Love of the Egoist

Egoist #1

by Nero Seal

“I wanted to play with you… punish you. But now, I want to ruin your world and turn it pitch black. Isolate you, so you have nothing left except me.
And remember, it’s your own fault.”

ISOLATION. LONELINESS. ENDLESS SILENCE STRETCHING INTO ETERNITY.
This is the personal living hell of police detective, Kuon Leiris. His punishment for ruining the Black Duke’s deal. But when night falls, it gets worse…
Cruelty. Affection. Madness. Obsession. Constant mind games where he can do nothing but give in. Yugo pours his every corrupt desire into his prey, testing the limits of their capture-bonding relationship.
Do you dare enter a dark world where safe-words don’t exist?

Genres: M M Romance, Dark, BDSM, Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance, Romance, Abuse

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2018

About the author

Journalist, poker player, casino events manager, designer, and SEO specialist, Nero Seal tried it all before committing to the idea of being an M/M fiction writer. Living in one of the most homophobic countries in the world, he has a lot to say. Being an avid traveler, he creates his imaginary worlds from the places he’s been and the people he’s met.
Characters always talk in his head, forcing him to write their stories, using his 49 kinks as the ultimate weapon of allure. When the voices in his head aren’t slaving him around, he is drawing, hiking, and procrastinating important things in favor of momentary gratification.

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

**** 4.5 Stars ****



Why? Why there is no half stars in the moments I need it the most?
I like saving my 5 stars rates for books I'll remember FOREVER, books that take me to places, not always happy but nevertheless remarkable. Will I remember Love of the Egoist in a few years time? I don't think so... However, it nonetheless made a big impression.



Love of the Egoist has a story line a bit overused in the MF genre and I feel kind of jaded for this trope. Therefore I was taken by surprise here, big time! This was definitely more than GR 4 stars rate "I really liked it", but at the same time I can't say "It was amazing" because I don't think I'll remember it in a few years.

I know... I'm THAT complicated.

My highlights:

.) Love of the Egoist was so bloody bad wrong AND wicked.
.) The psychological mind games so convincing.
.) The love/hate relationship between captor and captive so freaking real.
.) Hot as fuck.
.) And the ultimate proof of a well done and developed story, I was rooting for the bad guy!!!! *gasp* How bad?? Bad as in a non redeemable person.



***Love of the Egoist is not a romance and has a very strong vibe of Call the Coroner.
Available on KU ATM.

[Tionne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I AM SO FUCKING MAD!!! To the point where I can't even gather my thoughts!!! So you're telling me, poor Kuon went through all of that shit?? All of those mixed fucking feelings and violence just for that to happen in the end??? Doubting himself, wondering why he felt that way about his captor just for it to end like that?? You know what? I wasn't gonna rate this because I wasn't sure how to rate it but now I fucking know. 1 star!!!!! 1 star for all the shit he had to go through just because he did his job, and for that fucker to not be man enough to let him know how he feels. If he did, he could've prevented everything that happened!!!!!!! I can't believe I actually liked Yugo sometimes, lol boy do I regret that. Maybe if there was hope for things to work out in book 2, my review would've been 5 stars but with that ending? I don't fucking think so, therefore I did not like this. Also every time Yugo acted all clueless as to why Kuon was in a bad mood(like after that fucker came to the house) I wanted to stab him in his fucking throat.

[Nazanin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Told in dual POV, 3rd person, it’s the first installment in the "Egoist" series and it’s cliffy. This was my first read by this author and won’t be my last for sure. It’s an enemies-to-lovers story, a dark one. Well-written with well-developed characters and angsty. There is an age-gap between the MCs, loved both of them, yes I loved Yugo. Maybe it was hard to see his love but I could see it and feel it! Overall, I enjoyed this intense read and hope you like it as well! On to book 2!

[Shin Mon Thway · Rating 4 out of 5]

My God!!!! That ending is killing me!!!!!!!! 😱😭😱😭 Undoubtedly one of the best “genuine” enemies to lovers books with Stockholm syndrome. But my god, what happened to Kuon???? I really really REALLY need to know. 😭 If you are thinking about reading this book, know that this ends on a major cliffhanger. Like MAJOR! 😱 I think I will be jumping up and down before the next book comes out. Don’t expect me to write a coherent review to write for this one. 😅 This is one of those rare ones which you gotta read yourself to fully understand what happened. 😉



4 I’m dying with suspense here stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ☆

omgomg!! the last time i felt this obsessed with a couple was over two months ago (Remy/Soren of The Escape: Soren's Saga), which i feel like was the beginning of my shaky slump lately and while i've had a few good reads in between, it doesn't hit the same as when i'm 100% invested with the characters and how everything was going to develop between them. Nero Seal's works (from what i've read so far) aren't for everyone, but they work for me. everything is dark and gritty - from the writing to the setting to the characters and the fucked up dynamics but i love it all. 🥹 Slater/Talha is still my favorite Nero Seal couple, and unmatched imo, but Yugo/Kuon had a different dynamic that had me just as invested with wanting to see how their story will play out. i also loved the addition of Greg (Yugo's right-hand man) and, while i wasn't sure what to think of him at first, his presence in the story grew on me by the end. i need to know what happens next after that ending- 👀😩

some of my favorite moments:
✧ Yugo being confused and questioning his feelings for Kuon bc it's the first time he's felt this strongly towards someone before.
✧ Kuon seeing Yugo sleeping peacefully and caressing his face.
✧ Greg training Kuon and the fact that Yugo was watching and got jealous when he saw how close their distance was from each other was a bonus. 🤣
✧ Kuon jealous bc of Mio.
✧ when Kuon and Yugo were having a stand-off and they were pointing guns at one another but they couldn't pull the trigger.
✧ the ending when Kuon shot himself and Yugo screamed in agony.

[Dia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author and I enjoyed it. Well it's DARK, just the way I enjoy my reads. Angsty and shockingly at times. I promised myself I'll read more dark books in 2020, so for a start this one was right on my alley.

This story is definitely NOT for everyone, I advise you to read carefully the blurb and dive in knowing full well it ends with a chiffhanger.

I'm looking forward to reading more about Yugo and Kuon - I love their names! I'm glad the next book is already out!!

[Marci · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 63% … I’ve been “reading” this since December 29th, 2021. Can’t do it anymore! My kindle says I have an hour and 38 minutes left and that is just far too long. Gotta call it quits.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried not to get attached, and feel everything they felt. That's the only way I can read a book like this. Tried to convince myself that these things don't happen in real life. And it was easier this way.

This isn't the kind of dark read where the villain has an ounce of good in him, where you think he is only a bad person because something bad happened to him when he was a child. Mommy/daddy issues, etc. And he was forced to do bad things. Where you think he only needs to fall in love with the right person and he would stop being a criminal. If you're looking for that kind of book, look elsewhere.

This also isn't the kind of book where someone would swoop in like a superhero and save the damsel in distress. Nope. Again, look elsewhere. There also wasn’t a damsel in the story. Kuon fought hard to save himself, his dignity and pride, and eventually his sanity.

Yugo's fascination with Kuon was... well, fascinating. He demanded Kuon to obey him, but liked when Kuon defied him, challenged him. It was an amusing game to him. He did feel affection for Kuon in a twisted way. And despite this not being a romance book, there were some moments that were playful and lighter. The evolution of both Yugo's and Kuon's feelings was gripping and the author lured me into believing each possibility that surfaced in my mind about the outcome.

Yugo's resurfacing, often times almost charming and boyish nature - even if he was a cruel animal - would have been endearing if I could just ignore what he did. That part of him reminded me of a cheerful child. And it made me realize that I didn't know anything about him, other then how he behaved in Kuon's presence. Same goes for Kuon. There was absolutely zero background story. What about their families, friends, colleagues? Yugo did have some dealings with other thugs, but only for a few paragraphs (which I didn't mind, cause even that bored me, though it did raise some political questions in me, but I don't care enough to investigate).

It took me some time to figure out what exactly was off about the writing style. Is there such a thing as too many adjectives? If so, this book suffered from that. I absolutely love when the author assaults my senses with detailed description: how it smells and feels, what the characters see; but maybe not the whole book and not every sentence (I might've highlighted a few), just in certain scenes. It was too much here.

I won't bother with trigger warnings, it's a dark book (and I mean DARK). And also not a romance. That's all the spoiler I'm willing to give.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soooo... I wonder if English is the author's second language or this was originally written in another language and translated? There are some really strange ways of writing, expressions, punctuation that just are...STRANGE.

And also, what mafia dude says "cute"... sometimes the men in this series talk like girls. Very much a turn off for me.

2.5 stars rounded up since it's "free" on KU. Would totally be 1-2 stars if I had to pay for it.

Yet another rape and bondage/ abduction turned "love" of captor/ abuser. Maybe it's the writing, but I just don't quite feel the depth of emotion here that I felt in The Soldiers book I just read.

[Mariam, · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't have think

.... ^ that was 5 hours ago when I finished the book.

It's now five damn hours later, and I STILL DON'T HAVE THINK.

One thing for sure? This book is not a romance, it's a messed up tale of a Sadistic Egoist and his Prey

This book was
🙈 Cruel
🙈 Made you drop your jaw in shock and NOT in the good way
🙈 Hot 🙈 i----- I didn't just say that 🙉🙊

Honestly, messed up is the perfect definition of this book. There's no morally bright light in one of MC's, well, if you're not asking me LOGICALLY, and yeah, if you try to rationalize this book, you would HIGHTAIL it out of here with your ass burning.

And yet, I still... loved this book. It was dreadful, too many shades of fucked up that Christian Grey could never. This book brings to justice what it means to be a DARK book. A fucked up hero, where he's not even the villain, he's your worst nightmare. And situations you pray to god to never EVER be in.

It was in the transcendence of this book, the silent moments of gestures and flickers of their eyes and the tightening of their lips and caresses that transcended through the book that had my heart racing and pumped and my mind in this beautiful rush I always get when I read a true mind fuckery of a book.

The Point of Perspective of this book is so fascinating and thrilling because at first glance, it appears to be Third Person. But the more I dissected the prose, it didn't feel third person, nor did it feel first person. This book had an eerie aura of Second Person's Perspective and that fucked me up even greater.

And I know I just called one of our main MC's the mother freaking Boogeyman, and he is all of those things, but what raised the stakes for me in my opinion was that, he was all of that, AND MORE. There was parts of Yugo and sides of him, that perhaps gentle wouldn't be the write word, nor would innocence be the criteria. But there were sides of Yugo that showed a nature of him that in his own way, showed that perhaps he wasn't all cruel, perhaps there might be light in him after all.

At that moment, more than ever, Kuon reminded Yugo of a beautiful and powerful Greek God—splendid, strong, passionate, and honest in his desires. Yugo’s blood inflamed with one look in those languishing eyes. He yearned to possess every cell of this perfect body, to force Kuon to submit, to take over every thought and emotion until only he was left.

And that's all I have to say, because after that ending, I really DON'T HAVE THINK.

[Shonee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story contains: rape between MCs, one MC holding the other captive, physical violence between MCs and Stockholm Syndrome. SERIOUSLY. This is no "they fall in love and live happily ever after because their feelings of hate morphed into love." This is called a syndrome for a reason.



I can't quite figure out what Yugo's deal is. Is he a psycho/sociopath? It seems like he experiences something akin to remorse for how he treats Kuon, but it's not easily identifiable as such. Yugo can't seem to put a name to it, either.

He goes through periods of blind rage, where he nearly kills his captive, and then periods where he seeks some twisted sort of comfort from him, wishes to give Kuon pleasure. I don't fully believe it's for Kuon's sake, though. It's more like a cruel child who has gotten tired of burning ants with a magnifying glass or pulling wings off flies, suddenly decided to try something new. To see if he can nurture the little beings and foster something akin to familiarity or affection.



And that's what it comes down to. Yugo is almost child-like in his inability to control, categorize and convey his emotions. He does things and seems confused by the consequences/reactions they bring.

The whole concept of this book is very strange.

Did I cry? Yes. Because Kuon was freaking mentally tortured to the very end.



P.S.
That scene immediately after Yugo rapes Kuon was INSANE. I feel like I need to create a tag for sex injuries, just for that alone. Later, Kuon almost freaking DIES.

[Emma Jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kuon's reluctant descent into Stockholm syndrome, even though he knows it's happening and that his growing feelings are wrong, is beautifully dark and erotic.
A controlled cop is captured by the man he is hunting for heinous crimes, but Yugo's conviction of his own self-worth, the rightness of what he's doing, makes for compelling reading. After all, if it wasn't for him Kuon would be dead, a moulding corpse in some dark alleyway. He saved his life, so now, the cop is his to do with as he pleases.
if you like dark m/m this is a phenomenal read, if either dark or m/m isn't your thing, be warned.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter how hard I try I know I won’t be able to give this book the justice it deserves.

This is a new to me author but I thought I’d give it a try as the blurb sucked me in. Never mind the blurb, the whole book sucked me right in.

Detective Kuon Leiris was trying to bring down a crime organisation when he was captured by ‘Black Duke’ Yugo.

Yugo is obsessed by his possession. Kuons strong will is put to the test by Yugo.

Be warned there is trigger warnings with this story. If your like me and you read stories that have warnings then this could be for you.
This is a really well told dark m/m read that will stay with me for a long time. I’m so looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Mug · Rating 4 out of 5]

whewwww that was difficult, poor kuon was going thru it the entire book😭 but it was well written and super interesting and that ending????👀 i have no choice but to binge book two asap!!!

[Ula'ndi Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall book rating: 4.5
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3.5

At first I had a difficult time getting into the story. I’m not a big fan of the chosen style of writing. I have to admit. But, JAN gave it a good review so I went with that. What can I say? She has good taste and Jan dear, I share your wicked taste for dark things.

Needless to say, I’m not sorry I kept at it. Dammit! It sure packs a punch!

In my MF days I was quite a big Pepper Winters fan. I still love Q Mercer and I’ve not in all the time I've been reading MM found anything remotely like that series. Until now.

I dare say, this is the closest I’ve come to that scenario.

To that brutality. To that unapologetic violence. And because it’s MM it made it so deliciously bad. Because Kuan fights back!

Yeah yeah I need therapy. I know. I’m working on it.



I’ve always said, if you want to write dark, then write dark. It’s not dark if the main character is scared of being bad.

There is a fine line in this genre and the author succeeded in getting that right in my humble opinion. I LOVE that things don’t turn to roses and sunshine in a heartbeat! It’s so much more realistic this way! So, well done Nero Seal!



I just about lost it in the end. I have to be honest. My mind ran in all kinds of directions with that brat that got brought in.

Also in the final happenings... I’m not saying anything...

I feel like ...



That's about it for now

[Joseph Tonlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy hell! That’s some seriously dark, completely twisted, and utterly lovely shit right there! Whew!

[Melanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 SOLID STARS!!

Holy cow! Make sure you heed ALL the TRIGGER WARNINGS for this one. It was intense!!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

My First M/m Book. Oh. My. God. This book has left me with some soul searching to do.
Things that make me put a book down. Grammatical errors, guessable plots/ twists, bad adjectives/descriptors, repetition, writing I'm confident I can top. Not too hard to please me, eh? Well, I found one error, and nothing else on my list. I gave a double time shift to finish this. I've just closed the book. I've got my knickers in a hot, wet twist, and I'm pissed. So very pissed!!! Such a range of feels here, you won't be disappointed. Yugo. Kuon. You want to hate them, your disgust will boil over. Your disgust at their abhorrent behavior, the treatment of men, the giving away of ones pride and self. You'll turn your disgust onto yourself, as you twist uncomfortable in your seat, your lust overwhelming, interfering and competing with your desire to read. You'll question who you are, when you feel what you will feel for these characters. You'll find yourself surepticiously opening an extra page on your browser at work to research Stockholm Syndrome, and then wonder what could be produced if you became a Black King and kidnapped Nero Seal. You will swear and hurt when you finish, throwing it at the wall in anger. I loved this book. I hate this book, but I love this book. So hear me when I whisper in the words of Anne Rice's Claudia, "I want some more."

[Nile Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I see this shelved as a mind-f*ck; it's really not to me. A mind-f*ck in my opinion implies active, intentional manipulation on the perpetrator's part, with some level of emotional detachment. I'm not really sure what this is. From the beginning, it's clear that Yugo is attracted to Kuon and all throughout the book he is really just trying to get Kuon to like him and go along with some kind of temporary , 'play house' romance. Things threw me off very early on when Yugo was all in his feelings about Kuon calling out for him in his sleep. Huh? I mean this was very early. I thought you were the big, bad captor. I LOVE seeing some emotion on the part of the Dom/captor but this was too early and Yugo's thoughts are too juvenile, 'Why would he do that? Does he actually like me?' kind of thing. I really kind of felt Yugo was weak, and had no self control. Even his punishment got away from him, and he regretted it after. Where is the mind f*ck? I guess, for Kuon, it's the fact that he was punished so badly but then Yugo cared for the wounds after? Eh, I mean I guess. I think part of the problem for me was that we were privy to Yugo's thoughts and we saw that he had no real ulterior motive. It's not like he's trying to get information, or trying to break Kuon for some greater purpose. There was no 'plan'. He really just wanted Kuon to yield to him, be his toy and 'enjoy' being his temporary boo lol. The fact that Kuon was able to attack him and catch him off guard more than once, even if he was able to fend it off, was very telling.

I did enjoy the read because I do like Stockholm syndrome stories, but a few things rankled. The first fight scene went on FOREVER, and was kind of unbelievable. I was really ready for Yugo to just get to the main event already, sad as it is to say. How exactly did Kuon have that much strength after days of captivity/lack of proper nutrition? Yes he was 'fed' but he was in pain, and nauseous and could barely stand yet he was able to hold his own against Yugo...yet, later in the book, when he was actually 'better', he couldn't get Yugo off of him. Uh huh.

In theory, Kuon's desire for escape was understandable, especially since this is the first book of the series but, in reality, I had little patience for his constant fighting. Weird. I don't know. It just annoyed me.

This author also has, what I call, a very 'dense' writing style. For me, what that means is, it is extremely (overly?) descriptive and emotive. There's always A LOT going on. Someone can't just sit up - their blood pulses, their vision is blurring, synapses are firing, their muscles are burning, saliva is rushing somewhere...ALL THE TIME. It's a constant barrage of emotions and it keeps me in this coiled state of tension to the point that I get a headache. I prefer a lighter style, which sounds weird for a Stockholm syndrome book, but I've read a lot of them where I didn't come out of the experience needing an Excedrin. Not the author's fault; it's just not my preferred style.

I will read Book 2 because I do like the characters, we've gotten over the first hurdle and I want to see how they will get their ending, and even though I prefer a lighter style, the author writes well.

[Chellabration · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dear GR friend Dia read this one. When I saw it pop up I dropped everything to give it a go.
I do enjoy dark romance and I have to say...





I read this overnight (because who needs sleep)



How powerful the feeling of being needed. Yugo the Dark Duke was hooked and all it took was a delusional moment that Kuan no doubt doesn't even remember.

Kuan a detective with training in cases similar to his own current existence knew exactly what was happening but was powerless to stop it. In the end he succumbed... the inevitable Stockholm syndrome

Kuan's inner monologues was so well done. You could feel his inner termoil.

How could I let myself believe that my existence matters to him? How could I be so deluded? He has been telling me all along that I’m only his toy… once this boy asks to get rid of me, Yugo won’t think twice, will he? I’m no better than a used condom

Congratulations, Yugo. You won. You wanted to break me and see what’s inside? I guess you’ve succeeded.

I’m an idiot… he kept saying this from the beginning. He will keep me until I stop entertaining him… A hopeless haze fell over his heart, and he whispered in a voice full of self-hatred, “Serves me right…”

Are you hurt? Kuon asked mentally. Your toy raised a hand to you… does it hurt? Good. It hurts me too, Yugo. Maybe this will make you remember…

Something is holding me back from giving this a full 5 Stars

I do wish it'd been longer... I wish we'd been given a bit more of the actual fall... but then again maybe that's what book 1.5 and book 2 are for.

Phew... and that cliff hanger!

[✗✿Onfleek✿✗ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Are you not afraid to die? Then how about this: I’ll destroy everybody who touches you after me."
❌Rape❌Sadism❌Torture❌
❗❗❗👏👏Stockholm Syndrome at its finest👏👏❗❗❗

⚪Yugo is cruel and diabolical!
⚪This was not "Call The Coroner" or "The Captive Prince" where there was actually a spark between the captor and captive that leads to sex....
⚪Sexual abuse does nothing for me honestly... *cringe*

[CaRo · Rating 4 out of 5]

What noooooooooo *uglycrying*

[Nadine Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nero Seal did an amazing job with this book. So much so that I never saw the ending coming, he had me guessing until the very end on what would happen and it totally blew my mind.....OMG what a friggin ending!!!

You can see my full #review along with the #booktrailer and be sure to #entertowin an amazing #giveaway here: https://nadineisobsessedwithbooks.blo...

[Laura Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Nero and I have to say that I was very intrigued by the blurb and hesitant at the same time. It isn't too often that I get the chance to read a book such as this and it isn't for the faint of heart. The beginning of the book contains a trigger warning and all though I am not a reader who feels like these need to be done, in this case, it wasn't such a bad idea. All in all, I was excited and a tad anxious to read this book, but so glad I did in the end. There are only a handful of male author's out there, that write really well and Nero definitely falls into that category. Love of the Egoist is extremely well written, dark, gritty, gripping and painfully beautiful. The character development and storyline are engaging and heartbreaking. The author definitely has a way with words and bringing this story to light could not have been an easy task.

What happens when the man tasked with bringing those to justice becomes the captor and prey of those he hunts? Well, that is exactly what you get with this story. Kuon, a detective has been tasked with infiltrating a crime organization and with the help of his snitch, bring them down. Only the tables are turned and he becomes the captive. Now his survival is in the hands of Yugo, the "Black Duke" as he has been named. When his handling of Kuon crosses the line, Kun has to wonder if he will ever make it out of this alive or if he will have to bend to his captors will in order to survive.

Love of the Egoist is an extremely well written, gripping read that had me literally on the edge of my seat at times. I cannot wait to see what book two in this series brings. I am a huge sucker for M/M books and Nero delivers with this one. He has definitely gained a new fan. Again, this is not a story for the faint of heart and for those that are not a fan of M/M. If you are looking for a new author to read, and these criteria are not an issue, I suggest you grab a copy and sink into Love of the Egoist.

4.5 iScream Cones

[Lily Loves 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting much when I started this book, Nero Seal was a new author for me. I wound up loving it! The dynamics between Kuon and Yugo are strong and start out as hate but quickly morph into more. Yugo wants to punish Kuon and have his way with him. Kuon wants to escape and hates what Yugo wants from him but when he starts craving more from Yugo he becomes confused.

The ending is a total nail biter and cliffhanger. I was left in disbelief and am now lost in limbo until the next book arrives! I don’t want to to say one word about it but if cliffhangers aren’t your thing then I’d wait until book 2 comes out because this one is a doozy!!!!

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

La vida de Kuon esta en manos de uno de los mas peligrosos criminales de toda Viena, Yugo. Atrapado, encarcelado e insolado en el sótano del hombre, Kuon se pregunta porque todavía esta vivo? Que quiere Yugo de él? Y cuando comienza a tratarlo como un "esclavo sexual", él, quien nunca había estado con un hombre, se siente humillado, destrozado. El odio que siente por Yugo crece día a día. Aunque mientras pasa el tiempo, comienza a apreciar a su captor. Comienza a tener "sentimientos" por él. Pero serán reales? Porque Kuon se siente así? Que esta mal con él? Ahora debe pensar como escapar de el cautiverio, o por lo menos sobrevivir.

Esperaba un libro con el típico mafioso oscuro, dominante, experto Dom que sabe como "torturar" psicológicamente a sus prisioneros. Pero me conseguí con un par de personajes totalmente realistas. Un criminal que no entiende porque su prisionero no hace lo que el dice, y un prisionero que tiene una lucha psicológica contra él mismo.
Me gusto mucho lo gris de todos los personajes, ninguno es totalmente bueno ni totalmente malo. Las "torturas" no son porque quiere hacerlo, sino porque no sabe que mas hacer. Me gusto también Greg, un guardaespaldas con cerebro.
Sin embargo, siento que falta un poco de detalle del pasado de los personajes, como llego Yugo a ser un jefe criminal?, o porque Greg es su guardaespaldas? Porque Kuon es tan obsesivo con sus pensamientos?
En fin, me gusto mucho la historia, así que voy a continuar con la serie, quiero saber como va a terminar esta pareja.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. This one was dark. That didn't bother me. The 3rd person POV did though. If I had to read Kuon's name one more time, I was going to scream!!!! Seriously, it's in this book so many times that they stopped counting over 1000, lol. Then you have Yugo's name that was repeated 999 times.

I don't know that I bought into this relationship between these two. The connection just didn't work for me. Or the forced aspect. It was too forced, honestly. I just can't see how these two would ever work in my head. Then you add the ridiculousness of Mio in at the end. Ugh...

The ending was a twist I didn't see coming. It almost makes me want to read, but I don't know if I have more of this same stuff in me.

[Moraa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I… I’m not sure I know how to react


I was expecting non-con, it’s in the blurb for god’s sake, but I should’ve been way more prepared for what this book would do to me.



This is definitely not a love story, at least not in this book, and I'd recommend reading the CWs before diving in.

That being said, it was rather well written and a good segue into Nero Seal’s work after the phenomenal intro that was Loan Shark. Yes, I will be reading the sequel.

[Eni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noooooooo!! What happened? I need the second book right now!!! ;( ;( ;(

[Kyuteepie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars