'Everything is a game, V used to tell me: only stupid people forget that' _____ Araminta Hall

Every now and then, a book grabs my attention from the outset and grips me so tightly that I can't put it down. This is what happened when I read this book.

In his head and in his heart, Mike knew that V was playing a game. He knew that V craved him. But was this just a delusional obsession or was it real?

This is one of the most disturbing and twisted love stories that I have ever read. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Many thanks to TBC and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

Slow start which I hoped would get better. I like books that make me either love or detest characters unfortunately I just found the main character in this irritating. Maybe just not for me sorry

An interesting thriller - quite gripping and enjoyable. I did just want to hear a little bit more of v's side of the story.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was the sort of depraved thing that fascinates me. And the psychological aspects behind it were very intriguing. But then the murder happened and the trial began and I felt like it was just going over ground that was already covered. There wasn’t a very good ending either. I think it could have been much more dramatic, when actually it didn’t really make sense or explain anything that went on. I’m afraid I won’t be recommending this which is such a shame

We have Mike, he is successful, lives in a nice house and adores with his girlfriend or ex-girlfriend Verity or V. When they were in a relationship, they engaged in this game called the Crave. The Game involved in V standing alone in a club and if she gets to chat up unsuspecting men, Mike goes and rescues her and this turned on them.

The relationship is over and Mike is having a hard time accepting this fact. He thinks V is punishing him for his indiscretion when he was in New York. That this is part of their Crave. He’s back to London to get V back. Mike gets an email from V that she is getting married and he thinks this is all part of their game.

One of the weirdest book I’ve read this year. I didn’t connect with any of the characters as they were unlikeable. Mike is deranged and Verity isn’t so great either. I found it hard to go through at first as Mike got on my nerves as all he does is talks about V. V this, V that. It’s marketed, as a love story but it is more a twisted, dark tale of obsession. I could not understand V actions later in the book, which to me, didn’t make any sense. I did enjoy the trail scenes though. It is an Ok story.

I would like to thank net gallery for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting read about obsessive love told from the mans point of view, I got sucked in to the story very quickly and started asking myself, did she say that or do that? Or was it all in Mikes kind, a really great read told very well

When young love ends and someone is left heartbroken it is very sad. But when young love ends and one party isn’t willing to accept it, that’s the basis for a shocking page-turner. This story is told through an unreliable narrator, making it more uncomfortable to read as we see the character descending further into his non- reality. I didn’t predict the end and was shocked more with each turn of the page! A great book, highly recommended.

What an amazing book . gripping to the very end . superb characters keeping the balance just right . Highly recommended

I keep wavering between 4 ½ or 5 stars!

I was up until 12.30am reading this, because I NEEDED to finish it.

This was fantastic!

Araminta Hall’s writing is addictive, with compelling, interesting characters that just draw you in.

It’s the second book I have read in the last week that starts off with someone in jail.

From that point, the story just pulls you in.

I almost wanted to like Mike. I felt bad for him because of his upbringing. However, feeling sorry for his character wasn’t enough to make him likeable.

He was fairly pitiful for some of this. He was mostly a delusional stalker and came across that way.

We didn’t get to know V that much outside of Mike’s weird mind. She definitely wasn’t what he thought she was. He seemed to think he was the only person who knew her properly and that he was the only one who had her best intentions in mind. It was obvious from the beginning that he was obsessed with her.

I almrost kept expecting a twist because I kept thinking maybe Mike really isn’t as bad as he’s coming across and the question that kept playing in my mind was is V behind some of this delusion? Is she innocent or is she guilty?

I hate to write spoilers but its hard to write a detailed review without any. If you don’t like them, do NOT continue reading.



The twisty/turn-y ending was just exceptionally well written.

I felt mostly secure in thoughts that V was totally innocent of any wrong doing.

The fact Mike, the police and judge all screw her over makes me angry. It is made worse by the fact its mostly because of the sex game “Crave”. How dare a woman like sex is pretty much how that feel. Her lawyer’s words at the end were very fitting.

The ending was left pretty much wide open.

Personally, I would love another book with these characters.

They both don’t get that long (in the scheme of things) and Mike was more delusional than ever and believes they will be together afterwards. If I were her, as soon as I was released, I would have a new identity and move to the other side of the world. I am pretty sure that’s the only way she will escape Mike.

This was an incredibly good read and I highly recommend it. One of my favourites of the year so far.

I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Read and reviewed courtesy of Netgalley

when i started reading this i wasnnt sure what to expect but this book was brilliant , it was chilling , gripping, not as scary as i thought it would be but definately worth a read, im gonna rate this 5 stars and cant wait to read more from this author

Told from Mike’s POV we learn about his relationship with V, and the game they play, the Crave. So when Verity breaks up with Mike and invites him to her wedding he thinks it’s all part of the game setting in motion a tragic chain of events...Is V the victim to Mike’s obsessive self-delusion or is she manipulating her besotted ex?...
I really enjoyed this compelling read. We’re in Mike’s head the entire time and it is due to his gripping voice that I was hooked throughout. I did find, personally for me, the last 40% became a bit repetitive as it becomes courtroom drama (maybe cause I’ve read courtroom scenes in several psychological thrillers this past year). However on the whole a gripping and tense story of obsessive love.

Our Kind of Cruelty was told from the first person perspective of Mike. The beginning of the story gives light to a dark twist in Mike and Verity’s relationship and this alone has such a strong element that it makes you question everything that comes after it.

This story was such a fascinating journey into the mind of someone so delusional, deranged and unstable that you find yourself needing to know what he is going to do next. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish the relationship between Mike’s perception of events and the reality of events. He convinces himself so thoroughly of a truth that, as a reader, at times it’s hard not to believe him. As the book progresses he begins to lose his handle on reality rapidly and it makes the story all the more gripping. I thought it was cleverly written the way, despite the fact that Mike tells us what happens from his perspective, yet the author still managed to weave in another version of events.

Neither Mike nor Verity were likeable characters and I didn’t feel a connection to either of them but this was not important and I still had a strong need to keep reading, to find out what happens and exactly what is the real version of events. Mike’s character had more depth and as we find out about his background and upbringing throughout the story, it puts him in perspective and also makes his character and his actions more believable.

My favourite part of the story was the last section. After a crucial incident has occurred; the remaining third of the book covered the trial which takes place after this. This was riveting and I enjoyed finding out what each character had to say and how it played out to the final verdict. It was also in this final third of the book in which a clever and insightful theme revealed itself; the way men and women are judged differently for their actions on a societal level – even the same actions as each other. I didn’t see this coming at all and thought it was handled in a subtle yet powerful way.

This was a captivating whirlwind of obsessive and possessive love. A quick and gripping read where love and cruelty are entwined and interchangeable. I would recommend, especially to those who are partial to a psychological thriller!

I read the second half of this in one sitting, as I was dying to get to the end - it was pretty tense and noirish; plenty of excitement as I tried to work out what would happen to the main characters. The narrative voice is creepy and compelling and I was interested to read the author's comments at the end on gender and her inspiration for the story. This is a gripping and entertaining read.

I tried to read this book twice but couldn’t get the hand of it - especially the ‘Crave’ element.
I quite liked the retrospection part - hence the 2 - but didn’t get attached to the plot and found it particularly slow moving.

This dark psychological thriller has you flipping back and forth trying to work out what's going on. Even when you think you know who's telling the truth, it's tempting to believe another side. Very compulsive.

Despite the heavy subjects of the long lasting damage of child abuse, obsession, and relationship mind games, this is a very good read. Exceptionally well written; in places a tender love story, in others frightening as hell....but throughout it is a gripping read where I felt conflicted and second guessed myself constantly.

This book has got some great reviews but I couldn't' get into it. Not for me, sorry

I didn't dislike the book and I'm really grateful to have been able to read it but it wasn't for me. I really liked the premise but was constantly waiting for the story to get going.
I am amazed at how the author managed to write from the perspective of such an obsessive man and that character did successfully get under my skin.
I enjoyed it but I think the story could have had a little more pace and maybe another dimension.

It took me a while to get in to this but when I was hooked I couldn’t stop. The court scenes really ramped up the pace.

Was Mike reading too much in to things? Or was V playing one big game?

As I got to the end I felt like I was still waiting for the big twist, I would have loved a chapter from V’s perspective to answer my questions - my main one being if she really wanted to distance herself from Mike then why didn't she take off her necklace?!

3.5 Stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Our Kind of Cruelty just didn't work out for me. Maybe I've been reading too many of the same regurgitated stories lately, but I am sorry to say that this will be an unpopular review.

Our Kind of Cruelty takes place in London and parts of New York, where Mike Hayes tells us about his love for Verity Metcalf. Verity and Mike were young loves—immature and impulsive, the dynamic duo played this controversial made-up game called Crave. Without giving too much away, this game was a manipulative and cruel game that they played on unsuspecting men. Flash-forward, Mike and Verity are at a standstill. Mike is offered the dream job he's always wanted in New York, while Verity has her sights set on staying in London and working with computers. The two try and work on their relationship long-distance, but betrayal and lies amount to be too much. Now Verity is engaged to Angus and has found the love she's always wanted. Mike is devastated, angry, and ready to bring Verity back into his life. Mike is willing to stop at nothing to prove his love for Verity.

As mentioned before, this book was just not for me. I have seen lots of reviews lately for Our Kind of Cruelty and they are all over the place, which is good! It means that this story will invoke many different reactions and promote conversations. I felt like the arc of this story was too heavily focused on Mike and his inner thoughts, rather than what was happening around him. Sometimes that can work, other times it can fall flat. It's difficult when it comes to psychological thrillers because you are really caught up in the psyche of the narrator, but it also limits you on what is being presented in the story. I felt that the narration style in this story was very limiting. My friend Chelsea, who also reviewed this story, called it an inner monologue and she is so spot-on with that critique. I felt like Mike was reading from an editorial diary, rather than promoting a storyline. It just became too repetitive and uninspired for me.

At around 80% of the novel, I was very (happily) surprised at how the story provided conversational topics so intelligently. One thing that really provoked me (in a good way) was the treatment of society's viewpoints on the sexuality of women. At first, I was so pissed off with the narrative on this subject, but that's what the story was supposed to do. I loved that we are given a chance to actually feel emotion based on real life topics that are currently a commonplace discussion piece.

Final thoughts: Not for me, but maybe for you. Read a couple more reviews by some of your friends and then make your decision. Whether you love it, like it, or ambivalent towards it, Our Kind of Cruelty is a quick read that will get you thinking.

Thanks Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.