Limerence
A dead body.
A dark secret.
And a sociopath who can't decide whether he'd rather kill me or kiss me.
Welcome to Lionswood Prep, the world's most elite boarding school. Here, old money reigns supreme, and if you can't flaunt your weight in designer labels, you'd better get used to sitting alone. As a poor scholarship student, I know these rules better than anyone. I've perfected the art of pretending I don't envy my classmates' limitless wealth just as well as I've mastered blending into the background.
Until the school's only other scholarship student takes a tumble from the fifth floor.
Mickey Mabel's death is ruled a suicide, but I have my doubts. The only thing I am certain of is that Lionswood's golden boy, Adrian Ellis, is somehow involved. It's a wild suspicion, considering Adrian is not just Lionswood's richest student...but also one of the nicest. He's the kind of guy who buys out the bake sale and caters lunch for a grieving student body... surely, he can't be a murderer, can he?
Most of my classmates worship the ground he walks on, but I've seen enough darkness to sense that there's more than a little of it lurking beneath that pretty smile of his.
I shouldn't get involved, but for the first time in nearly four years, I'm done sticking to the shadows. Except, exposing Adrian doesn't quite go to plan, and now, he has his sights set on me. He's determined to turn senior year into a game of cat-and-mouse, one where I'm not sure if his end goal is to kill me or possess me.
And the longer we play, the less certain I am that I want to escape his snare.
After all, I've got a few dark secrets of my own.
Limerence is an 18+ dark romance featuring an obsessed love interest that is unapologetically morally black. The relationship between our hero and heroine is not a healthy one and features themes of dubious consent, emotional manipulation, and other explicit content that may be upsetting to some readers. Please check the full list of trigger warnings inside.
- Pages
- 415
- First published
- 2024
Reviews
Finished July 25, 2025
A slow burn romance with a cliff-hanger ending. I liked Adrian; Poppy was a little much at times, but not terrible overall. It is interesting that no one, aside from Poppy, sees behind Adrian's facade. I loved how he was trying to figure out why she interested him, and the new feelings brought on by this. I hope he gets revenge on his parents for treating him the way they did as a child. It's unfortunate to hear that the second book is terrible. I was really hoping for something great, considering I liked the first book a lot. Only one sex scene (and nothing great) 90% in, is disappointing. If he was that obsessed, he would plan to go after her right then or right after college, not 10 years later. “It was that pathetic display at your locker.” His face suddenly darkens, every ounce of softness disappearing. “You pulled out that pitiful little rose, and you had all this stunned excitement on your face. For him. For someone else.” My breath catches. “Adrian –” His jaw ticks. “It was fucking revolting.” My heart sputters at the sheer amount of vitriol in his voice, but I don’t say a word. I don’t know what to say. “And I’ll admit,” he goes on. “I still didn’t get it. I couldn’t figure out why I was so angry – only that I was. And that I couldn’t handle the thought of you being anywhere near Freddy Rook.” His jaw relaxes. “And then we talked before second period. And I realized you were right. I haven’t seen you very clearly, but I do now. I see you – us – for what we are.” “This morning, when you looked at him, it took every ounce of my self-control to avoid walking over to Freddy Rook and bashing his skull in till he was no longer worth looking at. You do this to me.”
