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912321: A Psychological Romantic Thriller
He was her professor. She was his student. And the one rule they both agreed to never break became the only thing that made them feel alive.
MIREYA
Growing up in an abusive household has been Mireya’s entire life.
For many years, she learned how to survive behind closed doors and hide herself from the outside world whilst trying to save herself from the man who was supposed to love and protect her.
Now she’s determined to save the one person who still needs her.
So when she has the opportunity to join St Ellesta, she doesn’t hesitate to jump at the chance for a better life.
She came to the academy looking for a future, but never expected to find the one person who could unravel her past.
DAMIEN
For many years, Damien has been hunting what appears to be a ghost. When missing evidence leads to a cold case being reopened, Damien is forced to go undercover as a professor at an elite military training academy.
Then he met her.
A girl carrying more pain than anyone knew, fighting battles she never spoke about, and trying to save the brother she loved.
He knew that they could never be together, but she saw the parts of him no one else cared to see, and he saw the wounds she hid from the world.
And that was the cruellest part; the one person who made him feel alive was the one person he could never have.
MIREYA
Growing up in an abusive household has been Mireya’s entire life.
For many years, she learned how to survive behind closed doors and hide herself from the outside world whilst trying to save herself from the man who was supposed to love and protect her.
Now she’s determined to save the one person who still needs her.
So when she has the opportunity to join St Ellesta, she doesn’t hesitate to jump at the chance for a better life.
She came to the academy looking for a future, but never expected to find the one person who could unravel her past.
DAMIEN
For many years, Damien has been hunting what appears to be a ghost. When missing evidence leads to a cold case being reopened, Damien is forced to go undercover as a professor at an elite military training academy.
Then he met her.
A girl carrying more pain than anyone knew, fighting battles she never spoke about, and trying to save the brother she loved.
He knew that they could never be together, but she saw the parts of him no one else cared to see, and he saw the wounds she hid from the world.
And that was the cruellest part; the one person who made him feel alive was the one person he could never have.
- GenresDark Romance
784 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
October 22, 2026
𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ 5🌟
Fuck am crying , I genuinely dont know what to say , like i totally forgot this had no hea .
God why they deserved the world 😭😭 both of them did , they went through so much pain and abuse that even love wasnt enough 💔💔
This one is really dark and god i couldnt helo but feel for the characters because I know how it feels like to hate yourself so much that even love doesnt help , Mireya went through so much and had none , that is until Damien and got that man i love him so so so much .
Damien doesnr deserve any of that either , even after he lost her he stayed to take care of milo and god 😭😭
Just some quotes because why not 🙂
"pain could make me think this is real. “Why?” “Because you, Mireya Vitelli, have been the most beautiful tragedy I had to go through.” A kiss on her mouth, quick and soft. “And I never stopped missing you. Not once.”
“None of it was your fault,” she says. “not yours, not Milo’s, not Hayzel’s, not Edna’s. None of this was your fault.” My stomach drops.
“No,” I said instantly. “No, don’t—don’t say that.” Please don’t go. Not yet. "
“Not the bad days,” she continues anyway. “Not the silence. Not the things you couldn’t fix.” She smiles, throwing her hand up trying to reach the stars.
“I love you, Damien. I love you so much, but I hate myself more.” “Stop,” I whisper. “Mireya, please stop.” My hands are shaking now. “Please.” But she doesn’t stop. “You gave me good memories, remember?” “Then why does it feel like I failed you?” That makes her flinch, and it destroys me more than if she hadn’t reacted at all. “You didn’t,” she says".
-----
──★ ˙Pre-Read:̟ !!
Genuinely don't even ask me why am having 5 currents reads , but this one seems really interesting and just the type of story I like (am ready to be heartbroken) and fuck u mean no hea guaranted ?
Fuck am crying , I genuinely dont know what to say , like i totally forgot this had no hea .
God why they deserved the world 😭😭 both of them did , they went through so much pain and abuse that even love wasnt enough 💔💔
This one is really dark and god i couldnt helo but feel for the characters because I know how it feels like to hate yourself so much that even love doesnt help , Mireya went through so much and had none , that is until Damien and got that man i love him so so so much .
Damien doesnr deserve any of that either , even after he lost her he stayed to take care of milo and god 😭😭
Just some quotes because why not 🙂
"pain could make me think this is real. “Why?” “Because you, Mireya Vitelli, have been the most beautiful tragedy I had to go through.” A kiss on her mouth, quick and soft. “And I never stopped missing you. Not once.”
“None of it was your fault,” she says. “not yours, not Milo’s, not Hayzel’s, not Edna’s. None of this was your fault.” My stomach drops.
“No,” I said instantly. “No, don’t—don’t say that.” Please don’t go. Not yet. "
“Not the bad days,” she continues anyway. “Not the silence. Not the things you couldn’t fix.” She smiles, throwing her hand up trying to reach the stars.
“I love you, Damien. I love you so much, but I hate myself more.” “Stop,” I whisper. “Mireya, please stop.” My hands are shaking now. “Please.” But she doesn’t stop. “You gave me good memories, remember?” “Then why does it feel like I failed you?” That makes her flinch, and it destroys me more than if she hadn’t reacted at all. “You didn’t,” she says".
-----
──★ ˙Pre-Read:̟ !!
Genuinely don't even ask me why am having 5 currents reads , but this one seems really interesting and just the type of story I like (am ready to be heartbroken) and fuck u mean no hea guaranted ?
September 8, 2026
I cant do this right now… i cant.. ICANT!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭
October 3, 2026
“love you to purgatory and back”
no because it’s always a banger after banger 😭 this one left me staring at the wall all night. i genuinely wish i could read it for the first time again 🫂 ames and scar, y’all reached into my soul and gave the little me a huge hug. i love you both so bad. y’all absolutely ate with this one 🥹
a full arc review to come 💙
no because it’s always a banger after banger 😭 this one left me staring at the wall all night. i genuinely wish i could read it for the first time again 🫂 ames and scar, y’all reached into my soul and gave the little me a huge hug. i love you both so bad. y’all absolutely ate with this one 🥹
a full arc review to come 💙
August 20, 2026
My review will be added to once the ARC is out!
But just know the Beta was EVERYTHING ♾️
Every star available deserves to go to this book!
♾️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
But just know the Beta was EVERYTHING ♾️
Every star available deserves to go to this book!
♾️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to properly review this book because, quite frankly, it broke my fucking heart. 💔😭
This is the kind of book that breaks your heart slowly.
This was my first book by both authors, and I can say the writing was PHENOMENAL. This story is incredibly deep, dark, and emotionally heavy. PLEASE check your trigger warnings. I cannot stress that enough.
Mireya’s upbringing is like walking into a burning house. I wanted nothing more than to reach into those pages, grab that girl, hold her, and keep her safe.
But that is exactly what she did for her little brother, Milo. 😭
Their relationship was one of my absolute favorite parts of this book. Mireya was so much more than a sister to him. She was his mother, his protector, his safe place, and his entire world. Even when she was slowly dying on the inside, she pushed her own pain aside to make sure that little boy had someone in his corner. She carried so much on her shoulders, and my heart absolutely shattered for her.
Despite everything life had thrown at her, Mireya worked her ass off and got accepted into her dream college. For the first time, she could see a little bit of light. A chance at a better future. Not just for herself, but for Milo, too. A future they both so desperately deserved.
Then we meet Damien. 👀
Damien is her professor, and he asks Mireya to help him investigate a reopened cold case involving a serial killer.
As their relationship begins to develop, you are going to feel EVERY. SINGLE. EMOTION.
Watching Mireya finally have someone in her life who could offer her light in the darkness, give her strength, and show her what it truly means to be loved absolutely wrecked me. Good memories 😭😭 And that is ALL I'm going to say about that because this is a story you need to experience for yourself.
One thing I do want to mention is that Mireya reminded me so much of Jude from A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. That book has stayed with me long after I finished it, and I found myself experiencing some of those same heartbreaking emotions while reading this one. The circumstances aren't identical, but the emotional weight, the suffering, and my desperate need to reach into the pages and protect these characters felt so similar.
I was not emotionally prepared for this book. Not even a little bit. 😭💔
And yet, despite how much it hurt, I absolutely loved it.
This is a CHONKER of a book, babes, but she is worth every single freaking page. The writing, the characters, the emotional depth, the heartbreak... ALL OF IT.
I won't spoil anything, but please have your tissues ready. You're going to need them. Five freaking stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you so much to Amethyst and Scarlett Beckford for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader. This is a story I won’t forget 😭
This is the kind of book that breaks your heart slowly.
This was my first book by both authors, and I can say the writing was PHENOMENAL. This story is incredibly deep, dark, and emotionally heavy. PLEASE check your trigger warnings. I cannot stress that enough.
Mireya’s upbringing is like walking into a burning house. I wanted nothing more than to reach into those pages, grab that girl, hold her, and keep her safe.
But that is exactly what she did for her little brother, Milo. 😭
Their relationship was one of my absolute favorite parts of this book. Mireya was so much more than a sister to him. She was his mother, his protector, his safe place, and his entire world. Even when she was slowly dying on the inside, she pushed her own pain aside to make sure that little boy had someone in his corner. She carried so much on her shoulders, and my heart absolutely shattered for her.
Despite everything life had thrown at her, Mireya worked her ass off and got accepted into her dream college. For the first time, she could see a little bit of light. A chance at a better future. Not just for herself, but for Milo, too. A future they both so desperately deserved.
Then we meet Damien. 👀
Damien is her professor, and he asks Mireya to help him investigate a reopened cold case involving a serial killer.
As their relationship begins to develop, you are going to feel EVERY. SINGLE. EMOTION.
Watching Mireya finally have someone in her life who could offer her light in the darkness, give her strength, and show her what it truly means to be loved absolutely wrecked me. Good memories 😭😭 And that is ALL I'm going to say about that because this is a story you need to experience for yourself.
One thing I do want to mention is that Mireya reminded me so much of Jude from A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. That book has stayed with me long after I finished it, and I found myself experiencing some of those same heartbreaking emotions while reading this one. The circumstances aren't identical, but the emotional weight, the suffering, and my desperate need to reach into the pages and protect these characters felt so similar.
I was not emotionally prepared for this book. Not even a little bit. 😭💔
And yet, despite how much it hurt, I absolutely loved it.
This is a CHONKER of a book, babes, but she is worth every single freaking page. The writing, the characters, the emotional depth, the heartbreak... ALL OF IT.
I won't spoil anything, but please have your tissues ready. You're going to need them. Five freaking stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you so much to Amethyst and Scarlett Beckford for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader. This is a story I won’t forget 😭
September 30, 2026
✨ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ꜱᴏᴜʟ✨
i truly don’t even know where to begin with this. my chest has felt so heavy since reading the last word of this story.
this story is drenched in SO MUCH heartache, suffering, healing, loving, wishing, and feeling. being an empath made this reading experience so immersive and painful.
this story touches on topics so incredibly devastating, it made me want to climb into the pages and hug little Mireya and tell her everything will be okay and life gets brighter. it made me want to thank Damien for being the light that finally shone on Mireya long enough for her to feel safe. it made me want to protect Milo with every fiber of my being. it made me want to thank Hayzel for being the constant that Mireya needed throughout her life.
i will never stop making wishing for the ones who can’t do it for themselves. ✨
my sweet Ame, where do i even begin? i am so proud of you forever. this piece of art is your best yet and the journey made the final destination so special and painful i still can’t see through the tears. I love you to the purgatory and back, eternally 😭🖤
Scar, i absolutely adore you and your writing is beautiful. i cannot wait to be consumed by more of your art in the future and remember that this is where it starts for you. i am so proud of you, love. 🖤
my heart is truly hurting for these characters and that’s how you know it’s a beautiful book. when you can feel things so deeply for those inside the pages, i believe that makes the story so real and so worth the pain in the end.
i truly don’t even know where to begin with this. my chest has felt so heavy since reading the last word of this story.
this story is drenched in SO MUCH heartache, suffering, healing, loving, wishing, and feeling. being an empath made this reading experience so immersive and painful.
this story touches on topics so incredibly devastating, it made me want to climb into the pages and hug little Mireya and tell her everything will be okay and life gets brighter. it made me want to thank Damien for being the light that finally shone on Mireya long enough for her to feel safe. it made me want to protect Milo with every fiber of my being. it made me want to thank Hayzel for being the constant that Mireya needed throughout her life.
i will never stop making wishing for the ones who can’t do it for themselves. ✨
my sweet Ame, where do i even begin? i am so proud of you forever. this piece of art is your best yet and the journey made the final destination so special and painful i still can’t see through the tears. I love you to the purgatory and back, eternally 😭🖤
Scar, i absolutely adore you and your writing is beautiful. i cannot wait to be consumed by more of your art in the future and remember that this is where it starts for you. i am so proud of you, love. 🖤
my heart is truly hurting for these characters and that’s how you know it’s a beautiful book. when you can feel things so deeply for those inside the pages, i believe that makes the story so real and so worth the pain in the end.
August 19, 2026
Since I finished 912321, I’ve sat with my thoughts as I didn’t even know where to begin. It’s since consumed me every day, at any given moment it’s there, at the front of my mind. This book is absolutely everything I expected and more, every page, every word… every meaningful qoute. I can’t put into words just how much I enjoyed this read. It’s a soul book, one I’ll carry with me forever.
Our beautiful soul Mireya had the absolute most horrific things happen to her at the place where she should have felt safest, it should of completely broken her, but she found a small flicker of light in her little brother, Milo. She raised, she protected, she stayed. Always. Mireya deserved the entire world. So when she decides enough is enough, she spends her days working hard, studying even harder to get her and her baby brother away from their life, and start fresh. She finds herself enrolling into an Academy, and upon meeting her Professor, Damien Caldwell it becomes apparent she’s the key to help him unlock a series of unsolved murders. Determined to finally bring The Chain Poet to justice, they pair up and try piece together the many puzzle pieces, but what they didn’t bank on, is finding their own missing piece in each other….
The closer they get to figuring out who The Chain Poet is, the further Mireya seems to be slipping. All Damien can do is fight to bring her back from her past, and fight alongside her for a future. For her, for them, for Milo. Their story isn’t easy, it’s messy, and raw. It’s emotional devastation, but it’s worth every single painful moment. Every lingering moment, every touch…
The chemistry they have is insane, the tension is off the charts and the connection they build is completely unwavering. The way Damien can read her so easily, had me weak. Like please he’s so perfect!! Their tension had me in a complete chokehold I stg. This is a delicious slow burn, I ate up every single simmering moment between them. And when it all came together, they had me kicking my feet. Daniel Caldwell, WHAT A MAN.
The found family is everything. Mireya’s bond with Milo was beautiful. And Edna. I adored them so much. And her friendship with Hayzel was everything!
This book tore at my heart, I can’t tell you how many times I absolutely SOBBED. Full on ugly cried. This book held so much weight, it was heavy, and so loud in its vulnerability. But Mireya & Damien’s story deserved a voice, and I had the absolute honour to BETA read this, and it was the greatest privilege and I’ll forever be so thankful to have found Amethsyt, and to of been on this journey with Amethyst & Scar. I can’t wait to get my grabby hands on my physical copy & go for a 3rd reread and annotate. I had 1599 highlights on my ARC 🙂↕️😭
✨Amethyst, I absolutely adore you, I’ve been with you since the very beginning and I’ll never stop making wishes for you. ✨
This book is far beyond 5 stars, it deserves all the stars! ♾️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Our beautiful soul Mireya had the absolute most horrific things happen to her at the place where she should have felt safest, it should of completely broken her, but she found a small flicker of light in her little brother, Milo. She raised, she protected, she stayed. Always. Mireya deserved the entire world. So when she decides enough is enough, she spends her days working hard, studying even harder to get her and her baby brother away from their life, and start fresh. She finds herself enrolling into an Academy, and upon meeting her Professor, Damien Caldwell it becomes apparent she’s the key to help him unlock a series of unsolved murders. Determined to finally bring The Chain Poet to justice, they pair up and try piece together the many puzzle pieces, but what they didn’t bank on, is finding their own missing piece in each other….
The closer they get to figuring out who The Chain Poet is, the further Mireya seems to be slipping. All Damien can do is fight to bring her back from her past, and fight alongside her for a future. For her, for them, for Milo. Their story isn’t easy, it’s messy, and raw. It’s emotional devastation, but it’s worth every single painful moment. Every lingering moment, every touch…
The chemistry they have is insane, the tension is off the charts and the connection they build is completely unwavering. The way Damien can read her so easily, had me weak. Like please he’s so perfect!! Their tension had me in a complete chokehold I stg. This is a delicious slow burn, I ate up every single simmering moment between them. And when it all came together, they had me kicking my feet. Daniel Caldwell, WHAT A MAN.
The found family is everything. Mireya’s bond with Milo was beautiful. And Edna. I adored them so much. And her friendship with Hayzel was everything!
This book tore at my heart, I can’t tell you how many times I absolutely SOBBED. Full on ugly cried. This book held so much weight, it was heavy, and so loud in its vulnerability. But Mireya & Damien’s story deserved a voice, and I had the absolute honour to BETA read this, and it was the greatest privilege and I’ll forever be so thankful to have found Amethsyt, and to of been on this journey with Amethyst & Scar. I can’t wait to get my grabby hands on my physical copy & go for a 3rd reread and annotate. I had 1599 highlights on my ARC 🙂↕️😭
✨Amethyst, I absolutely adore you, I’ve been with you since the very beginning and I’ll never stop making wishes for you. ✨
This book is far beyond 5 stars, it deserves all the stars! ♾️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Want to Read
April 30, 2026can't wait for this one, the character art are so beautiful ..
October 3, 2026
3.5⭐
This one was really hard for me to get into, and I actually had to take a few breaks and read other books in between. But I’m glad I came back to it.
It’s heavy and so, so sad, but underneath all that pain there’s such a beautiful message about love, being there for the people you care about, and how much the little moments matter.
The ending broke me. Definitely not an easy read, but one I’ll remember.
“Never stop making wishes for me.”
This one was really hard for me to get into, and I actually had to take a few breaks and read other books in between. But I’m glad I came back to it.
It’s heavy and so, so sad, but underneath all that pain there’s such a beautiful message about love, being there for the people you care about, and how much the little moments matter.
The ending broke me. Definitely not an easy read, but one I’ll remember.
“Never stop making wishes for me.”
September 11, 2026
RTC. I CAN’T EVEN SEE THE KEYBOARD OR THINK RIGHT NOW. ALL. THE. STARS.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow, what an amazing book. My heart though 😭💔
September 15, 2026
why was this the most tragically beautiful book i have ever read ❤️🩹 IM HURT
September 7, 2026
literally every star just take them all. my heart hurts.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I honestly don’t know what to do with the feelings this book left me with.
Before anything else, please look at the trigger warnings because 912321 goes into some incredibly dark places. Parental abuse, sexual assault, addiction, self-harm, suicide, and other painful subjects are woven throughout the story.
Mireya Vitelli completely broke my heart.
She has been carrying far more than anyone her age ever should have had to carry. After losing her mother and living through years of abuse from her father, she turns to drugs and alcohol just to make it through the days. Yet somehow, even with everything falling apart around her, she keeps putting Milo first. Her little brother is her reason to keep moving, and the lengths she goes to protect him made me love her even more.
When Mireya gets the chance to attend St. Ellesta Academy and hopefully create a different future for herself and Milo, she takes it. That is where Damien Caldwell enters her life.
Damien is a professor at St. Ellesta Academy, but there is much more to him than meets the eye. He is also an FBI special agent investigating the return of the serial murderer known as the Chain Poet, a killer connected to a case from fifteen years earlier. An overlooked piece of evidence sends him toward the academy, and eventually toward Mireya.
I went into this expecting a dark romance with a psychological thriller running alongside it. What I didn't expect was to become this emotionally invested in these characters.
Mireya isn't an easy character to watch because her suffering feels so deeply personal. She is angry, damaged, struggling with addiction, terrified, loving, stubborn, and still somehow manages to keep fighting. There were so many moments where I just wanted to reach into the story and give her a safe place to breathe. She has spent so much of her life being made to feel worthless that watching her slowly begin to understand that she deserves tenderness absolutely destroyed me.
And then there is Damien.
I loved the way his feelings for Mireya developed. He didn't look at her and see someone who needed to be fixed. He saw someone who had been hurt beyond words and deserved the chance to decide what her life could become. His devotion to her was intense, protective, and sometimes downright overwhelming. Watching him stand beside her while she confronted everything she'd been running from had me staring at my Kindle like I could somehow help.
Their relationship wasn't simply about falling in love. It was about trust, healing, fear, vulnerability, and learning how to accept something good when your entire life has taught you to expect pain.
The psychological mystery added another layer that kept me turning pages. I thought I had figured out where things were going several times, only to realise I was nowhere close. The identity of the Chain Poet wasn't the only thing that caught me off guard, and there were moments when I genuinely had to stop reading for a minute and process what had just happened.
Also, Milo. 😭
The bond between him and Mireya was one of the most important parts of the entire story for me. She isn't simply trying to escape her past for herself. So much of her motivation comes from wanting Milo to have the childhood she never got. That made every decision she made hit even harder.
912321 is bleak, emotional, disturbing, romantic, and incredibly difficult in places. It isn't a book I'd recommend going into blindly, but if you're prepared for the subject matter, there is something incredibly powerful about Mireya's journey.
I cried. I got angry. I wanted to protect fictional people with my whole life. I suspected everyone. I trusted absolutely nobody. And by the time I reached the end, I was sitting there wondering why I had voluntarily allowed a book to emotionally destroy me like this.
That ending especially? Yeah. I'm still thinking about it.
Mireya Vitelli and Damien Caldwell are going to stay with me for a long time. There is something about the way their story handles pain and love that feels almost cruel because it makes you feel everything alongside them.
Amethyst and Scar, thank you for letting me experience 912321 as an ARC. You poured so much emotion into this story, and it shows. Mireya's pain, Damien's devotion, Milo's importance, and the mystery surrounding the Chain Poet all came together in a way that completely consumed me.
I finished this book with my heart in pieces, and apparently I enjoyed every second of the suffering.
All the freaking stars.
And yes, there is absolutely a 912321-sized void where my heart used to be.
Before anything else, please look at the trigger warnings because 912321 goes into some incredibly dark places. Parental abuse, sexual assault, addiction, self-harm, suicide, and other painful subjects are woven throughout the story.
Mireya Vitelli completely broke my heart.
She has been carrying far more than anyone her age ever should have had to carry. After losing her mother and living through years of abuse from her father, she turns to drugs and alcohol just to make it through the days. Yet somehow, even with everything falling apart around her, she keeps putting Milo first. Her little brother is her reason to keep moving, and the lengths she goes to protect him made me love her even more.
When Mireya gets the chance to attend St. Ellesta Academy and hopefully create a different future for herself and Milo, she takes it. That is where Damien Caldwell enters her life.
Damien is a professor at St. Ellesta Academy, but there is much more to him than meets the eye. He is also an FBI special agent investigating the return of the serial murderer known as the Chain Poet, a killer connected to a case from fifteen years earlier. An overlooked piece of evidence sends him toward the academy, and eventually toward Mireya.
I went into this expecting a dark romance with a psychological thriller running alongside it. What I didn't expect was to become this emotionally invested in these characters.
Mireya isn't an easy character to watch because her suffering feels so deeply personal. She is angry, damaged, struggling with addiction, terrified, loving, stubborn, and still somehow manages to keep fighting. There were so many moments where I just wanted to reach into the story and give her a safe place to breathe. She has spent so much of her life being made to feel worthless that watching her slowly begin to understand that she deserves tenderness absolutely destroyed me.
And then there is Damien.
I loved the way his feelings for Mireya developed. He didn't look at her and see someone who needed to be fixed. He saw someone who had been hurt beyond words and deserved the chance to decide what her life could become. His devotion to her was intense, protective, and sometimes downright overwhelming. Watching him stand beside her while she confronted everything she'd been running from had me staring at my Kindle like I could somehow help.
Their relationship wasn't simply about falling in love. It was about trust, healing, fear, vulnerability, and learning how to accept something good when your entire life has taught you to expect pain.
The psychological mystery added another layer that kept me turning pages. I thought I had figured out where things were going several times, only to realise I was nowhere close. The identity of the Chain Poet wasn't the only thing that caught me off guard, and there were moments when I genuinely had to stop reading for a minute and process what had just happened.
Also, Milo. 😭
The bond between him and Mireya was one of the most important parts of the entire story for me. She isn't simply trying to escape her past for herself. So much of her motivation comes from wanting Milo to have the childhood she never got. That made every decision she made hit even harder.
912321 is bleak, emotional, disturbing, romantic, and incredibly difficult in places. It isn't a book I'd recommend going into blindly, but if you're prepared for the subject matter, there is something incredibly powerful about Mireya's journey.
I cried. I got angry. I wanted to protect fictional people with my whole life. I suspected everyone. I trusted absolutely nobody. And by the time I reached the end, I was sitting there wondering why I had voluntarily allowed a book to emotionally destroy me like this.
That ending especially? Yeah. I'm still thinking about it.
Mireya Vitelli and Damien Caldwell are going to stay with me for a long time. There is something about the way their story handles pain and love that feels almost cruel because it makes you feel everything alongside them.
Amethyst and Scar, thank you for letting me experience 912321 as an ARC. You poured so much emotion into this story, and it shows. Mireya's pain, Damien's devotion, Milo's importance, and the mystery surrounding the Chain Poet all came together in a way that completely consumed me.
I finished this book with my heart in pieces, and apparently I enjoyed every second of the suffering.
All the freaking stars.
And yes, there is absolutely a 912321-sized void where my heart used to be.
September 20, 2026
I honestly don’t even have the words for what this story did to me. It consumed me, broke me, and somehow altered me. I finished this book and just… sat there. WHAT am I supposed to do with myself now?
Our FMC was such a uniquely frustrating and broken character. So self-destructive, but so easy to understand. And Damian… oh, Damian. Their love story was the definition of soulmates. The way these two understood each other? I’ll never get over them on that cliffside with Blue & a pack of cigarettes.
The forbidden relationship, overarching mystery, and everything she was fighting for made this storyline so unique. And her bond with Milo?? The sweetest sibling bond. 🥹
This was tragic, beautiful, frustrating, haunting, and completely consuming. I don't think I’ll be getting over these characters or their story anytime soon.
Six stars. Easily. This one took something from me. 🖤
.
.
.
.
.
This book had me highlighting like my life depended on it because some of these lines absolutely DESTROYED me:
“I wonder if everyone had to learn how to live inside themselves, or if some people are simply born feeling at home.”
“Seven minutes. All it takes to remember how to breathe.”
“Even fireflies are afraid of the dark sometimes.”
“They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result. Well, that’s what I think I’m doing. Going insane.”
Our FMC was such a uniquely frustrating and broken character. So self-destructive, but so easy to understand. And Damian… oh, Damian. Their love story was the definition of soulmates. The way these two understood each other? I’ll never get over them on that cliffside with Blue & a pack of cigarettes.
The forbidden relationship, overarching mystery, and everything she was fighting for made this storyline so unique. And her bond with Milo?? The sweetest sibling bond. 🥹
This was tragic, beautiful, frustrating, haunting, and completely consuming. I don't think I’ll be getting over these characters or their story anytime soon.
Six stars. Easily. This one took something from me. 🖤
.
.
.
.
.
This book had me highlighting like my life depended on it because some of these lines absolutely DESTROYED me:
“I wonder if everyone had to learn how to live inside themselves, or if some people are simply born feeling at home.”
“Seven minutes. All it takes to remember how to breathe.”
“Even fireflies are afraid of the dark sometimes.”
“They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result. Well, that’s what I think I’m doing. Going insane.”
Review of advance copy received from Author
When I first started reading dark romance, it felt like we were all trying to find the next smuttiest daddy book we could get our hands on. If that’s what you’re looking for, stop reading this review.
Because now? These authors are taking turns shredding you apart, piecing you back together, and leaving an imprint on you in the process. And make no mistake—this one doesn’t just leave an imprint. It burns itself into your soul.
From the very beginning, this book immediately pulls you in. Mireya, the FMC, is an absolute force to behold. The pain and suffering she endures is something you can feel. It breaks your heart because you don’t just watch her go through it—you cry with her, you fight with her, and you find yourself standing there hoping, praying, and wishing for something better for her.
Mireya is a big sister who has been forced into a motherly role, fighting like hell to take care of her sweet little brother while doing everything she can to hide the hurt, darkness, and ugliness inside their home. She’s determined to build a better life for him, even when she’s barely holding herself together.
Then she meets Damien.
Damien, the MMC, is an FBI agent who goes undercover on the small island to track down a serial killer. But when he sees Mireya—and those sad eyes—he can’t help but see the potential beneath all the pain. What starts as wanting to help her becomes something much deeper as he finds himself wanting to help her face her monsters, slay her demons, and fight for the life she deserves.
Together, wishes continue to be made…
And some wishes come with a price.
This book hurt. It broke me. It made me hope. And somehow, it still managed to leave me wanting more.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Because now? These authors are taking turns shredding you apart, piecing you back together, and leaving an imprint on you in the process. And make no mistake—this one doesn’t just leave an imprint. It burns itself into your soul.
From the very beginning, this book immediately pulls you in. Mireya, the FMC, is an absolute force to behold. The pain and suffering she endures is something you can feel. It breaks your heart because you don’t just watch her go through it—you cry with her, you fight with her, and you find yourself standing there hoping, praying, and wishing for something better for her.
Mireya is a big sister who has been forced into a motherly role, fighting like hell to take care of her sweet little brother while doing everything she can to hide the hurt, darkness, and ugliness inside their home. She’s determined to build a better life for him, even when she’s barely holding herself together.
Then she meets Damien.
Damien, the MMC, is an FBI agent who goes undercover on the small island to track down a serial killer. But when he sees Mireya—and those sad eyes—he can’t help but see the potential beneath all the pain. What starts as wanting to help her becomes something much deeper as he finds himself wanting to help her face her monsters, slay her demons, and fight for the life she deserves.
Together, wishes continue to be made…
And some wishes come with a price.
This book hurt. It broke me. It made me hope. And somehow, it still managed to leave me wanting more.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 29, 2026
If I could give an infinite amount of stars for this heartbreaking soul shattering screaming to the void never will recover story I would. Because it was that good.
Good doesn’t even cover it. I don’t think there’s a word for how amazing this story is.
This story is tragic from start to finish and beautifully executed. I felt EVERYTHING literally any emotion you can name and I FELT it. Cried, laughed, yelled, giggled, blushed, cried a lot more. I was INVESTED. The authors made me so invested in Mireya and Damien’s story I loved the characters, while I hated others with a burning passion and they did THAT! I love when I’m fully sucked into a story and this one did just that.
I will be recommending this till my last breath.
Mireya my heart…I am making all the wishes for you baby girl.
Damien, thank you for showing that you can love all the broken pieces of a person.
Firefly, you’re the bestest boy there ever is.
Hayzel, you’re the best friend everyone wishes on a star for.
Good doesn’t even cover it. I don’t think there’s a word for how amazing this story is.
This story is tragic from start to finish and beautifully executed. I felt EVERYTHING literally any emotion you can name and I FELT it. Cried, laughed, yelled, giggled, blushed, cried a lot more. I was INVESTED. The authors made me so invested in Mireya and Damien’s story I loved the characters, while I hated others with a burning passion and they did THAT! I love when I’m fully sucked into a story and this one did just that.
I will be recommending this till my last breath.
Mireya my heart…I am making all the wishes for you baby girl.
Damien, thank you for showing that you can love all the broken pieces of a person.
Firefly, you’re the bestest boy there ever is.
Hayzel, you’re the best friend everyone wishes on a star for.
Review of advance copy received from Author
💙♾️ ARC REVIEW ♾️💙
I genuinely don’t know how to review 912321 because how am I supposed to put this kind of pain into words?!
Mireya’s story absolutely shattered me. She has spent her entire life surviving things no one should ever have to endure, while still doing everything she can to protect her little brother, Milo. The love she had for him was everything. She was broken, messy, and hurtingbut she never stopped fighting for the people she loved.
And Damien…😭 The way he saw past every wall she built and loved the parts of her she believed were impossible to love completely wrecked me. He didn’t just want to save herhe wanted her to finally see herself the way he saw her.
The romance was beautiful, but this story was so much more than that. It was heavy, raw, tragic, and painfully human. Then add in the psychological thriller aspect and the twists I absolutely did NOT see coming?! I couldn’t put it down.
I cried more times than I could count, and by the end, there was a 912321 sized hole in my chest. This book didn’t just break my heart it made sure I would never forget it.
Please check the trigger warnings before reading. This story deals with extremely heavy topics.
♾️⭐ All the stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️
💙 Age gap
🩵 Professor/student
💙 Psychological romantic thriller
🩵 Found family
💙 Slow burn
🩵 Morally gray MMC
💙 Serial-killer mystery
🩵 Heavy trauma and mental-health representation
Thank you, Amethyst and Scarlett, for allowing me to ARC read this unforgettable story. 💙
“Seven minutes, and then, then we take another seven.”
I genuinely don’t know how to review 912321 because how am I supposed to put this kind of pain into words?!
Mireya’s story absolutely shattered me. She has spent her entire life surviving things no one should ever have to endure, while still doing everything she can to protect her little brother, Milo. The love she had for him was everything. She was broken, messy, and hurtingbut she never stopped fighting for the people she loved.
And Damien…😭 The way he saw past every wall she built and loved the parts of her she believed were impossible to love completely wrecked me. He didn’t just want to save herhe wanted her to finally see herself the way he saw her.
The romance was beautiful, but this story was so much more than that. It was heavy, raw, tragic, and painfully human. Then add in the psychological thriller aspect and the twists I absolutely did NOT see coming?! I couldn’t put it down.
I cried more times than I could count, and by the end, there was a 912321 sized hole in my chest. This book didn’t just break my heart it made sure I would never forget it.
Please check the trigger warnings before reading. This story deals with extremely heavy topics.
♾️⭐ All the stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️
💙 Age gap
🩵 Professor/student
💙 Psychological romantic thriller
🩵 Found family
💙 Slow burn
🩵 Morally gray MMC
💙 Serial-killer mystery
🩵 Heavy trauma and mental-health representation
Thank you, Amethyst and Scarlett, for allowing me to ARC read this unforgettable story. 💙
“Seven minutes, and then, then we take another seven.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2026
Received an advanced copy from authors 🫶🏻
First of all, I am beyond grateful for the authors to have trusted and picked me to be able to read this book before its release.
What an absolute beautiful book. It had all the elements I’d want, Suspense, heavier theme and exploration of pain and trauma, love story, teacher x student trope (like yes please!), and the “finding the killer” plot really kept me so intrigued.
Every element of this book kept me intrigued.
Every page made me absolutely fall in love with Reya & Damien.
Her tortured soul and pain made her remain such a beautiful human, with so much heart, so much love for the ones she promised to be there for….
With that said, I am shattered. Broken to pieces. But I am also finding a somber relief…. One hard to admit perhaps?
Anyway, I will be getting my trophy and have it on my shelf.
This book was beautifully delicious, raw, deep, painful, suspenseful and devastating. Most of it, so much HEART.
First of all, I am beyond grateful for the authors to have trusted and picked me to be able to read this book before its release.
What an absolute beautiful book. It had all the elements I’d want, Suspense, heavier theme and exploration of pain and trauma, love story, teacher x student trope (like yes please!), and the “finding the killer” plot really kept me so intrigued.
Every element of this book kept me intrigued.
Every page made me absolutely fall in love with Reya & Damien.
Her tortured soul and pain made her remain such a beautiful human, with so much heart, so much love for the ones she promised to be there for….
With that said, I am shattered. Broken to pieces. But I am also finding a somber relief…. One hard to admit perhaps?
Anyway, I will be getting my trophy and have it on my shelf.
This book was beautifully delicious, raw, deep, painful, suspenseful and devastating. Most of it, so much HEART.
October 29, 2026
INFINITY STARS. This book and I connected on a molecular level. This is only the second book I truly felt in my soul. It now lives rent free in my head and runs through my veins. Incredible job babes!
September 14, 2026
ARC REVIEW
My heart is shattered after reading this.
Alot of difficult topics are discussed throughout this book: Parental abuse, sexual assault, addiction and self harm so please check your trigger warnings.
Mireya Vitelli is lost and broken. Having lost her mother and suffering years of abuse at the hands of her father, she numbs the pain with drugs and alcohol. Her younger brother is the only thing keeping her going. The one small light she has left in the darkness, her firefly.
To make a better life for herself and her brother, she decides to attend St. Ellesta Academy in their advanced behavioral analysis program where she meets professor Damien Caldwell.
Damien, a special agent for the FBI, is on the hunt for a serial killer dubbed ‘The Chain Poet’ that has re-appeared after 15 years. While going through old evidence, he finds a clue that was overlooked which leads him to St. Ellesta Academy…and to Mireya.
Apparently I love reading books that cause me pain because this one HURT. I wanted to reach through my kindle and hug Mireya so many times.
I was not at all prepared for the emotional turmoil this book would put me through and I can’t even begin to describe the ache in my chest when I think about Mireya and what she endured. She loved so deeply, gave so much of herself, and suffered more than anyone should ever have to.
Damien. The way he loved her was all consuming, he picked up the pieces that hurt her and made that pain his own.
This book was so tragic and heavy. It beautifully captures the strength of a woman fighting to survive, to keep going, and to overcome the cruelty life has handed her. What broke me the most is the way it portrays the difficulty of trying to love someone else when you’ve spent your entire life believing you aren’t worthy of love yourself. It was heartbreaking and painfully human.
I wasn’t expecting the killer to be who he was but that’s not what shocked me the most.
How do I move on? There is a 912321 sized hole in my chest and I will never be okay again😭
Amethyst and Scar, thank you for allowing me to arc read this book. Every ounce of your soul that was pured into these characters and this story does not go unnoticed. It was palpable and real and I could feel it with every word.
Just…thank you for sharing this with me.
All the stars.
“Don’t look at me like that…” His brows furrow as he replies, “Like what, Mireya?” “Like I'm someone you can save,” I breathe. “Because I’m not.”
My heart is shattered after reading this.
Alot of difficult topics are discussed throughout this book: Parental abuse, sexual assault, addiction and self harm so please check your trigger warnings.
Mireya Vitelli is lost and broken. Having lost her mother and suffering years of abuse at the hands of her father, she numbs the pain with drugs and alcohol. Her younger brother is the only thing keeping her going. The one small light she has left in the darkness, her firefly.
To make a better life for herself and her brother, she decides to attend St. Ellesta Academy in their advanced behavioral analysis program where she meets professor Damien Caldwell.
Damien, a special agent for the FBI, is on the hunt for a serial killer dubbed ‘The Chain Poet’ that has re-appeared after 15 years. While going through old evidence, he finds a clue that was overlooked which leads him to St. Ellesta Academy…and to Mireya.
Apparently I love reading books that cause me pain because this one HURT. I wanted to reach through my kindle and hug Mireya so many times.
I was not at all prepared for the emotional turmoil this book would put me through and I can’t even begin to describe the ache in my chest when I think about Mireya and what she endured. She loved so deeply, gave so much of herself, and suffered more than anyone should ever have to.
Damien. The way he loved her was all consuming, he picked up the pieces that hurt her and made that pain his own.
This book was so tragic and heavy. It beautifully captures the strength of a woman fighting to survive, to keep going, and to overcome the cruelty life has handed her. What broke me the most is the way it portrays the difficulty of trying to love someone else when you’ve spent your entire life believing you aren’t worthy of love yourself. It was heartbreaking and painfully human.
I wasn’t expecting the killer to be who he was but that’s not what shocked me the most.
How do I move on? There is a 912321 sized hole in my chest and I will never be okay again😭
Amethyst and Scar, thank you for allowing me to arc read this book. Every ounce of your soul that was pured into these characters and this story does not go unnoticed. It was palpable and real and I could feel it with every word.
Just…thank you for sharing this with me.
All the stars.
“Don’t look at me like that…” His brows furrow as he replies, “Like what, Mireya?” “Like I'm someone you can save,” I breathe. “Because I’m not.”
October 1, 2026
Omg… what the actual fuck did I just read? 😭
I genuinely don't even know how to put my feelings about this book into words. I've finished 912321, and somehow I'm still carrying it around with me. My mind keeps going back to Mireya, Milo, Damien… their story, their pain, their little moments of happiness. I don't think I'm ready to let them go yet.
Mireya absolutely broke my heart.
She has been through things no one should ever have to experience, and somehow she still manages to keep going. Not because life is kind to her, but because Milo needs her. Their relationship was one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking parts of this entire story. She wasn't just his sister. She was his protector, his safe place, his family, his everything. And the fact that she kept putting one foot in front of the other while carrying so much pain herself… I wanted to reach through my Kindle and just hold her.
There were so many moments where I just had to stop reading for a second because this story was HEAVY. The kind of heavy that sits in your chest. The kind where you finish a chapter and just stare at the screen because you need a minute before you can continue.
Then there's Damien.
I absolutely adored the way his relationship with Mireya developed. It wasn't instant or effortless. It was slow, complicated, vulnerable and incredibly emotional. Watching him see her for who she really was, while she was so used to hiding the broken parts of herself, destroyed me in the best possible way.
And their chemistry??? HELLO??? 😭
The tension. The little moments. The way they slowly became something neither of them expected. I was eating up every single bit of it.
But what I loved most was that this story wasn't just about their relationship. It's about survival. Trauma. Family. Love. Grief. Finding tiny pieces of light when your entire life has been darkness.
And that is what made it hurt so fucking much.
There were moments where I thought, surely things have to get better now… right?
Yeah. No. 😭
I was NOT prepared.
The mystery kept me hooked, but honestly, it was the characters that made this book impossible to put down. I cared about them so deeply that every good moment made me happy and every painful moment genuinely hurt.
I cried. A lot.
Like… ugly crying, staring-at-the-page, needing-to-put-my-Kindle-down kind of crying.
And somehow, despite how much this book broke my heart, I loved it.
912321 isn't an easy read. Please, PLEASE check the trigger warnings before going into it because this story deals with some incredibly heavy subjects. It is dark, painful and emotionally exhausting at times.
But there is also so much love in these pages.
And I think that's what will stay with me.
Mireya deserved softness. She deserved safety. She deserved to be loved without having to earn it first.
And I will probably be thinking about her for a very, very long time.
Amethyst and Scar… what the hell did you do to me? 😭
This wasn't just a book I read.
This was a book I felt.
And now I have a very specific 912321-shaped hole in my heart that I'm not sure I'm ever going to fill. 🥹
I genuinely don't even know how to put my feelings about this book into words. I've finished 912321, and somehow I'm still carrying it around with me. My mind keeps going back to Mireya, Milo, Damien… their story, their pain, their little moments of happiness. I don't think I'm ready to let them go yet.
Mireya absolutely broke my heart.
She has been through things no one should ever have to experience, and somehow she still manages to keep going. Not because life is kind to her, but because Milo needs her. Their relationship was one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking parts of this entire story. She wasn't just his sister. She was his protector, his safe place, his family, his everything. And the fact that she kept putting one foot in front of the other while carrying so much pain herself… I wanted to reach through my Kindle and just hold her.
There were so many moments where I just had to stop reading for a second because this story was HEAVY. The kind of heavy that sits in your chest. The kind where you finish a chapter and just stare at the screen because you need a minute before you can continue.
Then there's Damien.
I absolutely adored the way his relationship with Mireya developed. It wasn't instant or effortless. It was slow, complicated, vulnerable and incredibly emotional. Watching him see her for who she really was, while she was so used to hiding the broken parts of herself, destroyed me in the best possible way.
And their chemistry??? HELLO??? 😭
The tension. The little moments. The way they slowly became something neither of them expected. I was eating up every single bit of it.
But what I loved most was that this story wasn't just about their relationship. It's about survival. Trauma. Family. Love. Grief. Finding tiny pieces of light when your entire life has been darkness.
And that is what made it hurt so fucking much.
There were moments where I thought, surely things have to get better now… right?
Yeah. No. 😭
I was NOT prepared.
The mystery kept me hooked, but honestly, it was the characters that made this book impossible to put down. I cared about them so deeply that every good moment made me happy and every painful moment genuinely hurt.
I cried. A lot.
Like… ugly crying, staring-at-the-page, needing-to-put-my-Kindle-down kind of crying.
And somehow, despite how much this book broke my heart, I loved it.
912321 isn't an easy read. Please, PLEASE check the trigger warnings before going into it because this story deals with some incredibly heavy subjects. It is dark, painful and emotionally exhausting at times.
But there is also so much love in these pages.
And I think that's what will stay with me.
Mireya deserved softness. She deserved safety. She deserved to be loved without having to earn it first.
And I will probably be thinking about her for a very, very long time.
Amethyst and Scar… what the hell did you do to me? 😭
This wasn't just a book I read.
This was a book I felt.
And now I have a very specific 912321-shaped hole in my heart that I'm not sure I'm ever going to fill. 🥹
October 17, 2026
I’ve been sitting on this review for a while because I honestly didn't know how to put my experience into words. 912321 by Amethyst and Scarlett Beckford completely broke me, this book affected me in ways no other story ever has. As someone who rarely cries at fiction, that is saying a lot, the ending is an absolute emotional wrecking ball.
While my personal circumstances differ from the characters', some of the thoughts and themes hit incredibly close to home. This is my first read of Scarletts, but I know Amethyst has a rare gift for tapping into the raw, messy and often irrational ways people navigate pain.
When Mireya gets accepted into the St Ellesta academy, it feels like her chance to finally build a safer future for her and Milo. But everything changes when she meets Damien, who is undercover as her professor. Even as Mireya struggles to pursue her passions and feel worthy of joy, the forbidden, slow-burn connection she builds with Damien is perfect. They have a soul-deep emotional understanding that sees straight through each other's hidden wounds. Theirs is a story that absolutely deserved to be heard.
At times, Mireya’s choices and cynical thoughts frustrated me, until I realized I was simply projecting my own real-world flaws and habits onto her. Seeing those behaviors amplified on the page was an eye-opening, uncomfortably accurate and deeply powerful experience. It is rare to find a story that functions as both a devastating slow-burn and a deeply personal mirror. I know this one will stay with me for a very long time.
Little Milo was the ultimate guiding light throughout the dark narrative. The bond between Mireya and Milo was nothing short of incredible. Watching her fiercely protect him to ensure he never experienced the abusive household and trauma she endured was both beautiful and heart-wrenching.
I am a sucker for the "found family" trope, and this one was flawless. Edna and Hayzel were absolute pillars of strength and love for Mireya and Milo.
This book truly has it all: pain, devotion, resilience and a profound psychological thriller element that leaves a permanent mark on your heart.
Note: Highly recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading!
Thank you to Amethyst and Scarlett Beckford for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While my personal circumstances differ from the characters', some of the thoughts and themes hit incredibly close to home. This is my first read of Scarletts, but I know Amethyst has a rare gift for tapping into the raw, messy and often irrational ways people navigate pain.
When Mireya gets accepted into the St Ellesta academy, it feels like her chance to finally build a safer future for her and Milo. But everything changes when she meets Damien, who is undercover as her professor. Even as Mireya struggles to pursue her passions and feel worthy of joy, the forbidden, slow-burn connection she builds with Damien is perfect. They have a soul-deep emotional understanding that sees straight through each other's hidden wounds. Theirs is a story that absolutely deserved to be heard.
At times, Mireya’s choices and cynical thoughts frustrated me, until I realized I was simply projecting my own real-world flaws and habits onto her. Seeing those behaviors amplified on the page was an eye-opening, uncomfortably accurate and deeply powerful experience. It is rare to find a story that functions as both a devastating slow-burn and a deeply personal mirror. I know this one will stay with me for a very long time.
Little Milo was the ultimate guiding light throughout the dark narrative. The bond between Mireya and Milo was nothing short of incredible. Watching her fiercely protect him to ensure he never experienced the abusive household and trauma she endured was both beautiful and heart-wrenching.
I am a sucker for the "found family" trope, and this one was flawless. Edna and Hayzel were absolute pillars of strength and love for Mireya and Milo.
This book truly has it all: pain, devotion, resilience and a profound psychological thriller element that leaves a permanent mark on your heart.
Note: Highly recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading!
Thank you to Amethyst and Scarlett Beckford for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW: 912321 by Amethyst & Scarlett Beckford ★★★★★ (Infinite Stars)
I am currently a hollow shell of a human being. I don’t know how to move on, I don’t know how to function, and quite frankly, my heart feels like someone dragged standard-issue glass across it and called it art.
Mireya. My baby. I need to wrap her in a blanket, pull her off that freezing roof, and hide her from the entire fucking world. Watching her sit up there, escaping into her drawings, folding those little paper stars that link her directly back to her mother—it broke something foundational in me. The way she carries the crushing weight of her backstory, shielding her little brother Milo like his personal guardian angel, taking the brunt of hell so he could stay safe with Edna and Blue the cat... I couldn’t breathe. Her father deserves the absolute worst eternity has to offer, but Mireya? She is pure resilience forged in raw, bleeding grief.
And then comes Damien.
UNDERCOVER FBI AGENT PROFESSOR DAMIEN. Please do not speak to me about the sheer, suffocating, devastating YEARNING in this book. "If grief had a face, it would be your face"—ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? The way he sees right through every single wall she built, the quiet midnight library and cafe meetings to solve the case, the absolute ache of two broken souls realizing they are each other's only shelter in a storm... He would write thousands of books of poetry for her, and I would read every single word weeping on the floor. Their forbidden, heavy-trauma-bonded, soulmate connection ruined me.
The found family dynamic with Hayzel, the quiet sanctuary with Milo, the dark psychological twists, the serial killer mystery suffocating St. Ellesta—it was pure, poetic, raw magic. Amethyst and Scarlett Beckford wrote this with a pen dipped in pure emotion. The prose is so gorgeous it feels like a wound.
To Amethyst & Scarlett: THANK YOU. Thank you for this ARC, thank you for completely destroying my heart, and thank you for creating Mireya and Damien. I will never, ever forget this book.
READ THIS. PREORDER THIS. PREPARE TO CRY UNTIL YOU ARE EMPTY.
I am currently a hollow shell of a human being. I don’t know how to move on, I don’t know how to function, and quite frankly, my heart feels like someone dragged standard-issue glass across it and called it art.
Mireya. My baby. I need to wrap her in a blanket, pull her off that freezing roof, and hide her from the entire fucking world. Watching her sit up there, escaping into her drawings, folding those little paper stars that link her directly back to her mother—it broke something foundational in me. The way she carries the crushing weight of her backstory, shielding her little brother Milo like his personal guardian angel, taking the brunt of hell so he could stay safe with Edna and Blue the cat... I couldn’t breathe. Her father deserves the absolute worst eternity has to offer, but Mireya? She is pure resilience forged in raw, bleeding grief.
And then comes Damien.
UNDERCOVER FBI AGENT PROFESSOR DAMIEN. Please do not speak to me about the sheer, suffocating, devastating YEARNING in this book. "If grief had a face, it would be your face"—ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? The way he sees right through every single wall she built, the quiet midnight library and cafe meetings to solve the case, the absolute ache of two broken souls realizing they are each other's only shelter in a storm... He would write thousands of books of poetry for her, and I would read every single word weeping on the floor. Their forbidden, heavy-trauma-bonded, soulmate connection ruined me.
The found family dynamic with Hayzel, the quiet sanctuary with Milo, the dark psychological twists, the serial killer mystery suffocating St. Ellesta—it was pure, poetic, raw magic. Amethyst and Scarlett Beckford wrote this with a pen dipped in pure emotion. The prose is so gorgeous it feels like a wound.
To Amethyst & Scarlett: THANK YOU. Thank you for this ARC, thank you for completely destroying my heart, and thank you for creating Mireya and Damien. I will never, ever forget this book.
READ THIS. PREORDER THIS. PREPARE TO CRY UNTIL YOU ARE EMPTY.
September 30, 2026
I don't know how I can capture what this book felt like and I am honestly out of words to describe what this book did to me. Mireya and Damien felt so real to me; i'd say I felt this way because it was almost like looking in the mirror ..no matter how fractured or blurred the reflection was, I felt as if I was seeing myself and it furthered my connection, especially with Mireya - so much more than I thought it would.
I felt so much heaviness as I read her but ironically enough also a written form of hug and safety for how much that heaviness dissipated slowly with Damien coming into her life, Milo, Edna, Hayzel and Blue never leaving her side and embedding their presence further with love and attention and her own younger self urging her to keep going and keep wishing.
There was a distinct presence of the sea and the stars as well; two elements that sort of mirrored both M and D. The wonder and hope they carried since their childhood and the need to build a home and safety and peace as adults, both paralleled in sea and the stars/sky.
-I also think a lot of Reya's emotions were entangled with that of the sea with all the quiet calm and quiet rage the water carries, and also this neverending quench for peace that Reya struggles to fully find; feeling that peace is also something that Damien struggles with and ultimately finds in Reya. I think for both of them, having each other is their own form of healing, of finding peace and safety. My heart was so full as I read their moments and as they kept pushing further and pulling back. I honestly, truly cannot imagine them apart / one without the other.
I truly appreciated how Reya's relationships with Hayzel, Milo and Edna were as much a cornerstone for Reya's well being as was her relationship with Damien. All of them had these moments sprinkled throughout the book that I wish I could hold onto a little bit longer. 7 minutes, firefly, making wishes, seashells, number for 'friends' were few of these moments that made and unmade my heart.
By the end chapters, I was almost crying for an hour - note that it's a rarity for me to cry with a book; there's often only one single thing that happens that makes me feel so consumed with my emotions that I can't help but physically let out and this book did that for me. It's been a long while since that has happened with a book, and as much as it pained me, I am somewhere deep in my heart grateful to feel so much because of my love Reya and Damien. They are both so special to me and I know that I will keep making wishes for the both of them for eternity
I felt so much heaviness as I read her but ironically enough also a written form of hug and safety for how much that heaviness dissipated slowly with Damien coming into her life, Milo, Edna, Hayzel and Blue never leaving her side and embedding their presence further with love and attention and her own younger self urging her to keep going and keep wishing.
There was a distinct presence of the sea and the stars as well; two elements that sort of mirrored both M and D. The wonder and hope they carried since their childhood and the need to build a home and safety and peace as adults, both paralleled in sea and the stars/sky.
-I also think a lot of Reya's emotions were entangled with that of the sea with all the quiet calm and quiet rage the water carries, and also this neverending quench for peace that Reya struggles to fully find; feeling that peace is also something that Damien struggles with and ultimately finds in Reya. I think for both of them, having each other is their own form of healing, of finding peace and safety. My heart was so full as I read their moments and as they kept pushing further and pulling back. I honestly, truly cannot imagine them apart / one without the other.
I truly appreciated how Reya's relationships with Hayzel, Milo and Edna were as much a cornerstone for Reya's well being as was her relationship with Damien. All of them had these moments sprinkled throughout the book that I wish I could hold onto a little bit longer. 7 minutes, firefly, making wishes, seashells, number for 'friends' were few of these moments that made and unmade my heart.
By the end chapters, I was almost crying for an hour - note that it's a rarity for me to cry with a book; there's often only one single thing that happens that makes me feel so consumed with my emotions that I can't help but physically let out and this book did that for me. It's been a long while since that has happened with a book, and as much as it pained me, I am somewhere deep in my heart grateful to feel so much because of my love Reya and Damien. They are both so special to me and I know that I will keep making wishes for the both of them for eternity
October 13, 2026
My heart is not ok 😭😭😭 This book left me in complete and utter shambles. God tier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you pick up on chunky book before they year ends, it needs to be 912321 🙌
I was completely drawn in by Mireya and how beautiful of a soul she is. She has been through some of the most horrific and tragic things in her life in places she never should have had to go through such things. Mireya stepped up for her little brother Milo, who I am forever in love with also he is just so sweet and adorable, to give him the best life he could have. She protects him, raises him and does everything right by him. Mireya deserved the same when she was a child and it broke my heart for her. The constant struggle that Mireya goes through with self-harm and substance abuse weighs heavy on the soul. But she is so strong and such a fighter. When she meets her professor, Damien Caldwell, the connection they have is beyond words. They are legit two souls that need to be together and I love their connection so much. They are working together on unsolved murders and trying to bring The Chain Poet to justice.
Damien is like the rock that Mireya didnt know she needed. The further Mireya slips Damien is there to bring her back to him and to Milo, amd Hayzel. Hazel and Mireyas friendship is so special and precious. Damien fights to keep Mireya from her past, bringing her back to the present and staying for the future. Damien and Mireya's relationship is not an easy one, its sad and messy and tragic and leaves you full of so many endless emotions.
This book was such an amazing read, it was so much more than i ever expected. I am beyond grateful for the ARC. This one is going on the top shelf with sad girl reads
I was completely drawn in by Mireya and how beautiful of a soul she is. She has been through some of the most horrific and tragic things in her life in places she never should have had to go through such things. Mireya stepped up for her little brother Milo, who I am forever in love with also he is just so sweet and adorable, to give him the best life he could have. She protects him, raises him and does everything right by him. Mireya deserved the same when she was a child and it broke my heart for her. The constant struggle that Mireya goes through with self-harm and substance abuse weighs heavy on the soul. But she is so strong and such a fighter. When she meets her professor, Damien Caldwell, the connection they have is beyond words. They are legit two souls that need to be together and I love their connection so much. They are working together on unsolved murders and trying to bring The Chain Poet to justice.
Damien is like the rock that Mireya didnt know she needed. The further Mireya slips Damien is there to bring her back to him and to Milo, amd Hayzel. Hazel and Mireyas friendship is so special and precious. Damien fights to keep Mireya from her past, bringing her back to the present and staying for the future. Damien and Mireya's relationship is not an easy one, its sad and messy and tragic and leaves you full of so many endless emotions.
This book was such an amazing read, it was so much more than i ever expected. I am beyond grateful for the ARC. This one is going on the top shelf with sad girl reads
September 9, 2026
Mireya & Damien, I love you both with all my heart😭
Ame & Scar, you both did the fucking thing with this book and I feel so honoured to have received an ARC because I LOVED IT.
Thank you for allowing me a part of Little Blues, seeing my name in the acknowledgements had me crying me eyes out🥹
912321 is tragic & one thing about me, I love tragic books. Mireya & Damien were absolutely everything. Mireya had what I can only describe as a horrendous childhood which follows into her teens & adult years and she has the most amazing little brother, Milo. To hopefully build a better life for herself & Milo, she attends St Ellestas Academy in Seraphin Bay where she meets her professor Damien Caldwell.
I won’t say much more regarding the plot as I don’t want to ruin it but definitely check the trigger warnings.
912321 brings light to a lot of difficult topics including abuse by a parent, addiction & suicide and I just knew from reading Eternal at the beginning of the year that these topics were going to be handled so so well🥺 the amount of rage I felt on Mireyas behalf was unbelievable, she is the ultimate big sister, putting everyone before herself including baby Blue 🐈⬛
💙 Age Gap
🩵 Professor x Student
💙 Found Family
🩵 Heavy Trauma Bonding
💙 Trust Issues/Daddy Issues
🩵 Stalker/Serial Killer
💙 Remote island
🩵 Psychological Elements
💙 University setting
🩵 Slow burn
💙 Mental Health Rep
🩵 Right Person, Wrong Time
“𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚.”
“𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚.”
Ame & Scar, thank you again for allowing me to be a part of this, I will forever support you both💙🥹
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Ame & Scar, you both did the fucking thing with this book and I feel so honoured to have received an ARC because I LOVED IT.
Thank you for allowing me a part of Little Blues, seeing my name in the acknowledgements had me crying me eyes out🥹
912321 is tragic & one thing about me, I love tragic books. Mireya & Damien were absolutely everything. Mireya had what I can only describe as a horrendous childhood which follows into her teens & adult years and she has the most amazing little brother, Milo. To hopefully build a better life for herself & Milo, she attends St Ellestas Academy in Seraphin Bay where she meets her professor Damien Caldwell.
I won’t say much more regarding the plot as I don’t want to ruin it but definitely check the trigger warnings.
912321 brings light to a lot of difficult topics including abuse by a parent, addiction & suicide and I just knew from reading Eternal at the beginning of the year that these topics were going to be handled so so well🥺 the amount of rage I felt on Mireyas behalf was unbelievable, she is the ultimate big sister, putting everyone before herself including baby Blue 🐈⬛
💙 Age Gap
🩵 Professor x Student
💙 Found Family
🩵 Heavy Trauma Bonding
💙 Trust Issues/Daddy Issues
🩵 Stalker/Serial Killer
💙 Remote island
🩵 Psychological Elements
💙 University setting
🩵 Slow burn
💙 Mental Health Rep
🩵 Right Person, Wrong Time
“𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚.”
“𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚.”
Ame & Scar, thank you again for allowing me to be a part of this, I will forever support you both💙🥹
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.25✨
Okay, tears are dried, let’s do this before they find me again.
I was genuinely terrified to read this book, I’m talking like pure undiluted fear. I still haven’t recovered from Eternal and I don’t think I ever will. This story was similar in many ways. Both authors’ notes are important and beautiful, and they set the tone long before I even made it to the prologue and pressed play on the first song on the playlist. Because one simply never skips an Ame (and now Scarlett) playlist.
The writing was deeply emotional, it made you understand the heavy themes even if you’ve never gone through something similar before. The story was character-driven, devastating, and very heavy, but the glimmer of light you get reading about their love story was definitely worth it. It is romantic, there is a love story, but keep in mind that it’s not a romance, so don’t go in expecting the usual formula. I wanted to think I was prepared, but hope is a nasty thing, and at some point forward I was just gaslighting myself. Sadly, real life is more often than not very unfair. Damien needed someone to protect and Mireya longed for someone to take the unbearable burden off her shoulders just for a little bit. They were soulmates, made from the same star, and I’d like to believe that they are happy and continue to make good memories.
💫“You do that often.”
Her eyes turn to me. “Do what?”
“Leave the room without moving.” 💫
Thank you, Ame and Scarlett, for this ARC. 🫶
Okay, tears are dried, let’s do this before they find me again.
I was genuinely terrified to read this book, I’m talking like pure undiluted fear. I still haven’t recovered from Eternal and I don’t think I ever will. This story was similar in many ways. Both authors’ notes are important and beautiful, and they set the tone long before I even made it to the prologue and pressed play on the first song on the playlist. Because one simply never skips an Ame (and now Scarlett) playlist.
The writing was deeply emotional, it made you understand the heavy themes even if you’ve never gone through something similar before. The story was character-driven, devastating, and very heavy, but the glimmer of light you get reading about their love story was definitely worth it. It is romantic, there is a love story, but keep in mind that it’s not a romance, so don’t go in expecting the usual formula. I wanted to think I was prepared, but hope is a nasty thing, and at some point forward I was just gaslighting myself. Sadly, real life is more often than not very unfair. Damien needed someone to protect and Mireya longed for someone to take the unbearable burden off her shoulders just for a little bit. They were soulmates, made from the same star, and I’d like to believe that they are happy and continue to make good memories.
💫“You do that often.”
Her eyes turn to me. “Do what?”
“Leave the room without moving.” 💫
Thank you, Ame and Scarlett, for this ARC. 🫶
October 18, 2026
This book has been on my 2026 hopefuls list from the very beginning, and I think a part of me knew it would find its way into places I don’t always know how to explain.
As much as I love my hardcore dark romance reads, I’ve been finding something unexpectedly healing in dark psychological thrillers. My mind has always been a difficult place to understand, even for me. Living in a mind that can steal the joy from your happiest moments is exhausting. Even when surrounded by beautiful things, the darkness can linger like a soft cloud, never quite letting the light through.
And I saw parts of myself in Mireya. Both the beautiful and the broken. To some, that might seem dreadful, but there’s something comforting about realizing someone else, even a fictional character, understands a part of you that you’ve struggled to put into words. Somehow, it makes the darkness feel a little less frightening.
And then there’s Damien. A man with scars of his own, carrying his own darkness, who found a kind of light in hers. A man who loved her without conditions or prejudice, seeing her for who she was rather than the parts of herself she struggled to accept.
I’ve always believed there is no greater act of love than trying to understand someone. Not to fix them, not to change them, but to make the effort to understand the parts of them that even they struggle to make sense of.
Sometimes, being understood is its own kind of healing. And sometimes, the most beautiful kind of love is finding someone who sees your darkness and chooses to understand you anyway 🖤
As much as I love my hardcore dark romance reads, I’ve been finding something unexpectedly healing in dark psychological thrillers. My mind has always been a difficult place to understand, even for me. Living in a mind that can steal the joy from your happiest moments is exhausting. Even when surrounded by beautiful things, the darkness can linger like a soft cloud, never quite letting the light through.
And I saw parts of myself in Mireya. Both the beautiful and the broken. To some, that might seem dreadful, but there’s something comforting about realizing someone else, even a fictional character, understands a part of you that you’ve struggled to put into words. Somehow, it makes the darkness feel a little less frightening.
And then there’s Damien. A man with scars of his own, carrying his own darkness, who found a kind of light in hers. A man who loved her without conditions or prejudice, seeing her for who she was rather than the parts of herself she struggled to accept.
I’ve always believed there is no greater act of love than trying to understand someone. Not to fix them, not to change them, but to make the effort to understand the parts of them that even they struggle to make sense of.
Sometimes, being understood is its own kind of healing. And sometimes, the most beautiful kind of love is finding someone who sees your darkness and chooses to understand you anyway 🖤
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was my introduction to Amethyst & Scar Beckford, and I was not prepared for just how beautifully and poetically this book was written.
I laughed, I cried, I got hot under the collar, but most importantly, I fell in love. I fell in love with the characters, the world, and everything this story made me feel. It even made me stop and show myself a little more grace.
Sometimes life is hard, and sometimes it hurts. But no matter how difficult things feel, there are people all around us experiencing hardships of their own. This book was such a powerful reminder of that.
I absolutely loved the relationships and friendships between all of the characters. I think it was so important to showcase how the people around us can affect us, shape us, and ultimately influence the people we become.
The theories I was bouncing around in my head throughout this book were INSANE… and it literally took me until the very end to figure it all out. The way everything came together?! I was losing my mind.
I loved every second of this book, but I especially loved how you can feel what it means to the authors to have put this story on the page. There’s so much heart in it, and you can feel that in every chapter.
I will be recommending this book until my face turns blue (you’ll get what I mean 💙), because right now, all I see is blue.
I laughed, I cried, I got hot under the collar, but most importantly, I fell in love. I fell in love with the characters, the world, and everything this story made me feel. It even made me stop and show myself a little more grace.
Sometimes life is hard, and sometimes it hurts. But no matter how difficult things feel, there are people all around us experiencing hardships of their own. This book was such a powerful reminder of that.
I absolutely loved the relationships and friendships between all of the characters. I think it was so important to showcase how the people around us can affect us, shape us, and ultimately influence the people we become.
The theories I was bouncing around in my head throughout this book were INSANE… and it literally took me until the very end to figure it all out. The way everything came together?! I was losing my mind.
I loved every second of this book, but I especially loved how you can feel what it means to the authors to have put this story on the page. There’s so much heart in it, and you can feel that in every chapter.
I will be recommending this book until my face turns blue (you’ll get what I mean 💙), because right now, all I see is blue.
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