Keeping Her Under

by Miranda Grant

Fuck, You're Going to Make Me Lose My License

When the most beautiful angel is wheeled into my hospital, I become obsessed with the need to have her. It's all I can think about as she nearly dies on our operating table, having just wrapped her car around a tree. She might never walk again due to her injuries. She might not even survive.

But when she falls into a coma, I know the fates are looking out for me. They made it so she cannot run. They want me to fuck her senseless. They want me to risk it all.

And for her, I damn well might.

Because her eyes spoke to me - in that brief moment they met mine before they rolled back in her head.

"Do with me what you will."

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Trigger and Content warnings

Remember, this is FICTION, and the content inside isn’t acceptable in real life. Nor are the thoughts a true representation of mine or what I think counts as rape.

Coercion is still rape. Abuse of power is still rape. Fucking someone in a coma so they don’t know they’re being raped is still… you guessed it, rape.

So the main triggers you’ll find in here are pretty obvious given the blurb (noncon somnophilia, abuse of power, doctor/patient taboo), but if you want to see the full list, you can do so on my website once it's live.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Smut, Abuse, Contemporary Romance

200 pages, Paperback

About the author

Miranda Grant is not a serial killer.

As an author of fantasy and paranormal romance, she just needs to know some things, like how many dead babies can fit in a bathtub (34, 52.5 if blended), what human meat tastes like (dry pork), how to get away with murder (it’s really hard to tell the difference between a drowning accident and a drowning murder, just saying), etc.

This non-serial killer lady lives with her partner, who often drags her outside, claiming ‘sunlight is necessary’ and ‘social interactions are a good thing’. Given her questionable search history, she goes along with it, thinking it’ll be better to have less ‘aloof serial killer vibes’ should the police ever knock on her door…

Reviews

[Hannahhh ;) [free palestine]]

okay, normally I don’t rate books without reading them but we as a goodreads community need to cancel this book and author bc WTF IS THIS??! this is not dark romance, IT IS RAPE. and we cannot allow that to be normalised or romanticised. this book and its author disgust me to my core- rape is horrific, don’t treat it as anything less. and btw a girl in A COMA can’t consent even if she looked at you one time

I didn’t actually dnf this fyi, I wouldn’t even start this book

[khadeja · Rating 1 out of 5]

“𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.”

i have a LOT of thoughts so i’ll get right in

𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙚
to be quite frank there are much much darker books out there, and i myself have encountered, read and maybe even liked a few of these books. but the major difference between them is the marketing. this would not have garnered as much attention as it did if it was marketed as a horror or pyschological thriller. but since the genres of this book on goodreads ARE listed as dark romance, and since miranda grant even said in her posts that it was a dark romance, and since FANARTS MADE by miranda exist of the rapist in this book, of course there is going to be discourse. and i will be judging it by the standard that it is a dark romance.

𝙙𝙤𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙮
the classic example of a rapist in a dark romance book who had a fucked up childhood and takes it out on the women around him. but hes also…… somewhat more complex than that. the difference is that he TRULY does not know what he is doing is wrong…… even at his grown age pushing fifty. only at the seventy-five percent mark did he truly realize that what he has done to summer was considered rape, because HE himself in his childhood had endured the same type of abuse from the people around him.

𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘬, "𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳?" "𝘕𝘰," 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺. "𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘢." 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮. 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤. 𝘙𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘕𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢.

at some points it was interesting to see how abuse can shape a person as they grow up (ex: asher becoming extremely hypersexual while astley refuses to have sex with anyone) and this idea that victims of abuse can often become the perpetrators. it is unfortunately a common thing, but once again i really just wish that this man wasn’t the “love interest” in a novel because its an interesting topic. but mostly……. hes just an insufferable little bitch and i tried to feel an ounce of sympathy for him but i couldnt bring myself to

even putting aside his tendencies to rape not just his patients but also to drug his dates (“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴!” “𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘩. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, ” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴. “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘹 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘹 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘹. 𝘚𝘰 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦.) i found this book itself so….. cringey and terribly written so here are a few of my problems that don’t necessarily pertain to my hatred of doctor man’s sexual assaults

•the sex was just so bad. not even talking about him raping her, not even talking about how it felt wrong but at certain points it was so cringey to read about. stuffing a BRA in your mouth? you’re fifty, she’s described as plus sized so how would that even begin to FIT in there? what the hell. and his CONSTANT jerking off. please give me a break. do you need a viagra to stay that hard? because it was every chapter.

•another thing that bothered me was the fact that he assaults the woman that summer’s boyfriend cheats with. he kicks her, beats her up, lets his cousin rape her, and kills her. something about this, along with the fact that he was ready to kill the DOGS that belonged to summers ex boyfriend made me the most disgusted ever

𝘐 𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘣 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳. 𝘠𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮. “𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱! 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦, ” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

•repetitive writing. the word “twitch” in referral to his cock is used 13 times, and he “pinches” her nipples on five seperate occasions. please i was getting so tired there was no need for all of these unmemorable “sex” scenes.

•rushed. instalust BEYOND anything you could imagine, but also it was so unserious at times? like it was revealed that summer had been in a coma for less than TWO weeks, and by that point im pretty sure dr astley had jacked off twenty times, raped her quite a few times, was called her “my girl”, killing her ex boyfriend, calling her his future wife and imagining their future. IN LESS THAN FOURTEEN DAYS. i was praying he would seek help and go to therapy (which he never did btw). get a LIFE oh my GOD.

•at certain points it felt like a fourth wall break that was shoehorned in at the last moment because miranda was getting so much backlash. paragraphs about how what books you read doesn’t define you as a person or equal what you want in real life.

𝘈𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 – 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘣, 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮.
𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘐 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘪-𝘧𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵…

which i mean would be an good topic to explore because i’ve always been curious as to how reading books such as this one is healing but it never gets brought up again. speaking of, im so tired of fmcs who read in books. i get like the author is trying to make it more relatable to readers, but can we pick another hobby for ONCE please

•the largest saviour complex i have ever witnessed belongs to this pathetic excuse of a man. he would go on tirades about saving summer from her abusive boyfriend, talk about how horrible he is, as if…….. hes not just as bad, or even worse? at least have the decency to acknowledge that you are no better and she should be saved from YOU 🫵

"𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥."

𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙
•summers depression was the most fascinating part of this book. it was only touched on the last few pages….. but honestly if it was just a book about her battling her depression and her demons i would’ve loved to read it!

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘫𝘰𝘺. 𝘈𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵.

•there was a moment where astley was considering killing himself and i truly was smiling for the first time the entire book

𝘐’𝘮 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 𝘙𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘐 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘵.

yes, indeed! but this was soon cut short in favour of a happy ending where he and summer, his coma victim live happily ever after (boo 👎)

overrall, truly a boring, mediocre, and tedious book. never once was i interested in the mmc and exploring his backstory, and there was never much of a plot that tied it all together (though i can tell the author put in an attempt) and a lot of the time there was a lot of random info dumps. it tried to do too much and ended up jist being underwhelming and hard to get through. and throughout the entire thing i couldnt help thinking of this:

𝑾𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵 𝑰𝑵 14-𝒀𝑬𝑨𝑹 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑨 𝑮𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑺 𝑩𝑰𝑹𝑻𝑯 𝑰𝑵 𝑨𝑹𝑰𝒁𝑶𝑵𝑨 - 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆

[siera 🪷! (the outsider’s vers.) · Rating 1 out of 5]

now wtf was this shitshow. never should’ve been published, never should’ve been a THOUGHT actually.

edit: so… i regret everything. i DID actually read to chapter 3 and even while trying to ignore the absolutely horrid and disgusting content of this book, im also realizing the writing is actual trash. the smut sucks, the dialogue is so freaking cringy, his inner monologue is all we get, and the start of the book is literally just him touching and wanting to bang her unconscious body.

‘Or perhaps she’s a Ms. Tulip or a Ms. Horseshoe’ -when wondering about what her 🐱 looks like! he uses the real terms for all the parts as well, which i get that he’s a doctor but that’s just so creepy omg.

[Timija F · Rating 1 out of 5]

Haven't read it. Let's get this book banned

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate to see so many “reviews” from people who haven’t even read the actual book. Judging the book on the blurb when that is 5% of the story is shameful.. can’t even judge it by the cover because it is beautiful!

If you want to read a review by someone who actually read it, continue below.

Miranda, thank you for letting me beta read for you!

Let me start by saying I have zero triggers. I know others will, so read the trigger warnings and take them seriously.

This book was seriously messed up, but powerful and impactful at the same time. My head is still spinning and I finished it an hour ago. The author was able to show how traumatized people can be and still find the light in their day. I think the way it was written, made the story come full circle and the ending was just right.

Without spoiling it, there are traumatized main characters throughout this novel. They embrace the effects of their trauma and are seriously unhinged. Delusions run high and things get ugly. It was a true roller coaster. Even so, the ending of this book is what really ties it all together.

If you give it a true chance, I think you may be pleasantly surprised. If you still hate it, then that is your right. Move along and have a beautiful day ✌🏽

“Helping someone isn’t about forcing them to do what is comfortable for you. It’s about listening to them. To what they need” -Asher

[•mikaela• :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

Okay wow, this was a messed up but also very insightful read.

Lots of triggers, so check them out before reading as this is a dark book with dark content that won't be suitable for everybody.

I went into this thinking the MMC was delusional as fuck, but the more you read on the more you realise why he is the way he is. Does it excuse his actions? No. But you get a good idea as to how he turned out the way he did.

There's lots of trauma in this book. The way Miranda has researched it and how it affects people really shows. Just because we expect people to act 'one way' after something traumatic happens, doesn't mean that's the best way for the person to cope. And this dives into a lot of challenging topics, and actions, of people with severe trauma and how they cope going forwards. A real eye opener for sure.

Was it a dark romance? To me, yes. There is romance there for sure.
Did it happy ending? Well kinda. 🤷🏻‍♀️



✨Original post✨

Since some of y'all have forgotten, here's Goodreads Review Guidelines.
See I haven't rated this book? Because I haven't read it as it isn't out yet. 😇


* Reviews of the author. Mentioning the author in the context of a review is always acceptable, but reviews that are predominantly about an author's behavior and not about the book may be deleted.

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* We will not tolerate abuse of our ratings system, such as rating the same work more than once for the purpose of inflating or deflating the book's average rating. Multiple ratings we determine to be abusive will be removed.

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[Eliška · Rating 1 out of 5]

"I write for sexual assault survivors who use graphic content to build up the courage to face their own memories."

Miranda Grant, you're a disappointment to women and a traitor to sexual assault survivors.
Claiming this was written “for sexual assault survivors” is a poor excuse that doesn’t hold up. Trauma-informed writing for survivors requires sensitivity, agency, acknowledgment of consequences and respect, romanticizing non-consensual acts or reducing a woman to an object doesn't meet this criteria. Depicting rape of an unconscious character as erotic is not healing or empowering, *it’s exploitative and harmful.*

Your own words "I've heard so many complaints about annoying FMCs in dark romances, so here's a book that doesn't have one! Because she's in a coma, Lol."
make it clear this isn’t about helping survivors process trauma. It’s about silencing the female lead and treating her lack of agency as entertainment. That directly contradicts the idea of writing for survivors, and exposes the excuse.

You completely reek of misogyny. Get therapy instead of publishing the disturbing fantasies your fetish-driven mind produces.
Fiction shapes reality whether you admit it or not, and you’re actively harming the very community you claim to support.

[yvette ★]

I did not read this, but i will never, and I mean never, support an author that excuses rape under dark romance

[Hedi Richert · Rating 1 out of 5]

This made me want to rip out my eyes

[Alina · Rating 1 out of 5]

disturbing problematic content of romanticized rape and everything horrible that is being done to women in our real world.

this book was written as a dark ROMANCE where al doctor dreams of raping his comatose patient, a woman who is raped repeatedly and forced to carry children, this was written and released in the day and age and SAME YEAR where a REAL woman was used as a human incubator for a fetus and was refused the decency of passing on, keeping her tubed up till her corpse started rotting, not even allowing her own family to pull the plug. Keeping her under is a disgrace to the memory of Adriana Smith and the monstrosity that was done to her. how anyone can hear of the story of Adriana and immidiately jump to write a book where her story was written as a dark romance? this is beyond deranged a mockery.

[Lauren Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t stand seeing all these “reviews” from people who haven’t even read the book. The blurb is maybe 5% of the whole story, and judging it off that is just unfair. So here’s an opinion from someone who actually read the book, here you go.

Please read the trigger warnings and take them seriously.
This book was dark, twisted, and honestly pretty messed up but wow, it was also powerful and impactful. I just finished it and my head is still spinning. The way the author shows how trauma shapes people, while still letting them find glimpses of light, was really well done. The story comes full circle, and the ending! The main character is seriously traumatized, unhinged, and drowning in delusions. Things get ugly fast. It was a total roller coaster, and I couldn’t look away. The ending is what really pulls everything together. Give this book a fair chance you might be surprised at how good it is. And hey, if it’s not for you, that’s totally fine. Just move along and have a great day.

[Sof · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disgusting.

[Angel Straight · Rating 1 out of 5]

for you to sit here and say “this is FICTIONN” and then informing us about rape, talking about “fucking someone in a coma is rape” then listing triggers as if the whole book isn’t a trigger. why is it okay to write “fiction” like this? yeah, it’s not fiction, so for you to write it down and put it as a romance, is weird as fuvk and disgusting. if it’s not acceptable in real life, why is it acceptable to write and practically fantasize about? dark romance is NOT dv and rape. not to mention your author’s description is extremely concerning. please get therapy.

[Master Oogway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was it dark? Oh yeah.
Do i condone anything he did? Hell no.
Did I go into it knowing exactly how dark? Of course, because I've read every single one of her books and knew exactly how dark she was going to be and she did not disappoint.
She explicitly says what this book is, a psychopath who non-con a woman in a coma.
She didnt hide the truth, and it is discussed in the book. You can tell the amount of research she did for this book and honestly it was a good book. Just know what you're reading when going into it.

[Chantelle Parsons · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please get some therapy and a journal and stop writing cause god damn this is messed up

[zoy]

NEGATIVE five stars. Oh boy... Where do i start?
Rape isn't romance. The entire book is built on rape, encouraging it, and doing it. Damn this. I've never seen anything more disgusting in my life like this.
An anesthesiologist, rapist, and murderer, and he lives with a good ending? Damn this dirty mind, and for not putting the hero and his cousin behind bars. Stupid ending.

[Hannah Bobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re not going to read this then don’t review it. the author isn’t normalizing rape and she literally talks about it in her opening remarks. I don’t know why people feel the need to bash something if they’re not even going to read it. If I was being harassed I wouldn’t want to respond to your malicious DM’s either.

as an erotic horror lover this was a unique dark “romance” and if you like your MMCs deranged and waving all the red flags then give it a go! Miranda has always been honest about how dark her books are so if that’s not your thing - move it along.

[AmberLee Brion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a lot of thoughts about this one. I received a free ARC this morning - thanks, Miranda! - and devoured it within hours.

First, I can’t find any fault with the technical side of the writing, and that’s rare for me. This is a well-written book.

Second, this is not a book meant for the masses. If you’re a dark romance fan who can forgive irredeemable characters and finds yourself loving the bad guys like I am, it might be.

You’re going to get the MMC, Rath’s, POV for the entire book. It works here. While I struggled the first third or so to connect with him, getting to hear his inner monologue and self-justification was poignant, and I found that connection with him.

The FMC, Summer, is a breath of fresh air even though she spends most of the book unconscious. Not a virgin, not just curvy, but with actual fat rolls… And it’s never treated as a negative. So many books that are trying to be body positive still frame it in an apologetic way. This does not. She’s beautiful and that’s that.

I’m an HEA girl and I’d warn people that this doesn’t end with them riding off into the sunset together. And honestly, that worked for me here, too. It wouldn’t have been appropriate, and I think the mental health and trauma representation here was far more important.

Things I’d tell a friend before urging them to read:
-This is heavy noncon. There’s no way around that. It’s a main facet of the plot and there’s significant backstory including it. If you have triggers, mind the trigger warnings.
-There are taboos like incest mentioned. The scenes aren’t graphic, but it comes up more than once.
-There is graphic gore and violence. I didn’t find it to be too much, but I’d be aware.

Overall, I’m giving 4 stars. The writing and the insight into Rath’s mind were excellent. The only thing that would’ve pushed this to a 5 star read for me would have been more insight into why Rath became so obsessed with Summer to begin with, because him talking about his love for her melted me.

I will be recommending this to all the freaks like me.

[Valentina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't usually write public reviews, and I like my fair share of dark romance, but this book is not a dark romance, it's romanticised rape. This is not CNC, because C stands for consent, and comatose person cannot give you that. I don't understand how a book like this is even allowed to be published. This is not dnf, it's dns

[Melissa Pugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give books 5 stars Excellently written and the book starts you thinking about how you define sexual assault. Phenomenal job portraying trauma, depression and mental illness.

[Erika]

Have I read the book - Nope
Will I read the book - Doubt it
Did I buy the book - Yep!

Why did I buy the book?
Why am I leaving the review?

The answer to the last two question is simple. I bought the book to support the author because people are trying to get her book banned. Banning a book is never the answer. So it's not your cup of tea, Alright, no one forced you to read it. The author clearly gave you the understanding of what the book is going to be about, and instead of people say.. ohh... not for me... they want to ban it.

STOP TRYING TO GET BOOKS BANNED!!!

[Ayesha SEMI HIATUS FOR SCHOOL {Jinu’s version} · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hate this book with a burning passion
hate every single character
only gave it a one star cuz
1) goodreads is dumb asf and doesnt let me rate 0 stars
2) I liked the acknowledgements
but the author couldve proven her point in other ways than writing this dumbass book

[JackaayReadsallday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need a minute to gather my thoughts about this book. But my goodness did that ending just rip my heart out and do a little jig on the remains…

[Michaela Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This was an ARC read for my honest review.*

This book was haunting, gripping, and absolutely unforgettable.

Keeping Her Under is a fascinating deep dive into a mind fractured by trauma, and it doesn’t shy away from exploring the darkness that results. Miranda Grant writes with an unflinching honesty that makes the story as unsettling as it is compelling. While there are dark romance elements woven throughout, what stood out to me most was how carefully the narrative avoids romanticizing rape except for in Rath's head. The story frames the actions as reprehensible despite him convincing himself that it isn't. It lays bare the twisted consequences of pain and manipulation, making the book both raw and thought-provoking.

I was captivated by the psychological depth, the way each layer of the story peeled back to reveal something darker, and the fact that, even in the most disturbing moments, I couldn’t look away. The prose is sharp, the pacing tight, and the emotional intensity relentless. It’s not a light read, but it’s one that lingers, demanding reflection long after the last page. For readers who appreciate dark, complex stories that challenge boundaries, Keeping Her Under is an absolute standout.

[Shine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Я в ахуї.

[Gal V · Rating 5 out of 5]

wasn't expecting to go into this and cry in the end but here we are with me sobbing at 5am

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely an interesting book, finished it in a day. I’ve never read a book like this and I have my up and down thoughts about it but it definitely had be hooked. Rath’s psycho behavior definitely came out more towards the end but we already knew he was crazy going into the book. Asher is probably my favorite character, he’s definitely crazy and has even crazier stories to tell. 4/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨️ARC Review✨️

So hear me out... is it really taboo- yes, but it was a great read! The author did her research and you could tell it in her writing. Yes this is about a anesthesiologist putting a patient into a coma because he's become obsessed with her, but it's also about someone battling their own demons. Then having to help the person they love battle severe depression.

[Megan Novak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this ARC in less than 12 hours — it was definitely a page-turner. The backstories for the MMC and his cousin were really compelling and gave the story a lot of depth.

That said, I found myself wishing the FMCs had more closure and development, especially toward the end. The story leaned darker than I expected, and it doesn’t fully land in HEA territory. The ending, in particular, hit heavy: the FMC’s depression and the husband’s response to it left me unsettled.

Overall, this is a bold, taboo read that will appeal to readers who enjoy very dark themes and blurred power dynamics. It may not satisfy those looking for a more traditional romance arc, but it definitely delivers on intensity and shock factor.

[Jolynn Stephenson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rape is not romance.

Rape is not romance.

Doctors abusing coma patients is not romance.

Rape is not romance.