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Heartless Heathens
Hey,
Over here.
No, look up.
Yeah, I’m the one they talk about. The headmaster’s prized possession, locked away in the bell tower of NotreDame Parochial College. To most of the students I was just a myth.
An urban legend.
The girl who rings the bells up in the tower, the one who talks to gargoyles.
Frollo’s secret
Then they showed up, those heartless heathens. Outcasts, just like me. But these men aren’t just dangerous, they’re heartless. They won’t abide or bend to the rules of this deranged school and the secrets it keeps from the world.
But now that they’ve found me, they may never let me go.
And maybe I wouldn’t want them to…
Heartless Heathens : Sanctuary
Is a Why Choose Gothic Romance in an academy setting loosely inspired from major points of Victor Hugo’s Notredame De Paris. This is NOT a retelling, it is NOT a fractured fairy tale or a reimagining. All characters are adults.
Over here.
No, look up.
Yeah, I’m the one they talk about. The headmaster’s prized possession, locked away in the bell tower of NotreDame Parochial College. To most of the students I was just a myth.
An urban legend.
The girl who rings the bells up in the tower, the one who talks to gargoyles.
Frollo’s secret
Then they showed up, those heartless heathens. Outcasts, just like me. But these men aren’t just dangerous, they’re heartless. They won’t abide or bend to the rules of this deranged school and the secrets it keeps from the world.
But now that they’ve found me, they may never let me go.
And maybe I wouldn’t want them to…
Heartless Heathens : Sanctuary
Is a Why Choose Gothic Romance in an academy setting loosely inspired from major points of Victor Hugo’s Notredame De Paris. This is NOT a retelling, it is NOT a fractured fairy tale or a reimagining. All characters are adults.
406 pages, Paperback
Published December 26, 2022
About the author
Santana Knox
10 books795 followersSantana Knox is a Brazilian author, a South American immigrant, a mother, wife and witch.
Santana got tired of letting the voices in their head drive themcrazy, and decided to write down the stories they were begging to tell instead. A lover of the unusual, and a hopeless romantic when it comes to toxic villains, Santana's books should always be taken with a grain of salt, specifically the kind that keeps demons away.
Santana got tired of letting the voices in their head drive themcrazy, and decided to write down the stories they were begging to tell instead. A lover of the unusual, and a hopeless romantic when it comes to toxic villains, Santana's books should always be taken with a grain of salt, specifically the kind that keeps demons away.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,468 reviews
January 7, 2023
This was such an odd story.
I decided to give it a try for the kind of political and religious commentary the blurb included. I loved the idea behind it, but not so much the execution. There were endless pages of info dumping at the beginning and still, many things didn’t make any sense. This is a dystopian world where the Church has taken control over the country. It had kind of a Handmaid's Tale vibe, without the concubines. There are several mentions of the overturn of Roe v. Wade and how that was the beginning of the end for that society. I understand what the author was trying to do, and since I agree with the political views, I was interested in what the book had to say. Same as the strong anti religion and pro abortion speeches. I’m here for all that.
Then the three dudes did some Satanic ritual and the book lost me a little. The political and social aspects both were trying to be realistic and then suddenly, boom! Satanic possessions, spells and blood magic.
Then the “romance” lost me completely.
I’m okay with dark romance using dub/non-con elements when they serve a purpose. But in this case, it was made even worse by the main protagonist’s backstory.
Romina had been held prisoner in a bell tower all her life. With no contact with the outside world or anyone except for a fanatic priest, who constantly lectured her and had her living in inhumane conditions. She didn’t watch TV, or get access to the Internet (side note: this dystopia is weird. They have nowadays technology, clothes, food… but it’s stated that almost everyone is poor and lives in poorhouses, being exploited and working for food and basic stuff)
Anyway, Romina was very innocent and naive. She acted and reacted to the world in a very infantilized way. And that’s the biggest ick factor. Consent is rendered null when the person consenting isn’t mature enough to do so. She didn’t know what sex was. She had never even touched herself. She didn’t know what decorum or shame meant and would get naked in front of them, like a little kid would do. And they took advantage of that. Sure, she liked what they did, because she didn’t know any better and it felt good. But the moral implications were sick.
And the fact that she was completely innocent in some aspects but still had this internalized shame about being dirty and sinning… it didn’t make any sense. This resulted in the weirdest CNC take I’ve ever read. She kept saying no while having orgasm after unrealistic orgasm. So they gave her a safeword, which she didn’t use because even though she was saying “no, please stop! No! No!” she actually wanted it and her reaction was just all the internalized Christian bullshit she was taught.
The book tried to explain in a very blunt way how she had her own agency by having the only other female character voicing all these issues, and having the three male characters “debunk” them. Which... lol nice try?
About the other female character. She was shoehorned into the narrative, by randomly insisting on meeting Romina and becoming her friend. Because reasons. And then, the only time Romina really needed her, this friend abandoned her in the middle of a potentially dangerous situation, because she was… dancing. My head hurts.
The three male characters felt like reading the “What I Ordered vs What Arrived” version of the Lords & Dukes. I don’t care enough to go into detail, but needless to say the nice guy took advantage of her the first night. The mean one liked to see her scared while taking advantage of her. The crazy one was the only one who ended up being half decent and didn't initiate sex until she did. One big hurray for him, please.
Two of these dudes are twins and they have several smut scenes with Romina, where one of them is having sex with her while the other eats her out… Like, I’m fine with kinky stuff. More than fine. But this was just so obviously for shock value and to make the girlies hot, that I just… pffff?
I forgot!!!!!!! The trauma made me block it all out, apparently. But you need to know there's menstrual sex in this one. And that would've been fine, if only the dude hadn't "licked his fingers clean" afterwards 😩 I'm so sorry to be the one bringing such news to you. I really am. But there you go. Now you know. And I can try to block it all out again.
Around the 70% mark things stopped making sense altogether.
-The 3 men kept a secret from her for a while and then told her.
-She got upset and decided to go for a walk alone, even though it was dangerous.
-She then went straight to the priest who had mistreated her all her life, and the reason why it was dangerous for her to be outside alone.
-He, to no one’s surprise, accused her of satanic possession and moved her to a basement where a nun chanted religious nonsense at her while she cried hysterically for hours.
-The men found her, who cares how. And brought her back home.
-One of them was upset she had gone to the priest and told her to leave. ???
-She left and went sobbing to her only female friend, who brought her to her dorm room.
-The friend then decided it was the perfect moment to go to a party together.
-Pause for a bit of context: In this dystopia, it’s said that going to school was dangerous for women because men would SA them. Alright, let’s keep going.
-The female friend brings her to a party in their dorm, where all these male students leer at her. She drinks alcohol for the first time and then they dance with other women for the enjoyment of the men. Which makes no sense, considering the context I just listed before.
-Anyway, she gets overwhelmed and starts crying. AGAIN. And decides to leave. But her friend is like, ok bye, and keeps dancing. ????
-One of the male students “helps” her to go outside and then tries to SA her. The scene is long, detailed and very violent. He beats her up before Romina manages to escape.
-She goes back to her 3 men because she has nowhere else to go.
-And then they have sex with her.
The nonsense kept on going until the end but I’ll stop there.
I need a drink after this.
I decided to give it a try for the kind of political and religious commentary the blurb included. I loved the idea behind it, but not so much the execution. There were endless pages of info dumping at the beginning and still, many things didn’t make any sense. This is a dystopian world where the Church has taken control over the country. It had kind of a Handmaid's Tale vibe, without the concubines. There are several mentions of the overturn of Roe v. Wade and how that was the beginning of the end for that society. I understand what the author was trying to do, and since I agree with the political views, I was interested in what the book had to say. Same as the strong anti religion and pro abortion speeches. I’m here for all that.
Then the three dudes did some Satanic ritual and the book lost me a little. The political and social aspects both were trying to be realistic and then suddenly, boom! Satanic possessions, spells and blood magic.
Then the “romance” lost me completely.
I’m okay with dark romance using dub/non-con elements when they serve a purpose. But in this case, it was made even worse by the main protagonist’s backstory.
Romina had been held prisoner in a bell tower all her life. With no contact with the outside world or anyone except for a fanatic priest, who constantly lectured her and had her living in inhumane conditions. She didn’t watch TV, or get access to the Internet (side note: this dystopia is weird. They have nowadays technology, clothes, food… but it’s stated that almost everyone is poor and lives in poorhouses, being exploited and working for food and basic stuff)
Anyway, Romina was very innocent and naive. She acted and reacted to the world in a very infantilized way. And that’s the biggest ick factor. Consent is rendered null when the person consenting isn’t mature enough to do so. She didn’t know what sex was. She had never even touched herself. She didn’t know what decorum or shame meant and would get naked in front of them, like a little kid would do. And they took advantage of that. Sure, she liked what they did, because she didn’t know any better and it felt good. But the moral implications were sick.
And the fact that she was completely innocent in some aspects but still had this internalized shame about being dirty and sinning… it didn’t make any sense. This resulted in the weirdest CNC take I’ve ever read. She kept saying no while having orgasm after unrealistic orgasm. So they gave her a safeword, which she didn’t use because even though she was saying “no, please stop! No! No!” she actually wanted it and her reaction was just all the internalized Christian bullshit she was taught.
The book tried to explain in a very blunt way how she had her own agency by having the only other female character voicing all these issues, and having the three male characters “debunk” them. Which... lol nice try?
About the other female character. She was shoehorned into the narrative, by randomly insisting on meeting Romina and becoming her friend. Because reasons. And then, the only time Romina really needed her, this friend abandoned her in the middle of a potentially dangerous situation, because she was… dancing. My head hurts.
The three male characters felt like reading the “What I Ordered vs What Arrived” version of the Lords & Dukes. I don’t care enough to go into detail, but needless to say the nice guy took advantage of her the first night. The mean one liked to see her scared while taking advantage of her. The crazy one was the only one who ended up being half decent and didn't initiate sex until she did. One big hurray for him, please.
Two of these dudes are twins and they have several smut scenes with Romina, where one of them is having sex with her while the other eats her out… Like, I’m fine with kinky stuff. More than fine. But this was just so obviously for shock value and to make the girlies hot, that I just… pffff?
I forgot!!!!!!! The trauma made me block it all out, apparently. But you need to know there's menstrual sex in this one. And that would've been fine, if only the dude hadn't "licked his fingers clean" afterwards 😩 I'm so sorry to be the one bringing such news to you. I really am. But there you go. Now you know. And I can try to block it all out again.
Around the 70% mark things stopped making sense altogether.
-The 3 men kept a secret from her for a while and then told her.
-She got upset and decided to go for a walk alone, even though it was dangerous.
-She then went straight to the priest who had mistreated her all her life, and the reason why it was dangerous for her to be outside alone.
-He, to no one’s surprise, accused her of satanic possession and moved her to a basement where a nun chanted religious nonsense at her while she cried hysterically for hours.
-The men found her, who cares how. And brought her back home.
-One of them was upset she had gone to the priest and told her to leave. ???
-She left and went sobbing to her only female friend, who brought her to her dorm room.
-The friend then decided it was the perfect moment to go to a party together.
-Pause for a bit of context: In this dystopia, it’s said that going to school was dangerous for women because men would SA them. Alright, let’s keep going.
-The female friend brings her to a party in their dorm, where all these male students leer at her. She drinks alcohol for the first time and then they dance with other women for the enjoyment of the men. Which makes no sense, considering the context I just listed before.
-Anyway, she gets overwhelmed and starts crying. AGAIN. And decides to leave. But her friend is like, ok bye, and keeps dancing. ????
-One of the male students “helps” her to go outside and then tries to SA her. The scene is long, detailed and very violent. He beats her up before Romina manages to escape.
-She goes back to her 3 men because she has nowhere else to go.
-And then they have sex with her.
The nonsense kept on going until the end but I’ll stop there.
I need a drink after this.
July 21, 2023
— 1 star ☆
welcome to an episode of "how long can romina cry before she dies"
thinking back on all the stupid decisions romina made, she should have died the first moment she met the so called "heroes"
consent is sexy, people. not whatever tf these men brainwashed her into doing. she kept saying no while she had sex with these men, supposedly had a "safe word", but then she had no freedom to make her own choices (??!?!?!!) and then suddenly became a "badass". and then i lost the plot of the entire book.
(also, in this "dystopian" world, girls shouldn't go to school bc supposedly if they do, men are tempted to fuck them and in all essentialities, rape them. lovely, isn't it 🥰)
welcome to an episode of "how long can romina cry before she dies"
thinking back on all the stupid decisions romina made, she should have died the first moment she met the so called "heroes"
consent is sexy, people. not whatever tf these men brainwashed her into doing. she kept saying no while she had sex with these men, supposedly had a "safe word", but then she had no freedom to make her own choices (??!?!?!!) and then suddenly became a "badass". and then i lost the plot of the entire book.
(also, in this "dystopian" world, girls shouldn't go to school bc supposedly if they do, men are tempted to fuck them and in all essentialities, rape them. lovely, isn't it 🥰)
October 27, 2023
“Heartless Heathens” by Santana Knox is a milestone novel for me. You see, I have never, not even a single time, read one of these infamous “smut” novels in my life. This is the first time for me that I’ve ever jumped into a novel like this and my goodness, was I in for quite the reading adventure. This was a buddy read with a friend of mine (BOOKSHARK) as we did a spooky season book swap. I gave her “Come Here” by Sara Gran which she loved and she picked this for me.
Now, before I go into my book review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading…
- Suicide
- Rape
- Bomb threats
- Body horror
- Child abuse
- Incest
- Pandemic
- Vaccinations
- Roe v. Wade
- Extremely graphic hardcore sex scenes (ZOMG SO MUCH SMUT)
- Religious battles between Catholics and Satanists
- Abortion
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novel. Moving along, this was a fun erotic horror novel for the most part. I was excited to read something different than what I usually read in horror as this ended up being one Hell of a ride.
Right from the start, I loved how Knox put a whole Spotify playlist with all sorts of metal bands listed to listen to while reading. I’m talking Metallica, Sleep Token, A Perfect Circle, and many other great bands. I also loved the references to “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” which provided some funny moments. This was awesome and I also appreciated how she put a massive Author Note with all the trigger warnings front and center before the first chapter so everyone is aware.
This was the first time I’ve read Knox and her writing style is pretty good as I really enjoyed how she formatted this novel. The Gothic-inspired graphics at the top of each chapter for each character was such a nice touch. I also gave her bonus points for randomly placing inverted crosses within these chapters for different scenes and situations. The metalhead in me was very happy with that and all the Satanic references while reading. The alternating chapters between characters were also well done and not confusing at all.
One thing I noticed right off the bat is how great Knox is at character-building. Each character is distinct and I enjoyed getting to see them all uniquely develop nicely over time. This intertwining crazy story with Romina, Sonny, Corvin, Felix, Nessa, and Frollo was a good one. I grew to hate Frollo over time and this is all a testament to Knox’s solid skills in this regard.
Okay, let’s stop right there. Seriously, I know why you’re here. You’ve read the trigger warnings and what I thought of each character in this novel so far. I know, I know. You are simply dying to know just what kind of smut is riddled all over “Heartless Heathens” and well, all I can say to sum everything up in a single word is…
SPICY!
The smut scenes, and there are a TON of them in this novel, are graphic, wild, dirty, and some next-level thinking with creativity. Just when I thought it wasn’t going to get crazier, it sure as Hell did. These were all pretty detailed, extreme, and dark in the grand scheme of things. Filthy. Disgusting. Entertaining.
If you’re looking for a super spicy smut-filled novel with a Gothic romantic twist, I’d definitely recommend this. For me, however, I felt some parts dragged on for a bit as there was so much smut, I wanted just a bit more horror to balance things out. I guess one can look at all the Satanic rituals and angles in this novel and see how it can be considered horror, but I definitely felt this could have been a whole lot scarier and well, more evil.
Even though some parts dragged on for me, I did enjoy all the smut scenes as it just got wilder and crazier with each sexual escapade. Blood, weapons, threesomes, the intensity of these scenes were pure madness. Let me tell you, I have a newfound respect for anyone who can read these types of smut novels in public without being all hot, bothered, and blushing while turning pages.
This is a very sexually extreme and dark romance novel but nothing here was sappy or anything. Even though this novel has quite the cast of strong, powerfully written characters, I wanted more horror. There are some nice plot twists throughout and the buildup to the ending was good. The overall evolution of Romina was my favorite part of this novel as it was entertaining and leading up to the end, that was such a great way to end things. I was genuinely satisfied and thought that was such a nice little evil ending.
I give “Heartless Heathens” by Santana Knox a 3/5 for being a wild, intense, and enjoyable smut-filled erotic horror novel that checked off the “erotic” box 69 times over. It’s a good story that has a ton of Gothic vibes to it which I enjoyed. Ladies and gentlemen, I can confirm that this is easily one of the spiciest smut-filled novels I’ve ever read. This was a unique read with many layers of sexual intensity that I guarantee will make you feel a certain way when you get into the thick of it. I just wish it had a lot more horror since I think if done right with all these huge loads of smut, this could have been an even better read. Knox is definitely a talented author so I hope in the future, she writes another insane smut-filled erotic horror novel that brings more terror.
Now, before I go into my book review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading…
- Suicide
- Rape
- Bomb threats
- Body horror
- Child abuse
- Incest
- Pandemic
- Vaccinations
- Roe v. Wade
- Extremely graphic hardcore sex scenes (ZOMG SO MUCH SMUT)
- Religious battles between Catholics and Satanists
- Abortion
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novel. Moving along, this was a fun erotic horror novel for the most part. I was excited to read something different than what I usually read in horror as this ended up being one Hell of a ride.
Right from the start, I loved how Knox put a whole Spotify playlist with all sorts of metal bands listed to listen to while reading. I’m talking Metallica, Sleep Token, A Perfect Circle, and many other great bands. I also loved the references to “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” which provided some funny moments. This was awesome and I also appreciated how she put a massive Author Note with all the trigger warnings front and center before the first chapter so everyone is aware.
This was the first time I’ve read Knox and her writing style is pretty good as I really enjoyed how she formatted this novel. The Gothic-inspired graphics at the top of each chapter for each character was such a nice touch. I also gave her bonus points for randomly placing inverted crosses within these chapters for different scenes and situations. The metalhead in me was very happy with that and all the Satanic references while reading. The alternating chapters between characters were also well done and not confusing at all.
One thing I noticed right off the bat is how great Knox is at character-building. Each character is distinct and I enjoyed getting to see them all uniquely develop nicely over time. This intertwining crazy story with Romina, Sonny, Corvin, Felix, Nessa, and Frollo was a good one. I grew to hate Frollo over time and this is all a testament to Knox’s solid skills in this regard.
Okay, let’s stop right there. Seriously, I know why you’re here. You’ve read the trigger warnings and what I thought of each character in this novel so far. I know, I know. You are simply dying to know just what kind of smut is riddled all over “Heartless Heathens” and well, all I can say to sum everything up in a single word is…
SPICY!
The smut scenes, and there are a TON of them in this novel, are graphic, wild, dirty, and some next-level thinking with creativity. Just when I thought it wasn’t going to get crazier, it sure as Hell did. These were all pretty detailed, extreme, and dark in the grand scheme of things. Filthy. Disgusting. Entertaining.
If you’re looking for a super spicy smut-filled novel with a Gothic romantic twist, I’d definitely recommend this. For me, however, I felt some parts dragged on for a bit as there was so much smut, I wanted just a bit more horror to balance things out. I guess one can look at all the Satanic rituals and angles in this novel and see how it can be considered horror, but I definitely felt this could have been a whole lot scarier and well, more evil.
Even though some parts dragged on for me, I did enjoy all the smut scenes as it just got wilder and crazier with each sexual escapade. Blood, weapons, threesomes, the intensity of these scenes were pure madness. Let me tell you, I have a newfound respect for anyone who can read these types of smut novels in public without being all hot, bothered, and blushing while turning pages.
This is a very sexually extreme and dark romance novel but nothing here was sappy or anything. Even though this novel has quite the cast of strong, powerfully written characters, I wanted more horror. There are some nice plot twists throughout and the buildup to the ending was good. The overall evolution of Romina was my favorite part of this novel as it was entertaining and leading up to the end, that was such a great way to end things. I was genuinely satisfied and thought that was such a nice little evil ending.
I give “Heartless Heathens” by Santana Knox a 3/5 for being a wild, intense, and enjoyable smut-filled erotic horror novel that checked off the “erotic” box 69 times over. It’s a good story that has a ton of Gothic vibes to it which I enjoyed. Ladies and gentlemen, I can confirm that this is easily one of the spiciest smut-filled novels I’ve ever read. This was a unique read with many layers of sexual intensity that I guarantee will make you feel a certain way when you get into the thick of it. I just wish it had a lot more horror since I think if done right with all these huge loads of smut, this could have been an even better read. Knox is definitely a talented author so I hope in the future, she writes another insane smut-filled erotic horror novel that brings more terror.
December 4, 2022
This was a filthy book. I felt like I was stuck in an arousal for hours. I was so frustrated because that wasn't me with Sonny, Corvin, and Felix. Basically every hole filled haha. I loved Mina (romina/ romi. Pet/ Little Lamb) I felt like everything she said and did was natural and I loved her character arc. It was such a smooth transition to her changing, I almost didn't notice. The fact that she did that to Reesa, no spoiling, I cringed so hard and screamed NOOOO!! OMG Mina we don't do that to everyone!!
I honestly loved it and loved how it briefly went over a sensitive topic most people would fight over. The author pushed the boundaries and I can tell closed minded people will hate this book and give her 1 stars because she doesn't agree with your views. So if you see bad rating, don't think its because of the writing, it's mostly because they didn't agree with one topic. And let's be real, it's most likely Christians who will hate this book.
One thing I wish we didn't get was a POV of Frollo, I dont wanna hear shiiii from it. But I do wish there was more to the plot and world building. It was such a good book, I felt like we deserved more about this world as I was curious what about it. Maybe even more info on her grandfather.
I honestly loved it and loved how it briefly went over a sensitive topic most people would fight over. The author pushed the boundaries and I can tell closed minded people will hate this book and give her 1 stars because she doesn't agree with your views. So if you see bad rating, don't think its because of the writing, it's mostly because they didn't agree with one topic. And let's be real, it's most likely Christians who will hate this book.
One thing I wish we didn't get was a POV of Frollo, I dont wanna hear shiiii from it. But I do wish there was more to the plot and world building. It was such a good book, I felt like we deserved more about this world as I was curious what about it. Maybe even more info on her grandfather.
December 7, 2023
This book had some of the nastiest, thigh clenching, and moral questioning smut I’ve ever read. ‘Twas incredible. Overall a solid why choose dark romance. Yes Sonny is my favorite. No I will not tell you why.
Plot wise I actually really enjoyed it! It had such delicious gothic vibes and I can’t wait to read more from Santana! I deducted a star mainly because I wanted some higher stakes action and more background of the guys.
Also, the Lord of The Rings references??? Perfection. I ATE THEM ALL UP.
Spice:
Plot wise I actually really enjoyed it! It had such delicious gothic vibes and I can’t wait to read more from Santana! I deducted a star mainly because I wanted some higher stakes action and more background of the guys.
Also, the Lord of The Rings references??? Perfection. I ATE THEM ALL UP.
Spice:
March 6, 2023
What the actual fuck did I just read
April 10, 2024
FUCK THE GOSSIP THIS WAS AMAZING😁! The connection between all four of them was elite and I had went through so much emotions being in their individual pov. I was laughing,I was angry, I was hurt but it didn’t matter because Santana Knox was able to piece my heart all back together in a lovely bow💝. Romina was such a precious soul who was shattered by the circumstances given to her but she still had hope and with that hope seeing the transformation she brought Sonny, Corvin, and Felix was beautiful and vice versa 🥹. My heathens they were so misunderstood and just naturally resorted to darkness but the light they had in them was so incredible to see but don’t get me wrong they are still menacing. And oh the spice scenes 🫣… Santana did THAT🤭. I truly think if you like gothic, why choose, and characters that heal each other this is for you!
⚠️: p.s if you are someone who is uncomfortable with talks of religion this may not be for you!
: ̗̀➛Pre-Review: I was supposed to be entering my fluffy contemporary romance era but fuck it!
⚠️: p.s if you are someone who is uncomfortable with talks of religion this may not be for you!
: ̗̀➛Pre-Review: I was supposed to be entering my fluffy contemporary romance era but fuck it!
September 29, 2023
Tropes:
~Why choose romance
~Found family
This was DARKKKKK. I loved the demonic/church vibes! The guys are all demonic bad boys and the girl is this innocent girl who is being held in the top/tower part of this church and the priest is raising her.. or is he grooming her? She was definitely being abused and has been raised by this man since she was born so she doesn't really know anything other than what he has taught her.
The MMCs in this story end up buying the temple and moving in. They fought with the priest guy over it but in the end they have some sort of power over everyone and have more of a say than this high and mighty priest. THANK GOODNESS. :)
These men end up opening her eyes to a lot of things.. and she ends up falling for them all. <3
Overall, I really enjoyed this and the audiobook was fantastic!
~Why choose romance
~Found family
This was DARKKKKK. I loved the demonic/church vibes! The guys are all demonic bad boys and the girl is this innocent girl who is being held in the top/tower part of this church and the priest is raising her.. or is he grooming her? She was definitely being abused and has been raised by this man since she was born so she doesn't really know anything other than what he has taught her.
The MMCs in this story end up buying the temple and moving in. They fought with the priest guy over it but in the end they have some sort of power over everyone and have more of a say than this high and mighty priest. THANK GOODNESS. :)
These men end up opening her eyes to a lot of things.. and she ends up falling for them all. <3
Overall, I really enjoyed this and the audiobook was fantastic!
February 5, 2023
I like the science fiction feel of this book. It’s interesting to imagine a world where the church is basically running the government and satanism is basically an antihero/hero in the story. I felt it was really long winded and dragged on for me personally. I realize that heartless heathens has very high ratings on Goodreads, but it was not my favorite novel. I guess it just didn’t appeal to me as much as I had hoped it would.
August 7, 2023
1.5 stars
Pro tip:
If you happen to be locked up in a tower by a religious nutcase for 18 years, don’t invest in therapy as soon as you get out, just make sure you have 3 emotionally damaged guys instead to screw the life out of you 7 days a week and you’ll be well adjusted, ready for classes and completely okay in no time.
Pro tip:
If you happen to be locked up in a tower by a religious nutcase for 18 years, don’t invest in therapy as soon as you get out, just make sure you have 3 emotionally damaged guys instead to screw the life out of you 7 days a week and you’ll be well adjusted, ready for classes and completely okay in no time.
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 11, 2024DNF @ 25%
don't know if I'm more embarrassed by myself listening to this BS, or by Romina being how she is.
Even Corvin King's voice isn't enough to get me through this.
I generally don't write big reviews of DNF's, but this requires some clarification because boy this book is a LOT to process.
🚯The world building - or rather, the world. Apparently, 2/3's of the population dying off is enough to plunge the world (or the US) into chaos and political extinction, leading to the church (somehow?) taking over. So many themes are mentioned, none of them really making sense on their own, like Roe v. Wade, the 'purity culture', capital punishment national reinstatement. I mean.. I'm all for distopian settings, but they need to be believable. This was just the description of the current clusterfuck that is America, but adding the word 'church' at random intervals.
🚯The FMC. I was embarrassed for her, and the people who were conversing or interacting with her. I understand the requirement of her being almost feral and having a 'raised by wolves' quality but she was just ignorant to the point which was unbelievable for a girl with her history. She did have access to the outside world (she could sneak into the library for example) so I cannot believe she knew nothing about personal hygiene or orgasms. Instead of offsetting her behavior against the 'normal' people, it just annoyed me to no end. Why 3 hot-as-hell heathens would be interested in her is very unclear, she shows no redeeming qualities aside from being in the situation she was in which is not a character strength. Oh, and she was mesmerizing. Whatever.
🚯 I guess I didn't get to the part where heathens actually started heathening, but I needed them to be heathens, not just a collection of similar dudes with facial tattoos who all felt a collective need for Romina. I hoped Sonny was going to be the one to prove me wrong by just taking her virginity in one swipe of his finger (impressive) but he went softie for her right after so nope. Thank heavens (hehe, get it?) I didn't get to the part with satanic crap, but there were a couple of mentions of a grimoire which made me cringe so hard.
🚯 I thought I was going to have more of an issue with the absence of informed consent by Romina, but I don't even care. Nobody in the book cared if she said yes or no, and at some point one of them basically forbade her from refusing him, and she went "OKAAY" so yeah, fuck her consent all the way to hell I guess?
This entire experience was like the author took some loose ideas and plot points from other pop culture and social media references and tugged them onto the story like out-of-season ornaments on a dried up Christmas tree. It was not a pretty sight. Hard no.
don't know if I'm more embarrassed by myself listening to this BS, or by Romina being how she is.
Even Corvin King's voice isn't enough to get me through this.
I generally don't write big reviews of DNF's, but this requires some clarification because boy this book is a LOT to process.
🚯The world building - or rather, the world. Apparently, 2/3's of the population dying off is enough to plunge the world (or the US) into chaos and political extinction, leading to the church (somehow?) taking over. So many themes are mentioned, none of them really making sense on their own, like Roe v. Wade, the 'purity culture', capital punishment national reinstatement. I mean.. I'm all for distopian settings, but they need to be believable. This was just the description of the current clusterfuck that is America, but adding the word 'church' at random intervals.
🚯The FMC. I was embarrassed for her, and the people who were conversing or interacting with her. I understand the requirement of her being almost feral and having a 'raised by wolves' quality but she was just ignorant to the point which was unbelievable for a girl with her history. She did have access to the outside world (she could sneak into the library for example) so I cannot believe she knew nothing about personal hygiene or orgasms. Instead of offsetting her behavior against the 'normal' people, it just annoyed me to no end. Why 3 hot-as-hell heathens would be interested in her is very unclear, she shows no redeeming qualities aside from being in the situation she was in which is not a character strength. Oh, and she was mesmerizing. Whatever.
🚯 I guess I didn't get to the part where heathens actually started heathening, but I needed them to be heathens, not just a collection of similar dudes with facial tattoos who all felt a collective need for Romina. I hoped Sonny was going to be the one to prove me wrong by just taking her virginity in one swipe of his finger (impressive) but he went softie for her right after so nope. Thank heavens (hehe, get it?) I didn't get to the part with satanic crap, but there were a couple of mentions of a grimoire which made me cringe so hard.
🚯 I thought I was going to have more of an issue with the absence of informed consent by Romina, but I don't even care. Nobody in the book cared if she said yes or no, and at some point one of them basically forbade her from refusing him, and she went "OKAAY" so yeah, fuck her consent all the way to hell I guess?
This entire experience was like the author took some loose ideas and plot points from other pop culture and social media references and tugged them onto the story like out-of-season ornaments on a dried up Christmas tree. It was not a pretty sight. Hard no.
December 29, 2022
If you’re looking for a dark romance full of triggers this is a must read!
Santana Knox is incredible and you’ll immediately be drawn into this world she has created and the story she tells.
Santana has drawn on parts / elements of the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame for this book, it is not a retelling or reimagining.
Romina has been kept away from the world and locked in the bell tower at NotreDame Parochial College by Frollo, never allowed to leave.
Until one day, three Heathens arrive at the school, Heathens that Romina is warned are dangerous. They’re not interested in the rules, they’re on a mission that may well destroy her and everything she thinks she knows. But would that be the worst thing?
This is hands down one of the best books I’ve read. It will having you feeling all the emotions. You will want to devour it.
Our three guys are a family, you get to learn about each of them throughout the book and you’ll fall in love with each one individually.
I love seeing how Romina’s character grows throughout the story and how she reacts to the situations she finds herself in.
The issues Santana includes within the plot are written incredibly.
I could honestly talk about this book for days but I don’t want to give anything away.. you’ll want to read it.
If you are sensitive to political or religious issues then this probably won’t be for you and if you have any triggers, please check the warnings.
That being said I can’t recommend this book enough!!
Santana Knox is incredible and you’ll immediately be drawn into this world she has created and the story she tells.
Santana has drawn on parts / elements of the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame for this book, it is not a retelling or reimagining.
Romina has been kept away from the world and locked in the bell tower at NotreDame Parochial College by Frollo, never allowed to leave.
Until one day, three Heathens arrive at the school, Heathens that Romina is warned are dangerous. They’re not interested in the rules, they’re on a mission that may well destroy her and everything she thinks she knows. But would that be the worst thing?
This is hands down one of the best books I’ve read. It will having you feeling all the emotions. You will want to devour it.
Our three guys are a family, you get to learn about each of them throughout the book and you’ll fall in love with each one individually.
I love seeing how Romina’s character grows throughout the story and how she reacts to the situations she finds herself in.
The issues Santana includes within the plot are written incredibly.
I could honestly talk about this book for days but I don’t want to give anything away.. you’ll want to read it.
If you are sensitive to political or religious issues then this probably won’t be for you and if you have any triggers, please check the warnings.
That being said I can’t recommend this book enough!!
December 27, 2022
I dnfd this book at 60%
The trigger warning list is very extensive and does cover all bases, as does the author note but the boob still didn’t sit right with me.
So to start with this is a sort of Hunchback of Notre Dam retelling where the FMC is locked in the bell tower for 18 years.
This is marketed as a gothic romance and it really wasn’t.
3 boys who are part of a satanic church come and Basically rescue her, this is where it gets weird.
Romina has been in the tower all her life, and suddenly my she’s thrown to these men and they essentially take advantage of her innocence, yes she ends up enjoying the sexual things but I just felt like it wasn’t consensual a lot of the time. They ask if she wants a safe word, but also a few points during the scene she is trying to get away and is screaming no, and for me, yes she had a safe word, but also these men should be checking on her and making sure she’s still consenting. This girl has only just come out of a bloody bell tower and has no clue what’s going on. The author had put in the trigger list (dub-con, but some people may call it non con) it was non con, normally yes a safe word is what makes the partner stop but at this instant trying to get away, and screaming “get off/no” is a very big indication to stop and at least check on your partner.
Other than this I felt the plot had so much holes and it was super random, I didn’t see much satanic things at all, I was expecting a lot more from the cover and the trigger warning list. The story line was inconsistent, things were randomly brought up and never brought up again. And a innocent girl who knows literally NOTHING is taken advantage of.
As I said I got to 60% and I was essentially bored, there wasn’t much going on but also a lot was happening, the story line is just all over the place.
I don’t know if the last 40% was any better but this was just not for me at all.
The trigger warning list is very extensive and does cover all bases, as does the author note but the boob still didn’t sit right with me.
So to start with this is a sort of Hunchback of Notre Dam retelling where the FMC is locked in the bell tower for 18 years.
This is marketed as a gothic romance and it really wasn’t.
3 boys who are part of a satanic church come and Basically rescue her, this is where it gets weird.
Romina has been in the tower all her life, and suddenly my she’s thrown to these men and they essentially take advantage of her innocence, yes she ends up enjoying the sexual things but I just felt like it wasn’t consensual a lot of the time. They ask if she wants a safe word, but also a few points during the scene she is trying to get away and is screaming no, and for me, yes she had a safe word, but also these men should be checking on her and making sure she’s still consenting. This girl has only just come out of a bloody bell tower and has no clue what’s going on. The author had put in the trigger list (dub-con, but some people may call it non con) it was non con, normally yes a safe word is what makes the partner stop but at this instant trying to get away, and screaming “get off/no” is a very big indication to stop and at least check on your partner.
Other than this I felt the plot had so much holes and it was super random, I didn’t see much satanic things at all, I was expecting a lot more from the cover and the trigger warning list. The story line was inconsistent, things were randomly brought up and never brought up again. And a innocent girl who knows literally NOTHING is taken advantage of.
As I said I got to 60% and I was essentially bored, there wasn’t much going on but also a lot was happening, the story line is just all over the place.
I don’t know if the last 40% was any better but this was just not for me at all.
March 6, 2023
2.5⭐
Let me show yall the trigger warnings because i frothed from the side of my mouth when i read that
tw:
Explicit language, death of parents, history of trauma, murder, gruesome deaths, suicidal thoughts, traumatic adoption, disembowelment, dismembering, drowning, sexual asphyxiation, choking, dubious consent(this is a loose interpretation, some may consider it nonconsensual), physical assault (not done by the love interests), attempted sexual assault (not by the love interests), coercion, unprotected sex, light degradation, birth control, coerced attempted suicide, feelings of panic from trauma, blood play, knife play, bomb threat, bodily mutilation, explosion, child abuse, neglect, fictional Satanic worship, fictional Occultism, Christianity, nonconsensual drug use, anti-Christian rhetoric, horrific situations, incestuous situations (main character has sex with twins simultaneously.)
No because my pussy throbbed.
Satan himself would have kneeled at the sight of her.
And then i read the book...
*Sigh*
Why was this not as dark as it seemed.
I am so disappointed
The ending was the textbook definition of anticlimactic.
The smut was decent but still c'mon you cannot give me a menu of those triggers and not come through with it.
Let me show yall the trigger warnings because i frothed from the side of my mouth when i read that
tw:
Explicit language, death of parents, history of trauma, murder, gruesome deaths, suicidal thoughts, traumatic adoption, disembowelment, dismembering, drowning, sexual asphyxiation, choking, dubious consent(this is a loose interpretation, some may consider it nonconsensual), physical assault (not done by the love interests), attempted sexual assault (not by the love interests), coercion, unprotected sex, light degradation, birth control, coerced attempted suicide, feelings of panic from trauma, blood play, knife play, bomb threat, bodily mutilation, explosion, child abuse, neglect, fictional Satanic worship, fictional Occultism, Christianity, nonconsensual drug use, anti-Christian rhetoric, horrific situations, incestuous situations (main character has sex with twins simultaneously.)
No because my pussy throbbed.
Satan himself would have kneeled at the sight of her.
And then i read the book...
*Sigh*
Why was this not as dark as it seemed.
I am so disappointed
The ending was the textbook definition of anticlimactic.
The smut was decent but still c'mon you cannot give me a menu of those triggers and not come through with it.
January 13, 2024
★1.5/5! what. the. actual. fuck! i’m traumatised. i wanted to dnf this book so badd but because i bought the physical copy i had to finish it. seriously though what the hell was this?! 1.5 for that mystery twist.
the characters? ew. okay the girl i actually felt bad for but gosh was she annoying! the men?? no. absolutely not. i thought felix was such a lil cutie at first but just no. Sonny? HELL NOOO!!
the themes in this book have literally scarred me for life now. chapter 22…. kill me now :D
this is apparently dark romance but there isn’t even any romance in it, just pure dark with the most annoying characters EVER!!!
the characters? ew. okay the girl i actually felt bad for but gosh was she annoying! the men?? no. absolutely not. i thought felix was such a lil cutie at first but just no. Sonny? HELL NOOO!!
the themes in this book have literally scarred me for life now. chapter 22…. kill me now :D
this is apparently dark romance but there isn’t even any romance in it, just pure dark with the most annoying characters EVER!!!
March 15, 2023
the premise sounded so! good! but it really did not
live up to expectations.
i expected a gothic, forbidden romance where a woman was held hostage by the church and rescued by a band of satan worshipping heathens. i wanted to deeply explore how the us basically became gilead and how the satanic shrine was working underground to dismantle the system but not only did that NOT happen, it apparently wasn’t the only plot.
the real plot supposedly focuses on felix, corvin, and sonny looking for a secret hidden at this one particular church sanctioned school. obviously that secret is romina, but why it matters is kinda predictable and doesn’t add anything. the story was written like it was more about the boys finding romina and their relationship but this other plot was jammed in there for no discernible reason. i also expected a lot more exploration of the so called satanic shrine but we got zilch! everything is very vague and disjointed, like it was added as an after thought.
don’t even get me started on the characters. felix, corvin, and sonny are supposedly only 18/19 but the fully act and look like 30 year olds. romina was infantilized the whole book bc of how sheltered and abused she was, but somehow she was still the most smokin’ hot babe ever known to man. it was so hard to differentiate the guys from one another bc they’re all basically the same: angry and bitter, bitter and angry. and romina spends so much of the book just crying and crying and crying. ugh!
(the smut also got very boring after awhile. for a majority of the book- i’m talking like 75%- all they do is finger her or eat her out and the language is the same in every. single. damn. scene. no matter which guy it is. it’s copied and pasted.)
this was 390 pages of misery.
live up to expectations.
i expected a gothic, forbidden romance where a woman was held hostage by the church and rescued by a band of satan worshipping heathens. i wanted to deeply explore how the us basically became gilead and how the satanic shrine was working underground to dismantle the system but not only did that NOT happen, it apparently wasn’t the only plot.
the real plot supposedly focuses on felix, corvin, and sonny looking for a secret hidden at this one particular church sanctioned school. obviously that secret is romina, but why it matters is kinda predictable and doesn’t add anything. the story was written like it was more about the boys finding romina and their relationship but this other plot was jammed in there for no discernible reason. i also expected a lot more exploration of the so called satanic shrine but we got zilch! everything is very vague and disjointed, like it was added as an after thought.
don’t even get me started on the characters. felix, corvin, and sonny are supposedly only 18/19 but the fully act and look like 30 year olds. romina was infantilized the whole book bc of how sheltered and abused she was, but somehow she was still the most smokin’ hot babe ever known to man. it was so hard to differentiate the guys from one another bc they’re all basically the same: angry and bitter, bitter and angry. and romina spends so much of the book just crying and crying and crying. ugh!
(the smut also got very boring after awhile. for a majority of the book- i’m talking like 75%- all they do is finger her or eat her out and the language is the same in every. single. damn. scene. no matter which guy it is. it’s copied and pasted.)
this was 390 pages of misery.
August 19, 2023
I absolutely loved this!!! It was dark and devilish and I was hooked!
🌶🌶🌶🌶.8
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.8
🌶🌶🌶🌶.8
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.8
December 6, 2022
This book was extraordinary. This was nothing like I expected and I came out the other side feeling like I wasn't alone in the world. While you can read the synopsis for yourselves, I'll focus on what made this book a highlight of my year. This isn't just smut...
I was truly immersed into this dystopian alternate version of our world. It was the culmination of the "what if's" happened all at once; the repercussions of greed, the overtaking by the church, blatant caste systems, endless poverty and the battle of human rights. This world is a statement. So if you don't like stories with political undertones of current events this might be a bit of a hard pill to swallow but I do urge you to try.
Sometimes in why choose books the MMC's are the same guy just in a different font. THIS book made the MMC's a living embodiment of my various mental illnesses. To have this being represented so thoroughly brought tears to my eyes, I felt SEEN. Depression, anger, anxiety, masking, power dynamics, trauma, abuse, med checks by loved ones... there was just so much I could relate to. I loved that each one specifically spoke to one facet of my being. I know these MMC's are typically viewed as man meat but they're so much more in this book.
The FMC has trauma galore. Again, I felt like I could relate to her. She's eloquent in her inner dialogue but struggles to voice how she feels. This is a daily struggle for myself and I loved that the MMC's continually made sure that other people realized that just because she couldn't voice her feelings didn't mean she was dumb. I enjoyed her discovering new things and working through her trauma with the MMC's. She does a lot of work on herself throughout the book.
The spice is definitely great, it covers a lot of various forms of intimacy and schminks, emotional attachments, after care, taboo etc. But to be honest, when "it" finally happens I really didn't even care, but hold on a second! I loved the characters and the story SO much that the smut wasn't even important to me anymore. I loved what these moments stood for but this book is so much more than just spice. Towards the end there is a bit of a "smut dump" for all you feral creatures. For me, I would have loved to see more dialogue and interactions instead but again, that's just my personal preference because I truly LOVED the characters, their banter and them working through things together.
So just a personal note to Santana Knox: Thank you for this book. You made this ice queen cry and being represented on a page that is out in the world means so much to me. Feeling seen is a rarity,
and being seen in a genre that I find solace in is breathtaking.
I was truly immersed into this dystopian alternate version of our world. It was the culmination of the "what if's" happened all at once; the repercussions of greed, the overtaking by the church, blatant caste systems, endless poverty and the battle of human rights. This world is a statement. So if you don't like stories with political undertones of current events this might be a bit of a hard pill to swallow but I do urge you to try.
Sometimes in why choose books the MMC's are the same guy just in a different font. THIS book made the MMC's a living embodiment of my various mental illnesses. To have this being represented so thoroughly brought tears to my eyes, I felt SEEN. Depression, anger, anxiety, masking, power dynamics, trauma, abuse, med checks by loved ones... there was just so much I could relate to. I loved that each one specifically spoke to one facet of my being. I know these MMC's are typically viewed as man meat but they're so much more in this book.
The FMC has trauma galore. Again, I felt like I could relate to her. She's eloquent in her inner dialogue but struggles to voice how she feels. This is a daily struggle for myself and I loved that the MMC's continually made sure that other people realized that just because she couldn't voice her feelings didn't mean she was dumb. I enjoyed her discovering new things and working through her trauma with the MMC's. She does a lot of work on herself throughout the book.
The spice is definitely great, it covers a lot of various forms of intimacy and schminks, emotional attachments, after care, taboo etc. But to be honest, when "it" finally happens I really didn't even care, but hold on a second! I loved the characters and the story SO much that the smut wasn't even important to me anymore. I loved what these moments stood for but this book is so much more than just spice. Towards the end there is a bit of a "smut dump" for all you feral creatures. For me, I would have loved to see more dialogue and interactions instead but again, that's just my personal preference because I truly LOVED the characters, their banter and them working through things together.
So just a personal note to Santana Knox: Thank you for this book. You made this ice queen cry and being represented on a page that is out in the world means so much to me. Feeling seen is a rarity,
and being seen in a genre that I find solace in is breathtaking.
February 10, 2023
Dnf @ 72%
The plot could've been great. It had so much potential but the way the book was written had it falling flat. It started out great and promising but then it took a nose dive by 20%
It felt like the book was severely rushed with the author jumping from one scene to another with no cushioning....
Some scenes were just unprecedented like why are you using filler stuff when you don't even write the current scenes to completion..?!
The plot could've been great. It had so much potential but the way the book was written had it falling flat. It started out great and promising but then it took a nose dive by 20%
It felt like the book was severely rushed with the author jumping from one scene to another with no cushioning....
Some scenes were just unprecedented like why are you using filler stuff when you don't even write the current scenes to completion..?!
April 11, 2024
I expected more… don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the book! I enjoyed the MMCs and the smut was 🌶️🌶️🌶️ but I found the FMC to be whineyyyyyyy. Like I get it she was locked away for 18 years with no knowledge of anything in the outside world - BUT SHE WAS SO DUMB SOMETIMES. riled me up🤣
The storyline was confusing tbh - could’ve gone many ways but there was a point where I was like “oh shit🤯”
I wished there was more scenes with Corvin too. Not as many POV’s from him compared to Sonny & Felix. Least they got their happy ending woo🤣
The storyline was confusing tbh - could’ve gone many ways but there was a point where I was like “oh shit🤯”
I wished there was more scenes with Corvin too. Not as many POV’s from him compared to Sonny & Felix. Least they got their happy ending woo🤣
February 28, 2023
Form: ebook
platform: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 1/5
Status: DNF
TL:DR - a rape fantasy, without triggers, disguised as a dystopian dub-con retelling with child-coded, mary-sue FL and abusive ML's.
I hardly know where to begin with this other than to say I don't have ANY idea how it received such raving ratings and the fact that it did is concerning, especially considering the contents. Please keep in mind that this review is a DNF review so I only know the ending of the book thanks to spoilers I purposefully went looking for (within GR reviews).
Premise: Loose Notre Dame retelling. A girl locked in a bell tower gets "saved" by a group of non-believing men/boys, spicy shit happens, satan is involved. Supposed to be a reverse harem.
Plot: The plot was basic. You get info dumped on within the first like two chapters and it's hard to follow and the author seems to only want to give you enough breadcrumbs to keep you interested. They aren't even good breadcrumbs. It's a pretty standard retelling attempt that brings in modern political issues as the main villain reason. Though I understand and was kinda interested in the direction it was taking, especially considering the dystopian sort of tone, that's as far as it gets because the entire time it happens on a "school" campus.
The satan vs god motif was also super ham-handed, especially considering the " we are edge lords and hate society, blah down with the sickness" MLs just upheave a church and turn it black... just because they could? The whole thing is really fast and weird and I understand the author wanted to make it edgy and dark but honestly it was kinda cringe. I was especially side-eying the attempt to make one of the MLs epileptic but on the most basic stereotype level.
Characters:
FL was infantilized but then sexualized at the same time which was one of the MAJOR reasons I DNF'd this. She'd been locked away from society with a basic understanding on the level of "readin' writin', arithmetic," and as such had no concept of person thanks to the archbishop's abuse (and we're going to call it abuse because it IS). She's your typical FL... you know, the one that TikTok describes. "My name is Wicker Basket and I'm the chosen one," sort of types. She has unrealistic hair color and the Author, I kid you not, once explained from a ML's pov that she had "anime-eyes."
One of the ML's is psychotic to the point of him being as much of an abuser as the arch bishop. He's not kind to the point of being overly-not kind but it's done in an early 2000's edgelord way that really doesn't come across the way I think the Author wanted it to. It made me hate reading about him and couldn't connect or care much beyond calling him an asshole and hoping he disappeared. The other two are negligible at best, but not much better. Out of all three of them, only one of them was a half-decent human being to the poor FL.
This was rape fantasy disguised as dub-con. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a decent dubcon if it's well-written. This was not. The FL was so sheltered and unaware of the world that she could absolutely NOT consent at all to what was happening to her, especially because she didn't know what was happening to her and it was never explained. She was literally raped the first time she met one of the ML's and I say RAPE because she didn't know what was going on and he convinced her to continue because it's what HE wanted.
The other ML called her "pet" all the time and paraded her around like a dickless attempt at a dom personality but never discussed boundaries or consent with her and merely used her as a toy. He then forced himself on her a couple of times.
It was honestly pretty gross and not at all what I was expecting when I started reading this. I thought I was going to get a decent dystopian novel with darker themes and all I really got was a rape fantasy using outdated purity culture and a basic understanding of satanism to do it. Honestly, I could have done without ever picking this book up and fuck TikTok for making me believe it was good.
platform: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 1/5
Status: DNF
TL:DR - a rape fantasy, without triggers, disguised as a dystopian dub-con retelling with child-coded, mary-sue FL and abusive ML's.
I hardly know where to begin with this other than to say I don't have ANY idea how it received such raving ratings and the fact that it did is concerning, especially considering the contents. Please keep in mind that this review is a DNF review so I only know the ending of the book thanks to spoilers I purposefully went looking for (within GR reviews).
Premise: Loose Notre Dame retelling. A girl locked in a bell tower gets "saved" by a group of non-believing men/boys, spicy shit happens, satan is involved. Supposed to be a reverse harem.
Plot: The plot was basic. You get info dumped on within the first like two chapters and it's hard to follow and the author seems to only want to give you enough breadcrumbs to keep you interested. They aren't even good breadcrumbs. It's a pretty standard retelling attempt that brings in modern political issues as the main villain reason. Though I understand and was kinda interested in the direction it was taking, especially considering the dystopian sort of tone, that's as far as it gets because the entire time it happens on a "school" campus.
The satan vs god motif was also super ham-handed, especially considering the " we are edge lords and hate society, blah down with the sickness" MLs just upheave a church and turn it black... just because they could? The whole thing is really fast and weird and I understand the author wanted to make it edgy and dark but honestly it was kinda cringe. I was especially side-eying the attempt to make one of the MLs epileptic but on the most basic stereotype level.
Characters:
FL was infantilized but then sexualized at the same time which was one of the MAJOR reasons I DNF'd this. She'd been locked away from society with a basic understanding on the level of "readin' writin', arithmetic," and as such had no concept of person thanks to the archbishop's abuse (and we're going to call it abuse because it IS). She's your typical FL... you know, the one that TikTok describes. "My name is Wicker Basket and I'm the chosen one," sort of types. She has unrealistic hair color and the Author, I kid you not, once explained from a ML's pov that she had "anime-eyes."
One of the ML's is psychotic to the point of him being as much of an abuser as the arch bishop. He's not kind to the point of being overly-not kind but it's done in an early 2000's edgelord way that really doesn't come across the way I think the Author wanted it to. It made me hate reading about him and couldn't connect or care much beyond calling him an asshole and hoping he disappeared. The other two are negligible at best, but not much better. Out of all three of them, only one of them was a half-decent human being to the poor FL.
This was rape fantasy disguised as dub-con. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a decent dubcon if it's well-written. This was not. The FL was so sheltered and unaware of the world that she could absolutely NOT consent at all to what was happening to her, especially because she didn't know what was happening to her and it was never explained. She was literally raped the first time she met one of the ML's and I say RAPE because she didn't know what was going on and he convinced her to continue because it's what HE wanted.
The other ML called her "pet" all the time and paraded her around like a dickless attempt at a dom personality but never discussed boundaries or consent with her and merely used her as a toy. He then forced himself on her a couple of times.
It was honestly pretty gross and not at all what I was expecting when I started reading this. I thought I was going to get a decent dystopian novel with darker themes and all I really got was a rape fantasy using outdated purity culture and a basic understanding of satanism to do it. Honestly, I could have done without ever picking this book up and fuck TikTok for making me believe it was good.
April 6, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. This was like one of those B - horror movies that's so bad it's kinda good. I liked the characters, but I think there could have been more character development. The idea for the story was interesting, but the characters were 2-dimensional and the world building could have been better. It was also too insta-lusty for me, the characters saw each other and the next second they were going to bone town. I skimmed most of the s*x scenes.
January 9, 2023
3.5⭐️/3🌶️
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
So it was probably a solid 3 ⭐️ read but whole heartedly without a doubt gets that .5 star in my book solely for the anti christian rhetoric. Bcos ohhhhh did that tickle me so fancy. I no longer am a religious person tbh idk if i could ever consider myself religious but I did have it shoved down my throat for many many years. So I can’t read any books praising Christianity or having it as a major theme in books (I’m looking at you miss S.S.) so having my thoughts on religion basically reflected back at me was such a comfort and brought me sooo much joy 😈
Anyway.
I understood the whole story was meant to be Sonny, Felix, and Corvin finding what their “grandfather” wanted them to find so they could get their piece of their inheritance. And that piece just so happened to be Romina, a girl that’s been locked in a tower for 18 years. Now, in conversation it was like “oh maybe she’s the piece we need” but it was never really said for certainty that she was what they were looking for. And essentially this part of the plot was lost. I was reading and like 60% in im like “what happened to the original plot of the movie?”
Now Romina being locked away in the tower means she’s physically 18 but socially very awkward. So a lot of things happened that she wasn’t really aware of bcos of how she was raised. And she’s finding out life and re learning everything bcos Frollo (shitty ass “guardian”) taught her terribly. But with her re-learning everything came the second hand embarrassment. And I KNOW it makes sense for her to not know some things, it doesn’t stop me from cringing the majority of the book.
Like for example: she knows what a knife is. She’s seen what it does. So please someone explain to me when she receives a knife as a gift SHE GRABS IT BY THE BLADE??? Like ??? You see sharp and pointy and go “oooo let me touch it” 💀
The romance aspect to this story came on very abruptly to the point where it didn’t make sense in my mind. Like y’all just met and you’re asking about a binding ritual? Not to mention she’s a V (which not my fav when it comes to reading but expected cos duh she’s locked away) and im reading and i see the phrase “puckered hole” (which gives me such an ick I can’t even) and im like no fuxking way is she doing 🍑 as a V. And nope they were definitely doing 🍑 stuff like ??? That makes no sense like don’t bullshit the bullshitter. 💀💀💀
And there was a point where they didn’t trust Romina cos she was caught in their home (technically it was hers first but semantics) and they thought she was spying on them for Frollo and i couldn’t help but just yell at my phone for her to tell them the truth (which she eventually did). And then there was a moment with her and Sonny where he was like “deep down I know she’s not Frollo’s spy” like HOW? She’s done literally nothing to prove that to you and you’re just going to be like “we’re good now”?
The whole scene where she runs back to Frollo to get answers was so annoying like girl you got yourself into that one and who knows why cos everyone’s telling you he’s a terrible person and oh look he’s acting like a terrible person. But Sonny’s reaction to that was ridiculous like he did not need to react the way he did. A bit overdramatic if you ask me.
The end with Frollo and his admittance just didn’t make a whole lot of sense tbh. I did skim his story about what happened and everything cos i was just lost.
I did really enjoy the dystopian side to this. It takes place in a dystopian version of the US where the government is overrun by the church bcos the separation of church and state is dismantled, roe v wade is overturned (not so fictional that one, is it? 😭), birth control is completely illegal or it’s very hard to get. this book really took a stab at US policies and politics in a great way that really shows how fuxked up it is to live in the states and how bad it could possibly get. Like the author notes that people used to flee to the US and now people flee the US. Major props to the author on that one. My favorite part of this book was all of this.
Now I won’t lie the spice was giving but i kinda wish each of them got 1-1 time with her cos I feel like Felix missed out on that. In why choose I always like when the time between the group is balanced.
The balance of DUAL POVS was solid which I appreciate!
Now while I will say if you have triggers to heed the authors note and read the triggers I do think it could have been a teency bit darker 😈.
I keep forgetting things I wanted to add smh…so the hobbit references…👁️👄👁️. It became too much 😂. The first reference im like haha okay…then the second…then the third…and by the end there were so many references (it even happened in the epilogue 🙃 (ya girl could not catch a break)) 😅 also is it just me or did I miss the character descriptions completely ? Like i know two of the men had so many tattoos and the other one didn’t but thats all that like stuck with me through the whole thing
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
So it was probably a solid 3 ⭐️ read but whole heartedly without a doubt gets that .5 star in my book solely for the anti christian rhetoric. Bcos ohhhhh did that tickle me so fancy. I no longer am a religious person tbh idk if i could ever consider myself religious but I did have it shoved down my throat for many many years. So I can’t read any books praising Christianity or having it as a major theme in books (I’m looking at you miss S.S.) so having my thoughts on religion basically reflected back at me was such a comfort and brought me sooo much joy 😈
Anyway.
I understood the whole story was meant to be Sonny, Felix, and Corvin finding what their “grandfather” wanted them to find so they could get their piece of their inheritance. And that piece just so happened to be Romina, a girl that’s been locked in a tower for 18 years. Now, in conversation it was like “oh maybe she’s the piece we need” but it was never really said for certainty that she was what they were looking for. And essentially this part of the plot was lost. I was reading and like 60% in im like “what happened to the original plot of the movie?”
Now Romina being locked away in the tower means she’s physically 18 but socially very awkward. So a lot of things happened that she wasn’t really aware of bcos of how she was raised. And she’s finding out life and re learning everything bcos Frollo (shitty ass “guardian”) taught her terribly. But with her re-learning everything came the second hand embarrassment. And I KNOW it makes sense for her to not know some things, it doesn’t stop me from cringing the majority of the book.
Like for example: she knows what a knife is. She’s seen what it does. So please someone explain to me when she receives a knife as a gift SHE GRABS IT BY THE BLADE??? Like ??? You see sharp and pointy and go “oooo let me touch it” 💀
The romance aspect to this story came on very abruptly to the point where it didn’t make sense in my mind. Like y’all just met and you’re asking about a binding ritual? Not to mention she’s a V (which not my fav when it comes to reading but expected cos duh she’s locked away) and im reading and i see the phrase “puckered hole” (which gives me such an ick I can’t even) and im like no fuxking way is she doing 🍑 as a V. And nope they were definitely doing 🍑 stuff like ??? That makes no sense like don’t bullshit the bullshitter. 💀💀💀
And there was a point where they didn’t trust Romina cos she was caught in their home (technically it was hers first but semantics) and they thought she was spying on them for Frollo and i couldn’t help but just yell at my phone for her to tell them the truth (which she eventually did). And then there was a moment with her and Sonny where he was like “deep down I know she’s not Frollo’s spy” like HOW? She’s done literally nothing to prove that to you and you’re just going to be like “we’re good now”?
The whole scene where she runs back to Frollo to get answers was so annoying like girl you got yourself into that one and who knows why cos everyone’s telling you he’s a terrible person and oh look he’s acting like a terrible person. But Sonny’s reaction to that was ridiculous like he did not need to react the way he did. A bit overdramatic if you ask me.
The end with Frollo and his admittance just didn’t make a whole lot of sense tbh. I did skim his story about what happened and everything cos i was just lost.
I did really enjoy the dystopian side to this. It takes place in a dystopian version of the US where the government is overrun by the church bcos the separation of church and state is dismantled, roe v wade is overturned (not so fictional that one, is it? 😭), birth control is completely illegal or it’s very hard to get. this book really took a stab at US policies and politics in a great way that really shows how fuxked up it is to live in the states and how bad it could possibly get. Like the author notes that people used to flee to the US and now people flee the US. Major props to the author on that one. My favorite part of this book was all of this.
Now I won’t lie the spice was giving but i kinda wish each of them got 1-1 time with her cos I feel like Felix missed out on that. In why choose I always like when the time between the group is balanced.
The balance of DUAL POVS was solid which I appreciate!
Now while I will say if you have triggers to heed the authors note and read the triggers I do think it could have been a teency bit darker 😈.
I keep forgetting things I wanted to add smh…so the hobbit references…👁️👄👁️. It became too much 😂. The first reference im like haha okay…then the second…then the third…and by the end there were so many references (it even happened in the epilogue 🙃 (ya girl could not catch a break)) 😅 also is it just me or did I miss the character descriptions completely ? Like i know two of the men had so many tattoos and the other one didn’t but thats all that like stuck with me through the whole thing
March 20, 2023
Holy Smutballs this was amazing. It was spicy, It was my type of twisty dark romance and I couldn't put it down. I love Sonny, Felix, Corvin & Romina. The characters are captivating, especially Romina, her character growth was great. Imagine being discovered by three dirty santan worshippers after being locked in a tower for years.
“I’m fucking lost over you. I don’t know who I am when you’re not around, and I’m so addicted to you that you’re all I dream about. You’re all I fucking think about every second of the damn day."
“I’m fucking lost over you. I don’t know who I am when you’re not around, and I’m so addicted to you that you’re all I dream about. You’re all I fucking think about every second of the damn day."
July 2, 2023
Trying to catch up on my review right now. I definitely recommend this book after you look up trigger warnings because this book is dark, and I mean DARK.
Anyways this had the privilege of being my first five star read of the year. I cannot express to you how much I enjoyed this book. I saw one of my mutuals on tiktok recommending it and immediately downloaded it on the kindle app. I was in the mood for a dark romance and this is a why chose dark romance so thats even better. Give me three sons of satan any day of the week and I’d be one happy man. This book was so good. It touched on some topics that I didn’t expect. Romina becoming the bad bitch she was meant to be has got to be one of my favorite things ever. Sonny is definitely my favorite but I love them all equally. These men weren’t afraid to push her to her limits and she took it. Its at times like this when that pansexual panic hits and I don’t know what to do with myself. This has become a favorite and if you see me read this more than once this year, mind ya business. After this I am definitely going to read Santana’s other books because she did a wonderful job with this books.
Anyways this had the privilege of being my first five star read of the year. I cannot express to you how much I enjoyed this book. I saw one of my mutuals on tiktok recommending it and immediately downloaded it on the kindle app. I was in the mood for a dark romance and this is a why chose dark romance so thats even better. Give me three sons of satan any day of the week and I’d be one happy man. This book was so good. It touched on some topics that I didn’t expect. Romina becoming the bad bitch she was meant to be has got to be one of my favorite things ever. Sonny is definitely my favorite but I love them all equally. These men weren’t afraid to push her to her limits and she took it. Its at times like this when that pansexual panic hits and I don’t know what to do with myself. This has become a favorite and if you see me read this more than once this year, mind ya business. After this I am definitely going to read Santana’s other books because she did a wonderful job with this books.
January 9, 2023
4 ⭐️
5 🌶️
*why choose
* 🔪 play
* 🍑 play
* 🩸 play
*DP
*DVP
*restraints
*shmürd3r
*university
*CHECK AUTHOR PROVIDED CW’s*
Good lord. 🥵 Literally.
I absolutely LOVED this. I would take a whole series with this crew. Is Sonny my favorite? Yeah absolutely.
Does that make me unhinged? I certainly hope so.
The overall plot seemed a little bit more low stakes at the end than I would’ve anticipated but not even remotely mad about it. I loved the social commentary on repressive legislation and the overarching moral quandary of the church and its fascism, essentially. Clever use of themes.
And frankly, the smëggs scenes are like truly unhinged in the best possible way. I’m praying an audio comes out for this. Amen. 🙏🏻
P.s. not even remotely happy that we didn’t get an explanation of the guys and their ritual. Was there ⚔️!? Would very much like a detailed bonus scene please and thank you 🙏🏻
5 🌶️
*why choose
* 🔪 play
* 🍑 play
* 🩸 play
*DP
*DVP
*restraints
*shmürd3r
*university
*CHECK AUTHOR PROVIDED CW’s*
Good lord. 🥵 Literally.
I absolutely LOVED this. I would take a whole series with this crew. Is Sonny my favorite? Yeah absolutely.
Does that make me unhinged? I certainly hope so.
The overall plot seemed a little bit more low stakes at the end than I would’ve anticipated but not even remotely mad about it. I loved the social commentary on repressive legislation and the overarching moral quandary of the church and its fascism, essentially. Clever use of themes.
And frankly, the smëggs scenes are like truly unhinged in the best possible way. I’m praying an audio comes out for this. Amen. 🙏🏻
P.s. not even remotely happy that we didn’t get an explanation of the guys and their ritual. Was there ⚔️!? Would very much like a detailed bonus scene please and thank you 🙏🏻
May 19, 2023
YEAH.... This is good.
...
Idk what to say!! 🤣🤣 So good!!!!!!
...
Idk what to say!! 🤣🤣 So good!!!!!!
April 18, 2023
All I have to say is that is that was dark, but oh so hot 🥵
January 25, 2023
This book was uhh interesting? I'm struggling with this rating and review. I wish Goodreads did half stars 😑
I really wanted to like this book. It's a "why choose" so instantly I was intrigued. The guys were pretty cookie cutter. You have the broody bad boy who shows no feelings, the teddy bear, and the damaged but intriguing one. The fmc was fine. Nothing amazing but I didn't find her annoying so I was happy.
I had a few major issues with specific parts of this book though. If you don't want to be spoiled STOP READING NOW.
Alright you were warned.
So, the fmc was locked away her entire life by a religious fanatic Father Frollo. There's a whole back story about how he becomes her guardian. Long story short, he believes she is tainted and he has to purify her by hiding her from society and beating his religious teachings into her. The 3 mmcs take over the chapel where she is hidden and eventually they find her. She has the mentality of a child. Completely innocent with no idea how the real world works.
Let me preface this by saying I read a lot of dark fucked up shit. I don't have any triggers but something about this situation really bothered me. Shortly after finding her, the guys end up sexually touching her and when she says something or begins to question it they ask her if it feels good. Of course she says yes so they continue to do it. She's innocent and trusting that she's safe with these guys and what's going on is okay because they "like" her. Fast forward a bit... The fmc (Romina) meets a female friend and after they hang out the friend hugs her to say goodbye. Romina then goes to unbutton her friends pants so she can touch her down there because that's what people that like each other do. CRINGE. This did not sit well with me.
I had a hard time remembering the setting of this book. It's set in a post virus world where there are Satanists and Religious purists battling for dominance. The country is shot to shit. It's weird. There are work houses, women are not usually formally educated, Roe v Wade was overturned.
The entire book is basically the guys finger fucking and eating out the fmc constantly. Where is the plot you ask? I read the entire book and still don't know 🤦
There are some Satanist things thrown in like the boys doing a random ritual to make sure they are on the right path. There's another scene with a bonding ritual. It was random. None of it adds anything to the plot because there really isn't one.
Things get weirder and eventually the fmc admits she wants to be bonded to all three mmcs. The dark broody one won't admit his feelings until she passes his test. He stands her up on a stool, puts a noose around her neck and tells her to step off the stool and hang herself. She does it without hesitation. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. I get he wants a show of blind faith but really? That was a bit extreme. He was even pointing a gun at the other two mmcs because they were screaming at him not to make her do that.
The entire book was just strange. Some cool things were thrown in but they had no substance or purpose. The idea behind the book was intriguing but the execution fell short for me.
I really wanted to like this book. It's a "why choose" so instantly I was intrigued. The guys were pretty cookie cutter. You have the broody bad boy who shows no feelings, the teddy bear, and the damaged but intriguing one. The fmc was fine. Nothing amazing but I didn't find her annoying so I was happy.
I had a few major issues with specific parts of this book though. If you don't want to be spoiled STOP READING NOW.
Alright you were warned.
So, the fmc was locked away her entire life by a religious fanatic Father Frollo. There's a whole back story about how he becomes her guardian. Long story short, he believes she is tainted and he has to purify her by hiding her from society and beating his religious teachings into her. The 3 mmcs take over the chapel where she is hidden and eventually they find her. She has the mentality of a child. Completely innocent with no idea how the real world works.
Let me preface this by saying I read a lot of dark fucked up shit. I don't have any triggers but something about this situation really bothered me. Shortly after finding her, the guys end up sexually touching her and when she says something or begins to question it they ask her if it feels good. Of course she says yes so they continue to do it. She's innocent and trusting that she's safe with these guys and what's going on is okay because they "like" her. Fast forward a bit... The fmc (Romina) meets a female friend and after they hang out the friend hugs her to say goodbye. Romina then goes to unbutton her friends pants so she can touch her down there because that's what people that like each other do. CRINGE. This did not sit well with me.
I had a hard time remembering the setting of this book. It's set in a post virus world where there are Satanists and Religious purists battling for dominance. The country is shot to shit. It's weird. There are work houses, women are not usually formally educated, Roe v Wade was overturned.
The entire book is basically the guys finger fucking and eating out the fmc constantly. Where is the plot you ask? I read the entire book and still don't know 🤦
There are some Satanist things thrown in like the boys doing a random ritual to make sure they are on the right path. There's another scene with a bonding ritual. It was random. None of it adds anything to the plot because there really isn't one.
Things get weirder and eventually the fmc admits she wants to be bonded to all three mmcs. The dark broody one won't admit his feelings until she passes his test. He stands her up on a stool, puts a noose around her neck and tells her to step off the stool and hang herself. She does it without hesitation. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. I get he wants a show of blind faith but really? That was a bit extreme. He was even pointing a gun at the other two mmcs because they were screaming at him not to make her do that.
The entire book was just strange. Some cool things were thrown in but they had no substance or purpose. The idea behind the book was intriguing but the execution fell short for me.
December 27, 2022
I’m going to try and do a short review without spoilers.
Some parts of the story are difficult to read and can be VERY triggering - if you have triggers this book is NOT for you.
I didn’t love this story nor did I hate it.
I feel as though this story isn’t what it is being sold to be - I definitely wouldn’t say it’s a gothic romance. I was so excited for this release after seeing reviews and I strongly feel as though the book was marketed incorrectly.
Even though the story has romance elements, it is a trauma bond more than a romance and can even be seen as forms of abuse.
That being said, the characters are very interesting and I did enjoy them and their character development. I feel as though the book was to focused on triggers and getting as many triggers involved that this took away the plot. Everything was there, extra time was needed and this book could have been amazing if focused on the right elements.
Some parts of the story are difficult to read and can be VERY triggering - if you have triggers this book is NOT for you.
I didn’t love this story nor did I hate it.
I feel as though this story isn’t what it is being sold to be - I definitely wouldn’t say it’s a gothic romance. I was so excited for this release after seeing reviews and I strongly feel as though the book was marketed incorrectly.
Even though the story has romance elements, it is a trauma bond more than a romance and can even be seen as forms of abuse.
That being said, the characters are very interesting and I did enjoy them and their character development. I feel as though the book was to focused on triggers and getting as many triggers involved that this took away the plot. Everything was there, extra time was needed and this book could have been amazing if focused on the right elements.
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