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Just You And Me
Lila Thorne flees her suffocating hometown for a new life in New York, hoping to reconnect with her first love. But the city delivers a different kind of nightmare when she collides with Max Cooper—a ruthless businessman who doesn't just crave control, he expects it.
After a violent incident at the club where she works, Max marks her as his next fixation. He knows he should leave her alone. He doesn't. He chalks their meeting up to fate.
His curiosity about Lila, a woman who can't hide her revulsion toward him, quickly turns to obsession. She's irrelevant to his ambitions, yet she infiltrates every thought he tries to bury.
He draws her into a one-month arrangement layered with addictive chemistry, a seductive trip overseas, and extravagant gifts meant to break down every barrier. She never asked for his attention... but her body betrays her long before her resolve does.
As Max tightens his grip physically, emotionally, and financially, Lila's attempts to break free only drag them deeper into a dangerous, electric connection neither of them is sane enough to escape. Haunted by her past and trapped in Max's fixation, she must choose whether survival means fighting him... or surrendering to the man who mirrors her darkness too perfectly to resist.
For readers of psychological suspense exploring obsession, control, and the darker side of human attachment.
This is a dark romantic suspense intended for mature readers only. It contains explicit sexual content, psychologically complex and morally troubling characters, and themes that some readers may find disturbing, including graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault, obsessive and controlling relationship dynamics, drug use and addiction, grief, emotional manipulation, coercive behavior, captivity, and family estrangement.
After a violent incident at the club where she works, Max marks her as his next fixation. He knows he should leave her alone. He doesn't. He chalks their meeting up to fate.
His curiosity about Lila, a woman who can't hide her revulsion toward him, quickly turns to obsession. She's irrelevant to his ambitions, yet she infiltrates every thought he tries to bury.
He draws her into a one-month arrangement layered with addictive chemistry, a seductive trip overseas, and extravagant gifts meant to break down every barrier. She never asked for his attention... but her body betrays her long before her resolve does.
As Max tightens his grip physically, emotionally, and financially, Lila's attempts to break free only drag them deeper into a dangerous, electric connection neither of them is sane enough to escape. Haunted by her past and trapped in Max's fixation, she must choose whether survival means fighting him... or surrendering to the man who mirrors her darkness too perfectly to resist.
For readers of psychological suspense exploring obsession, control, and the darker side of human attachment.
This is a dark romantic suspense intended for mature readers only. It contains explicit sexual content, psychologically complex and morally troubling characters, and themes that some readers may find disturbing, including graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault, obsessive and controlling relationship dynamics, drug use and addiction, grief, emotional manipulation, coercive behavior, captivity, and family estrangement.
- GenresRomanceEnemies To Lovers
422 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2026
About the author
Honey Summers
1 book2 followersHoney Summers is a debut author based in the United States. She has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember. The child with the bowl cut who was always coming up with stories to amuse her family has grown into an author with a wider audience in mind.
With a deep interest in horror, psychology, and the darker complexities of human behavior, Honey has always been drawn to stories that unsettle as much as they captivate.
With a deep interest in horror, psychology, and the darker complexities of human behavior, Honey has always been drawn to stories that unsettle as much as they captivate.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 31, 2026
Doing god’s work here. This is my favourite romance that I’ve read this year!
My favourite part of the novel is still early on when Max thinks he fumbled in showing Lila too soon the video he painstakingly acquired of her sleazy boss getting beat up for suggesting she do a threesome for a job. He thinks he should have given that gift to her later. Mind you her sleazy boss is the reason he basically was able to non-con her the first time.
What an incredible psychopath he was, and his obsession with Lila was so convincing. At first, he thinks he just needs to get her out of his system via Pretty Woman blackmail, but while he is satisfied he is able to buy her to play along as his girlfriend for a month, he has moments he is mad because he can’t tell if she really is into him or just acting. His slide into love is so good.
While Max fell first, Lila’s transformation was surprisingly so good. She fought him a lot but by the end, she is as obsessed as he is, and I like that she’s actually a bit of a loose screw in love. In fact, her behaviour with her ex makes you realize she fir better with Max who wanted and matched her love crazy 😂😂
Where the title comes from is a scene in one of the last chapters that is SO GOOD, and shows just how far things change in their dynamic.
And of course smut a lot, smut heavy, and smut furthering their relationship.
One more note is that it is giving Ao3 in the best way possible. I am so glad this year to have found works that do the best type of “blackmail for physical intimacy” stories. I love them in Pretty Woman scenarios and in workplace scenarios, and the heroes are always delightfully deranged. This is how you write a psychopath!
Similar Ao3 works that I’m currently loving where hero blackmails heroine and smut does develop their relationship:
Blurring Lines by youngbody_oldsoul (police and student, no age gap, 5 years apart. I am loving how he does it because he thinks she’s stuck up and can’t wait for that shift!)
Work in progress and not sure when author will update it, but they are replying to story comments so they are somewhat active! Not too many chapters but where it leaves off is enough to satisfy! And good enough place for both of the characters.
Your Career Depends On It by K_Sloan (Workplace but he is married with a kid. Very clear he is obsessed with heroine, and right now he doesn’t want to blow up his life. Very interesting)
Work in progress and author is providing weekly updates 😍 This one has about 15 chapters so more to read.
If I Can’t Have You by deathsdoll (after being on Reddit, I am shocked by how openly people love this work and recommend it for nearly every recommendation people have. I love this work, not that the work doesn’t deserve it, but I feel so protective over it. Workplace, memorable drugging and weaning off drugging).
Completed work and highly suggest you save a PDF!
My favourite part of the novel is still early on when Max thinks he fumbled in showing Lila too soon the video he painstakingly acquired of her sleazy boss getting beat up for suggesting she do a threesome for a job. He thinks he should have given that gift to her later. Mind you her sleazy boss is the reason he basically was able to non-con her the first time.
What an incredible psychopath he was, and his obsession with Lila was so convincing. At first, he thinks he just needs to get her out of his system via Pretty Woman blackmail, but while he is satisfied he is able to buy her to play along as his girlfriend for a month, he has moments he is mad because he can’t tell if she really is into him or just acting. His slide into love is so good.
While Max fell first, Lila’s transformation was surprisingly so good. She fought him a lot but by the end, she is as obsessed as he is, and I like that she’s actually a bit of a loose screw in love. In fact, her behaviour with her ex makes you realize she fir better with Max who wanted and matched her love crazy 😂😂
Where the title comes from is a scene in one of the last chapters that is SO GOOD, and shows just how far things change in their dynamic.
And of course smut a lot, smut heavy, and smut furthering their relationship.
One more note is that it is giving Ao3 in the best way possible. I am so glad this year to have found works that do the best type of “blackmail for physical intimacy” stories. I love them in Pretty Woman scenarios and in workplace scenarios, and the heroes are always delightfully deranged. This is how you write a psychopath!
Similar Ao3 works that I’m currently loving where hero blackmails heroine and smut does develop their relationship:
Blurring Lines by youngbody_oldsoul (police and student, no age gap, 5 years apart. I am loving how he does it because he thinks she’s stuck up and can’t wait for that shift!)
Work in progress and not sure when author will update it, but they are replying to story comments so they are somewhat active! Not too many chapters but where it leaves off is enough to satisfy! And good enough place for both of the characters.
Your Career Depends On It by K_Sloan (Workplace but he is married with a kid. Very clear he is obsessed with heroine, and right now he doesn’t want to blow up his life. Very interesting)
Work in progress and author is providing weekly updates 😍 This one has about 15 chapters so more to read.
If I Can’t Have You by deathsdoll (after being on Reddit, I am shocked by how openly people love this work and recommend it for nearly every recommendation people have. I love this work, not that the work doesn’t deserve it, but I feel so protective over it. Workplace, memorable drugging and weaning off drugging).
Completed work and highly suggest you save a PDF!
Currently Reading
June 2, 2026Let's fucking gooooooo. I have a good feeling about this. :D
Did Not Finish
June 15, 2026A light dnf 🫣. It's me not the book. My mood has come to bite me in the ass once again. I will give this book another try someday.
June 4, 2026
DNF'ed at 26%. Why? Life is too fucking short. I've grown tired of romance authors who feel the need to add in a rape scene at the onset of their characters meeting. A character who forcibly rapes another is not morally grey. Rape is not morally ambiguous.
Mild spoilers afoot.
She works at a club. He meets her at said club, after hours, in an alley where she's being accosted by some entitled fuck. He rescues her. She's ungrateful because he's being an asshole about it. Their next meeting is her place of work where he requests her in the upstairs rooms, where he proceeds to offer her money to fuck her because he can't stop thinking about her. She declines. He forcibly rapes her. This is not a let's-convince-ourselves-this-is-a-verbally-coercive-grey-area-SA - this is a she says stop, you're hurting me, he does not care rape. He fucks her violently. She's traumatized after the experience.
The next time they meet, it's at a party where she doesn't realize she's taken drugs. She's handsy. He takes her home. Proceeds to rape her again (because let's all say it together folks - if you're inebriated and not yourself, you cannot consent). She enjoys part of it and feels conflicted about it (rightfully so). Then she begins to experience this like.. Stockholm syndrome, I'm-developing-feelings-for-a-man-because-he's-showing-me-a-modicum-of-interest-and-decency. This is where I stopped reading.
I don't care what this author could potentially do with the relationship of these characters. I don't care if his moral failure somehow turns itself around and he becomes less of a reprehensible human being.
Also, the POV is weird. This is written in like a third person omniscient view and all other critiques of the story aside, I don't care for it. I find it jarring to all of the sudden be in another characters POV.
Mild spoilers afoot.
She works at a club. He meets her at said club, after hours, in an alley where she's being accosted by some entitled fuck. He rescues her. She's ungrateful because he's being an asshole about it. Their next meeting is her place of work where he requests her in the upstairs rooms, where he proceeds to offer her money to fuck her because he can't stop thinking about her. She declines. He forcibly rapes her. This is not a let's-convince-ourselves-this-is-a-verbally-coercive-grey-area-SA - this is a she says stop, you're hurting me, he does not care rape. He fucks her violently. She's traumatized after the experience.
The next time they meet, it's at a party where she doesn't realize she's taken drugs. She's handsy. He takes her home. Proceeds to rape her again (because let's all say it together folks - if you're inebriated and not yourself, you cannot consent). She enjoys part of it and feels conflicted about it (rightfully so). Then she begins to experience this like.. Stockholm syndrome, I'm-developing-feelings-for-a-man-because-he's-showing-me-a-modicum-of-interest-and-decency. This is where I stopped reading.
I don't care what this author could potentially do with the relationship of these characters. I don't care if his moral failure somehow turns itself around and he becomes less of a reprehensible human being.
Also, the POV is weird. This is written in like a third person omniscient view and all other critiques of the story aside, I don't care for it. I find it jarring to all of the sudden be in another characters POV.
June 18, 2026
A 4.5 star “Mike dropping” read
Where in the heck have you been Honey Summers?! This is a new author after my own heart. It’s been very hard to find ones if my particular taboo tastes but she hits the nail on the head.
Of course I immediately went to see what else of hers I could sink my teeth into only to discover this is her only novel.
Book full of extreme possessiveness with the MMC having an attitude literally taking what he wants, when he wants, no matter what anyone thinks. That’s including the FMC. He goes after what he wants and sometimes just has to convince her that what she wants is him back. The journey from initial meeting to them falling in love is a taboo juicy one and I was here for every word!
All in all this story rocked so hard, steam, possessive obsessive MMC, larger than life in size and attitude. Tiny little firecracker of an FMC who brings him to his knees in the end. The only part I didn’t like were the loose ends, like what happened with the roommate? Grandma? Brother? That aside? I can’t wait for what’s next and I hope this author knows writing so I can keep gobbling her stories up in a day!!
Where in the heck have you been Honey Summers?! This is a new author after my own heart. It’s been very hard to find ones if my particular taboo tastes but she hits the nail on the head.
Of course I immediately went to see what else of hers I could sink my teeth into only to discover this is her only novel.
Book full of extreme possessiveness with the MMC having an attitude literally taking what he wants, when he wants, no matter what anyone thinks. That’s including the FMC. He goes after what he wants and sometimes just has to convince her that what she wants is him back. The journey from initial meeting to them falling in love is a taboo juicy one and I was here for every word!
All in all this story rocked so hard, steam, possessive obsessive MMC, larger than life in size and attitude. Tiny little firecracker of an FMC who brings him to his knees in the end. The only part I didn’t like were the loose ends, like what happened with the roommate? Grandma? Brother? That aside? I can’t wait for what’s next and I hope this author knows writing so I can keep gobbling her stories up in a day!!
May 27, 2026
This book is exactly what I had been craving for a long time.
Perfect for fans of Sam Mariano.
🔥 Older man x younger woman trope
Possessive MMC
Morally corrupt
He gets what he wants.
And the FMC has moved to New York City, trying to escape the mess life threw at her.
Kind
Compassionate
Intriguing
I, loved how this book explored emotions in depth rather than portraying them superficially.
Here are my favorite quotes—
“The darkness in her work makes sense to anyone who knows where she came from.”
“It’s a perplexing paradox: hating being alone yet also hating being around people.”
Perfect for fans of Sam Mariano.
🔥 Older man x younger woman trope
Possessive MMC
Morally corrupt
He gets what he wants.
And the FMC has moved to New York City, trying to escape the mess life threw at her.
Kind
Compassionate
Intriguing
I, loved how this book explored emotions in depth rather than portraying them superficially.
Here are my favorite quotes—
“The darkness in her work makes sense to anyone who knows where she came from.”
“It’s a perplexing paradox: hating being alone yet also hating being around people.”
June 18, 2026
A dark romance done right! Max and Lila’s relationship is the definition of both disturbing and alluring (please read the trigger warning before reading). Their connection is anything but normal, and while it begins under questionable circumstances, there’s something undeniably addictive about them. Both characters had an unstable upbringing that ultimately shaped them into the people they are currently. Somehow amidst the chaos in their life, they found comfort in one another.
Their relationship was intense from the very beginning. Max’s fixation on Lila grew into a dangerous kind of devotion. It both terrified and captivates Lila. Although she fights her growing feelings towards Max, he repeatedly proves just how deeply he adores her. But what makes their dynamic even more intriguing, Lila isn’t so innocent herself. She carries her own dark secrets that unfolds throughout the story.
As the story progressed, Lila’s character undergoes a surprising transformation. The girl who once fought her feelings evolved into someone willing to do morally questionable things to protect her relationship with Max. Unexpectedly, her obsession begins to mirror Max’s. The ending did leave me with more questions than answers. I wanted to see how far Lila would go for Max. I also felt like Kayley had more to add to the story. Her character at one point seemed significant, but she was hardly present and I am curious to see how her role would’ve developed.
What I loved most about this book is how it explored the blurred lines of love, obsession, and devotion. The tension between Max and Lila was captivating and left me eager for more. Don’t even get me started on the spice! Thank you to Honey Summers for sending me a copy of your book! I am so happy to have found another dark romance author whose writing both captivates and unsettles me in the best way possible.
Their relationship was intense from the very beginning. Max’s fixation on Lila grew into a dangerous kind of devotion. It both terrified and captivates Lila. Although she fights her growing feelings towards Max, he repeatedly proves just how deeply he adores her. But what makes their dynamic even more intriguing, Lila isn’t so innocent herself. She carries her own dark secrets that unfolds throughout the story.
As the story progressed, Lila’s character undergoes a surprising transformation. The girl who once fought her feelings evolved into someone willing to do morally questionable things to protect her relationship with Max. Unexpectedly, her obsession begins to mirror Max’s. The ending did leave me with more questions than answers. I wanted to see how far Lila would go for Max. I also felt like Kayley had more to add to the story. Her character at one point seemed significant, but she was hardly present and I am curious to see how her role would’ve developed.
What I loved most about this book is how it explored the blurred lines of love, obsession, and devotion. The tension between Max and Lila was captivating and left me eager for more. Don’t even get me started on the spice! Thank you to Honey Summers for sending me a copy of your book! I am so happy to have found another dark romance author whose writing both captivates and unsettles me in the best way possible.
June 16, 2026
Strangely addictive. It started out as a very ordinary billionaire/waitress scenario but quickly morphed into an addictive, slightly unhinged cat and mouse game that kept me fully invested until the end.
I think subconsciously, my expectations of this genre are so low that I am genuinely surprised when I end up really enjoying the book. This one was a winner 🏆
I think subconsciously, my expectations of this genre are so low that I am genuinely surprised when I end up really enjoying the book. This one was a winner 🏆
June 11, 2026
DNF. rape is rape!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2026
1.5, abrupt tonal shifts. Had no business being as long as it was.
May 23, 2026
Lila and Max have this dynamic that's both unsettling and totally addictive to read. I feel like I'm a bit sick in the head sometimes for liking books like this, but the heart wants what it wants. Their relationship constantly shifts between fear, comfort, control, and longing, making every interaction super emotionally charged. The whole book has this heavy, intimate, cinematic vibe, and the emotional push and pull just kept me hooked.
I loved how layered the characters felt, especially Max. Their emotions never seemed shallow or one-dimensional.. It's super intense, and it sucks you in.
I loved how layered the characters felt, especially Max. Their emotions never seemed shallow or one-dimensional.. It's super intense, and it sucks you in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews