Don't Speak

KAY OSS

This book was an emotional whirlwind. 

Author KAY OSS shares that the story is rooted in her own journey of healing, with flashbacks drawn from her real experiences-and you can feel the weight of that on every page. I hesitate to say I enjoyed it, because how do you enjoy something that cuts so deep? Yet I couldn't put it down, finishing all 282 pages in a single day.

The flashbacks are raw and gut-wrenching-no child should ever have to endure what's described here. Still, the strength of the storytelling, the dialogue, and the characters kept me hooked. The dual POV and nonlinear structure flowed effortlessly, revealing just enough at the right moments. The pacing was spot-on, and yes, the spice was spicy-and completely intoxicating.

 The range of emotions this book stirred was intense: anger, disgust, heartbreak, but also vulnerability, tenderness, comfort, exhilaration, and the fierce relief of revenge. We see the FMC haunted by her trauma in nightmares and panic attacks, caught in the brutal war between mind and body when survival instincts and desire pull her in opposite directions. And yet, through all of this, there's a sense of resilience and growth.
While it is certainly a dark romance, it's more than that.

At its core, it's a story about healing-about reclaiming your sense of worth and allowing yourself to believe you deserve love. Not just the comfort and safety of someone else's arms, but the deeper, harder truth: learning to love yourself, scars and all.