Please be aware that this book contains heavy themes and on-page depictions around grooming, particularly in situations where the victims are in socially and financially vulnerable situations. Everything occurs while victims are over eighteen.

Please be advised that while this book does not contain graphic, on-page sexual assault, the FMC was sexually assaulted in the past (stealthing, removal of protection without consent), and has a child from that incident.  When the FMC discusses this on-page, she’s unsure if what happened was SA, and there are some details of the incident on-page. This is a thematic element of the book and the narrative and character discussions bring it up throughout. I have done my best to make this as non-explicit as possible so the importance of it to the storyline remains while being presented in a sensitive manner.

There are frank discussions and depictions regarding grooming of both main characters while they are young adults. The MMC is groomed by an older woman into both a sexual relationship and organized crime, and it is depicted on-page. They meet when he is seventeen, but nothing happens until he is eighteen. The FMC is coerced into a relationship with her ex via SA/stealthing and financial manipulation.

The FMC and her ex are engaged in a custody battle, which is talked about, but mostly in the past due to her losing custody and deciding to take a different route to get her son back.

This book delves deeply into a close relationship between the MMC and the man who was his father figure. Both characters have a deeply unhealthy relationship that is a heavy and emotional theme throughout the book.

There are depictions and thematic elements regarding poverty and food insecurity and the effect it had on the young MMC. There are past instances of parental death and discussions of it, as well as instances of difficult, neglectful, and abusive parental relationships. These are mentioned in the character’s memories and discussions.

There are frequent culturally religious references throughout. A side character is a victim of a religious snake handling sect, and there are resulting discussions about religious trauma. This character has odd religious rules he follows that are brought up throughout.

There are frequent depictions of graphic violence and some gore. This includes car chases, use of guns and knives, fighting, and murder. There is an instance where the FMC is hit, pushed, and physical intimidated by her ex-husband. A side character is beheaded, it is not explicitly described, but it is on-page. Violent cage and ring fighting is frequent. A side character tells the MMC to shoot a woman he was previously in a relationship with.

There are instances of danger while a child is present, but no children are harmed on page in this book.

The FMC goes through a traumatic labor and delivery in the past. The depiction of this is about one paragraph long.

There is frequent use of alcohol, heavy smoking, and brief mentions of drugs.

There is accidental pregnancy due to birth control failure in the very last pages of the book after the main characters are already together. This is brief and non-explicit.

Kink
Sadism
Praise & degradation
Double masochism
Slapping
Biting
Light bloodplay
Use of kink to work through trauma
Simulated pain
Rice
Clothespins
Crisco (used incorrectly)
Oral
Anal
Squirting—on lots of things, including faces
Religious references in sexual contexts