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The Hunting Ground
Six months ago, Lilah escaped the pink room. Now Bunny hunts the hunters.
After surviving Gabriel Mire's twisted "training" at the Institute, the woman once known as Lilah has remade herself into something deadlier than her captor ever intended. Armed with the very skills meant to break her, Bunny stalks through the underground networks that trade in human misery, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.
Each kill brings her closer to finding Gabriel—the man who shaped her into the perfect victim, then vanished, leaving her to discover she could be so much more. But hunting monsters means becoming one, and Bunny's not sure there's enough humanity left in her to survive what she's becoming.
Enter Nathan Cross, a dangerous man with his own dark agenda who sees past Bunny's blood-stained hands to the fractured girl beneath. Together, they navigate a world of trafficking rings and shadowy facilities, each violent encounter pushing Bunny further from the victim she was and closer to something she can't quite name.
But as the hunt intensifies and long-buried memories surface, Bunny must confront the most terrifying question of What if the real monster isn't the one she's hunting—but the one she's become?
And what if she likes it?
A dark psychological thriller about trauma, transformation, and the terrible price of survival. The second book in the Institute series pushes boundaries and challenges everything you thought you knew about victims, villains, and the spaces in between.
After surviving Gabriel Mire's twisted "training" at the Institute, the woman once known as Lilah has remade herself into something deadlier than her captor ever intended. Armed with the very skills meant to break her, Bunny stalks through the underground networks that trade in human misery, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.
Each kill brings her closer to finding Gabriel—the man who shaped her into the perfect victim, then vanished, leaving her to discover she could be so much more. But hunting monsters means becoming one, and Bunny's not sure there's enough humanity left in her to survive what she's becoming.
Enter Nathan Cross, a dangerous man with his own dark agenda who sees past Bunny's blood-stained hands to the fractured girl beneath. Together, they navigate a world of trafficking rings and shadowy facilities, each violent encounter pushing Bunny further from the victim she was and closer to something she can't quite name.
But as the hunt intensifies and long-buried memories surface, Bunny must confront the most terrifying question of What if the real monster isn't the one she's hunting—but the one she's become?
And what if she likes it?
A dark psychological thriller about trauma, transformation, and the terrible price of survival. The second book in the Institute series pushes boundaries and challenges everything you thought you knew about victims, villains, and the spaces in between.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 24, 2026
Possible Spoilers
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The Hunting Ground by Jeanette Clarke, the second book in the Mire Institute series, takes everything from book one and pushes it even further. This book focuses on Bunny and her journey of finding herself after everything she endured. The conditioning, the control, and the aftermath of it all. Watching her struggle and slowly come out on the other side was both intense and compelling.
There were so many moments that had me pausing, especially the reveal about Nathan being Gabriel’s brother. That twist added a whole new layer to the story and made everything feel even more tangled. The reconditioning elements were unsettling, but in a way that kept me completely hooked.
And that ending… What a twist, ugh... I’m still sitting here like *what the hell just happened?!* It absolutely leaves you hanging and desperate for answers, which means I’ll definitely be picking up book three to see where this goes next.
Overall, this was a dark, gripping continuation that keeps you invested in the characters and the mystery surrounding the Mire Institute. If you enjoy psychological twists and character-driven tension, this series is worth diving into. Check the trigger list. Xo 💋
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**
***
****
*****
******
*******
********
*********
**********
The Hunting Ground by Jeanette Clarke, the second book in the Mire Institute series, takes everything from book one and pushes it even further. This book focuses on Bunny and her journey of finding herself after everything she endured. The conditioning, the control, and the aftermath of it all. Watching her struggle and slowly come out on the other side was both intense and compelling.
There were so many moments that had me pausing, especially the reveal about Nathan being Gabriel’s brother. That twist added a whole new layer to the story and made everything feel even more tangled. The reconditioning elements were unsettling, but in a way that kept me completely hooked.
And that ending… What a twist, ugh... I’m still sitting here like *what the hell just happened?!* It absolutely leaves you hanging and desperate for answers, which means I’ll definitely be picking up book three to see where this goes next.
Overall, this was a dark, gripping continuation that keeps you invested in the characters and the mystery surrounding the Mire Institute. If you enjoy psychological twists and character-driven tension, this series is worth diving into. Check the trigger list. Xo 💋
February 8, 2026
This Series…Is A Mindf**k
I am now annoyed I have to wait for the next book to be released months from now. Feeling like I have whiplash! Also a little traumatized honestly. This book also gives me a little bit of that awful feeling realizing something like this could actually happen…like the Handmaids tale made me feel. Some things confuse me with the first book and then comments in this book. Like the mention that Gabriel has never truly been with Lilah. He had been though. They do warn you in the beginning and I read a lot of dark romance. This is the first in a long while that has me unsettled. Phew!
I am now annoyed I have to wait for the next book to be released months from now. Feeling like I have whiplash! Also a little traumatized honestly. This book also gives me a little bit of that awful feeling realizing something like this could actually happen…like the Handmaids tale made me feel. Some things confuse me with the first book and then comments in this book. Like the mention that Gabriel has never truly been with Lilah. He had been though. They do warn you in the beginning and I read a lot of dark romance. This is the first in a long while that has me unsettled. Phew!
January 26, 2026
This one was twistier than the first from what I remember. Wasn't sure who to believe until the 'twist.' Not sure how I feel about that, really. Guess, we'll see in the next book.
P.S. Vague on purpose to avoid spoilers.
P.S. Vague on purpose to avoid spoilers.
January 28, 2026
I don't know what's real anymore. What an absolute mindfuck.
February 24, 2026
my mind is so blown right now. June needs to hurry and get here. I need to know what happens next.
February 27, 2026
OMG😭 the emotions this series is taking me through!! I hated Gabriel so much and now I’m so confused. It’s February and I have to wait till JUNE for book three 😭
5/5 stars
Not very spicy.
5/5 stars
Not very spicy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews