She Walks with Broken Things: A Gothic Dark Mafia Romance

by A.K. Rose

Genres: Dark Romance

468 pages, Paperback

Published September 11, 2026

Reviews

[The Book Ssirren]

I absolutely devoured this one. I loved Alaric and Nyssa so much. The way she brought him back. His time wasn’t done. I loved the darkness and the way this pulls you in and keeps you wanting more. I loved the twists and turns. It was intense with some steam. An amazing storyline. Absolutely loved ho this story went.

[Eleven Pages of Jo]

Arc


Nyssa and Alaric are two survivors who find in each other the catalyst to become whole again.
This story warmed my heart, offered a release from trauma, and provided a quiet yet brilliant hope that the best is yet to come.

The way male vulnerability is portrayed in this book is perfect. Nyssa shows us that vulnerability and kindness aren’t synonymous with weakness. I love them both, and neither of them steals the show—the story is truly centered on both of them, and that was just what I needed.

The constant “Beauty and the Beast” vibes were right up my alley.

This plot is driving me crazy—I need answers about Clove Man and what Alaric is so desperate to hide.
I don’t know if I want to wring Alaric’s neck or Nyssa’s 🙄

But my girl stood her ground in choosing herself, and I love her for that.

I thought it would be a standalone, and now I have to wait for the second book 😭

It was so, so good to read about Vivian and London again. 🩷

I highly recommend reading the Blood Tie series first to get some context on the origins of this story.

Thank you, Atlas Rose, for giving me access to yet another touching story that will stay with me forever.


🇵🇹

Nyssa e o Alaric são dois dois sobreviventes que encontram no outro o gatilho para se tornarem inteiros novamente.
Esta história foi um quente no coração, uma libertação de traumas e uma esperança silenciosa, mas brilhante de que o melhor ainda está para vir.

A forma como a vulnerabilidade masculina é apresentada neste livro é perfeita. A Nyssa mostra-nos que fragilidade e gentileza não são sinónimos de fraqueza. Amo os dois e nenhum deles rouba a história, ela é verdadeiramente centrada nos dois e isso encheu-me as medidas.

As vibes constantes de bela e o monstro encheram me as medidas.

Este plot está-me a dar conta da cabeça, preciso de resposta sobre o Clove man e sobre o que tanto o Alaric quer esconder.
Não sei se quero apertar mais o pescoço ao Alaric ou à Nyssa 🙄
Mas a minha miúda manteve se firme em escolher-se a ela and I love her for that

Pensei que seria um stand alone e agora tenho que espera pelo segundo livro 😭

Foi tão, mas tão bom voltar a ler a Vívian e o London.🩷

Aconselho vivamente a ler a blood tie series antes para ter um contexto da origem desta história.

Obrigada Atlas Rose por me ter dado acesso mais uma história tocante que vai viver em mim.

[My_Books_In_Nooks]

ARC Review ‘ She Walks With Broken Things’

I did not expect this!
The moment I read the names of certain people, I knew this was an extension? A spin-off? From the Blood Ties series!! And if you read that series, you know what I mean when I let out a little shriek🫣🤣
Because I love the Blood Ties series!
And for those who haven’t yet, I highly suggest reading them too, maybe even before starting this book to know the backstory of this series.

Nyssa is a daughter who survived something horrific! She is damaged, inside and out, rescued from a world we cannot fathom, all because she is a woman, a woman valuable for wealthy men, let’s leave it at that….
Because of this, she sometimes makes questionable decisions which made me smh on numerous occasions. Especially in the last chapter. Like what in the actual 🤯 Nyssa??!!

When Alaric sets his mind on Nyssa, he knew immediately there was something special about her, and takes her home.
He has very dark and deep skeletons in his basement, because a closet is too small to hide the demons from his past.
He struggles opening up, his past is painful, but he needs to figure out if its worth losing Nyssa over it.

Their chemistry is intense, raw, the pain they both endured, secrets haunting them both.
Their 🌶️ is intense and of yearning, really pouring all their emotions into it.
Compared to the Blood Ties, this book has way less scenes and more ‘polite’🫣. But it’s enough for this book since the author is doing a build-up of what’s to come. How so you might ask?
Because we have a ‘nice’ cliffhanger and I now need to wait till the second installment comes out🤨😫🫣🤣

The storyline is as expected amazing and it kept me glued!
The only reason I removed a star is due to the writing style. I enjoy smooth reading. The writing style is different then from what I remember. It really makes you see it through the character’s POV, but with lots of inner dialogue in clipped sentences. But hopefully she changes it a little in the next installment. But that’s my opinion.
But other than that, the plot is amazing!
Can’t wait to read the second installment!!!❤️
4/5⭐️

[Kass]

She Walks With Broken Things by A.K. Rose is a mafia, gothic, dark romance with some Beauty and the Beast vibes and is the story of Alaric and Nyssa. Please check your content warnings prior to reading as it contains some difficult themes that may be triggering for some readers.

When danger comes to Alaric’s mansion, his only instinct is to protect Nyssa, but in doing so he is taking her choice of knowledge away. An unknown number begins feeding Nyssa information and creates a desire for the truth. Trying to save Nyssa from more horrors, Alaric can’t bring himself to tell her of his past and what the unknown person is referring to. In search of the truth, Nyssa sneaks away and comes face to face with the man who tried to destroy her but he gives her the one thing even Alaric won’t, a choice at learning what the truth is.

Holy Hades this book will keep you on your toes! There is intrigue, angst, drama and a beautiful love story as well. Alaric is a guarded man who has spent the time since his wife and daughter’s murder hunting the men responsible as well as those who hurt innocent women and children. Nyssa escaped a horror she rarely speaks of with permanent damage to her body and unexpectedly is chosen by Alaric. Living in his gothic mansion, Nyssa tests Alaric’s boundaries at every turn and attraction and tension builds until they both snap. There is so many layers to this story and the growth that Nyssa and Alaric both experience is painful and beautiful. You can feel the angst Alaric does and his fear of Nyssa find out his past and not seeing him the same. Nyssa is so strong and has survived so much and I loved the way she was able to stand on her own two feet and face the hard things she is facing. I was unaware this book ended on a cliffhanger and dammit that sucked! How can we be left there? Come on book two ASAP!

I received an advanced copy of this book and am leaving an honest review as a show of my appreciation.

[Lilith's_Library_]

There’s something deliciously dark about a romance where broken people find each other in the shadows… and She Walks with Broken Things absolutely delivers that gothic, dangerous atmosphere. 🥀🖤

A.K. Rose pulls you into a world filled with mafia danger, obsession, darkness, and forbidden attraction, creating a romance that feels just as dangerous as it does intoxicating. The gothic undertones were exactly what I was craving, and I loved the feeling that there was always something lurking beneath the surface.

The characters are beautifully flawed, carrying their own scars and secrets, and watching those cracks slowly come to the surface made their connection all the more compelling. There’s something about two damaged souls finding comfort in each other while surrounded by darkness that just works. 🖤

The chemistry brought plenty of tension 🔥, while the darker elements kept me turning the pages. It’s the kind of story that feels like stepping into a beautiful but dangerous house—you know you probably shouldn’t stay… but you absolutely want to see what’s behind the next door.

Thank you to A.K. Rose for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. 🖤

If you love gothic romance, dark mafia vibes, morally questionable characters, obsession, danger, and a romance wrapped in shadows, definitely add this one to your TBR. 🥀

⚠️ Check the content warnings before reading.

[Cheerfulte]

ARC Review!

I should have known and I couldn’t wait to devour it. I was so excited to get back to characters from the blood ties series but, we got so much more! I swear I should have reminded myself that AK Rose is famous for leaving us wanting more or the characters running for their lives over several books. I kept praying this wasn’t the case but of course as I kept reading I knew the cliffhanger was coming. Once again she has me yelling at the book asking the FMC why!?!? What are you thinking Nyssa, is the truth worth walking away from him (you think just for now) and into the hands of a killer?!?!? Why are you trusting him!!!! The frustration I felt pulled me right back into the blood ties series and I loved it haha. Ugh I loved Alaric in this series and his growth/change with Nyssa but found myself praying he wasn’t going to keep this secret and loose her! Their story is so good and I know waiting for the next book is going to be agony. I definitely devoured this book in less than 24 hours and love how we got pulled back into a series we love so much but got a different twist and developing story. Can’t wait for the next book!!!

[G Kurosa]

Melancholy. A low hum of sadness. It all settled in my chest. I saw her and I saw him and the broken things...

It was like reading a poem. A poem of grief, of loneliness and of a broken mirror with reflections that represent every tiny break inside you.

Both Nyssa and Alaric swept me away. It was like I was dancing in the darkness with them. It was sad, slow and painful. Every place, every corner was described and the visions came to life. But the spell, the poem slowly faded. Anticipation building. Two questions: what happened? What is going to happen?

Yes, there is a cliffhanger and I'm really sad I have to wait for the next part of the story. But it could also have been the end. Leaving threads that only your imagination could tie together.

5/5 stars. Now A.K. Rose, you've got me hooked.

[Melanie]

Atlas Rose does it again. I kept my word and 3 days later I'm done. She Walks with Broken Things is incredible, Alaric and Nyssa are "Broken" to the world. The man who has lost it all, protecting himself, his past and now trying to protect his future with Nyssa.

Nyssa: A Daughter of The Order, who went through hell trying to stay still. Her past conditioning creeps through but she's the one that all the daughters rely on until she's moved with Alaric. With him, she's able to learn to live and learn to love.. but He is still out there, and he will stop at nothing to get Nyssa back..

As expected, I'm left gripping my seat yelling at the end of this book anxiously awaiting the release of the next book. If you haven't read it yet, run to get your copy.

[Adri]

This extended the ORDER… the interconnected series.
I love this series!!!
All its characters. Dark, Flawed, Obsessed and vulnerable.
The world created has three sides to it.
The evil one side.
The vulnerable on the other hand.
Then the Obsessed and protective ones. They are morally Grey.

She walks with Broken things picked up in the aftermath of big hurts.
Alaric is blinded and scarred.
Nyssa, a daughter is so scarred and hurt she won't ever live without pain.

They are an unlikely pair but their broken parts seem to call to each other.

That they find love between these pages and their hurts are so special but can it outlast the secrets and betrayals of the past???

I can not wait for the next book xxx Need to know where their story leads. xxx

How I loved this line AKR.. LOVE xxx
“Then don’t let somebody else’s fear become your certainty.”

[Teresa Ray]

This book was so good. It's a slow burn, gripping gothic romance.
Alaric and Nyssa are both "broken" to the world, each in their own way.
Nyssa is a Daughter of the Order who has been through unimaginable horrors. She's been conditioned to "stay still" and endure the unthinkable, that is until she's claimed by Alaric. A man from her past, the "Clove Man" is still hunting Nyssa.
Alaric is scarred and blind and has lost everyone he loves and he'll do whatever is necessary to protect Nyssa.
Nyssa and Alaric help to heal one another's broken pieces and become one.
This story is full of twists and turns and will keep you on the edge of your seat, especially with the cliffhanger ending. I cannot wait for the next book.

[Claire Parsons]

Beauty and the Beast Vibes say no more!!!
What an interesting book, it’s so different and I haven’t read a book like this before. So much suspense and A.K. Rose did a fabulous job at only giving snippets here and there which left you not knowing anything but also left you begging for more, I couldn’t put it down because I needed to solve this puzzle. The slow burn and angst between these 2 broken characters was amazing. What I didn’t appreciate was the cliffhanger 😭 My brain is trying to solve this mystery and now it’s on pause until the next book. Thank you A.K. Rose for a wonderful and different story.

[Allicia M]

Story 4 ⭐
Spice 2.5 🌶️

She Walks with Broken Things is a dark, gothic, mafia romance. Alaric decides after a brief interaction in a hallway that Nyssa will be going home with him. This is one with instant chemistry, but he waits for her to be the one to make the first move after taking her to stay with him.

Alaric has a lot of secrets that he wants to keep from Nyssa that she is determined to figure out what they are. This book does leave off on a cliffhanger before much is revealed. Now to wait for the next book to find out everything.

[Gina]

I loved this dark gothic read. It is a very intense read.

I buried my family.
Then I buried myself.
I didn’t come back.
She dragged me back.
Nyssa.
A Daughter of the Order. Scarred. Silent.
This one, I said. Comes with me.
She thinks I claimed her.
She doesn’t understand yet that she claimed me first.
The man who broke her is coming. He thinks she still belongs to him.
He’s wrong.
I didn’t choose her.
I refused to let her go.
I buried the beast once.
But if he comes for her—
I’ll become it again.
And this time, it’ll stay.

[Erin Mason]

I loved the back-and-forth point of views. They really add to the depth of the story and allow the reader to have more insight into the situation. There is so much that is hinted at in this story but not revealed. Be prepared for a cliffhanger ending and having no answers. I’m hoping the second book gives it all up so I can have closure. A good thriller with maybe a two on the spice scale.

[Crystel Pettit]

She Walks with Broken Things by AK Rose
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Rating, 🌶️ Spiciness

This is my 1st read of AK Rose, and I was a bit disappointed 😢. All reviews of her works I’ve seen reflect that she writes dark and taboo romance that people can’t put down. While this reminded me of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I kept wanting more. The writing style was odd, with most of the book being one word sentences and not much detail when the sentences were longer. The book ended on a cliffhanger, but I will not be reading the next book.

Has anyone else read Rose’s books? Is this her normal writing style?

[Jenni]

Alaric wasnt the boy he once was after losing everything, but then Nyssa collides into his life, and nothing will ever be the same again.
The story and characters draw you in with suspense, dark themes, drama, steamy desires and more! You'll be hooked and craving more!

[Sammye]

I was drawn in from the first chapter. Alaric and Nyssa’s story is full of secrets, intrigue, suspense and spice. It’s intense, gripping and dramatic! It ends on a cliffhanger with unanswered questions.

[EJ]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, much better than the last one.
Hope we do not have to wait to longer for the second book to come out, I want to know the truth too