SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now!
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Series: Morally Gray Series book #1
Category: Dark Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
"'Sure. And next you'll tell me you're a billionaire book lover who wants to help save my store.'" - Emery
"'That's correct.'" - Callum
First and foremost, I just want to say that while I was reading the blurb I immediately assumed this was going to be a You've Got Mail retelling, and that was my main reason for picking it up. While I was mostly right, if you're looking for a wholesome story about enemies to lovers, this is NOT that. For all the secrets Tom Hanks kept from Meg Ryan, Callum's are leagues darker and more manipulative.
You've been warned, now read on for the book's review.
Emery had my sympathies although she wasn't my favorite female character. She was a bit of a wild child but gave off the "not like other girls" vibes. I thought she was a little crass, but had a backbone that she needed to stand up to her new husband. Did I admire her for taking her anger out on his prized possessions, heck yes! Hit him where it hurts!
Callum was such an exaggerated character, most of the time his actions left my mouth hanging open. At his core, he is a jealous and possessive man but he does learn to bend when Emery tells him he's gone too far. He can't seem to help himself by taking everything he can get from her and holds no remorse for his actions, only the possible consequences as they relate to himself.
The spice in this book was surprisingly hot, I did not expect all of the kink that was crammed into these pages. It took a while for the characters to get physical, but once that door was open, things quickly ramped up.
"But now it's too late. We touched the fire. There's no going back from here. The tragedy of it all is that I already know this man will ruin me, but even that isn't enough to make me want to save myself. Now, I just want to jump into the flames and burn." - Emery
This book was over the top in almost every way, but it was fun to read. I couldn't get enough of the constant banter between the two main characters. They pushed each other's buttons in the best ways, always trying to one-up the other. Callum clearly had a dull life before Emery came to shake everything up.
Most of the plot was very easy to infer, as Emery's life quickly implodes and Callum just so happens can solve all her problems. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to connect the dots. Slowly throughout the book, horror crept up on me as I figured out more about Callum's deception and the true lengths he went to get Emery.
Even at my wildest guess, however, I could have never predicted how long Callum had been truly inferring and stalking Emery or the origins of his obsession coming from a brief encounter 5 years earlier.
Why was Callum obsessed with Emery? An attractive girl turns you down for a date at a house party and your next move is to ruin her life so she has no choice but to marry you and return your love. Maybe take a step back first and try and ask her out again Callum before going nuclear?
"'There are a million shades of gray between good and evil, love. Am I on the darker end of the spectrum? Yes. Am I a bad man who does good things or a good man who does bad things? Both. But you made this monster your slave. All of what I am, good and bad, light and dark, belongs to you.'" - Callum
I really enjoyed this book, despite the more than morally grey Callum, although the ending was a letdown. For all that Emery showed her strength and independence throughout the book, she forgave Callum much too easily.
His apology wasn't real, and he went about it the same way he "won" her in the first place: by slowly wearing her down. It might have taken weeks, but we know the man was patient since he stalked her for years in the first place. Not enough groveling took this down to a four-star read, but still highly recommend it.
Tropes and Themes: Marriage of Convenience, Stalker, Anti-Hero, Dark Romance, Touch Her and Die, Billionaire.
Blurb
A young woman on the verge of bankruptcy.
A mysterious billionaire with an offer that will change her life.
An obsession so powerful, it could destroy them both.
Sex
Lies
Secrets
Passion
What Callum McCord wants, he takes.
No matter what he has to do to get it.
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