Call the Coroner

Staniel #1

by Avril Ashton

A clash of wills between predators… He’s been living underground for a long time, but the only thing guaranteed to bring Daniel Nieto back to the surface is the identity of his wife’s killer. With the whisper of one name, he puts it all on the line for vengeance. He’s got plans for Stavros Konstantinou. The title of monster fits too well for Stavros to want to be anything other than what he is. Time spent in Daniel Nieto’s dungeon, chained and tortured, will never change that. Starved of food, sunlight, and freedom, he waits for an opening to turn the tables on the only man who’s ever come close enough to scare him. Somewhere between the slide of knife against skin, and the drip of blood on cold concrete, things change. Grief and hatred collide with lust and obsession, and this time Daniel and Stavros are on the same side. This time, they’re fighting a losing battle against a connection forged by much more than a love of violence and bloodshed. In a war this bloodied, what do you do when the bodies start hitting the floor?

Genres: M M Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance, Romance, BDSM, Contemporary

351 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2017

About the author

A Caribbean transplant, Avril now lives in Stone Mountain, GA., with a tolerant Spousal Equivalent. Together they raise an eccentric daughter who loves reading and school (not so much school anymore). Avril’s earliest memories of reading revolve around discussing plot points of Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys with an equally book-minded mother

Always in love with the written word, Avril finally decided to do the writing in August of ’09 and never looked back. Spicy love scenes, delicious heroes, and wicked women burn up the pages of Avril’s stories, but there’ll always be a happy ending; Av remains a believer of love in all its forms.

Reviews

[lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

— 4 stars ☆

“You’ve said a lot, diablo. Now it’s my turn.”
Lips brushed his and Stavros closed his eyes.
“Ábrelos.” Open.
Stavros opened his eyes just as Daniel lifted his head.
“This tin man has a heart, diablo. And it is yours.” He caught Stavros’ hand and brought it up to his chest. Over his heart. “It beats for you.”

gosh, iadorethemiadorethemiadorethemsomuch. 🖤 stavros is definitely the one who has such a special place in my heart bc of his devotion to daniel and the way he’s so fucked up and endearing at the same time (idk how that’s even possible but he manages to get that mixture right down to the t), but both daniel and stavros are characters i love, individually and as a couple. this book was so so dark but i loved their dynamics so much? the way stavros would chase after daniel, the way daniel would come to stavros bc he knew that nothing could dissuade the need his soul seemed to have for stavros’, the way they’d literally kill anyone for each other, no questions asked, the way daniel would carve up stavros and both those kinky fuckers would love it, lol i just love them. i love the way they grew from hating each other to finding out the passion underlying everything, the merciless intent both of them had, and the way the guilt and resentment also played a heavy role in their story, bc it was essential for them to accept each other and forgive each other to move on. i love how they’d get their knuckles bloody for each other. 😋 definitely one of my fav AA couples, along with dimaxavier and israelreggie. <3

just few instances i love of them together:

🤍 Stavros touched his lover’s face, tracing the curve of his smile. “My favorite thing is when you smile,” he whispered. “My second favorite is knowing I made you smile.”

🤍 “I expect you to love me like I love you,” he whispered into that kiss. “I expect you to do right by me, because I will do right by you.” Stavros shuddered. His grip on Daniel faltered. “I expect you to take care of my heart, diablo, because I will take care of yours.”
~ this scene had me so fucked up, bc stavros wanted daniel to expect him to stay monogamous for him. stavros wanted daniel to need things from him. stavros just wanted daniel to want him, and that had me feeling all the emotions. 🥺

🤍 “Your touch kills me,” Daniel confessed through the thickness in his throat. “It’s the sweetest murder, and I want it again and again.”
“Yo soy tuyo y tú eres mío.” I am yours and you are mine.

🤍 “You like it when I bleed.” Even to his ears, his words were shakier than normal. Faint.
“You do it so well.” Daniel’s voice sounded weirdly proud, like he approved of the rivulets soaking Stavros’ hip and the tiny puddle congealing next to them. “Also it brings me such pleasure, watching you suffer.”

🤍 “How do you do that?” Daniel asked softly.
Stavros’ brow wrinkled. “Do what?”
“Make me happy.” Daniel cupped his face, brushing his thumb along Stavros’ jaw. “How do you make the darkness bearable?”
~ i adored all the scenes when daniel was vulnerable for stavros, bc in the beginning it was solely the opposite when stavros was at daniel’s mercy. i loved seeing the power dynamics between them change and them starting to accept their feelings for each other, it was so sweet. 🥰

side note!! i love the syren cameos in all the books i’ve read so far. i love the way he sneakily interferes in all their love stories lmao, he’s definitely one of the most interesting characters in this universe for me. i have no interest in reading his own book after the things i’ve heard about it though :/ i’m savoring every mention of him, however.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

Something happened when they got in the same room. When their eyes met. When they breathed the same air. A dangerously potent something.

This book is,
Captivating,
Dark,
Violent,
Intense,

Enemies to lovers,the feelings these two men had for each other took my breath away.This book took me completely by surprise and once I got into it,I couldn't put it down.




Daniel Nieto has been waiting and waiting to avenge the death of his wife and when the time is right he's determined to make Stavros Konstantinou suffer.

So many things that I loved about this book,

-A clash of wills,an attraction so powerful that both men were powerless to resist,

“Your touch kills me,” Daniel confessed through the thickness in his throat. “It’s the sweetest murder, and I want it again and again.”

-The Mafia plot was concise and didn't overpower the story.

-Daniel's feelings about his dead wife were extremely well portrayed as he battled with guilt over his attraction to Stavros,

They were connected, he and Stavros. Connected by blood, by death. By guilt and betrayal too. But also by this crazy unexplainable and emotional need they had to be near each other. Touch each other. Taste each other.

-Sex....these two are passionate,intense,dirty,and loving...these are definitely some of the best sex scenes I've read.

You'll fall in love with Daniel and Stavros,I'm sure.

Highly Recommended.

This review has been posted on Dirty Books Obsession

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

rr: october 2022
ilovethemilovethemilovethem. 🥺🤍

***

"How do you do that?" Daniel asked softly.
Stavros' brow wrinkled. "Do what?"
"Make me happy." Daniel cupped his face, brushing his thumb along Stavros' jaw. "How do you make the darkness bearable?"

i loved them so much omg, especially my bb Stavros, the amount of times i wanted to hug him throughout the book. 🥺 the romance honestly put me through emotional feels i didn't see coming (i didn't expect to cry so much lol) and the story had more depth than i expected at first and i loved every moment of it. Staniel owns my heart, that is all. <3

[Shin Mon Thway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know how to write or what to say after reading this book. 😁 It took me a few days to finally compose myself and write a proper review and my friends, I’m still living on a high from this book. 😌 What a precious precious gem! ❤️ Loved every single second reading it! 😍 You know a book is truly phenomenal when you just read 350 pages and you are like that was too short. 😁 But I’m very hopeful that we will get sequels or at least other books in this world with the glimpses of our two imperfectly perfect MCs. Now, let’s get to reviewing. 😉


 
Daniel Nieto, the former king of a cartel, now being underground for 4 years after the brutal murder of his wife by Stavros. He lives every day of his life spending every single second thinking about how to avenge his wife’s murder. When Stavros killed his wife, he took everything Daniel held dear in his life. He had died with her and there’s nothing left. 💔 He’s just a mere shell left in this world, needing to do one last job, that is to torture and kill Stavros as savagely and painfully and as slowly as possible,  before joining her on the other side. And that day finally came when he kidnapped that Greek bastard to avenge the love of his life. And he never EVER imagined that his mortal enemy will stir his already dead and frozen heart. 😌
 
Stavros, a former assassin, now the head of an international assassin service company, has been alive as one of the most successful and richest people in his business for over 40 years. But being alive doesn’t mean he was truly living. 🙂 He only wanted one person who he could never touch in his life. Now, with that person passed away, he’s just living a life of decadent hedonism. And then, the past caught up with him. As an assassin, killing someone IS a job to him, nothing personal. But sadly, he had no idea that he utterly destroyed Daniel’s life when he murdered his wife. Now, he’s in Daniel’s hand, the captor and the literal God of his life now. But why does he feel so alive when he’s being tortured unimaginably painfully by Daniel’s hands? 😌 Is that possible that he has never truly loved in his life and just discovered the taste of how it could be? 😌


 
These two ruthless men are insane if they think they are inexplicably and undeniably attracted to each other despite their fucked-up pasts. And they are even crazier if they think what they have between them is more than just a mere physical attraction. Let alone what anybody thinks, these two men know that their future together is just ridiculously impossible. 😭 What are they going to do when they have so many factors to consider? Or does love truly conquer everything in the end? 😱
 
I really can’t tell anything about the storyline without spoiling it. Let’s just say, it was onehelluva storyline with so many twists and turns. 👍 The UST between Daniel and Stavros was ooooooo-my-finger-licking-sizzling! 🔥🔥🔥 And the sex scenes? DAMN! Made me sweat a bucket! ☄️ Lol. 😂 I’m not going to lie. This book is not for the faint of heart. The triggers include extreme torture, non-con/dub-con, watersports, breathplay, bloodplay, gunplay .. oh you name it. 😁 The initial torture scenes even made me cringe a bit. But if you can get over that? Oh man, you are in for an epic love story. 😍 Talk about the epitome of star-crossed lovers. I still can’t believe how believable and logical the storyline is while being absolutely authentic and unconventional. 👏 It has everything I could have ever wanted in a book, the drama, the suspense, the twisted psychological thriller, the heart melting romance and just the right amount of that bittersweet angst! 😍 I just can’t get enough! 😌 I’d literally die with joy if this ever come out on audio. 😁 Please Avril Ashton, pwease! 🙏 And I’m really hopeful about more books in this world since there are such many interesting and intriguing secondary characters in this book. Again, I can’t say how much I admire Avril Ashton’s creativity for this exceptional and phenomenal book. 😌 She truly deserves a standing ovation! 👏 This is one of the books I’ll always remember in my life and will reread at least one a year. 😍



 
Favorite excerpts from the novel: 💗💜💗

“My foot will remain at your throat, when I’m here and even when I’m not, to ensure you never forget. Your life is mine now.”

“I like my scars,” Daniel said softly. Succinctly. “They tell me where I’ve been. What I’ve survived. We both know you will never get the same options.” He moved away from Stavros’ touch then. “Because you will never survive me.”

“The monster in you recognizes the monster in me,” he whispered. “And it wants to play.”

Every time. Every single time he got in the Greek’s vicinity he lost his resolve. Lost his focus. No matter how hard he tried, emotion ruled him. Anger and regret along with the new ones, want and betrayal.

He’d been dead for years, and this man brought him back to life. His voice. His blood. His eyes. They brought Daniel back to life.

“You’re alive because you’re mine. Your blood. Your life. Your death. Mine.”

“I’ve never felt so fucking alive, do you know that? This time with you I’ve never felt so fucking much.”

“In this war between you and him, someone must lose. But if you’re fighting for the right thing, the same thing, losing can be a different, sweeter kind of victory.”

Kiss me. Kill me. I don’t care. It no longer matters.

Those moments. He couldn’t forget it. Every word, every breath, every touch, he relived.

For once, he tried for selfless. For once, he gave, forgetting to take.

“I am yours. To fuck. To torture. To kill. I am yours.” For some reason, the truth of those words were the saddest thing Stavros ever experienced.

He’d been left before. Had his heart broken, too. That blow had never tossed him on his ass before now. That blow had never hollowed out his chest before today. This love. This loss. Daniel Nieto. Together they slaughtered him.

“Yo soy tuyo y tú eres mío.” I am yours and you are mine.

“This tin man has a heart, diablo. And it is yours.” He caught Stavros’ hand and brought it up to his chest. Over his heart. “It beats for you.”

“Diablo,” Daniel breathed out the nickname. “I love you.” He had to say it. Had to make sure Stavros understood. Daniel loved him. Loved him.

“I live to die for you. I am here to die for you.” “No.” Daniel shook his head. “No more dying. We live. Tú eres mi familia.” You are my family. “Family is you.” Stavros kissed him. Soft bites. Stavros’ version of tender. “Family is you.”


 
5 an extraordinary love story of two star-crossed lovers stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Nazanin · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Bloody Stars

"The monster in you recognizes the monster in me, he whispered. And it wants to play."

Wow, L.O.V.E.D it! my recent reads weren't really good or I wasn’t in the good mood for them and I was corrupting my shelves but then, I found what I wanted/needed! A story of hate to love, enemies to lovers, so dark and at the same time so romantic and such a beautiful love!

Two cartel boss, Daniel & Stavros, both in their forties. One of them killed the other’s wife in front of his eyes. Now after years Daniel found Stavros and he wants revenge. He found Stavros and he tortured him, believe me when I say torture! But his torture is like caress of a lover for Stavros! I loved both characters. I loved how Daniel struggled with himself, how he was in war with himself for wanting his wife’s killer. I loved that how Stavros didn’t stop loving him, how he tried to protect his tormentor. It was so fantastic seeing their hate turned into love, trust, loyalty even though you don’t know where/when their hate ends and their love begins!

This one was my first read by this author but definitely wont last. The story-line was perfect, the characters were great, the writing was awesome and well-paced . It was absolutely a page turner, I couldn’t put it dawn for a sec. It keeps you at the edge of your seat at the whole time! The story is told in dual POV, 3rd person! It’s standalone. All in all, I loved it and really enjoyed it, hope you like it as well!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

**** 4.5 Stars****

Daniel Nieto (49) has been feeling dead since his wife was murdered by Stavros Konstantinou (42). Vengeance was what kept him going and so, he carefully planned a pay back. The right moment came. Stavros was made captive and tortured for 2 weeks.



 

So far, so good. No surprises. We have all read the blurb and expected that, right?

Wrong. Because at some point Daniel's plan failed big time.

Daniel expected Stavros to break, to crack under the force of his torture. Stavros was having none of it.

                              "I missed you, Nieto"
                       He licked the blood off his bottom lip.
                   it is so m-much fun wh-when you are here."


 

Insolent, defiant, provocative...

"I'm, uh-" Stavros cleared his throat.
"I'm not really the screaming type, lo siento."

Daniel found Stavros... fascinating.

Then, the unexpected happened. Stavros Konstantinou touched Daniel Nieto and breathed new life into his numb body. Grief and hatred collide with lust and obsession.

 

Now, let me drop my two cents:

As a *ahem* connoisseur of dark reads I've been finding it quite tricky to come across a winner in this genre, where the balance between darkness and plausibility didn't cross the line of absurdity.

Some are too incredible to take seriously, others don't give us enough depth to connect with the characters aiming shock value and so on... Therefore, I do appreciate when a story give me it all.

The synopsis of Call the Coroner shows darkness. The warning triggers are very clear. Still, I don't think the person who reads this blurb can grasp the full idea of what she is getting into, mainly because the emotions hidden between the lines is what really causes a massive impression. Totally unexpected.



Emotions as  hate, anger, want, lust, guilt and passion are trowed together in a turmoil of events. This vortex of feelings escalates even more when added to forbidden sex, drenched in blood and betrayal. The result of it is an intense story. Violent. Consuming.


I have to say it took me a while to get into it, precisely 25%, just in case someone feel like giving up before crossing this mark,  I was intrigued enough to carry on though. All I could think of was: how can something good come out of this?



So.Much.Blood. So much pain, torture, blame and darkness. How the author will play this out? Will I have to suspend belief?
Well, who bloody cares? From the 25% mark I had no time to think about that anymore. A good sign, right? I was entranced with Daniel and Stavros, mesmerized by the story line and a few occasions gobsmacked by it.
The slow build of forbidden, dark and sinful attitudes/elements drove me crazy. Torture, was at times obscene foreplay. The sex scenes were off the charts. They love making was violent, dirty and consuming. To be followed later by love, unapologetic.



Two minor niggles :
.) the ambush: why the hell they went downstairs so careless after hearing that blasting noise. They knew Daniel's head was being hunted. Duh!
.)Annika: I didn't get why she was part of this story. I could have give it a pass. Easily.

Call the Coroner  was beyond my expectations.
I'll round it up because I think it totally deserves.

LOVED IT.
Available on Kindle Unlimited.

This review has been posted on Dirty Books Obsession

[Darien · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

~CALL THE CARDIOLOGIST~

This book, this fucking book man.

I worship at your feet, cus you deserve some praises.

Something happened when they got in the same room. When their eyes met. When they breathed the same air. A dangerously potent something.

The names Daniel Nieto and Stavros Konstantinou comes up a lot during the Loose Ends series and you don’t really get a feel for their characters apart from they are dudes that are both dangerous and feared. Well these two unlikely heroes with a sordid history decided that they were going to break convention and rock the boat. Is there a title more fitting than Call the Coroner (cus dead)? Maybe a Call the Cardiologist could be a close second.

Daniel Nieto has got revenge on his mind, and he’s been hiding in the shadows for his one opportunity to bring Stavros to his knees. The mercenary took something very precious from him and Daniel is going to make him pay. Kidnapping Stavros is easy work and thus begins Daniels revenge of breaking the man responsible for breaking his heart and world.

What he never anticipated was trying to break Stavros would involve also breaking him. Stavros bleeds so prettily, his body covered in bruises and scars put their by his own hands is a work of art, because he can bend him but the Greek won’t break. Holding this man captive should make Daniel feel lighter but why does he feel like he’s the one being held hostage.

“You like it when I bleed.” Even to his ears, his words were shakier than normal. Faint.
“You do it so well.” Daniel’s sounded weirdly proud, like he approved of the rivulets soaking Stavros’ hip and the tiny puddle congealing next to them. “Also it brings me such pleasure, watching you suffer.” Stavros was fading, but he brought his bloodied fingers to his mouth, licking the red away one by one—was it all his, or maybe some of Daniel’s blood was mixed up in there, too?—as he held Daniel’s gaze. “It brings me pleasure…” His voice got softer and softer, slurring, vision narrowing down to the man next to him who wore Stavros’ death mark tattooed around his neck. The man with impenetrable eyes and that beautifully cruel mouth. “Watching you try.”

This was meant to be easy, his rage was meant to drive him to kill, to maim but life has a way of fucking with you and Daniel was never expecting to need the person who left him wanting in the first place. Big bad Daniel Nieto is used to bringing men to their knees but for Stavros he would gladly get on his. He’s starting to realize for Stavros, there really isn’t anything he wouldn’t do.

Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer, heh keep this enemy close enough to fuck at least.

This is such an enemies to lovers story it’s crazy. The initial reaction how can these two men get past the pain they have caused each other and get to somewhere even close to “like”. What you never forget is how ruthless these men are, they will stop at nothing to take what they feel is rightly theirs. They will harm/kill anyone that has wronged them in some way, and most of all they will burn everything ground trying to keep them apart.

If you don’t already know this, well you gon learn today. I love crazy, I love ruthless, I love bad boy criminal types who never try for any type of redemption. This is what I love about Avril's books. These guys are dangerous, they remain dangerous and I freaking love it.

Again I will bring up the diversity that can be found in all of this author books. It’s freaking important and you can tell the author knows her stuff. I will give it all the stars ⭐️ for that reason alone.

Call the Coroner was amazing and I freaking love it. I never get tired of sex scenes in a Ashton book. I’m a skimmer of sex scenes in mostly all the books I read, for me it’s all about words and this book had words. Like some sexy shit gets said and I swear its spoiling me (if you ain’t talking dirty I don’t wanna talk).

Overall, I LOVE IT. THAT IS ALL…

SideNote- This is most definitely a HEA story, and also I could have done with a lot more Blood play (call me crazy but I love that shit) 🤷🏽‍♀️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Songs
Baby Don't Stop by NCT U
Danger by BTS

[Arena♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read #1: November 22, 2020
Read #2: February 20, 2021
Read #3: May 20, 2021
__________________

(Read #2) I loved this book just the same second time round, the author never fails to surprise me! Daniel and Stavros completely own my heart and I can't wait to start the next one!
__________________

(Read #3) i don't think i'll ever get enough of ♡Stav and Daniel♡
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Original Review:

5 💫

"The monster in you recognises the monster in me, and it wants to play"

Okay, so, before I start with this review, I'll warn ya'll bout all the triggers in here. So here's the thing, if you need a warning...this one isn't for you. It's dark and gritty and twisted, there is torture, and there is pain, but there is pleasure and there is love.

'Something happened when they got in the same room. When their eyes met. When they breathed the same air. A dangerously potent something.'

I loved every second of this book and fuck, I never thought I could fall in love with Stavros like I did. Avril Ashton really has a way of making you love the bad ones. Like me, if you aren't afraid of all the darkness, then you could just let these two men have their wicked ways with you...over and over again.

'He’d been dead for years, and this man brought him back to life. His voice. His blood. His eyes. They brought Daniel back to life.'

Stavros and Daniel are two men, equally beautiful and broken. To both of them, death doesn't matter. Only, Daniel is hunting for Stavros, and Stavros loves a good fight, it gets him high.

'Kiss me. Kill me. I don’t care. It no longer matters.'

Alive. Dead. It doesn't matter to Stavros. No one lasts longer than a week in his bed and no one touches his heart. He may come off as cold and ruthless, but he just needs love. He's loved twice before, only to never have it reciprocated. But for the first time ever, he feels something for someone, who loves him back. Only, it is forbidden and taboo and not meant to be.

"The last time I wished for anything, I was probably ten years old. But right now, I wish I'd said no when I was offered the job. And I wish I knew how it felt like to be loved by someone the way you love her."

He fell for someone, who wasn't meant to be his. Daniel Nieto, the man who's wife he killed, and the man he tried to kill but managed to scar.

"I’ve never felt so fucking alive, do you know that? This time with you I’ve never felt so fucking much."

Daniel Nieto has been dead for years. He died the day he lost his wife and only lives for revenge. But something- everything- about Stavros makes him come alive. His touch brands him and he craves him like a drug, one he can't get away from.

They were connected, he and Stavros. Connected by blood, by death. By guilt and betrayal too. But also by this crazy unexplainable and emotional need they had to be near each other. Touch each other. Taste each other.

Daniel knows he can't love Stavros, someone who killed his wife, who shredded his heart. But what's he to do when the same man who shredded his heart, makes it beat again.

"Your touch kills me," Daniel confessed through the thickness in his throat. "It's the sweetest murder, and I want it again and again"

Over the books, I hated Stavros. Hated how he hurt Elias, Tek and all the others. But after reading this, I couldn't help but fall for him. He was broken and needed to be loved, and Daniel was the right man for it.

'This love. This loss. Daniel Nieto.
Together they slaughtered him'

They were both connected, and no matter how many times Daniel ran, and turned Stavros away, he came back. He always came back.

"I can leave," Daniel whispered at his ear. "But it doesn't matter how far or how fast I run. I'll always come back"

After what Stavros did, he doesn't think he deserves forgiveness. And even though Daniel gradually forgives him, Stavros can't forgive himself. His kills are never personal, he's paid for those and he does his job, he doesn't do guilt. But this time, it was different, it became personal the minute he fell for Daniel, and the guilt consumed him.

"I didn't know what it meant," he confessed. "Not until Felipe threatened to kill you. To take away what kept me tethered. I know what I took from you now. If what I feel for you is even the barest bit of what you felt for her, what you had with her, there can be no forgiveness."

...But even after what Stavros did, Daniel forgave him. He chose his love for Stavros over his thirst for revenge and loved him like he deserved. And I loved him for that.

"Because I needed you, and to have you I had to forgive you."

The best part of the book was Stavros. His character development was everything. He really changed in all senses, he fell in love with someone he didn't imagine himself being with, and not only that, for the very first time he felt. Daniel was the same, he had been dead for years but his heart now beat for Stavros and all the development along with their relationship dynamic was amazing to watch.

Stavros barked a laugh. "Goddamn. Loving you is–" he shook his head. "Loving you is the shit."

Needless to say, I loved this book. Avril Ashton broke me– heart, body, mind and soul, and I loved every second of it.

'“Yo soy tuyo y tú eres mío.” I am yours and you are mine.'

I'd recommend going into this one blind and just going with the flow. It's dark and gritty and deranged, but its worth it.

"This tin man has a heart, diablo. And it is yours." He caught Stavros’ hand and brought it up to his chest. Over his heart. "It beats for you."

This one is definitely a precious favourite of mine and I honestly can't recommend it to you guys enough.

"Diablo," Daniel breathed out the nickname. "I love you." He had to say it. Had to make sure Stavros understood. Daniel loved him. Loved him.

I loved this one, and fuck, I'm ready to re-read it right this second.

"I live to die for you. I am here to die for you." "No." Daniel shook his head. "No more dying. We live. Tú eres mi familia." You are my family. "Family is you." Stavros kissed him. Soft bites. Stavros' version of tender. "Family is you."
__________________

Another successful buddy read with the nut! I can't wait for the next one!!
__________________

Call the Coroner: ★★★★★
Dig your Grave: ★★★★★

[Mariam, · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd Reread: April 6-7, 2023
I got the paperback!!! ❤️❤️❤️ so a delicious reread while holding the book was essential even when I have finals tomorrow and have so many fucking deadlines, lord SAVE ME.

I also reread this to confirm if this book is my favorite MM Romance OF ALL TIME. And while it's definitely within the category, and as much as I love Daniel and Stav, they aren't my favorite MM romance of all time. So the jury's still out oh which book holds that honor.

→ also this book was wayyy note ANGSTY than I remembered?? 🤡🤣🤡 Like the push and pull? Damn, past Mariam loved it and who tf was she?!


First Reread: August 8, 2021

These two.. they are something else, something that will rock your rock, unman you whole and fill every corner and crevice of your mind whole while also slowly but very surely makes you loose your sanity. This book is sin, and reading this felt like sinning and if this is what pure happiness is about, I'd sin for the rest of my life.

“We could be in a room filled with people, you’d still have me to yourself.” Lips pressed to Daniel’s, he whispered, “I live to die for you. I am here to die for you.”

I've said it the first and I'm saying it again, The Most Bad-Ass Couple of the Year.



Original Review:

“You like it when I bleed.” Even to his ears, his words were shakier than normal. Faint.
“You do it so well.” Daniel’s sounded weirdly proud, like he approved of the rivulets soaking Stavros’ hip and the tiny puddle congealing next to them. “Also it brings me such pleasure, watching you suffer.”
Stavros was fading, but he brought his bloodied fingers to his mouth, licking the red away one by one—was it all his, or maybe some of Daniel’s blood was mixed up in there, too?—as he held Daniel’s gaze. “It brings me pleasure…” His voice got softer and softer, slurring, vision narrowing down to the man next to him who wore Stavros’ death mark tattooed around his neck. The man with impenetrable eyes and that beautifully cruel mouth. “Watching you try.”





A clash of wills and a fight for what is wrong and what is right.

And in the end, what really is wrong and the hell even if right?


I am not a profound religious girl, and although spiritual, I thank every deity for giving Avril Ashton the talent, the power, the art to create such beautiful words. Words that hold so much depth, so much power, so much emotion and intensity, such pain and sorrow, the ability to bring you soaring up high and crashing down to the cruelest of falls.


Two words to describe this book? Fucked up. This book is in so many levels of fucked up, you don't understand how I felt my sanity bleed while reading and I'll be damned if it wasn't the greatest feeling ever.



This book was deep, intense, hard-hitting, at times gut-wrenching and most times left you in awe.

Let me introduce to you our leads,
Daniel Nietos,
My fearless warrior.

And Stavros Konstantinou,
My resilient King.



He touched the heavy chain at Stavros’ neck. “You took my wife, so I’m taking your life. Slowly.”
“It doesn’t matter how long you keep me here, I will find a way out of this cage.” Stavros tried to shrug. “And when I do—” He licked his cracked lips. “When I do, that is when the true war begins.”







When I think of Stavros and Daniel, I think of fire. The ignite of heat and a touch that burns.

They are fire.
From their intensity, of their depth, of what they feel and what they do to each other, every touch and every kiss, every promise left both of them, burned by the other man's soul, and had me in flames.

They are not fire and ice, the are not water and oil, they are not opposites. They are two sides of the same coin. The gradual harmony of yellow to orange to red.

And when they combined, when mixed, when their touch ignited, they turned into ashes.

Souls combined.






“Tell me something…” Syren retook his seat, flicking an invisible something off the lapel of his jacket. “And feel free to answer honestly, m’kay? When you take your blade to Stavros’ flesh, is it the sight of blood that excites you and keeps you going?” He held Daniel’s gaze, eyes speaking louder than his voice, saying he already knew the answer. “Or is it the sight of Stavros Konstantinou’s blood that does the trick?”
Daniel narrowed his gaze.






I'm gonna be honest, this book took quite some time to read. You can call it stupidity and overthinking but personally, this book is dense. I felt myself rereading a paragraph again and again and trying to analyze every depth of its word because it felt like there was always something written behind the words. This book is not even an easy read, even considering the content, and the writing isn't as simple as a traditional contemporary or dark romance read. I really think if someone were to read this book, you have to take your time. First mostly because the writing of this book is absolutely stunning, second this book is in third person so good luck figuring out who's who in terms of the same pronouns and third, there just is something written and hidden underneath the text, under the prose of absolute glory and it is worth every second of your time trying to understand, analyze and comprehend what it is trying to interpret in silence.

A part of the reason why this book took so long for me to read because I'm just a fucker who's full of excuses, this book is so incredibly deep. It talks about emotions, experiences, pain, love, sorrow, emptiness, happiness and growth with such details, with the most heartbreaking beautiful words, you can't help but analyze every second of it and try to absorb it to your soul because you didn't realize how you lived your life having not read that simple sentence.



Let me just say, I hate enemies to lovers. I think this trope is quite... I don't want to offend anyone but in all honesty, I don't understand this trope. I don't understand the juvenile "hate" two characters have over one another, I don't understand the nonsense "You weren't who I thought you were," because yeah, no shit you judgemental dumbass. I just don't like Enemies to Lovers and even the ones I liked, I didn't fully loved.


This book changed my entire world.




After staring into the mirror for all of his life, Daniel was adept at recognizing monsters. Stavros took everything from him within the space of ten minutes, and Daniel had spent every moment since then biding his time.




Yes this book is Enemies to Lovers, hell the meaning runs more deeper than that but it was just oh so damn captivating. The fact the reason of their "hate" made actual sense and in return made you understand both perspective of each party is nothing short of brilliant.

I don't like enemies to lovers and I probably never will but to relay the glorious excecution of this book;

This is the kind of enemies to lovers I want. When the reason for their hate actually makes sense and their love is almost, actually, definently is forbidden. And not just some juvenile excuse/reasoning.






Stavros Konstantinou,
He's my damn mate.

A lot of people associate the words 'Bad-ass bitch' to strong female heroines and I could never relate to that phrase or even understand the WHY behind it, but I can gladly say, My Stav, My Diablo is a bad ass bitch and he is everything and more.

He understands, he fights, he loves, he feels, and most importantly, he protects and Ugk my damn heart, don't come for him cus you'll be going through me and I bear no mercy.




Going after a man like Stavros Konstantinou required stealth and planning, as well as a certain fire. A lust for blood and death. The Greek was a contractor, operating a lucrative mercenary business that hired out its services to only the highest bidders. He killed for money. Without conscience. Without repercussions.
Untouchable.
A monster.




Daniel Nietos,

A good man that one.

Fueled by anger and revenge, sorrow and emptiness, he is a profound character.

In other stories, he can play the perfect villain. I'm sure in every story but this, he is the villain.

Yet to me, he is anything but.

He may be a monster, a wreaker of lives, evil who wore no remorse in your story but personally, he is a simply a man in my story. A man troubled and held by his guilt, by his anger, his revenge, his darkness so bleak and consuming it was all of what he became.

Until he found that light, that breath of fresh air, the glow of sunlight in his abyss.

He may be a Villain in your story,
But he's a hero in mine.




Stavros scoffed. “Is that what you think I am, your captive?” He positioned himself, movements abbreviated, until they were facing each other. “Hardly.”
“What do you think you are?” Daniel asked him evenly. “Share.”
“I think I’m your mirror image.” He held Daniel’s gaze. “Like knows like, yes?” Stavros licked his chapped lips. “The monster in you recognizes the monster in me,” he whispered. “And it wants to play.”









Don't ask my how or why I liked the torture scenes. I've lost my sanity and I don't want to talk about it cus I don't understand how I squealed at the amount of blood play.



It's incredible how the author does it really.
How she build up a scene, how she crafts such emotion and drills it in your mind yet says sike the next paragraph because make no mistake, you are gonna be rendered utterly whole and oh how you're gonna break and fall part.




Immediate reactions:



This might just be my favorite book of 2021


3rd reread: Jan (smth) → Jan 29, 2023
Took me so fucking long to pick it back up and took me too fuckin long to read 😭 I can't believe college is making me not read books



Spoiler QUOTES.













“You’re brave,” he murmured. “I admire bravery, though I find it a wasted trait.”










He lifted his chin and a severe shock of pain sliced through his skull, graying his vision for a moment. “I missed you, Nieto.” He licked the blood off his bottom lip. “It is so m-much fun wh-when you are here.”
It was. When Daniel was around, they played the game, the one where Daniel got to be God. He killed Stavros then brought him back. He had never been scared of death. Now, thanks to Daniel, he knew what awaited him on the other side.








Daniel walked inside. Tall and skinny, clad in head to toe black, foreboding eyes gleaming as they remained focus on Stavros. The closer he got, the more Stavros prepared himself mentally.
The only thing predictable about Daniel Nieto was his unpredictability.
Stavros found it…fascinating









“Ni-Nieto.” Stavros’ words trembled badly, but when he opened his red-rimmed eyes, they mocked Daniel. “Didn’t I—” His throat convulsed and his eyes rolled back in his head. His lashes dropped then lifted again. “Didn’t I say call me Stavros?”
“You fascinate me, Mr. Konstantinou.











“Hey, N-Nieto, have you noticed that you keep kneeling for me?” Stavros asked in a rush. His teeth sank into his peeling bottom lip, halting their trembling. “I like it.” Eyes swollen, teeth chattering loudly, he still managed to wink at Daniel. “You should always be on your knees.”
--
Fuck me. He is driving me crazy









“We do what we have to in order to survive.”
“I agree.” Daniel cocked his head and licked his delectable lips—damn his lips—before his teeth flashed. “But I think it’s funny—in a hilarious sort of way—that you think you can survive me.”







Daniel grinned. And fuck him, but it was vicious. No way that grin didn’t taste the way it looked. Stavros’ mouth watered.









Stavros watched him go, groin throbbing, biting his tongue to keep from calling him back. Then he realized Daniel hadn’t denied being hard for him.
Stavros grinned.








Daniel didn’t answer his query. Instead he held up his hand then opened it palm up. Two white pills. “For the pain.”
Stavros snorted. For the pain, huh?











“What do you want? Contéstame!” he roared. Answer me. A hairsbreadth from shattering. He heard the sharp cracks. Heard his control collapse to the floor at his feet. His grip on the gun was tenuous at best, same as his grip on his sanity. He stared down at the man on that bed.
Destrozado.
Torn apart.
“Your touch.” Stavros’ voice, it trembled too. “I crave it.”









Daniel’s body throbbed, liking that sight. The monster inside him came alive and clamored for more. “I want to hurt you,” he snarled, bringing his face down to Stavros’ so they could be nose to nose. “I want to touch you.” He caressed Stavros’ cheek with the length of the gun, holding his head steady with his free hand.







“I want to kiss you, and I want to kill you.” Mindless. Directionless—or was he? Because his every focus was on Stavros’ face. His destination








The heat on slow simmer in his belly turned all the way up to boil, and he pushed the gun deeper into Stavros’ mouth. The Greek’s lashes fluttered. Lips stretched around the tip of the gun, he groaned and didn’t stop sucking it.
Licking.
Fellating.
Oh Dios.
Restraint went out the window.
The monster in you recognizes the monster in me.
Perdóname.









Everything felt foreign. Every sensation new as Stavros rocked his lower body against him. Daniel operated only on instinct, on selfishness, wanting to punish Stavros. Wanting to prove that he was more than this person he’d become, obsessed and filled with lust and a dark, intoxicating drive to touch the man who’d stolen everything from him.
Just plain old wanting.
It bowed his head, that intense, intangible thing. Moved him closer still, until his lips were right there, hovering over Stavros’. He got rid of the gun, making sure to put the safety on before he tossed it to the far side of the mattress. Then, with trembling fingers, Daniel traced Stavros’ scruffy jawline, the hairs there more silver than black.
“What have you done?” he asked out loud. Broken words directed inward, at him. And to Stavros, as well. They conveyed everything. His fear. His need. The confusion. “What have you done?”
“This is us.” Stavros’ breath alone undid him, the way it caressed Daniel’s chin. Hot, but not enough. Hinting at an inferno. Teasing, making him ache for more. “What we do to each other. What we feel.”
What they felt. None of it made sense. None of it was right.










Syren was a dangerous man. The burier of bodies and the keeper of dead men’s secrets. A title like that would keep a man up at night.
As for Daniel? “Stavros Konstantinou keeps me up at night.”
Syren sat back in his chair. Heavily.
“At first it was about revenge.”
“And now?” Syren uncapped the crystal decanter on his desk and poured liquid amber into a single glass. “What is it now?”
What was it? “Now, it is no longer just about revenge.” It was the best he could do.










“Would you have stayed?”
Stavros tensed. Then he tilted his head all the way back so their eyes could meet. “Repeat yourself.”
Syren grinned. “If he’d asked you to stay, to remain in that bedroom with the handcuffs around your wrist and the chains around your ankles…” He bent closer, almost whispering. “Would you have stayed? If the answer is yes, what is the reason? Guilt or Daniel?”









His body responded to just that, hardening despite the circumstances. “You have my attention,” he murmured. “That is what you wanted, yes? But you must know, Stavros…”
Stavros inhaled.
“You must know you had it from the very beginning. You never lost my attention.”






“I get in the same fucking room with you, and I catch afire.” The words rumbled from Stavros as he stroked Daniel’s jaw. “I underestimated the danger you bring.”







“I want your touch.” Stavros licked his lips. “I crave it.”
Daniel felt it too, that craving. It shook his foundation, took over his reasoning. It brought him here, and kept him there.

[Mila · Rating 5 out of 5]

***5.0 rating***

“This tin man has a heart, diablo. And it is yours.” He caught Stavros’ hand and brought it up to his chest. Over his heart. “It beats for you.”

I love them😭💕

This book was simply amazing!❤️

I am still thinking about Stav and Daniel. I got no sleep, well I did at 6:00 a.m.🙊

Do I regret it? Heck no.

Best book hangover ever.

After a week of being in a reading slump, this was exactly what I needed. Thank you to everyone who told me to read this book, you are amazing. I love you!❤️

I'll probably write a more coherent review when I am not sleep-deprived or when my eyes aren't burning from being glued to my Kindle all night and afternoon lol.

[Simone - on indefinite hiatus - · Rating 5 out of 5]

***4.5 Stars***

I got ice in my veins, blood in my eyes.
Hate in my heart, love in my mind. *

Christ on a cracker, this book was one helluva ride and hard to beat for intensity in every way!!!

What the hell is wrong with me that I enjoyed a book with more than explicit and graphic torture scenes so much??? Umm, no, please don't answer me, I don't wanna know. I thought I knew what I was getting into due to other reviews, but if the same applies to you, think again! The story is dark, twisted and probably sick as f*** to some extent (please heed the trigger warnings!!!), but also addictive, captivating and intoxicating. Once I picked it up, some kind of morbid fascination kept me reading and I could hardly put my Kindle down. So, welcome to the dark side!

You might ask yourself now how two men - one, Daniel Nieto, driven by revenge for the murder of his beloved wife and the other one, Stavros Konstantinou, responsible for her death, held captive and being tortured by Daniel - end up from being enemies who fight to death...

... developing a relationship initially based on an undeniable yet impossible attraction and obsession...

... before turning into feelings that go way deeper than either man would have ever dared to think of?

Add some open wounds on both sides - from within and without - to the mix...

... and a mafia plot with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing...

... and it might give you an idea of what to expect. No, scratch that, I think you will still be in for a surprise.

I could go on and on in minute detail about what will happen between these men, but honestly? I don't want to. For one, there are already lots of great reviews out there and apart from that is this a book you definitely have to experience yourself. The chemistry between Daniel and Stavros is something you so don't want to miss out on, much less the scorching sex that makes you want to turn up the AC to the highest level.

The reason why I did not give this book solid 5 stars was the fact that the tone sometimes got a bit too sappy for me towards the end of the book. I don't know, but somehow it did not sit right with me because it simply did not match these alpha males. I guess I'm already known as someone who tends to roll his eyes when it comes down to that and this time was no exception. I also would have loved to know beforehand that this story is some kind of spin-off of Avril Ashton's Brooklyn Sinners and Loose Ends Series. Don't get me wrong, this can definitely be read as a standalone, but a lot of other characters make an appearance here and as for me, I would have enjoyed the story even more if I had more background info. Otherwise, now I have good reason to read these books ASAP. ;-)

*from the song = Drop the World by Lil Wayne ft. Eminem

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Oh man I didn't think this author could get any better and I'm glad she proved me wrong.

When I read the blurb of "Call The Coroner" I was intrigued and a little incredulous why do you say? Because Daniel, one of the H is on a path of vengeance for his wife's killer and the killer is Stravos the other H. I'm thinking how the hell would they fall in love with so much hate surrounding them. Daniel having Stravos chained, and tortured in his dungeon I can honestly tell you I don't even know when it happened. But they say there's a thin line between love and hate.



One moment there's blood and violence and the next moment there's desire and passion. And the author did it in a way that I totally felt and believed. When Daniel/Stravos give into their lust it was off the charts sexy, intense and man so intense and sensual. It's one of my favorite things about miss Ashton's writing how hot her sex scenes are. But more so the emotions and rawness of her characters.



Another thing I was hesitant about was about Daniel's dead wife because he really did love her. But again it was played well into the story and like Daniel said he was lucky to love twice in a lifetime. I really loved both men, so fierce, protective, and loyal to each other. Even in a world full of enemies, violence, and betrayals there's also love and tenderness and family that goes to any length to keep each other safe. I can't believe Syren was in this book as well. I promise you Syren your book is next. ❤️

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was expecting a twisted, fucked-up and v erotic romance between a cartel kingpin and the assassin who killed his wife. and yeah, i got that, but what i got that i didn't expect at all was my entire heart to be wrenched out and tossed to the wolves (which, in hindsight, was pretty stupid of me)

[juli✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✰ 4 Stars ✰

“It brings me such pleasure, watching you suffer.”
“It brings me pleasure…” [. . .] “Watching you try.”

-ˏˋ My (Somewhat) Immediate Thoughts ˎˊ-


Well that was a fun moment of deja vu! Funny story, I actually read Call the Coroner way back in 2019! shoutout to Nenia's review . Since then a few of my other GR friends have posted reviews *cough* Oumaima *cough*, thus I felt compelled to revisit CALL THE CORONER . I think Nenia perfectly sums up this book with this line from her review -

CALL THE CORONER is a really weird book because the first 50% is torture porn and the second 50% is angsty romance.

CALL THE CORONER has two distinct halves, in the first half we have torture, we have some more torture, plus a bit more torture for good measure. Then around. . .oh 30% or so the tone shifts dramatically. All of sudden the torture//revenge plot is forgotten to make room for luv. Which. . .okay. . .this might sound really bad, BUT, I think this is the reason I either bailed//never felt the need to review this book. I mean do I like seeing my main characters get tortured. . .sometimes???, #don'tjudgemeplease, but more than that I want the transition from hate-to-love to make sense. Basically, nothing can ever please me and I'm fickle as fuck.

In all seriousness though, I think I had to adjust my expectations of how this book was going to play out. Due to that, I'm really glad I decided to give CALL THE CORONER a re-read. Knowing how everything plays out allowed me to just bask in the very mushy romance. I was able set aside my gripes about the pace of the romance, and thus I was able to enjoy these two middle aged men getting it on like a couple of horny twenty year olds, you love to see it✨.


-ˏˋ The Plot ˎˊ-


CALL THE CORONER tells the story of what happens when an assassin/hitman kills the wife of an infamous cartel(?) leader. love happens of course. When Stavros Konstantinou was hired to kill Daniel Nieto's wife Daniel swore revenge, and two years later he got his wish. Chained to Daniel's basement Stavros is sure to be tortured and killed for the pain he caused Daniel. . .or is he? Once the two men start really interacting with each other they realize that the darkness in both of them calls out to the other. What does this mean for both men? Will they find some kind of twisted happily ever after in each other?


-ˏˋWhat I LIKEDˎˊ-


✧ The Darkness (his name is Tyler) ✧ This might be a weird thing to enjoy, but eh, it's my review. I think my favorite part of CALL THE CORONER was actually the torture//dark bits. Which, again I recognize that it's weird, but hear me out! What I thought was so interesting about the torture shit was that it seemed like a manifestation of the inner pain that Daniel was carrying around. The torture was less about the torture (well kinda) and more about Daniel grieving for his wife Petra. It also demonstrated who Daniel was as a character in a very subtle but intriguing way. First, the fact that he meticulously planned out this revenge over the course of two-years is both. . .alarming and impressive. In addition, I was fascinated by the almost cold and calculating way he went about torturing Stavros.

“You like it when I bleed.” Even to his ears, his words were shakier than normal. Faint.
“You do it so well.” Daniel’s sounded weirdly proud, like he approved of the rivulets soaking Stavros’ hip and the tiny puddle congealing next to them.

What author Avril Ashton does brilliantly is make the torture scenes between Daniel and Stavros feel like some weird fucked up form of foreplay. I kid you not every time Daniel started torturing Stavros I just assumed that both of them were sporting major wood. Take this scene for example -

“Hey, N-Nieto, have you noticed that you keep kneeling for me?" [. . .] “I like it.” Eyes swollen, teeth chattering loudly, he still managed to wink at Daniel. “You should always be on your knees.”

SEE, if that's not some kinky ass foreplay I don't know what is. I think that's why I didn't mind the foreplay torture that much. While there were aspects of it that were dark and somewhat disturbing (like poor Stav got peed on. . .not cool) it felt almost like Stavros and Daniel's love language.


✧ Daniel & Stavros ✧ So. . .I really liked Stav and Daniel. . .the first time around? eh. The second time around, heck yeah. Again, I'm not sure why I was so meh on this book the first time around, but I digress. Take two saw me really enjoying Stavros and Daniel, both individually, and separately. I really enjoyed the struggle that Daniel went through when he realized his feelings for Stavros, I mean can you imagine? How do you ever get to feel okay about falling in love with the man who murdered your wife?

He was aroused by Stavros Konstantinou. By the way he spoke. The way he fought. The way he bled. The way he looked at Daniel.

I enjoyed watching that inner struggle play out in Daniel. Then there was Stavros Konstantinou. What a crazy motherfucker. Seriously, that dude was wild and I loved him all the more for it. His fascination with Daniel was. . .creepily romantic -

“When I had my garrote around your neck and your struggling body underneath me, you stared up into my eyes,” Stavros said. “Remember that?”
He’d never forget.
“I had you near death,” Stavros confessed. “And you had me near orgasm.”

Like. . .who is this man? I -

There was something oddly captivating about Stavros. I both took him seriously, but also couldn't help but laugh at some of the shit he said. Like my man is most likely about to be killed, and this is where his line of thought immediately travels to -

“You want to die tonight?” Daniel asked. “Is that it?”
Stavros licked at the blood on his bottom lip and the cut there stung. “I want what you want. Fuck me. Kill me.” He shrugged in Daniel’s hold. “It doesn’t matter.”

I - hm. . .

I have to admit though, I personally love characters like Stavros. There's something about his unpredictability and the way he laughs in the face of death that I really enjoy. Again, I have to give mad props to AVRIL ASHTON for going there. Most authors tend to hit the line and then shy away, not AVRIL ASHTON . She sees the line and then pole vaults right over it, and I love her for it ❤︎


✧ The Romance ✧ This point right here is where my first read and second read greatly divulge. The first time I read CALL THE CORONER I was. . .less than impressed with the romance. Personally, it felt way to "insta-lovey" for me. Just based off of reading the synopsis I was expecting a long slow-burn // enemies-to-lovers romance. Instead I got. . .whatever the opposite of both those tropes is. Due to that, I mentally checked out the first time. The second time though something ✨ m a g i c a l ✨ happened. I actually paid attention to the romance and I ended up becoming very invested in it. While the insta-love did annoy me (more on that in a minute) I was also able to appreciate the damn good romance MS. ASHTON had crafted. The push-and-pull between the two men was downright delicious and I loved watching Daniel fight his growing attraction to Stavros.

“My…lapse in judgment was an aberration.” One he still felt clear to his toes. “Nothing has changed.”
Syren laughed, loud and long, in his face. “Never took you for the delusional type, but hey…” He shrugged. “Good for you.”

And I must say when the two men did get together they were really really romantic. I didn't realize a hit-man and a drug lord could be so romantic, but obviously I know nothing.

“This tin man has a heart, diablo. And it is yours.” He caught Stavros’ hand and brought it up to his chest. Over his heart. “It beats for you.”

Again I ask, who are these men?

These two basically complete each other. Once they get past that pesky little "oopsie" between them *cough* Stav killing Daniel's wife *cough* the love that blooms between them is actually very grounding and sweet.

“I’ve never been tethered,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I’m forty-two years old, and I’ve never had someone feel for me what I feel for them. I’ve never been someone’s anchor, never had someone be that for me.”

While I may be a little miffed about the way their relationship progressed, I'm not at all mad about these two angsty boys being together ❤︎


-ˏˋ What I DISLIKED ˎˊ-

*cracks knuckles*

✧ The Pace of the Romance ✧ As I've mentioned a couple times throughout this review the main reason I didn't end up rating CALL THE CORONER higher was because of -

😱✨I N S T A - L O V E 😱✨

That's right people, I said it, this book is a textbook case of insta-love. As quoted by the lovely Nenia at the start of the review, CALL THE CORONER is about 30% revenge torture porn and 70% angsty romance. Which. . .i don't know about you guys, but to me that just doesn't sound right. I mean Stavros murdered Daniel's wife, a wife I might add that Daniel was madly in love with. DUE TO THAT, I was expecting those percentages to be flipped. It really startled me when at *checks location* TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT Daniel is already doing shit like this -

He’d touched Stavros. Not out of anger. Not out of revenge. To help him. To heal him.

I'm sorry. . .w h a t ? ! This is the man, who murdered your wife RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, and you're trying to keep him from dying. . .

WHERE IS THE LOYALTY PEOPLE. I'm sorry, but if my husband saw me murdered in front of him and had the resources to hunt down said killer I'd want him to at least torture that a$$hole for more than a week. Again, where is the loyalty?

My best guess is AVRIL ASHTON didn't want this book to be 70% torture and 30% romance, which, I respect. But, to me it was a real missed opportunity to create a wicked slow-burn. It felt very jarring to have Daniel go from truly reveling in torturing Stavros -

Daniel dropped to his knees to be face to face with a sputtering Stavros. His captive’s lips were blue, teeth chattering as he wheezed. It was…beautiful.

To, well, this -

“I forgave you the first time I kissed you.” [. . .] “You had my forgiveness—” Daniel gripped him tighter, speaking more forcefully. “With our first caress."

*checks when their first kiss was*

Honestly it was almost laughable at how bad Daniel was at avenging his wife.

Why?” His voice broke, and that had Daniel’s eyes flying open. “Why do I get forgiveness?”
[. . .] “Because I needed you, and to have you I had to forgive you.”

I guess you know what they say, good dick heals all wounds.

-ˏˋ In Conclusion ˎˊ-


In summary, I greatly enjoyed CALL THE CORONER . It's a book that I highly recommend if you're a fan of dark-romance + mm romance. The characters are engaging, the plot is wickedly entertaining, the romance is angsty in that just right way, and the plot is. . .well the plot makes room for the important thing, the romance. While I wasn't the biggest fan of the execution of the romance, the love between Stavros & Daniel was pretty wonderful. These two angsty boys faced an intense up-hill battle when it came to their love, and I enjoyed every second. Not only that, but ARVIL ASHTON definitely knows how to write the best trigger-happy heroes, she's got the lovable-psycho archetype down to a science. So go forth my lovelies, go forth and enjoy this angsty torture-porn romance. It is sure to be a time.

“I live to die for you. I am here to die for you.”
“No.” Daniel shook his head. “No more dying. We live. Tú eres mi familia.” You are my family.“Family is you.”
Stavros kissed him. Soft bites. Stavros’ version of tender. “Family is you.”

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will blow your mind!

"The monster in you recognizes the monster in me...And it wants to play."
Call the Coroner by Avril Ashton is one f#cked up book. I LOVED IT!! I had absolutely NO idea what I was getting into when I one-clicked this bad boy. I had not seen others reading it, yet. I thought the cover looked...intriguing. I read the blurb and said to myself "what the hell, let's give this a whirl" and... I will never forget this book!



Call the Coroner is a standalone book that does have characters from other Avril Ashton books. However, I have not read those books and I was 100% fine with understanding everything in this bad boy! The story is narrated in alternating, first person POV and all I can say is please look at the trigger warnings. Look at them, then look again. They are there for a reason. This is a Dark, Erotic, Twisted, Dangerous, Intoxicating Romance and the romantic elements are masterfully riddled with evil fuckery that will make you cringe and at times melt.

Our two MC are Stavros Konstantinou (The Greek), he is a gun for hire. It's a family business and his past is coming back to say Hello. Daniel Nieto, the Cartel Kingpin, he still mourns his wife and has decided it is time to avenge her brutal murder. These two together..."Something happened when they got in the same room. When their eyes met. When they breathed the same air. A dangerously potent something." Even though Daniel intends to make Stavros pay..he is going to have a little fun first!
These characters quickly draw you into their world. It's a world of deception, death, expectations, revenge, sex, lust, hate, family - they play by their own rules. "We connected through blood and violence,” Daniel said thoughtfully. “We’re bloody, violent men.”

Beyond the violence and mystery this book is romantic. These two damaged men, who are connected only by blood and violence end up being exactly what the other needs. It is quite honestly a perfect union. Nobody else would have put up with either of them ... they are set in their ways, there is no changing their way of life. So it is quite fitting these two enemies fall in love. “This tin man has a heart, diablo. And it is yours.” He caught Stavros’ hand and brought it up to his chest. Over his heart. “It beats for you.”
Did I mention the sex? OMG - some of the BEST sex scenes I have read .. hot and filthy!!





I have not been able to get over this book and it has made me go and seek out other books like it to fill my need of dark, damaged men! I loved that this story had middle aged men who were still finding out things about themselves. There is a lot of LGBT character representation in this story, loved it! If you like a little dark with your twisted...a romance sprinkled in blood, carnal pleasures, and falling in love with your enemy...this book will rock your world!!

[Christelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5 stars** for an intense read

Daniel Nieto, a cartel kingpin, is looking for revenge after his wife’s murder. He took care of the ones ordering the kill and he’s now going after the assassin : a man named Stravos. After abducted him, he’s set to torture him. No lie here : this part is gruesome.
But then, Daniel starts to feel again, and Stravos is playing along thinking he has nothing to loose. This violent and painful confrontation slowly gets murky and an intense attraction swamped them both.

This author can write very powerful, intense and emotional scenes and I was totally immersed in the development of the relationship between Daniel and Stravos, leaving the violent and dubious circumstances fade to grey enough to support the story. And the cherry on top of the cake : the sex was utterly hot.

As fucked up and twisted the settings are, I was totally enthralled by the intensity of the romance between these 2. I love when I’m immersed in a book, my breath is erratic and heart beating. And that’s what happened here, despite the criminal plot that is not usually for my taste.
Only niggle : the ending felt a bit abrupt for me. But I guess it was to leave room for more to come.

Thank you to Karen and Josy for this great BR, and for Simone being our usual stalker and we will all be there for Ele when she can join our discussion

[any · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The monster in you recognizes the monster in me, and it wants to play”

starring the life of Daniel Nieto: understand how I tortured the man who killed my wife and instead I fell in love:

GOD, I LOVE DARK ROMANCES. the serotonin in my brain shoots up and I'm happy like a child with candy. I loved how they pass from I Hate You With Burning Passion and go to I’ll burn the world down for you.

“Something happened when they got in the same room. When they eyes met. When they breathed the same air. A dangerously, potent something.”

This book is a little fucked up, I won't lie. full of crazy people with so much violence and angst that I was hyperventilating all the time. but it is so good.

Stavros and Daniel. Oh god these men. OH GOD. I have no words for how them clic together. They are two broken people, with a dark past and an even darker future and yet they met and love each other unconditionally. I love how they, especially Daniel, despite they past with all pain and violence, see that they can't live without each other and just give in.

”I’ve never felt so fucking alive, do you know that? This time with you I’ve never felt so fucking much.”

I really don't have the words to explain Why and What in this book made me love the story so much. Daniel? yes. The violence? yes, maybe. Stavros? absolutely. I loved every minute and the writing!!!!! so good.

”’Yo soy tuyo y tú eres mío.’ I am yours and you are mine”

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am completely in awe of Daniel and his Diablo!!! These two have some of the most insane chemistry while sharing one of the most complicated backstories. Although they were introduced to one another in the most gruesome of ways, they cannot escape one another. This story takes you on quite a journey and I love it with every read.

Call the Coroner is a favorite of mine. I love the violent and possessive charge between these two guys. Their primal desire for one another creates such a sizzling dynamic that I can not get enough of. I love their romance and will never get enough of their crazy story.

[Steelwhisper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terminally boring mafiasploitation fic with idiotic alphahole studmuffins. Duh.



PS: This is not BDSM. It's simple sociopathy and abuse.

[hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

✰ 5 stars ✰

❝I expect you to love me like I love you,❞ he whispered into that kiss. ❝I expect you to do right by me, because I will do right by you.❞ Stavros shuddered. His grip on Daniel faltered. ❝I expect you to take care of my heart, diablo, because I will take care of yours.❞

What the fuck . This is one of my top reads of 2023 and has been the biggest surprise to me of this year. Falling in love with the person who killed your wife? I don’t think it can get much crazier than that. How could this possibly work out? But somehow, this author did it. The connection they formed turned into all consuming love, to such a fierce loyalty, from wanting to kill each other to how they would die for each other without question. I honestly can’t explain how their connection turned from mortal enemies to soulmates besides that it just felt seamlessly and right. It felt so real and raw even with the history they had.

He’d been dead for years, and this man brought him back to life. His voice. His blood. His eyes. They brought Daniel back to life.

✦ Daniel Nieto (49) – Former king of the cartel who went underground after the murder of his wife 4 years ago. He is a shell of himself and has felt dead inside. The only thing that kept him surviving was avenging his wife. But very unexpectedly, the most unlikely person revives him.

❝I’ve never been tethered,❞ he said in a hoarse voice. ❝I’m forty-two years old, and I’ve never had someone feel for me what I feel for them. I’ve never been someone’s anchor, never had someone be that for me.❞

✦ Stavros Konstantinou (42) – He was a former assassin and now he is the head of a very successful international assassin company. As a job, he was hired to kill Daniel’s wife. It was nothing personal to him, he had no idea the snowballing effect his actions would bring and never expected how utterly tortured he would feel about it. In his 42 years of life no one has ever loved him but he's very emotional but unbreakable.

❝The weakness you had a month ago is not the same one you have today. I saw it, and I was able to use it to get him away from you. Because I think hurting him will hurt you more.❞ His voice dropped, turning husky with a rough type of emotion when he said, ❝Killing him will kill you.❞

Their story and progression of their relationship captivated me. I felt spellbound, I could not stop reading. This story is very very dark. Daniel waits for the perfect moment to capture Stavros and he tortures him brutally. The scenes are very descriptive. But like the dark fucker Stavros is, that was all foreplay to him. He enjoys being at Daniel’s mercy. He was never truly scared at the hands of Daniel, it’s like he felt a connection between them before he even knew. Their dynamic is really fucked up but it works for them.

❝No, you should be on notice. Because this? Me as your captive? It is only foreplay for the inevitable main course, where I plan on feasting on you until I’m well sated.❞

❝I think, the way you beg—❞ Daniel put his mouth to Stavros’ ear. ❝Es espectacular.❞

The sex scenes? The “crawl to it” will forever be ricocheting in my brain. That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever read. How this author made this dark kinky book but also so romantic? I don’t know. If you can get past the first 30% of it, you can definitely read the rest. The things they said to each other were so sweet and swoony.

❝This tin man has a heart, diablo. And it is yours.❞ He caught Stavros’ hand and brought it up to his chest. Over his heart. ❝It beats for you.❞

What to expect:
🖤 captor/captive
💀 TRUE enemies to lovers
🖤 two villains getting their happy ending
💀 gun, knife and breath play
🖤 touch him and you die
💀 dark DARK
🖤 soulmates
💀 mafia romance
🖤 bi-awakening

TWs: torture, dub con/non con, kidnapping, brutal violence and murder all on page.

'Staniel' series
Book 1 - Call the Coroner - 5 stars ♡
Book 2 - Dig Your Grave - tbr

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*** stars


I’m honestly still contemplating if this wasn’t a tad too crazy for me. I’m all for a good enemies-to-lovers but this connection really made so little if not no sense to me, I can’t quite believe it was happening at all.

He wasn’t allowed to stay dead. Not yet.

Here Stavros was. Abducted by the man whose beloved wife he’d killed years ago. And this revenge of Daniel’s was painful. And full of details. Oh boy. But let us fast forward to later in the torture where we come to a point where I was more than a little stunned about what was happening:

But he was too tired. In too much pain. Too hungry. Too thirsty. Too everything. […]

[…] strong hands gripping his rapidly hardening shaft.

Stavros had been tortured in that wet, cold basement for days, weeks, possibly even month. He was weak, starved and blood drained. -- Are you telling me that it is humanly possible to get aroused in such a state of your body and mind? Even if you like pain with your pleasure?! That I was flabbergasted may be an understatement.


But what happens after that is even more unbelievable. Daniel and Stavros not only suddenly lust drunkenly fall into bed with each other, no, they also fall in love. But stranger things have happened, right?

“I am yours. To fuck. To torture. To kill. I am yours.”

And don’t get me wrong. These two were freaking hot together *phew but seriously, for this book I had to suspend my disbeliefs a great deal. Somehow, tho I ended up finding these two even endearing together. Regardless *lmao


But I also was feeling for Daniel a great deal. For his inner conflict for falling for the man who killed the woman he loved most in life. That he felt so much guilt for betraying her and their love like this.

“[…] I’m afraid that what I feel for him might burn brighter, hotter, than what I felt for her.”

And okay, I admit. In the end I went to being all sappy about them as well, even considering all the unbelievability of it all. So sue me. And really. Wasn’t it all sweet and intense and swoony? Yes. Yes, it was!

“We connected through blood and violence,” […] “We’re bloody, violent men.” […] “We deserve each other.”

Probably true. ♡



side note: for anyone who noticed that it took me almost three month to finish this, it’s because I put it on-hold to read Scars and Secrets first because Levi (Daniel’s little brother) & Van make a cameo in here quite a lot.


*************
Staniel Duet

Book 1 - Call The Coroner - 3.5 stars
Book 2 - Dig Your Grave - 2.75 stars

[♡ cal ♡]

DNF

i'm so sorry but for the life in me i just can't get into it. when mcs started to get these feelings for one another, my interest started to crumble. i liked the premise but i wished it was handled or executed in a different way. i'm not saying that i think better than the author but i guess i just needed more buildup. like how can you go from wanting to torture the guy who killed your wife to being touchy touchy feely with him quickly? this book is making my head spin. decided to dnf bc reading this feels like a chore after their first 'romantic' scene. actually if this story took the slow burn route, i would probably enjoy it more.

[aleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

Falling in love with your wife's killer? And they said the romance was dead.

[Moony Eliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review won’t be hard to write, but it might be a little all over the board. Some things about Call the Coroner were solid 💯s for me, but I had one major beef and other nickel-and-dime ones (beeves?).

I approach a story like this sort of how I go into fantasy or sci-fi. I don’t know this (mafia) world experientially, so a certain suspension of disbelief is required, which I’m fine with. The setup is rather contrived of course, but it was such an interesting scenario for both the plot and the relationship development. I was SURE, in the first quarter of the book, that there was no way I would ever buy these two guys even turning their backs in each other's presence, much less being in an actual relationship. But Ashton made it work, she made me buy it with the gift wrapping and everything. I was never dubious about the way their relationship evolved, which is an insane thing when you consider where they started.

When an author can take a despicable character and make me sympathize with them, that is one of my most favorite things. It takes an extraordinary skill to do that, and I don’t find it often. Ashton somewhat succeeded here — I ended up liking Stavros. He was an evil softy, funny but hard-edged, fierce but damaged. I think more could have been done with him but he wasn't a total miss.

However... While I didn’t hate Daniel, I didn’t really connect with him either. My buddy read partner and I were discussing, and she nailed it — his personality wasn’t developed. We saw his pain, his power, his dark past, and even somewhat his vulnerability, but not those quirky individualistic things that make a person themselves.

Oh — ignore the BDSM genre tags, because this is not a BDSM book. It has violence, it has rough sex, and perhaps it’s not completely vanilla. But what’s commonly understood as BDSM, it’s not.

But the sex is OMGHOT. (Unless you’re wanting the sweet nothing whispering, in which case, move along from this one.) Seriously, two of their sexy times I’m pretty sure are in my top ten of all time.

I’m going to hide my minor niggles behind the spoiler tag. None of these things even cost half a star for me, but I guess I just need to vent them.

Annoyingly repeated use of the phrase “nostrils flared” (either in anger or arousal) actually made me search for the occurrences. 19 times is at least 17 times too many.

Every once in a while, there was some telling over showing, or a point was over-explained. These two things just really get under my skin, but they weren’t tooo bad here. Generally the writing was very solid.

Proofreading could have been tighter — not terribly distracting but I found at least a dozen little things.

Toro being revealed as trans in the epilogue? Seriously, WTF. That was a gratuitous inclusion that had nothing to do with anything in the story. That isn’t representation.


Avril Ashton definitely has talent; I was impressed with so many of the things she pulled off with this one. Without both main characters jumping alive for me, I can’t give more than 4 stars. But don’t let that keep you from this one if it’s speaking to you, because it’s still a worthy read and I loved so much about it. Highly recommend!

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, I did not know this is is how I'd feel after reading this book:



but I do, I DO. I am in awe. I loved this so much it's a favorite of mine. And that's big for me because characters that can kill and hurt so ruthlessly and without remorse and even enjoy it? That squicks me out and makes me super uncomforable and I am not usually one to enjoy reading about those characters, and at times yeah, I did not enjoy that I was reading about these men loving beating someone to death or slicing their throat, etc.

But! If the characters can show that they have some humanity left, that they're not actual sociopaths or psychopaths, I can also get past that - for the most part.

Because lets face it, Daniel and Stavros are two really fucked up individuals. They seem like sociopaths so many times throughout this book, honestly, but the fact that they had the ability to fall in love with each other and care about others, if they were few and far between, says they're not, and that is what make me love their characters and this story.

Now, as people, if they were real, I'd run far away from them and if it would be safe to hate them to their face, I would. Because they're both ruthless killers, they even enjoy the sight of blood, sounds of pain, they can even cut up the dead bodies of those they kill without flinching.

These are not good men. From the outside of their very unconventional family and friends (or mutually beneficial friends, more like. Idk if these two have actual 'friends' in the truest sense of the word) these two don't deserve any understanding or forgiveness for any of their actions, and they really don't.

But inside their world, and with each other? They're perfect for each other.

And their passion, their heat, their all consuming lust for each other, and then the deep love for each other they later feel? While it was so twisted, it was also beautiful. That these two men who can be so ruthless and unfeeling with everything else could have so much love for each other.

The fact that Daniel tortured Stavros for two weeks doesn't even matter in the end with these two, because as Stavros says "That was foreplay for me" SERIOUSLY haha. These men are messed up, but together they love each other more fiercely than most.

I mean, in 99/100 cases where someone murdered your significant other, you wouldn't turn around and fall for them. All that would be in your head is revenge for them, whether you succeed in killing them or not, and there would be no possibility for love. But these two had a connection from the beginning, even back when Stavros killed Daniel's wife and also strangled Daniel almost to death, so badly that Daniel's voice is permanently fucked up. (Stavros actually went and had a threesome after and imagined Daniel the whole time. See, fucked. up. But the connection was always there.)

I couldn't put this down after it really got into this, and I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it, which is always something that happens with me when I loved a book so much and it lingers with me.

See, Ashton was able to take a story that I normally wouldn't even be comfortable reading, and made into a story I fell in love and with characters I ended up rooting for, even as I wished I didn't. But I see these two together forever, and even see them killing together and it being some kind of foreplay for them, which is so fucking messed up, but they so would do that together (they practically do it in this story! Daniel gives Stavros a hand job while he has a man tied up and beaten a ways away and then Stavros kills him after. I MEAN.) but...I also kinda like stories about messed up individuals (not quite this messed up, but still) who fall in love and they basically trust fully only each other and are possessive and protective of each other, and if you touch the other, then you're fucked. And with these two particular characters, you're dead.

Normally, a character killing the others wife would end any possibility of the two together. Normally, torturing another character would put an end to anything. Normally, it would be impossible for someone to get past things like that and be with someone. But with these two, it wasn't, because they're such dark, twisted characters with barely any morality to speak of that it was possible, and it even felt right, these two together.

They do deserve each other, and they're pretty amazing together. And this whole story was engaging from start to finish, there were a few things here and there I was totally not expecting, and I just loved this book.

Not a light read in the least, but sooo worth it. Loved this!

[jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You like it when I bleed.” Even to his ears, his words were shakier than normal. Faint.
“You do it so well.” Daniel’s sounded weirdly proud, like he approved of the rivulets soaking Stavros’ hip and the tiny puddle congealing next to them. “Also it brings me such pleasure, watching you suffer.”
Stavros was fading, but he brought his bloodied fingers to his mouth, licking the red away one by one—was it all his, or maybe some of Daniel’s blood was mixed up in there, too?—as he held Daniel’s gaze.
“It brings me pleasure…” His voice got softer and softer, slurring, vision narrowing down to the man next to him who wore Stavros’ death mark tattooed around his neck. The man with impenetrable eyes and that beautifully cruel mouth. “Watching you try.”

let's get this out of the way - things I didn't like:
- it could have been way more slow burn
- like they were suddenly obsessed with each other and a bit more progression would have been nice
- the pacing in the first 30% is just shit; things happen randomly out of nowhere and way too fast
- everyone just seems to know that they're in love even without prior interaction with either of them which is just plain weird and makes no sense

anyway. who the fuck cares about your criticism Jonathan, just shut your mouth. let's get to the important things in life:


THESE TWO I SWEAR TO GOD

I just??? They are so fucked up and I love them. They were constantly needlessly dramatic, like everything Daniel and Stavros do is just so extra. Also the angst in this is just DELICIOUS. Literally took my breath away a couple times, I feel like I've been stabbed straight in the heart, it's amazing.

I'm just gonna share my favourite quotes because this is my review and I literally don't care and I just want to scream about Staniel for a good few paragraphs. I will also tell you why I like these quotes in either needlessly long explanations or in just nonsensical two word gibberish. It's gonna be fun for all of us but especially me. I don't really care about your enjoyment. It will be just fun for me.

Needless to say there will be spoilers.


"His confidence was the most attractive thing Stavros had ever witnessed. He’d been around the most gorgeous men and women. But it was the cool and calm way that Daniel Nieto talked about killing him that had Stavros’ battered body attempting to stir."
Thanks, I was already salivating. I just... love confident men? Who could kill me I guess? But you know, only if they are all casual and sexy about the whole thing. I have no idea what I'm talking about. Daniel can choke me anyday though.


“That heat in your belly,” Stavros spoke, head tilted back, lashes lowered as he gazed up at Daniel as if he wasn’t the one shackled to the cold floor. “That’s for me.” His teeth caught his bottom lip then released it. “And it’s because of me.”
You know, there just something so honest and straight to the point about this, I guess.? Daniel is like "Every time I look at him I get this hot feeling in my belly. Is it anger? The need to kill him?" and Stavros is just like "Nah, you want to fuck me." Arrow straight to the heart.
He's getting tortured and he's just like "Daniel, you so sexy when you stab me but maybe stab me with your dick next time *wink wink*"


“Thank you for the knee,” Stavros called after him. “I always appreciate a man who kneels.”
Oh boy, oh babe, same.


“Your death is mine,” Daniel said simply. He pulled his hand from Stavros’ grip slowly, until only their fingertips touched. Until they were connected by just that, the barest brush of fingertips. “I decide when and how.”
Ah yes the sweet homoeroticism of...death...i guess. There is just this disconnect, you know. He tells him he will kill him (absolutely, definitely, for sure) but he's doing it while he's gently brushing his hand. It's just really erotic, the threat but at the same time the tenderness. Love is violence and all that shit.


“I should give you? After everything you took from me, I should give you?”“Yes.” So bold. Defiant. The way he demanded. The way he owned that selfishness. It shouldn’t make Daniel’s pulse stutter."
No it's fine babe, mines stuttering as well.
I like how Stavros doesn't really care at this point or at least pretends to not care. We all know he is carrying immense guilt after killing Daniels wife, especially after he learns how much his wife (obviously) meant to Daniel but here? At this point? Fuck it. I love how demanding Stavros is here, like "Yeah, I killed your wife, and now I'm going to fuck you, what about it?"


“What do you want? Contéstame!” he roared. Answer me. A hairsbreadth from shattering. He heard the sharp cracks. Heard his control collapse to the floor at his feet. His grip on the gun was tenuous at best, same as his grip on his sanity. He stared down at the man on that bed. Destrozado. Torn apart. “Your touch.” Stavros’ voice, it trembled too. “I crave it.”
This is great because not only are we finally getting the confirmation that yeah Stavros WANTS Daniel but it's also so angsty? "What do you want?" You know what he wants but you're not yet ready to face it head on. At this point we had so many situations and I think it's clear to everyone involved that this will end in sex, at least, if not more, but no-one is quite ready to accept it. Daniel is too much torn between still loving his wife and wanting revenge but also feeling this incredible attraction towards Stavros and him yelling "Answer me" is just his desperation because he can't really voice his inner conflict himself. On the other hand we just have Stravos who is deeply honest. He could have just said he wanted Daniel to fuck him because? Just because. But no, he lays himself completely bare and tells Daniel that he craves him, because let's be real, what does he have to loose? Why not be honest at this point, it's whatever. Either they fuck or Daniel kills him and we all know Stavros doesn't care either way.


“I want to kiss you, and I want to kill you.”
the duality of man


"Daniel brought the weapon forward, brushing Stavros’ lips with the tip. He wanted the other man to stop talking. To silence the words battering his defenses. But Stavros simply parted his lips and licked the gun."
????? is this a kink i didn't know i had???


“If you loved her so much, why am I not dead? If you loved her so much, why do you touch me the way you do? Why do you kiss me the way you do? If you loved her so much, how come I can send you to your knees?”
“You want to die tonight?” Daniel asked. “Is that it?”
Stavros licked at the blood on his bottom lip and the cut there stung. “I want what you want. Fuck me. Kill me.” He shrugged in Daniel’s hold. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t it?” “No.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
Listen, I told you the angst is delicious. I have nothing more to say to this. This exchange just stabbed me in the heart. "It doesn't matter." Jesus. Just say you love him and let's go.


“You have my attention,” he murmured. “That is what you wanted, yes? But you must know, Stavros…” Stavros inhaled. “You must know you had it from the very beginning. You never lost my attention.”
Another instance of delicious angst. Stavros just kidnapped half of Daniels family to get him to come to him and why? Because he is queer and he's extra as fuck. Call his boyfriend on the phone? No who does that, just kidnap his entire family, he'll get the message. Doesn't matter that Daniel would have come if he just send a carrier pigeon, it's always go big or go home with them.
I also imagine Daniel saying this in a very soft voice with tears in his eyes and a lot of conviction. Similar to Darcy from Pride and Prejudice saying "Surely you must know, it was all for you." Fuuuuck. I don't know, just stab me next time.


"Something bad couldn’t taste this good. Something bad couldn’t weaken his knees and harden him to stone. Something bad couldn’t feel this right, Stavros in his arms, in his mouth, melting like the best kind of confection on his tongue.
He didn’t hurt as much when Stavros touched him. He didn’t ache so badly. The hollow inside him didn’t seem so endless and all-consuming. The loneliness that battered him and bowed his shoulders retreated, taking the overpowering darkness with it."
God, love is just so pure. Those two are very much fucked up people, I mean Daniel literally kidnapped and tortured Stavros not to mention that all this was just because Stavros killed his wife but still? The base emotion of love is still so gentle even here.
Also the whole thing about "something so bad couldn't be so good". God. Yes, obviously. Something bad can't be good, but have to considered that the reasons that it feels good is just because it is good? Yes they have hurt each other but they are also on a path towards redemption and forgiveness and this is good!! It's just good!! And you're falling in love, which we already established is also good!! Fuck, I just can't with these two, they make my heart ache.
Also Stavros being the one that's healing the hollowness inside Daniel. God the irony, right. But also just the way they found this kind of love in the most unexpected place. I have too many feelings, don't talk to me.


He wanted to take just one breath that wasn’t filled with it. Betrayal. One kiss between them that didn’t taste of it.
I TOLD YOU THE ANGST!!! JUST!!!!


“There’s no need to be sorry.” Stavros glanced back at him over his shoulder, eyes hard, expression cold. “It’s over. It’s done now.” He swallowed then returned his attention to the papers on his desk. “You can leave.”
“Is that truly what you want?” He tightened his hold. “Say it again, and I give it to you.”
“I can leave,” Daniel whispered at his ear. “But it doesn’t matter how far or how fast I run.” The truth roughened his already destroyed voice. “I’ll always come back.”
The drama of it all. "Leave, I know you want to" he says with tears in his eyes while also fainting like a Jane Austen heroine. "I will, if your feelings have not changed tell me so and it shall silence me forever. If however your feelings have changed, I have to tell you. You have bewitched me body and soul and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on", Daniel responds quoting Darcy word for word for which I have rewatched that very scene from Pride and Prejudice (2005) and then cried for a good five minutes because OH GOD THESE TWO AND ALSO THOSE TWO. idk. Go watch Pride and Prejudice (2005) great movie.
Also, I am not comparing Darcy and Elizabeth to our two fucked up psychopaths, obviously, I'm just very bored and I like talking shit. Let's move on.


“I am ending it.” How could those four words echo so loud and long inside of him? How could they sink so deep into his flesh and hurt so badly?
“This thing, this thing we can’t put a name to. This thing we can’t ever seem to run from, you want to end it.” “Yes.”
“The scent of you, all over my bedsheets. I could wash it, but you’re also in my head. How do I fix that? You’re in my chest, my gut.” He pressed the bottle of whiskey to his stomach. “You’re inside me. How do I get you out?”
“Lo siento.” Stavros threw the whiskey with a roar, right past Daniel’s head. The bottle smashed against the closed elevator doors, spilling the last of the liquor.
“I don’t want your fucking apologies.” Jesus Christ. Who was he anymore?
“There is no forgiveness,” he said hoarsely. “What we’ve done, what we did to each other. There is no forgiveness.” “Sí.”
“I want to ask for more, but I won’t because I already know what you have to offer…” He looked into Daniel’s eyes that gave away nothing. That gave him nothing. “Half of your heart won’t do.”
Ice gripped his chest, the cold shocking a gasp from him. This was loss, shaking his body and rattling his teeth. This was heartbreak, the searing pain that made his entire being curl in on itself. This was pain. Daniel Nieto had finally broken him."
Yeah, I'm just in so much pain. It's fine though, IT'S FINE.
The emotions here, oh god. Obviously no-one wants to actually break up but also Daniel can not risk having a weak spot so he just has to get rid of literally everyone who is close to his heart.
An Stavros knows this, or at least he should, and he still he just deals this final blow like "You will never love me with all your heart because you still love your wife but half your heart just won't do". Yes drag your emotionally unavailable boyfriend through the dirt. He deserves it for breaking your heart. "Lo siento" FUCK YOU DANIEL NO-ONE CARES. Just kidding, I care, I love when he says Lo siento. The pain in those two words, ugh.
And Stavros being all like "Your smell is on my bed sheets, yes I could wash them, but what about my head? My gut? My heart? How do I get rid of you there?" it's so dramatic and it's just shredding my heart to pieces. He sounds so heartbroken, this is pain in it's truest form. You can put a bandaid on if you're bleeding but what do you do if the love of your life just ripped your heart out and stepped on it? What do you do with all that emotional pain? There's just nowhere for it to go? I feel like Daniel did it to my own heart, I love when books can hurt me like this.
Also they have very soft and slow sex after this and it's the best and saddest thing. I will not elaborate.

"How could he have fallen in love with Daniel Nieto? How could he let that happen?"
Oh babe I don't know, but I'm so glad you did.


“Your touch kills me,” Daniel confessed through the thickness in his throat. “It’s the sweetest murder, and I want it again and again.”
“Yo soy tuyo y tú eres mío.” I am yours and you are mine."
I am literally crying. Why are those two so tender with each other. It makes no sense. Like they are the most cold-hearted killers but as soon as they are in the same room it's all "I am yours and you are mine" JUST GET MARRIED ALREADY YOU ARE KILLING ME.


“I forgave you the first time I kissed you.” Stavros’ chin quivered. “You had my forgiveness—” Daniel gripped him tighter, speaking more forcefully. “With our first caress.”
“Because I needed you, and to have you I had to forgive you.”
and in a similar sentiment
"Redemption is yours.” He placed his hand over Stavros’ heart. “Redemption starts here.”
I talk about forgiveness and redemption a lot on here, if you've ever read my other reviews about books with fucked up couples. Like I don't mind fucked up people falling in love but only if there is an element of forgiveness and redemption involved. You know you fucked up and treated your partner like shit (or maybe even straight up killed them and brought them back to life for torture haha fun) but that is then and this is now and if you apologize and redeem yourself? Count me the fuck in. So many fictional couples don't *cough* Punk 57 *cough* but here? We have apologies from both parties, we have forgiveness, we have so much redemption and it all also happens on page and not in the void between the last chapter and the epilogue? Amazing.


“This tin man has a heart, diablo. And it is yours.” He caught Stavros’ hand and brought it up to his chest. Over his heart. “It beats for you.”
God mine is still skipping beats at this point so good for you my man. And again, they are so gentle and tender, ugh, I hate them.


“I do.” Daniel licked his lips. “I know commitment and monogamy aren’t things you’re familiar with.” His fingers tightened on Stavros’ face. “I don’t expect—”“Expect. Expect me to love you like you love me. For once, fucking expect me to take care of your heart.”
(...)
“I expect you to love me like I love you,” he whispered into that kiss. “I expect you to do right by me, because I will do right by you.” Stavros shuddered. His grip on Daniel faltered. “I expect you to take care of my heart, diablo, because I will take care of yours.”
Can we just talk about the nickname "diablo" for a second? I love it so much. Yes obviously he's the devil but the way Daniel says it by the end. I don't want to use tender and gentle again because I'm sure you are all annoyed by me (or not as no-one probaly read this far) so let me just ask google for synonyms and throw kind, caring, soft-hearted and warm around for a change. Don't say I never do anything nice for you.
Stavros telling Daniel to expect things from him is so sexy to me. Yes, Stavros hasn't been exactly monogamous like, ever, but this is Daniel we're talking about. HE can expect commitment!! He can even demand commitment!!! Because obviously he can. I am yours and you are mine, if this isn't commitment, I don't know what is.


Anyway.

Nothing about this review makes sense and it's literally just me screaming into the void about those two fuckers for like ten pages straight but I just enjoyed this so much, you don't understand.
Sometimes you just need two psychopaths to fall in love and give each other heart eyes to feel something. This is them by the way: 🥺🥺. That's how I imagine they look at each other.

5 stars. I will not take questions about this. I am tattooing Staniel quotes on my body though, see you later.

[lakshmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’re always so ready to destroy what others have, because you’ve never had it. Because you want it for yourself.”

There is something unbelievably satisfying reading about two assholes give in to each other and make themselves vulnerable for that one person a lot. Now this is a dark romance. Two anti-heroes trying desperately not to cross the line between kiss and kill.

“I want to hurt you,”

“I want to touch you”

“I want to kiss you, and I want to kill you.”

“And I want to bleed you”

“Do it. Any one of it,” Stavros whispered against Daniel’s chin. “All of it.”

Daniel kidnaps Stravos, and tortues him as revenge for kill daniel’s wife. And that’s when everything goes dark.

“Keep the gun.” He licked his lips. “Use it. Make me come with it.”

There is :
- [ ] Non con, Dub con
- [ ] Gun play
- [ ] Knife play
- [ ] Water sports
- [ ] Blood play

So if you’re not okay with any of this, then this may not be for you. But if you are?

This would be one of the most consuming and toxic and twisted romances you’ve read. Can this even be considered a romance? Yes it can. To me it is. It’s fucked up and desperate and needy. it’s the definition of “I hate everyone but you” and “ Touch him and I’ll kill you” (because he does)

“You’re alive because you’re mine. Your blood. Your life. Your death. Mine.”

They will make you question every decision you’ve made and I don’t even care. It’s heartbreaking to read about how Stravos wants forgiveness for what he did to Daniel.

“You had my forgiveness—” Daniel gripped him tighter, speaking more forcefully. “With our first caress.”

And when they finally make it official? It made me melt. Like literally melt. They were beautiful and passionate and MADE ME SO FUCKING JEALOUS.

“My favorite thing is when you smile,” he whispered. “My second favorite is knowing I made you smile.”

“I can leave,” Daniel whispered at his ear. “But it doesn’t matter how far or how fast I run.” The truth roughened his already destroyed voice. “I’ll always come back.”

Random scene that I just loved:

“You get to run away from it whenever you chose,” he whispered. “But I’m stuck trying to figure it out. Then you show up.” His fingers tightened on Daniel’s skin. “And that’s when I know.”
Daniel caught him then, yanking him close until they were pressed together. Fingers on Stavros’ chin, he tipped his face up. “What do you know?” He shook him. “Stavros, what do you know?”

“I am yours. To fuck. To torture. To kill. I am yours.” For some reason, the truth of those words were the saddest thing Stavros ever experienced.”

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

So after coming to terms with the fact early last week, that I may not be a dark romance kinda gal, I headed… straight into another dark romance read, obviously 💅. I remember opening it and thinking… “wow, you have gotta be one of the dumbest mutts on this earth? Why do you do this to yourself?”

THIS RIGHT HERE IS WHY I DO THIS TO MYSELF!!!
For the rare occasion that I actually enjoy a dark romance. 😇

Now don’t get me wrong, this book has flaws, my brain went overthinky 100 times, and 100 times I whipped myself into submission and attempted to let goooooo and just have fun. And for the most part, I did!

(Let’s not get to deep on this point, but it’s ANNOYING AF when MC’s fall inlove for seemingly no reason other than… that dudes really hot, or “magnetic energy for each other” juju or *assorted nonsensical reasons* and being stabbed in the pec (as hot as it was) does not = love 🥰)

1-50% was the epic build up we all know, love and deserve… and like… Gun play? 👀 straight up, was into it.

Then it SLUMPED real bad after they kinda together? (ADHD brain was fucking adhd-ing real hard so I kept trying to read and then I was like…. Ooooooh shiny…. NO READ YOUR BOOK DAMMIT.) so it was hard to get through the slumpy mcslump, but when we made it out the other side…..
I enjoyed the ending 😇😇

In short, a flawed story with silly little older gay men who torture each other and kiss, just like I wanted.

Thanks for coming to my staniel talk, I will be continuing to rail into book two

If you ever read my whole reviews of bullshit that comes from my brain, I literally love you 💖

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit this book was amazing ! Intensity at its finest, a web of intrigue and layers of pain, hate & love. Daniel and Stavros were on opposite sides of the same coin. They killed, they damaged and they loved hard and furiously. The first 25% of this book was hard to read as I'm not a fan of torture but I guess you had to get through that to really understand the minds of both men. Then as this enemies to lovers story began to unfold I was hooked. Like moths to a flame, these two were destined. There are quite a few characters in this story but the book length allows us a deeper insight into most of them - the story flows beautifully around these people with the focus always on Daniel & Stavros. If you love gangster / mafia / hardcore crime then you will love this 😎❤️

Reread Jan 2020... loved it as much now as I did then

[buket · Rating 2 out of 5]

was it casual when he kidnapped him to torture for killing his wife but started caressing his wounds and kissing him?

(dnf around 70%, i’m bored)