Had me until the ending!

I loved reading this book from the literal first page! The dedication had me...the playlist at the start I thought was amazing as well!

I loved how honest Anora was in facing her "light stalker" Quentin. Failed previous dating attempts, a dark attractive stranger, an attempt at self preservation only to realise they're so much more connected than she thought! I even found myself justifying Quentin's actions (mostly) as we learn more about him.

What I found wanting, and the only reason for the 3 stars, was the ending. I found it rushed, abrupt, and didn't match the tone of the rest of the book.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Portland Slasher was a character of patience, resolve, and vengeance. The way Angel was just dispatched so quickly was really unsatisfying for me and was a glaring disconnect with the rest of the book and the slasher's character. I found myself asking why we spent so much time learning about the slasher: his reputation for taking his time and terrifying his targets with his taunting only for this final kill to just...end.

Anora's journey to healing was realistic, and her getting back to Quentin I found to be totally justified. But then, she just went to his apartment and had a shower...and that was it! After the steamy romance in this book it ended with a shower...and then pregnancy?! The whole dark feel of the book seemed to be thrown right out the window which unfortunately just put a bitter taste in my mouth. Not everything needs to be finished with a cute bow, and I feel this novel would've hit a lot harder if it would've ended with the same vibe that it started.

Arc review.

I liked the book, and I really liked the personages in the book.
The friendships were amazing!
And this book is full of potential.

But it was to fast paced for me personally.
I would have loved this if it was longer or maybe even a duet?
It just went to quick, and I had trouble following the time frame in the book.

I did enjoy reading it, so a 3,5.

I absolutely loved the serial killer trope & the horror/thriller vibes.
But please read the trigger warnings before reading!
Your mental health is important.

A lot of love to everyone involved for the arc!

Loved it.
This was such a fantastic read. It was dark, edgy, and full of tension.

Fast-paced and absolutely delicious, I devoured this book.

This was my first book from this author, but it was definitely not my last.

First off thank you NetGalley & Azala Romance for this opportunity to read this book.

Second I already knew after reading Vera’s first book that I was going to love this one. And boy did I. 🥵😍

Quentin was in his revenge era after his little sister was hurt. He was taking done every bad man out there. Especially the ones who were involved with his sister.

Until he spots Anora in the coffee shop. Then his motives change to get to know her. And boy does he push his way into her life.

But will she accept him and the path he’s been on?

“This man has just made it to the top of my shit list.” - Anora

This scene had me screaming and laughing 🤣🤣

Must read and also read her first book. 💕

This was such a solid, fantastic read. It’s a Slasher/Stalker romance that kinda has a forced proximity in the start but their relationship starts so weirdly that by the time they get together it so weirdly endearing. I enjoyed that we got some backstory and also that the plot itself was moving forward with just enough spice. Definitely enjoyed the pining he had for her. There can never be enough pining.

I do think that there could have been more development with the characters and the storyline. It did feel rushed and that there could be a lot more instances of him trying to dodge his kills with juggling the buddying relationship. It would have added more depth to it. But it still kept pace if a rad too fast.

I was a tad surprised at the epilogue baby though. Usually that’s not a trope within the serial killer type romance unless there is heavy erm breeding kink mentioned in the storyline.

Overall, this is definitely going to my trophy shelf and buying a paperback when it comes out.

Thank you to the publisher for this eARC and this review is my honest opinion.

This was absolutely amazing!! The main characters were stunningly loveable! The storyline was loveable and I loved the plot development. The character development was amazing.

The only issue I'd have is the format switching now and again but other than that I loved it

The book was my first by Vera, and while it wasn't my top read, I still really liked it!
I felt things were slightly rushed and I wish it was longer, but I am looking forward to the next one!

i am sadly gonna have to dnf this one 😔 the cover looked intriguing and from the description, it seemed like an interesting enough read but i don’t care for the writing style and i can’t see myself enjoying this further 🫣

I feel like this book had a lot of potential and it was an interesting concept. However, it moved too fast for me. I feel like their relationship and events would have benefited from being deeper and further planned out. It was a quick read and mostly enjoyable, I just would have appreciated more character building.

Thanks Netgalley for the arc!

I love a good horror/serial killer story, but Yours to Take confused me about what it was trying to be.

The romance element fell flat. If the love interest is supposed to be compelling, he should be more charming or dangerous. Instead, he lacked the appeal of a suave vampire or a slasher villain with a twisted allure. I mention these because of the Klaus quote and the nod to Ghostface.

The main character felt shallow, and the big reveal to her was handled in a way that didn’t land. She either needed to react more strongly or lean into Stockholm Syndrome (even though HE did not kidnap her, but you know the vibe), but instead, it was a weird in-between. And that epilogue? A surprise baby? Really? That trope felt completely out of place.

On the plus side, the book was short enough that I finished it quickly, but the pacing was too fast to allow for actual character development. The dark warnings at the beginning made me expect something intense, but what I got was underwhelming.