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A Violent Agenda #1

A History of Violence

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Fire burns the worst sins. Trust is overrated.
Killing for pleasure is messy, bloody, chaotic...


He was supposed to die.

But now I have him where I want him, I can’t help but taste him a little.

All of them.

They've gotten under my skin. These Sacred Hearts boys.

The way they look at me, a need, a hunger clawing inside, I recognize it in the mirror. It’s their eyes. They tell me they don't give a fuck if they live or die. That I’m the prey and they're the carnivores. That they're soulless.

But in the end, they all beg.
Violent, bloody, and raw.
Because I’m the real monster.

They just don’t know it yet.

Publisher Note: A History of Violence is a dark RH serial killer bully romance, intended for mature readers, containing material that some may find triggering or offensive.

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2021

908 people are currently reading
6443 people want to read

About the author

Mallory Fox

25 books1,288 followers
Mallory Fox is a USA Today best-selling author who loves to write deliciously dark romance with heart and stories that have wicked, twisty plots, tainted-love, and all kinds of angsty redemption.

Mallory is addicted to canines, chocolate-covered pretzels, and lives in London with her bean-shaped dog and the rest of her non-furry family.

Find more about Mallory at linktr.ee/malloryfox or sign away your soul at www.malloryfoxauthor.com.

#wickedwordswithheart

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
Profile Image for Crystal (Crystalreads2).
969 reviews991 followers
May 27, 2021


Five, my head is in a dark place, stars.


I wished, and my wish came true. A full-length version of the novella I fell in love with, On my dark scale, it's dark gray with a touch of black—one part of the book where I was a little weak in my knees, which never happens. Mallory Fox sharpened her writing skills and delivered a masterpiece.

Viola is a well-trained assassin undercover at a prestigious high school to find her Target. What she discovers is something completely different. And starts to doubt her mission. Viola is a sociopath who is ultimately off her rocker, and don’t call her crazy. She doesn’t like it and will show you crazy. She is brutal and really the hero of the book. Don’t underestimate her.

So many secrets and twists. There is so much going on in the background, but it is far from overwhelming. In this version, we read more in detail about a story and several POVs. Let me tell you. I thought I was ready. I was not at all and I was shocked. That ending HOLY COW!!!!! What a twist. For am my dark romance readers and RH, this is a must-read.

Profile Image for Tasha.
125 reviews435 followers
May 28, 2021
Ok so let's get into it, this is a female serial killer reverse harem. Like I was 10% into the book and I was screaming "yaaaaasssss" while Viola was doing her thing. She kills rapists and just scum of the earth men. Soooooooooo... clearly my a$$ is rooting for her.

She gets a new "target" and has to go back to school. Which is something I loved, she's 5 years older then the guys who will eventually be her harem. We need more older women/younger men books! I'm so here for it, even if the age gap is only a couple years.

Anywhoo, she goes back to school to watch and get close to her "target", but she gets closer to him and his circle more than she means to.

I did really enjoy this, but one thing that bugged me, and this is just a personal preference, is two of the MMC's names (Lorcan and Dino) I just can't, every time I read both names I just cracked up. I judge character names by if I would moan their names if they were my lovers, and I just couldn't do either of those! Thankfully all the guys have nicknames, and she calls them by their last names a lot.

Also at times I was a little confused, mostly during the diary posts, but nothing that really effected the story for me. I'm really excited to see where this series goes. I love how dark and f*cked up it is, I love how violent Viola is and doesn't take anyone's sh*t. I also can't wait to see what happens further with her and her three guys "group activities" wise! And I have an inkling that something is gonna happen with Dante, but we shall see.
Profile Image for ⭐Toonasa⭐ •Romance Book Lovers' Haven•.
1,576 reviews295 followers
June 9, 2021
5 Fucked Up Stars⭐
A Contemporary Reverse-Harem romance, HIGHLY DARK with Graphic Violence, Blood & Gore, Action Packed, Killing without Remorse, Many Triggers (heed the Author's warning!), Slowburn, Steamy, Hot, Beginning & a Cliffhanger that left me panting for more!
All are MCs have so much for us to uncover, I can't wait!!🔥 My 1st story by Mallory & I'm hooked. DEVOURED this in around 4hrs.

So, I don't normally read Dark romances, but when I do read them, I like'em Dark. And this book gave me that & still no remorse! I'd read the mf novella version of it in the "Violent Tendencies" anthology & have been so excited for the RH version! We've Multiple POVs, All the players, not only our MCs but the siblings & friends too, here have many layers that we'll peel slowly!

Viola, our FMC, is a 23yr old assassin. A little Crazy But VERY Smart & Badass. Like Cut the dick off the Rapists & LITERALLY feed'em Kind (Which the Bastards totally deserved!!😈). We see it all 1st Hand.

Then the real deal starts when she gets her next Job. Undercover to kill. But she finds that nothing's as easy as it seems. This elite high-school for Mafia kids is Diabolical, in the worst ways. The Bullying & gossiping starts from the get go, but our girl handles it awesomely. She also meets the guys...

Lorcan is Vi's target. Said to have brutally Raped & Killed Aurora, his ex. But as Vi stalks him, secrets reveal. Lor's Quiet & observant, a victim (& Savior). Vi & Lor mesh together greatly, their dark void calling & attraction burning hot.

Dino is the relatively fun, joking & flirty one. Vi had been annoyed by him at 1st, Him incessantly being around her, but he grows on her. I like him for how he cares for him, but gosh, he has lot of exes.

Jude is Aurora & her sis Cecelia's Cousin. Vi meets this intense & Protective guy later when she sort of saves Cece. He's hella suspicious of why she's here. Which they all find soon.

This might just be Vi's most interesting & important investigation. These 17yr old guys had seemed enemies but actually are buddies. They've a plan for her, but she's no wilting flower, Always steps ahead. As days pass, mindblowing truths are revealed. All victims of Paedophile, The Illegal Child prostitution ring. But the guys are now out for revenge.
~Badassery, The Job, Schooly, Meets, Perverts, Lunch & Chaos, Stalking, Party talks, Club secrets, Kinky & Innocent, So Fucked, Boathouse Truths, Kisses & Make-out, Kickass, The Party, The Diary, Wake on Table, Sexy times, Ran & Saved, Dark Truths...

As she spies & grows closer to the 3 guys, with so many secrets, twists & turns, it's a breathtaking ride! Vi even gets the chance(s) to kill Lorcan, but she doesn't. Aurora's diary gives a whole new perspective too. All the f'ing adults know & have themselves facilitated this ring. Even Vi's job was just a move in this sick money game. Knowing this she won't let it go on.
~Knowing & wants, Fight & kisses, Friends, Claim & Contract, Fucking😏, The Names, Diabolical school, Start of Revenge, Mentor troubles, Diary's end, Living together, New School, Choice...

Trust is slow, but it's there. The ending marked the start of their revenge, few hints of Vi's haunted past (which may come to bite) & them changing their school (About time!!). Throughout we've gotten sexy times with Lorcan, Oral hotness with Jude, & Dino's melting (?) Kisses. You'll think with them living/hiding together, it'll be a sex fest. Not really. She's to choose one before, wtf?! With impossible choices, so many Questions still & an intriguing plot, I'm so excited for what's next in this series!
**ARC Received for a Honest Review.**
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Profile Image for Belle .
607 reviews47 followers
June 9, 2021
I wanted to like this more than I really did. It started off strong, and I’m a sucker for a psycho girl. I liked Viola for the most part, but the plot took me on a ride.

I felt like the plot itself bounced around a few times where we were left to infer a lot of things, like the ending to the epilogue. I was almost positive i missed a few chapters. I’m not an idiot, but like, some more backstory please?

The guys left a lot to be desired. Dino wasn’t even in half the book. Didn’t feel like any of them besides Lorcan had feelings for her.

It wasn’t bad, but just didn’t vibe with me.
Profile Image for C.A. Rene.
Author 47 books744 followers
May 4, 2021
This is my favourite Mallory story yet!! She didn’t hold back and what we got was the most delicious dark story.
Viola is a badass and I cannot wait to read more of her.
And the fact that this will be an RH?! I’m screaming
Profile Image for Bex (Beckie Bookworm).
2,517 reviews1,592 followers
December 13, 2022



This was a good read extremely intriguing and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds. Genre-wise it’s a reverse harem serial killer bully romance. The bullying aspect is mild I do struggle sometimes with this particular genre but here it was fine mostly because Viola is totally bad-ass and takes absolutely no shit whatsoever mess with her at your peril. It also felt low on the scale in severity more mean boys and girls than full-out bullying.

Here Viola is a dark girl with a penchant for punishing sinners and making them
Bleed goes undercover at a posh prestigious school with some shady connections. Initially contracted to take out Lorcan for his part in the death of a classmate Viola finds that what started off as a straightforward hit soon evolves into so much more as she becomes emotionally involved and Viola is only working with a part of a deeper puzzle.

As she digs deeper she discovers a whole web of intrigue and exploitation that reaches to the top and the school is firmly at the heart of it. As Viola finds herself drawn to three individuals Lorcan Dino and Jude her mission perimeters change the cat is firmly out of the bag her cover blown wide and she will now need to choose a side wisely.

This was well written I adored that Viola was such a strong individual and was also self-sufficient and wasn’t afraid to take what she wants. This was unusual in such that the female protagonist was slightly older in age she’s twenty-three posing as a schoolgirl. The boys I think are eighteen so younger an intriguing dynamic.

I’m intrigued by how this dynamic with this group is set to change and mature especially since they’ve all gone slightly rogue. This had danger and suspense and some delicious heat and some definite mystery. Viola's past is somewhat of a blank book with some little hints to tantalite. I’m looking forward to learning more about everyone as up till now we have only got some surface stuff and vague intriguing hints.

I was slightly confused with some of the diary posts from Aurora and what had actually occurred previously leading on up to her demise. I think they were intentionally vague to pull the reader in and keep them invested. So far I’ve got a solid idea of what occurred but I’m also intrigued to discover if there may be some curveballs thrown into the mix.

This had some serious chemistry and definite heart. It was well written with a gripping central story to hold your attention and it was an easy read. I’d recommend this if you like your romance to skirt the boundaries and you like a dark read where the central characters are morally grey and not dark dark. Yes, there’s blood and murder galore but at heart, this lot still have morality there just equally vengeful about making the sinners pay with their blood.

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Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/63435390
Profile Image for Michelle.
232 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2022
"Publisher Note: A History of Violence is a dark RH serial killer bully romance, intended for mature readers, containing material that some may find triggering or offensive."

Dark and twisted from the start. Who is the hunter, and who is the prey? I love Viola/Victoria, a serial killer who has a job as an assassin. She goes undercover at an elite preparatory school where the mafia sends their kids. We meet Lorcan, Jude, Dino, and other characters who will draw you into this perfectly paced plot. I was caught up and did not want to stop until I reached the end.
Profile Image for Abstract ♥ Books.
1,281 reviews1,765 followers
June 7, 2021



ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS

line

Star Rating : 4/5 Stars

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 6/10

Review :
Viola was everything I needed her to be in this book. She was this badass assassin with the most amazing personality and I was instantly in love with her lol. Her boys were the best. The main thing that I liked about this book was definitely the h. She was absolutely ruthless and didn’t need anyone else to take her shit.

The book was a dark RH romance and I want so much more from these characters. I would definitely recommend this to all the dark romance loving people. Please keep that in mind that this book is dark and has a couple of triggers , before picking this one up.

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Profile Image for ❀ Crystal ✿ -  PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS .
2,532 reviews308 followers
September 16, 2022
This book was a whole dark mess and I loved every deranged second of it. The topics are obviously very triggering and this is only for us sick fucks who also like reading about insane maniacal MC's. The heroine is basically a serial killer who gets her rocks off by receiving jobs like a contract killer. While in her early twenties she is tasked to spy and take out a high-school student at a prestigious school. No big deal. Then again there is always so much more going on in those rich kid places that even Viola is taken aback as the mystery slowly unravels. I'm honestly wavering on the guys and who they are. I mean what they've done and plan to do are vile/horrible things but by the end you realize they too are just pawns. It really was an "Oh Shit" moment because even with Viola I'm unsure how things will play out! I read this in one sitting and I need more. Viola is a bad bitch and I really enjoy her character so I hope she continues to win, take down the baddies and get herself some with her own fine ass harem while she's at it ;)
Profile Image for Mallory Fox.
Author 25 books1,288 followers
Read
June 1, 2021
Book is live! I can’t believe it! It’s got to 800 in the whole store already! I’m also overwhelmed and blown away by all the amazing reviews from you all. 😭😭😭 THANK YOU SO MUCH! Every review, every edit, every mention is making me the happiest person alive. I could not have done this without you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Viola and her boys have been in my head for a good long while now and to see everyone love her and want to read her story as much as I do...I just don’t know what to say. I can only hope I do the next book justice and give you the V fix you’re all waiting for. From the bottom of my dark heart. Love you all!
132 reviews56 followers
June 2, 2021
SO OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK! Viola is a sociopathic crazy bitch IN THE BEST FUCKING WAY 🔥 when her and Lorcan come together it’s blood, pain, and chaos. 😈 Gah! I’m going to die waiting for the RH version!
611 reviews
September 12, 2021
Sadly, I didn’t like this as much as I was hoping or expecting to. There was a big disconnect for me😔. I just wasn’t really invested and didn’t really connect with it, which bummed me out, because I really loved the premise and thought this had so much potential! Overall, I felt like it needed more editing to clean things up and more depth, emotion, and character development. There were several times I felt completely lost… like chapters were missing or I had missed something important. Idk it just felt too short/rushed/forced. It also felt more like a MF than a reverse harem. I wish there had been more chemistry between the FMC and MMCs and also among the 3 MMCs.

I liked the FMC. She was strong, fierce, took no sh*t, and pretty entertaining. A morally-grey, serial killer FMC? Sign me up! I also liked the MMCs and the multi POV. I thought the writing was fast-paced and concise, but I did struggle with it at times, mainly the flow — felt choppy and rushed. I was also a bit confused about certain parts (mainly about how all of the characters and their families were connected and about a few things that happened and were said; it was a lot to keep track of). I wish things had been written and presented more clearly, because, overall, I had no clue what was going on (and not in the good/suspenseful/edge-of-your-seat way). After finishing the book, I felt like I was left with more questions than answers and was just left to my own devices to infer things and try to figure things out, which was frustrating, because, like I said, this had so much potential!!😫

Although I didn’t love this, I can see the overall potential in the story and characters and will likely give book two a try when it comes out!
Profile Image for Biggs_bookshelf.
1,600 reviews27 followers
May 11, 2023
You know what’s better the. Reading a five star book? Listening to amazing narrators read you a five star read phenomenally!

If you read this story in Violent Tendencies Antiology know that it’s not the same novella. This is an extended full length book with multiple POV. It’s soooo much more. We get to see some of the male characters views and there so much more to this story. Viola is a petite little thing who just happens to be a murder for hire. She’s given a job that takes her back to high school. She’s bot happy but do you blame her?!?! She ends up learning more then she expected and that things aren’t what they seem. This book is full of dark deliciousness, betrayal, mystery and some sexual tension that will burn the pages. The series will be an Rh but book one is a slowwww burn. It’s so good y’all and I can’t wait to see where this goes! I don’t think we are don’t uncovering the dark secrets of these characters and it’s only going to get better!
Profile Image for Dooniereads .
395 reviews36 followers
October 2, 2021
A sign of a fabulous book is being able to start and finish it all in 1 evening as I just couldn’t put it down 🖤

So last night I devoured this book it was so good and drew me in from the beginning.

You follow Viola an assassin for hire as she is given a new job where she ends up enrolling at a private school which has a lot of mafia and crime lords children attending where she needs to learn everything she can about her target.

The sexual tension is sooooo good and then the spice levels rocket 🥵 the violence is so detailed and gruesome. This is also age gap where she’s older than the guys which I haven’t read before and I must say I’m really liking it 😍

This is a multi POV book with different chapters for different characters. It is mainly Viola’s POV but I love the guys thoughts mixed in.

Loved how the book ended and some of the twists that occurred along the way. Now onto book 2 🖤

Massive 5⭐️ as I will do read this book again!
Profile Image for Tiya.
232 reviews6 followers
July 13, 2022
this book started off good. I enjoyed it but the storyline is all over the place we don’t get the depth of some characters making it so confusing and tiring. I was baffled for 50% of the book but it does have a good direction I will be reading book two to see if it’s worth it any more
Profile Image for alex.
947 reviews179 followers
December 22, 2025
1 star ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

☆⋆。𖦹°‧★ A History of Violence☆⋆。𖦹°‧★

⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°。 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´

🎶 “Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?” 🎶

Viola Hawkes (h) lives by one rule: trust is a weakness, and fire cleanses all sins. What was supposed to be a clean kill turns into something far more dangerous when the Sacred Hearts boys capture her attention and awaken a hunger that mirrors her own. They see her as prey and themselves as soulless predators, but they are wrong. In the end, Viola is the true monster, and they will learn what it means to beg.

—*•.¸♡ ★·.·☾ ゚。´THOUGHTS ゚☁︎。`·.·★ ♡¸.•*⋆—

“Viola Hawkes,” he hisses in my ear as he pushes me down on the backseat, trapping me underneath him. “I’m going to fucking enjoy breaking you apart.”


I thought I was going to love this book because as soon as Viola was introduced, she came across as such a badass. She stood her ground and was essentially a vigilante trying to take down men who preyed on children. That part hooked me immediately. But then it fell apart. Viola is twenty three, and she knows Lorcan is a teenager. She either met him when he was underage or knew him when he was much younger. She even mentions in her own point of view that she knew he would be attractive when he got older. She repeatedly refers to them as teenagers, and it gave me the biggest ick. The dialogue between Dino, Jude, and Lorcan was a massive red flag, and at that point I stopped caring about any of it.

Dante was the one person I trusted. The one person who had my back. And look what he fucking did. And yet, I feel only an itch under my skin that we need to keep moving and a slight irritation that my killing place is no more.


Quite frankly, her using a knife to get her way every single time does not make her a badass. It does not erase how predatory her behavior felt toward the people she targeted. That was a huge red flag for me. By then, I did not even know what the book was supposed to be about, and I decided I was not going to continue the series. I will probably just read spoilers because I have no interest in actually reading the rest. The only character I liked was Dante, but then he betrayed her. Now he is suddenly part of the harem, which almost tempted me to keep reading because I love Dante. But honestly, I do not care enough about the rest of them to continue. Half the time, I was not even sure what the plot was supposed to be. She tries to kill Lachlan because she was sent on a mission to dispose of them, but she is also investigating Audrey’s disappearance. There are so many secrets and so much going on, but I will never find out how it resolves because I am done. This age gap is completely unacceptable. I kept expecting some kind of twist where they were actually older, but no. She is twenty three, and they are in high school. That is not okay.

—*•.¸♡ ★·.·☾ ゚。´OVERALL゚☁︎。`·.·★ ♡¸.•*⋆—

Reverse age gap is not okay when the MMCs are minors. She is gross for that. I do not respect it at all. I don’t care that she is in her early twenties, it is still disturbing. RED FLAG FMC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for dais.
851 reviews95 followers
August 1, 2022
Viola is my new fave serial killer!!!!!! She’s a bloody badass.
She wears a knife strapped to her thigh and kills vile men, we stan a queen.
This story was off the charts gory and hot. They’re all a bunch of psychos and I love Viola and her crazy boys.
I couldn’t believe the plot twists, I mean this is some proper messed up circle of craziness. It’s bloody epic. I didn’t want to put this book down, it’s gripping and all kinds of messed up. My dark twisted heart loved it.
I’m so eager to get into book 2, I just know it’s going to be even more thrilling than the first!!
Viola is like a dark avenging angel of death. Killing the scum of the earth men and protecting the innocent from said men.
If you love a dark why choose romance with gory plot twists and super spicy scenes with sexual tension that will get you all kinds of flustered then I defo recommend this!
Profile Image for Dani.
703 reviews19 followers
November 25, 2022
Serial killers? Why choose? Sign me up!

I will start with saying that while this states it’s a bully romance, I really do not agree with that statement. BUT it is dark and captivating. The FMC is pretty badass and not to be fucked with. Plot wise, there is so much going on behind the scenes that I kept trying to figure out who I could trust. The answer is looking like no one and I want more.

Profile Image for emily ♡.
351 reviews9 followers
January 16, 2022
I had such high hopes for this one 🤦🏻‍♀️

The premise of this book is AMAZING.
It’s about a 23 year old sociopathic assassin who goes undercover to kill a student in high school. Along the way more and more secrets are revealed, and she realizes things aren’t what they seem to be.

It’s reverse harem, it has a psycho badass FMC, it has sexy hot men, it has hired assassins, it has a relationship where the woman is older, IT SHOULDVE BEEN GREAT.

Unfortunately, it was not. 😞

VIOLA was one of the things that carried this book for me. She was so interesting, and I loved learning these tiny bits about her story! She’s kickass and loves to kill gross men, what’s not to love? 👏🏻

* “I love it most when they think they’re in control because, of all things, they’re never that.”

* “Fuck the system. I am the system.”

* “Standing with me are the boys who get to clean up my bloody mess.”

SHE’S A GIRLBOSS LADIES 💅🏻🤪

We also get to see this story told through her eyes, and she essentially plays detective to uncover the secrets behind the school walls, which I loved! It was so fun trying to piece things together along with her, and I really enjoyed her character. 😚

EVERYONE else in this story… not so much. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Listen, EVERY SINGLE SEMI-MAIN CHARACTER in this book (apart from Viola) is CURRENTLY dealing with major MAJOR trauma, and 0 of them are outwardly effected by it.

Viola is the ONLY one out of these 8 semi-main characters who has issues with touch, crowds, triggers, etc.
And she’s also the ONLY one out of the 8 who is not CURRENTLY dealing with the trauma the rest of them are!
If anything she’s the one who should be the MOST healed, not the least?

It just didn’t seem realistic AT ALL to me that none of these characters are effected by their VERY damaging situations. I know everyone deals with trauma their own way, but the odds of none of them being outwardly effected, are next to none. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The only one of the boys (there’s 3) I really liked was Dino, even if he had that weird ass name 🤭

There’s essentially NO relationship building in this first book, I don’t know if that’ll change throughout the series, but I don’t plan on sticking around long enough to find out. 😬

THE PLOT gets extremely confusing and convoluted towards the end. The pacing feels way off. It kinda just feels like the author had a bunch of plot points she wanted to include, but didn’t know how, so she just shoved them all in at the end with NO explanation.

Something happens in the end of the story, and then we just switch to the epilogue where that something is resolved. BUT WE DONT SEE IT BEING RESOLVED?????????

I just really didn’t enjoy it 😆 The only sensible person in this story is Viola, and she’s meant to be the sociopathic psycho killer. What that says about this story, is up to your interpretation 🤷🏻‍♀️

xox

Profile Image for bookloverarticulated.
105 reviews14 followers
July 14, 2021
This book is AH-MAZINGGG!!! OMG I loved this and and it’s characters! I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I began reading this book as this is the first book I’ve read by Mallory, and let me tell you I was not disappointed! Mallory has written this book impeccably! The characters were well thought out and despite this book being on the smaller side, we saw character development! Which I loved!

This book took a very unexpected turn! It kept you at the washer of your seat wanting to find out what happens next! I honestly devoured this book in one sitting!

I am beyond excited to see more of these characters and get to see them on a deeper level and watch the relationships grow between them!
Profile Image for ✨✨ Claire✨✨.
1,131 reviews59 followers
August 24, 2021
Another of one of the great short stories, extended and turning into a series from the anthology "Violent Tendencies".

This has been added to and the way its been stretched to add the cliffhanger and to tease us as to how the series is going to go is genius!

Viola is our solo assassin, taking jobs from a boss and only has one 'friend'. But saying that, Dante is really only a friend as he has the handy cabin in the middle of nowhere that he let's her use to play with her targets and he takes care of the bodies for her.

From what we see from the jobs she is most happy castrating and then watching die those who molest and/or rape. So when she gets her next job, it's unsurprising it's for a male accused of raping and beating a teenage girl.

Going undercover as a schoolgirl (and boy does she hate this!!) she soon discovers tho, things aren't what they seem.

She has a gut feeling that she follows, a boss who's piling the pressure on to finish the job, Dante calling to add to said pressure, and then - to top things off she's told she's being sent "help".... Furious, she takes care of this help ridiculously easy and laughably quickly and goes back to it!!

Things still aren't adding up. The rich boys and girls of the "five founding families" she's spent time with and watching are both cocky and afraid. It's baffling.

With schoolwork adding up and more of the girls being targeted violas running out of time. To save the girls, to save the guys she's been spending more and more time with, and to save herself....

Looking forward to the first full book of this!! Will be interesting to see how Viola works as part as a team, instead of solo and to see who she chose for her heart.... If indeed she did choose between them!! I hope not!!!

I Received a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for XxLaVampiresaAlexisxX.
1,158 reviews76 followers
May 18, 2023
I originally rated this story a 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 in the Violent Tendencies anthology. I loved it soooo much. Since then, some changes were made and holy sh*t it just made it 100x much better. Not only do we get a continuation and dual POVs, but it is setting up to be an RH series. That is such a plus for me. Now, my rating is 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Incredible story by Mallory Fox. I've loved her books since War of Hearts. Viola is an assassin who seduced and took out a target. Her latest assignment required her to go back to school. What she didn't expect was to uncover a larger operation. Viola was my absolute favorite. She was such a badass chick, who isn't afraid of anything and basically doesn't give a f*ck. She met her match when she fell for her target and his crew. I think there was so much more chemistry between Viola and her boys. Seeing their POV had me liking their characters so much more. I can't wait until the next book!


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Audiobook review:
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Performance:⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (it wouldn't let me add a half in Audible)
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Sooo, I'm fairly new to listening to audiobooks and everytime I ending up turning one on, I get such an unique experience with each book. This is actually one of my favorite series. I ended up opening my ebook to follow along. GUUUYS, I highly recommend doing that! You get such vivid imagery. The guy's voice was COMPLETELY fire! COMPLETELY matched how I personally imagined them. Now, Viola's voice, kind of took me getting used to it. For a bit, it got a little monotone, but eventually my brain was able to match the voice to the character. However, I highly enjoyed it! Overall, fantastic story, fantastic plot, soothing voices....Highly recommend!!
Profile Image for Vea.
344 reviews15 followers
June 1, 2021
I read the original History of Violence story as part of the Violet Tendencies anthology and was super excited that the author decided to turn it into a series. This new longer version was perfect. I love that we got guys’ POVs as well as Aurora’s. It helped me relate to them more and understand some of their decisions I was initially questioning in the anthology version.

Viola is a twenty three year old woman working for an agency as a hired assassin. She targets men who have committed unforgivable crimes against women especially younger girls. She goes undercover at a prestigious prep academy for her new target, Lorcan Duke. Viola as badass she as she is, is completely out of her comfort zone at this prep school. Lorcan and his three friends, Dino, Fin, and Jude, pretty much rule the school. The more interactions she has with Lorcan the more she’s questioning her purpose. He’s becoming less of a target each day and more of something else. Viola believes herself to be incapable of feelings but the more time she spends with Lorcan and his friends, the more attached and protective of them she gets. The scenes between Viola, Lorcan and Jude are mind blowing hot and I honestly can’t wait to read how their relationships develop from here.

This book is a dark steamy reverse harem romance must read. Can’t wait to see who ends up in Viola’s harem. 😉
Profile Image for Cheri.
906 reviews13 followers
February 14, 2022
Viola is an assassin for hire whose latest job is to go undercover at a prestigious high-school to locate her new target. Once there she discovers that not everything is as it seems and she begins to doubt her boss and their motivation. A development which eventually places her in the line of fire. I loved Viola and her take no shit attitude. The gross scene in the cafeteria with Finn had me cheering. Piss her off or overstep and she won't hesitate to stab you. Although she a sociopath, she has a moral compass that leads to her only killing rapists and pedos (if only there was someone doing that in real life). She embraces her monstrous side to rid the world of other monsters. The guys were interesting in their own right and their own backstories were messed up and tragic. Lorcan's my favorite. Another thing I liked was that Viola was five years older than the guys which is something I've rarely come across. Nice change. Can't wait for more revelations as this book left some questions unanswered.
Profile Image for Emma (emjbookshelf).
976 reviews22 followers
May 30, 2021
Viola is my type of girl, Doesn't take shit from anyone and she is crazy as all fuck.
Viola is a trained assassin undercover at Sacred Hearts high to find her target. Once she starts attending she realises all is not as it seems so she sets out to learn the truth.

Cannot wait to see how this group all work together and even though it was frustrating I loved how the cliffy ended with the boys waiting to see whose heart she chose.

The sexual tension between her and Lorcan is hot AF, then throw in Jude and eventually Dino and we are going to have one MF hot as sin RH series coming our way.

Profile Image for Siri.
1,219 reviews69 followers
October 5, 2021
i don´t know what i expected but this was not it. I felt kinda meh about it, this felt not really like a rh, i did not feel the connection between the heroin and the guys. Maybe just a lil with Logan but the other two was more in the background. What i did like tho and thought it was interesting was that the heroin was older than the guys which is not everyday i see. I think she was like 5 years older, i do hope that they act more mature than their age
I am the most intrigued about the heroin Viola´s past and who her fam is and daddy. And Dante what will happen with him?
Profile Image for Zen.
2,980 reviews
August 14, 2022
Good start

Book is fairly dark. Heroine has no problem with delivering violence and doesn't flinch when it directed back at her. It will be interesting to see where this story goes.
Profile Image for Danique van Dijk.
551 reviews61 followers
September 30, 2022
The dead can’t touch you. It’s the living you have to watch out for.

📁 The story 📁
Viola lives off her job as a hired killer. When she has to go undercover for a new job, she ends up finding more than just the guy she’s supposed to kill.

Alright, I don’t even know where to start. This already started quite promising; Viola was right in the middle of one of her kills, and I immediately loved her psychoness. Besides the great characters, I’m honestly just really confused about the main story. I cannot deal with implied things, you have to explicitly state things like this to me. I just don’t understand what’s going on at all. Besides the vague plot, it was hard for me to put the book down. The steamy scenes were hot and I absolutely loved them. I do feel like they came a bit out of nowhere most of the time, but alright. Viola’s constant craziness is great, and I love how realistic she is; I’ve seen a lot of patients just like her.


📁 The characters 📁
🔪Viola/Victoria🔪
I immediately loved Viola from the moment we met her, although I must admit that the name Viola does not fit her lol, it seems too sweet for some reason. Anyway, I was glad to learn that she was 23 because I love more mature characters who are around my own age. Furthermore, she was such a freaking badass, which I loved. Most importantly, she did not turn into a submissive blubbering mess around the guys, which often happens with badass female main characters and is something that I hate more than anything else. Not this time though; if anything, Viola got even more dominant and crazy in bed, and I freaking loved that. Thank you for that :’) I also loved the fact that she is bi, and I adored her relationship with Quinn. Can’t wait to learn even more about the both of them.

👨‍👨‍👦‍👦The boys👨‍👨‍👦‍👦
I must admit that I’m still not completely sure about who will be in her harem. There’s of course Vice – I hate the name Dino, and Kardinal even more so I’m not using that – who seems really cool so far, but also seems to be quite in love with Saskia. I’m guessing he’ll end up liking Viola more, but I’m not sure if he can get on board with her murderous behaviour. Finn doesn’t seem to be a love interest since she made him sound quite creepy, and I don’t think I can love him after that? Then there’s obviously Lorcan, the only dude who I am sure about. I love how obsessed with Viola he already is, and I can’t wait to see their relationship develop. It’s clear that they’re quite similar, and I love that. Then there’s Dante. I’m so torn about him; since we got a chapter from his POV, I feel like he will be a love interest? I don’t know, but I really hope he will be. Jude could be promising, but I don’t know enough about him to actually have an opinion on him. Don’t love him so far though.


📁 Overall conclusion 📁
The suspense and mystery in this story were quite great, and I loved that. I mostly loved the characters – Viola is such a realistic sociopath, she’s really badass and stays dominant, even in sexual situations. I am however a bit confused about the story itself, and I don’t really understand what’s going on at this point. Hopefully, this will become clearer in the next book(s). Can’t wait!
Profile Image for Daniela .
349 reviews7 followers
June 6, 2021


WOW! this book is so worth the read, trust me. I loved the A History of Violence novella in Violent Tendencies anthology, but I loved, even more, this extended full-length book.

On this extended version, we got so much more. It only took me a couple of hours to finish this book; it was dark, twisted, and captivating, full of mystery, secrets, tension, and twist that will keep you wondering what's coming.

Viola is a cold, collected, and trained assassin who happens to get a job that turned out to be nothing like she expected. She will have to go undercover into a private high school; her new target has a name, Lorcan Duke; it sounds like an easy mission, but things don't add up, and as the mystery grows, Viola will start questioning everything.

Lorcan, Jude, and Dino rule the school, and they come from the elite crime families who founded sacred hearts. Lorcan is Viola's new target; he is gaining Viola's attention, but so are Jude and Dino, all three of them awake something in Viola she's never felt before. She will slowly build a relationship with them that she never expected.

The chemistry between Viola and the guys was off the charts; Viola definitely met her match with these guys. I can't wait to dive deeper into their story, to watch them develop their relationship, as well as to learn more about them, especially Viola's past.

I'm so ready for the second book; If you love dark, twisted, and gritty with an RH going on, then this story is definitely for you.
Profile Image for Brooke (hiatus, cuz she’s a college girl).
37 reviews5 followers
July 25, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up- it felt weird to give this 3 stars.

I was really loving this up until I was not so much loving it. For one, this didn’t feel like a true rh, if I’m being honest I didn’t feel much of a connection between viola and any of the boy. She also had alot more screen time with lorcan than Dino or Jude. this is also the start to a series so I won’t argue that point too much. I will say however, I really don’t like the whole “choose between us conflict” in rh books. The main conflict of her being an assassin, her shady past, and exacting revenge for the boys is more than enough for me.

Secondly, the reactions of the boys to her being a LITERAL assassin felt cheap. Idk this girl had some pretty crazy credentials and Lorcan was all “I’m gonna tie her up and fuck her ten ways to Sunday”…. Excuse me ?! Put some respect on miss viola’s name.

Thirdly, I think I was just dozing off at some parts while reading this but I actually am still confused on some parts. I’m pretty sure Jude mentions how he’s been best mates with lorcan since forever and yet I wasn’t really getting that vibe. I’m also still confused on how the fuck aurora died ? I missed this tidbit of information somewhere.

HOWEVER! I think this author writes really well, like I absolutely adored viola-shes a fucking badass and I want to be her (minus the killing part) , and I think the characterization was done really well. This was like 100 something pages so I think the next books will be much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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