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I never meant to be here: tied up in bed next to a serial killer.
When I followed him home, I was just playing Nancy Drew. Trying to find out his secret. His kiss was intoxicating, and I thought he was harmless.
I was wrong.
Nancy Drew never ended up in a basement, handcuffed to a radiator, teased to the edge of insanity, begging to be let go.
Soon, I stopped begging to be let go.
Soon, I started begging to be HIS.
Author's Note: This is a dark romance novel with mature themes that might make some readers uncomfortable.
When I followed him home, I was just playing Nancy Drew. Trying to find out his secret. His kiss was intoxicating, and I thought he was harmless.
I was wrong.
Nancy Drew never ended up in a basement, handcuffed to a radiator, teased to the edge of insanity, begging to be let go.
Soon, I stopped begging to be let go.
Soon, I started begging to be HIS.
Author's Note: This is a dark romance novel with mature themes that might make some readers uncomfortable.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2014
865 people are currently reading
11483 people want to read
About the author
Aubrey Dark
20 books968 followersAubrey Dark loves to read and write romance that has a bit of shadow and fear mixed in.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 669 reviews
August 20, 2016
"3.5 cutie stars"
THE STORY
Kat works as a librarian, leads a boring life. She’s too shy to ask anyone out, she doesn’t date, doesn’t party and her sex life is a concept of worry to her colleague/friend Jules. So when Jules dares her to kiss the first cute guy who walks into library. That’s when she meets Gavriel, a total hottie. Kat seems to be totally charmed by him and kisses him. Sparks fly, her libido awakens but when she asks him out he rejects her bluntly. What Kat doesn’t know is, Gav is not an ordinary guy to often visit library for his love towards books but he’s there to target his next victim, he’s planning ways to abduct him, torture him, scar him and KILL HIM.
So when Kat sees Gav again she follows him to his house to return the paper containing important phone numbers which was accidentally fallen off during his last visit, mostly she follows him so that she could relive their kiss. Little did she know the prince charming she’s chasing, turns out of be a SERIAL KILLER.
Gav captures and ties her down for witnessing him kill, even when his dark shadows ugres him to kill her, he can’t seem to do it. He has never taken a innocent life that’s when he decides to take her as a captive to keep his identity safe. Gav has never felt any kind of emotion except the pleasure while killing, all that changes while living with Kat.
Kat too has her own demons but someone she drives his away and he brings her alive, helps her bury them but can he keep her forever locked against her wishes or will she be a victim of his mind games?
BRUTAL HONESTY
What I expected…
What I got!!
That’s how I felt about Gav, not a monster in my eyes but a cute gentlemanly captor. Heights of sugar-coating a psychopath I suppose. Most of the time I forgot he was a serial killer since he was busy playing house with Kat aka Kitten!!
The biggest flaws of this story
#1. Did she actually follow a complete stranger to a remote mountain in a abandoned place to give a paper???? And she kept saying ‘oh he lives in a remote place maybe he’s a special agent!! Seriously??!! Nancy Drew my ass.
#2. Fabio!! Really??? Way to ruin Gav’s image. I had to watch Hugh Jackman’s movie while reading just to block out that image.
#3. Poor manipulative mind control, I for one didn’t feel it. Also the ending left a major unanswered question
FINAL VERDICT
Even with so many flaws I still enjoyed this read. Writing was spectacular, fast paced. Though there’s little bit of a drag in the middle portion, the last few chapters covered for it. Kat even with a stupid sense of judgement came across as funny, strong and lovable character, somehow I couldn’t connect with Gav. Typical storyline, but won’t disappoint you if you jump in without expecting it to be extreme dark and twisted.
Note to my book twin
What is happening to our dark themed buddy read???? We need to do a better research on books before we decide to read it.
THE STORY
Kat works as a librarian, leads a boring life. She’s too shy to ask anyone out, she doesn’t date, doesn’t party and her sex life is a concept of worry to her colleague/friend Jules. So when Jules dares her to kiss the first cute guy who walks into library. That’s when she meets Gavriel, a total hottie. Kat seems to be totally charmed by him and kisses him. Sparks fly, her libido awakens but when she asks him out he rejects her bluntly. What Kat doesn’t know is, Gav is not an ordinary guy to often visit library for his love towards books but he’s there to target his next victim, he’s planning ways to abduct him, torture him, scar him and KILL HIM.
So when Kat sees Gav again she follows him to his house to return the paper containing important phone numbers which was accidentally fallen off during his last visit, mostly she follows him so that she could relive their kiss. Little did she know the prince charming she’s chasing, turns out of be a SERIAL KILLER.
Gav captures and ties her down for witnessing him kill, even when his dark shadows ugres him to kill her, he can’t seem to do it. He has never taken a innocent life that’s when he decides to take her as a captive to keep his identity safe. Gav has never felt any kind of emotion except the pleasure while killing, all that changes while living with Kat.
Kat too has her own demons but someone she drives his away and he brings her alive, helps her bury them but can he keep her forever locked against her wishes or will she be a victim of his mind games?
BRUTAL HONESTY
What I expected…
What I got!!
That’s how I felt about Gav, not a monster in my eyes but a cute gentlemanly captor. Heights of sugar-coating a psychopath I suppose. Most of the time I forgot he was a serial killer since he was busy playing house with Kat aka Kitten!!
The biggest flaws of this story
#1. Did she actually follow a complete stranger to a remote mountain in a abandoned place to give a paper???? And she kept saying ‘oh he lives in a remote place maybe he’s a special agent!! Seriously??!! Nancy Drew my ass.
#2. Fabio!! Really??? Way to ruin Gav’s image. I had to watch Hugh Jackman’s movie while reading just to block out that image.
#3. Poor manipulative mind control, I for one didn’t feel it. Also the ending left a major unanswered question
FINAL VERDICT
Even with so many flaws I still enjoyed this read. Writing was spectacular, fast paced. Though there’s little bit of a drag in the middle portion, the last few chapters covered for it. Kat even with a stupid sense of judgement came across as funny, strong and lovable character, somehow I couldn’t connect with Gav. Typical storyline, but won’t disappoint you if you jump in without expecting it to be extreme dark and twisted.
Note to my book twin
What is happening to our dark themed buddy read???? We need to do a better research on books before we decide to read it.
December 18, 2015
A Unique And Disturbing Story
I've had this book sitting on my Kindle shelf for a while now. Finally, I decided to give it a go. I'd heard a lot of great things about this dark romance, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with this one. All in all, I liked this story, but it wasn't the type of "dark" read that I was expecting.
The first few chapters seemed cold and clinical to me. As a result, it took me longer than usual to connect with either of the two main characters. Kat seemed a bit frigid to me, although that quickly changed. Gav, was obviously a madman with a taste for torture. Neither held much appeal for me in the beginning.
As the story progressed, Kat and Gav started to grow on me. He became more human, as he struggled with his inner demons, revealing the softer side of this tortured man. Kat finds herself fighting her own internal battles, as she is inexplicably drawn to the serial killer holding her captive.
If he weren't a serial killer and she wasn't his captive, it could easily pass as a sweet, young adult romance. Most of the book was pretty tame, as far as dark stories are concerned. Aside from one gruesome scene where Gav is torturing his victim early in the story, there is only one sex scene near the end with a little kink that might push some readers' limits.
I liked the book, but it wasn't the dark read that I thought I'd signed up for. It was definitely different. By the end, I felt like Gav should have been given a superhero cape! I kind of liked this serial killer!
I've had this book sitting on my Kindle shelf for a while now. Finally, I decided to give it a go. I'd heard a lot of great things about this dark romance, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with this one. All in all, I liked this story, but it wasn't the type of "dark" read that I was expecting.
The first few chapters seemed cold and clinical to me. As a result, it took me longer than usual to connect with either of the two main characters. Kat seemed a bit frigid to me, although that quickly changed. Gav, was obviously a madman with a taste for torture. Neither held much appeal for me in the beginning.
As the story progressed, Kat and Gav started to grow on me. He became more human, as he struggled with his inner demons, revealing the softer side of this tortured man. Kat finds herself fighting her own internal battles, as she is inexplicably drawn to the serial killer holding her captive.
If he weren't a serial killer and she wasn't his captive, it could easily pass as a sweet, young adult romance. Most of the book was pretty tame, as far as dark stories are concerned. Aside from one gruesome scene where Gav is torturing his victim early in the story, there is only one sex scene near the end with a little kink that might push some readers' limits.
I liked the book, but it wasn't the dark read that I thought I'd signed up for. It was definitely different. By the end, I felt like Gav should have been given a superhero cape! I kind of liked this serial killer!
November 2, 2014
"My shadow. It's the darkness that creeps in, shutting out anything bright or good until all I can see is the one thing that will satisfy it and drive it away. It begins to take me over, and then all I see is evil. When I kill, it retreats.."-- the words of Gavriel
Oh wow! What an interesting book this was. So much more than I expected, and had me captivated from about 25% to the end. I will admit that the beginning was a bit slow; but not for long and once the story got started, it became a very intense read.
Gav and Kat are both tortured souls who carry major demons inside of themselves. Each of them deals with the darkness very differently. This is NOT a flowery,lovey dovey romance. This story is dark, gritty, and at times gruesome. Gavriel is a killer, and Kat puts herself into a situation where she follows him home one day; which puts her in a very bad place. She witnesses something that will forever change her life. When Gav realizes that there is a witness to his major secrets, he acts quickly, and makes sure there will be no unfinished business left behind.
The more time that Gav and Kat spend together, the more fascinated each one becomes of the other. Their curiousity drives them both into a game of "trading" favors..As the favors become more of a carnal nature, the passion starts to flare, and believe me there are some extremely HOT scenes between Gav and Kat!
"His" is a story that will have you thinking outside the box for sure. I have always respected an author who can make a reader feel major empathy for the anti-hero. In Gavriel's case, at the beginning I thought: I will absolutely NOT have any compassion for him...But once the story goes on and I am shown why he is the way he is...the empathy comes pouring out of me!!! Aubrey Dark does a brilliant job of showing us the inner mind of a murderer as well. I will for sure be checking out her future reads, as I really was impressed with her writing style.
I highly recommend this to lovers of dark romance everywhere..This one is a must read!!
Oh wow! What an interesting book this was. So much more than I expected, and had me captivated from about 25% to the end. I will admit that the beginning was a bit slow; but not for long and once the story got started, it became a very intense read.
Gav and Kat are both tortured souls who carry major demons inside of themselves. Each of them deals with the darkness very differently. This is NOT a flowery,lovey dovey romance. This story is dark, gritty, and at times gruesome. Gavriel is a killer, and Kat puts herself into a situation where she follows him home one day; which puts her in a very bad place. She witnesses something that will forever change her life. When Gav realizes that there is a witness to his major secrets, he acts quickly, and makes sure there will be no unfinished business left behind.
The more time that Gav and Kat spend together, the more fascinated each one becomes of the other. Their curiousity drives them both into a game of "trading" favors..As the favors become more of a carnal nature, the passion starts to flare, and believe me there are some extremely HOT scenes between Gav and Kat!
"His" is a story that will have you thinking outside the box for sure. I have always respected an author who can make a reader feel major empathy for the anti-hero. In Gavriel's case, at the beginning I thought: I will absolutely NOT have any compassion for him...But once the story goes on and I am shown why he is the way he is...the empathy comes pouring out of me!!! Aubrey Dark does a brilliant job of showing us the inner mind of a murderer as well. I will for sure be checking out her future reads, as I really was impressed with her writing style.
I highly recommend this to lovers of dark romance everywhere..This one is a must read!!
September 6, 2015
Well, the blurb is actually very telling. Kat's been lacking some excitement in her life and with a push from her friend and coworker, Jules, she kisses the first attractive guy she sees. Fast forward to the next time she sees him and she follows him to give him a paper she believes he dropped. Only problem is that she follows him to a house out in the boonies where, yep, you guessed it, he's killing someone.
Both Gav and Kat have a little common history but then it splits off. Gav has a "shadow" over him and the only way he keeps it away is by killing. The only good thing is that he kills bad men. We do get to find out more of the why he is the way he is but I was left wanting more especially with what happened to his career.
Kat has a need for something darker in her life and it's not something she's been able to share with anyone without feeling like a freak. So she's drawn to certain elements of Gavs. She likes being tied up and handled roughly but how far can she go?
It does get steamy with these two. Kat does want him even when she doesn't and Gav can't stay away from her. It certainly helps him that she keeps the "shadow" away. I got a big kick out of the use of romance books! ;)
I enjoyed their "trades" where they would each barter something with the other...sometimes it would be sexual, sometimes something as innocent as going for a walk outside. I really liked the trades that were about their histories best.
To be honest, I'm not sure this type of book is my cup of tea. It is dark...I mean it would have to be with the hero being a serial killer, but he was a just a bit too detached. It did help getting his POV but it also opened up more of his "psychoticness" and you never quite knew what he would do or how far he would go.
There's a big drama at the end which was pretty detailed...and then things wrap up pretty quickly. Again, not sure if it was enough for me but it was interesting...and different.
Favorite quotes:
♥ "Nancy Drew had walked into the last chapter of a Stephen King novel, and she was getting the hell out of there."
♥ “That’s the thing about the heroes in these kinds of books - they’re always so perfect. Perfect looks, lots of money, super confident, huge cocks. They’re book boyfriends.”
♥ "With you, there’s—I can’t explain. There’s a brightness to it.”
♦ BR w/Melissa!
Both Gav and Kat have a little common history but then it splits off. Gav has a "shadow" over him and the only way he keeps it away is by killing. The only good thing is that he kills bad men. We do get to find out more of the why he is the way he is but I was left wanting more especially with what happened to his career.
Kat has a need for something darker in her life and it's not something she's been able to share with anyone without feeling like a freak. So she's drawn to certain elements of Gavs. She likes being tied up and handled roughly but how far can she go?
It does get steamy with these two. Kat does want him even when she doesn't and Gav can't stay away from her. It certainly helps him that she keeps the "shadow" away. I got a big kick out of the use of romance books! ;)
I enjoyed their "trades" where they would each barter something with the other...sometimes it would be sexual, sometimes something as innocent as going for a walk outside. I really liked the trades that were about their histories best.
To be honest, I'm not sure this type of book is my cup of tea. It is dark...I mean it would have to be with the hero being a serial killer, but he was a just a bit too detached. It did help getting his POV but it also opened up more of his "psychoticness" and you never quite knew what he would do or how far he would go.
There's a big drama at the end which was pretty detailed...and then things wrap up pretty quickly. Again, not sure if it was enough for me but it was interesting...and different.
Favorite quotes:
♥ "Nancy Drew had walked into the last chapter of a Stephen King novel, and she was getting the hell out of there."
♥ “That’s the thing about the heroes in these kinds of books - they’re always so perfect. Perfect looks, lots of money, super confident, huge cocks. They’re book boyfriends.”
♥ "With you, there’s—I can’t explain. There’s a brightness to it.”
♦ BR w/Melissa!
November 1, 2014
5 shiny stars for an impeccable reading experience!
If I had to guess, I'd say this is Dexter/Twilight-AU-crossover P2P, as it features similar basic premises.
While the book presents as a debut novel, I don't think it is one (and I'd really love to know which other books the author has written!). The narrative is far too suave and very elegant, pulls you in and never lets go. I read this in a few hours and was entirely unable to put it down. And boy, *this* is something which doesn't often happen to me lately! At least two of the above stars are exclusively for being such a polished and well-edited book with elegant, compelling prose. It's not something you get to meet often, especially as Dark did not resort to the currently so fashionable overwriting. There were lots of nods at romancelandia, including some well-known romance tropes, so I think this may be where the author earned her stripes.
It is hard to say much about the plot without spoilering it too much, but what I can say is that this was one of the most satisfying characterisations of a psychopath I've read yet. Not on a level with Hannibal Lecter, no, of course not. But for dark erotica this here achieves easily what books like for instance Her Master's Courtesan completely fail at doing: it describes a compelling dark relationship.
Yes, there are some instances where the underlying psychology is a bit pat and you might ask for a different conclusion, or maybe not. That depends on your mindset and on how much you end up rooting for Gavriel. Oh, Gavriel is also a hundred times the calibre of Edward, while Kat sure as hell is no Bella.
Even though I loathed the connection of psychopathy and sadomasochism, it actually was organic here. Leptosadism and barysadism are on the same axis after all, though, separated only by intent and lack of consent. So nothing to complain. This wasn't some hare-brained attempt at mixing BDSM into it. Both only came into their roles.
Interestingly this book manages entirely without extremes, and still had me completely spellbound. Don't expect a gore fest, it is absolutely not about that, it is about psychology. In a way it reminds me of Kitty Thomas, but more mature, or of CJ Roberts stripped down to essentials. Any which way, it was great fun reading this, especially for its language and slow build-up, and the author goes on my auto-buy list.
If I had to guess, I'd say this is Dexter/Twilight-AU-crossover P2P, as it features similar basic premises.
While the book presents as a debut novel, I don't think it is one (and I'd really love to know which other books the author has written!). The narrative is far too suave and very elegant, pulls you in and never lets go. I read this in a few hours and was entirely unable to put it down. And boy, *this* is something which doesn't often happen to me lately! At least two of the above stars are exclusively for being such a polished and well-edited book with elegant, compelling prose. It's not something you get to meet often, especially as Dark did not resort to the currently so fashionable overwriting. There were lots of nods at romancelandia, including some well-known romance tropes, so I think this may be where the author earned her stripes.
It is hard to say much about the plot without spoilering it too much, but what I can say is that this was one of the most satisfying characterisations of a psychopath I've read yet. Not on a level with Hannibal Lecter, no, of course not. But for dark erotica this here achieves easily what books like for instance Her Master's Courtesan completely fail at doing: it describes a compelling dark relationship.
Yes, there are some instances where the underlying psychology is a bit pat and you might ask for a different conclusion, or maybe not. That depends on your mindset and on how much you end up rooting for Gavriel. Oh, Gavriel is also a hundred times the calibre of Edward, while Kat sure as hell is no Bella.
Even though I loathed the connection of psychopathy and sadomasochism, it actually was organic here. Leptosadism and barysadism are on the same axis after all, though, separated only by intent and lack of consent. So nothing to complain. This wasn't some hare-brained attempt at mixing BDSM into it. Both only came into their roles.
Interestingly this book manages entirely without extremes, and still had me completely spellbound. Don't expect a gore fest, it is absolutely not about that, it is about psychology. In a way it reminds me of Kitty Thomas, but more mature, or of CJ Roberts stripped down to essentials. Any which way, it was great fun reading this, especially for its language and slow build-up, and the author goes on my auto-buy list.
August 2, 2023
OMG! totally blown away this has got to be one of the most addictive books I have read so far, it just pulls you in from the very beginning so messed up but somehow all works.
Never trust a serial killer to feed you and take care of your needs, that's not what they are good at.
Warning : Don't follow good looking men home and look through there windows.
Happy Reading 📙📚📓📗📘📒📓📚📕📚📓📗📘📒📚📙📓📗📙📒📗📘📓📘📚📙📕📖
Never trust a serial killer to feed you and take care of your needs, that's not what they are good at.
Warning : Don't follow good looking men home and look through there windows.
Happy Reading 📙📚📓📗📘📒📓📚📕📚📓📗📘📒📚📙📓📗📙📒📗📘📓📘📚📙📕📖
November 29, 2014
3 Trade stars!
BR with Sandy
His is not your typical love story. Although it contains some dark elements, this was actually more of a sweet read.
Working at the University library, twenty-two year old Kat is in a rut. She doesn't have any fun, and her coworker and friend, Jules, wants her to loosen up a bit. Her friend dares her to kiss the first attractive man that she sees. Kat is hesitant, but she is going to prove to herself that she is not boring.
So within a few minutes, Kat finds herself in the elevator with an attractive guy. She is going to go for it, and kiss this stranger. She didn't expect him to kiss her back, and she found herself enjoying it. When she builds up some courage to ask the handsome man out, he rejects her.
Days later, when the stranger comes back, her friend claims that the man dropped something. It's a piece of paper with some "important" information on it. Not feeling herself after that kiss, Kat decides to follow the sexy stranger.
Imagine her horror, when she finds the man in the process of killing somebody...
Gavriel needs to keep the shadow at bay. The shadow that tells him it's time to kill. It's something that suffocates him, and without the feel of a blade through flesh, the shadow cannot be fed. His darkest desires are met and fulfilled after carefully picking out his victim. His home is far out from busy streets. He needs the solitude so the screams of the men he kills doesn't give him away. During his latest kill, he hears a noise by a window.
He cannot believe it's that same girl from the library.
He is not going to let her get away.
She could ruin everything if she told.
He is going to make her His...
I'm a little at a loss for words on this one. It was somewhat of an anomaly.
I think in a nutshell, it was just unexpected.
Everything was just...okay.
The Characters
Gav wasn't at all what I expected him to be. He really was a really sweet guy. IKR?!?! I felt bad for him the entire time. I was thinking that we'd get some sick and twisted jerk as a hero. But in reality, he was a sensitive, lonely, and misunderstood guy.
Kat wasn't an exceptional heroine. I didn't want to throttle her, and I didn't think she was kick ass either. Just simple and average. I will say that her will was pretty strong. She didn't crumble like someone else might if they were in her shoes.
As much as I liked Gav, I lacked a connection to the characters. I felt like when I was reading, I was just numb. I'm not sure if it's because my last book was of epic proportions, but I just wasn't into it.
The Plot
This had a Dexter vibe to it. The need to kill, and who to kill were very similar. I think the plot was well executed. As mentioned I was surprised at how nice Gav was. He didn't torture or hurt Kat at all.
It was different, and a couple of things did shock me.
What I liked best
My favorite part about this, was that it was more realistic when it came to being kept prisoner. Kat really wanted to escape, and she tried to free herself a few times. Usually I find the heroine either doesn't try to break free, or just gives up too soon by accepting her fate. Kat had some clever ideas, and I admired her bravery.
Even though there was some lust going on, Kat also knew the man was a serial killer. She didn't fall for him instantly. I also liked their "trades", which were basically a favor for a favor.
What didn't work for me
Lack of information. I thought there were a lot of holes in this story. I was hoping more things would be addressed, like the characters past. Important things were mentioned, but didn't go into any detail. Maybe if more was revealed, I would have had that connection that I wasn't getting.
I also feel like things were unresolved at the end. Maybe it was implied and I missed it, but the big question was if he stopped killing. I still don't know. I guess I'm assuming he did, but is Kats's love the only thing that can keep the shadow away?
The Fabio references in the beginning were cringe-worthy. It took me out of the story. No, just no! I also think Gav over abused the word "kitten", when talking to Kat. It was a little obscene.
Overall it was an okay read. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't unputdownable either.
Sandy, Sandy, Sandy....*sigh* so far our dark BR's haven't been dark at all. They also haven't been fantastic either! Glad you were along with me on this one! You cracked me up on your 180 with Kat! ;) I have high hopes for our next one!!! Mwah xoxo
BR with Sandy
His is not your typical love story. Although it contains some dark elements, this was actually more of a sweet read.
Working at the University library, twenty-two year old Kat is in a rut. She doesn't have any fun, and her coworker and friend, Jules, wants her to loosen up a bit. Her friend dares her to kiss the first attractive man that she sees. Kat is hesitant, but she is going to prove to herself that she is not boring.
So within a few minutes, Kat finds herself in the elevator with an attractive guy. She is going to go for it, and kiss this stranger. She didn't expect him to kiss her back, and she found herself enjoying it. When she builds up some courage to ask the handsome man out, he rejects her.
Days later, when the stranger comes back, her friend claims that the man dropped something. It's a piece of paper with some "important" information on it. Not feeling herself after that kiss, Kat decides to follow the sexy stranger.
Imagine her horror, when she finds the man in the process of killing somebody...
Gavriel needs to keep the shadow at bay. The shadow that tells him it's time to kill. It's something that suffocates him, and without the feel of a blade through flesh, the shadow cannot be fed. His darkest desires are met and fulfilled after carefully picking out his victim. His home is far out from busy streets. He needs the solitude so the screams of the men he kills doesn't give him away. During his latest kill, he hears a noise by a window.
He cannot believe it's that same girl from the library.
He is not going to let her get away.
She could ruin everything if she told.
He is going to make her His...
I'm a little at a loss for words on this one. It was somewhat of an anomaly.
I think in a nutshell, it was just unexpected.
Everything was just...okay.
The Characters
Gav wasn't at all what I expected him to be. He really was a really sweet guy. IKR?!?! I felt bad for him the entire time. I was thinking that we'd get some sick and twisted jerk as a hero. But in reality, he was a sensitive, lonely, and misunderstood guy.
Kat wasn't an exceptional heroine. I didn't want to throttle her, and I didn't think she was kick ass either. Just simple and average. I will say that her will was pretty strong. She didn't crumble like someone else might if they were in her shoes.
As much as I liked Gav, I lacked a connection to the characters. I felt like when I was reading, I was just numb. I'm not sure if it's because my last book was of epic proportions, but I just wasn't into it.
The Plot
This had a Dexter vibe to it. The need to kill, and who to kill were very similar. I think the plot was well executed. As mentioned I was surprised at how nice Gav was. He didn't torture or hurt Kat at all.
It was different, and a couple of things did shock me.
What I liked best
My favorite part about this, was that it was more realistic when it came to being kept prisoner. Kat really wanted to escape, and she tried to free herself a few times. Usually I find the heroine either doesn't try to break free, or just gives up too soon by accepting her fate. Kat had some clever ideas, and I admired her bravery.
Even though there was some lust going on, Kat also knew the man was a serial killer. She didn't fall for him instantly. I also liked their "trades", which were basically a favor for a favor.
What didn't work for me
Lack of information. I thought there were a lot of holes in this story. I was hoping more things would be addressed, like the characters past. Important things were mentioned, but didn't go into any detail. Maybe if more was revealed, I would have had that connection that I wasn't getting.
I also feel like things were unresolved at the end. Maybe it was implied and I missed it, but the big question was if he stopped killing. I still don't know. I guess I'm assuming he did, but is Kats's love the only thing that can keep the shadow away?
The Fabio references in the beginning were cringe-worthy. It took me out of the story. No, just no! I also think Gav over abused the word "kitten", when talking to Kat. It was a little obscene.
Overall it was an okay read. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't unputdownable either.
Sandy, Sandy, Sandy....*sigh* so far our dark BR's haven't been dark at all. They also haven't been fantastic either! Glad you were along with me on this one! You cracked me up on your 180 with Kat! ;) I have high hopes for our next one!!! Mwah xoxo
January 26, 2015
(BR with Sharon)
3.5-4 Stars!
Kat is a 22 yr. old woman living in California, working at her college library. Her life is somewhat boring, and when her co-worker challenges her to live a little, & kiss the next hot guy she sees, Kat does just that. She kisses a guy that gets on the elevator with her at the library. The kiss is electric & sends her heart racing. She is used to guys that don't really excite her, & this guy looks like a model, & makes her feel on fire all over.
Still reeling from that amazing kiss, Kat is curious about this mysterious, hot stranger, & she decides to follow him. She follows him up into the mountains where he arrives at a huge, secluded log cabin in the woods. When she reaches his window & peers in, she is horrified at what she sees.
Turns out this delicious man is a twisted, sick serial killer named Gav. He is deeply disturbed, & feels he is almost doing a service to others, like getting justice. He doesn't kill what he calls innocents. He only murders men who are monsters. Ironic since he is kind of a monster himself. He has what he calls his shadow. It takes him over, and when he kills, it retreats. If he doesn't kill, the shadow will completely consume him.
When Gav notices he has company, he takes Kat prisoner. She finds herself tied up & held hostage in his home. He decides he must make her care for him, & convince her to stay. Over time this man who is numb inside & doesn't feel emotion starts to care for Kat, & feels protective of her. We get his past & find out what has shaped him into this dark person. He begins to show glimpse of tenderness with Kat, & she slowly falls for him. She also can't resist his touch. She knows she shouldn't want him, but she does. He brings all her dark fantasies to life. I kept hoping he would redeem himself in some way, & that really never happened, although I did understand why he was so damaged after getting his past. This definitely was not my usual read, but I also couldn't put it down.
-The fear of death was a powerful emotion. It dropped away everything else and cleansed people of their sins.
-I thought of myself as a kind of assassin, one who worked for free. A pro bono hit man. Charity work, not murder.
-"Kat, is it? I think I'll keep calling you kitten. Curiosity killed the cat, you know."
-I get no pleasure out of harming innocent people. Harming guilty people, on the other hand...that was a delicious prospect to drive away the shadow. But not her.
-It scared me, as much as anything could scare me. That she could have seen what she had seen...and still desire me.
-I did not want to kill her. I wanted more. So much more than I could ever have. So much more than I could ever deserve.
-There was a spark of something inside of her that drew me from behind the dark shadow to peer out. No other woman had ever been able to draw me out.
-Who was worse? Was it him, the monster, the killer, the freak? Or me, who could not help but desire him despite all his darkness?
-Her kiss had woken up a little part of the brightness in the world, if only for a second or two.
-There was a ferocity in his kiss that swept me up completely, a brutal hunger that spoke of a desire no other man had ever revealed.
-This was what I wanted-the way he held me so completely in control.
-I'd never felt that kind of chemistry with any guy before.
-I wanted to kiss him again. I wanted to feel that passion. I wanted to know if his mind was as dark as mine.
-I cared about him. I wanted to be his, to be the one to drive away the darkness inside of him.
3.5-4 Stars!
Kat is a 22 yr. old woman living in California, working at her college library. Her life is somewhat boring, and when her co-worker challenges her to live a little, & kiss the next hot guy she sees, Kat does just that. She kisses a guy that gets on the elevator with her at the library. The kiss is electric & sends her heart racing. She is used to guys that don't really excite her, & this guy looks like a model, & makes her feel on fire all over.
Still reeling from that amazing kiss, Kat is curious about this mysterious, hot stranger, & she decides to follow him. She follows him up into the mountains where he arrives at a huge, secluded log cabin in the woods. When she reaches his window & peers in, she is horrified at what she sees.
Turns out this delicious man is a twisted, sick serial killer named Gav. He is deeply disturbed, & feels he is almost doing a service to others, like getting justice. He doesn't kill what he calls innocents. He only murders men who are monsters. Ironic since he is kind of a monster himself. He has what he calls his shadow. It takes him over, and when he kills, it retreats. If he doesn't kill, the shadow will completely consume him.
When Gav notices he has company, he takes Kat prisoner. She finds herself tied up & held hostage in his home. He decides he must make her care for him, & convince her to stay. Over time this man who is numb inside & doesn't feel emotion starts to care for Kat, & feels protective of her. We get his past & find out what has shaped him into this dark person. He begins to show glimpse of tenderness with Kat, & she slowly falls for him. She also can't resist his touch. She knows she shouldn't want him, but she does. He brings all her dark fantasies to life. I kept hoping he would redeem himself in some way, & that really never happened, although I did understand why he was so damaged after getting his past. This definitely was not my usual read, but I also couldn't put it down.
-The fear of death was a powerful emotion. It dropped away everything else and cleansed people of their sins.
-I thought of myself as a kind of assassin, one who worked for free. A pro bono hit man. Charity work, not murder.
-"Kat, is it? I think I'll keep calling you kitten. Curiosity killed the cat, you know."
-I get no pleasure out of harming innocent people. Harming guilty people, on the other hand...that was a delicious prospect to drive away the shadow. But not her.
-It scared me, as much as anything could scare me. That she could have seen what she had seen...and still desire me.
-I did not want to kill her. I wanted more. So much more than I could ever have. So much more than I could ever deserve.
-There was a spark of something inside of her that drew me from behind the dark shadow to peer out. No other woman had ever been able to draw me out.
-Who was worse? Was it him, the monster, the killer, the freak? Or me, who could not help but desire him despite all his darkness?
-Her kiss had woken up a little part of the brightness in the world, if only for a second or two.
-There was a ferocity in his kiss that swept me up completely, a brutal hunger that spoke of a desire no other man had ever revealed.
-This was what I wanted-the way he held me so completely in control.
-I'd never felt that kind of chemistry with any guy before.
-I wanted to kiss him again. I wanted to feel that passion. I wanted to know if his mind was as dark as mine.
-I cared about him. I wanted to be his, to be the one to drive away the darkness inside of him.
January 26, 2022
4⭐️
i know this is supposed to be "dark" but leave me alone i found this cheesy and fluffy. i kinda liked it a lot because it was entertaining and i just found some moments so funny.
the only thing i wish that was different was the formatting of the book. i didn't like the frequent pov changes but honestly, the book was released in 2014 i dont wanna complain about it LMAO.
he's a serial killer and she's a librarian. very insta lust (kinda nice tho bc he's like :) wtf?) she stalked him and saw him killing someone, so he kidnaps her. her panties are wet for him and he has darkness bla bla bla its very cheesy and predictable but i loved it ok.
tbh very sweet serial killer who will force-feed you, wash your hair/body, get you smutty romance novels (yes they jerked off while she was reading it), will tie you up, and teach you how to suck a cock properly <3 what more can you ask? oh ya he lets you go and decides to off himself because he can't live without her <3 (she stops him obvvv)
“I don’t get to kill, and you don’t get to come.”
i know this is supposed to be "dark" but leave me alone i found this cheesy and fluffy. i kinda liked it a lot because it was entertaining and i just found some moments so funny.
the only thing i wish that was different was the formatting of the book. i didn't like the frequent pov changes but honestly, the book was released in 2014 i dont wanna complain about it LMAO.
he's a serial killer and she's a librarian. very insta lust (kinda nice tho bc he's like :) wtf?) she stalked him and saw him killing someone, so he kidnaps her. her panties are wet for him and he has darkness bla bla bla its very cheesy and predictable but i loved it ok.
“Easy, now. You’re doing so well. Suck the tip, kitten.”
tbh very sweet serial killer who will force-feed you, wash your hair/body, get you smutty romance novels (yes they jerked off while she was reading it), will tie you up, and teach you how to suck a cock properly <3 what more can you ask? oh ya he lets you go and decides to off himself because he can't live without her <3 (she stops him obvvv)
November 7, 2014
2 stars.
Fuckery at it's finest
*Sighs,* It wasn't a mystery if you found out who the killer was before 50% of the book
I just can't with these TSTL females. First of all if you are going to shelf the book as being dark, please let it be dark. This popcorn horror book was not dark. I literally rolled my eyes the entire time. Sweetheart if all you wanted was some kink, spankings or some erotic asphyxiation all you had to do was go on fetlife. I'm pretty sure someone was on there near you.
Let's just bypass the stupidity of your dumb ass following this man to his home in the woods. It's like dumb blonde 101. HE LET YOU GO,
Why did you go back? I was literally yelling at my kindle. So angry ugh.
I'm stuck on you not being with him more than 2 or 3 weeks yet you got stockholm syndrome? Already?
He gave you the opportunity to leave with no repercussions.
Gav was a crazy person, who spoke about shadows causing him to kill. Hell he crazy. Kitten had a chance to kill him she just didn't.
It's no point of trying to figure out the why's and the how's? He was crazy, she was crazy. I hope both of there asses would have somehow caught on fire.
I just can't with these books, I need dark to mean dark, and atleast have the female h be smart about certain things.
Fuckery at it's finest
*Sighs,* It wasn't a mystery if you found out who the killer was before 50% of the book
I just can't with these TSTL females. First of all if you are going to shelf the book as being dark, please let it be dark. This popcorn horror book was not dark. I literally rolled my eyes the entire time. Sweetheart if all you wanted was some kink, spankings or some erotic asphyxiation all you had to do was go on fetlife. I'm pretty sure someone was on there near you.
Let's just bypass the stupidity of your dumb ass following this man to his home in the woods. It's like dumb blonde 101. HE LET YOU GO,
Why did you go back? I was literally yelling at my kindle. So angry ugh. I'm stuck on you not being with him more than 2 or 3 weeks yet you got stockholm syndrome? Already?
He gave you the opportunity to leave with no repercussions. Gav was a crazy person, who spoke about shadows causing him to kill. Hell he crazy. Kitten had a chance to kill him she just didn't.
It's no point of trying to figure out the why's and the how's? He was crazy, she was crazy. I hope both of there asses would have somehow caught on fire.
I just can't with these books, I need dark to mean dark, and atleast have the female h be smart about certain things.
November 11, 2014
This shit rocked! It was dark, twisted and I turned every page... Damn good I can't wait for book TWO.
Aubrey you hit it out of the park with this one. I am fan!!
Aubrey you hit it out of the park with this one. I am fan!!
March 15, 2015
**4.5 Messed up Stars**
Wow! Dark, disturbing and sexy all rolled into one! Read it in one sitting...I could not put it down!
i definitely recommend this book to all of my fellow dark romance junkies !
Wow! Dark, disturbing and sexy all rolled into one! Read it in one sitting...I could not put it down!
i definitely recommend this book to all of my fellow dark romance junkies !
October 22, 2014
Kat isn't the sort of girl who has men falling at her feet unless they trip over a book at the library where she works. With her 23rd birthday soon approaching, Jules, her BFf and co-worker, dares her to kiss the very next cute guy she meet. Little does Kat realize that the guy she kisses might be the last guy she EVER kisses.
Gavriel is living a lie. To the outside world he's a law abiding member of society with impeccable manners and a winning smile that can charm the pants off any woman he chooses. It's only behind closed doors, in the privacy of his own home, when the real Gav is revealed to a select few who never get to share what they find out.
It's a tale of 'be careful what you wish for' when Kat follows her Prince Charming to his home hoping for her own fairy tale romance only to discover her worst nightmare.
* * * *
Warning: this is a dark erotic thriller/horror themed read. It isn't a fairy tale sort of romance with BDSM elements thrown in. It's a dirty, raunchy, disturbing, push your comfort zone sort of read intended for fans who appreciate this sub-genre. Consider yourself warned.
The book blurb doesn't give away much so I'm gonna try to respect that by not revealing very much of the actual story line content myself. Basically the male lead (can't really call him a hero) is a Dexter sort of guy. Gav is so much more but that's the closest I can come to describe his character. Kat, on the other hand, imho, isn't a Nancy Drew. She's more like that girl in the horror movie who DOES go in the basement when she shouldn't. Does that mean she deserves what she got?
The interesting thing about this book was that my opinion about the main characters changed multiple times during the course of reading the story. At first I hated Gav. Then I was confused about Gav. This changed to I hoped Gav could be redeemed. Finally, Gav is so deep in sh*t there's no way this ends in any HEA or HFN ending. Ohhhhh Gav, what have you done? That, to me, is a goal for any dark themed story author: to screw with a reader's mind distorting the reality of good vs bad, evil vs. virtuous to such a degree that it all makes sense and we're on board with events as they occurred in a weird and twisted sort of way. For me, the author scored a home run in that .....
As for the adult content portions. Heed the warning I gave. A tongue in cheek summation is that I felt Gav was a closet sadist Dom who came out of the closet (or is it basement?) to acknowledge and embrace his sexual needs with Kat.
There are underlying subplots that add depth to the overall story. I'm so sorry that I can't go into all that but for the enjoyment (or anticipatory fear) of future readers of this book I can't because they would include spoiler information. What I can say is these subplots are one of the reasons why I didn't go the full five stars route. Vague non-specfic reference: details and closure.
The secondary characters topic is easy for me to comment on. For the majority of the story the interaction between the central characters and secondary characters are minimal. Not a deal breaker for me, especially when you consider meeting Gav isn't a good thing.
For fans of dark erotica thrillers this is a book I encourage you to check out. It is a story of mind games and adult content for readers who look for that sort of thing. Personally, I'm a fan looking to get another fix from this new to me author.
Gavriel is living a lie. To the outside world he's a law abiding member of society with impeccable manners and a winning smile that can charm the pants off any woman he chooses. It's only behind closed doors, in the privacy of his own home, when the real Gav is revealed to a select few who never get to share what they find out.
It's a tale of 'be careful what you wish for' when Kat follows her Prince Charming to his home hoping for her own fairy tale romance only to discover her worst nightmare.
* * * *
Warning: this is a dark erotic thriller/horror themed read. It isn't a fairy tale sort of romance with BDSM elements thrown in. It's a dirty, raunchy, disturbing, push your comfort zone sort of read intended for fans who appreciate this sub-genre. Consider yourself warned.
The book blurb doesn't give away much so I'm gonna try to respect that by not revealing very much of the actual story line content myself. Basically the male lead (can't really call him a hero) is a Dexter sort of guy. Gav is so much more but that's the closest I can come to describe his character. Kat, on the other hand, imho, isn't a Nancy Drew. She's more like that girl in the horror movie who DOES go in the basement when she shouldn't. Does that mean she deserves what she got?
The interesting thing about this book was that my opinion about the main characters changed multiple times during the course of reading the story. At first I hated Gav. Then I was confused about Gav. This changed to I hoped Gav could be redeemed. Finally, Gav is so deep in sh*t there's no way this ends in any HEA or HFN ending. Ohhhhh Gav, what have you done? That, to me, is a goal for any dark themed story author: to screw with a reader's mind distorting the reality of good vs bad, evil vs. virtuous to such a degree that it all makes sense and we're on board with events as they occurred in a weird and twisted sort of way. For me, the author scored a home run in that .....
As for the adult content portions. Heed the warning I gave. A tongue in cheek summation is that I felt Gav was a closet sadist Dom who came out of the closet (or is it basement?) to acknowledge and embrace his sexual needs with Kat.
There are underlying subplots that add depth to the overall story. I'm so sorry that I can't go into all that but for the enjoyment (or anticipatory fear) of future readers of this book I can't because they would include spoiler information. What I can say is these subplots are one of the reasons why I didn't go the full five stars route. Vague non-specfic reference: details and closure.
The secondary characters topic is easy for me to comment on. For the majority of the story the interaction between the central characters and secondary characters are minimal. Not a deal breaker for me, especially when you consider meeting Gav isn't a good thing.
For fans of dark erotica thrillers this is a book I encourage you to check out. It is a story of mind games and adult content for readers who look for that sort of thing. Personally, I'm a fan looking to get another fix from this new to me author.
November 21, 2014
First and foremost this author has a seriously good writing voice/style. Her descriptive writing skills are second to none, IMO.
She didn't add unnecessary details, when not required (something that bores me to tears) but painted a vivid picture in all the right places, pulling me into a gut wrenching story.
I don't want to give away spoilers so won't go into the plot too much. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was I felt the ending was a tad predictable and I found myself doing an eye roll around the 85% mark.
I would call this a dark thriller, with a touch of erotic dark.
Superbly written and edited. I will definitely be seeking out more work by this mysterious author. Mysterious how...I find it hard to believe this is her first foray into writing/publishing!
She didn't add unnecessary details, when not required (something that bores me to tears) but painted a vivid picture in all the right places, pulling me into a gut wrenching story.
I don't want to give away spoilers so won't go into the plot too much. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was I felt the ending was a tad predictable and I found myself doing an eye roll around the 85% mark.
I would call this a dark thriller, with a touch of erotic dark.
Superbly written and edited. I will definitely be seeking out more work by this mysterious author. Mysterious how...I find it hard to believe this is her first foray into writing/publishing!
September 5, 2021
All I could infer from this was this story is the textbook definition of Stockholm syndrome and Lima syndrome altogether.
And there also should be a syndrome for the bystander who's okay with this somehow (because that's me).
Man, I'm weird.
And there also should be a syndrome for the bystander who's okay with this somehow (because that's me).
Man, I'm weird.
October 28, 2014
*SIGH* This one was so disappointing. I'm a huge fan of dark romances, and I thought that the premise of this one sounded so cool. Well, I checked out the free Kindle sample, and all of a sudden I was hooked...but it wasn't long before that initial spark started to wear out. His has such a promising storyline and is filled with potential; I just didn't like where the author ended up taking it.
The story itself, out of context, is dark, but it doesn't really come across that way while you're actually reading it. Sure, there are a few grizzly scenes, particularly in the beginning, but I wasn't nearly as creeped out, horrified, or enthralled as I should've been by this "Nancy Drew falls in love with a serial killer"-type story. Gav murders a grand total of one person throughout the entire book, and it's mere days before he and Kat (whom he calls "kitten"...wow, so freaking original) are nearly professing their undying love for each other.
I mean...seriously? Where was the character development? Where was the depth? Where was the heart? This book is bare bones at best. I quickly realized that, unfortunately, His is nothing more than a not-even-that-disturbing backdrop for couple of BDSM erotica scenes. But even the BDSM was barely there! The blurb seemed to promise all types of mature, intense sadism, but it was basically a PG-13 version of Fifty Shades of Grey. Light spanking and some rope does not equal "dark BDSM erotica."
So, pretty much nothing about this book lived up to my expectations. But if somebody out there does want to come along and write a good dark romance about kidnapping, murder, BDSM, and Stockholm Syndrome...let me know, because I'd totally be interested in that.
The story itself, out of context, is dark, but it doesn't really come across that way while you're actually reading it. Sure, there are a few grizzly scenes, particularly in the beginning, but I wasn't nearly as creeped out, horrified, or enthralled as I should've been by this "Nancy Drew falls in love with a serial killer"-type story. Gav murders a grand total of one person throughout the entire book, and it's mere days before he and Kat (whom he calls "kitten"...wow, so freaking original) are nearly professing their undying love for each other.
I mean...seriously? Where was the character development? Where was the depth? Where was the heart? This book is bare bones at best. I quickly realized that, unfortunately, His is nothing more than a not-even-that-disturbing backdrop for couple of BDSM erotica scenes. But even the BDSM was barely there! The blurb seemed to promise all types of mature, intense sadism, but it was basically a PG-13 version of Fifty Shades of Grey. Light spanking and some rope does not equal "dark BDSM erotica."
So, pretty much nothing about this book lived up to my expectations. But if somebody out there does want to come along and write a good dark romance about kidnapping, murder, BDSM, and Stockholm Syndrome...let me know, because I'd totally be interested in that.
November 7, 2014
....Monsters don't sleep under your bed, they sleep in you head, until you meet one face to face. This is the story of one such monster, who met his match in a kitty Kat. Loved this twisted story so, so much. Just, wow.
February 11, 2021
I liked this book but I didnt love it. I think it was more plot and less steamy moments.
Kat is a bookworm works at a library and is teased by her friend that she has no social life. I hate friends who are like this. Let me be me.. even if I don't like to party or date 2829 guys. So they make a bet the next guy Kat meets she has to kiss him. And that happens to be Gav who is stalking his next prey to kill.
That elevator kiss is hawttt and when Kat ask him out he says no for obvious reason lol. But to Kat she thinks he doesn't like her. But it doesnt stop her one day to go follow him but thats bad since she caught him torturing someone.
Now trapped in the basement and treated like a pet these two have some serious sexual tension and both fighting there demons. Gav trying to keep her and not kill her lol and Kat trying to not find what Gav does to her mind, body. But I wish there was more he would tease and tease and man I got frustrated lol.
Low angst, no ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, Drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-maybe/yes
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶
Slow-burnish
Violence
Torture
Mentions of past suicide
Manipulation
Orgasm denial
Masturbation
Voyagerism
Abuse (H has slapped her twice)
Panick attacks
Hea
Kat is a bookworm works at a library and is teased by her friend that she has no social life. I hate friends who are like this. Let me be me.. even if I don't like to party or date 2829 guys. So they make a bet the next guy Kat meets she has to kiss him. And that happens to be Gav who is stalking his next prey to kill.
That elevator kiss is hawttt and when Kat ask him out he says no for obvious reason lol. But to Kat she thinks he doesn't like her. But it doesnt stop her one day to go follow him but thats bad since she caught him torturing someone.
Now trapped in the basement and treated like a pet these two have some serious sexual tension and both fighting there demons. Gav trying to keep her and not kill her lol and Kat trying to not find what Gav does to her mind, body. But I wish there was more he would tease and tease and man I got frustrated lol.
Low angst, no ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, Drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-maybe/yes
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶
Slow-burnish
Violence
Torture
Mentions of past suicide
Manipulation
Orgasm denial
Masturbation
Voyagerism
Abuse (H has slapped her twice)
Panick attacks
Hea
July 29, 2016
Stockholm Syndrome
How do you go about reviewing a book that repulses yet fascinates you to the point you going back to it? I'm still not sure how I feel about His, but I can say it was interesting up to a point. His is a journey into the psychology of torture and that makes the reader fully comprehend the Stockholm Syndrome and the soul shattering loss of identity suffered by such captives.
The things that stopped me from rating this higher were the fact
I threw myself forward, my eyes closed. God will forgive me, I thought, but Jules never will if I don’t kiss this guy.
February 25, 2016
The more books I read the more I seem to be leaning towards slightly twisted characters. And this one didn't disappoint.
While it is a dark read, I personally wouldn't class it as very dark. Yes, Gav is a murderer and has a lot of issues, but there is only one point in the book that has a graphic scene. I'd class dark books as having frequent scenes that are very detailed, and this didn't have that.
Despite it being pretty tame on any gruesome details, this was such a good read. Being inside both characters heads and reading their thought processes, had me completely enthralled. You really get to see them expand their worlds and develop as people. They don't change each other, they compliment and soothe each other.
I was a bit disappointed with the ending, I at least wanted an epilogue.
While it is a dark read, I personally wouldn't class it as very dark. Yes, Gav is a murderer and has a lot of issues, but there is only one point in the book that has a graphic scene. I'd class dark books as having frequent scenes that are very detailed, and this didn't have that.
Despite it being pretty tame on any gruesome details, this was such a good read. Being inside both characters heads and reading their thought processes, had me completely enthralled. You really get to see them expand their worlds and develop as people. They don't change each other, they compliment and soothe each other.
I was a bit disappointed with the ending, I at least wanted an epilogue.
October 18, 2021
I love a sensitive serial killer and Gav was just perfect! I really enjoyed each and every page. There are a lot of triggers, a lot of suicide mentions, a little gore, steam and very dramatic happy-ever-after. My favorite kind!
May 8, 2016
I received a copy of this book an exchange of an honest review.
This book was a very good surprise it was something that I didn't expect, and I loved it. I love reading Dark Erotic books. Kat leads a very boring and very normal life working in a library while going to college when a friend of hers dared her to kiss the next good looking guy she saw, not knowing that the man she kissed was a serial killer. Gav was at the library stalking his next victim when Kat kissed him. Kat knew that it was something different about Gav when she kissed him she asked him out and he said no. This was a very good book both of the character's had a lot of dark things in their past. Kat followed Gav home and the next thing she knew she was locked up in his basement while he tortured his victim on his kitchen table. This was my first time reading this authors work and I believe this is her first book and it was very well written and the flow was very good this book drew me in. Gav is dark and dangerous and rich he kills people who he believes deserves to die, they are people who hurt others like their loved one's as he was hurt as a child. Kat has never given in to her dark side she wants to be dominated to be spanked and taken roughly by a man to be tied up and used she was too afraid to admit that to anyone including her best friend, she was living a boring life working hard to pay for school and not enjoying her life, she was also an abused kid who at 15 tried to kill herself. Each of the characters in this book gave each other something, Kat kept the darkness away from Gav and he gave her a life one that she never had, and both of them tried to deny their feelings for each other. If you like dark and dangerous men and stories of being kidnapped and tortured and killing then this is the book for you I would recommend that you read this book.
She is His
This book was a very good surprise it was something that I didn't expect, and I loved it. I love reading Dark Erotic books. Kat leads a very boring and very normal life working in a library while going to college when a friend of hers dared her to kiss the next good looking guy she saw, not knowing that the man she kissed was a serial killer. Gav was at the library stalking his next victim when Kat kissed him. Kat knew that it was something different about Gav when she kissed him she asked him out and he said no. This was a very good book both of the character's had a lot of dark things in their past. Kat followed Gav home and the next thing she knew she was locked up in his basement while he tortured his victim on his kitchen table. This was my first time reading this authors work and I believe this is her first book and it was very well written and the flow was very good this book drew me in. Gav is dark and dangerous and rich he kills people who he believes deserves to die, they are people who hurt others like their loved one's as he was hurt as a child. Kat has never given in to her dark side she wants to be dominated to be spanked and taken roughly by a man to be tied up and used she was too afraid to admit that to anyone including her best friend, she was living a boring life working hard to pay for school and not enjoying her life, she was also an abused kid who at 15 tried to kill herself. Each of the characters in this book gave each other something, Kat kept the darkness away from Gav and he gave her a life one that she never had, and both of them tried to deny their feelings for each other. If you like dark and dangerous men and stories of being kidnapped and tortured and killing then this is the book for you I would recommend that you read this book.
She is His
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2014
His, by Aubrey Dark gets five “Dexter-esque” stars from me!
Aubrey Dark captures some of the show Dexter’s appeal, and then adds deliciously creepy and scary threads of dark romance to her story—and then takes it darker.
There were a few technical errors in the beginning of the book, but they don’t take away from the story. I had so much fun being shocked, grossed out, laughing and reading shmexy scenes. His, is a page turner because from the beginning there is action and you will just have to stick around to find out what happens! I love it when I find myself wondering how a story is going to play out because there are several possibilities.
Aubrey Dark is very good with imagery and character development. I really liked Kat, our heroine. Some of her thoughts were so funny. Gav is the perfect serial killer anti-hero. He is drop dead gorgeous and his intentions are good, (although they are actually very disturbing and horrible). He is an amazing…oops no spoilers from me! And he is always in control. So, in closing, read the blurb before you buy. If you like a little scary with your erotica, then go 1-Click and enjoy! It is only .99 now! 10/27/14
Aubrey Dark captures some of the show Dexter’s appeal, and then adds deliciously creepy and scary threads of dark romance to her story—and then takes it darker.
There were a few technical errors in the beginning of the book, but they don’t take away from the story. I had so much fun being shocked, grossed out, laughing and reading shmexy scenes. His, is a page turner because from the beginning there is action and you will just have to stick around to find out what happens! I love it when I find myself wondering how a story is going to play out because there are several possibilities.
Aubrey Dark is very good with imagery and character development. I really liked Kat, our heroine. Some of her thoughts were so funny. Gav is the perfect serial killer anti-hero. He is drop dead gorgeous and his intentions are good, (although they are actually very disturbing and horrible). He is an amazing…oops no spoilers from me! And he is always in control. So, in closing, read the blurb before you buy. If you like a little scary with your erotica, then go 1-Click and enjoy! It is only .99 now! 10/27/14
January 8, 2015
4.5 Stars.
This tells the story of Kat a 23 year old college student living in California with her best friend. Then there is Gav. A serial killer.
Kat and Gav meet at the school library and after some incidents, Kat follows Gav home and gets kidnapped by him.
Everything goes fast, I mean there is a set up but everything happened like boom she was kidnapped. But it got me into the story very fast.
While this does deal with killing, kidnapping, and sexual content. I don't think it was that dark. Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who has read Captive In The Dark and Her Master's Courtesan. Those are some of the darkest books I've read.
This was a fast and easy read going in both Gav and Kat's POV. I finished it in a day and it's on Kindle Unlimited and I think 99 cents on Amazon.
Get to reading!
This tells the story of Kat a 23 year old college student living in California with her best friend. Then there is Gav. A serial killer.
Kat and Gav meet at the school library and after some incidents, Kat follows Gav home and gets kidnapped by him.
Everything goes fast, I mean there is a set up but everything happened like boom she was kidnapped. But it got me into the story very fast.
While this does deal with killing, kidnapping, and sexual content. I don't think it was that dark. Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who has read Captive In The Dark and Her Master's Courtesan. Those are some of the darkest books I've read.
This was a fast and easy read going in both Gav and Kat's POV. I finished it in a day and it's on Kindle Unlimited and I think 99 cents on Amazon.
Get to reading!
February 4, 2020
5 fantastically fucked up stars!
“I wanted her to live, then I had to break her. To make her think that she would be better off here, where I kept her in chains. I would have to make her love me. It was the only chance I had to keep myself from killing her.”
I wanted something dark and twisted and by God this book delivered. What a mind fuck. I loved every minute of it.
I adored Gavriel. He was just so damaged and I love a tortured hero. If you ignore the fact he's a sociopathic serial killer, he's a pretty good guy. I was really rooting for him!
“Kitten,” he said. “You might understand me, a little bit. But I didn’t need to kiss someone to make things better. I kill people to make things better. Bad people.”
“I wanted her to live, then I had to break her. To make her think that she would be better off here, where I kept her in chains. I would have to make her love me. It was the only chance I had to keep myself from killing her.”
I wanted something dark and twisted and by God this book delivered. What a mind fuck. I loved every minute of it.
I adored Gavriel. He was just so damaged and I love a tortured hero. If you ignore the fact he's a sociopathic serial killer, he's a pretty good guy. I was really rooting for him!
“Kitten,” he said. “You might understand me, a little bit. But I didn’t need to kiss someone to make things better. I kill people to make things better. Bad people.”
April 18, 2015
3.5-4 stars
This was a pretty good story. I'm not usually in to the captive/forced seduction type stories but got pulled in to this one for a buddy read. To be honest, there was some violence and such but it seems rather light on the dark read scale. This is the first book I've read by this author and I found this interesting enough that I'd be willing to try more of her work in the future.
Kat is a college student. Her loans/financial aid for school have had issues so she's working at the University library to make money for tuition. She came from a abusive home and has cut off contact with her parents. Her BFF, Jules, is constantly on her about getting a life and a man.
Gav is a killer. He went to medical school but didn't become a doctor because he had problems with the "do no harm" part of the job. Gav came from an abusive homes with some added trauma that has left him with "shadows". These shadows only let up when Gav kills. Gav's chosen victims are men that abuse and use their wealth and/or power to get out of paying for their crimes.
Gav is trailing his next victim, who happens to be a University law professor that beats his wife and son regularly. His target goes in to the University library to check out a book so Gav follows him there as well (scoping him out). Kat is working in the library with Jules, who is in the process of trying to convince Kat to spice up her life and find a man. Kat really isn't interested and is much more focused on saving money for tuition. Jules makes a bet with Kat where she has to kiss the next attractive guy she meets. They go to the elevator and find Gav inside. Jules takes the stairs, leaving Kat and Gav alone. Kat tries to work up the courage to kiss Gav and he's starting to worry, thinking her looking at him so intently is for a much different reason. She does kiss him and is surprised when he kisses her back. When they break apart, Kat goes for broke and asks him for a date but Gav says he doesn't date and that's it. They don't see each other again until a few days later and something happens that causes Kat to follow Gav to his house. She sees something there she shouldn't and the rest is history...
To be honest, you do have to suspend disbelief for some points of this story but I didn't find it overly bad. Kat is a boring girl that doesn't date much but that hides the real her. The dirty girl that really wants rough and nasty sex and doesn't date because the men all bore her. When Gav takes her prisoner, she hates him at first but the attraction is still there and she tries very hard to deny it because she doesn't want to admit the darkness within herself that craves for what he can give her. Gav only kills bad men and doesn't want to kill an innocent. He's attracted to Kat and he has to keep her prisoner but he also wants to get her to stay of her own accord. Gav sets out to seduce Kat but gets seduced a bit in return. Gav finds that Kat chases away the shadow at times but there's a big struggle between them when it comes to his killing. I found the way things played out to be interesting and they worked but I do wish it had taken place over a longer times frame for it to be more believable. It was fortuitous that she just happened to be the perfect woman for him, someone that needed a little darkness herself. Things do work out so that Gav and Kat end things with a start on a HEA together.
This was an enjoyable story. Kat was an interesting character...I had a hard time connecting with her enough to like her, yet I did get in to reading about how things progressed for her. Gav...well he was a bad guy but had bad things that warped him and drove him to these acts. Not that it makes it right but I liked his choice of victims...very fitting. Even though Gav's technically a bad guy I still kind of liked him and was happy he found Kat. I just got more of a tortured and slightly crazy vibe from him. Overall this was pretty good...an interesting take on this type of story (not that I've read many). I'd recommend this book if you're looking for something light in the dark romance genre. :D
This was a pretty good story. I'm not usually in to the captive/forced seduction type stories but got pulled in to this one for a buddy read. To be honest, there was some violence and such but it seems rather light on the dark read scale. This is the first book I've read by this author and I found this interesting enough that I'd be willing to try more of her work in the future.
Kat is a college student. Her loans/financial aid for school have had issues so she's working at the University library to make money for tuition. She came from a abusive home and has cut off contact with her parents. Her BFF, Jules, is constantly on her about getting a life and a man.
Gav is a killer. He went to medical school but didn't become a doctor because he had problems with the "do no harm" part of the job. Gav came from an abusive homes with some added trauma that has left him with "shadows". These shadows only let up when Gav kills. Gav's chosen victims are men that abuse and use their wealth and/or power to get out of paying for their crimes.
Gav is trailing his next victim, who happens to be a University law professor that beats his wife and son regularly. His target goes in to the University library to check out a book so Gav follows him there as well (scoping him out). Kat is working in the library with Jules, who is in the process of trying to convince Kat to spice up her life and find a man. Kat really isn't interested and is much more focused on saving money for tuition. Jules makes a bet with Kat where she has to kiss the next attractive guy she meets. They go to the elevator and find Gav inside. Jules takes the stairs, leaving Kat and Gav alone. Kat tries to work up the courage to kiss Gav and he's starting to worry, thinking her looking at him so intently is for a much different reason. She does kiss him and is surprised when he kisses her back. When they break apart, Kat goes for broke and asks him for a date but Gav says he doesn't date and that's it. They don't see each other again until a few days later and something happens that causes Kat to follow Gav to his house. She sees something there she shouldn't and the rest is history...
To be honest, you do have to suspend disbelief for some points of this story but I didn't find it overly bad. Kat is a boring girl that doesn't date much but that hides the real her. The dirty girl that really wants rough and nasty sex and doesn't date because the men all bore her. When Gav takes her prisoner, she hates him at first but the attraction is still there and she tries very hard to deny it because she doesn't want to admit the darkness within herself that craves for what he can give her. Gav only kills bad men and doesn't want to kill an innocent. He's attracted to Kat and he has to keep her prisoner but he also wants to get her to stay of her own accord. Gav sets out to seduce Kat but gets seduced a bit in return. Gav finds that Kat chases away the shadow at times but there's a big struggle between them when it comes to his killing. I found the way things played out to be interesting and they worked but I do wish it had taken place over a longer times frame for it to be more believable. It was fortuitous that she just happened to be the perfect woman for him, someone that needed a little darkness herself. Things do work out so that Gav and Kat end things with a start on a HEA together.
This was an enjoyable story. Kat was an interesting character...I had a hard time connecting with her enough to like her, yet I did get in to reading about how things progressed for her. Gav...well he was a bad guy but had bad things that warped him and drove him to these acts. Not that it makes it right but I liked his choice of victims...very fitting. Even though Gav's technically a bad guy I still kind of liked him and was happy he found Kat. I just got more of a tortured and slightly crazy vibe from him. Overall this was pretty good...an interesting take on this type of story (not that I've read many). I'd recommend this book if you're looking for something light in the dark romance genre. :D
November 19, 2014
Leigh‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4 STARS
I’m not sure what it says about me, but I found this story of a woman falling in love with a psychopath who has captured her and told her he will never let her go, to be both erotic and tender at the same time. Dexter meets 50 Shades of Gray is the best way I can describe this dark and engrossing book.
Gav is a serial killer. There is no doubt in Kat’s mind about this as she has witnessed him torture and kill. But despite his crimes and despite his treatment of her, she finds a somewhat kindred spirit. Their relationship grows through a series of “trades”…one doing something for the other and the other reciprocating. At first Kat is terrified of this man who has captured her body, but as time goes on and she learns more about him, she begins to fear her own cravings more. How can she feel the things she does for a monster?
I originally thought that Kat’s emotions were going to grow through a type of Stockholm syndrome, but I was wrong. The feelings that grow between Kat and Gav and far more complex than a woman simply falling in love with her captor, but delved into how they each viewed the value of life and what made it worth living. Kat is sympathetic and strong and you can feel the conflict that she goes through as he body and heart battle with her mind. As the serial killer, Gav is alternately terrifying and mesmerizing. With his “dark shadow” urging him on to do unspeakable things, only to be quieted by Kat’s presence, he is sexy and scary and childlike all at the same time. If there ever was a true “anti-hero”, it is Gav.
How on earth was I reading a story where the main character was psychotic and yet I was rooting for him to have a happy ending??
His was certainly not a story with hearts and flowers. It was a dark, gritty and twisted story of two damaged people finding something deeper than love to keep them going. And right or wrong, I wanted these two broken souls to find peace. I found myself enthralled and couldn’t put it down.
4 STARS
I’m not sure what it says about me, but I found this story of a woman falling in love with a psychopath who has captured her and told her he will never let her go, to be both erotic and tender at the same time. Dexter meets 50 Shades of Gray is the best way I can describe this dark and engrossing book.
Gav is a serial killer. There is no doubt in Kat’s mind about this as she has witnessed him torture and kill. But despite his crimes and despite his treatment of her, she finds a somewhat kindred spirit. Their relationship grows through a series of “trades”…one doing something for the other and the other reciprocating. At first Kat is terrified of this man who has captured her body, but as time goes on and she learns more about him, she begins to fear her own cravings more. How can she feel the things she does for a monster?
I originally thought that Kat’s emotions were going to grow through a type of Stockholm syndrome, but I was wrong. The feelings that grow between Kat and Gav and far more complex than a woman simply falling in love with her captor, but delved into how they each viewed the value of life and what made it worth living. Kat is sympathetic and strong and you can feel the conflict that she goes through as he body and heart battle with her mind. As the serial killer, Gav is alternately terrifying and mesmerizing. With his “dark shadow” urging him on to do unspeakable things, only to be quieted by Kat’s presence, he is sexy and scary and childlike all at the same time. If there ever was a true “anti-hero”, it is Gav.
How on earth was I reading a story where the main character was psychotic and yet I was rooting for him to have a happy ending??
His was certainly not a story with hearts and flowers. It was a dark, gritty and twisted story of two damaged people finding something deeper than love to keep them going. And right or wrong, I wanted these two broken souls to find peace. I found myself enthralled and couldn’t put it down.
November 3, 2014
Now this was a great first story from this author. I was given this book as a gift by the author for an honest review.
I loved this book, it's an unusual read, not the usual love story, but still it's very good. There are some continuity issues which I found annoying, such as Kat who is the main character is regularly tied to the bed by her hands, but in some of the scenes, one minute her hands are tied and then she rubbing her face and no mention of how she got her hands untied. There are a couple of typos as well, but nothing that I couldn't over look.
But back to the story...I don't want to give much away, as the blub doesn't tell you much, but needless to stay, both characters Gav( the serial killer) and Kat( librarian/ victim) have issues and who could fall for a serial killer...a really soft serial killer with a heart of gold. It's unusual to read about a "nice" serial killer if there is such a thing...unusual for me...but that's not to say that this isn't a dark read. It's quite graphic in it's content and there are descriptions of death, abuse and blood within the book, very well described I must say.
I found I couldn't put the book down!!!!. I loved both the characters, and in fact all the characters in the book. I was able to loose myself within the book, which was lovely. I could feel their struggles with life and each other, how summer struggles with her situation, how Gav struggles with himself. This book is about dysfunctional people, dealt with in a sensitive manner.
I loved one scene where Kat's allowed outside to see the trees..it's so well described, that I felt I could feel it for myself, I could feel her joy...lovely
Great read and I look forward to more from this author!
I loved this book, it's an unusual read, not the usual love story, but still it's very good. There are some continuity issues which I found annoying, such as Kat who is the main character is regularly tied to the bed by her hands, but in some of the scenes, one minute her hands are tied and then she rubbing her face and no mention of how she got her hands untied. There are a couple of typos as well, but nothing that I couldn't over look.
But back to the story...I don't want to give much away, as the blub doesn't tell you much, but needless to stay, both characters Gav( the serial killer) and Kat( librarian/ victim) have issues and who could fall for a serial killer...a really soft serial killer with a heart of gold. It's unusual to read about a "nice" serial killer if there is such a thing...unusual for me...but that's not to say that this isn't a dark read. It's quite graphic in it's content and there are descriptions of death, abuse and blood within the book, very well described I must say.
I found I couldn't put the book down!!!!. I loved both the characters, and in fact all the characters in the book. I was able to loose myself within the book, which was lovely. I could feel their struggles with life and each other, how summer struggles with her situation, how Gav struggles with himself. This book is about dysfunctional people, dealt with in a sensitive manner.
I loved one scene where Kat's allowed outside to see the trees..it's so well described, that I felt I could feel it for myself, I could feel her joy...lovely
Great read and I look forward to more from this author!
March 8, 2016
★ 5 Stars ★ Intense but Beautiful
WOW! I really enjoyed this book and read it in less than a day. This book is all those things I crave; dark, edgy, intense, beautiful, and sexy, all rolled together. I also think this book was very unique as I have never read a serial killer-erotic novel. It’s like Dexter meets Fifty Shades of Grey. Such a cool mix- one I won’t soon forget! In fact, I will be picking up a similar book by the author called Mine.
*Warning* this book is a dark, erotic romance. Some readers may be offended by the content. Some may not be able to see past that characters connection but this is why it is a work of FICTION. Fans of dark erotica will want to try this one out!
Details:
Genre: Dark Romance
Cliffhanger: None. This is a standalone novel.
Price: $2.99 for kindle
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Recommendation Yes! To fans of dark romance.
What to Read NEXT: MINE by Aubrey Dark
WOW! I really enjoyed this book and read it in less than a day. This book is all those things I crave; dark, edgy, intense, beautiful, and sexy, all rolled together. I also think this book was very unique as I have never read a serial killer-erotic novel. It’s like Dexter meets Fifty Shades of Grey. Such a cool mix- one I won’t soon forget! In fact, I will be picking up a similar book by the author called Mine.
*Warning* this book is a dark, erotic romance. Some readers may be offended by the content. Some may not be able to see past that characters connection but this is why it is a work of FICTION. Fans of dark erotica will want to try this one out!
Details:
Genre: Dark Romance
Cliffhanger: None. This is a standalone novel.
Price: $2.99 for kindle
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Recommendation Yes! To fans of dark romance.
What to Read NEXT: MINE by Aubrey Dark
January 6, 2020
Really loved this one! A serial killer dark romance. He's sort of a Dexter-ish serial killer who just kills bad people. Then Cat stumbles upon him and witnesses him killing someone. So he decides to keep her.
I was up until 4 am last night listening to this one.
He's a very likeable serial killer. This makes me worry about women in general and our deeply unnatural attractions to danger. I'm just saying.
I was up until 4 am last night listening to this one.
He's a very likeable serial killer. This makes me worry about women in general and our deeply unnatural attractions to danger. I'm just saying.
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