Santana Knox

Weird, but good. I suppose I can see why this book isn't for everyone. There is a lot of religion and politics, and some of it hits a bit close to home. The plot was fascinating, as were the characters. There was some danger, and some spice. And a trio of sexy psychos. There is a lot going on in the background. There is a lot of mystery surrounding all of the characters. And while it's evident that this should have at least one more novel, it could also end here. I'd say well done on the author's part. I will be on the lookout for a sequel.… (more)

This book was billed as a "reimaging of The Hunchback of Notre Dame de Paris". A dystopian world where the United States government has collapsed allowing the rise of Christianity to take its place in the ashes. Other religions have been wiped off the map. If you were not among the wealthy, you had to find ways to gain access to the prestigious schools that belonged to Christianity.

For Romani, all she has known is the bell tower. For most of her life, she had been raised by Claude Follo and made to remain hidden because Frollo had her believing that there were monsters out there wanting to eat her. Because of this, she has been labeled the ghost of the tower.

But it changes when three boys - Corvin, Felix, and Sonny - take over the abandoned church. Her food supply from Frollo has been cut off and the only way to get anything would be to go down. There she finds that the abandoned church has been turned into a home painted black and seemingly having altars.

She is caught one day and finds herself at the mercy of three boys. All of whom are actually looking for something that was supposedly important for Arlan Black. Could it be she?

I am having a really hard time trying to decide where I plan to rate this book. While on the one hand, the idea of mixing A Handmaid's Tale with a reimagining of The Hunchback of Notre Dame made it sound interesting. The idea that this dystopian world lies in the hands of the Christian Church made it sound frightening. The world's religions no longer exist forcing those to become part of the church. All of this is due to the ending of Roe v Wade and the breakdown of the government.

Romina is an innocent girl. Never knowing how the world outside of the bell tower works. She lacks understanding and maturity even when the boys decide that she will be their pet, their little lamb, etc. They never really bother to teach her anything other than sex, something else that she is not able to understand nor really allow her a decision on the matter. They do give her a safeword but it is never used. Though she may have enjoyed the experiences, you find it morally reprehensible due to the power dynamics and potential exploitation involved.

This story is meant to be a reimaging of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and you can see much of it sprinkled throughout the pages. The bell tower. Frollo's obsession with Romina. And Frollo uses the church to carry out his deeds.

But where do I place this? I love the dark romance when it comes to stories like this. The smut is abundant and consent is not always going to be present when it comes to books such as these. While I enjoyed this novel, I just could not find to like the boys that much. I know they are dark with no morally grey within their souls.

While I did enjoy the story, the smut, and some of the world-building, I found that the information dump at the beginning pretty much did not offer a far more grandeur look at this dystopian world. The character growth seemed to stall due to this and I could not find a real connection between Romina and the boys.

Final Thought:

Honestly, I hope I made sense with this review because I wrote it when I had a massive migraine. I will say that if you enjoy dark romance and dub/con storylines, then this will be the book for you.… (more)

"Love scars. Love leaves you half the person you were before and twice as eager to take your life when it's all over."
"But I wasn't a knife, I was the sheathe, worn and weathered from the blade's constant marring."
Romina is nothing more than a myth to the students of Notredame Parochial College talk about. A number of rumors surround her importance to the headmaster. She is nothing more than Frollo's secret. That is until they show up. Outcasts just like her. But these men aren't just dangerous, they're heartless. They won't abide or bend to the rules of this deranged school and the secrets it keeps from the world. Now that they've found Romina, they may never let her go. And maybe, just maybe, she doesn't want them to...
This book!! First off check the trigger warnings on this one because it's got quite a few. Also be aware this is not a retelling or fractured fairytale it is simply loosely inspired by Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris. The book is most assuredly a dark romance so don't go looking for any heroes in this book because you aren't going to find them. Instead you get 3 male characters with a whole host of issues and a female main character who has a number herself. The beauty though... each of them is a puzzle piece that works to complete each other. Romina finds something different that helps nurture and develop herself in Sonny, Felix and Corvin. The book wouldn't work without each one of these pieces of that I'm very certain.
I enjoyed the world depicted in this book, it wasn't just a dark romance it was also a social statement. One that really hits on some hard truths about the reality that we live in and just how wrong so many situations are. I enjoyed that aspect more than I anticipated and could see a lot of the connections that the author was making. That being said some of the dynamics she sets up, still felt kind of unresolved at the end of the novel for me. I wanted a few more answers. I also would have liked for more closure with a few of the side characters. I just felt like some plot was formed that then went unexamined. But I ain't even that mad about it.
Each of the characters were written beautifully. And Sonny will forever and ever hold a special piece in my heart. I really enjoyed watching Romina's character development and growth. My only wish would have been to know just a bit more about her dreams that are hinted at and if she accomplished any of the things that she set out to accomplish. If you enjoy why choose or dark romances you really do need to check this one out. I feel like you will regret it if you don't.… (more)