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Under Your Care
Under Your Care
E. Baileu | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
UNDER YOUR CARE is the first book in the Twisted Desires series and PLEASE READ THE CONTENT WARNINGS!!! If you do, and you're happy to proceed, then you're in for a great read.

This is a dark romance in so many ways - morally grey and downright black too! Lane is a femme who was s3xually assaulted by his cousin when he was younger. Greyson is his therapist, a dark empath, who is a hobby killer. Yep, you read that right. Well, Greyson decides Lane is his and nothing will move him from that path. Lane is also attracted to Greyson, a shock in itself for understandable reasons, and makes a comment which leads Greyson to move his agenda forward by quite some time.

I love dark romances where it is them against the world, and this one fits that bill. Lane knows Greyson is bad in a lot of ways, but is also 100% correct in thinking Greyson would never hurt him. Not in a bad way, at least. This one is graphic with its violence and filled with dark themes. It is obsessive and possessive, and full of hurt / comfort. It in no way represents a real relationship between a patient and a therapist so suspend your beliefs and enjoy all the kinks.

 The next book is about Oliver, a trans man, and Greyson's twin brothers, Hayes and Hudson. I can't wait!

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 18, 2025
  
A Flicker in the Dark
A Flicker in the Dark
Stacey Willingham | 2022 | Contemporary, Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I really wanted to like A Flicker in the Dark more than I did. It started off with an interesting premise: Chloe Davis is the daughter of a serial killer who killed young girls in her small town (6 in total). His killing spree ended when he was caught and imprisoned after admitting to his crimes. However, twenty years later the killings have started again. Is it a copycat, or was the wrong man incarcerated 20 years ago?

There’s a lot of promise in this, but I found it quite uneven. It’s very slow for a lot of the book, with a lot of time being spent on Chloe’s reliance on prescription medication (she’s an addict, and writing her own prescriptions for her boyfriend and collecting them ‘for him’). I just thought this was a rather lazy way to build tension, blaming the strange goings-on on her altered mental state. I mean, clearly there were lots of strange things going on anyway!

I do feel that I perhaps just chose the wrong book - I can see this being very popular with those who enjoy a good psychological thriller with a lot of build up to an explosive denouement. Because that’s pretty much what happens. And I just didn’t feel any connection or sympathy with the main character. Oh, and I guessed what had happened about halfway though, convinced myself that I was wrong, I couldn’t possibly be right, and then was thoroughly disappointed when I was right 🤷🏼‍♀️

So, basically, this book wasn’t for me, but I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews!
  
Fall to Pieces
Fall to Pieces
Becky Flade | 2021 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved the back seat the romance takes!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I liked this book, I liked it a lot!

Xavier is sent to assess Alexandra's mental capacity to do her job, following the suicide of her detective husband. But things are not as they seem and Xavier and Alex are soon fighting her department as well as a child killer hellbent on driving Alex mad.

This is a dark book. Suicide, child murder and abuse. How cops deal with stress. And I liked that. I liked that it made me think about those things. I have no triggers though, and some readers might not like it.

Both Alex and Xavier have a say, and they have a lot to say about a lot of things! Both of them are suffering from things that happened but while Alex' is (mostly) clear from the start, it takes time to get the whole picture. Xavier's pain is far deeper and we don't get the whole picture there til much later. I like being made to wait.

The romance between Alex and Xavier takes a back seat to the crime aspect of the book and I loved the twist that took. I did think Alex would push Xavier away more than once and, Lord she tries! But Xavier is strong and even though the reasons he comes into Alex' life are beyond his control, keeping her safe is within his control and he will do that.

I liked this, a lot. It's the first I've read of this author, I would like to read more.

4 stars

*same worded review ill appear elsewhere