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Better Watch Out
I’m supposed to be suffering through Christmas with my dad.
Not stuck in our family lodge with my worst nightmares at the door.
When a snowstorm hits days before Christmas and I’m the only one at the house, I’m quickly informed that I’ll be spending Christmas alone, with only my dog for company, but that’s before things take a turn for the worse.
I never would have come if I’d known they’d be here.
Fletcher and Boone, my stepbrothers, were never the family I’d hoped for. They’re the reason I ran away, the ghosts that haunt my sleep. I was promised they’d be too busy to come to the cabin this year, but someone broke that promise.
Now they’re here, standing at my door, intent on making sure I never forget why I left.
What should have been an uneasy Christmas with my dad and stepmom spirals into a game of cat and mouse, as Fletcher and Boone remind me exactly why I fled. With the storm trapping us high in the mountains, there’s nowhere for me to run. And the worst part? They’re determined to make me suffer for forcing them to wait so long to play.
But all I have to do is survive until the storm lets up.
That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway.
BETTER WATCH OUT is a standalone, MMF, dark Christmas novella. For a more detailed warning, please use the 'look inside' feature, as this book may have elements you might enjoy.
Not stuck in our family lodge with my worst nightmares at the door.
When a snowstorm hits days before Christmas and I’m the only one at the house, I’m quickly informed that I’ll be spending Christmas alone, with only my dog for company, but that’s before things take a turn for the worse.
I never would have come if I’d known they’d be here.
Fletcher and Boone, my stepbrothers, were never the family I’d hoped for. They’re the reason I ran away, the ghosts that haunt my sleep. I was promised they’d be too busy to come to the cabin this year, but someone broke that promise.
Now they’re here, standing at my door, intent on making sure I never forget why I left.
What should have been an uneasy Christmas with my dad and stepmom spirals into a game of cat and mouse, as Fletcher and Boone remind me exactly why I fled. With the storm trapping us high in the mountains, there’s nowhere for me to run. And the worst part? They’re determined to make me suffer for forcing them to wait so long to play.
But all I have to do is survive until the storm lets up.
That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway.
BETTER WATCH OUT is a standalone, MMF, dark Christmas novella. For a more detailed warning, please use the 'look inside' feature, as this book may have elements you might enjoy.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2024
426 people are currently reading
1053 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Merlin
37 books2,110 followersAJ Merlin would rather write epic love stories than live them. I mean, who wants to limit themselves to only falling in love once? She is obsessed with dark fantasy, true crime, and also dogs. From serial killers to voyeurs all the way down to the devil himself, AJ's specialty is in writing irredeemable heroes who somehow still manage to captivate their heroines (and her readers).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
January 20, 2025
Sexy times with the stepbrothers!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 🙂🥰😎
The heroine: Conor - her mom died when she was young, and her dad married a nice woman with two adopted sons. The two boys often teased her and played tricks on her, the last time they were together at their cabin in the mountains, eight years ago, the two boys locked her in the shed overnight without a jacket or gloves. She got frostbite on her hands and had to be taken to the hospital. Conor had moved away not long after that and hasn’t been back since. Though this year she planned to spend Christmas with her father and stepmother at their cabin.
The Story: Conor was not pleased to find out that her father and stepmother wouldn’t be able to make it since their flight was canceled due to winter storms in the area. Conor was already at the cabin and couldn’t leave for over a week until the storms abated, and flights started up again. Though she and her husky, Sitka decided to make the best of it and got groceries in town. While there, she found out that last year about this time, there had been a double murder on one of the nearby trails that she used to hike. She was curious, so the next day she went on a hike, and saw two men around the place it supposedly happened.
The Heroes: Fletcher and Boone - they were adopted by their mom when they were very young. They each came from different bad backgrounds but since they became brothers, they were basically inseparable. They teased and bullied their stepsister, Conor when they were young, but they never really realized they had taken it too far until the night they locked her in the shed. They always looked out for her and still do. They once broke the arm of a boyfriend of hers and they will always stand up for her.
Conor didn’t know that her father and stepmother had invited Fletcher and Boone to the cabin so they could mend fences with her. The guys made it into town when even their parents couldn’t make it, much to the chagrin of Conor. Though it isn’t long before they made up for the past and are getting along better than ever. The guys have always had a thing for their stepsister and are only too happy to be spending a week or more stuck with her.
I actually liked the story even though the guys went about things like psychos at times. Though there were some things that bothered me. I don’t mind the whole stepbrother trope, and I usually like MMF romance, but it was just a bit weird that the two stepbrothers who were adopted by the same woman would get together like that even if they weren’t blood related. I mean they were raised as brothers since they were fairly young and shared a room. It is just a bit to weird for me.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 🙂🥰😎
The heroine: Conor - her mom died when she was young, and her dad married a nice woman with two adopted sons. The two boys often teased her and played tricks on her, the last time they were together at their cabin in the mountains, eight years ago, the two boys locked her in the shed overnight without a jacket or gloves. She got frostbite on her hands and had to be taken to the hospital. Conor had moved away not long after that and hasn’t been back since. Though this year she planned to spend Christmas with her father and stepmother at their cabin.
The Story: Conor was not pleased to find out that her father and stepmother wouldn’t be able to make it since their flight was canceled due to winter storms in the area. Conor was already at the cabin and couldn’t leave for over a week until the storms abated, and flights started up again. Though she and her husky, Sitka decided to make the best of it and got groceries in town. While there, she found out that last year about this time, there had been a double murder on one of the nearby trails that she used to hike. She was curious, so the next day she went on a hike, and saw two men around the place it supposedly happened.
The Heroes: Fletcher and Boone - they were adopted by their mom when they were very young. They each came from different bad backgrounds but since they became brothers, they were basically inseparable. They teased and bullied their stepsister, Conor when they were young, but they never really realized they had taken it too far until the night they locked her in the shed. They always looked out for her and still do. They once broke the arm of a boyfriend of hers and they will always stand up for her.
Conor didn’t know that her father and stepmother had invited Fletcher and Boone to the cabin so they could mend fences with her. The guys made it into town when even their parents couldn’t make it, much to the chagrin of Conor. Though it isn’t long before they made up for the past and are getting along better than ever. The guys have always had a thing for their stepsister and are only too happy to be spending a week or more stuck with her.
I actually liked the story even though the guys went about things like psychos at times. Though there were some things that bothered me. I don’t mind the whole stepbrother trope, and I usually like MMF romance, but it was just a bit weird that the two stepbrothers who were adopted by the same woman would get together like that even if they weren’t blood related. I mean they were raised as brothers since they were fairly young and shared a room. It is just a bit to weird for me.
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December 24, 2024
Merlin is one of my favorite dark romance authors, if not the GOAT. This was a disappointing addition in their roster of great reads. The pacing was all over the place, the plot holes and grand reveals that didn’t feel satisfying, the lack of true tension or fear, the rushed ending (yes, even for a novella!), and the lack of proof reading didn’t do it for me.
January 9, 2025
star rating: 3.5
spice rating: 2.5
spice rating: 2.5
December 31, 2024
Another taboo read of step-siblings; two adopted brothers have taunted their step-sister for most of their young lives until she escapes the confines of their family. The story starts a while after this as she returns to her family home for the Christmas holidays and the snow stops her from leaving but that’s not the only thing 😱
An intriguing storyline that draws you in, the dub con spice is smutmas in a pretty packaging, the intense nature of their relationship comes to the fore before we learn of secrets they’ve held onto.
Totally, enjoyed this story set around Christmas time and of course Sitka the husky 🤣
An intriguing storyline that draws you in, the dub con spice is smutmas in a pretty packaging, the intense nature of their relationship comes to the fore before we learn of secrets they’ve held onto.
Totally, enjoyed this story set around Christmas time and of course Sitka the husky 🤣
December 20, 2024
Check me out everywhere: what.in.the.hea
Storyline Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice Rating: 5/5 🌶️
Tropes: Dark Romance, MMF, Serial Unalivers, Step Siblings, Bullying, DubCon, Stalking, Snowed In, Forced Proximity, Small Town, Touch her and ☠️
Ending: as HEA as you can get with this story
If you like dark romance that leans more towards black.. this is for you. AJ Merlin writes her male main characters with a heap of red flags but their twisted form of love always makes the trauma worth it.
Boone & Fletcher are no different. And their obsession with Conor is exactly what I want from my morally black characters.
Storyline Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice Rating: 5/5 🌶️
Tropes: Dark Romance, MMF, Serial Unalivers, Step Siblings, Bullying, DubCon, Stalking, Snowed In, Forced Proximity, Small Town, Touch her and ☠️
Ending: as HEA as you can get with this story
If you like dark romance that leans more towards black.. this is for you. AJ Merlin writes her male main characters with a heap of red flags but their twisted form of love always makes the trauma worth it.
Boone & Fletcher are no different. And their obsession with Conor is exactly what I want from my morally black characters.
December 22, 2024
3.5 rounded up for Sitka the adorable husky. It just needed another round of proofreading tbh.
December 30, 2024
I don't know about this one. Considering the storyline of this, it didn't feel very spicy?? Also, some of the story lines were kinda meh. It had everything it needed, but the book didn't quite fulfill the story that was there.
February 3, 2025
I picked this up to read because it sounded exactly like my type of book. Unfortunately I forgot to check if I have read/ liked this author and when I was so disappointed with this book, I checked and yup, same complaints as with their past books. At least I know it wasn’t a one time fluke.
So here’s my list of complaints from this book as well as previous by this author: (might contain very minor plot line spoilers):
FMC POV only- this author likes to portray the MMC as a serial killer, but we don’t get their POV so we don’t know why they kill, who they choose, how often they have killed or anything other than take their WORD when they claim to be a serial killer (who admits that anyway?).
Also because it’s only FMC POV, we don’t know why or if the MMC really loves her or if he’s just lying when he says he loves her and promises not to kill her (in previous books, the FMC was originally the next victim until killed fell for her).
The 2 MMC seems to have been both stalking and protecting the FMC over the past several years but why never approach her? If they loved her, why let her go for 7-FREAKING-YEARS without contact?
Which bring me around to the final unexplained plot line: why did this girl disappear and never speak to anyone in her family ever again for 7 years? I don’t understand what drove her to that point, nothing makes sense. When asked to explain why she hates the MMC’s, her reasoning is so stupid. That they played 1 mean prank when they were younger, and also beat up her one and only HS crush. Sounds like that’s it? And her final breaking point to cut off contact was that she saw the 2 MMC being intimate together? Why would she even care let alone abandon her parents too??
Lastly, the spice was so freaking disappointing (same as other books). They only have actual sex 1 time (and it’s sort of weird for a first time), and the 2 MMC have been together in love for over 7 year, yet the most we get from them is a kiss?? I’m not sure if this is a MF author that avoids MM scenes or if story just focuses on the FMC but it feels unrealistic and a missed opportunity for better spice.
So here’s my list of complaints from this book as well as previous by this author: (might contain very minor plot line spoilers):
FMC POV only- this author likes to portray the MMC as a serial killer, but we don’t get their POV so we don’t know why they kill, who they choose, how often they have killed or anything other than take their WORD when they claim to be a serial killer (who admits that anyway?).
Also because it’s only FMC POV, we don’t know why or if the MMC really loves her or if he’s just lying when he says he loves her and promises not to kill her (in previous books, the FMC was originally the next victim until killed fell for her).
The 2 MMC seems to have been both stalking and protecting the FMC over the past several years but why never approach her? If they loved her, why let her go for 7-FREAKING-YEARS without contact?
Which bring me around to the final unexplained plot line: why did this girl disappear and never speak to anyone in her family ever again for 7 years? I don’t understand what drove her to that point, nothing makes sense. When asked to explain why she hates the MMC’s, her reasoning is so stupid. That they played 1 mean prank when they were younger, and also beat up her one and only HS crush. Sounds like that’s it? And her final breaking point to cut off contact was that she saw the 2 MMC being intimate together? Why would she even care let alone abandon her parents too??
Lastly, the spice was so freaking disappointing (same as other books). They only have actual sex 1 time (and it’s sort of weird for a first time), and the 2 MMC have been together in love for over 7 year, yet the most we get from them is a kiss?? I’m not sure if this is a MF author that avoids MM scenes or if story just focuses on the FMC but it feels unrealistic and a missed opportunity for better spice.
December 21, 2024
Nothing says Christmas like some good smut 🎄🎁
AJ is back at it again - this time festive! (Murder, smut, sexy times with string lights, being snowed in, etc). Loved the throuple in this book. The banter was good! And Conor had a Siberian Husky - which automatically makes any book better.
Took one star off just because the two main love interests feel like characters from her other books. There is always one guy that is more chaotic and crazy and then another who is the more responsible and stern. Which don't get me wrong, is an absolutely amazing combo, but I feel like other combos of character types would work too!
Overall, very good book! Wish it was longer!
AJ is back at it again - this time festive! (Murder, smut, sexy times with string lights, being snowed in, etc). Loved the throuple in this book. The banter was good! And Conor had a Siberian Husky - which automatically makes any book better.
Took one star off just because the two main love interests feel like characters from her other books. There is always one guy that is more chaotic and crazy and then another who is the more responsible and stern. Which don't get me wrong, is an absolutely amazing combo, but I feel like other combos of character types would work too!
Overall, very good book! Wish it was longer!
November 28, 2025
nothing is hitting for me recently, this put me in even more of a reading slump
January 3, 2026
2.5 stars
December 21, 2024
Short with a slower pacing for the romance than I expected. I wish it was longer.
January 22, 2026
Hot for stepsister…and they show her with psychological torture.
Was this readable? Yes. Did I enjoy it? No.
This had a lot of elements I am a big fan of when I reach for dark smut-MMF where males are passionately in love with one another, taboo step siblings theme, snowed in winter cabin, BDSM. So where did it go wrong?
First off, and I realize this may be a bit petty, but the names are all garbage. Overly used trope of the girl with the boy’s name- Conor. Guys names were Boone and Fletcher. Blah. Apologies to any who have these names.
But worse still is the lack of character development in the story. Conor’s full range of personality traits include being a victim, having PTSD, and having a dog. Oh, don’t forget about her love for chocolate milk. It’s all so boring and cliche. She has no good characteristics and is incredibly uninteresting. Like most of AJ’s female characters, Conor is extremely childish and immature for her age. Who goes to the store when a big storm is coming and buys all junk food without stocking up on real groceries? People who are TSTL, that’s who.
The guys are a little better written but still lackluster. By the way, the males are adopted brothers, so there is no blood between them.
The smutty scenes were tainted for me by some of the psychological torture. I felt anxiety on her behalf so ended up reading the scenes that were supposed to be fun and games with a wary eye, actually kind of skipping through. They were also rather sparse considering how long the novella was.
The focus was unbalanced and flawed in my opinion. We only learn all the reasons from the past why Conor should hate her two stepbrothers. I never recall one flashback that shows why the two males would love her in a romantic way and definitely no reason from their past why she would feel anything but disdain for them. There are no flashback scenes showing any attempt at building intimacy or attraction. It gives the story (since this is romance genre, despite how dark) a feeling of inauthenticity, as if the characters are just going through the motions. Paint by number.
When I mean unbalanced, I am also referring to the excessive focus on the mundane. Lots of attention spent on Conor’s relationship with her father. Unforgivable that he lies and it ends up putting her in real danger. The whole scene when she talks to him on the phone and just basically lets him get away with his deception without calling it out really rubbed me the wrong way and made me angry. There was also a lot of descriptive sentences describing Conor’s dog. I love dogs but it became repetitive.
Then the last reason I think I didn’t enjoy it was because, after reading so many of the AJ Merlin books, I am just kinda over the irredeemable serial killer trope. The female love interests are always expected to abandon their own integrity, morals and safety and blindly accept their serial killer lovers no matter what. Also, they have to live a life of constantly looking over their shoulder, being paranoid that they might get wrapped up in the crimes as an accomplice, because AJ Merlin’s “heroes” always have to confess their crimes outright to the heroines leaving no question of their guilt. The fact that the serial killers give the heroines all the info is idiotic in my opinion, lessening my take on the guys’ intelligence. Also being honest about being a serial killer doesn’t make up for shit, quit trying to act like it makes everything ok.
Not sure if I’ll be “watching out”for more of AJ’s books, a few too many letdowns in a row for me. She’s definitely got a shtick, just disappointed that the couple I read by her that I enjoyed seem to be exceptions rather than the rule.
Was this readable? Yes. Did I enjoy it? No.
This had a lot of elements I am a big fan of when I reach for dark smut-MMF where males are passionately in love with one another, taboo step siblings theme, snowed in winter cabin, BDSM. So where did it go wrong?
First off, and I realize this may be a bit petty, but the names are all garbage. Overly used trope of the girl with the boy’s name- Conor. Guys names were Boone and Fletcher. Blah. Apologies to any who have these names.
But worse still is the lack of character development in the story. Conor’s full range of personality traits include being a victim, having PTSD, and having a dog. Oh, don’t forget about her love for chocolate milk. It’s all so boring and cliche. She has no good characteristics and is incredibly uninteresting. Like most of AJ’s female characters, Conor is extremely childish and immature for her age. Who goes to the store when a big storm is coming and buys all junk food without stocking up on real groceries? People who are TSTL, that’s who.
The guys are a little better written but still lackluster. By the way, the males are adopted brothers, so there is no blood between them.
The smutty scenes were tainted for me by some of the psychological torture. I felt anxiety on her behalf so ended up reading the scenes that were supposed to be fun and games with a wary eye, actually kind of skipping through. They were also rather sparse considering how long the novella was.
The focus was unbalanced and flawed in my opinion. We only learn all the reasons from the past why Conor should hate her two stepbrothers. I never recall one flashback that shows why the two males would love her in a romantic way and definitely no reason from their past why she would feel anything but disdain for them. There are no flashback scenes showing any attempt at building intimacy or attraction. It gives the story (since this is romance genre, despite how dark) a feeling of inauthenticity, as if the characters are just going through the motions. Paint by number.
When I mean unbalanced, I am also referring to the excessive focus on the mundane. Lots of attention spent on Conor’s relationship with her father. Unforgivable that he lies and it ends up putting her in real danger. The whole scene when she talks to him on the phone and just basically lets him get away with his deception without calling it out really rubbed me the wrong way and made me angry. There was also a lot of descriptive sentences describing Conor’s dog. I love dogs but it became repetitive.
Then the last reason I think I didn’t enjoy it was because, after reading so many of the AJ Merlin books, I am just kinda over the irredeemable serial killer trope. The female love interests are always expected to abandon their own integrity, morals and safety and blindly accept their serial killer lovers no matter what. Also, they have to live a life of constantly looking over their shoulder, being paranoid that they might get wrapped up in the crimes as an accomplice, because AJ Merlin’s “heroes” always have to confess their crimes outright to the heroines leaving no question of their guilt. The fact that the serial killers give the heroines all the info is idiotic in my opinion, lessening my take on the guys’ intelligence. Also being honest about being a serial killer doesn’t make up for shit, quit trying to act like it makes everything ok.
Not sure if I’ll be “watching out”for more of AJ’s books, a few too many letdowns in a row for me. She’s definitely got a shtick, just disappointed that the couple I read by her that I enjoyed seem to be exceptions rather than the rule.
December 26, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶🌶🌶
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Snowed in with two step brothers, that are bullies but are unhinged for the FMC. Say no more!
I absolutely devoured this book, and even as a novella, it had a strong story. Don't get me wrong, I love me some almost all spice books, but this definitely has a great mixture of both plot and spice.
I genuinely enjoyed the FMC, and add the cute dog to the mix, what is not to love? She doesn't change her tune overnight, and has a traumatic past that we are slowly introduced to throughout the book. The MMC's are extremely protective of her, and I always love a great unhinged MMC. In this case we get two of them. 🥰😍
I can't say much to avoid spoiling anything, but I can say I would have loved this book to be longer. The ending isn't a cliff, but not as wrapped up with a pretty bow like most HEA's are. More like a happy for now type of ending.
⟣Tropes⟢
✅ Touch her and 💀
✅ MMF
✅ MM action as well
✅ Single POV
✅ Step-Brother Bullies
✅ FMC not Virgin
✅ They fall first
✅ Stalker (they stalked her off page)
✅ Christmas
✅ Just some light BDSM with Christmas lights 😉🎄
✅ Tabøø (all step siblings, no 🩸bløød🩸 relation)
✅ HEA as much as you can get with this type of book
🌶🌶🌶🌶
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Snowed in with two step brothers, that are bullies but are unhinged for the FMC. Say no more!
I absolutely devoured this book, and even as a novella, it had a strong story. Don't get me wrong, I love me some almost all spice books, but this definitely has a great mixture of both plot and spice.
I genuinely enjoyed the FMC, and add the cute dog to the mix, what is not to love? She doesn't change her tune overnight, and has a traumatic past that we are slowly introduced to throughout the book. The MMC's are extremely protective of her, and I always love a great unhinged MMC. In this case we get two of them. 🥰😍
I can't say much to avoid spoiling anything, but I can say I would have loved this book to be longer. The ending isn't a cliff, but not as wrapped up with a pretty bow like most HEA's are. More like a happy for now type of ending.
⟣Tropes⟢
✅ Touch her and 💀
✅ MMF
✅ MM action as well
✅ Single POV
✅ Step-Brother Bullies
✅ FMC not Virgin
✅ They fall first
✅ Stalker (they stalked her off page)
✅ Christmas
✅ Just some light BDSM with Christmas lights 😉🎄
✅ Tabøø (all step siblings, no 🩸bløød🩸 relation)
✅ HEA as much as you can get with this type of book
December 8, 2025
Dark, spicy, and taboo? Say less. Honestly, I didn’t know what TF I was getting into. I was worried this was going to be a horror book (yes, I went in blind per usual). Was I pleasantly surprised when she starts having flashbacks involving her stepbrothers? Yep. Now, don’t go judging. I did say it was a taboo romance, and I did say STEP. Meaning no blood relation, ffs. We all know I love spice, and read EVERYTHING. Anyways, dark, as it’s going to have some stalking, possessiveness, and murder. Oh, and it’s all wrapped up in a Christmas themed read! Perfection. I was like, how did I stumble upon this gem, and why are my spicy taboo dark romance lovers not screaming about this one from the rooftops?! Anyways, you love these type of reads and want holiday themed one, then I HIGHLY suggest picking this one up!
This is a holiday themed contemporary romance. This book is full of darker themes, scenes, and topics. The romance in this book is a taboo one, and why choose. This book is spicy with open door spicy scenes. Conor was supposed to spend Christmas with all her family, but when the weather changes, she gets stuck alone. Or so she thought. Her stepbrothers, Fletcher and Boone, who she ran from as a teen and hasn’t seen since, are stuck there too. Fletcher and Boone play games Conor doesn’t think she wanted to play. They are determined this time to make her stay.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎧Audiobook with 📱Ebook
This is a holiday themed contemporary romance. This book is full of darker themes, scenes, and topics. The romance in this book is a taboo one, and why choose. This book is spicy with open door spicy scenes. Conor was supposed to spend Christmas with all her family, but when the weather changes, she gets stuck alone. Or so she thought. Her stepbrothers, Fletcher and Boone, who she ran from as a teen and hasn’t seen since, are stuck there too. Fletcher and Boone play games Conor doesn’t think she wanted to play. They are determined this time to make her stay.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🎧Audiobook with 📱Ebook
December 23, 2024
December 2024
Kindle edition
Despite this one being short, it still took me a while to read. I kept stopping and starting, getting distracted by new SLA game, Christmas dinner, and Conor wasn't really a likeable character. Sitka was adorable. Boone and Fletcher were sweet together, and protective. Conor came across as a brat with a permanent chip on her shoulder. Who died and why was painfully obvious, especially when they revealed they'd been stalking her. The interactions with the cops were painful, get her in an interrogation room and she'd crack like an egg. Needs a once through error wise. I find these ones more enjoyable second time round. Strong on the MM.
Kindle edition
Despite this one being short, it still took me a while to read. I kept stopping and starting, getting distracted by new SLA game, Christmas dinner, and Conor wasn't really a likeable character. Sitka was adorable. Boone and Fletcher were sweet together, and protective. Conor came across as a brat with a permanent chip on her shoulder. Who died and why was painfully obvious, especially when they revealed they'd been stalking her. The interactions with the cops were painful, get her in an interrogation room and she'd crack like an egg. Needs a once through error wise. I find these ones more enjoyable second time round. Strong on the MM.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2024
AJ Merlin is always going to be an instant read for me, so I was super excited for this Christmas themed novella. Add in a dash of taboo and I was watching my calendar waiting for this release! We've got lots of fun holiday themes - such as a small town feel and getting snowed in, but balanced with some darker elements and an enemies to lovers vibe.
Though the FMC was a bit clueless, I still found myself enjoying this one. However, I found this a really slow burn for such a short book. I would have loved to see a little more action earlier in the story (wink wink) - but overall, I enjoyed this one!
Though the FMC was a bit clueless, I still found myself enjoying this one. However, I found this a really slow burn for such a short book. I would have loved to see a little more action earlier in the story (wink wink) - but overall, I enjoyed this one!
January 6, 2025
I have to admit I was not expecting to like this bc step-bro is not normally my thing BUT it was so addicting! I want so much more of them. Really I just wish it had been longer so the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and there were a few editing errors (hair color inconsistency etc.)
January 1, 2025
The whole calling each other brother and sister thing 🤢 also I did not realize that the two guys were not related at first so I thought this story was gonna be wild when she walked in on them at the beginning 🤭 still a good read. Wish they killed the guy too 🫶🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
did-not-finish
July 9, 2025DNF: 15% I don't remember why but I started skimming when she was still talking about how terrible they both were while having sex with them. Like, why are you sleeping with them if they're so awful? And that definitely are...which is why you shouldn't sleep with them.
January 21, 2025
This book was so good! I couldn’t put it down so I stayed up to read it and it didn’t disappoint
December 8, 2025
This was an interesting read! It is dark and it is spicy. I liked the concept. I felt like I needed more information on the backstory, but I had a good time reading it!
November 12, 2025
This was my first A.J. Merlin read. I picked it up because the premise seemed right up my alley and with the Christmas season coming up, it felt like the perfect time for a dark holiday story. I did like the overall idea of the plot, but unfortunately, the execution just wasn’t there for me.
Conor wasn’t a very likeable or relatable main character. She came off as immature for her age (assuming she’s around 24 based on context), and I think part of that stems from how many questions were left unanswered. Why did she run away from home? Why is her relationship with her dad so strained? What exactly happened to make her hate Boone and Fletcher so much? The storyline overall lacked emotional depth, and I think that really hurt the impact of the story.
We also don’t get any real background on when or how the guys fell in love with her, which made their obsession feel a bit hollow. I struggled to connect with them because we’re only given surface-level glimpses of who they are. We don’t really know their motives, or even if they can be trusted. I did like that Boone and Fletcher had noticeably different personalities and you can see how much Fletcher loves Boone, and how Boone tends to be more submissive to him. I just wish that dynamic had been explored in more depth, since it’s one of the most interesting aspects of the story.
On top of that, Conor’s reactions didn’t always make sense for the situation. There’s a murder, and then two men are standing outside her house in the dark and her reaction to that just didn’t feel believable. And if the guys supposedly loved her, why did they spend seven years stalking her instead of reaching out, especially knowing she was struggling? That could have been a great opportunity to show genuine connection or twisted devotion, but it’s never explored.
It’s also hinted that the guys have killed before, but there’s no real context or explanation behind it. And when Conor finds out they’re murderers, her reaction is surprisingly mild. I wanted more emotional fallout, fear, or even fascination. Something to make it feel real.
The pacing also felt off, with a slow start that made it hard to get fully invested, and when things finally picked up, the story wrapped too quickly to feel satisfying. Overall, this had the potential to be a great dark, wintry read, but it left too many stones unturned and never dug deep enough into its characters or emotions to truly land.
Conor wasn’t a very likeable or relatable main character. She came off as immature for her age (assuming she’s around 24 based on context), and I think part of that stems from how many questions were left unanswered. Why did she run away from home? Why is her relationship with her dad so strained? What exactly happened to make her hate Boone and Fletcher so much? The storyline overall lacked emotional depth, and I think that really hurt the impact of the story.
We also don’t get any real background on when or how the guys fell in love with her, which made their obsession feel a bit hollow. I struggled to connect with them because we’re only given surface-level glimpses of who they are. We don’t really know their motives, or even if they can be trusted. I did like that Boone and Fletcher had noticeably different personalities and you can see how much Fletcher loves Boone, and how Boone tends to be more submissive to him. I just wish that dynamic had been explored in more depth, since it’s one of the most interesting aspects of the story.
On top of that, Conor’s reactions didn’t always make sense for the situation. There’s a murder, and then two men are standing outside her house in the dark and her reaction to that just didn’t feel believable. And if the guys supposedly loved her, why did they spend seven years stalking her instead of reaching out, especially knowing she was struggling? That could have been a great opportunity to show genuine connection or twisted devotion, but it’s never explored.
It’s also hinted that the guys have killed before, but there’s no real context or explanation behind it. And when Conor finds out they’re murderers, her reaction is surprisingly mild. I wanted more emotional fallout, fear, or even fascination. Something to make it feel real.
The pacing also felt off, with a slow start that made it hard to get fully invested, and when things finally picked up, the story wrapped too quickly to feel satisfying. Overall, this had the potential to be a great dark, wintry read, but it left too many stones unturned and never dug deep enough into its characters or emotions to truly land.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2024
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 🌶🌶🌶
4 ☠️☠️☠️☠️
Loved this book and read through it super fast. BUT, it feels unfinished—like it’s just the first few chapters of a longer novel. And while it ends on a “happy for now” note, it was actually less satisfying than a cliffhanger. I WANT MORE!
⚠️ CWs, Themes & Tropes: estranged family; step-sibling romance; adopted brothers; MM; MMF; ménage; DVP; non-con/dub-con; stalker; past sexual assault; death; murder; friend betrayal; sharing; bondage; voyeurism; revenge; touch her and die; enemies to lovers
Overview: Conor heads back to her childhood vacation home in upstate New York for a Christmas reunion with her estranged father and step-mother—only for a snow storm to hit that leaves her stranded and alone…or so she thinks. Memories from her past clash as she finds herself snowed in with her two step-brothers and learns that she may be connected to a gruesome triple-homicide that happened a year earlier.
👩🐶❄️🐇🥾FMC (Conor) - Overall a likable character, made even better by her relationship with her sweet husky, Sitka. The only thing that was kind of annoying was how many times she said “I hate you” or “I hate them” about the MMCs. Granted, it made sense that she was trying to remind herself how she “really felt” about them after each interaction brought the three of them closer together. Otherwise I found her fairly relatable.
👨👀🔪👬🎄MMC (Fletcher) - Fletcher is the “alpha” of the pack, so to speak. The blonde baddie is cool, calm, and collected, and looks after those he cares for fiercely. He also takes the lead, and the other two characters often look to him for direction. He’s the FMC’s step-brother and also the adopted brother (not biologically related) of Boone.
👨🐶🔪👬😉 MMC (Boone) - Dark, handsome, and playful, Boone brings his lovably chaotic golden-retriever-energy to the mix. He’s naughty, but also caring and kind. While he may be submissive towards Fletcher, he’s all dominance when it comes to our FMC Conor. I thought he brought great balance to the trio as well as a bit of humor.
TL;DR: If you’re looking for a short, spicy, taboo and dark, holiday romance, this is the book for you! It features a relatable FMC, two sexy and twisted step-brothers, and a lovable pup. Another great one from AJ Merlin!
3 🌶🌶🌶
4 ☠️☠️☠️☠️
Loved this book and read through it super fast. BUT, it feels unfinished—like it’s just the first few chapters of a longer novel. And while it ends on a “happy for now” note, it was actually less satisfying than a cliffhanger. I WANT MORE!
⚠️ CWs, Themes & Tropes: estranged family; step-sibling romance; adopted brothers; MM; MMF; ménage; DVP; non-con/dub-con; stalker; past sexual assault; death; murder; friend betrayal; sharing; bondage; voyeurism; revenge; touch her and die; enemies to lovers
Overview: Conor heads back to her childhood vacation home in upstate New York for a Christmas reunion with her estranged father and step-mother—only for a snow storm to hit that leaves her stranded and alone…or so she thinks. Memories from her past clash as she finds herself snowed in with her two step-brothers and learns that she may be connected to a gruesome triple-homicide that happened a year earlier.
👩🐶❄️🐇🥾FMC (Conor) - Overall a likable character, made even better by her relationship with her sweet husky, Sitka. The only thing that was kind of annoying was how many times she said “I hate you” or “I hate them” about the MMCs. Granted, it made sense that she was trying to remind herself how she “really felt” about them after each interaction brought the three of them closer together. Otherwise I found her fairly relatable.
👨👀🔪👬🎄MMC (Fletcher) - Fletcher is the “alpha” of the pack, so to speak. The blonde baddie is cool, calm, and collected, and looks after those he cares for fiercely. He also takes the lead, and the other two characters often look to him for direction. He’s the FMC’s step-brother and also the adopted brother (not biologically related) of Boone.
👨🐶🔪👬😉 MMC (Boone) - Dark, handsome, and playful, Boone brings his lovably chaotic golden-retriever-energy to the mix. He’s naughty, but also caring and kind. While he may be submissive towards Fletcher, he’s all dominance when it comes to our FMC Conor. I thought he brought great balance to the trio as well as a bit of humor.
TL;DR: If you’re looking for a short, spicy, taboo and dark, holiday romance, this is the book for you! It features a relatable FMC, two sexy and twisted step-brothers, and a lovable pup. Another great one from AJ Merlin!
January 4, 2025
I've read a couple other books by AJ and really liked them....but this one just fell really flat for me. Felt rushed and could've just been made into a longer story which would've been better paced and played out.
Conor hates her step brothers because they locked her in a shed one night and she got frostbite. Which, yes, valid. But for hatred thats supposed to run so deep and raging, we see next to nothing about their past encounters.
The Whoisit before the boys show up(the truck, the woods, the trail, the yard) and Whodunit(trail murder) are both painfully obvious as soon as theyre mentioned. Maybe it was supposed to be?
It's hinted that the brothers have killed before but we see none of that and I guess that just means it's because this isn't really a Get To Know story, it's just a ..... i don't even know what to call it.
for the detectives being soooooo suspicious, they sure did keep their distance and left town quickly.
The spice is like a 2.5 honestly, but that could just say more about me than it does about the spice level.
Conors relationship with her dad is clearly strained but we don't really see why? He doesn't know about her Attempt or being committed and as a sidebar, I find it hard to believe that not ONE person reached out to Conor and told her about the murders. She really went 7 years without finding out? There had to have been one person who knew what type of people her "friends" were and someone who felt for her for what happened.
Also another sidebar, maybe my math is all wrong but Conor is supposed to be 24 years old(i just went back and fact checked) she's been gone for 7 years? she left when she was 16? She was in college when the video happened? Am i completey wrong here and misunderstood or what?
i was really excited for another AJ Merlin story. Like I said, this one fell super flat for me but i won't let it be the one to deter me from reading more by AJ.(i just realized that there's an A.J. Merlin and an AJ Merlin and I am assuming they're the same author and also confused why theres two separate author profiles for them?)
Conor hates her step brothers because they locked her in a shed one night and she got frostbite. Which, yes, valid. But for hatred thats supposed to run so deep and raging, we see next to nothing about their past encounters.
The Whoisit before the boys show up(the truck, the woods, the trail, the yard) and Whodunit(trail murder) are both painfully obvious as soon as theyre mentioned. Maybe it was supposed to be?
It's hinted that the brothers have killed before but we see none of that and I guess that just means it's because this isn't really a Get To Know story, it's just a ..... i don't even know what to call it.
for the detectives being soooooo suspicious, they sure did keep their distance and left town quickly.
The spice is like a 2.5 honestly, but that could just say more about me than it does about the spice level.
Conors relationship with her dad is clearly strained but we don't really see why? He doesn't know about her Attempt or being committed and as a sidebar, I find it hard to believe that not ONE person reached out to Conor and told her about the murders. She really went 7 years without finding out? There had to have been one person who knew what type of people her "friends" were and someone who felt for her for what happened.
Also another sidebar, maybe my math is all wrong but Conor is supposed to be 24 years old(i just went back and fact checked) she's been gone for 7 years? she left when she was 16? She was in college when the video happened? Am i completey wrong here and misunderstood or what?
i was really excited for another AJ Merlin story. Like I said, this one fell super flat for me but i won't let it be the one to deter me from reading more by AJ.(i just realized that there's an A.J. Merlin and an AJ Merlin and I am assuming they're the same author and also confused why theres two separate author profiles for them?)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2025
This was just a rough read. Conor had no real personality besides rage. Her hatred towards the boys wasn't really explored, even when she listed off reasons why she hated them. Like it was unclear why she ran away from them in the first place. Boone was alright. I kinda wish it was just him because Fletcher sucked. The plot with the detectives made no sense (like you could cut them out and nothing would have changed).
It honestly was going to be 2 star read at first because of how forgettable everything, and it didn't do anything particularly bad until I got to the scene where the boys forced Conor to relive and rewatch her trauma and that part made me physically ill. I'm glad there were trigger warnings at the front of the book but honestly, I was not expecting that scene nor did the boys redeem themselves by the end. Like it felt like they just kept making a mockery out of her questions when all Conor wanted was reassurance.
I get that this is a dark bully romance novella, but there is a way to do it right and this was not it. I mean I will still read A.J.Merlin's stuff because she has written some of my all time favs, but this one was a disappointment and I wanna sway readers to giving her other works a try instead.
That one star is for Sitka, she was nothing but an adorable fur baby who I wish had more page time.
It honestly was going to be 2 star read at first because of how forgettable everything, and it didn't do anything particularly bad until I got to the scene where the boys forced Conor to relive and rewatch her trauma and that part made me physically ill. I'm glad there were trigger warnings at the front of the book but honestly, I was not expecting that scene nor did the boys redeem themselves by the end. Like it felt like they just kept making a mockery out of her questions when all Conor wanted was reassurance.
I get that this is a dark bully romance novella, but there is a way to do it right and this was not it. I mean I will still read A.J.Merlin's stuff because she has written some of my all time favs, but this one was a disappointment and I wanna sway readers to giving her other works a try instead.
That one star is for Sitka, she was nothing but an adorable fur baby who I wish had more page time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2024
It was good but wasn’t for me.
I was really excited to read this but I just didn’t connect to it like I wish I did. There were some grammatical errors but that wasn’t the main problem. The story between Fletcher, Boone and Conor was written in a way that made me feel a little uneasy (and it wasn’t because they were step siblings). The way they were with Conor made me uncomfortable. There was just something in the way it was written that felt wrong. I didn’t like how they forced Conor into being vulnerable (naked, watching those videos) or forcing themselves physically on to her. To me it wasn’t written in a sexy way. It was written in an uncomfortable and wrong way. I wish there was more smut but also it made me uncomfortable with it being so forced so….. I wish I could’ve liked this book more but this is how I feel. I’m glad they all got their HEA together, I just wish I could enjoy it more. I did loveeeeee Fletcher and Boone’s relationship tho omgggg they were so hot together ugh. The way they could communicate without even saying a word was just✨✨🦋🦋 They were so cute together😭💜💜💜
⭐️2.5
🌶️2
HEA✅
I was really excited to read this but I just didn’t connect to it like I wish I did. There were some grammatical errors but that wasn’t the main problem. The story between Fletcher, Boone and Conor was written in a way that made me feel a little uneasy (and it wasn’t because they were step siblings). The way they were with Conor made me uncomfortable. There was just something in the way it was written that felt wrong. I didn’t like how they forced Conor into being vulnerable (naked, watching those videos) or forcing themselves physically on to her. To me it wasn’t written in a sexy way. It was written in an uncomfortable and wrong way. I wish there was more smut but also it made me uncomfortable with it being so forced so….. I wish I could’ve liked this book more but this is how I feel. I’m glad they all got their HEA together, I just wish I could enjoy it more. I did loveeeeee Fletcher and Boone’s relationship tho omgggg they were so hot together ugh. The way they could communicate without even saying a word was just✨✨🦋🦋 They were so cute together😭💜💜💜
⭐️2.5
🌶️2
HEA✅
April 14, 2025
Rating is generous …
I absolutely LOVE AJ Merlin. Literally, I will read anything she writes. However, this one just didn’t really do it for me. First - I have too many questions. This could have been a 300 page book and answered everything, but it was less than 200 and answered next to nothing. Second - HOW can you go from despising two people to whatever the ending was?? Especially without understanding the other side’s perspective on the events that you despise them for! For the love of all holy things, why did they lock her in the shed??????? Third - This book did not rock my smutty world. Barely even created some warmth.
I absolutely LOVE AJ Merlin. Literally, I will read anything she writes. However, this one just didn’t really do it for me. First - I have too many questions. This could have been a 300 page book and answered everything, but it was less than 200 and answered next to nothing. Second - HOW can you go from despising two people to whatever the ending was?? Especially without understanding the other side’s perspective on the events that you despise them for! For the love of all holy things, why did they lock her in the shed??????? Third - This book did not rock my smutty world. Barely even created some warmth.
January 1, 2025
this was……not good
This is the worst book she’s ever written. From the use of ‘snow bunny’ to the lack of chemistry between all the characters. The reluctant female lead + psycho male leads is so tired. Merlin needs to find something new. Idk what happened to the omegaverse she was writing but I know it would’ve been way better than this mess.
This is the worst book she’s ever written. From the use of ‘snow bunny’ to the lack of chemistry between all the characters. The reluctant female lead + psycho male leads is so tired. Merlin needs to find something new. Idk what happened to the omegaverse she was writing but I know it would’ve been way better than this mess.
February 17, 2025
couldn’t get through it
DNF, typos and inconsistencies aside there was nothing about the fmc that I could get into. She came off as bratty and rude right off the bat with no explanation for why she acted that way other than getting locked in a shed 10 years ago. It just felt incomplete.
DNF, typos and inconsistencies aside there was nothing about the fmc that I could get into. She came off as bratty and rude right off the bat with no explanation for why she acted that way other than getting locked in a shed 10 years ago. It just felt incomplete.
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