Wow, Just wow!
I was luckily enough to be able to get an eArc of NetGalley(thankyou so much), although I have had this book preordered since it was announced. I have LOVED everything K.M. Moronova has written, and this book was not any different.
Who doesn't love a tortured man who hates everyone, but her.
Desperately need book two now!

𝙶𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎 𝚅𝚒𝚋𝚎𝚜 : 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮

𝚂𝚕𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚛𝚙 𝚂𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚎 : 🌶️🔥

𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜 : deadly trials | special forces | morally black | badass FMC | dangerous MMC | touch her/him and 💀

𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎 : “Only you seem to drive me to this place of madness. The things I want to do to you are beastly.”

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯 : aha. I’m still trying to collect myself after that ending. But uh, we’re here to start at the beginning.

Emery is in prison. Cameron “Mori” can’t stop killing his partners. So, there’s an open spot.

She appears breakable and innocent. He’s British (hello accent!) and is stunning. They’re both incredibly haunted and drawn to the darkness. Not only does Emery have to make it through trials with all the others giving for her, but she also has to worry about if her partner will kill her.

Somewhere along the way, the girl with pink braids breaks through to the drugged, deadly weapon that is Cameron. Is it enough though?

Will the drugs push him to the limits? Will he be able to save her or find himself killing her before he even realizes? Or will she be able to somehow save them both?

One thing is for sure, you’ll gobble up every word of this book like I did. Holy wow, it was so dang good. I couldn’t put it down. Want proof? It’s 2am. Goodnight world.

Arc review

I'm in love.. with the book, with the characters, with the story, with the aching and emotions Emery and Cameron made me go through, but that ending!!

I need the next book!! Like yesterday.

K.M. Moronova has become one of my favorite authors on repeat now! I went into her last book blind and needed more and had the chance to arc this and wow!!

Let me start off by saying Cameron!! Cameron!! He's my newest addition to my favorite morally grey characters. Because this man is tormented! By his past, by his current situation, by what he can do. Yet, he sees the light that is Emery clashing into his life and the way they both are borderline the same and clash and come together.

It just beautiful!!

Emery, I love how she's not your typical female and how she has a dark past and her own demons to deal with. She's not by any means a saint. Absolutely adored her!

The plot had me on my toes and making me guess what was coming next. The settings we're well written and definitely set the mood for the entire book.

You definitely need to read this book!
Can't wait for the next book.

This book did a complete number on my heart! I loved every agonizing chapter of this book all the way to that last chapter! I fell even more in love with this Dark Forces universe. This book made me feel so many emotions from laughing to crying. I just want to reread this all over again. I loved Emery & Cameron from their past to how morally grey/black they are. This book was dark, steamy, violent and sexy to heart meltingly sweet and to unhinged crazy (but good)!!!! The world building and detailing was everything and more from the side characters to the trauma and trials. K.M. Moronova writes the best books & this one didn’t disappoint and it’s now sitting among the top 10 of my all time favourite reads.

Absolutely 5⭐️! This gave off Hunger Games vibes with a dark/twisted main characters. I could not put this down. K.M Moronova did it again! I am so happy I received this as an ARC. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time reading this.

Our morally black MMC, Cameron has been with the Dark Forces for a few years. He is considered to be one of the most lethal soldiers out on the field. His only probably is that he’s clinically insane and can’t seem to stop unaliving his partners. As punishment he is tasked with going back to the Under and participating in trials with his new partner. His one mission, do not kill his partner.

Emery has just escaped a death sentence for her crimes and is now thrown into the underbelly of the Dark Forces. She must survive the trials in the Under, fend off any cadets out to get her, and protect not just herself but also her heart from her partner, Cameron.

These two burn for one another, but they are just as lethal to one another as well. They are complete opposites but so much alike at the same time. They see each other and understand. But also hate each other for being seen. They feel real. Their relationship is not easy nor is it beautiful, it’s messy and chaotic but it just makes sense. Both compliment each other, both have gone through so much in their past to bring them to where they are.

The pacing of this book was on hots between the tension and pressure of training and trials bringing Cameron and Emery closer together and the action and gruesome unalivings, I did not want it to end! That cliff hanger has me picking my jaw up off the floor. I cannot wait until the next book comes out!

Tropes:
✔️ Forced proximity
✔️ Morally black MMC
✔️ Morally grey FMC
✔️ One bed
✔️ Dark military romance
✔️ Dual POV
✔️ Deadly trials
✔️ Touch her and 💀

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

Don't kill the new girl. Cameron may be one of the most lethal assets in the Dark Forces but, he has a problem - he can't stop killing his partners. Experimental drugs have made him lose control whenever he is with someone else on the field. As punishment, he is thrown back into the Under Trials - the Dark Forces boot camp where only the ruthless survive.

Emery has escaped a death sentence only to be thrown into the violent world of the Dark Forces. Not only must she make it through the Under Trials, but she must survive her partner too.

"You think you're special, don’t you? That I won't tear out your heart?"

OBSESSED. KM Moronova does it again. The way she writes is just so captivating to me. It is raw, aching, and unique. I can't help but fall in love with her characters. Cameron is heartbreakingly broken. While Emery is fiery enough to give you hope. I am so happy that there are more Dark Forces books. I am completely obsessed with Leave Me Behind (a standalone set in the same world) so when I heard there was a duet coming out, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

If you love dark, emotional, bully romances this book is a must read.

I fear my 4.5 may be a 5 star.

This was my first time reading a book from this author and it hooked me from literally chapter one, I could not put it down.

I love dark romance and this author did a perfect job with it here, the writing is very easy to read and take in, the world is described well enough that I can see it in my head and the characters.. Oh I love them.

Emery is probably one of my favourite FMCs I've read in a while. Badass and sensitive, I love that so much. Cameron is hot as hell, obviously. I do like myself a white haired psychopath in a book, unfortunately.

The action parts in this book are what really hooked me. I found myself constantly invested and looking forward to what came next.

I cannot wait for the next book, I'll be preordering I'm sure.

Thank you to the publishers, author and Netgalley for the ARC.

First off, check the TWs!! ⚠️⚠️
This book is absolutely loaded with them, and if you’re a dark romance reader, you’ll be foaming at the mouth.
K.M. Moronova… Queen. Thank you for keeping us fed with the most unhinged, morally grey men I cannot (and will not) get enough of.

We follow Emery, a badass pink-haired killer who gets pulled into the Dark Forces and partnered with Cameron, a man whose reputation literally includes murdering his partners. The attraction between them is instant and intense, but Emery quickly learns that survival in the Under (a deadly training ground where criminals are forced to compete) means never letting your guard down… especially around Cameron.

The banter between them? Addictive.🔥
The chemistry? Off the charts.🧪
The trauma? I felt it in my bones.☠️

✨ Tropes:
-Unhinged MMC
-Killer FMC with pink hair
-Close proximity & military camp survival
-Bloody, action-packed chaos
-Banter & yearning
-Trauma and vulnerability
-Delicious spice & kinks

K.M. Moronova has such a gift for intertwining dark humor with gut-wrenching trauma, and she makes her morally unhinged characters feel so real. Cameron’s constant inner battles, Emery’s fight to prove herself, I was hooked from start to brutal finish. And that ending??? Not me SOBBING, only to scream “WHAT?!?!”
Bloody, addictive, and utterly unforgettable. This book ripped me apart and left me begging for more. Book two cannot come fast enough.

In true KM Moronova fashion I could not put this one down. Cameron and Emery are so heartbreaking broken trying to find comfort in a hopeless place. I felt all the things and that ending ….i cannot.

Finished this in under 24 hours after a month-long reading slump. A dark and slightly toxic romance will truly always hit for me. The plot was so fast-paced and I have SO many unanswered questions - I'm excited to see where the rest of the series goes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Easiest five stars I’ve ever given. I read this in one sitting. This was an absolutely mater piece. I am counting down the days for book 2

It should come as no surprise that this was a 5 star read for me! It was absolutely unforgettable and I will not stop thinking about it for a VERY long time.

I went into this book with high expectations because not only is K M Moronova my favourite author of all time - Leave Me Behind has been one of my favourite reads of the year and I knew it was going to be a difficult one to top.. BUT this exceeded all of my expectations and completely stole my soul.

At the very centre of this storm we have Cam (aka Mori) and Emery, two characters who couldn't be much more different from each other but somehow fit together in the most devastatingly beautiful way. Together they are both volatile and magnetic, meant for eachother on a soul deep level but testing eachothers absolute limits at any given opportunity. Every moment we experience between them is supercharged with emotion, whether it be passion, pain or longing but underneath it all is an undeniable pull that feels fated. As always Moronova does not give us an easy love story, instead we have a raw and complex relationship between two broken people trying to find the light in eachothers darkness.. and it is impeccably written!

Dark romance lovers, I suggest you clear your schedule for when this releases because TRUST ME.. you are not going to want to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Publishing for the ARC.

This book does not start off slow! You are immediately introduced to Cameron and get a look at a little problem that he’s been having. That was sarcasm. It’s not a little problem. It’s a really big problem. Next you are introduced to Emery and why she finds herself where she has few options. These two have immediate chemistry even if it is doomed. I love this Dark Forces world. It’s such an interesting concept and you will immediately be pulled into all of the darkness that surrounds these people. This is not a book for the faint of heart, but if you like dark and traumatizing, you should love it!

This book is fast paced. Violent, romantic, and so intriguing! Once I started, I didn’t want to put the book down. It’s like a car wreck you can’t help but look at.

The story follows Cameron and Emery as they are thrust into The Under, a Dark Forces Military training program. The two are paired up together and not only have to succeed in the training program but Emery needs to navigate Cameron’s biggest red flag... he can’t stop killing his partners.

You can really see the relationship between the two MC’s, Cam and Emery, develop as the book progresses. I really enjoyed the plot driving the relationship and not the other way around.

I went into this blind, having not read Leave Me Behind but I ate this book up. I'm always a bit weary of dark romances but I loved this and absolutely loved Cam more than I probably should. I cannot wait for the next one already and have added Leave Me Behind to my tbr.

KM Moronova does it again!!!!
This book is dark and twisty and I absolutely loved every moment of it.
Cameron and Emery are everything! She makes him fumble and yearn and he tries so damn hard not to but his POV's are PERFECT. Emery is just so badass, KM Moronova can write the perfect badass FMC.
The ending had be GASPING and GAGGING for book two!!!

Thank you for this ARC!

The emotional damage in this one is intense! This book is a real page-turner and kept me on chokehold until the end! I was a bit disappointed by the cliffhanger though, this specific trope has been used and re-used and it felt like it was the easy way to end the first book….. but then it still works and makes me want to read book two so I guess it’s good in this way.

I didn’t expect some scenes to be THAT gruesome though (it’s good the warnings at there) and there was too many of those scenes for me…. The fact that the main characters were so mentally dark also made some of their reactions unrealistic. This is a 3.5 ⭐️ for me.

Well, I just found another fav author!!!! Holy shit this book was good!!! I love me some good soul shatterinng, heart stomping reads. I read this book so freakin fast. Devoured it more like.

If you like:
🔪 Forced Proximity
🔪One Bed
🔪Enemies to lovers
🔪Deadly Trials
🔪Dark Romance
🔪 Dual POV

The way this book grabbed me and held tight. The tension, the havoc, did I mention the tension? You could cut it with a knife between Cam and Emery. They were like magnets pulling to each other, no matter what they wanted. The truama they both experienced throughout their short lives. Ughhh, just all the feels. Cameron literally broke my heart on every page.
The ending?! Sweet lawwdd. Cannot wait for book 2.

Thank you so much @k.m.moronova , @read_bloom and @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: Do not start this book if you have something to do like go to work or school because you will be so upset when you get hooked on this book and are counting down the seconds until you can get back to it.

Plot: 5/5 Spice: 3/5

While set in the Dark Forces universe, this takes place 10 years before Leave Me Behind so no big deal if you've read it or not. We are introduced to our anti-hero, Cameron. The heartless British soldier with no family or friends but is the perfect killer. He's 3 for 3 on killing his previous partners, not on purpose but due to side effects from an experimental drug he's on to becoming the perfect soldier who doesn't feel pain. They "recruit" Emery, as his next partner. She's smart, beautiful, with a deadly past. His goal is to not kill her while her goal is to stay alive. They are thrown into a deadly boot camp and defeat the Under Trials to test if they can survive long enough to make it to a squad. This is their story.

KM does it again, hook, line, and sinker. I've fallen in love with these characters and she has you reconsidering that even villains deserve a chance at happiness. Everyone in this story has a dark past, because how else could they end up working for the Dark Forces? Watching the internal struggle that Cam battles with is heartbreaking and you just want him to defeat his inner demons so he can make it to the end by saving Em instead of killing her. The scene where he defends her and asserts his dominance? *chef's kiss* I have too many questions and not enough answers. No surprise that there is a cliffhanger since Book 2 will be released later this year and I can't bloody wait!

Thank you firstly, to k m moronova and net galley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest.Review

I'm absolutely obsessed with the dark forces world. I ate it up the first book and Cameron. And Emery are wonderful characters, both very broken, both very dangerous, I loved their dynamic and how they were kind of like due north for each other and I really enjoyed that they were both always seem to be in danger somehow and how Cameron always came to her rescue when she didn't need rescuing. I can't wait for book 2. I just need more from the dark forces.