Blurb
Emily
Never enter the mortuary after midnight.
I thought it was superstition.
How could I have known Dad was cremating corpses for a crime lord?
I should’ve listened. Now, it’s too late.
A cold-blooded monster has me in his sights.
My stalker. My captor. My ruin.
I should hate Ruarc for using me to blackmail my father.
But with every rough touch and wicked promise, I lose myself to his dark seduction.
Soon, there won’t be any of me left.
Ruarc
Don’t get involved.
Good advice, especially for someone dealing in secrets and sins.
I lived by that rule since I took the throne.
Until her.
The undertaker never told me he had a daughter.
One with emerald fire in her eyes and enough soul to share.
I decided Emily was mine from that first moment.
Mine to touch. Mine to mold. Mine to break.
And I plan on keeping her.
Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Spice: ✴✴✴
Length: 386 pages
Genre: Dark Romance
Published Date: March 28, 2023
Available Formats: E-book and Paperback
Character Breakdown
Emily, the female main character, lived in the middle of nowhere with her father. Well, they lived on the same property, but in separate homes. The property also housed a mortuary. Emily spent her days working alongside her father in the morgue, before retreating to her tiny cabin at night.
Her mother's dream was the morgue and after her passing, Emily and her father did everything in their power to keep her late mother's dream alive; but that didn't stop Emily from questioning if this was all life has in store for her.
Ruarc was a leader of a crime syndicate, who owned a prestigious nightclub. Members of the club paid high membership fees to ensure their identities and….desires….were extremely protected. Here men of high standings were able to act out their fantasies without the fear of the public finding out.
Tessa, a secondary character, played a huge role in the outcome of this book. She was friends with Emily since 4th grade and worked as an assistant to authors. Every time she received copies of their books, Tessa passed them along to Emily in h
My Summary
On one of their planned girls' nights, Tessa drank a bit too much and begged Emily to show her the inside of the morgue. Emily was torn, as her father had one rule - do not enter the morgue after midnight…but it was a girl's night, so fuck it! While making her way inside the building to ensure all was clear, Emily overheard her father talking with a mystery man. She eventually decides Tessa's request wasn't worth it and turns to exit. She was halted by the mysterious (and delicious) man who asked "And who are you little lamb." And so it began…
Ruarc (the delicious man) became obsessed with Emily. She was perfection in his eyes and even though he is constantly surrounded by women at his club, this girl was all he wanted. All he desired. So naturally, he began to "watch" her.
Emily was simple and sex was fun, but vanilla. **SPOILER** She eventually gave in to the smutty books Tessa left for her and like many of us…her world was forever changed. She couldn't put them down and realized that she wanted more than the vanilla sex she was used to.
Emily can't stop feeling someone's eyes on her, she can't stop these new desires running through her mind.
Ruarc can't stop secretly watching her, he can't stop the desire to seduce and break her.
❝ Fear is your red lipstick, little lamb, though it suits you more than that shade ever could. ❞
My Thoughts
I love how Emily's character evolved throughout the book and she just went with it. She was never a scared/broken girl but rather one who just seemed sheltered. Ruarc, was definitely an Alpha male who made dumb decisions that could have ruined everything….but then again what Alpha males don’t?
The book was a slow burn with a lot of sexual tension. Once the two main characters finally came together, it was sexy, dark, and pure fire. I love reading books where the FMC breaks free from their comfort zones and owns their sexuality. Emily did this perfectly!
The book was beautifully written and the author did a great job of setting the scene. I feel like stories that take place in a secluded area are harder to describe, but Poppy did a wonderful job and I could easily picture the layout of the land. This helped when it came to trying to under why she felt eyes on her but never see them, her travels back and forth to the morgue, and much more.
Should You Read This?
The answer is simple. Absolutely!
But if you need more than that, here are the details:
Pace: Slow burn with lots of Sexual Tension
Spice: 3 / 5
Characters: Very Relatable
Vibes: Mafia / Dark / Gothic vibes
Tropes:
♥ Forced Proximity
♥ Kidnapped
♥ Blackmail
♥ Beauty and the Beast Vibes
♥ Enemies to lovers
About the Author:
"Poppy writes steamy contemporary romance with a focus on all things forbidden, dark, and taboo. She likes her main men morally gray and has always had a thing for bad boys who will do anything to win the hearts of the women they love. All her stories end with a hard-won HEA ♡"
No comments