Book Besties Challenge August 2025: Heavenly Darkness

Hello book bestie,

I hope you like the team name I suggested for us. Or do you have any other suggestions?

Book Besties:

heavenlybliss, Queen0fDarkness

Book Titles:

Does It Hurt? by H.D. Carlton - 432 pages✅ (Page 2-6)

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver - 351 pages✅ (Page 6-11)

Total - 783 pages

I was thinking of reading either Perfect Strangers or Midnight Valentine by JT Geissinger. Or Deviant King by Rina Kent. Or Tabula Rasa by Kitty Thomas. Would you be interested in reading any of them or have you read them already? If these don't interest you, I can list some more suggestions.

Give me your list of suggestions too, we can choose one book from each list.

I don't have any triggers except harem/reverse harem, I'm ready to read anything dark romance or psychological thriller with mystery. But preferably a standalone and not a series please.

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

I was thinking of reading either Perfect Strangers or Midnight Valentine by JT Geissinger. Or Deviant King by Rina Kent. Or Tabula Rasa by Kitty Thomas. Would you be interested in reading any of them or have you read them already? If these don't interest you, I can list some more suggestions.

Give me your list of suggestions too, we can choose one book from each list.

I don't have any triggers except harem/reverse harem, I'm ready to read anything dark romance or psychological thriller with mystery. But preferably a standalone and not a series please.

JT Geissinger's books are hit and miss for me She does these twists that you can either love or hate. Midnight Valentine would be my choice if we were to choose her book.

I've already read Deviant King which was a 4* read for me.

The reviews for Kitty Thomas's book didn't look promising for me.

If you've got more suggestions, do give so I can add them to my to-read list.

I've got the following lined up on my list:

Insatiable by Leigh Rivers

Author Sam Mariano: The boy on the Bridge or Descent

Kiss of Death - there's 2 books but you can get them as one in a bundle But the duet is by LP Lovell. Books are Kill me (1) and Kiss me (2).

Twisted Emotions - Cora Reilly. It is part of a series but can be read as standalone though there will be spoilers of the other books within it if you plan to read the others. I've already read the others, but want to read this one this coming month.

Most dark ones are always in series so very little choices. I try going for the ones where you can read as standalone and the others are on other characters just so I'm not left hanging if the first one is crap

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

Hello book bestie,

I hope you like the team name I suggested for us. Or do you have any other suggestions?

Book Besties: heavenlybliss, Queen0fDarkness

Book Titles:

Love our username Very fitting

Originally posted by: Queen0fDarkness

JT Geissinger's books are hit and miss for me She does these twists that you can either love or hate. Midnight Valentine would be my choice if we were to choose her book.

I've already read Deviant King which was a 4* read for me.

The reviews for Kitty Thomas's book didn't look promising for me.

If you've got more suggestions, do give so I can add them to my to-read list.

I've got the following lined up on my list:

Insatiable by Leigh Rivers

Author Sam Mariano: The boy on the Bridge or Descent

Kiss of Death - there's 2 books but you can get them as one in a bundle But the duet is by LP Lovell. Books are Kill me (1) and Kiss me (2).

Twisted Emotions - Cora Reilly. It is part of a series but can be read as standalone though there will be spoilers of the other books within it if you plan to read the others. I've already read the others, but want to read this one this coming month.

Most dark ones are always in series so very little choices. I try going for the ones where you can read as standalone and the others are on other characters just so I'm not left hanging if the first one is crap

These ones are more darker and have heavy triggers so I wasn't sure if youd be okay with them:

Take Me With You by Nina G Jones

Shallow River or Does It Hurt? by HD Carlton

Forgot to add, Fairydale by Veronica Lancet and Rowe by Dylan Page

Have you read The Wild Man by Alex Grayson?

Some not so dark ones:

Ghosted by JM Darhower

The Ghostwriter or Black Lies by Alessandra Torre

All the suggestions you gave are on my TBR but theyre all series except The Boy On The Bridge. And that book is soooo long. I'm afraid if e would even manage to get through 2 books this month.

Originally posted by: Queen0fDarkness

Love our username Very fitting

I was planning on changing it to The Heaven Of Darkness or Heaven Of Dark Reads

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

These ones are more darker and have heavy triggers so I wasn't sure if youd be okay with them:

Take Me With You by Nina G Jones

Shallow River or Does It Hurt? by HD Carlton

Forgot to add, Fairydale by Veronica Lancet and Rowe by Dylan Page

Have you read The Wild Man by Alex Grayson?

Some not so dark ones:

Ghosted by JM Darhower

The Ghostwriter or Black Lies by Alessandra Torre

All the suggestions you gave are on my TBR but theyre all series except The Boy On The Bridge. And that book is soooo long. I'm afraid if e would even manage to get through 2 books this month.

Shallow River or Does It Hurt? by HD Carlton - They're both on my to read list as well. I loved her Cat and Mouse series. I'm good with either.

Take me with you is also on my to read list

Veronica Lancet isn't great for her storytelling. I read one of hers which was very lacking, Morally Corrupt and gave her another chance with another, but I couldn't come to like her writing

No, I hadn't read the Wild Man, but it does seem intriguing.

Lets choose one and see where we get up to. I've got a couple of days break coming up so can read.

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

I was planning on changing it to The Heaven Of Darkness or Heaven Of Dark Reads

Its perfect as is

Originally posted by: Queen0fDarkness

Shallow River or Does It Hurt? by HD Carlton - They're both on my to read list as well. I loved her Cat and Mouse series. I'm good with either.

Take me with you is also on my to read list

Veronica Lancet isn't great for her storytelling. I read one of hers which was very lacking, Morally Corrupt and gave her another chance with another, but I couldn't come to like her writing

No, I hadn't read the Wild Man, but it does seem intriguing.

Lets choose one and see where we get up to. I've got a couple of days break coming up so can read.

I also have these books by Jennifer Hartmann on my TBR:

Irreversible

Claws and Feathers

You wanna read Does It Hurt then? That one looks intriguing.

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

I also have these books by Jennifer Hartmann on my TBR:

Irrevirsible

Claws and Feathers

You wanna read Does It Hurt then? That one looks intriguing.

Yeah, let’s start with Does it Hurt? HD Carlton books I’ve enjoyed so far so hope this will also be a hit for me 😅 I’m finishing up my current read, should be done by tomorrow then on Friday, I can start HD Carlton’s book.

P.s It’s past midnight now so finish my current by tonight 😂 and start the next tomorrow