Psycho Daddy

by Sasha Sin, Kelani Knox

225 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2026

Reviews

[JC Helf · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what, I'm not even embarrassed. This was great.

Zero daddy references. No children, no pregnancies, nor any Daddy role playing vibes, so I don't understand the "Daddy" part of the title nor the cover art haha but this was a solid read.

[Taylor Weise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Red Flags Were My Favorite Color

Serial killer kink: concerningly unlocked.

I went into this expecting something hokey and over-the-top, but instead I got ridiculously good chemistry, believable intimacy, and a connection that had me invested long before they officially became a thing. Friends, coworkers, their arrangement... every stage just worked.

This isn't the darkest dark romance ever written—I'd actually call it the intro to dark romance—but the possessiveness, obsession, and "I'd kill for you without losing sleep" energy absolutely delivered. Daddy? Not really. Psycho? Without question.

The spice was GIVING. Hot, intimate, and present instead of feeling over-the-top or written just for shock value. I will absolutely be revisiting a few chapters... for research.

My only complaint is that the ending wrapped things up a little faster than I would've liked, but everything still felt complete.

If you like smut, possessive men, morally questionable decisions, and catch yourself nodding along to the red flags instead of running from them... welcome. You're among friends here.

[The Bourbon-Sipping Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

🥃 ARC Review: PSYCHO DADDY
Dark Does Not Begin to Cover It. Bring a Flashlight and Your Moral Inventory.

Author: Kelani Knox | Genre: Dark Romance + Hockey Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️+ (High heat + Violence)

🥃 The Pour
Let’s be crystal clear: This isn't a story about a "misunderstood" hero. Roman is a professional hockey player who spends his road trips hunting predators in alleys and ending their lives with his bare hands. He doesn't feel guilty; he sleeps like a baby. When Poppy Fields, the team’s new social media manager, discovers his extracurricular activities, she doesn't just watch—she joins in. This is dark romance that refuses to blink, hedge, or offer a redemption arc. If "murder as a love language" makes you sit up straighter, this one was written for you.

🥃 What I Savored
The Refusal to Apologize: Knox writes Roman with impressive clarity. He isn't "secretly soft"; he is a consistent, methodical vigilante. The book’s honesty about his nature is its greatest strength.

The Hockey Realism: The sport isn't just window dressing. Road trips, line matchups, and locker room politics are structural elements that provide Roman with the perfect alibi and rhythm for his crimes.

The First Act: The pacing here is excellent. The slow-burn reveal of Roman’s nighttime activities versus Poppy’s professional world shows a level of authorial patience often skipped in the genre.

The Dark HEA: The ending—involving a romantic date to plan a nightclub hit—is unapologetically twisted and exactly what the title promised.

🥃 What I Side-Eyed
The Moral Pivot: My primary gripe is Poppy’s "reckoning" period. The jump from discovering Roman is a serial killer to becoming his willing accomplice happens far too fast. It needed more runway to feel psychologically earned.

Underbaked Supporting Cast: The hockey team has immense personality potential, but they mostly stay in the background, leaving the world feeling a bit thin outside of the main couple.

The Niche Factor: This is a "Know Thyself" read. If you aren't looking for a morally uncompromising protagonist, you’ll find the lack of a redemption arc jarring.

🥃 The Finish
Psycho Daddy is a well-constructed, niche read that delivers exactly what it says on the tin. While Poppy’s transition into the dark side felt rushed, the atmosphere and Roman’s internal logic make for a solid, gritty experience. It’s a specific pour for a specific reader—one who prefers their hockey romance with a body count.

🥃 The Drink Pairing: The Black Ice Negroni
Seductive. Dangerous. You knew what you were getting into.

1 oz Mezcal (Smoky, unpredictable, leaves a mark)

1 oz Campari (The bitterness of moral complexity)

1 oz Black Cardamom Sweet Vermouth (Dark and deceptively smooth)

Charred orange peel (The performance of normalcy)

Method: Stir over ice until bone-chillingly cold. Strain over a single large rock. Sip slowly.

Recommended for: Readers who want a truly unredeemable MMC and those who found the Corrupt series a little too "light.".

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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

Are you craving a story that’s as hilarious as it is wicked? If so, you are going to devour this book. It’s a total power play that satisfies every dark-humor craving, serving up a romance that is even better with a little bit of blood.

Poppy and Roman are pure, unadulterated mayhem. Their wild banter while Roman is in the middle of a kill is peak dark rom-com chaos, but the true hat trick happens when Poppy doesn’t flinch. Instead of being repulsed. While Roman is the lethal killer we shouldn't love, Poppy is the only woman whose sunshine persona hides a heart that hungers for the dark just as much as he does.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jordan📖📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent book. I liked the story and the humor was funny, but the title and cover are very misleading! Absolutely no mention of pregnancy, single mom, or kids at all in this book. I did not like that. I was hoping it would be similar to the first one that aspect and it wasn’t. I was excited for that and the more I read hoping to get to SOMETHING related to that I never did. I hope the authors correct the cover and title as this feels a little like false advertising.

[Jennifer Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's no daddy, though?

The book itself was pretty good. However, I'm utterly confused why it's in this series. There's literally no children in this book, not even a pregnancy. Nor is there a DDlg kink involved. The only commonality is the BWWM dynamic and that the MMC kills people - but he's a serial killer, not a contract killer like the MMCs of books 1 and 3. This book should have been a standalone.

Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶 out of 5

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title and cover art make absolutely no sense, there are exactly 0 daddy references; no pregnancies, no kids, no daddy references in the bedroom either. Lots of em dashes, kinda wondering if this was an AI book.

Drops a plot thread behind. Discusses murder in front of a certain character, but doesn't end up actually killing him.

Interesting premise, but I wouldn't say it was well executed ;)

[Angela Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

The title and cover art are misleading; there's no child nor DDlg vibes, so this story doesn't belong in this series. Perhaps "Psycho Duo" would have been a more accurate title. Hockey star Roman is also a serial killer; he finds his match in social media manager Poppy, who is more than a little twisted. Roman is oddly likeable while Poppy is...lacking. The romance is banal and the smexy times are meh. Also, more thorough editing would be helpful.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's captain of the team by day and an assassin by night. She is the team's media girl who has connected with Roman and has become his co-killer in this thrilling story that is funny and had me connecting with these two throughout the story. It is a well written book that is colorful along with likeable characters.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Danee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy and Roman's story is a little different from what we're used to from Kelani Knox. Poppy isn't someone who needs protecting, but rather someone who likes to watch Roman do his work without feeling bothered when he kills someone. I thought they were great, along with their banter and chatter.


I received an Advance Reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebeka Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deceptive title

Good read but the title and cover art are misleading. He isn't really a "daddy" and there's no pregnancy or single mom theme. I kept waiting for the "daddy" part to come up rather in vibe or actual storyline but it doesn't. This is a dark rom com though and was a good read.

[Clarelle Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

What psychos!

These two are quite the match made in 🔥. The passion was on point. The drama was perfect for these two. The pacing was really good. What a fun read! Only a couple critiques. There was no baby and she never calls him "daddy" so the title was a bit misleading. I really enjoyed this read more than the first. Are more coming up in this series?

[Mylene Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roman and Poppy have connected in the worse possible way. Poppy is now his assistant killer, By day they do their jobs but the night work is entertaining. Good banter and read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heidi Riggsbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bat $hit Crazy Good!

There’s darkness, humor, weird romance, quirky banter and homicide😂
I liked the male and female main characters- they were doing vigilante justice off the ice. Looking for the next book in this series.

[Rew E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Crazy often finds crazy and have a happily ever after. Killer Roman and killer's assistant Poppy find their HEA while killing.

I'm a bit pissed because there's no daddy. I was expecting to Ser a cold hearted killer undone by a big eyed cutie pie baby\toddler.

[Kiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ironically, I really enjoyed the story. The characters, plot, and writing were engaging throughout. My low rating isn't about the story's quality—it's about the poor presentation. The title and cover create the wrong expectations and may discourage readers who would otherwise enjoy the book.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf @29%. This was taken too long to get to the point. It was boring and not enough interaction between the mc’s for me.

[JessCB24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zero daddy references and confusing cover art. Great read. But misleading title and cover.

[Stacy Hoek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, interesting

It's fun but there's no "daddy" involved....at all, anywhere, ever. So.....not sure how that fits in, but otherwise it's pretty fun to read.

[Shauma Grimmett · Rating 1 out of 5]

hmmmm

Not really a fan of this one. There was not a baby or child in sight or even talked about. No pregnancy even at he end. So the cover and title did not match.

[&ris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these quick reads

I love these quick reads. There so cute a little repetitive but I wish they were longer, we could get to know the characters better.

[Bookish Voodoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. I liked the first one better. No clue why it's called Psycho Daddy. No kids, no daddy kink...kinda confused.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why did this have "Daddy" in the title and implications thereof in the cover art, when there was absolutely nothing related in the actual content?

[Kathy Landis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe just not my cup of tea?

This one was okay. The first one was very enjoyable. I'm going to check out the third one, see if I like it.