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Two Wrongs: A Dark Romance
It was supposed to be the end of my story...
Tim Walters ruined my life last summer, and after a year spent battling his wealthy, corrupt family for justice I never got, I was beyond broken—I was shattered. I’d lost hope that things would ever get better for me, but I couldn’t stop watching his life go on like nothing had even happened.
After a lifetime spent doing the right thing, it was crushing to realize that the bad guy wins if more people like him.
I was already dangling at the end of my rope, so I made the only decision I could live with.
I would give our story the ending it truly deserved.
What I didn’t account for was Tim’s twin brother.
Tor Walters decided it wasn’t time for my story to end. It simply needed a rewrite—and lucky for me, Tor has a gift for manipulating reality to better suit his artistic vision.
He takes over my life, but he does it so well, I’m mostly okay with it.
Until I realize Tor may not be who I think he is—who anybody thinks he is.
I thought I knew the Walters family, but I had no idea the depths of their depravity. I thought I vanquished the monster, but a little too late, I realize maybe there were two.
And the one who saved me?
He has no intention of letting me go.
WARNING: This is a dark romance intended only for a mature adult audience. Sensitive subject matter will be explored, and some readers may find that upsetting. Readers with triggers commonly found in the dark romance genre should read the author's note at the beginning of the book.
Tim Walters ruined my life last summer, and after a year spent battling his wealthy, corrupt family for justice I never got, I was beyond broken—I was shattered. I’d lost hope that things would ever get better for me, but I couldn’t stop watching his life go on like nothing had even happened.
After a lifetime spent doing the right thing, it was crushing to realize that the bad guy wins if more people like him.
I was already dangling at the end of my rope, so I made the only decision I could live with.
I would give our story the ending it truly deserved.
What I didn’t account for was Tim’s twin brother.
Tor Walters decided it wasn’t time for my story to end. It simply needed a rewrite—and lucky for me, Tor has a gift for manipulating reality to better suit his artistic vision.
He takes over my life, but he does it so well, I’m mostly okay with it.
Until I realize Tor may not be who I think he is—who anybody thinks he is.
I thought I knew the Walters family, but I had no idea the depths of their depravity. I thought I vanquished the monster, but a little too late, I realize maybe there were two.
And the one who saved me?
He has no intention of letting me go.
WARNING: This is a dark romance intended only for a mature adult audience. Sensitive subject matter will be explored, and some readers may find that upsetting. Readers with triggers commonly found in the dark romance genre should read the author's note at the beginning of the book.
490 pages, Paperback
Published July 28, 2026
About the author
Sam Mariano
47 books5,047 followersFollow Sam Mariano on Facebook, Instagram (@sammarianobooks), or check out her Blog! If you need to email her, she can be reached at sammarianoauthor@gmail.com (but she is sometimes tardy about checking email. Mateo is very demanding).
Sign up for Sam's mailing list (to stay up to date on current projects--she won't spam you! Only for notification of new releases or book sales.)
All of Sam's books are available on Amazon! (And don't forget to follow Sam's Amazon Author page to get notified about the newest releases.)
Sam Mariano has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She lives in Ohio and has a sweet and wonderful daughter.
Because of You was her first finished story (she started writing it when she was 18) and due to a full-time work and college schedule, it took her years to finish. She has also been telling people for years that there would never be a sequel (sorry, guys!)…which turned out to be a lie.
Sam Mariano is currently working on Dante’s book (if you’re a Morelli reader) and some other WIP.
Feel free to find her on Facebook, Goodreads, or her blog—she loves hearing from readers!
Sign up for Sam's mailing list (to stay up to date on current projects--she won't spam you! Only for notification of new releases or book sales.)
All of Sam's books are available on Amazon! (And don't forget to follow Sam's Amazon Author page to get notified about the newest releases.)
Sam Mariano has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She lives in Ohio and has a sweet and wonderful daughter.
Because of You was her first finished story (she started writing it when she was 18) and due to a full-time work and college schedule, it took her years to finish. She has also been telling people for years that there would never be a sequel (sorry, guys!)…which turned out to be a lie.
Sam Mariano is currently working on Dante’s book (if you’re a Morelli reader) and some other WIP.
Feel free to find her on Facebook, Goodreads, or her blog—she loves hearing from readers!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
July 31, 2026
Before I get into my review, I had a few people who were wanting to know if this book was "safe" as far as fidelity and other people drama goes.
While the content (not tone) could arguably be some of Sam's darkest, as far as fidelity goes this book is "safe."
No sharing, no on-page sex scenes with other people, and neither main character has sex with anyone else during the course of their relationship. There is very minimal other-man drama at the very beginning from the FMC's ex-boyfriend, but it was nothing romantic or even really sexual—just jealousy on his part. There is some small wannabe other-woman drama; the H does take a picture of her topless, but only as blackmail. He does flirt with her a tiny bit out of manipulation, but that's it.
Okay, now on to my actual review. There will be spoilers, so if you're not interested in those, be forewarned!
I needed a couple of hours of sleep and some time to process the book before I wrote a review. In the beginning, I was really enjoying the story! It's a classic Sam setup: a mastermind hero and a gullible, self-righteous heroine. I love watching an MMC completely throw a naive heroine off her game. I think a lot of my excitement came from knowing how she's handled her previous books and wondering how she was going to manage to wrap this total villain of a hero into a nice, seemingly palatable bow. For me, it never really landed, especially around the 80% mark when we have the big "twist" reveal, which looking back now, I'm not sure if it was initially obvious or if I just read a lot of dark romance so it seemed obvious to me. Either way, if it was supposed to be a shocking twist, it failed for anyone who's ever read a Sam book or dark romance in general; if it was meant to be dramatic irony, where the reader sees what's coming before the heroine does, then we wait most of the book for the reveal, only to have it rushed and none of the usual psychological masterminding happen. I kept waiting for Tor to have this big "Morelli Trap" or elaborately laid machination, but instead, page space was wasted on an incredibly poor misdirect that he is instead just going to give her up and sleep with the other woman. At that point I don't think anyone was really fooled by it, so it just seemed like wasted drama that didn't serve to build that psychological planning element that was desperately needed.
However, kudos to Sam for not pulling her punches or sanitizing her hero like so many before her have done. She definitely understood the assignment.
I could see where this was going almost from the opening scene where Cassie shoots Tim and comments on always being able to tell them apart. It didn't really matter to me, though, because it seems to intentionally give you the breadcrumbs to know what was really going on before the heroine does. About the time Tor tells her the only way to prove their alibi is for him to WEAR a condom and penetrate her with it, but it "isn't real sex," and she's just like, "Yeah... okay, that makes sense," I realized realism was out the door and Sam logic was in full play—and I was LOVING it! Tor has Cassie so off her game from the very beginning that she's left kind of mindlessly stumbling around trying to see which way is up. When she tells Tor about her interaction with her ex and is SO sure they're going to prison based on his testimony, and then we watch Tor obviously setting himself up with an alibi while she remains mind-numbingly oblivious to what he's going to do, I was definitely cackling over it.
Where it started to lose me a bit was pages after page of tedium dealing with the heroine. Now, I know everybody has differing opinions about Sam's FMCs, but normally I enjoy them! Yes, they're usually a bit (or quite a bit) naive and malleable, but they fit with the story Sam is telling. However, Cassie... while at first I legitimately felt for her situation and her struggle, she's such a continual angry ball of hostility, bitterness, and unrealistic expectations that, no matter how justified it is, you're just exhausted from her long-winded, self-righteous sermonizing. You start to see why everyone was annoyed with her. I don't know if that was intentional or not, but regardless, at some point, you're just over it and kind of can't help but think she was being overly dramatic and unrealistic about everything, especially considering how wrong she turned out to be. I think maybe Sam was trying to make a more unhinged FMC with a whole lot of feminine rage, but because of the execution, she just seemed ENORMOUSLY hypocritical.
Part of what has always made Sam's hero/heroine combo work is that the MMC seems to effectively gaslight and manipulate the heroine into seeing the reality he creates. Unfortunately, here... it just didn't work at ALL. The FMC supposedly saw right through his last manipulation with the OW and just... went with it? I just can't imagine, with all the anger and hate she had and all the nightmares over her rape to the point she was willing to kill a man over it, that she was like, "Well, the rape isn't so bad now that I know it was you." What? That makes less than zero sense, especially since Tim was the one she was actually more into and wasn't even paying attention to Tor. But now that she knows the whole situation was 10x worse than she first suspected, she's just okay with it? Not likely!
This may be an unpopular opinion, but am I the only one who feels bad for Tim and Russell? I mean, say what you will about them as people, but Tim definitely didn't deserve being killed in cold blood and I don't think Russell was wrong for being angry with her for immediately having sex with the brother of the guy who she thought raped her! Sure, she has no obligation to have sex with him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a right to be salty about the fact that he loved her and was patient with her for a year and she ends up giving it up to someone she hates in a matter of days! He even gave her the benefit of the doubt and didn't immediately share her involvement with the police and wanted to hear what she had to say. He DID stick by her after the rape and trying to pretend that he shouldn't have any sort of feelings about it is trying to deny reality. I also didn't see what was so wrong about what he said to his friends. He didn't laugh at her or say anything mean, he said "Don't be a dick" which may not have been the huge screaming confrontation she wanted, but it was far from unsupportive. That was the first real hint I had that her expectations for what she wanted were far and above what was realistic.
Furthermore, it was really glossed over, but with how much Cassie HATED Nina, to the point she sent a bitchy, insecure message to Tor DURING his brother's memorial, the brother she killed, about a picture of him hugging someone, do we really think she'd have just been okay with him lying to her about sleeping with Nina, even if it was before they dated? That would have been way too big of a deal for her to overlook. But she maybe didn't believe her, which also doesn't make sense? That whole thing is a head scratcher and I don't really get how she came to the conclusions she did.
There is a certain amount of Sam's books where you have to just go with the flow, and normally that isn't a huge issue for me because, as wild as it is, it still all makes sense by its own world logic. But here, the transitions were too quick and jarring to suspend my disbelief, kinda like a "Frankensam" of her other books. It felt like she cut and pasted the shock value of the MMC raping the FMC at the beginning of "Descent", the callous sociopathic behavior of "Dare" and a twist on the popular highschool football player element from "Untouchable" into one book and then without any of the usual finesse said "Well, here you go!" Maybe that was why I was so upset by Tim's death. It was like she killed Carter!! 😂
Another thing that I felt was really missing was the night of the rape itself! We get bits and pieces, but we never get to see the actual scene, which would have added so much context. The whole book was basically about that night, and yet we never get to experience it! That may be specifically to avoid being banned by Amazon, so I can understand the reasoning if that's the case, but it was such a crucial scene that we really needed more of a play-by-play of what went down to get a true feel for the situation. Not even necessarily the rape itself, but how she went from flirting with Tim to laying down tired in his bed or what was going through Tor's head or what he was thinking or what happened afterwards. Again, we got bits and pieces, but we needed one cohesive flashback to shed light on a lot of the mystery about that night.
At the end of the day, I just didn't really like either MC like I normally do. Cassie was way too outspoken and abrasive, while Tor just wasn't that great of a mastermind (though I did really appreciate that he planned to be an architect—that was funny). He was the cause of all that for a YEAR, and he couldn't come up with something to make it all work; he wouldn't have made any moves if Cassie hadn't done what she did.
There were a lot of elements here that could have made for a really good story, and overall, I still think it's worth a read and better than most of the books being pumped out in the last few years. But compared to a lot of Sam's other books, I just didn't feel as into it. That might just be a me thing, too—I have historically been known to not originally vibe with her books and then end up loving them on a reread, so maybe that will happen here if I decide to pick it up again.
Edit: I had to lower the star rating after further reflection to 2 stars. The final straw is when I started explaining this to my husband, who reads NO dark romance or romance at all and I said "So this girl was raped, but the guys she accused was an identical twin...." and he immediately said "Oh, so it was the other twin." before I even finished. It's definitely not just me, the twin thing was WAY too freaking obvious and the more I think about it, the more I think the 3 stars was my own goodwill and excitement for a new Sam novel than any actual earned credit from the book itself. If it hadn't had her name on the cover, I'd have given this a 2 Star.
While the content (not tone) could arguably be some of Sam's darkest, as far as fidelity goes this book is "safe."
No sharing, no on-page sex scenes with other people, and neither main character has sex with anyone else during the course of their relationship. There is very minimal other-man drama at the very beginning from the FMC's ex-boyfriend, but it was nothing romantic or even really sexual—just jealousy on his part. There is some small wannabe other-woman drama; the H does take a picture of her topless, but only as blackmail. He does flirt with her a tiny bit out of manipulation, but that's it.
Okay, now on to my actual review. There will be spoilers, so if you're not interested in those, be forewarned!
I needed a couple of hours of sleep and some time to process the book before I wrote a review. In the beginning, I was really enjoying the story! It's a classic Sam setup: a mastermind hero and a gullible, self-righteous heroine. I love watching an MMC completely throw a naive heroine off her game. I think a lot of my excitement came from knowing how she's handled her previous books and wondering how she was going to manage to wrap this total villain of a hero into a nice, seemingly palatable bow. For me, it never really landed, especially around the 80% mark when we have the big "twist" reveal, which looking back now, I'm not sure if it was initially obvious or if I just read a lot of dark romance so it seemed obvious to me. Either way, if it was supposed to be a shocking twist, it failed for anyone who's ever read a Sam book or dark romance in general; if it was meant to be dramatic irony, where the reader sees what's coming before the heroine does, then we wait most of the book for the reveal, only to have it rushed and none of the usual psychological masterminding happen. I kept waiting for Tor to have this big "Morelli Trap" or elaborately laid machination, but instead, page space was wasted on an incredibly poor misdirect that he is instead just going to give her up and sleep with the other woman. At that point I don't think anyone was really fooled by it, so it just seemed like wasted drama that didn't serve to build that psychological planning element that was desperately needed.
However, kudos to Sam for not pulling her punches or sanitizing her hero like so many before her have done. She definitely understood the assignment.
I could see where this was going almost from the opening scene where Cassie shoots Tim and comments on always being able to tell them apart. It didn't really matter to me, though, because it seems to intentionally give you the breadcrumbs to know what was really going on before the heroine does. About the time Tor tells her the only way to prove their alibi is for him to WEAR a condom and penetrate her with it, but it "isn't real sex," and she's just like, "Yeah... okay, that makes sense," I realized realism was out the door and Sam logic was in full play—and I was LOVING it! Tor has Cassie so off her game from the very beginning that she's left kind of mindlessly stumbling around trying to see which way is up. When she tells Tor about her interaction with her ex and is SO sure they're going to prison based on his testimony, and then we watch Tor obviously setting himself up with an alibi while she remains mind-numbingly oblivious to what he's going to do, I was definitely cackling over it.
Where it started to lose me a bit was pages after page of tedium dealing with the heroine. Now, I know everybody has differing opinions about Sam's FMCs, but normally I enjoy them! Yes, they're usually a bit (or quite a bit) naive and malleable, but they fit with the story Sam is telling. However, Cassie... while at first I legitimately felt for her situation and her struggle, she's such a continual angry ball of hostility, bitterness, and unrealistic expectations that, no matter how justified it is, you're just exhausted from her long-winded, self-righteous sermonizing. You start to see why everyone was annoyed with her. I don't know if that was intentional or not, but regardless, at some point, you're just over it and kind of can't help but think she was being overly dramatic and unrealistic about everything, especially considering how wrong she turned out to be. I think maybe Sam was trying to make a more unhinged FMC with a whole lot of feminine rage, but because of the execution, she just seemed ENORMOUSLY hypocritical.
Part of what has always made Sam's hero/heroine combo work is that the MMC seems to effectively gaslight and manipulate the heroine into seeing the reality he creates. Unfortunately, here... it just didn't work at ALL. The FMC supposedly saw right through his last manipulation with the OW and just... went with it? I just can't imagine, with all the anger and hate she had and all the nightmares over her rape to the point she was willing to kill a man over it, that she was like, "Well, the rape isn't so bad now that I know it was you." What? That makes less than zero sense, especially since Tim was the one she was actually more into and wasn't even paying attention to Tor. But now that she knows the whole situation was 10x worse than she first suspected, she's just okay with it? Not likely!
This may be an unpopular opinion, but am I the only one who feels bad for Tim and Russell? I mean, say what you will about them as people, but Tim definitely didn't deserve being killed in cold blood and I don't think Russell was wrong for being angry with her for immediately having sex with the brother of the guy who she thought raped her! Sure, she has no obligation to have sex with him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a right to be salty about the fact that he loved her and was patient with her for a year and she ends up giving it up to someone she hates in a matter of days! He even gave her the benefit of the doubt and didn't immediately share her involvement with the police and wanted to hear what she had to say. He DID stick by her after the rape and trying to pretend that he shouldn't have any sort of feelings about it is trying to deny reality. I also didn't see what was so wrong about what he said to his friends. He didn't laugh at her or say anything mean, he said "Don't be a dick" which may not have been the huge screaming confrontation she wanted, but it was far from unsupportive. That was the first real hint I had that her expectations for what she wanted were far and above what was realistic.
Furthermore, it was really glossed over, but with how much Cassie HATED Nina, to the point she sent a bitchy, insecure message to Tor DURING his brother's memorial, the brother she killed, about a picture of him hugging someone, do we really think she'd have just been okay with him lying to her about sleeping with Nina, even if it was before they dated? That would have been way too big of a deal for her to overlook. But she maybe didn't believe her, which also doesn't make sense? That whole thing is a head scratcher and I don't really get how she came to the conclusions she did.
There is a certain amount of Sam's books where you have to just go with the flow, and normally that isn't a huge issue for me because, as wild as it is, it still all makes sense by its own world logic. But here, the transitions were too quick and jarring to suspend my disbelief, kinda like a "Frankensam" of her other books. It felt like she cut and pasted the shock value of the MMC raping the FMC at the beginning of "Descent", the callous sociopathic behavior of "Dare" and a twist on the popular highschool football player element from "Untouchable" into one book and then without any of the usual finesse said "Well, here you go!" Maybe that was why I was so upset by Tim's death. It was like she killed Carter!! 😂
Another thing that I felt was really missing was the night of the rape itself! We get bits and pieces, but we never get to see the actual scene, which would have added so much context. The whole book was basically about that night, and yet we never get to experience it! That may be specifically to avoid being banned by Amazon, so I can understand the reasoning if that's the case, but it was such a crucial scene that we really needed more of a play-by-play of what went down to get a true feel for the situation. Not even necessarily the rape itself, but how she went from flirting with Tim to laying down tired in his bed or what was going through Tor's head or what he was thinking or what happened afterwards. Again, we got bits and pieces, but we needed one cohesive flashback to shed light on a lot of the mystery about that night.
At the end of the day, I just didn't really like either MC like I normally do. Cassie was way too outspoken and abrasive, while Tor just wasn't that great of a mastermind (though I did really appreciate that he planned to be an architect—that was funny). He was the cause of all that for a YEAR, and he couldn't come up with something to make it all work; he wouldn't have made any moves if Cassie hadn't done what she did.
There were a lot of elements here that could have made for a really good story, and overall, I still think it's worth a read and better than most of the books being pumped out in the last few years. But compared to a lot of Sam's other books, I just didn't feel as into it. That might just be a me thing, too—I have historically been known to not originally vibe with her books and then end up loving them on a reread, so maybe that will happen here if I decide to pick it up again.
Edit: I had to lower the star rating after further reflection to 2 stars. The final straw is when I started explaining this to my husband, who reads NO dark romance or romance at all and I said "So this girl was raped, but the guys she accused was an identical twin...." and he immediately said "Oh, so it was the other twin." before I even finished. It's definitely not just me, the twin thing was WAY too freaking obvious and the more I think about it, the more I think the 3 stars was my own goodwill and excitement for a new Sam novel than any actual earned credit from the book itself. If it hadn't had her name on the cover, I'd have given this a 2 Star.
August 1, 2026
DNF 25%
I’m not sure about ya’ll, but when I pick up a Sam Mariano book I’m picking it up for the MMC. I want a Carter, a Calvin, a Jasper or a Killian. I love them and they’re some of my all-time favorite characters.
I’m not sure if Tor would have fallen in to that category or not, because at 100 pages in, he’s barely been in the story. This is the Cassie show.
This book is so full of filler…all in the form of Cassie’s inner-monologue. The problem is…I don’t care for her. I don’t feel a whole lot of empathy towards her. Therefore, I’m not enjoying reading a book that is essentially about HER.
I was so excited to get a new book from Sam, as I really thought she redeemed herself with Brutal Ambition, but this just didn’t work for me. The pacing is too slow and hyper-focused on one character. I needed things to move along and get to the actual plot. With some editing, this may have worked, but as it stands, I’m just not interested in reading another 300+ pages of Cassie’s drama.
Very disappointing.
I’m not sure about ya’ll, but when I pick up a Sam Mariano book I’m picking it up for the MMC. I want a Carter, a Calvin, a Jasper or a Killian. I love them and they’re some of my all-time favorite characters.
I’m not sure if Tor would have fallen in to that category or not, because at 100 pages in, he’s barely been in the story. This is the Cassie show.
This book is so full of filler…all in the form of Cassie’s inner-monologue. The problem is…I don’t care for her. I don’t feel a whole lot of empathy towards her. Therefore, I’m not enjoying reading a book that is essentially about HER.
I was so excited to get a new book from Sam, as I really thought she redeemed herself with Brutal Ambition, but this just didn’t work for me. The pacing is too slow and hyper-focused on one character. I needed things to move along and get to the actual plot. With some editing, this may have worked, but as it stands, I’m just not interested in reading another 300+ pages of Cassie’s drama.
Very disappointing.
July 31, 2026
Gotta say I wasn't impressed with this. Untouchable will always be my fav Sam Mariano book. And I'm glad this was a standalone because I don't trust her series. I'm still waiting for the book that will destroy Dare and Audrey's HEA. But I digress. I think what had me disliking this book was the FMC Cassie. I just could not feel any kind of emotion for her. Nor did I feel sorry for her. And considering the plot, I should have. So these stars are for Tor. The author's note said this was dark, but for me it wasn't at all. I could see what was coming miles away as well. I like my psychopaths in books, but for the life of me I couldn't even understand his obsession with Cassie. At the 60% mark I was bored to tears. Once it started picking back up at 80% I wasn't feeling it anymore. And once all was revealed I had already figured that out for myself. Overall it was weak I'm sorry to say.
Safety: as far as cheating goes this is safe. He blackmails one of his brother's hookups, but nothing happens between them. He's all for Cassie. Again don't understand why. There are mentions of rape throughout with it on page as well.
Safety: as far as cheating goes this is safe. He blackmails one of his brother's hookups, but nothing happens between them. He's all for Cassie. Again don't understand why. There are mentions of rape throughout with it on page as well.
August 2, 2026
Really wanted to like it but I don’t know how to feel about the brother’s death, he was literally innocent and the fact that nobody mourned him EVEN Tor made me not enjoy the book at all.
Also this felt more like Cassies’s diary than a dark romance book, there was no plot whatsoever. VERY disappointed
Also this felt more like Cassies’s diary than a dark romance book, there was no plot whatsoever. VERY disappointed
August 1, 2026
Classic Sam Marino is back!
🎉🤩👍🏼❤️
4,5 stars rounded up
No notes, no spoilers, no sanity left. Only thing I say, I think this FMC is the most unique of Sam's out there 🤷🏼♀️😹
Also, this IS a standalone, but epilogue #2 showcases a number of her characters/couples from previous books, so be warned.
4,5 stars rounded up
No notes, no spoilers, no sanity left. Only thing I say, I think this FMC is the most unique of Sam's out there 🤷🏼♀️😹
Also, this IS a standalone, but epilogue #2 showcases a number of her characters/couples from previous books, so be warned.
July 31, 2026
Well, what the fuck do I do NOW?!
Ahhhhhhh!!!!!
I vlogged this, to ingest it first. But then I will review.
Lots to like and going in blind was definitely the way to go.
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale
Ahhhhhhh!!!!!
I vlogged this, to ingest it first. But then I will review.
Lots to like and going in blind was definitely the way to go.
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale
August 16, 2026
figured out the “plot twist” the second twins were mentioned
July 30, 2026
I love Sam Mariano and her toxic, "needs jail time" heroes. Carter is the original blueprint for me. But Tor was just... lacking.
Obviously, he raped her, and then he hid behind his twin. He's clearly not a good person, but what bothered me most is that he wasn't even honest enough to admit how sick he really was. Dare is completely fucked up too, but at least he never pretends to be the good guy. He knows exactly what he is, and so does everyone else.
This book definitely feels different from Sam Mariano's usual work, but it still has that signature Sam Mariano touch. I'm not even that mad about the ending because, at the end of the day, I'm glad the heroine found happiness.
One thing I really appreciated is that the book never tried to romanticize what happened to her. A lot of dark romances try to turn rape into something sexy or romantic (Haunting Adeline immediately comes to mind), and I hate that. Here, the heroine struggles with what happened to her. She carries the trauma, she fights for justice, and the story never suggests that what Tor did was okay. Even Tor knows she was always right and that she deserved justice.
It was sad because what happened to her reflects what happens to so many real-life victims. They're often the ones who suffer the most, while their rapists get away with it because they're attractive, popular, wealthy, or simply protected by the people around them. That part felt painfully real.
Prereview
Is it safe ? 🥹🥹🥺 Sam mariano is my girl but her latest releases were a little bit too crowded hhhh and quite questionable
Obviously, he raped her, and then he hid behind his twin. He's clearly not a good person, but what bothered me most is that he wasn't even honest enough to admit how sick he really was. Dare is completely fucked up too, but at least he never pretends to be the good guy. He knows exactly what he is, and so does everyone else.
This book definitely feels different from Sam Mariano's usual work, but it still has that signature Sam Mariano touch. I'm not even that mad about the ending because, at the end of the day, I'm glad the heroine found happiness.
One thing I really appreciated is that the book never tried to romanticize what happened to her. A lot of dark romances try to turn rape into something sexy or romantic (Haunting Adeline immediately comes to mind), and I hate that. Here, the heroine struggles with what happened to her. She carries the trauma, she fights for justice, and the story never suggests that what Tor did was okay. Even Tor knows she was always right and that she deserved justice.
It was sad because what happened to her reflects what happens to so many real-life victims. They're often the ones who suffer the most, while their rapists get away with it because they're attractive, popular, wealthy, or simply protected by the people around them. That part felt painfully real.
Prereview
Is it safe ? 🥹🥹🥺 Sam mariano is my girl but her latest releases were a little bit too crowded hhhh and quite questionable
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
August 9, 2026Dnf 51%
This was boring and predictable. The Fmc was annoying and shallow too. The MMC was basically every Sam Mariano MMC ever written, but not in a unique way.
Switched to The Community by Deathsdoll and currently having a waaaaay better time.
This was boring and predictable. The Fmc was annoying and shallow too. The MMC was basically every Sam Mariano MMC ever written, but not in a unique way.
Switched to The Community by Deathsdoll and currently having a waaaaay better time.
August 4, 2026
Loved the first half, the second half kind of bored me. Anyone who is familiar with Sam’s style is going to find this story predictable. The predictably really works in the beginning because it adds to the tension so much but I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop; when it finally did it didn’t feel like the gut punch I was waiting for. I didn’t love the resolution and was kind of annoyed that she just went and jumped right on his dick after all that but it’s okay because she drove around a processed for a while. The epilogues really bored me which means I just wasn’t feeling their love by the end.
Overall: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 4, 2026I am not even going to rate it! It has potential. But honestly I was bored and already figured the twist from the beginning
August 4, 2026
This isn't a dark romance, at least not in my opinion.
I found the pacing extremely slow and dragged out. There were far too many pages of the heroine's inner monologue, and it felt like very little actually happened throughout the book. The story lacked emotional depth, and I never truly felt the weight of everything Cassie went through.
The hero was another disappointment for me. I kept expecting the kind of intense, unforgettable MMC I usually find in Sam Mariano's books—characters like Calvin, Dare, Landon, or Silvan. Compared to them, this hero just didn't leave much of an impression.
Overall, this book was a huge disappointment for me.
I found the pacing extremely slow and dragged out. There were far too many pages of the heroine's inner monologue, and it felt like very little actually happened throughout the book. The story lacked emotional depth, and I never truly felt the weight of everything Cassie went through.
The hero was another disappointment for me. I kept expecting the kind of intense, unforgettable MMC I usually find in Sam Mariano's books—characters like Calvin, Dare, Landon, or Silvan. Compared to them, this hero just didn't leave much of an impression.
Overall, this book was a huge disappointment for me.
Read
August 31, 2026Ok, I finally finished and although I am happy to have read a new Sam Mariano book with tropes that on paper would have worked amazingly… there were flaws and I will explain!
The MMC - Tor is OTT JP, doesn’t cheat, is unhinged and will do anything to get the FMC but… I am conflicted…
Now the FMC, Cassie… to me, the FMC's initial actions felt weakly motivated. 😣 Instead of building a powerful psychological reason for her choices, we are told that she is in a loop of constant rage that culminates in her killing the MMC’s brother.
It’s hard to root for a character’s "revenge" or extreme actions when the emotional justification lacks that build-up!
The story should have started with showing us more of “that terrible night” for Cassie, showing her struggles to cope with the outcome in order to make us believe her terrible decision to take justice into her hands was well worth it… Instead we were told…
The other thing that bothered me was her ex-boyfriend (Russell) being ☠️… In a lot of dark romance, previous partners are written as abusive or evil jerks just to make (even the toxic, villainous) MMC look better by comparison. When an author "sacrifices" a decent guy just to clear the runway for the anti-hero, it leaves a bad taste…
The scene leading to where Tor dunks the OW underwater felt unnecessary even for the shock-value. We knew he wasn’t going to sleep with OW, nor did he need to involve her into his games… because Cassie although finally aware of the situation was still living in the reality Tor manufactured for her. That display of cruelty didn't serve the plot or protect a secret - it felt like it was thrown in to flex how dark and unhinged Tor could be… or to throw us off tracks?! 😣
The remix of a lot of previous scenes from other books… reading a new release and realizing you are just reading clones of scenes from Even If It Hurts, Descent, or let’s say the Morelli series. Instead of immersion into the story, my ADHD-riddled brain went: "Wait, didn't we have this line in a completely different book?” “Didn’t this happen in Untouchable?”
So yes I am conflicted…
The MMC - Tor is OTT JP, doesn’t cheat, is unhinged and will do anything to get the FMC but… I am conflicted…
Now the FMC, Cassie… to me, the FMC's initial actions felt weakly motivated. 😣 Instead of building a powerful psychological reason for her choices, we are told that she is in a loop of constant rage that culminates in her killing the MMC’s brother.
It’s hard to root for a character’s "revenge" or extreme actions when the emotional justification lacks that build-up!
The story should have started with showing us more of “that terrible night” for Cassie, showing her struggles to cope with the outcome in order to make us believe her terrible decision to take justice into her hands was well worth it… Instead we were told…
The other thing that bothered me was her ex-boyfriend (Russell) being ☠️… In a lot of dark romance, previous partners are written as abusive or evil jerks just to make (even the toxic, villainous) MMC look better by comparison. When an author "sacrifices" a decent guy just to clear the runway for the anti-hero, it leaves a bad taste…
The scene leading to where Tor dunks the OW underwater felt unnecessary even for the shock-value. We knew he wasn’t going to sleep with OW, nor did he need to involve her into his games… because Cassie although finally aware of the situation was still living in the reality Tor manufactured for her. That display of cruelty didn't serve the plot or protect a secret - it felt like it was thrown in to flex how dark and unhinged Tor could be… or to throw us off tracks?! 😣
The remix of a lot of previous scenes from other books… reading a new release and realizing you are just reading clones of scenes from Even If It Hurts, Descent, or let’s say the Morelli series. Instead of immersion into the story, my ADHD-riddled brain went: "Wait, didn't we have this line in a completely different book?” “Didn’t this happen in Untouchable?”
So yes I am conflicted…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2026
“Two Wrongs” is the story of Cassie and Tory.
We are a team, and I see us as being permanently in this together, but if it came down to only being able to save one of us, I would pick you. A life without you no longer interests me. If you want the truth, that’s it. I’ve rewritten our entire reality to save your life, so you have to know I would never take it. I think I’ve shown you at this point that I want to keep you and take care of you.
In this dark psychological romance, our traumatized heroine is trying to recover from the aftermaths of rape and what happens when the perpetrator is from a rich family. She decides to finally take the decision in her hands, and what follows changes the course of her life.
Can you fall in love with your assaulter’s twin? What happens when the man who is obsessed with you crosses all lines and commits unforgivable sins for you? And what happens when you realize it has been a ruse all along.. and that he won’t let you go…
This is a messy, sexy, angsty and somewhat disturbing “romance”. I was waiting for the whole book for the pin to drop, and when it does it predictably changes how you felt throughout the book. I have mixed feelings about this but these two crazy people deserve each other.. maybe she deserves better, but maybe she doesn’t want one..
Safe..ish
3.5/5
We are a team, and I see us as being permanently in this together, but if it came down to only being able to save one of us, I would pick you. A life without you no longer interests me. If you want the truth, that’s it. I’ve rewritten our entire reality to save your life, so you have to know I would never take it. I think I’ve shown you at this point that I want to keep you and take care of you.
In this dark psychological romance, our traumatized heroine is trying to recover from the aftermaths of rape and what happens when the perpetrator is from a rich family. She decides to finally take the decision in her hands, and what follows changes the course of her life.
Can you fall in love with your assaulter’s twin? What happens when the man who is obsessed with you crosses all lines and commits unforgivable sins for you? And what happens when you realize it has been a ruse all along.. and that he won’t let you go…
This is a messy, sexy, angsty and somewhat disturbing “romance”. I was waiting for the whole book for the pin to drop, and when it does it predictably changes how you felt throughout the book. I have mixed feelings about this but these two crazy people deserve each other.. maybe she deserves better, but maybe she doesn’t want one..
Safe..ish
3.5/5
maybe
August 1, 2026Ugh I know I can’t trust this author ( in terms of keeping characters who’ve had an hea IN THAT HEA) but something about her writing sometimes calls to me 😩 when her books are good for me they’re great 😭
Conflicted
Conflicted
August 8, 2026
So. Many. Bottled. Waters.
August 2, 2026
2 stars.
Idk where to even begin with this.
The big plot twist everyone keeps hyping up? I called it in the first chapter. I kept reading thinking maybe there was something bigger coming, and then the reveal happened and I was just like… yeah, I figured that out 45 chapters ago.
My biggest issue was the characters. Cassie and Tor went from strangers to obsessed with each other in five seconds, and I just didn’t buy it. Cassie is introduced as this good girl with strong morals, then suddenly she’s making decisions that make absolutely no sense and acting like a completely different person. It was honestly annoying being in her head because everything she did contradicted the person we were told she was.
And Tor I just didn’t like him. Sam usually nails these morally black men. There’s normally so much psychological buildup behind their behavior that even when they’re completely unhinged, you still understand why they are the way they are. With Tor, it just felt like he was doing things because the plot needed him to it was all over the place.
I love dark romance. I have zero triggers, and I’ll read just about anything if it’s done well. But the plot was messy, nothing felt earned, and I was bored. When you can’t emotionally feel two characters falling for each other or even understand why they’re together, the romance just doesn’t work. And honestly, I finished this book still sitting here like… why the fuck are you guys together?
Idk where to even begin with this.
The big plot twist everyone keeps hyping up? I called it in the first chapter. I kept reading thinking maybe there was something bigger coming, and then the reveal happened and I was just like… yeah, I figured that out 45 chapters ago.
My biggest issue was the characters. Cassie and Tor went from strangers to obsessed with each other in five seconds, and I just didn’t buy it. Cassie is introduced as this good girl with strong morals, then suddenly she’s making decisions that make absolutely no sense and acting like a completely different person. It was honestly annoying being in her head because everything she did contradicted the person we were told she was.
And Tor I just didn’t like him. Sam usually nails these morally black men. There’s normally so much psychological buildup behind their behavior that even when they’re completely unhinged, you still understand why they are the way they are. With Tor, it just felt like he was doing things because the plot needed him to it was all over the place.
I love dark romance. I have zero triggers, and I’ll read just about anything if it’s done well. But the plot was messy, nothing felt earned, and I was bored. When you can’t emotionally feel two characters falling for each other or even understand why they’re together, the romance just doesn’t work. And honestly, I finished this book still sitting here like… why the fuck are you guys together?
August 1, 2026
I have mixed feelings
It felt rushed not everything was cleared between the mcs
I didn’t like that tor liked the h but did nothing all his life and was having meaningless sex with other girls , all of this could have been avoided If just Did something before like anything else to get her to not look at Tim ever again
He could have done anything else to get her to hate Tim and htf did he not realise that r&ping her would hurt her
I like my men unhinged , manipulative but not if it hurts the h this killed her
Why the fuck did she not confront him about it , and just went with it like it’s okay if it was him 🤯
I feel like this should have been a duet 💁🏻♀️
Tim might be an asshole but he was innocent so was Russell
Also I wanted to know If the H had been with anyone less without the cdnms like this shit is important
It felt rushed not everything was cleared between the mcs
I didn’t like that tor liked the h but did nothing all his life and was having meaningless sex with other girls , all of this could have been avoided If just Did something before like anything else to get her to not look at Tim ever again
He could have done anything else to get her to hate Tim and htf did he not realise that r&ping her would hurt her
I like my men unhinged , manipulative but not if it hurts the h this killed her
Why the fuck did she not confront him about it , and just went with it like it’s okay if it was him 🤯
I feel like this should have been a duet 💁🏻♀️
Tim might be an asshole but he was innocent so was Russell
Also I wanted to know If the H had been with anyone less without the cdnms like this shit is important
August 13, 2026
Deliciously twisted!
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: enemies to lovers
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
I really enjoyed this one! Told mostly from Cassie's perspective, we get a little of Tor's at the end. Lots of twists and turns, some more surprising than others - this will definitely keep you gripped to the end. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers and sociopathic heroes, this will definitely be the book for you. If dark and twisted is not your jam, I'd definitely recommend staying far away, lol.
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: enemies to lovers
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
I really enjoyed this one! Told mostly from Cassie's perspective, we get a little of Tor's at the end. Lots of twists and turns, some more surprising than others - this will definitely keep you gripped to the end. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers and sociopathic heroes, this will definitely be the book for you. If dark and twisted is not your jam, I'd definitely recommend staying far away, lol.
August 7, 2026
I have been waiting for Sam Mariano come back for a while and she’s finally back with her signature morally grey/gone black MMC. Her brand of dark may not be everyone’s flavour but it’s definitely mine! And I’m so giddy she dived into her “out of the box” style. I loved the vibes of this story I was a glutton for punishment and she satisfied my craving decadently.
One of the first things we learn about the male main character, Torrance (Tor) is that he is the greenest flag ever and if you are familiar with Sam’s trademark, you know how worried you must be. If you are new to her world let me tell you that a green flag will be more troublesome than an open red flag. Tor didn’t waste time in showing his true colours and yet I couldn’t help still falling for his way and indulging his controlling and manipulative ways.
Cassie carries most of the traits all female characters by Sam have but she is also gifted with an emotional intelligence and lucidity I didn’t mind at all. It must be said that in order to fit this author brand of anti heroes a particular type of match is needed, and even if I may not normally bond with some type of personalities, I did with Cassie. I appreciated how she became aware of Tor’s ways and she acknowledged her relationship didn’t fit what society deemed“normal” but she still forged ahead because that was the type of love she wanted.
Overall this was one fine journey I enjoyed taking, it was nice to see the old Sam Mariano back after a hiatus where I felt something was missing, I was glad to get that typical Sam Mariano feeling back.
As I previously made it clear, this isn’t your typical “dark romance” you may not approve the hows and whys, you may strongly feel this is all wrong, so please proceed carefully and don’t complain when things don’t turn the way you want. This is Sam Mariano, I like her the way she is and I like how she refuses to conform to standards and what is expected! If you decide to take this journey I’d recommend to go into it blind and keep in mind to trust the author and the process. You’ll see why you had to do it once you reach your final destination 🖤
One of the first things we learn about the male main character, Torrance (Tor) is that he is the greenest flag ever and if you are familiar with Sam’s trademark, you know how worried you must be. If you are new to her world let me tell you that a green flag will be more troublesome than an open red flag. Tor didn’t waste time in showing his true colours and yet I couldn’t help still falling for his way and indulging his controlling and manipulative ways.
Cassie carries most of the traits all female characters by Sam have but she is also gifted with an emotional intelligence and lucidity I didn’t mind at all. It must be said that in order to fit this author brand of anti heroes a particular type of match is needed, and even if I may not normally bond with some type of personalities, I did with Cassie. I appreciated how she became aware of Tor’s ways and she acknowledged her relationship didn’t fit what society deemed“normal” but she still forged ahead because that was the type of love she wanted.
Overall this was one fine journey I enjoyed taking, it was nice to see the old Sam Mariano back after a hiatus where I felt something was missing, I was glad to get that typical Sam Mariano feeling back.
As I previously made it clear, this isn’t your typical “dark romance” you may not approve the hows and whys, you may strongly feel this is all wrong, so please proceed carefully and don’t complain when things don’t turn the way you want. This is Sam Mariano, I like her the way she is and I like how she refuses to conform to standards and what is expected! If you decide to take this journey I’d recommend to go into it blind and keep in mind to trust the author and the process. You’ll see why you had to do it once you reach your final destination 🖤
August 10, 2026
I was pleasantly surprised, this took me out of my reading slump after rereading the recently finished work The Community by Deathsdoll. Ms. Mariano is nowhere near the genius of DD’s writing but she definitely catches up with the creation of her insane plots and equally insane characters. She had me questioning my own sanity as I was reading. One minute I’m in shock and appalled at what just occurred in the scene and the next pages’ inner monologue has me cackling and finally the next chapters dialogue has me giggling and kicking my feet. Like, what is going on? The first five chapters were mind blowing and the characters actions chaotic. It’s comparable to the flap of a butterfly’s wing being the cause of a major catastrophe. I’m at a loss for words. I can’t articulate my thoughts at the moment because I’m still struggling to comprehend what I just read and how I enjoy it so much. I didn’t think I would, given the fact that her last three books were not at all at the level of Untouchable and Even if it Hurts. She definitely surprised her selective/critical group of readers with an anti hero reminiscent of Carter and all his devious actions and morally questionable behavior. Honestly, this novel was a page turner after the shock wore off I could not put it down. Such a great distraction from work life, I needed something to transport me to a different place and it did. It made me momentarily forget about the outside noise and how much it pollutes my inner peace. Please go in blind I promise it is worth it. If you are easily triggered I do not recommend reading this.
P.S. raise your hand if you want Irunia to review this book! 🙋🏻♀️ ¿Chica, donde estás? Te extraño 🫶🏼
P.S. raise your hand if you want Irunia to review this book! 🙋🏻♀️ ¿Chica, donde estás? Te extraño 🫶🏼
July 30, 2026
I finished reading this book, but I’m not sure if I finished reading it or if the book finished me. I don’t even want to reveal the book’s plot because I believe it’s best to experience it firsthand. However, Sam Mariano’s ability to delve into the psyche of her characters is unparalleled. In all of Sam’s books, we follow a truly antihero who makes unquestionable decisions and uses manipulation as a tool to get the heroin to comply with his desires. These actions push the boundaries of what we consider acceptable, making us question our ability to like him. But once Sam gets us into the minds of her heroes, we’re left grappling with the complexities of their twisted actions. The heroine becomes ensnared in his mind games, forced to comply with his demands because he never offers her the option of refusing. She’s just trying to survive being this psychopath obsessed with her.
August 2, 2026
Reading this book was the best kind of torture. We've waited a long time for a new Sam Mariano book. I wanted to inject it straight into my veins it was so good. I also desperately never wanted it to end. I tortured myself for 2 days trying to read it slowly and savor every word and avoid social media, in case I ran into a spoiler by accident.
This is marked for spoilers so I just want to give you another chance to back out in case you've changed your mind. I can tell you 100% this book is enjoyed best if read blind. I implore you to read it blind, if you can. However, I'm an anxious girl so I get it. There are only 3 authors I trust enough to read blind and Sam Mariano is at the top of the list but I recognize not everyone may share my trust (if you're remotely interested my other two authors are Anna Zaires and DD Prince.) Major, twist ruining spoilers beyond this point.
Safety spoilers: Very mild OM drama from Cassie's ex, Russell. He's no real threat to their relationship. Tor (MMC)takes care of him. There is an OW who tries to move in there, Nina. Nina was a beck-and-call girl for Tim (MMC's twin brother) but she hoped to settle him down one day. Now that's he's dead she tries to move onto to Tor. She posts an annoying picture where it looks like he's comforting her. Then towards the end Tor lures her to him so he can force her to do his bidding. He does take a pic of her topless to use for blackmail but nothing happens between them. - Later he's willing to let Cassie believe he slept with Nina a year prior but Cassie sees through it - more on that later.
I was totally shocked in the beginning. If you've read any of Sam Mariano's books you know she writes a certain kind of heroine. If you had told me 3 days ago that one of her heroines would start out a book by murdering someone for revenge I wouldn't have believed you. That is what our dear Cassie has been pushed to in her journey for justice.
A year before our story begins, Cassie is raped and she did everything she was supposed to do to get justice for it. Only the Walter's family had way more influence, power and money than she did so, of course, things don't work out for Cassie.
I don't know if I read too much dark romance but I suspected the 'twist' in this book the entire time. Cassie tells us in the very beginning she can always tell the twins apart, Tim and Tor, she doesn't hesitate when it comes time to kill Tim for her revenge. However, I just new it was Tor who violated her. I just knew it had to be. I didn't know how or why only that my gut told me it was him. I read the entire book on the edge waiting for Cassie's reaction to the revelation.
As you can imagine, she doesn't take it well. Then Tor decides he has to re-write their history so Cassie doesn't have to live with the guilt of murdering Tim when he wasn't the one who raped her. Tor pulls some typical Morelli-esque master manipulator shenanigans to try and convince her that her original perception was true after all. Only Cassie does seem to see through his machinations and has an epiphany that she's okay with this brand of being morally gray. *dreamy sigh*
I love that Sam Mariano mostly writes from Cassie's point of view. It really helps you move through the story with Cassie. However, I LOOOOOOOVED Tor's chapters. I understand why we couldn't have more but I would love to read more from his perspective.
I loved Tor and Cassie's story. It was so uniquely Sam Mariano. She somehow writes books I didn't even know I wanted to read but once they are out there they become part of my personality. I'm going to re-read this book so many times. I desperately hope for an audiobook someday.
This is marked for spoilers so I just want to give you another chance to back out in case you've changed your mind. I can tell you 100% this book is enjoyed best if read blind. I implore you to read it blind, if you can. However, I'm an anxious girl so I get it. There are only 3 authors I trust enough to read blind and Sam Mariano is at the top of the list but I recognize not everyone may share my trust (if you're remotely interested my other two authors are Anna Zaires and DD Prince.) Major, twist ruining spoilers beyond this point.
Safety spoilers: Very mild OM drama from Cassie's ex, Russell. He's no real threat to their relationship. Tor (MMC)takes care of him. There is an OW who tries to move in there, Nina. Nina was a beck-and-call girl for Tim (MMC's twin brother) but she hoped to settle him down one day. Now that's he's dead she tries to move onto to Tor. She posts an annoying picture where it looks like he's comforting her. Then towards the end Tor lures her to him so he can force her to do his bidding. He does take a pic of her topless to use for blackmail but nothing happens between them. - Later he's willing to let Cassie believe he slept with Nina a year prior but Cassie sees through it - more on that later.
I was totally shocked in the beginning. If you've read any of Sam Mariano's books you know she writes a certain kind of heroine. If you had told me 3 days ago that one of her heroines would start out a book by murdering someone for revenge I wouldn't have believed you. That is what our dear Cassie has been pushed to in her journey for justice.
A year before our story begins, Cassie is raped and she did everything she was supposed to do to get justice for it. Only the Walter's family had way more influence, power and money than she did so, of course, things don't work out for Cassie.
I don't know if I read too much dark romance but I suspected the 'twist' in this book the entire time. Cassie tells us in the very beginning she can always tell the twins apart, Tim and Tor, she doesn't hesitate when it comes time to kill Tim for her revenge. However, I just new it was Tor who violated her. I just knew it had to be. I didn't know how or why only that my gut told me it was him. I read the entire book on the edge waiting for Cassie's reaction to the revelation.
As you can imagine, she doesn't take it well. Then Tor decides he has to re-write their history so Cassie doesn't have to live with the guilt of murdering Tim when he wasn't the one who raped her. Tor pulls some typical Morelli-esque master manipulator shenanigans to try and convince her that her original perception was true after all. Only Cassie does seem to see through his machinations and has an epiphany that she's okay with this brand of being morally gray. *dreamy sigh*
I love that Sam Mariano mostly writes from Cassie's point of view. It really helps you move through the story with Cassie. However, I LOOOOOOOVED Tor's chapters. I understand why we couldn't have more but I would love to read more from his perspective.
I loved Tor and Cassie's story. It was so uniquely Sam Mariano. She somehow writes books I didn't even know I wanted to read but once they are out there they become part of my personality. I'm going to re-read this book so many times. I desperately hope for an audiobook someday.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2026
3.5 stars
Not the best Sam Mariano novel I've read - nowhere near the level of some of my favourites from her; however, she's one of my favourite dark romance authors, so she'll always have a fan in me.
Not the best Sam Mariano novel I've read - nowhere near the level of some of my favourites from her; however, she's one of my favourite dark romance authors, so she'll always have a fan in me.
Did Not Finish
July 31, 2026It appears that the h is raped by her ex-bf at 17 years old. Not for me 🫤
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2026
Sorry, I skipped a lot after chapter seven. The writing itself is good, but I didn't connect with the story or the characters and yes, I knew what the twist would be as soon as the shooting happened. 😐 I just got bored with all the internal narration, plus, I have no clue why Cassie went along with everything that Tor suggested. Without running far, far, away! Talk about a red flag. The story was so drawn out and I was sad about the direction it went in. 🥱
September 6, 2026
I found myself so addicted to this story! Any chance I had I was reading it. The twist was fantastic and I didn’t see it coming…. But I was disappointed in the wrap up at the end. Maybe I was hoping for more push back from the other character (don’t want to give anything away). So it fell flat for me towards the end. I wanted to give this 5 stars!!! 😞 Otherwise, fantastic plot!
August 9, 2026
she unfortunately cooked again
August 1, 2026
Oh Sam, how I’ve missed you and your special brand of baddies. 😮💨🫦
The moment this book became available,I devoured it in one sitting.
I’ve loved Sam’s writing and her epically control-challenged MMC’s for years,and this book doled out a double serving of precisely what I was craving.
The only downside to finishing this story, is that I now have to wait for another book.
The moment this book became available,I devoured it in one sitting.
I’ve loved Sam’s writing and her epically control-challenged MMC’s for years,and this book doled out a double serving of precisely what I was craving.
The only downside to finishing this story, is that I now have to wait for another book.
August 2, 2026
It really was super okay. Same formula but kind of different execution.
TSTL virginal heroine, extremely ran through OW (seriously why do women who enjoy sex in Marino's universe equate to automatically evil) 🙄, and then an even more ran through anti-hero
As always please read the TWs!
Safety readers, nothing and I mean nothing Marino writes is even remotely safe.
Lots of drama, lots of patriarchy, violence, and the creme de la creme of her tropes: cheating- always serving the main function of the "powerless will always be at the mercy of the powerful" in this case all of her FMCs are cheated on in some form or at risk of being cheated on but in no position to leave if they are (microcheating, emotional cheating, and some form of physical cheating)
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
Virgin h (only one ex-bf but they didn't do anything)
Manwhore H: very experienced and has had a lot of sex with OWs
Lots of OWD: can't go into too much detail because of how the OWD/microcheating is tied in with the who done it portion of the story. There is a bit of microcheating in order for Tor to get what he wants from Nina to secure his position with Cassie.
-(OWD on social media where Tor lies to Cassie about him and Nina not hugging and then she posts of picture of him comforting her at Tim's funeral and then a bit of physical cheating where Tor contemplates just going the "easy route" and moving on with his life by fucking the Nina after a fight with Cassie.)
Mild OMD but in the form of flashbacks and one incident with her ex
Gun violence
High angst drama
TW/ SPOILER
HFN: Classic Sam Mariano where the state of the HEA is based on the H's fidelity. Honestly after Carter cheated on Zoe and apparently Dare is going to blow up his own HEA for sampling pussy, I'm pretty sure all of her MMCs are cheaters. Tor is no different.
2⭐️ I was mostly engaged but you can kind of figure out who and what Tor is by like chapter 8 lol. I will say that for the time being, Tor is just as devotional and seemingly obsessed with Cassie as Silvan was with Sophie so there's that.
TSTL virginal heroine, extremely ran through OW (seriously why do women who enjoy sex in Marino's universe equate to automatically evil) 🙄, and then an even more ran through anti-hero
As always please read the TWs!
Safety readers, nothing and I mean nothing Marino writes is even remotely safe.
Lots of drama, lots of patriarchy, violence, and the creme de la creme of her tropes: cheating- always serving the main function of the "powerless will always be at the mercy of the powerful" in this case all of her FMCs are cheated on in some form or at risk of being cheated on but in no position to leave if they are (microcheating, emotional cheating, and some form of physical cheating)
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
Virgin h (only one ex-bf but they didn't do anything)
Manwhore H: very experienced and has had a lot of sex with OWs
Lots of OWD: can't go into too much detail because of how the OWD/microcheating is tied in with the who done it portion of the story. There is a bit of microcheating in order for Tor to get what he wants from Nina to secure his position with Cassie.
-(OWD on social media where Tor lies to Cassie about him and Nina not hugging and then she posts of picture of him comforting her at Tim's funeral and then a bit of physical cheating where Tor contemplates just going the "easy route" and moving on with his life by fucking the Nina after a fight with Cassie.)
Mild OMD but in the form of flashbacks and one incident with her ex
Gun violence
High angst drama
TW/ SPOILER
HFN: Classic Sam Mariano where the state of the HEA is based on the H's fidelity. Honestly after Carter cheated on Zoe and apparently Dare is going to blow up his own HEA for sampling pussy, I'm pretty sure all of her MMCs are cheaters. Tor is no different.
2⭐️ I was mostly engaged but you can kind of figure out who and what Tor is by like chapter 8 lol. I will say that for the time being, Tor is just as devotional and seemingly obsessed with Cassie as Silvan was with Sophie so there's that.
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