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The Kozlov Brothers #2
Kill for You
LEV
I don't do relationships. I don't do feelings. I don't do what's considered the norm. I love hurting people. I love their screams. I love their begging. I live for it. Until him. Aaron. He has his own version of crazy. His crazy mixed with mine? That's a recipe for disaster.
AARON
My life is not my own. My stepbrother won't let me go. I have to end him. I'm not normal. I fantasize about things I shouldn't and it's his fault. Lev. Lev has been my obsession since we started working for the Kozlov brothers. I need him. I want to be owned by him. I want to drown in his crazy until we are one.
* This dark MM romance and contains content that won't be suitable for under 18s.
I don't do relationships. I don't do feelings. I don't do what's considered the norm. I love hurting people. I love their screams. I love their begging. I live for it. Until him. Aaron. He has his own version of crazy. His crazy mixed with mine? That's a recipe for disaster.
AARON
My life is not my own. My stepbrother won't let me go. I have to end him. I'm not normal. I fantasize about things I shouldn't and it's his fault. Lev. Lev has been my obsession since we started working for the Kozlov brothers. I need him. I want to be owned by him. I want to drown in his crazy until we are one.
* This dark MM romance and contains content that won't be suitable for under 18s.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2023
About the author
Syn Blackrose
4 books261 followersHi my lovelies,
I'm afraid I am not active on Goodreads; therefore, I will not respond to messages or requests on here.
If you would like to reach out to me, please check out my Instagram account.
Thanks! Syn xx
I'm afraid I am not active on Goodreads; therefore, I will not respond to messages or requests on here.
If you would like to reach out to me, please check out my Instagram account.
Thanks! Syn xx
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
November 24, 2023
DNF. Or rather, DNS. One look at the CWs and I’m good.
You know what authors need to stop doing? Censoring their fucking CWs. You write dark romance, but you put “unaliving” as a CW? Get the fuck outta here.
Not to mention, “unaliving”? Not very specific. Do you mean murder, or do you mean suicide? Because those are two different CWs.
Either way, suicide or murder aren’t slurs. Use your grown up words. If you can’t say it, you shouldn’t be writing it.
You know what authors need to stop doing? Censoring their fucking CWs. You write dark romance, but you put “unaliving” as a CW? Get the fuck outta here.
Not to mention, “unaliving”? Not very specific. Do you mean murder, or do you mean suicide? Because those are two different CWs.
Either way, suicide or murder aren’t slurs. Use your grown up words. If you can’t say it, you shouldn’t be writing it.
November 24, 2023
Unaliving? It concerns me that an author writing “dark” romance chooses to use this in their trigger warning.
1. It is not a word, therefore your book hasn’t begun and you’ve deliberately added a typo and asked your editors/proofreaders to ignore it. Not good enough.
Suicide is not a dirty word. Murder is not a word that needs to be hidden. Death is not a word that needs to be hidden.
2. Amazon does not flag books for having appropriate trigger warnings. This is a myth.
This ebook is set out in such a way that there are no indentations for paragraphs, and worse, each paragraph is a block of writing instead of a seamless reading experience.
The author’s writing style is immature. The characters are one dimensional men whose personalities revolve solely around violent outbursts and blood lust. They’ve no depth, no ability to communicate as adults in a functional society, and their only goal it seems is to fight and fuck. When done well, this can work, here, it doesn’t unfortunately.
Up to chapter four.
More to come.
1. It is not a word, therefore your book hasn’t begun and you’ve deliberately added a typo and asked your editors/proofreaders to ignore it. Not good enough.
Suicide is not a dirty word. Murder is not a word that needs to be hidden. Death is not a word that needs to be hidden.
2. Amazon does not flag books for having appropriate trigger warnings. This is a myth.
This ebook is set out in such a way that there are no indentations for paragraphs, and worse, each paragraph is a block of writing instead of a seamless reading experience.
The author’s writing style is immature. The characters are one dimensional men whose personalities revolve solely around violent outbursts and blood lust. They’ve no depth, no ability to communicate as adults in a functional society, and their only goal it seems is to fight and fuck. When done well, this can work, here, it doesn’t unfortunately.
Up to chapter four.
More to come.
November 29, 2023
Top Tier
After reading Tied To You and loving it for how over the top of a dark romance it was, I was expecting much of the same with Lev’s story and whilst I got that, what I was not banking on was how emotional for Aaron and everything he endured I was going to be. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments too. And the spice was 🥵
This ticked pretty much all of my boxes! Looking forward to whatever this author has to offer next ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After reading Tied To You and loving it for how over the top of a dark romance it was, I was expecting much of the same with Lev’s story and whilst I got that, what I was not banking on was how emotional for Aaron and everything he endured I was going to be. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments too. And the spice was 🥵
This ticked pretty much all of my boxes! Looking forward to whatever this author has to offer next ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 9, 2024
Tropes: dark romance, killers
Feels: 2/5
Steam*: 3.5/5
Kinks: rough sex, dubcon, somnophilia, getting turned on by torture and murder
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: unsafe sex, murder, violence, SA, homophobia, adhd, mental health issues, unsafe sex
3.5 stars
Aaron is 24, gay, reluctantly working in a drug dealing Network, distantly under Lev. His mother died when he was around 12. He's been raised by his homophobic stepfather and internalized homophobic step brother Jake. Jake is obsessed with him. He's bullied and threatened him ever since he entered Aaron's life, and he started sexually harassing and then assaulting him from age 16 onward. Aaron struggles with his mental health, having ADHD and voices in his head, the voices are usually triggered by Jake traumatizing him. Aaron loves violence, it turns him on. He's had a crush on Lev, one of the brothers in charge of the drug operation, from afar for the last few months. He's really attracted to his violence. Lev is 27 and likely pan.
A brush in a competing drug dealers territory puts Aaron on Lev's radar. And then Lev is suspicious that Jake is not loyal to him and he has Aaron spy for him. As they interact, Aaron's craziness starts to become appealing to Lev, they have a lot in common, and their vices call to the other. But love doesn't do repeats and he doesn't do relationships, will he care enough to want something on going with Aaron?
This was a pretty good story. It was very bloodthirsty and violence and kinky. Which isn't entirely my thing. But it was done pretty well. I liked Aaron more than I liked Lev. Aaron was vulnerable. They were both on hinged crazy mofos though. They were a good match together. I liked the presents of Dima and Seb in this book.
Things I wasn't too huge fan of:
- It took Lev a very long time to even like Aaron. We were well past the 55% mark and Lev was talking about how he was glad Aaron left, how he was crazy and clingy and definitely someone he should stay away from. Lev didn't get protective of Aaron until the very end. Other people around him like his brother and his brother-in-law were worried about Aaron and telling Lev to go check up on him, afraid he was being harmed. And Aaron was being harmed by his step brother and other bullies. It took a long time for Lev to care
- Lev tried to F another guy the day after hooking up with Aaron. Aaron jealously interrupted that hook up. But I felt like Lev didn't care as much about Aaron. Even by the end of the book he couldn't really say I love you.
Some notable moments:
"“That's a contract you have just signed, by the way. Fine print says that you don't touch anyone else, Lev, I mean it. I'll cut your dick off in your sleep,” he says. So fucking romantic."
Boyfriends who kill together "I pick up a scalpel and Lev raises his brow. “Interesting choice. I'm gonna go for something a little different,” he says. He picks up a cordless drill then attaches a large drill head to it. Now that will hurt. “You wanna go first, doe?”"
"“Wanna watch me play, doe?” he asks. That voice. Goddamn. “Fuck yeah, then I want you to fuck me after,” I demand. “Aaron, seriously? I didn't need to know that,” Seb bemoans beside me. I forgot he was there. “Stop being a prude, Seb,” Lev teases and grabs my neck. I love the way he holds me. “You coming, Seb?” I ask “To the violence orgy? No thanks, I'm good. I'll wait here for D,” he says and continues to sip on his drink."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 2/5
Steam*: 3.5/5
Kinks: rough sex, dubcon, somnophilia, getting turned on by torture and murder
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: unsafe sex, murder, violence, SA, homophobia, adhd, mental health issues, unsafe sex
3.5 stars
Aaron is 24, gay, reluctantly working in a drug dealing Network, distantly under Lev. His mother died when he was around 12. He's been raised by his homophobic stepfather and internalized homophobic step brother Jake. Jake is obsessed with him. He's bullied and threatened him ever since he entered Aaron's life, and he started sexually harassing and then assaulting him from age 16 onward. Aaron struggles with his mental health, having ADHD and voices in his head, the voices are usually triggered by Jake traumatizing him. Aaron loves violence, it turns him on. He's had a crush on Lev, one of the brothers in charge of the drug operation, from afar for the last few months. He's really attracted to his violence. Lev is 27 and likely pan.
A brush in a competing drug dealers territory puts Aaron on Lev's radar. And then Lev is suspicious that Jake is not loyal to him and he has Aaron spy for him. As they interact, Aaron's craziness starts to become appealing to Lev, they have a lot in common, and their vices call to the other. But love doesn't do repeats and he doesn't do relationships, will he care enough to want something on going with Aaron?
This was a pretty good story. It was very bloodthirsty and violence and kinky. Which isn't entirely my thing. But it was done pretty well. I liked Aaron more than I liked Lev. Aaron was vulnerable. They were both on hinged crazy mofos though. They were a good match together. I liked the presents of Dima and Seb in this book.
Things I wasn't too huge fan of:
- It took Lev a very long time to even like Aaron. We were well past the 55% mark and Lev was talking about how he was glad Aaron left, how he was crazy and clingy and definitely someone he should stay away from. Lev didn't get protective of Aaron until the very end. Other people around him like his brother and his brother-in-law were worried about Aaron and telling Lev to go check up on him, afraid he was being harmed. And Aaron was being harmed by his step brother and other bullies. It took a long time for Lev to care
- Lev tried to F another guy the day after hooking up with Aaron. Aaron jealously interrupted that hook up. But I felt like Lev didn't care as much about Aaron. Even by the end of the book he couldn't really say I love you.
Some notable moments:
"“That's a contract you have just signed, by the way. Fine print says that you don't touch anyone else, Lev, I mean it. I'll cut your dick off in your sleep,” he says. So fucking romantic."
Boyfriends who kill together "I pick up a scalpel and Lev raises his brow. “Interesting choice. I'm gonna go for something a little different,” he says. He picks up a cordless drill then attaches a large drill head to it. Now that will hurt. “You wanna go first, doe?”"
"“Wanna watch me play, doe?” he asks. That voice. Goddamn. “Fuck yeah, then I want you to fuck me after,” I demand. “Aaron, seriously? I didn't need to know that,” Seb bemoans beside me. I forgot he was there. “Stop being a prude, Seb,” Lev teases and grabs my neck. I love the way he holds me. “You coming, Seb?” I ask “To the violence orgy? No thanks, I'm good. I'll wait here for D,” he says and continues to sip on his drink."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2023
this is not for me, dnf 60%. And the «i don’t do relationships » cliché.. nope 🙄
December 3, 2023
"I like you Lev, and I think I'm falling for you, or maybe I'm addicted to you? I know you don't do feelings, and this is probably your worst nightmare, but after everything that's happened, and before we go down there, I wanted to tell you I'm yours. You can do want you want to me, and I will do anything that you ask. But to be clear, you are mine too, and I won't let go."
Well now. Kill For You is the second book in the Kozlov Brothers duet and this one is Lev and Aaron's story. We first met Lev in Tied To You, as Dima's psychotic brother. And oh, he is soooo much worse in this one!
If you have any kind of triggers, I'd suggest you don't even pick this book up, because it has them all. This is a dark MM romance, with blood-play, dub con, abuse, murder and a whole lot more. It is not for the faint-hearted. Please don't read it and then 1 star it because it's not for you. You have been warned!
BUT if you like your MM books dark, dirty, dangerous and delicious then you've come to the right place! Syn Blackrose is carving out (quite literally!) a dark and demented niche for herself in this genre and I am totally here for it! 😈
Well now. Kill For You is the second book in the Kozlov Brothers duet and this one is Lev and Aaron's story. We first met Lev in Tied To You, as Dima's psychotic brother. And oh, he is soooo much worse in this one!
If you have any kind of triggers, I'd suggest you don't even pick this book up, because it has them all. This is a dark MM romance, with blood-play, dub con, abuse, murder and a whole lot more. It is not for the faint-hearted. Please don't read it and then 1 star it because it's not for you. You have been warned!
BUT if you like your MM books dark, dirty, dangerous and delicious then you've come to the right place! Syn Blackrose is carving out (quite literally!) a dark and demented niche for herself in this genre and I am totally here for it! 😈
November 25, 2023
Like others have said the unaliving thing pisses me off 🤬 it’s not a word. You’re a grown up (I assume) use correct words.
I don’t understand this author’s writing style. It’s so stilted and all telling and no showing… 😬 all the characters are violent and everything is about fighting and killing and sex. It is Spose’d to be erotica?🤔🤔There’s not even a story to go with it.🤨 and where is the dark romance?
This writing style is not for me it’s too immature and after the first lacklustre sex scene it was repetitive and boring. There’s no substance and the MCs are cut out cardboard characters without mature thoughts or feelings. Nothing they do has a motive or reason, it’s all fight fuck kill for the sake of shock value.🤦🏽♀️
Reads like gay fetish porn to me which makes it a huge turn off and an instant one star. 🤢🫤
Disappointed
I don’t understand this author’s writing style. It’s so stilted and all telling and no showing… 😬 all the characters are violent and everything is about fighting and killing and sex. It is Spose’d to be erotica?🤔🤔There’s not even a story to go with it.🤨 and where is the dark romance?
This writing style is not for me it’s too immature and after the first lacklustre sex scene it was repetitive and boring. There’s no substance and the MCs are cut out cardboard characters without mature thoughts or feelings. Nothing they do has a motive or reason, it’s all fight fuck kill for the sake of shock value.🤦🏽♀️
Reads like gay fetish porn to me which makes it a huge turn off and an instant one star. 🤢🫤
Disappointed
November 24, 2023
Dang, that was a vicious read! There are a whole lot of trigger warnings, so my expectations were high, thank goodness I wasn’t disappointed.
Don’t ignore them, you’ve been warned!
In his head, it’s the best plan ever to get rid of his sick abusive brother. After years of suffering, Aaron knows how to get Jake killed.
Aaron needs the Kozlov brothers to get his goal. They rule the town. When he thinks about Lev Koslov….? Ahhh!! Drool!!
Lev is a dominating cruel ’no repeats’ kind of guy, he’s impressed by Aaron’s jealousy and possessiveness towards him. He can play him, for a while, nothing more.
Only, one night isn’t enough, Aaron is just as crazy as himself.
They are toxic together, but apart even worse.
Aaron is an unstable, possessive little creeper when it concerns Levi. He wants his eyes on him, 24/7, period!
With every constriction Levi gives Aaron, Aaron gets harder, he loves it, and he wants to be consumed by Levi, forever and ever. Where Levi promised him hell, Aaron only sees heaven.
It’s not about loving, it’s about claiming.
Aaron has several personalities and moods, as a result of all the trauma he’s been through, he suffered so badly. The voices in his head, I fucking cried for him.
The only one to give his mind peace is the one who doesn’t seem to want to commit.
It’s a raw, gritty, tough story, nothing soft or sweet to find. A lot of abusive acts, torture, and super sexy hotness. It was a joy to read, just what I needed. I love me some dark, vicious stories. The author did an amazing job. It’s a strongly written story, consistently dark and cruel.
If you can’t stomach gore, don’t start this read!
Don’t ignore them, you’ve been warned!
In his head, it’s the best plan ever to get rid of his sick abusive brother. After years of suffering, Aaron knows how to get Jake killed.
Aaron needs the Kozlov brothers to get his goal. They rule the town. When he thinks about Lev Koslov….? Ahhh!! Drool!!
Lev is a dominating cruel ’no repeats’ kind of guy, he’s impressed by Aaron’s jealousy and possessiveness towards him. He can play him, for a while, nothing more.
Only, one night isn’t enough, Aaron is just as crazy as himself.
They are toxic together, but apart even worse.
Aaron is an unstable, possessive little creeper when it concerns Levi. He wants his eyes on him, 24/7, period!
With every constriction Levi gives Aaron, Aaron gets harder, he loves it, and he wants to be consumed by Levi, forever and ever. Where Levi promised him hell, Aaron only sees heaven.
It’s not about loving, it’s about claiming.
Aaron has several personalities and moods, as a result of all the trauma he’s been through, he suffered so badly. The voices in his head, I fucking cried for him.
The only one to give his mind peace is the one who doesn’t seem to want to commit.
It’s a raw, gritty, tough story, nothing soft or sweet to find. A lot of abusive acts, torture, and super sexy hotness. It was a joy to read, just what I needed. I love me some dark, vicious stories. The author did an amazing job. It’s a strongly written story, consistently dark and cruel.
If you can’t stomach gore, don’t start this read!
November 27, 2023
Buddy reading in my book club group.
This is my first book by this author and I must say I was disappointed.
EDIT TO UPDATE:
Changing to one star because of the abundance of editing shortfalls.
I wish this author could get a proper editor or proofreader to deal with the lack of contractions and the numerous errors. In this day and age there’s really no excuse for this many errors to be missed.
There were a few spots where I enjoyed interactions between the characters and that’s the reason for two stars. Otherwise the writing style dragged me out of the story too many times. It feels like this was written by someone with very little experience or knowledge about story writing. The dialogue seemed off to me like these men were 14-15 year old boys trying to one up each other and show who has the biggest dick. Beyond immature and I didn’t find the “dark” aspect of the romance anywhere near dark enough for my tastes. ‘‘Twas more for shock value and came off as cheesy and laughable instead of dark.
I am with the people against using “unaliving” as a trigger warning. It’s not a word and as a writer you should know better.
Full RTC
This is my first book by this author and I must say I was disappointed.
EDIT TO UPDATE:
Changing to one star because of the abundance of editing shortfalls.
I wish this author could get a proper editor or proofreader to deal with the lack of contractions and the numerous errors. In this day and age there’s really no excuse for this many errors to be missed.
There were a few spots where I enjoyed interactions between the characters and that’s the reason for two stars. Otherwise the writing style dragged me out of the story too many times. It feels like this was written by someone with very little experience or knowledge about story writing. The dialogue seemed off to me like these men were 14-15 year old boys trying to one up each other and show who has the biggest dick. Beyond immature and I didn’t find the “dark” aspect of the romance anywhere near dark enough for my tastes. ‘‘Twas more for shock value and came off as cheesy and laughable instead of dark.
I am with the people against using “unaliving” as a trigger warning. It’s not a word and as a writer you should know better.
Full RTC
March 18, 2024
I was hoping this one would be a better installment and I almost ended my reading at 25%, but still decided to stick around - only to find out I got the same thing as in the previous book. But this time the author went a step further and added a severe mental illness to the repertoire, but they had no idea what they were talking about or had no clear vision on what they were trying to achieve with the problematic main character's mental state, so again, this read like a teenage m/f fantasy, at least to me.
The story was bogus, the main characters had absolutely no palpable connection, add a few quick fucks and as far as this author's concerned, you've got yourself a fated dark romance.
🟢 A Russian psycho evil-eyes mafioso/member of one of their drug dealing crews
🟣 MMCs both gay
🟡 One MMC has severe PTSD although he's pictured as being schizophrenic (and even that wasn't correct)
🔵 Absolutely no chemistry or connection
🟠 These guys aren't psychos, they need therapy and meds and forget that amateur torturing they've got going on
🟢 HFN - I can't see this one ending happily
🔵 Insta-love and it's not working
🟣 Could these characters be even less fleshed out? Just grinning, fucking and dreaming of blood isn't enough
🌶️ Some sex, but it felt just like hooking up, no depth, but was quite good; rimming; t/b
The thing that bothered me the most in this book was Aaron's mental struggles. Aaron had a very difficult upbringing with his mother dying on him and then him staying with his stepbrother and stepfather. When he turned 16, they really turned on him, even though they were already bad before that. Most heartbreaking was seeing his supportive stepbrother Jake becoming a complete sadistic asshole and consequently Aaron having severe PTSD from the trauma he endured. He never got help, was never treated, he had to stay in that hellhole of eventually Jake sexually abusing him as well.
But the way Aaron was presented it seemed like he was a deranged schizophrenic with his crazy grins and clinginess that was supposedly almost psychopathic. Where in the world did these definitions come from? How much was read on this topic?
Aaron just needed a couple of years of good therapy to get over the trauma that was inflicted upon him, but according to this story, Lev's dick took care of that problem and one day Aaron's broken inner child's voice simply disappeared.
"Last night, I truly saw the real Aaron behind his multiple masks. He craves attention and craves violence to obnoxious levels. It turns him on. It was a fucking rush being with someone that uninhibited, freely displaying the wild unhinged parts of them."
This is NOT Aaron from this book. A completely false description. Quit telling me who Aaron is if the story doesn't show it. The Aaron living on those pages wasn't unhinged and violent, he was lonely, broken and scared. The story didn't do him any kind of justice, it was more about trying to show us what a psycho he was.
Lev is Dima's brother and supposedly an even bigger psycho, although from what I've seen so far, Lev knows only how to grab a tool and make big threats, maybe hit someone and that's about it. He's more dark clothes, tattoos and the evil eyes, right? Right.
Aaron and Lev had absolutely no chemistry. Aaron was dickmatized for a little bit, but his character was too complex to settle just for a few nights of sex and some torture. This guy needed a serious story, I don't think hanging on to Lev and then just killing Jake was enough for Aaron.
Aaron needed someone to really get him on a deeper level and that clinginess that was trying to come to light, the need to be that close - that was supposed to be hot, he needed a complete emotional connection (for it), but Lev didn't give it. Lev was clear he's not the type for something like that and then he somehow just fell into it, because Aaron couldn't let go. Lev didn't seem like the perfect choice, he seemed like the only choice, a momentary fixation for Aaron, not the cure.
This is Aaron running into Lev trying to get with another guy. Nothing was happening between Aaron and Lev, they weren't together and they were both clear on nothing more could ever happen
“You know, I like this side of you, stabby- psycho Aaron. I knew you'd be a clinger. It’s like having a groupie.” “Yeah, well we can't all be perfect like you,” he says. Cheeky little shit.
“True. So tell me why you are here, apart from to block me from getting my dick wet.” 🙄
Aaron was constantly portrayed as a psycho, yet in my mind he was just a lost soul. He was hurting all the time and was just looking for a refuge from the hell he was going through at home. His life was shit. So if he came back again to maybe hook-up one more time, he's a psycho? And this was a constant in the book and couldn't be further from the truth.
"Mentally I am coming to terms with who I am, and I accept my quirks, psycho voices and all."
IT'S CALLED PTSD. This poor fucking guy, really. It was ridiculous how the author was writing about Aaron's inner child and how he was talking to the adult Aaron and then all the other Aarons. So amateurish and completely made up. It's not how it works either. Decide on the mental illness and truthfully describe it, not a little bit of everything added into the mix, gave me whiplash how Aaron's character acted!
🟡 Again, the whore and the slut thing, not to mention it's always felt how this author has a weird relationship with sex.
“Slutty doe, will you ever stop wanting my dick?” he says. So arrogant but I can’t deny that I do.
“No, I won’t. I want it to live inside me and I don't give a fuck how.” Wow, I really am a disgusting slut and I actually don't care.
See? Anything having remotely to do with sex makes you slutty for this author. Either you're a whore or slutty and that's just for wanting to get laid. It's not written as hot, it's covert slut shaming.
In general sex and intimacy is weirdly described, as usual and I can't seem to find that true lust, that believable tension and chemistry, maybe because of writing like this
"Collapsing on top of me, he leans over and our lips connect as his tongue caresses my mouth in a sensual mating kiss."
"Lev doesn’t allow me to adjust, he just pounds into me like a beast mating his prey in the wild."
"Oh hell yes. Tiny jabs of mini orgasms flare up around my cock at the sound of his warning."
I couldn't feel the crazy love between them, not even for a second. Granted, the sex was better described than in the first installment, but it never went further than just sex and when you've got complex characters like these and trying to show how deeply they're hooked on each other, well, it has to be just a little bit more than a hard fuck, doesn't it?
One would expect some comfort for Aaron, feeling like he finally found his home and can breathe, yet I couldn't. He just moved in with Lev. I didn't feel like Lev was onboard. He was hooked on Aaron's ass, yeah, but not much else.
So overall a duet that's not really thought-out and the author didn't quite nail it. They didn't. Not a thing I liked in these two books, maybe Aaron, but his character was botched completely and the cartoon mafioso Kozlov brothers are nothing but Johnny Bravo types who are all muscle and no substance.
There's a hint of Kai the bodyguard having a possible inappropriate relationship with Jules, his uncle - and god help me if their book is going to be an incest one. Definitely, definitely not something this author can pull off.
I strongly advise against it!
The story was bogus, the main characters had absolutely no palpable connection, add a few quick fucks and as far as this author's concerned, you've got yourself a fated dark romance.
🟢 A Russian psycho evil-eyes mafioso/member of one of their drug dealing crews
🟣 MMCs both gay
🟡 One MMC has severe PTSD although he's pictured as being schizophrenic (and even that wasn't correct)
🔵 Absolutely no chemistry or connection
🟠 These guys aren't psychos, they need therapy and meds and forget that amateur torturing they've got going on
🟢 HFN - I can't see this one ending happily
🔵 Insta-love and it's not working
🟣 Could these characters be even less fleshed out? Just grinning, fucking and dreaming of blood isn't enough
🌶️ Some sex, but it felt just like hooking up, no depth, but was quite good; rimming; t/b
The thing that bothered me the most in this book was Aaron's mental struggles. Aaron had a very difficult upbringing with his mother dying on him and then him staying with his stepbrother and stepfather. When he turned 16, they really turned on him, even though they were already bad before that. Most heartbreaking was seeing his supportive stepbrother Jake becoming a complete sadistic asshole and consequently Aaron having severe PTSD from the trauma he endured. He never got help, was never treated, he had to stay in that hellhole of eventually Jake sexually abusing him as well.
But the way Aaron was presented it seemed like he was a deranged schizophrenic with his crazy grins and clinginess that was supposedly almost psychopathic. Where in the world did these definitions come from? How much was read on this topic?
Aaron just needed a couple of years of good therapy to get over the trauma that was inflicted upon him, but according to this story, Lev's dick took care of that problem and one day Aaron's broken inner child's voice simply disappeared.
"Last night, I truly saw the real Aaron behind his multiple masks. He craves attention and craves violence to obnoxious levels. It turns him on. It was a fucking rush being with someone that uninhibited, freely displaying the wild unhinged parts of them."
This is NOT Aaron from this book. A completely false description. Quit telling me who Aaron is if the story doesn't show it. The Aaron living on those pages wasn't unhinged and violent, he was lonely, broken and scared. The story didn't do him any kind of justice, it was more about trying to show us what a psycho he was.
Lev is Dima's brother and supposedly an even bigger psycho, although from what I've seen so far, Lev knows only how to grab a tool and make big threats, maybe hit someone and that's about it. He's more dark clothes, tattoos and the evil eyes, right? Right.
Aaron and Lev had absolutely no chemistry. Aaron was dickmatized for a little bit, but his character was too complex to settle just for a few nights of sex and some torture. This guy needed a serious story, I don't think hanging on to Lev and then just killing Jake was enough for Aaron.
Aaron needed someone to really get him on a deeper level and that clinginess that was trying to come to light, the need to be that close - that was supposed to be hot, he needed a complete emotional connection (for it), but Lev didn't give it. Lev was clear he's not the type for something like that and then he somehow just fell into it, because Aaron couldn't let go. Lev didn't seem like the perfect choice, he seemed like the only choice, a momentary fixation for Aaron, not the cure.
This is Aaron running into Lev trying to get with another guy. Nothing was happening between Aaron and Lev, they weren't together and they were both clear on nothing more could ever happen
“You know, I like this side of you, stabby- psycho Aaron. I knew you'd be a clinger. It’s like having a groupie.” “Yeah, well we can't all be perfect like you,” he says. Cheeky little shit.
“True. So tell me why you are here, apart from to block me from getting my dick wet.” 🙄
Aaron was constantly portrayed as a psycho, yet in my mind he was just a lost soul. He was hurting all the time and was just looking for a refuge from the hell he was going through at home. His life was shit. So if he came back again to maybe hook-up one more time, he's a psycho? And this was a constant in the book and couldn't be further from the truth.
"Mentally I am coming to terms with who I am, and I accept my quirks, psycho voices and all."
IT'S CALLED PTSD. This poor fucking guy, really. It was ridiculous how the author was writing about Aaron's inner child and how he was talking to the adult Aaron and then all the other Aarons. So amateurish and completely made up. It's not how it works either. Decide on the mental illness and truthfully describe it, not a little bit of everything added into the mix, gave me whiplash how Aaron's character acted!
🟡 Again, the whore and the slut thing, not to mention it's always felt how this author has a weird relationship with sex.
“Slutty doe, will you ever stop wanting my dick?” he says. So arrogant but I can’t deny that I do.
“No, I won’t. I want it to live inside me and I don't give a fuck how.” Wow, I really am a disgusting slut and I actually don't care.
See? Anything having remotely to do with sex makes you slutty for this author. Either you're a whore or slutty and that's just for wanting to get laid. It's not written as hot, it's covert slut shaming.
In general sex and intimacy is weirdly described, as usual and I can't seem to find that true lust, that believable tension and chemistry, maybe because of writing like this
"Collapsing on top of me, he leans over and our lips connect as his tongue caresses my mouth in a sensual mating kiss."
"Lev doesn’t allow me to adjust, he just pounds into me like a beast mating his prey in the wild."
"Oh hell yes. Tiny jabs of mini orgasms flare up around my cock at the sound of his warning."
I couldn't feel the crazy love between them, not even for a second. Granted, the sex was better described than in the first installment, but it never went further than just sex and when you've got complex characters like these and trying to show how deeply they're hooked on each other, well, it has to be just a little bit more than a hard fuck, doesn't it?
One would expect some comfort for Aaron, feeling like he finally found his home and can breathe, yet I couldn't. He just moved in with Lev. I didn't feel like Lev was onboard. He was hooked on Aaron's ass, yeah, but not much else.
So overall a duet that's not really thought-out and the author didn't quite nail it. They didn't. Not a thing I liked in these two books, maybe Aaron, but his character was botched completely and the cartoon mafioso Kozlov brothers are nothing but Johnny Bravo types who are all muscle and no substance.
There's a hint of Kai the bodyguard having a possible inappropriate relationship with Jules, his uncle - and god help me if their book is going to be an incest one. Definitely, definitely not something this author can pull off.
I strongly advise against it!
January 22, 2024
I’m rather confused about how this book passed the editing process.
146 uses of “I am”.
179 uses of “he is”.
Contractions are important in fiction, it’s okay to use them.
504 uses of the word “fuck” in different forms.
There are too many editing and grammatical errors to mention.
146 uses of “I am”.
179 uses of “he is”.
Contractions are important in fiction, it’s okay to use them.
504 uses of the word “fuck” in different forms.
There are too many editing and grammatical errors to mention.
April 2, 2024
Review to come
December 3, 2023
3/5 stars
![Profile Image for Rαιɳ [hiatus].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645722226i/143942464._UY200_CR17,0,200,200_.jpg)
March 3, 2024
I mean, it was entertaining but it was objectively not good.
November 29, 2023
Never reading a book from.this author again
Just like the fist book, I couldn't finish it. Plain horrible. How are the books getting published is beyond me. UGH
Just like the fist book, I couldn't finish it. Plain horrible. How are the books getting published is beyond me. UGH
August 21, 2024
Aaron often wonders what happened to his life, how did he get here? He lost his mother only to left with abusers…Being the punching bag to his once loving older brother who turns out to be scum of the earth. Everything is a fight, to find food, to sleep safely, to breathe without being threatened with death. Is this what everyday has to offer? Pain? suffering? Don’t get him wrong Aaron loves pain just the pain of others and his desire to see his abuser snuffed out from this world fuels his determination. In the midst of the horror of his life is his shining become and death a destruction by the name of Lev Kozlov…. Aaron is determined to make Lev his…. His crazy matches Aaron’s crazy and it’s oh so delectable. If anyone tries to take Lev away he will take his blade to them without hesitation, that includes Lev himself. Lev may be the boss but Aaron is no wallflower he will show Lev what real crazy can do.
Lev nothing satisfies him for long, no drink no hot willing body…. They all become mundane hence why he never does repeats, one and done, in and out is his motto, until he comes across Aaron. Lev is baffled by Aaron quirks he is not all there the little psycho and that makes him a perfect bedmate for one night, except it’s not just one night, Aaron makes it clear from day dot that Lev is his…. Pffftt this insane guy looks up to Lev like he hung the moon… it should turn Lev off but it’s surprisingly has the opposite effect, why does Alec crave him with a ferocity he’s never felt before. Aaron is in danger and Lev will obliterate anyone who dares threaten his unhinged man.
Lev nothing satisfies him for long, no drink no hot willing body…. They all become mundane hence why he never does repeats, one and done, in and out is his motto, until he comes across Aaron. Lev is baffled by Aaron quirks he is not all there the little psycho and that makes him a perfect bedmate for one night, except it’s not just one night, Aaron makes it clear from day dot that Lev is his…. Pffftt this insane guy looks up to Lev like he hung the moon… it should turn Lev off but it’s surprisingly has the opposite effect, why does Alec crave him with a ferocity he’s never felt before. Aaron is in danger and Lev will obliterate anyone who dares threaten his unhinged man.
February 7, 2024
Detailed review to come
December 18, 2023
disappointing
Potential for a good, dark MM story, but the pacing is f-cked and the dialogue is like a cheesy porno. Ah well.
Potential for a good, dark MM story, but the pacing is f-cked and the dialogue is like a cheesy porno. Ah well.
December 24, 2023
I'm sick because once I start a series I have to finish it. I thought that I would like Lev better, but I hated Aaron too much to care. This will also be a no for me.
April 10, 2024
3.5 ⭐
Funny but weird
To be honest I loved dima and seb more than those 2 even thier existence in some chap was the best part in the book
Funny but weird
To be honest I loved dima and seb more than those 2 even thier existence in some chap was the best part in the book
November 5, 2023
I devoured this book as soon as I received it and god I LOVED IT SO MUCH 🔥💯 I have been a fan of the author since her debut book Tied For You, which was a good surprise for me in the Dark romance category and then comes this book which made me love her writing style more.
This is a DARK ROMANCE book so please check the triggers before diving into it.
We met Lev in the book Tied To You which was about his older brother Dima and you must have seen his side where he liked to play with humans & have sex a lot but no repeats that is his rule. Then there is Aaron, one of his crew members with is led by Jake his stepbrother. Aaron always has a crush on Lev & he has this crazy side of him which loves blood & seeing people in pain kinda but also has a vulnerable side of a young boy who was abused by his stepbrother & stepfather (I don't want to spoil more). But what happens when these two crazy souls meet?
Lev & Aaron were equally crazy & perfect for each other. From Lev & Aaron's first meeting, they were hooked to each other though you could tell Lev knew that Aaron might get cringy so he had already talked about it being only once but I think he also knew he was lying after he had sex I mean very hot sex with Aaron. I enjoyed Aaron's possessive side and how stabby he got. Also loved how Lev could calm the loud voices in Aaron's head and their foreplay was so good, that I liked how amazingly the author had written.
This book was amazing, I highly recommend you to check it out though it is a standalone you should try to read the author's first book as well, I feel it is a bit less dark than this one & would help you with knowing her writing style. I am looking forward to more books by this author, even better if it's related to the same world as this 🤭
* I received an ARC copy from the author and this is my honest review *
This is a DARK ROMANCE book so please check the triggers before diving into it.
We met Lev in the book Tied To You which was about his older brother Dima and you must have seen his side where he liked to play with humans & have sex a lot but no repeats that is his rule. Then there is Aaron, one of his crew members with is led by Jake his stepbrother. Aaron always has a crush on Lev & he has this crazy side of him which loves blood & seeing people in pain kinda but also has a vulnerable side of a young boy who was abused by his stepbrother & stepfather (I don't want to spoil more). But what happens when these two crazy souls meet?
Lev & Aaron were equally crazy & perfect for each other. From Lev & Aaron's first meeting, they were hooked to each other though you could tell Lev knew that Aaron might get cringy so he had already talked about it being only once but I think he also knew he was lying after he had sex I mean very hot sex with Aaron. I enjoyed Aaron's possessive side and how stabby he got. Also loved how Lev could calm the loud voices in Aaron's head and their foreplay was so good, that I liked how amazingly the author had written.
This book was amazing, I highly recommend you to check it out though it is a standalone you should try to read the author's first book as well, I feel it is a bit less dark than this one & would help you with knowing her writing style. I am looking forward to more books by this author, even better if it's related to the same world as this 🤭
* I received an ARC copy from the author and this is my honest review *
November 5, 2023
***ARC Review***
This is my honest and voluntary review for the ARC I received.
(The playlist for this book brought back some memories). This is a dark romance. The type of “dark” varies from author to author, but this one is pretty up there. I was a fan, but make sure to check out the author’s trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.
Aaron is dealing with a lot. His stepbrother, Jake, is a despicable and vile person. Aaron has some mental health issues that relate to his interactions with his stepfather and stepbrother. Aaron has admired Lev Kozlov since his brother’s crew started working for the Kozlov brothers.
Lev is used to no repeats with partners and no emotions, so it surprises him when Aaron gets under his skin. Lev and Aaron have insane chemistry. Their connection is unlike anything either of them have ever experienced before. Aaron and Lev have a somewhat toxic and unhealthy relationship, but it works for them! It’s clear that a “normal” relationship would not suit either of them. Aaron’s mental health struggles, Lev’s approach to people and relationships, and the violence kink they both share are all contributing factors to why a typical relationship wouldn’t cut it. Also, the obsessive and possessive tendencies that both MCs experience makes their connection extra hot, but it also complicates things. (Aaron and his switchblade! IYKYK).
It was cool seeing Seb and Dima again in this book. Kai is a good side character as well. I was glad that Aaron gets relief from his crappy situation. Both MCs achieve an HEA that works for them. This is the second book that I have read by the author and I would be happy to read more in the future.
This is my honest and voluntary review for the ARC I received.
(The playlist for this book brought back some memories). This is a dark romance. The type of “dark” varies from author to author, but this one is pretty up there. I was a fan, but make sure to check out the author’s trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.
Aaron is dealing with a lot. His stepbrother, Jake, is a despicable and vile person. Aaron has some mental health issues that relate to his interactions with his stepfather and stepbrother. Aaron has admired Lev Kozlov since his brother’s crew started working for the Kozlov brothers.
Lev is used to no repeats with partners and no emotions, so it surprises him when Aaron gets under his skin. Lev and Aaron have insane chemistry. Their connection is unlike anything either of them have ever experienced before. Aaron and Lev have a somewhat toxic and unhealthy relationship, but it works for them! It’s clear that a “normal” relationship would not suit either of them. Aaron’s mental health struggles, Lev’s approach to people and relationships, and the violence kink they both share are all contributing factors to why a typical relationship wouldn’t cut it. Also, the obsessive and possessive tendencies that both MCs experience makes their connection extra hot, but it also complicates things. (Aaron and his switchblade! IYKYK).
It was cool seeing Seb and Dima again in this book. Kai is a good side character as well. I was glad that Aaron gets relief from his crappy situation. Both MCs achieve an HEA that works for them. This is the second book that I have read by the author and I would be happy to read more in the future.
November 12, 2023
🖤 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝙰 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 🖤
“𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑢𝑠. 𝑊𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑐 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚. 𝐿𝑒𝑣 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑚𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛. 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ.”
Lev and Aaron are like a grenade, once the pin holding in their lust was released, everyone in their force field would feel the blast and some wouldn't make it out unscathed. I absolutely devoured Kill For You. It was a toxic, sexy and a whirlwind of savage beauty. Aaron was my kind of crazy, I felt so deeply for his character. He's definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but there's a justifiable reason for it. Whereas, Aaron's had a life full of cruelty and emotional pain, Lev is usually one doling out his fair share of pain of a different type, as one half of The Kozlov brothers. Lev never dips into the same partner twice, once he's had a taste, but when his and Aaron's paths crossed, his crazy - calls to the doe-eyed boys crazy, there's very little he can do to stop the blazing chemistry between them (oh, does he try to deny Aaron! 😂). Seeing Lev get a good ribbing by Dima and Seb because he was under Aaron's thumb made me laugh so much, and I thoroughly enjoyed the lighter moments because there are heavy themes woven throughout that Syn did an incredible job delivering.
Kill For You is the second book by Syn Blackrose that I have read, and I'm really excited to see what comes next from this flourishing author!
“𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑢𝑠. 𝑊𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑐 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚. 𝐿𝑒𝑣 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑚𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛. 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ.”
Lev and Aaron are like a grenade, once the pin holding in their lust was released, everyone in their force field would feel the blast and some wouldn't make it out unscathed. I absolutely devoured Kill For You. It was a toxic, sexy and a whirlwind of savage beauty. Aaron was my kind of crazy, I felt so deeply for his character. He's definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but there's a justifiable reason for it. Whereas, Aaron's had a life full of cruelty and emotional pain, Lev is usually one doling out his fair share of pain of a different type, as one half of The Kozlov brothers. Lev never dips into the same partner twice, once he's had a taste, but when his and Aaron's paths crossed, his crazy - calls to the doe-eyed boys crazy, there's very little he can do to stop the blazing chemistry between them (oh, does he try to deny Aaron! 😂). Seeing Lev get a good ribbing by Dima and Seb because he was under Aaron's thumb made me laugh so much, and I thoroughly enjoyed the lighter moments because there are heavy themes woven throughout that Syn did an incredible job delivering.
Kill For You is the second book by Syn Blackrose that I have read, and I'm really excited to see what comes next from this flourishing author!
November 1, 2023
4,5⭐️
Sooooo I was really excited for Lev's story and it was even darker than anything I could have expected, Aaron is definitely made for him.
Really really important to read the trigger warning before diving into this book, IT IS DARK and might not be everyone’s tea, so be careful.
Even with being ready for it, I was totally taken aback by Aaron’s personality, it was shockingly sad, exciting and disturbing. It was another way to see the effects of trauma, but it just made him crazy enough to be with Lev. I love how Lev is grounding him, giving him the peace he needs. They’re definitely made for each other even if Lev “doesn’t do repeat” ( we all know how this will work 🤣). Aaron is fearless, crazy and worships Lev completely disturbing Jules.
It’s another level of kink and for sure the stepbro is not in the right mind, he’s a crazy one.
Love seeing Dima and Seb, and the relationship they have with Lev, the jokes, the banters. By the way, now I’m even more intrigued by Jules, Simon and Kai !
I received an ARC Copy of this book from the author, this review is from my own thoughts 😍
Sooooo I was really excited for Lev's story and it was even darker than anything I could have expected, Aaron is definitely made for him.
Really really important to read the trigger warning before diving into this book, IT IS DARK and might not be everyone’s tea, so be careful.
Even with being ready for it, I was totally taken aback by Aaron’s personality, it was shockingly sad, exciting and disturbing. It was another way to see the effects of trauma, but it just made him crazy enough to be with Lev. I love how Lev is grounding him, giving him the peace he needs. They’re definitely made for each other even if Lev “doesn’t do repeat” ( we all know how this will work 🤣). Aaron is fearless, crazy and worships Lev completely disturbing Jules.
It’s another level of kink and for sure the stepbro is not in the right mind, he’s a crazy one.
Love seeing Dima and Seb, and the relationship they have with Lev, the jokes, the banters. By the way, now I’m even more intrigued by Jules, Simon and Kai !
I received an ARC Copy of this book from the author, this review is from my own thoughts 😍
November 25, 2023
Lev has hawk-shaped eyes
Not eyes shaped like a hawk’s, but eyes shaped like a hawk. It was written as such repeatedly. Hawk-shaped eyes. How that got past editing is beyond me. The story itself was okay, original as in Aaron was more unique than most the male MCs in books of this genre. There were some unraveled plot threads that turned into holes, and an alarming lack of contractions. I don’t know why, as they were occasionally used. Most people don’t talk like they have an aversion to using contractions. Most of my issues with this book have to do withediting that could’ve brought the writing up to a four. As someone with OCD and ADHD, certain things stand out to me, and they will not cease to bother me and therefore detract from the story. Take this review for nothing more than what it is, my opinion— though I do hope the author takes a bit of advice and adds a red-line editor to her staff.
Not eyes shaped like a hawk’s, but eyes shaped like a hawk. It was written as such repeatedly. Hawk-shaped eyes. How that got past editing is beyond me. The story itself was okay, original as in Aaron was more unique than most the male MCs in books of this genre. There were some unraveled plot threads that turned into holes, and an alarming lack of contractions. I don’t know why, as they were occasionally used. Most people don’t talk like they have an aversion to using contractions. Most of my issues with this book have to do withediting that could’ve brought the writing up to a four. As someone with OCD and ADHD, certain things stand out to me, and they will not cease to bother me and therefore detract from the story. Take this review for nothing more than what it is, my opinion— though I do hope the author takes a bit of advice and adds a red-line editor to her staff.
September 17, 2024
Oh, outstanding. Simply outstanding 👏
Lev & Aaron are literal psychos and made for each other.
For the love of God read the trigger warnings before you start this but, if they're a thumbs up for you then you're in for one hell of a ride 😁
Lev & Aaron are literal psychos and made for each other.
For the love of God read the trigger warnings before you start this but, if they're a thumbs up for you then you're in for one hell of a ride 😁
November 24, 2023
Written review on other version
November 23, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this. It is a dark MM romance so please make sure to check your TW before you start.
This book is about Aaron who’s mother died of cancer and she leaves Aaron with his stepdad and stepbrother who he thought were loving before his mother died and they turn and start to mistreat him. They also got him into the drug trade where he meets Lev who Aaron is infatuated with. Things go sideways and Lev and Aaron start hooking up and dare I say it is HOT 🥵. The spice in this book will leave you 🥵
Lev is not one to do emotions or relationships but as soon as Aaron comes into the picture, things change and he starts getting possessive and jealous of anyone who goes near Aaron. Which I went feral for as who doesn’t love a feral possessive MMC.
My heart broke 💔 for everything that Aaron had to endure with Jake and his stepdad. It was so nice that Lev was Aaron’s safe place and Lev helped him move past his trauma and helped him cope.
“I would kill for you doe”- Lev
The ending of this was everything and more and I was so glad Aaron was able to get his happily ever after and heal after the trauma he went through.
**I received this book as an arc**
This book is about Aaron who’s mother died of cancer and she leaves Aaron with his stepdad and stepbrother who he thought were loving before his mother died and they turn and start to mistreat him. They also got him into the drug trade where he meets Lev who Aaron is infatuated with. Things go sideways and Lev and Aaron start hooking up and dare I say it is HOT 🥵. The spice in this book will leave you 🥵
Lev is not one to do emotions or relationships but as soon as Aaron comes into the picture, things change and he starts getting possessive and jealous of anyone who goes near Aaron. Which I went feral for as who doesn’t love a feral possessive MMC.
My heart broke 💔 for everything that Aaron had to endure with Jake and his stepdad. It was so nice that Lev was Aaron’s safe place and Lev helped him move past his trauma and helped him cope.
“I would kill for you doe”- Lev
The ending of this was everything and more and I was so glad Aaron was able to get his happily ever after and heal after the trauma he went through.
**I received this book as an arc**
November 25, 2023
I went back and forth between 3 stars and 3.5 stars on this one but ultimately I feel like there were more things that I didn’t like than things I did like. This was another case of me getting my hopes for the second book because I liked the first book so much. This one didn’t quite work for me.
I think Dima from the first book ruined me and I kept wanting his brother, Lev, to be like him and it wasn’t the case here so I couldn’t enjoy it as much. In the first book Dima is completely obsessed and possessive of Seb the moment he sees him. Lev wasn’t like that at all. I felt like at best he tolerated Aaron. And even though Aaron was a psycho is his own right I feel like he deserved better than Lev. Lev’s first POV is him just finishing having sex with two people and usually I DNF at that point because I don’t even want to see that but I really wanted to read this book. I also didn’t get the impression from the first book that Lev was a manwhore or else I wouldn’t have been so excited to read this.
I mean Lev basically just uses him for sex and I know Aaron says he’s alright with it but clearly he’s not. I felt like Lev could have never seen Aaron again and he would have been okay with it, where as Aaron felt like he couldn’t live without Lev. Lev even tries to hook up with someone else and Aaron comes in and stops him and threatens to kill the guy but I think if that hadn’t happened Lev would have gone along with the hook up and this was after they had been together.
I loved Aaron’s possessiveness but I hate that it wasn’t reciprocated. I mean it’s past 90% in the book before Lev shows any kind of possessive tendencies and even then he denies being Aaron’s boyfriend to one of his old F buddies. Speaking of that, he tells Aaron to never call him baby and yet when his f buddy calls him bebe he has no problem with it. That really rubbed me the wrong way. He was also so nonchalant about how Aaron would probably run into a lot of his hookups around town in the future. The only consolation was Lev gave Aaron a few of his firsts.
I loved seeming Dima and Seb, I love them together. I’m intrigued to see what else this author comes up with.
-NO DESCRIPTIVE SCENES WITH OTHERS BUT HES JUST FINISHING HOOKING UP WITH A COUPLE IN THE SECOND CHAPTER
-LEV TRIES TO HOOK UP WITH SOMEONE ELSE BUT AARON STOPS THEM, THIS IS AFTER THEY HOOK UP SO IN MY OPINION ITS A FORM OF CHEATING
-OM DRAMA, see above. ALSO AARONS STEP BROTHER IS OBSESSED WITH HIM AND WONT LET HIM GO
-OW DRAMA, ONE OF LEVS F BUDDIES CALLS HIM TO TELL HIM SHES IN TOWN, NOTHING HAPPENS
-VERY GRAPHIC TORTURE
-MURDER
-PAST SA OF MC
-ON PAGE ATTEMPT OF SA ON MC
-NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP
CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS
I think Dima from the first book ruined me and I kept wanting his brother, Lev, to be like him and it wasn’t the case here so I couldn’t enjoy it as much. In the first book Dima is completely obsessed and possessive of Seb the moment he sees him. Lev wasn’t like that at all. I felt like at best he tolerated Aaron. And even though Aaron was a psycho is his own right I feel like he deserved better than Lev. Lev’s first POV is him just finishing having sex with two people and usually I DNF at that point because I don’t even want to see that but I really wanted to read this book. I also didn’t get the impression from the first book that Lev was a manwhore or else I wouldn’t have been so excited to read this.
I mean Lev basically just uses him for sex and I know Aaron says he’s alright with it but clearly he’s not. I felt like Lev could have never seen Aaron again and he would have been okay with it, where as Aaron felt like he couldn’t live without Lev. Lev even tries to hook up with someone else and Aaron comes in and stops him and threatens to kill the guy but I think if that hadn’t happened Lev would have gone along with the hook up and this was after they had been together.
I loved Aaron’s possessiveness but I hate that it wasn’t reciprocated. I mean it’s past 90% in the book before Lev shows any kind of possessive tendencies and even then he denies being Aaron’s boyfriend to one of his old F buddies. Speaking of that, he tells Aaron to never call him baby and yet when his f buddy calls him bebe he has no problem with it. That really rubbed me the wrong way. He was also so nonchalant about how Aaron would probably run into a lot of his hookups around town in the future. The only consolation was Lev gave Aaron a few of his firsts.
I loved seeming Dima and Seb, I love them together. I’m intrigued to see what else this author comes up with.
-NO DESCRIPTIVE SCENES WITH OTHERS BUT HES JUST FINISHING HOOKING UP WITH A COUPLE IN THE SECOND CHAPTER
-LEV TRIES TO HOOK UP WITH SOMEONE ELSE BUT AARON STOPS THEM, THIS IS AFTER THEY HOOK UP SO IN MY OPINION ITS A FORM OF CHEATING
-OM DRAMA, see above. ALSO AARONS STEP BROTHER IS OBSESSED WITH HIM AND WONT LET HIM GO
-OW DRAMA, ONE OF LEVS F BUDDIES CALLS HIM TO TELL HIM SHES IN TOWN, NOTHING HAPPENS
-VERY GRAPHIC TORTURE
-MURDER
-PAST SA OF MC
-ON PAGE ATTEMPT OF SA ON MC
-NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP
CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS
February 9, 2024
Well, curiosity dragged me through #2 of this series. Same thing as first - I was hoping that the author would improve in their writing style, but no luck in that department.
The characters remain the same in development and cringy dialogue. They also continue to have no redeeming qualities.
I guess the final strike for me is the author has not done more than extremely surface-level research into personality disorders, yet delves into such a complex topic with little regard for facts or reality. Not my bag so while the story was okay, I am far from okay with it.
The characters remain the same in development and cringy dialogue. They also continue to have no redeeming qualities.
I guess the final strike for me is the author has not done more than extremely surface-level research into personality disorders, yet delves into such a complex topic with little regard for facts or reality. Not my bag so while the story was okay, I am far from okay with it.
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