Beautiful Obsession

Morally Pucking Grey #1

by A.K. Koonce, Jade Hernandez

Rowan Stone is a total puck-up. A hockey reject is what they call him. He’s a man so violent he was thrown off the team during the first minutes of the first game.

Because of me. At least that’s what everyone at Greystone University is saying anyway.

But I refuse to believe that. No one ever notices the curvy girl. The quiet girl. Plus, we’ve never even met … Except for a few, bizarre, coincidental run-ins. And he did save me from that mugging, but that was a total—slightly strange, slightly terrifying—accident.

Unless he’s following me.

Which is starting to seem more and more plausible. Because I just had one more of those coincidental run-ins with the mystery man … in the closet of my apartment … with blood on his hands.

Beautiful Obsession is a stand alone dark hockey romance including content such Stalking, serial killers, primal play, anti-heroes, and more.
Please check the content warning at the start of the book before reading or for a full list of cws please check our author websites.


Hockey Romance
College Romance
New Adult Romance
Boy Falls First
Obsessive Book Book Boyfriend
Protective hero
Stalker Romance
Touch her D!e

Genres: Sports, Dark, Hockey, Dark Romance, Sports Romance, Romance, Contemporary

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2023

About the author

A.K. Koonce is a USA Today best selling author. She's a mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance author by night. She keeps the fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop, while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular but demanding fictional characters who always fill her thoughts

Reviews

[Twlight Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.9 stars ⭐️

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK? 🥹

I really enjoyed reading this book so much, it has dark romance I'm talking Grey male character, stalking, obsession... THE WHOLE THING PEOPLE 😌💅

Atlas's life has never been easy, she had a difficult childhood, she's not allowed to talk to her mother and she's being bullied for her weight and ethnicity.

She always felt like she's being watched from afar but never suspected anything. Little did she know that her stalker could turn her life upside down once he revealed himself 🥵


Rowan, the stalker is such a "touch her and you die" type of character, he broke the face of a professor who made fun of her assessment. He risked his entire hockey career for her, and he could risk it all because she was worth it 💗

“I will kill anyone who tries to take you from me, Atlas. You are mine and mine alone. Mine to watch, mine to protect, mine to love, and mine to kill if I so please.”


And let me tell you that Atlas was digging this over-the-top obsessive shit 😌


"The threat is more of a promise, and it’s one that hits me deep down to my core. Fuck flowers and chocolates. This is what women want."



What I also liked is that Rowan sought revenge for her, he tried to compensate what she missed her entire life , he brought back her mother and killed the man who ruined her life.


Isn't that the most romantic thing ever? Duh 🥵
Rowan will live in my heart rent-free, just like he lived in Atlas's 😂

[**Tessa** (semi hiatus)]

DNF 63%. He hates her as much as he likes her. I don’t want my hero wanting to hurt or kill me heroine. Abuse isn’t sexy.

[Wicked Fox ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Beautiful Obsession! It's got a stalker MMC with a plus sized mixed FMC who are *perfect* for one another. It has hockey, delicious smut and alongside with dark elements perfect for any reader looking for their next dark romance fix 😉 I love Atlas and Rowan's explosive chemistry SO MUCH. If you like dark romance with possessiveness and hand necklaces (😏) that also explores real life issues, then this is the book for you! Make sure to check the CWs before you start 💕

[hc · Rating 3 out of 5]

all I can tell you ab this is that he stalks her and that there’s smut and that nothing else in the plot makes sense. idk if the ending is an ending or if there’s a next book or… yeah anyway that’s all

[vivareads · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the beginning I liked it a lot but slowly I started losing interest… it just wasn’t it. It has a lot of potential sure but execution wasn’t done well.
Plus the ending was idk..? It was nice but also nothing for the couple together. No epilogue.
I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I’d.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“I will kill anyone who tries to take you from me, Atlas. You are mine and mine alone. Mine to watch, mine to protect, mine to love, and mine to kill if I so please.”

I don’t even know how to summarise this book but Atlas says it perfectly - ‘The infamous Rowan Stone. At first, it all sounded unhinged and unrealistic. Sounds fucking romantic now.’ Like yes, the book as a whole was super unhinged and unrealistic, but did I enjoy every second of it? Yes I did!

There isn’t too much hockey taking place (only at the start) so I wouldn’t necessarily call it a ‘dark hockey romance’, just a ‘dark romance’.

I would just advise people to check the trigger warnings (which are stated at the beginning) as there are some dark themes. To be completely honest though, the TW made me even more excited to read this, but it just depends on everybody’s individual darkness scale!

Speaking of warnings, can we just appreciate the note at the beginning ‘Please note, Rowan Stone is a morally grey anti-hero, but he doesn’t have any red flags. They’re yellow flags because we warned you. You just didn’t stop.’ I am so here for this! Yes Rowan has flaws, but don’t we all?!

Atlas has many iconic quotes but my particular favourite is - 'I lift my hands from my sides and ignore all the red flags in the room. If I pretend I’m color blind, I could gather up all those flags and make a pretty centrepiece here on the fucked-up table in the center of the murder room.' Like honestly girl… same. Can’t even argue with you…

Overall, I had a great time reading this book and wish it was longer! I will 100% be checking out the other books in the series when they are released.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be warned there is some content that might upset some folks but all of that is explained at the beginning of this book.

Hockey player - Rowan is very much what you would class as an anti-hero in this book but he a contradiction in that regard by how he is with Atlas. They have a kinship as they both deal in death. Atlas by working with the dead in a funeral parlour and Rowan is a deliverer of death as its part of his job. Its definitely a refreshingly different dynamic that they had together but it still kinda worked. Underneath all of what Rowan does in this book is a genuine need to protect Atlas even if it is a bit twisted to some. This was a great read and I really liked the characters in it.

[audiobook_chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hockey Romance With a Dark Side

Atlas doesn’t know Rowan but everyone’s talking about how he destroyed the idiot who dissed her assignment and then he saves her from an attacker. When Rowan tells her he’s been protecting her for years she knows she shouldn’t be feeling the way she is he’s her stalker and he’s also a killer . As good as things appear between them Rowan is skirting the truth of who Ed is to him and when she finds out will she understand or run.

[cldchld]

I have been craving a dark hockey romance after The Pucking Wrong Number. I hope this delivers that for me.

Yeahhh, so DNF at 30% for me. I was just so detached from the plot 😢.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very bad.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC for an honest review.

This was a good read and I flew through the book. It is (240 pages) with a solid plot structure and dynamic FMC. This is a decent dark, stalker romance that is, in my opinion, on the lighter shade of dark. He’s her stalker and a hired killer but nothing overtly disturbing goes on between them.

The story just didn’t stand out for me to gain more stars. Rowen could use more depth and his dialogue was stiff. This is a mafia, stalker, hockey, college student, dark romance. And that’s a lot of tropes for one story. The hockey premise is part of the plot but it really wasn’t necessary and felt a little bit more like marketing. All the side characters could’ve used more development, as well. There were some inconsistencies in giving the FMC PTSD and her actions, but this seems common in stalker romance.

This is decently spicy. Check the content warnings before reading.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I lost interest in it halfway through. I thought about dnfing it, but since it is a short book I fast read/skimpt through the rest.

I know you should turn off your brain for Stalker romances but I do wish for some logic, not from the stalker but at least the one being stalked.

Also hate when the bad guy is just ridiculously bad. Especially just because the book needed such a bad guy that the Stalker looks like a good guy.

[Claire (clairesneverlandofbooks) · Rating 1 out of 5]

A true fucking train wreck, but I couldn’t stop reading.

[Sara Clem · Rating 3 out of 5]

did not connect with the characters

[j.bee.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

2.5/5 🌶️🌶️
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TROPES:
🖤 Dark Romance
🔪 Stalker
🖤 Serial Killer MMC
🔪 Latina FMC
🖤 Overly Possessive/Obsessive MC
🔪 Touch Her (Talk To Her) & Die Vibes

REVIEW:

Ok, so I absolutely LOVED this book! The FMC Atlas I vibed with from beginning to end. She was the weird loner who worked & lived at a morgue, with no friends. And she was perfectly fine with that. She seriously was the cutest. I loved her sense of humor, she always had me laughing at her little jokes she would tell herself. But she definitely had a dark kinky side to her! 😉 Then there’s Rowan. Who’s been stalking her for years. Who’s been taking care of her without her knowledge. He was so utterly obsessed and possessive of her, he had me swooning! 😍🫠 I mean this man learned Spanish for her!! If that doesn’t melt your panties right off, idk what will?! 😂 Loved this couples instant chemistry and absolutely adored them both! 🖤

Lastly, this book is labeled as a “Dark Hockey Romance” but I wouldn’t say it was a hockey romance at all. There was maybe 2 short scenes of mentioned hockey and that’s about it. So if you’re specifically looking for hockey Romance in this book, then that’s what you’re going to get.

Overall, this really was such a great read. So glad I picked this book for my Hispanic Heritage Month TBR. And will definitely be reading more from these amazing authors! 🖤

💬QOTD: If you could live inside a book/series, which one would it be?


#beautifulobsession #akkoonce #jadehernandez #darkromance #darkromancereads #darkromancebooks #romance #romancebooks #romancereader #spicybooks #bookstagrammer #bookreviews #latinaromanceauthors #latinauthors

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while I get an urge to read something way outside of my usual comfort zone (still romance though obviously). I struggle with morally gray characters sometimes, especially ones that murder on-page, but this New Adult stalker romance really worked for me. The plot was but a scaffolding that never turned into a building, but it did it's primary job, which was to bring the hero and heroine together. Rowan has been stalking/protecting Atlas for years, and when she finally realizes it, she doesn't run away screaming. She invites him in, and claims him just like he is claiming her. It's super toxic in an obvious way that never pretends to be healthy, and these two just work together.

This is a collaboration that I read for Jade Hernandez, and I'm eager to jump into her solo work. The afterword about Atlas as a no sabo child is great, and really shows how diversity is about more than culture and language. I am excited for more in this series, and I am glad that I gave this book a try even though it's not my usual read.

[Stories]

Idk how to star rate this lol so here are my thoughts.I am definitely picking up the next book in the series.

what I liked:
- strong, passionate, slightly stubborn FMC.
- protective (& obsessed) MMC
- the spice definitely had my jaw dropped sometimes
- Jade's authors note at the end!!!!!

what I didn't like:
- took too long to really get to know the MMC. Since this is dual perspective we had so many opportunities to get to know him, his story, the why behind his obsession with Atlas. And I feel like we didn’t get to know him until after the 60% mark. His perspective was just him talking about how he was obsessed with her and how he wanted to hurt anyone who hurt her. I love an obsessive hero so I did like this but it got kind of repetitive and after a while I thought I would have rather learned more about HIM.

[Alyssa GSell · Rating 4 out of 5]

💙𝔹𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕆𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨💙

4/5⭐️

✨Hockey
✨Stalker
✨Touch Her & Die
✨Serial Unaliver
✨Secrets

It look a little bit to get into this but then it got good.

Rowan has followed/watched/stalked Atlas for years now. Her dad Ed wanted her out of the picture but Rowan had other ideas..

He is completely obsessed with Atlas and she has no idea. She doesn’t even know who he is..

He saves her in a dark alley from someone that was trying to hurt her and carries her back to her bedroom and puts her to bed. When she woke up she was very confused…

She remembers his blue eyes and things get interesting..

He will literally do anything for her. He wants to give her the kind of life she should of had but didn’t.

He opens up to her and tells her a lot but a MAJOR secret comes out and she was not expecting it..

They end up getting payback on the one person that messed up both of their lives.

[TheReaderVert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ummm Niiice

Perfectly OK read, but I was so happy to read about a Hispanic heritage FMC, a FMC thick'ems with curly hair, big hips, a big brain, and real grit. It was a pleasure to read her story. The MMC was a female created boyfriend through and through. I enjoyed the read, but I wish the envelope was pushed all the way to a Black romance. It is a morally gray, but it isn't that dark. It shows promise in some areas, but it pulls back. The biggest hindrance is the pacing. It just takes too long to get to the actual together romance past the teasing. The conclusion comes too quickly without proper space to breathe. All the loose ends just get tied up. Another thing I love. A college romance with "older" students she's 22 to his 25. It's a nice change. If you were expecting a hockey romance read... Don't. This doesn't really have hockey at all. 😄

[Rhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, Rowan is the kind of guy I fall head over heels for instantly. I adored both Rowan and Atlas, both complete opposites but broken calls to broken and these two couldn’t be more broken. Although I enjoyed this book a lot there’s two things bothering me, first is I felt the ending was rushed, like at about 90% shit went down which I felt could have happened sooner so it could have been more detailed. Secondly the lack of hockey in this “dark hockey romance” hockey is literally only in a little bit of the first chapter and then it’s not seen again, don’t advertise it as a hockey romance but then have no hockey in it!!

I will say Rowan Stone the stalking killer will forever have a piece of my heart

[Alana Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this a 3.5 star rating I enjoyed the story plenty I liked the writing for the msot part some people definitely might not like some things in this book but it was literally told/warned in the beginning so you know what you're getting yourself in to I think I'll read Anna's book at some point not sure when probably bot this month since i have plans already but eventually at least maybe next month or maybe the end of this month if I finish a few I want to read anyways I liked the characters in this I mean sure some things maybe a red flag but not in this book especially since it was warned so I knew somewhat kinda wish we got a little more after what went down at the end though but it's okay

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give me obsession

Why is it that the crazy, stalker, obsessive book boyfriend is always top tier? I mean in no other world would this be ok but I absolutely loved Rowan and Atlas. I love what she represents and I’m always going to love a story with a curvy fmc a little more. I just am!! They were both so lost but found so much in each other including themselves and that’s just kind of beautiful. I will say that calling this a hockey romance is a serious stretch. The story jumps a little it doesn’t always flow smooth, the ending felt a little rushed and chaotic. But it was entertaining, a little dark, and a quick read. There were definitely moments when I couldn’t put it down.

[Sofi · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-2.75ish⭐

Ok.. so the tl;dr of it all is that I did enjoy the story and the pacing, but I really think it would have benefited from couple more sets of eyes on it prior to publishing. There were sections with small time jumps that weren't clear until a few pages in, which is always confusing. It also felt like there were some sentences with words missing..? Which wasn't the most difficult thing to parse out, but it does make the reading experience a little choppy.

What I really loved was the beginning - I think it really set the tone for the book. You intimately feel the impotent rage that Atlas (FMC) is experiencing off the bat and want to stick around to see her step into her power and take revenge. Do I think it quite hits the mark? Questionable, but it's fun nonetheless.

[Alexandra (alilromanceandthriller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

unhinged obsessed stalker.

Honestly, what more could you ask for. Rowen is the perfect book boyfriend. So many red flags but they all just work for him. I loved how absolutely obsessed he was with Atlas and it never dimmed for a moment. Atlas is my favorite FMC this year. A mortician who ignores all of her murdery boyfriends red flags. She’s a little broken, a little closed off but she’s so damn relatable. Every single choice she made, I found myself agreeing that I would do the same thing. It made the book really enjoyable to read.
I’m frothing at the mouth for Anna’s book, she was an exceptional side character & I’m ready to dive deeper into her.

5/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶️

[Yeri (wildflowerreader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark, morally grey? check…

I struggled rating this story because it was good but not great.

The characters were good.
The story line, world, plot, those were good.
The writing style was entertaining and engaging.

So, why the struggle? I just didn’t connect with the main characters as a couple, I didn’t feel their chemistry went deeper than the lust level. I loved them as their own standalone character, together, they felt bland. A little one dimensional. And that wasn’t what the meat of the story promised me. Also… I’m missing the hockey portion of this… the guy played one game and then… that was that.
So, 3.75 star rating.

[Thia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up!

A fascinating read that had me interested and ultimately invested in our leads!

Atlas and Rowan are fantastic. The two having their lives intertwined and running parallel was great! It was more insta love on her part than his which was a little jarring but the inner monologue helped smooth that out. Their connection is desperate and rough just like their more intimate moments which were great! 😌

The hockey aspect is a little more downplayed than I expected but that was fine as the story was rich without it. And oddly enough I can say the same for the murder, which was fine as well 😅

This could have been longer, if I’m honest. By, like, one chapter or something. But overall a fun read, I’m pleased to know there is more and I can’t wait.

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoy

I haven't read a lot of dark stalker romances so I went into this not knowing what to expect. I really liked this book though. I liked Atlas and Rowan as characters and how their relationship developed. The smut was really good. The date had me giddy as if Rowan was a golden retriever book boyfriend lol The only thing I wish was we got more from the night it all went down! I know we got an overview from Atlas' POV but I would have loved to know more. Either way, I enjoyed this.

[amoura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Rowan was obsessed with his "Lil Bird" the way he used to follow her around it was truly dreamy and obsessing 😭❤️

When I finished that Book I wanted to scream and talk about this to everyone❤️❤️ literally he made me fall for him, this was one of the first books in my "Starting to Read" era and I lost it ❤️😭

The books where the male lead stalks the female lead, they're truly da ones that can never end our "Deluluz" and the Author wrote it in the best manner ❤️❤️❤️ I truly want such authors to never lose their charm.

[lis ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️: 2,5

Oh man, books like this are the ones that hurt the most. You start out sure that you'll give it five stars, but the more you read and the further you get into the story, the more you realize that this isn't the time for the five stars to come. As I suggested, the beginning is good and very promising. We have an atmosphere so dark that it almost reminds us of a horror movie, but as the plot progresses, even that is lost.

Everything is very superficial, unfortunately. What a disappointment.

[MildrenReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latinx StaIker Romance! 😏

LOVED this book! I am always so excited for a Latinx dark romance and this delivered! The smvt was amazing 😮‍💨 the plot was really fast paced which I personally prefer in books! The real life issues that were intertwined within Atlas’ life are reasons why I love Jades writing so much, always bringing awareness to these things. The MMC was honestly just 🫠 LOVED him! The possessiveness & ways he always protected her were so cute! 🥹