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Neighbors of Sapphire Valley #1
HEAVY: A Dark Taboo Romance
Calista - Everyone has a past, but mine is a storm that never stops chasing me. When my life goes up in flames by my own doing, I'm left with an impossible lose everything I've built or hide out in a remote cabin with a killer. My plan is to rebuild the vacation home where my family once spent summers, hoping it will distract me from the chaos. But there's one major my roommate is way too hot. And who is this too-hot roommate? My damn step-uncle. He's a convicted murderer with a history as dark as my own, and maybe this cabin isn't the only thing I'm desperate to repair.
Ronan - Fifteen years behind bars, and freedom tastes no sweeter than my old concrete cell. I figured I'd drink myself into an early grave or wind up back in prison. Then my little step-niece showed up, begging to stay at the place my brother let me live in. She's fixing up the cabin, but I can see it in her eyes that I'm also on the plans for repairs. But I don't need fixing; I'm not broken, just forgotten. She's a beautiful fighter with secrets she's not ready to share. But she's in a cage with a lion that's been starved too long, and now that I'm free, I've got an appetite that will only be satisfied by her.
Ronan - Fifteen years behind bars, and freedom tastes no sweeter than my old concrete cell. I figured I'd drink myself into an early grave or wind up back in prison. Then my little step-niece showed up, begging to stay at the place my brother let me live in. She's fixing up the cabin, but I can see it in her eyes that I'm also on the plans for repairs. But I don't need fixing; I'm not broken, just forgotten. She's a beautiful fighter with secrets she's not ready to share. But she's in a cage with a lion that's been starved too long, and now that I'm free, I've got an appetite that will only be satisfied by her.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2025
1878 people are currently reading
14729 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,167 reviews
November 16, 2025
I surprisingly really enjoyed this!!!!
I absolutely hate the daddy kink and the “step uncle, little niece” type shit. so those parts did make me wanna die. HOWEVER, spice aside.. the plot was so good and it made me really like the characters. the backstories were so fucking sad but it made you really understand them both.
ps: highly recommend doing the audiobook!!!!
I absolutely hate the daddy kink and the “step uncle, little niece” type shit. so those parts did make me wanna die. HOWEVER, spice aside.. the plot was so good and it made me really like the characters. the backstories were so fucking sad but it made you really understand them both.
ps: highly recommend doing the audiobook!!!!
June 6, 2025
I LOVED IT ! Simple as that.
I only discovered this author because she wrote the MMC in Desperate Run and I felt in ABSOLUTE LOVE with that book and the MMC after that I’ve read All your Bloody Lies from her and it was another 5⭐️ for me, so it was fate for me to read, love and rate this one 5⭐️ too. Everyone knows I am a very easy 5 ⭐️ giver 😂 if I vibe with the book it’s almost immediately a 5⭐️ but Desperate Run and this one are TOP NOTCH DARK ROMANCES ! Omg ! This lady knows how to write good dark romance.
This book is about Ronan a convicted felon that actually had spent most of his life in prison. Unfortunately the circumstances that led him this way are sad and HEAVY ! He went to prison the first time at the age of 17 and was trial as an adult and was in prison for 3 years, he left prison and was free for 3 years only when again a series of bad circumstances had him behind bars for 15 years 😩 he only left prison at the age of 38 years old and it’s literally when his life begins. His is story is so so sad, unfair and unjust!!!!!! He could’ve have had a great life if ONE single person in his life helped him, held him, saw the signs and heard him, he was bleeding inside and dying of sadness and NO ONE CARED 😭😭😭😭 I am really not a forgiving person because to me what his brother “didn’t do” and what he “did it” was unforgivable. I would’ve never accepted him in my life again. Call me a bitch but I would’ve kept the found family he made along the way and would’ve left the traitor coward brother behind. I know authors write what they want, have in their hearts and a lot times they want to give us a new vison that forgiveness is important, I get it , it is important, but fuck that if my brother did to me what his brother did to him, nope thanks. Go live your life far far away from me and I hope you rot in guilt …. 😂
Then we have Calista who’s 11 years younger than him and his step niece. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 MAN OH MAN !!!!!!!
They are polar opposites, he is 6.7ft muscles for ages, gladiator body made in prison, a scary motherfucker, he is the definition of dominance, violence and brooding. His entire body is covered in tattoos and he has a single word tattoo on top of one his eyebrow that says “SIT” (me literally melting as I was reading 🫠 He is HOT AS HELL but he has so much trauma and touching is an aversion, nobody and I mean NOBODY can touch him anywhere, if he wants any intimacy with anyone he either ties their hands or they have to keep their hands behind their backs the whole time, a single brush of fingertips is enough for him to stop anything and nearly kill the person. So needless to say that a relationship with him is challenging to say the least. Him and Calista are sharing a cabin in the woods because both are out of place to live and neither knew about the other staying there and they didn’t even know about each other’s existences. But now they have to stay there and their romance doesn’t happen right away, it takes a while, it’s a little of a slow burn but when it happens HOLLY HOTNESS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵
Calista also have a heavy past and load to carry. She also has a lot trauma and they will work on that together. I love that he doesn’t bullshit with miscommunication, he is a straight shooter and says what he feels plus he doesn’t lie, ever. And our little Calista is a liar or like she would say, she’s a manipulator.
What a GREAT STORY, GREAT ROMANCE, EMOTIONAL IN THE END, SAD IN MANY PARTS, SPICY AF, PAST AND PRESENT, UNEXPECTED PLOT TWIST !!!!!! I even cried a little in the end.
Now I can’t wait for the other books in this interconnected series!
I only discovered this author because she wrote the MMC in Desperate Run and I felt in ABSOLUTE LOVE with that book and the MMC after that I’ve read All your Bloody Lies from her and it was another 5⭐️ for me, so it was fate for me to read, love and rate this one 5⭐️ too. Everyone knows I am a very easy 5 ⭐️ giver 😂 if I vibe with the book it’s almost immediately a 5⭐️ but Desperate Run and this one are TOP NOTCH DARK ROMANCES ! Omg ! This lady knows how to write good dark romance.
This book is about Ronan a convicted felon that actually had spent most of his life in prison. Unfortunately the circumstances that led him this way are sad and HEAVY ! He went to prison the first time at the age of 17 and was trial as an adult and was in prison for 3 years, he left prison and was free for 3 years only when again a series of bad circumstances had him behind bars for 15 years 😩 he only left prison at the age of 38 years old and it’s literally when his life begins. His is story is so so sad, unfair and unjust!!!!!! He could’ve have had a great life if ONE single person in his life helped him, held him, saw the signs and heard him, he was bleeding inside and dying of sadness and NO ONE CARED 😭😭😭😭 I am really not a forgiving person because to me what his brother “didn’t do” and what he “did it” was unforgivable. I would’ve never accepted him in my life again. Call me a bitch but I would’ve kept the found family he made along the way and would’ve left the traitor coward brother behind. I know authors write what they want, have in their hearts and a lot times they want to give us a new vison that forgiveness is important, I get it , it is important, but fuck that if my brother did to me what his brother did to him, nope thanks. Go live your life far far away from me and I hope you rot in guilt …. 😂
Then we have Calista who’s 11 years younger than him and his step niece. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 MAN OH MAN !!!!!!!
They are polar opposites, he is 6.7ft muscles for ages, gladiator body made in prison, a scary motherfucker, he is the definition of dominance, violence and brooding. His entire body is covered in tattoos and he has a single word tattoo on top of one his eyebrow that says “SIT” (me literally melting as I was reading 🫠 He is HOT AS HELL but he has so much trauma and touching is an aversion, nobody and I mean NOBODY can touch him anywhere, if he wants any intimacy with anyone he either ties their hands or they have to keep their hands behind their backs the whole time, a single brush of fingertips is enough for him to stop anything and nearly kill the person. So needless to say that a relationship with him is challenging to say the least. Him and Calista are sharing a cabin in the woods because both are out of place to live and neither knew about the other staying there and they didn’t even know about each other’s existences. But now they have to stay there and their romance doesn’t happen right away, it takes a while, it’s a little of a slow burn but when it happens HOLLY HOTNESS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵
Calista also have a heavy past and load to carry. She also has a lot trauma and they will work on that together. I love that he doesn’t bullshit with miscommunication, he is a straight shooter and says what he feels plus he doesn’t lie, ever. And our little Calista is a liar or like she would say, she’s a manipulator.
What a GREAT STORY, GREAT ROMANCE, EMOTIONAL IN THE END, SAD IN MANY PARTS, SPICY AF, PAST AND PRESENT, UNEXPECTED PLOT TWIST !!!!!! I even cried a little in the end.
Now I can’t wait for the other books in this interconnected series!
May 25, 2025
Everything M.L. Burns touches is absolute magic, and this was another six-star masterpiece for me.
You think you’re getting a fun, spicy, taboo step-uncle romance but what you’re really getting is so much more. The depth and the layers, not just in the story but in these two main characters, blew my mind. It’s so easy to fall in love with characters written by Mel because they’re so damn intricate. I wasn’t just obsessed with their relationship, the pull they had toward each other and their FIREEEE sexual chemistry I was also completely hooked on their backstories, their trauma, their demons… everything they had hiding in the shadows. And when it all started to unfold at the end? Jaw. On. The. Floor.
This book was beyond emotional. There were moments I felt like I was being punched in the gut my heart shattered into a million pieces for Ronan, so many freaking times. To be so young, so mishandled, so abused, with no one to protect you or show you what love looks like… it was heartbreaking. He grew into a man who truly didn’t believe he was worthy of anything good, because no one ever showed him love through actions. And I think that’s why his relationship with Calista hit me so hard it felt like so much more. Their broken pieces fit together so perfectly.
This book made me feel ALL the feelings. THE PAINT OMG WHAT A MOMENT!! There were honestly so many good moments between them. Watching her slowly break down his walls and prove to him that he is worthy of love and happiness had me an absolute sobbing mess.
But also?? It made me salivate. Why was this so freaking hot?! The emotional whiplash from crying to sweating was wild. The kinks? So fun. Some of my absolute favorites. THE TATTOO SCENE LIVES RENT-FREE IN MY HEAD, OKAY?! I would let Ronan chase me barefoot through a snowstorm while he degraded me and then thank him for the privilege. Like this man went from the derogation KING to the softest teddy bear in the blink of an eye, and I loved how he leaned into both sides of himself (if you can’t tell, I’m literally obsessed with him)
This book had everything I love. It felt like it was written just for me wrapped up and tied with a pretty little bow. I will never get over it, and I will never stop screaming about it. An absolute must read👏🏻👏🏻
PS- I believe you 😭😭😭😭😭
PSS- Ronan’s face says sit, and I say how hard?? Full weight ?!? SAY LESS
You think you’re getting a fun, spicy, taboo step-uncle romance but what you’re really getting is so much more. The depth and the layers, not just in the story but in these two main characters, blew my mind. It’s so easy to fall in love with characters written by Mel because they’re so damn intricate. I wasn’t just obsessed with their relationship, the pull they had toward each other and their FIREEEE sexual chemistry I was also completely hooked on their backstories, their trauma, their demons… everything they had hiding in the shadows. And when it all started to unfold at the end? Jaw. On. The. Floor.
This book was beyond emotional. There were moments I felt like I was being punched in the gut my heart shattered into a million pieces for Ronan, so many freaking times. To be so young, so mishandled, so abused, with no one to protect you or show you what love looks like… it was heartbreaking. He grew into a man who truly didn’t believe he was worthy of anything good, because no one ever showed him love through actions. And I think that’s why his relationship with Calista hit me so hard it felt like so much more. Their broken pieces fit together so perfectly.
This book made me feel ALL the feelings. THE PAINT OMG WHAT A MOMENT!! There were honestly so many good moments between them. Watching her slowly break down his walls and prove to him that he is worthy of love and happiness had me an absolute sobbing mess.
But also?? It made me salivate. Why was this so freaking hot?! The emotional whiplash from crying to sweating was wild. The kinks? So fun. Some of my absolute favorites. THE TATTOO SCENE LIVES RENT-FREE IN MY HEAD, OKAY?! I would let Ronan chase me barefoot through a snowstorm while he degraded me and then thank him for the privilege. Like this man went from the derogation KING to the softest teddy bear in the blink of an eye, and I loved how he leaned into both sides of himself (if you can’t tell, I’m literally obsessed with him)
This book had everything I love. It felt like it was written just for me wrapped up and tied with a pretty little bow. I will never get over it, and I will never stop screaming about it. An absolute must read👏🏻👏🏻
PS- I believe you 😭😭😭😭😭
PSS- Ronan’s face says sit, and I say how hard?? Full weight ?!? SAY LESS
November 21, 2025
Nah this was so refreshing. The MMC was possessive yet understanding and I feel as if I fully understand these characters. How am I also a fan of terms that would usually make me cringe too? Daddy? Get out my face. But in this dynamic? I get it.
November 28, 2025
I don’t know if I need an exorcism or a baptism (maybe both) because I ate this book up like it was my final meal 😔
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre-read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
Idk what’s in the air lately, but I haven’t had a dark romance hit in ages. Praying this one finally feeds my delusions again🙂↕️🤞
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre-read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
Idk what’s in the air lately, but I haven’t had a dark romance hit in ages. Praying this one finally feeds my delusions again🙂↕️🤞
August 16, 2025
this had me gagged.
September 23, 2025
He’s her estranged step-uncle, tattooed, pierced & FRESHLY released from PRISON!! Thousand morally grey TABOO stars for the mmc that loves showing her off 🔥🖤🔥
“You murder my pussy daily, and that’s the only killing I’ll accept you’re guilty of.”
⛓️💥🖤⛓️💥🖤⛓️💥🖤⛓️💥
Calista is in deep trouble when she kind of burns down her house & moves to her family’s remote cabin 🔥 Too bad the cabin is also being occupied by her dark & miserable step-uncle Ronan. Now Calista has a good girl facade but her true nature is craving the darkness emanating from Ronan. He tries to avoid her but….this girls is bad too!
DARK PAST. FILTHY PRESENT. I loved how we slowly discovered the Ronan’s/Cal’s dark memories & what made them who they are today. The mystery of their past is deliciously woven with their cabin sexcapades.
🖤 they are both completely pierced…EVERYWHERE
⛓️💥 he’s a villain but she needs him to fight her demons
🖤 he can’t stand touching
⛓️💥 EXHIBITIONISM!
🖤 sex with his biker helmet on so she can watch herself in the reflection of his visor *ten points for creativity*
The smuttiness was imbued with DARK PASSION & possession! Ronan is morally grey to the bone and has the attitude to back it up. I was so sold!!! Ronan loved showing her off & his brand of praise and degradation was 🔥🔥 it really helped that Calista was equally dark so the power imbalance wasn’t icky.
This felt devastatingly heavy but the romance was full of tension that I just couldn’t stop reading. TW: these two both have lots of trauma baggage so be prepared for DARKNESS
ex-con mmc
protective mmc
age gap
praise/degradation
period sex
exhibitionism
daddy kink (lite)
outdoor sex
somnophilia
bdsm
one bike
found family
forced proximity
tw: SA trauma, violence
HEA
“You murder my pussy daily, and that’s the only killing I’ll accept you’re guilty of.”
⛓️💥🖤⛓️💥🖤⛓️💥🖤⛓️💥
Calista is in deep trouble when she kind of burns down her house & moves to her family’s remote cabin 🔥 Too bad the cabin is also being occupied by her dark & miserable step-uncle Ronan. Now Calista has a good girl facade but her true nature is craving the darkness emanating from Ronan. He tries to avoid her but….this girls is bad too!
DARK PAST. FILTHY PRESENT. I loved how we slowly discovered the Ronan’s/Cal’s dark memories & what made them who they are today. The mystery of their past is deliciously woven with their cabin sexcapades.
🖤 they are both completely pierced…EVERYWHERE
⛓️💥 he’s a villain but she needs him to fight her demons
🖤 he can’t stand touching
⛓️💥 EXHIBITIONISM!
🖤 sex with his biker helmet on so she can watch herself in the reflection of his visor *ten points for creativity*
The smuttiness was imbued with DARK PASSION & possession! Ronan is morally grey to the bone and has the attitude to back it up. I was so sold!!! Ronan loved showing her off & his brand of praise and degradation was 🔥🔥 it really helped that Calista was equally dark so the power imbalance wasn’t icky.
This felt devastatingly heavy but the romance was full of tension that I just couldn’t stop reading. TW: these two both have lots of trauma baggage so be prepared for DARKNESS
ex-con mmc
protective mmc
age gap
praise/degradation
period sex
exhibitionism
daddy kink (lite)
outdoor sex
somnophilia
bdsm
one bike
found family
forced proximity
tw: SA trauma, violence
HEA
July 27, 2025
You know TikTok ruined the romance genre when the MMC has the words sit on his eyebrows for women to sit on his face and the female audience is supposed to eat that shit up … Is he stupid! What 38 year old man would get that??
June 28, 2025
i really don’t understand how this book has such a high rating.
i had really high expectations for this book, but maybe that was my own fault. i feel like to read this, you have to really suspend disbelief. like, truly throw your brain out of a window type of thing.
the story follows calista (fmc) and ronan (mmc). he’s her step uncle, but they haven’t actually met before since ronan was in prison. now, i had a really hard time with these two characters. for me, they weren’t likable at all.
calista read like an “i’m not like other girls” fmc and i absolutely despise that. it’s mentioned that she has adhd, and i was like, yay, alright, something i can relate to… nope. i feel like she’s one of those people who say things like “aren’t we all a little adhd?” 😪
anyway, this is what she said about herself:
“i’m such a manipulator and i fucking love it. with my blonde hair, bright green eyes, and a body i can sway to get what i want, i know how to play the game.”
lmao 🤡
girl, you’re SO different 🙄
ronan was a walking secondhand embarrassment. i saw a bunch of reviews talking about him, how hot he was… and i was like??? really? you guys find this dude hot? i was literally cringing at everything that came out of this man’s mouth. also an example of the daddy kink done wrong. again, cringey.
i won’t go into the whole miscommunication between her mother and stepfather because it was simply for plot convenience and very, very stupid.
i didn’t feel the tension between the mcs. i didn’t feel the chemistry. nothing. just cringe after cringe after cringe after cringe 😀
oh, also a good one:
“grabbing my laptop, i toss myself onto the bed and open it, immediately typing ronan byrne into google. unsurprisingly, the first result is a wikipedia page.”
wdym unsurprisingly??? LOL does everyone just have a wikipedia page now?
this felt like tropes were being checked off of a list. and poorly done, might i add. i’d rather read one trope well written than a bunch of different ones badly written.
i didn’t even get to the smut, tbh. i could’ve skimmed to see what all the fuss was about, but i just didn’t care.
one positive thing about this book: the fmc having tattoos and piercings. this has to be added more often in books! enough of only the mmc having tattoos and the fmc not having a single blemish.
this book is indeed heavy, heavy on cringe and secondhand embarrassment 🤚
a shame, really. i read “all your blood lies” by this author and loved it, but this one ain’t it.
i had really high expectations for this book, but maybe that was my own fault. i feel like to read this, you have to really suspend disbelief. like, truly throw your brain out of a window type of thing.
the story follows calista (fmc) and ronan (mmc). he’s her step uncle, but they haven’t actually met before since ronan was in prison. now, i had a really hard time with these two characters. for me, they weren’t likable at all.
calista read like an “i’m not like other girls” fmc and i absolutely despise that. it’s mentioned that she has adhd, and i was like, yay, alright, something i can relate to… nope. i feel like she’s one of those people who say things like “aren’t we all a little adhd?” 😪
anyway, this is what she said about herself:
“i’m such a manipulator and i fucking love it. with my blonde hair, bright green eyes, and a body i can sway to get what i want, i know how to play the game.”
lmao 🤡
girl, you’re SO different 🙄
ronan was a walking secondhand embarrassment. i saw a bunch of reviews talking about him, how hot he was… and i was like??? really? you guys find this dude hot? i was literally cringing at everything that came out of this man’s mouth. also an example of the daddy kink done wrong. again, cringey.
i won’t go into the whole miscommunication between her mother and stepfather because it was simply for plot convenience and very, very stupid.
i didn’t feel the tension between the mcs. i didn’t feel the chemistry. nothing. just cringe after cringe after cringe after cringe 😀
oh, also a good one:
“grabbing my laptop, i toss myself onto the bed and open it, immediately typing ronan byrne into google. unsurprisingly, the first result is a wikipedia page.”
wdym unsurprisingly??? LOL does everyone just have a wikipedia page now?
this felt like tropes were being checked off of a list. and poorly done, might i add. i’d rather read one trope well written than a bunch of different ones badly written.
i didn’t even get to the smut, tbh. i could’ve skimmed to see what all the fuss was about, but i just didn’t care.
one positive thing about this book: the fmc having tattoos and piercings. this has to be added more often in books! enough of only the mmc having tattoos and the fmc not having a single blemish.
this book is indeed heavy, heavy on cringe and secondhand embarrassment 🤚
a shame, really. i read “all your blood lies” by this author and loved it, but this one ain’t it.
June 13, 2025
Heavy 🐍🖤🥀 💚
જ⁀➴ 5 freaking starss!!
Heavy is about two fractured souls, intertwining together to feel whole again. I don't read taboo romances often but the way this book is engraved in my heart is insane.
Family is supposed to protect you, guard you, nurture you, instead Ronan's only dismissed him without a second thought and put him through something no one, let alone a child should ever go through. Growing up is something we all have to do, having to be the grown one while your still a child is heartbreaking. That night will forever live in Calista's memory, and as much as she tries to erase her past, it comes right along knocking on her door.
The odds are stacked up against them, a forbidden romance, one that should have never taken place, yet they can't ignore the pull anymore. Some people are destined, but Ronan and Calista? Their souls were woven together; it was only a matter of time until they find each other.
Heavy is exactly what it promises, heavy. It's dark, twisted and wild. It had me bawling my eyes, broken beyond repair, completely anguished but I'd do anything to read this book for the first time again.
disclaimer: make sure to check TW and enjoy bbs 💚🖤
જ⁀➴ 5 freaking starss!!
Heavy is about two fractured souls, intertwining together to feel whole again. I don't read taboo romances often but the way this book is engraved in my heart is insane.
Family is supposed to protect you, guard you, nurture you, instead Ronan's only dismissed him without a second thought and put him through something no one, let alone a child should ever go through. Growing up is something we all have to do, having to be the grown one while your still a child is heartbreaking. That night will forever live in Calista's memory, and as much as she tries to erase her past, it comes right along knocking on her door.
The odds are stacked up against them, a forbidden romance, one that should have never taken place, yet they can't ignore the pull anymore. Some people are destined, but Ronan and Calista? Their souls were woven together; it was only a matter of time until they find each other.
Heavy is exactly what it promises, heavy. It's dark, twisted and wild. It had me bawling my eyes, broken beyond repair, completely anguished but I'd do anything to read this book for the first time again.
disclaimer: make sure to check TW and enjoy bbs 💚🖤
October 29, 2025
This story just caught me off guard. I’m glad to read so painful and beautiful book that sometimes it’s crazy and sometimes makes you feel.
It’s worth reading.
It’s worth reading.
Want to read
November 18, 2025Secured the goods AKA the audiobook I'm so excited I'm going to faint 😭😭😭 also it's narrated by my baby "Andi Eloise "💃💃💃
December 7, 2025
3.5⭐️
no estoy diciendo que me gustaría tener un tiastro... pero no estoy diciendo que no me gustaría.
no estoy diciendo que me gustaría tener un tiastro... pero no estoy diciendo que no me gustaría.
August 18, 2025
4.5 stars
October 16, 2025
This is what I needed!
A little taboo always does the trick.
This book was spicy, fun, and kept me wanting to read to figure out what would happen next.
Fuck Calista's mom and Ronan's whole damn family. Like for real.
I'm so glad they had a happily ever after.
I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series. I'm stoked it will be a MM!
A little taboo always does the trick.
This book was spicy, fun, and kept me wanting to read to figure out what would happen next.
Fuck Calista's mom and Ronan's whole damn family. Like for real.
I'm so glad they had a happily ever after.
I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series. I'm stoked it will be a MM!
October 25, 2025
Yesss and yes! This story is so much more than a dark taboo romance that will leave you gut wrenching but also shouting and blushing lol 🖤
I always love reading an age gap moment and this was giving for sure and I love the banter between Ronan and Cal so much! This man literally wanted to devour her the first moment he laid eyes on her 🔥
Both of their stories really gets to you because my heart ached for these two and please check your trigger warnings for it please!
But can we talk about the PAINTING SCENE!? That will live rent free in my head! Can’t wait to read more of M.L. Burns books 🖤
I always love reading an age gap moment and this was giving for sure and I love the banter between Ronan and Cal so much! This man literally wanted to devour her the first moment he laid eyes on her 🔥
Both of their stories really gets to you because my heart ached for these two and please check your trigger warnings for it please!
But can we talk about the PAINTING SCENE!? That will live rent free in my head! Can’t wait to read more of M.L. Burns books 🖤
June 2, 2025
I have no words for this book. It was amazing. Ronan & Cal both have such heartbreaking stories.
When Calistas house burns down, she temporarily moves into her mother’s cabin that they used as a vacation home. When Cal gets to the cabin, she never expected her step-father’s brother, Ronan who was just released after a 15 year prison sentence to be there. There’s just one problem, Cal can’t resist Ronan, and she realizes this will become a fight for her life.
Cal & Ronan are two of my favorite MC’s & this book is easily one of my favorite.
Cal is such a strong willed girl, who knows what she wants & refuses to settle or let anyone make her feel weird for her desires. As someone who also went no contact with her mother for very similar reasons to Cal, I found myself really relating and sharing in her pain. Cal making the decision to go no contact actually had me in tears, because it is one of the hardest decisions to make & it’s a sign she’s on the path to healing & happiness.
Ronan, is so deeply misunderstood. With Ronan you see how deeply childhood trauma and not being listened to can impact their future. No one listened, no one cared, no one believed him. It truly broke my heart for him. Watching him try to overcome his trauma with Cal really hit hard because it was so beautiful.
Ronan & Cal together, however, holy shit, I fuck with it. The spice was HOT. Cals epilogue sent me, new bucket list item unlocked.
Aside from the spice & trauma rep, the plot was also captivating. You get secrets, betrayals and lies that I absolutely did not see coming.
10000% you need to read this.
When Calistas house burns down, she temporarily moves into her mother’s cabin that they used as a vacation home. When Cal gets to the cabin, she never expected her step-father’s brother, Ronan who was just released after a 15 year prison sentence to be there. There’s just one problem, Cal can’t resist Ronan, and she realizes this will become a fight for her life.
Cal & Ronan are two of my favorite MC’s & this book is easily one of my favorite.
Cal is such a strong willed girl, who knows what she wants & refuses to settle or let anyone make her feel weird for her desires. As someone who also went no contact with her mother for very similar reasons to Cal, I found myself really relating and sharing in her pain. Cal making the decision to go no contact actually had me in tears, because it is one of the hardest decisions to make & it’s a sign she’s on the path to healing & happiness.
Ronan, is so deeply misunderstood. With Ronan you see how deeply childhood trauma and not being listened to can impact their future. No one listened, no one cared, no one believed him. It truly broke my heart for him. Watching him try to overcome his trauma with Cal really hit hard because it was so beautiful.
Ronan & Cal together, however, holy shit, I fuck with it. The spice was HOT. Cals epilogue sent me, new bucket list item unlocked.
Aside from the spice & trauma rep, the plot was also captivating. You get secrets, betrayals and lies that I absolutely did not see coming.
10000% you need to read this.
October 3, 2025
i had high hopes for this because the premise of the book was really interesting to me! but it just didn’t live up to my expectations 😞
i did feel bad for the characters when learning about their past but i couldn’t bring myself to care about the relationship 😭 also i only found myself sort of hooked around the 80% mark because that’s when the plot twist kicked in and things finally started happening? the author got me with the twist because i actually didn’t see it coming at all but the rest of the book just wasn’t doing it for me??
i did feel bad for the characters when learning about their past but i couldn’t bring myself to care about the relationship 😭 also i only found myself sort of hooked around the 80% mark because that’s when the plot twist kicked in and things finally started happening? the author got me with the twist because i actually didn’t see it coming at all but the rest of the book just wasn’t doing it for me??
July 18, 2025
4.75 stars - this was heavy but im happy to carry it 😭 I normally read fantasy and this was a step outside because Mel wrote it and so I read it. I cried at a dry bar and at the airport and again on the plane.
this is the kind of heavy that can feel hard to read, but much harder to experience. At the beginning of the book it noted that this isn’t meant to heal but I can only imagine the amount of people who have felt seen and heard by reading this. I’m unwell and will be thinking about this for awhile.
full spoiler free review:
https://www.tiktok.com/@suegainz/vide...
this is the kind of heavy that can feel hard to read, but much harder to experience. At the beginning of the book it noted that this isn’t meant to heal but I can only imagine the amount of people who have felt seen and heard by reading this. I’m unwell and will be thinking about this for awhile.
full spoiler free review:
https://www.tiktok.com/@suegainz/vide...
October 30, 2025
3.75⭐️
I enjoyed the last 20-30% wayyyy more than the beginning of this book!
This follows Calista who loves into her mums old cabin to renovate it, and her step uncle who is just released from prison and his step brother allows him to stay there while he gets settled without realising Cal will be living there
This is VERY spicy, almost too much spice at times for my liking because I didn’t feel like there was enough tension between the two characters to earn the pay off in the spicy scenes! But it’s superrrr 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ I can’t say I was fan of her calling him ‘daddy’ though, massive ick lol
The tension I felt was missing from the booking bearing in mind it’s a taboo-step uncle scenario I feel like it could’ve built up between then and focused on the whole forbidden love accept sooo much more
It also has very heavy storylines in them so check your trigger warnings
However by the end the plot really came together and I felt the connection between Cal and Ronan so much 🙌🏼
I enjoyed the last 20-30% wayyyy more than the beginning of this book!
This follows Calista who loves into her mums old cabin to renovate it, and her step uncle who is just released from prison and his step brother allows him to stay there while he gets settled without realising Cal will be living there
This is VERY spicy, almost too much spice at times for my liking because I didn’t feel like there was enough tension between the two characters to earn the pay off in the spicy scenes! But it’s superrrr 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ I can’t say I was fan of her calling him ‘daddy’ though, massive ick lol
The tension I felt was missing from the booking bearing in mind it’s a taboo-step uncle scenario I feel like it could’ve built up between then and focused on the whole forbidden love accept sooo much more
It also has very heavy storylines in them so check your trigger warnings
However by the end the plot really came together and I felt the connection between Cal and Ronan so much 🙌🏼
June 25, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
But can I just say, this man’s backstory ripped my heart out and cut it in two. 😫
But can I just say, this man’s backstory ripped my heart out and cut it in two. 😫
June 20, 2025
I got sucked into this and I ate it up happily 🫡!!
The story begins when Calista moving to her
family’s cabin after a fire destroyed her house, not knowing her step uncle Ronan is already staying there after getting out of prison.
They try living together while learning each other’s boundaries, as soon as they find their “normal” and start to enjoy their days, the dark past and secrets start to creep in and destroy everything.
I loved Ronan & Calista so much🫶🏻 and their development was perfect, I liked how they tried their best to heal and be the better version of themselves 🥹.
I’m already excited for the next book in the series 👏🏼.
(Check trigger warnings)
Tropes
•Dark Romance
•Taboo Romance
•Forced Proximity
•Ex-Convict
The story begins when Calista moving to her
family’s cabin after a fire destroyed her house, not knowing her step uncle Ronan is already staying there after getting out of prison.
They try living together while learning each other’s boundaries, as soon as they find their “normal” and start to enjoy their days, the dark past and secrets start to creep in and destroy everything.
I loved Ronan & Calista so much🫶🏻 and their development was perfect, I liked how they tried their best to heal and be the better version of themselves 🥹.
I’m already excited for the next book in the series 👏🏼.
(Check trigger warnings)
Tropes
•Dark Romance
•Taboo Romance
•Forced Proximity
•Ex-Convict
September 30, 2025
3.5/5 🖤
October 25, 2025
who doesn’t love a good taboo romance every once in awhile. i will get back to doing full on reviews soon this book just won’t be the one. however i did still have a great time while reading it 🙂↕️
May 24, 2025
It’s giving: remote cabin, unresolved trauma, and a step-uncle you absolutely shouldn’t want… but do anyway. 🔥
Heavy by M.L. Burns is what happens when two broken people get shoved into isolation with nothing but secrets, tension, and zero boundaries holding them back. This book doesn’t flirt with the line—it dives headfirst into it.
If you love:
💣 Taboo without apology
💀 Morally gray chaos
💔 Emotional wreckage you can’t look away from
🌲 Forced proximity with the wrong man (who feels way too right)
…then this is your next dark romance addiction.
It’s twisted, it’s tense, and it absolutely owns the title Heavy. You won’t find fluffy healing arcs or soft redemption here—just raw, messed-up chemistry and a storyline that dares you to keep reading.
📌 Seriously: read the trigger warnings first. This book is bold, brutal, and absolutely not for everyone—but if you like your romance with a heavy dose of “what the hell did I just read,” you’re in for a wild ride. 🖤
Heavy by M.L. Burns is what happens when two broken people get shoved into isolation with nothing but secrets, tension, and zero boundaries holding them back. This book doesn’t flirt with the line—it dives headfirst into it.
If you love:
💣 Taboo without apology
💀 Morally gray chaos
💔 Emotional wreckage you can’t look away from
🌲 Forced proximity with the wrong man (who feels way too right)
…then this is your next dark romance addiction.
It’s twisted, it’s tense, and it absolutely owns the title Heavy. You won’t find fluffy healing arcs or soft redemption here—just raw, messed-up chemistry and a storyline that dares you to keep reading.
📌 Seriously: read the trigger warnings first. This book is bold, brutal, and absolutely not for everyone—but if you like your romance with a heavy dose of “what the hell did I just read,” you’re in for a wild ride. 🖤
October 10, 2025
4,5 ⭐️
November 26, 2025
I really liked this book, if you’re in the mood for a super spicy good time mixed with HEAVY topics, this is a great read
November 6, 2025
I really loved this book. 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
Please be warned: this book is packed full of trauma so if you aren't one who enjoys traumatic and complex stories, you may not want to read this one. Cal and Ronan are complex characters who accidentally find safety in each other. There are some twists I didn't see coming and I love when a book takes me by surprise. I am looking forward to the next book coming out next year and adding it to my shelves.
Please be warned: this book is packed full of trauma so if you aren't one who enjoys traumatic and complex stories, you may not want to read this one. Cal and Ronan are complex characters who accidentally find safety in each other. There are some twists I didn't see coming and I love when a book takes me by surprise. I am looking forward to the next book coming out next year and adding it to my shelves.
May 19, 2025
UNCLE RONAN AGGHHH 😩💥💳
thank you so much m.l. burns for giving me the chance to arc read this beautiful masterpiece 💚 gosh i loved every second of this and wish it was never ending !!
this is a dark taboo romance, step uncle / niece, ex-convict, heavy childhood trauma, sexual assault (not between main characters), drug use and addiction, forced proximity, pierced peen, voyeurism, degradation, praise, dark secrets, betrayal, only she can calm him down, only soft for her, duo pov, and standalone 🌲
holy fuck this book … THIS BOOK !?? first of all the tropes already got me intrigued. but reading it ???? nah this book fucked me up in the best way possible. i knew from the moment i opened this i would be instantly obsessed. m.l. burns just DOES THAT 😩🤌🏼 the real life traumas and raw characters that this book brings is everything and more. i absolutely loved this and wish there was more !!
ronan is finally out of prison after 15 years behind bars. he is someone who is closed off to the world and never lets anyone get too close. he doesn’t need anyone when he learned how to survive the world at such a young age. his story broke my heart 💔 no kid should be going through what he did. he should’ve been shown the great things in this world. instead he got neglected, called a liar, and suffered all right under his family’s noses. calista is a interior designer who just lost her home to a house fire. she has many secrets and chooses to leave them in the past. her mother is a drug addict when calista was just a kid. the things she witnessed and experienced actually stopped my heart. i couldn’t breathe properly when i found out what happened to her 😭 these are two souls trying to heal and move on but life always has something up its sleeve.
when cal and ronan had to live together in the cabin, their moments were the ones i kept looking forward to the most 🥹 they are absolutely everything and more. but when cal’s secrets come creeping back and ronan is the topic … there’s nothing holding either of them back anymore.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
thank you so much m.l. burns for giving me the chance to arc read this beautiful masterpiece 💚 gosh i loved every second of this and wish it was never ending !!
this is a dark taboo romance, step uncle / niece, ex-convict, heavy childhood trauma, sexual assault (not between main characters), drug use and addiction, forced proximity, pierced peen, voyeurism, degradation, praise, dark secrets, betrayal, only she can calm him down, only soft for her, duo pov, and standalone 🌲
holy fuck this book … THIS BOOK !?? first of all the tropes already got me intrigued. but reading it ???? nah this book fucked me up in the best way possible. i knew from the moment i opened this i would be instantly obsessed. m.l. burns just DOES THAT 😩🤌🏼 the real life traumas and raw characters that this book brings is everything and more. i absolutely loved this and wish there was more !!
ronan is finally out of prison after 15 years behind bars. he is someone who is closed off to the world and never lets anyone get too close. he doesn’t need anyone when he learned how to survive the world at such a young age. his story broke my heart 💔 no kid should be going through what he did. he should’ve been shown the great things in this world. instead he got neglected, called a liar, and suffered all right under his family’s noses. calista is a interior designer who just lost her home to a house fire. she has many secrets and chooses to leave them in the past. her mother is a drug addict when calista was just a kid. the things she witnessed and experienced actually stopped my heart. i couldn’t breathe properly when i found out what happened to her 😭 these are two souls trying to heal and move on but life always has something up its sleeve.
when cal and ronan had to live together in the cabin, their moments were the ones i kept looking forward to the most 🥹 they are absolutely everything and more. but when cal’s secrets come creeping back and ronan is the topic … there’s nothing holding either of them back anymore.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
October 28, 2025
Updated review after reread with the audio;
Just wow! I cannot get over at how amazing Sebastian York and Andi Eloise did as Ronan and Calista!!
This story is filled with some of the most gut wrenching emotions and both of them poured that into their performances!!
Even though I read this book before, these two had me feeling like I was reading it for the first time again and was deep in my feels!
Thank you, Mel for allowing me to receive this ALC!
_________________________________
One thing I can promise you when you go into a M.L. Burns book is you’re going to go on an emotional ride and eat every word up!!
Heavy was nothing short of that and there wasn’t a moment in this book that didn’t have my full attention.
When I say an emotional ride, I mean grab the tissues! I was a sobbing mess, at minimum, 4 different times in this book and my heart was hurting so bad for these characters but especially Ronan.
Ronan, my baby.
I cannot even express the love I have for him with something as simple as words.
I was telling Mel, something about a broken MMC does it for me and she delivered. The shit he has gone through literally had me pausing so I could try and catch my breath!
A man with so many demons, so much heartache and trauma that he thought he would never know what happiness was… A man that never had a single soul in his corner when he needed it most 😭😭
My heart was breaking over and over again!
Calista coming in with her own trauma just adds to the heartache. However what I absolutely loved was these two heavy souls coming together and healing one another- giving exactly what the other craved, needed and deserved!
This was a perfect example of two people that were made for each other!
“As long as it’s him that pulls me to Hell, I’ll gladly burn just to mix our ashes so there is no telling us apart.”
That road was no walk in the park for them however, especially adding in the plot twist Mel threw at us! My jaw was falling open more and more into that twist, that I was ready to go scream if this didn’t go how I wanted lmao
BUT on another note- the SPICE was GIVING!!!
Holy shit the things I’d let this man do to me 🫠🔥😂
This is another point Mel will always hit, she know how to write a hot ass scene 👏🏼
“I still need to taste your tears, baby girl. I imagine they’re as delectable as your c*nt.”
“You c*ming for me is as beautiful as that fight of yours. I want it every fucking day that I’m alive and free.”
If you’re a dark romance reader, I highly recommend!!!
Infinity stars for me!!! ✨✨✨✨✨
But PLEASE read your trigger warnings for this one, as it’s very Heavy just like the title.
Just wow! I cannot get over at how amazing Sebastian York and Andi Eloise did as Ronan and Calista!!
This story is filled with some of the most gut wrenching emotions and both of them poured that into their performances!!
Even though I read this book before, these two had me feeling like I was reading it for the first time again and was deep in my feels!
Thank you, Mel for allowing me to receive this ALC!
_________________________________
One thing I can promise you when you go into a M.L. Burns book is you’re going to go on an emotional ride and eat every word up!!
Heavy was nothing short of that and there wasn’t a moment in this book that didn’t have my full attention.
When I say an emotional ride, I mean grab the tissues! I was a sobbing mess, at minimum, 4 different times in this book and my heart was hurting so bad for these characters but especially Ronan.
Ronan, my baby.
I cannot even express the love I have for him with something as simple as words.
I was telling Mel, something about a broken MMC does it for me and she delivered. The shit he has gone through literally had me pausing so I could try and catch my breath!
A man with so many demons, so much heartache and trauma that he thought he would never know what happiness was… A man that never had a single soul in his corner when he needed it most 😭😭
My heart was breaking over and over again!
Calista coming in with her own trauma just adds to the heartache. However what I absolutely loved was these two heavy souls coming together and healing one another- giving exactly what the other craved, needed and deserved!
This was a perfect example of two people that were made for each other!
“As long as it’s him that pulls me to Hell, I’ll gladly burn just to mix our ashes so there is no telling us apart.”
That road was no walk in the park for them however, especially adding in the plot twist Mel threw at us! My jaw was falling open more and more into that twist, that I was ready to go scream if this didn’t go how I wanted lmao
BUT on another note- the SPICE was GIVING!!!
Holy shit the things I’d let this man do to me 🫠🔥😂
This is another point Mel will always hit, she know how to write a hot ass scene 👏🏼
“I still need to taste your tears, baby girl. I imagine they’re as delectable as your c*nt.”
“You c*ming for me is as beautiful as that fight of yours. I want it every fucking day that I’m alive and free.”
If you’re a dark romance reader, I highly recommend!!!
Infinity stars for me!!! ✨✨✨✨✨
But PLEASE read your trigger warnings for this one, as it’s very Heavy just like the title.
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