His Affliction by CA Rene

His Affliction by CA Rene is the wrap-up for the deliciously dark Desecrated saga. This series started as a duet, but left the final epilogue open, allowing for another piece to be written, Brody's final part of the story. You need to read the duet first to really understand the direction of this story.

When we initially left the main part of the Desecrated duet behind, we left with Kailey-Himari moving on with her life and her harem after Brody's seemingly selfless sacrifice. Only Oliver knew the truth of what really happened to Brody, and 26 years later, Brody decides that he's been hiding long enough. After receiving an email from Oliver, Brody returns to Louisiana ready to build a relationship with his son and take back the Ballon Corporation in the Landry name.

A reoccurring theme through the original duet and in this final chapter is the fact that Brody himself has always seen Kailey as his best friend in the platonic sense. This time around, Brody finally gets to experience what it means to see someone as having the potential for more, coming in the form of Kailey and Oliver's daughter, Summer. Summer is her own sweet brand of beyond crazy, and it was a treat to see someone dish Brody's bull right back without blinking an eye.

Another large part of this book is the topic of mental health. We see a number of the characters here suffering from various forms of mental health struggles, and I thought CA did a phenomenal job in showing how these different afflictions manifest. The subject matter, the way these characters interacted, and just overall vibe was so heavy. Ultimately, the ending for this part is still somewhat ambiguous, so be wary if you prefer your romance (dark or otherwise) wrapped up in a happily-ever-after bow.

Character development: 5/5

Dark elements: 5/5

Steamy scenes: 4/5

Overall storyline: 4.5/5

Triggers: Yes, indeed - non/dubcon, torture, murder, mental health issues, stalking