Onley James

A surprising five stars: I have mad respect for any author who can take a story element I dislike, and make me understand it better. In this case, it's daddy kink. I have a visceral negative reaction to it, but James gave me what I needed to grok the appeal, even though it'll never ever be mine.

Mad respect.

In large part, it works well because the characters are great, all of them. My favorite is Charlie, of course.

I thought about dropping part of a star for lack of timely action on show more abuses, but I'm aware it's too close to reality as written, which is a dirty shame as well as morally corrupt. IMHO people who abuse others should suffer a lot more face-punching than happened herein. show less

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Heart-melting chaos, killer instincts, and the softest cinnamon roll pairing imaginable. I’m obsessed.

Paladin was everything I didn’t know I needed—a delicious blend of sweetness, trauma healing, dark humor, and all the feral tenderness Onley James delivers so well. Arsen and Ever absolutely wrecked me in the best way.

Arsen is sent to do what he does best—take out the trash—and instead discovers Ever, locked away and barely surviving. From that show more moment, everything changes. Arsen becomes this fiercely protective, soft-edged assassin who will burn the world for the boy he just met. And Ever? Ever is a chaotic little unicorn: naive, innocent, hilariously blunt, and completely unfiltered. One minute he’s blushing at his first ice cream cone, the next he’s swearing like a sailor and demanding orgasms on command. I couldn’t get enough.

Watching Ever find joy in the smallest things—candy, cartoons, cuddles—was as hilarious as it was heartbreaking. And the way Jericho’s boys wrapped him in their own brand of twisted affection had me grinning through the entire book. These murderous weirdos bring him gifts, play dress-up, spoil him rotten, and treat him like the most precious thing in the world. I adored every minute of it.

Arsen and Ever together? Magic. Their streaming scenes were the perfect blend of awkward, sexy, and sweet, and Arsen’s patient, quietly intense love for Ever made my heart ache. He sees every broken piece and never looks away.

Yes, there are darker themes and Ever’s past is harrowing, but Onley balances it with hope, humor, and just the right amount of therapy. This is the kind of book that makes you laugh, cry, and hug your Kindle like a weirdo when it’s over.

If you love morally gray characters with soft spots, found families who will literally kill for each other, and romances that feel like healing in book form—read this. Immediately. show less

★★★★★

Levi flopped onto Shiloh, all limbs and zero shame, tucking his face into Shiloh’s neck like he belonged there. Shiloh didn’t even blink—just wrapped his arms around Levi like he’d been waiting for that exact moment his whole life. It was equal parts ridiculous and heart-melting, which is honestly the whole vibe of this book.

Okay, first of all—I cannot overstate how much I adore Shiloh. I went in knowing I’d love him (shy, awkward little murder bean with tragic show more backstory? Yes please), but Levi completely stole my heart too. The way he’s just there for Shiloh, chaos and all, made me fall hard.

Also, the way Shiloh and Ever just vibe? I highlighted basically every single one of their interactions. Watching them go from wide-eyed blinking deer to besties with matching emotional damage was honestly healing. Ever’s brand of blunt, chaotic compassion was exactly what Shiloh needed, and their friendship gave me life.

“I’m Ever.”
“Shiloh,” Shiloh whispered.
Instant imprinting like baby ducks.

This book doesn’t shy away from heavy themes—manipulative families, trauma, abuse—and it hits hard. Onley James continues to impress me with the way she handles difficult subject matter. It’s never sugar-coated, but it’s also not trauma porn. It’s messy and complicated, but treated with care and realism. I fully trusted her to take me through the darkness and bring me out the other side.

Levi and Shiloh’s relationship is fast, intense, and not always healthy—but what I appreciated is that the book knows that. They know it too. But there’s something about two broken people trying to be whole together that just works. And seeing them find little pockets of peace in their weird little bubble? My heart.

Also—this book was spicy. Like, spicy. But in a way that felt earned and meaningful, not just tossed in for heat. The scenes were emotional and vulnerable and sometimes hilarious, which made them even better. Leave it to Onley to make sex scenes emotionally devastating and a little bit funny at the same time.

“He wasn’t even a person; he was just three mental health issues in a trench coat.”
I’m framing this quote and hanging it in my home.

I also really liked that we didn’t always know where Shiloh’s head was at. There’s a lingering tension throughout that kept me guessing, and it added so much depth to his character and the story as a whole. The pacing never dragged, even though it’s a longer book—every scene felt like it mattered.

Another banger from Onley James. Dark, tender, feral in the best way, and surprisingly hopeful. I would die for Levi and Shiloh. Ten times over. show less

Necessary Evils follows the Mulvaney family; seven men who were diagnosed as psychopaths as children and adopted by billionaire Thomas Mulvaney. By day, the men lead normal lives, by night, they channel their psychopathic tendencies to kill those who the justice system fail to prosecute. The first novella of the series, Damaged, features Dimitri and Arlo. Dimitri is the son of Calliope and born psychopath. Arlo, the obsession Dimitri can't shake.

Holy fk. Calliope! Dimitri! I've been show more wondering about Calliope's backstory and I was so excited to find out more. Honestly my biggest problem with this book was that it wasn't full length. I would've really liked for the backstory to be expanded on. Well that and I would've liked for Arlo to have a less tragic past.

Dimitri and Arlo were adorable with their secret crushes and it helped to make the instalove feel a bit more established. The banter between them was amusing and Dimitri's friend, Jason had me cackling. I loved that the Mulvaney's make an appearance and that August takes Dimitri and Arlo under his wing so to speak. He advises them that no body equals no murder. I loved his solution for dealing with the judge too. The problem with being corrupt is that if they think they're getting away with a murder, they'll help to cover it up and by the time they realise something's wrong - the evidence is long gone. It was inspired.

Another great addition to the series. 5 stars. show less