We were the harbingers of war. War that threatened to consume our souls.
The killer. I had cleaved my heart in two. And yet, I had to go on. With Gedeon gone, Zion and I took his place as the leaders of the compound; a clock ticking until we stormed the cursed city of Ilasall. Only, the nightmares of the accident had ripped me into shreds, and now, pure bitterness flowed in my veins. One I was going to use to destroy everything.
The lost. For years, I had stalked Gedeon. Until finally, I had gotten a taste. Only for him to be ripped away the moment he had dropped his guard. It had opened a cavity in my chest, and Kali became the stitches holding it closed. And yet, it wasn’t enough. Nowhere near close to quenching the thirst for blood boiling inside me.
The fallen. Before darkness had claimed me, I realized that no matter how much you wanted to protect, you had to listen to their wishes. So if the cost of war they craved so much was my death, they could have it. But if they thought my absence freed them from my chains, they were sorely mistaken. In life and death, Zion and Kali belonged to me.
Arisa Villar is an author of dark romance and dark fantasy. Since she discovered the dark side of literature in her university years, she hasn’t stopped exploring it. From sweet romances to erotic horror, she reads it all.
And because her particular fixation has decided to land on the more…questionable stories, she writes accordingly. Or in other words, the more unhinged and spicier the story, the happier the author.
Currently, she lives in the corner of Europe, in a small country called Lithuania. Although the winters can get a little bit cold there, she always has a spicy book in every room to warm up.
Instagram: @arisa.villar TikTok: @arisa.villar Threads: @arisa.villar Facebook: Arisa Villar
"Zion. Be a good boy and f*ck that nonsense out of her."
Before reading Cold Blooded Creatures, two things were true. 1. I had never heard of Arisa Villar 2. Dystopian romance wasn't really on my radar. Post-reading the Bleeding Souls duet, two things are true. 1. Arisa Villar is now an auto author of mine & I am proud to be on her street team. 2. Dystopian romance will probably be something I seek out more of.
Hot Blooded Hearts was everything & more. I am truly blown away by Arisa's ability to suck me into this world and make me feel like I was fighting alongside our trio. In book two, we journey alongside Kali, Zion, and Gedeon while they navigate war, their relationship dynamics, working as a team, and holding it together through grief. I feel like the pacing was on point in the plot & nothing felt rushed or so slow that I was tempted to skim. I was truly immersed from page 1.
All 3 of our characters underwent truly beautiful development in book 2, individually and as a trio. Kali had to let go of things that had been ingrained in her for her whole life and accept that she was no longer fighting alone. She had to accept that people who cared about you helped without the need for return, and she had to learn to accept care & affection. I was truly awed by her strength and viciousness. Zion, with his perfect booty, had to accept that having Kali & Gedeon with him was real and not a hallucination. Other than accepting good things, Zion remained his unhinged, pretty boy self, and I love that for him. He truly brings to light appreciating beauty in all things, and he made me smile so much. Gedeon had the biggest character arc, I think. He had to thaw his heart bit by bit, loosen his reins slightly so he didn't truly suffocate his possessions, and he had to accept that he could love others and fight the fear of losing them. He had to come to terms with living through the fear instead of letting it control his decisions. Furthermore, he really became a caring and affectionate man, even though he still dominated & punished!
I did have big emotions because some losses wrecked me, but I won't dive too deep into that because I don't want to spoil anything. But through tragedy, we got a beautiful ending that put me back together in the end. Also, an important sidenote - the spice was absolutely incinerating and truly filthy in the best way.
I absolutely loved this duet. It was very dark, but the struggles our characters underwent shaped them into who they became. I ate up each unhinged action taken by our trio. Because sometimes in a world so dark, beautifully depraved creatures are born, and I love it. I highly recommend reading, but definitely check the trigger warnings before diving in if you have triggers. Your mental health is the top priority!
Thank you, Arisa, for bringing us this trio's story, your beautiful words, and...Zion's pretty boy booty!!! We appreciate you so much <3
Hot Blooded Hearts (Book Two of the Arisa Villar Series) Hot Blooded Hearts plunges readers straight into a storm of grief, vengeance, and brutal devotion, where love and war are indistinguishable—and survival demands sacrifice. From the very first line, the tone is unrelenting: “We were the harbingers of war.” This isn’t just a continuation—it’s an escalation. The emotional stakes are sharper, the bonds more volatile, and the characters far more fractured than before. The narrative unfolds through three haunting perspectives—The Killer, The Lost, and The Fallen—each voice bleeding with obsession, pain, and a desperate need for control in a world spiraling toward destruction. The absence of Gedeon is a powerful force in itself, leaving a vacuum filled by grief, rage, and shifting power dynamics. Zion and Kali step into roles that test not only their strength, but their sanity. What stands out most is the raw emotional intensity. Every character is unraveling in their own way—haunted by nightmares, driven by vengeance, and clinging to love that feels just as dangerous as the war looming ahead. The relationships are dark, possessive, and deeply complicated, blurring the line between devotion and destruction. The writing leans into its darkness unapologetically. There’s a constant sense of tension, like a ticking clock counting down to inevitable chaos. The cursed city of Ilasall looms as both a physical and symbolic battleground, promising a confrontation that feels as emotional as it is violent. Fans of dark romance and morally gray characters will find themselves completely immersed. This is not a story of heroes—it’s a story of survivors, of people willing to break themselves and each other in the name of love, power, and revenge. By the end of the blurb alone, one thing is clear: Hot Blooded Hearts isn’t just about war—it’s about what war leaves behind in the hearts of those who endure it. Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5) A dark, emotionally charged sequel that deepens the series’ intensity and leaves you bracing for the fallout still to come.
Can we applaud the development of this story and how well it's written??
Zion, Kali, and Gedeon are tested through insurmountable circumstances that they together overcome with the strength that only comes from those who have fought to survive and are now fighting to not just survive but to live. The story takes some deep turns with surprises I didn't expect Gedeon to go through but he's never alone. Despite the war brewing, this trio is prioritizing more than just winning or the potential to lose, they are prioritizing maintaining their own vulnerabilities in the best way they can - feral, unhinged and depraved play. Even when you think the fight is over, the author manages to surprise you by throwing in more twists that make the ending pure bittersweet and hard won. They are facing off with more than just the harsh ruling of Ilasall and burning it down but also facing deception, betrayal from those who are closest to them. One thing remains certain - that they are going to free the victims of reproductive and systemic oppression, misogyny and ideologies of corrupt men even if the cost is their lives.
The pacing and core of this story is brilliant and imbuing to fight injustice, take up ranks with those willing to die for not only peace but for change, for what's right. They are fighting to win at whatever costs and this story is powerful in its statement that there is more to a person than their ability to carry a life. To look past a person's surface level traits and truly look within. Zion, Kali and Gedeon have such profound emotional depth and the way they bleed for each other in all circumstances is one to admire even if it's severely unhinged in all the best ways!
I received an advanced copy from the author for review.
I was very excited to receive a copy of Hot Blooded Hearts to review after being awarded an ARC for Cold Blooded Creatures. The ending of CBC had left me yearning for more, especially to know if my suspicions about who the traitor was were correct.
Predictably, I figured that Gedeon was still alive so that didn't shock me. I did also guess correctly that Ezra was the traitor (I was still mad about it though.) And while I did anticipate the take over of the other two cities I did not see Ezra working with Ardaton so that was a nice surprise.
I enjoyed that the author didn't just give the information that Gedeon was alive at the beginning, so if that wasn't your suspicion then the way his chapters were written made it seem like he was a ghost watching over Kali and Zion. I also appreciated that the losses in the war were not just people without names and quite a large number of the names characters met their end (though Arisa can take back what she did to Ryder right now thank you very much!) Finally I did appreciate that Kali didn't just forgive Gedeon right away for his actions and it took a while for her to warm up to him again.
My only complaint is that I felt that some of the sex scenes got a little long winded. Don't get me wrong; I love a good sex scene in a dark romance, but I believe a little more tension and not being able to act on their urges could have gone a long way and made the sex in the book that much juicier.
4.75/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I can’t even put into words how amazing this duet was absolutely speechless I had never red a dystopian romance before this a whole new world for me. But the way arisa wrote the story the plot and the characters it absolutely just sucked you in I absolutely devoured cold blooded creatures and needed book 2 like I needed oxygen. Arisa gave us the arcs and literally it was like telling us to buckle up before going on a crazy freaking emotional roller coaster. Reading hot blooded hearts I definitely went threw rounds and rounds of up and downs and every emotion you could think of I was laughing so hard I was crying I was swooning my butt off while also needing to fan my self off when the spice came around and I was also sobbing . The twists and the turns of the plot it kept you on your toes and you never expected what was coming next through out the whole story. I will forever continue to recommend this duet it will live rent free in my mind because also who doesn’t love it when the BOYFRIENDS ARE BOYFRIENDS!!! The growth between Zion, Gedeon and kali was amazing to watch as individuals and the trio they are and to finally get the ending they all deserved together while missing some people along the way. This story was beautiful in every way and I couldn’t be more proud of Arisa and proud to be apart of her street team!!
I am going to apologize now for the language and general unhingedness. ARC reader and street team member! OH MY FUCKING GOD! I have been waiting for this since I read Cold Blooded Creatures back in September and it was absolutely, one hundred percent, worth the wait. Words do not even begin to describe how this book made me feel. I am normally a believer that a sequel isn’t as good as the original, but this? Equal if not better. Seeing how the events took place and how the events of book one went together was just everything. The complexity of the world, and the characters, have so much depth. No spoilers from me, I promise! But if you thought CBC destroyed you, you may never recover. Everything in HBH was dialed up and more intense. Emotions are raw even when the characters try not to acknowledge or feel them. LOVED LOVED LOVED IT! I’m a very expressive person, and my family asked several times if I was okay while reading. My answer each time was a resounding NO! (In the best ways of course) Who doesn’t love a book that destroyed them? I will be recommending both to EVERYONE.
Arisa has done it again. This book made me feel all the feelings, but retained the unhinged amazingness I had come to expect after Cold Blooded Creatures. As obsessed as I was with the first book, this one got me even more. It had all the wonderfully deranged revenge I could hope for, but also an incredible number of sweet moments that made my heart want to collapse. And let me tell you, the female rage in this book hit next level as well. Don’t worry, though, you get all of the above, PLUS an insane amount of spice. So much. Our two perfect over-protective, “touch her and die” type book boyfriends Gedeon and Zion do not disappoint in this one.
Overall, I laughed out loud at some of the scenes, I cried like a highschooler through several parts, and I was so impressed.
I did not want this series to ever end, because it was so perfect, but at the same time I needed to know how it happened.
I cannot wait to see what Arisa has in store for us next.
I continue to stand by my sentiment that this series has all the best aspects of Handmaid’s Tale and Haunting Adeline (but imagine you get TWO Zanes).
Stars: 5/5 Spice: 5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
this is my ARC review with my own personal opinions. this is a duology and the 2nd book. must read Cold Blooded creatures before Hot blooded Hearts.
this is a DARK, dystopian world, why choose book. always read your trigger warnings before reading.
this will be released April 16th 2026. its a Multi POV 1st person ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Arisa absolutely DESTROYED this book, in the best way possible. the way i was on the edge of my seat with just the first few chapters.....insane! all of the characters DOMINATED. She wrote in depth with betrayals, love, pain, anger, war, death. The descriptions with even the world building that continued in book 2 was perfect. the way every single character had a purpose in this duology. truly a well written book and I recommend for those that love the darker and spicier side of things!
📚ARC REVIEW📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5 Did I finish this or did it finish me? Well I don’t know, probably the latter option to be honest. I don’t want to write this long paragraph going into detail how this book destroyed me because it did, in a good way. So I say this, Hot blooded creatures threw me for more than a few loops, made me second guess my theories, wanted to throw my kindle across the room, laugh at the ridiculous banter/Zion’s comical personality, blush along side Kali because of Gedeon’s/Zion’s mouths and lastly ball my eyes out.
If you haven’t read cold blooded creatures I suggest doing that now, then adding hot blooded creatures to your TBR! Because this duet will live rent free in my head, and I don’t mind in the slightest. Thank you Zion’s beautiful booty 🍑
This is one of my most anticipated books this year to complete the Bleeding souls duet. This is a dystopian DARK spicy romance! Check your triggers on this one (yes it is long… you’re welcome 😜). I loved this book. I loved the arc all the characters take in this book even though I was not happy at first… but Arisa fixed it lol but the twists and turns in this book are amazing. This book touches on some heavy topics about women’s rights, war, torture etc but it makes you think about the world today and how it is terrifying for people that are not in favor of the government. The writing, story and book boyfriends are amazing. There are too many quotes and scenes that I love to list here so if this is down your alley highly recommend!!
I am not the most eloquent sometimes and often at a loss for words when I book resonates with me like this duology did. Yes, it's full of smut, gore, war, and intrigue, but when you still end up crying and literally laughing out loud throughout, you know the author did something right.
Zion, Kali, and Gedeon, along with their found family, have engrained themselves into my heart nestled up with all my book loves.
Thank you, Arisa, for bringing me and others like me into this world.
if you want spicy devastation with an emotional connection then read this Duet
I have been waiting to sink my teeth into the and Arisa didn't disappoint, this book absolutely finished me an I dont even have word's to express my experience. make sure to read book 1, as this picks up where it's left off. this will pull you in an leave you woth a WTF and how do I compress these emotions. that was a wild ending is all I can say.
Part 2 of the bleeding hearts duet was well worth the wait. Taking place in the dystopian nightmare, and jumping back in after the cliffhanger ending of part 1, Kali, Zion and Gedeon have to try and win the war against the cities and try not to lose their chosen family along the way. Casualties are a part of war, and I was gutted throughout the story. Gedeon and Zion’s relationship truly is another level, Kali and Zion are absolute brats and I love them for it. Zion is still and forever will be the psycho lover boy of my dreams🩸❤️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ I only wish I had gotten more of Kali and Gedeon and that really frustrated me for no good reason.
The explosive conclusion to the Bleeding Souls Duet is a dark, high-stakes MMF romance that perfectly balances grit with heat. Arisa Villar delivers an "unhinged" finale where the survival of her three outcasts depends as much on their lethal skills as it does on their twisted, fierce devotion to one another.
This duet is absolutely perfect and absolutely filthy. I honestly think this might be so much better than the first book. This is an amazing dark, dystopian, why choose read. Definitely check your trigger warnings because it gets VERY dark.
Zion, Kali, and Gedeon got me blushing throughout this book!
oh my goodness I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. so happy it ended as happy as it did with as much shit that happened. I love the trios dynamic as a unit as well. 💗
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.