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Deep Feelings & Shallow Graves: A Dark Comedy Reverse Harem Romance
Three men. One bone saw. Zero regrets.
Romance is messy. That’s why I line the trunk.
Some girls bake cookies to cope with trauma. I bury men in my garden.
Not all men, obviously. Just the ones who call me “curvy” like it’s charity work, ghost after sex, or think gaslighting counts as foreplay.
I give them four dates. That’s generous, considering how many end up under the begonias.
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot more digging than dating. The garden’s full, my shovel’s tired, and the ghosts of shitty men are haunting my heirloom tomatoes.
Then Blake shows up, all golden retriever energy and accidental shovel offers. He might be dumb. Or dangerous. Or both.
And there’s Edgar, a disturbingly hot mortician with gourmet sandwiches, quiet trauma, and the tools to help bodies disappear.
Let’s not forget Officer Carson, broody, beefy, and maybe obsessed. He keeps asking questions about my ex. The one who vanished. The one who deserved it.
Oh, and there’s Walter. We don’t talk about Walter. Yet.
Now my love life’s overflowing, my garden’s full of secrets, and I’m almost out of yard space. But I’ve got a system. I’ve got snacks. And I’ve got a bone saw in the trunk, courtesy of a hot undertaker with questionable morals and excellent taste in bread.
This might end in love. Or bloodshed.
Either way, I’m bringing dessert.
I bake. I kill. I compost.
Try me.
A deliciously unhinged reverse harem romantic comedy full of bite, bodies, banter, and bloodshed. (They all deserved it.)
Romance is messy. That’s why I line the trunk.
Some girls bake cookies to cope with trauma. I bury men in my garden.
Not all men, obviously. Just the ones who call me “curvy” like it’s charity work, ghost after sex, or think gaslighting counts as foreplay.
I give them four dates. That’s generous, considering how many end up under the begonias.
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot more digging than dating. The garden’s full, my shovel’s tired, and the ghosts of shitty men are haunting my heirloom tomatoes.
Then Blake shows up, all golden retriever energy and accidental shovel offers. He might be dumb. Or dangerous. Or both.
And there’s Edgar, a disturbingly hot mortician with gourmet sandwiches, quiet trauma, and the tools to help bodies disappear.
Let’s not forget Officer Carson, broody, beefy, and maybe obsessed. He keeps asking questions about my ex. The one who vanished. The one who deserved it.
Oh, and there’s Walter. We don’t talk about Walter. Yet.
Now my love life’s overflowing, my garden’s full of secrets, and I’m almost out of yard space. But I’ve got a system. I’ve got snacks. And I’ve got a bone saw in the trunk, courtesy of a hot undertaker with questionable morals and excellent taste in bread.
This might end in love. Or bloodshed.
Either way, I’m bringing dessert.
I bake. I kill. I compost.
Try me.
A deliciously unhinged reverse harem romantic comedy full of bite, bodies, banter, and bloodshed. (They all deserved it.)
- GenresContemporaryHumor
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2025
50 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Gwendoline Rose
26 books69 followersGwendoline Rose admits she’s not quite right. But who the hell wants to be? Maybe it was the steady diet of fairy tales spiked with horror. Maybe it was the cream cookies and undiagnosed autism.
Either way, she’s always rooted for the villain, questioned the happy endings, and wondered why the hell the princess would ever settle for Prince Beige.
Now she writes emotionally raw, hilariously unhinged romance for the beautifully broken, the chronically overstimulated, the neurodivergents, the survivors, the ones who feel too much and love even harder.
Diagnosed late with autism, cPTSD, and enough rare disorders to fill a bingo card, she now channels the chaos into characters who crave connection but have absolutely no idea how to do it “right.”
Her heroines are feral. Her men are emotionally constipated. And her stories don’t fade to black, they set it on fire.
If you’ve ever been told you’re too intense, too sensitive, too much… welcome home.
Either way, she’s always rooted for the villain, questioned the happy endings, and wondered why the hell the princess would ever settle for Prince Beige.
Now she writes emotionally raw, hilariously unhinged romance for the beautifully broken, the chronically overstimulated, the neurodivergents, the survivors, the ones who feel too much and love even harder.
Diagnosed late with autism, cPTSD, and enough rare disorders to fill a bingo card, she now channels the chaos into characters who crave connection but have absolutely no idea how to do it “right.”
Her heroines are feral. Her men are emotionally constipated. And her stories don’t fade to black, they set it on fire.
If you’ve ever been told you’re too intense, too sensitive, too much… welcome home.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 10, 2025
DNF at 31%
I don't rate books I DNF, but seeing as I'm 31% in, and what irks me about this book does not seem to be diminishing- I feel it deserves to be mentioned.
If you read this book, I hope you enjoy the word "Like", you will read it, I can only guess thousands of times by the end of the book. Every action and descriptor is likened to something else, it is so overused as to be ridiculous. It takes what could have been a campy fun Rom-Com and turns into something exhausting to read. You can be funny without hitting your reader over the head with a bat. This is from the final page I read:
"..he says, like he's trying to shove me back into a box..."
"..an order and a plea, like he hasn't decided whether to cuff me or kiss me."
--Those two aren't so bad, could actually be normal, but when coupled with the other three from the SAME page--you guessed it way overused
"I circle the car, slow like a woman who's definitely not armed but knows how to ruin a man's life."
"I pop open a Cherry Coke, sip, and sigh like a woman in a bath, not a stakeout."
"Just grabs a slice like this is some kind of stakeout date."
Some people might read these examples and think, "well that's not that bad", but that's literally just one page, I am not overexaggerating when I say the entire book up until the point I stopped was the exact same way. Like, like, like, like, like.......
Then you get the numerous instances when the author uses "Like" to start a sentence. I know this is okay with grammar rules today, and I would typically have zero issue with it, if the word was not already being used 8000 times already.
I felt as if I was listening to a table full of 17 year olds talk about their lives.....like, like, like, like.
This had the potential to be fun, but I could not get past the "likes".
Oh and the heroine is a big ol' hypocrite. She kills guys for being assholes, but she's no better. She calls one of the heroes "stupid" more than once (he's just a big goofy awkward golden retriever), but has zero problem ogling him and wanting to jump his bones. So in essence, she's basically the same as the guys she killing.
I don't rate books I DNF, but seeing as I'm 31% in, and what irks me about this book does not seem to be diminishing- I feel it deserves to be mentioned.
If you read this book, I hope you enjoy the word "Like", you will read it, I can only guess thousands of times by the end of the book. Every action and descriptor is likened to something else, it is so overused as to be ridiculous. It takes what could have been a campy fun Rom-Com and turns into something exhausting to read. You can be funny without hitting your reader over the head with a bat. This is from the final page I read:
"..he says, like he's trying to shove me back into a box..."
"..an order and a plea, like he hasn't decided whether to cuff me or kiss me."
--Those two aren't so bad, could actually be normal, but when coupled with the other three from the SAME page--you guessed it way overused
"I circle the car, slow like a woman who's definitely not armed but knows how to ruin a man's life."
"I pop open a Cherry Coke, sip, and sigh like a woman in a bath, not a stakeout."
"Just grabs a slice like this is some kind of stakeout date."
Some people might read these examples and think, "well that's not that bad", but that's literally just one page, I am not overexaggerating when I say the entire book up until the point I stopped was the exact same way. Like, like, like, like, like.......
Then you get the numerous instances when the author uses "Like" to start a sentence. I know this is okay with grammar rules today, and I would typically have zero issue with it, if the word was not already being used 8000 times already.
I felt as if I was listening to a table full of 17 year olds talk about their lives.....like, like, like, like.
This had the potential to be fun, but I could not get past the "likes".
Oh and the heroine is a big ol' hypocrite. She kills guys for being assholes, but she's no better. She calls one of the heroes "stupid" more than once (he's just a big goofy awkward golden retriever), but has zero problem ogling him and wanting to jump his bones. So in essence, she's basically the same as the guys she killing.
July 14, 2025
2.5* DNF @ 65%
I'm not sure I would consider this dark...yes there is some killing off walking red flags, but it isn't really drawn out or detailed and there aren't any particularly dark themes.
There's an oddly frequent amount of thumb licking. I didn't realise how often thumbs get covered in food and need to be licked off until I read this.
I don't usually go for comedy reads too much, as I never understand the humour...but this did actually have me laughing in parts! It was a little OTT at times, and as the same humour was done for every MC they ended up feeling a little too similar. The brand of humour used is pretty specific and quirky, and to have each character talking/joking in the same way just made it hard for me to imagine separate characters.
It is jammed packed with similes and jokes from start to finish, to the point that it felt overdone after a few chapters in and I ended up skimming to get to more plot and relationship development rather than read every pun.
I don't understand how she would joke so openly to people, and to law enforcement, about killing...but she hasn't been caught? I'm also confused what she does to earn a living. What does she do with their belongings? She isn't actually very good at it, as there is a lot of clean up and often not sticking to a plan. Probably a good thing she met each of the MMCs who are able to help her not get noticed, because FML how has she not been caught so far?!
Did I enjoy reading this? Yes. Did I recommend it to friends whilst reading? Also yes. But did I end up with a lot of questions and skimming to get to the good bits...sigh, yes.
I'm not sure I would consider this dark...yes there is some killing off walking red flags, but it isn't really drawn out or detailed and there aren't any particularly dark themes.
There's an oddly frequent amount of thumb licking. I didn't realise how often thumbs get covered in food and need to be licked off until I read this.
I don't usually go for comedy reads too much, as I never understand the humour...but this did actually have me laughing in parts! It was a little OTT at times, and as the same humour was done for every MC they ended up feeling a little too similar. The brand of humour used is pretty specific and quirky, and to have each character talking/joking in the same way just made it hard for me to imagine separate characters.
It is jammed packed with similes and jokes from start to finish, to the point that it felt overdone after a few chapters in and I ended up skimming to get to more plot and relationship development rather than read every pun.
I don't understand how she would joke so openly to people, and to law enforcement, about killing...but she hasn't been caught? I'm also confused what she does to earn a living. What does she do with their belongings? She isn't actually very good at it, as there is a lot of clean up and often not sticking to a plan. Probably a good thing she met each of the MMCs who are able to help her not get noticed, because FML how has she not been caught so far?!
Did I enjoy reading this? Yes. Did I recommend it to friends whilst reading? Also yes. But did I end up with a lot of questions and skimming to get to the good bits...sigh, yes.
August 30, 2025
Delightfully unhinged
Funny that I always describe Gwen's standalones as my "palate cleansers" when I tell people what I'm reading and this gem comes out like proper validation. This madness is sure to cure any book rut and make you feel prepared to take on any new series while waiting for the next bout of chaos. No one else can make you feel completely unsettled while having a hell of a good time. Stop wasting time checking what everyone else thinks and just read it. It's perfectly horrifying, hilarious and hot. What else do you need?
Funny that I always describe Gwen's standalones as my "palate cleansers" when I tell people what I'm reading and this gem comes out like proper validation. This madness is sure to cure any book rut and make you feel prepared to take on any new series while waiting for the next bout of chaos. No one else can make you feel completely unsettled while having a hell of a good time. Stop wasting time checking what everyone else thinks and just read it. It's perfectly horrifying, hilarious and hot. What else do you need?
July 9, 2025
Murder, muffins, and men who know their place? 10/10 would join that harem in a heartbeat 🧁🛏️🖤
So, I just finished Deep Feelings & Shallow Graves by Gwendoline Rose, and let me tell you - I am once again deeply unwell in the best possible way.
This is my third book from her (after They Are Mine and Bunker Down, Baby) and I don’t know what kind of unholy magic she’s working, but she gets me. If you’re a dark comedy romance lover who enjoys chaos, spice, a solid plot, and morally gray disasters with a side of murder - this is your sign. You will eat this up.
Let’s start with our leading lady, Jennifer. First of all, she’s hilarious. Second, she’s mildly unhinged in a way that felt deeply relatable. Third, she is an absolute force of feminine rage and trauma-baked resilience. She dropped therapy, picked up vengeance, and honestly? It worked. She handled business and looked fabulous doing it.
Now for the men. Ohhh the men. Edgar, Carson, and Blake. A glorious, chaotic trio of men who didn’t just fall in love - they fell in line. No drama, no resistance. Just “yes ma’am” energy and murdery devotion.
Edgar is your velvet-wrapped nightmare daddy. Slow, calculating, and intense. That man could kill someone with a look and then calmly wipe the blood off his gloves before pouring tea. 🖤🧤
Carson went full “ride or die” in like ONE chapter. Falsified evidence for her? Obsessed before the first kiss? King behavior. 🕵️♂️🔥
Blake=golden retriever energy meets human weighted blanket. He’s dumb in the best way. Sweet, soft, totally unprepared - but also somehow thriving in this chaotic foursome. My emotional support himbo. ☀️🥹
And the group dynamic? Chef’s kiss. They were all already hers before the group scene, but that moment sealed the deal. One big, spicy murder cuddle pile. I’m obsessed.
If I had to nitpick - just one little thing - I wish we got an epilogue. Something that gave me a little more closure, a little more future fantasy. Because while the story ends really well, it feels more “happy for now” than “happily ever after,” and I wasn’t ready to let go of this murder bakery found family just yet.
But listen - this book? So worth it. Not super long, totally bingeable, full of vibes and chemistry. If you love your dark comedy romance with heart, heat, and homicidal tendencies? Pick it up immediately. 🍰✨🪓
So, I just finished Deep Feelings & Shallow Graves by Gwendoline Rose, and let me tell you - I am once again deeply unwell in the best possible way.
This is my third book from her (after They Are Mine and Bunker Down, Baby) and I don’t know what kind of unholy magic she’s working, but she gets me. If you’re a dark comedy romance lover who enjoys chaos, spice, a solid plot, and morally gray disasters with a side of murder - this is your sign. You will eat this up.
Let’s start with our leading lady, Jennifer. First of all, she’s hilarious. Second, she’s mildly unhinged in a way that felt deeply relatable. Third, she is an absolute force of feminine rage and trauma-baked resilience. She dropped therapy, picked up vengeance, and honestly? It worked. She handled business and looked fabulous doing it.
Now for the men. Ohhh the men. Edgar, Carson, and Blake. A glorious, chaotic trio of men who didn’t just fall in love - they fell in line. No drama, no resistance. Just “yes ma’am” energy and murdery devotion.
Edgar is your velvet-wrapped nightmare daddy. Slow, calculating, and intense. That man could kill someone with a look and then calmly wipe the blood off his gloves before pouring tea. 🖤🧤
Carson went full “ride or die” in like ONE chapter. Falsified evidence for her? Obsessed before the first kiss? King behavior. 🕵️♂️🔥
Blake=golden retriever energy meets human weighted blanket. He’s dumb in the best way. Sweet, soft, totally unprepared - but also somehow thriving in this chaotic foursome. My emotional support himbo. ☀️🥹
And the group dynamic? Chef’s kiss. They were all already hers before the group scene, but that moment sealed the deal. One big, spicy murder cuddle pile. I’m obsessed.
If I had to nitpick - just one little thing - I wish we got an epilogue. Something that gave me a little more closure, a little more future fantasy. Because while the story ends really well, it feels more “happy for now” than “happily ever after,” and I wasn’t ready to let go of this murder bakery found family just yet.
But listen - this book? So worth it. Not super long, totally bingeable, full of vibes and chemistry. If you love your dark comedy romance with heart, heat, and homicidal tendencies? Pick it up immediately. 🍰✨🪓
July 11, 2025
Top Read of the year
I rarely leave actual reviews but as soon as I read this I knew I needed to memorialize my love for this book in writing. The absolute unhinged perfection of these characters will live rent free in my head for probably ever. When I get asked “hey do you have any recs with lovable psychos and a bad@ss FMC” this will be the immediate response. I will hold Jen up as my standard for vengeful goddess FMCs. Hands down my favorite read of the year and I’m immediately going to go read everything else Gwendoline has ever written 👏
I rarely leave actual reviews but as soon as I read this I knew I needed to memorialize my love for this book in writing. The absolute unhinged perfection of these characters will live rent free in my head for probably ever. When I get asked “hey do you have any recs with lovable psychos and a bad@ss FMC” this will be the immediate response. I will hold Jen up as my standard for vengeful goddess FMCs. Hands down my favorite read of the year and I’m immediately going to go read everything else Gwendoline has ever written 👏
July 17, 2025
I have never laughed so hard
This book was hilarious I can't remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book. Jennifer is out doing the lord's work taking care of red flagged men. Blake (my favorite) the hot insecure golden retriever. Edgar the dark sexy mortician/ food snob. And Carson the cop who falls for the beautifully unhinged woman.
This book was hilarious I can't remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book. Jennifer is out doing the lord's work taking care of red flagged men. Blake (my favorite) the hot insecure golden retriever. Edgar the dark sexy mortician/ food snob. And Carson the cop who falls for the beautifully unhinged woman.
July 8, 2025
Another hilarious read. I love these for in between the dark stuff. Please keep them coming. Edgar was perfect. I need him to make my subway orders and other things.
July 13, 2025
Lemony Kill
A quirky, fun, dark read. I was in the mood and this definitely helped it lol. The guys the murder the clean ups and the baking.
A quirky, fun, dark read. I was in the mood and this definitely helped it lol. The guys the murder the clean ups and the baking.
July 18, 2025
What a hilarious, laugh out loud, unexpectedly beautiful story! Loved this so much 💜 A must read!
September 10, 2025
DNF 30%
I didn't really like the serial killer vibes. It felt a bit like the serie Dexter which wasn't really my favorite...
I didn't really like the serial killer vibes. It felt a bit like the serie Dexter which wasn't really my favorite...
August 13, 2025
This was a solid read. I really needed a palate cleanser after reading so many intense series back to back and I think I just found my next obsession when it comes to themes/tropes.
This book was funny, sweet, and light hearted while still talking about real issues women face and the extremes the FMC went to with dealing with them.
I really liked Jennifer. Her inner dialogue was hilarious. All of the men in her harem fit her so perfectly. Yea, maybe the men weren’t super original, you had the himbo, broody guy that’s devoted to her safety, and the dark one that’s just as unhinged as her. But I loved it for what it was.
If you’re looking for a quick read that’ll make you laugh and have you rooting for the unhinged killers, I definitely recommend.
This book was funny, sweet, and light hearted while still talking about real issues women face and the extremes the FMC went to with dealing with them.
I really liked Jennifer. Her inner dialogue was hilarious. All of the men in her harem fit her so perfectly. Yea, maybe the men weren’t super original, you had the himbo, broody guy that’s devoted to her safety, and the dark one that’s just as unhinged as her. But I loved it for what it was.
If you’re looking for a quick read that’ll make you laugh and have you rooting for the unhinged killers, I definitely recommend.
July 13, 2025
It feels like this book was trying too hard to be quirky. The murder puns and quick wit are hilarious, I'll give the author that. But every main character has the same wit, same dry humor. It didn't have any real substance beyond what you might expect for a novella. The characters all felt very empty with little actual back story. The overall idea of the book? 10/10 and was very excited to read it. The wit, puns, and humor? also 10/10. But it felt like every interaction and every description of anything was just a pun. Once you got past the humor, there was no book. It also didn't feel like the book even start until around 70%.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2025
this was the book I never knew I needed
This was a refreshingly fun dark book. The comedy balanced the unhinged madness of the characters perfectly. First time reading something by this author but now I am definitely going to search out more
This was a refreshingly fun dark book. The comedy balanced the unhinged madness of the characters perfectly. First time reading something by this author but now I am definitely going to search out more
July 8, 2025
Really really funny book. I enjoyed the writing, but it felt like the story stalled out for all the dead jokes.
August 6, 2025
Enjoyable
Funny, spicy, and quirky. Definitely requires a suspension of disbelief. She is not very subtle! But it was cute and enjoyable.
Funny, spicy, and quirky. Definitely requires a suspension of disbelief. She is not very subtle! But it was cute and enjoyable.
August 13, 2025
2.5 stars ✨
October 1, 2025
This author is really finding her way with this humor. Legit I love it so much.
December 23, 2025
Despite the name a light hearted and fun read that is easily one of my new favs. Loved the writing style and the dark humor. Himbo Blake was adorable!
September 26, 2025
Witty. Sexy. Funny as hell. Absolutely to die for (pun FULLY intended.) 🔥
I ADORE this book. The author is HILARIOUS and I am always stuck trying to decide if I like Himbo Jesus or the hottie undertaker more. Forget it, I love them both. Love a good Why Choose, but this one is also full of solid gold one-liners. ("Who mixes titties with Tex-Mex?" I DIED.) 😂
It puts a smile on my face every time I reread it. And it's such a welcome reprieve from the formulaic 3rd act breakup-centric, soul crushing, angst trains. Low-angst, medium burn, and excellent spice!
I ADORE this book. The author is HILARIOUS and I am always stuck trying to decide if I like Himbo Jesus or the hottie undertaker more. Forget it, I love them both. Love a good Why Choose, but this one is also full of solid gold one-liners. ("Who mixes titties with Tex-Mex?" I DIED.) 😂
It puts a smile on my face every time I reread it. And it's such a welcome reprieve from the formulaic 3rd act breakup-centric, soul crushing, angst trains. Low-angst, medium burn, and excellent spice!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews