Heartless Monster by Rachel Leigh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rome Cromwell isn’t just football royalty in our town.

He’s a heartless monster out for revenge,

And I’m the ordinary girl with his target on her back.

One year ago my knight in shining armor stepped out of the fog and rescued me.

With a simple thank you and an “I owe you one”, I was on my way.

Little did I know, that was only the start of our deranged story.

Now our parents are married and we’re living under the same roof.

Rome presents himself as a masked villain with strikingly good looks and a hypnotic appeal.

Girls want him.

His friends want to be him.

But I only want to run from him.

I see beneath his cracked facade into the heart of the beast.

He blames me for the fight that left his football career in shambles.

And he hasn’t forgotten I’m in his debt.

Now his claws are digging in so deep, I fear I won’t survive.

Rome no longer wants to save me.

He only wants to own me.

To break me.

Piece by piece by piece.

Misfits

Rome and Elodie’s Addictive Emotional Roller Coaster

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😉😎🤯
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary

Elodie is an ordinary young woman whose life becomes increasingly complicated after a chance encounter with Rome Cromwell. A year before the main story begins, Rome rescues her from a dangerous situation, and Elodie leaves believing she owes him a favor. What seems like a brief moment between strangers turns into something much darker when their parents marry and they suddenly find themselves living under the same roof.

Rome is the town’s football golden boy, but beneath the popularity and good looks is a young man consumed by bitterness. He blames Elodie for the chain of events that destroyed his football future and leaves no doubt that he intends to collect on the debt she believes she owes him. Their relationship is built on resentment, manipulation, and a powerful attraction neither of them can ignore.

The story follows the evolution of their toxic enemies-to-lovers dynamic as Rome pushes Elodie away while simultaneously refusing to let her go. Living together creates constant tension, and the novel gradually reveals the pain and insecurity driving Rome’s behavior. As secrets come to light, both characters are forced to confront whether they can move beyond revenge and guilt to build something healthier.

Highlights and Limitations

One of the book’s biggest strengths is the intensity of the relationship between Rome and Elodie. Rachel Leigh does not soften Rome’s behavior, especially in the early chapters. He is possessive, cruel, and often difficult to like, which makes the emotional payoff more satisfying when layers of his character begin to emerge. The push and pull between the characters creates a strong sense of anticipation throughout the story.

The forced proximity element works particularly well. Because Rome and Elodie become stepsiblings through their parents’ marriage, there is no escaping each other. Every family dinner, hallway encounter, and shared space increases the tension. The setup gives the romance a claustrophobic quality that fits the darker tone of the novel.

I also appreciated that Elodie is not simply a passive victim of Rome’s anger. While she spends much of the story trying to understand his hostility, she challenges him when necessary and refuses to completely lose herself in the process.

The main limitation is that some readers may struggle with Rome’s actions during the first half of the book. His behavior frequently crosses into emotionally manipulative territory, and the redemption arc may not feel substantial enough for everyone. Readers who prefer healthier relationships or lighter sports romances should be aware that this book leans heavily into dark romance conventions.

Narration

Kelsey Navarro Foster delivers an excellent performance as Elodie. She captures both the character’s vulnerability and her growing determination as the story progresses. Her emotional scenes feel authentic, particularly during moments when Elodie is trying to reconcile her attraction to Rome with the way he treats her. She does a terrific job, though she does sound older than Elodie is supposed to be.

Gabriel Spires is equally effective as Rome. His voice naturally suits the character’s arrogance and simmering anger, but he also handles the quieter moments well. As Rome’s emotional walls begin to crack, Spires adds subtle layers of regret and vulnerability that help humanize a character who could have easily remained one-dimensional. Though Gabriel does sound quite a bit older than a high school student as well.

Together, the dual narration enhances the audiobook experience. Hearing both perspectives makes it easier to understand the misunderstandings and emotional baggage driving the conflict.

Final Opinion

Heartless Monster is a dark, emotionally charged enemies-to-lovers romance that fully embraces its morally gray hero. The story succeeds because it commits to the messy, complicated dynamic between Rome and Elodie rather than trying to make their relationship seem easy or idealized. The forced proximity, family complications, and lingering resentment create plenty of tension, while the dual narration brings both characters to life.

This will appeal most to listeners who enjoy darker romance, damaged characters, and redemption arcs. While Rome’s behavior may be too extreme for some readers, the audiobook delivers a compelling and addictive listening experience with strong performances from both narrators. If you enjoy emotionally messy romances where love and resentment are constantly at war, Heartless Monster is worth picking up.

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