You’d have to be crazy to want a killer.
I was nobody. A deranged widow. He was a psychopath with me as his next target. When he took me from my home, he planned to kill me. The creepy room I woke up in with flourescent lighting and an assortment of knives was evidence enough. Then he saw my scars, and something changed. Instead of killing me, he wants to fix me. I might be crazy, but he’s …
Then he saw my scars, and something changed.
Instead of killing me, he wants to fix me.
I might be crazy, but he’s completely Unhinged.
This book is a dark romance, and thus contains dark subject matter. Reader discretion is advised.
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Terrific story of two troubled souls who find each in the strangest of ways
I really enjoy stories about crazy people. They can be hilarious in their own way even in the blood and gore of a serial killer, we can often find a likeable character. Dexter proved that to the masses. We all loved him and pulled for him to never get caught, didn’t we? James and Holly are both crazy, each in their own ways. Holly is agoraphobic and OCD and has been beaten down he husband she killed so bad that she won’t stand for it anymore, even from a guy that has her strapped to a table and is holding a knife. James, like Dexter, is a serial killer who kills killers, pedophiles and rapists. He learned at the hand of his Grandfather.
“I supposed I could’ve told them both the truth. Holly, this is my grandfather. He helps me cover up evidence when I kill people. Oh, and Grandfather, this is Holly. She’s a botched target who won’t leave my home because she’s more afraid of the outdoors than she is of me…”
The characters are well developed as are their manias. The romance is not insta-love and it is soooo very interesting to watch develop. James and Holly are certainly two unbelievably compelling and provocative individuals. They seemed to fit perfectly together and be exactly what each other needed to help fix the broken pieces.
“He moved the hair off my shoulder and bent so that his lips were pressed to my collar bone. He kissed along the bone to my shoulder, and then, without any warning, he bit down. Hard.”
I was enthralled by their journey and waiting to see what would happen next. Every time something new would happen it would surprise the heck out of me and it just kept getting better and better. I was thinking “how did these people go from being so crazy to so awesome so quickly?”
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’ve not read many books where I don’t know what I want to say in my review of it, but this one has me floundering.
There wasn’t any occasion, whilst reading this book, that I got bored or contemplated not finishing it. The plot was engaging and the characters charming, captivating and crazy. However it never really engaged my emotions, so it didn’t quite hit the full 5 stars. It’s still one fantastic book that has a story unlike any other I’ve read and really should be a must read for all lovers of dark, psychological romances.
In some ways the story had everything and yet went nowhere. Not much happens ‘physically’, this is very much a story about mental and personal growth, about facing ones demons, followed by understanding, accepting and loving yourself. There are some quite profound moments, the story definitely has hidden depths, though it can also be enjoyed at surface value as a tale of two crazy individuals fitting their broken pieces together to make a beautiful whole.
It was occasionally a little more tell than show for my liking, but I still really enjoyed it. It was also towards the lighter end of the dark scale, similar to a gritty mafia story. I’ve not even heard of this author before (WHY?) but will definitely be checking out her work now.
He didn’t feel love because he’d never had it, and he never felt he’d deserved it.
But he did. Despite the depravity, there was good underneath. The kind you spend your whole life searching for. The kind that would see a broken woman’s scars and think they were beautiful. The kind that would never hurt an innocent person, even if it meant putting themselves through turmoil. The kind that could love me , regardless of my past.
I didn’t run from him because he didn’t run from me.
He was my safety.
I was his safety.
And all was not lost for either of us.
“What if I told you there was a way for you to stop.”
I had so much fun reading this! This is a lovely story about a psychopath and a woman with agoraphobia finding a connection. A great psychologically driven dark erotic thriller.
Holly was likable and actually kind of a badass. She had a good mix of strengths and vulnerabilities…I have to say I found her reactions when confronted with abuse, evil, or dangerous situations refreshing.
There was also plenty of dark humour! I was chuckling to myself often while reading this and I loved that this book didn’t take itself too seriously
I really enjoyed this story of two oddballs finding love and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
So rather than a dark romance, this is a book with dark themes and triggers.
Holly’s older husband Richard is a cruel and abusive spouse when he supposedly dies of a heart attack leaving behind his young wife with deep scars inside and out from the past six years living with a monster.
James is an estate lawyer by day and a punishing killer by night.
He uses his compulsion for death to punish what he perceives as the guilty and the predators of this world who prey on the weak. So rather than a dark romance, this is a book with dark themes and triggers.
Holly’s older husband Richard is a cruel and abusive spouse when he supposedly dies of a heart attack leaving behind his young wife with deep scars inside and out from the past six years living with a monster.
James is an estate lawyer by day and a punishing killer by night.
He uses his compulsion for death to punish what he perceives as the guilty and the predators of this world who prey on the weak.
Holly comes to his attention as a murderer and he abducts her to use as his next purge, This purge to quieten his own personal demons from the past but when he realises she is a victim herself he’s a bit of a loss with what to do with her, he doesn’t kill the innocent.
So this was a dexter type scenario and both James and Holly have there own personal brand of cray cray.
She’s not his usual purge and though their brands of crazy differ slightly they each see in the other someone who sees them in their entirety and their similarities help to connect them on a deeper level.
This was definitely an intriguing read quite the page-turner but myself I would have prefered a complete immersion in all there shared depravities rather than the redemption we were then offered.
Despite that, I still enjoyed this one very much and would definitely recommend.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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This is dark but also humorous and I love it! Two damaged souls meet and recognize each other’s issues and end up forming a strange bond with each other. This book has a lot of triggers for people but if like me you enjoy your romances quirky and dark then you shall love this story. I sat down and inhaled this book, I absolutely love it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
“She was a poison to my life, and the antidote to my darkness.”
I likely wouldn’t have come across this one but thankfully it was the BOTM in my Dark Romance group, because it was definitely an experience. Everything you expect for this one…..throw it out the window. Its dark in subject matter, but trust me when I say it will have you in tears from laughing so hard. These two, well lets say that they are VERY special….its easy to love a vigilante serial killer and a deranged widow.
“You’re one to talk. Why don’t you start listing off the presidents again and calm the f down.”
Told in dual POV, this is a story about how a killer fell for his botched target. It is a standalone and does have a HEA (with an opportunity for a bonus chapter at the end). It is considered a dark romance and does cover some sensitive subject matter (domestic abuse, mental illness, torture, stalking, murder).
“Whether she was a predator or prey, there was one thing for certain— she was even crazier than me.”
Holly Rose survived the worst. After killing her abusive (yet wealthy) husband, she spends her days locked inside his home living a life with almost no physical connections. She hasn’t left the home in years, absolute terror of the outside world has made her a prisoner in her own home. Until one night when a man kidnaps her, waking up tied to a table in some kind of torture room. Well, he picked the WRONG woman if he is looking for fear….her late husband’s abuse conditioned that right out of her.
“Careful there, Norman, you might cut yourself.”
James is a vigilante of sorts, torturing and killing those who escape the law’s justice for awful crimes they are guilty of. Holly was supposed to be his next target, but it isn’t long before he discovers she is a victim….he can’t kill her, he has a set of rules to follow afterall. She can’t leave….seriously, her irrational fear of the outside keeps her from running.
“He had a faint smile on his face, and a glint in his eyes. His crazy was showing.”
Both think the other is absolute bonkers. Both think they have the cure to fix one another. But together? Together they could find the happiness they both so desperately need but didn’t know was possible. All they have to do is make it out the front door and fight off the urge to kill someone.
There is a HEA, with no cliffys.
“He needs a therapist. And while he’s at it, maybe he could get one for me, too.”
I am a sucker for the crazy ones. Seriously, Sick Fux is one of my absolute favs. But what makes this so unique is the fact that Nicole was able to pull geniune laughs from me in times that felt mildly inappropriate. These two both have their issues, both stemming from past traumas and tragedies, but they both look at the other as the “crazy” one they don’t understand. Seeing these two navigate around each other trying to understand the other while also beginning to fall for one another is like being a scientist monitoring test subjects. Its wildly entertaining. Of course there are parts that are heartbreaking while others are disturbing, but the love story being told about a pair of “unlovable” people was as much beautiful as it was fascinating.
“But instead, he was here, living his life with only the goal of ending others’, and having the deranged widow as the only person he could talk to, the only one who could handle it.”
Overall, it is 100% a must read. Its as authentic feeling as a story like this can be and it proves that love comes from unexpected places and can conquer all. Give it a shot, I PROMISE you won’t regret it.
“I didn’t run from him because he didn’t run from me. He was my safety. I was his safety.”
This is the first book I have read by this author and I am hooked. If you are a sensitive reader, please heed the warnings, if not, be prepared to have your socks blown off. Holly is a young woman that cannot seem to catch a break. She marries an older man, Richard who physically beats her. She has many scars, bumps and bruises in various states of the healing process to prove it. She is kidnapped by James or is she rescued. James is a man with his own past demons but in all honesty, he just plain scares me. I truly think Holly is a few bricks short to not be terrified of him. But I guess Holly is no innocent and has experienced the darker side before. These two characters are so broken and damaged but can they heal one another, find peace or acceptance, maybe even something some people call happiness? This is a well written story that breaks your heart but it will also piece it back together with a few chips and cracks. Enjoy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my first book by this author. I enjoyed being pulled in right from the beginning bing and held my attention attention to the end. This book may be a trigger for some but if y ok u can get past that there is a very well developed story. I loved the characters. They made the story feel real. They are connectable and supportive to each other. This a story of murder and edge of your seat sitting suspense. I highly recommend this book.
My first book by Nicole Cypher and she made a great first impression. Unhinged was not what I thought it would be. It was dark and twisted but it was a story about two damaged people who fell in love in spite of their quirks. Both characters lived through traumatic events that left them with unstable. I loved this story and the characters and the writing was incredible.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This one was definitely a dark and twisted romance but it never leaves us unsatisfied. We learn and love hoe this 2 people interact but what’s more they have this connection that we never fully see coming until the end. I love how it was described and the emotions that they show us. I hope that there are more amazing stories by this author. Keep them coming Nicole. I give it 5 stars. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book as an Advanced Reader’s Copy
This book was pretty amazing. Holly was in a terrible marriage. James’s mission is to rid the world of bad people. James’s believes that Holly is one until he sees her naked. This book just goes to show that there is a perfect someone for everyone. Holly and James are eventually thick as thieves. Their relationship and how it progresses makes for a fairly dark, but entertaining read. I love the dynamic between Holly and James. This book was easy to follow and I was able to read it in an afternoon. I would definitely recommend this book, but there might have triggers if you are sensitive to violence. The book does contain some cringe worthy scenes in that regards.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved the book it was great the story was well written and the characters were interesting. Holly and James both very troubled people. James was going to inflict pain, but as soon as he sees all the scares people he wants to care for her instead.
Thank you for allowing me to review this book it was great.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OMG! Chilling and Amazing!
This is the first book I have ever read by this author, and boy was it utterly amazing! This story was dark, delicious, suspenseful and intriguing. I was literally on the edge of my seat, fully enraptured in all of the twists and turns the story took. It is not for the feint of heart but it will give you chills and a HEA.
Holly and James’ story is not your typical love story. They have both been through some things so very dark and twisted in their pasts that make them the deranged and twisted people they are now. They are both very scarred individuals. The way they come together is intense and slightly off kilter. I love their interactions and how crazy these two really are.
I can’t wait to read more stories from this author. Highly recommend.
This was a trip into the darkness of two tormented beings. The male MC, James, kept reminding me of Dexter (from the TV show) and his dark passenger…I never expected for this book to be such an insight into the minds of the two profoundly damaged MCs, I expected a dark read but nothing so psychological as this.
Unhinged is a romance, not very conventional but a romance with a HEA and all, but it’s in no way sweet…Although there are sex scenes, this is not an erotic story (at least not for me).
Nicole Cypher writes fluidly, it’s a pleasure to read with an author like this. She captures perfectly the different states of mind, the moods, and with characters like these, their emotions keep flowing, or rather surging. At the beginning of the book, I disliked the MCs, they were pathetic in their craziness, but they started to feel more vulnerable than anything else, and by the end I was glad they had their happy ending.
I will be reading more of Nicole’s books
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4.5 stars
Phew, this I’d a dark ride, my friends. A dark ride. I appreciate that no children were harmed during the making of this book. There is brief discussions of physical abuse towards our main gal though.
Despite the darkness, this book has a lot of heat and mystery. It was quite a ride!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Well it’s a pretty crazy world if you are Rose/Holly or James, I’m not sure about unhinged these two crazy MF’s are certifiably deranged! This is a romance with dark undertones, not necessarily something that is going to keep you up for nights afterwards. The Plot grows well and pulls you in along the way, I found some of it quite heartbreaking that 2 lost souls could be so damaged by the actions of those around them. There are also some funny and quirky parts, although James is one scary dude at times.
Overall the book is well written and keeps a good pace, however I have given it 4 stars as I feel the problem of Holly’s agoraphobia was overcome way too quickly and easily. The last part of the book where everything comes together felt a little vague and maybe rushed, especially Holly’s kidnap (the second one!)
I would definitely read books by this author again.