Tropes: Teacher x Student, he falls first, forced proximity, Doctor x Patient, Women in STEM, degradation kink, sci-fi vibes, morally grey characters, forbidden spice, stalker, dark cottage core, stalker, obsessed hero
Blurb:
Horror Romance meets science fiction in this dark and delicious gothic psychological thriller by NYT bestseller Karina Halle, perfect for fans of Gothikana, Ninth House, and Mexican Gothic.
Aspiring mycologist Sydney Denik is getting a second chance. When a dream opportunity presents itself with a prestigious foundation doing promising Alzheimer’s research, Sydney leaves the shambles of her old life to join a dozen other grad students at an isolated lodge hidden away in a remote, fog-shrouded inlet on Vancouver Island.
But the Madrona Foundation harbors more than brilliant minds. Everyone around her is hiding a terrible secret—including the resident psychologist she’s falling in love with. A student disappears, and no one but Sydney seems to care. Ghosts walk the halls. Snow falls in the middle of summer. Dead animals move like the living. The more Sydney uncovers about the foundation, the more she begins to question her own sanity. And if Sydney isn’t going mad, then the horrors in the surrounding forest are real, and the Madrona Foundation may be the biggest monster of all.
NOTE: This will be a live release on Amazon for paperback, ebook and hardcover on October 23rd 2024. The paperback and ebook cover is different from the case-laminate and dustjacket hardcovers. This is a standalone novel. Check content warnings inside the book or author’s IG closer to publication.
Content warnings: Grave Matter contains scenes of gore, body horror, animal body horror, off-page animal death, mentions of suicide, off-page suicide, graphic language and graphic scenes of a sexual nature, which include degradation and praise kink, breath play, bondage with ropes and belts, and various other mild-BDSM elements. Your mental health is important to me, and this book contains all sorts of fuckery, so please proceed with caution.
I am going to need a minute or two or a bazillion to gather my thoughts on this one.
Karina has outdone herself once again with an amazing story.
I don’t know where to start, what to say without babbling too much, or how to even put my rambling thoughts into words that can perfectly express this book.
If you love dark, gothic stories, add in some science fiction with romantic vibes thrown in – this book is for you. There are so many twists and turns that I did not see coming. I lost sleep because of this book.
Nica is a dark fantasy author known for her debut novel, The Horseman of Death, and now introduces her latest work, the duet Between Delusion & Sobriety. With both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in literature, she crafts captivating stories that blend reality and fantasy. Her strong, complex heroines navigate dark, mysterious worlds, taking readers on emotional journeys filled with mystery and spicy romance.
Outside of writing, Nica enjoys watching anime, gaming, and embracing her geeky side. She is happily married, despite having many book boyfriends, and shares her life with a dog and a cat—her loyal reading companions. After traveling for five years, she now dreams of finding her enchanted forest to call home.
Have you ever had a nightmare you couldn’t wake from?
The kind seeping into every crack in your heart, finding the hidden doubts in the
darkest corners, and pulling them out to confront you with your worst fears?
Bellcolor Umbra Fermi lives a life of luxury and follows the path dictated to her by her father. But she believes she’s cursed, condemned to drown beneath the weight of expectations of her, in a life that was never hers. So she makes the decision to embrace the worst sin of all.
Will her demons leave her be?
Does God exist, and is He deliberately ignoring her prayers?
Are they even worth heading?
Prayer of the Damned is the first book in the Between Delusion and Sobriety duet. It is a dark psychological fantasy, containing a painful and disturbing story based on true events.
Will you be able to differentiate between truth and fiction?
Warning: This book discusses sensitive subjects that may trigger some readers, and is not recommended for readers under the age of 18.
In the beginning God created Good, but Good could not exist without Evil.
Then He created Love, but Love could not exist without Hatred.
When He created Good Deeds, Sins were born along with them.
When the angels ascended heavenward, demons simultaneously plummeted to Hell.
But when He gave her life, she chose to steal it, make it hers the only way she knew how.
A curse hovers over Bellcolor Umbra Fermi, a curse Bartimaeus Abano is determined to expel. He realizes that to reach her truth he must walk a winding road veiled by lies and delusions. To encourage Bellcolor to open up to him, he has no choice but to open up to her as well.
Will her demons take advantage of this to pierce his soul and crush his faith?
Will his faith be strong enough even after opening his eyes and recognizing impurity?
And will Bellcolor find the salvation her heart desires?
Sin of the Saints is the second part of the Between Delusion and Sobriety duet. It is a dark psychological fantasy, containing a painful and disturbing story based on true events.
Will you be able to differentiate between truth and fiction?
Warning: This book discusses sensitive subjects that may trigger some readers, and is not recommended for readers under the age of 18.
Nica is a dark fantasy author known for her debut novel, The Horseman of Death, and now introduces her latest work, the duet Between Delusion & Sobriety. With both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in literature, she crafts captivating stories that blend reality and fantasy. Her strong, complex heroines navigate dark, mysterious worlds, taking readers on emotional journeys filled with mystery and spicy romance.
Outside of writing, Nica enjoys watching anime, gaming, and embracing her geeky side. She is happily married, despite having many book boyfriends, and shares her life with a dog and a cat—her loyal reading companions. After traveling for five years, she now dreams of finding her enchanted forest to call home.
Absolutely amazing thriller debut from Vi Keeland!!
Most readers are used to getting some romance from Vi but this time she takes outside her usual genre and delivers an edge-of-you-seat thriller that keeps readers engage from start to finish.
I enjoyed how Vi wrote this one – it’s captivating and enthralling and just when you think you know it all and have it all figured out, Vi throws us curve ball and leaves readers with their jaws hanging wide open.
I really hope Vi writes more novels in this genre in the future. She definitely nailed the suspense, mystery and thrilling vibes throughout this whole book.
Definitely a highly recommended read.
AUTHOR BIO
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
Broken Dreams Abbie Roads
(Beautiful Nightmare, #2)
Publication date: May 9th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance
A stalker. A killer. A v!rg!n hero who will sacrifice himself to save the woman he loves.
FBI Special Skills Consultant Lathan Montgomery has a genetic anomaly that he uses to solve cold cases, but it forces him to live in seclusion. When he saves a woman from a roadside attack, instead of her presence causing him to lose control, she soothes him. For the first time in his life, he experiences love.
But someone is watching them and planning to make them both suffer.
Broken Dreams is the second book in Abbie Roads’ Beautiful Nightmare Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a v!rg!n hero who never thought he’d find love. If you devour true crime and romance novels then you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of danger, mind games, and swoon worthy love.
Buy this dangerously dark romance today!
Trigger warning: Depictions of SA and violence.
Previously published under the title Hunt the Dawn
Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.
By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.
Xander Love makes you weak and vulnerable. He vowed long ago to never feel that way again. But when he rescues a woman who’s been held hostage, she challenges all his beliefs. The attraction is staggering. The urge to keep her near him, to keep her safe, is overwhelming. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t resist her. And he’s not sure he wants to because deep down he knows he’s the only one who can protect her.
Isleen There’s only one reason she survived the past eight years of torture and starvation. Her nightly dreams of him: The man who finally rescues her. But now that she’s safe, the outside world no longer makes sense, and she’s questioning her own sanity. Is she a bad person? Was humanity better off when she was locked away? The only thing she knows for sure is that she feels secure with him. But what if he’s in danger because of her?
No one is safe. Everyone is at risk. Who will survive? Who will die? Only fate can decide.
By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, but always with hope and a happily-ever-after. She loves true crime and good inspirational quote.
HOLY SHIT!?! I feel like standing up and applauding Abbie for writing such a unique and harrowing story.
Dangerous Dreams is like nothing I have read before. It’s dark and suspenseful tale with supernatural and other worldly elements that just make this story all the more enticing.
I was pulled into the story from the very start and couldn’t stop reading because page after page became more and more intriguing.
Abbie has woven an astounding psychological thriller that will leave you speechless. The pacing of this story is perfect and the storyline is superb.
Damn. This story was phenomenal. Go read it. You won’t regret it
I move on to what I know. “The Poet, an organized killer, a planner. Highly intelligent. Well employed. These types like to appear stable and we’re most likely looking at someone in a circle of family to shelter himself, even convince himself he’s normal. None of this is on paper. And I don’t feel like I have room for error on this one.”
“The Poet?”
“That’s what I’m calling him.”
“Whatever you call him, do you really think he’s a serial killer?”
“I know he’s a serial killer. We just have to find his victims.”
“I’ll get you your profile for peace of mind.”
“Thank you, Wade,” I say, gratitude in my voice.
“Thank me by being careful. If this asshole came after Roberts, you could be next.”
“If Roberts was his type, I am not.”
“Be careful, Detective Jazz,” he says, and this time he uses his best Special Agent Wade Miller voice, the detective title meant to make the “I’m serious” point.
“I am. I called you for a reason. I’m going to get him before he ever has the chance to get me.”
We disconnect a few seconds later and I pull up the poem compilation Chuck put together for me on my MacBook. I gravitate toward the poem The Poet left called “Fate, The Jester.”His message could be in those few lines or in another verse inside the full poem. I read it all slowly, all eight paragraphs, dissecting each one, but I return to the three lines he left in Summer’s mouth:
Who laugh in the teeth of disaster,
Yet hope through the darkness to find
A road past the stars to a Master
A master, a statement that seems to reference superiority and drives home my earlier thoughts. The Poet judged Summer beneath him. Perhaps he judges us all beneath him. He believes he’s above the law, and that’s dangerous to those who come into contact with him.
That means I need to become dangerous to him, and quickly.
The Poet grabbed my attention with the cover and the blurb. The blurb had set my expectations for a suspenseful and twisty thriller, but in turn, it was more of police procedural than anything else. It was not bad, just not what I had anticipated.
A serial killer, nicknamed “The Poet,” is on the loose and leaves behind poems as his signature. Detective Samantha Jazz is called in to take over the case as she has a bit of a background in poems from her college years.
The books flips back and forth between views from both Sam and The Poet. It was interesting to see how Sam takes this case on, digs into things, and tries to figure out who it is. Her “spidey sense” and her process of going through the case file are quite detailed and you can tell that the author did a lot of research in this area to make it more authentic and true to life.
While I enjoyed the book, it was bit a slow, with very little suspense in terms of a thriller. I enjoyed walking through the aspects of how a detective works a case, their nuances and how they piece everything together. There isn’t a lot of action but again – this book was definitely more police procedure and not focused on the killer and his actions.
Overall, it’s a good read and one I enjoyed reading, despite wanting more thriller aspects added in. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones writes dark, edgy fiction including the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series and the upcoming, crime thriller The Poet. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland and Bad Mom’s) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned a multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a cat that talks too much, and a Golden Retriever who is afraid of trash bags.
About the Book: Title: LaylaAuthor: Colleen HooverRelease Date: December 8, 2020 Publisher: Montlake
Summary: When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences. Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.
(My review is coming next week but in the meantime, I have to say…..I LOVED THIS BOOK! ~Jilly)
Author Q& A:
You have written in many different genres and always keep your fans wanting more. For Layla, you are dipping your toes into a paranormal story that has lots of secrets. How do you describe Layla without giving anything away? #spoilerfreezone What is supposed to be a short, romantic getaway for new couple Leeds and Layla turns into an extended vacation full of bizarre occurrences. But no matter how much Layla wants to leave, Leeds is more focused on finding answers for the unexplainable.
The paranormal elements in your story are faint…just a whisper…until they take over. What was it like adding another worldly twist to your writing for the first time? It was HARD. Super hard. I love using my imagination, but I also love realistic stories, so I found myself trying to pull back on things I didn’t feel were realistic. But then it got a lot easier when I decided to just make Leeds’s reactions sort of mirror what I would do orsay in those early moments. I put a lot of my own thoughts in Leeds’s character. He finds it hard to explain some of the things that happen, so his reactions are probably what my reactions would be at first. Until there was no room left for doubt, anyway. Then his actions veer very far from what mine would have been.
Love-at-first-sight is such a mundane phrase for what these two share. Their passionate relationship seems to move in fast-forward. What is it about these characters that make their connection so instantaneous? I knew where the story was going to go, so I needed their meet-cute to be believable, fun, and I wanted them to be a couple readers would root for. I probably rewrote that first chapter dozens of times,but I focused mainly on their banter. Sometimes we meet people we instantly click with on so many different levels. Leeds and Layla clicked with their sarcasm, their humor, their taste in music. And she read him without even knowing him. To Leeds that was special. I think he felt seen in a world where he’s often overlooked.
It becomes somewhat of an inside joke between your couple that, before Layla, Leeds’ always wore a look like he was“dying inside.” The truth is that he was deeply unhappy before meeting Layla. How does she change his life? Leeds is lonely and holding back on his dreams because of doubts. Leeds sees something different in Layla. She’s carefree, fun and gives him confidence to follow his dreams. In a sense, I think she’s his missing puzzle piece. She fills the parts of him that are empty.
Before Leeds, Layla doesn’t have a real direction in her life. What does this romance provide to her and why is she so grateful to have found her hero? Layla is fresh out of college, living with her parents and unemployed. Leeds’s career gives her focus, and being with him inTennessee got her out of a place where she probably felt useless and unproductive.
Can readers expect more paranormal elements in your books moving forward? I’ll never say never!
Direct link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/07c2363f263
Author Biography Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including the bestselling women’s fiction novel It Ends with Us and the bestselling psychological thriller Verity. She has won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance three years in a row—for Confess (2015), It Ends with Us (2016), and Without Merit (2017). Confess was adapted into a seven-episode online series. In 2015, Hoover and her family founded the Bookworm Box, a bookstore and monthly subscription service that offers signed novels donated by authors. All profits go to various charities each month to help those in need. Hoover lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.
From New York Times bestselling author Samantha Towle comes a gripping psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
I’d once believed that nothing would equal the pain of losing my parents.
I was wrong.
I had barely even begun to process their deaths when it started.
The love notes, flowers, gifts … all anonymously left on my porch.
Then, I opened my door to a dead bird.
At first, I thought it had died naturally.
I knew that wasn’t the case when I found my neighbor’s cat the next day.
Then, the murders started.
The victims … women who looked eerily similar to me.
I had a stalker. A murderous one.
And I had no clue who he was.
He never showed me his face.
Not even when he carved his final message into me.
I survived that night. But my life was over. It had ended the moment Tobias Ripley’s infatuation with me began.
So, I changed my name and moved away.
Now, I live a life of solitude. I don’t make connections with anyone.
Until Jack Canti walks into my life with his sharp eyes and easy smiles.
Only Jack isn’t the man he says he is.
And when the murders start again, I’m left wondering if it’s a copycat.
Or worse …
What if Tobias wasn’t the real killer after all … and the murderer has been right here with me all along?
BUY NOW:
http://mybook.to/DeadPretty
Take What You Want – Post Malone feat Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott
Trust Nobody – Lil Wayne feat Adam Levine
Ghost – Ella Henderson
Incomplete – Backstreet Boys
Lovely – Billie Eilish & Khalid
The Night We Met – Lord Huron
Alone Together – Fall Out Boy
Better Love – Hozier
Uninvited – Alanis Morissette
Every Breath You Take – The Police
Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell
I Found – Amber Run
Fade Into You – Mazzy Star
Love Is Madness – Thirty Seconds To Mars feat Halsey
Look What You Made Me Do – Taylor Swift
Game of Survival – Ruelle
Scared To Live – The Wkend
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Samantha Towle is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
A native of Hull, she lives in East Yorkshire with her husband, their son and daughter, and three large furbabies.
She is the author of contemporary romances, The Storm Series, The Revved Series, The Wardrobe Series, The Gods Series, and standalones, Trouble, When I Was Yours, The Ending I Want, Unsuitable, Under Her, River Wild, and Sacking the Quarterback which was written with James Patterson. She has also written paranormal romances, The Bringer and The Alexandra Jones Series. With over a million books sold, her titles have appeared in countless bestseller lists, and are currently translated into ten languages.
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Special Agent Gideon Reynolds has tried hard to put his past behind him. He escaped the violence of his cult upbringing when he was just thirteen, and since then routine and discipline have been his way of making sense of the world. But when a petite blonde woman crashes into his life, he begins to realize that a little bit of chaos might not be so bad.
Daisy Dawson has had more than her fair share of pain too—but she’s done being a victim. Daisy’s determined to explore every new experience she can—including getting to know the dark and serious FBI investigator she meets when she fights off a masked attacker one night.
It soon becomes clear that Daisy’s attack was just the beginning. Now the bloodied bodies of young women are showing up all over California, and, as Gideon tries to find the killer, it’s clear that Daisy is in more danger than they ever realised…
My Review:
Say You’re Sorry is the latest book from author Karen Rose and holy moly it was one helluva thrill ride! I loved it!
First off, can we just appreciate this gorgeous cover? But the fun really begins when you open it up…
From the very beginning we are thrown into the action when Daisy is attacked and manages to elude a yet-unknown serial killer. What follows after is a deep dive into the investigation to find out who this masked lunatic is. We’re treated to not only the hero and heroines points of view, but the serial killer himself. Talk about one interesting voice! Also, along the way we are treated to Daisy’s sordid past, Special Agent Gideon Reynolds heartbreaking childhood, and a cast of ride-or-die characters you’d want in your life. I loved everything about this story from start to finish!
This isn’t my first Karen Rose book and it sure will not be my last! If you’re looking for a well-written romantic suspense storyline with dynamic characters and many well thought out layers, this is a book for you. Thank you, Ms. Rose, for a fabulous read!
Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn’t concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”
Her debut suspense novel, DON’T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.
Karen’s books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London’s Sunday Times, and Germany’s der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!
Her novels, I’M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America’s RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.
A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.
