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Blood and Water #1
Red Roses & Black Dahlias
Survival is a funny thing.
It's a never-ending fight which, after a while, becomes second nature. All you have to do is find what makes you want to keep fighting, to keep going forward. Find what keeps you from spiralling and losing control.
For me, it was my sister.
The day she was born, I swore to protect her, to save her anytime she would need it. In her own way, she saved me too. They say a sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost, and I was determined to hang onto mine like a lifeline.
Then he came along and everything was turned upside down. I had to put my trust in his hands, something I had never done before, and pray everything went according to plan.
The problem with trust, is that it's a brittle little bitch, and the more it bends, the harder it breaks.
***
Red Roses and Black Dahlias is a full-length STANDALONE. It's part of the Blood and Water series which aims at exploring the depths to which one could go out of love for their sibling. It is destined to an 18+ public.
It's a never-ending fight which, after a while, becomes second nature. All you have to do is find what makes you want to keep fighting, to keep going forward. Find what keeps you from spiralling and losing control.
For me, it was my sister.
The day she was born, I swore to protect her, to save her anytime she would need it. In her own way, she saved me too. They say a sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost, and I was determined to hang onto mine like a lifeline.
Then he came along and everything was turned upside down. I had to put my trust in his hands, something I had never done before, and pray everything went according to plan.
The problem with trust, is that it's a brittle little bitch, and the more it bends, the harder it breaks.
***
Red Roses and Black Dahlias is a full-length STANDALONE. It's part of the Blood and Water series which aims at exploring the depths to which one could go out of love for their sibling. It is destined to an 18+ public.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2023
216 people are currently reading
8173 people want to read
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Want to read
March 18, 2024 You know those books that pop into your feed that the cover is gorgeous and the little snips of the plot sound amazing and you want to just stop everything you're doing and read it right now??
This. This is that book for me! Making high priority.
✨ Murder Mystery
✨ Twists on Twists
✨ Epic Romance
I'm freaking here for it!
This. This is that book for me! Making high priority.
✨ Murder Mystery
✨ Twists on Twists
✨ Epic Romance
I'm freaking here for it!
April 7, 2023
I used to dread my future, but with you, it feels like something I should look forward to instead.
This is the debut book of the Author and the story was SO FUCKING GOOD. 😳 It had similar vibes to MindFuck series.
It's about a Murder mystery, Sisterhood, Love & trust and I was so invested in this book! ✨
Please check the Trigger Warnings before reading this book. It involves some Dark topics.
Sofia Raymond: 19-20 Years old daughter of the Mayor. She's beautiful, resilient, fiery & short-tempered. She was skeptical and didn't trust anyone at all.
Maddox Brooks: He's a 28-Year-old Detective who is working on Sofia's parent's murder case. He had a perfect life.
PLOT:
The story started with the tragic murder of the parents of two sisters, Sofia & Valentina. Their parents were brutally murdered in front of them. Add to this story, the handsome detective who made it his responsibility to help & protect them.
You’ll be more than okay, Sofia. I’ll make damn sure of that.
Sofia & Maddox have known each other for years after Sofia moved to the town of Lakestone 5 years ago. On the night of the murder, after seeing Sofia alone & lost in the back of the ambulance he decided to take care of her. He made sure she and her sister were safe and took care of Sofia. 🥹
She was what was commonly known as a brat: spoiled, but lonely.
Sofia was Reckless, troubled, and was arrested several times for petty crimes. She was opinionated, outspoken, and didn't give a fuck about anyone in the town. She didn't have any friends because they either used her or weren't loyal to her. AND SHE WAS LOYAL TO A FAULT.
and I loved her dressing style! It was cool 🤷🏻♀️♥️
I knew over the years I had developed a certain sense of protectiveness over her.
Maddox saw something in Sofia and knew there were reasons she behave like that, and was intrigued. She would spend some nights in jail with him and he would always bail her out. He was protective of her from the start and after the whole incident, he took it upon himself to protect the Raymond Sisters.
Wherever we were, her eyes would always look for me first.
Sofia was scared but she still stayed strong. It was hard for her to trust anyone but she knew she could count on Maddox. She would feel comfortable in his presence and trusted him with her sister.
I didn’t want them to be separated on top of that. Not when they only had each other left.
The Child Protection Services took Valentina away from Sofia so that she can be with a new family for her good. Sofia was furious and both of them didn't want to leave each other so Maddox took custody of Valentina and made sure that the three of them lived together at his house.
My love language, like my sister would say, were acts of service.
Everyone deserves someone like Maddox! ✋🏻♥️
He was kind, gentle & caring. He was affectionate and responsible towards Valentina and she was fond of him. He did everything to make both the sisters feel at home and gave them safety and comfort. He never left them alone and started to get protective of both of them. I loved how he hugged or comforted Sofia whenever she was crying and was nice to her.
Damn he was cute when he blushed.
He would always blush whenever Sofia was near. It was cute though. 🥺
Final Thoughts:
1. It was fast-paced from the start.
2. I wouldn't call this Insta-lust or love because they've known each other for years but they were attracted to each other pretty quickly.
3. I kind of had mixed feelings about the way Sofia was dealing with her parent's death but 🤷🏻♀️ you'll get it.
4. The Plot twist was so unexpected and I was stunned. I had so many suspicions about the killer but THE TRUTH 😮 *chefs kiss 🤌🏻* I'm not gonna spoil this here.
5. The Backstory was hella heartbreaking! I literally cried for Sofia. She was such a broken character and it hurts to know what she had gone through. 😭💔
6. I loved the bond between the sisters She was super protective of Valentia and would freak out if something happened to her.
7. There were some flaws in the story. I mean the writing style was Average. (It's a debut book so I didn't mind a lot) But the STORY WAS SO AMAZING AND PERFECT. I loved it seriously!
8. It had repetition, and some cringy dialogues and I skimmed some chapters lol! 💀
9. The spicy scenes were hot ✨
10. His 'GOOD GIRL' 🥵😩
11. Also in chapter 23, the two girls who came to the cafe reminded me of Enid & Wednesday! 😂
Favourite Lines:
"It’s hot. I-I mean you’re hot— no! The drink, I made you hot chocolate, that’s what’s hot. Oh God."
"I don’t give a shit if you’re mad at me, Sofia. I am never spending another night away from you. Matter of fact, I’m never even going to bed while one of us is angry at the other. Life is too fucking short, and I’ll be damned if the last thing we said to each other were curse words or dumb threats we didn't even mean.”
"I found out I had a thing for black-haired girls with big attitudes and even bigger hearts.”
"Death doesn’t exist, people only die when we forget them."
This is the debut book of the Author and the story was SO FUCKING GOOD. 😳 It had similar vibes to MindFuck series.
It's about a Murder mystery, Sisterhood, Love & trust and I was so invested in this book! ✨
Please check the Trigger Warnings before reading this book. It involves some Dark topics.
Sofia Raymond: 19-20 Years old daughter of the Mayor. She's beautiful, resilient, fiery & short-tempered. She was skeptical and didn't trust anyone at all.
Maddox Brooks: He's a 28-Year-old Detective who is working on Sofia's parent's murder case. He had a perfect life.
PLOT:
The story started with the tragic murder of the parents of two sisters, Sofia & Valentina. Their parents were brutally murdered in front of them. Add to this story, the handsome detective who made it his responsibility to help & protect them.
You’ll be more than okay, Sofia. I’ll make damn sure of that.
Sofia & Maddox have known each other for years after Sofia moved to the town of Lakestone 5 years ago. On the night of the murder, after seeing Sofia alone & lost in the back of the ambulance he decided to take care of her. He made sure she and her sister were safe and took care of Sofia. 🥹
She was what was commonly known as a brat: spoiled, but lonely.
Sofia was Reckless, troubled, and was arrested several times for petty crimes. She was opinionated, outspoken, and didn't give a fuck about anyone in the town. She didn't have any friends because they either used her or weren't loyal to her. AND SHE WAS LOYAL TO A FAULT.
and I loved her dressing style! It was cool 🤷🏻♀️♥️
I knew over the years I had developed a certain sense of protectiveness over her.
Maddox saw something in Sofia and knew there were reasons she behave like that, and was intrigued. She would spend some nights in jail with him and he would always bail her out. He was protective of her from the start and after the whole incident, he took it upon himself to protect the Raymond Sisters.
Wherever we were, her eyes would always look for me first.
Sofia was scared but she still stayed strong. It was hard for her to trust anyone but she knew she could count on Maddox. She would feel comfortable in his presence and trusted him with her sister.
I didn’t want them to be separated on top of that. Not when they only had each other left.
The Child Protection Services took Valentina away from Sofia so that she can be with a new family for her good. Sofia was furious and both of them didn't want to leave each other so Maddox took custody of Valentina and made sure that the three of them lived together at his house.
My love language, like my sister would say, were acts of service.
Everyone deserves someone like Maddox! ✋🏻♥️
He was kind, gentle & caring. He was affectionate and responsible towards Valentina and she was fond of him. He did everything to make both the sisters feel at home and gave them safety and comfort. He never left them alone and started to get protective of both of them. I loved how he hugged or comforted Sofia whenever she was crying and was nice to her.
Damn he was cute when he blushed.
He would always blush whenever Sofia was near. It was cute though. 🥺
Final Thoughts:
1. It was fast-paced from the start.
2. I wouldn't call this Insta-lust or love because they've known each other for years but they were attracted to each other pretty quickly.
3. I kind of had mixed feelings about the way Sofia was dealing with her parent's death but 🤷🏻♀️ you'll get it.
4. The Plot twist was so unexpected and I was stunned. I had so many suspicions about the killer but THE TRUTH 😮 *chefs kiss 🤌🏻* I'm not gonna spoil this here.
5. The Backstory was hella heartbreaking! I literally cried for Sofia. She was such a broken character and it hurts to know what she had gone through. 😭💔
6. I loved the bond between the sisters She was super protective of Valentia and would freak out if something happened to her.
7. There were some flaws in the story. I mean the writing style was Average. (It's a debut book so I didn't mind a lot) But the STORY WAS SO AMAZING AND PERFECT. I loved it seriously!
8. It had repetition, and some cringy dialogues and I skimmed some chapters lol! 💀
9. The spicy scenes were hot ✨
10. His 'GOOD GIRL' 🥵😩
11. Also in chapter 23, the two girls who came to the cafe reminded me of Enid & Wednesday! 😂
Favourite Lines:
"It’s hot. I-I mean you’re hot— no! The drink, I made you hot chocolate, that’s what’s hot. Oh God."
"I don’t give a shit if you’re mad at me, Sofia. I am never spending another night away from you. Matter of fact, I’m never even going to bed while one of us is angry at the other. Life is too fucking short, and I’ll be damned if the last thing we said to each other were curse words or dumb threats we didn't even mean.”
"I found out I had a thing for black-haired girls with big attitudes and even bigger hearts.”
"Death doesn’t exist, people only die when we forget them."
July 26, 2024
I feel like I’m so hyper-focused in every murder mystery book just in case I miss a clue. Spoiler alert: At the end, I realised I missed every clue given 🤷♀️ Regardless when it was finally explained I didn’t see any of it coming.
With this Murder plot, I was on the edge of my seat for the majority and was constantly throwing out (wrong) guesses. Then another bomb would be dropped and I was never ready.
From the offset, I liked the dynamic between the MMC & FMC. It went from her being dependent on him to them mutually relying on each other.
For me, the age thing went into a slightly grey area. I think the MMC may have been lost in that grey area for about 3 weeks, but overall their relationship was sweet.
I think because of the MMC age and profession he adapted really well to the father figure role that her 8-year-old sister needed. Despite, the romance aspect of the book he always made sure to prioritise her sister after the turbulent beginning. I wanted this relationship to last.
So back to the grey area. The MMC was 28, the FMC was 19 and they were previously familiar with each other before this murder (this was where the grey occurred). The MMC was a police officer and used to pick her up for petty crimes from 16 to 18. Both characters mention early on that at this time there was no attraction between them. Later on, however, she admits she liked him at 16 and he admits when he saw her “3 weeks before her 18th birthday” he found her ‘sexy’.
1. Just say 17. Yes, it makes it better that it's closer to 18 than just turning 17, but it's still 17!!
2. The plot references Child SA (to a large degree), so having the MMC sexualise a 17-year-old felt like an interesting direction to choose 🧐
Would it also be better if he didn't call her ‘good girl’ to remind me of her age? Yes, yes it would. This may just be my thinking though.
Still a solid read. Giving it 3 ✨, as I did enjoy the murder mystery, but I was slightly confused by some plot twists and choices.
With this Murder plot, I was on the edge of my seat for the majority and was constantly throwing out (wrong) guesses. Then another bomb would be dropped and I was never ready.
From the offset, I liked the dynamic between the MMC & FMC. It went from her being dependent on him to them mutually relying on each other.
For me, the age thing went into a slightly grey area. I think the MMC may have been lost in that grey area for about 3 weeks, but overall their relationship was sweet.
I think because of the MMC age and profession he adapted really well to the father figure role that her 8-year-old sister needed. Despite, the romance aspect of the book he always made sure to prioritise her sister after the turbulent beginning. I wanted this relationship to last.
So back to the grey area. The MMC was 28, the FMC was 19 and they were previously familiar with each other before this murder (this was where the grey occurred). The MMC was a police officer and used to pick her up for petty crimes from 16 to 18. Both characters mention early on that at this time there was no attraction between them. Later on, however, she admits she liked him at 16 and he admits when he saw her “3 weeks before her 18th birthday” he found her ‘sexy’.
1. Just say 17. Yes, it makes it better that it's closer to 18 than just turning 17, but it's still 17!!
2. The plot references Child SA (to a large degree), so having the MMC sexualise a 17-year-old felt like an interesting direction to choose 🧐
Would it also be better if he didn't call her ‘good girl’ to remind me of her age? Yes, yes it would. This may just be my thinking though.
Still a solid read. Giving it 3 ✨, as I did enjoy the murder mystery, but I was slightly confused by some plot twists and choices.
March 6, 2024
I'M SPEECHLESSNESS 🫢 The plot was insane, it was def unexpected 😭 I literally can’t stop crying 💔
I loved how the bond between sisters was portraied 💗 Seeing them becoming a family after the things they went through was heartwarming ❤️🩹
Sofia taking her revenge 😮💨:
"I'm no whore." I whispered, close enough to his face that my breath was probably the last warm thing he'd felt before dying. "But I'm about to make you my b!tch.”
I loved how the bond between sisters was portraied 💗 Seeing them becoming a family after the things they went through was heartwarming ❤️🩹
Sofia taking her revenge 😮💨:
"I'm no whore." I whispered, close enough to his face that my breath was probably the last warm thing he'd felt before dying. "But I'm about to make you my b!tch.”
March 1, 2023
a very much-needed palette cleanser <3 with some flaws but otherwise SO GOOD!! If you loved the mindfuck series u will love this :) and I'm also convinced this is a derek morgan fanfiction idc
February 9, 2023
This book talks about serious topics. PLEASE CHECK TW before reading it.
I really liked this book. It’s the first one published by this author and I will definitely read more of her books.
It is a romance book with a mystery on it.
H is a detective. 28 years old.
h is 19-20. h’s parents were killed and H is searching for the assassins. h has a sister, 9, that she adores and H starts to adore too when he starts to hang out with her.
The only problem was that it needs some correcting in the structure. Nothing major. Just some formatting.
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
SPOILERS
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
SAFETY:
h was raped multiple multiple times when she was a minor and h’s sister was raped once when she was 8-9. Also, h’s sister saw how her sister (h) was raped when she was 8 and h was 18-19 (she talks about this with H later on)
H and h have an age gap of 8-9 years. He has known her since she was 16. She did some graffitis and minor stuff and he is a cop. H didn’t feel anything for her until she was two weeks before being 18. Didn’t act on it until the murder of her parents when she starts to live with him. After a while, they hang out a lot and things starts to simmer.
H hasn’t been with anyone for a while. Not a lot of info about it. She loves spanking and he loves to spank her. Neither have done this with anyone else.
H has never felt anything like what he feels for h. Longest relationship he was in college and both part amicable. After that not manho but not serious relationship.
No ow or om drama.
He is a great “dad” to h’s sister.
h has endometriosis
Epilogue. 5 years later. She is pregnant with twins and are married. h’s sister is going to be adopted by them.
I really liked this book. It’s the first one published by this author and I will definitely read more of her books.
It is a romance book with a mystery on it.
H is a detective. 28 years old.
h is 19-20. h’s parents were killed and H is searching for the assassins. h has a sister, 9, that she adores and H starts to adore too when he starts to hang out with her.
The only problem was that it needs some correcting in the structure. Nothing major. Just some formatting.
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
SPOILERS
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
SAFETY:
h was raped multiple multiple times when she was a minor and h’s sister was raped once when she was 8-9. Also, h’s sister saw how her sister (h) was raped when she was 8 and h was 18-19 (she talks about this with H later on)
H and h have an age gap of 8-9 years. He has known her since she was 16. She did some graffitis and minor stuff and he is a cop. H didn’t feel anything for her until she was two weeks before being 18. Didn’t act on it until the murder of her parents when she starts to live with him. After a while, they hang out a lot and things starts to simmer.
H hasn’t been with anyone for a while. Not a lot of info about it. She loves spanking and he loves to spank her. Neither have done this with anyone else.
H has never felt anything like what he feels for h. Longest relationship he was in college and both part amicable. After that not manho but not serious relationship.
No ow or om drama.
He is a great “dad” to h’s sister.
h has endometriosis
Epilogue. 5 years later. She is pregnant with twins and are married. h’s sister is going to be adopted by them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2023
THIS BOOK. GODDAMMIT.
I am so in love with this book. The plot was unpredictable and the romance was impeccable— a perfect balance of both.
- forbidden romance
- age gap
- murder mystery
- mind blowing plot twist
- found family
Please check trigger warnings before you read it.
"Sisters are different flowers from the same garden."
Dive into a mind blowing mystery-romance novel with Sofia Raymond and Maddox Brooks. It is so much more than a love story. It's about sisterhood, about finding the right person and being able to trust them.
I will sell my soul just to spend a minute with Maddox. He is so perfect?!?! I will never get over how protective Maddox was when it came to Sofia and Valentina.
“You won’t apply for guardianship, Sofia. Because I will. I’ll ask for custody of Valentina.”
The moment all of us fell in love with Maddox. It was phenomenal.
Don't even get me started on Sofia. There wasn't a single moment where I disliked Sofia's behavior. I don't care what other people say, everything Sofia did was justified. She had her own boundaries. She had her own reasons. Everything she did was to protect her sister- Valentina. I LOVE Sofia and I'll always defend her no matter what. She went through so much, my heart breaks for her. She's such a fighter.
I highly recommend this book! Go read it.
I am so in love with this book. The plot was unpredictable and the romance was impeccable— a perfect balance of both.
- forbidden romance
- age gap
- murder mystery
- mind blowing plot twist
- found family
Please check trigger warnings before you read it.
"Sisters are different flowers from the same garden."
Dive into a mind blowing mystery-romance novel with Sofia Raymond and Maddox Brooks. It is so much more than a love story. It's about sisterhood, about finding the right person and being able to trust them.
I will sell my soul just to spend a minute with Maddox. He is so perfect?!?! I will never get over how protective Maddox was when it came to Sofia and Valentina.
“You won’t apply for guardianship, Sofia. Because I will. I’ll ask for custody of Valentina.”
The moment all of us fell in love with Maddox. It was phenomenal.
Don't even get me started on Sofia. There wasn't a single moment where I disliked Sofia's behavior. I don't care what other people say, everything Sofia did was justified. She had her own boundaries. She had her own reasons. Everything she did was to protect her sister- Valentina. I LOVE Sofia and I'll always defend her no matter what. She went through so much, my heart breaks for her. She's such a fighter.
I highly recommend this book! Go read it.
September 28, 2024
4,5 ⭐
What a riiiide 🤐❤️🔥
What a riiiide 🤐❤️🔥
February 7, 2023
Holy freaking crap this was a rollercoaster!!
This was probably one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did NOT disappoint. I was hooked from the very start and I can honestly say while I had so many theories in my head as to where this story would go when we do finally get to the big reveal I was absolutely shocked. I literally screamed out loud.
Sofia was a fucking bad ass through and through. She went through the freaking ringer but loved so fiercely you couldn’t help but root for her. And Maddox oh my god was he swoon worthy and his love and devotion for not alone Sofia but Valentina as well? Queue the ovaries explosion. He was absolutely perfect everything these girls needed and more.
As for the story itself? It was absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. The love these three characters had for one another was absolutely unmatched. They made the sweetest little family and I loved every moment of watching their bond grow. This is the authors debut novel and honestly I’m speechless, she really knocked it out the park.
And that little spoiler at the end for her future releases? I AM HOOKED GIRL.
Thank you to Macy for selecting me for an ARC and trusting me write an honest review. I am so excited for what’s to come!
This was probably one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did NOT disappoint. I was hooked from the very start and I can honestly say while I had so many theories in my head as to where this story would go when we do finally get to the big reveal I was absolutely shocked. I literally screamed out loud.
Sofia was a fucking bad ass through and through. She went through the freaking ringer but loved so fiercely you couldn’t help but root for her. And Maddox oh my god was he swoon worthy and his love and devotion for not alone Sofia but Valentina as well? Queue the ovaries explosion. He was absolutely perfect everything these girls needed and more.
As for the story itself? It was absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. The love these three characters had for one another was absolutely unmatched. They made the sweetest little family and I loved every moment of watching their bond grow. This is the authors debut novel and honestly I’m speechless, she really knocked it out the park.
And that little spoiler at the end for her future releases? I AM HOOKED GIRL.
Thank you to Macy for selecting me for an ARC and trusting me write an honest review. I am so excited for what’s to come!
February 5, 2023
BEST BEST BEST BEST BEST BOOK 💯
THE DEDICATION, THE CHARACTERS, THE STORY, THE SETTING, THE DESCRIPTION, THE PLOT TWIST, STARTING FROM THE VERY FIRST PAGE TO THE VERY END EVERYTHING IS SO GODDAMN PERFECT!
IT DESERVES MUCH MORE THAN 5 STARS! MUCH MUCH MORE!
I'M SPELLBOUND!
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮, 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮. ~ When this is the dedication, you know this book is gonna ROCK and IT FUCKING DID!!
𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒕𝒐𝒐.
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.
𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔.
𝑯𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅: 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚.
THE DEDICATION, THE CHARACTERS, THE STORY, THE SETTING, THE DESCRIPTION, THE PLOT TWIST, STARTING FROM THE VERY FIRST PAGE TO THE VERY END EVERYTHING IS SO GODDAMN PERFECT!
IT DESERVES MUCH MORE THAN 5 STARS! MUCH MUCH MORE!
I'M SPELLBOUND!
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮, 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮. ~ When this is the dedication, you know this book is gonna ROCK and IT FUCKING DID!!
𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒕𝒐𝒐.
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.
𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔.
𝑯𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅: 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚.
December 30, 2022
4,5⭐️
I had so many theories about this book. Yet i was so far from the truth. I loved every second of the book. The twist was amazing. The characters were everything. Valentina officially owns a piece of my heart. And the bonus scene>>> i can’t wait to read the next book😩
I had so many theories about this book. Yet i was so far from the truth. I loved every second of the book. The twist was amazing. The characters were everything. Valentina officially owns a piece of my heart. And the bonus scene>>> i can’t wait to read the next book😩
September 15, 2024
4.5⭐️.
It was good and the plot OMGGG🤯.
It was good and the plot OMGGG🤯.
August 8, 2024
Nah, this book not for me
A lot of drama like really a lot throughout the entire book, there are no chapters without the h’s tears.
Plus too much horny from the h all the time including the wrong time, and for the love of god stop mentioning the H’s beautiful green eyes 🙄 I've lost count of the times the h has mentioned this. We get it, they so green and gorgeous and the window to his pure, beautiful, soul. Did I forget to mention that they speak the language of eyes too? They really don't need words, their eyes do the job.
Safety:
— H/28 - h/19 (He’s a detective and used to arrest her for some vandalism, they first met when she was 16 yo and he started to be attracted to her when she was 18 yo).
— The h was raped several times, and her sister (9 yo) was raped once (off-page).
— Unecessary OW:
The h feels jealous of the lawyer (the H’s friend) and the neighbor (she made the h think that there was something between her and the H, but nothing happened between them).
— push from the H until about 47%
A lot of drama like really a lot throughout the entire book, there are no chapters without the h’s tears.
Plus too much horny from the h all the time including the wrong time, and for the love of god stop mentioning the H’s beautiful green eyes 🙄 I've lost count of the times the h has mentioned this. We get it, they so green and gorgeous and the window to his pure, beautiful, soul. Did I forget to mention that they speak the language of eyes too? They really don't need words, their eyes do the job.
Safety:
— H/28 - h/19 (He’s a detective and used to arrest her for some vandalism, they first met when she was 16 yo and he started to be attracted to her when she was 18 yo).
— The h was raped several times, and her sister (9 yo) was raped once (off-page).
— Unecessary OW:
The h feels jealous of the lawyer (the H’s friend) and the neighbor (she made the h think that there was something between her and the H, but nothing happened between them).
— push from the H until about 47%
January 20, 2023
READ THIS BOOK!!
the whole plot of this book *chefs kiss* and the plot TWIST 🤯 i did not see it coming! let’s just say all my theories were wrong lol. reading the secrets and story unfold, EVERYTHING made sense. to me this is what the mindf series should have been. reading this book felt like watching a romance thriller, im OBSESSED
highly recommend going in blind! what i will tell you is sofia daughter of the mayor loves trouble, she loves the rush and adrenaline that comes from trouble, that’s her escape. best way to describe sofia is beautifully flawed and i LOVED her so so much! now maddox he is SO hot! i’m a sucker for a cop, something about a man in uniform it just gets to me. he’s a real big softie though the moments between him and val melted my heart. main characters were on point 👏🏽
if you like romance + mystery/thrillers then this book is for you (has the perfect amount of both). throughout this book, slowly things start to click and problems start to solve. this book is SO addicting i’m telling you GO read this book
tropes: mystery crime, good cop/bad girl, age gap, reverse grump sunshine, soulmates (checktw’s)
*i received an arc in exchange for an honest review*
the whole plot of this book *chefs kiss* and the plot TWIST 🤯 i did not see it coming! let’s just say all my theories were wrong lol. reading the secrets and story unfold, EVERYTHING made sense. to me this is what the mindf series should have been. reading this book felt like watching a romance thriller, im OBSESSED
highly recommend going in blind! what i will tell you is sofia daughter of the mayor loves trouble, she loves the rush and adrenaline that comes from trouble, that’s her escape. best way to describe sofia is beautifully flawed and i LOVED her so so much! now maddox he is SO hot! i’m a sucker for a cop, something about a man in uniform it just gets to me. he’s a real big softie though the moments between him and val melted my heart. main characters were on point 👏🏽
if you like romance + mystery/thrillers then this book is for you (has the perfect amount of both). throughout this book, slowly things start to click and problems start to solve. this book is SO addicting i’m telling you GO read this book
tropes: mystery crime, good cop/bad girl, age gap, reverse grump sunshine, soulmates (checktw’s)
*i received an arc in exchange for an honest review*
June 23, 2024
Let me tell you, I absolutely loved this book!😮💨 The plot was unpredictable and kept me guessing the whole time, while the romance was just perfect – not too much, not too little.
It was packed with love, heartache, and suspense and it was everything😮💨
And I’m already excited and looking forward to seeing more of Medusa and AK🙂↔️
Safety info:
OWD: There isn't any OWD in the story, but the FMC does get jealous over the lawyer and the neighbor who tried to give him food, which she threw away😂 It's also implied that he has been celibate for years.
OMD: The FMC and her sister Valentina, were both raped when they were younger. Sofia was raped mutiple times, and the younger sister was raped once when she was 8-9 years old.
No cheating
HEA: Sofia and Maddox got their HEA, and there's also an epilogue set 5 years later. Sofia is pregnant, and they are planning to adopt Valentina.
It was packed with love, heartache, and suspense and it was everything😮💨
And I’m already excited and looking forward to seeing more of Medusa and AK🙂↔️
Safety info:
OWD: There isn't any OWD in the story, but the FMC does get jealous over the lawyer and the neighbor who tried to give him food, which she threw away😂 It's also implied that he has been celibate for years.
OMD: The FMC and her sister Valentina, were both raped when they were younger. Sofia was raped mutiple times, and the younger sister was raped once when she was 8-9 years old.
No cheating
HEA: Sofia and Maddox got their HEA, and there's also an epilogue set 5 years later. Sofia is pregnant, and they are planning to adopt Valentina.
September 16, 2024
My oh my , what a ride . This book nailed every thought every word and every page , it's not easy to mix a beautiful hard genres in the same book and make a bomb out of it , and i've seen it all believe me , all the genres you can think off but i've never thought of a thriller story with the most perfect smut ever . The balance in the story the personalities, their psych and don't get me started on the plot twist damn , i almost scream at 4 am in the morning. everything was a chef's kiss to a point, chef's kiss isn't enough i could go behind to kitchen and fuck the chef for this marvelous book. And to honor this thought, even if my sister didn't see this i would like to thank you my beautiful older sister for giving me a piece of you heart for being the true actual mother instead of my real one , i could never give you and love enough, i'll burn the world for you , and i'll record their screams just to make you happy, love you bitch.
September 20, 2024
Maddox & Sofia
August 7, 2023
I grabbed this when I saw someone on Twitter compared it to The Mind*ck series. I wanted some romantic suspense, so yeah, I read it all in ONE DAY. It's definitely intriguing and the author has you on the edge of your seat. But aside from the mystery, the rest kinda didn't work out for me.
What didn't work for me was mainly the romance. I found it a bit uncomfortable. It could have been great IF ONLY THE AUTHOR DIDN'T MENTION THAT THE GUY (THE 28-YEAR-OLD GUY) FOUND THE HEROINE HOT WHEN SHE WAS 17!!!!! That was so unnecessary especially in a book that deals so much with child sexual abuse.
So, the two know each other since she was a teenager. They interacted with each other during this time whenever Sofia got arrested and he was the cop who came to pick her up. At the beginning I was like "oh ok they just knew each other back then but didn't think of each other in any romantic way until the novel starts when she's 19". But then the hero thinks that yes in fact when she was 3 weeks shy of 18, he thought her body was really sexy and started thinking of her in a different way. That gave me the creeps.
That kinda ruined the book for me a little bit, I'm *ugh* The phrase really didn't add anything to the book. Like it could have been easily edited out and it would still hold the same. And because the book deals a lot with pedophilia, child trafficking, and sexual abuse in minors, it makes no sense to add this scene.
One aspect I really liked was Maddox's relationship with Sofia's 9-year-old sister, Valentina. It was adorable!!! He loved her so much and wanted to protect her since day one. You will easily love their relationship if you read this book. Whenever Valentina gave him her trust and open up to him more and more, it was like a ray of sunshine hit you straight in the face.
Overall, I did the read book in one day. I am that type of person who wants to know how a book ends, especially a mystery/thriller one. I wanted to know all the secrets AND THEY ARE MANY. But I do caution everyone to read the trigger warnings first before starting. This book is heavy on topics that may be uncomfortable for many.
Trigger warning for abuse, rape (of a minor), trafficking, graphic violence, murder, gore, death of parents, suicide, and pedophilia.
What didn't work for me was mainly the romance. I found it a bit uncomfortable. It could have been great IF ONLY THE AUTHOR DIDN'T MENTION THAT THE GUY (THE 28-YEAR-OLD GUY) FOUND THE HEROINE HOT WHEN SHE WAS 17!!!!! That was so unnecessary especially in a book that deals so much with child sexual abuse.
So, the two know each other since she was a teenager. They interacted with each other during this time whenever Sofia got arrested and he was the cop who came to pick her up. At the beginning I was like "oh ok they just knew each other back then but didn't think of each other in any romantic way until the novel starts when she's 19". But then the hero thinks that yes in fact when she was 3 weeks shy of 18, he thought her body was really sexy and started thinking of her in a different way. That gave me the creeps.
That kinda ruined the book for me a little bit, I'm *ugh* The phrase really didn't add anything to the book. Like it could have been easily edited out and it would still hold the same. And because the book deals a lot with pedophilia, child trafficking, and sexual abuse in minors, it makes no sense to add this scene.
One aspect I really liked was Maddox's relationship with Sofia's 9-year-old sister, Valentina. It was adorable!!! He loved her so much and wanted to protect her since day one. You will easily love their relationship if you read this book. Whenever Valentina gave him her trust and open up to him more and more, it was like a ray of sunshine hit you straight in the face.
Overall, I did the read book in one day. I am that type of person who wants to know how a book ends, especially a mystery/thriller one. I wanted to know all the secrets AND THEY ARE MANY. But I do caution everyone to read the trigger warnings first before starting. This book is heavy on topics that may be uncomfortable for many.
Trigger warning for abuse, rape (of a minor), trafficking, graphic violence, murder, gore, death of parents, suicide, and pedophilia.
July 14, 2023
“My failure to protect her cost her her innocence, and I would never forgive myself”
UGH where do I begin? My brain is still trying to catch up with evreything that happened that I actually need to take a minute to process BUT I CANT because I have short term memory loss and will literally forget what I have to say if I don’t write this down.
If your looking for a crime/thriller mixed with romance than I HIGHLY suggest you pick up this book. Uh but don’t rush into anything because it’s not out yet😂
In short, the way I am would describe this book would be if bat man had a baby with criminal minds. Do NOT ask me where bat man came from there was no vigilante running around in spandex and underwear with bat ears…but, I got the film vibes for some reason. Like it was giving Gotham city- but in a small town?
It makes sense in my head, just don’t read into it too much.
There were so many tropes in it that I don’t often read but found myself enjoying so much such as:
-age gap: it was an 8 year difference between a 20 year old and 28 year old which doesn’t look as bad as it sounds lol. My parents are 15 yrs apart so….
-bad girl x cop dynamic: you know I want MORE books like this. Because that shit slapped.
-found family: that of course is one of my all time fave tropes, but it was used so differently to what I typically read when it comes to found family that I was actually crying from how good it was.
That being said I absolutely loved Maddox and Sofia and their relationship. They were so precious and their love for each other so strong.,not to mention that when you meet Maddox he is UGH such a to die for charcater that I’m suddenly pregnant🤰. Given the plot of the book, however, I wished for their relationship to take a little slower leap. Since it is an age gap, with forbidden romance of a cop x the person who technically is his “client”, I was hoping they wouldn’t have given in to their desires to soon, and I think if it slowed down it would have made the intensity of the story way much more stronger.
Excellent story and I cannot wait to read book 2, and to find out who it’s about….
UGH where do I begin? My brain is still trying to catch up with evreything that happened that I actually need to take a minute to process BUT I CANT because I have short term memory loss and will literally forget what I have to say if I don’t write this down.
If your looking for a crime/thriller mixed with romance than I HIGHLY suggest you pick up this book. Uh but don’t rush into anything because it’s not out yet😂
In short, the way I am would describe this book would be if bat man had a baby with criminal minds. Do NOT ask me where bat man came from there was no vigilante running around in spandex and underwear with bat ears…but, I got the film vibes for some reason. Like it was giving Gotham city- but in a small town?
It makes sense in my head, just don’t read into it too much.
There were so many tropes in it that I don’t often read but found myself enjoying so much such as:
-age gap: it was an 8 year difference between a 20 year old and 28 year old which doesn’t look as bad as it sounds lol. My parents are 15 yrs apart so….
-bad girl x cop dynamic: you know I want MORE books like this. Because that shit slapped.
-found family: that of course is one of my all time fave tropes, but it was used so differently to what I typically read when it comes to found family that I was actually crying from how good it was.
That being said I absolutely loved Maddox and Sofia and their relationship. They were so precious and their love for each other so strong.,not to mention that when you meet Maddox he is UGH such a to die for charcater that I’m suddenly pregnant🤰. Given the plot of the book, however, I wished for their relationship to take a little slower leap. Since it is an age gap, with forbidden romance of a cop x the person who technically is his “client”, I was hoping they wouldn’t have given in to their desires to soon, and I think if it slowed down it would have made the intensity of the story way much more stronger.
Excellent story and I cannot wait to read book 2, and to find out who it’s about….
January 16, 2023
i’m a die hard romance reader through and through. i honestly struggle to read books without any romance most of the time. however, this is one book i genuinely wish had no romance.
the mystery/thriller aspect of this book was incredibly done. every time the case was mentioned i had a new prediction for what actually happened and all i can say is that all of it? wrong. while i did guess minor details and had some suspicions, i was majorly wrong in most aspects. so for the mystery — 5/5 stars.
but one thing i will say is that 9 (maybe 8) times out of 10 when something pertaining to the case was mentioned, it was interrupted by sofia and maddox’s romance. a romance i HATED with everything inside of me. don’t get me wrong, i liked both the characters as individuals (for the most part anyway) but everything about their relationship made me uncomfortable. first of all, they met when she was 14 or 15 so he would’ve been like 24. they didn’t get together until she was 19, but he admitted to being interested in her 3 months before she turned 18. vomit. i hate hate HATE age gaps where there is obvious interest while one is still a minor. and the fact that he was a cop?? definitely made it worse. 1/5 stars for the romance.
i did ultimately enjoy this book and i am looking forward to book 2. i’m really hoping that one gives some answers about aiden and sammie and what’s happening in ravensbridge. it did bug me that this was mentioned and then maddox never even thought of it again.
overall, id suggest this book for a good mystery but i personally could’ve done without the romance. it was uncomfortable and the spice wasn’t much better. it also felt quite rushed. but the plot was great. so all in all, this gets a 3/5 from me.
thank you to macy for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review <3
the mystery/thriller aspect of this book was incredibly done. every time the case was mentioned i had a new prediction for what actually happened and all i can say is that all of it? wrong. while i did guess minor details and had some suspicions, i was majorly wrong in most aspects. so for the mystery — 5/5 stars.
but one thing i will say is that 9 (maybe 8) times out of 10 when something pertaining to the case was mentioned, it was interrupted by sofia and maddox’s romance. a romance i HATED with everything inside of me. don’t get me wrong, i liked both the characters as individuals (for the most part anyway) but everything about their relationship made me uncomfortable. first of all, they met when she was 14 or 15 so he would’ve been like 24. they didn’t get together until she was 19, but he admitted to being interested in her 3 months before she turned 18. vomit. i hate hate HATE age gaps where there is obvious interest while one is still a minor. and the fact that he was a cop?? definitely made it worse. 1/5 stars for the romance.
i did ultimately enjoy this book and i am looking forward to book 2. i’m really hoping that one gives some answers about aiden and sammie and what’s happening in ravensbridge. it did bug me that this was mentioned and then maddox never even thought of it again.
overall, id suggest this book for a good mystery but i personally could’ve done without the romance. it was uncomfortable and the spice wasn’t much better. it also felt quite rushed. but the plot was great. so all in all, this gets a 3/5 from me.
thank you to macy for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review <3
December 20, 2023
The only good thing about this book is the cover.
Plot: boring and sloppy.
Characters: oh boy, both of them stupid af. He's a groomer, she's acting like a child - which in fact she almost still is as she's 19. He's a 28 year old loser who's never been in a long relationship but in an instant adopted a 9 year old and committed to a 19 year old. One - gross, two - gross, three- pathetic.
Romance/spice: one word - eeeeewww; reading their spicy scenes made me question everything there is. I mean, it is not easy to write spice that is not cringe-worthy, but this spice is the worst I have ever read. While reading it, I felt physical pain becuse it was that bad.
Murder/mystery/crime: it was not a plot twist for me at all. Somewhere around 50% I was sure what actually happened and it turned out I was right.
Why does this book have such a high rating? It makes no sense.
Plot: boring and sloppy.
Characters: oh boy, both of them stupid af. He's a groomer, she's acting like a child - which in fact she almost still is as she's 19. He's a 28 year old loser who's never been in a long relationship but in an instant adopted a 9 year old and committed to a 19 year old. One - gross, two - gross, three- pathetic.
Romance/spice: one word - eeeeewww; reading their spicy scenes made me question everything there is. I mean, it is not easy to write spice that is not cringe-worthy, but this spice is the worst I have ever read. While reading it, I felt physical pain becuse it was that bad.
Murder/mystery/crime: it was not a plot twist for me at all. Somewhere around 50% I was sure what actually happened and it turned out I was right.
Why does this book have such a high rating? It makes no sense.
March 31, 2023
3.75 stars
christ, when i tell you my mind has never reeled so hard trying to figure out a murder mystery before!!!
‘red roses and black dahlias’ follows the story of a troubled 19-year-old girl, sofia raymond, who had to watch her parents’ lifeless bodies be buried before her own eyes. swearing to protect her only family left, 9-year-old sister, valentina - sofia’s plans start to crack when maddox brooks is the detective placed in charge of her parent’s murder. not only does that mean she has to face the man who she’s had a budding attraction to for years now, but it also makes him completely forbidden. well … sofia has never been one to follow the rules anyway.
i can’t believe this is macy’s first book because wow, does she have a knack for writing a good old murder mystery. i read this with my friends, and when i tell you we went criminal minds on this book, i am NOT exaggerating. this book had us suspecting literally every character that breathed. we had so many theories that we were TOO confident in, and then a new scene would happen right after that would basically wave a big middle finger in our faces 🤣
and then the plot twist happened. my heart SANK, and i felt so, so sick. i think i need to reconsider my studies after this because clearly my bachelor of criminology and law ain’t coming to good use .. LOL.
however, maybe because i am a sucker for slow burns, but i do wish there was a build up or an arc of events that had led to sofia and valentina trusting maddox more (especially after such a tragic event). i felt like it was a bit too fast-paced, and told us rather than showed us the development of their relationship.
nonetheless, i enjoyed this debut novel and it damn sure kept me on my toes 🕵🏻♀️ a big thank you to macy for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review :)
christ, when i tell you my mind has never reeled so hard trying to figure out a murder mystery before!!!
‘red roses and black dahlias’ follows the story of a troubled 19-year-old girl, sofia raymond, who had to watch her parents’ lifeless bodies be buried before her own eyes. swearing to protect her only family left, 9-year-old sister, valentina - sofia’s plans start to crack when maddox brooks is the detective placed in charge of her parent’s murder. not only does that mean she has to face the man who she’s had a budding attraction to for years now, but it also makes him completely forbidden. well … sofia has never been one to follow the rules anyway.
i can’t believe this is macy’s first book because wow, does she have a knack for writing a good old murder mystery. i read this with my friends, and when i tell you we went criminal minds on this book, i am NOT exaggerating. this book had us suspecting literally every character that breathed. we had so many theories that we were TOO confident in, and then a new scene would happen right after that would basically wave a big middle finger in our faces 🤣
and then the plot twist happened. my heart SANK, and i felt so, so sick. i think i need to reconsider my studies after this because clearly my bachelor of criminology and law ain’t coming to good use .. LOL.
however, maybe because i am a sucker for slow burns, but i do wish there was a build up or an arc of events that had led to sofia and valentina trusting maddox more (especially after such a tragic event). i felt like it was a bit too fast-paced, and told us rather than showed us the development of their relationship.
nonetheless, i enjoyed this debut novel and it damn sure kept me on my toes 🕵🏻♀️ a big thank you to macy for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review :)
April 30, 2025
This was sooo good!! I couldn’t put it down I just wanted to keep going to get to the mystery being solved and I had a feeling about a few things I ended up being right about but the big plot twist really got me!
I loved the fmc and mmc, the way they both protected her little sister and the way the mmc loved them both was so special.
I definitely recommend.
Dual pov
Age gap 8 years
Dark content- check trigger warnings if you need them
No owd/omd (h is jealous of a lawyer friend of H’s and one of his neighbours but he wasn’t involved with them. They don’t cause issues for them at all)
No third act breakup
HEA
Epilogue 5 years later, happily married and expecting twins. The h’s sister is 15 now and they are going to officially adopt her.
I loved the fmc and mmc, the way they both protected her little sister and the way the mmc loved them both was so special.
I definitely recommend.
Dual pov
Age gap 8 years
Dark content- check trigger warnings if you need them
No owd/omd (h is jealous of a lawyer friend of H’s and one of his neighbours but he wasn’t involved with them. They don’t cause issues for them at all)
No third act breakup
HEA
Epilogue 5 years later, happily married and expecting twins. The h’s sister is 15 now and they are going to officially adopt her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2023
Let me start off by just saying wow I was so blown away by RRBD I had to spend a while just processing it. This book captivated me from start to finish the intricate storyline just hooked me in from the start. At some points I forgot I was even reading. Also can I just say how impressed I am that this is a debut novel!! RRBD was very impressive from making the reader feel the emotions of the character, to the amazing poc representation, and just the overall quality of writing and plot. The book truly embodied the found family trope with the way Maddox, Sofia, and Valentina became this little family that relies on each other. The character development of practically every character in this book was very prominent and just added so much more to the overall plot. Honestly at so many point in this book I thought I had figured out the solution to the ongoing mystery in the book but I was way off and that plot twist just came out of nowhere to me. I also have to mention that this is one of the few books that I've read that has an accurate and good representation of Muslim characters and it just touched my heart even more seeing characters that look/live like me and many other people around the world and even though the characters were only briefly mentioned it added to my overall satisfaction of this book. With all of that being said I highly, highly recommend picking this book up and giving it a shot its just too good to miss out on. As always happy reading!
March 3, 2023
It was an amazing read!! 👏 I loved the banter, the chemistry between the mcs and obviously the mystery part of the plot.
Sofia is such a badass girl boss and strong fmc, she had one of a rollercoaster life but still overcame it just for Maddox and Valentina, and how she could fight and kill anyone who tried to hurt them.
Maddox is the hottest 😮💨, he will do anything to protect the Raymond sisters, and the praise kink that he has ❤️🔥.
Valentina was the cutest little thing>>>>
The romance was good but kinda weird since he first started noticing Sofia when she was 15-16.
As to the plot twist, imo it's more sad 😔 than shocking, the things they both went through is unparalleled and no one should go through that.
I loved every second and word of this book 🫶🏻🫶🏻🥹🥹🥰🥰. Thanks Macy for giving us a masterpiece! Can't wait to read the next in the series.
Sofia is such a badass girl boss and strong fmc, she had one of a rollercoaster life but still overcame it just for Maddox and Valentina, and how she could fight and kill anyone who tried to hurt them.
Maddox is the hottest 😮💨, he will do anything to protect the Raymond sisters, and the praise kink that he has ❤️🔥.
Valentina was the cutest little thing>>>>
The romance was good but kinda weird since he first started noticing Sofia when she was 15-16.
As to the plot twist, imo it's more sad 😔 than shocking, the things they both went through is unparalleled and no one should go through that.
I loved every second and word of this book 🫶🏻🫶🏻🥹🥹🥰🥰. Thanks Macy for giving us a masterpiece! Can't wait to read the next in the series.
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February 2, 2024
4 ⭐️
Before anything, i just want to make it clear that this book dealt with heavy topics. So, please check the TW before you decide to read it.
I want to say thanks to my friend who urged(more like pestered) me to read this because she claimed that if i love The Mindf*ck series, i would love this just as much. She could never been more right on that. I would say that it did gave out The Mindf*ck series vibes in some ways. I don’t usually get hooked from the very beginning but boy was i on the edge of my seat since the first page?
This book started strong with Sofia and Valentina’s parents got murdered in front of their eyes and that left them both alone in this world. They ended up stuck living with Maddox Brookes, the cop that was responsible in handling their parent’s murders investigation.
OH MY GOD!! I just knew that this was the first debut of this author??? And THIS WAS SOOOO GOOD I LOVED IT I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN 💗💗💗 This was a romantic suspense centered around murder mystery. I have to be honest, the writing was nothing spectacular, there were some repetitive sentences that i felt like it can be improved but i’m fine with it i guess? Because the plot was BOMBdotcom ❤️🔥 I certainly had a lot of theories as to where this would go but DAMN THE PLOT TWIST! I didn’t see that coming at all!! My mind was 🤯 when i got to the plot twist.
“𝑺𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏”
Sofia Raymond was known to be a ‘bad girl’ in the small town of Lakestone but she was actually the real badass that had reasons of her own. Despite being only 19 years old, she was balls of steel. Her love and devotion towards her sister, Valentina, was very fierce and out of this world. She went out of her way just to protect her sister. My heart breaks a little more for her each time i read about what she had to go through just so she could protect her little Rosa. My little flower deserves the whole world and more. I will always protect her with all my heart
“𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐.
Maddox Brookes, how do i start with this one? He ticked all the boxes for being the best boyfriend, best dad and overall THE best man. An act of service king to the core! He would literally do anything in his power to protect those two Raymond sisters and to make them happy. He loved Sofia wholeheartedly. My man was a big softie too like it’s sooo adorable! Who would have thought? Also, did i tell you this man was good with dirty talks too? Yeah 🤭 I mean he got the looks, and he surely got the personality so he won in every aspects for sure.
“𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚
This book was the epitome of a found family trope. The fact that Maddox wasn’t ready to build a family just yet but cared and loved those two girls so much like his own so naturally and sincerely told me otherwise. Sofia, who did not trust people at all was able to put her guard down and found home in Maddox. The way Maddox treated and accommodate to Valentina’s needs to the smallest ones was heartwarming. Their bond with each other was so beautiful to see. The epilogue? STUNNING. Something definitely tugs at my heartstrings 🥹
Why not 5 stars? As i said earlier, the writing was average but understandably for a debut i think. Despite the amazing plot, there were some scenes that in my opinion felt weird or did not make sense. Also, if you know me, you would know that i love me a good age gap but i have to be honest, some part of their relationship rubbed me off in the wrong way. Especially with their age. I could appreciate it better if Sofia was atleast 21.
Other than that, i truly had an emotional rollercoaster of a ride with this one and i’m looking forward for more of this author’s work in the future. I mean she should atleast give me AK’s story, no?
Before anything, i just want to make it clear that this book dealt with heavy topics. So, please check the TW before you decide to read it.
I want to say thanks to my friend who urged(more like pestered) me to read this because she claimed that if i love The Mindf*ck series, i would love this just as much. She could never been more right on that. I would say that it did gave out The Mindf*ck series vibes in some ways. I don’t usually get hooked from the very beginning but boy was i on the edge of my seat since the first page?
This book started strong with Sofia and Valentina’s parents got murdered in front of their eyes and that left them both alone in this world. They ended up stuck living with Maddox Brookes, the cop that was responsible in handling their parent’s murders investigation.
OH MY GOD!! I just knew that this was the first debut of this author??? And THIS WAS SOOOO GOOD I LOVED IT I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN 💗💗💗 This was a romantic suspense centered around murder mystery. I have to be honest, the writing was nothing spectacular, there were some repetitive sentences that i felt like it can be improved but i’m fine with it i guess? Because the plot was BOMBdotcom ❤️🔥 I certainly had a lot of theories as to where this would go but DAMN THE PLOT TWIST! I didn’t see that coming at all!! My mind was 🤯 when i got to the plot twist.
“𝑺𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏”
Sofia Raymond was known to be a ‘bad girl’ in the small town of Lakestone but she was actually the real badass that had reasons of her own. Despite being only 19 years old, she was balls of steel. Her love and devotion towards her sister, Valentina, was very fierce and out of this world. She went out of her way just to protect her sister. My heart breaks a little more for her each time i read about what she had to go through just so she could protect her little Rosa. My little flower deserves the whole world and more. I will always protect her with all my heart
“𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐.
Maddox Brookes, how do i start with this one? He ticked all the boxes for being the best boyfriend, best dad and overall THE best man. An act of service king to the core! He would literally do anything in his power to protect those two Raymond sisters and to make them happy. He loved Sofia wholeheartedly. My man was a big softie too like it’s sooo adorable! Who would have thought? Also, did i tell you this man was good with dirty talks too? Yeah 🤭 I mean he got the looks, and he surely got the personality so he won in every aspects for sure.
“𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚
This book was the epitome of a found family trope. The fact that Maddox wasn’t ready to build a family just yet but cared and loved those two girls so much like his own so naturally and sincerely told me otherwise. Sofia, who did not trust people at all was able to put her guard down and found home in Maddox. The way Maddox treated and accommodate to Valentina’s needs to the smallest ones was heartwarming. Their bond with each other was so beautiful to see. The epilogue? STUNNING. Something definitely tugs at my heartstrings 🥹
Why not 5 stars? As i said earlier, the writing was average but understandably for a debut i think. Despite the amazing plot, there were some scenes that in my opinion felt weird or did not make sense. Also, if you know me, you would know that i love me a good age gap but i have to be honest, some part of their relationship rubbed me off in the wrong way. Especially with their age. I could appreciate it better if Sofia was atleast 21.
Other than that, i truly had an emotional rollercoaster of a ride with this one and i’m looking forward for more of this author’s work in the future. I mean she should atleast give me AK’s story, no?
July 10, 2024
What the hell did I just read…?!?!?! *mind blown*
September 1, 2024
DNF-d mid way! I am not a fan of dnf-ing books and I rarely do so. The only reason I picked this book up was bcs I heard ppl saying it was like the Mindf*ck series, but sadly this did NOT do for me. The Mindf*ck series absolutely SLAPPED. I finished all 5 books under 48 hrs but this one felt like a watered down version. No disrespect to the author, but the book needs a lot of editing because there are grammatical errors and some monologues felt useless. The plot was there but the execution lacked. The investigation part wasn't shown much and it lacked complexity. Sophia kept tearing up and stammering every now and then and it really irked me out. The age gap didn't bother me unlike most ppl but the writing needs a lot of improvement. The pacing felt very slow to me so I couldn't completely immerse myself into the story. Also most dialogues felt very weird to me, especially the way Valentina talks. And them constantly talkng about 'monsters' just annoyed me. Maybe it's just me but that word was so frequently used, it didn't even sound like how a normal person would talk.
“But Mads protects us, Dada! He said he’d chase the monsters away too.”
“I chase the monsters away, Valentina, me. I told you that already, I’ll always protect you against the monsters.”
“Just for tonight, just for you to see that there will be no more monsters here.”
I told her I killed them— told her I killed the monsters, that I chased them away. But I haven’t, have I? I lied. Because monsters are everywhere, and they will never stop existing.”
Fast forward, I skimmed thru the story and figured out what the fuss was about and tbh I wasn't shocked. Perhaps if the writing was better, the book would have more shock value.
“But Mads protects us, Dada! He said he’d chase the monsters away too.”
“I chase the monsters away, Valentina, me. I told you that already, I’ll always protect you against the monsters.”
“Just for tonight, just for you to see that there will be no more monsters here.”
I told her I killed them— told her I killed the monsters, that I chased them away. But I haven’t, have I? I lied. Because monsters are everywhere, and they will never stop existing.”
Fast forward, I skimmed thru the story and figured out what the fuss was about and tbh I wasn't shocked. Perhaps if the writing was better, the book would have more shock value.
January 12, 2025
เหตุเกิดในเมืองเล็กๆ แห่งหนึ่ง นางเอก (อายุ 19) เป็นลูกสาวนายกเทศมนตรี มีน้องสาววัย 9 ขวบคนนึง อยู่มาวันหนึ่งมีคนร้ายใส่หมวกไอ้โม่งสองคนบุกมาฆ่าพ่อแม่นางเอกตายคาบ้าน นางเอกที่อยู่ในบ้านพอดีเลยคว้ามีดมาแทงคนร้ายตายไปคนนึง ส่วนอีกคนหลบหนีไปได้ นางเอกกับน้องสาวที่รอดชีวิตมาได้ไม่มีที่ไป พระเอกที่เป็นตำรวจ (อายุ 28) ผู้รับผิดชอบคดีนี้เลยให้นางเอกกับน้องสาวไปอยู่บ้านตัวเอง
แม้เรื่องราวจะเริ่มด้วยคดีฆาตกรรมสุดโหด แต่เอาเข้าจริงก็รู้สึกว่าเล่มนี้มันยังเป็น romance มากกว่าจะเป็น romantic suspense นะ คือมันเน้นไปที่การ develop ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างพระเอกนางเอก, การรับมือกับ trauma ของนางเอกกับน้องสาว, ความสัมพันธ์ของพี่สาวน้องสาว มากกว่าจะเน้นไปที่การสืบคดีและตัวคดี แต่ถึงอย่างนั้นวิธีการเขียนก็มีความเป็นแนว mystery อยู่เหมือนกัน คนเขียนมีการหย่อนคำใบ้และพิรุธต่างๆ ของคนร้ายเอาไว้เรื่อยๆ ให้คนอ่านเดาเล่นว่าตกลงความจริงมันเป็นยังไง คนร้ายคือใคร ซึ่งถ้าสังเกตคำใบ้ดีๆ ก็เดาได้ไม่ยากแหละ ส่วนตัวเลยไม่รู้สึกว่า plot twist มันว้าวอะไรขนาดนั้น (แต่สาเหตุใหญ่ๆ ที่เดาออกเป็นเพราะอ่าน trigger warning มาก่อนด้วยเลยได้คำใบ้มาเยอะกว่าที่คนเขียนใบ้ในเรื่อง) แต่ก็ถือว่าเป็นพล็อตที่แหวกไปจาก romance ทั่วๆ ไป ช่วยแก้เบื่อจากพล็อตเดิมๆ ได้ดีเลย
สาเหตุที่ให้คะแนนน้อยแม้จะอ่านเพลินพอสมควรเป็นเพราะรู้สึกอึดอัดกับความสัมพันธ์ของพระเอกนางเอก นางเอกเพิ่งอายุ 19 แถมยังอยู่ในสภาวะอ่อนไหว เพิ่งผ่านคดีฆาตกรรมสุดโหดมา พอเห็นพระเอกที่อายุ 28 มีความสัมพันธ์เชิง sexual กับนางเอกที่เพิ่งพ้นวัยมัธยมมาไม่นานเลยรู้สึกกระอักกระอ่วนใจนิดนึง แถมรู้สึกคนเขียนพยายาม justify พระเอกตรงนี้ด้วย แบบตัวละครอื่นในเรื่องมองเด็กในเชิง sexual ดูเป็นเรื่องเลวร้ายมาก แต่พอพระเอกทำบ้างดันไม่ผิดเพราะเหตุผลโน่นนี่นั่น ทั้งๆ ที่พระเอกก็มองนางเอกเป็นเด็ก ไม่ได้มองเป็นผู้หญิงเต็มตัวด้วยซ้ำ พอติดตรงจุดนี้เลยไม่อินกับพาร์ท romance เลย ถ้าขยับอายุนางเอกขึ้นมาสักสองสามปีอาจจะอ่านได้อย่างสบายใจกว่านี้
แม้เรื่องราวจะเริ่มด้วยคดีฆาตกรรมสุดโหด แต่เอาเข้าจริงก็รู้สึกว่าเล่มนี้มันยังเป็น romance มากกว่าจะเป็น romantic suspense นะ คือมันเน้นไปที่การ develop ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างพระเอกนางเอก, การรับมือกับ trauma ของนางเอกกับน้องสาว, ความสัมพันธ์ของพี่สาวน้องสาว มากกว่าจะเน้นไปที่การสืบคดีและตัวคดี แต่ถึงอย่างนั้นวิธีการเขียนก็มีความเป็นแนว mystery อยู่เหมือนกัน คนเขียนมีการหย่อนคำใบ้และพิรุธต่างๆ ของคนร้ายเอาไว้เรื่อยๆ ให้คนอ่านเดาเล่นว่าตกลงความจริงมันเป็นยังไง คนร้ายคือใคร ซึ่งถ้าสังเกตคำใบ้ดีๆ ก็เดาได้ไม่ยากแหละ ส่วนตัวเลยไม่รู้สึกว่า plot twist มันว้าวอะไรขนาดนั้น (แต่สาเหตุใหญ่ๆ ที่เดาออกเป็นเพราะอ่าน trigger warning มาก่อนด้วยเลยได้คำใบ้มาเยอะกว่าที่คนเขียนใบ้ในเรื่อง) แต่ก็ถือว่าเป็นพล็อตที่แหวกไปจาก romance ทั่วๆ ไป ช่วยแก้เบื่อจากพล็อตเดิมๆ ได้ดีเลย
สาเหตุที่ให้คะแนนน้อยแม้จะอ่านเพลินพอสมควรเป็นเพราะรู้สึกอึดอัดกับความสัมพันธ์ของพระเอกนางเอก นางเอกเพิ่งอายุ 19 แถมยังอยู่ในสภาวะอ่อนไหว เพิ่งผ่านคดีฆาตกรรมสุดโหดมา พอเห็นพระเอกที่อายุ 28 มีความสัมพันธ์เชิง sexual กับนางเอกที่เพิ่งพ้นวัยมัธยมมาไม่นานเลยรู้สึกกระอักกระอ่วนใจนิดนึง แถมรู้สึกคนเขียนพยายาม justify พระเอกตรงนี้ด้วย แบบตัวละครอื่นในเรื่องมองเด็กในเชิง sexual ดูเป็นเรื่องเลวร้ายมาก แต่พอพระเอกทำบ้างดันไม่ผิดเพราะเหตุผลโน่นนี่นั่น ทั้งๆ ที่พระเอกก็มองนางเอกเป็นเด็ก ไม่ได้มองเป็นผู้หญิงเต็มตัวด้วยซ้ำ พอติดตรงจุดนี้เลยไม่อินกับพาร์ท romance เลย ถ้าขยับอายุนางเอกขึ้นมาสักสองสามปีอาจจะอ่านได้อย่างสบายใจกว่านี้
February 10, 2023
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. I did not see that coming. AT ALL. LIKE. WOW.
Did I absolutely love reading this? Hell yeah. My friend recommended me this book and I went in totally blind. She just told me that if you like midf*ck you will love this. And going blind in to a book is usually not something I do but I’m so glad I did it because I absolutely loved it. One of the first books to ever catch me this off guard.
Maddox totally has my heart. He’s sweet and so precious (he’s also a total badass but he’s really sweet.)The way Maddox behaved with Sofia and Valentina was just the best. You don’t know how much I squealed randomly. This book totally gave that “single parent” vibe so I definitely loved it. I mean not to dislead ya’ll it isn’t single parent but there those taking care of a person vibe you know?
This book was also so heartbreaking. The backstory. The moment everything gets revealed. I was almost going to cry 🥺 Sofia climbed so up my fav girl ladder that she’s in top 5 now.
I can’t wait for AK’s book because I’m so intrigued by him. I have theories and I can’t wait to see if they are right or wrong. I had a theory with this one but I was totally wrong so well☠️
Did I absolutely love reading this? Hell yeah. My friend recommended me this book and I went in totally blind. She just told me that if you like midf*ck you will love this. And going blind in to a book is usually not something I do but I’m so glad I did it because I absolutely loved it. One of the first books to ever catch me this off guard.
Maddox totally has my heart. He’s sweet and so precious (he’s also a total badass but he’s really sweet.)The way Maddox behaved with Sofia and Valentina was just the best. You don’t know how much I squealed randomly. This book totally gave that “single parent” vibe so I definitely loved it. I mean not to dislead ya’ll it isn’t single parent but there those taking care of a person vibe you know?
This book was also so heartbreaking. The backstory. The moment everything gets revealed. I was almost going to cry 🥺 Sofia climbed so up my fav girl ladder that she’s in top 5 now.
I can’t wait for AK’s book because I’m so intrigued by him. I have theories and I can’t wait to see if they are right or wrong. I had a theory with this one but I was totally wrong so well☠️
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