Pose for Me

by R.S. McKenzie

𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗲

𝗔𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗕𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗜’𝗺 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗛𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘀. 𝗛𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝗜 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀.

𝗥𝘆𝗲𝗹𝗹

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹. 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗠𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗲’𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲, 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. 𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗺, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

Genres: M M Romance, Dark Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, Serial Killer, Romance, Contemporary

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2025

Reviews

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5**** stars


FUCKING HELL! What was this? I feel morally wronged by myself all over again for being this into it!! Even before it turned sweet.

“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I can.”

A serial killer out there offing innocent people for his own agenda (and not the good, vigilante kind) and the FBI agent hot on his heels (although he has nothing so far, except a long list of victims). Until he becomes the serial killer’s victim himself. Believe me when I say that you as a reader cannot romanticize ANYTHING Ryell did and does. He is absolutely irredeemable!


And even as I started to develop a liking to Ryell I still wanted to see him behind bars. Not for what he is, because he can’t help being psychopathic but for what he did! What he did to Lane too. Ryell broke him down in captivity in the cruelest ways until there was only a shell left of his former self.

And then this book shocked and surprised the hell out of me that it took a minute for me to warm up to it. Because suddenly you have a ruthless, moralless murderer care for his victim in the sweetest way. It was a total mind fuck. What I often see in a dark romance that has a Daddy/boy dynamic is that it’s kind of violent and not caring in a softer way. But damn this was. It was hard not to forget who Ryell really is.

“Lane, I love you, more than words can describe, but I can’t change who I am.“

By two thirds of the book did I still want the serial killer in prison? Yes, I so did.
But did I want Lane to lose his Daddy? Fuck no!

As I said, total mind fuck. That bastard, Ryell, totally grew on me. Like fungus under a humid fucking dome. In the very end I wasn’t quite satisfied at how the story ended so I won’t give it the five stars I wanted. It was a wild ride. This book stressed me out and broke my heart but ultimately was worth it.

I need some fluff now to calm down.



side note: I recently saw on socials an editor telling authors they should think about why it’s important to them to point out a person’s ethnicity in their book. Why does it matter. So sentences like this: A thin, Black woman in the front row raises her hand. now stand out to me like sore thumb.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

But trust me, Lane. Before I kill you, you will pose for me.

Serial killer vs FBI agent romance, captor/captive, dark and OTT, sexy and surprisingly sweet towards the end.
While I enjoyed it for the most part, some things left me wanting more.

“I’m not a fucking toy, Ryell. You can’t just have me because you want me. You’re an evil prick.” I grin widely. “Yeah, my evil prick had you screaming my name.”

The spice and chemistry between these two was fire. Loved the light Daddy kinky, the possessiveness, the need.

I never thought about that kink, but hearing Lane call me Daddy? Yes. Fuck yes.

The romance was dark and a little toxic, just how I like it.

The plot was where I lost interest. It had a strong start and a satisfying ending, but the whole middle portion was a tad boring. It concentrated a lot on the deepening of their relationship, a depth that for me didn’t actually go as far as I was hoping. Other than Lane’s captivity and their growing feelings, not much else happens for most of the book.

Another aspect that took me out of the story was this badass FBI agent breaking and falling apart almost immediately. It was all a little too unbelievable, and I know it’s meant to be OTT and exaggerated, but it didn’t have enough feeling for me to really let go mentally and just enjoy the love story.

It’s illogical, wanting to keep the FBI agent that wants me in prison for the rest of my life, but I can’t kill him. Not anymore. Now, I want him to belong to me and only me.

So maybe a little too fantasy-like for me to really fall in love with it, but still a fun dark romance.

“Do you want me to let you go?” Tears in his eyes, he shakes his head and whispers, “Never.”

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Murder
- Gore/violence
- Torture
- Stalking
- Kidnapping
- Drugging
- Stockholm Syndrome
- Mind break
- Panic attacks
- Mental abuse
- Mentions of childhood neglect & trauma
- Dub-con
- Daddy kink (no age play)
- Panties
- Face-fucking
- Coming untouched from giving head
- Coming hands-free
- Snowballing
- Grinding/coming w/ clothes on
- Cockwarming
- Shower sex
- Frotting
- Rimming
- Spanking
- 69

[❥ Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 50%

So I’ll admit I’m in a slump and nothing is hitting right, but this was not good. All tell no show and all of a sudden there’s Daddy kink?? The problem is it’s so out of the blue and now they’re calling each other Daddy and Baby Boy every other sentence. I promise I won’t forget they’re getting kinky if MC1 doesn’t address MC2 as Daddy every time he speaks to him!! Nothing about any of this feels authentic, moving onnn

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One thing I can glean about Ryell from this sketch and all the others I’ve seen is that he’s patient. He likes perfection. He’ll wait until what he wants is perfect, then he’ll pounce. That’s a good thing for me, in a way. It’ll keep me alive until I can figure out how to pick the locks of these cuffs and find an exit."

I loved this! Pose for Me by R.S. McKenzie is a dark MM romance, with a serial killer/FBI agent trope and in the author's own words "suspend your disbelief and just let this unhinged book take you on a wild ride." Make sure you check the author's warnings before diving into Lane and Ryell's story.

What To Expect:

🖤MM romance
🖤Serial killer/FBI agent
🖤Opposites attract
🖤Violence
🖤Dark themes
🖤Stockholm Syndrome
🖤High spice
🖤"I need you"

4.25 unhinged stars 🌟

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a serial killer dark romance, featuring Lane and Ryell, and is a standalone book.

FBI Agent Lane Bauer challenges “The Poser,” a serial killer who leaves behind artistic sketches of his victims, never expecting Ryell to step forward and take the bait to meet.

This is a dark romance so make sure you read the CW before diving in because wow, it does not hold back. From the very beginning, I was hooked and genuinely couldn’t put this one down. It’s twisted, it’s angsty, and the tension is intense in every possible way.

Lane and Ryell’s dynamic is a full-blown psychological tug-of-war, a deadly mix of fear, fascination, and forbidden desire that kept me glued to my Kindle. The Stockholm syndrome vibes are strong, and the story leans into that moral grayness without apology. Ryell is terrifying and magnetic all at once, and Lane… let’s just say the line between hunter and hunted gets blurred.

Things to expect in this book are:
Standalone book
MM dark romance
Check CW
Enemies to more
Cat-and-mouse vibes
FBI Agent × Serial Killer
Obsession to desire
Dangerous attraction
Mind Games
Stalking & kidnapping
Stockholm syndrome
Calls him agent
Spicy times & dirty talk
Daddy / baby boy
C*ck warming
Outdoor s*x
Forbidden romance
Identity reveal tension
Time apart
HEA

[july · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf 77% aburrido, sin sentido

[Readbookswithcats · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pose for me is a dark MM, serial killer/federal agent romance. Agent Lane Bauer is frustrated, he is fixated on this serial killer that has been dubbed “The Poser”, who leaves no evidence and has no leads. The Poser kills their victims and poses them in strategic ways, leaving a sketch of their death on their bodies.
Ryell, a psychopathic orthopedic surgeon, has been killing for years. He feels challenged when he sees an interview that Agent Lane has after finding one of his victims, calling the serial killer out and saying he is not invincible. In response, he stalks him and eventually picks him at a bar. He intended to just kidnap him and kill him but after a kiss decides he wouldn’t mind sleeping with him at least once!
After a night with one of the best lays he has had, Lane tries to sneak out but finds the home locked. Suddenly, he is drugged, chained and locked in the basement.

Tropes/kinks:
Dark romance
Stalking
Kidnapping
Stockholm syndrome
Daddy kink
Strict top/bottom
Poses for him
Lots of killing
Manipulation
Drugging
Panty kink
Oral fixation
Past trauma
Hurt/comfort
Found family

This was a great story that kept me reading!!! I only stopped for work and driving! lol really well written and i really liked the characters!

[Bambi Frick · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 Stars ⭐️

*Check Content/Trigger Warnings*

Pose for me is a fast and fun dopamine hit featuring Ryell, an oral hygienist serial killer and his kidnapee, Lane, an FBI agent who specialises in in solving serial cases.

The intense relationship dynamic between the couple begins with Lanes struggle to balance his sexual needs with his moral code.

RS McKenzie always delivers exactly what is promised and Pose For Me is no exception.

I would have loved to see some emotional development in the first quarter of the book prior to the kidnapping.

I received an E-ARC to give an honest review of this book from Gay Romance Reviews.

[Leilani Noack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book kept me captivated from the beginning. My poor lane went through so much as a child and that it literally broke him mentally. Now this isn’t your typical book you get some daddy/boy time, but you also get some lingerie wearing & killing as well. Read the triggers! But I’m glad that Lane & Ryell both found someone who accepts them for them. Such a great book!

[Rebecca Baudoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ry has a darkness that can't be quelled, and I live that he doesn't try to hide it from Lane. Lane is just a sweet boy, I'm so glad he was able to be loved finally.

It was such a good book, loved all the gory bits!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really starting to question my morals!
Did I really want a captor and captive to fall madly in love and get their HEA? Yes—yes, I did! This book was fast-paced and full of torture, trauma, Stockholm syndrome, Daddy kink, and lingerie. There was a real mix in this book: I went from loving the characters, to wondering if they were both losing the plot, to loving them again. R.S. McKenzie always keeps you on your toes and questioning your morals with her books, and it keeps me coming back for more—that’s for sure.

[Catarina Águas · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review

God damn, this book was something else. I knew what to expect but at the same time I didn't. It was dark but so filled with emotion.
Lane was a FBI agent that to catch a serial killer but he was caught first. Never did he expect to fall in love with someone like that but after what he went through, making Ryell his whole life was the only option.
Ryell was a psycopath, no questions about that, that kidnapped Lane and planned to murdered him but he couldn't as the time progressed. He became more and more obsessed and he just wanted Lane to be his.
Like I said, this was dark but I was rooting for them to live HEA and they did

[Teigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“No. Lane is fucking mine, understand? I will fucking kill anyone that tries to take him from me before I can kill him myself.”
^ Page 60.

This review was going to have a higher rating BUT after the fifty percent mark, the characters were either having sex, repeating the word "daddy" like a million times per page, or just being annoying.

I know I've left two bad reviews for this author in the past but this one I liked the beginning. I liked the set up and the plot... Until I didn't.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a daddy kink and dark romance. But Lane's character was lame. He's supposed to be a strong FBI agent who's one of the best at the job and been trained to handle situations. He developed Stockholm syndrome and a daddy kink out of the blue so quickly I lost interest.

And Ryell? That man was all for "keeping his promises" and never lying to Lane. But this man quite literally killed people while promising Lane he wouldn't do it as long as Lane stayed with him. Side note: he continued killing. I get it, he's a psychopath and promises don't mean much but he doesn't confess to Lane about it and when Lane does find out, he doesn't care?

Another thing that kinda confused me? Lane's foster parents adopted him then decided they didn't want him anymore so they didn't pay him much attention. They also warned him that he'd be kicked out when he graduated. What does this mean? It means Lane has a daddy kink and he has attachment issues because everyone's going to leave him, including his kidnapper (a serial killer). It also means that the same kidnapper kills them for being neglectful. The way it was described and repeated over and over again, you'd think the couple had abused him or something not ignored him?

And like every romance book ever, sex solves everything. Ryell returns Lane back to society because kidnapping him was wrong and Lane is sad even though he refuses to see it (Stockholm syndrome). Ryell comes back out of the blue six months later and they have sex so all is forgiven.

If the book hadn't gone down hill, I would have enjoyed this one. Unfortunately 3* for enjoying the beginning and the tropes.

[NitaBee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this dark twisty romance. ❤️

FBI agent Lane is kidnapped by the oral surgeon that moonlights as a serial killer - The Poser. AKA Ryell.

Ryell is an interesting serial killer, and I loved his relationship with his brother who is a CEO
Instead of being a serial killer.

“We’re not sure if The Poser is male or female. Whoever the perp is, they kill their victims, arrange them into a position that makes sense only to them, then sketches the murder scene. The victims are never dumped lazily; they’re put into positions deliberately. Hence, The Poser.”

Lane’s traumatic childhood is part of why his mind breaks and he falls in love with Ryell. Ryell is surprised to fall in love himself.

There is torture, Stockholm syndrome, all the consensual sex and
Daddy kink.

“You fucking swear it?” “Yes, Daddy. I love you. I don’t want to be anywhere you’re not.”

Ryell breaks both their hearts .

‘It’s so hard because for those few months, he was all I had. We talked, we laughed, and we made love. He was mine, like I was his. It’s hard to let that go.’

I wasn’t too sure how they would get their happy ending but they do and it made me all happy.

Oh and Dr. Blu York from ‘Blu, My Protector’ is mentioned as Lanes therapist !

[Latecia Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now the author did warn prior that this was OTT. Well yeah it was but it was a good OTT. How Lane and Ryell can start off so antagonistic towards each other...not knowing each other well AT ALL...the sexy encounter and then weeks/months of captivity things changed. All I can say is DAMN!!!! Lane got me with the emotional feels mannnnnnnn...I wasn't prepared for his complete and devastating breakdown. Ryell being the psychopath... it was understandable his possessive nature and Lane being totally his... but Lane...geesh...got me in the feels. I was totally not prepared for the outcome by the end...knowing this is a dark romance, there should be atleast a HEA...which it was, but how they got there was a surprise to me...a wonderful and delightful surprise, that by the end I wanted to read more of Lane and Ryell crazy and insane love story. This romance is one that I will not likely forget.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for Pose for Me by R.S. McKenzie

Tropes

MM Romance
Serial Killer/FBI Agent
Opposites that attract each other
High spice
Dark story


I am so happy I requested this book, because I am not sorry at all. I don't usually go for books that feature serial killers, but this time I made an exception. I loved the byplay between Lane, an FBI agent, and Ryell, who is called the Poser killer. I found this story very interesting. I mean, the spice in this book made it worth it lol. No, but really, I found this story hard to put down. I wanted to see where R.S. McKenzie was going to take this story and how far she was going to go in the end. Well, I wasn't always expecting what did happen, but that's what made this story so good. I like to be surprised and intrigued by where the author goes in the stories. R.S. McKenzie is someone I am going to look for more of her books so I can read them, because once I find an author, I have to read all they write :).

Nicole Harvey

[aidni · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 70% - I love serial killer love stories when they are clever. Both these brain fried boozos are blind and deaf and DUMB. More than that both MC’s weren’t interesting. Lane was such a bad FBI agent he was basically split personally and the serial killer was marginally better but just SUPER UNLIKABLE. Not for any murder reasons, for like personally.

I felt like I was constantly thinking that one or the other was a missing the most obvious things and while the “capture” was fun, reading about straight up stock holm syndrome with zero redemption was boring as all heck.

[Yeslia · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - 62%

I’ve had a very bad couple of weeks with the books i’ve been choosing to read. It’s like I’ve been reading horrible books back to back and I fear I’m gonna fall into a slump.

Pose for me…..I hated this title when I first saw the book…then I read the blurb and thought oh my word this is gonna be dark but interesting. With a blurb like that you’d think you’re in for some proper story.

And boy was I wrong.

The ages didn’t make sense to me at all 🤣 Lane should’ve been 18 and his “daddy” maybe the 38 would be okay. Ok no too old for a teenager…24 would do. This 32 year old man does not act his age at all. I’ve read YA books where the characters were more mature than Lane.

I lost interest when Ryell kidnapped him and kept him in the cells for weeks. It was repetitive…every chapter that was of his kidnapping felt the same like can we move on? what is going on? He’s kidnapped the FBI agent who was after him, now what?

I understood his fear of being alone and how Ryell preyed on that…making him feel crazy. This was a clear indication of stockholm syndrome. But…the way he acted so…😭 And you wanna know the worst of it all?

The daddy kink that came out of nowhere.

I was like uhm…well that was random 🤣 a 32 year old man calling a 38 year old man daddy? holy shit. I’m not kink shaming I promise…it’s just…uhm heh. I got so sick of it….it was mentioned so many times I wanted to rip my hair out.

This book is a mess. I can’t believe I’m seeing people rate it 5 stars….FOR WHAT EXACTLY?

1 star for the amazing blurb that wasn’t executed well and 0 for the nonsense that this book was. What a shame.

[˗ˏˋ mckenna ˎˊ˗ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was the first book from my random-tbr-pull project im doing where i put my entire nearly 600 books from my tbr on scraps on paper and pulled them from a hat (yes im autistic) and it was a big fat Fail 🫠

this book had the potential to be something i fucking adored! serial killer x fbi, gore, trauma, smut! but the way it was executed gave me such a major ick... the daddy x baby boy trope here was NOT working for me, lane was literally reverting back to being a child in his mind and it came off gross and weird. theres a difference between having a daddy kink and infantilizing yourself to the point of being creepy and this book crossed that line big time. normally i am all for some dubcon and/or falling-for-your-captor vibes but this felt entirely like stockholm syndrome and it was toxic, weird and gross... no thank you! e beginning was so good that i still gave it 2 stars but as soon as ryell became "daddy" they lost the plot.

[Julia Toth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an unhinged and great dark romance! While the relationship is not a conventional one, it's one that works for Lane and Ryell. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and how everything played out between them. I even got teary eyed a bit at a point. I loved their dynamic and adored Ryell's caretaking.
This is not your typical dark romance, but it's well written, a lot of fun and it will keep you turning the pages trying to find out what happens to Lane and Ryell.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good and spicy read between an FBI agent and the serial killer who kidnapped him. I love a dark romance, and this one was pretty dark with. Still, it was cute to see how tender the killer was with him and took care of him. I was not a fan of the third act breakup, but did like the ending. Might need to read more books from this author in the future.

[Welshbookaholic · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 53% Stated out interesting and I was enjoying it then… random daddy kink EW EW GET AWAY. Done so abruptly and gross

[Lara ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Iba muy bien hasta la mitad del libro más o menos. La personalidad de uno de los protagonistas cambia completamente y se vuelve un completo inútil.

[J.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will never not love cop/serial killer couples. The tension and fight against themselves is always perfect.

I don’t really have any complaint about this book. I was left wanting more, but not because anything was lacking. I just wanted to read more of this pairing.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quick, easy and fun read, but it was not one of my favorites.

[Kier · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the blurb for this book, I was immediately reminded of my favourite dark romance series, Magpie Rhyme by Louise collins, and I knew I had to read this book immediately. Oh boy, I am so glad I did.

Before I go into this, I want to clarify that when I get to the parts of this book that I didn't like as much, It's very much a "me" problem and not the book itself. You may have a different experience.

Pose for Me is a delightfully twisted dark romance that follows an FBI agent, Lane, who is leading the hunt for a prolific serial killer known as The Poser. The killer is a ghost, leaving behind no evidence other than beautifully sketched pictures of his victims in the poses he envisions. Lane attends the scene of a particularly gruesome victim of The Poser and challenges him to show himself on the news. Little did he know that one act would change his life forever.

I think this book would have benefitted from being a little bit longer. I could totally buy the "mindbreak" happening to Lane when we were in the middle of the book, but the beginning moved a bit too fast for me. I would have liked to see a bit more detail about the time before Lane completely changed, because I found the FBI side of his character SO interesting.

Ryell, or, The Pose is an extremely interesting characters: charming, brutal, but not completely without feelings, as we see in this book. His chemistry with Lane was palpable, and the spice in this book was everything I had hoped it would be. He sees through Lane's every attempt to manipulate him, always ten steps ahead. I mean, you don't get to be a serial killer of his notoriety without being incredibly perceptive. Once Lane has completely fallen into Ryell's trap, the pacing of this story becomes excellent. Seeing their bond deepen, even through the most mundane of actions, and watching Ryell piece together what he's actually feeling bit by bit almost makes you forget who he is for a time, because it's actually quite sweet.

I also want to give a special shoutout to Ryell's relationship with his brother, Jacob, who I selfishly wish wasn't married so he could have his own book too, because he was very interesting haha.

Not to talk about the ending, because that is where the book unfortunately starts to fall apart for me. I will tag the next part as spoilers, but I won't be going into any actual details here, only the context of my feelings. I will be going into spoilers after, but that will be indicated.

At about the 80% mark, there is a trope that is so overused in MM romance that I almost start to dread reading ARCs because I know it's coming, and I'm a little tired of it at this point. That entire section led to the eventual HEA feeling very hollow to me. I don't know if other people feel the same, but when I read dark romance books, especially ones of this flavour, I'm not looking for a traditional HEA. I think we could have easily dne without the unnecessary dram and kept the stellar pacing toward and unconventional HEA, which would have been more satisfying.

Onto actual spoilers now - Ryell choosing to let Lane go and betraying Lane's trust again was ultimately the downfall of this book for me. Time is the most important thing you can give to a person, in my opinion, and for Ryell to up and leave, abandoning Lane after everything he'd told him, for six whole months, is unforgiveable. I know it sounds completely ridiculous to have this kind of complaint in a book about a literal serial killer, but we're not reading these things for realism; we're reading them for the idea of it. Lane is likely going to live for a very long time, always worrying that Ryell will take off again because of that heartless decision, whether he was doing it for the reasons or not, and it just really soured the ending for me.

I still had an absolute blast up until this point, though, which is why I'm still rating this book 4 stars and I am very excited to dive into more of this authors books.

Content Safety Warnings
Cheating: No
Other Person Drama: No
Breakup: Yes
HEA: Yes


I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An FBI agent hunting a serial killer is kidnapped by said serial killer. Over a period of weeks, Lane develops Stockholm Syndrome. I found it quite disturbing how Lane ( the FBI agent) reacted to Ryell. Eventually it turned to 'love' certainly on Lane's part. Eventually Ryell sets him free and disappears. Lane then has to get used to his feelings of abandonment. However, there is an HEA for these guys as Ryell comes back and the 2 get into a relationship. Lanes FBI partner even moves to NC to help teach at the academy.
It was strange to see Lane and Ryell under his partners nose.
Well worth reading.

[Sara Husser · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩸☠️A Serial Unaliver Psychotic Daddy And His FBI Agent Boy🩸☠️

"I've never desired to sketch someone without killing them or to sketch someone living. But something about Lane pulls me in."

"Yeah, I'm something. But trust me, Lane. Before I kill you, you will pose for me. And then I'll f*** you."

"It's illogical, wanting to keep the FBI agent that wants me in prison for the rest of my life, but I can't kill him. Not anymore. Now, I want him to belong to me and only me."

"I once told Ryell that I was still afraid of him but not for the reason he thought. I was still afraid of him because I knew he was capable of breaking my heart."

This was such a phenomenal book! I love me a good Stockholm Syndrome book and this author wrote it so well. This was a pretty dark book but not too dark. The spice was off the charts hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥. I loved the kinks in this, especially the Daddy kink 😉😏. The characters were fleshed out and the plot had me engaged. This story did make me emotional at certain parts as well. I loved how this author wrote Ryell. He was the perfect psychopath.

This story follows Agent Lane and Ryell aka The Poser. Lane is an agent and is currently working a case trying to catch the poser. He calls him out on the news, trying to goad him to get a break in the case. Ryell sees this, becomes more than interested, and decides to hit on him at a bar. After a wild night of fun 🥵, Lane finds himself chained up in Ryell's basement. Will Ryell get over his obsession and decide to off Lane? Will Lane escape or fall for his killer? Can a psychopath like Ryell feel?

Ryell and Lane were so perfect together. Yes, it started off toxic as he was kidnapped, but Ryell really did care and love Lane in his own way. Lane did succumb to Stockholm Syndrome at first, but eventually, he saw the good in Ryell. He wanted and needed his Daddy more than anything. Ryell gave Lane everything he was missing his whole life. Love, attention, and all of himself. My heart broke for Lane. He suffered a lot in life and was just trying to come to terms with how he felt. I love how protective and how good of a caretaker Ryell was 🥹🥹. He really did love his boy and in the end, he did what was best for Lane. The ending of this story was perfect for these men. I loved seeing them come to terms and getting their HEA.

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's RS McKenzie's "Pose For Me."

["𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗲
𝗔𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗕𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗜’𝗺 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗛𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘀. 𝗛𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝗜 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀.

𝗥𝘆𝗲𝗹𝗹
𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜’𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹. 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗠𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗲’𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲, 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. 𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗺, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁."]

The slow break down of the human psyche in this shouldn't have been as satisfying as it was. It was torture and abuse and deplorable. But it was also intriguing. The way Ryell managed to find and poke at all of Lane's insecurities without knowing those were his past traumas. The way Lane's subconscious slowly let go and let him trust Ryell, even on the most basic of ways. It was the most psychopathic and sociologic ways to fall in love. It was somehow sweet.

This was a dark as fuck romance, but this is why I love them so much. It's twisted and unconventional, but the love is just as deep, just as devoted as your light and pure-fluff HEAs. Arguably more.

Their love was toxic and obsessive as hell. But it was also somehow cute and bright and shiny and perfect. It was about overcoming previous traumas and getting stronger. It was about being yourself and letting your loved ones see you for you.

I kinda want Lane's FBI partner to marry a serial killer now, too. Imagine the dinner parties.

Trigger Warnings: murder, murder of innocents by MC, torture, kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome, mind break, mental abuse (present and in past by parents), gore, violence, anxiety attacks, and more.

#gayromancereviews #grr #arcs #arcteammember
#poseforme #rsmckenzie #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Anne Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, let me say I got this book from gay romance reviews and this is me leaving my honest review.
Well I’ve got to say I was hooked on this book from the very beginning we’ve got detective Lane who is looking for a serial killer but the serial killer that the papers have named the poser just doesn’t put a foot wrong he leaves no DNA evidence absolutely no clues to who is doing this . His body count is just soul destroying but this serial killer always leaves a picture that he or she has drawn with the body. And then he/she puts the victim in exactly the same pose so after another new victim detective lane loses his call and taunt the killer.
Ryell is a psychopath no if no buts a pure psychopath and his way of coping with this is to draw and then he finds his victim so he can make it come to life in death. Ryell has his own business as an oral surgeon and has an older brother Jacob who is also a psychopath but Jacob manages to fall in love and marry his beautiful wife. The way he copes is being a ruthless businessman. When Ryell catches the news and sees the good looking detective taunting him Ryell act fast murdering another victim and leaving a note for the detective. But that’s not enough he decides that he is going to kidnap the detective.
I don’t wanna give everything away but I’m just gonna tell you this book is so dark and twisted that it just makes you read it faster. There is a lot of mental and emotional abuse within this book. You see both these men haven’t had good childhood they each carry their scars But it’s the way that Ryell breaks the detective and it’s lanes emotional and mental abuse from a child that comes into play more than anything but will he ever kill Lane?? Because these two are very attracted to one another and the passion that they share is so dark and kinky that it keeps what they are feeling alive. I will say that when these two first get together there is an act that I didn’t think was possible, but it sounds very very hot. But this is a fantastic read. I just couldn’t put it down.