The cover is spectacular.

It wasn't easy for me to get into the story and I found it hard to stick with it at first. But the premise is interesting and my curiosity was certainly sparked after the first few chapters.

The writing style itself is very beautiful and made reading much easier. The sentences seem well thought out, the concepts and different points of focus are interesting and often very aptly embedded. Sentence by sentence or paragraph by paragraph, there is a lot to think about. Nevertheless, it is difficult to recognise a continuous narrative flow, as the plot often seems bumpy and somewhat scattered.

Character development is definitely part of the story and also takes up a lot of space. However, the characters weren't really tangible or comprehensible for me. A lot of things seemed to be hinted at rather than clearly worked out, so I found it difficult to sympathise with the characters.

I found it easier to read after the first few chapters, mainly because of the small stories within the story and the writing style. The themes revolve around human experiences, the discrepancy between expectations and reality, and how one shapes and deals with one's own perceptions.

Some twists I saw coming, others surprised me, which gave the story some good moments. The ending picks up on a lot of interesting thoughts and discussion points, but ultimately doesn't offer a satisfying conclusion for me personally, but again has a few loose threads that are thought-provoking.

Overall, a book with lots of exciting ideas and some good moments, but I was more captivated by the sentences than the overall story.

Chemical Souls was very captivating, to the point that I was able to finish it in a matter of hours. I was interested to see where the story was going. We follow the shy Patrick to his interview at Chemical Souls to find his soulmate, but he finds it in someone unexpected. I definitely found myself confused at some points of this book, but had a general understanding of what was going on. I went into this expecting a typical romance, so I definitely was jarred when I found out it was more of a psychological story. The characters also had very intellectual conversations that I didn’t really see the point of. I also would’ve appreciated more insight into why the characters did what they did, especially near the end. Overall, this story had an interesting premise and was a quick and easy read! I would recommend this to those that enjoy mutual obsession, mind fucks, and slow burn. Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chemical Souls is a short but gripping read that takes the stalker trope in a fresh and unexpected direction. I have been wanting a story that explored the question, “What happens if the stalker gets bored?” and this book absolutely delivered.

The story follows Patrick Carline, a man who signs up for a soulmate matching service that claims to find perfect partners through a chemical DNA process. During his intake interview, he meets Margaret Warren, the woman evaluating him, and there is an immediate spark between them. What begins as a seemingly ordinary matchmaking process quickly becomes something much darker and far more tangled.

The connection between Patrick and Margaret is intense, magnetic and unsettling. As the layers of their personalities and pasts start to peel back, the line between passion and danger becomes almost impossible to separate. The book thrives on its psychological tension, keeping you on edge while also exploring the thrill of connection and the fragility of excitement in a relationship built on extremes.

Roxana M. Rotaru delivers a fast paced, darkly fascinating romance that is both twisted and thought provoking. It is the kind of story that keeps you reading just to see how far the characters will go for love and what happens when the thrill begins to fade.

ARC Review – ★★★★☆

Chemical Souls felt like a twisted Black Mirror episode collided with a haunting fairytale—in the best way possible. The atmosphere is dark, obsessive, and undeniably addictive.

The two main characters are absolutely vile (and that’s part of the charm); I couldn’t look away from their toxic dynamic. There’s a major twist that completely caught me off guard, and I loved it for that. I devoured this book in just three days, and it still hasn’t left my mind.

If you’re a fan of shows like You (on Netflix), this book will be right up your alley. It’s not overly gory, but it deals heavily with themes of death and intense stalking. Definitely one for readers who enjoy darker characters and psychological tension.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC!
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The cover caught my eye and the blurb reeled me in further.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time staying within the book. I couldn’t find a graceful flow with the characters, their dialogue or the storyline.

I really wish I could’ve enjoyed this more as it had sounded promising.

Based on the blurb I knew it would be entirely my sort of thing but I wasn’t fully sure what to expect.

The use of description was excellent and at times extremely vivid and immersive. There are periods that Margaret and Patrick are talking that I felt like I was in the room.

I didn’t care all that much about Patrick solely because the author made Margaret so perfect. She was magnetic and I wish I could have seen more of the story through her eyes.

My only issue with this book is I will have to read it again as I completely misunderstood the first couple of chapters.