This is the story of a man totally obsessed by a woman and not believing her when the relationship is over. Quite disturbing but believable

A really intriguing read that I loved.
A twisting love story that stays with you, keeping you wondering til the end whose story to believe.
Obsession turns to murder in an unexpected way. One of the best reads of year

This is one of those books that is so dark and tense you almost want to read to with your eyes closed, which obviously isn’t possible. It’s also one of the few books I have felt slightly dirty after reading and needed a shower.

If you follow my blog you will know I love an unreliable narrator, but, seriously, I have never read a book with someone who is so disturbed, affected and delusional as Mike.

I’m not going to give anything away in my review except to say when you start this book, it’s unlikely you will be able to put it down until you’ve finished it.

Our Kind of Cruelty is without doubt a tense, scary, dark and disturbing story, however it is also utterly compelling, addictive and brilliantly written. Personally I loved it and highly recommend it and now need to clean myself with a loofah and some sweet smelling shower gel.

3 stars.
I struggled with this one. There were elements that l enjoyed and the writing style was quite good but overall this fell a bit flat for me.
Firstly, most of the book is terribly repetitive, l feel like his inner monologue just dragged on and on and went around in circles. It could have been much shorter and not have lost anything, IMO. Secondly, l had real problems with the representation of this type of character. Was he supposed to be disliked or were we supposed to feel sorry for him? He should have been a character we despised, but then why give him such a sob story for a childhood? Because. Because, the way he was raised does not make it ok. It does not make his behaviour excusable. And the fact that Verity never reported him to the police seems to support the notion that his behaviour was innocent (mostly), not too bad, that Verity was complicit in her own victimisation. And that is where l checked out.
Maybe l read this wrong (lots of people love this one), but l've been researching a lot on intimate partner violence and coercive control in my university studies and this left a bad taste in my mouth.
I did find the courtroom scenes quite good, which is why it got 3 stars instead of two. I may give this author another go with their next book , but l would not recommend this one.

'Everything is a game, V used to tell me: only stupid people forget that' _____ Araminta Hall

Every now and then, a book grabs my attention from the outset and grips me so tightly that I can't put it down. This is what happened when I read this book.

In his head and in his heart, Mike knew that V was playing a game. He knew that V craved him. But was this just a delusional obsession or was it real?

This is one of the most disturbing and twisted love stories that I have ever read. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Many thanks to TBC and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

Slow start which I hoped would get better. I like books that make me either love or detest characters unfortunately I just found the main character in this irritating. Maybe just not for me sorry

An interesting thriller - quite gripping and enjoyable. I did just want to hear a little bit more of v's side of the story.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was the sort of depraved thing that fascinates me. And the psychological aspects behind it were very intriguing. But then the murder happened and the trial began and I felt like it was just going over ground that was already covered. There wasn’t a very good ending either. I think it could have been much more dramatic, when actually it didn’t really make sense or explain anything that went on. I’m afraid I won’t be recommending this which is such a shame

We have Mike, he is successful, lives in a nice house and adores with his girlfriend or ex-girlfriend Verity or V. When they were in a relationship, they engaged in this game called the Crave. The Game involved in V standing alone in a club and if she gets to chat up unsuspecting men, Mike goes and rescues her and this turned on them.

The relationship is over and Mike is having a hard time accepting this fact. He thinks V is punishing him for his indiscretion when he was in New York. That this is part of their Crave. He’s back to London to get V back. Mike gets an email from V that she is getting married and he thinks this is all part of their game.

One of the weirdest book I’ve read this year. I didn’t connect with any of the characters as they were unlikeable. Mike is deranged and Verity isn’t so great either. I found it hard to go through at first as Mike got on my nerves as all he does is talks about V. V this, V that. It’s marketed, as a love story but it is more a twisted, dark tale of obsession. I could not understand V actions later in the book, which to me, didn’t make any sense. I did enjoy the trail scenes though. It is an Ok story.

I would like to thank net gallery for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting read about obsessive love told from the mans point of view, I got sucked in to the story very quickly and started asking myself, did she say that or do that? Or was it all in Mikes kind, a really great read told very well

When young love ends and someone is left heartbroken it is very sad. But when young love ends and one party isn’t willing to accept it, that’s the basis for a shocking page-turner. This story is told through an unreliable narrator, making it more uncomfortable to read as we see the character descending further into his non- reality. I didn’t predict the end and was shocked more with each turn of the page! A great book, highly recommended.

What an amazing book . gripping to the very end . superb characters keeping the balance just right . Highly recommended

I keep wavering between 4 ½ or 5 stars!

I was up until 12.30am reading this, because I NEEDED to finish it.

This was fantastic!

Araminta Hall’s writing is addictive, with compelling, interesting characters that just draw you in.

It’s the second book I have read in the last week that starts off with someone in jail.

From that point, the story just pulls you in.

I almost wanted to like Mike. I felt bad for him because of his upbringing. However, feeling sorry for his character wasn’t enough to make him likeable.

He was fairly pitiful for some of this. He was mostly a delusional stalker and came across that way.

We didn’t get to know V that much outside of Mike’s weird mind. She definitely wasn’t what he thought she was. He seemed to think he was the only person who knew her properly and that he was the only one who had her best intentions in mind. It was obvious from the beginning that he was obsessed with her.

I almrost kept expecting a twist because I kept thinking maybe Mike really isn’t as bad as he’s coming across and the question that kept playing in my mind was is V behind some of this delusion? Is she innocent or is she guilty?

I hate to write spoilers but its hard to write a detailed review without any. If you don’t like them, do NOT continue reading.



The twisty/turn-y ending was just exceptionally well written.

I felt mostly secure in thoughts that V was totally innocent of any wrong doing.

The fact Mike, the police and judge all screw her over makes me angry. It is made worse by the fact its mostly because of the sex game “Crave”. How dare a woman like sex is pretty much how that feel. Her lawyer’s words at the end were very fitting.

The ending was left pretty much wide open.

Personally, I would love another book with these characters.

They both don’t get that long (in the scheme of things) and Mike was more delusional than ever and believes they will be together afterwards. If I were her, as soon as I was released, I would have a new identity and move to the other side of the world. I am pretty sure that’s the only way she will escape Mike.

This was an incredibly good read and I highly recommend it. One of my favourites of the year so far.

I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Read and reviewed courtesy of Netgalley

when i started reading this i wasnnt sure what to expect but this book was brilliant , it was chilling , gripping, not as scary as i thought it would be but definately worth a read, im gonna rate this 5 stars and cant wait to read more from this author

Told from Mike’s POV we learn about his relationship with V, and the game they play, the Crave. So when Verity breaks up with Mike and invites him to her wedding he thinks it’s all part of the game setting in motion a tragic chain of events...Is V the victim to Mike’s obsessive self-delusion or is she manipulating her besotted ex?...
I really enjoyed this compelling read. We’re in Mike’s head the entire time and it is due to his gripping voice that I was hooked throughout. I did find, personally for me, the last 40% became a bit repetitive as it becomes courtroom drama (maybe cause I’ve read courtroom scenes in several psychological thrillers this past year). However on the whole a gripping and tense story of obsessive love.

Our Kind of Cruelty was told from the first person perspective of Mike. The beginning of the story gives light to a dark twist in Mike and Verity’s relationship and this alone has such a strong element that it makes you question everything that comes after it.

This story was such a fascinating journey into the mind of someone so delusional, deranged and unstable that you find yourself needing to know what he is going to do next. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the relationship between Mike’s perception of events and the reality of events. He convinces himself so thoroughly of a truth that, as a reader, at times it’s hard not to believe him. As the book progresses he begins to lose his handle on reality rapidly and it makes the story all the more gripping. I thought it was cleverly written the way, despite the fact that Mike tells us what happens from his perspective, yet the author still managed to weave in another version of events.

Neither Mike nor Verity were likeable characters and I didn’t feel a connection to either of them but this was not important and I still had a strong need to keep reading, to find out what happens and exactly what is the real version of events. Mike’s character had more depth and as we find out about his background and upbringing throughout the story, it puts him in perspective and also makes his character and his actions more believable.

My favourite part of the story was the last section. After a crucial incident has occurred; the remaining third of the book covered the trial which takes place after this. This was riveting and I enjoyed finding out what each character had to say and how it played out to the final verdict. It was also in this final third of the book in which a clever and insightful theme revealed itself; the way men and women are judged differently for their actions on a societal level – even the same actions as each other. I didn’t see this coming at all and thought it was handled in a subtle yet powerful way.

This was a captivating whirlwind of obsessive and possessive love. A quick and gripping read where love and cruelty are entwined and interchangeable. I would recommend, especially to those who are partial to a psychological thriller!

I read the second half of this in one sitting, as I was dying to get to the end - it was pretty tense and noirish; plenty of excitement as I tried to work out what would happen to the main characters. The narrative voice is creepy and compelling and I was interested to read the author's comments at the end on gender and her inspiration for the story. This is a gripping and entertaining read.

I tried to read this book twice but couldn’t get the hand of it - especially the ‘Crave’ element.
I quite liked the retrospection part - hence the 2 - but didn’t get attached to the plot and found it particularly slow moving.

This dark psychological thriller has you flipping back and forth trying to work out what's going on. Even when you think you know who's telling the truth, it's tempting to believe another side. Very compulsive.

Despite the heavy subjects of the long lasting damage of child abuse, obsession, and relationship mind games, this is a very good read. Exceptionally well written; in places a tender love story, in others frightening as hell....but throughout it is a gripping read where I felt conflicted and second guessed myself constantly.