My Bloody Valentine

by Selena Winters

As Chicago's most respected food critic, I thought I'd tasted it all. Until I encountered Adrian Vale's chocolates—and the darkness lurking beneath their perfect shells.

My gift of tasting emotions in food has always set me apart, but Adrian's creations awakened something deeper. Each truffle carried a void, an emptiness that called to the shadows within my own soul. When I discovered his deadly secret—the true source of his chocolate's unique intensity—I should have run straight to the police.

Instead, I found myself drawn deeper into his world—a world where justice is served in dark chocolate and passion bleeds into obsession. Adrian sees me for who I am, embracing the parts of myself I've always hidden. But as we hunt together, crafting exquisite confections with our special ingredients, I realize there's no going back.

They say love changes you. They never mentioned it could be so seductively dark, or that I'd welcome the monster that lurked within.

My Bloody Valentine is a dark stalker romance that explores the darker side of human nature and contains heavy subjects that some readers may find triggering. At the beginning of the book, you will have access to a full list of the warnings. This story has no cliffhanger and ends with a HEA.

Genres: Dark Romance, Crime, Dark, Horror, Smut, Contemporary Romance, Novella

324 pages, Paperback

Published February 6, 2025

Reviews

[ଘRory · Rating 1 out of 5]

My therapist suggested that my enjoyment of that book indicated Stockholm Syndrome. This one-star rating demonstrates the contrary😼 .

𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗯𝟭𝟰𝘁𝗵
I found a book to read on Valentine's Day (but I haven't got a bf yet 😭😭💔)"

[anastasia ♥ hiraeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all this is no „dark stalker romance“. There‘s no stalking. Not even one scene of him watching her. Don‘t call a fish a dog if it doesn’t bark.

Secondly - when did behaving like a cheap brain-dead slut become sexy?!? Maya, our obviously sex-deprived FMC, throws every ounce of dignity and pride overboard in her desperate attempts to not even have sex with Adrian - no, she‘s already happy with sucking him off.

And then women demand men treat them with respect and „earn them“ and treat them right and not like cheap whores or playtoys.

Yeah, Maya, I‘m sure you offering your mouth to Adrian first chance you get is REALLY going to send the right message.

Throw this book in the trash. Burn it, delete it from your Kindle, do anything you need to do to avoid reading this. And for the love of God, DO NOT learn from this.

Don‘t behave like Maya, EVER, please.

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I say I shall not look at those raspberry or strawberry ganache chocolates the same, it could mean two things I don’t like them or I shall be devouring as many as I can get in my mouth at once 😈😋

“𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝓎𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝑒𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝓅𝓊𝓁𝓈𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝒶𝓃𝒶𝒸𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒶 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓉.”

Adrian the chocolatier finds his muse in Maya an expert food critic, he stalks her before inviting her to a tasting at his boutique. From here their relationship explodes, into a flurry of push and pull. His obsession knows no bounds and his need for control, will it ultimately mean her demise or her salvation? Will his devotion to chocolate be their downfall?

Loved it, I can’t give more away as it would totally spoil the story for you. There were a couple of parts I found repetitive but not to the detriment of this great storyline, the spice wasn’t only in the decadent chocolates but amply in their love life too. Do read the trigger warnings as you may find you are allergic to the sweet stuff 🤭

[maribel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning caught my attention real quickkk then it slowly started to not have that vibe that it had in the beginning or is that just me?? It was classified as a dark stalker romance but had little to no stalking? Adrain was an intriguing character for the most part, but I felt like a lot of things were brushed by quickly and wasn’t as developed as I would have liked. The ending felt like a quick clean up, but for all that was laid on the table, it wasn’t too bad of a book.

[Shelby • the_kindle_girlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

| My Bloody Valentine | ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wanted to love this. I really did. A food critique and a psychotic hunk chocolatier with questionable ingredients, what’s not to love?! Turns out a lot 😬. It had romantic valentine Sweeney Todd potential, but it feel very short. Once the plot started around 75% I was into it, but the first 160 pages didn’t have a whole lot. This would’ve been better as a novella.

[Amanda Mayfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story felt rushed, underdeveloped, and was buried under a whole lot of the signature Selena Winter smut. 😈

Because of being rushed and underdeveloped there were a bunch of editing errors i.e. he put a blindfold on her but then the next sentence was talking about how her eyes were inquisitive as they watched him; or the inconsistency with what time of year it was - the next day was Valentine’s Day but it had an autumn chill.

I go back and forth on trying to decide if I think Maya was underdeveloped or not. She went from running away, hiding, to joining forces in the span of 24 hours. I mean…what? I guess I’m just not sure I care about her. I care more about Amelia and she is not the main focus.

Adrian is fascinating albeit repetitive (he really just wants to f*€k Maya).

There also was a lot of time spent introducing Gabe and setting it up for it to go nowhere…at least for now. Which if there is going to be a second story I’m not sure 🫤. It is unfortunate that it went nowhere as I had hopes of where I thought it was going to go.

Definitely had the smut that I love from Selena Winters, and while it had elements of horror and dark romance it was a bit of a disappointment for me compared to some of her other works.

[Kacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars ⭐️
3/5 Spice 🌶️

MF
Chocolatier x Food Critic
Serial Killer
Murder
Kidnapping
Forced Proximity
Stalker
Blood Play
Knife Play
Dubcon
Somnophilia
CNC
Dark Romance
Stockholm Syndrome
No OWD
No OMD

Once again Selena Winters audiobooks don’t disappoint. Narrators Autumn Ivy, and Walker Williams do a fantastic job together bringing this dark romance to life.

** Spoilers **
This is a darker romance and not for everyone. If you don’t like CNC, Dubcon bordering on Noncon, Knife play, Blood play, Somnophilia (that starts off noncon), Murder, and kidnapping you need to skip this one. The relationship between our FMC and MMC dips into the Stockholm Syndrome area in the middle and some people might not enjoy that.

There is a lot less outward stalking in this book compared to others but there is stalking (mostly done off page).

All of that being said I throughly enjoyed this book like I have all the others I’ve listen to by this author. I do think that her work comes across beautifully when being narrated. A talent in and of itself. I’m unsure if I’d have such strong feelings about her stories if I was reading them myself on my kindle vs being read to.

[Jessica Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one starts with a doozy and just continues throughout the book. I will say it was different from any book that i’ve read before with the MMC being a chocolatier and the FMC being a food critic. Adrian has met his match with this one and sets his sights on making her his. But this wont be an easy feat. He has to make sure that she is on board with his lifestyle. He takes being a vigilante to a whole new level. His chocolates are filled with the emotions of his victims. Well let’s just say the emotional “matter” of his victims. When she learns this she knows she needs to report him but she can’t bring herself to go through with it. She is drawn to him and she wants more but she will soon find herself in too deep. Will she accept him for who he is and what he does? Will he be able to control himself around her? This book was delicious in ever sense of the world. If you like super dark romance with a hint of psycho tendencies, this book is definitely right up your alley.

[Courtney M Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrian and Maya's story is about finding
that special someone who *gets* you even
though you weren't looking. They indulge into
some deep truths and find trust, love, and an
understanding that helps soldify just how much
they are meant for each other, and I couldn't
get enough. The side characters also deserve
some recognition, and I'd love to read more
about Amelia and Gabe!!

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 🌶🌶🌶🌶
⚠️Check Triggers/Content Warnings ⚠️

[shyra ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

a yummy little bloody read for valentines day.
i’m craving for adrians dark chocolates. 💋🍫🩸🖤

[Dru · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶🌶🌶
🔥🔥🔥

Don't trust the chocolates 🍫.

"You and me. We're the same. We see beauty in places others fear to look. It's not wrong, Adrian. It's just us."

⟣Tropes⟢
✅ Touch her and 💀
✅ Obsessive/JP MMC
✅ Dual POV’s
✅ Captor/Captive
✅ No OW drama
✅ No OM drama
✅ FMC not Virgin
✅ Fast Burn
✅ He falls first
✅ Stalker
✅ Masked MMC
✅ Gore/Horror
✅ Serial Unaliver
✅ MINE
✅ HEA

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

repetitive dialogue got old quick. interesting concept, could have been better

[Elizabeth Canchola · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just felt like I kept waiting for the story to get better.. then I got to the end.. it definitely could have been better…

[Alicia Beckmann]

DNF- I am not even going to rate this book. I am not going to yuck on anyone else’s yum. But blood play is not for me!

I read 147 pages/17 chapters even after I had the ick and decided - just NO

[Bianca Watkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive. The beginning is intriguing but it gets boring and the storyline jumps too quickly into spicy scenes that are similar every time. I know it’s probably meant to just be straight smut. But, I appreciate a good story, and this lacks in that department. I would have enjoyed it had the story dove deeper into the characters beyond sexual tension. In one scene the FMC is at a friend’s, then suddenly the reader is left wondering what was discussed with said friend and the scene shifts to another location. I don’t like how much is just left for me to figure out. There were also parts that seemed to be left half written. It was very off putting. I’m not a fan. But, to each their own. I may try another book by this author later but I don’t think I can sit through more repetition and lack of story telling. I didn’t even want to finish this one but I made myself give it a chance. I liked the idea of the story. But, I feel like it had so much more potential to be better.

[neeshreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars:⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5 (rounded up for rating)
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

If you’re looking for the perfect dark romance read for Valentine’s Day that’s unhinged yet deliciously decadent, here it is!

💀Chocolatier & Masked Serial ☠️ MMC
🖤Food Critic FMC
💀Chocolate with Special Ingredients 🩸💦 👀
🖤Inappropriate Use of Chocolate Mousse 🍫
💀Sømnø, DubCøn & CNC
🖤Ladynapping & a Sprinkle of Stockholm Syndrome?
💀Forced Proximity
🖤Possessive & Obsessive MMC
💀Dom/Sub Power Exchange
🖤Use of Restraints, 🔪 &🩸 Play
💀Praise & Degradation

Maya is a respected food critic with the gift of tasting emotions within each dish. She thought she’d tasted it all – until she encountered Adrian’s chocolates and the darkness hiding within their perfect shells. While she should be running scared, Maya finds herself drawn into Adrian’s world and secretly loves that their shared passion turns into obsession…

I did an immersive read for this one and you know what? Walker Williams and Autumn Ivy KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK! They were perfect for their roles! First off, Walker Williams has no business sounding the way he does *screeching unintelligibly* The fact that this was playing in my AirPods at preschool drop-off made me feel a little unhinged, but no regrets 🤣 Walker Williams had the perfect dark heavy tenor when needed, embracing the carefully controlled and precise expression needed for portraying Adrian in all his calculated glory. And Autumn Ivy had me thinking she was legit a food critic – she embodied the elegant and refined proclivities of Maya and portrayed her in a way that had you being like “I get it, girl…because same. It’s not Stockholm Syndrome, okay?” 10/10 performances!

Was I questioning my sanity while reading? It’s possible, because I’m over here being like: Would I accept wine and chocolates from Adrian, knowing what I know? Well... Yes. Remember, we listen and we don’t judge around here 🤣 Adrian was UNHINGED in that calculated way like Dexter (probably why I liked him so much 🤣) with his affinity for adhering to procedures and plans, incorporating his “hobbies” outside of work with his work, and always staying in control…until Maya. The chemistry between those two? Off. The. Charts. I loved a determined man and when Adrian lost control? WHEW!

And the BESTIES?! Cannot wait for Gabe and Amelia’s story!

[booking _with_romancegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly phenomenal and deranged at the same time

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

🖤Tropes 🖤
❤️Masked Man
❤️St@lker
❤️ Kidnapping
❤️Serial ☠️
❤️🩸Play
❤️CNC
❤️Valentine Theme
❤️🔪 Play

🖤Overview 🖤

Adrian
I'm skilled at what I do and I've never been caught. I find the beauty in chocolate and I'm able to subside my cravings with the work of art I do. When she walks in and critiques my delicious sweets I know she sees the underlining materials I use. Will I be able to keep her...

Maya
I've always been different I've always been able to taste more than just food itself. So what I start to taste in this man's food is alluring and also very dangerous. Well I was staying him or will I succumb to his dangerous nature or will I find out more of myself it's just like him...

🖤My Thoughts 🖤

This is beyond indulging, you not only have two strong main characters but you also have two Side characters that will leave you wanting more of them. I was in tranced from the very first word and yet as each delicious taunting of what's to come next hit you your left with a hangover like no other.
Maya is different her senses are different and yet she has something inside of her that she is suppressed but she'll soon realize what it is. She's conflicted with herself because of the way Adrian is and what he does but yet they are so phenomenal together.
Adrian is a walking red flag and is not to be mistaken for anything but the psychotic behavior he has. His story will gut you but also show you how deranged he is.

If you loved Butcher and Blackbird &the movie The Menu , you will not want to put this down the vibes of those two things are so strong and yet so completely different.

Spice is a level of trust but also CNC is real waking up to a man in the ways he is and what he does to you it's a level connection that is so overwhelming and Maya and Adrian have that.

I cannot wait for Gabe and Amelia to have their own book as well because they are so strong in this book they deserve their story.

🔸Check Trigger Warnings ‼️

[xbebex78 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maya is a food reviewer she not only tastes emotions in the food. It’s an odd thing of hers that now she keeps to herself since people think she’s odd because of it. She goes to a Chocolate art exhibit and tonight she will taste one of Mr. Vale’s chocolate. She tries a truffle and she tastes their emotions. For example the truffle tastes empty and hollow. Adrian saw her in her moment with the truffle that he asked her and she told him. He was impressed of her taste of emotions in his candy that he gave her a special one to taste. She opened the box and it’s a chocolate shaped as a fingerprint. The chocolate tastes of bitter, sweet and something else she can’t explain. Maybe lust? He likes her honesty and the way she tastes his chocolate. He has his Valentine collection coming in and he is creating something special for the launch. He told her that he hopes she can attend. Before she leaves he tells that there was something unique in the chocolate she ate. She doesn’t like how her body reacts to him and she has the warning feeling inside but her body feels different. Omg she tasted the unique that he was talking about and it was let’s just say a part of him. She was feeling lust all over her body and tasting him. This book has me in like what the heck ( in a good and weird way ). Different in the story line but good. Maya is interested in how he makes his chocolate without realizing that he will make her his. She is in between block and never see him again, to I want to see who he really is. She doesn’t know what she’s getting into. She’s his and he will show how much his she is. I am hooked. You will have to read the rest to see what will happen. All I can say is I will never see chocolate the same. Will she fall for him? Will she stay once she knows his secrets? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[sinners reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I just have a few issues which is why I took away one star.

Chapter 19 does not align with anything from the previous 2 chapters it’s like her personality changed completely then came right back to the scared woman who was afraid of who she was

Also chapter 19 she says she is going to taste his blood for the first time, but she did in chapter 18

He constantly says surrender to me throughout the book. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine to repeat the same thing over and over. Also repeats the same line of “I need to possess her fully and brand her as mine in every way imaginable”

In chapter 29 he says he loves her and she won’t say it back “The words are there, lodged in my throat. I feel them—God, do I feel them—but they refuse to come out. Maybe it’s too soon. Maybe I need time to process what we just did together. Or maybe I’m afraid that saying it will make this all too real.”
But she literally already said it in chapter 26.

This last one is silly but it made me giggle.
“He undresses slowly, shedding his elegance with each article of clothing—the woolen vest, the crisp, white shirt, his shoes—polished to perfection—followed by socks that reveal tan, muscular legs.”

How can socks reveal tan muscular legs, unless he’s wearing like thigh highs 😂 His pants are still on, he takes them off in the literal next paragraph.

Mostly unrelated but I hate how it skips from them possibly about to murder her best friend for finding out their secrets to her best friend being with Gabe? Like such buildup of Adrian saying he would kill her if it meant keeping them safe to absolutely no reprieve of what happened with mayas convo with Amelia?
I’m glad Gabe and Amelia ended up together but it was such an unnecessary side story. Like really what did they even bring to the main story.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a five course meal of angst, spice, and tension, and I savored every single bite. The enemies to lovers dynamic was deliciously sharp, with just the right amount of push and pull to keep me hanging on every word. When Maya Kendall, the renowned food critic with a rare gift, synesthesia, steps into Adrian Vale’s exclusive chocolate boutique to critique his latest collection, she expects nothing more than another review. Unlike other critics, Maya doesn’t just taste flavors; she experiences the emotions woven into every ingredient. And Adrian? The sophisticated chocolatier, the dangerous predator—his creations are layered with more than just rich cocoa and exotic spices. When Maya’s gift picks up on the raw, unfiltered emotions laced into his chocolates, she realizes there’s far more to Adrian than meets the eye. The question is, can she walk away from what she’s discovered? Or will they blend their talents to create something even more intoxicating?

The tension between them was chef’s kiss - bittersweet, dark, and utterly addictive. Their chemistry simmered like molten chocolate, thick with unspoken words and unrelenting need. And when that slow burn finally melted? The smut was decadently sinful rich, indulgent, and so utterly delicious I needed to take a breath (or five). The way Adrian worships her, the way Maya tries to resist but is drawn in by the complexity of both his chocolates and his soul? Perfection.

If you love your romance with a side of danger, a hero as dangerously smooth as the confections he crafts, and a heroine who refuses to be just another ingredient in his game, this book is an exquisite treat. Trust me, you’ll be devouring this one in a single sitting.

[Heather Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was absolutely delicious, just like Adrian's chocolates. Honestly, I'll probably never look at chocolate the same way again and I fear that in the back of my mind I'll forever wonder what is in them and who made them.. But I really loved this book. I loved how Maya's darkness was awakened by Adrian's obsession. I loved the vigilante type aspect of what he does. Their backstories.. everything. And oh, the spice!! Damn that was HOT! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

My only issues with this story is that there seemed to be inconsistentcies within the timeline. It starts when they meet just a week before Valentine's Day, but he mentions the "autumn air." Then, he basically kidnaps her on Valentine's day. He holds her for an undetermined amount of days until she finally escapes then he finds her and confronts her a few days later. Then it's suddenly 2 weeks later when they go hunting together. Then towards the end, it's 4 months later but they're doing an Easter collection?? Doesn't make sense. Then the second epilogue is 6 months later but it's around Valentine's again..?? The overall timeline just doesn't add up right. Then there's the inconsistency with the name of Gabe's jazz club. He refers to it with Amelia as The Blue Room, but then later Adrian refers to Gabe as the owner of Blue Note Jazz Club. So I'm confused as to what the club's name actually is.. I also found the first half of the book to be very repetitive. They keep basically just saying the same things to each other over and over again, which was a little annoying.

Looking past all those things, though, I ate this story up and really enjoyed it! I plan to read Gabe and Amelia's story as well.

[PlotTwist&Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5). Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3/5)

Ah, Bloody Valentine—because nothing says romance like blood, trauma, and a few ethically questionable decisions. If you’re looking for a sweet, heartwarming love story, turn around now and go find a Nicholas Sparks novel. This book? It’s a dark, twisted, and gloriously unhinged ride that’ll have you side-eyeing your Kindle and questioning your life choices (in the best way possible).

What to Expect (aka, the Trigger Buffet)

Selena Winters doesn’t tiptoe around the dark stuff—she kicks the door down and drags you inside. Be prepared for:
✔ Violence & Gore – Because love is best served with a side of blood.
✔ Dubious Morality – Everyone in this book needs therapy, but instead, they choose violence.
✔ Obsession & Possession – The kind of romance that would have a restraining order in real life.
✔ Toxic Relationships – Red flags? More like a whole parade.
✔ Spicy Scenes – But make it morally questionable.

The Verdict

This book is like a Valentine’s Day date gone horribly wrong—but in the most addictive, can’t-look-away kind of way. The writing is sharp, the tension is high, and the characters are messy in a way that makes your own bad decisions look mild. If you love dark romance with a side of chaos and a sprinkle of WTF, Bloody Valentine is calling your name.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. But only if you enjoy books that make your soul a little darker and your standards a little more questionable. Enjoy responsibly.

[addictedtodarkromance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adrian, a chocolatier, invites Maya, a well-known food critic to try his chocolates. She has synesthesia where she can taste emotions when she eats. When she doesn't connect with the chocolates he gave her Adrian ends up offering a special collection he has, which Maya finds addictive!

The way the two were together drew me in and I loved the way the chemistry built. The spice was steamy and filled with so much passion. Once Maya found out Adrian's secret ingredient she was hesitant to be with him but at the same time couldn't stay away. As time went on she started to accept her darker side and embrace the life he was able to offer her.

This was a fun (in a dark way), unique and spicy Valentine's story!


Overall: 4 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice/Heat Intensity: 3 out of 5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Adrian & Maya
Darkness: 3 out of 5 🖤🖤🖤
Type of book: MF, Fast Burn, Duel 1st Person POV
Reading Order: Standalone
Title: My Bloody Valentine Series
Audiobook: n/a as of Feb 2025
Ending Type: HEA

*OTT Possessive, obsessive, dominant MMC
*Serial Unaliver
*Kidnapping
*Stalker
*No cheating or sharing


⚠️ This book has descriptive parts that may be extremely offensive or triggering to some - Please check the TW/CW before reading! 18+

*I received an early copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Grace Machuca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selena Winters is one of my top favorite authors. Her dark stalker romance books bring not only suspense but a dark, twisted HEA. You find yourself rooting for the dark, unhinged anti-hero, the villian.

My Bloody Valentine is no different. I love Selena's reads, but I can honestly say this one has been my favorite.

Adrian is a chocolatier, and Maya is a well-known food critic. She can taste the emotions in one's food. Adrian he pors emotions into the chocolates he make with his "special" ingredient. He meets her at a tasting event and has been obsessed with her and her work. He knows that she is who he needs. All it takes is one taste of his special chocolate, and she is hooked.

After an intense night of passion and discovering Adrian's truth, she finds herself in a battle with what she wants and who she thinks she is. With Adrian's help, she is able to embrace her own darkness while bringing balance to Adrian.

He loves her, and even though she fights him and her needs, she can't help being pulled into his darkness and into his world. She not only start accepting all of him but herself as well. I devoured this read. The intensity of their passion and the thrill of the hunt had me on edge. I hope we get a read about their besties, Gabe and Amelia, with a glimpse or two of Adrian and Maya.

I gave this read a well-deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and Selena never falls short on the spice 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶.

[MMSTFUATTDLAGG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Spice/Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Relationship: MF
Tropes/Triggers: Serial killer, murder, masked man, rape role play, blood play, knife play, primal play, degradation, somnophilia, body fluid consumption
Series: My Bloody Valentine - Standalone

Synopsis
FMC Maya is a well respected food critic with a unique ability to taste emotions in food.

MMC Adrian is a luxury chocolatier who uses unique ingredients in his creations.

Maya can taste strong emotions in Adrian’s chocolates but she cannot place what his secret ingredients are at first. Most people would be disgusted by what they are but Maya is intrigued when she finds out.

Review
This book was just okay. I always appreciate spicy, degradation from an alpha MMC who takes control but there were some elements of the plot I couldn’t get into. It was too much of a stretch to taste emotions in food and an infamous, luxury chocolatier who uses certain ingredients yet nobody else has figured out what they are.

I liked how both MC’s had supportive best friends and that the MC’s don’t have to give up their lives to run off into the sunset like the author’s other books. I enjoyed many of her books but unfortunately this one wasn’t it for me.

[liz Chepkwony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sorry, He put what in her truffle?! This dark romance is spicy and for sure dark. Adrian the chocolatier meets Maya the food critic that can feel emotions from the food she consumes. But Adrian has a dark secret, one that Maya may not be able to deal with. This book was good. There was some inconsistency with the timing of the Epilogues. My biggest issue with this one was how easily the FMC and her best friend accepted these dark secrets. They just meet for the first time at the beginning of the book and she is willing to not only overlook his past time, but participate in it. I get that she has this darkness inside her and that’s mostly what the book is about. Like calling to like. That being said the book was good and had some very nice spicy scenes. It just wasn’t can’t put down quality to me.. but it definitely was worth the read. Though it could use some stalking. He didn’t really stalking her much once they met. It seemed like a book that was gearing up for a sequel toward the end. There were too many story lines that kept popping up toward the end and I didn’t feel like they really got resolved.

[Lirz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to state that this is the first book of this author that I came across.

This book reminds me of the works of Wattpad, not to insult the book in any way - it has a brilliant idea, and a very raw execution, as if written purely by heart, not by measure.

That being said, the one thing that really put me off is the amount of sex scenes. That specific part lasted way too long for a romance book - the intimate scenes just kept on going, and after a while, I decided to skip a couple chapters. It's like the culmination being stretched, becoming plain to the point of when getting back to usual plot feels refreshing.

I mean, the description promises romance, not erotica. It's bound to repel readers that don't expect this.

The style of writing is oddly familiar to works of the platform mentioned - the scenes changing quickly, people talking in prewritten sentences - beautiful and a little unnatural, - matching the pace of author's thought, I assume.

Even though it's not my cup of tea, I'm glad people do appreciate this style. Despite everything, it's a book written for dark romance lovers, not meant to be realistic, but to embrace the dark topics we came here for.

[Pages by Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went into this one genuinely hopeful. The premise had everything I love on paper—chocolate, murder, obsessive love, a dark Valentine’s atmosphere. It felt like it had the potential to be deliciously unhinged in all the right ways.
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t match the promise.
The relationship escalated almost immediately, leaning heavily into physical intensity without any meaningful emotional build. The “special ingredient” reveal on the first date was clearly meant to shock, but it felt more gimmicky than compelling. From there, the story spiraled into a dynamic that relied almost entirely on physical obsession rather than psychological depth or relational tension.
What ultimately made it a DNF for me was the lack of emotional foundation. Dark romance can absolutely work—but it needs tension, chemistry, psychological nuance, and earned connection. Instead, it felt like shock value overtook storytelling, and several consecutive chapters focused solely on physical encounters without moving the plot or characters forward.
I wanted twisted romance. I wanted obsession with layers.
This one just didn’t give me enough substance to stay.

[BrainrotBulbasaur · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment. I had to stomach through the first half just because I didn't want another DNF book on my theoretical shelf. The book was 90% spice 10% Bad writing. Barely any story. The characters were flatter and duller then cardboard. It felt like it should have been posted on an erotic website or reddit rather then published. For a book about harsh criticisms and extreme consumerism this book missed it's own mark. This book was as void and as soulless as the dudes chocolates. Seriously if the writer didn't use a bot to write this I'd be surprised as hell. The dude is just a straight up murderer for the fun of it basically. Yeah there was a bit of backstory about his mom and dad but it was so fucken brief that you forget it almost instantly. Like what? Flesh out your characters more! (Pun Intended) Not to mention that the main character has Synesthesia but the book hints that the love interest also senses like it but not really? This book was written like the writer didn't proof read previous chapters before she continued writing. This is a skip if you read for both story and smut.

[spicy_book_nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts / Synopsis : Adriane Vale is intense and obsessive. Maya didn’t have a chance when he set his sight on her.

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot / Storyline 👩🏻‍💻: 📑📑📑
Heat / Burn (slow / fast): 🐢🐢🐇🐇🐇
Darkness: 🖤🖤
Red Flags: 🚩🚩🚩
Kinks: 🫦🫦🫦🫦
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🫣🤣😮‍💨🥵🥵
Ending: 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}

⚠️⚠️⚠️spoilers - whole story***
Maya is a food critic with a type of synesthesia that allows her to taste emotions through food.
Adrian is a world renowned chocolatier that uses bl%d in his “special collections”.
Maya figures this out when he hands some of his white sauce to hers and it leaves her lusting after him, almost addicted.
She of course is mortified but still intrigued.
The spice… 😮‍💨, Adrian is passion is, extreme to say the least, and his mouth… dirty isn’t worthy of what his mouth can do.
Maya accepts what he does, after Adrian practically holds her for a couple of days. However, she puts stipulations on his unaliving: only deserving bad people are taken out.