Intoxicant

by D. Dove

Sulien Arker has always been one to look before he leaps. To plan for every contingency. For the most part that's served him well, allowing him to climb the ladder and become the Navigation Head at the MW-23 Transgalactic Courier Alliance. But it also means that he's spent most of his life in love with his best friend Kolt Solari…and has yet to say a thing.

When tragedy strikes and Kolt's space ship is attacked by pirates, Sulien resolves that he'll say something the moment Kolt wakes in the medbay. Except when Sulien arrives at Kolt's room, he finds that Kolt isn't alone. That Sulien's too late. Tavik Oktod-Hapalo, the security officer that fought off the pirates with Kolt, has stepped in to sweep Kolt off his feet.

Sulien tries to be happy for Kolt, but for some reason Tavik seems to take great pleasure in getting underneath Sulien's skin. When Kolt starts acting out of character, Sulien begins to wonder if there's something more malicious afoot when it comes to Tavik. As if the glowing blue rings on Tavik's skin are signaling danger…


Intoxicant has a non-traditional format featuring a villain's POV. It is rated 5 dove for extensive on-page SA in an abusive relationship with antagonist, drugging, gaslighting, manipulation, some somno, alien-based racism, and violence.

It has a guaranteed happily ever after with protagonists.

Genres: Science Fiction, M M Romance, Adult

401 pages, ebook

Published March 6, 2026

About the author

Writer of spicy MM(+M) stories on a 6 Dove Scale. (iykyk)

NEWSLETTER: https://ddovebooks.com/newsletter-sig...

Reviews

[Sebby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly plot heavy sci-fi with a romance that doesn’t truly start until around 75% of the way through. Tavik’s chapters were brilliant and he was such a fascinating character in both personality and biology to the point that it felt like he stole the show for a majority of the story. The romance between Kolt and Sulien had very limited time and space to evolve and grow in the wake of Tavik and felt like the weakest part of the story personally. There were so many aspects I loved and I did devoured this in one sitting but I can’t help but feel this could have been so much stronger if Tavik had been allowed to shine on his own or if Sulien and Kolt were the povs and allowed the space for their relationship to be more show and less tell. Overall would recommend for the amazingly intoxicating antagonist pov and the hurt/comfort Sulien and Kolt deliver

[Rae_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intoxicant by D. Dove is unlike anything I’ve read before. I went in completely blind and devoured it in under 24 hours and I still haven’t stopped thinking about it.

The story is told through the POV of Sulien, a careful, methodical navigator who has spent years silently in love with his best friend, Kolt. When Kolt survives a brutal pirate attack, Sulien finally resolves to confess… only to arrive in the medbay and discover he’s already too late. Enter Tavik, the security officer who fought beside Kolt during the attack and quickly steps into Sulien’s place.


What follows is equal parts obsession, jealousy, and slow-burn dread. Tavik isn’t just a rival; he’s the villain, and the inclusion of his POV is both unsettling and compulsive. Watching him flaunt his relationship with Kolt, deliberately pushing Sulien’s buttons, should have made me hate him… and yet, somehow, it didn’t. My unexpected fixation on Tavik had me questioning my own morals in the best possible way.


As Kolt begins to change Sulien starts to suspect there’s something far more sinister at play. Tavik’s alien abilities, the glowing blue rings etched into his skin, and the sense of manipulation simmering beneath every interaction create an atmosphere that’s tense, addictive, and deeply disturbing.


The spice is intense and deliberately uncomfortable, packed with non-con, manipulation, drugging, and gaslighting. It’s dark in every sense of the word, but it never feels gratuitous. Instead, the explicit content heightens the psychological tension and keeps you glued to the page, desperate to know how it will all unravel.


This is a five-dove book on the Dove scale, meaning extremely dark. Please check the trigger warnings before diving in. But if morally grey villains, obsessive dynamics, and stories that push you way outside your comfort zone are your thing, this one is absolutely worth the ride.

Vibes:
• Aliens
• Pining
• Dual POV (including the villain)
• Non-con
• Drugging
• Gaslighting
• Manipulation
• Violence


Rating: 5⭐️
Spice: 4🌶

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

"After almost losing Kolt again, he was tired of holding back. Tired of pretending Kolt wasn’t the one who kept his world turning."

Intoxicant was... unhinged. Seriously, it was simultaneously one of the sweetest and most fucked up books I've read this year. I'm obsessed with it.

It's a shared POV, which makes it so interesting. You're seeing both sides of the story in real time, which is great because you're not relying on an un-reliable narrator for every messed up scenario. It was surreal to read Tavik's point of view and know you were rooting for the villain, then switch to Sulien's point of view and find yourself feeling violently protective of him and Kolt. I was so intrigued by Tavik, but honestly I'm a romantic at heart and I couldn't help but favour Kolt and Sulien's friendship-to-relationship. Ugh, I just love them all, don't make me choose favourites. Actually, wait, Vail is my favourite. I'd die for Vail.

Intoxicant is plot-heavy, which I wasn't expecting. Almost every D. Dove book I've read (which is the entire backlist) has been character centric and character driven. Plot always takes a back seat, so it was surprising to find one here. Surprising in a good way though, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and every wild twist and turn it took. It was fast paced, but didn't lose any details - and it kept me hooked from start to finish.

It's been days and I'm still thinking about this book. It was so intense, my god. I want more. The Courier-verse really is the gift that keeps on giving.

[Yvette · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you go from hating a space villain to finding him relatable? ask author D. Dove! — I couldn’t put this book down. I absolutely loved it so much! — Tavik is a criminal with a particular kind of intoxicating trick, that he uses to get what he wants. But when he targets Kolt to accomplish his latest scheme, he has Sulien (who is in love with Kolt) to deal with. It’s a delicious plot, filled with intrigue, jealously, world building (loved the detailed world) and of course, spice that’s spicing! — I was gifted this ARC by the author and I’m so mad at myself for not reading it right away. It’s that good. I find D. Dove’s writing easy to connect with and digest, with beautiful emotional and passionate moments and scenes. You just can’t help but care about these characters including Vail, who also plays a key part in this story. Do watch the triggers because again, Tavik is pretty nasty. But with layers. And that trick that… Ok, stopping now before I take his side!

[lex ❄ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated realeses this year and I'm very glad it turned out great overall. D. Dove is one of my favorite authors, so I always give them an opportunity whenever they bring a new book. I think that it's easy to feel from how careful this was crafted that they put a lot of effort on it, and I must say that this definitely is their most intriguing and nicely executed plot, and probably one of the most interesting in recent years from the published MM community.

The blurb sets up the core of the story. It involves sci fi elements and an alien setting that expands along the story, making it easy to learn the rules of that universe. To be honest, I'm the type of reader that prefers contemporary works, but I'm always open to books that present out-of-my-comfort factors and manage to get someone like me into it without making things tedious or confusing. This one is a very good example so kudos to the author for that.

Now, before I get into everything I loved I must mention some things that I was feeling during most of the book, and even had me afraid of not ending up liking this as much in general. I think this book would've hit harder for me if it was written from Kolt's pov, or at least if it included his (maybe instead of someone else, or just from solely his pov). I usually don't mind who's the narrator, and this isn't a case where I hated the ones that were there (not even the villain's, he was great in his role), but I truly feel that I would've connected more with Kolt and the eventual endgame if that were the case.

Speaking about Kolt, I have a tiny issue with the initial phase of his relationship with Tavik, in the sense that it wasn't fully beliavable to me how things came to be. I wouldn't blame him for anything for obvious reasons, the way I feel towards his decisions is more of a problem I had at the set up of their dynamic. I'll be blunt here: I just couldn't believe how he was more open to believe what his new boyfriend said than what his own best friend from years ago told him at such early stages of their relationship. And listen, I know that initial experience was traumatic (the pirate event), but it felt strange that the narrative wanted me to believe that he preferred to side with someone he met recently and not listen to others (considering his rank as well). I can understand the rest due to the manipulation and other awful things done to him, but his clarity wasn't affected at the beginning (from what I understood how the whole thing with Tavik worked). I felt iffy about it.

Other than that, I also couldn't be super invested into Sulien and Kolt as endgame during the first half of the book. I just felt that Sulien was doing everything between them, and I know that it's for obvious reasons since Kolt was a victim and dealing with other heavy stuff. It's not even about me liking Tavik better (I liked him as villain just fine) even when I tend to like that type of "love" interest/partner in fiction, but the reason is that everything between Sulien and Kolt arrived very late for me to care more about them as I would've in other circumstances.

Don't get me wrong, ultimately I was fine with that because both fit very well together and compliment each other the best. Maybe their late development together was a bit rushed for my own taste, but I ended up leaning towards a positive feeling about them since these guys went through a lot and they deserved to be happy. They were adorable and seeing Kolt come out of that and still continue with Sulien's steady support was satisfying.

So, in short, my rating equals to how I ended up feeling about this in general, I just wanted to explain how I got there. It's one of those times where everything was well developed but the romance aspect still needed some more since imo it felt like the weak factor in the story. I was even more invested in the background plot (the Allience, Tavik, them discovering how his body works) than them at some point, although later I came to like them more as a pair after 75%.

I also think the main cast and their characterization were solid. Tavik was evil and interesting, Vail was smart and understanding (he became my favorite character, never expected that, I need a book about him), Kolt was resiliant and strong, Sulien was devoted and caring. I liked the relationships between them and how it made certain scenes tense. The story was always thrilling and I always wanted to know what came up next.

Overall, I think there were many things that I enjoyed, I just think that maybe if certain pages were given to develop other things instead it would've been even better.

-This was an ARC review.

Tags: (might miss some of them)
-POV: third person
-Content warnings: sexual assault/noncon (between villain and MC), non consensual drugging, abuse, toxic partner (villain), unbalanced power dynamics (between villain and MC)
-Elements: aliens, size difference, sci fi, kind of love triangle(?)
-Kinks: choking, fingers in mouth, belly bulge, restraints, oral fixation, somnophilia (some of are from noncon scenes)
-Sexual act(s): barebacking, creampie, blowjobs, humping-grinding, toys, cockwarming, knotting mouth (some of are from noncon scenes)
-Dynamic: MM, friends to lovers, strict top and bottom

[A Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

In short: One of the best compliments I can give is that it took me longer to figure out what I wanted to say in my review than it took me to read it. Keeping my thoughts concise is a challenge

I was given an advance copy by a friend (hi, Michael) and as I devoured it, it devoured my free time until I'd finished it. At the risk of oversharing, Intoxicant felt like a fiendish exercise in edging. The sex scenes were so well-realized on the page as to leave me aching, but the plot they were nestled in was gripping enough that I didn't want to take time away from the narrative. I had to know more, even as I knew that doing so would only add to the effect of the prose on my aroused state. Hence, edging.

But even past the oddly apropos addictive qualities, the characters and world are amazingly well written and detailed. The hardest part of writing in a well-realized speculative fiction world is wanting to break the flow of the story to throw in exposition. That is emphatically not the case here. Character and world details are revealed naturally as events progress and characters interact, and told me just enough about the world to make me want to learn so much more about this vividly nightmarish setting.

Finally, I've got to talk about the romance at the core of the story. A lot of dark romance/erotica/what have you is content to bathe you in a nightmare and convince you it's a dream. Intoxicant, meanwhile, takes the trauma of its characters seriously and treats their lives as worthwhile and meaningful. What does that have to do with romance? Without spoiling too much, I was absolutely thrilled to find that Intoxicant's narrative is its own aftercare. And there's no romantic angle I love more than two hurt people trying to pick up the pieces and heal after trauma. Tavik's nightmarish machinations drew me in and spellbound me, but Sulien and Kolt's tender love kept me devouring page after page.

And all this despite m/m romance not being my usual cup of tea! It's just so well written and is so wonderful and vivid that I couldn't help but love it.

All that said, JUSTICE FOR VAIL and I need another hit of these characters and this world, because Dove's writing is more addictive than Tavik's... Poison.

So I guess watch for a review of Alien Clutch soon.

And now I need to make more of my friends read this so I have more people to talk about it with.

[May Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler-free review:

When I told a friend of mine that my New Year's Resolution was to consume more romantic/explicit queer media, I did not expect to be given an ARC of this sci-fi fantasy erotic novel. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it since I knew my tastes differed from his, and generally I wasn't too heavy into sci-fi. Still, I figured I might as well give this book a read, since I'd be killing two birds with one stone; doing a favor for a friend and following through on my resolution.

The moment I started reading, I was hooked. I was invested in these characters and their relationships, and was excited to see how the plot would unfold. I was so impressed with the world-building that the author was able to introduce without feeling like there were random exposition dumps littered to spoonfeed the reader. D. Dove thrusts you headfirst into this universe with no handholding, yet all the unfamiliar vocabulary, alien languages, government setups are intuitive and add to the plot rather than distract. At no point did I feel lost, nor did I feel that anything was superfluous. This book is tightly written, and the pacing makes it impossible to put down. The constant switching between Tavik's and Sulien's POVs keeps you on your toes, wanting to see the other character's reactions to the events transpiring.

Of course, the steaminess level is off the charts; that's the whole point. The sex scenes are well-written, each one feeling like something new, even between the same characters. You get a great mix of intense sado-masochistic hardcore scenes with some very sweet and sensual scenes, both incredibly satisfying in their own way. One thing I really enjoyed however, was how integral sex was to the plot, while having the plot outside of the sex be enticing and addictive as well. I ended up reading this book all in one sitting because of it.

Intoxicant was a fun read with a very fun villain in Tavik: intelligent, cunning, deadly- but oh so worth it (though Vail is the best boy). I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that wants to read some hot gay alien action with a captivating spy-fi storyline. I hope to see these characters again soon.

[369Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
A very unique sci-fi MM romance/erotica with crazy dark themes and a plot-heavy story.
This story takes place in a universe where many intergalactic species work together in the universe, and some even form an alliance. Sulien works in the courier business along his best friend Kolt. He’s been in love with Kolt forever, and when Kolt gets grievously injured, Sulien knows he can’t wait to confess his feelings any longer. When he finally makes it to Kolt’s bedside, he finds a strange being called Tavik. Tavik claims to be Kolt’s partner… but he has his own very dark motivations.

This book is very interesting, since instead of it being told from the POV of two MCs, it’s told from Sulien (the man MC) and Tavik (the villain)’s POV. At the beginning of the book, this especially made a big impact!

Rapid fire content:
-sci-fi space setting with alien characters
-lots of non-con (seriously check the TWs because Tavik is evil!)
-an oral fixation
-a more plot-heavy storyline (romance between MCs doesn’t really develop until end of the book)

My overall opinion on this book was that it was super interesting and also boring at the same time 😂

What interested me:
-unique storytelling and POV
-creative alien characters (Tavik is based on a blue ringed octopus)
-definitely a book unlike anything I’ve read before
-there’s a HEA :)
-the first 60% of the book was pretty solid for me! I was always excited to see what would happen next

What I didn’t like (contains spoilers so stop reading if you don’t want them):
-the climax of the book was boring (like…mostly just people having conversations)
-there was no satisfying final confrontation or resolution between Tavik and Sulien/Kolt (literally the end felt so random)
-there ended up being too much telling instead of showing in the end
-I was expecting some kind of big twist or reveal.. but nothing happened (maybe that’s on me)

Though I still really commend the author for a unique and wild ride of a book, I was disappointed in the ending.
Overall, I still recommend it because of its unique and memorable qualities!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

D Dove’s Intoxicant is a very different story than a lot of their earlier ones because about half of the book switches between Sulien (who is in love with Kolt) and Tavik, the villain. Since you’re in Tavik’s POV so much, you learn a lot about him and his plan for Kolt (the man he’s gaslit into thinking is in a relationship with him). The story kept me guessing as it had a lot of twists and turns with who Tavik was and what he was doing.

I think I’d read that Dove said if you found their book Rerouting River hard to read with the scenes with the landlord, then Intoxicant might be harder for you. I actually thought Intoxicant was a little easier in that sense because Kolt is convinced he’s willingly with Tavik and so for a lot of that part of the book, he doesn’t really realize anything’s wrong.

After Tavik is dealt with (at least for right then), there was more time than I’d expected spent on Kolt and Sulien’s relationship including Sulien helping Kolt recover from his time with Tavik, and I really enjoyed seeing them together and how their relationship developed. I loved how Sulien took care of Kolt and how he was willing to give Kolt whatever he needed to recover. They were so sweet together!

If you’ve read Dove’s Alien Clutch series, you’ll recognize the Courier Alliance that Lee worked for before he ended up with the Dresht. It was interesting to learn so much more about the world that Lee came from and see the different species that are part of the Alliance. One of the things I love about Dove’s longer books like this one is how thoroughly you’re pulled into the world they’ve created, and that was definitely the case for this story.

This is a darker Dove story even with the HEA for Sulien and Kolt (which is really wonderful!), but if you’re into that, I highly recommend it!

[Ashley Dead.inside_but_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Dark Romance with a 5 Dove rating if you are not familiar with Dove ratings check their site before heading into this one. There is alot of noncon via the Villain in this story and we get the Villain POV with this one so it is on page. There is a HEA overall though so if you decide to venture into this one your good there.

🌶🌶🌶🌶

Sulien has loved his friend Kolt for a very long time, and when Kolt's spaceship was attacked and Kolt injured Sulien decided now was the time to let Kolt know how he felt. The problem is when he got to see Kolt in the medbay there was already someone with him Tavik. Sulien finds out that Tavik fought along side Kolt and saved his life what he doesn't know is Tavik orchestrated the whole event to look like the hero. Tavik is the Villain in our story for this one.
Tavik has a very detailed plan which involves consistently drugging Kolt and using him to get the information he needs. Eventually Sulien does realize what is happening and tries to save Kolt but this is after so much has been done to him. Again there is a HEA but it is very hard fought for and earned.
This story pulled me in because we actually get the Villains POV here. It was fascinating almost to see the thought process and workings of Tavik, you didn't want to be so hooked but you absolutely were. These are the type of books that make D. Dove great the way they just scramble your brain a bit and when you hit that ending your just left staring at the wall to get your thoughts together. Really check those TWs before heading in but if you decide to take a chance on this one it will definitely be worth it.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A plot-heavy, dual POV, dark and sexy book from D. Dove! I received an advance copy as an ARC reader, and I ate this book up in about 3 days. Having read all of D. Dove's other published works, I found Intoxicant to be really different - it was much more plot-driven than other D. Dove works. I was a little hesitant about this, because I love when D. Dove explores a story through characters, but I actually ended up really liking it, and there was still plenty of character development to keep me interested.

It was very curious to see from the villain's POV; I found myself intrigued by Tavik and his obsessive tendencies. His character design was very fun, too, with his aquatic background, glowing blue rings, and hypnotic abilities. I would have loved if Kolt's POV was included, but Sulien and Tavik's perspectives were complex and deep enough to keep me interested in the whole story, especially with all of the plotting and planning from both characters.

Definitely check the trigger-warnings, it gets dark, but if you do start reading I think you'll enjoy it!
5 stars from me!

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, that was a great read! Sci-fi, dark, with a lot of tw!!

Tavik is one of the leading role players, the villain, a manipulator, and his personality is intriguing af.
Sabotaging relationships, purposely nagging Sulien, and keeping Kolt and Sulien apart.
But the story involves way more than this.

Sulien is in love with Kolt, but sadly he was a bit late in admitting this to Kolt. Now Kolt has a partner, Tavik of all creatures!

Tavik’s cum seems to work like a drug, because Kolt can’t get enough of it.
Watching Kolt, Sulien finds him acting strangely, not the friend he knows. He needs evidence to prove Tavik is the reason, and a danger. His friend Vail is quite helpful.

This was a superb narrative!! Sci-fi at its best. The environment, the diversity of species, the action, it was all breathtaking!
The whole story was quite genius put together.

[Dansil Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possibly the best erotic novel I've ever read. I laughed, I cried, I came... The entire time, I was rooting for the villain to win, because he's just that, well, intoxicating. Tavik is a perfect angel and can do absolutely nothing wrong. I am utterly obsessed with this character and this book; I finished the entire thing in a single day, all four hundred pages; it's *THAT* great.

I love it when you make me feel good, D. Dove. But I also love it when you make me feel bad, too. And Tavik? He makes me feel so, so, *so* bad.

[JTed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow I really loved this one. D.Dove books are always favs for me but this is definitely a new top pick for me. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and this one snapped me right out—I couldn’t put it down. The queen of hurt comfort comes through! Getting the villain POV really added to the story and moving the plot—I can’t wait to read more about his background (and that ending!!!!!)! This will be a new re-read rotation staple!

[deppbanderasfan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book! I always love D Dove non-con books. The characters are so well written. It was interesting to be in the "baddie's" mindset as well as the "hero". I look forward to more stories from the curior-verse that D Dove has created.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

D. Dove is one of my new favorite authors, but this book wasn’t quite a five star, just because the hero wasn’t strong enough to steal the story away from the villain. I kinda wanted him to get the guy 😇