Haunting Hearts- The Beauty and The Monster Duet

by Camelia Varga

The beauty

I shouldn’t have fallen for him… but I did.
In a world full of monsters that turned my life into a living hell, Enzo Salvatore was both my salvation and my damnation. He’s the devil I swore to escape, yet the only one who made me feel alive.

The monster
I never killed before. But for her I’ll carve a path through hell itself, and if that makes me a monster, so be it.
Loving her was never meant to save my soul—it was meant to destroy it.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark

345 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Sam’s Sagas · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review:

This was a rollercoaster. Check check check the trigger warnings because this had some fucked up shit in it. The FMC has a ridiculously traumatizing past and she’s been through A LOT and continues to throughout the story. This book was pretty dark. The torture was pretty descriptive and messed up, mainly to the FMC, there’s r@pe & mentioned CSA, so please be mindful of that. It’s pretty rough. I kind of feel like there was SO much going on and really fast. Almost to where it was jumping? It just seemed like it went from 0-100, back to 50, back to 100, to a HEA? And it says it’s a duet but idk where it would go after the epilogue ya know? I think maybe it could have been a little more spread out to lead to what all was happening or going on, maybe ya, spread the chaos into 2 books. I still enjoyed the concept and plot, just maybe better outlining for the storyline.

[Sara Cayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it so so good

[Lily Kanojia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pain, sadness, betrayal, and relief. Each of those words is perfect to describe the emotional rollercoaster one goes through when reading this book. I did finish this book within one day. It was a book that I didn’t want to put down because of the rollercoaster of emotions that was felt throughout this book. Also, the way that the author wrote it was so great that in a way you were able to feel the pain, sadness, and betrayal the main character was feeling. It was also just the way that Camelia wrote that described things where you could imagine what was going on. I do hope that there is a mini-sequel in the future continuing the story of Enzo and Layla. (This story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger!)

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPICE: 🌶🌶🌶, RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, VIBES: Jaw-dropping tension, emotional chaos, morally grey deliciousness, and serious main character addiction, touch her and die! ⚡️📚❤️‍🔥🖤⏳🥵

Ob-freaking-sessed. From PAGE ONE, this book had me by the throat—in the best way. I stayed up way too late devouring it, and every other read was promptly benched because I couldn't (and wouldn't) leave these characters.

I’m THRILLED it’s going to be a trilogy, though let’s be honest... this one book could’ve EASILY been stretched into a trilogy on its own. I wanted more James. I needed more Enzo and Layla. Basically, I just wanted MORE.

Heads up: check those trigger warnings—it gets dark and intense. But if you’re into addictive, high-stakes stories with spice, grit, and complex characters, run—don’t walk—to this book.

BRB, counting down the days ‘til the next one drops.

[Kayla Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am such a $lut for dark romance - so when I got the chance to do this ARC read I jumped on it! I will say - CHECK YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS! If you have any SA triggers and still choose to read this - know that it is very descriptive.

The storyline was a definite roller coaster of emotions - the plot was all over the place for a second, I wasn’t quite sure how James would fit into the whole Layla/Enzo equation, but boy did I get my answer and let me tell you, I was shocked! Layla and Enzo were the perfect amount of psycho for each other. Their story had me hooked from the jump.

This would have been 4 stars for me, but I could not get over some of the grammatical and formatting errors of the book, other than that it was a great dark romance read!

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sinister and seductive, Haunting Hearts: A Dark College Romance by Camelia Varga isn’t for the faint of heart. Seriously. This is no gentle romance. It’s a tale riddled with shadows and scars, where every chapter gets a little darker. Check the triggers, because it has every traumatizing subplot you could think of. This book doesn’t whisper warnings, it screams them.

This twisted tale follows Layla, a tormented young woman suffering through the worst abuse, as she’s forced into devastatingly cruel situations by her father. Exploited and controlled, she is not only abused, but forced to pose as a college student, where she meets Enzo. Layla and Enzo have intense, instant chemistry which leads to a brutal game of survival against the men terrorizing Layla. In the end, they must fight for their love… and their lives.

Haunting Hearts is dark, raw, and brimming with potential. The plot is strong, with a dark and compelling premise that fits the genre well. It’s very fast paced, with scenes jumping quickly from one to the next with little time to process what’s happening. So much happens so quickly in this book! So, if you’re looking for a fast paced, action packed, unhinged escape, this one is for you.

[emmaz.bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️


First off, thank you so much for this ARC! 🫶🏻

I absolutely loved this book! I completely fell for Enzo. He was so protective and sweet. I loved his relationship with Layla aswell. They matched each other perfectly! The spice and romance between them were so good. However, at times, the relationship did feel like it was moving a bit too fast.

I also really enjoyed some of the side characters! Some others however I hated more than anything but in a good way! The characters had me fully invested in the story, and I truly felt for Layla.

[Vira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the Arc✨

First of all read the trigger warnings before you start the book (there are 22 trigger warnings).

I really liked the book even tho it was pretty hard to read some parts about Layla’s past. And Enzo is cool🔥

If you like dark romance and A LOT of spice then read this book.

[Larissa Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not my typical kind of read. Despite that, it had me gripped from the beginning. I struggled to put the book down. I highly advise reading the trigger warnings if you are sensitive to subjects in this book. I loved the push and pull between the characters and loved the twists and turns in their story.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blessed with this arc read and it did not disappoint. the story flows so perfectly it's like I'm "watching" a movie. it is so well written I got hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed, cringe, cried, close my eyes and laugh for this book. I cannot recommend this book enough. it is really good and it will keep you on your toes from start to finish.

[Tehmeena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content Warnings;
Please take note of the trigger warnings.

~Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity! I'm leaving my Arc Review voluntarily.~

Tropes;
🥀💜𝓓𝓾𝓪𝓵 𝓟𝓞𝓥𝓼
🥀💜𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓰𝓮 𝓡𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮
🥀💜𝓟𝓸𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓜𝓜𝓒
🥀💜𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓕𝓜𝓒
🥀💜𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 & 𝓥𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓼
🥀💜𝓜𝓸𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓜𝓜𝓒
🥀💜𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓡𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮
🥀💜𝓗𝓾𝓻𝓽 𝓗𝓮𝓻 & 𝓓𝓲𝓮
🥀💜𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓵
🥀💜𝓝𝓸-𝓒𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻
🥀💜𝓗𝓔𝓐

...𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖙𝖞 & 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝖁𝖎𝖇𝖊𝖘...

I loved this book so much. Enzo was such a sweetheart, a romantic at heart, and so protective towards Layla and understandably so. They both complimented each other so well. Anyways, the side characters were very intriguing too, some more than others. But I cannot imagine how hard it was for Layla to deal with everything she was put through, oh my Lord! What the f**k. All the trauma, the abuse, just everything.

I won't lie, I did have to pause and take a break occasionally. This was a hard read for me, but I knew that possibility from the triggers. So please, I say this for your own mental health, check out the trigger list before going in. If you're used going in blind, a trait I look up to and envy, please dive straight in.

Along the way experienced joy, sadness, angst, betrayal, and even a laugh, which is always good. There's a bit of everything. And oh my goodness, the plot-twists! I was hooked from start to finish - didn't take me long to finish it, I've just been bombarded with work and family and other life's BS, so that's why my post have been slower. My heart broke, put itself back together, but it still feels heavy. This was such a good one. I loved it.

The story flowed well with the pacing - I didn't mind if it was a tad bit hasty here and here, sometimes I do prefer it, and this one did not disappoint. I found myself wanting more at the end. The emotions are still inside me, I'm coping though lol Although the descriptions were beautifully written, it created a vivid imagery for me, which I always appreciate and love.

Book will be released on the 25th on March this year, so not long to go! Save it in your wish-list now, you'll want this on your TBR.

Out of Fives;
🥀💜𝑪𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓: ✨✨✨✨✨
🥀💜𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒆: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
🥀💜𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏: 💋💋💋
🥀💜𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕: 💔💔💔💔💔
🥀💜𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆: 🥀🥀🥀🥀
🥀💜𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
🥀💜𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔: 🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲
🥀💜𝑳𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒂 𝑭𝑴𝑪: 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
🥀💜𝑬𝒏𝒛𝒐 𝑴𝑴𝑪: 💙💙💙💙💙
🥀💜𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆: ⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️
🥀💜𝑷𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⏳⏳⏳⏳⏳
🥀💜𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕: 👍👍👍👍👍
🥀💜𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈: 🌍🌏🌍🌍🌏
🥀💜𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅: eARC/Kindle.
🥀💜𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: (The Beauty and The Monster Duet)
🥀💜𝑷𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔: 376.
🥀💜𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔: 30 (including Epilogue).
🥀💜𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Fiction, Dark Romance.
🥀💜𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆: 25 Mar 2025.
🥀💜𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑰 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅: Yes.
🥀💜𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Nahi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beauty and the Monster Duet by Camelia Varga is a compelling and emotionally charged romance novel that skillfully combines depth with raw intensity. The narrative immerses readers in a world of trauma, obsession, and unexpected redemption, providing a captivating and addictive reading experience.
The protagonist, Layla, known as The Beauty, emerges as a resilient survivor, enduring unimaginable horrors. When she encounters Enzo Salvatore, her life takes a dramatic turn. Enzo embodies the anti-hero archetype, refusing forgiveness and harboring self-doubt. However, his unwavering devotion and intricate moral compass make him irresistibly drawn to.
Camelia Varga’s writing is characterized by its atmospheric and evocative qualities, drawing readers into a narrative where love serves both as a weapon and a sanctuary. The chemistry between the characters is electrifying, yet their raw, fractured, and painfully authentic emotional bond steals the show.
Unapologetically dark, the author fearlessly confronts challenging themes. The story explores the concepts of survival, vengeance, and a love that does not promise healing but instead offers understanding in the shadows.
Highly recommended for readers of dark romance who appreciate intricate character-driven narratives and are not averse to exploring the more unsettling aspects of love.
Trigger warnings are provided, as the duet contains mature and potentially distressing content.

[Smutty Professor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting Hearts is a dark romance that pulls no punches. From the very first chapter, it throws you into a whirlwind of trauma, obsession, and survival. Layla’s story is devastating, and her resilience is heartbreaking and inspiring. Enzo is the definition of a morally gray protector- possessive, dangerous, but undeniably loyal.

Their chemistry is intense and magnetic. The romance is raw and unfiltered, and while it burns hot, it also aches with pain and vulnerability. Their relationship walks the line between salvation and destruction, and it makes for an addictive read.

This book is dark, though- emotionally and thematically. Trigger warnings are a must. There are scenes of graphic abuse, SA, and psychological trauma, so tread carefully.

The pacing was fast- at times, a little too fast. Some moments felt rushed or like they didn’t have the emotional space they needed to fully land. Still, the plot was strong, and the emotional intensity more than carried the weight of the story.

Camelia Varga has a gift for writing raw emotion and dark tension. If you’re into gritty, twisted love stories with broken characters clawing their way toward something like healing, Haunting Hearts is worth the read.

[Theughost · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of thank you so much Camelia for getting this book and the PR package!

This is a dark and heavy story following Layla and Enzo who both have a very hard past and the triggers are very much there for a reason. Please rad them. Layla has been through so much and Enzo too, but he’d 💀 for her and the “who did this to you?” Moments?🔥🥵 I liked that it had a happy ending so yes, finally me recommending a book with a HEA. I liked the story plot but felt like it could’ve been more descriptive so it really gets the reader inside the story.

So even though I gave this book 3.75⭐️ it’s counted as a good rating from me! There were just parts I wish would’ve been more descriptive or rephrased but it didn’t take away from the story so I really enjoyed it! Spice is a 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.

So if you’re looking for a really dark, dark romance book check this one out! And again, thank you for the book Camelia. It will now stand treasurer in my bookshelf as my first signed copy of a book.

[Jaess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read! Your! Trigger! Warnings!

This book has so many dark bits in it, that you have to read the trigger warnings.

Lyla has been through hell and the ride down has not stopped yet. We are take through more abuse that no one should ever endure, and it seems like there is no happy ending for our protagonist. I was missing more emotional description but the pace of the book had me seated and it was impossible to put the book down.

This is not a book for everyone, but for those dark romance readers all I can say is. Enjoy the madness.

[Julie Verriet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please review triggers.
I'm all for a dark story, and have no triggers but this story was a bit out there. I didn't feel enough redemption for the FMC. I love a he falls first and fast but like was too unrealistic to enjoy it.

[Cheyenne Rivera]

I wanted this to be a higher rating but struggled to really get into with the plot being all over it made it hard. Check the trigger warnings but it is a good read and I will give it a re-read soon.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nupur Jha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love some Romance and drama in a duet? Who doesn't, right? With a gripping plot, interesting characters, and a thrilling storyline, what's not to love? Romance to fall in love with, with some unhinged effects, I am always up for it. Recommended.

[Bronte Readss · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the actual fuck did I just read

[DarksLib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read !! Please check the trigger warning !
I love this story so much , I can’t wait for the sequel.

[MaguiWorld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo bueno es que este libro viene con los TW al comienzo para que nadie se lleve sorpresas (y aun así me sorprendí)

Este libro se lee RAPIDISIMO. Es muy facil de engancharse con el pero tambien sentí que a veces ciertos personajes o momentos no tenían mucha relacion y que estaban ahi colocados estratégicamente para que algo sucediera. Es decir... estaba todo bastante forzado.

Cuando uno escribe un libro, o al menos como lectora yo busco eso, me gusta que ciertas cosas tengan coherencia. Por ejemplo, cuando hablamos de un centro psiquiátrico había cosas que NUNCA pasarían en la vida real. NUNCA. Y no es algo muy complejo de averiguar. Eso hacía que un poco dudara de seguir leyendo porque si bien sabia que me iba a encontrar con una historia bastante perversa, me gusta también que haya coherencia en ciertas cosas. Que se note una investigación o interes por ciertas tematicas que no existieron.

Fue una lectura intensa, que no es para todos y que tiene más momentos spicy de lo que me gustaría haber leído porque no acompañaban en absoluto a la historia. Pero esto, es algo totalmente personal.

Gracias Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op por el ARC que leí en Netgalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.