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Haunted Love: A Dark Romance
Losing your virginity is a big deal, but voluntarily offering it up on a silver platter at an exclusive sex club . . . that’s just messed up. It was dark, and in my defense, he was tall, muscled, and smelled like the most tempting sin.
I couldn’t resist, and the second he touched me, I knew I was never going to be the same. It was a night filled with the kind of intensity a woman could only ever dream of. Nothing could have tainted such perfectness. At least . . . that’s what I thought.
Because the delicious man I let rail me into oblivion isn’t the perfect stranger I thought he was. No, he’s anything but. The man who growled desperate filthy words in my ear and made my skin shiver with desire is a man I’ve known and craved all my life.
My brother’s best friend.
Izaac Banks has been off limits since the beginning of time, going out of his way to make sure I know that he’s unattainable. But despite my brother’s objections, I love him. I always have, and now that I’ve had a taste of the sweetest forbidden fruit . . .
There’s no turning back.
I need more, and there’s only one way to get it—
I’m going to offer him an ultimatum he simply can’t refuse.
I couldn’t resist, and the second he touched me, I knew I was never going to be the same. It was a night filled with the kind of intensity a woman could only ever dream of. Nothing could have tainted such perfectness. At least . . . that’s what I thought.
Because the delicious man I let rail me into oblivion isn’t the perfect stranger I thought he was. No, he’s anything but. The man who growled desperate filthy words in my ear and made my skin shiver with desire is a man I’ve known and craved all my life.
My brother’s best friend.
Izaac Banks has been off limits since the beginning of time, going out of his way to make sure I know that he’s unattainable. But despite my brother’s objections, I love him. I always have, and now that I’ve had a taste of the sweetest forbidden fruit . . .
There’s no turning back.
I need more, and there’s only one way to get it—
I’m going to offer him an ultimatum he simply can’t refuse.
368 pages, Paperback
Published January 20, 2026
5006 people are currently reading
28909 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,712 reviews
February 23, 2024
2.5 ⭐️, rounded up to 3 because I liked the first like 30% ish of the book
TLDR; I’m annoyed. This isn't a dark romance. Austin is a hypocritical asshole. Aspen is a doormat when it comes to Izaac, and I’m sad this wasn’t as good as I was hoping.
Prefacing this, before I get into my ranty review, that I was very excited to read this and have had it on my TBR since it was announced because it sounded like it would be right up my alley, but unfortunately, this was not what I expected.
Now, rant:
You mean to tell me that a virgin goes to a sex club, plans on losing her virginity to some anonymous guy in a dark room, and the moment he talked to her she didn’t realize it was her brother’s best friend???? Aspen has been obsessed with this man since she was 10 years old, and you’re trying to tell me she wouldn’t be able to pinpoint who was fucking her in the dark? Nah, ain’t no way.
Also, Izaac would not have to tell me multiple times that he could never and would never love me, and have me coming back for more. No amount of dick is worth all that hurt Aspen, but girlfriend kept coming back for more & just would not stop. AND THEN when he does “fall” for her in the month or two they have been fooling around, tells her that he can’t be with her because her brother doesn’t approve??? YOU MEAN THE VERY SAME BROTHER WHO IS FUCKING YOUR BEST FRIEND WITHOUT A CARE?!?!?!
Honestly fuck Austin! He seriously acted more like a spurned lover than a brother, threw the biggest fucking tantrum, and said/did so much awful fucking shit to Aspen… What kind of brother acts like that???? & Aspen’s shitty best friend was like, “so not ok but he didn’t mean it he said all those hurtful things because he loves you”. Homie’s hypocritical ass called his sister a whore for sleeping with his bestie, but is out here blowing her besties back on the regular? Pot meet kettle my dude.
& then all that shit that went down at the club & he’s still mad about his best friend with his sister instead of the fact that she just got assaulted lol sir fucking priorities, the fuck? Sure he realizes how fucked up and OTT he was being over the situation, but there is no amount of apologizing on Austin’s part that would ever make me want to forgive him for how he treated her. REPEATEDLY, might I add. Like straight admits that if she had tried calling him for help he wouldn’t have answered, your butt hurt is too much & your reaction to your sister and bff is fucking weird dude.
Also, the fact that it took her getting assaulted in his club for Isaac to man the fuck up and put her brother in his place, annoyed me so much. Like my guyyyy, really? & of course Aspen doesn’t make him work for it 🙄🙄🙄🙄
I wish I hadn’t wasted my time with this book, but I kept hoping it would get better. Seriously the first 30% of this was so good, and then it fell apart—for me at least. Also, outside of the assault I wouldn't lump this in with being dark romance, nor does it really display a BDSM lifestyle unless we're just counting the sex club?????
TLDR; I’m annoyed. This isn't a dark romance. Austin is a hypocritical asshole. Aspen is a doormat when it comes to Izaac, and I’m sad this wasn’t as good as I was hoping.
Prefacing this, before I get into my ranty review, that I was very excited to read this and have had it on my TBR since it was announced because it sounded like it would be right up my alley, but unfortunately, this was not what I expected.
Now, rant:
You mean to tell me that a virgin goes to a sex club, plans on losing her virginity to some anonymous guy in a dark room, and the moment he talked to her she didn’t realize it was her brother’s best friend???? Aspen has been obsessed with this man since she was 10 years old, and you’re trying to tell me she wouldn’t be able to pinpoint who was fucking her in the dark? Nah, ain’t no way.
Also, Izaac would not have to tell me multiple times that he could never and would never love me, and have me coming back for more. No amount of dick is worth all that hurt Aspen, but girlfriend kept coming back for more & just would not stop. AND THEN when he does “fall” for her in the month or two they have been fooling around, tells her that he can’t be with her because her brother doesn’t approve??? YOU MEAN THE VERY SAME BROTHER WHO IS FUCKING YOUR BEST FRIEND WITHOUT A CARE?!?!?!
Honestly fuck Austin! He seriously acted more like a spurned lover than a brother, threw the biggest fucking tantrum, and said/did so much awful fucking shit to Aspen… What kind of brother acts like that???? & Aspen’s shitty best friend was like, “so not ok but he didn’t mean it he said all those hurtful things because he loves you”. Homie’s hypocritical ass called his sister a whore for sleeping with his bestie, but is out here blowing her besties back on the regular? Pot meet kettle my dude.
& then all that shit that went down at the club & he’s still mad about his best friend with his sister instead of the fact that she just got assaulted lol sir fucking priorities, the fuck? Sure he realizes how fucked up and OTT he was being over the situation, but there is no amount of apologizing on Austin’s part that would ever make me want to forgive him for how he treated her. REPEATEDLY, might I add. Like straight admits that if she had tried calling him for help he wouldn’t have answered, your butt hurt is too much & your reaction to your sister and bff is fucking weird dude.
Also, the fact that it took her getting assaulted in his club for Isaac to man the fuck up and put her brother in his place, annoyed me so much. Like my guyyyy, really? & of course Aspen doesn’t make him work for it 🙄🙄🙄🙄
I wish I hadn’t wasted my time with this book, but I kept hoping it would get better. Seriously the first 30% of this was so good, and then it fell apart—for me at least. Also, outside of the assault I wouldn't lump this in with being dark romance, nor does it really display a BDSM lifestyle unless we're just counting the sex club?????
February 29, 2024
Why is she begging this man to love her? Sis, you’re embarrassing yourself
February 23, 2024
MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog: ╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
📚 𝐇𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 📚 Is a full length romance book by Sheridan Anne. Spoken in 'dual perspectives.'
This book was one I’d been anticipating above all others, once it went live, game over! Adulting was ignored for the day and this book was then inhaled!!
This author always brings those angsty, spicy reads, each one more unique, and you come away loving the characters like they’re your own family.
I loved the dynamics of the brother/sister these siblings had, and the man that was always around cementing himself into the family like another brother, protecting her, caring for her, he was always there from her childhood to her adulthood. The one man that set the bar, the one man she’d had a crush on for much of her life.
Aspen whose a senior in college has had a one sided crush on her brother's best friend for at least twelve years and she's never been able to disguise the fact. It's kind of a running joke in the family and her big brother Austin relentlessly teases her about the fact, knowing deep down that it'll never go anywhere.
Izaac is the owner of multiple successful nightclubs and has always laughed it off when it comes to Aspens crush on him, the fact that there's six years between them and she's his best friends little sister it's never crossed his mind to go there with her.
Still a virgin at twenty-two and wanting to get over Izaac once and for all, her bestie Becs drags her to Vixen an exclusive sex club where your fantasies can come to life and it's here where Aspen decides to give her virginity to a complete stranger in a dark secluded room.
But what happens when Aspen goes back to the club by herself to see if she can find that stranger again only to get the biggest shock of her life..
This is where the push and pull starts coming into play, times I wanted to scream and rant, times I wanted to shake them both, that angst stabby crap gets my blood pumping and begging for more, it's what I live and breathe for and this author is on the top of her game when it comes to delivering just that.
These two played havoc on my heart as they stepped into forbidden territory overstepping the lines of hiding their relationship from her brother, meeting up in secret, boundaries crossed, but oh so worth it in the end.
The main reason why this was 4 stars and not 5 was the fact that it states that it's a dark read which got my blood pumping but sadly it missed the mark in that aspect for me, I didn't find it dark or semi dark at all, but that could also come down to my levels of darkness and what I expect in my dark reads.
March 18, 2024
how can a book have so many annoying characters?
her brother: ridiculous, scumbag, sexist, only knows how to open his mouth to say that his sister is a whore for simply going on dates and wanting to hang out with guys
Izaac (a.k.a the love interest): boring, doesn't know what he wants in life, goes back and forth all the time and can't decide whether he wants Aspen or not (until 99% of the book)
Aspen (the MOST annoying): a dreamy child who's in love with her brother's best friend. just so you know, the moment she enters the Izaac's house she's already thinking about how they could live there together, dreaming about their children's nursery, like¿?wtf?¿
Izaac in every single chapter stomping on her heart and saying that he will NEVER (emphasis on NEVER) fall in love with her and what does she do? she forces him to admit that he's in love with her (she admits it by herself ok?) because "she felt it" and that he's being a coward for not declaring himself to her.
every chapter she says that they're over, that she won't let him hurt her poor little heart anymore, and the next moment she's there crying for him begging him to love her back.
im surprised i got to finish this book. i was actually enjoying the reading in the beggining of it (ignoring the parts where she has hearts around her head thinking of Izzac)
her brother: ridiculous, scumbag, sexist, only knows how to open his mouth to say that his sister is a whore for simply going on dates and wanting to hang out with guys
Izaac (a.k.a the love interest): boring, doesn't know what he wants in life, goes back and forth all the time and can't decide whether he wants Aspen or not (until 99% of the book)
Aspen (the MOST annoying): a dreamy child who's in love with her brother's best friend. just so you know, the moment she enters the Izaac's house she's already thinking about how they could live there together, dreaming about their children's nursery, like¿?wtf?¿
Izaac in every single chapter stomping on her heart and saying that he will NEVER (emphasis on NEVER) fall in love with her and what does she do? she forces him to admit that he's in love with her (she admits it by herself ok?) because "she felt it" and that he's being a coward for not declaring himself to her.
every chapter she says that they're over, that she won't let him hurt her poor little heart anymore, and the next moment she's there crying for him begging him to love her back.
im surprised i got to finish this book. i was actually enjoying the reading in the beggining of it (ignoring the parts where she has hearts around her head thinking of Izzac)
February 25, 2024
What a delicious story, so good and entertaining.
It’s a good book to read.
It’s worth reading.
It’s a good book to read.
It’s worth reading.
May 9, 2024
If I could sum up this book in one word it would be "Desperation". I've never read a more desperate or cringe worthy heroine. She had serious attachment issues. Every interaction gave me second hand embarrassment for her, sis had not an ounce of self respect. She forced, manipulated and begged H to want her every step of the way and it took 2 near death experiences and her literally screaming "YOU LOVE ME!" in his face for him to claim he loved her, randomly out of nowhere and after years of not thinking of her romantically at all. I'm pretty sure she used a love potion in the background or something, cause there's no way that happened naturally, she idolized him too much and for way too long to be able to be in any real or functional relationship with him that was based in reality. The only way to salvage this book would be if at the end, we find out the whole thing is a delusional fantasy she's written from a mental facility. So beyond the h being all "swim fan", the characters reactions were so extreme and melodramatic. I understand the need to create drama in a story, but you still have to make it believable. This ain't Shakespeare fam! Last of all why wasn't a bigger deal made of the fact that the brother was doing the EXACT SAME THING he was pissed at his sister and friend for doing! In the words of DD Prince "Ay Chihuahua" 😂😂😂
July 15, 2025
This book was playing with my emotions hardcore and I wanted to strangle the men in it but I loved EVERY SINGLE SECOND of this book. Aspen is an FMC who went after what she wanted despite everything and everyone trying to stop her. Loveeeeed
March 19, 2025
Absolutely loved this book! The spice is 🥵.
I love the relationship between Aspen and her brother Austin, I laughed multiple times at how the egged each other on. And I loved Isaac, though there were several times I wanted to smack him and tell him to grow a pair and just admit things to Aspen, no girl should be put through the things she went through because she was so in love with him. But it all worked out in the end and who doesn’t love a HEA!!
I love the relationship between Aspen and her brother Austin, I laughed multiple times at how the egged each other on. And I loved Isaac, though there were several times I wanted to smack him and tell him to grow a pair and just admit things to Aspen, no girl should be put through the things she went through because she was so in love with him. But it all worked out in the end and who doesn’t love a HEA!!
November 18, 2024
When I rate a book a 5 star that means it was an effortless “I can’t put it down, I need to finish” kind of book. This is the second Sheridan Anne book I’ve read and I enjoyed it just as much as Pretty Monsters. She’s starting to become another favorite author.
March 30, 2024
Is everything considered dark romance nowadays? ☠️
Read
March 12, 2024Hate to have another DNF under my belt but here we are @ 78%. Pretty sure she just wore Izaac tf down and gaslit him into believing he loved her. Jealousy and wanting to have sex again does not a love story make, sis. She was also all over the place with letting him do something and then not wanting to let him do it, and then telling him no and then saying she wouldn’t give up.
Also not here for what is undoubtedly headed their way with the brother. Hypocrite is an understatement. I honestly think I need to be done with the brothers best friend books because I’m like, do yooouuuuu wanna be with her? Is your best friend not your BEST friend? Yet somehow he’s not good enough for her? Somehow she deserves better than the person you trust the most in the world? K.
Also not here for what is undoubtedly headed their way with the brother. Hypocrite is an understatement. I honestly think I need to be done with the brothers best friend books because I’m like, do yooouuuuu wanna be with her? Is your best friend not your BEST friend? Yet somehow he’s not good enough for her? Somehow she deserves better than the person you trust the most in the world? K.
March 23, 2025
⭐️ .5
🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨ Tropes ✨
🍒 Brother’s Best Friend
🦢 Age Gap
🍒 Virgin FMC
🦢 Possessive MMC (light)
🍒 First-Person POV
🦢 Dual POV
🍒 HEA
✨ My Review ✨
Firstly, this is absolutely not a dark romance. It’s a smutty romance with 2 dark-ish scenes, but calling it dark romance is a serious stretch. I wish I’d known that going in because my expectations were completely off, and I kept waiting for the darker romance to kick in but it never did.
That aside, this book was okay! If it had been marketed accurately as a smutty romance, I would have enjoyed it more.
🌟 Characters
Aspen (FMC) – I actually really liked her! She had some hilarious moments, especially with her best friend Becs. Those two had me howling at times. Their dynamic was easily the highlight of the book for me.
Izaac (MMC) – He wasn’t for me. I don’t even know why, but something about him gave off 🤔.. Christian Grey vibes just not quite as… grey.
Austin (Aspen’s brother) – Absolutely not! He was supposed to be the overprotective big brother, but instead, he came off as a whiny, spoiled brat. I spent most of the book rolling my eyes at him. He’s a hard no from me!
🌟 Plot
There were multiple moments where I had to stop and check whether I’d read this before because it felt so familiar. Either I have read it and forgotten to log it, or it just follows a very predictable formula. Either way, nothing about the story surprised me.
🌟 Rating Breakdown
⭐️.5 (1.5 stars ) – I had some genuine laugh-out-loud moments, and Aspen and Becs carried the book for me. I wanted to give it a higher rating, but because I went in expecting dark romance, I felt let down.
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3 chillis) – There’s definitely spice so I feel the 3 🌶️ is a good representation of that! I could see what the author was going for, but it was missing something. I’m not sure what, but it didn’t fully hit the mark for me.
✨ Overall ✨
If you’re looking for a quick smutty read, this is good read. If you’re looking for dark romance..this is not it
🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨ Tropes ✨
🍒 Brother’s Best Friend
🦢 Age Gap
🍒 Virgin FMC
🦢 Possessive MMC (light)
🍒 First-Person POV
🦢 Dual POV
🍒 HEA
✨ My Review ✨
Firstly, this is absolutely not a dark romance. It’s a smutty romance with 2 dark-ish scenes, but calling it dark romance is a serious stretch. I wish I’d known that going in because my expectations were completely off, and I kept waiting for the darker romance to kick in but it never did.
That aside, this book was okay! If it had been marketed accurately as a smutty romance, I would have enjoyed it more.
🌟 Characters
Aspen (FMC) – I actually really liked her! She had some hilarious moments, especially with her best friend Becs. Those two had me howling at times. Their dynamic was easily the highlight of the book for me.
Izaac (MMC) – He wasn’t for me. I don’t even know why, but something about him gave off 🤔.. Christian Grey vibes just not quite as… grey.
Austin (Aspen’s brother) – Absolutely not! He was supposed to be the overprotective big brother, but instead, he came off as a whiny, spoiled brat. I spent most of the book rolling my eyes at him. He’s a hard no from me!
🌟 Plot
There were multiple moments where I had to stop and check whether I’d read this before because it felt so familiar. Either I have read it and forgotten to log it, or it just follows a very predictable formula. Either way, nothing about the story surprised me.
🌟 Rating Breakdown
⭐️.5 (1.5 stars ) – I had some genuine laugh-out-loud moments, and Aspen and Becs carried the book for me. I wanted to give it a higher rating, but because I went in expecting dark romance, I felt let down.
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3 chillis) – There’s definitely spice so I feel the 3 🌶️ is a good representation of that! I could see what the author was going for, but it was missing something. I’m not sure what, but it didn’t fully hit the mark for me.
✨ Overall ✨
If you’re looking for a quick smutty read, this is good read. If you’re looking for dark romance..this is not it
March 22, 2024
Yeah, I get that 22 years old is not really mature but it doesn’t mean you have to act like a hormonal teenager.
March 18, 2024
nope
This book frustrates me to no end. Nothing against the writer or the writing itself, but the characters are infuriating with almost no character development. Not to spoil anything, but truthfully all the characters in this book was lackluster, no soul (except Bec cuz she’s iconic), and honestly straight Pick Me energy with the MFC and a MMC who only thinks with the wrong head..
Writing was good though, just the characters were honestly just intolerable, like girl please move on…
This book frustrates me to no end. Nothing against the writer or the writing itself, but the characters are infuriating with almost no character development. Not to spoil anything, but truthfully all the characters in this book was lackluster, no soul (except Bec cuz she’s iconic), and honestly straight Pick Me energy with the MFC and a MMC who only thinks with the wrong head..
Writing was good though, just the characters were honestly just intolerable, like girl please move on…
June 4, 2024
4⭐️
I enjoyed the story and was glad for the hea but found the characters pretty conflicting:
Aspen loves hard but had no backbone.
Isaac was a loyal friend for most of the book anyway, but very emotionally immature.
Austin was a loving protective brother but later in the book a huge hypocritical abusive asshole.
Becs was a great friend and then not such a great friend (see above - Austin the hypocritical asshole).
Despite this it was a good read. Just like in real life book characters have their good and bad which makes for an interesting story.
I enjoyed the story and was glad for the hea but found the characters pretty conflicting:
Aspen loves hard but had no backbone.
Isaac was a loyal friend for most of the book anyway, but very emotionally immature.
Austin was a loving protective brother but later in the book a huge hypocritical abusive asshole.
Becs was a great friend and then not such a great friend (see above - Austin the hypocritical asshole).
Despite this it was a good read. Just like in real life book characters have their good and bad which makes for an interesting story.
July 4, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
February 22, 2024
The Queen has done it again!
I swear Sheridan can do no wrong. This book will hook you in from the first page and it will grip you to the very end and take you on the best ride ever.
I have been in the biggest book slump lately and this just perked me right up. I love the characters, their dynamic and banter is great. The chemistry is off the hook and the spice, chefs kiss. I love a brothers best friend book and the fact this has a twist to it and is more on the darker side, I absolutely devoured this.
Amazing world building, the plot was great and easy to follow along with. This makes you feel an arrange of emotion and will leave you at the edge of your seat. I wish this didn’t end but im also looking forward to what Sheridan has for us next in her Standalone era. Amazing, amazing read. I cannot get enough and am already starting my reread.
I swear Sheridan can do no wrong. This book will hook you in from the first page and it will grip you to the very end and take you on the best ride ever.
I have been in the biggest book slump lately and this just perked me right up. I love the characters, their dynamic and banter is great. The chemistry is off the hook and the spice, chefs kiss. I love a brothers best friend book and the fact this has a twist to it and is more on the darker side, I absolutely devoured this.
Amazing world building, the plot was great and easy to follow along with. This makes you feel an arrange of emotion and will leave you at the edge of your seat. I wish this didn’t end but im also looking forward to what Sheridan has for us next in her Standalone era. Amazing, amazing read. I cannot get enough and am already starting my reread.
November 11, 2024
First of all, this is not a dark romance. Not even a little bit.
Aspen and Austin are brother and sister, and Izaac is Austin’s best friend.
Aspen has been in love with Izaac for basically her whole life. One day she goes to a sex club, loses her virginity to a random guy in the dark, only to find out later that it was Izaac. You’ve known him your whole life and have been pining after him for years but you didn’t recognize him in the dark? While he was touching you? Talking to you? Makes no fucking sense.
They decided to keep fucking, but Izaac warned her not to make it about love. Just sex, and he told her multiple times he will never love her. But of course, Aspen was a desperate doormat practically begging Izaac to love her back.
Austin was a hypocritical asshole for acting like a bitch and spitting mean things like calling Aspen a whore when he found out she and Izaac were involved with each other, when he is fucking Aspens best friend without a care in the world.
And that sums up the book.
It was good in the beginning and then everybody’s character started to suck.
Aspen and Austin are brother and sister, and Izaac is Austin’s best friend.
Aspen has been in love with Izaac for basically her whole life. One day she goes to a sex club, loses her virginity to a random guy in the dark, only to find out later that it was Izaac. You’ve known him your whole life and have been pining after him for years but you didn’t recognize him in the dark? While he was touching you? Talking to you? Makes no fucking sense.
They decided to keep fucking, but Izaac warned her not to make it about love. Just sex, and he told her multiple times he will never love her. But of course, Aspen was a desperate doormat practically begging Izaac to love her back.
Austin was a hypocritical asshole for acting like a bitch and spitting mean things like calling Aspen a whore when he found out she and Izaac were involved with each other, when he is fucking Aspens best friend without a care in the world.
And that sums up the book.
It was good in the beginning and then everybody’s character started to suck.
May 18, 2024
Austin is absolutely insufferable
March 17, 2024
Good, however.....
I quite enjoyed Aspen and Isaac's story. I thought how their relationship started was really good and how it then developed was well done. Spice level was on point!! Isaac was a great MMC. I loved his dirty talking mouth and his persona!
Here comes the however......
Aspen's brother and Isaac's best friend Austin was a total hypocrite and complete a**hole. It's ok for him to have s*x when, with, and however he wants, but definitely not for his sister?????? I get it, I have brothers they are protective, but if any of my brothers treated me the way Austin treated Aspen, I'd throat punch them. There's no way I'd be forgiving them as easily as Aspen did. I truly hated him. He is a narcissistic pr*ck. Unfortunately, how easily he was forgiven and the fact he was still a totally pissy b*tch still after everything he said ruined the book slightly for me.
Still an enjoyable read about Aspen and Isaac.
I quite enjoyed Aspen and Isaac's story. I thought how their relationship started was really good and how it then developed was well done. Spice level was on point!! Isaac was a great MMC. I loved his dirty talking mouth and his persona!
Here comes the however......
Aspen's brother and Isaac's best friend Austin was a total hypocrite and complete a**hole. It's ok for him to have s*x when, with, and however he wants, but definitely not for his sister?????? I get it, I have brothers they are protective, but if any of my brothers treated me the way Austin treated Aspen, I'd throat punch them. There's no way I'd be forgiving them as easily as Aspen did. I truly hated him. He is a narcissistic pr*ck. Unfortunately, how easily he was forgiven and the fact he was still a totally pissy b*tch still after everything he said ruined the book slightly for me.
Still an enjoyable read about Aspen and Isaac.
December 29, 2025
DNF
as soon as he called her little bird I was done
as soon as he called her little bird I was done
April 6, 2024
Tropes: brother's best friend, forbidden/secret relationship
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 4/5
Kinks: public sex, sex toys
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MF
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: pining, attempted SA, violence, manslaughter, asshole brother
3.5 Stars. Would have been four stars if it wasn't for how abusive and unsupportive a brother Austin was.
Aspen is 22 and she's never gone all the way with her boyfriends. She's had a crush on Izaac, 28, her brother's best friend for forever. She finally decides to give up on the idea of him. Her wild best friend Becs takes her out to a sex club, and she decides to lose her v-card. She has a spectacular time in the dark with an anonymous guy, no regret. Aspen has no idea the guy was actually Izaac.
At a family get together the next day, Izaac realizes that HIS hot one stand last night was with Aspen. He feels incredibly guilty, because he knows he betrayed his best friend and Aspen both by being with her. He's always cared about her but she's been off limits. He's now seeing her in a sexual light and it drives him crazy. Eventually Aspen finds out it was him. They start a secret relationship that is sex only, with lots of rules.
This was a pretty good book. I liked some of the moments that portrayed female sexuality in a positive light. Izaac wasn't a completely toxic chauvinist. Her brother Austin on the other hand was, more on that later. I liked seeing a character like Becs. I liked that Aspen explored her sexuality before in different ways. I liked that this book didn't dwell or angst over the years where Aspen had an unrequited crush on Izaac, she wasn't jealous or hurt by seeing him with other girls over the years and she did what she wanted with guys and her body herself, even though she didn't go all the way. I hate when a FMC gets coochie cobwebs while the MMC manwhores it up. I also thought the sexual tension and smut was really good.
I thought it was cute at the end when it was revealed that Izaac had named all of his clubs after Aspen. It showed she was special to him over the years too.
I want to comment on the SA stuff in this book. There were two instances. I'm commenting as an expanded trigger warning but also to say it was well handled.
- A guy follows her home from a bar and yells sexual stuff to her and chases her, intending to rape her. She escapes. I liked that she called the cops and got him arrested. Too often in books we see representation where the girl just lets it go, and I think it's important to show representation where women report it, showing that they don't want to let the man have more victims, and showing women being believed and getting justice. I know it's realistic to show women not reporting and I don't judge victims for how they choose to cope in real life, but I appreciate the fictional representation we got.
- A guy at the sex club who she turns down tries to rape her. She fights him off and stabs him in the neck with a pen. He dies. They go to the cops and she is not charged as it was self-defense. I mostly like how this was handled. But Izaac also beat the guy as he was bleeding out and I thought it was unrealistic that he didn't get in trouble for that. I also thought it was unrealistic that she went home before speaking to the cops.
What didn't I like:
- There is a brief reference to how Aspen heard Izaac masturbating and sometimes having sex through the walls from the age of 10 onward. Apparently she didn't realize what she was hearing until 13. This made me uncomfortable. They didn't dwell on it and he didn't know the walls were thin but exposing a kid to that is bad.
- There was an icky for me scene where he finger bangs her under the table at meal with her parents and brother. Consent wasn't obtained though she didn't object. I had a bit of a problem with that scene.
- My biggest problem with this book was Austin. His behavior was awful and I don't think it was punished enough or frowned upon enough. And I also think the author wrote this poorly/jumped the shark when she didn't really intend to go that far. When Austin found out about Aspen and Izaac, he freaked the f*** out. He was horrible to the both of them. But he was horrible in particular to Aspen. He didn't even know anything about their interactions, he wouldn't give them any chance to vocalize what had happened and what they felt for each other. He shamed her so hard, it was shocking and horrible behavior. He started out a loving protective brother who wanted to name his restaurant after her, who knew she had been to a sex club and just wanted the footage erased, her to not go again, and not to have to think about it - which is valid, a reasonable reaction for a brother. He kicks her out of his life, he screams so much toxic vitriol at her, he insults her horribly, he blocks her and won't have anything to do with her for weeks, he says things that are so emotionally hurtful to her, he lies to her about Izaac to make her feel even worse. You don't do this to someone you love. You don't s*** shame female sexuality this way even if it's with your best friend and you don't approve, you can convey that in a way that isn't abusive. She's 22, he knows she's had boyfriends before, he has had years to get used to the idea that she is having relationships with people of the opposite sex. You can be a protective brother without being abusive. This was one of the worst portrayals of a brother and sister relationship, for him to be as unsupportive as he was. If he was my brother, I would not be able to forgive him and have a normal brotherly relationship with him after this. This wasn't a case of hurtful things said In the heat of the moment. This was someone showing their true colors, and he's not a good person. I don't think the author meant to take it as far as she did and make him as hateable as he was, I think the author might intend to give him his own book. So I think she went too far in making him unredeemable. I think the author kind of jumped the shark a bit with his reaction.
Some notable moments:
I like when an FMC just takes the wind out of a guy's sails. "“So what are you gonna do about it?” I shrug my shoulders, despite knowing he can’t see me. “I don’t know. The best plan I’ve got is to screw my way through campus and see if anyone can even come close, and then I suppose I’ll have to settle for that guy while always knowing he’ll be second best.” “You’re gonna do what?” he blurts out in horror. “You heard me,” I say. “I’m meeting up with some Tinder guy tomorrow. I guess I’m officially entering my whore era. Austin will be so proud.” “You’re fucking with me, right?”"
The horror dawning on Becs, lol. "“Welcome to the family.” Becs stares at me, her face falling. “Huh? What are you talking about? We’re not dating. It was just one night. That’s it. I don’t intend on doing it again.” “Oh, I know,” I say, a grin stretching across my face. “But give it time. It’s inevitable. You’ll soon realize how amazing he is, and you won’t be able to resist falling in love with him. Besides, if Austin was willing to risk the don’t touch my best friend rule that he’s lived by for the last twelve years in order to have just a taste of you, then he’s already falling for you.” Horror crosses her features, truly thinking about what I just said. “Oh, fuck.” “Yep.” “Am I going to marry your brother?” I nod. “I think so.”"
I have to acknowledge this universal girl experience. "“Me moving in with you while this is still so new . . . it’ll be a disaster. Not to mention, you’ve never lived in such close quarters with a woman . . . like, ever. And your mom doesn’t count.” “Aspen—” “Do you know how gross we are?” I ask. “Our hair comes out in the shower and clogs the drain, and when it gets tangled in my fingers, I make little swirlies with it on the shower screen.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 4/5
Kinks: public sex, sex toys
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MF
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: pining, attempted SA, violence, manslaughter, asshole brother
3.5 Stars. Would have been four stars if it wasn't for how abusive and unsupportive a brother Austin was.
Aspen is 22 and she's never gone all the way with her boyfriends. She's had a crush on Izaac, 28, her brother's best friend for forever. She finally decides to give up on the idea of him. Her wild best friend Becs takes her out to a sex club, and she decides to lose her v-card. She has a spectacular time in the dark with an anonymous guy, no regret. Aspen has no idea the guy was actually Izaac.
At a family get together the next day, Izaac realizes that HIS hot one stand last night was with Aspen. He feels incredibly guilty, because he knows he betrayed his best friend and Aspen both by being with her. He's always cared about her but she's been off limits. He's now seeing her in a sexual light and it drives him crazy. Eventually Aspen finds out it was him. They start a secret relationship that is sex only, with lots of rules.
This was a pretty good book. I liked some of the moments that portrayed female sexuality in a positive light. Izaac wasn't a completely toxic chauvinist. Her brother Austin on the other hand was, more on that later. I liked seeing a character like Becs. I liked that Aspen explored her sexuality before in different ways. I liked that this book didn't dwell or angst over the years where Aspen had an unrequited crush on Izaac, she wasn't jealous or hurt by seeing him with other girls over the years and she did what she wanted with guys and her body herself, even though she didn't go all the way. I hate when a FMC gets coochie cobwebs while the MMC manwhores it up. I also thought the sexual tension and smut was really good.
I thought it was cute at the end when it was revealed that Izaac had named all of his clubs after Aspen. It showed she was special to him over the years too.
I want to comment on the SA stuff in this book. There were two instances. I'm commenting as an expanded trigger warning but also to say it was well handled.
- A guy follows her home from a bar and yells sexual stuff to her and chases her, intending to rape her. She escapes. I liked that she called the cops and got him arrested. Too often in books we see representation where the girl just lets it go, and I think it's important to show representation where women report it, showing that they don't want to let the man have more victims, and showing women being believed and getting justice. I know it's realistic to show women not reporting and I don't judge victims for how they choose to cope in real life, but I appreciate the fictional representation we got.
- A guy at the sex club who she turns down tries to rape her. She fights him off and stabs him in the neck with a pen. He dies. They go to the cops and she is not charged as it was self-defense. I mostly like how this was handled. But Izaac also beat the guy as he was bleeding out and I thought it was unrealistic that he didn't get in trouble for that. I also thought it was unrealistic that she went home before speaking to the cops.
What didn't I like:
- There is a brief reference to how Aspen heard Izaac masturbating and sometimes having sex through the walls from the age of 10 onward. Apparently she didn't realize what she was hearing until 13. This made me uncomfortable. They didn't dwell on it and he didn't know the walls were thin but exposing a kid to that is bad.
- There was an icky for me scene where he finger bangs her under the table at meal with her parents and brother. Consent wasn't obtained though she didn't object. I had a bit of a problem with that scene.
- My biggest problem with this book was Austin. His behavior was awful and I don't think it was punished enough or frowned upon enough. And I also think the author wrote this poorly/jumped the shark when she didn't really intend to go that far. When Austin found out about Aspen and Izaac, he freaked the f*** out. He was horrible to the both of them. But he was horrible in particular to Aspen. He didn't even know anything about their interactions, he wouldn't give them any chance to vocalize what had happened and what they felt for each other. He shamed her so hard, it was shocking and horrible behavior. He started out a loving protective brother who wanted to name his restaurant after her, who knew she had been to a sex club and just wanted the footage erased, her to not go again, and not to have to think about it - which is valid, a reasonable reaction for a brother. He kicks her out of his life, he screams so much toxic vitriol at her, he insults her horribly, he blocks her and won't have anything to do with her for weeks, he says things that are so emotionally hurtful to her, he lies to her about Izaac to make her feel even worse. You don't do this to someone you love. You don't s*** shame female sexuality this way even if it's with your best friend and you don't approve, you can convey that in a way that isn't abusive. She's 22, he knows she's had boyfriends before, he has had years to get used to the idea that she is having relationships with people of the opposite sex. You can be a protective brother without being abusive. This was one of the worst portrayals of a brother and sister relationship, for him to be as unsupportive as he was. If he was my brother, I would not be able to forgive him and have a normal brotherly relationship with him after this. This wasn't a case of hurtful things said In the heat of the moment. This was someone showing their true colors, and he's not a good person. I don't think the author meant to take it as far as she did and make him as hateable as he was, I think the author might intend to give him his own book. So I think she went too far in making him unredeemable. I think the author kind of jumped the shark a bit with his reaction.
Some notable moments:
I like when an FMC just takes the wind out of a guy's sails. "“So what are you gonna do about it?” I shrug my shoulders, despite knowing he can’t see me. “I don’t know. The best plan I’ve got is to screw my way through campus and see if anyone can even come close, and then I suppose I’ll have to settle for that guy while always knowing he’ll be second best.” “You’re gonna do what?” he blurts out in horror. “You heard me,” I say. “I’m meeting up with some Tinder guy tomorrow. I guess I’m officially entering my whore era. Austin will be so proud.” “You’re fucking with me, right?”"
The horror dawning on Becs, lol. "“Welcome to the family.” Becs stares at me, her face falling. “Huh? What are you talking about? We’re not dating. It was just one night. That’s it. I don’t intend on doing it again.” “Oh, I know,” I say, a grin stretching across my face. “But give it time. It’s inevitable. You’ll soon realize how amazing he is, and you won’t be able to resist falling in love with him. Besides, if Austin was willing to risk the don’t touch my best friend rule that he’s lived by for the last twelve years in order to have just a taste of you, then he’s already falling for you.” Horror crosses her features, truly thinking about what I just said. “Oh, fuck.” “Yep.” “Am I going to marry your brother?” I nod. “I think so.”"
I have to acknowledge this universal girl experience. "“Me moving in with you while this is still so new . . . it’ll be a disaster. Not to mention, you’ve never lived in such close quarters with a woman . . . like, ever. And your mom doesn’t count.” “Aspen—” “Do you know how gross we are?” I ask. “Our hair comes out in the shower and clogs the drain, and when it gets tangled in my fingers, I make little swirlies with it on the shower screen.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2024
I think I’m falling for best friend’s sister-the one thing I always swore I’d never do.
Haunted love was a good brother’s best friend, college romance with a secret sex club thrown into the mix. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the book and the angsty, unrequited dynamic between Izaac and Aspen was hot but the fact this was marketed as a dark romance really disappointed me because it wasn’t dark. Not even a little bit.
I also adored the brother sister banter between Austin and Aspen although I wanted to nut punch Austin quite a bit! I really hope we see more of him and Becs.
💛Brother’s best friend
💛College romance
💛Unrequited love
💛Sex club
Haunted love was a good brother’s best friend, college romance with a secret sex club thrown into the mix. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the book and the angsty, unrequited dynamic between Izaac and Aspen was hot but the fact this was marketed as a dark romance really disappointed me because it wasn’t dark. Not even a little bit.
I also adored the brother sister banter between Austin and Aspen although I wanted to nut punch Austin quite a bit! I really hope we see more of him and Becs.
💛Brother’s best friend
💛College romance
💛Unrequited love
💛Sex club
February 28, 2026
Vixen
Holy hell! It isn't long before the heat is so amped up that I am afraid of combusting. 🥵🥵🥵
I LOVE the "stranger" encounter Aspen (Little Birdy) Ryder and Izaac Banks share. The entire introduction to Vixen is erotic and amazing. Add in the adventures that Bex and Aspen experience, and I never want to leave this club. NEVER!
Even if I don’t end up participating in anything, this is still the craziest night I’ve ever had.
-- Aspen Ryder
There is a point where I don't like anyone in the book. During that time, her brother is a complete hypocrite, and that doesn't sit well with me. I mean, it's OK for him to pork her friends, but heaven forbid, she considers the same. Ugh!
The childish behavior aside, I am unable to stop listening until the final word. It's erotic and steamy AF. It's angsty. It's realistic in most regards. I look forward to more from this author!
I borrowed the audio book. The narrators, Walker Williams and Heather Firth, are easy to listen to and do a good job. I've listened to both before, and I'll do it again.
Story: 4.5 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 1.8x
H = 28; h = 22
April 11, 2025
My Rating: 3.25⭐⭐⭐💫
We Have:
✅ M/F Romance
✅ Brother’s Best Friend
✅ Age Gap
✅ Fluffy with a Hint of Darkness
✅ Dual POV
✅ Kink Exploration
Let me get this out first: this book is fun. It’s spicy, it’s fluffy, it’s got a filthy-mouthed MMC who had me highlighting like I was prepping for finals, and it kicks off with a scene at 8% that made me clutch my pearls and fan myself like an old church lady. Banter? Check. Bestie? ICONIC. Seriously, I’d read a whole book about her alone. (Does she get her own?)
Now let’s talk tropes, because you know I’m gonna:
The miscommunication? Yep, it’s in there. Third act breakup? of fucking course! But surprisingly—it didn’t make me rage as hard as usual. It was early-ish and not the worst, so I was like, okay fine, I can hang. But thennnnn came the FMC.
And listen. I get that she was written to be strong, to fight for what she wanted, to battle through conflict—but for me? It didn’t land. The way that part of the story went down just didn’t mesh. I wanted grit, not... flail. I felt like I saw her choices coming from a mile away, and when they happened exactly how I predicted, it just dragged my rating down.
Also: the inner monologue. Girl. I don’t need pages and pages of longing and emotional spirals. We could’ve chopped a good 50 pages if we trimmed all the “but do I really want him?” and “what if he doesn’t love me back?” moments. We got the picture. We didn’t need the slideshow. Not for nothing the MMC was guilty of it too....
BUT—I laughed. Like, legit laughed out loud. And the setting? Loved the club atmosphere and kink exploration. Definitely gave the spice factor a boost. The dynamic between them had heat, even when the plot was playing emotional hopscotch.
So yeah. If you love brother’s best friend, laugh-out-loud moments, a little kink with your cute, and you don’t feel personally victimized by miscommunication tropes like I do? You’ll love this one.
It wasn’t a perfect match for me, but it was a damn fun ride while it lasted. Solid 3.25 stars—would recommend for the pervy fluff-lovers out there.
We Have:
✅ M/F Romance
✅ Brother’s Best Friend
✅ Age Gap
✅ Fluffy with a Hint of Darkness
✅ Dual POV
✅ Kink Exploration
Let me get this out first: this book is fun. It’s spicy, it’s fluffy, it’s got a filthy-mouthed MMC who had me highlighting like I was prepping for finals, and it kicks off with a scene at 8% that made me clutch my pearls and fan myself like an old church lady. Banter? Check. Bestie? ICONIC. Seriously, I’d read a whole book about her alone. (Does she get her own?)
Now let’s talk tropes, because you know I’m gonna:
The miscommunication? Yep, it’s in there. Third act breakup? of fucking course! But surprisingly—it didn’t make me rage as hard as usual. It was early-ish and not the worst, so I was like, okay fine, I can hang. But thennnnn came the FMC.
And listen. I get that she was written to be strong, to fight for what she wanted, to battle through conflict—but for me? It didn’t land. The way that part of the story went down just didn’t mesh. I wanted grit, not... flail. I felt like I saw her choices coming from a mile away, and when they happened exactly how I predicted, it just dragged my rating down.
Also: the inner monologue. Girl. I don’t need pages and pages of longing and emotional spirals. We could’ve chopped a good 50 pages if we trimmed all the “but do I really want him?” and “what if he doesn’t love me back?” moments. We got the picture. We didn’t need the slideshow. Not for nothing the MMC was guilty of it too....
BUT—I laughed. Like, legit laughed out loud. And the setting? Loved the club atmosphere and kink exploration. Definitely gave the spice factor a boost. The dynamic between them had heat, even when the plot was playing emotional hopscotch.
So yeah. If you love brother’s best friend, laugh-out-loud moments, a little kink with your cute, and you don’t feel personally victimized by miscommunication tropes like I do? You’ll love this one.
It wasn’t a perfect match for me, but it was a damn fun ride while it lasted. Solid 3.25 stars—would recommend for the pervy fluff-lovers out there.
December 27, 2024
The cover and title of this book are so deceiving. No dark romance happens here, but perhaps some cringe romance may be
How can someone not recognize the voice of a very close family friend and childhood (and present) crush just because it's dark? Do they hear with their eyes? 🤡
Safety
Brothers best friend
H(26), h(22)
Virgin h
OM drama
HEA
Trigger Warning: attempted r*pe, murd3r
How can someone not recognize the voice of a very close family friend and childhood (and present) crush just because it's dark? Do they hear with their eyes? 🤡
Safety
Brothers best friend
H(26), h(22)
Virgin h
OM drama
HEA
Trigger Warning: attempted r*pe, murd3r
April 3, 2025
Devoured this book in 1 sitting… I really enjoyed it. Though the brother, he is annoying. I gave 4 stars as this got me out of my slump and gave me motivation to devour some more books!
April 27, 2024
Chapter 31 is WILD!!
Finger banging your best friends ‘little sister’ (as they repeatedly like to call the 22yo) at the dinner table with her mum, dad and brother there, to completion is just crazy.
And then, he picks up a bit of pizza crust eats it and the says “Mmmm, that was fucking delicious.” Then, the dad follows up with “Couldn’t agree more.” Is insane!
Followed by Aspen spitting her wine out everywhere. Big bro comments “Learn how to swallow.” And Izaac then finishing the whole thing off with “Oh, she’s got no problem there.”
Just NO!! Why?!
Needless to say I finally DNF’d this damn book at 86%. Because Austin found out, threw is toys out the pram, in not so many words called his sister a whore and said unless she breaks up with him he has nothing to say to her.
The Izaac being the weak mother effer he is, breaks up with her and again she’s crying over him AGAIN saying he doesn’t want to hurt her again and we can’t be together.
Bish! Please! You’ve wasted 12 years and a whole month for this wotless emotionally unavailable man child!
And let me not get started on Aspen, sweetie, my door mat has more backbone than you. This man in EVERY chapter tells you he will NEVER love you and you keep crying and going back. I CAN’T! 😤
Da fuq?! 🙄
Finger banging your best friends ‘little sister’ (as they repeatedly like to call the 22yo) at the dinner table with her mum, dad and brother there, to completion is just crazy.
And then, he picks up a bit of pizza crust eats it and the says “Mmmm, that was fucking delicious.” Then, the dad follows up with “Couldn’t agree more.” Is insane!
Followed by Aspen spitting her wine out everywhere. Big bro comments “Learn how to swallow.” And Izaac then finishing the whole thing off with “Oh, she’s got no problem there.”
Just NO!! Why?!
Needless to say I finally DNF’d this damn book at 86%. Because Austin found out, threw is toys out the pram, in not so many words called his sister a whore and said unless she breaks up with him he has nothing to say to her.
The Izaac being the weak mother effer he is, breaks up with her and again she’s crying over him AGAIN saying he doesn’t want to hurt her again and we can’t be together.
Bish! Please! You’ve wasted 12 years and a whole month for this wotless emotionally unavailable man child!
And let me not get started on Aspen, sweetie, my door mat has more backbone than you. This man in EVERY chapter tells you he will NEVER love you and you keep crying and going back. I CAN’T! 😤
Da fuq?! 🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2024
“When I’m not near her, I crave her. When I’m not inside her, I need to be. And when I come inside her, I wish for things neither of us are prepared for.”
first off i just want to say that i enjoyed this, i really did.. but there’s a few things that i didn’t like. one of those things being the fact that it’s marketed as a dark romance and it’s the furthest thing from it.. also, what the fuck was up with austin? did he want to protect his sister or fuck her? it was very.. odd 🥴 the story was frustrating, but enjoyable and honestly that’s all that matters to me currently.
if you want good smut, brother best friend, slight age gap and she falls first but he falls harder.. READ IT, that’s all!
first off i just want to say that i enjoyed this, i really did.. but there’s a few things that i didn’t like. one of those things being the fact that it’s marketed as a dark romance and it’s the furthest thing from it.. also, what the fuck was up with austin? did he want to protect his sister or fuck her? it was very.. odd 🥴 the story was frustrating, but enjoyable and honestly that’s all that matters to me currently.
if you want good smut, brother best friend, slight age gap and she falls first but he falls harder.. READ IT, that’s all!
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