I'd Find You In The Dark: MM Spicy Romance/Thriller

by Arielle Bitetti

It’s been 10 years since the North Tahoe Ripper was killed.

Or so they thought.

Detective Eli Winter returns to the case that still haunts him and asks the only one who can help him stop the killer for good.

The only survivor. Colton Sacks is no longer the boy he met that night in the woods. He has unfinished business with the Ripper and the man who saved his life.

They found each other in the dark. but will they make it out in time to find the light? Or will the ripper take his final victim at last?

Book MM romance, spicy af, dark plot, off-limits, detective/survivor, "it's always been you", HEA, age gap (30-45), fake spicy performance scene, slow burn, forced proximity

Genres: M M Romance, Dark, Dark Romance, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Romance, Crime

361 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 26, 2025

About the author

I want you to fall in love with my characters as they fall in love. I want happy endings, with struggle and endurance. I want sassy, badass characters that are memorable, capable of ripping your heart out and maybe putting it back when they're done. I want you to pick up one of my books and know- "this is a Bitetti book", and anticipate the rollercoaster, the flips and twists, and the happily ever after.

Follow me on Tiktok & Instagram! Every review counts, and thank you for taking the time to support me and my author journey :)

Reviews

[Kateryna]

Gosh, this had so much potential! I wish I could have liked it more, but it just didn’t work for me. The only reason I didn’t DNF it was to see if my suspicions about the killer were correct. Not spoiler: they were.

It’s not a slow burn, it’s not a mystery, and it’s not a dark romance either, it’s a fuckfest written in the style of a cheap B-movie, featuring paper-thin, caricature-like characters.

The main problem, perhaps, is that you can see the characters, but you can’t get into their heads. There’s zero connection with any of the MCs, and the worst part is that there’s zero connection between the MCs themselves beyond sexual tension and lust. I don’t buy the idea of ten years of yearning when there’s no communication between them. Like… at all.

Colt and Winter are strangers to each other, even — and especially — after everything they’ve been through. This insta-lust thing was completely cringe-worthy.

The investigation was a disaster. I’m not even sure the author did any research on how detectives actually work their cases. These men and women barely have time to get five hours of sleep or eat their lunch, yet Winter somehow has plenty of time to have fun, cook some meals, pace back and forth and fuck his brat ten times a day. There is a serial killer on the loose hunting the one who got away from him ten years ago and Winter still let Colt run in the forest alone.

And that stupid childish drama in the end between two middle aged men only to justify third act breakup?
…

What a lame, flat, and absolutely pathetic piece of storytelling.

Still, this story explores some important topics, but only on a surface level, and it’s a shame that it hardly affects the plot. If the book had been 100 pages shorter, I wouldn’t have lost anything. In fact, I wouldn’t have lost anything even if I had never read it at all.

[el :)]

my god this had so much potential 😭

[Ashley H]

UPDATE : got the audiobook AND STILL FEEL THE SAME GO READ AND LISTEN TO IT 🥹😩

5 motherfkin ⭐️ like omg this was the best damn slow burn ive read. Like the standard is this. 😩😩 im so sad i finished it. Like i could wipe my memory id read it again and again..
Colton & Winters story was so beautiful. 10 yr separation from a traumatic experience & of course its happening again. The k!ller is back and Winter needs the only survivors help Colton.
The TENSION 😮‍💨 the pining for each other.. ugh the CUTE ASS NICKNAMES. The PRAISES the spice. But most of all the story keeps you on your toes and always working like a detective to figure out who the other k!ller was. Ughh they will be rent free in my mind forever

[Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader]

DNF @ 52%

Although there was nothing WRONG with this book, I just couldn’t get into it. I was bored.

[Shonee]

DNF @ 8%

I was listening to the audiobook - why does the narrator randomly have 2 different accents? It will start and stop in the middle of a sentence.

The detective MC, Winter, was a horndog for the ripper's last victim. I got the ick, but thought, "You know that? Victims deserve to be found attractive to, right? Maybe not by THE PEOPLE WHO SAVED THEM, but whatever." Then Winter goes and says he likes the aspect of the other MC's personality that, in my opinion, is usually brought on by trauma, and I NOPED TF OUT.

[Ariel Vigo]

A prince and his wolf

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I’d Find You in the Dark by Arielle Bitetti
Review Title: A Prince and His Wolf

This book felt less like reading and more like watching a love story play out on screen.

I want to be upfront—this is an MM spicy romance/thriller, and it was actually my first time reading in this genre, which is why the intensity was so shocking at first. It’s not my usual read, and the story hits fast and hard. For a moment, it felt almost overpowering… but once I pushed past that initial shock, I was completely hooked.

It’s like jumping into cold water: the first few seconds steal your breath, your system is stunned then you acclimate, and suddenly you’re swimming.

The romance is deeply emotional and cinematic, layered with thriller and mystery elements that keep the tension tight from beginning to end. The spice is bold and unapologetic, but it never feels like it exists just for shock value..it serves the story, the connection, and the intensity between the characters.

The wolf imagery is powerful here not as a villain, but as a protector. Loyal. Watchful. Dangerous only when necessary. He’s not a big bad wolf he’s the one who finds you in the dark and refuses to let you face it alone.

This book doesn’t ease you in or hold your hand. It pulls you under, challenges your expectations, and fully commits to the story it’s telling. As someone stepping outside their usual reading comfort zone, I didn’t expect to love it this much but I absolutely did.

Dark. Intense. Emotional. Consuming.
This one is def staying with me.

[Michael Williams]

Fuck me!!! I totally see the hype over this now. This book was exceptional. I love when I start playing investigator in a book (im not as good as vanessa but im learning from her.) I just knew I had it figured out.....detective mmc/SA victim mmc due to a serial killer......I JUST KNEW I KNEW WHO IT WAS. nope....lord this book had me on the edge of my seat at times. Bravo

[Jordan L]

ARC Review
Love love love love love.

This was such an amazing read! Once I started I couldn’t put it down! I am obsessed with Colton and I adored his relationship with Winter. I owe Patrick an apology as well cause I was CONVINCED it was him. I was on the right track however. Will 100% re-read in the future!

[Books & Me]

So when is the movie coming out?!

I literally just read a movie. I have never read an MM Romance and honestly it was the perfect change to any other Romance thrillers I have personally read. Usually, I'm the person to try and guess who did it but I only realized who it was until it was unraveling!!!! I have a feeling nothing will compare for a while....

[Kellyn]

4.5 stars. This was good. The spice was spicy and the suspense made it hard to put my kindle down. I don’t regret paying for this download.

[Klæmint Myllhamar]

Damn this was good! So hot, so emotional and so thrilling! I LOVED Winter, I think I am in love actually 🖤🤣
A fucking hot murder mystery!

[Jenni]

I don't know if this was the right book at the wrong time or the wrong book for me in general, but I'm surprised that I didn't like it as much as I expected. The plot and premise of the book were interesting, and I liked the idea of a murder mystery but overall, this didn't excite me. For some reason, I found the book a bit boring and it didn't hook me. I also didn't feel a connection to either of the main characters, and maybe that's why I couldn't really get into the book.

A big part of Winter's character was that he was a dominant partner and he enjoyed ’dominating brats’. At least in his inner monologue, he said he wouldn't give that up, but with Colton, this side of his was really lacking, and I was disappointed by that. Their dynamic was somehow confusing.

The book also started off slow until something happened at the end, and then suddenly it was over. Even though it was a murder mystery with a plot twist/ surprise, I didn't find the plot suspenseful or thrilling.

However, I liked Colton's character and how he worked on himself to get over his past and trauma. He was really strong to survive and to turn out the way he did.

I don't know if the book would have appealed to me more if it had been written in the first person instead of the third. The book wasn't bad, but it just didn't appeal to me this time. I hope and believe that others will like it.

[Aly]

This book was soooo good! I loved that it was a dark romance slash almost murder mystery put together. The two MMC’s had me absolutely feral. This book was HOT! But it was also sweet and tender and ..fucked up. Lol And I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So, Just read it!!!

[Natasha Hoffert Groesse]

I enjoyed this. I’ll admit I figured out who the serial killer was early on. But the man characters, plot and storyline was great.

[Jenny Miller]

I’d Find You in the Dark by Arielle Bitetti is a romantic suspense novel with some dark themes. Thank you to Arielle Bitetti, independent author, for giving me the opportunity to ARC read and review in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book can be described as:

👮🏻‍♂️ Romantic Suspense
🧔 MM Romance
👮🏻‍♂️ Some Dark Themes
🧔 Age Gap (15 years)
👮🏻‍♂️ Detective x Survivor
🧔 Grumpy x Sunshine
👮🏻‍♂️ Forced Proximity

My honest opinions:

Winter, a broody, dominating detective with a protective nature down to his bones, helps Colton, a 20 yo man who survives a tragic abusive kidnapping. Colton is able to escape his captors and finds Winter’s cabin through a dark forest. Their connection was instant and was written with such heart and care. Years later, they reconnect and that’s when sparks fly and they can no longer deny what was always there between them. I loved this as a MM romance, because it is a bit more unexpected, as it could have easily been written as a female survivor. The spice in this book was hot, well written and only added to the story. I would give this book 3🌶️ as there was a decent amount of spice, only slightly taboo and did not take over the storyline.

Next, I was expecting this to be more of a dark romance, but was pleasantly surprised that it followed a more romantic-suspense plot line, with only some dark themes. The ‘whodunnit’ aspect is fun to read and had me guessing the whole way through! The pacing and development of the story as a whole felt natural and not rushed.

My only “negative” critique would be that the author chose to write a brief few sentences as an epilogue. The ending of the story and the conclusion of the suspense was wrapped up really well, but I would have loved to read a longer, more descriptive epilogue as I was so invested in the characters and loved their relationship, that I would have liked to hear a lil more.

Finally, I really liked this book! All of the tropes in this book are some of my favorite of all time and this author really wrapped them up into some great plot lines. Overall I give this book 5⭐️’s.

[Stephen Barrs-Whitaker]

GAH! I had such a great time reading this book. Thank you, Arielle, for allowing me to be an ARC reader! I loved the story and dark themes in the book. It gave me Criminal Minds vibes the entire time and I AM HERE FOR IT!
Seeing Colton and Winter's love flourish and develop past the initial infatuation of the incident 10 years ago was really sweet. The slow burn was just slow enough - it was perfect! (Also can we talk about how HAWT Winter is?? The sexy-times?? Ugh *swoon*) Also, I appreciated seeing Colton progress through his trauma and talk about his healing through boxing. I don't see much discussion of this in books.
I was not expecting who the Ripper was until we got to that point. I was sitting in my office reading and scared my husband by shouting "NO FKN WAY". I do owe an apology to both Patrick and Jim. They were just too fishy (and I was too paranoid about it being right in front of my face that I thought it was going to be one of them) for me to rule them out. I wasn't too far off the mark. I was SO HAPPY when Colton was able to be the one to take the Ripper down. I was afraid that Winter was going to recover and take care of it before he got a chance to do it.
Finally, seeing Colton cope with heavy emotions and difficult times with his mother was so stinkin' sweet and sad. I had some tears a few times. So thanks for that, Arielle lol.

I only noticed 1 minor error in my read, but I messaged the author about it already on TikTok.

Overall this was one of my favorite reads of the year! It is definitely going to be a re-read book for me!

ALL OF THIS TO SAY - WHEN IS ANOTHER ONE COMING OUT, ARIELLE?? I would love to see another MM couple in a book (with a cameo of Colton and Winter and get an update on where they have traveled and what they're up to at this point).

[Sierra]

Sooooo Winter being described as a fresh piece of ham to a starved gal! Crazy work for Arielle to do to me! I was trying to stay tuned in and focused but my brain was doing Jim Carries’ Th Mask wolf whitling at Cameron Diaz when he sees her at the club for the first time.

 

Now onto the mystery of it all, AS SOON AS...



*spoiler city*






Colton said he didn’t like Mal’s house I KNEW it was his odd ass! Colton saying it comes off as fake aand picking up on Mal loving Winter still

Officer Sydney is dumb as hell. Study for the detective my ass. Shes stuuuupid. She was told to keep her eyes on Winter! She superwoman and now can see through buildings?! Annnnd she let a third party mouth tell her about Winter's actions. At least ask to see Winter before going along with whatever. I'm being harsh but I hate seeing women in books be stupid! It hurts me.

One the stupid train is Winter as well. Just cause Mal has been your friend and hasn’t tried killing you doesn’t mean he wouldn’t dose your drink! Alpha men are easily manipulated into thinking their the biggest and baddest in the room.


I wish I would’ve liked this book more, it had a lot that I did like but unfortunately Arielle is too good at writing characters you want to curbs stomp that I cant go above a 4 star rating but its missing something. 

[Hailey Sartoris]

If you’re like me, you discovered your love of all things MM and go feral for new recommendations in the space. My sweet spot is definitely Mystery/Thriller ETL Romance. When I tell you reading this book was like tasting the best chocolate cake of your life and realizing you have free will and can eat it every day for breakfast. It was f**king fabulous. I was left wanting nothing but more. It truly filled my craving for a good MM. The writing was done so well, the personalities of the MMCs were perfect, and honestly I wish I could reread it again after a memory wipe so I can experience the giddiness I felt. This book obviously has triggers and is “dark” I would say it’s not super dark as far as dark romances go (I’ve read some f’d up stuff haha) but it’s raw and real. And I think it truly captures what it’s like to be a victim of SA and the fallout afterwards. I wasn’t triggered in the slightest and really appreciate the author for her words. Lastly I NEED this in an audiobook so I can experience Colton’s sexy accent like asap!! I read atleast 1 MM book a day almost every day and yet this is the first review I’ve left. SO READ THIS BOOK YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. I’m left feeling satisfied and at ease. 11/10 would recommend

[FluffyRN]

🐺

☀️

🔥

🫦

There was something about this book cover that called to me. When I saw it was on audiobook, I purchased and pressed play. I went into this book completely blind... and WOW. Not gonna lie, at times this book had me stressed, but holy hell I loved every minute!!!

Winter is a broody, detective. Colton is the only survivor of a serial un-aliver. And that's it. That's all I'm saying! I don't want to give any more away about these two.

But I will say, I loved the mix of romance and suspense. The mystery kept me guessing. The suspense kept me glued to my earphones. The tension was 🔥. And the spice!? Plentiful and scorching. Grab a fan my friends because hot damn! 🥵

And the narrator!? OMG! First time listening to Daniel Swan and it will not be the last! Every character had their own voice. That accent took me out. And I wasn't kidding when I said you will need a fan!!

Suspenseful, emotional, steamy, and so much fun from beginning to end. Add this one to your TBR!!

Audiobook

Started: September 1st, 2026
Finished: September 2nd, 2026
Format: Audiobook

Narrator: Daniel Swan
Style: Solo

[Fifi]

This was good, but it was missing something I can't quite put my finger on.

I think what held it back for me was the lack of suspense. Those final chapters were so good and finally gave me that edge-of-my-seat feeling I'd been craving, but then everything was wrapped up almost as soon as it started. I really wish the mystery had been drawn out a little longer because that was easily the strongest part of the book.

My other complaint is Winter. I was expecting a lot more of his dominant side, and it just wasn't there enough for me. Their brat/brat tamer dynamic had so much potential but it barely scratched the surface😩

I also wish the epilogue had been longer than just a few sentences. I wanted to see more of their life together after everything they went through. I was honestly starting to feel claustrophobic from that cabin in the woods by the end lol so I would've loved seeing them out in the world, just living and being happy for a little while.

[Nicola Clements]

This book and these men, as Colton's mum would say *Swoon*

I was reading this book throughout making dinner and appointments, literally couldn't put it down from the get go!

Winter and Colton are so beautiful and the way they had loved eachother from the very beginning was soooooo sweet, don't get me wrong...their first meeting was a hell of a traumatic meeting.

Winter is such a dom, but he lovingly submits for his gorgeous man later in the story.

This is a very emotional read and although it gets deep at times, it's also super spicy, super super spicy lol.

This is 2nd book I've read that Arielle has written. The 1st one is more recent (Give me what you cant).....and now I'm hooked on Arielle's books!

[M's ☆~HEA~☆]

🎧 honestly not sure what to say about this. I finished it which, lately, is high praise. the narrator was pretty good so it has that going for it.

lots of smut. almost too much for a murder mystery as I found it overshadowed everything else. also, I wasn't too invested in them as a couple.

the murderer was a surprise to me although I immediately disliked the character when they came on page. but it certainly wasn't because I "had a bad feeling" about them.

perhaps my biggest complaint is if you're going to recommend me a "dark" book please make sure it's dark. read Falling Angels by Cari Waites if you want to understand what dark is to me. That story haunts me often.

safe from om/ow drama. entertaining enough to give a try.

[Lisa Babin]

This MM romance/thriller hits you hard and keeps going! It consumed me from the beginning. It’s such a beautiful story done well. MM had me all consumed and this is easily in my top 10!

The plot is amazing. It’s emotional, intense, dark, traumatic, spicy, and healing. It never feels like anything was forced or too fast paced to just get a story out.

The romance is emotional and spicy with a slow burn that has the right amount of build up to the spice that does give you a HEA.

I was very surprised who the Ripper was and was in shock. Shouting at a book is not normally my thing but it did this time.

What a great 5⭐️ read

[Kylie Graham]

This was dark and thrilling and heartbreaking and romantic all at once!
The tension between Winter and Colton was soo good and when they finally gave in it was absolutely explosive!
The mystery of the 2nd ripper and the murders kept me glued to the pages waiting to see what would happen next and while I would say the reveal at the end wasn't extremely shocking because there are definitely clues, I was still thoroughly shook!
It was such a great read and if you love some murder mystery/slow-ish burn to blazing fire romance I would 1000% recommend!
Also, for sure check your triggers because it is a pretty dark storyline and plenty of triggering content.

[Bookish_twin_life]

We absolutely loved this one!🖤🌲

We absolutely adore Colton and Winter. Their chemistry, their tension, and the way their relationship developed had us completely hooked.

As we mentioned in our previous post, age gap is definitely one of our favourite tropes, so we already knew we were going to love this one. And it did NOT disappoint!🔥

It was deliciously spicy, but also so suspenseful that we couldn’t put it down.

And the setting? Absolutely gorgeous. It added such a beautiful atmosphere to the story and made the whole reading experience even more immersive.

Definitely a book that kept us hooked from beginning to end!🖤🔥

[Jennifer Anger]

beauty out of trauma

This story was so beautiful. I loved Winter and Colton together. They just fit and their love was 10 years in the making. Winter was this caring, big bad wolf protector who gave Colton exactly what he needed. And despite all of the trauma Colton suffered, he was still able to experience and accept all the good things in life while being able to come out stronger in the end, getting his vengeance and taking back his power. His relationship with his mother was so sweet too. While focused in dark themes, the care, strength and resilience that we see throughout was so beautiful and inspiring. Definitely a must read.

[Gabriela Garcia]

OMG!!! I really enjoyed this book. The plot was well developed. Whenever I read books with mysteries, I tend to guess the ending before it happens. This book hit different. The spiciness would not allow me to skip ahead or to make assumptions on who the culprit was. It was a hot distraction.

I did feel bad for the victim. The trauma that was left after the incident left him scarred but at the same time he rose from the ashes like a Phoenix.

I want to use this review to also say thanks to the writer, Arielle Bitetti. Thank you for giving us, your fans, a chance to read this book prior to it's release. After Lilith, I was left wanting more. Thanks for this little treat while we wait for Lilith Book Two.

[samantha1311]

I really enjoyed this book!!

It was like a murder mystery/serial killer and a dark romance in one
Colton is the survivor and winter is the detective who helped him ten years prior
They need to work together to find out who the killer is before it’s too late (present day)
The tension and the chemistry between them was amazing
This book does contain dark topics so check the triggers before reading
Spicy 🌶️
Dark themes
Murder mystery/serial killer
Detective and survivor

[Celine Mcguire]

I found I’d Find You in the Dark an incredibly engaging audio. The mystery kept me guessing right up until the reveal. And the romance is a proper slow burn, but it feels earned. Colton’s resilience and Winter’s restraint give the connection weight without tipping into melodrama. And Daniel Swan’s narration is excellent. His character work feels distinct, almost like a full cast. If you like your suspense threaded with a tender slow burn, this is well worth your time

[Justine]

Once you pick this book up you won't be able to put it down! A hybrid genera of a murder mystery and romance. This book packs a steamy punch and brings a deadly sense of dread not only when trying to figure out who the murderer is but also if the two protagonists will end up together. Unique and one of a kind, would highly recommend!