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Broken Gods #1
Claimed by Darkness
Sometimes, to destroy evil, you have to embrace it…
The night Nora’s parents were murdered, something ancient and malevolent stirred beneath the waves—and it never let go. No one else felt it. But Nora did... she still does.
The darkness whispers her name, curls through her thoughts, tempts her with release. On the edge of the Mackinac Bridge, Nora is ready to surrender. But fate has other plans.
A flash of burning green eyes. Wings of midnight. And everything changes.
Saved by Kairos, a powerful celestial, who claims she’s his fated mate, Nora is thrust into a hidden world of otherworldly beings and ancient prophecy. Her past—wiped away. Her future—bound to a war that began long before she was born.
A century ago, the demon queen Nyx stole everything from Nora. Now she wants her soul. But Nora won’t go down without a fight.
To save the world—and the ones she loves—Nora must unlock the terrible truth of who she is. Even if it means binding herself to a dark king who promises love… and carries deadly secrets.
As Heaven and Hell collide, Nora must choose between the mate who holds her heart and the darkness that calls her name.
Because the God of Shadows is coming. And he won’t stop until she belongs to him.
Claimed by Darkness is a fantasy romance filled with fated mates, celestial warriors, forbidden magic, and a heroine torn between light and shadow.
The night Nora’s parents were murdered, something ancient and malevolent stirred beneath the waves—and it never let go. No one else felt it. But Nora did... she still does.
The darkness whispers her name, curls through her thoughts, tempts her with release. On the edge of the Mackinac Bridge, Nora is ready to surrender. But fate has other plans.
A flash of burning green eyes. Wings of midnight. And everything changes.
Saved by Kairos, a powerful celestial, who claims she’s his fated mate, Nora is thrust into a hidden world of otherworldly beings and ancient prophecy. Her past—wiped away. Her future—bound to a war that began long before she was born.
A century ago, the demon queen Nyx stole everything from Nora. Now she wants her soul. But Nora won’t go down without a fight.
To save the world—and the ones she loves—Nora must unlock the terrible truth of who she is. Even if it means binding herself to a dark king who promises love… and carries deadly secrets.
As Heaven and Hell collide, Nora must choose between the mate who holds her heart and the darkness that calls her name.
Because the God of Shadows is coming. And he won’t stop until she belongs to him.
Claimed by Darkness is a fantasy romance filled with fated mates, celestial warriors, forbidden magic, and a heroine torn between light and shadow.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2026
About the author
S.R. Hartley
4 books124 followersS.R. Hartley writes dreamy contemporary romance and haunting dark romantasy full of emotion and spice. She lives in a small town in Ohio and works night shift as a registered nurse, using her stories as an escape. She enjoys writing about light vs. darkness to find ways to bring mental health issues to light, and to help readers relate to her words or heal old wounds. Her characters are real, flawed, and a bit damaged, because nothing makes her happier than seeing a lost soul finally get their happily ever after.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 14, 2026
DNF @26%
I unfortunately couldn't get into the book. I felt really bored and honestly wasn't sure where the plot was going. There was an extra POV that I had nooo idea we were even going to have a POV of. Not to mention the first spicy scene was....just not good.
For me personally, the FMC wasn't going anywhere, there wasn't any build up for her aside being very validy depressed over the
I unfortunately couldn't get into the book. I felt really bored and honestly wasn't sure where the plot was going. There was an extra POV that I had nooo idea we were even going to have a POV of. Not to mention the first spicy scene was....just not good.
For me personally, the FMC wasn't going anywhere, there wasn't any build up for her aside being very validy depressed over the
April 12, 2026
I really want to like this book and give it a five star read. But I felt the story was kind of rushed. There was not a lot of world building. And I personally need a bit more to really understand the story. The FMC was okay with everything without any questions, what felt kind of weird. Maybe the second book gets better. I really hope so, because the characters are interesting enough for a good series.
April 10, 2026
First, let me begin by thanking S.R. Hartley for this amazing book! I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of your team!
This book claimed me and it now owns me! This book was like nothing I've ever read. You have Dual POV and Dual Timelines. I found this very unique. I won't give anything away about the characters past what you would be able to find in the blurb because I believe this book needs to be read without any spoilers or hints. I absolutely love how the author wrote these characters and the fact that she wrote a villain I came to love is just phenomenal. It isn't often an author can sway me away from disliking a villain but she did! Nora is drowning in grief after her parents are murdered. When she is ready to succumb to the darkness fate steps in with another plan. That's when we meet Kairos, Erebus, and Nyx. Heaven and Hell collides and Nora has to choose her fated mate, but will she choose correctly?
This book will make you feel a wide range of emotions. You will laugh, cry, scream, and swoon. If you are ready to be claimed by this book like me, definitely grab your copy today!
This book claimed me and it now owns me! This book was like nothing I've ever read. You have Dual POV and Dual Timelines. I found this very unique. I won't give anything away about the characters past what you would be able to find in the blurb because I believe this book needs to be read without any spoilers or hints. I absolutely love how the author wrote these characters and the fact that she wrote a villain I came to love is just phenomenal. It isn't often an author can sway me away from disliking a villain but she did! Nora is drowning in grief after her parents are murdered. When she is ready to succumb to the darkness fate steps in with another plan. That's when we meet Kairos, Erebus, and Nyx. Heaven and Hell collides and Nora has to choose her fated mate, but will she choose correctly?
This book will make you feel a wide range of emotions. You will laugh, cry, scream, and swoon. If you are ready to be claimed by this book like me, definitely grab your copy today!
April 25, 2026
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️2🌶🌶
I truly don't even know what to say right now. I'm not usually rendered speechless, ever. But my mind hurts with the ending of this book, I can't wrap my head around what just happened. I've stared at the wall, I've tried pulling my hair out and still my mind won't stop circling around and around. All I wanted to do when I was done was go back to the first page and read it all over again. I also feel like my heart is actually breaking over these characters and i'm so confused about who I should love or who I should hate. This book is going to haunt my dreams waiting and wondering what happens next.
There is not a lot of spice in this book, but what was, is delicious. Think, hundreds of hands pleasuring you all at once. If that's not enough to convince you to read this book, here's a quote that should. " I do not let her pull away from me. I want to feel every last drop of her pleasure trickling across my tongue."
Tropes: dark romanticy, faded mates, 3 POV, dual timeline, light versus dark, shadow daddy, MF & FF spice
Triggers: sexual content, gaslighting, violence & gore, parental abandonment, mental illness, suicide
I truly don't even know what to say right now. I'm not usually rendered speechless, ever. But my mind hurts with the ending of this book, I can't wrap my head around what just happened. I've stared at the wall, I've tried pulling my hair out and still my mind won't stop circling around and around. All I wanted to do when I was done was go back to the first page and read it all over again. I also feel like my heart is actually breaking over these characters and i'm so confused about who I should love or who I should hate. This book is going to haunt my dreams waiting and wondering what happens next.
There is not a lot of spice in this book, but what was, is delicious. Think, hundreds of hands pleasuring you all at once. If that's not enough to convince you to read this book, here's a quote that should. " I do not let her pull away from me. I want to feel every last drop of her pleasure trickling across my tongue."
Tropes: dark romanticy, faded mates, 3 POV, dual timeline, light versus dark, shadow daddy, MF & FF spice
Triggers: sexual content, gaslighting, violence & gore, parental abandonment, mental illness, suicide
April 28, 2026
This one ended up being a 2 star read for me. I listened to the audiobook and I will say, I really liked having both male and female narrators. It made the different POVs easier to follow and kept things a little more engaging. But honestly, the spicy scenes just did not work for me. The word choices felt really awkward, and it pulled me out of the story every time. It’s one of those things that might not bother me as much while reading, but hearing it out loud made it ten times worse.
As for the story itself, I just never fully connected. The multiple POVs didn’t really add anything and instead made everything feel kind of scattered. The world building, especially in the other realms, felt pretty thin and underdeveloped, which made it hard to stay invested. Nyx’s chapters also didn’t land for me. I actually think her story should have come earlier because instead of adding depth, it just felt out of place and broke the flow of everything else going on.
Overall, it felt like a bunch of different ideas thrown together without fully coming together into something cohesive. Not the worst thing I’ve read, but definitely not one I’d go back to.
As for the story itself, I just never fully connected. The multiple POVs didn’t really add anything and instead made everything feel kind of scattered. The world building, especially in the other realms, felt pretty thin and underdeveloped, which made it hard to stay invested. Nyx’s chapters also didn’t land for me. I actually think her story should have come earlier because instead of adding depth, it just felt out of place and broke the flow of everything else going on.
Overall, it felt like a bunch of different ideas thrown together without fully coming together into something cohesive. Not the worst thing I’ve read, but definitely not one I’d go back to.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I just finished reading my advanced reader copy of this book, and OH MY GOSH, I LOVED it.
From the first page, I was hooked by the storyline. The suspense had me needing to read more and more (and made me end up in bed late a few nights 😆).
The characters were well developed, and I loved that there were multiple points of view. I had never read a book where I got to know what was in each character’s mind, straight from the character, and I loved it.
There is a good amount of spice, and it adds to the feeling of really knowing the characters and being immersed in the story. 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Absolutely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 book.
From the first page, I was hooked by the storyline. The suspense had me needing to read more and more (and made me end up in bed late a few nights 😆).
The characters were well developed, and I loved that there were multiple points of view. I had never read a book where I got to know what was in each character’s mind, straight from the character, and I loved it.
There is a good amount of spice, and it adds to the feeling of really knowing the characters and being immersed in the story. 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Absolutely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The first book in the Broken Gods series, and I found it well worth the read. The story follows Nora, who has been haunted by an ancient malevolence since her parents' murder. Saved from the darkness at the Mackinac Bridge by the celestial Kairos, who claims she is his fated mate, Nora is thrust into a hidden world of prophecy and war against the demon queen, Nyx. To save her world, Nora must uncover her identity and decide whether to bind herself to a dark king as Heaven and Hell collide.I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 22, 2026
I’m currently reeling from the info dump at the end of this book. What!!?! OH MY 😭😳
I’m not sure what to highlight first..the mental health rep (outstanding- but be mindful of your triggers), multiple POV, current and past flashbacks, forgotten memories, the building tension as we have ZERO idea what tf is actually going on in the BEST way, or the emotional damage that has me gutted.
This was honestly a puzzle I couldn’t put down until I finished it…but honestly that cliffhanger finished me soo I’ll be anxiously awaiting book 2.
I’m not sure what to highlight first..the mental health rep (outstanding- but be mindful of your triggers), multiple POV, current and past flashbacks, forgotten memories, the building tension as we have ZERO idea what tf is actually going on in the BEST way, or the emotional damage that has me gutted.
This was honestly a puzzle I couldn’t put down until I finished it…but honestly that cliffhanger finished me soo I’ll be anxiously awaiting book 2.
May 9, 2026
Haunting & Beautiful
📖CLAIMED BY DARKNESS
✍️S.R.Hartley
So clever, so dark, and oh-so spicy. This book grabbed hold of me and refused to let go. It pulled me under… and honestly, I went willingly. I’ll admit I was tempted to go another route at first, but in the end I was thoroughly claimed. Those rose-tinted glasses worked their magic.
The real question is… will you make it out alive, or will you be claimed by the darkness too? 🤓
Spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Enter at your own risk… the darkness doesn’t just tempt you, it claims you. 🌑🔥📚
Thank you S.R.Hartley, City Owl Press & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this incredible story ❤️
🌹TROPES🌹
🖤Fated Mates/Fake Fates Mates
❤️Metal Health Rep
🖤Winged Immortal & Gods
❤️Betrayal & Lies
🖤Hidden Villain
❤️Hidden Identities
🖤Two men claim to be her fated mate. One is lying….
📖CLAIMED BY DARKNESS
✍️S.R.Hartley
So clever, so dark, and oh-so spicy. This book grabbed hold of me and refused to let go. It pulled me under… and honestly, I went willingly. I’ll admit I was tempted to go another route at first, but in the end I was thoroughly claimed. Those rose-tinted glasses worked their magic.
The real question is… will you make it out alive, or will you be claimed by the darkness too? 🤓
Spice level 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Enter at your own risk… the darkness doesn’t just tempt you, it claims you. 🌑🔥📚
Thank you S.R.Hartley, City Owl Press & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this incredible story ❤️
🌹TROPES🌹
🖤Fated Mates/Fake Fates Mates
❤️Metal Health Rep
🖤Winged Immortal & Gods
❤️Betrayal & Lies
🖤Hidden Villain
❤️Hidden Identities
🖤Two men claim to be her fated mate. One is lying….
April 9, 2026
Wow! This story was so intriguing!! The storyline is unbelievable. I’m still in awe. I never saw it coming yet I felt something was off but then it was still a shocker. Loved the plot twist. I can’t wait for the second book!! 🥰
April 13, 2026
(Received eARC by publisher)
This was honestly quite enjoyable. The characters were easy to read through and the plot was nice. I did enjoy the darker aspects of the book. It was gripping and intense at times and I enjoyed it quite a bit. 5/5 for Nora.
This was honestly quite enjoyable. The characters were easy to read through and the plot was nice. I did enjoy the darker aspects of the book. It was gripping and intense at times and I enjoyed it quite a bit. 5/5 for Nora.
Review of advance copy received from Author
this book had me writing notes and making boards. there was souch to take in and i absolutely loved it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews