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Unforgivable Needs #3
Creatures Like Us
Noah
The same night I’m meant to end it all, I find a golden-haired angel passed out in the snow.
I’m just supposed to bring him home and nurse him back to health. To save him. To take care of him. But then I get greedy. I want him to stay. After all, he’s the only thing standing between me and my ruin.
Asher
The start of the new year is going down the drain along with my sanity, and that’s even before I wake up in some weirdo’s basement.
He keeps me under lock and key, claiming it’s for my own good—that if he lets me go, I’ll spiral back into the dark hole he pulled me out of.
I should want to run. To escape as soon as I have the chance. But as the days pass and the lines blur, everything turns on its head, and I’m no longer sure who’s the captive and who’s the captor—who’s in control, and who’s desperate to submit.
Creatures Like Us is a standalone dark MM romance that contains hot, explicit scenes between two men, as well as subject matter some readers might find upsetting. See the Author’s Note for more info.
The same night I’m meant to end it all, I find a golden-haired angel passed out in the snow.
I’m just supposed to bring him home and nurse him back to health. To save him. To take care of him. But then I get greedy. I want him to stay. After all, he’s the only thing standing between me and my ruin.
Asher
The start of the new year is going down the drain along with my sanity, and that’s even before I wake up in some weirdo’s basement.
He keeps me under lock and key, claiming it’s for my own good—that if he lets me go, I’ll spiral back into the dark hole he pulled me out of.
I should want to run. To escape as soon as I have the chance. But as the days pass and the lines blur, everything turns on its head, and I’m no longer sure who’s the captive and who’s the captor—who’s in control, and who’s desperate to submit.
Creatures Like Us is a standalone dark MM romance that contains hot, explicit scenes between two men, as well as subject matter some readers might find upsetting. See the Author’s Note for more info.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2025
76 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
Ally Avery
9 books106 followersAlly found her love for reading and writing at a young age. MM romance in particular has been part of her life since her first exposure to late-2000s Shounen Ai.
She likes to write about fierce, damaged boys who need a lot of love, and she doesn’t shy away from dark and taboo topics that some readers might find disturbing.
She likes to write about fierce, damaged boys who need a lot of love, and she doesn’t shy away from dark and taboo topics that some readers might find disturbing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
August 5, 2025
5 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook
psa: i need authors to stop breaking my heart with characters named noah. i actually cannot take it anymore.
anyways, this was so fucking toxic and delicious.
it took me quite awhile to get into this story. i didn’t really care for either character until about 50% of the way through, when they finally started to break down the bullshit on top and get into the nitty gritty underneath. then i just fell so hard for both of these broken boys.
i think this was actually the best codependency i’ve ever read in a book ever. like these two have absolutely no business being in a relationship. they are literally the only thing keeping the other alive—which is SO problematic—and i ate that shit up.
i’ll be honest, a lot of the aspects outside the main characters didn’t make a lot of sense. neither of their family dynamics were explored very well. the stuff with asher’s ex was weird and the stuff with his brother was super confusing. but i’m ignoring it all because i just loved them so much.
yeah, i need to read the other books of this series STAT.
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook
psa: i need authors to stop breaking my heart with characters named noah. i actually cannot take it anymore.
anyways, this was so fucking toxic and delicious.
it took me quite awhile to get into this story. i didn’t really care for either character until about 50% of the way through, when they finally started to break down the bullshit on top and get into the nitty gritty underneath. then i just fell so hard for both of these broken boys.
i think this was actually the best codependency i’ve ever read in a book ever. like these two have absolutely no business being in a relationship. they are literally the only thing keeping the other alive—which is SO problematic—and i ate that shit up.
i’ll be honest, a lot of the aspects outside the main characters didn’t make a lot of sense. neither of their family dynamics were explored very well. the stuff with asher’s ex was weird and the stuff with his brother was super confusing. but i’m ignoring it all because i just loved them so much.
yeah, i need to read the other books of this series STAT.
dnf
August 24, 2025Asher + Noah
Soft DNF @ 70%
Maybe I'll finish it. Maybe I won't. I'm bored. Could be my mood.
This was unique in the fact that the captor was the virgin instead of the captive. So you normally would have a large sense of unbalanced power dynamics and stockholm syndrome vibes, but this was kind of backward. Asher (the captive) was the pursuer once he got used to the idea of being kidnapped. Once he was free to go, he stayed.
The only thing is that some of this honestly felt forced. Like super standard unoriginal, copy paste, dirty talk. I got bored half the time.
⚠️possible spoilers below in detailed tropes, content and warning lists
Tropes/content:
Old school acquaintances but basically strangers
Captor/captive
Two lost souls
Noah kidnaps Asher after finding him knocked out from drugs and cold. Forcing him to withdraw from drugs.
Old bully's brother
"Goldilocks" pet name
Virgin kidnapper
Trauma dumping
Asher grinds up against Noah and gets himself off. Noah likes it but doesn't get off himself.
First times
Choking
Hurt/comfort
"Just hold me"
Uncut
Bi awakening
Vers roles
Dub con
Toxic
Knife play
Blood play
Warnings:
Drug use
Sharing needles
Unwanted kissing from a side character towards MC
Ashers girlfriend at the beginning of the book kisses another man in front of him because she thought he wanted the advances from the other girl
Kidnapping
Drug withdrawal
Gray area manipulation - Noah says if Asher leaves and doesn't kill him before he goes that he'll kill himself once Asher's gone. But Noah was also planning to already kill himself before he found Asher passed out.
Sex without prep
Unsafe knife play
Soft DNF @ 70%
Maybe I'll finish it. Maybe I won't. I'm bored. Could be my mood.
This was unique in the fact that the captor was the virgin instead of the captive. So you normally would have a large sense of unbalanced power dynamics and stockholm syndrome vibes, but this was kind of backward. Asher (the captive) was the pursuer once he got used to the idea of being kidnapped. Once he was free to go, he stayed.
The only thing is that some of this honestly felt forced. Like super standard unoriginal, copy paste, dirty talk. I got bored half the time.
⚠️possible spoilers below in detailed tropes, content and warning lists
Tropes/content:
Old school acquaintances but basically strangers
Captor/captive
Two lost souls
Noah kidnaps Asher after finding him knocked out from drugs and cold. Forcing him to withdraw from drugs.
Old bully's brother
"Goldilocks" pet name
Virgin kidnapper
Trauma dumping
Asher grinds up against Noah and gets himself off. Noah likes it but doesn't get off himself.
First times
Choking
Hurt/comfort
"Just hold me"
Uncut
Bi awakening
Vers roles
Dub con
Toxic
Knife play
Blood play
Warnings:
Drug use
Sharing needles
Unwanted kissing from a side character towards MC
Ashers girlfriend at the beginning of the book kisses another man in front of him because she thought he wanted the advances from the other girl
Kidnapping
Drug withdrawal
Gray area manipulation - Noah says if Asher leaves and doesn't kill him before he goes that he'll kill himself once Asher's gone. But Noah was also planning to already kill himself before he found Asher passed out.
Sex without prep
Unsafe knife play
July 20, 2025
5 Stars!⭐️
4🌶️
YALL!!! OMG! This Book Was PHENOMENAL! UGH! Asher And Noah Y’all They Are My Babies Because I Just Can’t Get Over Them. The Codependency, Let Me Tell Y’all I’ve Read Codependency All Types Of Codependency, But I’ve Never Read Codependency Like In This Book Because This Is Codependency TO THE MAX! Is It Healthy For Them, Maybe Not, But Is It Important At First Them To Have Each Other To Live? Yes. Asher Man This Man Is Just Like The Protector And Was EVERYTHING Noah Needed And I See My Noah Calls Him Goldilocks “ UGH! It’s A New Favorite Nickname It’s Everything! “. Noah, YALL! I Just Found A New Favorite MMC, This Man Is Now Engraved In My Soul And I Don’t Want Him Out, He Was Just So Broken Yet So Beautiful, This Man Is Also Poetic Too Like UGH! He Is Precious And Needs All The Protecting Ever Especially After What Happens To Him In The Past, Yes I’m A Protect Noah Stan Account Now😂 There Love Y’all Was Definitely Toxic And 100% Codependent Which Again May Not Be Heathy In Real Life, For Them Tho It Was Just Perfect That They Needed Each Other To Live And Are Each Others Purpose UGH It Was Simply EVERYTHING!!! HIGHLY Recommend This Book Y’all When It Comes Out August 1st Because Trust Me When I Say, You Don’t Want To Miss This PHENOMENAL Book. I’m Not Sure How Im Gonna Move On From These Two But Just Know They Are With Me Now Forever And Always. Definitely A Favorite Book This Year And A New Favorite Book Ever. Ally, I Don’t Know How You Do It But I Love You For It, I Cannot Wait To See What You Do Next💕🫶
Thank You So Much @allyavery For Sending Me An Early Copy I Appreciate You So Much🫶💕
4🌶️
YALL!!! OMG! This Book Was PHENOMENAL! UGH! Asher And Noah Y’all They Are My Babies Because I Just Can’t Get Over Them. The Codependency, Let Me Tell Y’all I’ve Read Codependency All Types Of Codependency, But I’ve Never Read Codependency Like In This Book Because This Is Codependency TO THE MAX! Is It Healthy For Them, Maybe Not, But Is It Important At First Them To Have Each Other To Live? Yes. Asher Man This Man Is Just Like The Protector And Was EVERYTHING Noah Needed And I See My Noah Calls Him Goldilocks “ UGH! It’s A New Favorite Nickname It’s Everything! “. Noah, YALL! I Just Found A New Favorite MMC, This Man Is Now Engraved In My Soul And I Don’t Want Him Out, He Was Just So Broken Yet So Beautiful, This Man Is Also Poetic Too Like UGH! He Is Precious And Needs All The Protecting Ever Especially After What Happens To Him In The Past, Yes I’m A Protect Noah Stan Account Now😂 There Love Y’all Was Definitely Toxic And 100% Codependent Which Again May Not Be Heathy In Real Life, For Them Tho It Was Just Perfect That They Needed Each Other To Live And Are Each Others Purpose UGH It Was Simply EVERYTHING!!! HIGHLY Recommend This Book Y’all When It Comes Out August 1st Because Trust Me When I Say, You Don’t Want To Miss This PHENOMENAL Book. I’m Not Sure How Im Gonna Move On From These Two But Just Know They Are With Me Now Forever And Always. Definitely A Favorite Book This Year And A New Favorite Book Ever. Ally, I Don’t Know How You Do It But I Love You For It, I Cannot Wait To See What You Do Next💕🫶
Thank You So Much @allyavery For Sending Me An Early Copy I Appreciate You So Much🫶💕
August 26, 2025
2.75 ⭐️
⛓️ Kidnapper/Captive
🐺 Dark Romance
⛓️ Knife Play
🖤 Brief third-act breakup
🩶 No OM drama once they’re together, but MMC 1 has a girlfriend at the start who he leaves
🤍 Vers
This book had too much internal monologue for me. It made sense for the type of story it was, but there wasn’t enough dialogue to keep it interesting so I found myself getting a little bored. There were also a few things that just didn’t make sense to me. I believe that they cared for each other by the end, but it also had one of my biggest pet peeves in a romance book, which is when they don’t actually say “I love you.”
I’d recommend it only if this is a storyline you’re interested in or the type of book you read frequently.
Oh… And there was an over abundance of ellipses. Like SO many… a ridiculous… amount.
⛓️ Kidnapper/Captive
🐺 Dark Romance
⛓️ Knife Play
🖤 Brief third-act breakup
🩶 No OM drama once they’re together, but MMC 1 has a girlfriend at the start who he leaves
🤍 Vers
This book had too much internal monologue for me. It made sense for the type of story it was, but there wasn’t enough dialogue to keep it interesting so I found myself getting a little bored. There were also a few things that just didn’t make sense to me. I believe that they cared for each other by the end, but it also had one of my biggest pet peeves in a romance book, which is when they don’t actually say “I love you.”
I’d recommend it only if this is a storyline you’re interested in or the type of book you read frequently.
Oh… And there was an over abundance of ellipses. Like SO many… a ridiculous… amount.
July 29, 2025
I couldn't get enough of Asher and Noah's sweet, sweet toxic codependence. They're each other's entire world...literally.
I ate up the tenderness that blooms between them as they cross the point of no return together again and again. I love when two strange little men find their perfect match.
Thanks so so much to the author for sending an ARC my way. This was my first book by Avery and it left quite the impression. As soon as I finished reading, I preordered a physical copy (as well as the previous books) from her site. As always, I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
I ate up the tenderness that blooms between them as they cross the point of no return together again and again. I love when two strange little men find their perfect match.
Thanks so so much to the author for sending an ARC my way. This was my first book by Avery and it left quite the impression. As soon as I finished reading, I preordered a physical copy (as well as the previous books) from her site. As always, I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
July 15, 2025
thanks to Ally for the ARC, this was a beautifully twisted love story about two lost, broken, and hurting souls finding each other in an unconventional and uncomfortable way.
there are many moments where you feel for Noah and Asher, with their pain and trauma affecting their every day lives.
it’s uncomfortable, raw, and painful.
they hurt together.
they hurt each other.
but they also grow and heal together for each other.
there are many moments where you feel for Noah and Asher, with their pain and trauma affecting their every day lives.
it’s uncomfortable, raw, and painful.
they hurt together.
they hurt each other.
but they also grow and heal together for each other.
July 25, 2025
4,5 ⭐️
Note: This is not a light story and it contains some heavy triggersy so please check them before reading. Both MCs represent mental health problems.
Whew, this book was intense. And I mean that in the best way possible, I think I need a few days to absorb everything 🤧
Noah has mental health issues and Asher.. he has them as well, but different. I was glad Noah found Asher in the first place, since they really needed each other.
This is not your typical light romance story, but that made it unique and so good. The writing was so amazing, I was clung on every word and I couldn't put the book down.
This is definitely one of this stories you carry with you for a long time after finishing ✨️
Note: This is not a light story and it contains some heavy triggersy so please check them before reading. Both MCs represent mental health problems.
Whew, this book was intense. And I mean that in the best way possible, I think I need a few days to absorb everything 🤧
Noah has mental health issues and Asher.. he has them as well, but different. I was glad Noah found Asher in the first place, since they really needed each other.
This is not your typical light romance story, but that made it unique and so good. The writing was so amazing, I was clung on every word and I couldn't put the book down.
This is definitely one of this stories you carry with you for a long time after finishing ✨️
July 31, 2025
The story is intense and gets under your skin! Noah and Asher are two deeply wounded souls. Their past shows scars that don't heal easily. The book deals with topics such as bullying, addiction and thoughts of death - heavy stuff! They find comfort in each other and give each other the strength to take care of the other, but also to take care of themselves again ❤️. It is very impressive to watch this process. The story takes place mostly in one location, without a lot going on, and yet, or maybe because of that, it wasn't boring at all. The dynamic between the two was very captivating! This book is not too easy to forget with all its dark and tender moments, it will linger. I enjoyed it and recommend it!
July 15, 2025
wow wow wow this book was fantastic. I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy and I'm so thrilled I did. I can't wait for this to come out in paperback to add it with the other 2 in the series.
These 2 boys were so broken and together they were also broken and toxic for each other but it worked for them. If they didn't have each other at the right moment neither would have been around. It was a different take on captive/captor troupe and I really liked that. They both worked for their happy ending and I can't wait to read more from Ally 5 stars from me.
These 2 boys were so broken and together they were also broken and toxic for each other but it worked for them. If they didn't have each other at the right moment neither would have been around. It was a different take on captive/captor troupe and I really liked that. They both worked for their happy ending and I can't wait to read more from Ally 5 stars from me.
July 16, 2025
ARC Review!
Wow! This was fantastic. Darker than I was expecting but I loved it.
Asher and Noah help each other in a very unconventional way but they both needed each other. Asher with his addiction and Noah with his bullying trauma.
I haven’t read the rest of the series but I definitely will after this!
Wow! This was fantastic. Darker than I was expecting but I loved it.
Asher and Noah help each other in a very unconventional way but they both needed each other. Asher with his addiction and Noah with his bullying trauma.
I haven’t read the rest of the series but I definitely will after this!
July 15, 2025
This was darker than I expected (that's a compliment!). The characters are amazingly written, flawed and tragic and beautiful, and the story full of angst but also surprisingly wholesome. And the smut is hot as hell too!
July 20, 2025
Thank you for the opportunity you've given me to ARC read this story! This is my first read by this author, not having read the others in this series. I absolutely enjoyed the progression of two broken souls both finding what they needed in each other... and both recognizing it for what it was- an unconventional beginning, transformative self-discovery, and a what works for them day-by-day journey of recovery.
Loved it. ⛓️💥
Loved it. ⛓️💥
July 15, 2025
{creatures like us}
Arc review by Jessie Melka
___________•___________
Wooow!
Creatures like us is my favourite so far in the series seriously this is the right kind of dark for me
The book was so filled with angst And tragedy, my heart almost couldn’t take it these two amazing broken boys will fill your heart with hurt and comfort and lots of Heartfelt moments
Asher and Noah go through a lot of shit, Asher with the addiction and the things with his brother, Noah with the depression and bullying but still they saved each other in maybe not the most conventional ways but no matter that they still found and loved each other
The story itself is brilliant and intense with a lot of dark moments, Noah broad Asher home after finding him almost dead in the snow while on his way to killing himself and suddenly he has something to live for and therefore cannot let Asher waste his life and leave him so he ties into the basement and get him clean but while captive emotion stir between the boys and they hurt each other both physically and mentally but find a way to love each other despite their past
The spice part at the beginning had me a little worried unsafe bdsm practice is one of my most hated tropes but the further we got the more secure I got in my reading about this although they started out pretty unsafe they eventually started using a safe word other than that, it was so hot I mean explicitly extremely nourishingly hot you just wait and see. I think you’re gonna love it.
I read this book at 4.5 out of 5
I have said this many times throughout the book but it is a very dark very hot book so be careful with your mental health and remember to read the trigger warnings if that’s in itself is something you love you know trigger warnings then this is something for you
but remember to form your own opinions and not just listen to me
Until next time, my loves…
Rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 3/5
Angst: 3,5/5
Would I read again: yes
(I received an advance copy for free and I’m leaving this review voluntarily)
⛓️💥capture/captive
⛓️hurt/comfort
⛓️💥codependency
⛓️bi awakening
⛓️💥Sad Boys
⛓️Mental health Rep
___________•___________
Arc review by Jessie Melka
___________•___________
Wooow!
Creatures like us is my favourite so far in the series seriously this is the right kind of dark for me
The book was so filled with angst And tragedy, my heart almost couldn’t take it these two amazing broken boys will fill your heart with hurt and comfort and lots of Heartfelt moments
Asher and Noah go through a lot of shit, Asher with the addiction and the things with his brother, Noah with the depression and bullying but still they saved each other in maybe not the most conventional ways but no matter that they still found and loved each other
The story itself is brilliant and intense with a lot of dark moments, Noah broad Asher home after finding him almost dead in the snow while on his way to killing himself and suddenly he has something to live for and therefore cannot let Asher waste his life and leave him so he ties into the basement and get him clean but while captive emotion stir between the boys and they hurt each other both physically and mentally but find a way to love each other despite their past
The spice part at the beginning had me a little worried unsafe bdsm practice is one of my most hated tropes but the further we got the more secure I got in my reading about this although they started out pretty unsafe they eventually started using a safe word other than that, it was so hot I mean explicitly extremely nourishingly hot you just wait and see. I think you’re gonna love it.
I read this book at 4.5 out of 5
I have said this many times throughout the book but it is a very dark very hot book so be careful with your mental health and remember to read the trigger warnings if that’s in itself is something you love you know trigger warnings then this is something for you
but remember to form your own opinions and not just listen to me
Until next time, my loves…
Rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 3/5
Angst: 3,5/5
Would I read again: yes
(I received an advance copy for free and I’m leaving this review voluntarily)
⛓️💥capture/captive
⛓️hurt/comfort
⛓️💥codependency
⛓️bi awakening
⛓️💥Sad Boys
⛓️Mental health Rep
___________•___________
August 7, 2025
*~ARC Review Time!~*
Captor x captive-hurt/comfort- bi awakening- first times- toxic to healthyish relationship- broken boys
first off, please please please check trigger warnings before consuming this story or book 1 & 2. They deal in dark themes and despair. Keep yourself healthy & happy.
With that said, I loved this book. I went ahead and read book 1 and 2 just to help get the gist of the storyline/ town. But I love me some good captor x captive relationship. Now both of these boys are very very broken. Life has not been good to them, but in totally different ways.
This story pulled so much raw emotion out of not only Asher & Noah, but of me as well. This was a great bi awakening + first times which gave it the spicy element that 2 broken men tend to thrive under.
This deals in a lot of pent up anger, terrible emotional regulation, addiction & heavily codependency. It stems from dark places that both of these men have trouble fighting alone, and do better together.
The over all storyline was great imo. It's dark, dismal, gritty and it feels wrong... but oh so right. Asher and Noah are at the end of their time, but again is totally opposite directions. With their lack of parental or familial affection, these two had to learn how to love, fight their demons apart and together and learn healthier ways to cope. This doesn't make their relationship any less toxic, but they have such a strong bond & dependency that it's honestly hard to not like them.
Overall, I really love this series. While this isn't a pretty packaged romance, it really deals with some real life situations that people sometimes don't make it out of. I commend the author for really talking about some hard stuff all through the series and having pretty real world end game goals for the couples.
If you like pretty intense heat and spice with a lot of broken boys, this series is for you 100% honestly.
Captor x captive-hurt/comfort- bi awakening- first times- toxic to healthyish relationship- broken boys
first off, please please please check trigger warnings before consuming this story or book 1 & 2. They deal in dark themes and despair. Keep yourself healthy & happy.
With that said, I loved this book. I went ahead and read book 1 and 2 just to help get the gist of the storyline/ town. But I love me some good captor x captive relationship. Now both of these boys are very very broken. Life has not been good to them, but in totally different ways.
This story pulled so much raw emotion out of not only Asher & Noah, but of me as well. This was a great bi awakening + first times which gave it the spicy element that 2 broken men tend to thrive under.
This deals in a lot of pent up anger, terrible emotional regulation, addiction & heavily codependency. It stems from dark places that both of these men have trouble fighting alone, and do better together.
The over all storyline was great imo. It's dark, dismal, gritty and it feels wrong... but oh so right. Asher and Noah are at the end of their time, but again is totally opposite directions. With their lack of parental or familial affection, these two had to learn how to love, fight their demons apart and together and learn healthier ways to cope. This doesn't make their relationship any less toxic, but they have such a strong bond & dependency that it's honestly hard to not like them.
Overall, I really love this series. While this isn't a pretty packaged romance, it really deals with some real life situations that people sometimes don't make it out of. I commend the author for really talking about some hard stuff all through the series and having pretty real world end game goals for the couples.
If you like pretty intense heat and spice with a lot of broken boys, this series is for you 100% honestly.
July 26, 2025
If the brief was “broken boys,” Ally absolutely nailed it.
Creatures Like Us is darker than I anticipated, yet it’s also one of the most hauntingly beautiful stories I’ve ever read.
Noah is a loner—ostracized, bullied, and grieving the loss of the only person who cared for him. His world is bleak and empty until he discovers a sleeping angel in the snow.
Asher has lived in the shadow of his perfect older brother, branded the family failure. Neglected and unseen, he turns to drugs to numb the pain, until addiction becomes the only constant in his life.
When Noah brings Asher in from the cold, it feels like a rescue. But the story quickly shifts as Noah decides to “fix” Asher—holding him captive in his basement to force a detox. What unfolds is a raw, unsettling power struggle between two deeply broken souls, each grappling with their own trauma and guilt.
Their relationship is far from healthy, yet there’s a strange, fragile beauty buried beneath all the pain. The emotional intensity is palpable, and the dynamic between them is both disturbing and deeply compelling.
The spice? It’s dark, edgy, and surprisingly tender—woven seamlessly into the narrative without ever feeling gratuitous.
I was completely captivated by this book and can’t wait to see where the series goes next.
Vibes:
Captor/Captive
Bi Awakening
Sad Boys
First Time
Knife And Breath Play
Mental Health Rep
Hurt/Comfort
Addiction
"I Hate That I Love You"
Codependency
"Let Me Take Care Of You"
Slow Burn
Touch-Starved Mc
Hand Necklaces
Rating: 4.5⭐️
Spice: 3🌶
Creatures Like Us is darker than I anticipated, yet it’s also one of the most hauntingly beautiful stories I’ve ever read.
Noah is a loner—ostracized, bullied, and grieving the loss of the only person who cared for him. His world is bleak and empty until he discovers a sleeping angel in the snow.
Asher has lived in the shadow of his perfect older brother, branded the family failure. Neglected and unseen, he turns to drugs to numb the pain, until addiction becomes the only constant in his life.
When Noah brings Asher in from the cold, it feels like a rescue. But the story quickly shifts as Noah decides to “fix” Asher—holding him captive in his basement to force a detox. What unfolds is a raw, unsettling power struggle between two deeply broken souls, each grappling with their own trauma and guilt.
Their relationship is far from healthy, yet there’s a strange, fragile beauty buried beneath all the pain. The emotional intensity is palpable, and the dynamic between them is both disturbing and deeply compelling.
The spice? It’s dark, edgy, and surprisingly tender—woven seamlessly into the narrative without ever feeling gratuitous.
I was completely captivated by this book and can’t wait to see where the series goes next.
Vibes:
Captor/Captive
Bi Awakening
Sad Boys
First Time
Knife And Breath Play
Mental Health Rep
Hurt/Comfort
Addiction
"I Hate That I Love You"
Codependency
"Let Me Take Care Of You"
Slow Burn
Touch-Starved Mc
Hand Necklaces
Rating: 4.5⭐️
Spice: 3🌶
July 31, 2025
Ally Avery has been on my TBR list for a while now, but when I saw the blurb for this one I KNEW I needed to read it, and thankfully I did because it was so deviously dark and good! 🔥😈
Noah & Asher's love is the stuff of nightmares and yet also so amazingly sweet and tender in its fierceness. They are two lost and broken souls, finding love in toxic and awful ways but somehow make it out and realize that even with their unethical start, that they are meant for one another. Ultimately this book is about healing past traumas, accepting the darkness in one another and finding love in the strangest of places 💗🫶.
I can't recommend this enough for those who haven't read anything by the author yet but love their romances twisted and gritty! And for those who have read Ally's previous stuff I'm sure you won't be let down because this was 🔥🥵. It's like your wildest most deranged fantasies come to life in a beautiful and messed up way 😂💥.
You'll definitely want to check this book out tomorrow, but as always, check your triggers because this IS a dark romance and it's not a lovey dovey read, and you're mental health is important 🫶. Their love is hard fought & hard won, overcoming insurmountable odds and finding the beauty in life and it's darkest parts 💜.
Noah & Asher's love is the stuff of nightmares and yet also so amazingly sweet and tender in its fierceness. They are two lost and broken souls, finding love in toxic and awful ways but somehow make it out and realize that even with their unethical start, that they are meant for one another. Ultimately this book is about healing past traumas, accepting the darkness in one another and finding love in the strangest of places 💗🫶.
I can't recommend this enough for those who haven't read anything by the author yet but love their romances twisted and gritty! And for those who have read Ally's previous stuff I'm sure you won't be let down because this was 🔥🥵. It's like your wildest most deranged fantasies come to life in a beautiful and messed up way 😂💥.
You'll definitely want to check this book out tomorrow, but as always, check your triggers because this IS a dark romance and it's not a lovey dovey read, and you're mental health is important 🫶. Their love is hard fought & hard won, overcoming insurmountable odds and finding the beauty in life and it's darkest parts 💜.
August 9, 2025
3.25⭐️
Asher is at a low on his life—addicted to drugs and freshly broken up with a cheating girlfriend. Noah is at such a low point in his life that he’s about to end it, until he finds Asher by the forest, passed out and high. Noah takes Asher back home to care for him, no matter if Asher wants it or not.
This is a deeply unhealthy captor/captive romance with dark themes like addiction, su*cidial ideation, dark mental health struggles, and even violence. Definitely keep this in mind before you read.
Listen, I love a good codependent couple and I’m here for unhealthy relationships in books, but this one just felt a little shallow for me, and ended up being kind of a bummer. The characters connect physically (often and intensely), but they lacked that connection personally. It kind of felt like most of their character/personality was focused on their mental health struggles.
This book very much has a “if I don’t have you I’m going to kms” vibe.
Asher is at a low on his life—addicted to drugs and freshly broken up with a cheating girlfriend. Noah is at such a low point in his life that he’s about to end it, until he finds Asher by the forest, passed out and high. Noah takes Asher back home to care for him, no matter if Asher wants it or not.
This is a deeply unhealthy captor/captive romance with dark themes like addiction, su*cidial ideation, dark mental health struggles, and even violence. Definitely keep this in mind before you read.
Listen, I love a good codependent couple and I’m here for unhealthy relationships in books, but this one just felt a little shallow for me, and ended up being kind of a bummer. The characters connect physically (often and intensely), but they lacked that connection personally. It kind of felt like most of their character/personality was focused on their mental health struggles.
This book very much has a “if I don’t have you I’m going to kms” vibe.
July 19, 2025
Damn this was way darker than I expected (and I did expect a Stockholm syndrome situation). But I liked it?
“Weird, unfamiliar, freaky as hell” — a quote from the book that describes this story well. My feelings here are so mixed…
It honestly felt like a fever dream. Dark, twisted intrusive thoughts described in explicit detail.
To be fully transparent, I almost DNFed it at a few points, but I’m glad I didn’t. What was an extremely fucked up relationship did what it needed to in order to pretty much convince me the ending was happy.
At several points, I didn’t see them getting there (to seeing a future for them beyond their twisted infatuation with each other) but they do.
Is it toxic, codependent, and dark? Yes. But I also believe they helped heal each other, even as (or maybe because) they hurt each other.
What a journey…
Thank you for the ARC!
“Weird, unfamiliar, freaky as hell” — a quote from the book that describes this story well. My feelings here are so mixed…
It honestly felt like a fever dream. Dark, twisted intrusive thoughts described in explicit detail.
To be fully transparent, I almost DNFed it at a few points, but I’m glad I didn’t. What was an extremely fucked up relationship did what it needed to in order to pretty much convince me the ending was happy.
At several points, I didn’t see them getting there (to seeing a future for them beyond their twisted infatuation with each other) but they do.
Is it toxic, codependent, and dark? Yes. But I also believe they helped heal each other, even as (or maybe because) they hurt each other.
What a journey…
Thank you for the ARC!
July 27, 2025
4.25/5 stars 4.5/5 spice
This was a different kind of read for me and I enjoyed it. It was raw and emotional. Two broken boys finding each other when they’re at their worst. Both were so different but yet the same when it came down to their core feelings. Loneliness and suicidal thoughts will make anyone desperate, just like these two were.
Asher and Noah both had good and bad qualities to them. I could empathise with both of them and why they behaved the way they did. I found Asher’s character to be the most intriguing and relatable one.
I liked how dark and twisted this was, but I do recommend everyone to read the trigger warnings before reading this. This was my first book by Ally and I’m excited to read more of their work.
- Captor X captive
- Broken boys
- Hurt/comfort
- Grief
- Drug addict, neglected, affection starved MMC
- Loner, touch starved, virgin, suicidal MMC
This was a different kind of read for me and I enjoyed it. It was raw and emotional. Two broken boys finding each other when they’re at their worst. Both were so different but yet the same when it came down to their core feelings. Loneliness and suicidal thoughts will make anyone desperate, just like these two were.
Asher and Noah both had good and bad qualities to them. I could empathise with both of them and why they behaved the way they did. I found Asher’s character to be the most intriguing and relatable one.
I liked how dark and twisted this was, but I do recommend everyone to read the trigger warnings before reading this. This was my first book by Ally and I’m excited to read more of their work.
- Captor X captive
- Broken boys
- Hurt/comfort
- Grief
- Drug addict, neglected, affection starved MMC
- Loner, touch starved, virgin, suicidal MMC
August 12, 2025
I could not get through the first book in this interconnected world so I didn’t try the second one but I’m glad I took a chance on this… now I just can’t decide on how to turn my feelings toward it into a star rating! Send help!!
September 23, 2025
only made it to 52% unfortunately 😭
November 3, 2025
This book was absolutely amazing. I love everything ALLY writes. I just can’t help it. Literally I was in my feels reading this.
July 21, 2025
I received this book as a free ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I want to thank the author for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
⭐️ 4.5
TW: this book delves heavily into the impacts of mental health disorders, addiction, suicidal ideation, and abduction. There is also on page unsafe kink practices and bdsm elements. Please read the trigger warnings if you are sensitive to these conditions or they are a trigger for you.
Ally writes about damaged boys who need a lot of love, she doesn't shy away from disturbing, dark and taboo topics. For your own wellbeing please read her Trigger Warnings before reading this book.
*I dont usually dwell on Trigger Warnings too much in my reviews. However, in light of the recent events within the LGBTQIA+ Bookish community, I wanted to take the time to mention that this book has characters that have to deal with thoughts of suicide that will very much be a trigger for the community at this time.
If you've read the other books in the series or this author is on your radar but you are deeply impacted by the current events, it would be best to put this one on your TBR until such time that the current issues are less likely to cause you hurt or mental health issues.*
Creatures Like Us is a story about two broken people who find solace in each other. It is a deeply emotional story that will make you uncomfortable at different times throughout the book. Their story is deeply confronting, emotionally challenging and at times tense.
While I was reading the initial chapters I kept thinking of the song, No Aphrodisiac by The Whitlams.
🎶 There's no aphrodisiac like loneliness
Truth beauty and a picture of you
There's no aphrodisiac like loneliness
Youth truth beauty fame boredom and a bottle of pills
There's no aphrodisiac like loneliness
You shouldn't leave me alone 🎶
- Noah is the lonely outcast
- Asher is lost in a bottle of pills
The truth is they save each other. In a really messed up way.
"I feel like he’s my friend instead—a friend who’s got pain inside, a pain I’m well acquainted with myself. We’re united in that pain, even though we should maybe be united in something else." - Asher
It sounds weird, but there's beauty in the very toxic codependent connection they share. They don't like being alone, without each other they feel lost and the outside world feels dangerous for both of them.
"Noah just seems lonely. Maybe he keeps me here because he wants a friend or something. Ugh, just my luck to end up as some loner’s emotional support teddy bear." - Asher
Despite the nature of how Noah forces Ashee to get clean deep down Ash knows it helped. He hates it, wants to hate Noah for it. But he can't, because when he pictures leaving or no longer having Noah in his life his heart breaks. He doesn't want to leave. Ever.
“Shh, don’t worry,” Asher says. “I’m here, aren’t I? With you. Don’t you see me?”
“I see you. Always.” - Noah
Like with all darker stories I'm definitely going to need a sweet read as my next book, but I highly recommended this book to MM romance readers who enjoy morally grey character dynamics and dark themes with a HEA at the end. You will find this novel compelling.
A note on the BDSM elements within the book from the perspective of a submissive.
Although not my favourite way for aspects of the BDSM lifestyle to be portrayed, I will say that the portrayal makes sense for the characters. It's essentially CNC with unsafe beginnings. What we need to remember in this case is that this is a work of fiction. Just DO NOT try these things at home!
It's important to say that the kinks portrayed can be performed safely in professional venues under the guidance of experts. If you have an interest or desire to explore, I encourage you to reach out or find a reputable organisation.
⭐️ 4.5
TW: this book delves heavily into the impacts of mental health disorders, addiction, suicidal ideation, and abduction. There is also on page unsafe kink practices and bdsm elements. Please read the trigger warnings if you are sensitive to these conditions or they are a trigger for you.
Ally writes about damaged boys who need a lot of love, she doesn't shy away from disturbing, dark and taboo topics. For your own wellbeing please read her Trigger Warnings before reading this book.
*I dont usually dwell on Trigger Warnings too much in my reviews. However, in light of the recent events within the LGBTQIA+ Bookish community, I wanted to take the time to mention that this book has characters that have to deal with thoughts of suicide that will very much be a trigger for the community at this time.
If you've read the other books in the series or this author is on your radar but you are deeply impacted by the current events, it would be best to put this one on your TBR until such time that the current issues are less likely to cause you hurt or mental health issues.*
Creatures Like Us is a story about two broken people who find solace in each other. It is a deeply emotional story that will make you uncomfortable at different times throughout the book. Their story is deeply confronting, emotionally challenging and at times tense.
While I was reading the initial chapters I kept thinking of the song, No Aphrodisiac by The Whitlams.
🎶 There's no aphrodisiac like loneliness
Truth beauty and a picture of you
There's no aphrodisiac like loneliness
Youth truth beauty fame boredom and a bottle of pills
There's no aphrodisiac like loneliness
You shouldn't leave me alone 🎶
- Noah is the lonely outcast
- Asher is lost in a bottle of pills
The truth is they save each other. In a really messed up way.
"I feel like he’s my friend instead—a friend who’s got pain inside, a pain I’m well acquainted with myself. We’re united in that pain, even though we should maybe be united in something else." - Asher
It sounds weird, but there's beauty in the very toxic codependent connection they share. They don't like being alone, without each other they feel lost and the outside world feels dangerous for both of them.
"Noah just seems lonely. Maybe he keeps me here because he wants a friend or something. Ugh, just my luck to end up as some loner’s emotional support teddy bear." - Asher
Despite the nature of how Noah forces Ashee to get clean deep down Ash knows it helped. He hates it, wants to hate Noah for it. But he can't, because when he pictures leaving or no longer having Noah in his life his heart breaks. He doesn't want to leave. Ever.
“Shh, don’t worry,” Asher says. “I’m here, aren’t I? With you. Don’t you see me?”
“I see you. Always.” - Noah
Like with all darker stories I'm definitely going to need a sweet read as my next book, but I highly recommended this book to MM romance readers who enjoy morally grey character dynamics and dark themes with a HEA at the end. You will find this novel compelling.
A note on the BDSM elements within the book from the perspective of a submissive.
Although not my favourite way for aspects of the BDSM lifestyle to be portrayed, I will say that the portrayal makes sense for the characters. It's essentially CNC with unsafe beginnings. What we need to remember in this case is that this is a work of fiction. Just DO NOT try these things at home!
It's important to say that the kinks portrayed can be performed safely in professional venues under the guidance of experts. If you have an interest or desire to explore, I encourage you to reach out or find a reputable organisation.
August 1, 2025
Noah and Asher… my gosh, they took us on such a journey! They’re both in dreadful places mentally when we first meet them: Asher is addicted to drugs while Noah feels as though he doesn’t have a reason to live after the death of his beloved aunt. They are such complex characters, broken and tormented by their personal demons. It was an intensely emotional start to the book.
“We are the same, him and I. We both have difficulties getting through life. We just have different ways of dealing with these difficulties. We are kindred spirits in that respect.” (Noah)
Asher has been desperately trying to get someone to listen to his silent pleas: his parents are indifferent to him and his brother, Ethan – whom he once worshipped – broke his heart when he rejected him with cruel words. He has now lost himself fully to drugs and parties, while others take advantage of him.
It was Noah’s story, however, that I found particularly heartbreaking, because it seems as if he’d never been treated positively or had a kind word by anyone other than his late aunt, and that devastated me beyond words. Despite how poor his decisions were when it came to Asher, I still felt deeply sympathetic towards Noah, and just desperately wanted him to find someone who would accept him for who he was. I think it says a lot about the author’s writing when I’m more empathetic to the captor rather than the captive, especially relatively early in the book!
In some ways it felt as though Noah had a kind of childlike innocence to him at first, especially during some of his awkward initial interactions with Asher. His confidence gradually grows, however, as his feelings get more established and obsessive towards the other man. I really loved that he calls Asher ‘Goldilocks’ (though perhaps Sleeping Beauty may have worked better after how Noah found him in the first place!).
On Asher’s part, he seems to replace his drug addiction with cravings for Noah instead, and their relationship is very codependent, but it also seems to totally fit them. They’re messy and complicated, but they bond over their shared pain, and understand one another, including fully embracing each other’s dark desires. And, despite everything, they do end up saving each other, even if they have to go through a lot of pain and confusion along the way.
While Asher did irritate me a little at times, I did find some of his thoughts quite amusing:
“What in the black-metal serial-killer bullsh** is this?”
“Urgh, just my luck to end up as some loner’s emotional support teddy bear.”
Please be warned that this book does cover very heavy topics, so be sure to take care of your mental health and read the TW before reading, particularly if any of these areas have affected you at any point. I did find some of this book quite hard at times and had to take a breather because things got a bit too close to home sometimes, but the hope of a HEA for the MMCs kept me going. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, but I just feel it’s important that readers are aware of this before they get started.
“We are the same, him and I. We both have difficulties getting through life. We just have different ways of dealing with these difficulties. We are kindred spirits in that respect.” (Noah)
Asher has been desperately trying to get someone to listen to his silent pleas: his parents are indifferent to him and his brother, Ethan – whom he once worshipped – broke his heart when he rejected him with cruel words. He has now lost himself fully to drugs and parties, while others take advantage of him.
It was Noah’s story, however, that I found particularly heartbreaking, because it seems as if he’d never been treated positively or had a kind word by anyone other than his late aunt, and that devastated me beyond words. Despite how poor his decisions were when it came to Asher, I still felt deeply sympathetic towards Noah, and just desperately wanted him to find someone who would accept him for who he was. I think it says a lot about the author’s writing when I’m more empathetic to the captor rather than the captive, especially relatively early in the book!
In some ways it felt as though Noah had a kind of childlike innocence to him at first, especially during some of his awkward initial interactions with Asher. His confidence gradually grows, however, as his feelings get more established and obsessive towards the other man. I really loved that he calls Asher ‘Goldilocks’ (though perhaps Sleeping Beauty may have worked better after how Noah found him in the first place!).
On Asher’s part, he seems to replace his drug addiction with cravings for Noah instead, and their relationship is very codependent, but it also seems to totally fit them. They’re messy and complicated, but they bond over their shared pain, and understand one another, including fully embracing each other’s dark desires. And, despite everything, they do end up saving each other, even if they have to go through a lot of pain and confusion along the way.
While Asher did irritate me a little at times, I did find some of his thoughts quite amusing:
“What in the black-metal serial-killer bullsh** is this?”
“Urgh, just my luck to end up as some loner’s emotional support teddy bear.”
Please be warned that this book does cover very heavy topics, so be sure to take care of your mental health and read the TW before reading, particularly if any of these areas have affected you at any point. I did find some of this book quite hard at times and had to take a breather because things got a bit too close to home sometimes, but the hope of a HEA for the MMCs kept me going. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, but I just feel it’s important that readers are aware of this before they get started.
November 2, 2025
Here's Ally Avery's "Creatures Like Us." It's the third book in the Unforgivable Needs series.
["Noah
The same night I’m meant to end it all, I find a golden-haired angel passed out in the snow.
I’m just supposed to bring him home and nurse him back to health. To save him. To take care of him. But then I get greedy. I want him to stay. After all, he’s the only thing standing between me and my ruin.
Asher
The start of the new year is going down the drain along with my sanity, and that’s even before I wake up in some weirdo’s basement.
He keeps me under lock and key, claiming it’s for my own good—that if he lets me go, I’ll spiral back into the dark hole he pulled me out of.
I should want to run. To escape as soon as I have the chance. But as the days pass and the lines blur, everything turns on its head, and I’m no longer sure who’s the captive and who’s the captor—who’s in control, and who’s desperate to submit."]
This book was far from cliched. I had assumed a few things going into it, but they were quickly proven wrong. These two were different than you assume in so many ways. It was refreshing and kinda fun.
I expected darkness and an unhealthy relationship, but this was all of that amplified. Asher was cruel on purpose. Then again, Noah kidnapped him. They both had massive baggage and a lot of trauma, all of which bonded them together in an even more unhealthy way. They became completely dependent on each other. It was romantic and toxic.
They did (eventually) talk it over and make their twisted love story a little more healthier. Eventually.
It was still a beautiful story about growth and connection and grief and found family and strength and love. Even if you can't love yourself, sometimes a personal cheering section can float you along until you can.
Trigger Warnings: suicidal ideation, depictions of depression and mental health struggles, abduction and captivity, cheating/perceived cheating, mentions of past sexual assault and on-page attempted sexual assault, addiction/withdrawal/detailed drug-use, violence, severe injury to main character, mentions of past severe bullying, mentions of the past death of a family member, grief, self-harm and self-destructive behavior, slight dub-con, con non-con, knife play/blood play, and more.
#gettingittwisted #breakingyouopen #creatureslikeus #unforgivableneeds #unforgivableneedsseries #allyavery #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
["Noah
The same night I’m meant to end it all, I find a golden-haired angel passed out in the snow.
I’m just supposed to bring him home and nurse him back to health. To save him. To take care of him. But then I get greedy. I want him to stay. After all, he’s the only thing standing between me and my ruin.
Asher
The start of the new year is going down the drain along with my sanity, and that’s even before I wake up in some weirdo’s basement.
He keeps me under lock and key, claiming it’s for my own good—that if he lets me go, I’ll spiral back into the dark hole he pulled me out of.
I should want to run. To escape as soon as I have the chance. But as the days pass and the lines blur, everything turns on its head, and I’m no longer sure who’s the captive and who’s the captor—who’s in control, and who’s desperate to submit."]
This book was far from cliched. I had assumed a few things going into it, but they were quickly proven wrong. These two were different than you assume in so many ways. It was refreshing and kinda fun.
I expected darkness and an unhealthy relationship, but this was all of that amplified. Asher was cruel on purpose. Then again, Noah kidnapped him. They both had massive baggage and a lot of trauma, all of which bonded them together in an even more unhealthy way. They became completely dependent on each other. It was romantic and toxic.
They did (eventually) talk it over and make their twisted love story a little more healthier. Eventually.
It was still a beautiful story about growth and connection and grief and found family and strength and love. Even if you can't love yourself, sometimes a personal cheering section can float you along until you can.
Trigger Warnings: suicidal ideation, depictions of depression and mental health struggles, abduction and captivity, cheating/perceived cheating, mentions of past sexual assault and on-page attempted sexual assault, addiction/withdrawal/detailed drug-use, violence, severe injury to main character, mentions of past severe bullying, mentions of the past death of a family member, grief, self-harm and self-destructive behavior, slight dub-con, con non-con, knife play/blood play, and more.
#gettingittwisted #breakingyouopen #creatureslikeus #unforgivableneeds #unforgivableneedsseries #allyavery #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
September 14, 2025
Asher & Noah
Rating: 5 ⭐️
- Kidnapper x Captive
- Caretaking
- Codependency
- Knife-Play
- Choking
- Hurt/ Comfort
- Possessive/ Protective
My little trauma-bound boys ❤️
I want to hug them, tell them everything's gonna be alright, and keep them safe (from the world and themselves).
This is not a typical romance.
Not even all that dark?
Well, at least for me.
Normally, "dark" romances always give me at some point a kind of creeped out feeling. Like shit that is declared as "consensual non-consent", but feels most of the time a hell of a lot like rape.
You get the idea.
This didn't feel like it.
It didn't creep me out.
It just made me sad.
To the point of ugly-crying.
At 1am.
On my couch.
Next to my four fluffies and a snoring boyfriend.
It was more "dark" because the main "theme?" (If you can call it that) was suicide/ suicidal ideation.
It's what drives Asher and Noah towards each other and what keeps them together. One wants to actively die, the other doesn't mind dying all that much.
It's a fucked up, extremely unhealthy, toxic dynamic - with a side of kidnapping and extreme codependency.
Still, I felt for both.
Noah isn't your everyday kidnapper, and Asher isn't that much of a defenseless victim.
Noah actually means - well? I guess?
Both are just so lost it hurts to read. A lot.
Eventually everything blows up (well, we saw that coming...) buuuut - they get their HEA.
I promise.
Content Warnings:
• Suicidal ideation (One of the main characters is actively suicidal)
• Depictions of depression and mental health struggles
• Abduction and captivity
• Cheating / perceived cheating (Not between MCs)
• Mentions of past sexual assault and on-page attempted sexual assault (Not between MCs)
• Addiction, withdrawal, and detailed drug use
• Violence
• Severe injury to a main character (Near-death experience)
• Unprotected sex
• Mentions of past severe bullying
• Mentions of the past death of a family member
• Grieving the death of a family member
• Self-harm and self-destructive behavior
• Codependency and unhealthy coping mechanisms
• Slight dubious consent (Unbalanced power dynamics)
• Consensual non-consent
• Unsafe BDSM practices (Lack of safe word or discussion for a period of time)
• Unprofessional piercing of body parts (Nipples)
• Various kinks, such as knife play, blood play, fisting, breath play, bondage, and other BDSM elements.
HEA: Yes
POV: Duo/ First Person
Breakup: Yes
Cheat: No
Rating: 5 ⭐️
- Kidnapper x Captive
- Caretaking
- Codependency
- Knife-Play
- Choking
- Hurt/ Comfort
- Possessive/ Protective
My little trauma-bound boys ❤️
I want to hug them, tell them everything's gonna be alright, and keep them safe (from the world and themselves).
This is not a typical romance.
Not even all that dark?
Well, at least for me.
Normally, "dark" romances always give me at some point a kind of creeped out feeling. Like shit that is declared as "consensual non-consent", but feels most of the time a hell of a lot like rape.
You get the idea.
This didn't feel like it.
It didn't creep me out.
It just made me sad.
To the point of ugly-crying.
At 1am.
On my couch.
Next to my four fluffies and a snoring boyfriend.
It was more "dark" because the main "theme?" (If you can call it that) was suicide/ suicidal ideation.
It's what drives Asher and Noah towards each other and what keeps them together. One wants to actively die, the other doesn't mind dying all that much.
It's a fucked up, extremely unhealthy, toxic dynamic - with a side of kidnapping and extreme codependency.
Still, I felt for both.
Noah isn't your everyday kidnapper, and Asher isn't that much of a defenseless victim.
Noah actually means - well? I guess?
Both are just so lost it hurts to read. A lot.
Eventually everything blows up (well, we saw that coming...) buuuut - they get their HEA.
I promise.
Content Warnings:
• Suicidal ideation (One of the main characters is actively suicidal)
• Depictions of depression and mental health struggles
• Abduction and captivity
• Cheating / perceived cheating (Not between MCs)
• Mentions of past sexual assault and on-page attempted sexual assault (Not between MCs)
• Addiction, withdrawal, and detailed drug use
• Violence
• Severe injury to a main character (Near-death experience)
• Unprotected sex
• Mentions of past severe bullying
• Mentions of the past death of a family member
• Grieving the death of a family member
• Self-harm and self-destructive behavior
• Codependency and unhealthy coping mechanisms
• Slight dubious consent (Unbalanced power dynamics)
• Consensual non-consent
• Unsafe BDSM practices (Lack of safe word or discussion for a period of time)
• Unprofessional piercing of body parts (Nipples)
• Various kinks, such as knife play, blood play, fisting, breath play, bondage, and other BDSM elements.
HEA: Yes
POV: Duo/ First Person
Breakup: Yes
Cheat: No
August 2, 2025
Wow! what a beautifully written, heart squeezing book!
📚Book = Standalone,
💕Burn = Med,
🎭OW/OM Drama = No,
🔥Heat/spice = 6/10,
😬Angst = Low,
🍆🌮 MM/FF = Yes, MM
🔹POV = 1st Person, MPV,
🔸Genre = Contemporary Romance,
🔹Tropes = MM✨Dřůg addíctiøn & withdrawal✨Cāptíve & Captør ✨Bi-āwakening✨Hurt/Comfort✨Lots of first times✨Lost young men desperate for connection & love✨HEA✨
‼️PLEASE Check TW’s before reading‼️
I love this series, two men who desperately need each other, it just takes time for them to realise this. 🥰
Co-dependency is a big part of this one, and some would say unhealthy, however I think they found their like minded soul mate. How can a relationship be so wrong on a lot of levels, but so absolutely right at the same time, that’s definitely Noah & Asher, my heart just broke for both of them. Likeminded souls that definitely needed each other. 💕
The book is slow paced as they work through their issues and need for each other. It’s definitely an emotional read but so worth the ride. 💕
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Noah is so lost and alone, constantly being knocked down by the world around him and losing his aunt just pushes him to the point of giving up completely. That is until he accidentally comes across Asher, out cold on the side of the road. He feels the need, before he says goodbye to the world, to save Asher from himself. So that’s what he does, he picks him up and locks him down in his house basement to look after him and help rid him of his dřüg addíctiøn.
Asher after a very rowdy drüggēd up party and his girlfriend blatantly going off with another man, walks out into the freezing snow ladened night. He just wants to forget his troubles, so takes too much and passed out in the street, only to wake up handcuffed to a bed in Noahs basement.
Asher just wants to get out and find more drugs, he doesn’t want to be forced to detox by Noah.
Noah just wants to make him better before he departs the world.
However forced together they find a co-dependency and driving need to be with each. Noah desperately wants Asher to stay with him forever, but how can Asher when their relationship started out the wrong way? Asher needs to face his demons with his family and learn to accept the new version of himself he’s become!!
📚Book = Standalone,
💕Burn = Med,
🎭OW/OM Drama = No,
🔥Heat/spice = 6/10,
😬Angst = Low,
🍆🌮 MM/FF = Yes, MM
🔹POV = 1st Person, MPV,
🔸Genre = Contemporary Romance,
🔹Tropes = MM✨Dřůg addíctiøn & withdrawal✨Cāptíve & Captør ✨Bi-āwakening✨Hurt/Comfort✨Lots of first times✨Lost young men desperate for connection & love✨HEA✨
‼️PLEASE Check TW’s before reading‼️
I love this series, two men who desperately need each other, it just takes time for them to realise this. 🥰
Co-dependency is a big part of this one, and some would say unhealthy, however I think they found their like minded soul mate. How can a relationship be so wrong on a lot of levels, but so absolutely right at the same time, that’s definitely Noah & Asher, my heart just broke for both of them. Likeminded souls that definitely needed each other. 💕
The book is slow paced as they work through their issues and need for each other. It’s definitely an emotional read but so worth the ride. 💕
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Noah is so lost and alone, constantly being knocked down by the world around him and losing his aunt just pushes him to the point of giving up completely. That is until he accidentally comes across Asher, out cold on the side of the road. He feels the need, before he says goodbye to the world, to save Asher from himself. So that’s what he does, he picks him up and locks him down in his house basement to look after him and help rid him of his dřüg addíctiøn.
Asher after a very rowdy drüggēd up party and his girlfriend blatantly going off with another man, walks out into the freezing snow ladened night. He just wants to forget his troubles, so takes too much and passed out in the street, only to wake up handcuffed to a bed in Noahs basement.
Asher just wants to get out and find more drugs, he doesn’t want to be forced to detox by Noah.
Noah just wants to make him better before he departs the world.
However forced together they find a co-dependency and driving need to be with each. Noah desperately wants Asher to stay with him forever, but how can Asher when their relationship started out the wrong way? Asher needs to face his demons with his family and learn to accept the new version of himself he’s become!!
August 4, 2025
🖤💙 Don't you see me? I see you, always. I see you too 💙🖤
"Don't you get it, Goldilocks? Without you, I have nothing. Without you, I'll give up, just like I was about to give up the night I found you......you're the sign from the universe that I should remain here, that I should keep fighting. You're my only reason to cling to life."
"You're mine Ash. I'm in your blood now. I'll always be with you. Until you take your last breath, I'll be with you."
"He's creepy, for sure, but there's a weird sense of beauty to him too. Like an elf or something. A dark elf."
"I smile along with the others, laugh along with the others, but I feel nothing."
"And you won't ever not be with me. And I won't ever not be with you."
This was such an amazing, emotional, dark, and gut-wrenching story. The flow of the book and characters were so fleshed out. The trauma, addiction, mental health issues, and codependency is this book were depicted so perfectly and reflected reality to a T. Ally is such a passionate writer and it comes through her words in all her stories. I loved the troupes in this book: captor/captive, broken boys, hurt/comfort, and bi awakening.
This story follows Asher, who is an addict. He's going through life feeling nothing, so he always stays high to shut his demons out. Noah ends up finding Asher passed out high in the snow. He takes him home and locks him up to take care of him. Noah has a lot of trauma in his past and has no reason or will to live, until he meets Asher. Their relationship is very toxic and extremely codependent. They learn to heal together. They feed their darkness together. They're very different, yet the same person. Their connection and chemistry were insane. The spicy scenes were very kinky and 🥵🥵🔥🔥🔥😈. Even though this was a Stockholm syndrome thing going on, I saw their love for each other from both view points. They knew what they were doing was toxic, wrong, and not healthy. But they still were able to heal each other and later on ask for help. This series was amazing and I hope this author writes more! I highly recommend 🖤🖤
"Don't you get it, Goldilocks? Without you, I have nothing. Without you, I'll give up, just like I was about to give up the night I found you......you're the sign from the universe that I should remain here, that I should keep fighting. You're my only reason to cling to life."
"You're mine Ash. I'm in your blood now. I'll always be with you. Until you take your last breath, I'll be with you."
"He's creepy, for sure, but there's a weird sense of beauty to him too. Like an elf or something. A dark elf."
"I smile along with the others, laugh along with the others, but I feel nothing."
"And you won't ever not be with me. And I won't ever not be with you."
This was such an amazing, emotional, dark, and gut-wrenching story. The flow of the book and characters were so fleshed out. The trauma, addiction, mental health issues, and codependency is this book were depicted so perfectly and reflected reality to a T. Ally is such a passionate writer and it comes through her words in all her stories. I loved the troupes in this book: captor/captive, broken boys, hurt/comfort, and bi awakening.
This story follows Asher, who is an addict. He's going through life feeling nothing, so he always stays high to shut his demons out. Noah ends up finding Asher passed out high in the snow. He takes him home and locks him up to take care of him. Noah has a lot of trauma in his past and has no reason or will to live, until he meets Asher. Their relationship is very toxic and extremely codependent. They learn to heal together. They feed their darkness together. They're very different, yet the same person. Their connection and chemistry were insane. The spicy scenes were very kinky and 🥵🥵🔥🔥🔥😈. Even though this was a Stockholm syndrome thing going on, I saw their love for each other from both view points. They knew what they were doing was toxic, wrong, and not healthy. But they still were able to heal each other and later on ask for help. This series was amazing and I hope this author writes more! I highly recommend 🖤🖤
July 20, 2025
The first thing I want to say is:
CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS.
The topics in this book are dark and emotional. If you have any reservations about drug use, suicide, or suicidal ideation, I strongly advise you seek help and definitely proceed in this book with caution, or not at all.
That being said, Ally Avery took two very serious topics and used them to create something phenomenal. The characters are so beautifully deep and tragically broken. They are extremely different from one another, and yet... aren't.
Their stories were painful and realistic, and they deserved the happiness they found in one another, no matter how depraved.
This book touched on a topic that I personally find underrated in the book community. The lack of community or social lives for some people can sometimes be either healing or detrimental to their mental health. I think this book shows some of both sides of that coin faintly and artistically.
This is definitely a dark romance, through and through, but there were so many glimmers of something... more. There were little bits and pieces of this book that spoke to me in ways no other book ever has. My heart felt heavy for so much of their stories, but I also felt an unexplainable connection in the characters and the way their lives were intertwined. I truly feel like they were meant to be one person, and that's not something I commonly feel in romance books.
I haven't read the rest of this series. (Although, I plan to now.) In fact, I've never read anything other books by Ally before, so I don't have her previous works to compare this to. This book, however, was incredible. This book fed my soul in a way nothing else has in a long time. All the darkness, mental struggles, and codependency needs were loud and prominent. The depth that Ally created in a mere 300 pages is commendable. It's an actual work of art that I won't be forgetting anytime soon.
CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS.
The topics in this book are dark and emotional. If you have any reservations about drug use, suicide, or suicidal ideation, I strongly advise you seek help and definitely proceed in this book with caution, or not at all.
That being said, Ally Avery took two very serious topics and used them to create something phenomenal. The characters are so beautifully deep and tragically broken. They are extremely different from one another, and yet... aren't.
Their stories were painful and realistic, and they deserved the happiness they found in one another, no matter how depraved.
This book touched on a topic that I personally find underrated in the book community. The lack of community or social lives for some people can sometimes be either healing or detrimental to their mental health. I think this book shows some of both sides of that coin faintly and artistically.
This is definitely a dark romance, through and through, but there were so many glimmers of something... more. There were little bits and pieces of this book that spoke to me in ways no other book ever has. My heart felt heavy for so much of their stories, but I also felt an unexplainable connection in the characters and the way their lives were intertwined. I truly feel like they were meant to be one person, and that's not something I commonly feel in romance books.
I haven't read the rest of this series. (Although, I plan to now.) In fact, I've never read anything other books by Ally before, so I don't have her previous works to compare this to. This book, however, was incredible. This book fed my soul in a way nothing else has in a long time. All the darkness, mental struggles, and codependency needs were loud and prominent. The depth that Ally created in a mere 300 pages is commendable. It's an actual work of art that I won't be forgetting anytime soon.
August 2, 2025
Creatures Like Us is book three in Ally Avery's Unforgivable Needs series. This is definitely one of the most intriguing stories I've read recently. The rest of this review may contain spoilers, so proceed with caution.
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This is a captor/captive story. Asher has grown up in a family where he has felt unwanted and unseen and has turned to drugs. After a particularly hard trip, he is found out in the snow by Noah. Noah, to me, was incredibly sweet and has spent a good portion of his life being misunderstood. Relentlessly bullied as a teen (by Asher's older brother), he has turned into a recluse, closed off from the outside world and suicidal on most days. After meeting Asher, he decides to keep him locked up, first as a way to detox but I think it was also because he finally found something he wanted to live for.
I won't lie, I often had a hard time with Asher in this story. He was manipulative and used their situation against Noah whenever he could. Granted, being kept kidnapped might make a person do that but I truly feel like Noah had the best of intentions with Asher, just went about them in a very strange way.
These two are 100% codependent and have an extremely toxic relationship. Stockholm Syndrome? Quite possibly... The spice is great in this, but for most of the book, I wouldn't label it a romance. In my opinion (without the "kidnapping"), this story dealt with some very serious and real life issues. Life is hardly ever easy and I appreciate Ally Avery's take on that in this book. I do feel the epilogue showed promise for their future as a couple, and in fighting off their demons (both individually and as a couple). I have enjoyed all three books in this series, but I do caution to please read the trigger warnings. If any sort of mental health issues, addiction or trauma is a trigger for anyone, I would caution against this book.
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This is a captor/captive story. Asher has grown up in a family where he has felt unwanted and unseen and has turned to drugs. After a particularly hard trip, he is found out in the snow by Noah. Noah, to me, was incredibly sweet and has spent a good portion of his life being misunderstood. Relentlessly bullied as a teen (by Asher's older brother), he has turned into a recluse, closed off from the outside world and suicidal on most days. After meeting Asher, he decides to keep him locked up, first as a way to detox but I think it was also because he finally found something he wanted to live for.
I won't lie, I often had a hard time with Asher in this story. He was manipulative and used their situation against Noah whenever he could. Granted, being kept kidnapped might make a person do that but I truly feel like Noah had the best of intentions with Asher, just went about them in a very strange way.
These two are 100% codependent and have an extremely toxic relationship. Stockholm Syndrome? Quite possibly... The spice is great in this, but for most of the book, I wouldn't label it a romance. In my opinion (without the "kidnapping"), this story dealt with some very serious and real life issues. Life is hardly ever easy and I appreciate Ally Avery's take on that in this book. I do feel the epilogue showed promise for their future as a couple, and in fighting off their demons (both individually and as a couple). I have enjoyed all three books in this series, but I do caution to please read the trigger warnings. If any sort of mental health issues, addiction or trauma is a trigger for anyone, I would caution against this book.
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