Beg For Me

by River Gardner

Niko
I spent my time lurking in the shadows, watching over her from a safe distance. Even when she didn't know I was there, I was protecting her, no matter the cost.
The night we met at Club Ghost only deepened my obsession.
After months of hiding in plain sight, watching, waiting, aching for her, she was finally going to be mine.

Lila
A night out, trying to rid the dark thoughts from my mind, one moment single-handedly ruined it. Until my knight in dark armor came to my rescue, giving me hope that decent men still existed.
That is, until I saw what was really lurking in the shadows.
It wasn't a monster that you see in your nightmares, all dressed up in blood and gore.
It was him.

167 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 3, 2026

About the author

River Gardner (she/they) is an author from Central Alabama. She lives with her two children and husband, along with an army of cats. In her spare time, she likes to draw, read, and play video games.
She enjoys writing dark romance, horror romance, and horror. Her debut novella, Good-Bye, Valentine came out in February of 2024, and she’s since published two other novellas and two anthologies.
You can find her on Instagram to keep up to date on upcoming works!

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I say this with the utmost respect and love... B*TCH WHERE IS BOOK 2?! How you gonna do that to me? If you love yourself, you'd read this. Hell, if you hate yourself you'd still read this. I am so proud of River and how far they've come since their first book.

[Aiden Messer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great horror romance! Unhinged stalker, slow burn, top tier horror, what more can you ask for?

thank you so much for the ARC!

[Nadine Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beg for Me is a fast-paced, brutal horror romance that pulls no punches. Without spoiling anything, the story follows Lila as she’s thrown into a dark, dangerous situation where obsession, violence, and desire blur together, forcing her to confront both her fear and her deepest wants.

This book was pure escapist fun for me. The writing was sharp and engaging, the pacing felt spot-on, and the blend of horror and romance worked incredibly well. I especially loved Lila. She is self-conscious, curvy, and deeply human, and the way Niko absolutely adored her added an indulgent, fantasy-driven edge to their dynamic. While I did feel that Lila fell for Niko a bit too quickly, given the circumstances, I was more than willing to forgive it because this book leans fully into dark romance. Overall, a quick, spicy, intense, and addictive read that delivered exactly what it promised.

I was given a copy of the book to beta-read from the author.

[H. Everend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beg For Me by River Gardner is a romance-horror novella with dual POVs from Lila and Niko, and it had me hooked from the blurb alone. I’m always here for a dark romance...bonus points for a slow-burn, dark-haired, slightly unhinged stalker love interest and this delivered on that front. I also loved seeing a plus-size FMC—always appreciated and nicely done.

But where this book truly shines is the horror. The horror elements are brutal, visceral, and unapologetically bloody. River does not pull punches, and the gore is effective, well-placed, and genuinely unsettling. Easy 10/5 for me!

The romance takes a bit to fully click for me. I could feel it more strongly later in the story, but early on it felt slightly underdeveloped (personal preference more than a dealbreaker). And the spice? Excellent. The intimate scenes were hot, confident, and memorably deviant, especially one about three-quarters of the way in that absolutely deserves a moment of silence.

That ending, though? I need a follow-up.

⭐️ 3.5 stars (rounding up to 4)

[Devin DeBorde · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When I started falling for my captor, the man who had murdered more people than I could keep track of, I knew I was well and truly fucked."


I don't know what it says about me that hearing this quote made me want to read this book, but here we are and I'm not mad about it.

• touch her and die
• stalker/captive
• he's obsessed
• plus size FMC


This book was a gory, wild ride and I love that the author didn't hold back on the horror aspect. The spice was spicy and we have a couple of scenes with a special little guest.

I wasn't the biggest fan of how quickly she fell for him and kind of disregarded her BFF but hey, it worked for the story. Also, some of the spice felt a little repetitive but an Os an O. Get it, girl.

Overall, this was a fast-paced and fun dark romance novella perfect for kicking off a month of love stories. This book left me hanging on a cliff and I hope more is on the way to pull me back up. Thank you to the author for allowing me to read and review.

[Daisy Magnolia · Rating 5 out of 5]

That ending? I’m officially mad! 😤 Need the next one now! 🫠

This is a story where you know it's wrong, but somehow your girl is thriving on it 😂🤣

He's dangerous. She knows it. She shouldn't feel safe. Being with him shouldn't feel like home. But for the first time, she didn't feel like she had to hide herself. He made her feel seen and unafraid, even when everything else was chaos 🖤

A lot happens in this book that's definitely not for the weak-stomached. Picture: eye socket, Sawzall, dirty sock. Yep... that's not even all 😵‍💫 And somehow... your girl smiled through the horror 😈

A 5☆ read. Go ahead, meet your obsessed stalker... 💀

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one is dark, vicious, and doesn’t pull a single punch. A brutal horror dark romance that’s fast paced, bloody, and emotionally raw. The trauma themes hit hard, and the inner pain woven through the story makes everything feel heavier and real.

Niko and Lila bring serious heat, but it’s not just spice it’s obsession, protection, and intensity wrapped in violence and fear. I loved seeing a plus-size FMC in this story and how Niko helps her build the confidence that was taken from her when she was younger.

If you like your romance twisted, graphic, and drenched in horror, this novella delivers.