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Pretty Prey
Pretty Prey
A Dark Obsession Romance
By Mary A. Lydick
I write fantasies for strangers.
The kind that involve shadows, masks, and hands around throats.
The kind that shouldn’t feel good… but do.
What started as an anonymous outlet, a secret Patreon full of twisted desires becomes terrifyingly real the night I catch someone watching me. Not just watching. Knowing. Wanting. Waiting.
And then he shows up across the street.
Silas Wolfe. All muscle and menace, with secrets inked beneath his skin and a stare that strips me bare. He says he’s here to fix up the old Hartley house.
But I think he’s here for me.
He sees everything.
Every tremble. Every gasp. Every filthy, shame-soaked thought I should never have shared.
And worse?
I want him too.
Even as the past claws back into the light.
Even as the secrets my father died for start unraveling around me.
Even as I realize the man I’ve been dreaming about might be the one dragging me into the nightmare.
He’s the predator.
I’m the prey.
And we’re both about to learn what happens when obsession goes too far.
Perfect for fans of dark romance, morally gray men, and dangerously seductive secrets.
A Dark Obsession Romance
By Mary A. Lydick
I write fantasies for strangers.
The kind that involve shadows, masks, and hands around throats.
The kind that shouldn’t feel good… but do.
What started as an anonymous outlet, a secret Patreon full of twisted desires becomes terrifyingly real the night I catch someone watching me. Not just watching. Knowing. Wanting. Waiting.
And then he shows up across the street.
Silas Wolfe. All muscle and menace, with secrets inked beneath his skin and a stare that strips me bare. He says he’s here to fix up the old Hartley house.
But I think he’s here for me.
He sees everything.
Every tremble. Every gasp. Every filthy, shame-soaked thought I should never have shared.
And worse?
I want him too.
Even as the past claws back into the light.
Even as the secrets my father died for start unraveling around me.
Even as I realize the man I’ve been dreaming about might be the one dragging me into the nightmare.
He’s the predator.
I’m the prey.
And we’re both about to learn what happens when obsession goes too far.
Perfect for fans of dark romance, morally gray men, and dangerously seductive secrets.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 29, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 12, 2026
Slight Spoilers
I enjoyed the plot at first, and then I got to like the second chapter and realized that this book reads an awful lot like AI does.
That for me was the biggest and possibly only reason I rated this book a 1 star, I genuinely don’t understand how this book is rated so highly. Sure, I enjoyed the premise, but it’s so obviously either written by AI or edited by AI that it baffles me no one else has spoke about it.
I feel bad saying this as an aspiring author myself, but it’s true. I will list many examples I picked up on just within the span of like 2/3 chapters of the 40 something this book had.
- “The way she gasps in the dark when she thinks she’s alone? That’s not fear, that’s longing dressed in shadow.”
- “The lines between her fantasies and my reality blue, she won’t run. She’ll fall.”
- “Like im walking next to a storm I can’t name.”
- “The knife. Still humming with quiet violence, like it remembers every scream it ever silenced.”
- “The motel room smells like old sweat and bleach, like regret soaked into the walls.”
- “The house looks creepy as fuck in the middle of the night, like something out of a movie where the girl never makes it past the front door. But I do. Because I always do. Even when it feels like the house itself might be holding its breath.”
- “I hate the silence after, like the world just… forgets.”
- “I didn’t offer condolences or platitudes. He was just… there.”
- “I mean it. More than I should.”
- “The drawer shuts with a dull thud that echoes louder than it should.”
- “You’re playing with fire.”
- “Stumbling into each other like they’ve got the whole world in their arms. It’s messy and chaotic and probably fleeting, but it’s theirs.”
Those are just the few I picked up on within such a short amount of time. There is definitely so much more. There was also a LOTTTT of describing something as feeling “real”…..🤨🤨🤨
It’s just giving AI I’m sorry. Hopefully I’m not the only one that noticed this.
I don’t DNF, so I did finish it, and I am glad to have known the ending (which I knew it, I fucking knew Noah was sus bro) but still. I could not get over how much the writing sounded like AI.
There was also so many short sentences and barely any use of commas. Like why. Are. We ending. Sentences. So early.
Also the whole chapter 8 was just Wren complaining about how Silas stood her up at the bar over and over and over again like girl i’m sorry I don’t care shut up and get over itttt😭😭😭
I also felt like it was much more obvious way earlier than when she actually figured out that Silas was PrettyBoyPredator. LOL Wren pissed me off sometimes.
But anywayyyyy yeah smh. Hopefully I’m wrong abt the AI thing but I just needed to get it off my chest lol and I need someone else to agree with me plzzzz😭😭😭
⋆｡ ﾟ☼ ｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆
“I get to her house and knock, already sensing something’s off. It takes longer than usual for her to answer, and when she does, she’s sniffling. My entire body tenses. Rage bubbles up fast and hot. I’m ready to snap. If it was that wiry fucker of a friend she has… I swear to fuck, I’ll bury him myself.” (Silas)
“When our lips meet, it’s not just a kiss. It’s a detonation.” (Silas)
“And now, looking at her in that sundress… I know I’m completely, irreversibly fucked.” (Silas)
“She took me by surprise, turned me inside out, and walked away with my heartbeat in her pocket.” (Silas)
“I need her to love me, even if it’s the last beautiful lie I get to believe in.” (Silas)
“Remind me to never piss you off.” (Silas)
“Oh, it’s too late for that. You just get lucky I fuck the rage out.” (Wren)
I enjoyed the plot at first, and then I got to like the second chapter and realized that this book reads an awful lot like AI does.
That for me was the biggest and possibly only reason I rated this book a 1 star, I genuinely don’t understand how this book is rated so highly. Sure, I enjoyed the premise, but it’s so obviously either written by AI or edited by AI that it baffles me no one else has spoke about it.
I feel bad saying this as an aspiring author myself, but it’s true. I will list many examples I picked up on just within the span of like 2/3 chapters of the 40 something this book had.
- “The way she gasps in the dark when she thinks she’s alone? That’s not fear, that’s longing dressed in shadow.”
- “The lines between her fantasies and my reality blue, she won’t run. She’ll fall.”
- “Like im walking next to a storm I can’t name.”
- “The knife. Still humming with quiet violence, like it remembers every scream it ever silenced.”
- “The motel room smells like old sweat and bleach, like regret soaked into the walls.”
- “The house looks creepy as fuck in the middle of the night, like something out of a movie where the girl never makes it past the front door. But I do. Because I always do. Even when it feels like the house itself might be holding its breath.”
- “I hate the silence after, like the world just… forgets.”
- “I didn’t offer condolences or platitudes. He was just… there.”
- “I mean it. More than I should.”
- “The drawer shuts with a dull thud that echoes louder than it should.”
- “You’re playing with fire.”
- “Stumbling into each other like they’ve got the whole world in their arms. It’s messy and chaotic and probably fleeting, but it’s theirs.”
Those are just the few I picked up on within such a short amount of time. There is definitely so much more. There was also a LOTTTT of describing something as feeling “real”…..🤨🤨🤨
It’s just giving AI I’m sorry. Hopefully I’m not the only one that noticed this.
I don’t DNF, so I did finish it, and I am glad to have known the ending (which I knew it, I fucking knew Noah was sus bro) but still. I could not get over how much the writing sounded like AI.
There was also so many short sentences and barely any use of commas. Like why. Are. We ending. Sentences. So early.
Also the whole chapter 8 was just Wren complaining about how Silas stood her up at the bar over and over and over again like girl i’m sorry I don’t care shut up and get over itttt😭😭😭
I also felt like it was much more obvious way earlier than when she actually figured out that Silas was PrettyBoyPredator. LOL Wren pissed me off sometimes.
But anywayyyyy yeah smh. Hopefully I’m wrong abt the AI thing but I just needed to get it off my chest lol and I need someone else to agree with me plzzzz😭😭😭
⋆｡ ﾟ☼ ｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆
“I get to her house and knock, already sensing something’s off. It takes longer than usual for her to answer, and when she does, she’s sniffling. My entire body tenses. Rage bubbles up fast and hot. I’m ready to snap. If it was that wiry fucker of a friend she has… I swear to fuck, I’ll bury him myself.” (Silas)
“When our lips meet, it’s not just a kiss. It’s a detonation.” (Silas)
“And now, looking at her in that sundress… I know I’m completely, irreversibly fucked.” (Silas)
“She took me by surprise, turned me inside out, and walked away with my heartbeat in her pocket.” (Silas)
“I need her to love me, even if it’s the last beautiful lie I get to believe in.” (Silas)
“Remind me to never piss you off.” (Silas)
“Oh, it’s too late for that. You just get lucky I fuck the rage out.” (Wren)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2026
Awesome 👍 riveting read
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews