Hawke by Jescie Hall

My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶

Blurb:

Nicole never imagined anyone other than her seemingly perfect boyfriend, Patrick, could grab her attention. That is, until ex-convict Cameron Hawke unexpectedly becomes their roommate, turning her entire, calculated little world upside down.

The tension in the house is thick as Hawke's lifestyle clashes abruptly with hers. Nicole's curiosities get the best of her as she attempts to learn the secrets behind Hawke's mysterious past.

Temptations become overwhelming as lines get crossed, feelings get blurry and the truth to a horrific past is unearthed, changing the lives of the three of them forever.

My Review:

Before anything else, I want to address the genre. I personally didn’t experience this book as a dark romance so much as a taboo romance. There are heavy and emotionally intense elements, but the darkness doesn’t stem from cruelty or depravity, it comes from complicated choices, emotional turmoil, and morally gray circumstances. If you’ve read this book, I’d genuinely be curious how you classify it, because genre expectations definitely shape the reading experience.

Let me start with what I loved, Hawke.

Hawke, as a character, carried the emotional weight of the story. He was flawed, vulnerable, and clearly struggling with deep internal conflict. I tend to gravitate toward what I call “emotional trauma books” stories where characters are navigating pain, longing, and unresolved wounds, and this book delivered that in full. Hawke wasn’t perfect, but he felt real. His desire to be loved, to be understood, and to find something genuine in the chaos of his life made him compelling. You could feel how much he was carrying, and that emotional depth made it difficult not to root for him.

I also genuinely enjoyed the love story and the overall plot. While some aspects were predictable (and I’ll admit I saw certain twists coming), that didn’t take away from the emotional payoff. Sometimes predictability isn’t a flaw, it can be comforting when the journey itself is what matters. The story gives readers a clear villain to focus their frustration on, which in a way almost justifies the messy decisions happening throughout the book. It creates a moral tension where you don’t necessarily condone certain actions, especially the cheating, but you can understand the emotional reasoning behind them.

And that’s where this book becomes complicated. I don’t condone cheating, but I do believe that sometimes when someone finds their person, life doesn’t pause to make the timing convenient. The emotional connection between the characters felt powerful and inevitable. There was never truly a world where the FMC was going to be able to deny him. Their bond felt magnetic, intense, and messy in a way that mirrored real life rather than a perfectly polished romance.

Now, onto what didn’t work for me.

The audiobook narration significantly impacted my experience. I love immersive reading and typically enjoy listening alongside the text, but in this case, the male narrator’s performance didn’t match how I envisioned Hawke. He came across as whiny during moments of inner turmoil. While emotional vulnerability is essential to Hawke’s character, the delivery felt excessive and, at times, distracting. I’ve listened to other books narrated by him where that tone worked beautifully, but for this particular story, it pulled me out of the experience. There were moments I genuinely wanted to skip his chapters, which is rare for me.

That said, none of my critiques make this a bad book. There’s a lot here to love. The romance is emotional, raw, and beautifully messy. The characters are flawed in believable ways, and the story leans heavily into feelings rather than perfection. If you enjoy intense emotional journeys, complicated love stories, and characters navigating morally gray situations, this book is worth the read.

Even with its imperfections, the love at the center of the story is powerful, and sometimes that’s what matters most.