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Souls in Ruin
Book One of the Soulbound Series
A marriage forged in blood. A kingdom bathed in silence. And a princess whose soul refuses to shatter.
When Princess Mireille is wed to a foreign king with cold eyes and colder intentions, she expects distance, perhaps cruelty, not chains. Kept imprisoned within her own kingdom’s walls, she learns her father’s past sins are not easily buried, but neither is she.
As her world twists into something unrecognizable, Mireille finds herself caught between two powerful beings—one who wants her obedience, and one who wants what little soul she has left.
Yet, Mireille was not born to kneel.
Souls in Ruin is the first book in a dark fantasy series about survival, obsession, and the quiet fury of a woman who refuses to be forgotten. For readers who love myth-drenched romance, morally dark men, and heroines who rise from ruin.
This book ends on a cliffhanger. For CWs, please check the author's website.
A marriage forged in blood. A kingdom bathed in silence. And a princess whose soul refuses to shatter.
When Princess Mireille is wed to a foreign king with cold eyes and colder intentions, she expects distance, perhaps cruelty, not chains. Kept imprisoned within her own kingdom’s walls, she learns her father’s past sins are not easily buried, but neither is she.
As her world twists into something unrecognizable, Mireille finds herself caught between two powerful beings—one who wants her obedience, and one who wants what little soul she has left.
Yet, Mireille was not born to kneel.
Souls in Ruin is the first book in a dark fantasy series about survival, obsession, and the quiet fury of a woman who refuses to be forgotten. For readers who love myth-drenched romance, morally dark men, and heroines who rise from ruin.
This book ends on a cliffhanger. For CWs, please check the author's website.
635 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2026
1681 people are currently reading
23986 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline White
2 books482 followersJacqueline White is the author of Souls in Ruin, the first book in The SoulBound Trilogy, a dark romantasy series exploring divine power, obsession, and fate. She writes emotionally rich fantasy stories for adult readers, blending slow-burn romance with high stakes and morally complex characters.
When she’s not writing, Jacqueline enjoys crafting new Spotify playlists, rereading her favorite books, and drinking too much overly sweetened coffee. She lives in New York and is passionate about creating stories that linger long after the final page.
When she’s not writing, Jacqueline enjoys crafting new Spotify playlists, rereading her favorite books, and drinking too much overly sweetened coffee. She lives in New York and is passionate about creating stories that linger long after the final page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,132 reviews
January 23, 2026
If Rain of Shadows and endings had a child with Feathers so Vicious.. meet Souls in Ruin.
I’m not sure what this says about me.
I’m not sure what this says about me.
December 22, 2025
The first time she met the man who would become her husband, she arrived dressed in black to mourn her own freedom. From that moment, I knew she was going to be ✨that b*tch✨. Did I understand every decision she made? Absolutely not. Did some of her choices leave me tilting my head like a confused golden retriever? Several times. But bored? Nope
From the beginning, the heroine was bold, defiant, and totally unimpressed by the hero’s reputation. Meanwhile, he was instantly hooked and secretly thrilled every time she pushed back. Sparks were everywhere 🧨The chemistry was chaotic!
I.e. on their first meeting, he said…
"If I smell him on you again, Princess," he whispered, voice velvet-wrapped in venom,
"I'll rip every vein from his body and string you a necklace. A wedding gift, if you will."
I was locked in !!
The plot did not play. I went in expecting a big twist around the halfway mark, but the author said, ‘Nope, here you go at 25%.’ Suddenly I was feeling every emotion, questioning every character, convinced I knew who the villain was (fyi. I didn’t). And then it got dark. Like, dark dark. It happened fast, do not blink.
This book gave me serious Torment: Part One and Feathers So Vicious vibes because of how unpredictable it was. I didn’t know who to root for or which direction it would go. Glimpses of the future teased me, but ‘the darkness’ made every character’s redemption uncertain. It kept me on edge the whole way.
Now, despite all the positives, this book did lose points along the way. From around 60% to the end, some of the heroine’s choices got confusing. She was indecisive because of her situation, leaving me constantly unsure whose side I should take and who the love interest was…I thought I had my bearings, knew where the story was headed, and where the FMC stood… and then everything flipped again.
Her emotions can be chaotic, but you have to understand that this is a woman who has never really known love, only rejection and dismissal. So just keep that in mind.
I don’t want to go into more details because I’d probably ruin it, and I think there are so many unexpected moments that you should experience yourself. I will say it’s entirely from the heroine’s POV, which gave me a totally different appreciation. I don’t know why I’m so lucky lately with the single POVs at the moment.
Honestly, after this whole review, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I think positively…but it’s one of those reads that takes a couple of days to fully process… so I might need to revisit 😅
From the beginning, the heroine was bold, defiant, and totally unimpressed by the hero’s reputation. Meanwhile, he was instantly hooked and secretly thrilled every time she pushed back. Sparks were everywhere 🧨The chemistry was chaotic!
I.e. on their first meeting, he said…
"If I smell him on you again, Princess," he whispered, voice velvet-wrapped in venom,
"I'll rip every vein from his body and string you a necklace. A wedding gift, if you will."
I was locked in !!
The plot did not play. I went in expecting a big twist around the halfway mark, but the author said, ‘Nope, here you go at 25%.’ Suddenly I was feeling every emotion, questioning every character, convinced I knew who the villain was (fyi. I didn’t). And then it got dark. Like, dark dark. It happened fast, do not blink.
This book gave me serious Torment: Part One and Feathers So Vicious vibes because of how unpredictable it was. I didn’t know who to root for or which direction it would go. Glimpses of the future teased me, but ‘the darkness’ made every character’s redemption uncertain. It kept me on edge the whole way.
Now, despite all the positives, this book did lose points along the way. From around 60% to the end, some of the heroine’s choices got confusing. She was indecisive because of her situation, leaving me constantly unsure whose side I should take and who the love interest was…I thought I had my bearings, knew where the story was headed, and where the FMC stood… and then everything flipped again.
Her emotions can be chaotic, but you have to understand that this is a woman who has never really known love, only rejection and dismissal. So just keep that in mind.
I don’t want to go into more details because I’d probably ruin it, and I think there are so many unexpected moments that you should experience yourself. I will say it’s entirely from the heroine’s POV, which gave me a totally different appreciation. I don’t know why I’m so lucky lately with the single POVs at the moment.
Honestly, after this whole review, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I think positively…but it’s one of those reads that takes a couple of days to fully process… so I might need to revisit 😅
September 1, 2025
4.5+ stars... I'll be back once I collect myself okay
The words of Souls in Ruin feel like beautiful emo poetry - lush, aching, and unflinching. This is one of those books where you can feel the author’s pen bleed on the page, and it’s equal parts mesmerizing and brutal.
From the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. I was enjoying it - but then around the 25–30% mark, the story took a turn that had me absolutely sat. The unraveling of the characters, the way their layers were peeled back piece by piece, was done with such deliberate precision that every moment felt like a revelation.
What stood out most to me was how unapologetically dark this book is. Mireille is imprisoned, tormented, and trapped in a world that wants to shatter her - but she refuses to break. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story where the FMC spends the entire book in captivity, and yet remains so defiantly alive, her voice sharp and unyielding. It almost reads like journal entries, each one dripping with defiance and quiet fury.
The morality here is pitch black. You hate these characters, you love them, and you hate that you love them. They are obsession, torment, and hunger personified. Honestly? It’s like Love Is Blind: Dungeon Edition.
This book is not soft. It will tear your soul up, make your chest ache, and leave you somewhere between horror and awe. The prose is lyrical and haunting, every word intentional, the kind of writing that forces you to stop and feel it.
By the end, I’m team “whatever Jac tells me to be.” I don’t know where this series is going, but I know I’m all in.
If you’re craving a true dark fantasy - macabre yet hypnotic, with a heroine who puts the fury in feminine rage and morally black MMCs who will ruin you - this belongs on your shelf. If you want characters to admit their deepest desires that they shouldn't want or say... with no shame? You've found the right place.
I'll be impatiently waiting for book 2. Ruin me.
The words of Souls in Ruin feel like beautiful emo poetry - lush, aching, and unflinching. This is one of those books where you can feel the author’s pen bleed on the page, and it’s equal parts mesmerizing and brutal.
From the beginning, I thought I knew what I was getting into. I was enjoying it - but then around the 25–30% mark, the story took a turn that had me absolutely sat. The unraveling of the characters, the way their layers were peeled back piece by piece, was done with such deliberate precision that every moment felt like a revelation.
What stood out most to me was how unapologetically dark this book is. Mireille is imprisoned, tormented, and trapped in a world that wants to shatter her - but she refuses to break. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story where the FMC spends the entire book in captivity, and yet remains so defiantly alive, her voice sharp and unyielding. It almost reads like journal entries, each one dripping with defiance and quiet fury.
The morality here is pitch black. You hate these characters, you love them, and you hate that you love them. They are obsession, torment, and hunger personified. Honestly? It’s like Love Is Blind: Dungeon Edition.
This book is not soft. It will tear your soul up, make your chest ache, and leave you somewhere between horror and awe. The prose is lyrical and haunting, every word intentional, the kind of writing that forces you to stop and feel it.
By the end, I’m team “whatever Jac tells me to be.” I don’t know where this series is going, but I know I’m all in.
If you’re craving a true dark fantasy - macabre yet hypnotic, with a heroine who puts the fury in feminine rage and morally black MMCs who will ruin you - this belongs on your shelf. If you want characters to admit their deepest desires that they shouldn't want or say... with no shame? You've found the right place.
I'll be impatiently waiting for book 2. Ruin me.
October 12, 2025
If I could convince you to read this book with just one statement, it would be this:
Souls in Ruin brings darkness, obsession, alluring chaos, battles with identities, and survival in shapes of fury and wickedness—not softness.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Of course, I can’t stop at just one statement, so let me tell you about what utterly consumed me in a heartbeat: This story unraveled emotions I didn’t even know I could feel. Jacqueline has a way with words—every scene felt so enigmatic, gothic, and mythical. And oh, how poetic these divine men were! The storytelling was dangerously addictive and captivating. Every chapter cut through me, leaving a mark. The yearning had me screaming internally; I was obsessed and spiraling (sanity was definitely questioned).
This was my first book where I fell for two morally dark men. Each one so unique, with their own pain, torture, vengeance, and desires. They are dark and twisted, full of layers that you just can’t seem to stop trying to peel back to reveal their truest forms.
The FMC, Mireille, is power—a force to be reckoned with. She is the long-forgotten daughter, a lost soul within the walls of Vareth. Yet her beauty and transformation, and her sharp tongue will have you thinking twice before you imagine you can ruin her. Her actions command reverence, and her character does not diminish; it follows you.
Does this book wreck you? Yes. Does it leave you with a gut-wrenching, heart-hurting cliffhanger? Yes. But will I recommend it? 10000%. Everyone deserves to read this masterpiece. It’s a true dark fantasy filled with divine mythical creatures, suffering, haunting tales, and a devastating tide of emotions—yet beautifully captured. I loved every piece of it. Thank you Jacqueline for giving me the opportunity to receive this ARC, I am so grateful.
Souls in Ruin brings darkness, obsession, alluring chaos, battles with identities, and survival in shapes of fury and wickedness—not softness.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Of course, I can’t stop at just one statement, so let me tell you about what utterly consumed me in a heartbeat: This story unraveled emotions I didn’t even know I could feel. Jacqueline has a way with words—every scene felt so enigmatic, gothic, and mythical. And oh, how poetic these divine men were! The storytelling was dangerously addictive and captivating. Every chapter cut through me, leaving a mark. The yearning had me screaming internally; I was obsessed and spiraling (sanity was definitely questioned).
This was my first book where I fell for two morally dark men. Each one so unique, with their own pain, torture, vengeance, and desires. They are dark and twisted, full of layers that you just can’t seem to stop trying to peel back to reveal their truest forms.
The FMC, Mireille, is power—a force to be reckoned with. She is the long-forgotten daughter, a lost soul within the walls of Vareth. Yet her beauty and transformation, and her sharp tongue will have you thinking twice before you imagine you can ruin her. Her actions command reverence, and her character does not diminish; it follows you.
Does this book wreck you? Yes. Does it leave you with a gut-wrenching, heart-hurting cliffhanger? Yes. But will I recommend it? 10000%. Everyone deserves to read this masterpiece. It’s a true dark fantasy filled with divine mythical creatures, suffering, haunting tales, and a devastating tide of emotions—yet beautifully captured. I loved every piece of it. Thank you Jacqueline for giving me the opportunity to receive this ARC, I am so grateful.
January 27, 2026
This book drags you straight into the depths of hell 🔥and leaves you wondering, by the final page, if hell was actually the key to your salvation all along.
4.5⭐️”Go to hell” .… “I’ve been. It’s highly underwhelming.”
Torturous heartbreak, pain, yearning, obsession and blood is woven into every chapter. 🩸Hope is dangled like a carrot and just when you think you’ve finally caught it, you realise you were the monster holding it🤯
These quotes are carved into my brain forever:
“Or perhaps I simply enjoy giving you hope. The hunt is always more satisfying when the prey believes it has a chance.”
“Because tenderness was more dangerous than cruelty. Cruelty I understood. Cruelty had rules.”
“You told me that monsters were made. Shouldn’t you take responsibility for what you’ve created?”
“But I am your madness. Just as you have become mine.
“You offer comfort with one hand while wrapping chains around my soul with the other.”
“What is the weight of a life that was never meant to be?”
The poetic prose had me in a literal chokehold!
**check your trigger warnings before diving into hell as this one’s dark!**
4.5⭐️”Go to hell” .… “I’ve been. It’s highly underwhelming.”
Torturous heartbreak, pain, yearning, obsession and blood is woven into every chapter. 🩸Hope is dangled like a carrot and just when you think you’ve finally caught it, you realise you were the monster holding it🤯
These quotes are carved into my brain forever:
“Or perhaps I simply enjoy giving you hope. The hunt is always more satisfying when the prey believes it has a chance.”
“Because tenderness was more dangerous than cruelty. Cruelty I understood. Cruelty had rules.”
“You told me that monsters were made. Shouldn’t you take responsibility for what you’ve created?”
“But I am your madness. Just as you have become mine.
“You offer comfort with one hand while wrapping chains around my soul with the other.”
“What is the weight of a life that was never meant to be?”
The poetic prose had me in a literal chokehold!
**check your trigger warnings before diving into hell as this one’s dark!**
January 25, 2026
I have been trying to put into words how this book made me feel, because reviewing the content simply won’t do justice to the storm of emotions I am still drowning in. 🖤
It holds a singular promise that will be viciously & relentlessly delivered to you through every single page.
And by the time you read the last words of this story, not a single soul will be left intact.
Not the victims or the villains, and most of all, not your own.
Souls In Ruin is not your typical dark romantasy.
It is not a sad tale with a happy ending.
It is not a forbidden romance turned epic love story.
It is the ultimate story of blinding rage used for revenge and the unyielding suffocating need for possession & control.
It is the embodiment of pain & suffering and the perverse desire to be seen & wanted & loved amidst it all.
It is the melding of need & hatred & longing in the eye of the most unbearable agony.
It is your deepest darkest desires & sickest most depraved hurt laid bare through ink on paper.
It is the story of bodies & hearts & souls bending & breaking & reforging on an endless tormenting cycle.
It is the tearing down of flesh & mind, the icy drowning of hopes, the sickening annihilation of every single thing that makes the self.
It is a cruel ode to the broken & the lost.
Reminding us in the most harrowing ways that there is beauty in our despair, there is strength in our misery, there is light in our darkness, however fractured it might be.
However fractured *we *might be...
If you have read all this and still think you might find solace in it, welcome to the deepest depths of hell.
I doubt your soul survives.
But I will be here to hold you on the other side, amongst the shadows & whispers of despair.
—
Oh and the ending feels like getting slapped across the face with a chair made of concrete, thank you very much 🥲
—
‼️‼️‼️ PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS‼️‼️‼️ in case I did not make this clear enough, this book is DARKER THAN DARK.
While it is a great book that I enjoyed despite the difficult subjects, it is definitely not for everyone, so please tread cautiously.
There are quite a few TWs but the two most prominent ones are :
- VIOLENCE/TORTURE : both physical & emotional, on page, often, and described in VIVID detail
- Explicit sexual content : on page, often, some consensual & some closer to dubious (no 🍇).
—
Thank you Jacqueline White for my darkest yet most emotionally enlightening and devastating ARC read of the year 🖤😭
I am forever changed, and I have no idea how I will survive the wait for the next book..
OVERVIEW :
Rating ⭐ 4.25/5
Darkness 🖤 5/5
Trigger Warnings ‼️ ∞/5
Emotional Damage 💀 ∞ x ∞/5
Spice 🌶️ 3.5/5
•••••••••••••••
😳😳😳😳😳
What in the — DARK+++. Diabolical. Delicious. Deranged. Destructive. Decadent. Depraved. Disturbing. Delightful. — hell did I just read?!
Y’all I’m sleep deprived and need a minute to be able to string some coherent thoughts together but holy hell this book…!
•••••••••••••••
ARC/pre-read
OMG OMG OMG I AM SCREAMING 🥹😭🫨
I received my ARC copy today and I am sooooo excited to dive into it!!
I’ve been waiting *very impatiently* for this 👹👹👹 and ending my week with the ARC delivery email is the BEST THING EVER!!!!
Never has a book felt more aptly named.
It holds a singular promise that will be viciously & relentlessly delivered to you through every single page.
And by the time you read the last words of this story, not a single soul will be left intact.
Not the victims or the villains, and most of all, not your own.
Souls In Ruin is not your typical dark romantasy.
It is not a sad tale with a happy ending.
It is not a forbidden romance turned epic love story.
It is the ultimate story of blinding rage used for revenge and the unyielding suffocating need for possession & control.
It is the embodiment of pain & suffering and the perverse desire to be seen & wanted & loved amidst it all.
It is the melding of need & hatred & longing in the eye of the most unbearable agony.
It is trauma personified.
It is your deepest darkest desires & sickest most depraved hurt laid bare through ink on paper.
It is the story of bodies & hearts & souls bending & breaking & reforging on an endless tormenting cycle.
It is the tearing down of flesh & mind, the icy drowning of hopes, the sickening annihilation of every single thing that makes the self.
It is a cruel ode to the broken & the lost.
Reminding us in the most harrowing ways that there is beauty in our despair, there is strength in our misery, there is light in our darkness, however fractured it might be.
However fractured *we *might be...
It is a story where no one wins and everyone suffers.
If you have read all this and still think you might find solace in it, welcome to the deepest depths of hell.
I doubt your soul survives.
But I will be here to hold you on the other side, amongst the shadows & whispers of despair.
—
Oh and the ending feels like getting slapped across the face with a chair made of concrete, thank you very much 🥲
—
‼️‼️‼️ PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS‼️‼️‼️ in case I did not make this clear enough, this book is DARKER THAN DARK.
While it is a great book that I enjoyed despite the difficult subjects, it is definitely not for everyone, so please tread cautiously.
There are quite a few TWs but the two most prominent ones are :
- VIOLENCE/TORTURE : both physical & emotional, on page, often, and described in VIVID detail
- Explicit sexual content : on page, often, some consensual & some closer to dubious (no 🍇).
—
Thank you Jacqueline White for my darkest yet most emotionally enlightening and devastating ARC read of the year 🖤😭
I am forever changed, and I have no idea how I will survive the wait for the next book..
OVERVIEW :
Rating ⭐ 4.25/5
Darkness 🖤 5/5
Trigger Warnings ‼️ ∞/5
Emotional Damage 💀 ∞ x ∞/5
Spice 🌶️ 3.5/5
•••••••••••••••
😳😳😳😳😳
What in the — DARK+++. Diabolical. Delicious. Deranged. Destructive. Decadent. Depraved. Disturbing. Delightful. — hell did I just read?!
Y’all I’m sleep deprived and need a minute to be able to string some coherent thoughts together but holy hell this book…!
•••••••••••••••
ARC/pre-read
OMG OMG OMG I AM SCREAMING 🥹😭🫨
I received my ARC copy today and I am sooooo excited to dive into it!!
I’ve been waiting *very impatiently* for this 👹👹👹 and ending my week with the ARC delivery email is the BEST THING EVER!!!!
November 12, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ So one guy is taking revenge on the heroine’s father, who may or may not even see how she’s being tortured, and the second guy is sitting in the next cell gaslighting her every now and then. And nothing really happens. In the end, she just swaps one abuser for another. How this book has such a high rating is beyond me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2025
This was such a unique dark romantasy!! I want more!
I went into this completely blind and was NOT expecting that. The storyline was so unique! I genuinely haven't read another story like this.
Some of the scenes were PHEWWWW .. like I know I am supposed to be mad at Valen but damn. The twist at the end was great. I am definitely going to read the next book!
I only knocked off a star because I felt it was a tad long in my opinion. It felt repetitive when Mireille was in the cell but I still enjoyed this all in all!
I went into this completely blind and was NOT expecting that. The storyline was so unique! I genuinely haven't read another story like this.
Some of the scenes were PHEWWWW .. like I know I am supposed to be mad at Valen but damn. The twist at the end was great. I am definitely going to read the next book!
I only knocked off a star because I felt it was a tad long in my opinion. It felt repetitive when Mireille was in the cell but I still enjoyed this all in all!
January 16, 2026
before i start this review, please keep in mind that i am not the target audience for this book, as this is EXTREMELY DARK, and that’s not usually my cup of tea.
that being said, i took a chance and i’m glad i did. this book was so good, layered, and incredibly deep.
the fmc is dealing with far more than she should have to put up with, with such precarious relationships formed between her and the two mmc’s.
the best part of this book was definitely Mirielle, she was a bad ass! so strong willed, and so interesting to read from the perspective of.
lemme just say this, i am NOT a Valen sympathizer in anyway. i can appreciate that he is layered and is more than what meets the eye, but i just don’t know how to forgive what has been done in this book, imo.
now, Death??? that’s my MAN. i am so interested to see his story arc come to life more in book 2 now that we know what he is, but he’s so mysterious and broody this whole book and i’m obsessed.
the reason this book is a 4-4.25 star rating for me, is simply that this was so dark for me at times, but also there were a lot of slow parts in the in between (which, i think some were necessary, but not nearly as many as were had). i would 100% suggest this to my friends who are intrigued with dark themes, characters and dark acts. i would say the most characters in this are morally black.
all this being said, i will be moving on to book 2 bc that ending was WILD!
that being said, i took a chance and i’m glad i did. this book was so good, layered, and incredibly deep.
the fmc is dealing with far more than she should have to put up with, with such precarious relationships formed between her and the two mmc’s.
the best part of this book was definitely Mirielle, she was a bad ass! so strong willed, and so interesting to read from the perspective of.
lemme just say this, i am NOT a Valen sympathizer in anyway. i can appreciate that he is layered and is more than what meets the eye, but i just don’t know how to forgive what has been done in this book, imo.
now, Death??? that’s my MAN. i am so interested to see his story arc come to life more in book 2 now that we know what he is, but he’s so mysterious and broody this whole book and i’m obsessed.
the reason this book is a 4-4.25 star rating for me, is simply that this was so dark for me at times, but also there were a lot of slow parts in the in between (which, i think some were necessary, but not nearly as many as were had). i would 100% suggest this to my friends who are intrigued with dark themes, characters and dark acts. i would say the most characters in this are morally black.
all this being said, i will be moving on to book 2 bc that ending was WILD!
December 10, 2025
When I say this book has left me SPEECHLESS... I haven't been able to form words, honestly haven't been able to form THOUGHTS because this book has consumed my entire BEING.
Genuinely, you guys don't even know what you are missing out on rn and it's SICKENING! Im sick to my stomach for you guys 🤣
This is hands down the best book I have read. Yes PERIOD. Not this month, not this year, just simply: THE BEST.
From the writing to the characters to the darkness to the spice to the damn torture, this book was captivating in a way that draws you in and never lets you go. Seriously, what crack was the author on when she wrote this?? What crack did she embed in the pages that made this book so damn good because I want more of it.
Right. Now. Jacqueline.
Please and thank you!!
I really cant tell you guys shit about this book because instantly there is a plot twist and... to put it simply, Jacqueline had my jaw dropping, flabbers-gasted, and pussy popping all within the first 10 chapters LMAO
Queen was not fucking around let me tell you.
But what I can tell you is we have an arranged marriage situation going on here, and the King my beautiful Mireille is arranged to marry, yeah, SEXIEST man in all the worlds, in all the realms, in all the UNIVERSES, and this man... yeah, DERANGED!!
"If I smell him on you again, Princess, I'll rip every vein from his body and string you a necklace... A wedding gift, if you will."
BOYYYY if you don't gtfo and get your fine ass to my house right this second-
Yeah thats my man. I am claiming him. You guys can read him but he is MINE. ☺️
And hey! If he isn't so much your type... I have good news for you because while Valen is claimed and taken and you couldn't have him if you even wanted him because he is mine (really need to make sure that you understand he is mine and you cant have him), there is also Death....
And this man is also quite coo-coo...
"And in the end... you—your soul—will belong to me. I will make you mine.”
*insert dog meme that I don't know how to describe but I'm now linking our brains so you will understand exactly what I am thinking*
So yeah, Death wants your soul!!
I'm not gonna tell you where Death is or how he comes into play because TRUSTTTTTTT going into this book blind (after checking your triggers if you need to ofc!) IS THE WAY TO GO!!!! The insanity of the book is too good and you will be frl blown away I PROMISE!!
PLEASEEEEEEEE GO READ THIS RN!!! I need people to obsess over it with and it's genuinely so exquisite I don't even understand how I am roaming the same earth as the author right now.
Genuinely, you guys don't even know what you are missing out on rn and it's SICKENING! Im sick to my stomach for you guys 🤣
This is hands down the best book I have read. Yes PERIOD. Not this month, not this year, just simply: THE BEST.
From the writing to the characters to the darkness to the spice to the damn torture, this book was captivating in a way that draws you in and never lets you go. Seriously, what crack was the author on when she wrote this?? What crack did she embed in the pages that made this book so damn good because I want more of it.
Right. Now. Jacqueline.
Please and thank you!!
I really cant tell you guys shit about this book because instantly there is a plot twist and... to put it simply, Jacqueline had my jaw dropping, flabbers-gasted, and pussy popping all within the first 10 chapters LMAO
Queen was not fucking around let me tell you.
But what I can tell you is we have an arranged marriage situation going on here, and the King my beautiful Mireille is arranged to marry, yeah, SEXIEST man in all the worlds, in all the realms, in all the UNIVERSES, and this man... yeah, DERANGED!!
"If I smell him on you again, Princess, I'll rip every vein from his body and string you a necklace... A wedding gift, if you will."
BOYYYY if you don't gtfo and get your fine ass to my house right this second-
Yeah thats my man. I am claiming him. You guys can read him but he is MINE. ☺️
And hey! If he isn't so much your type... I have good news for you because while Valen is claimed and taken and you couldn't have him if you even wanted him because he is mine (really need to make sure that you understand he is mine and you cant have him), there is also Death....
And this man is also quite coo-coo...
"And in the end... you—your soul—will belong to me. I will make you mine.”
*insert dog meme that I don't know how to describe but I'm now linking our brains so you will understand exactly what I am thinking*
So yeah, Death wants your soul!!
I'm not gonna tell you where Death is or how he comes into play because TRUSTTTTTTT going into this book blind (after checking your triggers if you need to ofc!) IS THE WAY TO GO!!!! The insanity of the book is too good and you will be frl blown away I PROMISE!!
PLEASEEEEEEEE GO READ THIS RN!!! I need people to obsess over it with and it's genuinely so exquisite I don't even understand how I am roaming the same earth as the author right now.
January 25, 2026
Will edit my review soon.
November 13, 2025
unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable .
THIS BOOK EROTICIZES TORTURE
WHAT an absolute filth I just read . When I started the book I was so looking forward to meeting the fmc since she was portrayed as someone who doesn't break and strong and what not .
I'm gonna tell you that shit was a fucking lie . cause the fmc y'all has all talk and no bites . she'll deliver feisty responses sure but then take sexual pleasure and feel undeniable heat from a man who's been violently torturing her for weeks .
And guess who is the torturer? THE FUCKING LOVE INTEREST. ( there is another man lurking in the shadow but hear me out ) He literally whipped her , carved her skin OPEN, bled her n@ked and our ' strong fmc ' would wonder why sometimes something akin to regret or softness flickers in his face .
????????
she would also think about the soft touch of his fingers on her cheek .
??????
🤣🤣 I'm sorry are women that deprved of touch ?
and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse ? she takes PLEASURE from him while he is torturing her .
??? what is it? romanticizing such thing is beyond sick . can't believe all these five star reviews . unbelievable .
THIS BOOK EROTICIZES TORTURE
WHAT an absolute filth I just read . When I started the book I was so looking forward to meeting the fmc since she was portrayed as someone who doesn't break and strong and what not .
I'm gonna tell you that shit was a fucking lie . cause the fmc y'all has all talk and no bites . she'll deliver feisty responses sure but then take sexual pleasure and feel undeniable heat from a man who's been violently torturing her for weeks .
And guess who is the torturer? THE FUCKING LOVE INTEREST. ( there is another man lurking in the shadow but hear me out ) He literally whipped her , carved her skin OPEN, bled her n@ked and our ' strong fmc ' would wonder why sometimes something akin to regret or softness flickers in his face .
????????
she would also think about the soft touch of his fingers on her cheek .
??????
🤣🤣 I'm sorry are women that deprved of touch ?
and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse ? she takes PLEASURE from him while he is torturing her .
??? what is it? romanticizing such thing is beyond sick . can't believe all these five star reviews . unbelievable .
August 14, 2025
Ima need a minute to collect my thoughts but this was PHENOMENAL
Ok I’m back.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️🌶️.5-3 / 5
Y’all, I’m gonna need 3-5 business days to recover from what I just read. Souls in Ruin was f*cking PHENOMENAL—addictive, devastating, & woven from the threads of stars and moonlight itself. I truly couldn’t put it down; the way I neglected sleep, food, & hell, my own husband just to stay in this world longer should honestly be studied. 😅
Dark & unrelenting, this book delivers some of the most vivid, immersive, emotive writing I’ve ever come across. It’s raw, lyrical, and heart-wrenching, balancing an unforgiving mix of devotion, trauma, pain, seduction, and betrayal with an artistry that leaves a mark long after you leave its pages.
I fell so hard for these characters. Our FMC is fierce and utterly unbreakable, enduring seemingly insurmountable odds yet still finds a way to bite back and reclaim herself as her own. And our love interest?! PEAK morally black, y’all. 🥵 I’m keeping my lips sealed 🤐 because the romance in this is a rollercoaster you honestly need to experience blind. It’s a merciless mix of pain and pleasure, devastation and obsession, conquest and liberation, intricately woven into a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece. And when you reach the final page, you won’t know whether to laugh, cry, scream, celebrate, swoon, or a combination of the all of the above. By the time I reached the end, I was utterly speechless with my jaw on the floor, clawing for more while simultaneously trying to process the sheer enormity of what I had just experienced. Yes, friends, it’s THAT good. 🥵✨
I’m going to be thinking about this for a while & am already gnawing at the gates of my enclosure for book 2 😂 so for my dark (I’m talking ✨dark✨ - check tw) romantasy lovers who fall for the morally corrupt MMC, unbroken heroine, and thrive in enemies to lovers to enemies to?? terrain, this one’s for you.
Tropes:
✨ morally grey/black MMC & unbroken heroine
✨ arranged marriage
✨ forced proximity, prisoner x captor
✨ gods x mortals
✨ plot twists & betrayals
Ok I’m back.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️🌶️.5-3 / 5
Y’all, I’m gonna need 3-5 business days to recover from what I just read. Souls in Ruin was f*cking PHENOMENAL—addictive, devastating, & woven from the threads of stars and moonlight itself. I truly couldn’t put it down; the way I neglected sleep, food, & hell, my own husband just to stay in this world longer should honestly be studied. 😅
Dark & unrelenting, this book delivers some of the most vivid, immersive, emotive writing I’ve ever come across. It’s raw, lyrical, and heart-wrenching, balancing an unforgiving mix of devotion, trauma, pain, seduction, and betrayal with an artistry that leaves a mark long after you leave its pages.
I fell so hard for these characters. Our FMC is fierce and utterly unbreakable, enduring seemingly insurmountable odds yet still finds a way to bite back and reclaim herself as her own. And our love interest?! PEAK morally black, y’all. 🥵 I’m keeping my lips sealed 🤐 because the romance in this is a rollercoaster you honestly need to experience blind. It’s a merciless mix of pain and pleasure, devastation and obsession, conquest and liberation, intricately woven into a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece. And when you reach the final page, you won’t know whether to laugh, cry, scream, celebrate, swoon, or a combination of the all of the above. By the time I reached the end, I was utterly speechless with my jaw on the floor, clawing for more while simultaneously trying to process the sheer enormity of what I had just experienced. Yes, friends, it’s THAT good. 🥵✨
I’m going to be thinking about this for a while & am already gnawing at the gates of my enclosure for book 2 😂 so for my dark (I’m talking ✨dark✨ - check tw) romantasy lovers who fall for the morally corrupt MMC, unbroken heroine, and thrive in enemies to lovers to enemies to?? terrain, this one’s for you.
Tropes:
✨ morally grey/black MMC & unbroken heroine
✨ arranged marriage
✨ forced proximity, prisoner x captor
✨ gods x mortals
✨ plot twists & betrayals
February 2, 2026
Morally grey MMC? No, morally black tik + x 3000 🙃
Visą savaitgalį nepaleidau iš rankų ir baigiau pusę 5 ryto į pirmadienį:)))))
Labai tamsi, niūri istorija. Labai. Daug veiksmo nevyksta, bet daug vidinių pokalbių, daug neteisybės ir demonų. Visa knygą FMC buvo kankinama, tai tikrai ne greitas ir smagus skaitinys.
Bet kaip stipriai jaučiau jos skausmą ir kartu perėjom visus etapus.
Viskas taip raw, autorė puikiai aprašė tą mažą skausmo pilną pasaulį tik toj vienoj kameroj. Ir kažkaip po oda palindo ir taip sunkiai sėdi viskas.
Čia nėra laimingos pabaigos, tik daug neteisybės, mažai vilties ir išdavystės, kai jų nebesitiki, tai nusiteikit, bet visiškai stiprios ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Visą savaitgalį nepaleidau iš rankų ir baigiau pusę 5 ryto į pirmadienį:)))))
Labai tamsi, niūri istorija. Labai. Daug veiksmo nevyksta, bet daug vidinių pokalbių, daug neteisybės ir demonų. Visa knygą FMC buvo kankinama, tai tikrai ne greitas ir smagus skaitinys.
Bet kaip stipriai jaučiau jos skausmą ir kartu perėjom visus etapus.
Viskas taip raw, autorė puikiai aprašė tą mažą skausmo pilną pasaulį tik toj vienoj kameroj. Ir kažkaip po oda palindo ir taip sunkiai sėdi viskas.
Čia nėra laimingos pabaigos, tik daug neteisybės, mažai vilties ir išdavystės, kai jų nebesitiki, tai nusiteikit, bet visiškai stiprios ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 20, 2025
It’s blowing my mind that this was a debut release by this author. What do you mean?! This was hands down the most poetically written dark romance/dark fantasy books I’ve ever read.
If you’re not a dark romance reader you need to run a million miles away from this book because this is the definition of DARK.
Mirelle (fmc) is the illegitimate daughter of the king, she’s never been recognised as a true princess and has been deprived of love and affection. She finds out she’s been used as a bargaining chip by her father and is forced into marriage with Valen (mmc) referred to as “the butcher”. What she doesn’t know is that her new husband seeks revenge against those who hurt him and she will become his captive.
Don’t expect the standard morally grey mmc, this man is morally black. To make things even better, there’s another love interest we meet who is very morally ambiguous. It’s the kind of love triangle that will make you feel all kinds of emotions.
Something else I absolutely loved was that the dialogue in this was charged with tension. It was literally like a cat and mouse chase and had me FOLDINGGGG. The smut was also insanely good.
This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s going to be an easy 5 star read for a lot of people, just like it was mine.
If you’re not a dark romance reader you need to run a million miles away from this book because this is the definition of DARK.
Mirelle (fmc) is the illegitimate daughter of the king, she’s never been recognised as a true princess and has been deprived of love and affection. She finds out she’s been used as a bargaining chip by her father and is forced into marriage with Valen (mmc) referred to as “the butcher”. What she doesn’t know is that her new husband seeks revenge against those who hurt him and she will become his captive.
Don’t expect the standard morally grey mmc, this man is morally black. To make things even better, there’s another love interest we meet who is very morally ambiguous. It’s the kind of love triangle that will make you feel all kinds of emotions.
Something else I absolutely loved was that the dialogue in this was charged with tension. It was literally like a cat and mouse chase and had me FOLDINGGGG. The smut was also insanely good.
This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s going to be an easy 5 star read for a lot of people, just like it was mine.
October 24, 2025
5 freaking stars, zero notes, a must read dark romantasy!
If you liked the dynamic between Theon & Tessa in the Legacy series, including a kneeling at his feet scene. The dark captive/captor in the Court of Ravens duet, but want the FMC to be more calculating, with a smart mouth you’ll devour this!!
Mireille is a bastard princess, she is only a princess is status, not name, unloved, shamed, and ignored. When her father decides to use her as a political pawn, forcing her into a marriage to the ruthless blood king she must comply when he uses the only two people she cares for against her.
While in their wedding bed the blood king strikes, she goes from being his queen, and wife, to his captive in the dungeons. He plans to exact his revenge for her father’s misgivings on her. Only the stranger in the next cell to keep her company…and company he does keep her, because in this moment death is Mireille’s only companion…literally.
Mireille decides to play the blood kings game, gods are possessive, so what could possibly happen when two become obsessed with her.
This book contains dark themes, but if you’re looking for a dark romantasy with gods/godesses, captor/captee, hate to love. If that doesn’t convince you death literally “talks her through it” in her head while she’s with her captor…and the yearning, my god…literally!!!!
Thank you so much to Jacqueline White for allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review, I’ve never needed a second book more than I need this one!!
If you liked the dynamic between Theon & Tessa in the Legacy series, including a kneeling at his feet scene. The dark captive/captor in the Court of Ravens duet, but want the FMC to be more calculating, with a smart mouth you’ll devour this!!
Mireille is a bastard princess, she is only a princess is status, not name, unloved, shamed, and ignored. When her father decides to use her as a political pawn, forcing her into a marriage to the ruthless blood king she must comply when he uses the only two people she cares for against her.
While in their wedding bed the blood king strikes, she goes from being his queen, and wife, to his captive in the dungeons. He plans to exact his revenge for her father’s misgivings on her. Only the stranger in the next cell to keep her company…and company he does keep her, because in this moment death is Mireille’s only companion…literally.
Mireille decides to play the blood kings game, gods are possessive, so what could possibly happen when two become obsessed with her.
This book contains dark themes, but if you’re looking for a dark romantasy with gods/godesses, captor/captee, hate to love. If that doesn’t convince you death literally “talks her through it” in her head while she’s with her captor…and the yearning, my god…literally!!!!
Thank you so much to Jacqueline White for allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review, I’ve never needed a second book more than I need this one!!
August 27, 2025
Souls in Ruin is not a love story—it’s a descent into darkness, a brutal exploration of survival, identity, and emotional ruin. From the very beginning, the book sets the tone with its unrelenting intensity. It doesn’t romanticize pain or violence—it immerses you in it, dragging you through a landscape where beauty and horror coexist in every line. This is not dark romance in the typical, trope-driven sense. It’s DARK—unflinching, confrontational, and often deeply uncomfortable.
At the heart of this story is Mireille, an fmc like no other, who is less a heroine and more a living embodiment of resistance. She’s not loud or performative in her strength; she’s forged in silence, in trauma, in moments where the world tries to erase her and she refuses to disappear. Her journey is not about becoming stronger—it’s about enduring, about surviving in a world that offers her nothing and still finding a way to exist with integrity. Her pain is palpable. Her strength is quiet but relentless. She is, in many ways, the soul in ruin.
The prose is one of the book’s most striking elements. Jacqueline White writes with a lyrical ferocity that is both beautiful and devastating. The language pulses with emotion—bleeding, aching, furious—and yet it never feels indulgent. It feels earned. Every sentence is carefully wrought, building a world so vivid and so emotionally intense that it becomes almost claustrophobic. But you can’t look away. Even when it hurts.
The male characters—there are two central ones—are not the brooding, redeemable antiheroes of typical dark romance. They are dangerous, unrepentant, and morally black. And yet, they are magnetic in their darkness. Jacqueline dares the reader to be drawn to them, to question their own boundaries, to experience love and desire in places that feel forbidden. The emotional manipulation is intentional—and masterful. You feel complicit. You feel everything.
More than anything, Souls in Ruin is about what’s left after the breaking. It’s about what it means to keep going when everything in you has been torn apart. It’s a story that refuses to give easy answers or happy endings. It doesn’t let you escape. It makes you stay, feel, reckon.
This is a novel that doesn’t just tell a story—it leaves a mark. It bruises. It haunts. And for readers who can face the darkness, it offers something unforgettable: a glimpse into the rawest, most vulnerable parts of what it means to survive and still feel.
At the heart of this story is Mireille, an fmc like no other, who is less a heroine and more a living embodiment of resistance. She’s not loud or performative in her strength; she’s forged in silence, in trauma, in moments where the world tries to erase her and she refuses to disappear. Her journey is not about becoming stronger—it’s about enduring, about surviving in a world that offers her nothing and still finding a way to exist with integrity. Her pain is palpable. Her strength is quiet but relentless. She is, in many ways, the soul in ruin.
The prose is one of the book’s most striking elements. Jacqueline White writes with a lyrical ferocity that is both beautiful and devastating. The language pulses with emotion—bleeding, aching, furious—and yet it never feels indulgent. It feels earned. Every sentence is carefully wrought, building a world so vivid and so emotionally intense that it becomes almost claustrophobic. But you can’t look away. Even when it hurts.
The male characters—there are two central ones—are not the brooding, redeemable antiheroes of typical dark romance. They are dangerous, unrepentant, and morally black. And yet, they are magnetic in their darkness. Jacqueline dares the reader to be drawn to them, to question their own boundaries, to experience love and desire in places that feel forbidden. The emotional manipulation is intentional—and masterful. You feel complicit. You feel everything.
More than anything, Souls in Ruin is about what’s left after the breaking. It’s about what it means to keep going when everything in you has been torn apart. It’s a story that refuses to give easy answers or happy endings. It doesn’t let you escape. It makes you stay, feel, reckon.
This is a novel that doesn’t just tell a story—it leaves a mark. It bruises. It haunts. And for readers who can face the darkness, it offers something unforgettable: a glimpse into the rawest, most vulnerable parts of what it means to survive and still feel.
January 3, 2026
3.5*
Моє перше traumantasy (або простими словами темне роментезі, де більше травми, ніж будь-чого іншого). Якби не було таке місцями затягнуте і якби менше спроб в романтизацію відвертого упирка, то оцінка була би вища.
Але продовження все одно читатиму.
Моє перше traumantasy (або простими словами темне роментезі, де більше травми, ніж будь-чого іншого). Якби не було таке місцями затягнуте і якби менше спроб в романтизацію відвертого упирка, то оцінка була би вища.
Але продовження все одно читатиму.
October 30, 2025
Miss girl… Jacqueline… I am feral.
This book was one of the most beautifully written stories I’ve ever read. The writing? Gorgeous. The emotion? Gut-wrenching. The characters? Living rent free in my head.
Valen… oh my GOD. I am, and will forever be, a Valen girly. Respectfully, Death has his place, but there’s just something about Valen that had me in a chokehold from the very beginning and he never let me go… I’m ruined, okay. Dead. Buried. Resurrected. And begging for more 🙇🏼♀️
And Mirelle??? She is everything. Badass, resilient, powerful, and the kind of heroine I wish I could be in a thousand different ways. 😜 Watching her strength shine through in every brutal, beautiful moment had me in awe.
I even had to stop updating just to lock in and devour the last chapters — because once things started unraveling, I was GONE. Completely immersed. And by the end? I was SOBBING! I was clutching my Kindle like it had personally betrayed me. Now I’m staring at the stars, hoping they’ll guide me back to reality.
I am beyond excited for this book to pop off and get the recognition it deserves. The writing, the characters, the emotions — it’s all so powerful and deserves to be talked about everywhere!
If you’re into devastatingly beautiful writing, morally gray men who will destroy you and then stitch you back together (literally), and heroines who burn with strength, you need this book in your life.
Valen has me in a chokehold. Mirelle owns my heart. This story has my soul.
This book was one of the most beautifully written stories I’ve ever read. The writing? Gorgeous. The emotion? Gut-wrenching. The characters? Living rent free in my head.
Valen… oh my GOD. I am, and will forever be, a Valen girly. Respectfully, Death has his place, but there’s just something about Valen that had me in a chokehold from the very beginning and he never let me go… I’m ruined, okay. Dead. Buried. Resurrected. And begging for more 🙇🏼♀️
And Mirelle??? She is everything. Badass, resilient, powerful, and the kind of heroine I wish I could be in a thousand different ways. 😜 Watching her strength shine through in every brutal, beautiful moment had me in awe.
I even had to stop updating just to lock in and devour the last chapters — because once things started unraveling, I was GONE. Completely immersed. And by the end? I was SOBBING! I was clutching my Kindle like it had personally betrayed me. Now I’m staring at the stars, hoping they’ll guide me back to reality.
I am beyond excited for this book to pop off and get the recognition it deserves. The writing, the characters, the emotions — it’s all so powerful and deserves to be talked about everywhere!
If you’re into devastatingly beautiful writing, morally gray men who will destroy you and then stitch you back together (literally), and heroines who burn with strength, you need this book in your life.
Valen has me in a chokehold. Mirelle owns my heart. This story has my soul.
November 8, 2025
⭐️⭐️I loved everything about this story until the torture started. Then it lost me completely.
November 5, 2025
2.5 stars
I’ve been counting down the days until this was released - I wanted to love this BADLY. While this started out interesting, it took a downhill turn and never gained the original momentum it had.
The good:
I liked the way this was written, especially because of how dark this was - based on the triggers, I expected it to be dark, and it was. This was depressing and gritty, and Mireille went through hell. I didn’t agree with everything she said or did, but the author ultimately said this was a story of survival and the limits you’ll go without breaking, and I appreciated how that was at the forefront of the entire book. I also didn’t know what to expect for spice in this, but I thought that was well done as well.
The bad:
There was absolutely no world-building to speak of. While this literally takes place in two places (the castle and dungeons), there was absolutely nothing else that was explored upon or even hinted at to gain an understanding of the world beyond the most basic level.
Without spoilers, both MC’s were dark and mysterious, and I did like them…to a point. I don’t always vibe with a love triangle, but I didn’t mind this because I wasn’t exactly sure who I was rooting for at first.
The way the plot unfolded was unfortunately WAY too slow. Mireille’s inner dialogue was too repetitive and really hindered the pace. Aside from that, not every single big reveal needed to happen right at the end for shock value. I love a good cliffhanger, but I also want to guess things I think may happen. I could barely do that with this book because so little was shared until the very end. There were so many times things could have been hinted at but never were because both MC’s withheld important information for literally no reason, until the end. Sometimes I vibe with this, but it didn’t work for me with this book.
After the ending, I truly don’t know what’s next. Because there was no world-building and very few other characters in this, I really don’t know how there could be a sequel and third book coming. This easily could have been a standalone. Really undecided if I’ll pick up the next one.
I’ve been counting down the days until this was released - I wanted to love this BADLY. While this started out interesting, it took a downhill turn and never gained the original momentum it had.
The good:
I liked the way this was written, especially because of how dark this was - based on the triggers, I expected it to be dark, and it was. This was depressing and gritty, and Mireille went through hell. I didn’t agree with everything she said or did, but the author ultimately said this was a story of survival and the limits you’ll go without breaking, and I appreciated how that was at the forefront of the entire book. I also didn’t know what to expect for spice in this, but I thought that was well done as well.
The bad:
There was absolutely no world-building to speak of. While this literally takes place in two places (the castle and dungeons), there was absolutely nothing else that was explored upon or even hinted at to gain an understanding of the world beyond the most basic level.
Without spoilers, both MC’s were dark and mysterious, and I did like them…to a point. I don’t always vibe with a love triangle, but I didn’t mind this because I wasn’t exactly sure who I was rooting for at first.
The way the plot unfolded was unfortunately WAY too slow. Mireille’s inner dialogue was too repetitive and really hindered the pace. Aside from that, not every single big reveal needed to happen right at the end for shock value. I love a good cliffhanger, but I also want to guess things I think may happen. I could barely do that with this book because so little was shared until the very end. There were so many times things could have been hinted at but never were because both MC’s withheld important information for literally no reason, until the end. Sometimes I vibe with this, but it didn’t work for me with this book.
After the ending, I truly don’t know what’s next. Because there was no world-building and very few other characters in this, I really don’t know how there could be a sequel and third book coming. This easily could have been a standalone. Really undecided if I’ll pick up the next one.
November 8, 2025
This book started out so strong I was sure it would be a 5 star read for me. It was very unexpected in the plot I couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately around 40% it becomes so repetitive and my interest in the plot declined, I was struggling through the last half. The cliffhanger ending didn’t have a huge impact because I was so tired once I got to the end. I’m feeling all over the place about this book some elements I loved and some were tough.
November 7, 2025
♾️⭐️ 2.5🌶
I stumbled across this book by complete accident, and thank whatever higher power was involved 🙏 because it turned out to be one of the best books I’ve ever read!!
The fact that this is the author’s debut is almost unbelievable. Her writing is stunningly beautiful and lyrical, every chapter purposeful. It’s remarkable how she manages to keep the reader completely absorbed even though about 75% of the story takes place in a single setting.
This book is incredibly dark, and the characters are not just morally black..they’re pitch-black. At times it was difficult to read, yet it was so addictive that I stayed up half the night devouring it. The angst, the yearning, the pain… it’s all breathtaking 🖤.
I especially loved the FMC, Mireille. Despite being held captive for most of the book, she remains fierce, defiant, and mentally unbreakable. Considering what she has survived..both before and during the story, she is one of the strongest female main characters EVER!
You’re constantly torn between loving the characters and hating them for what they do. Valen gave me emotional whiplash: I adored him at first, when I was blissfully unaware, but spent the rest of the book in a constant state of love/hate turmoil. And Death… what can I even say? WORSHIP 🧎♀️🫠.
Nothing could have prepared me for that ending. I panicked..TRULY! And now I desperately need the next book immediately 😫.
This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Check the trigger warnings, you’ve been warned. But if you can handle the darkness, it is absolutely worth it. I genuinely hope this convinces someone to pick it up, because it was phenomenal.
I stumbled across this book by complete accident, and thank whatever higher power was involved 🙏 because it turned out to be one of the best books I’ve ever read!!
The fact that this is the author’s debut is almost unbelievable. Her writing is stunningly beautiful and lyrical, every chapter purposeful. It’s remarkable how she manages to keep the reader completely absorbed even though about 75% of the story takes place in a single setting.
This book is incredibly dark, and the characters are not just morally black..they’re pitch-black. At times it was difficult to read, yet it was so addictive that I stayed up half the night devouring it. The angst, the yearning, the pain… it’s all breathtaking 🖤.
I especially loved the FMC, Mireille. Despite being held captive for most of the book, she remains fierce, defiant, and mentally unbreakable. Considering what she has survived..both before and during the story, she is one of the strongest female main characters EVER!
You’re constantly torn between loving the characters and hating them for what they do. Valen gave me emotional whiplash: I adored him at first, when I was blissfully unaware, but spent the rest of the book in a constant state of love/hate turmoil. And Death… what can I even say? WORSHIP 🧎♀️🫠.
Nothing could have prepared me for that ending. I panicked..TRULY! And now I desperately need the next book immediately 😫.
This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Check the trigger warnings, you’ve been warned. But if you can handle the darkness, it is absolutely worth it. I genuinely hope this convinces someone to pick it up, because it was phenomenal.
January 23, 2026
5⭐️ Loved it! A must own book.
Read this if you like dark fantasy romance that actually earns the word dark, lyrical writing, and stories that drag you through the depths before offering even a sliver of light.
📖What’s inside:
Forced marriage 💍
⛓️💥 Captivity
Single POV
Torture 🗡️
On-page intimacy 🔴
🩸Blood and gore
Explicit language
Magical bonds
Revenge plot ⚡️
✨Vibes: Rain of Shadows and Endings and Alchemised energy, but meaner, bleaker, and not here to comfort you.
Book boyfriend meter: 💛
Hot. But not for me. (For extremely obvious reasons) The jury is still out on other characters tho 👀
💭Thoughts: Souls in Ruin is true dark fantasy romance—no softening the edges, no romanticized cruelty. The lyrical writing pulled me in immediately, then dragged me through a slow, devastating descent that tests both the FMC and the reader. This book isn’t action-packed; it’s a relentless psychological breaking that highlights resilience, endurance, and survival. Check your triggers, but if you make it to the end, the payoff is worth it. I’m absolutely ready for book two.
➕Should you add this to your TBR?
Yes—but only if truly dark fantasy is something you can handle.
Check your triggers. Read responsibly. And if you make it through? The next book is going to wreck us all.
For my full (unfiltered) thoughts on this book + more fantasy book recs, check out my blog here → https://www.abookfortheendoftheworld.com
Read this if you like dark fantasy romance that actually earns the word dark, lyrical writing, and stories that drag you through the depths before offering even a sliver of light.
📖What’s inside:
Forced marriage 💍
⛓️💥 Captivity
Single POV
Torture 🗡️
On-page intimacy 🔴
🩸Blood and gore
Explicit language
Magical bonds
Revenge plot ⚡️
✨Vibes: Rain of Shadows and Endings and Alchemised energy, but meaner, bleaker, and not here to comfort you.
Book boyfriend meter: 💛
Hot. But not for me. (For extremely obvious reasons) The jury is still out on other characters tho 👀
💭Thoughts: Souls in Ruin is true dark fantasy romance—no softening the edges, no romanticized cruelty. The lyrical writing pulled me in immediately, then dragged me through a slow, devastating descent that tests both the FMC and the reader. This book isn’t action-packed; it’s a relentless psychological breaking that highlights resilience, endurance, and survival. Check your triggers, but if you make it to the end, the payoff is worth it. I’m absolutely ready for book two.
➕Should you add this to your TBR?
Yes—but only if truly dark fantasy is something you can handle.
Check your triggers. Read responsibly. And if you make it through? The next book is going to wreck us all.
For my full (unfiltered) thoughts on this book + more fantasy book recs, check out my blog here → https://www.abookfortheendoftheworld.com
January 27, 2026
Divine violence.
Thirst. Yearning. Fluidity of time, despair, longing.
Even if I used every word in the English language, it would never be enough to describe the feelings of this one. You have to experience it for yourself to accurately appreciate it in its entirety.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
THE MANUSCRIPT - the plot
There is an ache to this story that is tangible in its despairing beauty. It’s a voracious yearning to be wanted. Chosen. Meant for more. And that is exactly where we find ourselves as we traverse the words that Jacqueline White has crafted for Souls in Ruin.
If you were a first-born daughter that has now become a people-pleaser - you have a thirst to be wanted the Mireille does. It’s probable that some of you haven’t felt that deep chasm of a void in your chest as you’re shoved aside for something shinier, or groomed to be a less bold version of yourself. However, I feel the majority of women, specifically, have felt the pain Mireille experiences, at one time or another.
This story has you gripped to stand in solidarity with Mireille - because this FMC knows nothing of kindness in the games of others. As you divest in her story, you find yourself screaming as you rally alongside her war cry. Wishing to hold her hand as she pulls herself through her deluge of turmoil. You feel her pain hidden behind sinful smiles and shrugs because you recognize what it feels like to bite your tongue so often, all you taste is the blood.
While the story of SIR starts with an arranged marriage where Mireille is the sacrificial lamb, we learn that not all those sent to slaughter go willingly. Some go raging against the cage that has tried to bind them. Some fight bloodied, until nothing but release will allow for the consuming despair to break apart.
THE ALCHEMY - the characters
Mireille. My girl. My misplaced, abused, used - beaten but not broken - QUEEN. I have an immense love for this character (if you couldn’t tell), and it boils down to the literal flames of beat down rage that consume her, begging her to FIGHT another freaking day every time she is pushed to her probable breaking point. I could count on one hand the times someone in this story told her she was WORTH IT, that she was meant for something more than an endless cycle of torment. Her story is so harrowing, and so emotionally devastating, that I had to pause many times to simply sit in it. In the feelings of her darkness and count the stars through her window in my mind.
Nothing will ever compare to her. She is the standard for dark romance heroines. Because she is exactly that. Her own hero. Her own saving grace. The creator of her own rise from the ruin - and the men? They have no idea what they’ve unleashed.
Valen - callous, cruel, but delectably diabolical - warped Mireille’s mind further through seduction, and promises of his own revenge. While we are set to hate Valen for the way he treats Mireille, I think it’s deeper than that. Sure, he’s painted as “the bad guy” in this story, but when you truly think about it...is he?? Punished, imprisoned, brutalized. Could you come out of that whole without the taste of malice and revenge on your tongue? That’s the interesting part of his character - it begs you to see him as all of his pieces, not just the ones he holds in the current timeline.
The Prisoner - Mireille’s ‘harbinger’. Her sentient saving grace on the other side of concrete separation. The way that his hands and timber of his voice alone bring her comfort in the darkest of times in her cell literally spider-walks chills down my spine. It’s beauty in its simplest, but most profound, moment of humanity. Some of us have something tangible we hold onto in our darkest and most depraved feelings of inner turmoil, and for Mireille it was her mind, and The Prisoners’ hand. Like...how do you not get wrapped into that bubble of security and feel safe yourself? His story...and the way its not intertwined with Mireille’s ... yeah it’s going to be on my mind forever.
Regardless their mind games, their passionate discussions or spicy interludes, every single second of these characters is a pleasure to read on the page. The way they’re crafted from intricate details to the most mind-altering moments is mastery in its finest form. Truly, Jacqueline White is unmatched in her writing heraldry, and we all just need to bow down. We may not kneel for the gods, but we damn well will for her.
DOWN BAD - the feelings
HAUNTING (noun): poignant and evocative; difficult to ignore or forget.
similar: powerful, unforgettable, soul-stirring.
Haunted. That’s how I feel every second I’ve existed since I read “Souls In Ruin” for the first time. I’ve rewritten this review a hundred times. I’ve poured my heart into aesthetic posts and all-caps rants, thirsted with our SIR chat, and I’ve loved every second of it. But the enormity of what this story has become to me is so difficult to put into words. It’s altered my brain chemistry in ways I wasn’t expecting. Did I see dark romance and Jac’s aesthetic posts on her page promising characters I was bound to be destroyed by? YES. Did I get destroyed? Also YES. But did I expect it to be so permanent? Absolutely not. I wasn’t going into this story with thoughts of “Oh I hope this is a 5 star” or “it’s dark romance so it’s going to be spicy.” I had no thoughts...none other than to ARC read and pray it was something I vibed with to review. Never, did I expect to be so wholly challenged mentally, moved emotionally, and changed epically, that the standards to what I consider an INFINITY STAR read to alter. This is it - this is what my stories need to feel like. They need to feel like I’ve been ruined at the end, because I have. I’ve started high with no thoughts, fell deep into the ruin, and felt the rise back to a new normal.
Changed - forever. Thankful - always. Truly Jac - I will never be able to thank you enough for your heart, your story, and the ways you’re going to change the indie world. Ugh, love love love.
Thirst. Yearning. Fluidity of time, despair, longing.
Even if I used every word in the English language, it would never be enough to describe the feelings of this one. You have to experience it for yourself to accurately appreciate it in its entirety.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
THE MANUSCRIPT - the plot
There is an ache to this story that is tangible in its despairing beauty. It’s a voracious yearning to be wanted. Chosen. Meant for more. And that is exactly where we find ourselves as we traverse the words that Jacqueline White has crafted for Souls in Ruin.
If you were a first-born daughter that has now become a people-pleaser - you have a thirst to be wanted the Mireille does. It’s probable that some of you haven’t felt that deep chasm of a void in your chest as you’re shoved aside for something shinier, or groomed to be a less bold version of yourself. However, I feel the majority of women, specifically, have felt the pain Mireille experiences, at one time or another.
This story has you gripped to stand in solidarity with Mireille - because this FMC knows nothing of kindness in the games of others. As you divest in her story, you find yourself screaming as you rally alongside her war cry. Wishing to hold her hand as she pulls herself through her deluge of turmoil. You feel her pain hidden behind sinful smiles and shrugs because you recognize what it feels like to bite your tongue so often, all you taste is the blood.
While the story of SIR starts with an arranged marriage where Mireille is the sacrificial lamb, we learn that not all those sent to slaughter go willingly. Some go raging against the cage that has tried to bind them. Some fight bloodied, until nothing but release will allow for the consuming despair to break apart.
THE ALCHEMY - the characters
Mireille. My girl. My misplaced, abused, used - beaten but not broken - QUEEN. I have an immense love for this character (if you couldn’t tell), and it boils down to the literal flames of beat down rage that consume her, begging her to FIGHT another freaking day every time she is pushed to her probable breaking point. I could count on one hand the times someone in this story told her she was WORTH IT, that she was meant for something more than an endless cycle of torment. Her story is so harrowing, and so emotionally devastating, that I had to pause many times to simply sit in it. In the feelings of her darkness and count the stars through her window in my mind.
Nothing will ever compare to her. She is the standard for dark romance heroines. Because she is exactly that. Her own hero. Her own saving grace. The creator of her own rise from the ruin - and the men? They have no idea what they’ve unleashed.
Valen - callous, cruel, but delectably diabolical - warped Mireille’s mind further through seduction, and promises of his own revenge. While we are set to hate Valen for the way he treats Mireille, I think it’s deeper than that. Sure, he’s painted as “the bad guy” in this story, but when you truly think about it...is he?? Punished, imprisoned, brutalized. Could you come out of that whole without the taste of malice and revenge on your tongue? That’s the interesting part of his character - it begs you to see him as all of his pieces, not just the ones he holds in the current timeline.
The Prisoner - Mireille’s ‘harbinger’. Her sentient saving grace on the other side of concrete separation. The way that his hands and timber of his voice alone bring her comfort in the darkest of times in her cell literally spider-walks chills down my spine. It’s beauty in its simplest, but most profound, moment of humanity. Some of us have something tangible we hold onto in our darkest and most depraved feelings of inner turmoil, and for Mireille it was her mind, and The Prisoners’ hand. Like...how do you not get wrapped into that bubble of security and feel safe yourself? His story...and the way its not intertwined with Mireille’s ... yeah it’s going to be on my mind forever.
Regardless their mind games, their passionate discussions or spicy interludes, every single second of these characters is a pleasure to read on the page. The way they’re crafted from intricate details to the most mind-altering moments is mastery in its finest form. Truly, Jacqueline White is unmatched in her writing heraldry, and we all just need to bow down. We may not kneel for the gods, but we damn well will for her.
DOWN BAD - the feelings
HAUNTING (noun): poignant and evocative; difficult to ignore or forget.
similar: powerful, unforgettable, soul-stirring.
Haunted. That’s how I feel every second I’ve existed since I read “Souls In Ruin” for the first time. I’ve rewritten this review a hundred times. I’ve poured my heart into aesthetic posts and all-caps rants, thirsted with our SIR chat, and I’ve loved every second of it. But the enormity of what this story has become to me is so difficult to put into words. It’s altered my brain chemistry in ways I wasn’t expecting. Did I see dark romance and Jac’s aesthetic posts on her page promising characters I was bound to be destroyed by? YES. Did I get destroyed? Also YES. But did I expect it to be so permanent? Absolutely not. I wasn’t going into this story with thoughts of “Oh I hope this is a 5 star” or “it’s dark romance so it’s going to be spicy.” I had no thoughts...none other than to ARC read and pray it was something I vibed with to review. Never, did I expect to be so wholly challenged mentally, moved emotionally, and changed epically, that the standards to what I consider an INFINITY STAR read to alter. This is it - this is what my stories need to feel like. They need to feel like I’ve been ruined at the end, because I have. I’ve started high with no thoughts, fell deep into the ruin, and felt the rise back to a new normal.
Changed - forever. Thankful - always. Truly Jac - I will never be able to thank you enough for your heart, your story, and the ways you’re going to change the indie world. Ugh, love love love.
January 13, 2026
MISS JAC - I HOPE YOUR COFFEE ORDERS ARE ALWAYS MADE TO PERFECTION CAUSE YOU REALLY DID THAT 👏🏼👏🏼
6 ⭐️!!!! EVERYTHING!!!!! I usually like to share a quote, but I fear… I have 80+ things highlighted in this book, so…
This is TOP TIER. I don’t even know where to start?????? My body is like a crumpled up rag that’s been wrung out and left to dry in the sink.
The writing? Beautiful.
The plot? Amazing.
The tension? Delicious.
The 𝘠𝘌𝘈𝘙𝘕𝘐𝘕𝘎? Actually some of the best I’ve ever read.
This book gave me whiplash in the BEST way! I will be thinking about this story and the characters forever, I wish I could re-read this for the first time and I am FOAMING at the mouth for the second book (which is lovely cause the first one isn’t even published yet). I can’t waaaiiiittt to see this book sky rocket!
Thank you for the ARC, so blessed and honored to have been able to read this so early 😭🫶🏼 OKAY ENOUGH NOW, YOU BETTER PICK THIS DAMN BOOK UP AND READ IT - I’M SERIOUS!!!
6 ⭐️!!!! EVERYTHING!!!!! I usually like to share a quote, but I fear… I have 80+ things highlighted in this book, so…
This is TOP TIER. I don’t even know where to start?????? My body is like a crumpled up rag that’s been wrung out and left to dry in the sink.
The writing? Beautiful.
The plot? Amazing.
The tension? Delicious.
The 𝘠𝘌𝘈𝘙𝘕𝘐𝘕𝘎? Actually some of the best I’ve ever read.
This book gave me whiplash in the BEST way! I will be thinking about this story and the characters forever, I wish I could re-read this for the first time and I am FOAMING at the mouth for the second book (which is lovely cause the first one isn’t even published yet). I can’t waaaiiiittt to see this book sky rocket!
Thank you for the ARC, so blessed and honored to have been able to read this so early 😭🫶🏼 OKAY ENOUGH NOW, YOU BETTER PICK THIS DAMN BOOK UP AND READ IT - I’M SERIOUS!!!
November 12, 2025
This book just doesn't make sense to me. It started off so strong, the fmc was interesting. The writing was incredible and strong pretty much the whole way through. I appreciate the author's use of poetry to showcase the craze fmc was going through. I also really connected with the fmc in the first portion of the book, especially when she was interacting with her sister and friend. Then,, the world building stopped, the lore stopped, the overall drive stopped.
The book was reduced to serious repetition of fmc being tortured by one mmc while the other mmc gaslit and toyed with her. The plot essentially stopped moving once the torture started. Mmc was doing all this to torture her dad who may or may not even see what's happening? But the book established the dad didn't care about the fmc so this doesn't make sense to me.
The fmc has a lot of snappy comebacks but that's about it. She doesn't really try to get herself out of the situation she's in or even really find out more information than either mmc gives her willingly. The fmc also only had the opportunity to interact with two meaningful characters for a huge portion of the book but nothing truly substantial came of it until the very end.
Truthfully, most of the book felt like torture erotica the author wanted to write for herself as a little fanfic but she forced it into a book. I think if she had focused waaayyyy less on describing in so much painstaking detail every single torture session and focused more on continuing the plot this book would've been better.
Super interesting concept but ultimately it was butchered by the authoring focusing on the erotic and spice portion of the book over the plot. Pretty disappointed with this one ngl.
The book was reduced to serious repetition of fmc being tortured by one mmc while the other mmc gaslit and toyed with her. The plot essentially stopped moving once the torture started. Mmc was doing all this to torture her dad who may or may not even see what's happening? But the book established the dad didn't care about the fmc so this doesn't make sense to me.
The fmc has a lot of snappy comebacks but that's about it. She doesn't really try to get herself out of the situation she's in or even really find out more information than either mmc gives her willingly. The fmc also only had the opportunity to interact with two meaningful characters for a huge portion of the book but nothing truly substantial came of it until the very end.
Truthfully, most of the book felt like torture erotica the author wanted to write for herself as a little fanfic but she forced it into a book. I think if she had focused waaayyyy less on describing in so much painstaking detail every single torture session and focused more on continuing the plot this book would've been better.
Super interesting concept but ultimately it was butchered by the authoring focusing on the erotic and spice portion of the book over the plot. Pretty disappointed with this one ngl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2025
Wow what a disappointment. The first like 25% I was so clocked in and thought this was tea. It had SO much potential what the hell immediately jumps to being a book of torture for the remaining 75%. And I love dark romance ..so torture wasn’t the issue, but this was just boring. The plot did not move at all. Same stuff happened over and over like girl I do not care. Skimmed the last 100 pages in super speed .. what a waste
August 11, 2025
Arc read for August! Arranged marriage, forced proximity tropes. Lovable, resilient FMC & dark dangerously powerful MMCs. Completely unexpected love triangle. The magic system ends up being so beautiful. I seriously loved the plot twist that left me in ruins. It’s been a long time since a book left me needing therapy. I can’t wait for book 2. Wildly captivating.
September 8, 2025
If I could describe Souls In Ruin in 3 words it would be: Alluring, Chaos (in the best way possible) and consuming.
Jacqueline idk what you did but this was absolutely phenomenal!! I fear I will not get this book out of my head because I have stared at the ceiling for HOURS after finishing because the pain, suffering, and heart ache moments this book put me through was a damn rollercoaster! 🖤 this is not your typical dark fantasy romance read and I highly suggest going in blind for the ride 😅🖤
My heart went out to Mireille! I was rooting for her and was screaming for her as this story progressed. My favorite moments in this book were how poetic some chapters felt and it was just utterly all so beautiful like I can’t get over how much this book consumed my soul!
Thank you to the bottom of my heart Jacqueline for allowing me to read a copy of your book in advance! I’m still processing my thoughts here but I can’t wait for other readers to discover this beautiful darkness 🖤
Jacqueline idk what you did but this was absolutely phenomenal!! I fear I will not get this book out of my head because I have stared at the ceiling for HOURS after finishing because the pain, suffering, and heart ache moments this book put me through was a damn rollercoaster! 🖤 this is not your typical dark fantasy romance read and I highly suggest going in blind for the ride 😅🖤
My heart went out to Mireille! I was rooting for her and was screaming for her as this story progressed. My favorite moments in this book were how poetic some chapters felt and it was just utterly all so beautiful like I can’t get over how much this book consumed my soul!
Thank you to the bottom of my heart Jacqueline for allowing me to read a copy of your book in advance! I’m still processing my thoughts here but I can’t wait for other readers to discover this beautiful darkness 🖤
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