This book was alright. I absolutely love dark romance and stalker romance but this one didn’t wow me. It was a quick read that ends on a cliffhanger but I’m not sure if I would even read the next book.

I ate this book up! I’m super glad that I picked to read this one, definitely one I will be rereading. I love everything this book from spice to plot.

3.5 stars ~

I still remember the first dark romance I read and absolutely devoured it. Then I downloaded all of the other books in the series immediately. I power-read the entire series in one weekend. SMH. I could not get enough of the mind manipulations employed as love and power.

That is what I was looking for with this book. I have never heard of this author but she did portray the tormentor in the same dark and disgusting, yet addictive manner.

Devastatingly handsome, manipulative, oozing sexiness, stalker tendencies. Blatant liar. You have to wonder why the target doesn’t see through him faster. He’s smooth and she is tender-hearted and grieving.

Once You’re Mine is a two-part story. This book sets up the connection and developing attraction, It is not overly spicy except for one or two intense scenes. There is a lot of sexual buildup and heat but I found most of it as a psychological study of you saying to yourself… when will she believe what he is doing?

The secondary characters are a great foil and add so much to the book. I am looking forward to book two just to see where this ends up and how he gets out of the darkness he has brought to the table.
~~~~
Triggers galore -

I'm honestly really mad it took me so long to read this book. I couldn't put it down. Hayden and Calista stole my attention for a whole day.

“You can fight it all you want, but we both know it’s pointless. What’s happening between us is inevitable, and I’ll do everything within my power to get you to accept it.”

Calista is an empath through and through always taking care of others before herself. Hayden is the over the top J/P Morally grey MMC that dreams are made of with a filthy 👄 and even filthier thoughts.

“You’re mine in life and death. There is no end when it comes to us.”

My favorite character though? Harper, the best friend. It was like reading my best friend in a book 😂😂

“When the woman of your darkest fantasies says she wants you, you don’t let anything get in the way of her changing her mind.”

This is rated 3.5 stars because of some editing fails. There was quiet a few times where entire paragraphs repeated, usually around text message bubbles. If these editing oops weren't there it was easily be a 4 star read.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I ate this book up! It was an incredibly slow burn but so much banter between the Calista (Callie) and Hayden. I love a good enemies-to-lovers and could not wait to see how this played out. While Hayden is posed as the "bad guy" you already know he does everything "bad" with intention. I was on the edge of my seat (bed) the entire time reading this waiting to see when Callie and Hayden would finally see the writing and get together (you know it's going to happen).

Hayden and his hardheadedness needed to step aside to see Callie was not a damsel in distress but could and would hold her own given her adversity to being taken care of in full by a man after losing her dad and being throw into a different world.

But when these two came together...HOLY MOLY. I kicked and screamed. Like any duet this led on an incredibly high cliff hanger and I cannot wait to dive into book two and see how it all plays out!

Love Dark Romance but the FMC was a ***lot*** stupid. She's ditzy and seriously leans in to that and when it comes to romance books, if I don't like the characters, I'm not inclined to like the romance or the book itself. It seems to have quite a bit of plot holes but if you can squint through that you'll be fine.

First I want to say Thank you Netgalley and Morgan Bridges for giving me this opportunity to read this book for an honest review. All I can say is WOW, I loved this book, One of my favourite tropes it the Stalker tropes and this book did not disappoint.

Hayden Bennett is definitely is a man that is unhinged and will literally do anything to make sure that Calista is safe even if that means going to drastic measures of following her to and from work, or putting cameras in her apartment . You know just to make sure she is safe. Oh and if you touch her or are rude to her in anyway, you will either die or be severely injured. Who wouldn't want a guy who is absolutely obsess with you like that.

This book has Unhinged MMC, Touch her and Die, Morally Grey man, The innocent FMC that does have a tragic past, And spice who wouldn't want to read this book. I can't wait to read book 2 and find out what happens next. Please check TW before reading this book.

Read this if you enjoy/check trigger warnings for:
-posessive MMC
-ditzy MFC
-stalking
-touch her and die
-murder/death of a parent
-off-page r@pe

This book intrigued me for many of the elements I listed, but there were a lot of problems.

First, Hayden talks about falling for Calista the moment he laid eyes on her, but what exactly made her so special to him (who knows?)…maybe Hayden is into bimbo airhead girls because that’s what Calista is.

Second, Calista doesn’t use her brain. Someone is stalking you…okay, talk to the police. Also, why doesn’t this girl have a cell phone in the 21st century (I get that she’s poor now, but she didn’t have one before when wealthy?).

Third, the chemistry between the two main character has non-existent. He would literally beat up anyone who looked in Calista’s direction, but again, we never established why he would do this for her. And she was falling for him without even knowing him??

The best part of this book was the best friend, Harper, who worked at the Sugar Cube with Calista. I loved all the names she came up with for Bennett and she was just a bundle of joy to read.

I am undecided on if I will finish the story with book two…solely because I am a completionist and want to know what happens.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion. I do also own an indie copy of this book.

This book was a wild ride from start to finish.

Calista has no idea she’s the object of Hayden Bennett’s intense fixation.

Hayden’s not just your typical alpha male—he’s a full-on stalker, and he’s not shy about it.

From the moment he sees Calista, he’s hooked.

This book gave me major Haunting Adeline vibes, and it was an absolute blast to read!

Their love story is anything but simple! it's dark, twisted, and complex.

If you love dark romances with morally gray heroes who’ll do whatever it takes to get their girl, this is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Honestly, this feels exactly like Haunting Adeline, with a sprinkle of Fifty Shades of Grey, but with less of a story. The stalking, the controlling and the manipulating was just too much! The controlling and manipulation was just too much for me, as someone who has been in a toxic/controlling relationship it’s awful and degrading and I honestly don’t get the excitement and romanticizing/fantasy of this topic and why people are drawn to this kind of story/relationship.

I don’t get how everything escalated so quickly and Calista just accepted it and went along with all of it, just felt so fake to me and just wasn’t an entertaining story. I really liked the idea of the story how Calista’s father is found murdered and she’s trying to find out who killed him and Hayden was a lawyer in her father’s trial. But then the fact that he just starts stalking her and is obsessed with her and her and her friend think it’s completely normal is absurd. I cannot believe there will be a second book to continue this story, but I’m not interested in seeing where this story goes.

If you really like Haunting Adeline then you’ll probably really enjoy this.

Thank you to @netgalley and @forevergrandcentralpublishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

This is a hard review to type and this is a prime example of when star ratings just don’t work for book reviews. Let me start off by saying that this book is riddled with clueless FMC moments that are frustrating and an Alphahole MMC who refuses to listen to his love interest and instead steamrolls her time and time again and is surprised when it blows up in his face. HOWEVER, the vibes at times were pretty good and I did honestly come out enjoying the book?

As mentioned above, our FMC Callie is the biggest ditz there is at times. She has a stalker who doesn’t do anything untoward except for make his presence known. She doesn’t go to the police, nothing, just keeps on trucking on. She also can’t put two and two together about who her stalker was. Even if we didn’t get a dual POV, like seriously girl .. it’s OBVIOUS. You could brush this off by saying she’s too swept up in the grief after her fathers murder and her life turning upside down, but I still don’t understand why she didn’t go to the police??

Our MMC Hayden is an overbearing jerk who plays it his way or no way. At times he had me rolling my eyes and my upper lip curling and yet at others he was surprisingly sweet. His motives for being with Callie are … untoward … but I do truly think that he cares for her, especially at the little glimpses of his character when he doesn’t know Callie is watching. I think he is just a man who lost too much and clings in an overbearing way, holding on too tightly out of fear. It’s sweet, but he needs to let her have her space.

There were a few plot holes, specifically about how this man attacks multiple people and has absolutely zero repercussions. There is a throwaway line that is meant to explain it, but it feels just that, a throwaway afterthought. I wish that we had more development into the power that he has seemingly accumulated. A simple phone call to the police to bury the damage or something to give depth to who Hayden is as a character.

The romance between our couple is hot and heavy even though it takes a bit to get going. They certainly have chemistry between them but outside of that I don’t see how they will ever make it as a couple. They are too different and he has to be in control all the time which isn’t sustainable.

Overall it was okay. It has its issues but there were some quick moments that really brought everything together. Will I read book two? Probably but if I don’t pick it back up I wouldn’t be upset either.

I am utterly obsessed with this walking, talking bright red flag. I am so excited I got the second one already. I AM GOING TO DEVOUR.

I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings before reading this book.
This book has decent writing and is a stalker romance. Please be advised to again read the trigger warnings! There is some spice but I do believe you can make it closed door.

Once you’re mine
2.5⭐️3🌶️


Dark contemporary romance
Stalker romance
Dual POV
Flashback
Touch her and die
Forced proximity


This felt like I was reading a slightly altered 50 shades of grey.

There were big plot holes going on. Ones that I don’t think can be explained with 1-2 sentences the way they were. And it was small things like here dad’s debt and lack of any investigation of a his murder, her ex fiancé, the backpack, how a fall from society seemed to knot take a couple of weeks when any actual processing after a death takes way longer than that… there seemed to be an issue with object permanence.

Some of this dialogue is very unnatural and cliche. There were so many inconsistencies that could have been easily avoided.

The flashback of the court scene was terribly laid out. It’s probably the worst representation of a court scene I’ve ever read. It was a missed opportunity. It could have been twice as long and given so much more insight than it did.

I like that the untrustworthy character is the trustworthy narrator and the character that should be more morally trustworthy seems to be not a trustworthy narrator… it’s an interesting dynamic.

I won’t be continuing with this series.

Thank you NetGalley and forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This one had me hooked from the dedication! I haven’t read many stalker romances but I would say this one is a bit minor on the stalking scale? The mmc is possessive, don’t get me wrong but there wasn’t as much stalking as I expected. I loved Calista’s friend Harper, she was so funny and I loved all the names she used for the mmc. I almost would have loved more from Hayden’s dark vigilante side, really lean into that morally dark gray side yanno? I loved the dual POV and the quick pace that kept me wanting to read. I was shocked it ended when it did but I guess that just means I need to read the second book!






*Semi-spoilers*
My specific thoughts:
-It’s listed as a stalker romance but I would say it’s more of the mmc just being possessive. Like really possessive, to the point where it was bothering me a little bit that he wouldn’t let her be who she wanted to be or do what she wanted.
-I didn’t feel the connection between them. I felt the attraction and the intrigue but not enough for her to be caving to his every command and wanting to be with him. And he’s full on obsessed after no time at all.
-why was there 0 repercussions for this man literally beating people up?! I mean this is the real world right? If he’s a high profile attorney surely he can’t just go around punching people

loved the entire book! What a talented author Morgan is. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and devoured it in a matter of 3 hours. The chemistry between Callista and Hayden is phenomenal. The dual POV was one of the best I’ve seen. It gave the greatest insight into both perspectives and I absolutely adored it. I’m so happy it’s going to be traditionally published and hope that it does amazing!
I was able to get an ARC copy of this book and I have to say it exceeded my expectations. I went in blind and had no idea what was coming. Morgan did a great job in this one and I CANNOT wait to dive straight into the second book!

Once You're Mine by Morgen Bridges is a dark romance novel that delves into themes of obsession and the moral complexities of love. The story centers around Hayden, a morally ambiguous character who becomes deeply fixated on Callista. His dual nature—upstanding in public but a stalker in private—adds a layer of psychological intrigue to the narrative.

Once You're Mine is recommended for fans of dark romance who are comfortable with its intense themes. The book offers a compelling, if not entirely satisfying, journey into the complexities of love and obsession.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Lower 🌶️ because SLOWWWW 🔥
Stalker romance
Determined FMC
Touch her & ☠️
She’s mine
He’s obsessed first

🖤🖤🖤

Hayden & Calista are just 🤌🏻. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so I’m going to just give a super quick overview. Hayden sees Calista & quickly becomes obsessed. He never has this draw to anyone, beyond a quick physical tussle, but she has a hold on him. She’s hiding something & he wants to know it.
He’s been stalking her, she can feel herself being watched, but she doesn’t know it’s by him. He’s a lawyer & eventually she turns to him for help.
It all really snow balls from there.

Book 1 in a duet, it’s a cliffhanger… BUT book 2 is already out.

📖 binge away!

Once You’re Mine is everything I love about dark romance. Bridge’s masterfully delivers the obsessed and unhinged MMC who will do anything for his girl. Calista and Hayden are two deeply complex characters bound in the most twisted of ways. The mystery is captivating and the tension between our love interests is palpable. I’m already locked into book two and cannot wait to see what curve ball Morgan Bridges throws at us.

This is my first dark romance book and I think it is a good introduction to the genre. It doesn’t feel as dark as the other books I have heard about, but it does give you a glimpse of the stalker trope. I think one of the main things I like about this book is that it isn’t exactly overboard with the darker parts of this subgenre. While Hayden stalking Callista is definitely a breach of her privacy, he doesn’t hurt her and he does have a softer side to him that she unleashes, which we get to see a few times in the book. His need to possess her is something I think he needs to talk about with a therapist. The book is fast-paced with a pretty interesting opening line and the beginning has a You feeling to it. I totally forgot about the synopsis mentioning Hayden is a lawyer, so that was a fun twist, especially when you find out what case he has worked on. I am itching to find out what happens in Now You’re Mine.

This review is posted on my Instagram as of August 11, 2024.

Normally I'm a fan of dark romances, but the characters in this book were so wildly non-believable, it kept taking me out of the story. The FMC Cali is SO wildly unaware and naive that she doesn't notice that her stalker is legit the same guy that shows up everywhere she goes and physically threatens her tormenters (IN FRONT OF HER), and the MMC's obsession with her is soooo immediate, there's no tension, there's no build up, there's no evolution or escalation to his stalking -- he starts out OTT and not much changes for his character throughout the book. The writing and plot felt like it jumped to 100 without building the necessary tension I'd be looking for with a plot that revolved mainly around a stalker. Normally I'd want to feel creeped out, feel a little tension, feel the "cat and mouse" aspect and this just didn't really do it for me in that aspect. Everything was way too obvious and the FMC was so dumb.