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At Your Mercy: A Dark MM Romance
Ronan Craig was trained to be a weapon—beautiful, ruthless, and lethal. At twenty-nine, he’s perfected the art of seduction, using his body to lure countless men to their deaths. His latest mark should’ve been easy, or so his handler said. But Wesley Cohen isn’t like the others. One short night, and suddenly, Ro finds that he isn’t in control anymore. Wesley is.
When he meets Ro, Wes sees a dangerously pretty assassin whom he intends to teach precisely what it means to kneel at the feet of an older, stronger man.
Their twisted game of cat and mouse quickly becomes something darker, hotter, and far more dangerous than either expected. For every moment of heat, there’s the one of them was sent to kill the other.
And when desire turns into obsession, someone will end up on their knees—for mercy, or for blood.
At Your Mercy is the fourth and final book in the Twisted Desires series. You can expect a twenty-one-year age gap, enemies-to-lovers energy, and one very bratty killer.
When he meets Ro, Wes sees a dangerously pretty assassin whom he intends to teach precisely what it means to kneel at the feet of an older, stronger man.
Their twisted game of cat and mouse quickly becomes something darker, hotter, and far more dangerous than either expected. For every moment of heat, there’s the one of them was sent to kill the other.
And when desire turns into obsession, someone will end up on their knees—for mercy, or for blood.
At Your Mercy is the fourth and final book in the Twisted Desires series. You can expect a twenty-one-year age gap, enemies-to-lovers energy, and one very bratty killer.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2025
30 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
E. Baileu
11 books96 followersHi!
I’m a new author in the MM romance space. I primarily write dark romance, but like wholesome dark romance? You won’t find any verbal abuse or bullying in my books. I understand some people like that, but some people (me) prefer our morally grey men to dote on us.
My education background is in Criminology and Psychology, but I’ve always had a love for literature. I grew up writing short stories and poetry. As I got older, my creativity seemed to fade away and I became stuck in a monotonous routine. In December 2024, I suddenly decided to write Under Your Care. It felt like I had finally found what I was supposed to be doing with my life. I am so excited to share even more romantic, depraved, and kinky stories with everyone!!
Thank you,
E. (Elizabeth) Baileu
I’m a new author in the MM romance space. I primarily write dark romance, but like wholesome dark romance? You won’t find any verbal abuse or bullying in my books. I understand some people like that, but some people (me) prefer our morally grey men to dote on us.
My education background is in Criminology and Psychology, but I’ve always had a love for literature. I grew up writing short stories and poetry. As I got older, my creativity seemed to fade away and I became stuck in a monotonous routine. In December 2024, I suddenly decided to write Under Your Care. It felt like I had finally found what I was supposed to be doing with my life. I am so excited to share even more romantic, depraved, and kinky stories with everyone!!
Thank you,
E. (Elizabeth) Baileu
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 19, 2025
The story has a very intriguing cat and mouse dynamic. Nothing really new, but written in a very captivating way.
This is a book that took itself seriously, presenting all the characters in a believable way. Dirty, gritty and vulnerable enough to get hurt. In my mind this played like a movie or like an episode of Miami Vice (the original t.v. show) but from the bad guys perspective. A film noire of sorts. Just, with all the darkness included.
I can't not mention how different this book was to the previous in the series. They felt over the top reeking in shock value, but this felt real, raw writing where the descriptions of the original back story were devastatingly disturbing and painful.
E. Bailey's writing definitely grew within this series and this last instalment made it one of the best in its category.
⚠️I cannot stress enough to watch your triggers before getting into this book. There is very descriptive violence (in one of the latter chapters) that is pretty distressing.
This is a book that took itself seriously, presenting all the characters in a believable way. Dirty, gritty and vulnerable enough to get hurt. In my mind this played like a movie or like an episode of Miami Vice (the original t.v. show) but from the bad guys perspective. A film noire of sorts. Just, with all the darkness included.
I can't not mention how different this book was to the previous in the series. They felt over the top reeking in shock value, but this felt real, raw writing where the descriptions of the original back story were devastatingly disturbing and painful.
E. Bailey's writing definitely grew within this series and this last instalment made it one of the best in its category.
⚠️I cannot stress enough to watch your triggers before getting into this book. There is very descriptive violence (in one of the latter chapters) that is pretty distressing.
February 19, 2026
Nah, they say the L word too easily, can’t feel it. 🤷♀️ The “assassin falls for the target” trope is already overused in MF romance, and this book adds nothing fresh to it. Honestly, it carries a very strong MF vibe.
3 ⭐️ — not bad, not memorable, just there.
3 ⭐️ — not bad, not memorable, just there.
November 19, 2025
Fitting this is my favorite when it's the last one in this series. I'm usually not the biggest fan of big age gaps in relationships, but here, it was not that bad at all! Ronan was such a baby boy, I wanted to hug him tightly every time he was alone ❤😭
I also loved all the family together (Yes, I include Josh and Dori in here as well)! Makes me want to read a novella of them all together doing... "normal" stuff 😂
I´m excited to read E. Baileu's other works!
I also loved all the family together (Yes, I include Josh and Dori in here as well)! Makes me want to read a novella of them all together doing... "normal" stuff 😂
I´m excited to read E. Baileu's other works!
November 1, 2025
This whole series is dark romance and mentions triggering topics so please check them out before reading!
Have I mentioned that I totally love this series? The stories are such unique ones, you wont forget them anytime soon after finishing 🖤
Wesley is the uncle of Hudson & Hayes, who we know from book two of this series. Ronan is an assass!n, send to unalive him.
Ro is dangerous, calculating and perfectly trained to play a role for twenty years. But he is lost, a broken boy who just wishes to be seen and my heart broke for him and his story, he endured so much 💔
Wesley is everything Ronan needed before he even realized it, and these two are a deadly match from heaven. I was rooting for someone to get unalived cause I hated this guy with a passion 🫣
I loved everything about this couple, the way they acted around each other and they needed one another so much, it made me all emotional 🤧
If you're into dark romance with an extremely strong MMC and passionate, yet deep love, these two are for you 🥰
Have I mentioned that I totally love this series? The stories are such unique ones, you wont forget them anytime soon after finishing 🖤
Wesley is the uncle of Hudson & Hayes, who we know from book two of this series. Ronan is an assass!n, send to unalive him.
Ro is dangerous, calculating and perfectly trained to play a role for twenty years. But he is lost, a broken boy who just wishes to be seen and my heart broke for him and his story, he endured so much 💔
Wesley is everything Ronan needed before he even realized it, and these two are a deadly match from heaven. I was rooting for someone to get unalived cause I hated this guy with a passion 🫣
I loved everything about this couple, the way they acted around each other and they needed one another so much, it made me all emotional 🤧
If you're into dark romance with an extremely strong MMC and passionate, yet deep love, these two are for you 🥰
November 27, 2025
🤍🔪I was so tired of being rare, exotic, one-of-a-kind. I wasn't an object. I was a person🤍🔪
"You've got talent, I'll give you that. But seduction without conviction? Amateur mistake."
"Maybe I'm just not used to men who talk so much."
"Then you haven't been with men, babydoll. You've been with boys."
"You're dangerous, aren't you?"
"Mm. And you're beautiful. Dangerous and beautiful rarely ends well."
"Ro looked at me like he wasn't sure whether he wanted to claw my eyes out or crawl into my lap. Maybe it was both."
"You followed me not to kill me, Ro, but to force my hand. You wanted me to pin you here. To strip the mask off. To make you submit because you're too scared to do it yourself."
"As much as I'd enjoyed dismantling you right here, you're far too precious to take apart where just anyone could see."
"My chest ached with sheer unfairness of it--this boy, this beautiful assassin, spread out on a bed I'd bought with blood and power. He was everything I never thought I'd have, never thought I deserved, and honestly, never thought existed."
"You're a dangerous creature, doll. But you're gorgeous. I never thought I'd have someone like you laid out in front of me. Someone so...perfect. So untouchable."
"I was so tired of being rare, exotic, one-of-a-kind. I wasn't an object. I was a person."
This last book in this series was phenomenal! This was my favorite out of the series, but I loved them all. This was such a heartbreaking and emotional story. My heart and soul bled for Ronan 😭😢. My emotions were all over the place during this story and I cried a lot 😭😭. This story was very heavy on the trauma and TWs. This was a dark story about living through hell and coming out the other end a survivor with so much darkness. The author did a fantastic job dealing with all these hard topics in this book. The spice on this was spicin as always and perfect 🔥🔥🔥🔥.
This story follows Wesley and Ronan. Wesley is the uncle of Grey and the twins. He ended up raising all of them and we get glimpses of Wes in the last books. Wes runs a company for contracted killers and takes out bad people. Ronan is an assassin who is hired to take Wes out. He tries to seduce him, but Wes catches on immediately. What should be an easy and quick kill for Ro, ends up being so much more difficult than he thought. These two are immediately infatuated with each other. Ro continues to try to kill Wes, but he just can't. Wes is intrigued by Ro, so much so that he wants to save him. Elias, who is Ro's handler and owner, puts a deadline on the task, making things very hard on Ro. Will Ro end up finishing his job? Can Wes save Ro in time before it's too late? Can Ro finally get the freedom he has dreamed of for the last 20 years?
This was one of my favorite couples. Wesley was so normal compared to his psycho family 😂😂. Yes he ran a business of killers but didn't want to kill himself. Wes was so loving, protective, attentive, and had a hero complex. My sweet baby Ro was so broken and lost. He basically only learned how to survive through hell and become a weapon for someone to use. He wasn't used to being treated like an actual human until Wes came along 😭. The chemistry between these two was off the charts 🔥🔥🔥. I loved how much of a brat Ro was. Wes definitely knew how to tame him 🥵🥵. I loved how Wes was with Ro. He was so soft but firm with him. He knew what he needed and how to handle him given what he's been through. Ro had so many walls in place until Wes cracked through. Once these two had trust, the relationship was so easy and simple. They adapted to each other so perfectly. I loved how supportive Wes was of Ro 🥹🥹. Wes was such a green flag to me. Wes saw him, understood him, and treated him like a prince.
One of the best parts of this book was seeing the other characters and catching up with them. Their banter and interactions had me cackling 😂😂. I loved seeing the twins with Uncle Ro 😅😅. I really hope we get another story with all the characters down the line together. This found family is too adorable and chaotic 😆. This author outdid herself with this series. I will be reading everything she writes. If you're looking for a series heavy on the trauma, hurt/comfort, spice, great character and arc development, and all the feels than this is the one. 🖤🤍❤️🩹🔪🩸
"You've got talent, I'll give you that. But seduction without conviction? Amateur mistake."
"Maybe I'm just not used to men who talk so much."
"Then you haven't been with men, babydoll. You've been with boys."
"You're dangerous, aren't you?"
"Mm. And you're beautiful. Dangerous and beautiful rarely ends well."
"Ro looked at me like he wasn't sure whether he wanted to claw my eyes out or crawl into my lap. Maybe it was both."
"You followed me not to kill me, Ro, but to force my hand. You wanted me to pin you here. To strip the mask off. To make you submit because you're too scared to do it yourself."
"As much as I'd enjoyed dismantling you right here, you're far too precious to take apart where just anyone could see."
"My chest ached with sheer unfairness of it--this boy, this beautiful assassin, spread out on a bed I'd bought with blood and power. He was everything I never thought I'd have, never thought I deserved, and honestly, never thought existed."
"You're a dangerous creature, doll. But you're gorgeous. I never thought I'd have someone like you laid out in front of me. Someone so...perfect. So untouchable."
"I was so tired of being rare, exotic, one-of-a-kind. I wasn't an object. I was a person."
This last book in this series was phenomenal! This was my favorite out of the series, but I loved them all. This was such a heartbreaking and emotional story. My heart and soul bled for Ronan 😭😢. My emotions were all over the place during this story and I cried a lot 😭😭. This story was very heavy on the trauma and TWs. This was a dark story about living through hell and coming out the other end a survivor with so much darkness. The author did a fantastic job dealing with all these hard topics in this book. The spice on this was spicin as always and perfect 🔥🔥🔥🔥.
This story follows Wesley and Ronan. Wesley is the uncle of Grey and the twins. He ended up raising all of them and we get glimpses of Wes in the last books. Wes runs a company for contracted killers and takes out bad people. Ronan is an assassin who is hired to take Wes out. He tries to seduce him, but Wes catches on immediately. What should be an easy and quick kill for Ro, ends up being so much more difficult than he thought. These two are immediately infatuated with each other. Ro continues to try to kill Wes, but he just can't. Wes is intrigued by Ro, so much so that he wants to save him. Elias, who is Ro's handler and owner, puts a deadline on the task, making things very hard on Ro. Will Ro end up finishing his job? Can Wes save Ro in time before it's too late? Can Ro finally get the freedom he has dreamed of for the last 20 years?
This was one of my favorite couples. Wesley was so normal compared to his psycho family 😂😂. Yes he ran a business of killers but didn't want to kill himself. Wes was so loving, protective, attentive, and had a hero complex. My sweet baby Ro was so broken and lost. He basically only learned how to survive through hell and become a weapon for someone to use. He wasn't used to being treated like an actual human until Wes came along 😭. The chemistry between these two was off the charts 🔥🔥🔥. I loved how much of a brat Ro was. Wes definitely knew how to tame him 🥵🥵. I loved how Wes was with Ro. He was so soft but firm with him. He knew what he needed and how to handle him given what he's been through. Ro had so many walls in place until Wes cracked through. Once these two had trust, the relationship was so easy and simple. They adapted to each other so perfectly. I loved how supportive Wes was of Ro 🥹🥹. Wes was such a green flag to me. Wes saw him, understood him, and treated him like a prince.
One of the best parts of this book was seeing the other characters and catching up with them. Their banter and interactions had me cackling 😂😂. I loved seeing the twins with Uncle Ro 😅😅. I really hope we get another story with all the characters down the line together. This found family is too adorable and chaotic 😆. This author outdid herself with this series. I will be reading everything she writes. If you're looking for a series heavy on the trauma, hurt/comfort, spice, great character and arc development, and all the feels than this is the one. 🖤🤍❤️🩹🔪🩸
November 15, 2025
3.75 stars rounded up to 4. This was a great finale for the series, which can be read as standalones, but I was lucky that I read them all in order and got to love the cast. I was excited for this book because of the pairing and the themes, and I'd say it was overall satisfying.
In this one we have Ronan, a trained assassin with a dark past, and his target is Wesley Cohen. He didn't expect the older man to be as dangerous and smart though, and both quickly fall into playing a sort of cat and mouse game. Things get complicated once work calls but Ronan doesn't want to respond anymore.
Starting by the things I didn't like, the beginning felt wonky and it wasn't the best introduction to the story and characters imo. Fortunately I pushed through and ended up liking it more when I kept advancing, but I do wish that the characters had been set up better and the book let the reader get a bit familiar with them before their first meeting.
Another thing I wanted is a slower pace at times and more pages to avoid jumping in between scenes and chapters. The book has a great premise so it would've been wonderful if it trusted the audience more into being engaged, because I for sure was when I got to know more of it.
Besides that, I actually enjoyed this more than I initially thought after the first chapters. Ronan was very interesting and Wes was a good match for him. I liked their push and pull and how there was tension whenever they interacted. Their chemistry pulled me in until the end. I also loved the subtle dom and sub dynamic they got going on. It fits them and it didn't feel out of place, although I wanted it to be explored a bit more before them falling fully into it.
Onto the themes the story covered, I liked that it didn't shy away from the darkest ones. As horrible as Ronan's past (and present) is, it felt cathartic to have a MC like him that confronts the evil and has someone that cares for him. Even if I wanted Elias to be more present on page to make it scarier and feel him as a omniscient threat (and for whump reasons), I think Ronan's journey was overall handled well, especially with that ending. Justice being served will always be the best type.
Lastly, I absolutely loved that we got to meet the rest of the cast from the other books. I enjoyed those too and having all of them in the same place felt like an Avengers moment lol. It does makes me sad that this is the last book in the series, I'd love to know what else happens in the big family now that Ronan is part of them, it would make a fun book.
-This was an ARC review.
Tags: (might miss some of them)
-POV: first person
-Content warnings:
-Elements:
-Kinks:
-Sexual act(s):
-Dynamic:
In this one we have Ronan, a trained assassin with a dark past, and his target is Wesley Cohen. He didn't expect the older man to be as dangerous and smart though, and both quickly fall into playing a sort of cat and mouse game. Things get complicated once work calls but Ronan doesn't want to respond anymore.
Starting by the things I didn't like, the beginning felt wonky and it wasn't the best introduction to the story and characters imo. Fortunately I pushed through and ended up liking it more when I kept advancing, but I do wish that the characters had been set up better and the book let the reader get a bit familiar with them before their first meeting.
Another thing I wanted is a slower pace at times and more pages to avoid jumping in between scenes and chapters. The book has a great premise so it would've been wonderful if it trusted the audience more into being engaged, because I for sure was when I got to know more of it.
Besides that, I actually enjoyed this more than I initially thought after the first chapters. Ronan was very interesting and Wes was a good match for him. I liked their push and pull and how there was tension whenever they interacted. Their chemistry pulled me in until the end. I also loved the subtle dom and sub dynamic they got going on. It fits them and it didn't feel out of place, although I wanted it to be explored a bit more before them falling fully into it.
Onto the themes the story covered, I liked that it didn't shy away from the darkest ones. As horrible as Ronan's past (and present) is, it felt cathartic to have a MC like him that confronts the evil and has someone that cares for him. Even if I wanted Elias to be more present on page to make it scarier and feel him as a omniscient threat (and for whump reasons), I think Ronan's journey was overall handled well, especially with that ending. Justice being served will always be the best type.
Lastly, I absolutely loved that we got to meet the rest of the cast from the other books. I enjoyed those too and having all of them in the same place felt like an Avengers moment lol. It does makes me sad that this is the last book in the series, I'd love to know what else happens in the big family now that Ronan is part of them, it would make a fun book.
-This was an ARC review.
Tags: (might miss some of them)
-POV: first person
-Content warnings:
-Elements:
-Kinks:
-Sexual act(s):
-Dynamic:
November 29, 2025
This is E. Baileu's "At Your Mercy." It's the fourth and final novel in their Twisted Desires series.
["Ronan Craig was trained to be a weapon—beautiful, ruthless, and lethal. At twenty-nine, he’s perfected the art of seduction, using his body to lure countless men to their deaths. His latest mark should’ve been easy, or so his handler said. But Wesley Cohen isn’t like the others. One short night, and suddenly, Ro finds that he isn’t in control anymore. Wesley is.
When he meets Ro, Wes sees a dangerously pretty assassin whom he intends to teach precisely what it means to kneel at the feet of an older, stronger man.
Their twisted game of cat and mouse quickly becomes something darker, hotter, and far more dangerous than either expected. For every moment of heat, there’s the reminder: one of them was sent to kill the other.
And when desire turns into obsession, someone will end up on their knees—for mercy, or for blood."]
Another dark romance I was waiting for, another book I held off on because of the angst. This one was cliched in the assassin meets target kinda way, but it stood it's own in all other ways. It was dangerous and addicted and tragic and beautiful. It was uplifting and freeing and obsessive. It was spicy and devastating. It was everything.
This story in general didn't go as I thought it would. It was more devastating than I had ever imagined. Ro had gone through soooo much, some of which he's only processing now. It almost broke Wes, just seeing pictures of things, let alone knowing the exact details. But Ro is a fighter, a survivor, and he deserves every good thing Wes spoils him with and more.
Trigger Warnings: suicidal ideation, trauma, depression, victim of human trafficking and abuse, murder, torture, kidnapping, gun play, dub-con, and more.
#underyourcare #yourstobreak #chasingafteryou #atyourmercy #ebaileu #twisteddesires #twisteddesiresseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
["Ronan Craig was trained to be a weapon—beautiful, ruthless, and lethal. At twenty-nine, he’s perfected the art of seduction, using his body to lure countless men to their deaths. His latest mark should’ve been easy, or so his handler said. But Wesley Cohen isn’t like the others. One short night, and suddenly, Ro finds that he isn’t in control anymore. Wesley is.
When he meets Ro, Wes sees a dangerously pretty assassin whom he intends to teach precisely what it means to kneel at the feet of an older, stronger man.
Their twisted game of cat and mouse quickly becomes something darker, hotter, and far more dangerous than either expected. For every moment of heat, there’s the reminder: one of them was sent to kill the other.
And when desire turns into obsession, someone will end up on their knees—for mercy, or for blood."]
Another dark romance I was waiting for, another book I held off on because of the angst. This one was cliched in the assassin meets target kinda way, but it stood it's own in all other ways. It was dangerous and addicted and tragic and beautiful. It was uplifting and freeing and obsessive. It was spicy and devastating. It was everything.
This story in general didn't go as I thought it would. It was more devastating than I had ever imagined. Ro had gone through soooo much, some of which he's only processing now. It almost broke Wes, just seeing pictures of things, let alone knowing the exact details. But Ro is a fighter, a survivor, and he deserves every good thing Wes spoils him with and more.
Trigger Warnings: suicidal ideation, trauma, depression, victim of human trafficking and abuse, murder, torture, kidnapping, gun play, dub-con, and more.
#underyourcare #yourstobreak #chasingafteryou #atyourmercy #ebaileu #twisteddesires #twisteddesiresseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
October 30, 2025
This is Book 4 in the Twisted Desires Series. These are very dark romance stories that do include a HEA. They are written as stand alones so they don't need to be read in order but I do recommend it so you under stand who some of the side characters are when referenced. Please please check the TWs before heading in!
🌶🌶🌶.5
Ronan is an assassin who is sent to "Remove" Wes, but when their first meeting doesn't go according to Ro's plan he now is intrigued and wants to know more about the man he was sent to eliminate. Wes has been the lead of his own hitman team for a very VERY long time. He seen Ro coming from a mile away, but he also seen the cracks in Ro's armor when he slightly pushed back against him. Now on top of finding out who wants him dead Wes wants to find out more about what's under all those cracks Ro is hiding. What Wes does find out though changes the game completely, Ro was tr@fi€ked as a child by his now handler and used as a tool to take out his enemies. Wes has to convince Ro that he is safe with him and he can help Ro escape from the life he has been forced into for over twenty years.
What a freaking ending to this series! Ro and Wes are definitely end game and seeing everyone from the family come together at the end just melted my little dead heart. I loved every second of this series and I'm sad to see it end but SO excited to see what's next from E. Baileu
🌶🌶🌶.5
Ronan is an assassin who is sent to "Remove" Wes, but when their first meeting doesn't go according to Ro's plan he now is intrigued and wants to know more about the man he was sent to eliminate. Wes has been the lead of his own hitman team for a very VERY long time. He seen Ro coming from a mile away, but he also seen the cracks in Ro's armor when he slightly pushed back against him. Now on top of finding out who wants him dead Wes wants to find out more about what's under all those cracks Ro is hiding. What Wes does find out though changes the game completely, Ro was tr@fi€ked as a child by his now handler and used as a tool to take out his enemies. Wes has to convince Ro that he is safe with him and he can help Ro escape from the life he has been forced into for over twenty years.
What a freaking ending to this series! Ro and Wes are definitely end game and seeing everyone from the family come together at the end just melted my little dead heart. I loved every second of this series and I'm sad to see it end but SO excited to see what's next from E. Baileu
October 28, 2025
ARC REVIEW
What can I even say… WHAT CAN I SAY?! There are no words powerful enough to describe the masterpiece Baileu wrote! I truly believed no other book could ever beat Under Your Care for me… Then I saw the announcement: an albino brat? I thought maybe, just maybe… And damn, it did.
At Your Mercy is a heartbreaking story. Not just because of the relationship between the protagonists, but because of Ronan’s journey. It is gut-wrenching. It tears you apart piece by piece, only to stitch you back together at the very end. I won’t lie, I had tears stuck in my throat more than once while reading, yet oh god did I savor every sentence.
Beyond being an exceptional story, we also get updates on the other characters from the series. I laughed out loud so many times at Ronan’s inner thoughts about the others. The guy has a sense of humor, that’s for sure!
I genuinely hope there will be bonus scenes with Ronan, Lane, Ollie, and Josh because that would be… chaos. In the best way. A group chat? That has HILARIOUS written all over it. Like a book of bonus. A girl can dream, guys...
Spice level? 9/10
Plot? 9/10
Characters? 10/10
E. Baileu? 10/10
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. All of her books, but especially… ESPECIALLY this one. And just so you know, I very rarely give out five stars. That should tell you exactly how much I loved it.
What can I even say… WHAT CAN I SAY?! There are no words powerful enough to describe the masterpiece Baileu wrote! I truly believed no other book could ever beat Under Your Care for me… Then I saw the announcement: an albino brat? I thought maybe, just maybe… And damn, it did.
At Your Mercy is a heartbreaking story. Not just because of the relationship between the protagonists, but because of Ronan’s journey. It is gut-wrenching. It tears you apart piece by piece, only to stitch you back together at the very end. I won’t lie, I had tears stuck in my throat more than once while reading, yet oh god did I savor every sentence.
Beyond being an exceptional story, we also get updates on the other characters from the series. I laughed out loud so many times at Ronan’s inner thoughts about the others. The guy has a sense of humor, that’s for sure!
I genuinely hope there will be bonus scenes with Ronan, Lane, Ollie, and Josh because that would be… chaos. In the best way. A group chat? That has HILARIOUS written all over it. Like a book of bonus. A girl can dream, guys...
Spice level? 9/10
Plot? 9/10
Characters? 10/10
E. Baileu? 10/10
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. All of her books, but especially… ESPECIALLY this one. And just so you know, I very rarely give out five stars. That should tell you exactly how much I loved it.
December 29, 2025
A dark MM romance packed with enemies-to-lovers tension, power imbalance, and obsession. At Your Mercy throws you into a twisted game between Ronan, a lethal and dangerously seductive assassin, and Wesley, the older man who refuses to let Ronan stay in control. Their dynamic is sharp, intense, and loaded with heat, blending manipulation, desire, and danger in a way that fits perfectly with the darker tone of the series.
I would give At Your Mercy 4 stars. This one really kept me torn, because there was a lot I enjoyed—especially Ronan. His character stood out to me, and I loved his bratty energy and the internal push-and-pull as control starts slipping through his fingers. The spice was definitely there, and the enemies-to-lovers tension worked well. At the same time, I couldn’t fully decide if this was a book I loved or just really liked. Some elements didn’t hit as strongly for me as I hoped, even though the overall concept and characters had serious potential. It’s dark, intense, and memorable—and while I’m still on the fence about whether it’s a forever-shelf kind of read, it definitely left an impression.
I would give At Your Mercy 4 stars. This one really kept me torn, because there was a lot I enjoyed—especially Ronan. His character stood out to me, and I loved his bratty energy and the internal push-and-pull as control starts slipping through his fingers. The spice was definitely there, and the enemies-to-lovers tension worked well. At the same time, I couldn’t fully decide if this was a book I loved or just really liked. Some elements didn’t hit as strongly for me as I hoped, even though the overall concept and characters had serious potential. It’s dark, intense, and memorable—and while I’m still on the fence about whether it’s a forever-shelf kind of read, it definitely left an impression.
April 14, 2026
I can't believe this book slipped by me and it had been 6 months since it was published before I read it. And wow I just loved it so much. I remember reading the first book in the series, Under Your Care and I had read nothing like it before. And then all the subsequent,wonderful books introducing this amazing family of psychopaths and the men they loved. And here they all are in Wes and Ro's book and I was giddy to see them and Ollie and Lane too.
This was an incredible story that I read in less than 2 days. And one other thing. Lately, I have been just skipping sex scenes, they just seem gratuitous, but the ones in this book I really enjoyed. Was I just in love with Wes and Ro enough, was I aware how important they were to Ro, how healing? Who knows.
And I didn't cry till the gravestone scene, but then I had to. Ro's parents seemed like the best.
Uncle Wes. I would love to sit and have coffee with him and hear stories of the family when they were younger, before E. Baileu graciously allowed me into their lives.
This was an incredible story that I read in less than 2 days. And one other thing. Lately, I have been just skipping sex scenes, they just seem gratuitous, but the ones in this book I really enjoyed. Was I just in love with Wes and Ro enough, was I aware how important they were to Ro, how healing? Who knows.
And I didn't cry till the gravestone scene, but then I had to. Ro's parents seemed like the best.
Uncle Wes. I would love to sit and have coffee with him and hear stories of the family when they were younger, before E. Baileu graciously allowed me into their lives.
November 4, 2025
I just love this series from Baileu. Ro was a fabulous character - built on trauma and molded into a beautiful weapon to use, I loved watching Ro break out of his cage and come into his own. I loved how Wes immediately wanted to protect and help him. The evolution of their relationship was fun to watch. It felt a tad rushed at one point, but it still worked for me. Baileu's writing style is beautiful and pulls you into the story with all the emotions. Fun cameos from all the past characters and of course, since Wes is the Grey's and the twins' uncle - we get to see a lot of them. I would love a bonus with all the characters at a family dinner. LOL How fun would that be?
Love a good healing from trauma story and how Wes guides Ro, but in the end, allows Ro to save himself by doing what he needed to do to get there.
Sweet and smoopy, and dark and psychotic all mixed together. E. Baileu does this brilliantly.
Love a good healing from trauma story and how Wes guides Ro, but in the end, allows Ro to save himself by doing what he needed to do to get there.
Sweet and smoopy, and dark and psychotic all mixed together. E. Baileu does this brilliantly.
November 28, 2025
perfection - again
This series just kept getting better and I always felt, well, it can’t get better. Then it did. But this one kept me from the first page! I didn’t know much about Wes at all even though he was mentioned some throughout the prior books. And Ro was mentioned at the end of the last book but I wasn’t yet intrigued. But I just could not. Put. This. Down! It engulfed my whole Thanksgiving and I’m not even mad about it.
The story was so perfectly paced and interesting. The backstory was dark but just enough detail was given to paint the picture without being too graphic (even though we kind of knew it be dark going in and I enjoy some darkness). Honestly a great read from E. Baileu again. I haven’t read anything I haven’t loved and this is no different. Now I want to reread everything all over again. I loved all the Cameos and how everyone we’ve met in past books played a roll (for the most part) and moved the story along. 10/10
This series just kept getting better and I always felt, well, it can’t get better. Then it did. But this one kept me from the first page! I didn’t know much about Wes at all even though he was mentioned some throughout the prior books. And Ro was mentioned at the end of the last book but I wasn’t yet intrigued. But I just could not. Put. This. Down! It engulfed my whole Thanksgiving and I’m not even mad about it.
The story was so perfectly paced and interesting. The backstory was dark but just enough detail was given to paint the picture without being too graphic (even though we kind of knew it be dark going in and I enjoy some darkness). Honestly a great read from E. Baileu again. I haven’t read anything I haven’t loved and this is no different. Now I want to reread everything all over again. I loved all the Cameos and how everyone we’ve met in past books played a roll (for the most part) and moved the story along. 10/10
November 26, 2025
4.5⭐️ My favorite out of the series! The series ended on a high note. This last book was more hurt/comfort, very emotionally charged. While each book has pain and trauma, what Ronan went through gutted me.
Again while this isn’t anything new, the writing is done well. I love the intricacy of each of the characters and their dynamics. Ronan & Wes as a couple felt more developed than the other couples in the series. They just seemed to have a stronger bond.
I enjoyed the action and the cloak & dagger element in this last book. It had that Mafia element without the Mafia.
I loved how most of the characters come together in this last book, like a family reunion. It was be cool if the author did an epilogue/novella with all the characters in the series having a family dinner or Holiday get together. Can you imagine all those unhinged killers in one table? Hahaha!
Again while this isn’t anything new, the writing is done well. I love the intricacy of each of the characters and their dynamics. Ronan & Wes as a couple felt more developed than the other couples in the series. They just seemed to have a stronger bond.
I enjoyed the action and the cloak & dagger element in this last book. It had that Mafia element without the Mafia.
I loved how most of the characters come together in this last book, like a family reunion. It was be cool if the author did an epilogue/novella with all the characters in the series having a family dinner or Holiday get together. Can you imagine all those unhinged killers in one table? Hahaha!
November 6, 2025
Ahh I can't believe the series is over! This series as a whole is *chefs kiss*. I've enjoyed every single story and getting to know all the unhinged characters.
In this book we finally get to meet Daddy Wes who is a white knight despite what he does for work. We also meet the beautifully broken Ro, who may be the brattiest of assassin's but he will make your heart bleed. Theres lots of unaliving and feels in this one and an enemy that you'll be dying to see in the murder box. Honestly, I wanted to see him hurt more but im glad Ro got his revenge.
I adored seeing the family all together at the end, it was a great farewell to the series - im sad its over.
In this book we finally get to meet Daddy Wes who is a white knight despite what he does for work. We also meet the beautifully broken Ro, who may be the brattiest of assassin's but he will make your heart bleed. Theres lots of unaliving and feels in this one and an enemy that you'll be dying to see in the murder box. Honestly, I wanted to see him hurt more but im glad Ro got his revenge.
I adored seeing the family all together at the end, it was a great farewell to the series - im sad its over.
November 2, 2025
Is it possible for my love of this series to continue to grow every time I read one of these books. I dont know how I forgot the quick glimpse of Ro we got in Chasing After You. Getting his story broke my heart. I loved how Wes just knew what he needed and did we he had to do to take care of him. I dont feel like this one was as spicy as the others but it was still delicious. Especially with such a big age gap and being total opposites.
I loved the cameos from all the boys from the previous books. Especially the twins mentioning they loved their new uncle 🤣
I'm sad that this is the end of the series. but i cant wait to see what else we'll get from E. baileu
Thank you for this ARC! I loved it so much!
I loved the cameos from all the boys from the previous books. Especially the twins mentioning they loved their new uncle 🤣
I'm sad that this is the end of the series. but i cant wait to see what else we'll get from E. baileu
Thank you for this ARC! I loved it so much!
November 8, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
(ARC)
This was easily my favorite book out of the series. Ronan and Wes were such a good pair. This book felt very different than the previous books in the series but i think that really worked out in its favor. Wes was a great character; he was strong and he loved hard but the way that he cherished and cared for Ronan was literally perfect. And Ronan was definitely not the charchter i was expecting to get when i started this book but i loved the character we got; learning about his backstory was rough and im so glad that in the end he got to take back his power because he truly deserves the world. I'm sad to see this series come to an end but i feel like this was a great way to end it, i can not wait to see what comes next from this author.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
(ARC)
This was easily my favorite book out of the series. Ronan and Wes were such a good pair. This book felt very different than the previous books in the series but i think that really worked out in its favor. Wes was a great character; he was strong and he loved hard but the way that he cherished and cared for Ronan was literally perfect. And Ronan was definitely not the charchter i was expecting to get when i started this book but i loved the character we got; learning about his backstory was rough and im so glad that in the end he got to take back his power because he truly deserves the world. I'm sad to see this series come to an end but i feel like this was a great way to end it, i can not wait to see what comes next from this author.
January 17, 2026
Ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes:
🏷️MM Romance
🏷️Dark Romance
🏷️Age Gap
🏷️Enemies to Lovers
🏷️Touch Him and ☠️
My Review:
Ronan and Wes were very unlikely. Ronan was supposed to unalive Wes but instead he couldn’t do it. And Wes was intrigued by the man that was after him, and he also wanted to keep him safe and for himself. They were unlikely, and somehow kind of worked. It was interesting, but I enjoyed it and could recommend it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes:
🏷️MM Romance
🏷️Dark Romance
🏷️Age Gap
🏷️Enemies to Lovers
🏷️Touch Him and ☠️
My Review:
Ronan and Wes were very unlikely. Ronan was supposed to unalive Wes but instead he couldn’t do it. And Wes was intrigued by the man that was after him, and he also wanted to keep him safe and for himself. They were unlikely, and somehow kind of worked. It was interesting, but I enjoyed it and could recommend it.
November 12, 2025
A DARK AND PROVOCATIVE SERIES!!
This is book four in the Twisted Desires series, and I devoured it! This series is thrilling, twisted, and a dark lover's delight! Finally, Wesley gets his book, and what a book. I loved the action between Ro and Wes. These two are steamy, intense, and oh so thrilling.
This is book four in the Twisted Desires series, and I devoured it! This series is thrilling, twisted, and a dark lover's delight! Finally, Wesley gets his book, and what a book. I loved the action between Ro and Wes. These two are steamy, intense, and oh so thrilling.
November 14, 2025
I was selected as an arc reader for this book and whenever E. Baileu writes a book I know I need to get my hands on it ugh I rated this book 4 stars and 2 chili peppers we have 21-year age gap, assassins, strict top/bottom roles, and impact play. This book was definitely dark so check your trigger warnings and this was a super-fast burn.
April 14, 2026
5 stars!!! What a fabulous end to the Twisted Desires series!! This might rival the first book for the honor of being my favorite. I just loved this one right from the start! The scenes between Ro and Wes were perfection!! I absolutely loved how dominant Wes was and the dirty talk and praise of Ro was so hot!! OMG there's a reason I have 47 highlights in this book.
October 25, 2025
I loved this book.This is my my fourth book by this author.I just wanted to wrap Ro in a big hug 😢 and I something about the way wes took control.😝😝
This was amazing would read anything by this author.
This was amazing would read anything by this author.
October 25, 2025
Another amazing book in this series
October 27, 2025
Loved this book. Sad it’s over!
October 31, 2025
This might have been my favorite of the series. I really adored Ro, and Wesley was a surprise too. I loved getting to see Greyson and the twins interact with their uncle too!
November 14, 2025
Did NOT expect the uncle to get a book! And I’m so sad the series is over!!
December 4, 2025
i loved this so so much :((( i need more like thiss i wish it was longer
December 14, 2025
Idk this didn’t really feel like a dark romance.. it was fine but not as a DR book
February 1, 2026
Not going to lie, this one fucking hurt.
Insanely good ending to an amazing series!
Insanely good ending to an amazing series!
February 8, 2026
TE ADORO RO 😭😭😭
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