0 Stars – Deeply Disappointing and Misleading Series
Review of the Sirens Series (to date) by Mandie Rae
I rarely leave reviews like this, but I feel compelled to speak up after pushing through the available books of this series. I went into Sirens expecting a reverse harem/why choose romance with dark themes - what I got instead was a disturbing, repetitive, and frankly misleading experience that left me frustrated and uncomfortable.
To be clear: this is not a reverse harem in any recognizable or respectful form. The genre expectations are completely disregarded in favor of what can only be described as a cycle of abuse masquerading as romance. There’s a difference between dark romance and outright exploitation, and unfortunately, this series repeatedly crosses that line.
The plot is virtually nonexistent. From book one through to book four, the main storyline barely evolves, the main character remains stuck in the same toxic loops, and the love interests continue with behavior that would be considered unforgivable in any other context. The emotional development is stunted, the relationships lack any semblance of consensual growth or respect, and the tone often feels shockingly flippant toward deeply serious issues.
I’m not sure how or why this series was positioned within the why choose subgenre, but it’s a poor and even harmful fit. The series leans heavily on graphic violence, abuse, and manipulation without the emotional payoff or narrative purpose that dark romance typically requires to be effective or meaningful.
I can handle gritty, I can handle morally grey - what I can’t handle is watching trauma be repackaged as romance without thought or care. Every character was unlikable, and the storytelling felt stuck on repeat, with only the shock factor being turned up with each book.
This is, hands down, the most difficult and disappointing series I’ve ever read in this genre. I can only hope that future books from this author take a more thoughtful approach - or at the very least, are more accurately marketed.
I can only imagine what BookTok will say when they get their hands on this.
It’s genuinely baffling how this book - let alone the entire series (thus far) - made it to publication in its current form. The content is, at best, deeply questionable and, at worst, deeply concerning. It reads like a personal catharsis more than a coherent or responsibly written story. If this was meant to be therapeutic, I sincerely hope more supportive outlets are being explored beyond publishing "fiction".