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Favorite Malady Trilogy #1
Compulsion
I've been watching her. Wanting her. Stalking her.
I'm obsessed with the shy, innocent barista who works at my favorite coffee shop.
She doesn't know that I bought the house across the street from her apartment so that I can watch over her.
I secretly collect her paintings and hang them in my bedroom.
And I won't hesitate to break into her home to find out what kind of books she likes to read.
I'll do whatever it takes to win her heart.
As a doctor, I know my own diagnosis: psychopath.
But my obsession with her makes me feel almost human for the first time in my life.
I can't resist this...compulsion.
I can't resist her.
I'm obsessed with the shy, innocent barista who works at my favorite coffee shop.
She doesn't know that I bought the house across the street from her apartment so that I can watch over her.
I secretly collect her paintings and hang them in my bedroom.
And I won't hesitate to break into her home to find out what kind of books she likes to read.
I'll do whatever it takes to win her heart.
As a doctor, I know my own diagnosis: psychopath.
But my obsession with her makes me feel almost human for the first time in my life.
I can't resist this...compulsion.
I can't resist her.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2025
2785 people are currently reading
5972 people want to read
About the author
Julia Sykes
137 books2,012 followersJulia Sykes is a USA Today bestselling author of edgy, emotional romance. When she's not writing, she's usually reading.
Other than reading, her obsessions include iced coffee, unicorns, charcuterie, aged Manchego cheese (or any cheese, really), and fancy dresses.
An American expat, Julia now lives in her adopted, beloved home of York, England. Most days, you can find her wandering the cobbled streets and daydreaming about her next novel.
Other than reading, her obsessions include iced coffee, unicorns, charcuterie, aged Manchego cheese (or any cheese, really), and fancy dresses.
An American expat, Julia now lives in her adopted, beloved home of York, England. Most days, you can find her wandering the cobbled streets and daydreaming about her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 522 reviews
September 22, 2025
Dark stalker romances are my biggest weakness. And this book was everything I wanted in a stalker romance. Despite its flaws, I appreciated it far more than I expected. The fact that I read it in one sitting should say so.
A morally grey stalker who is insanely obsessed with the fmc and would go on a killing spree for her, literally chose to sit in her café and read 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘙𝘶𝘦 because the fmc is obsessed with the book. Need I say more!?
Also, the smut, OMG. It was exquisitely written. I've read one book by this author before, and it was a hit, with smut so beautifully written that I'm at a loss for words. So I expected the same from this one, and the author did not disappoint. The smut was intense, and the BDSM part was written with perfection.
While the premise was quite intriguing, the majority of the book was spent on the romance aspect. My ratings would've been higher if the plot was given more focus. Nonetheless this book was still amazing and considering this is a trilogy, I can't wait to read the next book.
Tropes include:-
➳Dark stalker romance
➳Dark themes
➳Psychopath doctor mmc × Artist fmc
➳Touch her and die
➳BDSM and breath play
➳Hurt/comfort.
A morally grey stalker who is insanely obsessed with the fmc and would go on a killing spree for her, literally chose to sit in her café and read 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘙𝘶𝘦 because the fmc is obsessed with the book. Need I say more!?
Also, the smut, OMG. It was exquisitely written. I've read one book by this author before, and it was a hit, with smut so beautifully written that I'm at a loss for words. So I expected the same from this one, and the author did not disappoint. The smut was intense, and the BDSM part was written with perfection.
While the premise was quite intriguing, the majority of the book was spent on the romance aspect. My ratings would've been higher if the plot was given more focus. Nonetheless this book was still amazing and considering this is a trilogy, I can't wait to read the next book.
Tropes include:-
➳Dark stalker romance
➳Dark themes
➳Psychopath doctor mmc × Artist fmc
➳Touch her and die
➳BDSM and breath play
➳Hurt/comfort.
August 20, 2025
Seeing him as a white knight, Abby Foster feels unworthy of Dr. Dane Graham. Yet his pursuit is relentless and she eventually finds herself giving in to his advances.
Yet once he cages his little dove, the timid painter ensnares him with her contrasting sunny disposition and dark desires and his carefully crafted facade begins to crack.
One slip up changes everything and she discovers the happiness she allowed herself was just an illusion.
I was fairly certain I knew the direction the story was headed. Even though I was right, it didn’t change how much I enjoyed their relationship. Watching Abigail feel safe was satisfying and simultaneously heartbreaking. I’m anxious to move on to Redemption and find out just how Dane earns it.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😳🫣😊🥵🤯
Ending: 🧗🏻♀️ {Cliffy}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual | Present}
🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): Dark, Erotic, New Adult, Suspense
✨ Tropes: Hidden Identity, Stalker
💫 Microtropes: Alphahole, Boy Obsessed, Manipulation, MINE!, OTT Jealous/Possessive, Touch-Her-and-💀, Tragic Past, Who Hurt You?
💋 Kinks: BDSM, Biting/Marking, Bondage/Restraints, Breath Play, Collared, Crawl, Discipline/Punishment, D/s, Domination, GG, Impact Play (Cane, Paddle, etc.), Panty Thief, Power Exchange, Praise, Wrapped Up
⚠️ Warning: This one-handed read may cause blushing, squirming, combusting panties, and/or self-care. It may also leave you questioning your morals.
🚩 Safety Squad: Grapė (On-Page, Not Gratuitous or Prolonged, Past & Present), Unalìvíng, Violence, and and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Compulsion is the first book in the Favorite Malady trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. This series must be read in order.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
Yet once he cages his little dove, the timid painter ensnares him with her contrasting sunny disposition and dark desires and his carefully crafted facade begins to crack.
One slip up changes everything and she discovers the happiness she allowed herself was just an illusion.
I was fairly certain I knew the direction the story was headed. Even though I was right, it didn’t change how much I enjoyed their relationship. Watching Abigail feel safe was satisfying and simultaneously heartbreaking. I’m anxious to move on to Redemption and find out just how Dane earns it.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😳🫣😊🥵🤯
Ending: 🧗🏻♀️ {Cliffy}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual | Present}
🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): Dark, Erotic, New Adult, Suspense
✨ Tropes: Hidden Identity, Stalker
💫 Microtropes: Alphahole, Boy Obsessed, Manipulation, MINE!, OTT Jealous/Possessive, Touch-Her-and-💀, Tragic Past, Who Hurt You?
💋 Kinks: BDSM, Biting/Marking, Bondage/Restraints, Breath Play, Collared, Crawl, Discipline/Punishment, D/s, Domination, GG, Impact Play (Cane, Paddle, etc.), Panty Thief, Power Exchange, Praise, Wrapped Up
⚠️ Warning: This one-handed read may cause blushing, squirming, combusting panties, and/or self-care. It may also leave you questioning your morals.
🚩 Safety Squad: Grapė (On-Page, Not Gratuitous or Prolonged, Past & Present), Unalìvíng, Violence, and and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Compulsion is the first book in the Favorite Malady trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. This series must be read in order.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
Read
April 11, 2025If readers want some stalker romance with BDSM and dom x sub dynamic, maybe they'd enjoy this book. They're not my jam, so I'm not sure how I finished it, tbh. 🤷♀️
Some spoilers!
================
TW:
Stalking, Dubious consent, CNC (consensual non-consent), Attempted SA, SA (past, off page), Violence, Murder
Book info:
- Doctor x Barista/Painter
- Psychopath MMC
- FMC's kink was to be taken by force
- No cheating, OM/OW, separation
- No V
- Cliffy
Some spoilers!
================
TW:
Stalking, Dubious consent, CNC (consensual non-consent), Attempted SA, SA (past, off page), Violence, Murder
Book info:
- Doctor x Barista/Painter
- Psychopath MMC
- FMC's kink was to be taken by force
- No cheating, OM/OW, separation
- No V
- Cliffy
August 28, 2025
3.75⭐ rounded up
This was a wild and fun ride! Stalker romance and masked men you can sign me up every time.
This is a dark romance with tension and trauma and spice. This follows Abbey, our shy barista and Dane, doctor by day and dark stalker by night and he has his eyes on Abbey. I was able to read this in one sitting, and it kept me hooked enough to need to know what was going to happen next. That ending though.....BOMB DROP!
What to Expect
🖤Dark Romance
🖤Stalker
🖤Masked Man
🖤Psychopath MMC
🖤BDSM
🖤Possessive MMC
This was a wild and fun ride! Stalker romance and masked men you can sign me up every time.
This is a dark romance with tension and trauma and spice. This follows Abbey, our shy barista and Dane, doctor by day and dark stalker by night and he has his eyes on Abbey. I was able to read this in one sitting, and it kept me hooked enough to need to know what was going to happen next. That ending though.....BOMB DROP!
What to Expect
🖤Dark Romance
🖤Stalker
🖤Masked Man
🖤Psychopath MMC
🖤BDSM
🖤Possessive MMC
April 10, 2025
HOLY SMOKES!! — I need the next book, and I need it yesterday!
Obsessive, possessive stalker is one of my favourite tropes, and this one sure delivered!
Obsessive, possessive stalker is one of my favourite tropes, and this one sure delivered!
October 6, 2025
not too sure how to feel about this one. my rating may or may not change in the time it takes me to write a review.
˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
i’m looking forward to reading compulsion in october—a dark romance featuring a masked man, who’s also a stalker AND psychopath? 👀 sounds like literal perfection for the spooky season.
a massive thank you to julia sykes and hambright pr for the gifted e-arc.
follow me on: instagram
˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
i’m looking forward to reading compulsion in october—a dark romance featuring a masked man, who’s also a stalker AND psychopath? 👀 sounds like literal perfection for the spooky season.
a massive thank you to julia sykes and hambright pr for the gifted e-arc.
follow me on: instagram
December 9, 2025
Oh wow, that took a darker turn than I expected. Definitely check your triggers. We're talking stalker romance, trauma bonding, touch-her-and-die, BDSM and all sorts of kinky stuff. Be prepared to need some cold plunging after reading this.
Meet our dashing MMC, Dane. A functioning self-diagnosed psychopath with noble English blood and a dark side a mile long. The only ray of light in his life and the only one who can steer any emotion in him is Abigail, the shy barista with an artistic side, who he's been obsessed with for the last few months. Only Abby has her own dark desires rooted in past trauma, which she's only been able to satiate with her mysterious online acquaintance. With Dane taking steps to finally claim Abby as his, are they going to embrace all the dark and twisted sides of each other or will their past and also some recent transgressions tear them apart and shatter them to bloody pieces?
Honestly, with that final reveal it could go either way.
Thank you Hambright PR and Julia Sykes for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Over and out
Meet our dashing MMC, Dane. A functioning self-diagnosed psychopath with noble English blood and a dark side a mile long. The only ray of light in his life and the only one who can steer any emotion in him is Abigail, the shy barista with an artistic side, who he's been obsessed with for the last few months. Only Abby has her own dark desires rooted in past trauma, which she's only been able to satiate with her mysterious online acquaintance. With Dane taking steps to finally claim Abby as his, are they going to embrace all the dark and twisted sides of each other or will their past and also some recent transgressions tear them apart and shatter them to bloody pieces?
Honestly, with that final reveal it could go either way.
Thank you Hambright PR and Julia Sykes for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Over and out
December 1, 2025
Dude has been obsessed with her and stalking her for months and yet he doesn’t know a single thing about her past relationships ? As a stalker romancer lover, that one was terrible. And I’m still looking for the stalker lol
And the whole thing was just super cringe
And the whole thing was just super cringe
April 10, 2025
*ARC REVIEW*
Love me a psychopath. DANE. You filthy, devious, sinful man. Come. At. Me. I will happily wallow in your darkness, embrace and relish your sins.
A delicious dark romance story with tension, trauma, release and ALL the spice in ALL the sweetest places. Oh, and an absolute BOMB of an ending that is going to keep me up at night for the foreseeable future. Can we get book 2 tomorrow? OK, thanks.
A love cruel, an obsession breathing life into madness. Compulsion impossible to ignore.
All you psychotic stalker lovers, SPRINT to get this on your bookshelves. It's gonna be your new fave.
Love me a psychopath. DANE. You filthy, devious, sinful man. Come. At. Me. I will happily wallow in your darkness, embrace and relish your sins.
A delicious dark romance story with tension, trauma, release and ALL the spice in ALL the sweetest places. Oh, and an absolute BOMB of an ending that is going to keep me up at night for the foreseeable future. Can we get book 2 tomorrow? OK, thanks.
A love cruel, an obsession breathing life into madness. Compulsion impossible to ignore.
All you psychotic stalker lovers, SPRINT to get this on your bookshelves. It's gonna be your new fave.
September 13, 2025
Starting to worry I’ve read all the good books already. And my patience is wearing thin with new authors.
It is hard to write a really good stalker book. But not impossible!
They fumbled the sexy doctor angle too.
It is hard to write a really good stalker book. But not impossible!
They fumbled the sexy doctor angle too.
April 1, 2025
I was given the opportunity to read this and an ARC reader. It was able to get me hooked from the very start of the book. For me I enjoyed all of the chemistry that the book has even if it is in a very unhealthy way. I didn't want to put it down at all so binge read it as quickly as I could knowing I had other things that needed to be done. The way the book is written made it to where I was able to see everything play out and paint like a mental picture so to speak in what is going in the book at the time. Dane and Abigail's back story really help you understand the reason for everything and it even makes it even better to get to understand them as they get to know more about each other as well. I still am shocked at the fact that even though I kinda figured that Dane was behind the first attack in her apartment. I really wish it didn't leave off like it did at the end it, but I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next. I am excited to know more about the story line.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2025
Compulsion by Julia Skyes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
It is a stalker, dark romance 🖤
This book was amazing, the way it showed trauma and how many react to it was done extremely well. I loved the chemistry that Abigail and Dane had together and cannot wait for their next book!!! (It’s a duet)
Also, the way everything came together at the end!! And the cliff hanger!!! 100% recommend (but check the trigger warnings first)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
It is a stalker, dark romance 🖤
This book was amazing, the way it showed trauma and how many react to it was done extremely well. I loved the chemistry that Abigail and Dane had together and cannot wait for their next book!!! (It’s a duet)
Also, the way everything came together at the end!! And the cliff hanger!!! 100% recommend (but check the trigger warnings first)
November 28, 2025
What a twisted and dark romance full of passion, obsession, and sex!!
I was recently gifted an eARC of the Favorite Malady Trilogy by Julia Sykes from Hambright, and I devoured all three books quickly!
The first book in the series, Compulsion, really lays the groundwork for who our FMC and MMC are, how they’ve “met”, and how they become linked to one another. Throughout the book, you are questioning your mind and if Dane is really as “bad” as he seems, or if he is just the right amount of obsessed and possessed that you want more, and if Abigail is tough enough to endure him!
The second book in the series tips everything on its face! Dane is definitely morally grey, Abigail is definitely tough but conflicted, and there are more enemies to fear than just Dane’s possessive flaws!! Through this book in the series, we see how Dane’s obsession came to be, as well as what he is willing to do to keep Abby safe!
The third and final book in the series come with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears! There is some heinous backstory we are filled in on, family tensions come to a head, and our couple finally meet their end. Is it an HEA or a Romeo and Juliet style demise? You’ll have to read to find out!
What all three books had in common was an intense and dark chemistry between our MCs that definitely kept me coming back for more. From their conversations in the present to their real first meeting, this couple oozed sex appeal and definitely lived up to the BDSM label for this series! I loved watching Abigail come into her own and live through all her darknesses to be a stronger person, and I loved Dane crumbling for the one person who could get him to feel.
Thank you to Hambright and Julia Sykes for the opportunity to read this trilogy. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
Series average rating: 4 stars
I was recently gifted an eARC of the Favorite Malady Trilogy by Julia Sykes from Hambright, and I devoured all three books quickly!
The first book in the series, Compulsion, really lays the groundwork for who our FMC and MMC are, how they’ve “met”, and how they become linked to one another. Throughout the book, you are questioning your mind and if Dane is really as “bad” as he seems, or if he is just the right amount of obsessed and possessed that you want more, and if Abigail is tough enough to endure him!
The second book in the series tips everything on its face! Dane is definitely morally grey, Abigail is definitely tough but conflicted, and there are more enemies to fear than just Dane’s possessive flaws!! Through this book in the series, we see how Dane’s obsession came to be, as well as what he is willing to do to keep Abby safe!
The third and final book in the series come with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears! There is some heinous backstory we are filled in on, family tensions come to a head, and our couple finally meet their end. Is it an HEA or a Romeo and Juliet style demise? You’ll have to read to find out!
What all three books had in common was an intense and dark chemistry between our MCs that definitely kept me coming back for more. From their conversations in the present to their real first meeting, this couple oozed sex appeal and definitely lived up to the BDSM label for this series! I loved watching Abigail come into her own and live through all her darknesses to be a stronger person, and I loved Dane crumbling for the one person who could get him to feel.
Thank you to Hambright and Julia Sykes for the opportunity to read this trilogy. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
Series average rating: 4 stars
April 3, 2025
I received an ARC copy of this book and it was so much more than just a dark stalker romance! It delves into traumas, secrets and dark desires.
Abigail known as Abbey to everyone around her is a shy batista who sells her landscape paintings to make ends meet.. but Abbey has another darker side that she's unable to fully explore.
Dane is a wealthy British doctor who visits Abbey's place of work daily. Dane may seem like the perfect gent to society but he's hiding his true personality and only ever reveals small glances of his true self.
Until his Abigail.
Can't wait for book 2!!
If you love a morally grey man who'll do absolutely ANYTHING to get his girl then this book is definitely for you!
Please check trigger warnings before reading🫢
Abigail known as Abbey to everyone around her is a shy batista who sells her landscape paintings to make ends meet.. but Abbey has another darker side that she's unable to fully explore.
Dane is a wealthy British doctor who visits Abbey's place of work daily. Dane may seem like the perfect gent to society but he's hiding his true personality and only ever reveals small glances of his true self.
Until his Abigail.
Can't wait for book 2!!
If you love a morally grey man who'll do absolutely ANYTHING to get his girl then this book is definitely for you!
Please check trigger warnings before reading🫢
April 3, 2025
If you like your men obsessed, possessive, or a master. If you like your women to know what they want (eventually), read this book.
I was allowed to read an ARC of this book.
It ticked all my boxes: Dark, stalker, obsessed.
When I received it, I was all giddy. When I was reading it, I got more giddy. The story of these 2 sucked me in.
He stalks her, even bought the house across from her to watch her. He buys her art and hangs it up.
She has "urges" she thinks are not "normal" and wants to explore them but also doesn't.
When the 2 come together, it all falls into place.
But it also leaves you with questions. What exactly happened to her? What happened in his past.
Being nosy like that, I needed answers, I kept reading.... then I ran out of book to read
It is the same as running out of snacks: I need more!
I was allowed to read an ARC of this book.
It ticked all my boxes: Dark, stalker, obsessed.
When I received it, I was all giddy. When I was reading it, I got more giddy. The story of these 2 sucked me in.
He stalks her, even bought the house across from her to watch her. He buys her art and hangs it up.
She has "urges" she thinks are not "normal" and wants to explore them but also doesn't.
When the 2 come together, it all falls into place.
But it also leaves you with questions. What exactly happened to her? What happened in his past.
Being nosy like that, I needed answers, I kept reading.... then I ran out of book to read
It is the same as running out of snacks: I need more!
April 1, 2025
4.5⭐️ I received an ARC of this book & binged it in a little over 24 hours. I loved Dane and Abigail’s story - I do enjoy a morally grey, obsessed man storyline, who would do anything for his girl. 🫶🏼 (and he’s a successful doctor, just to top it off!😮💨) This book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m excited to read the next!
July 17, 2025
DNF
I can’t even make it to 40% bc Abigail is literally so annoying. If I have to hear her say one more time that she likes Dane, but in the next second finds something to dislike about him while also picturing him as her masked man I’m going to absolutely LOSE IT. I mean I honestly feel bad for the man at this point. He is trying literally EVERYTHING to get her to like him and just finds anything to dislike about him for absolutely NO REASON. I mean she is literally talking to three different versions of him and likes these versions, but your telling me STILL finds things to dislike???? It just doesn’t add up. Like yes it was a tad annoying him ordering a drink for her on their first date and stuff, but Abigail is just so annoying that it takes over the whole book.
I can’t even make it to 40% bc Abigail is literally so annoying. If I have to hear her say one more time that she likes Dane, but in the next second finds something to dislike about him while also picturing him as her masked man I’m going to absolutely LOSE IT. I mean I honestly feel bad for the man at this point. He is trying literally EVERYTHING to get her to like him and just finds anything to dislike about him for absolutely NO REASON. I mean she is literally talking to three different versions of him and likes these versions, but your telling me STILL finds things to dislike???? It just doesn’t add up. Like yes it was a tad annoying him ordering a drink for her on their first date and stuff, but Abigail is just so annoying that it takes over the whole book.
August 19, 2025
Arc reader 😍😍🥵🥵
Absolutely loved the first installment of dane and abigails story
It's a dark stalker romance and grips and grips from the start
It had me hooked from the first page to the last page
Can't wait for book 2
Absolutely loved the first installment of dane and abigails story
It's a dark stalker romance and grips and grips from the start
It had me hooked from the first page to the last page
Can't wait for book 2
April 21, 2025
HE’S BEYOND OBSESSED!! That was a random reading and I freaking LOVED IT!
Btw, i didn’t know it was a duet I thought standalone but let’s see 🤭
- Stalker MMC
- h was abused
- Doctor MMC - Barista/Painter FMC
- Secret identity (kinda)
- Ends with a CLIFFHANGER!
Btw, i didn’t know it was a duet I thought standalone but let’s see 🤭
- Stalker MMC
- h was abused
- Doctor MMC - Barista/Painter FMC
- Secret identity (kinda)
- Ends with a CLIFFHANGER!
August 25, 2025
✦ 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 5✨
✦ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 - now available
✦ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 -
• stalker romance
• dark obsession
• morally grey hero
• consensual non-consent
• possessive mmc
• hidden desires
• cliffhanger
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 -
The story is about Dane Graham, a brilliant doctor who feels empty inside until he meets Abby, a shy barista and talented artist. From the very first moment, Abby becomes his obsession. He collects her art, moves across the street from her house, and even slips inside her home just to be near her. For Dane, Abby is more than love, she is his only addiction.
Abby looks soft and innocent but she has a hidden side too. She secretly shares her darkest desires with an anonymous online friend, not knowing it is Dane himself. Their bond is twisted, dangerous, and yet full of an attraction that burns like fire.
I was completely hooked from the first chapter. The chemistry between them is not gentle, it’s obsessive, raw, and magnetic. Dane is dark, possessive, and morally grey, but his love for Abby makes your heart race in the best way. Julia Sykes has written a romance that is haunting and intense, with emotions that cut deep but also make you swoon.
The writing flows so beautifully and it kept me turning pages without stopping. Every scene is full of tension, passion, and thrill. And that ending was such a shock it left me desperate for the next book in this trilogy. This story is dark, addictive, and absolutely unforgettable.
Thank you so much hambrightpr for the free ARC!
✦ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 - now available
✦ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 -
• stalker romance
• dark obsession
• morally grey hero
• consensual non-consent
• possessive mmc
• hidden desires
• cliffhanger
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 -
The story is about Dane Graham, a brilliant doctor who feels empty inside until he meets Abby, a shy barista and talented artist. From the very first moment, Abby becomes his obsession. He collects her art, moves across the street from her house, and even slips inside her home just to be near her. For Dane, Abby is more than love, she is his only addiction.
Abby looks soft and innocent but she has a hidden side too. She secretly shares her darkest desires with an anonymous online friend, not knowing it is Dane himself. Their bond is twisted, dangerous, and yet full of an attraction that burns like fire.
I was completely hooked from the first chapter. The chemistry between them is not gentle, it’s obsessive, raw, and magnetic. Dane is dark, possessive, and morally grey, but his love for Abby makes your heart race in the best way. Julia Sykes has written a romance that is haunting and intense, with emotions that cut deep but also make you swoon.
The writing flows so beautifully and it kept me turning pages without stopping. Every scene is full of tension, passion, and thrill. And that ending was such a shock it left me desperate for the next book in this trilogy. This story is dark, addictive, and absolutely unforgettable.
Thank you so much hambrightpr for the free ARC!
April 12, 2025
“My darkness calls to hers.”
Holy wow! I’m still reveling from Compulsion, a smoldering stalker romance with delicious Lucifer vibes that dominated me from cover to cover. My OBSESSION!!! I felt this tale’s electricity coursing through my veins, bating my breath, setting my body on fire, and sparking my soul to life. A paralyzing intensity that hit me like a shot of adrenaline everywhere.
The hero: Dane the hot but psycho doc
So good looking it’s lethal … he’s lethal
Heroine stalker level: Expert
The heroine: Abby the troubled painter
A beautiful butterfly still growing her wings
Complex as she battles light and dark
I lived for the over-the-top, possessive MMC who doesn't feel bad or even pretend he has good reasons for mercilessly claiming the FMC other than "She's mine." Dane and Abby play a dangerously addictive game of cat and mouse with staring and stalking … the predator and prey. Oh my was I here for it all!
Compulsion is a complex, edgy love story that took me on a thrilling, unhinged roller coaster. PURE ADDICTION!!! This stalker romance stalked me. There was no escape. I was a prisoner of this dark and depraved delight where I felt every ounce of this potent mix of pain and pleasure. Wholeheartedly wowed. Unequivocally owned. I Couldn’t. Get. Enough. Of. This. Book. Just give me book two now!
💋💋💋💋💋 unhinged kisses
➡️ https://amzn.to/3E3BaMY
Reviewed on behalf of Bookalicious Babes Blog
Holy wow! I’m still reveling from Compulsion, a smoldering stalker romance with delicious Lucifer vibes that dominated me from cover to cover. My OBSESSION!!! I felt this tale’s electricity coursing through my veins, bating my breath, setting my body on fire, and sparking my soul to life. A paralyzing intensity that hit me like a shot of adrenaline everywhere.
The hero: Dane the hot but psycho doc
So good looking it’s lethal … he’s lethal
Heroine stalker level: Expert
The heroine: Abby the troubled painter
A beautiful butterfly still growing her wings
Complex as she battles light and dark
I lived for the over-the-top, possessive MMC who doesn't feel bad or even pretend he has good reasons for mercilessly claiming the FMC other than "She's mine." Dane and Abby play a dangerously addictive game of cat and mouse with staring and stalking … the predator and prey. Oh my was I here for it all!
Compulsion is a complex, edgy love story that took me on a thrilling, unhinged roller coaster. PURE ADDICTION!!! This stalker romance stalked me. There was no escape. I was a prisoner of this dark and depraved delight where I felt every ounce of this potent mix of pain and pleasure. Wholeheartedly wowed. Unequivocally owned. I Couldn’t. Get. Enough. Of. This. Book. Just give me book two now!
💋💋💋💋💋 unhinged kisses
➡️ https://amzn.to/3E3BaMY
Reviewed on behalf of Bookalicious Babes Blog
June 19, 2025
Meet your next dark romance obsession: Compulsion by Julia Sykes. This book will absolutely consume you.
When I say I want a stalker romance, this is exactly what I mean. Dane doesn’t just watch from afar he literally breaks into Abby’s house to learn her favorite book, snacks, and even how she lives… all so he can win her over. It’s twisted, obsessive, and somehow still made me swoon.
Dane is the perfect morally gray hero. He is a charming British doctor with a psychopathic edge and an unhealthy fixation on our FMC, Abby. He shows up at her coffee shop EVERYDAY! And Abby? She’s a shy, artistic soul…a barista by day and a painter who sells her work on the side. She has a dark side as well that we see her start to explore. I love Abigail and found myself relating to her a lot with her emotions and feelings.
The tension, the obsession, omg! This book was an absolute page turner, I couldn’t put it down! I ate up every dark, dangerous moment and somehow still rooted for them.
If you’re into possessive, unhinged men who’d do anything for the woman they want, even if it’s absolutely insane, you’re going to be obsessed. I’m so excited for book 2 with the way this one ended omg!
Thank you so much Julia for gifting me a copy of your book! I had such a good time and it’s so gorgeous on my shelf!
When I say I want a stalker romance, this is exactly what I mean. Dane doesn’t just watch from afar he literally breaks into Abby’s house to learn her favorite book, snacks, and even how she lives… all so he can win her over. It’s twisted, obsessive, and somehow still made me swoon.
Dane is the perfect morally gray hero. He is a charming British doctor with a psychopathic edge and an unhealthy fixation on our FMC, Abby. He shows up at her coffee shop EVERYDAY! And Abby? She’s a shy, artistic soul…a barista by day and a painter who sells her work on the side. She has a dark side as well that we see her start to explore. I love Abigail and found myself relating to her a lot with her emotions and feelings.
The tension, the obsession, omg! This book was an absolute page turner, I couldn’t put it down! I ate up every dark, dangerous moment and somehow still rooted for them.
If you’re into possessive, unhinged men who’d do anything for the woman they want, even if it’s absolutely insane, you’re going to be obsessed. I’m so excited for book 2 with the way this one ended omg!
Thank you so much Julia for gifting me a copy of your book! I had such a good time and it’s so gorgeous on my shelf!
October 14, 2025
4 ⭐️ 3 🌶️
📖Pages: 362
🗓Release: 04.11.25
MCs: abigail ♡ dane
I marvel at the prospect that I can have both: my white knight and my dark god, all in one gorgeous package .
💭 its like i watched a lifetime movie!! i was able to enjoy the blossoming romance between abby & dane knowing theres a mystery from the start. how closed off she was, trying to build a life of her own apart from her fam & carefully hiding her dark desires. while the charismatic doctor did what he can to earn her affection & trust. & when they finally get to a comfy state & dane has established a safe space for abby to explore, the mysteries unravels!! so yes ... i enjoyed this book!! i wasnt aware that this was going to end in a cliffy but... def on to the next♥️
I need her approval more than I need oxygen ...
dark contemporary romance | romantic suspense | psychopath doctor X barista/artist | possessive masked stalkr | hurt/comfort | 🐝dsm themes | master/pet dynamics
✨ thankU Julia Sykes & Hambright PR for this deliciously suspenseful eARC🔥
‼️ ur mental health matters. ✔️🆃🆆/🅲🆆
📖Pages: 362
🗓Release: 04.11.25
MCs: abigail ♡ dane
I marvel at the prospect that I can have both: my white knight and my dark god, all in one gorgeous package .
💭 its like i watched a lifetime movie!! i was able to enjoy the blossoming romance between abby & dane knowing theres a mystery from the start. how closed off she was, trying to build a life of her own apart from her fam & carefully hiding her dark desires. while the charismatic doctor did what he can to earn her affection & trust. & when they finally get to a comfy state & dane has established a safe space for abby to explore, the mysteries unravels!! so yes ... i enjoyed this book!! i wasnt aware that this was going to end in a cliffy but... def on to the next♥️
I need her approval more than I need oxygen ...
dark contemporary romance | romantic suspense | psychopath doctor X barista/artist | possessive masked stalkr | hurt/comfort | 🐝dsm themes | master/pet dynamics
✨ thankU Julia Sykes & Hambright PR for this deliciously suspenseful eARC🔥
‼️ ur mental health matters. ✔️🆃🆆/🅲🆆
August 22, 2025
Abby Foster works in a coffee shop where Dr. Dane Graham watches her. She doesn’t know he isn’t just a kind man that she thinks of often. No, he is far more sinister and when he gets what he wants will he ever let her go? However, Abby is hiding something too that just might make them perfect for each other. This is book one of this dark romance trilogy so it does end on quite the cliffhanger. I really enjoyed the beginning of Dane & Abby’s twisted tale and even though I did predict the ending I want to see what happens next between these two flawed characters. Check any TW’s as this does delve into some tough topics. Told in first person and dual POV.
April 13, 2025
Well now....
4.25
What can I say. If you want or like obsessive, possessive, who done this to you, stalkers, BDSM AAAAAAND an MMC who is English, then this is for you. I mean DANE is my new book boyfriend and he's mine lol
I loved this from start to finish and I'm glad the FMC Grew a set of balls. I like that when you can see them grow and she just needed the right person to help her or is he?????????
But yeah that ending ffs i need book 2 please lol
Thank you to the author for arc ebook in exchange for an honest review
4.25
What can I say. If you want or like obsessive, possessive, who done this to you, stalkers, BDSM AAAAAAND an MMC who is English, then this is for you. I mean DANE is my new book boyfriend and he's mine lol
I loved this from start to finish and I'm glad the FMC Grew a set of balls. I like that when you can see them grow and she just needed the right person to help her or is he?????????
But yeah that ending ffs i need book 2 please lol
Thank you to the author for arc ebook in exchange for an honest review
August 25, 2025
I didn’t vibe the way I wanted with this one. It was very lack luster when it came to the dark romance aspect. It was a tad spicy, some BDSM, dirty talk…. But it was very boring until about 60-70% & then the ending was great, but cliff hanger. I’m not sure it was enough to convince me to read book 2.
December 2, 2025
If you’re into a good non con/dub con dark romance this is definitely for you! Stalker sexy ✅ BDSM ✅ breath play ✅ plus a ton of fun kinks✌️This is ends a somewhat predictable cliffhanger but I’m really hoping the Dane figures out a way for redemption. The spice level in this is off the charts 5/5 🌶️ can’t wait to start the second book Redemption 👏
April 9, 2025
3.5⭐️
This book was my first introduction to Julia Sykes as an author. I was fortunate enough to receive an early ARC of this book.
This book had me hooked from the premise. I love a good stalker story. I binged this book in one day! Dane and Abigail’s story was a wonderful morally grey, obsessive, stalker romance. I loved that we got to read from both points of view (I loved being able to get into the mind of both characters). Dane was a wonderfully obsessive and possessive MMC. Abigail was also an intriguing FMC. She had more development throughout the book in my opinion. You got to understand her more with learning about her back story and events in her past.
Both characters were able to connect on several different levels including their family relationships and dark desires. I loved that we got to see Dane pull Abby out of her shell and help her deal with past trauma. There was also a bit of mystery to this novel that I enjoyed as well.
Be aware that this book does end on a cliff hanger so if you don’t enjoy those wait for the second book to be released. Also heed your trigger warnings prior to reading this book.
With all of that being said I can’t wait to delve back into Abby and Dane’s world.
This book was my first introduction to Julia Sykes as an author. I was fortunate enough to receive an early ARC of this book.
This book had me hooked from the premise. I love a good stalker story. I binged this book in one day! Dane and Abigail’s story was a wonderful morally grey, obsessive, stalker romance. I loved that we got to read from both points of view (I loved being able to get into the mind of both characters). Dane was a wonderfully obsessive and possessive MMC. Abigail was also an intriguing FMC. She had more development throughout the book in my opinion. You got to understand her more with learning about her back story and events in her past.
Both characters were able to connect on several different levels including their family relationships and dark desires. I loved that we got to see Dane pull Abby out of her shell and help her deal with past trauma. There was also a bit of mystery to this novel that I enjoyed as well.
Be aware that this book does end on a cliff hanger so if you don’t enjoy those wait for the second book to be released. Also heed your trigger warnings prior to reading this book.
With all of that being said I can’t wait to delve back into Abby and Dane’s world.
April 26, 2025
The beginning of the book was "weird", it's not the correct word but the first few pages didn't hit the mark for me. I kept reading ahead because I was curious about how the story will progress.... I'm not sure that I'm going to read the next book.
July 9, 2025
What a snoozefest.
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