What do you think?
Does It Hurt?
Who am I?
I've forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the clothes on my back and socks on my feet. After that day, I've only ever walked in stolen shoes.
Could I be a girl who is searching for the meaning of life in faceless men? They were all so forgettable. Until he came along. He took me under a waterfall and made me forget my name, and in return, I took his instead.
Enzo Vitale.
An enigmatic man that will only ever love the deep sea. Or rather the predators that inhabit it. Turns out, he's not so different than the monsters he feeds. He lured me onto his boat like a fish in the ocean, seeking vengeance for my crime. Had I realized his intentions, and that a massive storm would leave us shipwrecked, I would've ran.
Now, I'm a girl who's seeking refuge in a decrepit lighthouse with a man who loathes me almost as much as he craves me. He wants to hurt me, but the old caretaker of the abandoned island may have intentions far more sinister.
It's no longer a question of who I am, but rather, will I survive?
I've forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the clothes on my back and socks on my feet. After that day, I've only ever walked in stolen shoes.
Could I be a girl who is searching for the meaning of life in faceless men? They were all so forgettable. Until he came along. He took me under a waterfall and made me forget my name, and in return, I took his instead.
Enzo Vitale.
An enigmatic man that will only ever love the deep sea. Or rather the predators that inhabit it. Turns out, he's not so different than the monsters he feeds. He lured me onto his boat like a fish in the ocean, seeking vengeance for my crime. Had I realized his intentions, and that a massive storm would leave us shipwrecked, I would've ran.
Now, I'm a girl who's seeking refuge in a decrepit lighthouse with a man who loathes me almost as much as he craves me. He wants to hurt me, but the old caretaker of the abandoned island may have intentions far more sinister.
It's no longer a question of who I am, but rather, will I survive?
Hardcover
First published July 22, 2022
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August 3, 2022on a scale of hooting to hollering i am hoarse with screaming
the title of this book is presented to us within the first 10% of this book when our hero asks, whilst impaling the heroine on his cock, "does it hurt bella" (b/c he's italian of course)
i was simply sent clear into another dimension. i tried, i really did try, to throw away all sensibility and just have a good time but the good times never came. unlike our heroine who came multiple times during the first sexual encounter at the 10% mark of this book.
story starts out with a girl escaping from we're not really sure what circumstances and taking a flight to australia. we quickly find out she's an identity thief and she takes the identities of men with unisex names that she has sex with. she gets a stick and poke tattoo at a bus stop. she gets hammered at a bar. she meets a guy who takes her to a remote cave and they have lots of squirty sex.
i'm just confused. was i supposed to swoon when she offers up her unprotected coochie to a stranger? giggle at the quirk of a tattoo from a different stranger? this isn't a dark romance this is SILLY.
dnf @10%
the title of this book is presented to us within the first 10% of this book when our hero asks, whilst impaling the heroine on his cock, "does it hurt bella" (b/c he's italian of course)
i was simply sent clear into another dimension. i tried, i really did try, to throw away all sensibility and just have a good time but the good times never came. unlike our heroine who came multiple times during the first sexual encounter at the 10% mark of this book.
story starts out with a girl escaping from we're not really sure what circumstances and taking a flight to australia. we quickly find out she's an identity thief and she takes the identities of men with unisex names that she has sex with. she gets a stick and poke tattoo at a bus stop. she gets hammered at a bar. she meets a guy who takes her to a remote cave and they have lots of squirty sex.
i'm just confused. was i supposed to swoon when she offers up her unprotected coochie to a stranger? giggle at the quirk of a tattoo from a different stranger? this isn't a dark romance this is SILLY.
dnf @10%
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 28, 2022I didn't expect much from this book. It's the first published book coming off the duet, and most people are chomping at the bits for that world. I knew this book would be compared. Wouldn't live up to Zade and Addie. Truthfully, my expectations were extremely low.
But I needed something... I don't know, lighter? I needed to start fresh. Something new and different for not only myself, but maybe readers, too.
There will be people who will see Enzo and Sawyer as lesser than, but in some ways, I find their story so much more bizarre and interesting. And I love them for that. To me, they're explosive.
They're not grumpy x sunshine, they're thunderstorm x lightning. Enzo is angry, and loud. And Sawyer is bright, yet destructive. Maybe it's just because I love storms, but they're perfect together.
I hope you all go into it with 0 expectations, and no comparisons in mind. And I hope you all enjoy their story, as much as you're able.
Anyway, thank you for being here. That's really all I could ask for.
But I needed something... I don't know, lighter? I needed to start fresh. Something new and different for not only myself, but maybe readers, too.
There will be people who will see Enzo and Sawyer as lesser than, but in some ways, I find their story so much more bizarre and interesting. And I love them for that. To me, they're explosive.
They're not grumpy x sunshine, they're thunderstorm x lightning. Enzo is angry, and loud. And Sawyer is bright, yet destructive. Maybe it's just because I love storms, but they're perfect together.
I hope you all go into it with 0 expectations, and no comparisons in mind. And I hope you all enjoy their story, as much as you're able.
Anyway, thank you for being here. That's really all I could ask for.
August 13, 2022
the title literally refers to his dick
August 19, 2022
It did hurt.
October 16, 2022
I feel like this book would've been a lot shorter if Enzo had realized he can just call his bank and get a new credit card.
January 26, 2023
Enzo, you know what it never was? That serious. It was never that serious.
This was so musty in every sense of the word.
I want every memory of this book plucked out of my mind.
This was so musty in every sense of the word.
I want every memory of this book plucked out of my mind.
June 4, 2023
I am sitting here staring at a wall fully traumatized by what I just read…
April 8, 2025
So. It was good…. Until it wasn’t.
I’m the problem.
Halfway through it just got so repetitive and boring and all interest completely left the building.
I’m the problem.
Halfway through it just got so repetitive and boring and all interest completely left the building.
January 3, 2024
4 stars
This is the creepiest book I've ever read, therapy is a must. The shark scene and the old man didn't make things easier! It was intense and disturbing, but ahh I devoured it 😩✋🏻
Sawyer — she's a beautiful thief who steals the identities of rich guys she sleeps with and proceeds to cash in on their money. She's actually a fugitive who's been on the run for the last 6 years after an incident with her twin brother Kevin!
Enzo — he's a shark biologist and owns his own research center. Unfortunately, he's one of Sawyer's victims.
Sylvester — an ugly ass old man with rotting black teeth and a wooden leg. He's the owner of an abandoned lighthouse since the 1900s.
Enzo and Sawyer had passionate sex where shesquirted so much that Enzo became addicted. When she left after stealing his identity, she felt guilty. Enzo hate liars because of his extreme mommy issues. He found Sawyer, seduced her, took her on his boat, and gave her a shark show 😚 Everything was going great, and they both started tearing each other's clothes, HAVING A GREAT TIME until Enzo pushed her face into the ocean and started fucking her while she was crying and nearly died with the sharks roaming. My heart rate 📉📈📉
But a storm took place & their ship wrecked and led them to an island with an old lighthouse where they found an ugly sus old man.
This is really a good enemies-to-lovers book! There was too much tension, hatred, and pure desire. Enzo was too focused on hurting Sawyer for stealing his identity and kept on fighting her, saying mean things to her, and hurting her. Sawyer was so scared after that shark incident but didn't back off and kept on annoying him. They didn't become lovers easily, and there was too much angst. But they did give in to their desires and had super freaking hot sex 😭
You would think that the title must mean something good or be related to the story, but NOPE ✋🏻 it refers to something bigger, something better 🤪
❝Does it hurt, bella?❞
❝You’re so big.❞
➤ The Lighthouse – spoilers.
The setting of the lighthouse was really creepy and gave haunted vibes. The whole structure was straight out of a horror movie. The rules that creepy old fucker gave to them were controlling, he locked them in the room at 9 pm everyday. The constant knocking, dragging of chains, and sounds of someone crying at night were scary as fuck, and I WOULD'VE RAN FFS! 🤚🏻
The fact that both of them were trying to get cozy, knowing the voices were by GHOSTS, was unrealistic, at least to me, because I WOULD'VE NEVER- 😂 Ahhh that old fucker is tooooooo fucking creepy, and I legit hated him so much! He was gross and a pathetic pedophile. A WORST FUCKING INHUMANE MONSTER. I already suspected that there are no ghosts and the dragging of chains might be because he had locked his wife on the third floor, but it turned out to be Kacey (his youngest daughter) 😭 I wanted to cry aahhh it was too bad! He sewn her mouth shut and she didn't deserve to die! I thought she'd escape but tbh it was better for her 😢
FFS I WON'T BE FORGETTING WHAT HE DID TO HER AT ALL! It all reminded me of Girl in the Basement documentary. It'll take some time to eat again hejehdjdb I hate hate hate these things so much! It was too much and it was awful! Thank god those scenes were not descriptive.
Enzo and Sawyer are way too toxic! He likes to hurt, and she loves being hurt, and it's not even physical! The words he used to say to her were really mean and rude. He's so freaking arrogant and has a permanent scowl! TBH, his whole I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH behavior was getting too much because, bitch pls she just stole your ID. His extreme mommy issues made it unbearable to like his character, but slowly I started liking him. It took time, but he eventually became my favorite because MEN ON THEIR KNEES >>>> 🥹
He went on his knees, kissed her toes, and begged for forgiveness, so yeahhhh I was down bad! There's no doubt he's so fucking hot, and he was legit so handsome in my imagination 🫣 I just love him so freaking much! His 'only I can hurt you' is so toxic, and he's the biggest red flag, but at this point, I'm not even bothering to be blind.
Sawyer's past was so fucked up and I felt really bad for her. And AHHHHHHHHH IT CAME AS A SURPRISE THAT SHE KILLED KEVIN 😭 aghhh love this bitchhhh!!! Lmaoo her character is actually really simple, she wasn't complicated, and I'm definitely admitting she's dumb, her decisions were awful, and she's attracted to danger 🥹 She didn't have interesting traits, but yeah she's stronger, and I would've liked it if she just told Enzo to fuck off more. I actually had trouble liking her too in the start because she was using FUCK a lot as a tactic to be sassy in the start? idk but that wasn't interesting, and some of the things she said were actually annoying lmao! But yeah, I like her! 🫶🏻
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading this. It's wayyy better than the Cat and Mouse duet! Ahhh, I might read this in the future too! The ending was really satisfying, and Enzo is actually a genius for that identity swap ✋🏻
This is the creepiest book I've ever read, therapy is a must. The shark scene and the old man didn't make things easier! It was intense and disturbing, but ahh I devoured it 😩✋🏻
Sawyer — she's a beautiful thief who steals the identities of rich guys she sleeps with and proceeds to cash in on their money. She's actually a fugitive who's been on the run for the last 6 years after an incident with her twin brother Kevin!
Enzo — he's a shark biologist and owns his own research center. Unfortunately, he's one of Sawyer's victims.
Sylvester — an ugly ass old man with rotting black teeth and a wooden leg. He's the owner of an abandoned lighthouse since the 1900s.
Enzo and Sawyer had passionate sex where she
But a storm took place & their ship wrecked and led them to an island with an old lighthouse where they found an ugly sus old man.
❝I still want to fucking throttle her, but fuck if I don’t want to kiss her, too❞
This is really a good enemies-to-lovers book! There was too much tension, hatred, and pure desire. Enzo was too focused on hurting Sawyer for stealing his identity and kept on fighting her, saying mean things to her, and hurting her. Sawyer was so scared after that shark incident but didn't back off and kept on annoying him. They didn't become lovers easily, and there was too much angst. But they did give in to their desires and had super freaking hot sex 😭
You would think that the title must mean something good or be related to the story, but NOPE ✋🏻 it refers to something bigger, something better 🤪
❝Does it hurt, bella?❞
❝You’re so big.❞
➤ The Lighthouse – spoilers.
The setting of the lighthouse was really creepy and gave haunted vibes. The whole structure was straight out of a horror movie. The rules that creepy old fucker gave to them were controlling, he locked them in the room at 9 pm everyday. The constant knocking, dragging of chains, and sounds of someone crying at night were scary as fuck, and I WOULD'VE RAN FFS! 🤚🏻
The fact that both of them were trying to get cozy, knowing the voices were by GHOSTS, was unrealistic, at least to me, because I WOULD'VE NEVER- 😂 Ahhh that old fucker is tooooooo fucking creepy, and I legit hated him so much! He was gross and a pathetic pedophile. A WORST FUCKING INHUMANE MONSTER. I already suspected that there are no ghosts and the dragging of chains might be because he had locked his wife on the third floor, but it turned out to be Kacey (his youngest daughter) 😭 I wanted to cry aahhh it was too bad! He sewn her mouth shut and she didn't deserve to die! I thought she'd escape but tbh it was better for her 😢
FFS I WON'T BE FORGETTING WHAT HE DID TO HER AT ALL! It all reminded me of Girl in the Basement documentary. It'll take some time to eat again hejehdjdb I hate hate hate these things so much! It was too much and it was awful! Thank god those scenes were not descriptive.
❝You are a thief, baby. You stole my name, and now you’ve taken my heart, too. Demand anything else from me, and I’ll give it to you.❞
Enzo and Sawyer are way too toxic! He likes to hurt, and she loves being hurt, and it's not even physical! The words he used to say to her were really mean and rude. He's so freaking arrogant and has a permanent scowl! TBH, his whole I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH behavior was getting too much because, bitch pls she just stole your ID. His extreme mommy issues made it unbearable to like his character, but slowly I started liking him. It took time, but he eventually became my favorite because MEN ON THEIR KNEES >>>> 🥹
❝I want her out of my fucking head, but she’s in too deep.❞
He went on his knees, kissed her toes, and begged for forgiveness, so yeahhhh I was down bad! There's no doubt he's so fucking hot, and he was legit so handsome in my imagination 🫣 I just love him so freaking much! His 'only I can hurt you' is so toxic, and he's the biggest red flag, but at this point, I'm not even bothering to be blind.
Sawyer's past was so fucked up and I felt really bad for her. And AHHHHHHHHH IT CAME AS A SURPRISE THAT SHE KILLED KEVIN 😭 aghhh love this bitchhhh!!! Lmaoo her character is actually really simple, she wasn't complicated, and I'm definitely admitting she's dumb, her decisions were awful, and she's attracted to danger 🥹 She didn't have interesting traits, but yeah she's stronger, and I would've liked it if she just told Enzo to fuck off more. I actually had trouble liking her too in the start because she was using FUCK a lot as a tactic to be sassy in the start? idk but that wasn't interesting, and some of the things she said were actually annoying lmao! But yeah, I like her! 🫶🏻
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading this. It's wayyy better than the Cat and Mouse duet! Ahhh, I might read this in the future too! The ending was really satisfying, and Enzo is actually a genius for that identity swap ✋🏻
August 22, 2022
"When I met you, you lifted me out of that darkness, and it was the first time I came up for air. You’ve become my oxygen, bella ladra, and I can no longer breathe without you.”
Plot- 4/5✨
Spice- 4.5/5🌶️
Oh wow. I devoured it. It's my first book by this author and I'm impressed. The writing comes natural, it's immersive. The balance of romance and suspense is good. The characters are well thought out. And oh wow the spice is so so amazing.
✔️Dual POV
✔️Dark Romance
✔️Horror- suspense vibes
✔️Action sequences
✔️Juicy smut
The story starts with our FMC - Sawyer, who's on the run and escapes to Australia, where she meets our MMC - Enzo, a sexy Italian who'll make you swoon so hard you'll never have a chance to catch your breath. Anyway, Sawyer steals his identity and the man sees red since. Will he find Sawyer and take revenge? Will he find Sawyer and hate her? Will he find Sawyer and love her? Or will they both find themselves in a totally messed up situation in a creepy lighthouse?
This book is so worth reading if you want something erotic, dark and full of suspense. I loved the last 150 pages. It kept me reading at a pace faster than the speed of light. I just had to know and find out! Also, did I mention juicy smut?
The characters are complex, backstories that can be triggering so do proceed with caution.
I did however at times find Sawyer to be a bit pretentious, her personality kept switching in the first 250 pages, which kinda annoyed me.
But it's nothing that will put one off.
I highly recommend!
⚠️ Trigger warnings- mentions of rape, incest, suicide, pedophilia; PTSD, depression, anxiety, violence, graphic murder, degradation ⚠️
Special note to authors- Please don't try to justify your characters shortcomings cause of religion, especially the Bible. There's no need to slander it. Everyone has sufferings, but what you do after that learning period, is what makes you as a person.
Plot- 4/5✨
Spice- 4.5/5🌶️
Oh wow. I devoured it. It's my first book by this author and I'm impressed. The writing comes natural, it's immersive. The balance of romance and suspense is good. The characters are well thought out. And oh wow the spice is so so amazing.
✔️Dual POV
✔️Dark Romance
✔️Horror- suspense vibes
✔️Action sequences
✔️Juicy smut
The story starts with our FMC - Sawyer, who's on the run and escapes to Australia, where she meets our MMC - Enzo, a sexy Italian who'll make you swoon so hard you'll never have a chance to catch your breath. Anyway, Sawyer steals his identity and the man sees red since. Will he find Sawyer and take revenge? Will he find Sawyer and hate her? Will he find Sawyer and love her? Or will they both find themselves in a totally messed up situation in a creepy lighthouse?
This book is so worth reading if you want something erotic, dark and full of suspense. I loved the last 150 pages. It kept me reading at a pace faster than the speed of light. I just had to know and find out! Also, did I mention juicy smut?
The characters are complex, backstories that can be triggering so do proceed with caution.
I did however at times find Sawyer to be a bit pretentious, her personality kept switching in the first 250 pages, which kinda annoyed me.
But it's nothing that will put one off.
I highly recommend!
⚠️ Trigger warnings- mentions of rape, incest, suicide, pedophilia; PTSD, depression, anxiety, violence, graphic murder, degradation ⚠️
Special note to authors- Please don't try to justify your characters shortcomings cause of religion, especially the Bible. There's no need to slander it. Everyone has sufferings, but what you do after that learning period, is what makes you as a person.
July 21, 2022
4.5 stars 🦈
tropes:
↣ one bed
↣ breath play
↣ forced proximity
↣ enemies to lovers
↣ degradation + praise kink
↣ identity thief x marine biologist
the minute this book opened up with the definition of a word i’ve never heard of was the moment i knew i would devour this book
autassassinophilia (n.) – a paraphilia in which sexual arousal and the achievement of orgasm are facilitated by the fantasy or belief that one is in danger of being killed.
the characters
sawyer bennet (h) is a girl running like hell from the demons that chase her, but sadly for her (luckily for us) she runs right into the clutches of her worst nightmare, enzo vitale 😍
enzo (H) is a business owner and shark expert. when he’s not thinking about all the little fishies in the sea, he’s thinking about feeding sawyer to the sharks below 🥰
because revenge is always a dish served hard– I MEAN hot 🤪
the setting
to sum this bad boy up, sawyer steals enzos’s identity after a one-night stand. although she feels very guilty, she knows she has to do whatever is necessary to prevent capture. well, after enzo discovers what she did, he’s fucking pissed and nothing will stop him from vengeance
after he tracks her down, he tricks her into believing that he has no idea what she did and convinces her to come on a cage diving exhibition with sharks. while on the boat and distracted by confronting sawyer, he fails to notice the storm rolling in before it’s too late
after they shipwreck, they find themselves on an island with a single structure, a lighthouse. they quickly learn they’re not alone and are confronted by the lighthouse caretaker, sylvester. whether it’s the caretaker or the ghosts upstairs, they very quickly realize…THEY’RE FUCKED
NOT LIKE SERIOUSLY THEY WERE BETTER OFF DYING BECAUSE HELLLLLL NO AM I WALKING INTO A CREEPY ASS LIGHTHOUSE WITH A CREEPY ASS MAN LIVING INSIDE.
romance/smut
this book really had me thinking…zade??? zade who? i have never heard of that man in my life! i only know of enzo vitale (my italian sadist 🫡🥰)
fucking under a waterfall? sign me tf up right now. but also the way i have an obsession with heroes convincing the heroine they’re just gonna give her the tip and they give it all 😮💨
you may have wondered, why would the author make the name of this book a question? there must be some significance to the plot or maybe the trauma the heroine underwent during her childhood...NONE OF THE ABOVE—
i really paused and said...HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE. it’s him asking her if his dick size hurts or even if it hurts that she can’t scream while he’s fingering her or when he gives it to her hard. i'm on my knees 🧎♀️🧎♀️
if a man doesn’t fuck me against my will while pushing my head in shark infested water than get him ouT OF MY SIGHT—
all the sudden i have a new kink 🥸
⇾ it’s the way he would hurt her with his words and love the way she would cry
⇾ how he wasn’t actually joking about her being shark food, before he revealed he knew what she did—
⇾ or the way he would degrade her because she betrayed him by stealing his name—
never before scene photo: enzo after sawyer orgasms iykyk
the degrading was fantastic, but what was even better is when would degrade her and start feeling bad afterwards. i loved that he starting to battle his inner need to make her hurt, while also battling his need to protect her from everything, including himself ✨
when sawyer asked him to say everything he couldn’t tell her, in italian...I WAS RUNNING TO GOOGLE TRANSLATE EVERY TIME HE SPOKE—
i just loved them together and the smut was 10/10 so that’s always a bonus 💗 what i’ve learned about HDC, since the cat and mouse duet, is that she knows EXACTLY how to write an asshole. at the same time, i just loved how much enzo cared about sawyer while also being possessive. he had the whole “no one can hurt her but me” going on and it was perfect
honorable mention: one of the few times when enzo would praise her and degrade her in the same breath 🫦😮💨🥰
the caretaker
CRAZY FUCKER, ON GOD. i really liked the mystery surrounding sylvester and the lighthouse. it definitely added an extra umph to the book and made it more than just an enemies-to-lovers with a whole lot of kinks.
SPOILERS BELOW REGARDING MYSTERY OF SYLVESTER AND THE LIGHTHOUSE
☆
☆
☆
i had an inkling that the footsteps, the knocking and the chain clanging that sawyer and enzo kept hearing weren’t actually ghosts of those who died at the lighthouse.
it was actually giving me jane eyre vibes since the footsteps actually belonged to sylvester’s daughter whom he held captive. her whole story was horribly tragic, she deserved so much fucking better but her death meant enzo lived soooo SORRY GIRL ✌🏻 it was just your time to go <3
honestly, watching enzo brutally kill syl was one of the highlights of the novel hehehe i wished enzo could have used his godlike persona to resurrect syl and do it again 😍
random note: enzo vitale is who i thought killian carson would be ☹️
forever thankful that neela introduced me to this author and sorry for leaving you in the dust with our br 💀
❝You are a thief, baby. You stole my name, and now you’ve taken my heart, too. Demand anything else from me, and I’ll give it to you.❞
tropes:
↣ one bed
↣ breath play
↣ forced proximity
↣ enemies to lovers
↣ degradation + praise kink
↣ identity thief x marine biologist
the minute this book opened up with the definition of a word i’ve never heard of was the moment i knew i would devour this book
autassassinophilia (n.) – a paraphilia in which sexual arousal and the achievement of orgasm are facilitated by the fantasy or belief that one is in danger of being killed.
the characters
sawyer bennet (h) is a girl running like hell from the demons that chase her, but sadly for her (luckily for us) she runs right into the clutches of her worst nightmare, enzo vitale 😍
enzo (H) is a business owner and shark expert. when he’s not thinking about all the little fishies in the sea, he’s thinking about feeding sawyer to the sharks below 🥰
because revenge is always a dish served hard– I MEAN hot 🤪
the setting
to sum this bad boy up, sawyer steals enzos’s identity after a one-night stand. although she feels very guilty, she knows she has to do whatever is necessary to prevent capture. well, after enzo discovers what she did, he’s fucking pissed and nothing will stop him from vengeance
after he tracks her down, he tricks her into believing that he has no idea what she did and convinces her to come on a cage diving exhibition with sharks. while on the boat and distracted by confronting sawyer, he fails to notice the storm rolling in before it’s too late
after they shipwreck, they find themselves on an island with a single structure, a lighthouse. they quickly learn they’re not alone and are confronted by the lighthouse caretaker, sylvester. whether it’s the caretaker or the ghosts upstairs, they very quickly realize…THEY’RE FUCKED
NOT LIKE SERIOUSLY THEY WERE BETTER OFF DYING BECAUSE HELLLLLL NO AM I WALKING INTO A CREEPY ASS LIGHTHOUSE WITH A CREEPY ASS MAN LIVING INSIDE.
romance/smut
this book really had me thinking…zade??? zade who? i have never heard of that man in my life! i only know of enzo vitale (my italian sadist 🫡🥰)
fucking under a waterfall? sign me tf up right now. but also the way i have an obsession with heroes convincing the heroine they’re just gonna give her the tip and they give it all 😮💨
you may have wondered, why would the author make the name of this book a question? there must be some significance to the plot or maybe the trauma the heroine underwent during her childhood...NONE OF THE ABOVE—
“Does it hurt, bella?”
“You’re so big.”
“And you’re going to fucking take it,” he snarls.
i really paused and said...HOLD UP, WAIT A MINUTE. it’s him asking her if his dick size hurts or even if it hurts that she can’t scream while he’s fingering her or when he gives it to her hard. i'm on my knees 🧎♀️🧎♀️
if a man doesn’t fuck me against my will while pushing my head in shark infested water than get him ouT OF MY SIGHT—
“Such a pretty sight, to see you bleed for me,” he rasps. “I don’t think I’m the only thing that’ll love it, though.”
[…]
“The taste of you is fucking addicting, I must admit,” he purrs in my ear. “Let them taste you, too, baby.”
all the sudden i have a new kink 🥸
⇾ it’s the way he would hurt her with his words and love the way she would cry
⇾ how he wasn’t actually joking about her being shark food, before he revealed he knew what she did—
“They won’t, like, eat the boat, right?”
“Why eat the boat when they can eat you instead?”
⇾ or the way he would degrade her because she betrayed him by stealing his name—
“Would you scream this time?” he questions darkly. “You always do when you create your own little ocean all over me.”
“Fuck you.”
“I won’t. I’ve already conquered your ocean, amore mio. You have nothing left to give that I want.”
never before scene photo: enzo after sawyer orgasms iykyk
the degrading was fantastic, but what was even better is when would degrade her and start feeling bad afterwards. i loved that he starting to battle his inner need to make her hurt, while also battling his need to protect her from everything, including himself ✨
when sawyer asked him to say everything he couldn’t tell her, in italian...I WAS RUNNING TO GOOGLE TRANSLATE EVERY TIME HE SPOKE—
“È impossibile odiarti quando mi fai sentire così vivo.” It’s impossible to hate you when you make me feel so alive
i just loved them together and the smut was 10/10 so that’s always a bonus 💗 what i’ve learned about HDC, since the cat and mouse duet, is that she knows EXACTLY how to write an asshole. at the same time, i just loved how much enzo cared about sawyer while also being possessive. he had the whole “no one can hurt her but me” going on and it was perfect
honorable mention: one of the few times when enzo would praise her and degrade her in the same breath 🫦😮💨🥰
“That’s it, you love being a good girl for me, don’t you, baby?” he drawls. “Just like you love coming all over my cock like a desperate little slut.”
the caretaker
CRAZY FUCKER, ON GOD. i really liked the mystery surrounding sylvester and the lighthouse. it definitely added an extra umph to the book and made it more than just an enemies-to-lovers with a whole lot of kinks.
SPOILERS BELOW REGARDING MYSTERY OF SYLVESTER AND THE LIGHTHOUSE
☆
☆
☆
i had an inkling that the footsteps, the knocking and the chain clanging that sawyer and enzo kept hearing weren’t actually ghosts of those who died at the lighthouse.
it was actually giving me jane eyre vibes since the footsteps actually belonged to sylvester’s daughter whom he held captive. her whole story was horribly tragic, she deserved so much fucking better but her death meant enzo lived soooo SORRY GIRL ✌🏻 it was just your time to go <3
honestly, watching enzo brutally kill syl was one of the highlights of the novel hehehe i wished enzo could have used his godlike persona to resurrect syl and do it again 😍
random note: enzo vitale is who i thought killian carson would be ☹️
forever thankful that neela introduced me to this author and sorry for leaving you in the dust with our br 💀
July 27, 2022
edit: I'm lowering my initial 2 stars to 1 because the mystery/suspense plot was one of the dumbest plots I've ever read in my life, and I'm judging everyone who is raving over how amazing this book is.
2nd edit: I'm also judging everyone who thinks readers don't compare books. We all have fav books in genres we read. What makes them our fav? We compare. Authors compare book prices, covers, even tropes as research - give me a break.
~
This book was trying to be too many things. Part new adult, part revenge, part stranded on an island, part gothic, part mystery/thriller. The execution of all these parts failed.
I picked this book up because of the hype and the cover was pretty. I did doubt how good this might be because of the title (I mean, really?) and the author listed K. Webster as one of her influences (I'm not a fan of K. Webster's prose or style of dark romance). The premise sounded irresistible to me so I decided to give this a try anyway.
Gillian Flynn and Peter Swanson have spoiled me, and the bar is high when it comes to thrillers and murder mysteries. They both write flawed anti-heroines who are complex. Everything about this author's premise and intent for her story should have resonated with me. I'm a fan of the gothic genre, and while I enjoy these genre benders (such as the gothic influences in Mansions by Whitney Bianca), wow this genre bender absolutely did not work for me. It reminded me of the time I was in 9th grade and ate cookie dough as my after-school snack and then decided to wash it down with gatorade. I immediately became nauseous. Some things don't mix well together.
Here, the execution came across as amateur. If you're a fan of LJ Shen & K. Webster you'll likely enjoy this.
I don't feel like taking the time to do a full critique. Some aspects I didn't enjoy:
1. How the author tried to make the heroine quirky by giving her a "favorite toe," and getting an ugly-ass, shoddy tattoo despite her gig being The "I'm special and different" vibes didn't click with me.
2. For a 28-year-old, the heroine's inner thoughts and dialogue were immature. Reminded me much more of a 19-21-year-old tbh. I suppose we all mature at different rates.
3. The sex scenes did nothing for me.
4. I initially was thrilled for a stranded at a lighthouse plot, but became immediately disappointed with the direction and execution of the lighthouse owner. Unfortunately, I'm a reader and fan of well-executed thrillers vs. K. Websters take on 'thrilling dark romances' and this entire mystery-murder, thriller, gothic part of the plot did not impress me whatsoever. If there are dark romance readers who in general enjoy K. Webster, then yeah, ignore my review, I'm sure you'll love this.
5. Who writes off the sound of people crying, banging on the floor, and walking as....ghosts? Especially when the owner of the building this is occurring in has admitted to murdering people and has locked you in a room twice?
This is my first read by this author. I'm out. I'm only giving this 2 stars because the prose was decent (I think it's better than LJ Shen or K. Webster's prose, but ehhh, not enough for me to want to try more from this author).
2nd edit: I'm also judging everyone who thinks readers don't compare books. We all have fav books in genres we read. What makes them our fav? We compare. Authors compare book prices, covers, even tropes as research - give me a break.
~
This book was trying to be too many things. Part new adult, part revenge, part stranded on an island, part gothic, part mystery/thriller. The execution of all these parts failed.
I picked this book up because of the hype and the cover was pretty. I did doubt how good this might be because of the title (I mean, really?) and the author listed K. Webster as one of her influences (I'm not a fan of K. Webster's prose or style of dark romance). The premise sounded irresistible to me so I decided to give this a try anyway.
Gillian Flynn and Peter Swanson have spoiled me, and the bar is high when it comes to thrillers and murder mysteries. They both write flawed anti-heroines who are complex. Everything about this author's premise and intent for her story should have resonated with me. I'm a fan of the gothic genre, and while I enjoy these genre benders (such as the gothic influences in Mansions by Whitney Bianca), wow this genre bender absolutely did not work for me. It reminded me of the time I was in 9th grade and ate cookie dough as my after-school snack and then decided to wash it down with gatorade. I immediately became nauseous. Some things don't mix well together.
Here, the execution came across as amateur. If you're a fan of LJ Shen & K. Webster you'll likely enjoy this.
I don't feel like taking the time to do a full critique. Some aspects I didn't enjoy:
1. How the author tried to make the heroine quirky by giving her a "favorite toe," and getting an ugly-ass, shoddy tattoo despite her gig being The "I'm special and different" vibes didn't click with me.
2. For a 28-year-old, the heroine's inner thoughts and dialogue were immature. Reminded me much more of a 19-21-year-old tbh. I suppose we all mature at different rates.
3. The sex scenes did nothing for me.
4. I initially was thrilled for a stranded at a lighthouse plot, but became immediately disappointed with the direction and execution of the lighthouse owner. Unfortunately, I'm a reader and fan of well-executed thrillers vs. K. Websters take on 'thrilling dark romances' and this entire mystery-murder, thriller, gothic part of the plot did not impress me whatsoever. If there are dark romance readers who in general enjoy K. Webster, then yeah, ignore my review, I'm sure you'll love this.
5. Who writes off the sound of people crying, banging on the floor, and walking as....ghosts? Especially when the owner of the building this is occurring in has admitted to murdering people and has locked you in a room twice?
This is my first read by this author. I'm out. I'm only giving this 2 stars because the prose was decent (I think it's better than LJ Shen or K. Webster's prose, but ehhh, not enough for me to want to try more from this author).
January 4, 2023
1.5 ⭐️ Don’t believe the hype
Does it hurt? Yeah, it fucking did. 🙄
I picked up this book because so many people on social media were raving about it. . . and that is the last time I ever put trust in the BookTok or Bookstagram community again (even though I am part of it lol).
What on earth did I read? It's marketed as a dark romance, which it totally is, with elements of mystery, thriller, gothic, revenge, and stranded on an island all mixed together. It was original, but there was way too much going on for it to work.
There's so much about this book I hated or didn't understand:
- As a dark romance, there are loads of triggers (sexual assault from a family member, child abuse, non-con), but so much of it felt more like a device to propel the story and make it a dark romance versus actually making sense. Really, all of the traumas experienced by the characters are there for shock value.
-I didn’t get why Enzo was so pissed at Sawyer for stealing his identity and opening a new credit card. Like, it wasn't a good thing she did, but was it worth him absolutely losing his mind over? No. So overly dramatic.
- The question, “does it hurt?” Is asked so many times. It’s just fucking cheesy.
-Neither Enzo nor Sawyer were likable. He was just grumpy as fuck and hates her but then flips a switch and starts liking her when he realizes her traumas? Fuck that. Plus, he definitely assaults her by fucking her and almost drowning her, but it’s just brushed over, and she forgives him when he apologizes…what??? We're just going to move on from it because, in the moment of the assault, she got off? I don't know it’s definitely fucked up, but I guess that’s dark romance for you.
- Sawyer has so much trauma to unpack; who is she without it? Honestly, she was boring but also using sarcasm and faking being happy as a shield was also annoying
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
- Enzo's constantly justified his angry response to Sawyer because of his trauma, which was...being abandoned by his mom? Are you kidding? I was mad he kept feeling bad for himself and taking it out on her when she’s been through absolute hell and back. I get it, it’s a dark romance. But still ridiculous.
- Some of the writing was bad/cheesy/corny and painfully droned on during inner dialogues. And Sawyer's comebacks were so childish.
- I started skimming at 50% because of the writing. This whole story is basically a bad horror/thriller movie. Some sex, traumatized characters, murder, twists, creepy lighthouse steward, ghosts, hidden away captive…it’s a lot aka dramatic AF.
- The sex scenes weren't for me and were so unrealistic. I'm not into near-death sex, asphyxiation, and degradation. But more importantly, there’s no ZERO chance I’m fucking the hottest dude on the planet if I’m shipwrecked, dirty, cold, and in the sand. So along with a terrible storyline, the romance/sex wasn't worth reading for either. Hence, the skimming because I just wanted to know what happened at the lighthouse and how they eventually get free.
Also, wtf was up with him grabbing her teeth to guide her during sex? That was fucking weird.
- And the most unrealistic part of this entire story is that an old decrepit man with a peg leg can fight off two healthy adults in their late twenties/early thirties. Again, it's overdramatic and absolutely dumb.
Would I suggest reading this book? Hell no. And honestly, I don't think I will ever be able to trust a rec from those who led me astray with this one.
Does it hurt? Yeah, it fucking did. 🙄
I picked up this book because so many people on social media were raving about it. . . and that is the last time I ever put trust in the BookTok or Bookstagram community again (even though I am part of it lol).
What on earth did I read? It's marketed as a dark romance, which it totally is, with elements of mystery, thriller, gothic, revenge, and stranded on an island all mixed together. It was original, but there was way too much going on for it to work.
There's so much about this book I hated or didn't understand:
- As a dark romance, there are loads of triggers (sexual assault from a family member, child abuse, non-con), but so much of it felt more like a device to propel the story and make it a dark romance versus actually making sense. Really, all of the traumas experienced by the characters are there for shock value.
-I didn’t get why Enzo was so pissed at Sawyer for stealing his identity and opening a new credit card. Like, it wasn't a good thing she did, but was it worth him absolutely losing his mind over? No. So overly dramatic.
- The question, “does it hurt?” Is asked so many times. It’s just fucking cheesy.
-Neither Enzo nor Sawyer were likable. He was just grumpy as fuck and hates her but then flips a switch and starts liking her when he realizes her traumas? Fuck that. Plus, he definitely assaults her by fucking her and almost drowning her, but it’s just brushed over, and she forgives him when he apologizes…what??? We're just going to move on from it because, in the moment of the assault, she got off? I don't know it’s definitely fucked up, but I guess that’s dark romance for you.
- Sawyer has so much trauma to unpack; who is she without it? Honestly, she was boring but also using sarcasm and faking being happy as a shield was also annoying
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
- Enzo's constantly justified his angry response to Sawyer because of his trauma, which was...being abandoned by his mom? Are you kidding? I was mad he kept feeling bad for himself and taking it out on her when she’s been through absolute hell and back. I get it, it’s a dark romance. But still ridiculous.
- Some of the writing was bad/cheesy/corny and painfully droned on during inner dialogues. And Sawyer's comebacks were so childish.
- I started skimming at 50% because of the writing. This whole story is basically a bad horror/thriller movie. Some sex, traumatized characters, murder, twists, creepy lighthouse steward, ghosts, hidden away captive…it’s a lot aka dramatic AF.
- The sex scenes weren't for me and were so unrealistic. I'm not into near-death sex, asphyxiation, and degradation. But more importantly, there’s no ZERO chance I’m fucking the hottest dude on the planet if I’m shipwrecked, dirty, cold, and in the sand. So along with a terrible storyline, the romance/sex wasn't worth reading for either. Hence, the skimming because I just wanted to know what happened at the lighthouse and how they eventually get free.
Also, wtf was up with him grabbing her teeth to guide her during sex? That was fucking weird.
- And the most unrealistic part of this entire story is that an old decrepit man with a peg leg can fight off two healthy adults in their late twenties/early thirties. Again, it's overdramatic and absolutely dumb.
Would I suggest reading this book? Hell no. And honestly, I don't think I will ever be able to trust a rec from those who led me astray with this one.
August 19, 2022
I didn’t get it with the Hunting Whatshername book and I didn’t get this.
Apparently having an Italian monster penis and being a squirter is all you need to fall deeply in love from sexcapade day one. They are constantly doing it in a mouldy bedroom or around sea water and sand and there is NOTHING sexy about having a man tell you he can smell your hooha from the other side of the room.
So, no more books by this author for me and shame on all of you who said this was brilliant.
Apparently having an Italian monster penis and being a squirter is all you need to fall deeply in love from sexcapade day one. They are constantly doing it in a mouldy bedroom or around sea water and sand and there is NOTHING sexy about having a man tell you he can smell your hooha from the other side of the room.
So, no more books by this author for me and shame on all of you who said this was brilliant.
November 13, 2023
it hurts my brain to know this book actually exists
all i know is that enzo smells like fish 24/7
all i know is that enzo smells like fish 24/7
Read
August 23, 2022Nooooope.
The secondhand embarrassment I got at FMC's 'quirkiness' and immaturity was so strong I even forgot MMC was wearing a tank top when they met and kept saying bella on repeat like he had a quota to fill.
The cringe will cost me 10 years of paychecks in favor of my dentist. Send the bill to HD Carlton, Tommaso.
I didn't mind the writing, but Jesus Christ, the FMC is insufferable. MMC talks and behaves like he just rolled out of the AO3 parody of a Wattpad's fanfic.
Smut was okay, tho, yet very over the top.
Not interested.
The secondhand embarrassment I got at FMC's 'quirkiness' and immaturity was so strong I even forgot MMC was wearing a tank top when they met and kept saying bella on repeat like he had a quota to fill.
The cringe will cost me 10 years of paychecks in favor of my dentist. Send the bill to HD Carlton, Tommaso.
I didn't mind the writing, but Jesus Christ, the FMC is insufferable. MMC talks and behaves like he just rolled out of the AO3 parody of a Wattpad's fanfic.
Smut was okay, tho, yet very over the top.
Not interested.
June 12, 2023
update (July 29, 2023): yeah, so, my brain finally processed this and it’s unapologetically getting pushed down to 2 stars lol
———————————————————————————
June 12, 2023:
this story was…how do i word this… something else.
this book was very, uh, wet. 👀 unfortunately, the boat scene will live in my head rent-free forever. IYKYK.🦈
rating subject to change because my brain doesn’t know how to process this one yet (if ever) 😂
———————————————————————————
June 12, 2023:
this story was…how do i word this… something else.
this book was very, uh, wet. 👀 unfortunately, the boat scene will live in my head rent-free forever. IYKYK.🦈
rating subject to change because my brain doesn’t know how to process this one yet (if ever) 😂
August 5, 2022
2 stars
I absolutely love this cover and was so excited to read my first HD Carlton book, but this one was just bizarre and not in a good way (at least not for me). I like the occasional dark romance but this one was too strange, over the top, and honestly dragged for me. I know this author has a duet that is well loved and maybe that would work better for me. I know there are readers that would absolutely love this book, but it wasn't for me. Not every book is for every reader and that's okay :)
I absolutely love this cover and was so excited to read my first HD Carlton book, but this one was just bizarre and not in a good way (at least not for me). I like the occasional dark romance but this one was too strange, over the top, and honestly dragged for me. I know this author has a duet that is well loved and maybe that would work better for me. I know there are readers that would absolutely love this book, but it wasn't for me. Not every book is for every reader and that's okay :)
February 27, 2022
1 star
if i go back and count how many times bella & bella ladra is used and get a penny for each, i'll be a billionaire.
this book put me into a slump. it took me forever to read. i rolled my eyes too many times to count and burst out laughing during moments where that shouldn't be warranted.
i'm a hardcore Cat & Mouse duet fan and i was expecting a great story as such but was given 13 year old wattpad writing filled with intolerable repetition and many unneeded aspects.
i pushed through because i like H.D. Carlton and i just wanted to see how it ended.
safe to say, it's not worth it my friends.
if i go back and count how many times bella & bella ladra is used and get a penny for each, i'll be a billionaire.
this book put me into a slump. it took me forever to read. i rolled my eyes too many times to count and burst out laughing during moments where that shouldn't be warranted.
i'm a hardcore Cat & Mouse duet fan and i was expecting a great story as such but was given 13 year old wattpad writing filled with intolerable repetition and many unneeded aspects.
i pushed through because i like H.D. Carlton and i just wanted to see how it ended.
safe to say, it's not worth it my friends.
July 17, 2026
╰┈➤ 🦈 : does it hurt? ★ 3 stars ⋆˙⟡
☆ ── ꒰ 📖”When have we ever been able to let go of the things that hurt us most?” ꒱ ❞ ‧₊˚
𖥻 my thoughts 🌊 ₊˚⊹ ᰔ
first of all… yes. it did hurt😭. reading this book did, in fact, hurt because i kept waiting for the plot to come back🙈.
i actually went into this with pretty high expectations because i’ve heard SO much about H.D. Carlton. and honestly? the beginning was actually really interesting!! i was hooked, i wanted to know where everything was going, and i loved the whole mystery surrounding the lighthouse🌊. but after around 20%… i don’t know what happened😭. it genuinely felt like the plot packed its bags and left 😃
the lighthouse, sylvester, the creepy atmosphere, all of that had me INVESTED. every time we got more mystery i was eating it up🙈. i genuinely wanted answers, and i loved trying to figure out what was actually happening. i just wish there was more of that because every time things got interesting… somehow we ended up in another smut scene😭.
also can we PLEASE talk about the smut scenes with the sharks in the background because WHAT was going on🦈. The sharks deserve some kind of apology. Please like now is not the time 🧘♀️
another thing that really didn’t work for me was the romance. i LOVE enemies to lovers. like genuinely one of my favourite tropes💐. but i need a reason behind all the hatred. one minute Enzo hated Sawyer so much i thought he wanted her gone forever, and then the next minute this man was ready to worship the ground she walked on🙁. i genuinely got emotional whiplash.
and don’t even get me started on “does it hurt?“😭. the amount of times this man said that sentence should actually be studied. after the fifth time i wanted to answer him myself. yes Enzo. it hurts. my eyes.
𖥻 characters 🦢 ౨ৎ˚₊‧ִֶ
⋆˙⟡ sawyer 🌊
. ❥ ּ֯ ┆꒰ “I kick in my sleep. My foot might accidentally lodge itself up your ass.” ꒱
i honestly didn’t really connect with Sawyer🙁. she definitely had some funny moments, and i liked that she could stand up for herself, but i never really understood some of the decisions she made😭.
also the way she convinced herself that everything happening in the lighthouse had to be ghosts??? girl PLEASE😭. there were claw marks, chains, banging… and we still landed on ghosts?? i was losing my mind.
⋆˙⟡ enzo 🦈
. ❥ ּ֯ ┆꒰ “You are a thief, baby. You stole my name and now you’ve taken my heart too. Demand anything else from me and I’ll give it to you.” ꒱
okay… Enzo🙈.
i actually liked him at first!! he’s hot, mysterious, has a cool job, and i definitely understood why everyone loves him🌊. BUT this man genuinely confused me.
one second he hated Sawyer, the next second he was acting like she’d invented happiness 😭. i never understood when the switch happened. it literally felt like i blinked and suddenly this man was completely gone
also… i’m sorry… the finger hook thing😭. every single time he did that i physically cringed. i don’t know if that was supposed to be attractive but it absolutely was not for me🙈. i also wish we got more of his backstory earlier on because i wanted to connect with him more. i needed MORE than just “hot angry man.”
⋆˙⟡ sawyer + enzo 🖤
i wanted to love them together SO badly🙁.
the chemistry was definitely there, but emotionally i just never fully believed them. i needed more conversations, more development, more reasons for them to actually fall for each other instead of mostly physical attraction. ANYTHING besides making out every five minutes in a random house.
i will say though… when they actually had cute moments together, i did enjoy them💐.
⋆˙⟡ sylvester 🕯️
lowkey… this man carried the mystery😭.
every scene involving him had me so interested because i genuinely wanted to know what his deal was. the lighthouse and everything surrounding it was honestly my favourite part of the whole book🌊.
₊⁺ 𖥻 overall 🕯️ ⋆.˚୨ৎ
this definitely wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t what i expected🙁.
i loved the creepy atmosphere, the lighthouse, and the thriller elements SO much more than the romance. i honestly wish the mystery had been the main focus because that’s when i was having the most fun reading.
overall i’m glad i finally read my first H.D. Carlton book, but i don’t think this one was for me. maybe i’m just not a dark romance girl. ILL KEEP TRYING 💆♀️
⋆.˚ ★— started: 17 jul
finished: 20 jul 🦈
₊˚⊹౨ৎ ₊˚⊹
* ୨୧ • 🌊🖤 pre-read
ok dark romance and i have a very toxic relationship 😭
i usually let my friends pick these books because they clearly make better decisions than i do, but this time i trusted myself 🫣 which is either character development or a terrible idea.
the blurb has me hooked though, so i’m really hoping this is the book that finally convinces me to become a dark romance girl. 🙏
☆ ── ꒰ 📖”When have we ever been able to let go of the things that hurt us most?” ꒱ ❞ ‧₊˚
𖥻 my thoughts 🌊 ₊˚⊹ ᰔ
first of all… yes. it did hurt😭. reading this book did, in fact, hurt because i kept waiting for the plot to come back🙈.
i actually went into this with pretty high expectations because i’ve heard SO much about H.D. Carlton. and honestly? the beginning was actually really interesting!! i was hooked, i wanted to know where everything was going, and i loved the whole mystery surrounding the lighthouse🌊. but after around 20%… i don’t know what happened😭. it genuinely felt like the plot packed its bags and left 😃
the lighthouse, sylvester, the creepy atmosphere, all of that had me INVESTED. every time we got more mystery i was eating it up🙈. i genuinely wanted answers, and i loved trying to figure out what was actually happening. i just wish there was more of that because every time things got interesting… somehow we ended up in another smut scene😭.
also can we PLEASE talk about the smut scenes with the sharks in the background because WHAT was going on🦈. The sharks deserve some kind of apology. Please like now is not the time 🧘♀️
another thing that really didn’t work for me was the romance. i LOVE enemies to lovers. like genuinely one of my favourite tropes💐. but i need a reason behind all the hatred. one minute Enzo hated Sawyer so much i thought he wanted her gone forever, and then the next minute this man was ready to worship the ground she walked on🙁. i genuinely got emotional whiplash.
and don’t even get me started on “does it hurt?“😭. the amount of times this man said that sentence should actually be studied. after the fifth time i wanted to answer him myself. yes Enzo. it hurts. my eyes.
𖥻 characters 🦢 ౨ৎ˚₊‧ִֶ
⋆˙⟡ sawyer 🌊
. ❥ ּ֯ ┆꒰ “I kick in my sleep. My foot might accidentally lodge itself up your ass.” ꒱
i honestly didn’t really connect with Sawyer🙁. she definitely had some funny moments, and i liked that she could stand up for herself, but i never really understood some of the decisions she made😭.
also the way she convinced herself that everything happening in the lighthouse had to be ghosts??? girl PLEASE😭. there were claw marks, chains, banging… and we still landed on ghosts?? i was losing my mind.
⋆˙⟡ enzo 🦈
. ❥ ּ֯ ┆꒰ “You are a thief, baby. You stole my name and now you’ve taken my heart too. Demand anything else from me and I’ll give it to you.” ꒱
okay… Enzo🙈.
i actually liked him at first!! he’s hot, mysterious, has a cool job, and i definitely understood why everyone loves him🌊. BUT this man genuinely confused me.
one second he hated Sawyer, the next second he was acting like she’d invented happiness 😭. i never understood when the switch happened. it literally felt like i blinked and suddenly this man was completely gone
also… i’m sorry… the finger hook thing😭. every single time he did that i physically cringed. i don’t know if that was supposed to be attractive but it absolutely was not for me🙈. i also wish we got more of his backstory earlier on because i wanted to connect with him more. i needed MORE than just “hot angry man.”
⋆˙⟡ sawyer + enzo 🖤
i wanted to love them together SO badly🙁.
the chemistry was definitely there, but emotionally i just never fully believed them. i needed more conversations, more development, more reasons for them to actually fall for each other instead of mostly physical attraction. ANYTHING besides making out every five minutes in a random house.
i will say though… when they actually had cute moments together, i did enjoy them💐.
⋆˙⟡ sylvester 🕯️
lowkey… this man carried the mystery😭.
every scene involving him had me so interested because i genuinely wanted to know what his deal was. the lighthouse and everything surrounding it was honestly my favourite part of the whole book🌊.
₊⁺ 𖥻 overall 🕯️ ⋆.˚୨ৎ
this definitely wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t what i expected🙁.
i loved the creepy atmosphere, the lighthouse, and the thriller elements SO much more than the romance. i honestly wish the mystery had been the main focus because that’s when i was having the most fun reading.
overall i’m glad i finally read my first H.D. Carlton book, but i don’t think this one was for me. maybe i’m just not a dark romance girl. ILL KEEP TRYING 💆♀️
⋆.˚ ★— started: 17 jul
finished: 20 jul 🦈
₊˚⊹౨ৎ ₊˚⊹
* ୨୧ • 🌊🖤 pre-read
ok dark romance and i have a very toxic relationship 😭
i usually let my friends pick these books because they clearly make better decisions than i do, but this time i trusted myself 🫣 which is either character development or a terrible idea.
the blurb has me hooked though, so i’m really hoping this is the book that finally convinces me to become a dark romance girl. 🙏
May 2, 2022
'🅳🅾🅴🆂 🅸🆃 🅷🆄🆁🆃?' Is a stand-alone semi dark romance book by H.D. Carlton. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.'
CrAzY love this author..From the cover to the synopsis this had my anticipation levels sky rocketing, as soon as this landed on my kindle life for the time being was forgotten! This was devoured and inhaled like I was under this authors spell. Beyond unique, hot as the desert, and just dark enough to satiate my dark soul, these two were perfection! This author recently became one of my favourites and this book just solidified the reason why!
Sawyer is on the run from authorities and does everything she must just to survive even if that means stealing others identities to do so. Arriving in Port Valen, a small sea side township in Australia she encounters Enzo the ridiculously good looking man in a bar, they instantly hit it off and she goes home with him that night, another falling victim to her theft.
Thirty four year old Enzo Vitale is a shark expert there's nothing he doesn't know about the species and isn't afraid to jump in the water and swim alongside them.
When Enzo realises Sawyer stole from him that night he's out for vengeance and nothing will stop him from getting his hands on her.
Which he does..
But neither of them expected to land up shipwrecked on a barren island in the middle of nowhere in a lighthouse manned by an old man named Sylvester who has lived most of his life isolated from the world.
Get ready to fall under this authors spell as she weaves an unforgettable tale of shipwrecks, ghosts, and no survivors, an eerie sound of chains scrapping on the floor in the dead of night and mysteries swirling around Sylvester.
August 20, 2022
Yes, yes it does. Reading this hurt.
August 23, 2023
"There's a place in the ocean, so deep, where not a single point of light penetrates through it. And for so long, I've been trapped there, unable to breathe. When I met you, you lifted me out of that darkness, and it was the first time I came up for air. You've become my oxygen, bella ladra, and I can no loner breathe without you."
Also for the Zade Meadows fans, here is Enzo literally bringing Sawyer to his home after meeting her: "Why are you so nervous to enter our home?" 😏 giving zaddy vibes IYKYK.
4.5 stars. This book.....what did I just read? This book is haunting and very disturbing and insane. I loved it. Seriously LOVED THIS. It is hauntingly good. An alternative title: “How i captured Enzo Vitale, the human version of a great white shark.” I had no idea what this was about going into it other than this was written by the same author of the Haunting Adeline duet (I am a zaddy fan but can acknowledge that there are many disturbing aspects of those books) and it just kept getting crazier the deeper I went.
So if you've read Haunting Adeline, you'll see a lot of similarities between zaddy and Enzo Vitale, the mmc in this book. Enzo is hot, huge, arrogant, super controlling and uber possessive and likes to *make it hurt.* He's also a marine biologist from Italy who studies great white sharks off the Australian coast for a living. He randomly meets Sawyer, aka his bella ladra, aka "little thief," in a bar in Australia and is instantly into her. But our Sawyer girlie has a haunting and tragic backstory, leading to her stealing from him. When he finds out, he tricks her onto a boat and takes her to see sharks so he can scare her into a confession. But a storm comes, they become shipwrecked, and end up stranded on an island with a lighthouse and a creepy caretaker who forces them to stay in one room with one bed (!!!) with really creepy rules they have to follow until the next supply ship comes to the island in a month. So Enzo and Sawyer have to rough and tough it out together on this island run by this old man who you have no idea what his motives are until the end.
So while surviving on the island, Enzo and Sawyer's relationship explodes. Enter tons tons tons of SPICE. Not as triggering as the Haunting Adeline spice, but still too much for just the average romance reader. This is a DARK ROMANCE PEOPLE. Do not expect sweet interactions. Enzo and Sawyer are battling their own inner demons through one another, and they are exactly what the other needs. Now besides the amazing romance between them, the lighthouse is HAUNTED, the caretaker is trying to get Sawyer to STAY THERE FOREVER with him, and a ton of other WTF moments happen. Seriously, my jaw was dropped the last 1/3 of this book. It is DISTURBING. It is INTENSE. It is NOT FOR THE FEINT OF HEART. But it is SO SO SO GOOD. ❤️🔥🦈🌊🤍⛴️⚓️⛓️🩶
Does it hurt? YES. THIS BOOK HURT SO GOOD. The overarching theme is that Enzo is like the shark, the predator, and Sawyer is initially his prey. But with Enzo's help, she realizes her own inner predator and fights to live the life she's deprived herself of for most of her life due to her horrible backstory. Its symbolic, eerie, will give you nightmares, will make you feel intense emotions, and is honestly very well written.
Also for the Zade Meadows fans, here is Enzo literally bringing Sawyer to his home after meeting her: "Why are you so nervous to enter our home?" 😏 giving zaddy vibes IYKYK.
4.5 stars. This book.....what did I just read? This book is haunting and very disturbing and insane. I loved it. Seriously LOVED THIS. It is hauntingly good. An alternative title: “How i captured Enzo Vitale, the human version of a great white shark.” I had no idea what this was about going into it other than this was written by the same author of the Haunting Adeline duet (I am a zaddy fan but can acknowledge that there are many disturbing aspects of those books) and it just kept getting crazier the deeper I went.
So if you've read Haunting Adeline, you'll see a lot of similarities between zaddy and Enzo Vitale, the mmc in this book. Enzo is hot, huge, arrogant, super controlling and uber possessive and likes to *make it hurt.* He's also a marine biologist from Italy who studies great white sharks off the Australian coast for a living. He randomly meets Sawyer, aka his bella ladra, aka "little thief," in a bar in Australia and is instantly into her. But our Sawyer girlie has a haunting and tragic backstory, leading to her stealing from him. When he finds out, he tricks her onto a boat and takes her to see sharks so he can scare her into a confession. But a storm comes, they become shipwrecked, and end up stranded on an island with a lighthouse and a creepy caretaker who forces them to stay in one room with one bed (!!!) with really creepy rules they have to follow until the next supply ship comes to the island in a month. So Enzo and Sawyer have to rough and tough it out together on this island run by this old man who you have no idea what his motives are until the end.
So while surviving on the island, Enzo and Sawyer's relationship explodes. Enter tons tons tons of SPICE. Not as triggering as the Haunting Adeline spice, but still too much for just the average romance reader. This is a DARK ROMANCE PEOPLE. Do not expect sweet interactions. Enzo and Sawyer are battling their own inner demons through one another, and they are exactly what the other needs. Now besides the amazing romance between them, the lighthouse is HAUNTED, the caretaker is trying to get Sawyer to STAY THERE FOREVER with him, and a ton of other WTF moments happen. Seriously, my jaw was dropped the last 1/3 of this book. It is DISTURBING. It is INTENSE. It is NOT FOR THE FEINT OF HEART. But it is SO SO SO GOOD. ❤️🔥🦈🌊🤍⛴️⚓️⛓️🩶
Does it hurt? YES. THIS BOOK HURT SO GOOD. The overarching theme is that Enzo is like the shark, the predator, and Sawyer is initially his prey. But with Enzo's help, she realizes her own inner predator and fights to live the life she's deprived herself of for most of her life due to her horrible backstory. Its symbolic, eerie, will give you nightmares, will make you feel intense emotions, and is honestly very well written.
July 16, 2022
absolutely devoured and loved it as much as enzo devoured sawyer
like top reads of 2022
there’s a hot new bombshell in dark romance, and this is IT
like top reads of 2022
there’s a hot new bombshell in dark romance, and this is IT
June 17, 2023
i think i'm ready to start my therapy sessions now
Did Not Finish
July 31, 2022Dear Future Jonathan,
knowing you quite well... or i guess i don't really, because you don't exist yet but i know myself quite well and i don't really have high hopes for you when it comes to your reading choices based on that... you will probably scroll through your dnf shelf sometime soon and maybe consider picking this one up again.
I do not want you to do that.
I feel like you should just listen to me, but we both know you're a little brat and won't do that just to fuck me over, so here's a list of reasons why you should never touch this book ever again:
- i am on chapter 4 and fell asleep reading this four times already. no cap.
- the main character is the definition of cringe. if i have to hear her talk one more time, i might end it all
- i don't think i have ever found a male MC that uninteresting. my first thought was "...well maybe they introduce another one".
they do not introduce another one.
- i don't even know enough negative adjectives or synonyms for boring to describe the writing
- "Does it hurt" is apparently refering to his dick and not some great anxiety inducing plot, so there goes your only reason for even adding this to your tbr to begin with
In conclusion, we both know that you will not enjoy this, probably die of boredom or at least lose years of your life, and give it a one star rating at most.
So do us both a favour and stay the fuck away from it or i'll kill you :)
Love,
Present Jonathan (dnf at 10%)
knowing you quite well... or i guess i don't really, because you don't exist yet but i know myself quite well and i don't really have high hopes for you when it comes to your reading choices based on that... you will probably scroll through your dnf shelf sometime soon and maybe consider picking this one up again.
I do not want you to do that.
I feel like you should just listen to me, but we both know you're a little brat and won't do that just to fuck me over, so here's a list of reasons why you should never touch this book ever again:
- i am on chapter 4 and fell asleep reading this four times already. no cap.
- the main character is the definition of cringe. if i have to hear her talk one more time, i might end it all
- i don't think i have ever found a male MC that uninteresting. my first thought was "...well maybe they introduce another one".
they do not introduce another one.
- i don't even know enough negative adjectives or synonyms for boring to describe the writing
- "Does it hurt" is apparently refering to his dick and not some great anxiety inducing plot, so there goes your only reason for even adding this to your tbr to begin with
In conclusion, we both know that you will not enjoy this, probably die of boredom or at least lose years of your life, and give it a one star rating at most.
So do us both a favour and stay the fuck away from it or i'll kill you :)
Love,
Present Jonathan (dnf at 10%)
May 22, 2024
Guess my brain did take a long, longer than 3 months to process this book. IT WAS IN AN AFTERSHOCK PERIOD ALL THESE DAYS Y'ALL. All I know is Enzo smells like how it smells in a fishmarket (sorry, I can't undo this from my brain😭✋🏻)
Anyway let's jump into the things I took away from this book, REPEAT AFTER ME:
🌊 Never fall in love with a stranger, and blindly go with him anywhere in the span of 24 hrs
🌊 Never steal from a man, that too a psychopath shark expert.
🌊 Run when you see him again. RUN!!!
🌊 Don't trust him, no matter how handsome or hot he is.
🌊 Don't go with him anywhere, especially alone in a boat surrounded by sharks.
🌊 You will be seeing alot of bella, ladra, and stronzo
🌊 READ ALL THE ABOVE AND ENGRAVE IT IN YOUR BRAIN
🌊 Read this book at your own risk of sanity💀🦈
Things I dislike about this book: THE WHOLE BOOK
Things I liked reading: ONLY OUR DELULU TRIO kenzy and lulu , without you guys, I wouldn't have gotten through one piece. (I'm side eyeing your 4 stars for this book Lulu👀💀)
ˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
🖤05/28/24
Yup I definitely need some bleach plus some therapy :) I'm still deciding how much rating I should give this. Lulu & kenzy, please don't kill me if the rating is low. Full rant RTC today maybe?! (I'm listing all my dislikes to give this an accurate rating)
🖤05/23/24
Change of plans guys, they say "the more, the merrier" so kenzy has also joined on board with me and lulu, so this is gonna be a tremendous trio buddy read, hehe🤭pray for us🙏🏻
🖤05/22/24
So me and lulu have decided to br this book, since our last br was unsuccessful at 10%not us sleeping literally in the middle of the chps I know what I'm getting myself into. This is literally not ME. I'm "lulu possessed" y'all. She wants to read a dark book and I'm here all for it🙂💀 Hope I'll be well after this book or not😃🔫 I remember dnf'ing HA book, so let's hope this is not worse than HA.
Anyway let's jump into the things I took away from this book, REPEAT AFTER ME:
🌊 Never fall in love with a stranger, and blindly go with him anywhere in the span of 24 hrs
🌊 Never steal from a man, that too a psychopath shark expert.
🌊 Run when you see him again. RUN!!!
🌊 Don't trust him, no matter how handsome or hot he is.
🌊 Don't go with him anywhere, especially alone in a boat surrounded by sharks.
🌊 You will be seeing alot of bella, ladra, and stronzo
🌊 READ ALL THE ABOVE AND ENGRAVE IT IN YOUR BRAIN
🌊 Read this book at your own risk of sanity💀🦈
Things I dislike about this book: THE WHOLE BOOK
Things I liked reading: ONLY OUR DELULU TRIO kenzy and lulu , without you guys, I wouldn't have gotten through one piece. (I'm side eyeing your 4 stars for this book Lulu👀💀)
ˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
🖤05/28/24
Yup I definitely need some bleach plus some therapy :) I'm still deciding how much rating I should give this. Lulu & kenzy, please don't kill me if the rating is low. Full rant RTC today maybe?! (I'm listing all my dislikes to give this an accurate rating)
🖤05/23/24
Change of plans guys, they say "the more, the merrier" so kenzy has also joined on board with me and lulu, so this is gonna be a tremendous trio buddy read, hehe🤭
🖤05/22/24
So me and lulu have decided to br this book, since our last br was unsuccessful at 10%
June 21, 2023
3 ⭐️
Does It Hurt? I don't know if it does, but it does hurt to see other people enjoying this book more than I did. I wish it was a 5 star book for me.
Does It Hurt? I don't know if it does, but it does hurt to see other people enjoying this book more than I did. I wish it was a 5 star book for me.
May 2, 2023
This book was way more thriller than I expected !!!
August 9, 2023
OKAY, forgive me for sitting on this book as long as I have. I’ve had no excuse for that. This seems to be my new Norm. So many books, never enough time to read them all
Sawyer Bennett has been running for six years from her pass, and she has not been able to escape it……
She is doing what she can—the only way she know how to do to survive……… See All of her victims are men, and most of them have unisex names, making it easier for her to impersonate them…….. Somewhere along the line, she slipped up when she met him.
Enzo is that hot sexy and let’s not forget Grumpy Shark researcher, who just got his Identity stolen by a Beautiful Thief
So, as you can imagine how this tale of lovers to enemies. Or should I say- Lovers to enemies to lovers, then once again back enemies to lovers. And around and around they go, might just end ….. well guess what you’ll Most likely be wrong ….. Anyhow, they somehow find their self’s stranded on a so called deserted creepy Island With a lighthouse. And some unusual residents.
She will bring him to his knees, and he will bring her pain….
I must admit that This book has some dark humor and it is somewhat comical at times, and I just loved how Enzo is so damn grumpy at times…… OKAY, OKAY. So, it might be a bit more than sometimes it might be all the time that he’s grumpy! and he might just have few issues. But I just love how he is so protective of Sawyer.
OKAY. I can’t believe I’m going to say this out loud, but there was a bit of overkill on sex scenes. And I did not like the fact that the author used a lot of Italian words without the definition. You would have to flip back to the Glossary at the end of the book, which was a bit frustrating at times? I love the author's writing style; So, I Swallowed all My frustration until now …….. These are the only reasons why I am not giving five stars to this freaky good book
OKAY. I want to give my usual fair warning when it comes to some of the triggers…. Please check the trigger warnings; I must admit that I used to never read them in the past. But I am starting to learn to take the authors advise for triggers and warnings in a book……… So, with that said – I got to say, this book is not for everyone, which is completely okay…. Happy Reading everybody see you on the other side.
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