4.5 STARS!!
This book was so much more than I expected. Billed as a romantic thriller by two authors I have not read before, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

The first few chapters are always tough as we get to know our characters and the plot, but I did think it was a bit strange meeting someone you would consider hot at a morgue, but it is different, and once past that the story starts to take off.

I love that the authors do not shy away from anything. This story is unabashed in desires, dreams, heat, passion, and erotica. Also in triggers like murder, stalking, abuse, and more.

The characters, while rife with issues, are protective and infatuated in their growing work relationship. Lines are blurred and the heat and steam grow. The story is fast-paced and so hard to stop reading. I was addicted to this book!

Strike and Burn is dark in many ways but sexy with trigger warnings all over this one. It really became an obsession to finish and the end was … wow! It’s not a book to be missed if you love dark romance built on passion, not twisted relationships. So good!!

Strike and Burn by Taylor Hutton sizzles from the very beginning. This is a great book for someone interested in dipping their toes in dark romance without it being too dark in the romance aspect. This book has multiple POV’s between Honor Stone and Strike Madden including flashbacks to Honor growing up in a neglected and abusive home that shaped who she is when she gets to know Strike Madden. This book is fast paced and I honestly couldn’t put it down, and when I had to I was looking forward to when I could pick it up again. What I liked most about the dark MMC is that he is more of a protector instead of being a MMC that is essentially an abuser which seems to be the case with many dark romances. There is definitely a respect he has for Honor and never degrades her or force her to do anything. Please be advised of trigger warnings such as child abuse (learning about Honor’s childhood), domestic abuse (Honor’s parents and her sister, Grace’s boyfriend), and adult themes with explicit content.
4.5 stars

The premise of this sounded so good and I was intrigued at first. I liked the connection that Honor and Strike had and Honor and Grace’s backstory was compelling. Where I had issues were the characters themselves. They seemed too flat and one note. I wouldn’t loved to get more of an introspective on their feelings.
Overall, this was a good read.

I really wanted to like this book. I love romantic suspense because it gives me a little thriller and a little romance. However, this one fell flat for me in the suspense or thriller arena. Nothing really happened in that regard. There was talk of things happening, but it was all off page and never really played out. The romance was also mediocre for me. I hated that they started making out at a morgue of all places, and then he commits this grand gesture after they barely know each other. I did appreciate the glimpses into Honors past, but it juts wasn’t enough to make me understand where this story was going. I think I would have enjoyed it more had it been darker, rather than just alluding to darkness. Maybe I’ve read to many dark romances, but this wasn’t that either. I don’t really know what this book was, but it wasn’t exactly a book I enjoyed reading that much.

I absolutely loved the idea of this book and the plot was very interesting and unique. Unfortunately I had a hard time connecting to the characters and felt like they were written a bit one note. I still finished it and was intrigued by the overall story but wish the characters especially Strike had more growth and dynamics.

The premise of Strike and Burn really excited me, but unfortunately I felt a bit let down. The characters fell flat and I didn't feel like I needed to continue reading after 50%. There were redeeming moments.

This was GOOD! From the very beginning, I was intrigued by Honor's story and quickly became invested in the characters. I did wish there was a little more development with Strike, some of his secret side was vague.

I found myself intrigued by this one given how the overall story is billed — the manner in which the main characters meet, the overall conceit leading to their deeper connection — but it all fell flat for me as a result of juggling TOO many contrivances, particularly in relation to the MMC's wealth, and uneven pacing. It also felt like the book wanted to dip a toe into the darker side of Strike and Honor's romance a little too late, rather than embracing it early on and letting it crescendo to the place where it ends up. That said, there are VERY heavy elements woven through what's billed as more of a romantic suspense/thriller, but should probably be categorized as dark romance overall.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In Strike and Burn, Taylor Hutton delivers a gripping fusion of romance and suspense that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Honor Stone, grappling with the recent murder of her identical twin sister, finds herself in an emotionally charged encounter with the enigmatic billionaire Strike Madden in the most unexpected of places—the morgue. Despite her reservations and the weight of her grief, Honor is drawn into a thrilling and provocative world when Strike hires her as the lead artist for his erotic animation studio. Their undeniable chemistry and the complexities of their professional relationship create a tantalizing mix of business and pleasure.

As Honor navigates her new role, she becomes entangled in a dangerous game when her sister’s relentless killer turns his sights on her, unearthing painful secrets from her past. Strike's determination to protect her reveals dark truths about himself, leading to a passionate bond that neither of them can resist. Hutton's evocative storytelling skillfully intertwines elements of intrigue and desire, making Strike and Burn an intoxicating read that explores love, vulnerability, and the shadows that can haunt us. This novel is perfect for readers who enjoy a steamy romantic thriller with depth and intensity.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Taylor Hutton for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review of Strike and Burn!

Calling all fans of Emily McIntire’s Never After series, I’d like to introduce you to Strike Madden and Honor Stone. The whole time I was reading this book I felt like I was in a crossover episode of Law and Order and Days of Our Lives. This book has it all, the drama, the secrets, the angst, and the out of left field plot lines that are the reasons you devour daytime tv.

Honor’s just lost her twin sister, the only family she had left in the world, and she’s lost. So when she meets Strike - in a morgue no less - and feels an instant spark between them, the reader can already tell it’s bound to end up a raging inferno. And honestly, that's what these two are, a match made in fire, they are absolutely made for each other.

This dual POV romance paints both Strike and Honor’s backstories alongside the present day. We learn Strike is as rich as he is enigmatic and Honor, well she’s a talented artist with a flare for spice. These two clearly have their own demons, but they find solace in each other. As they are drawn closer together, we start to see those demons come out to play and reader’s follow along with bated breath to see if they’ll be able to walk through fire and come out whole on the other side.

This story is a bit on the darker side of romance. And while it is a Boss/Employee romance, please be aware that there are details of stalking, murder, and all the sordid details in between.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My review was posted on Goodreads 10/8/2024.
My Instagram review will be posted on 10/28/24.

I really enjoyed this book, my first by Taylor Hutton.
This book pulled me in from the first page, when we meet Honor and them Strike in a morgue.
I liked the dynamic between the two of them and the character growth, especially for Honor, during the story was great. I wish there had been a little more written about Strike's secret side, while the vigilante aspect of Strikes life seemed big, it wasn't given enough space to progress until the very end.
Both characters have been through it and both are extremely strong and resilient. At times, Honor's character annoyed me with her self-doubt but I was happy to see her grow and become more confident towards the end.
Great read: definitely recommend.

The writing kind of fell flat. I did enjoy the characters and the general idea of the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book is so hard to review; I loved the characters, the backstory, the description of art and sensuality. However, I feel like there was truly little character development on the side of our hero. When we finally learned why he is the way he is, I feel like we jumped from grieving husband/father to murderous vigilante; it felt like we were missing a whole story arc or revelation about how or when he originally turned down this path. It just felt like a huge gap that left me wanting more information.

The romance was a bit insta-love, but I can put up with it because of all the tension between the two main characters. It was delicious. And, when we finally got the...um, climax...it was so so good.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and read it rather quickly - but felt the ending wrapped up just too nicely with Strike's character development.

Intense from beginning to end with dual timelines and dual POV's, leaves readers with a suspenseful slow burn romance in Taylor Hutton's 'Strike and Burn.'

Grace and Honor are twins who have endured a lot in their lives when the worst imaginable happens - Grace dies on a camping trip with her boyfriend that is deemed an accident, but is it really? At one of her lowest points in life, Honor Stone, is standing in the morgue identifying her twin's body when she notices Strike Madden. Strike and Honor have an undeniable attraction; however, it's all wrong in timing, place, and circumstances. While it's never wise to mix business with pleasure, Strike Madden offers Honor a job with his creative erotic gaming studio as a concept artist. As embers build between Honor and Strike, Honor becomes the target of her sister's obsessive killer, leaving both Honor and Strike to confront and share their painful pasts.

'Strike and Burn' blurs the lines between love, beauty, pain, danger and desire.

Triggers are big in this book, so that definitely needs to be pointed out and readers should review those triggers before diving into this read.

4/5 Stars!

I liked the concept of this story and how things were unfolding but it really did fall a little flat for me. I thought there would be more plot but it was practically resolved midway through. I did however love Strike Madden our morally grey character but who was also a gentleman, and I also did like Honor but felt that her character had so much more room for growth.

The past and present POV’s I did like because we were able to see what Honor’s past was like and I think it was good insight into her family history but I also feel like not everything was necessary but the pivotal points that made really made us understand her. I did love that it was short chapters and a fast paced read and you never got bored of the storyline, however I did feel the ending also dragged a bit and didn’t really feel like an ending.

I still think it makes for a fun quick read and had some really heart wrenching moment where I felt so sad and had some great quotes that I did love.

3.5⭐️

Strike and Burn had all the twisty turns and romance that I was looking for. I didn’t know what to expect and while the writing wasn’t exactly my favorite, I still enjoyed this romantic thriller.

Wow, where do I even begin with this review? This book was absolutely fantastic. There’s just so much to digest in this book that it has taken me a couple days till I was ready to write my review. This book isn’t for the faint of heart, there are definitely some triggers, but it really gave me huge insight into these characters. They’ve both been through so much that there’s no way that they couldn’t have come together. They needed each other. From the very beginning when we meet Strike and Honor, you see that these are not your average characters. There’s some thing so much more to them. Through their back stories we find that they’re not the fluffy happy romance characters. These two will stick with me for quite a long time. Thank you for an absolutely excellent book that I will certainly be recommending.

Thrilling and intense! This breathless romantic thriller obliterates the line between danger and desire. The writing style is sharp and evocative, perfectly capturing the electric chemistry and relentless suspense. A must-read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Taylor Hutton’s 'Strike and Burn' is a captivating read that blends sizzling romance with thrilling suspense. Honor Stone, reeling from the tragic murder of her twin sister, finds herself drawn into the orbit of the enigmatic and alluring billionaire, Strike Madden. The story starts with a unique hook: a chance encounter in a morgue, where the raw grief and vulnerability of Honor collide with Strike's enigmatic appeal. Their connection is undeniable, but Honor is hesitant to embrace it, burdened by her sister's death and the fear of emotional entanglement. Hutton masterfully builds tension through the evolving dynamic between Honor and Strike. He offers her a job at his erotic animation studio, a dangerous mix of business and pleasure that pushes them closer together. The author's writing is evocative, painting vivid pictures of the studio's atmosphere and the intricate, often steamy, scenes between the protagonists. The suspense escalates when Honor becomes the target of her sister's obsessive killer, forcing her to confront a painful past and deeply buried secrets. The plot twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. While the romance is intense and passionate, it's the suspense that truly elevates 'Strike and Burn.' Hutton seamlessly weaves together the thrill of the chase with the emotional depth of Honor's journey, leaving you breathless and wanting more. Overall, Strike and Burn offers a thrilling reading experience. If you enjoy a captivating blend of romantic tension, and suspenseful plotlines, then this is a must read.