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The Way We Rot
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Expected 19 May 26Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 24, 2026
ARC Review -
This was my second Hazel Black book and, of course, it was a wild ride! The story gets better the longer you read, building up to an explosive ending. I wasn’t aware it was no HEA, but honesty, i didn’t WANT a happy ending for these two, and i know they didn’t want it either. I do think the ending was a little bit rushed, the last chapter could have been a bit longer but maybe that’s just because i wanted a little bit more from Adrian in the end, but i don’t know exactly WHAT it is that i wanted.
This was my second Hazel Black book and, of course, it was a wild ride! The story gets better the longer you read, building up to an explosive ending. I wasn’t aware it was no HEA, but honesty, i didn’t WANT a happy ending for these two, and i know they didn’t want it either. I do think the ending was a little bit rushed, the last chapter could have been a bit longer but maybe that’s just because i wanted a little bit more from Adrian in the end, but i don’t know exactly WHAT it is that i wanted.
March 22, 2026
4.5⭐️
I’m in love with the FMC! She is absolutely unhinged and I loveeeeed it! I do feel the ending was missing something but overall I LOVED THE STORY! The way I gasped at the end of part 1 and beginning of part 2! This is the kind of unhinged that feeds my soul🤣
I’m in love with the FMC! She is absolutely unhinged and I loveeeeed it! I do feel the ending was missing something but overall I LOVED THE STORY! The way I gasped at the end of part 1 and beginning of part 2! This is the kind of unhinged that feeds my soul🤣
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW
I can say without a doubt that hazel black has done it again! I’ve never read a hazel black book and been disappointed they will blow your mind!
Penny/Penelope is my hero. really. I’m not sure she’s meant to be perceived that way but I got alieen wuornos vibes.
Then you have CO darling the knight in shining polyester uniform or so you think.
Prisoner/guard trope done right!
I knew why penny did what she did I think most will and you can also understand why co darling feels what he does. But then they have this magnetic energy that from the start you can tell is really confusing for the both of them up until the end. I mean they really found someone to match their freak.
They were both broken and they never wanted to heal or fix each other pure toxicity that I couldn’t take my eyes off of.
It’s hard to find a good non-hea but this one right here is a favorite I definitely recommend
some of my favorite quotes
Excerpt From
The Way We Rot
Hazel Black
This material may be protected by copyright.
“He needed to hear it before he left this earth and spent his afterlife reliving what took him to his death. His actions, and his alone.”
“Not a shit nor a shower in peace or privacy unless I was in here.”
“I reveled in it, scratched it and watched my skin redden with the drag of my nails. A red line through the sheen. Perfection. ”
IYKYK
“She existed under my skin now; we were burrowing into each other free roaming and unfettered. ”
“the opposite, I guess, their deaths could have kissed in the middle,”
AGAIN IYKYK
“She was evil, but her evil had infested me, made me rot, turned me into a monster like her.”
“I told her everything.Until there was nothing.And soon, I was rotting with her.”
“Penelope Karner was broken from the moment she was born.”
Excerpt From
The Way We Rot
Hazel Black
This material may be protected by copyright.
I can say without a doubt that hazel black has done it again! I’ve never read a hazel black book and been disappointed they will blow your mind!
Penny/Penelope is my hero. really. I’m not sure she’s meant to be perceived that way but I got alieen wuornos vibes.
Then you have CO darling the knight in shining polyester uniform or so you think.
Prisoner/guard trope done right!
I knew why penny did what she did I think most will and you can also understand why co darling feels what he does. But then they have this magnetic energy that from the start you can tell is really confusing for the both of them up until the end. I mean they really found someone to match their freak.
They were both broken and they never wanted to heal or fix each other pure toxicity that I couldn’t take my eyes off of.
It’s hard to find a good non-hea but this one right here is a favorite I definitely recommend
some of my favorite quotes
Excerpt From
The Way We Rot
Hazel Black
This material may be protected by copyright.
“He needed to hear it before he left this earth and spent his afterlife reliving what took him to his death. His actions, and his alone.”
“Not a shit nor a shower in peace or privacy unless I was in here.”
“I reveled in it, scratched it and watched my skin redden with the drag of my nails. A red line through the sheen. Perfection. ”
IYKYK
“She existed under my skin now; we were burrowing into each other free roaming and unfettered. ”
“the opposite, I guess, their deaths could have kissed in the middle,”
AGAIN IYKYK
“She was evil, but her evil had infested me, made me rot, turned me into a monster like her.”
“I told her everything.Until there was nothing.And soon, I was rotting with her.”
“Penelope Karner was broken from the moment she was born.”
Excerpt From
The Way We Rot
Hazel Black
This material may be protected by copyright.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of ARC provided by Author
Hazel Black does horror erotica so well and The Way We Rot is no exception, deliciously twisted with so many scenes that make you squirm this one is one of her best. Penelope Karner is a serial killer, any man in her mentally unstable mind is capable of rape and will carry it out. After witnessing the aftermath of her younger sisters sexual assault Penny takes matters into her own hands and deals out her special brand of justice. Her last kill however isn't planned and a spur of the moment decision which leads to her capture. Fast forward to 8 years later and Penny is serving her time with no hope of release. In comes a new CO Adrian Darling and he has his own agenda where Penny is concerned. So begins a twisted game between the pair with both thinking they have the other just where they want them But who will win ? Often brutal and sometimes heart breaking the way we rot is a wild ride and it's reveals leave you conflicted and empathetic towards Penny. I couldn't put this down.
Hazel Black does horror erotica so well and The Way We Rot is no exception, deliciously twisted with so many scenes that make you squirm this one is one of her best. Penelope Karner is a serial killer, any man in her mentally unstable mind is capable of rape and will carry it out. After witnessing the aftermath of her younger sisters sexual assault Penny takes matters into her own hands and deals out her special brand of justice. Her last kill however isn't planned and a spur of the moment decision which leads to her capture. Fast forward to 8 years later and Penny is serving her time with no hope of release. In comes a new CO Adrian Darling and he has his own agenda where Penny is concerned. So begins a twisted game between the pair with both thinking they have the other just where they want them But who will win ? Often brutal and sometimes heart breaking the way we rot is a wild ride and it's reveals leave you conflicted and empathetic towards Penny. I couldn't put this down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“I plan to destroy you little killer. Will you let me?”
Infinite stars. This book was the definition of a WTF moment! This author is known for pushing your limits and forcing you out of your comfort zone. No matter how dark that zone maybe 😈
But this one was quite the push. This book was wild and full of mutually assured destruction.
Darling and Penny deserved one another in the worst way. Both of the seeking revenge and finding it hard to enact the revenge without destroying themselves and each other.
Part One with this book was the definition of watching a peach rot. You buy it with every intention of eating it. But it’s not quite ripe yet. So you wait. And you admire. You think about it. But you leave. Part Two comes along and initially you think it’s still good. Slowly softening. And you watch it until it’s too late. The bottom half is now mush completely rotten. And there is no saving it.
Or maybe you eat it anyway because sometimes the very best things are rotten. Sick and Twisted.
Thank you again to the author for this ARC. It was an absolute honor.
Infinite stars. This book was the definition of a WTF moment! This author is known for pushing your limits and forcing you out of your comfort zone. No matter how dark that zone maybe 😈
But this one was quite the push. This book was wild and full of mutually assured destruction.
Darling and Penny deserved one another in the worst way. Both of the seeking revenge and finding it hard to enact the revenge without destroying themselves and each other.
Part One with this book was the definition of watching a peach rot. You buy it with every intention of eating it. But it’s not quite ripe yet. So you wait. And you admire. You think about it. But you leave. Part Two comes along and initially you think it’s still good. Slowly softening. And you watch it until it’s too late. The bottom half is now mush completely rotten. And there is no saving it.
Or maybe you eat it anyway because sometimes the very best things are rotten. Sick and Twisted.
Thank you again to the author for this ARC. It was an absolute honor.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐
I devoured this one! This is pitch black erotic horror and Hazel Black's own brand of unsettling horror.
Penelope Karner is a serial killer who doles out vigilante justice to rapists after her sister was assaulted. She lands herself in jail and catches the attention of CO Darling, a guard whose kinks & proclivities rival Penelope's. You never quite know who is playing who in their cat and mouse games but then a twist sees their dynamic change and things become very unhinged!
New truths are revealed, the dynamic becomes even more toxic and sinister. Revenge, control, grief and trauma are at the root of this pitch black story and despite how incredibly dark and macabre it is, sometimes you still find yourself rooting for those who seem non redeemable. I loved this... please check triggers and content warnings!
I devoured this one! This is pitch black erotic horror and Hazel Black's own brand of unsettling horror.
Penelope Karner is a serial killer who doles out vigilante justice to rapists after her sister was assaulted. She lands herself in jail and catches the attention of CO Darling, a guard whose kinks & proclivities rival Penelope's. You never quite know who is playing who in their cat and mouse games but then a twist sees their dynamic change and things become very unhinged!
New truths are revealed, the dynamic becomes even more toxic and sinister. Revenge, control, grief and trauma are at the root of this pitch black story and despite how incredibly dark and macabre it is, sometimes you still find yourself rooting for those who seem non redeemable. I loved this... please check triggers and content warnings!
March 24, 2026
The Way We Rot by Hazel Black is a horror erotica/splatterpunk novel and this book is DARK!!! Make sure you check the trigger warnings before reading as there are lots and this book is graphic!
I did not know what to expect from this book but it totally destroyed me! This book is an extreme taboo novel and it seriously delivered.
This story is set in prison and is centred around Penny, who is in prison for brutal killings of men, including one that raped her sister. Our sexy prison guard, CO Darling takes an interest in Penny and she soon becomes his “Little Killer” I thought this was going some kind of dark/messed up ‘romance’ as we have a slow burn, forbidden romance and some very hot prisoner/prison guard action BUT there are some major surprises in the story that totally shook me!!! Although this features no HEA, it ends in a hauntingly beautiful way and I would recommend this book if you like your books pitch black with both main characters being totally unhinged!!
I did not know what to expect from this book but it totally destroyed me! This book is an extreme taboo novel and it seriously delivered.
This story is set in prison and is centred around Penny, who is in prison for brutal killings of men, including one that raped her sister. Our sexy prison guard, CO Darling takes an interest in Penny and she soon becomes his “Little Killer” I thought this was going some kind of dark/messed up ‘romance’ as we have a slow burn, forbidden romance and some very hot prisoner/prison guard action BUT there are some major surprises in the story that totally shook me!!! Although this features no HEA, it ends in a hauntingly beautiful way and I would recommend this book if you like your books pitch black with both main characters being totally unhinged!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW:
Wow...
Penelope is a woman seeking "revenge" completely in psychosis due to past trauma and revenge for her little sister. She is a serial killer in the most fcked up way who will kill any man who she thinks is capable of r@ping her.
Co darling looking for revenge for his baby brother n has become sick due to the obsession. He works his way up from being a police officer to a co in a high security prison.
The build up, the twists, written perfectly for a horror erotica.
She pushes n gets under his skin n plays the game. He is sick n obsessed with owning her life and her death.
It's all sorts of fcked up n disgusting but so so well written. Throughly enjoyed this n it killed my slump
Wow...
Penelope is a woman seeking "revenge" completely in psychosis due to past trauma and revenge for her little sister. She is a serial killer in the most fcked up way who will kill any man who she thinks is capable of r@ping her.
Co darling looking for revenge for his baby brother n has become sick due to the obsession. He works his way up from being a police officer to a co in a high security prison.
The build up, the twists, written perfectly for a horror erotica.
She pushes n gets under his skin n plays the game. He is sick n obsessed with owning her life and her death.
It's all sorts of fcked up n disgusting but so so well written. Throughly enjoyed this n it killed my slump
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW - advanced copy received from Author.
Holy. Fucking. Shit. This was INCREDIBLE.
This is a PITCH BLACK / TABOO romance. Please ensure you’ve read the Trigger Warnings before reading this book.
If I could give this 10⭐️ I would. The way Hazel writes makes you feel sympathy for even the most twisted and fucked up characters.
It was so refreshing reading a story where the FMC is the “villain” rather than the MMC. That being said the MMC is pretty fucked up too.
I read this book in a day, and only previously committed plans sat in the way of me and reading this book. It was gripping.
5⭐️
5🌶️
Holy. Fucking. Shit. This was INCREDIBLE.
This is a PITCH BLACK / TABOO romance. Please ensure you’ve read the Trigger Warnings before reading this book.
If I could give this 10⭐️ I would. The way Hazel writes makes you feel sympathy for even the most twisted and fucked up characters.
It was so refreshing reading a story where the FMC is the “villain” rather than the MMC. That being said the MMC is pretty fucked up too.
I read this book in a day, and only previously committed plans sat in the way of me and reading this book. It was gripping.
5⭐️
5🌶️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC
Who is manipulating who
This is all kinds of f'd up and i couldn't look away
Omg @authorhazelblack knows how to write messed up but keep that spark of interest going... for me anyway, this won't be everyone's cup of bloody tea, but I love this $h!+, lap up every twisted, dark, depraved second
If you love a FMC with the biggest dose of women's revenge, serial unaliver, who is totally unhinged and psychotic. A MMC who is equally vicious and debauched and in his revenge era too, together make the most immoral twisted pair that will have you cringing, gagging, shocked off your seat.... then read away.... 🤣
Who is manipulating who
This is all kinds of f'd up and i couldn't look away
Omg @authorhazelblack knows how to write messed up but keep that spark of interest going... for me anyway, this won't be everyone's cup of bloody tea, but I love this $h!+, lap up every twisted, dark, depraved second
If you love a FMC with the biggest dose of women's revenge, serial unaliver, who is totally unhinged and psychotic. A MMC who is equally vicious and debauched and in his revenge era too, together make the most immoral twisted pair that will have you cringing, gagging, shocked off your seat.... then read away.... 🤣
Review of advance copy
🔪🩸ARC REVIEW🩸🔪
Penny & Adrian
This was such a good read.
Adrian definitely lost his mind after his brother's death. He wanted justice and revenge, and boy did he get it and then some...
I loved Penny and her fearless attitude. She never gave up, although it looked like she was resigned to her fate...She was feisty and mouthy.
I loved how much Adrian struggled with his actions. He was a good man, but his need for vengeance got in the way of his humanity..
This was definitely gory and some parts were CRAZY but so good I couldn't look away...The end was fitting. I really enjoyed their connection and the push and pull between them.
Penny & Adrian
This was such a good read.
Adrian definitely lost his mind after his brother's death. He wanted justice and revenge, and boy did he get it and then some...
I loved Penny and her fearless attitude. She never gave up, although it looked like she was resigned to her fate...She was feisty and mouthy.
I loved how much Adrian struggled with his actions. He was a good man, but his need for vengeance got in the way of his humanity..
This was definitely gory and some parts were CRAZY but so good I couldn't look away...The end was fitting. I really enjoyed their connection and the push and pull between them.
Review of advance copy received from Author
*ARC Review*
Where does evil go once it is born? There are always debates about nature vs. nurture when the subject of evil people is brought up. Here, however, is an example of both. Hazel Black delivered us two characters with equal amounts of hate and evil that manifested in different ways. Penny is said to have been born with evil in her heart. Darling, a good man turned sour, Love is not black and white it is gray and murky. Both Penny and Darling delve into the atrocities that humanity is capable of. But, who will come out on top? Evil and hate will fester and there is no winning.
Tropes
Pitch Black
Both Unhinged
Revenge
Prisoner x Guard
No HEA
Where does evil go once it is born? There are always debates about nature vs. nurture when the subject of evil people is brought up. Here, however, is an example of both. Hazel Black delivered us two characters with equal amounts of hate and evil that manifested in different ways. Penny is said to have been born with evil in her heart. Darling, a good man turned sour, Love is not black and white it is gray and murky. Both Penny and Darling delve into the atrocities that humanity is capable of. But, who will come out on top? Evil and hate will fester and there is no winning.
Tropes
Pitch Black
Both Unhinged
Revenge
Prisoner x Guard
No HEA
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is NOT a romance book
This is DARK and SO good!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please check the trigger warnings, but if you like the darkest of dark reads like me, then this is just for you 😜
Penelope, doing the only job her mind ‘tells’ her to do…..but what next????
CO Darling………what is he reasons for doing what he does??? And to what end????
This is a VERY DARK read! I really enjoyed this read and could feel the reasonings from both points of view
The ending perfect 👌
🪡 🔪 🩸 👊 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
This is DARK and SO good!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please check the trigger warnings, but if you like the darkest of dark reads like me, then this is just for you 😜
Penelope, doing the only job her mind ‘tells’ her to do…..but what next????
CO Darling………what is he reasons for doing what he does??? And to what end????
This is a VERY DARK read! I really enjoyed this read and could feel the reasonings from both points of view
The ending perfect 👌
🪡 🔪 🩸 👊 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW:
First things first, this book is DARK! Pleaseee make sure you check triggers!
This book is about CO Darling and Penelope.
Hazel writes such good dark books and this one was no different! All of the plot twists and the suspense were perfect. I kept trying to guess how it all was going to play out in the end, and I was never right😂 if you want something super dark with a lot of gore and all the things, this book is it!
First things first, this book is DARK! Pleaseee make sure you check triggers!
This book is about CO Darling and Penelope.
Hazel writes such good dark books and this one was no different! All of the plot twists and the suspense were perfect. I kept trying to guess how it all was going to play out in the end, and I was never right😂 if you want something super dark with a lot of gore and all the things, this book is it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I did not know how bad I needed this book until I read it! You are pulled in and captivated from the very beginning. I loved how utterly consumed Adrian and Penny were with each other no matter how hard they tried to deny, ignore, and fight it.
A quote from one of my favor scenes---“You don’t get to claim your death today"
A quote from one of my favor scenes---“You don’t get to claim your death today"
Review of advance copy received from Author
OMG this book was such a dark ride and I loved every second of it!
If you love pitch black and have no triggers, I HIGHLY recommend this book.
If you love pitch black and have no triggers, I HIGHLY recommend this book.
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