A Pretty Kind of Violence

Pretty Savage #1

by Bella J.

Reth

Killing is easy.
Being owned is the real nightmare.

I’m controlled. Broken down and rebuilt into something lethal.
I don’t feel. Don’t hesitate. Don’t want.
I survive by staying empty.

Sophia Sinclair is everything I was never meant to touch. Soft, bright… good.

For years I stayed in the shadows.
Watching her. Memorizing her.
Every routine. Every habit. Every detail — from the O negative in her veins to the shade of red she paints across her lips.

I convinced myself watching was harmless. Safe. Distant.
But nothing I want can ever be mine when I’m leashed by an evil far worse than me.

So I did what every villain would do.

I took her.


Sophia

One moment I’m helping traumatized kids.
The next I’m locked inside a house that looks exactly like my dreams with a captor who bakes my favorite pastry.
Who turns up the heat when I shiver.
Leaves heart-shaped candy around like it means something.

Like I mean something.

I tell myself he’s a monster. But I’ve spent years studying broken people, and Reth Hale doesn’t feel like evil.
He feels like damage.
And that might be worse.

When an open door offers freedom, I hesitate.
I've dedicated my life to fixing wounded things — and Reth might just be the most broken of all…

…or the fracture that breaks me instead.

TROPES:
- Stalker
- Obsessive anti-hero / Obsessive love
- Captive romance / Forced proximity
- Protective masked killer
- He falls first (and harder)
- Trauma-bond
- Broken / damaged hero
- Sunshine / soft heroine
- Slowburn

Genres: Dark Romance

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Bella J. is an International and Amazon top 100 bestselling author.

Writing DARK ROMANCE with twists, Bella has an affinity for the ruthless men of the MAFIA world and weaves tales that will leave you breathless and questioning your own moral compass.

When she's not busy creating worlds where danger and romance dance a tango, you can find Bella soaking up the sun in the vibrant city of Cape Town, South Africa. Her writing lair is occasionally invaded by her husband, two kids, and a basset hound who reigns supreme.

A firm believer that laughter is the best medicine, Bella infuses her fictional dark worlds with some wit and humor that peppers her novels.

So buckle up for a thrilling ride through the shadows of romance where happily ever afters have a dark side.

Reviews

[Claudia |✨Cushin Violeta's Bookish Realm✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When obsession is worship...

🆆🅷🅰🆃 🆃🅾 🅻🅾🅾🅺 🅵🅾🆁🆆🅰🆁🅳 🆃🅾:
🔖 Dark Stalker Romance
🔖 Slow-Burn
🔖 He's utterly obsessed
🔖 She's taken as a captive by him
🔖 Obsessed with fulfilling her every wish🔖 Masked Unaliver
🔖 Painful, haunting past
🔖 Suspense vibes

💕🅵🅰🆅🅾🆄🆁🅸🆃🅴 🆀🆄🅾🆃🅴🆂💕

“𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆.” “𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑺𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒂 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒓.”

“𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆?” 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅. “𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑨𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕.

📢 🅲🅰🆄🆃🅸🅾🅽🅰🆁🆈 🅲🅰🅻🅻-🅾🆄🆃 📢

Please read the author's TWs before diving into this book. Especially as some scenes will turn your tummy with the violence and other are heavier topics that are sensitive so dive in carefully.

🅼🆈 🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂:

This book definitely gives obsession a completely different but beautiful meaning because it shows us that a man could care so much about you, thinking of you as their only light and healing, that they would protect you from anyone and everyone in the world who dares to even think about harming you.

Sophia is a sweet one. From her diary ramblings, you can see that she's a girl with a romantic heart and yearns to find a man who would make all her swoony dreams come true.
Her work as a children's therapist had me all teary eyed for seeing what the children have been through and sweet Sophia doing her best in bringing them out of their shell.

But all of a sudden, one fine day she's taken into captivity and now her entire world turns upside down because there's no one coming to save her and she's all alone now.

Strangest is the fact that, she's given her favorite breakfast, her favorite sweets and the house is a luxury, so it is perplexing to understand why would someone take her and care for her like she's so important.

Reth....that man broke me, shocked me and I felt for that man oh so much because his past will make you sob and yet there are these different sides to him...one of a cold blooded, Silent unaliver and the other, a man who worships Sophia like her breathing is the most important thing in the world.

As the story slowly goes ahead, through flashbacks and Reth's behavior, we see a man who has found healing in the only woman who unknowingly touched him and changed his entire world.

The scenes of torture were really hard for me to read but still the story made me feel so much for Reth.

There are so many unanswered questions though, like really so many things and then that ending... I'm freaked out and so scared because what will happen now. I definitely need all those answers and the next book.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love. This was such an amazing book. From the very first chapter, I was pulled in. The twists and turns were wild. I loved the back and forth, the push and pull. I deeply couldn’t enough of this one. Toss this on your TBR for sure.

[Read With Momma Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know it’s coming. You feel it building the entire time.
Do you slow down? No, you keep barreling straight toward it because you can’t stop.

“Would I change anything if I could go back…?”
That’s the question this book greets us with in the prologue (and my friends know I LOVE a prologue and how they grab my attention), and then immediately flips. Because it’s not about regret. It’s about whether he would do it all again, knowing exactly what it would cost him.

Bella J grabs you right from the dedication. She knows her readers and commands our attention. From what we want, who she is, and who she’s writing for, and leans all the way in makes no apologies for doing it her way. From the bubblegum pink cover to the journal entries that let us understand Sophia from the inside out, we’re pulled straight into her head… the same way her stalker is.

Reth doesn’t just watch her. No, he builds himself inside her world through his obsession.
“I’ve been breathing you, Sophia Sinclair.”
Oh yeah, it's that kind of book.

Red flags? Absolutely. All of them. Let them fly.

Because Reth is broken in a way that runs so deep that it's living in places most people wouldn’t survive. His life was stolen from him—until one moment shifted everything. A pink heart lollipop on Halloween. And suddenly, he had someone who saw past the scars. Past the dark. Past everything.

“I’m no one to you… but you are everything to me.”
That’s the line. That’s the dynamic and when you know he's reached the point of no return.

And that ending? Of course she did it. Bella give us the cliffhangers and it's so good.

I love a good cliffhanger, and this one earns it. You see it coming and go anyway. You let it happen. And then you’re left sitting and riding the freefall. You're replaying everything, questioning everything, feeling all of it.

Let me stew in it. Let me be frustrated. Let me ask the what ifs and the whys and what's coming next, because when you love the story and the characters enough, you’re willing to go over the edge with them. These characters are worth it, and I have read enough from Bella J to know she's going to give us the all of that and then some.

And in the meantime, I’ll be right here, waiting for the next book to throw me back up just to do it all over again. I'm always so grateful for the opportunity to read an arc from Bella J, and still get just as excited when my preorder will hit my kindle on release day.

[World Of Books 65 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’m protecting you from a mistake I made…”

And just like that, Bella J pulls you straight into the kind of darkness that doesn’t just linger—it claws its way under your skin.

* A Pretty Kind of Violence*, the first in her Pretty Savage series, is everything you expect from Bella J and somehow even more brutal, more consuming, more emotionally devastating. This isn’t just a slow burn—it’s a suffocating, tension-laced descent into obsession, trauma, and a love that feels as dangerous as it is inevitable.

Reth is not your typical dark romance hero. He is shaped—scarred—by a past so gut-wrenching that you don’t just read it, you feel it. Every decision he makes, every moment he holds himself back, is rooted in something broken deep inside him. And Bella J doesn’t soften that. She forces you to sit in it, to understand it, to ache for him even when you’re questioning everything he does.

Because Reth has been watching. Waiting. Living in the shadows of Sophia’s life for years.

And when he finally steps out of that darkness… everything shifts.

Sophia’s world turns into something surreal—a dreamlike prison wrapped in beauty and danger. The setting feels almost intoxicating, which only makes the reality of her situation more unsettling. Who is Reth really? Why does she feel drawn to him when every instinct tells her to run?

That push and pull is where this story thrives.

The chemistry between them is electric—but it’s not soft or comforting. It’s sharp, addictive, and laced with tension that keeps tightening with every page. Bella J’s version of a slow burn doesn’t tease… it torments. Every glance, every word, every moment of restraint builds into something explosive—and when it hits, it hits hard.

But what truly sets this story apart is the emotional weight behind it all. The darkness isn’t there for shock value—it’s woven into the characters, into their choices, into the very core of the story. Reth’s past isn’t just tragic—it’s defining. And uncovering it piece by piece is both heartbreaking and impossible to look away from.

And then there’s that ending…

Bella J does what she does best—she leaves you hanging, breathless, desperate, and maybe even a little wrecked. It’s the kind of cliffhanger that doesn’t just make you want the next book… it makes you need it.

This is dark romance at its most hypnotic—twisted, emotional, and devastatingly beautiful.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have read Bella J before, you will understand when I say this is another outstanding deliciously dark edge of your seat romance. Bella doesn’t pull punches. Instead she ropes you in one depraved lushes page at a time and let me tell you that A Pretty Kind of Violence is no exception. The book is amazingly written with characters you’ll not only get to know but you’ll seem to feel their every emotion, every thought, every mesmerizing moment of their lives.

To this reader the storyline was like a plot within the main plot. 1st we have Reth, our main male character, a broken man who has been stripped of basic humanity and turned into a lethal killing machine whose movements are owned and controlled. Yet somehow Sophia, a soft hearted woman whose main goal in life is to help those who need saving, slips under his skin. His obsession with her becomes all encompassing. A woman who knows she should fear him yet still wants to help him. But is he saveable? Can he break away from those that control him? Trust me you’ll only want the best for this broken shell of a man.

Then we have the storyline between Reth and Sophia that is woven into the other. I suppose this is technically the main plot yet somehow the two ran parallel to me. From the moment he starts watching her from the shadows to the day he took her captive you just feel their connection unfolding. Reth’s unique way of protecting her, caring for her, dare I say loving her will meld your heart. While Sophia’s need to help him, understand him and dare I say fix him is overwhelming. As their story progresses your heart will hurt, swoon and soar. But is Sophia just another thing that Reth can’t keep?

Bella will keep you on your toes with this one. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s a dark, depravity at its very best. But this reader highly recommends it. But be warned in true Bella J fashion it ends on a cliffy. But I have no doubt the next book will be totally worth the wait.

2 Thumbs Up and 5 Stars

[Samantha Flory · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖✨ ARC REVIEW ✨📖

“Killing is easy. Being owned is the real nightmare.”


This book is not soft. It’s not sweet. And it’s definitely not safe. But wow… it pulls you in and refuses to let go.

Reth Hale is the kind of character you shouldn’t fall for — conditioned into something cold, controlled, and lethal. He’s empty by design… until Sophia. And the way his obsession builds? Quiet, intense, unsettling. It’s not love in a traditional sense — it’s fixation, need, survival tangled into something dangerously close to devotion.

Sophia, on the other hand, is light in human form. A healer. Someone who sees brokenness and wants to mend it — even when she absolutely shouldn’t. Her dynamic with Reth is where this story really thrives. It’s uncomfortable, complicated, and layered with tension that keeps tightening the entire time.
The push and pull between monster vs. damage, captor vs. caretaker, fear vs. connection… it’s messy in the best way. You’re constantly questioning what’s real, what’s manipulation, and what might actually be something deeper.

🖤 Tropes you’ll love (or fear):
— Obsessive anti-hero
— Captive / forced proximity
— Stalker vibes
— Broken hero x sunshine heroine
— Slow burn with emotional intensity
— “He falls first… and HARD”

More tension and emotional intensity than explicit scenes — it’s a slow, simmering burn rather than full-on spice.

⚠️ This is a dark romance, and it fully leans into those themes. It’s not meant to be comfortable — it’s meant to make you feel conflicted. And it absolutely delivers on that.

⭐️ Final thoughts:
If you love morally grey characters, psychological tension, and romance that walks a dangerous line between tenderness and control… this one will get under your skin.
And fair warning… that ending? Total cliffhanger. You will need the next book. 😭

I didn’t always like what was happening… but I couldn’t stop reading.

[Donna reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

DARK. MESMERIZING. UNSETTLINGLY BEAUTIFUL!!

I didn’t just read this… I spiraled into it.

This is the kind of story that starts as a slow burn and then suddenly you’re drowning in it…heart racing, thoughts tangled, completely unable to look away.

Reth is not just a morally gray hero, he is something far more haunting.
A weapon.
A ghost of a man.
Conditioned to obey, stripped of identity, carved into something lethal.
He doesn’t feel. Doesn’t want. Doesn’t hope.

And yet… Sophia exists.

The way he watches her. Learns her. Needs her.
It’s obsessive. Intimate. Unsettling in the most addictive way.
The kind of connection that feels wrong on every level… and still, you crave it.

But what wrecked me was what lies beneath him.

Reth isn’t just dangerous, he’s devastatingly broken.

Little by little, the truth unravels and you see what was done to him… the kind of cruelty that goes beyond pain and into something far more permanent. He wasn’t born this way, he was made.
Torn apart and rebuilt by true monsters who stripped him of choice, of voice, of humanity itself.

And you feel it.

Your heart doesn’t just ache for him…it bleeds.

Because the real horror in this story isn’t what Reth is capable of…
it’s what was done to him to make him this way.

And Sophia? She is light in its purest, most dangerous form.

Soft, compassionate and emotionally intelligent…she doesn’t ignore what he is, she sees it.
The damage. The fractures. The pain beneath the violence.
And instead of turning away… she leans closer.

Not because she’s naive.
But because she understands broken.

And when that tension finally snaps?

The intimacy between them is electric.

Sophia is the first woman Reth has ever touched, ever allowed himself to feel with and that moment is so much more than just heat.
It’s discovery. Hesitant. Intense. Almost reverent in the way he learns her, like she’s something fragile and sacred all at once.

And it is hot.

Not just physically, but emotionally charged in a way that makes every second feel deeper, sharper, more consuming. It’s not just desire…it’s need, curiosity, possession, and something dangerously close to devotion colliding all at once.

You feel everything.

The tension is suffocating.
The chemistry is intoxicating.
Every soft moment feels dangerous. Every touch feels like crossing a line you can’t come back from.

This is obsession wrapped in tenderness.
Violence tangled with vulnerability.
A love story that feels like a descent and you go willingly.

And then… that ending.

Just when you think you can breathe…when you think you finally understand where it’s going, it rips everything away.
Brutal. Unforgiving. Perfectly executed.

The kind of cliffhanger that leaves you staring at the last page, heart pounding, internally screaming “NO—NOT YET” while already reaching for the next book like your sanity depends on it.

And Bella J the author? Unreal.

Her writing is hypnotic. Atmospheric. Emotionally suffocating in the best possible way.
She doesn’t just tell a story—she immerse you in it, breaks you with it, €and leave pieces of it buried under your skin long after it’s over.

The balance between darkness and fragile humanity? Flawless.
The emotional depth? Gutting.
The tension? Addictive.

This book doesn’t cross lines—it obliterates them.

If you love dark romance that makes you question everything, that lingers long after the final page, that grips your heart while tightening around your throat…
Read. This. Book!!

[Hanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love when Bella J comes out with a new book.
I know I’m going to get something so deep and complicated.
APKOV is all that and more. A story that’s dark and twisted and heartbreaking.
Reth is a complex character. He’s the morally gray/black character your heart bleeds for.
Seemly without emotions or feelings. Built and trained to be a killing machine.
But deep down in his soul and heart he’s broken. What was done to him was pure evil.
Sophia is a sweetheart. A bit clumsy, a bit forgetful but always a ray of sunshine.
She’s a hard worker, studies and helps traumatized kids.
Her pure light and her gentleness can be felt by those around her.
Being taken by Reth doesn’t change who Sophia is at her core.
She sees Reth’s brokenness and trauma.
Her compassion for the victimized helps her really start seeing Reth.
Not as her captor. But as the broken man he is.
Once the connection and bond is formed between them.
Everything with them becomes more intense and more raw and gritty.
The physical aspect is intimate and consuming.
Mentally, emotionally and spiritually what they share is so deep and powerful.
I was so consumed by this book and so invested in Reth and Sophia.
Bella J is a master of storytelling. And it absolutely shows in this book.
Her writing is brilliant and powerful.
She brings the characters to life with their depth and layers.
I was reading as fast as I could. Because I needed to get to the next page as fast as possible.
All while I am trying to savor everything that is happening and taking place.
The cliffhanger we are left with had me breathless and on edge.

[shelleysreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Bella’s mafia books and was intrigued but the blurb for this and I was sucked right in from the start and was gripped throughout.

The tension starts right from the beginning and builds with every page, I was so frustrated on Sophia’s behalf when she kept asking for answers and wasn’t getting any.

Reth… I really wanted to hate him at first but with every little bit more we learnt about him and his past, what shaped him, what drives him, what he’s experienced to make him who he is, just had me falling for him and feeling for him more and more. To the point where you just can’t help but fall for him.

Sophia was really easy to like and relate to, seeing her try to understand and get to grips with her new situation had me hooked, seeing her come to the point where she had a choice to make I honestly wasn’t fully sure what she was going to do or what I really wanted her to do!

The chemistry between Reth and Sophia is enticing, electric and intoxicating, the push and pull between them, the tension it was just crafted so perfectly on the page it was the slow burn that really burns and sweeps you up in its path.

And then Bella does what she does so well and leaves you with the cliffhanger that just throws you right off the cliff into the abyss and absolutely feral for the next part!

A deliciously dark & twisted stalker romance with characters with real emotional depth and a consuming storyline. I loved it all and fully recommend it to any dark romance fan!

[Valeria Campos · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Pretty Kind of Violence was one of those books that immediately grabbed my attention with its dark, intriguing premise. The combination of obsession, danger, and twisted romance kept me turning the pages, even when the story didn’t completely hit all the marks for me.

Reth was by far the most interesting part of the book. He’s possessive, damaged, and morally gray in all the ways dark romance readers expect, but there were also moments that made him surprisingly vulnerable. His obsession with Sophia was equal parts unsettling and sweet, creating a dynamic that was hard to look away from.

The atmosphere was dark and addictive, and I enjoyed the stalker romance elements throughout the story. However, I found myself wanting more emotional depth between the characters. While I understood their connection, I didn’t always feel it as strongly as I wanted to. The pacing also felt uneven in places, with some scenes moving too quickly while others lingered longer than necessary.

Despite those issues, I was entertained from beginning to end. If you enjoy obsessive heroes, morally gray characters, captivity themes, and dark romance with a touch of sweetness hidden beneath the darkness, this may be worth picking up.

Overall, this was a solid read with a memorable MMC and enough intrigue to keep me interested in continuing the series.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5)
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶 3/5
Tropes: Stalker Romance • Obsessive MMC • Morally Gray Hero • Captive/Captor Dynamic • Dark Romance • Touch Her and Die Energy

[The_first_last_page · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the start this book sucks your soul out of your body and transports it smack dab into the universe Bella created with Reth and Sophia. This isn't your typical stalker, dark romance. This is a story of someone so broken that the only remaining outer shell can only survive because of Sophia. Reth has a past so horrific that his humanity isn't present anymore. He has no self worth and has been conditioned so much that he only views himself as a weapon and has an almost unhealthy fixation on Sophia. As the story progresses so does your emotional connections with the characters. When he speaks negatively about himself, your heart bleeds. Sophia tries to understand the depth of his infatuation with her and he finally gives her answers like breadcrumbs to follow leading to their first meet. He will do anything for her, there are no lines that will not be crossed. She begins to understand he isn't there to hurt her, allowing her eyes and heart to be opened to the possibility of what could be.

The character development, relationship, secondary characters and plot were all composed in such a meticulous manner that makes this book one that you will not only devour completely, but will recommend and read again to just be able to feel and experience the emotional impact again.

[Megan Janae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obsession. Love. Stalking. Trauma. Violence.

and
Pain.

And somehow, beneath all of that destruction, something hauntingly beautiful.

Bella J writes this story with such sharp emotional intensity and lyrical darkness that at times you almost forget how much pain is woven through its pages. Almost.

Because underneath the beauty is something far more unsettling.

This is the kind of book that slowly sinks into you and refuses to let go. From the very first page, there’s this magnetic pull to the story… you know things are spiraling, you know there’s damage waiting beneath the surface, and yet you can’t look away.

The emotional tension here is palpable. The interactions feel charged with longing, grief, obsession, or danger. The lines between love and destruction blur so completely that by the end you’re left questioning where one ends and the other begins.

And that lingering feeling? That ache?
That’s what makes this book work so well.

It doesn’t just entertain you; it unsettles you quietly. It leaves fingerprints.

The title itself is brilliant because the violence here isn’t merely “pretty.” It’s intimate. Consuming. Emotional. The kind that reshapes and slowly destroys them.

Dark, immersive, and impossible to look away from, A Pretty Kind of Violence is one of those stories that gets under your skin and stays there.

Don’t miss this one.

[Beverley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book…. it wrecked me.
Reth is broken, empty, destroyed and controlled by others who have turned him into a ruthless and lethal weapon. He is black and grey, but Sophia is the one thing that brings colour and light into his world. He has watched her, invaded her privacy and her dreams, obsessed over her and, in his own way, protected her. Are his actions wrong? Probably, but do I mind? Absolutely not! The more I discovered about him, the more my heart ached for Reth. I’m sure my eyes became a little bleary on occasions! So many poignant moments too.
Initially fighting the new reality the finds herself in, Sophia gradually sees the broken person behind the facade that Reth portrays. I held my breath at what, to me, seemed a pivotal moment for her. She had a choice and I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for the outcome of that decision.
For the first part of this book, there were questions swirling around inside my head but these began to be answered the further the story progressed. The writing demands the reader’s attention from the start and keeps you invested until the very last page when, in true Bella J style, you’re left hanging!

[Mikaela Ellesjö · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖤 My review for A Pretty Kind Of Violence 💔


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶,5
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This book is a book that will live rent free in my head for a very very long time!! 🖤 It was so full of emotions and the tears I wept in the end was for both of the MCs.

I can't wait for book two in this series!!

If I got the honor to ARC read a book and I really like it I always buy a psychical copy as well that will stand proudly on one of my bookshelves. BUT with how amazing this book was I have to buy an entire box filled with a bunch of copies of A Pretty Kind Of Violence 🖤


This is a stalker/captive romance where he falls first. She's a happy soft FMC and he is a broken/damaged MMC. They were made for each other 🖤 The characters was fantastic from start! I loved them both and really felt for Reth. He was one of those characters you really feel sorry for and wanted to give a big hug and tell everything will be okey. I really hope he gets his HEA 🖤


Amazing story and plot as always from Bella J, the writing is phenomenal and you get to feel every feeling through those words. This book is heavier and a bit darker then her usual book and I am here for it!! The book ends on a cliffhanger and I am dying to know what happens next with Reth and Sophia!!

A HUGE thank you for this ARC and I am truly honored to be a part of the team! This book was amazing!!!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review.

This is the story of Reth and Sophia. I can honestly say that I don't think there is a thing that Reth doesn't know about Sophia. Reth is a man who has been trained to be a weapon. A ghost. He was never there and you sure never saw him. I was not so sure from the beginning that he could even feel anything. But then you get glimpses of someone human behind those eyes of stone. He, however, does know Sophia. He knows her so well by learning everything there is to know about her. Now don't get me wrong. Reth has been through so much he could not possibly have trauma he lives with every day. When he takes Sophia, he tells himself it is for a reason other than the real reason he took her. I can't tell you much more about anything in this book. It is one of those books that you need to know very little about. You need to just get it and enjoy the ride and reveal of everything you need to know. I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was happening or going to happen. This is a book you do not want to miss.

[Bonnie James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pretty Kind of Violence is obsessive, possessive, and beautifully broken in all the right ways.
Reth is the kind of anti hero that gets under your skin and stays there. Controlled, lethal, and completely hollowed out, he has spent years watching Sophia from the shadows, memorising her like something he was never meant to have. When he finally takes her, that slow burn tension snaps into something raw, intense, and consuming. The power dynamic, the captivity, the way his obsession starts to unravel them both, it is dark, twisted, and strangely beautiful.

Sophia feels like light in all his darkness. Soft where he is sharp, good where he is ruined. Watching her fight, break, and slowly reshape herself under his control is both heartbreaking and addictive. The emotional weight, the trauma, and the way Bella J. plays with control, ownership, and that thin line between love and destruction had me completely hooked.

[Stacey Foss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bella J always brings you a twisted bark unhinged story that has a plot that will blow your mind. Once again she brings us amazing complex characters. Reth is a morally grey unhinged broken man who was turned into a killer he is controlled, manipulated and every movement is owned. They have stripped his humanity. Sophia is the sweet caring wholesome person who just wants to help people and when he slowly gets under her skin all she wants to do is save him. This story is heartbreaking and all encompassing you will feel so many emotions while you read. When these two start to bond it becomes raw emotional and their chemistry is intense and all consuming. You will be pulled into this story and it will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you captivated. Then you're hit with that cliff hanger and you just can't wait for the next book. I was given this book as an ARC for my honest review.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even monsters deserve love sometimes

This book will keep you guessing. Between flashbacks and the present, you will be sucked into a world of captivity while protecting. Loving only wanting to help people, Sophia gets wisked away not on her terms mind you but non the less by Reth who's been stalking Sophia since the moment they met one fateful halloween night.

 She was a secret, his weakness. A boy that got turned into a human weapon, who ended others with no remorse was given a lollipop on halloween by Sophia. Her next words to him is what broke him open. "Even monsters deserve love sometimes." From that moment she became the monsters obsession. 

Valeria, his psychotic handler knows something is up with him. She senses a change in him and does what she does best. Sends him on a mission to remind him. Of who he is. And what he is. 

The fact that we are left with a cliffhanger is the only complaint I have. But I know it will only get better from here.

[Jamaica · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review for A Pretty Kind of Violence -

Woooow... This book had me BLOWN away.
So, it does start pretty slow, but I promise you, it starts speeding up, and has you sitting up in your bed entirely invested. My thighs were clenching, and I was breathing heavy. The spice was THAT good. Now, the ending? A cruel woman, Bella J, is leaving it like that. All I can really say is... Get the book and melt the way Reth does for Sophia.

There was a plot. There was a rollercoaster of emotions. High tension. And when it came to the spice? Lord mighty. The details had me really seeing it come alive right before my eyes. A mighty chef kiss to the descriptions. Oh! And at the end? I couldn't help but giggle at some of the banter between Ian & Reth.

I seriously cannot wait until she drops the second book!

[Mrs Reads Between The Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reth and Sophia’s story plunges you into a world of lethal obsession, unfiltered darkness, and emotional wreckage. Reth is Sophia's ruthless protector whose love manifests as a terrifying, possessive force. He does not ask for permission to save her; he demands it, trapping her in a web of forced protection where his lethal devotion leaves no room for compromise.

As the dangerous secrets woven around Reth unravel, they trigger an emotional fallout and a heart-stopping cliffhanger that leaves the ultimate fate of both characters hanging in the balance. It is an unforgettable read for those of us who crave intense, complex, and unapologetically dark fixations that refuse to let go.

*Please read trigger and content warnings.*

I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after receiving an advanced copy.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say other than, oh my gosh, and not in a bad way. If you have read Bella’s books before, you know she is the queen of morally gray men who just capture and entice you and just pulls you in and never lets go. I fell down the rabbit hole with this one and I’m still falling. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away. I will tell you you that this is a must read. Reth is more than morally gray and you see what made him the way he is. You will think he is a monster, but with Sophia, he’s not. He becomes utterly obsessed with her and in his way protective of her in a way that he’s never felt. She is light and the first person he’s ever cared for. My heart just ached, broke, and bled for him. The ending left me in shambles. This is definitely not a rainbow and unicorn read. It is a dark, dangerous, and utterly delicious read that devoured me whole.

[Nikki B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell you this story hooked me.... I mean... I could not stop reading!
A Pretty Kind Of Violence is book 1 in the Pretty Savage series.
I am literally at loss for words. I don't even know how to sum this up without giving anything away. The characters are so in depth and amazing. Reth is such a broken soul. His past is so dark. He was turned into a stone cold Killer. Yet somehow, Sophia makes him feel something he shouldn't. Sophia is a child therapist and is taken into captivity by Reth. But he takes such good care of her. Reth is the darkest of dark and Sophia is the brightest of lights. The two of them together is electric. I can't get enough of them. I get goosebumps thinking about them together. My heart was in my throat at the end! The cliffhanger..... I can't.. imagine need the next book!!!! I can't wait. This is a definite must read!

[Virginia VanSaders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely dark story.

Reth (Nazareth) Hale has kidnapped Sophia Sinclair for her own protection. He’s been watching her for years and knows everything about her. Sophia gets kidnapped and she doesn’t know why. She has no money and she’s done nothing wrong. Reth is under Valeria’s control and is the cause of his issues. Sophia is a therapist of violently abused children. She’s waiting to be harmed, but Reth never hurts her. Reth is Valeria’s weapon for killing people. Reth and Ian are partners. There is a bond that grows between Sophia and Reth, very slowly, but he can never love or have her. Will that change? Sophia names Reth Pretty Violence. Valeria sends twelve men to fight Reth. Ian takes Sophia out of harm’s way. Will she ever see Reth again? Can’t wait for Book 2 in this series.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pretty Kind of Violence. Wow what a great read. Reth and Sophia’s story. Reth lives in a big house, his best friend Ian lives there too. He is a broken tortured killing machine, all he’s known since he was 13 because of the evil Valeria whom he has no choice but to take orders from. He doesn’t know love but will protect those close to him. Sophia is a teacher and is totally unaware she is being stalked by him and as he doesn’t trust Valeria he kidnaps Sophia and holds her hostage to keep her safe. She is afraid of him, he is a monster, or is he? He bakes her favourite pastries at midnight and turns the heating up when she is cold. Another brilliant read from Bella, I can’t wait for the next one.

[Adele Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible story by Bella J

Wow!! Another amazingly dark and beautifully twisted book by Bella J! How does she makes red flags look like misunderstood men who just love strongly 😂 I absolutely loved Reth!! Like all of her MMCs, on paper you should not like him but you just can't help yourself falling for them!! Reth is a beautifully misunderstood man who expresses love in a unique and extreme way!! Sophia is a strong headed female who knows she shouldn't fall for Reth but she also knows deep down hes a good guy... for her anyway!
I loved the slow burn and watching the tension build between these two!!
Cannot wait for the next book!!!

Definitely read the trigger warnings!!

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1000000% recommend!!!

[Kendra Renae · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️4.5 🌶️4


that ending left me broken into tiny pieces just shattered across the highway in the middle of the night because what the actual fuck💔. An obsessed mmc with so much trauma finding and obsessing over a sassy headstrong fmc will never not be a good read for me.

I still have so many unanswered questions and this was one of the slowest slow burns and yet it was so worth it. Reth my poor baby I pray to the heavens he gets his revenge in book two and Sophia had her whole world turned upside down and all my girl wanted was some love🫠. Of course we gotta go through life altering shit for a happy ever after.

[Sammyll · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I was granted this ARC from Bella J I was hooked. I love Bella's writing from mafia romance to the Stalker obsessive.
This book is sooo good, one of the best from Bella, she has delivered a five star read, devouring every page, yet saviouring every minute!
I immediately looked up when book two will be released when I turned the last page, but hot damn no date as yet! Such a unique story, yes a stalker obsessive male. BUT this is so much more. Reth the brooding silent male, Sophia the fiesty captive who holds his heart.

Stalker
- Obsessive anti-hero / Obsessive love
- Captive romance / Forced proximity
- Protective masked killer
- He falls first (and harder)
- Trauma-bond
- Broken / damaged hero
- Sunshine / soft heroine
- Slowburn
All of the above was promised from Bella, but so much more was delivered. The tension, the angst, the questions, who is holding all of the cards and why? I could not put this book down!
The heartshaped lollipops made me swoon, the silent subtle moves Reth makes all in preparation for ending the ongoing war he faces to free himself amd those he loves. A broken hero, selfless, putting imself last. The writing just flows on the page, it feels like all of the emotions in the writing were leaping from the pages to squeeze your heart so tight. You want the best for Reth, he is a damaged man who has been abused by evil.

Please read this book, it is so good, Bella's writing is getting better with each new series, unique in their own trope, all of her males are possesive alpha males who make me want more!
Thanks for the ARC, I eagerly await the next book in the series as this cliffhanger was devastating for my sanity!

[Joan Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this new Savage Series is the bomb !!! Bella never fails to thrill, and woww ..is this a brand new kind of thrill.... slow burn.... our MMC Reth is oh my my ...what a creature, what a mystery, one that our heroine Sophia is determined to unravel and discover all of his broken pieces and bring them out into the light. This book is so well crafted, you wont see the plot coming until it has gripped you so tightly that you won't be able to let go.

I recieved a free Advance Review Copy of this book from the author Bella J, and I am leaving a voluntary, honest review !

[TINA WILLIAMS · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pretty Kind of Violence is a dark, twisted, slow burn obsessed stalker tale that captures the reader in its web and holds on to the brutal, action packed ending. This story is special as are the characters. This love story is dark and full of all the feels. I fell hard for Reth and his obsession with his captive. There is so much to this story and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I cried at that painful ending. I can’t wait for the next book. This author is so talented and knows how to weave a captivating tale. You need to read this book!

[Keish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bella J is a master of storytelling.
If you have read Bella J before, you will understand when I say this is another outstanding epic masterpiece!
Her writing is brilliant and powerful.
She always brings her characters to life with their depth and layers
When reading a Bella J book, she makes you question sides of your self, you didn't even knew existed
This book is dark and depraved and it's not for the weak at heart . Definitely one of the best book of 2026! But hey it's Bella J, all her books are top tier!!