Tied Up in Obsession: Unraveling His by Aubrey Dark

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Imagine Dexter meets Fifty Shades—the result is His, Aubrey Dark’s debut dark-erotic novel that turns “Nancy Drew meets serial killer” into a tension-laced romance. Equal parts haunting and intimate, it’s a standalone that readers either devour in one adrenaline-fueled sitting or approach with caution (sometimes both).SoBriefGoodreads

Plot Summary: From Library Quiet to Basement Heat

Kat, a 22-year-old librarian with a life bombingly average, decides to step out of her comfort zone when her best friend Jules dares her to kiss the first cute guy she sees. That guy happens to be Gavriel—a mysterious, brooding stranger. Their kiss ignites something electric, only for Kat to later follow Gavriel home, intending to return a dropped paper... and instead witness his gruesome murder of a stranger. Before she can run, she’s captured and bound to a radiator in his basement. Her terror turns into a warp of fascination as she becomes both prisoner and the object of his obsession.New Book Recommendationaccidentalreader.blogspot.com

Characters: A Dance on the Edge of Sanity

Kat (Katherine)

Innocent librarian by day, curious thrill-seeker by night. She’s intelligent, self-aware, and surprisingly adaptable to her bizarre circumstances. Despite being taken hostage, her curiosity and attraction to Gavriel make her an unreliable narrator of her own survival—melding fear with forbidden desire.accidentalreader.blogspot.comGoodreads

Gavriel (“Gav”)

Charismatic. Disturbingly composed. He admits he’s "sanest when he’s killing," and treats murder with dentist-like precision. Gav seeks control, but with Kat, there's also a strange tenderness: “Nobody, not even the cruelest man, can hold onto their cruelty in the face of death.”The Romance Experiencespicybookslady.com

Their relationship is a desperate push-pull—Kat’s hunger for something darker meets a monster who's perfectly willing to keep her captive.accidentalreader.blogspot.comGoodreads

Trigger Warnings: Don’t Walk In Blind

Dark romance territory is rugged. Here’s what readers should know before diving:

• Kidnapping, captivity, non-consensual or dubious consent scenarios

• Graphic violence and murder

• Psychological manipulation

• Suicide and self-harm references

• BDSM/erotic captivity dynamicsGoodreadsAll Bookstores

One reader likened Gav to Dexter—appealing but dangerous. Proceed only if you can navigate that gray zone.SoBriefGoodreads

Tropes That Haunt

• Captive/Captor Romance – Obsession born in constraint.

• Serial Killer Hero – Dark, intense, and morally disordered.

• Dubious Consent / Stockholm Syndrome – Narratively problematic, but central to this twist.

• Enemies-to-Lovers? – More reluctant fangirls-to-felon sort of arc.

• Gothic Isolation – A basement, secrecy, intimate terror, and electrifying intimacy.

• Self-Awareness – Kat explicitly knows how twisted this is: “Nancy Drew never ended up in a basement, handcuffed to a radiator…”accidentalreader.blogspot.com

A Reader’s Thoughts

“WOW! I really enjoyed this book… dark, edgy, intense, beautiful, and sexy, all rolled together… like Dexter meets Fifty Shades of Grey.”Goodreads

“Gav was definitely more interesting to me than Kat … killers are interesting to me.”The Romance Experience

On the flip side, not all readers were charmed:

“It was kinda sweet at times, and very mild… I thought it would be a bit more gritty… Just not what I’d expected.”All Bookstores

So yes—this book splits the room (and possibly your comfort levels).

Writing & Style: Stark, Sharp, Seductive

Aubrey Dark’s writing strikes a succinct, psychological note—not overly poetic, but visceral. The narrative isn't obsessed with gore, yet the tension simmers: Kat’s fear, Gav’s calm control, the whispered obsession that pulses in the dark.

One standout reflection:

“The fear of death was… a powerful emotion. It dropped away everything else and cleansed people of their sins.”spicybookslady.com

That sort of line gives His its dark romance signature tone—raw, philosophical, and chillingly seductive.

Strengths & Shadows

What Works

• Original Concept – Serial killer and librarian? Unique and wickedly compelling.SoBriefaccidentalreader.blogspot.com

• Psychological Tension – The push-pull of fear and desire is taut and believable.

• Kat's Self-Awareness – Her internal commentary keeps her grounded and not just a helpless victim.

• Standalone – No cliffhanger (unusual for the genre)—ends decisively.The StoryGraph

What Might Not

• Problematic Romantic Core – Captivity romance isn’t for everyone. It flirts with red flags, like control and obsession.

• Shallow Character Depth – Some reviews mention Kat feels underdeveloped compared to the compelling Gav.All Bookstores+1

• Tonal Expectations – If you expect a gritty thriller, you may find this softer than expected. One reader called it “mild” for serial-killer content.All Bookstores

Final Verdict: Not for the Faint of Heart, but Unforgettable

His is hallucinatory, edgy, and more cerebral than visceral—an erotic thriller that asks you to chew on fear while moaning beneath it. It treads that tricky line between repulsion and attraction. If you're drawn to dark psychological tension, taboo desire, and characters who wake you at 3 a.m., it will haunt you.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stolen Kisses in the Dark
(One star off for ethical ambivalence—but two more on for razor-sharp tension and a heroine with nerve.)