Last Tuesday, Matthew came home from work with a proud grin and announced he'd successfully fixed the dishwasher himself. Two hours later, water was everywhere and we were mopping the kitchen floor together, laughing until we cried. After that chaos settled and the kids were in bed, I curled up with my favorite blanket and dove into Unhinged. I needed something intense to match the wild energy of the day. This book delivered that and more. Sometimes you need a story that's as unpredictable as a DIY plumbing disaster, and this one definitely fits the bill.
Plot Summary
Unhinged by Steph Macca follows Avery, a young woman sent to the Lilydale Foundation Center after being pulled from her burning home alongside her father's remains. The center is supposed to be a place of rehabilitation and second chances, but it's really a glorified prison and asylum for troubled young people with dark pasts and dangerous secrets. As Avery navigates this volatile environment, she's drawn to residents like the fiercely protective Grey, the unpredictable Theo, and the brooding Damon. The facility hides sinister secrets beneath its therapeutic facade, and Avery must decide who to trust as she uncovers conspiracies and battles her own demons. This is book one in the Dance with My Demons series and ends on a major cliffhanger.
Why I Love This Book
I love how unapologetically dark and intense this story is. The characters feel raw and real, each carrying heavy trauma that shapes everything they do. Avery is a compelling protagonist who's trying to figure out who she is while surrounded by chaos. The pacing kept me hooked from the first page. The atmosphere inside Lilydale feels claustrophobic and dangerous, which adds to the tension. I appreciated how the story doesn't shy away from difficult topics like mental health struggles and past abuse. The relationships develop naturally amid all the darkness. The mystery surrounding the facility and its true purpose kept me guessing. That cliffhanger ending left me immediately wanting the next book.
Who Will Like This Book
If you enjoy dark romance with why-choose dynamics, morally gray characters, and asylum settings, you'll likely love this story. Fans of reverse harem, forced proximity, secret societies, and stories that explore mental health and trauma will find this particularly compelling. This book is very dark, intense, and explicit. If you loved books like Credence or enjoy stories with unhinged characters and twisted situations, this will appeal to you.
⚠️ Trigger warning: abuse and neglect, child abuse, past sexual abuse, death of a parent, mental health struggles, suicide ideation, graphic violence, sexual assault, drug and substance abuse, fire/arson, forced confinement, medical trauma, explicit sexual content, and other dark themes.
Tagged As
dark romance, why choose, reverse harem, asylum romance, secret society, morally gray characters, mental health representation, forced proximity, multiple POV, first person POV, dual POV, explicit romance, contemporary dark romance, new adult, suspense, mystery, cliffhanger ending, series book one, indie romance, unhinged MMCs, strong FMC, trauma and healing, forbidden romance, steamy, Dance with My Demons series
Steam Level
The romance is passionate and explicit, with detailed sexual content that doesn't fade to black. The intimate scenes are woven into the story and contribute to character development and the evolving relationships. The steam is intense and matches the dark tone of the book. This is definitely adult content meant for mature readers.
