"Do you want to read about an unhinged, mentally unwell MMC with a breeding kink? Then read this book now." - Goodreads Review
Stone Monotony and forever were foreign concepts to me. Unfathomable and completely out of reach… until the day my little dark raincloud came pouring into my life. Sure, she came with a clingy ex and a trauma riddled past, but none of that could overshadow the magnificence that is Vanna Taylor. The moment I laid eyes on her, I suddenly knew what forever meant and I would stop at nothing to have it with her.
Vanna My life was finally considered normal. I had a decent job, lived with my best friend, and was slowly climbing out of the deep dark trenches of my past. Then, my best friend gets pregnant, leaving me to find someone to pay the other half of the rent. It just so happens; her boyfriend’s roommate is also in need of a place to live. Enter Stone Carter. The playful tattoo artist that branded me the night we met. Now, months later, he’s moving in… not just into my apartment, but perhaps that cold little thing in my chest that barely beats.
4.5⭐️ 4🌶️ 🔥Dark Romance 🔥Roommates to Lovers 🔥Obsessive MMC 🔥Grumpy/Sunshine 🔥F0rced Engagement 🔥Br33ding K!nk 🔥Touch Her & ☠️ 🔥Dual First Person POV
I don’t think you’re ready for the unapologetically unhinged proud red flag waving Stone. When he meets Varna he goes from interested to ferally obsessed in 0.2 seconds. Does he take things to far to get Vanna? Yes. Is he sane? No. He has zero boundaries when it comes to her. Vanna needs a roommate when her best friend announces she’s pregnant and moving in with her boyfriend. As it turns out, the boyfriend’s roommate needs to find a new place and that’s none other than Stone. He pushes his way into her life at every turn. There is great humor to offset the emotionally heavy topics. Stone and Vanna are unique main characters, you’ll hate and love them throughout the story. Phoebe doesn’t hold back in her blunt portrayal of mental illness, the reality of feeling empty and the struggle to hold on everyday. These two have spent years building up walls and defenses against getting hurt again. Vanna attempts to keep Stone at arms length but he bulldozes his way into her life and does everything he can think of to get her to fall in love with him. Stone is deranged but surprisingly sweet. This will have you feeling all the feels and questioning your morals. The spice is fire. Focuses heavily on their physical chemistry, featuring explicit, high-intensity, and very kinky scenes. It adds to and drives thier emotional relationship.
🚩Be sure to read the author’s note and content warnings before reading.
Plot: 4 Engaging: 5 Character: 5
Thank you Phoebe Farrow for the gifted advanced copy.
📚All thoughts and opinions are my own📚 🐦🔥Follow me on socials @myrisingphoenixera.reads🐦🔥
A Few Favorite Quotes: “She’s a disaster waiting to happen, but the more time I spend with her, the more I’m buying into everything she is.”
“Perhaps she’s as crazy as I am and I’m f * € k !ng feral for this woman.”
“You can leave now.” Vanna snipes. “Nah, I’d like to see your face when you fake the 0rg@sm he tries to give you.”
“Vanna you’re worth the world to me.”
“You want to f * € k someone, then f * € k me.” “Pass.”
“You’re mine. I’ve tried so hard to ease you into it, but you can be so stubborn. You need to get it through your head though. You. Are. Mine. Do you understand?” “No, I don’t think I do, Stone.” A feral smirk appears as his eyes cloud over with a film of mania. “You will.”
“Frantically, my conscience flails, desperate to cling to sanity while he drags me further into the depths of this psychotic game.”
“There’s something unhinged about Stone that, if given the freedom, he’d drown me in his riptide. There’d be no surviving him.”
“It feels freeing to let go; to not care so much. He’s lowered my walls until I can finally see over them and what I see is Stone waiting.”
“Darkness, a life with me will be a life you’ll never second guess.”
This book had all the things that I craved! It has the perfect amount of humor. The spice level between Stone and Vanna was enough to make you need a fire extinguisher! I was completely consumed with this book, and I absolutely could not put it down!
I cannot thank Phoebe Farrow enough for allowing me to be an ARC reader! For giving me a first look into this book, I will definitely endulge in more of her books!
I received this book from the author as an ARC read.
Inked in Darkness by Phoebe Farrow has a nice amount of spice to it. I am rating it a little higher than I initially was going to because I do like the amount of spice. I am a really big fan of scenes that have multiple participants (3+) and there are several of them in this book.
As for the characters, I absolutely loved Vanna and the growth that we see in her through out the story. It was nice to see her find her voice and work on stopping her destructive behaviors. I had a really hard time connecting with Stone, but I did appreciate the lengths that he would take to protect Vanna. It was nice to see growth in Stone's character, but I think I would have liked to see a little more. Maybe the baby will help with that down the road if there is another book. There were several moments in the story were it felt like they both had the impulse control of teenagers and with them already being passed college age I think that affected how I felt about them a little bit.
There were two moments in the story that almost made me stop reading, but I did push through and finish the entire book.
1. Is when Stone switches Vanna's birth control with the ones that Hunter brings. I think it didn't really fit Stone's character to trust anything Hunter would give him, let alone something that would be put in Vanna's body. It is also written that the birth control already in the drawer was missing one, but it doesn't mention Stone removing one in the fakes to make it match. I think this was a little bit of an oversight. That is something I feel that anyone taking birth control would notice.
2. The whole part where Tony thinks that Vanna is his daughter so he decides to steal some of her DNA so that he can run a paternity test. As much as I love that Vanna found out that she did in fact have a father, it is never really mentioned on how he steals that DNA. Does he use hair? Is it saliva from a cup she uses when she's at work? It just really bothered me not having an answer to that. It made that part of the story feel very flat.
One other thing that I noticed is that every time Stone would massage Vanna it read messaged or message instead. I know that this was an ARC read and that there can be mistakes like that, so this didn't affect my rating, but I thought that I would point that out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
From the very first page, Inked in Darkness makes it painfully clear that this is not a safe, soft, or morally clean romance. This book is dark, obsessive, disturbing, erotic, and emotionally raw—and it fully owns that. The story opens in Stone’s POV, and honestly? Chapter one alone feels illegal. Stone is a tattoo artist who accidentally kills a man to save a mafia don—and instead of spiraling into guilt, it awakens something deeply broken inside him. His narration is addictive, self-aware, and terrifying. He knows he’s unwell. He knows he’s dangerous. And he does not care. Enter Vanna—aka Darkness. She’s damaged, guarded, struggling with self-harm, trauma, and a past that refuses to let go. Their connection is immediate, intense, and volatile. The chemistry isn’t sweet—it’s predatory, magnetic, and unbalanced. Stone doesn’t fall in love in a normal way; he obsesses, stalks, manipulates, and claims. The dual POV works perfectly here. Vanna’s chapters are heavy, emotional, and painful. Her self-harm, abusive past, and complicated relationship with her mother are written in a way that feels raw rather than romanticized. Watching her eventually choose therapy and begin confronting her trauma is one of the strongest parts of the book. Her growth feels earned. Stone, on the other hand, is a walking red flag factory 🚩 He: • stalks her digitally and physically •sabotages birth control •manipulates situations to keep her close •kills for her •lies without remorse •believes ownership = love And yet… somehow… you still understand him. Not excuse him—but understand him. His grief over his sister, his inherited mental illness, and his complete lack of emotional regulation make him horrifying and fascinating at the same time. The fake engagement trope, forced proximity, roommates-to-obsession dynamic, and constant power struggle between them keeps the tension sky-high. The banter is sharp, the pacing is relentless, and the spice is explicit, feral, and plentiful 🥵🔥 This book does not pretend Stone is a good man. It doesn’t soften his darkness. And that’s exactly why it works. By the end, the emotional payoff is surprisingly satisfying. After all the chaos, violence, obsession, and pain, the ending feels deserved—earned through suffering, growth, and acceptance of who they both are.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I received this as an ARC read from the author & is my own opinion of my read through.
I was thrilled to receive a chance to arc read this! First & foremost this was my first ever read from this author so I really wasn't sure what to expect but I was intrigued by the posts I had seen advertising the book. I'm so glad I decided to throw my name in & got a chance to read this. It is beautifully written, there a few grammatical errors here & there but nothing a bit of extra editing can't fix. It didn't distract from my reading or mood so I really didn't study over it. This read isn't for the faint of heart, so definitely check your TW.
I laughed, I sobbed & I squealed through this whole book. It was a rollercoaster of emotions & it was absolutely beautiful. It took everything in me to put it down when I need to be at an appt & then to go to sleep. Lol The way she wrote the struggles of mental illness into the story absolutely wrecked me, it was like she was speaking every thought I've had before. My heartached for both Vanna & Stone for different reasons & at different times. Vanna was a wonderful character, her struggles, her attitude, her kindness & even her darkness. I hurt for her, I was happy for her & at times I was enraged for her. I loved watching her growth & I was so thrilled for her by the end. Stone was absolutely unhinged lol & I loved every second. Yes he was questionable, yes he manipulated, yes he was unhealthy too at times, but the way he loved Vanna through it all was heartwarming. I think in some way they both found ways to heal each other. The way he cared for her, was there for her & even against his own heart he was willing to step back for her.
“I looked at her and saw a future. I saw everything I wanted to be.” 🥹🖤
ﮩ٨ـᰔᩚﮩﮩ٨ـᥫ᭡.ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
“He’s a blistering ball of energy and starlight and I’m the vast darkness of night, empty and quiet of all things good.”
Inked in Darkness by Phoebe Farrow Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ When I chose this book, I expected to read about a tattooed bad boy falling for a girl who deserves far better. Phoebe promised dark romance. She delivered so much more. Vanna and Stone are not normal characters; they compel you to hate them even when you're zealously rooting for them. Phoebe doesn't romanticize the theme of mental illness; she bluntly shows the reality of feeling so empty inside that any form of affection feels foreign. We realise that the person who acts defensive all the time has spent years, if not decades, building wall upon wall to protect themselves from the one time they chose to trust. That, trust was a dangerous decision, and punishing themselves into crippling loneliness is better than betrayal. Stone and Vanna start off as two obsessed people. Their curiosity turns into trust, turns into safety. They pick each other up from their darkest times, becoming the other's safe haven. Even when one's demons threaten to drown them, the other gently helps them emerge from their despair. Just like any other couple, they have their fair share of conflicts, but the one thing I personally love the most about them is that they never give up, never lose hope. They lust just as fiercely, making their dynamic memorable. I loved seeing their role in helping each other heal from their past. Their playful banter slowly transitioned into fragile affection as the pages flew by. I recommend this book to those who wish to find the rare gems of the dark romance genre. I hope you find this book when you need it the most, and always remember that it's never too late to start healing.
Plot: 5/5 • Spice: 5/5 ———-> I loved every thing about this. Stone is a god damn psycho. He sees Vanna at a party. And it is insta-love. He hasn’t even met her. She happens to be his best friend’s girlfriend’s best friend. A match made in hell. She wants absolutely nothing to do with him. He has to wooooorrrkkkk for her.
Vanna is reserved on everything. She hasn’t had an easy life, even bouncing around foster care when she was younger. She has also had her heart broken from her cheating ex, who still tries to wiggle his way into her heart.
Stone fulfills all of Vannas fantasies. A break away from the vanilla she was having with her ex. She even gets to peg Stone. Eventually 😉
Stone, the psycho that he is, tampers with his best friends condoms so he eventually knows up his girlfriend. Meaning she has to move out of Vannas apartment and in with him. Well, Stone now moves in with Vanna. He knew she’d fall eventually.
There’s so much good smut in here. All the fantasies she wanted. MM, FF, MF, fucking her on top of her ex boyfriend. I loved all of it.
Stone may be a birth control tampering, overbearing, touch her and die, OOT man, but I really fucking liked his character. He fell for Vanna and would do absolutely everything and anything for her.
I’m honestly not sure what to make of this read. I think I would sum it up as cute but deranged. Easy to read and mostly amusing. It started out kinky and quirky, switched to dark (mental health trigger warning), then moved into complicated, with a happy ending. Even though some of the kinks in this book are not my cup of tea, I still found the book entertaining and am glad I read it.
Our MMC is a gorgeous tattooed “Adonis” and our FMC is a gothic goddess. Their briefly “enemies” with benefits, but a fake engagement leads to more. The MMC does things that should be frowned upon but the FMC allows it. It feels like it should feed into the abuse she has already endured in her life, and makes me wonder if the MMC is any better than the people in her past. But a safe word causes distance and ultimately clarity.
I agree there is no timeframe on love and enjoy how the author embraces that. Sometimes you just know who you wanna spend your life with and it should be someone who can meet all your needs.
Is Stone likely a psychopath? Sure. Does Vanna have issues? Heck yeah. Do I love them? Abso-freaking-lutely!
I was just as obsessed as Stone from the start - okay, maybe not AS obsessed but pretty close. I was hooked and wanted to see how this train wreck of merry boundary breaking would unfold.
As expected, there were crashes and derailment. There are some extremely heavy topics and scenes covered throughout. Consider this your reminder to check trigger warnings and read responsibly for your mental health.
Personally, I thought the heavy stuff was navigated really well. Was it always the healthiest coping mechanism? Or most legal? Nah. But it was real for how messed up people can be, and it was real for the healing they found with each other. I found it cathartic in a way I didn't know I needed right now.
Not to mention that Stone would crawl over hot coals for our girl Vanna - or ya know, try some spicy new things. And we love a dedicated and open-minded man 😉
I love this book! If you like a dark romance with a questionable MMC who has a major breeding kink and isn't the biggest on consent because they have a safe word to use, this book is for you. Going into this book I did not realize that it was going to be so sex forward of a book but knowing the two characters the way you end up doing by the end of the book it makes sense why is it such an important part of the story. This book does bring up a lot of triggers so make sure you read the trigger warning list for the book before picking it up as to protect your own mental health!!! These characters will always have a special place in my heart and they may just have a special place in yours if you enjoy a dark romance with a 5 star spice rating and a very unhinged morally grey MMC!
This is an amazing book. This is something I read in one day. I wouldn’t put it down. They way this is something that can literally make you feel all the feels make me question like if this is my life instead of having to go through things as a child like some of the things that the FMC went through feels like I went through to them as well. The way the words are used the imagery the way they can literally be felt is something that is amazing. The way that you would think that there is something that is going to happen and then it completely goes another way is something that I am grateful for. I am grateful that I got to read this book.
ARC Review: I devoured this book! I was hooked from the 1st chapter. Stone & Vanna are the definition of toxic in the beginning but Stone is determined to make her his. He’s possessive in unhealthy ways but it’s also hot AF. I loved watching their story unfold. You definitely need to add this one to your TBR.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Unhinged. That's Stone. But holy crap do I love him! The lengths he will go to get what he wants, and what he wants is Vanna. I loved this book! Twisted and super spicy, I was on the edge of my bed from beginning to end!
Loved this! Loved that! Loved how relatable FMC was. Their relationship was energetic and fun. I think I was expecting something darker but I didn't enjoy it any less.
My oh my! This book was hot and heavy! The kinks? Yes please! I absolutely loved the banter in the book between Vanna and Stone! It’s like a Grumpy/Sunshine reverse lol! I highly recommend! It’s beautifully written! Author has been amazing! Would read more of her books! Rating 5⭐️ Spicy 5🌶️