SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now!
Author: Gigi Styx
Series: Stand Alone
Category: Dark Romance
Rating: ⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
At first, I thought I'd found the perfect dark romance book.
If you haven't been as obsessed with the genre as I have over the last few years, let me tell you you're missing out! But, even with so many options out there today, all of them tend to include similar elements. Psychotic love interests, mafia or organized crime, kidnapping or forced proximity, and serial killers with a small conscious. Most importantly, the FMC must always have a sick and twisted, humorous internal voice just this side of unhinged.
Yes, these books are fun, but I was happy to have found something different for once. While 'Taming Seraphine' certainly ticked a couple of those boxes, the FMC was not cookie cutter and I was grateful for the originality. At least at first.
Here's what I didn't realize in all those previously crafted female characters I thought I was tired of: without the obnoxiously loud crazy vibes, all you have left is a broken girl killing people. And no one wants to read about that, at least I don't.
This book was missing the fun aspect that most serial killer romance books have that keep the reader entertained. There was no light-hearted banter about semen ice cream to be had, just evil men who get what’s coming to them and a girl with mental health issues reliving her past abuse.
"Seraphine has a way of distorting reality, so all you see when looking at her is a sweet little angel." - Leroi
Seraphine was much too naive. I assume the duality of her character was supposed to be the thing that brought depth to the story. Child-like innocence coupled with violent tendencies. However, the result was an unbalanced character who didn't feel real. At best, she was an unlikeable self-centered brat who didn't understand how the world worked but thought she knew everything.
Lerio suffered from love at first sight, with little motive besides feeling bad for her. He risks almost everything in his life to protect her, but his reasoning is contrary to his actions. Her obvious and understandable mental health issues made her vulnerable and Leroi took advantage of that even if it was to help her. Using sex as therapy to 'tame' her made zero sense, and was an excuse to throw BDSM into the story to up the spice factor. There was zero chemistry between the two of them.
"She's trouble and her reckless killing is a nuisance, but there's a part of me that wants to wrap her in protective bandages and erase the past five years of her life." - Leroi
I powered through as best I could but in the end, I was bored. Despite being a book about murder and crime, none of the characters were very interesting and the story was very predictable.
DNF 42% in and I dropped this one to reread 'Crazed Candy' again.
Tropes and Themes: Age Gap, Serial Killer, Sexual Abuse, BDSM, Dark Romance.
Blurb
They captured me, broke me. Molded me into their perfect weapon. They made me murder and seduce strangers.
Until a hitman killed my captors and set me free.
Leroi
I rescued a girl from a basement thinking she was innocent, but I brought home a serial killer whose darkness borders on insanity.
Now, I need to tame her murderous instincts before I become her next victim.
Seraphine is reckless, unstable, and likely to get us both destroyed. Every instinct says I should end her, but she’s too captivating to resist.
Each day, she draws me deeper into her web, her allure stripping my self-control. But I’m harboring secrets treacherous enough to add me to her list of men to slaughter.
Seraphine
Leroi is dark, deadly, and dangerously attractive.
I don’t know what he wants, but resisting him is impossible and I'm ready to slay him at the first sign of betrayal.
When a dark figure from the past rises from the shadows, wanting to reclaim me, I'm forced to trust a man who might stab me in the back.
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