These Violent Delights is honestly one on the best books I've had the chance to read. It is a triumph of the horror genre, masterfully blending dark academia with psychological horror and toxic co-dependency to create an atmospheric and unforgettable read.

I found the prose comparable to other genre veterans such as M.L. Rio and Donna Tartt - using violence and possession as a toxic form of love which just perfectly draws the reader into the twisted world.

From the first chapter, where the audience is clued in to the horrors we are to expect, I was captivated. This book left me haunted, horrified and enamoured in equal measures and it’s one of those books that will stay with me forever.

I’m not sure if I should be more concerned that someone can write a story like this so magnificently on their first try; or more concerned by how much I enjoyed every single moment. I could have read on forever.

I am not going into detail on the plot (as a story like this needs to be experienced), but all I will say is that this might be one of the easiest 5-star ratings I’ve ever given. The toxic, obsessive, and downright terrifying (in that, I-can’t-look-away-even-if-I-wanted-to way) relationship between Paul and Julian is one of the most incredible achievements of writing that I have found.

If you like twisted stories, an impeding sense of dread and books that invade your brain so entirely your partner will stop you to check you’ve taken your meds (which I had – my brain was just not in the real world); then PLEASE, do yourself a favour and go read this monstrously alluring book.