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Handled #1
Handled
Serial killers think if it all goes south and they finally get caught that their swan song is a day in court, making the families relive the agony while they get off on that delicious pain, all over again.
Not happening. Not anymore. We’re not making celebrities out of monsters. We’re not giving them a stage to strut on.
Now they get an audience of two.
One to Handle the problem, one to Witness it.
I’m a Witness. I trained for six years to do my duty, to manage my contracted killer, and to watch justice be done.
I knew it would be hard, the first time, to watch the eye for an eye moment.
I expected to feel a lot of things – fear, disgust, guilt.
I didn’t expect to feel turned on.
And I didn’t expect my contracted killer to look quite so pretty with blood on his hands.
HANDLED is a dark gay romance with themes of justice, retribution, and unsuitable love. It is not for the faint of heart and contains graphic scenes intended for an adult audience. Further trigger warnings inside.
Not happening. Not anymore. We’re not making celebrities out of monsters. We’re not giving them a stage to strut on.
Now they get an audience of two.
One to Handle the problem, one to Witness it.
I’m a Witness. I trained for six years to do my duty, to manage my contracted killer, and to watch justice be done.
I knew it would be hard, the first time, to watch the eye for an eye moment.
I expected to feel a lot of things – fear, disgust, guilt.
I didn’t expect to feel turned on.
And I didn’t expect my contracted killer to look quite so pretty with blood on his hands.
HANDLED is a dark gay romance with themes of justice, retribution, and unsuitable love. It is not for the faint of heart and contains graphic scenes intended for an adult audience. Further trigger warnings inside.
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First published October 29, 2020
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Did Not Finish
May 3, 2021Plagiarist. See https://twitter.com/kokomroily/status.... The book discussed there, Paid to Kneel, was removed from Amazon today at the request of the author whose work was stolen.
Until proven otherwise, I will assume this book was also plagiarized, and I'm removing my review.
_____
Well, that didn't take long. Here's an update on this book: https://twitter.com/lotrspnfangirl/st....
_____
Updating again in order to link to the original story,
CONventional Psychopathy: Primary Deviance, by the REAL author, Mayalaen.
Until proven otherwise, I will assume this book was also plagiarized, and I'm removing my review.
_____
Well, that didn't take long. Here's an update on this book: https://twitter.com/lotrspnfangirl/st....
_____
Updating again in order to link to the original story,
CONventional Psychopathy: Primary Deviance, by the REAL author, Mayalaen.
August 5, 2021
Another one it looks like has been stolen from Ao3
https://twitter.com/Mayalaen/status/1...
Original fic on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980...
https://twitter.com/Mayalaen/status/1...
Original fic on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980...
uncouth-author
June 25, 2021Audio - 3.75 Overall
Gavin McAllister - 5 Stars
Liam Dicosimo - 2.5 Stars
Story - dnf @ 61%
Yes, the story has some dark elements. The kind that if executed right would have had me drooling. Unfortunately, instead of leaving me sickly fascinated, I was mostly bored. It didn't help that one of the narrators was meh.
Gavin McAllister - 5 Stars
Liam Dicosimo - 2.5 Stars
Story - dnf @ 61%
Yes, the story has some dark elements. The kind that if executed right would have had me drooling. Unfortunately, instead of leaving me sickly fascinated, I was mostly bored. It didn't help that one of the narrators was meh.
January 25, 2021
8/5/20210
The author has apparently plagiarized one of their other books from fanfic and it has been removed by Amazon. https://twitter.com/KokomRoily/status...
This one may have been as well https://twitter.com/lotrspnfangirl/st...
*******************
3.5 stars
This is a dark story so heed the trigger warnings. It is also not a standalone. There isn't a HEA/HFN or even a real relationship at the end. It's building, Nathan and Gray are a team, but Gray is also a psychopath - supposedly without the ability to feel emotion even though something about Nathan has him feeling something.
The good is that this is an interesting setup, and an interesting dynamic between the sanctioned killer Gray, and his "Witness" Nathan (more like a partner in this case that helps investigate the target and eventually witness his eye for an eye murder at the hands of the "Handler"). There are some questions about the ethics of the program brought up at the start and Nathan has his own personal interest in the program and its future as well. Told in dual POV we are in both their heads throughout the story.
As Nathan tries to survive his pairing with Gray, things immediately become complicated/interesting/disturbing. No spoilers, but the first kill doesn't go the way either expected. Things progress from there, with highs and lows as the two men adjust, but for the build-up of Gray being the worst of the worst, I was rarely on edge fearing what would happen next. Maybe because we are in his head so much, he seems less the volatile monster he is supposed to be - that's not to say he isn't, but it just seemed to smooth the edges for me.
Now for the bad. It seems the story was never proofread or properly edited. There are so many spelling mistakes, wrong words (suite/suit, her/here), run on sentences, exclamation points that didn't seem to fit, and missing words, it sometimes made it difficult to read and often jarred me out of the story. Also, the story takes place in the Maryland/Washington DC area of the US. It is clear, the author is not from the US and made no effort to use American English. I realize that this is a self-pubbed book and not a translation, but at the bare minimum, if you are going to set the story in the US there should at least be a spell-check in US English, although that wouldn't account for all the words and sayings that were clearly UK/European ones that aren't used in the area the book is set. I'm not sure why the story was set in the US (and I'm glad I was reminded of the setting a couple of times during the book because I honestly forgot it wasn't in the UK or Europe) as it wasn't integral to the plot and there was no effort made to give the reader that sense of place.
This was my first read by this author and I don't know if the poor editing is par for the course. I'm interested enough in the story itself to give the second one a go with the hope something changes.
The author has apparently plagiarized one of their other books from fanfic and it has been removed by Amazon. https://twitter.com/KokomRoily/status...
This one may have been as well https://twitter.com/lotrspnfangirl/st...
*******************
3.5 stars
This is a dark story so heed the trigger warnings. It is also not a standalone. There isn't a HEA/HFN or even a real relationship at the end. It's building, Nathan and Gray are a team, but Gray is also a psychopath - supposedly without the ability to feel emotion even though something about Nathan has him feeling something.
The good is that this is an interesting setup, and an interesting dynamic between the sanctioned killer Gray, and his "Witness" Nathan (more like a partner in this case that helps investigate the target and eventually witness his eye for an eye murder at the hands of the "Handler"). There are some questions about the ethics of the program brought up at the start and Nathan has his own personal interest in the program and its future as well. Told in dual POV we are in both their heads throughout the story.
As Nathan tries to survive his pairing with Gray, things immediately become complicated/interesting/disturbing. No spoilers, but the first kill doesn't go the way either expected. Things progress from there, with highs and lows as the two men adjust, but for the build-up of Gray being the worst of the worst, I was rarely on edge fearing what would happen next. Maybe because we are in his head so much, he seems less the volatile monster he is supposed to be - that's not to say he isn't, but it just seemed to smooth the edges for me.
Now for the bad. It seems the story was never proofread or properly edited. There are so many spelling mistakes, wrong words (suite/suit, her/here), run on sentences, exclamation points that didn't seem to fit, and missing words, it sometimes made it difficult to read and often jarred me out of the story. Also, the story takes place in the Maryland/Washington DC area of the US. It is clear, the author is not from the US and made no effort to use American English. I realize that this is a self-pubbed book and not a translation, but at the bare minimum, if you are going to set the story in the US there should at least be a spell-check in US English, although that wouldn't account for all the words and sayings that were clearly UK/European ones that aren't used in the area the book is set. I'm not sure why the story was set in the US (and I'm glad I was reminded of the setting a couple of times during the book because I honestly forgot it wasn't in the UK or Europe) as it wasn't integral to the plot and there was no effort made to give the reader that sense of place.
This was my first read by this author and I don't know if the poor editing is par for the course. I'm interested enough in the story itself to give the second one a go with the hope something changes.
November 18, 2020
Oh boy what a mess. Another plagiarism from Ao3
The Original post: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980...
See the Twitter post from the real author Mayalaen:
https://twitter.com/Mayalaen/status/1...
The Original post: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980...
See the Twitter post from the real author Mayalaen:
https://twitter.com/Mayalaen/status/1...
August 4, 2021
Yet another plagarized destiel (dean winchester/castiel) fanfic. Shame on this author for stealing other peoples' work and making a profit on it.
Read
December 21, 2020Review removed due to plagiarism allegations.
January 28, 2021
changing my rating because of plagiarism.
i suppose the overwhelming amount of editing mistakes and the whole angel backstory of grayson makes complete sense now, since this was plagiarised from a destiel fanfic from ao3. 🙄
https://mobile.twitter.com/kokomroily...
https://mobile.twitter.com/lotrspnfan...
i suppose the overwhelming amount of editing mistakes and the whole angel backstory of grayson makes complete sense now, since this was plagiarised from a destiel fanfic from ao3. 🙄
https://mobile.twitter.com/kokomroily...
https://mobile.twitter.com/lotrspnfan...
February 24, 2021
Changing rating because author plagiarizes.
Original review:
Intriguing and different
This was very different (and darker) than my usual reads, but I read a sample and was drawn in. It needs a good round of editing, but I was mostly able to ignore that and just appreciate the story for what it was.
Original review:
Intriguing and different
This was very different (and darker) than my usual reads, but I read a sample and was drawn in. It needs a good round of editing, but I was mostly able to ignore that and just appreciate the story for what it was.
February 20, 2021
Dammit!!!! Why why, do one have to steal other people’s work!!! I read this book in Feb 2021 and loved it so much and I immediately devoured Romily’s back list. But now I just found out that this was plagiarised and I’m upset. So I’m removing my review because of this and please read the original story by the real author - Mayalaen because it’s really great!!
So one star for Romily and five stars for Mayalaen.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/980...
So one star for Romily and five stars for Mayalaen.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/980...
November 19, 2020
Overall book rating: 4
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 4
Me while reading the blurb
So I like a little disturbing when I'm in the mood. It's no secret. The idea around this series
made me sit up and take notice.
I'm not going to write pages about this one, read it if it's your jam and decide for yourself.
Me? My mind is a strange place. When I read a blurb like this one it immediately takes me
places. I form ideas and expectations.. and sometimes my expectations differ from those
that are delivered. Not necessarily bad but sometimes I want what I wanted and I can't help
but be a tad sad about not getting it.
When I read about someone like Gray, I want to be "SCARED" of him. Does that make any sense at all? He's a fictional character for heaven sake (I never say that out load cause... books live in my mind and so does the MC's but let it slip this one will you?)
I want to love his character in his own special way but also realize he's NOT selfless superhero material. His character should speak for itself. He should be a mindfuck he's a psycopath! He's a bad person, it doesn't matter that he does what he does on the right side of law. I want to FEEL that when I read the story. Not just hear about his evil actions, and I did get that in some extent BUT...I wasn't scared of him.
There were little things about his comings and goings. He explained himself to much to my liking. Laying yourself bare but ending the sentence with "We're not friends" doesn't make me scared of you. I would have LOVED a little more actual scary close encounters between Gray and Nathan.
I'm sounding like a crazy person I know. This book is GOOD. It's got SOOOOO much potential and I WILL be following this author in future because of this. Also of course the next installment will be on my TBR. So if it's your thing, like it is mine, give it a go you won't be disappointing.
If it's not your thing though please take note that it's messed up! Deliciously so! There were parts that made me smile like Angelina up there.
I love the growing thing between Gray and Nathan. I love how Nathan tries to come to terms with the things he likes and explores about himself.
Like I said, lots of potential. I'll be watching. ;-)
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 4
Me while reading the blurb
So I like a little disturbing when I'm in the mood. It's no secret. The idea around this series
made me sit up and take notice.
I'm not going to write pages about this one, read it if it's your jam and decide for yourself.
Me? My mind is a strange place. When I read a blurb like this one it immediately takes me
places. I form ideas and expectations.. and sometimes my expectations differ from those
that are delivered. Not necessarily bad but sometimes I want what I wanted and I can't help
but be a tad sad about not getting it.
When I read about someone like Gray, I want to be "SCARED" of him. Does that make any sense at all? He's a fictional character for heaven sake (I never say that out load cause... books live in my mind and so does the MC's but let it slip this one will you?)
I want to love his character in his own special way but also realize he's NOT selfless superhero material. His character should speak for itself. He should be a mindfuck he's a psycopath! He's a bad person, it doesn't matter that he does what he does on the right side of law. I want to FEEL that when I read the story. Not just hear about his evil actions, and I did get that in some extent BUT...I wasn't scared of him.
There were little things about his comings and goings. He explained himself to much to my liking. Laying yourself bare but ending the sentence with "We're not friends" doesn't make me scared of you. I would have LOVED a little more actual scary close encounters between Gray and Nathan.
I'm sounding like a crazy person I know. This book is GOOD. It's got SOOOOO much potential and I WILL be following this author in future because of this. Also of course the next installment will be on my TBR. So if it's your thing, like it is mine, give it a go you won't be disappointing.
If it's not your thing though please take note that it's messed up! Deliciously so! There were parts that made me smile like Angelina up there.
I love the growing thing between Gray and Nathan. I love how Nathan tries to come to terms with the things he likes and explores about himself.
Like I said, lots of potential. I'll be watching. ;-)
September 2, 2022
Nathan sabia que ese dia llegaria, que deberia ser o un Handler o un Witness, solo esperaba estar preparado para eso. El problema es que nadie se prepara para ser el Witness de Gray, el primer y mas desafiante Handler de la organizacion. Pero ahora no solo debe conocerlo, sino trabajar con el, tratar de ser su compañero, ayudarlo y colaborar con el, pero no solo es dificil por su caracter, sino por la atraccion que siente, sera posible sentirse tan atraido por el peligro?
Gray sabia que Nora algun dia se retiraria, sabia que debia esperar su nuevo Witness, lo que no esperaba es que el hombre fuera tan intrigante, emocionante y entretenido para estar. El problema es que lo distrae de su proposito, y no sabe si eso es bueno o no, solo el tiempo lo dira. Ahora solo tiene que amoldarlo a lo que realmente el quiere, o sera someterlo?
El libro no era para nada lo que esperaba, y eso que ya habia leido otras series de este autor. Resulto muy intrigante, el universo en el que se basa es bastante tenebroso, y la forma en que se manejan los protas resulta forzada. Asi como tambien, me resulto forzado la "quimica" entre ellos, aunque la relacion de los protas con otras personas si resultaron mucho mas creibles.
Sin embargo, es el comienzo de una "trilogia" basada en esta pareja, asi que espero que este solo sea el comienzo lento de la historia y que poco a poco se vaya acomodando, asi que voy a continuar con ella, esperando ver una mejora ahora que conozco lo que me espera.
Gray sabia que Nora algun dia se retiraria, sabia que debia esperar su nuevo Witness, lo que no esperaba es que el hombre fuera tan intrigante, emocionante y entretenido para estar. El problema es que lo distrae de su proposito, y no sabe si eso es bueno o no, solo el tiempo lo dira. Ahora solo tiene que amoldarlo a lo que realmente el quiere, o sera someterlo?
El libro no era para nada lo que esperaba, y eso que ya habia leido otras series de este autor. Resulto muy intrigante, el universo en el que se basa es bastante tenebroso, y la forma en que se manejan los protas resulta forzada. Asi como tambien, me resulto forzado la "quimica" entre ellos, aunque la relacion de los protas con otras personas si resultaron mucho mas creibles.
Sin embargo, es el comienzo de una "trilogia" basada en esta pareja, asi que espero que este solo sea el comienzo lento de la historia y que poco a poco se vaya acomodando, asi que voy a continuar con ella, esperando ver una mejora ahora que conozco lo que me espera.
December 26, 2020
"There is a dead man behind him, cooling on the floor, and I am coated in hot come. Alive, I never felt so fucking alive."
If you like your book dark, intense, and a little bit kinky, then give this a try. But this book was more than that, it has complex characters and interesting storyline and I enjoyed reading the investigation scenes. I was amazed by how the author creates her own alternate reality on handling serial killers. Romilly King brought the readers into the world she created using detailed description (especially the execution scene). It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed reading this book and will definitely enjoy the next one.
If you like your book dark, intense, and a little bit kinky, then give this a try. But this book was more than that, it has complex characters and interesting storyline and I enjoyed reading the investigation scenes. I was amazed by how the author creates her own alternate reality on handling serial killers. Romilly King brought the readers into the world she created using detailed description (especially the execution scene). It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed reading this book and will definitely enjoy the next one.
November 11, 2020
**UPDATE**
Last year...I had the review below...now I retract...so disappointing that the author had to plagiarize. They were becoming one of the authors I so enjoyed and was excited on getting stories from...all lies...so be aware fellow readers.
Intense, Dark and I absolutely Loved it!
WOW!!!..I absolutely loved this. This was full scale riveting. I went through so many emotions with this story. I felt like i was watching a thriller. I was so engaged and wrapped up with these characters I was determined to finish this with no interruptions(only bathroom breaks). The author has weaved a very profound psychological thriller and added a touch of romance between Gray the handler and his new witness Nathan. Their chemistry is explosive and at the end full blown sweet. So many elements I could touch about what makes this story sooooooo good but I will just recommend that you take a chance. This is not for the weak...it can be graphic at times...its like watching a scary movie with hands over your face but you still peeking...you wanna turn away but you can help it... you keep watching.. I'm so hoping this will turn out as a series. 5STARS!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Last year...I had the review below...now I retract...so disappointing that the author had to plagiarize. They were becoming one of the authors I so enjoyed and was excited on getting stories from...all lies...so be aware fellow readers.
Intense, Dark and I absolutely Loved it!
WOW!!!..I absolutely loved this. This was full scale riveting. I went through so many emotions with this story. I felt like i was watching a thriller. I was so engaged and wrapped up with these characters I was determined to finish this with no interruptions(only bathroom breaks). The author has weaved a very profound psychological thriller and added a touch of romance between Gray the handler and his new witness Nathan. Their chemistry is explosive and at the end full blown sweet. So many elements I could touch about what makes this story sooooooo good but I will just recommend that you take a chance. This is not for the weak...it can be graphic at times...its like watching a scary movie with hands over your face but you still peeking...you wanna turn away but you can help it... you keep watching.. I'm so hoping this will turn out as a series. 5STARS!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 6, 2021
plagiarism 🤮 🤮
February 7, 2021
Rating changed for evidence of author plagiarism
Yup, pretty dark
I’m usually not one for books that aren’t contemporary but I enjoyed this because the difference is minimal. The sexual aspect was sparse and not really brutal, as I thought it might be. Very intriguing psychological thriller. Not sure why only homeless people were used as victims. The ending isn’t a cliffhanger, just leaves questions on how the two will move forward. Looking forward to next books.<\s>
I’m usually not one for books that aren’t contemporary but I enjoyed this because the difference is minimal. The sexual aspect was sparse and not really brutal, as I thought it might be. Very intriguing psychological thriller. Not sure why only homeless people were used as victims. The ending isn’t a cliffhanger, just leaves questions on how the two will move forward. Looking forward to next books.<\s>
October 28, 2020
"Who gets into a car with a killer and merrily drives off to the place they kill people in?"
This book was everything I didn't know I needed and more. It's dark, unique, sexy and sweet at times. Loved reading this book. I couldn't put it down - only had to at night when my eyes were hurting, but then first thing was in the morning to read this again.
The whole concept with this serial killer/Handler with their own Witnesses was so amazing. I don't think I ever read about a serial killer while it's a romance. This story was so well written, the character's were real, their emotions and their actions were well depicted and the plot blew my mind.
Loved the dark side of this story, Gray with his pain fetish, it was so, so good! And when he got in all killer mood, oh god, it was everything! All the tension with the blood, it was so exciting. And what he did with Nathan after a kill - holyhellllll, so HOT!
Gray and Nathan's relationship was really well written and I loved that it was written in 2 POV (and in first person). Being in Gray's mind was EVERYTHING. And to see the way he slowly fallen in love with Nathan, just *swoon*.
"Gray is the book you don't skip to the last page of to see if your guesses are right. Gray is the book you read slowly and savour."
Nathan was a great character too, and I loved those scenes with his brother, those were really sweet and caring. And when he told Gray their story, that was good too - just as when Gray told his story.
I love dark romances, but this book is the best ever. It's the perfect balance between dark and sweet, romance while there are blood everywhere. A sweet serial killer who enjoys the pain - don't metter if it's his own pain or other's.
I loved this book from start to end. It's addicting and so amazing. I just want to start it all over again and be with Gray and Nathan all day long. Their story is everything.
The sex scenes were so HOT, and I loved the sweet side of Gray too. Gray is the perfect combination of cute and bad.
And that ending... ahhh. I finished the book with the biggest smile on my face. I hope we got to see more of them.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
This book was everything I didn't know I needed and more. It's dark, unique, sexy and sweet at times. Loved reading this book. I couldn't put it down - only had to at night when my eyes were hurting, but then first thing was in the morning to read this again.
The whole concept with this serial killer/Handler with their own Witnesses was so amazing. I don't think I ever read about a serial killer while it's a romance. This story was so well written, the character's were real, their emotions and their actions were well depicted and the plot blew my mind.
Loved the dark side of this story, Gray with his pain fetish, it was so, so good! And when he got in all killer mood, oh god, it was everything! All the tension with the blood, it was so exciting. And what he did with Nathan after a kill - holyhellllll, so HOT!
Gray and Nathan's relationship was really well written and I loved that it was written in 2 POV (and in first person). Being in Gray's mind was EVERYTHING. And to see the way he slowly fallen in love with Nathan, just *swoon*.
"Gray is the book you don't skip to the last page of to see if your guesses are right. Gray is the book you read slowly and savour."
Nathan was a great character too, and I loved those scenes with his brother, those were really sweet and caring. And when he told Gray their story, that was good too - just as when Gray told his story.
I love dark romances, but this book is the best ever. It's the perfect balance between dark and sweet, romance while there are blood everywhere. A sweet serial killer who enjoys the pain - don't metter if it's his own pain or other's.
I loved this book from start to end. It's addicting and so amazing. I just want to start it all over again and be with Gray and Nathan all day long. Their story is everything.
The sex scenes were so HOT, and I loved the sweet side of Gray too. Gray is the perfect combination of cute and bad.
And that ending... ahhh. I finished the book with the biggest smile on my face. I hope we got to see more of them.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
May 4, 2021
CHANGING MY RATING BECAUSE OF PLAGIARISM.
Original review (hope the actual author gets something from this and going to AO3)...
I'm having a hard time deciding the rating on this one. Think it would probably be 4 stars but there were just too many editing issues that threw me out of the story - weird placement of exclamation points, missing/misplaced words. It was really a shame.
This concept is super fascinating.
It got a bit... Well more romantic a lot quicker than I expected. What with being a psychopath and all. But it didn't really feel forced either.
I'm all about open endings but this one seemed really abrupt. I am still interested in seeing where this is going though so will read the next. Hoping the editing is better...
Original review (hope the actual author gets something from this and going to AO3)...
I'm having a hard time deciding the rating on this one. Think it would probably be 4 stars but there were just too many editing issues that threw me out of the story - weird placement of exclamation points, missing/misplaced words. It was really a shame.
This concept is super fascinating.
It got a bit... Well more romantic a lot quicker than I expected. What with being a psychopath and all. But it didn't really feel forced either.
I'm all about open endings but this one seemed really abrupt. I am still interested in seeing where this is going though so will read the next. Hoping the editing is better...
November 16, 2020
Removing my review because the author is a plagiarist. This book and every other book published by her were stolen fanfics. Disgusting.
August 5, 2021
Every word was stolen. Romilly King is a plagiarist!
January 20, 2021
Interesting premise in this one. A world where justice is delivered by identified and especially trained psychopaths while the kills are controlled and monitored by a government agency.
This is a dark- themed story, naturally, and the sex scenes were super steamy. The kink factor (sex with a psycho killer aspect) was really only present in the first sex scene. It was pretty much run of the mill graphic steam after that, but still, kudos!
However, the editing was truly appalling and it detracted from my reading enjoyment throughout. Typos aside, the writing was choke-full of run-on sentences and fragments. Seriously, commas missing, commas being used instead of periods... so frustrating. And sometimes that can be a deliberate style used to highlight certain aspects of the characters’ motivations or storytelling. Not here. Just example after example of bad grammar.
I read it in one sitting so it did keep my attention but I was pretty disappointed with the execution. Not sure I’ll continue with the series.
This is a dark- themed story, naturally, and the sex scenes were super steamy. The kink factor (sex with a psycho killer aspect) was really only present in the first sex scene. It was pretty much run of the mill graphic steam after that, but still, kudos!
However, the editing was truly appalling and it detracted from my reading enjoyment throughout. Typos aside, the writing was choke-full of run-on sentences and fragments. Seriously, commas missing, commas being used instead of periods... so frustrating. And sometimes that can be a deliberate style used to highlight certain aspects of the characters’ motivations or storytelling. Not here. Just example after example of bad grammar.
I read it in one sitting so it did keep my attention but I was pretty disappointed with the execution. Not sure I’ll continue with the series.
Read
June 10, 2021I have been made aware that a significant portion of this author's catalog are plagiarized from fanfiction. I have removed my ratings and reviews, but I am leaving this record of having read the book for my own tracking purposes. I originally read this book via Kindle Unlimited.
August 5, 2021
Suspectedly plagiarised from another Destiel fic https://twitter.com/unforth/status/14... and reported to Amazon. Looks like this author has a habit! Don't give your money or your time to those who steal other people's work.
stay-the-fuck-off-my-lawn
August 5, 2021Author has plagiarized.
https://mobile.twitter.com/kokomroily...
https://mobile.twitter.com/kokomroily...
April 21, 2021
Overall it's an ok read. The book starts out very promising, with a cool setting of a society where psychopaths become executioners of justice, hunting and killing serial killers, who are themselves also psychopaths but, I suppose, unregistered.
The writing is uneven, shining when addressing crimes & criminals. But I have quỉte a few problems with this book. Firstly, too much telling, not enough showing, especially with character building. Secondly, lack of suspense for this kind of plot. The ending is noticeably anti-climatic. And thirdly, waste of a cool concept due to poor development. The pairing of Handler and Witness is, on one hand, no different from a detective pairing of a mystery/suspense novel, but on the other hand, feels rather lacking, as I don't understand the role of a Witness, apart from, well, witnessing an execution. There is already live taping in place for that. And what did a Witness learn in their 6-year training to become such an amateur, nearly useless partner?
I was excited to read this book following stellar reviews and a promising blurb. But I was left rather disappointed
The writing is uneven, shining when addressing crimes & criminals. But I have quỉte a few problems with this book. Firstly, too much telling, not enough showing, especially with character building. Secondly, lack of suspense for this kind of plot. The ending is noticeably anti-climatic. And thirdly, waste of a cool concept due to poor development. The pairing of Handler and Witness is, on one hand, no different from a detective pairing of a mystery/suspense novel, but on the other hand, feels rather lacking, as I don't understand the role of a Witness, apart from, well, witnessing an execution. There is already live taping in place for that. And what did a Witness learn in their 6-year training to become such an amateur, nearly useless partner?
I was excited to read this book following stellar reviews and a promising blurb. But I was left rather disappointed
April 26, 2021
This was okay...it is kind of hard to review, as it was odd I guess. I do not really care for either MC. I do like Nathan more I think just because he has Indy, but still I just did not connect to them. The story was interesting in the concept and I thought it was intriguing. The kinky side I liked, it was different and I felt it was written well. I may put the next book on my TBR, but may not. It wasn't bad, it was just okay.
ARC provided and this is my honest review.
ARC provided and this is my honest review.
December 3, 2020
I just love coming across a story that spins a unique take, and this one definitely fits that bill. In this world, justice is meted out in the form of death by a Handler as seen by that Handler’s Witness. They are a team put together through a program that trains them for the positions.
Gray is the Handler in this story and he has quite the past. He is the original Handler, the one whom around which the program was built. He has many issues, most of which are what enable him to do his job. He does not have a good record with his Witnesses and he isn’t thrilled to get Nathan.
Gray is the first Handler Nathan is assigned to, his first assignment being his first witnessing. Nathan entered the program when his younger brother was put into it after being diagnosed as one with the tendencies/potential abilities to be a Handler.
Nathan and Gray are so interesting together. I loved watching them learn how to function around, adjust and adapt to each other. We get snippets of emotions from Gray, who believes he is incapable, as well as explosive chemistry.
This is definitely on the dark and violent side, given the main aspect of this story, so blood and violence could be triggers. But if you can set that aside, I can definitely recommend this psychological little thriller. It’s a page turner full of goodies that left me ready to jump right into the next one. These guys go through a lot in this installment, and I can’t wait to see where things go from here.
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
January 14, 2021
8.5.21 Edited
Book appears to be plagiarized from fanfic on AO3.
4 stars
This is a dark suspense with romantic elements. I use “romantic” loosely. If you have any triggers for violence, stalking, or blood, think twice about reading. It very much has a Dexter-ish vibe.
I, however, do not have any triggers of the sort, and quite like my fictional men to have a dark side.
In this new reality, the government has decided to use their resources wisely: why waste? Taxpayers are saved from the expense of trials and 3 hots and a cot. Sure, there are morality issues, but it’s effective. Why the hell not, I say!
Handlers like Gray get to do the dirty work (which they enjoy, of course), while Witnesses like Nathan get to make sure things are done according to the rules. Such as they are.
This is a fun read (😋) in part because we see some humanity seep from Gray and some darkness ooze from Nathan. Makes one wonder if all people have a certain amount of both.
This book does not complete the story. Book 2 and Book 3 are out. This was a novella, so much more needs to be revealed.
Great 1st book from this author for me. On to book 2!
Book appears to be plagiarized from fanfic on AO3.
4 stars
This is a dark suspense with romantic elements. I use “romantic” loosely. If you have any triggers for violence, stalking, or blood, think twice about reading. It very much has a Dexter-ish vibe.
I, however, do not have any triggers of the sort, and quite like my fictional men to have a dark side.
In this new reality, the government has decided to use their resources wisely: why waste? Taxpayers are saved from the expense of trials and 3 hots and a cot. Sure, there are morality issues, but it’s effective. Why the hell not, I say!
Handlers like Gray get to do the dirty work (which they enjoy, of course), while Witnesses like Nathan get to make sure things are done according to the rules. Such as they are.
This is a fun read (😋) in part because we see some humanity seep from Gray and some darkness ooze from Nathan. Makes one wonder if all people have a certain amount of both.
This book does not complete the story. Book 2 and Book 3 are out. This was a novella, so much more needs to be revealed.
Great 1st book from this author for me. On to book 2!
December 15, 2020
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2020/12/15/...
Rating: 5 Stars – absolutely perfect
Rating: 5 Stars – absolutely perfect
August 5, 2021
Plagiarist. I want to read it but I’ll go to actual author’s fanfic account than pay this thief.
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