Rating: 4.75🌈
I honestly don’t know any authors who do this trope and type of character and dark psychotic romance as well as Onley James. Each one has its own unique take on the dark side of these characters , insights into their damaged psyches, horrifying backgrounds, and whatever maybe their stabilizing influences. Or who.
Having been through Jericho and Atticus’ aka Freckles fantastic romance (and don’t think this won’t be sending me back to reread their story, because it will), I have absolutely loved these novels about Jericho’s found family of lost boys.
Each story flows from the last, a narrative smooth transition as all the boys, now young adults, live together or in close proximity. They’ve also become part of the larger Mulvaney family when Jericho married Atticus.
The Mulvaney family, its many members make multiple appearances here, but Jericho’s boys remain the main story. Here it’s Nico Michaels, his years under mother’s negligence and abuse as child, which have left him scarred emotionally and physically for relationships. It’s also Malachi Mizrahi, gender fluid, neurodivergent, and psychotic. Older brother to Shiloh, and someone who has been a constant companion to Nico since they met.
These two are among my favorites. How they slowly redefine their relationship. One discovering that he’s not been aware of the reality of that relationship, the other letting the layers of the emotional connections they share adjust in their own recognizable patterns. It’s wonderful writing. It’s realistic, tough, funny, dark, and raw. Between two young men who have been through monstrous events and had heinous experiences.
The crimes and mystery is fascinating. It brings a whole new element and energy into this universe with the Chinese Triad community. As with the Mulvaney family, the Chinese Triad organization has as a diverse group of characters, just as intriguing. I hope they will continue to pop up in future stories.
There’s a kinky sexual aspect to their relationship, one that’s more developed towards the end. This element is slowly built up into their story and makes sense. And will continue forward as part of the next book as they grow and help another one of their own journey into their own relationship.
I adore this book and couple. The series has me wanting to reread the original books and start this over again.
If dark fiction and romantic love along these lines are your thing, then these books aren’t to be missed. Highly recommended.
The seven dark fantastic books of the Necessary Evils series are the foundation which then leads here to Jericho’s Boys. They aren’t to be missed.
Jericho’s Boys :
Paladin #1 (Arsen and Ever)
Rogue #2 (Levi and Shiloh)
Barbarian #3 (Nico and Mal)
Ranger #4 – March 2026
Buy link
Barbarian (Jericho’s Boys Book 3)
Blurb
Nico Michaels pretends to be carefree, avoiding anything serious, especially relationships; his chaotic past has taught him that love only complicates things. He’s content with one-night stands and his close-knit group of friends, including his roommate, Malachi Mizrahi.
Neurodivergent and gender-fluid, Malachi wakes up each morning with a whole new personality, but one thing remains constant: his love for Nico. They clicked perfectly from day one, sharing a love of everything from anime to nature documentaries. They even share a bed. Platonically, of course.
One night, the lines blur when they share a kiss, but before things can go further, a desperate call from one of Mal’s dance students throws them into a missing person’s case that leaves them with more questions than answers. To complicate matters, Mal reveals he’s been quietly orchestrating Nico’s whole life without him even noticing. Nico is shaken to his core, his perception of their relationship shattered.
As they navigate the perilous world of a vicious Chinese triad, their bond deepens, and Nico begins to see that Malachi is not only the perfect friend, but the perfect man to fulfill all his needs. Together, they must face their past and survive their present if they want any chance of a happy ending in their future.
Barbarian is a friends-to-lovers, dark romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a masochistic vigilante with ADHD and a video game addiction and his sadistic and controlling best friend who worships the ground he walks on. As with any Onley book, you’ll find dark humor, steamy sexy times, and gratuitous violence, but only against people who totally deserve it. This is book 3 in the Jericho’s Boys series. Each book follows a different couple.
- Publication date: January 21, 2025
- Language: English
- Print length: 459 pages
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 