Blackwood

It's really good, if you are into it. Which is a completely useless statement for someone who hasn't read it, but I don't want to give away anything, except a trigger warning maybe. It's violent. There is death and cruelty.

Blackwood is a huge estate, owned by a handsome gruff recluse. Intent on doing a survey and for other personal reasons, Elise who is doing research in archeology, knocks on the owner's thick wooden door to ask for permission. As the door opens all see can she is his dirty black fingers, and unkempt beard as he yells at her to go away. She doesn't.

It's not safe out there in the woods. People hear women screaming at night. That could be a local myth, only Elise herself hears a scream one night.

Romance and suspense is decently mixed throughout the novel, making it a quick read. Although not entirely predictable, there's no mind blowing revelation at the end. The suspense only serves to flip the pages faster, not as the main skeleton of the story. There are enough creepy, squirrely and face less characters introduced in the beginning of the novel to raise our antennae in all directions. There is a confusion of who is good and bad throughout the novel.

There is not much story in the development of relationship between MMC and FMC. They have sex once, she finds out that she had a kink she didn't know she had, and she's all in love with him. The author could have tried a little to make it a little original. Good one time read.