The Predator (Dark Verse)

So I have hopped on board the December Kindle Unlimited smut train and it has left the station and is rolling through at massive speeds! I went into this universe of books with decently low expectations to be honest and while some of those expectations have been met, some books have actually surprised me. This book is one of them. Now, I will say right off the bat, if you are expecting some high quality, lofty writing from these books you will be mistaken. That is not what these books are. Most people read these books for the spice and a bit of story, but more heavily on the spice. I mean, that is what we are here for in #booktok. But, this book really did well in so many ways. A Developing Story & Characters?? Who would have thunk! The story progressed. I mean, like there was an actual story going on around all the bow-chick-wow-wow. As everyone knows, I’m a sucker for some kind of story progression and character development. I can’t stand when they don’t go anywhere. This one actually had a story and some decent character development – and by decent I mean they did progress but we don’t have any high level coming to a spiritual awakening kind of moments. But it was enough that I did feel that this was a good piece of adult literature and not like some of the other fanfiction quality books I’ve read. Morona was a badass and we love a strong female in these stories. But realistically strong – not over the top and trying to be something that was not attainable. I don’t personally love when they are just a bit too overdone (read a few like that recently). Tristan, well we love him (yes yes I know, bad man but we love him anyway). Dark romance so do be ready. This is not those cutesy romance books. This is dark romance. So go into it with that awareness. I didn’t see any trigger warnings at the front of the book as this book was not as dark as some other ones, but it’s a mafia book so you can kind of guess the kind of themes that will be in here. A series of yum. This is a series, so you have a few books to see through. I thought the first one was the best and the second was just as enjoyable. I have not gotten through the rest of the series yet as I am seeing what else is out there, but if you want a series that progresses with the different characters and feeds into a larger story, then this is a good one for you! With these kind of books there’s honestly not much to review because you can’t really review the writing and the story progression per se because they aren’t those kind of books. However, I can tell you if I would recommend it or not. Yes, I would recommend this as a nice quick read. I would give this a 4/5 on the spice level as well.

As you may recall, I recently finished Gothikana by Runyx and couldn’t put it down. When I find an author whose work I love, I need to read every book they’ve ever written. Naturally, I immediately pressed “play” on the first book in Runyx’s Dark Verse series, The Predator. Wow, guys, just WOW! Going from a dark gothic psychological/paranormal thriller to a contemporary mafia romance is admittedly a bit of a leap, so I set my expectations accordingly. Well, I didn’t need to because The Predator became my whole personality for about a week. 🤣 Seriously, I listened to this book every chance I could. Driving in the car ✔️, working out ✔️, cleaning ✔️, ignoring all my adult responsibilities because I became obsessed with Tristan Caine and Morana Vitalio, also ✔️. My to do list is a million miles long, but i unapologetically have no regrets. 💅 If you need me, I can’t come to the phone because I’ve immediately jumped into book 2, The Reaper. #sorrynotsorry In the pages, you will find: 🔥 Hot/unyielding MMC 🧠 Genius FMC 🔪Violence 🥊 Hurt her and I’ll break your face 👨👩👧👦 Super complicated family dynamics 🏍️ Daring escapes 🫥 Unsolved disappearances 🌶️ Spice 🧗♂️ Ends on a cliffhanger. Don’t worry, book 2 is waiting for you! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 * This book does have scenes that people may find triggering. Please head over to Runyx’s website to check out the full list of warnings.

I went into this series completely blind! I am not the type of person who can just pick up and book and read it sight unseen. I had come across a very vague TikTok review that piqued my interest! I dont know what it was but I felt compelled to read these books no matter what! So I went to Amazon and bought them all! From the very first chapter of the Predator I was HOOKED! Runyx has such an intense writting style that sucks you in and doesn’t let you go! Tristan and Morana’s story will leave you breathless! This book had me in a chokehold and I finished it in less than 5 hours. The enemies to lovers trope is taken to a whole new level in this book! Morana is a kick ass female lead! I hate saying too much because I believe everyone should read these books with little knowledge of what they contain so they can experience the high they give!

It’s true!! This book is worth its hype and the love people are showering it with. I half listened to the audiobook and half read the book and I am in awe of the Dangerous vibe oozing out of Tristan Caine. He is the epitome of danger but he is risky and intriguing too. From the very first page to the last one, I was completely invested in the story. It’s well written and I found a new author to go GAGA over. The anticipation of what can come next is reality with this book and it’s beautifully defined by the writing. Morana is a very strong character with the power of a lioness, it is just a matter of time before she needs to find herself in everything she has. The characters grow with the plot and bloom into full-fledged flowers with mystery which needs to get decoded in the next book that I am looking forward to reading as soon as I can. I really liked Dante and I wonder what is hidden behind his mask. I definitely need to read all the books in the series to subdue my curiosity. It’s a 4.5⭐️ me.

The book was looking so good when it arrived!!!

Great writing style.

Love it, can't wait to read the rest. 12 more words required 12 more words required 12 more words required