HE HATES ME BY ISABELLA STARLING AND RINA KENT

5/26/2020

I normally enjoy dark, stalker romances but this one was a bust for me. The sex took over the entire plot and nothing else materialized.

Rating: ★★
Release Date: April 9, 2020
Genre: Dark, Stalker romance. Crime.
Series: The Hate & Love Duet #1
Pages: 255 pages
Format: eBook. Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited.

Once upon a time, there was a monster.

When the night falls, he comes out to harvest souls.

He’s silent and invisible —no one notices when he strikes then retreats to the shadows.

Our paths shouldn’t have crossed, but they do.

One day he sees me.

Then he can’t unsee me.

Once upon a time, there was a monster, a killer, a devil.
My stalker.

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Release Date: April 9, 2020
Actual Rating: 2 stars

Dark Romance | Stalker Romance | Crime

Unfortunately, I didn’t really enjoy this one. My dislike for the novel isn’t because it’s a dark romance. I actually love dark romance novels especially those books that push the limits and make you squirm. While this book did both of those things there was nothing redeemable about the characters. Even more, the important plot points were eaten up by all the rough and angry sex. Fair warning, if you continue reading this review there are probably going to be spoilers.

Possible Spoilers Ahead
As I mentioned, this is a dark, stalker romance. Not only that, this book revolves around some sort of criminal enterprise (sort of like the mafia). The “hero”/stalker (Jasper), is a hired killer for them and has no problems getting his hands dirty. Jasper’s job is to find a kid from his childhood and essentially take him out before he himself gets killed (it’s a “him or me” situation). In this middle of all this he “meets” a woman who catches his eye and essentially starts to “stalk her”. Eventually he ends up going on a date with her and they bang like rabbits in the dirtiest ways they can think of. She loves being his dirty little slut… Seriously. She notices here and there that things are moved in her apartment and her window is open etc. and eventually learns it was Jasper. Does she care? Nope. She gets turned on by it (cue weird eye roll). And on they go, screwing and screwing, and screwing some more. Listen, I don’t mind sex in books. I’m not a prude and have read my share of erotica. But the sex in THIS BOOK ate up the entire plot! The crime seemed like a small backstory instead of the main issue Had it not been for the little twist in the end it would have been pointless for the story. I think this is exactly why I couldn’t get into it. I tried so hard to like it but there’s just nothing for me to like. Perhaps the next book will be more centered on the actual plot and not just the sex.

Another thing that got on my nerves was the “stalker” part. I have read quite a few books about stalkers and their dark romances and loved them. This stalker? I don’t get it. Why call him a stalker and say this is an actual “stalker romance” if it’s not going to come off like one? Yes, he went into her apartment unawares 2 or three times, but nothing was explained ENOUGH for us to SEE it. Here we are being TOLD these things happened but never SHOWN it. For me to feel a book and connect with it I need to see it. That didn’t happen here.

Finally, the heroine was flimsy at best. I think it’s cool that she has these weird fantasies and I loved knowing she has a dark fetish like Jasper but getting to know her on any kind of level was nonexistent. I know nothing about this woman even though I spent the last few hours reading her story. NOTHING besides the fact that she likes feeling like a whore (her words, not mine).

END SPOILERS
Obviously, this wasn’t my kind of book. Some people will love it, others may have the same feelings as I do. Of course, I don’t want to rip the book apart or be mean in my review, but I do have to give my honest opinion and back it up with the things that bothered me. I mean no disrespect and hope readers will look at many of the other reviews before deciding if they want to read this one.

Rating: 2 stars