Well, hello there, gorgeous! 😘 Welcome to my first Bookshelf Binge Read post! I have the wonderful habit of binge reading the bookshelf of any new-to-me author who blows my socks off with the first book I read by them. I do it often enough that I’ve decided to make it a regular thing here on my blog. I won’t do it all the time, just with authors who have clawed their way only my one-click list.
In my 2025 Goodreads Challenge blog post last month, I mentioned that I went headfirst down a reverse harem/why choose rabbit hole on the dark romance side of the Kindle Unlimited stacks. I had tried reverse harem on the fantasy side of things in the past and it just sort of fell flat for me. I have to admit now that it was probably more about the specific choice of books because I’ve read a few series recently that are really good RH fantasy but they’ve all been shifters or omegaverse (the Slate City Omega series by Devyn Sinclair, the Feral Shifters series by Callie Rose, the The Bonding Trials duet by Evelyn Flood, the Runaway Omega series by Harper Wylde). I need to find some good RH fantasy that branches outside of those two arenas (maybe some vampires or demons…).
I found Eva Ashwood’s Dirty Broken Savages series completely by chance back in 2023 and loved it but I didn’t delve down into the rabbit hole until this year when the Amazon boycotts began. While I completely understand the motive behind the boycotts, the only people who got hurt by them were authors. So, I dusted off my Kindle Unlimited membership and started devouring my quite lengthy TBR pile. I went right down through everything I’d been marking as ‘Want to Read’ for the last few years, beginning with the rest of Eva Ashwood’s bookshelf.
I’m here today to share my Bookshelf Binge Read reviews for her four gangland series. All four of the series are set in her Detroit-area criminal underworld – Black Rose Kisses, Dirty Broken Savages, Filthy Wicked Psychos, and Pretty Ruthless Monsters. The only Ashwood dark gangland romance series I’m not including here is the Dark Elite series (which I read but was not blown away by). Even without that series, Eva Ashwood made my one-click shortlist of authors. Especially anything set in her Detroit criminal underworld. Ugh! No one is safe in this world. It’s perfectly soul crushing and I cannot get enough.
Okay, so here’s the thing. Eva Ashwood’s books are extra-smutty, featuring spice that is both beautifully written and unabashedly filthy. BUT (and I’m not saying this because I believe any smut needs some sort of qualifier to entertain you because I do not feel that way) I will say that the smutty scenes really do each serve a purpose to the plot. A few are there for fun, of course, but most of her smutty scenes are piggy backed on an impactful emotional moment. The catalyst may vary (ex/ fear/panic, hate/anger bangs, revenge, vulnerable moments, finally admitting feelings, etc.) but the spicy scenes actually serve the plot rather than just serving your bathing suit bits. The spice level varies by book, but for the purpose of providing a warning before the reviews, I would say this author’s bookshelf has an overall spice rating of 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. But I swear to you, all that spice is woven into wholly captivating suspense/thriller storylines. All of that being said, her spicy scenes tend to be blocked into isolated chapters so you do have the option of skipping the sweaty moments without missing the important moment that matters.
Okay! Let’s take a peek at each series so I can tell you why I love them so much!
The review copies of all books shown below were either read through
the Kindle Unlimited reading program or purchased on Audible.
I have a habit of reading via a combo of the two.
CONTENT WARNING: This is a good opportunity to remind everyone to check out the Trigger Warning page here on my website. This message applies to my books and pretty much everything you’re going to see on my blog, whether it’s dark romance or urban fantasy romance (which tends to be violent). I don’t include this message with every review but some antiheroes and villains rise above all others and do some truly depraved shit. Ye be warned.
INCLUDED IN THIS POST:
Black Rose Kisses Series Review
Dirty Broken Savages Series Review
Filthy Wicked Psychos Series Review
Pretty Ruthless Monsters Series Review
From FIGHT DIRTY, the first novel in the Black Rose Kisses series…
In Fairview Heights, there’s one rule everyone knows. Don’t cross the Black Rose gang. Not if you want to live. My father broke that rule. Now he owes the notorious Black Roses a favor, and to make sure he pays up, they’re taking me as collateral. Until Dad completes whatever job they gave him, three gang members will be my keepers.
Sloan, Rory, and Levi. The boss’s son. The man with a secret. The flame from my past. They’re all dominant, cocky, and hot as hell, and I know from personal experience that one of them is a damn good lay.
But none of that matters. They shouldn’t be allowed to run people’s lives like this, and I don’t plan on letting them get away with it. If they’re looking for a pawn in their little game, these guys picked the wrong girl.
Because my dad raised me to be a fighter. And I fight dirty.
The BLACK ROSE KISSES Series
Mercy DeLeon + Sloan Kennedy, Rory, & Levi Hendrix
I am proof positive that you can read each series in Eva Ashwood’s gangland romance world in whichever order you’d like and it won’t matter. However, I’m listing my reviews by the series chronological order in the world. Black Rose Kisses is the first series within that world.
Mercy De Leon is a fun character. She’s a fighter, which is awesome. There is nothing I like less than a weak, whiny heroine. She is none of that and she doesn’t take her situation laying down. She doesn’t make things easy on her captors by any stretch. Speaking of captors… Her dad committed a major fuck up and until he pays for said boo boo, the gang he crossed holds Mercy as collateral.
Sloan is a total hardass/control freak, Levi was the guest star in some spicy hook up action in Mercy’s past, and Rory is a big, adorable, shameless flirt. Together, the three of them are terrifyingly dangerous.
Side Character Superstar: Scarlett. The best friend. She’s a little bad ass. She gets the World’s Most Supportive Friend trophy.
“I’ve built a fresh mask for myself to wear, and I’ve played the opening move in my new game. First, I’ll win these men’s trust. Then I’ll fucking wreck them.”
Play Rough by Eva Ashwood
Black Rose Kisses has Mercy walking a tightrope for most of the series. Revenge, revenge, revenge. Playing both sides and entirely unsure who to trust. It makes for some seriously tense moments. The big drama snowballs and just gets more and more complicated.
“Sometimes out of the ashes of the past,
Love Hard by Eva Ashwood
something amazing can grow.”
This series was an excellent start to this world. The spicy is spicy, of course, but the thriller storylines in this world are absolute perfection. Being a four book series, there are a handful of absolutely stunning cliffhangers before the story is done playing out.
Next Series World Tie In: I’m going to keep this vague-ish to avoid spoilers. When it comes time to take out one of the baddies in this series, they do so with the aid of a mysterious woman known only as Ghost. Ghost is River from Dirty Broken Savages.
Enemies-to-Lovers
Badass Fighter Heroine
The Alphahole Antihero
The Flirty/Charming One Antihero
The Quiet/Tightly Wound One Antihero
Over-the-Top/Jealous & Possessive (OTT/JP)
One Night Stand
Held Captive as Collateral
Forced Proximity
Organized Crime (Gangs)
Revenge Quest
Betrayal
Touch Any of Them and 💀
Chosen Family
Amazon & Kindle Unlimited | Audible
From KINGS OF CHAOS, the first novel in the Dirty Broken Savages series…
Some people wear their heart on their sleeve. I wear vengeance like a suit of armor. I’ve got a list with six names on it. Six people who wronged me, who hurt me, who took everything from me. Six people who turned me into the monster I am now. And I’ve crossed off every name but one. One more name. One more death. Should be simple, right?
Yeah, you’d think so. But it turns out revenge is a messy business, and when I end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, I royally piss off four brutal, twisted, gorgeous men. Gage, Priest, Ash, and Knox. Lucky for me, the last name on my list is someone they’ve got their own grudge against, so instead of killing me, they offer me a deal. They’ll give me a chance to exact my vengeance, and in exchange, all they want is…
Me.
I’m not stupid. I’ve played this game before. Even though they’ve agreed to help me, I know they want to punish me too. They want to toy with me. To let their demons loose on me. But maybe these Kings of Chaos have let my pretty face fool them. Because I’m just as vicious as they are. And I’ve got demons of my own.
The DIRTY BROKEN SAVAGES Series
River Simone + Gage, Knox, Ash, and Priest
I may or may not have already re-read this series multiple times. Like, at least five times through. This series is, by far, my favorite in the Eva Ashwood gangland romance world.
River “Ghost” Simone is a RAGING BADASS. I love her. I’m not gay but I’d totally let her ruin my life. I love her so hard. She’s tough as nails, a lethal fighter, and a group of very bad men made the grave mistake of becoming her enemies. When we meet her in the opening of chapter one, she’s been working her way through a list of targets (reasons = spoilers) and she’s down to the last name on the list. We meet her at a club tracking down a piece of street trash who gave her bad info on the target she’s searching for. His lie immediately transforms his dumb ass into a loose end that River can’t have just flappin’ around in the breeze. She drops a bullet into his brain pan and then comes face to face with the owners of the club. Enter the Kings of Chaos.
“We are the Kings of Chaos, after all. Maybe we’ve just been waiting for our queen all this time.”
Kings of Chaos by Eva Ashwood
Gage is the alphahole antihero of the group. He’s the hard ass of the group, so of course, he and River butt heads HARD. It takes a hot minute or three for things to soften between these two. Nicknamed The Butcher of Seven Mile,
Knox is the resident psychotic teddy bear. You definitely don’t want to find yourself strapped to his torture table in the basement but if you’ve got a thing for violent (and sometimes bloody) sex, he’s your guy. 🤣
“Wow. That’s very Zen of you,” I tease. “You’re like a psychotic, murderous Winnie the Pooh.”
Reign of Wrath by Eva Ashwood
Knox grins wider, and his eyes flash with heat. “So what I’m hearing is that you want me to walk around with no pants on. That can be arranged.”
Priest is the damaged one. He’s quiet and quirky but when you find out the reason why, OMG grab the tissues because you’re going to SOB. 😭😭😭 It’s a heartbreaking story line.
Ash is the unexpected romantic of the group. He’s a funny, flirty man whore, which I know is counter to my last sentence but I promise, it all comes around. Things with him and River take a turn I did not see coming and it is painful to read through while they work their shit out. When they do, it’s an epic moment that I won’t spoil.
The twists and turns this series takes you on will leave you with vertigo. Just when you think you’ve got shit figured out, Ashwood says, “bitch, I don’t fuckin’ think so,” and slaps you upside the thinker with a total left turn. The cliffhanger at the end of book one will leave you stunned. Then the end of book two will cut half the rope. And book three just piles on more. Dude, the universe tries to break River and I break right along with her every time.
“Kill for you, live for you, die for you.”
Queen of Anarchy by Eva Ashwood
I love this series so much that I am getting a quote from it tattooed on me one day. River is a damaged woman with a backbone made of solid fucking steel. Over the course of the four-book series, she’s brought right up to the edge of being utterly broken. In those moments Gage (the more dominant of her four men) reminds her that she’s a badass fucking warrior and then asks her a simple question to pull her back from the precipice.
“Are you ruined?”
Queen of Anarchy by Eva Ashwood
“Are you ruined?” Since her answer has always been no, the moment a yes falls from her lips, holy fucking shit pops, you guys. The tears I cry every time I read the series! 😭😭😭😭😭 The question is a reminder that no matter what you’ve been through or how hopeless you feel in the moment, if you’re still vertical and breathing, you are not ruined. You can go on.
Guys. Guys, listen to me. Run━don’t walk━to go read this series. Is it dirty? Absolutely. But propping up all that scorching hot smut is one fuck of a thrilling storyline that takes you on a wild four-book ride. I would literally kick a puppy for a “sequel” series starring this crew. Sooooooo gooooood.
“You’re in the presence of a queen,” he growls. “Kneel.” Then he shoots __(Spoiler)__ in both kneecaps, making his legs buckle beneath him.
Empire of Ruin by Eva Ashwood
☝️ GAH!!!!! I LOVE THAT MOMENT!!! ☝️
Next Series World Tie In: One of the targets that River had to go up against in this series ends up being a very dead corpse that kicks off the storyline in the beginning of the Filthy Wicked Psychos series. River & Co. enlisted the help of the Voronin brothers to take the target out. The target is in a room with a purchased girl when they bust in and that woman is Willow, their FMC in that series.
Enemies-to-Lovers
Badass Vigilante Heroine
The Alphahole Antihero
The Unhinged Alphahole Antihero
The Flirty/Charming One Antihero
The Quiet/Tightly Wound One Antihero
Over-the-Top/Jealous & Possessive (OTT/JP)
Chosen Family
Forced Proximity
Organized Crime (Gangs, Mafia, Cartel, Secret Society)
Revenge Quest
Touch Any of Them and 💀
Past Trauma
Unknown Past
Amazon & Kindle Unlimited | Audible
From TWISTED GAME, the first novel in the Filthy Wicked Psychos series…
My whole life, no one has had my back. My parents are dead, my adoptive mother is a drug addict, and the mean girls on campus mock me for my scars. So when I end up desperate for money and out of options, I agree to sell the one thing I have left: my innocence.
On the night I’m meant to give my body to a brutal Russian mobster, three men storm into the room like dark shadows and kill him before he can claim me. When they drag me from the blood-soaked bed, I’m certain they’re going to kill me too. They don’t… but they don’t forget about me, either.
These three dangerous brothers will do anything to make sure I keep my mouth shut about what I saw, even if it means stalking my every movement. I’m a loose thread to them—but somehow, I’m becoming more than that too. I’m becoming an obsession. A temptation. A craving. And no matter how much I try to deny the terrifying attraction that pulses between us, I know if I don’t find a way out of this tangled web soon…
Their darkness will swallow me up.
The FILTHY WICKED PSYCHOS Series
Willow Hayes + Malice Voronin, Ransom Voronin, & Victor Voronin
This series was the first time that I almost thought Eva Ashwood did me wrong. When the series options, the FMC is desperate. Like, desperate. So hard up that her last option on the block is to sell herself, marketed as a virgin to sweeten the pot. I was seriously worried that Willow would end up being a weak character in what was quickly growing into a pantheon of terrifying female energy. I’m happy to report Willow Hayes did not disappoint.She might not be the established badass that River or Mercy were but you watch her transform into a little baddie right before your eyes. She ends up surrounded by a trio of men who consistently build her up throughout the series.
Back to the booty sale at the opening of the book. So, she successfully sells said booty but before the very gross man does the deed, the Voronin brothers bust down the door to take him out for their own unrelated reasons. They find Willow in the room with him having just witnessed the murder they committed and 💥 POOF 💥 She’s a beautiful little loose end. Instead of killing her, they take her with them until they figure out what to do. Sleepover time!
The Voronin brothers are buckets of fun.
Malice is the grumpy to Willow’s sunshine. He’s the dark, tattooed, unhinged alphahole antihero of the brothers. He seems to go out of his way to embody the word scary for Willow. And I clearly have a type because 👏 I 👏 fucking 👏 love 👏 this 👏 man 👏. I should have a hard time choosing a favorite MMC in a why choose romance but the reality is it’s usually the one that would give most women nightmares. 🤣 Malice Voronin in this series, Knox in Dirty Broken Savages (with Gage running a REALLY close second), Sloan in Black Rose Kisses, Killian in Pretty Ruthless Monsters. I don’t fall for the bad boy, I fall for the guy who makes bad boys piss their pants with fear. I definitely have a type. I’m also fine with it, I think. So yeah, Malice is [chef’s kiss]. 🤣
“Someone hurts you? Someone touches you? That’s my fucking business.”
Twisted Game by Eva Ashwood
Ransom Voronin is the youngest and the flirty/charming one of the brothers. He’s the first of the brothers that we feel safe leaving alone with Willow. He can be a monster when pushed but of the three, he’s the more easy going of the group. He’s got a moment later in the series where some info comes to light that will make you sniffle into your tissue box a few times. I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t say more but keep an eye out for Ransom’s storyline.
Victor Voronin is the quiet one of the group. He’s a watcher, and thankfully so because his penchant for stalking Willow saves her tailpipe a couple of times. Victor has a bunch of “issues” that explain why he is the way he is but…spoilers. Fun Fact: Malice and Victor are twins but they are very different men.
“Sometimes the people you love turn your love against you, and it’s the most brutal weapon in the world.”
Twisted Game by Eva Ashwood
Just like Ashwood’s prior series, Filthy Wicked Psychos has a beautifully written thriller that twists and turns its way across four books. You. Will. Cry. 😭 Willow does not have easy travels on the road to her HEA. I was down sick when I read this series and I blew through all four books in less than forty-eight hours. Filthy Wicked Psychos was a slower burn than Ashwood’s other series but it makes sense for this storyline. The pacing of the burn is kind of perfect, actually.
“I don’t just want to mark her body. I want to leave a brand on her soul.”
Beautiful Devils by Eva Ashwood
Filthy Wicked Psychos is a different kind of heartbreaking from what River went through in Dirty Broken Savages but the two are equally brutal. This series will make you run the emotional gamut. This story shows a wonderful example of a character transformation. Willow has a real phoenix rising from the ashes story and I loved every minute, regardless of how painful. I can’t recommend this series enough but be prepared for a good ugly cry.
“Don’t go out there, Solnyshka,” he rasps. “Please. Don’t go with him.”
Beautiful Devils by Eva Ashwood
It takes me a few tries to find my voice, and when I do, it comes out in a whisper. “Why not?”
“Because I already have enough blood on my hands, and if he touches you, I’ll fucking kill him.”
Next Series World Tie In: When Willow and the Voronin brothers go up against one of the big baddies in this series, they need help. They go to the leader of a nearby gang, Jonah Kent. Jonah’s daughter Quinn is the FMC of the Pretty Ruthless Monsters series.
Enemies-to-Lovers
Virgin Heroine
Reverse Harem with Brothers
The Unhinged Alphahole Antihero
The Flirty/Charming One Antihero
The Quiet/Tightly Wound One Antihero
Over-the-Top/Jealous & Possessive (OTT/JP)
Stalking & Obsession
Forced Proximity
Forced Marriage
Organized Crime (Gangs, Mafia, Cartel, Secret Society)
Touch Any of Them and 💀
Unknown Past
Amazon & Kindle Unlimited | Audible
From PRINCES OF CARNAGE, the first novel in the Pretty Ruthless Monsters series…
When my father died and I stepped into his shoes as leader of Enigma, I vowed to protect the gang he’d built. And I won’t break that promise—no matter what I have to do to keep it. So when a mysterious attacker targets our territory, I swallow my pride and propose an alliance between Enigma and the Princes of Carnage, a biker gang led by Nico Morelli. We’ve been rivals for years, but his territory is under attack too, and we’ll have a better chance of defending ourselves if we work together.
Except Nico doesn’t just want an alliance. He wants a guarantee that I won’t turn against him, so he proposes something else. A marriage.
Now I’m wearing my enemy’s ring and living under the same roof as him and his two best friends. Atlas, the tatted up biker who seems to hate me and crave me in equal measure. And Killian, the silent 6’6” wall of muscle who never says a word to me but seems to notice everything I do. All three of these men are as savagely beautiful as gods, with black hearts and bloody hands. It should be easy for me to hate them. To remember that this is just a business arrangement. But when Nico touches me… when Killian watches me… when Atlas protects me…
Everything I thought I knew starts to unravel.
The PRETTY RUTHLESS MONSTERS Series
Quinn Kent + Nico Morelli, Atlas, & Killian
Okay, this is what I get for being cocky. I binge read this whole why choose gangland world with utter abandon. I was trucking right along, raving about the books to anyone who would listen, and then I got hit with a release date roadblock. I came into the Pretty Ruthless Monsters series just before the fourth and final book was released and had to wait…. Like a peasant.
But! But! But! The release date finally came around, I reread the whole series just in time, and OMFG I loved it.
Quinn Kent is another badass heroine in this world. She’s the leader of the gang Enigma. She’s mouthy and hot headed but also spends most of her time thinking about her responsibilities as the leader of a gang and all the lives that hang in the balance. Her dad trained her well but as the series progresses, she quickly learns that her dad didn’t teach her everything. In fact, he had some secrets that come back to haunt her after he’s gone.
“Quinn Kent is pure fire, bright and intense. And I’m looking forward to seeing how hot she burns.”
Princes of Carnage by Eva Ashwood
YOU GUYS! Quinn does the knife to the guy’s neck thing! Look, I know that’s a weird thing to get excited about but it’s a frikkin trope and this is the first time I’ve ever actually read it in a book. It bears noting. This moment is….momentus. Anyway, the scene is there. It’s hot AF. I have no complaints and I totally agree with it being a trope moment.
“It’s knowing that this man who feels nothing for anyone else somehow feels everything for me.”
Bonds of Obsession by Eva Ashwood
This series kicks off with Quinn realizing that her gang is being targeted. Banded together, Enigma might stand a chance of holding their territory against an encroaching enemy (spoilers). Quinn proposes an alliance between Enigmas and The Princes of Carnage, and the leader of the Princes counters with a marriage proposal to seal the alliance. Of course, that means living with him and his two seconds.
“Kissing my husband—my enemy—is like drinking from a well of poison, but I can’t seem to stop myself.”
Princes of Carnage by Eva Ashwood
Okay, so, The Princes of Carnage.
Nico Morelli is the super-hot leader of the rival gang, The Princes of Carnage. Although he’s the natural leader of this group, he’s not the gruff one in the crowd. Nico is charming. Charismatic. Not laid back exactly, but he’s also not tightly wound.
Atlas is one of Nico’s seconds and a total closet nerd. There. I said it. There is no judgement. I love this about him but he’s totally a closet nerd with big bumpy muscles, tattoos, and a big scary attitude. But when you get right down to it? Nerd.
Killian is my favorite. I love him. When you put the pieces together about Killian, you realize that you know more about him than you realized. He ended up taking the top spot for my favorite character of the series in no time flat. He’s broody, dominant, and fiercely protective. I wouldn’t want him angry with me though. He’d be terrifying. I won’t say what it is but he gives Quinn a gift that is both completely psychotic and oddly sweet.
The whole thriller story line in the Pretty Ruthless Monsters series is fantastic. The action takes off right away and from there, it feels like Quinn barely has time to catch her breath. She and her men are off and running from one crisis to the next. Just when you think they have one massive problem fixed, the next crisis comes crashing through the door like the Kool-Aid man. I have several moments in this series when my heart was lodged in my throat as I read. It was so frikkin stressful but totally worth it.
Next Series World Tie In: I don’t actually know if there is one, or if there is even another series in her gangland romance world. I subscribed to her newsletter to stay up to date on release news and I’ve got my eye on my inbox.
Enemies-to-Lovers
Badass Heroine
The Alphahole Antihero
The Flirty/Charming One Antihero
The Quiet One Antihero
Over-the-Top/Jealous & Possessive (OTT/JP)
Forced Proximity
Arranged Marriage
Organized Crime (Gangs, MC/Bikers, Secret Society)
Touch Any of Them and 💀
Amazon & Kindle Unlimited | Audible
EVA ASHWOOD has been a reader her whole life and a writer for several years. She loves telling stories of alpha males and the fierce women who bring them to their knees.
She’s a sucker for reverse harem, bully romance, enemies to lovers, heroes who redeem themselves, and all the drama and passion of new adult love.
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