Devil Owned

by A.V. Blackmoor

I stole from the Devil. Now I belong to him.

I thought I was invisible. Quiet, shy, a nobody with sticky fingers and a terrible secret. Until I stole the one thing I shouldn’t have. Now I’m locked away, captive to an obsessive man.

Damien Wells is the CEO of the Devil corporation, and he rules the state. He rules me too, and somehow, I’m beginning to crave his cruel possession.

I guess after all these years of being invisible, I’ve grown lonely. Terribly lonely. It’s a sickness, and Damien Wells is the only man who can cure me. If he doesn’t kill me first.

A high-steam dark forced-proximity romance featuring a morally grey alpha anti-hero and a quiet, broken heroine.

high-steam dark romance, captor/captive, forced proximity, BDSM, power imbalance, possessive obsession, morally grey MMC, age gap, crime, psychological tension, suspense

This is a very dark romance. Please read the content note at the beginning of the book. Your mental health matters.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Adult, Forced Proximity, Spicy

345 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2026

Reviews

[ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Devil Owned by A.V. Blackmoor
ARC Provided By: Netgalley, Victory Editing
Expected Release Date: 01|29|2026
Genre: Dark Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Seraphina + Damian
Main Tropes: Captor/Captive, Stockholm Syndrome

This books main theme is the captor/captive trope. While I don’t read many books with this type of trope, this was well written. It dives in fast and doesn’t stop once it hits the mid plot points. I did get slightly bored because of the way Seraphina was just locked into a room with nothing to do and it lasted for a while in the book.

You get multiple opportunities to dig deep into her past and how she was raised, and doing so builds her character so well. She has been through a very rough life and her part in this book as an adult only got worse.

For Damian, his character was done well. We don’t see his back story but we do get his current dominant/captor side. He goes back and forth to wanting Seraphina and not. We do get a glimpse into his crime side and the things he’s involved in.

Overall, this was a great read that highlights captor/captive & stockholm syndrome very well. I’ll definitely be reading the next book.

✨ T r o p e s + T r i g g e r s ✨
Abusive Boyfriend
Force Feeding
Captor | Captive
Possessive | Dominant MMC
Forced Proximity
Age Gap
Power Imbalance
Crime
Kidnapping
Stockholm Syndrome

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a ride this story is. From start to finish I never knew what to expect. She is definitely dark and unhinged so check those triggers.

You know the story is good when you can simultaneously love and hate a character. Damian is that man- like man is he all the red flags that we love but also, like don't do our girl dirty. He is obsessive and possessive (we love to see it) but maybe goes about it less than ideally. But it's ok, he will redeem himself.

And the end- that cliffhanger (I always go into books blind so I had no idea there would be a cliffhanger) and the way I was SHOOK. I can't wait for the next book

[Malissa Antonios · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Stockholm Syndrome is your trope this book is for you.


Seraphina Connor goes from having a horrible childhood, invisible to the world, to an even worse adult hood. This poor girl cannot catch a break. After one impulsive steal at the wrong place wrong time, she finds herself abducted by the DEVIL organization.


Damien Wells is the head of the DEVIL organization. A childhood gang of 5 boys who started up a multimillion dollar company. When the girl he has been secretly obsessing over, unknowingly steals a nanochip that could bring down his whole organization, he has no other choice than to abduct her.


*Abduction

*Punishment 

*Obsession 

*Morally Grey MMC

*Age-gap

*Forced Proximity 

*Dark Romance 


This is a very intense story. A whole lot of trigger warnings in this one! I love that! It is very descriptive writing and I could really put myself in Seraphinas shoes. Some of the choices she makes i would probably do a lot of the same things as her, but at some points, I questioned her thought process. The jellyfish scene in question.

 I can't figure out if I love Damien or hate him. He is super obsessive, and infatuated with this girl, but definitely has an abusive way of showing it. This has a lot of edging with its spice. Completely forgot it was a duet until the ending cliffhanger. 


I am looking forward to book 2.



**Thank you to Netgallery for providing the ARC

[Holly Towe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book was so good, it drew me in immediately!! FMC raised in a horrible world that just kept getting worse. MMC sooo obsessed with her, but struggled to show he cared while trying not to disappoint his brother. The plot was well thought out and kept me captivated! Loved!!!

[Dianne Qualls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely thrilling! I loved the twist and turns the author took me on in this book. Damien is the man we all want to figure out and then you have his obsession… I’ve never felt so much for a female main character she called to me and I felt like I was bonding with her through the whole book.. I promise just when you think you know how this story goes you will be surprised at just how wrong you are!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review!!!!

Wow!! I have read some dark romance this book though is extreme. I don’t think I have read anything like this. I did enjoy the book fully! The story is great the characters you find who you love and who you hate. Damien and Seraphina are a crazy fucked up dynamic. The highs and lows of this book keep you reading the Stockholm Syndrome is incredible and well written. Girl touched starved and just melts for her captor! Does not end on a HEA and ends on a cliffhanger can not wait to read book 2

[Jasmina · Rating 5 out of 5]

my goodness so good 💯😊✨✨💯 and the end ???? !! loved it

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked from page one. Poor broken Seraphina. Of course hooked and will definitely be reading the next one to find out what happens.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devil Owned — A.V. Blackmoor
⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶🌶
Genre: Dark Romance
Tropes: Captor/Captive, Stockholm Syndrome, Obsession,
Morally Grey MMC, Age Gap, Forced Proximity, Power Imbalance.

If Stockholm Syndrome is your trope, this book will absolutely work for you.

Seraphina Connor has had a brutal life—neglected as a child and barely surviving adulthood. One impulsive theft at the wrong place and wrong time lands her in the hands of the DEVIL organisation. Enter Damien Wells: obsessive, controlling, morally grey to the core, and the head of a powerful criminal empire. When Seraphina unknowingly steals something that could destroy everything he’s built, abduction becomes his solution.

This is an intense read with a lot of triggers. The writing is very descriptive, and it’s easy to put yourself in Seraphina’s head—her touch-starved vulnerability is portrayed well, and at times her reactions made complete sense. Other times… I questioned her choices (the jellyfish scene still lives rent-free in my head).

Damien is a difficult MMC to pin down. I genuinely couldn’t decide whether I loved or hated him—and honestly, that’s kind of the point. His obsession borders on terrifying, and his version of “care” is undeniably abusive. The spice leans more toward edging and tension than payoff, which worked for the story but may frustrate some readers.

My main drawback was pacing—there were moments that dragged, particularly when Seraphina’s confinement felt repetitive. That said, the psychological elements and emotional highs and lows kept me invested.

I completely forgot this was a duet until that cliffhanger ending. No HEA here—but I am curious enough to continue.

Overall: Dark, uncomfortable, obsessive, and psychologically charged. Not perfect for me, but compelling enough that I’ll be picking up book two.

[Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: 3.5/5 • Spice: 2.5/5 ————> Poor little orphan girl, Seraphina. She steals to trade for her boyfriend’s meth addiction. Until one day she’s in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets caught shoplifting. The DEVILS grabbed her.


Damien, the D, of the Devils has been watching her on the camera for some time. Already obsessed with her before they even take her. The think she snatched a nanochip they need for covering up a murder. She has no idea wtf they’re talking about, but they don’t believe her. She’s held captive for 7 days before Damien moves her into an apartment.


She’s has lived a lonely life. She seeks companionship and is craving touch. Which is why she so easily falls for the crumbs of attention that Damien gives her. Very stockholm syndrome-y.


A rival tricks her into escaping the apartment she’s been trapped in. They take her under a warehouse and ultimately make her seem like the one who stole the nanochip. Thankfully Damien comes to her rescue, but doesn’t believe she had nothing to do with it.


There’s a lot of the same back and forth for a while. Did she take? is she innocent? blah blah blah. This ends on a huge cliffy. And there’s a sneak peak chapter into the next book @ the end. 👀👀👀👀 can’t wait to snatch that up and continue.

[Perdita The Reada]

I love a good dark captive romance and I was very excited to read this book when I read the blurb about it, however I will warn you that it's not for the faint of heart. The FMC has an incredibly heartbreaking backstory and the way she is treated throughout the majority of the book will only break your heart more. Another thing worth mentioning is that there is miscommunication/lack of communication between the MMC and FMC for 75% of the book and I found it beyoooonnnddd frustrating. It's clear that there are strong feelings between them and though it is obvious in their actions regarding each other, it's not said outright which just leads to more heartache and confusion in an already heartbreaking story (and I'm a sensitive empathic individual and can only feel so sad and helpless for our FMC for so long.) HOWEVER! The last 25% of the story definitely makes up for it and even though it ends on a cliffhanger I look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out.

[Stacey | Booktok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a book! This was my very first ARC and I was not disappointed.

Marketed as a dark romance (which it absolutely was), I was pleasantly surprised at my own thoughts on the genre - a dark romance thriller.

I loved the suspense and twists in this book. It kept me on edge throughout. With a good level of spice to boot, this book was a captivating and fantastic read.

I loved the back story of the FMC and it helped to understand her distrust in men however, it would have been good to have a bit more back story about the MMC. That being said, the lack of back story did not take away from my love of the character.

Leaving a cliffhanger ending which made me want to rage (as I was sooo invested!), the preview of the second book of the duet left an exciting taster of what's to come.

The only thing I'm left wondering about is...Lucy?! Is she as loyal as Damien thinks??

I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next one in the duet. I will be waiting!

⭐: 4.5
🌶️: 3

[Isabella 💖 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen y’all, I don’t normally rate books below 3. I can count on one hand out of the 600 books I have read on here below 3 stars. This book was so bad. Terrible.
This poor woman. Her whole life, men have treated her like shit. And yknow what the MMC does? Abuses her, humiliates her, the works. His friends do it too. Try to kill her multiple times behind MMC’s back. She is a pawn in everybody’s game. And at the end (I know it’s a duet but still), the man STILL treats her like absolute garbage. He has no respect for her. He has like no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
I love dark romances a whole lot, but this didn’t read as romance at all. He saw her only as a possession, nothing more. So sad for her. She deserved much better than him. :(

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get your red flag blinders on...

This book was an intense captor/captive romance. It messed with my emotions big time. This is not a "light" dark romance read. Damien the MMC is morally black and absolutely unhinged. The FMC Seraphina is the ultimate definition of Stockholm syndrome. I had a love/hate relationship with these MCs.

Things started pretty fast at the beginning of the book then it slowed down building up in intensity once he holds her captive and he gradually gets more unhinged. Damien is obsessed and OTT possessive over Seraphina. She's young and naive about a lot of things considering she hasn't led the easiest life and is big-time starved for affection. Their dynamic is beyond intense. I was not expecting where this book went and loved being surprised in the end.

This is book 1 in the Devil duet but I wasn't expecting how that cliffhanger would shake me making me eager for book 2. I'm going to need some redemption in the next book.

Tropes:
Captor/Captive
Stockholm syndrome
Billionare
Morally grey alpha MMC
Possessive/Obsessed
Forced proximity
Slow-burn
Age-gap
Explicit
BDSM

Check TW

Thank you NetGalley and A.V. Blackmoor for the opportunity to read this book.

[Fedythereader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and the publisher, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for sharing an ARC of this book with me !!!

Spicy, fifty shades like. Very very very dark. Very complicated. You should definitely check the trigger warnings before diving into this kind of book. But I enjoyed every single second of it. Every moment. Every intense emotion. It was a lot. And it was hot. It was passionate and it was wrong. And it was addicting !!! I really enjoyed it !!! And I honestly cannot wait for the next one !!

[Helen Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I started this slightly sceptical but was won over by about a third of the way in. On face value it’s a young vulnerable girl being held against her will but falling fast for her captor. Hmm I couldn’t really decide between stupid or Stockholm syndrome but gave that one the benefit of the doubt.
The number of trigger moments is quite impressive but sensitively handled and worked well into the storyline fairly seamlessly. There is domestic abuse, murder, rape, gangland wars to name but a few topics but the darkness feels authentic rather than gratuitous. Same goes for the racier scenes, the right number and definitely part of the storyline rather than just because. I quite warmed to Seraphina and her increasingly tragic backstory and personal strength of character and feistiness.
I was suitably engaged enough to be eager to read the next chapter and see what happens next with the characters, especially given the cliffhanger ending. Read as an ARC and grateful for the opportunity, happy to recommend.

[The Baker and the Bookmark Nikki Montalvo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, dark and sexy mafia romance! I received this as an early read and am freely giving my opinion. Seraphina is smart, sassy and destined for trouble. Damien is obsessed with her willing to destroy partnerships and the world to keep her safe. Such an exciting read! Loved it! Running to get book 2!

[Donna Danverd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beyond frustrating. ***SPOILERS***

I can't for the life of me figure out how this generated such high ratings. I'm no stranger to the notion of suspended disbelief, but I've read books about Imortal, Shifter, Space Alien, Vampires, that were more believable, than this. I understand the need to display a bit of contrasting thoughts or actions to create a character with conflicted feelings, but at some point, things need to align, in order to make sense. This never does. Even when it gets close, its done in such a childish way I just rolled my eyes. The MMC, Damien, is supposed to lead this all powerful, criminal brotherhood, refered to as DEVIL, (for the 1st letter of the 5 members names), but it's an absolute joke. They're just a band of high school dropout, misfits, that swing from ride or die, to wanting to undermine, beat, or kill each other. Their dialogue is childish, and so conflicting, that I had to reread passages to make sure I didn't misunderstand anything. Damien didn't ever seem to hold any confidence from the group, and visa versa, except when it tried to reestablish solidarity, that just wasn't there. Damien's obsession with our sad little doormat of a MFC, (Seraphina), was all over the place also. It begins with some kind of altruistic scenario where he allows her to shoplift from DEVIL's high end, grocery/luxery department store. LOL. When she unknowingly snatches a perfume , that supposedly holds an incriminating microchip, she's captured by DEVIL, and is labeled "pet" by them. This flips Damiens switch, and she is now his property. He acts as if he's just trying to prove he's not distracted by his obsession with her, by inflicting harsh punishment, but his inner dialogue shows he really gets off on the cruelty. Of course Seraphina is instantly drawn to him. Way too soon for Stockholm syndrome, which is the only plausible explanation, given her lifelong history of chronic abuse. Everything ranges from improbable to impossible repeatedly. Actions and words often contrast character establishment. Damien holds back having actual genital to genital sex because he wants consent, but performs every other kind of invasive sexual act upon her in the form of punishment? Actually his favorite form of punishment, most often, is to simply leave her in isolation. For someone so over the top obsessed, he seems to prefer watching her stare at blank walls, over being in her presence. He is in my top 5 most disliked MMC's of all-time, and she is right up there with the least liked MFC. DEVIL suspects a traitor in the inner circle, but even when its the most obvious to the reader, Damien dismisses them immediately. He just never comes off as competent, or confident. There are also placement and time jumps that are confusing, and took me out of the story often. Just one example is repeatedly referencing to be careful of stitches, six months after the injury. Stitches either dissolve or are removed 10 to 14 days. After six months you would have a well healed scar. Oh...and that whole waiting for sex thing? Just casually referenced to in the end that they have it all the time now. WHAT? Everything is so jarring and perplexing. This was constantly a DNF for me. This book was an exercise in frustration, because it had such great storyline possibility. Sadly it was just so poorly executed., that it's potential was wasted. Even more than frustrating is, that it's very specifically, one of my favorite genres. Dark, non-con, romance/ crime novel. When done well like Anna Zairs, Shantel Tessier, and Natasha Night, just to name a few, I can't get enough. After rereading this, I know this sounds harsh but it really was a big disappointment. I struggled through to the end, but won't put myself through the slog of reading the next in series. I couldn't care less what happens to these characters, and that right there says it all.

[Brenda A · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very dark and disturbing
Necessary spoilers if you want an honest review.
Difficult to finish. Strange and disturbing It is different and I'm not sure how I feel about it the writing is really good intensive and it keeps you glued to the book. However the poor MFC has never had anything but abuse. She is emotionally starved 19 years old. The MFC is 37 he kidnaps her punishes her sexually and beats her her with a belt quiet often. She's so starved for attention that she begins to fall for him. Even though she gets punished for the slightest, even accidental infraction. Towards the end of this book there was so much abuse towards the MFC by so many characters in the book that it became really hard to finish. I wished I had never started this book. I got invested in the book hoping it would get better but it got worse. I wish I could find an author that could understand that abuse is not foreplay it's abuse. If you like an MMC who beats a woman he supposedly loves with a belt and leaves open broken skin and unconscious you might not mind this book I prefer an MMC who protects not abuses women I would have given this book a five but for every time the MFC was stripped beaten and stabbed I took a point away. So it should be a minus 5. Also it ends in a
This book was very different, and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. The writing itself is intense and compelling—it definitely keeps you turning the pages. Unfortunately, the content made it incredibly hard to finish.
The heroine is only 19 years old and has known nothing but abuse her entire life. She is emotionally starved and desperate for connection. The hero, who is 37, kidnaps her, repeatedly punishes her sexually, and beats her with a belt—often for the slightest, even accidental, infractions. Despite this, she begins to fall for him, largely because she craves any form of attention or affection.
As the story progresses, the abuse escalates—not just from the hero but from multiple characters. By the end, it became overwhelming and deeply disturbing. I kept reading, hoping things would improve, but instead, they only became more brutal. I genuinely wish I had stopped sooner.
I understand dark romance isn’t meant to be light, but for me, abuse is not foreplay—it’s abuse. I prefer a male lead who protects the woman he claims to love, not one who repeatedly harms her to the point of broken skin and unconsciousness.
I would have rated this much higher for the quality of the writing alone, but every time the heroine was stripped, beaten, or stabbed, it cost the book another point in my eyes. By the end, my rating felt like it had dropped well below zero. The author did the trigger warnings which I appreciate but I had no idea that the abuse would go on until the end. Therefore I would not recommend this book.
Also worth noting: the book ends on a cliffhanger and I will not be reading the next one.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good stalker-kidnapping-possessive-obsessive-dark romance and this book is certainly that!
————————————
Let’s get into why I gave this book 3 stars.
————————————
When I first received this book, I was enthralled. It started out great and I loved it. As previously stated, I love all of the major themes of a story such as this. It pretty much begins straight away, also something I enjoy about books. I admit I am a shameless insta-love book lover. Would I consider this book insta-love? Yes, partially. Okay, so I was enthralled with the beginning but I just kind of got bored around the middle. The mmc has already established his stalking tendencies and methods before the story begins, so we don’t have to endure a long and arduous explanation of his camera installations (like some other books). Which I’m very grateful for because I just don’t need all of that, honestly. However, since we jump into the story head-on, the tone was already set and we just kept reiterating the tone for a good portion of the story. And, admittedly, I got quite bored. Like I said, I don’t need the exact camera specs he used for his stalking, (this is not provided btw, I’m using hyperbole) so I also don’t need to be told, “he wanted her but it wasn’t good for DEVIL” or whatever 20 times. Ya’ know? You get to make excuses 3 times and that’s the maximum. Like, be a grown man and be with her, or don’t. Anyways, this poor girl though, she had it rough. Like nobody, and I seriously mean nobody, treated her well. I enjoyed the beginning, I could’ve skipped majority of the middle and still get the premise, and greatly enjoyed the ending. The twists at the end were, mwah, chef’s kiss.
———————————
So, why 3 stars? I give quite a few books 4 stars. Which essentially is “that was good but I didn’t like this or that aspect” and 5 stars is “omg that is a special and divine gift from God with everything I was wanting in that moment.” This book offered aspects I loved, which are stated above but there were too many aspects that I didn’t like to equate a 4 star rating for me.
———————————
Questions:
Was it hot? Yes
Will I read the duet? Yes
Do you feel bad for the fmc? Yes
Should the mmc have serious criminal charges brought against him? Yes
Is that how we like our mmc’s? Yes
———————————
Thank you for reading my review!
I received this as an ARC and I am forever grateful for opportunities like this! ♥️

[Robyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars for Devil Owned

Devil Owned by A.V. Blackmoor starts with an intriguing and terrifying prologue that leaves our hearts racing and immediately feeling sympathy for the FMC, Seraphina, while setting the MMC, Damien, up for dislike.

Opening line: “I hit the ground running.”

We’ve immediately been thrown into a primal chase but it’s for Seraphina’s life, not for desire, and she’s terrified as she runs from her pursuer.

“I don’t know what he’ll do to me when he catches me. I don’t want to find out. I can still feel the cold steel of his gun against my temple.”

The prologue ends with her pursuer finding her hiding and then we are plunged into the story where Seraphina is a shoplifter for her meth-head boyfriend, living in an abusive relationship, in a town where people are lucky to make it out alive.

Through a rather random set of circumstances (wrong place, wrong time, which is par for the course for someone from the wrong side of the tracks), she finds herself kidnapped and being held by the leader of the Devil corporation — Damien. The corporation, made up of Damien, Everest, Vale, Igor, and Logan, looks clean cut and shiny on the outside but on the inside they are a criminal organization that rivals gangs and mafias, with political connections that would make it next to impossible to bring them down.

What follows is a story of a psychological manipulation and abuse for Seraphina at the hands of Damien, whether he realizes what he’s doing or not, actual light torture by members of the Devil cooperation in an attempt to get information out of an innocent girl, and isolation that causes Seraphina to start to crack and see Damien as her savior.

“ What’s the fun in being a predator if you don’t even frighten your prey?” - Damien

“ That’s right. No one is allowed to spoil her except me. And I have no intention of doing that anyway. I’m more interested in… hurting her.” - Damien

“ I can’t keep myself in an iron grip anymore, the way I’ve done my whole life. Control is an illusion. He’s taken it away from me, and all I can do is submit.” - Seraphina

“I would have found a way to possess you anyway. You’re mine, and you always have been.” - Logan

But is Damien her savior, or is he the puppeteer pulling the strings on her nightmares?

Read this if you like;
⛓️ Captive Romance
🖤 Protective/Possessive MMC
⛓️ Innocent/Naive FMC
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
⛓️ Stockholm Syndrome
🖤 Morally Grey Captor
⛓️ FMC with traumatic past
🖤 Criminal Organization
⛓️ Touch Her & ☠️

This is a DARK ROMANCE so please check your content/trigger warnings! Cannot wait for the second book of this duet to release!!

[Renae Simangan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was interesting…

If love captor/captive dark romance then this book might be the one for you.

Seraphina is used to the abuse, she’s used to surviving in the bad parts of her neighborhood. Until one day she is mistakenly captured and held captive while she was shoplifting by the famous corporation…DEVIL. Damien, the head of DEVIL corporation has been secretly searching Seraphina shoplift at his store for a long time. And now that his corporation has her, he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe from the hands of his enemies and even the other heads of the DEVIL corporation.

I urge you to read the trigger warnings before reading this book. It’s very dark. We have a morally black MMC who will have you so confused on whether you actually like him or you just want to slap the sh*t out of him. And then we have a QUIET FMC. Now if you’re looking for a feisty FMC with claws I suggest you keep walking. Seraphina is not the girl for you. She has been abused her entirely life, forced to be seem but never heard. Seraphina barely talks and hates to be touched but there’s something about Damien’s touch that makes her feel at ease first the first time in her life.

This book touches a lot on sub/Dom play. And there is some abuse from the MMC to the FMC. Their relationship is not easy or happy. It is toxic and all consuming. There were many tjmes I wanted to cringe and slap both characters. Damien was constantly doing things that he knew would hurt Seraphina’s feelings but be kept doing it, telling himself that she’ll be mad but she knows him and she knows he would never willingly hurt her. And Seraphina doubts Damien’s love all the time. She doesn’t believe he actually loves her, she thinks he would hurt her eventually and throw her aside, but she wants to choose him no matter what he does to her.

Although this was hard and a little cringey for me to read and there were times the pacing was so slow and boring (like there were chapters where Seraphina was just staring at the wall) I will continue to pick up the next book. When the plot started picking up it was starting to get interesting. I think I even saw some semblance of character development towards the end. Seraphina may be a quiet submissive girl but she shows that she will do anything to protect Damien, including unaliving someone. And Damien is literally the touch her and 💀 character. So I will continue and see where this takes me.

[Moonburst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seraphina is gifted at being ignored, and she uses that ability to survive by shoplifting. When she shoplifts the wrong thing, she finds herself kidnapped by the billionaire CEO of the powerful Devil Corporation. Though it's clear she has nothing to do with the missing nanochip, Damien refuses to let her go, claiming he owns her. As the danger to both Damien and Seraphina grows, she has to decide whether to trust her growing attraction to Damien or find her freedom.

Seraphina is an extremely passive character. Having grown up in an abusive household, she's learned to float through life without fighting or speaking up for herself. She also seems to be very intent on physical control of herself, which doesn't really make sense with her extreme passivity. From what glimpses we see from her background, she's never had any control at all, and her actions show she doesn't want to gain control for herself. It makes for a strange dichotomy between her internal dialog and her actual situation, and also makes it difficult to emphasize with her. While learned passivity makes sense as a self-protective measure, it doesn't make for an interesting read.

Damien similarly frustrated me. He's reported to be cunning and ambitious, but the plotting around him is so laughably obvious that even in his distracted state, he really should have caught on faster to what was happening. He makes a surprising amount of assumptions, which seemed to be more necessary to keep him in the dark of the greater plot, rather than reasonable assumptions for someone in his position to make. I also found it bewildering that he almost never asked Seraphina anything of importance. Given the suspicions surrounding her, he should have at least asked why she shoplifted what she did or why she was scared of his fellow devils. His lack of interest in Seraphina really undermined the believability of his feelings toward her.

Devil Owned is a dark romance with a heavy captivity plot line. While there was some interesting dissection of the internal psychological states of the main characters, the characterization and relationship stayed fairly superficial. It unfortunately lacked the gut punch I look for in my darker reads.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[addictedtodarkromance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saraphina had a rough life and now, at 19, is living with her boyfriend, who is into drugs. He's forcing her to steal to keep things, but ends up taking the wrong thing from the wrong person - she doesn't realize that she was being watched.

Damien, the one watching her, finds her intriguing and is curious to know more. When she steals the wrong thing from them, he knows she needs to be captured. When she comes to from being drugged, she notices that the guys are from the Devils Corporation, and overhears them say that they need to unalive her; luckily, Damien Wells walks in before they do and takes her away with him. If anyone asks, though, he denies having any feelings towards her at all, as it'll make him seem weak in their world.

I really felt for Seraphina and all the horrors she went through, even before all of this happened. She can't seem to catch a break. But she learned to survive and isn't willing to give in.

Damien Wells is the billionaire CEO of the Devil corporation and cannot show any weakness to the others in the group. He's dominant and confident, and respected.

There was a bit of a slow part that was drawn out. I thought Damien would demand more than he did - even though he was an alpha. I was so angry at some of the things she went through while "in Damien's protection," as he had to keep up the pretense that he didn't care for her (as it could put everyone in danger, and I think he was in denial).
 
 I'm hoping the second book comes out soon!!
 
Overall: 4 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice/Heat: 2 out of 5 🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Damien & Seraphina
Type of book: MF, Fast Burn, Dual st Person POV
Reading Order: Duet
Title: Devil Duet- Devil Owned: Book 1
Audiobook: n/a as of Jan 2026
Epilogue: Yes
Ending Type: HEA
 
 
*OTT dominant, and protective MMC
*Age-Gap
*BDSM Vibes
*Power Imbalance
*Kidnapped/Captive
*Forced Proximity
*No cheating or sharing
 
 
⚠️ This book has pitch-black themes; there are descriptive parts that may be offensive or triggering to some. Please check all the authors' TW/CW before reading! 18+ ⚠️
 
*I received an early copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Kari McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

*sent as an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review*
4 Stars
3 Spice
Genre: Dark Romance
Tropes: Kidnapping, Captivity, Agegap, Morally Pitch Black MMC, Touch Her and Die
Main Characters: Seraphina Conner and Damian Wells

Seraphina grew up in a life that would give anyone nightmares. Now at 19 she lives in a basement apartment with her drug addict boyfriend, reduced to petty theft to pay for his habit. One night, she goes to a department store she frequents to steal perfume to pay a dealer. Normally, no one sees her enough to stop her. But on this night, she steals a certain bottle that gets the attention of the wrong people. Devil is a multimillion dollar corporation and owner of the store she stole from. Their leader, Damian has had his eye on her for some time but when she steals that bottle, with tech hidden inside it, he feels he has no choice but to capture her and hold her as his prisoner.

Holy buckets, what a wild ride! This is definitely dark and definitely unhinged. Most definitely a captivity story with an air of suspense when Devil gets pitted against a opposing company, Angel, and there’s a good chunk of the story where it’s hard to know who to trust and who to believe.

There are many triggering topics in this book, so please head to them if you need to. Damien is not your average hero, and sometimes you adore him and others you want to slap him silly for being so mindless to what’s really going on. And oh did I feel for Seraphina! She was already broken prior to her captivity, and watching the realistic thought processes she goes through on this rollercoaster while she’s trapped at Devil is both understandable and completely heartbreaking.

ENDS ON A CLIFFHANGER. I knew that going in and it still blind sided me. There are a few things that aren’t totally cleared up (though enough that you don’t feel blind sided) and some of the back and forth of Damien’s actions towards Seraphina can get a little confusing a points. Overall, however, this was a really in-depth story and if you like dark and unhinged, it’s worth the read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seraphina has been living in poverty her entire life, she is now forced to steal to support her boyfriend’s drug habit. Her favourite location to steal from is the Devil Grocery Store. One night, she notices that her usual perfume is locked up, she grabs an open bottle from the counter, only to be chased out of the store. When she walks out, she is grabbed and ends up finding herself locked in a room with the Notorious Devils, accused of stealing a nanochip. When she refuses to admit guilt, she finds herself locked away in a cell, before eventually being moved to a locked apartment. There she spends weeks alone, visited only sporadically by her captor, and despite knowing better, she finds herself craving his visits.

Damien is the billionaire CEO of the Devil Corporation, for the past year, he has been watching Seraphina as she stole from the store. Having warned his staff not to approach her, he was content watching her on the security cameras, until his hand was forced when she took the one item she wasn’t supposed to. Now he finds himself obsessed with his pet, often neglecting his own duties to watch her on camera, to his own detriment. When the Devils are threatened by a possible mole within their organization, he finds himself having to decide whether to prioritize his pet, or the family he’s made since he was a child.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley, and while I felt that the first 3/4 of the book was a bit slow, I did enjoy it, especially when things picked up towards the end. The time Seraphina spends locked in the apartment seems to be a bit repetitive, with Damien watching her stare at walls, coming in, pleasuring her (or not), and then leaving her for days at a time, however, we do see his affection for her growing, even if he refuses to admit it. This is the first book in the series and with the cliffhanger ending, I look forward to seeing how things play out in book 2.

[Dark Bedroom Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favourite quote:

“That constant frustration, that constant need, drives me crazy. And I love it.”

Devil Owned (Devil Duet #1) by @avblackmoor (debut, JAN 29)

ARC Review. No spoilers.

Here’s what this book made me think…

When it feels like there’s nothing left to live for, when there’s no one to care, no place to come back to, fate can turn everything upside down and place you into loving, caring hands. And sometimes it doesn’t matter what those hands are stained with, what they do for a living, or what happens behind closed doors.

And when you think you’ve made all the choices yourself, it turns out someone made them for you. For a while it may feel wrong or cruel, but in the end… it might be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Love doesn’t follow a codex. No rules, no taboos, no matter bank accounts or age gaps. The only thing that truly matters is what works best for those two souls.

Seraphina and Damien are breaking, reshaping, healing, and simply… loving in their own way.

As dark and heavy as the themes are, the story itself felt surprisingly heart-warming.

This world is very easy to slip into. There are no too much details, the writing is smooth and it reads fast (mostly because I couldn’t put it down). It’s captivating and some of the plot twists genuinely surprised me.

I had a tiny pause the moment the meaning behind the word “devil” in the title was revealed - I actually thought, oh wow… clever.

There was only one thing that made me double-check the genre - the FMC’s eye color… I’ve only ever seen that in fantasy books…

I’m very intrigued and absolutely need to know what happens next. Like… yesterday.

Thanks @booksirens for this ARC - I’m hooked and waiting for part two!

Keywords: dark romance, captor/captive, morally grey & possessive MMC, age gap, forced proximity, psychological tension, debut, 1st person dual POV, 18+ / TW

⭐️ Stars: 4/5
🌶 2/5
🖤 Darkness level: 3/5

[Molly Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖤⛓️Bold and spicy dark romance debut, releasing January 29th! 😈🗝️

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2, rounding up to 4 stars

Devil Owned is a seductive debut from A.V. Blackmoor and a must read for dark romance fans who love captive romances and aren’t afraid of trigger warnings! 🖤🔥 Devil Owned delivers a mix of spice, obsession, murder mystery, billionaire power, mafia dealings, and major yearning and control. I was desperate to figure out the ending and binged this book in a day.

Billionaire CEO Damien Wells is a devil in every sense of the word, known for his criminal empire and clean-cut public image. When Seraphina Connors shoplifts from Damien’s department store, she unknowingly steps into the middle of mafia dealings and all but seals her fate as his captive. Seraphina’s raw hunger for intimacy, shaped by a lifetime of abuse and neglect, is raw and painful. Damien’s obsessive fixations are so overpowering he struggles to maintain control of his empire. And a backstabbing rat tries to unravel it all.

While I found myself craving deeper character development, the restraint felt intentional, mirroring Seraphina’s own deprivation and lack of control. As a reader, I felt starved alongside her… and somehow, it worked beautifully (and I just had to be patient!). The characters are deeply troubled and the emotional turmoil left me wanting to scream at Seraphina and Damien to get their sh** together!! The plot had me HOOKED and I was SHOCKED at the cliffhanger. I thought I had it all figured out, and was pleasantly surprised to have gotten my predictions wrong. Absolutely a fun, binge-worthy read!!

I’m new to dark romances, but now I’m hooked! Congratulations to A.V. Blackmoor on a bold and spicy debut, releasing on January 29th. Thank you to NetGalley and A.V. Blackmoor for the opportunity to read this ARC early. 📚🩶 So worth it!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this dark romance a 3.5 ⭐️ rating (rounding up to 4).

As dark romances go, this wasn't the darkest one I have read but I was pretty quickly pulled in and invested in where things were going.

Our FMC, Seraphina (love her name) is a broken mess of a person and there were times that this really bothered me but then I had to keep reflecting back on her upbringing and backstory to remind myself that she lived a pretty shitty life. There were some things that felt a bit odd to me like the fact that she is smart but doesn't have a ton of education or hasn't had much exposure to the world. She also lived with someone for 5 years who was supposedly her boyfriend but had very limited sexual experience. Some of that felt like it didn't quite fit but didn't ruin anything for me.

We have a dominating and twisted MMC in Damien Wells and I like that we get the dual perspective in this book so we can get inside his head and the level of obsession that he has for her. I thought we might get some sort of reverse harem or why choose situation at first because of the other men who make up DEVIL. We get to know about each of them in different ways but there isn't a romantic link to our FMC.

This definitely has Rina Kent vibes especially since their situation is quite messed up in regards to how they fall in love and the overall power dynamic of their relationship. That said, I don't think the book puts up any pretense about that aspect of the book and the overall darkness. After all, everyone in this book is shady or deplorable in some way.

Book ends on a cliffhanger and sets you up for the next book in the duet, one can only imagine where things go from here!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Bookend Adventures · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an arc review.

"Now, as I stare up at Damien Wells, I realize he doesn’t scare me because he’s capable of destroying me. He scares me because something deep down tells me I’d let him."

Devil Owned is about Seraphina getting caught up in the Devil corporation's criminal side. Damien (the Ceo) finally has her in his grasp and doesn't plan to let her go.

This book flips back and forth between the fmc and mmc pov, and then randomly towards the end it includes time jumping.

***Spoilers***

Damien is a man who gets what he wants and overtime does learn that he does have a softer side under all his evil, but he has a major flaw of communication. He keeps assuming Seraphina, his captive, knows what he is thinking and feeling in the moment. Which leads to so many problems. The man also keeps harping about his power he's losing. It's a constant battle for him with one of his partners.

Seraphina, this poor girl, horrible life growing up and it just continues to be shit. She's in the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes captive to Damien. Immediately, Stockholm syndrome and I will say she didn't lose her fight as much as I thought she would. But still, so much miscommunication and this girl (she's 19 so I'm gonna call her a girl) is put through the ringer the whole book. All the way to the end, leading into the 2nd book. She can't catch a break.

I will say the spice was nice, the balcony was a new one for me. I honestly couldn't wait to see what Damien had in store. I think there was a few missed warnings; there should be a warning for almost rape and labeled this a miscommunication trope.