Dangerous Double-Jeu: A spicy dark romance

by Pauline Walters

What do you mean there’s another killer in town?

Eve Vallon is perfectly content living her double office admin champion by day, a calculating serial killer by night. She’s got it all under control—until a new predator emerges in Dublin. Eve can’t ignore him, She must act fast and hunt him down before more women fall victim to his hands. After all, there’s only room for one killer in this town.

Too bad she’s getting distracted by Cyrus McRory, a handsome and sexy-as-hell gang leader. He has decided Eve will belong to him—and she’s tempted to let him claim her.

So what’s a girl got to do? Hunt the other killer, of course - while also having a good time.

If you love dark romance with a badass female lead, sharp humor, and plenty of smut, you won’t want to miss Dangerous Double-Jeu.

Will Eve catch the killer before he catches her? or will she be too busy being a bad kitten with Cyrus?

Click “Buy Now” to enter Eve’s world today.

Dangerous Double-Jeu contains dark themes and mature content that may be triggering to some readers. Please check the content warnings at the beginning of the book.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2025

Reviews

[Kris-Posey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, my giddy aunt!!

This was frickin’ epic, for a debut novel!

FMC was a blood spilling machine!.. & well, the whole lot of this was kinda HOT!

With full throttle spice, a kick-ass FMC, action and a fan-frickin-tastic twist— I was all in!

There was lots going on, but it worked and I was invested! The characters, and development of these characters as the story unfolded really added to the overall awesomeness of this book!

Pauline Walters has outdone themselves here, & I can’t wait to see what’s next in her writing journey!

[Makayla Maree · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOAH!!! That was a whole lot of k*lling and a whole lot of f*cking! 😂😂🥵 An incredible debut by Pauline Walters. So stoked for you babes! 🥰
For the girlies who love dark romance, thriller, mystery, and a sprinkle of crime politics; this one's for you. 😍
The plot was fast paced, and the twist was SO GOOD! I love a morally grey MMC and a fierce female lead. 🥵 I can't say too much for fear of slipping out spoilers 😅🤐 but ladies, get amongst this! It's HOT. 🔥

[Nadine Smiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uuuumm?! Do you love dark romance with a glug of Mystery, Murder, plot twists, SPICE, a Majorly fierce MFL and a Morally Grey MML?
THEN THIS IS FOR YOU!
It's H.O.T.
It's addictive
...and if I could read this all over again for the first time I would REPEATEDLY!
100% will be adding this to my physical Book Collection if/when it comes out on paperback!!!
6/5 stars for you Pauline ✨️
This one will stay in my heart for a long time!

[St.Peaches · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ ARC Review ✨
🌟 : 3,5/5
🌶️ : 3,75/5
RELEASE DATE: 15/04/25

HOT DEADLY WOMEN RULE THE WORLD 👑👑

This one was quite a short and interesting story!!

Here's the deal it's a personal preference but i'm not a huge fan of 3rd person POV it never hits the same for me!
I'M SORRYY 🥲🥲😭😭

BUT this story line is such an interesting story!!!

Don't get me wrong the SMUT WAS WOOHOOO HOT HOT HOOOOT ALRIGHT 🥵🥵

For some reason i feel like this storyline is more focused on Eve's journey with a sprinkle of romance with Cyrus AND SOME INTENSE SMUT 👀👀
And when i start to put my view that way it's a totally different ball game!

This book is all about female rage for sure and I LOVE THAT ASPECT SOO MUCH!!!
And it's very interesting with the whole background of the story and the war and politics soo interesting!!

Buuutt alsooo I NEED MORE GOREE MORE DRAMAA 🥲🥲🤣🤣
It was already good don't get me wrong i'm just an EXTRA BITCH FOR SURE 🤣🤣

Over all CONGRATULATIONS Pauline Walters for this debut 💖💖
What a good way to start this journey!! 💖💖
Thankyou somuch for the opportunity!! 💖


Book Contains:
- Serial 🔪 FMC
- Morally Grey MMC
- 3rd person POV
- Murder Mystery
- ✊ (IYKYK)
- Gore & Murder
- Mention & Attempt Rape
- Mention of Child SA

🍑 HAPPY READING YALL!!!! 🍑

[Mara Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cyrus McRory is big, gorgeous, smart-mouthed, protective, and possessive, but he also has an unexpected tender side. What's not to love? And Eve is awesome. She's strong without being stubborn, and willful without being a brat. I like that she's tough while still being a lady, and I can't tell you how refreshing it is that she has so much self-respect!

This book has a lot of spice (a lot of detailed, deliciously-written spice.) It fits the story and the characters, and personally, I loved it. But this is not one of those books that's all spice and no plot. Walters weaves the romance with a good thriller-style mystery and gives us great side characters, too.

I was intrigued by the story's setting, a post-war dystopia in Ireland, and felt like more could've been done with this premise, but it by no means overshadows what this book does best. I enjoyed every minute of reading about Eve and Cyrus finding each other the midst of all the danger. Lovers of sexy, dark romance will love this book.

[Shara May · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the spirit of celebrating strong women, I had to share my review on Dangerous Double-Jeu because Eve is the badass vigilante hero we all need!

This book is a lighthearted, kinky, and wildly fun and I know you’ll devour it in one sitting. It made me want to grab a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, close the door and sit and drink my wine and eat my chocolates the whole time I was reading 😅💜

Oh and the MMC, Cyrus? Absolutely yum 😈

From the very first chapter, I just wanted to pull Eve straight out of the pages, make her my bestie, and cheer her on as my real-life hero. This story blends spice(lots of spice🌶️🌶️🌶️), mystery, serial killers, and a dash of humor into one irresistible read. I couldn’t put it down!

Mark your calendars, this fun and wild read will be released on 15.04.25.

[Astrid Svinsås · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-5⭐️
4-5🌶️

This was super entertaining! It is a quick, spicy and interesting read.
I don’t have much to say about the book other than this… if you are picking up a book because you want a lot of character growth and an ending with big shock factor with Shakespeare style writing? Then wait to pick up this one. BUT if you want an entertaining story with spice and you just want a good quick read? The yes read it!✨

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phew, that was 🔥🔥
I was hooked right from the start, fast paced, great characters, the twist I didn’t see coming, 🥵🌶️ levels were steaming; I devoured that book. Fantastic debut novel from Pauline, one you NEED to get your hands on.

[Lyndsey Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this! Had the same sort of vibes as butcher and blackbird.

A bad ass blood thirsty female, who is giving out justice to bad men. A bad dangerous MMC. A lot of spice, suspense and blood spilled. A read you don’t want to put down!

Great twists and turns that keeps you on your feet.

[Emma May · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as an ARC and I loved it!
I love a good murder mystery/thriller and I love a stabby FMC even more!
The story is sexy and funny and fast paced. I really enjoyed it

[Chloe Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhh yes! This was a amazing book! If it's not on your TBR list, be sure to add it.

FMC is one badass women, one you do not want to mess with and I'm living for it! Oh and don't get me started with the MMC Cyrus, take me please...

The spice is spicing 😍 the development was developing and just so much going on but it just works. I was invested for it all from chapter 1

Really enjoyed this!

[Emma :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh! I read this in one freaking sitting! I loved the tropes, the writing, the characters, and honestly just everything!

If you are a dark romance lover or just love suspense romance, you will love this one too! Its a quick read and each chapter is addicting; you will want to keep reading more! I am so excited to read more by Pauline!

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve Vallon lives a perfectly balanced double life efficient office worker by day, cold-blooded serial killer by night. Everything is under control until another killer starts stalking the streets of Dublin, threatening her territory and targeting innocent women. Determined to take him down, Eve sets out on a deadly mission after all, there’s only room for one predator in town

But her focus is tested when Cyrus McRory, a dangerously alluring gang leader, sets his sights on her. Sparks fly, and Eve finds herself drawn into a twisted game of desire and power. Now she has two problems: catching a rival killer before he strikes again … and resisting (or not resisting) Cyrus’s magnetic pull

Dangerous Double-Jeu is a dark, seductive romance packed with a fierce female lead, sharp wit, and unapologetic spice. The only question is: can Eve stop the killer before he catches her or will her wicked side get the better of her?

This debut novel by a New Zealand author completely blew me away! I absolutely love supporting local talent, and being part of her street team has been such a joy she’s an absolute delight to talk to

The writing gave me J.D. Robb vibes but with more dark romance and spice, which was such an interesting mix and something I really enjoyed. It’s written in third person POV, which I don’t always love, but it worked so well here that I actually found myself loving it

The storyline was amazing fast-paced, smart, and full of twists that kept me guessing. I especially enjoyed trying to piece everything together as I read. The world-building was intriguing too, and I’d love to know more about the war that happened before the events of this book. It added so much depth and mystery to the setting

The FMC is one badass woman strong, smart, fearless, and someone you definitely wouldn’t want to mess with. I absolutely adored her character and her sense of morality. She was written so well, and I found myself rooting for her the whole way through

And don’t even get me started on the MMC, Cyrus. He had such smoky, mysterious energy and was so compelling. I’m really hoping to see more of both of them in the future because they’re such intriguing characters

There’s a lot of spice, a lot of killing, and honestly it was all written incredibly well. This book was dark, intense, and addictive in the best way. Highly recommend if you love dark romance with a twist of danger and a powerful heroine at the center

[Michelle Ottey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book it sounded really interesting and cool. The concept of a spicy murder mystery with a stabby inclined fmc. Unfortunately I felt there was a lot of details that were missed out and then they were mentioned later on which made for a confusing read. The murder mystery part was interesting and I felt it wasn’t lacking but it did become a background piece overshadowed by the relationship between the mmc and fmc. In terms of their relationship I felt that the chemistry between them was seriously lacking. It didn’t feel like there was any attraction between them and so their interactions just felt purely like meaningless sex and not anything more, like there wasn’t a connections there. When it came to their intimate relations they often became confusing, they felt like I was reading in fast forward. They felt almost rushed through and a lot of them ended rather abruptly only to start back up again and go through the same motions. A lot of their interactions were also glossed over in later discussions that hadn’t actually occurred during the scenes which felt rather confusing like I’d missed something. The ending was also confusing, the mmc just appears as the saviour without any explanation as to how he got to where she was and then their relationship at the end was confusing as to why they felt that way. As for a spice level it’s about a 4.5/5, it was very prevalent throughout and kind of overshadowed the plot of the book. Overall, I felt overly confused and I found it a hard read. I really wanted to enjoy it, it started so well but it just kind of unraveled once their relationship was introduced. It’s a 2/5 read for me personally.

[Perinwinkle G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an intensely misogynistic near future, post-WW3 Europe seems to be in chaos, and our strong vigilante heroine Eve works with a militant feminist (?) guild, slaying offenders with grotesque violence. To be honest, this was my first dark romance read and will probably be my last. There was some smug, overbearing behavior from the “bad boy” MMC that would normally make me shut any book. But the whole time, I was thinking, the overbearing thing must be a key aspect of the genre that fans enjoy. So here we are with five stars and a bazillion chili peppers. If you are a dark romance fan, you will probably love this because the FMC Eve is really compelling. Sentence-level, the book is quite well written (I read an ARC so I imagine it probably got even better after proofs). It is a fast read with short chapters that propel you forward; and there is an actual mystery — a plot-line to follow and get invested in when you aren’t reading pages and pages of detailed spice. So enjoy!

[Karina Galaviz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a new favorite author! This book is suspenseful, fun, and oh so spicy! I couldn’t stop myself from reading. It’s set in Dublin, near future and it was an original concept to me to read about two morally grey MC’s. Eve and Cyrus have to work in close proximities to each other when a bunch of murders start happening, and not by Eve’s hand. She only unalives the evil types. We love her for that! Cyrus is this millionaire playboy with his own past of violence against really bad guys, so yes we love him for that too.
It was a quicker paced read with less than 200 pages but it’s packed with all the good things! I wasn’t bored for a second. The suspense and spice was balanced so well, and I’m critical when it comes to that. There are emotions deeper than just lusting for each other. I loved the sweet moments just as much as the spicy ones. And the revenge Eve gets is just as good. I had the time of my life reading this one, and you will too!

[Jade Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangerous Double-Jeu is an interesting read where the female protaganist is a kind of viligante villain who happily kills those who she feels deserves it. She works for the police force so is able to keep an eye on the police's suspicions, who are after another serial killer. Adding to this, is the romance subplot, featuring Cyrus - and there are many spice scenes between them! I wouldn't say that the romance itself is dark, just rather than the characters have dark personalities.

It's an interesting premise, and a quick read, with a twist at the end. There are little hints thrown in throughout the book so I did see the twist coming, but it was satisfying to find that my suspicions were correct. I did find on occasion that the spice scenes took me out of the plot - Eve is quite obsessed with mentioning Cyrus's large um endorsement, but I really enjoyed the sweet ending that fitted in well with their characters.

An impressive debut from a new indie author.

[Kate S · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ 4 stars
🔥 Spice: 3/5
📖 Genre: Dark Romance | Mafia | Thriller Elements
🗡️ Tropes: Possessive MMC, strong FMC, unexpected twist

One of those hidden gems I’m surprised more people aren’t shouting about. It’s under 200 pages but delivers a punch it’s dark, spicy, fast-paced, and packed with tension.

The FMC is honestly one of my favourites in a while. She doesn’t mess about - tough, sharp, and totally capable. Loved her energy. The MMC? Dark, dangerous, and possessive in all the ways you’d expect (and want) from a mafia romance.

The plot had a decent thriller feel running through it, with a twist I did not see coming. Add in some spicy scenes that definitely deliver, and I was hooked from start to finish.

If you’re a fan of the Mindfck* series or Butcher and Blackbird, this will be right up your street. Definitely worth a read if you like your dark romance quick, gritty, and addictive.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC opportunity :)
Well that was hot as fuck and a quick, easy read, I have really enjoyed it and can't get enough of Eve and Cyrus. I was a bit unsure about Eve's character at first but nope, I love her!
There's smut, and still a bit of plot even though it could use more of the thriller aspect; if you're more into smut than heavy plot, then this book is for you, go for it you won't regret it.

[susanasbooknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book ah definitely my kind of story line absolutely loved it and definitely recommend

[Marisa]

Ughhh I couldn’t get in to it. The prospect of a good storyline was there, but the combo of horrible smut jargon and 3rd POV icked me out.

[Stefanie Staples · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed the storyline and smut. I loved each "good" character in the book.

[Tanya Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mystery romance novels but usually one plot is fighting for its life. In this one…….. @paulinewaltersauthor plot is enjoyable and the romance is steamy! I took off 1 star for her use of nicknames or description of a character (e.g., “giant”) as a nickname, which is pretty funny to me. Also, some details felt left out when it’s needed. It took a moment to reread and sometimes reading ahead to verify what’s going on. This book gave me a teens and young adult vibe although it may be too spicy for teens 🫣 I’m going to read a pure romance book from this author next bc explicit scenes are definitely her strong suit 😅

[the honeyed library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn. Just damn. This story had me hooked, obsessed, and questioning my morals all at once. 😮‍💨 Pauline Walters really said, “Let’s make them fall in love with a serial killer,” and guess what? She succeeded. Eve is an absolute menace, and I adore her for it. And Cyrus? This man is dangerous in all the best ways. The chemistry? 🔥 The tension? 🔥 The power play? 🔥 This book doesn’t just have twists, it has jaw-dropping moments that make you rethink everything. Trust no one, suspect everyone. And most importantly...watch out for those closest to you. 😉