Play the Part

by Ebony Brewer

Sutton

He emerged from the shadows one night, looking like sin and dark desire embodied. Tall, muscular, and with that haunting mask… How can a girl resist?

I told myself I'd have one night to explore the monster within me and let him feed those passions until we both erupted. But it turns out, walking away was never his plan.

Maybe it's wrong of me, but after drowning in pain for so long, losing myself in a masked man night after night seems like just what I need. Why not, right? Distraction has never been so delicious. As long as I keep my heart out of it, I'll be fine. Which shouldn't be hard, considering I have no idea who the man behind the mask is.

Thorn

We were ripped apart at fifteen, before we could truly push the boundaries of our friendship and explore the growing feelings between us. But I never forgot about her. My little Button. In my lowest moments, it was her face, her laughter that kept me strong.

I need her to sate the darkness in me, to coax back the person I used to be, so I can give her what she's missing without corrupting her with my tainted soul. And I won't give up. I won't lose her a second time.

Maybe I've become a bit obsessed, but now that I've found her again after years of searching, I'll do whatever it takes to keep her. Even if that means putting on a mask and playing out her dirtiest desires.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Second Chance, Dark, Friends To Lovers, New Adult, Contemporary

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2023

About the author

Hi, I'm Ebony!

I'm a dark romance author who writes steamy, dirty, morally gray men.

I'm inspired every day by authors in my genre and I probably consume an unhealthy amount of books on a regular basis but... Who's going to judge?

When I'm not writing or reading, I'm usually curled up on the couch with my husband and dogs, watching a movie.

Reviews

[Nonagesimus Reads [Em] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s just say this book is amazing, because it is. From the first page I was drawn in, and I couldn’t put it down. Sutton and Thorn are childhood friends and they’re ripped apart. Sutton is in college when she sees thorn again, but she’s still hurt by his actions so she shies away. When she meets a man in a mask, she’s drawn in and she can’t get enough. They have steamy nights and grow closer. What Sutton doesn’t know is who is behind the mask and the truth could change everything.
This book has
- masked MMC
- Really good spice 🌶️
- Bad ass FMC
And so much more! Run to get this book and devour it like I did!

[Yves V.H. [Slow reading] · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just want to acknowledge the part where they always have s** in a cemetery and the Sutton did it with whom she thinks is a stranger she met in a club 💀 (This part didn't affect my rating. I was just really shocked)

One thing that somewhat annoyed me is when she couldn't recognize Thorn when he's wearing a mask. I don't think there's a voice changing device in that mask but he talks a lot and she should have recognized that at least.

The book is okay since I managed to finish it hoping that it will pick up and get better. There were some boring moments and the spicy scenes weren't doing it for me. Overall, I am not a huge fan of this book.

🌸 Recieved a copy from the author but all thoughts and opinions are my own
---
RTC

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book

[Daisy Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️


OMG excuse me masked man in a creepy cemetery 🫣🖤😳 YES sign me up !!!
I was hooked with this book and I loved every moment of it I devoured it completely and it left me wanting more ! And the ending omg 😳

So it’s a college romance, where Sutton meets a mysterious masked man at a party who saves her from her ex, and that’s where it all begins. They moved the party over to the cemetery and he never removed his masked. He would take coffee to her before school while wearing the mask.

“You need a safe word, because I’m not sure I can control my monsters so easily tonight. They’ve been fed today, with violence and blood, and seeing you like this, like a fucking present just waiting for me to rip into… Baby, I might just snap and—“ - Thorn
“Peanuts,” - Sutton

In the cemetery there was Knife play, breath play, ohhh 😮 it was just all 🥵🥵

[Brittany Posey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark romance with a true love story what more could you ask for!!! Sutton and Thorn go through so many ups and downs in the years since they met at just 7 years old. Yet after 9 years everything has changed. Thorn is not the same person he once was after a horrific event as a teenager. While Sutton herself is going through trauma as well. Both their stories and relationship will have you diving deep into this book and not wanting to put it down.

[Luna Doll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a perfect little book! I'm grateful to have received this as an ARC to read.

I will say this isn't the usual book I would go for. I have trauma, and I understand I like the harder core stuff, but this book was a perfect pallette cleanser I didn't know I needed.

Enter Thorn (sinner) & Sutton (Button). Two young kids growing up across the street from each other. Young love at its finest. As teenagers, you see that manifest, but something happens that breaks them apart.

Years go by, and they go through some life changes. They are changed people when they next enter each other's lives.

This dark romance is intangling, and these two characters will have you falling in love with their stories. I couldn't get enough.

Masked Man
Hidden Identity
Shared Darkness
Spicy Talk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

[Bleu Hinton]

DNF at 2% in that short amount of time I felt like I was revisiting my Wattpad days back in 2013 💀 thanks, but no thanks.

[G · Rating 1 out of 5]

No - absolutely not

[Eunoia]

dnf

experienced v mmc.

"I’ve waited. No one else would do. She was my first love, my first kiss. It’s only fitting that she’s my first fuck, too, and I’ve held off for years to ensure that happens. I’m not totally inept; I’ve been with girls since losing Sutton, but I could never make myself go all the way. It never felt right. It always made me feel like a dirty scumbag, like I was betraying her, even if that’s completely irrational. I’ve toed the line, I’ve experimented and learned how to touch and please a woman, but I’ve never fucked one. "


Personally not my thing lol.

[Kaylee Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I keep reading for the sexy cemetery scenes.....? Yes. Although I don't know that I could've taken them seriously if I a) fixated on his blue LED mask and how awkward that actuality seemed, and b) Thorn called Sutton "Button" during any of their sexcapades. Something about that nickname bothered me...

Did I *skim* some toward the end bc it was predictable and a little boring? Also yes.
But I'm glad to have stuck it out to the ending. That last scene in the cemetery was adorable and perfect.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ and a round up for a newer author. *Dowloaded this as a part of December 2023 Stuff Your Kindle Event*
For such a short book, the spice to plot ratio was definitely 50/50. This is a very dark friends to lovers romance with TW: abuse, murder, torture, rape. Considering page count, the author was able pack in quite a bit of backstory for our two MCs. I enjoyed the quick read!

[Shayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorn and Sutton are twisted soulmates, in a good way! After nine years apart and Sutton thinking Thorne was dead, they reunite but Sutton is hurt he never reached out to tell her he’s alive and she takes that as he never cared for her. In order for Thorn to wiggle his way back into her life he has to hide his identity so he only approaches her in a mask. After saving her from an encounter with her ex Sutton and Thorn hook up, but they both feel the connect they have with each other and continue hooking up, always with Thorn in his mask. Sutton knows her masked man is dark but she feels safe and as time goes on she falls for him. Will she continue to hold those feelings when she finds out who he is?

Thorn and Sutton may be a little crazy but they’re were meant to be from the moment they met at seven years old! Loved their story and their HEA!

[Rachel Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLY….. is it hot in here or is it just me? 🥵 What an amazing (and sexyyyy) read!! It was so well written and every aspect of this book was just… HOT! The author outdid herself with the way she wrote every scene! The plot was on the lighter side but I did not mind one bit 😉

[Alannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I want to fucking ruin you in the best ways. You won’t know anything but me when I’m finished. - Tell me no right now, and I won’t tear the last of your clothes from your body. I won’t corrupt you with my monsters writhing beneath my skin.”

“There’s nothing holy about me, Angel. Don’t go making the mistake of thinking that I’m a good man.”

I’m literally speechless….
This is a five stars in my book!
Thorn and Sutton are childhood best friends turned lovers - with a bit of a second chance
•Hidden identity- mask kink if you will
•Trauma and darkness
•College romance
•Some stalking (watching from a distance 😏)
•Protective and Possessive
•Spicy of course

*I was given the opportunity to ARC read this and I am voluntarily leaving this review*

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a stuff your kindle day read. It was ok. It was also kind of cheesy, and kind of cringe. The whole continuing to wear a mask beyond Halloween to keep your identity a secret was interesting…

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a sexy masked man! Thorn and Sutton weee best friends until Thorn disappears from Sutton’s life without a word. Sutton has never forgotten Thorn and Thorn has never forgotten Sutton. When Thorn runs into Sutton and she wants nothing to do with him Thorn will stop at nothing to get back in her life! What starts as one night with a masked stranger ends up being a whirlwind until Sutton finally learns the truth! The chemistry between these two is fire!

[Montana Edwards · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t even know why I read this book

[Caitlyn Chard · Rating 4 out of 5]

AH. The author made cemeteries hot. 🥵 I won’t recover. What an easy friends-lovers-strangers to lovers whirlwind of a read. I finished this book within a day!

[Rebecca Blundell · Rating 1 out of 5]

sometimes Smut is just bad

[Paisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hard to read.. the plot.. the characters... cringe

[Alicia Blacklock · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept waiting for this book to get good... I was expecting some sort of twist SOMEWHERE but it just panned out exactly as you'd expect it to. Not to mention how weird it is to think you'd be willing to spend that much time with a man who always wore a mask?? Sorry maybe that's just not my thing. By the time I got to the end I was just skimming to get this one over with. Exhausting. Would not recommend.

[Maddy Martinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read my review of Play the Part on my blog, here: https://thepaperworlds.blogspot.com/2....

This is a spoiler-free review! Play the Part is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

Once again, Stuff Your Kindle Day has overtaken my TBR pile and blinded me from reading a physical book. Sutton, our leading lady, certainly has some baggage packed far into the back of her mind, and it certainly is brought right back to the surface when her childhood friend, Thorn, shows up out of nowhere, after being believed to be dead for years.

Shantel Tessier has prepared me for dark college romance books, and while Play the Part is nowhere near the depravity that Tessier provides her readers, this book certainly starts out with a little bang and within the first six chapters some scandalous things are happening in a cemetery. If you are looking for a quick and spicy read, this certainly feels like a beginner's guide into dark romance border-lining on the taboo side. Brewer writes a great spicy scene, and she definitely fills this book with a fair share of them.

The pet names were killing me after reaching the halfway mark -- they are fun every once in a while, but when every other sentence ends in "angel," "little one," or "sinner," it begins to feel like overkill. I am genuinely perplexed on how Sutton just hopped on the masked man train and did not even seriously question it -- sure, she jokes about it with him, but if I was her, I would have ripped that mask off so fast to see what he looked like and to find out who he was.

I will admit, a little over halfway through this book, I was begging for something else to happen besides Duncan running around like a stalker or Sutton and Thorn going at it -- everything was starting to feel very repetitive. The mask really started to get old fast, and I did not really understand how Sutton just let him get away with that for as long as she did. For a 24-year-old, the way that Thorn spoke just did not feel organic, and every sentence out of his mouth sounded like he was trying to write an epic poem instead of rekindle a childhood flame.

That being said, Sutton and Thorn's chemistry was basically oozing off the pages and you could tell that Brewer put a lot of thought and energy into making their relationship take form. Both of them have a lot of things to work through, and I appreciated the author's attention to their own traumas and the way she addressed them in their own ways.

If you are looking to dabble in dark college romance, Play the Part may be the introduction you need before diving in. And if you find yourself teetering on the edge of entering the world of taboo romance, Brewer's book is just the tip of the iceberg.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads (maddymartinelli), Instagram (@thepaperworlds), Twitter (@thepaperworlds), and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

[Kayleigh Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW‼️🚨🔥
Play the Part by @ebonybrewerwrites

I loved this book so much! Sutton is a badass bitch & Thorn is hot as sin 🥵🌶️🫠

I loved that Thorn had been through literal hell, but was still obsessed with getting Sutton back. This man is hot, possessive in the best ways, & knows how to treat a girl (inside & outside of the bedroom 😉)

The childhood love trope can sometimes be a little slow or lackluster for me at times, but Ebony did it perfectly & gave us the perfect explanation for why Thorn disappeared. Sutton was not some weak women, who immediately ran back into his waiting arms… nope. There was no run of the mill “meet-cute reunion” that was all rainbows and butterflies. Noooo sir, this reunion was completely dark, twisted, & full of surprises 😅

With as scorching hot this book was, I love that there was sweet, loving, cute moments sprinkled in… especially some of the flashbacks. Every time he said, “my Button,” I completely swooned 🫠🥰🥹

In summary, I LOVED THIS BOOK! Run, don’t walk to get this book when it releases tomorrow! 🏃🏻‍♀️

You don’t want to miss Sutton & Thorn’s story 🖤

Sutton & Thorn meet at age 7, when he moves in across the street. His family clearly has issues, and Thorn has always had a darkness around him. That’s why he is immediately drawn to Sutton… or as he says “his Button,.” She is the light to his darkness, & always there to patch him up. He has strong feelings for her from the start, and as they become teenagers they become far more possessive… obsessed even. Two days after finally kissing her, revealing his feelings, he & his family vanishes, never to be seen again. Sutton grew up with a hole in heart from the boy she loved, and is now a senior in college and estranged from her parents. To her absolute surprise, she randomly runs into Thorn on campus. Her feelings are complicated, she’s believed him to be dead for 9 years. Why didn’t he reach out? Little does she know, Thorn has been working tirelessly to find his Button, and he will not be dismissed that easily. When the opportunity presents itself, he steps in as a masked hero when Sutton needed saving at a Halloween party. The two start a twisted game of the masked sinner & his fallen angel. But how long can the game be played before feelings get involved? How can this be just sex when Sinner is so damn charming? There is something familiar and safe about the man behind the mask… but Thorn has done despicable things to be good enough for Sutton. How will she react when he reveals himself and everything he’s done? Can the dinner and the fallen angel be more than a twisted game?

[JustJensBookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY NEW NUMBER ONE! Everyone… Run, Don’t Walk, Run to buy this book. @ebonybrewerwrites I bow to you! You are GOD! I loved the way this was such an easy read.. but also fucked with my head about what happened to them in those missing 9 years. Yes I have questions,

SMUT 5/5 - I mean 38 pages.. this was no wait, no build up.. just Wham bam Thankyou MAMM! The scenes just kept coming “pardon the pun” but nicely done *pause for applause*

Sutton - well I agree with her conscious - she needs therapy… we all do a bit, but I just took to her straight away! I liked the idea of her being strong and independent but having a history of weakness. She is strong for those she cares about. I had some issues with her further on after the PR**K came out yeno who…. The Voldemort of this book, like I get she felt safe with the masked man.. but hmm! SUTTON HUN, address this!

Thorn- well HELLO there, I mean sweet but a psycho! He would literally surrender everything for her! I mean he’s just such a (can I say good guy) yes I know I’m moaning about Sutton but… he is, the way he tried with Harper and Jade… *chefs kiss*

I think there’s so much more for Jade & Harper with a slide in story about Thorn and Sutton. A break away about Thorn&Suttons school years more, then onto missing years ( could there have been something!) the nasty parents. I mean wow nice! The ending was so lovely! I love a good ending… I could continue on more of the way they lived. What did they continue to do. I mean Thorns work, what did he do?

Honestly I hope Wbony Brewer knows how amazing this book is, I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but a nice quick story to spice up your Sunday night. Then to add to your all time favourites! Thankyou! Sincerely! I need to become an ARC Reader or something because I’m now a massive fan!

#playthepart #ebonybrewer #thornandsutton #playthepartbook #darkromance #friendstolovers #booktok #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #bookish #bookblog #booksbooksbooks #bookblogger #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookreview #darkromancebooks #smutbooks #taboobooks #tabooauthor #indieauthor

[Maz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute delight to read and I can't believe I almost missed it.
This is quite dark and rough but very delicious all at the same time.
Sutton and Thorn were meant to be. From the day they became neighbours at a young age to best friends and secretly crushing at teen. But life was cruel and they were separated.
9 years later we see Sutton just getting over a violent relationship. That's when she meets Thorn but she doesn't accept him because she had mourned him thinking he was dead.
As their meeting didn't go as planned Thorn had other ways to get to know her. It involves the Halloween mask of blue skeleton with led lights. I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about. Haha.
Thorn was totally broken and so dark. His story is really heartbreaking and not what everyone thought. But his love for Sutton was the only thing that's kept him going until he finds her again. The way he wins her over was soooooo amazing, I loved it. So dark, depraved and delicious. Yes I may be broken too 🤣. He totally gives the touch her and unalive vibes too.
I loved Sutton's best friends, Jade and Harper. Both so different but equally amazing and funny. I hope we get stories for them one day.
This was a story of two lost love finding their way back to each other even if it was a bit unconventional. Their chemistry was hot, Spicy and it's so weird how I missed the kissing like I'm the characters and missing out 🙈. Another good book by Ebony.

Quotes I Liked:
“I have my own monsters. Maybe we can let them play. And maybe I’ll love every destructive second of it.”

"It’ll all come together. Play the part and when the moment is right, she’ll see why I had to do it this way."

"That seems to be his thing, doesn’t it? F#ck me like a wh#re, but treat me like a queen."

"This is us. Messy, intoxicating, passionate."

“It’s us, Sutton. Dark and light, fragile and destructive. A sinner and his angel. We’re perfectly balanced together"

[Logan Liebetrau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven years after losing her best friend/crush, Sutton is still reeling from the loss and trying to work through her grief. In the midst of a near-death experience, she runs into the friend she thought was dead. Now she adds hurt and betrayal to her already overwhelming cocktail of emotions.

Thorn’s family left in the middle of the night with no goodbyes . Since then, he’s been spending all his time trying to get back to his “Button”. Despite saving her from certain death when she’s almost hit by a motorcyclist, she’s hurting and refuses to hear him out. But, he doesn’t give up easily. Knowing her love of Halloween, he shows up at a Halloween party where she’s dressed as an angel. He masks up and saves her (again) - this time from her horrible ex boyfriend. He and Sutton hit it off, but she knows him only as “Sinner”. There are some graveyard shenanigans, but you can’t help but wonder how long Thorn can keep up the facade that he’s Sinner, not her best friend from all those years ago? Especially when she’s falling for him too….

I honestly loved this book. I was hesitant at first, (my daughter’s name is Sutton), but I’m glad I stuck it out. This was the first novel by Ebony I’ve read. I give this book four stars. The plot was there, the spice was there, and I found myself picking it up to read any time I had a few minutes to myself. She kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, but I thought that Sutton got over the trauma of losing Thorn and getting him back far too easily. I think she needed some more time … or at least more “on page” time to work through exactly what had happened. Let’s be honest here, most dark romance main characters need therapy, this is no exception. Read this book, I hope you love it as much as I do.

Remember, this is a DARK romance. PLEASE read the triggers before diving into this book. Your mental health is worth more than a book review.

Thanks to Ebony Brewer and Literarily the Best Author Services for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this book for free during the December 2023 Stuff Your Kindle Day. I usually have low expectations for STYD books, but this book was INCREDIBLE! The plot was so amazing. Long story short, childhood neighbors grow close only to get ripped apart before their relationship can fully blossom. Nine years later, our MMC (Thorn) relocates our FMC (Sutton), but she is so flabergasted that she writes him off and wants nothing to do with him. However, who is this sexy, masked man she keeps repeatedly meeting up with for some incredible sex? I would give this book 4 peppers for spice. It is very spicy and kinky. There are elements of BDSM and Dom/Sub; it is delicious. The characters were very likable. I really enjoyed this book!

The reasons this did not get 5 stars from me:
"pu$$y" is a super ick word for me, and it is overused in this book.
Sutton repeatedly calling him "sinner" during their sexual encounters was annoying and reminded me of a budget p-rn flick.
Why even mention a wedding ceremony in the book if you plan to immediately axe it?
Having the official ceremony in the cemetery was just a little weird for me. I get that the location was where their relationship first rekindled in a way, but that just made it seem like their relationship was just built on sex to the point that they wanted to get married at the place they had their first sexual encounter. Just weird.

[Poppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fast paced read. I enjoyed reading it but I wont lie, I had some thoughts so heres my real time notes...


~ how the f*ck doesn't she recognise his hair or body shape/size or voice! wtf.

~ Is the whole purposely keeping his identity hidden because she's likely to reject him based on her reaction to him in the first place not rapey? ermm yes, yes it is! She consented to sex with a stranger not someone she knows and isn't happy to see pretending to be a stranger.

~ Virgin men don't f*ck like that.

~ Reading about them as teens with the way he describes her and her mannerisms feels ikky.

~ 15 year olds dont talk like that 🙄 again ikky and cringy.

~ Him walking around on random days with the mask on is weird especially in the college.

~ Definitely a stalker. Obsession isn't love.

~ In the begining she talks about herself as dark and bad but during their sex interactions she talks about feeling like he's stripping away her goodness... which is it?! 🙄

~ So she's thinking about Thorn with masked Thorn in the room who just made her the pancakes they ate as teens as "their comfort food" and she's still not clocking on to the fact that their hair, body type, voices, THE DAMN PANCAKES all match!.... why is she stupid?! 🤦🏼‍♀️

~ Little one is definitely an ikky nickname.

~ Where is a college student getting so many silk nighties and wings from since he keeps damaging them 🙄

~ She put rubbing alcohol on an open wound! what a b*tch! Ouch! Big first aid no no.

[Coda Nadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so addicting, and I could not put it down! Also, this book may have completely changed my mind on second chance romance.

Play the Part follows Sutton and Thorn, who were childhood best friends but ultimately were torn apart. Nine years later, Sutton is surprised to run into Thorn, thinking he was dead. Why else would her best friend disappear without a word? Thorn has a dark past and has finally found his little Button again. Only, she is no longer the innocent and forgiving girl he left behind. Thorn will just have to don a mask and convince her to play in the shadows.

“I have my own monsters. Maybe we can let them play. And maybe I’ll love every destructive second of it.”

Play the Part had everything my dark romance heart needed. Knife play, breath play, masked MMC, slight stalking, SPICEEEE. Utter perfection! While these two characters may have been apart for so long, the connection between them was so strong and there was no denying that they were soulmates. Nothing felt rushed and I loved how everything in this story played out!

Ebony did an amazing job with the writing and characters in this book. The book was spicy & dark, yet sweet and the storyline held my attention throughout. It was a very well-rounded story that hit on all of the points it needed to be amazing!

*I received a free e-ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Thank you so much Ebony for the opportunity!

[Bamby · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many fun kinks. Masked stalker. Both friends and enemies to lovers!! Second chance. Redemption. Protective. Possessive. Obsessed. This was FULL of delicious ingredients for a fabulous read!!

I really enjoyed this, and am quite surprised Ebony hasn’t published anything in sometime. This has a wonderful foundation for connected standalones, with the mention of Thorn’s two friends in high school and Sutton’s friends in college. Besides that, it was fun, thrilling, intriguing. Ebony has clear talent!!

I do feel like the climax hit too soon and then the story kept going a little. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. There just felt like an elongated epilogue I suppose. We got the full tour of their happily ever after.

Speaking of climaxes… I do wish we got a taste of what happened with Duncan. That was a joint issues for the main characters, while Thorn’s demons seemed detrimental for his character but disconnected to their story. So having both revenge arcs could have smoothed things over a bit.
Otherwise, in love!! Need a Thorn of my own!!

~~~

Trope(s): Romance. Dark. Contemporary. College. Friends-to-lovers. Second chance. Enemies-to-lovers. Masked.

Trigger Warnings: Stalking. Angst. Mentions of torture. Mentions of alcohol abuse. Mentions of gambling addiction. Abusive ex-boyfriend. Violence. Murder.