Lover's Lament: Descent Into Darkness

by Nyx Graves

The couple that slays together; stays together.

Dante
My facade of being a good man shatters when a simple day to day act leads to unintended bloodshed. My descent into darkness accelerates as I embrace my newfound identity as a murderer. However, amongst the chaos and destruction I leave in my wake, a chance encounter with a woman sparks an unexpected change within myself. For the first time, I find myself unable to carry out my deadly deeds. She is the one woman I cannot kill.

Evelyn
I have set out on my twisted mission to hunt down and eliminate all of the foster families that have wronged me, a dark and vengeful determination burns within me. Each encounter brings me closer to my ultimate goal, fueled by a deep-seated rage that consumes my thoughts. However, when I cross paths with a serial killer who seems incapable of ending my life, I find myself drawn to his enigmatic presence, and a sinister alliance begins to take shape in my mind. As I enlist his help in my last mission, a new and unsettling chapter unfolds before my eyes. He calls me his Goddess, but he is my liberator.

Lover's Descent into Darkness is a serial killer dark romance that has a HEA. Please heed the warnings, as the content inside contains heavy materials that could be potentially triggering for some.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Ebooks, Mental Health

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2024

About the author

Nyx Graves is an indie dark romance author. She resides in a small town in North Carolina with her husband, two kids, and her many four-legged children. Her favorite things in the world-other than her family-is music, Halloween, and reading her never-ending TBR.

Between chasing kids and dogs who love getting wrapped into mischief, and being active in the Bookstagram community, she manages to find the time to write-here and there.

Reviews

[destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

couples who slay together stay together 🤤🔪

i was not expecting to love dante and evelyn so much omg !! this was super quick and i just couldn’t stop reading 🖤

if you’re looking for a quick and easy to pick up dark serial killer romance, insta attraction, rage, revenge, age gap, pierced peen, virgin stabby fmc, knife play, gore, body dismemberment, duo pov, content warnings (sa flashbacks, self harm, child abuse) definitely get this on your tbr !!

right from the beginning i already knew i was going to fall for dante. it’s packed with action and emotion for such a short book. i absolutely ate it the fuck up 😩 this is heavily focused on dante and how he fights his trauma, dark fantasies, and when he meets his next victim 👀 evelyn completely flips his world up right.

dante’s story just had me in tears. it’s emotional and hard to get through sometimes but this man came out the other end. he has been through so much. with all that rage packed inside him, he takes it out on killing sprees. he doesn’t like to touch people and absolutely hates when people touch him. when he meets evelyn, suddenly he can’t take his hands off of her 🤭 this man literally forgot about making her his next victim and instead fell head over heels for her !! evelyn also went through a traumatic past. she’s out for revenge for what her past foster families had put her through.

these two quickly became my new favorite stabby couple and i wish there was more of them 🥹 LOVED getting their backstories, especially in a short book. it’s definitely what made me enjoy this book even more. i’m so happy the people who abused them got what they deserved !! dante and evelyn found peace within each other and they’re so perfect 🫶🏼 and when they found stormi 😭❤️‍🩹 oh my god. i was not expecting to CRY !!

i already miss them wtf

🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Shasta · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are searching for a shorter read that has seriál unálivérs, romance, and a whole lot of spice this is the one for you.

This book is mostly from the MMC, Dante's POV, and it goes into backstory and gives you a good feel for how twisted his mind truly is. The FMC is Evelyn and she has one crazy back story too.

This book is short, well written, and to the point.

[Karlee McFadyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

• ARC REVIEW (SPOILERS) 🥀 •

• Lovers Lament: Descent into Darkness by @bookedupw_kalz 🥀 was a novella which I really enjoyed, even if it was really intense to read lol.
We watch as Dante is fighting his incredibly twisted fantasies, past trauma, etc. But when he comes across his next “victim”, he finds she’s more than he expected…
PLEASE read tropes/warnings below bc it’s a DARK ONE 🖤

RATINGS:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

• THOUGHTS:
This was packed full of emotion & action straight from the jump and oh my god is it interesting looking at the inner workings of a twisted persons mind 🫣😂 I was hooked on the MMC’s story right away. Dante has been through it and so has Evelyn, so I’m glad they can find peace within each other… in their own slightly mental ways. And Dante’s piercings omg… 🌶️😂 And the spicy scenes were SPICIN’
I’m so glad their abusers got what they deserved, but I’m ever so slightly concerned about them raising a child, because even though I know they won’t hurt her, they are also severely SEVERELY ✨traumatised✨ and likely quite mentally unstable. But you know what, I got faith. Good luck babes! 😂 Overall I enjoyed this read, and would have really loved even more backstory and lore on these characters!

TROPES:
🥀 Serial Killers
🥀 Revenge killings
🥀 Age gap
🥀 Blade play
🥀 Badass FMC
🥀 ✨Violence✨
🥀 Dual POV (not all chapters)

CONTENT WARNINGS:
🥀 SA flashbacks
🥀 Self harm
🥀 Child abuse
🥀 Graphic violence
🥀 Drug and alcohol abuse

• @bookedupw_kalz thank you so much for trusting me with your work 🥰 I enjoyed the read and am keen to see what else you come out with xx

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this ebook in a giveaway, so it was only polite to read it 😊 3.75 rating

It starts off with Dante’s penchant for deleting women, for no apparent reason than he enjoyed it. He did come from an abusive background, so this is obviously where his darkness comes from. On a drive home, he picks up a woman and takes her to his house, Evelyn. Turns out she is also a s3rial deleter again stemming from her own abusive background. Thus their relationship builds. Not giving you anymore.

It’s a quick read, descriptions of v!ol3nce, revenge and spicy parts.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If I cannot bend Heaven, I will raise Hell for this Goddess who has me wrapped so tight around her delicate finger.”

This was a great, quick read that really kept me invested throughout. There is a lot of traumatic backstory to not just the MMC but also the FMC that comes into his life. If you are a fan of serial killer romances, this is definitely a must read! I loved that the majority of the POV was from Dante as we don’t see that very often and I felt it really gave you a good look at his struggle with not being able to kill Evelyn as he normally would have.

I just wish it was longer!

[Kswag · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I cannot bend Heaven, l will raise Hell for this Goddess who has me wrapped so tight around her delicate fingers

The author introduces us to Dante at the start of this adventure. A reclusive guy haunted by memories of his former life.

Letting out a gasp at what is discovered about Dante makes one feel heavy and helps the reader comprehend why his current life is so dark.

Dante unexpectedly meets Evelyn, bringing two lost souls together in an unbreakable bond. This makes for a memorable story.

Read responsibly

The things I find to make this book intriguing may not be for every audience Things to include but not limited to: bloodshed torture and mayhem.

Recipe for a great read.

[Emily (emilysdarkcorner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lover's Lament by Nyx Graves

Wow this is my first book by this author and I'm going to start by saying this is not going to be my last by this author either.

Please check your trigger warnings and content warnings before diving into this one

Dante has had a horrible childhood one that no child should have to go through. When he gets out of his and leaves and never looks back his thoughts have started to shift and he looks at woman in a different way now. One night Dante is driving around looking for his next victim when he stops Evelyn. He takes one look at her and realizes there is something about her.

Evelyn is on her way to try and reach her destination when she is asked for a ride by Dante. She is on her way to get to the next family she needs to get revenge on. She goes with Dante and is drawn to him but she doesn't really know why.

I'm going to say that I loved these characters so much! When i got closer to the end I didn't want it to end because I wanted more. I loved the way they were with each other and how he was so obsessed with her from the moment he laid his eyes on her.

[Lotty Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovers Lament: Descent into Darkness is a fast spaced novella but Nyx Graves.
~
This is a dual POV novella, although, the majority of POVs are from the MMC which I actually really enjoyed as I find often POVs are dominated by the FMCs
~
Both the MCs have traumatic pasts which make them who they both are now… serial killers, yet somehow, despite all odds they found comfort in each other - They were giving Bonny and Clyde vibes and I loved it 🖤

[julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

why are dark romance authors allergic to commas and editors 😩 at least google em dash and how to use it

i can’t get a grip of the mmc, everything is so superficial. sure, there’s the backstory but at no point it makes me feel anything?? it’s just so poorly established??? the downfall of this ”book” is that author merely announces all the events and feelings rather than describing them and letting reader feel the feelings

and then the fmc suddenly shows up out of the blue and changes his life without no further introduction or investigation into his feelings lmao??? the main characters feel like they act like in all those ads for that steamy choose-your-story game apps. the sudden i love her realisation in his thoughts made me cackle because what the actual fuck

this felt like the rough first draft of a book where you just vomit everything out and then flesh it out later except the author forgot to flesh it out. now it’s just a rushed through flow of consciousness full of grammar mistakes. my favourite one was ”you’re tattoo” which made me snort. the dialogue and the 180 turns in the characters’ energy are exhausting and written by a 13-year-old (that’s how you write that by the way, not 13 year-old)

stormi felt so unnecessary and her character development was insane and not in a good way like what the fuck even was that

usually i’m a sucker for religious themes in spice but this time it felt so disconnected, literally mentioned like twice. unnecessary

oh and also absolutely hated the newspaper graphics they were SO poorly made. as someone who used to be a graphic designer, my eye was twitching a lot at so many things

this is such a long review but this book annoyed me so much i wish i could give it a 0 stars because it doesn’t even deserve one

[Ana-Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

135 pages of pure regret for the time i'm never getting back

[Gabi Mendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 / 5 Stars ⭐️

This book had me in a choke hold almost instantaneously. The plot was interesting, and I really enjoyed the characters. It was a fantastic short read, and I definitely recommend it!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, quick, sweet & to the point. It's simple really. A couple who slays together, stays together. Isn't that obvious? This follows Dante and Evelyn, two people who find themselves under some interesting circumstances but they figure it out.

Definitely worth the read and should I mention Dante has a few piercings? 🥴

Few or my favorites from the book
"If I cannot bend Heaven, I will raise Hell for this
Goddess who has me wrapped so tight around her delicate finger"

"You will bleed for me Evelyn, and only me."

[Deyna Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

PRAYER BEADS…oh my f-

[Allu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was gonna be a three star, but the scene where Evelyn is cutting and his solution was just to fuck her reeeaaalllyyyyy put me off. Dante had a lot going for him, he checked off 4/6 boxes of a green flag man during sex:

✅ Was consensual
✅ Gave fmc a way for say no even if her mouth was occupied (tapping his thigh three times)
✅ Knew where the clit was
✅Gave aftercare
❌ Did not practice safe sex
❌Literally no prep or lube for fmc, bitch took that shit *raw*

But let me tell you, this book was rough, rougher than how Dante fucks even. The first 50 or so pages before Eve came along had me begging to be put in someone else's pov except Taytay's. The fact that he was using his trauma to excuse his misogyny was aggravating on its own. But of course good ol' Lyn came along and boom! All of his trauma and misogyny were magically fixed!

This book had some good parts to it, there were some genuinely sweet moments between Ev and Dan that had me feeling their connection. Hell, their ability to communicate was fucking spot on! I love two bitches who just say it like it is and don't have miscommunication moments (well, they had one, but it was so insignificant that I erased it from my mind completely). However, there are a lot of issues with consistency in this book. The main one being something I like to call, the light switch. You see, don't go into this book thinking you were going to get an accurate representation of trauma, PTSD, and mental health problems. Instead, we get all the trauma turned on only when it is MOST convenient.

Danny boy needs a push to finally kill someone? Turn the light switch on and boom! He was having a flashback while driving and got into a car crash, unintentionally killing a woman!

Elyn sneaking into his bedroom at night? Aw hell nah keep that light switch off even though he constantly has memories of his mom sneaking into his room at night to r him. This should send him into a complete panic attack but it's Evie doing it so it's fine!

The "PTSD" in question was a minor character in this book, along with Sister Anne and Dante's church saga. Bro showed up to mass once and said "yeah, I'm a god fearing man 😏". We got 2, maybe 3 flashbacks in the beginning of the book and no joke, never even talked about them ever again. Of course, along with everything else, this author also has a very bad habit of using commas to replace periods, giving you a giant wall of text with a bajillion independent clauses mashed together in one fucking sentence, which was super annoying to read even after I talked about everything else, like seriously it was so annoying! Some sentences were actually illegible or had contradicting statements.

For example: when Tay was killing his first girl (Ashley), he was sitting behind her, then suddenly was in front of her standing up, THEN stood up. You see what I'm pointing out here? Not to mention that there was no writing of him moving at all, just dude lagging the fuck out and teleporting every which way.

And really, why did we need Stormi? These bitches kill people, where I genuinely don't know how Lynie didn't get caught. Why would they be any good at taking care of a kid????

And now, we'll get to my biggest gripe with this book. You see how many different nicknames I gave these two characters? So you're telling me, the best nickname you could come up with for Evelyn was fucking "E"!?!?!? And Dante was "D"!?!? Gurl that's just fucking lazy come on now, there were so many possibilities and you decided on just plain initials. Do better.

Also, Dante, my main man, star of the show. You are 36 you can go ahead and tell Sister Anne you don't fucking like Shepard's pie, quit wasting food and her time. Piece of shit.

All jokes aside, I feel like this author does have some potential. I was expecting to completely hate this book like many other indie Dark Romances I've read, and I didn't. But girl, you gotta get someone to reread your book after the first draft. Or just read it yourself, this really just needed a second read and another pair of eyes on it.

(Also, I feel like I have to point this out, why did Evelyn have to be Japanese? Like, she was this girl going out on missions n shit. She couldn't be a regular Japanese serial killer that would take advantage of men giving her a ride home? She was moving around like a ninja, am I crazy to think that's a stereotype that was casually thrown in? Lemme know ❤️❤️❤️)

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Lover's Lament" by Nyx Graves is a thrilling dive into the dark and twisted minds of Dante and Evelyn. As Dante embraces his identity as a murderer, he encounters Evelyn, a woman fueled by vengeance against her past. Their unexpected connection ignites a powerful dynamic that pulls them deeper into chaos.

With each page, the tension builds as their sinister alliance forms, blending romance with a chilling exploration of morality and desire. Graves masterfully weaves a narrative where love and darkness collide, leaving readers captivated by this dangerous bond. If you're looking for a gripping tale of passion and peril, "Lover's Lament" is a must-read!

[Lana Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶🌶
Lovers Lament by Nyx Graves is like a Tinder date gone wildly wrong—except both parties are serial killers and somehow, it turns into a love story. Meet Dante, a guy who kills people without breaking a sweat, but when he meets Evelyn, the one woman he can't bring himself to murder, things get… complicated. And Evelyn? She's got a hit list of her own, so honestly, they're a match made in crime.


This novella gives you all the dark twisty goodness without dragging out the drama. Dante's over here dealing with his new "I can't kill this one" problem, and Evelyn is laser-focused on her mission of revenge. Oh my god, it's so cute, seeing these two psycho souls fall for each other, like in some kind of crazily wronged romantic comedy. If you've ever wondered what happens when two killers catch feelings, well, this book is a must read.


Oh, and did I mention Dante's got some unique. upgrades, *cough* pricering, *cough* that make their spicy scenes an extra notch? Yeah, that's all I'll say. If the story of serial killers who somehow become each other's light in the dark, and plots that are both fast and furiously fun, are up your alley, Lovers Lament is calling your name. Just don't forget to check those trigger warnings; this one's got some bite!

Thank you Nyx Graves for the ARC 💖

[Sam Oneill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warnings
- SA flash backs
- Self harm
- Child abuse
- Graphic violence
- Alcohol and drug abuse.

Small Novella that is a slow burn but intense.
Make sure you read the trigger warnings..

Dante - He's fighting his own battles from his abused life, he turns his fantasies into reality..
His new victim wasn't like the rest, she captured him and he knew he wasn't going to kill her, that pull to kill wasn't there but there was a different type of pull he was experiencing.

Evelyn - She was on a mission to make those suffer how they made her suffer. She got into the car of a stranger, she knew he was a killer, like she was.. She felt that connection.

There was so much emotion and action in this Novella, you don't get just one twisted person's mind, you get two.

They found peace in each other, because of two f*cked up minds connected.

There was a good amount of smut and pierced 🍆..  LOVED it!!

The ending was lovely, two fu*ked up people trusted each other and became the light of their darkness.

It was beautifully written, you felt the emotion that they felt. I would reccomend this spicy dark Novella!

- S3rial k1llers
- Revenge k1lling
- Age gap
- Twisted MMC
- Twisted FMC

[Roo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a quick and good read! It keeps you hooked until the end! We follow our 2 main leads as there stories unwind and intertwine together!

For fans of Serial Killer Romance, HEA, and found family!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Releases 9/19/2024

[Jasmine Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️🌶️ 🌶️

This book was a palate cleanser to my previous books! Fast pace, quick and an easy read! It hooked you in from the beginning to the end.

You follow 2 main characters through a revenge plot that connects them in more ways than you could imagine! Their past trauma gives the characters a sassy banter especially from Evelyn!

As per normal please read the trigger warnings before reading!

Favorite Quote/Saying:

“If I cannot bend Heaven, I will raise Hell for this Goddess who has me wrapped so tight around her delicate finger”

[Alexis Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read for me personally, it was short but it was written beautifully and finished nicely. Revenge was my favorite thing about this book and the relationship between the two characters was so amazing and I love that they found each other. I would definitely recommend reading the triggers for this one but I have no triggers so this was truly awesome for me💚💚

[Darkling Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The couple that slays together, stays together. That really is the main focus on this head rush of a short story. Both our main characters have had lives dripping in tragic trauma, which leads them on symmetrical paths in their adult lives – I honestly feel like they are each others counterpart – it sure seemed that way throughout.

I really enjoyed this book, and honestly, I want more of Dante and Evelyn. They make the best unaliver power couple. Slay on! 🖤👏

[Shelby Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the editing errors I loved this book. The last 🌶️ scene with the 📿Stahp it sent me. Also then keeping Stormi brought a tear to my eye.

[Gothic Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple who slays together, stays together.

Lover’s Lament was a quick and fantastic read! I honestly couldn’t put it down. I loved the fact that we got to see a MMC pov most of the time throughout the book!
Oh myyyy and guess what Dante has a few piercings… holyyyyy 🥵 that scene was 🫠… I honestly just wanna go back and read it again!

[Morgan Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This qas a quick read but i really enjoyed it

[Ashley ADirtyRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Revenge Plot

Both characters have a terrible childhood (his goes into some details). As an adult, the MMC discovers a love for *darker things*. He meets the FMC who turns out enjoys the same extracurricular activities 🥰 The are able to find their own happiness is all the darkness that crowded their life.

TW to consider : childhood SA, self harm

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story! Had multiple grammatical errors, but I looked over them. I’d love to be the editor of this authors future books!

[Tabitha Sidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep!

Not at all where I saw that going, but man am I not mad at it. Nyx, I'll take all of the rest of your book library please.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish this book. A title to dark for me.

[Rhea Hanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick spicy and perfect if you’re looking for a break from a series.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read with lots of spice and unaliving of people. Mostly MMC pov! I really enjoyed it