Sweet Wicked Thing

Scream for Me Duet #1

by Jessie Walker

Dark M/M standalone

Genres: M M Romance, Dark Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Mental Health, Contemporary

534 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2025

About the author

Jessie Walker is an indie author of queer love stories based out of Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she lives with her long-time partner and fur-spawn. Drawn to all things dark and twisted, she likes to pretend she's not the hopeless romantic at heart that she is. She has ADHD and a background in psychology/mental health services, both of which contribute greatly to her storytelling and the themes of her long-winded, character-driven works. When she's not drudging away at a keyboard, there's a very good chance you'll find her vegged out on her couch, listening to sad '90s grunge, and day dreamin’ about the all the stories crowding her brain.

Random Facts About Me
Scorpio Sun | Aries Moon | Scorpio Rising
The most socially anxious ENFP you'll ever meet.
Chaotic AF because decisioning and planning is hard.

Reviews

[aleksandra]

Me obsessed with you?

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

edit: but see you in 2024 2025?¿

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc Review: Sweet Wicked Thing (Scream for Me Duet #1) by Jessie Walker
MC:Aston & Vale 4⭐

𝘚𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦.
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶

Tropes & tags
🏹ex-foster brothers
🏹Heathers x Scream x Jawbreaker vibes
🏹psychotic 🔪-wielding girly pop MC
🏹psychopathic quarterback
🏹stalk!ng
🏹80s music
🏹campy af
🏹hurt/ comfort…but mostly hurt

While this was unmistakably Jessie, the story itself felt a bit familiar. Dark romance lately tends to fall into that same rhythm — “we’re all bad and we like it, we’ll bathe in blood, fuck roughly, and call it love.” But Jessie Walker has this rare gift for turning something ordinary into something magnetic. Her words always hit deeper.

That said, this book hurts. I didn’t particularly enjoy watching how Vale treated Aston — broken people hurting broken people just hurts me back. The layers of lies made it worse, and though believable, they don’t excuse everything. People have been using Aston since he was a boy, and it shows.

I initially gave it 5⭐️ because I was high on the adrenaline from those last chapters — that chaotic, gut-punching Jessie Walker rush. But after letting it settle, it feels more like a 4.4⭐️. I’ll wait until Book 2 to see how I really feel.

This one feels un-Jessie Walker in tone. I didn’t get the ethereal, soul-gripping pull I felt with Will and Way, Mason and Jer, or The Flock — or even the emotional ache of Skylar and Nolan. It’s Jessie, but not quite.

But:

It’s heavy without being unbearable.
Light without being disrespectful.
Full of incredibly flawed, painfully human characters.

The flashbacks? Pure torture — in the best and worst ways.(pls check he trigger warnings!!)

Still, some things didn’t quite make sense. Aston’s been gone for six years, yet he’s totally up to date with phones, internet, even music? His connection with Tillie felt rushed — she brings him home and that’s it? And Aston’s just left loose, no guidance, no control?

As for the sex… I usually enjoy dark, rough, messy intimacy, but Vale’s energy here felt off. Not dark-hot, just weird. But hot, dont get me wrong. I feel this is going better places, still dark, but better!

I loved Aston’s relationship with Ediepoo 🤗 Their connection is the light of this book — a friendship, a brotherhood that hits all the swoon spots. Watching Aston help Eden, cuddle him, and truly show up for him was such a joy to read. They’re the soft centre in all this chaos, and I adored every second of it. 💛

Aston St. James himself, though, is something else entirely. On the surface, he’s what everyone calls him — psychotic, unhinged, certifiable — but beneath that wild exterior lives a heart that refuses to give up. He’s chaos wrapped in kindness, a boy made of bruises who still reaches out instead of pulling away. His tenderness toward Ediepoo, his quiet loyalty, and that haunting mix of fragility and strength make him impossible not to root for. In a world of monsters, Aston doesn’t try to be good — he just tries to be better, and that hits harder than any redemption arc ever could. 🥀🔪🍭🖤🎀🤞🦋

But Quentin and Vale? The way they talk to and about Aston makes my blood boil. They lied for years, and halfway through, I feel conflicted for Vale.

Still, Jessie’s writing is impossible to dismiss. Even when I don’t fully love the story, I feel it — every bruise, every breath, every ache. And that’s exactly why I’ll always come back.

People like Vale and me…
We don’t get happy endings. Not because of what we went through…but because of what it turned us into.
A blight on the world.
But we will push forward, because what other choice is there?
My story isn’t over.
Our story isn’t over…
Far from it.
And we will continue to fool ourselves and chase some semblance of peace as if it’s something we’re worthy of. Something we could actually obtain and sustain. Something beautiful and good and not tainted in the least.
Call it a necessary evil. A kindness.
A sweet, wicked thing, these lies we live by.

Vale and Aston’s story concludes in Vicious Fate, releasing December 19th

I received a copy of this book from Queen Jessie and am voluntarily leaving a review.

⚠️Author TWs
murder/death of side characters on page; mentions of death of parents; CSA (on-page; minimally graphic), animal cruelty/killing (insects); references to growing up in abusive foster homes; references to sexual abuse of a minor by authority figures; alcohol use; drugging of another character; cheating (not between main char.), rough sex featuring mild exhibition, choking, degradation, and spanking/hitting; dub-con; manipulation and gaslighting.


❣️Book Safety & Content
Cheating: Yes (not between MC)
OM/OW Drama: Yes, Vale has sex on page with his boyfriend
Sharing: No
Third-Act Breakup: Yes, but they were never really together?
Role Dynamics: Strict roles
POV: POV: 1st person (dual), occasionally breaking the fourth wall in Aston POV
Format: Duet (book 1)
Ending: cliffhanger
Angst Level: High
Spice Level: Medium
Communication: Strong
Pining: more like obsessive declarations

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed - not quite as much as Aston is obsessed with Vale, but still a good healthy amount of obsessed!

I don't even know where to start but I am SO glad that December is so soon! Also there are spoilers further down so don't read them if you haven't read the book - Aston would side eye you SO hard if you ignored the warning!!

Aston.... I fucking LOVE him SOOOO much!! He's the exact kind of OTT that I love, he's obsessed with 80's music (I was born in the 80's - at the very end, but still....) and I loved his sass. I think Jessie struck gold with the way she wrote this book honestly because I loved the way Aston addressed the audience. I also loved him channeling his inner Regina George with his diary entries about Seth that read like the Burn Book.

Vale I wanted to slap but also hug but also slap again! Was it uncomfortable to read at times? Yes. But he's clearly having a huge inner battle regardless of whether he feels guilty about things or not. I may not agree with how he treats people, but I understand the why.

These two have been through so much trauma that I'm amazed they're still going. Their childhoods were absolutely horrifying, the number of ways they've been failed was horrifying but realistic also... I feel like Daddy Riviera is a good solid character, but he's the only adult figure in the whole book that I feel comfortable with.

Eden is so precious and I will absolutely riot if anything bad happens to him. I adored the way he and Aston had their sleepovers and gossip sessions. I hope their sibling bond continues to grow.

Spoilers Ahead If You Haven't Read The Book

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Ok, soooo, I have theories on what's coming next!

I always knew that Vale had done what he did. I can't remember if it was in the previous anthology version or not, but both times I straight away thought the same thing.

Who is the murderer? Honestly Seth is prime candidate for me, my outside guess is the school counsellor.

I don't trust Tillie and Walt. There's something off with them and I can't put my finger on it, but it keeps niggling at my brain. I think Aston's instincts get set off around them far too many times to ignore it.

Something bad is coming! What the hell is Aston going to do when he remembers everything and finds out what Vale did? I'm honestly scared for him because it's a ticking time bomb and I have this feeling he'll aim it at himself when it finally goes off. Vale feels betrayed by what Aston did to him (my thoughts are that the foster dad made a deal with Aston to not hurt Vale, but then went back on it after forcing Aston to do what he did to Vale so it was a double betrayal) but it feels like he's still not seeing how much Aston did to protect him from what was happening to him. Aston is going to feel awful for what he did, but the betrayal he got in return.... it's going to be explosive in some way.

Vale... I'm on the fence about what I think he'll do following the cliffhanger ending of this book.

Honestly I cannot wait for book 2!!

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HRCYED2: Readathon

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

obsessed!! i need book 2 asap (tbh that will probably determine if i love this duet as a whole bc this one had the set up and potential and, depending on how book two is executed... we'll see 😩) 😭😭 i adore Aston tho and wanna protect him and Vale. 🥺

[melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️
“How do people live like this? It’s exhausting. Don’t do this, don’t do that. Don’t say this, don’t say that. I’m trying!”

You have no idea how much it hurts me to give this rating to this book because we’re talking about Jessie Walker, the author who gave life to Will and Waylon and that’s the only reason I’m leaving it at 2 stars instead of 1.25 like I would with any other author.

“Aston doesn’t scare me,”
“Who said I was talking about him?”

I don’t understand why it took her almost 500 pages to tell us that Vale is a psychopath and that he was actually the one who killed their foster parent letting Aston take all the fall (something I already suspected), because aside from that, I don’t know what the hell I read that was even remotely relevant in this book.

“W-wait. P-please, I’ve been so good. I⁠—”
“You’ve never been good.”

Vale was a piece of shit , he treated Aston like garbage, and I’m supposed to believe his obsession or whatever they say he feels for Aston is something strong just because he stopped him from going to jail after admitting he was fucking him while a girl was being murdered so Aston wouldn’t be blamed for it? THAT’S THE BARE MINIMUM that bastard could’ve done after treating him like trash for the ENTIRE book.

“Aston? Are you… are you crying?”
“I’m fine!”

Supposedly this had the hurt/comfort trope, bitch WHERE?! where was that?! When Vale was using and playing with Aston however he wanted? When he was hurting him? When he ignored him and let people bully him? Was THAT the hurt/comfort?

Does any part of you miss me? Does any part of you crave me like I crave you? Were you worried? Are you sorry? Do you regret it?

And Aston isn’t much better either. I need this man to grow a backbone in the second book or I’m going to lose my shit. You can’t be that much of a doormat and have zero self-respect. I need him to open his eyes and realize he deserves better.

“You looked really sad when I picked you up Monday. It doesn’t…suit you.”
“Sadness?”
“Yeah.”

Aston was a good son, a good brother, and he could be a good boyfriend if someone just gave him the chance. Aston IS a good person, and I need him to see that and start standing up for himself. But between the two of them, I’m choosing Aston any day. Vale can go fuck himself as far as I’m concerned.

“What?”
“You like me.”

They had no chemistry, no real or deep conversations. And the few conversations they did have weren’t nearly enough to cover the entire past these two shared. It was hard to believe this was even a Jessie Walker book because one of the things I LOVED about Will and Waylon, it was how they actually talked and opened up, even when it hurt and i was crying my eyes out reading what they said to each other but they talked.

“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got? Come now, Valey, no need to be shy. You don’t have to hold back with me.”

These two idiots? They’d exchange a FEW words, sometimes shove each other a bit, fuck, then Vale would abandon Aston because no matter how bad Aston was, that asshole would ALWAYS leave him and ignore him for a few days or weeks and then give him a tiny bit of attention and Aston stupid ass would go crawling back. That’s what they did for 500 pages. They didn’t need to talk about THAT night specifically but they could’ve talked about so many other things, but they never did.

“Do you remember me now?” As if I could forget. “Or rather…you done pretending you don’t?”

Now I understand why it was published on Halloween, the Halloween theme was all over the book, so much that she forgot to actually develop their relationship or make the story make sense. Even the ending left me wanting more, but not in a good way. I expected it to hit me, to shock me, and it didn’t. If she wanted to dress up her characters and let them play around on Halloween, this should’ve been a novella, not a 500 page book.

“The only person I think Aston St. James wants to punish… is Aston St. James.”

If the second book follows the same path, I’ll be back to lower my rating.

[ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don’t think any of you understand just how utterly and completely obsessed I am with this story. i was only able to read the first 8 chapters of this story (due to the novella in the anti-valentine anthology) and i need the full novel more than i need the oxygen to breathe.

2024 cannot come fast enough.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️✨ literally what the fuck. that was not a romance. this was 584 pages of vale hating aston and treating him like shit for no fucking reason. the plot was good and i was interested in what the fuck happened in their past that i still don’t have the full story to. but vale was a fucking cunt and aston never did anything wrong so i’m over it. i thought it would just be a slow burn hate to love but no. we never got to love or even like. how stupid

[carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

And we will continue to fool ourselves and chase some semblance of peace as if it’s something we’re worthy of. Something we could actually obtain and sustain. Something beautiful and good and not tainted in the least. Call it a necessary evil. A kindness. A sweet, wicked thing, these lies we live by.

4.5 ⭐️

Jessie Walker, you will pay for your crimes 😭😭 my heart was ripped out of my chest, chomped on, put inside a blender and it is now a gooey mess. I don’t know how I’ll be recovering from this and I don’t know how I’m supposed to wait until December for the next book 😫 (it’s actually amazing that the second book comes out next month and I won’t have to wait long, but allow me to be dramatic).

❝ Instead, all I get is this. Pain. So much pain. My heart has been ripped from my chest, thrown in a blender, and is now being force fed down my throat like beer at a frat party during hell week. ❞

↳ exactly how I felt while reading this book 😖

If you know Jessie’s books, you know you’ll suffer before you feel any sort of joy. It will be painful and dark and if you’re not reading a standalone, you’ll encounter a cliffhanger at the end of book one and it will take a long time to find any type of happy ending. But that’s what I love most about her books. Please, rip my heart out of my chest, I thank you for it! I cannot tell you how many times my heart was racing so fast and I felt very scared. I was in a constant state of anxiety from not knowing what was going to happen, from the tension between Aston and Vale, from the creepiness of certain scenes 😫😭

I won’t attempt to summarise this book, because I don’t think I can do it, but I feel like it’s my duty to mention a couple of things: this is not a fun book- it’s funny if you enjoy a wicked, dark sense of humour, but it’s no fun. If you take away the funny bits and the dramatics from one of the mmc’s, what you get is a pitch black, ugly, raw, crushing story. What these characters went through was vile and disgusting, totally undeserving, and it left them with copious amounts of trauma and unresolved feelings. The prologue alone is enough to inform you of the type of story you’re about to read, but still, I highly recommend checking TW’s if you’re a sensitive reader. If it wasn’t for the humorous moments, this would’ve been an incredibly difficult book to read.

Aston is my baby and must be protected at all costs!! This sweet boy deserves so much better and I want him to experience love and joy 🥺 He has an amazing sense of humour that maybe won’t be appreciate by everyone but I definitely loved. He’s extra and dramatic and would’ve thrived in a theatre environment, I’m sure, if his life had been different. I love how he’s unapologetically himself when it comes to self expression.

❝ Dear Diary, Kill me now, because I’m about to become soooooo insufferable. You have no idea. ❞

After a very traumatic event, his brain shut down, creating a blockage that prevents him from accessing some past memories. As must as I’m dreading the moment he remembers everything, because it will be painful for him (and me), I know that it is the only way for him to be able to move forward and start healing. He's been dealt a really bad hand since birth, and he hasn't had a moment's respite since.

❝ And yet, somehow in spite of everything, I keep…hoping. I keep dreaming. I still…want it. To love and be loved and be grossly attached to another human being. Unconditionally. Forever and always. ❞

Vale is someone I was struggling to understand. There were signs that pointed to something and in the back of my mind I knew the truth, but I didn’t want to believe it. Can’t say much because of spoilers, but the moment a truth bomb is unleashed, so many things about him started making more sense. And honestly, this is one of the exceptions where it excuses his behaviour. Doesn’t make it easier to digest or to accept, but it explains it so well - I’m being super vague because I think the best way to experience the story is to not know a lot about it.

❝ I didn’t just hold his fragile sanity in my hands that night…I played God with it. ❞

In terms of romance, there’s not much to say. Despite Aston and his delusions of a relationship and what romance is, there’s not anything remotely romantic about this (I mean, I guess it can be romantic if you view it from a dark, twisted, toxic place). There’s a long way to go, lots of healing to be done and truths to be unveiled, but I’m rooting for them. Because the truth is, nobody else gets them the way they get each other. Nobody knows them the way they know each other because it’s only when they’re together that the masks fall and they are free to be themselves.

❝ But he…he settles something inside me. He soothes that sticky black wrongness somehow. That wrongness that would have me falling, sinking, forever lost. He doesn’t eradicate it, no. If anything, he speaks to it. Tames it. It’s as if some part of me knows I’m safe enough to let go with him… That I was born to be at Vale’s mercy. Made to be his. ❞

Before I conclude this review, I need to mention Eden and how much I ended up loving him. I loved all the moments he shared with Aston, and the reluctant bond they formed. I also think that Aston is a positive influence on Eden. I loved how he encouraged Eden to be himself and never judged him. Aston has a lot of love to give, it's heartwarming!

❝ But there’s something about Eden…something that has my insides twisting up with this…strange, yet familiar yearning. A devastation I can’t quite put a pin on but am all too aware is there. Inside me, this…this hole in my chest that has existed for as long as I can remember. “I always wanted a brother” ❞

Sweet Wicked Thing is unhinged, campy and a little bit cringe but in the best way possible, in my humble opinion. I don’t know it it’ll be for everyone - I definitely do not recommend it if dark romance is not your thing. But if you enjoy complex, unhinged, psychopathic characters with a strong incline for murder, you’ll have a blast. Jessie Walker knows what she’s doing and she writes the best emotionally charged stories, with a great focus on mental health. I would gladly read her grocery list. December cannot come soon enough, I badly need the next book.

❝ Alas, we’ve still got the sequel to contend with. Gotta save something special for the grand finale. I mean, unless you’re just expecting Vale and I to drive off in the sunset together. Yawn, much? ❞

[Miki_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Would you look at that, you do know how to be a good boy after all.”

It's Aston St James' world and we are just living in it.

Jessie has truly cornered the market when it comes to horny crying and this is no different. IM SO FUCKING OBSESSED WITH THESE 2. This book feels like you're on a facetime call with your most delusional friend and I CANNOT GET ENOUGH. Ex foster brothers × psycho for psycho × hurt/comfort = me paralysed on my couch until I finished this 2 times over.

I'm such a huge fan of anything camp and this is exactly that, but the way Jessie balanced such a dark set of circumstances with humour = UNMATCHED. There are so many GENIUS stylistic choices in this book. From Aston and Vale being the perfect foil to one another, to the fourth wall breaks, everything is so intentional in the absolute best way. THE WAY I'M DOUBTING EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER IN THIS!! I LITERALLY TRUST NO ONE!!

Sweet Wicked Thing is fun, its dark and its astonishingly self aware in a way that makes the reader feel like they're in on the joke. Then in the next breath it's putting your heart through a meat grinder and you're begging for more.

Now onto the characters:

ASTON: obsessed with him. He might be a lot delusional and have the world's most severe case of limerence but I DONT GIVE A FUCK I LOVE HIM. He doesnt steal the show, he runs it. The way he flips from being cutesy and girliepop to being the most menacing character on the page *chefs kiss*

Vale: WHAT A MAN. Yes he's kinda scary (a lot scary) but he's the kind of cold and detached that matches Aston's freak and I LOVE THAT FOR HIM. He's a character that gets more and more interesting as the story continues. I love the way he thinks about Aston in such a dreamy way but is also equally disgusted by it. He is literally the funniest character in this book I do not care what anyone else has to say about it. Also "Sugar" as a nickname.... CONSIDER ME SAT.

They both made me cry though guys idk😭😭😭

Eden: MY BELOVED. I'LL HEAR NO CRITICISM OF THIS LOVELY LITTLE ANGEL. READ IT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM AT LEAST😭🫶

Special mention to:
Casey - i love big dumb football bros i am but a simple gal
DADDY RIVIERA - no explanation necessary

I'm continually awed by Jessie's ability to outdo herself. Everytime I think she cant get better she does. Its very rare a book will have me keeping a list of potential suspects YET HERE I AM (it's called "the potential list of freaks" if anyone was wondering).

If you love mm romance that's hot and funny but will also have you on the edge of your seat ASTON AND VALE ARE WHERE IT'S AT. You need these psychos in your life i do not make the rules. Catch me being insufferable until part 2 is in my hands xoxoxox

[kaye taz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
format: ebook

hm, i don’t know…?

[Lobenda☆on a year-long hiatus☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝘔𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘔𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺
𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴."


jessie walker, oh my god, the writer that you are! she delivered in every way-this book was flawless in every sense.
the setting and atmosphere were sooooo rich and vividly crafted; I was completely immersed. this was my first JW, btw, and now the hype makes absolute sense. I understand why everyone reveres her 🥰❤️. you put a spell on me, ma'am 😊🤌.

you know, I usually avoid high-school settings, they are just too cringe for me now. but the five-star reviews convinced me to pick this up, and OMG, It was so worth it. kisses to everyone who rated it five stars because I wouldn't have picked it otherwise.
sure, it’s high-school so the angst is present, but there’s so much more than just angst:trauma, past wounds, emotions all over the place, pain, memories, one-sided enemies to lovers?, yearning… yeaaaaaaarning baby.

a blow-pops-loving brat with a full baby-girl personality, who keeps a knife on him at all times and wears a kimono at home. rows and rows of cornfields. halloween. a gothic, castle-core, eerie prep school. a wild chase through an endless cornfield-mhm, unhinged in the best way. bullies and bimbos. pleading and begging to be wrecked( fucked 😲) by his foster brother.

a dynamic where one is charismatic chaos-full matty healy coded charm, and the other is a cold, calm, inscrutable, slightly (or very?) dangerous jock because he is a *spoiler* .

the story unfolds gradually and intentionally. It’s padded and richly detailed, but never boring. aston is such a charming and adorably unhinged character 😁 that you’re fully absorbed and completely pulled in by his charm. his inner monologues alone keep you hooked, so the slower pace actually works in the book’s favor.

book 2 is clearly set up to dive deeper. from what we’ve seen in book 1, it’s going to explore everything and finally give us what we need- the spice, the heat, the love, the attention and affection aston deserves from vale 🥰, all while resolving the cliffhangers that left me confused and curious 😕.

"𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬? 𝙈𝙮 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙜𝙖𝙜. 𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙄 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚." -that's aston for you, my loves. 💅

"𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙣��𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣?"

"𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜—𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚—𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢."

“𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙩? 𝙊𝙝, 𝙝𝙚𝙮𝙮𝙮, ’𝙨𝙪𝙥 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡. 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨!” 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣." -aston 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


"𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙪𝙢 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩, 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨."- 🙏

“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞��𝙜, 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪?” 𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚. “𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙝.”

"𝙃𝙚’𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢… 𝙎𝙖𝙛𝙚."

“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝘼𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪."
"𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚… 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧."

"𝙂𝙤𝙙, 𝙄 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖’𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙖, 𝙞𝙛 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙩."- madonna's cone bra ? 🤣🤣🤌

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙄 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙄 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧—" '❤

🎶colors- Halsey🎶
🎶birds of a feather🎶
🎶by your side-the 1975🎶
🎶chinatown-bleachers🎶


for TWs and CWs please check the author’s website 😊.
----------------------
I need book 2 😭😭😭.
I knew something was coming but not like this.
so this is jessie walker? i've heard so much about her books and the endless praise… this is my first JW, btw, and now I get the hype. my my!! she is unbelievable; her writing consumed me, she is on another level-the writing, the atmosphere, the characters, everything is just crafted to perfection. i'm still reeling.
full rtc, sweet and overflowing w/ praise for the author because I LOVED IT 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We don’t break the connection until we have no other choice. Until we can no longer resist the gravity of a world that won’t stop spinning, not even for us."

It's no secret I love a Jessie Walker book and Sweet Wicked Thing is no exception! This is book 1 in Jessie's Scream for Me duet, which started life as an Aston and Vale short story in Worthy: A Pride Anthology, but clearly these broken boys needed their full story to be told.

Be warned. This is a dark-themed MM romance, so do check the author's TWs if you have any concerns. That said, there are lighter moments and when the story is told from Aston's POV, he has a very humorous way of dealing with his present-day life and his heart-breaking past. I couldn't love him more. And Vale. So much trauma.

What To Expect:

❥ MM romance
❥ very dark themes
❥ ex-foster brothers
❥ forced proximity
❥ "mine"
❥ enemies to still enemies but not
❥ mental health rep
❥ dark and steamy spice
❥ part 1 of a duet

"And we will continue to fool ourselves and chase some semblance of peace as if it’s something we’re worthy of. Something we could actually obtain and sustain. Something beautiful and good and not tainted in the least. Call it a necessary evil. A kindness. A sweet, wicked thing, these lies we live by."

Book 2 in the duet (Vicious Fate) is due out on 19 December 2025 and I am here just holding my breath.....

5 stars 🌟

[el :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

giving this book 2 stars is me being generous.

[Daje1968 · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I were rating this book on writing or storytelling alone, it would be a solid 4 stars. But I got it thinking it was a romance, and there is literally no romance in it, so 3 feels fair.

This is an interestingly written dual first-person POV. Aston breaks the fourth wall throughout, mainly for comic effect, talking directly to the reader as if he knows he’s in a book. It’s distinctive, and I don’t know why Jessie wrote his sections that way but not Vale’s, yet it gives Aston’s voice a self-aware, slightly performative edge that fits him.

Aston himself is a tragic character, and reading his story hurt. Adults failed him every step of the way, and what happened in that foster home—especially to him—was horrific. I’m not someone who generally needs trigger warnings, but I do avoid what I call tragedy porn. I never read A Little Life on purpose, so I feel a little duped that I got dragged into this one with no warning. If you skipped that book because you didn’t want to be emotionally wrecked for a week, skip this too. That’s the trigger warning I wish I’d had.

Strange aside, but the random littering bugged me…Aston dropping a lollipop stick, Aston throwing the solo cup on the floor at the party, Vale ripping up drawings in the woods. With how deliberate the writing is, it felt metaphorical, though I couldn’t quite decide for what.

Normally, I’m not a fan of the “sassy twink” archetype, but it mostly works here. Aston uses that sass like armor, and considering the cruelty he’s endured, you can’t blame him. I wanted to wrap him in a blanket and keep him somewhere safe and happy. The butterfly-house scene at the zoo absolutely gutted me.

Vale, on the other hand, might be one of the worst MCs I’ve ever read. He’s cruel, cold, and a selfish, terrible lover. That cornfield scene was brutal. Jessie better have one hell of a redemption arc planned for this little shit, because if Vale is truly a psychopath, that’s not a character flaw you can just workshop away.

And speaking of uncomfortable, the sex in this book veers into something that reminded me of Rina Saint’s Dangerous Games series—trauma-bonded men reenacting their past abuse in adult form. Maybe that’s realistic, but it’s also deeply unsettling. It doesn’t feel like healing; it feels like reliving.

As for realism, I had to roll my eyes at the “unadoptable white baby” plot point. In what world is a healthy white infant abandoned in a big city and no one wants to adopt him? That’s a high-demand demographic, sadly but truly. And a child institutionalized for six years after the police found evidence of heinous abuse? Come on. Oh, and Vale mentions accidentally not using a condom like it’s an issue…did he forget the locker room scene where Aston is forced to lick the blood from his open wound? Sir, don’t worry about condoms, that ship has sailed.

The prose itself is beautiful—the kind of writing that feels lived-in, like the author either endured, witnessed, or deeply researched childhood trauma. Some passages are so vivid they feel bruised.

I’m currently listening to The Song of Achilles, which is also tragic as hell, and yet somehow less depressing than this. When a Greek tragedy feels lighter than your “romance,” you haven’t written a romance. Still, I am invested enough that I will read book 2 when it comes out in December. I am curious how we will get the HEA we deserve out of this trauma fest.

[Courtenay (ceelovesbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️

I don’t even want to begin to unwrap how or where or when Jessie came up with a story this complex and well.. downright f*cked up, but I LOVED EVERY MINUTE. Did you expect anything else? Of course not. Let me.. digest. And think. And stare at a wall for a while. Then you’ll get.. something here.

————————-

Wherever this book came from, whatever part of Jessie’s brain she had to tap into, whatever had to happen to bring Aston and Vale to life.. was well, nothing short of (see: completely deranged) delicious. Phenomenal. Lovely. So messed up. Perfect.

Here’s what you need to know. Aston and Vale are ex-foster brothers. They went through some stuff.. some REAL CRAZY, TERRIBLE stuff, and were separated 6 years ago. Aston? Well he went off to the loony bin, to live happily ever after. Yay! Good times. Vale? He went on to be a football star, QB1, and was adopted by a filthy rich Quentin Daddy 🤣 yay also for Vale.

Except now, Aston is out. A free bird. And he’s living in the same city as Vale and attending the same high school. What are the chances?! Well, Valey isn’t too happy about that part.. but Aston? He’s completely insufferable. He can’t even with himself. It’s true, look it up.

Add in some secrets, a dash of depravity, some unhinged thoughts, some diary entries, a creepy, Halloween-esque setting, butterflies, some dude named Judas, and you’ve got yourself a WHOLE damn story.

Listen, there are so many layers to this book. I’m never going to be able to explain them all to you. Twists, turns, even more secrets, and some absolutely fun and hilarious side characters that really made this book so fun and so f*cked up 🤣 MY SWEET EDEN BABY, I love you. The character I never knew I needed but love so so much.

Anyways, another 5 million ⭐️ read from Jessie, as if we expected anything else. And none of us are surprised. Hang on to your panties because this is only part 1, and I’m living on borrowed time until book 2 in December. That’s right. 2 books in a single year from our queen? 😮‍💨 someone stop me from crashing out.

Xoxo,
Cee

[Alexandra Iorga · Rating 2 out of 5]

No, just no. It s dragging. I wanted to drop it a few times. I wish I had.

[Arleny · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ I’m so sad that Aston St. James is only real in the pits of Jessie Walker’s brain. It’s actually quite alarming how many times I was smiling or cackling because of his inner monologue.

This story gives you such a unique version of grumpy sunshine, where you have Aston, who is a very unhinged, sometimes scary sunshine who is so damn love-able, even if he makes questionable choices. And then you have Vale, who is a literal psychopathic grump. I found myself always, ALWAYS rooting for Aston. And though Vale sometimes made me upset, as the reader, you get such a deep understanding of him that it’s hard to stay mad at him.

The recorded interviews had me sitting up in my bed thinking “what the hell are you doing to us Jessie?!” 😩 and that ENDING truly had me rethinking my whole life but ya know, it’s fine🫠

P.S. Idk if this is asking for too much, but I hope Eden gets a book… he grew on me 🤞

✨ARC Review✨

What to expect:
🖤Ex foster brothers
🖤Dark and traumatic pasts
🖤Hate sex
🖤Cheating (not between MCs)
🖤Hurt x comfort (mostly hurt)

[safeya ༒︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

hey vale!! come here for a sec, i just wanna talk that’s all!! ☺️🔪🔫

anyone in real life that romanticises psychopaths don’t know the true extent of their doing. like there is no way people like vale exist 😃
in the beginning i was giving him the benefit of the doubt cuz i didnt know his and aston’s past. but after finding out, I HAD ENOUGH OF HIM STILL ACTING LIKE A FUCKING BALLSACK.

my poor aston did NOT deserve any of that. and to think he still believes he is being selfish for his actions and want to be punished for them fucking hurts. everything he did was completely and utterly valid.

vale was such a bitch i still don’t understand how tf was he thinking and how he let aston hurt himself as much as he did knowing damn well he feels guilty. like fuck off????
AND WHAT PISSED ME OFF EVEN MORE WAS WHEN VALE WAS LIKE “I’m tired of this push and pull game” U FUCKASS ARE THE REASON FOR IT LIKE WTF?!?!?

sigh okay i’m done 🫩
the ending of this book was totally predictable but what I still don’t know is if the person at the end was jude or the boy aston had while in foster care together, the one vale pointed out that he left and aston never talked about. or maybe they are the same person, idk if that was mentioned and maybe i wasn’t paying attention.

but ong if vale doesn’t do the OUTMOST GROVELLING IN THE NEXT BOOK FOR ASTON I WILL BEAT UP HIS FUCKFACE TO A PULP.

anywho, thank u ms jessie for this writing even tho u managed to pull out every single emotion i had while reading it 😤
and she was right this book was INCREDIBLY cringe but somehow i liked it and idc i will be reading anything my queen writes 🙏🏼

[Tania ♡]

still one of my most anticipated book, and I wish there is some news about it 😖

[Alisia alis_reads_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars!! I currently have an Amazon order for red heart sunglasses and blow pops coming soon. That’s how obsessed I am.

My shining star….Aston. Wow he is complex and very chatty and breaks the 4th wall. I loved his cheery personality and delulu way of thinking. My cheeks hurt from how much he made me smile. This is a very different character from the broody and sad boys Jessie writes and she still nailed it perfectly! He’s stabby, dramatic, whimsy, silly, spitfire, and…and….HE’s NOT A QUITTER. He won’t give up on Vale and I look forward to seeing how Jessie plays out this character in book 2.


Valley Valey valey! My broody, emotionally unavailable dude. There’s a version of him that hates Aston, the version of him that’s curious of Aston and then there’s little Vale. And you get to meet them and watch them interact throughout this book. I really enjoyed his character.


Overall I loved every word Jessie wrote. I highlighted so much! She does such an amazing job putting together urban dialogue in one paragraph then adding In beautiful poetry then taking me to an intense moment!

I’m also wondering what the hell is going on in that brain of hers to come up with these incredible, unique and dark stories with characters so complex yet I feel like I’m right there with them. Her writing forces me to pay attention to the little things. And wonder what that means for the character or the story. I feel she puts so much emotion into her writing and I can imagine the toll it must take on Jessie but I appreciate it. This story is gritty and raw and campy and fucked and that’s how I like it!

[ʚ⋅ɞ .ᐟㅤem. · Rating 2 out of 5]

₊˚⊹ | 2 ★ read .ᐟ

I guess it was okay, but not for me. Probably because tiktok made me wanna read it asap and then I realized I expected something different entirely. The writing wasn't bad, it's just that there were too many thoughts that felt like annotations and snarky comments about everything.
Not gonna lie, though, when I started it, I found it really hot, it gave me certain vibes. But then something happened along the way and I guess the first meeting between Vale and Aston after such a long time didn't feel like fireworks to me.

[xxBooksILovexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another spectacular story from Jessie Walker! Both Ashton & Vale have complicated pasts. They went through trauma together & separately. They were separated but fate brought them back together. Can’t say much as this is a cliffy. Looking forward to Vicious Fate!

[Youssra (semi ia)]

If I know anything about Jessie Walker, it's that this book will be ANGSTY AND PAINFUL AND END ON A CLIFFHANGER😩 I will wait for book 2 thank you very much💔

[Prateekshya · Rating 3 out of 5]

For now, I don’t want to comment too much on this book. I’m holding my thoughts back and waiting for the second part with a hopeful heart🤞🏽

[Tatianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite literally on my knees for this.

[Savv 🥀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝.”
“𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝?”
“𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘴.
“𝙳𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍?”

ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ᴡɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴘᴀʀᴛ 1

WE ARE FUCKING BACK!
After 2 and a half years we are NOW getting the rest of Vale and Aston’s story. To say I’m excited is an understatement 😋

Welllll as we all know I do my reactions as my review so enjoy 😈

- I’ve read that prologue now 3 times and it just kills me every time 😭
- Aston ‘𝙸’𝚖 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔, 𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜.’ St. James. ILOVEYOU.
- THAT INTERVIEW?? 👀
- The additions of “diary’s” 🤌🏻
- WE LOVE AN IMMEDIATELY PROTECTIVE ASTON
- ‘𝙸’𝚖 𝚜𝚘 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚍. 𝚂𝚘 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚝𝚢 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚍.’ Aston makes me figgle so hard 🤣
- ‘𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚜𝚢𝚌𝚑𝚘.’ 😈
- Oh Vale I see you just as psycho 👀
- Okay I like you Quentin…. DONT FUCK IT UP
- ‘𝚃𝚒𝚌𝚔-𝚝𝚘𝚌𝚔, 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎. 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎’𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚞𝚙.’
- EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP THEY ARE IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER 😈
- Guys. I fucking love Aston. 🤣 🔪
- That fucking Halloween party. OHMYGOD
- Chapter 20 🥵
- Oh Valey😣
- Eden is so fucking precious
- Aston scared makes me STRESSED 😭 “Wait, don’t! Don’t leave me,” I croak’
- Me: “and now KISSSSSSSSSSSSS” 😤
- I. LOVE. QUEEN. TILLIE.
- Hey Sethica. Fuck off you fucking fuck
- “𝙰𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚎,” 𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚛𝚜, “𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖?“ YES VALE 🙂‍↕️
- OMG their 🦋 past 😭😭
- ‘𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚋 𝚑𝚒𝚖! #𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐’ HAHAHAHAH DYING
- “𝚁𝚞𝚗.” 🫡
- “𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏!” I’m crying. fuck just 🔪♥️
- “𝙸’𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚖.”“𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.” MY TOXIC BABIES OBSESSED WITH EACH-OTHER MAKES ME HAPPY
- “𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚙𝚜𝚢𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚞𝚗𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊.”
- WHAT. THE. FUCK.
- “𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸’𝚖 𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎.” 😭😭
- And I’m sobbing. Aston 😭😭😭😭😭
- Oh my god NOOOO! No door shut and scared you two apart!
- Those diary entries 🥺
- I DONT TRUST THOSE NOTES.
- I’m. Wow.

Jessie. You DID it again 👑

[ashlee ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aston + Vale

-ex foster brothers
-psycho4psycho
-slasher/final girls vibes
-stalking
-campy af
-hurt/comfort…but mostly hurt

oh damn…did i fall for another jessie bait n switch…where she entices us in with the most angsty dark gay romance…just to be like PSYCHHH here’s a cliffhanger & now you gonna just sit in all this angst while you wait for any sense of comfort🙂🙂🙂 yeyyy…go us! 😂😂 no but fr i can’t wait for more of these two cause there are just SOOOO many layers to their story going on that i can’t even begin to imagine how it’s going to go rn, but all i know is i love aston & just want his valeykins to make him happy🥺🥺 so c’mon man. get your shit together. haha

[lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

novella — 4 stars

----------

update (full-length story) — 3.25 stars

‘I hug my knees even tighter to my chest, suddenly all too keenly aware of just how desperately I wish someone would hug me. Hold me. And not because I…I forced them or manipulated or tricked them into it.
I want them to hold me because they genuinely want me in their arms. Me, and not just what my body can do for them.’


I'm just going to start by saying that I knew this wasn't going to be a 5 stars read for me since the beginning simply because I'm not a fan of the concept of psychopath mc's in the context of romance books or as romantic love interests. But, well, it's a Jessie Walker book we're talking about and I just love the way she writes so it was an enjoyable read overall.

I loved Aston's character when I read the novella last year and I still think he's an interesting character I would like to know more about.
Vale was okay too, I guess, it's just that Aston took the spotlight for me (I mean, of course he did lol).

About their relationship though, I don't know, It's complex and also kind of interesting but as I said before that kind of romantic dynamic it's not for me.
That being said, if that's something you're into and you like those themes I'm sure you'll love it.

[369Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Ex foster brothers Aston and Vale grew up in the worst of settings, and were torn apart at age 13 and 12. We start our journey following Aston, who is freshly out of the asylum he’s been forced j to for the past six years. Ready for his freedom in his last and only year of high school, he is shocked to find out that Vale, the once small boy that he protected as a child, is now the star quarterback, and he isn’t happy to see Aston.

This book has:
-ex foster brothers
-one is obsessed and the other one hates it
-highschool (18 and 19) setting
-m*rder plot
-unhinged, traumatized twink x antisocial personality quarterback
-violence (k*nky)
+check the TWs please

This book is almost 600 pages, and the first in a duet, with book 2 coming out this December. I kind of wish that I’d waited to read this until book two came out, because I have seriously mixed feelings about this book, but wonder if some of my gripes with it will be explained in book two. 🫣 that being said, I really loved Exiled by this author, and really wanted to support the release.

This book was seriously a mixed bag for me. I’ll start off with the positive! The writing quality is (as I expected) really high. Fantastic description, never a dull moment, lots of personality, good pacing. There were little tidbits sprinkled throughout that got you QUESTIONING what was happening or going to happen. This was a big strength! There was also good foreshadowing.

Jessie Walker also did a great job of writing Aston. He is a very strong character—extremely unique voice, absolutely tragic backstory (which is incredibly hard to read about, by the way), and so much depth. Truly, he carried the book for me.

Though the book has a lot of undeniable strengths and parts I enjoyed, I can’t help but comment on a couple things that kind of took me out of the story. Though it was really long, I felt like Vale gave us.. nothing. There was nothing likeable about his character, and I didn’t GET him. Though the scenes between him and Aston were definitely heated, I didn’t really feel any sort of connection on Vale’s part. I get he’s a “psychopath”, that’s not it. It just felt so one-sided with how deep Aston’s feelings and actions were, and how nonsensical Vale was. I feel like I may be jumping the gun with this a bit and it might be explored way more in book two..but with almost 600 pages, I was just waiting for him to give me ANYTHING 😩

There were also a couple things about the plot that did not add up for me. Maybe it will be explained in book two (hopefully!) Though the plot of the book was mostly very strong, the end felt a little cobbled together, and the cliffhanger a bit rushed.

I’M SO TORN!! Like, this book has so many fantastic qualities. But my overall impression of it wasn’t super positive, despite being able to give it so much praise. Maybe it’s simply the character and content didn’t vibe with me? Anyways, it’s still going to be SUCH a hit for some people, I can tell! And I will definitely pick up book 2 when it comes!

[Joana Pozo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
I was expecting a little more from this book. I really enjoyed it, but something felt missing — still, it pulled me in from the very first page.

Aston completely broke my heart. His past, the way he’s trying to survive his present… it’s just so much. Out of all Jessie’s characters, I think his story is one of the hardest and most painful. He’s been through so much, and you can feel how hard it is for him to adapt to the real world, to everything outside of what he’s known. Reading about his childhood through Vale’s eyes honestly hurt — that alone made it a solid 3.5-star read for me. I just want him to find peace and happiness, because he deserves it so much.

Vale, though… I didn’t really understand him. Or why he acted that way toward Aston. The author gives an explanation, but it feels a bit surface-level, like something’s still missing. I’m really hoping the next book gives us more of his growth and helps us finally understand what’s really going on with him and why he treats Aston the way he does.