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The Locked Duet #1
Lock Me Inside
My enemies, my stepbrothers, my worst nightmare.
When my mother announces she's been dating someone, the last person I expect it to be is James Alistair––the father of two of my biggest bullies.
Nix and Colt Alistair.
I never knew why, but they always hated me. In school, they made my life hell, and apparently, nothing has changed. Only this time, instead of cruel jokes, things get physical, and when our parents leave for their honeymoon, I find out how far Colt is willing to take this.
I thought the worst time of my life was over.
I was wrong.
***This is DARK fiction with a little bit of romance, including many triggers. Please reach out to the author for a complete list of triggers.
When my mother announces she's been dating someone, the last person I expect it to be is James Alistair––the father of two of my biggest bullies.
Nix and Colt Alistair.
I never knew why, but they always hated me. In school, they made my life hell, and apparently, nothing has changed. Only this time, instead of cruel jokes, things get physical, and when our parents leave for their honeymoon, I find out how far Colt is willing to take this.
I thought the worst time of my life was over.
I was wrong.
***This is DARK fiction with a little bit of romance, including many triggers. Please reach out to the author for a complete list of triggers.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2022
1053 people are currently reading
4591 people want to read
About the author
C. Hallman
132 books2,709 followersC. Hallman is a USA Today Bestselling Author who wrote her debut novel in 2018 and has since published over 100 books in various romance subgenres. Her works have been on numerous bestseller lists and have been translated into 8 languages around the world.
When she doesn't write her next novel, she publishes spicy novellas under the pen name Darcy Rose.
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When she doesn't write her next novel, she publishes spicy novellas under the pen name Darcy Rose.
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November 28, 2022I can't stress this enough. Lock me Inside is NOT a Romance. It's a dark fiction novel with a dark romance twist.
It's not a love story. It's not erotica. It's not a spicy romance read.
It's 95% dark fiction with 5% romance at the very end.
*Please reach out to me personally for a list of triggers. Neither Amazon nor any social media platform lets me list specific triggers without being flagged.
Email: read@bleedingheartromance.com
It's not a love story. It's not erotica. It's not a spicy romance read.
It's 95% dark fiction with 5% romance at the very end.
*Please reach out to me personally for a list of triggers. Neither Amazon nor any social media platform lets me list specific triggers without being flagged.
Email: read@bleedingheartromance.com
November 18, 2022
I am always up for a bully romance book and that synopsis had my anticipation levels craving this book!! 🙌🏻 Then when I read the triggers I was all in... ✔️✔️✔️✔️ But it has to be said that one trigger that wasn't mentioned was a non consensual rape scene. AND it's not glossed over, so please check your triggers.
This took bullying up to a whole new level, a level I’d never crossed before. Heed my trigger warning before jumping in because for some it’ll cross a line not many would have crossed before. Plus seriously there is literally no hit you in the feels in this book, no wanting to claim a brother as your own.
It's hard rating a book when you didn't connect with ANY of the characters, so I had to sit on this for a few days until I made my mind up.
Leni literally had no one she could turn to, these boys had ripped whatever friends she had apart, she went from a popular girl to an outcast, so she had no one in her corner, she has no idea why these boys hated her so much, a poor excuse of a mother who didn't protect her own child, and two brothers who gave me conflicting emotions, Colt and Nix Alistair will step over the line time and time again but delve deeper and they were pawns in a bigger game, the devil sat on both of their shoulders, manipulating them, controlling them, he was the puppeteer which was unnerving to the extents he would go to.
Towards the end of the book everything slowly starts to make sense, and that's where the mindfuckery comes into play, where the good, the bad and the evil walk hand in hand.
Not connecting with any of the characters made for a difficult read, throw in the sick and twisted storyline and that's where things got interesting. Only an author could come up with something like this, something I've not read before and that is what pulls this from a 3 star rating to 4 stars.
November 9, 2022
Review to come.
—————————————————————
Edited review ⬇️
Ok, I've been sitting with this book, heavily, on my mind for past few days. It has literally kept me from reading or enjoying anything I've tried to start.
I will start with this... The following is from the authors IG author page:
" About the book:
*VERY Dark
*Standalone with HEA
*Twisted and Kinky
*Sharing and Voyeurism
*Abuse and Violence
*Like seriously DARK, please don't read this $hit if you have any triggers"
Yes, I saw there was a TW/CW for this being "very dark" and "seriously DARK", however there is a difference between erotica/spicy romance, rape/non consensual, and dubious consent. This wasn't triggering per se, it was just a huge turn off; one which I don't find fits the "spicy" or "erotica" category. When I think "dark", I think murder and related crimes. Non-consensual (AKA: rape) should have been very clearly written in here. Another thing was this being part "bully romance" and the book ending with Stockholm Syndrome. I don't mind a good bully romance, I've read a few and liked them enough to read more.
The only good thing that came out of this was that the boys father and the girls mother appear to have died, the girl didn't have to stay in the house as a prisoner/spermbank anymore, and the boys finding out certain info. This is the only reason I'm giving 1 star.
—————————————————————
Edited review ⬇️
Ok, I've been sitting with this book, heavily, on my mind for past few days. It has literally kept me from reading or enjoying anything I've tried to start.
I will start with this... The following is from the authors IG author page:
" About the book:
*VERY Dark
*Standalone with HEA
*Twisted and Kinky
*Sharing and Voyeurism
*Abuse and Violence
*Like seriously DARK, please don't read this $hit if you have any triggers"
Yes, I saw there was a TW/CW for this being "very dark" and "seriously DARK", however there is a difference between erotica/spicy romance, rape/non consensual, and dubious consent. This wasn't triggering per se, it was just a huge turn off; one which I don't find fits the "spicy" or "erotica" category. When I think "dark", I think murder and related crimes. Non-consensual (AKA: rape) should have been very clearly written in here. Another thing was this being part "bully romance" and the book ending with Stockholm Syndrome. I don't mind a good bully romance, I've read a few and liked them enough to read more.
The only good thing that came out of this was that the boys father and the girls mother appear to have died, the girl didn't have to stay in the house as a prisoner/spermbank anymore, and the boys finding out certain info. This is the only reason I'm giving 1 star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2022
You guys know I love Dark Bully Romance, especially when you add spice to it. I don't get triggered. Heck, I usually see the list of triggers/content warning and that's the way to sell me a book. But this shouldn't even be described as what the author said it was. It's supposed to be hot, kinky, voyeuristic. Well, this wasn't hot at all, and the "spice" involved with the r^p3... What was that?
I really wasn't a fan of this. One thing is bullying; another is what was going on in this book. Things were taken way too far. There were also a lot of loose plot points. And then we're supposed to just accept everything in the last 10% when things get somewhat fixed. Nope. A major no from me.
I really wasn't a fan of this. One thing is bullying; another is what was going on in this book. Things were taken way too far. There were also a lot of loose plot points. And then we're supposed to just accept everything in the last 10% when things get somewhat fixed. Nope. A major no from me.
November 29, 2022
So different and unexpected and dark. Just wow!
4.5 stars
The more the story unfolded the more I couldn’t believe what I was reading, was enjoying. I often thought:
Twisted
Suggestive
Creepy
Compelling
while spellbound as to what could possibly happen next. This story was one of the most creative, captivating, and cleverly foreboding I've read this year. And it was beautifully dark.
Levi meets two sons, two new (and cruel) stepbrothers, Nix and Colt, new stepfather with her opportunistic mother. They are her new family, yet something sinister holds them together: Blackmail, psychological coercion, sharing, obsession, and depravity which I loved.
Not exactly romantic steamy, but spicy in an unconventional way (thank you, somnophilia), fitting its suspenseful, mysterious and ominous plot line. There was never a dull moment. The pace was progressive.
One person point of view from the heroine, Levi, and just one chapter from one of the heroes. While I can understand the mystery, the blindness of feeling only having Levi’s, this book would have been more balanced in multiple points of view. Additionally, the story elicited a pervasive and alluring disquiet -- it was riveting, but it also prompted so many questions, some of which, if the story were further developed, would have provided better closure. Instead, the ending felt a bit unfulfilling, not convincing in some respects, particularly in sealing the love. Admittedly, Stockholm syndrome could be an explanation, and a book two an even better opportunity to round out the story. Still, I really like it. It satisfied my dark cravings.
4.5 stars
The more the story unfolded the more I couldn’t believe what I was reading, was enjoying. I often thought:
Twisted
Suggestive
Creepy
Compelling
while spellbound as to what could possibly happen next. This story was one of the most creative, captivating, and cleverly foreboding I've read this year. And it was beautifully dark.
Levi meets two sons, two new (and cruel) stepbrothers, Nix and Colt, new stepfather with her opportunistic mother. They are her new family, yet something sinister holds them together: Blackmail, psychological coercion, sharing, obsession, and depravity which I loved.
Not exactly romantic steamy, but spicy in an unconventional way (thank you, somnophilia), fitting its suspenseful, mysterious and ominous plot line. There was never a dull moment. The pace was progressive.
One person point of view from the heroine, Levi, and just one chapter from one of the heroes. While I can understand the mystery, the blindness of feeling only having Levi’s, this book would have been more balanced in multiple points of view. Additionally, the story elicited a pervasive and alluring disquiet -- it was riveting, but it also prompted so many questions, some of which, if the story were further developed, would have provided better closure. Instead, the ending felt a bit unfulfilling, not convincing in some respects, particularly in sealing the love. Admittedly, Stockholm syndrome could be an explanation, and a book two an even better opportunity to round out the story. Still, I really like it. It satisfied my dark cravings.
November 24, 2022
Not good. Characters are one dimensional and the book is mostly dialogue. Very Wattpad and not in a good way. I was intrigued by the step-brother/dark romance aspect of this but the guys are laughably bad, especially their dialogue with the heroine and with each other.
December 12, 2022
ppl who cry how this is not romance should learn to read because the author literally said at the very beginning
i agree it's leaning more into torture porn psychological torture dark erotica. but dark romance covers the basics too.
ahhh this book made me feel things tbh. the angst was real. finally the h that put up some resistance and genuinely suffered. it felt real so thanks to the author for emotions ☠️
im sucker for scenes like when for example the heroes had to carry her to their car coz she lost consciousness. sucker for this shit when she's vulnerable and heroes witness her moment of weakness and take care. but don't @me what happened next was sickkk. ☠️ hot too lmfao
im not into sharing but here it happens between brothers so im kinda ok they just #keep_it_in_the_family
im sorry to say this but rape here was both hot and uncomfortable ☠️🙈
love this author's formula: virgin heroines+anti-heroes lol
This is NOT a love story
i agree it's leaning more into torture porn psychological torture dark erotica. but dark romance covers the basics too.
ahhh this book made me feel things tbh. the angst was real. finally the h that put up some resistance and genuinely suffered. it felt real so thanks to the author for emotions ☠️
im sucker for scenes like when for example the heroes had to carry her to their car coz she lost consciousness. sucker for this shit when she's vulnerable and heroes witness her moment of weakness and take care. but don't @me what happened next was sickkk. ☠️ hot too lmfao
im not into sharing but here it happens between brothers so im kinda ok they just #keep_it_in_the_family
im sorry to say this but rape here was both hot and uncomfortable ☠️🙈
love this author's formula: virgin heroines+anti-heroes lol
January 12, 2023
Dark
Bloody hell.... I'm speechless I cannot think straight enough to write a review for this book. My emotions are all over the place, it's definitely the darkest book I've read but so well written.
Bloody hell.... I'm speechless I cannot think straight enough to write a review for this book. My emotions are all over the place, it's definitely the darkest book I've read but so well written.
November 30, 2022
You were right to warn me at the beginning of this one,C.Hallman!
Because it was a tough one to read,and not just because of the bullying….
Normally,i don’t read stories with bullies in them,but there was something about this one that drew me in.
And finding out where the Alastair family forced Leni to go,thát went way beyond that!
As if she hadn’t suffered enough after her accident at practice.
As if her mother wasn’t harsh enough on her.
As if losing all her friends wasn’t bad enough.
As if the bullying wasn’t cruel enough.
No,she still had to go through a LOT more than that before finding a peaceful place to call her own.
Not telling you what happens,though….
That’s something you need to find out for yourself.
One thing i will say,YOU REALLY SHOULD BRACE FOR SOME HEAVY SHIT!
Because it was a tough one to read,and not just because of the bullying….
Normally,i don’t read stories with bullies in them,but there was something about this one that drew me in.
And finding out where the Alastair family forced Leni to go,thát went way beyond that!
As if she hadn’t suffered enough after her accident at practice.
As if her mother wasn’t harsh enough on her.
As if losing all her friends wasn’t bad enough.
As if the bullying wasn’t cruel enough.
No,she still had to go through a LOT more than that before finding a peaceful place to call her own.
Not telling you what happens,though….
That’s something you need to find out for yourself.
One thing i will say,YOU REALLY SHOULD BRACE FOR SOME HEAVY SHIT!
January 9, 2023
*Trigger Warning*: Sexual Assault.
"I try to lift my head, but none of my muscles work. My body is almost paralyzed, trapped in the space between sleep and wakefulness."
I’ll give you three guesses as to what occurred after the above quote.
The notion that the word “romance” could be in any way connected to the themes of this book is laughable at best. More on that later.
I am rarely capable of leaving something incomplete. Watching a movie, reading a book, listening to a song; my neurodivergence disallows me from stopping mid-way through virtually every time. By God, I have never wanted to be neurotypical more than while reading this book.
I have several critiques to make and, while I appreciate that others may not agree with me, I am driven only by the prospect of ensuring that, if a person chooses to read this novel after reading my review, they may do so fully informed.
My first criticism is the lack of accessible/readily available trigger warnings for this novel. Describing it as “dark” is not actually comparable to a trigger warning. The author directs potential readers to reach out to them in order to retrieve a list of trigger warnings, but this is not accessibility. They claim that Goodreads and Amazon flag their descriptions if they include them; however, even in the book itself, the only reference of trigger warnings is once again the direction to reach out to them directly. Additionally, I believe it is quite telling that these sites are flagging the accurate description of this novel, that perhaps some things should not be included in a fantasy or fiction as they are here. I’m not wishing to advocate for censorship, but I do believe there is a difference between a work that is referencing someone’s real life experiences (ex. biography) and one that is implementing and romanticizing the elements as part of a story design.
With that said, here are some trigger warnings:
Physical assault. Sexual assault. Rape. Emotional abuse. Psychological abuse/warfare. Incest-aligned elements. Death/dying. Pedophilia. Violence. Sexism. Classism. Torture. Child abuse. Hostage. Branding.
Leading into my second criticism, I’m truly not sure what the point of this novel was. Each piece of literature has a purpose, a direction to go in, a story to tell. I felt, truly, as though this novel lacked purpose. It felt one-note, and that note was a very low one. There was development, you could say, but it was more along the lines of “how much trauma can we subject the main character to in 400 pages?” Even toward the end, where the author intended for the main character’s story to be “getting better,” it still felt so harrowing.
With all due respect, this novel was nothing more than torture-porn. It's a novel made up of only conflict and no resolution.
The last criticism I will be highlighting here is the ending. Spoilers to be expected.
The ending is where things are meant to be wrapping up. In the case of this novel, “wrapping up” means actually giving an explanation for the Wattpad-level plot that has ensued. This is where my second star comes into play, because with all this information that is dumped on the reader in the last 10% (?) of the book, the buck-fuck-wild plot actually makes some sense. The entire novel felt so pointless because there seemed to be no particular reason for anything to be happening the way it was. Obviously, there are meant to be elements of mystery/suspense, but the author kept so much behind wraps that the reader is just left asking themselves, “Why?” Nearly all characters’ motivations and incentives are essentially non-existent until the last stretch of the novel.
Additionally, the ending is where the “romance” aspect comes in. My assertion on that point, however, is that the “romantic” ending is really just a continuation of the torture and hostage-situation that the main character has been subjected to the entire novel. Sincerest apologies to anyone who may have enjoyed this part of the novel. The main character ends up with one of the stepbrothers who subjected her to the torture and assault; we are supposed to believe they are bonding over shared trauma, but it is just Stockholm syndrome at its finest. That is horrifying. This is meant to be (sort of) a happy ending. To me, this is when you watch a horror movie, and for a minute you are led to believe that whatever plan to stop the bad thing from happening has worked, and then you find out it actually went totally awry and all of humanity is doomed.
Overall, the writing was ok; some grammatical errors and some ineffective story telling tools. Surprised that the author actually made me feel any amount of sympathy towards the stepbrothers, which I’m sure is representative of their storytelling skills, but this novel just wasn’t it.
If you are interested in reading this novel, I would like to give forewarning to chapter 34, it is the beginning of the climax of the story. I have never cried harder while screaming, “I made a mistake, I made a mistake, I made a mistake.”
"I try to lift my head, but none of my muscles work. My body is almost paralyzed, trapped in the space between sleep and wakefulness."
I’ll give you three guesses as to what occurred after the above quote.
The notion that the word “romance” could be in any way connected to the themes of this book is laughable at best. More on that later.
I am rarely capable of leaving something incomplete. Watching a movie, reading a book, listening to a song; my neurodivergence disallows me from stopping mid-way through virtually every time. By God, I have never wanted to be neurotypical more than while reading this book.
I have several critiques to make and, while I appreciate that others may not agree with me, I am driven only by the prospect of ensuring that, if a person chooses to read this novel after reading my review, they may do so fully informed.
My first criticism is the lack of accessible/readily available trigger warnings for this novel. Describing it as “dark” is not actually comparable to a trigger warning. The author directs potential readers to reach out to them in order to retrieve a list of trigger warnings, but this is not accessibility. They claim that Goodreads and Amazon flag their descriptions if they include them; however, even in the book itself, the only reference of trigger warnings is once again the direction to reach out to them directly. Additionally, I believe it is quite telling that these sites are flagging the accurate description of this novel, that perhaps some things should not be included in a fantasy or fiction as they are here. I’m not wishing to advocate for censorship, but I do believe there is a difference between a work that is referencing someone’s real life experiences (ex. biography) and one that is implementing and romanticizing the elements as part of a story design.
With that said, here are some trigger warnings:
Physical assault. Sexual assault. Rape. Emotional abuse. Psychological abuse/warfare. Incest-aligned elements. Death/dying. Pedophilia. Violence. Sexism. Classism. Torture. Child abuse. Hostage. Branding.
Leading into my second criticism, I’m truly not sure what the point of this novel was. Each piece of literature has a purpose, a direction to go in, a story to tell. I felt, truly, as though this novel lacked purpose. It felt one-note, and that note was a very low one. There was development, you could say, but it was more along the lines of “how much trauma can we subject the main character to in 400 pages?” Even toward the end, where the author intended for the main character’s story to be “getting better,” it still felt so harrowing.
With all due respect, this novel was nothing more than torture-porn. It's a novel made up of only conflict and no resolution.
The last criticism I will be highlighting here is the ending. Spoilers to be expected.
The ending is where things are meant to be wrapping up. In the case of this novel, “wrapping up” means actually giving an explanation for the Wattpad-level plot that has ensued. This is where my second star comes into play, because with all this information that is dumped on the reader in the last 10% (?) of the book, the buck-fuck-wild plot actually makes some sense. The entire novel felt so pointless because there seemed to be no particular reason for anything to be happening the way it was. Obviously, there are meant to be elements of mystery/suspense, but the author kept so much behind wraps that the reader is just left asking themselves, “Why?” Nearly all characters’ motivations and incentives are essentially non-existent until the last stretch of the novel.
Additionally, the ending is where the “romance” aspect comes in. My assertion on that point, however, is that the “romantic” ending is really just a continuation of the torture and hostage-situation that the main character has been subjected to the entire novel. Sincerest apologies to anyone who may have enjoyed this part of the novel. The main character ends up with one of the stepbrothers who subjected her to the torture and assault; we are supposed to believe they are bonding over shared trauma, but it is just Stockholm syndrome at its finest. That is horrifying. This is meant to be (sort of) a happy ending. To me, this is when you watch a horror movie, and for a minute you are led to believe that whatever plan to stop the bad thing from happening has worked, and then you find out it actually went totally awry and all of humanity is doomed.
Overall, the writing was ok; some grammatical errors and some ineffective story telling tools. Surprised that the author actually made me feel any amount of sympathy towards the stepbrothers, which I’m sure is representative of their storytelling skills, but this novel just wasn’t it.
If you are interested in reading this novel, I would like to give forewarning to chapter 34, it is the beginning of the climax of the story. I have never cried harder while screaming, “I made a mistake, I made a mistake, I made a mistake.”
November 6, 2022
I have been wanting to read a book by C. Hallman for a while now. She did not disappoint me with this book. In fact, it is the darkest bully book I have read to date. It had all the angst and dark vibes that I was craving. Although, i will admit that at times the scenes were a bit tough to read. This is because of what was happening to Leni was not her choice.
When it came to Nix and Colt, I had mixed feelings about them. they were really mean about 95% of the time and the other 5% were nice. So, my feelings towards them ran hot and cold. Those nice times I was all for it. Although, of the two brothers, I do have to say that I was leaning more towards Colt.
However, learning why the brothers acted the way they did helped me have a better understanding of them. So, I could not truly fault them for being bullies. So glad that Leni did get a HEA.
When it came to Nix and Colt, I had mixed feelings about them. they were really mean about 95% of the time and the other 5% were nice. So, my feelings towards them ran hot and cold. Those nice times I was all for it. Although, of the two brothers, I do have to say that I was leaning more towards Colt.
However, learning why the brothers acted the way they did helped me have a better understanding of them. So, I could not truly fault them for being bullies. So glad that Leni did get a HEA.
August 13, 2024
The beginning lulls you into thinking it’s a complacently written bully romance with dark elements, but it got increasingly dark and unexpected. I was really not sure where this was going. Had to stop reading this in public because my eyes kept bugging. Four stars because it was an interesting conclusion.
November 13, 2022
Definitely dark and not for the faint of heart.
🛑⚠️ MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS, seriously don't read this if you can't handle rape, abuse, humilation, mental and physical trauma and other very graphic scenes.⚠️🛑
Lenora (Leni) was a gymnast training for the Olympics when a career ending tragedy happened. Yes, her mom helped during her recovery but her mother never let her forget how much it cost or how she ruined her life. She went from popular to most hated in school. Even her friends turned on her, taunting and abusing her every chance they got. Not even her best friend Piper stood by her after the accident.
She's never had a loving family in any stretch of the imagination. Her mother and grandmother never showed much affection and after her injury and multiple surgeries their true colors really came out. After visiting her grandmother she comes home to find their trailer empty only for her mom to show up announcing they moved and she is marrying James Alistair. Who just happens to be the father of Nix and Colt the boys that made her life a living nightmare.
To make matters worse they act like what they did was no big deal.
From the moment she arrived they began to torment her all while looking innocent in front of her mom and their dad. When she seeks help she really discovers what evil lurks in her new home. There is abuse of every kind- mental, emotional, sexual and physical they are sick twisted, crazy, psychotic family. There are twist, turns, bullying, blackmail with ultimatums, anger, possessiveness, heartache, hopelessness and isolation.
There was a lot of sinister things going on within the story but sometimes things aren't exactly what they seem. When everything is said and done who will end up surviving?
I must say there are a few people who escaped what should of came to them way to easily. Plus Nix and Colt were really hard to like 95% of the time at least we found out what drove them in the end.
I must say the ending surprised me. I would of stayed far away from any of those crazies.
I received an ARC through Booksprout an I'm voluntarily leaving my review.
5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
🛑⚠️ MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS, seriously don't read this if you can't handle rape, abuse, humilation, mental and physical trauma and other very graphic scenes.⚠️🛑
Lenora (Leni) was a gymnast training for the Olympics when a career ending tragedy happened. Yes, her mom helped during her recovery but her mother never let her forget how much it cost or how she ruined her life. She went from popular to most hated in school. Even her friends turned on her, taunting and abusing her every chance they got. Not even her best friend Piper stood by her after the accident.
She's never had a loving family in any stretch of the imagination. Her mother and grandmother never showed much affection and after her injury and multiple surgeries their true colors really came out. After visiting her grandmother she comes home to find their trailer empty only for her mom to show up announcing they moved and she is marrying James Alistair. Who just happens to be the father of Nix and Colt the boys that made her life a living nightmare.
To make matters worse they act like what they did was no big deal.
From the moment she arrived they began to torment her all while looking innocent in front of her mom and their dad. When she seeks help she really discovers what evil lurks in her new home. There is abuse of every kind- mental, emotional, sexual and physical they are sick twisted, crazy, psychotic family. There are twist, turns, bullying, blackmail with ultimatums, anger, possessiveness, heartache, hopelessness and isolation.
There was a lot of sinister things going on within the story but sometimes things aren't exactly what they seem. When everything is said and done who will end up surviving?
I must say there are a few people who escaped what should of came to them way to easily. Plus Nix and Colt were really hard to like 95% of the time at least we found out what drove them in the end.
I must say the ending surprised me. I would of stayed far away from any of those crazies.
I received an ARC through Booksprout an I'm voluntarily leaving my review.
5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
October 30, 2022
⚠️⚠️⚠️(Check all TW before reading⚠️⚠️⚠️) This was such a good book. I had to finish it in two days. I stayed up all night.
January 1, 2025
Such a mind f*ck, I didn’t think I would start the new year off like this! It was a crazy and stressful ride. But I was absolutely locked in and could not put it down!
I heard their is suppose to be a sequel!
Its been 3 years where is it?! I need to know how this ends.
I heard their is suppose to be a sequel!
Its been 3 years where is it?! I need to know how this ends.
Read
August 9, 2024how do you even come up with that
February 24, 2025
Leni & the Alistair men. Like other reviewers mention: THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE NOVEL. It's pretty F'ed up but I couldn't put it down. I think there is something wrong with me.
Cliff's notes:
James (dad) sees Leni (female lead) at a gymnastics competition (she's was training for the Olympics until an injury closed that chapter) and becomes OBSESSED with her (she was 14). His wife was a women's gymnastics coach and he went to the meets with her and saw Leni at one. James starts lying to his wife and telling her that he has these business meetings and he goes out of town. She finds out that there weren't business meetings and that he was going to the competitions that Leni was in and was taking pictures of her (stalker like). In a fit of rage (because James is a psychopath), he beats his wife into a coma. She's in a hospital, in a coma, and he picks up and with his 2 sons (Colt and Nix) they move to the town that Leni lives in. The sons know that dad is obsessed and dad wants the boys (who go to school with her) to befriend her so she'll come over and stuff. They go along with it because dad has threatened to take their mom off life support if they don't. In some small part of conscience the boys have they decide to bully the hell out of her so she hates them (and it works).
After graduation, and years of torment, she goes to visit her grandmother for 2 weeks. When she gets back to her home, she finds their place (she lives with her mom in a trailer) is completely cleaned out. Her mom shows up in a Mercedes and tells her that she has met a man, fell in love and they are getting married in a week. Oh and they moved in with them. Who is said man? You got it, James!
Leni moves in and James is all nice like a father figure. The boys are not. They continue their bullying of her but step up their game. They drag her out of bed one night and without shoes take her to a pool party they are going to. The party is a bunch of people they went to school with and Leni doesn't like them so she goes off by herself. One of the guys starts bothering her so she goes into the house to go to the bathroom/hide out until it is time to go. She is intercepted by Colt and Nix and they force her to either: give Nix a BJ or lose her virginity. So this is rape #1 (videoed for future viewing). There's a lot more bullying that she experiences but doesn't say anything because her mother is telling her not to ruin her chance at happiness.
Rehearsal dinner night. Leni's back is acting up so she takes a Hydrocodone. At the dinner she was uncomfortable AF with the attendees and is drinking some champagne. She starts not feeling well (narcotics and alcohol don't mix) and wants to go home. Colt & Nix are there to escort her home. She passes out. She thinks she's dreaming when Colt climbs in her bed and starts pleasuring her. He asks if he can go further and she says OK. 1st off she thought she was dreaming and 2ndly she was beyond the ability to consent to anything. That didn't stop Colt from taking her virginity (oh and he recorded it so he had proof of her consent). Rape #2.
The morning after the wedding, Leni is scared of being left in the house with Colt and Nix and comes clean to James. She tells him about the video at the party and mentions that she considered going to the police. James flips a switch and becomes angry (choking until she pees herself and is unconscious). Then he goes off on his honeymoon with her mom.
The boys torture her some more including drugging her and having a tattoo of a heart and their last name put on her butt. She decides to get out of the house and take off. She's walking down the driveway when James drives up a week early and without her mom (he left her at the resort and told her he had business meetings he couldn't get out of). James drags Leni back to the house and she's pretty much a prisoner. James tells her that he plans to take conservatorship of her and will have control over every aspect of her life. Or she can submit to him for the rest of the week until her mom gets home. Then begins the nightly rapings where James acts as the director while Colt and Nix rape her in various different ways. Again this book is F'ed up!
Mom comes home a night early and walks in on the "party". James pleads that Leni was coming on to him and her mom gets mad and kicks Leni out. Having gone the week, she goes off to college at a nearby college and Colt & Nix go off to MIT. During the rapings she felt Colt was always the gentler one. When he texts her asking about school and telling her about his school, she turns off her phone. She comes home from class and find Colt & Nix in her apartment (she had been looking into what happened to their mother because they were told it was a car accident). Nix is wiping her computer of the searches and Colt tells her that he never went off to MIT. He tells her about his dad's obsession and how he didn't want to leave her unprotected from him. We end up with this whole Stockholm Syndrome shit.
When her mom calls to tell her that she found proof that Leni was telling the truth, Leni hears James come in and start yelling at her and hangs up the phone. She rushes to the house to get her mom out but there is an explosion in the house right as they pull up. His dad, her mom and Nix (who the police believe turned on the gas and caused the explosion) were found dead in the house. However, Nix's body wasn't actually identified and we're told about a book 3 coming out in 6 months. Safe to say that Nix is probably still alive. Colt and Leni end up together going through their common grief. F'ed up!!!!!! But really good too.
Cliff's notes:
James (dad) sees Leni (female lead) at a gymnastics competition (she's was training for the Olympics until an injury closed that chapter) and becomes OBSESSED with her (she was 14). His wife was a women's gymnastics coach and he went to the meets with her and saw Leni at one. James starts lying to his wife and telling her that he has these business meetings and he goes out of town. She finds out that there weren't business meetings and that he was going to the competitions that Leni was in and was taking pictures of her (stalker like). In a fit of rage (because James is a psychopath), he beats his wife into a coma. She's in a hospital, in a coma, and he picks up and with his 2 sons (Colt and Nix) they move to the town that Leni lives in. The sons know that dad is obsessed and dad wants the boys (who go to school with her) to befriend her so she'll come over and stuff. They go along with it because dad has threatened to take their mom off life support if they don't. In some small part of conscience the boys have they decide to bully the hell out of her so she hates them (and it works).
After graduation, and years of torment, she goes to visit her grandmother for 2 weeks. When she gets back to her home, she finds their place (she lives with her mom in a trailer) is completely cleaned out. Her mom shows up in a Mercedes and tells her that she has met a man, fell in love and they are getting married in a week. Oh and they moved in with them. Who is said man? You got it, James!
Leni moves in and James is all nice like a father figure. The boys are not. They continue their bullying of her but step up their game. They drag her out of bed one night and without shoes take her to a pool party they are going to. The party is a bunch of people they went to school with and Leni doesn't like them so she goes off by herself. One of the guys starts bothering her so she goes into the house to go to the bathroom/hide out until it is time to go. She is intercepted by Colt and Nix and they force her to either: give Nix a BJ or lose her virginity. So this is rape #1 (videoed for future viewing). There's a lot more bullying that she experiences but doesn't say anything because her mother is telling her not to ruin her chance at happiness.
Rehearsal dinner night. Leni's back is acting up so she takes a Hydrocodone. At the dinner she was uncomfortable AF with the attendees and is drinking some champagne. She starts not feeling well (narcotics and alcohol don't mix) and wants to go home. Colt & Nix are there to escort her home. She passes out. She thinks she's dreaming when Colt climbs in her bed and starts pleasuring her. He asks if he can go further and she says OK. 1st off she thought she was dreaming and 2ndly she was beyond the ability to consent to anything. That didn't stop Colt from taking her virginity (oh and he recorded it so he had proof of her consent). Rape #2.
The morning after the wedding, Leni is scared of being left in the house with Colt and Nix and comes clean to James. She tells him about the video at the party and mentions that she considered going to the police. James flips a switch and becomes angry (choking until she pees herself and is unconscious). Then he goes off on his honeymoon with her mom.
The boys torture her some more including drugging her and having a tattoo of a heart and their last name put on her butt. She decides to get out of the house and take off. She's walking down the driveway when James drives up a week early and without her mom (he left her at the resort and told her he had business meetings he couldn't get out of). James drags Leni back to the house and she's pretty much a prisoner. James tells her that he plans to take conservatorship of her and will have control over every aspect of her life. Or she can submit to him for the rest of the week until her mom gets home. Then begins the nightly rapings where James acts as the director while Colt and Nix rape her in various different ways. Again this book is F'ed up!
Mom comes home a night early and walks in on the "party". James pleads that Leni was coming on to him and her mom gets mad and kicks Leni out. Having gone the week, she goes off to college at a nearby college and Colt & Nix go off to MIT. During the rapings she felt Colt was always the gentler one. When he texts her asking about school and telling her about his school, she turns off her phone. She comes home from class and find Colt & Nix in her apartment (she had been looking into what happened to their mother because they were told it was a car accident). Nix is wiping her computer of the searches and Colt tells her that he never went off to MIT. He tells her about his dad's obsession and how he didn't want to leave her unprotected from him. We end up with this whole Stockholm Syndrome shit.
When her mom calls to tell her that she found proof that Leni was telling the truth, Leni hears James come in and start yelling at her and hangs up the phone. She rushes to the house to get her mom out but there is an explosion in the house right as they pull up. His dad, her mom and Nix (who the police believe turned on the gas and caused the explosion) were found dead in the house. However, Nix's body wasn't actually identified and we're told about a book 3 coming out in 6 months. Safe to say that Nix is probably still alive. Colt and Leni end up together going through their common grief. F'ed up!!!!!! But really good too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2025
I’ll give it a 1 ⭐️ for plot, .5 for 🌶️ at the very end.
TRIGGER WARNINGS/SPOILERS GALORE
THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE AT ALL.
EXTREMELY DARK AND TWISTED.
I’ve never felt so bad for a FMC in all my years of reading, the shit that happened to Leni was dark, twisted and completely unnecessary. Colt and Nix could’ve easily taken their sick ass father, James, down easily and found out where their mother was but no instead they were letting him be the mastermind and them the puppets.
The two things I’m confused about are why did James have his sons rape Leni if he was so obsessed with her? why do that kinda sick shit to her cause like what did she do to James? Nothing. Unless he was a masochist/sadist and got off on her pain which it seemed to be the thing. The only reason she consented to the week of rapes is because she didn’t want James to take over her life and strip her of any decisions that he planned to do with her mothers consent, she wanted to get away so she agreed. And two, why the tattoo on the ass of their names/heart while she was drugged and unconscious? That was never explained, plus was this all done to her in front of the people they brought over for the party?
You’re REALLY fucked in the head if you get off while your SONS are raping a girl right in front of you. Telling them to fill her up with their cum. They all need a psych evaluation. That’s really twisted!!!
The boys reasonings for why they did what they did to her were bullshit. Maybe in their eyes they thought it was helping her but in reality any sane person would know it was absolutely degrading and humiliating what they did so I don’t feel sorry for them at all.
Rapes/SA that occurred that boys thought were justified.
1. Dragged her to a pool party she didn’t wanna go to. Gave her two options, give Nix BJ or both take her virginity. BJ chosen. Reason behind they didn’t wanna leave her with their father. Recorded for proof for dad
2. When she was on prescription drugs mixed with alcohol, Colt raped her. At the end, he explains in his POV he did it because it would be easier for her for when they and the father assaulted her. Also voice recorded for proof she consented and to give to their dad.
Rapes that occurred because of father and how Colt and Nix got her through it before and after.
1. James knew about video of BJ she gave Nix and Colt pleasuring her so he had them do it again in front of him. They brought her back to her room and secured her door so james couldn’t get in whenever he wanted.
2. James instructed while Nix and Colt spit roasted her.
3. James had her strip naked in front of all three of them then had her ride Colt while Nix finger her ass and James instructed everything, all three of them came all over her ass. She disassociated during this or at least tried to. Colt talked her through it all by telling her to remember their time together and how to just picture them. After was done.
4. She saw the straps and Colt told her to relax and to just do what they say and it’ll be over quickly if she just went with it. They cuffed her down to a bench, put a blindfold on her and gagged her. Nix raped her first then Colt did. They beat the living shit out of her ass because James told him to while he got off. She screamed and begged the whole time for it to stop. Aftercare was done Nix got her off after even though she didn’t want it.
5. She was on her period and the boys gave her two different size butt plugs throughout the day because this time her ass was gonna be taken and it was going to be different because instead of in the basement it be their parent’s room. James got off in the corner as usual instructing the boys on what to do and screaming at Leni to say unbelievable things to make himself get off. The ONLY reason any of it stopped was because mom walked in and they got caught but ultimately Leni was called a whore and kicked out by her mother for “ruining” what she had.
I wish Leni did not have a HEA with Colt. She deserved so much better. It also pissed me off that one consented sexual encounter with Colt changed her mind a bit about everything that happened to her and him telling her that he loved her the whole time! HELLO?! They raped, humiliated and tortured you! No way ANY of that is forgivable nor is any of that love.
Do I think I’ll read book 2, probably. I hope it is in multiple point of views though. I’d like to know Colts POV like how we got a little bit at the end in this book. And if his brother is alive, I’d like his too.
TRIGGER WARNINGS/SPOILERS GALORE
THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE AT ALL.
EXTREMELY DARK AND TWISTED.
I’ve never felt so bad for a FMC in all my years of reading, the shit that happened to Leni was dark, twisted and completely unnecessary. Colt and Nix could’ve easily taken their sick ass father, James, down easily and found out where their mother was but no instead they were letting him be the mastermind and them the puppets.
The two things I’m confused about are why did James have his sons rape Leni if he was so obsessed with her? why do that kinda sick shit to her cause like what did she do to James? Nothing. Unless he was a masochist/sadist and got off on her pain which it seemed to be the thing. The only reason she consented to the week of rapes is because she didn’t want James to take over her life and strip her of any decisions that he planned to do with her mothers consent, she wanted to get away so she agreed. And two, why the tattoo on the ass of their names/heart while she was drugged and unconscious? That was never explained, plus was this all done to her in front of the people they brought over for the party?
You’re REALLY fucked in the head if you get off while your SONS are raping a girl right in front of you. Telling them to fill her up with their cum. They all need a psych evaluation. That’s really twisted!!!
The boys reasonings for why they did what they did to her were bullshit. Maybe in their eyes they thought it was helping her but in reality any sane person would know it was absolutely degrading and humiliating what they did so I don’t feel sorry for them at all.
Rapes/SA that occurred that boys thought were justified.
1. Dragged her to a pool party she didn’t wanna go to. Gave her two options, give Nix BJ or both take her virginity. BJ chosen. Reason behind they didn’t wanna leave her with their father. Recorded for proof for dad
2. When she was on prescription drugs mixed with alcohol, Colt raped her. At the end, he explains in his POV he did it because it would be easier for her for when they and the father assaulted her. Also voice recorded for proof she consented and to give to their dad.
Rapes that occurred because of father and how Colt and Nix got her through it before and after.
1. James knew about video of BJ she gave Nix and Colt pleasuring her so he had them do it again in front of him. They brought her back to her room and secured her door so james couldn’t get in whenever he wanted.
2. James instructed while Nix and Colt spit roasted her.
3. James had her strip naked in front of all three of them then had her ride Colt while Nix finger her ass and James instructed everything, all three of them came all over her ass. She disassociated during this or at least tried to. Colt talked her through it all by telling her to remember their time together and how to just picture them. After was done.
4. She saw the straps and Colt told her to relax and to just do what they say and it’ll be over quickly if she just went with it. They cuffed her down to a bench, put a blindfold on her and gagged her. Nix raped her first then Colt did. They beat the living shit out of her ass because James told him to while he got off. She screamed and begged the whole time for it to stop. Aftercare was done Nix got her off after even though she didn’t want it.
5. She was on her period and the boys gave her two different size butt plugs throughout the day because this time her ass was gonna be taken and it was going to be different because instead of in the basement it be their parent’s room. James got off in the corner as usual instructing the boys on what to do and screaming at Leni to say unbelievable things to make himself get off. The ONLY reason any of it stopped was because mom walked in and they got caught but ultimately Leni was called a whore and kicked out by her mother for “ruining” what she had.
I wish Leni did not have a HEA with Colt. She deserved so much better. It also pissed me off that one consented sexual encounter with Colt changed her mind a bit about everything that happened to her and him telling her that he loved her the whole time! HELLO?! They raped, humiliated and tortured you! No way ANY of that is forgivable nor is any of that love.
Do I think I’ll read book 2, probably. I hope it is in multiple point of views though. I’d like to know Colts POV like how we got a little bit at the end in this book. And if his brother is alive, I’d like his too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2024
I concur with the author - THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE AND DEFINITELY NOT FOR THE FAINT HEART.
It's dark, and I mean REALLY DARK. As much as I would love to recommend this book to everybody (it's a great, scary read), even I have to admit that this shocked me pretty badly (and this comes from someone who can bulldoze through A LOT of triggers).
Warning aside, this is a pretty fantastic read. It's sad, it makes me angry (pissed off more like) but it also left me feeling bittersweet. You know after you are done with a book and close it and it gives you "that" feeling of fulfillment, and you know you'd be thinking about it for the next few days? This one does that for me.
Does it have a happy ending? Honestly? I haven't made up my mind about that yet.
I like to say that this book is best to go in blind (I certainly did), but do check the trigger warning with the author.
It's dark, and I mean REALLY DARK. As much as I would love to recommend this book to everybody (it's a great, scary read), even I have to admit that this shocked me pretty badly (and this comes from someone who can bulldoze through A LOT of triggers).
Warning aside, this is a pretty fantastic read. It's sad, it makes me angry (pissed off more like) but it also left me feeling bittersweet. You know after you are done with a book and close it and it gives you "that" feeling of fulfillment, and you know you'd be thinking about it for the next few days? This one does that for me.
Does it have a happy ending? Honestly? I haven't made up my mind about that yet.
I like to say that this book is best to go in blind (I certainly did), but do check the trigger warning with the author.
December 26, 2022
I really have no clue how to rate this one. There was no romance because this is NOT a romance book. Other reviewers probably listed the trigger warnings, and content warnings but nothing will prepare you for this book.
Saying that, did I like it? Not the plot, no. The writing, yes. I could not put the book down, even though it got very hard to read certain parts. Did I understand the HEA? Yes, there is nothing stronger than bonds between two people with shared trauma. But the ending could have been better, it felt a bit abrupt and confusing.
Pick this book up at your own discretion.
Saying that, did I like it? Not the plot, no. The writing, yes. I could not put the book down, even though it got very hard to read certain parts. Did I understand the HEA? Yes, there is nothing stronger than bonds between two people with shared trauma. But the ending could have been better, it felt a bit abrupt and confusing.
Pick this book up at your own discretion.
December 11, 2022
2.5 and here’s why!
Let me just say I did not at all expect this book to take just a dark crazy turn I spent majority of the book saying “wtf”. The trigger list needs to be posted in the book not something you have to email to get because I went in fully blind came out with only 1/2 my vision 🤣.
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This book was a train wreck I needed to know more and the ending was so disappointing like SO
Let me just say I did not at all expect this book to take just a dark crazy turn I spent majority of the book saying “wtf”. The trigger list needs to be posted in the book not something you have to email to get because I went in fully blind came out with only 1/2 my vision 🤣.
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This book was a train wreck I needed to know more and the ending was so disappointing like SO
February 1, 2023
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐/5 • 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 • if you loved Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann (in other words - if you're a sick bastard and enjoy all things dark & depraved), then this add this bitch to your TBR immediately 😮💨 w o w, this was something else 😳 it was SO fucking dark from the very beginning and i ate this shit up in one day.
colt & nix are leni's long time high school bullies, as well as her new (& unsuspecting) step-brothers. when their parents leave for their honeymoon, leni thinks her life becomes a living hell... that is, until her new step-father, returns home (both a week early & without her mom), and shows her just how good she had it. *insert alllll sorts of freaky, non-consensual, incestual step-relatives shit here* this probably would have been a 5/5 ⭐ for me, but i felt like the ending was too rushed 😩 there were so many plotholes left unanswered and it was frustrating af!! as per goodreads, Lock Me Inside is a standalone, but C. Hallman has a book called Lock Me Out, releasing in august 2023. sooo fingers crossed it'll give us some fucking answers as to what the actual hell ends up happening with leni, colt & nix, because a bitch is ✨unsatisfied✨ af.
colt & nix are leni's long time high school bullies, as well as her new (& unsuspecting) step-brothers. when their parents leave for their honeymoon, leni thinks her life becomes a living hell... that is, until her new step-father, returns home (both a week early & without her mom), and shows her just how good she had it. *insert alllll sorts of freaky, non-consensual, incestual step-relatives shit here* this probably would have been a 5/5 ⭐ for me, but i felt like the ending was too rushed 😩 there were so many plotholes left unanswered and it was frustrating af!! as per goodreads, Lock Me Inside is a standalone, but C. Hallman has a book called Lock Me Out, releasing in august 2023. sooo fingers crossed it'll give us some fucking answers as to what the actual hell ends up happening with leni, colt & nix, because a bitch is ✨unsatisfied✨ af.
Read
November 23, 2022When call rape a dark then here we are.rape humilated with sons under protection from there obesession fadther then com murder and explosion whata else y can find it in dark romance adalt novel.
November 30, 2022
3.5 stars. On the fence.....
Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of the suthor's work when writting single or in a duo with J.L. Beck. I'll say as well that the reason this story didn't work for me as a whole has nothing to do with the triggers, since I read a lot of pitch black romance and absolutely love the genre, and more to fo with the execution.
I understand this is not a book for everyone and, as so, beware of the TW.
I'll give props for the originality, but for me, was practically impossible to simpathize or empathize with any character, other than Leni, pretty much until the 85% mark, for the simple reason that it's in the last 15% of the book we have some enlightening concerning the reasons behind the situation Leni had to deal with before her mother's marriage, when they were still in HS and that hecathomb of a week, in the middle of the honeymoon.
It felt truly terrifying and unfair to the girl, her impotence and constant cry for help and her need to find some resemblance of comfort in the lesser evil.
What happened in the last chapters was sudden, rushed and a bit of anticlimatic. I would have loved to see more hints and sneak peeks into the boys perspective and their POV would have been crucial to the conflict in its whole dimension. Another thing was the lack of internal turmoil, emotional conflict and connection on Leni's part, since we are not able to aknowledge Nix and Colt's inner thoughts during the narrative. Those two chapters from their POVs should have been in the plot and just not one for each other but some more. Pretty much until Colt's appearance in her Campus, Leni just wanted to feel safe, secure, get over all the harm done to her and forget.
But she org@&med......yes, she did, just for the simple fact her body responded to stimulation, it didn't mean she was enjoying it. She wasn't.
Did the brothers tried to help her? Yes, they subreptiously did, but we as her only got to know it was protection in the final pages and not another way to keep her captive and unable to escape. .
Do I think this could had gone another way? Yes, I do. IMO, the boys could have done something to fight it or, at least, alleviate the Madman's plans.......because if her mother was able to get into James' computer and find all he kept there, so could they. It seemed they were absolutely conditioned to his wills and demands, offering no resistence or even trying to outsmart him. I totally understand the fear and the threat they were under, but even so.....I just ask: If James decided to go throught all the way, would Nix and Colt had stopped him? I really think they wouldn't had.
In this kind of very dark tales we are all expecting some kind of most twisted of them all villain to be willing to sacrifice everything to save the girl and none of the brothers was it.
Did I liked Leni's HEA? Yes, I loved it but, for me, it was to little, too late, since until almost the end all she wanted was to be saved from the terrible trio.
Nevertheless, it is a well written book that I wanted to love, but unfortunately I didn't. But it's just my very personal opinion.
Am I eager for the story nobody knows for now? Yes, absolutely!.
Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of the suthor's work when writting single or in a duo with J.L. Beck. I'll say as well that the reason this story didn't work for me as a whole has nothing to do with the triggers, since I read a lot of pitch black romance and absolutely love the genre, and more to fo with the execution.
I understand this is not a book for everyone and, as so, beware of the TW.
I'll give props for the originality, but for me, was practically impossible to simpathize or empathize with any character, other than Leni, pretty much until the 85% mark, for the simple reason that it's in the last 15% of the book we have some enlightening concerning the reasons behind the situation Leni had to deal with before her mother's marriage, when they were still in HS and that hecathomb of a week, in the middle of the honeymoon.
It felt truly terrifying and unfair to the girl, her impotence and constant cry for help and her need to find some resemblance of comfort in the lesser evil.
What happened in the last chapters was sudden, rushed and a bit of anticlimatic. I would have loved to see more hints and sneak peeks into the boys perspective and their POV would have been crucial to the conflict in its whole dimension. Another thing was the lack of internal turmoil, emotional conflict and connection on Leni's part, since we are not able to aknowledge Nix and Colt's inner thoughts during the narrative. Those two chapters from their POVs should have been in the plot and just not one for each other but some more. Pretty much until Colt's appearance in her Campus, Leni just wanted to feel safe, secure, get over all the harm done to her and forget.
But she org@&med......yes, she did, just for the simple fact her body responded to stimulation, it didn't mean she was enjoying it. She wasn't.
Did the brothers tried to help her? Yes, they subreptiously did, but we as her only got to know it was protection in the final pages and not another way to keep her captive and unable to escape. .
Do I think this could had gone another way? Yes, I do. IMO, the boys could have done something to fight it or, at least, alleviate the Madman's plans.......because if her mother was able to get into James' computer and find all he kept there, so could they. It seemed they were absolutely conditioned to his wills and demands, offering no resistence or even trying to outsmart him. I totally understand the fear and the threat they were under, but even so.....I just ask: If James decided to go throught all the way, would Nix and Colt had stopped him? I really think they wouldn't had.
In this kind of very dark tales we are all expecting some kind of most twisted of them all villain to be willing to sacrifice everything to save the girl and none of the brothers was it.
Did I liked Leni's HEA? Yes, I loved it but, for me, it was to little, too late, since until almost the end all she wanted was to be saved from the terrible trio.
Nevertheless, it is a well written book that I wanted to love, but unfortunately I didn't. But it's just my very personal opinion.
Am I eager for the story nobody knows for now? Yes, absolutely!.
March 16, 2023
Lock Me Inside by C. Hallman is a dark fiction. I hesitate to call it romance but there is a splash of romance in there. As always, check the TW’s and take them seriously.
The book was written well and kept my interest even with the tropes being so prevalent in the writing. I sat and read it in one sitting. The character development is excellent. There were twists and turns in the storyline that were a surprise and kept me guessing. One particular thing I’d like to point out is this author knows how to write a character in despair. I felt it and I cried.
If I could give half stars I’d say this book is more like 4.5 stars. I had a bit of trouble reconciling the way Lenie was treated with other parts of the book. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I will not say anymore about that.
Overall a very good book. I recommend to people who like the bully to romance trope but are looking for something much darker. It is NOT a bully to romance though. It is much darker than that. I will be taking the time to read more of this author’s books.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book was written well and kept my interest even with the tropes being so prevalent in the writing. I sat and read it in one sitting. The character development is excellent. There were twists and turns in the storyline that were a surprise and kept me guessing. One particular thing I’d like to point out is this author knows how to write a character in despair. I felt it and I cried.
If I could give half stars I’d say this book is more like 4.5 stars. I had a bit of trouble reconciling the way Lenie was treated with other parts of the book. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I will not say anymore about that.
Overall a very good book. I recommend to people who like the bully to romance trope but are looking for something much darker. It is NOT a bully to romance though. It is much darker than that. I will be taking the time to read more of this author’s books.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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November 19, 2024Nah cuz where is the rest?
How can you call that a standalone??!?! What the fuck happen to Nix. I'm mad af.
I had a good time I love a step siblings bully. And the plot twist one why is perfection.
Anger tangled with obsession♡♡♡
BUT
Do not call something a standalone and then end it with
The end for now....
Cruel.. af
Especially cuz you left us questioning
Are they all really dead
Does the mom wake up
If they aren't dead, whose bodies are those
Is Nix ok?
How can you call that a standalone??!?! What the fuck happen to Nix. I'm mad af.
I had a good time I love a step siblings bully. And the plot twist one why is perfection.
Anger tangled with obsession♡♡♡
BUT
Do not call something a standalone and then end it with
The end for now....
Cruel.. af
Especially cuz you left us questioning
Are they all really dead
Does the mom wake up
If they aren't dead, whose bodies are those
Is Nix ok?
January 16, 2023
1.5 Love Bug Stars
Romance? NO, more likely a psychological erotic thriller. I have mixed feelings after finishing this book. There was a feeling of deja vu regarding some parts of the story, but it was way darker than a quite similar book I've read recently. Additionally, when I don't have any issues reading about voyeurism, in this book, it was unexpected and not my cup of tea... somehow it brushed me wrong...
As for the ending, it may have been a nice twist but the hints about Nix are somewhat predictable.
P.S. An extra ⭐ because I LOVE the cover!
Romance? NO, more likely a psychological erotic thriller. I have mixed feelings after finishing this book. There was a feeling of deja vu regarding some parts of the story, but it was way darker than a quite similar book I've read recently. Additionally, when I don't have any issues reading about voyeurism, in this book, it was unexpected and not my cup of tea... somehow it brushed me wrong...
As for the ending, it may have been a nice twist but the hints about Nix are somewhat predictable.
P.S. An extra ⭐ because I LOVE the cover!
January 3, 2025
Plot: 4/5 • Smut: 4/5 ———> This stayed dark for a very long part of the book. I almost thought it was going to stay that way. Just when it starts to turn lighter it goes dark again with death. The smut is good, but dark, like i said. No M|M bc… brothers. No incest.
November 27, 2022
GULP 🥺. I read a good part of this book with my heart in the pit of my stomach. Poor Leni … this girl goes through too much. This book is dark but so well written.
November 22, 2022
It's hard to say whether I enjoyed this book. I certainly was compelled to finish since I needed to know how it was all going to play out and why it was happening in the first place. Despite the trigger warnings, I was not at all prepared. I really don't think this is a romance, dark or otherwise. If it had been categorized as a psychological erotic thriller, I would've likely enjoyed it a lot more. As it stands, even though this wasn't the darkest book I've read, it was one of the most uncomfortable ones. It's really hard to sympathize with any characters other than Leni. Even now, knowing the reasons for everything, I just can't get past the "ick" of it all. Maybe if this had been book one and the romance was slowly developed in book two, I might be able to get on board. But the last 15% of the book just wasn't enough and left me feeling meh about the whole thing. The writing was solid, the plot gripped me and, despite my discomfort, I couldn't stop reading.
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