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Seen Once. Mine Forever.: A Dark Possessive Romance
What happens when the man who’s been watching you for years finally stops waiting?
Faith Ambrose owes a debt that isn’t hers. Twenty-four hours to pay it… or the monster who owns her corner of the city will collect in the only currency he accepts: her.
She thought she could run. She thought the boy on the courthouse bench who never forgot her hug was just a ghost from her past.
She was wrong.
He’s patient. He’s possessive. He’s the kind of man who pins you to a wall, steals your ID, and waits thirteen years to lock a silver collar around your throat—because you were his the second you wrapped your skinny arms around him and smelled like bubblegum and forever.
This isn’t a love story. It’s a cage with a pretty ribbon. And once you’re inside, the only way out is to stop pretending you ever wanted to leave.
This dark romance contains intense themes and is intended for mature readers only. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
Stalker anti-hero who waited 13 years Debt collection with teeth Forced proximity & total captivity Touch her and die (literally) Virgin heroine + patient predator
Faith Ambrose owes a debt that isn’t hers. Twenty-four hours to pay it… or the monster who owns her corner of the city will collect in the only currency he accepts: her.
She thought she could run. She thought the boy on the courthouse bench who never forgot her hug was just a ghost from her past.
She was wrong.
He’s patient. He’s possessive. He’s the kind of man who pins you to a wall, steals your ID, and waits thirteen years to lock a silver collar around your throat—because you were his the second you wrapped your skinny arms around him and smelled like bubblegum and forever.
This isn’t a love story. It’s a cage with a pretty ribbon. And once you’re inside, the only way out is to stop pretending you ever wanted to leave.
This dark romance contains intense themes and is intended for mature readers only. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
Stalker anti-hero who waited 13 years Debt collection with teeth Forced proximity & total captivity Touch her and die (literally) Virgin heroine + patient predator
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2026
About the author
Marrin Locke
12 books6 followersI don't always need a happy ending.
Sometimes I root for the bad guy. Sometimes I want the monster to win, the cage to stay locked, and the girl to stop pretending she ever wanted the key.
But I love the soft ones too. The whispered you did so good after the storm. The ones where desire feels like a gift and safety is something you choose instead of survive.
I write both because I need both. The dark and the tender. The brutal and the gentle. The stories that make me feel safe and the ones that make me feel seen in the places I'm not supposed to look.
If you need redemption arcs and tidy endings, you won't always find them here. But if you want to feel marked, a little ruined, and understood in the same breath — you're in the right place.
I write what I crave. Sometimes it's soft. Sometimes it's sharp. Usually it's both at once.
Seen once. Mine forever.
— Marrin
Sometimes I root for the bad guy. Sometimes I want the monster to win, the cage to stay locked, and the girl to stop pretending she ever wanted the key.
But I love the soft ones too. The whispered you did so good after the storm. The ones where desire feels like a gift and safety is something you choose instead of survive.
I write both because I need both. The dark and the tender. The brutal and the gentle. The stories that make me feel safe and the ones that make me feel seen in the places I'm not supposed to look.
If you need redemption arcs and tidy endings, you won't always find them here. But if you want to feel marked, a little ruined, and understood in the same breath — you're in the right place.
I write what I crave. Sometimes it's soft. Sometimes it's sharp. Usually it's both at once.
Seen once. Mine forever.
— Marrin
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 11, 2026
⚠️ Warning!!! This book has pitch-black themes - Please check TW/CW!!! ⚠️
This is a story of obsession and possession; it is not a romantic love.
Faith was 6 when she first met Noah; he was a grieving boy in a courtroom, and she hugged him when everyone else couldn't stand to look at him for something he didn't do. He's kept tabs on her since (she's not aware), to ensure she was okay, but when she turned 18, he decided he wanted her forever and devised a plan.
While at a party, she is dragged into a room to meet someone and finds out that it's Noah. It's there that Faith finds out that her brother, Jimmy, owes Noah for drugs, and he tells her that she's to get him the money within 24 hours and deliver it herself (it's Noah's way to trap her). When she's late to deliver, Noah drives to pick her up and takes Faith for the night. And once he has a few other things in place, she will have no choice but to stay with him forever.
Noah decides to force her into acts she didn't agree to, but in his eyes, she's his and can do what he wants. She ends up traumatized and doesn't want to stay with him, but Faith soon realizes that she is not in control. She still fights against his obsession as she is not willing to just let him do whatever he wants. This includes attempting to go on a date with someone else (I truly felt bad for the other guy 😢) and ignoring Noah, but it's all an uphill battle that she's not sure she's going to win.
He also involves Faith's mother to insert himself into every part of Faith's life, pulling all the strings. He's not willing to leave things to chance. Her mother didn't feel she had many options and got dragged into his crazy world.
My heart did break for Faith, so innocent in the beginning, only to have that ripped away so violently. She had no choice in who she wanted in her life, and it destroyed even cherished close friendships. She became an empty shell of herself. And those poor souls that got in Noah's path 🥺. I did feel bad for him as a child, though. He was just a kid when the incident happened that triggered his obsession with her and changed his entire life, as people treated him poorly.
Also, I just wanted to note that the writing style felt a little different than the books I usually read.
Overall: 4.25 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spice/Heat Intensity: 5 out of 5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Noah & Faith
Nickname: Doll
Darkness: 6 out of 5 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤☠️
Type of book: MF
Reading Order: Standalone Novel
Title: Seen Once. Mine Forever.
Epilogue: Yes
Ending Type: ?? Depends on your take on a HEA. There is an "ever after" together, but the "happily" is subjective 😈 Edit: There is a book 2 (I have not read it yet)
*OTT Possessive, dominant, controlling, manipulative, and protective MMC
*Eyes only for her
*Psychological Thriller
*Non and Dub Con with 🍇
*Forced Relationship
*Stockholm Syndrome/Indocrination
*Touch her and 💀
*No cheating or sharing by the MMC (the FMC does try to have a relationship with others while she tries to get away from Noah)
🛑⚠️ This book has pitch-black themes; there are descriptive parts that may be extremely offensive or triggering to some. Please check all the authors' TW/CW before reading! 18+ ⚠️🛑
*I received an early copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving this review.
This is a story of obsession and possession; it is not a romantic love.
Faith was 6 when she first met Noah; he was a grieving boy in a courtroom, and she hugged him when everyone else couldn't stand to look at him for something he didn't do. He's kept tabs on her since (she's not aware), to ensure she was okay, but when she turned 18, he decided he wanted her forever and devised a plan.
While at a party, she is dragged into a room to meet someone and finds out that it's Noah. It's there that Faith finds out that her brother, Jimmy, owes Noah for drugs, and he tells her that she's to get him the money within 24 hours and deliver it herself (it's Noah's way to trap her). When she's late to deliver, Noah drives to pick her up and takes Faith for the night. And once he has a few other things in place, she will have no choice but to stay with him forever.
Noah decides to force her into acts she didn't agree to, but in his eyes, she's his and can do what he wants. She ends up traumatized and doesn't want to stay with him, but Faith soon realizes that she is not in control. She still fights against his obsession as she is not willing to just let him do whatever he wants. This includes attempting to go on a date with someone else (I truly felt bad for the other guy 😢) and ignoring Noah, but it's all an uphill battle that she's not sure she's going to win.
He also involves Faith's mother to insert himself into every part of Faith's life, pulling all the strings. He's not willing to leave things to chance. Her mother didn't feel she had many options and got dragged into his crazy world.
My heart did break for Faith, so innocent in the beginning, only to have that ripped away so violently. She had no choice in who she wanted in her life, and it destroyed even cherished close friendships. She became an empty shell of herself. And those poor souls that got in Noah's path 🥺. I did feel bad for him as a child, though. He was just a kid when the incident happened that triggered his obsession with her and changed his entire life, as people treated him poorly.
Also, I just wanted to note that the writing style felt a little different than the books I usually read.
Overall: 4.25 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spice/Heat Intensity: 5 out of 5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Noah & Faith
Nickname: Doll
Darkness: 6 out of 5 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤☠️
Type of book: MF
Reading Order: Standalone Novel
Title: Seen Once. Mine Forever.
Epilogue: Yes
Ending Type: ?? Depends on your take on a HEA. There is an "ever after" together, but the "happily" is subjective 😈 Edit: There is a book 2 (I have not read it yet)
*OTT Possessive, dominant, controlling, manipulative, and protective MMC
*Eyes only for her
*Psychological Thriller
*Non and Dub Con with 🍇
*Forced Relationship
*Stockholm Syndrome/Indocrination
*Touch her and 💀
*No cheating or sharing by the MMC (the FMC does try to have a relationship with others while she tries to get away from Noah)
🛑⚠️ This book has pitch-black themes; there are descriptive parts that may be extremely offensive or triggering to some. Please check all the authors' TW/CW before reading! 18+ ⚠️🛑
*I received an early copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving this review.
March 28, 2026
** ARC Review Incoming **
Thank you to Marrin Locke and Booksprout for allowing me to be part of the Arc Team and for giving me a free copy of this book.
I have literally just finished this book and I’m sitting here battling a frenzy of emotions! I read a lot of dark romance, have dabbled in the taboo and enjoy a good stalker romance….. Normally I’m a HEA kinda girl! I like a bit of sunshine after the dark but this read pulled me right into pitch black and cleverly tricked me into loving it without the happy-ending.
This read…. Be warned…. It is not a dark romance, in that it’s not a romance as such… and there is not happy ending…. Well not of the traditional kind. This book blew me away for reasons I can’t explain. It’s so addictive and the ending is not at all what is expected but boy did I love it!
If you like dark, if no HEA is ok with you and you can handle the trigger warnings then I would say go for it!! The triggers for this book are to be taken seriously - there is a lot of coercive control and non-consensual sexual content.
Lastly, I would say to any potential reader…. The writing style of this book is tricky, it jumps around a lot in the beginning between style and person. I found the first few chapters challenging but stick with it! It either gets better or you’ll get used it!
Thank you to Marrin Locke and Booksprout for allowing me to be part of the Arc Team and for giving me a free copy of this book.
I have literally just finished this book and I’m sitting here battling a frenzy of emotions! I read a lot of dark romance, have dabbled in the taboo and enjoy a good stalker romance….. Normally I’m a HEA kinda girl! I like a bit of sunshine after the dark but this read pulled me right into pitch black and cleverly tricked me into loving it without the happy-ending.
This read…. Be warned…. It is not a dark romance, in that it’s not a romance as such… and there is not happy ending…. Well not of the traditional kind. This book blew me away for reasons I can’t explain. It’s so addictive and the ending is not at all what is expected but boy did I love it!
If you like dark, if no HEA is ok with you and you can handle the trigger warnings then I would say go for it!! The triggers for this book are to be taken seriously - there is a lot of coercive control and non-consensual sexual content.
Lastly, I would say to any potential reader…. The writing style of this book is tricky, it jumps around a lot in the beginning between style and person. I found the first few chapters challenging but stick with it! It either gets better or you’ll get used it!
April 1, 2026
He saw her once, and builds his obsession into the rest of her life.
Faith survives by staying sharp, guarded, and one step ahead of everyone else’s damage. But when her brother’s mess pulls her into Noah’s orbit, she comes face-to-face with a man who isn’t after repayment nearly as much as access, and what starts as a threat quickly turns into something far more invasive. He studies her life and starts closing off every path that once felt like escape.
Faith fights him because she knows exactly what he is: watchful, controlled, and dangerous in a way that never feels impulsive. But the deeper Noah pushes into her world, the harder it becomes to separate fear from fixation, violation from attachment, and resistance from the darker pull of being understood too well by the wrong person. Their tension is psychological, invasive, and built on the kind of pressure that keeps tightening once he knows where she’s weakest.
Faith begins as fiercely self-protective, but the pressure Noah puts on her life leaves her more fractured, reactive, and emotionally split than she wants to admit. Noah never becomes safe, yet his obsession grows more intimate and exposed, turning their connection into something toxic, consuming, and psychologically entangled as survival, desire, anger, and dependency start bleeding together. What makes this hit so hard is how the relationship shifts from open resistance into something darker and much harder to name.
This is a dark, ultra-steamy story of obsession, coercive control, and twisted devotion, where being wanted turns into being possessed and survival slowly blurs into attachment. It’s about a girl trying to outrun violence, a man who mistakes ownership for love, and a bond so warped by fear and desire that control starts to feel dangerously close to intimacy.
The Elevator Pitch: A sharp, survival-driven young woman gets pulled into the orbit of a man who has mistaken obsession for destiny, and what begins as a debt turns into a far more dangerous kind of claim. As he closes in on every corner of her life, fear, desire, and control start twisting together until escape is no longer the only thing at stake. It’s a dark, psychologically charged romance about what happens when being seen by the wrong person feels less like attention and more like possession.
Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥 Ultra-Steamy / Erotic Romance
Faith survives by staying sharp, guarded, and one step ahead of everyone else’s damage. But when her brother’s mess pulls her into Noah’s orbit, she comes face-to-face with a man who isn’t after repayment nearly as much as access, and what starts as a threat quickly turns into something far more invasive. He studies her life and starts closing off every path that once felt like escape.
Faith fights him because she knows exactly what he is: watchful, controlled, and dangerous in a way that never feels impulsive. But the deeper Noah pushes into her world, the harder it becomes to separate fear from fixation, violation from attachment, and resistance from the darker pull of being understood too well by the wrong person. Their tension is psychological, invasive, and built on the kind of pressure that keeps tightening once he knows where she’s weakest.
Faith begins as fiercely self-protective, but the pressure Noah puts on her life leaves her more fractured, reactive, and emotionally split than she wants to admit. Noah never becomes safe, yet his obsession grows more intimate and exposed, turning their connection into something toxic, consuming, and psychologically entangled as survival, desire, anger, and dependency start bleeding together. What makes this hit so hard is how the relationship shifts from open resistance into something darker and much harder to name.
This is a dark, ultra-steamy story of obsession, coercive control, and twisted devotion, where being wanted turns into being possessed and survival slowly blurs into attachment. It’s about a girl trying to outrun violence, a man who mistakes ownership for love, and a bond so warped by fear and desire that control starts to feel dangerously close to intimacy.
The Elevator Pitch: A sharp, survival-driven young woman gets pulled into the orbit of a man who has mistaken obsession for destiny, and what begins as a debt turns into a far more dangerous kind of claim. As he closes in on every corner of her life, fear, desire, and control start twisting together until escape is no longer the only thing at stake. It’s a dark, psychologically charged romance about what happens when being seen by the wrong person feels less like attention and more like possession.
Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥 Ultra-Steamy / Erotic Romance
June 14, 2026
Omg! Sensational!!!
September 30, 2026
This did get under my skin.
At first I had a hard time following. Just the way its written, no one's point of view, you sometimes have to reread a paragraph because it was another's thought process compared to the one before, or the one after.
I almost just said nope...
Almost...
This was so intense. Knowing Noah could have went a completely less psychotic way of getting the girl and could still have gotten her is not lost on me. And it still would have been a good book going that route.
This is a psychological mind fux. The fact everyone feels his crazy and is scared before you even get to see his actual danger is done so well.
I will admit, I think the drama she ends up with once shes gotten away is stronger than just a weeks worth of staying with him. I know he was scaring her before and after, but it seems it should have taken longer to get to where she was.
But boy, this was a dark read in that the intensity was on point. I actually felt nervous for Faith and the sub characters reading this. Its like youre waiting for the other shoe. to. drop.
His crazy at the end, it was done so effortlessly. It flowed into the part like butter.
It does seem like hes actually torchering her because shes the daughter of the cop a little. The way he treats her. It seems a little methodical instead of obsessed, to me right now.
I dont known, this book just hooked me and im glad the next one comes out tomorrow because I really want to see more of his thought process. Why he treats her as he does. It seems he wants to mold her into something she isnt so she'll stay and be under his foot.
This is the first time ive read a book and im like, this dudes crazy, his obsession, his need for possession might actually kill her. You know those books where the character is literally saying hes worried he'll take it too far... well this is the first one where you actually feel that.
The intensity is there and i want tomorrow to come today so I can dive back into their minds to find out just what the hell is going on..
If the authors not careful, or Noah, they could end up changing Faith completely into someone unrecognizable.
At first I had a hard time following. Just the way its written, no one's point of view, you sometimes have to reread a paragraph because it was another's thought process compared to the one before, or the one after.
I almost just said nope...
Almost...
This was so intense. Knowing Noah could have went a completely less psychotic way of getting the girl and could still have gotten her is not lost on me. And it still would have been a good book going that route.
This is a psychological mind fux. The fact everyone feels his crazy and is scared before you even get to see his actual danger is done so well.
I will admit, I think the drama she ends up with once shes gotten away is stronger than just a weeks worth of staying with him. I know he was scaring her before and after, but it seems it should have taken longer to get to where she was.
But boy, this was a dark read in that the intensity was on point. I actually felt nervous for Faith and the sub characters reading this. Its like youre waiting for the other shoe. to. drop.
His crazy at the end, it was done so effortlessly. It flowed into the part like butter.
It does seem like hes actually torchering her because shes the daughter of the cop a little. The way he treats her. It seems a little methodical instead of obsessed, to me right now.
I dont known, this book just hooked me and im glad the next one comes out tomorrow because I really want to see more of his thought process. Why he treats her as he does. It seems he wants to mold her into something she isnt so she'll stay and be under his foot.
This is the first time ive read a book and im like, this dudes crazy, his obsession, his need for possession might actually kill her. You know those books where the character is literally saying hes worried he'll take it too far... well this is the first one where you actually feel that.
The intensity is there and i want tomorrow to come today so I can dive back into their minds to find out just what the hell is going on..
If the authors not careful, or Noah, they could end up changing Faith completely into someone unrecognizable.
March 31, 2026
One fleeting act of childhood kindness sealed Faith Ambrose’s fate long before she ever understood the cost. At six years old, she looked at a boy like he mattered and that was all it took. Noah Esposito never forgot. For thirteen years, he lingered in the dark, watching, waiting, unraveling her life thread by thread. Until watching wasn’t enough. Faith runs. On the track, she’s untouchable—fast, relentless, record-breaking. Off it, she runs from things she can’t outrun. But when her brother’s debt drags her straight into Noah’s carefully constructed web, the illusion of escape shatters. Because this time, she hasn’t just been found, she’s been claimed. If you’re expecting romance, even the twisted kind, recalibrate. This isn’t love warped into darkness, its control dressed in obsession. It’s psychological erosion, slow and deliberate, until there’s nothing left but surrender. Noah doesn’t rage. He doesn’t need to. His calm is what makes him monstrous. Patient. Precise. Like a spider that’s already felt the tremor in the web and knows the prey is too tangled to flee. And Faith? Watching her stop fighting is where the real horror lives. Not in the cruelty itself, but in the quiet acceptance that follows. That moment where resistance fades and something inside her simply… breaks. Most dark romances offer a flicker of redemption, a sliver of humanity to cling to. Not here. Noah exists in a void of his own making. Calculating, manipulative, and disturbingly aware of the damage he inflicts. He doesn’t just destroy Faith, he watches her unravel, and worse, he enjoys it. Is it dark? Pitch black. Is it twisted? Completely. Is it addictive? Uncomfortably so—I couldn’t look away. Just don’t go in unprepared. Those trigger warnings aren’t there just for decoration.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 28, 2026
I found this book incredibly difficult to put down. The traumatic and emotional pull of the story drew me in, and I was invested enough that I needed to know how it would end.
That said, I did find some aspects of the writing distracting. There were several instances where details, explanations, and ideas felt repetitive. After encountering the same explanation more than once, I found myself skimming or skipping paragraphs. At times, the repeated explanations also left very little room for the reader to draw their own conclusions or make their own assumptions about what was happening.
I also found the shifts in point of view somewhat confusing. The narration moved between first- and third-person perspectives, and these transitions occasionally made the story feel a little disjointed.
Despite these criticisms, the story was compelling enough to keep me reading. While some of the writing choices made the book feel somewhat messy at times, they ultimately weren’t enough to stop me from finishing it. I remained invested in the story and wanted to see how everything unfolded.
That said, I did find some aspects of the writing distracting. There were several instances where details, explanations, and ideas felt repetitive. After encountering the same explanation more than once, I found myself skimming or skipping paragraphs. At times, the repeated explanations also left very little room for the reader to draw their own conclusions or make their own assumptions about what was happening.
I also found the shifts in point of view somewhat confusing. The narration moved between first- and third-person perspectives, and these transitions occasionally made the story feel a little disjointed.
Despite these criticisms, the story was compelling enough to keep me reading. While some of the writing choices made the book feel somewhat messy at times, they ultimately weren’t enough to stop me from finishing it. I remained invested in the story and wanted to see how everything unfolded.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Just finished reading this over the last 2 days and just couldn't put it down. This, as the author states is not a romance or hea and is the story of toxic relationship. I thought the different pov for the different integral characters was a great way to show all sides of the story, and the story itself was one that resonated as real. This is a story that could realistically happen to someone and should not come with judgment for the fmc. We never know how we'd react in this kind of situation but getting to see the fmcs journey through everything really showed the understanding of this difficult relationship. Id absolutely love a second book with what happens when Noah finds out about Caleb and everything to do with that aspect of the story! Please read the trigger warnings and take them seriously but if you find yourself willing to give this a chance please do! Had me shocked and loved every minute of it!
October 26, 2026
Seen Once Mine Forever by Marrin Locke
Genre: Dark Possessive Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book Type: Book 1 of 2
Trigger Warnings: non-con, dub-con, manipulation, controlling mmc, conditioning, submission
If you thought you’ve read an mmc as obsessed as Noah, I beg to differ. His obsession with Faith is not borderline criminal, it’s actually criminal 🤣 This man does NOT give her a choice. She is his and she has absolutely no choice in it. He will go to very extreme lengths to make sure she knows it no matter how many times she runs away.
This was a wild ride from beginning to end and there was no break from his obsession in between. If you like pitch black themes, obsession to the point it’s literally suffocating, I highly recommend this book. You’ll look at obsession a totally different way after reading this one 👀
Genre: Dark Possessive Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book Type: Book 1 of 2
Trigger Warnings: non-con, dub-con, manipulation, controlling mmc, conditioning, submission
If you thought you’ve read an mmc as obsessed as Noah, I beg to differ. His obsession with Faith is not borderline criminal, it’s actually criminal 🤣 This man does NOT give her a choice. She is his and she has absolutely no choice in it. He will go to very extreme lengths to make sure she knows it no matter how many times she runs away.
This was a wild ride from beginning to end and there was no break from his obsession in between. If you like pitch black themes, obsession to the point it’s literally suffocating, I highly recommend this book. You’ll look at obsession a totally different way after reading this one 👀
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an advanced copy for my honest review....
I wasn't a fan of the writing. The writing changes from third person to first person constantly. The POV also changes without any notice which made it difficult to follow. There was also grammer and spelling errors that were distracting. This was marketed as a dark romance, it's not. This is an erotic psychological horror. Let me be clear, there is no romance or love what so ever. This is a true villain main male character who is obsessed with the female main character. The mmc had no character development throughout the story. He was determined to own her and nothing more. His feelings for her never changed or developed into anything different. He was supposed to be an obsessive of the fmc yet he fucked her friend? That gave me the ick. He says he doesn't fuck kids but he was following her since she was a little girl until she turned 18, he is a predator. The concept of this story had major potential, but it fell flat for me. The ending was not satisfying in my opinion and left a lot of unanswered questions.
The following contains major spoilers to explain my review in detail......
I read the TWs so I knew what to expect but just to be clear the mmc rapes the fmc several times. When the TWs declare non con, that doesn't immediately mean it's between the main characters. In my opinion there is a line that once one of the main characters crosses, it's not a romance. I understand the mmc was a morally black character but if he truly loved her in anyway he wouldnt of treated her like complete trash. She becomes a shadow of herself with the gaslighting and manipulation Noah orchestrated and Noah loved every second of it. The fmc gets brainwashed really fast like she has no real personality and she was really weak minded. I really liked the development between the fmc and Caleb. I felt there was real potential there but then it just aburuptly ended. Caleb just disappeared from the story. The mom was fighting for her daughter and then just stopped and gave up. The fmc just gives up on having any autonomy and becomes his doll. It made no sense to me that the fmc was ok with her brother being killed. The story never made her out to have a dark side so it just didn't add up. The epilogue felt like a last ditch effort to make this a romance by saying their love wasn't traditional. I said it already but I'll say it again, this was not a romance. Overall this story was not for me, if Caleb was end game and rescued her and killed Noah I would of liked it better.
I wasn't a fan of the writing. The writing changes from third person to first person constantly. The POV also changes without any notice which made it difficult to follow. There was also grammer and spelling errors that were distracting. This was marketed as a dark romance, it's not. This is an erotic psychological horror. Let me be clear, there is no romance or love what so ever. This is a true villain main male character who is obsessed with the female main character. The mmc had no character development throughout the story. He was determined to own her and nothing more. His feelings for her never changed or developed into anything different. He was supposed to be an obsessive of the fmc yet he fucked her friend? That gave me the ick. He says he doesn't fuck kids but he was following her since she was a little girl until she turned 18, he is a predator. The concept of this story had major potential, but it fell flat for me. The ending was not satisfying in my opinion and left a lot of unanswered questions.
The following contains major spoilers to explain my review in detail......
I read the TWs so I knew what to expect but just to be clear the mmc rapes the fmc several times. When the TWs declare non con, that doesn't immediately mean it's between the main characters. In my opinion there is a line that once one of the main characters crosses, it's not a romance. I understand the mmc was a morally black character but if he truly loved her in anyway he wouldnt of treated her like complete trash. She becomes a shadow of herself with the gaslighting and manipulation Noah orchestrated and Noah loved every second of it. The fmc gets brainwashed really fast like she has no real personality and she was really weak minded. I really liked the development between the fmc and Caleb. I felt there was real potential there but then it just aburuptly ended. Caleb just disappeared from the story. The mom was fighting for her daughter and then just stopped and gave up. The fmc just gives up on having any autonomy and becomes his doll. It made no sense to me that the fmc was ok with her brother being killed. The story never made her out to have a dark side so it just didn't add up. The epilogue felt like a last ditch effort to make this a romance by saying their love wasn't traditional. I said it already but I'll say it again, this was not a romance. Overall this story was not for me, if Caleb was end game and rescued her and killed Noah I would of liked it better.
March 31, 2026
'Noah isn't collecting money. He's collecting the girl with one blue eye and one brown who looked at him once like he mattered. The girl he's watched through fences, yearbooks, shadows for years. She thinks she can outrun obsession. He made sure she never had a chance.
Seen once. Mine forever.'
The characters were very complex and compelling and complicated. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was solidly drawn and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Seen once. Mine forever.'
The characters were very complex and compelling and complicated. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was solidly drawn and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
This story is dark, twisting and utterly captivating! One innocent act as a child consoling another, after tradgedy sealed Faiths fate in Noahs eyes, she was his, though she never knew, he watched and waited and manipulated his way into getting her by any means necessary. The story is third person told from not just Noah and Faiths perspective but other who are integral parts of their story. They pair may get a HEA of sorts but its not a conventional HEA, id love another epilogue of the story several years down the line.
Review of advance copy
This story was so dark, so twisted. From the first chapter I was invested. Faith had no idea that Noah would be so possessive all over a hug from 13 years ago. And he’s waited patiently to claim her. This book was freaking wild! This was so spicy, so hot. Twisted in ways I didn’t think was possible. I. Am. OBSESSED. This was so good. I didn’t way to put this one down. I devoured this one. I’m on the search for more from this author. 😈
April 15, 2026
This is a different type of romance story. It is dark and unforgiving, with obsession, possession, control, forced proximity, dubcon and plenty more. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the way it is written. Please check the trigger list if needed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 9, 2026
★”the only thing worse than the cage was the wolf when the cage door opened.”★
Faith and Noah’s journey was quite the riveting story! Dark and gritty. The stalking was very real. Playing the ultra-log game. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future 💖
💝🫶🏼 Please mind your triggers before diving in 🫶🏼💝
Faith and Noah’s journey was quite the riveting story! Dark and gritty. The stalking was very real. Playing the ultra-log game. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future 💖
💝🫶🏼 Please mind your triggers before diving in 🫶🏼💝
Read
October 29, 2026tropes: obsessive possessive MMC, 3rd person POV, non con, OM drama, blackmailing
spice level: 🌶️🌶️
it's mind bending in the best and most uncomfortable way. there are layers of psychological twists that is genuinely unsettling and got me so addicted. the narrative randomly shifted between 3rd person and 1st person POV kinda pulled me out of the story.
spice level: 🌶️🌶️
it's mind bending in the best and most uncomfortable way. there are layers of psychological twists that is genuinely unsettling and got me so addicted. the narrative randomly shifted between 3rd person and 1st person POV kinda pulled me out of the story.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Noah & Faith😳😮💨
Whoa!
This was hardcore.
I mean from the moment Faith comforted Noah, she was his.
Years later in his twisted way he slowly owned her and slowly she let him.
😮💨
Totally worth the read.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Whoa!
This was hardcore.
I mean from the moment Faith comforted Noah, she was his.
Years later in his twisted way he slowly owned her and slowly she let him.
😮💨
Totally worth the read.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
April 6, 2026
This is a dark st@lker story where the MMC is completely obsessed with the MFC. It is very dark. The female is a captive of the male character. Noah is very unhinged and totally red flags! But I absolutely loved this story!
April 5, 2026
This is the first story i've read from this author. This story doesn't disappoint. Its dark, twisted, thrilling, intense, spicy. The characters are captivating. I couldn't put it down.
August 6, 2026
I have to admit that I liked the book.Especially the scene with the collar for her made it hot..but I would also expected a leash.(Mby it’s to much,sry).🫶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2026
AWFUL writing. Plot everywhere. No "romance" at all. This is pure kidnapping and psychological abuse.
November 9, 2026
Dnf 42%
The premise was good but the story was super slow and I prefer a different writing style. This book kept jumping characters between paragraphs. Maybe I’ll come back to it another day.
The premise was good but the story was super slow and I prefer a different writing style. This book kept jumping characters between paragraphs. Maybe I’ll come back to it another day.
March 30, 2026
Marrin Locke is a gifted writer. This is such an enjoyable and suspenseful read from beginning to end. She brought Noah and Faith to life in a way that completely drew me in….I could not get enough. I highly recommend everyone to read this book..you definitely will not regret it!
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