Prey for Me

Feral Love #2

by Allie Oleander

A thrilling and sexy wager between friends turns deadly when they discover they aren’t the only ones who are preying.…

No deity has ever compelled Caine Underwood to drop to his knees in worship like Margot Walker does. Ever since the Halloween when she played Red Riding Hood to his Big Bad Wolf, he’s been chasing her attention—and betting that he can build a haunt so terrifying she won’t make it through. Now, Margot’s single and Caine’s pulling out all the stops to win their annual wager, and he wants her for his prize.

Margot understands fear. Six years ago, she unveiled her televangelist ex-husband’s sins, and the situation turned bloody. Now, being hunted and devoured by Caine isn’t terrifying, it’s arousing...but the haunted house director isn’t the only one trying to scare her.

Taunting threats commanding her to confess, repent, and atone for her sins start arriving, and when Caine discovers a zealot from Margot’s past is stalking her every move, his anger is lethal.

There’s only one man allowed to haunt Margot...

Him.

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Dark, Fiction, He Falls First

416 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2026

About the author

Allie writes romance with kink exploration and characters ages thirty-five and up. When she's not writing, she's in the woods, trying to arrange a meet-cute with Bigfoot.

Reviews

[Isabelle]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

Prey For Me continues the trend of Allie Oleander delivering insanely hot spice, paired with emotional healing and head-over-heels love. This book touches on some heavier subjects like spiritual and domestic abuse, but it never felt gratuitous or insensitive.

I really enjoyed book one, but I think this book was even better! I wasn’t sure about the thriller aspects at first, but I felt like it ended up meshing really well with Caine and Margot’s dynamic.

The real seller for me was how down-bad Caine was though. I ADORE a man who yearns, and I won’t spoil anything, but this man was yearning almost to the point of insanity 😏🤭 I lovvvvvveeeeed his energy and intensity! And all without being domineering and stifling.

Allie Oleander, I’ll read your grocery list at this point!

••••••••••
Huge thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the arc! I can’t wait to see Caine in action 😏🤭

[* A Reader Obsessed *]

4 Sequel Stars!

Willing Prey was a favorite arc read of mine for 2025, so it will come as no surprise that this sequel was highly anticipated!

Make no bones about it, this was just as titillating with a top tier MMC, but know that the tone and premise is completely different. For me, while the first book was essentially unputdownable anticipation regarding the salacious anxiety that comes from exploring primal play, this is more a darkish romantic suspense. FMC Margot is confronted by her past trauma while slowly conceding to being pursued by longtime crush Caine…. and what a pursuit it is.

“You’re going to take it, you’re going to like it, and you’re going to say thank you.”

Just like with the first book, I did not read the trigger warnings. I will admit at times, I did side eye some of Margot’s proclivities (to each their own, right?), but Caine is the perfect capable confident dominant man to put her trust in. He’s been pining for years and is totally obsessed when it comes to all things Margot, never ever wavering a smidge regarding her bossy, hot and cold temperament. He’s the bestest safe place, a master consent king, and would do anything (and I truly mean anything) for his lady love.

Overall, the writing is good. The banter and erotica even better. There’s a stalker and things get morally gray fast, but this is still a love story. Add a bit of Halloween haunting to amp up the sexual tension, and this is perfect escapism as we enter the fall season (but again, please consider those triggers). I obviously had a good time reading this and can only hope Oleander continues this series with the next Underwood sibling!

Thank you to the author and Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for a copy to review honestly


Feral Love
1. Willing Prey - 4.5 Stars
2. Prey for Me - 4 Stars

[Shaz ♡]

*4.5 - Funny, dark, chaotic and oh so hottttt, Allie Oleander has done it again 👏🏻

Masked men and fear play delivered to perfection. Caine is the ultimate golden retriever/psychopath and ya’ll know how I feel about MMCs who 💦 in their pants 😮‍💨 Obsessed with him from the jump!

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC 💌



Pre-read:
I GOT THE ARC FOR ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES! LETS GOOOO 👻

[annotated by Noi (in & out)]

This is a safe space (right?)

[♡❀Caroline. K❀♡]

Prey for Me is the second installment of the Feral Love series, and it was just as good as the first one..maybe even better, at least in my opinion. The main characters’ chemistry was HOT and chaotic in the best way.

After being introduced to them in the first book and getting those little crumbs of their story, I was SO excited to finally get their story, and it definitely delivered.

If you enjoy man-obsessed MMCs, haunted mansions, and STEAMYYY chemistry, I would definitely check this one out! 🔥

* I want to thank Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and Allie Oleander for the ARC. I'm exchange for my honest review.

[BookishKB]

🩸 Prey for Me 🩸

This wasn't quite as strong for me as book one, but I still really enjoyed it! 🖤

The vibe was very different this time around, and I appreciated that it felt fresh instead of trying to recreate the first book.

And don't worry... it was still just as steamy. 🔥❤️‍🔥 The chemistry between these two absolutely delivered!

I also really loved the ending and how empowered Margot felt by the time the story wrapped up. ❤️

⭐️ 4.5 star read!

What to Expect
🖤 Obsessive MMC
🎪 Haunted House
🔪 Romantic Suspense
❤️ Friends to Lovers
📨 Stalker Mystery
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: September 22, 2026
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Kali Dempsey]

5 ⭐ 5 🌶️

YOUR HONOR I LOVE THEM. Gahhh just absolute perfection from Allie once again, this time a little darker, but still just as many laughs and panty melting moments.

Caine. My gods this man. Golden retriever energy but he will f v c k y o u up if you mess with his girl. He was so down bad for Margot and I loved every minute. The tattoos in her honor had me melting to a puddle on the floor and all his red flags seemed an awfully beautiful shade of bright green to me.

I adored Margot too. She was so strong despite her past attempting to break her into three. But alongside her sidekick, Gremlin, she took back her life and told her ex to kick rocks (preferably from six feet under).

Read through number two was just as incredible as the beta and I'm so excited for read three on release day when I get to enjoy the audio version too. Stay tuned for what I'm sure is going to be a five headphone rating for Avery Caris and Walker Williams 💃🏻

Beta Review: Y'all aren't ready for Margot and Caine. This one's a little bit darker than Willing Prey, but the epic banter will keep you laughing despite the circumstances. The spice is hot as sin and the yearning had me melting into a puddle on the floor. I absolutely adored these two and can't wait for the world to meet them!

[Mora]

Honestly, I’m so disappointed! I really liked the previous book so much and had high hopes for this one but it was just meh and probably because I couldn’t connect with the FMC here. Plus I got so bored with the whole “abusive/stalker ex-husband” thing (also, what was that rushed ending?!)

The only thing I liked was how devoted the MMC was to the FMC. Even though I don’t really know why he loved her so much, it’s still nice to read about pathetic heroes like that.
______

Book info:

- MMC / FMC (36)
- Second chance!
- He falls first and harder
- Obsessive MMC

Safety:

- Experienced MMC… there wasn’t much detail about his past other than what we learned when the FMC asked him if he was into kink and this was his answer: “I’ve dabbled. Wouldn’t say I’m a professional, though.”
But he tried some kinks/other stuff with the FMC for the first time.
- Years ago, the FMC was married to an abusive man (they were together for six years, she was 24 at the time and they divorced when she was 30). Their marriage ended badly and he ended up in prison. He came back to get revenge on the FMC and caused problems.
- I’d say the FMC has limited experience. She wasn’t a virgin before her ex-husband… she had dated and had a boyfriend during her freshman year of college before she met her ex. When she was with her ex he made her feel ashamed of her sexual interests, so she never really got to explore them until she was with the MMC.
- If you’ve read the previous book, the FMC is the MMC’s brother’s PA (the MMC from the previous book). She volunteered to be his prey in the previous book but they stopped before anything sexual happened because they realized they weren’t sexually attracted to each other (she was trying to push herself out of her comfort zone after her divorce bc as I mentioned above her ex used to mock her for her interests, so she jumped at the first opportunity she got). All of this happened before she met the MMC.
- Five years ago, the MCs had a ONS and it was the FMC first sexual experience since her divorce. The MMC wanted more with her but she refused to be in any kind of relationship. Then six months after that, she got into a fake engagement with another man for some reasons. She was never intimate with her fiancé and ofc the MMC had no idea the relationship was fake. Anyway, the MMC lived in a different city but he and the FMC kept seeing each other every now and then over the five years since she works with his brother and they became friends. Later when he found out she was no longer with her fiancé, he moved to be closer to her. (Note: the FMC had broken up with her fiancé before the book started and he showed up once but there was no drama).
- The MMC stayed celibate during the five years, while the FMC didn’t mentioned anything about her celibacy, or maybe she did and I just missed it! I don’t remember tbh.
(I’m glad the author didn’t make the MMC move on or sleep around just because the FMC was engaged to another man).
- OMD from the FMC’s ex husband (he spent most of the book stalking her).
- No OWD:
There was one scene where the FMC compared herself to a woman the MMC was talking to (that woman didn’t cause any drama).
- No cheating/scenes with other people
- No 3rd act break up
- Pushing away from the FMC
- HFN

[Iqra]

The first half was so good but I took a break from reading for like a day or two and that maybe broke the flow of the story for me because when I returned to the book it just lost that shine. I started to become bored and skimmed most of the smut scenes.

Their chemistry was definitely there and it was hot asf but I just couldn’t be bothered with the suspense aspect because it always felt a little too predictable.

Overall it was a good book but my slump had the audacity to take that joy from me 👺

[Kelcey | felinebooktrovert ✨️]

Happy Release Day!!

This one didn't hit the same way the first book did.

It was still an easy read and had a ton of enjoyable moments. But the FMC was not doing it for me. I understand Margot was trying to find her way in multiple areas of her life, but she just used that as an excuse to be a bit of a bitch Caine, and he didn't deserve that at all. I mean, he tells her he loves her, and her immediate response is, "Get a grip." Wtf? I think I was undecided about her until that moment and then I was fully against her after that.

And the ending...so many things just glossed right over. Caine's fight with Nicholas, him killing Nicholas. Speaking of...what!? I admittedly don't remember everything about the first book, but I don't think it was so blasé about murder? Reading this series, I'm fully expecting all kinds of kinks, but casually throwing in murder didn't fit for me.

Not to mention, I feel like this series is gearing up for their sister to actually be a serial killer 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife]

I was trying to not go into the book expecting anything, and good thing. This book is not really a continuation from book 1, but the people are interconnected, and the erotic romance is just hot.

Setting the groundwork took quite a bit of the first half of the book, so it wasn’t until we were deep into the story that things really started heating up.

This theme is not one of primal play but of horror kink and fear-based romance. This one comes with a load of trigger warnings, but the one that got me was snakes. Snakes are a big no for me so from the first intro of one, I was skimming a few pages. Gross, and to be forewarned, they were not used in terms of a way to get sexy times, but in terms of death threats.

I have to say I do not think I have read a horror kink romance before, and I was okay with most of it. The author did get me a few times with the questionable snakes, and a few other play parts the main characters.

Caine and Margot are fabulous together. He has been waiting for her for years, and now it is their time, and he is not letting it go. She is coming from a crazy divorce with a big secret, and attempts to murder her are throughout. Caine is the perfect protector. I loved how all in he was.

Overall, Prey for Me is super hot and memorable. The ending is just right for the story, and it begs a re-read (most of it anyway…).

~~~~
* I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/prey-for-me-...

[Jules]

2 incredibly disappointed stars for this highly anticipated release.

Sigh...where do I begin? I was so looking forward to this book after the high I got from Willing Prey - still my fave and the best primal play I've read to date. Both Caine and Margot were featured and this book dives into their story.

Let's start with the characters. Caine is the golden retriever to Margot's black cat. We get a glimpse into their history where they hooked up 5 years prior to the book's beginning. Have to also add that Margot volunteered to be Shane's prey before their tryst. Nothing happened but it can be a bit icky to some. A few months later post hookup, she has a fake engagement that lasts for years. Both Caine and Margot see each other through the years and are attracted to each other but he doesn't make a move until she mentions she's single. Readers also find out that he stayed celibate for 5 years since they last had sex. HELL YEAH - this is where the extra star for this review came from. Margot is understandably on guard and on edge cuz her ex is back out to get her.

Typically I don't mind prickly FMC but her brand of prickly was too abrasive for me. I honestly did not see why he was so obsessed with her for years besides the hotness factor and feistiness. Idk, it just didn't connect for me.

What was annoying were the long chapters where nothing moved. I was so bored that I found myself taking looong breaks in between each chapter. There was just so much more mention of the ex than her developing relationship with the MMC that I just found it hard to stay engaged.

The introduction of Lauren was a giveaway that something was wrong. Not a huge suspense but also not an exciting twist.

This wasn't included in my KU subscription so it was $12.99 wasted.

Overall, if you're looking for the same excitement as Willing Prey, you won't find it here.

Safety - both non virgins, both celibate since their hookup, no sexual history given for him but he's more experienced than she is (no manwhore vibes though), no cheating, no sharing, no on page sex with OP.

[Adri]

This was such an absolute blast and pushed me right out of my comfort zone in the best way, earning a solid 4.5 🌟! Caine is the ultimate golden retriever MMC—he had a plan, knew what needed to be done, and was in there like swimwear—while Margot was resilient, tackling things even when they terrified her. Their haunted house meet-cute set things up perfectly, and their shared dry humour had me grinning throughout. There is the sexual exploration but I think it’s written without it becoming so much it no longer adds to the story or development. The villain was genuinely good, but Caine and Margot were such a powerhouse duo that he never stood a chance. Getting a quick glimpse of the third Underwood sibling was the cherry on top, and I’m so glad I stepped outside my usual reading bubble for this one!

[ReneeReads]

After reading the first book in this series, I knew I wanted to continue and was so excited to jump into this book. For me, the first one was slightly better but this book was still a really fun read. I think comedic dark romance is definitely a genre that people tend to love or hate but I really love it, so I just knew this book would scratch that itch. Margot and Caine are both great and I love the banter between them. Their spicy scenes were hot and I loved following along with their kinky journey.

If you are a fan of dark-ish, primal kink romance with some comedic relief, this book should be just the ticket.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 9/22/26

[fromthestudyof]

unhinged & spicy

dark elements similar to willing prey so be sure to read the full trigger warnings list!!!!

this book was at the disadvantage of me always picking it up when I was just not in the mood to read, so it took me the entire month of July to read it. Absolutely a me problem and nothing to do with the book.

[TheConnieFox]

Prey for Me is the second book in the Feral Love series. Even though this is part of a book series, it can also be read as a standalone. This novel is a lot darker than the first one. I found it to be tense, adventurous, emotional and funny. It is a medium to fast paced read, that is full of high tension. The spice in this book is extremely spicy, it surprised me! This is a friends to lovers, forced proximity romance. Overall, I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating!

Thank you to NetGalley, Allie Oleander and Berkley Publishing Group for this digital advanced reader’s book copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book comes out on September 22, 2026!

[eve (semi hiatus)]

Safety note - FMC had a crush on MMCs big brother, who is her employer and even tried primal pray with him.

─ ✦ ────
Pushing my luck, I ask, “Does he hunt you?”
“Once. I wanted to see what it was like.” She holds my gaze. “And I will never do it again.”
“Why?”
Quiet hangs between us so long I think she won’t answer. When she speaks, her voice is low, the cadence clipped like each word is fighting its way past her teeth.
“It scared me. He scared me.” Shaking her head, she adds, “I used the safe word as soon as he caught me.” Her laugh is forced, brittle. “Didn’t even make it to first base.”

"He’s an excellent employer, very professional and fair. I’ve been his personal assistant since I moved here."
sooo professional 🙄

“He didn’t proposition me. Truthfully, I had a little crush on him, so I offered. I thought it would be hot sex in the woods with my gorgeous boss. It wasn’t.”

“First week or two we tiptoed around each other.” She shrugs. “But that was last summer. We’re fine now, strictly professional. I’m actually engaged.”
──── ✦ ─

[b.andherbooks]

I really enjoyed Willing Prey, so was delighted to try Prey for Me early. I was so pleased we didn't spend as much time outdoors in the woods lol, and Margot and Caine's personal ~preferences~ were a lot of fun to watch them explore (even if i am a certified scaredy cat and could not would not go into a scary haunted house like the abbatoir).

I was a bit shocked the ending went there, but I'll save final/more thoughts for after the pub date! Definitely hit my sweet spot of emotional, funny, scary, and k1nky.

**reviewed from eARC received from Edelweiss+. Opinions on are my own; thank you to the pub & author for the review copy.

**there is a dog, who is never in peril. There are also snakes, who are scary but never hurt anyone or get killed

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle]

The second Margot admitted that her and Caine have an annual tradition where he tries to build a haunted attraction scary enough to make her lose a bet, I knew I was dealing with people who flirt like OSHA violations. Normal people get coffee. These two weaponize jump scares and sexual tension. Honestly? Weirdly adorable.

I never read the first Feral Love book, so I walked into this one like the new person at a Halloween party where everybody already knows each other's kinks. It took me a minute to get my bearings, but Caine made that incredibly easy because this man has exactly one personality trait. "Margot." Every thought circles back to Margot. Every plan involves Margot. Every inconvenience is simply something standing between him and Margot. He's basically a golden retriever who wandered into a haunted house, found one woman, and decided, "Yep. That's my entire life now."

Margot, meanwhile, has been through enough that she should qualify for emotional hazard pay. Escaping a televangelist ex who left behind a trail of violence is already enough baggage for one lifetime, and now somebody from that nightmare is determined to drag her right back into it. What I liked is that her fear never erased her sense of humor or her chemistry with Caine. She's scared because she's got a very good reason to be scared, not because the book needed somebody to rescue.

The funniest thing about these two is that they're having this ridiculously fun, flirty fear-play romance while an actual stalker keeps reminding everyone that maybe now is not the ideal time for elaborate flirting. One minute they're bantering through haunted houses and daring each other to lose a bet, the next someone is leaving terrifying messages demanding repentance. I kept thinking, "Can everyone please pick one stressful situation at a time?" Apparently not.

Caine completely won me over because underneath all the possessive growling and haunted house theatrics is a man who pays attention. He's not trying to bulldoze Margot into healing on his schedule. He watches. He listens. Then he quietly becomes the safest place in the room, which is honestly much sexier than all the brooding in the world. It's a nice reminder that devotion is hottest when it comes with actual emotional intelligence.

There was one moment where the emotional truth snuck up on me. Trauma has a way of making you feel like your life belongs to the worst thing that ever happened to you. Watching Margot slowly realize she gets to want joy anyway hit harder than I expected. Then Caine immediately said or did something completely unhinged in the name of romance, and we were right back to me laughing.

I will say the romance and the thriller side sometimes felt like two friends talking over each other at dinner. I was happily invested in both conversations, but every now and then one would interrupt the other just as I was settling in. It never made me want to stop reading, though. Mostly it made me keep turning pages because I needed to know which disaster was going to explode first.

I finished this one at 3.5 stars. Not every piece landed for me, but Caine is the kind of lovesick menace who sticks in your brain, and now I completely understand why everyone was yelling about this series. Naturally, I now have to go read Willing Prey because apparently that's how they get you.

And thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. You somehow convinced me that haunted houses are both an acceptable dating strategy and an occupational hazard, and frankly I'm sending you my therapy bill.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter]

Well… I am so disappointed. Not necessarily in the book itself, but in my experience with it. I absolutely loved Willing Prey, so I went into this sophomore novel with a LOT of excitement, and honestly, my expectations probably got the better of me.

Will people enjoy this? Absolutely. If you like stalkers, masked men, and consensual controlling-type kink, you will probably eat this up. There were definitely parts that I thoroughly enjoyed, but on the other hand, it went off the rails for me one too many times.

For one, I really didn’t like the FMC. Now, I don’t think protagonists have to be likable for me to enjoy a book, but I do need to enjoy reading them, and I just didn’t with Margot. So many of her decisions simply didn’t make sense to me, and because of that, the subplot involving her ex-husband felt more like it was there for shock value than because it authentically moved the story forward.

I also had a very different reaction to the spice in this compared to Willing Prey. In Willing Prey, the spice felt like an integral part of the story and actually helped drive the plot forward. Here, there were several scenes that felt gratuitous rather than serving any real foundational purpose. And when you’re already struggling to connect with the characters, those scenes don’t exactly help.

The audiobook experience was also a mixed bag. I read this as an immersion read with the complimentary eARC from Berkley via NetGalley and the audio ALC from the PRH Audio Influencer Program. Honestly, I needed the audio to help me get through this one because I had started the ebook multiple times and just could not get into it.

I really think this should have been a duet narration rather than dual narration. I understand that there are financial considerations when making those decisions, but there is enough chapter interaction that having the narrators actually perform together would have made a significant difference. Alternatively, I think a more skilled female narrator for the male voices would have helped.

Avery Carlis did fine with the female narration and the primary narration, but her male characters completely took me out of the story. The voices sounded so rough that they made some of the spice scenes downright cringey for me. I actually had to stop the audio during some of those scenes because I could not get past the narration. Walker Williams did a fine job with his chapters. He won’t be winning any awards for his female voices either, but they were at least more tolerable to me.

So, this is definitely a mixed recommendation, and I think it will come down to expectations going in. If you’re primarily looking for smut for smut’s sake, I can absolutely see this working for you. If you’re looking for a more nuanced plot, stronger character development, and a story where the spice feels organically woven into the narrative, this one is much more of a toss-up.

For me, unfortunately, the sequel just didn’t live up to the experience I had with Willing Prey, and that’s probably the biggest disappointment of all.

[book bruin]

Prey For Me was just the right book to help me get out of my head and forget about things for a bit. It's a dark-ish steamy romance that isn't the healthiest, but it sure was entertaining to read. There are heavier themes in the book, but I never had to worry because I knew Margot could take care of herself and also Caine would never allow anything to happen to her. This is book 2 in the series but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. Characters from the first book do appear though and there will be minor spoilers for book 1.

He falls first is a favorite trope for me and Caine could absolutely be the poster child for it. He was completely gone for Margot from day 1 and it 100% worked for me. I also loved how much they communicated their desires and kinks, but also set clear boundaries and checked in with each other. The Nicholas plot went on for too long though and resolved pretty anticlimactically (and 100% criminally). I also can’t believe I’m saying this, but some of the sex scenes were also too long and somewhat repetitive. Overall a great escapist read though and I'm hoping there might be another book in the series (maybe for Caine and Shane's sister??) in the future.

*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book*

[Sammy]

DNF at 22% which is beyond disappointing considering I spent $13 on the ebook. I really enjoyed the first book so I preordered it thinking the second book would be just as good. I can already tell I'm not going to connect with the characters. I don't want this book to prolong the book slump I'm already in. Here's to hoping my next book pulls me out.

[Natalie Waddington]

I think I went into this with really high expectations because I loved Willing Prey. It was such a relatively short, fast-paced, funny, high-sex-drive book that was just so easy to dive into. I feel like Prey for Me tried to build off that while also doing more, but honestly, I don’t think it executed those ideas very well.

In terms of plot, it felt like there were two completely separate storylines happening. On one side, we had Caine and Margot’s relationship development — the chemistry, the tension, the whole haunted house/hunting dynamic between them. Then, separately, there was the thriller aspect involving Margot’s her ex-husband chasing her, snakes appearing, and all the danger surrounding that. To me, those two plotlines didn’t blend very naturally. They felt disconnected, almost like I was reading two different books at once.

One moment Caine and Margot are together, and Margot is overwhelmingly horny all the time and then suddenly there’s a snake in her bed, followed immediately by another spicy scene. The pacing and tonal shifts just felt off. And Margot's horniness kind of took me out of the book, I think with Willing Prey, I understood it Claire better, but with this one maybe because I didn't understand Margot, her constantly wet lady bits was just more annoying than anything.

I struggled with Margot as a character because I never really felt like I understood who she was. A lot of her personality seemed rooted in the aftermath of her relationship with her ex-husband, and the emotional trauma from that made complete sense — I had no issue with that. But she felt inconsistent. One moment she was an overthinker, the next she was awkward and dorky, then suddenly bitchy and snappy with attitude. I just couldn’t really pinpoint who she was as a person.

Caine, on the other hand, I understood much more clearly. He had that adorable, obsessive, golden retriever, completely-down-bad-for-you energy, but also this kinky side that balanced him out. His darker edge, shaped by his relationship with his father, made sense and felt clear-cut. I genuinely loved Caine’s obsession with Margot — he was such a strong MMC. I love a dedicated man, I love a man who gets tattoos for his girl, and I loved that he knew when to give Margot space while still showing up when she needed him. He was really good at reading the room.

I also felt like this book took me a surprisingly long time to read (seven days) especially considering it’s not even that long. I just got bored. One minute they’d be in the haunted house (which I genuinely thought the whole book was going to focus on), then there’d be some relationship development, but it all started to feel repetitive and unfocused.

By the end, I found myself wanting to skim-read because I mostly just wanted to know how it ended. The resolution with Nicholas happened so quickly that it almost felt brushed under the carpet. After all the build-up, it was over within a handful of pages, and for me, the payoff just wasn’t worth it.

Unfortunately, I’m giving this 3 stars.

[Anna]

4.5⭐️

God Caine & Margot are sooooo fucking hot together I am obsessed them. First off I love a man obsessed who whimpers & begs, and YES WE GET THAT HERE. But I also love a woman who knows what she wants and makes her man earn it 🤪🤪

I was dying to read this after eating up willing prey last year and while this is such a different vibe (she’s grumpy he’s sunshine) but I ALSO ATEEEE IT UPPPP! Their meet cute was literally working in a haunted house together as little red & the big bad wolf and it was HOT. Literally foreplay for these two ;) and it’s years and years of temptation but the right person wrong time until it finally isn’t!!

The book of Margot 😭😭😭😭 my heart is actually melting. I wish I could’ve listened to this because listening to willing prey was an actual transcendent experience but this was still such a damn good time!

I had the best time laughing my booty off while also fanny myself because of how sexy this book was! You guys need to read it asap!!!

Type: ebook
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
Grumpy (her) x sunshine (him)
Friends to lovers
Man obsessed
He falls first
Forced proximity
Touch her & die
Kinky af (masks & chasing & more)

[Tucker Almengor]

well, i had mixed feelings on book one but i think this author has so much potential.

i've since learned that book one was originally an independently published novella whereas this appears to be a fully planned out novel under Penguin. this gives me hope that Oleander will harness her full potential and crank out a five star read

[Danielle (tbr to epilogue)]

The fact that I had to pause this book while on summer vacation because it was too hot says a lot. I picked it right back up when I got back and devoured it, just like Caine did with Margot.

Man do I love a man down bad and down bad was exactly what Caine was.
I loved how he was never deterred by her sassiness and that it only made him love her more. The fact he was aware of her anxiety and doing even the smallest, unnoticeable things to make her comfortable made him the ultimate green flag. He truly saw her and that is really hot.
Margot had been dealing with a lot and I felt for her, I know anxiety first hand and the way she dealt with it was an inspiration.

This book was funny, hot and had me at the edge of my seat at some points. It was an amazing read

[Afton]

This was such a fun take on a darker romance! We love a good cat-and-mouse game!

It had all the expected heat and spice, but I also really enjoyed that there was a deeper story about finding yourself woven throughout. The perfect mix of dark, steamy, and unexpectedly heartfelt!

[Gosia]

This book kept me off my phone till I finished it. This was my second read by Allie and again it was a 24h read.

This is my favorite type of dark romance! It’s not exactly dark but dark-ISH. The ish is a very important part of ;)
So to dark romance readers: this might be tame for you, but if you’re new to darker themes or not ready for dark-dark stuff, Allie is the author to go to! Her books are dark-ish romcoms, with perfect balance between dark and kinky stuff, funny moments and in-the-feels ones. Also with the perfect balance between real plot and spicy times.

This is just a short review for now, I will post something longer too, but for now: 5 FREAKING STARS, YOU PEOPLE SHOULD RUN TO READ WILLING PREY AND ADD PREY FOR ME TO YOUR TBR ASAP

I’m forever grateful to whoever is giving the approvals at Penguin UK. I will be thinking and screaming about this book (as well as Willing Prey) A LOT

~~~
pre-read (15.07, planning to start reading ~22.07)
I was planning to beg PRH team for a NetGalley approval/widget when I’m done with some of my July ARCs but I just got the approval today 🥹🥹🥹 and it was my third approval from PenguinUK in a week? Guys I love you I love you I love you

[Donielle Taylor]

Halloween Horror Nights scare actors WISH it could be this fun bts

This went from ‘just one chapter’ to reading the whole book in a day. This book was right up my horror movie loving alley. Spooky scary unique Halloween vibes mixed with an obsessive yearning man was PERFECT. I think this is what I expected Butcher & Blackbird to be. I couldn’t put this book down and I didn’t WANT to put this book down. I will absolutely be rereading this during the Fall.

This plot was perfectly fleshed out and I thought all aspects of the story were engaging even the weird villain. This book was so fun and the fact that there was no third act breakup and they worked through their problems like adults was the cherry on top of the cake. I can NOT wait to see more from this series!!

HUGE thank you to NetGalley & Berkley for this ARC & Allie Oleander for one of my new fav stories ❦

[Cat]

I really had such high hopes for this book but unfortunately it was a DNF. I struggled with the layout of the plot and the romance between the main characters - I really enjoyed the underlying plot between the FMC and her ex-husband, that almost stopped me from DNF-ing. I honestly, could have done without the romance story and purely read this as a thriller because that was the only thing redeeming it for me.

I got 54% into this one and am devastated to have DNF-ed it. I do think that this could have been made better if there wasn't so many character introductions and the throwbacks made clearer. The story was thrown together and I was confused most of the time. Had no idea what was going on, which then led me to not really care. Unfortunately, the book has left left me in a bit of a slump.