Right so the synopsis for this book gives little away and I was in the mood for a dark romance but a shorter read. However it soon became a problematic book for me, not due to the primal play, but how negative connotations and steriotypes were used! We follow Storee and Locke. Locke was her dads best friend before he died and is now her guardian (shes an adult but he promised to take care of her)! He has feelings for her and is battling them (well trying lol). He watches her from the shadows, obsessed with keeping her safe. Storee has been in love with Locke since she was 18, but like Locke wont admit it out loud. Even though Locke is a millionaire who wants to look after her she refuses and works odd jobs for money much to his annoyance.
The small town is not quite normal 😂 Lots of criminal activity, danger, sex parties and Locke owns The Vault, a kink based sex club. After the harvest moon each year there is The Hunt! Woman have the option to take part, if you decide its for you then you change your porch bulb to red. Then comes the Primal Play! The men wear animal skull masks and hunt a woman through the woods, if he catches her he can do as he pleases. Both sides know what they are agreeing too, there are rules and everyones vetted for diseases. The following day the woman are left a basket of VERY expensive gifts on the porch (not sure how I feel about that, many do it for the money) and it's anonymous, so the woman don't know who they f*cked.
You can guess where this is going right!? Storee is against it but......Then I DNFd the book sadly!
As a Pagan myself one thing that did bother me about this book is the constant referral to the parties and hunt as....'its a pagan like THING', 'people will be dressed all pagan and shit'.....like this is pagan behaviour on any level! Primal Play is a sex kink, not related to the path of paganism but based on the primal instincts of humans when they were more connected to their animal/primal urges (think cave man). The more these out dated beliefs, incorrect statements and negative connotations towards people's spiritual beliefs were made, the more I was losing interest in this author.
If you have read Lights Out the very end has a Primal Play scene in the woods done very well!
I don't normally review a DNF but in this case it wasn't just a book not for me, I was offended. Done well I think this book could have been great but I found the author uneducated in the terms she was using and statements she was making. Paganism is a recognised religion in many countries, this is feeding into incorrect negative and outdated connotations/stereotypes. Making out their 'debauchery' (Locke's own words) is based on pagan beliefs or activities.

If you like dark romance this one is for you!
The age gap and mafia/ secret society trope they had going on in the book was addictive and I enjoyed the ride

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – Dark, Primal, and Deliciously Sinful

Heathens by Alta Hensley is a seductive plunge into the depths of primal desire, where the line between hunter and prey blurs in the most tantalizing ways. From the moment the chase begins, the intensity never lets up, delivering a dark and twisted game of submission that is as thrilling as it is sinful.

The spice in this book is off the charts—raw, uninhibited, and dripping with tension. The dynamic between the characters is electric, filled with an undeniable chemistry that kept me eagerly turning the pages. The masked hunt, the possessive edge, and the unrelenting passion all came together in a way that made this story impossible to put down.

While I loved the intensity, I did find myself wanting just a bit more depth in the emotional connection between the characters outside of the primal play. A little more exploration of their relationship beyond the chase would have made this a five-star read for me.

That being said, Heathens delivers exactly what it promises—a dark, intoxicating, and wildly erotic experience. If you’re in the mood for something primal, possessive, and unapologetically steamy, this one absolutely delivers.

The narrators are definitely what made this book, they did an amazing job!

Okay I didn’t absolutely love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I just had a really hard time connecting to the characters and felt like everything was kind of drawn out. Like I was waiting for something really big to happen…then it didn’t. Felt like we were missing some details that would be importantly to Story and Locks relationship,

Please check your trigger warnings before getting into this book.

Forbidden
Age gap
Dad's best friend
Primal Hunter/ prey

this book was very intriguing to me, I was hooked with the tropes cause age gap with dads best friend yes please sign me up 😅

if your looking for a book with a solid plot keep scrolling. This book does lack in the plot department but the spice be spicing.

The summary book was very interesting to me, I just felt there wasn't a lot going on between the spicy scenes.

All in all it was a good listen, the narrator was great
Thank-you dreamscape and netgalley she the ALC in exchange for an honest review

The narrators were great and easy to listen to. The story was interesting with a good bit of spice, and definitely a lil dark and twisted at times. Overall, it was fast paced and enjoyable if you like dark romance.

This was a pretty good read. The book features the FMC Storee who signs up to be in a hunt to make extra money. She also happens to have a thing for her dad's overbearing best friend. The hunt seemed to unlock something in her she didn't know she wanted. The story and audiobook was enjoyable if not a little predictable. The fmc is VERY stubborn but not quite unlikeable and the Mmc is extremely protective.

First off I’d like to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

This audiobook is SPICY! If you like dads best friend, cat and mouse, masked men, CNC and more then this is for you! But PLEASE check trigger ❌warnings before you start! This book has little plot but lots of spice and is a quick and easy read!

I honestly loved the plot and would love to learn more about it! This was my first book by this author but will not be my last! I’m obsessed with The FMC Storee and MMC Locke and wish I could have learned more about them. I love a fast-paced super spicy book that leaves me wanting more!🩷

Of this sounds like it’s up your alley then I absolutely recommend reading this book!

This book wasn’t for me. I wish there was more plot or I should say that the plot was explored more than it was. I was left wanting more of the plot. I would still recommend this to my readers as I think it’s still something a lot of dark romance readers would enjoy.

Hahaahahahha this book was not it. Okay don’t get me wrong, the first 1/2 is decent and engaging. But the. I feel like it just, idk, fell apart. Went nowhere?

This was a quick read. Fast paced. Forbidden Dad's Best Friend trope. I enjoyed it as something to pass the time. Would I go desperately recommending to my friends? Probably not, but if Dad's Best Friend is your jam, give it a try! The narrators were great! I wasn't annoyed with they did the opposite sex voices, but I would have enjoyed it more are a duet. The scenes were spicy! It was fast paced, and some plot.

Is Primal Play and Age-Gap your kink? (Because it sure as hell is mine.) Then you’ll be all over this like sweat on a man who’s been chasing his prey through the woods all night.

First off—Stag mask. Hell yes. Finally, something other than a tired, overused 90s slasher mask, you read everywhere now. This is creativity. This is “I’m about to be hunted through the trees, and I’ve never been more turned on.”

Now, let’s talk about what’s inside this wolf pack of yes, please. We’ve got a large age gap—no exact numbers given, but she’s early 20s, and he’s her dead dad’s best friend, which puts him somewhere 40s? 50s? It doesn't matter when the man is built and ready for a hunt. And oh, does he. (I only have one nit pick with the age-gap which will be at the bottom.)

Plot? Minimal. Smut? Overwhelmingly high. It’s a full send into the depths of a primal play sex club where the whole damn town is either knows about it or has at least taken a turn in the woods. Plus, there is a nice pay day at the end of it.

Now, onto the real kicker: anonymous hunters, no names, no faces, all instinct. If they catch you, you’re theirs. Consensually, of course. There are rules. There’s structure. But once you turn on that red light? Oh, sweetheart, the games begin. And I was obsessed.

Only two things made me pause. One: The male lead (a.k.a. Daddy’s bestie) casually mentions he’s had a crush on her for a while. Which… before she was legal? That was the impression I was getting, which, eh, not my cup of tea. Two: The word “Hollow” was used so many times I thought I’d fallen into an echo chamber.

That aside? Absolute fire. If primal play, an age-gap so wide you need a bridge to cross it, and being chased through the woods by a masked man who’s very motivated to claim you is your thing—this book DELIVERS. (Yeah, say all that fast in one breath. Lol)

Audiobook: A+ on the narrators. They did a really good job!

The audio is good. The story....meh.

I saw stalker, age gap (dad's best friend), dark romance and jumped at the chance to listen. Honestly though, the plot is just so.....not there. I feel like there could have been such potential but it fell so flat for me. When Storee and Locke weren't doing the deed, NOTHING was happening. Lots of filler.

If you want to listen to straight smut, you'll like this. If you want more depth with it, this is not the book for you.

I was first book by Atla Hensley but it definitely won’t be the last. This was also my first story with primal play in it. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it but I was pleasantly impressed. All of the characters were fleshed out and relatable. The storyline was a bit predictable however it was very enjoyable. This is a very interesting town however I do wish we got to see more of it. I’m excited for the next book.

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.