Amber Faye & K. A. Pryde – What Lies Beneath

Today, I’m hosting authors Amber Faye and K.A. Pryde’s latest release What Lies Beneath, book one in the Games of Obsession duet, a dark stalker romance. Be sure to read my review. And don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

****

Title: What Lies Beneath
Series: Game of Obsession Duet, book #1
Authors: Amber Faye &, K. A. Pryde
Genre(s): Adult, Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance
Publication Date: May 31, 2022

Three men who’d burn the world down for me. But now one of them wants me to burn with it.

Blurb: My grandmama used to tell me the women in our family were all cursed. They attracted danger. Not in bits and pieces, but in droves. She was struck by lightning—twice. Mom died in a plane crash. She was crossing the street at the time.

Me?

I attract obsession.

***

The first, in my teenage years, wrote me letters that started as love poems and progressed quickly to bloodstained all-caps rants.

He drove me into the arms of the second: a sociopathic organized crime boss here in sunny LA.

He drove me into the arms of the third. Greyson Cain, who told me the truth about being an undercover cop, but might just be lying about everything else.

It’s time for me to stop running. Patterns don’t end on their own, and luck doesn’t change.

If I want to win this game of obsession, it’s finally time I learned the rules.

Goodreads | Amazon

****

I enjoy dark romance so when this came up for review, I was all for it. The authors didn’t disappoint.

The heroine, Viola, has settled in L.A. to get away from a stalker who has haunted her since her college years. She feels safe here under the protection of her fiancé, a mysterious man who does things for a living that she’s not too sure about. What matters to her is that her fiancé can protect her from the danger that has followed her for years. Being with the mysterious fiancé also allows Viola to pursue a career in screenwriting since she’s an intern for a TV studio. Her bestie also lives in L.A., providing Viola with more security from this sinister person.

The hero, Cain, is an FBI agent, specializing in tracking and capturing serial killers. He knows one is after Viola, and to capture this person who’s slipped through Cain’s fingers too many times to count, Cain must become and think like this monster. And also keep Viola safe. He has no intentions of allowing her to become the next victim.

I must say this novel was different from other dark romances I’ve read. The hero, in order to capture the killer, starts to think and act like a serial killer, and it takes its toll on Cain, or does it? This is quite ambiguous, leaving me wondering the unthinkable about the hero. He also has a tough backstory told through too much exposition for my liking that slowed the pacing of the novel and did make me want to skim.

Still, there is almost a noir-like vibe to the storytelling that I enjoyed. I could visualize the setting in black and white. With the heavy narration and backstory aside, there is much tension in the novel that kept me turning the pages and wondering. The build-up of Cain and Viola’s “relationship” is full of sexual tension, games of cat and mouse, but also friendship as Cain accompanies Viola everywhere.

The dialogue is excellent. You’re left feeling as if you’re listening to real conversations between not just the two main leads but also the secondary characters. The authors really excel here with creating scenes that jump off the pages. They also excel in the POVs of Cain and Viola. You don’t know who is who, because the POVs are so strong that the authors become Cain and Viola.

The writing is strong with lots of fresh visceral responses. Even the setting comes alive through the eyes of the characters. As for the big mystery, the authors do such a great job of hiding who the serial killer is, it could be anyone, even Viola’s best friend.

It does end on a big, big cliff-hanger, so you’ve been warned. Still, I recommend the first book in the Game of Obsession series. It is aptly named since everyone seems obsessed with each other. This novel really delves deep into the dark side of people’s thoughts. Something I really enjoyed.

****

K. A. Pryde has been writing ever since she first started forming memories. Her favorite genre is horror/thriller, but her favorite tropes are all romantic or steamy. Imagine her excitement when she realized she could combine the two.

Amber writes romance featuring flawed characters with sizzling connections.