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The Ache That Stayed
by
Velrith Rose
THE GREATEST LIES ARE BORN FROM LOVE.
Roxanne Talati thought she had finally outrun the past.
She finally has the life she dreamed of—a man who loves her fiercely without asking her to become smaller, a family she'd burn the world down to protect, and a future worth believing in.
Then a stranger walks back into her life.
He isn't supposed to matter.
He isn't supposed to feel familiar.
He definitely isn't supposed to unravel everything she'd spent years burying.
But some things don't stay buried.
Especially the lies we mistake for the truth.
As old wounds reopen and the past bleeds into the present, Roxanne must confront the lie she's spent a lifetime believing.
How do you move forward when the past still has its teeth in you?
More Details
IAC Main Tropes:
Mafia, Forbidden Romance/Love, Age Gap/Reverse Age Gap, Obsession/Possession, Morally Grey, Found Family, Multi-POV, Slow Burn
Detailed Tropes:
Dark Mafia Romance, Forbidden Love, Age Gap, Curvy FMC, Protective & Obsessive Hero, Morally Grey Characters, Trauma & Healing, Found Family, Multiple POV, Therapy Representation, Slow Burn Angst, Mystery & Suspense, Unconventional Happily Ever After
Representations in This Book:
BIPOC, Mental Health
Age Groups:
Adult
Spice Level:
Level 5
Available Formats:
Paperback, eBook
Content Information:
Level 3
Intense emotional dynamics
Emotional trauma and psychological distress
Grief and emotional dependency
Graphic violence and injury, including mafia-related brutality, gun violence and murder
Racial slurs and discriminatory language used by characters
Dark romance themes, including but not limited to possessiveness, obsession and morally grey behaviour
Explicit sexual content
Dubious consent scenes
Mild praise kink
Childhood sexual abuse (discussed and referenced on-page)
Threats against a child
Grooming and sexual predatory behaviour
Nightmares about Traumatic Events
Emotional trauma, PTSD, panic attacks and dissociation
Blackmail and coercion
Confronting the abuser
Infidelity and complex romantic relationships
Polyamorous relationship dynamics
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