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Monsters & Mayhem #3
Death's Bloom
He’s the most perfect man I’ve ever met, but something is… wrong.
I don’t see it at first. All I see is the gorgeous man with dark eyes and long hair and that unusual blue beard. The piercings and the tattoos, the beautiful smile. All I can focus on is the way he touches me, the sound of his voice in my ear, the perfect life he draws me into.
I hide it from him at first. The fact that… I think I’m losing my mind. That I keep seeing something lurking in the corners of rooms, keep hearing a terrible voice mumbling in the dead of night, keep seeing white eyes watching me in the dark.
Something is haunting me. Tormenting me. Trying to ruin this perfect life I now have with Theo, so I do my best to pretend that everything is fine. That I’m not terrified I’m losing my mind, or that a demon is stalking the halls every night trying to… get me.
Until I can’t pretend anymore. Until I realise… the monster in my nightmares and my perfect, loving boyfriend are not so different after all.
Death’s Bloom is an MM horror retelling of Bluebeard, as part of the collaboration Monsters & Mayhem: An MM Horror Collection, adapting some of your favourite classic horror stories with an MM romance twist.
Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It includes mild BDSM, including restraint and breath play, and MMM elements as well as graphic depictions of death, gore and violence, a somewhat toxic relationship and morally reprehensible characters.
I don’t see it at first. All I see is the gorgeous man with dark eyes and long hair and that unusual blue beard. The piercings and the tattoos, the beautiful smile. All I can focus on is the way he touches me, the sound of his voice in my ear, the perfect life he draws me into.
I hide it from him at first. The fact that… I think I’m losing my mind. That I keep seeing something lurking in the corners of rooms, keep hearing a terrible voice mumbling in the dead of night, keep seeing white eyes watching me in the dark.
Something is haunting me. Tormenting me. Trying to ruin this perfect life I now have with Theo, so I do my best to pretend that everything is fine. That I’m not terrified I’m losing my mind, or that a demon is stalking the halls every night trying to… get me.
Until I can’t pretend anymore. Until I realise… the monster in my nightmares and my perfect, loving boyfriend are not so different after all.
Death’s Bloom is an MM horror retelling of Bluebeard, as part of the collaboration Monsters & Mayhem: An MM Horror Collection, adapting some of your favourite classic horror stories with an MM romance twist.
Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It includes mild BDSM, including restraint and breath play, and MMM elements as well as graphic depictions of death, gore and violence, a somewhat toxic relationship and morally reprehensible characters.
444 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2022
About the author
Lily Mayne
25 books4,390 followersLily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more. She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
October 22, 2022
✦ no one is more disappointed than me to be giving this just 2 stars.
✦ this book was just so messy overall. i liked the whole idea behind the story, and i feel like it had a lot of potential. the excruciatingly boring execution left a lot to be desired though.
✦ honestly, i just ended up not caring about either of the mcs because they were basic as fuck and didn't have any chemistry. i also didn't really understand why or how they fell in love. it just seemed like everything was built on lust, finding each other super hot and constantly wanting to fuck. that's their whole relationship in a nutshell.
✦ also you could skip literal pages of this book and not miss a single thing. so many unnecessary descriptions and trivial details, my god... just why. this could have been so much shorter. why drag it out so much?
✦ i only finished this because i was curious about the demon smut, but even that was highkey disappointing, because the demon was just not demonic enough imo. sad.
✦ this book was just so messy overall. i liked the whole idea behind the story, and i feel like it had a lot of potential. the excruciatingly boring execution left a lot to be desired though.
✦ honestly, i just ended up not caring about either of the mcs because they were basic as fuck and didn't have any chemistry. i also didn't really understand why or how they fell in love. it just seemed like everything was built on lust, finding each other super hot and constantly wanting to fuck. that's their whole relationship in a nutshell.
✦ also you could skip literal pages of this book and not miss a single thing. so many unnecessary descriptions and trivial details, my god... just why. this could have been so much shorter. why drag it out so much?
✦ i only finished this because i was curious about the demon smut, but even that was highkey disappointing, because the demon was just not demonic enough imo. sad.
October 25, 2022
|| 1.0 star ||
Urgh. I really didn’t like this. Not even a little.
The writing was excruciatingly boring, the characters were nearly impossible to care about, the plot was extremely silly and the pacing was unthinkably slow. What a complete mess.
I can honestly say that there wasn’t a thing about this book that I appreciated or enjoyed. The characters were annoying and stupid, and I felt absolutely zero connection to either of them. They were so simple and bleh.
The romance between them wasn’t any better either; they had no chemistry whatsoever and their supposed ‘love’ felt superficial, weak and random.
The storyline made no sense as well, and it was very repetitive without ever being interesting. The whole thing was so freaking ridiculous and sooo boring.
You don’t even want to know how much I skimmed while reading this. I could basically skim over entire pages and I still wouldn’t miss a thing. Nothing about this was noteworthy. Absolutely nothing.
I think the thing that weirded me out the most, though, was the fact that Theo and Ari were both so lustful towards the demon thingy. It made no sense and it definitely cheapened their own love story.
Theo was basically obsessed with the demon dude, which made me think he never loved Ari all that much anyway. Whenever Ari was with the demon, he literally felt more jealousy towards Ari for being with it, than he did of the demon for being with Ari. So that sucked.
And really, it was also so dumb that Ari was immensely horny for the demon thing after basically being terrorized by it for months. Like.. why? There was no reason for this, and it made me roll my eyes so hard.
Long story short, this was boring and foolish, and I couldn’t have possibly cared any less about the characters, romance or plot.
'Monsters & Mayhem' series:
3. Death's Bloom - 1.0 star
4. Beautiful Adam - 5.0 stars
8. On Edge - 3.5 stars
Urgh. I really didn’t like this. Not even a little.
The writing was excruciatingly boring, the characters were nearly impossible to care about, the plot was extremely silly and the pacing was unthinkably slow. What a complete mess.
I can honestly say that there wasn’t a thing about this book that I appreciated or enjoyed. The characters were annoying and stupid, and I felt absolutely zero connection to either of them. They were so simple and bleh.
The romance between them wasn’t any better either; they had no chemistry whatsoever and their supposed ‘love’ felt superficial, weak and random.
The storyline made no sense as well, and it was very repetitive without ever being interesting. The whole thing was so freaking ridiculous and sooo boring.
You don’t even want to know how much I skimmed while reading this. I could basically skim over entire pages and I still wouldn’t miss a thing. Nothing about this was noteworthy. Absolutely nothing.
I think the thing that weirded me out the most, though, was the fact that Theo and Ari were both so lustful towards the demon thingy. It made no sense and it definitely cheapened their own love story.
Theo was basically obsessed with the demon dude, which made me think he never loved Ari all that much anyway. Whenever Ari was with the demon, he literally felt more jealousy towards Ari for being with it, than he did of the demon for being with Ari. So that sucked.
And really, it was also so dumb that Ari was immensely horny for the demon thing after basically being terrorized by it for months. Like.. why? There was no reason for this, and it made me roll my eyes so hard.
Long story short, this was boring and foolish, and I couldn’t have possibly cared any less about the characters, romance or plot.
'Monsters & Mayhem' series:
3. Death's Bloom - 1.0 star
4. Beautiful Adam - 5.0 stars
8. On Edge - 3.5 stars
October 1, 2022
4.5 stars
Holy sheeeeeeeettttttt.
Lily Mayne: You are a GENIUS.
This book was just amazing.
I have to admit, I started this with trepidation... This isn't like Lily's Monstrous series. It's straight up horror... the"monster" in this one is not good in any shape or form and what he makes Theo do is abhorrent.
But.....
Did I care? NOP!!
So, this is Bluebeard retelling, so you should know the basic plot of this book. However, Lily put her own spin to it.
Theo has made a deal with a demon. In exchange for his soul, he gets to be rich and immortal. The catch: he has to murder whoever the demon picks as a sacrifice.
All is well and good until Theo and Ari cross paths.
Something pulls them together and even though Theo knows he's making a big mistake and putting Ari in danger, he and Ari get together.
And it is EXPLOSIVE.
I loved their relationship and how it progressed... it took time for them to connect and date and fall in love. The pacing imo was perfect. Their chemistry was palpable and they just clicked.
As for the steam:
I used to think Moth was Lily's steamiest book. Welp... Moth has got nothing on this book 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Now you will feel creeped out in multiple situations. Lily paints a vivid picture with her prose. But ultimately, you reach the point where even the horror turns into romance. You'll know when you get there.
The ending is an HEA. But being as this is a Bluebeard retelling, you KNOW that there is some fuckery and gray areas abound. Keep an open mind 🤣
My ONE niggle was that the epilogue was only a few months later. I wanted to see them more in the future... but maybe Lily will grace us with a short for them soon? One can only hope.
Holy sheeeeeeeettttttt.
Lily Mayne: You are a GENIUS.
This book was just amazing.
I have to admit, I started this with trepidation... This isn't like Lily's Monstrous series. It's straight up horror... the"monster" in this one is not good in any shape or form and what he makes Theo do is abhorrent.
But.....
Did I care? NOP!!
So, this is Bluebeard retelling, so you should know the basic plot of this book. However, Lily put her own spin to it.
Theo has made a deal with a demon. In exchange for his soul, he gets to be rich and immortal. The catch: he has to murder whoever the demon picks as a sacrifice.
All is well and good until Theo and Ari cross paths.
Something pulls them together and even though Theo knows he's making a big mistake and putting Ari in danger, he and Ari get together.
And it is EXPLOSIVE.
I loved their relationship and how it progressed... it took time for them to connect and date and fall in love. The pacing imo was perfect. Their chemistry was palpable and they just clicked.
As for the steam:
I used to think Moth was Lily's steamiest book. Welp... Moth has got nothing on this book 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Now you will feel creeped out in multiple situations. Lily paints a vivid picture with her prose. But ultimately, you reach the point where even the horror turns into romance. You'll know when you get there.
The ending is an HEA. But being as this is a Bluebeard retelling, you KNOW that there is some fuckery and gray areas abound. Keep an open mind 🤣
My ONE niggle was that the epilogue was only a few months later. I wanted to see them more in the future... but maybe Lily will grace us with a short for them soon? One can only hope.
October 24, 2022
I worship this author and am obsessed with her work, but this book crosses the line of shady morality and plunges straight into pure evil.
There's absolutely no way to justify what Theo has done, what he continues to do, and what Ari agrees to so he can stay with Theo.
It's not dubious. It's unequivocally wrong - no ifs, maybes, or buts about it.
Rooting for the MCs is akin to cheering on Ted Bundy.
I was restless and a little bored with the plot (which contained some inconsistencies), and once the, uh ... demonic sex took center stage, I lost interest almost entirely.
This is a horror story first, a romance a distant second. And that's okay; it's just not what I signed up for.
Closer to 2.5 stars, rounded up because the writing is excellent as usual.
(TBH, I was more interested in Ari's bestie Edel and their boyfriend.)
There's absolutely no way to justify what Theo has done, what he continues to do, and what Ari agrees to so he can stay with Theo.
It's not dubious. It's unequivocally wrong - no ifs, maybes, or buts about it.
Rooting for the MCs is akin to cheering on Ted Bundy.
I was restless and a little bored with the plot (which contained some inconsistencies), and once the, uh ... demonic sex took center stage, I lost interest almost entirely.
This is a horror story first, a romance a distant second. And that's okay; it's just not what I signed up for.
Closer to 2.5 stars, rounded up because the writing is excellent as usual.
(TBH, I was more interested in Ari's bestie Edel and their boyfriend.)
October 3, 2022
The best starter of the spooky season.
Who loves flowers cannot be a bad person.
- Unique retelling of the Bluebeard
- Amazing build up of tension
- High angst
- High stream
- Unbalanced dual POV
- Mild BDSM
- MMM elements, but not poly
- Darkness and sweetness balanced perfectly
- Age gap 😝 and size difference
- Dimples 🥰
- Tattoos and piercings
- Strongest love
- Best HEA
It was a delicious mixture of scary, sweet and steam. Kept me on my toes till the truth came out. While I don’t read horror anymore, I enjoyed this book a lot, it wasn’t overwhelming, but the perfect spooky read.
Who loves flowers cannot be a bad person.
- Unique retelling of the Bluebeard
- Amazing build up of tension
- High angst
- High stream
- Unbalanced dual POV
- Mild BDSM
- MMM elements, but not poly
- Darkness and sweetness balanced perfectly
- Age gap 😝 and size difference
- Dimples 🥰
- Tattoos and piercings
- Strongest love
- Best HEA
It was a delicious mixture of scary, sweet and steam. Kept me on my toes till the truth came out. While I don’t read horror anymore, I enjoyed this book a lot, it wasn’t overwhelming, but the perfect spooky read.
October 5, 2022
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***
Death's Bloom is a brilliant Bluebeard retelling that is both hauntingly creepy while maintaining its romantic heart. I was both terrified and bewitched by Ari and Theo's love story. Their gothic romance is not one for the faint of heart, which made for a fantastic read.
I was so curious when starting this story, knowing the outline of the classic horror story beforehand. I was looking forward to seeing Lily Mayne's interpretation and I was shocked at the mind-boggling way she incorporated everything and added her own spin on things.
Ari and Theo have a sweet romance and true to form everything you thought is not what it appeared to be. I also enjoyed the ghost-like haunting of Ari that occurred throughout the first half of the story. It was creepy in all the right ways, leading to such an epic climax that I could have never predicted.
Overall Death's Bloom is a unique gothic romance that kept me invested and entertained by the gothic mystery. When everything is revealed I loved how things were handled, leading to such spicy encounters that really elevated the story. Death's Bloom is a fantastic story and I loved the retelling of this classic horror tale.
Death's Bloom is a brilliant Bluebeard retelling that is both hauntingly creepy while maintaining its romantic heart. I was both terrified and bewitched by Ari and Theo's love story. Their gothic romance is not one for the faint of heart, which made for a fantastic read.
I was so curious when starting this story, knowing the outline of the classic horror story beforehand. I was looking forward to seeing Lily Mayne's interpretation and I was shocked at the mind-boggling way she incorporated everything and added her own spin on things.
Ari and Theo have a sweet romance and true to form everything you thought is not what it appeared to be. I also enjoyed the ghost-like haunting of Ari that occurred throughout the first half of the story. It was creepy in all the right ways, leading to such an epic climax that I could have never predicted.
Overall Death's Bloom is a unique gothic romance that kept me invested and entertained by the gothic mystery. When everything is revealed I loved how things were handled, leading to such spicy encounters that really elevated the story. Death's Bloom is a fantastic story and I loved the retelling of this classic horror tale.
October 5, 2022
Guuuuuh did I love this. I loved it so much I kinda want to start it again. Is this REALLY DARK? No. It’s creepy. There’s dark aspects. But in a way that only Lily can do, she somehow manages to make both of the morally corrupt characters endearing in some ways. I love the obsessive possession from all sides. I love just how the storytelling was done here and it just ticked all of my boxes. I was 100% entertained beginning to end and it was HOT. So hot. Once again Lily and her monsters make me want questionable things. 🤣
October 21, 2022
I love fairytale retellings so I dove into this one headfirst! Death’s Bloom had a very promising and adorable start, an intriguing premise, a very sweet nonbinary side character, a generous amount of intense sex scenes; and I found myself quickly invested. Talking about all the good stuff, I thought the ending was done fairly well too.
HOWEVER, the middle part of this book was executed so poorly that I lost my interest somewhere along the way. This book has no business being this long. I was inundated with meaningless, pointless details that contributed nothing to the story. For example, Ari’s morning routine with his skincare. Or how Ari puts ground coffee into the filter to make his coffee. Or his internal monologue being the same dull sentiments repeated over, and over, and over. Everything was described to an excruciating minutia. I was bored.
[MILD SPOILER]
Additionally, this book seems to have “reversed character development”. I started out loving every character, and ended up despising them. 😭 The worst offender is Ari, one of the MMC’s. He exhibited so many damsel-in-distress moments; his first reaction to anything mildly upsetting is to freak out and cry about it. If I never read about someone’s chin wobbling again, that would be way too soon. And you know what was so annoying to me is Ari was extremely upset while being very pampered and coddled; and never showed any appreciation to the people taking care of him. Homeboy literally be sitting there bawling his eyes out because his bf Theo is an immortal (ok? tough shit?), while Theo was cooking dinner, and cleaning after Ari’s mess. By the end, I think Theo should’ve used his brain instead of his penis to choose a life partner.
Tl;dr – This might be a good read for a more patient reader. Started out strong and ended fairly decently. I’m going to pretend I never read the middle-part. 🤡
HOWEVER, the middle part of this book was executed so poorly that I lost my interest somewhere along the way. This book has no business being this long. I was inundated with meaningless, pointless details that contributed nothing to the story. For example, Ari’s morning routine with his skincare. Or how Ari puts ground coffee into the filter to make his coffee. Or his internal monologue being the same dull sentiments repeated over, and over, and over. Everything was described to an excruciating minutia. I was bored.
[MILD SPOILER]
Additionally, this book seems to have “reversed character development”. I started out loving every character, and ended up despising them. 😭 The worst offender is Ari, one of the MMC’s. He exhibited so many damsel-in-distress moments; his first reaction to anything mildly upsetting is to freak out and cry about it. If I never read about someone’s chin wobbling again, that would be way too soon. And you know what was so annoying to me is Ari was extremely upset while being very pampered and coddled; and never showed any appreciation to the people taking care of him. Homeboy literally be sitting there bawling his eyes out because his bf Theo is an immortal (ok? tough shit?), while Theo was cooking dinner, and cleaning after Ari’s mess. By the end, I think Theo should’ve used his brain instead of his penis to choose a life partner.
Tl;dr – This might be a good read for a more patient reader. Started out strong and ended fairly decently. I’m going to pretend I never read the middle-part. 🤡
October 3, 2022
I went into this book blind. I didn't read the blurb. I didn't read quotes. I didn't even know the original source material (who tf is Bluebeard). And it was so wild. My jaw was on the floor for almost the entire book.
It's so hard to really describe my love for this book with no real spoilers. I encourage the reading of trigger warnings. I want readers to be aware that no one is really a good person by the end of this book... which...this might be common sense if you know the Bluebeard story, I'm not sure. I still haven't looked it up.
It's dark. It's hot. It's like a threesome, poly relationship but like...not. I don't fucking know. Just read it. Lily can do no wrong.
It's so hard to really describe my love for this book with no real spoilers. I encourage the reading of trigger warnings. I want readers to be aware that no one is really a good person by the end of this book... which...this might be common sense if you know the Bluebeard story, I'm not sure. I still haven't looked it up.
It's dark. It's hot. It's like a threesome, poly relationship but like...not. I don't fucking know. Just read it. Lily can do no wrong.
October 4, 2022
DNF at 53%
I guess I'm probably an outlier on this one! I have only read one other book by this author - Soul Eater - so it's entirely possible this is a case of writing-taste mismatch. No idea. Maybe if you're already a fan this will work better?
• In general, I thought this was just super boring. Zero horror, definitely zero darkness.
• Most of the time is taken up describing random daily tasks.
• The characters were very flat, like cardboard. The severe case of instalove didn't help.
• I skimmed the sex scenes because I didn't feel any chemistry between them, so I didn't feel like reading the extended fucking.
• There's a few attempts at being spooky demon cow man, and a little uptick in spoop around the time I quit, but even those were pretty uninteresting to me.
Overall, this was just not interesting to me, and was distinctly lacking in horror vibes. A real bummer.
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
I guess I'm probably an outlier on this one! I have only read one other book by this author - Soul Eater - so it's entirely possible this is a case of writing-taste mismatch. No idea. Maybe if you're already a fan this will work better?
• In general, I thought this was just super boring. Zero horror, definitely zero darkness.
• Most of the time is taken up describing random daily tasks.
• The characters were very flat, like cardboard. The severe case of instalove didn't help.
• I skimmed the sex scenes because I didn't feel any chemistry between them, so I didn't feel like reading the extended fucking.
• There's a few attempts at being spooky demon cow man, and a little uptick in spoop around the time I quit, but even those were pretty uninteresting to me.
Overall, this was just not interesting to me, and was distinctly lacking in horror vibes. A real bummer.
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
October 9, 2022
Wow!! Just wow!!
Definitely one of my favourites this year, maybe ever.
I’m not really into MM romance mixed into fantasy, definitely not horror, and that’s why I’ve never read any Lily Mayne׳s books before. Boy, I’ve been missing out for so long.
Firstly, the romance. It’s been a long time since I felt the pull between two MCs so strongly. Its was sensual, captivating and steamy af.
Secondly, the plot. I’ve been chewing my nails through all of it, scared shitless and couldn’t put it down until it was over.
Thirdly, the writing was everything.
I’m sensing a Lily Mayne marathon coming.
Definitely one of my favourites this year, maybe ever.
I’m not really into MM romance mixed into fantasy, definitely not horror, and that’s why I’ve never read any Lily Mayne׳s books before. Boy, I’ve been missing out for so long.
Firstly, the romance. It’s been a long time since I felt the pull between two MCs so strongly. Its was sensual, captivating and steamy af.
Secondly, the plot. I’ve been chewing my nails through all of it, scared shitless and couldn’t put it down until it was over.
Thirdly, the writing was everything.
I’m sensing a Lily Mayne marathon coming.
October 5, 2022
Loved it
July 8, 2023
This is the third stand alone in an M/M horror retellings and the third I've read. I got a bit surprised as this was quite darker the the first two. Ari and Theos romance are rather cute but the demon make things messy and quite different.
October 26, 2022
I don't know how to feel about this not so threesome but also threesome situation. This book definitely is about a throuple but there are only two bodies...💀💀
Really enjoyed the first half of the book. I was so good and thrilling. But the second half? Meh. I was very very bored. I would've liked it more if someone had died at the end....🙂
The Demon had more chemistry with them (both of them) than they had with each other. This couple was hella boring. Demon Daddy made things spicier 🌶🌶🌶
Really enjoyed the first half of the book. I was so good and thrilling. But the second half? Meh. I was very very bored. I would've liked it more if someone had died at the end....🙂
The Demon had more chemistry with them (both of them) than they had with each other. This couple was hella boring. Demon Daddy made things spicier 🌶🌶🌶
January 21, 2023
"He was ridiculously handsome. The punky edginess of his face, with its piercings and vibrant beard, somehow melded seamlessly with the crisp, refined three-piece suit, creating the image of something...almost mystical. Like he was some rare, beautiful bird that you'd only get to see once in your life, from a distance, not someone you'd ever actually get to know."
Well, now. This is something entirely different from one of my go-to authors, the amazing Lily Mayne. Death's Bloom is Lily's uniquely dark MM retelling of the classic Bluebeard and is part of the Monsters & Mayhem: An MM Horror Collection collaboration with some other amazing MM authors.
Whilst this is darker than Lily's Monstrous series, with some MMM elements (no cheating), murder, corruption and dark, demonic possession, as a non-horror lover I still inhaled it without issue. Oh and just quietly, the steam level is turned up to HOT AS HELL.
The writing is still beautifully Lily Mayne though, and that means you know it's going to be one of your favourite reads of the spooky season.
Well, now. This is something entirely different from one of my go-to authors, the amazing Lily Mayne. Death's Bloom is Lily's uniquely dark MM retelling of the classic Bluebeard and is part of the Monsters & Mayhem: An MM Horror Collection collaboration with some other amazing MM authors.
Whilst this is darker than Lily's Monstrous series, with some MMM elements (no cheating), murder, corruption and dark, demonic possession, as a non-horror lover I still inhaled it without issue. Oh and just quietly, the steam level is turned up to HOT AS HELL.
The writing is still beautifully Lily Mayne though, and that means you know it's going to be one of your favourite reads of the spooky season.
October 8, 2022
You guys, I think this might be a case of it being me, not the story.
I haven't given a Lily Mayne book less than 4.5 stars ever, but I...I think it's just me. With Romance, I just...can't handle any form of threesomes/poly...
Even though this is the weirdest form of this. The "third" is a demon. It isn't in love with either Theo or Ari, and they aren't in love with the demon. But there's lust and obsession and devotion and wanting. Between all three of them.
But also, the demon isn't corporeal. It can't be a third body, so it possesses both of them at different times and they enjoy their time with the demon, while the other is possessed and aware but not an active participant, although they see and feel everything the demon does with them...
I just...it's not for me. I tried to get past it, as I know a lot of you won't care at all, and that's cool! But I just...don't like it.
I didn't like that Theo and Ari didn't care that the other lusted after this weird demon thing, that they enjoyed them kind of, basically being with this demon thing. Even if it was in each other's bodies, they were both aroused by it's true form and all that and were clearly with "Him" in those scenes, not each other.
They didn't even seem to think of the other when they were with the "demon" so it was like they were having an open relationship, not even a true "threesome" even.
It's like they'll just share this demon and this demon will share them...forever. And the demon even says something like "imagine if I could have both of you at once" and Ari imagines the big demon looking thing with the two of them and is turned on by that and I didn't like that.
And this is me, who absolutely ADORES this author's monstrous series. But the thing is, the humans fall in love with their monsters. The monsters are also all good, in the end. Or have elements of good to them. They aren't a straight up demon. Also it's just them and their monsters...
Gah, I care too much about this, I know. But it bothers me. Also, the demon says he doesn't love, but he doesn't act all that evil with them, and develops a fondness for both of them, and this even ends with it saying that he's "lovingly enveloping Theo's hand" and all I could feel was the urge to roll my eyes.
It feels blasphemous to to feel that way while reading a Lily Mayne book. But I just didn't care for this demon, he wasn't meant to be a being they fall in love with, so there's nothing interesting about him, he's not there to be a true "third" partner, even, and he's just there as like...an occasional weird third partner but also not because he can't be a third body.
And I was just sitting there after 80% wondering why these two lusted after him. I just didn't get it.
I mean, a majority of this book is spend with Ari being afraid of the demon. Seriously. But then he realizes he's real and has like...one sex dream (that the demon most likely forced on him somehow) about him and oh fuck all the terror, he's just lustful for him?
I couldn't get past it.
So I gave a star off of this, because the last 20% was hard for me to get through. I read the first sex scenes with Ari and the demon in Theo's body, but not after that, or when Ari was the one possessed having sex with Theo. I just couldn't take it.
BUT....
The first 80% of this? I was living for it! It was classic Lily Mayne, who I ADORE as an author. Yeah, the demon was popping up occasionally and both Theo and Ari had hints of being aroused by him, but it was very few and far between. It wasn't a slow building thing. Just a thing that happened quickly on occasion. So I don't get how, Ari at the very least, went from like...20 to 180 so fast.
I mean, Ari gets to the point of shaking, crying, curled in a ball and calling Theo in a panic of said demon, and even thinks he and Theo are crazy somehow, but then once he gets over that...there's just...absolutely no fear? Or at least, the lust overrides any fear?
Ugh, whatever.
Anyway, I loved Theo and Ari's love story - which was a good portion of this story, hence the 4 stars. A good portion of this is still so very enjoyable and attention grabbing and addictive.
I loved the first tentative steps these two took in dating. Ari was so sweet and adorable and Theo was so wonderful with him and I just completely fell for these to together, 100%.
And if it had stayed just them two, this would have been 5 stars, no doubt. That's just who I am when it comes to Romance, sorry *shrug*
The horror element was well done and I was into it. When everything got revealed and we got to see more of who Theo really was, I was invested. I also LOVED how he apparently so selfish and horrible with everyone else, but Ari was his exception. I'm a SUCKER for that shit. Ari made Theo melt, he made Theo fall in love for the first time ever, he made Theo care for someone else for the first time ever.
I loved everything about these two...when it was just them. Take away the weird sexual demon thing and this was top tier, as usual.
I went into this knowing there would be "MMM elements" to it, so I knew what I was getting into. I was hoping I could deal with it in this because I love this author so much. I was hoping it would be less than what we got. I was hoping the elements were just....maybe a few times and then they get rid of the demon and it's just them again.
But none of that happened. It was like this was mainly MM, especially romance wise, but was kinda MMM in the...sexual department? With a side of obsession/devotion, but it isn't "love" even though the demon doesn't act 100% demon-y with them, which also annoyed me and made me roll my eyes. Just keep him demon-y and evil and not a being softening towards them. I just...*throws hands up* couldn't get past it.
Now, if you don't care about threesomes in your romance, whether a third is romantic or not, then disregard everything I've complained about. You'll love this WHOLE book.
But this is what bothers me and what I personally didn't like about the last 20% of this book. If anything this just really reiterated to me why I don't like threesomes/polyamorous books/situations. I don't like the sharing, I don't like that these two didn't care about the other enjoying sex with another being. At least this one being they didn't care about.
If it was just once or just...not as *much* as we got, because this is a weird situation, or before they really become a thing, that'd be one thing. But it wasn't. It happened multiple times and they were very detailed sex scenes.
Just...no thanks.
Yes to 80% of this story. No thanks to basically the last 20% 🤷♀️
I haven't given a Lily Mayne book less than 4.5 stars ever, but I...I think it's just me. With Romance, I just...can't handle any form of threesomes/poly...
Even though this is the weirdest form of this. The "third" is a demon. It isn't in love with either Theo or Ari, and they aren't in love with the demon. But there's lust and obsession and devotion and wanting. Between all three of them.
But also, the demon isn't corporeal. It can't be a third body, so it possesses both of them at different times and they enjoy their time with the demon, while the other is possessed and aware but not an active participant, although they see and feel everything the demon does with them...
I just...it's not for me. I tried to get past it, as I know a lot of you won't care at all, and that's cool! But I just...don't like it.
I didn't like that Theo and Ari didn't care that the other lusted after this weird demon thing, that they enjoyed them kind of, basically being with this demon thing. Even if it was in each other's bodies, they were both aroused by it's true form and all that and were clearly with "Him" in those scenes, not each other.
They didn't even seem to think of the other when they were with the "demon" so it was like they were having an open relationship, not even a true "threesome" even.
It's like they'll just share this demon and this demon will share them...forever. And the demon even says something like "imagine if I could have both of you at once" and Ari imagines the big demon looking thing with the two of them and is turned on by that and I didn't like that.
And this is me, who absolutely ADORES this author's monstrous series. But the thing is, the humans fall in love with their monsters. The monsters are also all good, in the end. Or have elements of good to them. They aren't a straight up demon. Also it's just them and their monsters...
Gah, I care too much about this, I know. But it bothers me. Also, the demon says he doesn't love, but he doesn't act all that evil with them, and develops a fondness for both of them, and this even ends with it saying that he's "lovingly enveloping Theo's hand" and all I could feel was the urge to roll my eyes.
It feels blasphemous to to feel that way while reading a Lily Mayne book. But I just didn't care for this demon, he wasn't meant to be a being they fall in love with, so there's nothing interesting about him, he's not there to be a true "third" partner, even, and he's just there as like...an occasional weird third partner but also not because he can't be a third body.
And I was just sitting there after 80% wondering why these two lusted after him. I just didn't get it.
I mean, a majority of this book is spend with Ari being afraid of the demon. Seriously. But then he realizes he's real and has like...one sex dream (that the demon most likely forced on him somehow) about him and oh fuck all the terror, he's just lustful for him?
I couldn't get past it.
So I gave a star off of this, because the last 20% was hard for me to get through. I read the first sex scenes with Ari and the demon in Theo's body, but not after that, or when Ari was the one possessed having sex with Theo. I just couldn't take it.
BUT....
The first 80% of this? I was living for it! It was classic Lily Mayne, who I ADORE as an author. Yeah, the demon was popping up occasionally and both Theo and Ari had hints of being aroused by him, but it was very few and far between. It wasn't a slow building thing. Just a thing that happened quickly on occasion. So I don't get how, Ari at the very least, went from like...20 to 180 so fast.
I mean, Ari gets to the point of shaking, crying, curled in a ball and calling Theo in a panic of said demon, and even thinks he and Theo are crazy somehow, but then once he gets over that...there's just...absolutely no fear? Or at least, the lust overrides any fear?
Ugh, whatever.
Anyway, I loved Theo and Ari's love story - which was a good portion of this story, hence the 4 stars. A good portion of this is still so very enjoyable and attention grabbing and addictive.
I loved the first tentative steps these two took in dating. Ari was so sweet and adorable and Theo was so wonderful with him and I just completely fell for these to together, 100%.
And if it had stayed just them two, this would have been 5 stars, no doubt. That's just who I am when it comes to Romance, sorry *shrug*
The horror element was well done and I was into it. When everything got revealed and we got to see more of who Theo really was, I was invested. I also LOVED how he apparently so selfish and horrible with everyone else, but Ari was his exception. I'm a SUCKER for that shit. Ari made Theo melt, he made Theo fall in love for the first time ever, he made Theo care for someone else for the first time ever.
I loved everything about these two...when it was just them. Take away the weird sexual demon thing and this was top tier, as usual.
I went into this knowing there would be "MMM elements" to it, so I knew what I was getting into. I was hoping I could deal with it in this because I love this author so much. I was hoping it would be less than what we got. I was hoping the elements were just....maybe a few times and then they get rid of the demon and it's just them again.
But none of that happened. It was like this was mainly MM, especially romance wise, but was kinda MMM in the...sexual department? With a side of obsession/devotion, but it isn't "love" even though the demon doesn't act 100% demon-y with them, which also annoyed me and made me roll my eyes. Just keep him demon-y and evil and not a being softening towards them. I just...*throws hands up* couldn't get past it.
Now, if you don't care about threesomes in your romance, whether a third is romantic or not, then disregard everything I've complained about. You'll love this WHOLE book.
But this is what bothers me and what I personally didn't like about the last 20% of this book. If anything this just really reiterated to me why I don't like threesomes/polyamorous books/situations. I don't like the sharing, I don't like that these two didn't care about the other enjoying sex with another being. At least this one being they didn't care about.
If it was just once or just...not as *much* as we got, because this is a weird situation, or before they really become a thing, that'd be one thing. But it wasn't. It happened multiple times and they were very detailed sex scenes.
Just...no thanks.
Yes to 80% of this story. No thanks to basically the last 20% 🤷♀️
October 1, 2024
I have to admit that I wasn't sure if this book would be something for me. Not because of the warnings but because of the pairing. Yet this worked. It worked so damn well!
Lily, you did it again! I wish this was an endless series and not a standalone as it was that magnificent to read...
Even though this is a dark retelling of a horror story, the first few pages were so utterly sweet that I was grinning like an idiot at my e-reader. I am a sucker for people with a crush on someone they've never spoken too and especially when they keep hovering around nearby in the hopes of seducing the other. So utterly relatable. I know I have been that person a thousand times before.
"I can't just go up and talk to a stranger, Inaya."
"Why not? That's how you meet people."
"No, you meet people online and just hope they're who they say they are."
How true is that?? Who even talks to strangers these days? Not this introvert here, nu-uh.
Ari is the sweetest flower boy in the whole world. I'd die for him.
Then Theo was properly introduced and we learn a little more about the darkness that follows him and I can't stop reading anymore.
Every mention of 'sweetheart' and 'good boy' is filling me up with warmth. I never knew a horror story (albeit spicy as fuck) could be so wholesome.
Some spoilers below:
Despite these unanswered questions, I think this is in my top 3 favorite books I have read this year!
Lily, you did it again! I wish this was an endless series and not a standalone as it was that magnificent to read...
Even though this is a dark retelling of a horror story, the first few pages were so utterly sweet that I was grinning like an idiot at my e-reader. I am a sucker for people with a crush on someone they've never spoken too and especially when they keep hovering around nearby in the hopes of seducing the other. So utterly relatable. I know I have been that person a thousand times before.
"I can't just go up and talk to a stranger, Inaya."
"Why not? That's how you meet people."
"No, you meet people online and just hope they're who they say they are."
How true is that?? Who even talks to strangers these days? Not this introvert here, nu-uh.
Ari is the sweetest flower boy in the whole world. I'd die for him.
Then Theo was properly introduced and we learn a little more about the darkness that follows him and I can't stop reading anymore.
Every mention of 'sweetheart' and 'good boy' is filling me up with warmth. I never knew a horror story (albeit spicy as fuck) could be so wholesome.
Some spoilers below:
Despite these unanswered questions, I think this is in my top 3 favorite books I have read this year!
October 26, 2022
This book was a little out of my wheelhouse. I wasn't going to read it because of the MMM elements in it. I'm not a MMM reader and had almost decided to skip it, but thanks to one of my friends (thank you, Alexandra) she gave me some information about it in a PM, so I decided to give it a shot.
It's an interesting story and it definitely has horror elements to it. More so, than the previous two books in this multi-author series. I like this author's style of writing and enjoy her creative storytelling ability, and ease at which she seems to draw me in as a reader.
Though I did kinda like this story, it is by far not my favorite by her. I had a harder time getting into it than her other books, and I honestly, didn't feel like I knew these characters as well as her previous books. It took me longer to finish this story than I thought it would be. I put it down several times, which is unusual for me, but once the halfway mark passed, I became more involved in it.
If you're not familiar with Bluebeard, I suggest you at least see what he was about before picking this one up. Both heroes are far from perfect and Theo, in particular, is unrepentant and enjoys his choices and his life.
I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I will probably read it again one day, and we will see if my feelings change about it with my second read. I was just a little disconnected from the characters, but who knows,I might feel differently about them one day.
Clearly, I am in the minority when it comes to this book. Most people absolutely loved it, which I understand, I wish I loved it like they did too.
2.5 stars rounded up.
If you are on the fence about the MMM elements and want to know about it, PM me and I'll let you know.
It's an interesting story and it definitely has horror elements to it. More so, than the previous two books in this multi-author series. I like this author's style of writing and enjoy her creative storytelling ability, and ease at which she seems to draw me in as a reader.
Though I did kinda like this story, it is by far not my favorite by her. I had a harder time getting into it than her other books, and I honestly, didn't feel like I knew these characters as well as her previous books. It took me longer to finish this story than I thought it would be. I put it down several times, which is unusual for me, but once the halfway mark passed, I became more involved in it.
If you're not familiar with Bluebeard, I suggest you at least see what he was about before picking this one up. Both heroes are far from perfect and Theo, in particular, is unrepentant and enjoys his choices and his life.
I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I will probably read it again one day, and we will see if my feelings change about it with my second read. I was just a little disconnected from the characters, but who knows,I might feel differently about them one day.
Clearly, I am in the minority when it comes to this book. Most people absolutely loved it, which I understand, I wish I loved it like they did too.
2.5 stars rounded up.
If you are on the fence about the MMM elements and want to know about it, PM me and I'll let you know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2022
Tags: Bluebeard retelling, flowers, spooky / horror elements, kink awakening / rough sex
I’m pretty torn on my rating for this book. I really enjoyed parts of it. The part where Ari thought he was going insane, seeing and hearing things that no one else could see even when he was safe in his own home - that was nicely done. I loved the imagery, which I think is a strength of this book - Ari’s delicate beauty, the flowers, Theo’s strangeness with his blue beard and piercings. Theo’s house, covered in the strange ever blooming wisteria.
What made it work less came down to two things for me.
1) It was entirely too long. I kept thinking, oh well I’m probably almost at the end now. And looking at the progress and realizing I was only 30% in.
2) I really wanted more character depth outside of their appearance. At times it felt like Ari’s entire personality was his waifishness and big dark eyes, and his love for Theo. And Theo / Bluebeard was … big and burly and blue bearded. And he loved Ari.
Overall I’d give this one a tentative recommend. If you’ve enjoyed Lily Mayne’s other stuff, you might enjoy it. I’m still glad I read it.
I’m pretty torn on my rating for this book. I really enjoyed parts of it. The part where Ari thought he was going insane, seeing and hearing things that no one else could see even when he was safe in his own home - that was nicely done. I loved the imagery, which I think is a strength of this book - Ari’s delicate beauty, the flowers, Theo’s strangeness with his blue beard and piercings. Theo’s house, covered in the strange ever blooming wisteria.
What made it work less came down to two things for me.
1) It was entirely too long. I kept thinking, oh well I’m probably almost at the end now. And looking at the progress and realizing I was only 30% in.
2) I really wanted more character depth outside of their appearance. At times it felt like Ari’s entire personality was his waifishness and big dark eyes, and his love for Theo. And Theo / Bluebeard was … big and burly and blue bearded. And he loved Ari.
Overall I’d give this one a tentative recommend. If you’ve enjoyed Lily Mayne’s other stuff, you might enjoy it. I’m still glad I read it.
Read
October 5, 2022DNF 20%
I love Lily Mayne's writing, but I just can't get into this one. Way to slow of a start, but applauding her for the unique characters. I may eventually come back to this book.
I love Lily Mayne's writing, but I just can't get into this one. Way to slow of a start, but applauding her for the unique characters. I may eventually come back to this book.
October 17, 2022
I loved this book but I was kind of wishing it ended differently. There was this creepiness to it that I was enjoying until it turned into more of an erotic story that changed the overall feel of the book for me. I don’t want to say much more and give anything away. I just was kind of hoping for something different after a reading a book that was almost a favorite of mine. This in no way should take away from the gripping story Mayne created though. I enjoyed this so much, looking forward to when I would get to dive back into the story.
I would love for one of these horror retellings to end with complete madness and gore, not a HEA. Am I bad for wanting that? lol! I just love a good horror story that carry’s that creepiness and feeling of overwhelming horror to the end. That is a true horror story to me. But these are more romantic retellings so I know I won’t get that.
Lily Mayne is such a fabulous author and this is a wonderful retelling of Bluebeard. She put a great spin on the tale. I love how she creates these worlds in her books that become such a foundation for the stories. There feels like there is something more I get when reading, I truly feel like I’m taken to the time and place she’s created.
___________________________________________________
**SPOILERS AHEAD! You’ve been warned**
10-17-22 Edited to add: I switched my rating from 4.5 to 4 stars. I keep thinking about this book and the more I do the more I realize that, while I loved so much of this, once the story gets to about 3/4’s of the way through I felt like it was a different story in a way. Ari changes rather quickly and I think he just got over things way too fast for someone so pure. I also wasn’t thrilled with where the story went with the demon. This big bad demon who stalked and scared Ari throughout the book isn’t so bad after all. Ari was quick to give himself to something that scared the crap out of him for so long. I liked Ari and Theo together but the demon added in just took away from the “romance” part of the book. Also, why didn’t the demon like lilies? Maybe I missed something.
I would love for one of these horror retellings to end with complete madness and gore, not a HEA. Am I bad for wanting that? lol! I just love a good horror story that carry’s that creepiness and feeling of overwhelming horror to the end. That is a true horror story to me. But these are more romantic retellings so I know I won’t get that.
Lily Mayne is such a fabulous author and this is a wonderful retelling of Bluebeard. She put a great spin on the tale. I love how she creates these worlds in her books that become such a foundation for the stories. There feels like there is something more I get when reading, I truly feel like I’m taken to the time and place she’s created.
___________________________________________________
**SPOILERS AHEAD! You’ve been warned**
10-17-22 Edited to add: I switched my rating from 4.5 to 4 stars. I keep thinking about this book and the more I do the more I realize that, while I loved so much of this, once the story gets to about 3/4’s of the way through I felt like it was a different story in a way. Ari changes rather quickly and I think he just got over things way too fast for someone so pure. I also wasn’t thrilled with where the story went with the demon. This big bad demon who stalked and scared Ari throughout the book isn’t so bad after all. Ari was quick to give himself to something that scared the crap out of him for so long. I liked Ari and Theo together but the demon added in just took away from the “romance” part of the book. Also, why didn’t the demon like lilies? Maybe I missed something.
October 9, 2022
“I hadn’t thought men like him actually existed. He was perfect. Everything was perfect. Until it wasn’t.”
This book was everything I could want in a paranormal horror romance. There were parts that genuinely creeped me out, tons of steam, wonderfully complex, morally-grey characters, and a satisfying HEA.
Going into this, I did not know much about the tale of Bluebeard. A quick google search told me the basics and I was ready to dive in. Lily stayed true to some elements but also really took it in a direction that was completely unique - and so well executed. Lily has a way to her storytelling that keeps you thoroughly engaged the entire time. She expertly blended a creepy plotline with sweet romance and scorching hot steamy scenes.
Ari meets Theo (our Bluebeard) and while he is happily falling in love, he also starts to experience some downright terrifying things. Poor Ari really goes through it in this book. The first half has some really chilling scenes and he eventually begins to question his own sanity. But he does find his HEA in the end!
“I wanted it all with Theo. All the days and the nights, all the holidays and celebrations. All the milestones of our lives and the wonderful mundanity in between.”
I loved the imagery in this book - I could picture so much of it so clearly - Theo & Ari’s appearances, the house and the creepy presence that is haunting them. There were major modern gothic vibes. I also loved how Lily tied in flowers, not only with Ari being a florist but with how flowers played into the storyline and could be taken symbolically.
I was completely enamoured with this book and I will think about this one for a long time to come and will likely do a re-read at some point because it was so good. It was atmospheric, romantic, and completely unique.
“If you are gone, please know that I love you more than I knew possible. More than I knew I was capable of.”
This book was everything I could want in a paranormal horror romance. There were parts that genuinely creeped me out, tons of steam, wonderfully complex, morally-grey characters, and a satisfying HEA.
Going into this, I did not know much about the tale of Bluebeard. A quick google search told me the basics and I was ready to dive in. Lily stayed true to some elements but also really took it in a direction that was completely unique - and so well executed. Lily has a way to her storytelling that keeps you thoroughly engaged the entire time. She expertly blended a creepy plotline with sweet romance and scorching hot steamy scenes.
Ari meets Theo (our Bluebeard) and while he is happily falling in love, he also starts to experience some downright terrifying things. Poor Ari really goes through it in this book. The first half has some really chilling scenes and he eventually begins to question his own sanity. But he does find his HEA in the end!
“I wanted it all with Theo. All the days and the nights, all the holidays and celebrations. All the milestones of our lives and the wonderful mundanity in between.”
I loved the imagery in this book - I could picture so much of it so clearly - Theo & Ari’s appearances, the house and the creepy presence that is haunting them. There were major modern gothic vibes. I also loved how Lily tied in flowers, not only with Ari being a florist but with how flowers played into the storyline and could be taken symbolically.
I was completely enamoured with this book and I will think about this one for a long time to come and will likely do a re-read at some point because it was so good. It was atmospheric, romantic, and completely unique.
“If you are gone, please know that I love you more than I knew possible. More than I knew I was capable of.”
October 5, 2022
Wow. This was deliciously fucked up and deeply romantic.
January 21, 2023
I did NOT enjoy this. Strong start, terrible middle and end. I’ve read far better ghost/demon/possession “threesomes” and Ari and Theo were so dull and became more and more unlikeable through the story.
It’s hard for me to believe this was written by the same author of the Monstrous series!
It’s hard for me to believe this was written by the same author of the Monstrous series!
October 13, 2022
I never thought I'd say this, but I skimmed 70% of this book. I'm pretty damn proud of myself right now, but also incredibly disappointed. I was so excited by all of the great reviews this book has, but alas, it just was not meant to be for me. Theo reminded me of an older and more pathetic version of Edward Cullen. Ari was...I don't really know what Ari was. I liked him at first, but by the end he just seemed vain and narcissistic. As the author said, both MC's were morally reprehensible and very hard to root for. Not to mention, very, very boring.
March 18, 2023
Sooooo this isn't the typical MMM I thought after reading some labels and reviews that convinced me to shelf this... for a while. Desperation and all that convinced me to unshelve it and and try.
There's actually never a third BODY, but there's a third ENTITY. And it worked OK for me.
As the novel description warns -- you have to put aside the moral norms for this book. Killers don't become good. Killers don't even kill the "bad guys" to justify why they kill. They just... keep killing bc they made a pact with the devil and are too amoral and selfish to give up the benefits.
And yet.
There's a love story of sorts. An obsession story. If killers could love then this is their story.
Mayne's writing continues to flow and invite you in. Is this one of my faves? not by a long shot. Did it keep me reading to find out what happens next all the way to the end?
Absolutely.
There's actually never a third BODY, but there's a third ENTITY. And it worked OK for me.
As the novel description warns -- you have to put aside the moral norms for this book. Killers don't become good. Killers don't even kill the "bad guys" to justify why they kill. They just... keep killing bc they made a pact with the devil and are too amoral and selfish to give up the benefits.
And yet.
There's a love story of sorts. An obsession story. If killers could love then this is their story.
Mayne's writing continues to flow and invite you in. Is this one of my faves? not by a long shot. Did it keep me reading to find out what happens next all the way to the end?
Absolutely.
July 26, 2023
⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️
Amazing, unique and creepy dark/paranormal romance.
The horror elements were everything I didn’t know I wanted in a MM romance. This book kept me on my toes and gasping the whole way through.
I liked that the evil still remains evil at the end — there is no redemption, no trying to be better people.
My only issue, which is why this doesn’t get a full five, is Ari’s denial phase was way too long and frustrating. He’s looking straight at the demon but still be like ‘you need help Theo, you’re crazy’ 🫠
The spice though was fantastic and perfectly kinky🔥
CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
× death, gore
× age gap
× femme MC vs tattooed and pierced MC
× demonic possession
× MMM (sort of?)
× rough sex
× primal play
× switching
× lingerie
× edging
POV: 1st person, dual (although most of it is in Ari’s POV)
Amazing, unique and creepy dark/paranormal romance.
The horror elements were everything I didn’t know I wanted in a MM romance. This book kept me on my toes and gasping the whole way through.
I liked that the evil still remains evil at the end — there is no redemption, no trying to be better people.
My only issue, which is why this doesn’t get a full five, is Ari’s denial phase was way too long and frustrating. He’s looking straight at the demon but still be like ‘you need help Theo, you’re crazy’ 🫠
The spice though was fantastic and perfectly kinky🔥
CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
× death, gore
× age gap
× femme MC vs tattooed and pierced MC
× demonic possession
× MMM (sort of?)
× rough sex
× primal play
× switching
× lingerie
× edging
POV: 1st person, dual (although most of it is in Ari’s POV)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2022
Sinfully Dark
Ok. Lily definitely knows how to make us love a monster and this book was no different.
No spoilers here but to fully enjoy this book you need to check your morals at the door for a bit. Sink into this sinfully dark and sexy story.
Theo isn’t who he appears to be and Ari is drawn to him. After weeks of just staring at each other from across a crowded street, they finally strike up a conversation. The sparks are there from the beginning. Their intense and hot love affair was so fun to read. Things start happening though. Things Ari cannot explain in his logical mind.
Things get darker and darker and you aren’t sure what’s happening. You suspect but do not know. Morally ambiguousness.
By the end, you are so intrigued by this story that you are happy for Ari and Theo.
Their HEA was perfectly them.
Ok. Lily definitely knows how to make us love a monster and this book was no different.
No spoilers here but to fully enjoy this book you need to check your morals at the door for a bit. Sink into this sinfully dark and sexy story.
Theo isn’t who he appears to be and Ari is drawn to him. After weeks of just staring at each other from across a crowded street, they finally strike up a conversation. The sparks are there from the beginning. Their intense and hot love affair was so fun to read. Things start happening though. Things Ari cannot explain in his logical mind.
Things get darker and darker and you aren’t sure what’s happening. You suspect but do not know. Morally ambiguousness.
By the end, you are so intrigued by this story that you are happy for Ari and Theo.
Their HEA was perfectly them.
October 5, 2022
OK. So horror is not my go to subgenre in my romance. Actually, this one may be my first. I'm a scaredy cat on a good day. I still haven't recovered from my cousin forcing me to watch Gremlins with her when I was 7. I didn't sleep in my own bed for a year. I hope that puts into prospective my trepidation with this read and how my review, even though I did give the book 4 stars, should likely be taken with a grain of salt.
First off...this was creepy AF. We spend the majority of the book in Ari's head, but we also have a couple of chapters of Theo, aka bluebeard, thrown into the mix. I felt those were necessary as it really gave us a glimpse of Theo's mindset and obsessions. Ari, bless him, was the most "normal" of the bunch, but by the end I was convinced he might be a little crazy himself. I'll tell you right now that I wouldn't have made it even halfway through the book if it were me in Ari's place. I'd be out of that house faster than kicking off heels after a night of dancing.
There were definitely parts of the book that had me glad I read this during the day with the light on. The pacing was a bit off in the middle. I admit it dragged a little for me then, but after it picked right back up into freaking me out territory and I was drawn back into this unusual romance. I see now where the MMM element mentioned fits into the story. This is definitely not your classic romance, but I promise it does end in a pretty satisfying HEA befitting of the subgenre.
First off...this was creepy AF. We spend the majority of the book in Ari's head, but we also have a couple of chapters of Theo, aka bluebeard, thrown into the mix. I felt those were necessary as it really gave us a glimpse of Theo's mindset and obsessions. Ari, bless him, was the most "normal" of the bunch, but by the end I was convinced he might be a little crazy himself. I'll tell you right now that I wouldn't have made it even halfway through the book if it were me in Ari's place. I'd be out of that house faster than kicking off heels after a night of dancing.
There were definitely parts of the book that had me glad I read this during the day with the light on. The pacing was a bit off in the middle. I admit it dragged a little for me then, but after it picked right back up into freaking me out territory and I was drawn back into this unusual romance. I see now where the MMM element mentioned fits into the story. This is definitely not your classic romance, but I promise it does end in a pretty satisfying HEA befitting of the subgenre.
October 17, 2022
1 star
It pains me to say this, because I really love the monstrous series this author writes, but goddamn this was beyond boring. There was no chemistry between the mcs, boring sex, no spooky or scary, and the more I read the more I became ready for the book to be over.
It pains me to say this, because I really love the monstrous series this author writes, but goddamn this was beyond boring. There was no chemistry between the mcs, boring sex, no spooky or scary, and the more I read the more I became ready for the book to be over.
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