ZIGGY One night. That’s all it took to completely rewrite our futures. One mistake. One wrong choice. One murder.
I would do anything to fix what I broke that night. I would even go insane just to prove how much I needed to be by her side. After all the darkness we endured together, I would do anything for my stepsister.
KOVEN My soul died that fateful night, and what replaced it was something dead and broken.
I was forever tied to him, labeled as mentally insane, and thrown away to rot for our crime in the darkest pit of hell. Over time, I learned to make the most of Wellard Asylum, enduring endless vile treatments and abuse, accepting my new life. That is, until he reappeared. I thought I’d never see him again after that night, but now, he was here. And he was begging for forgiveness.
But I’ll never forget. It’s his fault I’m trapped here. And now he was trapped with me.
Souris an extremely dark romance with horror. Please check triggers prior to reading.
Ab. Cynthe is an International Best Selling author who decided to create this specific pen name to showcase her darker, spicier, more horrific works. She is known for her retellings and monsters and has close to a dozen published works in total, with many more set to release within the next year.
If you're in search of a short read packed with triggering chaos, look no further.
Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me at all. The writing style felt repetitive and over-explained, with the characters constantly saying each other’s names. Please, I wanted to off myself after the damn prologue. 😫 Ziggy said Koven and Florence SO. MANY. TIMES! No, please, there's absolutely no need to repeat the name of the person you're talking about (or to) that much, it's just extremely annoying.
The courtroom scene was especially unrealistic, it just didn't feel believable even for fiction. Like, please, I know it's a book, but make it at least a biiiit realistic. 😑😑😑
The tone wanted to be “dark,” but instead it felt forced. The characters’ emotions and actions often contradicted what we were told about them. 😑 Also, I couldn't care less about any of the MCs.
That said, I'm still grateful for the ARC opportunity! Thank you to Ab. Cynthe!
I have read a few arcs from the Wellard Asylum series and when I say this is the most F*CKED one I have read so far!!
the way my jaw dropped, I had several of that "did I just read what I think I just read" moments! I was absolutely shocked!!
Yet somehow I was still rooting for the MMC and FMC! and I would be lying if that didn't make me question myself a time or two.
this is a very fast paced, VERY DARK AND TWISTED Romeo and Juliet vibe book!
You experience it ALL in Sour! The pain of parent loss, abuse, SA, trauma bonding, mental health, murder and so so much more. This book has me sucked in within the first two pages. I would also like to say that this is the first book I have read by this author and I am SPEECHLESS!!!!
Ziggy (aka Happy) isn’t just obsessed he’s absolutely feral about Korvin. He literally makes sure he gets admitted into Wellard Asylum just to be with her. If you think about it… it’s actually kind of romantic? You know, in a deranged, soul-devouring way. I also like yellow skittles so those red flags are turning into little hearts.
Korvin (skittles) is the kind of quiet that makes you uneasy. She’s soft-spoken, but there’s something fractured behind her eyes, like she knows too much about pain and learned to live with it. She can definitely hold her own jn a verbal sparring. She doesn’t chase light. She doesn’t crave rescue. Just silence. She wants to move on from her past but ZIggy wont let her.
Johnny Cutter makes an appearance, Happy’s only real friend. They’re like two sides of the same cursed coin, flipping through the halls of Wellard and leaving a trail of ruin behind them.
Let’s not forget Dream, haunting, ethereal, the girl who knows everything but carries the heaviest kind of brokenness. She floats through the story like a ghost wrapped in flavorless bubble gum, and NGL I’m absolutely obsessed with her.
Cyns writing for Sour isn’t gentle , oh no no no it’s a blade wrapped in poetry. Every line cuts deep, every emotion feels raw and reckless. This story hums with obsession, pain, and something almost tender buried beneath the madness.
Wellard Asylum has always been dark, and twisted but Sour... It’s pitch black and I couldn’t look away.
Also… Cyn, what did you do to me?! Schmoocums .. and the [redacted] for a [redacted] CYN come on.... I’ll forever be haunted. Forever. Like, WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?! Cyn, I love you, but also… WTF 😅😅😅
This story was just perfect for the setting of the asylum. Ziggy our MMC is completely crazy and I was totally here for it, can beat an unhinged MMC who when your think has crossed the line just keep strutting straight on past it! Koven seem like a sane misunderstood FMC who doesn't really fit in the asylum, but there is darkness with her just waiting to come out.
The lengths Ziggy goes to, to get to Koven in Wellard are insane!! He is the walking advertisement of someone that should be sent there, and he gets his wish, much to Koven's dismay. His obsession and depravity know no bounds and the amount of times I read a bit and thought WTF, well I lost count. When you find out their backstory and how they got into this particular situation you really feel for them both, having such a horrible life before, they asylum doesn't seem so bad in some ways.
Loved the added twist in the story with the Dr and getting to see Johnny from Maison De Fous and Slay all the Way was great, he definitely added even more fun to the story in the couple of scenes he was in. The ending was just how it should have been, although wasn't sure it was going to happen and felt so sad for Ziggy, until the final twist was revealed. Loved this story and now want to read even more from this shared world.
Ziggy is worse than Malachi Vize, by a lot. Be prepared. I don't have limits when reading but Ziggy made me recoil a bit. But I kept reading and wanting more.
Don't read this expecting a wholesome step sibling romance. It is fucked up and toxic, but worth the read. It is a dark, psychotic sort of love, a perfect show of how toxic and dangerous obsession can be.
I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read the rest of the Wellard Asylum books. @ab.cynthe did amazing. The end had my mind on a roller coaster.
Trigger Warnings: -Sexual/Physical/Mental abuse -Abusive relationship -Alcoholism -Anxiety/Depression -Asphyxiation -Assault -Asylum -Attemtped murder/rxpe/suicide -Betrayal -🩸 -Biting -Bodily fluids -Bullying -Cancer -Cannibalism -Choking -CNC -Corruption -Cruelty -Cyanide -Death -Death of a parent -Dismemberment -Drugs/Drug use/Drugging -Electroshock -NO HEA -Flaying of human flesh -Genital mutilation -Gore -Labotomy -Poison/Poisoning -Rxpe -Sewing of human flesh -Sodomy -Suicide -Taboo (Step-Siblings)
Quotes:
"What flavor are you today, Skittles?"
"I always liked the way your pain tasted. Too bad it didn't end that night."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was soo good and that ending just absolute perfection! I loved every page of it and I cannot wait to read the others, every author had brought these books so perfectly to live!
The characters here were just perfect! The stepsiblings trope really made it even better and I love how the characters were with each other, they went through alot together and the things hed go for to fix the mistake he made and to keep his promise, it was addictive.
This book has tropes as mental asylum, evil doctors, step siblings, she’s mine, obsession and theres bothing he wouldn’t do to get her!
This is the first book ive read from this author and I’m definitely going to look at the other books she wrote bc I LOVE her writing style! I definitely recommend reading this book and series its my favorite series of this year so far!
Blood Lust by Ab. Cynthe is one of my favorites and to find out that the author wrote a story to this brilliant shared universe I have already fell in love with was the happiest moment ever!
The dedication was chef's kiss! I absolutely loved Ziggy's character and all the glimpses to his and Koven's past. Their nicknames were so sweet, Happy and Skittles.
The doctor wasn't my favorite character but otherwise it was a great read I highly recommend reading to lover of dark books! The ending definitely left me speechless.
Taboo (Step Siblings) Patient x Doctor Patient x Patient Bisexual FMC Obsessive MMC Trauma Bonds
Thank you so much to the author for the ARC opportunity!
okok so first off! Thank you for the opportunity to ARC read! This was a wonderful book and I truly loved Ziggy and how unhinged he was. And before reading PLEASE read the trigger warnings. This was a hard read for me personally but I read the triggers and I know my limit so I read through it.
Now I'm giving this 3 stars because:
- The courtroom scene was unrealistic and pulled me out of the story - The paragraphs occasionally felt too long - Sometimes it was hard to tell who was talking - Name usage was too much. - Flashbacks caught me off guard and confused me. I'm used to flashbacks having a date or being italicized
Other than that, I loved how this was told. Ziggy was scarily dependent and obsessed with Koven. And Koven was broken beyond repair. Both characters were told beautifully and I couldn't help but feel bad for them both.
If that wasn't some unhinged trauma. This was short, sweet, to the point and a whole lot of twisted. The connection of prior characters coming into play was a nice bit here at this point of the Asylum series. Is Ziggy extremely unstable? Absolutely. What more can you ask for in the ultimate search for love? Did Koven deserve her peaceful end? Not in the way you were expecting. This one definitely hits some important asylum aspects, but not quite enough to satisfy me personally; but it does Give you some character background and resolves their story. Albeit, maybe not the way you might want it to, but it is a clean ending. Triggers are pretty obvious in this one, so check them if you have any before reading.
This book doesn’t tiptoe into madness — it dives headfirst into it. It's brutal, graphic, and unapologetically twisted.
Ziggy and Koven are two broken souls bound by blood, trauma, and obsession. Their story isn’t love — it’s rot disguised as devotion...and you can’t look away no matter how sick it gets.
The asylum setting is cinematic and claustrophobic, every page dripping with decay and desperation.
The writing is feral and fearless. You don’t just read this book, you endure it. And somehow, you’ll thank it for ruining you.
Reader warning: this one isn’t just dark...it’s pitch-black. Check the trigger list, then decide if you’re brave enough to open the first page.
We continue down the absolutely unhinged path of the Wellard Asylum to Sour which is just that, UNHINGED! Sour is a messed up Romeo and Juliet retelling that is pitch black, gory, and spicy! Koven finds herself thrown into the Wellard Asylum, and Ziggy, our obsessed/possessive MMC, finds a way to be with her in there too. But there's no HEA here folks! AB Cynthe's writing is so twisted and leaves you thinking what the F did I just read?! Her plot twist make your head spin! She packs so much in a novella and her characters are written so well!! That ending had my jaw dropping! This book was heavy so please be sure to read the trigger warnings!
Sour is book #9 in the Wellard Asylum shared world series and Ab. Cynthe took me on a whole journey that made my eyes bug out and soothed the hunger for depravity in the pit of my black soul. Bravo! Ziggy and Koven's step-sibling story did NOT go as I thought it would and I was thrilled about it. No HEAs here, but in a way, it also was. Say what you want about it, this is the kind of story that keeps me coming back for more! Wellard Asylum is the pit of darkness and I'm delightfully lost in it. 😏🖤
Another FANTASTIC read in the Wellard Asylum series! I love the toxic, twisted love between Koven and Ziggy, and the interaction between Johnny and Ziggy was AMAZING and much needed! Ziggy is definitely my new psychotic book boyfriend 🤣 I loved everything about this book and the ending absolutely shattered me!
Holy trauma bond ! And one hell of an unhinged , unstable MMC. I love me some Ziggy. Normally a Romeo and Juliet retelling makes me cringe, but this disturbing twist, had me in a chokehold. I love a good asylum setting, I love gore, and I loveeeee taboo so this really just did it for me! Incredible work!!!
I freaking love a taboo romance🤭🤭 step siblings??? count me in!!!! and dark and unhinged???? freaking yessss their love was totally destructive and deep in madness!!!! omg that end!!!! why??????😭😭😭 I am still not over it!😭😭😭
This isn’t a romance—it’s erotic horror at its finest. Dark, violent, and hauntingly beautiful. A story that explores the toxicity of love and the madness it breeds.
Koven finds herself locked inside Wellard Asylum after one horrific night, while her stepbrother, Ziggy, will do anything to get in—determined to prove his love and loyalty. What unfolds within those walls is twisted, shocking, and unforgettable.
If you crave darkness wrapped in desire, this one’s for you. 🌑
His father graped his stepsister, so he shot him, cut his dick off, and proceeded to put it in his mouth and LICK it while saying, “Mmm. I can taste you on his skin still.”
Okay think Romeo & Juliet, but step siblings and instead of Verona it takes place in a super f*cked up asylum lol and they like have this love to hate each other relationship…and kill people 😂 was some of the story a bit outlandish? Yes, but was it a dark thrilling time? Also yes! So if all that sounds up your alley give this spicy novella a read, it’s also included in a shared world series with other author books taking place at Wellard Asylum!
I'm slowly working my way through Wellard Asylum and this was my most recent experience. And yes, each book is like an experience.
I honestly had a completely different scenario in my head...aka a step-sibling/ forbidden love scenario where both siblings have an "us against the world" mentality. But this story surprised me. It was so much more complex than that and I feel what I can only describe as gratitude for getting a different perspective 😅.
I also loved how this book not only tied into the shared world of the series but how it, in particular, tied in with characters from Atrocity. You don't have to read ANY of the other books to enjoy this but it sure made things more interesting and allowed for a quick revisit to another storyline from a different POV.
Ziggy, aka Happy, is the MMC. He's definitely deranged and seemingly going nowhere in life, other than to hell but is one of those paradoxes in nature because he always seems to have resources and gets his way. I liked his obsessiveness but at the same time, I totally see why Koven aka Skittles turned SOUR towards him.
So speaking of Skittles...I really liked her. Not so much personality-wise but her way of thinking. She came off as a woman scorned. I mean if your gonna promise the woman you'll die together...ya better deliver on that promise the first time around. Men are just so fickle.
There weren't a ton of spicy scenes but I feel like what was delivered was balanced. We had lots of character development with the aid of flashbacks and I tend to prefer character development above all else.
I can't wait to continue on with this series but I kinda wish we'd get a spinoff story about Dream. I loved that side character and would definitely be interested in more from her.
Wellard Asylum shared world series Forbidden love - step siblings Toxic relationship Bisexual FMC - FF scene/ dr x patient Childhood trauma CNC and non-con Psychotic MMC Stalker MMC Possessive AF MMC Organ harvesting Electroshock therapy
“Wellard Astlum was a forgotten shithole meant to house the clinically insane, but overtime it also became the dumping ground for people like myself. People with no place left in this fucked world.” Ziggy
“Wellard Astlum was a forgotten shithole meant to house the clinically insane, but overtime it also became the dumping ground for people like myself. People with no place left in this fucked world.”
Koven She was marked as insane and shipped off to Wellard. After her stepbrother left her to die alone on the cold ground she decided he was no longer worth her time or affection. She was happy to be away from him even if it meant she was on a grippy sock vacation. Until that day, he wasn’t supposed to be there, he was supposed to be locked up in jail.
Ziggy He could not bare to be away from her. She was his world and she held his heart. He wouldn’t let anyone or anything stand between them. It didn’t matter how many people he had to eliminate if it meant she was back in his arms. Even if pleading guilty by insanity was his only option that’s what he would do. He made her a promise to always be together forever.
“I fucked up once, but I’ll never make that same mistake again. You might not want me now, but I’ll never stop wanting you. You’re mine. You just have to accept it. I’m never fucking giving you up, Koven.”
I really enjoyed this book. I personally love an unhinged MMC so Ziggy was perfect and to add in a Johnny cameo 😊. This book is filled with unhinge psycho behavior and I was here for it, as long as it’s in a fiction world! I love dream and the relationship she has between the two step siblings. I enjoyed the closure we got at the end.
This was my first book by AB Cynthe but I’m definitely adding more of her books to my TBR!.
You may be wondering, but don't worry, I'm wondering the same thing. Did I enjoy it? Of course I did. Everything I've read by this author is worth reading.
There’s no denying that there isn't a single one of her books that doesn't play with your mind as you read. Her books are dark, twisted, and with plot twists that leave you speechless. If there's one thing I like when I read, it's feeling what the author writes, and AB. Cynthe is perfect for getting my heart rate up, whether it's a really dark part or a spicy scene.
Whenever I read one of her books, I can't put them down. They're my personal obsession, and I'm not just talking about the characters😏 Am I rambling a bit? Of course I am, but that ending blew my mind and I need to get it all out.
Let me leave you with this, which was on my mind a lot while I was reading. Is the villain really the villain if his story is told with half-truths to benefit others but not him? Is the hero really the hero when he hurts everyone around him for his benefit ?
And the most important question...
📍Do I recommend it?
Without a doubt, this should already be on your TBR, bestie.
But one thing I want to make clear is that you should always read the warnings so you know what to expect while reading. It's not a light book; it's a dark book for my girls who are already into dark romance and want to find a deeper touch of darkness.
So, without further ado, if you're looking for a dark taboo novella that will make you question whether your taste for red flags is correct, this is definitely the book for you.
Now, don't forget to order your copy of “Sour,” and when you do, come back and tell me about it.
My Rating: 5⭐️ Erotic Horror Novella FF Scenes/MF Scenes Patient & Doctor Patient & Patient Taboo (Step Siblings) Extreme Obsession Trauma Bonding Possessive MMC No HEA Erotic Rating: 1.5🌶
Sour is an extremely dark and horrific story with excessive gore, descriptive trauma, and numerous taboo topics. It's book 9 in The Wellard Asylum Dark Shared World Series full of erotic horror books from 13 different authors.
Another amazing addition to Wellard Asylum Series. Although this one was less about Wellard and more about a taboo, toxic relationship, it was still a very fantastic book with a very good, horrific ending. I was hooked from the very beginning and read it in one day. It's dark and bloody. It's disturbing, gross and absolutely makes you want to gag.
That ending destroyed me. At times, I would forget it was a horror story, because I was so invested in their romance, I was hoping for a HEA. Even knowing there wouldn't be one. But that ending was perfect. Exactly how it needed to be. I loved every second. I have so many feelings. Angry but especially sad. I want to cry now that it's over. This is the third book in this series that has made me cry. My romantic heart can't handle these endings even though it was perfect. My romantic heart will always struggle. But I can't and won't stop. I'm so addicted to Wellard Asylum.
I loved reading about Johnny. His book is Atrocity by Nova Kane. Book five in this same series. However, happy did not sound like happy in Atrocity. In Atrocity, he had black hair and was a wh*r3 pretty much. In Sour, he was extremely obsessed with Kovan. That it my mind, he couldn't possibly be with anyone else.
“The past is a ghost that will forever haunt us. We must both learn to live with it, Skittles. Because it’s not going anywhere.”
“Drown me in that darkness you carry, and let’s be fucked together. Two sick little psychos.”
🌟🌟🌟 🌶️🌶️
I definitely had to sit with this book and take some time gathering my thoughts for this review. I love Cyn & have been obsessed with everything I’ve read so far. Even the books I normally wouldn’t find myself enjoying, she’s changed my mind about. That said, this wasn’t my favorite of hers. I was really excited for this, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been reading a lot of horror or pitch black lately, so while I do enjoy them, I wasn’t fully ready or prepared for it. I’m a HUGE mood reader and typically will DNF or pause a book without issue, but I still wanted to keep reading, if that makes sense at all.
I would definitely enthusiastically recommend to people that have zero triggers and love a fucked up relationship/story. Koven’s internal battle with her feelings for Ziggy was exactly what I wanted to see, but she also remained an absolute badass. 💁🏻♀️ Ziggy is the MMC I adore: obsessive, possessive, over the top, the embodiment of “touch her and die.” 😮💨 Their ending was everything that they needed it to be. 🖤
Also, I absolutely adored Dream. My girl deserves the entire world. 🥺
What to expect: 💊 Shared world 🍋 Asylum setting 💊 Erotic horror 🍋 Fucked up Romeo & Juliet retelling 💊 Taboo (step siblings) 🍋 Patient x Doctor (FF) 💊 Patient x Patient (MF) 🍋 Obsessive MMC x Bisexual FMC 💊 Horror/Gore 🍋 CNC 💊 Manipulation 🍋 Torture
Thank you Ab Cynthe for the ARC, all opinions are mine. 🖤
Title: SOUR (erotic horror novella) Author: AB. Cynthe Genre: Erotic Dark Horror Page Count / Length: (159) Rating: ⭐ /5
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💭 Quick Summary:
ZIGGY🖤🖤🖤🖤 is the new book boyfriend!! Sour by Ab Cynthe is a dark erotic horror a twisted Romeo and Juliet retelling set inside a decaying asylum. Love here is madness, obsession, and sin wrapped in skin. It’s two doomed souls bound by guilt and desire, clawing toward each other through blood, secrets, and ruin. Beautifully wicked, haunting, and utterly consuming.
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✨ What I Loved: • Now matter where koven went ZIGGY found her
• How determined and full of rage ZIGGY was to be with Koven 🥺
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🎯 Who This Is For: • Sour is for readers who crave the beautifully broken — the ones who love dark romance tangled with horror, obsession, and tragedy. It’s for people who want stories that hurt a little, who find beauty in madness, and who don’t need a happy ending to feel something real.
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Final Thought 🖤
I don’t even know how to explain what this book did to me. I felt everything all at once. Sour broke me, consumed me, and made me feel like I was losing my mind right alongside them. Ziggy was so raw, so blinded by love that he burned the world just to reach his Koven. The darkness, the obsession, the pain it all hit so deep. I’m obsessed with Ab Cynthe’s writing now; I’ll be devouring everything she creates. This book sent me spiraling in the best way possible, and it’s going to live rent-free in my head forever. Ziggy, I love you 🖤
Another amazing book in the Wellard Asylum series! I loved this book and highly recommend checking it out!
I loved the twisted bond between Koven and Ziggy, they were so toxic, but so amazing together. Loved how he kept calling her skittles and asking what flavor she was in different situations. And that ending!!! Just perfect!
Dream was an interesting character and I would love to learn more about her story. Schmoocums made me laugh lol.
The more Wellard Asylum books I read, the more I’m convinced that the staff working in there might be crazier than the patients.
Loved the mention of Haze and Indi from Baked and Johnny from Atrocity & Cirque du Désir series! Johnny and Ziggy are both psychos in their own ways so it was fun to see them interact and cause havoc together.
Please check the TW/CW before reading! This book is DARK and your mental health matters.
“What flavor are you today, Skittles?” “I wonder how death tasted. Was it bitter? Sweet? Or sour?” “Is this how things are going to work now? You think you can just tell me what to do and make me your bitch?” “The word ‘no’ doesn't exist between us, Skittles. It never has. So don’t even think of using it.” “She’s mine. Mine to touch, mine to fuck, and mine to protect. Mine!”
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
“I’d do anything to be with her again, living out our twisted and dark fantasy in the asylum. Our own insane happily ever after.”
OMG! This was totally fucked up, insanely unhinged, and had an intense but tragic ending. From the very wild beginning to the jaw dropping ending, I was captivated and glued to the pages of Korven and Ziggy’s whirlwind story.
This was very dark and twisted, brutally violent and psychotic. And I absolutely loved every freaking crazy moment of it.
Ziggy is insanely obsessed with his stepsister and he’s incredibly deranged. He will do anything to protect her and try to give her everything she needs even if it breaks him in the process.
“I’m going to take away all that pain, and I’m going to make sure no one can ever hurt you again, Koven. Just like we always planned. You and me. Forever.”
Korven is a very broken young woman. She has endured so much tragedy and trauma in her life that she just craves the silence.
The banter bordered on the depraved, but had moments of laughter woven in, especially when other characters were introduced.
There is a lot going on in this short story, but it is filled with such intense emotions that you will be heartbroken, gutted and twisted over what’s good and bad in the story.