Jaxon She is beautiful. I'm obsessed with her. I will light the world on fire before anyone takes her from me.
Melody My life took a dark turn, but I was strong enough to pull myself out. Then he arrives in my life. Will he be my downfall? Or will I rise from the ashes?
Unknown Oh, my sweet, sweet Melody. You have always belonged to me. The two of us are going to have... So. Much. Fun.
Ashley McKnight, a Wisconsin native, discovered her passion for storytelling from a young age. With the release of her debut dark romance book, "Deadly Desires", which released on July 1, 2024, she ventures in the realm of spicy romance and suspense. Outside of her healthcare career, Ashley indulges in her love for literature, often found immersed in books or sharing her passion on bookstagram. When not lost in creating fictional worlds, she cherishes moments with her children and husband and enjoys unwinding with a glass of wine and a good book.
- curvy fmc - insta-lust/love - stalker x 2 - touch her and ☠️
A year after a horrific assault, Melody is finally getting her life back together with a new job that’s perfect for her at a local bookstore.
There she runs into Jaxon, although she doesn’t know that yet, and he becomes instantly infatuated with her.
Only Jaxon isn’t the only one watching Melody—her attacker is back and he’s determined to have her again.
Honestly, Deadly Desires wasn’t as dark as I was expecting it to be given the triggers, but was very fast paced and kept me hooked from the start. Pretty solid debut!
Tropes ✧.* dark stalker romance ✧.* curvy heroine ✧.* OTT alpha ✧.* he falls first & hard ✧.* touch her & ☠️ ✧.* public play ✧.* strong FMC ✧.* degradation/praise
This book was so much fun. The story is told in dual POV and follows Melody and Jaxon, it also has a third POV with an unknown character, it’s a dark romance, so be sure to check for TWs. 🫶🏽
🥀 Melody is a strong FMC who has a dark past, she had a horrible encounter 9 months ago on a night out with friends. She’s taken a step back from her studies in criminal law because she can’t be faced with the horrors and troubles of the job much like her own story. She ends up finding a cute little bookstore in the city and gets a job there working with the owner, Brooke. Melody is finally trying to get herself back out into the world after all of her trauma.
🥀 Jaxon, he’s definitely a walking, tatted up red flag 🚩 but don’t we just love those? He catches sight of Melody and he thinks she’s beautiful and he’s became obsessed with her.. so, he stalks her. Jaxon went as far as having his friend hack into her Tinder account and remove everyone she swiped right on, except for him. 🤣 not to mention, the owner of the bookstore, Brooke, is his sister. 🤭
✨ The unknown POV has noticed Melody has made her way back out into the world and has noticed Jaxon following her, this has interested him, so he wants to come out and claim what is rightfully his, Melody. And, omg, cue the drama!
The lengths Jaxon went to have Melody as his was completely unhinged but I love me a possessive, obsessive and over the top MMC. The insta-love trope is not my fav but Ashley did so well with it in this book, loved it!
This just dropped on my kindle and I dropped everything to read this! The always I binged this book was probably the quickest read ever! The way the MMC WAS OBSESSED WITH THE FMC swoon! I freaking loved this book!! Add this to your TBR you won’t regret it k,byeeee
Still trying to process the fact I got to ARC read this book.
Holy fucking shit. Okay, what did I just read?! This book was absolutely incredible. I loved it so much, Istg. Like seriously, Ashley killed it with this book. I love Jaxon so fucking much it’s crazy. Without spoiling anything, some of the chapters had me on the edge of my seat. The worrying, cause I swear all I did was worry about Melody. That girl deserves everything good in the world and oh my god. The lengths Jaxon went to to have her as his 😩 I was truly speechless. The scene in the club?! 🤭 wow. That’s all I have to say. This book was so hot and so well written. From beginning to end I was hooked. I highly recommend checking this book. I fucking DEVOURED it. I need more of Ashley’s writing because wow, the way she writes is incredible. It draws you in, the characters are written in a way that you feel like you know them on a personal level. It’s an incredible story and written so well.
I cannot wait for book 2!!! I’m so excited to see what happens next.
3.75 ⭐️ I received an ARC for this fast-paced, instant love, dark stalker suspense novella. Thank you to Ashley for the opportunity.
Melody is beginning her life again after a traumatic experience in college. Jaxon is instantly obsessed with Melody from the moment he sees her out during her job search. Their relationship begins with a bang. They are forced to navigate their instant love relationship on top of the terror of her attacker still being out in the world.
Curvy FMC Obsessed MMC Suspense Instant love Touch her and die
My only hang-up is that the writing was sometimes repetitive. Otherwise, this was a great debut for the author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ I seriously liked this book, the main characters are so well written that their story just flows perfectly. Jaxon and Melody has such intense chemistry I thought my kindle was going to melt. I liked the action, the plot was so good! The spice was phenomenal! Melody has a lot of baggage but Jaxon is ready to handle it.
2.5 Deadly Desires is a cute little read, although I personally did not end up enjoying it as much as I’d hoped I would.
This book has three POVs - The FMC, the MMC that’s giving off dark obsessive vibes from second one, and a secret third stalker-y kind. And while that sounds very intriguing to a dark romance girl like me, the romance parts weren’t all that dark in themselves. (Maybe, at this point, I’m just too far gone…)
The FMC felt a bit… difficult to grasp. She has also gone through a lot and while her development was rather sudden, I was surprised by the fact that it seemed to work.
It also made sense that the MMC is maybe not what he’s made out to be at first, therefore more what she actually needs. Sadly, in my personal opinion, the dynamic between the two felt off at times and the way she perceived him irritated me personally.
The plot was nice, and I liked the hinting to the possibility of other books that follow the journey of the MMC’s siblings. And there definitely is potential for those.
The writing was ok – although, seeing as it is a debut novel and there surely always is potential for development, it was easy enough to read.
I think it were minor things that threw me off and I’m sure many people won’t even mind and will enjoy and love this book for the suspense and spice alone! It feels like the kind of dark romance that is approachable for those that usually enjoy lighter romance but want to dare and take a step into the stalker genre, as the context and story are dark, but the romance itself not so much so. (Please mind the TWs!)
-- I received a free ARC of Deadly Desires in exchange for an honest review
This was a fast pace, insta love, stalker romance and the author did not disappoint! I read it in one sitting!
The second Jaxon sees Melody he knows he needs to know more about her and he is obsessed. I love how Jaxon and Melody’s lives intertwine! I really enjoyed Melody and Brooke’s friendship.
Melody is a great FMC. Even though she is still healing from trauma you know that she has grown and is strong.
Jaxon is perfect for Melody. He is there for her and knows exactly what she needs. He is so supportive and protective.
I loved that the story also had a plot in addition to Jaxon and Melody’s relationship. Someone has been st@lking Melody and they are trying to find out who it is.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 Multiple POV
💀 Dark romance 🖤 Insta love 💀 St@lking 🖤 OTT Alpha MMC 💀 He falls first & hard 🖤 Strong curvy FMC 💀 Possessive/ obsessive 🖤 Praise
Thank you to the author and Truly Yours PR for the arc!
"I would be anything for you. Rough, tender, degrading, praising, you name it baby, and I'll be that for you."
Deadly Desires was a deliciously wild ride! The insta-love was so well done and working in the praise kink with a hint of degrading kept me panting for more! I always enjoy a stalker romance...the heighten tension in this one had my heart racing faster than Jaxon does on his bike. Speaking of characters, the MFC Melody deserves all the love and joy in the world. She was soo relatable and easy to fall in love with as the reader too. This was an incredible duet novel, I'm excited to enjoy future work from Ashley McKnight.
There were some dark moments so definitely check those trigger warnings before diving into this one!
Fast paced, interesting, spicy read! This story follows Melody who after experiencing a traumatic attack has spent the last year trying to pick up the pieces of her life. She finally decides to get a job at a local bookstore where she begins to be stalked by Jaxon who is not Melody’s only stalker. Once Jaxon makes his way into Melody’s life they, in the middle of navigating their new instant love and relationship, are met with the dangers of Melody's unknown stalker who is growing more violent. Trauma, obsession, morally grey mmc and a good amount of spice! Give it a read! Be sure to check TW⚠️ mentions of S@ and physical @buse.
I am so honored to have received an ARC of Deadly Desires! Below is my fair and honest review.
One year after a traumatic event, Melody is trying to regain some stability. On her to do list: get a job, re-download Tinder.
Jaxson is a gorgeous, wealthy man who knows what (who) he wants, and that's Melody.
What ensues is a story of healing and searing passion that I truly enjoyed. Melody is such a relatable character, with tons of personality that invests you, and Jaxson is a hunky, charming, dangerous love interest. The plot moves along quiet nicely within the story and keeps you turning page after page.
This is a very spicy read that will spark your heart. If you have a special interest in public acts, the nightclub scene is going to absolutely delight you.
Book - Deadly Desires (Desires Trilogy 1) Author- @authorashleymcknight
Rating- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice-🌶️🌶️🌶️
Please hold your heart before reading this masterpiece. Ashley has done such amazing work.. Deadly desires was a delicious read and incredibly written.. ❤️❤️
I love stalker romance no matter how dark they are. 😏😏
Jaxon and Melody- They have my heart.❤️❤️
Melody, a bold and strong FMC with a brutal past. She left her studies in criminal law as she can't face the demons and scars coming along with it. She started working at a bookstore (I want to work at a bookstore as well).🥺🥺
Jaxon, a sexy and the hottest red flag but don't deny it we fall for them (only fictional). He saw her working at a bookstore and booom 🤯 he got mesmerized.. Jaxon is obsessed with her and starts to stalk her. 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵
But here's a twist he is not the only one who is stalking her. There is someone else as well. WHO?? (read the book)😏😏😏
OMG Jason has a mouth of ahm ahm.. 🤭🤭 “𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰.”
Overall, I loved the book and it was an amazing ride to hop on. Melody with past baggage but Jaxon is ready to share it.
Jaxon what you did to her tinder account was fucking amazing... I was kicking my legs at the point..🤯🤯
Jaxon went so far to have Melody as his was completely unhinged but I am a sucker for possessive and obsessive MMC. Ashley was amazing..😏😏
Please read the trigger warning before diving into the world of Jaxon and Melody.🔴🔴
“This woman is going to be the death of me. This deadly desire I have for her knows no bounds.” 🖤
Happy #PubDay to DEADLY DESIRES and thank you to @trulyyours.pr for the #gifted eARC to read and review. DEADLY DESIRES is a dark romance by a debut indie author, Ashley McKnight. It is told in alternating POVS: Melody, our FMC who is overcoming the impacts of a brutal attack that happened a year ago; Jaxon, our tatted up, possessive MMC with some morally questionable boundaries; and a third, unknown, POV of Melody’s previous attacker.
This book will give you plus-size rep, touch her and die vibes, he falls first, and suspense all rolled up into one book. The romance is a bit of an insta-love situation - and there is definitely some bonding through trauma and caretaking; however, I still enjoyed this very quick read (more novella length than full novel). The start of our main relationship definitely has some questionable elements to it - with our MMC invading privacy and stalking our FMC. However, it is nothing compared to the actual torture that occurs near the climax of the novel - definitely check the trigger warnings before diving into this one; those chapters are incredibly graphic and care should be taken if you’re going to read them.
I will say, some of the writing was a bit more telling vs. showing - example, the FMC staring into the mirror and her internal monologue was describing herself like, “I am a brunette...” However, it was fast-paced and plot-driven enough, that I wasn’t too caught up in the writing style. I am hopeful that as the author practices and hones their craft, they will evolve into a more nuanced way of storytelling and creating character/scene details.
DEADLY DESIRES is out today and is available on Kindle Unlimited!
CW // sexual assault; physical assault; kidnapping; depression; self harm; dismemberment; genital mutilation; starvation and dehydration; captivity and confinement; gun/knife violence; stalking; and torture
"I would be anything for you. Rough, tender, degrading, praising, you name it baby, and I'll be that for you."
I was lucky enough to ARC read this debut book. I really liked it and read it in one sitting. This instant love, fast paced, stalker dark romance was a great start of my July reads. It could have been darker, with the trigger list I kind of expected it to be, but it was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5 read nontheless. I'm here for the instant obsession and how protective the Jaxon (MMC) was over Melody (FMC). I do love a good "mine" moment🫠
In this book you'll find: 🖤 Dark romance 🖤 Stalking/Obsession 🖤 Strong, curvy FMC 🖤 OTT Alpha MMC 🖤 He falls first 🖤 Praise & degradation 🖤 Public play 🖤 Touch her and 💀
⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
⚠️As always, read the trigger warnings before diving in 🫶🏻
Ok, I must have missed this somewhere, but did I just see this will be a trilogy?...Ummm..yes please.
This quick, stalker romance is just what I needed. The plot was easy to consume, the spice was *chef’s kiss* and jaxson couldn’t have been written better 😮💨
“She owns every broken piece of my heart and every blackened bit of my soul”
“This woman is going to be the death of me. This deadly desire I have for her knows no bounds”
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I read this book in ONE SITTING. Though I wished it was just a bit longer so I could get to know and love these characters just a bit more, the story didn’t feel rushed because of it, which I appreciated.
“God, yes please.” “I may not be god, but when i’m done with you, it will be me your praying to”
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this arc. Stalker romances can sometimes be hard to navigate, but this was spot on. I would highly recommend for the dark romance girls, bc you will LOVE Jaxson.
“He would seriously be considered a walking red flag to most women, but i have always seen red as a pretty shade of pink anyways”
Ashley, thank you for the opportunity of being an arc reader for you. I cannot wait to meet these other men you have in mind 👀
Taking insta love to the extreme! Jaxon falls in love at first sight and what does one do when that happens? They stalk their every move.
After a life changing traumatic experience, Melody closes in on herself letting depression and anxiety eat her alive. Until she stubbles across a help wanted sign in her local bookstore. As fate would have it owned by her stalkers sister😏
You don’t have to wait long before Jaxon confronts Melody and claims her as his! But as they begin their love story an unknown threat is determined to prove that Melody is his!
Time is not on Jaxon’s side as he and his brother and best friend/hacker Franklin race to find and rescue Melody.
This book was not as dark as I thought it was going to be, but it is still dark and readers should check trigger warnings before reading. It does ends with a hea!
(Arc)review “Deadly Desires “is a Dark Stalker Romance with a twist. 🖤😬 I really enjoyed this book it was really quick paced, got to the point, the 🥵Spice was Spicing 🥵 I was really into the story there’s some deep issues so make sure to check your triggers , but it does ends with HEA. It did give me some “Haunting Adeline “ vibes with the bloody rose 🥀 and some other aspects. Loved the chemistry between Jax MMC and Melody MFC and how their relationship progressed. Overall I enjoyed this quick Dark Romance and I would recommend it!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.5 🌶️🌶️🌶️💫
~The thought takes me by surprise for a moment before I’m full on accepting my fate. I knew I was obsessed with her and have this need to make her mine, but I can say I love this woman with all honesty. She owns every broken piece of my heart and every blackened bit of my soul.~Jaxon
Dark, stalker romance. INSTA LOVE Touch her & die ☠️
Melody is finally starting to live life again a year after a terrifying attack. She meets Jaxon, who has been keeping tabs on her longer than she knows. No slow burn here, this is some insta love. Her obsessive attacker is still out there though & has also been stalking her, ready to finish what he started a year ago.
This was fast paced and I flew through it. I loved the chemistry between Jaxon & Melody. Jax is every bit the morally grey mmc. I only wish we got a bit more of his backstory. Overall a great debut novel. Be sure to check TW
Damn! Deadly Desires hits hard with the emotions straight away. Only 10 pages in and it’s filled with so many feels and continues through the whole book! I loved this from start to finish 😍
Jaxon’s possessive caring nature, Melody’s soft submissive personality they just work together perfectly. The plot has been well thought out and had my jaw on the floor a few times 😂
“I’ve pushed everyone away so they can’t hurt me first.” - my inner child was screaming at me 😭
“I may not be god, but when I’m done with you, it will be me you’re praying to.”
Melody has been through trauma that most wouldn't be able to handle but she prevails and tries to have a new life and push through it all. While visiting his little sister's bookstore Jaxon sees a woman who captures his attention and is instantly obsessed with her. But her past is catching up to her and nowhere is safe. Maybe Jaxon will be able to save her.
This story was dark in the second half and did not expect it but the way Jaxon saved her is all that matters
This book was so good I was sad when it was over. Please check trigger warnings! I couldn’t believe how fast I was reading it, it kept me engaged the entire time! It’s a very face pace read and I couldn’t stop. I finished it in a few hours! I loved how Ashley’s writing was so unique to what I’ve read before with a dark romance. The way she talked about each character and having a dual POV was perfect for this book! My only downfall would be I wish it was longer and I wish there was more spice!! Don’t get wrong, there was spice and it was great, but this girl LOVES the spice, the more the better! I highly recommend everyone go get themselves a copy! You will NOT regret it!
I can’t wait for the other books in the series to come out! This girl will definitely be reading them!
3.5-4 I liked this book and the characters, I just wish it wasn't so rushed. It was VERY insta-love. I did really enjoy the story. I just wish the characters had a little more interaction before being head over heals in love with each other. I think it would have made the story a bit more believable and given a little more time to really feel for the characters.
I did love that it had a curvy FMC. Just wanted a little more time with them before they "loved" each other.
holy hot damn what did i just read?! i am a hardcore dark romance girlie and this one did not disappoint! It chewed me up and spit me out, but in a good way lol i started it and the next thing i knew i was finished and all i can say is that I WANT MORE ASHLEY! this world you have created with these characters now hold a special place in my heart. and the spice….oooof girl it went down in this book and i absolutely loved it.
Melody is such a relatable character and she deserves happiness and love and most of the time i wanted to crawl through the book and hug her. Now Jaxon, i am down BAD for this man. his possessiveness and “touch her and 🔪” vibes had me on my knees for him.
I received an ARC of Deadly Desires and I can say it didn’t disappointment. If you’re looking for a fast paced dark romance with stalker vibes and lots of spice, this book is for you.
I absolutely loved Jaxon’s character. He has a stalker/ obsession with Melody and he plays it so smooth. I honestly could not get enough of him.
Although a little short and a little more face paced than I’m used to, I would definitely recommend.
the writing style was a little to YA for me but i did enjoy the growth of the relationship between jaxon and melody! some fade to black i didn’t necessarily enjoy reading about but i enjoyed this quick novella
Deadly Desires by Ashley McKnight is a gripping tale of obsession, love, and survival. This dark romance weaves together the lives of three central characters: Jaxon, Melody, and an ominous unknown figure, creating a story that is as captivating as it is chilling. This book a quick novella and held me interested from the very being. I really l9ve this book and the spicy was chefs ki$$
Got an ARC for this and finished it pretty quick! It’s a perfect dark romance book for those who want to read something quick. Very spicy and fast paced! 🌶️