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Cruel Kingdoms #1
Sinister Desire
A dark romance fairy tale reimagining of the infamous Cinderella.
It’s been a year since my faithful follower left me a letter.
A year since he promised me freedom.
A year since my husband’s death.
And a year since I started this new.
Do I regret becoming a Harlot in a town where a serial killer targets them?
No.
I don’t regret many things in my life.
Do I regret not reporting my stalker—I mean faithful follower—to the police?
That answer changed the day I found a letter on my doorstep telling me that my time to grieve my dead husband was over.
He says the game has begun, and I’m not sure I have a choice but to play.
Sinister Desire is a dark romance and the first of the interconnected standalone novella series Cruel Kingdoms, where the villains get to tell their stories.
It’s been a year since my faithful follower left me a letter.
A year since he promised me freedom.
A year since my husband’s death.
And a year since I started this new.
Do I regret becoming a Harlot in a town where a serial killer targets them?
No.
I don’t regret many things in my life.
Do I regret not reporting my stalker—I mean faithful follower—to the police?
That answer changed the day I found a letter on my doorstep telling me that my time to grieve my dead husband was over.
He says the game has begun, and I’m not sure I have a choice but to play.
Sinister Desire is a dark romance and the first of the interconnected standalone novella series Cruel Kingdoms, where the villains get to tell their stories.
- GenresFantasyDark Romance
155 pages, Paperback
Published March 25, 2025
6 people are currently reading
1783 people want to read
About the author
S.Y.K. Kelly
5 books61 followersSYK KELLY IS A DARK ROMANTASY WRITER WHOSE BOOKS REIMAGINE THE CLASSIC MYTHS AND STORIES WE ALL KNOW, BRINGING A DARK, SULTRY, EPIC,
ROMANTIC TWIST.
Cruel Kingdoms series: dark fairy tale retellings
Cruel Gods series: dark Greek mythology retellings
ROMANTIC TWIST.
Cruel Kingdoms series: dark fairy tale retellings
Cruel Gods series: dark Greek mythology retellings
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 15, 2025
This little novella… don’t make the mistake of thinking it doesn’t pack a punch in just a short package. I read 48% in one sitting, which ended my NINE-DAY slump.
That being said, this one kept me on my toes. A little thriller, a little fantasy, a lot of spice, and make it dark... the recipe I enjoy best 😈
🖤 masked man
🖤 devoted mother
🖤 fairytale retelling
🖤 stalker
🖤 primal play
🖤 serial k1ll3r
That being said, this one kept me on my toes. A little thriller, a little fantasy, a lot of spice, and make it dark... the recipe I enjoy best 😈
🖤 masked man
🖤 devoted mother
🖤 fairytale retelling
🖤 stalker
🖤 primal play
🖤 serial k1ll3r
March 5, 2025
This is a dark retelling of Cinderella with all of our favorite tropes. From stalker romance, masked mmc, second chance, touch her and die, and so many more. SYK did a magnificent job with this one.
I must admit I’m not one for fairytale retellings but this one stood out to me and had me hooked from the second chapter. At first starting this book I was a bit confused but afterwards it was a quick and easy read. I also loved how it was from the stepmothers pov instead which I think helped me love it even more because it’s so different than normal retellings other authors have done in the past.
The character growth throughout the book was top tier and let me tell you Audrey’s character growth was my favorite. But then you have Ember’s who I knew from the beginning was going to be a major problem and boy was I right. Oh and don’t forget Little birds faithful follower and how unhinged he actually is throughout this book as well.
I can’t wait to see and read more of SYK Kelly’s work in the future.
I must admit I’m not one for fairytale retellings but this one stood out to me and had me hooked from the second chapter. At first starting this book I was a bit confused but afterwards it was a quick and easy read. I also loved how it was from the stepmothers pov instead which I think helped me love it even more because it’s so different than normal retellings other authors have done in the past.
The character growth throughout the book was top tier and let me tell you Audrey’s character growth was my favorite. But then you have Ember’s who I knew from the beginning was going to be a major problem and boy was I right. Oh and don’t forget Little birds faithful follower and how unhinged he actually is throughout this book as well.
I can’t wait to see and read more of SYK Kelly’s work in the future.
February 14, 2025
I was given the opportunity to read this as an ARC in return for an honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
☆ Dark Cinderella Retelling
☆ Twisted Tale
☆ Stalker Romance
☆ Masked MMC
☆ Second Chance
☆ Touch her you 💀
☆ Secret identity
~~~~~~~
Ok. Omargosh. I love this book so much! I have no words! I’ve read many fariytale retelling, but I think this is one of the top ones on my list. This is also my first Cinderella retelling and I LOVED IT!! It followed the stepmom instead, and I just- AHHHH
The story: This plot was immaculate. She ate and left no crumbs 💅 The setting felt so surreal, and the imagery was so impressive! I pictured everything perfectly! This still followed the story of Cinderella, but with some major twists and changes. There was a ball, the two step sisters, the step mother, and Prince Charming. But sooooo much was changed and I LOVED it so so much. The writing was smooth and elegant and easy to follow. It was mystical yet realistic at the same time, and there were even some add ins that made Cinderella’s story even more interesting! But this ain’t Cinderellas story anymore 😤 it’s Audrey’s. And I think that this change in perspective was executed perfectly!
The characters: Audrey oh my gosh. She is a badass in a lady’s dress, with a heart of gold and a beautiful personality. Ms. Kelly not only captured a broken hearted woman, she perfectly captured a woman who is powerful and empathetic and understanding. She went through a lot as a child and it was so beautiful to watch her with her own daughters, and Ember; her step daughter. With other characters, you can learn to love them or hate them, and Ms. Kelly creates a perfectly loathsome character! THE BETRAYALS OH MY GODDDDD IT WAS HORRIBLE! And don’t even get me started on Mr. Faithful follower 😏 the first time we met him- yeah I fell in love. JDHFKWODIOWOW JUST WOW!! Such amazing characterization and I love how Ms. Kelly took a hated Disney character and turned her into a loving and wonderful woman! It takes talent to do that!
The spice: I put this as a 🌶️🌶️/5 on the spice scale. There were about 3-4 open door scenes with heavy innuendos and adult references. BUT THE SPICE ITSELF WAS UNHINGED I FUCKING LOVED IT 👹👹 There were elements of light bondage, masked man/stalker, primal play/chasing, and a really loving and possessive man. Like ok Mr. Masked man, you can call me little bird any day and I would fold. Like YES PLEASE. Gosh I just loved it so much!! To me, this book felt more mature to read and honestly felt like an official bodice ripper. I don’t know if that makes sense since all spicy books are bodice rippers, but with the setting, characters, and spice all mixed into one just makes this book seem so regal and unique. This was such an amazing retelling and I am so honored that I got to read this early! Thank you Ms. SYK Kelly!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
☆ Dark Cinderella Retelling
☆ Twisted Tale
☆ Stalker Romance
☆ Masked MMC
☆ Second Chance
☆ Touch her you 💀
☆ Secret identity
~~~~~~~
Ok. Omargosh. I love this book so much! I have no words! I’ve read many fariytale retelling, but I think this is one of the top ones on my list. This is also my first Cinderella retelling and I LOVED IT!! It followed the stepmom instead, and I just- AHHHH
The story: This plot was immaculate. She ate and left no crumbs 💅 The setting felt so surreal, and the imagery was so impressive! I pictured everything perfectly! This still followed the story of Cinderella, but with some major twists and changes. There was a ball, the two step sisters, the step mother, and Prince Charming. But sooooo much was changed and I LOVED it so so much. The writing was smooth and elegant and easy to follow. It was mystical yet realistic at the same time, and there were even some add ins that made Cinderella’s story even more interesting! But this ain’t Cinderellas story anymore 😤 it’s Audrey’s. And I think that this change in perspective was executed perfectly!
The characters: Audrey oh my gosh. She is a badass in a lady’s dress, with a heart of gold and a beautiful personality. Ms. Kelly not only captured a broken hearted woman, she perfectly captured a woman who is powerful and empathetic and understanding. She went through a lot as a child and it was so beautiful to watch her with her own daughters, and Ember; her step daughter. With other characters, you can learn to love them or hate them, and Ms. Kelly creates a perfectly loathsome character! THE BETRAYALS OH MY GODDDDD IT WAS HORRIBLE! And don’t even get me started on Mr. Faithful follower 😏 the first time we met him- yeah I fell in love. JDHFKWODIOWOW JUST WOW!! Such amazing characterization and I love how Ms. Kelly took a hated Disney character and turned her into a loving and wonderful woman! It takes talent to do that!
The spice: I put this as a 🌶️🌶️/5 on the spice scale. There were about 3-4 open door scenes with heavy innuendos and adult references. BUT THE SPICE ITSELF WAS UNHINGED I FUCKING LOVED IT 👹👹 There were elements of light bondage, masked man/stalker, primal play/chasing, and a really loving and possessive man. Like ok Mr. Masked man, you can call me little bird any day and I would fold. Like YES PLEASE. Gosh I just loved it so much!! To me, this book felt more mature to read and honestly felt like an official bodice ripper. I don’t know if that makes sense since all spicy books are bodice rippers, but with the setting, characters, and spice all mixed into one just makes this book seem so regal and unique. This was such an amazing retelling and I am so honored that I got to read this early! Thank you Ms. SYK Kelly!!
February 18, 2025
ℒ𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁ℯ 𝒷𝒾𝓇𝒹 ♡ The absolute vibes this novela brought to the table. Chefs kiss 💋 I had the honor of reading the ARC to 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 by @sykkelly and let me tell you, I ate it up! I would have read it in one setting if I hadn't been so busy over the weekend. It was so good!!
Touch her and die ✔️
Masked stalker ✔️
Second Chance ✔️
Serial Unaliver ✔️
Dark Fairytale Romance ✔️
This is a retelling of Cinderella, only there is no evil steph mother, but there IS an evil step daughter. A masked stalker and a serial unaliver, I don't want to tell you too much and give it all away but I will say, please read this when it comes out in March, if you're on my page, you know the vibes I bring to the table and if you're here we have similar tastes so I know you'll love it too!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Blurb:
A dark romance fairy tale reimagining of the infamous Cinderella.
It’s been a year since my faithful follower left me a letter.
A year since he promised me freedom.
A year since my husband’s death.
And a year since I started this new life.
Do I regret becoming a Harlot in a town where a serial killer targets them?
No.
I don’t regret many things in my life.
Do I regret not reporting my stalker—I mean faithful follower—to the police?
That answer changed the day I found a letter on my doorstep telling me that my time to grieve my dead husband was over.
He says the game has begun, and I’m not sure I have a choice but to play.
Sinister Desire is a dark romance and the first of the interconnected standalone novella series Cruel Kingdoms, where the villains get to tell their stories.
Touch her and die ✔️
Masked stalker ✔️
Second Chance ✔️
Serial Unaliver ✔️
Dark Fairytale Romance ✔️
This is a retelling of Cinderella, only there is no evil steph mother, but there IS an evil step daughter. A masked stalker and a serial unaliver, I don't want to tell you too much and give it all away but I will say, please read this when it comes out in March, if you're on my page, you know the vibes I bring to the table and if you're here we have similar tastes so I know you'll love it too!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Blurb:
A dark romance fairy tale reimagining of the infamous Cinderella.
It’s been a year since my faithful follower left me a letter.
A year since he promised me freedom.
A year since my husband’s death.
And a year since I started this new life.
Do I regret becoming a Harlot in a town where a serial killer targets them?
No.
I don’t regret many things in my life.
Do I regret not reporting my stalker—I mean faithful follower—to the police?
That answer changed the day I found a letter on my doorstep telling me that my time to grieve my dead husband was over.
He says the game has begun, and I’m not sure I have a choice but to play.
Sinister Desire is a dark romance and the first of the interconnected standalone novella series Cruel Kingdoms, where the villains get to tell their stories.
March 4, 2025
ARC Review- Sinister Desire by Syk Kelly🖤🥀 No Spoilers!
This was the perfectly twisted reimagined novella of Cinderella and I ate up every single page.🖤Sinister Desire follows the foundation of Cinderella and has a few Cinderella eggs sprinkled around, but that’s just it. This novella is unique and mysterious all on its own!
The story follows Audrey(not evil step-mother) trying to support her two twin daughters, and Ember, her evil (step-daughter) by any means necessary after her husband ☠️. Can we get a clap for a badass FMC doing it on her own👏🏽👏🏽! No spoilers, but you’ll learn to hate Ember.
Syk Kelly gives us a masked stalker aka Audrey’s Faithful Follower😍. He’s dark, mysterious, and oh so delicious. He gives us all the touch her and ☠️ vibes we dark romance lovers crave!🖤 & he has a sassy and sexy best friend (Duke🥵) that you’ll end up falling for😍.
The 🌶️🌶️🌶️ was chef’s 💋 throughout the book and didn’t take away from the plot.
Vibes:
🖤Masked Stalker
🥀Touch her and ☠️
🖤Second Chance
🥀Secret Identity
🖤Serial Killer
🥀Dark Fairytale Retelling
🖤Spiceeee🌶️🌶️🌶️🥵
Run, don’t walk to read Sinister Desire March 25th!
This was the perfectly twisted reimagined novella of Cinderella and I ate up every single page.🖤Sinister Desire follows the foundation of Cinderella and has a few Cinderella eggs sprinkled around, but that’s just it. This novella is unique and mysterious all on its own!
The story follows Audrey(not evil step-mother) trying to support her two twin daughters, and Ember, her evil (step-daughter) by any means necessary after her husband ☠️. Can we get a clap for a badass FMC doing it on her own👏🏽👏🏽! No spoilers, but you’ll learn to hate Ember.
Syk Kelly gives us a masked stalker aka Audrey’s Faithful Follower😍. He’s dark, mysterious, and oh so delicious. He gives us all the touch her and ☠️ vibes we dark romance lovers crave!🖤 & he has a sassy and sexy best friend (Duke🥵) that you’ll end up falling for😍.
The 🌶️🌶️🌶️ was chef’s 💋 throughout the book and didn’t take away from the plot.
Vibes:
🖤Masked Stalker
🥀Touch her and ☠️
🖤Second Chance
🥀Secret Identity
🖤Serial Killer
🥀Dark Fairytale Retelling
🖤Spiceeee🌶️🌶️🌶️🥵
Run, don’t walk to read Sinister Desire March 25th!
February 17, 2025
check triggers
this novella was what i wanted it to be. a twisted fairytale retelling of Cinderella, it hit its mark. i really enjoyed reading this one. Audrey the stepmother in this story although not a wicked or evil one. just a widow trying to provide for her family. she has a stalker, Faithful follower dangerous dark and masked had my heart. he only has one obsession. the spice was spicing in this novella. i found it hard to put it down. i will definitely be picking up more from this author. im a fan of the writing
this novella was what i wanted it to be. a twisted fairytale retelling of Cinderella, it hit its mark. i really enjoyed reading this one. Audrey the stepmother in this story although not a wicked or evil one. just a widow trying to provide for her family. she has a stalker, Faithful follower dangerous dark and masked had my heart. he only has one obsession. the spice was spicing in this novella. i found it hard to put it down. i will definitely be picking up more from this author. im a fan of the writing
February 13, 2025
If you love reading fairytale re-tellings add this to your TBR now!
*4.5/5 stars
5/5 spice
First in its series, Sinister Desire by SYK Kelly is a dark romance novella and re-imagining of Cinderella. I absolutely devoured this in a matter of hours. I loved the connection between the FMC & our stalker AKA faithful follower. I loved the role reversal between characters & the MMC is the definition of ‘touch her & 💀’. The serial
k!ller mystery was intriguing & I loved how the twists just kept coming. I literally could not put this down. & I am excited to see where the rest of this series goes.
Pre-order now! Releases on 3.25.25 🖤
*Thank you, SYK Kelly for this ARC! All thoughts & opinions are my own.*
*4.5/5 stars
5/5 spice
First in its series, Sinister Desire by SYK Kelly is a dark romance novella and re-imagining of Cinderella. I absolutely devoured this in a matter of hours. I loved the connection between the FMC & our stalker AKA faithful follower. I loved the role reversal between characters & the MMC is the definition of ‘touch her & 💀’. The serial
k!ller mystery was intriguing & I loved how the twists just kept coming. I literally could not put this down. & I am excited to see where the rest of this series goes.
Pre-order now! Releases on 3.25.25 🖤
*Thank you, SYK Kelly for this ARC! All thoughts & opinions are my own.*
March 26, 2025
ARC READER REVIEW!
“Little bird” 😍
This is my first book by this author so I was going in blind.
It’s a Cinderella retelling, but instead of an evil stepmom, the stepdaughters the evil one.
Audrey, stepmom, is doing what she had to in order to survive and keep her kids afloat. Including a difficult troubled stepdaughter.
For being so young, Audreys been through it all and her character growth and emotional maturity is outstanding to see unfold.
Without giving away any spoilers, in this book we have;
Masked stalker
Second chance
Dark fairytale retelling and
A serial unaliver.
Nothing is as it seems, and in the beginning you may be a tad confused but keep reading and everything will be revealed and the two mcs get the happily ever after they both deserve!
“Little bird” 😍
This is my first book by this author so I was going in blind.
It’s a Cinderella retelling, but instead of an evil stepmom, the stepdaughters the evil one.
Audrey, stepmom, is doing what she had to in order to survive and keep her kids afloat. Including a difficult troubled stepdaughter.
For being so young, Audreys been through it all and her character growth and emotional maturity is outstanding to see unfold.
Without giving away any spoilers, in this book we have;
Masked stalker
Second chance
Dark fairytale retelling and
A serial unaliver.
Nothing is as it seems, and in the beginning you may be a tad confused but keep reading and everything will be revealed and the two mcs get the happily ever after they both deserve!
March 8, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️.75/5
The way I didn’t want Sinister Desire to ever end! I need more! The way that I was sucked into this book! The constant state of trying to figure out who the MMC is and how he is tied in to everything! Oh my god I was shocked and giddy all at the same time! This book was absolutely amazing, it gave plenty of back story to truly grasp what was going on throughout. On top of the plot being absolutely amazing. Then throwing in a little bit of crazy twist and a dash of spice which I absolutely loved! I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR!
🌶️🌶️.75/5
The way I didn’t want Sinister Desire to ever end! I need more! The way that I was sucked into this book! The constant state of trying to figure out who the MMC is and how he is tied in to everything! Oh my god I was shocked and giddy all at the same time! This book was absolutely amazing, it gave plenty of back story to truly grasp what was going on throughout. On top of the plot being absolutely amazing. Then throwing in a little bit of crazy twist and a dash of spice which I absolutely loved! I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR!
April 8, 2025
Sweet read !
I love a good retelling and this one had an awesome twist. Who would have thought that Ember would be the poorly treated step daughter , would turn out to be just plain horrible. The step mother Audrey hats off to her for being the bread winner for her daughters . Doesn’t matter how she made money it worked for all. The silent stalker gotta love him he’s the man every woman wants but he is stuck on Audrey . You will not be disappointed with this story. It’s brilliant!
I love a good retelling and this one had an awesome twist. Who would have thought that Ember would be the poorly treated step daughter , would turn out to be just plain horrible. The step mother Audrey hats off to her for being the bread winner for her daughters . Doesn’t matter how she made money it worked for all. The silent stalker gotta love him he’s the man every woman wants but he is stuck on Audrey . You will not be disappointed with this story. It’s brilliant!
July 6, 2025
I really enjoyed this darker retelling of a Cinderella story. I love the different perspective with it being in the shoes of the stepmother. This story really pulls you in. This is the first book I read from this author and it’s fantastic. I highly recommend this book. The stepmother has a stalker/follower. She cares in a way you wouldn’t think of. I could not out this down and read it all in one sitting. I don’t want to spoil it but please read. I give this one a 4.8 stars
March 10, 2025
This is a dark retelling of Cinderella and let me tell you, it's an amazing one! Audrey (the stepmother) is having a hard time after her husband died, she is trying to make ends meet by having to sell herself to men. But there is a masked man killing the women of the night and Audrey's clients. He starts to stalk her and some spicy stuff happens between them. While all of this is happening, she keeps having problems with Ember her stepdaughter. Ember will do anything to piss off her stepsisters or Audrey. I thought this retelling was very unique and I just devoured it. The ending was a jaw dropper and I didn't see any of it coming.
May 31, 2025
For someone who is as dark and twisted as I am, this book spoke to me on a deep primal level. There is nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her children: to provide and to protect - this book gets it. And then to find a love that devours and sets your soul on fire? Granting you freedom from your own demons of life? SO FREAKING GOOD!!!! Be sure to read this novella, you won’t regret it!
March 20, 2025
This was probably the most unique reimagining of Cinderella I have ever read. The major twist is that the Cinderella in this case is actually the stepmom and the evil one is the stepdaughter. It was very entertaining and the events that take place were quite unexpected bravo to the author on this.
February 13, 2025
Such a good read. Wasn’t expecting parts of it at all lol. But I loved it! 😍
April 7, 2025
This book was absolutely amazing. It had me hooked from the beginning to the end. It had a bunch of crazy turn of events throughout it and I wasn’t expecting the ending. I had my thoughts about who the stalker was once I got further into the book but I wasn’t 100% until the end. It was such a good book and I highly recommend it. I loved it so much.
February 11, 2025
This novella was SO FUN to read. As a twisted fairytale retelling of Cinderella- there were small nods to the story throughout. The mystery is intriguing, the SPICE is SPICING and the dark masked stalker is EXCITING 🥵 . This is a very quick, easy, sexy read that i fully recommend- plus the fmc is kind of a badass 😉
June 10, 2025
This book is recommended for those 18 and older. Read the trigger warnings. This book was amazing! It's a Cinderella retelling, but add lots of spice and prepare for the twist, lol. I loved how he called her little bird, and the game they played was interesting. It's one of my favorite dark romance books.
February 12, 2025
I loved this twist on Cinderella.. or her stepmother, anyway. I've really enjoyed the villain story/retellings lately, and this one didn't disappoint. The fmc, Audrey, has been dealt a really crappy hand in life - over and over again. When her mother died, he father turned the abuse on her. When the opportunity arose, he sold her off to be married to a man who ended up being no better than her father. Sometime while being locked away in her husband's house, she gained a "faithful follower," her stalker. He leaves notes and gifts for her. When her husband dies, he disappears also. As a widow taking care of her twin daughters and her slightly deranged stepdaughter, her life quickly falls from the elite status she had married into, and she has to do what she can to survive. And as a harlot, she was no longer treated the same. A year after her husband passed, the notes started again. And we get to meet her stalker. He's possessive and protective and part of a group with a mission to remove corrupt people from the world. There are so many things going on in this story, and I love how they all tie together in the end. The mystery behind the masked man was perfectly written. It's hinted at before we really find out who it is, but watching Audrey start to fall for him and then discover who he is (and so he really is) was so rewarding. I loved the way their story ended, and look forward to what's next for this series.
February 12, 2025
Sinister Desire is a reimagined version of Cinderella, but that is really just where the bones of this story come from. It is unique and original while still pulling elements from the fairytale. Role reversals are in full effect and it made this story so interesting. This is a dark, stalker romance with plenty of spice and even a serial killer mystery thrown in for fun! Audrey is the stepmother in this tale and she is not evil. She is just a widow trying to do what’s best for her family, which leads her to the harlot profession. Her daughters, the stepsisters are twins and are trying to adjust to the loss of their father and status in society. Ember is Audrey’s stepdaughter and known for her dark behavior. Audrey feels like she is being watched and after one of her clients dies violently in front of her she embarks on a journey to keep herself and her girls safe. Audrey’s faithful follower is definitely dark and mysterious, but he’s really a cinnamon roll with one violent obsession. Sinister Desire is a novella but it definitely feels complete. Some novellas leave you wanting more and while I loved the characters and the storyline, I felt satisfied with the progression and ending for this spicy tale. I had a blast with this and can’t wait to read more by this author!
If you like:
🔪 Stalker Romance
🔪 Touch her and ☠️
🔪 Secret Identity
🔪 Forbidden Romance
🔪Masked Man spice
I definitely recommend this novella.
Please check all trigger warnings!
If you like:
🔪 Stalker Romance
🔪 Touch her and ☠️
🔪 Secret Identity
🔪 Forbidden Romance
🔪Masked Man spice
I definitely recommend this novella.
Please check all trigger warnings!
September 7, 2025
I love a good fairytale retelling- especially one that twists the perspective. This story is about the stepmother, not as the villain, but as a woman balancing the roles of mother and stepmother, doing everything she can to protect and support her family. What made it even more fascinating was the flipped dynamic- the stepdaughter wasn't the innocent victim, but she was the deranged, problematic force driving the tension. Dark, gritty, and refreshingly different, this retelling had me glued to my kindle. And I have to say, I loved the faithful follower character. A fantastic, dark spin on a classic and familiar tale.
June 2, 2025
Went into this blind! I knew it was a Cinderella retelling.. but I was not prepared (and I mean this in a good way)! I love that it was told from the "evil" stepmothers pov AND EVERYONE WAS APPROPRIATELY AGED! *I love a good YA but it's a breath of fresh air to read a book where the characters are older than 19 lol
The MMC is a meance 🤭😈 love him though 🫶🏽
The MMC is a meance 🤭😈 love him though 🫶🏽
August 19, 2025
Really enjoyed this book. I won book 2 of this series in a giveaway but even though it said they were standalone, it mentioned they’re an interconnected world so I downloaded book 1. I’m glad I did. What a twist on the story of Cinderella. I’ve read fairy tale twist stories before but rarely are the twists as shocking as all the ones in this story. Highly recommend
October 31, 2025
Villain Redemption
I never liked the evil stepmother in Cinderella, even in the Grim Brothers’ version…. But this has put her in a new light.
A touch her and die is always fun, add the masked man, and chase scenes and don’t mind if I do. This was so good, I’m excited to read more from SYK!!
I never liked the evil stepmother in Cinderella, even in the Grim Brothers’ version…. But this has put her in a new light.
A touch her and die is always fun, add the masked man, and chase scenes and don’t mind if I do. This was so good, I’m excited to read more from SYK!!
April 17, 2025
If you know me you know I love a good retelling and SYK Kelly did not disappoint with this this dark and twisted Cinderella retelling. This quick read had me absorbed.
Such a great kick start to the Cruel Kingdoms series and I’m excited to see what is next to come.
Such a great kick start to the Cruel Kingdoms series and I’m excited to see what is next to come.
August 8, 2025
𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑤 𝑢𝑝 𝑜𝑛
𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟!!
𝐿𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑀𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟, ℎ𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠, ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒
𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡
𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑖 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑤 𝑢𝑝 𝑜𝑛
𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟!!
𝐿𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑀𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟, ℎ𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠, ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒
𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡
𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑖 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠
June 27, 2025
This is a must read especially if you love fairytales, fantasy, and dark romance. This is retelling of Cinderella in the Step-mother’s point with a twist. So good!!
July 22, 2025
3.5⭐️
I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!
this was totally not what I was expecting 😮😮🤭 Cinderella is actually the villain 😮😮, that was totally new for me 🫢
who doesn't love a good stalker??👀👀🥵
quotes:
••
𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖐𝖊𝖉 𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗 𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖊 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖗 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖞 𝖘𝖑𝖎𝖈𝖐 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖉.
••
“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓹𝓾𝓽 𝓾𝓹 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓯𝓲𝓰���𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓭.”
“𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝓽—
𝓘𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷? 𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓯𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽?”
••
“𝕴𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖞 𝖞𝖔𝖚’𝖑𝖑 𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖌𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖘 𝕴 𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚?”
“𝕴 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖞,”
“𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘. 𝕴𝖋 𝖎𝖙’𝖘 𝖆 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙, 𝕴’𝖑𝖑 𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚. 𝕵𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖘𝖆𝖞 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉𝖘. 𝕿𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚’𝖑𝖑 𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖒𝖞 𝖌𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖘 𝖎𝖋 𝕴 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐 𝖞𝖔𝖚.”
“𝕴’𝖑𝖑 𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖞 𝖎𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐 𝖒𝖊.”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖐𝖊𝖊𝖕 𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖎𝖓𝖌? 𝕽𝖚𝖓, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖗𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖙"
....
“𝕴 𝖜𝖎𝖓 𝖆𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓.
𝕱𝖚𝖈𝖐, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖇𝖎𝖗𝖉.”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖈𝖆𝖓’𝖙 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖉𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖊!”
“𝖂𝖍𝖞 𝖓𝖔𝖙?
𝖄𝖔𝖚’𝖑𝖑 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖞 𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖞𝖜𝖆𝖞.”
••
tropes:
☆🍁dark romance retelling
☆🍁cinderella/villain reimagining
☆🍁masked stalker🤭
☆🍁touch her and die
☆🍁his "little bird"
☆🍁her "faithful follower"
☆🍁serial killer
☆🍁dual pov
I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!
this was totally not what I was expecting 😮😮🤭 Cinderella is actually the villain 😮😮, that was totally new for me 🫢
who doesn't love a good stalker??👀👀🥵
quotes:
••
𝕿𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖐𝖊𝖉 𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗 𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖊 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖗 𝖍𝖆𝖘 𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖞 𝖘𝖑𝖎𝖈𝖐 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖉.
••
“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓹𝓾𝓽 𝓾𝓹 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓯𝓲𝓰���𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓭.”
“𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝓽—
𝓘𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷? 𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓯𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽?”
••
“𝕴𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖞 𝖞𝖔𝖚’𝖑𝖑 𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖌𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖘 𝕴 𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚?”
“𝕴 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖞,”
“𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘. 𝕴𝖋 𝖎𝖙’𝖘 𝖆 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙, 𝕴’𝖑𝖑 𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚. 𝕵𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖘𝖆𝖞 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉𝖘. 𝕿𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚’𝖑𝖑 𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖒𝖞 𝖌𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖘 𝖎𝖋 𝕴 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐 𝖞𝖔𝖚.”
“𝕴’𝖑𝖑 𝖚𝖘𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖞 𝖎𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐 𝖒𝖊.”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖐𝖊𝖊𝖕 𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖎𝖓𝖌? 𝕽𝖚𝖓, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖗𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖙"
....
“𝕴 𝖜𝖎𝖓 𝖆𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓.
𝕱𝖚𝖈𝖐, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖇𝖎𝖗𝖉.”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖈𝖆𝖓’𝖙 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖉𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖊!”
“𝖂𝖍𝖞 𝖓𝖔𝖙?
𝖄𝖔𝖚’𝖑𝖑 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖞 𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖞𝖜𝖆𝖞.”
••
tropes:
☆🍁dark romance retelling
☆🍁cinderella/villain reimagining
☆🍁masked stalker🤭
☆🍁touch her and die
☆🍁his "little bird"
☆🍁her "faithful follower"
☆🍁serial killer
☆🍁dual pov
September 5, 2025
f you are looking for a Dark Romance Cinderella retelling with
✨A masked stalker
✨Second chance
✨A serial killer
✨Touch her and ☠️
✨And some good spice
… this is the perfect book for you!
🇬🇧I really enjoyed this book, it is not long and captured my attention from the start, keeping me entertained throughout. I had a lot of difficulties putting the book down and I am so excited to read the rest of the Cruel Kingdom series, a series of interconnected standalone novellas.
🇳🇱Ik heb echt genoten van dit boek. Het is niet lang en had vanaf het begin mijn aandacht, waardoor ik me de hele tijd vermaakt heb. Ik had veel moeite om het boek weg te leggen en ik ben ontzettend enthousiast om de rest van de Cruel Kingdom-serie te lezen, een reeks interconnected standalone novellas.
✨A masked stalker
✨Second chance
✨A serial killer
✨Touch her and ☠️
✨And some good spice
… this is the perfect book for you!
🇬🇧I really enjoyed this book, it is not long and captured my attention from the start, keeping me entertained throughout. I had a lot of difficulties putting the book down and I am so excited to read the rest of the Cruel Kingdom series, a series of interconnected standalone novellas.
🇳🇱Ik heb echt genoten van dit boek. Het is niet lang en had vanaf het begin mijn aandacht, waardoor ik me de hele tijd vermaakt heb. Ik had veel moeite om het boek weg te leggen en ik ben ontzettend enthousiast om de rest van de Cruel Kingdom-serie te lezen, een reeks interconnected standalone novellas.
May 23, 2025
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀:
» Dark Cinderella retelling, but from the stepmother’s POV
» Masked stalker
» Touch her and die
» Murder mystery-ish
» Dual POV
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
A few days ago, I was scrolling my feed when I stumbled upon a little NSFW artwork as one does on bookstagram these days. WELL, let me tell you, this art was IT! I needed to know more immediately, and that’s how Sinister Desire found its way on to my kindle. I didn’t even bother to check the blurb or tropes. I just jumped right in, and boy oh boy, was I in for a treat!
Sinister Desire may be short, but it packs a punch. This dark Cinderella retelling follows Audrey, the stepmother to Ember, who’s not at all evil in this story! Audrey is fighting. She’s fighting for her family, and she’s fight for herself. With her husband’s passing, she has embraced the life of a harlot to keep their family afloat. Unfortunately for Audrey, there is a serial killer on the loose who is targeting harlots and their customers all while dealing with her own “faithful follower.”
I may have come for the romance, but I stayed for the plot (and the romance too)! This story is wild and twisty, and I was audibly gasping at the end when shit hit the fan. Everything is unexpected, but so perfectly executed. I want to give the author an award for such an intricately woven plot surrounding these murders in such a tiny amount of pages! How she tied everything together is still blowing my mind! And I mean, my jaw was on the floor. I really didn’t expect to get such a well thought out murder plot, but damn, I loved it. And not just the murders, but also what we find out about her stalker, but I won’t give anything away there! Technically, if you know one of the tropes (which I intentionally did not put in the list above), then you’ll figure it out, but even knowing the little bit of info we do, there are still so many crazy things we find out about him!
What I can say about the stalker, aka the “faithful follower,” is that he has no right to be as hot as he is. Masked up and morally grey, this man has no limits when it comes to keeping Audrey safe, BUT he also gives her the space she needs to grow in her confidence and independence. I find stalker romances tough to read sometimes because I think there is a balance that has to be achieved between his actions of good and evil. I think this story perfectly balanced the stalker’s need to claim with his need to see Audrey figure things out on her own. But Audrey also has quite a fire to her that worked well with the stalker’s personality, and I loved their dynamic.
And of course the spice was spicing. I was obviously thrilled when I read the scene from the art that drew me to this book in the first place, but I was shocked with how early in the book it was! I wasn’t hating though! It felt natural and made so much sense with how the rest of the story flowed. I also appreciate the ✨variety✨ of scenes because each one felt fresh and new and just as exciting ad the one before it.
𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥:
Bury me with this book.
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀:
» Dark Cinderella retelling, but from the stepmother’s POV
» Masked stalker
» Touch her and die
» Murder mystery-ish
» Dual POV
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
A few days ago, I was scrolling my feed when I stumbled upon a little NSFW artwork as one does on bookstagram these days. WELL, let me tell you, this art was IT! I needed to know more immediately, and that’s how Sinister Desire found its way on to my kindle. I didn’t even bother to check the blurb or tropes. I just jumped right in, and boy oh boy, was I in for a treat!
Sinister Desire may be short, but it packs a punch. This dark Cinderella retelling follows Audrey, the stepmother to Ember, who’s not at all evil in this story! Audrey is fighting. She’s fighting for her family, and she’s fight for herself. With her husband’s passing, she has embraced the life of a harlot to keep their family afloat. Unfortunately for Audrey, there is a serial killer on the loose who is targeting harlots and their customers all while dealing with her own “faithful follower.”
I may have come for the romance, but I stayed for the plot (and the romance too)! This story is wild and twisty, and I was audibly gasping at the end when shit hit the fan. Everything is unexpected, but so perfectly executed. I want to give the author an award for such an intricately woven plot surrounding these murders in such a tiny amount of pages! How she tied everything together is still blowing my mind! And I mean, my jaw was on the floor. I really didn’t expect to get such a well thought out murder plot, but damn, I loved it. And not just the murders, but also what we find out about her stalker, but I won’t give anything away there! Technically, if you know one of the tropes (which I intentionally did not put in the list above), then you’ll figure it out, but even knowing the little bit of info we do, there are still so many crazy things we find out about him!
What I can say about the stalker, aka the “faithful follower,” is that he has no right to be as hot as he is. Masked up and morally grey, this man has no limits when it comes to keeping Audrey safe, BUT he also gives her the space she needs to grow in her confidence and independence. I find stalker romances tough to read sometimes because I think there is a balance that has to be achieved between his actions of good and evil. I think this story perfectly balanced the stalker’s need to claim with his need to see Audrey figure things out on her own. But Audrey also has quite a fire to her that worked well with the stalker’s personality, and I loved their dynamic.
And of course the spice was spicing. I was obviously thrilled when I read the scene from the art that drew me to this book in the first place, but I was shocked with how early in the book it was! I wasn’t hating though! It felt natural and made so much sense with how the rest of the story flowed. I also appreciate the ✨variety✨ of scenes because each one felt fresh and new and just as exciting ad the one before it.
𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥:
Bury me with this book.
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