The Lies we steal: Roman | Intensive Dark Romance mit Dark Academia-Vibes für alle Fans der »Devil's Night"-Reihe von Penelope Douglas (The Hollow Boys 1)

Hollow Boys #1

by Monty Jay, Christina Maria Eschbacher (Translator), Klara Hofmann (Translator)

Rache kennt keine Grenzen. Verlangen auch nicht. Willkommen an der Hollow Heights University!

Tauche ein in eine Welt, in der Dunkelheit regiert und Liebe zur tödlichen Gefahr »The Lies We Steal« ist der Auftakt der heiß ersehnten »The Hollow Boys«-Reihe von Monty Jay. Ein absolutes Must-Read für alle Fans von Dark Romance, Dark Academia und Gothic-Vibes!

Briar Lowell hofft auf einen Neuanfang an der Hollow Heights University. Doch die düsteren Gemäuer bergen nicht nur Geheimnisse, sondern auch tödliche Gefahren. Als sie eines Nachts ungewollt Zeugin eines Mordes wird, zieht sie die Aufmerksamkeit der Hollow Boys auf vier Freunde, die im Schatten der alten Universität herrschen – unantastbar, verführerisch, brutal. Allen voran ihr Anführer Alistair Caldwell verfolgt Briar nun unerbittlich, denn er will sicherstellen, dass sie schweigt. Aber je näher er Briar kommt, desto verführerischer wird die Gefahr, und die Grenze zwischen Angst und Begehren droht, sich in der Dunkelheit aufzulösen.

Enemies to Lovers, Bully Romance & Morally Gray HeroesDunkle Geheimnisse, verbotene Gefühle und ein packender Revenge-PlotAtmosphärisches Setting voller Gothic-Vibes und MysteryExplizite Szenen, psychologische Tiefe und ein Suchtfaktor, der dich nicht mehr loslässtFür Fans der »Devil's Night«-Reihe von Penelope Douglas, RuNyx, Rina Kent und BookTok's Dark Romance-Hits. 

»The Lies We Steal« – Band 1 der »The Hollow Boys«-Reihe von Monty Jay.

Reviews zu »The Hollow Boys«:

»Intensiv, düster und hart – nichts für schwache Nerven, aber genau richtig für mich.« – Escapist Book Blog

»Dieses Buch hat mich in tiefe Abgründe gestürzt … und ich habe jede Sekunde genossen.« – RavenOfTheSea

»Einfach perfekt. Leicht zu lesen, schwer aus der Hand zu legen. Glaubt mir, ich hab's versucht. Aber Schlaf ist eh überbewertet! Noch bevor ich durch war, habe ich den nächsten Band direkt bestellt, ihn gestalkt. Ich wollte ihn, musste ihn einfach haben. Sofort!« – Kitty Kats Crazy About Books

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, College, Contemporary, Mystery

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2021

About the author

Monty Jay is a dark romance author with titles published in multiple countries. Their books are for hopeless romantics with wicked hearts looking for their next morally grey hero. They call the Appalachian mountains home, along with their two furry friends, Poe and Maeve. When they aren’t writing you can find them reading anything Stephen King, in a tattoo chair or binging a new true crime documentary. 

Reviews

[Ayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

if I speak, I’ll set feminism back 100 years

3.5 ⭐️

[Marianna Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ I mean it was trash for sure…. But I had fun? I feel like this series has potential so I’m very excited to where it goes! This book was mid at best but like I read it in a day so take with that what you will.

[Iqra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could not keep a straight face while reading the second half of this book plsss ur telling me they’re 18 but they’re speaking like they’re ancient. Plus why is their inner monologue full of shadow metaphors 😭 like ok I got it the first time u told me babe NOW LET IT REST PLEASE 🙏

And they’re so melodramatic for what ✋the author rlly tried to make it deeper than it was but it just fell flat. And their chemistry felt too forced.

I feel bad for Silas rn. Ik he gets a book but still the love he has for his girl rose was 😭😭😭😭

ThatcherLyra??? Alr scrumptious after only four interactions 👑

With the last chapter, I just know rooksage will deliver on the angst and tension I’m craving 😌💅

Side note:
WHAT WAS THAT THIRD ACT ABOUT IM SCREAMING IT WAS SO UNSERIOUS 😭💀😭💀😭💀

[sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

his personality is giving unseasoned white chicken

[Krisha (break) · Rating 1 out of 5]

When a wanna be Killian Carson meets a girl who is more stupid than Glyndon king (minus the cliff scene) = The lies we steal. Those who read God of malice get it.

Just like Killian, the MMC in this book is considered as "spare/ damaged object" by his family while his older brother gets all the love, attention and respect. I get the family trauma and all that BUT that doesn't give you the excuse to be such a D!ck to everyone, ESPECIALLY to your own goddamn girlfriend. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Alistair tattooed his initials on her finger while she was unconscious and then had the nerve to say "She is mine for as long as I see fit." What the hell? 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝘀𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘁??

𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, “𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘹. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘵, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘹. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.”
This is him at 86%. If this doesn't tell you there was no romance between them but purely lust, then I don't know what will.

Also, the FMC in this book was such a moron like what do you mean her form of revenge was to threaten him by leaving bugs in his car, as if she didn't know he can buy 10 porsches in one phone call considering he's from old money. What revenge are you talking about, girl? And the worst part is, she thought she ate with that act. Not only me but even the mmc in question was laughing at her stupidity. I can't even explain the second hand embarrassment I got.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝟳𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Also the so-called romance (if you can call it that) was downright disgusting. There was no chemistry, no tension, no proper communication and utter NONSENSE written in the name of spice.

𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 fuck. I kept forgetting they're 18 and not 8. The only good part about this book were the side characters. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Killian Carson is way better than Alistair because, at least Killian loves his girl in his own twisted way.

[annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

This book literally gave off CORRUPT's vibes. Honestly, this whole series is giving of Devil Night's series vibes. It has town mystery, dark academia, and spicy tension-filled romance that is anything but sweet! 🤭

To be honest, this book was just like every bully-enemies-to-lovers romance, and you'd find same things in it. It had the same dynamic of hating each other and playing tricks on each other until they fell in love, though I must say the other books in this series seem far more intriguing.

The main character, Alistair Caldwell, and his friends are known as THE HOLLOW BOYS, infamous sons of the founding families of Pondrosea Springs. Their wish is their command, *dramatically sighs* 😌, and they are on a quest to find the killer of their friend Rosemary Donahue.

Briar Lowell got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time when she witnessed them murdering someone, catching the interest of Alistair, who is hell-bent on tormenting and scaring her. They met before too and kinda felt yk ELECTRICITY 😅

╰┈➤ CHARACTERS:

❝I would have rather been starved and loved, than starving for love.❞

Alistair — the mouth he has! 🫣 He was crude, mean, and had a penchant for anger and violence. I swear he gets off on hurting. He's always been spare parts for his brother, and no one ever paid attention to him. now all of this made him an asshole? and ffs he was pretty cliche 😭 with all those i hate you stuff and all!

❝I’m not sure what I can give you, but whatever is left of me, whatever I have, it’s yours, for as long as you want it.❞

It's the first time I've ever read about the hero plastic wrapping the heroine and cutting off her oxygen while having intimate moments 🫢, and the FANART is doing something inside of me 🫠.

Briar — Her character was fine but nothing new. I've read characters like her in literally every book, but I'm glad there weren't any circumstances that made her a proper doormat, although she had body betraying syndrome! 😭

• Thatcher Pierson — I. NEED. TO. READ. HIS. BOOK. ASAP. Ugh, I'm so glad I decided to put his book on hold to read this one. It's more fun to get other characters' pov on him, and from this book, I learned that he's 6'4 with a drool-worthy dressing style 😋. He's always wrapped in expensive suits or cardigans and THOSE WHITE HAIRS. He gives off full on Draco Malfoy vibes. Also he's the son of the serial killer who killed Lyra's mom!

• Lyra Abbott — I know I'll love her! I just need to read her book completely. She's a nerdy gothic girl who loves bugs and insects. And I'm seriously not going to spoil her character here, BUT THE OBSESSION.... 🫣

• Silas Hawthorne — He has schizophrenia and A DEAD EX, and he's also admitted to a medical facility. HE'S DEADLY, SILENT, AND A HACKER? jsksjsk, please, why are all these boys so attractive?????? 🤤 And DAMN, the female lead he's getting will be CORALINE (who's sold into a sex ring too).

• Rook Van Doren — As always, you'll get the SUNSHINE one of the group who's super broken inside but laughs off his pain. I can't wait to read his book next with Sage. Gonna find out why he called her his nightmare in the end. His book has super good ratings ehehhe. 🤭

╰┈➤ RATINGS:

The Lies We Steal – 3 stars
The Truths We Burn - 5 stars
The Blood We Crave pt 1 - 4 stars
The Blood We Crave pt 2 - 3.75 stars
The Oath We Give - 3 stars

[Yana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was the most mid shit I’ve ever read. I did not like Allister nor Briar. Honestly, what was this book even about and why was it 400 pages

[Yasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️¾ — 3,75/5 💚

This was the kind of story that pulled me in with its atmosphere before anything else 🫠 Hollow Heights University, the secrets hiding behind wealth and prestige, and that constant feeling that something terrible was always one step away made it incredibly addictive. Briar being thrown into the world of the Hollow Boys after witnessing things she was never supposed to see gave the story a strong and intense start. I really liked how the mystery surrounding the town, the revenge plot, and all the hidden ugliness kept everything moving. This isn’t a soft romance—it’s messy, sharp, and full of morally grey characters making terrible decisions while somehow still making you care 😮‍💨 What worked best for me was the tension and the suspense running through every chapter. While I was invested in the story, some parts of the romance felt a little too fast emotionally, and I wanted a deeper build-up in certain moments 🥹 Still, it delivered the kind of drama and emotional chaos that makes this genre so addictive.

Briar Lowell was one of the main reasons I stayed invested. I liked that she wasn’t written as someone helpless waiting to be saved—she had her own sharp edges, survival instincts, and a past that shaped the way she handled everything around her. Her background made her feel different from the usual heroine, and I liked that she could be stubborn, reckless, and frustrating at times because it made her feel real 🤭 She walks into Hollow Heights already carrying so much, and instead of shrinking, she keeps pushing forward even when everything around her threatens to consume her. I didn’t agree with every decision she made, but I understood her, and that made all the difference.

Alistair Caldwell was exactly what you expect from this kind of hero—cold, obsessive, dangerous, and impossible to ignore 🫣 He wasn’t written to be a good man, and honestly, that worked better for the story. What made him interesting was that underneath all the control, anger, and violence, there was still grief and damage hiding there. He loves like a warning, not a promise, and that made his dynamic with Briar feel intense even when it was frustrating 🤧 Sometimes I wanted a little more emotional depth from him, but his presence carried every scene he was in. He felt like the kind of person you should run from… which is exactly why no one ever does.

Overall, what stayed with me the most wasn’t just the darkness of the story, but how easily every character blurred the line between love, obsession, and destruction 😮‍💨 It’s the kind of book that keeps you questioning everyone’s motives, and even when you know things are about to go wrong, you still keep turning the pages. Even with the few things I wished had been handled differently, it was still a very entertaining read and one that kept me fully invested until the very end.

❀⊹⊱ 𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ⊹⊱❀

⤿ this has been sitting on my tbr for over a year and keeps showing up every time i scroll past it… so i guess i’m finally giving in 🫠
no idea what this will turn into, but we’ll see 👀

[TrippyBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to dnf at 40% because theres not a chemistry to be found & Im sorry he just skinned her pet & left it for her to find?
Who would get with someone after that b serious?


Whenever i read a book about a bunch of 19 year old white boys who get away with whatever they want because of their name or fathers status in society it reminds me of the murdaugh family. That is not a good thing

[manas (suffering) · Rating 2 out of 5]

a mess.

[Mo · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's no way you people are serious about this shit

[ivy · Rating 1 out of 5]

2.25 stars

fever dream: a vivid, often surreal, and sometimes frightening dream that occurs when body temperature is elevated due to fever or illness. These dreams can be intense and emotionally charged and are sometimes used to describe any bizarre or confusing experience, regardless of fever. 

how i felt reading this book tbh.

wtf was this 😭

this book was so goofy omfg. the main characters, the plot, everything.

⤳ alistair Caldwell: GOODBYE he was the most childish and un-scary dark romance mmc ever; but he was also a predator and weird.

- why was he looking at highschoolers and getting horny — “i would admit, the double braids she wore in the pool were making my cock twitch.” this was him looking at a MINOR’s photo
- “eyes on my, little thief, or have you forgotten that i own you?” — this was after they’ve barely had 3 interactions by the way 🤡
- why did he tattoo his initials on her finger when she was unconscious after just meeting each other 😭

i was looking for a hot mmc and instead i got this.

⤳ briar lowell.: she PISSED me off. she is the epitome of a pick me:

- “other little girls learned ballet. i could break into a firesafe without breaking a sweat. i mean hell, there wasn’t a lot i couldn’t do.” — she’s so special 🥺
- don’t get me started on how she kept saying that swimming was her thing but she was saying the most bs stuff about it 💀
- “Five-hundred-meter medley was always my heat.” that’s not even a thing but okay.
- “five-hundred-meter medley was always my heat. i think it silently killed my swim coach that I was the only one on the team who could do all four swim styles. i won meets just to see the pissed off look on her face because just like everyone else, they expected me to fail.” again, not a thing, again, you’re not special.

honestly, this was just a me thing. but if you’re looking for a fmc with a personality, you’re not going to get it in this book.

⤳ the relationship.

1. he’s so mean! ☹️
2. wait he’s kinda hot
3. she’s MINE.
4. let’s just have sex in a closet with a sex trafficker in the room
5. i can’t stop thinking about him..
6. i’m horny again!!
7. let’s just get together

if you want to read about a rock and a wall talking to each other .. well this is the perfect book

more things that pissed me off:

⤳ this author needs to get an editor because there were SO many grammatical mistakes. this book might have the most out of any book that i’ve ever read.

⤳ the mystery element was so boring and predictable

⤳ the romance went from 0-100; at first they barely knew each other and then they randomly started fucking

the only reason i’m not giving this a lower rating is because it hasn’t offended my morality. there wasn’t any non-con in this book (which is surprising for a dark romance) so i thought that that deserved at least an extra star.

i cannot wait for thatcher and lyra’s book though 😩 they had the most personality in this book even though it wasn’t about them 🤡

ꕤ thank you to my most beautiful girl marti for reading this book with me. you are the sweetest and made this experience so much better 💚🌸 i love you! 🥹

⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹

ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
the edits i've seen of this series are actually criminal 😫 i'm so excited to see what they're finally about 🫦.

🍡˖𖧷 buddy read with my gorgeous marti <3

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚THE LIES WE STEAL 📚 is the first full length romance book in the series 'The Hollow Boys, by new to me author, Monty Jay. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.'

Guys if this has been on your radar (like me) and you've not gotten around to reading it, one click it, read it, you won't regret it, I was barely half way through and I was loving the shit out of this!!

When opposites attract...



Briar Lowell wasn't your ordinary run of the mill girl, even though she'd been raised in a loving environment she'd been trained at the early age of eleven by her father to pickpocket, that then went onto lock-picking and safe-cracking there was nothing she couldn't crack. “Some families probably bonded over board games, mine bonded over larceny.”

Alistair Caldwell and his non blood brothers became thick as thieves at the age of six (Thatcher, Rook & Silas) they were troubled boys with an even more troubled past,“ We are the kids that were never made to be good. We were always meant't to be crooked and broken.” You didn't want to come under their radar, if you did things didn't end well for you. Alistair was mean't to be on a flight out of there on his way to the East Coast but instead he's staying behind to uncover a murder of one of their own.

They won't leave any stone unturned until they find out what happened to their childhood friend Rose, even if they have to kill people to get the answers they seek.

When Briar's in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses something she shouldn't she's come
under Alistair's radar.

This ticked so many boxes, so easy to get into, so hard to put down, believe me I tried, sleep is overrated anyway! I’m so glad I took that plunge and one clicked a new to me author.

Before I’d even finished I’d signed up for the next instalment, stalking it, needing it, wanting it, craving it.!

[amelia ‏꩜ · Rating 1 out of 5]

i would say the author was on drugs while she wrote this book but i don’t want to disrespect people who do drugs like that

[꩜ marti &#x1f577;️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ — 𝓱𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀 𝓫𝓸𝔂𝓼 —
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀# the lies we steal . . . ☆☆☆☆
⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⤿ 27 / 11 / 2025 - 08 / 12 / 2025


𖥔 I'm completely in love and obsessed with alistair. I don't think there's much more to add. this new dark romance series has already captured my heart, and I can't wait to continue it so I can get to know rook, thatcher, and silas better.

⊹ ⠀⠀“ you'll never see one of us without the others. we're kids who weren't bred to be good. we were always meant to be dishonest and broken ”

⊹ ⠀⠀“ my heart beats like it's the first time it's ever done this. You make me feel alive ”

⊹ ⠀⠀“ I'll tear the sky apart, I'll tear down the gates of heaven, if it's necessary to keep you from ever being in danger again. They'll have to raise hell to stop me from protecting you ”

⊹ ⠀⠀“ every twisted part of me. It belongs to you, little thief. I hope you enjoy playing in the shadows. We'll be here for a while ”

♯ briar ༒︎ alistair - their relationship is an explosion of tension and magnetism that redefines the boundaries of dark romance, constantly walking the fine line between attraction and fear. Their dynamic unfolds like a relentless chase where the roles of hunter and prey end up blurring, creating a visceral bond that defies all conventional logic or morality. It's not a relationship founded on sweetness, but on an overwhelming chemistry born from a mutual understanding of their respective inner emptiness and the wounds they both try to hide from the rest of the world. What unites them is a desperate need to belong, manifested through electric clashes and an absolute dedication that, though born of lies and control, transforms into an unbreakable union where his obsession becomes a safe haven for her fragility. Together they create a dark and powerful balance, proving that sometimes the most damaged souls are the only ones capable of recognizing themselves and fitting perfectly into the chaos.

[farhia · Rating 2 out of 5]

➼ 1.75 ✰ get a load of this guy meets I’m not like other girls.

If it weren’t for the side characters, I would’ve given this 1 star. I’m pissed she didn’t punish him. I lost a part of me every time he called her a toy and she didn’t hurt him in return. this bum gave him so much power ugh, I hate when men have so much power over women. he would insult her and she would be like “who hurt you🥹” like B- if you don’t punch him rn 😤 I’m so upset she didn’t kick him in the balls after what he did to her pet or when he degraded her. The one time she did something, it was so lame. Like girl you know he can just buy a new car with his parent’s money right?? this girl does not know what self respect is, which is surprising as she had two loving parents, I would assume they would teach her that. Also her being horny every time she was around him was so annoying. I hate them and their boring personalities. Someone please take the stick out of Ali’s ass, his ego was over the roof and I hated every second she boosted it. Anyways, I’m excited about the other couples. I thought Silas would end up with rose’s twin, which I wasn’t too happy about but I don’t think he is from the last page of this book, which is great news. I wonder who he’ll end up with. Rook sounds fun, hopefully I’ll like his book. I like Lyra and Thatcher, I hope their book doesn’t disappoint. I’m pretty sure this book and couple will be my least favourite in the series. Hopefully the writing and characters don’t suck for the others since I like all of them so much more than these two.

ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read 🪷

I don’t have any expectations for this one but I did hear that one of the other couples in the series is torydarius coded so you know I’m SAT.

fall tbr prompt : read a dark romance

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

pool scene.
tattoo shop scene.
house scene.
closet scene.

I’m deceased. I have simply passed away. 3.75/5 ⭐️ bc there were quite a few grammar mistakes, very noticeable, also I wish we got more build up of the romance aspect and I wish we got a bit more to the plot as well. But other than that, I did devour this start to finish. And I’m DEFINITELY continuing onto the next book immediately.

[Hoda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alistair & Briar weren’t for me. I felt no love, no chemistry, no spark, only horny 18 year old who think they’re ancient ✋🏻 im here for the other characters ( Rook and silas 🥹🤍) .

”“My pet. She’s the worst behaved pet ever. A beaten dog that won’t stop pissing on the couch just to make me angry. ”

Kill me now 🥲🙂

[vanessa ⋆.☕︎ May and half June ia ✦ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating: 1 stars.
"I knew her fear, but I wanted to know what drove her. What made her smile, why she always wore the same pair of shoes and what she wanted to be when she grew up. I wanted to be more than the man who scared her.”
We’re thrown into this dark, tragic setup where both characters have messy, painful pasts, the kind of foundation that should’ve made their connection raw and emotional. Alistair is painted as this damaged, morally gray guy haunted by his trauma, while Briar is the broken girl trying to find light after being completely shattered. On paper, that sounds amazing. I love stories about healing through love, but this one just never made sense.

For starters, the pacing is all over the place. One minute they hate each other, the next they’re suddenly in love, and there’s barely any believable build up in between. We’re told they share this deep emotional bond, but we never see it happen. Their connection feels rushed and forced, like the author was checking boxes instead of letting it unfold naturally.

➛ Briar:
I wanted to root for her so badly, but she made it impossible. She had potential to be this strong, complex heroine who fights through her trauma, but instead, she flip flopped between being fierce and completely naïve. I get that she’s been through a lot, but the way she handled things made me want to scream. There were moments where I almost felt for her… and then she’d say or do something that ruined it.

➛ Alistair:
Alistair was supposed to be that dark, broken, magnetic kind of character, the one who pulls you in despite the chaos. But instead, he just felt emotionless. There’s a difference between being mysterious and being bland, and he definitely crossed into bland territory. His pain didn’t feel real, his actions didn’t make sense, and half the time I couldn’t tell if he even cared about anything. He wasn’t brooding, he was just empty.

➛ Their dynamic:
Together? They had zero chemistry. Every romantic or emotional moment between them felt forced, like the book was telling me they had a connection instead of actually showing it. Their relationship didn’t feel built on love or even mutual understanding; it felt like trauma glued together with miscommunication.
This book screams insta love, and not the cute kind. It’s the “we just met but I’d die for you” level that makes you want to close the book and rethink your life choices. Alistair and Briar’s connection happens so fast it’s dizzying, and the cringe is unreal. Every time they talk about being broken but “fixing” each other, I swear my eyes almost rolled out of my head. It’s forced, rushed, and anything but romantic.

The plot holes in this book are everywhere. Moments that should’ve hit hard are brushed off or left unexplained. Alistair’s backstory had potential but was barely touched, and Briar’s trauma felt more like a plot prop than real character depth. The timeline’s messy, the side characters feel pointless, and the twists seem added just for drama. By the end, I was left wondering what the story was even trying to say.

_____

⋆.˚🤍⋆ So yeah… I know I should probably read the series in order to actually understand and enjoy it properly, but honestly? I don’t want to. 😭 The main reason I’m picking this one up is pure curiosity, I need to see for myself why everyone’s been dragging this book (and the next one too). At this point, I just want to read it so I can officially join the “we have opinions” club.

[Rayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread: April 22 2025

I was convinced to give this series another shot because I heard the next one is really good. I was going to jump right into that one but since they’re interconnected, I figured I might as well start over. I’m actually glad I did I liked it a lot more the second time around. Everything I said in my original review still stands, I guess it just didn’t bother me as much this time around. Maybe going into it with low expectations helped. The pacing is brutal though and that still affected me. I was tempted to quit multiple times for the first 300 pages or so. But I kept going and found I was enjoying the story. Now I’m excited to read the next one.



First read: Jan. 23 2023

1.5 stars

I think I’ve moved past enjoying a bunch of nineteen year olds walking around acting like they are the these big scary men. Everything was just too much for me and went over my limit of unbelievability I can look past in books. They would go from talking about enjoying torturing people to releasing a couple Boa Constrictors at their prom. How are they supposed to be scary when they do childish things like that? Maybe it was playing into their unpredictable and cruel personalities but I couldn’t take them seriously. Everything was very intense but not at the same time.

Also, slight ⚠️spoiler⚠️ maybe but: we got nothing from the MCs for them to get to that point in their relationship. There were like 30 pages between them hating each other and being obsessed with each other and we didn’t see any of the in between. There was a lot going on in those 30 pages but none of it revolves around them. I didn’t really buy their attraction in the beginning and we never got more that shows their connection deepening so it just fell flat.

There were a few errors that literally made my brain buffer to try and figure out that I usually don’t mind but this book was a jumble to get through to begin with so it just highlighted every mistake. This book just wasn’t for me. Me two years ago, would have really enjoyed this book though.

[maya ⋆⭒˚｡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

naaaaur cause i’m obsessed with this series 🤭💐😩💫🌷 the murder plot? the unhinged characters? the spooky vibes? sign me uuuuup 🤝🏼🤝🏼

rtc hopefully

‎♡₊˚ 🦉・₊✧⋆⭒˚｡⋆ pre-review

after the rina kent roller coaster ride (horror version), here we are kids 🪂🔥 safe and sound 🕳️👨🏻‍🦯

but buckle up - and fingers crossed - for this exquisite experience that we (me, my updates and the voices) have zero hopes and expectations for so this way it won’t be able to haunt us after 🤺 step back disappointment 🤺

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. this was ok, i've heard the next book is really good so i will be continuing the series for sure!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading this series is the best decision I’ve ever made. Better the second time (if that’s even possible)
————————————————————————————-

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I am obsessed. This book does not get ALL the love it deserves because man... I loved every second of it.

I want to start by saying that the male narrator, Grayson Owen’s - CRUSHED IT. He legit sounds like a psychopath and I could literally listen to him all day - every day, no questions asked.

What to expect: 4 college boys who are avenging the death of their friend Rose (Silas' girlfriend)

If you like Dark Academia and Murder Mystery, you will DEVOUR this. I am so ready to binge this entire series. Monty Jay, you have my attention.

Idk if there is something wrong with me BUT I bawled my eyes out towards the end. Everything Alistair went through was heartbreaking & every word that came out of that man's mouth was straight ✨poetry✨

CHAPTER 31, OMG 🥹🥹🥹🥹

Quotes:
"I would have rather been starved and loved than starved for love."

"She is the female form perfected. There is nothing more erotic. Nothing more beautiful."

"She looks like a ticket straight to heaven and I would've walked through hellfire to get it."

"Careful. I'll only let you tease me for so long before I take what I want."

"You made me feel alive." 🥹🥹

"I'm not sure what I can give you but whatever is left of me. Whatever I have. It's yours. For as long as you want it."

- dark academia
- bully romance
- psychotic friend group
- murder mystery
- revenge plot
- hate to love
- touch her & die
- possessive & obsessed mmc

[Teresa González · Rating 2 out of 5]

they ‘hated’ each other, then f*cked and fell in love.

I’m tired.

[Tanu]

DNF'ed @ 11%
He is very much obsessed with his agile fists..

[Poppy Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ 3🌶️

this is why I love dark romance!!! ugh this was sooo good!

This is probably the closest thing to the devils night series I’ve found so far, it’s mildly corrupt coded, but it’s much darker, and a different plot, and the characters in this are wayyyy more troubled and unhinged than the DNS boys I think (it’s basically 4 Damon Torrance’s and then some)

I loved the dark academic setting, the plot was strong, and wasn’t rushed, the whole pacing of the book was good, I love that Alistair and Briar don’t just end up together before the first 50% is up. There’s a bully element to the story as well, and the typical Halloween fairs, mazes, secrets etc
Loved. It. All.
So intrigued by Thatcher, Silas and Rook they are super interesting characters I can’t wait to get to their books 🙌🏼

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because sometimes it was a little bit slow, and also whilst the writing was good, sometimes it was overly descriptive, every thought/emotion/movement was sometimes depicted a little too poetically and vividly! Plus the constant reminder of how ‘dangerous’ the boys are was a little repetitive

But if you like, royal elite, Madison Kate, and devils night series this is literally like all of those combined 😍😍

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 🌟 such a good start!!!!!!!

[Sentranced Jem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate booktok/Bookstagram reels recommendations

[yuvi • s.ia]

The cover lured me in 😔🤷‍♀️

[bunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

look, the potential was there. the plot was there. but the writing was not there. there were so many typos and grammatical errors.