Enigma:⁣🎧🎓🗿
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Thank you so much @brambleromance and @macmillan.audio for my gifted copies! #MacAudio2025 ⁣
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“Because I was a man on the path to damnation and I saw salvation instead. Because bring a you makes me feel something beyond rage. Because the chaos inside me quietens when I’m near you.” ⁣
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This book made my dark academia heart pitter patter. The mystery and sinister vibe really did it for me honestly. This was so much more dark DARK academia with a big ole dollop of romance. This is definitely a great way for those that like a little romance but are thriller girlies to dip their toe into the darker romance genre. ⁣
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Audio was so good. There’s a Dual POV. You hear mostly from Salem’s POV, but Caz is thrown a few times and it’s icing on the cake. ⁣
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Overall I loved it, g’bye. No, honestly it was really good and it gripped me in a while that I haven’t been in a while. I was so invested and this was so so good. Out Tuesday!⁣
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QOTD: What book or really anything are you looking forward to this week??

Enigma drops you right into the heart of a private, ultra-exclusive university where secrets aren't just whispered about — they're protected at all costs. This story peels back the layers of mystery surrounding the characters’ siblings, and it dives deep into the personal risks that come with exposing long-buried truths. Set against a backdrop of constant tension and intrigue, the main characters have to figure out if they can truly trust one another — and, just as importantly, who they’ll become once all the secrets are out.

I was hooked by the darker, more intense themes woven throughout the story, and the slow-burn romance between the characters added just the right touch of warmth to balance out the tension. The plot had a great thriller vibe without feeling overwhelming, keeping me turning the pages to see how it would all unravel. If you love a book that feels like a mix of mystery, danger, and a bit of forbidden romance, Enigma is definitely worth diving into!

✨𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
🎧Enigma
🎙️Narrated by Jaclyn Kelso, Aiden Snow
🐦‍⬛Releasing April 29, 2025

Salem Salazar sets out to uncover the truth of what happened to her sister while fueling her passion for forensics. She may be a legacy student at the elite Mortimer University, but her childhood was anything but glamorous.

When she meets Caz, they become entangled in secret societies, conspiracies, and dangers that threaten their very lives.

Tropes:
✨Dark academia
✨Secret societies
✨Possessive MMC
✨Rivals to lovers
✨Mysterious dēaths
✨Found family
🌶️: open door

Salem has a brilliant mind but has always felt alone, abandoned, and never fully seen. Caz is dark, brooding, possessive and may have finally met his match. They are drawn to each other’s darkness, igniting foreign yet fervent sensations. As events of the past and present collide, will they unravel all the secrets in time?

The narrators embody these characters wholly, capturing the deep sense of longing, loneliness, and loss. Their passion burns brightly throughout the story and I was utterly enraptured by this darkly romantic tale.

The concepts of mortality, societal constructs, and family are adeptly explored and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. With a masterful blending of dark academia, romance, mystery, and touch of the macabre, Enigma is an evocative and richly atmospheric feast for the senses.

So grateful to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you Macmillan audio for the gifted ALC!

3.5⭐️

I adored the dark academia vibes and the intriguing mystery in this one! But there was something about this book that didn’t fully grip me, as I found myself wanting to be over with it a few times. I’m feeling very mixed rn!

The atmosphere was absolutely gorgeous and I could picture the setting so vividly! I love dark academia vibes and this was absolutely giving. I really enjoyed learning more about this world with the secret societies and wealthy families.

I overall really liked Salem! She’s kind of a loner but she starts to open up as the book goes on. I enjoyed that development from her as she got some more confidence. I did think she was kind of stupid sometimes tho 😭 like fr wouldn’t survive in a horror movie

Caz was super mysterious and absolutely obsesssssed with Salem! I kept flip flopping on if he was a good guy or not which was really fun. I would’ve liked to see some more character development from him too!!

I think the conclusion was a tad predictable but I enjoyed the start to the mystery that Salem is trying to uncover! Having so much plot outside of the romance is really nice!

I loved the female narrator but the males voice was hecking me off 😭 he’s trying way to hard to be ✨growly✨

This Hades and Persephone, dark academia romance novel had a great storyline! Salem Salazar is a legacy at Mortimer University and stumbled into a secret society when she is only 12. When her older sister attends Mortimer, her sister dies, and Salem is out to find out what happened. Salem has always been the black sheep of the family, but her fascination with forensics and how dead things died makes Salem even more motivated. Along comes Cas, a teaching assistant at the school whom Salem falls for, and the feeling is mutual. This book is intriguing and also quite spicy, I appreciate the twists and turns that came with rich people behaving badly, and did like how Salem and Cas balanced each other while dealing with death amongst other things, A great read!

After absolutely loving Gothikana by RuNyx, I was so excited for Enigma and Caz and Salem‘s story is just the perfect dark academia story that will completely mesmerize you.
 
The story takes us to Mortimer university that is very elite and exclusive, but a lot of strange things happen there. There are secret societies, drama, and lots of secrets. I was immediately immersed in this world and wanted to know all about it like Salem. The atmosphere in this book was just unreal and so mysterious and eerie and I always love how that matches the beautiful writing of RuNyx perfectly.
 
Salem is going to Mortimer university mainly to find out what really happened to her sister and what she finds out is just unreal. Salem is intelligent, curious and she’s just her own person and I loved that so much. A lot of people think she’s totally coldhearted, but you quickly realize that there’s so much more to her and I loved the depth her character has. She has looked death in the eye and is fascinated by it and wants to learn all about forensics and I could relate to that a little bit.
 
Caz on the other hand is surrounded by mystery and darkness and I was fascinated by him from the first page. He’s an elusive artist and I loved seeing all about it and how Salem becomes his muse. Caz keeps you on your toes the whole book and he totally made me fall in love with this story even more.
 
And next to the amazing characters and the atmosphere you have a plot that takes to the darkest and brighter parts of this world, and I was feeling this story in my soul. The romance was haunting and sexy, and I loved how Salem and Caz slowly become a team. I listened to the audiobook, and it was fantastic, and Aiden Snow and Jaclyn Kelso were the perfect narrators for this story.
 
Enigma is an unforgettable dark academia masterpiece and be ready to be all-encompassed by Caz, Salem, and Mortimer University. 5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC audiobook.It's been a while since I read a dark romance and I really enjoyed this. Dark romance. Dark Academia and the mystery of the story had me hooked. The narrators did a great job

RuNyx’s beautiful writing creates an atmospheric dark academia with secret societies, emotion, spice, and personal acceptance. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook, especially Aiden Snow and Jaclyn Kelso’s performances.

FERAL. I am positively feral for Caz. This was so well narrated and well written. It was everything I wanted and more. I love the gothic energy of Moritimer University and the secret society was outrageous and so realistic and could actually be interpreted in today's events. I felt completely enthralled in the story and could have spent more time with the characters. Each character was complex and lovable and so totally unique and honestly I couldn't get enough.

It is a dark academia book with secret organizations crime, and murder and even has enemies to lovers.
Without giving away any spoilers, it follows the main character as she goes to college to try to figure out what led her sister to commit suicide and what all the other deaths there have in common
This book is not my normal read however it is extremely well written, and the audiobook is also done very well. it is a great book and it kept me up at night thinking about it and I would suggest that even if it is outside of what you normally read or genre you like still give it a try it is a phenomenal Book
I received an audio copy via Galaxy This is no way affects my opinion or review

This was a great book, it kept me hooked the entire time. I loved Salem and Caz's chemistry threw out the book. The mystery of this book will keep you guessing until the end.

4/5 🌶️


Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author RuNyx for the early access audiobook of Enigma.

🖤Dark Academia
🖤Secret Society
🖤Steamy Suspense
🖤Gothic Romance
🖤Rivals to Lovers
🖤Forbidden Live

Synopsis:
💫Salem has always been fascinated by death, ever since she was a little girl. She’s a legacy student at Mortimer University, hoping to find answers about what happened to her sister. When she gets there, she finds a body and a strange man named Cazmir on the beach. Cazmir is a mysterious artist and teaching assistant who’s looking for his muse. She’s determined to figure out what’s going on to these girls and with Cazmir’s help, uncover the secret societies, even if it means risking her own life. 💫

My thoughts:
💫I absolutely loved this audiobook! The narrators did an incredible job bringing the story to life. I was particularly drawn to Cazmir’s obsession with Salem. Salem is such a fascinating character, and I loved how both the narrator and the character portrayed her. I was also captivated by her determination to uncover the truth behind her sister’s disappearance and put an end to the deaths. 💫

I was so excited to see RuNyX have a new book out AND get lucky enough to receive an Advance Listener Copy of it. This was my first book by them, though admittedly Gothikana has been sitting in my TBR forever.

I enjoyed the themed and vibes in this book: Dark academia, secret societies, death/murder, revenge, and mild to medium spice.

The narrators were excellent, and that deep male voice gives the “touch her and die” trope a deep grasp on the reader. Hot hot hot.

I didn’t find myself deeply invested in the storyline, though there were great moments of build up. I didn’t feel like there was a lot of character development to really pull this together. I thought the writing was too young/new adult for my personal taste. I still plan to read Gothikana!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I’m not usually much of a dark romance person, but usually that’s because I really need a storyline to carry the book, and this one does. Although the surrounding story did feel a bit rushed, I appreciated the mystery outside of the romance.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Runyx for providing me with the opportunity to listen to this advance listening copy of Enigma.

This is my introduction to Runyx writing.
I didn’t expect to like this story as much as I did. I went into this blind, so I was expecting some magic but that didn’t happen, but that’s okay. This story had everything that I like within a dark academic setting. I had a good time reading this book!

Awesome dark academia!! The connection between Salen and Casimir is steamy and strong. The history between the two families is heartbreaking.

This book has a gothic feel with wealthy school, mystery, secret societies, murder, spicy enemies to lovers. Traumatic back stories and more.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

“She walked around the fire, straight to him, coming at him like a storm in the ocean, ready to drag him underneath.”

I had a great time! I am a sucker for dark academia books with gothic vibes and this book definitely hit those tropes. The beginning started a bit slowly and I had a lot of questions for the first 30% or so but eventually I was finally invested.

“Because the chaos inside me quietens when I’m near you.”

There was so much angst between Caz and Salem! Not to mention all the banter. "She was ice and he was fire", that was a theme within the entire book and I loved every second of it. The romance and spice was a slow burn but once the spice hit, it was SPICY.

The audiobook was great. I highly recommend reading this book that way.

What to expect in Enigma:
-Hades & Persephone mythology
-Dark Academia
-Gothic Vibes
-Secret Society
-FMC obsessed with death
-She must solve her sister’s death
-Artistic bad boy MMC
-He’s her Psych TA
-He becomes obsessed with her
-Spice 🌶️
-Touch her and 💀 vibes
-"Mine” Vibes

thank you to RuNyx, Bramble Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of Enigma in exchange for an honest review! 

In this we follow Salem, who has just arrived at Mortimer University. Salem is secretly searching for answers to what happened to her older sister because the story her family was told just doesn’t add up. On her hunt for information, she discovers her sister wasn’t the only student to mysteriously go missing at the University. Then we meet Caz, the dark and mysterious artist that won’t let Salem out of his sight. As Salem continues trying to uncover the dark secrets of Mortimer, she falls into the dangerous world of secret societies and decides to use her self as bait, much to Caz’s dismay. 

I absolutely devoured this!! This was full of secrets, intrigue, suspense, dark, lush descriptions and lots of chemistry. The audiobook narration was so well done!! 

RuNyx knows how to write a brooding, tortured artist so well! I love Salem and Caz’s characters so much! The romance between Salem and Caz was so fun. Caz definitely had me kicking my feet and giggling at the things he would say to her!! 🤭 His comments to her were so unhinged sometimes and Salem’s reactions to them were priceless!! 

I loved the way they really understood each other’s dark secrets and comforted one another the way nobody else could! I loved following Salem on her journey of solving the mysteries lurking through Mortimer, finding herself and finding people who truly loved her along the way!

I highly recommend this for a twisty, mysterious, and steamy dark academia read!!

This is my first RuNyx story and I’m a fan. It was a great blend of dark academia, secret societies, and romance. Salem is like Wednesday Adam’s meets Nancy Drew - led by her morbid curiosity’s and a persistent investigator. During a macabre encounter under the moonlight, our MMC, Caz, enters the picture. He’s a dark and broody artist with a deep voice and intense energy. I loved how unhinged (in a good way) and possessive/obsessive he became with the FMC as their relationship & the story progressed. Loved the ending and epilogue that gives insight in the future.

The duel narrators were great and engaging storytellers. Excellent pacing, tone, and helped me imagine what these characters may look like couples using their voices. Sometimes the quotes and changes in scenes between chapters threw me off not knowing if part of the story or not, so I look forward to reading the story next time around to catch details I may have missed. Overall I recommend this audiobook.

This was such a gorgeous duel performance by Jaclyn Kelso & Aiden Snow not only an execution, but in delivery!

“ I was looked at, but was never seen.“

— Albert Camus
The misunderstanding

I have so much to say about this wonderful tome. I would first like to start up with my appreciation to MacMillan Audio, the author RuNyx, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for this honest review.

Before I begin, I just would like to advise you to check your trigger warnings before you start this journey. 🌶️🌶️🌶️.75

So many beautiful layers interwoven throughout this story between the multi layer complex characters and the interwoven prose from classics such as The Misunderstanding, Wuthering Heights, and both Emilys (Dickinson and Brontë) to name a few. That not only add depth to the story for the reader, but also provoke thought as the author draws you further into this world. 

Cazimir Van der Waal. A name born not merely of sound, but of science— of unseen forces that draw bodies closer than reason allows. Why does this matter? Because our MMC, christened with these names, embodies those same invisible tethers. The Casimir effect speaks of neutral objects in close proximity, their very presence warping the fabric of space between them until an irresistible force pulls them together. Van der Waals forces, though delicate, are profound whispers of attraction that transcend the strength of chemical bonds. They are ephemeral, yet inescapable. And so too is the gaze of our MMC; meticulous, consuming, and seeing the FMC not as the world has taught her to see herself, but as something elemental. Something worthy. Our FMC Salem Salazar is a soul long dismissed, overlooked, and worn thin by the weight of invisibility. She finds herself altered by his attention, transformed by his unwavering presence. Caz becomes the catalyst for her metamorphosis. And if this name, crafted with both purpose and poetry, does not embody his role in the story, then perhaps nothing ever could.

These two are not merely lovers, they are twin flames drawn together across a chasm of pain, both haunted by the ghosts of their pasts. Both seeking not just redemption or revenge… but resurrection. Their paths, though twisted and shrouded in shadow, were always meant to cross. And when they do, something ancient and undeniable blooms between them. It is more than desire. It is a bond forged in darkness, made luminous through love.

The tale unfolds with the air of a whispered curse. A gothic university veiled in secrets and sorrow sets the stage. Each revelation is delivered with precision; some slowly bled from the text like ink in water, others held until the author chooses to shatter us with them. This deliberate storytelling crafts an atmosphere heavy with mystery and suspense, enticing the reader ever deeper into its dark halls.

It would be easy to mistake this novel for another tale of dark academia romance. But to do so would be a disservice. This is no ordinary love story, it is a requiem, an ode, an incantation. A masterwork of storytelling that binds self discovery, sorrow, passion and purpose, into a world that breathes and bleeds. The author conjures characters so intricately wrought, so painfully real, they seem to step off the page. Their world, rich with lore and layered truths, feels lived in, haunted, and achingly familiar.

Through dual perspectives, we are drawn into the innermost sanctums of both our leads. We walk with them through betrayal, longing, and the slow-burning agony of becoming. Their inner conflicts echo like cathedral bells— resounding, sacred, and impossible to ignore. Their love is not soft, it is a tempest. It is survival. It is sacred alchemy.

Threaded throughout this tale are themes as sharp and aching as winter air: rebirth, resilience, and the fragile audacity of hope. The tension is suffocating in the best of ways, the chemistry electric and earned with every turn of the page.

On the surface, this may appear to be a romance. But it is something more. It is love sculpted from ruin. It is a call to rise when you’ve been broken. It is an echo of the truth that even in your most shattered state, you are not only lovable— you are worth saving.

Where once there was silence, now there is song. Where once there was death, now there is a heartbeat. Memento vivere. Remember to live. And remember this story, for it will linger like a ghost in your bones.

I will carry these characters, and the spellbinding ache of their love, for years to come.

Please note my Amazon review is currently pending