She's a mail order bride escaping a crime she committed while he's the mysterious owner of the hotel that she and her new fiancee are staying in... he's completely off limits yet the more she falls for him the more her fiancee's darker true nature begins to appear and put them all in danger. Elena Zelenska is desperate to escape her home after a crime she committed... and as a twenty seven year old virgin and bookstore nerd... she doesn't have many options until she meets the man of her dreams who not only offers to marry her but to help her get a visa to move with him to the gothic town of Grimstone. Yet when Elena arrives at Grimstone everything her fiancee promised is false and when he moves her into the Monarch, a gothic hotel run by slightly terrifying man named Atlas... Elena begins to question things. It also doesn't help that Atlas is temptation itself as he is caring, kind, handsome... and everything that Elena's husband is turning out not to be. As Elena grows closer to Atlas her fiancee becomes more twisted... and if Elena wants to escape she'll have to find a way out before it's too late. This was a gothic romance and a fun one to read. I really liked the romantic build up between Atlas and Elena. Theres also a very sweet family dynamic between Elena and Ivy, the little girl that her fiancee has. It's a fun read and the perfect modern day gothic romance!

Release Date: October 8,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books | Bloom Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I’ve been wanting to dive into a Sophie Lark book for a minute now ‘cause I’ve heard nothing but good things, and let me tell you... I was not disappointed! 🤩🔥

Elena is a mail order bride from Ukraine. The love she gives to little girl Ivy? So sweet and pure. 💖

Then there’s Atlas... sigh, this man! 😮‍💨 He’s all protective over Elena from the jump. Not only is he the owner of the hotel where they're staying, but he’s also got those strong alpha vibes, always looking out for her. The tension between them is real, and the way they connect is everything.

This was my first thriller romance, and I gotta say, I am hooked. It’s got all the elements... the suspense, mystery, and that forbidden love. You can feel the danger, but also the chemistry. It had me on the edge of my seat, flipping pages like crazy! 📖💥

Big thanks to Bloom and NetGalley for the ARC! You guys hooked me up with a gem, and I can’t wait to read more Sophie Lark. 🙌✨

Elena + Atlas

-romantic thriller
-mail-order bride
-protective mmc
-the shining vibes

ooohhh this was spookyyyyy & the suspense with lorne & ivy were EVERYTHINGGGG! omg he's the worsssttt omgggg but atlas is everything!!

I liked this book so much!!

I was a little nervous bc I’m not typically a big suspense/thriller reader but I love Sophie Lark. She nailed the mix of romance, tension, and suspense so perfectly. With about a 3hr read time, it’s the perfect binge read to get you into a spookier spirit.

Perfect for readers of romance who want to sip their toes into suspense/thriller.

This book was perfect and just in time for the upcoming spooky season! This is the second book in the Grimstone series. This was so suspenseful and creepy. It had a perfect ratio of romance and plot. Another fantastic thriller romance from Lark!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

Monarch was the perfect October read. This is a book with all of the creepy, eerie vibes. You start reading and just know something is off. I absolutely loved it. To start, I want to mention the art of this book. The cover is absolutely stunning. I also love the artwork depicting scenes of the book throughout. The FMC, Elena, is desperate to get away from her current situation so she leaps at the chance to come to the US and marry successful author Lorne. That alone should be a tipoff that something isn’t quite right. Thankfully for Elena, she meets Atlas who already suspects something is off and wants to keep her safe. I really enjoyed the dark romance meets thriller vibes of this book. The chemistry between Elena and Atlas is off the charts. Atlas is the definition of getting a man that can do it all. More than that, I loved the relationship between Elena and Ivy. For everything that Ivy has been through, she deserved someone who was on her side. The castle/house monstrosity of Lorne’s dreams is going to haunt me in my nightmares. The plot was fairly fast paced making this a really quick, easily bingeable read. I did find some of the plot elements to be fairly predictable, but Lark executed them in a surprising way which I really appreciated. Overall, if you’re looking for a romance book to get you in the spooky spirit, look no further than Monarch.

Sophie Lark is the most addicting author. I think it's the mix of suspense, a little thriller, the completely unexpected and the steamy romance. Her books have a little hint at things that I wouldn't usually enjoy but then I DO. This follow up to Grimstone is completely different but also just as page turning. Elena is a mail order bride and what seems to be a perfect situation gets out of hand before she realizes. As they wait to move into their "new house", they stay at the Monarch. Where the owner is more than she thought to find in America. I loved the Rebecca vibes that I got from this story. But its definitely darker than my norm.

One of my favorite books is Grimstone by Sophie Lark, so as you can imagine I was ecstatic when I received the arc for Monarch. This is the second part in the series where a new character get involved in a love triangle with Dane's brother, and a "known" author. The new character is targeted in Ukraine and then brought to the US for a new life with her husband who quickly isolate's her and starts controlling her every move. Not only does her happy ending unravel quickly, but she must save a child and herself from the situation or will she be doomed in the death castle forever?

The story builds great, and the ending is pretty predictable but there are some surprises. However, the narcissistic boyfriend who had to outsource his girlfriend because no one else was pretty predictable. It did talk in circles at times and rather than just pushing forward with the story, the author added another round of violence or disaster dinner (which was old by the second time it happened).

I loved the graphics in this book, but I wish there was more than the two main characters.

The Romance scenes were good! There are some other graphic scenes where the main character is being forced or touched without her consent so be aware of that. Spice level is around 3 or 4 out of 5.

This was generally an enjoyable read, and I really enjoyed Grimstone! But this one fell flat for me in a lot of ways, and I was pretty disappointed with that.

I'm not 100% sure how to explain it, but nothing at all happens even though a lot happens? It feels like the plot moves forward in 2-3 sentences and skips ahead quickly and then we get 20 pages of inner monologue, rinse and repeat. I really loved Lorne's character and the direction she took with it, but I just felt like there was something missing to get us from where we were at the start of it to where we are at the end. The slow escalation was great, but we definitely go from like 30 to 100 in the span of two pages. I really wanted there to be a big event that really let the terror sink in before we got to the end, and it just wasn't there.

I also didn't find Elena particularly compelling as a character. She didn't really have much of a personality outside of Atlas and Lorne's existence. Oh and being a 27 year old virgin. We hear about that a lot. I definitely think it was important to the story, but it's brought up A LOT to the point that it was really pulling me away from the events that were happening. And the way she goes from 27 year old virgin to goddess in bed basically immediate was just too much for me. There's a lot of unbelievability around this part of her character that didn't work for me.

But as with all Lark novels, the vibes were vibing!! She's got the gothic atmosphere and creepy factor NAILED in everything of hers I've read. I think the dual POV worked really well here (not as well as in Grimstone, though), but I think adding in Lorne's POV here and there would have made for a really twisted and dark novel while giving me the escalation I wanted.

Overall this was a fast and interesting read and you'll definitely love it if you wanted more of Atlas after reading Grimstone! But if you're looking for the same level of smut/darkness/character depth, you'll be a little disappointed.

I’ve never been so happy in my life to get a NetGalley ARC copy of a book as I was when a SOPHIE LARK BOOK landed in my NetGalley shelf. Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with Sophie Lark. She is one of the best authors out there, and this book is no exception. I actually liked Monarch more than Grimstone, although I enjoyed both thoroughly. The spooky vibes were prominent in this book, but it was still a heartwarming romance story between our two leads. I only wish I could have engorged on another one hundred or two hundred pages because I never want to leave this universe.

“I’ve always felt there’s another Elena … a sneaky little shadow who lives inside my head. She likes all sorts of things she’s not supposed to like and whispers terrible thoughts. That Elena wants to be chased through a dark hotel by Atlas. She wants to feel those huge hands seize her body and wrap around her throat. Which is wrong on many levels”

“But now that I’m not longer thirsty … I’m fucking hungry. Ravenous, even. And Elena looks like a ten-course feast”

Slow burn, forbidden romance, and forced proximity. It was really good. I really enjoyed it!!! I have to admit that after reading Grimstone, this book was less twisted and more romantic. It was still a bit dark to be completely honest with y’all but as always with this author I tend to have an amazing time all throughout the experience. And this was no exception. The thing I love the most though, is the amazing illustrations present in the book. Between chapters and sometimes more than one per chapter, they are what makes the narrative so much more real and exciting. Elena and Atlas share some trauma from their past that only allowed them to connect more and find solace in one another in a way none of them thought was deserved. I loved their dynamic and despite it being sweeter than Remi and Dane’s one, I can’t say I complain !!!

“… she’s punishing herself. But here’s the problem: the punishment she’ll get … will be more than she can handle”

“Because there it is, in black and white, captured forever on film … how desperately I want her”

“I saw you and you saw me. And we both knew it. We knew what happened. We knew what we felt”

A dark romance with a creepy/spooky Halloween vibe!

Elena is a 'mail order bride'.. She met Lorne her fiancée and thought he was the answer to all her prayers... but is he really what he seems? He brings her back to the States, to a spooky as hell town called Grimstone. Lorne is currently building their new home so they have to stay at the local motel called Monarch with his 9 year old daughter. Here she meets the owner Atlas, and they are both attracted to each other instantly.
This is where things start to go downhill for Elena, weird things start happening with her room, and Lorne is a lot more controlling and possessive than he originally let her believe... but Atlas.... he makes her feel safe.

What a creepy dark romance read. I couldn't put this down because I just couldn't wait to see how it finished. Atlas has this 'touch her and die' vibe radiating from him, and definitely gives you all the feels.

Elena did come off naive at the beginning, but I think that is due to her being from a different country. I constantly wanted to yell at her!

Monarch is the second book in this series, but definitely can be read as a standalone.

I've read a few books by Sophie Lark and have enjoyed each one so far.

Elena thought that Lorne was the answer to all of her life’s problems. He was handsome, a devoted father, a wealthy author, AND he wanted to marry her and bring her to the US. Prince Charming didn’t mention that his castle wasn’t finished so they would be living at the Monarch Hotel for a few weeks until they could move in and get married.

Atlas ran the Monarch like a well oiled machine, at least until Lorne’s fiancé showed up and turned his world upside down. He didn’t like how Lorne treated her, and he decided that she was his responsibility to protect (as a hotel guest, of course).

This was a fun read full of suspense, romance, mystery, and a cute 9 year old that stole the show.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC.

Sophie Lark was a new author to me and this book was a great choice because now I can’t wait to read more books from her and have already picked up Grimstone (same universe as Monarch but a stand alone title). The only thing that I didn’t find perfect about this book for me was that the ending seemed a smidge rushed, not in any way that I thought some resolution was missing just rushed. If half stars were a thing it would maybe warrant rating 4.5 stars but since half stars aren’t a thing it gets all 5 stars because only giving 4 would be a disservice to the novel.

This is a semi dark gothic romantic thriller (I say semi dark because while dark things are mentioned and hinted at they don’t happen on page in the story). I think gothic romance is one of the harder ones to really capture the gothic vibes without falling too heavy into troupes and Sophie does an amazing job of it. You almost feel like you are have been pulled into the world reading by candlelight sitting in a bay window of a tower overlooking a stormy grey sea.

The author does an excellent job of creating three dimensional characters whose flaws you can relate to in the good ones and the evil in the bad ones is something that is real and human. The story starts like a fairy tale with a mail order bride from the Ukraine moving to a small isolated town and slowly the darkness creeps into her life. I won’t say more to avoid any spoilers but trust me the hero is delicious and the princess gets a happy ever after.

🦋 Spooky
🦋 Forced proximity
🦋 Forbidden Romance
🦋Thriller

Bravo Sophie!!! && thanks to Net Galley, Bloom Books, & the Queen Sophie Lark for this absolutely beautiful ARC.

This is a creepy, spooky, forbidden romance. The whole vibe of this book is perfection. Sophie made me feel like I was truly inside the town of Grimstone and the gorgeous hotel Monarch.
🦋MMC Atlas is this massive man 🥰🥰🥰🥰 who quite literally is her savior.
🦋Tiny FMC Ivy literally stole the show 🥺🥹🐇
🦋FMC Elena 🥰🥰 was our amazing star !
The tension in this book was off the charts. Havent read a book with tension like this in a while.
🌶️. 5
This one’s a quick little read for fall👻

i was excited about this one and it did not disappoint. i actually enjoyed this more than the first one. i like that it has thriller and romance elements!!! fun read for october being spooky season.

Yes. This whole book was a vibe and I can't wait to recommend it. I read Grimstone after receiving this ARC from the publishers and netgalley so I could get a feel for the authors writing. I was honestly nervous going into this book since I didn't care for Grimstone... but...

Monarch was so, SO much better. It felt put together with the story, the characters, and the writing.

Elena and Atlas are everything I want to read for a book couple. They have the banter, the chemistry, and he created a darkroom for her to develop her pictures! They were sweet and supportive and I could've read more about them. Elena was so sweet with Ivy (her fiancé's daughter) and Atlas was the biggest cinnamon roll that I just smiled when they interacted.

There was a little spice but I didn't feel like this story needed a whole bunch anyway. It was more about the emotional connection and I really appreciated that.

I'm so happy with this book and it's going to be one I definitely recommend to others.

SOPHIE DOES IT AGAIN EVERYONE. I absolutely fell in love with the town of Grimstone in the last book. I was so excited that Atlas was getting his own book!! The bond between Elena and Ivy was actually my favorite part of the whole story. Most everyone can be understood if given proper care, attention, and nurturing. Obviously we come for the romance of Elena and Atlas even though we first get introduced to Lorne ( 10/10 don’t love him). And we stay for the mother daughter like bond between Elena and Ivy. I believe that Atlas was exactly the right person for Elena to love. And I absolutely adored this!!! Can’t recommend enough. Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC!!

Great installment super Gothic and semi spice level, with a great batch of characters i live reading about keep it up

5 ⭐ 2 🌶

This is everything I was hoping for in a spooky season romance from Sophie. While I was a touch disappointed in Grimstone, all of that faded as we stepped into Monarch.

I absolutely adored Elena, Atlas and Lily. Elena and her secret past and hopeful future was a fascinating combo. She wanted so badly to make her relationship with Lorne work, at first for herself and then for Lily. But here comes Atlas and the chemistry was palpable. The more red flags (and not the good kind dark romance friends 😂) Lorne showed, the more green flags (and a few good red flags) Atlas showed and I loved watching these two forbidden friends fall in love.

I really enjoyed the little twist. Not sure about anyone else but I absolutely didn't see that one coming. As for Lorne and the Haunted Mansion, I felt like I saw that coming a mile away and still loved every moment.

The epilogue was everything I wanted for their happily ever after. If only we get to see Mrs. Cross thrown off those cliffs in some kinda bonus short, pleaseandthankyou.