The bully isn’t supposed to win…Senior year was off to a rough start: lube in my locker, panties on my front porch, unimaginative name-calling. See, I got a player suspended from the football team for harassing me, and in my small Texas town, you don’t mess with the football players—even if they mess with you first.I didn’t care if it was an unpopular thing to do; I stood up for myself… and in … do; I stood up for myself… and in doing so, opened Pandora’s Box.
I never dreamed I would attract the attention of locally worshipped star quarterback, Carter Mahoney. Never imagined his coveted attention would turn out to be such a nightmare. Beneath his carefully constructed façade lurks a monster, a predator looking for the perfect prey to play with. Now, since I’m the girl no one likes or believes, I guess I’m the perfect target for his dark games and twisted desires.
After surviving my first encounter with his casual depravity, all I really want is for Carter to leave me alone.
But all he seems to want is me.
WARNING: This book is provocative. It is categorized as DARK ROMANCE for a reason. If you are a reader with certain triggers or sensitivities common to the dark romance genre, PLEASE heed the author’s note at the beginning of this book.
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Loved this nuanced dark romance! Though the characters are in high school, they both come across as way more mature, and their story is beautifully twisted and hot. Highly recommend!
Wow, this is one heck of a dark romance and my heart was in my mouth during those first few chapters. It’s a testament to the amazing skill of author Sam Mariano that she managed to get me to do a complete 360 on Carter Mahoney. I went from wanting to string him up by the balls to swooning at his feet. A fab read but please check out the note at the start if you have triggers related to bullying/sexual assault.
Shock. With this one word I can describe the book Untouchable. Sam Mariano must be some kind of mastermind because I still can’t understand how it happened that I liked this story THIS MUCH. I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep – I just couldn’t stop reading! That’s how I was absorbed in this story. And the to say that it starts with a huge trigger is an understatement of the year!
Zoey made a big mistake. Living in a town where highschool football players are worshipped like gods, she accused one of them of harassment, which resulted in his suspension. From this moment her life is a living hell. Everyone turned their backs on her, everyone oppresses her. But the turning point is the moment when the star quarterback of the football team- Carter Mahoney- joins her tormentors. It turns out that what his friend did was a childish play … and Carter Mahoney doesn’t throw empty threats.
And here the spiral begins. From the unpleasant and even obscene situation, curiosity and obsession arise. In some strange way, it turns out that Carter and Zoey are compatible as a couple and that they are the only ones who are able to understand their needs and see more in each other than the others can see. I know it sounds ridiculous, considering the fact that we are talking about the victim and its abuser, but it can’t be described in a different way. This couple- despite the circumstances of their first encounter- they’re simply made for each other.
There are only two options with this book – either you hate it or you will love it. If you are a sensitive person, I bet on the first one. However, if you like slightly twisted stories with a darker side- I highly recommend it!
This book was fantastic. I was drawn in the minute I started and found it difficult to put down. It’s dark, gritty, twisted, funny and all around amazing! If I could give it more than five stars I would!!
I was NOT ready for this book! From the very start, Sam Mariano hooked me with this dark, twisted, delicious story. I love a good bully romance, but I especially love a depraved one. Carter Mahoney is just that….depraved, broken, untouchable. I was sucked in to this story from the get-go and didn’t breathe until I hit the end of it. Mariano’s writing is flawless and she draws you in with each wicked encounter between our hero (or villain depending on how you look at it) and heroine. This book is NOT for the weak. It’s for the ones who crave a delicious, messed-up tale that eventually weaves into something not-so-painful and almost sweet. I say almost because Carter doesn’t know the word sweet…but sometimes he almost gets there…ha! Definitely recommend this one! Five INSANE BUT HOT HERO stars!
I saw this book rec from a couple of Facebook friends so I thought I’d give it a try. Holy mother… This one was amazeballs. I don’t re-read books but I am definitely thinking of starting this one over tonight. I loved everything about Carter and Zoey, and the writing kept me so engrossed in the book that I couldn’t even pause at the end of a chapter, let alone put the book down and do something as mundane as eat dinner!
This goes on the top of my guilty pleasure list. In the beginning my jaw was on the floor and I didn’t think there was any way I could get on team bully, and not sure what this says about me, but somehow, between the characters quick wit banter and the steaminess I was quickly on board and hooked, stayed up all night reading.
I can’t say enough good things about this book!! Though I have zero followers on here right now one day this review will be seen and know this book had me literally on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t get enough!!! It was so well written and it’s one of those books that you love so much you wish you wrote it yourself lol However if you have triggers and or can’t handle dark subject matters please read the warnings before diving in!!!!!
I like dark books, so this was right up my ally. It did not disappoint. This is a bully romance, it won’t be for everyone. The way Sam writes and portrays Zoey is remarkable. She is a strong heroine. Nothing about her is weak. She’s strong from the beginning to the end of the book.
This is my first Sam Mariano read and it won’t be my last for sure!
UNTOUCHABLE HAD ME ALL HEATED UP BUT NOT IN A GOOD WAY. FOR ME, IT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO THE READER.
Spoiler Alert!
This is the part of book reviewing that I absolutely hate. Writing a review for a book I didn’t care for is no fun. Most of the time I don’t do it. But I felt so compelled to write one on Untouchable by Sam Mariano because it struck a chord with me. While I don’t usually write spoilers in my reviews, I am in this one because I need you to understand my point of view.
I will begin by saying that the author did write a substantial warning in the beginning of this book. I felt that since I’ve read some pretty dark romances and can handle pretty much anything an author throws at me that I’ll give it a go. I was actually very excited to read this story.
As far as romance goes, I am a true believer that everyone deserves to find love. But after reading the first 4 chapters, I’m making an exception now.
The first four chapters completely disgusted me. I don’t care how the author tries to spin this as a bully romance. It simply isn’t. Not when the antihero Carter and his two despicable cohorts take it upon themselves to trap, brutalize and sexually assault the heroine, Zoey “gang bang” style. When I say brutalize, I’m not just referring to the sexual violence. It’s the psychological brutality, mind f**k and pure cold-blooded indifference that made it so deplorable to me and did me in.
Carter was the worst. He’s is a freaking remorseless sex offender with a cold black heart just like his buddies. He forced her to undress, tormented her to the nth degree and forcefully shoved his c**k down her throat, violently chocking her and groping her body while the others molested her all in the name of retaliation.
There was no enjoyment on the part of the heroine. It was a sick and twisted game to them. I remember thinking that Carter was being mean to her and took over in the hopes of getting rid of the other two assailants and then he would show is kinder, softer side and let her go. You know, then the budding romance would begin. But no… Turns out, he was the biggest threat of all. It just got worse and worse as time went on. Then he tells her if she tells anyone about what happened, that he would knock her f**king teeth out.
Is it completely unrealistic on the part of Zoey to not report the assault after she is away from the offenders? Maybe not. She was scared and would have agreed to just about anything so I get it.
BUT, after she gets home and gets a disturbing psychotic visit from Carter and threatens and manipulates her, she could have ended it all right then and there and still chose not to. I understand some victims get so scared and too many don’t report it. But to make matters worse, she continues to make immature and irrational choices over and over again. No girl is this stupid.
How the hell would anyone find this to be the beginnings of a romance? Sure as hell not me. IT’S NON CONSENSUAL. Vaginally or mouth…. IT’S RAPE. A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL. She had NO CHOICE.
I don’t know why any reader would root for him after the first four chapters. Let alone, far beyond those chapters as well. Granted they are all seniors in high school and the lack of maturity surely played a role in their actions as well as Zoey’s but……..
For me, there is no redemption for the “hero” Carter. I use the word hero loosely.
I’d had enough of this madness and chose not to finish because THERE IS NO REDEMPTION FOR CARTER… NONE. He’s a delusional psycho. He terrorized her. He’s a sick twist who need to have his junk hacked off. There will never be a good reason to justify his treatment of her. Men go to prison for those actions. But alas, this is fiction..
When I read a romance, I want to feel the love, the connection, the unmistakable sparks that bring them together, even in the darkest romances (which is my favorite genre of romance), not bear the painful and horrifying scars along the journey.
Sadly though, this book had me feeling extremely anxious, scared and horrified. I felt weighted down with grief, engulfed in terror and bubbling with anger. So much anger that I felt like a rabid dog. I was filled with so many negative emotions that I chose not to punish myself any longer and didn’t finish the story.
I refuse to waste my time reading a book that is called a romance that condones that behavior. Giving the readers the idea that dating your rapist is the way to go in the healing process is ludicrous and sends a clear and disturbing message to assault victims. To me, the message I get from this story is this….
“Buck it up cupcake, it wasn’t that bad. Hold your head down real low in shame and just go along to get along. After all, you’ve got nothing left to lose but your self-respect and freedom, since you already lost your free will.”
Well, good thing I still have my free will which is exactly why I felt compelled to write this review. Did I finish the book? No. Did Carter and Zoey find their HEA? I don’t know and I don’t care…. This story was not believable in my opinion so the ending doesn’t really matter to me.
I truly mean no disrespect to the author and I understand my words in this review are harsh, but this book managed to insult my intelligence along with insulting my ability to distinguish right from wrong, rape and consensual sex. Not to mention insulting every single person who has been sexually assaulted.
Do I think it was deliberate? Of course not. I understand that the author wants to give the hero a real chance at love and I realize fiction is fantasy and anything goes. But this book goes too far even for me.
Am I recommending that you should not read this book? Absolutely not. I’m only sharing my thoughts on this book because it’s “my” review. I know that this book is about second chances and the ability to forgive even the unforgivable. Who knows? Maybe even one day I’ll choose to give Untouchable a second chance and finish reading it. We shall see. Stranger things have happened……
Yes, yes, yes! Where the hell has this book been all my life! This was my first book by Sam Mariano and to the person who recommended it, I’m so thankful! I love me some good, dark non con/dub con! I love a good dirty possessive bully and I knew the second Carter took an interest in Zoey she was done for. He is my new favorite possessive, take what he wants, when he wants alphahole!! She tried so hard to tell him no and to not be alone with him, but he has a way of leading her where he wants her. Absolutely amazing book!
This book is problematic and yet I read it twice already cause it’s just fascinating. I don’t know what it says about me that I couldn’t put it down. Even if non-con is not your jam, give it a try. It may surprise you. It sure surprised me!
The book starts with sexual abuse as the basis for the relationship between the 2 MCs: Carter and Zoey. It continues with him shamelessly manipulating her and disrespecting every and all limits she tries to impose him. And low and behold, they still make it work. How? It is beyond me but it happens! And in the end, you swear they are the most romantic couple ever and Carter is not a monster but a big pussycat. That is the magic of Sam Mariano!
So 5 stars to the author for pulling off a great story. But 2 stars for leaving Carter unpunished. This love should not be possible.
As I’ve also read the Morelli series by the same author, this feels like a reinvented story of Mia and Mateo without the threesome and a much more likeable and relatable female character.
What works in this story is that Zoey is a fascinatingly morally and psychologically flexible character. She is constantly filtering everything Carter does through logic and curiosity. She moves on from her personal drama by dissecting the whys behind Carter’s appalling behavior. She already knows the end game and tries to make it work so that her and her friends will suffer the least amount of damage. In a seemingly impossible situation, she thrives.
Carter is something else. I don’t know what the right diagnosis is in his case. What is evident is that he is extremely intelligent, manipulative and selfish. And he doesn’t think small. He wants Zoey and boy does he pursue her. He’s not a good guy by any stretch of the imagination! But he’s not a totally bad guy either! And therein lies the problem for the reader. Cause after you understand his personal context and witness how well he treats Zoey after she submits to him, you may even sympathize a teeny-tiny wee bit with him. But make no mistake, he is not the redeemable hero type. He doesn’t feel remorse about what he did cause in his mind, he achieved his target, what he knows is the best outcome.
Is this a realistic story? Hell no! I mean, I so hope not!
Is Zoey really in an impossible situation? I am of the opinion that there are always options to explore. Always! However, I can see how an 18 year old in her position felt she had no way out and I command her survival / adaptive skills.
Was it fun to read this fucked up story? Hell yeah and I will probably read it again and again in the future!
I had to think on this all night of what and how to write this review.
Sooo… I love Carter, loved him from the start, but… he’s not the anti-hero everyone that recommended this book told me about. Yes, he did some messed up things really only one in the beginning but afterward, he was doing everything he could to get Zoey. Carter had redeeming qualities and NO anti-hero has redeeming qualities. Just saying…
I throughly enjoyed his aggressiveness, raw emotions, intensity, and roughness. Carter was an enjoyable character with tons of depth that he kept hidden.
Now for Zoey… in the beginning she irritated me, it was always poor me, poor me, and poor me.. Finally when it came to her friend she actually grew some and brought out her feisty side.
She gave Carter a run for his money and he enjoyed every bit. Zoey ended up having a tons of depth in her character about halfway through and I was so thankful for that. These two were an EPIC couple.
Only thing I did not like was how long this book was.. there were quite a bit of things that could’ve been left out and that were not needed.
Crazy! That’s what this book is. It’s crazy and good. Unputdownable. An addictive read I couldn’t turn away from. Crazy Good. *deep breathe*
I enjoy dark reads. I have some favorites. I like different. And this was both. To the extent that I questioned my own sanity haha well almost.
Right from the top this story shook me and I honestly didn’t believe there could possibly be redemption. I didn’t think I’d keep reading -and I’ve read some pretty dark fucken books- but obviously I finished and I finished with a BIG Smile on my face.
IMO this is more twisted than dark but still some crazy shit.
This is a bully romance and don’t for one second think it’ll be anything else. The author has a warning before you start the book and it’s real.
Carter is demanding, possessive, crazy, a bit obsessed aaaaaand sexy, swoony, charming, amazing. I know what you’re thinking “How?”
Well. The author does a great job with the character development. This is my first by this author and it won’t be my last.
Zoey is one strong badass crazy h.
Mad respect for her.
Now, at times she made some idiot decisions but they are 18 and in high school so I gave her a pass.
Forgiveness, Acceptance and Understanding is huge with this couple.
I enjoyed this story quite a bit, I saw it on a post recommending enemies to lovers and since that’s my favorite trope I went in blind, what I discovered was a great storyline, with amazing characters. Carter and Zoey’s story captivated me and I couldn’t stop reading. A dark romance with a refreshing story and unconventional romance. Recommended.
Dark.
TRIGGER WARNING.
Hell is empty, and Carter Mahoney is all the devils escaped embodied in one deviant monster.
Personally, I love a good demented predator. But then again, I live at the corner of mentally unhinged and broken psyche. Carter and I are next-door neighbors.
If you have any hard limits, then Untouchable isn’t going to be for you. If you have any issue with domination and submission, Carter Mahoney will not be your hero. And if you get offended by the concept that some women need to feel violated to experience freedom, stop reading the review. Nothing here will bring you joy.
I’ve read this book a dozen times. I don’t get tired of it because Sam Mariano pushes the reader to their boundaries and then over the edge. And although some read this book and come away from it thinking it’s another Dark Bully Romance, I appreciated the subtext, psychology, and unflinching brutality. This isn’t a Disney fairytale. It’s a Grimm’s fairy tale where the wolf eats Little Red Riding hood, and he bathes in her destruction. And that’s the truth; the reality is that life is supposed to devour you.
The story is told by Zoey, a girl who understands wrong from right. She’s done the difficult thing and stood up for herself and made enemies. Even though it’s put a target on her, she strongly believes that the person who did it needs to learn the consequences of putting his hands on someone who says ‘no.’ She’s not willing to suffer the violation alone. But further than that, Zoey believes that he can learn better. He can be salvaged, which is why the second and all-consuming violation has a much different response from her. She knows that Carter Mahoney is a black hole without regret for how he’s mistreated her. He won’t repent. And if she threw mud at him, he wouldn’t flinch. He’s not only an entitled high school football player who thinks he’s above everyone else. Carter Mahoney is one hundred percent untouchable because there isn’t a redeemable bone in his unforgiving body.
There is no hand-holding in this book. Sam Mariano shoves you into the nightmare. It’s unbalancing. It puts that feeling in your chest where you’ve been a bystander who watched and did nothing.
But Zoey isn’t a victim; she’s her hero. And what she understands most is that something dynamic happened between Carter and her. Her response, not the event, move her. And she is aware that whatever it was that happened, she needs to understand the personality and ethos of the actor of the violation because it triggers something in her that goes beyond fear. It challenges her.
As I said, darkness and aching mental abysses are nearly impossible for many people to grasp. This book is not a book about broken people. It’s about people who accept the worst parts of themselves but find someone to accept all that damage too. Some people can find love for themselves in anomalist behavior. And they can love themselves more when they can push themselves to revel in the debauched needs of someone else.
This book is a text on understanding one’s self. Hate the player only if you can’t play the game.
I recommend this book for the stout of heart and those who love a deranged lover who doesn’t care about the word ‘no.’
Holy fucking shit! That’s what I thought as I read the beginning of Untouchable by Sam Mariano. The first scene between the main characters, Carter and Zoey, is more than just uncomfortable. It’s sick, twisted, and fucked up on a level I’ve never seen in a book about high school students. In fact, the entire book is.
I’m not going to lie or sugarcoat this. If you have ever read a book and disliked it, because you thought the hero was abusive or the couple’s relationship was toxic, back away slowly now. No. Fuck that. Run! Run away and never look back! I’m serious. Don’t even bother picking up this book. You will hate it. I think anyone that reads this and wants to enjoy it has to be extremely curious, open minded, and/or love dark, fucked up relationships.
The purpose of this review is not to scare every reader away. Normally, I don’t do much warning in reviews at all. I just feel like this one needs it though. It’s better to find out if a book is going to be a huge bust for you before you dive into it if you can help it. It’s also better for the author.
Basically, this story has the potential to piss a lot of people off. That’s just a fact. The author knew that when she wrote it. She has a warning in the beginning of the book itself, so I don’t feel bad expressing this now. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get into my thoughts on this one!
I’ve read a lot of Sam Mariano’s previous work. It’s clear she loves her asshole alpha heroes. I love them, too. It’s probably a big part of why I’ve enjoyed all of her books in the past. She also has a knack for writing characters that you can both love and hate at the same time. I’ve never seen an author do this the way she does. She’s kind of fucking brilliant in that way actually.
However, when I started reading this book, I didn’t think she could get me to read past chapter 2. What Carter does to Zoey is absolutely disgusting and flat out unforgivable. There’s no two ways about it.
I whole heartedly believe there was nothing Sam could do to completely redeem him to me. That’s the thing about her though. She almost never completely redeems her characters (at least the ones I’ve read about). It’s that simple. What she does is finds heroines that are perfect for them just the way they are, and that’s exaclty what she did here.
Not only did I read past chapter 2, I read almost the whole damn book in one night! It’s over 500 pages! Her writing style sucked me in completely. The interactions between the characters are just so interesting that I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know where the author was going to take the story after all of the horrible shit that happened between them in the beginning of the book. Obviously, I knew they were going to probably end up together. I mean, this is romance after all. Exactly how the fuck that was going to happen was what kept me intrigued.
Both characters infuriated me time and time again, but after a while, no matter how fucked up and wrong it was….I wanted them to end up together. That being said, I wish Carter would have been more sorry for what he did. Hell, I wish Zoey would have lit his house on fire with him in it instead of starting a relationship, but neither one of those things happened. Thankfully, Sam found another way for things to end that left me feeling satisfied.
In the end, Zoey and Carter are perfect for one another. She is just strong enough and crazy enough to challenge him, keep his interest, and deal with his emotional issues. He is morally challenged, emotionally scarred, and messed up enough mentally to peak her academic interest and tug at her heart strings. On top of that, they are sexually compatible in every way.
Their intense chemistry made for some scorching hot sex scenes! Overall, it’s a match made in crazy town, but by the end, I was cool with it. Both parties understood what they were getting into and were truly happy.
Bottomline, I enjoyed this book despite the fact that I think Zoey is insane for forgiving him and attempting any type of relationship academic or otherwise. In real life, I would never be okay with this type of relationship, but lucky for me, this is fiction!
One of the things I love about fiction is that it has different rules than we do in the real world. Not every story has to have a moral or an inspirational message. Some stories are just for fun, to make you think, to explore unique situations and complicated characters, or to make your panties wet from laughing or because it’s hot af. This is one of those books, and I enjoyed reading it.
I recommend this to readers of dark and extremely unconventional romance with damaged characters and anyone that isn’t concerned about my warning, the author’s warning, or warnings in general.
I don’t read a lot of bully books, but I absolutely loved Untouchable. I started reading and actually wasn’t sure if I could finish, because I wasn’t sure where it was going to go, but I peeked ahead to see it did have a HEA, so I continued reading. I’m so glad I did.
I wanted to give this book 5 stars from a very early point, and the book didn’t disappoint. Carter Mahoney is the best character to swoon over. I absolutely love his development over the coarse of this book. Zoey is the best thing to drop in his life and I loved seeing him realize it.
Carter is a popular jock who joins in on a group bully fest of Zoey Ellis. This very early scene gets dark and depraved fast. (So beware of this book if you do not read noncon.) The noncon was not what made me want to quit, (it’s actually what made me pick up the book!) but it was the regular high school bullying towards Zoey that had me fearful of the ending. For my mental health, I needed to make sure it had an HEA in order to get past some triggers.
Anyway, so glad I did, because Carter Mahoney (popular, hot, athletic, rich), who is so in a different league than Zoey Ellis, starts to court her. She’s legitimately afraid of him, and tries to fend him off, but somehow he gets in. The rest of the school be da*ned.
I am so impressed by Sam Mariano’s writing here. I never thought I would like the bully that is Carter Mahoney, but she made him redeemable, made him vulnerable.
I absolutely love this story. I read it on KU, and added it to my buy list to read again.
This book has been on my TBR list for a long while and I finally decided to dive in.
This book is dark romance and the trigger warnings are there for a reason. Interestingly I’d seen a lot of reviews about this book and the how irredeemable the main male character is. Now I don’t know what it says about me but I didn’t actually find Carter all that dark. Morally questionable at times – definitely – but he really wasn’t the alpha hole I expected. I wanted more domination and possessiveness. Clearly this says a lot about what I’ve been reading.
I liked Carter enough and the first scene with him is dark and uncomfortable (again heed the trigger warnings !). I love a dark arrogant possessive male and Carter is this… he just didn’t quite get there for me. He almost seemed too sweet by the end of the book. Zoey is strong and doesn’t take Carter’s crap but in my opinion she really didn’t make him work for it enough (and there is a lot to work for).
In saying that I enjoyed this book as a whole. It just wasn’t what I was expecting … I was just expecting more. This book had been touted as having the over the top jealous, possessive hero and it just didn’t deliver.
Was it a bad book? Not in any way,shape or form, I love a good enemies to lovers books and this was that. The characters are likeable, the storyline well executed, and the pacing good. The sex scenes between Zoey and Carter were okay but in no way were they off the charts steamy.
Honestly if I had read this book a couple of years ago I would have loved it. It was just a more intense Mills and Boon romance with some dirty words thrown in. And the me of a few years ago would have loved that. Unfortunately I think the Madison Kates, Hannaford Preps and Havocs have ruined me. I expect more in my alphaholes and it just didn’t have it for me.
Overall I would give the book 4 stars. There is nothing wrong with it in the slightest. Though clearly a lot wrong with me that it just didn’t hit the mark.
Absolutely loved this book! If you’re looking for a slightly dark read with possible triggers, this is it. The events occur near the beginning of the book, so you have the whole story to desensitize and have the main characters achieve a HEA.