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Virtual Vice #1
IMMERSED: A Twisted Survival Horror MM Romance
Love at first death. Obsession at every resurrection.
Levi Mercer wanted to honor his brother's memory with a charity stream. The VR horror game was supposed to last a few hours. Instead, it became an endless nightmare where the monsters are predictable, but the man hunting him is not.
Death resets the scenario but not his killer's growing obsession. Through forest slashers and haunted hospitals, their encounters shift from quick murders to lingering touches, from clinical kills to intimate whispers. He's collecting Levi's responses like data, learning what makes him gasp, what makes him shudder, what makes him break.
The scenarios grow more complex, but so does the psychological game. When your killer starts protecting you from other threats, when violence becomes indistinguishable from possession, when you realize he's not trying to break you but to remake you—how do you fight back against someone who's rewriting your instincts one death at a time?
Content This dark romance contains graphic violence, psychological manipulation, dubious consent, trauma bonding, and explicit sexual content within an abusive relationship dynamic. Features virtual reality horror scenarios with repeated character deaths, including suicide, and Stockholm syndrome themes. Intended for mature readers comfortable with psychologically intense content.
Levi Mercer wanted to honor his brother's memory with a charity stream. The VR horror game was supposed to last a few hours. Instead, it became an endless nightmare where the monsters are predictable, but the man hunting him is not.
Death resets the scenario but not his killer's growing obsession. Through forest slashers and haunted hospitals, their encounters shift from quick murders to lingering touches, from clinical kills to intimate whispers. He's collecting Levi's responses like data, learning what makes him gasp, what makes him shudder, what makes him break.
The scenarios grow more complex, but so does the psychological game. When your killer starts protecting you from other threats, when violence becomes indistinguishable from possession, when you realize he's not trying to break you but to remake you—how do you fight back against someone who's rewriting your instincts one death at a time?
Content This dark romance contains graphic violence, psychological manipulation, dubious consent, trauma bonding, and explicit sexual content within an abusive relationship dynamic. Features virtual reality horror scenarios with repeated character deaths, including suicide, and Stockholm syndrome themes. Intended for mature readers comfortable with psychologically intense content.
485 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2025
About the author
Gale Ian Tate
8 books280 followersGale writes the kind of mm dark/gray romance that makes you question your life choices in the best possible way. When not crafting morally questionable characters doing questionable things, she can be found buried in a book, rolling dice in yet another D&D campaign, or frantically crocheting while binge-watching whatever series has stolen her soul.
She is a gaming enthusiast, horror movie aficionado, and BL manhwa collector who believes the best stories live in those deliciously gray areas. Between wrangling her four kids and making elaborate to-do lists (that will definitely be ignored), she is always down to geek out over a good book rec or debate which problematic character deserves more love.
She is a gaming enthusiast, horror movie aficionado, and BL manhwa collector who believes the best stories live in those deliciously gray areas. Between wrangling her four kids and making elaborate to-do lists (that will definitely be ignored), she is always down to geek out over a good book rec or debate which problematic character deserves more love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 481 reviews
May 8, 2026
Well, that was just delightful! Immersed firmly belongs to the “hear me out” category, so...HEAR ME OUT 👀
Levi is a small-time streamer who decides to raise some money for mental health awareness, still grieving his late brother, by beta testing a brand new VR set he’s been sent. He hates horror games, but Ethan loved them, so Levi is ready to embarrass himself in front of the handful of people who watch his channel.
The instructions say the game will provide a “psychologically adaptive horror experience”. Levi is about to find out how literal they are - after putting the headset on, he loses consciousness and wakes up in the middle of a forest.
Cue survivalist horror, a killer who’s instantly drawn to Levi, and escape room shenanigans but make it escape virtual reality. While trying not to be seduced by the handsome sociopath with mismatched eyes, of course.
The horror of it all is, after a while, more entertaining than spooky, originating in the situation itself. Being trapped in a reality that’s intent on hunting you is simply horrific. Especially to me, I’ve never played a horror game and never will - Snake on my old Nokia gave me anxiety, I would actually DIE 😅
Now that I think about it, this might be my first MM dark romance?? Though I’m still side-eyeing the word “romance”. The relationship forming between Levi and Asher is very much prey/predator, very toxic, very obsessive...and god help me but they were so HOT! I want to at least add “uncomfortably so” but that would be a fat lie 😏
What I truly loved is how self-aware the book is about Levi and Asher. Levi doesn’t have any delusions about Asher. He knows he’s being manipulated and conditioned into needing and wanting him, he actually resists for the longest time, even while his body was responding. That descent into giving in, accepting Asher as the only constant that actually brings comfort, was probably my favorite part. In a world of horrors, fear, and repeating death, the boy who’s obsessed and intent on saving you seems like a bright light in the dark instead of yet another shadow.
And Asher! Damn but I have to hand it to the author, they threw him at us with a clear “This one is actually fucked in the head, do with that what you will” and I had a great time being gaslit together with Levi. He’s so delulu but...you know what, I accept him, he’s fun! ❤️
(And if I ever encountered him, I would toss Levi at him as a distraction and run like hell. And you should too.)
Did I mention already how unbearably hot they were together?? I think I half expected some boring smutfest but ooohlalaaa was I wrong, the author skillfully edged me with almosts until the anticipation was killing me and I was ready for them to GO at it 😳
I do have to say, the writing was...hmm. Definitely a bit unpolished and very repetitive in the beginning (countless variations of Asher’s touch being “disturbingly tender” or “unexpectedly gentle” and him being a predator in general) to the point I started to roll my eyes...but either it actually got better, or I stopped paying attention. The pace was amazing, the short chapters snappy and kept the story going, so the page count (around 450 pages) felt maybe half of what it actually was!
I don’t even know who to recommend this to because either you’ll thank me, or come back here to stare at me incredulously. I guess, go pick it up if you don’t mind dark yet entertaining “romances” and you love the vibe the cover is giving!
And don’t forget to check the trigger warnings - I adore how absolutely thorough the author was with them!
(Did I go back to them only after reading the book? Possibly.)
Levi is a small-time streamer who decides to raise some money for mental health awareness, still grieving his late brother, by beta testing a brand new VR set he’s been sent. He hates horror games, but Ethan loved them, so Levi is ready to embarrass himself in front of the handful of people who watch his channel.
The instructions say the game will provide a “psychologically adaptive horror experience”. Levi is about to find out how literal they are - after putting the headset on, he loses consciousness and wakes up in the middle of a forest.
Cue survivalist horror, a killer who’s instantly drawn to Levi, and escape room shenanigans but make it escape virtual reality. While trying not to be seduced by the handsome sociopath with mismatched eyes, of course.
The horror of it all is, after a while, more entertaining than spooky, originating in the situation itself. Being trapped in a reality that’s intent on hunting you is simply horrific. Especially to me, I’ve never played a horror game and never will - Snake on my old Nokia gave me anxiety, I would actually DIE 😅
Now that I think about it, this might be my first MM dark romance?? Though I’m still side-eyeing the word “romance”. The relationship forming between Levi and Asher is very much prey/predator, very toxic, very obsessive...and god help me but they were so HOT! I want to at least add “uncomfortably so” but that would be a fat lie 😏
What I truly loved is how self-aware the book is about Levi and Asher. Levi doesn’t have any delusions about Asher. He knows he’s being manipulated and conditioned into needing and wanting him, he actually resists for the longest time, even while his body was responding. That descent into giving in, accepting Asher as the only constant that actually brings comfort, was probably my favorite part. In a world of horrors, fear, and repeating death, the boy who’s obsessed and intent on saving you seems like a bright light in the dark instead of yet another shadow.
And Asher! Damn but I have to hand it to the author, they threw him at us with a clear “This one is actually fucked in the head, do with that what you will” and I had a great time being gaslit together with Levi. He’s so delulu but...you know what, I accept him, he’s fun! ❤️
(And if I ever encountered him, I would toss Levi at him as a distraction and run like hell. And you should too.)
Did I mention already how unbearably hot they were together?? I think I half expected some boring smutfest but ooohlalaaa was I wrong, the author skillfully edged me with almosts until the anticipation was killing me and I was ready for them to GO at it 😳
I do have to say, the writing was...hmm. Definitely a bit unpolished and very repetitive in the beginning (countless variations of Asher’s touch being “disturbingly tender” or “unexpectedly gentle” and him being a predator in general) to the point I started to roll my eyes...but either it actually got better, or I stopped paying attention. The pace was amazing, the short chapters snappy and kept the story going, so the page count (around 450 pages) felt maybe half of what it actually was!
I don’t even know who to recommend this to because either you’ll thank me, or come back here to stare at me incredulously. I guess, go pick it up if you don’t mind dark yet entertaining “romances” and you love the vibe the cover is giving!
And don’t forget to check the trigger warnings - I adore how absolutely thorough the author was with them!
(Did I go back to them only after reading the book? Possibly.)
October 26, 2025
This was a very fun idea of a story for people who sunk a lot of time into games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil. Essentially Levi, our main character, is isekai'd into a horror game, except instead of Truck-kun, there is a mysterious prototype VR headset that is designed to be psychologically adaptive to the user, trapping Levi in an endless loop of death and respawning.
I enjoyed this book but I do think there is an important caveat to be said here that this book is primarily a horror story, and while there is a queer relationship with the MCs I hesitant to say that this is a romance due to the degree of toxicity present ( He wasn’t just the red flag, he was the bubbling vat of dye that made the red flags at the red flag factory ). The best way I can describe the dynamic between Asher and Levi is ‘Pepe Le Pew and Penelope the cat’, except that Pepe Le Pew is a homicidal psychopath who is trapped between the twin desires of wanting to kill Penelope or possess her. Very much a book for the “I don’t want to change him, I want the monster as he is” crowd.
I think that at the 2/3 mark the story did start to drag a little bit and I wish that the plot and details surrounding the horror games was a little tighter but it still remained a good piece of escapism.
I appreciate that the author included an extensive and comprehensive list of trigger warnings and support services at the start of the book, showing that while they might be writing some toxic dynamics there is still a priority placed on the care and boundaries of the reading audience.
All that being said, whilst some of the content was rather graphic, I found that due to violence being viewed through the lens of a video game I didn’t find it particularly dark or confronting, however, the initial interactions between Asher and Levi in the Slasher game, were definitely the ones that I found the most violent and I think the ones people would be the most off put by.
Super excited to read the second half of this duology when it’s released next year!
✨Content Warnings ✨
Repeated graphic violence and character death of the MC by various methods (including at the hands of the love interest), self harm/suicide, medical experimentation and body horror, dubcon/noncon between the MCs, trauma bonding and emotional manipulation.
I enjoyed this book but I do think there is an important caveat to be said here that this book is primarily a horror story, and while there is a queer relationship with the MCs I hesitant to say that this is a romance due to the degree of toxicity present ( He wasn’t just the red flag, he was the bubbling vat of dye that made the red flags at the red flag factory ). The best way I can describe the dynamic between Asher and Levi is ‘Pepe Le Pew and Penelope the cat’, except that Pepe Le Pew is a homicidal psychopath who is trapped between the twin desires of wanting to kill Penelope or possess her. Very much a book for the “I don’t want to change him, I want the monster as he is” crowd.
I think that at the 2/3 mark the story did start to drag a little bit and I wish that the plot and details surrounding the horror games was a little tighter but it still remained a good piece of escapism.
I appreciate that the author included an extensive and comprehensive list of trigger warnings and support services at the start of the book, showing that while they might be writing some toxic dynamics there is still a priority placed on the care and boundaries of the reading audience.
All that being said, whilst some of the content was rather graphic, I found that due to violence being viewed through the lens of a video game I didn’t find it particularly dark or confronting, however, the initial interactions between Asher and Levi in the Slasher game, were definitely the ones that I found the most violent and I think the ones people would be the most off put by.
Super excited to read the second half of this duology when it’s released next year!
✨Content Warnings ✨
Repeated graphic violence and character death of the MC by various methods (including at the hands of the love interest), self harm/suicide, medical experimentation and body horror, dubcon/noncon between the MCs, trauma bonding and emotional manipulation.
March 20, 2026
5 ⭐️
That was actually so fun! Like previously mentioned I don't think I've read a book quite like this one. Basically if you put the game Resident Evil and Until Dawn type together, only some scenes also felt to me like watching a Saw movie for a sec, you would get a similar vibe, however the constant which you cannot quite figure out is Asher.
Levi is our main protagonist who is doing a charity stream and testing some VR set that throws him into a survival horror game, where he has to do puzzles and challenges in order to get out.
While doing all of this, the game resets but constants are kept in place. And we also meet our psychotic puppy which is Asher. He's the killer basically, for a while (or is he *hehe*). The idea of intimacy and psychological manipulation were quite explored in this one, as Asher is unpredictable, completely unhinged and makes our poor Levi go through it.
From my perspective the book mainly and heavily focused on the game and its gymnastics, and secondly on the romance between the boys, so if you go into this, you shouldn't expect your average lovey dovey or a lil fiesty MM romance. No hun, this is GORE. This gets a little crazy. This also gets a little unhinged but honestly I ate it up.
There were a lot of scenes that actually made me do a double take, because even as a gore fan, they were quite graphic. But that is something that I like in my horror, to go beyond your standard perception of it. The writing was so immersive specially during those monstrous descriptions juicy bits.
I feel like the author did an amazing job of portraying this but also the obsessive behaviour of Asher, you really ask yourself if you're rooting for them/him or not by the end.
The ending was very cool but leaves you with a lot of questions that will hopefully be answered in book 2, which I'm very much looking forward to!!❤️🖤❤️🖤
______
50% check in, this is different than any other book that I have read, the horror setting is so cool and unhinged at the same time, but also Asher 😏😏😏
______
pre:read
Already started this and I'm so immersed into it, it's already so insane
That was actually so fun! Like previously mentioned I don't think I've read a book quite like this one. Basically if you put the game Resident Evil and Until Dawn type together, only some scenes also felt to me like watching a Saw movie for a sec, you would get a similar vibe, however the constant which you cannot quite figure out is Asher.
Levi is our main protagonist who is doing a charity stream and testing some VR set that throws him into a survival horror game, where he has to do puzzles and challenges in order to get out.
While doing all of this, the game resets but constants are kept in place. And we also meet our psychotic puppy which is Asher. He's the killer basically, for a while (or is he *hehe*). The idea of intimacy and psychological manipulation were quite explored in this one, as Asher is unpredictable, completely unhinged and makes our poor Levi go through it.
From my perspective the book mainly and heavily focused on the game and its gymnastics, and secondly on the romance between the boys, so if you go into this, you shouldn't expect your average lovey dovey or a lil fiesty MM romance. No hun, this is GORE. This gets a little crazy. This also gets a little unhinged but honestly I ate it up.
There were a lot of scenes that actually made me do a double take, because even as a gore fan, they were quite graphic. But that is something that I like in my horror, to go beyond your standard perception of it. The writing was so immersive specially during those monstrous descriptions juicy bits.
I feel like the author did an amazing job of portraying this but also the obsessive behaviour of Asher, you really ask yourself if you're rooting for them/him or not by the end.
The ending was very cool but leaves you with a lot of questions that will hopefully be answered in book 2, which I'm very much looking forward to!!❤️🖤❤️🖤
______
50% check in, this is different than any other book that I have read, the horror setting is so cool and unhinged at the same time, but also Asher 😏😏😏
______
pre:read
Already started this and I'm so immersed into it, it's already so insane
December 22, 2025
⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️
Stuck in the virtual world of the new horror game he’s testing, Liam has to learn how to survive in a reality that is constantly evolving and trying to kill him at very turn.
Groundhog Day meets Outlast meets Russian Doll, a survival horror (mostly) set in an abandoned hospital… that might not be so abandoned after all.
Just that premise alone had me hooked instantly. I’m a horror game fan, I’ve been watching playthroughs ever since I discovered YouTube, so the setting, the spooky atmosphere, the game logic — everything was so perfect and immersive.
Add on top of that a deliciously wrong enemies to lovers romance? AMAZING. And I’m talking true enemies here, like they fight for most of the book, not a two second ‘I hate him!’.
Asher was the villain you’re definitely not supposed to like, but gawd why he gotta be so sexy??
An obsessive and toxic slow burn romance that fit perfectly with the horror scenario.
There was a nice balance between romance and action, and I loved the gradual progression of their relationship, from enemies to allies, from predator and prey to a team, from fear and obsession to need and protectiveness.
The character development was insanely well done. We get to experience both of them change and evolve throughout the book. I loved seeing Levi face his fears, going from a scared streamer to a badass strategist.
Now, this wouldn’t be one of my reviews if I didn’t talk about the spice, would it?
And ohmygod was the smut filthy and intense and wrong and sexy. Their dynamic starts off really iffy, and I loved that slowww build-up, Levi slowly starting to fall for Asher, Asher going from a horrible monster to a patient guard dog waiting for his treat. That’s exactly how I pictured him, just staring at Levi with puppy dog eyes until he says ‘Yes, you can touch me’.
The spice was teasing, dark, seductive.
I loved everything about Immersed. A creative plot, an immersive setting, characters with layers and depth (even the NPCs), a really dark romance, an actual storyline with intrigue and mystery. An instant fave, and I need book two immediately, because sci-fi horror is my second-favorite type of horror and I need more Asher and Levi.
PS — The non-canon bonus short was the cutest side quest ever, the comedic relief I needed after this super intense read.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Body horror
- Violence/gore
- Murder
- Repeated character deaths (virtual)
- Self-harm/suicide (virtual)
- Mentions of death of a sibling (suicide)
- Attempted SA
- Non-con touching
- Dub-con
- Manipulation/trauma-bonding/codependency
- Grief
- PTSD & panic attacks
- Virgin MC
- MC w/ heterochromia
- Top/bottom
- Grinding/coming with clothes on
- HFN ending
“Reality is just the beginning.“
Stuck in the virtual world of the new horror game he’s testing, Liam has to learn how to survive in a reality that is constantly evolving and trying to kill him at very turn.
Groundhog Day meets Outlast meets Russian Doll, a survival horror (mostly) set in an abandoned hospital… that might not be so abandoned after all.
Just that premise alone had me hooked instantly. I’m a horror game fan, I’ve been watching playthroughs ever since I discovered YouTube, so the setting, the spooky atmosphere, the game logic — everything was so perfect and immersive.
“I wish this moment could last forever,” the man murmured, his words growing distant as Levi’s hearing began to fade. “Just you and me.”
Add on top of that a deliciously wrong enemies to lovers romance? AMAZING. And I’m talking true enemies here, like they fight for most of the book, not a two second ‘I hate him!’.
Asher was the villain you’re definitely not supposed to like, but gawd why he gotta be so sexy??
Levi stared back, paralyzed by the realization that whatever game he was trapped in, Asher wasn’t simply its villain. He was playing by rules Levi didn’t understand.
An obsessive and toxic slow burn romance that fit perfectly with the horror scenario.
There was a nice balance between romance and action, and I loved the gradual progression of their relationship, from enemies to allies, from predator and prey to a team, from fear and obsession to need and protectiveness.
He wasn’t just a walking red flag, he was the bubbling vat of dye that made the flags red at the red flag factory. Common sense would tell Levi to run as far and fast away from Asher as he could. But common sense was for a world he didn’t live in anymore.
The character development was insanely well done. We get to experience both of them change and evolve throughout the book. I loved seeing Levi face his fears, going from a scared streamer to a badass strategist.
“Fuck, Levi. You sound so pretty when you’re desperate for me.”
Now, this wouldn’t be one of my reviews if I didn’t talk about the spice, would it?
And ohmygod was the smut filthy and intense and wrong and sexy. Their dynamic starts off really iffy, and I loved that slowww build-up, Levi slowly starting to fall for Asher, Asher going from a horrible monster to a patient guard dog waiting for his treat. That’s exactly how I pictured him, just staring at Levi with puppy dog eyes until he says ‘Yes, you can touch me’.
The spice was teasing, dark, seductive.
This wasn’t mutual attraction; it was conditioning. Training. Asher was teaching Levi’s body to associate him with pleasure rather than pain. And it was working.
I loved everything about Immersed. A creative plot, an immersive setting, characters with layers and depth (even the NPCs), a really dark romance, an actual storyline with intrigue and mystery. An instant fave, and I need book two immediately, because sci-fi horror is my second-favorite type of horror and I need more Asher and Levi.
PS — The non-canon bonus short was the cutest side quest ever, the comedic relief I needed after this super intense read.
“I’ll find you again,” Asher said, voice steady despite the grinding metal closing in around them. “I always do.”
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Body horror
- Violence/gore
- Murder
- Repeated character deaths (virtual)
- Self-harm/suicide (virtual)
- Mentions of death of a sibling (suicide)
- Attempted SA
- Non-con touching
- Dub-con
- Manipulation/trauma-bonding/codependency
- Grief
- PTSD & panic attacks
- Virgin MC
- MC w/ heterochromia
- Top/bottom
- Grinding/coming with clothes on
- HFN ending
June 30, 2026
What a RIDE!!! 😍
After reading the warnings, I was a little hesitant about going into Gale Ian Tate's Immersed. Heavy angst is one of those genres that has been hitting me harder than usual these days and I wasn't sure if I was up for the emotional rollercoaster. But instead of finding this depressing and hard hitting, I found myself laughing out loud and smiling like a psycho throughout the whole thing. Let me tell you, this is a very self aware novel that shouldn't be taken too seriously. It's like a carnival ride; scary, exhilarating and out of control. Meant for pure unadulterated enjoyment; even with the very VERY questionable subject matter.
Okay, let's be clear, Asher is toxic as fuck, but in the most endearing way. Weird sentence, I know! Picture big golden retriever energy, but with rabies. That's Asher. The man is so delightfully complex when it comes to his morality, but not so much in what he wants. And he wants Levi...in the best and worst ways. He's a psychopath, a manipulator, and a bit rapey, but he somehow transforms into something softer with Levi, something more human. It all just adds to the complexity of him and who he really is. You can't help but find him a truly fascinating character!
Levi is definitely no two dimensional character either. Instead of just falling for Asher's games, he stays strong for a good portion of the book, knowing EXACTLY how Asher works and how the relationship that's forming between them is not healthy. Levi comes across as meek in the beginning, doubting whether he can play this new horror game without flinching, but when he's in it...for real, he becomes the leader he was meant to be. Strong in his decisions, his morals, and his perceptions. Even when he is getting hot and heavy with Asher, he knows it's a bad idea, knows there will be repercussions, but chooses to be with him anyway. Although, it does take quite awhile to get to that point because Asher is still an obsessive nutcase.
Asher's transition from deadly killer to Levi's protector/tormentor was done in a way that actually had me laughing! Sure, he's creepy and manipulative and handsy, but he does it with such genuine commitment to Levi that I just can't help but be like 🥰
Asher @ Levi at the worst possible moments:
Levi:
Trauma bonded, Stockholm syndrome, call it what you want, in this insane reality, I call it romantic, even if Levi calls it possessive. But, you really have to give Asher credit for the absolute lengths he will go to cop a feel on his boy! OMG, nothing else matters to that touch starved serial killer. It's frighteningly hilarious! His priorities in the hellscape video game are so absurdly wrapped around Levi, you can't help but chuckle.
And boy was the game a hellscape...Think 1999's Virus with Jamie Lee Curtis horror, but in a sanitarium that moves like a puzzle. Some of the scenes are downright disturbing, but if you are a horror aficionado, I think you'll love them!
The NPCs were also a hoot, even though they were mostly cannon fodder and a constant cock block for Asher. 😂
There isn't a whole lot of smut in the novel, but the sexual tension is sizzling! When the spice finally does happen, it's explosive! 🥵💦 Asher being so hot and cold with Levi was just so mentally perplexing and electric. Leave it to Asher to make sex scorching hot while being chased by monstrous abominations, and fearing certain excruciating death. Bless.
Oh man, and Ashers biggest retrieval priority at the end had me HOWLING! If you know, you know! 🤣
This book was so so fun! I am ✨️dying✨️ to read the second installment and see how much more unhinged things will get, especially between Asher and Levi! ❤️🔥
Read
April 8, 2026Wanted to like this so much
I wanted to like this one so much. Reading a little about it gave me Sword Art Online vibes, which immediately had my attention since that’s one of my favorite manga. Add horror and MM to that kind of setup and I was fully in.
Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t my vibe. I loved the concept, but the actual story dragged for me, and I really struggled with Levi and Asher’s constant back and forth. I wanted so much more from this because on paper it sounded like such a good fit, but in the end it just didn’t work for me.
I wanted to like this one so much. Reading a little about it gave me Sword Art Online vibes, which immediately had my attention since that’s one of my favorite manga. Add horror and MM to that kind of setup and I was fully in.
Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t my vibe. I loved the concept, but the actual story dragged for me, and I really struggled with Levi and Asher’s constant back and forth. I wanted so much more from this because on paper it sounded like such a good fit, but in the end it just didn’t work for me.
June 11, 2026
This book is unhinged. I haven't read many MM horror stories, but this one has me clutching my metaphorical pearls, screaming at Levi to stop making every classic horror movie mistake in the book.
I loved the mix of first and third person writing. The world building is really well done. The video game setting feels like actual reality for the characters, and it gave me so much anxiety stressing out for them. Everything is chaotic and tense, and I could not put this book down.
I am immediately jumping into the second book. There are clearly a lot of loose ends to tie up, and I can't wait to see how it all resolves.
I loved the mix of first and third person writing. The world building is really well done. The video game setting feels like actual reality for the characters, and it gave me so much anxiety stressing out for them. Everything is chaotic and tense, and I could not put this book down.
I am immediately jumping into the second book. There are clearly a lot of loose ends to tie up, and I can't wait to see how it all resolves.
December 18, 2025
⭐⭐⭐.75 (rounded up to 4)
🌶️
Levi’s lungs burned. His vision darkened at the edges. The stranger’s hand continued its gentle motion on his back, even as his other hand maintained its deadly pressure.
He’s comforting me while he kills me.
Tropes:
✨MM
✨Psychological horror
✨Trapped in a VR game/simulation
✨Manipulation, gaslighting, love-bombing
✨Repeated death of MCs on the page
✨Mystery
✨Non-con and dub-con
✨ Reliving the same days and events over and over until they find the solution
⚠️Carefully and thoroughly read TWs before starting this book.⚠️
My review:
I have kind of mixed feelings about this one, but overall I did enjoy it. It worked really well as dark escapism, especially if you’re in the mood for a horror and a little messed up story. That said, around 40-50% of the book, the story definitely started to drag for me. I found myself getting bored in places and even tempted to skim some chapters, especially when the horror game elements started to feel a bit loose and repetitive. The book was mostly interesting because of the dynamic between the two characters, and, sadly, this is one of the books where I found myself not caring much about the actual "plot" or the NPCs. It actually ruined things for me more than anything, because it got slow and boring.
One thing I really appreciated right away though was the care the author took with trigger warnings. The list at the beginning is thorough and clearly thought out, and I liked that it was paired with support resources (I don't know if I've ever seen an author do that before!) . Even though the book plays with toxic dynamics and graphic moments, it still felt like the author was being mindful of readers’ boundaries and making sure we knew exactly what we were jumping into.
“What happened to him, exactly?”
“He was reading your notebook,” Asher said, studying the electronic devices with a frown. “Taking pictures of the pages with his phone. I didn’t like that.” The matter-of-fact admission made Levi’s skin crawl. “So you killed him.”
“I protected your privacy,” Asher corrected.
Content-wise, some scenes are violent, but because so much of it is framed through video game mechanics, it didn’t always feel as dark or heavy as I expected. The exception for me was the early Slasher game interactions between Asher and Levi. Those were the most uncomfortable and intense moments, and probably the ones that will put some readers off. After that, the violence felt more distant and.. well, that's when I started enjoying myself less. Maybe I’m the one who’s fucked up lol, but the author puts a heavy emphasis on this being a horror story, very dark and gruesome. Maybe I expected too much, or maybe something is wrong with me, but I stopped feeling those vibes after the 40–50% mark.
The relationship itself was exactly the kind of messed-up dynamic I was hoping for. Asher’s immediate fascination with Levi is unsettling, and I loved that Levi’s reaction was basically “what the hell is wrong with you, stay away from me, you fucking psycho.” It felt realistic and it only added to the unease we should be feeling when reading a story like this one. I also appreciated that the story acknowledges how much of their early connection is rooted in trauma bonding and survival instincts, especially since Asher can be deeply selfish and unhinged at times. I'm also glad that after that, we dive more into the "psychological" side of things, especially in their relationship; it's full of manipulation, gaslighting, love-bombing until the end, and THAT'S what I signed up for.
Stockholm syndrome, he told himself. Trauma bonding. It doesn’t mean anything.
Levi was mostly relatable, but wow, his lack of self-preservation stressed me out LMAO. There were moments where his decisions felt straight out of a slasher movie stereotype, (which I guess fits?), but it still made me want to yell at him or shake him. It didn’t help that the other characters constantly ignored him/slowed him down, which just added to the frustration, especially since we don’t really know anything about them. They’re presented as NPCs, yet Levi keeps caring about them like they’re real people. So which is it? Are they AI, NPCs, or real people trapped like him? I get that Levi is an empathetic person, but in a setting like this, it felt unrealistic that he would care almost more about their survival than his own.
By the end, I was left with more questions than answers. Some worldbuilding and plot elements never fully clicked for me, and there are big things that feel unresolved, especially regarding the nature of the world itself and certain character motivations. Because of that, I’m not super excited to continue the series. That said, I might still check out book two eventually, mostly because I want answers rather than because I’m emotionally invested. (At the beginning, is Levi already in a simulation or is that the real world??? If Asher is also a real person, why is he so different from the NPCs yet can't remember that he's real? Are the NPCs really NPCs?) I get that we're probably getting those answers in book 2 but... to me, book 1 feels frustrating and not finished because we didn't get those answers or proper hints.
This wasn’t mutual attraction; it was conditioning. Training. Asher was teaching Levi’s body to associate him with pleasure rather than pain.
So yeah, this sits somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 for me. I liked it, I don’t regret reading it, but I was also bored and frustrated in parts, and don’t feel an urgent need to continue right away.
🌶️
Levi’s lungs burned. His vision darkened at the edges. The stranger’s hand continued its gentle motion on his back, even as his other hand maintained its deadly pressure.
He’s comforting me while he kills me.
Tropes:
✨MM
✨Psychological horror
✨Trapped in a VR game/simulation
✨Manipulation, gaslighting, love-bombing
✨Repeated death of MCs on the page
✨Mystery
✨Non-con and dub-con
✨ Reliving the same days and events over and over until they find the solution
⚠️Carefully and thoroughly read TWs before starting this book.⚠️
My review:
I have kind of mixed feelings about this one, but overall I did enjoy it. It worked really well as dark escapism, especially if you’re in the mood for a horror and a little messed up story. That said, around 40-50% of the book, the story definitely started to drag for me. I found myself getting bored in places and even tempted to skim some chapters, especially when the horror game elements started to feel a bit loose and repetitive. The book was mostly interesting because of the dynamic between the two characters, and, sadly, this is one of the books where I found myself not caring much about the actual "plot" or the NPCs. It actually ruined things for me more than anything, because it got slow and boring.
One thing I really appreciated right away though was the care the author took with trigger warnings. The list at the beginning is thorough and clearly thought out, and I liked that it was paired with support resources (I don't know if I've ever seen an author do that before!) . Even though the book plays with toxic dynamics and graphic moments, it still felt like the author was being mindful of readers’ boundaries and making sure we knew exactly what we were jumping into.
“What happened to him, exactly?”
“He was reading your notebook,” Asher said, studying the electronic devices with a frown. “Taking pictures of the pages with his phone. I didn’t like that.” The matter-of-fact admission made Levi’s skin crawl. “So you killed him.”
“I protected your privacy,” Asher corrected.
Content-wise, some scenes are violent, but because so much of it is framed through video game mechanics, it didn’t always feel as dark or heavy as I expected. The exception for me was the early Slasher game interactions between Asher and Levi. Those were the most uncomfortable and intense moments, and probably the ones that will put some readers off. After that, the violence felt more distant and.. well, that's when I started enjoying myself less. Maybe I’m the one who’s fucked up lol, but the author puts a heavy emphasis on this being a horror story, very dark and gruesome. Maybe I expected too much, or maybe something is wrong with me, but I stopped feeling those vibes after the 40–50% mark.
The relationship itself was exactly the kind of messed-up dynamic I was hoping for. Asher’s immediate fascination with Levi is unsettling, and I loved that Levi’s reaction was basically “what the hell is wrong with you, stay away from me, you fucking psycho.” It felt realistic and it only added to the unease we should be feeling when reading a story like this one. I also appreciated that the story acknowledges how much of their early connection is rooted in trauma bonding and survival instincts, especially since Asher can be deeply selfish and unhinged at times. I'm also glad that after that, we dive more into the "psychological" side of things, especially in their relationship; it's full of manipulation, gaslighting, love-bombing until the end, and THAT'S what I signed up for.
Stockholm syndrome, he told himself. Trauma bonding. It doesn’t mean anything.
Levi was mostly relatable, but wow, his lack of self-preservation stressed me out LMAO. There were moments where his decisions felt straight out of a slasher movie stereotype, (which I guess fits?), but it still made me want to yell at him or shake him. It didn’t help that the other characters constantly ignored him/slowed him down, which just added to the frustration, especially since we don’t really know anything about them. They’re presented as NPCs, yet Levi keeps caring about them like they’re real people. So which is it? Are they AI, NPCs, or real people trapped like him? I get that Levi is an empathetic person, but in a setting like this, it felt unrealistic that he would care almost more about their survival than his own.
By the end, I was left with more questions than answers. Some worldbuilding and plot elements never fully clicked for me, and there are big things that feel unresolved, especially regarding the nature of the world itself and certain character motivations. Because of that, I’m not super excited to continue the series. That said, I might still check out book two eventually, mostly because I want answers rather than because I’m emotionally invested. (At the beginning, is Levi already in a simulation or is that the real world??? If Asher is also a real person, why is he so different from the NPCs yet can't remember that he's real? Are the NPCs really NPCs?) I get that we're probably getting those answers in book 2 but... to me, book 1 feels frustrating and not finished because we didn't get those answers or proper hints.
This wasn’t mutual attraction; it was conditioning. Training. Asher was teaching Levi’s body to associate him with pleasure rather than pain.
So yeah, this sits somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 for me. I liked it, I don’t regret reading it, but I was also bored and frustrated in parts, and don’t feel an urgent need to continue right away.
July 11, 2026
dnf at 50%
the more i read, the more unimpressed this book left me. to put it diplomatically, this reads as a very rough first draft of a story with some potential, but it needs a lot of reworking to become good.
the more i read, the more unimpressed this book left me. to put it diplomatically, this reads as a very rough first draft of a story with some potential, but it needs a lot of reworking to become good.
March 23, 2026
Wowwww! This was trulyyyy incredibleeee. I have never read anything like this beforeee, it’s so outside of what I normally read, and I truly want moreee.
There was soooo much going on, and it honestly felt like it would never end in the best way possible. It was exciting, addictive, mind-blowing, and had me soooo hooked. The creativity of this author… just soo freaking impressive. There wasn’t a dull moment at all. It’s fast-paced, and you really need your imagination working overtime, which made it even more fun.
On top of all that, there’s a real enemies to lovers romance. Asher, and he’s someone you’re not supposed to love but end up loving by the end. The two of them have this toxic, slow burn relationship that honestly stays toxic, but you can’t help loving it anyway.
Don’t get me wrong, Asher is not a good guy, and he does get character development that is really well done, but he’s still definitely morally grey. There is so much mystery about him that I can’t wait to explore more in the next book.
I loved watching Levi’s character development, seeing him grow more confident and become a leader. He really went through it in this book, and we see that fear and pain transform him into the strong and brave character we get by the end.
“This man had hunted him and comforted him. Kissed him and killed him. Hurt him and violated him and was violently possessive and protective in equal measure. He wasn’t just a walking red flag; he was the bubbling vat of dye that made the flags red at the red flag factory. Common sense would tell Levi to run as far and fast away from Asher as he could. But common sense was for a world he didn’t live in anymore.”
“You’re afraid,” he realized aloud, the insight hitting like a revelation. “Of losing me. If the game ends.”
Asher’s jaw tightened, his eyes flickering away briefly before returning with fierce intensity. “I’ve lost you a dozen times already,” he croaked out. “Watched you die. Watched you reset. But you always come back to me.” His fingers traced the mark on Levi’s neck, his thumb pressing into the faded bruise. “You always remember.”
“Asher was beautiful in the way dangerous things often are—he was a weapon in the shape of a man, honed for a singular purpose. And right now, that purpose was Levi.”
There is a really well done balance between the romance and the plot. Neither of them is ever forgotten or reduced in intensity. The author was able to place the spice in the right moments, where it didn’t feel like it was taking away from the importance of the action. Everything about the book was well balanced. There was humor, character depth, spice, romance, and a violent, scary mystery storyline.
This is my first book from this author, and I am definitely a fan. The writing was soo well done, I was able to understand and imagine the scenes and the scenography without getting lost or confused. It is obvious this author knows about video games, and I have to highlight again the creativity becausee I can’t imagine coming up with everything that happened, connecting all of it, and making it cohesive.
This book is heavy on trauma, it is definitely dark, and pleasee check TW. It kind of reminded me of the Saw movies combined with escape rooms and, obviously, scary survival video games, which I know enough about but am not a huge fan of, and I still loved this book so much. Sooo if you like things like that, this book is for you, and I 100% recommend it.
“Levi’s vision began to dim at the edges, his body screaming in protest against the crushing force. His last conscious thought was of Asher’s hand in his, the one point of warmth and connection in a world of cold, impersonal metal. The one constant in this nightmare of death and rebirth.”
and I am so excited for the next oneeee!!
“In that moment—poised between horror and hope, between one nightmare and the next—Levi found himself strangely content. Whatever came next, they would face it together. The game continued, but the rules had changed. And this time, Levi intended to win.”
There was soooo much going on, and it honestly felt like it would never end in the best way possible. It was exciting, addictive, mind-blowing, and had me soooo hooked. The creativity of this author… just soo freaking impressive. There wasn’t a dull moment at all. It’s fast-paced, and you really need your imagination working overtime, which made it even more fun.
On top of all that, there’s a real enemies to lovers romance. Asher, and he’s someone you’re not supposed to love but end up loving by the end. The two of them have this toxic, slow burn relationship that honestly stays toxic, but you can’t help loving it anyway.
Don’t get me wrong, Asher is not a good guy, and he does get character development that is really well done, but he’s still definitely morally grey. There is so much mystery about him that I can’t wait to explore more in the next book.
I loved watching Levi’s character development, seeing him grow more confident and become a leader. He really went through it in this book, and we see that fear and pain transform him into the strong and brave character we get by the end.
“This man had hunted him and comforted him. Kissed him and killed him. Hurt him and violated him and was violently possessive and protective in equal measure. He wasn’t just a walking red flag; he was the bubbling vat of dye that made the flags red at the red flag factory. Common sense would tell Levi to run as far and fast away from Asher as he could. But common sense was for a world he didn’t live in anymore.”
“You’re afraid,” he realized aloud, the insight hitting like a revelation. “Of losing me. If the game ends.”
Asher’s jaw tightened, his eyes flickering away briefly before returning with fierce intensity. “I’ve lost you a dozen times already,” he croaked out. “Watched you die. Watched you reset. But you always come back to me.” His fingers traced the mark on Levi’s neck, his thumb pressing into the faded bruise. “You always remember.”
“Asher was beautiful in the way dangerous things often are—he was a weapon in the shape of a man, honed for a singular purpose. And right now, that purpose was Levi.”
There is a really well done balance between the romance and the plot. Neither of them is ever forgotten or reduced in intensity. The author was able to place the spice in the right moments, where it didn’t feel like it was taking away from the importance of the action. Everything about the book was well balanced. There was humor, character depth, spice, romance, and a violent, scary mystery storyline.
This is my first book from this author, and I am definitely a fan. The writing was soo well done, I was able to understand and imagine the scenes and the scenography without getting lost or confused. It is obvious this author knows about video games, and I have to highlight again the creativity becausee I can’t imagine coming up with everything that happened, connecting all of it, and making it cohesive.
This book is heavy on trauma, it is definitely dark, and pleasee check TW. It kind of reminded me of the Saw movies combined with escape rooms and, obviously, scary survival video games, which I know enough about but am not a huge fan of, and I still loved this book so much. Sooo if you like things like that, this book is for you, and I 100% recommend it.
“Levi’s vision began to dim at the edges, his body screaming in protest against the crushing force. His last conscious thought was of Asher’s hand in his, the one point of warmth and connection in a world of cold, impersonal metal. The one constant in this nightmare of death and rebirth.”
and I am so excited for the next oneeee!!
“In that moment—poised between horror and hope, between one nightmare and the next—Levi found himself strangely content. Whatever came next, they would face it together. The game continued, but the rules had changed. And this time, Levi intended to win.”
July 10, 2026
this was so good wth. and i was pushing it off for quite awhile….wth 🤨. levi and asher have problems and their relationship is nowhere near healthy, but dammit,
their problems are now my problems and i WILL be sticking beside ‘em in the next book
their problems are now my problems and i WILL be sticking beside ‘em in the next book
May 11, 2026
Not that I am surprised, but this is a very unique book, in the best way. It is kind of implied by the name and the blurb, but still, it was even better than I expected. As a very dedicated gamer in the past and an occasional one now, I was very excited about a VR journey. I remember my first time wearing Oculus Quest 3 and entering Alyx somewhere in the sewers near multiple corpses (thanks to my pranking husband), and how I was screaming and jumping and shooting all over the place 🫠
So I could relate a bit 😬
The level of detail is crazy. The plot, the quests, the challenges, how the game progressed - it was all just perfect, chef’s kiss 🤌 The emotions, suspense, uncertainty, it all really creates an exceptionally immersive (🙃) atmosphere.
And then we have Asher.
“This man had hunted him and comforted him. Kissed him and killed him. Hurt him and violated him and was violently possessive and protective in equal measure. He wasn’t just a walking red flag; he was the bubbling vat of dye that made the flags red at the red flag factory.”
Asher is a kind of psycho obsessive red flag character we all love in our romances. The way his relationship with Levi was gradually shifting from enemies to allies and transforming into ultimate need and protectiveness was done beautifully. The character development is amazing.
“Sometimes I hate that you’ve done this to me, Levi. I never cared about being alone before. Now everything hurts a little all the time.”
And I loved that Levi didn’t simply jump from hate to love, forgiving everything in an instant, far from it. Throughout the book and up till the end he fully understood that he was manipulated and couldn’t trust Asher. We have a delicious slow burn, that actually makes sense considering the setting and the history between both MMCs.
“Good,” Asher whispered, voice thick with satisfaction. “I like the way fear looks on you. It makes your eyes shine.”
This story is very intense, it has you in a chokehold throughout 450 pages and isn’t offering any breaks. And may I say that the horror element is really there, there were multiple instances that left me more than disturbed, so I wouldn’t skip the TW (and the author gives you a very detailed list of them).
Thank God that part 2 is coming soon, for some reason I thought it was a standalone, so I need the next book immediately!!
October 7, 2025
This is such a unique book, I was hooked from the first time loop.
Asher is such a god-tier down bad MMC, I mean, he changes the universe so he’s on the same side as Levi. He’s a menace with no shame and a malfunctioning moral compass (warnings included at the start of the book and appreciated) but he is Devoted to the extreme.
Levi is our POV main character and a delightfully refreshing change to standard horror movie/game protags. He is sensible and methodical in his approach to try and work things out about the world around him, and he is written so genuinely that when he does struggle with everything that’s happening, it’s emotionally raw and intense. My concerns about everything being streamed (which Levi doesn’t really bring up past the start?) are thankfully resolved closer to the end of the book.
And what an ending that was! So excited to see that there’s a sequel in the works.
Major kudos to the author for balancing the horror elements of the ‘gameplay’ alongside the romance. It felt so atmospheric and easy to visualise.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the ARC. I dropped everything to request this one so I am beyond delighted after reading it 💜
Asher is such a god-tier down bad MMC, I mean, he changes the universe so he’s on the same side as Levi. He’s a menace with no shame and a malfunctioning moral compass (warnings included at the start of the book and appreciated) but he is Devoted to the extreme.
Levi is our POV main character and a delightfully refreshing change to standard horror movie/game protags. He is sensible and methodical in his approach to try and work things out about the world around him, and he is written so genuinely that when he does struggle with everything that’s happening, it’s emotionally raw and intense. My concerns about everything being streamed (which Levi doesn’t really bring up past the start?) are thankfully resolved closer to the end of the book.
And what an ending that was! So excited to see that there’s a sequel in the works.
Major kudos to the author for balancing the horror elements of the ‘gameplay’ alongside the romance. It felt so atmospheric and easy to visualise.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the ARC. I dropped everything to request this one so I am beyond delighted after reading it 💜
March 26, 2026
I liked this. Brought something new to the table but damn everything was just so… exhausting. The sigh of relief that I let out in the end was dramatic but needed.
June 13, 2026
This book was a complete mindfuck.
First of all, I never read horror romance. Horror movies? Sure. I’ve watched those but Horror books? No. Horror romance books? Absolutely not. This was my first one, and honestly, I only picked it up because I’d had it sitting on my TBR forever after I read a friend’s review on this and was hooked on the character dynamic which sounded way too good to ignore
And yes, that dynamic carried this entire book for me.
The story starts with Levi, who is mourning his brother’s suicide and decides to participate in an immersive horror game ( because his brother loved horror games and this makes him feel closer to his memory) while livestreaming to raise money for mental health awareness. What starts as a simple horror game quickly turns into something much bigger when Levi realizes he can’t leave.
The opening level is your classic horror movie setup: a group of campers getting picked off one by one by a killer in the woods. And getting brutally murdered. And the killer is Asher. A beautiful mesmerising killing machine. I loved that guy not for the killing part obviously but his character was interesting
Now, the book is gory. Very gory. People are ripped apart, disemboweled, blah blah. But, the gore wasn’t what hooked me. It didn’t scare me either. The horror was fine, and tolerated by me but what had me turning pages was Asher and Levi.
Levi’s first death was honestly one of the strongest parts of the book. The fear, the confusion, the pain—it hit much harder emotionally than I expected. Then he wakes up again. Respawns. Back at the beginning. To die again and again. And many of those times at the hands of Asher.
And that’s where things get interesting. Somewhere from killing to watching Levi die, Asher gets obsessed and from his killer he turns into his protector. All characters forget the past lives when they die except Levi but Levi isn’t the only one who remembers.
Asher remembers too.
Every level changes the set ups after the camping in the wood same characters are next stuck in an investigation horror movie . they’re trapped in a living building full of horrific experiments made by a mad scientist who experimented on unwilling people and created machines out of them and tuned this building in to a death trap maze with shifting corridors, and deadly puzzles. NPCs die, respawn, die again, and repeat. But through all of it, Levi and Asher carry their memories with them. And their dynamic shifts . It is a slow burn and what moments are there are pushed by Asher and taken by him without much consent. Levi is a blushing virgin by the way and these liberties Asher takes is too much for him but for survival he keeps choosing the lesser evil.
And Asher is batshit crazy in love with him but he truly doesn’t have a clue how these things work.
What he knows is Levi is his everything , he lives and breathes Levi.
Watching that shift was fascinating. He goes from casually killing Levi to comforting him while killing him ( that part was CREEPY) From hunting him to protecting him. From seeing him as another victim to treating him like the only thing that matters.
The thing is, Asher is genuinely messed up. Not book-boyfriend “dark and broody” messed up. Actually messed up. Possessive. Volatile. Controlling. He says he loves Levi, but consent means very little to him, and there were multiple moments where he is abusive to drive his point home and make Levi submit
Yet somehow I couldn’t stop wanting scenes between them.
That’s what makes this book so strange. Levi is terrified of Asher, and honestly, he should be. But Asher is also the only constant in his world. Everyone else forgets. Everyone else resets. Asher remembers. Asher waits. Asher always finds him.
And that left me with so many questions.
Who is Asher really? We know who Levi is in the real world but Asher?
What happens between Levi’s deaths when Asher says he’s looking for him?
What’s happening in the real world while their bodies are trapped inside the game?
By the end, I felt like I’d barely scratched the surface of the mystery.
My only complaint is that I wanted more Asher and Levi. Sometimes the game mechanics and survival elements went on longer than I personally cared for because I was far more interested in the characters than the game set up. I wanted more conversations, more tension, more moments between them.
That said, I wouldn’t actually change much because everything clearly serves a purpose.
I’m already 20% into Book 2, and happy to say I’m getting more Asher and Levi content there than I got in whole Book 1.
So yes, I am officially satisfied for now.
First of all, I never read horror romance. Horror movies? Sure. I’ve watched those but Horror books? No. Horror romance books? Absolutely not. This was my first one, and honestly, I only picked it up because I’d had it sitting on my TBR forever after I read a friend’s review on this and was hooked on the character dynamic which sounded way too good to ignore
And yes, that dynamic carried this entire book for me.
The story starts with Levi, who is mourning his brother’s suicide and decides to participate in an immersive horror game ( because his brother loved horror games and this makes him feel closer to his memory) while livestreaming to raise money for mental health awareness. What starts as a simple horror game quickly turns into something much bigger when Levi realizes he can’t leave.
The opening level is your classic horror movie setup: a group of campers getting picked off one by one by a killer in the woods. And getting brutally murdered. And the killer is Asher. A beautiful mesmerising killing machine. I loved that guy not for the killing part obviously but his character was interesting
Now, the book is gory. Very gory. People are ripped apart, disemboweled, blah blah. But, the gore wasn’t what hooked me. It didn’t scare me either. The horror was fine, and tolerated by me but what had me turning pages was Asher and Levi.
Levi’s first death was honestly one of the strongest parts of the book. The fear, the confusion, the pain—it hit much harder emotionally than I expected. Then he wakes up again. Respawns. Back at the beginning. To die again and again. And many of those times at the hands of Asher.
And that’s where things get interesting. Somewhere from killing to watching Levi die, Asher gets obsessed and from his killer he turns into his protector. All characters forget the past lives when they die except Levi but Levi isn’t the only one who remembers.
Asher remembers too.
Every level changes the set ups after the camping in the wood same characters are next stuck in an investigation horror movie . they’re trapped in a living building full of horrific experiments made by a mad scientist who experimented on unwilling people and created machines out of them and tuned this building in to a death trap maze with shifting corridors, and deadly puzzles. NPCs die, respawn, die again, and repeat. But through all of it, Levi and Asher carry their memories with them. And their dynamic shifts . It is a slow burn and what moments are there are pushed by Asher and taken by him without much consent. Levi is a blushing virgin by the way and these liberties Asher takes is too much for him but for survival he keeps choosing the lesser evil.
And Asher is batshit crazy in love with him but he truly doesn’t have a clue how these things work.
What he knows is Levi is his everything , he lives and breathes Levi.
Watching that shift was fascinating. He goes from casually killing Levi to comforting him while killing him ( that part was CREEPY) From hunting him to protecting him. From seeing him as another victim to treating him like the only thing that matters.
The thing is, Asher is genuinely messed up. Not book-boyfriend “dark and broody” messed up. Actually messed up. Possessive. Volatile. Controlling. He says he loves Levi, but consent means very little to him, and there were multiple moments where he is abusive to drive his point home and make Levi submit
Yet somehow I couldn’t stop wanting scenes between them.
That’s what makes this book so strange. Levi is terrified of Asher, and honestly, he should be. But Asher is also the only constant in his world. Everyone else forgets. Everyone else resets. Asher remembers. Asher waits. Asher always finds him.
And that left me with so many questions.
Who is Asher really? We know who Levi is in the real world but Asher?
What happens between Levi’s deaths when Asher says he’s looking for him?
What’s happening in the real world while their bodies are trapped inside the game?
By the end, I felt like I’d barely scratched the surface of the mystery.
My only complaint is that I wanted more Asher and Levi. Sometimes the game mechanics and survival elements went on longer than I personally cared for because I was far more interested in the characters than the game set up. I wanted more conversations, more tension, more moments between them.
That said, I wouldn’t actually change much because everything clearly serves a purpose.
I’m already 20% into Book 2, and happy to say I’m getting more Asher and Levi content there than I got in whole Book 1.
So yes, I am officially satisfied for now.
June 9, 2026
I am a WHORE for HORROR. Please tell me you guys remember my FAVORITE 2006 horror video game movie Stay Alive (with a goth Sophia Bush 🥵 don’t even get me started on the sexiness of that)???? Anyway, this book is NOT that but it definitely gives those vibes!! Give me a super gay Stay Alive with Escape Room, Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Doom vibes ANY DAY! I’m here for it!!
Levi Mercer and Asher Kane are TOXICCCCC af. Asher is UN-fucking-HINGED and Levi is his “Good Boy”. Ugh. I love a good boy. And I LOVEEEEE a batshit crazy antihero 🖤 I love how the author “made” Asher… like, we fell for him the same way Levi does. We know he’s the bad guy. We know this is Stockholm syndrome. We know we’re being manipulated. We KNOW HE’S A MONSTER.
Butttttt….. he convinces us that we need/want him. And GODDAMN, do we want him, in all his demented predatory glory 🥵 Levi and Asher together, whether it be when Asher is forcing him against his will or when it’s (somewhat) consensual, it was fierce, overwhelming and hot as hell. I CRAVED moments between them. Every time they died, my heart stopped for a minute until they were back together. Like I said, TOXIC.
When I tell you I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book, I mean it literally. My palms were sweaty, (knees weak, arms heavy - 😂 jk that’s Eminem). But for real, my heart was racing for most of Immersed. This book went so far beyond my wildest expectations!
It’s DARK. If you have triggers of ANY kind, read the TW’s. It’s not dark in the way most dark romances are. It’s so unique and… deep. I’ve never read anything like it. It’s full of gore, death, suicides, body experimentation and violence… SO MUCH DEATH. Immersed is the definition of Enemies to Lovers. It’s the slow burn of all slow burns (mainly because one MC kills the other multiple times and, you know, they’re trying to escape a building that’s literally trying to kill them). The slow burn was so worth it to get to the not-so-endgame- lovers!!
The detail that went into the game was mesmerizing. It’s almost like you’re in it with them. The NPC’s were such a great addition to the story.
I love the emotional elements of this story, Levi had my heart in a blender many times. His character arc from the beginning when he’s shy and nervous about playing a game for his live stream to literally taking command of the game once he’s inside was so fun to watch! His relationship with the NPC’s was so caring. He is genuinely such a good person. And Asher was his complete opposite in every single way. His sole focus was Levi, no matter what. I had chills.
That ending has me in a fuckin chokehold. Book 2, I’m diving in tits first!!
Levi Mercer and Asher Kane are TOXICCCCC af. Asher is UN-fucking-HINGED and Levi is his “Good Boy”. Ugh. I love a good boy. And I LOVEEEEE a batshit crazy antihero 🖤 I love how the author “made” Asher… like, we fell for him the same way Levi does. We know he’s the bad guy. We know this is Stockholm syndrome. We know we’re being manipulated. We KNOW HE’S A MONSTER.
Butttttt….. he convinces us that we need/want him. And GODDAMN, do we want him, in all his demented predatory glory 🥵 Levi and Asher together, whether it be when Asher is forcing him against his will or when it’s (somewhat) consensual, it was fierce, overwhelming and hot as hell. I CRAVED moments between them. Every time they died, my heart stopped for a minute until they were back together. Like I said, TOXIC.
When I tell you I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book, I mean it literally. My palms were sweaty, (knees weak, arms heavy - 😂 jk that’s Eminem). But for real, my heart was racing for most of Immersed. This book went so far beyond my wildest expectations!
It’s DARK. If you have triggers of ANY kind, read the TW’s. It’s not dark in the way most dark romances are. It’s so unique and… deep. I’ve never read anything like it. It’s full of gore, death, suicides, body experimentation and violence… SO MUCH DEATH. Immersed is the definition of Enemies to Lovers. It’s the slow burn of all slow burns (mainly because one MC kills the other multiple times and, you know, they’re trying to escape a building that’s literally trying to kill them). The slow burn was so worth it to get to the not-so-endgame- lovers!!
The detail that went into the game was mesmerizing. It’s almost like you’re in it with them. The NPC’s were such a great addition to the story.
I love the emotional elements of this story, Levi had my heart in a blender many times. His character arc from the beginning when he’s shy and nervous about playing a game for his live stream to literally taking command of the game once he’s inside was so fun to watch! His relationship with the NPC’s was so caring. He is genuinely such a good person. And Asher was his complete opposite in every single way. His sole focus was Levi, no matter what. I had chills.
That ending has me in a fuckin chokehold. Book 2, I’m diving in tits first!!
November 15, 2025
The first 50% of this book was great. I was immersed in the “game”. I could feel Levi’s anxiety and dread at constantly dying. Asher was a messed up, but intriguing character since he seemed to not understand how killing Levi was a big deal. I could see his point of view though as we don’t really care about killing NPC’s when we play video games. Levi’s “care” for the NPC’s became annoying after a while though. Like dude… they are computer generated characters… get a grip.
Then around the 50% mark, the book took a dive. It DRAGGED a lot with nothing really happening. The “push and pull” dynamic got extremely frustrating to read and made me dislike Levi. At the 87% mark of this book Levi was still unsure about what Asher meant to him. Like give me a break! Either be strong on your boundaries or stop complaining so much. It was annoying to read. Asher sorta lost his edge as well. I wish he would’ve stayed a crazy killer throughout the book and not simp so much after Levi.
You could skip from the 50% mark to the 80% and not miss much so that speaks volumes about how much this book drags.
‼️———— ENDING SPOILER WARNING —————‼️
‼️ ‼️ ‼️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️‼️‼️‼️
⛔️ DO NOT PROCEED. ENDING WILL BE SPOILED ⛔️
Then the ending…….
and I don’t mean the “final boss match of the game” but the other ending. It was disappointing and frustrating as I am not going to read another 400 page book that drags just to find out if we finally wake Asher from his coma. Ugh! So disappointing!
Literally Levi “wakes up” from his VR game and instantly sees Asher comatose on a bed next to him. Strange scientists/ lab doctors immediately put him back in a coma to “wake” Asher up. His sole purpose is to wake Asher and bring him back.
Then the book ends with a new game setting where Levi and Asher meet again and have to try beating the new game by working together. Rinse and repeat.
Then around the 50% mark, the book took a dive. It DRAGGED a lot with nothing really happening. The “push and pull” dynamic got extremely frustrating to read and made me dislike Levi. At the 87% mark of this book Levi was still unsure about what Asher meant to him. Like give me a break! Either be strong on your boundaries or stop complaining so much. It was annoying to read. Asher sorta lost his edge as well. I wish he would’ve stayed a crazy killer throughout the book and not simp so much after Levi.
You could skip from the 50% mark to the 80% and not miss much so that speaks volumes about how much this book drags.
‼️———— ENDING SPOILER WARNING —————‼️
‼️ ‼️ ‼️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️‼️‼️‼️
⛔️ DO NOT PROCEED. ENDING WILL BE SPOILED ⛔️
Then the ending…….
and I don’t mean the “final boss match of the game” but the other ending. It was disappointing and frustrating as I am not going to read another 400 page book that drags just to find out if we finally wake Asher from his coma. Ugh! So disappointing!
Literally Levi “wakes up” from his VR game and instantly sees Asher comatose on a bed next to him. Strange scientists/ lab doctors immediately put him back in a coma to “wake” Asher up. His sole purpose is to wake Asher and bring him back.
Then the book ends with a new game setting where Levi and Asher meet again and have to try beating the new game by working together. Rinse and repeat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2026
I dont have the words…this book was so addictively good, I read it in one sitting. 5hrs straight from the moment I put my kiddo to bed until midnight. Such an amazing concept, very sword art online-esque but a million times darker and make it gay as hell. I’m a slut for a good psychological thriller and this freaking delivered so immersive and entertaining but I was definitely left wondering at certain times if Levi’s viewers were seeing EVERYTHING going down at least until the last 3-5% then I was just confused. Cannot wait for book!
March 22, 2026
Can I rate this higher than 5 stars?
Immersed is an MM psychological horror romance. Levi is trying out this new VR horror game and finds himself inside the game. Worse- it’s so real he can feel everything and can’t take off his headset and can’t call for help. He lands in a cliche “camping in the woods, there’s a serial killer killing people one by one” game. He meets the NPCs and as it grows dark, he keeps seeing a figure. Then one of the girls goes missing and when he goes to look for her- he comes face to face with Asher- the killer. Then is killed horribly.
Asher is the antagonist and loves it. He kills without hesitation and in gruesome ways. He does this over and over again. Then Levi shows up. He reacts differently to everyone else and can seem to remember him even after the loop starts over. He changes tactics and strategies differently. This makes Asher excited. He didn’t realize how lonely, how monotonous his world was. He starts to become a bit obsessed with Levi…
I can’t tell you how this book had me in a chokehold! Like seriously! I’m legit now obsessed with this book! Asher is one big red flag 🚩 like the biggest red flag around. And poor Levi, adorable Levi, who just wants out of this game!!!! This is going to sit with me for a hot minute! Glad I read this in October! Definitely a vibe!!!!!
Immersed is an MM psychological horror romance. Levi is trying out this new VR horror game and finds himself inside the game. Worse- it’s so real he can feel everything and can’t take off his headset and can’t call for help. He lands in a cliche “camping in the woods, there’s a serial killer killing people one by one” game. He meets the NPCs and as it grows dark, he keeps seeing a figure. Then one of the girls goes missing and when he goes to look for her- he comes face to face with Asher- the killer. Then is killed horribly.
Asher is the antagonist and loves it. He kills without hesitation and in gruesome ways. He does this over and over again. Then Levi shows up. He reacts differently to everyone else and can seem to remember him even after the loop starts over. He changes tactics and strategies differently. This makes Asher excited. He didn’t realize how lonely, how monotonous his world was. He starts to become a bit obsessed with Levi…
I can’t tell you how this book had me in a chokehold! Like seriously! I’m legit now obsessed with this book! Asher is one big red flag 🚩 like the biggest red flag around. And poor Levi, adorable Levi, who just wants out of this game!!!! This is going to sit with me for a hot minute! Glad I read this in October! Definitely a vibe!!!!!
October 24, 2025
Immersed is exactly what it says on the label: a little twisted and deliciously dark💯
Thank you to Gale Ian Tate and Gay Romance Reviews for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book has a lot going for it:
✅ A comprehensive list of TWs. I rarely read these but I’m glad they’re there for those that need them. Do as I say, not as I do and read them thoroughly!
✅ A well-executed premise. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading many books set in a video game and this was a treat! The mystery was also very engaging, perhaps even more so than the romance when it finally turned into a romance👀 (another treat).
✅ Great MCs with great chemistry. Asher I can take or leave but Levi’s growth was fantastic to watch and seamlessly executed. The back and forth between them was 🥵 once Asher got his act (somewhat) together.
What needs some work:
❎ There were a few typos (mostly omitted words) but nothing that significantly disrupted my reading experience.
All in all, I’m very excited to see where things go from here and best believe I will be SAT for book 2!
Expect
- Violence and death
- Psychological manipulation
- Dub con
- First time
- Trauma bonding
- Power imbalance
- Love bombing
Thank you to Gale Ian Tate and Gay Romance Reviews for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book has a lot going for it:
✅ A comprehensive list of TWs. I rarely read these but I’m glad they’re there for those that need them. Do as I say, not as I do and read them thoroughly!
✅ A well-executed premise. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading many books set in a video game and this was a treat! The mystery was also very engaging, perhaps even more so than the romance when it finally turned into a romance👀 (another treat).
✅ Great MCs with great chemistry. Asher I can take or leave but Levi’s growth was fantastic to watch and seamlessly executed. The back and forth between them was 🥵 once Asher got his act (somewhat) together.
What needs some work:
❎ There were a few typos (mostly omitted words) but nothing that significantly disrupted my reading experience.
All in all, I’m very excited to see where things go from here and best believe I will be SAT for book 2!
Expect
- Violence and death
- Psychological manipulation
- Dub con
- First time
- Trauma bonding
- Power imbalance
- Love bombing
Did Not Finish
May 13, 2026Soft dnf at 65%. I think I'm into this but my brain has decided that this isn't what it wants to read right now. Sigh. I hope I go back to finish it because I wanna know how it ends!
April 1, 2026
5 stars ✨ Give me book 2 right NOW PLEASE 🙏🙇♀️🥹
Asher is so unhinged but I love it???
"I'll find you again," Asher said, voice steady despite the grinding metal closing in around them. "I always do."
And Levi’s response being, “I know.”
Toxic yumminess 😋😅
Asher is so unhinged but I love it???
"I'll find you again," Asher said, voice steady despite the grinding metal closing in around them. "I always do."
And Levi’s response being, “I know.”
Toxic yumminess 😋😅
March 11, 2026
UGH CURSE IT. I need to pay more attention to whether a series is finished or not. THE CLIFFHANGER WHY??
I’d warn my friend away from a man like Asher so quickly, but it just worked here. Mans is toxic as all hell though.
I’d warn my friend away from a man like Asher so quickly, but it just worked here. Mans is toxic as all hell though.
February 7, 2026
When I saw this ARC appear on Gay Romance Reviews a week ago, I thought, "That has to be the most unique-sounding MM romance book I've heard of in a long time." And then I read it, and it not only was the most unique MM romance book I've ever read, it was also my book of the year so far.
I don't know if I'll be able to properly put into words just how much I enjoyed this book, so I'm just going to ramble, so forgive me for any tangents. Also, do not let the length of this book deter you. I remember looking at the page count beforehand and thinking, "There's no way a book like this needs to be that long," and let me tell you, it absolutely did need to be, and there wasn't a single page that felt wasted.
IMMERSED is Book 1 in the new series Virtual Vice. It follows Levi, a streamer who, in honor of his brother's memory, is about to do a charity stream to raise money for a mental health organization. Levi's brother, Ethan, was a massive horror fan, and to dedicate the stream to Ethan, Levi is sent a horror-themed virtual reality headset from a company to "beta test." As soon as he puts on the headset and starts the game, he's transported into a series of horrific scenarios with a bunch of very human NPCs while being hunted by a killer. But death is not the end, nope, it's a reset, and Levi has to gather himself each time and find a way out of the horror show he's been dropped in.
I'm going to preface this by saying that, besides reading, horror games are my other biggest passion. Both playing and developing. This book, for me, felt like it took the best part of all my favourite horror games and melded them together into this twisted, horrifying nightmare that never seems to end for our MC. I was on edge, excited, scared, and just having the absolute best time while reading this book, despite how dire the situations were. It genuinely feels like you're reading a script for an incredible horror game at times. I truly could not put it down.
Our MC, Levi, is a character filled with so much grief and anxiety but also determination and a steadfast promise to protect people. He was an absolute joy to read. The way he navigated certain situations in this book, I don't think I've ever felt a character's journey so viscerally as I have with Levi. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the person at the end of the book is wildly different from the person at the start; I just think the circumstances of everything he goes through force this version of himself to emerge. He really impressed me one minute and had me sobbing the next. He underestimates himself a lot early on, and it takes traumatic scenarios, and a very special someone, for him to see just how strong he really is.
I don't really want to touch too much on our "love interest" because you really have to experience him for yourself. All I'll say is, he's a deeply complex character with many issues, and if you're wanting healthy relationship dynamics, this book is not for you. But if you're comfortable with the dark, this connection is truly something special. You'll definitely go from disliking to liking and back around again with him, but that's what makes him so enjoyable to read. To put it simply, if you've ever played a horror game and wanted to sleep with the killer, this book is for you ;)
I also want to touch on the environments in this book, specifically the hospital, because it was basically a character of it's own. I won't go into details, but I can only imagine the level of brainstorming and notes it took to keep track of everything the author wanted to do with this place, because of the scale of this entire section felt massive. It's reminiscent of Outlast at times, while also blending elements of other great games like SOMA, The Forest, and the campiness of Resident Evil in it's scale.
And that ending, it was everything I had hoped it would be and a perfect setup for a sequel I cannot wait for. This book and author really came out of nowhere for me, and I'm so glad I picked up this ARC because I haven't had this much fun with a book in a long time. I will almost definitely be back in the future to add more to this review as I've had more time to sit with it and likely re-read it again.
Content Safety Warnings
Cheating: No
Other Person Drama: One of the "NPCs" has a thing for Levi but it doesn't cause actual issues and it's dealt with.
Breakup: No
HEA: HFN
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
I don't know if I'll be able to properly put into words just how much I enjoyed this book, so I'm just going to ramble, so forgive me for any tangents. Also, do not let the length of this book deter you. I remember looking at the page count beforehand and thinking, "There's no way a book like this needs to be that long," and let me tell you, it absolutely did need to be, and there wasn't a single page that felt wasted.
IMMERSED is Book 1 in the new series Virtual Vice. It follows Levi, a streamer who, in honor of his brother's memory, is about to do a charity stream to raise money for a mental health organization. Levi's brother, Ethan, was a massive horror fan, and to dedicate the stream to Ethan, Levi is sent a horror-themed virtual reality headset from a company to "beta test." As soon as he puts on the headset and starts the game, he's transported into a series of horrific scenarios with a bunch of very human NPCs while being hunted by a killer. But death is not the end, nope, it's a reset, and Levi has to gather himself each time and find a way out of the horror show he's been dropped in.
I'm going to preface this by saying that, besides reading, horror games are my other biggest passion. Both playing and developing. This book, for me, felt like it took the best part of all my favourite horror games and melded them together into this twisted, horrifying nightmare that never seems to end for our MC. I was on edge, excited, scared, and just having the absolute best time while reading this book, despite how dire the situations were. It genuinely feels like you're reading a script for an incredible horror game at times. I truly could not put it down.
Our MC, Levi, is a character filled with so much grief and anxiety but also determination and a steadfast promise to protect people. He was an absolute joy to read. The way he navigated certain situations in this book, I don't think I've ever felt a character's journey so viscerally as I have with Levi. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the person at the end of the book is wildly different from the person at the start; I just think the circumstances of everything he goes through force this version of himself to emerge. He really impressed me one minute and had me sobbing the next. He underestimates himself a lot early on, and it takes traumatic scenarios, and a very special someone, for him to see just how strong he really is.
I don't really want to touch too much on our "love interest" because you really have to experience him for yourself. All I'll say is, he's a deeply complex character with many issues, and if you're wanting healthy relationship dynamics, this book is not for you. But if you're comfortable with the dark, this connection is truly something special. You'll definitely go from disliking to liking and back around again with him, but that's what makes him so enjoyable to read. To put it simply, if you've ever played a horror game and wanted to sleep with the killer, this book is for you ;)
I also want to touch on the environments in this book, specifically the hospital, because it was basically a character of it's own. I won't go into details, but I can only imagine the level of brainstorming and notes it took to keep track of everything the author wanted to do with this place, because of the scale of this entire section felt massive. It's reminiscent of Outlast at times, while also blending elements of other great games like SOMA, The Forest, and the campiness of Resident Evil in it's scale.
And that ending, it was everything I had hoped it would be and a perfect setup for a sequel I cannot wait for. This book and author really came out of nowhere for me, and I'm so glad I picked up this ARC because I haven't had this much fun with a book in a long time. I will almost definitely be back in the future to add more to this review as I've had more time to sit with it and likely re-read it again.
Content Safety Warnings
Cheating: No
Other Person Drama: One of the "NPCs" has a thing for Levi but it doesn't cause actual issues and it's dealt with.
Breakup: No
HEA: HFN
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
May 6, 2026
This was such a crazy ride! Crazy in the best way possible. I have never read anything like this before and the world Tate creates is amazing. A simulated video game that Levi becomes stuck in, only to fight a killer that becomes an ally then even more.
Asher is such a complicated character, what is he? There are so many questions I cannot wait to find the answer to. One minute you dislike Asher and the next his humanity comes out and you’re just as confused as Levi.
Levi was such a strong character, thinking he’s weak when he’s so strong. He never loses his compassion while also striving to survive and save Asher along with his friends. Even after so many deaths and resets Levi just becomes stronger.
I cannot wait for the next book! This was thrilling!
ARC received for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own
Asher is such a complicated character, what is he? There are so many questions I cannot wait to find the answer to. One minute you dislike Asher and the next his humanity comes out and you’re just as confused as Levi.
Levi was such a strong character, thinking he’s weak when he’s so strong. He never loses his compassion while also striving to survive and save Asher along with his friends. Even after so many deaths and resets Levi just becomes stronger.
I cannot wait for the next book! This was thrilling!
ARC received for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own
April 13, 2026
I was absolutely in love with the first 1/3 of this book! The forest scene felt like a really good slasher horror film! I could feel Levi's dread and all of the deaths were so well written *chef's kiss* and then the scene changed and it just started to really drag on the further into the book I got. I basically just skimmed the last 10 chapters because it barely kept my interest.
I have a feeling the sequel is going to be much of the same, so I'll probably end up skipping it.
I have a feeling the sequel is going to be much of the same, so I'll probably end up skipping it.
May 4, 2026
4🌟 2🌶️
Stabby MMC
Unique storyline
Obsessed and possessive MMC
Virgin
“I’ll make it so good for you”
Levi gets stuck in this game and his stalking killer eventually becomes interested in him other than killing when he realized Levi isn’t like the other game characters.
Like instantly obsessed and attracted to him and wants to be by his side the entire time. even running from monsters, he’s happy to have Levi by his side.
They have to beat the game in order to get out and the environment can change and there’s so much plot and mystery I was glued to the pages.
Boyfriend goals!! He’s so sweet yet it’s so uneasy the way he goes about it but idc cuz he would do anything for Levi
Honestly I was more interested in the plot more than the spice at the end lol cuz I WANTED TO KNOW WTF WAS GOING ON!!!!
Only reason I gave it a 4 is because it dragged a bit in the middle and I had no idea what the main goal was to win the game. Literally no idea until the end.
Stabby MMC
Unique storyline
Obsessed and possessive MMC
Virgin
“I’ll make it so good for you”
Levi gets stuck in this game and his stalking killer eventually becomes interested in him other than killing when he realized Levi isn’t like the other game characters.
Like instantly obsessed and attracted to him and wants to be by his side the entire time. even running from monsters, he’s happy to have Levi by his side.
They have to beat the game in order to get out and the environment can change and there’s so much plot and mystery I was glued to the pages.
Boyfriend goals!! He’s so sweet yet it’s so uneasy the way he goes about it but idc cuz he would do anything for Levi
Honestly I was more interested in the plot more than the spice at the end lol cuz I WANTED TO KNOW WTF WAS GOING ON!!!!
Only reason I gave it a 4 is because it dragged a bit in the middle and I had no idea what the main goal was to win the game. Literally no idea until the end.
July 2, 2026
Oooooo I had fun reading this one!!!
I am a big fan of games like Resident Evil and this gave me suuuuuuuch re2 vibes (especially the underground laboratory). The very beginning of the book starts off as a slasher but quickly transforms into a different form of horror. I think the author did a great job with the scary aspects and it was refreshing to read something that wasn’t just a standard copy and paste of what you’d typically expect an abandoned sanatorium to be; it was very clear they are well versed in horror video games and it worked to their advantage in this case.
The characters were enjoyable for the most part and call me crazy but I really enjoyed Asher as a character. I actually wish he would’ve had to fight against his nature more towards the end of the book bc he kind of becomes docile, which makes the toxic relationship they have going way less compelling.
I will be tuning in for the second book as I also love Alien 🙂↕️
I am a big fan of games like Resident Evil and this gave me suuuuuuuch re2 vibes (especially the underground laboratory). The very beginning of the book starts off as a slasher but quickly transforms into a different form of horror. I think the author did a great job with the scary aspects and it was refreshing to read something that wasn’t just a standard copy and paste of what you’d typically expect an abandoned sanatorium to be; it was very clear they are well versed in horror video games and it worked to their advantage in this case.
The characters were enjoyable for the most part and call me crazy but I really enjoyed Asher as a character. I actually wish he would’ve had to fight against his nature more towards the end of the book bc he kind of becomes docile, which makes the toxic relationship they have going way less compelling.
I will be tuning in for the second book as I also love Alien 🙂↕️
May 19, 2026
I honestly need to know what Gale puts in her books, because there’s no way a human brain just casually comes up with plots like these. Her stories are insanely original. Like, what do you mean you get trapped inside a horror game where everything feels terrifyingly real, you have to complete missions to survive and level up, and somehow in the middle of all that chaos, you end up falling in love with one of the characters?! I'd give this one hundred stars, I can't wait for the next one!
Yes, if you haven't read this yet you're definitely missing out!
Yes, if you haven't read this yet you're definitely missing out!
July 9, 2026
i found this to be so entertaining and i really enjoyed this story. the horror aspect was perfect for summerween as well. i like that the author didn’t shy away from acknowledging that the ML was… problematic to say the least. i found both levi and asher to be intriguing characters and i was really interested to see where things would go with them. i really hope we dive more into asher’s character in the second book. i really only had a problem connecting to the characters and i wasn’t really interested in the big bad villain of the book lol
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