I packed up my life, moving halfway across the country for a fresh start. Running away from my past, running away for my future. A year later, I’ve settled into my new home, my new job, my new friends, and my new identity. You could say things have started returning to normal.
Normal, if not for him.
His identity is a mystery to me, but I know he’s there, watching me, leaving tokens outside my door. The gifts he sends are personal and deliberate, proving he has eyes everywhere—even where I least expect it.
For months, he remained hidden in the shadows until a chance encounter with a masked man at a Halloween party led to a one-night stand and a box delivered containing the most personal gift from him yet: A feather from my Halloween costume.
Loche
After years of living with the consequences of my actions, I’ve finally gotten my life together. Well, aside from the occasional illegal activity that may or may not include a little light stalking. But who’s counting?
When I first saw Ever, I was captivated by her until I learned about her past. Then I became obsessed with her. Obsessed with keeping her safe, obsessed with protecting her when and if the past were to come back to haunt her. Everything was going fine, but then one night at her friend’s Halloween party changed everything.
Ever still doesn’t know who I am, despite having spent the night with me, and I have to keep it that way. Because in reality, she already knows exactly who I am.
Sara Furlong Burr is an award-winning author of romcoms filled with angst, heartbreak, and a sprinkle of laughs. She was born and raised in Michigan and currently still lives there with her husband, two daughters, a lively corgi that closely resembles a sack of potatoes, three judgmental cats, and a hedgehog named Juniper who's almost as antisocial as she is. When she's not writing, Sara enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family, using her treadmill as a clothes hanger, and mindlessly scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. She's also an advocate for melanoma awareness, having been diagnosed with stage 1b melanoma in 2017.
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Readability: 📖📖📖📖 Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋 Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔 Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡ Romance: 💞💞💞💞 ( mean, if you’re okay with an obsessed stalker...) Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋 Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Humor: Yes Perspective: first person from both hero and heroine More character focused or plot focused? character How did the speed of the story feel? medium When mains are first on page together: soon in, chapter 1 or about 5% Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after Epilogue: Yes, 6 months later Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book form (Thank you!) Why I chose this book: I want to read all the masked men 👀 Mains: Loche Green and Everleigh (Ever) Moore – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine (Descriptions found at end of my review)
I fucking loved Ever Moore, and I would annihilate anyone who laid a hand on her.”
Should I read in order? This stands alone (I think it will be first in a series?)
Basic plot: Ever is trying to get a feeling of normalcy again after running from her old life and starting fresh when a Halloween party brings excitement – and the start of an obsessive mysterious relationship.
Give this a try if you want: - contemporary romance - meet cute – she asks for a good Halloween party fucking in a peacock costume - secret identity - coworkers – they work as paralegals - snarky relationship – very animosity to lovers, especially from her - stalker hero - vigilante hero - tall hero – he’s 6’5” - pets – heroine has a turtle - higher steam – 5 full scenes – mask play, light hair grabbing, primal play
Ages: - hero is 28, I didn’t catch heroine but she mentions someone in his late 20s as older than her so I guess early 20s
First line: God, I need to get laid.
My thoughts: Yay for playlists!
Ahhh I adored this book. This is my first by this author, but I’ll definitely be searching for more. I loved the writing, the humor, the characters and the spicy scenes.
Ever is running from her past and Loche is going to be there to protect her. Problem is Ever hates Loche. Enter the masked V.
This story was seriously so fun to me. I loved every bit of it. I loved the snarky relationship, I loooooved the secret identity play with the mask. I enjoyed the working together dynamic, the villain take down. This book was exactly what I want in a masked stalker romance 😆
My only minor complaint: I don’t know why I had a hard time with this timeline at first. The beginning chapter is Halloween and the night they have a sexual encounter. Then it changes to her getting a stalker gift and remembering other stalker gifts so I assumed some time had passed. Then we get a comment that she had been getting gifts for awhile and THEN the Halloween event happened. So my chronological loving mind was kind of confused and wanting to follow what was when a bit better. (And there wasn’t any mention of a stalker or gifts during the entire first encounter chapter – if she had gifts coming wouldn’t she be wondering about him and if he was her stalker? So this aspect just confused me a bit in the very beginning.
Few random reading stats for this author # of books read: This is my first Average rating from me: 5 stars Favorite book: This one
Endearments
Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Full break down on what my ratings above mean here: Overall: How I felt about it everything considered! Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.) Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?) Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story? Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch. Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective. Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgment (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (5) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio! Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)
I must say, this was my first time diving into a dark rom-com, and it did not disappoint. The banter between Everleigh and Locke was spot-on. Funny, sharp, and not overdone. I loved how their past was woven in and how we got to see them work through it as the story unfolded.
And can we talk about Katy & Malachi getting a book? I’m already counting down the days until that one drops!
✨ T r o p e s + T r i g g e r s ✨ Masked Stalker Knife Play Banter He Falls First Obsession Dark Rom-Com
Thank you to BookFunnel, and Author Sara Burr for the arc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
5⭐️ 4🌶️ 🌲Dark Rom Com 🔥Masked Man 🌲Stalker 🔥Enemies to Lovers 🌲He Falls First 🔥Coworkers 🌲Dual First Person POV
Ever is at her friend’s Halloween party. She isn’t one for leaving her house or crowds, but she has itch that needs to be scratched. Just as she was about to leave, she meets a man in a mask, black hoodie, and red tennis shoes. He doesn’t speak or take off his mask. Unbeknownst to her, this masked man is her coworker, Loche. He’s also been stalking her for the past year. Ever takes him down to guest room and he proceeds to rework her insides. Loche has been looking out for her and leaving her random gifts. Things like a keruig, an oversized tshirt with a funny saying, and a security system. She has always known she had a stalker but she never felt threatened. At work she hates Loche but at home, she’s becoming obsessed with her masked stalker, V. She gets frustrated because he won’t take off his mask. Loche keeps telling her he’ll take it off soon. Loche wants to wait until he has broken down her walls as himself. Ever starts to hate Loche less and because of that she is conflicted about what she is feeling for V. When she finds out what Loche has been hiding, she is furious, but when her past comes back, he’s there to save her. Between the banter and the spice, this is fun dark romcom that delivers luaghs with sizzling chemistry.
🚩Be sure to read the author’s note and content warnings before reading
Plot: 5 Engaging: 5 Character: 5
Thank you Sara Furlong Burr for the arc.I look forward to reading more about the Fallen Soldiers.
📚All thoughts and opinions are my own📚 🐦🔥Follow me on socials @myrisingphoenixera.reads 🐦🔥
A Few Favorite Quotes: “I’ll say a little prayer to the Goddess of Pound Town for you.”
“What other kinds of k! nks would we be unlocking tonight? Lord knows, at this point, I wanted to catch them all like some erotic game of Pokémon.”
“Okay. So maybe I was being a tad bit on the stalker side, except I have nothing but good intentions, so that had to count for something, right? Maybe I wasn’t a full-on stalker but more like the Diet Coke of stalkers. Refreshing, and I also wouldn’t mųr d£r you later. A win-win, really.”
“How are you able to crack a joke right now?” “Trauma,” she answered simply.”
“But no one had ever stood up for me the way Loche had. It was like an aphrodisiac. It was probably a good thing I hadn’t run into him because I’m pretty sure I would have climbed him like a tree.”
“Would you teach me how to fight?” “As far as I’m concerned, you already know how to fight. You just prefer to do so in more of a stabby way.” “It gets to the point faster.” “I bet it does.”
I had the opportunity to read an ARC copy of this book, and I’m giving my honest thoughts. From the very first chapter, I was pulled into Everleigh’s world. This world was shaped by secrecy and the constant fear that her past might catch up with her after moving halfway across the country and starting over under a new identity she is simply trying to rebuild her life, but the mysterious gifts left on her doorstep, added layer that makes it impossible to look away. Each item is personal, and the suspense of not knowing who is watching her, kept me hooked in the story.
After her impulsive one night encounter with a mass stranger at a Halloween party, she later receives a box from her mystery man containing a feather from her costume. The story takes on an addictive blend of desire and suspense.
Loche is a man who has spent years trying to outrun the fall out of his own choices. He has cleaned up most of his life, but still dipped a little too easily into a morally great territory, especially when it comes to Ever. The author does a great job, showing his fascination with her as it slowly turns into a fierce obsessive need to protect her. He is the perfect male lead for readers who love dark Brody heroes with questionable boundaries.
What makes their dynamic even more addictive is that Ever has no idea that Loche is the mystery man leaving those gifts. She does however, know him as her coworker. The arrogant infuriating man she shares an office with at the local law firm. Their workplace banter, tension and mutual irritation provide the perfect contrast to the secret suspense field connection happening behind the scenes.
The author does an excellent job with slow burn tension and emotional depth. Everleigh’s vulnerability, and determination make her easy to root for the mystery surrounding the gifts is compelling and the romantic elements just add to the story.
Overall, I feel that this was a great book with strong lead characters and a good storyline. It kept me invested from beginning to end. I’m excited to see how other readers respond once it’s officially released.
Evergreen By Sara Furlong Burr available now ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
TW- if you have triggers please read the TW page before reading.
Opens with a costume party called Monster Slash Bash which is awesome. Love a good costume party. Masked man encounter by Ever at the party wonders who it is. She has her one night stand…. So she thinks. The mask never comes off. Ever has a Stalker sending her gifts, ones she needs but doesn’t know she needs them. Then after sleeping with her at the costume party he sends her a peacock feather from her costume. Ever to her friend “I banged my stalker, and I liked it.” Loche is totally the Diet Coke of stalkers. He wants to keep her safe and make sure she has what she needs. He is her coworker and they hate each other. Once she gets to know Loche she starts to have feelings for him NOT knowing yet that he is the Masked man/her stalker. Loche finally tells her the secret about killing his father (for dang good reason) her response of “You really are a superhero, aren’t you?” she whispered softly. Loche goes “I beg your finest f… pardon?” This story is definitely one that is a must read. The banter and back and forth with these two is absolutely amazing. Wow THANK YOU to the author Sara Furlong Burr. You write an amazing story and I can’t wait for me and am so glad I got to read this book.
This book had me hooked from beginning to end, I really loved the FMC, Ever, she’s fierce, witty, strong, a total badass, which I love in a FMC. The MMC, Loche, had to fight for it, my first impression was that he was arrogant and annoying, but the more I read, the more I realized he had a heart that was beating just for Ever, and his backstory is heartbreaking, he was just a broken man that only Ever could heal, and I swoon for him. Love Loche 💕 The humor is fantastic, love the banter between the mmcs, and with their friends. Would categorize EverGreene as a romcom light dark romance with medium amount of spice, but the spice be spicing 🌶️ Definitely recommends! 😍🩶 can’t wait for the next book in the series!!
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a big fan of Sara Furlong Burr’s storylines and tension she builds. I always devour her books (I read this in one sitting) but then I’m super sad once they’re over! I also loved the accompanying playlist for this book.
As a former HR professional, workplace “banter” in romance novels has me a little stressed but I was willing to suspend my disbelief with this book and it paid off.
(I did receive this book as an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a review-that is late due to family emergency)
A one night stand with a masked man who becomes a helpful doting stalker? V is a clumsy heartfelt stalker to our main girl Ever Moore. He fixes her car and gives her pepper spray. He watches her and cares for her but doesn’t speak and refuses to take the mask off. Ever’s trust is hard to win even harder is her affection after being kidnapped and assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, but V is slowly earning both. Until she starts to spend more time with her co-worker and least favorite pain in her ass, Loche Greene. The banter between the two is absolute perfection and the tension is slowly turned up leaving both of them slightly unsettled. A great rendition of he falls first, Loche has accepted he is to love her from afar. But Ever is smart and she begins to put the slips-ups together.
This is a lovely mix of work place rom-com, doting stalker, sexual tension and a serving of justice. This book is a a fun read and made me laugh out loud more than once.
I received an ARC of this book. The personalities of the MMC (Loche) and FMC (Ever) are well developed throughout the book. I love that the MMC has both a cinnamon roll and grey side to him. Loche never tries to change or suppress Ever’s determination or sass. Loche is the best golden retriever stalker I’ve ever read about. The rom-com throughout had me giggling. I was rooting for both sides to see who they really were through each others eyes. The spice was a 3 for me on the chili scale. I’m not a fan of integrating current social trends into books, but this book did so without leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I would definitely recommend it to readers who want a great book with a good plot and light spice. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series!!
Super excited to have been a Beta reader for this book! We LOVE a morally grey MMC who’s also a bit of a golden retriever. Yum. Our FMC is clever and witty and had me laughing out loud more than once. Throw in a little trauma and some spice, and we’re having a good time! Thoroughly enjoyed my days with Ever and Loche.
EverGreene grabbed me from the very first page and refused to loosen its grip. As a dark romance lover, I’m always looking for that perfect mix of danger and desire — and this book delivers it with a punch.
Ever is such a compelling heroine. I felt her fear, her confusion, and the pull she can’t seem to resist. Watching her navigate the shadows around her, I found myself just as torn as she was — wanting answers and wanting escape, but wanting the man behind the mask most of all.
And speaking of him… Locke.
He’s the kind of MMC who walks straight into your bloodstream. Mysterious, obsessive, protective, and absolutely intoxicating. Every scene with him crackles with tension — that intense, dark chemistry that feels wrong but oh-so-right. He is the definition of morally gray, and I loved every second of his presence.
The stalker / masked man intrigue is eerie and addictive, with twists that deepened the story and the emotions. I couldn’t stop turning pages because I had to know the truth — about the danger, about the secrets, and about the connection between Ever and Locke that feels fated and forbidden all at once.
If you love your romances dark, gripping, emotional, and full of haunting devotion, EverGreene belongs at the top of your TBR. Locke has officially claimed a spot on my “book men I’ll never recover from” list.
This book was my first ARC read and I was blown away. It had me hooked right from the dedication and I couldn't put it down. The funny word vomit from the fmc had me laughing out loud at times. The banter between the fmc and mmc was chef's kiss. I also loved the inner monolog from the mmc. This has been something I've been searching for since I finished Lights Out. If you enjoyed reading that then you will enjoy this one. I highly recommend! This was also my first book by this author and I'm hooked. I can't wait to read other stories from her.
** I received an advanced reader copy of this book **
Looking for a stalker romance that's not quite dark and has good, comedic banter? Look no further!
Our MCs have a little office rivalry going on, at least that is what Everleigh thinks. But Loche? He's been obsessed with her since the day she walked into the office and she has no clue. He wants to talk to and be around her however he can manage, which leads to some "light" stalking. He's quite a helpful stalker, too, sending her random gifts that are things she needs plus he fixed her headlights. How sweet 🥰
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. This was the 4th book by this author that I have read (3rd time being an advanced reader) and I love her writing. I cannot wait for these side characters to get their own stories 💚
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Position available: for a Hot tattooed buff 💪🏻 male who wears a mask with stalker tendencies who gives appropriate gifts 🎁 start asap!!
This book was on fire 🔥 right from the dedication and didn’t stop burning, the whole way through my chores, alarms, sleep I couldn’t put it down.
The banter between the mmc V or should we say Loche and mfc Ever was just straight up amazing it made me laugh, smile and eye roll along with the characters. The other amazing people we meet have got me in a chokehold waiting to see more from them as they are definitely set up for more stories and I want them all.
This is a dark romcom and worth being added to your TBR lists asap, you won’t regret giving them reading time in your mountains of books to get through.
- masked mmc - stalker - he falls first - vengeful ex - spicy - knives - knife play - coworkers - dark romcom
I received an ARC of this book and I really enjoyed it. Read it in just under 2 days. The banter between Ever and Loche is hilarious. The character back stories are kind of predictable but the way the characters develop is good. I think I would give spice a 2.5/3. Definitely love the chemistry. 4 stars because the story is great, plot and backstories are a little predictable, and I don’t know if the copy I got was pre-edits but some of the punctuation was a struggle. Definitely would recommend.
Banter, chemistry immediately drew me into these characters; the spice didn’t overpower the plot. There were some mysteries and some plot twist. I was not expecting. Five stars infinity stars I had so much fun and this was such a good dark comedic romance. I need a book on all the friends too they made you want to read their story.
First introduction to a book by Sara as an ARC and it didn't disappoint!! I couldn't put it down. Ever moves to a new place for a new start and lands herself a stalker, but not your typical one. You'll just have to pick it up to find out!! I can't wait to read the next one!! Dark romance, Enemies to lovers, and a pet turtle. The spice is perfect, and the banter had me laughing out loud for real!
Stalking, masks, hot dudes illegally fighting, comedy, happy ending AND all the steamy sessions..yes please! 😮💨 This book was so much and then some. I loved reading about Ever and Loche. Their relationship pace was *chefs kiss* and I appreciated how Ever realized she was a little crazy for enjoying the light stalking V was doing. Let’s be real - I wouldn’t be too upset if Loche Greene was thoughtfully stalking me either! The lack of a full blown third act break up but still a small amount of “I need to figure this out” once Ever realized who V was, perfection! Cannot wait to read about our sexy priest and best friend in the next book 😍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I received an ARC and I absolutely loved this book! It gave me everything I was looking for. Amazing banter, a bad ass FMC, and a morally grey (and masked) MMC. This book had me laughing out loud and kicking my feet. It was hard to put down! And the spice? 🥵 If you’re looking for a masked stalker romance with a little enemies to lovers sprinkled in, then you’re going to devour this book. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!!
I knew from the dedication alone that booktok did not do my dirty this time. The characters were fun, the spice was spicy, and the plot was well paced.
This was my first book from this author, and it likely won't be my last, as I really enjoyed her writing style. I have read over 100 books this year, and this was easily one of the more fun reads for me this year.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of this book, but that did not impact my opinion of this novel.
I had so much fun reading this book! Comedy? Check. Morally grey MMC? Check. Spice? Check. Plot? Check!! It had me hooked from the dedication that made me laugh out loud. Ever is one of my new favorite FMCs. She is clever, witty, awkward, and fierce. I loved seeing the relationship develop between her and Loche, especially the thawing on her part. Despite the main focus being their romance story, I feel it necessary to talk about how much I loved her relationship with Katy. They're so funny and weird, absolutely joyful to read. Some of their conversations had me cracking up because the absurdity reminded me of some of my own friendships. I also loved the JUSTICE in the end. Just *chefs kiss* delicious. Overall such a good read and I'm so honored I got to read it!
Super excited to get an ARC for this book! I devoured it in 2 days. I don’t usually love novels that include current pop culture, but this was so cute and funny and just the right amount of spice!
Very good rom com with a touch of dark romance. I thought the writing was good, multiple laugh out loud moments. Enjoyed the spice, would have liked a touch more. I also loved getting to know the main characters, their trauma, their past, and their flaws.
I don’t feel like we got to see enough of the emotional aspect of V and Ever’s relationship, which may have been intentional. I also found there were a few passages that didn’t flow very well. There was one spicy scene where the position didn’t match how the characters were described and was a bit confusing, and another where it just seemed choppy and didn’t flow smoothly.
I really enjoyed meeting the side characters, and am excited to see their stories unfold over the rest of the series.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was sad for it to end! I’ve already recommended it to multiple of my fellow readers so they can enjoy when it officially comes out!
the sass from Ever is fantastic. I see so much of myself in her. Her inappropriate word vomit and lack of filter at just the wrong "right" moment makes for a hilarious character.
Loches obsession and cute protective nature asking with dark past makes him a great cinnamon roll. The things that man says and does holy hell.
the spicy scenes are great spice and leave you wanting more.
you will laugh out loud and be in the edge of your seat.
This is a 3.75 for me. I liked a lot of elements of this book, but I didn't completely vibe with it, but I can see a lot of people liking the book. The main thing was this is marketed as a dark romance comedy and while there are moments in some banter that make me chuckle, I wouldn't personally call it a comedy. For the dark romance aspect, I would rate this as personally a level 1-2. Now I know the author's intent wasn't to write a DARK romance so I think she accomplished that, and I think this would be a good starter dark romance book for those looking to try out the genre.
As for the characters I liked them well enough. Ever's story was compelling, and I liked her character as she was a strong FMC who handled her business. With Loche I liked his story as well and how his past shaped who he was make sense I just personally wish had been turned up a notch in some areas but again that is personal preference and wasn't really the intent of the author to write a darker book. I think the Ever had amazing chemistry with both personas of Loche the masked stalker V and the lawyer. When she didn't get along with him because of her perceptions of Loche I enjoyed how he would essentially poke the bear. As to the spice with V I think that was enjoyable as well and they had some really good chemistry.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and I think the author accomplished a light dark romance book what would be great for anyone looking to try out the genre and while I did enjoy the characters and overall story, I will say that I was just left wanting a little more.
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This book is about Ever who packed up her life and moved across the country all to run from her past to get a fresh start. It's been a year, and she has mostly managed to create a normal life for herself with a job, home, friends and new identity for herself. Mostly normal that is except for one little issue. She has a stalker. She doesn't know who he is, but she can feel his eyes on her, and he likes to send her personal gifts that show him that he has intimate knowledge of her, her life and needs. For months she wondered where this was going and if she would ever get a glimpse of him and then it was Halloween and at her friend's party, she has a one-night stand with a masked man who turns out to be none other than her stalker! How does she know well he sent her a gift that could only have come from their night together and she doesn't know what to do. But what she doesn't realize is that the stalker is none other than Loche her annoying coworker who is also putting his life back together after his own issues in his past. His life would be considered normal at this point if it were for the matter of him illegally stalking Ever. But from the moment he saw her he was captivated and had to learn everything he could about her and the more he learned the more he became obsessed. Not just with the need to feel connected to her but also to protect her from everything with the potential to harm her. Which is why he going to that Halloween party. To be close to her and to keep her safe from all the drunk guys who could potentially hurt her. He didn't expect it to turn into a one-night stand with his dream girl, and it has left him wanting more. But he knows that he can't have more because in real life she knows who Loche is and hates him to her very core so there is no chance she would ever give the real him (Loche) a chance, but V might be another story.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Damn this was such a fun book!! I am ALWAYS on the hunt for a good dark romcom and this one delivered! It def gave me Lights Out vibes because of the snarky banter between the characters and the silly masked stalker turned protector. Beyond that, the stories are very different, but it brought back those same feelings.
Ever is so strong and sassy. Quick witted, independent and being stalked/watched over by V, her masked mystery man.
Loche/V is down baaaad. From the first day he meets her at work, he’s obsessed. His quiet stalking turns in to sending practical gifts like a new coat and winter boots since she’s ill prepared for the harsh winter in this new city. Even changing her headlight bulb after it burns out. But when they end up at the same Halloween costume party, he seizes his opportunity and she doesn’t realize she’s hooking up with her stalker. The chemistry is off the charts and her stalker morphs almost into a friend’s with benefits hookup.
Ever is determined to find out who her stalker is and for them to be together but he refuses to show his face. She decides to flip the script and try to track him. Meanwhile, Loche is trying to get her to fall for him as himself so she isn’t disappointed to learn V’s true identity and then he looses her completely. As they grow closer, Ever discovers different pieces of the puzzle connecting the dots between Loche and V.
The twist at the end of this book, I didn’t see coming. I knew there were some where parts that didn’t quite add up but there wasn’t really a second thought about it so you kind of forget till it all reveals itself. Chefs kiss!!
I found this ARC on TikTok and boy am I glad I did!! I can’t wait to explore more books from this author.
Ever moved miles away in order to escape her past, but she is still struggling to let people, especially men, get close to her. Soon though she realizes that someone is watching her. He leaves very specific gifts that prove he sees much more than she expected. After an encounter with a masked man at her friend's Halloween party, he gifts her a feather from her costume and she immediately knows that the two are the same man. Loche is the coworker that Ever is determined to dislike even though she is attracted to him. He is determined to learn everything about her and protect her. What Ever doesn't know is that Loche is the one who has been watching her and the masked man from the Halloween party and he knows that she won't be happy when she finds out.
I absolutely loved the banter between Ever and Loche. It was sharp and witty, but not overdone. I also really loved Loche's mom. Her acceptance and welcoming of Ever, but also pointing out the obvious about her name was adorable and hilarious. I loved that Loche had a hidden life with a few friends and how they were determined to make sure that justice was served. I cannot wait for Malachi and Katy's book. I think it will be amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on it! If you like dark rom-com books, definitely give this one a try!
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Holy. Shiiiiiiii. (Minding my language best I can here).
This book had me losing sleep.
This book had me kicking my feet and giggling at 1:30 in the morning while my eyes burned because I. could. not. put. it. down.
This is my first read by Sarah Furlong Burr, and it was one of my top reads of 2025. I am a huge fan after this read, and I’m beyond excited to read more in this series when available, and by her in general.
Tension? 10/10 Banter between FMC and MMC? 1000/10 Sarcastic and ridiculous best friend? 10000/10 Sarcastic and silly stupid MMC? 1000000/10 Insanely jealous MMC? 10000000/10 Witty and strong and smart and sarcastic FMC? 5370563/10 (thank you for this) Spice? 7492836392/10
My GOD this book hit everything that would hook me in. Masked stalker. His mask and vibe are red… my favorite color 🥰🥰. A little unhinged. He’s actually a good guy, sending her gifts and fixing her car. 6’5”!!!!!! Tattooed!!! Did I mention masked stalker? *sighs* **sobs in single**
I’m not even going to do my usual synopsis. I’d summarize it as a book child of Lights Out and The Hating Game, but still unique (and a little 🔪 play). Just go read it.
My eyes and brain were absolutely blessed with being picked to ARC read this book, and I couldn’t be happier for it. This is my honest review; I’m obsessed. I wish I could reread it for the first time again. This may not be for you and sorry if I’m hyping it up too much, but I needed this read in my life and I truly loved it.
There are dark themes in this book, so please be mindful of the trigger warnings.
P.S. I legitimately screamed when I saw we were getting a book for Katy and Malachi!
This is a 5 star read for me, and 4 out of 5 peppers on the spicy scale.
Where to begin? First and foremost, I freaking loved this book. This is a great dark romcom in same way that Lights Out and The Ruinous Love Trilogy are dark romcoms. This isn’t DARK DARK but it’s got some darker themes. Like stalking, masked MMCs, murder, stabbing, kidnapping. You know, the usual.
There was a lot of banter between the FMC and MMC. Ever is a strong FMC that has survived a lot of traumatic things, and has some morally grey tendencies. Loche is a morally grey MMC, and also a bit of a vigilante. Oh, and a paralegal by day. Did I mention that they’re co-workers who seem like they hate each other? Well, Ever thinks she hates Loche anyway.
There were a few times where perhaps Ever should have put some clues together, but hindsight is 20/20, yeah? There have been times where I’ve had a similar realization after figuring something out, so no judgement from me on that. Plus, she had a lot going on, okay?
I think that anyone who likes dark romcoms, or lighter grey dark romances will like this book.