Burn

by Emily Klepp

They called me crazy.
A liar.
“They would never do something so awful,” they’d say.
Maybe I’m just a bitter bitch looking for revenge.
Revenge…
That’s exactly what I want.
I want to hear them beg. Cry. Plead.
Just like I did…
I want them to know what true helplessness feels like. I want them to pray to God for mercy. I want them to curse him when they never get it. They’re already dead; their bodies just don’t know it yet.
I used to be a good girl. The innocent one.
I kept to myself, but I was kind to everyone.
Don’t they want to see the monster they’ve created?
I am the Devil. This is my Hell.
They put these demons inside of me, and now they want to come out and play.
Are you ready to play, boys?
I am…

THIS IS A DARK ROMANCE WITH HEAVY TRIGGERS. READER'S DISCRETION IS HIGHLY ADVISED.

Genres: Novella, Dark Romance, Romance, Dark

63 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2025

About the author

Visit my Linktree here -> https://linktr.ee/emilykleppnovels

Emily Klepp is a Western North Carolina native residing in eastern Tennessee with her loving husband and two beautiful children. She has been writing since she was fourteen years old as a way to cope with her anxiety. She hopes to help others be able to speak their truth by writing about topics that are considered too taboo for societal norms.

Reviews

[Pranjal · Rating 5 out of 5]

‼️Check TWs‼️

A very quick read that will make you feel pure feminine rage. FMC has suffered a lot and when she complained no one believed her and called her a liar. Now she is on her revenge spree and she has also found a partner who will help her in any way possible to get her revenge.

Is her method morally right? No, but who cares about morality when your whole life is ruined because of some pathetic piece of shits.
Please check for triggers before reading as, as always, Emily has written a heartbreaking story dealing with very sensitive subjects.

Tropes-

🔥Unhinged MCs
🖤Revenge
🔥Rough & Spicy
🖤Trigger Heavy
🔥Trauma Healing
🖤SA Awareness
🔥Mental Health Rep

[Lunawolfwy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a powerful example of pure feminine rage. I was rooting for revenge the whole time and when the time came it was bittersweet.

Chelsea takes her life & strength back and those boys never see it coming! I'm glad she has the support of Jaxon

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are like me and enjoy revenge stories then this needs to be on your TBR. But as always...check your triggers.

This one is for the survivors and those who would do anything for them...and I mean ANYTHING. Are the MCs unhinged? Maybe, just a tad. But it's also oddly...sweet? Romantic? I don't know how to describe it without sounding unhinged myself. But once you read it you'll know what I mean.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where does your soul lie?
Did they suck it out!
Did it wither up and d!e?
Did no-one hear you shout?

I thought I’d add this as it is kind of poignant for this r3v3ng3 story. It a quick 30-40 min read depending how fast you are that is 🤣 Our FMC is all about seeking her own justice and in such a way it can’t be disputed, she does have a little help in ensuring it goes to plan.

Totally enjoyed this female rage novella. As usual, great writing from Emily.


𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

[Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my darkest dreams, watching those that hurt me suffer, would be a dream come true. This is what the book is to some of us survivors. Some don't deserve to live after the evil they spread. I adore what Chelsea did and how supportive Jaxon is. Was it morally right? Definitely not. But morals had no place in what those boys did to her. I wish she would have gotten revenge on the cops and everyone for disparaging her and making her suffer. But, all she wanted was to be happy and safe. Short book, but packed a punch.

[Mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a few pages in when I realised I had already read this one in the Written in blood anthology that came out last year. Didn’t stop me reading it again though.

Chelsea took her power back after being gang SA’d and no-one believing her. Well no-one until she met Jaxon. The only thing the university did right was make her get help because otherwise she would have never met him.

I liked that unbeknown to her 3 attackers they did actually have an out.

[Dezireè · Rating 5 out of 5]

YALL THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. IT IS A DARK ROMANCE AND IS ABOUT THINGS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN AT A PARTY THAT NO ONE EVER BELIEVES YOU AND YOU END UP THE CRAZY PERSON AND IM THE HOSPITAL. BUT WHILE IN THERE YOU MEET THE MAN YOUR ARE SUPPOSE TO BE WITH!
🔟🔟
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Paige Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a powerful quick read! A story about revenge and a woman’s journey through finding her way out of the dark after having been sexually assaulted. Check your triggers before reading!

Burn releases on April 11th, 2025.

[Nita · Rating 5 out of 5]

After going through the worst possible thing a woman can go through happens Chelsea is forced into a mental hospital. There she met Jaxon. They have an instant connection the blossoms into something long lasting. Jaxon help Chelsea get revenge on the men that hurt her.

[Onyx Reads Smut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing example of feminine rage in this short novella. Chelsea had something awful happen to her at a college party, and she meets Jaxon, and he helps her get revenge on the people who hurt her. It may be short, but it is dark and spicy so please read the triggers.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revenge is sweet 👌

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was dark but the whole point is watching as Chelsea heals and finds her own justice ... really quick read that keeps you gripped please read this but check trigger warnings

[Laynara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me through so many emotions while reading it and I am so happy Chelsea was able to find her own justice with Jaxon by her side!

[Emily Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like in a perfect world these situations would be dealt with very similarly to how they were in this book. It is dark and graphic at times, so definitely check your triggers. But it was a very good, quick read and I am eager to read more from this author.

[Danielle Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
The emotions this book brought out of me man I can't even begin to articulate them. As a survivor of SA this struck so many heart strings. While reading this I broke down so many times. But has it went on and Chelsea stood up for herself something great was coming. It sure as hell did too!!! This book holds a special place in my heart. All the trauma healing I'm here for it!!! Burn has trauma healing, mental health rep, love after SA, and so much more!!!  Emily Klepp had put out a masterpiece yet again! Happy reading

[Erin Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨🔮🌞🌕🍄🌕🌞🔮✨

ARC REVIEW

Burn - Emily Klepp

5/5⭐️

📚📚📚
Holy wow!! Just speechless with this one. This is definitely one of those books for the survivors! Chelsea is one strong FMC. With everything that was done to her and no one believed?! They called her a liar and so much more but damn am I glad she didn’t give up. She got the revenge she so well deserved. This one is a short but such a fast paced read. It’s filled with so much hurt and healing. Chelsea meets the grumpy scary Jaxon along the way and ugh just perfect together. He’s just everything supportive she needed. This one I highly recommend and truly can’t say enough good things about it. 🖤

📚📚📚
If you like to read:
- Unhinged MCs
- Revenge
- Rough s3x
- Trigger heavy
- Trauma healing
- SA Awareness
- Mental health rep
… You should definitely check this out

📚📚📚

Thank you so much for sending me a copy for an honest review in my own words. #giftedcopy

✨

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[GroceReadsAfterDark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing is better than revenge to your attackers. Please read trigger warnings before reading this.

The dedication for this book made me tear up. I loved it so much.

This is a fast read, with lots of spice but also revenge. I absolutely love Jaxon, he is everything Chelsea needs, and she is everything he needs. Nobody believed Chelsea and called her a liar. Until she met Jaxon and he believed her.

This story talks about triggers and how people deal with them, how easily someone can be affected by it. I absolutely loved Burn because mental health is important coming from someone that deals with chronic depression. Stories like this make me feel okay for how I feel. That it’s normal and I’m not alone. The spice is just an added positive that makes the story so much better and hotter. No pun intended haha.

Once again read the trigger warnings, your mental health matters

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burn promises a descent into pure, cathartic rage—and it’s not pretending to be anything else. It is dripping with fury, trauma, and a thirst for revenge that feels both terrifying and justified. If you’re a fan of female-led revenge stories where the main character doesn’t snap—she shatters and rebuilds into something monstrous—this one might just hit the mark.

This starts off as the classic “good girl,” kind, quiet, and overlooked. But something horrific happened—something no one believed—and now she’s not just out for blood, she wants complete and total emotional annihilation.

If you like your antiheroines unhinged, your justice served ice cold, and your narratives laced with pain and power, this one might hit you like a punch to the throat—in the best way. But if you’re looking for healing arcs, redemption, or soft romance… run.

This is my honest review for this ARC!

[Jayne limb · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fantastic story we have Chelsea who is attacked by 3 vile boys who think they can do whatever they want to her and get away with it. When Chelsea decides she wants to speak up about what has happened to her nobody believes her not even the police department or her college. She gets given a choice to either get kicked out of college or go into a unit and get help. That's were she meets jaxon who everyone else is scared of but not Chelsea.Jaxon isn't scary he has just been through a lot and is very misunderstood and Chelsea is the only one who understands him really because she listens.Chelsea gets justice her own way and Jaxon is with her the whole way. I absolutely loved the ending of this story of how 2 people who are both traumatized in different ways can find peace and love in eachother.

[kristina_book_reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know where to start with this review because this dark is exactly what is described dark dark heavy triggers, very descriptive scenes of what happened and so on. However, these heavy triggers I’m talking about that Emily is talking about our a little different in this book because it is, it is almost real.

It is that believable she has mastered it. This is the best book so far that I have read by her. She has blown my mind blown this book out of the water and then to publish it for the first month of April that all the proceeds go to, and you can find that out on her website, but that’s not why I’m leaving this review.

I’m leaving because this book should be read by every woman every man. Yes it’s not right getting back for some thing that someone has done to you, but sometimes it just feels right.

[Sian curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was so gripping and even purchases made will be going to rainn so this is even better this book is about s** as****t so do not read if this triggers you. A girl gets r***d and she wants revenge as noone believed her all her friends ect accused her of lying so she and her bf help get revenge.

emily will donate ALL proceeds for this title in April 2025 to RAINN, including all preorders, purchases, and Kindle Unlimited pages read. If you wish to contribute to this donation, this is how you can. You may also visit www.RAINN.org to donate directly. This organization is for sexual assault awareness, which is a subject that I am passionate about. They have done amazing things to help survivors and their families, so I encourage you to visit their website and learn more about what they do.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read that will have you feeling the feminine rage!

Chelsea suffered at the hands of three boys from her college, but when she spoke out no one believed her. They blamed her for drinking or going to the party and thought she just regretted her decisions. When Chelsea ends up in treatment, she meets Jaxon who suffers from PTSD. Once she gets out, she is determined to have her revenge and Jaxon wants to help her get it.

I almost instantly remembered reading this story in the anthology last year, but I loved reading it again. My heart broke for Chelsea and everything that she went through. I absolutely loved how she took back her power and how supportive Jaxon was. They were a fantastic couple and I loved their dynamic.

I would definitely recommend it but check your triggers before you read this one!

[Marni Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wild and crazy ride I was just taken on , no words can even start to describe!!!! I all I can truly say is the degree to which this story played on all my emotions, the way I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole way through and literally devouring every single word , the complexities of the character and the story , the dark , raw and gritty moments, the secrets , the revenge , the love , the passion, the pain , the intrigue and suspense, the unhinged MCs who yes I was equally obsessed and intrigued by , a heroine who has been through so much trauma and suffering yet is equally as strong and resilient. And all the steam OMG !!! Reading Burn 🔥 is like being on the craziest ride at the amusement park . You know the feeling of being anxious and excited? The anticipation of what’s going to happen from one moment to the next .

[Karen Rosales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have become hooked on Emily's books. She hits on the hard subjects and brings them to life and finds a way for the main characters to not only work through their traumas but to find the silver lining and HEA. This book, about Chelsea who is gang raped, victim shamed, and denied justice is so raw and touching and it broke my heart. I love how once she's been stripped of everything and just raw unbridled emotion comes out she finds a friend/lover to support her in Jaxon who is also seen as broken and discarded. Chelsea finds renewed strength and fights back for her rights, life and those of others too afraid to step forward. Those guys got what they deserved. Sadly, I also wish that those who failed to defend and protect her did not also get a reckoning. Great job Emily and keep writing the hard stuff and bringing it to light!

[Sauieh Noushin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read. A revenge story dedicated to survivors who had to go through something so awful and yet choose everyday to keep going. This is a story dedicated to the dark side that Creeps in wanting that sweet bloody revenge for what was taken, their sole, happiness and sanity. In its place is darkness, doubt, fear and silent rage!!!
Check your triggers, and get ready for a dark, fast ride.
Jaxon and Chelsea are HOT and funny together. Their banter in the beginning is hilarious and I love how they healed each other but knew there was still healing to do on their own.
That revenge was FIRE!!
Also that dedication at the beginning really broke my heart and set the stage for this story and all the betrayals.

[Casey Aungst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this novella was short, sweet, and to the point and I absolutely ate up the revenge plot. I was able to read this in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down! I love how sassy and strong the FMC Chelsea is. I can’t begin to imagine how devastating it must have been to endure what she did and I think she deserves every bit of that sweet revenge she received at the end of the book! The MMC Jaxon was also perfect for her. I loved how patient and loving he was in her healing but at the same time could be brutal and give it to her rough.

My favorite highlight was “I have thought of a thousand ways to kill them, but this is how I get my revenge. They got away with it before, but they won’t this time. 🥵

[Irish_I_was_reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I want to hear them beg. Cry. Plead."

This book is classified as Dark Romance, and is a standalone. It does have a trigger warning list: grape, gang grape, degradation, self delete idealization, self harm, unaliving, victim blaming, victim shaming, arson, hyerspice after grape, psychicatic placement, psychiatric placement staff negligence.

The book is written in first person. This book one point of view: Chelsea. Chelsea endures something traumatic and befriends Jaxon. She is put into a mental institute, claiming she isn't stable, and that is where she met Jaxon.

I gave this book five stars. The reason behind that is due to how the revenge of what she endured was *chef's kiss* and how quick and "sweet" it was.

[Heather Molin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a powerful testament to feminine rage channeled into healing of trauma and protecting future women. The main characters are perfectly matched, not just in romance, but in their emotional journeys. Rather than triggering each other, they help each other heal in a way that feels both raw and authentic. The planning and execution of their actions throughout the story is nothing short of impressive. Every step they take is rooted in trust, and watching that trust grow into something beautiful is one of the best parts of the book. That said, this is not a light or sweet read. While there is healing and romance, this story is DARK AND INTENSE. Please check the trigger warnings—this book doesn’t shy away from the pain it portrays.

[Donna Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

‼️hey everyone please check your trigger warnings, your mental health matters to us and we don’t want anyone getting triggers.‼️

For me this was A very quick read that will make you feel absolute pure feminine rage. Our FMC has really suffered a lot and when she complained no one believed her and went as far as to call her a liar. So because of that, she is out for revenge and she has found a partner who will help her in any way possible to get her revenge. Is her method morally right? No, but who cares about morality when your whole life is ruined. Can’t wait to read more from this amazing author.

Tropes-

🔥Unhinged MCs
🖤Revenge
🔥Rough & Spicy
🖤Trigger Heavy
🔥Trauma Healing
🖤SA Awareness
🔥Mental Health Rep

[Avelon Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Novella worth reading.
It shows a brutally honest truth of how women get set aside when telling the truth about rape and gangbanging.
The characters are raw, and ragefull and honest.
This fast paced romance also shows how traumatized people not only bond but lean on each other and in some cases heal each other through acts of understanding towards each other.
Trauma bonding is real and can be harmful but it can also be healing for those that understand each other in ways no other people ever will be able to.
This feminine rage novella is yet another testimonial to the diverse writing skills Emily Klepp has in her writing arsenal and I absolutely recommend reading not only this book but her other books as well.