A daring and sumptuous enemies-to-lovers pleasure for those on its wavelength, this dark romance from Shen and Huntington, the follow-up to their scintillating My Dark Romeo, kicks off with the first of its daring transgressions. Farrow Ballentine, a “survivor since birth” who has always been made to feel unwanted,” hides in the back of the Mercedes SUV taking her viciously rich stepsisters to the mansion of “spoiled billionaire” Zachary Sun. Farrow is on a classic fairy-tale mission, updated for the era of Instagram and chat threads: steal from Zach’s office a pendant that Farrow thinks of as “the only memory I had left of Dad.” Amid A+ wisecracks and deliciously outraged depictions of luxury, Farrow makes her move—only to be interrupted by Zach himself. Her first thought: “So perfect. So glamorous. So soulless.”From there, My Dark Desire revels in anticipation, as the leads dance teasingly toward and away from each other with a wickedly sharp Cinderella edge. Telling himself that his desire to teach a lesson to his little “Octi”—for “Octopus”—is something other than turned-on curiosity, Zach turns up at Farrow’s stepmother’s house with her missing shoe and, at the point of a knife, he strikes a deal with Farrow: she is to be the help.
The trigger warnings, reader, are justified, as the authors wring this scenario for all it’s worth, emphasizing Zach’s arrogance and wealth, Farrow’s feisty wit, and devising an escalating series of wild, delicious erotic confrontations, all while taking seriously the wounded souls of both leads, as well as the ins-and-outs of wills, inheritances, and the shocking schemes and power of the super-rich. The novel is a feast of quips, insights, and steam, as Farrow tries not to surrender to “his husky command”—and then surprises him with acceptance of his true self. Readers who love this breed of tale will be in a hellish heaven for its full, epic length.
Takeaway: Epic dark romance bursting with wit, passion, and soulful leads.
Comparable Titles: Rina Kent’s Monster series, Elizabeth O’Roark’s A Deal with the Devil.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
