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My Sweet Monster : A Cautionary Tale of Desire
Raw, Real, Wildly honest. It'll piss you off!' - Zarisha Bradley, Nine NetworkMy Sweet Monster sits alongside bestselling memoirs like Riding In Cars With Boys, Everything I Know About Love, and A Child Called It.
What would you sacrifice for love?Your safety? Your sanity? Yourself?From the bedroom to brothels, from domestic bliss to the edge of insanity, this is the true story of a woman fighting to survive a love that is as passionate as it is devasting.
Heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, and unforgettable, this memoir asks the Is love all you need?My Sweet Monster is told with brutal honesty and cinematic detail, it reveals the slow erosion of self destruction that happens when trauma and devotion collide. It's about the guilt of leaving, the shame of staying, and the strength it takes to rebuild a life after being broken down piece by piece, while loving a man spiralling into his own destruction.
Baxter's story sheds light on the hidden realities of emotional abuse, addiction, sex work and the health decline that can occur with complex post traumatic stress disorders.
My Sweet Monster speaks to anyone who has loved someone they couldn't save and had to learn to save themselves instead.
What would you sacrifice for love?Your safety? Your sanity? Yourself?From the bedroom to brothels, from domestic bliss to the edge of insanity, this is the true story of a woman fighting to survive a love that is as passionate as it is devasting.
Heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, and unforgettable, this memoir asks the Is love all you need?My Sweet Monster is told with brutal honesty and cinematic detail, it reveals the slow erosion of self destruction that happens when trauma and devotion collide. It's about the guilt of leaving, the shame of staying, and the strength it takes to rebuild a life after being broken down piece by piece, while loving a man spiralling into his own destruction.
Baxter's story sheds light on the hidden realities of emotional abuse, addiction, sex work and the health decline that can occur with complex post traumatic stress disorders.
My Sweet Monster speaks to anyone who has loved someone they couldn't save and had to learn to save themselves instead.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2026
7 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 15, 2026
A must read for all women, raw, unfiltered and purely Australian. Trauma, smut, DV, recovery, without any filters. Do yourself a favour and order your full copy from the authors website now!
I was hooked from page 1. I didn’t realise the kindle version was a sample and I’ve left myself on a cliffhanger… I’ve ordered from the authors website and I’ll be waiting for the postie Every. Single. Day.
I haven’t been so engrossed in a book for months; and I read 150 books last year.
This has well and truly pulled me out of my reading slump but I am sitting here rooting for the FMC and the rest of her story!
“That kind of love that seeps into your bones and says you matter, that’s rare” - from an author who self edited and self published, this is unpolished but finesse at its finest!
“The doctor walked in and prescribed me a script of Lexapro then sent me home. That was the magical fix apparently. Begging for an elective coma was probably a sign that I needed to be referred to a counsellor” - perfectly realist in modern day Australia’s failing health care and non existent mental health care system - the FMC has to claw her way back for herself, her baby, and her other kids: alone.
The most powerful quote:
“There is absolutely no growth without pain, rock bottom is a blessing that not everyone gets to experience and what a beautiful place it is… Rock bottom is a clean slate to start again, to build whatever you can dream of” - wow, this hit me smack bang in the face! Having been there myself, reading this and knowing I’m not alone just helps more than anyone can ever know.
This memoir is not for everyone, check the TW’s but know; it’s the same as the smutty/cliche/DV stuff you read most days, just REAL, and Australian!
This is lived and is sexy, raw, and in the words of Tori Baxter “brilliantly diabolical”
Read it. 💜
https://toribaxter.com/
I was hooked from page 1. I didn’t realise the kindle version was a sample and I’ve left myself on a cliffhanger… I’ve ordered from the authors website and I’ll be waiting for the postie Every. Single. Day.
I haven’t been so engrossed in a book for months; and I read 150 books last year.
This has well and truly pulled me out of my reading slump but I am sitting here rooting for the FMC and the rest of her story!
“That kind of love that seeps into your bones and says you matter, that’s rare” - from an author who self edited and self published, this is unpolished but finesse at its finest!
“The doctor walked in and prescribed me a script of Lexapro then sent me home. That was the magical fix apparently. Begging for an elective coma was probably a sign that I needed to be referred to a counsellor” - perfectly realist in modern day Australia’s failing health care and non existent mental health care system - the FMC has to claw her way back for herself, her baby, and her other kids: alone.
The most powerful quote:
“There is absolutely no growth without pain, rock bottom is a blessing that not everyone gets to experience and what a beautiful place it is… Rock bottom is a clean slate to start again, to build whatever you can dream of” - wow, this hit me smack bang in the face! Having been there myself, reading this and knowing I’m not alone just helps more than anyone can ever know.
This memoir is not for everyone, check the TW’s but know; it’s the same as the smutty/cliche/DV stuff you read most days, just REAL, and Australian!
This is lived and is sexy, raw, and in the words of Tori Baxter “brilliantly diabolical”
Read it. 💜
https://toribaxter.com/
February 28, 2026
amazing!
Love me a good true story! This was raw and real!!! Def a quick read but keeps you going. Must read
Love me a good true story! This was raw and real!!! Def a quick read but keeps you going. Must read
February 18, 2026
I could not put this book down read it in a day, and I’m no book reader
This book is real raw and at times confronting but the last chapter had me bawling my eyes out , such a devastating story that I hope has a beautiful outcome one day
This book is real raw and at times confronting but the last chapter had me bawling my eyes out , such a devastating story that I hope has a beautiful outcome one day
Review of advance copy received from Author
I haven't read a book so quickly in years. I couldn't put it down. Very well written and such an incredible and jaw dropping story.
November 26, 2025
I want to start by saying I don’t know Tori personally. We crossed paths online, and I stepped in as a beta reader for this memoir.
This book tells the story of a woman’s struggle while trying to survive the control of a manipulative, abusive addict, and the difficult choices she had to make for herself and her children. It’s raw, authentic, and at times heartbreaking, but it’s also honest in a way most people never have the strength to share.
What stood out to me most was Tori’s courage. Writing this kind of story is one thing. Choosing to share it publicly takes a level of strength that deserves real respect. Her willingness to open the door to her past gives a voice to people who feel trapped in situations just like she once was.
This memoir is an incredibly powerful read. It sheds light on the signs of abuse and manipulation, and it reminds anyone who feels isolated that others have walked the same road and found a way to reclaim themselves. This isn’t a feel-good story, it’s the reality many face, but it’s written with honesty, clarity, and a strength that carries through every page.
A tough, important, and deeply impactful book.
This book tells the story of a woman’s struggle while trying to survive the control of a manipulative, abusive addict, and the difficult choices she had to make for herself and her children. It’s raw, authentic, and at times heartbreaking, but it’s also honest in a way most people never have the strength to share.
What stood out to me most was Tori’s courage. Writing this kind of story is one thing. Choosing to share it publicly takes a level of strength that deserves real respect. Her willingness to open the door to her past gives a voice to people who feel trapped in situations just like she once was.
This memoir is an incredibly powerful read. It sheds light on the signs of abuse and manipulation, and it reminds anyone who feels isolated that others have walked the same road and found a way to reclaim themselves. This isn’t a feel-good story, it’s the reality many face, but it’s written with honesty, clarity, and a strength that carries through every page.
A tough, important, and deeply impactful book.
February 28, 2026
I went into this thinking it would be a solid four stars.
By the end? It earned five.
Not because it was comfortable. Not because it was polished in a neat, satisfying, cinematic way.
But because it was real.
This book frustrated me beyond belief. I was yelling at the pages. I wanted to shake the narrator. I wanted to reach into the story and say, “Wake up. This isn’t love.”
And that’s exactly why it works.
The cycle is relentless. The hope. The denial. The excuses. The tenderness that keeps sneaking back in just when you think she’s done. It’s exhausting — intentionally so. The repetition isn’t lazy writing. It’s the lived reality of trauma bonding and coercive control. You feel trapped because she’s trapped.
The paranoia. The gaslighting. The manipulation dressed up as passion. The “answer the phone.” The emotional whiplash. It’s infuriating. And heartbreakingly accurate.
What tipped it from four to five stars for me was the redemption — not in him, but in her. The shift from explaining him to seeing him. From defending him to documenting him. That moment of clarity feels earned, not convenient.
This isn’t a romance. It’s a cautionary tale in the truest sense. It shows how love can become control, how hope can become addiction, and how hard it is to walk away from someone who once felt like home.
I didn’t always enjoy reading it.
But I couldn’t look away.
And when a book makes you that emotionally invested — when it makes you angry, protective, and desperate for the narrator to choose herself — that’s powerful storytelling.
Five stars. Not because it was easy.
Because it was honest.
By the end? It earned five.
Not because it was comfortable. Not because it was polished in a neat, satisfying, cinematic way.
But because it was real.
This book frustrated me beyond belief. I was yelling at the pages. I wanted to shake the narrator. I wanted to reach into the story and say, “Wake up. This isn’t love.”
And that’s exactly why it works.
The cycle is relentless. The hope. The denial. The excuses. The tenderness that keeps sneaking back in just when you think she’s done. It’s exhausting — intentionally so. The repetition isn’t lazy writing. It’s the lived reality of trauma bonding and coercive control. You feel trapped because she’s trapped.
The paranoia. The gaslighting. The manipulation dressed up as passion. The “answer the phone.” The emotional whiplash. It’s infuriating. And heartbreakingly accurate.
What tipped it from four to five stars for me was the redemption — not in him, but in her. The shift from explaining him to seeing him. From defending him to documenting him. That moment of clarity feels earned, not convenient.
This isn’t a romance. It’s a cautionary tale in the truest sense. It shows how love can become control, how hope can become addiction, and how hard it is to walk away from someone who once felt like home.
I didn’t always enjoy reading it.
But I couldn’t look away.
And when a book makes you that emotionally invested — when it makes you angry, protective, and desperate for the narrator to choose herself — that’s powerful storytelling.
Five stars. Not because it was easy.
Because it was honest.
February 28, 2026
I was thrilled when I received this book in the mail. From that point, I couldn’t put it down. When I couldn’t sleep, I read it for two hours in the middle of the night. After not picking up a book for nearly 20 years, you know, mum life, working, multiple health issues, this was the only book I wanted to read and I am so glad I did. It is exceptional. You feel like you are right there with Tori as she writes about her life. Her letter to her sweet monster towards the end only compounds what I already felt about her, how relentlessly kind she was despite how she has been treated. Thank you for sharing what you have been through. I truly wish that you and your babies only have the best life going forward.
February 28, 2026
I knew this book would pack a punch and it didn't disappoint. My heart hurts for Tori, her girls and everything they endured. I was so angry for them in places too. I really can't explain what I am feeling. Disgusted by the disrespect and abuse. Sad that addiction is so destructive. Proud of Tori for still being a kind hearted person who still wanted what was best for someone regardless of how she was being treated in that moment.
I am so glad you are coming through the other side. You are amazing. The World needs more Tori's in it.
'There is absolutely no growth without pain. Rock bottom is a blessing that not everyone gets to experience and what a beautiful place it is'.
I am so glad you are coming through the other side. You are amazing. The World needs more Tori's in it.
'There is absolutely no growth without pain. Rock bottom is a blessing that not everyone gets to experience and what a beautiful place it is'.
February 23, 2026
I would have to say I have always been a book lover but feel like I struggle to find time for me to read these days. When this book came out the excitement in like it was Xmas when I knew it was coming out I have finished the book in less then a week and my was I left on the edge of my seat that’s for sure. I am so so super proud of Tori Baxter from finding herself when she was in such a dark place and sharing it with others it’s out of this world. When I had finished the book i was devastated. But this book is by fair one of the best I have read. Get a book you won’t be disappointed.
February 24, 2026
I cried on the plane reading the last few chapters.
The pain you've carried, the way you wrote it without hiding nor softening it, that's real human emotion, raw and unfiltered.
I think it hit me because i know that kind of pain.
I've lived it too. I know what it takes just to keep going whilst still holding on to hope and love.
Seeing you not only survive it, but be able put it into words everything you've endured, just wow.
You're stronger than you realise
&
i'm so proud of you.
The pain you've carried, the way you wrote it without hiding nor softening it, that's real human emotion, raw and unfiltered.
I think it hit me because i know that kind of pain.
I've lived it too. I know what it takes just to keep going whilst still holding on to hope and love.
Seeing you not only survive it, but be able put it into words everything you've endured, just wow.
You're stronger than you realise
&
i'm so proud of you.
February 22, 2026
Struggling to find words that can even describe this book. I was happy, then sad then angry in a matter of the 2 hours it took me to read. Then it was just done. No end of the story it was just done and left my head reeling and can't help but wonder what happened to the POS Vin? This book will be sitting with me for some time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2026
Tori doesn’t hold back and after finishing this, I feel a lot…
sadness at what her and her children went through…anger but also sadness at how much Vin drastically lost who he was…
Honestly, you have to read it to really understand what she went through, but also how she wants to help others who are in the same situation.
sadness at what her and her children went through…anger but also sadness at how much Vin drastically lost who he was…
Honestly, you have to read it to really understand what she went through, but also how she wants to help others who are in the same situation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2026
After seeing reviews online and my wife buying a copy I decided to give this a read. WOW. What a wild ride! An incredible true story that needs to be a movie. Also after reading Tori’s book, I feel that we all know who is rating this book one star now don’t we…
February 25, 2026
One of the best books I have read in years. I could not put it down. I could relate to so many different things in it. Thank you for sharing so much of your beautiful self Tori. I loved this book so much, I hope you write another 🙏🏽
February 15, 2026
Got this book yesterday at her book launch and cannot put it down
February 15, 2026
Review
Just wondering if this was true or not. If true… WOW. What a weird and crazy ride. Not sure if this is believable.
Just wondering if this was true or not. If true… WOW. What a weird and crazy ride. Not sure if this is believable.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews