Welcome to Wellard Asylum, where the medical staff are as insane as the patients. Dr. Alexsander Martin is a monster. He’s bad enough, but the moment Raven Bonetti lays eyes on Bianca, it’s game over. With two madmen obsessed with her, there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
One prefers drugging her and playing twisted mind games. The other delights in using a scalpel and hearing her screams. Innocence will not save her, nothing will.
At Wellard Asylum, the sane will be driven straight into complete madness. No one is safe from this deadly game of obsession.
Lunatic is a MF twisted erotic horror and is book eleven in the Wellard Asylum shared series.
This book deals with dark themes and is heavy on mental health issues. Please read the warnings prior to reading.
I hate talking about myself. I'm awkward AF and write super spicy books with twisty plots. Most of my books are dark romance so always check the content warnings!
Thank you to BookSirens for providing an ARC of Lunatic by Chelle Rose in exchange for honest feedback.
So this is my second book in the Wellard Asylum series and I definitely want to continue reading them. Are they insane and depraved…yes. Am I still hooked for some crazy reason…yes.
I will say I did prefer the first one I read a bit more (Lethal by A.L. Magura), but this one was still good. The pacing was a bit fast for the amount of things going on in my opinion. I feel like there were two different stories that could have been in separate titles - the first half which was at the asylum and the second half which took place outside of the asylum. I would have liked each storyline to be a bit more detailed and provide more history and character development.
Other than that it was a quick and entertaining read!
*Check your trigger warnings…and then check them 10 more times before picking this up. It is NOT for the faint of heart folks.
First off this maybe one of my favorites. I really took a minute to get into this book…but once I did I couldn’t put it down.
I loved both characters and the depth the author was able to build in such a short book. I want more of them but I did fell their story ended well. I will be reading more of the Bonetti men and that universe because 🥵 I love a mafia romance.
This is one of them books where all I can say is wow, it was so perfectly unhinged and I quite literally have not been able to stop talking about this book to my friends because it’s absolutely brilliant! It’s my first book from this author and I definitely will need to check out more of her books but this book was deliciously unhinged, dark and messed up on so many levels that I was actually having the time of my life 🤣 and then listening to the audiobook just made the whole experience so much better I was loving it 😍
Lunatic is one of those books that grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go. It’s dark, twisted, and completely unhinged, yet somehow, that’s exactly what makes it so good. Chelle Rose writes with this r@zor-sharp intensity that pulls you into a world of obsession, madness, and raw emotion.
The story balances horror and passion in a way that feels both disturbing and addictive. It’s not for the faint of heart, some moments make you question your own sanity for enjoying it so much. Lunatic is deranged, disturbing, and impossible to look away from. In short, it’s brilliant, and just the right kind of insane.
Maxine Mitchell voices FMC Bianca. Maxine crushes this role, she doesn’t just voice Bianca she becomes her! AMAZING! MMC Raven is voiced by Troy Duran, who did such an amazing job playing this unhinged character. These two voice actors were phenomenal together.
⚠️Please check TWs! ⚠️
Preorder: November 13th Release Date: November 19th
Woah, this one was so different and I want more! Raven and Bianca story was so much. Both had terrible backstories, trauma, beating, and so much more. I felt so bad for both of them, and Bianca friend Heather too! This one takes you into Wellard Asylum to what happened next for both of them. I'm not going to say to much because I felt you need to learn everything yourself, but Raven sure does love his fun time. I really enjoyed how this book did go more into details about what happened after. It makes you feel like you understand and fall for the characters so much more!
WTF did I just read?! Horrific, Gory, Depraved, Erotic—this one is a read that will mess with your mind. Welcome to Wellard Asylum, where treatments long ruled inhumane and torture are part of your therapy. Don’t expect the staff to help you, as they are as insane as the patients.
Bianca is brought to the asylum after admitting she killed her abusive husband even though she didn’t. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Martin, seemed helpful when she was his patient before her husband’s death, but as she enters the asylum he helps run, his mask comes off and his deviant, monstrous side is exposed with her his prime target. Another patient, Raven Bonetti, instantly becomes obsessed with her, and Bianca becomes their possession to ruin.
This dark and twisted story had me reading it like watching a train wreck—while I wanted to look away, I just couldn’t and finished it in one night while questioning my own sanity. I loved the tie in with my favorite Bonetti Brothers and that this feeds into the upcoming Bonetti Bastards series. Raven is insane but his obsession turned love for Bianca makes you fall for this pitch black MC villain. Bianca is a victim who turns it around into feminine rage that exacts a revenge I was so ready for. If you’re looking for an unapologetically unhinged erotic horror with a pitch black MC and tropes including torture, obsession and twisted mind games, this should be on your scary TBR. This book contains heavy mental health issues and dark themes—be sure to heed the content warnings! I am grateful to BookSirens and the author for the early copy.
Lunatic absolutely consumed me from the moment I pressed play. Chelle Rose delivers a dark, addictive, and emotionally punishing story that is impossible to look away from, and the audiobook narration makes it even more intense. Maxine Mitchell and Troy Duran are phenomenal Mitchell captures Bianca's vulnerability and strength perfectly, while Duran brings Raven's madness, obsession, and raw emotion to life in a way that gave me chills. The atmosphere of Wellard Asylum is claustrophobic, terrifying, and vividly immersive, and the story balances brutality, twisted longing, and heartbreaking character depth with masterful precision. This is dark romance at its absolute best: haunting, unhinged, unforgettable, and flawlessly narrated. A full-body, can't-stop-listening experience. Five stars
Finally, finished the whole series took a minute…ya know other reads in between 🤣
Bianca, is adamant she’s not cray, cray. Doesn’t stop them from laying the blame on her for her husband’s m^rder. On the inside, she finds herself in the clutches of her psychiatrist, who deems some good old fashioned treatment (code for: punishment) is in order. This is just the start for her, as another patient has his eyes set on her too, they are both as bad as each other. What transpires is not how you think this story will go, yes, there is SA, there is 🩸, there is m^rder, there is ill treatment…it is after all an asylum, there is forced cannabilism and maybe a little necro. I suppose what I’m trying to say here is if you have any triggers then maybe don’t read this or indeed the series 🤭
I love the thought process this book must have taken, there are little intricacies to it, some are explained others we don’t get but not sure if we need them when our brains navigate to their own conclusions, isn’t that the sign of a good read? The visuals were very effective 🤣
He bought a home for Marie, to make Bianca happy … now THAT right there is Love in its purest form.
‘Lunatic’ is twisted.
It is bloody, horrifying, sadistic, stomach turning, wild, heart stopping, heartbreaking, touching, heartwarming, surprisingly decadent, sensual, the most beautiful moments, and surprises around a few corners.
Author Chelle Rose had won me over as a fan with ‘Psycho’, book 4 of the Bonetti Brothers series. Her fearless writing style in ‘Lunatic’ further solidifies my place in her fan base. Good stuff.
*** Recommended ***
MMC: ✨Raven ✨Alexander FMC: ✨Bianca HEA/Cliffhanger: ✨HEA, to be continued, shared series Series: ✨Wellard Asylum Shared World — Book 11 Tropes: 👉asylum horror romance 👉twisted obsession 👉they’re both morally pitch 👉forced proximity Triggers: Here is where I would normally put all the trigger/content warnings … go to the author’s website. Read them. There are many: www.chelleroseauthor.com 💥18+ 💥sex 💥profanity 💥violence 💥death 💥mental health - lots and lots of this in Burn Speed: ✨fast Spice Level: ✨🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 1/2 ✨MF
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Another dark & twisted book in the Wellard Asylum series. Follows Dr. Alexsander, Raven & Bianca.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, but the author’s writing style wasn’t my favorite and I struggled to connect with the characters. I also would have loved the Wellard Asylum to be a bigger part of the story.
Please check the TW/CW before reading! This book is DARK and your mental health matters.
“They want a fucking psycho? I’ll give them one.” “Wellard Asylum takes any sanity a person has and shatters it. One day you’re sane, and the next, you’re talking to inanimate objects. You’ll see.” “Run. Cry. Try to get away. Hide and seek is my favorite game.” “Have you broken out of an insane asylum before? You act like you’re experienced.”
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
When I first got the arc I thought oooo Lunatic... he must be crazy! Crazy me right cause it's not his name at all!!! Lunatic is the fmc!
Ok rant over 😆 5 🌟 all the way!!! TRIGGERS TO THE MAX! With the books I've read so far, id have to say this one ... easy 7.5 on the oh shit scale. So be warned ⚠️ 😬
Raven Fkn Bonetti you sick twisted soul, I SEE YOU.
Raven is just as dark and merciless as his "treasured" brothers, think it's just in the DNA of their craziness but also the hot as sin gene is mixed in. Committed to an asylum but chooses to stay is a whole different type of crazy. When he sees HER on the TV ... committed to the same damn asylum just has to be fate! . . .
Bianca (Lunatic) Was my mind blown that you were the one being called Lunatic! My poor girl this judge really did commit you to the worst type of punishment. Torture, rape, we will leave some things out of this list ... and Marie I'm glad she was with you (you'll get it later) ...
This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I was fully engulfed in Chelle's writing from Bones and just became an instant fan and follower of the series from that point. This book out of the books I've read thus far is up there on the dark scale but it keeps you entranced the whole way through *even in the parts you're like WHOA! I can't say this enough, CHECK YOUR WARNINGS!
Thanks Chelle for letting me a small part of this journey for you.
Raven is one of the most notorious monsters living inside Wellard Asylum. Bianca, sentenced to Wellard, claims innocence after years of trauma. Together they are up against a very disturbing and evil doctor. This doctor is maniacal to say the least! What takes place inside the asylum was well executed. That was where I feel this book should have ended.
This asylum series is mixed with the author’s Bonetti Brothers HEA series. The connection of Raven having Bonetti blood was entertaining. However I have to say that a “happily ever after” is not what I’m looking for in an asylum read.
Read responsibly
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is dark so please check your trigger warnings!!
I read this book in less than 24 hours because I just couldn't put it down. I thought Raven's character was very well written, but Bianca was a bit harder to connect with.
I'm really looking forward to reading about the rest of the Bonetti brothers
Tropes: 🖤Secrets 🕸️Mental health issues 🖤Lust 🕸️Mafia ties 🖤Obsession 🕸️Torture 🖤Wrongful conviction
My Review:
Hold onto your seat - this one doesn't slow down.. this emotional roller coaster will have you at the edge of your seat the entire time, wow this story is pure chaos but I loved every second of it! Please read the trigger warnings prior to reading! 🫶🖤
Bianca's (Lunatic) story wreaked me in the best way possible! She's honestly not your typical FMC - she's fragile but fierce, loss but still fighting. She's trapped inside the walls of Wellard and she's conflicted between wanting freedom and fearing for what that really means. Then there’s Raven...dark, dangerous, and disturbingly magnetic. He’s the kind of man who should terrify her…and yet somehow, he’s the only one who makes her feel seen. Their connection is something like I've never seen before it's raw, twisted, and impossible to look away from. Every interaction between them feels like a collision...pain, passion, and something that shouldn’t exist but absolutely does.
Chelle Rose your writing blows my mind and has me addicted. Lunatic is by far a 5⭐️read and will have you hooked from the first page! Reading this book during Halloween honestly gave me all the haunted vibes🖤🫶
Thank you for choosing me to be an ARC for this book!
I'm continuing down the Wellard Asylum rabbit hole and, even though I didn't expect the shift from horror erotica to a dark Mafia romance, I'm not at all mad about it. For one thing, it's a needed reprieve from the utter and absolute darkness that this Asylum is immersed in but also, it created a distinctive narrative in the overall storyline and opens up my tbr possibilities, now and in the future.
Lunatic is not only a prequel novella to a new, upcoming series entitled The Bonetti Bastards but it's also a spinoff to an already fully published series, The Bonetti Brothers.
It starts out extremely dark and more firmly in what we categorize as horror erotica. Bianca aka Lunatic, is the FMC and finds herself placed into the Asylum following the death of her abusive husband. Her torture and rape starts pretty soon after, mainly at the hands of Dr Martin. These scenes are pretty horrid and are in no way glossed over. (Pretty standard for this series).
Raven Bonetti is another patient at Wellard Asylum. I was honestly pretty impressed with his character development. Not only was his psychosis linked to his horrendous childhood but the awe and terror he invoked felt pretty realistic. He had the unnerving ability to exude confidence in his violent proclivities but he wasn't overly smug or narcissistic about it. For some bizarre reason, this impressed me 😂😅... obviously I've been reading about way too many psychos.
So half the book focused at Wellard Asylum and the horrors within and then in the second half, after they escape, we see a dramatic shift in narrative...from horror to dark mafia romance. As I stated before, it was a bit of a surprise to my preconceived expectations but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless.
The spice went from being wholly non-con in the first half to CNC and then romantic in the second. There was definitely no lack of it at any given point.
Beyond that, I'll list tropes and elements but you're on your own after that. I always feel like going in blind is the best option.
Wellard Asylum shared world series/ different authors Prequel to a dark Mafia romance series Spinoff of another dark Mafia romance series Dual POV 1st half: horror erotica: non-con 2nd half: dark Mafia romance: CNC and then romantic Childhood trauma/explicit scene Patient x Dr Patient x patient Torture and mutilation Animal companion 🪳 References to domestic violence He falls first Possessive AF MMC Stalker MMC She's MINE Touch her and ☠️ Serial killer MMC
Do you like your stories to be completely unhinged? Do you yearn for a trigger warning list almost as long as the book itself? Do you like your MMC to be someone that goes from morally Onyx to Charcoal? Have you always wanted an emotional support cockroach? This is the book for you. I will say that it is insanely dark. It is gory and extreme at times, but it is exactly what you would want to see in a dark asylum story. I felt the dank, dingy, dark recess of this messed up asylum where people don’t go to get better. I have to say that if non con and torture is an absolute no in any story you read, keep going past this book. Raven, the MMC is not a good guy by anyone's standards. He is a murderer and completely off his rocker. Is there a reason that he might not be the most stable person? Absolutely. But the things that he does will resolve any doubt for you whether he is a hero or not. Bianca unfortunately just has the horrible luck of encounter sick and twisted men that set their sights on her. Her own doctor set her up to do with her what he pleases, and he pulls Raven into it. (It’s not like Raven fought him.) She goes through absolute hell in the worst place on the planet and comes out stronger (although maybe a little more broken) on the other side. The way that this story developed had me right there, following every step until the end. I needed to know more and more about what was going to happen.
The audiobook for this was absolute chaotic perfection. The narrators were able to expertly bring these characters to life and embody the true psychotic nature of the whole situation. Troy Duran voices the deeply disturbed serial unaliver, Raven. His deep, dark voice could send a chill down your spine as he spoke the words of Raven Bonetti. Just as I felt myself in the the dark corners of Wellard Asylum, I truly felt the the pure darkness while listen to Duran. Maxine Mitchell expertly portrays the traumatized Bianca. She was able to voice her in a way so that at the start you felt the fear, then the trauma and pain, and then the strength that Bianca found. Mitchell gave Bianca depth to match the character that I had in my head as I first read.
This is a dark and twisted story that was part of a larger series on Wellard Asylum. It also provided a bridge between the Bonetti Brothers series and the upcoming Bonetti Bastards series. It is seriously spicy, although a good chunk of those scenes involves noncon and a doctor taking advantage of his patient. I loved this book, but I am dark and disturbed, so it is probably not for everyone. But if you are like me, you will LOVE this book.
Lunatic (Wellard Asylum #11) by Chelle Rose The Spicy Librarian Review
Lunatic is an unapologetically dark, twisted erotic horror that throws the reader headfirst into the terrifying world of Wellard Asylum, where the staff and the patients are equally, dangerously unhinged. This is not a soft romance; this is a high-octane psychological thriller laced with extreme obsession, gore, and an atmosphere of pervasive madness. Heed the content warnings—your mental health matters. The book focuses on Bianca, who is committed to the asylum for a murder she didn't commit. She immediately falls into the clutches of two absolute madmen who become obsessed with her: Dr. Alexsander Martin: The monstrous psychiatrist who prefers drugging her and playing twisted mind games. His deviance is cold and calculated. Raven Bonetti: The patient, an established villain from the Bonetti Brothers universe, who delights in using a scalpel and hearing her screams. His obsession is brutal and physical. Bianca becomes their shared possession to ruin, with nowhere to run. The core of the plot is the deadly game of obsession played out in a place where "the sane will be driven straight into complete madness." The Appeal of the Unhinged Chelle Rose delivers exactly what dark romance fans crave in this subgenre: Pitch Black Villains: Both Raven and Dr. Martin are pure, morally black characters. Raven is particularly compelling as the pitch-black MC villain whose obsession is so twisted it eventually reads as a terrifying form of love. Feminine Rage and Revenge: Bianca is not a passive victim. She is driven by trauma, but she eventually turns her victimhood into feminine rage that fuels a shocking revenge arc. The story moves from her being their possession to her exacting a powerful, satisfying retribution. Extreme Themes: The book openly deals with heavy themes, including torture, ill-treatment, gore, SA, forced cannibalism, and even necro (as hinted in reader reviews). The visual descriptions are highly effective, making the read both compelling and deeply disturbing. The pacing is fast for the amount of plot covered (moving from the asylum to outside life), the intensity, the "unhinged" atmosphere, and the eventual payoff of Rylee’s revenge make this a fast and highly memorable read.
Final Verdict: If your dark TBR list requires asylum horror, sadistic villains, intense spice, and a truly pitch-black plot that feeds into a wider Mafia universe (the Bonetti Brothers), Lunatic is a must-read. Grab it, but do so only after thoroughly checking the extensive content warnings.
Well that was a dark ride, and worth the sleepless night to devour.
Bianca is trapped at Wellard Asylum with Raven Bonetti and Dr. Alexsander Martin, both twisted and dangerous in their own ways. Raven delights in torturing her, while Dr. Martin plays his own sadistic games, leaving Bianca forced to endure horrors from both. With no one to trust and no escape, she must decide who is the lesser of two evils—or risk being consumed by them both.
Let me start by saying this book is dark. Not dark grey, not moody-dark, but pure, unrelenting black. Keep that in mind before you dive in. Now that the warning’s out of the way, I have to say, the moment I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.
Bianca is such a strong FMC, and the torture she endures at the hands of both the MMC and the doctor is gut-wrenching and sick, definitely not in a fun way. Yet despite everything, she never truly breaks. She has a horrible past, and after surviving the horrors of the asylum, she comes out as someone who endures, fights, and refuses to be defeated.
Raven isn’t exactly innocent either. His past has shaped him into the man he is. He doesn’t apologize for who he is or what he does, and he doesn’t feel remorse, but in his own twisted way, he will always put Bianca first.
I just love these characters, who they are, and who they become over the course of the story. My only complaint is that I wish it had been longer. I could have stayed in this dark, intense world with them for so much more time.
⟣Tropes⟢ ✅ Touch her and 💀 ✅ 🖤 Morally Black MMC 🖤 ✅ Obsessive/JP MMC ✅ Dirty Talk ✅ Dual POV’s (first person) ✅ Captor/Captive ✅ FMC not Virgin ✅ He falls first ✅ Serial Unaliver ✅ MINE ✅ HEA
***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.***
‼️‼️‼️Trigger Warning‼️‼️‼️ I don’t have any specific triggers and was okay reading it without any warnings, but always take care of your mental health before diving in, since this book definitely has triggers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A big thank you to Chelle Rose and team for the ARC of Lunatic! it completely consumed me.
First off—this might be one of my favorites. I’ll admit it took me a minute to settle into Lunatic, but once I did, I was completely hooked. I couldn’t put it down. The story consumed me in the best (and most terrifying) way possible.
Welcome to Wellard Asylum, where sanity doesn’t stand a chance and obsession becomes its own form of devotion. Dr. Alexsander Martin is every bit the monster the whispers promise—and yet, somehow, you can’t look away. Between his chilling control and Raven Bonetti’s desperate fight to survive, Chelle Rose delivers a brutal, intoxicating dance of lust, power, and madness. It’s twisted. It’s bloody. It’s sadistic, horrifying, heartbreaking, and—somehow—achingly beautiful.
I loved both characters and the depth the author managed to build in such a short book. I wanted more of them, but their story closed perfectly. I’ll definitely be diving deeper into the Bonetti universe (because 🥵 those mafia men have me in a chokehold). And Marie—oh, Marie. I hope she lives forever. The moment he bought a home for her just to make Bianca happy? That right there is love in its purest, most unexpected form.
Chelle Rose already won me over with Psycho from the Bonetti Brothers series, but Lunatic sealed the deal. Her fearless writing style pushes every boundary—psychological, emotional, and moral—and I loved every second of it.
If you crave dark erotic horror wrapped in raw emotion and haunting devotion, this one’s for you. Just remember: at Wellard Asylum, no one leaves untouched… or unchanged.
Content Warning: Lunatic deals with heavy psychological, physical, and sexual violence, along with mental-health themes. Read the warnings before diving in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Firstly!!!! CHECK. THOSE. TRIGGER. WARNINGS. This book is not a dark romance. It’s not even pretending. It’s an erotic horror wrapped in blood, obsession, trauma, and the occasional “oh god, did I just giggle at that?” moment. It’s depraved, it’s squish (you’ll see 👀), and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Did I love it? Yes. Yes, I did. Does that make me as insane as Raven? Probably. Do I care? Absolutely not.
Chelle Rose did what she always does delivered a fast-paced, dark, gritty, and wickedly funny ride straight into madness. She also managed to make me fall in love with Raven Bonetti in all his terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bloody glory. He is the definition of: 🚩🚩🚩 but my dumb little heart said, “Yes, sir.”
Bianca’s story? Brutal. Heartbreaking. Gut-wrenching. And then Raven’s backstory? Let’s just say therapy was never an option, only murder. The way their pain and obsession twisted together was chef’s kiss—horrific but also somehow… romantic? (Don’t look at me, I don’t make the rules of dark fiction!)
And then when the Bonetti Brothers tie-in showed up? I squealed like a teenager who just spotted her crush across the cafeteria.
Raven’s lines? ICONIC. Equal parts nightmare fuel and “sign me up.” My personal fave was basically: “I’m not a good guy. I’m a killer. But I’ll kill everybody else before I let them touch you.” Like sir… please stop, but also don’t stop??
Bottom line: Lunatic is exactly what the name promises. Twisted, unhinged, blood-soaked, and absolutely addictive with a HEA then this is the one. If you’re ready to waltz into Wellard Asylum and let a lunatic steal your sanity… welcome home.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 Raven, I need therapy after this, but it was worth it.
Insane? Depraved? Unhinged?...YES!!!! In the best possible way!
This book is a part of the Wellard Asylum series but could definitely be read as a standalone (which is how I read it). Wellard Asylum is full of unhinged, insane patients, but the thing is...the medical staff is just as insane.
Bianca is the new patient of Wellard and Dr. Alexsander Martin is not the normal doctor that she thought he was. He is a monster and obsessed with having her. Raven Bonetti is one of the most unhinged patients at the Asylum. Once he lays eyes on Bianca, he must have her. With two madmen obsessed with her, there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
Bianca is drugged and forced to do unthinkable things. The twisted mind games have her not knowing what is real or not. Will she be able to come out unscathed, or will the monsters in this place drive her straight into complete madness?
This book is dark and so completely unhinged. Definitely check your triggers before going in.
I listened to this book in one seating while cleaning my house and there were multiple times that I had to stop what I was doing and say to myself, WTF!!!! Both narrators Maxine Mitchell and Troy Duran did an amazing job at bringing these characters to life!
This is my first book in this series, but definitely will not be my last. I loved both the MCs and I felt that the author did a great job of building the depth of the characters in such a short book. I also liked the mafia aspect of the book!
Read if you like: -asylum horror romance -twisted obsession -forced proximity -mafia aspect -morally pitch black
Thank you Chelle Rose and Blue Nose audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.
Read if you Like: -pitch black romance -asylum setting -dual POV -duet narration -forced proximity -touch her and die -captor/captive -he falls first -HEA -serial killer MMC
Raven and Bianca’s story was dark, depraved, horrific, gory, and HOT. Did I love it? YES. Am I probably f-ed in the head? Also, yes. Raven is as pitch black as it gets, but he loved Bianca hard. He did all sorts of messed-up stuff to Bianca and was a certified psychopath. But he was also so much fun to read about.
The narrators, Troy Duran and Maxine Mitchell, did a phenomenal job with this book. The audiobook was a blast. I highly recommend listening to it. I want to read the rest of this series now. The collection of authors is amazing.
Favorite Quotes: “Fucking crazy girl, I will always come for you. I said it before, and I’ll say it again. You are mine, and anybody who even thinks about hurting you, dies. Tell me, baby. Who is this fucker I’m killing today?”
I will not let her go, I can’t. She’s the blood in my veins. The oxygen in my lungs. Every fucking question, Bianca is the answer. I’m a selfish man. I choose survival, and I cannot survive without her.
“I was always going to find you. If you really thought I wouldn’t, you might actually be crazy.”
“Run and I will catch you. Hide and I will find you. Cut your hair. Remove the tracker. It doesn’t matter, because I’m a hunter by nature. Your scent is embedded in my soul. Don’t you see it, baby? They broke you, so I could put you back together. The same way you heal every damaged piece of me.”
This is an installment of the Wellard Asylum series. There are several novella's all taking place at Wellard, but written by different authors. This is Chelle Rose's version. There are a lot of lunatics and darkness in this installment. Wellard is a mental health facility with so much abuse and mistreatment. Readers beware, a strong stomach is needed to get through all the horrific things that go on. It's a lot.
Bianca is just trying to survive Wellard. That's hard to do with Raven and the demented doctor, Dr. Alexsander Martin. What's worse the torture inflicted while awake or knocked out? I think Bianca has to decide if she will continue to be a victim. Let me be clear, Bianca is a victim on so many levels! Sometimes it's better to pick the lesser of two evils. Bianca's nickname is Psycho. Weirdly? Bianca is the least psychotic of everyone in this novella.
Raven and Bianca are victims of their past, too, not just victims of Wellard. It shaped them. What Bianca asked Raven to do? I absolutely didn't think Raven would be capable of it, solely because of what happened to him. I think it showed so much of Raven's motives and heart.
Best quotes:
"While the doctor is away, the psycho will play."
"The one guarantee the man in front of me offers is torment. Physical and mental."
"I went to a monster to save me from another monster. Maybe I am a lunatic."
"Safety is a myth. It’s not any more real than unicorns."
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"Just once I want someone to look at me and say, I choose you. Fucking flaws and all, I choose you." - Raven.
Tick tock 🕰 Guess what time it is? Time to take a little leap. The spiral staircase to hell is open and Wellard is alive. Let's see how deep into the asylum your girl can get today before I lose my mind 🪳💀
They call Raven, Bianca, and Heather insane. But if that's insanity, then maybe I've been home all along. I didn't flinch when Raven burned his fury into someone's skin. I couldn't help smirking when Bianca had her fun and Heather? Let's just say she went nuts on that jerk, and I was dying laughing… so messed up, I know 😏
It's funny, isn't it? How your past writes your future without even asking. You learn to take the hurt, stay quiet, and let them break you faster. You get used to the damage, crave the end just so it's over quick. Then they look at your anger and call it insane. They act shocked. They just see the rage. Not the bruises, not the silence, not the way you learned to survive by letting it happen. Never realizing they built it. Like they didn’t create the monster. Everyone saw the terror. No one saw the fragile soul still hurting underneath 💔
A 6☆ read. Precision meets obsession. One slice closer, and I melt 🥵
⚠️ Warning: a scalpel will slice through your heart and maybe... your sanity too ☠️ Trigger warnings in full effect. Your mental health matters 🌼
When it comes to Chelle, right off the bat I know her books are going to be dark. And Lunatic did not disappoint! It gave everything I wanted and more!
Immediately introduced to Raven Bonetti. A secret Bonetti that is as unhinged as his half siblings. An unhinged, morally black man with unresolved trauma, I couldn't get enough of him. Although you are meant to hate him for he has done, I loved him. I really felt for him. His instant attraction and obsession with Bianca Stanton was palpable.
Bianca is sent to Wellard Asylum after being found guilty for the death of her abusive husband and now finds herself not only in the clutches of Raven but her former therapist, Dr. Alexsander Martin. He was the worst! He makes Raven look like a saint. She is put through the worst abuse imaginable. The physical, emotional and mental torture she endured which ripped at her sanity had me squirming uncomfortably.
Both Bianca and Raven fit so perfect together.
This book was filled with surprises, questionable smut and easter eggs that made me squeal, scream and rage. The pacing of the story had me immersed and the development of the characters was brilliant! What a read! Thank you Chelle, I loved it! I will say that I'll never look at chocolate pudding or cockroaches the same again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Lunatic has me questioning what I'm into right now because Raven has me feeling all types of twisted. He is a killer and has a very disturbing way he likes to do it. That should make me want to run right? Except, he's so... unique. Apparently Bianca feels this way too because although she knows she should run from him, but he is the lesser of two evils here and is her "safer" option. As she is trapped in Wellard's asylum with the Doctor who is supposed to protect her and help her, she finds that he might be even more deranged and unhinged than the patients within the asylum. He likes to play sick, twisted games of torture. While Raven likes to hear her screams. This story is dark and I'm terrified of myself that I enjoyed it! Both Raven and Bianca have had tortured pasts. They've gone through some really horrendous things in their lives and maybe that's what draws them in to each other. But the way Raven is obsessed with Bianca is unnervingly sweet. Chelle's writing in this story was so addicting and thrilling. I flew through this in one sitting because I couldn't get enough. I was actually sad that it ended! I can't wait to check out the next book in the Wellard Asylum series, but I will definitely be checking out more of Chelle Rose books specifically! I am absolutely hooked on her writing!
4.25⭐️ I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!
omg this was so darkkkk and unhinged 🤭🤭🤭 she was not crazy but by the time they got to her she for sure wasss, they way they wanted to own her, in all depraved ways!!!!