Borrowed Peace

by Dominique Groves

Cassie Dawson has spent years trapped in an abusive, toxic relationship with her Fiance, Levi. When she uncovers a shocking betrayal just months away from their wedding, she takes matters into her own hands, only to find herself in a dangerous situation. On the run with nowhere to turn, she encounters Jackson, a handsome police officer with his own secrets, who offers her protection.
As they work together to uncover the truth, their growing connection complicates matters, leading to a race against time when Cassie's life is threatened. With danger closing in, Cassie and Jackson must navigate betrayal and confront the past in order to forge a chance at a future together.

CONTENT WARNING
Borrowed Peace is a Dark Crime Romance.
It contains explicit sexual content, explicit language, emotional and verbal abuse, domestic violence, light stalking, homicide, kidnapping, deception, death of a parent, drug/alcohol use, sexual assault against a minor (vaguely depicted/alluded to), non-consenting sexual content and gun violence. Please consider your mental health and proceed with caution.
The hardcover and E-book versions of Borrowed Peace include a BONUS page of character reference images.

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 23, 2024

About the author

Author of Borrowed Peace: A Dark Crime Romance
available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

Reviews

[Kelsi Terrebonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a predominately ”romantasy” reader, I appreciate world building and character building. It’s one of my favorite parts of picking up a new book. Borrowed Peace, while not the genre I will typically read, took me in from the moment I read the first sentence. The character building alone was fantastic. You will go through a few different emotions while reading this book - I cried a few times, I blushed a couple of times, I had a few times where I had to reread paragraphs because I couldn’t believe what I was reading, my heart raced, my heart sank, my heart was so happy .. literally all of the above. Buckle up!

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ THIS… Like NOW!

I am not a huge reader so when my best friend told me she was writing a book I wasn’t surprised because she excels at everything and of course I was going to read it because she’s my best friend.

But YALL when I tell you this book IS SO GOOD! There are so many surprises so many ups and downs, tears and laughs. I couldn’t put it down, I kept wondering “what’s going to happen next” I finished it in 3 days to find out the ending and it did not disappoint.

Yall please go read this book

[Lesliereadingallday · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell you that I hated to put this book done when I had to. I HATED IT. This was a very spicy but lovely read. The relationship that Jackson and Cassie had was adorable. They are the real relationship goals here. Anyway it had a lot of plot twists and I loved that! I hated Levi 😡 if you know then you know. But I would read this again!

[Ashli Crespo · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love romance, and dark romance in particular, borrowed peace was an amazingly written book. I picked it up and was immediately drawn into it. I was in a bit of a reading funk and this took me right out of it. It had enough mystery, and camaraderie between characters to keep you hooked the whole time. The world and character building was great and the touch of comedy was unexpected in the best way, i found my self chuckling out loud. The danger aspect kept me going and so did the spice, i must say i’m a sucker for a guy who can ride, a horse that is. I will say on the side of dark romance i would say it’s on the tamer side, but i don’t hate that. Im looking forward to seeing more from this author.

[Cassie Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so impressed with this book! I couldn’t put it down and was always wanting to see what came next. While I couldn’t wait to find out what happened, I was also sad for this book to end. Definitely left a little void when I was done and knew I didn’t get to read it any longer, but all the good books do!

[Mikaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t typically find dark romance novels of interest but I heard so many good things about this book that I decided to give it a try. It was EXCELLENT! I started the book and stayed up until after 1am just to finish it! Having no real dark romance reading experience, I expected to read a darker version of a beach read romance but was very pleasantly surprised at the depth of the plot. Dominique’s creativity and ability to create a full story from start to finish were shown in the plots twists and turns. She linked small past events to the present and characters to each other in ways that made the story’s crime and mystery element so much more interesting. I don’t want to give too much away, but there were so many points where I found myself thinking how the heck did she think of that!
Some books start out slow and you have to trust the process to get into it, this one hooks you from the first page!

[Cassia Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written very well, and kept my attention. I stayed up to 2am because I had to finish it. Can’t wait to read more of yours!

[Maloree Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently dove into "Borrowed Peace" by Dominique Groves and found myself completely hooked by this romantic suspense novel. The story follows Cassie, who escapes an abusive relationship and ends up in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. There she meets Jackson, a local cop who takes her in at his ranch. Having lost his mother to domestic abuse, Jackson feels drawn to help Cassie rebuild her life.

As they work together on Jackson's ranch, their relationship naturally develops into something more. But just when Cassie starts to feel safe, her ex Levi begins tracking her down, bringing some seriously intense moments to the story.

What really struck me about this book was how impossible it was to put down—I literally finished it in 24 hours! The chemistry between Cassie and Jackson feels genuine, and their developing relationship amid the backdrop of danger kept me turning pages well into the night.

Yes, the ending follows somewhat familiar territory for romance novels, but it wasn't nearly as predictable as others I've read. The suspense elements add a layer of uncertainty that keeps you guessing about exactly how things will play out.

If you enjoy romantic suspense with small-town settings, characters healing from past trauma, and that wonderful tension of budding romance mixed with real danger, "Borrowed Peace" is definitely worth picking up. The ranch setting adds a nice touch to the story, and watching Cassie find her strength while Jackson confronts his own past makes for a satisfying read.

A solid 4 out of 5 stars from me—definitely recommend for a weekend read you won't want to put down!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been in a reading slump with a series I was reading so I picked up this book from a friend and I’m so glad that I did. This book kept my attention, I mean damn I finished it within 24 hours! I typically gravitate towards thriller books, so the word “romance” in the genre made me a little weary. However I’d say this has the perfect amount of romance (or steamy scenes😉) that wasn’t over the top “romantic” for me. This book hooked me from the start and I liked that the story began right away, as I tend to drift off when books take too long to pick up. I loved the alternating POVs between the two characters. The character development, the heroism, and the realism with modern relationships and modern lingo all lured me in. It was fast-paced, I just kept wanting to turn to the next page! We were consistently finding out more and more puzzle pieces to the story, without anything being too predictable. Usually I’m pretty spot on with how a story is going to end, but to my surprise I only predicted one piece of the puzzle. I felt happy, sad, angry… I took a ride on an emotional roller coaster with this one which I love in a book!!!! Didn’t give this a full 5 out of 5 stars because I the entire ending was the last few pages and I felt like more could have been given for a slower ending because once it ended I was just like “oh okay it’s done”. But overall I loved it! Looking forward to book number two! 🫶🏻

[Courtney Ciel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Dominique Groves impresses me more and more! She’s family and now a talented author who wrote Borrowed Peace, a gripping dark crime romance that captures the strength of resilience and love amidst life’s toughest challenges. Her vivid storytelling makes this a MUST READ for anyone who enjoys heartfelt and intense narratives. There’s more to come from her, mark my word this is only the beginning for this mama! Support her journey—you won’t regret it!

[Desiree Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie discovers some unsavory secrets about her fiancé but no one will believe her story because he’s rich and powerful. One police officer is willing to help her. I read this book in 8 hours. I couldn’t put it down. Somehow I became very invested in Cassie’s journey very quickly and needed to know what happens. Great job of the author to suck me in! Dominique Groves says this is her first book. Bravo debut! Can’t wait for her next novel!

[Desiree Tidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Truly talented. I loved this book! It's a quick easy read and was just the perfect pace. The ending! Maaaaaannn the way I was bawling and wanted to throw the book though but really, brought me back in and had me kicking my feet giggling. They are just the cutest book couple ever! Truly one of my favorite reads! Easily!

[Bryanna Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t want the book to end! It was a great story, the twists kept coming, and most importantly, it all came together at the end - a perfect read! It was the best combo of romance and suspense! And can we talk about Jackson Tate? Yes, please. Such a fantastic debut novel!

[Gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ! Such a good book with great characters and plot twists. Truly a book that hooks you in the very beginning and completely keeps you on your toes. I can’t wait to see what else this author comes up with!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down. It was such an easy read that kept me wanting more and more. The storyline flowed so perfectly and the steamy scenes were the perfect touch. Amazing book! Can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Meg Wolverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sucks you in and you don’t want to put it down until the very last page! Jackson Tate is a swoon worthy possessive southern gentleman and Cass is the lucky recipient of said possessiveness. I ate this book up and cannot wait to read more.

[Antonette Chiappano · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reviews for this book did not disappoint. Once I got started I could not put it down. Great job and can’t wait to see what’s next for this author.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read!!! Once you start you won’t want t to put it down!!! By the end of the book you feel like you know the characters!! Can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Dani Lewandowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

great

A romance that I couldn’t put down. Right amount of twists that kept the story moving along. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Yvonne Marks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting storyline. Good character development. The story had some interesting plot twist to it and I found it enjoyable.
Thanks for the free book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful storyline and read

[dereck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a good read. It had everything you wanted especially a heart wrenching ending. 10/10 recommended.