I wasn’t first book by Atla Hensley but it definitely won’t be the last. This was also my first book with primal play. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about but I was pleasantly impressed. All of the characters were fleshed out and relatable.

The tropes are:
Fathers best friend
Primal Play
Secret longing
Stalker

The narration was very good and I would definitely recommend this book and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape media and Atla Hensley for this ALC.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc
This book was not what I expected from the blurb but still very enjoyable and would continue on with the series.

Facepalm. What did I just listen to? I walked into this with an open mind- mayhap a bit too open and naive.

Genre: Dark Modern Romance

Reaction: Based on the description, I expected this would be an edgy, sleep-town romance. Instead, what I got was a story heavy on steamy scenes and light on actual plot. I acknowledge that the author was skillful in setting scenes and descriptions. The characters were intriguing, with a real sense of their logic, backstory, and desires.

It was just not for me.

The narrators infused the story with emotion and intensity, elevating the drama and compelling the listening experience. My advice is to know what you are getting into before diving into this one.

This is an honest review (sponsored through NetGalley) from someone who reads spicy romance but not fiery romance.

3.9/5 stars

Keywords: Alpha Male, Stalker, Hunted, Domination, Explicit scenes, and Morally Grey Characters

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC.

This was entertaining. The premise was interesting and I enjoyed that no one batted an eye at the taboo nature of this town.
Also, the dynamic between Story** and Locke** was pretty hot.
This isn't as dark as I was expecting, but it was decently smutty and a low angst read.

A deliciously intense dark romance. Primal play and age gap done right! Loved it! Check your triggers.

This is a dark romance with no romance. Maybe I need to adjust my expectations with a dark romance, but I feel like you can't call it a "romance" if there is no type of "romance". The FMC is 21 or 22 maybe? We don't get an exact age, but she is early 20s and old enough to drink. Our MMC is mid-50s, maybe late 40s. He's described as "middle-aged". The MMC is our FMC's dad's BFF and Dad was murdered no one knows who did it but Dad was into the same shady stuff. Although so is our MMC. Ok, so Heathen's Hollow is an island town somewhere in the Puget Sound, I'm guessing not too far from Seattle as they mention the rich guys from Seattle come to the island for the crazy debauchery that the island provides. This tiny island is full of crime lords, sex clubs, and the hunt. The hunt starts on the hunter's moon and women consent to being hunted by placing a red bulb in their porch light and turning it on. They have to register and get STD screened before too, but the actual consent is turning on the light. Once the light is on you can't change your mind and a man in a bone mask chases her then can do whatever he wants to her. Our MMC is co-owner of the town's sex club and he's forbidden Storee (our FMC) to go as club owners they are in charge of the hunt and know who participates.
So what gets me is, like I said, no romance. The MMC stalks the FMC to make sure that she's safe, but has caught feelings, and has had feelings "for a long time"....which is disturbing as she is barely an adult and he's fully grown and he's known her, her literal whole life. But she has a crush on him as well, cause he's an attractive bossy old man.
The characters themselves aren't that interesting, yes they have some spicy scenes, but the club scenes are very tame. Overall, actually, for a dark "romance" this is kind of tame. It isn't necessarily dark, they have rougher spicy scenes, but the dark you see in these types isn't really here. With that being said, the premise is interesting, and it has potential but these characters weren't it.
I almost forgot! The narrators did a great job with the material they had.

Thank you Alta Hensley and Netgalley for this ALC. This isn’t my usual genre / trope but I found it to be engaging and intriguing. I guess I was surprised because usually age gap kind of grosses me out but it didn’t seem to be too out of my comfort zone the way Hensley wrote it which was great! I loved the concept of the hunt and while it’s definitely dark - it wasn’t off-putting like some dark romances I’ve read. It’s definitely not a Haunted/hunted level of darkness which I was glad about. Overall I liked the characters and the plot but I wish we got a little more depth in the backstory of the characters and the origin of the Hunt.

This book had an intriguing premise with its dark, primal themes and the mysterious Pagan Hunt ritual, but overall, it landed somewhere in the middle for me. The dynamic between Storee and Locke had potential, but Locke’s overbearing possessiveness often felt more frustrating than enticing. While I understood Storee’s hesitation to push back, I wish she had asserted herself more, especially when certain boundaries were crossed.

The spice was solid, and the darker, suspenseful elements at the beginning set up an exciting tone, but the story quickly lost momentum. The Hunt itself—one of the more unique aspects of the book—felt underutilized, appearing only briefly instead of being fully explored. The rest of the book became a cycle of arguments and steamy scenes, which, while entertaining, didn’t add much depth.

As for the audiobook, it was a solid production. The two voice actors did a great job bringing the characters to life, staying in character, and delivering the right emotions for each scene. There weren’t any issues with the narration or audio quality, making for an easy listening experience.

It was a quick read with an interesting concept, but it didn’t quite live up to its full potential.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ☆ ☆ (3/5)
Spicy Level: 🌶 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️☆ (4/5)


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Alta Hensley for providing me an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

This audiobook was pretty good. I was intrigued about it and listened to the whole thing within 2 days. The concept/plot is there and it held so much promise. However there was some dialogue/wording that threw me off in some areas. The narrators were good at bringing voices to the characters.

This book had a lot of potential to it, but it didn’t hit the mark. I love a good dark romance and taboo romance. I wouldn’t consider this a dark romance either. It wanted to be a dark romance, but again it missed the mark. On the night of the hunt Storee puts her red light in and it is game one for all who play. Lacke her dad’s best friend only wants her and will stop at nothing to make her his own. Locke doesn’t let anyone else hunt her but himself and will kill anyone who does.
The book was a little bit all over the place between the sex club, the hunt, and trying to make her love him. Also I’m sorry but spanking her?? I read a lot of dark romance but that was just ick.

Late fathers best friend, age gap, primal kink, & more smut than plot. Heathens was a great quick listen! It was hot, steamy and I may not be a huge fan of the characters names but I loved the smutty scenes.
The narrators Marie Hawkins & Robin Blake were fantastic and at 2x speed they were both very easy to understand.

This one delivers on the dark, primal vibes it promises—intense, immersive, and heavy on the hunt. The tension is solid, and if you’re here for the aesthetic of bone masks and feral obsession, you’ll get exactly that.

But beyond the surface-level intensity, it doesn’t quite stick the landing. The characters feel more like archetypes than fully developed people, and the relationship dynamic leans more into the game than actual chemistry. The tension is there, but the emotional depth? Not so much. Some scenes started to blur together, and I never really felt the stakes.

If you’re in it purely for the dark fantasy and primal play, this will scratch that itch. But if you need more than just the chase, you might walk away wanting a little more.

I’m very disappointed in this one. It sounded like something I would love and was within my genre, but I think I’m just underwhelmed. It held so much promise but fell flat. I didn’t relate to the characters and found them contradicting themselves a fair bit.

Not my cup of tea I’m sorry to say.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio copy of this book for review.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
The glaring issue I have with this book is the FMC's name....Storee. To the point it was distracting me when I was supposed to be enjoying the smutty smut scenes. Now that I have that out of the way I have mixed feelings about the actual storee (sorry) story. The plot tried really hard to plot, and it was definitely dark and had many taboo elements and that's actually what made it an enjoyable smut fairytale type story. My other wtf moment was when the sex party club night dress code was "pagan" and really all the descriptions given were skimpy and sexy. It made me wonder if the author knows what most pagans and even heathens generally wear, especially to gatherings, or if they confuse those terms with festival fashion and hedonists. The dead dad side plot could have been removed completely and not changed the book. If you want some primal hunter/prey, age gap, taboo smut with a very, very controlling MMC, this is a decent short read for that. I would give book two a chance.

This was a dual POV book narrated by Marie Hawkins and Robin Blake. Marie did nothing for me but the whole Storee character did nothing for me either. Robin Blake kept this book afloat for me and was easy on the ears. My immersion was not great for many reasons, more so on the story but Robin's voice during some of the smut scenes was more likely to make me laugh than anything else.

Thank you Dreamscape Media via Netgalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this and so ready for more. Listening to this, I ate it right up! The narrators were great, the dialogue was great, the concept I fell for.
I loved how dark and spooky this is, the protective/possessive MMC, the stalking, the masks, the spice. I don't think I have read/listened to something with this concept. This is one of those where I wish I immersive read because I feel like there is so much more to understand than what I listened to.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ALC.

Heathens by Alta Hensley is the first book in Heathens Hollow series. It's dark, primal, and intense. If you’re into books that blur the line between danger and desire, this one absolutely delivers.

Storee and Locke have this tension simmering between them, and when she signs up for The Hunt? Ohhh, it gets wild. The whole setup is dark and taboo, with Locke shifting from protector to predator in the most sinisterly sexy way. I loved the audiobook! The narrators, Marie Hawkins and Robin Blake, did an amazing job bringing the story to another level!

If you love your dark romance unapologetic, primal, and toeing the edge of too much (in the best way), Heathens is definitely a must read/listen!

Heathens Honest ARC Audiobook Review:

Hello Plot twist! This was well done! Complex characters that developed further throughout the novel. Independent, fierce FMC. Touch her and die, genuine and caring MMC. Sexy and Spicy. Romantic. Primal, untamed… the Hunt.

This is Definitely 💯 one to add to your TBR list!

A year after the death of her father, Storee finds herself adrift. She is working multiple jobs that she hates and isn’t going in any particular direction.
Enter Locke.

I really enjoyed this story and all the interesting twists. Thank you for sharing this ARC with me.

This was amazing to listen to! The narrators were perfect. It was so easy to listen to, even at 2x. DON'T COME AT ME. Dark billionaire stalker romance? I ate this up and left no crumbs. Storee and Locke are an unlikely couple, but ohhh mannn I loved them together.

10/10, no notes.

Age Gap
Alphahole
Forbidden
Jealous/Possessive
Billionaire Romance
Stalker Romance
Party Club
Spicy

This was a short but delicious primal play and age gap romance. I don't normally like age gap but this one was okay. I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed the narrator's. Well done!

I absolutely loved the audio. The catch was wild, and the way it played with sensual games was crazy but captivating. It was dark, sensual, and had this forbidden romance element that kept me hooked. The age gap dynamic added a layer of complexity that was intriguing, and then there's the murder mystery to unravel. The suspense built up so perfectly, and I can’t wait for the next part to see where it all goes! The whole vibe was just so intense and thrilling.