What do you think?
Rate this book
Branded
Pen Pal
meets
Yellowstone
in this dark, western romance featuring a college student using a false identity to exchange spicy letters with a prison inmate, only to be hunted down when the convicted cowboy is released.
It all began with letters. Every word he wrote etched itself into my mind, into my soul.
I had no choice but to fall for him. Was it really so bad that the letters were part of a pen-pal program . . . for prisoners? Or that they weren’t addressed to me?
It’s not as if we’d ever meet. It’s not as if I’d ever get to look into Beau’s eyes that yearn for the ranch he left behind. Or that I’d ever get to feel his work-roughened hands dominating my body just as he does my fevered dreams. What harm could there be?
Until one afternoon when I find myself standing in front of Beau—pretending to be someone I’m not. But the joke’s on me because for all my pretenses, his deception is much crueler . . . The hardened, dangerous, impossibly beautiful man is nothing like the man in the letters.
And it’s too late for me to run.
Content
The contents of this dark romance book may be triggering to some listeners. It contains explicit sexual content and a morally gray hero.
Trigger false identities, stalking/obsession, revenge/retribution, abduction, drugging, blackmail/coercion, forced marriage, violence, bondage, knife play, gun play, dubious consent, non-consent, off-the-page domestic abuse set in the past, off-the-page murder set in the past, parental grief
It all began with letters. Every word he wrote etched itself into my mind, into my soul.
I had no choice but to fall for him. Was it really so bad that the letters were part of a pen-pal program . . . for prisoners? Or that they weren’t addressed to me?
It’s not as if we’d ever meet. It’s not as if I’d ever get to look into Beau’s eyes that yearn for the ranch he left behind. Or that I’d ever get to feel his work-roughened hands dominating my body just as he does my fevered dreams. What harm could there be?
Until one afternoon when I find myself standing in front of Beau—pretending to be someone I’m not. But the joke’s on me because for all my pretenses, his deception is much crueler . . . The hardened, dangerous, impossibly beautiful man is nothing like the man in the letters.
And it’s too late for me to run.
Content
The contents of this dark romance book may be triggering to some listeners. It contains explicit sexual content and a morally gray hero.
Trigger false identities, stalking/obsession, revenge/retribution, abduction, drugging, blackmail/coercion, forced marriage, violence, bondage, knife play, gun play, dubious consent, non-consent, off-the-page domestic abuse set in the past, off-the-page murder set in the past, parental grief
17 pages, Audible Audio
Published October 28, 2025
543 people are currently reading
11746 people want to read
About the author
Saffron A. Kent
35 books6,313 followersSaffron A. Kent is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary and New Adult romance. She writes dark, forbidden, and emotional romance that blurs the line between love and obsession. Her books feature burn that hurts, the broken boy who shouldn’t be touched, the girl who can’t stay away, and the secret that could destroy them both. She's known for her poetic prose and romance that delivers both beautiful destruction and the promise of being remade by love that should never have happened.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 832 reviews
August 29, 2025
2.5 stars
Branded started off like a spicy road trip in a convertible with the top down, only to veer into a ditch around the 35% mark and start blasting some questionable 80s adult film soundtrack vibes. I dove into this book with high hopes. Give me a broody hero, a steamy forbidden romance, and some angsty letter-writing, and I’m usually sold. But oh boy, this one had me laughing for all the wrong reasons by the end.
Let’s start with the good stuff: the premise is juicy. Reverie, our heroine with a Kardashian-level body (more on that later), gets roped into writing letters to an inmate as part of a college assignment for her best friend. Except, plot twist, she’s using her friend’s name to pen these sultry missives to a guy named Arsen, who’s locked up and brooding harder than a thunderstorm over a gothic moor. Theres deception, forbidden vibes, and the kind of tension that makes you think, “Oh, this is gonna be good” The first third of the book had me hooked, fanning myself at the chemistry and smirking at the audacity of it all. Kent knows how to write a smoldering glance that could set your Kindle on fire.
But then… *screeching tire noise*. Around 35%, the book takes a hard left into Woe-Is-Me-Ville, population: Reverie. This girl is out here lamenting that no man has ever found her attractive, despite having what she describes as the most sought-after bod in the world... She's got "small waist with big boobs and big ass" okay, so, Kim K curves? I’m sorry, but the math ain’t mathing. Reverie’s self-pitying monologues about her lack of romantic prospects while she’s strutting around with a figure that could stop traffic felt like a soap opera actress crying into her third martini. I kept waiting for her to realize she’s a bombshell, but nope, she’s too busy clutching her pearls and sighing dramatically. The trope is tiring.
And don’t get me started on the ethical rollercoaster of the letter-writing. Look, I get it. Using your bestie’s name for a school project sounds like a harmless favor, but when you’re sending spicy love notes to a convict under that alias? That’s not a red flag; that’s a full-on crimson parade. Arsen is no saint either (he’s got his own name-related fibs), but Reverie’s “whoops, I’m in too deep” attitude had me side-eyeing her harder than a librarian spotting a dog-eared page. It’s like watching someone decide to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle. Trouble waiting to happen.
The writing itself? It’s got steam, but sweet lord, the terminology. I was vibing until I got slapped in the face with phrases like “college girl sn-tch.” I’m no prude, but that phrase hit me like a rogue dodgeball in gym class. I half-expected a mustachioed dude in a leisure suit to pop out with a boombox blaring cheesy 80s porn riffs. Less “steamy romance,” more “did I accidentally download a script from an adult film set?” It yanked me out of the story faster than you can say “awkward.”
Oh, and the horse-riding scenes? Y’all, I’m a Southerner who’s barely even touched a saddle, and even I know you don’t spend a week galloping around in a tiny dress without consequences. Reverie’s out here riding like she’s auditioning for a Western rom-com, and I’m over here wincing, imagining her thighs looking like they lost a fight with a cheese grater. A quick Google could’ve told Kent that horseback riding for newbies in a minidress is a one-way ticket to Chafe City. The lack of research made me feel like the book was winking at me and saying, “Eh, just go with it.”
Branded did have the potential to be a spicy, angsty delight, but it tripped over its own shoelaces. The chemistry’s there, and Kent’s got a knack for heat, but the melodrama, sketchy plot choices, and cringey word choices turned this into a “meh” for me. If you’re into drama with a side of “wait, what?”, you might dig it. I’m still recovering from the phrase “college girl sn-tch.” Proceed with caution and maybe a sense of humor.
Branded started off like a spicy road trip in a convertible with the top down, only to veer into a ditch around the 35% mark and start blasting some questionable 80s adult film soundtrack vibes. I dove into this book with high hopes. Give me a broody hero, a steamy forbidden romance, and some angsty letter-writing, and I’m usually sold. But oh boy, this one had me laughing for all the wrong reasons by the end.
Let’s start with the good stuff: the premise is juicy. Reverie, our heroine with a Kardashian-level body (more on that later), gets roped into writing letters to an inmate as part of a college assignment for her best friend. Except, plot twist, she’s using her friend’s name to pen these sultry missives to a guy named Arsen, who’s locked up and brooding harder than a thunderstorm over a gothic moor. Theres deception, forbidden vibes, and the kind of tension that makes you think, “Oh, this is gonna be good” The first third of the book had me hooked, fanning myself at the chemistry and smirking at the audacity of it all. Kent knows how to write a smoldering glance that could set your Kindle on fire.
But then… *screeching tire noise*. Around 35%, the book takes a hard left into Woe-Is-Me-Ville, population: Reverie. This girl is out here lamenting that no man has ever found her attractive, despite having what she describes as the most sought-after bod in the world... She's got "small waist with big boobs and big ass" okay, so, Kim K curves? I’m sorry, but the math ain’t mathing. Reverie’s self-pitying monologues about her lack of romantic prospects while she’s strutting around with a figure that could stop traffic felt like a soap opera actress crying into her third martini. I kept waiting for her to realize she’s a bombshell, but nope, she’s too busy clutching her pearls and sighing dramatically. The trope is tiring.
And don’t get me started on the ethical rollercoaster of the letter-writing. Look, I get it. Using your bestie’s name for a school project sounds like a harmless favor, but when you’re sending spicy love notes to a convict under that alias? That’s not a red flag; that’s a full-on crimson parade. Arsen is no saint either (he’s got his own name-related fibs), but Reverie’s “whoops, I’m in too deep” attitude had me side-eyeing her harder than a librarian spotting a dog-eared page. It’s like watching someone decide to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle. Trouble waiting to happen.
The writing itself? It’s got steam, but sweet lord, the terminology. I was vibing until I got slapped in the face with phrases like “college girl sn-tch.” I’m no prude, but that phrase hit me like a rogue dodgeball in gym class. I half-expected a mustachioed dude in a leisure suit to pop out with a boombox blaring cheesy 80s porn riffs. Less “steamy romance,” more “did I accidentally download a script from an adult film set?” It yanked me out of the story faster than you can say “awkward.”
Oh, and the horse-riding scenes? Y’all, I’m a Southerner who’s barely even touched a saddle, and even I know you don’t spend a week galloping around in a tiny dress without consequences. Reverie’s out here riding like she’s auditioning for a Western rom-com, and I’m over here wincing, imagining her thighs looking like they lost a fight with a cheese grater. A quick Google could’ve told Kent that horseback riding for newbies in a minidress is a one-way ticket to Chafe City. The lack of research made me feel like the book was winking at me and saying, “Eh, just go with it.”
Branded did have the potential to be a spicy, angsty delight, but it tripped over its own shoelaces. The chemistry’s there, and Kent’s got a knack for heat, but the melodrama, sketchy plot choices, and cringey word choices turned this into a “meh” for me. If you’re into drama with a side of “wait, what?”, you might dig it. I’m still recovering from the phrase “college girl sn-tch.” Proceed with caution and maybe a sense of humor.
October 29, 2025
Loved the dead ex trope in this especially the part where the obsessed hero tells the FMC his ex was the most beautiful girl he ever saw and tho he didn’t love her he didn’t protect her but they had loads of fun together and she was so hot and adventurous plus it’s implied he accidentally got her pregnant bc he didn’t always wear protection …. But hey they created a beautiful baby girl together so fuck the heroine bc he just needs revenge on his baby mama
Saffron now writes heroines who are basically the hero’s mother
Bc only a mother can put up with all this bullshit and still w a smile on their face say I love you and mean it to men like this.
I read plenty of dark romance that’s not the problem my issue lies with her MMC all being giant losers who some how have a great way of treating the heroine like she doesn’t matter at all is completely irrelevant to his life while the author wants us to believe he’s soooo obsessed w her yeah in a way where she feeds his ego in a way where he actually gives two fucks abt her?? Apparently not
Her last 5 releases have also had the exact same plot in which there really isn’t one and it’s just the hero being misguided by anger at the wrong thing and the snowflake virgin female fetish that heals him ..
I love a toxic broken obsessed guy as the next but I think lately authors are just writing losers like straight up mama boys shitty annoying trauma dumping whoa is me losers who have six packs
And I guess the reader is just supposed to fall for it bc the author says so yeah don’t put any real emotion or thought in the writing just keep writing the same thing over & over again
Stupid me thought this would be a better written book bc it’s traditionally published
Saffron now writes heroines who are basically the hero’s mother
Bc only a mother can put up with all this bullshit and still w a smile on their face say I love you and mean it to men like this.
I read plenty of dark romance that’s not the problem my issue lies with her MMC all being giant losers who some how have a great way of treating the heroine like she doesn’t matter at all is completely irrelevant to his life while the author wants us to believe he’s soooo obsessed w her yeah in a way where she feeds his ego in a way where he actually gives two fucks abt her?? Apparently not
Her last 5 releases have also had the exact same plot in which there really isn’t one and it’s just the hero being misguided by anger at the wrong thing and the snowflake virgin female fetish that heals him ..
I love a toxic broken obsessed guy as the next but I think lately authors are just writing losers like straight up mama boys shitty annoying trauma dumping whoa is me losers who have six packs
And I guess the reader is just supposed to fall for it bc the author says so yeah don’t put any real emotion or thought in the writing just keep writing the same thing over & over again
Stupid me thought this would be a better written book bc it’s traditionally published
October 12, 2025
Started off really strong like I was addicted to this book but as soon as we hit the 45% mark the direction of the book changed and it slowly lost my interest.
I was at the 60% mark and thinking what’s left to say lol. Why am I still here 😭 but as I was reading I got it kinda. I think it could’ve been cut down quite a bit bc the smut was overpowering the story towards the end.
It was still a fun read don’t get me wrong I just feel like if it was shorter I would’ve enjoyed it best.
ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Piatkus for the ARC! ♥︎
I was at the 60% mark and thinking what’s left to say lol. Why am I still here 😭 but as I was reading I got it kinda. I think it could’ve been cut down quite a bit bc the smut was overpowering the story towards the end.
It was still a fun read don’t get me wrong I just feel like if it was shorter I would’ve enjoyed it best.
ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Piatkus for the ARC! ♥︎
October 17, 2025
Thank you to the publisher Little Brown Books UK for providing a copy of this book for review purposes via NetGalley all opinions are my own.
I went into this book with my eyes wide open after reading all the trigger warnings first, so I knew what I was getting into. I liked the idea of this book, the plot showed a lot of promise as Peyton and Bo were writing to each other through the prison pen pal scheme but Peyton and Bo aren’t their real names. This book is like a western meeting a dark romance with a very tortured cowboy. Their real names are Reverie and Arsen, they are like chalk and cheese and they are both pretending to be someone else. And Arsen is out for revenge.
I love dark romance books but this one didn’t quite hit the spot for me, I have given it 3 stars as I think I could recommend it to readers I know who will enjoy it more. I think the biggest issue for me was I can’t see how Reverie forgave Arsen for all he did, I think their relationship was a bit toxic in places as he is clearly a very troubled man. I think readers who like really dark romances with tortured MMCs who are haunted by their demons will love this book but if you like fluffy romances then I don’t think this is the one for you. What I did like about this book is that Reverie wasn’t afraid to standup to Arsen and call him out for how he was treating her, she didn’t break and I respected that.
I went into this book with my eyes wide open after reading all the trigger warnings first, so I knew what I was getting into. I liked the idea of this book, the plot showed a lot of promise as Peyton and Bo were writing to each other through the prison pen pal scheme but Peyton and Bo aren’t their real names. This book is like a western meeting a dark romance with a very tortured cowboy. Their real names are Reverie and Arsen, they are like chalk and cheese and they are both pretending to be someone else. And Arsen is out for revenge.
I love dark romance books but this one didn’t quite hit the spot for me, I have given it 3 stars as I think I could recommend it to readers I know who will enjoy it more. I think the biggest issue for me was I can’t see how Reverie forgave Arsen for all he did, I think their relationship was a bit toxic in places as he is clearly a very troubled man. I think readers who like really dark romances with tortured MMCs who are haunted by their demons will love this book but if you like fluffy romances then I don’t think this is the one for you. What I did like about this book is that Reverie wasn’t afraid to standup to Arsen and call him out for how he was treating her, she didn’t break and I respected that.
November 28, 2025
This is cowboy dark romance with A LOT of spice and very detailed scenes. Like… extremely detailed. If you’re sensitive, turn back now.
Tropes:
Pen pal
Cowboy romance
Dark romance
First love
I don’t like giving too much detail because I hate spoilers, so here’s what you need to know:
You’ve got a college student writing pen-pal letters to a convict, the book starts off one way, and then the dark romance energy kicks in and just keeps climbing. The FMC is young and immature realistically so, because she’s only 19. If you don’t like dark romance, please don’t pick this up.
But me? I read everything sweet, spicy, dark, whatever. And this one is definitely for the dark, girlies romance lovers who want those sweet moments that suddenly flip into wait, WHAT just happened? The type of book that makes you gasp, reread the paragraph, and sit there like, excuse me sir… WHY would you do that?
The MMC is a dark stallion of a cowboy the type where you don’t know if you want to hug him, fix him, or curse him out. And trust me, you’ll feel all three at some point. It’s a roller coaster of obsession, emotions, and pure wild energy.
Verdict: I was left RUINED because I was literally like, What the hell just happened?
Okay Saffron… I see you, girl. I Will definitely read another one of your books.Shout-out to the B&N staff Sam at Union Square during the Brimestone Callie Hart release, the girl went up four floors to find this book for me and said, “Girl, read it.” So yes, I enjoyed this dark cowboy romance… but she can KEEP her dark romance cowboy, because he is too much for me.
I didn't say the character names on purpose because that would also be a spoiler.
Tropes:
Pen pal
Cowboy romance
Dark romance
First love
I don’t like giving too much detail because I hate spoilers, so here’s what you need to know:
You’ve got a college student writing pen-pal letters to a convict, the book starts off one way, and then the dark romance energy kicks in and just keeps climbing. The FMC is young and immature realistically so, because she’s only 19. If you don’t like dark romance, please don’t pick this up.
But me? I read everything sweet, spicy, dark, whatever. And this one is definitely for the dark, girlies romance lovers who want those sweet moments that suddenly flip into wait, WHAT just happened? The type of book that makes you gasp, reread the paragraph, and sit there like, excuse me sir… WHY would you do that?
The MMC is a dark stallion of a cowboy the type where you don’t know if you want to hug him, fix him, or curse him out. And trust me, you’ll feel all three at some point. It’s a roller coaster of obsession, emotions, and pure wild energy.
Verdict: I was left RUINED because I was literally like, What the hell just happened?
Okay Saffron… I see you, girl. I Will definitely read another one of your books.Shout-out to the B&N staff Sam at Union Square during the Brimestone Callie Hart release, the girl went up four floors to find this book for me and said, “Girl, read it.” So yes, I enjoyed this dark cowboy romance… but she can KEEP her dark romance cowboy, because he is too much for me.
I didn't say the character names on purpose because that would also be a spoiler.
December 16, 2025
3.0⭐️
First off, thank you to NetGalley and Saffron A. Kent for the eARC!
This story started off really well and I was hooked from the first page. It was definitely the hot spicy dark cowboy romance that I expected.
You really feel for both main characters with all the trauma they went through which led to them falling in love. There were so many twist and turns and revelations that I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the dual POV with the FMC mainly telling the story while also getting a snippet of what’s inside Arsen’s mind.
Around the half way mark, the plot kind of fell off and I found myself confused at what was really going on. I wish there was about the history between the two families and the plot was more polished. This book was more romance heavy instead of plot which I didn’t mind but may not be for everyone. The main characters chemistry didn’t feel believable and there was too much back and forth between them so it was difficult to connect to them. They both seemed too immature for my tastes.
Also, the terminology was very cringy at times and the book could have been about 100 pages shorter than it was.
Overall, it was a fun spicy time and I enjoyed the story. I would love to see a spinoff of some of the side characters because I was very intrigued by them.
First off, thank you to NetGalley and Saffron A. Kent for the eARC!
This story started off really well and I was hooked from the first page. It was definitely the hot spicy dark cowboy romance that I expected.
You really feel for both main characters with all the trauma they went through which led to them falling in love. There were so many twist and turns and revelations that I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the dual POV with the FMC mainly telling the story while also getting a snippet of what’s inside Arsen’s mind.
Around the half way mark, the plot kind of fell off and I found myself confused at what was really going on. I wish there was about the history between the two families and the plot was more polished. This book was more romance heavy instead of plot which I didn’t mind but may not be for everyone. The main characters chemistry didn’t feel believable and there was too much back and forth between them so it was difficult to connect to them. They both seemed too immature for my tastes.
Also, the terminology was very cringy at times and the book could have been about 100 pages shorter than it was.
Overall, it was a fun spicy time and I enjoyed the story. I would love to see a spinoff of some of the side characters because I was very intrigued by them.
October 30, 2025
This was sold on the vibes for sure. And I was here for most of them. I enjoyed listening to this and I had a relatively good time watching the events unfold.
But... this also relied on being "Dark cowboy who's broken and jaded" as the whole point of the book and nothing but the point. There was also so many confusing renamings and nicknames. Family feuds and drama nonstop.
The sexy kinky times were gritty and hot, but having virgin girl ready for backdoor action on day 1 has me rolling me eyes so hard. It's such a cliche in Dark Romance at this point.
However, once we got past a lot of this story that was just "vibes", I did really understand Arsen's anger and pain. I can see why he wanted revenge. I understand how Reverie could bring him an aspect of peace. I just think it was all padded by a lot of over the top Dark romance "vibes".
Narrated in the dual style by Heather Verdugo & Maxwell Hamilton.
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale
CW: Violence, Dubcon, kidnapping, attempted SA, Loss of a child
*Thank you to the publisher and the author for an ALC & ARC of this title.*
But... this also relied on being "Dark cowboy who's broken and jaded" as the whole point of the book and nothing but the point. There was also so many confusing renamings and nicknames. Family feuds and drama nonstop.
The sexy kinky times were gritty and hot, but having virgin girl ready for backdoor action on day 1 has me rolling me eyes so hard. It's such a cliche in Dark Romance at this point.
However, once we got past a lot of this story that was just "vibes", I did really understand Arsen's anger and pain. I can see why he wanted revenge. I understand how Reverie could bring him an aspect of peace. I just think it was all padded by a lot of over the top Dark romance "vibes".
Narrated in the dual style by Heather Verdugo & Maxwell Hamilton.
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale
CW: Violence, Dubcon, kidnapping, attempted SA, Loss of a child
*Thank you to the publisher and the author for an ALC & ARC of this title.*
October 30, 2025
Stupidest book I've ever came across! So stupid that I lost some brain cells and can't write a detailed proper review!
August 25, 2025
Ok so let's get into it:
I'm not even joking when I say this was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. So to end up getting the ARC and loving it is just everything. I'm so happy with how this turned out. Them being penpals? The obsession? The marriage? Sign me uppp.
This was everything that I've been waiting for from SAK, it was original and so different plot-wise from any of her past/ most recent releases. I felt like it finally allowed space for a new story to be made, and it was a really good foundation for the future books in this series.
In terms of the romance, I absolutely LOVED both the MCs and their relationship with each other. There was so much tension between them, and I always love it when the characters are obsessed with each other, and trust me, they were 😭. There was just so much chemistry there (I'll never say no to a cowboy 🙂↕️).
I absolutely DEVOURED the penpal aspect to this book- it's one of my favourite tropes. I really enjoyed how we got to see the MC's relationship fully flesh out from the beginning. I read this book in one sitting and it was SO fun.
I do think that certain parts of the plot imo, didn't tie up all that clearly together in the end, but if we're focusing on the romance, I loved how everything played out.
I have so many opinions about certain side characters and details about the story, but I'll maybe get into that later (proper RTC maybe idk?).
Overall, I am so happy with how this turned out, and as I said above, I really do think that there's a lot of potential with this series. If you're a fan of SAK's writing style, and liked some of her older work, I definitely think you'll enjoy this one.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review 🖤*
I'm not even joking when I say this was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. So to end up getting the ARC and loving it is just everything. I'm so happy with how this turned out. Them being penpals? The obsession? The marriage? Sign me uppp.
This was everything that I've been waiting for from SAK, it was original and so different plot-wise from any of her past/ most recent releases. I felt like it finally allowed space for a new story to be made, and it was a really good foundation for the future books in this series.
In terms of the romance, I absolutely LOVED both the MCs and their relationship with each other. There was so much tension between them, and I always love it when the characters are obsessed with each other, and trust me, they were 😭. There was just so much chemistry there (I'll never say no to a cowboy 🙂↕️).
I absolutely DEVOURED the penpal aspect to this book- it's one of my favourite tropes. I really enjoyed how we got to see the MC's relationship fully flesh out from the beginning. I read this book in one sitting and it was SO fun.
I do think that certain parts of the plot imo, didn't tie up all that clearly together in the end, but if we're focusing on the romance, I loved how everything played out.
I have so many opinions about certain side characters and details about the story, but I'll maybe get into that later (proper RTC maybe idk?).
Overall, I am so happy with how this turned out, and as I said above, I really do think that there's a lot of potential with this series. If you're a fan of SAK's writing style, and liked some of her older work, I definitely think you'll enjoy this one.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review 🖤*
November 16, 2025
Patiently waiting for this! Dark cowboy romance with and equally morally questionable MMC. Sign me up!!
October 15, 2025
Rating:
3.5⭐
3 🌶️
He's a felon. A cowboy. Fresh out of prison and hell-bent on revenge. His plan? Kidnap and marry Peyton Turner, the daughter of the family that put him behind bars.
The premise is wild, intense, and exactly what I was hoping for. This was my first book by Saffron A. Kent, and while I enjoyed the story overall, there were a few things that held it back from being a full hit for me.
Let’s start with the narration. Both narrators did a great job, especially the female narrator Heather Verdugo. She brought the characters to life with nuance and did a fantastic job voicing Arson. His voice came across as sexy and compelling without falling into the usual cringe territory, which is a common issue for me with female narrators voicing male characters.
Arson’s character was easily the highlight of the book. He checked every box for a dark romance MMC: brooding, dangerous, fiercely loyal, and, of course, insanely hot. I loved how intense and unpredictable he was, and his obsession with the heroine was deliciously dark.
Reverie, on the other hand, didn’t quite land for me. She felt like a very generic FMC and nothing made her really stand out to me. Her inner monologue and dialogue were repetitive and often boiled down to the same kinds of questions or phrases (“Isn’t it?”, “Isn’t he?”, and constantly calling Arson her “criminal cowboy”). It made her feel one-dimensional and caused some scenes to drag a bit.
Speaking of repetition, the title “Branded” was used a lot. I didn’t count, but it had to have been at least 20+ times. After a while, it started to lose its impact and made the dialogue feel overly dramatic and redundant.
Still, the dark themes, the high-stakes, and Arson himself made it a fun ride.
I want to thank NetGalley, Hachette Audio and the Author Saffron A. Kent for the ALC of “Branded”. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5⭐
3 🌶️
He's a felon. A cowboy. Fresh out of prison and hell-bent on revenge. His plan? Kidnap and marry Peyton Turner, the daughter of the family that put him behind bars.
The premise is wild, intense, and exactly what I was hoping for. This was my first book by Saffron A. Kent, and while I enjoyed the story overall, there were a few things that held it back from being a full hit for me.
Let’s start with the narration. Both narrators did a great job, especially the female narrator Heather Verdugo. She brought the characters to life with nuance and did a fantastic job voicing Arson. His voice came across as sexy and compelling without falling into the usual cringe territory, which is a common issue for me with female narrators voicing male characters.
Arson’s character was easily the highlight of the book. He checked every box for a dark romance MMC: brooding, dangerous, fiercely loyal, and, of course, insanely hot. I loved how intense and unpredictable he was, and his obsession with the heroine was deliciously dark.
Reverie, on the other hand, didn’t quite land for me. She felt like a very generic FMC and nothing made her really stand out to me. Her inner monologue and dialogue were repetitive and often boiled down to the same kinds of questions or phrases (“Isn’t it?”, “Isn’t he?”, and constantly calling Arson her “criminal cowboy”). It made her feel one-dimensional and caused some scenes to drag a bit.
Speaking of repetition, the title “Branded” was used a lot. I didn’t count, but it had to have been at least 20+ times. After a while, it started to lose its impact and made the dialogue feel overly dramatic and redundant.
Still, the dark themes, the high-stakes, and Arson himself made it a fun ride.
I want to thank NetGalley, Hachette Audio and the Author Saffron A. Kent for the ALC of “Branded”. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 27, 2025
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
Branded caught my attention with its premise about a college student secretly exchanging letters with a prison inmate. I really enjoyed the letter part; it had a quiet intensity that drew me in and made me curious about their connection.
As the story went on, though, it became heavy on the drama, and I found it hard to connect with the characters or believe in their romance. Their relationship felt forced at times, and despite the tension, the emotional moments didn’t completely land for me. The book also felt too long for the story it was telling, and I think it would have been stronger if it had been a bit more focused.
Even so, the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. Overall, Branded was an okay read with an intriguing setup, but it didn’t quite deliver the emotional depth I was hoping for.
Branded caught my attention with its premise about a college student secretly exchanging letters with a prison inmate. I really enjoyed the letter part; it had a quiet intensity that drew me in and made me curious about their connection.
As the story went on, though, it became heavy on the drama, and I found it hard to connect with the characters or believe in their romance. Their relationship felt forced at times, and despite the tension, the emotional moments didn’t completely land for me. The book also felt too long for the story it was telling, and I think it would have been stronger if it had been a bit more focused.
Even so, the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. Overall, Branded was an okay read with an intriguing setup, but it didn’t quite deliver the emotional depth I was hoping for.
October 19, 2025
Branded
by Saffron A. Kent
🎧 Narrated by Heather Verdugo & Maxwell Hamilton
⭐️ 3.5 stars
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook!
Alright, Pen Pal meets Yellowstone? Sign me up. I went in fully expecting to be lassoed, branded, and emotionally wrecked. What I got instead was a wild, dusty rollercoaster of obsession, letters, lies, and a cowboy who should come with his own warning label.
Our heroine starts a pen-pal exchange with an inmate — a hot, dangerous, emotionally tortured ranch boy named Beau. Sounds like a solid plan, right? Just a few steamy letters, no real-life consequences… until he gets out of prison and she realizes maybe writing to a convicted cowboy wasn’t her brightest moment. Cue the chaos.
This book is dark, unapologetically so — think stalking, obsession, revenge, coercion, and enough morally gray energy to power an entire rodeo. Saffron A. Kent doesn’t pull her punches, and she definitely doesn’t do soft love stories. This one gets real messy, real fast.
The narrators, though? Absolutely nailed it. Heather Verdugo gave the heroine this vulnerable, curious edge, while Maxwell Hamilton made Beau sound exactly like the kind of man you know is trouble but can’t stop listening to anyway. The audio really elevated the story, even when I was side-eyeing every single decision the characters made.
That said… I think I’ve officially aged out of my dark romance phase 😅. A few years ago, I would’ve been eating this up with a pitchfork, but now I just found myself muttering “girl, run” more times than I can count. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s the book — maybe it’s both.
Still, I can’t deny the atmosphere. The letters were addictive, the tension was deliciously drawn-out, and there’s something magnetic about the way Kent writes broken people clawing at each other’s souls.
So yeah — Branded is twisted, sexy, and absolutely unhinged in true Saffron A. Kent fashion. If you live for your romances messy, morally questionable, and hotter than a summer night in Texas, saddle up. This one’s for you.
As for me? I’ll be over here, sipping my tea and realizing my cowboy kink may have finally ridden off into the sunset. 🤠✨
by Saffron A. Kent
🎧 Narrated by Heather Verdugo & Maxwell Hamilton
⭐️ 3.5 stars
Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook!
Alright, Pen Pal meets Yellowstone? Sign me up. I went in fully expecting to be lassoed, branded, and emotionally wrecked. What I got instead was a wild, dusty rollercoaster of obsession, letters, lies, and a cowboy who should come with his own warning label.
Our heroine starts a pen-pal exchange with an inmate — a hot, dangerous, emotionally tortured ranch boy named Beau. Sounds like a solid plan, right? Just a few steamy letters, no real-life consequences… until he gets out of prison and she realizes maybe writing to a convicted cowboy wasn’t her brightest moment. Cue the chaos.
This book is dark, unapologetically so — think stalking, obsession, revenge, coercion, and enough morally gray energy to power an entire rodeo. Saffron A. Kent doesn’t pull her punches, and she definitely doesn’t do soft love stories. This one gets real messy, real fast.
The narrators, though? Absolutely nailed it. Heather Verdugo gave the heroine this vulnerable, curious edge, while Maxwell Hamilton made Beau sound exactly like the kind of man you know is trouble but can’t stop listening to anyway. The audio really elevated the story, even when I was side-eyeing every single decision the characters made.
That said… I think I’ve officially aged out of my dark romance phase 😅. A few years ago, I would’ve been eating this up with a pitchfork, but now I just found myself muttering “girl, run” more times than I can count. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s the book — maybe it’s both.
Still, I can’t deny the atmosphere. The letters were addictive, the tension was deliciously drawn-out, and there’s something magnetic about the way Kent writes broken people clawing at each other’s souls.
So yeah — Branded is twisted, sexy, and absolutely unhinged in true Saffron A. Kent fashion. If you live for your romances messy, morally questionable, and hotter than a summer night in Texas, saddle up. This one’s for you.
As for me? I’ll be over here, sipping my tea and realizing my cowboy kink may have finally ridden off into the sunset. 🤠✨
September 16, 2025
✨ARC REVIEW✨
⭐️ 5/5
📅 October 28, 2025
Tropes you’ll find here:
❤️ Pen Pal with a Prisoner
❤️ Hidden Identities
❤️ Forced Marriage
❤️ Obsession / Stalker Hero
❤️ Dark Western Romance
❤️ Morally Gray Characters
If Saffron A. Kent writes it, I’m reading it. No questions asked.
Branded is messy, unhinged, twisty, and I LOVED every second. It starts with a “simple” college assignment that Riri should’ve never agreed to do for her friend (seriously, that’s not friendship 😂), but once Bo enters the picture through those prison letters, whew. I was hooked.
The chemistry is off the charts, the tension is wild, and the chaos is nonstop. Fake identities? Check. Kidnapping + muffins? Check. Knife fights, forced marriage, secrets, family drama, land disputes, so many twists, this book has it all. Every time I thought I knew where it was going, Saffron threw another curveball.
Bo (Arsen) is completely unhinged, dangerous, obsessive, and yet heartbreakingly vulnerable at times. That line about only being able to sleep when he can smell her? My jaw was on the floor. Riri gives as good as she gets (she stabbed him!!!) and I adored their chaotic, toxic, but somehow tender dynamic. They’re both insane, and it works.
By the time all the secrets came crashing down, Annie, Rad, the wild family drama! I was gasping, laughing, swooning, and just fully obsessed. I can’t wait to see more from this series, hopefully Rad and Peyton next? 👀
This book is pure dark romance mayhem in the BEST way. 5/5 stars from me.
⭐️ 5/5
📅 October 28, 2025
Tropes you’ll find here:
❤️ Pen Pal with a Prisoner
❤️ Hidden Identities
❤️ Forced Marriage
❤️ Obsession / Stalker Hero
❤️ Dark Western Romance
❤️ Morally Gray Characters
If Saffron A. Kent writes it, I’m reading it. No questions asked.
Branded is messy, unhinged, twisty, and I LOVED every second. It starts with a “simple” college assignment that Riri should’ve never agreed to do for her friend (seriously, that’s not friendship 😂), but once Bo enters the picture through those prison letters, whew. I was hooked.
The chemistry is off the charts, the tension is wild, and the chaos is nonstop. Fake identities? Check. Kidnapping + muffins? Check. Knife fights, forced marriage, secrets, family drama, land disputes, so many twists, this book has it all. Every time I thought I knew where it was going, Saffron threw another curveball.
Bo (Arsen) is completely unhinged, dangerous, obsessive, and yet heartbreakingly vulnerable at times. That line about only being able to sleep when he can smell her? My jaw was on the floor. Riri gives as good as she gets (she stabbed him!!!) and I adored their chaotic, toxic, but somehow tender dynamic. They’re both insane, and it works.
By the time all the secrets came crashing down, Annie, Rad, the wild family drama! I was gasping, laughing, swooning, and just fully obsessed. I can’t wait to see more from this series, hopefully Rad and Peyton next? 👀
This book is pure dark romance mayhem in the BEST way. 5/5 stars from me.
October 28, 2025
"Because love's worse than any wild animal in these woods.
A wolf would kill you but love's the kind of animal that'll eat you up but won't let you die. It'll keep you alive and in pain for the rest of your life."
Well, dang! Branded was a book that I immediately put on my TBR upon hearing that it was a dark cowboy romance. Take pen pals, major forbidden, hidden identities, forced marriage, age gap, rival families, a morally gray ex-con cowboy and a virgin college student and you have the makings of a story that'll grab you from the start.
Innocent little Reverie volunteers to write letters to an inmate (Bo) for her BFF, Peyton for a college course. But with each letter she writes to Bo as Peyton, feelings start to build between them as they exchange letters and share pieces of themselves. But both parties are lying to each other about who they are. And when Bo (aka Arsen) is released from prison and these two decide to meet up, Reverie gets caught up in some family rivalry and ends up being coerced into marrying a man that kidnaps her.
I loved the pen pal aspect of this story and how both Reverie and Arsen (or Peyton and Bo as they signed their letters) got to be someone else through their words. The letters created this atmosphere that was full of vulnerable moments and tension. And yet there was more to the letters than we could even imagine. Because once their marriage certificate is signed, Reverie and Arsen set out to return to Arsen's ranch and we begin to understand there is so much more to the story than their letters and them hiding who they truly are.
While I enjoyed the first half and the idea of a relationship blossoming between an inmate and a college student through letter writing, it was the second half where Kent's plot didn't work so much for me. The characters who were 100% opposites and went from hating to f*cking really quickly, making for an unbelievable connection. It seemed like the "intimate" moments were more for shock value than for character growth. But this is where I have mixed emotions. Because I actually liked these two together and how their personalities had the potential to help each other grow, I just didn't feel the growth.
With all that said, this story had major potential but became repetitive. It's unnecessarily long while also not giving us enough. I liked the forbidden aspects, the touch and her die moments, as well as Arsen's family and the way they came together for one another. I didn't love it, nor did I hate it, but the naivety of Reverie got to me. But if you like some darn right dirty fucking between 2 opposites that is more surface level, you just might enjoy this one.
When it comes to him, I'm all emotion and no thought. I'm all heart and no head. All love and no care.
A wolf would kill you but love's the kind of animal that'll eat you up but won't let you die. It'll keep you alive and in pain for the rest of your life."
Well, dang! Branded was a book that I immediately put on my TBR upon hearing that it was a dark cowboy romance. Take pen pals, major forbidden, hidden identities, forced marriage, age gap, rival families, a morally gray ex-con cowboy and a virgin college student and you have the makings of a story that'll grab you from the start.
Innocent little Reverie volunteers to write letters to an inmate (Bo) for her BFF, Peyton for a college course. But with each letter she writes to Bo as Peyton, feelings start to build between them as they exchange letters and share pieces of themselves. But both parties are lying to each other about who they are. And when Bo (aka Arsen) is released from prison and these two decide to meet up, Reverie gets caught up in some family rivalry and ends up being coerced into marrying a man that kidnaps her.
I loved the pen pal aspect of this story and how both Reverie and Arsen (or Peyton and Bo as they signed their letters) got to be someone else through their words. The letters created this atmosphere that was full of vulnerable moments and tension. And yet there was more to the letters than we could even imagine. Because once their marriage certificate is signed, Reverie and Arsen set out to return to Arsen's ranch and we begin to understand there is so much more to the story than their letters and them hiding who they truly are.
While I enjoyed the first half and the idea of a relationship blossoming between an inmate and a college student through letter writing, it was the second half where Kent's plot didn't work so much for me. The characters who were 100% opposites and went from hating to f*cking really quickly, making for an unbelievable connection. It seemed like the "intimate" moments were more for shock value than for character growth. But this is where I have mixed emotions. Because I actually liked these two together and how their personalities had the potential to help each other grow, I just didn't feel the growth.
With all that said, this story had major potential but became repetitive. It's unnecessarily long while also not giving us enough. I liked the forbidden aspects, the touch and her die moments, as well as Arsen's family and the way they came together for one another. I didn't love it, nor did I hate it, but the naivety of Reverie got to me. But if you like some darn right dirty fucking between 2 opposites that is more surface level, you just might enjoy this one.
When it comes to him, I'm all emotion and no thought. I'm all heart and no head. All love and no care.
November 27, 2025
I truly fought my way through this one.
The first 25% was intriguing and good! So I was like okay I can do this.
But we started getting to “college-girl snatch” and how “ripe” her body would be, and something weird about cherries and peaches.
Okay so I kept going. I kept trying to chug along.
I’m 45% through and he finally saves her OH MY (whatever) and in return, he hangs HER FROM A TREE. It wasn’t even spicy at first. He just… trussed her up to a tree. It was weird. It’s one thing if it’s like a spicy scene. But this was .2 seconds after he shot an animal for her.
It turned into a spicy scene so I kept going. I thought maybe this was redeemable. Nope. It got so repetitive and boring. The things that came out of this man’s mouth weren’t even filthy, they were gross. I was spite reading at this point.
I truly never leave reviews like this but this spite-read made me angry because it took a month to get through.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever for gifting me an ARC of Branded !
The first 25% was intriguing and good! So I was like okay I can do this.
But we started getting to “college-girl snatch” and how “ripe” her body would be, and something weird about cherries and peaches.
Okay so I kept going. I kept trying to chug along.
I’m 45% through and he finally saves her OH MY (whatever) and in return, he hangs HER FROM A TREE. It wasn’t even spicy at first. He just… trussed her up to a tree. It was weird. It’s one thing if it’s like a spicy scene. But this was .2 seconds after he shot an animal for her.
It turned into a spicy scene so I kept going. I thought maybe this was redeemable. Nope. It got so repetitive and boring. The things that came out of this man’s mouth weren’t even filthy, they were gross. I was spite reading at this point.
I truly never leave reviews like this but this spite-read made me angry because it took a month to get through.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever for gifting me an ARC of Branded !
September 28, 2025
Peyton is an innocent yet guarded college student who begins writing to a prisoner for a college class. When Bo, her assignment, is released and proposes a meeting; Peyton bites off a lot more than she could ever chew.
This is a super dark romance with lots of morally grey characters with extremely questionable decision making. There’s twists and secret identities and fake marriages along with lots of extra spicy spice. You truly feel bad for both main characters for all the abuse and injustices that they have endured (mostly self inflicted for one) but ultimately you begin to understand why these two fall in love. It makes the story work despite some of the more unbelievable sex scenes.
I really enjoyed how it was dual POV but it was almost entirely told from the female perspective with very little of the males. It worked for me! There seemed to be some setting up of other characters and I
would love to see a book about Rad or a novella about Haven and Marsden! There’s such potential in this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
This is a super dark romance with lots of morally grey characters with extremely questionable decision making. There’s twists and secret identities and fake marriages along with lots of extra spicy spice. You truly feel bad for both main characters for all the abuse and injustices that they have endured (mostly self inflicted for one) but ultimately you begin to understand why these two fall in love. It makes the story work despite some of the more unbelievable sex scenes.
I really enjoyed how it was dual POV but it was almost entirely told from the female perspective with very little of the males. It worked for me! There seemed to be some setting up of other characters and I
would love to see a book about Rad or a novella about Haven and Marsden! There’s such potential in this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
October 26, 2025
I bought this with my own money, and it is the worst decision I ever made. This is hands down the WORST legitimately published book I've ever encountered.
For starters, the physical book has a different description than the one here on goodreads, and on the physical book it says his name is "Beau" and thenwhen you open the book and start reading the spelling changes to "Bo"... so already, not a good start nor impression.
Then, I found that the way this novel was written (the ebbs and flows of it) was very odd. It didn't sit right nor feel right. In addition to the plethora of grammatical errors, there were constant instances where the sentencing structure wasn't quite normal in the was someone would actually say or describe something. That being said, and I hate to say it, but it felt very much like AI in the way it was written.
The content of this book read very much like a teenage wattpad fanfiction. The way the characters acted seemed very farfetched from genuine human reactions or behaviours. Again, that could be an AI thing as well. But even more than that, the actual content was ridiculous. For example, the mmc at one point jizzes on the fmcs underwear, while she's asleep and wearing it, and the fmc doesn't mention it once until several chapters later when it was revealed and she was like "oh, is that why my panties were wet?" Like girlie, it would've been crusted up by morning, and you didn't notice?? And another point, this fmc who just lost her virginity then sucks the mmcs dick and all of a sudden that saliva alone is enough for them to do anal with no lube or prep whatsoever?? It just had you sitting there completely annoyed with how ridiculous it was.
The use of "collage girl snatch" more than once was barf worthy, and I genuinely can't understand why it was used as much as it was.
It is could give this book zero stars, then I would. Otherwise,the only justification I can give for a 1 star even was that chapters 33-35 were actually decent, while the rest of the book sucked.
For starters, the physical book has a different description than the one here on goodreads, and on the physical book it says his name is "Beau" and thenwhen you open the book and start reading the spelling changes to "Bo"... so already, not a good start nor impression.
Then, I found that the way this novel was written (the ebbs and flows of it) was very odd. It didn't sit right nor feel right. In addition to the plethora of grammatical errors, there were constant instances where the sentencing structure wasn't quite normal in the was someone would actually say or describe something. That being said, and I hate to say it, but it felt very much like AI in the way it was written.
The content of this book read very much like a teenage wattpad fanfiction. The way the characters acted seemed very farfetched from genuine human reactions or behaviours. Again, that could be an AI thing as well. But even more than that, the actual content was ridiculous. For example, the mmc at one point jizzes on the fmcs underwear, while she's asleep and wearing it, and the fmc doesn't mention it once until several chapters later when it was revealed and she was like "oh, is that why my panties were wet?" Like girlie, it would've been crusted up by morning, and you didn't notice?? And another point, this fmc who just lost her virginity then sucks the mmcs dick and all of a sudden that saliva alone is enough for them to do anal with no lube or prep whatsoever?? It just had you sitting there completely annoyed with how ridiculous it was.
The use of "collage girl snatch" more than once was barf worthy, and I genuinely can't understand why it was used as much as it was.
It is could give this book zero stars, then I would. Otherwise,the only justification I can give for a 1 star even was that chapters 33-35 were actually decent, while the rest of the book sucked.
Read
September 1, 2025Conozco el estilo de Saffron A. Kent y sé que sus historias suelen tener protagonistas oscuros, tramas intensas y dinámicas polémicas. Sin embargo, en esta ocasión siento que no funcionó para mí.
Bo me resultó un auténtico asco: controlador, violento y carente de cualquier redención que pudiera hacerlo atractivo. Por otro lado, Bell me desesperó; se me hizo tonta al dejar que él la pisoteara y la tratara como basura sin poner límites reales. En vez de disfrutar la tensión o el romance, terminé frustrada.
Le pondré una estrella y, como este año cambié mi estilo de calificar, la dejaré plasmada hasta que el libro haya sido publicado.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Bo me resultó un auténtico asco: controlador, violento y carente de cualquier redención que pudiera hacerlo atractivo. Por otro lado, Bell me desesperó; se me hizo tonta al dejar que él la pisoteara y la tratara como basura sin poner límites reales. En vez de disfrutar la tensión o el romance, terminé frustrada.
Le pondré una estrella y, como este año cambié mi estilo de calificar, la dejaré plasmada hasta que el libro haya sido publicado.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
October 20, 2025
1 ⭐️ Upon reflection, this book is bullshit and deserves a 1. First of all, gross. Second of all, ew. THIRD OF ALL? Can we strike the word “snatch” from the english dictionary? Listen. I am all for a dark romance and the dubious nature that the genre entails, but for it to work the characters have to be even the slightest bit tolerable.
September 8, 2025
2.5 stars.
For the first half of "Branded" by Saffron A. Kent, I was ALL IN. I was locked in, absolutely riveted by this slightly unhinged, all the way dark cowboy romance. There is a lot of stuff you just have to forgive and/or completely ignore ethically here, which isn't a problem for most dark romance readers. That being said, I loved the letter writing early on Arsen Grayson and Reverie Bell (even though they were both using different names and didn't know it). There is so much character and world-building going on in the letters! After the 45%-ish mark, the rest of the book turns into a totally different novel. It's almost as if two books were smushed together into one to see what stuck... and the author thought no one would notice. The back half of the book is extremely choppily written, and I lost focus more than once while trying to finish the story. It was like a bad trainwreck: I wanted to stop reading it, but I could not look away from it. At some point, Reverie becomes obsessed with the way Arsen tastes like lemonade???? Like literally mentions it multiple times every chapter for several chapters???? I also laughed multiple times when I didn't think I was supposed to, like a lot of the lines were very, very funny but not intentionally so??? A lot of the prose is goofy as heck in an attempt to be dark and brooding, but it came off as comical. The writing style absolutely did not work for me past the 50% mark. The pacing basically comes to a crawl for the last half of the book. I know that Arsen is supposed to be this bad-boy-cowboy, but I found him almost entirely irredeemable. I did not feel any connection or spark between him and Reviere once they got to the Grayson compound. There is a lot of spice in this book, but I sadly felt nothing during any of these scenes because there was no link or bond between them! Tension, sure, but not in the way I think the author wanted, only because of the nature of the story (she is kidnapped, hellooooOOooOOOoo). I did not believe that they loved each other; they were just addicted to "breaking up" and getting back together so they could do it and have a cheap thrill again. Disappointed in this one because it started so strong! Sad.
Thank you to NetGalley, Saffron A. Kent, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
For the first half of "Branded" by Saffron A. Kent, I was ALL IN. I was locked in, absolutely riveted by this slightly unhinged, all the way dark cowboy romance. There is a lot of stuff you just have to forgive and/or completely ignore ethically here, which isn't a problem for most dark romance readers. That being said, I loved the letter writing early on Arsen Grayson and Reverie Bell (even though they were both using different names and didn't know it). There is so much character and world-building going on in the letters! After the 45%-ish mark, the rest of the book turns into a totally different novel. It's almost as if two books were smushed together into one to see what stuck... and the author thought no one would notice. The back half of the book is extremely choppily written, and I lost focus more than once while trying to finish the story. It was like a bad trainwreck: I wanted to stop reading it, but I could not look away from it. At some point, Reverie becomes obsessed with the way Arsen tastes like lemonade???? Like literally mentions it multiple times every chapter for several chapters???? I also laughed multiple times when I didn't think I was supposed to, like a lot of the lines were very, very funny but not intentionally so??? A lot of the prose is goofy as heck in an attempt to be dark and brooding, but it came off as comical. The writing style absolutely did not work for me past the 50% mark. The pacing basically comes to a crawl for the last half of the book. I know that Arsen is supposed to be this bad-boy-cowboy, but I found him almost entirely irredeemable. I did not feel any connection or spark between him and Reviere once they got to the Grayson compound. There is a lot of spice in this book, but I sadly felt nothing during any of these scenes because there was no link or bond between them! Tension, sure, but not in the way I think the author wanted, only because of the nature of the story (she is kidnapped, hellooooOOooOOOoo). I did not believe that they loved each other; they were just addicted to "breaking up" and getting back together so they could do it and have a cheap thrill again. Disappointed in this one because it started so strong! Sad.
Thank you to NetGalley, Saffron A. Kent, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
October 29, 2025
This book is easily one of my top Saffron reads , no contest. I was lucky enough to snag an ARC, and oh lawd, nothing could’ve prepared me for Arsen. He is on a whole different level of unhinged, haunted intensity. A man carved from pain and violence, yet somehow soft only for Reverie… like she’s the single fragile thread tethering him to what’s left of his humanity.
He’s broken, brutal, and beautifully ruined—
but when it comes to her, there’s a tenderness that will rip you open.
That duality? Addictive.
Arsen is everything you want in a dominant alpha book boyfriend: possessive, fierce, morally gray, and willing to burn the world to protect what’s his. And sweet jeezus, the mouth on this man… absolutely filthy. He dominates with his words alone , dark promises, filthy commands, devotion disguised as depravity. 🥵💦
Their connection is a collision of violence and vulnerability, desire and destruction—raw, consuming, and impossible to look away from. I was glued to every page, starving for more.
This man will hurt you…
and you’ll beg him to do it again.
The spice?? Scorching.
The pacing?? Razor-sharp.
The emotional devastation?? Pure perfection.
I’m still recovering.
He’s broken, brutal, and beautifully ruined—
but when it comes to her, there’s a tenderness that will rip you open.
That duality? Addictive.
Arsen is everything you want in a dominant alpha book boyfriend: possessive, fierce, morally gray, and willing to burn the world to protect what’s his. And sweet jeezus, the mouth on this man… absolutely filthy. He dominates with his words alone , dark promises, filthy commands, devotion disguised as depravity. 🥵💦
Their connection is a collision of violence and vulnerability, desire and destruction—raw, consuming, and impossible to look away from. I was glued to every page, starving for more.
This man will hurt you…
and you’ll beg him to do it again.
The spice?? Scorching.
The pacing?? Razor-sharp.
The emotional devastation?? Pure perfection.
I’m still recovering.
dnf
August 31, 2025“Branded” by Saffron Kent
DNF @ 24%
I tried, I really did. I went into this book wanting to read about an unhinged dark romance, but I dislike each main character so much. The MMC is just an asshole. He’s super mean, treats the FMC like trash, and she just takes it! She is the definition of a doormat, letting him get away with truly awful behavior.
I’ve read dark romances where the MMC is unhinged, but he’s at least somewhat nice to the FMC. Like, you can see that he has a good side underneath all of the tough guy bullshit. But this dude? Arsen is just mean, and that’s really unattractive. And I am sorry, the FMC is one of the least intelligent characters I’ve ever read in a romance novel. Gurl, just run! She does one stupid thing after another, and it’s rinse and repeat throughout the entire book. Silly.
The writing also drove me nuts. I’ve never read anything else by this author, but good lord, all of the paragraph breaks were so distracting. I usually don’t notice em dashes, but somebody take them away from this author, because she used them too many times!
DNF @ 24%
I tried, I really did. I went into this book wanting to read about an unhinged dark romance, but I dislike each main character so much. The MMC is just an asshole. He’s super mean, treats the FMC like trash, and she just takes it! She is the definition of a doormat, letting him get away with truly awful behavior.
I’ve read dark romances where the MMC is unhinged, but he’s at least somewhat nice to the FMC. Like, you can see that he has a good side underneath all of the tough guy bullshit. But this dude? Arsen is just mean, and that’s really unattractive. And I am sorry, the FMC is one of the least intelligent characters I’ve ever read in a romance novel. Gurl, just run! She does one stupid thing after another, and it’s rinse and repeat throughout the entire book. Silly.
The writing also drove me nuts. I’ve never read anything else by this author, but good lord, all of the paragraph breaks were so distracting. I usually don’t notice em dashes, but somebody take them away from this author, because she used them too many times!
October 24, 2025
3,5⭐️
“Branded” plunges readers into a wild, storm-tossed romance at the intersection of pen-pal innocence and cowboy vengeance.
Kent delivers a dark western romance layered with deceit, revenge, abduction and forced proximity. The chemistry between the leads crackles with tension and danger, though the story isn’t for the faint of heart - numerous trigger warnings apply. Author doesn’t write a tidy romance; she pushes two very different people into collision and watches sparks, not sugar, fly.
What makes the book distinct is its brutality-of-affection: tenderness is earned through violence, and trust is a currency both costly and risky. The setting (ranch, isolation, rough justice) grounds the heat in grit, while the epistolary start gives the relationship a slow, uncanny creep. Expect moral discomfort, unpredictable pivots, and an emotional payoff that will leave you breathless or unsettled - sometimes both. For readers who crave intensity over comfort, Branded is a fierce, uncompromising ride.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
💋 Tropes
• Pen-pal
• Fake / assumed identity
• Dark western / cowboy hero
• Ex-convict / prisoner past
• Abduction / forced proximity
• Revenge
• Morally grey / broken hero
• Slow-burn-to-intense
“Branded” plunges readers into a wild, storm-tossed romance at the intersection of pen-pal innocence and cowboy vengeance.
Kent delivers a dark western romance layered with deceit, revenge, abduction and forced proximity. The chemistry between the leads crackles with tension and danger, though the story isn’t for the faint of heart - numerous trigger warnings apply. Author doesn’t write a tidy romance; she pushes two very different people into collision and watches sparks, not sugar, fly.
What makes the book distinct is its brutality-of-affection: tenderness is earned through violence, and trust is a currency both costly and risky. The setting (ranch, isolation, rough justice) grounds the heat in grit, while the epistolary start gives the relationship a slow, uncanny creep. Expect moral discomfort, unpredictable pivots, and an emotional payoff that will leave you breathless or unsettled - sometimes both. For readers who crave intensity over comfort, Branded is a fierce, uncompromising ride.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
💋 Tropes
• Pen-pal
• Fake / assumed identity
• Dark western / cowboy hero
• Ex-convict / prisoner past
• Abduction / forced proximity
• Revenge
• Morally grey / broken hero
• Slow-burn-to-intense
December 1, 2025
2.5 rounded up...
Sigh... I am so glad to be done with this one.
I WAS SO EXCITED FOR THIS DAMN BOOK. Yellowstone meets PenPal?! Sign me tf up right?
yeah... I thought so, and I was really on board with it until maybe like 58% through.. then it all just got weird. & woe is me, the plot basically got pushed off a cliff to include as much spice as possible.
IDK, I just had wayyy higher hopes for this one.
Sigh... I am so glad to be done with this one.
I WAS SO EXCITED FOR THIS DAMN BOOK. Yellowstone meets PenPal?! Sign me tf up right?
yeah... I thought so, and I was really on board with it until maybe like 58% through.. then it all just got weird. & woe is me, the plot basically got pushed off a cliff to include as much spice as possible.
IDK, I just had wayyy higher hopes for this one.
October 21, 2025
3.5⭐ - I feel so conflicted reviewing this book because overall, I enjoyed the story and the romance but the actual writing itself completely detracted from my reading experience.
This had a lot of aspects that could have made it a 5 star read: forced marriage, penpal with an inmate, good girl x bad boy, morally grey cowboy anti-hero, dark themes, etc. I would be so immersed in the story and then certain words or writing choices would take me right out of it.
Lets review:
- snatch/college girl snatch = 8x ... EW.
- branded = 21x ... as someone who loves that moment when the title all makes sense, this was overkill.
- tummy = 16x ... tummy, smack dab in the middle of a spicy scene? it's literally a toddler word.
Also, I really wish authors would stop writing *first time* or *an@l* shmex scenes if they are unable or unwilling to give those scenes the proper care that is needed. It feels lazy when authors include things like this without any regard for reality.
Last thing, we meet the MMCs cousin Rad who is tall dark and mysterious and apparently "doesn't speak" because of a traumatic brain injury but then he...speaks...like maintains an entire phone conversation. Either I missed something or that was not explained/executed well.
A little bit of a let down because the story itself had so much potential. If you are someone who enjoys dark romance and doesn't really care about quality of writing, this could be your next 5 star read.
I received an eARC from Forever via Netgalley. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.
This had a lot of aspects that could have made it a 5 star read: forced marriage, penpal with an inmate, good girl x bad boy, morally grey cowboy anti-hero, dark themes, etc. I would be so immersed in the story and then certain words or writing choices would take me right out of it.
Lets review:
- snatch/college girl snatch = 8x ... EW.
- branded = 21x ... as someone who loves that moment when the title all makes sense, this was overkill.
- tummy = 16x ... tummy, smack dab in the middle of a spicy scene? it's literally a toddler word.
Also, I really wish authors would stop writing *first time* or *an@l* shmex scenes if they are unable or unwilling to give those scenes the proper care that is needed. It feels lazy when authors include things like this without any regard for reality.
Last thing, we meet the MMCs cousin Rad who is tall dark and mysterious and apparently "doesn't speak" because of a traumatic brain injury but then he...speaks...like maintains an entire phone conversation. Either I missed something or that was not explained/executed well.
A little bit of a let down because the story itself had so much potential. If you are someone who enjoys dark romance and doesn't really care about quality of writing, this could be your next 5 star read.
I received an eARC from Forever via Netgalley. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.
November 7, 2025
so filthy… i ate it up
November 1, 2025
⭐️ 3.75 Stars
I’ll be honest, the cover and the Amazon blurb are what pulled me in. This sounded like a wild, unhinged ride, so my friends and I picked it up together. And while it definitely kept me hooked, I can’t say it became a favorite.
The story is unpredictable in the best way, and I truly had no idea what was going to happen from chapter to chapter. But the ending fell flat for me. After all the intensity and build up, it just left me feeling oddly unsatisfied.
If you’re in the mood for a dark romance set on a ranch, packed with heavy trigger warnings and chaotic energy, this might be right up your alley. Just be prepared, it’s a ride.
I’ll be honest, the cover and the Amazon blurb are what pulled me in. This sounded like a wild, unhinged ride, so my friends and I picked it up together. And while it definitely kept me hooked, I can’t say it became a favorite.
The story is unpredictable in the best way, and I truly had no idea what was going to happen from chapter to chapter. But the ending fell flat for me. After all the intensity and build up, it just left me feeling oddly unsatisfied.
If you’re in the mood for a dark romance set on a ranch, packed with heavy trigger warnings and chaotic energy, this might be right up your alley. Just be prepared, it’s a ride.
November 11, 2025
2.5 stars audiobook review.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It almost felt like an amateur attempt at a dark romance, grasping at trending tropes, randomly inserting the masked man & bdsm scenes.
Overall, I did enjoy it.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It almost felt like an amateur attempt at a dark romance, grasping at trending tropes, randomly inserting the masked man & bdsm scenes.
Overall, I did enjoy it.
October 28, 2025
♾️★
When I heard Saffron was writing a cowboy romance I decided to wait for her to pop my🍒
And boy, she exceeded my expectations, she may also have ruined me for all future cowboy tropes since she set the bar so high, pretty much like it happened with the unrequited love trope.
This story didn’t just leave a mark it branded my core, it’s imprinted in my bones and I can’t move on nor do I want to. The author combines angst and emotional turmoil into a fast paced, engaging and unputdownable tale. I dare you not to crave Arsen and Reverie’s branding.
I basked into this new world, the unfamiliar setting and new earthy vibe awoke a longing for new, never explored lands. Arsen and Reverie’s story takes place framed by this warm yet hardened background, we learn about their journey through the letters they send each other. There is no denying how aptly Saffron handles this fascinating paper exchange reminiscent of ink on paper and lost art of writing letters by hand, she never fails to deliver a masterful experience.
Arsen bears all the traits of a tormented character, his abrasive behaviour and revenge driven attitude aren’t easy to handle, and Reverie despite her nurturing nature doesn’t give him an easy time. Her soft aura doesn’t tolerate pushovers, she delivers her sass with no effort. The way she puts Arsen in his place is just perfect, and so is his obsessive desire, his protective persona painted with darker hues. He may be all fire and brimstone but his wife is no stranger to flames and she’s happy to catch fire and burn with him.
The story is told in dual POV with a prevalence of Reverie’s perspective, resulting in less, therefore emotionally charged precious moments from Arsen’s POV.
As a soul whose natural element is the sea and its connected scenarios, I’m shamelessly declaring myself a newly addicted lover of lands and fields, the fact that this mermaid is ready to give it all up for a cowboy like Arsen, shows how deeply his heady aura goes into my being.
When I heard Saffron was writing a cowboy romance I decided to wait for her to pop my🍒
And boy, she exceeded my expectations, she may also have ruined me for all future cowboy tropes since she set the bar so high, pretty much like it happened with the unrequited love trope.
This story didn’t just leave a mark it branded my core, it’s imprinted in my bones and I can’t move on nor do I want to. The author combines angst and emotional turmoil into a fast paced, engaging and unputdownable tale. I dare you not to crave Arsen and Reverie’s branding.
I basked into this new world, the unfamiliar setting and new earthy vibe awoke a longing for new, never explored lands. Arsen and Reverie’s story takes place framed by this warm yet hardened background, we learn about their journey through the letters they send each other. There is no denying how aptly Saffron handles this fascinating paper exchange reminiscent of ink on paper and lost art of writing letters by hand, she never fails to deliver a masterful experience.
Arsen bears all the traits of a tormented character, his abrasive behaviour and revenge driven attitude aren’t easy to handle, and Reverie despite her nurturing nature doesn’t give him an easy time. Her soft aura doesn’t tolerate pushovers, she delivers her sass with no effort. The way she puts Arsen in his place is just perfect, and so is his obsessive desire, his protective persona painted with darker hues. He may be all fire and brimstone but his wife is no stranger to flames and she’s happy to catch fire and burn with him.
The story is told in dual POV with a prevalence of Reverie’s perspective, resulting in less, therefore emotionally charged precious moments from Arsen’s POV.
As a soul whose natural element is the sea and its connected scenarios, I’m shamelessly declaring myself a newly addicted lover of lands and fields, the fact that this mermaid is ready to give it all up for a cowboy like Arsen, shows how deeply his heady aura goes into my being.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 832 reviews