I was lucky enough to receive arcs for both books in the series, unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the first one at all so I went with this one with zero expectations. And I think that … made this book fun. I rarely enjoy “attraction to lovers” books but I didn’t had any problem with this one, I just went in with an open mind to just have a fun romantic thriller, and it served it as a spooky read for October.

I enjoyed both characters in here unlike the first book, I liked how gentle and caring he was for her, Elena really deserved her happy ending.

But I have one criticism: this series was my first dip into Sophie lark, these two books are the only ones that I’ve read by her and it left me to wonder … the relationships in this serious happens too fast? And the couples fall for each other basically very quickly so I want to know does this happen in all of her other books because I am planning to read her mafia series “brutal brithright” and “kingmakers”.

Wow. This book was crazy 😮‍💨

I enjoyed Grimstone but I think Monarch is my favourite!

So much happened within 350 pages and it had me hooked. I think the last 40% is the best as the relationship between Atlas and Elena really started. The last 20% was the most intense and had me deciding if it really needed sleep because I desperately wanted to read on to see what would happen.

The stolen moments between Elena and Atlas were intense but sweet. I love how Atlas was obsessed at the first sight but Elena tried to fight her feelings and push them down. It just made it more explosive down the line!

I still have a lot of unanswered questions about the world of Grimstone but I think that’s the beauty of the haunted town. There’s always something there to make you wonder…

Monarch by Sophie Lark is the second book in the Grimstone Series.
 
This story is about Elena who is Ukrainian and looking for a better life. She meets an American man, and they plan on getting married for convenience. Elena is very sweet and kindhearted, but also naive and inexperienced and that showed itself quite often. When she arrives in America, her life turns out different than she imagined. Elena stayed way too flat, and I would have liked to see more of her personality.
 
Her finance Lorne is a thriller author, and he gave me the creeps from the beginning. It felt like his writing about crimes and serial killers got to his head. He is way too dominant and each time he tries to get intimate with Elena was just so weird. I also disliked the way he treated his daughter. He is building a new house for them to live in and until it’s finished, Elena lives in the local hotel called Monarch. This hotel belongs to Atlas, and he is attracted to Elena and at the same time notices their weird relationship and wants to protect her.
 
My favorite part of this book was the atmosphere. It was so eerie and suspenseful and so many strange things happened. It gave me a little bit of Verity vibes. However, the plot and especially the romance fell flat for me. For the longest time I had no clue where the story was going and there was this weird love triangle. Elena is trying to work it out with Lorne, but their relationship is just horrible, and they don’t fit together at all. Then there is Atlas who I liked so much better than Lorne, but he is the forbidden option. Unfortunately, the story glossed over a lot of emotions and feelings and rather focused on the suspense. That's why I wouldn’t even call this a romance and the way the relationship develops is completely missing. You only get to see the beginning and shortly after you get an epilogue with their happy ever after and I felt like I missed part of the romance. It’s rather a mystery thriller with only the inkling of a romance at the end and that was just disappointing for me.
 
If you’re looking for a fast-paced spooky season read, this might be for you, but I expected a lot more from this story. 2 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

This is one of my new favorite books from Sophie Lark. This book had me hooked from the very beginning and once I started it I did not want to put it down. One thing that I love about Sophie’s writing is that I almost always feel connected to the characters and the world that she has built. I immediately fell in love with Elena and Atlas and their characters as a whole and their relationship. In both this book and the first book in the series, I loved reading about the town of Grimstone and hope that she continues to explore more stories in this town. This book had the perfect mix of romance and suspense. The book was fast-paced and as I got to the end of the book I wanted more chapters and wanted to see more of these characters. Thank you so much Bloom Books and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book.

This was a nice and light more spooky type book, I think it was perfect for the fall season! Sophie never misses

Monarch was such an incredible read! I loved the dark romantic suspense and i absolutely devoured the book! Thank you so much Sophie and NetGalley for allowing me to read!!

Please give me all of Sophie Larks books forever and ever because each one is better than the last and I’m pretty sure she puts drugs in them BECAUSE WHY AM I SO OBSESSED

Perfectly spooky and underlying sinister tones. Forbidden romance, insta love, gothic architecture. I couldn’t put this down! So deliciously good and satisfying. I adore the FMC!

.Forced proximity
.Protector/protectee
.She's engaged to someone else
.Virgin FMC

This book takes a different turn from the first one in the series. It's less spooky but still has that dark, gloomy vibe. It leans more into a thriller with a solid ‘who did it?’ mystery full of red herrings, clues, and puzzles that kept me hooked. I found the answers a bit easier to guess this time compared to the first book, but it was still fun.

I loved the two main characters. Elena is innocent but not clueless, smart, and tough. She adapts to new situations and has a caring heart. And then there’s Atlas, a gentle giant who’s big and strong but softens around Elena. Their relationship is very well developed, showing a slow burn that’s even slower than in the first book, but it’s definitely worth it. I lived for their stolen moments together.

What I love about this series is that, while it’s a dark romance, it isn’t completely crazy. The characters have deep relationships, whether romantic, friendly, or family-related. They’re not just terrible people with no respect for anything; they have their own morals and are genuinely good inside. They can make friends, love, and even be funny. All to say, I found a good dark romance that hasn’t completely made me lose faith in humanity.

I’d love to see more books set in this world. I don’t know if there are any planned, but I’ll be first in line to read them if they ever come out.

I was intrigued and couldn’t put down Monarch. I found Elena and Atlas’s story thrilling. I loved the world building created by the author, I wish I lived in Grimstone. Throughly enjoyed!

ARC Review of Monarch by Sophie Lark
* * * * *
A thrilling and darkly erotic romance set in good old Grimstone as our story continues with Atlas and his obsession. Sure, she's with another guy...but is that going to stop him claim what is his?

Elena took the chance of coming to America for a better life. The price: she had to get hitched.
The bloke seemed alright enough: author, building a nice big fancy home, father to a lovely quiet young girl. Though, something feels off.
Plus, it does not help when the owner, a giant with an intense stare and incredibly handsome, has her in his gaze.
Atlas has never been so possessive towards a woman in his life. Elena is beautiful and gentle. She's too good for her idiot husband...sorry, fiancee.
As Elena adjusts to what is to be her new life, as threats appear on the wall and everything is closing in around her, she's lost to who the real threat is and if she can save more than just herself from the danger.

Fantastic read. Loved Atlas in the first book and was excited to get his story in this one, and it was 5 stars! Elena is just a beautiful woman - thank you for the illustrations - and has a heart that just grows around Ivy who deserves so much love.
Steamy photo session. A creepy castle. A murder?
Actioned packed!!!!

I liked the concept of Monarch a lot. If you were to judge this book by its cover—which I love—you might think it is a story about a castle-y house where things go bump in the night. But this house takes up approximately 2% of this story, and the rest didn't quite catch for me.

To start, Elena is a mail-order bride from Ukraine, brought to Grimstone by her fiancé Lorne, a native to the small town, who led her to believe he was a shy, awkward single father, who happened to be a successful author with a lot of money. She is happy to be in America and live out her version of the American dream, so she accept's Lorne's proposal over the phone, he helps her get her visa, and she joins him. On her first day at the Monarch hotel, she catches the eye of tall, broad Atlas, who is the owner. He falls instantly and unshakably in love with Elena for reasons that still don't make sense to me, and over the following weeks, becomes increasingly jealous of Elena and Lorne's relationship, distrusting Lorne's intentions.

At the same time, Elena is exposed to more sides of who Lorne really is, and his anger flashes through in moments of time that leave her reeling and scared. She also bonds with Lorne's nonverbal and traumatized daughter, Ivy, who is being abused by her father and her caretaker throughout the story. However, Elena straddles between "he's a great man who loves me" and viewing Lorne as a monster, which is actually a very true feeling a lot of abuse survivors can connect with—however, these insistences from Elena don't make any sense when Lorne repeatedly terrorizes her and Ivy, and she doesn't realize Lorne is a danger until…Atlas tells her?

Throughout the duration of Lorne and Elena's relationship, he is trying to rush what is referred to as a Frankenstein-esque castle, disjointed and large due to contractors quitting when they won't make the additions Lorne is requesting. After the house is built, Lorne tells her that they can be married there, and Elena is desperate to believe him because she cannot return to Ukraine and face the consequences of the horrible thing she did that led to her desperately wanting to leave.

While Elena grapples with all this, she has to deal with Atlas overstepping in his attempts to protect her, then she begins an affair with him. Unlike many other romance readers, I love a cheating trope when it's done right, but I almost never love it when it's instalove, as it was here. I did not, could not, understand how Elena and Atlas fell in love with each other.

If the narrative had spent less time trying to tease out how bad Lorne is, many other things it attempted to do could have been executed well. As it stands, the thriller aspect fell flat, the ending was rushed, the love story was unbelievable, no one was held accountable for abusing Ivy, Lorne's "why" wasn't explained, Elena's "bad thing" wasn't that bad (imo hehehe) and is conveniently resolved in a single phone conversation with someone who was seemingly avoiding Elena's calls and texts the entire story, the person who was vandalizing Elena's room was too weak and borderline emaciated to execute the severity of the destruction more than once so that was difficult to buy, the caretaker's willingness to participate in Lorne's shenanigans made no sense, the plot was thin, and the spice was…uncomfortable because it almost always started somewhere nonconsensual for Elena.

I say this every time I read a Sophie Lark book: I absolutely love her writing. I will keep reading her books until I finally find characters I love and a plot I can rock with.

Thank you to so much SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, Bloom Books, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

2.5 ⭐️s
1 🌶️

I was thrilled to see that Atlas was going to get to tell his story. Monarch is so much more than I anticipated. I love experiencing a broody, strong and unaffected man find a woman who takes his breath away and knocks him down a few pegs.

Atlas and Elena are each other’s other half but she’s set to marry another man! These two had so much to overcome but through it all and I mean a lot of craziness, they find refuge and love in each other. I couldn’t get enough of their friendship that blossomed into a beautiful love!

I truly enjoyed how strong and independent Elena is and how Atlas only built her up. He wanted to see her succeed and be by her side. A perfect Fall romance!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sophie Lark for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Monarch coming out October 8, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was really intrigued by the castle in the woods and mail order bride plot. I think this book was perfectly spooky and dark, perfect for Halloween spooky time. I really loved that Elena and Atlas were flawed characters. I enjoyed their chemistry. I loved the writing and the back history of the book. I haven’t read Grimstone, so I definitely want to go back and read it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys gothic stories!

Grimstone #2
Rating: 4/5

Spice: 2.5/5

Primary Genre: Romantic suspense

Trigger Warnings: Domestic violence, assault, alcohol use, drug use

Favorite Quote: I’m with you. I love you. I’ll protect you, I’ll take care of you. Carry me with you always and keep me in your heart. Because you are in mine.

Plot 5/5:

Elena is a 90 day fiance who had been desperately looking to leave Ukraine. She has just arrived in Grimstone, Oregon to marry her fiance Lorne. He’s a famous, wealthy thriller author. When they met in Ukraine he seemed like was a sweet, loving father and a kind/nerdy guy. Once she arrives, his behavior begins to change and not in a good way. Lorne is having a castle built for them to live in but there have been multiple construction delays so they are staying at the town’s historic hotel, The Monarch. The owner of the Monarch, Atlas, tries to protect Elena as Lorne get more twisted and vicious.

The Good:

* The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. This is my first Sophie Lark book, so I’m not sure if she frequently includes illustrations within the book but I loved the aspect of a visual reference for the main characters. These are sprinkled throughout the book between chapters and they are incredibly well done.

* I haven’t read a mail-order-bride/90 day fiance plot yet and this one had the twist of thriller vibes, I really enjoyed it. There was the mystery of what direction Lorne’s character would take and they mystery of why Elena needed to get out of Ukraine.

* The chemistry between Atlas and Elena was top-tier. I loved their banter.

* I appreciated the neurodivergent representation-at least that’s what I’m assuming Ivy’s character is. I have a stepson with autism so I appreciate Elena’s caretaking and defense of Ivy and her quirky habits.

The Meh:

* Call me crazy but I really would have liked some sort of battle royale scene between Atlas and Lorne at the end.

* While the book takes during Halloween, the characters rarely venture out into the town and take in the fall/Halloween scenery/vibes. It would have been nice to get a little bit more of that.

* It would have been nice to see the nanny pay just a teensy bit for her crimes at the end (just me, complaining about a lack of revenge again).

Bottom Line:

This book has made a Sophie Lark reader out of me. I was under the impression that she was more of a dark romance author but perhaps this just isn’t a dark romance series. Or it could be that my version of dark romance is unhinged, haha. Regardless, the touch her and die trope is strong here and she’s serving it well. I really enjoyed the Halloween/spooky vibes setting of the hotel and the town (it gave off a little bit of a Bates Motel vibe), making this a perfect October suspense read. The love story is tumultuous and wrought with anxiety, at the same time it’s incredibly sweet and passionate. You find yourself rooting for Elena while questioning some of her actions and choices. Later on you find yourself thinking, well whatever. You do you, sis. In summery, I loved this book. The creepy vibes are immaculate, the romance is like a twisted little fairy tale. The main reason that I gave this 4 stars is because I have a rotten little vengeance streak and I wanted to see some key characters get their just desserts. Mainly just my own character flaw but it is what it is.

Elena came to the US from Ukraine to marry Lorne, who is absolutely rich and dreamy, a famous writer AND a sigle dad. But the more Elena spends time in Grimstone, the more uneasy she feels. Lucky for her, she meets Atlas, who owns the Monarch, the hotel where she is currently staying, awaiting her wedding and the end of the construction of Lorne's house. He will do anything for her and for Lorne's daughter, Ivy. But he needs to act quickly, because the wedding is coming up shortly...
This dark romantic suspense with thriller vibes is book 2 in the Grimstone series and all I have to say is: where the heck was I when book 1 came out? I will definitely go back to read it! They are interconnected standalones, so you don't need to have read it to understand what is happening in this one, but this was so good I just need more! Although I was not a big fan of Elena in general (we get it, she's a virgin, but she could also be something else, being a virgin CAN'T be her entire personality), I adored Atlas and the entire vibe of the story.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Dark romance suspense. I could not stop turning the pages, a slow burn so good. This is the level of thriller I can handle any higher and I will bounce.

“Truth and safety walk hand in hand, and some of us have rarely felt safe enough to tell the whole truth.”

“Monarch,” by Sophie Lark

Wow, this book was so much more than I thought it was going to be. First, the mail order bride aspect of the book was really unique and interesting. And second, the entire spooky and weird vibe of the book and the mystery was so cool. The hotel, castle, and entire town had the perfect Halloween creepy vibe. The two main characters were so perfect, I loved how they interacted with each other and the tension was chef’s kiss. 5 out of 5 stars.

-Abuse
-Mail Order Bride
-Forbidden Love

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

“I think of the wounds inside of families. The hurt done to one that impacts the others.”

This was my first Sophie Lark book and I really enjoyed it. Her writing was great and I loved the Gothic romantic suspense. . This book was dark, creepy, romantic, and painfully beautiful in a way you can’t stop reading and simultaneously never want it to end. I will definitely be reading more.

This book follows Elena, a woman who travels from Ukraine to the US as a mail-order bride. At first, her fiancé seems like every girl's dream: rich, an immensely successful author, and a devoted father. However, as she spends time getting to know him better, she begins to uncover a web of lies and a more sinister side to his character.
Elena's only ally is Atlas, the owner of the Monarch Hotel where she’s staying. He is determined to do anything to protect her and to win her over. But their clock is ticking. Once Elena marries her fiancé and moves into their new home, there is no turning back.
I wish our two main characters had more time to just be together before the end of the book, but I can understand the pacing since this book is a very slow burn. I’m addicted and will be reading Grimstone next!