Toxic Obsession by J.A. Owenby

Purchase
Whitmore Elite #5

Rating: 4.5/5

Spice: 4/5

Primary Genre: Dark Romance

Trigger Warnings: Suicide and suicide pacts, child sexual abuse (not on the page), Dub-con, Non-con, Knife play, Anal play & Plugs, Violence, Revenge, Sensory Depriving, Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Gun Violence, Degradation, Breath Play, Grooming, Mental Health, Reference to School Shooting

Favorite Quote: He’s just a boy. Make sure he actually deserves you instead of trying to convince everyone you deserve him. You have nothing to prove, girl.

Plot: 5/5

Blurb: Wynter Baldwin is responsible for my twin sister’s death.

She’s playing a dangerous game by showing up at Whitmore UniversityThe day she destroyed my world, I swore revenge. Now, I'm a football god, and part of a secret society. A brotherhood who will have my back as I ruin her. When I begin to unravel the truth about my twin, I question everything I know about Wynter. Before I realize it, I’m caught up in a web of lies and the one girl I vow to destroy, is the only one that can save me.

He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I need a fresh start where no one knows me,
and Whitmore University seems like my chance —
if I can keep my secrets hidden.
But everything I've built is shattered by Quinn Astor,
a powerful football god, and he sees me as his next target.
Quinn has a relentless drive and a cruel streak. He’s toxic.
He's not the prince I thought he was, but a devil I can't resist.
And he’s about to consume me.
A dark, forbidden, sports, secret society enemies-to-lover’s standalone featuring an alpha anti-hero, and the feisty heroine who forces him to bow to her.

The Good:

* The plot is just phenomenal. If you want to read something that’s never been done before, this has got to be it. I can’t believe someone has written this plot before because it’s deranged but in a phenomenal way. My husband asked me what it’s about and I told him, think of something a bit like a Lifetime movie but rated R and the plot is on steroids. If you think you have the ending figured out, no you don’t. You will not predict this ending. J.A. could easily rival Freida McFadden with the twists and turns in this plot.

* There are great characters. Wynter’s character surprised me the most because in the beginning I didn’t think I would like her. Once she left home and got to college, she started to open up and feel a bit more comfortable. She was able to let her walls down a little bit and she blossomed and evolved into a really sweet but strong character. As frustrating as Quinn’s character can be, as much as you may want to punch him in the face at times, he’s impossible to hate. He’s acting psycho and then four pages later he’s doing something sweet. He’s yet an other well written character. The supporting characters/friends were fleshed out enough to have distinguishable personalities.

* There’s a ton of spice and it’s of the dark romance persuasion, if you know that I’m sayin’. J.A. knows her spice.

* When J.A. says dark, she means dark. She’s not playin’ around here.

The Meh:

* I really would have liked to see some retribution for Adam, his story wasn’t really closed up. I would have liked to at least know what happened to him in the end, hopefully something horrible.

* I understand that this is a New Adult series but I got so invested in Wynter and Quinn’s story, I was left wondering if he ever went pro in the NFL. Was he able to buy the housekeeper her own house?

* Wynter’s past was really detailed but Quinn’s was more vague. It would have been nice to go into more detail with his past and flesh out his character a bit more. Maybe give the reader an understanding of how Adam went from treating his sons the way that he did to treating his daughter the way that he did.

Bottom Line:

I don’t think I have ever said wtf out loud while reading a book so much and I mean that in the best possible way. This plot is incredibly original, deliciously unhinged, and is handed to you wrapped in a bow that says HEA. Does that sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not because those are straight facts. This book is dark and twisted, emotional, raw, and crafted to speak to the part of your brain that tells you that you can’t stop reading until you reach the end. I had never even heard of this author when I signed up for this ARC and that’s my favorite thing about reading ARCs. I get to discover new authors to love! This book made me a J.A. Owenby fan, I’m a lifer now! What are you waiting for? Don’t act like you don’t want to read this book.

If you purchase a book from a link on this page I may earn a small commission.