I’m a firm believer in immersing myself in a genre when I’m writing, so I’ve been diving hard into dark romance this year. I usually read two books at once–one paperback during the day, and another on my kindle at night–so I go through a lot of books in a month. And I’m happy to say that all the books I’ve read this month are deserving of five star status.
Here’s what I’ve been reading in June:
Rina Kent’s Legacy of Gods series is part of an entire universe of inter-related series and books. I’m currently working through her Legacy of Gods series. While there is a definite publication order to them, all are written as standalones with the same characters and pivotal events, but each book focuses on a different couple. I read God of Fury last month and loved it (which kicked off my guilty pleasure of mm romance–more on that later). I will say that, despite the extreme darkness, all books in this series have a strong HEA (happily ever after).
This month I read God of Malice, which is technically the first book in the series, a good place to start as it introduces all the characters in this dark academia world. This book, like all of them in the series, is dark with sometimes violent spice. The MMC is unhinged with extreme touch-her-and-die vibes. This is Killian and Glyndon’s story, and if you have a hard time with stalkerish, bully-type sex, this book may not be for you. Killian is, to put it mildly, a psychopath, and when he sets his sights on Glyndon, there’s nothing she can do to discourage him. You’ll know from the opening scene if you can handle this book, because it’s rough. But if the rough stuff is in your wheelhouse, you’ll love this book and this series. Kent makes no apologies for her morally dark dark-grey characters.
The next book I read in this series was God of Pain, which is Creighton and Annika’s story. Another unhinged MMC, although in this case, Annika initially pursued him. It’s almost a Be Careful What You Wish For scenario for her, because once Creighton decides he wants her too, there’s a lot of past trauma in his life to overcome. Trauma that has made Creighton a sadist, and all he wants is to see Annika’s tears. It’s a journey down an S&M slide, but it does end up with a redeeming HEA.
My next June read was the Sinner’s Duet by Sophie Lark. In book 1, There Are No Saints, we meet Cole, a handsome, intense, wealthy artist who’s bored with life and just happens to be a serial killer. He’s also in competition with Shaw, another handsome, wealthy artist who also happens to be a serial killer. When at a gallery show, both men set their sights on Mara, a young upcoming artist, let the games begin. Following Shaw’s failed attempt to kill her, Mara becomes the traumatized victim of Cole’s obsession. What starts out in book 1 as Cole’s attempt to control Mara becomes an all-out effort to train her to escape Shaw’s knife in There Is No Devil. There are dark themes of trauma and murder in this book, along with a healthy dose of kinky spice, but it all ends on a (surprising) HEA.
Up next was the much-anticipated second book in Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love Trilogy, Leather & Lark. Book 1, Butcher & Blackbird, was the story of Rowan Kane and Sloane Sutherland, two serial killers who turn their hobby into an annual competition. In Leather & Lark, we meet Lachlan Kane, Rowan’s contract killer brother, and Lark Montague, Sloane’s best friend and a famous musician/singer who secretly calls herself a serial deleter, taking out pervs she deems expendable. Due to a rash of unexplained killings in Lark’s family’s business, Lark and Lachlan enter into a marriage of convenience to save his family. But the perpetrator of those killings is still out there, and he’s got the Kane brothers firmly in his sights. Hijinks ensues, with plenty of steamy spice and witty banter. This is a true enemies to lovers romance with a strong HEA. And if you’re into audiobooks, the audio duet of this series is not to be missed–who can resist the Kane brothers’ Irish accents? One caveat, however, the audio version does not include the bonus chapter in the books, which is not to be missed.
This brings me to my current guilty pleasure, mm romance. For those of you not in the know, that’s male on male. Other than Rina Kent’s God of Fury, the first author I delved into in this genre is Onley James. Her Necessary Evils series, described as a marriage between Dexter and The Umbrella Academy, is about seven psychopaths adopted by a wealthy philanthropist and raised to be killers who right the wrongs of society. Each book in the series is about a different son and his quest to claim his forever mate.
I devoured this series in short order, mostly because they’re quick reads (around 300 pages) and they move fast. There’s a formula to them; each book revolves around finding the mate and righting the wrong done to them. The first book in the series, Unhinged, centers around Adam, the youngest son, and Noah, the son of Adam’s first kill. There’s a lot of childhood abuse to wade through for Noah, but Adam sets his sights on him and there’s no convincing him that Noah is not his to possess. The spice is well-written and next-level hot, and like all the books in this series, there’s a strong HEA.
Each of the next six books and the accompanying novella–Psycho, Moonstruck, Damaged, Headcase, Madman, Lunatic, and Maniac–follow the same pattern for another son. All feature some form of torture and killing wrapped around hot mm spice and a strong HEA. If you’re into mm spice, I highly recommend Onley James. She has other books in the same vein, including a spin-off series, Jericho’s Boys.
The next author I started reading in this genre was Neve Wilder. Her Extracurricular Activities series (currently four books), is about a group of college roommates and their discovery of their own sexuality in finding their forever mate. There is a formula here, too, as each couple involves a gay male and a previously straight or bi-curious partner. Obstacles crop up, but everything leads to a satisfying HEA and lots of well-written mm spice.
The first book in the series, Want Me, is about Nate and Eric’s romance, and kicks off with Eric accidently walking in on a solo session by his straight roommate Nate. Nate is initially confused by how much this turns him on, and leads to him seeking out more from Eric, who’s only too happy to teach him the ropes of gay love. There’s a sweetness to these books that underscores the steamy heat of the relationships. Highly recommend.
The last book I’ve finished this month is Sierra Simone’s Priest, book 1 of the Priest trilogy. I wasn’t sure about this book at first, due to the subject matter and not being a religious person myself, but I had heard so much about it that I finally decided to give it a read. Am I glad I did. Yes, there is a healthy dose of Catholic sprinkled guilt among its pages, but my oh my, the spice is hot, hot, hot, particularly the first seventy pages, when the MMC, Father Tyler Bell, fights to resist the temptations brought on by Poppy Danforth’s graphic confessions of her life as a stripper in a high class club. When he finally does succumb to temptation, it unleashes an animalistic side to the unassuming priest. The plot bogs down a little in the second half of the book when Bell fights his personal demons over what he has done, but it ends on a high note with a sweet HEA.
I’ll be back next month with July’s reads.