Dark Romance Readathon Wrap Up

 Hello~ Happy Thursday!

Last weekend was the Dark Romance Readathon. It's hosted by Temecka, Heather, Isabel, Ashley and Nayema. It ran from April 15th through the 18th. In cased you missed my tbr post, below is the bingo card they used for the readathon.

Last year I only managed to read one book and with the Easter also going on, that was my goal once again. This time I managed to squeak in 2 books thanks to it running through Monday! Below is my final bingo board and the books I read.

❤ Untouchable by Sam Mariano - covered the prompts touch her and you die, public sex, bad ass heroine and obsessive hero

❤ The Devil and I by Kay Alastor - covered the prompts removal of a body part, touch her and you die, criminal and obsessive hero.

It's been a little bit since I've picked up a dark romance and this was perfect timing to kind of reset my reading brain before cramming in the rest of the book club and readalong books I have the rest of the month. After reading Untouchable I just had to reread The Devil and I and I really enjoyed myself. Coming in early May will be the next round of the Mafia Romance Readathon, so stay tuned for that tbr!

Did you participate in the Dark Romance Readathon?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

Untouchable by Sam Mariano

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Once the Dark Romance Readathon started, I put my current book on hold and looked through my tbr. I decided to finally pick up Untouchable by Sam Mariano. I picked this up thanks to the Dark Romance Readathon and it covered the prompts touch her and you die, public sex, bad ass heroine, and obsessive hero. I also applied it to the prompts forbidden romance for Love Has Sprung and The Last Great American Dynasty (wealthy character) for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge.

After Zoey reported a football player at her high school for groping her, things have taken a turn for the worse. Being at a small town high school in Texas means football is king. She's just hoping to get through senior year at escape to college out of state. When her previous perpetrator corners her in an empty classroom, he threatens to assault her again with two of his buddies. Carter, the quarterback and most popular man in the school and town decides he wants to take the lead. After their encounter, Carter finds that he can't get Zoey out of his head and pushes her to pursue a relationship. Carter has rewired his brain though and doesn't have the normal personality traits one would expect. Zoey is intrigued in trying to work out the puzzle that is Carter and soon finds herself drawn to Carter's darkness.

Wow. This book... wow! Obviously there are quite a few triggers here, the biggest being assault both on and off the page. Now, I'll pass along what I was told. If you can get through the first few chapters, then it really kicks off and isn't quite as distressing. Now for me what was "triggering" was that she didn't really have a support system at all. I really hated that nobody was there for Zoey 100% and even her mother and "best friend" were more frustrated that their reputations were tarnished when Zoey reported the first assault.

Now, I did enjoy how Zoey was really interested in why Carter was acting the way he was and trying to figure out how to get him to act a certain way by changing her behavior. I really enjoyed this and was really swept up in also trying to figure out Carter. Now for me why this wasn't quite 5-stars was I wanted a little bit of give or compromise from Carter. He did nice things for Zoey and was more than willing to manipulate things around them to get things to happen that he wanted, but I wanted some sort of recognition or give. Just one scene to show that he could. I also didn't like that they didn't set up a safe word or something similar. It was talked about a couple of times that Carter likes it rough and he wasn't sure at times if the no was for play or for real. As the reader we know that she's done some research and she mentions it once, but I do wish it would've come up again. Otherwise, I loved the banter between Zoey and Carter.

I'm glad I finally got around to reading Untouchable and totally get the hype. If you are okay with dark romance and can push through the first few chapters it really is a gem. Although, it wouldn't be such a gem without those first few chapters. Here you really go through the work between Zoey and Carter to get that HEA and for me, it was worth it. I'm intrigued to read other books by Sam Mariano and if they are quite as dark as this. I'll definitely add her to my list of darker authors!

Have you read Untouchable?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Untouchable, Sam Mariano, 4.5 stars, 1 day, eBook, 541 pages, published in 2018, indie published

Dark Romance Readathon TBR

 Hello and Happy Tuesday!

I'm back for another readathon announcement, and a little late this time. Somehow I missed the announcement that went up a little bit ago, but it's time for the next round of the Dark Romance Readathon! It's once again hosted by Heather, Isabel, Temecka, Ashley and Nayema. This year they went back to the bingo board layout. The blank bingo board is below. Last year I ended up only read one book for the readathon, but I feel like going into it I'm in more of the mood for Dark Romance and it'll be a good addition to the remaining books I have to read for the month.

Now, below will be a few ideas that I have for the weekend, but I'm not having as many this time. I went more with the mafia route since one of those could easily get me a bingo. I also looked at what prompts I have remaining for the first bingo board of Love Has Sprung and what wasn't already covered by the book club books I have to get through the rest of the month. This has led to a more specific idea list for me than I usually do, but we'll see what happens! I should also mention, there is a unofficial group book that will guarantee a bingo and it's Dark Mafia Prince by Annika Martin. I'm not going to be picking it up, but just thought I should mention it.

❤ One mafia series I haven't picked up in a while is Cora Reilly's Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles. I am planning on going through the reading order suggested on her website so will need to read Bound by Love before finally getting to the Camorra Chronicles.

❤ I also need to read more in Serena Akeroyd's Five Points' Mob series and the next book I have to pick up there is Filthy Rich.

❤ I've also been intrigued by Tillie Cole's Raze for a while but still haven't picked it up yet. She's an author I haven't read yet.

❤ Another new to me mafia author I've been wanting to try is Adelaide Forrest. I want to start her Bellandi Crime Syndicate series and the first book is Bloodied Hands.

❤ Getting out of the mafia books, the only other dark romance I'm looking at is Untouchable by Sam Mariano. It's a favorite of Jenn's and I've been wanting to read it for a while. Just haven't been in the mood. Maybe now's the time to pick it up!

Hopefully I'll be able to get through at lease one book again, but I'm hoping at least two or three. It's also Easter weekend and I have plans on Saturday and Sunday, but we'll see what I can get done!

Will you be participating in the Dark Romance Readathon?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

The Devil and I by Kay Alastor

🍎🍎🍎🍎

Update: I reread this in April of 2022 and have changed my rating to a 4.5 stars. I reread this for the Dark Romance Readathon and it covered the prompts removal of a body part, touch her and you die, criminal and obsessive hero. I also used this for the Love Has Sprung board 2 reading challenge covering the prompt published in 2021 and for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge covering the prompt Betty (character with a unique name).

Continuing my push on Bang in the Night Bingo prompts, I searched for books that have devil in the title on my kindle. The only one that sounded good (and wasn't apart of a series) was The Devil and I by Kay Alastor. This is a debut dark romance I found thanks to Jen (The Book Refuge). Also, can I just say, I love this cover. So gorgeous. I was able to apply this to the prompts into the woods, CSI: crime scene investigation and a deal with the devil. I also used this to cover the prompt new to you author for the second board of Fall in Love.

Rayna is struggling with trauma from being raped and not having her small support system support her. When her rapist shows back up, she decides to choose the extreme option of killing herself. When she hikes out in the woods, she finds the perfect tree to rest under. Lucas, local police officer, is out for a run. He hears a sound and comes across Rayna as she's bleeding out. Lucas decides to save her and is immediately drawn to her. He does what first aid he can to keep from taking her to the hospital and losing contact. Since he's just started his vacation, he decides to take Rayna to his house further into the woods. Lucas however, isn't just a police office, but also a serial killer of those that escape the law.

Oh My Gosh. Guys, this book. I'm so glad Jen recommended this book. Now, I only rated this 4-stars, but it's more like a 4.5 or even 4.75. What is wrong with me that I loved Lucas so freaking much. While he gets a little over the top at times, his possessive and obsessive tendencies with Rayna hit all of my buttons. All of them. I loved how they both were really able to connect with being secluded. Lucas's trauma training also really helped him properly help Rayna deal with her emotions and reactions. The way that they just seemed to connect on a different level was so visceral and felt so real. Yes this was a little bit insta-love and insta-lust, but it just felt right with the characters. I fell like sometimes you can really connect with someone quickly when you are able to drop all of your emotional barriers and truly connect. I don't know. I've just been thinking about this book a lot since finishing it and just really connected with it.

I was a little worried about the suicide. I had never been triggered before until I read Kiss an Angel, but haven't read too many books with suicide, let alone in the POV of a main character that takes step do so. Thankfully I wasn't triggered and I feel like Kay did a really good job putting the reader into the mind of someone that is contemplating suicide. So why not the full 5-stars. Just a couple things. There were a couple inconsistency things that bothered me. Rayne mentions being 25 years-old in the beginning but then later she's 20. There were a few things similar that just really pulled me out. Usually they don't bother me too much, but I was just so engrossed in the story that when I came across them I did pause and think or say out loud, "Wait, I thought xyz." That's it, really my only complaint. Well, I do wish it was longer, but that's not a real complaint.

I am still blown away that this is Kay's first book and can't wait to see what she writes next. I heard Jen mention in a video that she plans on doing something mafia related. I'm certainly intrigued. I can't thank Jen enough for recommending this book. Also, can we just talk about the cover for a second. So freaking good. I love it and will be getting a paperback for my shelf. I can definitely see myself rereading parts of it soon. If you enjoy psychopath and/or serial killer books, certainly give this one a try.

Have you read The Devil and I?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: The Devil and I, Kay Alastor, 4-stars, 1 day, eBook, 137 pages, published in 2021

STATISTICS IN 2022: The Devil and I, Kay Alastor, 4.5 stars, 0 days, Paperback, 224 pages, published in 2021, indie published

Run Posy Run by Cate C. Wells

🍎🍎🍎🍎

The first book I read for the Dark Romance Readathon was Run Posy Run by Cate C. Wells. I had originally heard about this book from Jen (The Book Refuge) and was intrigued. This was able to hit the scavenger hunt prompts I'll Burn the World Down and That's Wasn't an Enthusiastic Yes. I was also able to apply this to the stand alone prompt for the Summer of Swoon board 2.

Posy is dating Dario and is getting ready for him to propose. She comes home one day after shopping and gets led into his office. He has received a video of her having sex with someone else, her high school boyfriend. The video has been doctored to more currant date. Dario ends up forcing Posy to leave. His driver/2nd hand man drops Posy off at a hotel and recommends she runs. While Dario just wants her to leave, the  head of the mafia isn't going to like "loose ends" running around. She takes off while being both angry at Dario and the situation and also broken-hearted.

I really enjoyed this. I feel like had I been in a different mood, it would be a 5-star. If you've been reading my reviews the past little bit, I've been a bit slumpy and trying to beat back finding myself in a full-blown slump. I was super excited for the readathon and had some good ideas, but I just wasn't in the mood for dark romance. This was still really written well. I also loved the conversations had about sociopaths versus psychopaths. 

I also loved how they both Posy and Dario catalogued and really inspected and tried to understand their feelings. It was really interesting and eye-opening about how much Posy put up with because she wanted to be and be in love so much. She didn't really share her true feelings on things and it became self-destructive. After the break-up and she gets not only her eyes open on her own emotions, but also that Dario is not normal emotionally. I feel like there are a lot of mafia romances where they are called psychopaths or sociopaths, but they're more just crazy criminals. It was really cool to see how a relationship would work with someone with that kind of social disorder. I liked how they both grew and learned about each other. I also really enjoyed that their big connection was board games and more specifically chess. While Dario doesn't really think or believe he can love, he tells Posy that she's the one. When she questions it, he mentions how he almost sees everyone as pieces on the chess board, but Posy is the one on the other side of the board. It just made my board game loving heart so happy and was such a touching statement.

I definitely want to reread this when I'm in the mood for dark romance to see how I'll feel about it then. As I was writing this review I'm kind of thinking of changing it to 5-stars since I'm talking about the things I loved about it. I think I'll leave it 4 for now though and add this to my reread tbr. I'm super intrigued by Cate C. Wells's writing style and will definitely check out her other books. It's always fun to find another new author!

Have you read Run Posy Run?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Run Posy Run, Cate C. Wells, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 260 pages, published in 2021

Dark Romance Readathon Wrap Up

 Well, things didn't quite go as planned. This past weekend, August 13 - 16 was the Dark Romance Readathon. It was hosted by Temecka, Izzy, Heather, Nayema and Ashley. Instead of doing a bingo board, they had a scavenger hunt which was fun. It helped lessen the pressure of getting a bingo. I also liked that they included both Friday and Monday in the "weekend." As you can tell from my tbr, I was super excited for the readathon and have really been enjoying dark romance lately.

However, my mood has completely shifted and it's not what I want to read right now. I ended up reading one book, but it at least met two of the clues. I thought maybe I'd get another book in late Sunday and Monday, but I could tell that if I picked up another dark romance right now, I would be pushed back into a book slump. I just (weirdly) want to read happy contemporary right now. So there won't be too much to wrap up below, but I'll at least post my few graphics.

🔍 Run Posy Run by Cate C. Wells

Hopefully next time they hold the Dark Romance Readathon I'll be in the mood and able to join. I was really enjoying dark romance lately, but I just need to follow what my mood says so I don't just stop reading as a whole. I really dislike book slumps. It's hard when all you want to do is read and relax but nothing sounds good or ends up hitting the spot. I think I just need a bit of happy and less angst and the contemporary romances I've been picking up lately have really helped keep in a better mindset lately.

Did you participate in the Dark Romance Readathon?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

Dark Romance Readathon TBR

Update: Wrap Up is posted!

Happy Friday!

I have another readathon announcement! Next weekend, August 13-16th will be the Dark Romance Readathon. It's hosted by Temecka, Izzy, Heather, Nayema, and Ashley. There are, as per usual, templates on their instagrams. There is no group book, live show or bingo board this time. There's also no hashtag. To change things up a little, instead they are doing a scavenger hunt! I've posted the 6 hints(?) below. It's nice that they included Friday and Monday into the readathon. I've been reading a lot of dark romance this year and am excited to get into more. As with my previous readathons, I'm not going to do a strict tbr, but post several ideas and sees where my mood takes.

Since there are only 6 prompts and it's a scavenger hunt, I feel like this readathon will be a lot more easygoing. I know that sometimes people get stressed when there's a bingo board, especially with shorter readathons like this. If you find the right book, it could cover all the prompts at once. I'm not going to aim for all prompts and just want to read what I feel like, without really considering the prompts in my choices.

🔍 A dark romance that's been on tbr for awhile is Untouchable by Sam Mariano. Jenn (The Book Refuge) talked a lot about this last year and I've been intrigued. It's a bully romance set in high school, but I've heard that they are more mature and high school is just a facilitator for keeping them in close proximity.

🔍 I have several mafia series I'd like to continue: Maggie Cole's Mafia Wars, Cora Reilly's Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, Serena Akeroyd's Five Points' Mob, and Sophie Lark's Underworld series. I have started the first couple books for almost all of these and need to get caught up and/or finish the series.

🔍 I also have several new mafia series that I've found since I started really getting into this sub-subgenre. I've heard good things about A. Zavarelli's Boston Underworld, Tillie Cole's Scarred Souls, and Kristen Luciani's Sinfully Savage series. I've also stumbled across Faith Summer's Dark Syndicate and Jagger Cole's Bratva's Claim series. I'm intrigued to start all of these and start to expand my mafia/dark romance authors. 

🔍 Another option if I get far enough in the reading order is the start Cora Reilly's Camorra Chronicles. Cora Reilly also has some standalones set in the same universe.

If you've been following my reads for a while now, you know that most of my recent dark romance reads are actually mafia. Most of my options for the readathon are as such. I'm not sure how much of these I'll actually get too, but I'd like to read 3 books. One continuing a series, one starting a new series and then either Untouchable or another dark romance that's not mafia related. We'll see where my mood takes me. I might end up doing a spinner wheel for the two mafia options. 

I'm 99% sure I won't meet Whose Limb is This? clue since I don't enjoy poly relationships. I'm just not into thruples or threesomes and such. There could end up being such a scene in one of these, but I'm not particularly looking for it. One big thing I enjoy about dark romance is how obsessive and possessive the heroes get about their heroines. You don't usually see multiple partners in those relationships. I do know there are quite a few reverse harem series and poly dark romances out there. They just don't interest me. I'm excited to have another reason to go on another dark romance binge! I'll be posting my updates in my instagram stories as usual, so feel free to follow along if you'd like!

Will you be participating in the Dark Romance Readathon?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎