Just wow. This was unhinged in a glorious way, fast and sharp and quick witted. It was dark and delicious with a bit of humor thrown in. It was SUCH a fun read!!!🖤 I was so caught up I finished in an hour..👀

I wanted more though. I wanted more backstory, more world building, I wanted to go deeper. It's more like a snippet of a larger story, just a slice of cake, and dammit I am greedy and I want the whole thing shoved in my face!🎂

It has fabulous potential to be more than the novella it currently is, and if there's more coming? You can count me in 1000%.

i loved this book! if you like dark, spicy and unhinged this is definitely the book for you. usually some books would catch my attention within a few pages on a good day BUT this book had me hooked after reading the first page! i cannot wait for the next part.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kristen Coar for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if a librarian got possessed by a dark goddess, developed a bloodthirsty libido, and met her masochistic soulmate in an immortal pain addict – this book is for you.

Spoilers ahead!

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Vera is a petite, awkwardly dressed librarian who just happens to be possessed by a goddess of pain. After reading a mysterious book (possibly gifted by her deeply sus coworker David), she finds that the only way to feel pleasure is through torture and death. She’s not exactly happy about it – but she’s also not stopping. Especially not after she meets Nikolai, a dangerously hot immortal with a taste for agony, who has spent 800 years chasing death just to feel something.

When Nikolai finds Vera post-murder, high off the kill and soaked in blood, he’s instantly obsessed. For the first time, his arousal isn’t tied to his pain – but hers. He cleans up her crime scene as a way of saying hello.

Let that sink in.

The chemistry between these two is explosive, twisted, and utterly magnetic. When they finally find themselves alone in Vera’s apartment, the tension between them reaches a breaking point. Despite the horror, there’s a brutal honesty that cuts through the chaos. Nikolai, ever the willing masochist, breaks the silence with a chilling admission:

“You can stop pretending you’re not terrified I’ll break,” he murmured. “And you can stop pretending you don’t want me to try.”

That confession shatters their last defenses — sparking an explosive first encounter filled with choking, knife play, and a shared orgasm that leaves them both literally unconscious. And that’s when things start getting really interesting.

As if things couldn’t get darker, Vera’s coworker David becomes increasingly unhinged, showing up at her apartment spouting veiled threats and keeping a little too close an eye on her. The serial killings in town mysteriously stop when he disappears for a week. Coincidence? I think not.

The ending hints that the past – and whatever force possessed Vera – is far from done with her. And neither is Nikolai. Together, they’re messy, violent, deranged, and perfect for each other.

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Final Thoughts

This is only 80 pages, but I would have devoured 800. If you love dark romance, morally gray characters, and blood-soaked seduction, Ink, Blood, and Other Afflictions is your next obsession. I need the next installment. Like, yesterday.

Overall Rating: 5★

This book was so much fun! I went in with exactly zero expectation because the author is new to me, but I can already tell she’s going to become one of my go-to authors.
I was drawn in by the plot summary and have no regrets. Vera is possessed. She’s also snarky, funny, unhinged and stabby. Nikolai is a dark immortal whose idea of courting is cleaning up her crime scenes for her and then stalking her. Match made in hell.
If you like your dark romance with a side of laughing-out-loud, this is definitely for you. I’d say the vibes are close to what I found in <i>Butcher & Blackbird</i>, I was so sad to get to the end because I was ready to continue all night long with these characters.
I can’t wait for the next episodes!

Great novella! The story was a quick read and paced really well. I am not normally a novella person but this was done extremely well!

I really loved part one of this book, the story was intriguing and has definitely left me wanting more. The writing was good and made for an easy read, I can’t wait to read part 2 now!!

This book was really crazy !!!! What did I read I would recommend because I love me a crazy wtf book lol I kept turning the pages cause it kept me interested

4/5⭐

Es la parte 1 de 4 novellas cortas.
Este libro fue corto, con un ritmo rápido y muy extraño, me encantó.
Me enganchó desde el primer capítulo.
Ambos protagonistas estan desquiciados.
Amo cuando los autores incluyen arte/ilustraciones en un ebook y este incluyó una espectacular.
No puedo esperar a leer el resto de las novellas y saber como sigue la historia

I adored this! It was like a rollercoaster of short, sweet, spicy, and downright funny moments.
The FMC is gloriously unhinged and kills it (pun intended) I love her!

Such a blast to read, and I’m excited for the next book already!