Review: Insatiable (The Edge Of Darkness Trilogy #1) By Leigh Rivers

I've recently developed an interest in the dark romance trope and this book was quickly recommendation by one of my online bookclubs after I mentioned wanting to get out of a reading slump. I had my doubts because I'd never read any of this author's work but once I downloaded the ebook and read the dedication, I was hooked. The dedication reads thus,

For the good girls who like to dance in the dark while being watched by the devil.

Insatiable is a compelling read into a kind of darkness that most people are vaguely aware of but become shocked or even traumatised when they are confronted with reality. Leigh Rivers' first book in the Edge of Darkness trilogy is not a gentle romance or wannabe dark story, instead it leans into the reality of how dark our world can be. She tells a story of trauma, anger, desire, violence and the uncomfortable truth that love does not automatically make damaged people healthy. Before reading this book, I'd caution that you check the trigger warnings first.

This book centres around Kade Mitchell and Stacey Rhodes, two people connected by a painful history neither of them has managed to escape. They were close once but now separated by betrayal, resentment, secrets and years of emotional damage.

Dragged into a dangerous and brutal world that has changed him, Kade doesn't see Stacey the same way. But he has never truly let her go. She occupies too much space in his mind even when hatred seems easier than admitting how deeply she still affects him.

When circumstances bring him back into Stacey's life, the past must stay buried. Their relationship sits in that uncomfortable space between love and resentment. They are drawn to each other yet they struggle to understand the secrets that tear them apart. The story slowly reveals that their history is more complicated than it first appears while the danger surrounding them makes their reunion volatile. Can they survive the threats to their lives?

Genres: Fiction, Dark Romance Publication: August 2023 Pages: 413

My Review And Rating

Reading this book was an intense experience for me. This is a second chance romance mixed with enemies to lovers energy, obsession, suspense, dark secrets and enough emotional baggage to fill several books. The author tells this gripping story in an easy to read form which travels smoothly between the past and the present. Once I began to read, I didn't want to put down the book until the last page.

Insatiable is emotionally messy and dark. From the first chapter, readers are pulled into a connection between two young adults that is intense, full of secrets and misunderstanding. Kade is not written as a polished romantic hero who behaves badly to look intimidating. He is genuinely damaged, easily angry, possessive and morally dark. Stacey also carries more than her fair share of pain, fears and emotional wounds. She makes choices that throws their relationship out of sync and this makes me want to shake them both in some chapters.

There are moments when I understood their pain and found myself frustrated by their lack of communication because so much suffering might have been avoided if they simply sat down and spoke honestly. Yet the frustration also fits who they are. Trauma does not always produce the perfect people but those who prefer to hide, lash out or assume the worst than communicate.

The romance is intense, heated and deeply toxic in ways the book does not hide and that's why there are trigger warnings for sensitive readers. The author doesn't write this story like it's a guide to healthy relationship. It is fiction built around extreme emotions and damages characters. The author also doesn't write Kade and Stacey as an ideal couple (since in reality most people are not) instead she invites readers to enter their damaged minds and situation and decide how much of the darkness they are willing to follow.

I love the author's writing style. Every chapter reveals new layers to the characters and their relationships making it hard to put down the book. There are no dull moments. Suspense and tension flows from every page as dark, shocking secrets are revealed. The complexity and emotional depth of Kade and Stacey's relationship feels real and heartfelt. The way Leigh Rivers takes us through their past into their present makes the narrative more compelling.

This is not a book I'd recommend to every reader. It's dark, explicit, emotionally heavy and deals with disturbing real life issues. But if you enjoy morally grey characters, damaged relationships, and obsessive romance, then this trilogy is for you. It ends on a cliffhanger so I'm diving straight into the second book.

Rating this book, I'd give it 8.5 out of 10 stars.

Images generated with Chatgpt using the e-book cover

Note: Excerpts are from the novel

Thank you for visiting and supporting my blog 🤗