Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Deranged Like Me

Rate this book

338 pages, Paperback

Published June 29, 2025

1 person is currently reading
72 people want to read

About the author

C.J. Raine

11 books128 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
21 (87%)
4 stars
0 (0%)
3 stars
1 (4%)
2 stars
2 (8%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for BobbiJo.
875 reviews
July 10, 2025
This book is… WOW. Deranged is the absolute best word. This is pitch black and truly messed up, but I was completely hooked.

Do not come to this book thinking these are going to be vigilante serial killers. They are not, all of the MCs are irredeemable, but yet I still loved them all.

CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS! Seriously, CHECK THEM! This book is insane and gory.

I absolutely loved the relationships everyone had together. And all the spice! This book is full of wicked games and chases, but in the midst of that we also get the backstories of what made each of them. Their stories are heart wrenching, but I appreciated the look into the past.
Profile Image for Chaotic Bookworm.
526 reviews
July 12, 2025
The title says it all perfectly, this was a deranged story and I’m living for it!
Straight off the bat, this was a dark and twisted read, with circus vibes, morally black characters, twists and bloodshed this story kept me on my toes!

Be mindful some scenes/topics get dark so be sure to check out the TW/CW before diving in.

Definitely recommend for all those dark romance lovers who enjoy there story’s twisted with rock stars and masked killers
Profile Image for The Book Witch.
90 reviews14 followers
July 18, 2025
This book was a wild and very deranged ride, just as the title implies, and it met ALL of my *pitch black read* needs. I ate this one up!

That said, I'm just gonna put this out there, right away, even though I don't usually talk about it until the end of my reviews... PLEASE CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNING AND CONTENT LISTS. Deranged Like Me isn't just pitch black, it's a freakin' void and I absolutely devoured it. There is a full list on the authors website.

If you enjoy morally black serial unalivers, masked rock stars, found family, carnival/circus themes with why choose, Joker+Harley vibes led by an interracial, nuero-divergent FMC, then you will absolutely love this story. C.J really nailed it with this one which is definitely going on my re-read shelf.

I love my smüt to be dark, bloody and erotic AF. And this 0 to 60 in seconds read ticked all my boxes. So with that in mind, I'll be rating this overall 5⭐ and easily one handed read a very hot, steamy and wet 5 outta 5 🌶️'s, on the spice scale. I think you'll love it, too, but I cannot express how serious it is for you, the reader, to check out the content and trigger warnings. I ask and urge you to do so as this is a VERY dark read with deeply pitch black themes and tropes. Your mental well-being and health matters so much and isn't working any work if fiction.

If you made it through the triggers and contents lists and still think you're good to go, then please come back here afterwards and drop a comment down ⬇️ below ⬇️ and let's chat about! I'd love to hear what you thought!!!
Profile Image for spicybookmama.
530 reviews16 followers
July 10, 2025
“Who dreams of getting kidnapped by walking sex on a stick rock gods-I do.”

Oh how I love this book! I really really do! CJ Raine’s words hit me in the best ways. This book is pitch black, no morals and full on debauchery. Zero redemption for any of the characters and yet I fell so hard for them. These men, their relationship to each other, deep rooted trauma bond , unconditional understanding, and having the ability to save each other from spiraling is just so pure. They give each other what they desperately need to live making life worth living. As the story unfolds, layer by layer is revealed of their younger life and how they became who they are. Harlem matches their darkness and even surpasses them at times. She is the perfect addition to their chaos. Sexy, sinful and savage this has to be some of the hottest why choose characters I’ve read.

“But if I was his air, they were my blood, the force that engineered the cog that was my body.”

I was not prepared for the plot and the many twisted turns. Surprised by so many moments I could not stop reading. The trigger warnings must be taken seriously to ensure this book is right for you. Pitch black, taboo, sizzling spice, mystery, danger, masks, why choose and so much more combine to make this a very enjoyable read for any seasoned pitch black romance reader.
Profile Image for Niki N Evans.
157 reviews6 followers
July 4, 2025
first of all deranged is a mild word at best to describe this book, please read this trigger warnings because they are quite the interesting set, by no means am I saying that this is a bad book if you want it dark and taboo this will be what you're looking for, it is not normally quite the dark direction I would veer into but if you're looking for it like I said this is a good one to go with it definitely does not let off that gas, just a few of the trigger warnings, necrophilia, abduction, desecration of corpses, taboo relationship, no discussion of limits / no safe words and quite a few more, gives off Harley and joker vibes, this is a why choose, it contains mask, these four guys are in a band a very dark centered band most the fans don't realize that however she does, she is a medical examiner with lots and lots of access to unalived bodies, I don't need to say more because if you read this you will understand everything I am talking about.
Profile Image for Nichole Johnson .
373 reviews15 followers
July 1, 2025
Absolutely deranged, just as the title suggests, but I absolutely freaking loved it! All the characters are pitch black and totally messed up, but they each have a past that has contributed to that. I liked how you learn about each one and how they each met. The men are deliciously dark and dangerous, but Harlem is just as dangerous, if not more so. The games and chases they had were fantastic and so spicy. I liked how the men and band they are in gave me the feelings and thoughts of one of my all time favorite bands. IYKYK! I was not prepared for some of the twists and turns in this book. Despite the darkness and depravity, they each found a family with each other and created something beautifully chaotic. 10/10!!
Profile Image for Olivia Deelstra .
100 reviews14 followers
November 2, 2025
🖤Book review🖤
Deranged liked me by @author_cj.raine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Ok I thought that I had read dark books before but this book was DARK! It had me questioning my morals and almost reaching my limits, but I absolutely devoured this book!
I enjoyed reading the dynamic between Harlem, Arelys and Nya and coming to know each one of them.
The guys were absolute perfection and man I loved them.
If you love dark romance and taboo tropes Deranged like me is perfect for you
If you read this book please check trigger warnings!
Profile Image for Jacque Herndon.
90 reviews3 followers
July 1, 2025
TW: check her website for full list of trigger warnings.

If you’re looking for something extremely sick and twisted, with a hell of a lot of spice, this why choose is for you. If you love stories with a masked man, well this one has 4 with a lot of blood and gore to go with it. If you have any morals, you don’t after reading this. I highly suggest checking the trigger warnings before diving into this Circus because CJ Raine successfully roped a thousand of them into this book.
Profile Image for R.N. Arcadia .
Author 18 books106 followers
July 2, 2025
*Read those trigger warnings*

I read the first chapter, and I was like "really, bestie?!" as it went from 0 to 100 right off the bat. It didn't let up either. Lol. Pitch black dark, taboo, and spicy why choose. I enjoyed the mental health rep, and the masked men rockstar vibes. ;)
I haven't read a book quite like this one with the circus rockstar masked vibes, and the why choose dynamic, along with the FMC.

Great work CJ!

Profile Image for Chante Heaven.
909 reviews21 followers
July 4, 2025
Pain is love little recluse.  Just remember, your pain is ours to cause, ours to feast on and ours to heal.


What a fantastically dark and twisted read, so much depraved bloodshed and spice, must admit Nya was by far my favourite character.


Draven, Grey, Aeson and Rhames are excellent characters that truly fit well with Harlem, the connection between them leaps off the page.


If you like dark, twisted, bloodshedding romance, this is the book for you.

Profile Image for Ashley Coleman.
16 reviews8 followers
July 12, 2025
First check your triggers. This is deranged and pitch black! As someone who really only reads extremely dark, messed up sh*t ..I LOVED EVERY DERANGED, gory second of it. This a taboo, why choose and the plot and twists had me on the edge of my seat! And I really loved that we got a backstory on the characters so we know why they are the way they are. If you love extremely deranged off the rails , pitch black romances… you will love this one!
Profile Image for Liza.
188 reviews6 followers
July 2, 2025
This is an absolute ride! Check those trigger warnings! (I'm going to put this further down, too 😂) This story goes places I was not ready to tread, lol! What happens when an M.E. meets her biggest rival, who also happens to be in a band. I'll say this, anything can happen, and I was so here for every page.

⭐️ Check those trigger warnings! ⭐️
227 reviews3 followers
July 3, 2025
Deranged Like Me was wow!!! This why choose remake of Harley Quinn and Joker was just wonderful. This book demonstrated with both the FMC and the four MMC‘s a whole new level of deranged. I was hooked from the beginning of their story and couldn’t stop reading!

I received an advanced review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Ash.
222 reviews14 followers
July 7, 2025
Absolutely loved this story and couldn’t put it down. It came out the gate swinging and never stopped. This combined several of my favorite romance tropes with my favorite non romance genre and was well done. That twist I didn’t see coming. Check TWs, if you have none go and read this now, it won’t disappoint.
Profile Image for Netta G.
22 reviews
September 28, 2025
I absolutely loved this! It wasn't anything I was expecting! CJ Raine you have created a permanent fan of your works!!!
Profile Image for Rune.
128 reviews35 followers
April 5, 2026
It's finally time for me to share my thoughts on DLM, so buckle up!

I just want to start off by saying that I think CJ has really grown as an author, each book while completely unique is true to her voice. Her prose, depth, and flow as a writer has only grown with each release that I've read since her debut.

DLM does have The Jester, and it was a great safe exposure to one of my heaviest TW. With DLM it's a very specific kind of dark.

Pitch black? yes
Darker than dark? yes
Redeemable actions? nope
Fluffy and sweet? nope
Horror erotica? yes
Connection & emotion? yes
Plot? of course

There are complex situations at play throughout the story with dark twists around each corner, and you can't help but to keep scrolling.

I loved how CJ included mental health topics even with all the darkness going on, showing that no matter what world we are reading in - that mental health matters and exists for everyone.

I loved the chemistry between the main characters and especially between the band (Delirium Muse) members. It's electric, toxic, and HOT 🥵

Please be sure to check the CW on CJ's site as the list is long and EXTREMELY heavy/dark.

I need book 2!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews