I love love love everything Sophie Lark writes. And Monarch is such a wonderful book to read during this spooky season. The forbidden love, arranged marriage trope was done fantastically. And the hints of mystery, absolutely love.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the eARC

From the moment I dived into Grimstone, the world Sophie Lark created hooked me completely, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on Monarch. As with Grimstone, the dark and haunting atmosphere in this book is absolutely captivating. Sophie Lark expertly balances a story that weaves the charm of a fairytale with the terror of a nightmare.

Meet Elena Zelenska, an awkward, twenty-seven-year-old virgin and a bookworm who enters the story as a mail-order bride. Right from the start, I loved her innocence and her hope for a new beginning with the enigmatic Benjamin Wittacker. But as soon as she arrives in Grimstone, the novel takes a sharp turn into a chilling psychological thriller.

Lark's portrayal of the setting is mesmerizing. The castle in the woods feels like a living, breathing character in itself, full of creepy corridors and hidden rooms. It’s a gothic maze, amplifying the dread and claustrophobia that Elena experiences. This juxtaposition of dreamlike romance and cold horror is masterfully done, and I felt myself growing increasingly tense as Ben’s character begins to unravel. The shift in his demeanor is gradual but terrifying, making him a formidable and monstrous antagonist. He’s the kind of villain you love to hate—manipulative, controlling, and cruel.

Enter Atlas Covett, a brilliant counterbalance to Ben’s sinister energy. He’s strong, mysterious, and intimidating, yet there’s a warmth and protectiveness in his relationship with Elena that feels genuine. Atlas gives Elena the emotional support she desperately needs as her life with Ben spirals out of control. The slow-burn bond between them is gripping, filled with tension and yearning that leaves you rooting for Elena to escape Ben’s twisted grip and find refuge with Atlas.

Monarch is a must-read for fans of dark, twisted romances that keep you guessing until the very end. Lark’s ability to weave intense emotions with chilling suspense makes this a book I couldn’t put down, and it’s an excellent follow-up to Grimstone. Elena’s journey from naïve bride-to-be to a woman fighting for her freedom is empowering, and the chemistry between her and Atlas adds a layer of beauty to the darkness. If you love gothic stories with strong FMC's, wicked twists, and heart-pounding romance, Monarch is the book for you.

I love a good gothic mystery romance but this ended way too fast!

The build up was suspenseful and the plot was all there. I even enjoyed the relationship building with all the side characters and the growing intensity of the Ben's behaviors.

Atlas was built to be a hero.

I just don't know why it ended so fast and with no real closure after so much build up. I wanted more punishment I think.

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
✰ 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘱
✰ 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯
✰ 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴
✰ 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵

Sophie Lark managed to deliver a slow burn and angsty romance with spooky and thriller vibes perfect for the fall season.
Atlas and Elena had a beautiful connection and I had the best time reading about them falling for each other.

*arc kindly provided in exchange of an honest review

🦋arc review🦋

🌟🌟🌟🌟/🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and bloom for an early copy of Monarch by Sophie Lark!

Ya girl will never say no to a Sophie Lark book and this one did not disappoint 👏🏾 Sophie does such a great job of building a world while simultaneously pushing the story line along.

Elena moves to Grimstone, a creepy gothic small town, on a marriage visa to an author while escaping her past mistakes that she made in Ukraine. Atlas is the owner of the Monarch hotel which has been in his family for generations. He’s a workaholic who finds himself wanting to protect Elena from her husband to be.


I really loved Elena’s positive spirit and the push and pull of her relationship with Atlas. It’s all things forbidden and being set in a gothic small town it’s perfect for spooky season.

If you love:
🦋 Gothic Dark Romance
🦋 Romantic Suspense
🦋 Forbidden Romance
🦋 Spooky vibes
🦋 Mystery Thriller
🦋 Strong FMC

You can read Monarch on KU and is available in any bookstore near you!

Thank you Bloom Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Larks continuation in the world of Grimstone in the story Monarch proves why she is a series author. It not only expands upon previous information represented in book one. It also gives us new couples, more of the town, and the spooky vibes. It's a fresh and fun change in the world of Sophie Lark.

My rating: 4,5 from 5 stars


First of all, i haven't read the first one but now i definitely will (it is already sitting an waiting on my shelf)!


'The scariest books I read are fantasy novels, and romantic fantasy at that, where the most terrifying thing you're likely to encounter is a villainous fairy prince who turns out to be secretly sexy or, at worse, some dragon p*nis' - Same, Elena, same.


It is a story about Elena who was looking for the best opportunity to leave her country because of the one thing she did in the past. She doesn't have much hope, but then - BOOM! - handsome, rich writer (who is also a father) just came out of nowhere and they clicked. She was supposed to be his princess (he even started to build a castle just for their new, small family). It was like a dream come true. Until she arrived in Grimstone - and a hotel called Monarch. There everything went downhill.
Her new prince-charming fiancee may not be the perfect husband-to-be and as the plot developes - she may even be in danger.

But in a forreign contry, with no money and beeing scared of coming back to her past, will she be ready to give her dream up? Will she be able to escape her nightmare with help of the hotel's owner, Atlas, who will do everything he can to save her?







I really loved Atlas in this story. I went in looking for broody, grumpy, dark character and found one. On the other side, i was not feeling Elena at first, i have no idea why. But it didn't care because Atlas carried this story on his back. I like the double POV situation (the only time i want to hear man's opinion is when there is his POV in romance book).
I've had a feeling about Lorne from the first time i met him, like i was 100% sure this guy was up to something and i was right!

The spice was nice, and although this will never be as perfect as 'Brutal Birthright' which i fell in love with a long time ago, it was still an enjoyable read and i will definitely check the first (and other ones if they will be published) out!





'Sometimes you meet a decent guy, and then you meet the actual one. The one who makes your skin burn and your heart race and your spirit soar. The one who looks in your eyes and seems to understand you before you´say a word, but he listens anyway. No, he doesn't just listen...he hangs on your every word. And when he answers, it's just the right thing to make you feel safe and at home'





Thank you to the author and NetGalley for letting me read this book early!

all the opinions are my own.

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to receive an ARC of Monarch by Sophie Lark.

After finishing the first in this series within a day, I had high hopes for Monarch, and I am so happy to say that it did NOT disappoint!
From the get go I was in love with Atlas and Elena and was so looking forward to watching their story unfold.

There was a moment or two when I was like "ooh, I wonder if.." and I was happy to see my predictions were correct.

The characters were so believable, and even the characters that you wanted to dislike, you did. you fully got the "ick" vibes from those who deserved it and the love vibes for those that needed it.

As soon as I finished reading, I was out and I was so excited to see a copy of Monarch sitting on the shelf of my local Target, and couldn't help but snatch it up straight away!

Such an amazing read and I have already recommended it to several friends and family members!!

Oh boy was this good! I thought Grimstone was great but this one was even better! Just a very different and unique storyline and setting that makes for such an enticing tale that you just can’t put it down! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review!

This was my first Sophie Lark book, I had not read the first Grimstone book. I chose this book based off of the cover and description.
I love a good mystery so this book was right up my alley, I wouldn’t really call this a gothic setting as the only thing truly under that name would be the house being built that she didn’t live in and only visited briefly, but it had a dark vibe to the whole thing with the hotel and the creepy stuff going on.
All in all it was a decent read.

Sophie Lark needs no introduction. I’m a big fan of her work, she knows what she’s doing and she does it well. Fantastic story, great plot. Beautifully written as all her other works. A must read.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC

Yet another dark and delicious romance novel from Sophie Lark. This is really the perfect book for this season. And the illustrations! They're so gorgeous. Not a read for the faint of hearts, but I'd recommend if you like it dark

Sophie Lark is really good at blending these dark Gothic thrillers with the right amount of romance and spice! Throw I a little mystery and you've got a great book to read during this spooky fall season. I love in this book how the MMC is with the FMC! So strong and protective but also a little bit of a gooey marshmallow for her! Definitely recommend picking up both books from the Grimstone series and look forward to seeing what else comes from this world she has built.

Giving this three stars only because I want to help it out a bit. I will not be reading this arc due to finishing the first book in the series, Grimstone, and absolutely hating it. About 60% through Grimstone we met a main male character of this book and he was an even bigger jerk than the brother and I just don’t think I can do it.

Me and Sophie Lark will be breaking up for the time being. :(

Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for this arc opportunity.

Elena needs a fresh start and when she meets a successful author at a mail order meet up. He seems to have it all- fame, money, and a sweet little girl to round out the family. But when Elena arrives for her new life, she begins to see lies start to unravel, and her new step daughter seems frightened and unwilling to speak. Staying at a high end hotel while the finished touches are put on their new home, Elena’s room keeps getting ransacked and the only person who seems to want to come to her aid is the handsome hotel owner.

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1/5

Tropes:
Everyone has secrets

Triggers:
Confinement
Manipulation
Child Abuse

My Thoughts:
I love everything that Sophie Lark writes. This book has all the dark elements I love of her books with elements of a whodunit. Add in a tall, dark and handsome stranger and you’ve got an awesome read.

Monarch by Sophie Lark is a captivating, unputdownable & mesmerizing dark gothic romance set in a spooky small town with a fascinating group of townsfolk. A bookshop manager from Ukraine agrees to marry a famous American author & returns to his small town with him. The life she expected is not the life that appears & the owner of the hotel they’re temporarily staying at might just upend the very life she anticipated.

This is book #2 in the Grimstone series, but it could easily be read as a standalone. However, I enjoyed both books so I do recommend both!

Monarch is great for fans of…
🖤 Dark Romance
🖤 Romantic Thriller
🖤 Gothic & Spooky
🖤 Small Town

Honestly, this is a book that is quite difficult to describe in terms of tropes & genres but it was so good, I couldn’t put it down! This is such a unique romance set in a small gothic town. I’m very intrigued by this series & I think I liked this one more than the first even though I really have loved them both. I do recommend checking content warnings just in case.

This book comes with a map, a playlist & artwork…what more could you ask for?! The map is the coolest beginning to any read. Then, when you add in a playlist to help set the tone of one chooses as well as the amazing artwork that brings the story to life, which I appreciate.

I love the combination of romance meets thriller. I am so excited to see what this author writes next & I will read anything they write!

Married thanks to NetGalley, Bloom Books & Hambright PR for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

This is a dark romance book where there is an Ukrainian girl named Elena who moves to America for the sole reason of marrying a famous author. Elena was infatuated with moving out of Ukraine, and she was thrilled when Lorne, who was a tourist, met her and supposedly fell in love and asked for marriage with her. She accepted without much thought, traveled to Grimstone in America, met Atlas Covett, the hotel owner, and started to think maybe Lorne wasn't the right choice, but everything escalated when Lorne showed a toxic trait that was really wrong. It made everything more gruesome when Lorne actually did that worst trait on Elena and made her certain to cancel the engagement and leave Lorne, but the prick again did some unthinkable thing, which is unforgivable. But in all those toxic moments, Elena had Atlas, who finally saved her.

This is a dual perspective of Elena Zelenska and Atlas Covett, which indicates our ML is Atlas. The story starts with a normal pace; everything seems fine, but from the start there is this abnormality: "Why would someone from America propose to some foreigner whom he only met a few times and talked so little with?" It all sounds suspicious, and it should be. Elena is a Ukrainian girl who suddenly participated in some gathering for finding a partner but met Lorne, and despite her alarms, she thought Lorne was a ticket to leave Ukraine. She accepted despite the fact that she doesn't love Lorne one bit. Though she liked Atlas and felt safe and good when she was with him. And Lorne, everything seemed off about him from the start. He has a daughter, Ivy, and there is this disdain when he talks about her, and you see that it's all sounding so wrong. He's creepy, and despite the mention of him being handsome, all the things got blurred when he acted and talked that way. It didn't give one bit of the right vibe for ML, but Atlas—I don't know why—the mention of his height and attractiveness is something. Lorne is good-looking, blue-eyed, tall, and the kind of guy who workouts enough to build something good, but Atlas is something else. It's described as a fark eyes and super tall guy, technically 7 feet and so. One tall herself, that is so. Bonus thing, not to mention his charismatic character and manner, he's like Monarch, actually, and you can't even argue with that.

In my opinion, I think the book is good—the pace, the added touch of mystery, the suspense—because even though you can guess something, you wouldn't have it unless author validation. It's not predictable at the same time as predictable. It's kind of like a paradox in there, and it may be annoying, but the characters traits and how they behave can really outshine them anytime. I say even though Atlas's POVs were less than Elena's, I enjoyed that little of it, especially how in control he is. It's like a big mountain, behind you and echoing, "I'm here, and everything is in control when I'm here." Elena is a little bit too heroine; she acts unsure and wants to go accordingly to what Lorne says, and it pisses me off, especially when she's not the thing Lorne wants her to be, and she cares about LVY like a real mother, added heroine hormone, and her development was from listening to what he says to want nothing to do with him. I know this is confusing, but from the start she has a right instinct. She actually felt right about the situation, and she wasn't stupid at all, but the author decided that her being unsure would make things amusing because in the book she sees and feels when something is wrong or off, but again, like some heroine she walks in to trap. But again, I feel like I like her a lot, actually.

I rate the book 4 and development 4. It was good, and I mean it, Elena deserves everything, and Atlas can be a real "I can't have enough of him" guy, except despite it being romance. I couldn't forget how real I feel about both of them; their character wasn't made of cliché occurrences; it was a real situation when I could see how it made them develop and why it was romance. I couldn't forget how real I feel about both of them; their character wasn't made of cliché occurrences; it was a real situation when I could see how it made them develop and why it is like this. It wasn't exaggerating when they talk about what happened to them; they didn't overreact about it. It was actually what it is if something the same happened to real people, and it made me just a little sour when I realized despite it being romance and being a happy place, I actually felt a lot of empathy. But overall, it was a super good book, and I definitely recommend it.

🎃🖤📚🥀🦉

Thank you Source Books, Bloom Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is soooo perfect for the spooky season!! Sophie Lark seriously knows how to write an amazing thriller, spooky, romance. I loved the first book in this series and Monarch did not disappoint! Atlas, the man that you are!!!! I devoured this book in one day, I seriously could not put it down! Once you start this book, you get lost in the pages, you get lost in the story and just need to know what happens next!! It will have you on the edge of your seat till the very end!

I highly recommend this book, and this series to anyone looking for a thriller romance to read this spooky season. Monarch can be read as a stand alone, however if you enjoy it, I would also recommend reading Grimstone because that book was amazing too!!

Monarch: ★★★★★ (5)

Pub date: available now!

Tropes:
- touch her and die
- he falls first
- forbidden romance

3.5⭐, 2.75🌶️

So while this wasn't the book for me, I still really enjoyed and per usual, felt Sophie's style in the storyline and THE ARTWORK! This book had some of my favorite pieces of character art in it! (If you're reading it, try to read it/ go back and look at the photos in color versus black-and-white on your Kindle. They are just incredible)

I loved the premise of this book being a forbidden romance because of her being engaged to another man - and dont get me started on how sweet her relationship with her fiancés daughter was adorable. MAKE SURE you read the content warning on this book because it was a bit tougher to read with the child abuse. Overall, I liked this book - didn't love it- and I think how predictable it felt and the veryyyy fast ending and thriller events just didnt impress and entertain the way Grimstone did.

"Do you feel that? I love you. What do you want me to do to show you? Ask me for anything. Ill give it to you. Will that prove it? Ask me to do anything. Try me, Elena."
"I already believe you."

🩵Slow Burn Romance
💙Age Gap
🦋She's a 'Mail Order' Bride...for another Man
💙Protective MMC
🩵Romantic Thriller

"The picture and the ring mean the same thing. They mean, I'm with you. I love you. Ill protect you, Ill take care of you. Carry me with you always and keep me in your heart. Because you are there in mine."

Thank you Hambright PR and Netgalley (w/ Sourcebooks Bloom Books) for granting me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

4⭐️

Monarch is the second book in Sophie Lark's Grimstone series, and it does a wonderful job of combining spooky thriller vibes with swoonworthy romance.

After finishing Grimstone, I had to jump right into this one. I knew right from the beginning that something seemed a little off with Lorne, especially when we were introduced to his daughter, but I absolutely LOVED that the chemistry and tension between Atlas and Elena started right in the beginning and the slow burn was sooooo good.

Though I personally preferred Grimstone, both are the perfect books to read right now for spooky season!

Read this book if you enjoy:
👻 Slow burn
👻 Forbidden romance
👻 Mystery-like
👻 Spooky vibes
👻 Small-town
👻 Dual POV

I highly recommend picking this up as soon as it is released on October 8th, 2024!

Thanks so much to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, NetGalley, and Sophie Lark for this amazing eARC!