Static (Mayhem Motel #1)

Here's "Static" by Marie Ann. It's the first novel in her Mayhem Motel series.

["The first time I laid eyes on Madison Payne, I knew he was mine.

He was such a surprising little treat to find within the walls of Mayhem Motel. Devoured by his fear, he became so malleable and submissive… for me.

I couldn’t possibly let him go.

But then he left, and I had no other choice but to find him again—by any means necessary.

And I did.

His fear consumed him once more, but he fell into me with a beauty and grace I could’ve only dreamed of.

I finally found the parallel to my shadow.

And now, we return to Mayhem. Back to where we began."]

This book was on a lot of lists lately: "Dark Romance", "Unhinged MM," "What Did I Just Read" (very much not lying, that was the title of the post). And this didn't disappoint. Thought it did take fear kink into whole new realms...wasn't super comfortable for a while. 

But when Madison "accepted" what was going on between him and Cedric? Fuuuuck, it made the book even better. Madi went from scared and afraid of the not-so-scared feelings Cedric gave him to a sassy, blushing mess. It was, honestly, perfect. Cedric wasn't all that much better (he was just able to hide it better).

God they were both a fucking mess. But they embraced the fact that they were messy together, and at the same time, less messy together. It was crazy and beautiful. 

Trigger Warnings: coulrophobia, haphephobia, physical violence, dubcon/noncon, psychological/mental manipulation, stalking, religious trauma, mentions of past mental health issues, mention of alcoholism, anxiety/panic attacks, verbal/mental child abuse, reference to internalized homophobia, and more.

#static #mayhemmotel #mayhemmotelseries #marieann #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

What Would It Cost

Here's "What Would It Cost" by Syn Blackrose.

["Leo
Money. That’s what has turned my life upside down.
Money is the reason my marriage is barely holding together.
Money is the reason Ethan Taylor has thrown himself into my life.
Ethan is the reason I can barely sleep. Ethan is the reason I question myself and who I really am.
Ethan, Ethan, fucking Ethan. That damn name is always on my mind.
The big question…when everything in your life is falling apart, would you accept an offer from your boss that could make it right? Heal your marriage?
Would you hand over your body for one night to an attractive psycho? Not forgetting that I’m straight.
He’s manipulative. Dangerous. Toxic.
He is always one step ahead.

Ethan
I’m rich. Successful. And bored.
Months of being restless, unsure of what it is my body needs, until a gorgeous man called Leo starts working at my hotel.
He’s perfect. Attractive. Sexy. But the best part is that he is so worn down by life, that I can’t resist him. That makes him vulnerable.
I want to bend him to my will. To take him as my own.
Social expectations mean nothing to me. I have no morals. No empathy. I don’t give a fuck what’s happening in your life.
But I care about what Leo does. I need to know everything about him.
I’m going to tear him down so I can rebuild him.
I will offer him everything he dreams of, while locking him up in my golden cage.
By the time I’ve finished, he won’t be able to leave. But even better, he won’t want to leave.
No limits. No rules."]

Dark, depraved, unhinged, psychotic, crazy... or just unconventional? Because Ethan might not be able to feel love, but what he felt for Leo transcended traditional love. But it was deep and devoted. He wanted only good things for Leo, he didn't want Leo to feel alone or lonely. He didn't want Leo to be wanting for anything. He wanted Leo to be happy and healthy. He wanted him to live his best life and pursue his dreams and finally be seen.

Leo just wanted to follow his dreams and be happy. He wanted to have comfort and be seen. He wanted someone to want him and need him. Ethan's methods weren't...typical, but he gave Leo all he wanted, all he needed, and so much more.

I also kinda love how this book existed in teh same universe at Syn's other books (even if I haven't read all of them yet). Beautiful.

I don't a lot of hard limits when it comes to content or triggers. One of them is (usually) cheating. But Syn is always wonderful at making the cheated-on-partner incredibly horrible and (almost) deserves this karma.

Trigger Warnings: manipulation, stalking, violence, cheating (not between MCs), mental abuse, toxic behavior, and more.

#whatwoulditcost #synblackrose #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks