Monarch ~ Sophie Lark

Grimstone Book 2

BLURB

In a desperate bid to get out of town, twenty-seven-year-old virgin and bookstore nerd Elena Zelenska becomes the world's most unlikely mail-order bride. Her gamble pays off when she's swept off her feet by Lorne Ronson, handsome single father and (gasp!) actual published author. Elena's new fiancé seems almost too good to be true. Her life is turning into a fairytale, especially once Lorne starts building her a castle in the woods. But when Elena arrives in Grimstone, her fairytale turns darker.

The castle in the woods is a macabre labyrinth of hidden chambers, and Lorne is no Prince Charming. In fact, he might just be a monster.

Isolated far from home, Elena's only ally is Atlas Covett, owner of the Monarch hotel. Massive and stern, even Atlas' employees are terrified of him. He becomes Elena's unexpected protector, offering sanctuary from the darkness that threatens to consume her.

As Elena's bond with Atlas deepens, her jealous fiancé exerts his control in increasingly twisted ways. Elena must find a way out before the castle he's building becomes a prison she'll never escape…

Lark Notes:

Halloween is my favorite time of year. Even though I'm a huge baby, I can't seem to resist true crime, thrillers, and movies that keep me up all night. Monarch is my love letter to Spooky Season, a romance-thriller mashup for those of us who crave the dark and scary, as long as we know there's a happy ending somehow. – Sophie

"Monarch" is a dark contemporary romance and a complete standalone. Reader beware: it has spicy scenes and triggering content not suitable for all.

ADD TO GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209568775-monarch

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/3Yi987A

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I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated here are my own and no one else's.

I really need to start with Book 1 of this series because I absolutely loved this book. I had a hard time putting it down, especially because I had a different deadline I needed to get to first. 😫. But I got through it and could focus on this one, which was amazing.

I'm still thinking about it days later.

It is the perfect mix of suspense, horror, and romance. Perfect for #spookyseason which is my favorite season of all. I might have to do an annual re-read from now on, I loved it that much.

Elena and Atlas are 🤤 together. I even loved Ivy. She was cute and my heart went out to her throughout the book.

Sophie Lark has a way of adding in just enough darkness to make you double-take as it occurs in that scene in chapter 14. I'm still thinking about 'that' scene and gagging. #iykyk Way to go Ms. Lark.

I will absolutely be checking out more of her works.