vrstal's reviews
549 reviews

5/5. 

<b>Content Warnings for book:</b> Blood, gore, cannibalism and flesh-eating, Christianity, religious trauma, disordered eating and starvation, self-harm, stalking, ero-guro, necrophilia, torture, sexual assault and rape, implied incest, dubious consent, love triangle, unhealthy power dynamics, death, snuff, infected wounds, misogyny, vomit, gaslighting, emotional abuse, panic attacks, flaying, skull-fucking (literally), poor hygiene, drug use 

<b>Kink:</b> D/s, extreme sadism, praise kink, phone sex, tentacles, degradation, dacryphilia, implied daddy kink, blood play, consensual mutilation, footjobs, cock & ball torture, 

“Lust and hunger were two sides of the same coin.”

I find it hard to recommend to anyone who is a romance reader. Not because there aren’t romantic elements but if you can’t get past snuff and gore porn, like… it may not be worth it to delve into all that for the relationship. I’d very much say you need to <i>really</i> like horror to enjoy this. However, we do get more romantic moments where things are advancing. So not all hope is lost!

There was one time I almost DNF’d because I found my line in this book — but I’m glad I persevered. Now I’ve read some horror and even dabbled in extreme horror, watched some disturbing films, the like. Doesn’t mean there aren’t still lines you find within yourself, and I think that’s a compliment to Free Mints being able to make me feel that true unease and visceral disgust with provocative and descriptive writing. 

Hide grew on me, especially if we sit with his POV some. I came to realize he really is just like Loukas, torn up and broken on the inside. His suffering from Loukas is also his own fault to a degree — he keeps going back for more and then confused when it hurts him. He especially is scared of that emotionally vulnerability, clearly. 

Meanwhile, Alexander is a truly awful monster, egging on Loukas’s spiraling behavior and indulging in the suffering of others himself. Yet I can’t deny the dynamic of Loukas as his “puppy” had some appeal. I wanted Loukas to escape him and even eat him, but I also found some intrigue of how he caused Loukas to “blossom” in his monstrous ways.

Loukas is all torn up as he’s both a monster yet still soft and pathetic. As Hide continues to point out, Loukas is both someone who indulges too far into his fantasies but as this innate nature of gentleness — which is why Hide lives. That Hide survives him even though he really doesn’t have to, easily Loukas could just devour him. The scene at the end in the apartment… so good!

I can’t wait to read the next book. Highly recommend this series.

3/5. 

<b>Content Warnings for book:</b> Murder, parental abuse, stalking, violence and gore

<b>Kink:</b> Daddy kink

The writing, especially in Sebastian’s point of view, is very dramatic and overwrought. I believe it definitely fit his perspective and his teenage angst, but it sometimes made the environment feel too surreal and obscured by the flowery descriptions that I couldn’t get a concrete sense of what was happening. It’s a bit easier to understand in Roman’s point of view, but kudos to the author to clearly defining their voices. 

I really wanted to like this book more but I think the author went a little too heavy with the metaphors and poetic writing. I’ve read and loved <i>Mad Love</i> and while it’s amazingly OTT and fun, this didn’t have as much of that. I believe when it’s said these characters are devoted to each other but I just wish there was a little more to it? Maybe it was just the length and not getting so much time to feel the ins and outs of the relationship as much as I’d like. Don’t get me wrong, the entirety of this book is about them. 

I just don’t know how to put my finger on what didn’t work for me exactly, but I certainly enjoyed the concept and tropes behind it. I’ll definitely be reading more from April Jade, because she writes my favorite sorts of stuff and has a ton of potential to continually improve. 

I think the epilogue was honestly kind of cute. Realistic? No, but I loved how hopeful and healing it was.