I enjoyed this book and at times found it difficult to put down. For me as someone who loves a good trigger warning i found it took a bit too long to give me the thrill of the listed triggers and although many triggers are listed they arent all strongly represented in the book.

I wouldnt put this in the the romance catergory for me it is more suited to stalker/possession, however with the grooming of a child (16) it absolutely might be too much for some and I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings prior to reading. Also, remember the story is set in Australia, where the age of consent is 16.

Trigger warnings - predatory behaviour, possessive behaviour, explicit sex scenes, sexual assault, voyeurism, degradation, humiliation, violence, and graphic language.

This is a dark taboo age gap romance, with elements of predatory behaviour, dubcon and grooming.
It follows Rianna and the crush she has on her mother's friend Carl. He gives her the care and attention she needs with her absent mother, and her crush develops into obsession. When she tries to pursue him and he rejects her she's hurt and begins to question her feelings.
After a chance meeting with Carl's boss Stephen and seeing their rivalry she decides to start a dangerous game, little does she know Stephen has his own dark agenda as he starts to groom her.
The plot exposes some dark secrets, a bitter rivalry, and a coming of age romance and exploring a first forbidden love. It was a page turner and I loved the dark twists and suspense.

Deceivious by Darcy Daniel
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 31 March 2024

This book is a thrilling blend of dark romance, obsession, and deceit, interwoven with suspense and taboo themes—a recipe for an exhilarating read.

I was completely hooked! With its narrative told from three different points of view, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, constantly questioning every twist and turn. It's undeniably a page-turner.

This Australian-set taboo romance truly caught me off guard. It unfolded like a gripping romantic suspense, keeping me engaged from start to finish. As the story delved into forbidden territory, things heated up down under, with Carl rekindling a relationship with his high school sweetheart, pushing boundaries along the way. But when her daughter makes a bold move, the plot takes a turn towards the not okay. Add in Carl's unhinged employer, hell-bent on possessing the daughter, and you've got yourself one wild rollercoaster of a ride.

Please ensure you're mindful of trigger warnings before starting this book, as it delves deeply into taboo and dark themes.

Thank you so much to Naomi Lamont, and the author, Darcy Daniel, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Apart from the jarring images of a cherry on nearly every page and the extremely odd formatting, this was an incredibly interesting but rather dark book.
This is one of those books where it feels kind of "icky" to read at times because its told in multiple POVs, and some of the time, as the reader, we get the internal thoughts of a predator. In media and throughout our lives into "adulthood", emphasis on what makes a person an "adult" usually revolves around the "legal age" or "age of consent". Is there something magical that happens when someone reaches "that certain age" that makes them more *mature* then the were the day or year before? Of course not, but the law is there to *supposedly* create a more emotionally and physically safe bumper for those who are on the precipice of actual adulthood.
This was actually really well-written because the reader gets the glimpse into the "predator's" head--as well as into the head of "the prey" and her would-be "protector. We see that it isn't that cut and dry and that the deception runs deep. I really enjoyed this book.
I think the most disturbing part is actually the "bonus epilogue" linked at the end, which just....changes things.

I could NOT stop reading! Even from the beginning of the book, it was kind of slow (I think most books are) but I needed more! The different views of the book had me on my toes the whole time. The ending was absolutely MIND BLOWING

This was totally different read from one of Darcy Daniel's other book that I have read. I knew from the list of trigger warnings that it would be a lot darker however having the 3 POV's in the contents list I did wonder how they would all come together. The story centers around Rianna and how she is wanted by both of the male adults in her life and how she feels about them. The characters in this novel were very well down and without taking it to deeply you could imagine knowing someone who was each of them. The title of the novel gives you the plot line for the book and you can see how this applies to all of them. I did go to website to get the bonus epilogue and would implore everyone who reads this does get the epilogue.

Wow, this was an intense, morally confronting read. There are three POVs in the story, and I will say this is the first time I've seen one from the actual villain that is not a morally grey hero but a straight-up villain. Definitely pay attention to the triggers, as reading about characters doing terrible things is one thing, but here you actually get a view into the mind of an unapologetic predator, and it's pretty disturbing.
I wouldn't really consider this a romance in the typical sense. It's more like a domestic thriller that happens to contain a love triangle (quad?).

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.