Once You're Mine: A Dark Stalker Romance (Possessing Her)

I can’t even think of where to begin. I was simultaneously reading as fast as possible and rereading parts cause I didn’t want it to end. I don’t think I’ve ever highlighted more than I have in this book. The man is HOT. HAWTT. I literally, I’m not even kidding, HAD to talk to a friend about him and show her some of the things I highlighted and quite literally had a dream that same night. I’ll never EVER get over this book boyfriend. The storyline is so good, the buildup had me freaking DYING. And the book itself is truly just written so finely it flowed so well. And now I’m headed over to read the next one STAT cause I’m dying over here.

I didn't want to like this book and I'm ashamed I do. I'm ashamed that I flew through it in 3 days of reading, when that's never happened to me with any other book. Their relationship is obviously unhealthy. Stalkers are rarely ever hot, rich men and if a man did ANY of the shit he did irl, it would not bode well. Beating the shit out of someone in a bar and police not being called, literally killing a man and setting the place on fire and absolutely no investigation taking place? Definitely unrealistic, but it is fiction after all and I guess that's the point of dark romance. Their entire relationship is unhealthy, obviously. But at least the fmc Calista isn't a complete idiot like in many other dark romance novels. Although, if you know you have a stalker and there just so happens to be the same guy constantly coming out of nowhere randomly wherever you are, I would think the math would be mathing. But I digress. It has a quick pace with very little fluff, which I appreciate. Kept me engaged, hence why I zipped through it so quickly and ends on a cliffhanger. So I guess I'll be binging the sequel now. 😪 Hopefully I won't be up til 5am for a second night in a row. 🥴 Their relationship (if you want to call it that) goes 0 to 100 REAL quick. Touch her and you die is definitely an understatement. The intense drama of their sexual tension almost made me laugh, but not necessarily in a bad way. I did like that even though he's unhealthily enraged with any man that comes within 5ft of her, he's still gentle and caring with her and makes it clear from the jump that he wouldn't hurt her. Well, physically at least being that stalking mentally and emotionally causes harm. But anyways.. The fact that he does become so enraged once he finds out her trauma was a big green flag for me (as ironic as that may be) and in that case I am totally okay with him unleashing his fury onto whomever caused it and will read through that scene with glee in the future if it's described in the second novel. 😈 Absolutely LOVED her BFF Harper! She's funny and probably the most normal thing about this whole book. 😂 My two qualms: The phrase "worried my bottom/lower lip" is used pretty consistently and ground my gears. But that's just my personal issue. Given the cover, I was expecting more of a paranormal stalker romance, so I expected him to be like a ghost or incubus or something. But it's contemporary, so I was kind of disappointed in that. I'm definitely interested in a paranormal stalker romance, so if you've read this far and know of some, please comment below. 😁😁

This would be a much better book if it wasn't so repetitive. It would have been better at 200 pages. I did enjoy the story enough to get the 2nd book. It is definitely a vibes read.

As soon as I read the blurb for this book, I knew it was going to be a good one. And I was right! ONCE YOU’RE MINE features Calista, the down-on-her-luck daughter of a disgraced Senator who has recently been murdered. In an attempt to find his murderer, she reluctantly accepts the assistance from the Prosecutor of her father’s criminal case, Hayden; believing that he has the finances and resources to wield better results. What Calista doesn’t know is that although Hayden makes his living on the right side of the law professionally, he lives by a different set of vigilante rules in his personal life. Before long, Calista finds herself falling in love with Hayden and slowly discovering that there is more to Hayden that meets the eye. WARNING: Don’t start this book before bedtime! It definitely has “just one more chapter” potential! This was a very suspenseful read that will keep you turning the pages because the story develops at a fast pace and each chapter is brilliantly ended with a “chapter-cliffhanger” that will urge you to read further. You will feel for Calista and her suffering and in spite of Hayden’s methods for handling obstacles hellbent keeping him from Calista and her safety, you will find yourself cheering for this good/bad guy. Although there were some deliciously sensual scenes between these two, this book was more suspenseful than spicy. so, if that’s what you’re seeking in this stalker romance, you should keep this in mind. It also ends in a cliffhanger. This book was excellent and I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read Book Two to see what happens next! Happy reading!

Dark romance with great spice. The plot is fantastic, granted the ending is a cliff hanger which upset me, but I've been there before and already bought the second book before I started reading this one. One thing I will say, the first and second book, definitely could have been one bigger book. However, focusing on the development of their relationship in this book as the main plot and not the mystery aspects is an understandable reason why they are separated.

At the core of this narrative is the stalker, a character that embodies obsession, intrigue, and the darker sides of desire. Unlike the archetypes often seen in thrillers, this stalker isn’t just a villain but rather a complex individual shaped by a troubled past. Their motivations are rooted deeply in personal trauma and longing, which adds layers to what could have been a one-dimensional character. In stark contrast, the story brilliantly introduces a best friend whose antics provide levity to the intense drama unfolding around them. This character serves as a comedic relief, often delivering laugh-out-loud moments that lighten the tension. Their humorous observations about the absurdity of life and relationships remind readers not to take everything too seriously. As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that there are deeper mysteries entwined within the storyline. What more could one desire in a captivating novel? This combination of a dramatic stalker, a hilariously perverted best friend, and a backdrop of twisting mysteries creates a compelling journey of friendship, obsession, and self-discovery. This kept on my toes, caught between laughter and suspense, while the narrative raises deeper questions about love, loyalty, and the human condition.

This is my first read by the talented Morgan and I haven’t been this hot for stalker in awhile. Calista is a young woman who gives up everything she inherited to try to find her father’s killer, whole keeping something that happened to her a secret. I adore her because of her determination and will to keep pushing, even when things aren’t going great - add this to her kindness and sass..she is so much stronger than I realized at first. Hayden is a dark enigma with an obsession for Calista. He is just as smart as he is ruthless, possessive and controlling. I couldn’t stop myself from wiping the proverbial drool as his protective streak came out…and I will never look at a pearl necklace the same after what he did, lol. This man gives no thought to protecting/claiming what is his and Calista is just that. Morgan had my attention with the blurb and kept me on the edge of my seat until the scream inducing cliffhanger. I loved how this talented author built the suspense while giving bits and pieces to more than one understory and keeping the sexual tension at the millionth degree. It isn’t the spiciest of dark romances I read, but I think it’s perfect the way it panned out and I will be diving into the second of this duet immediately.

Had a lot of potential but with enough small issues what I could only give it 3.5 stars. First of all, the book was amazing until 50% then it kind of started to go off the rails. Calistas character felt inconsistent. At times she was a timid, shy, socially awkward and inexperienced young girl. Other times she was a witty and snarky adult woman with a good up bringing and a Senator for a father. It was like she had two different personalities and they didn’t mesh. Then this girl - who’s so timid she can’t even talk to a somewhat pushy coffee store customer - gets a job as a half-naked bartender in a B-rate Hooters-esque bar? No, just no. The stalking never got intense or angsty or… thrilling. Her reaction was “meh… I think I have a stalker”. Okayyyy. At no point was she scared for her life or did I feel a sense of uneasiness about the events happening. The writer could have made it so much more interesting. The interactions between Hayden and Calista started out great, but quickly delved into insta love territory, and the worst part was her self-depreciating inner turmoil about not being good enough. Towards the end the inner monologues got tedious. I just would rather action and dialogue drive the plot more than thoughts. The whole “I own you now” situation - while I typically love it, there is nothing better than a growly, dominant MMC - it just felt off. I was rolling my eyes over some of the interactions. On top of it all, for a stalker romance it was only mildly spicy. Granted I just got done reading a bunch of Penelope Douglas - aka the Queen of morally grey MMCs - so that has undoubtedly colored my opinion. I could only give it 2🌶️. The book had a lot of potential but it kind of fell flat. I’m debating if I want to read the second book just to see how the cliffhanger resolved.