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Pink Ink
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26Gothikana meets Dexter in this sinfully delicious dark romance about a horror-obsessed film student who's secretly tracking the murders of a serial killer--unaware he's also her brooding professor.
There's a serial killer prowling the city, and no one has noticed...
Except for me.
I see the connections between his kills--
The artistic references,
The careful curation of the scene,
The macabre motifs that turn violence into vivid works of art.
When I recreate one of his murders for my film project at Cresswell University,
I unknowingly present it to the very man who committed the crime.
Professor Maddox Shaw.
A world-renowned artist struggling to recapture his muse.
A serial killer caught deep in the web of a dangerous secret society.
A man who makes me come alive.
Sleeping with your professor is bad enough.
Sleeping with a serial killer is just asking for trouble.
When trouble finds me, it's not Maddox, but the powerful people pulling his strings.
There's no line they won't cross to keep their secrets safe.
And there's no line Maddox won't cross to keep me.
After all, he's good at killing people.
There's a serial killer prowling the city, and no one has noticed...
Except for me.
I see the connections between his kills--
The artistic references,
The careful curation of the scene,
The macabre motifs that turn violence into vivid works of art.
When I recreate one of his murders for my film project at Cresswell University,
I unknowingly present it to the very man who committed the crime.
Professor Maddox Shaw.
A world-renowned artist struggling to recapture his muse.
A serial killer caught deep in the web of a dangerous secret society.
A man who makes me come alive.
Sleeping with your professor is bad enough.
Sleeping with a serial killer is just asking for trouble.
When trouble finds me, it's not Maddox, but the powerful people pulling his strings.
There's no line they won't cross to keep their secrets safe.
And there's no line Maddox won't cross to keep me.
After all, he's good at killing people.
400 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 4, 2026
20545 people want to read
About the author
Avina St. Graves
9 books4,889 followersFrom an early age, romance author Avina St. Graves spent her days imagining fantasy worlds and dreamy fictional men, which spurred on her introverted tendencies. In all her day dreaming, there seemed to be a reoccurring theme of morally grey female characters, love interests who belonged in prison, and unnecessary trauma and bloodshed.
When she isn't reading, writing, doom scrolling, or figuring out how to make red flags look green, you can find her holed up in bed, combating the three Ps: back pain, neck pain, and knee pain.
When she isn't reading, writing, doom scrolling, or figuring out how to make red flags look green, you can find her holed up in bed, combating the three Ps: back pain, neck pain, and knee pain.
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February 10, 2026the dark romance girlies will love maddox shaw🙂↕️
full rtc
full rtc
Want to read
March 27, 2026Professor x student trope
Serial killer x detective trope
Yes sign me up thank you
Serial killer x detective trope
Yes sign me up thank you
now-tbr
March 14, 2026Saw this on ig and added it to my tbr just to find out it wasnt released yet 💔
But good side ? Professor x student romance where she is obsessed with crimes but her professor ends being the criminal she searching for. Yep am in
But good side ? Professor x student romance where she is obsessed with crimes but her professor ends being the criminal she searching for. Yep am in
Currently reading
March 27, 2026commentary:
~ Girl, shushhh please. That's not the way to speak to a professoreven if he's going to be your man.
~ Bahaha, the fmc just called him "the human embodiment of viral infection." Love you, girlie<3
~ My head is absolutely steaming right now. The mmc made a horrible first impression, and people with that disposition always irritate me.
────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────
pre-read
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: 4 August 2026
~ Girl, shushhh please. That's not the way to speak to a professor
~ Bahaha, the fmc just called him "the human embodiment of viral infection." Love you, girlie<3
~ My head is absolutely steaming right now. The mmc made a horrible first impression, and people with that disposition always irritate me.
────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────
pre-read
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: 4 August 2026
March 5, 2026
I ate this up!! Loved the structure of the story, the pace was perfect, the slow burn was perfect, the characters and everything! The plot and twist i did not see coming at all!! I was getting worried towards the end because things were not anywhere near being resolved but the twist made sense!
March 10, 2026
Let me just say I devoured this in record time! I’m such a sucker for a good Student x Teacher romance. The angst, challenge and bickering between Reyna and Maddox in the beginning had my brain on a swivel. I never knew what was going to come out of their mouths next.
Reyna moves to New York to attend Cresswell University to learn more about her father’s death after her mother passes away.
Upon attending an art gallery, Reyna begins examining an art piece from none other than Maddox Shaw. When a striking man walks up next to her and asks her opinion on the piece, she gives him her critique. Little does she know, this man will become her teacher and is Shaw himself.
Reyna. Stalks. A. Serial. Killer.
And makes movies for her class using pink blood and recreating the murder scenes because they are set up to represent famous paintings. Avina I absolutely adore your mind.
I can’t even begin to describe how delicious this buildup was between these two. But once that buildup exploded, they were f@$kin on the desk. So I got my happy ending 🤣
Oh and did I mention there is a secret society? Buckle up because the twist and turns will keep you guessing.
Reyna moves to New York to attend Cresswell University to learn more about her father’s death after her mother passes away.
Upon attending an art gallery, Reyna begins examining an art piece from none other than Maddox Shaw. When a striking man walks up next to her and asks her opinion on the piece, she gives him her critique. Little does she know, this man will become her teacher and is Shaw himself.
Reyna. Stalks. A. Serial. Killer.
And makes movies for her class using pink blood and recreating the murder scenes because they are set up to represent famous paintings. Avina I absolutely adore your mind.
I can’t even begin to describe how delicious this buildup was between these two. But once that buildup exploded, they were f@$kin on the desk. So I got my happy ending 🤣
Oh and did I mention there is a secret society? Buckle up because the twist and turns will keep you guessing.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“To my muse,
To be loved by an artist is to become immortal. This is for you.”
IM SORRY. I don’t understand how Avina continues to write the most amazing stories with the most amazing men and the BEST FMCs. I had high expectations for this book and my expectations were exceeded.
Reyna moves to New York to attend Cresswell University to get her degree, of course, but to also learn more about her dad who passed away shortly before her mom. She only saw her dad a couple days out of the year, but she knew he attended the same university. She goes to an art gallery and ends up offending one of the painters with her critiques on their painting. Turns out the same artist she offended, is her new professor, Professor Shaw.
One thing I’ve always LOVED about Avina’s writing, is the banter, and this book is no exception. The banter in this book is hilarious. And can we talk about that tension???
I love Maddox and Reyna with my entire being. The way this man talks to her is unmatched. 😭 And I’m sorry but Reyna is my spirit animal. She throat punched him and immediately became my favorite FMC of all time. I love that girl.
So many of my favorite tropes are in this book. We’ve got:
🖤 Professor x student
🩷 Secret society
🖤 Touch her and 💀
🩷 Dark academia
🖤 Age gap
And more.
I love love love this book so much. How am I supposed to wait so long for release day until my physical copy comes??? 😭
To be loved by an artist is to become immortal. This is for you.”
IM SORRY. I don’t understand how Avina continues to write the most amazing stories with the most amazing men and the BEST FMCs. I had high expectations for this book and my expectations were exceeded.
Reyna moves to New York to attend Cresswell University to get her degree, of course, but to also learn more about her dad who passed away shortly before her mom. She only saw her dad a couple days out of the year, but she knew he attended the same university. She goes to an art gallery and ends up offending one of the painters with her critiques on their painting. Turns out the same artist she offended, is her new professor, Professor Shaw.
One thing I’ve always LOVED about Avina’s writing, is the banter, and this book is no exception. The banter in this book is hilarious. And can we talk about that tension???
I love Maddox and Reyna with my entire being. The way this man talks to her is unmatched. 😭 And I’m sorry but Reyna is my spirit animal. She throat punched him and immediately became my favorite FMC of all time. I love that girl.
So many of my favorite tropes are in this book. We’ve got:
🖤 Professor x student
🩷 Secret society
🖤 Touch her and 💀
🩷 Dark academia
🖤 Age gap
And more.
I love love love this book so much. How am I supposed to wait so long for release day until my physical copy comes??? 😭
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thankyou to Avina, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC. 🩷
Tropes:
📷 Stalker x Stalker
🔪Dark Academia
🩷Professor x Student
📷 Age Gap [11 years]
🔪Serial K*ller
🩷Third Act Breakup
📷Indonesian FMC x British MMC
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Oh Lord. I dont know how Avina does this. This book was so good from start to finish, I was in a flow state. This is a cinematic masterpiece. I had high expectations, and she topped them all.
Both the characters are very different, they're written splendidly. You can almost hear their accents and wear their shoes in their respective POV. They're such intense people. The prose of the story GRABS you and pulls you in.
The story is magnificent.
I did not expect their love story to hook me the way it did, the tension between the two is suffocating. Maddox's madness blends beautifully with Reyna's darkness.
I love Maddox's personality, he's not your average crazy guy, he has depth, humor, and knows how to YEARN.
Reyna's mental state, her grief and curiosity for the abnormal, is explored wonderfully. Her character is so strong without the need to aggressively display it, which again, I appreciate so much.
Every time Avina writes a book, you can SEE that she has done her due research about what ever topic she wishes to write on.
The ending was so beautiful, while he painted flowers, I could see that he himself blooms throughout the book.
I wish this book went on for ever and ever.
Tropes:
📷 Stalker x Stalker
🔪Dark Academia
🩷Professor x Student
📷 Age Gap [11 years]
🔪Serial K*ller
🩷Third Act Breakup
📷Indonesian FMC x British MMC
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Oh Lord. I dont know how Avina does this. This book was so good from start to finish, I was in a flow state. This is a cinematic masterpiece. I had high expectations, and she topped them all.
Both the characters are very different, they're written splendidly. You can almost hear their accents and wear their shoes in their respective POV. They're such intense people. The prose of the story GRABS you and pulls you in.
The story is magnificent.
I did not expect their love story to hook me the way it did, the tension between the two is suffocating. Maddox's madness blends beautifully with Reyna's darkness.
I love Maddox's personality, he's not your average crazy guy, he has depth, humor, and knows how to YEARN.
Reyna's mental state, her grief and curiosity for the abnormal, is explored wonderfully. Her character is so strong without the need to aggressively display it, which again, I appreciate so much.
Every time Avina writes a book, you can SEE that she has done her due research about what ever topic she wishes to write on.
The ending was so beautiful, while he painted flowers, I could see that he himself blooms throughout the book.
I wish this book went on for ever and ever.
March 27, 2026
Gallery Books and Netgalley out here making my day with this arc approval 🫶🏻
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- professor x student
- age gap
- dark academia
- secret society
- serial unaliver
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- professor x student
- age gap
- dark academia
- secret society
- serial unaliver
March 13, 2026
avina bestie drinks on me next time because holy frick this is my new favorite book of yours!!!!! shaw is everything to meeee
March 4, 2026
Pink Ink by Avina St. Graves completely blew me away. One thing I love about Avina is that she always brings something fresh and unexpected to her stories. As always, I went into this release excited and curious about what she would deliver, and this might honestly be some of her strongest work yet (and I’ve been here since her indie debut!) The creativity in this story is on another level. It’s layered, sharp, and intentional in a way that makes you stop and appreciate the craftsmanship behind it.
The plot is plotting. The spice is absolutely spicing. But beyond that, Avina turns this story into art while writing about art, and somehow makes you fall in love with the beauty and darkness of creative obsession all at once. The tension, the dynamic, the twist… everything kept me completely enraptured from start to finish.
Pink Ink is a seductive descent into artistic obsession, where forbidden desire stalks as closely as death, and deadly curiosity blurs the line between muse and monster. 5 stars!
The plot is plotting. The spice is absolutely spicing. But beyond that, Avina turns this story into art while writing about art, and somehow makes you fall in love with the beauty and darkness of creative obsession all at once. The tension, the dynamic, the twist… everything kept me completely enraptured from start to finish.
Pink Ink is a seductive descent into artistic obsession, where forbidden desire stalks as closely as death, and deadly curiosity blurs the line between muse and monster. 5 stars!
March 4, 2026
ARC Read!
I absolutely loved everything about this book. I have not read many dark academia books, but they are in my top 5 favorite. I love Avina’s books, and I honestly think that this one is her best (that I have read from her so far). The way she sets the tone and the mood, how she described everything in such detail was incredible. The writing was beautiful and the scenes were poetic, honestly, standing ovation.
Maddox Shaw- THIS MAN. The way he had me giddy and absolutely drooling. I could hear his accent and the things that come out of his mouth would make me shiver with excitement. Broody professor, serial killer and artist, he’s a trifecta 😂 I LOVE THIS MAN.
Reyna Sinaga- she’s a baddie. She was a good and strong fmc who would stand her ground, she’s tough little cookie. Shes definitely a relatable character and I love that. There were many times where I wanted to hug her and say “me too girl, me too.” 🥹
Reyna and Maddox made a perfect match. I LOVED their banter. Their connection and chemistry was explosive and the TENSION was everything that I crave. What I really loved was that the book wasn’t overpowered with spice. It was a delicious slow burn and when the spice hit, the scenes were *CHEFS KISS*! If you’re a lover of dark academia and serial killers then add this to your list!
I have ONE question… what ever happened to Lawrence? Or did I miss something? Lol
I absolutely loved everything about this book. I have not read many dark academia books, but they are in my top 5 favorite. I love Avina’s books, and I honestly think that this one is her best (that I have read from her so far). The way she sets the tone and the mood, how she described everything in such detail was incredible. The writing was beautiful and the scenes were poetic, honestly, standing ovation.
Maddox Shaw- THIS MAN. The way he had me giddy and absolutely drooling. I could hear his accent and the things that come out of his mouth would make me shiver with excitement. Broody professor, serial killer and artist, he’s a trifecta 😂 I LOVE THIS MAN.
Reyna Sinaga- she’s a baddie. She was a good and strong fmc who would stand her ground, she’s tough little cookie. Shes definitely a relatable character and I love that. There were many times where I wanted to hug her and say “me too girl, me too.” 🥹
Reyna and Maddox made a perfect match. I LOVED their banter. Their connection and chemistry was explosive and the TENSION was everything that I crave. What I really loved was that the book wasn’t overpowered with spice. It was a delicious slow burn and when the spice hit, the scenes were *CHEFS KISS*! If you’re a lover of dark academia and serial killers then add this to your list!
I have ONE question… what ever happened to Lawrence? Or did I miss something? Lol
February 28, 2026
I’ve been trying to find the right words to convey how much I loved this book. Every descriptive detail that Avina put into this book painted the picture so perfectly. I loved the power dynamic between Maddox and Reyna, and loved how it shifted throughout the story line. There were plot twists I didn’t see coming, and the spice was top tier. This is definitely going to be one of my top reads of 2026.
March 2, 2026
This books twists & turns will have you on your toes. The plot twist was everything. Totally did not see that coming.
Maddox Shaw is the professor we all want. This story was utterly delicious.
Maddox Shaw is the professor we all want. This story was utterly delicious.
Want to read
February 20, 2026OMG give me this book IMMEDIATELY 😍 I can already tell I’m going to devour it!
March 8, 2026
Yeah this is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I’m obsessed.
Serial killer professor in a secret society meets a lost film student obsessed with a serial killer she doesn’t know is him that’s looking for her father’s connection to said secret society. Need I say more????
Avina you never disappoint.
Serial killer professor in a secret society meets a lost film student obsessed with a serial killer she doesn’t know is him that’s looking for her father’s connection to said secret society. Need I say more????
Avina you never disappoint.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I LOVE THIS BOOOK SO FUCKING MUCH. Honestly, I’m still vibrating from the intensity of it. I had high expectations because it’s Avina, but she didn’t just meet them—she absolutely nuked them. This book is majestic, period.
That Man... I’m Not Okay
Can we talk about Maddox Shaw for a second? Everything that comes out of this man’s mouth is just... unmatched. 😭 I don’t understand how Avina continues to write these men who just completely ruin your life. The character depth? Insane. The way he talks to Reyna? I’m literally sat. I would let this man critique my entire existence and I’d thank him for it.
Reyna is My Soul Sister
And Reyna? My actual spirit animal. The moment she throat-punched him, she became my favorite FMC of all time. I love a girl who doesn't take shit, especially when the banter is this hilarious and the tension is thick enough to choke on. Seeing her navigate Cresswell University while dealing with the mystery of her dad and then ending up with Professor Shaw as her new teacher? The drama was chef’s kiss.
Tropes That Own Me
This book hit every single one of my buttons:
🖤 Professor x Student (the forbidden energy was LOUD)
💗 Secret Society vibes 🤎
🖤 Touch her and 💀
💗 Absolute top-tier banter 🛐
🖤 Dark Academia 🕯
The Verdict
This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s raw, it’s funny, and the sexual tension is tangible. If you haven’t met Maddox Shaw yet, what are you even doing with your life? I devoured this and I’m ready to do it all over again.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ (No thoughts, just Maddox Shaw and his majestic self.)
That Man... I’m Not Okay
Can we talk about Maddox Shaw for a second? Everything that comes out of this man’s mouth is just... unmatched. 😭 I don’t understand how Avina continues to write these men who just completely ruin your life. The character depth? Insane. The way he talks to Reyna? I’m literally sat. I would let this man critique my entire existence and I’d thank him for it.
Reyna is My Soul Sister
And Reyna? My actual spirit animal. The moment she throat-punched him, she became my favorite FMC of all time. I love a girl who doesn't take shit, especially when the banter is this hilarious and the tension is thick enough to choke on. Seeing her navigate Cresswell University while dealing with the mystery of her dad and then ending up with Professor Shaw as her new teacher? The drama was chef’s kiss.
Tropes That Own Me
This book hit every single one of my buttons:
🖤 Professor x Student (the forbidden energy was LOUD)
💗 Secret Society vibes 🤎
🖤 Touch her and 💀
💗 Absolute top-tier banter 🛐
🖤 Dark Academia 🕯
The Verdict
This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s raw, it’s funny, and the sexual tension is tangible. If you haven’t met Maddox Shaw yet, what are you even doing with your life? I devoured this and I’m ready to do it all over again.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ (No thoughts, just Maddox Shaw and his majestic self.)
March 26, 2026
𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈𝐧𝐤
.
“𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆.”
.
when i saw this little jewel dropped into my kindle i was literally screaming because if you know me, you know i love a dark romance student x teacher. i didn’t expect to fall in love with Maddox - Daddy - Shaw ( he wears glasses, he’s british, call her LOVE, and he’s so obsessed - I REALLY ACCENTUATE THE WORD OBSESSED - with her, and he’s a misunderstood artist ) ; so when Reyna Sinaga, for her studies obviously recreates true scenes crimes from a serial killer ( did i mentioned Maddox is THE serial killer ? ) and found in these crimes, some artistics vibes, Maddox enter in the game.
.
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕.”
.
I LOVE their banter, the game between them, the chemistry and the smut is ABSOLUTE CINEMA ! when i tell you this book it’s one of my favorite from Avina im not lying. Maddox Shaw became one of my book husband forever, this man know what’s he’s doing with this finger ( purely artistic ) and his tongue ( purely speaking ) I MEAN SHE PASSED OUT OKAY ? trust me you need to read this book when he’s out in AUGUST.
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thank you @avina.stgraves for the ARC and for sharing daddy shaw with me 🩷🔪
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“𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑹𝒆𝒚𝒏𝒂. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.”
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“𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆.”
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when i saw this little jewel dropped into my kindle i was literally screaming because if you know me, you know i love a dark romance student x teacher. i didn’t expect to fall in love with Maddox - Daddy - Shaw ( he wears glasses, he’s british, call her LOVE, and he’s so obsessed - I REALLY ACCENTUATE THE WORD OBSESSED - with her, and he’s a misunderstood artist ) ; so when Reyna Sinaga, for her studies obviously recreates true scenes crimes from a serial killer ( did i mentioned Maddox is THE serial killer ? ) and found in these crimes, some artistics vibes, Maddox enter in the game.
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“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕.”
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I LOVE their banter, the game between them, the chemistry and the smut is ABSOLUTE CINEMA ! when i tell you this book it’s one of my favorite from Avina im not lying. Maddox Shaw became one of my book husband forever, this man know what’s he’s doing with this finger ( purely artistic ) and his tongue ( purely speaking ) I MEAN SHE PASSED OUT OKAY ? trust me you need to read this book when he’s out in AUGUST.
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thank you @avina.stgraves for the ARC and for sharing daddy shaw with me 🩷🔪
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“𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑹𝒆𝒚𝒏𝒂. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.”
March 4, 2026
Thank you Gallery Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
AVINAAA YOU GENIUUUS. I had no idea that I needed a book where a girl is high-key obsessed with a serial killer who ends up being the professor grading her films inspired by said serial killer!
First we have Reyna. An intelligent, passionate film-maker (student) with an incredible eye for art. Accidentally insults an artist to his face (see aforementioned professor) and then fully doubles down on it when she finds out he’s both her professor AND the artist? Perfection. Reyna has a spine of steel. I loved seeing his crime scenes through her POV as she takes note of every single artist element. Avina, every scene was art.
And we have Maddox Shaw. Artist, Professor, serial killer. The very definition of “if he wanted to, he would.” The contrast of Lawrence regularly forgetting that Reyna is allergic to tree nuts and therefore giving her almonds regularly to Maddox- “I’m willing to admit my shortcomings. Not knowing the classes of nuts is one of them. A fact that will change before the day ends.”- Shaw throwing a guy out of class for eating cashews and carrying an EpiPen is EVERYTHING.
I love a soulmates trope and if these two dark souls aren’t soulmates then nobody is. And the spice is SPICY.
AVINAAA YOU GENIUUUS. I had no idea that I needed a book where a girl is high-key obsessed with a serial killer who ends up being the professor grading her films inspired by said serial killer!
First we have Reyna. An intelligent, passionate film-maker (student) with an incredible eye for art. Accidentally insults an artist to his face (see aforementioned professor) and then fully doubles down on it when she finds out he’s both her professor AND the artist? Perfection. Reyna has a spine of steel. I loved seeing his crime scenes through her POV as she takes note of every single artist element. Avina, every scene was art.
And we have Maddox Shaw. Artist, Professor, serial killer. The very definition of “if he wanted to, he would.” The contrast of Lawrence regularly forgetting that Reyna is allergic to tree nuts and therefore giving her almonds regularly to Maddox- “I’m willing to admit my shortcomings. Not knowing the classes of nuts is one of them. A fact that will change before the day ends.”- Shaw throwing a guy out of class for eating cashews and carrying an EpiPen is EVERYTHING.
I love a soulmates trope and if these two dark souls aren’t soulmates then nobody is. And the spice is SPICY.
Review of advance copy received from Author
6⭐️ ARC REVIEW: Render me freaking speechless!!! This way by far the most well written book i have EVER read. The writing was so poetic and so pin point perfect that it felt like i was reading a classic it was gorgeous. The storyline of this was so incredibly unique and worked so well with the characters. I absolutely adore Reyna, she is such a badass FMC and i only wish that i could be like her and Maddox well who doesn’t love mysterious, Hot professor? I know i do he is HOT and nobody will tell me otherwise. This was such a good read i was sucked in instantly and the story kept moving on and twisting so much that i just wanted to keep reading but at the same time i wanted to savour it so it never ended. The plot twists in this were incredible i didn’t see it coming at all. Can we talk about the Yearning in this because OH. MY. GOD. Yes it was spectacular that man was so down bad for Reyna it was beautifully done. Mi cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this beautiful story because it generally is the most magnificent and heart wrenching story i have ever read in my entire life. Avina feel proud because this is like no other!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The MMC, Mr Maddox Shaw, was the epitome of obsessed and I can’t get you out of my mind with Miss Sinaga. The way his obsession and need for Reyna is writing is stunning. This is a book I was truly waiting for the MMC POV just to see his yearning.
Our tough FMC Reyna Sinaga has truly survived a lot of unhappiness in her life, but seeing her passionate and stand toe to toe while arguing and irking each other was amazing. (Maddox certainly did not disagree..) Seeing the support and protectiveness between them two was adorable.
Also Abi - a girls girl. Thanks girly.
This book and it's plot sucked me in and wouldn't let go until I finished it, had to remind myself to occasionally move 😅 I have been reading Avina's books for a long while now and it's amazing to see the growth and evolution of her writing whole still being recognisably hers.
Our tough FMC Reyna Sinaga has truly survived a lot of unhappiness in her life, but seeing her passionate and stand toe to toe while arguing and irking each other was amazing. (Maddox certainly did not disagree..) Seeing the support and protectiveness between them two was adorable.
Also Abi - a girls girl. Thanks girly.
This book and it's plot sucked me in and wouldn't let go until I finished it, had to remind myself to occasionally move 😅 I have been reading Avina's books for a long while now and it's amazing to see the growth and evolution of her writing whole still being recognisably hers.
March 5, 2026
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Avina, you’ve out done yourself!!
This book was absolutely incredible. The concept and the execution are flawless. Like who wouldn’t want a sexy, homicidal professor obsessing over them?!
I absolutely loved the characters in this book and the plot was everything a dark romance should be! The plot twists in this book had me sitting up so fast and screaming at my kindle.
Everything Avina writes is beyond amazing, but if you love dark romance, sexy British professors and murder… this one’s for you!
Avina, you’ve out done yourself!!
This book was absolutely incredible. The concept and the execution are flawless. Like who wouldn’t want a sexy, homicidal professor obsessing over them?!
I absolutely loved the characters in this book and the plot was everything a dark romance should be! The plot twists in this book had me sitting up so fast and screaming at my kindle.
Everything Avina writes is beyond amazing, but if you love dark romance, sexy British professors and murder… this one’s for you!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
"How ironic that I frequently engage in murder but draw the line at fucking my student."
Omg, can I just say that I LOVED the absolute chemistry and banter between Reyna and Maddox 😍🥵
The storyline was so good, this author is so amazing at getting me all emotional during her reads. She's also amazing with the spicy scenes🔥
“I’ve found a kindred soul in you, and the world will burn before I let you go.”
Omg, can I just say that I LOVED the absolute chemistry and banter between Reyna and Maddox 😍🥵
The storyline was so good, this author is so amazing at getting me all emotional during her reads. She's also amazing with the spicy scenes🔥
“I’ve found a kindred soul in you, and the world will burn before I let you go.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2026
The juicy banter, a witty and clever serial killer, stalker vibes, this book is straight up a drug with all its twists and turns. I, for one, did not see that coming (literal jaw drop). I was over here thinking I had the plot figured out, and Avina flipped it on me, lol. I felt high on ecstasy reading this book; it had me absolutely hooked. If reality hadn’t gotten in the way, I would have finished it in one sitting. Damn, it genuinely pained me when it finally came to an end.
Avina those fingers of yours and that brain of yours is absolutely fucking amazing. I love it I just don’t know how you do it everytime.
I swear my list of book boyfriends grows and grows.
Maddox Shaw + Reyna Sinaga : can most definitely get it any time lol
Avina those fingers of yours and that brain of yours is absolutely fucking amazing. I love it I just don’t know how you do it everytime.
I swear my list of book boyfriends grows and grows.
Maddox Shaw + Reyna Sinaga : can most definitely get it any time lol
March 21, 2026
The way I will mourn finishing this book… There are no words for how amazing, yearning, and astonishing this book is.
Dark romance lovers. Maddox. Maddox is our man.
Dark romance lovers. Maddox. Maddox is our man.
March 20, 2026
𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧
I’m sorry (I’m not), but I KNEW the moment I read the tropes for this book that it was going to be devoured as soon as I got it into my little hands. And you know what? IT WAS.
Not only was this my favourite @avina.stgraves book to date, but it was also so much fun. The chemistry was 10/10. The banter was 10/10. The SPICE was 10/10.
Maddox Shaw has been living rent free in my brain since I finished this book.
Reyna moved to New York to attend Cresswell University to try to find information about her dad who passed away. She’s a bit of a loner, but finds herself at home surround by art. While attending a gallery, she ends up offending Maddox, who is the artist of the piece she’s critiquing, and unbeknownst, her substitute professor. Whoops.
I’m obsessed with how much this man yearns for her. Do we think he likes a little degration with his praise? Maybe. The banter between these two had me laughing out loud and I loved the vast difference between each POV. I love how Reynas darkness compliments Maddox’s crazy, and if you don’t believe in soulmates, you will after reading this book.
I laughed, I cried, and I read much past my bedtime. This book was absolute perfection in my opinion.
I’m sorry (I’m not), but I KNEW the moment I read the tropes for this book that it was going to be devoured as soon as I got it into my little hands. And you know what? IT WAS.
Not only was this my favourite @avina.stgraves book to date, but it was also so much fun. The chemistry was 10/10. The banter was 10/10. The SPICE was 10/10.
Maddox Shaw has been living rent free in my brain since I finished this book.
Reyna moved to New York to attend Cresswell University to try to find information about her dad who passed away. She’s a bit of a loner, but finds herself at home surround by art. While attending a gallery, she ends up offending Maddox, who is the artist of the piece she’s critiquing, and unbeknownst, her substitute professor. Whoops.
I’m obsessed with how much this man yearns for her. Do we think he likes a little degration with his praise? Maybe. The banter between these two had me laughing out loud and I loved the vast difference between each POV. I love how Reynas darkness compliments Maddox’s crazy, and if you don’t believe in soulmates, you will after reading this book.
I laughed, I cried, and I read much past my bedtime. This book was absolute perfection in my opinion.
Want to read
November 19, 2025Coming out August 4
Want to read
March 14, 2026OMG I KNOW THIS BOOK IS GONNA EAT
SHES MY FAVVVV AUTHORRRR I'VE RE-READ HER BOOKS LIKE SO MANY TIMESSSSSS
YAYYYYYY
SHES MY FAVVVV AUTHORRRR I'VE RE-READ HER BOOKS LIKE SO MANY TIMESSSSSS
YAYYYYYY
Want to read
December 22, 2025Definitely going to read this next year!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I definitely tore through this book in a day! It has got everything you could want, from A forbidden teacher x student romance, to lots of funny sparring between Reyna and Maddox. The tension in this slow burn was to die for!
Reyna moves to New York and is attending Cresswell University where she is a film major. While she’s there, she is trying to find out more about her father’s death after having also lost her mom. She was never super close with her dad, only seeing him a few days a year because he was gone a lot for work, but knew he attended the same university and wanted to learn more about him. She ends up going to an art gallery and is admiring artwork when she comes across a painting that fascinates her. A man interrupts her and comments on the piece and she is literally gawking at him because he is so fine so in her haste, she completely critiques the piece to him. What she doesn’t realize, is she’s actively offending THE Maddox Shaw. The artist behind the painting and her new professor.
She makes films recreating a serial killers crime scenes for her film class and unknowingly presents them to the same man that is creating the murders. She stalks this man and he starts leading her to the crime scene and points out all the clues he left for her that she misses! 😫
I love the dynamic between these characters. Things heat up and turn steamy quick and when I tell you the smut is smutting! I never saw the plot twists coming and the secret society had me on my toes! I absolutely love this book and if you know avina, you know she never disappoints!
Reyna moves to New York and is attending Cresswell University where she is a film major. While she’s there, she is trying to find out more about her father’s death after having also lost her mom. She was never super close with her dad, only seeing him a few days a year because he was gone a lot for work, but knew he attended the same university and wanted to learn more about him. She ends up going to an art gallery and is admiring artwork when she comes across a painting that fascinates her. A man interrupts her and comments on the piece and she is literally gawking at him because he is so fine so in her haste, she completely critiques the piece to him. What she doesn’t realize, is she’s actively offending THE Maddox Shaw. The artist behind the painting and her new professor.
She makes films recreating a serial killers crime scenes for her film class and unknowingly presents them to the same man that is creating the murders. She stalks this man and he starts leading her to the crime scene and points out all the clues he left for her that she misses! 😫
I love the dynamic between these characters. Things heat up and turn steamy quick and when I tell you the smut is smutting! I never saw the plot twists coming and the secret society had me on my toes! I absolutely love this book and if you know avina, you know she never disappoints!
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