If you do not want to read this breakdown in fear of spoilers, please feel free to go here for a video breakdown of the review.
WTF Just Happened: Book Breakdown
This addictive dark romance plunges readers back into the dangerous, twisted world of The Hollow Boys series — where each book unpacks the secrets of one boy at a time. The Blood We Crave focuses on Thatcher and Lyra, a pair whose connection is anything but ordinary. Lyra, the bug-loving girl with a fascination for chaos, isn’t just drawn to Thatcher — she’s his stalker. She’s already killed for him once, and the hunger to do it again is buzzing beneath her skin like one of the bee’s she has collected. Thatcher, raised by a serial killer, spends his life hiding behind control and cleanliness but under that perfect, composed exterior lies a darkness just as consuming. When Thatcher and Lyra finally collide, their chemistry is electric, obsessive, and lethal.
If you love morally gray characters, psychological tension, and stories that blur the line between love and danger, this book belongs on your dark romance TBR. Just one warning — if these two are anywhere near your alley, keep walking.
Be like Lyra and catch this book here.
Would I force my friends to read this book?
I’d recommend this one if you’re into morally gray characters and dark suspense laced with a dangerous kind of chemistry. One thing I love about The Hollow Boys series is how each book peels back the layers of these beautifully broken characters. Thatcher and Lyra were more in the background during the first book, so getting their full, messy story this time around was incredibly satisfying. Honestly, both of them could probably use a good therapist — the childhood trauma and, uh, occasional murderous urges might need some unpacking. But if you’re already obsessed with The Hollow Boys, this one is a must-read.
Tropes, Tea, and Twists
- MMC Serial Killer x FMC Stalker
- -Revenge Plot
- -Murder Mystery
- -Touch Her/Touch Him you Die
- -Opposites Attract
- -Blood/Knife kink
- -Dark Academia
Author Vibes: Was the writing GIVINGGGG?
Monty Jay consistently creates characters who are flawed, broken, or morally gray. It does figure that they all are rich but the way that Monty write it doesn’t make you roll your eyes at the access to all the things they have. These characters carry internal conflict and trauma that inform their actions which I think is hard to do as an author. Their inner monologues are rich and often painful — not sugar-coated but still make you question their sanity. Jay doesn’t shy away from exploring wound, betrayal, or dark emotions in a visceral way.
Voices in My Head, Book Edition
The book is read by Lucy Rivers which after looking through the amazing world wide web, it looks like she has been giving life to characters in over a 185 books. Talk about having a voice that someone can dig their nails into. She has a few books that I have read under her sleeve and I am now taking into consideration how she can move her voice to fit any character. She is an all star for sure. No wonder I thought she did a knock out job at providing a voice to Lyra. A little comical but daunting at the same time when she is talking about her childhood. The other narrator is Grayson Owens, he may not have quite as many books under his belt but he has preforemd with with elustruous Lucy Rivers. Owens seems to be able to either be the bad boy or lover boy…and sometimes both. I cant wait to see what he has to bring to the table.
Books Fictional Coordinates
Okay, here me out- I know that Ponderosa Springs may be fictional, but this place reels like a spooky dream that you can swear that you know it is real. Set along Oregon’s fog-draped coast, this eerie seaside town is the beating heart of The Hollow Boys series. It’s the kind of place where secrets hide behind every weathered porch and the ocean never quite washes the blood away or the secrets. From the Styx Bridge to Tilly’s Diner every landmark feels soaked in tension and mystery. Though Ponderosa Springs doesn’t exist on any tangible map you believe it does after reading these books. The town itself becomes a character—reflecting the darkness of the people who live there and amplifying the moral decay, trauma, and obsession that fuel the story. It’s haunting, atmospheric, and unforgettable.
This might be ‘a lot’ for some…
This is the part where we talk about possible triggers or debatable happenings in the book. As always, I will do my best to not have any spoilers.
- Graphic Sexual Scenes
- Graphic Violence
- Serial Murder
- Sexual Assault
- Animal Cruelty
- Human Trafficking
- Child Abuse
- Mentions of Suicide & Suicidal Ideation
- Kidnapping
- Sex Trafficking
- Torture
- Blood and Gore
The Plot’s Favorite Children
- Thatcher Pierson:
- Thatcher isn’t just cold — he’s glacial. Everything about him screams control: his perfect routines, spotless surroundings, and that “don’t touch” energy. He’s smart, sarcastic, and occasionally funny — but only when he decides to be. Behind those piercing, ice-blue eyes and porcelain hair like the Russian-American he is-his mind is sharper than the scalpel that he uses to murder those he so chooses. Thatcher doesn’t feel things the way normal people do — he observes them, studies them, and mimics them like it’s a science experiment.
Raised by a serial killer father who decided to mold his son into a prodigy of death. His first “lesson” in murder came when his father made him bury his own mother. Yeah… therapy could never. Now? Thatcher kills killers. Somewhere between the blood and the silence, Thatcher convinced himself he didn’t feel anything. Then came Lyra — his bug-loving, chaos-driven counterpart, the one person who sees the broken human behind the precision. Together, they’re the definition of “toxic soulmates,” and may the universe protect anyone unlucky enough to cross them in a dark alley.
- Thatcher isn’t just cold — he’s glacial. Everything about him screams control: his perfect routines, spotless surroundings, and that “don’t touch” energy. He’s smart, sarcastic, and occasionally funny — but only when he decides to be. Behind those piercing, ice-blue eyes and porcelain hair like the Russian-American he is-his mind is sharper than the scalpel that he uses to murder those he so chooses. Thatcher doesn’t feel things the way normal people do — he observes them, studies them, and mimics them like it’s a science experiment.
- Lyra Abbott:
Lyra Abbott is the human embodiment of beautiful disaster — brash, bold, and just a little bit unhinged (okay, maybe more than a little). She’s quick with sarcasm, frighteningly smart, and has a memory that could rival Google — Briar even calls her a walking encyclopedia. She feels everything way too deeply, loves way too hard, and when she latches onto something… or someone… she does not let go. She’s introverted, sure, but don’t mistake quiet for harmless — this girl could probably recite bug facts and your final words in the same breath.
Standing at just 5’2”, Lyra’s small but deadly — all delicate limbs, pale skin, and wild curls that look like they were styled by chaos itself. Born and raised in the ever-ominous Ponderosa Springs, Lyra’s story started in blood. When she was seven, she watched Henry Pierson murder her mother — the moment that sealed her fate and his prison sentence. Bounced through foster care and handed an inheritance at eighteen, Lyra came out the other side scarred, obsessive, and dangerously self-aware. She’s passion, pain, and precision all wrapped in one unpredictable package — a moth drawn to every dark flame, especially one named Thatcher Pierson.
Final Thoughts
The Blood We Crave is not for the faint of heart — it’s messy, magnetic, and drenched in darkness. Monty Jay doesn’t just write a romance; she writes an emotional autopsy of two people who were never meant to be soft, yet somehow find comfort in each other’s chaos. If you like your love stories with sharp edges, morally gray obsession, and a dash (okay, bucket) of blood, this book will absolutely scratch that itch. It’s unhinged in the best way — think Dexter meets Gothic fairytale. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, but only if you can handle your romance served rare, raw, and a little bit rotten.
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