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Pleasure & Prey #2
Brutal
Nothing bad happens at summer camp.
That’s what my fellow camp counselors have convinced me of when the nights around the lake get a little eerie.
But when the kids all go home and the counselors throw a party on our last night at Camp Clearwater, things change. None of us could have suspected that there was a stranger watching us or that our machete-wielding visitor doesn’t seem to like that we’re here. But when I'm attacked in the woods, he unexpectedly comes to my rescue in the most ruthless way.
Wren is terrifying, unpredictable, and possessive in a way that terrifies me. I should go to the police and stay away from him at all costs. Instead, I find myself letting him in every time he comes to play.
Can a brutal butcher ever really fall for me, or am I going to become his next victim?
*Brutal is a contemporary dark romance standalone set in the Pleasure & Prey universe. This is an MF romance. Please see author’s note at the front of the book using the ‘look inside the book’ feature for a full list of content warnings.
That’s what my fellow camp counselors have convinced me of when the nights around the lake get a little eerie.
But when the kids all go home and the counselors throw a party on our last night at Camp Clearwater, things change. None of us could have suspected that there was a stranger watching us or that our machete-wielding visitor doesn’t seem to like that we’re here. But when I'm attacked in the woods, he unexpectedly comes to my rescue in the most ruthless way.
Wren is terrifying, unpredictable, and possessive in a way that terrifies me. I should go to the police and stay away from him at all costs. Instead, I find myself letting him in every time he comes to play.
Can a brutal butcher ever really fall for me, or am I going to become his next victim?
*Brutal is a contemporary dark romance standalone set in the Pleasure & Prey universe. This is an MF romance. Please see author’s note at the front of the book using the ‘look inside the book’ feature for a full list of content warnings.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2023
690 people are currently reading
3916 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Merlin
44 books2,035 followersAJ Merlin would rather write epic love stories than live them. I mean, who wants to limit themselves to only falling in love once? She is obsessed with dark fantasy, true crime, and also dogs. From serial killers to voyeurs all the way down to the devil himself, AJ's specialty is in writing irredeemable heroes who somehow still manage to captivate their heroines (and her readers).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
January 30, 2023
This book is basically a Friday the 13th movie if Jason fell in love with one of the camp counselors he tried to murder and had a lot of kinky sex with her.
And It's one of the best books I have ever read.
And It's one of the best books I have ever read.
October 9, 2024
Serial killer/stalker obsessed with camp counselor!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🩵🖤💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: ☺️😆😎😚🥰
The heroine: Hazel - she is in her early twenties, was eight credits from graduating college when her scholarship ran out and has been working odd jobs ever since. For the last two months she has been working as a camp counselor at Camp Clearwater. Though it is August, the kids have all gone home and this is the last night when the counselors have a chance to have an end of the summer party. Hazel tends to get sick when she drinks alcohol, so she isn’t drinking. She is worrying about her life, the girl found dead nearby and the murderer in the woods who has now killed three people in just a few weeks. She is also trying to stay clear of Brett, the twenty-seven-year-old son of the owner of the camp, who keeps trying to get her alone.
The Hero: Wren - he is a serial killer and has serial killer friends. He stalks Hazel when she is a camp counselor, often watching her from the woods. He becomes obsessed with her and when he finally lets her see him, she doesn’t really see him since he wears a mask. He is extremely normal and likable for a serial killer and a stalker.
The Story: When Hazel takes a walk with Brett and he starts to assault her, she is surprised when he is suddenly murdered in front of her. Brett’s neck is cut with a machete, and she is covered in his blood with the murderer wearing a mask staring at her and touching her face. Then he walks past her leaving her alive. Though she is afraid he is on his way to kill all her friends so she does what she can to stop him and runs. Wren catches her and kisses her but doesn’t kill her.
I read Depraved, the first book in this series a few months ago and really liked it. I mentioned in my review that I liked the group of serial killers that Virgil hung around, and though I don’t remember that part of the book, I suspect Wren was one of them. I also liked the fact that they were like Dexter in that they only murdered people who deserved it, like Brett. I really like stalker romance, and I love the fact that Wren is an unapologetic stalker and has no qualms about what he is and does.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🩵🖤💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: ☺️😆😎😚🥰
The heroine: Hazel - she is in her early twenties, was eight credits from graduating college when her scholarship ran out and has been working odd jobs ever since. For the last two months she has been working as a camp counselor at Camp Clearwater. Though it is August, the kids have all gone home and this is the last night when the counselors have a chance to have an end of the summer party. Hazel tends to get sick when she drinks alcohol, so she isn’t drinking. She is worrying about her life, the girl found dead nearby and the murderer in the woods who has now killed three people in just a few weeks. She is also trying to stay clear of Brett, the twenty-seven-year-old son of the owner of the camp, who keeps trying to get her alone.
The Hero: Wren - he is a serial killer and has serial killer friends. He stalks Hazel when she is a camp counselor, often watching her from the woods. He becomes obsessed with her and when he finally lets her see him, she doesn’t really see him since he wears a mask. He is extremely normal and likable for a serial killer and a stalker.
The Story: When Hazel takes a walk with Brett and he starts to assault her, she is surprised when he is suddenly murdered in front of her. Brett’s neck is cut with a machete, and she is covered in his blood with the murderer wearing a mask staring at her and touching her face. Then he walks past her leaving her alive. Though she is afraid he is on his way to kill all her friends so she does what she can to stop him and runs. Wren catches her and kisses her but doesn’t kill her.
I read Depraved, the first book in this series a few months ago and really liked it. I mentioned in my review that I liked the group of serial killers that Virgil hung around, and though I don’t remember that part of the book, I suspect Wren was one of them. I also liked the fact that they were like Dexter in that they only murdered people who deserved it, like Brett. I really like stalker romance, and I love the fact that Wren is an unapologetic stalker and has no qualms about what he is and does.
“I… I’ll help you. I’ll be your alibi, okay?”
“You’ll be my girlfriend,” he corrects, closing the distance once more until his lips brush mine. “My perfect, gorgeous girlfriend who craves her big, bad serial killer to pin her down and hunt her just like she deserves.”
“How did you know I like to eat here?”
He takes another bite and replies, without hesitating, “Because I’ve been following you.”
“Stalking me, you mean.”
“If that’s what you want to hear, then yes, Hazel. I’ve been stalking you for weeks now.”
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May 12, 2023
This second book in the Pleasure and Prey series totally ticked a lot of my boxes. It had a slight edge for me on the first book in terms of enjoyment though I also liked that one a lot. This one focuses on the friend Wren and he may have seemed totally affable in that one but here we saw a whole new side of him and I adored it.
The contrast between his charm and psychotic serial killer tendencies is extreme Wren is the true definition of a sociopath and the fact that he doesn’t really have a victim type and is definitely a spree killer makes his actions definitely more sinister. He very much gave me an old-school slasher-type vibe maybe because of the summer camp references and his machete.
I really liked Hazel like the first heroine she has her issues but she’s very much a good person. She has no idea she has acquired a stalker in Wren and their first encounter was dramatic and intense, to say the least. Wren literally terrorises Hazel chasing her through the woods getting off on her fear before unexpectedly letting her go.
I loved the primal prey-type vibe to their encounters and the fact he calls Hazel Bunny. Wren is unhinged definitely and before he fixated on Hazel he was definitely spiralling. The fact that he appears so sane definitely makes Wren feel more dangerous.
We have appearances from past characters who again pop up here and this also had some added danger in the form of a police detective who is determined to apprehend Wren and uses Hazel to accomplish this. This was sexy and different and very enjoyable. It’s not the darkest serial killer romance I’ve read being quite light in its tone and the romance between these two isn’t really that toxic but I did love them as a unit together and Wren is definitely totally all in and obsessed with his bunny.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
February 1, 2023
A mf dark romance with a serial killer who falls in love with a camp counselor during one of his killing sprees. This book starts off promising as it jumps right into the action and seems to deliver on its dark premise. However, after those first initial chapters, we leave the camp setting and never come back to it. Most of the book is spent at the fmc's apartment with an fmc that shows zero evidence of having any type of survival instinct. She gets over the whole serial killer thing almost immediately and comes across as a total airhead. Both the setting and the fmc's personality took away from the taboo-ness and tension of their relationship and made the majority of the book feel like a regular old rom com with the occasional mention of murder. Two stars for the exciting beginning, but the rest of the book was just... *crickets*
November 24, 2023
I finished book 2, and I LOVE WREN!! he was alittle craY but had some humor to him. His prey, his little bunny, is Hazel he's been watching her from afar since camp and doesn't like anyone coming after his girl. He makes sure the douche who tried to do stuff to her suffered. That's where the story begins. The up and downs between them were cute she wasn't scared really of him being a serial killer she was okay. Which made me laugh. All these girls are super chill that the men are killers.
He does use her for like 2.5 seconds as a cover up incase someone tries to arrest him. And he leaves her alone, but it doesn't last he's back, showing his bunny all the love. We also get to meet some friends of there's and we have a problem with an ex-cop who wants Wren behind bars.
We see new killer who is darker than the guys (I think), and I wish we had more hea for Hazel and Wren lol. But it was a good book.
No ow/om drama (beside one douche), no cheating, slight secondary character, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Slowinsta
23h/27H
Dub-con
Primal play
Seperation ( a few times, nothing Long)
Cnc
Spanking (once)
Violence
Mild- delegation
Choking
Murder
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
He does use her for like 2.5 seconds as a cover up incase someone tries to arrest him. And he leaves her alone, but it doesn't last he's back, showing his bunny all the love. We also get to meet some friends of there's and we have a problem with an ex-cop who wants Wren behind bars.
We see new killer who is darker than the guys (I think), and I wish we had more hea for Hazel and Wren lol. But it was a good book.
No ow/om drama (beside one douche), no cheating, slight secondary character, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Slowinsta
23h/27H
Dub-con
Primal play
Seperation ( a few times, nothing Long)
Cnc
Spanking (once)
Violence
Mild- delegation
Choking
Murder
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
January 12, 2025
Killer at the Lake~!
There is probably even less plot here than there was with the first book, but I cannot help myself from loving them. Also, I'm pretty sure we were introduced to a new possible lead???
I really hope Cass is next because these books have seriously been hyping him, but Jed would be soooo fun. And will we ever see Kat???
There is probably even less plot here than there was with the first book, but I cannot help myself from loving them. Also, I'm pretty sure we were introduced to a new possible lead???
I really hope Cass is next because these books have seriously been hyping him, but Jed would be soooo fun. And will we ever see Kat???
January 8, 2025
Cons: He's a serial killer based on Jason from Friday the 13th.
Pros: He pays for you to finish your degree!
Cons: He killed a few too many people so the police are looking at him.
Pros: He's just a silly guy!
Pros: He pays for you to finish your degree!
Cons: He killed a few too many people so the police are looking at him.
Pros: He's just a silly guy!
June 9, 2024
4.75 stars!
Wren in Brutal was SO good. SOOOO good y'all. A serial killer with a penchant for the machete and Jason vibes...he was the best red flags rolled into one hot package. Hazel finds herself in a bad situation and Wren saves her. Caught in this killer's sights now, she will never escape him. And she isn't sure she wants to.
Wren initially uses Hazel for an alibi but that quickly changes and their worlds go in an entirely different direction. Wren was possessive and obsessed and liked to hunt his little bunny. I loved his particular brand of love. Hazel was such a fun character and her loyalty and adoration was adorable. Brutal was action packed and super smutty in all the stalkerish, serial killer ways! Can't wait to read the next one!
Wren in Brutal was SO good. SOOOO good y'all. A serial killer with a penchant for the machete and Jason vibes...he was the best red flags rolled into one hot package. Hazel finds herself in a bad situation and Wren saves her. Caught in this killer's sights now, she will never escape him. And she isn't sure she wants to.
“I want you to run as hard as you can until you collapse in the dirt again. Then I want to hunt you down and ruin you so completely that you’ll never be able to stand being without me. I’ll find all the ways to make you mine that there could ever be, and invent a few of my own.”
Wren initially uses Hazel for an alibi but that quickly changes and their worlds go in an entirely different direction. Wren was possessive and obsessed and liked to hunt his little bunny. I loved his particular brand of love. Hazel was such a fun character and her loyalty and adoration was adorable. Brutal was action packed and super smutty in all the stalkerish, serial killer ways! Can't wait to read the next one!
“You’re all for me, and just mine. And I will never, ever let you go.”
February 3, 2023
I really need to do a re-read of the first book. I think the little murder club was introduced at the end of the first book. I can't remember. Was momentarily confused at the beginning. I was like huh, another camping one? I liked how real Hazel was and Wren-despite what he was-took care of her. They made a sweet couple.
I really thought Hazel would be the one offing the cop. Nice to see she didn't have to get her hands dirty. Sloane and Virgil cuddle time was cute. I'm curious about Cass and Jed, although eww to the cannibalism. Will be interesting. Also curious about the stranger that saved them. Why did Wren charge in with a machete? For a killer he was predictable. Its a good thing he has his bunny now.
FMC - Hazel Teague
MC - Wren Crystal
Supporting characters - Sloane & Virgil (First book couple), Jed and Cass
Bad guy - Wren. Cop.
I really thought Hazel would be the one offing the cop. Nice to see she didn't have to get her hands dirty. Sloane and Virgil cuddle time was cute. I'm curious about Cass and Jed, although eww to the cannibalism. Will be interesting. Also curious about the stranger that saved them. Why did Wren charge in with a machete? For a killer he was predictable. Its a good thing he has his bunny now.
FMC - Hazel Teague
MC - Wren Crystal
Supporting characters - Sloane & Virgil (First book couple), Jed and Cass
Bad guy - Wren. Cop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2025
Expectations: summer camp slaughter and sexy Jason Voorhees having primal play with a camp counselor.
Reality: slightly dark romcom with a mediocre serial unaliver H and dead inside h. The camp setting is barely even here.
Reality: slightly dark romcom with a mediocre serial unaliver H and dead inside h. The camp setting is barely even here.
May 11, 2023
I loved the first book in this series but this one felt like the story was trying to be retold and just didn’t hit the mark for me.
Hazel seemed to just exist and there wasn’t anything I found redeeming about Wren. Are you asking yourself why I want to find something to like in a serial killer? Well the first one had it! 😂
The danger plot that threatened the relationship seemed pulled out of thin air and stretched overboard to make sense.
I might eventually pick up the series if I can find the motivation but this was disappointing.
Hazel seemed to just exist and there wasn’t anything I found redeeming about Wren. Are you asking yourself why I want to find something to like in a serial killer? Well the first one had it! 😂
The danger plot that threatened the relationship seemed pulled out of thin air and stretched overboard to make sense.
I might eventually pick up the series if I can find the motivation but this was disappointing.
October 21, 2024
The gritty, foreboding book cover doesn't even represent the energy of what was actually written. Did I also read somewhere that this is 'BDSM'? How so?
One reviewer said it best: This book does not read as a serial killer in love with one of his victims. It's very much a couple acting out their serial killer roleplay fantasy. It is also in no fucking way BDSM themed.
I found myself scrubbing through the book in boredom after Wren and FMC (I honestly can't even remember her damn name, jfc) meet up with his friends, and I had to go back because even though this book is told from the FMC's first-person POV, the author ended up revealing to the reader that one of Wren's friends is named Cass before Cass had even officially introduced himself to the FMC:
I've put this book on my DNF. It read nothing like the serial killer horror romance the summary and book cover insinuated it to be. I never once got any "heavily tattooed, big muscles" vibes from Wren, especially because he was never even described that way if the vague-ass description of him to begin with was anything to go by. I don't even remember if the author described the color of his eyes, ffs. I just remember he had dark hair. Hell, his two friends, Jed and Cass, were described in better detail than Wren.
And if the characters hadn't kept "telling" the reader that Wren was a serial killer, because they literally kept saying he was one, I would have forgotten than he was meant to be said serial killer. No one cares that Wren kills people, apparently.
All in all, massive disappointment and I'm sort of offended that so many people are shilling this book like it's top-tier writing, especially for the serial killer/bdsm/dark romance genres.
I have literally read Jason Voorhees/Reader indulgence fanfiction that is worthier of this book's 4-star rating.
April 20, 2025
»You can't really think I'm going to kill you, little rabbit.«
»Aren't you?«
»No. Why would I get you flowers if I were going to murder you?«
★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒍 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I liked her. She is a good person although a little naive and crazy in her own way.
❥ 𝑾𝒓𝒆𝒏 ࣪⋆✮
What a psycho. He is a serial killer and a stalker and completely obsessed with Hazel.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
I don‘t know what the author puts in these books but they‘re so fun to read. Of course they‘re morally dark and not funny at all considering the serial killer and stalker part but the whole story is silly in his own way. It is a dark but easy going storyline and I laughed a lot. The perfect mix of humour, dark romance and crazy characters.
Hazel and Wren are like fire and water. She is kind and caring while he is a serial killer. I liked their dynamic and Hazels brave side. Of course she is kind of crazy in the way she falls for a serial killer like it is no big deal but it‘s a book so I think that‘s okay. There is no reason to take this book serious at all. It‘s an entertaining story and I had a good time reading it.
I can‘t describe why I like these books so much. The plot is dark and brutal and the characters are unrelatable and crazy but that‘s exactly the vibe I think? It‘s one of these books you don‘t need a functioning brain and can just enjoy the ride.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 3/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 4/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, instant attraction, stalker, he falls first and harder, touch her and die, masked man, serial killer, age gap, she is his alibi, he brings her food
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Depraved ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Brutal ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3 Vicious ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#4 Delicious ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#5 Heartless ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
»Aren't you?«
»No. Why would I get you flowers if I were going to murder you?«
★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒍 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I liked her. She is a good person although a little naive and crazy in her own way.
❥ 𝑾𝒓𝒆𝒏 ࣪⋆✮
What a psycho. He is a serial killer and a stalker and completely obsessed with Hazel.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
I don‘t know what the author puts in these books but they‘re so fun to read. Of course they‘re morally dark and not funny at all considering the serial killer and stalker part but the whole story is silly in his own way. It is a dark but easy going storyline and I laughed a lot. The perfect mix of humour, dark romance and crazy characters.
Hazel and Wren are like fire and water. She is kind and caring while he is a serial killer. I liked their dynamic and Hazels brave side. Of course she is kind of crazy in the way she falls for a serial killer like it is no big deal but it‘s a book so I think that‘s okay. There is no reason to take this book serious at all. It‘s an entertaining story and I had a good time reading it.
I can‘t describe why I like these books so much. The plot is dark and brutal and the characters are unrelatable and crazy but that‘s exactly the vibe I think? It‘s one of these books you don‘t need a functioning brain and can just enjoy the ride.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 3/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 4/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, instant attraction, stalker, he falls first and harder, touch her and die, masked man, serial killer, age gap, she is his alibi, he brings her food
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Depraved ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Brutal ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3 Vicious ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#4 Delicious ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#5 Heartless ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
February 25, 2024
Um okay. Didn't think that I would be into that but I'm learning new things apparently.
March 22, 2025
Reread March 2025. Still my favorite that I bumped it up a star now that I finished the series. Wren was just perfect to be honest. In a serial killer book mind you. The primal aspect plus the chase was what I loved most. Plus, his mouth. The FMC here was also the least annoying 🙈😂
I'm a fan of Halloween and I started a little early this year. My fav in the series because of nutty Wren. All these stories are based in Ohio, (where I was born), so I was intrigued. This is most definitely a work of fiction, but the character's time together, though deranged, was hot. Camp counselor meets ax murderer, and romance story begins. He chases her and plays with her out in the woods. Wren is nuts I must say again. He likes to kill. He's redeemable in the book, but only slightly. Not your normal romance. She realizes who he is and she overlooks everything. Because you know he's hot 😂. Which she doesn't say, but why else? 🙈 Anyways, entertaining story for sure. NOT for everyone.
I'm a fan of Halloween and I started a little early this year. My fav in the series because of nutty Wren. All these stories are based in Ohio, (where I was born), so I was intrigued. This is most definitely a work of fiction, but the character's time together, though deranged, was hot. Camp counselor meets ax murderer, and romance story begins. He chases her and plays with her out in the woods. Wren is nuts I must say again. He likes to kill. He's redeemable in the book, but only slightly. Not your normal romance. She realizes who he is and she overlooks everything. Because you know he's hot 😂. Which she doesn't say, but why else? 🙈 Anyways, entertaining story for sure. NOT for everyone.
October 10, 2024
—𝑻𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒐 —𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒍𝒕𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆, 𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒓 𝒖𝒏 𝒑𝒖ñ𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒛𝒐 𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒍 𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒐. —𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒛á 𝒏𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒐 𝒐𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒔. 𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒛á 𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒂 𝒖𝒏 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒍, 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒍... —𝑴𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒂 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒔 𝒐𝒋𝒐𝒔, 𝒂𝒖𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒐. —𝑻𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒂 𝒎𝒖𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒆, 𝒋𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓.
Read
September 2, 2023I will not be taking questions at this time
July 1, 2024
Los primeros capítulos me parecieron interesantes pero luego fue aburrido.
September 28, 2023
Tropes:
🖤Michael Myers inspired MC
🖤Stalker
🖤Age Gap
🖤CNC
This second book in the Pleasure and Prey series totally ticked a lot of my boxes. It had a slight edge for me on the first book in terms of enjoyment though I also liked that one a lot. This one focuses on the friend Wren and he may have seemed totally affable in that one but here we saw a whole new side of him and I adored it.
The contrast between his charm and psychotic serial killer tendencies is extreme Wren is the true definition of a sociopath and the fact that he doesn’t really have a victim type and is definitely a spree killer makes his actions definitely more sinister. He very much gave me an old-school slasher-type vibe maybe because of the summer camp references and his machete.
I really liked Hazel like the first heroine she has her issues but she’s very much a good person. She has no idea she has acquired a stalker in Wren and their first encounter was dramatic and intense, to say the least. Wren literally terrorises Hazel chasing her through the woods getting off on her fear before unexpectedly letting her go.
I loved the primal prey-type vibe to their encounters and the fact he calls Hazel Bunny. Wren is unhinged definitely and before he fixated on Hazel he was definitely spiralling. The fact that he appears so sane definitely makes Wren feel more dangerous.
More detailed review here: https://bookswithnatasa.home.blog/202...
🖤Michael Myers inspired MC
🖤Stalker
🖤Age Gap
🖤CNC
This second book in the Pleasure and Prey series totally ticked a lot of my boxes. It had a slight edge for me on the first book in terms of enjoyment though I also liked that one a lot. This one focuses on the friend Wren and he may have seemed totally affable in that one but here we saw a whole new side of him and I adored it.
The contrast between his charm and psychotic serial killer tendencies is extreme Wren is the true definition of a sociopath and the fact that he doesn’t really have a victim type and is definitely a spree killer makes his actions definitely more sinister. He very much gave me an old-school slasher-type vibe maybe because of the summer camp references and his machete.
I really liked Hazel like the first heroine she has her issues but she’s very much a good person. She has no idea she has acquired a stalker in Wren and their first encounter was dramatic and intense, to say the least. Wren literally terrorises Hazel chasing her through the woods getting off on her fear before unexpectedly letting her go.
I loved the primal prey-type vibe to their encounters and the fact he calls Hazel Bunny. Wren is unhinged definitely and before he fixated on Hazel he was definitely spiralling. The fact that he appears so sane definitely makes Wren feel more dangerous.
More detailed review here: https://bookswithnatasa.home.blog/202...
February 12, 2025
I don’t know if I should be concerned that I loved this and defended wren at every turn, or concerned that it took me this long for read the second book in this series after loving the first..
Wren, I don’t know how a serial killer can be so scary and horrifying, but also so cute and caring and precious at the same time…
I loved Hazel. From the first second when she said she hated drinking and doesn’t like kids, I felt seen. She’s such a strong FMC, and i’m so happy to see more girlies added to the friend group.
I loved the found family aspect in this story compared to the first one, adding more and more into the story and family dynamic of this band of brothers.
I think I might be obsessed. With AJ Merlin’s writing, and this entire world. And i’ve never been more excited to be addicted.
Wren, I don’t know how a serial killer can be so scary and horrifying, but also so cute and caring and precious at the same time…
I loved Hazel. From the first second when she said she hated drinking and doesn’t like kids, I felt seen. She’s such a strong FMC, and i’m so happy to see more girlies added to the friend group.
I loved the found family aspect in this story compared to the first one, adding more and more into the story and family dynamic of this band of brothers.
I think I might be obsessed. With AJ Merlin’s writing, and this entire world. And i’ve never been more excited to be addicted.
January 29, 2023
This definitely at first gave me Jason vibes & that's what I was expecting at first, so it threw me off guard when her serial killer actually showed some personality. I liked how his character was portrayed, but I'm not really sure the love interest was THAT believable.. (straight arrowed girl falls for a serial killer right away.)
This was a fun and good book to read though and I loved the twist that it had.
This was a fun and good book to read though and I loved the twist that it had.
November 11, 2025
Wren fand ich schon im Vorband super und dieser Band hat es nur bestätigt. Ich mochte auch Hazel und die Geschichte war mehr wholesome als ich es erwartet hatte. Ich hatte allerdings gehofft dass das Sommercamp ein wenig mehr Platz in dem Buch einnimmt. Auch so ging alles wieder recht schnell aber es war auch wieder top unterhaltsam. Spannend war hier auch die Einführung zum Love interest im nächsten Buch.
January 12, 2025
Book 1: 3.5*
3-3.5*
3-3.5*
April 2, 2023
I liked this one way more than the first one. An unapologetic serial killer and his prey-turned-true-love. What’s not to like?
March 12, 2023
serial killer H/ primal/rough H/CNC/better than book 1
I’d say 3.5 for this one.
Liked this one more than book 1. The H is more my jam.
Some things 💕
-serial killer H that wields a machete.
-camp Consoler for the summer h
-he’s been watching her all summer from the woods-she’s never noticed …
-until one night a douche from camp tries to take advantage of her in the woods and find himself ☠️ in front of her.
-H is obsessed, and aggressive.
-calls her little rabbit, little bunny
-cuts her clothes from her (atleast in the beginning)
-spanks her (once)
-has dominate vibes and feels more aggressive than the last H
-primal scenes
-H likes the fight
-dub con/CNC vibes but theirs not safe words in this one and I love it
-h bites H during smex and he is lovin it. This isn’t usual and I was down for it lol
-throat grabs and squeezing 🤤
-mild degradation that she likes (basically he makes her feel embarrassed by doing things or making her so things)
-some care taking like brushing her hair, feeds her
-breeding talk
-the dirty talk is good I think I highlighted so much lol 😆
-there’s moments where stuff is just missing. Example: the group of killer friends are in the living room making a plan and next paragraph it seems as if the H kicked everyone out and is upset? The fuck happened 😆
-separations: these are minimal but it’s there
1. after their initial meeting- I think it’s 1-2 weeks … possibly to a month before H shows up again and then reveals himself to her ((I can’t remember how long it may only be a week or so lol))
2. They have an arrangement and after it’s “ended”. He again disappears for 3 days I think saying he tried but he can’t stay away lol
-HFN… I wish we got more of an epilogue here but I’m guessing each book we will see prev couples a little
-NO OW/OM drama-No cheating- No sharing- in the beginning a guy into the h lured her into the woods but she doesn’t like him and well… he gets cut up for touching her lol 😆
This book to me was a lot better than book 1. In this book the H called Virgil from book 1 “soft” and I’d say that’s accurate. This H is def more primal, and rough. I enjoyed this and I’m sad no other books are out yet. I’m curious about Jed’s crazy and to learn more about Cass and idk who Kat is but i don’t like her already and idk why lol 😝
I’d say 3.5 for this one.
Liked this one more than book 1. The H is more my jam.
Some things 💕
-serial killer H that wields a machete.
-camp Consoler for the summer h
-he’s been watching her all summer from the woods-she’s never noticed …
-until one night a douche from camp tries to take advantage of her in the woods and find himself ☠️ in front of her.
-H is obsessed, and aggressive.
-calls her little rabbit, little bunny
-cuts her clothes from her (atleast in the beginning)
-spanks her (once)
-has dominate vibes and feels more aggressive than the last H
-primal scenes
-H likes the fight
-dub con/CNC vibes but theirs not safe words in this one and I love it
-h bites H during smex and he is lovin it. This isn’t usual and I was down for it lol
-throat grabs and squeezing 🤤
-mild degradation that she likes (basically he makes her feel embarrassed by doing things or making her so things)
-some care taking like brushing her hair, feeds her
-breeding talk
-the dirty talk is good I think I highlighted so much lol 😆
-there’s moments where stuff is just missing. Example: the group of killer friends are in the living room making a plan and next paragraph it seems as if the H kicked everyone out and is upset? The fuck happened 😆
-separations: these are minimal but it’s there
1. after their initial meeting- I think it’s 1-2 weeks … possibly to a month before H shows up again and then reveals himself to her ((I can’t remember how long it may only be a week or so lol))
2. They have an arrangement and after it’s “ended”. He again disappears for 3 days I think saying he tried but he can’t stay away lol
-HFN… I wish we got more of an epilogue here but I’m guessing each book we will see prev couples a little
-NO OW/OM drama-No cheating- No sharing- in the beginning a guy into the h lured her into the woods but she doesn’t like him and well… he gets cut up for touching her lol 😆
This book to me was a lot better than book 1. In this book the H called Virgil from book 1 “soft” and I’d say that’s accurate. This H is def more primal, and rough. I enjoyed this and I’m sad no other books are out yet. I’m curious about Jed’s crazy and to learn more about Cass and idk who Kat is but i don’t like her already and idk why lol 😝
January 30, 2023
4.25 stars.
can't wait for the next book, i love this series' heroes.
can't wait for the next book, i love this series' heroes.
May 20, 2024
“Maybe not like other people, Maybe it’s not normal love at all, but Hazel?” He meets my eyes, still smiling. “I fucking love you to death.”
You’d think with the above quote that this book is really good, right? Wrong.
To summarize, I didn’t like this book mainly because of how boring it was. The premise was very promising, the plot was very promising, but I feel like the author failed with their execution. Both the MMC and FMC lacked in many ways which was one of the main reasons why I felt like the book slacked.
Especially for a serial killer, you would think the MMC would have….more…to him. Did he though? No. He was so boring and I feel like the author tried to make the sex between the MC’s “really good and kinky” to make up for the lack of events and plot. The smut was nothing I haven’t read before either. Don’t get me wrong, there was some “drama” (if you can call it that) throughout the book and it wasn’t as bad as previous books I have read but this book just did not live up to my standards.
It sucks to say all this as well cause the story started off very strong and promising just to flatline from the 25-30% mark and onwards.
You’d think with the above quote that this book is really good, right? Wrong.
To summarize, I didn’t like this book mainly because of how boring it was. The premise was very promising, the plot was very promising, but I feel like the author failed with their execution. Both the MMC and FMC lacked in many ways which was one of the main reasons why I felt like the book slacked.
Especially for a serial killer, you would think the MMC would have….more…to him. Did he though? No. He was so boring and I feel like the author tried to make the sex between the MC’s “really good and kinky” to make up for the lack of events and plot. The smut was nothing I haven’t read before either. Don’t get me wrong, there was some “drama” (if you can call it that) throughout the book and it wasn’t as bad as previous books I have read but this book just did not live up to my standards.
It sucks to say all this as well cause the story started off very strong and promising just to flatline from the 25-30% mark and onwards.
April 21, 2025
Okay so technically, I dnf'ed this at 80% but I got far in enough to say I can give this a proper review. Plus, I am one of the biggest Jason Voorhees lovers out there looking for something to hit the right spot for me. This definitely wasn't it. Shame, because I'm from Akron, OH so this book taking place there was really funny to me.
The beginning showed promise like others said here, it starts out at the campground where our protagonist Hazel meets the Jason insert, Wren. I'm sorry, but Wren is such a goofy name for a character like him. Couldn't it have at least been a J name? Plus, he loses the mask almost immediately and starts talking, which is such a huge pet peeve of mine.
Even still, I tried to hold out in hopes we might get back to the camp at some point. According to other reviews, we don't, so I'm just glad I didn't waste any more time because it really does devolve into a generic rom-com with some edge. To borrow a comment someone else said here, I've read better Jason/Reader fanfics.
The beginning showed promise like others said here, it starts out at the campground where our protagonist Hazel meets the Jason insert, Wren. I'm sorry, but Wren is such a goofy name for a character like him. Couldn't it have at least been a J name? Plus, he loses the mask almost immediately and starts talking, which is such a huge pet peeve of mine.
Even still, I tried to hold out in hopes we might get back to the camp at some point. According to other reviews, we don't, so I'm just glad I didn't waste any more time because it really does devolve into a generic rom-com with some edge. To borrow a comment someone else said here, I've read better Jason/Reader fanfics.
January 9, 2025
Reread on 1/8/25: bumping this book up to five stars.
Another great book by AJ Merlin. I really liked Wren and Hazel! The only reason why I took away a star is because it felt less suspenseful than the first book. And that's probably because we already knew who the guy was. The first book had this unique feel to it because we knew nothing about what was happening, but for the story we've already met Wren in the first book before.
The ending also felt a little bit rushed but the introduction of that random character made me intrigued for the future.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Another great book by AJ Merlin. I really liked Wren and Hazel! The only reason why I took away a star is because it felt less suspenseful than the first book. And that's probably because we already knew who the guy was. The first book had this unique feel to it because we knew nothing about what was happening, but for the story we've already met Wren in the first book before.
The ending also felt a little bit rushed but the introduction of that random character made me intrigued for the future.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
July 1, 2023
It feels wrong for serial killer romances to be so hot
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