex. she always looks for the good in people which brought her to creature. although that was his nickname and everyone calls him that, she never saw him as one. alessia’s character grew immensely from the first few chapters and i love to see that in an fmc.
the chokehold this book has on me is so insane. the spice was just PERFECT !!! i’m so down bad for creature it’s sickening 🥵 but can we talk about that cliffhanger ???? HOW DO I RECOVER 😭😭 I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NEOWWWW !!
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (black hawk is so iconic, THE BULLET, when he’s vocal >>>)
Spice was amazzzzzzing but the story was a little lame. FMC was hard to like. MMC was chefs kiss. Ending was a HUGE cliffhanger so definitely not a standalone.
I loved this book so much!! I screamed, I cried (more times than I can count), I was filled with joy, and all the other emotions. I absolutely adore Danny from See You Soon but Daegon has stolen my heart from him. He's a scarred man with a troublesome past and he found someone who loved him for who he is and not his scars. Alessia is someone who I connected with on a deeper level because I too am always giving bits and pieces of myself when I am barely holding on. Daegon and Alessia are both wonderful humans who deserve the world and they found that in each other.
Pretend By Lexie Axelson ARC read ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ 🐉Dark Military Romance 🖤 Age Gap 🐉Slow Burn 🖤Bodyguard 🐉Forbidden Romance 🖤Masked MMC ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
Please check trigger warnings before reading. This book contains heavy material that might be triggering for readers. Your mental health matters!
Release Date is July 10th! ⓜⓨ ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ
This was an ARC read and was probably my most anticipated read of the year. Not only did I fall in love with lexies writing in the first two books of the Scarred Executioners series, but I fell for the beautiful and captivating characters she has created. Pretend, follows Operator Creature (Daegan Hannibal) and Alessia Valentìn. If you have read the books following Danny (Grim) and Ari, you get a small taste of Creature. I knew from those scenes I would love him. And boy do I. He is probably one of the most unhinged characters I’ve ever read and I LOVE IT. He will do anything and everything to protect her not only because he is assigned as her bodyguard but because he is OBSESSED with alessia. Their feelings for each other are too much that they can’t pretend anymore. I read this book in a day. I could not put it down. This book literally consumed my thoughts and still does. This book had me screaming, crying, blushing and I was at the edge of my seat. There are so many twists and turns in this book I didn’t even expect. This book is a slow burn but once they give in MY GOD. The scenes had me screaming. If you like a dirty mouthed masked military man. Operator Creature is your next book boyfriend.
**Book Review: Scarred Executioners (Book 3) by Lexie Axelson**
In "Scarred Executioners (Book 3)," Lexie Axelson delivers a thrilling continuation of her dark fantasy series. The story dives deep into the lives of flawed but fascinating characters, navigating a world filled with danger and intrigue. Axelson’s rich, descriptive writing brings the setting to life, making it easy to get lost in the complex plot and emotional twists. The protagonist's struggle with inner demons and external threats keeps readers on edge. Although it's the third book, the narrative remains fresh and engaging. Fans of dark fantasy and intense character development will find this a gripping read.
Ahhhhh, we devoured this the day it was released…. The SPICE!!!! The MEN!!! The entire story…Our hearts are torn into pieces and just hoping the next puts them back together. We are a little mad at Lexie because that is quite the cliff hanger to end the book on but also obsessed and cannot wait for the next! We have to have these for our bookshelves, our trophies if you will. We will continue to recommend this series to everyone we know and even those we don’t! Lexie, you are killin’ it girl
As always, check out Reading Under the Influence Podcast for more in depth reviews and spoilers!
Thank you Lexie for letting me be apart of the ARC group! She has done it once again, an other 5 star read that I couldn’t put down! This series has me in a chokehold. Pretend is a dark romance chefs kiss, plenty of smut with a plot that has you in the edge of your seat. I can’t recommend this series enough, book 4 I’m ready for you!
Omg! This book, woah. Caught me in all my feels. I thought I loved Danny, but Daegan is something else and he *might* just be my new favorite SEAL.
This man's trauma that has turned him into the man he is, is just so heart wrenching. Like stomp on your heart and crush it into a million little pieces.
Alessia and Daegan's relationship is forbidden and off-limits, but they're drawn to each other in every possible way. Their chemistry is through the roof! That man can make anyone run for a change of clothes after hearing the way he speaks 🫠
In I Promise You, I had a very strong dislike for Kane, but he definitely redeemed himself in Pretend...but Kane, oh Kane...I won't give anything away, but Lexie woman...oh man lady.
The twists and turns that occur throughout this entire book will have you begging for more. But the ending will have you crying your eyes out!
I cannot wait for more...this will be a brutal wait though.
Wow, I never finished a book so fast. The story line, the plot twists, the spice 🤌🏼. There was definitely some jaw dropping moments. also the biggest cliffhanger EVER. I loved each character too.
“I am no God but don’t get me mistaken, baby. You will be on your knees praying for me to fuck you harder.” ~~~~ This MAN…my ovaries did not survive during this book! The way I screamed when I got this in my hands. This is my top TOP read! And this is my favorite man ever!!! Thank you Lexie for letting me be on your street team and giving me this beautiful masterpiece! Yall..the paperbacks are live! And the book comes out soon!!!!
This book was by far my worst read in two years. It doesn’t even seem like it was written by the same author and it is so far on the other end of the rating scale as the first two books. If I could give zero stars, I would. I wasted three hours reading this book hoping it would get better and the only thing it did was dive off the edge of a cliff and get worse.
I'm a bad writer, I can't even write a proper review BUT ON GOD I CAN WRITE A BETTER BOOK how is the writing so fkn bad?? hire an editor on fiverr at this point!! its so sad cuz I see the potential but like what the actual fuck I didn't even think the writing could get worse
edit: I HAVE TO ADD THIS QUOTE "I graduated top of my class in sniper school" gurl bffr
One of my most anticipated books and what an amazing story about Daegan and Alessia. "Pretend" is the 3rd book of the "Scarred Executioners Series" and Lexie absolutely knows how to write military romance, she killed it again.
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/♾️ 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒆: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Daegan "Creature" Hannibal, with a dark past, the sniper of his team who never misses, the shadow and after being tortured he hides his face under a mask. When Alessia became his assignment to protect, he is forbidden from the beginning and their story starts when they "Pretend" for a night. He never lets anyone else in and with Alessia everything feels different, like she is the light in his darkness.
Alessia Valentín (or how Daegon calls her "Little Valentine"), she is another sweet soul a strong woman who wants to be loved and connected with someone after what happens to her with her ex and when she sees Daegon for the first time without a mask and says "You're.... beautiful, Mr. Hannibal." her reaction was so beautiful.
Like the first two books of this series, another masterpiece and im not exaggerating. My feelings were like on a roller-coaster, i giggled, i had teary eyes, cried and geeez this NAVY Seals have something that is freaking captivating. Ufffff Deagon, this man is another piece of art, his mouth should be illegal. He is a pure perfection with everything and when a man like Daegon finally says "I Love You" keep him and never let him go. Oh gosh the connection, the dynamic between Daegan and Alessia their obsession for each other is absolutely top notch.
𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥: 🐉Dark Military Romance 🐉Morally Gray Navy Seal 🐉Age Gap 🐉Bodyguard Vibes 🐉Forbidden Romance 🐉Unhinged Masked MMC 🐉Slow Burn 🐉Touch her and ☠️ 🐉Not forget to mention, he is pierced 😏😉
What an ending *TO BE CONTINUED* be aware this book ends with a cliffhanger.🤯 and what a cliffhanger, Lexieeeee why/how could u end this book like this?! 😭😭😭 I hope we don't have to wait long for book 4, i cant take it i need to know.