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.
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of From the Embers comes a new jaw-dropping standalone romance. Pain trapped me in this house. Can love set me free?
Death had been chasing me my entire life. I survived the horrors of war, but it was the aftermath that truly destroyed me.
People called me a recluse, but the only time I didn’t feel like I was suffocating was inside that house.
For my daughter, I kept some semblance of normalcy by implementing a rigid routine. Once a week, I forced myself to walk to the diner at the end of the block—a ritual I despised but relied on as my last anchor to the real world.
Until the day a “Closed” sign on the door shattered my fragile existence. Worse, the new owner was the most haunting ghost from my past.
It had been years since I’d laid eyes on Gwendolyn Pierce. She hated me—and rightly so. But when a film crew arrived in town to dig into my past, she became my only ally.
With my secrets threatened, I leaned on Gwen, forging a connection neither of us could deny. But with a past as dark as ours, I feared it would eclipse any hope for a future.
I always said that when Death finally came for me, I would be ready, eager, and alone. Always alone.
But for Gwen, maybe I could face the world again as long as it meant I could be alone—with her.
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four young children.
Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, charcuterie boards, and her mildly neurotic golden retriever. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.
She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.
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.
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.
I vowed to kill him, but he’s the one pulling the noose tight around my neck. And I’m not sure I want to escape. His name is Jack… but I’m the real ripper. His soul-sucking gray eyes intrusively connect with mine until I’m truly and utterly seen, and he knows what I am. It’s then I know that we’re the same. She would be fun to hunt. And kill. I can taste it in the air. I love that she’s a psycho. I’ve found myself a twisted little soulmate. He slaughters women for fun. I’m supposed to kill him, not kiss him. “Don’t fall in love with a ripper. Your heart won’t survive.” My little fox is in the henhouse amongst the wolves. Now I know who my sweet psycho is… I can’t wait. Every nerve is screaming that he’s here and he’s after me. His eyes burn into mine. “Last chance to run, little fox.” She’s a delight when she’s afraid, and then she bites. I’ll harvest who the hell I like. Starting with what’s mine… “You’re twisted.” He looks at me with steel grey eyes almost black. A twisted smile in place. “I’m not the only one.” “Stalking?” He looks amused. “No, little fox, I’ve been watching you, protecting you, keeping what’s mine safe.” “Little fox, I know your secret, and I’ve been waiting to eat you. Loving Jack is like plunging into an icy river in the middle of winter–it takes your breath away and stops your heart. Only a kiss could bring you back to life. How many sinners have you sent to Hell? Just one. Myself. I died and went to Hell. That’s the only explanation for my dark guardian Devil. He sends me letters from Hell–his dead girl walking. It’s only a matter of time before he gives a cold, dark grave too. I feel like I’m a broken mount, an abused animal, and he’s the fucking whisperer trying to soothe some sense into me. Annoyingly, it’s working. Finally, an angelic grim reaper come to collect my fucked up soul. I’ve already decided he’s either a spy or a serial killer. I’m not sure which I prefer. Either. Both.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
Well this was quite the romantic suspense I thoroughly enjoyed.
I’ve never read anything before by Mallory but this blurb was too good to pass up- a story inspired by Jack the Ripper, I am in!!
From Hell is told from both the MC’s POVs – Jaxon and Laine. These two were quite an interesting pair to read about. These two are so different, yet so alike. I love them both separately and together.
Mallory does a really fantastic job of weaving one hell of crazy tale that involves murder, secrets and very dark scenes. Please read the author’s TWs as this book may not be for everyone.
And that’s it; that’s all I am saying.
If you love a good, dark suspenseful, dark read – definitely grab this one.
Meet Mallory Fox
Mallory Fox is a USA Today best-selling author who is addicted to reading big books that never end, eating chocolate-covered pretzels, and looking deep into heart-melting, big brown eyes…the canine kind. She loves to write deliciously dark romance with wicked, twisty plots. Mallory currently lives in London with her bean-shaped dog and the rest of her non-furry family. When she’s not at her desk writing up a storm, she’s walking her overgrown cocker spaniel, or trying to learn how to cook, badly.
Defying Evil: A Dark Romantic Thriller Abbie Roads (Blood is Thicker Than…, #1) Publication date: October 17th 2023 Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller
He’s the son of a serial killer. She’s his father’s only surviving victim. He’s obsessed with her. She’s frightened of him. Before it’s all over they’ll need each other to survive.
Cain Killion’s life has revolved around blood. From a childhood of torture by his father, to his gruesome ability to solve crimes. When a current case is directly connected to his past, there’s only one person with answers.
But she isn’t talking, and the bodies are stacking up. The only solution… Kidnap her.
Defying Evil is the first book in the Blood is Thicker Than Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a man tortured by his past who never thought he was capable of love. If you devour edge of your seat thrillers and romance novels, you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of mind games and tragic love.
Read this dangerously dark romance today!
Trigger warning: Depictions of violence.
Previously published until the title Saving Mercy.
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.
Abbie Roads has always been able to pull me in immediately with her stories. Defying Evil is no different. However, it did not hold my attention like her other books.
Defying Evil is a thriller book with a bit of trauma bonding added in. The “romance” part of this book is what moves at fast pace, which makes the overall book move at fast pace. I felt like the thriller parts were too short and the development of Mercy was a bit lacking.
I love Abbie’s writing style and it’s why I continued on with this story, but this book had a lot of potential to be so much better.
I did enjoy Cain’s backstory and how he’s been able to overcome his horrendous past and move forward. I loved the otherworldly aspect of both Cain and Mercy’s abilities and how Abbie weaved them together into the story.
Overall, it was just an ok read for me. I know Abbie has the ability to dig deeper so this would be a great book for new readers to her work.
Cover Designer: Lori Jackson Design @lorilovesbookjackson
All I want is revenge.
But I’m afraid it will destroy me because I’m not a monster.
Or maybe I am.
And that’s thanks to Doctor Alanna Norton.
She’s tortured me.
She’s made me forget who I am.
And she’s done all this in the name of love.
But the love I feel for my son, who was stolen from me, will triumph. I won’t accept any other outcome.
There is another love which I will fight for—Dutch Atwood.
But what I find…the sting of betrayal lingers. I look at Dutch through new eyes; he doesn’t trust me, and I don’t trust him.
I’m faced with so many scenarios—I wish I knew how this story ends so I can make the right choice.
But there is no right in the hand I was dealt.
Alanna wants love so badly, so I intend to show her what true love looks like, because the only thing that matters is getting out of here…but not before I take from Alanna what she took from me.
Her heart.
YES! YES! YES!
Cue all the accolades and applause for Monica!!
HOT DAMN!! Monica, you have blown me away with this duet.
Love Sick is the continuation of Heart Sick and conclusion to this duet. And god damn, it was worth the wild and chaotic ride.
This duet is like nothing I have read before and Monica’s delivery of this story is superb. I was enraptured from the start and no matter how disturbing the scene became, I was all in!!
“In every book, every reader wants to know why… why did the villain do what they did? They want to know their backstory to know why they’re the bad guy”
GAH!! This book, this duet, was insane in the best ways. I could not get enough of it.
Luna and Dutch’s story is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Just go read it but heed the trigger warnings if you are sensitive to certain things.
NOW LIVE:
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Heart Sick Playlist: https://tinyurl.com/3vw6dm5v
READ HEART SICK BOOK ONE IN KU NOW!
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/4e84yzan
Bio
Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily
Dickinson.
When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.
She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.
Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.
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
Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestsellers The Twin and The Lake, another pulse-pounding read from the undisputed queen of YA thrillers!
They said goodbye to their friends and family for the weekend. They weren’t counting on forever.
Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment.
When the teens arrive, they’re stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.
But soon they’ll discover that something’s missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.
Natasha Preston is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Cellar, The Cabin, Awake, You Will Be Mine, The Lost, The Twin, The Lake, The Fear, and her latest, The Island. A UK native, she discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer.
Each beat hides a secret, and his voice now replaces the music, demanding I uncover the truth.
Heart Sick, an all-new edge-of-your-seat dark romance from International Bestselling author Monica James is available now!
Piano has always been my one true love.
So when the music stops, I do whatever I can to hear it again.
But when I wake, all I hear is his heart and the memories that come with it.
This is my body.
My mind.
But not my heart.
Each beat hides a secret, and his voice now replaces the music, demanding I uncover the truth.
I’m sent to a place to get better, and that’s when I meet her.
Every artist needs a muse, and Luna allows me to hear the music again. But when her secrets soon become mine, I realize it’s because I’ve lived this life before.
Or rather, he has.
The man whose heart beats within my chest knows Luna…and everything she’s done.
A panic overcomes me as I frantically scramble to take the tubes out of his mouth and nose.
“Ms. Huxley! Stop.”
But I will not.
The doctors and nurses don’t know my son better than me. He was born a fighter. He doesn’t die this way.
Strong arms pull me away, but I am stronger and fight with all my might. I may be slender, but that’s never stopped me in the past. I kick, scream and bite, but in the end, I am yanked away from Misha as doctors and nurses attempt to restrain me in a brown leather chair.
Spittle dribbles from my chin as I am a rabid momma protecting her cub.
Dr. Sterling crouches low as I thrash wildly. “I know this is very painful for you. I can’t even begin to imagine your pain. But we have a match for Misha’s…heart. Don’t let his death be in vain. Your son can live on by saving the life of another. Please, Ms. Huxley, honor your son as I know he would want.”
His heart?
Vomit rises and I turn my face, expelling nothing but bile onto the polished linoleum.
“You want to take his…heart?”I ask, horrified, my voice quaking when I can construct a coherent sentence. “You monster!”
The doctor doesn’t take offense. “Only with your approval.”
I know protocol is that the hospital can proceed even over family objection, and I am objecting very damn hard. But Dr. Sterling is trying to reason with me. She wants me to see this is the right thing to do.
But there is no right.
Why does this person deserve to live while Misha dies?
He walks around with the heart that is as much a part of me as it is my son’s. No, that isn’t fair. That is a cruel reminder that I will never get back the only person who I ever loved in this world.
“Think if it was me, Mom. If I had the chance to live…” Misha’s words ring loudly and I cover my ears, blocking out what I know is the truth.
“If I do that, that means you d-die,” I whimper, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Who are you talking to?” Joy asks, her concern clear. “I’m already gone. But I can live on. Every beat of my heart helps another live.”
Misha has always been selfless, and it seems even in death, it’s no different.
But how do I say yes? How can I live knowing I said yes to ending my son’s life so another can live?
“We don’t have much time,” the doctor says softly.
“Who is it?”
“We are not at liberty to—”
“If I am giving you my son’s fucking heart, then I want to know it’s going to someone who deserves it!” I remove my hands and blink back my tears.
The doctor peers around the room to ensure no one can hear. “It’s a young man, a little older than your son, and I can assure you…he will look after Misha’s heart.”
“What’s his n-name?”
The doctor appears torn whether to reveal this information to me, but she knows this will make all the difference. If I can humanize this match as not merely a number but a person, she knows I will say yes.
“Dutch.”
“What sort of name is that?”I ask abruptly, sniffing away my tears.
“It’s a unique name for a very unique man. He will honor Misha because his heart is theirs. It’s because of Misha that Dutch can live. Please.”
Peering over at Misha, I can’t help but think he would actually like Dutch’s strange name because Misha never judged. He accepted everyone.
I watch the rise and fall of his chest and memorize every single breath. But this won’t be the last memory I have of my son.
I come to a shaky stand and forget where I am as I climb onto the hospital bed and press my ear to Misha’s chest. I listen to the tender rhythm of his heart, the heart which was always too big for this world.
Wrapping my arms around him, I sob quietly. I don’t think I’ll ever run out of tears. “I’m sorry, Misha. I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve this. You deserve to live. If I could give you my life, I would, because I am nothing without you. Please forgive me. This is my fault.”
Clutching Misha, I remember his smell, the softness of his skin. I remember that no matter what happens, in life or death, he will always, always be my son.
“Okay,”I whisper, choking back my tears. “You can have his heart because mine is fucking broken.”
And those are the last words uttered as I succumb to the darkness, wishing to never see the light again.
BRAVO MONICA!!! WOW!!!
I am fairly new to reading Monica’s books but I can tell you, I have quickly become a HUGE fan of her writing.
Heart Sick is like nothing I have ever read before and I have read a lot of dark romance. There were so many twists and WTF moments, that my jaw practically became unhinged from how many times it dropped.
I could not stop reading this book once I started. It’s a wild, f*cked up ride and I was there for every moment of it. I had no idea what was going to happen next and I love that about this book. It was thrilling and filled with so much suspense. I love how she dribbled the romance aspects in and while the plot hints at that, it’s not all about that.
I want to say so much, but I can’t for fear of giving something important away. My only gripe was that the ending felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book. I wanted a bit more details on certain things, but maybe we’ll get those in the next book. Yes, this is a duet and continues on in the next book.
Monica – I applaud you for your raw and unique storyline and characters.
Readers – if you love a dark and twisted romance – grab this one now.
For More Information on Monica James’s books and where to contact her, visit her website: