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The Blackwell Brothers #1
Heron Mill
Mother says I'm strange.
After hiding me away in a school for twelve years, her new husband wants me home. To be a family.
Out in the middle of nowhere, the Blackwell family's stone mansion stands tall. Heron Mill is hidden, tucked away deep in the forest, surrounded by nothing but trees. Something nefarious hides here. A sinister secret decaying in its basement.
And then there's him.
My new stepbrother is unusual.
The things he does, different. His behaviour, curious. The way his dark eyes watch me from the shadows when he thinks I don't notice, unnatural.
Wrong.
I can feel the darkness inside of him, cold and vicious. A sickness, something contagious, a poison seeping into my bones, disturbing something that long lied dormant. Something inside of me is starting to awaken and I'm really not sure it's something good.
*Heron Mill is a standalone, dark, MF, stepbrother, forbidden, horror, love story. The relationship in this book is dark and twisted, everything that happens is balancing on a knifes edge. This is not light or fluffy. It's dark and gritty. Please, if you do not enjoy being pushed too far, do not pick up this book.*
*Please read with caution, the characters in this book do not and will not conform to society's standards or normalities. This book does have a happy ever after.*
Content Warning - primal kink, blood play, knife play, spit play, fear, violence, murder, corpses, grief, heavy mental health topics, drugs, domestic abuse, child neglect.
After hiding me away in a school for twelve years, her new husband wants me home. To be a family.
Out in the middle of nowhere, the Blackwell family's stone mansion stands tall. Heron Mill is hidden, tucked away deep in the forest, surrounded by nothing but trees. Something nefarious hides here. A sinister secret decaying in its basement.
And then there's him.
My new stepbrother is unusual.
The things he does, different. His behaviour, curious. The way his dark eyes watch me from the shadows when he thinks I don't notice, unnatural.
Wrong.
I can feel the darkness inside of him, cold and vicious. A sickness, something contagious, a poison seeping into my bones, disturbing something that long lied dormant. Something inside of me is starting to awaken and I'm really not sure it's something good.
*Heron Mill is a standalone, dark, MF, stepbrother, forbidden, horror, love story. The relationship in this book is dark and twisted, everything that happens is balancing on a knifes edge. This is not light or fluffy. It's dark and gritty. Please, if you do not enjoy being pushed too far, do not pick up this book.*
*Please read with caution, the characters in this book do not and will not conform to society's standards or normalities. This book does have a happy ever after.*
Content Warning - primal kink, blood play, knife play, spit play, fear, violence, murder, corpses, grief, heavy mental health topics, drugs, domestic abuse, child neglect.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 27, 2022
413 people are currently reading
3,172 people want to read
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August 5, 2022
1.5*
liked:
-concept
-vibes
-dual virgins
disliked
- bad writing: overly descriptive with no action, very repetitive, both hero and heroine povs used the same words I'm looking at you bony knuckles , long paragraphs and very odd choices of words meant to sound more polished but it did the opposite. Also who says "my dark eyebrows dip low"? save those descriptors for the opposite pov looking in.
-badly written trauma. I understood the heroine's past and what happened to her, but she came across as a simpleton (to not use the r word) who should have no business doing adult stuff. reading their sexy times was uncomfortable because she was written like a ten year old at times and then like a siren in other instances. the duality didn't work for me
-poorly fleshed out characters. I think the trauma ended up being cardboard because the characters themselves were pretty cardboard.
-the kinks came out of nowhere. I love primal play, but that just... it reminded me of rina kent's thorns duet where it was just out of nowhere.
liked:
-concept
-vibes
-dual virgins
disliked
- bad writing: overly descriptive with no action, very repetitive, both hero and heroine povs used the same words I'm looking at you bony knuckles , long paragraphs and very odd choices of words meant to sound more polished but it did the opposite. Also who says "my dark eyebrows dip low"? save those descriptors for the opposite pov looking in.
-badly written trauma. I understood the heroine's past and what happened to her, but she came across as a simpleton (to not use the r word) who should have no business doing adult stuff. reading their sexy times was uncomfortable because she was written like a ten year old at times and then like a siren in other instances. the duality didn't work for me
-poorly fleshed out characters. I think the trauma ended up being cardboard because the characters themselves were pretty cardboard.
-the kinks came out of nowhere. I love primal play, but that just... it reminded me of rina kent's thorns duet where it was just out of nowhere.
August 5, 2022
5/5 ⭐️
3.5/5 🌶
Tropes:
- age difference (7yrs) ~ 25 & 18
- dark/gothic/horror romance
- stepbrother romance
- dual virgins ~ both hero & heroine
- innocent sheltered heroine
- past trauma ~ heroine & hero
- heroine with heterochromia (2 different color eyes)
- evil birth mother & kind stepfather
- “tell me who hurt you�
- “touch her and I’ll kill you� x10
- gore & blood
Kinks:
- fear
- primal
- knife play
- spitting & slapping
- a whole lot of blood play
- pain (receiving & giving) ~ both H & h
*Check TW*
POV: first person - dual
Type: interconnected stand-alone (book one)
Sheltered and hidden away at a school of horrors for 12 years has left Grace with no knowledge of the outside world and the monsters who lurk in the shadows. After coming to live with her new step father, Grace gets lost exploring the land and is found by Hunter, her new stepbrother who has a secret he keeps hidden in the dark.
IF YOU LOVE DARK ROMANCES, READ THIS BOOK NOW.
I will admit I was a little scared bc of the “horror� aspect BUT it was actually really sweet and not at all scary. Gory, yes. Scary, not so much.
I would describe this as more gothic than horror because of the vibes of the book but the romance itself was quite sweet in a bloody-gory way? Yeah, I think that’s how I’d describe it.
Either way I LOVE THIS BOOK. Definitely a top favorite.
The hero and heroine are by far my FAVORITE. I loved the dual virgin trope and this exceeded all expectations. The hero is 25 and NEVER gets turned on so he’s never…gotten a 🦴er or has needed to take care of himself either until HE GET ONE LOOK AT HER FROM AFAR.
“� 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄’𝙡� 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧.� THIS IS COMING FROM THE HERO. I’m pretty sure I fell in love right there.
The epilogue was short BUT it somehow managed to make me feel complete. Definitely a HEA!
I’m not a fan of long paragraphs so that’s probably my only “complaint� but because the book wasn’t too long it didn’t bother me as much as it normally would. Still giving it 5 stars!
3.5/5 🌶
Tropes:
- age difference (7yrs) ~ 25 & 18
- dark/gothic/horror romance
- stepbrother romance
- dual virgins ~ both hero & heroine
- innocent sheltered heroine
- past trauma ~ heroine & hero
- heroine with heterochromia (2 different color eyes)
- evil birth mother & kind stepfather
- “tell me who hurt you�
- “touch her and I’ll kill you� x10
- gore & blood
Kinks:
- fear
- primal
- knife play
- spitting & slapping
- a whole lot of blood play
- pain (receiving & giving) ~ both H & h
*Check TW*
POV: first person - dual
Type: interconnected stand-alone (book one)
Sheltered and hidden away at a school of horrors for 12 years has left Grace with no knowledge of the outside world and the monsters who lurk in the shadows. After coming to live with her new step father, Grace gets lost exploring the land and is found by Hunter, her new stepbrother who has a secret he keeps hidden in the dark.
IF YOU LOVE DARK ROMANCES, READ THIS BOOK NOW.
I will admit I was a little scared bc of the “horror� aspect BUT it was actually really sweet and not at all scary. Gory, yes. Scary, not so much.
I would describe this as more gothic than horror because of the vibes of the book but the romance itself was quite sweet in a bloody-gory way? Yeah, I think that’s how I’d describe it.
Either way I LOVE THIS BOOK. Definitely a top favorite.
The hero and heroine are by far my FAVORITE. I loved the dual virgin trope and this exceeded all expectations. The hero is 25 and NEVER gets turned on so he’s never…gotten a 🦴er or has needed to take care of himself either until HE GET ONE LOOK AT HER FROM AFAR.
“� 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄’𝙡� 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧.� THIS IS COMING FROM THE HERO. I’m pretty sure I fell in love right there.
The epilogue was short BUT it somehow managed to make me feel complete. Definitely a HEA!
I’m not a fan of long paragraphs so that’s probably my only “complaint� but because the book wasn’t too long it didn’t bother me as much as it normally would. Still giving it 5 stars!
August 5, 2022
2.5 stars
So, that was pretty dark. One darkly depressed and psychotic heroine arrived to her new house, with her abused mother and her new stepfamily. Suffice to say, one of her stepbrothers started to notice her and show her that the darkness should be embraced.
Now, onto my thoughts. I think it need more angst, more tension, more gore. I feel like it was almost there, but it was so unsatisfying to see it didn't fully complete the whole quota.
All in all, if you love dark themes in dark romance, yeah I would rec this out. Content warning on blood play, corpse mutilation (a lil bit) and primal play.
So, that was pretty dark. One darkly depressed and psychotic heroine arrived to her new house, with her abused mother and her new stepfamily. Suffice to say, one of her stepbrothers started to notice her and show her that the darkness should be embraced.
Now, onto my thoughts. I think it need more angst, more tension, more gore. I feel like it was almost there, but it was so unsatisfying to see it didn't fully complete the whole quota.
All in all, if you love dark themes in dark romance, yeah I would rec this out. Content warning on blood play, corpse mutilation (a lil bit) and primal play.
June 10, 2024
something in me dies with every page i read.
August 27, 2022
fuck. yeah.
this book was so freaking creepy and horrific and i loved it!! this is a hit of halloween 2022 for sure!
ٰDZ!!👇👇
-step siblings
-tortured heroine
-romantic horror genre with gothic and creepy vibes
-cult and mental hospital vibes
-perfect for halloween!
just a bit into this book i knew i would love it. it tempted me from the start and i was not disappointed. this definitely took me to a new genre of romantic horror and suspense, cause it’s definitely got a lot of horror. i got so creeped out sometimes omg
this was literally so good and the spiceeee! took me to new levels. definitely dark definitely spicy but i did wish that there was a bit more flushed out plot cause it went really quick, but i didn’t mind it much!
cannot wait for the next book eee!
4.5/5⭐️
4.25/5🔥
this book was so freaking creepy and horrific and i loved it!! this is a hit of halloween 2022 for sure!
ٰDZ!!👇👇
-step siblings
-tortured heroine
-romantic horror genre with gothic and creepy vibes
-cult and mental hospital vibes
-perfect for halloween!
just a bit into this book i knew i would love it. it tempted me from the start and i was not disappointed. this definitely took me to a new genre of romantic horror and suspense, cause it’s definitely got a lot of horror. i got so creeped out sometimes omg
this was literally so good and the spiceeee! took me to new levels. definitely dark definitely spicy but i did wish that there was a bit more flushed out plot cause it went really quick, but i didn’t mind it much!
cannot wait for the next book eee!
4.5/5⭐️
4.25/5🔥
October 1, 2022
I liked the dark plot idea, but the amateur/new author writing style was distracting. DNF, was boring.
July 17, 2023
3.5 Stars
"I hurt her. She hurts me back. Like a cyclone, a mess of passion and pain, we can’t keep our hands off of each other".
stepbrother/stepsister obsessive love story. Forest setting. Evil mother.
Nothing light about this book. Anti Hero is very devoted to the heroine and shows her a lot of patience, understanding, and love. Both MC'S are virgins and are obsessed with each other. Very brief separation (3 days).
This couple seemed to have a fascination with blood.
Its not the darkest book I've read (maybe med lvl dark).
Surprisingly this book has a HEA ending.
Triggers:
Primal Play
Breath Play
Knife Play
Blood Play
Mental Illness (could pretty much apply to everybody in this story)
Rough/Violent Sex
Spitting /Biting
MC's mutilating corpse 😳
"I hurt her. She hurts me back. Like a cyclone, a mess of passion and pain, we can’t keep our hands off of each other".
stepbrother/stepsister obsessive love story. Forest setting. Evil mother.
Nothing light about this book. Anti Hero is very devoted to the heroine and shows her a lot of patience, understanding, and love. Both MC'S are virgins and are obsessed with each other. Very brief separation (3 days).
This couple seemed to have a fascination with blood.
Its not the darkest book I've read (maybe med lvl dark).
Surprisingly this book has a HEA ending.
Triggers:
Primal Play
Breath Play
Knife Play
Blood Play
Mental Illness (could pretty much apply to everybody in this story)
Rough/Violent Sex
Spitting /Biting
MC's mutilating corpse 😳
January 10, 2023
3.5⭐️
The first 70%? I was enthralled. Couldn’t get enough. But then it kinda went awry. It had a third act break up that came outta NOWHERE. I literally thought I clicked the scroll bar on my kindle and skipped many chapters. With some books, even though you hate it, that separation has some rhyme or reason to it. Unfortunately there was literally no reason for this except for angst (?) which ended up just being cruel to the FMC. And damn, the MMC had almost everything going for him until then.
The ending wrapped itself up too quickly for me. The beginning gave that wonderful eerie gothic romance feeling and then it was like reading it at 3x speed. Things were happening too quickly for me to process or understand.
But that first 70% was beautiful. I was fully invested in Grace and her story. She was innocent without being a drag on the book. There was a lot of growth for her. I woulda liked to see more about her years leading up to leaving for Heron Mill though. Hunter was a wonderful MMC (until the end ofc). A virgin too! They shared their first kiss together and I actually loved that more than I thought I would. Probably because this was a dark book and that was a lighter, wholesome moment.
Speaking of, this felt like a dark romance. Imo, it’s not pitch black. I wouldn’t classify it as a horror either. I think I’ve read enough dark romances that this fits in that category pretty perfectly. Don’t get me wrong though, there’s gore-filled moments near the end.
I’m absolutely gonna be reading the next books. I love the Blackwell brothers.
The first 70%? I was enthralled. Couldn’t get enough. But then it kinda went awry. It had a third act break up that came outta NOWHERE. I literally thought I clicked the scroll bar on my kindle and skipped many chapters. With some books, even though you hate it, that separation has some rhyme or reason to it. Unfortunately there was literally no reason for this except for angst (?) which ended up just being cruel to the FMC. And damn, the MMC had almost everything going for him until then.
The ending wrapped itself up too quickly for me. The beginning gave that wonderful eerie gothic romance feeling and then it was like reading it at 3x speed. Things were happening too quickly for me to process or understand.
But that first 70% was beautiful. I was fully invested in Grace and her story. She was innocent without being a drag on the book. There was a lot of growth for her. I woulda liked to see more about her years leading up to leaving for Heron Mill though. Hunter was a wonderful MMC (until the end ofc). A virgin too! They shared their first kiss together and I actually loved that more than I thought I would. Probably because this was a dark book and that was a lighter, wholesome moment.
Speaking of, this felt like a dark romance. Imo, it’s not pitch black. I wouldn’t classify it as a horror either. I think I’ve read enough dark romances that this fits in that category pretty perfectly. Don’t get me wrong though, there’s gore-filled moments near the end.
I’m absolutely gonna be reading the next books. I love the Blackwell brothers.
October 12, 2024
Read #1: 3rd September 2022
Read #3: 12 October 2024
5/5 stars
This book is IT!🔥
I'm so in love with Hunter and Gracie, they definitely own a portion of my heart. While Hunter was definitely messed up, I found Grace to be slightly more crazy and darker than him, which I LOVE!
The Hero is completely obsessed with the h, and is 1000% devoted from the second he sees her. The best thing was that he was a virgin (so was she) and had never even gotten aroused before in his life, but once he sees her...let's say that he was intrigued by his body's strange reaction😉.
And it doesn't hurt that the spice scenes were that good...
No OW/OM drama, but H gets jealous. As he should😈.
Read #3: 12 October 2024
5/5 stars
This book is IT!🔥
I'm so in love with Hunter and Gracie, they definitely own a portion of my heart. While Hunter was definitely messed up, I found Grace to be slightly more crazy and darker than him, which I LOVE!
The Hero is completely obsessed with the h, and is 1000% devoted from the second he sees her. The best thing was that he was a virgin (so was she) and had never even gotten aroused before in his life, but once he sees her...let's say that he was intrigued by his body's strange reaction😉.
And it doesn't hurt that the spice scenes were that good...
No OW/OM drama, but H gets jealous. As he should😈.
April 12, 2023
2⭐️ 5🌶�
So much missed potential with this book�
So a very depressed/mentally unstable (due to her mother locking her up in a cult like institution for years) girl called Grace moves in with her new stepfather and his sons�
Cue Hunter who is a bit fucked up himself has a ‘secret� and ends up in a relationship with his stepsister who is so far removed from the real world she can’t even read�
And they fall in love like instantly even though she hardly speaks to him 🙄
Right so, it could’ve been so good but it was executed poorly in my opinion
There was too much descriptive writing and not enough actual story telling, I think there was just an entire page describing a forest? A whole page of descriptions..
It’s extremely dark and twisted (like super dark) but for what? Nothing gets explained it’s just all messed up and weird, it was like reading a nightmare or bad dream you’d wake up from like huh?!
I just felt like there was too much focus on making it ominous and twisted but not actually giving us a proper story! And Hunters secret wasn’t even that much of a secret he just kills people? 😂
How does a girl who’s been locked away for over a decade suddenly have primal play kinks and so many other darkkk kinks when they were both virgins to start?!?!
I dunno I am so disappointed, but if you want to read some messed up spicy scenes with no context then sure 🤷🏽♀�
So much missed potential with this book�
So a very depressed/mentally unstable (due to her mother locking her up in a cult like institution for years) girl called Grace moves in with her new stepfather and his sons�
Cue Hunter who is a bit fucked up himself has a ‘secret� and ends up in a relationship with his stepsister who is so far removed from the real world she can’t even read�
And they fall in love like instantly even though she hardly speaks to him 🙄
Right so, it could’ve been so good but it was executed poorly in my opinion
There was too much descriptive writing and not enough actual story telling, I think there was just an entire page describing a forest? A whole page of descriptions..
It’s extremely dark and twisted (like super dark) but for what? Nothing gets explained it’s just all messed up and weird, it was like reading a nightmare or bad dream you’d wake up from like huh?!
I just felt like there was too much focus on making it ominous and twisted but not actually giving us a proper story! And Hunters secret wasn’t even that much of a secret he just kills people? 😂
How does a girl who’s been locked away for over a decade suddenly have primal play kinks and so many other darkkk kinks when they were both virgins to start?!?!
I dunno I am so disappointed, but if you want to read some messed up spicy scenes with no context then sure 🤷🏽♀�
April 13, 2023
read April 13, 2023 - April 13, 2023: 2 stars
January 27, 2024
3.5/5⭐️
Taking half a star off because cutting the chest cavity open of a dead person and then holding the dead organ� was just a little bit too much on my weak stomach😭💀
Taking half a star off because cutting the chest cavity open of a dead person and then holding the dead organ� was just a little bit too much on my weak stomach😭💀
January 31, 2023
"We’re both so fucking wrong together I don’t ever wanna be fucking right.�
Heron Mill was a sick and twisted goodness, and I binged it in one day! It's hella spicy, kinky, and so messed up. But this book is not for everyone, so I really advise checking out the CW/TW before reading it.
I was hesitant going into this one because the author states that this is NOT a romance but with a happy ending. Personally, I think this IS a Romance. But I appreciate the author giving a warning! So if you're like me, you should be fine reading it!
I loved the gothic vibes, horror elements, and dark themes!
Hunter, the MMC was so freaking obsessed with Gracie, the FMC and I ate that shit up! 🛐
For him being a virgin and never even having the urge to get himself off, he for sure knows how it works ����
Their dynamic was crazy, but I rooted for them from the start!
"Hunter breathes me in like I’m his air and he can’t survive even one second without sucking in a lungful of me when we’re near each other."
The story focuses on the two MCs (which I loved), but I wished we would have seen more of Gracie's dynamic with the other Brothers, and her stepfather, and had a more fleshed-out plot.
But I loved the reversal of mother (evil) - stepdad (kind). It was refreshing!
I loved this book, and I need more of the Blackwell Brothers!
🗂ұ: Dark Gothic/Horror Romance
📕ղ: Interconnected Stand-alone (#1)
🏷հDZ:
- Step-brother romance
- Gothic & Horror elements
- Obsessed at first sight
- Innocent, tortured Heroine
- Mental illness
- Smutty & kinky AF
- Dual Virgins
- Evil mother, Kind stepfather
- One horse trope haha
- One corpse trope lol 💀
⚠️ڱٲ: he calls her his little sister, primal kink, blood play, knife play, spitting & slapping, pain (receiving & giving), violence, murder, corpses, grief, mental health topics, drugs, torture, domestic abuse, child neglect, a dead animal
📖: 1st person, dual POV
🎧Theme song:
“I’m his addiction as much as he is mine.�
Heron Mill was a sick and twisted goodness, and I binged it in one day! It's hella spicy, kinky, and so messed up. But this book is not for everyone, so I really advise checking out the CW/TW before reading it.
I was hesitant going into this one because the author states that this is NOT a romance but with a happy ending. Personally, I think this IS a Romance. But I appreciate the author giving a warning! So if you're like me, you should be fine reading it!
I loved the gothic vibes, horror elements, and dark themes!
Hunter, the MMC was so freaking obsessed with Gracie, the FMC and I ate that shit up! 🛐
For him being a virgin and never even having the urge to get himself off, he for sure knows how it works ����
Their dynamic was crazy, but I rooted for them from the start!
"Hunter breathes me in like I’m his air and he can’t survive even one second without sucking in a lungful of me when we’re near each other."
The story focuses on the two MCs (which I loved), but I wished we would have seen more of Gracie's dynamic with the other Brothers, and her stepfather, and had a more fleshed-out plot.
But I loved the reversal of mother (evil) - stepdad (kind). It was refreshing!
I loved this book, and I need more of the Blackwell Brothers!
🗂ұ: Dark Gothic/Horror Romance
📕ղ: Interconnected Stand-alone (#1)
🏷հDZ:
- Step-brother romance
- Gothic & Horror elements
- Obsessed at first sight
- Innocent, tortured Heroine
- Mental illness
- Smutty & kinky AF
- Dual Virgins
- Evil mother, Kind stepfather
- One horse trope haha
- One corpse trope lol 💀
⚠️ڱٲ: he calls her his little sister, primal kink, blood play, knife play, spitting & slapping, pain (receiving & giving), violence, murder, corpses, grief, mental health topics, drugs, torture, domestic abuse, child neglect, a dead animal
📖: 1st person, dual POV
🎧Theme song:
“I’m his addiction as much as he is mine.�
July 27, 2022
This book😭 The setting was just incredible.
Woods, huge ivy-covered stone mansions, rainy foggy days, an old mill, meadows and grass dotted with daisies and poppies. But don’t get fooled by this beautiful scenery because this book is dark. It‘s a horror love story so be prepared 😉
Grace‘s story broke my heart. It‘s full of pain and the most awful conditions one can grow up in. People call her strange, and psychotic and depraved. But she’s not alone in this. Because Hunter’s depravity recognizes her depravity. He doesn’t think she’s weird or strange or disturbing like everyone else but beautiful. And that just melted my heart. Because who hasn’t felt strange and weird at some point in their lives? That makes the story even more real!! But keep in mind this is no typical romance, it’s a step sibling romance, so don’t read it when it’s not for you🤪
For Grace the moment she’s looking into Hunter’s eyes, everything around her just seems to fall away. And tbh for me every time I saw an interaction between them, the world fell away around me, especially in the beginning of the book when they had their first encounters😍 I love when authors do that. Emphasizing the importance of the eyes and their effect on the people around them. Eyes literally tell half of the story, it’s so intense😍
And speaking of: We’ve always read about this mysterious attractive hero with heterochromatic eyes but what about a heroine with different eye colours??? It’s so amazing and unique right? And that’s Grace! She’s the perfect main character for this horror lovestory. And Hunter? Oh he is more than perfect for her🔥
I won’t be getting into the horror aspect of the story, you have to see for yourself 😉
Woods, huge ivy-covered stone mansions, rainy foggy days, an old mill, meadows and grass dotted with daisies and poppies. But don’t get fooled by this beautiful scenery because this book is dark. It‘s a horror love story so be prepared 😉
Grace‘s story broke my heart. It‘s full of pain and the most awful conditions one can grow up in. People call her strange, and psychotic and depraved. But she’s not alone in this. Because Hunter’s depravity recognizes her depravity. He doesn’t think she’s weird or strange or disturbing like everyone else but beautiful. And that just melted my heart. Because who hasn’t felt strange and weird at some point in their lives? That makes the story even more real!! But keep in mind this is no typical romance, it’s a step sibling romance, so don’t read it when it’s not for you🤪
For Grace the moment she’s looking into Hunter’s eyes, everything around her just seems to fall away. And tbh for me every time I saw an interaction between them, the world fell away around me, especially in the beginning of the book when they had their first encounters😍 I love when authors do that. Emphasizing the importance of the eyes and their effect on the people around them. Eyes literally tell half of the story, it’s so intense😍
And speaking of: We’ve always read about this mysterious attractive hero with heterochromatic eyes but what about a heroine with different eye colours??? It’s so amazing and unique right? And that’s Grace! She’s the perfect main character for this horror lovestory. And Hunter? Oh he is more than perfect for her🔥
I won’t be getting into the horror aspect of the story, you have to see for yourself 😉
July 17, 2022
What more can a girl ask for, this book has everything I need from a story.
Step-siblings ✔️
Dark & gritty ✔️
Seggsy scenes galore ✔️
A storyline that grips ✔️
Taboo kinks ✔️
I just want any future partners to understand that is, is the correct way to declare your love.
“I’ll bring you whatever you want, a thousand hearts, eyeballs to entrails, whatever your heart desires, I’ll get it all for you,� Hunter may be a little on the crazy side but boy does he love Grace. Grace, our beautifully disturbed and extremely naive main character. Their bond from the very beginning draws you in, you want to know more, what makes they tick, what makes them be the way they are.
“Close your mouth, and swallow. Me. Down.� If you, like me, didn't think you had a spit kink, well let KL rewrite your expectations in whole new way! 🥵🔥
I can't wait to see which Brother's story gets told next, already you know this is going to be one heck of a series!
(I received an ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review)
Step-siblings ✔️
Dark & gritty ✔️
Seggsy scenes galore ✔️
A storyline that grips ✔️
Taboo kinks ✔️
I just want any future partners to understand that is, is the correct way to declare your love.
“I’ll bring you whatever you want, a thousand hearts, eyeballs to entrails, whatever your heart desires, I’ll get it all for you,� Hunter may be a little on the crazy side but boy does he love Grace. Grace, our beautifully disturbed and extremely naive main character. Their bond from the very beginning draws you in, you want to know more, what makes they tick, what makes them be the way they are.
“Close your mouth, and swallow. Me. Down.� If you, like me, didn't think you had a spit kink, well let KL rewrite your expectations in whole new way! 🥵🔥
I can't wait to see which Brother's story gets told next, already you know this is going to be one heck of a series!
(I received an ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review)
January 9, 2025
365 days has clearly ruined "babygirl" for me forever
January 4, 2023
Mother says I’m strange.
After hiding me away in a school for twelve years, her new husband wants me home. To be a family. Out in the middle of nowhere, the Blackwell family’s stone mansion stands tall. Heron Mill is hidden, tucked away deep in the forest, surrounded by nothing but trees. Something nefarious hides here. A sinister secret decaying in its basement.
And then there’s him.
My new stepbrother is unusual.
I can feel the darkness inside of him, cold and vicious. A sickness, something contagious, a poison seeping into my bones, disturbing something that long lay dormant. Something inside of me is starting to awaken and I’m really not sure it’s something good.
ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪ� ᴀ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪꜰᴜʟʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇ� ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜ� ᴀ ᴅᴀʀ�, ᴛᴡɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴ� ᴛᴏxɪ� ʟᴏᴠ�.
At the age of six, Grace has been send away by her mother for being ‘strange�. When she turned 18 her mother picked her up and brought her into her new family and Heron Mill, while being heavily medicated. This is where Hunter comes in, her step brother and they become truly addicted to one another. I loved reading about their connection developing and finding each other in the dark.
The parts that describes how Grace has been treated by her mother and at the Church for the sick (children with mental illness) makes my stomach turn, it’s like going back in time and watching a very bad psychiatry movie at the same time.
This is my first book by @kltaylorlane_author I loved her writing and all the details she used to describe the nature and environment makes you feel like you are actually in Heron Mill. Seeing that the second book comes out on February 8th made my heart do a little dance, I can’t wait to read more about Grace and Hunter!
ᴘʟꜱ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴡ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀ� ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴ� ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏ�, ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪ� ᴀ ᴛᴀʙᴏᴏ ᴅᴀʀ� ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀ� ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴ� ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴀɴ� ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀʙᴜꜱ�.
After hiding me away in a school for twelve years, her new husband wants me home. To be a family. Out in the middle of nowhere, the Blackwell family’s stone mansion stands tall. Heron Mill is hidden, tucked away deep in the forest, surrounded by nothing but trees. Something nefarious hides here. A sinister secret decaying in its basement.
And then there’s him.
My new stepbrother is unusual.
I can feel the darkness inside of him, cold and vicious. A sickness, something contagious, a poison seeping into my bones, disturbing something that long lay dormant. Something inside of me is starting to awaken and I’m really not sure it’s something good.
ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪ� ᴀ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪꜰᴜʟʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇ� ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜ� ᴀ ᴅᴀʀ�, ᴛᴡɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴ� ᴛᴏxɪ� ʟᴏᴠ�.
At the age of six, Grace has been send away by her mother for being ‘strange�. When she turned 18 her mother picked her up and brought her into her new family and Heron Mill, while being heavily medicated. This is where Hunter comes in, her step brother and they become truly addicted to one another. I loved reading about their connection developing and finding each other in the dark.
The parts that describes how Grace has been treated by her mother and at the Church for the sick (children with mental illness) makes my stomach turn, it’s like going back in time and watching a very bad psychiatry movie at the same time.
This is my first book by @kltaylorlane_author I loved her writing and all the details she used to describe the nature and environment makes you feel like you are actually in Heron Mill. Seeing that the second book comes out on February 8th made my heart do a little dance, I can’t wait to read more about Grace and Hunter!
ᴘʟꜱ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴡ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀ� ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴ� ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏ�, ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪ� ᴀ ᴛᴀʙᴏᴏ ᴅᴀʀ� ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀ� ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴ� ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴀɴ� ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀʙᴜꜱ�.
July 22, 2022
Oh my god.
K, you incredible little wordsmith 🖤
I am overwhelmed by this story. The love, the pain, the poetic way its all written. It's dark, and dirty, and all-consuming.
Hunter and Grace have such a unique story, yet it is still one so many people will relate to (just probably in a less bloody way, but you never know.) That loving, hurt girl deserves the fucking world for what she's been put through, and Hunter, I have no doubt in my mind would give it to her.
The rollercoaster that this book takes you on is exciting, fast paced, and addictive.
Do I want more? Hell yes.
These two, the entire family, are captivating in a way that has you craving even one more tiny paragraph, just to stay in their lives.
K has created something so painfully perfect here, and I cannot wait for her to continue to shock and amaze me.
K, you incredible little wordsmith 🖤
I am overwhelmed by this story. The love, the pain, the poetic way its all written. It's dark, and dirty, and all-consuming.
Hunter and Grace have such a unique story, yet it is still one so many people will relate to (just probably in a less bloody way, but you never know.) That loving, hurt girl deserves the fucking world for what she's been put through, and Hunter, I have no doubt in my mind would give it to her.
The rollercoaster that this book takes you on is exciting, fast paced, and addictive.
Do I want more? Hell yes.
These two, the entire family, are captivating in a way that has you craving even one more tiny paragraph, just to stay in their lives.
K has created something so painfully perfect here, and I cannot wait for her to continue to shock and amaze me.
June 3, 2024
Adult step siblings meet and find the light yo their darkness
Grace has been locked up and tormented at a special school her mother sent her to become she was weird. Her mother tormented her because of her mismatched eyes and mentally and physically beat her down and allowed the school to continue the process with medication and punishment.
Until after she turns 18 and her mom's new husband requests she be brought home.
Hunter is Grace's new step brother but the connection. Between them.is undeniable and he teachers her what it means to be truly loved, even if it's dark and belongs in the shadows where they're the only ones who understand it.
This book is not roses and cookie cutter romance. It's dark, troublesome and could possibly offend or trigger some. I highly recommend reading the content and trigger warnings.
Grace has been locked up and tormented at a special school her mother sent her to become she was weird. Her mother tormented her because of her mismatched eyes and mentally and physically beat her down and allowed the school to continue the process with medication and punishment.
Until after she turns 18 and her mom's new husband requests she be brought home.
Hunter is Grace's new step brother but the connection. Between them.is undeniable and he teachers her what it means to be truly loved, even if it's dark and belongs in the shadows where they're the only ones who understand it.
This book is not roses and cookie cutter romance. It's dark, troublesome and could possibly offend or trigger some. I highly recommend reading the content and trigger warnings.
July 16, 2022
Can KL Taylor-Lane do any wrong? She brought it with spice and the darkness in Heron Mill and I was living for it! This one isnt for the faint of heart so check authors insta for ALL triggers. I loved how atmospheric this book felt - reading this i could just picture everything so perfectly. If I don’t get more of the Blackwell brothers soon I might just throw a tantrum. Only potential *problems* I had was the third act break up - but it was over fairly quickly. Overall, sooo good and dying for more in this world already
July 27, 2022
HOLY WHATTTTT I have to just say this book BLEW ME. I am obsessed with this storyline and characters. Like I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. It filled my heart with all the delicious darkness. I couldn’t get enough!
July 30, 2023
This was so twisted 👀
3.5 stars
Frtc
3.5 stars
Frtc
July 27, 2022
I could have devoured this book in a single sitting, but it begged me to sit with it and explore all of the imagery and feelings that it invoked. Heron Mill was simply a stunningly beautiful story. There are so many nuances and layers within the allegories of light and dark that have been built into the setting and the protagonists, Hunter and Grace.
It is raw and sensual, but also influences you to feel more. There is a primal sensation to be felt from the first to last page.
There are no boundaries in this book, and KL Taylor-Lane pushed these characters to feel and be so much more than they thought they were. Hunter and Grace have an ethereal love that is driven to heights neither of them anticipated. Their connection is instant, hard, raw and uncomfortably comfortable for them both. Every emotion felt by them is felt by the reader, you are truly drawn into this story. Grace has always been told she is different and knows that there is something unnatural growing in her and she doesn't know how to get it out. Hunter knows he is strange and embraces it fully - until Grace. The spiritual development of both protagonists comes through a dual POV and is exposed through actions and events that have a psychological intensity. What grows within Grace, grows within us all and Hunter pulls it from her and cradles it. The imagery evoked by this setting and these characters is gothic in nature, and you are immersed in it - all of your senses are activated. KL has built a world that is dark, elemental, and palpable. Heron Mill was carnal, haunting, thought provoking, and beautiful. Proving, once again, that KL Taylor-Lane is an author to follow, she brings it all - every time.
I did not want it to be over and I cannot wait to see what happens with the rest of the Blackwell brothers.
"Prey tastes better after a chase, fear seasoning its blood"
It is raw and sensual, but also influences you to feel more. There is a primal sensation to be felt from the first to last page.
There are no boundaries in this book, and KL Taylor-Lane pushed these characters to feel and be so much more than they thought they were. Hunter and Grace have an ethereal love that is driven to heights neither of them anticipated. Their connection is instant, hard, raw and uncomfortably comfortable for them both. Every emotion felt by them is felt by the reader, you are truly drawn into this story. Grace has always been told she is different and knows that there is something unnatural growing in her and she doesn't know how to get it out. Hunter knows he is strange and embraces it fully - until Grace. The spiritual development of both protagonists comes through a dual POV and is exposed through actions and events that have a psychological intensity. What grows within Grace, grows within us all and Hunter pulls it from her and cradles it. The imagery evoked by this setting and these characters is gothic in nature, and you are immersed in it - all of your senses are activated. KL has built a world that is dark, elemental, and palpable. Heron Mill was carnal, haunting, thought provoking, and beautiful. Proving, once again, that KL Taylor-Lane is an author to follow, she brings it all - every time.
I did not want it to be over and I cannot wait to see what happens with the rest of the Blackwell brothers.
"Prey tastes better after a chase, fear seasoning its blood"
July 24, 2022
HERON MILL 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 I loved this one! Grace and Hunter are *sigh*
Grace has been sheltered from the world by her mother for being "strange" but we all know that strange can also be extraordinary. Grace and Hunter are both a bit different, but mesh so well together and create a hauntingly beautiful relationship.
Hunter and Grace ground each other, but Hunter is like a beacon for Grace when she's lost. All the little things he does for her 😍😍
Heron Mill is on the darker side, so proceed with a bit of caution. I really loved meeting everyone in the Blackwell Family, and all of their different personalities. I cannot wait to see which brother we will get next.
Grace has been sheltered from the world by her mother for being "strange" but we all know that strange can also be extraordinary. Grace and Hunter are both a bit different, but mesh so well together and create a hauntingly beautiful relationship.
Hunter and Grace ground each other, but Hunter is like a beacon for Grace when she's lost. All the little things he does for her 😍😍
Heron Mill is on the darker side, so proceed with a bit of caution. I really loved meeting everyone in the Blackwell Family, and all of their different personalities. I cannot wait to see which brother we will get next.
July 17, 2022
K.L. Taylor-Lane manages the best balance of dark and humor and hotness, leaving us with the biggest book hangover time and time again - and Heron Mill is definitely no exception! Well written, with a great storyline that moved, Heron Mill had tons of action that keeps our attention to the end.
I was HOOKED from the very first page, and I devoured the whole book at an alarming rate - I loved it! There are times when you can tell that an author is having FUN with a story, and this is one of those instances. This couple is drawn together like magnets, and their chemistry lit up the pages. I loved the intensity of Hunter - he's a jealous, possessive killer. His fierce protectiveness and unwavering care easily melted my heart, and the steamy scenes had such great intimacy to them.
The storyline is NOTHING like I expected, and I absolutely adored the unpredictable nature of it. This might be the most over the top installment Taylor-Lane has ever written, but it was also the most addictive, and it had zero trouble holding my attention the whole way through.
Just make sure you are aware of the trigger warnings. This book is FILLED with triggers.
This is told in first person, from dual perspective. I honestly cannot wait to see which one of the Blackwell brothers Taylor-Lane will write about next.
I was HOOKED from the very first page, and I devoured the whole book at an alarming rate - I loved it! There are times when you can tell that an author is having FUN with a story, and this is one of those instances. This couple is drawn together like magnets, and their chemistry lit up the pages. I loved the intensity of Hunter - he's a jealous, possessive killer. His fierce protectiveness and unwavering care easily melted my heart, and the steamy scenes had such great intimacy to them.
The storyline is NOTHING like I expected, and I absolutely adored the unpredictable nature of it. This might be the most over the top installment Taylor-Lane has ever written, but it was also the most addictive, and it had zero trouble holding my attention the whole way through.
Just make sure you are aware of the trigger warnings. This book is FILLED with triggers.
This is told in first person, from dual perspective. I honestly cannot wait to see which one of the Blackwell brothers Taylor-Lane will write about next.
July 21, 2022
This book has left me speechless!!
Heron Mill is book #1 in The Blackwell Brothers series. This is a standalone, dark, MF, stepbrother, forbidden, horror, love story. This book is dark, make sure to check the trigger warning.
KL Taylor Lane has become one of my favorite, go to, one click authors! Each book she has written has blown me away!!
Grace and Hunter will take you on a rollercoaster ride!! Neither one of them are normal when it comes to mentality, but they have these great big feelings for each other and won't let anything get in their way.
Heron Mill is absolutely incredible and if you love dark reads, you need to read this!!
All the stars to you, KL Taylor Lane!!!
Heron Mill is book #1 in The Blackwell Brothers series. This is a standalone, dark, MF, stepbrother, forbidden, horror, love story. This book is dark, make sure to check the trigger warning.
KL Taylor Lane has become one of my favorite, go to, one click authors! Each book she has written has blown me away!!
Grace and Hunter will take you on a rollercoaster ride!! Neither one of them are normal when it comes to mentality, but they have these great big feelings for each other and won't let anything get in their way.
Heron Mill is absolutely incredible and if you love dark reads, you need to read this!!
All the stars to you, KL Taylor Lane!!!
November 19, 2022
grumpy and sunshine til the end
I loved this story. I have a thing about step sibling tropes. He's a super Grump. Like major. And she's so sunshiney and innocent. Although she might have a little dark in her that's been lying dormant until she meets him.
Her mother is a Jerk and I hated her the entire book. That poor girl was ruined by her.
Love that the new step dad took her in and cared for her more than her own mother did.
5 other new step siblings. Love the whole family dynamic. They protect their own fiercely.
Short fast read. Spice is 5/5 plot is 5/5
I loved this story. I have a thing about step sibling tropes. He's a super Grump. Like major. And she's so sunshiney and innocent. Although she might have a little dark in her that's been lying dormant until she meets him.
Her mother is a Jerk and I hated her the entire book. That poor girl was ruined by her.
Love that the new step dad took her in and cared for her more than her own mother did.
5 other new step siblings. Love the whole family dynamic. They protect their own fiercely.
Short fast read. Spice is 5/5 plot is 5/5
July 29, 2022
This book left me utterly speechless. Hauntingly beautiful are the only words that come to mind to describe this gothic tale. The well-written characters seep into your heart and your mind, and you can’t help but feel the full spectrum of emotions.
Grace, this beautiful girl has so many demons. Being shipped off to “school� when she was 6 and subsequently reintroduced to the world brought her naivety to the forefront - she doesn’t understand people - emotions, interactions and motivations. She just needs to know the rules to avoid being punished� Bravely “sneaking out� of her unlocked room brings her face to face with him�.
Hunter, this dark, disturbed but sinfully delicious man is so similar to Grace but for different reasons. Past trauma has prevented him from seeking out female companionship - he never wanted it until he saw her in the woods�.
Can these strangers/ new step-siblings find comfort in one another? Or will Grace’s mothers continued dosing keep her too docile to see the world? Does their pain call to one another? Or will they be each other’s detriment?
This horror-y love story hits you in the gut. It’s a story of growth, beating the odds and becoming bigger than your past. Two lost souls completing one another. Well-developed intense characters complement this dark world making this unique story stand out among the rest. The chemistry was off the charts.
Also, I saw that nod to Charlie and the glimpse of Eli� I love that this story is in the same world as the Swallows! (If you haven’t read those, you should!)
I am crossing my fingers (and my toes) that we will see more of the Blackstones! I Highly Recommend this for any of you looking for a well-developed dark tale with incredible characters.
Grace, this beautiful girl has so many demons. Being shipped off to “school� when she was 6 and subsequently reintroduced to the world brought her naivety to the forefront - she doesn’t understand people - emotions, interactions and motivations. She just needs to know the rules to avoid being punished� Bravely “sneaking out� of her unlocked room brings her face to face with him�.
Hunter, this dark, disturbed but sinfully delicious man is so similar to Grace but for different reasons. Past trauma has prevented him from seeking out female companionship - he never wanted it until he saw her in the woods�.
Can these strangers/ new step-siblings find comfort in one another? Or will Grace’s mothers continued dosing keep her too docile to see the world? Does their pain call to one another? Or will they be each other’s detriment?
This horror-y love story hits you in the gut. It’s a story of growth, beating the odds and becoming bigger than your past. Two lost souls completing one another. Well-developed intense characters complement this dark world making this unique story stand out among the rest. The chemistry was off the charts.
Also, I saw that nod to Charlie and the glimpse of Eli� I love that this story is in the same world as the Swallows! (If you haven’t read those, you should!)
I am crossing my fingers (and my toes) that we will see more of the Blackstones! I Highly Recommend this for any of you looking for a well-developed dark tale with incredible characters.
October 26, 2022
This book has everything I love in a dark romance. OTT JP, primal play , naive but passionate fmc, withdrawn mmc but is obsessed with fmc from the beginning, literally unaliving mfers to get her back. Loved it so much.
March 5, 2023
Such a haunting story. Dark and twisted, but so, so beautiful. I loved the author’s writing; the descriptive language she uses and the imagery she paints are superb. Hunter is everything you could want in a book boyfriend and then some. Highly recommend.
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