The Circle

by Maggie Sunseri

“Rest assured, when I finally get my hands on you… you will know for certain that I am no saint.”

A dark romantic comedy set inside an exclusive New York City kink society, perfect for fans of Butcher and Blackbird, Fifty Shades of Grey, and HBO’s White Lotus and Search Party.

What’s worse than your best friend moving out mid-lease to shack up with her newest toxic boyfriend? Probably discovering she also joined a freaky cult for obnoxious rich people, crypto bros, and tradwife spiritual gurus nestled inside a deconsecrated Gothic church. If Nova Harding had enough money for therapy, she might’ve let go of Lorelei’s mess to focus on writing. Instead, guided by mysterious social media ads, Nova is drawn inside The Circle to save her friend.

While Nova has spent the last seven years in New York City chasing success as an indie romance author, Lorelei has spent them trapped in their shared dark past. Nova refuses to abandon Lorelei, even as The Circle forces her to confront her greatest shames—and deepest desires.

But Nova isn’t the only concerned citizen infiltrating The Circle. Wes is ten years older than her. He’s tattooed, complicated, witty, and thoughtful. And he’s impossible to read. He is everything Nova should hate, another reminder of the taboo fantasies she can’t indulge. Wes says he wants to protect her in this den of snakes—that they can help each other and then part ways as friends.

But the way Wes looks at Nova is anything but friendly.

Caught in a New York City dreamworld of sex, glamor, power, and social media algorithms, Nova struggles to know who to trust. Is Wes really like her?

Or is Wes one of them?

—

The Circle is a standalone in a series of interconnected standalones.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Dark, Spicy, Romantasy, BDSM, Fantasy

526 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2026

About the author

Maggie Sunseri is the author of fantasy romance books by day and a witch, tarot card reader, and succubus by night. She has a bachelor's degree in Anthropology/Sociology. When she’s not traveling the world, you’ll find her curled up with a good book and a hot cup of tea, pretending it’s autumn no matter the season.

Sign up for her newsletter at https://maggiesunseri.com for ARC opportunities, bonus content, and new releases, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook for more frequent updates.

You can join her secret coven (reader group) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/maggi...

She also writes a Substack about spirituality, mental health, addiction, sexuality, and all things witchy and creative. https://maggiesunseri.substack.com/

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

i just finished a glass of wine and finished this book LOLO RIP TO MY HUSBANDS SLEEP

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun while reading. The perfect mix of a good storyline, tension, humor.

I really like Maggie’s writing style 🙌🏼💗

100% recommend

[KC the spice gremlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Maggie Sunseri’s vampire duets so when her new book popped up, I knew I wanted to read it ASAP. While this book is marketed as a dark rom com, I would describe it as more of a romantic suspense/thriller novel set against the backdrop of NYC, giving us glimpses of a dark underworld and at other times a bright hopefulness of found family among roommates, neighbors, and close knit communities.

In this book, our FMC Nova is a 20-something indie romance author, who left home with her best friend Lorelei at 18 to escape their families’ religious abuse. Nova approaches a kink club with strong woo-woo cult vibes in pursuit of Lorelei, who has cut off contact with Nova. What ensues is a winding mystery: where is Lorelei, what are the motives of this club, who can Nova trust? Along the way, she allies with Wes who is also investigating the club. Wes is a former dom with his own trauma. Together they embark on an unsettling journey and intense attraction.

I loved the found family banter with Nova’s roommates and the burn between Wes and Nova. There’s some interesting meta commentary on the hustle of an indie romance author. Overall, if you enjoy mid-dark suspense romance, I think you’ll enjoy this book. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to review this book in advance.

[SunsetLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Maggie Sunseri and enjoyed her pnr series so I was excited to see what she’d do with a contemporary story. This book had so much potential, but ultimately fell short of the mark for me for a variety of reasons. Spoilers below.

1- first and foremost is the book was absolutely too damn long. It’s over 500 pages. No contemporary novel set in the real world in 2026 needs to be longer than 350-400 pages. It got very tedious after a while and I was kind of bored halfway through skimming a lot.

2- much of the book is in Nova’s pov. We get maybe 4 or 5 of the 50+ chapters from Wes’ pov and that made it difficult to follow bc much of Nova’s inner thought process was frustrating.

3- the Gen Z vs millennial theme and banter got real old real fast. Wes is 35. 35. He would have been born in 1991. Nineteen. Ninety. One. He is portrayed as an old, out of touch boomer who shakes his head at “kids these days.” The dude was 17 when the iPhone came out yet walks around with a flip phone and a notebook and pen. His history with invasive tech kind of tried to explain that away but it felt forced to me. The story tried way too hard to reinforce this “gap” between them and ultimately was absurdly irritating.

4- the constant references to Brooklyn were annoying. We get it. I promise. Nova left the Deep South to run away from her religious fanatic family and moved to the big city with stars in her eyes. And now she lives in ultra cool Williamsburg with her ultra cool gay roomie and party girl bestie and writes sweet cozy romance novels (no smut here in Nova’s world) and takes the L train everywhere. She’s a hipster caricature. I didn’t need to know that she’s walking down Manhattan Avenue, or which subway she takes to get literally everywhere in order to enjoy the story. It was like she was giving the reader directions and flexing every chance she could to remind herself and the reader that she’s an ultra cool New Yorker now. And tbh the most egregious part of this hyper local fixation is Wes lives in Greenpoint and not once mentions the kick ass pierogis.

5- for a book that claims to be all about kink there was surprisingly little of it on page. Wes and Nova had two spicy scenes which were mildly kinky at best. And I get it, she’s new so he’s going slow, he’s scarred from his last relationship gone wrong, but it felt like a failure to launch for the entire theme of the book. Observations while walking around sex parties aside since the reader is not experiencing those scenes through the pov of the actors.

6- I hate this seemingly pervasive characterization lately of books as “dark rom com.” It’s like jumbo shrimp, makes no sense. This book was not comedic in the slightest. I have no idea why anyone would call this a rom com. It was moderately dark due to discussions of religious trauma (which also got tedious and old real fast), on page violence, and cult like behaviors. But a “dark rom com”? No.

7- lastly, almost everything these characters said or thought read like it came directly from a therapist’s mouth. So much talk about trauma (I get it, everyone has it, but it doesn’t need to be mentioned every other paragraph), and overcoming being a people pleaser, and how the rich billionaires are ruining the world (socio-political commentary aside), and no one can get jobs, and everything’s expensive. The world sucks. We know. We live here too. I don’t want to be reminded of it when I’m trying to sink into someone else’s story.

Tbh overall I did enjoy this story despite my critiques. I wanted to see what happened to Wes and Nova and did believe in their love, I just felt like it could’ve been so much more.

[Lola Jelic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC. I guess this book was not for me. It's not because it's about light kink. The first half of the book practically has none or just a bit.
I love her writing and the previous two duets, so I was surprised that I didn't like Nova. I am still so annoyed with her. I really struggled. That annoyance prevented me from connecting with her or Wes. I did not get her crazy obsession to find a person who doesn't want to be in her life, her being oblivious to some things happening, and most of all her relationship with Wes. She wants to be in a relationship with a dom (trust super important) and yet she does things that would destroy any trust. All that stuff with Roman... Why? Maybe I don't get that type of relationship, maybe I don't understand religious trauma...
This is why this book is not for me. I think it's cool for those who live in New York or know the city to read about those places that she mentions, but for us who have never been....just words on paper. Although, all the opportunities that New York gives (culturally) is just great. I have to say that Ms. Sunseri's female characters are becoming more and more indecisive and weaker in a way, and this is my greatest concern with her books. Maybe she is experimenting with that. I don't know, but I get annoyed with weak FMCs.
I just think I was not the right reader for this book. I am sure many will like it.

[Gabbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

🪢♥️ The Circle — Maggie Sunseri ♥️🪢

It’s almost time! A brand new kinky romcom is in town and it comes out July 31😏 I had such a fun time reading this one, the villains were EVERYWHERE, the MMC was just my type and the banter was hilarious not to mention the mystery that was driving the entire story had me totally captivated!

This book was totally unique to anything I’ve read in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey! A massive thank you to @maggiesunseri for the ARC♥️

If you like
🥀 Dark Contemporary Romance
🖤 Age Gap
🥀 Kinky Cult
🖤 Dom x Sub
🥀 BDSM
🖤 Banter For Days
🥀 Secret Masked Society
🖤 Possessiveness x Obsession

[Erin the.gremlin.reader · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars*

The Circle by Maggie Sunseri is a contemporary romance with dark themes such as shame & addiction, k!nk cults, religious trauma and imbalanced power dynamics.

In theory — I should have loved this. It was a confusing amount of talk for very little action, though. I think marketing this as a
k!nk heavy dark rom-com is a misrepresentation of what readers should expect.

Instead, expect to find a struggling indie author with a traumatic past and a compulsion to save her best friend from an isolating & elitist k!nk cult while embarking on her own unexpected journey of personal growth & self acceptance. K!nk & spice exist on the fringes of this book and are almost always observed (not particularly explicitly) or discussed in the abstract. And while I didn’t find this to have dark rom-com vibes — there were moments of banter.

All in all it was an enjoyable read. I think I would have enjoyed it more, though, if I wasn’t biting into a plum and being told it was a peach. The Circle releases July 31st and fans of Maggie’s writing should check out her foray into dark contemporary!

[Jordan Starr · Rating 1 out of 5]

quite possibly the worst book I've ever read

[VelvetNocturne_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Like a fizzy drink that lost all its carbonation. flavor there, but completely flat and w/o body.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this expecting a fun, spicy romance with plenty of chaos, but it ended up being so much more emotionally impactful than I anticipated. There’s no shortage of humor and banter, but the deeper themes of trauma, self-acceptance, healing, and forgiveness really stole my heart. The chemistry between Nova and Wes was undeniable, and their dynamic had me blushing, laughing, and absolutely kicking my feet. The twists kept me guessing, and I genuinely never knew who could be trusted. Somehow, this book manages to blend romance, humor, suspense, and emotional depth so seamlessly. This was such an unexpectedly wonderful read, and I’m officially convinced I need to read everything Maggie Sunseri writes!

[Katlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I read some pretty pitch black books because this one didnt seem very dark at all. I got the title for this book from an instagram book lover who reads pretty dark books so I think I just had different expectations. The storyline is good and the characters are easy to love. The concept of the the Circle is there but I feel like we could have had so much more. Its implied that its this big bad cult with really powerful people in charge but it isnt.... just one spoiled nepo kid. It was a let down really. I wanted to have to go deeper into the cult to find Lorelai. Anyway, fairly quick read. Some BDSM involved but only 1 really "shocking" scene.

[Em Logue · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.
What in the Gen Z buzzword nonsense IS THIS?! I barely made it 10 pages in...
We are unapologetically inclusive, trauma-informed, kink-celebratory, and consent-mandatory.
What the fuck.

[Gemma Winter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure how to feel about this book. At first it seemed promising but then nothing amazed me or makes me want to keep reading. And I don’t know why call it’s cult when this is nothing just a bunch of people who love bdsm gathering and having sex. While the female lead attend to every party finding her bff with no plans in her pretty head, just walking around the place?? I myself interest in cult history. I watch too many documentaries about cult and their leaders and I can tell this is nothing to do with a cult. Only rich people trying to have fun by playing bdsm and showing sub/dom. If you think that bdsm is a cult-like and can called it a dark-romance. I have no words for you.

[Maryam · Rating 1 out of 5]

It wasn’t even the spicy stuff that brought down the rating, the plot line wasn’t anything special, the characters were annoying and the x rated stuff was either written in a way which didn’t convey the shock the fmc was supposed to be feeling, or just felt flat and boring. How she made spice boring I don’t know but the whole thing - which was recommended as a must read for fans of lights out, of which, it definitely isn’t - is not worth the time it took to painfully reach the end.

[Liz Croyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was REALLY let down by this.

It just felt like the plot was all over the place, the smut wasn’t anything spectacular, it felt needlessly long, and a very anticlimactic ending. I didn’t care for either the FMC or MMC ( both just really felt flat)

[E. B. Lolo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nova is a struggling writer in NYC, but luckily for her, being extremely dumb is entirely free. Before you can make those same judgements for yourself, however, you have to also get past the moralizing babble of nothing and the teenage-level love letter to the city that shapes the writing of this book. Perhaps even more ironically, the book itself is a meta reference to the book the main character writes within the story, and even without that (just based on the snippets of the book she gives and her repetitive internal monologue) most readers can quickly match the quality of the character’s writing to that of the author.

If NYC felt like a cosplay of a real city, then the obscure mentions to TN were even more out of place. The character thinks the name of each train she takes but you are telling me she leaves it at “Tennessee” whenever she is going over the specifics of her trauma internally? Same for the background story of the male counterpart. It all just illustrates a lack of depth in the attempts at layering them and make them feel like real humans. If that wasn’t enough, psychological and sexual topics only ever get described in a judgmental-yet-clinical type of way, leaving them to sound unfeeling. The tension struggles to actualize because of this. It is clear that the author has some knowledge on the topics that she is describing. In fact, when the topics are used for shock value the scenes flow a lot smoother. But when it is time to add feeling emotions or whatever seems worth to justify the first person POV, everything falls flat and stays at that same clinical level, making the club sound a lot more tense than the sexual scenes shared by the main characters. Maybe it tried to go for politically-correct hot and failed.

In my opinion, the book was too contextualized and risked a lot of its value in very fleeting, obscured references. If it was an attempt at making their characters seem like real people, it did not help much, it only made them bland. And the part of it that was an attempt at social commentary was muddled drivel at best, contradictory and hypocritical more likely. With so many opportunities to connect the villains to meaningful impactful ways of negatively impacting society, the author let them at caricature level. Their messed up actions were all obviously illegal things, and they were never connected to the ways they actually controlled the society depicted here. A complex topic was reduced to a whine against the big bad several times in the book. But, I think conspiracy theory type of people might enjoy the tone, since it matches very well along those lines. At the end of the story, nothing changed and that’s where the message got lost entirely beyond the bland generalized proposal of “community.”

Another notch against the writing was the inclusion of Wes’ POV. Not only it was unnecessary, it also negatively impacted the quality of the story. A lot of the tension in the book hinged on the mystery and doubting of the club and Wes along with it. By revealing his POV, all of those questions were answered immediately and the plot dragged much more afterwards because the stakes were significantly lower. He also did not sound like a real person in his mind and his tone was too close to Nova’s writing wise, something that required more writing skill to avoid.

There was of course little logic to many things in this book, not only from the main characters but also from the villains and side kicks. And that occurred despite the long, repetitive internal monologues. So, the opportunity to correct the issue was at least there for the protagonists. A first gen rich guy with a “family crest” and an english degree major who never heard of “memento mori,” they remained constant in their vacuous portrayal. Even the narration itself catered to the viewer instead of the logic of the characters at times. This was probably what granted the book such an immature feel overall, despite its insistence on rules and safety.

I don’t recommend the book. There has to be something better out there to read about this same topic. Even if you went to it for the club scenes or the “romance,” the writing of it all will sure kill any potential in it.

[Barbora · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐

The pacing was great, the writing was engaging, and I really enjoyed the way the tension was built throughout the story. The descriptions were particularly well done, and I loved that the side characters had their own personalities and backstories. It felt like we got glimpses into their lives rather than them existing solely to serve the main characters.

I also really appreciated that this was a self-contained story. The author managed to explore the plot and answer the questions she wanted to address without unnecessarily dragging it out across several books. Everything felt resolved by the end.

However, I had some issues with the way the book handled trauma, sexuality, and the contrast between Nova and Lorelei.

Throughout the book, there were several moments where Nova's kinks and desires were framed almost as something that needed to be justified or defended. I understand the intention behind this: showing that there is nothing inherently shameful about her desires and that she shouldn't feel guilty for who she is or what she enjoys. I appreciated the emphasis on boundaries, consent, and learning to accept yourself.

What bothered me was how differently Lorelei's struggles seemed to be portrayed. Both women share a traumatic past, and both have been affected by their upbringing and the cult they escaped from. Yet Nova's experiences and desires often felt like they were being reframed as a perfectly normal part of who she is and Lorelai was the damaged one. I also struggled with how comfortable Nova seemed with certain things that were connected to her past and experiences that had hurt her.

I wish the book had explored this more thoughtfully, because I don't think one person's way of coping with trauma is necessarily healthier or more valid than another's simply because it looks different.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was engaging, easy to get into, and definitely kept me interested in what would happen next. Despite my issues with some of the character development and the way certain themes were handled, I would happily read more from Maggie Sunseri! ✨📖

[mikenlar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my TBR for so long, and I finally started it yesterday and just finished it. Let’s just say my bf had to pry my Kindle out of my hands so I could eat and sleep.

What initially caught my interest was the cultish, spicy premise, and it definitely delivered on both. But it was the mystery that made this book truly unputdownable!

[Stephanie Worthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4 This was a fun read! Got a little repetitive and slow in some parts of the book but was a good book! The mention of ChatGPT sent me😂☠️

[Noa · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

I fucking ate this shit uuuuuuuuup

[Taylor Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, surprisingly little smut for a sex cult but the plot was good

[Sophie Pearce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it a struggle to get through the first 70% of this book. How could a book about a BDSM sex cult be so dry?

Then, the last 30% was word vomit and a whiplash of events:

1. It could have been 200 pages shorter. There was so much fluff and unnecessary crap in this book. I don’t need a scenic tour of manhattan or the L. I don’t care about comedy shows and records. Why are we in Nova’s head so much and hearing about her failing author career and her (lack of) Amazon payments? We’re trying to find Lorelei. Lock in.

2. The MMC was hot and I loved the tension between them… until he opened his mouth (like most men I guess). I found some of their conversations really ick. He’s meant to be a love interest not a therapist. He was so over the top and almost sickeningly supportive. 🤢

3. I hate pop references in fiction but I understand adding a few to make a point. Some things mentioned in this were so niche and needed you to be chronically online to understand them.

4. The story was quite tame for a book about a taboo sex cult. Nothing was too shocking or unique. Barely any spice happened on page and when it did, it was cringe.

For example, the couple finally get together after a long slow burn and a 60% build up. He makes her come and she bursts into tears…🫪 girl, what?

Then he’s Wes the therapist with all the right buzz words off the rip.

So many interactions between them were just odd and lacked chemistry. They were like support group buddies rather than a couple.

“Thanks for supporting me” “thank you for supporting me and letting me support you” “thank you for acknowledging that support and letting me support and understand you and I’m grateful for your support in turn”. You get the gist. It’s all they seem to say 🤡.

5. The ending was whiplash. So many things happened all at once.

I loved the tarot references and how it ended. Overall,
it was an ok story but nothing groundbreaking.

Will I read the next? Probably not. I simply don’t care about the other characters that much as they all seem vapid.

I was excited to read the vampire novels by this author so I may try those instead.

[Astley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good dark romance read to help me out of my book slump!! Super easy read and the perfect about of smut and plot

[Carmen · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4,25 ⭐️

[Lauren B · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Maggie Sunseri and have really enjoyed her other series, but this one... just didn't hit the mark for me.

First of all, it's not terrible. A super spicy romance taking place at a private BDSM club run by NYC's elite?! Sounds like a fun read to me! But the actual bones of the story are not very original, and in fact, it follows pretty much all of the exact same tropes I've read a million times before. And this was FAR too long for the story it was telling.

The first 70% had so much promise, and then somehow when the action finally picked up—and by action I mean both spice between our MCs and literally anything interesting happening—the book got somewhat unbearable. The last 30% was so ridiculously over the top that I went from wondering early on if I'd accidentally picked up a paranormal romance to wondering by the end if this was secretly supposed to be dystopian?? Every single character started to annoy me.

Wes is, of course, a sexy and protective MMC (as all of this author's MMCs tend to be), so no surprise there. BUT, his dialogue with Nova eventually started giving me the ick. He is SO endlessly supportive and understanding that most of the time he sounds more like her trauma sponsor or a supportive father figure rather than her romantic interest... so weird.

And Nova. So much repetitive inner dialogue, and her refusal to give Wes essential information drove me absolutely CRAZY. Honestly, that goes for him too. The secrets are infuriating all around. These two are perfectly comfortable discussing their past traumas in excruciating detail CONSTANTLY, but somehow can't manage to be honest with each other about essential information happening in the present?!? Make it make sense.

[Tay_is_reading_again · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just realized I never posted my ARC review for one of my auto buy authors! Booo 🤦🏽‍♀️ anyways, the Circle is something so unique and different that it is hard to describe. If you’ve seen Eyes Wide Shut, then you’ll have an idea of what the circle is like.

The Circle is a cult for the elite to live out their most depraved fantasies. Nova’s friend went MIA and started posted about some hints on social media about the elusive Circle, so Nova infiltrates the cult. During this infiltration, Nova meets Wes who also has his reasons for joining the Circle that are unknown to us.

Read this if you like:
⭕️ secret cult in NYC
⭕️ comedic moments
⭕️ found family
⭕️ religious trauma
⭕️ dom/sub dynamics
⭕️ plot twists I never saw coming
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

Thank you so much Maggie for letting me read an early copy and I’m SO SORRY this is so late.

[Magg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ 3🌶️
Anyone who is bored of traditional rom coms or people who want to broaden their reading horizons to dive into some kink, this feels like a GREAT book to pick up! It was the perfect balance of light romance and some comedy with fun spice and kink and a TINY bit of darkness. Dark romance readers will love the kink, and light romance readers will be happy to find a less predictable story. So I feel like any romance reader will like this one!
Contemporary romance and rom coms are SUCH a hit or miss for me, but I took a chance on this one because I LOVE Sunseri’s other books and this one did not disappoint!
Typical rom coms feel like a super predictable Hallmark movie, with the same vanilla spice and a plot that I can predict from the first chapter. This was not that at ALL! It wasn’t super predictable, and at times I was on the edge of my seat with the tension. It was hard to tell what the plot would be like with the Circle, and I loved that. Then of course, it was kinky and fun and included spice that wasn’t what is usually in a rom-com. And throughout all of it, I was laughing at jokes and quips. The entire story was SO refreshing for the genre - I wish more rom coms were like this!


TROPES
Contemporary Romance with Kink
Secret Society
Allies to Lovers
Age Gap (10 Years)
Love Letter to NYC
Overcoming Religious Trauma

THE WORLD
This was set in New York City, and I definitely felt some of the magic that people feel with the city. It romanticized the city in a way that highlighted community and art.
The author included a lot of great takes on the current system in the US, so there’s a nice touch of political rage in here. I connected to this a lot and found it really fitting for today’s society. It made it feel realistic.
Some things were references to real life, like Amazon, pop culture references, and music, while others weren’t, most notably PicWave and the other Wave company social medias. So it did make it feel a little disjointed to me in that sense. But by the end, it worked for me in a weird way? It did feel a lot like real life and like a real love story which I liked.

THE CHARACTERS
Nova and Wes both had a lot of character development as they overcame trauma and found healing and self love. While they both had comprehensive backstories showing their pasts and what in their lives had influenced their goals and actions, I was especially drawn to Nova’s story. She had an interesting past and I liked how it impacted not only her confidence and self-love, but her relationships with others. And the way she used humor as both a shield and a weapon was really enjoyable.
As a Scorpio moon, I related a LOT to Wes and his hesitancy to connect with people and share his struggles. I think the author used his Scorpio stellium to develop his character in a way that came across really clearly. I loved it and also felt seen at the same time, which was nice!
The side characters could have used more backstories and more personality, but I enjoyed them for the most part.


THE ROMANCE
To me, this was an allies to lovers with a medium burn. For a pretty kinky book, there wasn’t a lot of spice scenes between the MCs. Most of the kink was witnessed through the Circle and the members there. So it was like a great entry to kinkier stories for people who are looking to broaden their reading horizons!
Something that I LOVED was that Wes and Nova wanted to take time to know one another before developing anything serious. I would say this has a medium burn, because there is fun banter and flirting but they also do have a pretty quick attachment to eachother that is held off while they built a friendship and foundation for more.
Their attraction clearly wasn’t just physical. It was mostly an emotional attraction.

QUOTES:
*quotes are from an Advanced Readers Copy. Please refer to the final publication for official quotes!*

“what was womanhood if not becoming blind to one's own suffering?”

“It's not your job to rescue her, and you can't fix her. She has to figure it out herself."

"Show that little girl who prayed for God to make her normal-who prayed for him to make her anything else but her true self—that she is perfect just the way she is."

"You're not you because of your trauma, Nova. You're you in spite of it."

"All of this use of the word play makes domination and sadism sound like a cute, fun little hobby."
Wes shrugged. "I think tormenting and playing with you would make for a fun and cute little hobby."

[lizface · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was PERFECT!
The amount of darkness within the story was excellently balanced out with light and humor from our MCs.
The plot was great, the amount of detail and how real it all could possibly be made some scenes feel very intense.

The dom//sub dynamic between our MCs was my favorite. And how obsessed they secretly were about each other was intoxicating
“Seeing her covered in my clothes and bite marks soothed the possessiveness that was only growing more dangerously intense by the hour.”

But my absolute favorite part is how they made each other feel safe enough to be their softest selves 🥹
They deserve it all and more!
“After crushing Nova mercilessly in Mario Party, I finally got my wish. She was sleeping in my bed, still wearing my shirt, her body perfectly curled against mine.”

The Circle follows Nova who immerses herself into a s3x cult to find her best friend, and save her from going down the wrong road. But while Nova is playing “Nancy Drew” she learns more about herself as well. After meeting Wes there one day they find they have the same interests of infiltrating The Circle. And thus begins our journey of finding acceptance of one’s self, the good and the bad, as well as one of the deepest love connections 😭

P.S. make sure you read the bonus epilogue!! ❤️‍🔥🪢

Thank you Maggie for my eARC 🫶🏼
I absolutely adore these two and ate their story up like there was no tomorrow!

[JoyceLeest · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Circle by Maggie Sunseri is an absolute rollercoaster of a dark romance that seamlessly blends high-stakes mystery, heavy spice, and cult dynamics. Driven by loyalty the fmc, Nova, bravely infiltrates a secretive kink cult to track down her missing friend, only to unexpectedly unlock her own wildest desires along the way. Right from her very first meeting, the tension explodes as she crosses paths with a dangerously handsome, broody stranger, Wes, whose lingering presence keeps you constantly guessing whether he can truly be trusted.
​The story crafts a deliciously sinister atmosphere full of shady characters and unsettling clues that instantly signal something deeply wrong beneath the surface. Roman initially steals the show with a wild, bold energy that makes him even more intriguing than Wes at first. However, as his secrets unfold, his character takes a genuinely unsettling turn from magnetically bad to straight-up psycho. It is a tense, thrilling read that keeps you hooked until the very end. Perfect for anyone who loves intense smut paired with a dark thriller edge.

[Autumn Jarvis · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

First, I did enjoy this book. It was well written, and I did like the main male character. The female main character wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t particularly care about the self-hating personality. It wasn’t a bad book and also wasn’t one of of my favorites. However, I did like the sex cult idea even if I was not fine of the enormous amount of religious references that were used in the book. As a Catholic myself, I didn’t like the usage of the nuns, but to each of their own.

However, I wish that the author would’ve went deeper into the sex cult. I think a lot of the scenes seemed very rushed, or as if it was just an overview or outline of what was happening, where there was a lot of potential to dive deeper in the scene. I think that it could have been explained into more detail bringing each part of it more into a fantasy world. I liked the book. Nothing is perfect.