Welcome to Hallows Inn—a house of horrors, truths, and pain.
Let the games begin.
EmberThey told me life would be great. That I would be successful and my college experience would be amazing, but they were wrong. I was kicked out of college with little to nothing—living at my parents house. My twin brother suggests I go out on Halloween night. He tells me to have fun like everyone else at Hallows Inn—House of Horrors, but I never imagined I’d encounter Ronan Grieves. A sarcastic, sadistic man who loves to play games.
Ronan
She’s a pretty little devil. Her ginger hair and pale skin glistens beautifully under the red lamps. Little Devil, I want to play.
Come play with me.
This book contains dark, twisted, and uncomfortable topics. Please check the trigger warning page before buying/reading. Thank you!
“I can make you blossom in the darkness, Little Devil” (107).
I think for a quick Halloween dark spicy read this was fun. Definitely not meant to be taken seriously/critiqued roughly. The length is the major issue for me. Things are sped up massively because it's in a three day time frame. Otherwise it has depth and massive character development. The usage of the clues to bring out both of their dark past's was clever. That reveal came out of nowhere but I am not mad at it. Definitely can see this helping get out of a reading slump. The smut is overwhelming. Was it good? Absolutely. Ronan puts its perfectly by claiming he's parched. Read triggers before reading. ❤️
to be locked in a room with that man for 3 days? what a dreammm. he was everything i needed in a deliciously dark package. morally black and sarcastic? what a beautiful mix.
ronan and ace meet up?😉
ember is a spit fire redhead (my favorite of course) that doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do. i absolutely loved her resolve and holding her own against ronan (idk how you did that girl, i would be folded like a lawn chair)
e.d. flores just knows how to write the perfect spicy novella and this one exceeded every expectation i had going in! though it is heavy on the spice, the emotion and plot are very heavily involved as well. i about sobbed learning about both ember and ronan’s backgrounds. why would you do that to me?😃 poor babies deserve so much better and they found that within each other which was beautiful.
i need more, thank youuu 😛
thank you so much as always for trusting me with your work and letting me arc read for you! i’m so endlessly proud of you and can’t wait for the world to meet these babies. 🖤
Please make sure you check your trigger and content warnings before reading
This book follows Ember and Ronan and I am obsessed with both of them
Ember is kicked out of college and is back living at home and she doesn't know what to do with herself even though it's been a while since it's happened. She has kept to herself and doesn't ever go out anymore. When her brother tells her that she needs to get out and stop being so sad she decides he's right.
What happens when Ember finds herself locked in a room with a twisted, morally grey mmc who wears a Ghostface mask?
As soon as Ronan sets his eyes on Ember he is immediately obsessed and will do whatever it takes to make her his. Ronan ends up locked in the room with Ember and it is exactly what he wanted. He can't wait to break her down so all she can think of is him.
Ember can't believe that she is locked in a room with this twisted, psycho because all he is trying to do is break her. He pulls her in one direction and then starts treating her a different way the next minute.
I loved the push and pull between Ronan and Ember. The way she would fight him at every corner but deep down she loved every minute of it. As she has been locked in this room with him even though it's crazy she is starting to catch feelings for him. She knows it's wrong but at this point she doesn't care at all. The spice was definitely spicing and I couldn't get enough of it 🔥 like can I be locked in a room with him next 😉
Game of Hell absolutely lived up to its name — this book was pure chaos in the best possible way. It’s dark, emotional, disturbing, and somehow still romantic. E.D. Flores built a world that feels like a haunted maze you can’t (and don’t want to) escape:)
To Ember: She felt so real to me — not some picture-perfect heroine, but someone genuinely trying to hold herself together while the world keeps testing her limits. I loved that she wasn’t fearless, but she still tried to face her fears and struggles .She was very realisticly written and shows that not everything is perfect especially in your twenties.
To Ronan: Oh, Ronan MY BABY!! He is a monster and a masterpiece in one body. He’s cruel, calculating, but you can feel the cracks underneath all that control.His backstory is very tragic and sad but it helps you understand why he turned out the way he did. He is the sweetest form of a sociopath:)
Ember and Ronan together were the perfect match and you could see how they needed each other.With those two it wasn’t about healing each other; it’s about understanding each other when no one else could. Their connection felt dangerous but real. Every scene between them felt like standing too close to a fire — you know it’s going to burn, but you can’t make yourself step back.
A haunting, twisted, beautiful mess of a love story — and I was here for every second of it🎃🎃
This book is dark, twisted, and sinisterly sexy! There’s gore, trauma, SMUT galore, a masked man, aftercare, a bomb ass Playlist, a page of trigger warnings, and a twist you would never see coming! “Welcome to Hallows Inn - a house of horrors, truths, and pain. I hope your experience is well and you both come out unscathed. These rooms can be dangerous and each clue will only get harder.” Together Ember and Ronan must find their clues to escape the inn, but will Ember make it out sane or will Ronan break her, you decide. Ronan is a psychopath with a hard past and a sexy body. Ember is a quiet girl who keeps to herself. Ember steps out of her comfort zone for Halloween night venturing into an escape room with a countdown and consequences. I read through this book so fast and cannot wait to see if Ronan and Ember’s story continues! My highlighted notes go something like this, “Absolutely not”, “That’s not sanitary”, “Bipolar much?”, “Who tf is this man?!”, “Ew lol” and so so much more! 4/5 ⭐️ 4/5 🌶️
This is exactly the fucked up book I needed to get out of my slump. Anytime a dark romance has the main male character’s name as Ronan, you know for a FACT you’re going to be clutching your pearls — that is exactly what I did!
A Halloween dark romance that everyone needs in their lives!
We are all a little fucked up, right? I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did 🖤
Its the way that, Im not a fan of standalone books, because It always takes me a hot minute to get attached to the characters at all..BUT THIS WOMAN RIGHT HERE ALWAYS GETS ME. Ember as strong as fire as her own name had such growth in her character from the beginning to the end, I have to say, It took me a while to start enjoying her per se, but she has her own reasons of acting like x ways, and by the end I so fucking love her? Now Ronan, I really loved him, my queen always knows how to write her MMC characters, I have such deep love for him, and what he had to deal? Fuck. This is such a dark romance with dark themes and you better read the trigger warnings, because hating the book for its content its your fault and not the author’s. And the twist by the end? I wasn’t expecting AT ALL!!! It really got me! And the quotes, the quotes are so fucking good as always! Its a fucking solid 5* book, and I can’t wait to go out next month so everyone can have the access to this dark hot romance! Im so proud of my queen with one more fantastic book which is so easy going and you can read so quickly, the words are easy but well written!🖤 This woman just writes good fucking stuff!🖤 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this book! I really relate to the FMC not wanting to go to parties etc
I love reading the plot, seeing how things progress between the two MCs, it was interesting to see secrets between them and find out that it was all set up on purpose!!
I feel for Ronan with his mum. This was a very well written book and is 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book was fine but everything about it was pretty basic. The image was very simple and there wasn’t enough background. There was a stalking plotline without any of the stalking being current. The characters never really seemed to actually like each other either. The ending with the family was odd and too easy
Pretty much sums it up for me. Not sure what I was expecting when I first started reading, but the plot twist was not it. 😱 This was definitely a dark romance with quite a bit of trauma, gore, a little on the Stockholm side, stalker-esque, Halloween vibes and a whole lot of spice. Sometimes I went “oh my”, “no shit” and “damn man,”other times I went “ouch”, “ew” and “sweet..kinda.” But I enjoyed the ride I went on. 4/5 🌶️ 4/5⭐️
As always, please check your trigger warnings with this read, although short in terms of reading length, the triggers are there and waiting to show themselves. 👀🩸
“Welcome to Hallows Inn—a house of horrors, truths, and pain. I hope your experience is well and you both come out unscathed. These rooms can be dangerous and each clue will only get harder.”
Both FMC and MMC come from traumatized pasts, very different from each other but trauma all the same. Hallows Inn is their way of coming to terms with it, so to speak, well at least for Ember. Ronan is already at terms with his and has been, which makes him a walking 🚩🚩 but if you’re anything like me, I’m a little color blind when they’re attractive 😂😂
Only reason it wasn’t a 5⭐️ is because I thought the ending was a little rushed in terms of layout/storyline. It went from ‘scary’ Halloween haunted house murder mystery vibes to ‘hey let’s meet the family.’
But all in all, I’d definitely read the next release (if there is one) by this author. 😌🎃
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
ok so I never seem to know how to write these reviews. I always wanna give honest feedback but no spoilers.... so here goes my true review hope it helps
this book is an amazing fun dark read ... read trigger warnings for sure
it is what it is a fun read, i wish there was a little more plot in the games area but the spice was spicing!
Ember and Ronan both have some pretty dark back stories but how they come together and almost support each other is beautiful. when pain meets pain it can go either way, you can either pull away or gravitate toward each other you decide which way it goes! hop in and enjoy the ride. you will love them both.
An 80/20 (spice/plot) novella for sure, but a questionable, kinky fun time.
Woman willing lit enters a Halloween “escape room” game where she is trapped with a guy for 3 days as they find clues & their pertaining objects in order to escape… but 3 days & 6 clues? There is a lot of “down time” for other activities!
Did I see that last clue coming? Absolutely, it only made sense… but didn’t detract from the story that I knew.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/4 This man is toxic as fuck, but it’s fine (in fiction!!!)
Let me tell you—Ronan Grives😍👏🏼 This book is the true definition of unhinged, obsessive, and dangerously alluring. He’s exactly the kind of man every dark romance reader secretly craves. The author nailed the Halloween vibe perfectly, blending darkness, passion, and suspense in a way that felt fresh and unexpected. The plot twists in this book, had me on the edge of my seat! That’s what made it so addictive. It’s the perfect mix of plot, spice, and chaos—a quick but unforgettable dark romance that I’ll definitely be rereading every time!
I'm new to E.D. Flores, but let me tell you... This did NOT disappoint. Game of Hell was such a fun, dark Halloween novella, but it also touched on some darker themes and past trauma.
I loved the slight twist, the escape room vibes, and the complete obsession between these two.
And honestly ? We love a devoted king 😏.
Did I mention, the spice is spicing and our MMC likes to wear a mask and push boundaries? 👀
Anywhoooo 🫠, if you want a quick, dark read for this spooky season, I would highly recommend picking up Game of Hell.
E.D. Flores, I can't wait for more !! 🖤
🕸️ HOUSE OF HORRORS 🩸 BLOOD PLAY 🕸️ FORCED PROXIMITY 🩸 PAIN KINK 🕸️ MASKED MEN 🩸 ENEMIES TO LOVERS 🕸️ VILLAIN RUINS GIRL 🩸 TRAUMA BONDING 🕸️ MANIPULATION 🩸 OBJECT PLAY
First off, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have read this early.
This book was definitely WILD - I don’t know what I was expecting but, it wasn’t that. I liked that the fmc & mmc both had traumatic pasts - I’m always here for a story of two broken souls. Ronan was very much so a deranged and unhinged psycho wholly obsessed with Ember.
The smut was filthy and there was a looot of it! Definitely a very spicy book. The way Ronan acted and what he did to Ember - sheesh, twas intense.
However, the whole “game” didn’t really excite me as much. I did appreciate the plot twist - but overall I just felt disconnected with the flow of the story & characters and some of the things that happened, I didn’t love nor did it make sense to me personally. But these are just my thoughts!
Imagine being locked in a dark and twisted escaped room with a sexy as sin morally grey man. That is exactly what this book was! Ember finds herself locked in a room with Ronan and nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to uncover or endure. He was determined to claim her, break her and own her. Ember is a fiery smart mouthed red head that has been broken from her past. Learned both of their pasts, whew that kinda broke me. The two are on a timed deadline to find clues in order to get out and they must work together. They but heads, he pushes her limits in more ways than one, and he also makes her feel more seen and powerful than she has in a very long time. This book is dark, it’s unhinged, feral, and it’s so dang spicy! But I devoured it and loved every single page.
I am so glad I read this. It is dark, demented and delicious. Ronan is cruel and unrepentant but in the best of ways, while Ember is fiery and at odds with herself. The escape room is intense and many truths coming to light. I will absolutely be coming back for another read!
“It reflects us in ways we can't decipher, creating a vision of ourselves we ignore and will eventually shatter.”
Oh. My. God! I was not expecting that! What!? These two come together through their own stories of tragedy! Ooooh Ronan!!! I have devoured these pages! Is it unhinged? Oh Absolutely! But it is so beautifully deranged! I loved seeing how these two went about this adventure! Make sure you check the Trigger Warnings, cause 👏🏼 ummm miss ma’am 👏🏼 she’s dark! A PERFECT Halloween Novella for dark romance lovers! 🖤
Fave Quotes:
“Love is more than an object, it's more than the human brain can process.”
“It’s demented but it's also hauntingly romantic.”
I am totally color blind to all of Ronan's red flags 🚩.
Ember decided to change it up for Halloween and go to an Escape room that you have 72 hrs to escape, just to be trapped in the room with a masked man. Can Ronan resist the temptation? He makes her discover things about herself she kept hidden. She doesn't just give into him, she gives him hell and he loves to test her boundaries. They end up being exactly what the other needs, their tragic lives came together at the right time.
I absolutely loved this book!!! I ate it up!! I just want to hug Ronan.
Game of Hell is an addictive, dark and spicy read that grabbed me within first few chapters and didn’t let me go, I couldn’t put it down! The dark tension and morally black mmc were a major selling point for me. An absolute must read for dark romance fans! As always, check your triggers, this book might not be for you, but I can’t wait to read more from E.D Flores ❤️🔥
ill take Ronan reeves on a silver platter. please. no but seriously this was so freaking good. I did not want it to end nor did I get my fill of this delicious ass mmc. I felt it was fast paced and it kept you on your toes. perfect for a spooky season read. check your trigger warnings and enjoy.
Erykah! What did I just read?! This book is dark, twisty, and so sexy! Check out your next 5 star dark romance and find your new book boyfriend, Ronan Grieves! This is definitely a 5 chili pepper book! 🥵🥵🥵
This was a spicy, short book with a lot going on. Ember participates in an event and is locked in a room with Ronan. They have to find and figure out some riddles and solve them before they can leave the room. If they fail, they die. Will these two strangers be able to work together and get out? There are some twists so be ready!
As soon as I got this I locked myself in my library, put the playlist on and absolutely devoured this book, or maybe it devoured me idk. This is one of the best experiences I’ve had reading a book I was so enthralled I think I read it in like a day 🤣 it’s the perfect amount of plot to spice and kept me entertained throughout. We see deeply in the characters flaws and needs and what makes them tick and the characters were really well thought out! 1000x recommend to read this spooky season or just whenever you wanna read a really good book! All the stars
ARC REVIEW Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ OMG E.D.FLORES YOU DID IT AGAIN LIKE I NEED EVERYTHING YOU WRITE IM SO PROUD OF YOU AND YOU DID YOUR BIG ONE WITH THIS ONE. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your third masterpiece both of these characters have my whole heart like this was the best Halloween story I have ever read the dark romance was right then perfectly I need this on my shelves asap.
Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book early!
Game of hell wasn’t bad but it wasn’t my fav- I’m all for the smut & dirty stuff. There was just something about it that I was meh about & it being soo much. I felt like it took away from what the book was suppose to be. The story line was great, I wish we saw more of him being sweet- I love me a good psycho mmc but wish their sweet side showing and we didn’t get it till the epilogue which was just straight smut and felt like it could have ended without it. Personally. Again, it wasn’t bad I love the aspect of them being in a room having to find clues to get out and the maze. It was great, just wish it was a tad bit more on that.
ARC review :) If you’re in need of a spooky, spicy Halloweenesque quick read this is the book! Ember and Ronan are locked in an escape room and have three days to find clues that reveal their darkest secrets. This book had me hooked from the first chapter. It was super fast paced and the mc’s while maybe not relatable for me were believable. I wish the author had gone a bit more into the details of their secrets but overall I still really liked it!