Author: Elle Thorpe
Series: Saint View Murder Squad, Book One
Genre: Dark romance, romantic suspense and why-choose romance
My rating: ★★★½☆
Finally, a book where the main character has curves and doesn’t seem as though she might snap in half!
Honestly, that was probably my main reason for giving X’s and O’s a chance. I wanted to read a romance featuring a genuinely plus-size main character, rather than another heroine who is supposedly curvy because she has slightly wider hips than everyone else.
This is the first book in the Saint View Murder Squad trilogy, and I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the other books as I work my way through the series.
A quick content warning
Before diving any further, it is important to mention that X’s and O’s is a dark, adult why-choose romance, also commonly described as a reverse-harem romance.
This means the main character has more than one love interest and is not necessarily expected to choose between them. The book also contains explicit sexual content, violence, murder, kidnapping and other potentially distressing themes.
It definitely will not be suitable for every reader, so I would recommend checking the author’s full content warnings before picking it up.
What is X’s and O’s about?
The story follows Violet, a plus-size woman whose life changes rather dramatically when she is kidnapped and wakes up facing almost certain death.
Before her attacker can kill her, a group of masked men storms in and rescues her. Admittedly, their version of a rescue involves murdering her kidnapper, so these are not exactly your traditional romantic heroes.
They call themselves the Murder Squad, a secret group of men who target people they believe deserve to die.
Violet soon becomes entangled with three very different men: X, Whip and Levi. Each comes with his own collection of secrets, issues and questionable life choices.
Meanwhile, another killer is threatening the group, leaving behind rhyming messages and turning Violet’s already chaotic life into something even more dangerous.
My thoughts
Reverse-harem romances have never really been my go-to. I usually prefer becoming invested in one central relationship, rather than trying to keep track of several love interests and how they all fit together.
However, I was willing to move past my hesitation purely because Violet is a curvy main character.
Representation was one of the biggest draws for me, and it was refreshing to read about a woman whose body does not fit the usual romance-novel mould. Violet is tall, plus-size and openly desired. Her curves are not something the book quietly mentions once before forgetting about them completely.
She is allowed to be the centre of the story, attract several men and experience the same danger, romance and drama usually reserved for thinner heroines.
As for the why-choose element, I was surprised by how little it bothered me in this first book. I wouldn’t necessarily say the trope has suddenly become my new favourite, but it did not stop me from enjoying the story.
Because the characters and their relationships are still being introduced, the setup feels more like the beginning of something than a fully established group relationship. That made it easier for me to settle into the story without feeling overwhelmed by the number of romantic interests.
The combination of dark romance, murder mystery and humour also makes this an unusual read. Despite the violence and danger, there are some genuinely funny moments that stop the story from becoming too heavy.
One of my favourites is when Violet throws eggs at the men, only for one of them to complain, “We could have made omelettes with that!” It is ridiculous, but it made me laugh and perfectly captures the chaotic dynamic between the characters.
The humour gives Violet more personality and helps make the relationships entertaining, even when everything happening around them is completely unhinged.
You do have to accept that the love interests are deeply morally questionable. These are not slightly grumpy men who secretly have hearts of gold. They are violent, dangerous and, in some cases, completely unhinged.
Whether that works for you will probably depend on how much reality you are willing to suspend while reading.
Does it work as the first book in a series?
X’s and O’s is very clearly the beginning of a trilogy rather than a complete standalone story.
It introduces Violet, the three central men and the wider murder mystery, but it does not wrap everything up neatly by the final page. There are still unanswered questions, developing relationships and plenty of danger left for the next book.
That worked for me because I went into it knowing it was part of a series. However, readers who dislike unresolved storylines or cliffhanger endings may want to wait until they have all three books ready.
My final verdict
I initially picked up X’s and O’s because I wanted to read a dark romance featuring a properly curvy main character. On that front, it gave me exactly what I was looking for.
The why-choose setup was outside my usual reading habits, but it did not bother me as much as I expected it to, particularly in this first instalment. I am still not completely convinced that reverse-harem romance is for me, but I enjoyed the story enough to continue with the trilogy.
This is a dark, spicy and deliberately chaotic romance filled with murder, humour, morally questionable men and a heroine who actually has curves.
It will not be for everyone, but it certainly knows what kind of book it wants to be.
My verdict: An unhinged and surprisingly entertaining dark romance with refreshing plus-size representation.
The Curvy Bookworm 