4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscapes Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. 

This novel has a long list of content warnings HOWEVER if you are a fan of dark romances, this one is fantastic. I am looking forward to the next read!

***Thank you to Netgalley, Ketley Allison and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC***
Release Date: 06.27.2023
***Check your triggers before reading***

Plot: Arden had experienced a lot of trauma before turning 18, more than anyone should - she survived a kidnapping, witnessed a murder and lost her best friend. She is described as fragile, unable to do much of anything on her own, a prudish virgin. Tempest, the handsome, slightly derranged, brother's best friend has done so much harm unbeknownst to Arden and is now paying the price. When the two reunite in college - Arden as a freshman, Tempest as a TA - things do not go as planned.
Review: I love me some dual-POV dark romances, and while this was not my favorite one ever, it kept me interested. The murder, the witchy-ness, the spice -all of it I devoured. However, I did not FEEL the book, if that makes sense. I listened to it while I was driving around but never did I feel I needed to listen at home or while at work like I usually do.
The narrators, in my opinion, were perfect for the story. I have never listened to Veronica Landon or Liam Dicosimo but they really knew how to tell a story and for that I give the story 3.5/5 stars.

Ah dark romance but make it an audiobook? Yes please! I love the dual narrators that romance audiobooks seem to always have when there are multiple POVs because it really lets us immerse ourselves into the story and we never have to guess or try to remember which POV it is at that moment. I love it.

When it comes to dark romance, it can be hit or miss for me. It’s usually trigger heavy (this is no exception) and sometimes there isn’t enough plot for it to be a solid read (plenty of plot here though). When I received this audio through NetGalley, I was thrilled to be able to give it a try and it did not disappoint. I loved this from start to finish (and all the finishes in between).

It’s a brothers best friend but with a dark twist and a cliffhanger ending. This book is wild and I plan to continue with the series because I need to know what happens next! Definitely recommend to dark romance readers!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC. First of all, I want to note that this book is unlike anything I've ever read, so I definitely give it points there. This is a gritty collegiate romance with a dash of cult, witchcraft, and mafia. Nevertheless, a small part of me wishes the plot had focused a little more on the witchy/ghostly elements, which I believe it could have done without completely turning into a paranormal romance. While there’s a fair number of spicy scenes, I just didn’t really feel that connection between the two main characters in the majority. Overall i would give this 3 stars since it was a fast paced enjoyable read, but I do think that the author has the right idea but she could’ve achieved it better if she added a bit more of the paranormal elements.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC. I wanted to like this book, but it was just awful. Most of the sexy talk just made me cringe or roll my eyes.

"I shouldn't want her. I shouldn't crave her.
She's not safe--especially not from me."

I'm not sure what category to put this one in to. This is a dark academia romance, mashed together with some wacky witchcraft and a weird mafia dynamic with it all tying together into a neat little sweet epilogue package. I felt that because it didn't truly lean into any of these things, it didn't really do it well enough for me. Cruel Promise could have been a really good dark academia romance. Or dark paranormal romance or mafia romance. Instead, we just got lost with so many random details that didn't need to be there. It was heavy on the spicy scenes, there just wasn't enough connection between the MC's for them to matter to me - they felt very forced and added purely for the sake of adding, not really doing anything to further the story. For me, this whole book felt like it was a little unplanned, with too much filling and not enough substance.

Would I read another book in the series? No.

Cruel Promise, formerly titled Tempest, is being released to audiobook on June 27th, 2023. Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Ketley Allison and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.