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CHAOS & RUIN: Dark Romance Taboo Psychological Thriller
Taboo Biker Masked Stalker Romance Thriller.
She’s a girl fresh out of juvie, and he’s a boy who never got to speak. Together, they are forbidden, and while he is finding his voice, she discovers her peace.
Broken, and branded a lost cause, with fire in her eyes and a spirit that refuses to die, she is handed a second chance she doesn’t want. She’s adopted into a house with a picture-perfect family. But inside those walls lives an imperfect eighteen-year-old son, who is mute. With no friends and no freedom, the only things he loves are his bike and the long roads.
He doesn’t need words to haunt her. He doesn’t need to speak to watch her every move. Behind his silence, he is chaos wrapped in ruin, and in her, he sees the same.
They are not blood, but they are forbidden. Together, they are dangerous, drawn by a hunger that shouldn't exist. When engines roar and secrets come to light, their world becomes something violently alive.
"Ride or die. Love with no breaks.
Either way… someone's going down."
She’s a girl fresh out of juvie, and he’s a boy who never got to speak. Together, they are forbidden, and while he is finding his voice, she discovers her peace.
Broken, and branded a lost cause, with fire in her eyes and a spirit that refuses to die, she is handed a second chance she doesn’t want. She’s adopted into a house with a picture-perfect family. But inside those walls lives an imperfect eighteen-year-old son, who is mute. With no friends and no freedom, the only things he loves are his bike and the long roads.
He doesn’t need words to haunt her. He doesn’t need to speak to watch her every move. Behind his silence, he is chaos wrapped in ruin, and in her, he sees the same.
They are not blood, but they are forbidden. Together, they are dangerous, drawn by a hunger that shouldn't exist. When engines roar and secrets come to light, their world becomes something violently alive.
"Ride or die. Love with no breaks.
Either way… someone's going down."
- GenresDark RomanceDark
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2026
20 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
A. Em
20 books418 followers“Where others write ever after, I write never after.” -A.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
January 31, 2026
Sitting outside of McDonalds using their free internet since it’s coming up 5 weeks and mines still not been fixed, all up my road is out 😫 so I’m only to jump on when I’m in town which is 45 minutes away..
Ok but onto the book.
Ok this moved at high speed, from the moment she was adopted into his family, their connection was toxic and quick, from the first time they met something sizzled between them.
Then the curveballs and twists and turns came at the speed of a tornado, not just once but many times over, the whiplash was intense.
Plot twists I never saw coming. And I’m excited to see where this story leads us in the next book, because this did leave us on a cliffy.
So when my internet is up and running I’ll try and add more to this review..
Ok but onto the book.
Ok this moved at high speed, from the moment she was adopted into his family, their connection was toxic and quick, from the first time they met something sizzled between them.
Then the curveballs and twists and turns came at the speed of a tornado, not just once but many times over, the whiplash was intense.
Plot twists I never saw coming. And I’m excited to see where this story leads us in the next book, because this did leave us on a cliffy.
So when my internet is up and running I’ll try and add more to this review..
Review of advance copy received from Author
Chaos & Ruin pulled me in almost immediately. This truly is a beautiful and emotionally charged story, one that stays with you even after you’ve put the book down.
Although it’s marketed as a slow burn, the pacing felt quite fast at times. Certain emotions and connections developed very quickly — after barely 24 hours, they’re already nearly inseparable and willing to give everything for each other. I found myself wishing the story had slowed down a little to allow those moments more depth and space to breathe. With a longer build-up and more focus on the development of their relationship, I think their connection would have come across even stronger. Especially considering she’s fresh out of juvie and carries a heavy past, I imagined a more guarded approach to trust and relationships, which could have added even more emotional weight to the story.
That being said, there were many moments I genuinely enjoyed and that even made me laugh. When the writing hits, it’s engaging and immersive, and the atmosphere works really well. Even if the consistency isn’t always there, the story itself remains compelling and emotionally gripping. I especially loved Carmen as a character — her confidence and the fact that she’s not afraid to speak her mind made her feel strong, real, and refreshing.
And then there’s the ending… What a ride.
Overall, Chaos & Ruin may have its imperfections for me, but it’s a story with heart, emotion, and impact — one that left me eager to see where this journey will go next. I truly can’t wait for book two.
Although it’s marketed as a slow burn, the pacing felt quite fast at times. Certain emotions and connections developed very quickly — after barely 24 hours, they’re already nearly inseparable and willing to give everything for each other. I found myself wishing the story had slowed down a little to allow those moments more depth and space to breathe. With a longer build-up and more focus on the development of their relationship, I think their connection would have come across even stronger. Especially considering she’s fresh out of juvie and carries a heavy past, I imagined a more guarded approach to trust and relationships, which could have added even more emotional weight to the story.
That being said, there were many moments I genuinely enjoyed and that even made me laugh. When the writing hits, it’s engaging and immersive, and the atmosphere works really well. Even if the consistency isn’t always there, the story itself remains compelling and emotionally gripping. I especially loved Carmen as a character — her confidence and the fact that she’s not afraid to speak her mind made her feel strong, real, and refreshing.
And then there’s the ending… What a ride.
Overall, Chaos & Ruin may have its imperfections for me, but it’s a story with heart, emotion, and impact — one that left me eager to see where this journey will go next. I truly can’t wait for book two.
January 27, 2026
arc review to come
January 23, 2026
As always, A has done it again, writing a brilliant story. Chaos and Ruin completely captivated me. The story is beautifully written, with every plot thread carefully connected, and the way A develops the characters and their pasts is simply masterful. The trauma and struggles that bind the characters together are portrayed with depth and realism, making their journey even more compelling.
The writing itself is mesmerizing—captivating, immersive, and it completely draws you in. Everything is so well thought out, from the plot to the character dynamics, that you feel fully invested in the story.
And oh my God, the ending… the last chapters had me with a literal knot in my throat, holding my breath with every page, and that ending, God, it left me screaming. I need to know what happens in book 2 yesterday.
Overall, Chaos and Ruin is a gripping, emotionally powerful read. If you love stories with complex characters, dark pasts, and an engaging writing style, this book is a must-read
The writing itself is mesmerizing—captivating, immersive, and it completely draws you in. Everything is so well thought out, from the plot to the character dynamics, that you feel fully invested in the story.
And oh my God, the ending… the last chapters had me with a literal knot in my throat, holding my breath with every page, and that ending, God, it left me screaming. I need to know what happens in book 2 yesterday.
Overall, Chaos and Ruin is a gripping, emotionally powerful read. If you love stories with complex characters, dark pasts, and an engaging writing style, this book is a must-read
February 5, 2026
♥ “No one sees how broken you are inside when all you do is smile.” ☠
Going into this book, I was admittedly hesitant because the blurb read very similar to Leigh Rivers’s Web of Silence duet. Knowing how misleading blurbs can be, though, I tried to keep an open mind…and I’m glad I did. While there are some surface-level similarities, A. Em succeeds in carving out a story that feels distinct, especially through its characters and layered backstories.
♥ “He makes me feel wanted. Then claimed…He makes me feel like maybe I am worth something after all.” ☠
Carmen’s story hooked me immediately. The mystery surrounding her past was compelling from the very first page, and every twist and so-called revelation only added more depth rather than feeling repetitive. She was a fascinating FMC, and I genuinely enjoyed following her journey throughout the book. Judas, too, had a surprisingly emotional and intriguing backstory. While I didn’t love his attempts to provoke jealousy, it didn’t stop me from really liking him. His history carried enough weight and nuance to make his character hard to resist.
☠ “If I’m chaos, you can be ruin.” ♥
One of the strongest aspects of the book was how all of the backstories, not just Carmen’s and Judas’s, were intricately woven together. They formed a cohesive picture that shaped not only the main characters but the wider cast as well, which added a lot of richness to the story.
♥ “I don’t want to own her body or use it. I want to possess her soul.” ☠
I appreciated that the romance leaned toward a slower burn, especially given Carmen’s age for much of the book. That said, I did wish the emotional build had been slower on both sides. One character’s obsession made sense in light of later revelations, but the other side of the relationship felt a bit rushed in comparison.
☠ “She was right about one thing. I am a psycho. Her psycho.” ♥
The ending was where I struggled the most. The pacing suddenly accelerated, key details felt glossed over, and the direction of the story became unclear. It was a noticeable tonal shift from the rest of the book, though it undeniably set up a powerful cliffhanger. Despite my reservations, I’m very curious to see how book two handles that transition and where Carmen and Judas’s story ultimately goes and am hopeful that all my questions will be answered.
Spice: 1.5/5
Tropes:
♥ Adopted Siblings ☠
☠ Forced Proximity ♥
♥ Mute MMC x Unhinged FMC ☠
☠ Masked Stalker ♥
♥ “She got under my skin and became a part of me. This obsession I can’t rip out, and if there is a cure for whatever this is, I don’t want it. All I want is her.” ☠
☠♥☠---ARC Review---♥☠♥
Going into this book, I was admittedly hesitant because the blurb read very similar to Leigh Rivers’s Web of Silence duet. Knowing how misleading blurbs can be, though, I tried to keep an open mind…and I’m glad I did. While there are some surface-level similarities, A. Em succeeds in carving out a story that feels distinct, especially through its characters and layered backstories.
♥ “He makes me feel wanted. Then claimed…He makes me feel like maybe I am worth something after all.” ☠
Carmen’s story hooked me immediately. The mystery surrounding her past was compelling from the very first page, and every twist and so-called revelation only added more depth rather than feeling repetitive. She was a fascinating FMC, and I genuinely enjoyed following her journey throughout the book. Judas, too, had a surprisingly emotional and intriguing backstory. While I didn’t love his attempts to provoke jealousy, it didn’t stop me from really liking him. His history carried enough weight and nuance to make his character hard to resist.
☠ “If I’m chaos, you can be ruin.” ♥
One of the strongest aspects of the book was how all of the backstories, not just Carmen’s and Judas’s, were intricately woven together. They formed a cohesive picture that shaped not only the main characters but the wider cast as well, which added a lot of richness to the story.
♥ “I don’t want to own her body or use it. I want to possess her soul.” ☠
I appreciated that the romance leaned toward a slower burn, especially given Carmen’s age for much of the book. That said, I did wish the emotional build had been slower on both sides. One character’s obsession made sense in light of later revelations, but the other side of the relationship felt a bit rushed in comparison.
☠ “She was right about one thing. I am a psycho. Her psycho.” ♥
The ending was where I struggled the most. The pacing suddenly accelerated, key details felt glossed over, and the direction of the story became unclear. It was a noticeable tonal shift from the rest of the book, though it undeniably set up a powerful cliffhanger. Despite my reservations, I’m very curious to see how book two handles that transition and where Carmen and Judas’s story ultimately goes and am hopeful that all my questions will be answered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spice: 1.5/5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tropes:
♥ Adopted Siblings ☠
☠ Forced Proximity ♥
♥ Mute MMC x Unhinged FMC ☠
☠ Masked Stalker ♥
♥ “She got under my skin and became a part of me. This obsession I can’t rip out, and if there is a cure for whatever this is, I don’t want it. All I want is her.” ☠
February 19, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ HIT ME STRAIGHT IN THE HEART.
I don’t even know how to properly review this book because I didn’t just read it, I FELT IT. Carmen holds my scars in her hand and heart. 🥺
Reading Carmen felt like looking into a mirror I wasn’t ready to face. The way she keeps people at arm’s length because she believes everyone will eventually leave… that hit too close. Wanting to be loved, but always bracing for the moment someone discovers something about you that makes them walk away. That quiet belief that no one ever really stays.
I felt that. I felt HER.
I finished this in just a few hours. I couldn’t put it down. I was frowning and hurting. My heart was hurting the entire time. Every book I’ve read from A makes me feel a lot of things. And each one gets better, deeper. More honest. More piercing.
I’m honestly out of words. They say the better the book, the harder it is to find words to explain how it makes you feel.
All I know is this book made me feel seen and heard in ways I didn’t expect. Thank you, A. For another heartfelt read.
I don’t even know how to properly review this book because I didn’t just read it, I FELT IT. Carmen holds my scars in her hand and heart. 🥺
Reading Carmen felt like looking into a mirror I wasn’t ready to face. The way she keeps people at arm’s length because she believes everyone will eventually leave… that hit too close. Wanting to be loved, but always bracing for the moment someone discovers something about you that makes them walk away. That quiet belief that no one ever really stays.
I felt that. I felt HER.
I finished this in just a few hours. I couldn’t put it down. I was frowning and hurting. My heart was hurting the entire time. Every book I’ve read from A makes me feel a lot of things. And each one gets better, deeper. More honest. More piercing.
I’m honestly out of words. They say the better the book, the harder it is to find words to explain how it makes you feel.
All I know is this book made me feel seen and heard in ways I didn’t expect. Thank you, A. For another heartfelt read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow A truly knows how to write dark romance and Im truly grateful to be part of it. As I've said before her words resonate deeply in your soul this book is no different! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I laughed at times and of course my heart was all over the place! Dont get me started on the ending ahhh book 2 cant come soon enough!
February 5, 2026
Chaos & Ruin by A.Em
Let me start by saying make sure you check your trigger and content warnings
Wow! I can't even put into words all my thoughts in this book. Once I started this I couldn't put it down because I was so hooked.
Carmen has been through a lot in her life and she is now 16 and is now getting adopted by Judge Harrington and his wife. As soon as she sees her step brother Judas she is immediately drawn to him. Little does she know that Judas will become obsessed with her.
Judas has been through a lot in his life since before he got adopted by Judge Harrington and his wife. He also doesn't speak so he has an interesting time trying to communicate with Carmen at first. As soon as Judas sees Carmen he recognizes something in her that he sees in himself. He's sees another broken soul who is just masking everything that she is really feeling inside.
"She is just someone who likes to pretend, just like all of us. We wear masks in front of people so they never learn who we really are. Too Fucking afraid that if they see a little more, they will leave us behind."
This book is so beautifully written and these characters will forever have a place in my soul. The connection between them was beautiful and they helped each other in ways they didn't know could be. I don't want to give away too much more because there is so much in this book that I can't even put into words.
"They say every second, someone finds someone. They never know if that person will stay or leave. But I know I didn't find someone. She found me. And she has no idea how dangerous that is."
Um that cliff hanger is going to kill me. I NEED book two immediately.
Let me start by saying make sure you check your trigger and content warnings
Wow! I can't even put into words all my thoughts in this book. Once I started this I couldn't put it down because I was so hooked.
Carmen has been through a lot in her life and she is now 16 and is now getting adopted by Judge Harrington and his wife. As soon as she sees her step brother Judas she is immediately drawn to him. Little does she know that Judas will become obsessed with her.
Judas has been through a lot in his life since before he got adopted by Judge Harrington and his wife. He also doesn't speak so he has an interesting time trying to communicate with Carmen at first. As soon as Judas sees Carmen he recognizes something in her that he sees in himself. He's sees another broken soul who is just masking everything that she is really feeling inside.
"She is just someone who likes to pretend, just like all of us. We wear masks in front of people so they never learn who we really are. Too Fucking afraid that if they see a little more, they will leave us behind."
This book is so beautifully written and these characters will forever have a place in my soul. The connection between them was beautiful and they helped each other in ways they didn't know could be. I don't want to give away too much more because there is so much in this book that I can't even put into words.
"They say every second, someone finds someone. They never know if that person will stay or leave. But I know I didn't find someone. She found me. And she has no idea how dangerous that is."
Um that cliff hanger is going to kill me. I NEED book two immediately.
February 1, 2026
Immediately after reading the first page, I had a strong feeling this was going to be good. The writer succeeded in sucking me into the story from the very beginning. I ‘one more chapter’ed myself into going to bed way too late because I could not put my Kindle down. I liked part I a little more than I liked part II, but it was still more than captivating enough to keep my Kindle glued to my hands.
Carmen comes across as careful and reserved in the beginning, but she bites when you push her buttons. It’s immediately clear that she has a tragic backstory, which we get to discover in bits and pieces. Not too much information is given at once so that it stays mysterious and you want to know more, but not too little either so it doesn’t get frustrating or confusing.
Judas is immediately portrayed as the bad boy with his mismatched eyes, dark hair and motorcycle (because of course he rides a motorcycle, swoon). Oh, and the fact that he doesn’t close his bedroom door while he’s getting blown in the very first chapter also really solidifies the bad boy image. He is also mute, due to his own heartbreaking backstory. Can’t blame Carmen for falling for her adoptive brother because let me tell you, so did I. He gives off very strong Malachi Vize vibes from Little Stranger.
Carmen’s adoptive parents immediately give off that cliché rich people vibe. Big mansion surrounded by fences, Catherine wearing a white blouse with a sweater draped over her shoulders when we first meet her. William is distant and to the point, which fits the cliché perfectly. Catherine on the other hand immediately smashed my assumptions about her by being genuinely sweet and caring, and struggling with her own demons on top of it all.
Besides the similarities between Judas and Malachi Vize, there were also quite a few story-based similarities with Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers (the siblings getting to each other’s rooms via the balconies, the MMC learning to speak while they were separated but struggling, the MMC kidnapping the FMC and chaining her up while hiding his identity), to the point where it started worrying me a little bit (if I wanted to read LS, I would have read LS). However, the plot went in a different direction, differentiating itself more than enough from Little Stranger.
After my worries about the story being too similar were proven unnecessary, the plot had me at the edge of my seat. You get some information and think ‘oh this is bad’, then you get some more and think ‘oh this is worse’ and before you know it, your jaw is on the floor. Most of my annotations are ‘excuse me’’s and ‘oh no’’s. There were a lot of twists that I did not see coming - but it never felt like too much. I knew there was more to come, but I couldn’t quite put it together myself, which kept me all the more invested and curious to see how everything would fit together.
In part II there were a couple of scenes that felt out of character for Judas to me. Two years have passed and a lot has changed in that time, but I still struggled to understand why Judas would do some of the things he did (trying to stay spoiler free here, haha).
I love how the POVs shift from Carmen and Judas to Chaos and Ruin between part I and part II - it’s a nice little detail.
I love myself a good enemies to lovers, but it was refreshing to see the adoptive siblings actually get along for a change. All while still keeping a little (sexual) tension lingering.
There were a few inconsistencies in the book (a car getting started twice, Judas laying in bed one moment and leaning against the wall the next, Carmen punching while her hands are chained above her). Absolutely nothing major and nothing that particularly disrupted the story - but, well… I noticed, so I had to mention it.
As far as formatting and layout goes, the emojis the MCs used while texting unfortunately did not show up on my Kindle (tiny rectangles showed up for me instead). However, I did not have this issue on the Kindle app on my phone, where the emojis showed up just fine.
In the beginning of the chapter, the name of the character whose POV the chapter is from kinda gets lost in the busy (but very pretty!) background. Maybe a bigger, bolder font could have resolved this. My Kindle screen is black and white though, and I found the visibility of the POV a bit better on my phone screen, which showed the images in color.
Despite a couple of very minor flaws, I loved this story and flew through it. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be over there recommending this book to anyone willing to listen. I think this story would be a great fit for people who enjoyed books like Little Stranger (Leigh Rivers), Haunting Adeline (HD Carlton), or Pretty Monster (Sheridan Anne).
One very important note though is that you should know this story ends on a cliffhanger, because I didn’t and now I’m frustrated that I’ll have to wait to see how the story continues 😂
Carmen comes across as careful and reserved in the beginning, but she bites when you push her buttons. It’s immediately clear that she has a tragic backstory, which we get to discover in bits and pieces. Not too much information is given at once so that it stays mysterious and you want to know more, but not too little either so it doesn’t get frustrating or confusing.
Judas is immediately portrayed as the bad boy with his mismatched eyes, dark hair and motorcycle (because of course he rides a motorcycle, swoon). Oh, and the fact that he doesn’t close his bedroom door while he’s getting blown in the very first chapter also really solidifies the bad boy image. He is also mute, due to his own heartbreaking backstory. Can’t blame Carmen for falling for her adoptive brother because let me tell you, so did I. He gives off very strong Malachi Vize vibes from Little Stranger.
Carmen’s adoptive parents immediately give off that cliché rich people vibe. Big mansion surrounded by fences, Catherine wearing a white blouse with a sweater draped over her shoulders when we first meet her. William is distant and to the point, which fits the cliché perfectly. Catherine on the other hand immediately smashed my assumptions about her by being genuinely sweet and caring, and struggling with her own demons on top of it all.
Besides the similarities between Judas and Malachi Vize, there were also quite a few story-based similarities with Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers (the siblings getting to each other’s rooms via the balconies, the MMC learning to speak while they were separated but struggling, the MMC kidnapping the FMC and chaining her up while hiding his identity), to the point where it started worrying me a little bit (if I wanted to read LS, I would have read LS). However, the plot went in a different direction, differentiating itself more than enough from Little Stranger.
After my worries about the story being too similar were proven unnecessary, the plot had me at the edge of my seat. You get some information and think ‘oh this is bad’, then you get some more and think ‘oh this is worse’ and before you know it, your jaw is on the floor. Most of my annotations are ‘excuse me’’s and ‘oh no’’s. There were a lot of twists that I did not see coming - but it never felt like too much. I knew there was more to come, but I couldn’t quite put it together myself, which kept me all the more invested and curious to see how everything would fit together.
In part II there were a couple of scenes that felt out of character for Judas to me. Two years have passed and a lot has changed in that time, but I still struggled to understand why Judas would do some of the things he did (trying to stay spoiler free here, haha).
I love how the POVs shift from Carmen and Judas to Chaos and Ruin between part I and part II - it’s a nice little detail.
I love myself a good enemies to lovers, but it was refreshing to see the adoptive siblings actually get along for a change. All while still keeping a little (sexual) tension lingering.
There were a few inconsistencies in the book (a car getting started twice, Judas laying in bed one moment and leaning against the wall the next, Carmen punching while her hands are chained above her). Absolutely nothing major and nothing that particularly disrupted the story - but, well… I noticed, so I had to mention it.
As far as formatting and layout goes, the emojis the MCs used while texting unfortunately did not show up on my Kindle (tiny rectangles showed up for me instead). However, I did not have this issue on the Kindle app on my phone, where the emojis showed up just fine.
In the beginning of the chapter, the name of the character whose POV the chapter is from kinda gets lost in the busy (but very pretty!) background. Maybe a bigger, bolder font could have resolved this. My Kindle screen is black and white though, and I found the visibility of the POV a bit better on my phone screen, which showed the images in color.
Despite a couple of very minor flaws, I loved this story and flew through it. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be over there recommending this book to anyone willing to listen. I think this story would be a great fit for people who enjoyed books like Little Stranger (Leigh Rivers), Haunting Adeline (HD Carlton), or Pretty Monster (Sheridan Anne).
One very important note though is that you should know this story ends on a cliffhanger, because I didn’t and now I’m frustrated that I’ll have to wait to see how the story continues 😂
January 28, 2026
I have a new obsession. Because this? This was a masterpiece. And YOU NEED TO READ IT.
I didn’t know what to expect since I’d never read anything by this author before, but I need to fix that as soon as possible. Because if all of her books are anything like Chaos & Ruin, they should have been on my shelf ages ago.
Chaos & Ruin is not a book you forget after a few days. Even though it’s a fast read, it completely consumes you. The author is incredibly talented, and the way she writes reaches into a part of your soul you didn’t even know was there.
This book is beautifully written, and there’s honestly not a single thing I would change about Chaos & Ruin. I fell completely in love with the characters – their pasts, their present stories, and even their thoughts. It’s been a long time since I last highlighted entire paragraphs because I loved them so much, but this book made me do it more than once.
It was gripping, it broke my heart – more than once – and the plot twists genuinely shocked me. I never saw them coming, and even now, thinking about certain scenes still makes me want to cry.
It was a ride. An incredible ride, and I hope to experience it again very soon because I desperately need the second book in this series. And before that, I fully plan to reread Chaos & Ruin, because I already need it again. I’m also incredibly jealous of everyone who will get to read it for the first time.
I didn’t know what to expect since I’d never read anything by this author before, but I need to fix that as soon as possible. Because if all of her books are anything like Chaos & Ruin, they should have been on my shelf ages ago.
Chaos & Ruin is not a book you forget after a few days. Even though it’s a fast read, it completely consumes you. The author is incredibly talented, and the way she writes reaches into a part of your soul you didn’t even know was there.
This book is beautifully written, and there’s honestly not a single thing I would change about Chaos & Ruin. I fell completely in love with the characters – their pasts, their present stories, and even their thoughts. It’s been a long time since I last highlighted entire paragraphs because I loved them so much, but this book made me do it more than once.
It was gripping, it broke my heart – more than once – and the plot twists genuinely shocked me. I never saw them coming, and even now, thinking about certain scenes still makes me want to cry.
It was a ride. An incredible ride, and I hope to experience it again very soon because I desperately need the second book in this series. And before that, I fully plan to reread Chaos & Ruin, because I already need it again. I’m also incredibly jealous of everyone who will get to read it for the first time.
January 29, 2026
✨𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆✨
𝚃𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎: 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚘𝚜 & 𝚁𝚞𝚒𝚗
𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝙱𝚢: 𝙰. 𝙴𝙼
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 01|27
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎: 🌶️🌶️
𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚊𝚜 + 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗
𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚃𝚢𝚙𝚎: 𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜
𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜: 𝙵𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜, 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚙𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚠 𝚞𝚙 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚙𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝.
𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚒𝚖. 𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐.
𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙰.𝙴𝙼, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚞𝚙!
𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚊𝚟𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚄𝚗𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍.
✨ 𝚃 𝚛 𝚘 𝚙 𝚎 𝚜 + 𝚃 𝚛 𝚒 𝚐 𝚐 𝚎 𝚛 𝚜 ✨
𝙵𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜
𝙼𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝙼𝙼𝙲
𝙳𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚍 | 𝚄𝚗𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝙵𝙼𝙲
𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚛
𝙱𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚛𝚜
𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊
𝚃𝚒𝚝𝚕𝚎: 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚘𝚜 & 𝚁𝚞𝚒𝚗
𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝙱𝚢: 𝙰. 𝙴𝙼
𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 01|27
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎: 🌶️🌶️
𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚊𝚜 + 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗
𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚃𝚢𝚙𝚎: 𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜
𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜: 𝙵𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜, 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚙𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚠 𝚞𝚙 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚙𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝.
𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚒𝚖. 𝙷𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐.
𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙰.𝙴𝙼, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚞𝚙!
𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚊𝚟𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚄𝚗𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍.
✨ 𝚃 𝚛 𝚘 𝚙 𝚎 𝚜 + 𝚃 𝚛 𝚒 𝚐 𝚐 𝚎 𝚛 𝚜 ✨
𝙵𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜
𝙼𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝙼𝙼𝙲
𝙳𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚍 | 𝚄𝚗𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝙵𝙼𝙲
𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚛
𝙱𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚛𝚜
𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊
January 29, 2026
Really loved this book. It had more twists and connections than I expected. From tough upbringings, torture, yearning, murder, lies, secrets, beating, love. I don’t know what this book didn’t have.
I wasn’t sure about this at first with the age but the plot really built and developed as it went. When they are older it really helps put this whole story into perspective.
Couldn’t get enough of the dark pasts and twists at the end! I cannot believe it ended that way! Like come on, I NEED the next one.
So beyond honored to get this ARC! It was definitely more than expected and I loved that!
I wasn’t sure about this at first with the age but the plot really built and developed as it went. When they are older it really helps put this whole story into perspective.
Couldn’t get enough of the dark pasts and twists at the end! I cannot believe it ended that way! Like come on, I NEED the next one.
So beyond honored to get this ARC! It was definitely more than expected and I loved that!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2026
Dark. Twisted. Obsessive. This book does not play nice.
Carmen has lived through hell. Abused by her stepfather, blamed for the deaths of her parents, and sent to juvenile, she grows up carrying trauma no one bothered to look closely at. What no one knew was that her stepfather was a monster who kidnapped children, locked them in glass cages, and destroyed lives from behind a badge.
After juvenile, Carmen is adopted by the judge on her case… and that’s when everything spirals. She meets Judas, her new foster brother, and the pull between them is immediate, dark, and impossible to ignore. They recognize the same brokenness in each other, the same hunger, the same violence simmering under the surface.
Judas is obsessed with Carmen from the start, and the lines between right and wrong blur fast. Secrets unravel, betrayals pile up, and when Carmen learns the truth about who killed her parents, everything fractures. What follows is stalking, murder, disappearance, and a rebirth of Judas into Chaos — a man wrapped in leather, violence, and a motorcycle club that doesn’t know who he really is.
The second half of this book is pure madness: stalking, spice, blood, obsession, and survival. Carmen never stopped believing Judas was alive, and when their paths cross again, the tension is feral. The ending? Brutal. Bloody. And absolutely cruel in the best way.
This is a dark foster sibling romance packed with killing, stalking, trauma, obsession, and a little MC grit. It’s not soft. It’s not safe. And it ends on a cliffhanger that made me want to scream.
If you love morally black characters, obsessive love, trauma-bonded romance, and chaos that actually earns its name, this book is worth the emotional damage. I need book two!!
Carmen has lived through hell. Abused by her stepfather, blamed for the deaths of her parents, and sent to juvenile, she grows up carrying trauma no one bothered to look closely at. What no one knew was that her stepfather was a monster who kidnapped children, locked them in glass cages, and destroyed lives from behind a badge.
After juvenile, Carmen is adopted by the judge on her case… and that’s when everything spirals. She meets Judas, her new foster brother, and the pull between them is immediate, dark, and impossible to ignore. They recognize the same brokenness in each other, the same hunger, the same violence simmering under the surface.
Judas is obsessed with Carmen from the start, and the lines between right and wrong blur fast. Secrets unravel, betrayals pile up, and when Carmen learns the truth about who killed her parents, everything fractures. What follows is stalking, murder, disappearance, and a rebirth of Judas into Chaos — a man wrapped in leather, violence, and a motorcycle club that doesn’t know who he really is.
The second half of this book is pure madness: stalking, spice, blood, obsession, and survival. Carmen never stopped believing Judas was alive, and when their paths cross again, the tension is feral. The ending? Brutal. Bloody. And absolutely cruel in the best way.
This is a dark foster sibling romance packed with killing, stalking, trauma, obsession, and a little MC grit. It’s not soft. It’s not safe. And it ends on a cliffhanger that made me want to scream.
If you love morally black characters, obsessive love, trauma-bonded romance, and chaos that actually earns its name, this book is worth the emotional damage. I need book two!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2026
Chaos & Ruin is a story of adoptive siblings, forbidden love, and very dark secrets! A does an amazing job of spinning this thrilling tale between Carmen, Judas, their adoptive parents and many more. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and was so invested in this story to see what happened.
Chaos & Ruin is split into two parts - part one takes place in 2016, and part 2 takes place in 2018. Part one starts with carmen getting out of juvie, because she's being adopted, and is given a second chance at life, even though it's not something she wants... at the time. When she gets to her new home she meets her adoptive brother, Judas, a mute who has a past of his own. The chemistry between Judas and Carmen is immediate!
Part 1 of Chaos & Ruin hurt my heart... learning about Carmen and Judas' past was so heartbreaking. Reading how Carmen feels about a lot of stuff hit me hard, and it made Chaos & Ruin a much more impactful read. This was due to the connection I felt with Carmen - feeling like good things have to be earned, like people won't notice if you're gone, the emptiness of being alone, being hesitant and scared to let people in, and the fear of becoming attached because everyone always leaves.
Part 2 of Chaos & Ruin is when we really start to see the dark side of Judas, and everything he is capable of... Part 2 is a bit more fast paced than part 1 but once I hit part 2 I could not put the book down and had to finish it!
If you're looking for a wild ride full of twists, turns, and lots of dark secrets, Chaos & Ruin is waiting for you!
Chaos & Ruin is split into two parts - part one takes place in 2016, and part 2 takes place in 2018. Part one starts with carmen getting out of juvie, because she's being adopted, and is given a second chance at life, even though it's not something she wants... at the time. When she gets to her new home she meets her adoptive brother, Judas, a mute who has a past of his own. The chemistry between Judas and Carmen is immediate!
Part 1 of Chaos & Ruin hurt my heart... learning about Carmen and Judas' past was so heartbreaking. Reading how Carmen feels about a lot of stuff hit me hard, and it made Chaos & Ruin a much more impactful read. This was due to the connection I felt with Carmen - feeling like good things have to be earned, like people won't notice if you're gone, the emptiness of being alone, being hesitant and scared to let people in, and the fear of becoming attached because everyone always leaves.
Part 2 of Chaos & Ruin is when we really start to see the dark side of Judas, and everything he is capable of... Part 2 is a bit more fast paced than part 1 but once I hit part 2 I could not put the book down and had to finish it!
If you're looking for a wild ride full of twists, turns, and lots of dark secrets, Chaos & Ruin is waiting for you!
January 17, 2026
Chaos and ruin @iamem
Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chilli 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes-
🩷 Mute MMC
🖤 Biker MMC
🩷 unhinged FMC
🖤 masked stalker
🩷 adoptive siblings
🖤 forbidden romance
Firstly, wow! Having MGK in the playlist is an immediate yes from me along side sleeptoken. Secondly, that authors note and dedication is everything!! A mute MMC biker! Are you kidding me! The banter between them both after 24 hours of meeting is unmatched! Judas is obsessed with carmen from the beginning and he loves unconditionally. So okay, the first plot was so fucking unexpected. Like wth!!! The games carmen plays with Judas is hilarious🤣 she’s a tease and he plays into it every time! Part 1 slapped me in the face. I definitely wasn’t ready for part 2. Chaos is something else😉😉😉 chapter 16 got my heart squeezed it and just bled It dry. Holy hell! I need more of these 2 and immediately!!! A, you are amazing! That ending was everything. Carmen, you are brilliant🤣
“Stop shouting, I am mute, not deaf”
“How do you let go of someone you never wanted to let go of? How do you call someone the past when she is every thought of my present and every shape of my future”
“Ride or die,” I say, my voice muffled inside the helmet. I press my palm to my chest. “We ride until we die.”
Losing someone hurts most when you are the only one who feels it. When they are still right in front of you, but already gone. The world keeps walking past, keeps talking, keeps pretending nothing is breaking apart.
Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chilli 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes-
🩷 Mute MMC
🖤 Biker MMC
🩷 unhinged FMC
🖤 masked stalker
🩷 adoptive siblings
🖤 forbidden romance
Firstly, wow! Having MGK in the playlist is an immediate yes from me along side sleeptoken. Secondly, that authors note and dedication is everything!! A mute MMC biker! Are you kidding me! The banter between them both after 24 hours of meeting is unmatched! Judas is obsessed with carmen from the beginning and he loves unconditionally. So okay, the first plot was so fucking unexpected. Like wth!!! The games carmen plays with Judas is hilarious🤣 she’s a tease and he plays into it every time! Part 1 slapped me in the face. I definitely wasn’t ready for part 2. Chaos is something else😉😉😉 chapter 16 got my heart squeezed it and just bled It dry. Holy hell! I need more of these 2 and immediately!!! A, you are amazing! That ending was everything. Carmen, you are brilliant🤣
“Stop shouting, I am mute, not deaf”
“How do you let go of someone you never wanted to let go of? How do you call someone the past when she is every thought of my present and every shape of my future”
“Ride or die,” I say, my voice muffled inside the helmet. I press my palm to my chest. “We ride until we die.”
Losing someone hurts most when you are the only one who feels it. When they are still right in front of you, but already gone. The world keeps walking past, keeps talking, keeps pretending nothing is breaking apart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2026
I need the next book asap
I devoured Chaos and Ruin by A. Em. Absolutely devoured it.
From the very first chapters, the suspense had me in a chokehold. The tension? Immaculate. The forbidden attraction? Off the charts. I wasn’t expecting to fall this hard for this story, but whew — what a ride.
Carmen’s past is heavy and layered, and watching the secrets surrounding her adoption into a wealthy family slowly unravel was gripping. Every reveal added another crack in the perfect façade, and I loved how the author kept peeling back those layers.
And Judas… wow. A mute hero shaped by trauma who communicates so much without words? The intensity between him and Carmen was electric. Their connection felt raw, chaotic, and inevitable — like you knew it would lead to ruin, but you couldn’t look away.
This book is dark, suspenseful, emotionally charged, and addictive. If you love:
Traumatized but protective MMCs
Heavy secrets and messy family dynamics
Forbidden attraction
“This is going to end badly but I need to see how” vibes
…then this is for you.
Chaos and Ruin lived up to its name — and I loved every second of it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I devoured Chaos and Ruin by A. Em. Absolutely devoured it.
From the very first chapters, the suspense had me in a chokehold. The tension? Immaculate. The forbidden attraction? Off the charts. I wasn’t expecting to fall this hard for this story, but whew — what a ride.
Carmen’s past is heavy and layered, and watching the secrets surrounding her adoption into a wealthy family slowly unravel was gripping. Every reveal added another crack in the perfect façade, and I loved how the author kept peeling back those layers.
And Judas… wow. A mute hero shaped by trauma who communicates so much without words? The intensity between him and Carmen was electric. Their connection felt raw, chaotic, and inevitable — like you knew it would lead to ruin, but you couldn’t look away.
This book is dark, suspenseful, emotionally charged, and addictive. If you love:
Traumatized but protective MMCs
Heavy secrets and messy family dynamics
Forbidden attraction
“This is going to end badly but I need to see how” vibes
…then this is for you.
Chaos and Ruin lived up to its name — and I loved every second of it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 3, 2026
Again. Every time I read one of her books I have to say "oh my god"! They are adopted and will break barriers, they will prove to the world that love doesn't have to be in color, it is imperfect. He's raw. He is true, he is what unites them. Two souls that are somehow torn apart, a mute MMC (I LOVE IT) please don't ask, and a very obstinate FMC who will go ahead with what she believes in, having been adopted at sixteen she has to adapt to her new life, a home, a family, a brother. But is Judas just a mute boy in his world? Someone killed her mother and her stepfather and her little sister, she was left alone in the world. It's your mission to find Sofia and leave unhappiness behind. But there is no Chaos without Ruin and both are a ride and a die. Don't be fooled, the author always manages to keep me hooked on her books, the stories, the characters! When is the next one? I need answers!
Thank you for the trust my love!
Thank you for the trust my love!
January 21, 2026
*• ARC Review •*
Chaos & Ruin by A. eM
Taboo Biker Masked Stalker Romance Thriller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥
I don't ride to get somewhere. I ride to leave everything else behind. - Judas
A. Has done it again! Screaming at the end of this book and my husband is just laughing at me!
I ate this book up and couldn't get enough, A knows how to drag us under and keep us there.
Carman & Judas are Adopted Siblings but they both hold dark hidden secrets. But not just ones they are hiding, people around them are keeping them too. They are each others forbidden.
But when something happens Judas has to leave her behind.
This pulls at your heart strings in all the right ways but be warned there is no Happily Ever After!
This book does have Trigger warnings, so please read them before continuing. Your mental health matters and what I like you may not! 🖤
Chaos & Ruin by A. eM
Taboo Biker Masked Stalker Romance Thriller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥
I don't ride to get somewhere. I ride to leave everything else behind. - Judas
A. Has done it again! Screaming at the end of this book and my husband is just laughing at me!
I ate this book up and couldn't get enough, A knows how to drag us under and keep us there.
Carman & Judas are Adopted Siblings but they both hold dark hidden secrets. But not just ones they are hiding, people around them are keeping them too. They are each others forbidden.
But when something happens Judas has to leave her behind.
This pulls at your heart strings in all the right ways but be warned there is no Happily Ever After!
This book does have Trigger warnings, so please read them before continuing. Your mental health matters and what I like you may not! 🖤
February 18, 2026
I was hooked from the start. I loved how everything was tied together. There were so many twist and turns and I ate it up! As soon as I saw it was a dark biker, stalker romance I knew I needed to read it! The ending though! I NEED the next book. I am so ready for Ashes & Vows.
This is available now! And the paperback and character art are stunning!
Rating ⭐️: 4/5
Spice 🌶️: 3/5
🩷 Adoptive siblings
🖤 Mute MMC
🩷 Masked stalker
🖤 Bikers
🩷 Forbidden romance
🖤 Blood play
Thank you to so much to the author for the arc
This is available now! And the paperback and character art are stunning!
Rating ⭐️: 4/5
Spice 🌶️: 3/5
🩷 Adoptive siblings
🖤 Mute MMC
🩷 Masked stalker
🖤 Bikers
🩷 Forbidden romance
🖤 Blood play
Thank you to so much to the author for the arc
February 15, 2026
ＡＲＣ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
4 ★
2 ♥
𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣.
Ｔｒｏｐｅｓ:
✧ ᴍᴜᴛᴇ ᴍᴍᴄ
✧ ᴜɴʜɪɴɢᴇᴅ ғᴍᴄ
✧ ʙɪᴋᴇʀs
✧ ᴍᴀsᴋᴇᴅ sᴛ@ʟᴋᴇʀ
✧ ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
Ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔｓ:
I love a good forbidden romance and this did not disappoint. I love both Carmen and Judas so much and the way they were exactly what each other needed was so perfect especially after all the awful things they experienced in their life. This was full of twists and kept me on the edge of my seat, and ended in a cliffhanger I was not expecting 😭 I’m excited to continue the rest of this story when the next one releases!
4 ★
2 ♥
𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣.
Ｔｒｏｐｅｓ:
✧ ᴍᴜᴛᴇ ᴍᴍᴄ
✧ ᴜɴʜɪɴɢᴇᴅ ғᴍᴄ
✧ ʙɪᴋᴇʀs
✧ ᴍᴀsᴋᴇᴅ sᴛ@ʟᴋᴇʀ
✧ ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
Ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔｓ:
I love a good forbidden romance and this did not disappoint. I love both Carmen and Judas so much and the way they were exactly what each other needed was so perfect especially after all the awful things they experienced in their life. This was full of twists and kept me on the edge of my seat, and ended in a cliffhanger I was not expecting 😭 I’m excited to continue the rest of this story when the next one releases!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tropes: Step-siblings to Lovers, Masked Stalker, Adopted/Found Family, Revenge, "He fell first and harder."
This isn't your typical step-sibling romance. The level of manipulation starts from day one: Judas literally hand-picked Carmen by leaving her file out for his father, Judge Harrington, to find. From that moment, her fate was sealed. The story takes a dark turn when Judas commits a murder to protect her, fakes his own death, and spends two years in the shadows—watching, waiting, and stalking her until her 18th birthday.
The tension peaks when the truth about Judas comes out, leading to a brutal confrontation where Carmen takes her father's life. The escape scene is pure adrenaline. When they say "ride or die," they mean it. The imagery of them racing away from both the law and a vengeful biker gang is cinematic and heart-pounding.
The heartbreak of the bike wreck is gut-wrenching. Seeing Judas get arrested while Carmen falls into the hands of the biker gang for two months of torture was a difficult but gripping read. But that ending? Chills. There is nothing more satisfying than Carmen laughing in the face of the Club President, knowing that the man who faked his death and broke out of prison is coming to burn the world down for her.
Judas is the definition of a "Black Morality" MMC. He is obsessive, dangerous, and completely devoted. If you love stories about traumatic pasts, soul-shattering loyalty, and a heroine who finds her own darkness, Chaos & Ruin is a masterpiece of the genre.
Tropes: Step-siblings to Lovers, Masked Stalker, Adopted/Found Family, Revenge, "He fell first and harder."
This isn't your typical step-sibling romance. The level of manipulation starts from day one: Judas literally hand-picked Carmen by leaving her file out for his father, Judge Harrington, to find. From that moment, her fate was sealed. The story takes a dark turn when Judas commits a murder to protect her, fakes his own death, and spends two years in the shadows—watching, waiting, and stalking her until her 18th birthday.
The tension peaks when the truth about Judas comes out, leading to a brutal confrontation where Carmen takes her father's life. The escape scene is pure adrenaline. When they say "ride or die," they mean it. The imagery of them racing away from both the law and a vengeful biker gang is cinematic and heart-pounding.
The heartbreak of the bike wreck is gut-wrenching. Seeing Judas get arrested while Carmen falls into the hands of the biker gang for two months of torture was a difficult but gripping read. But that ending? Chills. There is nothing more satisfying than Carmen laughing in the face of the Club President, knowing that the man who faked his death and broke out of prison is coming to burn the world down for her.
Judas is the definition of a "Black Morality" MMC. He is obsessive, dangerous, and completely devoted. If you love stories about traumatic pasts, soul-shattering loyalty, and a heroine who finds her own darkness, Chaos & Ruin is a masterpiece of the genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2026
Man I wanted to love this… the tropes had me so excited.
However for me, it was a disappointing miss.
I felt like there was so much happening at once, but most of the things happening had no depth or real connection to the overall story line, which I’ll admit I’m still confused on what that was.
It almost read like things were just thrown in at a last minute thought without any prior connection to characters and events and skimmed over within 1 paragraph to never be spoken about again.
I hope with the next book there is more depth in events and the overall plot
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion
However for me, it was a disappointing miss.
I felt like there was so much happening at once, but most of the things happening had no depth or real connection to the overall story line, which I’ll admit I’m still confused on what that was.
It almost read like things were just thrown in at a last minute thought without any prior connection to characters and events and skimmed over within 1 paragraph to never be spoken about again.
I hope with the next book there is more depth in events and the overall plot
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was absolutely phenominal, I cannot find the words to adequately describe how much I loved this book!
It had me hooked from start to finish, the characters were so complex and had so much development through it all and the story was so gripping, there were a few twists that I did not expect at all!
I cannot wait to read more and hope it comes soon because with that ending? I'll be impatiently waiting....
It had me hooked from start to finish, the characters were so complex and had so much development through it all and the story was so gripping, there were a few twists that I did not expect at all!
I cannot wait to read more and hope it comes soon because with that ending? I'll be impatiently waiting....
January 22, 2026
A really does know the way to my heart. I could not put this book down. Perfect for lovers of dark romance and stalker biker vibes. I love me some Judas
January 29, 2026
OMG!!! I absolutely loved this book. It was beautifully written and the character development was chef’s kiss.
February 13, 2026
5/5
The plot? Twisty. The banter? Witty. We love a masked man who would do anything for the one he loves.
The plot? Twisty. The banter? Witty. We love a masked man who would do anything for the one he loves.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!
can this author make a bad book? because I don't think soo!!!!
please go download this right now and read it🤭🤭
look at this dedication:
••
𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼, 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓭𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓷.
••
quotes:
••
𝕸𝖞 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗. 𝕴 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖍𝖊𝖗.
𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖒𝖊, 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗, 𝖒𝖞 𝖈𝖔𝖈𝖐 𝖎𝖘 𝖌𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖒𝖞 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖎𝖘 𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖊.
••
"𝓑𝓮 𝓪 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓮."
𝓓𝓲𝓭 𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝔂𝓹𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽? 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓲𝓭 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓹 𝓪𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓽?
••
“𝕴 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚.” 𝕭𝖚𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖔, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗. 𝕴 𝖘𝖆𝖜 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊.
“𝕺𝖍, 𝕲𝖔𝖉,”
“𝕻𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊,”
“𝕳𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖗.”
“𝕿𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖊 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊,”
“𝕱𝖚𝖈𝖐, 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖕"
...
“𝕷𝖊𝖙’𝖘 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖆𝖒 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚,”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖇𝖊 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖔𝖘. 𝕴 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖇𝖊 𝕽𝖚𝖎𝖓.”
𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖔𝖘. “𝕷- 𝖑- 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊,”
“𝕽- 𝖗- 𝖗𝖚𝖎𝖓,”
𝕿𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖘 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖘 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗. 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖊𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖓𝖔𝖜.
••
tropes:
☆🍁triller taboo romance
☆🍁adoptive siblings
☆🍁forbidden romance
☆🍁masked stalker
☆🍁mute mmc
☆🍁unhinged fmc
☆🍁second chance at life
☆🍁bikers
☆🍁broken girl/broken boy
☆🍁claiming/marking
☆🍁blood play
☆🍁knife play
☆🍁dubious consent (dubcon)
can this author make a bad book? because I don't think soo!!!!
please go download this right now and read it🤭🤭
look at this dedication:
••
𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼, 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓭𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓷.
••
quotes:
••
𝕸𝖞 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗. 𝕴 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖍𝖊𝖗.
𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖒𝖊, 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗, 𝖒𝖞 𝖈𝖔𝖈𝖐 𝖎𝖘 𝖌𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖒𝖞 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖎𝖘 𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖊.
••
"𝓑𝓮 𝓪 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓮."
𝓓𝓲𝓭 𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝔂𝓹𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽? 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓲𝓭 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓹 𝓪𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓽?
••
“𝕴 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚.” 𝕭𝖚𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖔, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗. 𝕴 𝖘𝖆𝖜 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖉𝖊𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊.
“𝕺𝖍, 𝕲𝖔𝖉,”
“𝕻𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊,”
“𝕳𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖗.”
“𝕿𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖊 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊,”
“𝕱𝖚𝖈𝖐, 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖕"
...
“𝕷𝖊𝖙’𝖘 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖆𝖒 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚,”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖇𝖊 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖔𝖘. 𝕴 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖇𝖊 𝕽𝖚𝖎𝖓.”
𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖔𝖘. “𝕷- 𝖑- 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊,”
“𝕽- 𝖗- 𝖗𝖚𝖎𝖓,”
𝕿𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖘 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖊 𝖆𝖑𝖜𝖆𝖞𝖘 𝖜𝖊𝖗𝖊, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖘𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗. 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖊𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖓𝖔𝖜.
••
tropes:
☆🍁triller taboo romance
☆🍁adoptive siblings
☆🍁forbidden romance
☆🍁masked stalker
☆🍁mute mmc
☆🍁unhinged fmc
☆🍁second chance at life
☆🍁bikers
☆🍁broken girl/broken boy
☆🍁claiming/marking
☆🍁blood play
☆🍁knife play
☆🍁dubious consent (dubcon)
Review of advance copy received from Author
The tropes in this book spoke to me right away, and I genuinely liked almost every aspect of the story. It could have been a complete home run if the author had chosen to slow down the pacing.
Although it’s marketed as a slow burn, that really isn’t the case. After only two days of living in her new home with her new family, the FMC is already addicted to her new brother, and he is already obsessed with her. Many parts lacked depth and detail, which made the story feel rushed.
That being said, there were definitely moments I really enjoyed. Even though the writing itself is good, it lacks consistency throughout the book.
The biggest issue for me was the age of the FMC. She is only 16 for the majority of the story (around 65%), and I’m thankful there were no explicit scenes during that portion, because that would have felt uncomfortable and inappropriate to read. I strongly feel that readers should be given a clear warning beforehand when main characters are going to be that young.
On a positive note, the spice scenes we do get later in the book are very well written—and incredibly hot 🥵.
Although it’s marketed as a slow burn, that really isn’t the case. After only two days of living in her new home with her new family, the FMC is already addicted to her new brother, and he is already obsessed with her. Many parts lacked depth and detail, which made the story feel rushed.
That being said, there were definitely moments I really enjoyed. Even though the writing itself is good, it lacks consistency throughout the book.
The biggest issue for me was the age of the FMC. She is only 16 for the majority of the story (around 65%), and I’m thankful there were no explicit scenes during that portion, because that would have felt uncomfortable and inappropriate to read. I strongly feel that readers should be given a clear warning beforehand when main characters are going to be that young.
On a positive note, the spice scenes we do get later in the book are very well written—and incredibly hot 🥵.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"Ride or die," I say, my voice muffled inside the helmet. I press my palm to my chest. "We ride until we die."
This story is vicious, unsettling, and unapologetically cruel—in the most addictive way possible. Chaos & Ruin is not a romance that tiptoes around darkness. It dives straight into it and drags you under.
Carmen’s life has been shaped by violence and blame long before the book even begins. Labeled a killer, discarded by the system, and sent away as a child no one bothered to truly listen to, she grows up carrying scars that were never hers to begin with. The truth—about her stepfather, his crimes, and the lives he destroyed while hiding behind authority—comes too late to save her childhood. By the time she’s released from juvenile detention, Carmen isn’t naïve or hopeful. She’s hollowed out and braced for more damage.
What she doesn’t expect is to be taken in by the very judge who condemned her.
That’s where Judas enters the story—and everything tilts violently off-axis.
Judas is silent, observant, and terrifyingly controlled. He doesn’t need words to dominate a room or to mark Carmen as his the moment she crosses the threshold into his home. Their connection isn’t soft or romantic; it’s instinctive and unsettling, built on shared trauma and a mutual recognition of something broken and dangerous inside each other. From the very beginning, there’s an undercurrent of manipulation, obsession, and inevitability. This wasn’t fate—it was engineered.
As secrets surface and buried truths claw their way into the light, the story mutates from dark psychological romance into full-blown chaos. Protection turns lethal. Love becomes possession. Lines blur until morality is no longer gray but completely obliterated. Judas’s devotion is absolute, violent, and terrifying in its intensity, and Carmen is forced to confront her own capacity for brutality when survival demands it.
The second half of the book is relentless. Identities are destroyed and reborn. Death is staged. Watching becomes stalking. Separation doesn’t weaken the bond—it ferments it into something feral. The tension when their paths inevitably collide again is suffocating, charged with rage, longing, and unfinished violence.
And then there’s the ending.
It’s merciless.
Blood-soaked, emotionally brutal, and perfectly cruel, it rips away any illusion of safety and leaves you suspended in the aftermath. The final moments don’t offer closure—they offer a promise of devastation yet to come. Carmen’s defiance in the face of her captors and the knowledge of who is coming for her is chilling in the best possible way.
Judas is not a hero. He is obsession incarnate—a man shaped by suffering, driven by devotion, and willing to burn the world down for the girl he chose long before she ever chose him. Carmen, in turn, doesn’t remain a victim. She evolves into something sharper, darker, and just as dangerous.
Chaos & Ruin is a masterclass in morally black romance. It’s about trauma, control, loyalty that borders on madness, and love that survives only because it’s forged in fire. This book hurts. It haunts. And it absolutely demands a sequel.
I need book two immediately.
This story is vicious, unsettling, and unapologetically cruel—in the most addictive way possible. Chaos & Ruin is not a romance that tiptoes around darkness. It dives straight into it and drags you under.
Carmen’s life has been shaped by violence and blame long before the book even begins. Labeled a killer, discarded by the system, and sent away as a child no one bothered to truly listen to, she grows up carrying scars that were never hers to begin with. The truth—about her stepfather, his crimes, and the lives he destroyed while hiding behind authority—comes too late to save her childhood. By the time she’s released from juvenile detention, Carmen isn’t naïve or hopeful. She’s hollowed out and braced for more damage.
What she doesn’t expect is to be taken in by the very judge who condemned her.
That’s where Judas enters the story—and everything tilts violently off-axis.
Judas is silent, observant, and terrifyingly controlled. He doesn’t need words to dominate a room or to mark Carmen as his the moment she crosses the threshold into his home. Their connection isn’t soft or romantic; it’s instinctive and unsettling, built on shared trauma and a mutual recognition of something broken and dangerous inside each other. From the very beginning, there’s an undercurrent of manipulation, obsession, and inevitability. This wasn’t fate—it was engineered.
As secrets surface and buried truths claw their way into the light, the story mutates from dark psychological romance into full-blown chaos. Protection turns lethal. Love becomes possession. Lines blur until morality is no longer gray but completely obliterated. Judas’s devotion is absolute, violent, and terrifying in its intensity, and Carmen is forced to confront her own capacity for brutality when survival demands it.
The second half of the book is relentless. Identities are destroyed and reborn. Death is staged. Watching becomes stalking. Separation doesn’t weaken the bond—it ferments it into something feral. The tension when their paths inevitably collide again is suffocating, charged with rage, longing, and unfinished violence.
And then there’s the ending.
It’s merciless.
Blood-soaked, emotionally brutal, and perfectly cruel, it rips away any illusion of safety and leaves you suspended in the aftermath. The final moments don’t offer closure—they offer a promise of devastation yet to come. Carmen’s defiance in the face of her captors and the knowledge of who is coming for her is chilling in the best possible way.
Judas is not a hero. He is obsession incarnate—a man shaped by suffering, driven by devotion, and willing to burn the world down for the girl he chose long before she ever chose him. Carmen, in turn, doesn’t remain a victim. She evolves into something sharper, darker, and just as dangerous.
Chaos & Ruin is a masterclass in morally black romance. It’s about trauma, control, loyalty that borders on madness, and love that survives only because it’s forged in fire. This book hurts. It haunts. And it absolutely demands a sequel.
I need book two immediately.
February 18, 2026
Chaos & Ruin... another emotional rollercoaster from the incredible A. eM! And just like always, I loved every minute of it. I crave being traumatized and emotionally fractured while reading, and A definitely delivers every time. She never fails to utterly destroy me and get the tears pouring, then somehow leaves me loving it and wanting more.
Carmen, as with most of A's FMC's, is traumatized nearly beyond repair, having endured childhood abuse and neglect, plus some. She spoke to the broken pieces within me and I was able to feel an instant connection to her, and to her inner turmoil. I wanted Carmen to get answers to all the questions she had, and I felt her vulnerability and unease at being suddenly thrust into the Harrington's home. I understood why she felt an instant connection with Judas and had felt as if she'd found a kindred spirit. Which brings me to Judas, himself, our equally as troubled and traumatized MMC. He's a bit of an egotistical prick, but I absolutely adore him. He's not a good guy, really, but that's because he's been through some serious trauma if his own, but he'd burn the entire world for, and to protect, Carmen. Which honestly just endeared him to me and made me love him even more. None of us are perfect, most of us are deeply flawed and I like the characters I read to feel real and relatable. And these characters do. They feel like people we could know in our everyday lives.
Judas and Carmen's story is a rough, emotional read. It's full of hidden secrets and truths, a few twists and a bit of a cliffhanger ending. But, if you enjoy taboo love stories with...
🏍️ Bikers
♀️ A Damaged But Take No BS FMC
♂️ An OTT Possessive & Mute MMC
🖤 Taboo Romance (Adoptive Siblings)
🩸 Blood Play
👺 A Masked Stalker
😵 Serial Unaliving
... and much more, then C&R is definitely a book you need to add to your TBR. This book, like all my most favorite reads, is a dark and at times disturbing read. It goes to dark places and covers difficult (for some) to read themes. As with all books I review and recommend, I must urge you to check out the trigger warning and content lists before you begin reading. Your mental health and well-being are important and are not worth risking no matter how highly I recommend this book.
Now, before I go, let's get to the point of any review... the ratings! Chaos & Ruin was spicy and a bit bloody, so I'll be rating it for both, on top of the overall. This tale gets fairly descriptive in it's depictions of unaliving and bloodletting, and fir that I'm giving it 4.5 🩸's outta 5. The spice in C&R was definitely spicing, hard, but it didn't overpower the story being told. It was hot, sweaty and at points gritty and rough. And it was ALL very well written, so I'm going to be awarding it 5 outta 5 🌶️'s. Finally, I absolutely loved this book. It pulled me immediately in and held me tight in it's grip until the very frustrating ending that's left me impatiently waiting for book two. For all of that, I'll be leaving C&R with 5 outta 5 ⭐'s and recommending it to anyone who will listen!! ☺️🖤
Carmen, as with most of A's FMC's, is traumatized nearly beyond repair, having endured childhood abuse and neglect, plus some. She spoke to the broken pieces within me and I was able to feel an instant connection to her, and to her inner turmoil. I wanted Carmen to get answers to all the questions she had, and I felt her vulnerability and unease at being suddenly thrust into the Harrington's home. I understood why she felt an instant connection with Judas and had felt as if she'd found a kindred spirit. Which brings me to Judas, himself, our equally as troubled and traumatized MMC. He's a bit of an egotistical prick, but I absolutely adore him. He's not a good guy, really, but that's because he's been through some serious trauma if his own, but he'd burn the entire world for, and to protect, Carmen. Which honestly just endeared him to me and made me love him even more. None of us are perfect, most of us are deeply flawed and I like the characters I read to feel real and relatable. And these characters do. They feel like people we could know in our everyday lives.
Judas and Carmen's story is a rough, emotional read. It's full of hidden secrets and truths, a few twists and a bit of a cliffhanger ending. But, if you enjoy taboo love stories with...
🏍️ Bikers
♀️ A Damaged But Take No BS FMC
♂️ An OTT Possessive & Mute MMC
🖤 Taboo Romance (Adoptive Siblings)
🩸 Blood Play
👺 A Masked Stalker
😵 Serial Unaliving
... and much more, then C&R is definitely a book you need to add to your TBR. This book, like all my most favorite reads, is a dark and at times disturbing read. It goes to dark places and covers difficult (for some) to read themes. As with all books I review and recommend, I must urge you to check out the trigger warning and content lists before you begin reading. Your mental health and well-being are important and are not worth risking no matter how highly I recommend this book.
Now, before I go, let's get to the point of any review... the ratings! Chaos & Ruin was spicy and a bit bloody, so I'll be rating it for both, on top of the overall. This tale gets fairly descriptive in it's depictions of unaliving and bloodletting, and fir that I'm giving it 4.5 🩸's outta 5. The spice in C&R was definitely spicing, hard, but it didn't overpower the story being told. It was hot, sweaty and at points gritty and rough. And it was ALL very well written, so I'm going to be awarding it 5 outta 5 🌶️'s. Finally, I absolutely loved this book. It pulled me immediately in and held me tight in it's grip until the very frustrating ending that's left me impatiently waiting for book two. For all of that, I'll be leaving C&R with 5 outta 5 ⭐'s and recommending it to anyone who will listen!! ☺️🖤
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