REVIEW: “The Spectre” by A.K. Draven

"No matter where she runs, she will always be mine."

I was a part of the street team for this book and was sent an ARC for free and I’m reviewing it honestly and voluntarily. This is classified as a dark romance and contains dark themes that might be a trigger for some people. There were moments I scrunched my face up but I LOVED it! It will be released on 21 April 2024 so don’t wait to add it to your TBR or wishlist, or pre-order now!

Badass female characters | So much shmex it’s basically p0rn | Very possessive MMC

Secret identities | Dark second chance romance | Secret organisations

What’s it all about?

Blakely

This was never supposed to be my path.

Losing her felt like a hurricane tearing through my soul, but now I feel a burning desire for justice.

Losing him was a dagger to my heart, and eight years later, my feelings haven’t waned.

Despite rebuilding myself, the magnetic pull towards him is irresistible.

Sweetness is a distant memory, replaced by a fiery surge of anger.

When concealed truths are unveiled, he's not the only one hiding secrets.

He won’t stop until I’m his again, but I’m not the girl he once knew.

Aidan

I once believed I could escape fate, but it was never a choice.

My world crumbled when I lost them both.

She was mine, but I couldn’t let her witness the monster I’d become.

Letting her go almost broke me, but eight years later, she’s back.

It's fine that she hates me. At least she’s breathing.

No matter how much she fights us, I’ll show her we belong together.

I’m a patient man.

Blurb from Goodreads

The setting

Set in contemporary Scotland, with a stop in Paris, you’re bound to hear of places you’ve heard of or maybe even visited!

Who is our cast?

Main cast:

Our main female lead is Blakely, a strong, independent curvy woman. At the beginning of the story, we find her practicing law in Paris, before she is pulled back to Scotland on ‘family business’, reuniting her with her family and her ex…

The ex in question is Aidan, or The Spectre, the man who broke Blakely’s heart, and her brother’s best friend. He’s adept at unal!ving people but by golly he’s hot!

Supporting cast:

• Emilie: Blakely’s friend and colleague, part of her badass crew.

• Bailey: Blakely’s twin sister, a doctor.

• Caleb: Aidan’s father and head of the Preston family – A.K.A. Ares of the secret organisation, The Twelve.

• Scott: A.K.A. The Slicer – Blakely and Bailey’s older brother and Aidan’s best friend and business partner.

• Tim: Aidan and Blakely’s friend and part of Aidan’s crew.

Trigger Warnings

This story has a decently long list of trigger warnings. I’ve listed a handful below. For the full list, visit A.K. Draven’s brand-new website.

• BDSM vibes

• Possessive MMC

• Graphic language

• Violence and murder

• Human trafficking

My thoughts

Honestly, this story isn’t going to be for everyone, and I recommend checking the trigger warnings to make sure you’re all good with the content. Your mental health is more important than reading a book – even if the story is amazing. I will admit, there were a couple of times that I scrunched my face up but I was able to read past them haha.

This story was so interesting, full of twists and turns that I honestly didn’t expect. Sometimes I had an inkling where things were going, but sometimes I didn’t. The twists were realistic though, so I never felt like I was taken out of the story at all.

I loved Blakely – though I have to say I loved Emilie and Bailey even more, and I can’t wait to see if their stories are told in later books. I also loved Scott and Tim over Aidan, and I’m excited that the next book is looking like it’s going to be Scott’s story 😊

I 100% recommend giving this book a read – after you’ve checked that the very strong themes will not be too much of a trigger for you.

Look after yourselves and stay awesome!

Jade x