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Secrets We Cradle in the Dark: MM Spy Romance
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jan 26As a burned out spy for the NSO, Dimitri’s goal in life is to get through each monotonous day to the next. He goes on missions, cooks food, and watches TV until his mind numbs enough to fall unconscious. Occasionally, his spy partner and best friend, Levi, visits and overstays his welcome, but Dimitri’s touch deprivation doesn’t mind the spontaneous sleepovers.
Every day the NSO reminds Dimitri he is a disgrace and the only reason he’s their second best spy is because he is their only other spy. Despite this, he expects to be a spy until the day he inevitably dies on a mission because quitting would make the suffering he’s endured pointless. Leaving also means never seeing Levi again, and as the NSO’s golden child, Levi will never quit.
Or so Dimitri thought until a mission to steal a mysterious therapy gun goes awry. They are shot and transported into a dream world where they have to face an alternate reality. Dimitri and Levi have to figure a way out while also confronting truths they’ve long left buried.
Every day the NSO reminds Dimitri he is a disgrace and the only reason he’s their second best spy is because he is their only other spy. Despite this, he expects to be a spy until the day he inevitably dies on a mission because quitting would make the suffering he’s endured pointless. Leaving also means never seeing Levi again, and as the NSO’s golden child, Levi will never quit.
Or so Dimitri thought until a mission to steal a mysterious therapy gun goes awry. They are shot and transported into a dream world where they have to face an alternate reality. Dimitri and Levi have to figure a way out while also confronting truths they’ve long left buried.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 30, 2026
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an early copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
We follow Dimitri, a spy who has long lost his motivation to do his job due to his past trauma leading to depression. The NSO took him out of an orphanage when he was a child and trained him to become a spy from a young age alongside several other children, but after a tragic accident only Dimitri and his spy partner Levi are left. Dimitri and Levi have a complicated relationship that neither of them are ready to explore, but when they are face-to-face with a villain that outsmarts them and transports them into a dream world, they are forced to face their past, their present and their future.
Secrets We Cradle in the Dark is an easy read. The writing is easy to understand, the chapters are short and it's truly bingeworthy. I like the way this novel explores mental illness within men while they are raised to basically fake-it till you make it by their employer; who are heavily against any form of therapy as they claim needing therapy means you are weak minded and so you are a liability. I think this is a very real issue, as mental health is (thankfully) becoming more normal to talk about but these things still seem less acceptable for men to deal with than women. It shows how not everybody is ready to face their issues, as one of our main characters goes to therapy despite their employer's wishes and the other clings onto the idea that if he pretends to be fine, he will someday be fine. I like how, for me personally, I assumed a certain dynamic between our main characters due to the way they are described both physically and personality-wise, but this novel ended up not going for what the reader might expect. This might he phrased vaguely, but I'm trying hard not to spoil.
What I didn't like so much was the fact that I was confused about the plot throughout this entire book. The way the NSO operates does not make much sense in my head, and I feel like the whole spy-thing was just a backdrop for the romance to happen and to give them some type of trauma. Now, the trauma these two have does make sense, totally, but I feel like a lot of things were mentioned regarding them being spies and then just... dropped. You mean to tell me this villain has a therapy gun and there is barely any more info on that? What happens after the story has ended to the villain and said therapy gun? I would have loved it if these questions were answered and the end of the book was not so open. It felt like the author's goal was to make these two confess and then date, and after that...well, mission accomplished, end of story. There's also usage of the wrong word; dying instead of dyeing when talking about dyeing hair, but of course this is something I assume will be corrected before the official release.
If you like the "us against the world" trope I think you will like this novel, but if you are looking for a book that actually explores being a spy then this might not be for you.
We follow Dimitri, a spy who has long lost his motivation to do his job due to his past trauma leading to depression. The NSO took him out of an orphanage when he was a child and trained him to become a spy from a young age alongside several other children, but after a tragic accident only Dimitri and his spy partner Levi are left. Dimitri and Levi have a complicated relationship that neither of them are ready to explore, but when they are face-to-face with a villain that outsmarts them and transports them into a dream world, they are forced to face their past, their present and their future.
Secrets We Cradle in the Dark is an easy read. The writing is easy to understand, the chapters are short and it's truly bingeworthy. I like the way this novel explores mental illness within men while they are raised to basically fake-it till you make it by their employer; who are heavily against any form of therapy as they claim needing therapy means you are weak minded and so you are a liability. I think this is a very real issue, as mental health is (thankfully) becoming more normal to talk about but these things still seem less acceptable for men to deal with than women. It shows how not everybody is ready to face their issues, as one of our main characters goes to therapy despite their employer's wishes and the other clings onto the idea that if he pretends to be fine, he will someday be fine. I like how, for me personally, I assumed a certain dynamic between our main characters due to the way they are described both physically and personality-wise, but this novel ended up not going for what the reader might expect. This might he phrased vaguely, but I'm trying hard not to spoil.
What I didn't like so much was the fact that I was confused about the plot throughout this entire book. The way the NSO operates does not make much sense in my head, and I feel like the whole spy-thing was just a backdrop for the romance to happen and to give them some type of trauma. Now, the trauma these two have does make sense, totally, but I feel like a lot of things were mentioned regarding them being spies and then just... dropped. You mean to tell me this villain has a therapy gun and there is barely any more info on that? What happens after the story has ended to the villain and said therapy gun? I would have loved it if these questions were answered and the end of the book was not so open. It felt like the author's goal was to make these two confess and then date, and after that...well, mission accomplished, end of story. There's also usage of the wrong word; dying instead of dyeing when talking about dyeing hair, but of course this is something I assume will be corrected before the official release.
If you like the "us against the world" trope I think you will like this novel, but if you are looking for a book that actually explores being a spy then this might not be for you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher (BooksGoSocial) for the chance to read this book.
With NetGalley, they ask that you talk about the good before the bad in their reviews, and in this case it feels very awkward for me to do, but I will try.
The first four chapters and the last four chapters were pretty darn solid. (We're talking solid enough that I'd be looking at a possible four star read. So, when I say these chapters were good, they were good.)
I enjoyed the world that was created, even if not a lot of focus was on the actual world building - which was okay, because the focus was where it needed to be: the characters.
And I do like the characters.
Dimitri and Levi are both likable and sympathetic characters. (Even if we spend no time in Levi's head.) They are both well developed and have little quirks that I appreciate.
So, now for what I didn't like.
The 'therapy gun' chapters were a HUGE struggle to get through. Really, for me, they added nothing to the story. They are...overly complicated, feature our pair running from zombies and fish people that want to eat their face. It makes no logical sense and if they are supposed to represent anything beyond Levi's fear at loosing Dimitri (which we could have guessed) and Dimitri's grief (which we already knew) I couldn't begin to guess what it was.
Honestly, I almost DNF'd this books somewhere around chapter 10 just because the whole 'dream sequence' was more horror 'run for your lives' content than anything else. I was expecting something a lot more...cerebral and much less allegorical than what it was. Literally everything in this part of the book was trying to kill them and it just felt irrelevant to the actual arc of the story.
Other than that, the only tiny issue I had was I felt the sex scene was unneeded and just tacked on abruptly. (That's likely just a me thing, though, because sex scenes in books rarely truly benefit the book in my opinion.)
I really am struggling to rate this book as 8 of 15 chapters would have been a 3-4 stars and the other seven would have been a DNF or 1 star.
This review has been cross posted to NetGalley, Storygraph and Goodreads.
With NetGalley, they ask that you talk about the good before the bad in their reviews, and in this case it feels very awkward for me to do, but I will try.
The first four chapters and the last four chapters were pretty darn solid. (We're talking solid enough that I'd be looking at a possible four star read. So, when I say these chapters were good, they were good.)
I enjoyed the world that was created, even if not a lot of focus was on the actual world building - which was okay, because the focus was where it needed to be: the characters.
And I do like the characters.
Dimitri and Levi are both likable and sympathetic characters. (Even if we spend no time in Levi's head.) They are both well developed and have little quirks that I appreciate.
So, now for what I didn't like.
The 'therapy gun' chapters were a HUGE struggle to get through. Really, for me, they added nothing to the story. They are...overly complicated, feature our pair running from zombies and fish people that want to eat their face. It makes no logical sense and if they are supposed to represent anything beyond Levi's fear at loosing Dimitri (which we could have guessed) and Dimitri's grief (which we already knew) I couldn't begin to guess what it was.
Honestly, I almost DNF'd this books somewhere around chapter 10 just because the whole 'dream sequence' was more horror 'run for your lives' content than anything else. I was expecting something a lot more...cerebral and much less allegorical than what it was. Literally everything in this part of the book was trying to kill them and it just felt irrelevant to the actual arc of the story.
Other than that, the only tiny issue I had was I felt the sex scene was unneeded and just tacked on abruptly. (That's likely just a me thing, though, because sex scenes in books rarely truly benefit the book in my opinion.)
I really am struggling to rate this book as 8 of 15 chapters would have been a 3-4 stars and the other seven would have been a DNF or 1 star.
This review has been cross posted to NetGalley, Storygraph and Goodreads.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The beautiful cover art of this novel caught my eye, and the premise hooked me in. Was it everything it wanted to be? No. Was it still a decent read anyway? Absolutely. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this novel.
Dimitri is a depressed, burnt out spy for an agency that has controlled his life from his childhood. His performance at the agency is slipping, and he is struggling to find it in him to care. His spy partner, Levi, is top of the agency, their golden child, and everything Dimitri once wanted to be. Also, Dimitri is hopelessly in love with Levi, but will never tell him because it’s forbidden by those who rule their lives.
When a mission goes wrong, both Dimitri and Levi are forced to face a few truths that they’ve been avoiding for far too long.
I enjoyed the premise of this novel. It’s exactly what it says on the tin. And it was a delightfully easy read for something handling some slightly heavier subject matter, though I wouldn’t call it outright angst. More hurt/comfort, if we were to go with good old fashioned tags. The depictions of those emotional dark moments were executed well, and the comparative comfort that comes with someone or something safe.
On the flip side, it was trying hard to be something it ultimately struggled to reach. I found myself confused with Levi’s hot/cold attitude, and the lack of world building—while seemingly intentional—means there is a depth missing to the story that could have brought it to new heights. It makes a solidly grand effort and weaving symbolism and metaphors into the dream sequences, but somehow even that falls a little short—a real shame, because the idea of someone facing their own demons by the way of dream sequences is an absolute killer of a story basis.
Over all, it was a fine read. I liked Dimitri, and when he stopped being a dick, I liked Levi too. I think the author has a lot of promise moving forward if they stretch their world building legs a little more and dive a bit deeper than the surface.
Dimitri is a depressed, burnt out spy for an agency that has controlled his life from his childhood. His performance at the agency is slipping, and he is struggling to find it in him to care. His spy partner, Levi, is top of the agency, their golden child, and everything Dimitri once wanted to be. Also, Dimitri is hopelessly in love with Levi, but will never tell him because it’s forbidden by those who rule their lives.
When a mission goes wrong, both Dimitri and Levi are forced to face a few truths that they’ve been avoiding for far too long.
I enjoyed the premise of this novel. It’s exactly what it says on the tin. And it was a delightfully easy read for something handling some slightly heavier subject matter, though I wouldn’t call it outright angst. More hurt/comfort, if we were to go with good old fashioned tags. The depictions of those emotional dark moments were executed well, and the comparative comfort that comes with someone or something safe.
On the flip side, it was trying hard to be something it ultimately struggled to reach. I found myself confused with Levi’s hot/cold attitude, and the lack of world building—while seemingly intentional—means there is a depth missing to the story that could have brought it to new heights. It makes a solidly grand effort and weaving symbolism and metaphors into the dream sequences, but somehow even that falls a little short—a real shame, because the idea of someone facing their own demons by the way of dream sequences is an absolute killer of a story basis.
Over all, it was a fine read. I liked Dimitri, and when he stopped being a dick, I liked Levi too. I think the author has a lot of promise moving forward if they stretch their world building legs a little more and dive a bit deeper than the surface.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Queer spies in a weird dream dimension after their mission goes wrong? Sign me the hell up!
I liked the premise, however, „Secrets We Cradle in the Dark“ and me doing math have one thing in common: We lack focus when it matters.
There are so many plot points it delves into, and it can't seem to decide which one to focus on, something which is a necessity when writing a story with only 180 pages. Is it the spy plot? Self-acceptance and recognition in the context of therapy? Romance? Trauma? Abusive governmental facilities? Loss?
This caused a lack of crucial information, which left so many plot points unexplained and created a lot of loose ends.
You can't just put the words THERAPY GUN in front of me and then NOT expect me to have a lot of questions.
Regardless of the pacing difficulties, I loved getting some insight into the characters (even if it was a rather short one) and their dynamic, which is simultaneously incredibly stable and fluctuating between romantic and platonic like it's an Olympic sport.
So to sum up: I loved the beginning, got lost somewhere in the middle, and somehow only found my way back to the plot in the last fifty pages, where I kept fearing something bad was going to happen. This book had excellent discussions about mental health and therapy, topics that simply deserve more time to be acknowledged and worked through.
Regardless, I enjoyed the time I got with these facetious characters, even if I would have loved to get to know them better.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.
I liked the premise, however, „Secrets We Cradle in the Dark“ and me doing math have one thing in common: We lack focus when it matters.
There are so many plot points it delves into, and it can't seem to decide which one to focus on, something which is a necessity when writing a story with only 180 pages. Is it the spy plot? Self-acceptance and recognition in the context of therapy? Romance? Trauma? Abusive governmental facilities? Loss?
This caused a lack of crucial information, which left so many plot points unexplained and created a lot of loose ends.
You can't just put the words THERAPY GUN in front of me and then NOT expect me to have a lot of questions.
Regardless of the pacing difficulties, I loved getting some insight into the characters (even if it was a rather short one) and their dynamic, which is simultaneously incredibly stable and fluctuating between romantic and platonic like it's an Olympic sport.
So to sum up: I loved the beginning, got lost somewhere in the middle, and somehow only found my way back to the plot in the last fifty pages, where I kept fearing something bad was going to happen. This book had excellent discussions about mental health and therapy, topics that simply deserve more time to be acknowledged and worked through.
Regardless, I enjoyed the time I got with these facetious characters, even if I would have loved to get to know them better.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Premise:- In a crumbling dystopian agency, Dimitri and Levi are the last two adult spies left. When a mission to retrieve a "therapy gun" goes wrong, they are trapped in a shared dreamscape. To wake up, they must confront their traumatic pasts and the feelings they’ve buried for years.
It has emotional dept to it. This isn't just an action thriller, it is a deep dive into the kind of burnout that makes you feel like you are disappearing. The relationship between Levi, the "perfect" soldier and the self-deprecating Dimitri is tender and raw. It captures the "hurt/comfort" dynamic of people who have forgotten what it feels like to be human.
The concept was unique. Using a dream world to force the characters to face their demons was clever. It accelerated the romance and growth, stripping away the lies until only the truth remained underneath.
The focus was on mental health. The story critiques the "tough guy" spy trope. It champions therapy and vulnerability, showing that even in a world of silence, talking mattered.
The sci-fi elements and world-building do however require some suspension of disbelief. The "therapy gun" is more of a plot device than hard science, but it serves the emotional story well. It makes you feel something other than afraid.
If you love the "us against the world" trope and romances that focus on healing trauma rather than just spy gadgets, then this might be worth you reading. It is a story about surviving together.
It has emotional dept to it. This isn't just an action thriller, it is a deep dive into the kind of burnout that makes you feel like you are disappearing. The relationship between Levi, the "perfect" soldier and the self-deprecating Dimitri is tender and raw. It captures the "hurt/comfort" dynamic of people who have forgotten what it feels like to be human.
The concept was unique. Using a dream world to force the characters to face their demons was clever. It accelerated the romance and growth, stripping away the lies until only the truth remained underneath.
The focus was on mental health. The story critiques the "tough guy" spy trope. It champions therapy and vulnerability, showing that even in a world of silence, talking mattered.
The sci-fi elements and world-building do however require some suspension of disbelief. The "therapy gun" is more of a plot device than hard science, but it serves the emotional story well. It makes you feel something other than afraid.
If you love the "us against the world" trope and romances that focus on healing trauma rather than just spy gadgets, then this might be worth you reading. It is a story about surviving together.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
rating: 2.5 stars
I had mixed feelings about this book from the very beginning.
It was mostly due to the writing style of the author and the weird sentence structure, which made me (on multiple occasions) reread them twice or more, to fully understand what author was trying to convey. (it got better around the 50 page mark)
The premise seemed interesting at first, however the further we got, it made less and less sense and by the end it felt like the author wanted to write only chapter 14 and 15, all the previous plot completely insignificant, which is the main problem of this book in my opinion.
Next thing is: we never really got to know either of the characters; their motivations and thoughts were written shallowly. At the end I still felt like I didn't know the characters.
I also think the book would be improved if we got POVs from both characters, for if I didn't really connect to Dimitri, I was even less inclined to believe in and like Levi.
Their relationship was also not explored enough, their love felt more like codependency, rather than an actual feeling.
But the book also had it's moments; where I would laugh, scream and cry a little (although it's really easy to make me tear up, so take it with a grain of salt).
In the end I think this book wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't exactly bad either; I think it was somewhere in the middle and for that I gave it 2.5 stars, rounding up to three.
I had mixed feelings about this book from the very beginning.
It was mostly due to the writing style of the author and the weird sentence structure, which made me (on multiple occasions) reread them twice or more, to fully understand what author was trying to convey. (it got better around the 50 page mark)
The premise seemed interesting at first, however the further we got, it made less and less sense and by the end it felt like the author wanted to write only chapter 14 and 15, all the previous plot completely insignificant, which is the main problem of this book in my opinion.
Next thing is: we never really got to know either of the characters; their motivations and thoughts were written shallowly. At the end I still felt like I didn't know the characters.
I also think the book would be improved if we got POVs from both characters, for if I didn't really connect to Dimitri, I was even less inclined to believe in and like Levi.
Their relationship was also not explored enough, their love felt more like codependency, rather than an actual feeling.
But the book also had it's moments; where I would laugh, scream and cry a little (although it's really easy to make me tear up, so take it with a grain of salt).
In the end I think this book wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't exactly bad either; I think it was somewhere in the middle and for that I gave it 2.5 stars, rounding up to three.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for an advance copy of this book!
5/5stars
Firstly can we take a second to appreciate this cover hello????
But I really loved this story! In "Secrets" we follow Dimitri and Levi who work for a spy organization and are sent on a mission together and on said mission are thrown into a strange dream-like world where they are forced to face their emotions and problems they've kept bottled up inside of them. While I really enjoyed this world, the NSO, and the spy parts of this story, the real heart is with the characters. Dimitri and Levi just feel so incredibly real - both their own individual problems, anxieties, and development but also their relationship with each other. I love how we focused so much on both of them healing and growing as people, but then also how their relationship with each other was able to be exactly what they both need. They are just such wonderful characters and I adore them so much!
I highly recommend for people who want a character driven story with a big focus on healing and trauma, and with a sweet romance blooming at the center of it.
5/5stars
Firstly can we take a second to appreciate this cover hello????
But I really loved this story! In "Secrets" we follow Dimitri and Levi who work for a spy organization and are sent on a mission together and on said mission are thrown into a strange dream-like world where they are forced to face their emotions and problems they've kept bottled up inside of them. While I really enjoyed this world, the NSO, and the spy parts of this story, the real heart is with the characters. Dimitri and Levi just feel so incredibly real - both their own individual problems, anxieties, and development but also their relationship with each other. I love how we focused so much on both of them healing and growing as people, but then also how their relationship with each other was able to be exactly what they both need. They are just such wonderful characters and I adore them so much!
I highly recommend for people who want a character driven story with a big focus on healing and trauma, and with a sweet romance blooming at the center of it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A cute indulgent read with two very sweet characters to follow. I think Dimitri and Levi are both written in a way that captures the more traumatic side of spywork that's not often brought up. It's not very elaborate in terms of worldbuilding, the spy network, or the therapy gun, but as a romance, it works.
The therapy gun sequences felt a bit garbled with no clear message and imagery that didn't seem very related with what little we get about their backgrounds. I wasn't sure if it really pushed forward their romance as it wasn't clear if they were in the same dream sequence with the events that happen.
However, as a slowburn yearning romance, I think it delivers on that well. The confusing line between platonic/romantic and knowing each other down to the little quirks was a nice touch. I wish there was more about them as people and how they were raised to be spies, but as a short book, I still enjoyed it.
The therapy gun sequences felt a bit garbled with no clear message and imagery that didn't seem very related with what little we get about their backgrounds. I wasn't sure if it really pushed forward their romance as it wasn't clear if they were in the same dream sequence with the events that happen.
However, as a slowburn yearning romance, I think it delivers on that well. The confusing line between platonic/romantic and knowing each other down to the little quirks was a nice touch. I wish there was more about them as people and how they were raised to be spies, but as a short book, I still enjoyed it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I enjoyed this story so much!
I normally don't like friends to lovers, but this was exceueted so well! There was so much pining from both of them. We only got Dima's perspektive, but we could see Levi's love for him. It can be annoying to read about two characters who are in such deep denial, but here they actually had a reason why they could't confess. I LOVED their confession scenes, one of my favourites I've ever read, it was so sweet.
Dima's anxiety, fear and doubts were really well written. I liked how honest he was about his feelings, even his uglier ones such as envy. I found him really complex.
I normally don't like friends to lovers, but this was exceueted so well! There was so much pining from both of them. We only got Dima's perspektive, but we could see Levi's love for him. It can be annoying to read about two characters who are in such deep denial, but here they actually had a reason why they could't confess. I LOVED their confession scenes, one of my favourites I've ever read, it was so sweet.
Dima's anxiety, fear and doubts were really well written. I liked how honest he was about his feelings, even his uglier ones such as envy. I found him really complex.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
fun book with some absolutely wild vibes that feels a hair dizzying throughout. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews