The best way I can describe reading a Sophie Lark book is like flipping a coin. You truly don’t know what you’re going to get. I have to admit “Grimstone” was a weird one. So basic plot Remi inherited her uncles house after he passed. She decides to renovate it with her brother and flip it for profit. However, she runs into some issues with the grouchy next door neighbor.

Now that was the basic plot, but in actuality there was a whole bunch of other storylines going on at the same time. Like first I thought this was a dark romance utilizing the enemies to lovers trope. Then we also had some splashes of paranormal, but wait there’s more! Let’s also throw in a murder mystery element to the story. I swear this book truly makes you feel some serious whiplash. I think my favorite thing in this book was the spice. Well with the exception of the hypnotism scene but otherwise the spice was on point.

Overall verdict even though this was one of the weird Sophie Lark books I’ve read. I still enjoyed it and plan on continuing on with the series. I’d also recommend it especially if you’re a fan of dark romance. Thanks again for Bloomsbury & NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of the republished version.

Sophie Lark writes the darkest romances and I gobble them up. This book has a creepy small town, a reclusive doctor and a cast of side characters that kept the story interesting. Neither of the main characters felt traditional and maybe that’s why I sink into Lark’s books so easily.

This was unhinged, but in a good way. This is my 5th Sophie Lark book, and although I keep thinking they're technically not my cup of tea, I keep coming back for exactly this. The excitement, the craziness, the fully unhinged plots and characters.

By comparison, this one is almost somewhat tame. Described as a romantic thriller, this book delivers exactly that (although technically more of a thrilling romance, but that name doesn't flow so well). The Gothic coastal small town and the at times eccentric characters made this book believable, even when it should be anything but.

I honestly enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected. There are twists I simply saw not coming and the conclusion was bittersweetly perfect for the story. 3,75/5

Thank you Bloom Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a wild adventure. It's not necessarily dark romance but it has dark themes. I think Sophie Lark does a unique kind of Spooky romance. That borders the line between horror ish and dark in this book really well. While I feel like the plot did take a minute to really gain steam it works out in the end pretty well! Cannot wait for Monarch.

Star rating: ★★★★☆
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was the perfect spooky season read & I cannot wait for Sophie to write another story set in the eerie town of Grimstone🫶🏼

This is a great gothic vibes book to start off spooky season. The spice started crazyyy early, which I didn't mind but others might and it was SPICY. Be prepared for that and some weird feet kinks because that was not on my bingo card for this one. There were great threads of mystery as well as dark romance and age gap. It started off really well, kind of lost me a bit in the middle and then hooked me again towards the end. I figured out the twist kind of early which was fine but it was still a quick and easy read and a solid 3.5 star.

3.5 ⭐ 4 🌶

I wish so much more of this book was like the last 10% 😭 that twist had me glued to my screen and on the edge of my seat, but the first half of the book just didn't do it for me like Sophie usually does. This was way spicier than I expected, Remi and Dane were super hot and heavy.

I really enjoyed them both in and out of spicy scenes. I thought the mystery behind his wife and child was really intriguing, I had an idea of what was coming, but it still hurt my heart when he finally spilled.

I do hope we end up back in Grimstone. While this isn't my favorite Sophie book I absolutely loved the vibe and the idea and I'm excited for more.

This is a spooky romance that packs a mystery. I wanted to love this one a lot more than I did because it had so much potential. The twist was predictable if you're looking for it, but still a good one! If you're in the mood for a gothic romance with spice that starts early on this is for you.

is this fun to read? kind of.
will this be my first and maybe last sophie lark read? yes.

i saw the ratings and skimmed some reviews before reading grimstone, so my expectations were very low heading into this. i’d rather come to terms with preconceived thoughts and feelings (and surprise myself, in the end, with an enjoyable book), than to be greeted with extreme unhappiness due to my astronomically high expectations being unmet, resulting in an abysmal reading experience.

i actually believed grimstone could’ve delivered a fantastic halloween story, full of decent amounts of spookiness and spiciness. a perfect addition to anyone’s october reads.

we have a female main character who’s devoted a significant amount of time into raising her younger brother, following the death of their parents. who’s inherited, from a deceased great uncle, a rundown haunted mansion in dire need of renovations, sharing a long stretch of road with its next door neighbour owned by an older, potentially murderous handsome doctor.

i realised earlier on in my reading that this book isn’t for me. i wanted to know who/what was behind the mansion’s haunting; the truth about the doctor’s son and wife, hence my decision to not lie down in defeat.

the writing was tragic. i’m not mad. i’m just disappointed.

the overuse of similes almost ended me. you know there’s an overabundance when you can see and remember how much it’s been used. it was criminally insane!! it left me feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and painfully bored.

as an example—and fair warning, your eyes will bleed and you will be seeking compensation for your therapy bills.

...shows me the exact moment the cold water hits her face and her nipples harden like pencil points.

what i want to do is string her up in my basement and whip those tiny tits until they’re rosy as apples, and then i want to turn her around and do the same to her ample ass.

her slippery wetness is outrageous; it’s like a rainforest.

brother, you want to know what’s fucking outrageous?? THIS. i’m so fucking gobsmacked, i fear my remaining brain cells have perished: when she closes the door, she doesn’t bother to run the water or the fan, so i hear the distinct sound of her hot piss hitting the bowl.

the fact that dane refers to remi’s tits as “tiny tits” literally twice in one paragraph should be considered a crime against humanity. a few more core examples of simile overuse to hammer home my unfortunate experiences with reading this tragedy.

his cock springs out like a white cobra, thick with veins.

the heat and weight of his load splashes down like a bucket of lava poured right on my clit.

i’m like a sock with a foot in it, stretched to his shape.

i—

this is supposed to be the love interest, dane covett, by the way. who said romance died?

her smile changes everything about her looks. without it, she’s barely pretty, but her grin throws the switch at the amusement park and her whole face lights up, neon bright.

besides starting off thinking remi is ugly before switching opinions, dane would’ve been better if this book didn’t have smut (or insta-lust, my 13th reason) in it. he doesn’t bother learning remi’s sexual desires, or understanding what her soft and hard limits are. the lack of care or desire to know frustrated me.

the “haunted mansion” and spookiness was really inconvenient. it was obvious who was “haunting” blackleaf mansion; it was written like a budget horror film. imagine tommy wiseau’s the room but if it was horror themed. suffice to say, i was not spooked but rather bored and tired albeit somewhat entertained due to how terrible the execution was.

OK I was a bit worried at first that this book was too much smut but the mystery and twist Sophie threw at me were nothing short of amazing!!! Don't get me wrong, I love smut but I love a good plot even more!
This book was dark, alternative, a bit spooky and intense! I love the replay of the phone video too! IYKYK! Once I figured out something was amiss, I couldn't put the book down!


*** read trigger warnings
Enemies to friends to lovers
Mystery
Age Gap
Spicy

DNF’d at 26%

I had a rough time with this book…. It was just, odd. The FMC is okay, but the Male main character gave me the Ick. Not the broody recluse MMC I was expecting…. And the climbing a tree to watch her sleep was a bit much for me.
Writing was okay, but it was creepy, and not in the good way.

it was so short yet I felt really underwhelmed reading it, I didn’t connect to both main characters at all, The plot was really badly executed In my opinion. And since the book had a spooky, and an outline mystery I thought maybe at least this part will serve but no, it didn’t

I read romance books purely for the mmcs, but I was deeply disappointed by the lackluster male lead. His character felt flat and unengaging, which made it difficult for me to invest in the romance. The insta-love and insta-attraction trope, which I generally dislike, didn't help to create a convincing connection between the MCs and me.

The romance itself felt rushed and lacked development, with the mmc's chapters nearly always devolving into sexual fantasies about the fmc from the early stages of the book. To the fmc’s constant inner battles of how ”not good enough" she is for everyone and everything.

I was super intrigued by this one and then it lost me a bit in the middle to then reel me back in super hard with the twist at the end. I ended up really enjoying this one. It gave dark romance vibes and had the age gap trope. Remi and Jude are two siblings just trying to get by in life after the loss of their parents. Moving to a place called Grimstone has to be some kind of omen. Dane, the older mysterious neighbor, and Remi kind of click from the jump and while it was an odd combo, I ended up really liking them as a couple. The found family in this town made me wish this wasn’t a standalone though. And the twist at the end really surprised me!

This was my first Sophie Lark book and it won’t be the last! Really enjoyed this book! I loved the banter and the spicy!! I can’t wait to see what Sophie writes next!

Grimstone was not what I was expecting! I went in expecting cutesy dark and I came out with a great dark thriller-esque romance. Solid 4 stars. I thought the pacing and excitement of the book was great. I didn't start suspecting what was up until about 60% into the book so I loved that it wasn't right off the bat THIS IS WHO DONE IT!

I had a few icks that took away from the enjoyment of reading this, so I took off half a star for that. "...I hear the distinct sound of her hot piss hitting the bowl. My cock hardens." What the what? No. I'm trying not to kink shame but I'm also not seeing what value this added to the story? The other one, "Her slippery wetness is outrageous; it's like a rainforest." Nah, we didn't need that either. I LOVE a good metaphor, I really really do. I love when an author uses them in a story, but they need to be good. This just threw me right out of the story and I struggled with it.

The last half star I took off was that I was expecting more of a spooky vibe from the MMC's late wife. It was brought up in the beginning that he was hallucinating about her, but then kind of glossed over and wrapped up without ever addressing it. I wanted the full commitment to that.

Overall, Sophie Lark did not disappoint with this one! Another hit.

This was a good book! I really enjoyed the banter and the setting was really great. It was a little bit too spicy for my taste and the spice started way to early in my opinion. But I think someone else would love it.

This wasn'y my first Sophie Lark book and it won't be my last. This is a stand alone tale with lots of spicy scenes and dark undertones. There's some small threads of mystery and intrigue to keep you going. I don't want to say much else because I don't want to spoil it but I will say this was like a modern gothic tale.

Thankyou to netgalley for sending me a copy of Grimstone in exchange for an honest review. First of all I love Sophie Lark's books and her writing and this was no exception. The twist in this book I didn't see coming, the atmosphere was amazing and got me in the fall feels. I highly recommend to anyone to read this spooky season.

If you like Sophie Lark - you’ll love this book! 👏🏼 It’s fun and eventful with cuter banter, which is Sophie Lark’s specialty! This one is a little spooky and had some fun twists! I highly recommend for spooky season.
The romance was a littleeeee too much for me personally. There is ZERO slow burn, but the spice starts asap! So if you aren’t wanting a build up, this is a great read!

When Remi decides to flip Blackleaf manor she never expects herself to fall for her dangerous hot doctor neighbor who is also believed to have murdered his wife and son... it doesn't help that something strange is going on in the town of Grimstone either. Remi Hayes has worked hard all her life, after her parents died she had to settle all their debts and raise her younger brother all by her self. After her fiance cheats on her she inherits her uncle's moldering mansion and this might be the break she's needed. She can renovate and sell the house and finally have enough to set her brother up for college and a life of her own. The only hitch is her very hot rich doctor neighbor who seems to have it out for her... and in exchange for letting her use his driveway and road she'll help repair his fence... but what starts off as one kiss soon spirals. Then there are the rumors that he killed his wife and son and the fact that he can't ever go out in sunlight... did he really do it? What secrets are he hiding? When people around Remi start getting hurt... who is behind it? She begins hearing things in her house and feeling as if she's being watched.... when the truth reveals itself, will she be able to survive it or trust herself? This was a fun spooky dark romance set in a small town and I had a ton of fun reading it for spooky season. Dane and Remi are a interesting couple and the small town mystery was really interesting. It's a fun read and yes it's a dark romance so definitely check out the TWs before reading just in case!