Kill Me: A Forbidden Romance

by Bekah Jaymes

I’ve spent my entire adult life flitting between flashbacks and doctors, never quite knowing what’s true and what isn’t, with only my best friend Millie and the monsters in my head to keep me company.

But now I’m questioning if they are even real.

So, when my best friend and my brother betray me in the worst way you could imagine, my only wish is to end the pain with death.

And then one day, I’m on a bridge, finally ready to end it all, when Harley walks into my life. A meet-cute without the cute, and someone determined to bring me back from the brink of death and restore my faith in humanity.

Because when even your family doesn't side with you after the kind of betrayal I’ve experienced, it’s impossible to know whether you are the problem or them.

But with Harley’s guidance, I’m determined to get better. And when I do, the monsters better run, because I’m coming for them.

After all, there’s nothing like the love of a good man to help you burn the world with him by your side.

Genres: Dark Romance

452 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2026

About the author

Bekah Jaymes is a proud disabled author and dog mum living in the UK who enjoys spending her weekends forcing her husband to carry piles of books around bookshops while stacking more on top. While her hair may be girly and pink, she's full of sarcasm and loves to write twisted, taboo, and pitch-black romances, full of real-world topics that shouldn't be hidden in the shadows.

Reviews

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

6⭐️
‘Kill Me’ is a beautifully written novel and it’s incredibly emotionally raw and healing at the same time. The way the subjects of mental health, chronic health conditions, traumatic events and CPTSD were portrayed throughout the read has truly astonished me. Heartbreakingly this will be a relatable read to so many of us that pick up this book but what matters most is that reading ‘Kill Me’ will reassure us that things will work out and that we will heal one day and that we just need time, patience and safety surrounding us.

This is uniquely written as a way where we follow Quinn's healing journey and she talks us through her traumatic events and the vile events that she dealt with. She starts therapy and in comes ‘Harley’ somebody who offers her the safety, the tools to help her heal and I’m not going to give spoilers but what I will say is that everybody needs a Harley as he is her saviour and she is fixing herself. The friendships she forms have such strong bonds. The dark humour they all share made me laugh and that’s because dark humour is so common with PTSD so I was over the moon when this was a theme running through the book amongst the main storyline.

There was also a major plot twist which I didn’t expect at all and that’s one hundred percent my favourite part of the book, it’s heavily messed up, unhinged and feral but it’s such a genius added extra to the storyline, I’m so obsessed with that idea and my toxic trait is that I found that healing but I won’t be spoiling that either!

I really hope that more people read this book because where this is a fictional read, this raises awareness to so many different types of abuse, mental illnesses, chronic illnesses and more. The healing journey from PTSD is accurate it too, it’s highlighted the dark times as well as the good times of therapy and healing from trauma.

If you are a lover of dark romance (the romance itself isn’t dark) then add this to your TBR but please proceed with caution and please read the TW list.

[amber stitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kill Me is a beautifully written story
It is an incredibly healing and raw emotion all at the same time and the way the subjects health issues such as mental health earing disorders and chronic health problems and traumatic events and CPTSD were where written all the way through the story is absolutely incredible and had me conpletely intetrsted and invested fron start to funish. This is sp relatable to so many people in the world in todays socuety and so many of thosr people affected by these issues will read this book and i honestly feel it may also make them rralise that things will work out for them and that they will and can heal that it takes time not an overnight miracle. In the way that the book is written is so differrnt to many other as we follow quinns journey we folliw through her through the sjck and twisted traumatic events she has had to endure throughout her troubled life and then enterd harley the thetapist who offers patience care and safety all the things she hasnt had. Tge dark humor is top tier. Theres a major plot twist i didnt see comming and oh my life made this book 6 stars for me. I think everyone needs a harley in their life. Be sure to check the trigger warnings as it can be dark and coukd be triggering to some out there. But bekah jaymes you killed this book girl i love it

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

After years of battling mental illness and lost memories Quinn decided to end it all. But was it really a failed attempt if that moment was the first step to ending her life as she knew it?

This is a gruelling story of Family Abuse and betrayal. That had me screaming for revenge the more truama was uncovered.

Quinn has been through some unimaginable thing in her life and watching her shine as she deals with her truama is both emotional and heartwarming.

Harley that beautiful walking green flag, not only does he use his knowledge as a therapist and his connections to help Quinn overcome her truama, but he helps her fall in love with life and herself again. Harley loved all the part of Quinn that she has spent a life time being put down over.

Now lets talk about the side characters.
Lula is an absolute force to be reckoned with. I loved her sense of humour, I loved her career. She an absolute bad ass and I want to be her when I grow up. She needs her own book.

Xavier and Rhiannon I would love to get to know them more and see where their story takes them.

[Cerys · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing debut from Bekah!

Dark, spicy, but still had me belly laughing in places.

[Jojobean_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was raw, brutal and hilarious.
This look into the complexities of mental health, trauma, domestic abuse and parental abuse was heartbreaking and the recovery, the hard work and turmoil it takes to get better was just as gutwrenching.
Add into this the adorable as fuck relationship between our 2 characters and you have one hell of a concoction!!!

[April (thatbrunettebookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a debut novel from Bekah Jaymes!! It’s actually hard to believe this is her debut. It’s written like she has been writing books for a long time!! The storyline and the character development is so good and heartbreaking, yes heartbreaking Quinn’s story is absolutely heartbreaking. But the way Quinn takes on her trauma and heals with the help of Harley is so beautifully written.

Quinn has been battling her mental health for as long as she can remember. With no help from her family and most of her trauma coming from domestic abuse from her mother and brother Quinn decides she’s had enough. But on that fateful night she meets Harley and her whole life changes. Oh and the twist in the plot at the end EPIC!! Not giving it away one bit you have to read it to find out. 😏 There’s not a lot of spice in this book but there is some and it’s worth the wait. The F it moments Harley has 😮‍💨 and he takes care of his girl if you know what I mean!

But this story is about healing and Quinn goes through it but she comes out a strong person at the end and she finally gets her happily ever after! I can’t wait for the next book from Bekah! And I definitely need an X and Rhiannon book and Lulu needs a book asap!!

[Dorothy Tomkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. How is this a debut novel?

Where do I even start with this masterpiece?
It's hard to believe that this is the authors debut novel. She writes with a level of skill that some much more seasoned authors have yet to achieve.
Kill Me is one of those rare books that engages you right from the first page...none of this wading through chapters waiting for it to get good. Oh no, this one grabs your ponytail and drags you kicking and screaming through the pages. Occasionally letting you catch your breath, only to yank you forward once again.
While this book has some dark elements and also some heart wrenching ones, it also has the perfect amount of sass and banter and don't even get me started on the characters...Quinn is my girl, Harley is my big soft teddy bear and Lulu (wait until you meet her) is my girl crush!!!
So in summary. Grab this book right now. This made me laugh, it made me cry and it had me swiping left faster than a scroll on tinder.

[Kat Judges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear with me with my review as this wasn’t an easy read. It’s a brutal, honest, and raw trauma filled read. It took me some time to finish this book but not for negative reasons! I struggled to read it because it made me angry. I am privileged to have had a reasonable upbringing and did not experience this kind of trauma and abuse growing up. Bekah wanted emotion and she got it. Not in the form of tears but in the form of FUCK. I think it’s because she is not faceless. I’ve met her. She is not just a name writing about her wild imagination. She is a lovely bright soul and I was so gripped inside by the emotional trauma I wanted to scream at people and hug her. This book is a slow burn. It is trauma based and it represents. It has a good level of spice later on and the revenge is fabulous. I recommend this book. Go in with an open mind. Check the triggers and protect yourself always. If it takes time, it’s ok!

[Hayley Lunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ARC read.

I have no words, yet all of the words at the same time so I think I’m going to keep my review simple. 😂
When Bekah announced she was writing a book, I have never been more excited and more proud, as I had an idea just by knowing her how good her writing was going to be. Let me tell you she did NOT disappoint.

The way Quinn and Harley meet is a little unconventional, but I loved it. Their sarcastic back and forth banter from the beginning is one of my favourite things. Although there are a lot of heavy subjects, the story is well balanced and I love the friendships that develop.
Lulu is my absolute hero though! The way she is written? *chef’s kiss* 👌🏼
Of course with heroes, there must come a villain (or two… or three) I’ll let you read for yourselves though, I’m not giving anything away. Needless to say, I love this book! It’s the first book I’ve given FIVE STARS to in a while. It blew me away!

PLEASE READ KILL ME. I’m going to recommend it to anyone who will listen. 🩷🖤

[Morgan Biggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably a little fcked to say this books made me giggle when it’s full of some of the most heinous things that could happen to a person but I do like a little humour beside my trauma, just like our Quinny

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up for a wild ride! This book is the epitome of perfection depiction of love and trauma. I was internally combusting and bursting at the seems with this work of art.


The banter! The connection!!! The humour is just more than you’re ready for and the descriptions of the characters is just enough for you envision the setting and the characters themselves!

Whilst the cover of humour is hiding the truth of trauma and mental health you’re getting everything wrapped up in the MMC green flags. You will be truly engrossed with the balance of survival need and healing cross overs along with a level humour you never knew you needed. This striking work of art will have laughing then blowing out a breath you didn’t know you were holding! As the plot thickens you uncover more and fill in the blanks of Quinn’s history, finding yourself submerged and out of reality, will leave you unraveling.

[Hopelessromanticbookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Don’t worry, Little Magpie, I’m coming for you.”

I’ve been really excited to start reading this book after the author mentioned she was writing her first book. I’ve never really read any dark romance, so it was exciting to get a taste of the genre.

The whole book was written beautifully and the story just flows throughout. The characters had a mixture of personalities but they all fit together great making the story more enjoyable. I knew that this story is important to the author, so getting the chance to read it was a privilege!

Quinn and Harley’s story was written beautifully. They both had their own little quirks, cute nicknames and the strong support for one another. Their journey to each another, through the tough and difficult times to them making some amazing new happy memories was memorable.
X, Rhiannon, Lulu and of course Ted were amazing side characters that supported Harley & Quinn. They completed the story, coming together as one found family who stick by each other until death.

From beginning to end a beautiful story was told, through loneliness and betrayal to found family and love. This story wasn’t written about weakness or failure, it’s about finding your own strength…finding other individuals to make your feel stronger and happier and not letting others pull you down to their level. This book is about strength, love and acceptance, you just got to find your way out of darkness and into the light were people love and accept you no matter what you look like or what disabilities you may have.

Reading this story has given me a little bit of hope for my own life, knowing that there is a guy out there who loves a curvy girl with all the rolls but is also a big teddy bear too.

The sweetest revenge is living a life so good that you’ll always wonder what went wrong.

[Emma Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kill Me By Bekah Jaymes

First off I need to say read trigger warnings and authors notes before reading this book. Its a fiction novel but it covers real life events/trauma/situations and this can be triggering for some people. For me im glad i read them because it hit home how much i needed to read this book. I myself have faced issues with a family member and suffered trauma for over 25 years. When i say trauma I mean like emotional mental. Resentment abandonment. Anyway im going off topic (this is how much i needed this book lol)
Second....the playlist starts off with 1 of my all time favourite songs (jelly roll - I am not ok) this is another sign this book was meant to be lol

My favourite quote
"Some may feel sorry for her or even have empathy. I, however, do not. Your past trauma is not an excuse to abuse your children"

Now for review.......

It was Raw brutal honest and most certainly emotional from the very start. There was times when I had to pause just to collect myself because of tears and rage. Although its a story of heavy subjects... trauma abuse revenge I feel it is beautifully written. You can connect with the characters.
You follow quinns journey from her traumatic upbringing with her mum and brother to her finding her hero.
It will help people see that they themselves can overcome their trauma and stand proud and say "I AM A SURVIVOR "

This book gave me all the feels and more...from sadness, anger, rage, hope, warmth, laughter resemblance, happiness.

Chapter 4 was a hard one for me, i could see so much of my past/present in this chapter.

I also listened to the playlist as was reading it.