My Little Stranger Book Review - No Spoilers
Plot Summary
Little Stranger tells the story of Olivia, who is adopted into the secretive, cold Vize family as a young girl and finds herself living alongside Malachi, her new and mysterious mute foster brother. Despite the family's rigid rules and their own differences, Olivia and Malachi form a secret bond as they grow, shaped by silent communication, forbidden secrets, and a sense of being outsiders together. As teenagers, their relationship grows more complicated and dangerous—Malachi’s protectiveness turns possessive, and Olivia finds herself pulled toward him in ways she doesn’t fully understand. When betrayal, lies, and manipulation tear them apart, Olivia’s single act of testimony destroys everything, sending Malachi to prison and fracturing their strange, co-dependent world. Years later, Malachi returns—hardened, vengeful, and focused solely on Olivia. What follows is a psychological, taboo-laced tale of obsession, revenge, and the blurred line between love and control. Little Stranger is a dark, twisty romance that isn’t afraid to look at the ugliest corners of desire and family.
Why I Love This Book
I love just how far Little Stranger is willing to go. There are no rules, no safety nets—just pure chaos and forbidden longing. The story is unfiltered, messy, and loaded with every taboo you can imagine, yet it manages to keep me glued to every page. I felt a constant tension in my chest, never sure if I wanted to shake the characters or comfort them. Malachi is one of the most unhinged and strangely sympathetic anti-heroes I’ve read; he’s broken, manipulative, sometimes even cruel, but his vulnerability is so clear that I felt for him in the strangest ways. Olivia gets under my skin—she’s frustrating at times, but she’s real, making terrible choices and then living with the consequences. The psychology, the mutual obsession, and the lengths both characters go to for love and vengeance had me asking myself if I should be rooting for them at all… but I couldn’t look away. The spice is absolutely wild and bold, pushing every possible boundary. This isn’t a book for the faint-hearted, but for me, that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.
Who Will Like This Book
If you want a romance that breaks every rule and leans into the most forbidden taboos, you’ll be hooked on this one. Little Stranger is for readers who crave dark psychological romance, messy anti-heroes, and stories where the characters are both the poison and the cure. It’s perfect if you like taboo adopted/foster-sibling dynamics, obsession, revenge, and toxic, co-dependent relationships. If you want clean, safe romance or need strict moral lines, you should skip this—every trigger warning applies, and every line is crossed.
⚠️ Trigger warning: This book contains extreme taboo themes including foster sibling romance, obsessive/possessive behavior, manipulation, incarceration, physical and psychological abuse, explicit sexual content, somnophilia, dubcon/noncon, and disturbing power dynamics. It is very much a “read at your own risk” story—always check detailed trigger warnings before reading.
Tagged As
dark romance, taboo romance, psychological, foster siblings, forbidden romance, obsession, revenge, anti-hero, enemies to lovers, trauma, mute hero, dual pov, open-door romance, explicit, BDSM elements, somnophilia, cliffhanger, indie romance, kindle unlimited, toxic relationships, fake family, broken hero, series, unhinged, morally gray, why choose
Steam Level
The spice is intense, frequent, and as dark as the story itself—taboo, boundary-pushing, and absolutely explicit. Consent is messy and complicated, and the sex scenes are not for the faint of heart. If you want wild, daring steam, this delivers—just know what you’re picking up.