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Losers #0.5

The Dare

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Warning: This erotica contains scenes and elements that may be disturbing to some readers. Please review the full content warning below.


Jessica Martin is not a nice girl.

As Prom Queen and Captain of the cheer squad, she'd ruled her school mercilessly, looking down her nose at everyone she deemed unworthy. The most unworthy of them all? The "freak," Manson Reed: her favorite victim.

But a lot changes after high school.

A freak like him never should have ended up at the same Halloween party as her. He never should have been able to beat her at a game of Drink or Dare. He never should have been able to humiliate her in front of everyone. Losing the game means taking the dare: a dare to serve Manson for the entire night as his slave. It's a dare that Jessica's pride - and curiosity - won't allow her to refuse. What ensues is a dark game of pleasure and pain, fear and desire.

Is it only a game?
Only revenge?
Only a dare?
Or is it something more?



This dark erotic novella is written in First Person POV and is about 32k words in length.


This book contains intense fantasy scenes of hard kinks/edgeplay, graphic sex, and harsh language. It is intended only for an adult audience.

Beware: this is a dark, weird, kinky read. The activities depicted therein are dangerous and are not meant to be an example of realistic BDSM. Reader discretion is advised.


Kinks/Fetishes within: erotic humiliation, fearplay, painplay, knifeplay, consensual non-consent (CNC), orgasm denial, boot worship, spanking, crying, blowjobs, clowns, group sexual activities, spit, bondage, public play, bloodplay.

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 19, 2019

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75277 people want to read

About the author

Harley Laroux

23 books17.2k followers
Harley is an author of Adult Romance and Erotica. They write kink-positive, steamy love stories with queer protagonists, dangerous stakes, and haunting atmospheres.

Harley lives in Washington state with their husband and three cats. Most days they can be found at their desk drinking tea with at least one cat on their lap.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,962 reviews
Profile Image for Ayman.
314 reviews118k followers
July 29, 2021
(18+) WHAT IN FUCKS NAME DID I JUST READ IN ONE SITTING AT 3AM ?!?
i really hope miss girl gets some throat numbing spray because this would’ve been better if there weren’t any fucking clowns (iykyk)
Profile Image for Federico DN.
1,163 reviews4,421 followers
September 6, 2023
I don't know Rick..

Former prom queen and captain cheerleader Jessica Martin assists to a massive reunion party and loses a dare in a beer pong match to former school weirdo Manson Reed, whom she used to abuse and bully all the time. The dare? Be his slave and do his bidding for the rest of the night. Things quickly turn… sexy.

I’m not ashamed to admit I was basically looking for porn and this novella was short enough and with sufficient number of ratings to maybe make my gamble worthwhile. It was not. This short erotica had enough clenching to compete with a small industrial vise and enough wet dripping to trouble an amateur roofer. Sadly, I could never lose my disbelief enough to buy that prideful overconfident queen bee would resign her dignity and reputation so easily and to such extremes just because she was feeling curious, and impossibly horny. The basis of the plot felt forced from the go and that made everything else seem artificial at the least, or utterly unrealistic at worse; even for dark erotica. The characters and smut were ok I suppose, but nothing that will truly stay, except maybe the clowns. I don’t want to even...

This is my second foray into the genre and way out of my comfort zone, so please don’t take anything I say too seriously. Many people enjoyed it so I guess it’s good, for what it is. There are some heavy TW in the blurb that should be properly addressed before jumping into this one though, and that is something that really should be taken very seriously.

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PERSONAL NOTE :
[2019] [133p] [Erotica] [2.5] [Not Recommendable]
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No sé Rick..

Ex Reina del Baile y Capitana de Animadoras Jessica Martin asiste a una masiva fiesta de reunión y pierde un reto en una partida de pong de cerveza ante el antiguo chico raro del colegio Manson Reed, a quien solía abusar y molestar todo el tiempo. ¿El reto? Ser su esclava y hacer todos sus mandados por el resto de la noche. Las cosas rápidamente se tornan... sexy.

No estoy avergonzado de admitir que básicamente estaba buscando porno y esta novelita era lo bastante corta y numerosamente calificada como para hacer que mi apuesta tal vez valiera la pena. No lo fue. Esta erótica corta aprieta lo suficiente como para competir con una pequeña prensa industrial y contiene suficiente goteo húmedo para preocupar a un techista amateur. Lamentablemente nunca pude perder suficiente incredulidad para tragarme que la orgullosa y sobre confiada abeja reina quisiera resignar toda su dignidad y reputación tan fácilmente y hasta tales extremos sólo porque se sentía curiosa, e imposiblemente cachonda. La base de la trama se sintió forzada desde el comienzo y eso hizo que todo lo demás se sintiera artificial cuando menos, o completamente irreal a lo peor; incluso para ser erótica oscura. Los personajes y el smut estuvieron bien supongo, pero nada que realmente permanecerá, excepto tal vez los payasos. Ni siquiera quiero…

Esta es mi segunda incursión en el género y muy fuera de mi zona de confort, así que por favor no tomen nada de lo que digo muy seriamente. Mucha gente parece haberle gustado así que supongo que es buena, para ser lo que es. Aunque el adelanto contiene jodidos TW que deberían ser cautelosamente observados antes de intentar saltar en esta, y eso sí es algo que debería ser tomado muy seriamente.

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NOTA PERSONAL :
[2019] [133p] [Erótica] [2.5] [No Recomendable]
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Profile Image for Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️.
2,958 reviews2,681 followers
October 3, 2021
One of the hottest stories I’ve ever read.
I didn’t even mind the clowns!




Short and super steamy! This story had parts that I was uncomfortable with, though I knew to expect them thanks to the disclaimer at the beginning. However, it was still a terrific story. The BDSM elements weren’t too out of the ordinary and were very sexy.

The clowns were not as odd as I thought they would be from reading other reviews. It was a Halloween party, so having clowns show up wasn’t so strange. The fact that the main character, Jessica was a afraid of clowns was not out of the ordinary either. A lot of people are afraid of clowns (ie, Stephen King’s “It”).

I don’t really go for the humiliation and degradation part of some BDSM. However, it wasn’t too bad in this book. Manson was very dominant but really he didn’t embarrass Jessica as much as he could have given the fact that she helped bully him in high school.

The characters were likable, even the three clowns 🤡🤡🤡! I wouldn’t mind reading more about Jessica and Manson.

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Profile Image for Karla Martínez.
Author 2 books17.9k followers
Read
December 8, 2023
2023:
muy hot. la karla del 2021 era tan inocente JAJAJA.

2021:
NO SE QUE NOTA PONERLE.

antes de leer el libro, lean las advertencias!!

el libro se centra en esta chica que va a una fiesta y se encuentra con su "nemesis" del colegio, quien le hace darse cuenta de ciertas cosas (QUE ELLA ES MUY SUMISA Y LE GUSTA QUE LA HUMILLEN Y DEGRADEN). obviamente, no hay nada de malo en eso siempre y cuando sea todo consensuado (lo es en el libro). peeeeeeeeero, no es algo que disfruto yo. de hecho me sentía demasiado incómoda leyendo ciertas cosas (la vela, el mango del cuchillo en su chichi JAJAJA).

eso sí, estaba esperando que fuera más fuerte el libro. por todo el hype y todas las advertencias, juré que iba a ser mucho más perturbador de lo que realmente fue.

en fin, es un libro que se lee demasiado rápido y es súper adictivo. se los recomiendo si quieren algo full pornográfico e intenso.
Profile Image for myo ⋆。˚ ❀ *.
1,326 reviews8,860 followers
October 23, 2021
everyone who gave it a bad rating acted like this book was just SOOO kinky and like it is but they were acting like it was some real terrible shit going on it and it wasn’t? if you read bully romances, reverse haram etc. then this is nothing worse than that so i also don’t get why this was banned because it wasn’t that bad? like i’ve seen worse books that definitely should be banned (sicko by amo jones i’m looking at you) idk it’s like normal stuff if you read erotica but just a tiny bit more kinky. that being said if you like Corrupt or Punk 57 you *may* like this, this is kinker so if you aren’t into that don’t bother, obviously? ANYWAYS CHILE I ATE THIS UP IT WAS SOOOO GOOD. This is erotica and this had a better relationship development than some of the other romances i’ve read (i’m looking at you Beautiful Bastards by Christina Lauren) so good, so smutty. i would like to see more from Manson and Jess i also would like to see more of his friend group they were very interesting. i want more from this author immediately.

side note: how did i happen to stumble across this authors wattpad account
Profile Image for shanayaa.
161 reviews1,030 followers
January 11, 2024
➳❝ 𝟒.𝟓/𝟓 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 ❞

❞𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝. 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢.❞

Loved this novella – pure, unhinged smut at its finest. The characters were top-notch, making it one of my favorite novellas. Harley Laroux is now an instant-buy for me; the writing and characters are just that good.

And can we talk about Manson Reed?? THAT MAN IS A FUCKING GOD 🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️

°˖➴ Overall, if you want toe-curling, sheet-gripping smut that's mind-blowing, look no further – this might just be your jackpot. Get ready for a literary escapade that promises to leave you both amused and satisfied.
Profile Image for ɢɪᴀ ʜᴇʀᴏɴᴅᴀʟᴇ.✨.
109 reviews68 followers
June 22, 2022
Todos tienen sueños, algunos quieren conocer a sus idolos, hacerce famoso, casarse, irse del pais y el mio...
ES QUE ME METAN EL MANGO DE UN CUCHILLO EN LA CONCHA
Profile Image for pauline.
139 reviews28.1k followers
August 12, 2021
I wasn’t gonna give this a rating because I didn’t want people to take this rating and compare it to other books I’ve rated 5 stars. They’re DIFFERENT.

I like the pacing, the tone in the book, how it progresses, so objectively in that sense, 5 stars for me. I had no issue with the writing, no matter how short the story was.

BUUUUTTT my review and rating is subjective. If this isn’t the kind of book for you, I don’t think you should even bother giving it a chance cause you’ll most likely give it a low rating cause it’s not your kind of book.

I, HOWEVER, enjoy books like this, even though some parts in here I really wasn’t into (aka kissing boots/humiliation) but I still enjoyed it enough to rate it LMAOOO.

They play a game at a party, they turn it into a dare, AND THEN THE STORY IS TOLD.

So before we start talking about “oh there’s no plot here” WELL YEAH??? It’s 143 pages, i dont really know what people expect?? And also… I’d like to argue the fact that the plot is the TITLE ITSELF. It’s… a dare. That’s what the entire premise of the book is. Turn your brain off and just read, i feel like that’s what this book did for me. And I LIKED IT

The beginning of the book offers all of the trigger warnings and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart!!

I personally didnt find this SO outrageous, but also i think it’s fair to give this a decent amount of caution for people who have never read this kind of spice. It’s not my thing and humiliation makes me uncomfortable as part of spice plot, but i also was pretty detached to the book so that’s why it didn’t really affect me.

It’s a novella. And I can safely say I cannot waitttt for their book (I heard there’s one coming)

There’s clowns here, and I DESPISE them, but also… they’re not the pennywise carnival clowns you’re imagining. Think face paint but make it hot 💀💀💀💀
Profile Image for Josu Diamond.
Author 9 books33.3k followers
September 17, 2021
Pues sin más.

Más opinión y mejor en mi vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDSwg...

¿Qué me esperaba de The Dare? Pues honestamente con esas advertencias al principio del libro algo extremadamente loco, pero no ha sido así. No sé si es porque he leído mucha erótica o porque conozco mundo, pero siento deciros que no es en absoluto nada del otro mundo. Hay cosas random, sí, pero ya.

Este relato no deja de ser una experiencia del BDSM, rebajada a un público generalista, pues se explica perfectamente desde la mente de Jess cómo funciona el tema de la esclavitud, el servicio, etc. En ese aspecto creo que la autora lo presenta muy bien, y es fácil de entender.

Sí, tiene momentos excitantes, buen ritmo y gran psique de los personajes, pero siendo algo tan corto se queda un poco en algo más anecdótico. No recordaré este libro en un par de semanas, aunque sí su uso del lenguaje (obsceno rozando lo irrisorio o paródico). Vamos, que lo leáis esperando lo que es: algo sin más que os entretendrá un rato.
Profile Image for Lia Strange.
649 reviews266 followers
June 27, 2021
no se que decir mas que, por favor tengan cuidado con que se meten en sus partes intimas, por favor, sean consientes ante este hecho.

y después, no me gusto, quizás porque la mina es re sumisa y yo antes de hacer todo lo que hizo le pego una patada en las bolas.
y quiero que me sean honestxs ¿realmente les gusta este libro o solo dicen que si porque ahora es popular? literalmente es terrible, un nivel de humillación excesivo. Pero mientras no lo vean como un ejemplo a seguir para una futura relación esta bien, solo tengan en cuenta que ese tipo de relación no puede ser buena.
Profile Image for Isabella. R.
1,007 reviews2,187 followers
May 15, 2020
4 Promise Not to Tell Stars ⭐

Do yourself a favor and adhere to the author's warnings because The Dare is a delightfully twisted read which definitely pushes the boundaries!! Now you will either feel uncomfortable or you will be embracing this novella in all its narcissism. As for me, I may have cringed a time or two, but I can assure you it wasn't difficult to be become absorbed in this kinky little pleasure...

I wasn't really sure if it was normal to develop a crush on my nemesis.

Manson Reed and Jessica Martin have a sordid little secret that spans back to high school. Because which little Miss Popular wants to admit that she shared a kiss with the resident school weirdo? Thinking High School was behind her, running into Manson at a party that she never imagined him attending, sees them both caught up in a side wager from an innocent little game of beer pong. And to be clear neither a bending or willing to concede defeat, which is how Jessica finds herself as his slave for the night.

Forced to put her pride on hold, Manson leads Jessica into a filthy little game of servitude, humiliation and sexual denial she never realized turned her crank.

But the dark, needy part of me was insisting something very different: it was telling me that Manson’s condescending tone sounded hot, and his confidence was sexy, and that running to obey his summoning would feel so good.

By all means leave your inhibitions at home for this is no sweet love story, this is possession and gratification on a whole different level. I must also mention that the writing was seamless and imaginative, and Harley LaRoux is one talented minx worth keeping your eye out for!

But I was also the one squirming with horniness, my ass still red and stinging, as I desperately tried to resist the urge to grind up against Manson’s leg like a dog.
Profile Image for Kim.
765 reviews1,894 followers
April 7, 2021
So, while this is absolutely not my cup to tea, I’ll admit I was interested. At first.

It stopped being funny right after I found out what Manson looked like. It’s not even hard to guess, starting with the name. Then it’s all black attire, buckles, cop hats and a white contact lens.

Basically this is a Marilyn Manson master/slave sex fantasy (with clowns) and I don’t see why one would keep that image in the book after recently finding out what kind of person that guy is in real life and how many (extremely young) women he has abused...
Profile Image for cynthia.
301 reviews22 followers
July 21, 2021
i would shove my head down a toilet and then plug a toaster into my brain whilst inserting a seven meter long sword into my heart instead of reading this shit again
Profile Image for Zoë.
341 reviews2,293 followers
Read
May 10, 2022
What the fuck did I just read
Profile Image for Chelsea (chelseadolling reads).
1,552 reviews20.2k followers
Read
April 27, 2020
I'm not going to give this a star rating because I honestly really didn't enjoy this, but I think that has more to do with this not being the kink for me than the book being bad. I do think the writing was a little.. cheesy? But I think if you're into the public humiliation kink you will probably be able to look past that and just enjoy this for what it is.

TW: public humiliation, clowns, knife play
Profile Image for Crystal (Crystalreads2).
970 reviews993 followers
June 27, 2021
Holy Smokes.

Holy smokes, I don’t know if my iPad was smoking or if I was. I wanted a cigarette after reading this novella. This novella was very well written
. The author differently can write about BDSM and fantastic story on top of it


10/28/20. A new update was added. Happy to re-read one of my favorites


Harley Laroux killed it with this update. Like hot Damn. 🥵 . I had a feeling she would outdo herself, and man did she. Mic drop, walk away, she blew it up. Again I wanted to have a cigarette (or two) after, and I freaking quit.

Make sure to adhere to the author's trigger warnings. There are there and very serious. The Dare is a dark, erotic twist with tons of kink. Me personally, I love it, but that is just me, and you may be different, and that is okay. The Dare is fast-paced, action-packed, delicious, filthy, and written from Jessica's POV based on one night at a party. Please note this is not a sweet love story with the usual ending.

Jessica was not so nice, popular from high school. Manson was a’ freak’ and didn't fit in with the popular crowd. Jessica’s on and off again boyfriend along with Jessica bulled Manson and his friends. They do share a secret only a few know.

as I whispered, “Promise not to tell?”

But now that High school is over and adjusting to adult life, Manson is no longer the outcast and adored by many. When Manson challenges Jessica at Drink or Dare, her old self appears and let the kink begins, as she is his slave for the night.


I glanced up, and Manson smirked down. “You look a lot better on your knees, Jess,” he said softly, soft enough that I don’t think anyone else could have heard him over the music.

Jessica is a typical brat and has to learn the hard way, learn some discipline, and have more of an open mind. It’s a night of humiliation, degrading, punishment, edgeplay, to name a few, and she never realized how much she would be turned on by it all.


“Being a brat doesn’t change that you’re still obeying me, Jess,” he said softly, leaning down to bring his face close to mine. “Acting like it’s such a goddamn chore for you doesn’t change that you’re still doing it.”


“You deserve to have your clit aching all night. You deserve to have duct tape slapped over it so you can’t touch while I crush your pretty little pussy under my boot.” 

I have to add Harley Laroux writing just flows off the paper; it's flawless; she has such a great imagination. What I didn't mention and would like to is there is CNC play, something You don't see often in books.It's far and few in between, and that is fine—such a delicious treat. I like how Laroux pushes your limits and isn't afraid; it’s shown in her writing.

“You wanted a dance with the devil, Jess. Well, now you have four.”

Profile Image for Emmyreads444.
316 reviews1,496 followers
July 7, 2022
just absolute pure smut. I literally read it in 2hrs. 4 stars ⭐️ Manson is hot af
Profile Image for Melanie (meltotheany).
1,199 reviews102k followers
November 19, 2022
This fall i have been loving and adoring this author and all their stories (shout out to betty jo). But the reviews on this novella had me giggling but unable to not read it. I also read this at a perfect time seasonally, because it is set during the night of a halloween party!

This isn’t going to be for everyone, but if you like it – i think you'll really like it. And i feel like this author is doing a lot of the romance genre and just expressing your desires without shame. While also always putting an emphasis on the importance of consent! And also always highlighting the power of reclaiming things and healing from things - the way you want to reclaim and heal, when you want to reclaim and heal.

I recommend reading goodreads reviews for this one, and if you’re curious, give it a try. I truly really loved it and was very into 90% of it, clowns included.

Also, dare I say.. Best bullying romances i’ve ever read? I think so.

Kinks/Fetishes within from the author:
erotic humiliation, fearplay, painplay, knifeplay, consensual non-consent (CNC), orgasm denial, boot worship, spanking, crying, blowjobs, clowns, group sexual activities, spit, bondage, public play, bloodplay.

cw/tw i found while reading:
Bullying, bullying in the past, blood depiction, drinking, brief mention of unwanted recording (not the mc doing it to the other mc),talk of trauma in the past, talk of child abuse in the past, clowns, and… i know the author said it above but like EXTREME edging/orgasm denial hahaha

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Profile Image for zyth ༄ ‧₊˚.
62 reviews156 followers
March 14, 2022
were the clowns really necessary? still wondering if she got a yeast infection from grinding on those dirty boots all night.
Profile Image for Eliana.
29 reviews
June 25, 2021
PERO- QUE CARAJOS ACABO DE LEER JAJSSJS 🤡🤡🤡 TENGO UN PUESTO ASEGURADO EN EL INFIERNO
Profile Image for Cas (Fia).
232 reviews804 followers
November 7, 2022
I fucking loved this freak show of a book🤣
Was I cringing at times? Yes. Did my sheets get wet? Also yes.
If I could describe Manson in one sentence I’d say he is a sadistic but breedable dom.
He humiliated Jess and made her come so hard my legs were shaking reading it. And i loved every second of it.
Those damn clowns could be a new kink unlocked who knows. I don’t accept any criticism🤚🏻

And the fact it all happens at a halloween party, period🤧
Profile Image for Sofi (sofi.bookshelf) 🩷✨.
738 reviews666 followers
June 26, 2021
Esperaba más, pero a la vez no me decepcionó.

Todo el mundo estaba hablando de este libro y que era terriblemente fuerte… no creo que sea así. He leído libros eroticos en mi vida, ya he leído la temática de amo/sumisa y creo que la gente que lo encontró terrible simplemente no están acostumbrados o no tienen la mente necesaria para este tipo de relaciones.

Me gustó el libro, lo encontré entretenido y una experiencia nueva. Aún así debo decir que esperaba algo realmente terrible, con todas las advertencias y algunas reacciones de gente que no pudo terminarlo. Yo creo qué hay que tener mente abierta si te adentras a este tipo de libros. Hay gente que disfruta esto, no por eso son enfermos, yo creo que cada uno tiene sus gustos y que al decir cosas malas de esto los hacen sentir mal. Que bueno si disfruta, mientras sea consentido y claramente se tenga una palabra segura.

¿Lo recomiendo? Si tienes la mente para estas escenas, si, es ligero y te mantiene ahí esperando a ver qué pasará.

Tengo entendido que se viene segundo libro con una relación poli amorosa en la cual están nuestros protagonistas y los tres payasos. La leeré sin duda alguna pues no tengo vergüenza en decir que los libros eróticos me gustan, este tipo de historias me intrigan bastante.
Profile Image for Iryna Zubkova.
45 reviews12.9k followers
December 29, 2021
Cuando dicen que es un libro +21 significa que lo es por algo. Más que nada porque veo a muchas personas, sobre todo niñas, confundiendo el hecho de satisfacer sus necesidades, con dejar a la chica de víctima y decir que fue la muñeca de todos o que la utilizaron. Eso no es cierto.

Por otra parte para mi gusto si fue algo picante ya que no suelo leer historias de este tipo. Una lectura rápida y tampoco MUY hardcore.

Le pongo 4 estrellas porque no suelo leer este tipo de cosas, y para ser de las primeras no ha estado mal.

Profile Image for Fernanda Valenzuela.
119 reviews992 followers
June 29, 2021
2/5 Cumple su objetivo de p*rn* fetichista y nada más. He leído escenas que me han hecho sentir mucho más. Nada que conmemorar para mi. Sin contexto y sin criterio de protección durante el s*xo. Me imagino que si se saca otro libro será sobre todas las Infecciones de Transmisión Sexual que se pegó la protagonista en esta práctica. No se, sensación rara igual que está reseña jajajaajja. Gracias por tanto, perdón por tan poco.
Lo recomiendo? Solo si quieres leer una escena larga de erótica con orgías, BDSM, juegos sin protección y +21. Y por favor, no esperes romance.
Profile Image for winotka.books.
362 reviews1,116 followers
June 5, 2024
Dawno nie dałam żadnemu smutowi 5⭐️, ale kurwa jakie to było dobre!!
Cholera jasna do niczego się nie przyczepię. Napięcie było zajebiste, ta ich przeszłość była świetnym tłem, ta gra między nimi!! A pozostali? Kurwa hot 🥵
130 stron a lepsze niż połowa romansów, które przeczytałam. Boże napewno top nowelka.
To był tak dobry wstęp, że chyba się popłaczę jak główny tom będzie słaby 🥲
Profile Image for Valkyrie ✨.
668 reviews1,052 followers
May 17, 2023
May 2023: The audiobook 🔥🔥🔥

——

“How’s it feel to be a loser?”

Upon my second re-read in preparation for Losers: Vol 1, I’ve bumped my rating up to 5 stars. I’m fascinated by how much Laroux managed to convey in such a short novella and I found no flaws personally.

I love the fact that Jessica is such an unlikeable female character. I’m usually instantly drawn to those, because they represent rebellion against societal expectations women are pressured into or else. When a woman dares to play outside the limits of what’s acceptable, she’s exposed to unmeasured hatred and even violence. And that’s something Jessica knows and deals with. She knows she’s not liked by most people in that party, and she doesn’t care. How liberating is that? I wish I had half her confidence.

She was Queen Bee in their high school and abused her popular status to be a bully. Especially to Manson and his friends. Remember the classic “he picks on you because he secretly likes you” bullshit? Well, Laroux said hold my beer and dismantled the whole thing to give it a nice gender bender touch. So in this case, it was the popular girl giving hell to the weirdo because that was the only way she could be close to him.

I’m hoping we get more backstory in Losers because the idea of a popular girl having all the power over these freaks and obsessing over them against her better judgement sounds like the kind of complex and fucked up dynamic I could die for.

Her internal struggle between her pride and her desire is my favorite part of the story. The way she desperately wants it and how she struggles to submit is fascinating. And even though this is a short novella, her character development is incredible.

“Such a silly girl. Why are you down there, on your knees, begging for me not to order you to embarrass yourself?”

Turns out degradation is my jam. Even so more if it’s mixed with praise. Those two together are my undoing. And Manson was so good at inflicting both on Jess. There was something about how he never lost his cool, how he’d laugh at her. The way he dragged things on just to torture her…



I think one of the most fascinating moments for me was when she said “I can’t believe you did that” and he answered “I can’t believe you let me.”

And that’s another of my favorite aspects: Manson keeps asking for consent the whole time. He reminds her of her safe word and how she can stop the whole thing whenever she wants. He checks on her after every intense moment and keeps reminding Jess no one is forcing her to do anything and he’ll stop if she wants him to.

Consent is sexy and so is Manson, your honor 😌

The degradation aspect with his boots and how much she was into it made me feel a certain way for sure and now I need recs please 😇

Their soft moment in his room, when he explains what happened with his parents and where he lives now… uff they have me in such a choke hold. Their chemistry and connection is incredible. The way Laroux made this happen in such a short span of pages is incredible.

"You're so fucking evil, Manson,” I said softly. Then, softer still, “I like that."

I remember the first time I read this story, I was so surprised when his friends joined them. Now, more than a year later and having read plenty of books with poly romances, I thought it made perfect sense lol Which only proves one thing: reading is subjective, folks.

The three clowns were only in a few scenes but it was enough to establish each individual personality. Laroux did such a great job with them.

Vincent is into rope, I’m hoping shibari, and magic tricks (Jess was so confused when he made the key of the cuffs disappear, it was hilarious). He’s the only one who bothered to touch her, and he called Manson “daddy”, so he’s tentatively my fave out of the clowns.

Lucas is the grumpy one with a pierced 🍆 He’s the roughest with Jess, to the point that Manson tells him to be nicer. But she was really into it, and so was I 😌 I think this is the only book I’ve ever read that includes face slapping and that was 😮‍💨🤌🏻

And Jason seems to be the nice one, but don’t let that fool you because he’s friends with these guys for a reason. I’ve heard he’s going to be into praise/overstimulation and I cannot wait.

And I’m sorry but Jess on her kneels, begging for it, smiling up and thanking them…



Probably one of the hottest thing I’ve ever read.

And then she had to ask Manson if she was doing good and he kissed the top of her head, and I just died.

”I’d never thought I could experience so much pleasure just from words, so much ecstasy from fear.”

I was so giddy every time a reference to being losers came up. God, I can’t wait for the new duology to drop. And I can’t stop wondering what happened after this novella, who backed down from their date next weekend, because it’s set four years later. I’m hoping Manson didn’t show up and Jess was furious 🙈

Laroux was a visionary, nowadays we get dark romances with similar or even "worse" themes and no one seems to mind. But back in 2019, everyone lost their collective minds with this little book.

Queen behavior if you ask me.
Profile Image for Jade Violet.
328 reviews512 followers
December 10, 2019
This was a really good read. The author didn't make any wrong turns and the story read quick, fluently and really kept me engaged. It deals with one night at a party where Jessica, Miss Popular from High School - you know the Prom Queen, Head Cheerleader that dated that quarterback - is home from college and goes to a friend's house for a mega party. All the 'in' crowd are there but she's surprised to find Manson there who was a misfit in the school and who she used to openly mock and partially bully along with her footballer boyfriend who was always bullying him along with friends. These two have a definite history.

But now it's life after high school and Manson isn't the outcast anymore, in fact he seems widely accepted. When Jessica stands up to him in a drinking dare game with her old attitude still in place, she's in for one big surprise where she keeps losing and the dares get to be bigger and bigger. When Manson wins the final dare with the wager being her to be his slave for the night, the heat is on. Really well done. Deals with submission, humiliation (but not on the nasty side) and discipline. Jessica could safe word anytime but as the night goes on, she starts off being too stubborn to do so and then finds she just doesn't want to as she learns new things about herself. I'm terrified of clowns but even they didn't put me off. I actually kind of liked them. Definitely came to love the dynamic between Manson and Jessica and it was fun to watch the outcast become the leader and the bully become the submissive.

Hot little novella that I could find absolutely no wrong in. Definitely a good read!

5***** stars across the board!
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