Book Review — Sociopath by Lime Craven

Let me explain the one thing that makes me different to you.
I have no conscience.

• Buy SOCIOPATH (Kindle)
• Buy SOCIOPATH (Paperback)

Woah. This book totally messed with my mind. Even now, as I write my review, I still have no idea what to think… But, without a doubt, it was very well written and downright FASCINATING.

This is a standalone dark romance (yes, there is a love story) and I’m not gonna lie that some parts made me very uncomfortable (it’s really not for the faint of heart!!) but I found myself SO curious about this guy and the way he looked at the world. Here’s a taste into the mind of Aeron Lore…

“I control a billion dollar fortune. I control the news. Give me five minutes and I’ll control you, too. If you could read my mind, you’d probably call me perverted. Unnatural. Manipulative. But I’ve learned to blend in, to be funny and charming. A predator in a designer suit.

I never meant for this to be a love story…

There’s no control here. And what do monsters like me do when control leaves the building?

We attack.”

It was a twisted mind fuck of a read! As per the title of the book, the hero was a sociopath and the entire book is told to us from his POV — as though you’re reading his mind and experiencing his every thought. His inner voice was just fascinating. I know I keep coming back to that word, but its the best one that fits.

“I don’t want to be a hero. Not unless it serves a purpose. I like the shadows better, where the dark things hide.”

This guy literally had no conscience… but I wouldn’t say he was a monster. He wasn’t evil, he was just… self-serving. He was highly intelligent — a self-made millionaire — with a gorgeous body, a trustworthy face, kinky bedroom preferences, and a dark secret in his past that he went to great lengths to keep hidden. It was such an interesting balance. In so many cases, he showed a side of him that made you feel like he was caring, but when you saw the reason behind it — the cool logic — it made you second guess everything you were seeing and feeling. His own personal gain was the most important thing to him, but his purpose was never to hurt anyone maliciously. He just didn’t really care about them. Much.

“I got nothing. There’s just an empty space where my fucks ought to be.”

This isn’t really a heart-in-your-throat intense page turner. In fact, the pacing is generally slow, and it didn’t evoke any strong emotions from me, but I found it was more of a book that I just could not stop reading because I was just so intrigued by the story and this character and his unique view of the world.

The writing was the highlight of the book for me. I thought this author did a fantastic job of capturing this guy’s voice and making you genuinely believe in his character.

I will warn you though that there are some things in the book that will undoubtedly make some readers uncomfortable. The only reason that I “went along” with it was that it was all consensual. Both him and the heroine wanted what he did so I tried to be accepting even though it kinda made me cringe. There’s no rape or beating or anything. His kink is that he cuts her during sex — not gruesomely, just like a 1-inch cut somewhere — and the thing is that she liked it too. This was something they both enjoyed… and because of that, I tried to not judge even though it went way outside my comfort zone and kinda grossed me out.

Remember too that this is a love story. A deeply twisted love story, but it definitely is one. The question at the heart of it is — Can a sociopath fall in love? … Well, it seems they can. But, like with everything else about them, it’s in a very different way. And it takes a very special type of partner to be with them.

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

Honestly, I don’t think this book will be for everyone. Personally I really enjoyed it, and I loved the writing, but I know this isn’t a book that everyone will unanimously love. It’ll be up to each reader to decide for themselves. But if you’re a fan of darker romance and mind-fucky reads, and you’re in the mood for something really different, then definitely give this a try.

I have no idea what to rate it. That’s not a bad thing at all, so please don’t think that. It’s just that I find with some books that it too hard to label my feelings with a single number.

Standalone dark romance. No cheating, no triangle, some violence, some things that’ll be uncomfortable to read, but nothing non-consensual. HEA.

• Buy SOCIOPATH (Kindle)
• Buy SOCIOPATH (Paperback)

Sequel is optional (it is a continuation, not a standalone).