Sometimes, you just need a good dark taboo romance, and this book definitely hits all those spots. Please be sure to check the trigger warnings before you start the journey.
This review will also contain spoilers, so read at your own risk. Normally, I try not to spoil the books I review, but I just have to talk about the unhinged madness that is Roman.
The book was 90% (insert corn emoji) and the characters couldn't be hotter. It's sometimes hard to create good chemistry with a short book, especially with how much “getting their freak on” happens during the 216 pages. Still, I think the author did a good job of building a foundation between Xena and Roman, and even having flashbacks of them together when they were younger helped build up the chemistry throughout the book.
I liked how I was able to connect to the characters in this story as well. One part that made me laugh out loud and feel a connection to Xena was when I got to chapter ten after Roman tried to lock her up in a room. She escaped and the girl's first thought was to go back into the house and make herself a cup of coffee, like damn girl me too because I can't get anything done without my morning cup of coffee. Plus I mean if Roman was my stalker, kidnapper…. I probably wouldn't run that far either because this man knows what he's doing if you catch my drift WINK WINK!
The story has a pretty good plot too for how quick the read was, Roman is an obsessive and possessive hunk of a man (picture Bill Skarsgard in his role in The Crow, and you'll start drooling and release his unhindgness is PERFECTLY OK!) who ends up killing his step sisters lover, well because he's in love with her… remember I did say taboo romance *shrug*.
After spending a ten-year stint in jail he is released and finds his way back to Xena…. Only to find out she is selling her body, and doing drugs. But Roman doesn't shame, no no, he's a good guy! He just wants to help get her clean and finally get back what was originally his.
He does put her through his own fucked up version of rehab which made me question when is there a line to be crossed with what I read?! Thankfully I haven't found that yet.
Xena can scream she hates him as much as she wants, but he saves her. Without our sweetie pie honey bunny Roman, she wouldn't have gotten much further in life, so while he is crazy, psychotic, and scary as fuck, he's the good guy in this story and you cannot tell me OTHERWISE.
So if you made it this far into my rambles, add this spicy unhinged taboo Christmas romance to your TBR! It releases on December 1st!