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Untouchable
Seventeen years ago, Caleb Marshall ordered the hit that killed Kelly’s father, and he’s never been made to pay for that sin. No matter what it takes, Kelly will finally make him pay. She’ll work her way into his life, into his bed, and into his heart so she can uncover the truth and reveal all his dark secrets.
He’s lied to the world, so she’ll lie to him.
He’s manipulated others, so she’ll manipulate him.
He believes he’s untouchable.
He’s wrong.
Untouchable is a spicy contemporary romance standalone, and it includes violence, a revenge plot, two morally gray characters, death in backstory, references to cancer, and an exploration of long unresolved grief. It also includes hate spice, deceptive spice, conflicted spice, spice under false pretenses, unenthusiastic spice, manipulative spice, and numerous references to Hamlet. A previous version of this book was formerly published in two separate volumes, but it has since been substantively revised in plot, pacing, character development, and tone.
He’s lied to the world, so she’ll lie to him.
He’s manipulated others, so she’ll manipulate him.
He believes he’s untouchable.
He’s wrong.
Untouchable is a spicy contemporary romance standalone, and it includes violence, a revenge plot, two morally gray characters, death in backstory, references to cancer, and an exploration of long unresolved grief. It also includes hate spice, deceptive spice, conflicted spice, spice under false pretenses, unenthusiastic spice, manipulative spice, and numerous references to Hamlet. A previous version of this book was formerly published in two separate volumes, but it has since been substantively revised in plot, pacing, character development, and tone.
508 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2025
61 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Claire Kent
41 books2,120 followersClaire has been writing romance novels since she was twelve years old. After teaching English at the university level for several years, she started writing full-time under two different pen names. She lives in Virginia.
Her early books are sexy contemporary romances filled with heat and real emotion, but with the Hold series she transitioned to science fiction romance. Her current books are steamy post-apocalyptic romance set in the near future after a global catastrophe. They feature smart, resilient women trying to survive in a new chaotic world and falling in love with strong, gruff, taciturn men.
Claire also writes softer contemporary romances as Noelle Adams,
Her early books are sexy contemporary romances filled with heat and real emotion, but with the Hold series she transitioned to science fiction romance. Her current books are steamy post-apocalyptic romance set in the near future after a global catastrophe. They feature smart, resilient women trying to survive in a new chaotic world and falling in love with strong, gruff, taciturn men.
Claire also writes softer contemporary romances as Noelle Adams,
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 16, 2025
This isn’t your standard romance. It's darker, deeper, and completely unpredictable. Kelly is not your sweet, quirky heroine. She’s flawed, fierce, and willing to blur every moral line to make Caleb Marshall pay for the sins of his past. She’s human, relatable, and complicated, and I loved how fully Claire Kent brought her to life.
And oh my, the angst! It threaded its way through the story in waves, quiet at times, raw and relentless at others. Some moments had me holding my breath, others gave me a brief reprieve, only for the tension to surge back even stronger. The emotional push and pull between Kelly and Caleb was electric, and the moral grayness of both characters kept me constantly questioning who was really right or wrong.
The steam level was off the charts, with a bit of kink woven in, but it never overshadowed the emotional depth. We get Caleb’s POV too, which adds layers of complexity and keeps you guessing about his motives. The drama, the conflict, and the tension are perfectly balanced with moments of vulnerability that make the story hit hard.
By the time everything comes together, the stakes are intense, the emotions raw, and Kelly’s choices hit with full force. This story didn’t just pull me in, it grabbed me by the heart, had me holding my breath, and made me fall headfirst for characters who are as morally messy as they are magnetic.
Dual POV
Safety
Triggers: per the author and blurb - includes violence, a revenge plot, two morally gray characters, death in backstory, references to cancer, and an exploration of long unresolved grief. It also includes hate spice, deceptive spice, conflicted spice, spice under false pretenses, unenthusiastic spice, manipulative spice, and numerous references to Hamlet.
Steam
And oh my, the angst! It threaded its way through the story in waves, quiet at times, raw and relentless at others. Some moments had me holding my breath, others gave me a brief reprieve, only for the tension to surge back even stronger. The emotional push and pull between Kelly and Caleb was electric, and the moral grayness of both characters kept me constantly questioning who was really right or wrong.
The steam level was off the charts, with a bit of kink woven in, but it never overshadowed the emotional depth. We get Caleb’s POV too, which adds layers of complexity and keeps you guessing about his motives. The drama, the conflict, and the tension are perfectly balanced with moments of vulnerability that make the story hit hard.
By the time everything comes together, the stakes are intense, the emotions raw, and Kelly’s choices hit with full force. This story didn’t just pull me in, it grabbed me by the heart, had me holding my breath, and made me fall headfirst for characters who are as morally messy as they are magnetic.
Dual POV
Safety
Triggers: per the author and blurb - includes violence, a revenge plot, two morally gray characters, death in backstory, references to cancer, and an exploration of long unresolved grief. It also includes hate spice, deceptive spice, conflicted spice, spice under false pretenses, unenthusiastic spice, manipulative spice, and numerous references to Hamlet.
Steam
Read
December 14, 2025DNF… may try again later.
August 11, 2025
This is a new/old Claire Kent, a revised and combined duology from years ago into one book. Kelly is trying to finally get some closure/justice for the murder of her father 17 years prior, Caleb was (possibly) involved, and could hold the answers she needs. They are both deeply damaged by their pasts, keeping to meaningless encounters or one-time deals. Their first time falls under that category before Kelly knows who he is, and then she manipulates and maneuvers her way into his life.
This is a dual 3rd person POV book (unusual for Kent), mostly Kelly. It's exhausting to see her calibrate and measure every action and reaction to get what she wants. "Her mind was working quickly, trying to figure out what he wanted to hear." It's hard to read the first 20% or so, when Kelly is forcing herself into a physical relationship while fighting the "wave of revulsion and nausea" of being with the person responsible for her father's death. This book is VERY heated, as their relationship is deepened and cemented through relations, and Kent does a great job showing how those relations further the emotional and plot development.
By coincidence I recently read The Kingpin's Call Girl by Annika Martin with a similar "sleeping with dangerous criminal to get info, falls into lust then love" plot, although the stakes weren't as personal, although in both cases being found out would probably be fatal. Kent always sets herself a high degree of difficulty on the road to an HEA though, making it harder for both reader and writer. The characters are conflicted and cautious for a long time, and we sit with the lies and manipulation longer than feels comfortable.
There's an interesting gender swapping of the usual morality chain/dark romance that happens in this book. Usually in morality chain we see the FMC draw the MMC into the light. Caleb, while cautious and actively avoiding relationships, comes around to the feelings he has for Kelly as new but authentic. He's not lying and manipulating the entire time as she is, he starts to be a better person, and makes changes for and because of his relationship, being vulnerable and making himself available, expressing his true feelings. Even once she both have feelings for each other and have expressed that they want this to be real, she both means that AND she is constantly lying and manipulating him. "She might have surrendered far too many parts of herself to Caleb, but her surrender would never lead to light." She constantly tells herself, there is no happy ending for them, with the rotten core of the beginning.
There's a theme of Hamlet running through this, made explicit by quotes before each part. Kelly is manipulated into this plan, and "She was exactly like Hamlet, trapped in a quagmire of her conflicting emotions and human weakness. Driven by hatred and vengeance but imprisoned by guilt and reluctance." But Caleb is as well, complete with evil uncles. And in a way, they are also both Ophelia, innocents who were mired by the murders going on around them, used by others to carry out their schemes. There's even references to flowers that I'm trying to use to bolster this case since flowers are linked to sickness and death in the book, but I might be pushing it.
I admit, even with the Promise of the Premise, and complete faith in Kent to pull off difficult resolutions, I had a hard time seeing how this couple would get their HEA. She makes good use of some time jumps and self reflection all around. And after all, "Shakespeare goes out of his way to show that the final outcome could have been different - could have been so much better - if any of the characters at any given moment had made a different choice."
Four stars because it was rough reading so much revulsion and dishonesty, and this is a long book (500-ish pages) so there's a lot of it. Lovers of morality chain, mafia, or dark romance (this isn't that dark, tbh) who love conflicted characters and are willing to tolerate some bad behavior from their MCs will undoubtedly enjoy this book.
Thank you to the author for the arc.
This is a dual 3rd person POV book (unusual for Kent), mostly Kelly. It's exhausting to see her calibrate and measure every action and reaction to get what she wants. "Her mind was working quickly, trying to figure out what he wanted to hear." It's hard to read the first 20% or so, when Kelly is forcing herself into a physical relationship while fighting the "wave of revulsion and nausea" of being with the person responsible for her father's death. This book is VERY heated, as their relationship is deepened and cemented through relations, and Kent does a great job showing how those relations further the emotional and plot development.
By coincidence I recently read The Kingpin's Call Girl by Annika Martin with a similar "sleeping with dangerous criminal to get info, falls into lust then love" plot, although the stakes weren't as personal, although in both cases being found out would probably be fatal. Kent always sets herself a high degree of difficulty on the road to an HEA though, making it harder for both reader and writer. The characters are conflicted and cautious for a long time, and we sit with the lies and manipulation longer than feels comfortable.
There's an interesting gender swapping of the usual morality chain/dark romance that happens in this book. Usually in morality chain we see the FMC draw the MMC into the light. Caleb, while cautious and actively avoiding relationships, comes around to the feelings he has for Kelly as new but authentic. He's not lying and manipulating the entire time as she is, he starts to be a better person, and makes changes for and because of his relationship, being vulnerable and making himself available, expressing his true feelings. Even once she both have feelings for each other and have expressed that they want this to be real, she both means that AND she is constantly lying and manipulating him. "She might have surrendered far too many parts of herself to Caleb, but her surrender would never lead to light." She constantly tells herself, there is no happy ending for them, with the rotten core of the beginning.
There's a theme of Hamlet running through this, made explicit by quotes before each part. Kelly is manipulated into this plan, and "She was exactly like Hamlet, trapped in a quagmire of her conflicting emotions and human weakness. Driven by hatred and vengeance but imprisoned by guilt and reluctance." But Caleb is as well, complete with evil uncles. And in a way, they are also both Ophelia, innocents who were mired by the murders going on around them, used by others to carry out their schemes. There's even references to flowers that I'm trying to use to bolster this case since flowers are linked to sickness and death in the book, but I might be pushing it.
I admit, even with the Promise of the Premise, and complete faith in Kent to pull off difficult resolutions, I had a hard time seeing how this couple would get their HEA. She makes good use of some time jumps and self reflection all around. And after all, "Shakespeare goes out of his way to show that the final outcome could have been different - could have been so much better - if any of the characters at any given moment had made a different choice."
Four stars because it was rough reading so much revulsion and dishonesty, and this is a long book (500-ish pages) so there's a lot of it. Lovers of morality chain, mafia, or dark romance (this isn't that dark, tbh) who love conflicted characters and are willing to tolerate some bad behavior from their MCs will undoubtedly enjoy this book.
Thank you to the author for the arc.
November 19, 2025
Ambitious! A bit too dark for me but I liked the writing.
Kelly starts sleeping with Caleb in order to figure out if he had anything to do with her dad's murder. Both characters are morally grey and manipulate each other, and Claire Kent did a pretty good job of keeping the tension high! Sadly, due to all of the pain they caused each other, I didn't feel thrilled about them staying together by the end. I dunno, your mileage may vary!
Kelly starts sleeping with Caleb in order to figure out if he had anything to do with her dad's murder. Both characters are morally grey and manipulate each other, and Claire Kent did a pretty good job of keeping the tension high! Sadly, due to all of the pain they caused each other, I didn't feel thrilled about them staying together by the end. I dunno, your mileage may vary!
August 10, 2025
Pet portaitist Kelly Watson comes into the life of businessman Caleb Marshall under false pretenses. She believes he ordered the execution of her father nearly two decades ago and hopes to uncover proof of his involvement by staying in his orbit.
Kelly and Caleb are both extremely guarded, emotionally avoidant people who are comfortable with casual hookups but unable to form attachments. Their relationship develops largely through sex, because that's the only way they are able to let their defenses down and feel close to each other. The book is very spicy, but the focus is on rawness, vulnerability, and the yearning for connection rather than on acrobatics. The sex absolutely carries the story and is central to both character and relationship development.
I wouldn't call the novel a dark romance in the sense in which the term is used these days, where all sorts of stalkers, criminals, and variously unhinged men are heroes. This is a character-driven contemporary romance with realistic, flawed, morally gray leads that touches upon a number of dark themes, such as early parental death, child abandonment, and consent during intimacy. There is a criminal organization in the background, and its existence is central to both characters' background and motivation.
In terms of tropes, this would be an enemies-to-lovers, age-gap (27 vs. 42), forced-proximity romance, although stripping it down to tropes doesn't do it justice because the story and characters are layered. Kelly truly does hate Caleb in the beginning, and the scenes with her faking sexual enthusiasm so she'd keep his interest while revulsion churns in her gut are really well written, but quite difficult to read.
Over time (and numerous sexual encounters), these two guarded, secretive people learn to lean on each other for pleasure, comfort, and support, and slowly let go. They fall in love despite themselves, Kelly in particular kicking and screaming, conflicted until the very end between wanting justice for her father and her growing feelings for Caleb.
I read the original duology (Sweet the Sin and Darker the Release) a few years ago, and was excited to read the updated version in Untouchable. I enjoyed this new version a lot. If you like Claire Kent's postapocalyptic novels, I think you will like this one, too. While the setting is contemporary, it is as dark and angsty and as hot and spicy as any of CK's dystopian fare. And it's dual POV, so it's a special treat to witness alphahole Caleb fall head over heels in love and feel jealousy, need, and heartbreak for the first time in his life.
Excellent book.
Kelly and Caleb are both extremely guarded, emotionally avoidant people who are comfortable with casual hookups but unable to form attachments. Their relationship develops largely through sex, because that's the only way they are able to let their defenses down and feel close to each other. The book is very spicy, but the focus is on rawness, vulnerability, and the yearning for connection rather than on acrobatics. The sex absolutely carries the story and is central to both character and relationship development.
I wouldn't call the novel a dark romance in the sense in which the term is used these days, where all sorts of stalkers, criminals, and variously unhinged men are heroes. This is a character-driven contemporary romance with realistic, flawed, morally gray leads that touches upon a number of dark themes, such as early parental death, child abandonment, and consent during intimacy. There is a criminal organization in the background, and its existence is central to both characters' background and motivation.
In terms of tropes, this would be an enemies-to-lovers, age-gap (27 vs. 42), forced-proximity romance, although stripping it down to tropes doesn't do it justice because the story and characters are layered. Kelly truly does hate Caleb in the beginning, and the scenes with her faking sexual enthusiasm so she'd keep his interest while revulsion churns in her gut are really well written, but quite difficult to read.
Over time (and numerous sexual encounters), these two guarded, secretive people learn to lean on each other for pleasure, comfort, and support, and slowly let go. They fall in love despite themselves, Kelly in particular kicking and screaming, conflicted until the very end between wanting justice for her father and her growing feelings for Caleb.
I read the original duology (Sweet the Sin and Darker the Release) a few years ago, and was excited to read the updated version in Untouchable. I enjoyed this new version a lot. If you like Claire Kent's postapocalyptic novels, I think you will like this one, too. While the setting is contemporary, it is as dark and angsty and as hot and spicy as any of CK's dystopian fare. And it's dual POV, so it's a special treat to witness alphahole Caleb fall head over heels in love and feel jealousy, need, and heartbreak for the first time in his life.
Excellent book.
August 13, 2025
Untouchable is a revised re-release, I hadn't read the original two books, so this opinion is all based on the new version.
We were warned this was going to be angsty and oh my poor little heart, it really was brimming with it. If you love angst, this will be one you're going to love. We start with some serious hate f*cking (on FMCs side) which I don't mind but I know it can be a trigger for others and then through the whole book you're on the edge of the seat waiting for the the big reveals to happen and the fallout from it, while waiting for this there is a lot of push pull from both characters. Overall, I really enjoyed the story, I really liked the setup for the ending. Both MCs are morally grey and have a few walking red flags, but we know I love those red flags, lol.
Caleb, our MMC, is super arrogant, and he doesn't really change during the book, I like this about him, and I don't think anyone weak would have been for our FMC. There were times during a few early spicy scenes where his cockiness was cringe but only cause you know what the FMC is thinking. But as the book goes on, that cocky nature is warranted and well received.
Kelly, our FMC, was a really interesting character, reading as her feelings changed, and the conflict she had around it was really well done. I liked her character and really felt bad for her in a lot of parts.
4🔥
We were warned this was going to be angsty and oh my poor little heart, it really was brimming with it. If you love angst, this will be one you're going to love. We start with some serious hate f*cking (on FMCs side) which I don't mind but I know it can be a trigger for others and then through the whole book you're on the edge of the seat waiting for the the big reveals to happen and the fallout from it, while waiting for this there is a lot of push pull from both characters. Overall, I really enjoyed the story, I really liked the setup for the ending. Both MCs are morally grey and have a few walking red flags, but we know I love those red flags, lol.
Caleb, our MMC, is super arrogant, and he doesn't really change during the book, I like this about him, and I don't think anyone weak would have been for our FMC. There were times during a few early spicy scenes where his cockiness was cringe but only cause you know what the FMC is thinking. But as the book goes on, that cocky nature is warranted and well received.
Kelly, our FMC, was a really interesting character, reading as her feelings changed, and the conflict she had around it was really well done. I liked her character and really felt bad for her in a lot of parts.
4🔥
August 6, 2025
“𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒’𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ."
Untouchable is a dark and emotionally heavy republish that brings together Claire Kent’s full Revenge Saga into one polished novel. At its core, it’s about uncovering the truth. Kelly believes Caleb had her father killed, and the only way to prove it is to get close to him. Her plan is simple in theory: seduce him, find what she needs, and bring him down.
But nothing about their connection stays simple. Caleb is just as distant and guarded as she is, and in the beginning, neither of them believes in love. They’re both using each other for their own reasons, which makes every interaction feel tense and dangerous.
What drives the story is the need to know what really happened. As Kelly searches for proof, real feelings start to take root, and the answers she uncovers make everything even more complicated. Caleb, with all the terrible things he’s done, falls for her in a way he never expected. By the end, he doesn’t just love her.. he wants to be better because of her, even after learning the truth about why she came into his life.
This book doesn’t sugarcoat anything. These are two flawed characters who hurt each other as much as they need each other, and the ending doesn’t pretend the past can be erased. Instead of an easy resolution, they choose something harder: forgiveness.
This version feels sharper and more introspective than Claire Kent’s usual books, and you can tell she brought it back to what she calls its “original heart.” If you like dark romances full of secrets, moral tension, and love growing out of something messy and painful, Untouchable is worth the read.
Thank you to the author for the ARC. This republish drops mid-August (around August 15), and I’m so excited for everyone to meet this version. It feels darker, sharper, and exactly how this story was meant to be told.
“𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛.”
Untouchable is a dark and emotionally heavy republish that brings together Claire Kent’s full Revenge Saga into one polished novel. At its core, it’s about uncovering the truth. Kelly believes Caleb had her father killed, and the only way to prove it is to get close to him. Her plan is simple in theory: seduce him, find what she needs, and bring him down.
But nothing about their connection stays simple. Caleb is just as distant and guarded as she is, and in the beginning, neither of them believes in love. They’re both using each other for their own reasons, which makes every interaction feel tense and dangerous.
What drives the story is the need to know what really happened. As Kelly searches for proof, real feelings start to take root, and the answers she uncovers make everything even more complicated. Caleb, with all the terrible things he’s done, falls for her in a way he never expected. By the end, he doesn’t just love her.. he wants to be better because of her, even after learning the truth about why she came into his life.
This book doesn’t sugarcoat anything. These are two flawed characters who hurt each other as much as they need each other, and the ending doesn’t pretend the past can be erased. Instead of an easy resolution, they choose something harder: forgiveness.
This version feels sharper and more introspective than Claire Kent’s usual books, and you can tell she brought it back to what she calls its “original heart.” If you like dark romances full of secrets, moral tension, and love growing out of something messy and painful, Untouchable is worth the read.
Thank you to the author for the ARC. This republish drops mid-August (around August 15), and I’m so excited for everyone to meet this version. It feels darker, sharper, and exactly how this story was meant to be told.
“𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛.”
August 12, 2025
This is a standalone contemporary romance book and it is Caleb and Kelly’s story and it is definitely a must read. When Caleb ordered a hit on Kelly’s father and killed him seventeen years ago she is determined to make him pay for all his crimes because he was never made to pay for them so now Kelly is out for revenge and the only way to do that is to put herself in his path and reveal the truth even though Caleb thinks that he is untouchable but Kelly is about to prove him wrong. Now Kelly’s plan is in motion so now she is in his house and life and she needs to find al the information that she needs to hopefully convict him and send him to jail for the death of her father. Caleb and Kelly have a strong attraction and intense chemistry but neither did commitment or relationships due to their pasts in fact all they are both interested in is the pleasure and the great time between them but unfortunately they are both so broken and damaged while carrying so much baggage but there is no denying how much they want each other in the most primitive way while being unable to keep their hands off each other but saying that there is also a lot of anger, angst and trust issues to unravel and constantly hurt each other in the process but once Kelly finds out about her father’s death will they both be able to walk away. Wow the twists and turns keep coming and you will be on the edge of your seat while turning the pages and being unable to put this book down. I haven’t read the previous story but I certainly enjoyed this updated version as it kept my attention throughout because it was so addictive and I can’t wait to read more books by this author in the future. This is a really dark romance and also comes with some warning that need to be read first.
August 25, 2025
Untouchable follows Kelly, emotionally guarded and still grieving her father, who has a one-time hookup with Caleb, an older man who is as unattached as she is when it comes to relationships. Until Kelly finds out that Caleb ordered the hit that killed her father seventeen years ago - now she must find a way into his life so she can make him pay.
While I wouldn’t class this as a traditional dark romance, it is definitely a darker romance. The story is driven by Kelly’s need for revenge, and her emotions are portrayed so honestly throughout the story. Her conflicting emotions towards Caleb cause perfect tension, you can feel yourself in the story with Kelly as Caleb becomes something so much more to her, yet she is desperate for her father’s justice.
I really liked that we had some chapters from Caleb’s POV as well, I think it made me connect with him much more than I would have as we see his guard drop the longer he knows Kelly.
Tropes:
Morally grey MCs
Forced proximity
Age gap
Rich hero
TWs:
Death of parent (referenced, including cause of death description)
References to cancer
Sex under false pretenses/manipulative
Grief
While I wouldn’t class this as a traditional dark romance, it is definitely a darker romance. The story is driven by Kelly’s need for revenge, and her emotions are portrayed so honestly throughout the story. Her conflicting emotions towards Caleb cause perfect tension, you can feel yourself in the story with Kelly as Caleb becomes something so much more to her, yet she is desperate for her father’s justice.
“She might look beautiful and soft and untouched, and she might be secretive and sensual and damaged, but she wasn’t all that different from him. He understood her. Knew her. The way he knew himself.”
I really liked that we had some chapters from Caleb’s POV as well, I think it made me connect with him much more than I would have as we see his guard drop the longer he knows Kelly.
Tropes:
Morally grey MCs
Forced proximity
Age gap
Rich hero
TWs:
Death of parent (referenced, including cause of death description)
References to cancer
Sex under false pretenses/manipulative
Grief
dnf
August 26, 2025Characters: Kelly and Caleb
Trope: revenge plot
Kelly meets Caleb and his dog at a park one day, they have an instant attraction and end up having a sexual encounter in the woods. Then Kelly finds out that the man she had sex with may be the person who had her father killed 17 years ago.
Kelly decides to enact revenge on him by getting close to him intimately. She wants to seduce him, so she can find out if he had anything to do with her father’s death.
*I was trying to give this book a chance, because it is a Claire Kent book that was written years ago, but ultimately I couldn’t finish the story, because it was too long and a lot of chapters were boring. I felt like the author could have edited how much of this book out, to make the plot move more quickly, because this originally was two books, so the pacing was too slow for a single book. I ended up DNFing Part 1 around 80% in and then skimmed the rest of Part 2. Also I felt like there was way too many sex scenes in this book, I love those sexy times in romance novels, but this was just way too much for me. *
Trope: revenge plot
Kelly meets Caleb and his dog at a park one day, they have an instant attraction and end up having a sexual encounter in the woods. Then Kelly finds out that the man she had sex with may be the person who had her father killed 17 years ago.
Kelly decides to enact revenge on him by getting close to him intimately. She wants to seduce him, so she can find out if he had anything to do with her father’s death.
*I was trying to give this book a chance, because it is a Claire Kent book that was written years ago, but ultimately I couldn’t finish the story, because it was too long and a lot of chapters were boring. I felt like the author could have edited how much of this book out, to make the plot move more quickly, because this originally was two books, so the pacing was too slow for a single book. I ended up DNFing Part 1 around 80% in and then skimmed the rest of Part 2. Also I felt like there was way too many sex scenes in this book, I love those sexy times in romance novels, but this was just way too much for me. *
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2025
3.5 stars
A dark romance with mob undertones set the stage for this re-do of an older work from this author. This was an intimate walk with a hook-up turned couple but nothing was as it seemed. Between these two were secrets, lies and much worse.
This relationship was formed on dishonesty, smoke and mirrors but it was clear there was some authenticity to the feelings that were catching. It was like watching a car crash and not being able to look away.
I was half obsessed reading but I didn't really like any of the characters (except the dog). This book is an experience and one more for dark romance readers possibly which isn't my usual genre.
Thank you to the author for the review copy.
A dark romance with mob undertones set the stage for this re-do of an older work from this author. This was an intimate walk with a hook-up turned couple but nothing was as it seemed. Between these two were secrets, lies and much worse.
This relationship was formed on dishonesty, smoke and mirrors but it was clear there was some authenticity to the feelings that were catching. It was like watching a car crash and not being able to look away.
I was half obsessed reading but I didn't really like any of the characters (except the dog). This book is an experience and one more for dark romance readers possibly which isn't my usual genre.
Thank you to the author for the review copy.
August 11, 2025
Thank you to the author for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I did not read the previously published versions of this book so I went in not really sure what to expect.
This is definitely different from all the other Claire Kent books that I’ve read but I ended up enjoying it!
Kelly truly hates Caleb after learning he is responsible for her father’s death. Watching their relationship evolve was very interesting. I honestly did not know how the book was going to end until I got to the very last pages.
I really have not read a book like this before and I feel if you want to read a really unique romance this would be a good choice.
I did not read the previously published versions of this book so I went in not really sure what to expect.
This is definitely different from all the other Claire Kent books that I’ve read but I ended up enjoying it!
Kelly truly hates Caleb after learning he is responsible for her father’s death. Watching their relationship evolve was very interesting. I honestly did not know how the book was going to end until I got to the very last pages.
I really have not read a book like this before and I feel if you want to read a really unique romance this would be a good choice.
August 21, 2025
ok wow this book was incredible. based on the synopsis, this is not something i would typically want to read, but because it's by claire kent i thought i'd give it a try. this is hands down my favorite CR of hers, and it's also one of my favorites of all of her books irrespective of genre. as much as i love her novellas and shorter novels, it felt like such a treat to get a story of this length. although this is a much older (originally two part) story that was revamped and made into one full length novel, it still had the classic claire kent writing style that i absolutely love (plus a touch of mystery/suspense even?) 6/5 stars tbh.
August 15, 2025
i was very excited about this cause of the blurb but the reality was... dissapointing. it was stated in the authors note that this was written 20 years ago and recently revised, and writing wise- it showed. i love claire kent but the writing here was just not on the level i've come to expect. the characters felt super one dimensional and honestly both were just unlikeable. they had no personalities outside of being 'heartless' and from their very first scene had super cringey interactions. not my fav by this author
August 17, 2025
The more I think about it the more I come up with 5 stars for this book.
The angst, the conflicting emotions in both characters, the character development, the writing… claire kent has a specific writing style that feels like coming home. I can’t describe it. It’s uniquely hers and that’s why i’m such a fan. I love this so much. I think the only thing making it stop short of a favorite is the fact that in the middle it did drag a bit, when the plot wasn’t moving forward as much.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this a lot!
The angst, the conflicting emotions in both characters, the character development, the writing… claire kent has a specific writing style that feels like coming home. I can’t describe it. It’s uniquely hers and that’s why i’m such a fan. I love this so much. I think the only thing making it stop short of a favorite is the fact that in the middle it did drag a bit, when the plot wasn’t moving forward as much.
Otherwise, I enjoyed this a lot!
August 23, 2025
This is a different Claire from what we are used to, but this isn't a bad thing. I really liked reading something that was mainly written several years ago.
Maybe the novel is a little bit too long, but I really enjoyed it and the characters' problems and dilemmas made me think and reflect. The characters are complex and, for me, that's always a plus.
The choices both of them have to face along the story are not easy ones, but in the end they find each other again.
100% recommended!
Happy reading! ❤️
Maybe the novel is a little bit too long, but I really enjoyed it and the characters' problems and dilemmas made me think and reflect. The characters are complex and, for me, that's always a plus.
The choices both of them have to face along the story are not easy ones, but in the end they find each other again.
100% recommended!
Happy reading! ❤️
November 1, 2025
This was very different from the other Claire Kent books I’ve read while having some familiar undertones of her distinctive voice. I love her books and writing style and I often re-read my favorites but I don’t think this is one I will be revisiting. I think it’s well written and a great exploration of a very messy and angsty situation but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. At times i found them both so unlikable it was hard to stay invested in any sort of happy ending for them.
August 15, 2025
Found this to be quite dark at first as both Kelly and Caleb were morally grey characters. There’s a lot of angst, unresolved pain and trauma driving their actions and character growth. To me, this felt like a stormy day, where dark, foreboding clouds gradually clear and the lingering threat of rain is slowly replaced by the warmth of sunshine.
August 23, 2025
I'm a huge fan of this author, so I knew I'd read this one despite the note about it being dark and not for everyone. I appreciated the complexity of the characters and their relationship. As expected, there was quite a bit of angst, but it kept me engaged. This is an emotional read, and it kept me turning the page.
August 7, 2025
Excellent read. I read the original books and enjoyed them. I like they are combined now, with a few tweaks.
August 20, 2025
DNF. Not sure Claire has ever been to DC. The lack of detail is strange. Love dark romances and Claire Kent’s recent books, but this one is not as well written as her other books.
September 9, 2025
I didn’t get past the first few chapters; I wasn't intrigued enough to continue reading this book.
October 7, 2025
I love Claire Kent but this one didn’t do it for me. Beginning sex was gross and there was too much angst for my taste. If angst is your jam, you might love it.
November 13, 2025
DNF at 41%, characters weren’t likeable enough, lots of angst yet somehow also boring.
December 30, 2025
This is a totally different kind of book from any other book written by Claire Kent. In this book we have two characters who are both morally grey and flawed. Kelly is an artist who paints pictures of animals mostly dogs. She’s a woman afraid to commit who has a series of one night stands. One day in the park she happens upon Caleb who is out with his dog and a few minutes later these two have a very intimate moment in the woods. Later Kelly realizes Caleb may be responsible for the death of her father, determined to know the truth Kelly decides to set up a scene where Caleb would be her savior. What’s so interesting about this story is that Kelly and Caleb are really very similar; they both have control issues and both are terrified of committing to another person. So this becomes a fascinating story of trying to figure each other out as Kelly tries to find out whether Caleb ordered a hit on her father. This book has a lot of spicy moments because it’s during these moments we learn the most about these characters. This book is angsty as Kelly struggles to keep pursuing the truth knowing that she is falling in love and that Caleb is lowering his defenses. Kelly realizes that one day he will know the truth about what she is doing and if he’s innocent, he will never forgive her and if he’s guilty, he will kill her. I loved the story it kept me riveted and engaged wanting to know what was the truth. I loved the times we got to experience Caleb’s POV and wanted more of this. If you are a true and loyal fan of Claire Kent you need to read this book that was revised from its original version into a two part book.
December 27, 2025
This didn't hit in the same way as most other Claire Kent books do for me. The writing didn't feel as fully realized--especially part 1.
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