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Eternal Checkmates #2
The Rook's Obsession
Once he was her everything; now he is nothing but a lost memory.
FULL BLURB COMING SOON
*This is a standalone ending with a happily ever after!*
Tropes and Organized Crime, Amnesia, Second Chance, Trained Assassin, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Captivity, and Revenge
FULL BLURB COMING SOON
*This is a standalone ending with a happily ever after!*
Tropes and Organized Crime, Amnesia, Second Chance, Trained Assassin, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Captivity, and Revenge
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2026
About the author
C. Hallman
158 books2,850 followersC. Hallman is a USA Today Bestselling Author who wrote her debut novel in 2018 and has since published over 100 books in various romance subgenres. Her works have been on numerous bestseller lists and have been translated into 8 languages around the world.
When she doesn't write her next novel, she publishes spicy novellas under the pen name Darcy Rose.
FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA>>>>
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https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cassa...
When she doesn't write her next novel, she publishes spicy novellas under the pen name Darcy Rose.
FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA>>>>
https://www.facebook.com/Cassandrahal...
https://www.instagram.com/challman_wr...
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cassa...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 28, 2026
This is the second book in the Eternal Checkmates series and I loved it so much.
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
November 3, 2026
O kadar çok plot hole vardı ki kaç defa dnf dedim ama sonra atlaya atlaya da olsa bitirdim.
Kısaca 15 yaşında öldü sanılan bi kız var, tekne patlıyor ve kız suya düşüp kayboluyor, anne babası da aynı patlamada ölüyor. Sadece abisi ve sevgilisi hayattalar ama onlar da kızı ölü biliyor. (Mafya bunlar ve düşmanları yapıyor bu patlamayı da)
Meğer düşmanları kızı kaçırıp bi tetikçi olarak yetiştirmiş... Ve kız geçmişine dair hiçbirşey hatırlamıyor kaza sırasında geçirdiği travma sebebiyle...
12 yıl sonra abisi ve sevgilisi öğreniyor ki kız ölmemiş ve tabiki hemen peşine düşüyorlar. İşte saçmalıklar da tam burda başlıyor...
Birincisi bu kız 3 yaşında kaybolmamış, 15 yaşında kaybolmuş dimi? Kıza gidip sen aslında benim sevdiğim kızsın falan deyip olayı yokuşa süreceğine kıza fotoğraf gösterse ya? Kimlik gösterse mesela, ne biliim okul karnesi olur pasaport olur yani öyle elini kolunu sallayarak mı gittin dünyanın öbür ucuna kızı bulmaya be adam???
Ayrıca kız da salak, sana neden bi anda biri çıkıp biz senin aileniz diye yalan söylesin? Sen zengin misin ünlü müsün, önemli biri bile değilsin. Neden bu şekilde kandırsın birileri seni? Bi otur dinle dimi ama yok...
Ha sonra adam kadını kaçırıp eve getiriyor ama kadının patronu bunları eliyle koymuş gibi buluyor bak sen şu işe.....
Adamlar kızı 12 yıl boyunca silah gibi yetiştirip kullanmışlar, ortada bi emek bi yatırım var dimi? E peki bu kıza chip mip takmadan salarla mı piyasaya?
Yani bu benim aklıma geliyor ama o dünyada büyüyen adamın aklına gelmicek öyle mi 🙄🙄
Son olarak rahatsız olduğum şeyde adamın kızla olan eski anıları 15 yaşında bir çocukla değilde 15 yıllık karısıyla gibi... Siz ne ara bu kadar şey yaşamış olabilirsiniz kız daha 15 yaşındayken kaybolduysa?
Kısaca kötüydü ve zaman kaybıydı
Kısaca 15 yaşında öldü sanılan bi kız var, tekne patlıyor ve kız suya düşüp kayboluyor, anne babası da aynı patlamada ölüyor. Sadece abisi ve sevgilisi hayattalar ama onlar da kızı ölü biliyor. (Mafya bunlar ve düşmanları yapıyor bu patlamayı da)
Meğer düşmanları kızı kaçırıp bi tetikçi olarak yetiştirmiş... Ve kız geçmişine dair hiçbirşey hatırlamıyor kaza sırasında geçirdiği travma sebebiyle...
12 yıl sonra abisi ve sevgilisi öğreniyor ki kız ölmemiş ve tabiki hemen peşine düşüyorlar. İşte saçmalıklar da tam burda başlıyor...
Birincisi bu kız 3 yaşında kaybolmamış, 15 yaşında kaybolmuş dimi? Kıza gidip sen aslında benim sevdiğim kızsın falan deyip olayı yokuşa süreceğine kıza fotoğraf gösterse ya? Kimlik gösterse mesela, ne biliim okul karnesi olur pasaport olur yani öyle elini kolunu sallayarak mı gittin dünyanın öbür ucuna kızı bulmaya be adam???
Ayrıca kız da salak, sana neden bi anda biri çıkıp biz senin aileniz diye yalan söylesin? Sen zengin misin ünlü müsün, önemli biri bile değilsin. Neden bu şekilde kandırsın birileri seni? Bi otur dinle dimi ama yok...
Ha sonra adam kadını kaçırıp eve getiriyor ama kadının patronu bunları eliyle koymuş gibi buluyor bak sen şu işe.....
Adamlar kızı 12 yıl boyunca silah gibi yetiştirip kullanmışlar, ortada bi emek bi yatırım var dimi? E peki bu kıza chip mip takmadan salarla mı piyasaya?
Yani bu benim aklıma geliyor ama o dünyada büyüyen adamın aklına gelmicek öyle mi 🙄🙄
Son olarak rahatsız olduğum şeyde adamın kızla olan eski anıları 15 yaşında bir çocukla değilde 15 yıllık karısıyla gibi... Siz ne ara bu kadar şey yaşamış olabilirsiniz kız daha 15 yaşındayken kaybolduysa?
Kısaca kötüydü ve zaman kaybıydı
August 28, 2026
The Rook’s Obsession by C. Hallman completely consumed me! This was dark, emotional, obsessive, and filled with secrets, revenge, and a love that refuses to die. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the amnesia trope, but C Hallman DELIVERED and changed my mind.
Nick has spent years mourning the woman he loved, believing she was gone forever. Then he finds her alive, and she is pointing a gun at him. The problem? She doesn’t remember him, their relationship, or the life they shared. Instead, she is Ivy, a trained assassin working for the very people who destroyed everything they had.
I absolutely loved Nick and Ivy! The obsession between these two was intense from the beginning. Nick knows she is his Laura, even when she doesn't, and he is determined to bring her home and make her remember. Ivy is such a badass. She has been shaped by everything she has survived, and even though she doesn’t remember Nick, there is something about him that she just can’t ignore.
The chemistry between these two was EVERYTHING. The forced proximity, the tension, the danger, and all the emotions had me completely hooked. I loved watching Ivy slowly question everything she thought she knew while Nick refused to give up on the woman he loved.
These two went through SO much, but watching them find their way back to each other was everything. I devoured this story and couldn't get enough of Nick and Ivy!
Nick has spent years mourning the woman he loved, believing she was gone forever. Then he finds her alive, and she is pointing a gun at him. The problem? She doesn’t remember him, their relationship, or the life they shared. Instead, she is Ivy, a trained assassin working for the very people who destroyed everything they had.
I absolutely loved Nick and Ivy! The obsession between these two was intense from the beginning. Nick knows she is his Laura, even when she doesn't, and he is determined to bring her home and make her remember. Ivy is such a badass. She has been shaped by everything she has survived, and even though she doesn’t remember Nick, there is something about him that she just can’t ignore.
The chemistry between these two was EVERYTHING. The forced proximity, the tension, the danger, and all the emotions had me completely hooked. I loved watching Ivy slowly question everything she thought she knew while Nick refused to give up on the woman he loved.
These two went through SO much, but watching them find their way back to each other was everything. I devoured this story and couldn't get enough of Nick and Ivy!
August 29, 2026
I’m a huge fan of strong FMCs in movies, TV shows, and books. And when I say strong FMCs, I’m defining that as characters like Sydney Bristow in Alias, Natasha Romanova/Black Widow, or even Lara Croft in Tomb Raider—along those lines. I like what I like. And I love the amnesia trope! Author C. Hallman continues with her Eternal Checkmates series with Rook’s Obsession.
I love C. Hallman’s writing. Readers will be thrown right in. I immediately wanted to know about Ivy’s deal. Because she clearly knows what she’s doing. She’s trained. And of course, I wanted to know more about Nick and how he was going to get through to Ivy. Was he going to get her to remember, or were they going to battle it out? The story is seriously packed and very much a page turner. It’s plot- and character-driven. C. Hallman certainly still knows how to surprise me, even after reading so many of her books! There were a few scenes that made my eyes go wide! It was all good, though!
Thank you to Quirky Heart PR and Author C. Hallman for the gifted e-copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love C. Hallman’s writing. Readers will be thrown right in. I immediately wanted to know about Ivy’s deal. Because she clearly knows what she’s doing. She’s trained. And of course, I wanted to know more about Nick and how he was going to get through to Ivy. Was he going to get her to remember, or were they going to battle it out? The story is seriously packed and very much a page turner. It’s plot- and character-driven. C. Hallman certainly still knows how to surprise me, even after reading so many of her books! There were a few scenes that made my eyes go wide! It was all good, though!
Thank you to Quirky Heart PR and Author C. Hallman for the gifted e-copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 1, 2026
Wow, this was a great book!
To be honest I am not a fan of the amnesia trope as I find it cheap and unimaginative but in this case it simply worked. The whole thing was interesting, written to keep you in suspense and guessing what will happen next.
And the sexx was just hot! (rarely is in my eyes)
Can't wait for more !
To be honest I am not a fan of the amnesia trope as I find it cheap and unimaginative but in this case it simply worked. The whole thing was interesting, written to keep you in suspense and guessing what will happen next.
And the sexx was just hot! (rarely is in my eyes)
Can't wait for more !
Review of advance copy received from Author
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙨..”
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5
Ahhh, C. Hallman.
Tried.
True.
Reliable.
One thing you can ALWAYS count on?
This woman is going to give you some of the darkest romance on the market.
And I don’t mean:
“He’s a little possessive.” 🥺
I mean the kind of dark where you stop mid-chapter, slowly lower your Kindle, stare into the middle distance and think:
👁️👄👁️
Is this legal?
Like…
Am I ALLOWED to be reading this?
Has my Amazon account been flagged?
Is there currently an FBI agent assigned specifically to my Kindle activity?
Was that a car door outside…
👀
I mean, I’m still going to finish it.
Let’s not be ridiculous.
I just want to know whether I should expect company.
😂
Because HAVE YOU READ C. Hallman’s Wicked Falls Elite series?!
Dark.
Depraved.
Stockholm syndrome.
Step-sibling situations.
Enough questionable behavior to make your moral compass simply resign from its position.
And there I was:
📖👁️👄👁️
turns page
Interesting. Continue.
But I’m getting off topic.
Let me rein it in.
Because apparently the degenerate book goblin has a REVIEW to write.
😈
THE ROOK’S OBSESSION.
C. Hallman handed me:
♟️ Organized crime
🧠 Amnesia
🖤 Second chance
🔫 Trained assassin FMC
🔥 Enemies-to-lovers
🔐 Captivity
🏠 Forced proximity
🫂 Found family
🩸 Revenge
And I immediately thought:
Ah. There she is.
This is the C. Hallman experience I signed up for.
😂
Nick has spent TWELVE YEARS mourning Laura.
The girl he loved.
The girl who disappeared when they were fifteen.
The girl he believed was DEAD.
Then after twelve years of grief, he finally finds her.
She’s alive.
Except she’s no longer Laura.
She’s Ivy.
And she’s pointing a fucking gun at him.
😐
Well.
WELCOME BACK, BABE.
😂
Because while Nick has spent twelve years mourning the girl he lost, Ivy has been living an entirely different life.
She’s been told she has no one.
No family.
No past worth remembering.
She’s been given a new name.
A new identity.
A gun.
And she’s been turned into a highly trained assassin working for the very people responsible for stealing her life in the first place.
So Nick shows up basically like:
Hi. You’re actually Laura, we were in love, you have an entire family who mourned you, everything you’ve been told is a lie, and I’ve been looking for you for twelve years.
And Ivy’s response?
🔫 BANG.
SHE SHOOTS HIM IN THE LEG.
😂😂😂
I’M SORRY.
The romance reader in me was like:
🥹 They found each other.
The dark-romance reader in me was like:
😈 SHE SHOT HIM. THIS HAS POTENTIAL.
And Nick?!
Does this man interpret being SHOT as a rejection?
Of course not.
Absolutely fucking not.
If anything, Nick seems MORE committed.
She could’ve put another bullet in him and this man would’ve been lying there bleeding like:
🥹 My Laura has gotten so strong.
SIR.
PLEASE SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.
😂
But THIS is where the story got so much more interesting than I expected.
Because initially Nick is obsessed with getting Laura back.
The girl he remembers.
His first love.
The person he’s mourned for twelve years.
Except…
Laura doesn’t exist anymore.
Not completely.
Ivy has survived twelve years Nick knows nothing about.
She’s been trained.
Manipulated.
Hurt.
Turned into a weapon.
She’s developed instincts and scars and defenses that the fifteen year old girl he remembers never had.
And Nick eventually has to confront something:
He cannot love Ivy by trying to turn her back into Laura.
😭
HE HAS TO LOVE THE WOMAN WHO SURVIVED.
Excuse me?!
C. Hallman, I came here expecting to question whether the FBI was monitoring my Kindle.
WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME FEEL THINGS?!
This was not the arrangement.
😂
Because the second chance element isn’t really:
Two people find each other again and pick up where they left off.
They CAN’T.
Too much has happened.
They’re different people.
Especially Ivy.
So instead, they have to build something NEW.
And I fucking loved that.
Nick has to stop asking:
How do I get Laura back?
and start asking:
Who is Ivy?
What does SHE want?
Who does SHE want to become?
And can he love her without requiring her to become the girl he remembers?
🥹
THAT is where this book got me.
Because Ivy is such an interesting FMC.
She’s lethal.
Disciplined.
Angry.
Suspicious.
Independent.
She’s spent years learning that vulnerability is weakness and intimacy is something you USE rather than something you actually experience.
She knows how to kill someone.
She knows how to survive.
She knows how to disappear.
But someone genuinely caring about her?
Someone wanting her to stay?
Someone asking what SHE wants instead of giving her orders?
😐
ERROR 404: ASSASSIN SOFTWARE HAS STOPPED RESPONDING.
😂
And Nick just keeps showing up.
No matter how hard she pushes.
No matter how much she fights.
No matter how many reasons she gives him to walk away.
Including…
I cannot stress this enough…
SHOOTING HIM.
Nick’s basically like:
We’ve all had bad days.
😂
But underneath the jokes, his persistence matters because Ivy has spent her entire life believing she is disposable.
A weapon.
A pawn.
Useful until she isn’t.
So someone choosing her over and over again?
That’s terrifying.
And the line:
“I don’t know how to do this… How to be someone who stays.”
😭
FUCK OFF.
Because that is Ivy in one sentence.
She knows how to survive.
She doesn’t know how to LIVE.
She knows how to leave.
She doesn’t know how to stay.
She knows how to fight.
She doesn’t know how to let someone stand beside her.
And suddenly the question isn’t:
Will Ivy fight Nick?
It’s:
Will Ivy finally let herself fight BESIDE him?
🥹
STOP.
WHY ARE THERE FEELINGS IN MY CRIME?!
I ordered organized crime and depravity.
Who added emotional vulnerability?!
😂
And Nick’s obsession is EXACTLY the kind of obsession I expect from a C. Hallman MMC.
This man mourned her for twelve fucking years.
TWELVE.
Then discovers she’s alive?!
There was never going to be a normal reaction.
There was no universe where Nick was going to say:
“I respect that you’re living a different life now. Here’s my phone number if you’d ever like to reconnect.”
😂😂😂
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
This man is operating on:
I LOST YOU ONCE. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
He will chase her.
Drag her across continents.
Fight anyone necessary.
Burn down whatever needs burning.
And apparently endure GUNSHOT WOUNDS.
Boundaries?
Never heard of her.
Dark-romance courtship is really something special.
🥰
And then we have the captivity element.
Because naturally when your long-lost assassin girlfriend keeps trying to escape…
C. Hallman’s solution is:
Well, cuff her to the bed.
👁️👄👁️
There she is.
I was beginning to worry we’d gotten too emotionally healthy.
😂
But what kept the darker elements interesting was that Ivy never becomes helpless.
Even when other people attempt to control her, you NEVER forget…
This woman is dangerous.
She is not some fragile little flower being dragged through an organized crime plot.
SHE is one of the most lethal people in the room.
And I loved that reversal.
Give me more dangerous FMCs.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Give me the woman who can rescue herself and still has to learn that allowing someone to love her isn’t the same thing as needing to be rescued.
And then the identity crisis underneath EVERYTHING?
That might have been my favorite part.
Because imagine learning:
Your name isn’t your name.
Your past isn’t your past.
The people who supposedly saved/raised you lied.
The family you thought didn’t exist mourned you.
The man claiming to love you remembers a version of yourself that YOU CAN’T EVEN ACCESS.
Who the fuck are you supposed to trust?
More importantly:
WHO ARE YOU?
Laura?
Ivy?
Both?
And I loved that ultimately the story isn’t about picking one.
It’s about Ivy realizing she gets to decide who she becomes next.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Not Nick.
Not the family that took her.
Not the people who trained her.
HER.
Which brings us to the people who created this whole fucking nightmare.
Because once the truth starts unraveling?
😈
REVENGE HAS ENTERED THE CHAT.
And THIS is where C. Hallman thrives.
Organized crime.
Assassins.
Betrayal.
Family secrets.
Violence.
People getting exactly what has been coming to them.
Beautiful.
No notes.
😂
I also loved the found family aspect.
Ivy has spent so long believing nobody was waiting for her.
Then suddenly she has to process that she was loved.
She was missed.
She was mourned.
She MATTERED.
And now she has people asking her to stay.
😭
Again.
I DIDN’T AUTHORIZE THESE EMOTIONS.
But the quote that really captures Nick and Ivy for me is:
“I don’t know what comes after. All I know is I want you in it. Whatever it is.”
THAT.
Because they can’t get those twelve years back.
Nick can’t resurrect fifteen-year-old Laura.
Ivy can’t undo everything that created her.
Their old story is gone.
So they write another one.
Not Laura and Nick picking up where they left off.
Ivy and Nick choosing what comes next.
😭🖤
And that’s ultimately why this worked for me.
Now, why four instead of five?
There is A LOT happening here.
Amnesia.
Stolen identity.
Twelve years apart.
Childhood love.
Assassins.
Organized crime.
Captivity.
Family.
Revenge.
Trauma.
Found family.
Second chance.
And occasionally I wanted certain emotional developments to have a little more room to breathe.
With a premise this layered, I wanted just a little more time in certain transitions….especially as Ivy’s understanding of herself and Nick starts changing.
But overall?
This was classic C. Hallman:
Dark.
Twisted.
Suspenseful.
Violent.
Emotional.
Questionable enough to make me briefly inspect my moral compass.
Still there.
Not particularly useful.
But technically present.
😂
WHAT TO EXPECT:
♟️ Organized crime
🖤 Dark romance
🔫 Trained assassin FMC
🧠 Amnesia / stolen identity
💔 Childhood love
🖤 Second chance
🔥 Enemies-to-lovers
🏠 Forced proximity
🔐 Captivity
🩸 Revenge
🫂 Found family
🖤 Trauma + survival
🔫 Action + suspense
🔥 Obsessive MMC
🖤 “I thought you were dead for twelve years”
🔫 She shoots him in the leg
😂 He somehow interprets this as a relationship obstacle rather than a breakup
🖤 Burn-the-world-down devotion
🔥 A dangerous FMC who doesn’t need saving
🖤 Learning how to stay
♟️ Enough criminal activity to make me nervous about targeted FBI surveillance
And because this is C. Hallman we’re talking about:
CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS.
This woman does not gently knock on the door of dark romance.
She kicks the fucking thing off its hinges.
😂
FOUR “SHE SHOT YOU AND YOU SAID THAT’S STILL MY GIRL” STARS.
C. Hallman remains one of those authors where I don’t ask:
Will this be dark?
I ask:
How concerned should I be about myself when I enjoy it?
👀
Because somehow she continues to write books that have me alternating between:
👁️👄👁️ WHAT THE FUCK AM I READING?
and
🥹 Oh my God, he loves the woman she became.
THAT RANGE.
The Rook’s Obsession gave me organized crime, assassins, captivity, revenge, stolen identities, twelve years of grief, and a heroine who literally shoots her love interest during their reunion.
You know.
ROMANCE.
😂
But underneath all of that insanity is something surprisingly beautiful:
Nick spent twelve years wanting Laura back.
Then he found Ivy.
And eventually realized he didn’t need the girl he lost.
He wanted the woman who survived.
😭
And THAT got me.
Now excuse me while I check outside one more time.
If there’s a black SUV parked across the street…
No there isn’t.
You saw nothing.
I read wholesome Christian fiction exclusively.
THE KINDLE HISTORY WILL CORROBORATE NOTHING.
👀😈🖤
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5
Ahhh, C. Hallman.
Tried.
True.
Reliable.
One thing you can ALWAYS count on?
This woman is going to give you some of the darkest romance on the market.
And I don’t mean:
“He’s a little possessive.” 🥺
I mean the kind of dark where you stop mid-chapter, slowly lower your Kindle, stare into the middle distance and think:
👁️👄👁️
Is this legal?
Like…
Am I ALLOWED to be reading this?
Has my Amazon account been flagged?
Is there currently an FBI agent assigned specifically to my Kindle activity?
Was that a car door outside…
👀
I mean, I’m still going to finish it.
Let’s not be ridiculous.
I just want to know whether I should expect company.
😂
Because HAVE YOU READ C. Hallman’s Wicked Falls Elite series?!
Dark.
Depraved.
Stockholm syndrome.
Step-sibling situations.
Enough questionable behavior to make your moral compass simply resign from its position.
And there I was:
📖👁️👄👁️
turns page
Interesting. Continue.
But I’m getting off topic.
Let me rein it in.
Because apparently the degenerate book goblin has a REVIEW to write.
😈
THE ROOK’S OBSESSION.
C. Hallman handed me:
♟️ Organized crime
🧠 Amnesia
🖤 Second chance
🔫 Trained assassin FMC
🔥 Enemies-to-lovers
🔐 Captivity
🏠 Forced proximity
🫂 Found family
🩸 Revenge
And I immediately thought:
Ah. There she is.
This is the C. Hallman experience I signed up for.
😂
Nick has spent TWELVE YEARS mourning Laura.
The girl he loved.
The girl who disappeared when they were fifteen.
The girl he believed was DEAD.
Then after twelve years of grief, he finally finds her.
She’s alive.
Except she’s no longer Laura.
She’s Ivy.
And she’s pointing a fucking gun at him.
😐
Well.
WELCOME BACK, BABE.
😂
Because while Nick has spent twelve years mourning the girl he lost, Ivy has been living an entirely different life.
She’s been told she has no one.
No family.
No past worth remembering.
She’s been given a new name.
A new identity.
A gun.
And she’s been turned into a highly trained assassin working for the very people responsible for stealing her life in the first place.
So Nick shows up basically like:
Hi. You’re actually Laura, we were in love, you have an entire family who mourned you, everything you’ve been told is a lie, and I’ve been looking for you for twelve years.
And Ivy’s response?
🔫 BANG.
SHE SHOOTS HIM IN THE LEG.
😂😂😂
I’M SORRY.
The romance reader in me was like:
🥹 They found each other.
The dark-romance reader in me was like:
😈 SHE SHOT HIM. THIS HAS POTENTIAL.
And Nick?!
Does this man interpret being SHOT as a rejection?
Of course not.
Absolutely fucking not.
If anything, Nick seems MORE committed.
She could’ve put another bullet in him and this man would’ve been lying there bleeding like:
🥹 My Laura has gotten so strong.
SIR.
PLEASE SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.
😂
But THIS is where the story got so much more interesting than I expected.
Because initially Nick is obsessed with getting Laura back.
The girl he remembers.
His first love.
The person he’s mourned for twelve years.
Except…
Laura doesn’t exist anymore.
Not completely.
Ivy has survived twelve years Nick knows nothing about.
She’s been trained.
Manipulated.
Hurt.
Turned into a weapon.
She’s developed instincts and scars and defenses that the fifteen year old girl he remembers never had.
And Nick eventually has to confront something:
He cannot love Ivy by trying to turn her back into Laura.
😭
HE HAS TO LOVE THE WOMAN WHO SURVIVED.
Excuse me?!
C. Hallman, I came here expecting to question whether the FBI was monitoring my Kindle.
WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME FEEL THINGS?!
This was not the arrangement.
😂
Because the second chance element isn’t really:
Two people find each other again and pick up where they left off.
They CAN’T.
Too much has happened.
They’re different people.
Especially Ivy.
So instead, they have to build something NEW.
And I fucking loved that.
Nick has to stop asking:
How do I get Laura back?
and start asking:
Who is Ivy?
What does SHE want?
Who does SHE want to become?
And can he love her without requiring her to become the girl he remembers?
🥹
THAT is where this book got me.
Because Ivy is such an interesting FMC.
She’s lethal.
Disciplined.
Angry.
Suspicious.
Independent.
She’s spent years learning that vulnerability is weakness and intimacy is something you USE rather than something you actually experience.
She knows how to kill someone.
She knows how to survive.
She knows how to disappear.
But someone genuinely caring about her?
Someone wanting her to stay?
Someone asking what SHE wants instead of giving her orders?
😐
ERROR 404: ASSASSIN SOFTWARE HAS STOPPED RESPONDING.
😂
And Nick just keeps showing up.
No matter how hard she pushes.
No matter how much she fights.
No matter how many reasons she gives him to walk away.
Including…
I cannot stress this enough…
SHOOTING HIM.
Nick’s basically like:
We’ve all had bad days.
😂
But underneath the jokes, his persistence matters because Ivy has spent her entire life believing she is disposable.
A weapon.
A pawn.
Useful until she isn’t.
So someone choosing her over and over again?
That’s terrifying.
And the line:
“I don’t know how to do this… How to be someone who stays.”
😭
FUCK OFF.
Because that is Ivy in one sentence.
She knows how to survive.
She doesn’t know how to LIVE.
She knows how to leave.
She doesn’t know how to stay.
She knows how to fight.
She doesn’t know how to let someone stand beside her.
And suddenly the question isn’t:
Will Ivy fight Nick?
It’s:
Will Ivy finally let herself fight BESIDE him?
🥹
STOP.
WHY ARE THERE FEELINGS IN MY CRIME?!
I ordered organized crime and depravity.
Who added emotional vulnerability?!
😂
And Nick’s obsession is EXACTLY the kind of obsession I expect from a C. Hallman MMC.
This man mourned her for twelve fucking years.
TWELVE.
Then discovers she’s alive?!
There was never going to be a normal reaction.
There was no universe where Nick was going to say:
“I respect that you’re living a different life now. Here’s my phone number if you’d ever like to reconnect.”
😂😂😂
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
This man is operating on:
I LOST YOU ONCE. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
He will chase her.
Drag her across continents.
Fight anyone necessary.
Burn down whatever needs burning.
And apparently endure GUNSHOT WOUNDS.
Boundaries?
Never heard of her.
Dark-romance courtship is really something special.
🥰
And then we have the captivity element.
Because naturally when your long-lost assassin girlfriend keeps trying to escape…
C. Hallman’s solution is:
Well, cuff her to the bed.
👁️👄👁️
There she is.
I was beginning to worry we’d gotten too emotionally healthy.
😂
But what kept the darker elements interesting was that Ivy never becomes helpless.
Even when other people attempt to control her, you NEVER forget…
This woman is dangerous.
She is not some fragile little flower being dragged through an organized crime plot.
SHE is one of the most lethal people in the room.
And I loved that reversal.
Give me more dangerous FMCs.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Give me the woman who can rescue herself and still has to learn that allowing someone to love her isn’t the same thing as needing to be rescued.
And then the identity crisis underneath EVERYTHING?
That might have been my favorite part.
Because imagine learning:
Your name isn’t your name.
Your past isn’t your past.
The people who supposedly saved/raised you lied.
The family you thought didn’t exist mourned you.
The man claiming to love you remembers a version of yourself that YOU CAN’T EVEN ACCESS.
Who the fuck are you supposed to trust?
More importantly:
WHO ARE YOU?
Laura?
Ivy?
Both?
And I loved that ultimately the story isn’t about picking one.
It’s about Ivy realizing she gets to decide who she becomes next.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Not Nick.
Not the family that took her.
Not the people who trained her.
HER.
Which brings us to the people who created this whole fucking nightmare.
Because once the truth starts unraveling?
😈
REVENGE HAS ENTERED THE CHAT.
And THIS is where C. Hallman thrives.
Organized crime.
Assassins.
Betrayal.
Family secrets.
Violence.
People getting exactly what has been coming to them.
Beautiful.
No notes.
😂
I also loved the found family aspect.
Ivy has spent so long believing nobody was waiting for her.
Then suddenly she has to process that she was loved.
She was missed.
She was mourned.
She MATTERED.
And now she has people asking her to stay.
😭
Again.
I DIDN’T AUTHORIZE THESE EMOTIONS.
But the quote that really captures Nick and Ivy for me is:
“I don’t know what comes after. All I know is I want you in it. Whatever it is.”
THAT.
Because they can’t get those twelve years back.
Nick can’t resurrect fifteen-year-old Laura.
Ivy can’t undo everything that created her.
Their old story is gone.
So they write another one.
Not Laura and Nick picking up where they left off.
Ivy and Nick choosing what comes next.
😭🖤
And that’s ultimately why this worked for me.
Now, why four instead of five?
There is A LOT happening here.
Amnesia.
Stolen identity.
Twelve years apart.
Childhood love.
Assassins.
Organized crime.
Captivity.
Family.
Revenge.
Trauma.
Found family.
Second chance.
And occasionally I wanted certain emotional developments to have a little more room to breathe.
With a premise this layered, I wanted just a little more time in certain transitions….especially as Ivy’s understanding of herself and Nick starts changing.
But overall?
This was classic C. Hallman:
Dark.
Twisted.
Suspenseful.
Violent.
Emotional.
Questionable enough to make me briefly inspect my moral compass.
Still there.
Not particularly useful.
But technically present.
😂
WHAT TO EXPECT:
♟️ Organized crime
🖤 Dark romance
🔫 Trained assassin FMC
🧠 Amnesia / stolen identity
💔 Childhood love
🖤 Second chance
🔥 Enemies-to-lovers
🏠 Forced proximity
🔐 Captivity
🩸 Revenge
🫂 Found family
🖤 Trauma + survival
🔫 Action + suspense
🔥 Obsessive MMC
🖤 “I thought you were dead for twelve years”
🔫 She shoots him in the leg
😂 He somehow interprets this as a relationship obstacle rather than a breakup
🖤 Burn-the-world-down devotion
🔥 A dangerous FMC who doesn’t need saving
🖤 Learning how to stay
♟️ Enough criminal activity to make me nervous about targeted FBI surveillance
And because this is C. Hallman we’re talking about:
CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS.
This woman does not gently knock on the door of dark romance.
She kicks the fucking thing off its hinges.
😂
FOUR “SHE SHOT YOU AND YOU SAID THAT’S STILL MY GIRL” STARS.
C. Hallman remains one of those authors where I don’t ask:
Will this be dark?
I ask:
How concerned should I be about myself when I enjoy it?
👀
Because somehow she continues to write books that have me alternating between:
👁️👄👁️ WHAT THE FUCK AM I READING?
and
🥹 Oh my God, he loves the woman she became.
THAT RANGE.
The Rook’s Obsession gave me organized crime, assassins, captivity, revenge, stolen identities, twelve years of grief, and a heroine who literally shoots her love interest during their reunion.
You know.
ROMANCE.
😂
But underneath all of that insanity is something surprisingly beautiful:
Nick spent twelve years wanting Laura back.
Then he found Ivy.
And eventually realized he didn’t need the girl he lost.
He wanted the woman who survived.
😭
And THAT got me.
Now excuse me while I check outside one more time.
If there’s a black SUV parked across the street…
No there isn’t.
You saw nothing.
I read wholesome Christian fiction exclusively.
THE KINDLE HISTORY WILL CORROBORATE NOTHING.
👀😈🖤
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is the second book in the Eternal Checkmates series, it´s an interconnected standalone. The book tells the story of Nick and Laura/ Ivy.
The reader finds themselves in the middle of action right away. There´s a lot happening in the beginning. I do like the whole plot, though the story did feel a little bit slow for a while after the start.
Ivy´s journey is very touching and I can´t help but to feel sad for them both. It helped me a little that I was rather frustrated with the characters as the story progressed. I was nearly pulling my hair, it was so difficult at times 🤣
The book includes spice 🌶🌶🌶
Overall it´s a nice continuing to the first book. The book is also a quick read. I recommend it to readers of romantic suspense, especially if they like interconnected series.
The reader finds themselves in the middle of action right away. There´s a lot happening in the beginning. I do like the whole plot, though the story did feel a little bit slow for a while after the start.
Ivy´s journey is very touching and I can´t help but to feel sad for them both. It helped me a little that I was rather frustrated with the characters as the story progressed. I was nearly pulling my hair, it was so difficult at times 🤣
The book includes spice 🌶🌶🌶
Overall it´s a nice continuing to the first book. The book is also a quick read. I recommend it to readers of romantic suspense, especially if they like interconnected series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“I think whatever you are… you’re mine.”
A boy falls in love with a girl but their story ends abruptly at age 15. Twelve years later, can this be their second chance or has the past already been completely rewritten?
Ivy: A trained assassin, highly skilled and disciplined, she stood on her own, resilient through trauma, moving with practiced efficiency in a world where intimacy was a tool. She was an absolute force to be reckoned with. Afraid to feel anything or to show any sign of weakness, memories just out of reach, she longed for what she thought she couldn't have. The desire to be cared for, to matter. All she really wanted was to learn her truth.
Nick: Always patient and understanding, he never stopped showing up, even as Ivy pushed back, he didn't walk away no matter how many times she gave him a reason to. Was Ivy going to be the woman who fought him or the woman who fought beside him?
“I don’t know how to do this,” she admits in a rough voice. “How to be someone who stays.”
Hope for the future was dangerous to wish for. But Nick's love for Ivy peeled back the layers and the lies, broke down her walls, reconstructed everything she thought she knew, revealing her true self. It was no longer about the girl she used to be, the girl he lost, but about the woman he found, the woman she became. I loved how they built something together, from the ground up, fighting their way back to each other, discovering what it felt like to finally come home.
“I don’t know what comes after,” she murmurs. “All I know is I want you in it. Whatever it is.”
Heartbreaking and poignant, at its core, this was a story about survival and trauma, loyalty and family, trust and betrayal, the illusion of freedom and choices when everything is taken out of your control. What does it take to dismantle power and destroy everything you respect and fear? Suspenseful and action-packed, spicy and filled with emotions, there was beauty in the unspoken words and raw vulnerability as Nick and Ivy wrote a new chapter in a story that never really ended.
4.75/5 ⭐️
Tropes/Triggers:
✨️Organized Crime
✨️Amnesia
✨️Second Chance
✨️Trained Assassin
✨️Enemies to Lovers
✨️Forced Proximity
✨️Found Family
✨️Captivity
✨️Revenge
*Special thanks to author C. Hallman and BookSirens for the ARC!
A boy falls in love with a girl but their story ends abruptly at age 15. Twelve years later, can this be their second chance or has the past already been completely rewritten?
Ivy: A trained assassin, highly skilled and disciplined, she stood on her own, resilient through trauma, moving with practiced efficiency in a world where intimacy was a tool. She was an absolute force to be reckoned with. Afraid to feel anything or to show any sign of weakness, memories just out of reach, she longed for what she thought she couldn't have. The desire to be cared for, to matter. All she really wanted was to learn her truth.
Nick: Always patient and understanding, he never stopped showing up, even as Ivy pushed back, he didn't walk away no matter how many times she gave him a reason to. Was Ivy going to be the woman who fought him or the woman who fought beside him?
“I don’t know how to do this,” she admits in a rough voice. “How to be someone who stays.”
Hope for the future was dangerous to wish for. But Nick's love for Ivy peeled back the layers and the lies, broke down her walls, reconstructed everything she thought she knew, revealing her true self. It was no longer about the girl she used to be, the girl he lost, but about the woman he found, the woman she became. I loved how they built something together, from the ground up, fighting their way back to each other, discovering what it felt like to finally come home.
“I don’t know what comes after,” she murmurs. “All I know is I want you in it. Whatever it is.”
Heartbreaking and poignant, at its core, this was a story about survival and trauma, loyalty and family, trust and betrayal, the illusion of freedom and choices when everything is taken out of your control. What does it take to dismantle power and destroy everything you respect and fear? Suspenseful and action-packed, spicy and filled with emotions, there was beauty in the unspoken words and raw vulnerability as Nick and Ivy wrote a new chapter in a story that never really ended.
4.75/5 ⭐️
Tropes/Triggers:
✨️Organized Crime
✨️Amnesia
✨️Second Chance
✨️Trained Assassin
✨️Enemies to Lovers
✨️Forced Proximity
✨️Found Family
✨️Captivity
✨️Revenge
*Special thanks to author C. Hallman and BookSirens for the ARC!
September 28, 2026
4 ⭐️ Read
1. Quick Summary
I jumped at the chance to read this ARC because it is a dark second-chance romance with a high-stakes amnesia premise, and the intense storyline completely hooked me from the very start.
2. What I Liked
• The Romance & Protection: I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between Nick and Ivy. Their connection felt incredibly deep, and I absolutely loved how fiercely Nick wanted to protect Ivy through everything. The way their relationship evolved through all the chaos was the absolute highlight of the book for me.
• The Happy Ending: After everything they went through, I was so incredibly happy that Ivy and Nick got a beautiful happy ending together. It made all the intense drama completely worth it!
• The Character Growth: I felt so incredibly sorry for Ivy and everything that happened to her throughout her journey, but I loved how strong she was in this book. Watching her process that immense trauma, break down her protective walls, and reclaim her power made her an incredibly compelling heroine to root for.
• The Side Characters: I loved seeing Ivy’s brother, Liam, and his wife! Having them in the story added a wonderful layer of warmth, and it was so much fun seeing them again after their own book.
• The Plot Twists: I loved the twists and turns in this book! The unpredictable story kept me on my toes, and the shocking reveals made it impossible to guess what would happen next.
3. What Didn’t Work for Me
• The Antagonists: The villains in this book are truly vicious. Because I connected so deeply with Ivy and felt so sorry for everything she went through, the sheer cruelty of the bad guys made some of the darker scenes quite difficult to read through—though I was incredibly glad to see them finally get stopped at the end.
4. Who I’d Recommend It To
I’d highly recommend this to fans of dark mafia romances or romantic suspense authors like Rina Kent or Shantel Tessier, especially readers who love protective, obsessive anti-heroes and bad-ass, resilient heroines.
5. Optional Extras
I received an advance review copy of this book from the author and BookSirens, and am leaving this review voluntarily. A huge thank you to C. Hallman and BookSirens for the opportunity to read early—it was an emotional, high-heat ride that I couldn’t put down!
1. Quick Summary
I jumped at the chance to read this ARC because it is a dark second-chance romance with a high-stakes amnesia premise, and the intense storyline completely hooked me from the very start.
2. What I Liked
• The Romance & Protection: I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between Nick and Ivy. Their connection felt incredibly deep, and I absolutely loved how fiercely Nick wanted to protect Ivy through everything. The way their relationship evolved through all the chaos was the absolute highlight of the book for me.
• The Happy Ending: After everything they went through, I was so incredibly happy that Ivy and Nick got a beautiful happy ending together. It made all the intense drama completely worth it!
• The Character Growth: I felt so incredibly sorry for Ivy and everything that happened to her throughout her journey, but I loved how strong she was in this book. Watching her process that immense trauma, break down her protective walls, and reclaim her power made her an incredibly compelling heroine to root for.
• The Side Characters: I loved seeing Ivy’s brother, Liam, and his wife! Having them in the story added a wonderful layer of warmth, and it was so much fun seeing them again after their own book.
• The Plot Twists: I loved the twists and turns in this book! The unpredictable story kept me on my toes, and the shocking reveals made it impossible to guess what would happen next.
3. What Didn’t Work for Me
• The Antagonists: The villains in this book are truly vicious. Because I connected so deeply with Ivy and felt so sorry for everything she went through, the sheer cruelty of the bad guys made some of the darker scenes quite difficult to read through—though I was incredibly glad to see them finally get stopped at the end.
4. Who I’d Recommend It To
I’d highly recommend this to fans of dark mafia romances or romantic suspense authors like Rina Kent or Shantel Tessier, especially readers who love protective, obsessive anti-heroes and bad-ass, resilient heroines.
5. Optional Extras
I received an advance review copy of this book from the author and BookSirens, and am leaving this review voluntarily. A huge thank you to C. Hallman and BookSirens for the opportunity to read early—it was an emotional, high-heat ride that I couldn’t put down!
August 31, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Okay C. Hallman, you absolutely had me with this one. The Rook’s Obsession gave me everything I want in a dark romance. Obsession, revenge, danger, amnesia, forced proximity, organized crime, and a man who basically says I do not care if you remember loving me because I remember enough for both of us.
NICK. SIR.
This man has spent years believing the woman he loves is dead, only to find her very much alive and pointing a gun at him. And somehow her shooting him still isn’t enough to make him leave her alone. If anything, it just makes him more determined. That level of obsession is exactly the kind of unhinged energy I came here for.
I loved Nick because underneath all of that possessive, burn the world down energy is a man who genuinely never stopped loving Laura. He knows the woman standing in front of him is different now. She’s harder, colder, dangerous, and carrying scars he doesn’t completely understand, but he still sees HER. He wants every version of her, not just the girl he remembers.
And Ivy was EVERYTHING. I love a strong, dangerous FMC who can hold her own, and she absolutely can. She isn’t sitting around waiting for someone to save her. She’s a trained assassin who has been manipulated and lied to, and watching her slowly realize that everything she believed about herself might be wrong had me completely invested.
The chemistry between Nick and Ivy was insane because there is so much history between them that only one of them remembers. Every touch, every argument, every little moment where something feels familiar to Ivy had me waiting for another piece of Laura to break through.
But what really got me was that this wasn’t simply about Nick getting Laura back. Ivy had to figure out who SHE wanted to be after having so much of her identity stolen from her. I loved watching her take that power back.
Nick’s obsession. Ivy’s attitude. The revenge. The danger. The forced proximity. The found family. The possessiveness. YES TO ALL OF IT.
This was dark, emotional, intense, addictive, and exactly my kind of romance.
Nick can cuff me to the bed next. Respectfully. Or not.
Five very obsessed stars from me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Okay C. Hallman, you absolutely had me with this one. The Rook’s Obsession gave me everything I want in a dark romance. Obsession, revenge, danger, amnesia, forced proximity, organized crime, and a man who basically says I do not care if you remember loving me because I remember enough for both of us.
NICK. SIR.
This man has spent years believing the woman he loves is dead, only to find her very much alive and pointing a gun at him. And somehow her shooting him still isn’t enough to make him leave her alone. If anything, it just makes him more determined. That level of obsession is exactly the kind of unhinged energy I came here for.
I loved Nick because underneath all of that possessive, burn the world down energy is a man who genuinely never stopped loving Laura. He knows the woman standing in front of him is different now. She’s harder, colder, dangerous, and carrying scars he doesn’t completely understand, but he still sees HER. He wants every version of her, not just the girl he remembers.
And Ivy was EVERYTHING. I love a strong, dangerous FMC who can hold her own, and she absolutely can. She isn’t sitting around waiting for someone to save her. She’s a trained assassin who has been manipulated and lied to, and watching her slowly realize that everything she believed about herself might be wrong had me completely invested.
The chemistry between Nick and Ivy was insane because there is so much history between them that only one of them remembers. Every touch, every argument, every little moment where something feels familiar to Ivy had me waiting for another piece of Laura to break through.
But what really got me was that this wasn’t simply about Nick getting Laura back. Ivy had to figure out who SHE wanted to be after having so much of her identity stolen from her. I loved watching her take that power back.
Nick’s obsession. Ivy’s attitude. The revenge. The danger. The forced proximity. The found family. The possessiveness. YES TO ALL OF IT.
This was dark, emotional, intense, addictive, and exactly my kind of romance.
Nick can cuff me to the bed next. Respectfully. Or not.
Five very obsessed stars from me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 30, 2026
I loved the blurb for The Rook’s Obsession. I’ve been on a roll lately with books featuring strong female protagonists lately, Ivy definitely fits the bill. She’s seriously badass although it’s clear early on that she hasn’t always been this woman. Nick, the hero, has spent years mourning his lost teenage love, Laura, believing she died long ago. That all changes when he comes face-to-face with Ivy, an assassin who is intent on killing him and here’s the kicker: she is Laura’s exact double. Ivy, however, has no idea who Nick is. Is she really Laura, back from the dead, or is the resemblance simply an incredible coincidence? And if she is Laura, what happened to her during all those missing years?
This was a fantastic second-chance romance with its mystery at the heart of the story. There are plenty of twists and turns, with the suspense gradually building as Nick becomes more determined to find out what happened and Ivy starts questioning everything she’s been told. There’s also a good dose of angst, particularly from Nick’s side. He’s finally found the woman he thought he’d lost, but she isn’t the Laura he remembers. Not even close. The years in between have changed her and she might never remember her old life, something he has to come to terms with and accept the woman she is now rather than trying to bring back the girl he lost. Ivy’s journey was probably what worked best for me. She starts out understandably sceptical, but as more pieces of the puzzle come together, she starts to question what she knows about herself and her past. And while she may not remember Nick, the chemistry between them certainly hasn’t disappeared.
Overall, a great mix of romance, mystery and suspense, with enough twists to keep me guessing what will happen next with a romance that has to overcome more than just the usual second-chance obstacles.
This was a fantastic second-chance romance with its mystery at the heart of the story. There are plenty of twists and turns, with the suspense gradually building as Nick becomes more determined to find out what happened and Ivy starts questioning everything she’s been told. There’s also a good dose of angst, particularly from Nick’s side. He’s finally found the woman he thought he’d lost, but she isn’t the Laura he remembers. Not even close. The years in between have changed her and she might never remember her old life, something he has to come to terms with and accept the woman she is now rather than trying to bring back the girl he lost. Ivy’s journey was probably what worked best for me. She starts out understandably sceptical, but as more pieces of the puzzle come together, she starts to question what she knows about herself and her past. And while she may not remember Nick, the chemistry between them certainly hasn’t disappeared.
Overall, a great mix of romance, mystery and suspense, with enough twists to keep me guessing what will happen next with a romance that has to overcome more than just the usual second-chance obstacles.
September 7, 2026
4.25/5
This story is a rollercoaster in all the sense of the word! This is a mafia story with twists, secrets, action, intrigue, passion, and a tender love story that will touch your heart,
Ivy and Nick had a life with purpose 12 years ago, she was his Laura the love of his life until she disappear at just 15. Now she is pointing a gun at him and she doesn't know who he is!
She has severe amnesia that has hidden core memories about her childhood, family, love leaving to be a trained assassin that is cold, calculating, and a bit robotic. However Nick is not going to let her go easily this time around, even it that means to keep her captive and try to awaken all her senses as they did years ago. At the same time he is working on finding the reason and who took her.
Be ready for lots of twists, secrets and passion. His touch starts to jumble some of her memories and along with her brother they will do the impossible to save her from the world that is trying to erase her.
This book kept me hooked to its pages from start to finish. The way the characters are portrayed will transport you to feel for them as they are transformed from children to killers and cold alpha man. The fight to find the good in themselves is what drives this story of forgiveness, acknowledgment, found family, and a second chance for soulmates.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This story is a rollercoaster in all the sense of the word! This is a mafia story with twists, secrets, action, intrigue, passion, and a tender love story that will touch your heart,
Ivy and Nick had a life with purpose 12 years ago, she was his Laura the love of his life until she disappear at just 15. Now she is pointing a gun at him and she doesn't know who he is!
She has severe amnesia that has hidden core memories about her childhood, family, love leaving to be a trained assassin that is cold, calculating, and a bit robotic. However Nick is not going to let her go easily this time around, even it that means to keep her captive and try to awaken all her senses as they did years ago. At the same time he is working on finding the reason and who took her.
Be ready for lots of twists, secrets and passion. His touch starts to jumble some of her memories and along with her brother they will do the impossible to save her from the world that is trying to erase her.
This book kept me hooked to its pages from start to finish. The way the characters are portrayed will transport you to feel for them as they are transformed from children to killers and cold alpha man. The fight to find the good in themselves is what drives this story of forgiveness, acknowledgment, found family, and a second chance for soulmates.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 30, 2026
Ivy lives her life day to day. Secret homes that are throughout the city. No ties. No real friends. But then again she has no memories. Twelve years ago she woke up. No name. No memories. Just the scares. Now there's a man asking questions about her. He's purposely looking for her. Why. Who is he. What does he want from her. Nick has grieved for Laura for twelve years. Since the accident that killed her and her parents plus others. He just cant move on. The memories of their shared childhood with his best friend Liam, Laura's brother are still vivid in his mind. Now he's hoping that the truth is about to be uncovered. When Liam and he was told Laura was still alive neither could believe it. Opening the door to his room in the cheap hotel he never expected to find her stood there starring at him. Except now she says her name is Ivy not Laura. How can he prove he's not a danger. That he'd do just about anything for her. This is the start of a story that weaves between who Laura was and just who Ivy is. Can he ever real hope to get Laura back. Or will he have to accept Ivy is now who she is. Will Ivy ever reclaim her memories. Why hasn't he asked her what she wants. Althoug deep down she knows he isn't a threat. This is a compelling story that just keeps giving.
September 8, 2026
The Rook's Obsession by C. Hallman was an intense, dark, and fast-paced second-chance romance! I flew through this book in no time. The story centers on Nick, who has spent years mourning the love of his life, only to find her alive; except now she’s a lethal assassin named Ivy who points a gun right at his chest and has absolutely no memory of him, their past, or the promises they made each other.
I liked reading about Ivy as a protagonist. Even though she's been trained into this ice-veined killer working for the exact people who ruined their lives, she is so fierce and resilient. Nick is the ultimate obsessed, alpha anti-hero who is completely ready to burn the whole world down just to get his girl back and break through her armor. Their chemistry and forced-proximity tension are off the charts, especially since she has amnesia and views him as an enemy at first. It delivers the perfect mix of high-stakes action, dark mafia vibes, and amazing open-door spice.
Thank you Quirky Heart PR and C. Hallman for the e-ARC.
It has a few predictable moments while the secrets are being unraveled, but the pacing never stops moving. If you want a quick, gritty dark romance with a killer amnesia plot, you definitely need to grab this one!
I liked reading about Ivy as a protagonist. Even though she's been trained into this ice-veined killer working for the exact people who ruined their lives, she is so fierce and resilient. Nick is the ultimate obsessed, alpha anti-hero who is completely ready to burn the whole world down just to get his girl back and break through her armor. Their chemistry and forced-proximity tension are off the charts, especially since she has amnesia and views him as an enemy at first. It delivers the perfect mix of high-stakes action, dark mafia vibes, and amazing open-door spice.
Thank you Quirky Heart PR and C. Hallman for the e-ARC.
It has a few predictable moments while the secrets are being unraveled, but the pacing never stops moving. If you want a quick, gritty dark romance with a killer amnesia plot, you definitely need to grab this one!
August 28, 2026
In The Rook’s Obsession, Nick just found out the love of his life, Lara is alive. All these years he thought she was dead, killed by his enemies. Not only is she alive, but she is with those enemies and considers them family. He does not understand anything but knows she works as their assassin. He decide to go get her and bring her home to her real family. After tracking her down and waiting for his perfect moment, he is shocked when he finds her in his hotel room pointing a gun at him. He calls her Laura and she flinches. She says that’s not her name and to stop following her. When he says no, she shoots him and walks out of the room unbothered. Ivy, is confused at the situation. She does not know who Laura is or why he called her that. However, when her own so called family try to kill her she has had enough and agrees to go home with Nick to find answers. She doesn’t understand why she feels close to him but the chemistry is there. What will happen when she finds out what really happened to her? This was an emotional rollercoaster. It was filled with drama, humor, action, suspense, heat, secrets, and shocking twists. I am loving this series.
September 2, 2026
Ghosts!
This story is about a girl or young woman who had a life at fifteen and twelve years later she has no memories. Laura/Ivy was and is that person but she is used by the people who filled her with lies,made her feel like a puppet. She has a hole other life a brother whole thought she had died with his parents,a man who thought the world about her and thinks of every day still.So between Nick and Liam they try to bring her home,she is on a job when she runs into Nick but she shoots him in the leg not take his life.Nick speaks of the past and even calls her Laura but that ticks her off.It takes her almost being killed that she starts to believe what Nick says but it's a bitter pill for Ivy to swallow, she feels used.You can feel what Ivy is going thru,she only knows of one life and the other life has a family,a man who loves her and over time she chooses the right life but with fresh new eyes and lots of good memories with her brother and family and Nick who love her in the past has Laura and the future has Ivy!
This story is about a girl or young woman who had a life at fifteen and twelve years later she has no memories. Laura/Ivy was and is that person but she is used by the people who filled her with lies,made her feel like a puppet. She has a hole other life a brother whole thought she had died with his parents,a man who thought the world about her and thinks of every day still.So between Nick and Liam they try to bring her home,she is on a job when she runs into Nick but she shoots him in the leg not take his life.Nick speaks of the past and even calls her Laura but that ticks her off.It takes her almost being killed that she starts to believe what Nick says but it's a bitter pill for Ivy to swallow, she feels used.You can feel what Ivy is going thru,she only knows of one life and the other life has a family,a man who loves her and over time she chooses the right life but with fresh new eyes and lots of good memories with her brother and family and Nick who love her in the past has Laura and the future has Ivy!
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
The Rook’s Obsession felt like Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets Taken with a little spice sprinkled on top in the best possible way.
This was tightly paced and constantly kept me on edge, with the sense that everything could spiral at any moment. I loved the blend of secrets, tension, and two people who are anything but comfortable with vulnerability.
One of my favorite lines was:
“I don’t know how to do this, how to be someone who stays.”
That really captured what I enjoyed most, the emotional undercurrent beneath all the intensity. At its core, this is about two people figuring out what it means to let someone in, and maybe even stay.
I went in expecting dark romance, but it reads more as an action/suspense romance with darker elements. There is spice, but it’s not the focus, which worked really well for me.
High stakes, emotional walls, and plenty of tension.
Definitely a fun 4-star read.
This was tightly paced and constantly kept me on edge, with the sense that everything could spiral at any moment. I loved the blend of secrets, tension, and two people who are anything but comfortable with vulnerability.
One of my favorite lines was:
“I don’t know how to do this, how to be someone who stays.”
That really captured what I enjoyed most, the emotional undercurrent beneath all the intensity. At its core, this is about two people figuring out what it means to let someone in, and maybe even stay.
I went in expecting dark romance, but it reads more as an action/suspense romance with darker elements. There is spice, but it’s not the focus, which worked really well for me.
High stakes, emotional walls, and plenty of tension.
Definitely a fun 4-star read.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
I loved this book! It has everything from car chases, spice, female, and male assassin ( who were childhood friends ) working together. The two main characters knew each other from childhood, but the female doesnt’ remember because of an accident that caused her to suffer from amnesia . The characters go from childhood friends to enemies, ( actually on the female characters part) to lovers but the whole journey to get to that place was quite a ride! It was suspenseful and beautiful at the same time ! The author did a fantastic job telling an amnesia story because I know readers don’t like that trope, but she delivered it very, very well. Chefs Kiss ! This whole journey of the main character finding who she is and what lead her to become an assassin with all of the drama in between , made for a show supper read so the question Does she remember who she is ? or not ?? That is for you , readers to find out , go grab this book ASAP!!
August 29, 2026
Laura Knight is alive...or is she? For the past twelve years, Liam Knight (The Knight's Queen) thought his 15 year old sister, Laura, perished in the same explosion that killed their parents. When he receives news that she's alive, Liam sends his best friend, Nick, to find her. Nick and Laura were also high school sweethearts so he's also determined to find his lost love. When they finally meet face to face, a deadly assassin with the face of his beloved Laura confronts him at the door. A rival Italian mafia family essentially brainwashed her and turned Laura into a deadly weapon named, Ivy. She doesn't believe his story until her boss tries to have both of them killed.
I really loved how the author played out the amnesia storyline. As a reader, I felt like a fly on the wall as Nick struggled with merging his old Laura with the new Ivy, and Ivy finally accepted her version of the last twelve years were based on lies and manipulation. Enjoyed this couple's journey at a second chance!
I really loved how the author played out the amnesia storyline. As a reader, I felt like a fly on the wall as Nick struggled with merging his old Laura with the new Ivy, and Ivy finally accepted her version of the last twelve years were based on lies and manipulation. Enjoyed this couple's journey at a second chance!
August 27, 2026
5⭐️ 3🌶️ 📖 A Rooks Obsession 📖 by C Hallman✨
♥️Organized Crime
🖤Amnesia
♥️Second Chance
🖤Trained Assassin
♥️Enemies to Lovers
🖤Forced Proximity
♥️Found Family
🖤Revenge
Fav quotes:
“I think whatever you are… you’re mine”
“keeping her is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to be good at.”
“I don’t know how to do this, how to be someone who stays..” This line perfectly explains this book. Two kids who were in love and life tore them apart and it took 12 years to find each other again.
Nick has the patience of a saint. They aren’t the same people they were as kids but they develop a relationship from the people they became. The book is fast paced with some twists and an emotional depth to it. The spice is perfect. Love how Ivy got revenge and the way the book ended.
Thank you C Hallman for the opportunity to read this book.
♥️Organized Crime
🖤Amnesia
♥️Second Chance
🖤Trained Assassin
♥️Enemies to Lovers
🖤Forced Proximity
♥️Found Family
🖤Revenge
Fav quotes:
“I think whatever you are… you’re mine”
“keeping her is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to be good at.”
“I don’t know how to do this, how to be someone who stays..” This line perfectly explains this book. Two kids who were in love and life tore them apart and it took 12 years to find each other again.
Nick has the patience of a saint. They aren’t the same people they were as kids but they develop a relationship from the people they became. The book is fast paced with some twists and an emotional depth to it. The spice is perfect. Love how Ivy got revenge and the way the book ended.
Thank you C Hallman for the opportunity to read this book.
August 30, 2026
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Nick spent the last 12 years mourning the love of his life, Laura. Now he's found her ALIVE and is determined to bring her home. But she's no longer the Laura he knew and loved. She's Ivy, the lethal assassin trained by her captor, and she has no memory of Nick or her life before the explosion.
This book is full of action and suspense. The tension and chemistry were top notch right off the bat. Ivy is shooting at Nick, Nick is drugging Ivy, and the shower isn't the only reason things are steamy! The character development was great. It was beautiful to watch Ivy be vulnerable and learn to let someone in and to see Nick let go of Laura and love Ivy as the woman she was now.
If you love a story with emotional depth, action, love, loyalty, betrayal, and revenge, topped with a little spice... you definitely want to add this one to your TBR
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Nick spent the last 12 years mourning the love of his life, Laura. Now he's found her ALIVE and is determined to bring her home. But she's no longer the Laura he knew and loved. She's Ivy, the lethal assassin trained by her captor, and she has no memory of Nick or her life before the explosion.
This book is full of action and suspense. The tension and chemistry were top notch right off the bat. Ivy is shooting at Nick, Nick is drugging Ivy, and the shower isn't the only reason things are steamy! The character development was great. It was beautiful to watch Ivy be vulnerable and learn to let someone in and to see Nick let go of Laura and love Ivy as the woman she was now.
If you love a story with emotional depth, action, love, loyalty, betrayal, and revenge, topped with a little spice... you definitely want to add this one to your TBR
September 3, 2026
The Rook's Obsession is the second story Eternal Checkmates series. It has suspense and secrets.
Nick has believed that the love of his life was killed by his enemies. He is surprised when he finds out she is alive. She is also living with his enemies and considers them to be her family. She is now an assassin for the family. When he goes and tries to bring her back home, he finds her waiting in his hotel room with a gun pointed at him. He says her name is Laura but she doesn't know that name. She says she doesn't know who Laura is. Her name is Ivy. Her family tries to kill her. She doesn't know why she feels things for Nick.
I loved how intriguing Nick and Laura's story was. There were so many emotions. I loved the way Nick always loved her. I look forward to the next story.
Thank you to the author for the copy.
Nick has believed that the love of his life was killed by his enemies. He is surprised when he finds out she is alive. She is also living with his enemies and considers them to be her family. She is now an assassin for the family. When he goes and tries to bring her back home, he finds her waiting in his hotel room with a gun pointed at him. He says her name is Laura but she doesn't know that name. She says she doesn't know who Laura is. Her name is Ivy. Her family tries to kill her. She doesn't know why she feels things for Nick.
I loved how intriguing Nick and Laura's story was. There were so many emotions. I loved the way Nick always loved her. I look forward to the next story.
Thank you to the author for the copy.
September 4, 2026
What a great story of finding the woman you love is still alive after twenty years of believing she was dead. After a boat explosion that killed their parents wounded several others and threw some into the water. One was rescued by a man who is evil and convinced a young girl he saved her from a bad situation but in reality, he was the situation. She has no memories of her past, where she came from, her parents, her sibling, absolutely nothing. He trained her to be used to do his dirty work.
The home they bring her to is unfamiliar, the people who know her are strangers, yet she feels like she might have known them, the memories they say are hers she can't remember.
The people who raised her want her erased but by the time she's done with them they will never forget her. She has a new family she will protect with her life.
The home they bring her to is unfamiliar, the people who know her are strangers, yet she feels like she might have known them, the memories they say are hers she can't remember.
The people who raised her want her erased but by the time she's done with them they will never forget her. She has a new family she will protect with her life.
September 22, 2026
I loved this book. Nick and Ivy’s story is dark, all consuming, and a book with twists and turns. Ivy was known as Laura years ago and Liam and Nick thought she was dead in an explosion. Liam wants his sister back and Nick goes to find her. Back when Laura who is now Ivy was 15, she and Nick were in love. Ivy has been told by the Russo family that she was not loved by her family and the Russo’s made her who she is now, a cold professional a$$a$$in. They made her who they wanted her to be and it was easy since she had no recollection of her first 15 years of life. You need to read this to understand what goes on between Nick and Ivy. It was so very good. I enjoyed their story. I recommend reading this book, but you can get a better feel of who Liam and Nick are by reading The Knight’s Queen first.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
This a story of survival, loyalty, betrayal and secrets with a plot that keeps you on edge. Well written & packed with action, tension, emotions and a good balance of spice.
Nicks love & care for Ivy aka Laura is so authentic. It’s the true definition of it’s always been you! He is so careful and respectful of her lack of memories while trying to trigger memory but also not pushing her too hard. He accepts her exactly where she is. I love that his persistence & the emotional pull help break down the lies that she grew to believe.
This one was easy to be all in as I quickly realized I couldn’t put it down! The plot was great and the way the spice, tension & emotions were written it all felt authentic!
Nicks love & care for Ivy aka Laura is so authentic. It’s the true definition of it’s always been you! He is so careful and respectful of her lack of memories while trying to trigger memory but also not pushing her too hard. He accepts her exactly where she is. I love that his persistence & the emotional pull help break down the lies that she grew to believe.
This one was easy to be all in as I quickly realized I couldn’t put it down! The plot was great and the way the spice, tension & emotions were written it all felt authentic!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Rook’s Obsession is the second book in the Eternal Checkmates series. This is Nick and Ivy/Laura Knight’s story. Ivy/Laura is Liam’s sister from book one.
Liam got word that his sister is alive. He sent Nick after her. She has been living and working for Russo as a killer. She was taught how to be a killer by Russo’s people.
Nick captures Laura (against her will) to bring her back to her brother.
I was very happy to get Nick’s story. I had to wait for it and that was hard to do!
Things get intense between Nick and Laura. This was a good story! I enjoyed the chemistry between these two!
Liam got word that his sister is alive. He sent Nick after her. She has been living and working for Russo as a killer. She was taught how to be a killer by Russo’s people.
Nick captures Laura (against her will) to bring her back to her brother.
I was very happy to get Nick’s story. I had to wait for it and that was hard to do!
Things get intense between Nick and Laura. This was a good story! I enjoyed the chemistry between these two!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
ARC REVIEW
First of all I love this approach to the amnesia trope. Loving someone to find them in a whole different way and personality yet still falling over them over and over? Tell me that's not divine intervention. Nick loved Laura but he is in love with Ivy.
The setting was also amazing, love the assassination part.
Spolier part:
And ivy doesn't get her memories back but that is what really makes the story so good is that the love of Laura VS the love of ivy so fascinating to read. The nuances it takes to come to terms to never know the person you were before take a lot of strength and the way it was written has done so beautifully
First of all I love this approach to the amnesia trope. Loving someone to find them in a whole different way and personality yet still falling over them over and over? Tell me that's not divine intervention. Nick loved Laura but he is in love with Ivy.
The setting was also amazing, love the assassination part.
Spolier part:
And ivy doesn't get her memories back but that is what really makes the story so good is that the love of Laura VS the love of ivy so fascinating to read. The nuances it takes to come to terms to never know the person you were before take a lot of strength and the way it was written has done so beautifully
Review of advance copy
High octane suspense romance with superb elements of killers to lovers, amnesia, childhood friends/ first loves and the blackest cat, you can dream up. C Hallman delivers!
Every part of the book is done extremely well and the character development is rich and complex.
Ivy dishes the violence and hate like nobody’s business and to write that character believably while also managing to bestow a smidge of vulnerability is chef’s kiss.
Loved every part of it probably in large due to the wonderful writing and rich world building.
Highly recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Every part of the book is done extremely well and the character development is rich and complex.
Ivy dishes the violence and hate like nobody’s business and to write that character believably while also managing to bestow a smidge of vulnerability is chef’s kiss.
Loved every part of it probably in large due to the wonderful writing and rich world building.
Highly recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Amnesia is one of my favorite tropes, so this was an easy choice to pick up and read.
Nick and Ivy were childhood friends but an accident takes her away from him, presumed dead. Then her brother Liam gets information that Ivy is alive and Nick in on a mission to find her. She has no recollection of her past and the story told to her is false, so when Nick confronts her with the knowledge that he knows her, of course she doesn't believe him. So, the most logical solution is to kidnap her and bring her home to Liam.
This story is action packed, full of chemistry, and a respectful man who is supportive of Ivy regardless of her memories return or not.
Nick and Ivy were childhood friends but an accident takes her away from him, presumed dead. Then her brother Liam gets information that Ivy is alive and Nick in on a mission to find her. She has no recollection of her past and the story told to her is false, so when Nick confronts her with the knowledge that he knows her, of course she doesn't believe him. So, the most logical solution is to kidnap her and bring her home to Liam.
This story is action packed, full of chemistry, and a respectful man who is supportive of Ivy regardless of her memories return or not.
August 28, 2026
Omg this book really caught me up. I love amnesia stories and this one really pulled me in.
Ivy lost her memory and thought dead till Nick finds her just as she is about to kill him. Trained as an assassin, ivy doesn't believe Nick until he takes her and she starts to believe him.
I really loved Nick and felt for him. He was so involved in her and bringing her back to him. But Ivy certainly made him work for it. I enjoyed the push pull of the relationship and I was certainly barracking for them to get it together.
I loved this book. I've only read one other book by this Author and this one I really enjoyed. Can't wait for more!
Ivy lost her memory and thought dead till Nick finds her just as she is about to kill him. Trained as an assassin, ivy doesn't believe Nick until he takes her and she starts to believe him.
I really loved Nick and felt for him. He was so involved in her and bringing her back to him. But Ivy certainly made him work for it. I enjoyed the push pull of the relationship and I was certainly barracking for them to get it together.
I loved this book. I've only read one other book by this Author and this one I really enjoyed. Can't wait for more!
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