Saving Jessie's Girl: A Dark Romance Novel

by Lauren Biel

She may be my brother’s girl... but she’s mine

Benji

My voice was stolen from me years ago. Silence is all I’ve known ever since.

Until her.

She understands sign language, and for the first time, someone actually hears me.

There’s just one problem.

She’s my brother’s girlfriend.

No matter how badly he hurts her, she won’t leave him. Even when she’s falling apart in my arms, we break together.

We both know this has to end.

But I’m not ready to walk away.

Which means there’s only one thing left to do... I have to save Jessie’s girl.



Saving Jessie’s Girl is a dark romance loosely inspired by a hit song. It’s part of the Dark Hits series—an ongoing collection of standalone stories.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Abuse, Romance, Spicy, Forbidden Romance, Contemporary

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2026

About the author

Lauren’s stories are often emotionally raw, with lots of twists and turns. She describes her writing as “where light meets dark”, which represents how her witty humor compliments the darkness in every story. Instead of trying to mold her writing to fit in a box, she chooses to be unapologetically herself. While her focus is on Romance with dark elements, subgenre is no constraint for her. The common theme in every book is finding love when you least expect it. She enjoys putting her characters through tribulations, allowing their triumphs to be that much more poignant. Make sure you have your seatbelts secured. It’s always a bumpy ride.

When she’s not working, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her husband, her friends, or her pets. You might also find her on a horseback trail ride or sitting beside a waterfall in Upstate New York. She has a pretty normal life, yet her stories are anything but.

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

This book had my heart racing and my eyes leaking.

This book is about domestic violence and can be triggering to not only those who have survived it, but also for the loved ones of the victim.

Twin brothers Jesse and Benji are gorgeous; Jesse has anger issues and is full of violence, while Benji suffers from trauma and is a kind soul. Emmy is a sweet lady but has a criminal record.

Emmy falls for Jesse, and Benji falls for Emmy. Jesse is scum and doesn’t deserve Emmy or her kindness; he mentally, verbally, and physically abuses her over and over again. Benji witnesses some of the abuse and tries to get Emmy to leave. Will she leave Jesse, or will he be her death sentence?

This was another difficult read for me. It’s crazy to think that characters like Jesse exist in real life. Some people only feel better about themselves when they take power away from others. From one survivor to the next, please get out! I’m so glad I chose this book. I loved the ending! 

Thanks to Book Sirens for sending me an advanced copy to read and review!

[C * Not Another Reader * C · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ✨

I was lucky and caught the ARC on booksirens. Yay me.

I couldn't put it down, I was so rooting for these two 😭.

Read the triggers, since the story is full of trauma. ( besides the heavier TW, there's cheating as well; I don't usually read cheating, but in this case I was all aboard; you have to read the book to understand the situation )

I would have liked a second extended epilogue, with them down the road of life, but this is just me getting greedy.

what to expect
- complete standalone
- not sure what their ages are, but I think they are close in age
- trauma, trauma, trauma, in both their lives
- no trigger related to food, so thank you Lauren for that 😂
- HEA

[Amee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saving Jessie’s Girl had some dark themes throughout. Jessie himself was a walking, talking red flag, but his twin Benji has a painful past history, and reason he became mute, something traumatic happened to him but it turned him into more of an empath with Emmy than to Jessie’s viciousness. Jessie was just the bad seed of the twins and Emmy sure paid the price. I wish the friendship that blossomed between Benji and Emmy was explored more. Went from attraction to empathy to sex in a whirlwind. This is a me thing, I enjoy the buildup to something more than the actual something happening. I took authors advice and sang Rick Springfields Jessie’s Girl as I was reading and it took the sting out of some of the violent scenes. Check your own triggers responsibly, he beats and his savagery is hard to read. I’ve enjoyed this authors past books enough that her name pops up relatively easy in my old lady memory so I’ll definitely keep her stories on my watch list. Thank to BookSirens for the ARC, as always these thoughts and opinions are my own. Take them with a grain of salt.

[Naz.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars 2.5/5 spice

I struggled with this, it just wasn’t for me unfortunately. There was a lot of domestic violence and not enough justice. Emmy was trapped and Benji had a blood loyalty to his brother.

Emmy found herself in difficult situations throughout most of the story. She ignored so many red flags with everyone. I definitely felt bad for her and was eagerly awaiting for her to get her revenge. Benji did what he could to warn and protect her.

Benji had his own demons that had taken away his voice. His backstory was just tragic. The trauma that he and Emmy carried bonded them closer together. Their friendship turned to love too quickly for me, I enjoy it more when there’s depth. I just didn’t connect with either MC in the end.

- Dark romance
- Brother’s girlfriend
- Trauma mute MMC
- Pet kitten
- Trauma
- Secret hookups

[Stephanie Compton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had really high hopes for this one, but for me it fell flat. Maybe it was the violence, which has not bothered me before but maybe I wasn’t in the frame of mind for it. I did enjoy that one of the MC’s had a disability and it didn’t hinder him in any way.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh 😭🥰 Lauren does it again

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I manged to grab this from an Arc post.

And oh my god this book emotional destroyed me, for reading somone who is mute.. Broke me.

i dont know how lauren does this but this book will be on my roman empire list, I can't wait for more books like this🥺♠️

[Mya Mousseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a surprise arc of this book, and having read a few of her books before I was excited to see what this one was about.

Nothing I love more than a bad boy down bad, and an epic revenge arc. It was a good, smutty read and heart pounding in a “can’t put this down and read in one sitting”

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was hard to read as I was once the person covered in bruises and looking for a way out.
People always ask why did you stay and never ask him why he thinks its OK for him to do it!
Time heals and scars fade but the mental and emotional abuse stays forever. Like a runner on the starting blocks waiting. Its always there at the edges of all new relationships wondering how long it will be until until you hear the sound of that starting pistol.

[Kyra Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sweetest Kind of Broken

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I picked this up because a friend recommended it (and because Joe Arden narrated it), and I’m so glad I did. This was such an enjoyable read!

I’m not going to lie—Emmy was driving me absolutely crazy at the beginning. Benji was practically waving red flags in front of her face, and she just refused to see them. 😂 As frustrating as it was, I understand why it was written that way because it allowed the story to build naturally. She just tested my patience.

Now let’s talk about Benji… poor, sweet Benji. Why am I such a sucker for damaged men? Better yet, why do I love the damaged men who can’t talk? He was absolutely perfect for this story. Protective, determined, and completely devoted once he knew what he wanted. He never crossed the line—he just quietly showed up for her over and over again. There’s something incredibly attractive about that.

The pacing was solid from beginning to end. I never felt like the story dragged, and I stayed invested the entire time. Overall, this was a really enjoyable dark romance, and I’m so glad I finally picked it up.

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sure you could finish this in one sitting if work and life didn’t interrupt 🤣

Jesse’s life seems to just be a run of bad luck with a nice dolloping of more bad luck on top. She thinks she’s met the one, for him to turn out not to be but his brother is another story…

"𝙸𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐?" 𝙸 𝚊𝚜𝚔. "𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎."

I really wouldn’t have stopped reading this in one go but life 🤷🏻‍♀️The story pulls you in from the start and I had no idea where it was going to take me. Sitting biting the skin around my nails (as you do), to growling, to ahhhing, and that’s just some of the emotions this book prompted from me. Lauren’s writing dark romance with a sprinkling of angst, feeling like you're in their right alongside the characters just made this book flyby. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next 🫶🏻

[K (dedicationdiaries) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The queen of dark traumances strikes again with Saving Jessie’s Girl (yes, like the song). WOW this book hit hard. It wasn’t a read, it was an emotional crime scene.

Benji, the most beautiful, broken soul. His story, his trauma and his dependence on his brother broke my heart multiple times. I loved him!
Emmy, the FMC is absolutely beautiful and such a fighter. I would’ve loved to hear more of her backstory though, more about her brother and their relationship. I felt so invested in her and her journey to find peace and happiness and really wanted to know more about her.

Friendly warning: maybe don’t raw dog this one like I did. Read the trigger warnings. It didn’t affect my rating because I know Lauren’s books. But, we don’t want anyone to be surprised!!

[Lyndi (mibookobsession) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's unheard if for it to take me 3 days to finish a book under 200 pages! Working a 3 day stretch doesn't leave me much free time, but every chance I got I was lured in and the characters stayed in the back of my mind. Wondering how Benji would step up, wondering if he'd get his voice back, wondering how they'd get through this impossible situation! This author has become one of my favorites for her deeply flawed and sometimes unhinged characters, redeemed by love in whatever crazy form. And with this book, I had the song "Jessie's girl" running through my head every time I saw the beautiful cover 😆.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

[Nikola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing, emotional book
❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[Crystal Overend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check your triggers!! I’m telling you now. Don’t go blind into this book if you have any abuse triggers. I ate this book up. Short and fast read but still hit hard.

[Kaitlyn Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very compelling short novel. Sucked in from the beginning. I admittedly got bored part way though, but I am so glad I pushed through to the end.

[Chane Le Roux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book. The emotions run high, and I truly felt what the characters were going through. It’s very well written, I loved Benji the most, and I’d happily read it again

[Sara Cayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lot but really good. I would recommend to please check your triggers.
5⭐️

[Leona T · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Saving Jessie’s Girl absolutely wrecked my heart and put it back together again.

Benji and Emmy are two incredibly broken people carrying more trauma than anyone should ever have to endure. Benji especially stole my heart. His silence somehow spoke louder than words ever could, and every interaction between him and Emmy felt raw, tender, and meaningful. Their connection was beautiful, heartbreaking, and impossible not to root for.

This book is dark, heavy, and packed with difficult topics, so please check the trigger warnings before diving in. There were moments that made me angry, moments that made my chest ache, and moments that had me cheering. Jessie was truly vile, and I spent most of the book wanting to scream at him.

I also loved the forbidden element of the story. The tension between Benji and Emmy was intense, emotional, and had me completely invested. The spice was definitely there, but for me, it was their emotional connection and the way they understood each other’s pain that really made this story shine.

The only reason this wasn’t a full five stars for me was that I wanted a little more backstory on Emmy and her family relationships. I felt like there was more to uncover there.

Overall, Saving Jessie’s Girl is a dark, emotional read filled with pain, healing, survival, and love. It’s heartbreaking, hopeful, and left me with a very satisfied smile by the end.

[Andreanna Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I’m free all day, I think I’ll can finish this book in one sitting! But yeah since I gotta do some other things in between works and all, hence the few days taken to finish it, but it’s good indeed, I can’t help but to think of this story whenever I had to put it in hold, and easily get immersed back into their world the moment I continue on again.

I’ve read and love author’s other books as well, and adding this book into the list too. It’s fast paced, filled with trauma represent and scenes which I think really does delivered.
The domestic violence in this, the way the characters goes on, it’s like that part of those hardly unspoken ones been shed some light onto them for a while. It showed. Not that thoroughly, but yeah, covered enough, to make one ponder upon the situations and the people that suffered those as well as the effects etc.

The chemistry between mmc and fmc feels a bit sudden at earliest phase, but then it turns out okay for me. There’s also cheating trope included, but seriously, it’s a well deserved and good one I must say.

Overall, this is such a good read indeed! 🖤

[Janelle Kozera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I don’t know how Lauren can give us the range of books like the Slaycation series to Captured, but this woman is amazing and knows how to hit all the feels. She’s done it again with her newest edition.

Saving Jessie’s Girl is a dark romance so read the TWs and prepare yourself. It’s worth the love between Benji and Emmy though. They are each going through something, Benji a little more traumatic when they meet, but when Emmy starts dating Benji’s twin Jessie and things take a turn for the worse, and Emmy’s new found trauma becomes Benji’s reason to live.

This is not a major spoiler but it will ease your heart if you read this. The angst about if Jessie was going to hurt Lily (Emmy’s kitten) sat with me the entire book. I kept thinking, Lauren wouldn’t do that. There is a scene where he grabs the kitten but he doesn’t kill it. The scene (imo) isn’t that hard to read. If you can read the abuse scenes with Emmy, even being an avid animal lover, you can get through this scene. Lily is okay 💜

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dark, emotional romance that absolutely requires checking the trigger warnings first. Lauren Biel delivers a heavy but powerful story filled with trauma, domestic abuse, addiction, mental health struggles, healing, and love. From the start, it’s easy to become completely invested in Emmy and Benji. Benji was impossible not to love. He may seem like the intimidating twin at first, but he’s actually protective, caring, and exactly what Emmy needs as her relationship with Jessie turns devastating. Their connection brings hope to such a painful story. The book handles difficult topics with raw realism, especially the feelings of fear, isolation, and helplessness that come with abuse. Many readers will find parts of this story deeply personal and even triggering, but the emotional payoff and HEA make it worth it. This story is heartbreaking, intense, and beautifully written. Lauren Biel knows how to make readers feel every emotion, and Saving Jessie’s Girl is one that stays with you long after finishing it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I love this story? Absolutely! Do I love Benji and Emmy? Absolutely! However, I felt like it was to fast paced and they lost the chemistry building between them in the beginning. It felt a bit rushed but overall I adore Benji and everything he’s endured not just for Emmy but himself too! He’s one that will hold a special place in my heart!! Benji has learned to live in silence until one day, he finds a reason to try to find his voice! Jessie, his twin brother, gets everything and anyone he wants. The charming, out going kind one…. Right?! Everything is not as it seems! As truths unfold, Emmy finds herself drawn to Jessie but it’s too late before she realizes maybe she chose the wrong twin. Benji sees the crash coming and does what he can to protect her and in turn, learns that he too may need to protect himself. Their story is beautiful and tragic!

Tropes/TW:
Domestic Violence
Animal cruelty
Brothers girl
Mute MMC
Traumatic past
Sexual Assault
Self harm
Cheating…. Not between MMC and FMC

[Chelsea Bayy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren Biel’s ability to write dark romance is unmatched. The way she is able to skillfully write characters that vary in shades of grey is special.

💜Meet the characters:

Benji, oh sweet, dark, mute, broken Benji; he is aware of Jessie’s terrible ways but he too is a victim of them in his own way.

Jessie’s need for control over any and everything makes what looks like the better twin, the worst choice.

And finally Emmy, who fell right into Jessie’s trap but whose beautifully broken pieces fit perfectly with Benji’s.

💜The feels:

This isn’t like some of Lauren’s other dark books. Saving Jessie’s girl deals heavily in trauma, {DV, SA (not between MC’s), CSA (not on page)} yet the one person not traumatized is the one who is most certainly a problem. The healing that occurs by both Benji and Emma is beautiful. Overall the book is wonderfully written, characters are developed well, and the spice is hot. I think it speaks to a wide audience for different reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Heather Saizar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving Jessie’s Girl absolutely wrecked me in the best way. Lauren Biel delivered yet again, and I genuinely couldn’t put this one down. From the very first chapter, this story had a grip on me and refused to let go.
The storyline was raw, intense, emotional, and so beautifully written. Benji and Emmy’s relationship wasn’t just about romance—it was about survival, healing, and finding someone who chooses you through the darkest moments. Their connection felt so real that I truly believe this book could be healing for readers who have experienced similar trauma.
And the audiobook? Absolutely delicious perfection! The narrators completely brought this story to life, and Joe Arden’s performance was phenomenal. He poured so much emotion into Benji that I felt every single moment. It made an already incredible story even more unforgettable.
Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite Lauren Biel books, and I’ll be thinking about Benji and Emmy for a long time.

[Jen W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about twin brothers who are very different. While both are handsome, Jessie has money, success and charm. Benji experienced trauma that resulted in him being mute. He keeps to himself.

When out for dinner, the brothers meet a waitress named Emmy. Jessie gives her his number and she reaches out to him. They start dating but she quickly realizes Jessie is not near as charming as he once seemed. Benji tries to warn her against his brother. They all have secrets.

I liked the premise of this story but it felt way too rushed for me. This could have really been an excellent story but it was so insta-love that it took away from the layers to Benji. The rush made some scenes seem impractical.

This story has a lot of trauma and triggering situations.
Thank you to BookSirens for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Book sirens and Lauren Biel for this ARC.

Lauren’s writing is nothing short of a masterpiece whether it is her slaycation series that was more light shockingly enough that being said it was an honor to be able to read Saving Jessie’s girl. I had so many emotions reading this book that at some points almost in tears. The ending felt slightly predictable to me but I still enjoyed everything about this book no matter how heavy it was. You can really feel all the emotions that the characters are going through almost like you are living it, thats how amazing, brilliant, and beautifully traumatic this book is. My favorite part overall is how complex the characters are and being non one dimensional. Here is to being broken 🖤

[Mamawattto4 Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave Saving Jessie’s Girl by Lauren Biel 4 stars.

This book is very heavy and incredibly dark, so definitely check content warnings before diving in. That said, there’s also something unexpectedly beautiful woven through the story. It balances the harshness with emotional depth in a way that really stuck with me.

I’ve read quite a few books by Lauren Biel, and they don’t usually end up being favorites for me but this one was different. Something about the characters and the raw, intense journey pulled me in more than I expected. It was gripping, emotional, and honestly hard to put down despite how heavy it gets.

If you’re okay with darker themes but still want a story with heart and meaning, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marquett Clemmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


When one of my favorite authors writes a book influenced by one of my favorite songs, I had to read it immediately.

Lauren did not disappoint!! Saving Jessie’s Girl is an emotional roller coaster through childhood trauma, domestic violence, mental health struggles, revenge, redemption and love. Lauren hooks you from the very beginning and you quickly become invested in Emmy & Benji. Although the story is very heavy and you worry how it may end, it is a HEA.

I highly recommend this book!! But, your mental health is important; please read the trigger warnings as this book delves in to some dark subjects.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ibo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dale and Jessie can rot in hell :)





3.5 stars ✨

Reminded me a lot of Shallow River by HD Carlton.

Wasn’t perfect for me because it felt a little rushed or short w this much depth and heavy themes, but I guess that’s the drawback of novellas. I’m a BIG Lauren Biel fan, but this was dark and I wanted more time for both Benji and Emmy to get to know each other, comfort, etc. Also I know this was a dark romance but like she was already so tramatized and in absolute hell with Jessie, the whole Dale abuse just broke me for her.

Thank you Lauren for writing these delicious broken men. Luv you Benji.