From USA Today best-selling author Trisha Wolfe comes her most dark and dangerous psychological thriller that readers say "deliciously twisted"
The complete Darkly, Madly Duet Includes Born, Darkly and Born, Madly
He challenged her sanity.
She shattered his reality.
They dared each other...to the brink of madness.
A dark and twisted maze awaits criminal psychologist London Noble when she falls for her patient, convicted serial killer, Grayson Pierce Sullivan. As she unravels the traps, her sanity tested with each game, she's forced to acknowledge the true evil in the world around her.
Born, Madly
a performance by two.
But who is acting, and who is devolving?
A buried past is unearthed, and Grayson Sullivan--AKA The Angel of Maine--retaliates against the system who made him, deploying psychological warfare on the woman who initially set him free. Dr. London Noble probes deep into the mind of the killer she's fallen for, searching for answers, as a copycat killer threatens their unity. Are they partners, lovers, or enemies? One final trap will reveal all.
**Please find a full list of content information on the author's website
USA Today bestselling romantic thriller author. From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fictional worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fictional worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.
Yes, the premise sounded exciting, but the execution and the main couple gave me the ick.
They're sick.
Yes, kill the pedos but don't get turned on by the act of killing...?
That's cause for concern.
Yeah, idk how I feel about that...
I don't find the sex/sexual chemistry between them hot because this couple is kinda sick. Cause these two are not horny for each other per se... they're horny for killing lol.
And that's not very sexy to me...
Like... I don't want these two ppl to have sex, to be honest.
I like that they're killing bad ppl tho, so that's good!
At first, I didn't think an HEA was appropriate, but I really appreciate them ridding the world of disgusting men. Go serial killer couple, go!
But I still don't enjoy the romantic/sexual tension, because it stemmed from being turned on by murder, and not by each other, and that doesn’t vibe well with me.
What I loved: 1. Two characters who were so complex and layered, where good and bad blurred. 2. There relationship is crazy and beyond the norms of reality, and yet I was consumed by them. 3. The plot twists just kept in coming. 4. There was an element of realism to this, like I was watching a true crime documentary. 5. The narrators were fantastic
What I didn’t love: 1. The end of the duet dragged just a bit for me in the middle, but it picked back up.
**fair warning, this is dark, with triggers and will not be for everyone. There is an HEA, but these aren’t good people.
“We weren’t born the day we took our first breath. We were born the moment we stole it.”
Born, Darkly is absolutely sick and twisted. A criminal psychologist falling for her serial killer patient? Fascinating
The story had many twists and turns, and I loved the progression between the two main leads, and being in their heads was fascinating.
“You’re absolutely mad.” His smile is shattering. “I can’t wait for you to join me.”
However, the second part (Born, Madly) felt more like a character study and less like a Romance. We spent most of the time in the characters' heads thinking about how their brain works, and that might be interesting for the first 2 hours, but it gets a little tiresome toward the end. However, I still enjoyed the psychological aspect enough to finish it.
Overall, this Duet was an interesting read and if you like suspenseful stories with psychological themes, check it out :)
*I wish the author would've included Trigger Warnings in her books or on her website - please check my list or other reviews before going into this book!
❝ No, ours is not a love story. Ours comes with a warning. And it’s not over yet. Of course, no one heeds warnings. If ours began with a beware , my story begins with a threat. Do not enter. I was spawned in hell itself ❞
I always struggle trying to review @trisha_wolfe 's books. I always feel like my words will stop short and not do the book justice. What I know and love wether I liked the book or not is her expressive language and vocabularies ,You read and know that this author did her homework, her books always have background knowledge. the writing always so good. I'd gladly read anything by her , if she $hit on paper, I will read it ( twisted minds and all . ) But literally I'd read just for the sake of enjoying her knowledge. No plot, twists, storyline needed........
Grayson and London. They are a darkly and madly duo ❤️ The missing piece in their puzzle. Each other's breakthroughs. And each others safe haven. But in the most carnal, twisted and unique way. They don't fit the stereotype They are the exception. And the rule..... I loved how London stook no chance against Grayson's hurricane and thunder . Her came at her with a force made them soo inevitable . Dragging her down the rabbit hole.
❝ I fall into him then. Completely. Lost in the blue of his eyes, the softness of his lips, and the red staining our hands. A beautiful and brutal epiphany that could save us, or damn us further, blooms to life right here in the darkness that spawned us. ❞
Book 2 wasn't as much of a breath-stealer like book 1. I felt like Grayson took a step back . I didn't mind that London was the one leading and had the majority of the light focused on her. But since I FELL HARD for Grayson I wanted his force with equal fierceness as in book 1. It's not necessarily a bad feedback, but I'm sure Trisha knows what's she's doing and things needed some cool-down in order to fit at the end. I'm more than satisfied. I love them , and I love myself on how much I loved them ( yes I needed to fit myself in there somehow 😉😏)
ᯓ Oh wow. This duet would literally be a perfect combination of Hannibal and Saw but make it romantic and with psychology aspects sprinkled all over it.
· · ──── ·𖥸· ──── · · ₊˚⊹⋆ ”All I know for sure is that we have a story. Ours is not a love story—we’re too volatile, too explosive for happily ever after. No, our story comes with a warning: Beware.” ⋆⊹˚₊ · · ─ ·✶· ─ · · · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
ᯓ I have no words. I devoured this duet. London and Greyson were both such complex multi layered characters with such depth. They both characters were morally grey. Their conversations were so fascinating to read. I went in completely blind to this and I loved every second.
ᯓ There wasn’t a whole lot of spice in these so if that’s what you’re looking for you might be disappointed. This duet was mostly centered around crime/mystery solving.
ᯓ I ended this duet with over 60+ highlights. By far the most I’ve acquired in a book. I will absolutely be reading more by Trisha Wolfe. Is she a psychology major because man, that would make sense.
· · ──── ·𖥸· ──── · · ₊˚⊹⋆ ”A finale with a standing ovation.” ⋆⊹˚₊ · · ─ ·✶· ─ · ~ · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Trigger Warning: Graphic violence, murder, kidnapping. Mentions of sexual violence, mentions child sexual abuse, and self harm. Internalized misogyny, Ableism, Anti-fatness, and anti-sex work slurs and attitudes.
The Saw movie, but make it a Romance with explicit sex. It lives up to this hype. Sure, it’s a bit pretentious, but for me that fits the character and genre. To be fair, fictional serial killers and psychologists are always pretentious, regardless of the genre.
This was a thrilling, edgy, fast-paced read. I guessed most of the twists, but it didn’t stop me from continuing to read. However, this book suffers from a lot of the issues that plague crime thrillers and dark Romance (see trigger warnings). If you want to know my more detailed thoughts on copaganda, ableism, and sexism in these kinds of books check out the podcast ShelfLove, where I discuss this serious and the many issues that plague this genre and media in general
I have a special place in my heart for villains/morally grey characters finding love with each other. This one delivers on that romantic fantasy this big time. The relationship is rocky and gets violent and the power dynamics flip flops lot, but ultimately the leads get their Happy ending (by book two). And that makes it a Romance with a capital R.
I highly recommend this to fans of horror thrillers (like Saw and Hannibal), True Crime, and Romance with explicit sex. This was one hell of a gory, sexy roller coaster ride.
Holy Moly, I'm soooooo impressed with this one!!!!! Trish did her research!!!!!! This was so thought out, cunning and sadistic that I can't believe everything that was laid out in this book! Can you tell how excited I am with these exclamation marks? A huge mind blown. So many things I didn't see coming. I can also see this become a movie. You will not be disappointed with the pace of this book because you will get sucked into book 2. So good. The narrators were perfect for this book. This is one of my top reads/listens of 2019!
Born, Madly: 5 stars
Wow! This one was sooo different in terms of where the story went. A lot of things were unexpected and I loved that! I'm really impressed with how everything turned out. I can't wait to read more of Trisha's work. I'm so glad I listened to this one audio and I have 2 more of Trisha's audios in my que.
The MCs are a psychiatrist and a serial killer (who is on death row). Grayson is a vigilante killer and kills his predators with elaborate torture techniques that are done indirectly. Dr Noble is excited to study him before his death sentence to be able to receive insight into his mind. Grayson flips the switch on her revealing her past nightmares. The cat and mouse game has begun and it isn’t until the end we see which one is the cat and the mouse.
I’m glad this was grouped together into two books, because I enjoyed the second book more.
⛔️ THIS IS A DUET AND BOOK 1 ENDS ON A CLIFFHANGER. THEY CANNOT BE READ AS STANDALONES ⛔️
First and foremost, I enjoyed this authors writing style. Thank you Ms. Trisha Wolfe. We are getting the dark and unhinged romance, but more importantly getting an interesting plot. We have ‘Saw’ meets ‘Natural Born Killers’ vibes and it’s twisted.
I listened completely on audiobook and OMG! Joe Arden with an Irish accent 😮💨🔥 I’m not going to lie, I did not like the female narrator at first. I didn’t think her voice matched the description of our FMC, London. To me, she sounded much older than the character was supposed to be causing me to visualize something different than the description. However, as the story progressed and the pieces of the puzzle 🧩 (see what I did there 😉) snapped into place, I fell into the comfort of the characters and forgot all about my dislike. I became obsessed with them together and how their story was going to play out.
We have two seriously complex characters. An expert criminal psychologist, Dr. London Noble who IMO quickly falls for her patient, Greyson Sullivan, a 9x convicted murderer who’s a genius and also clinically insane.
“Do we love each other or are just “crazy” for each other.”
There’s definitely some unethical things that happen. We get flash back scenes from both the “good” doctor and our psychopath. We learn what Greyson really does with/ to his victims and from the outside, it doesn’t seem all THAT bad (think Dexter 😉) TBH, I didn’t see anything wrong with him and his form of bringing the truth to light. Except, we can’t really take the world in our hands… that would cause mayhem.
We weren’t born the day we took our first breath. We were born the moment we stole it.”
Let me reiterate that I listened 100% on audiobook and since it was a duet, book 1 and book 2 played back to back. This caused some confusion for me that I believe wouldn’t have happened if I read the physical book(s). The way book 2 started after the cliffhanger in book 1… threw me for a loop and I felt confused for the first couple of chapters.
This is where I’m going to tell you what I didn’t like. Did London and Greyson actually love each other, or were they two psychopaths who were obsessed with the thought of each other? During the spicy scenes, I honestly couldn’t tell if they were aroused from one another or from the killings. Like, is it her or the fact that she just murdered that person? Plus, the doubt that always circulated in their minds about one another and having contingency plans also made me wonder if they did in fact love each other. I don’t mind the mind fucks and the killing and stalking and all that other darkness, but I do want real romance. Now, based on the good doctor’s diagnosis of Greyson, he in fact cannot actually love anyone.
I also figured out the ending which sorta bummed me out but overall this was a good book.
Do I recommend? Yes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was so apprehensive going into this but I’ve seen multiple reviews that made me think I had to experience this story for myself! It is nothing I expected it would be! It is twisted, dark and will mess with your psyche. But it also the most brilliant writing I’ve ever read/listened to. Trisha Wolfe did her research and delivered on all accounts! My mind is blown. I have never been so enthralled in a story from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down.
Grayson is a convicted serial killer. He is a vigilante killer, some might compare him to Dexter. He is a complex character with such a dark and horrific past. The moment he sets his sights on London she doesn’t stand a chance against him. I know it’s crazy to admit but I was ADDICTED to this man. To his story. To his mind. There is something so raw and real about him.
“She is my salvation. And I am her long-awaited consequence.”
London is a criminal psychologist in the prison Grayson is in and she has been assigned to work with him as he awaits his trial. She is a deeply emotional character but you wouldn’t know it on her exterior. She is professional and beautiful in her custom designer suits but inside she is harbouring horrific secrets about her past. Grayson sees deep inside her soul almost right from the beginning. The pull to each other is wrong in so many ways but he is determined to crack her heart wide open. London should be able to resist him given that she is trained to handle criminal like him but she did not stand a chance. The first book in the duet consumed me. The second book I was not prepared for. The twists and turns were endless and I devoured this. The ending was the absolute best part of the whole thing. JUST INCREDIBLE!
“Not all demons are born to the dark. And not all angels seek the light. Sometimes our circumstance demands a fusion of both. There is no good and evil. Only the time spent between both heaven and hell, where we find our peace. And love. Even the vilest of monsters deserve to be loved.”
There is so much more I could say but do not want to spoil anything so if you haven’t read listened to this yet pick this one up. It will mess with your mind and pull emotions out of you that you never knew you had.
Joe Arden’s and Kate Genevieve’s performance of this book deserves all the awards. The way they bring these characters alive was just perfection.
London is a criminal psychologist that takes on the minds of twisted criminals and helps prepare them for trial as well as preparing herself to testify, whether for or against them. Her latest patient is a serial killer that bends her will to do the right thing and obscures her ability to stay professional. He is truly sadistic and has a rhyme to his reason. For all the right reasons, she tries to analyze him and winds up finding a lot out about herself. Grayson has a plan and played the right way; he will get what he wants…he always does. His latest project must be executed perfectly so that he can finish this sadistic game and show London exactly who she is…. just like him. I enjoyed listening to this duet. It was sexy, adventurous, and suspenseful. I did want a little more resistance from London, but that didn’t take away from the story. London is very vulnerable after she recalls things from her past. She knows she is taking a chance with her career by getting involved with Grayson, but she must face her past because he won’t allow anything but her cooperation. Grayson is a true Alpha through and through. There is no room for error and in his plan to dominate London and bring her to the realization of who she is. A dark, psychological thriller with lots of close calls, mystery, and lust. Very enjoyable! 4 Stars!
What a great read!!! Call me dark, call me disturbed , call me what you want...this was simply awesome!Well, began to think no book would ever vie for my #1 spot(The Kind Worth Killing).
But this has moved straight up to my number 1 spot.
This one hit me hard. You know how there are always these reviews with cliches like 'unputadownable', etc. Well, this one REALLY is. I cannot use enough of them to describe this one.
Just read it! Or listen to it. I listened to the audiobook. The performances are outstanding as well as the story.
I had to drive up to Ontario to assist on a project there(controls engineer). I did not want to get gas! I did not want to stop for anything, if my GPS came over with turn information, I went back 40 seconds as to not miss a minute of this.
I'm not joking, this might just be the most insane duet I have read.
Omg, this was dark and unhinged, a little farfetched in some places, but I was equally gripped to get to the bottom of this dark and twisted thriller!
I really enjoyed the first book, it was crazy; Grayson was crazy, obsessed, insanely unhinged.
The second book was just as much of a rollercoaster as the first, like what the hell was going on lmao. The first half did kinda lose me, as I was trying to piece things together— the main takeaway for me was that they're vilgiantes now, sort of, it was very twisted and dark and just insane. I still enjoyed it though, right up until the last page!
Tropes
dark romance stalker romance serial killer convict and his psychologist obsessed mmc and fmc
3.5 stars! This was such an interesting read! If you enjoyed the mindf*ck series this would be a similar vibe! Criminal Psychologist X convicted serial killer, but fill of twists, puzzles and secrets to be unlocked.
Holy sexy mindfuck Batman! This audiobook was truly amazing. I have never experienced anything so disturbing yet sexy and full of twists. It's like a car wreck with blood and gore and torture and I can't look away but I need to stop and listen to something funny and light so I can sleep tonight. There really isn't any way I can due it justice as I don't possess the talent or vocabulary to describe this brilliant work.
Trisha is a new to me author and I am blown away by her writing. I never thought I could feel this connected to a character that is so far past the line of my ethical threshold, but right until the final words I was so invested in these people (yes, to me they are now real) 🥰
"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here"
Book 1 and 2 were very different in terms of development and style yet it flowed together quite well. In 1 we are introduced to Dr. London Noble, a criminal psychologist, and Grayson Sullivan, a serial killer and her new patient. We gain a surface level of understanding into their individual goals and motivations and start to see a relationship develop. The acts that are recounted in the therapy sessions are truly horrific and difficult to listen to, but they help shape the story and set the expectation for how dangerous Grayson really is.
Book 2 takes us much deeper into the background of our MCs and we gain great insight into the events that have molded London and Grayson into who they are when we meet them. At the same time we see how Grayson's penchant for manipulation and London's need for the truth change and twist their relationship.
The brain is powerful and amazing. It will burry thoughts and traumatic experiences to protect itself, and the lengths that Grayson goes to in order to force London to unearth her truths are intense and terrifying.
"She's my key"
Joe's performance in this book is insane. Grayson is a horrifyingly intelligent and sadistic individual. Despite this we are drawn to him, much like London is, and attempt to gain understanding so we can find peace with what he has done in order to alleviate our guilt over this connection. Kate was completely new to me and I've already been scouring her library because she gave such a beautiful performance. Both narrators handle the intensity of this story very well and do a great job at balancing each other's characters, so we aren't pulled out of the story. This includes but is not limited to their ability to be incredibly creepy, sexy and give us some wonderful accents. It's terrifying and brilliant how easily the narrators suck us in and keeps us completely hooked. 5/5 story, 5/5 narration. ❤️🔥🎧❤️🔥
Alrighty so I've been putting off this duology so much so that I forgot how much I enjoyed the first book when I first read it. Decided I needed to reread and then continue straight through. I am soooo happy I did this!
My initial thoughts on the first book when I last read it was that it was captivating but left a lot up in the air. The writing style was great for the characters we had POV's through. One thing that fell short was that it felt stilted and lacked smut.
My thoughts on the first book having re-read it and also read the sequel are similar but different. Firstly, it is still captivating. Secondly, I don't think it felt stilted. This is a great set up for the sequel. The tension built between the two MC's was amazing. I love when a writer can create so much without using sex and instead rely on their intellects. You know how some people find brains sexy? If you are one then this is for you. It also has the physical aspects as well but that isn't what really drives either of these individuals. The dual POV of the male and female MC's was great. I personally am a fan of those since I like knowing how both individuals are dealing with the situation. It was also a great build up to the sequel. I would give this a solid 4/5.
The second book was my favorite by far. I loved the male MC and how he is a ride or die. The obsession is to die for. I think this book really showcases the cat and mouse chase that they are doing with each other and with other people. I loved the ending. It was wonderfully done.
The only drawbacks are from both books is that the female MC's pain just disappears? no cure, nothing. Which is highly unrealistic. I mean there are quite a few parts that are unrealistic but that one just irritated me since the writer had no issue letting each of them get hurt (which I am a fan of). The vibes I got from this couple were definitely Cat and Spencer from Criminal Minds, except genders reversed and way darker. I would give this a solid 4.5/5.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a great suspenseful dark romance! Trisha Wolfe is a favorite author for me and will be an instant buy/read from now on :)
Dr. London Noble is a psychologist, specialising in criminals and running her own practice. She has a contract with the local prison, and it’s due to this reason that she meets her new patient - Grayson Pierce Sullivan.. Also known as ‘The Angel of Maine’. Grayson has set up ‘games’ for his victims, basically torturing people who he believed deserved it. Grayson liked to record his torture. Grayson is studying London, having had an obsession with her, knowing more about her than even she herself realises. London is intrigued by Grayson and can’t help her growing attraction to him, all whilst knowing he is very dangerous. These two embark on the biggest game of their lives.. will they be able to come out the other end stronger? Or will they be unable to trust how dangerous the other person is, completely ruining one another.
This book absolutely blew my mind, at the beginning I honestly felt so stupid, as I needed to get into their headspace. Once I did get into their way of thinking, I was hooked!
The storyline is so unique and has so many twists and turns, it’ll keep you guessing throughout the whole book. It had Joker/Harley Quinn vibes.. but also had the movie Saw vibes which had me SHOOK!! This would be a selling point, all on its own, absolutely loved that!
Personally I do think it could have been shorter because some of the inner monologue was excessive, but I think that it’s intentional because Grayson is a psychopath, so it’s the way his brain works.
I loved Grayson and London, they both bring out their true selves and there is no need to hide. Grayson made London face who she really was a reveal all the truths that she had buried deep inside and no longer remembered. London frees Grayson from the walls that he has built up and the fear of what he could become. They are such a unique match but I absolutely loved them.
Personally I feel Grayson was doing an absolute service and his victims got exactly what they deserved 💁🏼♀️
Really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more by this author 🖤
Born Darkly: Delicious! Really dark and intense. Supurb and intricate twists. Unfortunately, a few very unforgivable grammar errors (hit instead of his...type grammar errors during pretty intense scenes which take this reader out of the moment), and I hate that because this was definitely a 10 star story.
This story is unique and suspenseful, never letting up as you twist and turn trying to figure out what the %@$! is going to happen next. Both characters are flawed and beautiful. Masterful.
4.95 stars and on to book two right this minute.
Born Madly: How can you one up your first book? Well this author definitely knows how to do that! Let's add another serial killer to the mix and a worn out cop that just won't give up. One of them is a copycat, and then let's add more puzzles to twist the readers minds.
Fantastic conclusion to this duet. Very unique, very well researched, very believable. Stunningly dark, depraved and delicious. I am a bit distrubed that I love this so much, oh well.😂❤️
I had really high hopes for this book because I was told it would fill the void the mindfck series left in me, but it didn't. Maybe my high hopes are what made this a bit of a letdown.
I honestly only liked the first 100pgs and last 100pgs of this book, the rest I was kind of bored of. But the concept of this book was cool, I just personally couldn't get into it. It was still pretty good, though. And the ending was really cool, although I don't exactly understand the logistics of what happened. So yeah.
Started off very promising but went downhill. I enjoyed the first book, it was interesting and had a good pace. Even though I wasn't really feeling the tension/chemistry between the mcs, the overall plot kept me reading. The second book completely lost me early on though. It was a drag to get through. It became too repetitive and whatever slight chemistry the mcs had in the first book was complete gone in the second for me, I just wasn't feeling any of it.
Damn this was twisted and brilliant. TWs writing is so beautiful and dark it grips you. I honestly had no clue what was going to happen next in the last quarter of this book.
I really enjoyed the Saw inspiration for this book and the intricate Saw-like traps were so clever. Being a horror fan I appreciated this.