I struggled a little with this one.

Our Kind of Cruelty is a short book about love (question mark), jealousy, rage, obsession, manipulation. You can probably see why I parenthesized "question mark" after "love." Though the ebook I received from NetGalley was only 195 pages, the entire thing reads like a 600 page epic. There were times where I felt like I had read 30 pages, when it had only been 5. There is so much in here, but unfortunately it was a little too much for me to handle.

Mike Hayes has established a wonderful new life for him and his love, Verity (V as she's called). The only thing is that V is about to get married. Though Mike does receive an invitation to the wedding, that does not stop him from constantly emailing her and oftentimes walking for over two hours to stand outside her home and watch her. But you see, this is all a game. At least that is what Mike believes. When he and V were dating, they played a game called "the crave" and this wedding was just another part of the game. She will give him a sign and they will have sex and be together forever.

Based on other reviews I read about this book, it seemed like a fairly straightforward idea. To me, though, I was never actually able to wrap my head around exactly what the game was but it always ended up in V giving Mike a sign and then the two of them having sex right there and then. Early in the book they do it in the back corner of the bar. However, the rules of "the crave" were not that apparent to me and I began staring at the pages and rereading moments in which it is described in detail only to find myself just as confused or out-of-the-loop as I had been before. Which is a shame because the entire book seems to revolve around Mike, V, and "the crave."

Araminta Hall does give us a wonderfully complex and troubled character in Mike. I am not sure if the final and published copy of the book will be divided into chapters, but my ebook did not include any separation of sections throughout -- so it read almost as stream of consciousness, which even though was a tough rhythm to get into at first, I ended up enjoying the most about the book.

Our Kind of Cruelty is definitely not a book for everyone. Though I did not enjoy it completely, I will probably still pick up a copy when it is published to see if any changes have been made. Maybe all it needs is a reread.

I received an advanced copy of this book and when I did, I quickly finished a previous book just so I could start this one. I was very interested after seeing the description for this book and knew I would love it. I was 100% right! I haven’t read about a crazy, love obsessed, jealous stalker/lover like this before. This story is about Mike and his love for “V”. They play a game called “Crave” a game only the two of them understand. Mike ends up moving to New York and their Long distance relationship works for a while, after something happens, , V wants to move on (just punish Mike) and gets engaged to someone else. Mike is invited to the wedding, which of course he knows is all a part of the Crave game and she just wants to be saved. This was such a good book and I didn’t want it to end. I could have finished it in one day but I wanted to savor it and hold on to the perfect psychological thriller that it was! I have never reread a book, but I honestly crave it and would consider reading it all over.

Well well well! I’ve had my eye on Our Kind of Cruelty for months! My patience was tested because I have had this since December. It sat there... just looking at me.. wanting to be read. Obviously, I gave in and I’m so glad I did!

So what’s it about? It’s a love story. Mike’s love story as the book description says. Mike and Verity had been together for 9 years. They loved to play a game called Crave. It was their special thing, no one would understand it. Mike knows that, no one is like Mike and V.

Mike decided to move to NYC to improve his career but he knew he’d be back in London for V. They made do with their long distance relationship for awhile but ending up calling it quits after something happened. Mike does indeed move back to London. Once he informs Verity that he is back, he is shocked with the news of V marrying someone else. But Mike knows this is part of Crave, their game. He knows V wants him to play and he will.

I honestly don’t want to say too much about this book. I love reading guys like Mike. Obsession, sex, lies, betrayal oooo juicy juicy! I read this within a day. 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! I recommend.

Thank you to MCD / FSG books for sending me a copy & for providing an ecopy via netgalley!

This was a solid 3.5 rating. Not quite a 4 but I always like to round up.

Our Kind Of Cruelty was at the top of my "to read" list and I didn't know how I would manage to wait 5 months to get my hands on it. I was lucky enough to get a copy from Netgalley.

The relationship of Mike and V begins in a rather promiscuous setting. You'll hear "crave" a lot throughout this story, learning within the first few pages what exactly it entails. It's a creepy, disturbing way of hooking up with each other and “getting off” on the unsettling act of it all. You can tell early on that Mike and V do not have the typical, normal relationship most of us have. Something is off with Mike (obviously) and you see their relationship progress and then end abruptly.

V moves on after their breakup and eventually gets engaged. She invites Mike to her wedding and that's when things become to spin out of control. He's still in love, obsessed, and wonders is this all part of their twisted idea of the crave. Does she really want him back? Are all her subtle hints really code for something more? Is it all wishful thinking?

Some people have compared this book to You, which is my all-time favorite book. To me, You captured the funny/crazy side of Joe Goldberg. I was never truly disturbed by Joe because I found him likable and hilarious as he continued his stalking fantasies. Mike Hayes, on the other hand, is troubled and reveals the psycho aspect of being obsessed with someone. If you thought You was dark and hard to read, you’ll have a difficult time getting through Our Kind Of Cruelty. Mike is deranged, unhinged, and being in his mind is fascinating.

The book is broken up into three parts, and while I did enjoy the book, I found the first part a bit slow. We learned a lot about Mike’s life, personal and work related. I could have gone without some of the info we learned, and I found myself speed reading through the chapters to get to the good parts. Part three definitely stood out. That’s what really solidified this book for being clever and addicting. Without spoiling anything, (you’ll learn early on Mike’s current situation), the entire courtroom story line was digested and read with haste. Araminta Hall is outstanding and the entire trial blew my mind.

Is this book for everyone? No, definitely not. Like I said, it’s dark and disturbing. But if you like that genre, you’ll love Our Kind Of Cruelty.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It started with a Shakespeare quote, "I must be cruel only to be kind. Thus bad begins and worse remains behind." that quote was inspiration for a sexual game dubbed, The Crave. The Crave, is not your typical type bedroom kink to which a couple shares privately behind closed doors; no - The Crave was a game far more illicit that only Mike and V were privy to the rules of and the ultimate consequences that it entailed. The game filled them with a hunger only each other could quench. Said best by Mike with, "We are like superheroes together. If sex could save the world, the we would rule the planet."

Our Kind of Cruelty is a twisted, sick spin on a love story that to me, is reminiscent of the dark but at the same time - heartfelt poetry written by Edgar Allen Poe. As with Poe's famous poetry, Our Kind of Cruelty, centers around the creation and ultimate demise of love. As you read, you realize the lengths Mike will go to and the vast amount of sacrifices he is willing to make to obtain his "happy ever after" with V; often in his pursuit sacrificing others in the process.

Our Kind of Cruelty is a chilling, mind blowing tale that deserves 100 stars due to the thunderous emotional onslaught of feelings that you, the reader, are left with when the story and ultimately game the ends. Amazing read!! ❤️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a much different book than I had expected, and while it's not what I would normally read, I am glad I took the time to read it. It had some unexpected areas that were a tad uncomfortable for me to read about, as the relationship was just so crazy, but it was well written and the development of characters kept me enjoying it and wanting to find out what happens. A different kind of thriller, but a great read!

I love reading about the crazies but this lacked direction and made no fucking sense. I am not one to comment on endings because I believe authors live with this book and it's up to them, not me. I absolutely hated this one though, more for reasons that are difficult to discuss without spoiling but I strenuously objected to many serious topics injected into the end chapters with no need or cause. It made me angry because I felt like the author was trying to slip a commentary on the state of women in the world today in in a flip manner that didn't fit. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 3.5 stars

This may look like your typical love story from the outside. Mike Hayes has done what some view as the impossible; survived a brutal and neglectful childhood to become a successful, charming man and he owes it all to Verity. V helped him become the man he is all the while teaching him that love is the most intoxicating drug. In return, he's dedicated everything to her - to making her happy and creating the perfect life for the two of them. But suddenly things start to go very, very wrong and in a blink of an eye everything has changed. Mike is alone now and Verity is marrying another man...

But Mike knows this is just part of the games they used to play and he is sure V still feels the same way about him as he does her. All he has to do is remind her...

What follows is a story of darkly twisted obsession and the razor thin line between truth and perception.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. Hall illustrates a chilling look into love, lies, rage, jealousy and obsession; mixing this dangerous cocktail until it's a time bomb waiting to detonate (and detonate it does!). I feel like a few of the seams began to show half way through, especially with Verity's character but it pretty quickly found it's footing again before the end. If you like chilling psychological suspense - this is one worth picking up.

This book was SO good. From page 1 on I could NOT put it down. Mike, the main character is in love with his girlfriend Verity, except she dumped him about a year ago. He is seriously psychotic but I had a soft spot for him because he was so lonely and had such a terrible childhood with an alcoholic mom. He loves her so much that he totally disregards the fact that she has moved on with her life. He is convinced that she still wants to be with him. He takes is SO far--this is such a psychologically twisted book . I LOVED it. I will be thinking about it for days and that is the kind of book that I really appreciate. Mike is seriously crazy but in an entertaining way and he is SO in love with Verity that nothing else matters to him. You can't help but dislike Verity because she is so spoiled although she deserves a happy life too... An incredibly insane love story. Great writing and interesting characters. Well worth your time! Thanks GR AND NetGalley for the ARC's!!! Hoping there will be a sequel!

Wow. So this was pretty twisted. I can't decide if I even really know what happened in the end. I think I would have liked one final short chapter from V's perspective but I guess the ambiguous ending gives us something to talk about. I went back and forth the whole time I was reading trying to decide what I thought was really happening. So it's very good in that way but I think I would have liked a clear answer in the end. If you enjoyed You by Caroline Kepnes then you'll like this...this was even better.

Wow. So this book started out slow for me but the second half really picked up and left me guessing until the very end. So many books claim to be “the New Gone Girl!” and this is the closest I’ve seen one come to having that completely creepy feel.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars



annnndd I love reading about the crazies.

Mike knows that Verity still loves and wants him. So what if she is marrying some other guy? He knows the signs she sends to him and what she really means when she rejects him. He must do something grand to get her back. After all this all has to be another game of "Crave" that they play.



Verity after all does invite him to her wedding.

My book buddy is probably going to say I readed this one sorta wrong BUT I did like it. The front part of the book could do with less talky talky in Mike's crazy ass life but still...it does make sense after the second part of the book starts. (That second part was real crazy time good.)

Are you waiting for me to actually say what happens? You are outta luck...this is one of those that you don't want to get spoiled on. Just jump right in if you like the crazy train characters that make you kinda icky feeling and want to find your 'Eagle.'


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

3.8 Out Of 5 Stars for this dark, twisted AF love story...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Title: Our Kind of Cruelty
Author: Araminta Hall
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Source: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~MY RATING~ 3.8/5 STARS - GRADE=B

~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot~ 4/5
Main Characters~ 3.5/5
Secondary Characters~ 3.8/5
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 4/5
Addictiveness~ 5/5
Theme or Tone~4/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 3.8/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 4/5
Originality~ 4.5/5
Ending~ 3.7/5 Cliffhanger~ …sort of open-ended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Cover~ Okay, I guess…
Setting~ London, England
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~∞~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~My Thoughts~

A compelling, provocative, and utterly disturbing story about obsessive love…with a decidedly English feel (this is coming from an American, though) to it. Being inside Mike's head is uncomfortable…I really despise stalkers, and he left me feeling positively icky. It is odd though, that he made me doubt, like seriously doubt, everything. In fact…I don't know if I truly understood the ending. Maybe, that's what the Author wants??? But, overall, I was hooked while reading this and had to know where this was ultimately going. Although, I was slightly mystified with the ending.

~Will I read more from this Author?~ I don't really know, honestly.

Book Description
This is a love story. Mike’s love story.
Mike Hayes fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet, if lonely life before he met Verity Metcalf. V taught him about love, and in return, Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. He’s found the perfect home, the perfect job, he’s sculpted himself into the physical ideal V has always wanted. He knows they’ll be blissfully happy together.
It doesn’t matter that she hasn’t been returning his emails or phone calls.
It doesn’t matter that she says she’s marrying Angus.
My Thoughts
Our Kind of Cruelty grabbed my attention and never let go as I waited to see how far Mike would go to ensure his love story would have a happily ever after ending. There were so many times that I questioned whether Mike was straight out “ cray-cray” or if there was some basis for his obsession with Verity. I won't answer that question since it would spoil the story, but I will say that what goes on inside Mike's head is truly the stuff that nightmares are made of.
On the outside, Mike appears to have succeeded in moving beyond his abusive childhood. He has a good job and enough money to transform the house he bought into the ideal home that he knows Verity will love. His only problem is the fact that Verity has ended their relationship and plans to marry another man. But is that really her intent or is this just another phase of the game, The Crave, they played when they were together? Mike takes the term unreliable narrator to a whole new level and I highly recommend this thriller as I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in this twisted tale.
I found this book in the 2018: Spring/Summer Buzz Books and the excerpt left me wanting more. Thank you, Araminta Hall, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and NetGalley for the digital ARC to read and review. The publication date is May 8th and I expect there will be a lot of buzz around Our Kind of Cruelty.

WOW!!! All the hype, all the reviews are spot on. I read this book in one sitting, sometimes cringing but always fascinated when I turned the page. It’s one suspenseful page after another. I love the authors intention in writing this book because I believe she is absolutely correct about our society and the still. Prevalent Differences between women and men.

3.5 stars

Love, Obsession, jealousy, rage, manipulation, lies - the perfect storm for disturbing "love" story gone bad...
Mike Hays had a rough start in life and wound up in foster care. Even he will admit that his permanent foster parents were loving and caring, but maybe not quite so loving and caring as, Verity Metcalf. Verity and Mike entered a romantic relationship where they enjoyed playing games of a sexual nature called "the Crave". Everything seemed fine. Mike loved Verity more than anything. He was willing to do anything to make her happy. He sculpted his body, he bought the perfect home, he wanted the perfect career. He was the "perfect" man for her. After all they have the perfect twisted and toxic relationship disguised as love.
Then their relationship ended. Mike was distraught. He was willing to do whatever it took to get Verity back. Verity cut him off completely and Mike believes he just needs to watch, he needs to be patient, she has always given him the "sign" in the past, she will give him the sign again, right? All he needs to do is hang in there and wait, watch and stalk.
"I must be cruel only to be kind / Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.”
One day, Mike receives an invitation to Verity's wedding. He agrees to go. This must be where the "sign" is going to be given...It must be.... Is she seriously going to marry this other man? This is certainly another "crave" where Mike must step in and save the day!
Obsession, manipulation, a mind unraveling all the set the stage for this book. There is a lot of psychological drama in this book and I times I wondered "is everything as it seems" and "what is the big reveal going to be" I also wondered how reliable Mike was, as he wasn’t the most stable character. That paired with the fact that I just had no empathy or for Verity. Maybe because the reader doesn't get too much information on what is going on in her mind. What was her motivation. I would have given more stars had I known more about what made her tick.

This book did not have me on the edge of my seat, but it was compelling as I wanted to know what Mike would do next and to see if a "sign" would ever be given. This is more of a psychological character driven story focusing on obsession. My favorite part of the book was the court room scenes. Hearing all the testimony. I think this book will have people talking. This is a book where you know that something isn't right here. Is the main character completely wrong, is he being toyed with, is he mentally ill, is that all part of "the crave", etc.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

WOW! What a book! What a RIDE! Crazy, psychological thriller! Crazy main characters! What’s right? What’s wrong? Who’s telling the truth? Who’s lying?! I flip flopped SO MUCH! Araminta just SLAYED it! Never have I been so curious as to whether I knew the characters or whether I knew what was even going on. But most of all she just KILLED IT in the court room scenes. Holy hell. I’ve felt this way only once before, and that was the first time I watched the court room scenes in the movie “A Time To Kill” for the very first time. These court room scenes were riveting, uncomfortable, appalling, and utterly fascinating. What.A.Ride! Pick this one up and read it!

4.5 Stars

“I must be cruel only to be kind / Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.”

When I saw my friend Michelle’s review comparing this to one of my favorites, I went and requested it immediately. I spent the next 24 hours waiting with bated breath to see if I would be approved an early copy while simultaneously trying to lower my expectations. I mean, really, there can only be one You (well, actually there are two and supposedly another in the works and also a television program, but you know what I mean). Ever since Kepnes released her little sleeper and everyone’s favorite psycho book boyfriend into the world others have been trying to follow in her twisted footsteps – and I keep reading them. At this point I figured the comparison is similar to everything being “the next Gone Girl” and once I received my copy I was prepared for disappointment and would deal with Michelle accordingly if I hated it . . . .

Ha! I keeeeed. Don’t be scared, Michelle.

So what was the end result????? This really is maybe the next You - with one difference: you won’t fall in love with Mike and it’s crystal clear throughout the story that he won’t be getting a happily-ever-after. The story here is of Mike and Verity. Theirs is a classic love story – they met at university and were together for seven years while each became quite the success in their respective industry. Unfortunately Mike engaged in an indiscretion of sorts while living abroad for work. That was when Verity stopped returning his calls and e-mails. Mike is not deterred, however, and knows he can win Verity back once he returns to London. He has the job, the house, the money – all that’s missing is the girl. And so what if she’s engaged to someone else and has invited Mike to the wedding. Mike knows the whole thing is a ruse – a game they play. After all, how can two people who Crave each other so much ever stand to be apart?

Mad props to Araminta Hall for going balls to the wall when it came to Mike. There was not one sentence where I didn’t believe I was in the mind of an absolute nutter. Again, I didn’t “love” Mike like I loved Joe, but boy did I appreciate his crazy effing perspective on things.

Oh, one other note. PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAASE keep the cover with the eagle on it and ditch that other ugly AF one : )

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Wow, I could not stop reading this book. Hall has created a truly haunting figure in our narrator Mike, who is a complex product of abuse and entitlement. After a few years of working in New York, Mike has returned to London to claim a seemingly perfect life, which includes winning back his girlfriend Verity. There will surely be tons of comparisons to Gone Girl because our narrator is clearly unreliable, but I was reminded more of the obsessive Joe from Caroline Kepnes' You or even a more grounded, less violent Patrick Bateman. We see all confrontations through Mike's eyes, and though he's careful to excuse his behavior, there are just enough cracks on the surface for us to tell that he's lying. How much is delusion, and how much is he just deceiving?

This is a fascinating read in the #MeToo era, particularly given that the author is a woman. I found it interesting that as much as Mike fleshes out his love for Verity, she remains defined in his terms. We never get to meet the real Verity, though we are treated to an aside in which a tabloid rails against her. It's an all too realistic look into gender power dynamics in thriller form.

Mike loves Verity – V – more than anything. Since they met at university, they’ve been inseparable, and Mike can’t imagine life without her. Their relationship isn’t, perhaps, what you’d call conventional – one of their favourite pastimes is a game they play, called the Crave. A game involving manipulating strangers in order to scare them – and they love the rush, the turn-on, the feeling of power.

But Mike’s love for V gets a little bit too intense. He moves to New York on a temporary work contract, and things start to fall apart – from her perspective, in any case. When he comes back at Christmas, the relationship crumbles, and life as Mike knows it is over.

It can’t be, though – right? This is him and V. They are soulmates, destined to be together. He sets about making his beautiful Clapham house just the way V would have wanted it – an edenic English garden, bursting with flowers, to take the place of grey concrete and stone. Even when he gets an invitation to her wedding, he can’t believe it’s really over. It’s all part of the game, see. All part of the Crave.

This psychological thriller gripped me from the start. It’s a perverse love story, told from Mike’s perspective as he awaits trial – for what, we’re not yet sure. He writes it all down, reflecting back on the events that led up to that moment; how it all transpired. We learn about his troubled childhood and trauma at the hands of a neglectful mother; his lack of friends; his obvious delusions. You can’t help but pity him, even as you feel sickened by his behaviour.

‘I could look at V when she came in from wherever she’d been and know instantly how she was feeling. Every time she rang I knew it was her without looking at the screen. When we watched a film or listened to music I knew what her reaction would be without speaking. I knew how to make her scream and moan and thrash, every inch of her body mapped indelibly on my mind. Connections like that cannot be broken, however much we are separated.’

All the while, I kept expecting this novel to turn out differently from the way it did. I kept thinking I had it figured out, but I didn’t. Mike refuses to believe what V has told him, time and time again – that it’s over between them, that she’s moved on, that she loves someone else.

In the end, though, we get it. We get what Hall has been trying to tell us all along. This isn’t about some big twist, some jaw-dropping turn of events ­– the truth has been right under our noses this whole time. Whilst not what I was expecting, this is nevertheless a gripping, twisted tale, one that makes you think long after it’s over.