I was groomed to hate Damon Maxwell, but he insisted I was destined to be his.
One night with a stranger. It was supposed to be an anonymous experience with no victims. Except I found myself face-to-face with my nemesis, further escalating the tension between our quarreling families.
I was groomed to hate Damon Maxwell, but he insisted I was destined to be his. He was the last man who should’ve caught my attention, the man accused of doing my family wrong. They wanted revenge, and they wanted me to be the one to deliver it. With the red flags piling up against him, it was getting harder to deny them.
Was my family right to accuse him as the villain?
Or was the world right to label him the golden boy?
Who was right? Who was wrong? Most importantly, whodunit?
*Fatal Obsession can be read as a standalone or enjoyed after 5000 Nights of Obsession by Drethi A. Damon isn’t a normal romance hero and, in fact, shouldn't be considered a hero at all. Check the author's content warnings before proceeding in case his actions offend you.
Uffff… UFFFFFF… this was 🥵. I gotta love me a dedicated man, and this man right here is DEDICATED with all the capital Ds (if you know what I mean 😜… hey! I rhymed 🤣👏🏻).
Romeo and Juliet is one of my favorite plays ever… not only when I was a student, but when I’ve taught it… so I was geeking out when this was announced 😅.
This is the way Romeo and Juliet should’ve ended 😭.
Damon (21-25) first sees Poppy (14-18) when she’s 14, right before her father passes away, and he feels some type of way for her. He realizes she’s not like a normal girl; plus, he knows what it’s like to lose a parent; he lost his mom when he was younger himself so he can connect to her in that respect. Then she loses her grandmother months after her father around the same time her mom remarries another man (H from book 1), so she’s feeling lost. On top of all of this, there’s a family feud going on because of his dad 😬.
But don’t you worry Poppy, Damon’s gonna be around to make sure you’re alright. He knows your mental state isn’t the strongest, so he’s gonna take care of you from afar…
Whether you know it or not 😅👀. Because once you turn 18, it’s on 😮💨. Nothing’s gonna stop him from getting his obsession…
Well, almost nothing 😅. You see, Juliet’s cousin… whoops, I mean Poppy’s cousin (sorry, my lit/English background came out) gets murdered 😱 and the signs point to one suspect 😬.
And just like the play, a death like this isn’t gonna stop these love birds, star-crossed lovers from getting together…
Or maybe Damon’s not gonna let it happen 😅.
Let the wooing begin 😉.
What I loved/liked: possible spoilers —how OTT obsessed Damon is 👀. Don’t you tell him no. Don’t you tell him he can’t. Because he’s gonna do whatever he needs to do to get his Juliet/Poppy 👏🏻
—how OTT JP he is 😅. I mean 💅 he takes care of all his competition 🤷🏻♀️
—he handcuffs her… to him 👀🤣. Look. I don’t make the rules 🤷🏻♀️. He wants to make sure she’s safe 💁🏻♀️
—he’s been celibate ❤️. Sigh. In true obsessive fashion, he has his eyes set on Poppy and he’s gonna leave them there (unlike so many other “obsessed” heroes 🙄. Damon is the real deal 👏🏻)
—no ow for Damon 💁🏻♀️. Did Damon really use a woman’s number on a napkin to help a stranger blow his nose? Yes he did 🤣💅
—the tension 😮💨. Ufff. Poppy might think she doesn’t want him, but Damon knows better 💅. He will seduce, blackmail, cajole, invade, all in the name of love…and, well, 🔥 lol let’s be honest 🫠
—the 🔥. This was spicier than book 1 🥵. By 18%, it goes allllllll the way 😮💨. The way these two connect is 🫠. Don’t threaten them with a good time 😅
—inch by inch 😅. I need to send Poppy’s 🐱 some ice… lol poor girl 😉 but also. You do you boo 👏🏻 I’ll pray for your V 🤣
—Damon loves a hearty breakfast 🥵. I love me a man that loves eating cereal
—breeeeeding 👀. Damon has goals in mind 😉
—dubcon ish/noncon ish 🫠
—SOMNOPHILIA 😈
—the banter 🤣. These two are amazing 😅. They’re enemies, so of course we’re gonna get some tension, but it’s also filled with banter. I luuurved it 😈
—the panic room scene 🤣🤣🤣🤣😈
—the way Damon cleans up Poppy’s messes 🥹. Awww! I just luv you 🥹
—ZANE AND PIYA 👀. These two will never be separated, not even in death 😅
—Damon seeking revenge on Poppy’s past 💅. What can I say 🤷🏻♀️ he’s obsessed
—how protective he is ❤️. He does all he can for his woman 🥹
—Poppy getting back at Zane 😅. I tried not to giggle but I couldn’t help it 🤣
—the audacity from both MCs 🤣. Sometimes, I couldn’t believe what I was reading 😅
—he calls her baby 🫠
What I didn’t care for/wanted more of: —the FF scene 😅. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Luckily, Damon only has eyes for Poppy. I’m a jealous person though, and I don’t like sharing my man 🤣. Luckily. The only “sharing” that was happening was with Poppy 😅. And then, Damon kicks the ow out 🤣👏🏻 he doesn’t wanna share either 🤣
—more 🔥. I mean. I’ll pray for Poppy’s 🐱 each and every time 😅. Lucky girl 🔥
—a better relationship between Zane and Poppy 😬. This was tough 😬. But it makes sense 🤷🏻♀️. So I didn’t exactly dislike it too much
Overall, I loved this!!! We even get a bit of a mystery with Poppy’s cousin’s murder
⚠️safety squad⚠️ -no cheating -dubcon ish/noncon ish -brief sharing: FFM scene (both service the h) -mental health/antisocial personality disorder/neurodivergent -suicidal thoughts/ideation -death of a parent/aftermath -violence/deaths -OWD: there’s an FF scene (ow does down on the h). It’s before the MCs are together (but after the H is interested in the h) -OMD: there’s a man the h’s grandma tries setting her up with. He gets taken care of 😅 -breeding/biting/marking/hand necklace/anal play -no condoms/she’s on the pill/he’s been celibate for years and she hasn’t had sex in a year -HEA/epilogue
Side note pls don’t comment or share my review w the author let’s not be assholes and act like kids kay xoxo.
This didn’t feel like a dark romance to me. to be perfectly honest The characters actions and personalities or rather lack of personality’s don’t vibe well at all with the story.
For instance Damon’s character is supposedly introduced as this tight laced domineering alpha male. Who has a deep dark obsession w the female main character “Poppy”. But it missed the mark for me bc quite frankly we are never really introduced to why he has this obsession w poppy or why he’s so obsessed w her.
Now I get it I don’t need any kind of reason as the next girl for a good psycho staked obsessed story… but if it’s rival family’s. they’ve know each other most of their lives and all these other tropes the author includes in the story .. I personally am going to need a more show me instead of a tell me why he’s so obsessed.
The age gap didn’t work here bc again it didn’t make a lot of sense for it to be there. it added nothing to the story of their relationship it was completely insignificant. It wasn’t even a taboo factor for her to be too young for him bc … that wasn’t even an issue of them being together.
To be perfectly honest they didn’t even have any issues to be together more like the author was trying to build some but never quite reaching the full mark or giving it enough reason for them not to be together.
It was mostly the heroine saying “ no I can’t do this to my family or my cousin who’s in love w you”
“ side not the cousin is not in love w him she just had a crush that the hero didn’t return”
Also this book is just boring bc the characters are boring they don’t have any personality to make their pov seem entertaining nor any depth to understand the way they think or feel.
And I’m trying to be less mean in my reviews but it was … cringy like the way the hero was like “ omg poppy’s a bad bitch queen just my type” STFU YOU WHITE BOY WANNA BE IN THE SHADOWNS GANGSTER.
It also seemed the author was trying to make poppy have a psycho personality like the bio father *from the previous book on This series*“ who pls is the least psycho hero I’ve ever read in my life 🙄🙄”
But she came off more like “ I’m not like other girls or I’m so different no one understands me” blah cry me a river girl .
Also can I just say how is her bio father supposed to come of cruel and genuinely psychotic when he has the personality of a third grade boy pulling Elementary level temper tantrums.
What’s the worst thing he’s done to poppy? He cut off all the photos w her stepdad that she grew up with bc he’s so jealous that his wife was happy w this man. so they can’t ever remember him or dare to speak his name in front of him……………………… what is he a 12 year old boy loosing his first crush while his mom picks him up in the pick up lane blasting “ bring me to life by evanescence”.
He didn’t really give off “ psycho” vibes
The romance or again imo lack of wasn’t there nor was the lust built up desperation… it’s just felt all so meh.
Also it’s kinda sad when a F/F scene is hotter than the actual sex scenes w the main couple. And for a hero who was JP the way he handled that was laughable.
His former fuck buddy/ friend arranges for her and him to have a threesome w the heroine only the heroine is blindfolded so she doesn’t know he’s there yet and the hero didn’t agree to this but bc he’s so obsessed w her he wants his former eff buddy to leave but she doesn’t so he goes down on the heroine while the eff busy sucks the heroines nipples and the heroine fingers her to orgasim.
But conveniently the hero doesn’t notice this till after their done so he gets mad and kicks her out and sorta forced himself on the heroine bc “she’s his” 🙄
Anyway as to “ punish” his friend for touching the heroine he steals her phone and vandalizes her car even tho she’s rich and can get a new one and a new phone…… wow man I’m quaking in my boots over the terror you showed her.
Plss the most this guy did was glare/glower at people
All I could think was if any other dark romance hero would have handled that bitch if they messed w the heroine. oh wow he stole her phone.
Safety
There is a threesome of sorts at the very beginning of the book.
Besides that no sharing of OW/OM drama
No cheating Sorta non con Sorta dub con No condoms Breeding
Guilt-ridden by the abhorrent behavior of his father, Damon Maxwell was merely trying to ensure Poppy Ambani’s safety when he became entranced.
On the worst day of her life, Poppy is soothed by the presence of another who remains hidden from view. Suffering another loss, she’s again comforted by her shadowed protector. As the days wear on, her mysterious guardian continues shielding and caring for her from the behind the scenes.
So… Yeah. Damon is next-level unhinged and I’m here for it. Relentless in his pursuit, with no fcuks to give, red flags rain down like confetti. I’m a simp for an unwavering hero. Not only does he not go soft, he makes it his mission to know Poppy better than himself. This not only serves his cause, but enables him to be the caretaker she didn’t even know she needed. Moreover, he embraces her unique personality traits, never expecting her to alter her behavior.
Just as I said with with 5,000 Nights, I would have liked to see more spice. Particularly because of the nature of their relationship and their explosive chemistry. However, just like with her parent’s story, I was invested in their story regardless.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥1/2 Darkness: 🩶🩶🩶🩶 Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Range of Emotions: 🥺🤫🥵😳😍 Ending: 💗 {HEA} POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}
✨ Tropes: Age Gap (7), Billionaire/Rich AF, Family Saga, Forbidden, Forced Marriage, Kidnap/Captive, Stalker 💫 Microtropes: Boy Obsessed, He Falls First, Manipulation, MINE!, Neurodivergent, One Night Stand, OTT Jealous/Possessive, Touch-Her-and-💀
⚠️ Warning: This steamy read will leave your panties wet and reaching for BOB.
🚩 Safety Squad: Druggėd, DubCon, and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Fatal Obsession is part of the Tales of Obsession series, but can be read as a standalone. While no other books need to be read in order to follow the story, reading prior books may enhance the experience.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
I love retellings of tragic and obsessed love, but ever since the show Wednesday, I have been dying to write about a Psychopath heroine. Poppy's character is heavily inspired by Wednesday Addams. This story will also sport my favorite characteristics in male leads, such as an obsessed, morally gray stalker, who happens to be a celebrity. I hope you enjoy this story.
Drethi Anis decided to make my whole year by delivering this ARC on the 1st of the year. like imagine my shock after waking up post NYE hungover and seeing an email that my ARC is available for download. u best believe i dropped everything to binge the entire book. and that is just what i did. the entire book in a mere few hours.
words can’t describe how much i enjoyed this book. i cant believe i’m falling for yet another blonde man! not gonna lie, Damon Maxwell gives very much dark hair energy but 2024 is paving way to the rise of blonde men and i swear by it! i was salivating at the MOUTH for this book ever since it was announced. like ur girl has been waiting for almost a year bc the tropes are just TO DIE FOR. ie: - stalker romance - forced seduction - BC tampering 🤭🤭 - size difference - obsessive/possessive H - romeo & juliet retelling honestly what more could i want?? this book completely knocked it out of the park. Drethi has such a way of writing her male characters. i could not get over my love for Damon Maxwell. this man was ruthless and only had one thing in his mind and it was his love and obsession for Poppy. this man did EVERYTHING for her. from stalking her for years and loving her afar to the vulnerable moments we see that he truly cannot live without her was unlike anything i have read. my heart was in shambles when he was suffering over his obsession for her😫😫 like Drethi, please stop making me feel bad for a man! but gosh, i could not get over him. his POV was everything i could’ve imagined for a person that is so obsessed and worships the ground Poppy walks on. not the mention everything he has done to protect her day in and day out. everything he has done was for her and that’s why i can’t fault him for his extremely manipulative tendencies❤️
now Poppy was cool as fuck. she is neurodivergent and non empathic like her father (Axel) so this girl was fucking badass. i liked that she was non empathic but still understood that other people had emotions and learned to adapt. i also was super sad about her grieving her dead stepfather. i was also really sad that her real father, Axel and her don’t get along and was always at each other’s throats which i kind of understood because they are SO similar to each other but it kinda made me sad. thank god, we got a little bit of closure near the end.
this book was jam packed with so much love, devotion, obsession, and even a murder mystery-ish plot.
safety: SPOILERS~~ no virgins * H is 25 and h is 18 when they started their relationship * h is bisexual * H has stalked h since she was 14 but never laid a hand on her * OMD: h’s grandma tries setting her up with another guy. H gets jealous and takes care of him💅 * OMD: h has been with 4 people in the past. H takes care of them💅 * OWD (slight): opening scene H’s ex hookup buddy convinced him to have a threesome. he only agrees bc he knows who the threesome is with (the heroine, Poppy, is apart of the threesome) so he joins but kicks his ex hookup buddy out to have Poppy all to himself * OMD: Poppy is being eaten out by H’s ex hook up buddy (Sophie) before Damon enters the supposed ‘threesome’ but kicks Sophie out
Despite its 488 page length, I don't have much to say about this book.
From protector to stalker
The MMC, Damon's evolution from protector to stalker was the best part of the book. Unlike many other stalker books, it wasn't her looks that made him want to watch over her. It was guilt. Guilt over the way he couldn't protect his own mother, guilt over the wrongs done by his family to hers.
With time, his observations revealed a person he found fascinating. That fascination turns to obsession.
The way he plans his life around hers was a delight to read. It was all about unwavering consistency, which is the reason I've started to love dark romances.
Wednesday Addams inspired FMC
The FMC, Poppy is neurodivergent and has a personality disorder.
It was fun to read about a heroine that doesn't cry or has any sort of strong emotions. Sadly, the author might've taken it a bit far because, well, she was kinda boring. Even all the 'dark, crazy' things she does, like setting a car on fire or having other people beaten, were so detached it took away some of the fun.
If she doesn't go full evil joker-laugh, then how are we supposed to enjoy it? Her chapters were subdued and even the temporary angst when she thinks the hero has broken her trust is muted.
Smut?? Where have you gone??
The steam is introduced relatively early in Chapter 7 (if I remember correctly) and it was really hot!
I was sooo excited for more but, honestly it goes downhill from there. It takes a very long time for the next steamy scene and for some reason it never had the same intensity from the first again.
Final thoughts
This book started out super strong. I was devouring the pages. After their first encounter the story starts to lag. My interest went steadily down with sooo many side plots, overly detailed plans that are revealed too slowly and her reasons for not giving Damon a chance.
I did like the last bit when she becomes just as obsessed and gets itchy and restless when separated from him. Extreme co-dependency 🔥 So hot when it's fiction. But that was maybe around the 90%? We barely got to enjoy it...
Also, I took a full star because of Zane, the step-father/bio father. Blackmailing a 14 year old girl? Yeah, no. ✋
This book should've ended with Damon presenting Zane's head to her in a platter. That's how you show your true twisted love and devotion❤️🩹✨ (I don't care that Zane and Poppy's mom are the MCs of the previous book 👎)
Stats: Real Rating: 3.5/5 🌟 Tropes: touch-her-and-die, OTT possessive H, Wednesday-inspired h, handcuff-her-to-me-trope, mild-romeo-juliet-vibes, dub-con (almost no non-con depending on your trigger), Stalker, boy-obsessed Hero: Damon Maxwell. Not a V. Did not get man-ho vibes. Celibate. Loyal, won't even look at OW. Heroine: Poppy Ambani Not a V. Bisexual Queen 👸🏽
I had hooked up with men and women before, but never both simultaneously
OW: Yes/No Maybe? Scroll all the way below ⬇️ for details (as they may have some spoilers):
Review:
I wish the author aged our characters a bit more. Because of the age-restraints it was nearly impossible to connect with any of them. Also, Poppy hooking up with people only once a year was a bit unrealistic to me. Made no sense and I didn't like it. Though I think, Damon was celibate during these years. Call me a hypocrite but I don't care, I like that.
Sex was something I used to participate in once a year, and now I couldn’t fathom going half a day without it.
Damon was obsessed with Poppy when he first saw her. Followed her for years. Broke into her apartment while she was Sleeping! #goals
A stranger intruded on her space and private time to mourn, yet she didn’t seem perturbed or ask them/me to leave.
Poppy definitely inherited her bio-dad (axel's) Anti-Social Personality Disorder's traits
Tread carefully, Maxwell. I’m not infatuation material. I’m cold and indifferent. If you died tomorrow, I wouldn’t shed a single tear. Not because I don’t want to but because my brain isn’t wired that way. I can’t love or express emotions, and I have nothing to offer you.”
Damon is soooo possessive over Poppy, this next line gave me Zade vibes. He goes around finding people Poppy has been with and either wrecks them up or their future. He is 👏🏼un-apologetic 👏🏼 in his territorialism. “Never do that again,” the dark, seductive voice breathed with lethal fury. “Not unless you want them to pay.” “Pay?” “Never let anyone touch you again, or I’ll make them pay. I’ll mail you their body parts piece by piece.”
Damon's follows her around/stalks her for YEARS. YEARS while he waits till she comes of age. I left a party with hundreds of people waiting for me, press, camera, action, you name it. Yet, this was how I chose to spend my night. Next to an unconscious seventeen-year-old, coming on her bed to lewd fantasies of her.
"How long have you waited for me?” “Years. I’ve loved you for years, Poppy.”
We also get a beautiful Wednesday dance scene: While others on the dance floor thought I was summoning spirits, Damon stared at me with adoration, mesmerized by my odd dancing.
Damon forces/drugs/tricks/lies/kidnaps her into marrying him. “Always running from me, aren’t you? Cold feet won’t get you out of this one. It’s happening, baby.” "No.”
“Baby, I know this isn’t how you wanted it to happen, but it’s still our wedding. Try to make the best of it.”
You belong to me. You’re finally all mine, and I’m going to use this body over and over until you realize it, too.” “But you’ve always asked me if I wanted this,” I couldn’t help objecting. Even the first time when I was blindfolded, Damon let it be my decision. “I needed you to trust me.” Damon no longer cared about permission or shattering my trust. I was his, which apparently meant he could do as he pleased.
Damon depended on Poppy for his emotional support. Almost like Milo… if he didn’t have access to her, he would loose it. I depended on Poppy to function(..) If I went a day without seeing Poppy's face, others barely survived my wrath. Those were the days I wanted to fuck her so bad it was all I thought about instead of doing one lick of work. I'd blow up on people randomly. I saw the fear in their eyes and didn't know how to tamper down my anger. Since Poppy and I started up, I was once more a sea of calm. She was my reason to breathe, to live, to get up in the morning. I would do anything for her except give her up.
Damon has his "breeding" tendencies. 😪 “I swear to God, if you ever put yourself at risk again, you’ll be tied to my bed until the day you give birth,”
OW Drama Details:
OW 1: Rose Poppy's cousin. Is absent most of the book. Damon is not interested. Rose has amajor crush on Damon. She texts him (nothing catty or promiscuious. Innocent like a friend) Throughout the years, Damon keeps the line of communications open because he wants to have a line to Poppy. But he never leads her on.We are safe in this aspect. In fact the next book will be about Rose and Caden (Damon's twin). Drethi has an incredible opprtunity to do something funny here with the sleeping beauty trope.
According to those texts, you were the first person she opened up to apart from me. I didn’t want to be the person taking that away from her.” Damon scoffed. “Trust me, you didn’t. Because I’ve always been yours.”
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️SPOILER NEXT⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ OW 2: Sophie The reason for the drop in 1 star rating. She and Damon (as is revealed in the book) used to hook up in the past. Nothing on page. When she expresses her intentions to hook up with Poppy, Damon looses it and tells her to stay away from Poppy. Sophie takes that as a challenge and decides to ignore him. She baits Poppy and Poppy accepts for reasons I will not spoil for the sake of the book.
At this point our protaganists have not even had an official conversation yet. AND this is in chapter 5. I say this as Damon and Poppy have always known the other existed but never officially spoken.
Sophie and Poppy hook up one time and suddenly Damon shows up. Poppy is blind-folded here so she doesn't know it is Damon. Damon did not come to hook with with 2 girls, but to prevent them from hooking up. As at this point he is already obsessed with Poppy and Poppy doesn't know it. When Damon tries multiple times to get Sophie kicked out of the room, Poppy (still blindfolded) disagrees for safety reasons. So Damon relegates Sophie to the corner of the bed (this was hilarious). Here while he is going down on Poppy, Poppy hooks up (?) with Sophie again (he cannot see as he is focused 👀 elewhere *ahem*. When he finds out, he looses it, kicks sophie out and he and Poppy hook up.
The orgasm I shared with her seemed inconsequential compared to the experience of seeing divinity
To the credit of the author: She could've easily used this scene to make the H love a threesome with two girls but she didn't. In fact, it gets increasingly clear in the scene that Damon did NOT want a threesome. Again, this happens in Chapter 5.
“After I overheard Sophie sniffing around about you, I asked her to stay the hell away.” The edge in Damon’s voice returned. This time, it was pure jealousy. “It only piqued her interest, and she approached you anyway.”
“Then why did you come to my room?”
“I told you. I recently found out what you did on ****. I went to that party to stop you from sleeping with someone else and memorized the layout of the house. When Sophie texted me at the party to meet up, she sent the directions to your room. I realized she had gone back on her word and propositioned you. So, I wrecked her car.” *** to prevent spoilers.
This may bother a few readers and as I am a safety reviewer I have to warn my audiences. IMO you can skip this chapter if you want. TO CLARIFY: Damon doesn’t hook up with Sophie again. In fact he doesn’t even touch her again. ❤️❤️❤️ ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️SPOILER OVER⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
OW 3: This one is a combined general OW tag. Whenever Damon and Poppy go out in the city, girls openly ogle Damon and try their hardest to get their attention. He is not interested. In fact, one time a hostess was a little rude to Poppy and Damon put her in her place (in Poppy's absence) and made it known that the hostess was being disrespectful to Poppy.
One waitress at a different scene tries her harded to flirt with Damon pretending Poppy isn't there and Damon pays her no mind. Even tho poppy and Damon are sitting next to each other, she wiggles in between them and drapes herself onto Damon. when she leaves, he Poppy's chair next to his. Major vibes ⬇️
when she shameslessly drops a napkin with her number when she delivers Damon's drink, he doesn't even look at it. In fact, when someone sneezes (or coughs) on the table, he offers that person that napkin 😭 This scene was HILARIOUS.
Chapter 18!!!!!! I am fuggin CACKLING like a lunatic Disney villain 😂😂😂😂 muahahahaha, this shiet ain't out yet but Holly shiet...... 😂😂😂😂😂 have fun with chapter 18. All of it. 😍😍😍😂😂😂😂
And chapter 25.....and 26 😂😂😂😂😂😏 that princess bride reference is ma favvvooooorrrrriiiiittttteeeeee 😂😂😂😂
I think I have read everything this author has written and all of her books are well written, interesting, and just different from all the other books I read.
Poppy is the daughter from 5000 nights (loved that book too!!!!!!) and this is her story with damon, the CEO son of a rival company. I love that she's a smart, neurodivergent Adams family Wednesday-type of h and I've honestly never read a heroine like her.
The beginning official meeting of Damon and Poppy made me kinda uncomfortable. Poppy is having sexual relations with a girl named Sophie because Poppy wants to get information out of Sophie regarding her cousins death. Sophie calls Damon into Poppy room during a party and we learn that Damon and Sophie have been together before 😳😐😐 me no likey that part 😔😬 Sophie ties Poppy to the bed blindfolded and Damon comes in and tells Sophie to leave but poppy wants her to stay so Damon tells her to stay on the opposite side of the bed. Sophie and poppy still get it on while Damon is busy with poppy and he gets angry, yelling at Sophie because he doesn't want to share. For him to stalk and obsess over her while shes in school, but also fuck other people while being obsessed with her and needing to see her like she's a drug was a little weird to me 🤔
......i guess my discomfort comes from him willing to share women with other people and that we habe to know that hes been with Sophie while she's RIGHT THERE......hmph.....I'm not a threesome reader and not a reverse harem/why choose reader much so I dunno. I just didn't like this scene. When he sees Sophie getting off with Poppy, he gets super angry and possessive so that helped......but still uncomfortable for me okur? I also wished her relationship with zane/axel was more....happy? 😳😂 he was a little bitchnas to poppy during the whole book which was so perplexing to me.
Damon gives no shiteths and I love that about him. Manipulation, nonconny behavior is ma yum! He's just calling her his girlfriend in a meeting at work and he's like "hey girl, its cool if I talk in front of my underlings cuz they signed that nda ya good?" And she's like girlfriend?! Say what now? 😂😂😂😂❤❤❤
Fingers were cut off to save people. Never seen that evar and she's a bad bad bitch and I loved poppy to death. .😂😂😍😍she was the bestest heroine character I've read in a long long LONG time!!!!
anyway. This book was a solid five star for me and that hardly ever happens, but this author never disappoints!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I absolutely FLOVED this story! It's super original - which may sound weird for a Romeo and Juliet retelling, but it is. The originality is tied to the fabulous characters and their out of this world development. We have Poppy, the sociopathic, Wednesday Adams-esque goth girl and future CEO of her family's business and Damon, the philanthropic, world famous, and widely loved future CEO of his family's business. Years ago, their families started a feud that just doesn’t want to be put to rest, but Damon is committed to trying so he can finally win the girl behind his darkest obsession.
Fatal Obsession is a fast paced and well written, character driven story with a dash of suspense in the form of murder mystery that definitely had me white knuckling my kindle to the end. It also has tons of twists and turns and a bit of a love triangle, but nothing of any true consequence. The inner dialogue had me cracking up. I loved the interactions with Poppy and her father, Zane. They are both continually trying to out psycho the other while both protecting mom from their antics.
Strong and unique heroines are my favorite and Poppy definitely stands out in a sea of similarly drab :) She was truly everything I was hoping her character would be when she was introduced to us as a child in 5000 Nights. Poppy has antisocial personality disorder, wears black, likes burnt toast, and is genius level smart. At the same time she is super loyal to her family and would do anything for them, even at her own cost. Damon is the best match for her! He comes across as this super nice guy to everyone else, but Poppy totally brings out his crazy. He is willing lie, manipulate, stalk, and steal to protect her. He's been cleaning up her messes for years and she doesn't even know it, lol. He's possessive and obsessive and just a little nuts under that shiny facade. I love how he completely sees her and loves her just the way she is and I love how she centers and calms him and makes him a better human being. They’re amazingly similar despite his ability to empathize and her, not so much 🤷🏻♀️. This book is a definite recommend for me and doubly if you are a fan of the first one.
While Fatal Obsession can be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading 5000 Nights first. 5000 Nights is about her parents and definitely provides insight into Poppy's behavior and antisocial personality. Now I'm just waiting for book three, Rose and Caden's story. Hopefully, he'll be every bit of crazy for his girl that his twin was!
So poppy ain’t finna apologized for calling her mom a homewrecker lol? 😂 Why u let yo daughter talk to you like that, Piya. 🤣 There was no home to wrecked since Jay let yo mama have a hall pass with Zane/Axel, little girl. 💀 Bitches really kumbaya like it never happened- I could never.
Psychopath who is obsessed with his SO? Count me the fuck in. The moment I realized Poppy was getting her own book I was dying to know who would be her match. And let me tell you, Damon DID NOT DISAPPOINT 😮💨😮💨 Damon has been watching over Poppy for years, always observing and cleaning up her mess and just waiting for the right time. Well the time came and he did not hesitate and he is not playing around. My mans got what he wanted and he made it known that he’s waited LONG ENOUGH. Love is a fickle thing but love is too light of a word for what he feels for her. An obsession that consumes him 🥵 The scenes between these two are 🔥🔥🔥 and leave u all hot and bothered 🤭🤭 I also loved Poppy’s development. As someone who is inspired my Wednesday, I see her she changes for and only for Damon. The little details that make my heart melt 😭🫶🏼 I also loved seeing Zane and her talk bc I felt that was needed since book one and am so glad it happened. Now that it has ended I can’t wait for the bonus scene so please make sure to REVIEW. We have Cadens book upcoming and I can’t wait. You’re telling me we’re getting Damon 2.0 both figuratively and literally 🙏🏼😭
Overall, the wait was 💯 worth it because this book pulled me out my reading slump. It’s hard to find a good psycho romance and this one did not disappoint.
“It should’ve freaked me out, but for some reason, laughter tumbled out of my mouth instead. It turned out Damon was the kind of crazy I had been searching for all my life.”
“It turned out Damon was the kind of crazy I had been searching for all my life.”
..And with that imma start my review so if your worried about knowing to much, or a spoiler or 3. LEAVE NOW CHICK —- run 🏃♀️…. 🫶🏼All The Things: 🫶🏼 -Most importantly for me completely 0be$$!ve & deliciously JP H. -Families are rivals so they are “forbidden”. -stalker H ❤️❤️ I’m talking long time stalking babes! Swoon! He was always looking out for her. -Br33d!ng 🤤 which means intentionally trying to knock her up and Allllll da filling up. -neurodivergent h 🫶🏼 don’t see this often and I loved it. -Interracial romance 🥰 this is something this author does often and I love it -age gap of 7 years (H is older) ✅ -first part of book is the backstory it’s not to long and I didn’t get bored like I usually would with flashbacks. -then it jumps to 4 years later and poppy is 18yrs old now. This Opens to a FF scene. Our h is using this OW for information and is set up to be a threesome with poppy blindfolded to not see whomever the guy would be. The H walks in and noticed it’s his girl whose blindfolded and he’s too tempted to NOT use this moment to his advantage to do some things to her while she has no idea it’s him but he’s not ok with the third wheel being around. ⚠️For my babes sensitive to OW/OP/FF scenes there is a scene right in the beginning of this part that MAY bother you. Details below in the trigger section for you if needed⚠️ -not gonna lie if you loved Zane in the last book your gonna say “Zane who” after the halfway mark in this book lol. Damon is on another whole psyc0tic level and I 👏🏼was 👏🏼here 👏🏼 for👏🏼 it👏🏼 okkkkkkk! -mannnn.. your over here like swoon-swoon, he so thoughtful and BAM! His deviant unhinged deliciousness comes busting out like a freight train lol I lovedddd it!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 -manipulative H in allllll the BEST ways 😆👌🏼 -brands her 😈🙌🏻 while shes… unaware 🤤 -poppy at 90%…. 😳😵💪🏻 I mean dayyyyummmmm am I right? That will live rent free in my head as a bad bishhh heroine moment. -92% whose crying? Your crying! It’s you… no it’s def me 😫😭 -whodunit… I DIDNT see that coming lol 😂 I honestly thought I had it figured out. Drethi showed me 😆🤦🏻♀️ -HEA of course ❤️
Overall—>I loved this ❤️ Once again this author gave me an intense H who’s all in with a story I loved. The only thing I missed/wished more of was more of an extended epilogue or an additional one bc I always wanna see characters years down the road BUT- the author said she’d write a bonus scene if she gets 1000 reviews sooo do your part bc mama wants a bonus scene!! I’m thinking we may get glimpses in the next book and this just a personal preference and doesn’t deduct from the book at all. This was another hit in twisted tales from this author!!
TRIGGERS ⚠️ this is a twisted tale so make sure you’re aware before reading it. Read the trigger warnings before reading. ⚠️OW/OP ( for my sensitive sally babes) There is a scene with the h if you’re sensitive to that it’s not too long but it’s there. It is the heroine NOT the H. Details: opens with the girl licking the h 🐱. The h does orgasm while and later unbeknownst to the H poppy is fing3r!ng the OW while the H is going down on Poppy. When he notices he gets pissed. This is the ONLY scene with anyone else and it’s more on the h side.
Just an Obsession quote bc why not ❤️🤤
“This is how it was meant to be between us.” Thrust. “I’m never giving you up again.” Thrust. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you.” Thrust. “You are finally mine.” Thrust. “I can’t stay away from you anymore." Thrust. “Never. We’ll never be separated.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Fatal Obsession by Drethi A. is book two in the Tales of Obsession Series. This is a interconnecting series so it does add to your enjoyment if you have read the previous book. This book was all the things I love. A man who knows he wants his women and does all he can't to make it happen. Along with a such a strong heroine. Loved this book and series. I can't wait to read more from this author.
I think this is my least favorite book from all of my reads for Drethi.
It has more to do with Poppy as a character I just didn’t click with her. I didn’t get her vibe. I wasn’t enthralled by her like I’m usually with the other heroin in her stories.
Because of that, I wasn’t into the plot like I thought I would be. I’m not saying it is a bad plot not a good storyline. It’s just that because of how she painted poppy I just couldn’t figure out how and why I didn’t like her.
The third book which is going to Poppy’s cousin and Damien’s brother will pull me back in, but even with all that being said, was it a good book to read for me.
Would I recommend reading this book yes but not over lust or 5000 nights of obsession.
Poppy was raised to despise Damon Maxwell, but he was certain they were destined to be together.
What was meant to be a one-night encounter with a stranger turned into a shocking confrontation with her nemesis, intensifying their families' feud. Despite being taught to hate Damon, his belief in their connection was unshakeable.
Though accused of wronging her family, Damon captured her attention, complicating her desire for revenge. As the evidence against him grew, the lines between right and wrong began to blur, leaving her torn between loyalty and undeniable attraction.
This is the second book in the "Tales of Obsession" series, and I've been curious about Poppy's story since the first book—what's happening with her and functions as a person. I couldn't wait to read this book.
Normally, I'm a slow reader, but it didn't take long with this one because I was hooked from the very beginning.
Poppy is a fascinating character, and her personality is well-developed throughout the book. I liked that she sticks to her rules, though there are obviously exceptions. Damon is also a well-crafted character, starting as an innocent figure but becoming more complex and even more dangerous than Poppy as the story unfolds, making them a perfect match as a couple. The book kept me on edge the whole time, I was constantly wondering what would happen next, who would do what, or what they had already done.
And wow, I definitely didn't expect that ending! Now I have to wait for the third book, which will focus on Rose and Caden.
I definitely recommend reading the book if you enjoy dark spicy romance, retellings, but be sure to check the trigger warnings. It's not necessary to read this book in order within the series, as it can work as a standalone, but it helps to know what happened before.
Thank you to BookSirens, to the author, Drethi Anis, for providing me with this e-copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you think about the OG tale of Romeo and Juliet, it’s pretty twisted. But with Author Drethi A.’s hands in it, you know you will get a very dark and twisted story.
For those who have read book 1, “5000 Nights of Obsession,” this is Axel and Piya’s daughter’s story, Poppy. Poppy carries a few traits similar to her father, Axel. She, too, is neurodivergent and preparing for the business world—without a doubt, like Axel, has all the skills to do it well.
Axel is described as a “certified psychopath,” though he is a wee beginner compared to Damon, Poppy’s love interest/sta1k3r/0b-$e$$ed man.
Damon doesn’t just do some questionable ish. He is the questionable ish. Damon has wanted Poppy for a long time. There is an age gap. It is a bit tab00. Damon does wait for her. But the things he does “behind the scenes” during that time—wow!
It wouldn’t be a Drethi A. book without the angst and suspense. I loved the murder mystery storyline and how it all tied together. There is something for the sch/ m¡nky readers as well: b¡rth ç0ñtr0l t@mp3ring and br🍞ding.
Like Romeo and Juliet, despite the tumultuous path of their relationship, Damon and Poppy are just meant to be.
I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily
I’m mystified by the high ratings. The characters are so vapid. The FMC isn’t ‘inspired’ by Wednesday Addams, it’s literally Wednesday pulled from the Netflix series. There’s even a dance scene where the FMC does a creepy off-putting dance in a flowy black dress? Also there was absolutely no need for the FMC to be underage.
Fatal Obsession by Drethi is a book about an obsessive and overprotective hero, Damon, and a strong, loyal heroine, Poppy. The author skillfully describes Poppy's struggles with her personality while highlighting her resilience despite making questionable choices. One of the book's strengths lies in the author's ability to describe the hero's questionable behavior and prompt readers, such as myself, to justify such behavior. Personally, since this is the preferred behavior of my book-boyfriends, I found Damon's determination to get what he wants despite obstacles and family histories to be a compelling aspect of the story. Furthermore, the spice did not disappoint. One aspect that left me wanting more was the resolution of the cousin's role in the resistance. While her presence added a layer of complexity to the plot, it felt somewhat unresolved. In conclusion, Fatal Obsession delivers the story with well-developed characters and an entertaining storyline, resulting in a satisfying read.
5 amazing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stalker H Strong bad@ss h Forced marriage Birth control tampering Breeding Age gap H drugs the h Noncon/duncon Sex scenes were off the charts 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
What a way to start the year with a well deserved 5 star read!! Absolutely devoured this book I was lucky to make the arc team last minute and I’m so thankful I did. This book is after 5000 nights and poppy is Zane’s daughter but is a standalone and you don’t have to read 5000 nights although that’s another 5 star read. Damon is super super possessive of poppy and stalkers her for years watching her back until one day when she’s old enough for him to make his move. I underestimate Damon in this book but when he gets poppy where he needs her that’s it them gloves were off 😂🫣that being said poppy is super badass I love the way she was towards Zane throughout the book then how he came in at the end and made things right.
The storyline was great and I love how drethi write her books her words just flow how I like them to. I’m super sad I’ve completed it. It’s one of them books that’s going to stay with me forever. I can’t wait for the next book 📕 Drethi your my book queen
That being said I only accept АRС from my “One Click Authors” and anyone who knows me or has listened to our podcast knows I’m a HUGE Drethi fan!
🖤 Non Con/Dub Con 🖤 FF Spicy Scene 🖤 Birth Сontrol Tampering 🖤 Stаlking 🖤 Touch her and 💀 🖤 Jealous/Possessive Hero 🖤 Size difference (Large Hero/Small Heroine) 🖤 Sомnophelia 🖤 Interracial Romance 🖤 Age gap (8 years) 🖤 Forbidden 🖤 Rооfies 🖤 Pining
Drethi’s Dark Romances always HIT! Her heroes are consistently and deliciously obsessive, jealous/possessive and unhinged for their heroines… and Damon didn’t disappoint! He was completely consumed with all things Poppy and I was all about it!
I love that Poppy gave as good as she got and wasn’t a pushover, her personality was a refreshing difference from most heroines who simp immediately.
This book took me for a ride! I was expecting Poppy to be the ruthless/plotting character in this book because of the set up of book one but Damon by far surpassed both Poppy and Axel. Without spoiling the book let’s just say he took manipulative to a surgical precision level in order to make Poppy irrevocably his in EVERY way.
I also found him adorably sweet and romantic in his own crazy way; for example when he not only provided Poppy the purposefully overcooked/dry eggs and burnt croissants because that’s how she liked them but then also ate half of them to prove to her they weren’t poisoned… swoon!!! In general I found the quirky food/restaurant scenes delightful and funny. These are the moments when I stopped and really appreciated the level of detail Drethi put into this book. I loved Drethi’s writing from the beginning but you can really see how much she’s grown as an author and it just makes me giddy to see what she comes up with next. I don’t know how she’s going to top Damon but I know that she will because I said the same thing about Axel.
Overall if you’re looking for a true dark romance with a hero who masquerades as Prince Charming when he’s actually just a bag of walking red flags and will cross any line to get his girl this is your book. As always check the triggers and happy reading!
Well I know I said I would dnf it but I am physically incapable of it So the main problem were the ages. There was no need for Hero to be that older or heroine to be that younger. Like when they first met they were h14/H21. While the H was good not sure about the h. The way she was shown to be different than others got on my nerves but I ignored it. Otherwise the story's pacing was good and writing really got me hooked. I lasted this long because of the writing. I received an arc copy for an honest review. 2.5⭐⭐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Lemme say if you looove you some cray cray obsessive stalker IMMEDIATELY READ THIS BOOK!!! Damon falls first and oh my does he fall hard! Didn’t even realize it till sh!t knocked him on his ass. 😆😆 Damon surely gives the vibes of f*ck around and find out if you touch his girl 🥵🥵 (we love to see it)
Poppy is as Damon refers to her as a lil princess of darkness transforming into a queen, she’s a sarcastic little badass and as the heroine I love it especially the fact that she’s suppose to be this girl who has no emotions but she’s really fighting the battle of emotions in her head. She’s neurodivergent but definitely does what she can to always pick up on others emotions regardless
I can honestly say this was worth the freaking wait! A possessive H / A badass h / BC tampering 👀😮💨 / size difference 🥵🥰 / H getting rid of people who’ve touch his girl 🥰😉 how could you not wanna pick this up!
Major shout out to Drethi A for having ya girl part of the ARC team! An amazing way to start my reads of the year!