Depraved
Living and working on a campground with her dogs is not where Sloane Walker saw herself at twenty-seven. But then again, not a lot has gone right for her since her step-father kidnapped her at twelve years old and scarred her both physically and mentally for life. Those actions should’ve left him rotting in prison for the rest of his life, not seeing him out on good behavior and giving him free rein to track Sloane down to make ‘amends.’
But that’s not her only problem, as if she needs more than one. Her second problem comes in the form of the masked stalker that slides into her room at night and takes what he pleases, making sure Sloane enjoys every second of it. What starts as a fantasy soon becomes something inescapable for them both, and Sloane might have to face up to a very important fact about her new friend.
He’s unhinged, psychotic, and utterly obsessed with her. And while those should be very bad things, Sloane can’t help thinking that maybe they aren’t so bad at all, no matter what that might mean for her sanity or her safety in the end.
- Pages
- 224
- First published
- June 16, 2022
- Language
- English
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Shelved by 5 Litcadians
Reviews
Finished September 8, 2025
I enjoyed this book a lot; it is short but satisfying. Early on, we gain an understanding of who Sloane is and her personality. Virgil is a serial killer who becomes attracted to Sloane after deciding not to kill her. (That is one thing that made no sense. He tells her he now only kills people who probably deserve it. She did nothing to deserve it, so why her? The only thing I can think of is to create fear for him as well as an attraction to him. Which wasn't a good way to go about it imo, it only makes his statement contradictory.) The book does tell us why Virgil killed for the first time, but never why he kept doing it. He does not seem to be a psychopath or sociopath since he seems to exhibit normal emotions. Virgil is very upfront about who he is and what he does, and realizes when his feelings or actions are not normal. I loved the campground setting. Virgil reminded me a lot of Kayde from DOS, though even kinder towards FMC and more believable as a serial killer. The spice here is good, and I like them as a couple. Sloane is messed up as well, since she is okay with a masked man breaking into her cabin and having his way with her after he even gives her the option to tell him to leave, also she doesn't seem bothered that he is a serial killer. Virgil was surprisingly all about consent, all very CNC (which I'd prefer for him to be a tad less so, but it was sweet. Just maybe not the right setting for that much consideration). He kept telling her she should have told him to leave because he is bad for her, but he isn't actually. It weirdly seems like a fairly healthy relationship, aside from him being a serial killer and all. I was disappointed that it was single POV, though. I will be diving into the 2nd book soon. I look forward to reading about his group of friends who are also serial killers. “I won’t kill you,” he assures me, the question seeming to not bother him. Almost as if he expects me to ask, even though I’ve done so at least sixteen times before. “I will never kill you or harm you. And I’ll remind you of that anytime you need me to. “I’ve been in the woods,” he points out. “Right outside your window. I thought you saw me that first night. But then you came in here and you got undressed right there.” He lets out a sigh and twists his hand until he can twine his fingers with mine. It’s surprisingly sweet and terrifying all at once. “Tell me to stop,” he invites. “Tell me you don’t want me to give you what you want. I’m not going to hurt you, princess. I’ll leave, and you can pretend this was just a nightmare.” “That’s right, princess. I’m a really bad guy. And you can’t tell me to stay, because what would that make you? A monster’s plaything?” "You should never have let me stay. I have a lifetime to ruin you, and you’ve given me permission.” “I’m going to wreck you. I’m going to ruin you. And the thing that you should be most afraid of?” He leans in until our lips are almost touching once more, and my breath hitches in my chest. “I’m going to keep you.” I love that he’s confident we aren’t breaking up. I love that he makes it clear how much he wants to be in my life. Sure, I’m still somewhat terrified of what he is, and I have no idea how to process a lot of what he tells me sometimes. But I’m working on it. “I don’t want you to think you don’t have a choice. That’s not exactly very healthy of us, is it? I’d hate it. But I would respect your choice, Sloane.” “Princess, I’d kill anyone for you. No questions asked. No hesitation.”
Started April 10, 2025 · Finished April 10, 2025
Finished February 9, 2025
Sloane lives and works on a campground with her 2 dogs. She has been just living her life and dealing with her past trauma that still bothers her to this day. When a masked stranger breaks into her cabin on night, she knows she should be terrified, but she just can't find it in her to be scared. The masked man proves to be sneaky and able to do things that he shouldn't, but ultimately, Sloane never feels like she's in any real danger. When she finally discovers who the masked man is, she's not surprised at all. I really enjoyed this story. While their relationship started off on shaky ground, they grew close and realized their feelings pretty fast. I loved all the horror movie references and look forward to reading the rest of the series.