Psychotic obsession is a dark interconnected standalone in the edge of the darkness trilogy. This book tested my sanity and never gave it back.
Spoilers ahead.
Check for trigger warnings here.
Story : ⭐⭐
Plot : ⭐⭐⭐
Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing style : Leigh Rivers is a really good writer, she writes angst and twists very well. It’s immersive and flows smoothly once you begin reading.
MMC : Tobias Mitchell — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
FMC : aria miller — ⭐⭐
side characters : nobody stood out to me unfortunately.
Summary : aria is a scientist working to find cure to rare genetic diseases. Tobias is working with her as her assistant, at first he work with her only because he is slightly obsessed with her, but as time passes, he becomes really obsessed with her. He does some questionable things — because of his psychosis — threatens anyone and everyone who comes close to hurting her or hurt her in the past, threatens ewan too, her ex, and kills her best friend in a fit of rage. They both have a very complicated and toxic relationship. Aria confused me as to where to place her, one moment she wants ewan and the next moment she says she loves Tobias. Tobias drugs her with his own medication, gets her pregnant and also threatens to kill her because he thinks his aria is lost and everyone is trying to take her away from him. Aria is the only one who saw him as a person, and not tried to make him feel like there is something wrong with him. Ewan her ex stays with aria, and chooses to be with her throughout the pregnancy, but he refuses to be in a relationship with aria if she chooses Tobias, i mean he cheated on her and justifies it by saying he was young, wtf was that? The characters in this book are a cluster f•••, and i am too, because i love Tobias. Man was trying so hard to be better for aria, and their babies. This woman is pregnant and still wants to sleep with the ex that cheated on her and wants a relationship with her and not want her running which made me think double standards. He can do whatever he wants, but he will not accept the same? Okay, whatever.
Tobias is sent to a mental institution after he is charged with assault, murder attempts, and his mental issues are a bonus, there he spends five years, I guess and we meet a different man than in the middle of the book. He is unhinged, obsessed and really psychopathic, what did he even—? He wants aria to be his to the point he forces a pregnancy on her. Damn, this man. Will i defend him? Yes. Will i run from him? Yes. Do i love him? Also yes. Aria raised ewan’ s son jason as her own, and so ewan chooses to be with aria to take care of her twins too. Tobias is irredeemable, but to me, he is. Think what you think. Aria did not deserve the s••• she went through because f•••••• hell, it was too much. I deliberately read this book first to understand the edge of the darkness trilogy later, because if I had to come back and read about the father’s story like this, I think i would cry a river. They don’t have a happy ending, but my man deserved it. He fought against his demons, and i did not know whether to love him, or run the f••• away.
Dedicated to by the author : the author said readers who love dancing in the dark, come out now Tobias is our home. But this man took my sanity and hasn’t given it back. I feel so overwhelmed and I don’t know what even to write here.
Pacing : fast.
Tropes : ☑️obsessed MMC. (Obsessed is not the correct word, Tobias is psychotic)
☑️touch her and meet god. Literally.
☑️ possessive MMC.
☑️ Tests your sanity.
☑️ Doctor x assistant.
☑️ Forced pregnancy.
☑️ Non consensual drugging.
Type of romance : dark. This is dark, please read the trigger warnings on the author’s website.
Tags for the book : mental illness, contemporary, romance, dark romance, losing sanity, murder, death, abuse, emotional abuse.
What i loved : loved Tobias, his obsession, he’s a quite intriguing character.
Favourite parts/ highlights : Tobias’s obsession with aria, and his pov. We don’t get much of it but when we get to be inside his head. It’s a treat. This man did things that shouldn'/’t be forgiven, but he tries his best to be better for aria and their kids. That’s what matters to me.
Is a part of a series : yes.
Series name : edge of the darkness trilogy.
Series order number : 0 of 3. (This book comes before you read kade’s story). It is a prequel to the Trilogy.
Plot or character driven : plot.
Loveable characters : yes and no.
Strong character development : there is character development for Tobias, but not for others.
Flaws of characters a main focus : yes.
Interconnected/ or standalone : interconnected standalone.
Similar books : I have never read a book as dark as this one and it is overloading my senses right now. I need time before i can come back.
Last details : Tobias is psychotic and I am too, because I love this man. Inspite of all the s••• he does. Because in the end, he does try, and we get s glimpse of his good self ? That is not psychotic? The title is so on point. The obsession is indeed psychotic. Beyond that even.
If you like psychopathic heroes, touch her and die, a bit taboo things, then you might like little stranger by Leigh Rivers, it’s a foster step sibling romance, with a very beautiful mute psychopath.
You willl love Malachi as much as I did. I need therapy after this book, wow.