Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Muse: A dark romance

Rate this book
One disowned heir to a chocolate empire.
One recent library science grad.
A roommate who can best be described as sex on a stick.
A job that entails researching Regency era brothels and, um, “acting.”
What could possibly go wrong?
(Damn near everything.)


My name is Sim. This book is about Alaric White—my best friend, college roommate, partner in literary crime. Alaric writes kissing books. And by “kissing,” I mean … well, you know what I mean.

He writes each book with a muse. (If the IRS asks, tell them she’s a “research assistant.”) Yeah, I’ve told him this reflects a certain lack of imagination on his part. But I help out with his books so far be it from me to complain too much.

Usually it doesn’t take him long to find a “research assistant” for a new book. Women send him their “resumes.” Call. Email. Turn up at every stop on his book tours. (I know, it’s a rough life but someone has to live it.)

But his current work-in-progress? Well, it’s different. So he needs a different muse. Someone innocent and untouched … but also brave enough to embark on a journey into her deepest, darkest desires.

After a year, he’s still searching. His agent is getting antsy. (Okay, she’s on the verge of full-blown panic that he won’t finish the book on time.)

Then he sees her, looking like an angel just arisen from a leisurely afternoon of amour. (His exact words.) She’s sitting in a suburban coffee shop … and being threatened by a goon with a pistol in his waistband.

(Dear reader, he rescues her.)

Then a plot twist no one saw coming.

He knows he should let her go. But he’s a selfish bastard. (I am too, but that’s a different story.) He just needs to keep her long enough to finish the book …

Muse is a melt-your-clothes-off scorching hot standalone billionaire (well, Alaric's not technically a billionaire but he acts like one half the time) boss romance with a sweet happy ever after. (If I might say so myself.) Find out why readers are saying, “Holy hotness!” … “the sexiest thing I have ever read” … “5 stars are not enough!” (Well, I’m one of the reasons why they say that.) Of course, everyone wants my story now, too. We’ll see. My story makes Alaric’s look like a damn fairy tale. A twisted sort of fairy tale, but … well, just read it. (Trust me, it’s worth it.)

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2015

450 people are currently reading
371 people want to read

About the author

Julia Gabriel

40 books162 followers
Julia Gabriel writes contemporary romance that is smart, sexy, and emotionally-intense (grab the tissues). She lives in New England where she is a full-time mom to a teenager, as well as a sometime writing professor and obsessive quilter (is there any other kind?). If all goes well, she’ll be a Parisienne in her next life.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
139 (36%)
4 stars
120 (31%)
3 stars
94 (24%)
2 stars
21 (5%)
1 star
9 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Jeannie Zelos.
2,851 reviews57 followers
June 9, 2017
Muse, Marie Martine

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, New Adult. 
 
Well, this was a fun read. an  author, writing about an erotic reads author, whose writing a new romance, but in a historical setting....
Its an enjoyable romp, a fun sneak of history and what might have been going on under all those straight laced appearances. Don't expect historical accuracy, though there's a few fun snippets tucked in, just take it in the spirit its written, fun and a little bit frivolous. 

There's a sweet love story going on, with Alaric really being in love with the idea of his latest heroine Erica. He can't seem to find a muse though, the person who's just right to play her character out in front of him with his long time best friend and fellow writer Sim. His "research assistants" play a very hands on - and clothes off- role, acting out scenes with sim, while he watches, studies, takes notes and is inspired into the next scenes. 
Behind that is part of the reason he writes romances...his cold, philandering father. He's one full sister and a host, an unnamed number, of half brothers and sisters spawned from his dad's days of cheating on his mother.
Finally she had enough and committed suicide and Alaric blames his dad, she was heart broken at his actions and couldn't take any more. Their relationship has been cold ever since and rather than work in the family firm Alaric writes sexy stories. Brings him a very good living too.
Then life takes a very unexpected turn involving his latest find, his Erica, Caterine. 

Caterine a cute girl, innocent but not a virgin, alone after her beloved mum died, except for her best freind Zoe. When she meets Alaric after another failed job interview he's entranced. here out of the blue is the woman he's looking for!
He Has to persuade her to work for him, he Needs her. No won't be accepted.
Luckily for him she needs a job, the money's excellent and Zoe is always telling her more sex is good, and she's got the chance to dip out of her comfort zone, in a big way. hot sex with two gorgeous men....

I liked both her and Alaric ( and Sim, unreprentantly sex obsessed).
OK so its an unrealistic novel, (unless erotic authors really do use hands on research!!) but its got enough of a tale to tie together the steamy sex scenes, both in real time and the acted out historical ones, and lets the story flow through.
I can't take books where its all sex and no story, even in an erotic read I need enough story to hold things together and this book does it. 

Its not a huge pull at your emotions drama, though in fact it could have been, but a lightish, very sensual and tantalising read.
Its not one I'd reread, but I did enjoy it and I'd be interested in reading the next book, Sim and Zoe. There's a sample of that and the end of this and having got to know both characters it looks another fun read. 

Stars: Four, a fun and sensual read. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
Profile Image for Cathy Knuth.
70 reviews6 followers
January 2, 2017
Excellent

This was a breath of fresh air! Love the concept of a writer writing as a writer genius! The characters we strong and sex scenes were hot definitely a five star series!
Profile Image for Megan =^..^=.
636 reviews7 followers
October 21, 2018
A good solid story with a good romance. Both interesting and original! Loved the dynamic between the two main characters. Highly recommend!
314 reviews4 followers
May 4, 2020
GREAT TWIST ON ROMANCE WRITING!

The premise of this book was very in usual and refreshing. The characters were very likable, the story was engaging. I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Pinky Hewitt.
277 reviews
October 18, 2015
Wow

This was like reading two stories in one with lots of panty melting scenes you just won't know what to do with yourself.
Profile Image for Lisa Marie ~ Words We Love By.
996 reviews64 followers
June 18, 2020
A writer's inspiration with a very dirty twist, Muse is the story of Caterine, a woman looking for a job and Alaric, a writer looking for the personification of his latest character. Alaric knows that Caterine is "Erica" the minute he sees her; her innocence, look, mannerisms is all the character that has been living in his head. Alaric convinces Caterine to take his very unconventional, very sexual job and they are off to Maine to create.

Told in alternating POVs, this is a different kind of muse story in that the muse characters are acting out the writer's sexual scenes while he watches for details. That he doesn't do that at any other time is a bit of a giveaway that it is more than inspiration for Alaric. Alaric is an arrogant, talented man for whom life has become boring. Caterine is the wide-eyed young woman who just lost her mother and is floundering. As the story progresses, Alaric and Caterine switch places as Alaric loses himself in her and Caterine gains confidence.

Muse is a good story that will hold your attention. I wanted a little bit more from the ending but that was more a personal preference than a critism of the book.
24 reviews
April 6, 2020
New story concept

I was definitely taken with this book. I found it by chance and it was KU like most of the books I read, and usually I screenshot them and get to them later, or eventually when I have time between my typical author line up. This one I moved up because the plot sounded more interesting. So glad I did. I enjoyed the book within a book idea.

Alaric can't write without a Muse, an assistant if you will that he can observe have sex with his best friend to observe all the nuances of the moment and then capture them with his words for his reader. He of course occasionally partakes in the experience as well, but something about this time is different for him. Add in some bastard fatherly blackmail and Alaric is put into a tough spot as to choosing his book (and his yet unnamed feelings) over his sister's inheritance. What's a man to do? After the fallout, will Alaric and Caterine ever be able to overcome the obviously unorthodox way they came about to find their own happily every after, together? Definitely worth it for you to read and find out.
Profile Image for Kari.
112 reviews
April 4, 2020
Now published under Julia Gabriel on Amazon, thus book was such a unique twist on a dark romance.
Alaric is an erotic romance author who hires a muse/research assistant to act out scenes with his best friend, Sim, as he watches and writes. He has been looking for a different sort of girl for his new book, and is close to giving up hope when he meets Caterine, a recent graduate with a master's in Library Science, at a coffee shop. Caterine is Erica, inexperienced, demure, and in need of a job.
The chemistry between Caterine and Alaric is there but after watching his philandering father destroy hugs mother, Alaric has sworn off any idea of a relationship beyond the casual.
This was unique as you are getting the story between Caterine and Alaric and the story that is being written between Charles and Erica in Alaric's book. Loved and watching patiently for Sim's book to eventuality come.
Profile Image for Jhoy.
169 reviews3 followers
October 14, 2020
I don't know why it's called ”A dark romance”

You can guess how the story goes, minus a number of interesting scenes that actually are important and allows the writer to put their unique stamp on the story.

Then there is trouble, and almost right away the breaking of their story happens.

The story he is writing was used in a way I didn't expect. Fully. I understand why the story he was writing is shown the way it was in the book, but how it was used, at times, wasn't what I expected.

Of course, there is a happy ever after, but the road there was rockier than I expected it to be.

I like the book. I think it was well written and an interesting read. This is a recommended read from me even if I feel like I was cheated out of a threesome that was hinted at in the description oh the book.
Profile Image for Carol S. Roeder.
64 reviews1 follower
November 5, 2018
This book started out in a lot of confusing thoughts. When reading what the novelist was writing for his book, you had a man and woman standing, then on the bed and you don't even know when they moved. Then they were standing and so on. There is a lot of swearing in the book and I think they used the "F" word a few times to many (and I am not a prude either). The story line kept my interest and didn't get tiring to much. It kept my interest as well. Toward the middle of the book when they both started writing the book from both point of views,( author and muse) I thought the book got better. Maybe if I read another book by this author I can relate to her style better. I hate to give a bad review on someone's hard work, but all in all this one left me with mixed feelings.
Profile Image for Cristi.
389 reviews2 followers
June 26, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I will say though, at first I thought that Alaric was a complete douchebag, but he did gain some of my favor by the end. I never fully loved him though. I liked how some of the sex scenes are told through his writings because he had them act the scenes out. It stopped things from getting repetitive. I didn't like that during some of her scenes with Sim she thought that she had to continue what they were doing, even when she didn't want to, because she thought she was going to get fired. One of my favorite parts is when she started writing as Erica. It added another depth to the story line. I would recommend this for fans of erotic romances with a regency twist.
Profile Image for P Leslie.
3,206 reviews17 followers
May 31, 2017
*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's*

I really enjoyed this book; it was refreshing, unique, and innovative. This was a fun, sexy yet seriously steamy read. The book was written well, evenly paced and flowed smoothly.

Alaric and Caterine had amazing chemistry. The author captured their conflicted emotions beautifully throughout.

This was a sensual, sexy, yet erotic read which will literally make your ovaries explode.
Profile Image for Nancy Daher Mastreno.
199 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2020
Different read.

This is a well written book, a little bizarre in nature. I gave it four stars because it moved a little slow for me. Books I rate five stars are the ones I can’t wait to finish. The four characters in the book are complementary to each other. I liked that Catherine was a grounded, strong woman and her friend Zoe more adventurous. Alaric was a bit confusing to connect with but was hoping for his HEA with Catherine. His friend, Sim, is just a manwhore. I had received this book originally with a different cover and author name.
Profile Image for Kathy.
1,506 reviews13 followers
May 5, 2020
Admittedly I was about 20 pages into this book and thought, hmmm maybe I will put it aside, I kinda know what's going to happen - WRONG!
Muses are normally used in songwriting, but Aleric White, Erotic Romance Author, takes this term to a whole new level. Machiavellian doesn't nearly describe his whole person, oh but it is there. Caterine is a character that may start off as naive, but that's not her either, both characters are much more and in the hands of this Author, this erotic story works.
Profile Image for Cathy.
999 reviews
April 3, 2021
Incredible!!

This is my second story from Miss Gabriel and I absolutely LOVE her writing! I read “Drawing Lessons” and “Chiaroscuro”, which were both just excellent!! A well planned and plotted storyline. I FLOVED that Alaric had this plan, he’d been doing it this wonky way for a long time, and then Catarina comes into the picture! Aha! Time to shake things up a bit, Caterina? LOL! This beautiful love story will stay with me for a long time to come. I loved everything about it!!
481 reviews16 followers
September 15, 2025
More of a 3.5 but decided to round down because the editing issues really annoyed me.

Story itself - 4 stars. Interesting premise of author watching potential book scenes acted out by two people and then writing about them. It wasn't at all a dark romance, though.

Editing - 3 stars. POV changes mid paragraph and tense changes mid sentence. Occasional typos and grammatical errors as well.

Would read another book by this author assuming the story doesn't have the same editing issues.

Profile Image for Chelon.
401 reviews10 followers
September 16, 2017
This was amazing. Beyond sex, the level of intimacy between the characters makes this the sexiest thing I have ever read. My only complaint is Caterine she didn't know what she wanted, she turned him down multiple times but still kept saying he didn't want her. Otherwise it's an erotic story within a sexy one, and both were well written. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I was given an ARC for my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Jennifer Hamilton.
127 reviews1 follower
July 3, 2017
This story was absolutely intoxicating! Caterine and Aleric as well as Erica and Charles made for a great, on the edge of my seat, cannot put this book down, book couple.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading a book within a book. How they wrote this story together and fell in love through the characters.
The writing was excellent and look forward to Zoe and Sim.
ARC generously provided by NetGalley for my honest review.
Profile Image for Written Word Addict.
229 reviews13 followers
October 10, 2018
Holy hotness!

Wasn't sure how the concept of this book would work but I am blown away! Aleric/Charles is moody, childish and so freakin hot! Catherine is the perfect heroine. Inexperienced and subdued while showing strength and tenacity. I love both of these characters so much! And the side characters Zoe(brilliant character) and Sim(sex god on a stick), I can't wait to read their story!
30 reviews
April 1, 2020
NAUGHTY! SEXY! Fantastic!

The premise of this book intrigued me . Innocent young girl meets erotic romance author, is hired as assistant to act out sexual scenes and be his muse What I didn't expect was the novel within the novel and the damaged characters that you fall in love with. This was well written, hot sexy and very NAUGHTY but still had a really good plot and character development highly recommended it can't wait for Sims book to come out
26 reviews
August 7, 2021
The Muse is a must read

I loved that The Muse was not what I expected. It’s written uniquely (yet just as hot) and provides multiple, intertwined perspectives. The POV is a wonderful balance. The aha moments made me laugh because you saw them coming, but want to read them anyway just to prove to yourself that you were right. I recommend The Muse to anyone who wants something a little different. Warning: sexually explicit with mild BDSM.
Profile Image for MsAleea.
47 reviews
October 30, 2018
Very Enjoyable Read

Well I must say, I was invested in this delightful tale from the first couple of pages. I love well written characters who evolve, change, grow with the story. Add to that the interesting framework for how sex was presented, and all in all, 5 happy stars. Definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Please hurry Ms Martine.
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,101 reviews4 followers
April 7, 2020
Repetitive

This concept had such promise. An write of erotica who uses real people to act out the sex scenes for his books. Lots of promise! But it just spiraled into the same questions and doubts by the characters in the “real life” part of the book. The girl is very wishy washy. Very annoying. I wouldn’t recommend.
Profile Image for Alex.
61 reviews5 followers
April 25, 2020
I was excited to read this book and ended up being a little disappointed in it. The point of view was almost that of a narrators when the book was speaking as the MCs, then it would shift to the book that was being written. The ending was a bit abrupt as well. Overall not my favorite but I did see it through to the end and didn’t stop midway 🤷🏻‍♀️
28 reviews
February 13, 2023
abrupt end

Warning. Graphic sex scenes. With that said, the plot was interesting. However, although the story was wrapped up, it ended abruptly. I was looking for another chapter when the rating page appeared. I read this author’ “Anything For Her” which I really liked. Will read her other books.
112 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2017
Loved It!

Never read a book where the author uses live people to enact scenes so he can write them as they happen. Very interesting concept. Erotic and story telling at the same time. If you are looking to read something different, then this is one you should try.
Profile Image for Tammy.
9,119 reviews49 followers
June 16, 2017
Unique story. Alaric is an erotic romance writer in search of a muse, Caterine is in need of a job and Alaric won’t take no for an answer. The chemistry between them is steamy. The story is entertaining and different. I liked it.
Profile Image for Ashley.
Author 3 books24 followers
August 3, 2017
Phenomenal book

I love the dual storyline here and how the author really gets into the minds of the main characters. It was interesting and creative, and the characters are awesome. Absolutely loved this book!
Profile Image for Jennifer Halloway ong.
646 reviews8 followers
April 5, 2020
Loved it !!

I loved everything about this book , the characters the storyline all of it ! It was like reading two books at once , Alerec and Caterine ‘s love story then Charles and Erika’s . I can’t wait to read the next installment of Sim and Zoe !!
6 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2020
WOW!!°

Holy moly! I don't usually write reviews but this book deserves it! Loved the story line and characters. The scenes were so hot i had to put the book down for a bit......new author for me and looking forward to reading more from her.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.