Everyone has trauma therapy can't fix. Nothing can save me from what I am. Nothing can save... them. I'll always be a... FREAK... just ask Mother.
CALL ME FREAK is a dark stalker romance & psychological thriller. He's possessive, jealous and deadly.
It's not pretty. It includes themes of abuse, deceit, stalking, seduction, and is dangerously disturbing. Perhaps, you could even say addictive. You've been warned!
I'm USA Today Best Selling Author, J.A. Roles. I'm sure you'll find at least one book of mine that you'll enjoy, as I write everything from fantasy to contemporary, high school rom-com to dark why choose, and even a dark stalker romance. Giving you the feels is what I do best, my books will break your heart before putting it back together again.
I'd love for you to join me on my social media. I have a fun reader group on Facebook. Where you can see teasers and even trailers of my upcoming books. Discuss my books and other books you enjoy. I even invite other authors to the group. I also like to offer my loyal group members the chance to get their hands on exclusive content.
GUYS, THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE!!! Call me Freak is a novella that ends in a major cliffy! PLEASE MIND YOUR TRIGGERS!
This book literally takes you into the mindset of an unhinged, mentally deranged guy, that has one thing on his mind, his Little Sparrow. Normally, I would prefer dual POVs, but THIS is all about Dmitry and his obsession Natalia, two broken people with horrible pasts. This was some amazing storytelling. I got huge Joe from "You" vibes and maximize that by x1000. Definitely would love to read more from this series!
Format: Audiobook Narrators: Lucy Rivers and Joe Arden
📖 - 5 🎙️ - 5+ 🌶️ - 4
Genre: Psychological Dark Romance
Tropes: Mental Health Rep Insane Asylum Stalker Romance Unhinged MMC
READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS ‼️
NO SPOILER AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧 Have you ever jumped into a book that you thought you were ready for? I do it all the time… however, this one… this specific book, I don’t think I was actually prepared for… but in the best sorta way 😏. Dmitry was mentally disturbed, so very unhinged, and freakishly obsessive. Performed in duet by the incredible duo Lucy Rivers and Joe Arden, I was left speechless and with my mouth open several times. The voice acting for this book was beyond phenomenal… this may be my favorite performance of Joe’s. And Lucy…? Perfection🤌✨
I’m not going to share ANY details regarding the book, due to possible spoilers; however, if you are the type of reader that needs to know the trigger warnings, make sure to read them. I prefer to go in blind; rarely am I surprised, but the audacity of the MMC and the amount of insanity he had, took me by surprise. There are lots of dark parts but also funny and entertaining aspects. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, no one can play an unstable, psychotic character quite like Joe Arden can. He nailed this character perfectly… as if Dmitry was written with him in mind. The past trauma of both Dima and Natalia hit me hard, changing my thoughts on his erratic and disturbing behavior. I began to sympathize with his way of thinking. Now I’m left wondering what does that says about me?!
Call Me Freak dances on the lines of pitch black and I was all for it. Being in Dmitry’s mind was such an entertaining place to be.
Do I recommend? OMG, YES!!! 👏
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
"She was my release. My escape from reality. My escape from the fucked up life I lived. And the beauty of it all was that she never stopped me. She never said no. She never truly resisted, because i was her escape, too."
This book is very DARKKKK please check TW before diving in. This book will not be for everyone and that's okay.
Dmitry has been in an insanse asylum for seven years and that means he's been away from his Sparrow for seven years as well. He can't wait to get back to her. He is getting ready to plead his case that he can be let out.
Once he is out and he immediately knows he needs to find what his little sparrow has been up to while he has been away. He doesn't like what he sees and knows he needs to show her who she belongs too.
Natalia misses her summer night stalker and she has been living life dealing with horrible men and doing things she doesn't really want to do. One night after the bar she goes through a horrible experience all while Dmitry is watching from across the street and he comes to her rescue.
The things both of these characters went through were absolutely horrible and something no one should ever have to go through. The trauma bond they have together is just something different and something that brings them even closer together.
"Each beautiful moment escapes us if we let it. The scars buried beneath remind me of the darkest time but the birds fly over them and through them. Taking away my pain and reminding me that they were only ever moments in time. Time I won't get back, but time I'd never want back either."
"I understand. I have scars too." "I saw them. They don't take away from your beauty."
Once I started reading this book I could not put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen next.
I'm so sad I didn't enjoy this book more. It had potential, and I had been looking forward to it for weeks.
My problem with this book was that the author often switched from first-person point of view to second-person point of view within the same paragraph, and it wouldn't make any sense why. Honestly, I didn't understand why there were paragraphs of second-person point of views at all. I think it was supposed to show how backwards and demented the hero was—to show there was something "wrong" with him—but it only made reading the book choppy. There were also several sentences where punctuation marks were missing or misused, which is a pet peeve of mine.
Story-wise, I was left confused when the main characters interacted. One minute the girl was scared, and then in the next, she was having sex with the hero while they bonded over their past, which I felt was not made clear. I could tell where the author was trying to take the story, but even by the end of the book I felt like something was missing.
Very nearly a dnf but because it was such a short book I thought I might as well finish it. Very weirdly written and just didn’t seem to flow. Will not be reading the second one 😂
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but as it progressed I couldn't put it down.
Dmitry, Dimi, starts out in an asylum where's he's working the system so he can be released. To say this man was out through the wringer as a child is an understatement. From the age of he was abused mentally, physically, and sexually (and everything in between). His only reprieve was going to visit his grandparents during the summer, where his grandpa showed him far more live and compassion than anyone else. Except for his one saving grace in and out of the asylum, his Little Sparrow.
Natalie, Little Sparrow, was also raised in an environment that left her cracked and broken on the inside and her light in the darkness was her Mystery Summer Love.
These two were brought together at a very young age and was forced to become each other's firsts in so many ways. So when their paths collide again so many years later, their combined trauma and broken pieces found a way to somehow come together.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a sunshine and roses romance. It's a psychological thriller with morally black themes. Twisted dark pasts and a twisted path to their "relationship."
Definitely check the trigger and content warnings because this book pushes a lit of boundaries. I can't wait for the next installment.
If you like books that make you uncomfortable in the best way, that dare you to love the monster, and leave you feeling hollow when it’s over ᶜᵃˡˡ ᴹᵉ ᴬ ᶠʳᵉᵃᵏ will own you.
Dmitry is a different breed. Unhinged. Irredeemable. Brutal. And I couldn’t look away. 🖤🥀 And my heart broke for him 💔
This book doesn’t gently lead you into the dark, it shoves you in and slams the door behind you. It’s gritty, emotionally intense, and unapologetically raw. Dmitry is a man shaped by trauma, surviving in a world that only ever tried to destroy him and the moment you meet him, you feel that damage.
The story follows his spiraling path as he crosses lines most wouldn’t even look at. It's disturbing, it’s layered, and somehow in all the chaos… it’s beautiful. You get glimpses of vulnerability hidden beneath the blood and brutality, and it’s those moments that completely gut you.
This isn’t a romance built on flowers and second chances. It’s built on pain, power, and the kind of twisted connection that burns instead of heals. The tension? Absolutely feral. The emotions? Unstable. The writing? Sharp, visceral, and completely captivating.
Told entirely from his POV, this book traps you inside the mind of a man who doesn’t just flirt with darkness, he lives in it. The writing pulls no punches. It’s raw, gritty, and disturbingly intimate. You feel his obsession. You breathe his revenge. And somewhere between the unaliving and the unraveling, you find yourself rooting for him… even when you probably shouldn’t.
This isn’t a romance. It’s a psychological descent with a pulse. It’s twisted, intense, and absolutely unforgettable. 🧨 Cliffhanger
Story 5⭐️’s 🎙️5⭐️’s Author J.A. Roles somehow manages to take this deeply unstable, wildly unpredictable, and often objectively awful man and, make you feel for him. Dmitry isn’t just acting out for the hell of it. This guy didn’t just have a bad childhood, he survived a full-blown psychological war zone. Abuse, abandonment, neglect, you name it, he lived it. Dmitry’s inner dialogue is pure gold! It’s manic, it’s dark, it’s unhinged, but also funny as hell. Dmitry is broken, dark, and completely unforgettable. You will find yourself hurting for Dmitry, you will laugh and you will cringe. You will feel uncomfortable. Somehow, you’ll still find yourself rooting for him. I cannot wait for more of Dmitry and his story! A BIG shout out to Grampa, he was a real OG, always having Dmitry’s back and never asking questions. The voice acting was top tier! Performed in duet by Lucy Rivers and Joe Arden. Joe voiced Dmitry, and nobody does unhinged and deranged better than Joe Arden!! The way Joe does, every male character, the accent, and all of Dmitry’s internal dialogue was OUTSTANDING!
3,75⭐️ This was completely unhinged… and I had such a good time reading it. The MMC’s POV was the highlight for me—his thoughts were wild, funny, and a little heartbreaking at times. Quick, chaotic, and a little wild—I really enjoyed it.
I audiobooked this and honestly I thoroughly enjoyed it. The way the author manages to capture the complexity of mental health problems as well as having a focus on the male narrative and his emotions and his trauma was reallt refreshing and I am looking forward to book 2.
I followed mostly until the half way mark. Some pros: I actually liked that it was from the POV of the MC who is truly mentally ill. I don't think it was either nature vs nurture as to why he was like that so much as it was nature enhanced by nurture. But because it's from his POV it was interesting reading his thoughts, his tangents, his sudden bursts of violence. It also made it kind of funny in places as we follow him through his climbing body count. It was sort of like when you are trying to leave the house to go do something and you get to the door and realize you forgot your phone. Then you go back. Then you remember to get your coffee (or water) to take with you. Then you go back. And after awhile you're kind of exasperated but also frustrated but you're not at the point where you're raging. Here he's trying to go from point A to point B and meanwhile bodies just keep getting in his way and delaying him.
Inconvenience! That's the word I'm looking for.
However, the writing wasn't very smooth. Locations and distance between them was unclear at times. Time line was also unclear at at times . His constant sexual attraction to the FMC was too much for me after a bit. And I admit, some of it was just gross to me. And I wasn't particularly sure what the F was up with the FMC. I mean, did she really let a stranger come into her room while she was sleeping and have sex with her every night all summer long for 4 summers running? I think if the author would have concentrated more on the MC and his inner thoughts and maybe less on the crazy he was surrounded with (when you have one character as OTT as he was you really don't need to surround him with a bunch of similar OTT characters) then this would have been a much better read for me. But I can definitely see it hitting a certain spot for people looking for OTT characters seen through the lense of an even more OTT MC. With a lot of gross/violent acts sprinkled throughout.
BTW, I admit I had to read this book because of the title.
I like the idea of the plot, but it was poorly executed. There are so many questions unanswered. Why did Dimitri have to leave Natalie in the first place? He knew he was leaving, he left her a "gift". Why was Dimitri in the asylum in the first place? Also, it's not really explained how long he was in there for. Where does Dimitri get all his money to still have an apartment after being locked away, as well as a car, etc? Where did Pawel randomly go at the end of the book? Also, what really happened to Nikolai's body. There are just so many unanswered questions. I don't know, I just felt let down.... I also think if it was duel POV, it would have helped some to, to know what Natalie was thinking/feeling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I have been meaning to read this for awhile and finally got around to it - now I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner.
Dmitry Rushlakov is one of the most eccentrically mad characters I have ever read. His story is dark, twisted, heartbreaking and full of revenge while on the road to get his Little Sparrow back. Some of his thoughts were just as twisted as his actions, but it didn’t stop my little black heart feeling for him and hoping he would get his much deserved HEA.
JA Roles took me a bumpy high speed ride with this unique tale all told from Dmitry’s POV and I found myself engrossed until I hit the jaw dropping end. This talented author really embraced the saying “sometimes madness is created by an even dark creator” while writing this because that’s what this story embodies and I need more…so much more.
Duet Narration - Joe Arden makes such a great unhinged psychopath and the Russian accent made it that much better.
This book is solely from MMC point of view and we get to see just how unhinged he is starting on page one - insane roller coaster from beginning to end. Dmitry and Natalia are both incredibly traumatized individuals and their backstories are PITCH BLACK. The way their past was brought out in the book was a little bit confusing but once you understood it it was like a punch to the gut.
The ending had a lot of reveals and I was so sad when I realized it ended on a CLIFFHANGER. Although I'm kinda happy at the same time because that means we get more of him in another book! And we definitely need more audio of Dmitry shooting people with his grandfather's gun (iykyk)
Overall: This book is full of emotions. Two souls who had no choice to be born in the shadows of evil. Parents are supposed to be their providers and protect them. Fate brought them back together. As partners in crime these two people would rekindle their love, lust and destroy those who hurt them. This is not for the weak hearted. It does have a sense of happiness but ends in twists. Are you ready for the emotional roller coaster?
Their story will tug at your heart. Yet, at the same time you will cheer them on for redemption! Embrace their darkness and see their light shine through.
Narrators: The intensity of these two will keep you not wanting to pause! You can feel every low, every high and the passion. Some scenes are “bone” chilling (no pun intended).
Trigger Warnings: child abuse, grooming, murder, suicide, stalking, mental illness, mention of killing animals but for food and a few others
The book was well written even tho I wish it was dual pov. He wasn’t pretend crazy. Definitely,mentally ill but the history behind them the plot twist and secrets I can’t believe the cliff hanger. My chest hurts July 20th speed up 😩
It's hard to discuss this book. It has extreme $mutt scenes that were good but so much of the writing needs some work to smooth out the story. 👎🏾 It was hard to keep track of events and situations (I get it he's a "psycho" and has impaired memories) but his pov is the only one in the book. The biggest difficulty was trying to understand the events of childhood abuse as a timeline. It just wasn't there. 👍🏾 The MMC is amazing. He was dominant. He knew what he wanted and he was OTT/JP. He was down in his luck but he didn't feel broke in spirit or in funds. He was an enriching character. 👎🏾We know around the 5th page he is leaving soon but we never found out why he was in a mental health institute. I kept waiting to learn the reason he was gone for 7 years but it never came. 👍🏾I loved the MMC he was a dominant man and I appreciated how the author weaved his intrusive thoughts (good narrative choice). He had a goal and endgame and didn't care who got in his way (sorry Uber driver). If you want a psycho this is it but he wasn't cruel or mean. The actions didn't feel like the author was relying on tropes. It was a refreshing change. I also appreciated that the MMC wasn't alone he had a support base. Even though I wish I knew more about them. His Grandpa is no joke. I appreciated how recollections from other characters support the MMC's memories, so we know he isn't an unreliable narrator. There is no mindF* . 👍🏾😕I loved that the book takes place in a different country but that meant I couldn't visualize the area very well I didn't understand the neighborhood and proximity of the property between FMC and MMC land (an important note because they are neighbors and a lot of stuff happens on their properties). So I kept trying to orient myself in the story based on my own knowledge of the country. I wish that was more fleshed out just a smidge. 👎🏾Locations weren't described well (I'm not looking for over-detailed scenes. I appreciate that the author kept the descriptions light but I just wondered how close were the farms. How close was his childhood home to his grandfather's farm?) and using the MMC's mental instability as a cop-out to well-written descriptions and dialogue is a no-go. 👌🏾😛 The entire story felt a little like fanfiction but it was a wild and twisty ride. I had a blast getting there! The smex was so dirty but in a good way. The nasty scenes will leave you 🥵 thirsty. It was short and interesting, which is why I kept reading but there is so much more that could have been done and I want to see some more because the story was a breath of fresh air in an oversaturated market. I liked the FMC's grit and character. She wasn't a damsel in distress and she matched the MMCs vibe. I was rooting for those crazy kids. 👎🏾 The biggest no-no that I just couldn't get over even years later. The main characters share a CSA trauma. They were forced to be sexual with each other at a young age by a predator. The graphic abuse scene for this was written imposed with a raunchy sex scene between characters as adults. Structurally that's problematic in a story.
This was wild, crazy and completely unhinged. I read this while listening to the fantastic audiobook! This man Dmitry is OBSESSED with Natalia. There is no gray area! Nothing will keep him from her. This book is DARK and stabby lol. I can’t wait to read more because it ends on a cliff…
“Everyone has trauma therapy can’t fix. And that’s okay. You’re okay. We’ll get through this life together.”
PLEASE READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS! This is NOT a romance story. It's twisted, dark, raw, disturbing, and chaotic. Dmitry is not your knight in shining armor; he sees what he wants and takes it. Both the MMC and FMC are "beautifully broken," to put it lightly, and together find themselves amid their trauma. Something has to be wrong with me because I am OBSESSED with Dmitry. Yes, he's mentally unstable and crazy, but aren't we all? (I mean at least I am, haha!). Who wouldn't want a hot head case weirdly obsessed with you and wants to destroy anyone who even dares to breathe the same air as you? Just me? My emotions went from this man is effing crazy to yes, he's toxic, but I can fix him, lol. You should read this book to understand why Dima is the way he is and how he's unapologetically HIM!
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook for this and it was so good! The narrators did a great job especially with the Russian accents. I also really enjoyed the storyline and how unhinged the mmc was
This book was a WTF moment in it’s entirety. Literally, I can’t make heads or tails of what my brain was reading. Stalker, maybe but really that was minor compared to being a Psychopath…. Severely mentally unstable.
The entire book is a giant trigger warning.
I loved it. I can’t wait to read more with the next installment.
Normally I don’t rate the darker taboo books I read, but the writing on this one was just…not it. The idea of this book had so much potential. It fell flat.
Some stories don't just sit with you, they consume you and change you. Call Me Freak is one of those stories. It's unsettling. It's uncomfortable. And it walks a line between horror and heartbreak.
Dmitry is not a hero. He’s a survivor, a product of unimaginable abuse, and a man so far removed from what we’d consider "normal" that even he questions his own sanity. After spending years institutionalized, he's released into a world that never wanted him to begin with. Soon after, he begins a search that leads him straight to the girl he’s never been able to forget, his "little sparrow", Natalia.
What follows is not a love story. It’s something darker. Twisted. Obsessive. Their history was revealed in fragments of stolen summers, whispered names through open windows, and blurred memories of first times that were anything but innocent.
Voice actor Joe Arden delivers a jarring, unforgettable performance. His use of a Russian-accented speaking voice paired with an English inner monologue makes Dmitry's fractured mind come alive in a way that is both unique and unsettling. It’s not just acting, it’s embodiment.
And then there's Lucy Rivers. She doesn't speak often in this book, but when she does, her voice haunts. Lucy doesn’t need many words to deliver devastation. She simply is Natalia. She also voices Dmitry’s mother, a woman trapped in a body and mind that can no longer communicate, and somehow even without words, she leaves an impact.
J.A. Roles wrote a masterpiece in Call Me Freak. She makes you uncomfortable, makes you squirm, and then somehow finds beauty in the pain. I was holding my breath through the last several chapters, desperate to know what was coming next and terrified of what might happen. And just when I thought the story was about to settle, it ended on a cliffhanger that left me reeling. There’s no comfort in the final page, just the overwhelming sense that the end of Call Me Freak is only just the beginning.
Call Me Freak is a disturbingly addictive read, one that toes the line between dark romance and psychological thriller. The story is about a man so consumed by his obsessions that he crosses every moral boundary. He’s possessive, jealous, and dangerous—and his mind is completely unhinged. The book explores themes of trauma, abuse, stalking, and seduction, and it doesn’t hold back in its portrayal of a twisted, toxic relationship.
From the very beginning, it’s clear that Call Me Freak is not for the faint of heart. The protagonist is deeply troubled, and his psychotic tendencies are both chilling and oddly captivating. The way he fixates on the heroine, both in a desperate and possessive way, creates an eerie atmosphere that makes it hard to look away, even as the story gets darker and more disturbing.
What truly elevates the book, for me, is Joe Arden’s narration. He nails the role of the unhinged psychopath. His voice brings a level of intensity and danger to the character that kept me hooked, making the protagonist’s toxic obsession feel strangely magnetic. It’s clear that he’s one of those narrators who can make even the most unsettling characters feel dangerously captivating.
As much as I couldn’t help but enjoy the twisted dynamics of the story, Call Me Freak is not easy to digest. The level of abuse, deceit, and manipulation is high, and the relationship between the characters is one of the most dysfunctional I’ve ever read. It’s one of those books that keeps you on the edge of your seat, feeling conflicted about whether or not you should keep reading, but ultimately finding it too addictive to put down.
This book is unapologetically dark, and the writing does a good job of keeping you immersed in that toxic, unsettling world. It’s not pretty, it’s not romantic in the traditional sense, but it’s definitely an experience for readers who enjoy exploring the more twisted side of human relationships.
In conclusion, Call Me Freak is a love-it-or-hate-it book. If you’re a fan of dark, psychological thrillers and can handle heavy themes like stalking and manipulation, it’s worth reading. But be warned: it’s unhinged, disturbing, and will leave you questioning just how far you'll go into the depths of obsession.