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Axel Devereaux: a dark college romcom
Not yet published
Expected 25 Mar 26Pre-order now! Coming March 2026!
This series will become darker, kinkier, and funnier with each book. See it as a dark romance with each book, you delve deeper into the darkness, but with some humor and smut in the mix.
Axel
The moment she crashes into my life, I’m fucked.
I know I shouldn’t crave the girl my sister loved—the girl who’s gone through so much abuse, she’ll never want to be touched by a man again.
But I can’t stop wanting her.
She thinks she’s broken, shattered, scarred beyond repair.
I see her as strong, brave, gorgeous… and mine.
It’s not just guilt holding me back—it’s the monster lurking in my pants, the reason why I’m still a virgin at twenty-two.
She’s a girl built on secrets, and when I uncover the truth?
I’ll prove she’s worthy of love, even if I have to fight every demon in her past to make her believe it.
And when her nightmares bleed into our reality, I’ll hunt down every goddamn monster who ever touched her.
Even if it means becoming one myself.
Carmen
The moment I’m rescued, I become fucked on a whole other level.
And it’s all because of Axel Devereaux—the golden boy with a heart too big and a body made to sin… the twin brother of my dead ex-girlfriend.
He thinks he’s saving me, but he doesn’t know what saving costs.
I’m not the girl he believes I am—I’ve got secrets he’ll hate me for.
I’m tainted, damaged, a patchwork of scars and sin stitched together by survival.
Yet every time he looks at me, I start to wonder if maybe I’m still worthy of love.
He’s gentle when I need it, filthy when I beg for it, and dangerous enough to destroy me completely.
Falling for him means breaking every promise I made to the ghosts of my past—and I always keep my promises.
So if I have to become a monster to protect him from the hell that follows me.
Then I’ll gladly kill them all.
This is book four in the series, and it starts right where book three ended. You could read it as a standalone, but I promise you'll enjoy it way more if you read them in order.
Extra warning!
Axel Devereaux is significantly darker and more emotionally intense than the previous books in the series.
This story delves deep into trauma, healing, and survival—and includes graphic, explicit, and potentially triggering scenes.
Please take the time to read the full list of trigger warnings before starting this book.
It contains depictions of sexual violence, abuse, trauma responses, PTSD, Stillbirth, and psychological manipulation, as well as detailed explicit sexual content that may be distressing to some readers.
While this book ultimately explores love, trust, and recovery, it does not shy away from showing the darkness that comes before the light.
If you’ve experienced trauma or find such content difficult to read, please proceed with care. Your mental health and comfort come first. 💛
This series will become darker, kinkier, and funnier with each book. See it as a dark romance with each book, you delve deeper into the darkness, but with some humor and smut in the mix.
Axel
The moment she crashes into my life, I’m fucked.
I know I shouldn’t crave the girl my sister loved—the girl who’s gone through so much abuse, she’ll never want to be touched by a man again.
But I can’t stop wanting her.
She thinks she’s broken, shattered, scarred beyond repair.
I see her as strong, brave, gorgeous… and mine.
It’s not just guilt holding me back—it’s the monster lurking in my pants, the reason why I’m still a virgin at twenty-two.
She’s a girl built on secrets, and when I uncover the truth?
I’ll prove she’s worthy of love, even if I have to fight every demon in her past to make her believe it.
And when her nightmares bleed into our reality, I’ll hunt down every goddamn monster who ever touched her.
Even if it means becoming one myself.
Carmen
The moment I’m rescued, I become fucked on a whole other level.
And it’s all because of Axel Devereaux—the golden boy with a heart too big and a body made to sin… the twin brother of my dead ex-girlfriend.
He thinks he’s saving me, but he doesn’t know what saving costs.
I’m not the girl he believes I am—I’ve got secrets he’ll hate me for.
I’m tainted, damaged, a patchwork of scars and sin stitched together by survival.
Yet every time he looks at me, I start to wonder if maybe I’m still worthy of love.
He’s gentle when I need it, filthy when I beg for it, and dangerous enough to destroy me completely.
Falling for him means breaking every promise I made to the ghosts of my past—and I always keep my promises.
So if I have to become a monster to protect him from the hell that follows me.
Then I’ll gladly kill them all.
This is book four in the series, and it starts right where book three ended. You could read it as a standalone, but I promise you'll enjoy it way more if you read them in order.
Extra warning!
Axel Devereaux is significantly darker and more emotionally intense than the previous books in the series.
This story delves deep into trauma, healing, and survival—and includes graphic, explicit, and potentially triggering scenes.
Please take the time to read the full list of trigger warnings before starting this book.
It contains depictions of sexual violence, abuse, trauma responses, PTSD, Stillbirth, and psychological manipulation, as well as detailed explicit sexual content that may be distressing to some readers.
While this book ultimately explores love, trust, and recovery, it does not shy away from showing the darkness that comes before the light.
If you’ve experienced trauma or find such content difficult to read, please proceed with care. Your mental health and comfort come first. 💛
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 25, 2026
6 people want to read
About the author
Marissa Markx
6 books26 followersMarissa Markx writes spicy, chaotic, and sometimes uncomfortably funny romances where trauma meets temptation—and where no kink is too weird to play with. Her books are dark, emotional, and full of morally grey men, strong heroines, and the kind of found family you wish you could crash a party with (badass granny included).
When she’s not writing, Marissa can usually be found plotting new ways to torture her characters, laughing at her own jokes, or cuddling dogs who definitely think they’re the real stars of her books.
If you like your romance messy, bold, and with a side of “wait, did she really just write that?”—welcome to her world.
When she’s not writing, Marissa can usually be found plotting new ways to torture her characters, laughing at her own jokes, or cuddling dogs who definitely think they’re the real stars of her books.
If you like your romance messy, bold, and with a side of “wait, did she really just write that?”—welcome to her world.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow. This book took us through it. This was dark dark, and emotional, and really brought out all the feelings. I cried, I looked away in horror, I giggled, and I loved it. These characters have put themselves on the line, and are coming through vulnerable, but also stronger and just out for vengeance. Axel is a consent king, and I love him for it! He is exactly what was needed in this situation. Carmen has had to be tough for so long, its no wonder she is untrusting and cautious, but she shows us what it's like to be fearless as well. This book now has a piece of my heart with it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
**BETA Read**
Trauma + Healing = Carmen & Axel
OMG besties… "Axel Devereaux" is hands down the darkest book in The Assignment series... and yes, you need to read the trigger warnings. Carmen’s story is brutal, heartbreaking, and raw, with trauma spanning 7 years that doesn’t pull its punches. Now, with that being said... the care, respect, and intentionality Marissa Markx brings to Carmen’s healing journey is honestly beautiful.
Axel surprised me... in the best way. Cane (Book 2) had my heart, but Axel? He carved out his own permanent space. The growth between Axel and Carmen felt earned, emotional, and deeply satisfying. And thank goodness for the found family and unhing€d banter, because that levity is exactly what keeps this story from crushing your soul entirely.
Despite how traumatic this book is, I really loved it. This series has been one of my absolute favorites... and now I’m seething for Maxwell’s story! Add "Axel Devereaux" (and the whole series) to your TBR... NOW!
My Ratings: ⭐ 5/5 ▪︎ 🥵 5/5
🥀 For my rating scale breakdown, head over to my Goodreads &/or Amazon profile! 🖤
Trauma + Healing = Carmen & Axel
OMG besties… "Axel Devereaux" is hands down the darkest book in The Assignment series... and yes, you need to read the trigger warnings. Carmen’s story is brutal, heartbreaking, and raw, with trauma spanning 7 years that doesn’t pull its punches. Now, with that being said... the care, respect, and intentionality Marissa Markx brings to Carmen’s healing journey is honestly beautiful.
Axel surprised me... in the best way. Cane (Book 2) had my heart, but Axel? He carved out his own permanent space. The growth between Axel and Carmen felt earned, emotional, and deeply satisfying. And thank goodness for the found family and unhing€d banter, because that levity is exactly what keeps this story from crushing your soul entirely.
Despite how traumatic this book is, I really loved it. This series has been one of my absolute favorites... and now I’m seething for Maxwell’s story! Add "Axel Devereaux" (and the whole series) to your TBR... NOW!
My Ratings: ⭐ 5/5 ▪︎ 🥵 5/5
🥀 For my rating scale breakdown, head over to my Goodreads &/or Amazon profile! 🖤
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews