Book Review: Hollow Beasts

 

If you're unfortunate enough to live in the Scarlet Reach, you must learn three rules.

Piper:
They call us hollow beasts. Creatures with no souls.
We are the cursed, the strange, and the outcasts made to live where no one else would dare.
Here, there are three important rules.
Always lock your doors at night.
Don't talk to dead loved ones.
And never go into the Shady Woods.
...I broke only one , but that was all he needed.

Avalon:
They say butterflies follow the dead.
Perhaps that's why they follow her.
She was flawed perfection the moment I saw her, my little butterfly.
Now she's in my woods and I will hunt. She may live or she may die. I will let the beast inside me decide.
Either way, she's mine.

[***This book contains sensitive content such as talk of suicide, depression, assault, violence, elements of dub-con. If any of these things might trigger you, proceed with caution! Ends in HEA***]

My Review

Author, Courtney Leigh is new to me. I was drawn to this book by the summary, and I was looking for my next horror story. So, I will admit that this book was not that scary when I think in terms of horror. However, what I ended up with inside was a very rich, beautiful dark story that I could not stop reading. 

Instantly, I felt a connection towards Piper. All I wanted to do was just protect her. For which, I was not the only one as Avalon felt a strong connection to her as well. A bond that only grew stronger the longer these two were in each other's presence. Both spicy and sweet moments. 

This last paragraph in the book:

The world was a cruel and horrifying place. It would never stop being a cruel and horrifying place. But now I had the most terrifying beast at my side and I would never run again.