ARC Review – ★★★★☆

Chemical Souls felt like a twisted Black Mirror episode collided with a haunting fairytale—in the best way possible. The atmosphere is dark, obsessive, and undeniably addictive.

The two main characters are absolutely vile (and that’s part of the charm); I couldn’t look away from their toxic dynamic. There’s a major twist that completely caught me off guard, and I loved it for that. I devoured this book in just three days, and it still hasn’t left my mind.

If you’re a fan of shows like You (on Netflix), this book will be right up your alley. It’s not overly gory, but it deals heavily with themes of death and intense stalking. Definitely one for readers who enjoy darker characters and psychological tension.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!
#ChemicalSouls #ARCReview #Thriller #PsychologicalThriller #DarkFiction #MorallyGray #IntenseReads #QuickReads #NetGalley #2025Books #HighlyAddictive

Chemical Souls is a short but gripping read that takes the stalker trope in a fresh and unexpected direction. I have been wanting a story that explored the question, “What happens if the stalker gets bored?” and this book absolutely delivered.

The story follows Patrick Carline, a man who signs up for a soulmate matching service that claims to find perfect partners through a chemical DNA process. During his intake interview, he meets Margaret Warren, the woman evaluating him, and there is an immediate spark between them. What begins as a seemingly ordinary matchmaking process quickly becomes something much darker and far more tangled.

The connection between Patrick and Margaret is intense, magnetic and unsettling. As the layers of their personalities and pasts start to peel back, the line between passion and danger becomes almost impossible to separate. The book thrives on its psychological tension, keeping you on edge while also exploring the thrill of connection and the fragility of excitement in a relationship built on extremes.

Roxana M. Rotaru delivers a fast paced, darkly fascinating romance that is both twisted and thought provoking. It is the kind of story that keeps you reading just to see how far the characters will go for love and what happens when the thrill begins to fade.

Based on the blurb I knew it would be entirely my sort of thing but I wasn’t fully sure what to expect.

The use of description was excellent and at times extremely vivid and immersive. There are periods that Margaret and Patrick are talking that I felt like I was in the room.

I didn’t care all that much about Patrick solely because the author made Margaret so perfect. She was magnetic and I wish I could have seen more of the story through her eyes.

My only issue with this book is I will have to read it again as I completely misunderstood the first couple of chapters.

For fans of YOU, toxic obsessive love, character-driven plots, and ambiguous endings.

A very different approach to the soulmates trope, with lots of philosophical and psychological discussions.
I found the writing style a little dialogue-heavy, and while this is not my favorite style, I still enjoyed the idea behind this and found it well-written and unique.

The cover is spectacular.

It wasn't easy for me to get into the story and I found it hard to stick with it at first. But the premise is interesting and my curiosity was certainly sparked after the first few chapters.

The writing style itself is very beautiful and made reading much easier. The sentences seem well thought out, the concepts and different points of focus are interesting and often very aptly embedded. Sentence by sentence or paragraph by paragraph, there is a lot to think about. Nevertheless, it is difficult to recognise a continuous narrative flow, as the plot often seems bumpy and somewhat scattered.

Character development is definitely part of the story and also takes up a lot of space. However, the characters weren't really tangible or comprehensible for me. A lot of things seemed to be hinted at rather than clearly worked out, so I found it difficult to sympathise with the characters.

I found it easier to read after the first few chapters, mainly because of the small stories within the story and the writing style. The themes revolve around human experiences, the discrepancy between expectations and reality, and how one shapes and deals with one's own perceptions.

Some twists I saw coming, others surprised me, which gave the story some good moments. The ending picks up on a lot of interesting thoughts and discussion points, but ultimately doesn't offer a satisfying conclusion for me personally, but again has a few loose threads that are thought-provoking.

Overall, a book with lots of exciting ideas and some good moments, but I was more captivated by the sentences than the overall story.

ARC review
Publication date 1 November 2025.

"Chemical Souls" by Roxana M. Rotaru is a dark, psychological romance.

I received an e-ARC from the author (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

What you can expect:
- morally gray characters
- obsession
- unreliable narrator
- multiple perspectives and timelines (nonlinear storytelling)
- tension

The cover and description got my attention and convinced me to read this book.
Even if it is a short read, the characters and story are well developed.
I liked the writing from the start. There is a dark atmosphere and a phycological tension that kept me intrigued.

If Patrick's obsession was hinted from the description, the twist about Margaret was unexpected.
They have an unhealthy connection and the story turns darker as you keep reading.

This is a story different to what I usually read and it is not a romance.
Still, I read it in one sitting and I would read more books form the author.

I loved this book! This is a mixed media psychological thriller that follows the romance between Patrick and Margaret. I am not going to give more details about this book because I think you should go into this blind like I did. The reason why is because after I went back to read the synopsis, I was glad I went into it blind. The way this book is written, it is better to go into it blind so you can be more drawn into the story. I highly recommend you checking out this book. It will release on 11/1/2025. I am thankful to the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read the advanced copy of this book.

First of all: this cover?? Made me immediately request a copy and drop everything I was doing to read this. The characters wearing gas masks as a metaphor for the two of them being some of the most toxic people?? Especially in romantic relationships?? Iconic.

The first couple chapters had me HOOKED. What a way to set up the story. And it had me binging this book to see how things played out.

One of my biggest challenges though with this book was the frequent switching of POVs with no indication that the POV switched, so I had to go back and reread sections multiple times to figure out whose perspective it was.

But! With that said! There were so many times that I was like “oh this is how it ends - I know exactly what’s going to happen” and this book HUMBLED me with all the twists and for that I say thank you. Cause that’s the core of a great book - I don’t want to predict the ending. Loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced e-arc copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.❤️

I was initially drawn to this book by the cover and the description. By the time I read to 60% I felt like no progress had been made. The MMC needed a therapy sesh, not to find a soulmate.