Pleasure & Prey · 2023
BrutalSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by A.J. Merlin
Spice 5/5 (Scorching) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 2 trigger warnings flagged
Brutal is book 2 of Pleasure & Prey by A.J. Merlin, first out in 2023. Expect stalker, serial killer and possessive heroes. Spice is scorching, with a lot of it on the page (5 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 27 January 2023 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 2 of Pleasure & Prey.
Brutal tropes
On this shelf, Brutal is filed under Stalker romance, Serial killer romance and Possessive heroes. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Brutal spice level
Is Brutal dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Brutal scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Brutal trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Pleasure & Prey reading order
Brutal is book 2 of 1 in A.J. Merlin's Pleasure & Prey series. Start here.
- Book 2 Brutal (this book) · 2023
Order checked against the Goodreads Pleasure & Prey series page on 13 October 2026.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Brutal
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Hunt Me Darling
Hunt Me Darling
Maree Rose
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Stalker romance, Serial killer romance
- Gilded Cage
Gilded Cage
Zoe Blake
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Stalker romance, Possessive heroes
- Crawl
Crawl
Audrey Rush
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Stalker romance, Serial killer romance
- The Italian Obsession
The Italian Obsession
N.J. Adel
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Stalker romance, Possessive heroes
- Dear Rosie
Dear Rosie
S. J. Tilly
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Stalker romance, Possessive heroes
- Dom
Dom
S. J. Tilly
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Stalker romance, Possessive heroes
- Coerce
Coerce
Candice Wright
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Stalker romance, Possessive heroes
- Heart Eyes
Heart Eyes
Effie Campbell
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Stalker romance, Possessive heroes
Books like Brutal, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Brutal?
Brutal spice level is 5 of 5 (Scorching). Frequent, graphic, the point of many chapters. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Brutal trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Violence, Obsession. Minor: none flagged. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is Brutal dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Brutal scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Brutal?
On this shelf Brutal is filed under Stalker romance, Serial killer romance and Possessive heroes.
Who is Brutal for?
For a reader who wants a hero who watches first and asks later. Spice is scorching. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like Brutal?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Hunt Me Darling by Maree Rose; Gilded Cage by Zoe Blake; Crawl by Audrey Rush; The Italian Obsession by N.J. Adel; Dear Rosie by S. J. Tilly; Dom by S. J. Tilly. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/brutal.
Is Brutal a standalone?
No. Brutal is book 2 of 1 in the Pleasure & Prey series by A.J. Merlin.
What order should I read the Pleasure & Prey series in?
2. Brutal.
How many books are in the Pleasure & Prey series?
The Pleasure & Prey series by A.J. Merlin has 1 main book.
What is the Brutal age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 5/5 (scorching) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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