The Love Trials: An enemies-to-lovers dark romance serial killer thriller

by Claire Fraise

A serial killer targets couples in love... But he accidentally takes a pair of enemies instead.

Eden Callahan survived a famous serial killer at thirteen by playing dead while her family was butchered around her. When she's attacked by another killer at twenty-one and rescued in the nick of time, she discovers a horrifying truth:

Some serial killers come back as ghosts after they die and possess innocent people to continue their murder sprees.

Eden joins a team of paranormal investigators aimed at finding and extracting these ghosts, and quickly begins hunting the most sadistic entity the team has ever encountered. When he was alive, the Game Master got famous for forcing couples into deadly trials designed to break their love, and now that he's dead, his games have gotten worse.

Eden hunts the Game Master alongside the team, trying to stop him before he kills another victim. But the Game Master has big plans for his next trials, and when Eden gets caught in his crosshairs, she will have to use all her cunning if she has any chance of getting through the investigation alive.

Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds, Saw, and Supernatural!

Tropes: Slow burn / Enemies to lovers / Hate to love / He falls first / Morally grey MMC / Yearning Includes two open door spicy scenes

Genres: Dark Romance, Horror, Romance, Paranormal, Thriller, Enemies To Lovers, Supernatural

606 pages, Paperback

Published April 27, 2026

About the author

Claire Fraise is an award-winning author of paranormal thrillers about sinister spirits and the brave ghost hunters who bring them down. She won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards for They Stay, and published her debut novel Imperfect when she was still in high school. When Claire is not sitting behind her computer writing about murder, you can find her hiking in the mountains, on the back of a horse, or taking too many pictures of her dog. Even though it goes against every introverted bone in her body, she is on social media. Connect with her on YouTube at Write with Claire Fraise, Instagram at @clairefraiseauthor, or visit her website at clairefraise.com.

Reviews

[Emms-hiatus(ish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is NOT a dark romance, romance, or paranormal romance. The tiny bit of romance in this is not enough of the PLOT to be in the romance category.

This is NOT enemies to lovers. The premise is falsely presented as "A serial killer targets couples in love... But he accidentally takes a pair of enemies instead."

This book IS a horror/thriller.

In general the book is fine, however I went into it thinking dark romance - so it did NOT hit for me, as that is what I was in the mood for.

I did enjoy the twist, though.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ Review of ARC from the author ⭐️

Would you save yourself or your lover if you were trapped in a saw game?

I was absolutely hooked from the teasers Claire Fraise posted, but just reading the prologue cemented how much I loved this book. The absolutely insane amount of detail when it came down to Eden reading the research, the way the "scientist of sorts" was portrayed (CREEPY) and every characters backstory was beautifully written. I cannot wait for the next one and I am hoping I'll be lucky enough to be able to ARC read that too!

[laughingzebra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. I’ve never done a one star before getting to chapter 1.

I do try to lead with this disclaimer, when it comes up: I acknowledge that my perspective on this subject is warped by life experiences. I rate books on personal experience though, not technical quality. This commits one of my top 5 book crimes and lands in my zero tolerance zone.

I cannot stand, under any circumstances, the glorification of real life serial killers. Quoting them at the beginning of your book is glorification. They would absolutely love it. Fuck them. And fuck anything that would make them happy.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this furious, so that’s an accomplishment at least.

I know what this book is about. I read the spoilers. So I know what the quotes are for.

Make up a fucking fictional serial killer for fucks sake. Those men left families in grief and devastation. They aren’t entertainment. Their choices aren’t entertainment.

Criminal Minds my ass

Who do you love most in this world? Say their name to yourself. The person you wake up for.

Now imagine finding their body parts in a refrigerator and spend the rest of your life imagining the pain and terror of their last hours.

It’s fucking hilarious, isn’t it?

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
Loved it!
I read the whole book in a day the storyline was so interesting to me I couldn’t get enough!
Can’t lie I’m obsessed with Nico!
Only thing keeping it from being a five star read is it didn’t truly feel like an enemies to lovers since she was into him from the start and he just seemed annoyed by her presence there were times throughout that I did question it though so still got 4 stars and I loved them by the end!
Overall a great read and I’ll definitely be reading more by this author!

[Raven Ludwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was NOT a romance besties 😂

[Lora Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

I absolutely loved this book! My only complaint is that there isn’t more!

Serious Criminal Minds vibes with some Saw mixed in there.

I loved each team member, found family is my favourite trope and this definitely gave me those feelings.

The twists were not expected and plotted brilliantly

I can’t wait for the next one!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever read the first chapter of a book and just think, "Oh, this was written for me specifically." The Love Trials has the most unique mix of genres and elements. If you ever wondered what it would be like to enter a world of Supernatural, Saw, and Criminal minds, you can—and should—read The Love Trials . The book is nearly 600 pages on KU, and I devoured it in 2 Days.

The characters were precious, and I loved each member of the ghost hunting team and sweet little Bob. The worldbuilding of different ghost classifications, the way possessions work, the history of serial killers, and the various educational texts quoted at the chapter starts were well done. I am hoping we'll get to spend more time with this team in more books; I'm not ready to let them go 😭

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I applied for an ARC of The Love Trials after coming across the author on TikTok. I’ll admit I went in without fully reading the synopsis, so I had a different expectation of the story (specifically I had the impression that the kidnapping and trials would take up most of the book). I was pleasantly surprised with the actual plot though - even the paranormal elements, which I wasn’t sure would be something I would enjoy. It’s a book that I didn’t want to put down and was itching to pick back up again any time real life got in the way. I’ll be keeping an eye out for other books by this author for sure.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars but rounding down.

Ghost possessed serial killer hunters?? This was a fun new concept for a book. I liked that this combined a few different ideas and made them go together really well!

The reason it didn't go the full 5? I feel like the book itself is good but it's advertising/book blurb/dedication beforehand don't really explain what it's about well (which made me disappointed when I read the book and didn't get what I came for). I wouldn't call this a romance. It does have a romantic sub plot but it's not really at the forefront. Maybe it will be in later books but it definitely wasn't a traditional or even nontraditional romance novel. I'd also not call it enemies to lovers like it describes. AND it also talks about being like criminal minds. While that may have been the idea behind the story it didn't give the same vibes so that seemed like a stretch. I feel like this novel is good enough it didn't need to categorize itself to try and get more readers.

Also be sure to check triggers! This is a darker thriller/crime novel. There are depictions to watch out for in the book.

[alishasbooknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

I have been looking for a book similar to the SAW films for ages and this is it!! Just from the prologue I was already hooked and addicted.

The whole premise of the book is incredible, dead serial killers coming back to possess people to continue their sprees and Eden joining a team of paranormal investigators had me reading for HOURS, and the game master entity capturing couples and forcing them to do trials to break their love? IM OBSESSED!! It absolutely gives SAW vibes.

I liked learning about the 7 different types of ghosts, it was really interesting to see how different they are and how they became that particular ghost. The different types of seers were really interesting too.

The amount of tense scenes that had me on the edge of my seat was insane!! It was thrilling and I couldn’t stop reading. The amount of times I gasped and was gobsmacked too was comical! Things I wasn’t expecting at all and never would have guessed happened, happened.

The absolute strength that Eden and Nico have is incredible, they went through so so much and was still resilient despite everything they were put through. They didn’t break, they worked together and pulled through. I love them so so much.

The ending was so good too!! I’m assuming there will be another book so I’m excited for that if so. I devoured this book and I absolutely love it. It’s honestly so addicting and incredible that I know I won’t be able to stop thinking about this.

[Jordan Bingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC READER
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Omg this book!
Please read it!
It is a mixture of a classic horror film saw and criminal minds with a paranormal twist to it! Hints is ghostbusters
I absolutely loved this book it is so different you anything I’ve read before, I love the characters and just everything!
I think everyone should read this!

It had everything I was looking for enemies to lovers, trails which kept me on the edge of my seat!

Hands down I loved everything from the pacing, the drama and the characters!
Please everyone read this book!

[Bibi van Leeuwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ✨

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The marketing for this book is misleading, this is not really just an enemies to lovers where two enemies get caught by a serial killer. It was good overall and very entertaining, but definitely like a criminal minds if they hunted dead serial killers that possessed humans to kill again. As for enemies, they aren’t ever fr enemies so that’s also not really accurate. Also it gave saw vibes the latter half of the book. Fun, quick read.

[Stormie Valdivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ this was unlike any book I had read before and really enjoyed it. It was a slow start for me (maybe from the book, maybe personally 🤷🏻‍♀️) but after the first like 30% I was super into it and couldn’t put it down.

[soph :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a paranormal thriller-ish romance, and overall I adored it and couldn't put it down.

PROS:
1. Fraise has a knack for pacing.

2. The characters are so lovable. The found family thing is genuinely tooth-rottingly (pun intended) lovely, and I adore each and every one of them with such ferocity, I feel the need to congratulate the author because she did this so well. They’re all so flawed but so likeable because they feel real. Their connection is wonderful to see on paper (I especially love how Nico doesn't hold it against Griffin for punching him in the face. He recognises it as an angry friend trying to keep him in check, which is excatly how it should've been).

3. The emotion felt real and raw. I especially loved when Eden saw her Dad near the end - it was exactly the right amount of emotion. It was predictable, but the sort of predictable where you want and need to happen. I'm glad it did. It was needed.

4. The comedy throughout balanced the egregious gore and violence, which is a really tricky thing to get right, and the author did it perfectly.

5. I very much appreciated the trigger warnings on the website; it’s clear that the author was careful with it, which means a lot. Too often, authors write kinky erotica, slap the “dark fantasy” label onto it and call it a day. That’s how young teens pick up a book and assume it’s marketed correctly, and then end up scarred because they didn’t expect explicit sexual content, because dark fantasy does NOT mean sex, only mature themes. (For the record: kink absolutely has a place in fiction. It’s a healthy outlet in a safe, controlled environment, and overall a positive thing. What isn’t healthy is when authors don’t label kinky work as erotica or as kinky because they worry about marketability or shame. But when they don’t market it properly, they essentially trick readers into reading content they may not be ready for or old enough for, because they want to make money. It is incredibly icky. Also makes no sense because I'd argue erotica is what the market is demanding right now.) Pleased to say that didn’t happen here with this author. Feels odd to compliment the marketing, but it's a bad enough issue that this seems worth mentioning.

6. Nico, for the most part (we're getting to that part later) is the perfect enemies-to-lovers love interest. Incredibly swoon-worthy, while also being kind, thoughtful, and having a genuine reason for his and Eden's rocky start. Also, the glass scene. I MEAN HELLO?!??!?!


CONS:
1. Predictably, it's the escape scene/backstory. Since the simulated SA wasn’t plot-necessary, I assume it was placed there for kink-related purposes? Which is fine, and I feel it would’ve worked well IF it hadn’t been for Nico’s backstory, which immediately made it feel icky and too uncomfortable (I wondered whether this was a me issue, but a friend agreed) — a shame because I think it would’ve actually worked quite well otherwise (sex scenes have never been my cup of tea, especially not kinky ones but I can acknowledge this would’ve been good for what it was if not for this aspect). What's clear to me is that one of the two needs to go: the scene itself, or the SA-specific part of his backstory. They don't co-exist well together, and leave an uncomfortable undertone on an otherwise fine scene. Authors have to be so careful with kink, and I appreciate that the line between okay and not okay is a difficult thing to tread, but it feels like a red flag was missed here. I could forgive it if Nico seemed genuinely scarred and it took some time for him to heal and be able to face Eden again, but this didn't happen. He was impacted, yes, but not to the degree he should've been. This is the first person he’s truly loved, and he had to essentially simulate his worst fear with her. No one can carry on almost as normal after that (and his POV at the end justifies this further. My friend worded his recounting of the sex scene as coming across like 'I thought it would be terrible, but it was magically kind of sexy' which hits the nail on the head, really. His recounting of it should not have felt like that at all. Legitimate for him to have had a bodily reaction to it, but realistically he'd have been much more torn up at it inside because part of it would've felt real at the time, even though it was an act. Also I swear there's actually a moment where he's scared she is genuinely scared, but I can't think of the specifics right now.) This whole thing kind of killed the sex scene and the ending in one fell swoop. This alone feels like a mischaracterisation of Nico, which is a shame because character is actually something that Fraise is incredible at on the whole. I assume this was because she wanted Eden and Nico to have an emotional reunion and be an item by the end of the book, which I understand, but if she wanted this outcome, he would've needed to have healed from the game master's trials to a degree that just isn't plausible in such a small time frame. In which case, the scene or the backstory would've had to go anyway. The scene seemed like a deliberate choice the author wanted to keep in, so the SA-specific backstory should've been cut during editing. If she'd done that, Nico's overall reaction during the aftermath of the trauma would’ve made sense, the scene wouldn’t have been as uncomfortable, so readers could enjoy it without feeling odd about it (although you’d still have people who didn’t like it because it wasn’t for them, but you’d majorly cut down on the amount of people who do read scenes like that and were affected anyway) and you still have the weight and gravity of Nico’s trauma (Billy possessing him to kill women) that impacts him and justifies his coping mechanisms and thought processes. I’d understand wanting to keep it in for character development purposes, but I actually don’t think enough time was spent on this part of Nico’s backstory to justify this, which is why I wonder if it would be better being cut rather than slowing down the pace to add more in to round it out. Sort of wish the author had spotted this — it would have been a win-win for everyone involved.

2. Tiny minor thing -the summary focuses on the wrong things; some tweaking would be needed. Since the game-master-saw-trials-thing only happens at the end of the book, it’s sort of misleading to open with that in the summary/blurb. Because of that, I assumed the majority of the book would be set during the trials and was very confused why it only showed up in the last three quarters of the book. Not a big issue compared to the other one but enough that I thought it needed mentioning.

3. On the same vein, the title feels cheap compared to how deep this book actually is. I went into it assuming it would be a trashy romance because of the title and immediately pinned Dylan as the love interest (I think this was because I'd read an insultingly bad romance directly before this and was expecting the absolute worst, though). I was pleasantly surprised by this book, but I think the title kind of sets the author up for people to not even give it a chance, which is what I almost did. It feels like it doesn't match the tone of the novel, and again sets readers up to expect the trials to be something that spans the majority of the book, which they do not.

3. Felt a teensy bit like a mashup of a bunch of different movies/tv shows. You'll never ever be able to escape that because originality is impossible, but I felt it needed something unique to sort of claim the lore as its own and not just if supernatural and saw had a love-child.

4. The quotes from actual serial killers at the start are icky and not at all necessary. Luckily, I didn't see them when I started reading. If I had, I definitely wouldn't have read the book. Quoting those monsters feels like crossing the line when there are real people who've lost loved ones at their hands. Yes, serial killers and their minds are fascinating, but there are lines that you cannot, under any circumstances, cross, and it was certainly crossed in this case. Unnecessarily so. I would seriously consider removing them. They do not add anything productive or positive; they only detract from the author's otherwise very strong novel.


OVERALL:

I'm thoroughly irritated because I would’ve given this book five stars if it weren’t for the Nico's backstory issue, but the issue is far too big for me, and sex is too much of a delicate topic for me to warrant putting it any higher, even though I'd like to. I loved this book, but unfortunately, I don't think I can re-read (or if I ever decided to, I'd have to skip a few scenes) because the sex scene sits too uncomfortably. It's even more irritating that if I felt it had been handled appropriately, I would've just said 'the scene wasn't for me' and moved on, and it probably wouldn't have detracted anything from my experience of the book, because I went into it knowing the triggers, knowing they weren't for me, and therefore couldn't complain when the scene came around. Unfortunately, though, it could've been handled more carefully. There should have been a choice: the sex scene or the backstory. If the trauma was what Fraise valued more, ditch the sex scene. If the sex scene was what Fraise valued more, ditch part of the backstory to justify it, and the reactions following. I won't read the sequels, I don't think, though I might spoil them for myself because I want to know what happens to my cuties, but I don't think I have the emotional capacity to read them properly if the same issue pops up more than once. It's truly a shame, because this book was funny, honest and scary in a way that felt manageably thrilling, even to a scaredy-cat like me.

If you're a reader looking to see if you should read this, I would be hesitant recommending it to someone like me, who has a somewhat sensitive disposition and doesn’t like violence/gore or spicy scenes. If you're going to try a new genre, this isn't the book to do it. The premise was interesting enough that I wanted to try something new, and honestly, it would have been one of my favourites if not for the way the sex scene was handled. I wouldn't recommend it at all to someone sensitive to SA. If you are, steer well clear, else you'll feel genuinely disturbed and rattled. If I’d known fully what it was going into it, I probably wouldn’t have read it, but that being said, I'm kind of glad that I did because otherwise I'd have missed out on great characterisation.

Definitely going to read more of Fraise’s work though because I’m obsessed with her writing!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for my ARC of The Love Trials.

To begin, I DEVOURED this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Any book that brings me to tears, has gripped me and this did more than once.

It had everything I love:
* Serial unalivers
* Ghosts/paranormal
* Horror/violence/gore
* Enemies-to-lovers
* Slow burn romance(soooo much yearning)
* Morally grey MMC
* Twists&turns
* Dark romance (specifically CNC)
* Found family
* BANTER!

It follows Eden Callahan, a 21 y/o girl that was dubbed “The Girl That Played Dead” by the media after her family is unalived by a serial unaliver and she survives by playing dead at 13 y/o.
She has done her best to survive for years on her own, having difficulty connecting with others, she lives with a lot of guilt from being the soul survivor when her family was attacked.
Having experienced a lot of loss myself, I really connected with her character. I love that her and Nico use banter and sarcasm as a defence mechanism as I do the exact same thing.

Despite everything, she is full of sunshine and positivity (not to mention she is super fierce and brave), much to the dismay of Nico (our grumpy and morally grey MMC) who she collides with when she is attacked by a man possessed by the ghost of a serial unaliver. She then realises she can see ghosts (anyone who has died can have the ability to see entities).

Donny (retired FBI turned paranormal investigator) offers her a job on his team. Eden realises she has no where to turn when she is attacked by a ghost after the run in with Nico and Donny.

You can tell that she is finally feeling she has found purpose when it comes to light that she has certain abilities to detect and communicate with ghosts that even Nico doesn’t have. Nico continues to push her away and tries his best to get her to leave but she’s too stubborn. Plus, any time he is in the room, she can’t breathe. Any time he brushes against her, she can’t think. She thinks he’s beautiful and a force of nature despite how much he hates her.

When, enemies, Eden and Nico are kidnapped and put in to a version of “The Love Trials”…will they stay enemies? Can Eden see past the heartbreaking and terrifying truth that she discovered about Nico, his close connection to one ghost unaliver in particular. You’ll have to read to find out!

I loved that the full plot isn’t only based around the “Love Trials”. Claire spent time building each character and concentrating on developing their characters and relationships. So although we have a MMC and FMC, every character is important in this story and I love them all for different reasons. And don’t forget BOB! Eden’s fiercely protective chihuahua who will stand up to anyone that threatens Eden.

Eden keeps the memory of her family alive by thinking about how they would deal with situations so it’s like they’re with her, always guiding her. Her Mom always seeing the best in people, her Dad guiding her and keeping her strong.

Claire described this perfectly…if you are a fan of Saw, Supernatural and Criminal Minds plus you are into dark romance….this is for you!

Please note that there are heavy subjects in this book so check the TWs.

Some of my fave quotes:

Eden: “it’s like someone just punched me, but in a good way. I reach for the locker handle, and I’m hit with a scary realisation: I want this. I want to belong somewhere so badly it’s making me ill. When’s the last time I had a place that was mine?”

The banter, US office reference: “ “You can’t order me around,” I say. “You’re not my boss.” “I’m Donny’s second.” “Is this some assistant to the regional manager bullshit?”

So much yearning:
“His tone may be lighthearted, but there’s an edge to the look he’s giving me, something hungry underneath that makes my pulse kick up for reasons that have nothing to do with anger.”
“The casual authority in Nico’s voice does deeply inappropriate things to my nervous system. Why is competence under pressure the sexiest thing ever? I need to get a grip.”

He falls first: “ “I thought I could do this,” he says, “but I can’t fucking handle seeing you in pain.”

[Hareem · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Goodreads had half stars, I’d give this a 2.5, but I’m rounding up to a 3 because I enjoyed the paranormal/ghost storyline. That was easily the strongest part of the book and what kept me reading.

If you’re a fan of Criminal Minds or the Saw movies, especially Jigsaw-style psychological games, I think you’ll probably find this book intriguing. The mystery, supernatural elements, and serial killer aspects made it a suspenseful read.

I liked Eden as a main character. Her backstory fit the story well, and I was invested in seeing how everything played out. Donnie’s death also caught me completely off guard. Looking back, it made sense for the story, but I still wasn’t expecting it, and I liked that the book was able to surprise me.

My biggest issue was MC. I actually liked him at first, but for the first 300 pages, he does nothing but tell Eden he hates her and doesn’t want her around. Then, once they’re trapped together, he suddenly has feelings for her. That didn’t feel like a slow burn to me—it felt like there was barely any romance until the last third of the book. Slow burn usually has tension, banter, and gradual development, and I didn’t really get that here.

The reveal about his past was also an unnecessary addition, in my opinion. Even though the book explains he wasn’t in control because of the possession, adding the sexual assault storyline just made me uncomfortable and made it difficult to root for the romance afterward.

I also wasn’t a fan of the repeated references to and quotes from real-life serial killers. It should’ve been more fictional/made up in my opinion

Lastly, the consensual non-consensual scene at the end wasn’t for me. I know some readers enjoy that trope, and it wasn’t hidden that the book would include darker themes, but considering Nico’s past experiences, that scene just felt uncomfortable rather than romantic. It didn’t add anything to the story for me and was one of the reasons I couldn’t fully enjoy the romance.

Overall, this felt much more like a paranormal thriller with a romance subplot than a true slow-burn romance. I really enjoyed the mystery and supernatural aspects, but maybe a more balanced and changed plot could’ve made it more intriguing to read.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved loved loved loved

Maybe my dark romance meter is broken but this felt the same level of dark as Lights Out (this is not a bad thing!). The characters were incredibly well developed without being cliche. I LOVED Eden. And Bob. And Nico. And DJ. Okay I loved every character so much. The writing was incredibly detailed without overexplaining, and the story and world building felt very natural in its progression. The story itself was such a unique premise that felt familiar in that it’s not a new topic but felt different enough to be engaging. I don’t want to spoil anything because I like going in blind but I loved all aspects of the book but I wish there was more from the two main characters “after”. I feel like they went through so much and I just wanted to see them walk into the sunset together. Gimme that sunset walk Claire! I will be tuning into the next, I am RAVENOUS! I am frothing at the mouth. I loved it all.

[Lexi · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.25⭐️ Enemies-to-lovers where?? I was genuinely considering either Eden’s family’s killer or Alan Morrow secretly being her endgame love interest as a plot twist because they were the only enemies she had. I wouldn’t even consider this hate-to-love.

So many things about this book irritated me. First, the misleading synopsis—making me believe that the majority of the plot would be Eden and Nico being held hostage while hating each other—and second, Eden’s questionable behaviors. I was really willing to overlook her verbal diarrhea and saying shit that had me cringing, but then she decided to talk to Billy Lundby despite being at-risk of an entity causing her harm. Her following Griffin after they were infected with ectoplasm, despite Nico’s warning, also irritated me.

Finally, the thing that really ticked me off was the context in which Eden and Nico first—and last—slept together. I felt like that was completely unnecessary. Morrow trying to get Nico to kill Eden because of his past and him refusing was important to his character in realizing that his homicidal urges weren’t his own, allowing him to feel more comfortable knowing he wouldn’t harm Eden. But their first time having sex being him pretending to rape her for Morrow’s sake? It didn’t feel like it contributed anything to the story other than adding more trauma for entertainment.

[Kirsty · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️⭐️

🚨Lots of spoilers on the plot in this review 🚨

Summary: If you’re okay with very dark romance elements involving possession, rape, and consensual non-consensual dynamics, you may have a very different experience with this book than I did.

——————————————————————-

I wanted to love this book. The premise was intriguing, and the comparisons to Criminal Minds and Supernatural had me absolutely champing at the bit to get started.

The first quarter had a really solid pace, and I liked the balance of getting to know Eden without it feeling too info-dumpy. But as the story went on, parts of the plot started to feel rushed, and I struggled to properly connect with most of the other characters.

The death genuinely caught me off guard, which I actually appreciated. I’d much rather be surprised than see it coming from a mile away. But I had two issues with how it played out. First, the kidnapping itself completely took me out of the story. It basically gets hand-waved away with “the ghost can convince people to do things”, which felt a bit too convenient. They’ve got all this security, but apparently a random human can just hop onto the land unnoticed until the alarms suddenly decide to clock in for their shift? Secondly, the death never really felt like it carried much weight afterwards. There was so much else happening that it got overshadowed, and it wasn’t until the very end, with the burial and the letter, that it felt like it was addressed and all felt very short.

My biggest issue though was the relationship with Nico. The whole premise of him being possessed by a serial killer and forced to rape and murder people was already a lot for me. I understand the book was trying to make it clear that it wasn’t really him, and that he was a victim too, but I really struggled to emotionally get to that point. It created such an immediate feeling of discomfort around his character that I never fully managed to shake it.

Then came the consensual non-consensual scene, which really cemented that feeling for me. I know some readers are into that dynamic, and absolutely no judgement there, but this was my first experience reading it and wow, it was very not for me. Instead of finding it intense or romantic, I mostly felt like I’d accidentally walked into a room I wasn’t supposed to be in and now needed to leave immediately.

Unfortunately, it completely changed how I felt about both Eden and Nico. Every time she started fawning over him, I found myself internally recoiling a bit instead of rooting for them.

Maybe others will really love this book, but unfortunately it just wasn’t my kind of vibe

[Kayla Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first ARC and I was so impressed! I was so excited to read it due to the authors tiktoks I’d seen. I knew it was going to have the Criminal Minds and Saw aspects but had no clue about the supernatural parts. At first it threw me off because I didn’t expect it but it was so so perfect. Some of the things the main character said/thought were cracking me up because it sounded like something I would say or think too. I really enjoyed reading this and can’t wait for my copy to come in the mail!

[Taylor Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw Claire's tiktok stated she was coming out with a book based on saw and criminal minds. I was like yes sign me up because I would watch both on repeat. I didn't realized what I was getting myself into when I started reading it but it had me hooked from the prologue all the way to the end! Its crazy to think that if I was put into this situation, would I choose myself or my lover?! This book was well written and easy to read so excited to see how the story unfolds in the second book!

[ayesha ☪︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Advanced Reader Copy:

This book was amazing, hooked from the start! I absolutely loved our main characters. I loved the found family in this book, it’s one of my favorite tropes. This book was seriously giving criminal minds, I don’t know what else to say I’m not really good at reviews but pls pick this up immediately!!!!! Thank you so much to the author for giving me an arc.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the whole plot of this book so I got a mad surprise when the ghosts were introduced... Took me about 100 pages to get into the book, but once I was in, I was IN DEEP.
This book was so good and kept me hooked! Thoroughly enjoyed the ghost aspect and the surprise of it 😂😂

[michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Criminal Minds x Ghostbusters x Saw x what the actual fuck

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so unique i loved it.

[abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

definitely interesting, with good writing and a memorable found family (this author is really good with characters). i would've rly liked it if not for some things.

[Chloe Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly this was amazing!!! Ngl this is probably going to be my favorite read of the year. Nico and Eden have my full heart and I’m low key thinking about rereading it already. 1000000/10

[Keira Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review

I haven’t read such a good and detailed book in SO long. Everything about this book was insane, i genuinely couldn’t put it down!! every page kept you wanting more The descriptions for every character was amazing as well as the descriptions and plot!! i felt as if i was there and i can’t believe i’ve only just discovered this author!!

[Donna’s Escape · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!

I read Fraise’s They Stay series and loved that. BUT THIS!! THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME AND ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!! Fraise’s BEST BOOK YET!! I’m already DYING FOR THE NEXT BOOK!!

The characters…these characters have backgrounds that you can’t even conceive of! On top of that they can see ghosts, or entities. Eden has been drowning in despair and loneliness since losing her family when she was a child, she lives in her car and her best, and only real friend, is her rescue Chihuahua Bob…LOVE THAT DOG!! To make a long story short and spoiler free, Eden meets the ghost hunters team and eventually joins them.

The world building is so good, without it this book wouldn’t have had the same impact. The character building (very important for a person (me) who loves character influenced stories) is really, brilliantly well done! So much research had to have gone into this, and it paid off! The character development was done in such a realistic way that makes the characters so real and it made me TOTALLY invested in them!!

This book is VERY DIFFERENT from your typical Paranormal Thriller/Horror, with found family and a bit of romance. It is described as being Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds, Saw, and Supernatural!

There are possible triggers, you can read about those on the author’s website. But if those are not triggering for you and you like these kinds of books…DEFINITELY READ THIS!! This was an ARC, but the book is coming at the end of the month. Buy the special edition copies on the author’s website, they’re up for preorder.