What do you think?
Rate this book
His Pretty Poison
This is a dark gothic cowboy romance focused around mental health. Please check triggers prior to reading.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2026
19 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
C. Hebert
15 books310 followersCommonly known as Cyn, C. Hebert is a multi-genre author who loves to paint a pretty, yet horrific, picture woven together with absolute chaos. True gravevard reads.
While most authors like to write happily ever afters, C. Hebert prefers to take her stories in the opposite direction, delivering darker tales with a hint of madness, tugging at your heartstrings.
She is a self proclaimed manic write who loves to constantly push herself to do more.
C. Hebert is a published poet and writes darker, more unique works under a secondary pen name, which is an International Best Seller. It is listed on her social media.
While most authors like to write happily ever afters, C. Hebert prefers to take her stories in the opposite direction, delivering darker tales with a hint of madness, tugging at your heartstrings.
She is a self proclaimed manic write who loves to constantly push herself to do more.
C. Hebert is a published poet and writes darker, more unique works under a secondary pen name, which is an International Best Seller. It is listed on her social media.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 5, 2026
“This is a dark, gothic, cowboy romance…”
Just from that I knew I was going to be obsessed with this book, and as always, C Hebert doesn’t disappoint!
I loved the instant chemistry Lucille and Forsythe had and how they could both help each other heal from traumatic experiences in their pasts.
This is a fast paced book full of emotional moments, banter and catharsis.
Easily one of my favourite ARCs as it just encapsulated everything I love.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤 Cowboy Romance
🤠 Dark, Gothic Romance
🖤 Age Gap
🤠 Dark Secrets/Past
🖤 Mental Health Rep
🤠 Trauma/Healing
🖤 “Little Viper”
February 7, 2026
I absolutely loved this!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
"He cupped my face, and I watched as he used his teeth to flip the cigarette over onto his tongue and into his mouth, allowing him to kiss me freely. He tasted surprisingly sweet, like a smoky piece of caramel that melted in my mouth. I felt dizzy, so swept up in the moment that I almost forgot myself. And where I was. I ripped my body back and wiped my mouth. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I asked, looking around to make sure we were still alone. Forsythe popped his cigarette back between his lips with a giant smile. “What’s wrong? Scared someone might see us?” I glared at him. “Let them see. I got nothing to be ashamed of, Lucille.”
Am I crazy or was that like...hot, HOT?! 🥵🥵 Who knew a cigarette flip in the mouth would be a new favorite of mine.
.
.
Read if you like:
* Cowboy Romance
* Nickname - Little Viper
* Trauma/Healing
* Mental Health Rep
* Age Gap
* Troubled/Dark Past
There was just something about Forsythe that I loved from the very beginning. His character just had such BDE, however his softer side always came out with Lucille.
Lucille had so much trauma and heartbreak that she felt broken inside. She worked so hard on herself but still carried that anger and self hatred. And Forsythe ate up her anger and venom. He didn't see a broken woman, but strength. He loved her stubbornness. Her anger. And every venomous word thrown his way. Lucille loved to run. And Forsythe loved to chase her.
“You might be a mess, but I like getting my hands dirty.”
Am I crazy or was that like...hot, HOT?! 🥵🥵 Who knew a cigarette flip in the mouth would be a new favorite of mine.
.
.
Read if you like:
* Cowboy Romance
* Nickname - Little Viper
* Trauma/Healing
* Mental Health Rep
* Age Gap
* Troubled/Dark Past
There was just something about Forsythe that I loved from the very beginning. His character just had such BDE, however his softer side always came out with Lucille.
Lucille had so much trauma and heartbreak that she felt broken inside. She worked so hard on herself but still carried that anger and self hatred. And Forsythe ate up her anger and venom. He didn't see a broken woman, but strength. He loved her stubbornness. Her anger. And every venomous word thrown his way. Lucille loved to run. And Forsythe loved to chase her.
“You might be a mess, but I like getting my hands dirty.”
Read
February 6, 2026I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!
review coming soon...
dedication:
••
𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓰𝓰𝓵𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮, 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓫𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾. 𝓑𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓷𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓱𝔂.
••
quotes:
••
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍? 𝕱𝖎𝖓𝖊. 𝕴’𝖑𝖑 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍.”
“𝖂𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖓. 𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖉𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖆𝖞, 𝖈𝖔𝖜𝖇𝖔𝖞?”
“𝕺𝖍 𝖓𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙.”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖆𝖎𝖉 𝕴 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖑, 𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙?
𝕲𝖔𝖔𝖉. 𝕹𝖔𝖜. 𝕭𝖊 𝖆 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖇𝖔𝖞 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖎𝖓𝖘.”
“𝕷𝖚𝖈𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖊,”
“𝖄𝖊𝖘,”
“𝕺𝖍 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐.”
“𝕱𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖞 𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖔𝖆𝖓𝖘, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖛𝖎𝖕𝖊𝖗. 𝕸𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖒 𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖑𝖔𝖚𝖉 𝕴’𝖒 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒.”
“𝕹𝖔, 𝖔𝖍 𝖌𝖔𝖉. 𝕱𝖚𝖈𝖐.”
••
“𝓘𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽? 𝓞𝓻 𝓪 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮?
𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷'𝓽 𝓭𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓶𝓮,”
“𝓓𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓻𝔂, 𝓘’𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓭𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾.
𝓞𝓱, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓸 𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓵.”
“𝓓𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓹. 𝓟𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮."
“𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓰?
“𝓞𝓹𝓮𝓷 𝔀𝓲𝓭𝓮. 𝓝𝓸𝔀 𝓼𝔀𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀.
𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓼𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓵, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓭𝓸 𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵.
𝓐𝓭𝓶𝓲𝓽 𝓲𝓽. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓮𝓭.”
••
tropes:
☆🍁dark gothic
☆🍁cowboy romance
☆🍁dark secrets
☆🍁age gap
☆🍁trauma x healing
☆🍁little viper🥰
☆🍁mental health rep.
☆🍁hea
review coming soon...
dedication:
••
𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓰𝓰𝓵𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮, 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓫𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾. 𝓑𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓷𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓱𝔂.
••
quotes:
••
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍? 𝕱𝖎𝖓𝖊. 𝕴’𝖑𝖑 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍.”
“𝖂𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖓. 𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖉𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖆𝖞, 𝖈𝖔𝖜𝖇𝖔𝖞?”
“𝕺𝖍 𝖓𝖔 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙.”
“𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖆𝖎𝖉 𝕴 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖑, 𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙?
𝕲𝖔𝖔𝖉. 𝕹𝖔𝖜. 𝕭𝖊 𝖆 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖇𝖔𝖞 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖎𝖓𝖘.”
“𝕷𝖚𝖈𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖊,”
“𝖄𝖊𝖘,”
“𝕺𝖍 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐.”
“𝕱𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖞 𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖔𝖆𝖓𝖘, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖛𝖎𝖕𝖊𝖗. 𝕸𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖒 𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖑𝖔𝖚𝖉 𝕴’𝖒 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒.”
“𝕹𝖔, 𝖔𝖍 𝖌𝖔𝖉. 𝕱𝖚𝖈𝖐.”
••
“𝓘𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽? 𝓞𝓻 𝓪 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮?
𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷'𝓽 𝓭𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓶𝓮,”
“𝓓𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓻𝔂, 𝓘’𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓭𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾.
𝓞𝓱, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓸 𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓵.”
“𝓓𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓹. 𝓟𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮."
“𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓰?
“𝓞𝓹𝓮𝓷 𝔀𝓲𝓭𝓮. 𝓝𝓸𝔀 𝓼𝔀𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀.
𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓼𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓵, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓭𝓸 𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵.
𝓐𝓭𝓶𝓲𝓽 𝓲𝓽. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭𝓮𝓭.”
••
tropes:
☆🍁dark gothic
☆🍁cowboy romance
☆🍁dark secrets
☆🍁age gap
☆🍁trauma x healing
☆🍁little viper🥰
☆🍁mental health rep.
☆🍁hea
February 8, 2026
Two characters, that are both so insanely stubborn and hardheaded. What a better match? I loved the banter between Forsythe and Lucille throughout the book. The constant pull between them really helped build the enemies-to-lovers aspect of the story. Its mentioned that they've rivaled each other since they were children and it really shows.
February 6, 2026
ARC REVIEW
His Pretty Poison
Forsythe & Lucille
AVAILABLE NOW
My Rating: 3.5☆
Dark Gothic Cowboy Romance
Novella - 172 Pages
14-15 Years Age Gap
Mental Health Rep
Close Proximity
Trauma Healing
Dark Secrets
Dark & Troubled Past
HEA
My Spicy Rating: 2/5
One thing I hate as an ARC reader is giving low ratings and honest reviews. I don't know what it's like to be an author, and I can only imagine how hard it is to put your work out there and it be bashed. But also, I read all the time how author's prefer readers to give their honest reviews so here is mine.
Sometimes, I'm very particular about certain books and I tend to have certain expectations by certain authors. With this novella, I had high expectations and I need to stop doing that. I've only read the authors books by her other pen name, AB Cynthe and I've loved her other dark books. I did like this book. I liked the plot. But for me, age was my problem this time. For me, it's super important to know age. It just helps me imagine the story better. But unfortunately, the FMC's age was never really mentioned and age was not mentioned in some scenes which threw me off. It was hard for me to imagine said scenes. Because I thought one thing and yet it was another. I just couldn't picture the story correctly and it would be nice to know at what age certain events happened. Otherwise, it gets confusing. I also feel this novella had so much potential. I have so many questions that felt unanswered and also would have liked more depth of the characters. More background information, etc. Just more.
Just a few things that bothered me (spoilers):
-How old was Lucille when the fire happened. Because I had assumed she was a kid or a teen until the end where it sort of clarified how old she was.
-How old was Lucille when Forsythe fell in love with her.
-I feel the switch from enemies to lovers was too quick and not believable.
-I wasn't a fan of the talking out loud to yourself.
-I don't know what it's like to be a 45yo man but Forsythe sounded like a teen.
-The 3 adults bullying Lucille is very high school and does not fit into an adult book.
-I would have have liked more of her story. Where she lived in the city. Were she worked. What she did, etc.
-I would have liked to know exactly which mental health issues she has.
-Would have liked to know what Forsythe's love life had been the past 9 years or was he just waiting for Lucille to come back? Celibate?
Probably petty questions but when I read a book, I like to become very invested and those are a few things that I, as a reader, just needed. Regardless, what wasn't for me, will definitely be for someone else. So, give it a try.
His Pretty Poison
Forsythe & Lucille
AVAILABLE NOW
My Rating: 3.5☆
Dark Gothic Cowboy Romance
Novella - 172 Pages
14-15 Years Age Gap
Mental Health Rep
Close Proximity
Trauma Healing
Dark Secrets
Dark & Troubled Past
HEA
My Spicy Rating: 2/5
One thing I hate as an ARC reader is giving low ratings and honest reviews. I don't know what it's like to be an author, and I can only imagine how hard it is to put your work out there and it be bashed. But also, I read all the time how author's prefer readers to give their honest reviews so here is mine.
Sometimes, I'm very particular about certain books and I tend to have certain expectations by certain authors. With this novella, I had high expectations and I need to stop doing that. I've only read the authors books by her other pen name, AB Cynthe and I've loved her other dark books. I did like this book. I liked the plot. But for me, age was my problem this time. For me, it's super important to know age. It just helps me imagine the story better. But unfortunately, the FMC's age was never really mentioned and age was not mentioned in some scenes which threw me off. It was hard for me to imagine said scenes. Because I thought one thing and yet it was another. I just couldn't picture the story correctly and it would be nice to know at what age certain events happened. Otherwise, it gets confusing. I also feel this novella had so much potential. I have so many questions that felt unanswered and also would have liked more depth of the characters. More background information, etc. Just more.
Just a few things that bothered me (spoilers):
-How old was Lucille when the fire happened. Because I had assumed she was a kid or a teen until the end where it sort of clarified how old she was.
-How old was Lucille when Forsythe fell in love with her.
-I feel the switch from enemies to lovers was too quick and not believable.
-I wasn't a fan of the talking out loud to yourself.
-I don't know what it's like to be a 45yo man but Forsythe sounded like a teen.
-The 3 adults bullying Lucille is very high school and does not fit into an adult book.
-I would have have liked more of her story. Where she lived in the city. Were she worked. What she did, etc.
-I would have liked to know exactly which mental health issues she has.
-Would have liked to know what Forsythe's love life had been the past 9 years or was he just waiting for Lucille to come back? Celibate?
Probably petty questions but when I read a book, I like to become very invested and those are a few things that I, as a reader, just needed. Regardless, what wasn't for me, will definitely be for someone else. So, give it a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Great short and fast-paced dark cowboy romance with age gap, forced proximity, mental & physical scars and traumatic past.
I loved this book! I really felt for the characters and especially the end (and the reveal towards the end) made me emotional.
Both Lucille and Forsythe had traumatic pasts and they tried to run away from what happened. Loved how at the end Lucille was able to finally remember what happened that night and how she and Forsythe were able to heal together.
The chemistry between Lucille and Forsythe was great and I always love me some funny banter.
Please check the TW/CW before reading!
“Strange how memory can make things seem different than they really are.”
“I wonder if he’s mad at me for leaving. Or maybe he’s mad I came back?”
“You should be more careful with your words. Striking with such raw venom can really hurt someone, little Lucille.”
“You might be a mess, but I like getting my hands dirty.”
“You can keep lying, telling yourself that you can move on and pretend nothing happened, but this wasn’t a fluke. Let’s see how long it takes before you come knocking down my door, begging for more.”
“I don’t want to fix you, because that means there’s something wrong with you. But you, Lucille, are anything but broken. And there’s nothing wrong with you.”
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
I loved this book! I really felt for the characters and especially the end (and the reveal towards the end) made me emotional.
Both Lucille and Forsythe had traumatic pasts and they tried to run away from what happened. Loved how at the end Lucille was able to finally remember what happened that night and how she and Forsythe were able to heal together.
The chemistry between Lucille and Forsythe was great and I always love me some funny banter.
Please check the TW/CW before reading!
“Strange how memory can make things seem different than they really are.”
“I wonder if he’s mad at me for leaving. Or maybe he’s mad I came back?”
“You should be more careful with your words. Striking with such raw venom can really hurt someone, little Lucille.”
“You might be a mess, but I like getting my hands dirty.”
“You can keep lying, telling yourself that you can move on and pretend nothing happened, but this wasn’t a fluke. Let’s see how long it takes before you come knocking down my door, begging for more.”
“I don’t want to fix you, because that means there’s something wrong with you. But you, Lucille, are anything but broken. And there’s nothing wrong with you.”
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
February 6, 2026
🐂 ℍ𝕚𝕤 ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕟 🐂
“ 𝙊𝙝, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙪𝙥, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣. 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚—𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚—𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩. 𝙄𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙚. 𝙄𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡, 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙. 𝙉𝙖𝙝, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙞𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.”
📖 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻
✍🏼 𝗖. 𝗛𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁
#️⃣ 𝟭𝟳𝟯 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙮.”
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦
🌵 Gothic cowboy romance
🌵 Enemies to lovers
🌵“Good boy”
🌵 Age gap
🌵 Dark secrets
🌵 Mental health rep
𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬.
📖𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗙𝗠𝗖: Lucille
𝗠𝗠𝗖: Forsyth
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙭 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
First of all. This dedication 🥺 I loved it so much.
Lucille & Forsyth’s story was a great quick read, with such an emotional impact. I didn’t expect my eyes to leak only 10 pages in, but here we are.
Lucille is stubborn almost to a fault, and Forsyth is the calm that evens her out. She really did lash out at him often, and he just takes it in stride. Bless heart 🖤
I loved the openness in this story about mental health. It was an open topic, and at times heavy. We also not only see the struggles with Lucile, but also with her brother Boone’s healing after is almost life threatening injury from bull riding.
If you want a short read that will pack an emotional punch and toss in some spice out in an open field, or maybe even a barn stall… then this is your cup of tea!
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘
📖 ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴄᴀʟ
🎧 ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ
📱 ᴇʀᴇᴀᴅ ✔️
“ 𝙊𝙝, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙪𝙥, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣. 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚—𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚—𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩. 𝙄𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙚. 𝙄𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡, 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙. 𝙉𝙖𝙝, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙞𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.”
📖 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻
✍🏼 𝗖. 𝗛𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁
#️⃣ 𝟭𝟳𝟯 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙮.”
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦
🌵 Gothic cowboy romance
🌵 Enemies to lovers
🌵“Good boy”
🌵 Age gap
🌵 Dark secrets
🌵 Mental health rep
𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬.
📖𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗙𝗠𝗖: Lucille
𝗠𝗠𝗖: Forsyth
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙭 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
First of all. This dedication 🥺 I loved it so much.
Lucille & Forsyth’s story was a great quick read, with such an emotional impact. I didn’t expect my eyes to leak only 10 pages in, but here we are.
Lucille is stubborn almost to a fault, and Forsyth is the calm that evens her out. She really did lash out at him often, and he just takes it in stride. Bless heart 🖤
I loved the openness in this story about mental health. It was an open topic, and at times heavy. We also not only see the struggles with Lucile, but also with her brother Boone’s healing after is almost life threatening injury from bull riding.
If you want a short read that will pack an emotional punch and toss in some spice out in an open field, or maybe even a barn stall… then this is your cup of tea!
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘
📖 ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴄᴀʟ
🎧 ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ
📱 ᴇʀᴇᴀᴅ ✔️
Review of advance copy received from Author
𝕳𝖎𝖘 𝕻𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖞 𝕻𝖔𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓
“𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘯, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘐 𝘨𝘰, 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘦.”
“𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦.”
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓
🖤ɢᴏᴛʜɪᴄ ᴄᴏᴡʙᴏʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🐮ᴀɢᴇ ɢᴀᴘ
🖤ᴅᴀʀᴋ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs
🐮ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ʀᴇᴘ
🖤ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴠɪᴘᴇʀ
🐮ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
🖤“ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ”
🐮ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇᴅ ᴘᴀsᴛ
🖤ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ/ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ sᴄᴀʀs
🐮ᴍᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴜʟʟ ʀɪᴅɪɴɢ
“𝖿ᥲіrᥡ𝗍ᥲᥣᥱs mіgһ𝗍 ᥒ᥆𝗍 ᑲᥱ rᥱᥲᥣ, ᑲᥙ𝗍 𝗍һіs іs ᥴᥣ᥆sᥱ ᥱᥒ᥆ᥙgһ 𝖿᥆r mᥱ.”
★ ★ ★ ★
🌶️🌶️🌶️
this was so freaking amazing. I devoured this book so fast I barely came up for air. I’m not usually a cowboy romance type of reader but this book was different. this one was just unbelievable and I couldn’t put it down. the twist, the turns, the entire story was just something I will always come back to. this author has me by the heart and I will devour anything she writes.
“𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨｡ 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙢𝙚｡ 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙞’𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡｡”
“𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘯, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘐 𝘨𝘰, 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘦.”
“𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦.”
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓
🖤ɢᴏᴛʜɪᴄ ᴄᴏᴡʙᴏʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🐮ᴀɢᴇ ɢᴀᴘ
🖤ᴅᴀʀᴋ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs
🐮ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ʀᴇᴘ
🖤ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴠɪᴘᴇʀ
🐮ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
🖤“ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ”
🐮ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇᴅ ᴘᴀsᴛ
🖤ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ/ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ sᴄᴀʀs
🐮ᴍᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴜʟʟ ʀɪᴅɪɴɢ
“𝖿ᥲіrᥡ𝗍ᥲᥣᥱs mіgһ𝗍 ᥒ᥆𝗍 ᑲᥱ rᥱᥲᥣ, ᑲᥙ𝗍 𝗍һіs іs ᥴᥣ᥆sᥱ ᥱᥒ᥆ᥙgһ 𝖿᥆r mᥱ.”
★ ★ ★ ★
🌶️🌶️🌶️
this was so freaking amazing. I devoured this book so fast I barely came up for air. I’m not usually a cowboy romance type of reader but this book was different. this one was just unbelievable and I couldn’t put it down. the twist, the turns, the entire story was just something I will always come back to. this author has me by the heart and I will devour anything she writes.
“𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨｡ 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙢𝙚｡ 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙞’𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡｡”
February 7, 2026
Gorgeous must read from C. Hebert! It’s unapologetically raw, real, and rough in the emotional department, the dark cowboy vibes lend an ominous feel that works so ridiculously well with the loss and grief in this book and heighten the feel of anticipation through the whole read, and Forsythe and Lucille are phenomenal characters that draw you right in.
This is a hot age gap where Lucille was always it for Forsythe, tragedy, time, and bitter feelings kept them apart, circumstance, family, and a connection that she’s unsure of and he’s never been more certain about, bring them together, with enemies to lovers tension, slow burning chemistry that combusts in the sexiest way, and honesty that breaks your heart, shatters your soul, and has you empathizing so hard with them both. Forsythe is the breath you’re holding just before the storm, Lucille IS the storm, the relationship and love they find together is the hard-earned peaceful stillness that comes after weathering it together, and the whole thing is just a stunning, don’t skip this one, romance.
This is a hot age gap where Lucille was always it for Forsythe, tragedy, time, and bitter feelings kept them apart, circumstance, family, and a connection that she’s unsure of and he’s never been more certain about, bring them together, with enemies to lovers tension, slow burning chemistry that combusts in the sexiest way, and honesty that breaks your heart, shatters your soul, and has you empathizing so hard with them both. Forsythe is the breath you’re holding just before the storm, Lucille IS the storm, the relationship and love they find together is the hard-earned peaceful stillness that comes after weathering it together, and the whole thing is just a stunning, don’t skip this one, romance.
February 7, 2026
I loved the idea of this story, a dark cowboy and lots of mental health struggles between both characters, but unfortunately it was mostly a miss for me. I really wanted to love it and I really tried but it just didn't work for me.The good was the dark cowboy. Forsyth was the bright spot of the story. He was growly and uber protective. I really liked his energy and personality.
The miss for me was Lucille. I just didn't like her, like at all. She was all over the place and basically a b****. She had moments where I thought she was turning a corner and I could see warming up to her but then she would fly off over something trivial and after a while I just couldn't stand her.
Another good spot was the dog. I think she ended up having more personality than Lucille. I liked the bulls but there were some inaccuracies there that took me out of the story. I loved the ranch setting and how the writing portrayed it. I think this story will find its audience but it's just not me so take this review as a grain of salt and decide for yourself.
The miss for me was Lucille. I just didn't like her, like at all. She was all over the place and basically a b****. She had moments where I thought she was turning a corner and I could see warming up to her but then she would fly off over something trivial and after a while I just couldn't stand her.
Another good spot was the dog. I think she ended up having more personality than Lucille. I liked the bulls but there were some inaccuracies there that took me out of the story. I loved the ranch setting and how the writing portrayed it. I think this story will find its audience but it's just not me so take this review as a grain of salt and decide for yourself.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 Stars
His Pretty Poison is a dark cowboy romance written by C. Hebert. This novella is fast-paced with a focus on mental health. It does include a delicious age gap. I am a big fan of C. Hebert's books, and I couldn’t wait to dive into this one.
The focus of this book is Lucille as she returns to the home she left nine years earlier after a very traumatic incident that changed her life. The constant struggle with mental health has led her down a path of bad decisions and addiction. When she returns home, she is reunited with her mother, badly injured brother, and Forsythe.
Forsythe and Lucille have undeniable chemistry that had me in a chokehold. Their attraction was instant, like two magnets. Forsythe wanted nothing more than to protect Lucille from herself and her past. Well worth the read!
Thanks to C. Hebert for gifting me an eARC of His Pretty Poison. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
His Pretty Poison is a dark cowboy romance written by C. Hebert. This novella is fast-paced with a focus on mental health. It does include a delicious age gap. I am a big fan of C. Hebert's books, and I couldn’t wait to dive into this one.
The focus of this book is Lucille as she returns to the home she left nine years earlier after a very traumatic incident that changed her life. The constant struggle with mental health has led her down a path of bad decisions and addiction. When she returns home, she is reunited with her mother, badly injured brother, and Forsythe.
Forsythe and Lucille have undeniable chemistry that had me in a chokehold. Their attraction was instant, like two magnets. Forsythe wanted nothing more than to protect Lucille from herself and her past. Well worth the read!
Thanks to C. Hebert for gifting me an eARC of His Pretty Poison. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was a little bit of an emotional read for me. The mental health rep in this might just be my favorite piece of this story.
You have Lucielle who struggles with depression. She’s always struggled throughout her life with it but when a tragedy struck 9 years ago she’s spent nearly the last decade running from her past but also trying to heal.
When tragedy strikes again she’s brought back to Bone Rige Ranch the place she’s been running from all along. When the cowboy who always pushes her buttons come back into her life as well will her secrets stay hidden or will she finally stop running from her past?
This was just a feel good emotional read and I loved this so much. If you’re looking for a cowboy romance that has all the feelings, secrets, dark pasts and a dislike to lovers feel this is the one
Things you can expect:
🖤Mental Health Rep
🐍 Little Viper
🖤 Dark Pasts
🐍 Sp!tting
🖤 You’re worth everything
🐍 Cowboy who rides a motorcycle
🖤 Found Family
You have Lucielle who struggles with depression. She’s always struggled throughout her life with it but when a tragedy struck 9 years ago she’s spent nearly the last decade running from her past but also trying to heal.
When tragedy strikes again she’s brought back to Bone Rige Ranch the place she’s been running from all along. When the cowboy who always pushes her buttons come back into her life as well will her secrets stay hidden or will she finally stop running from her past?
This was just a feel good emotional read and I loved this so much. If you’re looking for a cowboy romance that has all the feelings, secrets, dark pasts and a dislike to lovers feel this is the one
Things you can expect:
🖤Mental Health Rep
🐍 Little Viper
🖤 Dark Pasts
🐍 Sp!tting
🖤 You’re worth everything
🐍 Cowboy who rides a motorcycle
🖤 Found Family
Review of advance copy received from Author
I'm always so surprised when I fall into a cowboy romance. It's not my usual go to but somehow C. Hebert knows what she's doing (which you should never doubt) and had me loving every second of reading this book. Lucille and Forsythe’s chemistry is instant and so intense, like every conversation crackles, and their banter mixed with all that emotional baggage just works so well. They both come in carrying some heavy trauma and scars, and I loved how their relationship felt less like fixing each other and more like learning how to breathe again together. Forsythe gives off that gruff, don’t mess with me energy, but then he’s ridiculously soft with her and I melted every single time. Also, some of the little moments had no business being that hot, I was genuinely fanning myself. It’s short, fast and full of feelings, healing, and tension that kept me flipping pages. Definitely check the trigger warnings, but if you want a dark, angsty, kinda feral cowboy romance with heart, this one’s such a fun ride.
February 8, 2026
🔥 His Pretty Poison by C. Hebert 🔥
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 || 🌶️🌶️🌶️
“I want to taste that pretty poison as it drips from your mouth and covers my tongue.”
Let me sayyyy, my first cowboy dark romance was a 🔥 W I N 🔥 I love C Hebert’s writing and when i saw dark cowboy and gothic vibes, i immediately knew I’d love it! 🤌🏻🔥🥵
We have Lucille, who’s spent the last 9 years running from her past and her traumas, but when an accident calls her back home - to the place she’s been running from - how will she handle facing her past? She runs into Forsythe, who she clearly despises & has since childhood, and tensions FLY! 🤌🏻 And i really mean they TAKE OFF. She’s fiesty, foul-mouthed, and dealing with her grief & traumas in an unhealthy way - and he’s 10+ years older than her and trying to make her see that she’s not broken. Will they be able to face the secrets of both of their dark and troubled pasts? Or will the sparks between them literally combust? 🤌🏻🔥
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 || 🌶️🌶️🌶️
“I want to taste that pretty poison as it drips from your mouth and covers my tongue.”
Let me sayyyy, my first cowboy dark romance was a 🔥 W I N 🔥 I love C Hebert’s writing and when i saw dark cowboy and gothic vibes, i immediately knew I’d love it! 🤌🏻🔥🥵
We have Lucille, who’s spent the last 9 years running from her past and her traumas, but when an accident calls her back home - to the place she’s been running from - how will she handle facing her past? She runs into Forsythe, who she clearly despises & has since childhood, and tensions FLY! 🤌🏻 And i really mean they TAKE OFF. She’s fiesty, foul-mouthed, and dealing with her grief & traumas in an unhealthy way - and he’s 10+ years older than her and trying to make her see that she’s not broken. Will they be able to face the secrets of both of their dark and troubled pasts? Or will the sparks between them literally combust? 🤌🏻🔥
February 6, 2026
Well that was a heavy intro damn! Straight punch to the heart!
I went into this blind only knowing it was a "dark gothic cowboy romance." I was not disappointed! The grief and guilt of a loved one dying was something I could closely relate to. The journey Lucille goes on mentally and emotionally was like looking in a mirror. It helped heal little parts of myself as well along the way.
And Forsythe, all I kept picturing was an older Rip. It takes a special kind of man to witness emotions, good or bad, and help you understand that feeling them doesn't mean your broken. The support he shows Lucille and her family is beyond heart warming.
This is a quick read that has an age gap and "enemies to lovers" (which I feel is just the anger stage of grieving.) A strong FMC and MMC that wants all her venom.
I went into this blind only knowing it was a "dark gothic cowboy romance." I was not disappointed! The grief and guilt of a loved one dying was something I could closely relate to. The journey Lucille goes on mentally and emotionally was like looking in a mirror. It helped heal little parts of myself as well along the way.
And Forsythe, all I kept picturing was an older Rip. It takes a special kind of man to witness emotions, good or bad, and help you understand that feeling them doesn't mean your broken. The support he shows Lucille and her family is beyond heart warming.
This is a quick read that has an age gap and "enemies to lovers" (which I feel is just the anger stage of grieving.) A strong FMC and MMC that wants all her venom.
February 8, 2026
“Fairytales may not be real, but this is close enough for me,”
Forsythe Creed is the reason I will be getting into age gap and cowboy romances 😅
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, so don’t get me wrong when I say this, but I wish it was darker. The ending was too happy for my darkened soul. It was still phenomenal! It had me hooked immediately. I knew I was going to just melt over Forsythe. What a damn gentleman! He could say anything, and I’d listen.
“You might be a mess, but I like getting my hands dirty.”
The ending was pretty easy to spot from early on, but again, didn’t turn me off of the book. It was beautifully written, as C Hebert/AB Cynthe always does, and one that I’ll still be recommending for my friends who enjoy mildly dark romances.
Forsythe Creed is the reason I will be getting into age gap and cowboy romances 😅
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, so don’t get me wrong when I say this, but I wish it was darker. The ending was too happy for my darkened soul. It was still phenomenal! It had me hooked immediately. I knew I was going to just melt over Forsythe. What a damn gentleman! He could say anything, and I’d listen.
“You might be a mess, but I like getting my hands dirty.”
The ending was pretty easy to spot from early on, but again, didn’t turn me off of the book. It was beautifully written, as C Hebert/AB Cynthe always does, and one that I’ll still be recommending for my friends who enjoy mildly dark romances.
February 7, 2026
🤍ARC REVIEW🤍
Lucille is left the ranch and never looked back. Now she is called back by a letter from her mom. Lucille is angry. She harbors resentment. She is sharp tongued and feisty. Forsythe has been there through it all. He loved her anger. Her stubbornness. Lucille ran and Forsythe loved the chase.
What to Expect:
🤎 Age gap
🤍 Mental Health Rep
🤎 Dark Past
🤍 Little Viper
🤎 Cowboy Romance
🤍 Forced Proximity
Forsythe just took every bit of venom and anger from Lucille. Even when he was dealing with his own past and secrets he still managed to be there for her.
Thank you to the author for the e-arc copy.
Lucille is left the ranch and never looked back. Now she is called back by a letter from her mom. Lucille is angry. She harbors resentment. She is sharp tongued and feisty. Forsythe has been there through it all. He loved her anger. Her stubbornness. Lucille ran and Forsythe loved the chase.
What to Expect:
🤎 Age gap
🤍 Mental Health Rep
🤎 Dark Past
🤍 Little Viper
🤎 Cowboy Romance
🤍 Forced Proximity
Forsythe just took every bit of venom and anger from Lucille. Even when he was dealing with his own past and secrets he still managed to be there for her.
Thank you to the author for the e-arc copy.
February 7, 2026
OMG. First off, let me pick up the pieces of my shattered heart. C. Hebert took me on a beautiful, emotional, roller coaster of a ride. The deeper I got into the story, the more I became invested in Forsythe and Lucille's journey.
Yes, Forsythe and Lucille did grow real romantic feelings for one another but there was something deeper between them then a spark. They both were carrying a heavy emotional chip on their shoulders. Then they both broke down and released their feelings; this was one of the best scenes in this book. This is where my heart broke into a million pieces.
Absolutely and utterly loved this book! It is one that you are truly not going to want to miss.
Yes, Forsythe and Lucille did grow real romantic feelings for one another but there was something deeper between them then a spark. They both were carrying a heavy emotional chip on their shoulders. Then they both broke down and released their feelings; this was one of the best scenes in this book. This is where my heart broke into a million pieces.
Absolutely and utterly loved this book! It is one that you are truly not going to want to miss.
February 7, 2026
✨🖤 ARC Review🖤✨
His Pretty Poison by C. Hebert
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
First and foremost, I want to thank C Hebert for gifting me an e-arc of His Pretty Poison and allowing me to read this ahead of release. This review is voluntary and all opinions are honest and my own.
There was nothing about this book I didn’t love, expect for how short it was. That should be a crime. Way to grab someone in by the dedication and to keep that momentum going until the end.
This gives Yellowstone Rip & Beth vibes sprinkled with a more secrets and trauma from their pasts they’ve each tried to run from. It’s a quick dark western that won’t disappoint.
His Pretty Poison by C. Hebert
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
First and foremost, I want to thank C Hebert for gifting me an e-arc of His Pretty Poison and allowing me to read this ahead of release. This review is voluntary and all opinions are honest and my own.
There was nothing about this book I didn’t love, expect for how short it was. That should be a crime. Way to grab someone in by the dedication and to keep that momentum going until the end.
This gives Yellowstone Rip & Beth vibes sprinkled with a more secrets and trauma from their pasts they’ve each tried to run from. It’s a quick dark western that won’t disappoint.
February 7, 2026
What an emotional journey. Lucille comes back home to the ranch that holds dark memories for her.
Everyone she left behind is still there and happy she's home. She came back because her brother got injured bull riding and her mom needs her. She stayed because her and Forsythe have some unfinished business. He's her childhood friend who is now the one who takes care of the ranch. She has a lot of catching up to do. She's been gone a long time.
A lot of undeniable chemistry and tension between Lucille and Forsythe. Trauma healing is the main focus and love comes naturally. Quick feel good novella.
Everyone she left behind is still there and happy she's home. She came back because her brother got injured bull riding and her mom needs her. She stayed because her and Forsythe have some unfinished business. He's her childhood friend who is now the one who takes care of the ranch. She has a lot of catching up to do. She's been gone a long time.
A lot of undeniable chemistry and tension between Lucille and Forsythe. Trauma healing is the main focus and love comes naturally. Quick feel good novella.
February 6, 2026
Truly I love a good cowboy romance, but make it dark romance and you’ve got me hooked!! This was such an emotional reading experience, I honestly got so attached to these characters and loved every second of it. I loved the undeniable tension and attraction between Forsythe and Lucille. Both characters are living proof that healing isn’t linear and always continuous. I was hooked from cover to cover. I wish it was longer!!!
🐍 Cowboy
🐍 Age Gap
🐍 Forced Proximity
🐍 Trauma & Healing
🐍 Dark secrets/pasts
🐍 Cowboy
🐍 Age Gap
🐍 Forced Proximity
🐍 Trauma & Healing
🐍 Dark secrets/pasts
February 2, 2026
☆ 𝕳𝖎𝖘 𝕻𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖞 𝕻𝖔𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝔟𝔶 @authorc.hebert ☆
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐝, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬."
⇢ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʜɪs ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
⇢ ʀᴇʟᴇᴀsɪɴɢ ғᴇʙ 6ᴛʜ ✨
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓
🖤 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
🤠 𝙶𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚌 𝙲𝚘𝚠𝚋𝚘𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
🖤 𝙰𝚐𝚎 𝙶𝚊𝚙
🤠 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜
🖤 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑 𝚁𝚎𝚙.
🤠 𝙻𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚅𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛
🖤 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚢
🤠 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝
🖤 "𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐”
🤠 𝙴𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕/𝙿𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚂𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚜
🖤 𝙼𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙱𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐝, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬."
⇢ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʜɪs ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
⇢ ʀᴇʟᴇᴀsɪɴɢ ғᴇʙ 6ᴛʜ ✨
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓
🖤 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
🤠 𝙶𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚌 𝙲𝚘𝚠𝚋𝚘𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
🖤 𝙰𝚐𝚎 𝙶𝚊𝚙
🤠 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜
🖤 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑 𝚁𝚎𝚙.
🤠 𝙻𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚅𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛
🖤 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚢
🤠 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝
🖤 "𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐”
🤠 𝙴𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕/𝙿𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚂𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚜
🖤 𝙼𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙱𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚒𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐
Review of advance copy received from Author
Mannn this one definitely came for me in the mental health department. The representation here was everything for me and made me feel so seen. Lucille was so relatable in her toxic and spiraling but trying to be better behavior. And Forsythe, the man who can take all the hits but keeps getting up, was the perfect mmc for the fmc. These two were so Beth and Rip coded too that I enjoyed every second!
Thank you C Hebert for the ARC
Thank you C Hebert for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely loved the majority of this story it definitely gave Rip and Beth vibes. It wasn’t until like the last 20-30 pages the story kinda lost me…I didn’t really understand why everyone kept the “big secret” from the FMC for so long and I kinda had a feeling about it earlier in the story. Overall I loved the main couple and the story as a whole and was a super quick read…still wish Priscilla would’ve got knocked out though 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was the blend of heart wrenching and beautiful. Of pain and healing. I loved this book for so many reasons. Of course the spice was spicy because it’s Cyn, duh. But, the mental health representation was written so well. This book truly touched on so many things and I hope you take the time to read it and fall in love with these two characters like I did.
🖤 Definitely check the trigger warnings🖤
🐈⬛Cowboy Romance
🖤Dark, Gothic Romance
🐈⬛Age Gap
🖤Dark Secrets/Past
🐈⬛Mental Health Rep
Storyline:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Song:Cowboy- Selena & Benny
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love the emotional journey between Lucille and Forsythe, especially when they were both there for each other during their time of need.
It was beautiful to see how they healed together, talking about their fears and pasts, and they just bloomed so well together 🖤
Thank you so much for the ARC! 🖤
It was beautiful to see how they healed together, talking about their fears and pasts, and they just bloomed so well together 🖤
Thank you so much for the ARC! 🖤
February 4, 2026
OK, so this is the first cowboy romance I’ve read. And I absolutely ate it up! You rocked this one. There was so much emotion, drama, and love. Now it wasn’t very spicy, but the story was really good. Finding out all the twists made you stay on the edge of your seat. This was a really good read. I must add to your TBR.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This Book is C. Hebert at the top of her game!!!
In His Pretty Poison there is the perfect blend of cowboy romance, dark edgyness and HEA ending. She has put her heart and emotional depth into this work and it truly shows. She has put so much of her self down on the page and it has created easily one of her best works. This one is for sure not to be missed.
In His Pretty Poison there is the perfect blend of cowboy romance, dark edgyness and HEA ending. She has put her heart and emotional depth into this work and it truly shows. She has put so much of her self down on the page and it has created easily one of her best works. This one is for sure not to be missed.
February 7, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
I loved this novella so much and I didn’t want it to end to be honest! I did wish we got a little more of his past years on the ranch and Lucille’s life in the city but other than that it was a good read. From the very beginning I fell for Forsythe he was my favorite. Highly recommended this.
I loved this novella so much and I didn’t want it to end to be honest! I did wish we got a little more of his past years on the ranch and Lucille’s life in the city but other than that it was a good read. From the very beginning I fell for Forsythe he was my favorite. Highly recommended this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews