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Coerced: A Dubcon Anthology
If you can’t get what you want then take it with force.
That’s the motto that these individuals live by.
Captivated by the darkness inside them, they don’t take no for an answer.
Their desire is all-encompassing.
Their needs are overwhelming.
There’s a thin line between villain and hero but these master manipulators will stop at nothing to claim what is theirs.
Coerced is an extremely limited dubcon anthology of addictive stories from a collection of USA Today and bestselling authors.
That’s the motto that these individuals live by.
Captivated by the darkness inside them, they don’t take no for an answer.
Their desire is all-encompassing.
Their needs are overwhelming.
There’s a thin line between villain and hero but these master manipulators will stop at nothing to claim what is theirs.
Coerced is an extremely limited dubcon anthology of addictive stories from a collection of USA Today and bestselling authors.
808 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2022
112 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Yolanda Olson
223 books1,886 followersYolanda Olson is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author. Born and raised in Bridgeport, CT where she currently resides, she usually spends her time watching her favorite channel, Investigation Discovery.
Occasionally, she takes a break to write books and test the limits of her mind. Also an avid horror movie fan, she likes to incorporate dark elements into the majority of her books.
You can keep in touch with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Occasionally, she takes a break to write books and test the limits of her mind. Also an avid horror movie fan, she likes to incorporate dark elements into the majority of her books.
You can keep in touch with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 5, 2023
Includes rerelease info, blurbs, and more
(Update: 5 of 10 stories reviewed)
This anthology is no longer available in ebook or print. All proceeds went to The Joyful Heart Foundation, who’s mission is a world free of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.
🧡 Luca Baretta by Abigail Davies (MF)
RATING: 5⭐️ PAGES: 60
✨ Author has expanded the story to 78 pages and it is FREE✨
NOTE: This is a prequel story to the Unseen Underground series. Continue the series with Luca's son in Lorenzo Baretta
BLURB
She was the enemy, until I made her mine.
As the second son of the most notorious Mafia boss in Italy, I’d always wanted to make a name for myself.
I wasn’t the kind of man who waited around for scraps.
I was proactive, wanting a better life than the one I’d grown up with.
But crime was all I’d known. It was who I was at the core.
So I made a plan:
Go to the States and steal the Bianco’s territory.
I was on a mission, determined for nothing to distract me.
Until I met her.
The daughter of the enemy.
She was too innocent for me—too sweet for my liking.
Yet I couldn’t get her out of my head.
Rosa Bianco obeyed her father, just as every Mafia Princess should.
That was until she met me, the darkness to her bright shining light.
I had to have her.
I had to destroy her.
I had to save her from myself.
She had no idea that I was going to take everything from her.
I’d destroy the life she’d come to know. I’d eradicate those around her.
There was only one question that remained:
Did I destroy her too, or keep her all for myself?
REVIEW: ABBY!! You did it again. I’m completely and utterly captivated by Luca. With each passing book I fall deeper in love with the character you bring into the world. From the moment I saw him keep his Mia Topolina from face planting, to the way he woke her up, to how he shifted his entire plan to claim her. I seriously hope this story gets expanded and rerelease in the future. I’d love more from this couple.
.
.
🧡The Devil's Melancholy by Yolanda Olson (MF)
RATING: 5⭐️ PAGES: 70
BLURB: The strangest obsessions start with an idea. One that’s festered for longer than it should have. The kind that sat quietly and grew inside of me waiting for this very moment. I never realized how badly I had wanted this to happen until she walked through the door of my establishment. The woman that used to torment me daily after school, and even got me locked up for a summer. And it seems she’s brought the perfect piece to use against her. To finally glean the obsessive revenge of the teenage boy that never had the opportunity to do so. I shouldn’t feel as good about this as I do, but it seems that the payback I used to dream about is finally mine for the taking.
REVIEW: remember that scene in Black Panther where Michael B Jordan says “Hey Auntie…” now hold that sounds in your mind when you read this story. Every, single, time, Finley says ‘Aunty’ THAT'S what played in my damn head 🙈 in all the right ways, sarcastic and condescending and with a smirk. Now imagine Josh, the tattoo artist from Younger saying it 🥵
Years after high school, Finley Bradshaw comes face-to-face with the one person he never thought he’d ever lay eyes on again. And blasts from the past aren’t always the fun kind. But holy hell if I could swap places with Aunty Celeste on that damn couch, pretty sure I’d melt for the moment.
.
.
🖤Cracks by Ally Vance (MM)
RATING: 4⭐️ PAGES: 67
BLURB: This is set within the Obsidian Elite world.
JONATHAN: I am an expert in blurring the delicate balance between excruciating pain and exquisite pleasure. Vincent’s unwitting mistake landed him in my hellish domain, and he’s going to be punished for his transgression. He will learn to see the pleasure in pain, but in order to do that, I must push him until he Cracks. The question is; will he survive, or will I shatter him completely?
VINCENT: Awaking in the dark, I’m trapped, alone, and helpless. I’ve been locked in with a monster and it doesn't take long to realize there’s no escape. His touch brings pain and torture. He’s threatened to make me crave him, submit to him, and embrace the pain. I’m not sure how to fight him, or how to resist what he’s forcefully awakening inside of me. Will I ever regain my freedom, or am I going to perish down here in the dark?
REVIEW: honestly so confused. I don’t know if I should feel compassion for Jonathan or be mad at him. And I don’t know if Vincent is truly a victim. The tale was woven to keep you on edge, it toyed with me until the end. And even then I didn’t know who I wanted to root for. It’s amazing how desire and passion can blur all line.
.
.
🖤Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker (MFMM)
RATING: 4⭐️ PAGES: 75
REVIEW: Be mindful, this one is more noncon than dubcon. And it’s the darkest story I’ve read in the collection so far. This gave me a distorted, mind bending view of reality. I couldn’t tell if this was a dream, a hallucination, a girl with split personalities, imaginary friends, or actual reality. Sasha suffered greatly while in foster care, so much so she was committed for a year. Holden, Landen, and Cash Sawyer are three brothers who each plays a hand in her demise and recovery. They also give her the forever after she ultimately desires.
.
.
🧡Bad Blood by C.A. Rene (MF)
RATING: -DNF- PAGES: 51
BLURB: This is a THIRD PERSON POV, extremely taboo, dark retelling of Hansel and Gretel.
In a thick, towering forest sits a ramshackle cabin. Inside is a small family on the verge of starvation. Times are tough, food is scarce, and self-preservation is most important. How many choices does this family have? Only one that they can see. The father takes his children on a journey far away from the cabin, his plans filled with death and regret. But when he can’t fulfill his end of the bargain, he abandons them to the harsh elements instead. Soft music lures them to a large mansion surrounded by an orchard. They gorge on apples and meet their savior in the form of a beautiful woman. Inside the mansion, strange things happen, symbols written in blood, rituals performed, and feasts prepared with spells and chants. Strange things happen to people inside the mansion too, little sisters grow into young ladies, and the familial ties blur for big brothers. The only way to be free is to kill their captor and try to make it back to their family. But it’s not easy to kill a woman who hunts young human flesh, bathes in the essence of children, and worships at an altar made of human skulls. The need for revenge becomes a heady drug for the siblings, their carnal sins shape their dark descent, and survival is a dark road lined with the bodies of those who wronged them.
REVIEW: - no rating, DNF - made it 20 pages but can’t get into the third person POV.
.
.
🖤It Starts with Me by S. Rena (MF)
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 73
BLURB: This is a prequel story for the Ciccone Brothers.
Stray. Reject. Ward of the state. That's all I was five years ago. All I thought I would be until Clyde Gallo took me in. He saw something in me-a hunger for power. No fear. I would be the perfect soldier in his war for dominance. But if my time in foster care, group homes, or the streets have taught me anything, it's to trust no one-especially a man like Clyde. He may have molded me to be the perfect right hand but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more. I play my part, I listen, and I always follow through, but another thing I've learned is to show no mercy, to take no pity, and use the stupid fools who trust you as stepping stones. When Clyde takes something of mine, he'll see just how close I hold those words to my cold, black heart.
.
.
🧡Dancing with the Devil by Isabel Lucero (MF)
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 81
BLURB: They call him El Diablo, and I stumbled into his lair. A last minute decision to go out leads me to him. I drunkenly find myself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and before I can get away, everything goes black. I wake up in a small, dark room with more questions than answers. He doesn't believe I'm not a threat, so he's keeping me for an indeterminate amount of time, and he's not above using any method necessary to find out if I am who I say I am. I never believed in god, but I believe in him. El Diablo. I trust that he's as bad as he says he is. An yet, he still may make me a worshiper.
.
.
🖤Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn (MF)
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 61
BLURB: This is a Devotion Series novella about Ella and Thomas from Undying Devotion.
He is the key to my heart, the missing piece of my soul, and the king of my lechery. And the man who rescued me from my demons. The night Thomas offered me his hand, neither of us knew what would happen next. He didn’t ask permission, and I never granted it. In the middle of the club, he took from me what he wanted. I never said no… but I didn’t say yes either. In one night, Thomas owned my heart. But it wasn’t long before my demons ripped him away. An inseparable bond. An unconventional love. The darkest devotion dominating their hearts.
.
.
🧡Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene (MF)
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 63
BLURB: This is a dark stalker romance. Octavia Simmons was mine from the moment I pulled her lifeless body from the cold depths of the bay. My need to protect her morphed into a desire to possess her. Every moment feeds my obsession. Now that she's irrevocably tied to me I'll never let her go. Leif Black is a beautiful but dangerous man. He exists without a moral compass, living on the fringes of society. He claims he took me in the night to protect me but as secrets unfold I realize he might be the biggest monster of them all.
.
.
🖤The Invitation by L.P. Lovell and Stevie J. Cole
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 65
This is a prequel to The Game.
⚠️⚠️⚠️CONTENT NOTE⚠️⚠️⚠️
I am not taking sides. Though I will say I am devastated at the allegations of plagiarism surrounding the two authors below.
⚠️Rune by Dana Isaly (dark MM PNR)
RATING: -none- PAGES: 63
BLURB: Welcome to CarnEvil, where you come for the thrills, and leave if we let you. I’m a demon. We all are. I’ve been walking this Earth for centuries, using my psychic abilities to pose as a fortune teller, and feed on the humans that walk through those front gates. Their blood keeps us safe, masks our scent from the Hell Hounds roaming around, waiting to drag us all back to our keeper. Once in a lifetime, we meet our human match, our fated mate, whose blood sings to us unlike any other. And when mine walks in, I lock onto his scent like a bloodhound. He may try to run from me, but our bond will have him crawling back sooner or later. And when he does, I’ll be waiting.
.
.
⚠️Into the Fox's Den by A.D. McCammon (MF)
RATING: -none- PAGES: 61
BLURB: My fate was sealed the second I walked into The Fox’s Den and locked eyes with the club’s owner. Mogul. Philanthropist. Ruthless criminal. Cillian Fox is notorious in this city, his empire untouchable. And he thinks my brother stole from him. My twin never should’ve gotten involved with Cillian. His mess forced me to make an impossible choice. He’s the only family I have left, my best friend, and I’d do anything to protect him.Even if that means selling my soul to the devil. Now, Cillian owns me. Every part of me. I’m his possession. I’ve literally signed my life away. And he’s made it very clear how things will go if I don’t play nice. My brother has ninety days to pay off his debt and save us both. But I’m losing myself in Cillian—my mind and body fighting for dominance. Surviving him may be harder than I thought.
📝NOTE from the author: [this story was] a little different for me. But I loved writing it. If you guys love this anthology short, I’m going to make it a full length. (update: it’s been confirmed this will be a full length story barring any legal intervention from the below referenced and ongoing situation)
‼️ Final note - you decide for yourself before reading or not - I will never sway a decision. I am merely offering evidence to help readers make an informed decision on the matter. What they choose to do is purely on them. ‼️
Link to the plagiarism accusation from vo.Eros regarding Into the Dark by Dana Isaly
Link to an apology from vo.Eros for initially jumping to conclusions regarding A.D. McCammon’s story ‘Into the Fox’s Den’ 🤔 links is being finicky so here the long address just in case https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaijPEns...
Link to the rebuttal from A.D. McCammon regarding ‘Into the Fox’s Den’
𝓋𝓍𝒽𝑒𝓍𝓃 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓈
Instagram | Facebook | Bookbub
(Update: 5 of 10 stories reviewed)
This anthology is no longer available in ebook or print. All proceeds went to The Joyful Heart Foundation, who’s mission is a world free of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.
🧡 Luca Baretta by Abigail Davies (MF)
RATING: 5⭐️ PAGES: 60
✨ Author has expanded the story to 78 pages and it is FREE✨
NOTE: This is a prequel story to the Unseen Underground series. Continue the series with Luca's son in Lorenzo Baretta
BLURB
She was the enemy, until I made her mine.
As the second son of the most notorious Mafia boss in Italy, I’d always wanted to make a name for myself.
I wasn’t the kind of man who waited around for scraps.
I was proactive, wanting a better life than the one I’d grown up with.
But crime was all I’d known. It was who I was at the core.
So I made a plan:
Go to the States and steal the Bianco’s territory.
I was on a mission, determined for nothing to distract me.
Until I met her.
The daughter of the enemy.
She was too innocent for me—too sweet for my liking.
Yet I couldn’t get her out of my head.
Rosa Bianco obeyed her father, just as every Mafia Princess should.
That was until she met me, the darkness to her bright shining light.
I had to have her.
I had to destroy her.
I had to save her from myself.
She had no idea that I was going to take everything from her.
I’d destroy the life she’d come to know. I’d eradicate those around her.
There was only one question that remained:
Did I destroy her too, or keep her all for myself?
REVIEW: ABBY!! You did it again. I’m completely and utterly captivated by Luca. With each passing book I fall deeper in love with the character you bring into the world. From the moment I saw him keep his Mia Topolina from face planting, to the way he woke her up, to how he shifted his entire plan to claim her. I seriously hope this story gets expanded and rerelease in the future. I’d love more from this couple.
.
.
🧡The Devil's Melancholy by Yolanda Olson (MF)
RATING: 5⭐️ PAGES: 70
BLURB: The strangest obsessions start with an idea. One that’s festered for longer than it should have. The kind that sat quietly and grew inside of me waiting for this very moment. I never realized how badly I had wanted this to happen until she walked through the door of my establishment. The woman that used to torment me daily after school, and even got me locked up for a summer. And it seems she’s brought the perfect piece to use against her. To finally glean the obsessive revenge of the teenage boy that never had the opportunity to do so. I shouldn’t feel as good about this as I do, but it seems that the payback I used to dream about is finally mine for the taking.
REVIEW: remember that scene in Black Panther where Michael B Jordan says “Hey Auntie…” now hold that sounds in your mind when you read this story. Every, single, time, Finley says ‘Aunty’ THAT'S what played in my damn head 🙈 in all the right ways, sarcastic and condescending and with a smirk. Now imagine Josh, the tattoo artist from Younger saying it 🥵
Years after high school, Finley Bradshaw comes face-to-face with the one person he never thought he’d ever lay eyes on again. And blasts from the past aren’t always the fun kind. But holy hell if I could swap places with Aunty Celeste on that damn couch, pretty sure I’d melt for the moment.
.
.
🖤Cracks by Ally Vance (MM)
RATING: 4⭐️ PAGES: 67
BLURB: This is set within the Obsidian Elite world.
JONATHAN: I am an expert in blurring the delicate balance between excruciating pain and exquisite pleasure. Vincent’s unwitting mistake landed him in my hellish domain, and he’s going to be punished for his transgression. He will learn to see the pleasure in pain, but in order to do that, I must push him until he Cracks. The question is; will he survive, or will I shatter him completely?
VINCENT: Awaking in the dark, I’m trapped, alone, and helpless. I’ve been locked in with a monster and it doesn't take long to realize there’s no escape. His touch brings pain and torture. He’s threatened to make me crave him, submit to him, and embrace the pain. I’m not sure how to fight him, or how to resist what he’s forcefully awakening inside of me. Will I ever regain my freedom, or am I going to perish down here in the dark?
REVIEW: honestly so confused. I don’t know if I should feel compassion for Jonathan or be mad at him. And I don’t know if Vincent is truly a victim. The tale was woven to keep you on edge, it toyed with me until the end. And even then I didn’t know who I wanted to root for. It’s amazing how desire and passion can blur all line.
.
.
🖤Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker (MFMM)
RATING: 4⭐️ PAGES: 75
REVIEW: Be mindful, this one is more noncon than dubcon. And it’s the darkest story I’ve read in the collection so far. This gave me a distorted, mind bending view of reality. I couldn’t tell if this was a dream, a hallucination, a girl with split personalities, imaginary friends, or actual reality. Sasha suffered greatly while in foster care, so much so she was committed for a year. Holden, Landen, and Cash Sawyer are three brothers who each plays a hand in her demise and recovery. They also give her the forever after she ultimately desires.
.
.
🧡Bad Blood by C.A. Rene (MF)
RATING: -DNF- PAGES: 51
BLURB: This is a THIRD PERSON POV, extremely taboo, dark retelling of Hansel and Gretel.
In a thick, towering forest sits a ramshackle cabin. Inside is a small family on the verge of starvation. Times are tough, food is scarce, and self-preservation is most important. How many choices does this family have? Only one that they can see. The father takes his children on a journey far away from the cabin, his plans filled with death and regret. But when he can’t fulfill his end of the bargain, he abandons them to the harsh elements instead. Soft music lures them to a large mansion surrounded by an orchard. They gorge on apples and meet their savior in the form of a beautiful woman. Inside the mansion, strange things happen, symbols written in blood, rituals performed, and feasts prepared with spells and chants. Strange things happen to people inside the mansion too, little sisters grow into young ladies, and the familial ties blur for big brothers. The only way to be free is to kill their captor and try to make it back to their family. But it’s not easy to kill a woman who hunts young human flesh, bathes in the essence of children, and worships at an altar made of human skulls. The need for revenge becomes a heady drug for the siblings, their carnal sins shape their dark descent, and survival is a dark road lined with the bodies of those who wronged them.
REVIEW: - no rating, DNF - made it 20 pages but can’t get into the third person POV.
.
.
🖤It Starts with Me by S. Rena (MF)
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 73
BLURB: This is a prequel story for the Ciccone Brothers.
Stray. Reject. Ward of the state. That's all I was five years ago. All I thought I would be until Clyde Gallo took me in. He saw something in me-a hunger for power. No fear. I would be the perfect soldier in his war for dominance. But if my time in foster care, group homes, or the streets have taught me anything, it's to trust no one-especially a man like Clyde. He may have molded me to be the perfect right hand but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more. I play my part, I listen, and I always follow through, but another thing I've learned is to show no mercy, to take no pity, and use the stupid fools who trust you as stepping stones. When Clyde takes something of mine, he'll see just how close I hold those words to my cold, black heart.
.
.
🧡Dancing with the Devil by Isabel Lucero (MF)
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 81
BLURB: They call him El Diablo, and I stumbled into his lair. A last minute decision to go out leads me to him. I drunkenly find myself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and before I can get away, everything goes black. I wake up in a small, dark room with more questions than answers. He doesn't believe I'm not a threat, so he's keeping me for an indeterminate amount of time, and he's not above using any method necessary to find out if I am who I say I am. I never believed in god, but I believe in him. El Diablo. I trust that he's as bad as he says he is. An yet, he still may make me a worshiper.
.
.
🖤Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn (MF)
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 61
BLURB: This is a Devotion Series novella about Ella and Thomas from Undying Devotion.
He is the key to my heart, the missing piece of my soul, and the king of my lechery. And the man who rescued me from my demons. The night Thomas offered me his hand, neither of us knew what would happen next. He didn’t ask permission, and I never granted it. In the middle of the club, he took from me what he wanted. I never said no… but I didn’t say yes either. In one night, Thomas owned my heart. But it wasn’t long before my demons ripped him away. An inseparable bond. An unconventional love. The darkest devotion dominating their hearts.
.
.
🧡Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene (MF)
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 63
BLURB: This is a dark stalker romance. Octavia Simmons was mine from the moment I pulled her lifeless body from the cold depths of the bay. My need to protect her morphed into a desire to possess her. Every moment feeds my obsession. Now that she's irrevocably tied to me I'll never let her go. Leif Black is a beautiful but dangerous man. He exists without a moral compass, living on the fringes of society. He claims he took me in the night to protect me but as secrets unfold I realize he might be the biggest monster of them all.
.
.
🖤The Invitation by L.P. Lovell and Stevie J. Cole
RATING: ⭐️ PAGES: 65
This is a prequel to The Game.
⚠️⚠️⚠️CONTENT NOTE⚠️⚠️⚠️
I am not taking sides. Though I will say I am devastated at the allegations of plagiarism surrounding the two authors below.
⚠️Rune by Dana Isaly (dark MM PNR)
RATING: -none- PAGES: 63
BLURB: Welcome to CarnEvil, where you come for the thrills, and leave if we let you. I’m a demon. We all are. I’ve been walking this Earth for centuries, using my psychic abilities to pose as a fortune teller, and feed on the humans that walk through those front gates. Their blood keeps us safe, masks our scent from the Hell Hounds roaming around, waiting to drag us all back to our keeper. Once in a lifetime, we meet our human match, our fated mate, whose blood sings to us unlike any other. And when mine walks in, I lock onto his scent like a bloodhound. He may try to run from me, but our bond will have him crawling back sooner or later. And when he does, I’ll be waiting.
.
.
⚠️Into the Fox's Den by A.D. McCammon (MF)
RATING: -none- PAGES: 61
BLURB: My fate was sealed the second I walked into The Fox’s Den and locked eyes with the club’s owner. Mogul. Philanthropist. Ruthless criminal. Cillian Fox is notorious in this city, his empire untouchable. And he thinks my brother stole from him. My twin never should’ve gotten involved with Cillian. His mess forced me to make an impossible choice. He’s the only family I have left, my best friend, and I’d do anything to protect him.Even if that means selling my soul to the devil. Now, Cillian owns me. Every part of me. I’m his possession. I’ve literally signed my life away. And he’s made it very clear how things will go if I don’t play nice. My brother has ninety days to pay off his debt and save us both. But I’m losing myself in Cillian—my mind and body fighting for dominance. Surviving him may be harder than I thought.
📝NOTE from the author: [this story was] a little different for me. But I loved writing it. If you guys love this anthology short, I’m going to make it a full length. (update: it’s been confirmed this will be a full length story barring any legal intervention from the below referenced and ongoing situation)
‼️ Final note - you decide for yourself before reading or not - I will never sway a decision. I am merely offering evidence to help readers make an informed decision on the matter. What they choose to do is purely on them. ‼️
Link to the plagiarism accusation from vo.Eros regarding Into the Dark by Dana Isaly
Link to an apology from vo.Eros for initially jumping to conclusions regarding A.D. McCammon’s story ‘Into the Fox’s Den’ 🤔 links is being finicky so here the long address just in case https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaijPEns...
Link to the rebuttal from A.D. McCammon regarding ‘Into the Fox’s Den’
𝓋𝓍𝒽𝑒𝓍𝓃 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓈
Instagram | Facebook | Bookbub
January 18, 2022
This review is for Rune by Dana Isaly
I love MM romance, paranormal, tattooed boys with tattoos that are alive and move themselves on the body (such a cool concept) and fated bonds (demon, in this case)
…..and this had it all. 🔥
It gave me Ray Bradbury wrote a modern urban fantasy paranormal MM dark romance vibes and I was THERE for it. Wish it didn’t just end like that though. 😞
Do NOT read if you are sensitive to dub-con or blood!
I love MM romance, paranormal, tattooed boys with tattoos that are alive and move themselves on the body (such a cool concept) and fated bonds (demon, in this case)
…..and this had it all. 🔥
It gave me Ray Bradbury wrote a modern urban fantasy paranormal MM dark romance vibes and I was THERE for it. Wish it didn’t just end like that though. 😞
Do NOT read if you are sensitive to dub-con or blood!
January 5, 2022
One word: Rune.
Read
May 2, 2023Title: Explicit Vows
Author: J.M. Walker
Genre: Dark Romance
Type: Novella from Coerced: A Dubcon Anthology
POV: First Person - Multiple
Rating:
3.75 Stars
Being a foster kid, Sasha learned how to endure in order to survive. When the Sawyer brothers came into her life, they could end up being her savior or tormentor.
This one was confusing in the beginning, and while it made sense in the end, I still felt the execution could be better. The sexy scenes were hot, but a little disappointing when the grand finale turned out fade-to-black.
ReviewedFeb 20, 2023
Full review: https://wp.me/p5bsdH-4Df
Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene
Genre: Dark Romance
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Reviewed Jul 7, 2022
Full review: https://wp.me/p5bsdH-4mG
Dancing with the Devil by Isabel Lucero
Genre: Dark Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed Feb 20, 2022
Full reviews: https://wp.me/p5bsdH-4cb
Rune by Dana Isaly
Genre: MM Paranormal
Rating: 3.75 sSars
Bad Blood by C.A. Rene
Genre: Dark Retelling
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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Author: J.M. Walker
Genre: Dark Romance
Type: Novella from Coerced: A Dubcon Anthology
POV: First Person - Multiple
Rating:
3.75 StarsBeing a foster kid, Sasha learned how to endure in order to survive. When the Sawyer brothers came into her life, they could end up being her savior or tormentor.
“Because, Pup.” I kissed her softly on the mouth, trailing my lips down to her ear. “I kind of enjoyed keeping you broken.”
This one was confusing in the beginning, and while it made sense in the end, I still felt the execution could be better. The sexy scenes were hot, but a little disappointing when the grand finale turned out fade-to-black.
ReviewedFeb 20, 2023
Full review: https://wp.me/p5bsdH-4Df
Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene
Genre: Dark Romance
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Reviewed Jul 7, 2022
Full review: https://wp.me/p5bsdH-4mG
Dancing with the Devil by Isabel Lucero
Genre: Dark Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed Feb 20, 2022
Full reviews: https://wp.me/p5bsdH-4cb
Rune by Dana Isaly
Genre: MM Paranormal
Rating: 3.75 sSars
Bad Blood by C.A. Rene
Genre: Dark Retelling
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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For graphics, trailers & author services visit Warhawke Design Studio.
January 27, 2022
I need more Rune please and thank you ☹
November 14, 2025
Aquí hay un poco de todo. Hay buenas historias, hay algunas que son precuelas y te dejan esperando más y otras que no son para mí por lo que las he saltado directamente.
Pero no puedo puntuar por lo que sí me gustó, también hay una parte que no me gusta realmente.
La mayoría de lo que he leído no es dubcon, pero sí hay historias entre gris y oscuro. Las MM son un poco más fuertes y he tenido que saltar algunas.
Si decides leerlo, puede que termines haciendo lo mismo y saltando trozos. No es de los que recomiendo en el género.
Pero no puedo puntuar por lo que sí me gustó, también hay una parte que no me gusta realmente.
La mayoría de lo que he leído no es dubcon, pero sí hay historias entre gris y oscuro. Las MM son un poco más fuertes y he tenido que saltar algunas.
Si decides leerlo, puede que termines haciendo lo mismo y saltando trozos. No es de los que recomiendo en el género.
February 10, 2022
4/5stars
*This review is ONLY for "Runes" by Dana Isaly*
I may go back and read some other stories from this anthology, but for now I just read Dana's story. This was such a fun set up with the carnival and demons and u really hope she fleshes it out into a full book or novella series!!
*This review is ONLY for "Runes" by Dana Isaly*
I may go back and read some other stories from this anthology, but for now I just read Dana's story. This was such a fun set up with the carnival and demons and u really hope she fleshes it out into a full book or novella series!!
January 18, 2022
Ok ok ok MORALLY FUCKED. AND I LIVE FOR IT
August 1, 2023
Overall review: all in all, this anthology was a quick read, hot, and fun at some points in time. is this anthology for everyone? no. does it cross many boundaries and may come off as red flags to other readers? definitely. it’s all about preference and what others feel like reading but to me, the darker and more depraved the better. while there were some hits throughout this anthology, there were also some misses which is expected. by comparing my ratings of each story read, i put my average rating of this anthology as 3 stars.
Luca Beretta by: Abigail Davies
2 stars
okay so i’m…not impressed. i find that not just for this short story, but for SO many others, they often tend to have no sort of connection or chemistry between both main characters. there’s so much plot and action going on that it seems that authors simply forget about any type of romance, connection, possible realism and more. specifically in this case, this novella just fell so flat for me and it didn’t feel fun to read at all. Rosa, the fmc, clearly has no idea what the sentence “be your own person” means and Luca, the mmc, clearly has no idea what the words “personal boundaries” mean. all in all, i’m most likely going to forget about this novella by tomorrow and it was definitely not a memorable read whatsoever.
The Devil’s Melancholy by: Yolanda Olson
4 stars
definitely an interesting read in clear Yolanda Olson style. i think the plot of this book was never done before and a unique plot with a fun little twist to it. at first, i thought things would be going in a complete opposite direction but turns out i was wrong. i understand why Finley wanted revenge so badly and the fact he got it especially in the way that he did was quite something, dare i say…kinda hot, considering the circumstances anyways.
Rune by: Dana Isaly
4 stars
so fucking good..but that ending pissed me off to no end. i’m left with so many questions and the fact that the book just abruptly ended like that should be a crime. we were basically left off on a cliffhanger as well as a plot twist but as far as i know, there’s no full length novel or future books coming out which could explain more as to what will happen.
anyway, aside from the ending there were an array of things i liked and found interesting such as the demon side of things, the maze of mirror scene (so hot), the personality (somewhat) of both Cash and Rune, and the whole carnival (or in this case, CarnEvil) aspect of the book as well even though it played a bit of a small role. overall, i found this book a fun and very hot read.
if it weren’t for that abrupt ending, i would have rated this 5 stars seeing as it was a 5 star read for the entirety of the book in my eyes, but the random abruptness of the book at the end just bumped it down to 4 stars.
**Note: yes i know this author is problematic but i can actually SEPERATE art from the artist, so my reviews about this author’s books are purely about the book and how much i enjoyed it or not and not related to the author or their actions. no need to attack me 👍🏼**
Dancing with the Devil by: Isabel Lucero
5 stars
“Words, baby. Use them. Tell me you’re a slut.”
“I’m a slut,” I cry. “Ah, god. Yes.”
“Whose slut?”
“Oh fuck. Yours! Please. Don’t stop.”
“So fucking needy.”
“Yes. I need it,” I say on a moan, feeling an orgasm building.
“Take it, then. Take. Every. Fucking. Inch,” he says, punctuating the words with violent thrusts.
“Yes, yes, yes. Oh god, yes. Fuck me. Oh god.”
Oh. my. God. This book was PERFECTION. I was hesitant going into it at first because it was kinda slow but as things progressed it got so much better. As you can tell, degradation was used throughout this story and that happens to be…let’s just say a favourite of mine, and man was it ever hot all within this book.
“This woman you’ve laid your hands on is technically my property. That money you’re trying to steal is also mine. The pussy you said you were gonna take was just filled with my cum. So, you see, I’m very concerned.”.
like come ON. i could give less of a fuck about all that sweet lovey dovey stuff like “you’re mine and only mine.” no, THIS ^ is what gets me going. ugh. i love this man and he has officially made it to my top book boyfriend list.
also…..
“A hot man kidnaps you, fucks you like you’ve never been fucked, kills a man for touching and threatening you, and you’re supposed to want to get away from that? No thanks. This is my kind of fairytale.”
she’s SO real for saying this.
“It’s a shame you don’t believe in heaven, because I swear it’s right here between your legs. This is where I’ll worship every fucking day. This is where I’ll see angels.”
good lord. i can’t with this man.
“Not sure what you like more, being degraded or being praised.”
“Both, please.”
again, she is so real for this. the more i read the more and more i find some things about myself in her.
“What’re you thinking about?” I ask softly.
“How I want you riding my dick with your tits bouncing in my face.”
My eyes shift to the front seat as my warmth blooms in my cheeks. “Oh.”
ok ok last one i promise…UGH. i may as well copy and paste this whole book. it’s SO rare to find a book where both mc’s compliment each other but this one definitely does it. Enrique and Audrianna compliment each other in many ways, mainly in their talkbacks and how they’re complete opposites but are put together like two peas in a pod. if you couldn’t tell already, i LOVED this story so so much.
“Remember I love you, because I’m about to fuck you like I’m trying to kill you.”
yeah so i lied about the previous quote being the last one. THIS one is the last one. like i said, i should just copy and paste the entire book in this review because i love it beyond words. the author did a phenomenal job with this story, her writing was so easy to read and understand and it was just amazing. A++ work.
Into the Fox’s Den by: A.D. McCammon
1 star
well that was…uneventful. literally nothing happened throughout this story except for a girl being used in exchange for her twin brothers life. i understand the premise and i understand where the author was going with this story but personally, i found it severely boring and a drag to get through.
Bad Blood by: C.A. Rene
4.5 stars
….holy….fuck…what in the ever loving hell did i just read?? i can’t tell you. i currently have no words writing this review. going into this story, i saw it was a Hansel and Grettel inspired story which intrigued me in a way. being honest, i didn’t/don’t know much about that fairytale but if it’s anything like this story…i’ll be damned. this story was gory, wildly crazy, shocking, and got better as i flipped each page. i have read some pretty messed up stories and this one definitely is being added up there. i did not expect to see any incest within this story and by going into this story blindly, i thought it was gonna be kinda sweet or cute which is definitely not up my alley..li’m glad to be proven wrong.
It starts with me by: S. Rena and BL Mute
- stars
DNF.
Explicit Vows by: J.M. Walker
5 stars
this was so fucking deep but also amazing both at the same time. when i first began reading this book, i’ll admit i was a bit confused and didn’t know how things would tilt but the way everything played out was amazing. dark, depraved, very deep, everything checked off from my check boxes. the dynamic between Sasha and the three brothers, Cash, Landen, and Holden were very out of social norms but to me, that’s what made them work better. Sasha belongs to Holden just like she does to Cash and Landen, and if that sounds complicated than that’s what it is. to conclude, i loved this story and in all honesty, i do wish there was a full length novel with more details and background of the before and after of Sasha, her personal life, and her life with the three brothers. i’m gonna miss these four.
Darkest Devotion by: Persephone Autumn
1.5 stars
if you’re in the mood to read a novella consisting of insta - love (in the literal sense, because they both “fell in love” with one another and got together after fucking each other in a sex club where they met for the first time) and you simply don’t wanna feel any connection or chemistry between MC’s throughout the entire story, this book will be right up your alley. the only reason i rated this 1.5 (basically 2) and not 1 star is because the smut was somewhat decent.
Cracks by: Ally Vance
1 stars
sadly, this was an incredibly boring story. usually, i actually like and enjoy Ally Vance’s stories but this one just didn’t do it for me. i felt no connection or chemistry between the MC’s and the story felt more like it was all about torture and sex and that’s it. i like actual plot and some genuine connection between MC’s when reading books but this one didn’t do it. i nearly fell asleep like 4 times while reading this and i was reading the words on the pages but not actually digesting and understanding what i was reading which is a bad sign, especially for me. also, why this was labeled as a “dark romance” is beyond me considering it was barely dark in any aspect asides from the MMC loving blood, pain, and torture play.
Painted in the Shadows by: Nichole Greene
1 stars
four words: boring as all hell. i stopped reading this book by chapter 5 and just skipped to the very last chapter to see how it ended. maybe it’s my book slump talking and my loss of motivation to read or maybe the book truly is bad…point is, i didn’t like this read much at all nor did i find it worthwhile.
The Invitation by: LP Lovell and Stevie J. Cole
4.5 stars
now this story…THIS is a fucking story. I didn’t expect Tobias and Preston to hit so hard but they did and I loved every second of it. their sexual chemistry was off the charts and the whole “game” side of things was such a refreshing twist. when i found out they have their own series…best believe i added it to my tbr quickly. Tobias and Preston are fifty shades of fucked up, dark, and depraved and i was/am ALL for it.
Luca Beretta by: Abigail Davies
2 stars
okay so i’m…not impressed. i find that not just for this short story, but for SO many others, they often tend to have no sort of connection or chemistry between both main characters. there’s so much plot and action going on that it seems that authors simply forget about any type of romance, connection, possible realism and more. specifically in this case, this novella just fell so flat for me and it didn’t feel fun to read at all. Rosa, the fmc, clearly has no idea what the sentence “be your own person” means and Luca, the mmc, clearly has no idea what the words “personal boundaries” mean. all in all, i’m most likely going to forget about this novella by tomorrow and it was definitely not a memorable read whatsoever.
The Devil’s Melancholy by: Yolanda Olson
4 stars
definitely an interesting read in clear Yolanda Olson style. i think the plot of this book was never done before and a unique plot with a fun little twist to it. at first, i thought things would be going in a complete opposite direction but turns out i was wrong. i understand why Finley wanted revenge so badly and the fact he got it especially in the way that he did was quite something, dare i say…kinda hot, considering the circumstances anyways.
Rune by: Dana Isaly
4 stars
so fucking good..but that ending pissed me off to no end. i’m left with so many questions and the fact that the book just abruptly ended like that should be a crime. we were basically left off on a cliffhanger as well as a plot twist but as far as i know, there’s no full length novel or future books coming out which could explain more as to what will happen.
anyway, aside from the ending there were an array of things i liked and found interesting such as the demon side of things, the maze of mirror scene (so hot), the personality (somewhat) of both Cash and Rune, and the whole carnival (or in this case, CarnEvil) aspect of the book as well even though it played a bit of a small role. overall, i found this book a fun and very hot read.
if it weren’t for that abrupt ending, i would have rated this 5 stars seeing as it was a 5 star read for the entirety of the book in my eyes, but the random abruptness of the book at the end just bumped it down to 4 stars.
**Note: yes i know this author is problematic but i can actually SEPERATE art from the artist, so my reviews about this author’s books are purely about the book and how much i enjoyed it or not and not related to the author or their actions. no need to attack me 👍🏼**
Dancing with the Devil by: Isabel Lucero
5 stars
“Words, baby. Use them. Tell me you’re a slut.”
“I’m a slut,” I cry. “Ah, god. Yes.”
“Whose slut?”
“Oh fuck. Yours! Please. Don’t stop.”
“So fucking needy.”
“Yes. I need it,” I say on a moan, feeling an orgasm building.
“Take it, then. Take. Every. Fucking. Inch,” he says, punctuating the words with violent thrusts.
“Yes, yes, yes. Oh god, yes. Fuck me. Oh god.”
Oh. my. God. This book was PERFECTION. I was hesitant going into it at first because it was kinda slow but as things progressed it got so much better. As you can tell, degradation was used throughout this story and that happens to be…let’s just say a favourite of mine, and man was it ever hot all within this book.
“This woman you’ve laid your hands on is technically my property. That money you’re trying to steal is also mine. The pussy you said you were gonna take was just filled with my cum. So, you see, I’m very concerned.”.
like come ON. i could give less of a fuck about all that sweet lovey dovey stuff like “you’re mine and only mine.” no, THIS ^ is what gets me going. ugh. i love this man and he has officially made it to my top book boyfriend list.
also…..
“A hot man kidnaps you, fucks you like you’ve never been fucked, kills a man for touching and threatening you, and you’re supposed to want to get away from that? No thanks. This is my kind of fairytale.”
she’s SO real for saying this.
“It’s a shame you don’t believe in heaven, because I swear it’s right here between your legs. This is where I’ll worship every fucking day. This is where I’ll see angels.”
good lord. i can’t with this man.
“Not sure what you like more, being degraded or being praised.”
“Both, please.”
again, she is so real for this. the more i read the more and more i find some things about myself in her.
“What’re you thinking about?” I ask softly.
“How I want you riding my dick with your tits bouncing in my face.”
My eyes shift to the front seat as my warmth blooms in my cheeks. “Oh.”
ok ok last one i promise…UGH. i may as well copy and paste this whole book. it’s SO rare to find a book where both mc’s compliment each other but this one definitely does it. Enrique and Audrianna compliment each other in many ways, mainly in their talkbacks and how they’re complete opposites but are put together like two peas in a pod. if you couldn’t tell already, i LOVED this story so so much.
“Remember I love you, because I’m about to fuck you like I’m trying to kill you.”
yeah so i lied about the previous quote being the last one. THIS one is the last one. like i said, i should just copy and paste the entire book in this review because i love it beyond words. the author did a phenomenal job with this story, her writing was so easy to read and understand and it was just amazing. A++ work.
Into the Fox’s Den by: A.D. McCammon
1 star
well that was…uneventful. literally nothing happened throughout this story except for a girl being used in exchange for her twin brothers life. i understand the premise and i understand where the author was going with this story but personally, i found it severely boring and a drag to get through.
Bad Blood by: C.A. Rene
4.5 stars
….holy….fuck…what in the ever loving hell did i just read?? i can’t tell you. i currently have no words writing this review. going into this story, i saw it was a Hansel and Grettel inspired story which intrigued me in a way. being honest, i didn’t/don’t know much about that fairytale but if it’s anything like this story…i’ll be damned. this story was gory, wildly crazy, shocking, and got better as i flipped each page. i have read some pretty messed up stories and this one definitely is being added up there. i did not expect to see any incest within this story and by going into this story blindly, i thought it was gonna be kinda sweet or cute which is definitely not up my alley..li’m glad to be proven wrong.
It starts with me by: S. Rena and BL Mute
- stars
DNF.
Explicit Vows by: J.M. Walker
5 stars
this was so fucking deep but also amazing both at the same time. when i first began reading this book, i’ll admit i was a bit confused and didn’t know how things would tilt but the way everything played out was amazing. dark, depraved, very deep, everything checked off from my check boxes. the dynamic between Sasha and the three brothers, Cash, Landen, and Holden were very out of social norms but to me, that’s what made them work better. Sasha belongs to Holden just like she does to Cash and Landen, and if that sounds complicated than that’s what it is. to conclude, i loved this story and in all honesty, i do wish there was a full length novel with more details and background of the before and after of Sasha, her personal life, and her life with the three brothers. i’m gonna miss these four.
Darkest Devotion by: Persephone Autumn
1.5 stars
if you’re in the mood to read a novella consisting of insta - love (in the literal sense, because they both “fell in love” with one another and got together after fucking each other in a sex club where they met for the first time) and you simply don’t wanna feel any connection or chemistry between MC’s throughout the entire story, this book will be right up your alley. the only reason i rated this 1.5 (basically 2) and not 1 star is because the smut was somewhat decent.
Cracks by: Ally Vance
1 stars
sadly, this was an incredibly boring story. usually, i actually like and enjoy Ally Vance’s stories but this one just didn’t do it for me. i felt no connection or chemistry between the MC’s and the story felt more like it was all about torture and sex and that’s it. i like actual plot and some genuine connection between MC’s when reading books but this one didn’t do it. i nearly fell asleep like 4 times while reading this and i was reading the words on the pages but not actually digesting and understanding what i was reading which is a bad sign, especially for me. also, why this was labeled as a “dark romance” is beyond me considering it was barely dark in any aspect asides from the MMC loving blood, pain, and torture play.
Painted in the Shadows by: Nichole Greene
1 stars
four words: boring as all hell. i stopped reading this book by chapter 5 and just skipped to the very last chapter to see how it ended. maybe it’s my book slump talking and my loss of motivation to read or maybe the book truly is bad…point is, i didn’t like this read much at all nor did i find it worthwhile.
The Invitation by: LP Lovell and Stevie J. Cole
4.5 stars
now this story…THIS is a fucking story. I didn’t expect Tobias and Preston to hit so hard but they did and I loved every second of it. their sexual chemistry was off the charts and the whole “game” side of things was such a refreshing twist. when i found out they have their own series…best believe i added it to my tbr quickly. Tobias and Preston are fifty shades of fucked up, dark, and depraved and i was/am ALL for it.
January 23, 2022
Luca Beretta: by Abigail Davies
I loved this story. Luca is a man who is looking to make a better life for himself and his sisters away from their father. What better way to do that then to become a Mafia boss himself? So he heads to America to make his and his sisters dreams come true. It was kind of amazing watching Luca come up with a plan and make it work when he had nothing to start with. I really loved reading about him. Rosa... I am on the fence about her... she was to much of a doormat for me. I can't wait to read the next book in this series when it is released!
The Devil's Melancholy: by Yolanda Olson
I know I shouldn't say this... But I absofuckinglutely loved this story! Yolanda Olson just has a way with revenge that is just perfect! Finley is a angry young man looking for revenge when the perfect opportunity presents itself to him... and he doesn't think twice about taking it! It was perfect. I have to say that I really hated "Aunt Celeste" and to be honest... I think she got what she deserved. Actually I think she got off cheap and I am kind of hoping that Yolanda expands this story and gives "Aunt Celeste" the punishment she truly deserves.
Rune: by Dana Isaly
My, My, My, wasn't this the interesting little tale... So many questions.. and no answers in sight... I do so hope that Dana Isaly is going to expand this story... I am so very intrigued by it which is unusual for me as M/M isn't my favorite trope... but this one... it did hit the spot... Is Johnny boy what I think he is? Has Rune met his doom? So many questions that I hope to get answers to soon!
Dancing With The Devil: by Isabel Lucero
I really liked this story. Audriana is one crazy bitch! But I love a heroine that doesn't always fight tooth and nail what she is feeling. Goes after what she wants regardless if its right or wrong. Audriana did that from the start. Yes she played games at the beginning while trying to figure out a way to escape but she soon gave up on that and went after what she wanted. While I'm not sure there is any love between these two characters... I do believe it is a mutually beneficial relationship that both are happy and satisfied with and that is good enough for me.
Into The Fox's Den: by A.D. McCammon
Well... fuck! That ended on a hell of a cliff hanger! This is an amazing book! I need answers! Like today! What the hell happened?
Cillian is one hell of an alpha dude... he comes off mean but is really just a big marshmallow inside. He shows that side to nobody but Raina, and maybe to Everly... Everybody else thinks he is a badass. Which he is.. but he is a big teddy bear when it comes to the people he loves. Raina... I'm not sure about her yet... She cares very much about her twin brother Noah who she is doing all of this for... but we don't get a lot of perspective from her... it's mostly the POV from Cillian so I didn't get a chance to connect with her as much... Hopefully when this story is expanded that will change and I will get to learn more about her.
Bad Blood: C.A. Rene
Hmmm... I'm not really sure how I feel about this story. I'm glad that Pearl finally found her strength... but I don't really like what she did with it. She loved John... but rather then admit it to herself and own up to it no matter how wrong it was... She convinced herself that it was all just because it was bad blood. She hid behind that excuse to be able to live with herself I guess... and in the end turned evil because of it. I wasn't very happy with this story.
It Starts With Me: by S. Rena & BL Mute
Another one I'm not to sure how I feel about it... It was an amazing story. I loved Max though... that is one crazy man that takes shit from nobody. He did get his revenge in an awesome way... I just would have been happier with a different ending to the story.
Explicit Vows: by J.M. Walker
This one was a little confusing with the back and forth... and even after reading it... I'm still not sure exactly what the heck I just read... It was to short of a story for as much back and forth as it did from past to present... From facts to fantasy... although fantasy isn't the right word... maybe delusion would be a better word? Apparently Sasha's mind was broken and she wasn't remembering things correctly. After the trauma that she suffered I'm not really surprised about that... I just feel that this story needed to be longer to do it justice. It was a very intriguing read.. I hope when J.M. Walker get the rights back to it that she will expand it and release it again.. If she does I would love to read it again.
Darkest Devotion: by Persephone Autumn
I absolutely freaking loved this story! I am going to have to find more books from this author! Ella and Thomas were perfect together. The chemistry between them was amazing. But the thing I loved the most about them was how Thomas saved Ella... how he listened to her and helped her unburden herself of all that she had lived thru with her parents. I loved how he helped her bloom into the woman that she was always meant to be. To know there was nothing to be ashamed of about want she wanted and needed in her life. I loved how protective he was of her and wanted to give her everything she ever wanted or was denied. It was utter perfection!
Cracks: by Ally Vance
M/M is not my favorite trope to read. It was an interesting story. I found myself more curious about the Charon group... then I actually was about Jonathan and Vincent. I also found myself hoping that Vincent would turn the tables on Jonathan somehow and get away. Maybe someday he will. In the epilogue it mentioned that he was starting to fight back.
Painted In The Shadows: by Nichole Greene
Well now... This was a very interesting story... And it ended in one hell of cliffhanger... I hate cliffhangers.. but I have to say.. That was the perfect spot to end the story to have everybody dying to read the next book. Leif is screwed here... He is going to have to come up with some good answers to keep Octavia off the trail... If he tells her the truth right now... His chances with her are pretty much shot.. He is going to have to tell her the truth at some point. If he doesn't Scott will.. He has no chance of keeping the truth from her. Lordy I have so many questions about this story and I need the answers now!
The Invitation: by LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole
I have to say I do love me some LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole books! As I have said many times in this review... M/M is not my favorite trope... But that was one hell of a spicy book! I loved it. I am also super happy that I have the next book already sitting on my Kindle ready for me to read. Which I am going to dive into reading after I finish this review... Because I am dying to know how Preston and Tobias's game played out. Those two guys were made for each other. Both of them as dark and depraved as the other is. It was amazing!
I loved this story. Luca is a man who is looking to make a better life for himself and his sisters away from their father. What better way to do that then to become a Mafia boss himself? So he heads to America to make his and his sisters dreams come true. It was kind of amazing watching Luca come up with a plan and make it work when he had nothing to start with. I really loved reading about him. Rosa... I am on the fence about her... she was to much of a doormat for me. I can't wait to read the next book in this series when it is released!
The Devil's Melancholy: by Yolanda Olson
I know I shouldn't say this... But I absofuckinglutely loved this story! Yolanda Olson just has a way with revenge that is just perfect! Finley is a angry young man looking for revenge when the perfect opportunity presents itself to him... and he doesn't think twice about taking it! It was perfect. I have to say that I really hated "Aunt Celeste" and to be honest... I think she got what she deserved. Actually I think she got off cheap and I am kind of hoping that Yolanda expands this story and gives "Aunt Celeste" the punishment she truly deserves.
Rune: by Dana Isaly
My, My, My, wasn't this the interesting little tale... So many questions.. and no answers in sight... I do so hope that Dana Isaly is going to expand this story... I am so very intrigued by it which is unusual for me as M/M isn't my favorite trope... but this one... it did hit the spot... Is Johnny boy what I think he is? Has Rune met his doom? So many questions that I hope to get answers to soon!
Dancing With The Devil: by Isabel Lucero
I really liked this story. Audriana is one crazy bitch! But I love a heroine that doesn't always fight tooth and nail what she is feeling. Goes after what she wants regardless if its right or wrong. Audriana did that from the start. Yes she played games at the beginning while trying to figure out a way to escape but she soon gave up on that and went after what she wanted. While I'm not sure there is any love between these two characters... I do believe it is a mutually beneficial relationship that both are happy and satisfied with and that is good enough for me.
Into The Fox's Den: by A.D. McCammon
Well... fuck! That ended on a hell of a cliff hanger! This is an amazing book! I need answers! Like today! What the hell happened?
Cillian is one hell of an alpha dude... he comes off mean but is really just a big marshmallow inside. He shows that side to nobody but Raina, and maybe to Everly... Everybody else thinks he is a badass. Which he is.. but he is a big teddy bear when it comes to the people he loves. Raina... I'm not sure about her yet... She cares very much about her twin brother Noah who she is doing all of this for... but we don't get a lot of perspective from her... it's mostly the POV from Cillian so I didn't get a chance to connect with her as much... Hopefully when this story is expanded that will change and I will get to learn more about her.
Bad Blood: C.A. Rene
Hmmm... I'm not really sure how I feel about this story. I'm glad that Pearl finally found her strength... but I don't really like what she did with it. She loved John... but rather then admit it to herself and own up to it no matter how wrong it was... She convinced herself that it was all just because it was bad blood. She hid behind that excuse to be able to live with herself I guess... and in the end turned evil because of it. I wasn't very happy with this story.
It Starts With Me: by S. Rena & BL Mute
Another one I'm not to sure how I feel about it... It was an amazing story. I loved Max though... that is one crazy man that takes shit from nobody. He did get his revenge in an awesome way... I just would have been happier with a different ending to the story.
Explicit Vows: by J.M. Walker
This one was a little confusing with the back and forth... and even after reading it... I'm still not sure exactly what the heck I just read... It was to short of a story for as much back and forth as it did from past to present... From facts to fantasy... although fantasy isn't the right word... maybe delusion would be a better word? Apparently Sasha's mind was broken and she wasn't remembering things correctly. After the trauma that she suffered I'm not really surprised about that... I just feel that this story needed to be longer to do it justice. It was a very intriguing read.. I hope when J.M. Walker get the rights back to it that she will expand it and release it again.. If she does I would love to read it again.
Darkest Devotion: by Persephone Autumn
I absolutely freaking loved this story! I am going to have to find more books from this author! Ella and Thomas were perfect together. The chemistry between them was amazing. But the thing I loved the most about them was how Thomas saved Ella... how he listened to her and helped her unburden herself of all that she had lived thru with her parents. I loved how he helped her bloom into the woman that she was always meant to be. To know there was nothing to be ashamed of about want she wanted and needed in her life. I loved how protective he was of her and wanted to give her everything she ever wanted or was denied. It was utter perfection!
Cracks: by Ally Vance
M/M is not my favorite trope to read. It was an interesting story. I found myself more curious about the Charon group... then I actually was about Jonathan and Vincent. I also found myself hoping that Vincent would turn the tables on Jonathan somehow and get away. Maybe someday he will. In the epilogue it mentioned that he was starting to fight back.
Painted In The Shadows: by Nichole Greene
Well now... This was a very interesting story... And it ended in one hell of cliffhanger... I hate cliffhangers.. but I have to say.. That was the perfect spot to end the story to have everybody dying to read the next book. Leif is screwed here... He is going to have to come up with some good answers to keep Octavia off the trail... If he tells her the truth right now... His chances with her are pretty much shot.. He is going to have to tell her the truth at some point. If he doesn't Scott will.. He has no chance of keeping the truth from her. Lordy I have so many questions about this story and I need the answers now!
The Invitation: by LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole
I have to say I do love me some LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole books! As I have said many times in this review... M/M is not my favorite trope... But that was one hell of a spicy book! I loved it. I am also super happy that I have the next book already sitting on my Kindle ready for me to read. Which I am going to dive into reading after I finish this review... Because I am dying to know how Preston and Tobias's game played out. Those two guys were made for each other. Both of them as dark and depraved as the other is. It was amazing!
January 19, 2022
Don't miss this
Written by some amazing dark romance authors you are not going to want to miss this anthology. You will regret it.
Written by some amazing dark romance authors you are not going to want to miss this anthology. You will regret it.
June 20, 2022
An anthology of dub-con/dark short stories. I will put a short review below in the order they appear in the antho, updating as I read.
Luca Beretta by Abigail Davies
pgs 9-67, 1%-8%
3 Stars
This one is noted as a prequel to a mafia world by this author (though I think this story stands alone and the rest of the series are different mafia men and their ladies). The short story is an instalove, with Luca coming to America from Italy to try to get a piece of the mafia pie for himself (his dad is a mafia don in Italy). He is instantly into his target's daughter and he weaves having her into his off-page plan to take her dad's territory. The mafia stuff is all kind of silly and under explained but it is a short so no biggie there to me, especially since I haven't been all that into mafia the last few years. It does take up a bulk of the story though, with the romance in the background. I liked the dub-con scene but it was super short, like all of their interactions were, but it was a sweet little story between the two all the same.
The Devil's Melancholy by Yolanda Olson
pgs 69-132, 8%-16%
3.75 Stars
I liked this one, though if someone had described it to be beforehand I would have thought I wouldn't. Celeste is a former nun who had to leave her post to take care of her orphaned niece. Finley is a former student of hers who was shaped (for the worse) in part by her and her ruler when he was her pupil and after meeting by chance he wants revenge. It has a non-traditional sort of ending, but it didn't bother me at all; in fact it made me like it more.
Rune by Dana Isaly
pgs 135-186, 16%-23%
3.75 Stars
I thought this paranormal M/M short had some common elements wrapped up in a less common package. Rune is a member of a traveling circus of demons who comes across his Fated human in Cash, and plays a little hide and chase game with him through the carnival. I liked/rated this one the same as the previous one, but for completely different reasons.
Dancing With the Devil by Isabel Lucero
pgs 188-263, 23%-33%
4.25 Stars
In the first few chapters I thought this one would be a ho-hum, standard criminal H takes down on her luck good girl captive but I was pleasantly surprised and it ended up being my favorite story so far. The steamy bits were hot with just little bit of one of my favorite kinks, and I liked the heroine's responses to everything that happened very much.
Into the Fox's Den by A.D. McCammon
pgs 265-325, 33%-41%
3 Stars
Based on how this one ends, it is a prequel (or there is a plan to expand it to a full book later, which would be ideal for relationship building if the plan is to have a long book). It is pretty standard fare: h is trying to save her brother, who is in trouble with criminal H (who also owns a BDSM club) who is immediately enamored of her. I've read so many stories with these plot points that they don't do much for me any longer, but it is written well.
Bad Blood, A Hansel & Gretel Retelling, by C.A. Rene
pgs 327-390, 41%-51%
3.5 Stars
This is a dark, erotic horror retelling of Hansel & Gretel and I thought it was a very good, taboo story. It needs some editing/proofreading however, and that was distracting all the way through so it lessened my enjoyment somewhat.
It Starts With Me by S. Rena & BL Mute
pgs 393-462, 51%-59%
2.5 Stars
By the end I came to appreciate the concept of this prequel, but along the way I was irritated that it lacked cohesion, that the main character seemed like a really stupid/bad gangster, and that there are relatively lots of errors (homonym and other incorrect words, commas in incorrect places, etc). The dub con and really the MF interactions in general are very minor to this story, which, as stated, is a prequel introducing the character/world.
Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker
pgs 465-535, 60%-69%
3.75 Stars
This one had sort of an unreliable narrator vibe, and I wasn't sure if the people being described actually existed, rendering some of them underdeveloped relationship wise, but all in all I dug the vibe and the ideas. I would even be interested in seeing this expanded to a full book I liked the ideas so much. It does have some sentence structure issues but I was able to see past them.
Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn
pgs 538-594, 69%-77%
3.75 Stars
Even though everything about their relationship was super accelerated, this short still felt like a complete story and I enjoyed it. I liked the kinky action and HEA; there was really no dub-con though, just a token thought of character thinking no consent was asked for. Essentially a sweet and steamy instalove, no darkness to speak of.
Cracks, An Obsidian Elite Novella, by Ally Vance
pgs 597-654, 77%-84%
3.25 Stars
This dark M/M story is, from what I can remember, the most skillfully written and edited story in the antho so far, and I certainly appreciated several aspects of it a lot, but it is heavier on the torture/pain than I was in the mood for when I read it. I appreciated that it was left open-ended so the reader can decide how they ended up. (I'm not sure if they appear in other books in the world or not.)
Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene
pgs 656-712, 84%-92%
3.25 Stars
I liked the story of this one well enough - especially the fact he saved her as a child and has been watching her/taking care of her unbeknownst to her for all of these years - but the poor editing really bugged me. It also ends on a cliffhanger so the fact that it is not a complete short story makes the development too accelerated between the main couple for my tastes if it is meant to be a jumping off point to a full book. It would be served better by expanding it throughout if that is the plan.
The Invitation, Prequel to The Game Series by LP Lovell and Stevie J. Cole
pgs 715-773, 92%-100%
4.5 Stars
This prequel was my favorite story in the anthology and I am very much looking forward to reading the book. It is dark (really dark for most readers I imagine), written well and has MM, MMF in setting of extreme dub-con involving agreements for money, socio/psychopaths and violence.
Average rating for entire anthology: 3.52
Luca Beretta by Abigail Davies
pgs 9-67, 1%-8%
3 Stars
This one is noted as a prequel to a mafia world by this author (though I think this story stands alone and the rest of the series are different mafia men and their ladies). The short story is an instalove, with Luca coming to America from Italy to try to get a piece of the mafia pie for himself (his dad is a mafia don in Italy). He is instantly into his target's daughter and he weaves having her into his off-page plan to take her dad's territory. The mafia stuff is all kind of silly and under explained but it is a short so no biggie there to me, especially since I haven't been all that into mafia the last few years. It does take up a bulk of the story though, with the romance in the background. I liked the dub-con scene but it was super short, like all of their interactions were, but it was a sweet little story between the two all the same.
The Devil's Melancholy by Yolanda Olson
pgs 69-132, 8%-16%
3.75 Stars
I liked this one, though if someone had described it to be beforehand I would have thought I wouldn't. Celeste is a former nun who had to leave her post to take care of her orphaned niece. Finley is a former student of hers who was shaped (for the worse) in part by her and her ruler when he was her pupil and after meeting by chance he wants revenge. It has a non-traditional sort of ending, but it didn't bother me at all; in fact it made me like it more.
Rune by Dana Isaly
pgs 135-186, 16%-23%
3.75 Stars
I thought this paranormal M/M short had some common elements wrapped up in a less common package. Rune is a member of a traveling circus of demons who comes across his Fated human in Cash, and plays a little hide and chase game with him through the carnival. I liked/rated this one the same as the previous one, but for completely different reasons.
Dancing With the Devil by Isabel Lucero
pgs 188-263, 23%-33%
4.25 Stars
In the first few chapters I thought this one would be a ho-hum, standard criminal H takes down on her luck good girl captive but I was pleasantly surprised and it ended up being my favorite story so far. The steamy bits were hot with just little bit of one of my favorite kinks, and I liked the heroine's responses to everything that happened very much.
Into the Fox's Den by A.D. McCammon
pgs 265-325, 33%-41%
3 Stars
Based on how this one ends, it is a prequel (or there is a plan to expand it to a full book later, which would be ideal for relationship building if the plan is to have a long book). It is pretty standard fare: h is trying to save her brother, who is in trouble with criminal H (who also owns a BDSM club) who is immediately enamored of her. I've read so many stories with these plot points that they don't do much for me any longer, but it is written well.
Bad Blood, A Hansel & Gretel Retelling, by C.A. Rene
pgs 327-390, 41%-51%
3.5 Stars
This is a dark, erotic horror retelling of Hansel & Gretel and I thought it was a very good, taboo story. It needs some editing/proofreading however, and that was distracting all the way through so it lessened my enjoyment somewhat.
It Starts With Me by S. Rena & BL Mute
pgs 393-462, 51%-59%
2.5 Stars
By the end I came to appreciate the concept of this prequel, but along the way I was irritated that it lacked cohesion, that the main character seemed like a really stupid/bad gangster, and that there are relatively lots of errors (homonym and other incorrect words, commas in incorrect places, etc). The dub con and really the MF interactions in general are very minor to this story, which, as stated, is a prequel introducing the character/world.
Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker
pgs 465-535, 60%-69%
3.75 Stars
This one had sort of an unreliable narrator vibe, and I wasn't sure if the people being described actually existed, rendering some of them underdeveloped relationship wise, but all in all I dug the vibe and the ideas. I would even be interested in seeing this expanded to a full book I liked the ideas so much. It does have some sentence structure issues but I was able to see past them.
Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn
pgs 538-594, 69%-77%
3.75 Stars
Even though everything about their relationship was super accelerated, this short still felt like a complete story and I enjoyed it. I liked the kinky action and HEA; there was really no dub-con though, just a token thought of character thinking no consent was asked for. Essentially a sweet and steamy instalove, no darkness to speak of.
Cracks, An Obsidian Elite Novella, by Ally Vance
pgs 597-654, 77%-84%
3.25 Stars
This dark M/M story is, from what I can remember, the most skillfully written and edited story in the antho so far, and I certainly appreciated several aspects of it a lot, but it is heavier on the torture/pain than I was in the mood for when I read it. I appreciated that it was left open-ended so the reader can decide how they ended up. (I'm not sure if they appear in other books in the world or not.)
Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene
pgs 656-712, 84%-92%
3.25 Stars
I liked the story of this one well enough - especially the fact he saved her as a child and has been watching her/taking care of her unbeknownst to her for all of these years - but the poor editing really bugged me. It also ends on a cliffhanger so the fact that it is not a complete short story makes the development too accelerated between the main couple for my tastes if it is meant to be a jumping off point to a full book. It would be served better by expanding it throughout if that is the plan.
The Invitation, Prequel to The Game Series by LP Lovell and Stevie J. Cole
pgs 715-773, 92%-100%
4.5 Stars
This prequel was my favorite story in the anthology and I am very much looking forward to reading the book. It is dark (really dark for most readers I imagine), written well and has MM, MMF in setting of extreme dub-con involving agreements for money, socio/psychopaths and violence.
Average rating for entire anthology: 3.52
January 19, 2022
4 stars
This is definitely not a book that you should read if you have triggers. This had a great collection of authors, some familiar and some not, that each brought something different to the table. There was a little something for everybody.
Some of the stories ended in ways that hinted as there would be more to come. I hope that is this case because I wanted more. Anthologies are great because I'm always curious to see how they create a story around a theme and expand from there. Especially, when the all go in completely different directions.
This is definitely not a book that you should read if you have triggers. This had a great collection of authors, some familiar and some not, that each brought something different to the table. There was a little something for everybody.
Some of the stories ended in ways that hinted as there would be more to come. I hope that is this case because I wanted more. Anthologies are great because I'm always curious to see how they create a story around a theme and expand from there. Especially, when the all go in completely different directions.
February 22, 2022
Crazy Good Stories
The stories in the book are amazing and crazy. Make sure you check your trigger warning before reading. I have found a few new authors to try.
The stories in the book are amazing and crazy. Make sure you check your trigger warning before reading. I have found a few new authors to try.
February 1, 2022
Will not be for everyone because of the subject matter, but I wanted something dark dark and this delivered!! Favourite story read so far is Bad Blood by C.A. Rene and Dance with The Devil by Isabel Lucero!! Limited edition and wont be available much longer if at all now.
January 29, 2022
No one forced me to read this depraved anthology! 4 stars for the whole anthology
All in all, I enjoyed reading this whole anthology, and I found new authors to read!
Now I’ll give a sentence or two for each novella.
▪️Luca Beretta by Abigail Davies
4 stars
I liked this one but didn’t love it. I am curious about their son and his book though.
▪️The Devil’s Melancholy by Yolanda Olsen
3 stars
I thought she was a b!tch, and he didn’t heal from the psychological damage she had done to him by taking revenge.
▪️Rune by Dana Islay
5 stars
I absolutely loved this supernatural M/M story! I can’t wait to read the whole book, because after that ending I want more!
▪️Dancing with the Devil by Isabel Lucero
5 stars
I loved this wrong place, wrong time cartel love story!
▪️Into the Fox’s Den by A.D. McCammon
5 stars
I loved this story of a woman walking into the Fox’s den, and I can’t wait to read what happens next after that cliffhanger!
▪️Bad Blood by C.A. Rene
3 stars
Oh, man, I loved this one. Later I felt bad for loving it because of its very taboo nature. Then hated the no happy ending ending.
▪️It Starts With Me by S. Rena & B.L. Mute
3 stars
I enjoyed this one until the not-happy-ending ending.
▪️Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker
3 stars
I was not sure how I felt about this one, and I think it’s because she was the unreliable narrator. I didn’t actually feel anything for these characters even though they were hot together.
▪️Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn
4 stars
I loved this one except for one aspect of their relationship which is why I gave it 4 stars.
▪️Cracks by Ally Vance
5 stars
This was one hot M/M! I wanted more, but it had an epilogue!
▪️Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene
5 stars
I loved this age-age gap, stalker romance, and I can’t wait to read more after that cliffhanger!
▪️The Invitation by LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole
5 stars
I loved this depraved M/M with a dose of M/F/M, and I can’t wait to read the continuation of Tobias and Preston’s story!
All in all, I enjoyed reading this whole anthology, and I found new authors to read!
Now I’ll give a sentence or two for each novella.
▪️Luca Beretta by Abigail Davies
4 stars
I liked this one but didn’t love it. I am curious about their son and his book though.
▪️The Devil’s Melancholy by Yolanda Olsen
3 stars
I thought she was a b!tch, and he didn’t heal from the psychological damage she had done to him by taking revenge.
▪️Rune by Dana Islay
5 stars
I absolutely loved this supernatural M/M story! I can’t wait to read the whole book, because after that ending I want more!
▪️Dancing with the Devil by Isabel Lucero
5 stars
I loved this wrong place, wrong time cartel love story!
▪️Into the Fox’s Den by A.D. McCammon
5 stars
I loved this story of a woman walking into the Fox’s den, and I can’t wait to read what happens next after that cliffhanger!
▪️Bad Blood by C.A. Rene
3 stars
Oh, man, I loved this one. Later I felt bad for loving it because of its very taboo nature. Then hated the no happy ending ending.
▪️It Starts With Me by S. Rena & B.L. Mute
3 stars
I enjoyed this one until the not-happy-ending ending.
▪️Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker
3 stars
I was not sure how I felt about this one, and I think it’s because she was the unreliable narrator. I didn’t actually feel anything for these characters even though they were hot together.
▪️Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn
4 stars
I loved this one except for one aspect of their relationship which is why I gave it 4 stars.
▪️Cracks by Ally Vance
5 stars
This was one hot M/M! I wanted more, but it had an epilogue!
▪️Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene
5 stars
I loved this age-age gap, stalker romance, and I can’t wait to read more after that cliffhanger!
▪️The Invitation by LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole
5 stars
I loved this depraved M/M with a dose of M/F/M, and I can’t wait to read the continuation of Tobias and Preston’s story!
January 21, 2022
I read most of these in a frenzy. There's a whole variety of smutty fun going on in this bad boy.
I'm going to assume that Nichole Green's Painted in the Shadows is a to be continued situation, otherwise I'm going to have to cut somebody. I think this is my favorite of what I've read.
Haven't read Abigail Davies' Luca Beretta yet because I'm saving it-super excited.
Dancing with the Devil was the first I had read of Isabel Lucero's, but it won't be the last. A girl walks in on something she shouldn't and gets kidnapped by a mysterious cartel guy. I loved her sense of humor and the sex was on point.
Into the Fox's Den by AD McCammon was cool. Kind of a Beauty and the Beast situation. A woman offers herself up as collateral to a criminal boss guy for her twin brother.
I don't read RH, so I just skimmed Explicit Vows by JM Walker to get the gist, but from what I read I think I'll have to make an exception because this shit was intriguing as hell. In an effort to heal, a woman wrestles with her complex emotions surrounding her abusive upbringing in foster care, and the twisted relationships she formed with three brothers.
Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn was about two people that meet at a sex party, where sparks fly. I couldn’t really find the dubcon bit of this story. I liked the story arc of the girl finding discovering her own strength with her controlling, creepy family. That family dynamic as a whole was really well illustrated. This couple's particular brand of kink isn't quite my style--I find it off putting that he called her his "pet" all the time--but I felt really happy that they found each other.
I'm on a time crunch so I'll have to do the rest later, but this was a great collection.
I'm going to assume that Nichole Green's Painted in the Shadows is a to be continued situation, otherwise I'm going to have to cut somebody. I think this is my favorite of what I've read.
Haven't read Abigail Davies' Luca Beretta yet because I'm saving it-super excited.
Dancing with the Devil was the first I had read of Isabel Lucero's, but it won't be the last. A girl walks in on something she shouldn't and gets kidnapped by a mysterious cartel guy. I loved her sense of humor and the sex was on point.
Into the Fox's Den by AD McCammon was cool. Kind of a Beauty and the Beast situation. A woman offers herself up as collateral to a criminal boss guy for her twin brother.
I don't read RH, so I just skimmed Explicit Vows by JM Walker to get the gist, but from what I read I think I'll have to make an exception because this shit was intriguing as hell. In an effort to heal, a woman wrestles with her complex emotions surrounding her abusive upbringing in foster care, and the twisted relationships she formed with three brothers.
Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn was about two people that meet at a sex party, where sparks fly. I couldn’t really find the dubcon bit of this story. I liked the story arc of the girl finding discovering her own strength with her controlling, creepy family. That family dynamic as a whole was really well illustrated. This couple's particular brand of kink isn't quite my style--I find it off putting that he called her his "pet" all the time--but I felt really happy that they found each other.
I'm on a time crunch so I'll have to do the rest later, but this was a great collection.
April 2, 2022
RATING: 3.5 / 5 ⭐
GENRE: Dark Romance, Paranormal (some stories)
TYPE: Anthology
STORIES: 12 stories (700+ pages)
Will I re-read it? I might re-read some of the stories!
This anthology was read on Kindle and hence, number of pages might differ from other versions/readers.
I haven't felt motivated in finishing some of the anthologies I've started but I actually devoured this book. It is quite a good mix of everything (dark romance, taboo, paranormal, retellings, M/M etc.) but keep in mind that a lot of them includes dub-con on different levels and contains topics that might be triggering for some and not all stories ends with a HEA.
Short review for each story below.
Luca Beretta (c. 57 pages) by Abigail Davies.
An Unseen Underground Mafia Prequel
Rating: 2.5 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 1.5 / 5 🔥
Luca plans on taking over a crime organization by using any means necessary.
It was well written, at least in the beginning. Then it got a bit rushed. I didn’t feel for any of the characters or the story so I will probably not continue reading the series. Something was lacking/missing and the female character was too meek for my taste.
Includes: (M/F) Touching while sleeping & murder.
The Devil’s Melancholy (c. 62 pages) by Yolanda Olson.
Rating: 2 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 1.5 / 5 🔥
A tattoo artist gets a visit from a woman from his past and wants revenge for what she did to him.
A bit of a confusing story that felt like it lacked descriptions and information (e.g., age of the characters) and I had to guess a lot during this read. This made it jumpy and the development of the plot felt strange.
Includes: (M/F) Revenge scheme & age difference.
Rune (c. 50 pages) by Dana Isaly.
Rating: 3 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 / 5 🔥
The Demon Rune finds his fated at the carnival.
A well written paranormal MM story. MM is usually not my cup of tea but I liked this story and the characters in it. The ending opened up for hopefully more stories from this universe.
Includes: (M/M) A bit of mind games.
Dancing With The Devil (c. 73 pages) by Isabel Lucero.
Rating: 4 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 / 5 🔥
A girl gets kidnapped after she accidentally walks into the wrong room in a club.
A well written mafia story that I really enjoyed. A lot of steamy scenes and less on the dub-con aspect. I do enjoy a good kidnapping story and even if this one was short, it delivered.
Includes: (M/F) Kidnapping, murder & gun-play.
Into The Fox’s Den (c. 59 pages) by A.D. McCammon.
Rating: 4 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 2 / 5 🔥
Raina gets taken as collateral for her brother’s mistake.
I liked this story a lot and need a longer and more elaborated version now (!!!) since it left me wanting more at the end. A lot of questions are left unanswered and the story left us with some possibilities of spicier scenes.
Includes: (M/F) Violence & a "special" club.
Bad Blood (c. 61 pages) by C.A. Rene.
A Hansel and Gretel Retelling
Rating: 3 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3.5 / 5 🔥
John and Pearl gets abandoned in the forrest and finds themselves in the house of a witch.
Well damn, this one is a dark, paranormal retelling. Not my cup of tea but it is well written (though in 3rd person). I honestly don’t know what to say. Read at your own risk.
Includes: (M/F) Taboo (brother-sister), violence & murder.
It Starts With Me (c. 67 pages) by S. Rena & BL Mute.
A Ciccone Brothers Prequel
Rating: 2 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 1 / 5 🔥
During a mission, Eric meets Lily but his Boss doesn’t accept the development in the mission.
This story didn’t suck me in and I got a bit bored during the read. If I continued the series I might appreciate the background of this “founding father” and his story but it didn’t get me interested in reading more unfortunately.
Includes: (M/F) Murder.
Explicit Vows (c. 70 pages) by J.M. Walker.
Rating: 3 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 2 / 5 🔥
Sasha tries to find closure from her past.
This was a dark read about past trauma and abuse and how to find closure by the help of three brothers. It was a bit of a confusing read that went back and forth through past and present and you had to guess a lot of details since everything was described a bit vague until the ending.
Includes: (M/F) Past trauma, abuse, SA & violence.
Darkest Devotion (c. 56 pages) by Persephone Autumn.
Rating: 3.5 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 / 5 🔥
Ella meets Thomas at an underground party with a twist.
This was not a dark story but a sweet romance one with a lot of steamy scenes. An enjoyable read that includes a HEA.
Includes: (M/F) Kind of abusive parents, exhibitionism & voyeurism.
Cracks (c. 55 pages) by Ally Vance.
An Obsidian Elite Novella
Rating: 3.5 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 2.5 / 5 🔥
Jonathan captures a trespasser and puts him in his dungeon.
A dark kidnapping story. It was well written and even though I don’t usually go for MM stories, I liked this one and the kidnapping part was written amazingly (I’m a sucker for kidnapping stories).
Includes: (M/M) Kidnapping, torture & blood-play.
Painted In Shadows (c. 56 pages) by Nichole Greene.
Rating: 3 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 2 / 5 🔥
Octavia’s uncle is after her but then a man appears in the middle of the night and says he’s there to help her.
Had a few typing errors but the story kind of sucked me in. That’s why I got a bit mad when it ended on a cliffhanger and with no information about a full-length story. I want more now!
Includes: (M/F) Ish forced marriage.
The Invitation (c. 57 pages) by LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole.
Prequel To The Game Series
Rating: 4 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 / 5 🔥
Tobias has decided he wants to own Preston and will do anything to achieve it.
Wow. What a prequel to The Game. It was a dark and twisted read and made me feel like I need to read The Game ASAP (I’ve had it on my TBR list for a while now). Not for the faint of heart.
Includes: (M/M/F) Murder and manipulation.
GENRE: Dark Romance, Paranormal (some stories)
TYPE: Anthology
STORIES: 12 stories (700+ pages)
Will I re-read it? I might re-read some of the stories!
This anthology was read on Kindle and hence, number of pages might differ from other versions/readers.
I haven't felt motivated in finishing some of the anthologies I've started but I actually devoured this book. It is quite a good mix of everything (dark romance, taboo, paranormal, retellings, M/M etc.) but keep in mind that a lot of them includes dub-con on different levels and contains topics that might be triggering for some and not all stories ends with a HEA.
Short review for each story below.
Luca Beretta (c. 57 pages) by Abigail Davies.
An Unseen Underground Mafia Prequel
Rating: 2.5 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 1.5 / 5 🔥
Luca plans on taking over a crime organization by using any means necessary.
It was well written, at least in the beginning. Then it got a bit rushed. I didn’t feel for any of the characters or the story so I will probably not continue reading the series. Something was lacking/missing and the female character was too meek for my taste.
Includes: (M/F) Touching while sleeping & murder.
The Devil’s Melancholy (c. 62 pages) by Yolanda Olson.
Rating: 2 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 1.5 / 5 🔥
A tattoo artist gets a visit from a woman from his past and wants revenge for what she did to him.
A bit of a confusing story that felt like it lacked descriptions and information (e.g., age of the characters) and I had to guess a lot during this read. This made it jumpy and the development of the plot felt strange.
Includes: (M/F) Revenge scheme & age difference.
Rune (c. 50 pages) by Dana Isaly.
Rating: 3 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 / 5 🔥
The Demon Rune finds his fated at the carnival.
A well written paranormal MM story. MM is usually not my cup of tea but I liked this story and the characters in it. The ending opened up for hopefully more stories from this universe.
Includes: (M/M) A bit of mind games.
Dancing With The Devil (c. 73 pages) by Isabel Lucero.
Rating: 4 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 / 5 🔥
A girl gets kidnapped after she accidentally walks into the wrong room in a club.
A well written mafia story that I really enjoyed. A lot of steamy scenes and less on the dub-con aspect. I do enjoy a good kidnapping story and even if this one was short, it delivered.
Includes: (M/F) Kidnapping, murder & gun-play.
Into The Fox’s Den (c. 59 pages) by A.D. McCammon.
Rating: 4 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 2 / 5 🔥
Raina gets taken as collateral for her brother’s mistake.
I liked this story a lot and need a longer and more elaborated version now (!!!) since it left me wanting more at the end. A lot of questions are left unanswered and the story left us with some possibilities of spicier scenes.
Includes: (M/F) Violence & a "special" club.
Bad Blood (c. 61 pages) by C.A. Rene.
A Hansel and Gretel Retelling
Rating: 3 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3.5 / 5 🔥
John and Pearl gets abandoned in the forrest and finds themselves in the house of a witch.
Well damn, this one is a dark, paranormal retelling. Not my cup of tea but it is well written (though in 3rd person). I honestly don’t know what to say. Read at your own risk.
Includes: (M/F) Taboo (brother-sister), violence & murder.
It Starts With Me (c. 67 pages) by S. Rena & BL Mute.
A Ciccone Brothers Prequel
Rating: 2 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 1 / 5 🔥
During a mission, Eric meets Lily but his Boss doesn’t accept the development in the mission.
This story didn’t suck me in and I got a bit bored during the read. If I continued the series I might appreciate the background of this “founding father” and his story but it didn’t get me interested in reading more unfortunately.
Includes: (M/F) Murder.
Explicit Vows (c. 70 pages) by J.M. Walker.
Rating: 3 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 2 / 5 🔥
Sasha tries to find closure from her past.
This was a dark read about past trauma and abuse and how to find closure by the help of three brothers. It was a bit of a confusing read that went back and forth through past and present and you had to guess a lot of details since everything was described a bit vague until the ending.
Includes: (M/F) Past trauma, abuse, SA & violence.
Darkest Devotion (c. 56 pages) by Persephone Autumn.
Rating: 3.5 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 / 5 🔥
Ella meets Thomas at an underground party with a twist.
This was not a dark story but a sweet romance one with a lot of steamy scenes. An enjoyable read that includes a HEA.
Includes: (M/F) Kind of abusive parents, exhibitionism & voyeurism.
Cracks (c. 55 pages) by Ally Vance.
An Obsidian Elite Novella
Rating: 3.5 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 2.5 / 5 🔥
Jonathan captures a trespasser and puts him in his dungeon.
A dark kidnapping story. It was well written and even though I don’t usually go for MM stories, I liked this one and the kidnapping part was written amazingly (I’m a sucker for kidnapping stories).
Includes: (M/M) Kidnapping, torture & blood-play.
Painted In Shadows (c. 56 pages) by Nichole Greene.
Rating: 3 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 2 / 5 🔥
Octavia’s uncle is after her but then a man appears in the middle of the night and says he’s there to help her.
Had a few typing errors but the story kind of sucked me in. That’s why I got a bit mad when it ended on a cliffhanger and with no information about a full-length story. I want more now!
Includes: (M/F) Ish forced marriage.
The Invitation (c. 57 pages) by LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole.
Prequel To The Game Series
Rating: 4 / 5 ⭐
Spice: 3 / 5 🔥
Tobias has decided he wants to own Preston and will do anything to achieve it.
Wow. What a prequel to The Game. It was a dark and twisted read and made me feel like I need to read The Game ASAP (I’ve had it on my TBR list for a while now). Not for the faint of heart.
Includes: (M/M/F) Murder and manipulation.
January 23, 2022
This is a dark delicious work from several amazing authors that have gave us some short but amazing reads. I can’t wait to go back and read them all but for now my review is for Dancing With The Devil by Isabel Lucero and this was a super hot on fire story. Audri has suffered loss for a while now and she does what she can to get by but she works so hard her friends want to see her have a little fun every once in a while so they convince her to go out. Little does Audri know her fun night out may take a turn for the worse when she walks to the wrong area of the club looking for the restroom and stumbling on some gentlemen having a private conversation.When she wakes up she realizes her situation is pretty dire and the guy that has her isn’t one to believe her crossing paths with his business is a coincidence so he has her locked up. Can she convince her captor that she is an innocent bystander or is his darkness just the thing she craves? This was awesome and I wish it was a full length novel because not only was it delicious and dark but they had some real Bonnie and CLyde vibes going in a twisted way.
January 25, 2022
Review for Rune by Dana Isaly
This story was like a perfectly crafted teaser trailer for a movie you can’t, like absolutely can’t, wait to see. With delicious characters that you feel an instant connection to and see so clearly who/what they are and what they’re here for, the thrill of the dubcon theme and the chase, and a glimpse of what beautiful darkness might lie ahead, this little snippet and it’s dual POV will get you hungry for more, in typical Dana Isaly style.
My favourite line made me laugh out loud - in such a dark setting, a bit of sarcastic humour was unexpected and precious and just made me fall in love more with Rune.
This story was like a perfectly crafted teaser trailer for a movie you can’t, like absolutely can’t, wait to see. With delicious characters that you feel an instant connection to and see so clearly who/what they are and what they’re here for, the thrill of the dubcon theme and the chase, and a glimpse of what beautiful darkness might lie ahead, this little snippet and it’s dual POV will get you hungry for more, in typical Dana Isaly style.
My favourite line made me laugh out loud - in such a dark setting, a bit of sarcastic humour was unexpected and precious and just made me fall in love more with Rune.
January 23, 2022
Loved it
I got to discover new Author's, I'm very interested on reading their books. If you have not check this book out.
I got to discover new Author's, I'm very interested on reading their books. If you have not check this book out.
January 23, 2022
Rune 5 stars
November 18, 2025
2.5 stars
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OVERALL THOUGHTS:
This anthology was mostly pretty bad. A lot of these don't even seem like dubcon to me. I don't think most of the authors in this anthology realize what dubious consent means. It means that one of the MC's either doesn't have the opportunity to consent (I.e. somnophelia) or they are maybe coerced in some way. In the majority of these stories there is clear consent and mostly enthusiastic partners. It just doesn't match the theme of the anthology.
Only a couple of the stories were good (imo). My favorite was The Invitation by L.P. Lovell and Stevie J. Cole, and my second favorite was Dancing With The Devil by Isabel Lucero.
You can see my review for each book below:
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Luca Beretta by Abigail Davies (3 stars)
(Read 9/30/2025 to 9/30/2025)
Luca Beretta is the son of the Beretta mafia family from Italy, and he has goals to take over a chunk of business in America. But as he sets his sights on the man he plans to kill to take over his domain -- Eduardo -- he gets distracted by Eduardo's daughter, Rose.
This was okay. Not a bad story for being so short. Pretty well fleshed out for a novella. But as far as the "romance" between Luca and Rose, that wasn't as well developed as the story. It was alright and had a few steamy moments, but disappointing in ways too. I also was kind of put off that Luca killed her mom too. I don't think that was necessary to take over. And I was surprised that Rose was a-okay with that. Weird.
But overall it was a decent novella. Interesting and since it's a prequel to a series it was pretty good for that. I don't plan to read the series, but this was well written.
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The Devil's Melancholy by Yolanda Olson (2.5 stars)
(Read 10/3/2025 to 10/3/2025)
Finley is a tattoo artist. But he didn't always have his head on straight. When he attended a Catholic boys school he was a trouble maker. One who regularly got the ruler for it. So when the former nun who used to beat him with a ruler comes into his tattoo shop, he decides it's time for revenge.
This was a bit odd and awkward for me. Like it has an interesting premise and I think it could've been better. But it has such a weird vibe to it. I'm not surprised because the few Yolanda Olson stories I've read have felt weird to me, but I was hoping for something different here. Oh well. It was entertaining but with a very weird and awkward vibe.
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Rune by Dana Isaly (3.5 stars)
(Read 10/9/2025 to 10/9/2025)
Rune is a demon who works at a carnival with other demons who walk the earth and feed on humans. But every demon can have a Fated human who is meant to be theirs personally. And Rune finally meets his when a man named Cash comes to the carnival.
This was decent. I liked that it was paranormal, which I wasn't expecting at first. Cash and Rune had good chemistry and I liked the push and pull between them.
I probably would've given this 4 stars if not for the ending, which was very cliffhanger-y. Yet I don't see if there is a series that continues after it. Oh well.
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Dancing With The Devil by Isabel Lucero (4 stars)
(Read 10/14/2025 to 10/15/2025)
Audriana (aka Audri) is out at the club with her friends for drinking and dancing. But she wanders into the wrong room while looking for the bathroom and finds herself interrupting a secret illegal conversation. So the man who she walked in on holds her captive until he finds out if she's working for his enemies.
This was pretty good. I liked the setup and Enrique (aka El Diablo) and Audriana have good chemistry. It's short, of course, so some of the transitions from unwilling captive to doting girlfriend might seem rushed, but I can look past it since it's just a quickie. Overall I liked it. Good story and steamy too.
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Into the Fox's Den by A.D. McCammon (2 stars)
(Read 10/21/2025 to 10/23/2025)
Raina heads into The Fox's Den sex club because her twin brother Noah is missing and she thinks he's there. While there she meets Cillian Fox -- the owner of the club and her brother's boss in illegal business. And she's found Noah too, but he's in trouble.
I had a really hard time getting into this one. I didn't like Raina, who is like a timid little mouse and boring. Also the story was very boring and dull. Then it ends on a cliffhanger but the author has never written a follow-up story. So yeah, I wasn't a big fan of this one.
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Bad Blood by C.A. Rene (2.5 stars)
(Read 10/30/2025 to 10/30/2025)
An erotic horror type of retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Pearl and her brother Johnny are abandoned by their parents during a season of drought. They find themselves living with a witch who uses them to stay young. Over time Johnny develops taboo feelings for Pearl, but Pearl resists him.
So this was certainly interesting and entertaining. It's a creative take on the classic fable. But there's a lot I didn't like too. I don't mind the incest stuff because I do read taboo romance too. But there's some underage stuff that was surprising. And I was hoping she would come to want him in return, not kill him. Oh well.
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It Starts With Me by S. Rena and B.L. Mute (2.5 stars)
(Read 11/4/2025 to 11/4/2025)
Eric has been working for a mobster named Clyde for years and is finally getting to the point where he plans to take over. But a woman named Lily starts to distract him from his mission.
I didn't like this one very much. It was kind of confusing and I didn't like Eric. He's overly cocky and an asshole. And I hated the setup at the end for the rest of the series -- purposefully adopting young boys to raise as his own so he can train them up as soldiers.
It also didn't fit the theme of this anthology. There was no dubcon. And the woman he had sex with died. So not much I liked about this one.
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Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker (2.5 stars)
(Read 11/5/2025 to 11/5/2025)
Sasha goes back to her abandoned childhood foster home in order to overcome the trauma she endured there. As she goes through the house, she shares about her past and what happened, as well as her toxic relationship with three brothers named Cash, Holden, and Landen.
Hmm...I wasn't a big fan of this one mainly because it was rather sloppy and used some storytelling devices that I found rather deceiving towards the reader. Sasha makes it sound as though the three brothers were the ones who raped and tortured her when she was a teenager. But then at the end she admits she just lied about that.
I think it would've been more of a shocking experience if she made it sound like it wasn't the brothers (without blatantly lying) and then the twist would be it was them and she has chosen to stay with them.
It was just kind of sloppy. I love a good RH setup with bros sharing. But the entire setup just kind of ruined it for me. It was confusing and messy.
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Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn (2 stars)
(Read 11/7/2025 to 11/7/2025)
Ella finds herself dragged to a sex club by a friend. She's hesitant, until she meets a man named Thomas who she hits it off with immediately.
Considering this is a novella, I don't typically like to spend too much time reviewing them. So I'll try to make this quick.
This was bad. The writing style is fragmented and the dialog repetitive. They "fall in love" immediately and plan to move in together the day after they meet. Ella's home life was messily setup. It just felt really forced to me. And there's so many inconsistencies. Like how in the beginning of the story Ella said she's never been to a sex party or fooled around in front of other people. Then later she says she basically had an orgy with the entire high school football team.
So yeah, this was honestly the worst of this whole anthology so far (and so far this anthology has been pretty bad). Plus it's not even dubcon -- again! What's the point of making a "dubcon" anthology when most of the stories aren't even dubious consent!
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Cracks by Ally Vance (2 stars)
(Read 11/14/2025 to 11/15/2025)
A man named Jonathan who has been apart of an assassin's guild kidnaps and imprisons a man named Vincent. He plans to torture him but also find pleasure in him.
I love m/m romance so my problems weren't anything to do with that. My problem was that it was super boring and felt incomplete. I didn't feel a connection between the two MMC's. And the epilogue didn't give us a complete ending, but just more questions about what will happen.
So yeah, overall not a fan of this one. At least it was actually dubious consent though, unlike most of the stories in this anthology.
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Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene (3 stars)
(Read 11/16/2025 to 11/17/2025)
Leif is an assassin who almost kills Octavia on accident when she is eleven. He rescues her from the bomb be set off and then sends her on her way. But over the years he watches over her and keeps her safe. Until about eleven years later when he has to take her to save her from her uncle. But now is the time to take her for his own.
This was decent. Probably the best in the anthology so far. But...it's not dubcon, again. Still, it was fairly good for a quickie. I liked the setup and I liked Leif especially.
But it doesn't really wrap up. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. It looks like the author went ahead and wrote a longer version of the story where maybe things are resolved. But I don't really feel like reading that. I wish this would have been a standalone story.
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The Invitation by L.P. Lovell and Stevie J. Cole (4 stars)
(Read 11/18/2025 to 11/18/2025)
A rich man named Tobias is obsessed with a college student named Preston. And he likes to play games. When he finds out Preston is just as dark and depraved as he is, he makes plans to coerce Preston into being his partner in the games he plays.
Easily my favorite story in the anthology. This one was actually good enough that I want to read the book it's a prequel to. Preston and Tobias are dark and depraved and I loved it. They have great chemistry together and I can't wait to see what other games they play in the full book.
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OVERALL THOUGHTS:
This anthology was mostly pretty bad. A lot of these don't even seem like dubcon to me. I don't think most of the authors in this anthology realize what dubious consent means. It means that one of the MC's either doesn't have the opportunity to consent (I.e. somnophelia) or they are maybe coerced in some way. In the majority of these stories there is clear consent and mostly enthusiastic partners. It just doesn't match the theme of the anthology.
Only a couple of the stories were good (imo). My favorite was The Invitation by L.P. Lovell and Stevie J. Cole, and my second favorite was Dancing With The Devil by Isabel Lucero.
You can see my review for each book below:
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Luca Beretta by Abigail Davies (3 stars)
(Read 9/30/2025 to 9/30/2025)
Luca Beretta is the son of the Beretta mafia family from Italy, and he has goals to take over a chunk of business in America. But as he sets his sights on the man he plans to kill to take over his domain -- Eduardo -- he gets distracted by Eduardo's daughter, Rose.
This was okay. Not a bad story for being so short. Pretty well fleshed out for a novella. But as far as the "romance" between Luca and Rose, that wasn't as well developed as the story. It was alright and had a few steamy moments, but disappointing in ways too. I also was kind of put off that Luca killed her mom too. I don't think that was necessary to take over. And I was surprised that Rose was a-okay with that. Weird.
But overall it was a decent novella. Interesting and since it's a prequel to a series it was pretty good for that. I don't plan to read the series, but this was well written.
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The Devil's Melancholy by Yolanda Olson (2.5 stars)
(Read 10/3/2025 to 10/3/2025)
Finley is a tattoo artist. But he didn't always have his head on straight. When he attended a Catholic boys school he was a trouble maker. One who regularly got the ruler for it. So when the former nun who used to beat him with a ruler comes into his tattoo shop, he decides it's time for revenge.
This was a bit odd and awkward for me. Like it has an interesting premise and I think it could've been better. But it has such a weird vibe to it. I'm not surprised because the few Yolanda Olson stories I've read have felt weird to me, but I was hoping for something different here. Oh well. It was entertaining but with a very weird and awkward vibe.
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Rune by Dana Isaly (3.5 stars)
(Read 10/9/2025 to 10/9/2025)
Rune is a demon who works at a carnival with other demons who walk the earth and feed on humans. But every demon can have a Fated human who is meant to be theirs personally. And Rune finally meets his when a man named Cash comes to the carnival.
This was decent. I liked that it was paranormal, which I wasn't expecting at first. Cash and Rune had good chemistry and I liked the push and pull between them.
I probably would've given this 4 stars if not for the ending, which was very cliffhanger-y. Yet I don't see if there is a series that continues after it. Oh well.
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Dancing With The Devil by Isabel Lucero (4 stars)
(Read 10/14/2025 to 10/15/2025)
Audriana (aka Audri) is out at the club with her friends for drinking and dancing. But she wanders into the wrong room while looking for the bathroom and finds herself interrupting a secret illegal conversation. So the man who she walked in on holds her captive until he finds out if she's working for his enemies.
This was pretty good. I liked the setup and Enrique (aka El Diablo) and Audriana have good chemistry. It's short, of course, so some of the transitions from unwilling captive to doting girlfriend might seem rushed, but I can look past it since it's just a quickie. Overall I liked it. Good story and steamy too.
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Into the Fox's Den by A.D. McCammon (2 stars)
(Read 10/21/2025 to 10/23/2025)
Raina heads into The Fox's Den sex club because her twin brother Noah is missing and she thinks he's there. While there she meets Cillian Fox -- the owner of the club and her brother's boss in illegal business. And she's found Noah too, but he's in trouble.
I had a really hard time getting into this one. I didn't like Raina, who is like a timid little mouse and boring. Also the story was very boring and dull. Then it ends on a cliffhanger but the author has never written a follow-up story. So yeah, I wasn't a big fan of this one.
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Bad Blood by C.A. Rene (2.5 stars)
(Read 10/30/2025 to 10/30/2025)
An erotic horror type of retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Pearl and her brother Johnny are abandoned by their parents during a season of drought. They find themselves living with a witch who uses them to stay young. Over time Johnny develops taboo feelings for Pearl, but Pearl resists him.
So this was certainly interesting and entertaining. It's a creative take on the classic fable. But there's a lot I didn't like too. I don't mind the incest stuff because I do read taboo romance too. But there's some underage stuff that was surprising. And I was hoping she would come to want him in return, not kill him. Oh well.
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It Starts With Me by S. Rena and B.L. Mute (2.5 stars)
(Read 11/4/2025 to 11/4/2025)
Eric has been working for a mobster named Clyde for years and is finally getting to the point where he plans to take over. But a woman named Lily starts to distract him from his mission.
I didn't like this one very much. It was kind of confusing and I didn't like Eric. He's overly cocky and an asshole. And I hated the setup at the end for the rest of the series -- purposefully adopting young boys to raise as his own so he can train them up as soldiers.
It also didn't fit the theme of this anthology. There was no dubcon. And the woman he had sex with died. So not much I liked about this one.
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Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker (2.5 stars)
(Read 11/5/2025 to 11/5/2025)
Sasha goes back to her abandoned childhood foster home in order to overcome the trauma she endured there. As she goes through the house, she shares about her past and what happened, as well as her toxic relationship with three brothers named Cash, Holden, and Landen.
Hmm...I wasn't a big fan of this one mainly because it was rather sloppy and used some storytelling devices that I found rather deceiving towards the reader. Sasha makes it sound as though the three brothers were the ones who raped and tortured her when she was a teenager. But then at the end she admits she just lied about that.
I think it would've been more of a shocking experience if she made it sound like it wasn't the brothers (without blatantly lying) and then the twist would be it was them and she has chosen to stay with them.
It was just kind of sloppy. I love a good RH setup with bros sharing. But the entire setup just kind of ruined it for me. It was confusing and messy.
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Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn (2 stars)
(Read 11/7/2025 to 11/7/2025)
Ella finds herself dragged to a sex club by a friend. She's hesitant, until she meets a man named Thomas who she hits it off with immediately.
Considering this is a novella, I don't typically like to spend too much time reviewing them. So I'll try to make this quick.
This was bad. The writing style is fragmented and the dialog repetitive. They "fall in love" immediately and plan to move in together the day after they meet. Ella's home life was messily setup. It just felt really forced to me. And there's so many inconsistencies. Like how in the beginning of the story Ella said she's never been to a sex party or fooled around in front of other people. Then later she says she basically had an orgy with the entire high school football team.
So yeah, this was honestly the worst of this whole anthology so far (and so far this anthology has been pretty bad). Plus it's not even dubcon -- again! What's the point of making a "dubcon" anthology when most of the stories aren't even dubious consent!
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Cracks by Ally Vance (2 stars)
(Read 11/14/2025 to 11/15/2025)
A man named Jonathan who has been apart of an assassin's guild kidnaps and imprisons a man named Vincent. He plans to torture him but also find pleasure in him.
I love m/m romance so my problems weren't anything to do with that. My problem was that it was super boring and felt incomplete. I didn't feel a connection between the two MMC's. And the epilogue didn't give us a complete ending, but just more questions about what will happen.
So yeah, overall not a fan of this one. At least it was actually dubious consent though, unlike most of the stories in this anthology.
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Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene (3 stars)
(Read 11/16/2025 to 11/17/2025)
Leif is an assassin who almost kills Octavia on accident when she is eleven. He rescues her from the bomb be set off and then sends her on her way. But over the years he watches over her and keeps her safe. Until about eleven years later when he has to take her to save her from her uncle. But now is the time to take her for his own.
This was decent. Probably the best in the anthology so far. But...it's not dubcon, again. Still, it was fairly good for a quickie. I liked the setup and I liked Leif especially.
But it doesn't really wrap up. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. It looks like the author went ahead and wrote a longer version of the story where maybe things are resolved. But I don't really feel like reading that. I wish this would have been a standalone story.
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The Invitation by L.P. Lovell and Stevie J. Cole (4 stars)
(Read 11/18/2025 to 11/18/2025)
A rich man named Tobias is obsessed with a college student named Preston. And he likes to play games. When he finds out Preston is just as dark and depraved as he is, he makes plans to coerce Preston into being his partner in the games he plays.
Easily my favorite story in the anthology. This one was actually good enough that I want to read the book it's a prequel to. Preston and Tobias are dark and depraved and I loved it. They have great chemistry together and I can't wait to see what other games they play in the full book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2022
Currently I have just read Rune by Dana Isaly and it was freaking amazing, twisted and sinfully delicious! I can’t wait to get more from Rune and Cash! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Read
February 24, 2022 3.5 ★
Rune by Dana Isaly
In a carnival run by demons, Rune is ready to meet his Fated and make him see what the future holds, but there may be some surprises for all.
In this paranormal short story, the connection between Rune and Cash is palpable, especially due to Rune’s watchful gaze and magnetism. The setting is also intriguing, as I can’t resist a demonic circus. However, the ending was rather open ended, leading to more questions and lessening the impact. I also wonder if this short story is meant to be a teaser for a full book.
4.5 ★
Bad Blood by C.A. Rene
In this Hansel & Gretel dark retelling, Johnny and Pearl learn how to adapt to their new surroundings with the Witch and family bonds are redefined.
My, my, my, this story packed a punch, especially given the length. Full of character development, and with unexpectedly alluring themes, I was pleased by the direction of the plot and the temptations.
*This was a (F)BR with with Twinsie Hawkey!*
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Rune by Dana Isaly
In a carnival run by demons, Rune is ready to meet his Fated and make him see what the future holds, but there may be some surprises for all.
“He’s fucking perfect for me. He has no idea that the chase is the best part to a demon.”
In this paranormal short story, the connection between Rune and Cash is palpable, especially due to Rune’s watchful gaze and magnetism. The setting is also intriguing, as I can’t resist a demonic circus. However, the ending was rather open ended, leading to more questions and lessening the impact. I also wonder if this short story is meant to be a teaser for a full book.
4.5 ★
Bad Blood by C.A. Rene
In this Hansel & Gretel dark retelling, Johnny and Pearl learn how to adapt to their new surroundings with the Witch and family bonds are redefined.
“How can something so wrong feel so right?”
My, my, my, this story packed a punch, especially given the length. Full of character development, and with unexpectedly alluring themes, I was pleased by the direction of the plot and the temptations.
*This was a (F)BR with with Twinsie Hawkey!*
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
January 20, 2022
(I have only read 1 story so far)
RUIN by Dana Isaly
OMGP - 😱😱😱😈😈😈😈🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Demon finding his human mate! Rock my world! Like, you think demons 😈 would be kinky and full of mischief and love the chase - and Dana did NOT disappoint with Ruin!the white hair and skin, the blue/silver eyes, the familiar snake that plays on his body, the paint he puts on - all screams YES! And, a top being topped - magnificent. I loved that Cash almost turned it around on Ruin but still fought it! Valiant effort!
But, OH THE TEASE DANA! with this 😱😱😱😱 I am watching 👀 - hard for the rest of the tale - of Ruin and Cash, plus the fate of the carnival if hell is on earth!
RUIN by Dana Isaly
OMGP - 😱😱😱😈😈😈😈🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Demon finding his human mate! Rock my world! Like, you think demons 😈 would be kinky and full of mischief and love the chase - and Dana did NOT disappoint with Ruin!the white hair and skin, the blue/silver eyes, the familiar snake that plays on his body, the paint he puts on - all screams YES! And, a top being topped - magnificent. I loved that Cash almost turned it around on Ruin but still fought it! Valiant effort!
But, OH THE TEASE DANA! with this 😱😱😱😱 I am watching 👀 - hard for the rest of the tale - of Ruin and Cash, plus the fate of the carnival if hell is on earth!
March 7, 2022
Coerced: A Dubcon Anthology includes a series of short dubcon stories written by various authors. My review focused on Dana Isaly's short story "Rune" however I am redacting it.
I give Rune 1 star, however, the other books in this anthology were great!
I give Rune 1 star, however, the other books in this anthology were great!
January 20, 2022
Interesting range of novellas
Cracks - Ally Vance 4.5⭐️
Dark 3/5
Heat 3/5
Ex Charon assassin, novella. Dub-con. MM.
“I only hope he can hold out long enough to fully sate the craving that flows through my veins.”
This I enjoyed! Ms. Vance’s style was a pleasure to read. Spot on the theme for me. Well written, tidy novella.
Jonathon’s pursuit of Vincent, and not in a pleasant way, created an interesting antihero. His methods fit the character perfectly, and Vincent is attracted to his captor. You don’t need to have read the Obsidian Elite, they are short and worth picking up.
I’d love to read more from these two.
***
S. Rena & BL Mute - It Starts With Me 3.5⭐️
Mafia themed prequel. M/F Prostitution/drugs/coercion.
Dark 2/5
“In this world— this lifestyle— one wrong move, and you’re dead. It’s something he instilled in me, and I took it to heart.”
Ward of the state, taken in from the streets and groomed by the Gallo family. Growing mistrust from within theme, assuming other profitable areas.
***
Abigail Davies - Luca Beretta 3 ⭐️
Mafia theme. Drug trade, family feuds.
Dark 2/5
Plot - mafia prequel. Old style mafia territory takeover vs newer generation. Dual POV crossovers did repeat a little.
***
C.A. Rene - Bad Blood 3 ⭐️
Hansel & Gretel retelling. M/F F/F scene. Ince$t.
Dark 2/5
Heat - gothic - not romance for me. It is a taboo trope.
Twisted take on Hansel and Gretel. Not the author’s usual writing style. We all know the story of the witch and her lure. Certainty turned it upside down in a witch/siren style entrapment.
***
Cracks - Ally Vance 4.5⭐️
Dark 3/5
Heat 3/5
Ex Charon assassin, novella. Dub-con. MM.
“I only hope he can hold out long enough to fully sate the craving that flows through my veins.”
This I enjoyed! Ms. Vance’s style was a pleasure to read. Spot on the theme for me. Well written, tidy novella.
Jonathon’s pursuit of Vincent, and not in a pleasant way, created an interesting antihero. His methods fit the character perfectly, and Vincent is attracted to his captor. You don’t need to have read the Obsidian Elite, they are short and worth picking up.
I’d love to read more from these two.
***
S. Rena & BL Mute - It Starts With Me 3.5⭐️
Mafia themed prequel. M/F Prostitution/drugs/coercion.
Dark 2/5
“In this world— this lifestyle— one wrong move, and you’re dead. It’s something he instilled in me, and I took it to heart.”
Ward of the state, taken in from the streets and groomed by the Gallo family. Growing mistrust from within theme, assuming other profitable areas.
***
Abigail Davies - Luca Beretta 3 ⭐️
Mafia theme. Drug trade, family feuds.
Dark 2/5
Plot - mafia prequel. Old style mafia territory takeover vs newer generation. Dual POV crossovers did repeat a little.
***
C.A. Rene - Bad Blood 3 ⭐️
Hansel & Gretel retelling. M/F F/F scene. Ince$t.
Dark 2/5
Heat - gothic - not romance for me. It is a taboo trope.
Twisted take on Hansel and Gretel. Not the author’s usual writing style. We all know the story of the witch and her lure. Certainty turned it upside down in a witch/siren style entrapment.
***
Want to read
January 19, 2022
Luca Beretta by Abigail Davis
The Devil's Melancholy by Yolanda Olsen
Rune by Dana Islay
Dancing With The Devil by Isabel Lucero
Into The Fox's Den by A.D. McCammon
Bad Blood by C.A. Rene
It Starts With Us by S. Rena & BL Mute
Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker
Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn
Cracks by Ally Vance
Painted In the Shadows by Nichole Green
The Invitation by LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole
The Devil's Melancholy by Yolanda Olsen
Rune by Dana Islay
Dancing With The Devil by Isabel Lucero
Into The Fox's Den by A.D. McCammon
Bad Blood by C.A. Rene
It Starts With Us by S. Rena & BL Mute
Explicit Vows by J.M. Walker
Darkest Devotion by Persephone Autumn
Cracks by Ally Vance
Painted In the Shadows by Nichole Green
The Invitation by LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole
January 24, 2022
Review for Bad Blood by CA Rene
MA'AM!! I loved Bad Blood! Love the Hansel and Gretel theme. Pearl does what she can to take back her life after it was stolen from her and after she was lied to. Go into this story with an open mind.
Go grab this antho before it disappears, will be the only time you can read this short story until all of CA's retellings are published.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Review for Rune by Dana Isaly
OMG!!! Rune and Cash are 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I loved this and I would love to see more from this world. The whole circus/demon theme is very intriguing.
If you have loved Dana's other short, spicy reads, you will love this one!
MA'AM!! I loved Bad Blood! Love the Hansel and Gretel theme. Pearl does what she can to take back her life after it was stolen from her and after she was lied to. Go into this story with an open mind.
Go grab this antho before it disappears, will be the only time you can read this short story until all of CA's retellings are published.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Review for Rune by Dana Isaly
OMG!!! Rune and Cash are 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I loved this and I would love to see more from this world. The whole circus/demon theme is very intriguing.
If you have loved Dana's other short, spicy reads, you will love this one!
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