Dark & Twisted

This was a deliciously dark & sinful love story, that will make you question your morals. Aubrey is just trying to get through senior year, but she never could have seen Dare coming & she certainly wasn’t prepared for him.

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Dark & Steamy

Wow oh Wow! This psychological thrilling romance had me on the edge every single minute! Anae is trying to return a shirt at a store she didn't buy it at. Aubrey will not take it back, and now the entitled Anae is determined to get her revenge. Chase/Dare and Anae develop a plan to destroy the Aubrey by making her fall in love with Dare. He has no idea why his deranged girlfriend wants this, but he is willing to do it. Aubrey is hesitant to accept Dare's attention and goodwill, but her self confidence and judge of character has her falling for the evil boy. But does he have good intentions? Trusting him will keep her safe, but he is as deranged as Anae? Will Aubrey get out alive? Will Anae get her way? Is Dare to be trusted? I was on the fence the entire book. Trust him? Not trust him? Sam Mariano twists an evil plot of revenge and deceit keeping her readers wondering who is good and who is not. I loved every minute of this dark romance and cannot wait to continue the series.

Allie Shae and Theo Sinclair are the storytellers for the dark tale and these two are fantastic! Shae is evil as Anae and a bit innocent as Aubrey. She does emote the strength and loyalty Aubrey has and the true craziness that is Anae. Sinclair shines as the two sides of Dare. Sweet and wonderful, giving all the while giving him a dark, devious personality. I loved the narration, it could no have been better!

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Dark, Twisted & Intense! Great Story & Listen🎧

This book is a complete mind blow and wow, talk about dark and twisted, not just the story but the characters too, well not all characters, just one of the lead characters, Chase “Dare” Darington, and his cohort, Anae. The other lead, Aubrey, is the light to his dark, but he catches her in his dark web and weaves it tightly around her, holding her there and not letting her go, and it is not exactly against her will. Aubrey has a lot on her plate, taking care of her Mom who has cancer, juggling school and a job while trying to stay afloat financially. When a friend invites her to a party at Chase Darington’s house, she was not interested in going, but her friend convinced her to go. And going there almost cost Aubrey her life when the bully biotch Anae shoved her in the pool, and Aubrey, who did not know how to swim, nearly drowned while Anae watched on. It was Chase who dove in, pulled her out of the pool and revived her, and she thought he was an angel. Chase is definitely no angel, not even a fallen one, he is diabolically evil and deranged, but he is also a master manipulator with a brilliant mind. Sam Mariano penned an amazing story, a story that sucks you in like no other and it becomes an addiction because you need to know what happens next. The plotting and world building are fantastic and so are the character growth and development. The author keeps you on your toes, wondering what is really going on with Dare and Anae, and what they are up to. Sam Mariano, thank you for another amazing story and an intense and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

🎧📚🎧And for the fantastic narration, Sam Mariano cast the perfect narrators to bring her characters and story to life. Theo Sinclair and Allie Shae are talented narrators and versatile voice artists. They did an amazing job portraying these characters, giving each a voice that fit that character’s persona and was believable in every role they played. Allie Shae nailed it as Aubrey, grasping all sides of her personality, from her vulnerabilities to her caring side. Gideon Frost killed it as Dare, grasping his cold and uncaring demeanor perfectly. Both were just as amazing performing the roles of all the secondary characters, too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions , their angst, and had you feeling them all. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their narration enhanced an already awesome story to another level. Thank you for this fantastic listen.

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Amazing!!

If you are looking for a sweet and innocent romance, this is NOT the book for you, and if you have triggers please check the TW.

"This is the story of an absolute psycho. A pair of them, actually."

Aubrey is such a sweet, beautiful soul. She is everything good in this world and I wanted all the things for her...

Then Dare walked in.. well let's just say that didn't go as planned..

Chase Darington is not what he seems that's for sure.. but at the same time him and Aubrey have this connection, however insane it is they are connected and nothing can change that.

Anae is a certifiable sociopath, to say the least and she deserved all the pain.. I hated everything she put Aubrey through. I hated her from the start and really saw this story going a different way. I was relieved about the way things played out, well relieved may be the wrong word.. this book isn't a sweet and loving HEA type story so if that's what you are looking for look elsewhere. Now if you are like me, and love the villain/bad guy.. baby this is your book!

This was the first book by this author for me and I can't wait to read more, this book was so good, it had me questioning my own sanity most of the time which is the best part about books. The escape and being able to live a different/questionable life.. it is everything to me.

Theo Sinclair and Allie Shae were so great!! They did amazing!

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Romantic Suspense / Psychological Thriller

Even If It Hurts by Sam Mariano is a dark romantic suspense that I listened to on audio narrated by Theo Sinclair and Allie Shae.

This is the first book of Sam's that I have read, and it definitely won't be my last. I will start by saying please check the content warnings with this book as this is not a love story. The relationship between Dare and Aubrey is absolutely toxic and if I am being honest a little terrifying. Their story kept me held until the very last page.

I wanted to rate the book five stars, but I felt like the ending was rushed and did not really complete their story. Especially with the hints and attention he was giving Hannah at the end. I was really expecting something bad to happen at the last scene instead of fading to black.

Theo and Allie did an amazing job on the narration. They both really know how to bring a story to life. I look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.

I would recommend this book if you like romantic suspense, dark romances, or psychological thrillers.

The Flock Team

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1 person found this helpful

Devious and Delicious

One thing any reader of Sam Mariano's books would agree with is, she sure knows how to write a manipulative, psycho villain AND have you root for them - mostly. Dare is that villain in this book and man is he good at being a one.

Dare has set his sights on his girlfriend Audrey's innocent nemesis Hannah, in a revenge scheme they concocted. What he doesn't suspect however, is the feelings that he will soon develop for the sweet Hannah. Hannah a senior high school student is just trying to work her part-time job, finish school and support her dying mom when Dare and Aubrey enter her life. Once Dare gets his hooks into her, Hannah's world will never be the same...

This book almost felt like the answer to the question, "What if the big bad wolf fell in love with Little Red Riding Hood?" Though it has many of the standard elements of a classic bully romance, there is just something about Dare's "platinum level" of psychopath that elevates this book beyond the genre. You feel like you are listening to a master class in villainy and manipulation the way in which Dare handles not only Hannah and Aubrey but all the people in his life. He always feels 10 moves ahead of every player on the board. Who can blame poor Hannah for falling for him?

There are some TW ⚠️ for sensitive readers since the material is dark, but if you are someone who consistently reads dark romance, I believe you will enjoy this audiobook with ease.

Excellent work by the narrators who made these characters come to life in an all new way for me. The duet narration made this audiobook chef kiss 🤌🏾 It made the listening experience that much more special.

All in all this book was really was an exceptional listen!

Flock VIP

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Story well written and great narration

Story well written and great narration.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received free from the author.

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wow

i enjoyed this book it was very dark i thought that Untouchable by this author was dark but this book is something else be warned before going into it, the story is very interesting I loved the characters even if they were pretty messed up , the narrators did a great job

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Great

4.5 stars

I could hardly put it down and I think that says a lot about me where I already want more of this series and this couple. But I'll warn you again, this will not be for everyone but if you've got the stomach for it, then dive in.

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Loved it ❤️

Absolutely love this book! The audio version is brilliant! The actors voices are just perfect for all the characters. So goad its on audio 😊 Sam Mariano is the best author ever!!! Deserves more than 5 stars ⭐️

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