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Leave Me Behind

K.M. Moronova

Discussion: Aug 2025: Enemies to Lovers

Discussion leader: Steph is Hopelessly Bookish

Why we're reading this: “Leave Me Behind” by K.M. Moronova delivers a fierce enemies‑to‑lovers arc wrapped in dark military roman…more
[close] “Leave Me Behind” by K.M. Moronova delivers a fierce enemies‑to‑lovers arc wrapped in dark military romance. Nell Gallows joins the feared Malum Squad, carrying trauma and survivor’s guilt—and collides with her commander, Bones, who blames her for a past mission. The mission stakes are sky‑high: violence, betrayal, and intense power dynamics elevate the emotional tension without compromise.

What stands out:
• Raw, high‑stakes drama in a military covert‑ops setting
• Heroine and hero who must earn trust through trauma and tension
• Gritty but authentic journey from animosity to hard‑fought respect
• Deep emotional impact with no shortcuts to redemption

This story isn’t for cozy triggers—it’s visceral, fierce, and layered in moral complexity. It’s the perfect August opener if you're craving conflict‑charged tension that burns slow and deep.

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Aug 2025: Enemies to Lovers

Enemies‑to‑Lovers Month: August 2025
By Steph · 4 posts · 5 views

last updated Aug 17, 2025 10:05AM

Who’s Here Reading Enemies‑to‑Lovers This Month?
By Steph · 2 posts · 4 views

last updated Aug 17, 2025 10:01AM

What Members Thought

Aug 10, 2025 Steph is Hopelessly Bookish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. “Hatred and desire aren’t so different. Both are an obsessive, all-consuming emotion. It’s a thin line to walk on.”

That single line captures the beating heart of Leave Me Behind. From the moment Nell “Bunny” and Bradshaw “Bones” collide, the space between them is charged with violence, attraction, and something far more dangerous than hate: devotion. It is not enemies-to-lovers in the traditional sense, because there is no clear line where animosity flips into affection. Instead, it is a steady “Hatred and desire aren’t so different. Both are an obsessive, all-consuming emotion. It’s a thin line to walk on.”

That single line captures the beating heart of Leave Me Behind. From the moment Nell “Bunny” and Bradshaw “Bones” collide, the space between them is charged with violence, attraction, and something far more dangerous than hate: devotion. It is not enemies-to-lovers in the traditional sense, because there is no clear line where animosity flips into affection. Instead, it is a steady bleed of obsession, each wound pulling them closer.

Both are profoundly broken people, shaped by trauma, grief, and the brutal code of the Malum Squad. They understand each other in ways no one else can, and that understanding is equal parts salvation and poison. They will sacrifice their bodies, their minds, and their happiness without hesitation, even allowing others to die, to remain in each other’s orbit. It is codependency at its most ruthless, and it is twistedly beautiful to watch unfold.

The relationship dynamic is not pretty. They kick, claw, and fight as often as they touch. Bradshaw’s brutality is not born from malice. Instead, it comes from a relentless drive to keep Nell alive, even when she resists him. Nell’s resistance is not pure defiance. It is the instinct of someone who has spent her life fighting for control and who cannot quite believe safety comes in the shape of a man who could kill her in six different ways before breakfast.

Leave Me Behind is not just about watching Bones and Bunny hurt each other. It is about how, in their world, love is forged in violence. The deeper they cut, the tighter they bind themselves together. This is where the book shines. It understands that in certain stories, the line between affection and destruction is razor thin, and crossing it is inevitable.

What makes this journey so addictive is the layering of personal loyalty over military suspense. K.M. Moronova does not shy away from the darkness. Battlefield gore, high-stakes missions, and morally gray choices bleed into every chapter. Yet the emotional stakes are just as brutal. You cannot look away from the moments when Bradshaw and Nell stop fighting long enough to simply breathe together, because those breaths are rare, precious, and more intimate than the most explicit scene.

The love triangle element was unexpected and, honestly, one of the most compelling pieces of the book. Jenkins may have been the villain in the end, but the revelation that Nell stayed with him for three years to protect Bradshaw, and that they built a real, functional relationship during that time, hit hard. The fact that there was genuine love there made his death land with a strange mix of inevitability and grief. It is rare for a romance to let you mourn for the “other man” while still fully investing in the central couple, but Moronova makes it work.

Not every choice landed perfectly. The forgiveness of Eren felt jarringly out of character for Nell and Bradshaw, especially given their kill-or-be-killed approach to betrayal. Maybe it was meant to be a twin bond exception for Bradshaw, and because Nell loves him, she let it go. Even so, it did not fit the established rules of their relationship.

By the time the final act arrives, you have been spun through a series of emotional whiplashes. Twists, betrayals, and sacrifices all pull tighter around the unbreakable thread between Nell and Bradshaw. When the dust settles, what remains is not a picture of perfect love. Instead, it is a battle-scarred connection that is no less powerful for its flaws.

Leave Me Behind is not for the faint of heart. It is a dark military romance steeped in violence, explicit intimacy, and moral lines so blurred they might as well not exist. If you are not comfortable with graphic content, this one is a pass. If you are drawn to stories where loyalty burns hot enough to sear, where characters will cross every line for each other and never apologize, this is a ride worth taking. ...more

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Aug 11, 2025 Emily ✨ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fav-dark-romances

omg I genuinely love this sub genre where it’s enemies to lovers but they are both badasses especially in this setting. Bones and bunny are everything and I really like their dynamic. I think the way vulnerability was shown in this kept me wanting to read more. I think also I love when the girl joins and kicks everyone’s ass bahaha. I think in terms of technical critiques the writing could use a bit of work in the beginning but overall I loved it.

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Jul 05, 2025 Cassie Murphy rated it it was amazing

This is the first military dark romance I’ve read and I could not put it down. The dynamics between Bones and Bunny not counting all the twists in the story had me in the edge of my seat. Plus the spice in this book between those two 🥵🥵🥵 Definitely a reread book and I would recommend this to anyone that likes dark romance with enemies to lovers because you will not be disappointed.

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