Night Milk

by Joy Morshel

They killed her baby while she was still bleeding.

Eve Shepherd was the perfect pastor's daughter until she wasn't. When an unplanned pregnancy threatened to stain her father's pristine reputation, her own mother smiled, held her hand, and then held her down while the church women took care of the problem.

Now Eve is alone in a hospital bed with empty arms, milk-swollen breasts, and a rage so quiet it could burn a city down.

Nathan Cross knows rage like that. He was raised on it. Molded by it. Built an empire from its ashes. A fixer by trade, a monster by nature he doesn't feel things the way other people do. Never has.

He found Eve because her father's church was already on his list. He stayed because she reminded him of someone he couldn't save. When he offers her relief from the physical agony her body won't let her forget, what begins as desperation becomes ritual. What becomes ritual becomes need. And what becomes need becomes something neither of them has a name for.

She whispers the names of the people who destroyed her. One by one, they disappear.

What he doesn't offer is mercy. Not for her enemies. Not for himself. And not for the thing growing between them that neither one of them can control.

He feeds from her like a man starving. She holds him like the child she lost.

He's not a good man. He's not her salvation. He's the weapon she didn't know she was waiting for. And he'll burn down every church in the country if she asks him to.

Night Milk is a dark romance containing mature themes including graphic intimacy, violence, religious trauma, infant loss, and morally grey characters. Reader discretion is advised.

Genres: Dark Romance

549 pages, Paperback

Published March 11, 2026

About the author

Several of my earlier titles are temporarily unavailable while I re-edit & prepare them for republication. I did not have much resources with the books so some need serious manuscript editing, or just a simple cover change that mimics elements in the book rather than something else. The only books currently available are;
1. Cracked Doll
2. Porcelain Grave
3. The Midnight Menagerie
4. Night Milk
5. Hollow Honey
6. My Sweet Stray
7. Paper Father
8. Candy Shop
9. His Prison Pet
10. His Prison Love
11. Fractions Of Tae

Reviews

[Lizzie Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had SO MUCH potential. It had my attention for sure the first 30% of it. Then it got a little repetitive with the “milk” & that pretty much was what turned me off. Other than that, everything was great & the ending was super sweet.

[Athena, the goddess of books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came here looking for something I don;t know exactly what, but it surpassed my expectations. Two kind of broken people meet and together they sort things out. I didn;t get the milk aspect, but I guess it made sense for them to connect that way. The ending was so, so sweet.

[Anxiousbyday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect

I had no idea what I was walking into when I started this book at 2am but I'm obsessed. This book covers a lot of incredibly difficult subjects but yet still holds space for a beautiful reverent love story. There are definitely some things that may be a lot for some readers but personally I adored Eve and Nathan's story. Also loved Joy Morshel's personally writing style, its eloquent and somewhat poetic in a way I wasn't expecting. I kind of wish I could experience this story for the first time all over again.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure words could ever do this justice

I went in completely blind. I honestly expected smut. What it gave me was something so traumatic, powerful, gritty, emotional and full of weight and depth. The way this author wrote this book……. It was so descriptive but not in the way you describe something simple. The way your mind internally assesses something fragment by fragment. So much detail you could feel it, almost hold the words. I don’t know the last time a book made me feel this way. But I do know this book will stay with me. This is a warm blanket wrapped around an angry storm that’s damaging and chaotic . I can’t give one complaint. It’s very heavy from the jump so check your triggers. But I can say for me? It was worth it.

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was recommended to me because of the religious trauma it had. I cried so hard 😭

[Thedoctorpond · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of a kind read

Insane this book only has 9 reviews. This is a very fascinating story. The ending did not leave me wanting for anything. I love the dual pov and the way the ML thinks and the way the FL can decipher him easily. Steamy scenes are plentiful and detailed. Absolutely recommend giving this a read. I'll be thinking of this book for a while trying to find anything that can compare.

[Sara Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cadence of the writing is beautiful. The repetition fits perfectly. The only downfall is the lack of proof-reading: 6 names become 5 names by the next page, "I Love you" is unfathomably referred to as 2 words and 3 syllables, and a random drop into 3rd person which is quite jarring.
Eve's life is strictly controlled and the accidental pregnancy is "dealt with" by a circle if women acting on behalf of the institution that governs their lives.
Nathan takes down institutions. The abuse and the lies are exposed and the perpetrators erased.
Nathan and Eve work together to wreak vengeance but also heal themselves and each other.
4.5 🌟
2 🌶

[Kia Bradigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars. While I really liked this story, I couldn’t give it more than 3.5 stars and even that seemed a bit generous. The concept and overall storyline with its themes were phenomenal and really held my attention. However, I found points of this to be unnecessarily repetitive and redundant. Which, to a point, I understand, because for such a substantial period of their lives, Eve and Nathan shared repeated experiences every single day with the drinking, the killing, the monotony of everyday life as they come to find love in each other. But…it gets to a point.

Also, I disagree with how HEA this was. I think it should’ve just ended without another pregnancy and rebirth. Because it’s obvious Eve has still not fully grieved her daughter. She needs that time. I fear Ember will just live in Grace’s shadow, without being her own person.

I also disagree that Eve and Nathan truly fell in love. I think they were circumstantially in love with one another, but once the glow of “he saved me from my captors” wore off, they’re just too awkward people who have been in a close proximity for a while. Plus they’ve never experienced true love—so this is what they deem it to be. Seemed like just lust and coincidence and a grown Stockholm Syndrome effect. Not love.

I did really enjoy this book though, don’t get me wrong. I’m happy Eve got her justice. She needed that. She deserved that.

[Michelle Deliphose · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

I don’t really have any triggers, so that wasn’t the issue for me… but this book gave me the biggest ick. 😭 The story had me hooked and kept me engaged up until about 80%, but after that I was basically skimming until around 92% just trying to finish it.

The writing itself was good, so I can’t take that away from the author. My biggest issue was the whole nursing aspect and Eve holding Nathan against her like he was a child. I understand the emotions behind Nathan losing his mom and Eve losing her daughter, and I get what the author was trying to portray, but it just became too much for me. I actually understood Nathan helping Eve in the beginning. Given everything eve went through, I could see where that connection and support came from and the why behind it. But as the story continued, it started to feel excessive.

No hate if you loved it everyone has different tastes! It just wasn’t my vibe. I’ll give it 3 stars because it was well written, but I don’t see myself recommending it to others.

[Emma (CorruptedChapters_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went in blind, no expectations but with a feeling that this one maybe wasn’t for me but I was curious. And I’m glad I did because this book was worth it in a way I can’t describe.

There is something about this book and I couldn’t put it down. Well written, repetitive with a purpose and I’m was addicted to it. The pain, the loss and the coal in Eve’s chest I can only imagine because I’ve never felt it (not this kind and hopefully I will never) but the revenge she got, the satisfaction of it I can understand as a mother. It is dark in a repetitive way that feels like a lullaby or a poem. It’s not for all but it has a purpose. A purpose to make you feel what Eve is feeling and how her thoughts go through this story.

Very well written and I’m going to carrie this story with me for a long time.

[Nisha B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger Warning: Religious trauma, religious abuse, and explicit religious themes.
This book is DARK and explores some deeply disturbing aspects of religion and religious trauma. The way religion is intertwined with fear, control, and psychological manipulation makes for an unsettling reading experience. Some of the content is particularly difficult to process, especially when considering the lasting emotional and psychological effects of religious trauma.
While I enjoyed the story and its darker elements, I would strongly encourage readers to be mindful of the subject matter before picking this one up. It is definitely not a light read, especially for anyone with personal experiences involving religious trauma.
Overall, a disturbing but compelling read that left me with plenty to think about.

[Heather Lachelle Fulmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely Gutted. It’s messy. It’s toxic. It’s addictive.

Grief, revenge, and a morally gray man who said “I’ll burn the world for you” and meant it. This book does not hold your hand—between the trauma, the rage, and the unhinged devotion, it’s a whole experience.

And somehow, you’re rooting for them anyway.

The beginning of this book broke me. I did not know what to expect but watching her rise from the ashes and heal things in him along the way was mesmerizing.

At first I questioned my own sanity when he helped her in a certain way but I ended up understanding.

[Whit Wonders · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was great. Spice on point. Writing was good. 100% worth the read and would read it again.

But if you catch flaws in logic/timelines, there are a few.
“Drinking my milk for years” but the preceding paragraph notes it’s been 7 months.
A distance of 400 miles is noted but the drive is 47 minutes.
Some overuse of particular words and phrases - “architecture” must appear around 200 times describing the same thing the same way.

[Starlequinn Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This had me in a choke hold how it started! Even though most parts were really repetitive, I still think this was well written! Didn't care for the type of "bonding" the MMC and FMC had, but it doesn't take away from the plot which was a four out of five for me! Super satisfying ending! Kudos to the author, I will definitely be reading more of their work!

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75✨️
3.5🌶

"𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑒𝓍𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝒹, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒹, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒸𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓉 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒."

The worst pain a mother can experience is not the birth of their child, but their death.

I went in blind. Completely, in all ways and form. I did not know what I was getting myself into when I started this book. Did I expect heartache? Oh yes, since I read the blurb of this book. Did I expect revenge? Absolutely.

What I didn't expect was Nathan. A man who did everything in his power to take revenge for her. For Grace. For the thirty seconds Eve got for holding her newborn baby before she was crudely taken away from her comfort. Her mother. Her home.

"𝐼 𝒸𝓇𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒸𝑒. 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒹𝓈. 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑒𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝐼 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒. 𝐼 𝒸𝓇𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒸𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑜𝑜𝓂 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝓃 𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒽."

This was a story of a mother who lost a piece of her soul. This was about a mother who knew nothing of the world except for what was taught to her. This was about taking back the silence that was bestowed upon her and her child. This was about the man who came after that silence, and created sound within and around her.

It wasn't pretty. It wasn't kind. But it was real. It was justice. It was the milk that refused to stop flowing from her breast even with no child in sight, but still found a source to feed. To feel. To love. And as the author promised, this is a story about a woman who was broken by the people who were supposed to love her and the man who burned the world down to give her back what was taken.

❤︎Make sure to read the content warnings before diving into this book❤︎

[bookish_consent · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.9 ⭐️
Considering I read this in a day and cried multiple times- safe to say I’m reading everything this author has written

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Not my kink but *standing ovation*
I have 220 kindle highlights

I will be reading everything this author write and re-reading this.

[Beatrice Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Fictional Men · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHH😭😭😭😭😭😭😭This book man it just keep taking my tears 😭This book is a 10 I love it 🧡

[Crystal Knihniski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read worse - this had potential but it didn’t capture me I DNFd at about 80% the writing style was good though!

[Lorena · Rating 1 out of 5]

fuck this ai slop ass author stealing from other authors and artists just to run their work through ai for her own ai slop of a book cover

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read is like a storm wrapped in tenderness.
It goes way beyond a ‘dark romance’ and is a story of complexity, survival, grief and connection!!

This book must be read! ❤️