I found this story a bit darker than my usual preference, but I enjoyed it overall. I appreciated the chemistry between the female and male main characters, although I felt their story was somewhat rushed and could have benefited from more details about their time together. The level of spice was moderate for me. Without giving anything away, I didn't particularly care for the locations where the spicy scenes occurred, but the characters had great chemistry. I felt a deep sadness for the female main character, but I was also shocked to discover what she had done in her past to break free from her circumstances. I also felt sadness for the MMC. His story is so haunting. Oh, I wanted to add that I loved the artsy vibes a lot. As I'm very artsy too.

Honor Stone has had a tough life. And at one of her most miserable moments, she meets a gorgeous man in the morgue. Beautiful though he may be, she isn't interested in a man. When she reconnects later with Stone Madden he is so impressed by her art that he hires her to create art for his new erotic animation venture. Work becomes a sizzling mix of business and pleasure and when her sister's obsessive boyfriend re-enters her life they need to face the danger together.

Strike and Burn is a dark, sexy romance. Readers who like tough billionaires and down on their luck heroines will enjoy this fast paced story. Some moments were a bit unbelievable and the plot wrapped up a bit too tidily but this was quick enjoyable read.

3.5 stars

Listen, I’ve read my fair share of mafia books where the big, bad mafia man kills anyone who even thinks about disrespecting his partner. But this book? This book was something else.

I obviously knew there was something off about Strike—like, come on, the man screams “dangerous”—and I could have guessed he killed people. But the way that reveal happened?? Wild. It completely caught me off guard in the best way.

And don’t even get me started on the spice. I have read some crazy stuff in my time, but this book? This book might just top the charts. I don’t know how to put it into words, but when they say “A breathless romantic thriller that doesn’t just toe the line between danger and desire—it burns it to the ground,” they aren’t kidding. Like, that description is so accurate it hurts.

Beyond that, I really enjoyed this book. The dual POV was perfect, and Strike and Honor complimented each other SO well. Their dynamic just worked. Plus, the whole DME company concept? So unique. I’ve never read anything quite like it before, which made the book even more interesting.

If you’re looking for something intense, spicy, and completely unlike anything you’ve read before, Strike and Burn is it. Taylor Hutton delivered with this one.

DNF at 55%. This story isn’t for me. It started off strong with the meeting in the morgue, but the romance isn’t enough to redeem this story for me. I can’t handle Troy, and I’m not okay (spoiler warning) about the cat.

★★★½ (3.5/5)
"Strike and Burn" starts with such promise—Honor and Strike's chemistry crackles off the page, their banter genuinely entertaining. For the first half, I was fully invested in this romantic thriller with its murder mystery backdrop.
But somewhere along the way, the story loses its footing. The intriguing premise gives way to familiar tropes: billionaire hero, damsel in distress, with erotic elements overshadowing the suspense I'd been enjoying. By the final third, both plot and characters unravel, leaving me disappointed by what could have been.
Despite its flaws, those early chapters held enough charm that I can't completely write it off. Sometimes an imperfect escape is exactly what we need—I just wish this one had maintained its initial spark throughout.

When Honor and Strike meet, they never think they will be on a dark journey of mystery, lust, and intrigue. Honor just faced a devasting loss. She was left all alone in the world after her twin sister was murdered. Strike saw something in her, and he offered her a place in his world. When danger presents itself, they both cling to each other despite the past and future threatening to destroy them and their passion.

This story is not at all what I thought it would be. I thought this would have been a romantic suspense thriller. It was very heavy on the romance. A darker romance than I had anticipated. I think the characters’ emotions were all over the place. I could not get a real feel for them together. The suspense and thrill of the twin sister’s killer targeting her kind of got pushed to the side. I expected more intensity and drama. Instead, I got a lot of erotica. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t mind, but I went into this with different expectations.

The characters never really grow from the time they meet in the beginning until the end. Honor is alone and dealing with a lot. The attraction to Strike is undeniable. He is rich and sexy. The spice level is off the charts. This read is for the people who love a little smut in their romance.

Strike is a character that I never felt like I really knew. As a reader, he remained a mystery outside of the surface and physical intimacy he showed. I wish the author would have delved further into his character. At least with Honor, we got past POV, which showed a bit of development and pain.

Honestly, I did not really know how to rate this story because I still do not know how to categorize it. It did not leave an impression on me despite me reading it all in one sitting. However, I would still recommend it for fans of dark romance stories.

~ Samantha

I had hoped this was going to be a darker romantic suspense/thriller situation, but it’s not necessarily what was given. I was captivated at the beginning but it didn’t hold my attention. Hopefully this will work for other readers.

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Read If You Like:
- Dark romance with suspenseful elements
- Complex, morally ambiguous characters
- High-stakes, intense narratives
- Themes of trauma and healing
- Steamy, slow-burn chemistry

This gripping romantic thriller weaves a powerful narrative of grief, healing, and unexpected love. The story centers on Honor Stone, a woman devastated by the murder of her identical twin sister. The trauma of losing her sibling is compounded by the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death, leaving Honor with more questions than answers. In the midst of her turmoil, she meets Strike Madden, a billionaire with a shadowy past, in an unexpected encounter at a morgue. Their connection is immediate, though initially fraught with tension and distrust.

Strike, whose life is filled with both luxury and secrets, operates an exclusive erotic animation studio. When Honor finds herself entangled in his world, their interactions evolve into a slow-burn romance, one that is as much about unraveling dark mysteries as it is about healing emotional wounds. As their relationship intensifies, Honor becomes the target of a relentless killer—someone obsessed with her sister and her. This introduces a high-stakes element that propels the plot forward, keeping readers at the edge of their seats.

The narrative is rich with suspense, as Honor must confront her past while navigating a complex, often dangerous, relationship with Strike. Both characters are deeply layered, with their own personal demons and vulnerabilities that make them more than just romantic leads—they are survivors, shaped by their histories. The chemistry between Honor and Strike is intense and raw, evolving naturally over time, as they both uncover truths about themselves and each other.

The pacing is masterfully done, with the plot weaving between moments of tension, mystery, and introspective reflection. The romance itself is a slow burn, building gradually as the characters grow closer, and it’s clear that their connection is based on something deeper than mere attraction. Themes of healing from trauma, confronting fear, and embracing vulnerability are explored in a way that adds emotional weight to the suspenseful elements.

For readers who enjoy dark romance, complex characters, and high-stakes drama, this novel offers a perfect mix of danger, passion, and emotional depth. It’s a gripping read that not only explores the darker aspects of love but also the resilience of the human spirit.

Thank you so much Berkley for my ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Taylor Hutton for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This one was just okay for me. I don’t think it was set up great, but I did enjoy the concept.

Honor had great character development, but for being dual POV, I don’t feel like we really got to know Strike. I did like the ending - Honor really came into herself and her rough hand and made it work for her.

The plot of this book was really intriguing but didn't read like a romance more of a mystery with some romantic elements. As the reader you have to be prepared for DV and a side character who cannot have grown because she's dead.

3.5 rounded up.

This book started out really well, definitely enjoying the slow burn and the tension brewing between Strike and Honor. It was around the 70% mark I think that I felt like everything happened out of order. While I know this is all a work of fiction and things happen in life that are unpredictable, but for the story and the tension built up by the characters, it was all out of order for me.

The majority of the book had good build up, the HEA feel flat for me

Strike and Burn is a romantic suspense story about Honor, who is morning the death of her twin sister, and is about to be hunted by her killer. In quite possibly the most unconventional meet cute, she meets the hero in the morgue over the body of her sister. Color me intrigued.

Strike, our brooding billionaire, swoops in to help Honor. The danger is real for Honor and it has already taken her sister. There is certainly lots of sizzle between Honor and Strike. Like, a LOT. This book is almost what I would consider erotica. See, the suspense plot kind of resolves without much fan fair and the focus becomes the sex between these 2. Again, that isn’t a bad thing if that is the book you are looking for. However, I thought the premise of this story was so good and it just missed the target by a lot. It isn’t a bad book; it just isn’t what I expected from the the first several chapters. This could have been a 5 star read, but the pacing was wonky and the characters were flat. There are also 2 timelines, which can be done excellently, but in this case I think it hurt the overall story pacing even more.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was really intrigued by the premise of this novel, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

I understood that Honor was all alone after the loss of her sister, which set the stage for a compelling story. However, the novel seemed to focus more on the sexual tension between the billionaire MMC and the damsel-in-distress FMC, rather than the thriller/suspense elements I was expecting. At times, it gave off dark romance vibes rather than a true suspenseful thriller. If it had been marketed as dark romance, I think I would have leaned into it more, as I enjoy that genre.

I also found myself losing interest in Honor’s internal monologue about receiving help from Strike—it felt repetitive after a while. Additionally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the flashbacks, as they sometimes took me out of the story.

That said, this book had potential, and I still think others will enjoy it—especially those who love billionaire romance with darker undertones.

I didn't read the synopsis of this book before I started reading it and I was immediately drawn into the story. Honor and Strike are two lost souls that somehow find each other and are recognized by their lonely hearts. The chemistry is immediate and the sparks fly whenever they're together. I really enjoyed the suspenseful aspect and seeing how it played out. It's dark, deeper than I would've expected, and a bit spicy. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators do a fabulous job bringing this novel to life.

Strike and Burn blurbs and gives cover like a romantic thriller, but it reads like an average dark romance with a nice comedic edge. I actually had some fun reading it until I got to the last 30% of the book, and then it just felt like the book was not only too long but it started to fall apart in almost every way.

I knew almost from the beginning this wasn’t going to be the most well-written novel. That’s okay, you know? Sometimes you just want to read a diverting story and the plot for Strike and Burn definitely sounds diverting right now. I even had fun with the comedic bantering, to a certain extent. The main characters of this book, Honor and Strike, just couldn’t maintain consistency throughout the length of this book and it showed.

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews rated three stars or under will not appear on my social media. Thank you.

What a book by Taylor Hutton! This dark, thriller romance book blew me away. Strike Madden and Honor Stone are electrifying, gritty MCs whose tragic backstories continue to unfold as their chemistry continues to grow. I usually don't love a lot of 🌶️ but for whatever reason it worked for me in this book...maybe since it was a thriller?! Recommend this if you like darker romances, morally grey MMCs, nightmares, tragic backstories and dual POVs. Lots of triggers throughout on loss, grief and abuse. Keep wavering from solid 3.5 to 4 stars. Rounding up for sure!

This was okay. I finished it because I was intrigued but parts of the plot didn’t really make sense or were random/didn’t feel like they fit and the romance was very underdeveloped for me.

This book never got off the ground, truly never enough of anything. Billed romantic thriller, when truly its more dark romance. The relationship was rushed, and superficial. Overall, it was a weak execution with too many cliches in romance reads.

Thank you, Berkley Romance

A complicated love story featuring two broken people scarred by trauma and loss who get wrapped up in each other and who ultimately take vengeance into their own hands. Good on audio and recommended for fans of authors like Colleen Hoover and books like A serial killer's guide to marriage. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

CW: parental abuse & neglect

This is a love or hate book. There isn't much gray area. It's dark. It's messy. It's cringe. It's not for everyone. Where am I? I am in the absolute love category. I absolutely loved these characters. I cried in the end. All the stars.