Psychotic Obsession

The Edge of Darkness Trilogy #0

by Leigh Rivers

LOVE IS DANGEROUS
TRUST IS A WEAKNESS
POSSESSION IS A TOXIC GAME
Sweet and gentle.
Calm and collected.
Nervous and inexperienced.
He was death cloaked in the form of a handsome man, and instead of running the other way the first chance she got, she fell for him.

Aria Miller is a scientist searching for the cure for a rare genetic disease when her world turns on its head – she collides with Tobias Mitchell. When she takes him on as her assistant, he becomes infatuated with her in ways he knows he shouldn’t be.

Then, reality hits, and Aria is forced to leave the country. Faced with the thought of losing the object of his obsession, Tobias’ mask slips, showing her his true self for the first time.

Aria is his, and he’ll do anything to make sure she stays that way.

This is an interconnected standalone set before The Edge of Darkness Trilogy

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Audiobook, Spicy, Smut, Contemporary

442 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2025

About the author

Leigh Rivers is a Scottish Biomedical Scientist who has ventured into the world of writing dark, morally gray characters with rollercoaster storylines to drive her readers wild.

When she isn't reading, writing on her laptop, or gaming until ridiculous hours, she dances at the pole studio, goes to the gym, and walks her four dogs with her two sons and husband.

Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Marry him. Go live your life and raise our kids. Make sure he makes you happier than I ever can, but just know, once I’m out, I’m coming for you.”

God this RUINED ME!! Like I knew it was coming but still feel EMPTY because WTFFFFFF this book was literally just sheer pain. I feel like someone just beat this living shit out of me and then dumped me on the side of the road to get run over.

Okay first things first. YOU MUST READ THE EDGE OF DARKNESS TRILOGY BEFORE THIS! This is the story of Tobias and Aria, two characters from that trilogy and it takes place 20 years prior.

ALSOOOOOO this does not have a happily ever after…. But but but, read the epilogue from Little Liar to keep you sane because it’s not over for Tobias and Aria. That being said, this book is so dark and twisted and heartbreaking so just prepare.

Daddy Tobias I love this man with my whole heart and I’m in so much pain for him. As the author disclaimed in the beginning, this is not the same Tobias we all fell in love with in the trilogy (though we do get pieces of that Tobias in the beginning). Tobias is so beyond unhinged and battling the deepest darkest demons in his head and what his mental illness and psychosis pushes him to do to Aria in this boook actually destroyed a piece of me. I got whiplash because I simultaneously loved him and was rooting for him, while also being terrified of him and wanting to look the other way. Tobias literally gaslit me with Aria. In the end Leigh really made me understand why everything happened the way it did and it was truly for the best but like imma be so real….. it didn’t make it any easier.

That being said…. Tobias had me absolutely sweating. I knew this man was pure filth, the spicy scenes were everything I was hoping for and more. Again let me just be clear, there’s no justifying what Tobias did in this book, how he treated Aria made me nauseous. But yes I do still love him. Both things can be true.

Ewan….. I’m sorry why did end up loving him?? I was not expecting that! Some people say he deserved so much better and that Aria treated him terribly and don’t understand why he stuck around and to that I say…. You simply missed the plot. I cannot help you. I disagree entirely. His love for Aria knows no bounds and I truly don’t think she would have survived without his consistent support.

Aria girl WTF I just wanted to give her a hug 😭😭😭😭 my girl deserves the fucking world after being put through hell!! And yes I also think the same of Tobias. I love them both and just want them to be happy!!! I’m also seeing people hating on Aria for “ruining Tobias” BSFFR RN. They ruined each other, they were toxic AF, and Aria lost so much and experienced so much psychological abuse how on earth did you expect the girl to act while the man she loved was DRUGGING HER AND MANIPULATING HER???? People need to go touch grass I swear. Okay I’m done.

Now I did have some issues with this book despite loving it:
- once Tobias started to spiral into psychosis we practically stopped getting his POV, I hated not being in his head while everything was going on, we really only saw him from Arias POV in the second half and I felt like I needed so much more of him.
- The ending was very rushed and it felt unfinished. Like I just felt like there’s so much more to their story I don’t know.
- NO EPILOGUE OF THEM FINDING THEIR WAY BACK TO EACH OTHER?!!!!! I’m sorry?!!!! You’re gonna show them 30 years in the future in the Little Liar Epilgoue and not in their own book?????? I feel so robbed. I know it didn’t have a HEA but like wtf that makes no sense to me GIVE ME SOMETHING PLEASEEEEE ? I’m bitter.
- The pacing just felt a little all over the place to me

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ my fucking heart ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

[Yana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s a thing, 4.5⭐️ and not 5 because I feel manipulated and emotionally distraught, like the ending…. THERAPY

[maria (will I fully comeback?) · Rating 3 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 3 ✰

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹“There’s one thing controling everything and anything in life, an emotion so strong, it can completely debilitate us. It overwhelms all our senses while we turn a blind eye to the toxicity surrounding us. Love”⋆𐙚₊˚⊹

After reading and absolutely loving The Edge of Darkness trilogy last year, this book instantly became one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I was really eager to see more of Tobias and finally understand why he was locked up lmao, unfortunately it was kind of a disappointment. the urges of rereading Kade and Stacy’s story is strong right now

As usual, I completely forgot to check the trigger warnings before diving in. So, once again, I found myself caught off guard by everything that unfolded in this book. Consider this my PSA: If you’re planning to read this, please check the trigger warnings! Clearly, I didn’t learn my lesson from eod trilogy, and here I am, making the same mistake again😭

For some reason, this book just felt like nothing to me. Aria and Tobias’s relationship was purely based on lust—there was no real emotional depth. And it’s not even because Tobias is emotionally closed off by nature, but rather because of how the book was written. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this.
Also, while everyone was apparently sobbing their eyes out during the last 20% of the book, I was just sitting there staring at my phone like this: 😐. I’m starting to realize that whenever a book gets hyped up as being devastating or heartbreaking, it almost never actually affects me. And this one? No exception.

The best thing about this book? Ewan. 👩🏻‍🦯 I said what I said, and I’m standing by it.

As for the writing… it didn’t work for me. It felt very teenager-ish at times and inconsistent throughout. Plus, this book is supposed to be set 20 years before The Edge of Darkness trilogy, yet the characters are out here talking about Uber and dating apps like it’s modern day. That just kind of threw me off.

One thing I did love about this book was how it explored Tobias’s psychopathy. It reminded me of what I felt while reading Kade’s story. As someone studying psychology within the criminal justice system, I find books like this so interesting. I love seeing the impact a truly mentally ill person has on those around them—not like those books where college students think they’re psychopaths just because they enjoy hunting. Anyway, I really enjoyed watching Tobias lose control. That might sound a little crazy, but it’s just because of my major 🤚🏻

・❥・ This book is essentially a prequel to The Edge of Darkness trilogy, so if you haven’t read either one, you can start with whichever you prefer. Personally, I think I enjoyed this book more because I had already read the trilogy. Sure, reading the trilogy first gives you some minor spoilers, but in my opinion, it doesn’t really take away from the story. Plus, by the time I picked this up, I had already forgotten half of what happened in the trilogy anyway 🤣.



➳ characters:


ೃ࿐ Aria

Dumbass stupid indecisive bitch that only cried.
I’m sorry I just can’t understand Aria’s train of thought, she is sooo annoying.

I honestly do not understand how Aria fell in love with Tobias or how her obsession with him even started. His obsession? That makes total sense—he’s completely unhinged. But Aria? How did she go from 1 to 100 on the “I love Tobias” scale so quickly?
Later on, with everything that happened, I could obviously see why she couldn’t leave him—he was manipulating her at every turn. But still, I just don’t get her love for him. Why was she so obsessed? Why did she keep going back to him over and over again after everything he did? I know I shouldn’t blame the victim, but girl, why do you keep running back to him?? 😫Look, I get it—he wears glasses, and honestly, that alone might have me reconsidering too. But Aria, please, open your eyes!

And as for forgiveness? If I were Aria, I would never—and I mean never ever ever—forgive Tobias. Not in this life, not in the next. I don’t care that he’s mentally ill; I would go to my grave holding that grudge after everything he did.


ೃ࿐ Tobias

I revoke his title of daddy🧍🏻‍♀️ he’s not one here.

Tobias is definitely a complicated character. He does a lot of terrible things, but a big part of that comes from his inability to control himself. That being said, I just didn’t like him in this book. This is a completely different Tobias than the one we already know—which makes sense, considering this is where everything began. Still, I wish we had gotten more insight into him. There weren’t many chapters from his POV, and even in Aria’s perspective, we didn’t see much of him in a way that truly explored his character.

I mentioned that I liked seeing the effect of his mental illness disorder. Now, I DO NOT romanticize it for any reason. I have already seen people romanticizing his actions which is kind of insane, you can love his character without glorifying and excusing the things he did, I might be reading too deep into this again because of my major but seeing / reading about cases like this in real life just doesn’t let me separate fiction from reality, my bad, I just can’t.

“Despite my mind being bad to me, I’m a good person. I know I am. I like helping people. I like working in the hospital and watching kids I’ve entertained get better.”

I still feel bad for him and how he had a constant fight with his mind, those are the parts that I enjoyed a little bit, the soft parts. I would still have loved to learn more deeply about him.


˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥˚✿ °. Aria & Tobias:

I like them as a couple in the trilogy, here, I don’t. Mostly because I couldn’t see a foundation for their relationship, I’m not lying, most of their scenes were them having sex so I don’t have a reason to be obsessed with them.

ೃ࿐ Ewan

Honestly, I could give this book 5 stars just because of Ewan. Justice for Ewan ✊🏻—he deserved so much better. In fact, he deserves ME because I know I would have appreciated him way more than Aria ever did. 😭 I really really like his character, imo he was a genuinely a good person, I don’t think Aria would have survived without him and for the people saying that he had too much protagonist in this book, let’s be real; he is an important character in Aria’s life and he is also an important part of the trilogy, I’m not going to accept criticism of Ewan🤚🏻

“I’m worried about you, Aria. To me, you're a strong, independent, intelligent woman who takes bullshit from no one. I need you to remember that when you feel like you're lost. And I'm not saying all of this because you mean so much to me. I'm saying it because it's true. A lot of people look up to you, me included.”

When I first read insatiable I mentioned that I didn’t want Tobias and Aria’s book because I like Aria and Ewan’s relationship, I eventually changed my mind with the last 2 books of the trilogy but this book really made me wished Ewan could have his true happy ending. ( I also saw that these characters appear in the epilogue of little liar, and I might have regretted reading it after finishing this book💔)

overall: this was kind of meh, I might have been too hyped for this and maybe that’s why I had higher expectations that weren’t met but still an addictive read. If you read the trilogy I would really encourage to read this. Also I was scared of this book being Non-HEA but I’m satisfied with the ending😝

Anywayssss I can’t wait to read Base and Luciella book🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ I need it like the air I breathe


spoilers ‼️
spoilers ‼️

I already started seeing people blaming Gabriella for making Tobias stop taking his medication, because she told him that he is crazy and not enough for Aria. Did she lied? No. I’m seeing people calling her annoying because she was in the middle of everything, well if my alleged boyfriend drugs me and manipulate me, I would really hope for my best friend to try and save me you know, I would like her to fight for me. so I don’t see why people needs to blame Gabriella for something that Tobias willingly did. It’s actually kind of sad seeing how some people are already siding against her for trying to protect someone she loves. Specially knowing how it ended for her.

“I look at my best friend, the joy in her eyes and the way she is so proud of me everything a person can ever hope for. It's not often you come across an individual who cheers you on, cries with you for your successes. She's not just my best friend; she's like my sister, and I love her.”

Yes, sometimes she opened her mouth in the worst moments but it’s still sad knowing that she literally gave her life for Aria.


________________

ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩୭˚.

DADDY TOBIAS IS HEREEE!!!🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ been waiting for his book since I read the eod trilogy🤸🏻‍♀️

I’m scared because of the Non-HEA and also a friend just told me good luck😃

[Maddy ✨ ~The Verse Vixen {AFK brb} · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Call it a moth to the flame, but Damn! they put the ‘hot’ in psychotic."💀

Psychotic Obsession is one of those books that pulls you in with its intense drama and emotional chaos. At first, I was skeptical— But once the plot picks up, it becomes a gripping rollercoaster that kept me hooked.This book is full of twists and turns that make it hard to put down, even though there were some parts that felt repetitive. Aria’s constant indecision did annoy me, but I still couldn’t help but be intrigued by the story.The emotional intensity between Aria, Tobias, and Ewan had me on the edge of my seat, and despite all the chaos, I couldn’t look away. It's definitely a love-it-or-hate-it read, but I found it to be worth the emotional ride.
Tobias walked so Kade could run!

📌~Core Narrative-
Aria Miller is a scientist working on a cure for a rare genetic disease. She’s brilliant, independent, and completely focused on her research… until Tobias Mitchell enters her life as her new assistant. Tobias isn’t just obsessed with her—he’s completely deranged about it. He’s possessive, manipulative, and has no issue eliminating anyone who stands between them. What starts as professional quickly spirals into an obsession so intense it’s terrifying. And yet, I ate it all up. The tension? Immaculate. The spice? Unholy. The psychological mind games? Kept me HOOKED.
The book serves as a prequel to The Edge of Darkness trilogy, giving us Tobias’s origin story and how his obsession with Aria began. And let me tell you—this is not your typical romance. It’s twisted. It’s messed up. It’s exactly what the title says: psychotic.At first, I was so bored I could hardly stay invested. It felt like the same repetitive cycle of lust and smut. But, somehow, after the 60% mark, the drama picked up, and I found myself gripped by the chaos—and I don’t even know if I should be proud of that.🤦‍♀️
~📌Let’s break it down: Tobias Mitchell-
"I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I love him. He’s a textbook psychopath—cold, calculating, and twisted, consumed by an obsession with Aria that never once falters. There’s no struggle between light and dark in him; he embraces his shadows like a second skin. Leigh Rivers crafted him perfectly—unredeemable, and he doesn’t care to be. His obsession with Aria isn’t love in any conventional sense. It’s raw, suffocating, and undeniably terrifying. And yet, beneath that darkness, he wears glasses, cradles books with tender hands, and carries an inexplicable softness for children—layers that made him more intriguing.

"You are everything to me"
"Are we forever aria?"
"I love you more than life itself,I'd die for you if I had to" "will you show me how to be a good dad?"

📢 FREEE MY MAN😭

"I want you... I need you... I love you... You're a good person... We belong together... We're going to be family... Let's run away together... I want you... I need you... I love you... You're a good person... We belong together... We're going to be family... Let's run away together... I want you... I need you... I love you... You're a good person... We belong together... We're going to be family... Let's run away together... I want you... I need you... I love you... You're a good person... We belong together... We're going to be family... Let's run away together..."

“Marry him. Go live your life and raise our kids. Make sure he makes you happier than I ever can"

-Did I Feel Bad for Him? Absolutely.😭 -Will I take stand for Him- YESS!🤦‍♀️
-Would I Stick Around If I Saw Him in Person? HAHAHA. RUN BABY RUN RUN FOR UR LIFE🏃‍♀️💨

📌~Let’s talk about Aria Miller – our leading lady, our queen of chaos, the human definition of 🚩–
Oh. My. God. Where do I even begin???Look, I get that Aria has been through things. Trauma changes people. But at some point, you have to stop using it as an excuse for literally every questionable choice you make. Aria is the kind of FMC that makes me want to personally enter the book, sit her down, and beg her to GET A GRIP. But no, instead, I had to suffer through 400+ pages of her acting like a confused, lust-driven mess while two men literally revolved their lives around her. OH, AND LET’S NOT FORGET—SHE’S PREGNANT WITH TOBIAS’S CHILD WHILE STILL TRYING TO CLIMB LIAM LIKE A TREE.
Ma’am. Ma’am. You are literally growing a whole human inside you. Maybe, just maybe, focus on that instead of treating men like interchangeable phone chargers?? Priorities, bestie. Get some.
And the worst part? She moaned Liam’s name while sleeping with Tobias. I had to physically put my Kindle down. This gave me Ugly Love déjà vu in the worst way possible.

🚩 Point #1: The Whole Ewan Situation – MAKE IT MAKE SENSE
So, let me get this straight. She broke up with Liam because he cheated on her… TEN YEARS AGO. Like, girl, is there a statute of limitations on holding grudges, or??? But wait—it gets worse.

Because despite being oh-so-heartbroken over his betrayal, she still runs back to him for comfort every time Tobias breathes too hard in her direction. Girl, be so serious.

💋 Aria (to Ewan): “Kiss me, don’t leave me alone.”
🤡 Also Aria (the very next second): “Tobias, I love you.”
👀 Me, watching this disaster unfold: What in the emotionally unstable hell is happening here??

🚩 Point #2: The Infamous Scene – A Crime Against Literature
This scene? This scene alone aged me 10 years.

Picture this: Aria is literally in bed with Tobias. Things are happening. It’s intense. Tobias is in full possessive psycho mode, and then—

💀 Aria: moaned -“Ewan, I love you too.”
🔪 Tobias:👁👄👁
I HAD TO CLOSE THE BOOK.


Like, ma’am?? MA’AM??? You’re carrying this man’s CHILD, you’re in bed with him, and you just CASUALLY drop your ex’s name?? Are you trying to die?? Tobias walked out and left her to deal with her nonsense alone.Thank god!

🚩 Point #3: ‘Oops, I Can’t Control Myself’ – Aria’s Life Motto
Aria’s entire personality is just making impulsive, reckless decisions and then acting surprised when they backfire.

🫠 Tobias: “You’re mine.”
💋 Aria: “Okay, but I also need to go cry in Ewan's arms.”
🤡 Also Aria, five minutes later: “Tobias, make me forget.”

Like, girl, DO YOU WANT TO BE FORGOTTEN?? Because at this point, I do.

I really tried to find a redeeming quality, but Aria just kept outdoing herself with the nonsense. If she was a person in real life, I would simply block her for my own sanity.
~10 Things I Absolutely Hate About Aria🚩🚩🚩
1️⃣ She’s the CEO of Indecisiveness
She loves Ewan. But wait, she also needs tobias. But wait, she also doesn’t want to let go of either of them?? Girl, you’re not picking a Netflix show—you’re dealing with real people.

2️⃣ The ‘Liam, I Love You Too’ Crime
I still haven’t emotionally recovered from this scene. Moaning your ex’s name while sleeping with your current man?? That’s not trauma, that’s straight-up disrespectful.

3️⃣ She Can’t Go 5 Minutes Without Being Lusty
Pregnant? Lusty. Fighting? Lusty. Mourning her past? Lusty. Does she have any emotions that aren’t tied to making reckless decisions??

4️⃣ Her Sense of Loyalty Is… Questionable
She hates Ewan for cheating on her 10 years ago, but she’s emotionally cheating on Tobias in real-time. Make it make sense.

5️⃣ She Treats Tobias Like an Emotional Punching Bag
One second, she’s throwing herself at him. The next, she’s pushing him away because she can’t handle her emotions. Girl, get a journal. Leave this man alone.

6️⃣ She Blames Everyone But Herself
Every bad decision she makes? Someone else’s fault. She’s always just a victim of circumstance, never responsible for anything.

7️⃣ She’s Weirdly Entitled to Ewan
You dumped this man, refused to forgive him for a mistake made over a decade ago, but also lowkey expect him to still be there for you?? What’s the logic?

8️⃣ Her ‘Oops, I Can’t Help It’ Excuses Are Insufferable
“Oops, I kissed him.” “Oops, I got in bed with him.” “Oops, I just can’t help it.” YES, YOU CAN. STOP IT.

9️⃣ Her Character Development Is… Nonexistent
Did she grow? Did she learn from her mistakes? Did she do anything to make me believe she deserved happiness?? NO. She just ran in circles, making the same stupid choice
🔟 She’s a Crybaby & Annoying as Hell:
Cries because Ewan cheated 10 years ago but still wants him around.
Cries because Tobias loves her but she can’t stop running back to Ewan.
Cries because she kissed Ewan but doesn’t want to let Tobias go.
Cries because she’s pregnant and still making the worst decisions imaginable.
At some point, I stopped feeling bad for her and started feeling bad for everyone who had to deal with her. Tobias? Lost his mind over her. Ewan? Somehow still tolerating her BS. Gabrielle?her BFF Died, Me?Suffering through her stupidity.

She’s literally the definition of ‘actions have consequences,’ but instead of learning, she just CRIES and makes it worse. Crybaby of the year. 🎭💀 I really tried to understand her, but the constant back-and-forth, the inability to control herself, the absolute audacity of moaning her ex’s name while with Tobias?? Girl, that’s where I draw the line. I don’t even blame Tobias for being an obsessive psycho—she was out here making him lose his damn mind.I don't care if she’s pregnant, stressed, or whatever excuse the book tries to give her. SHE IS THE PROBLEM.At the end of the day, I just can’t root for someone who makes chaos their entire personality. It’s exhausting, frustrating, and lowkey makes me want to personally tell her to go touch some grass.

📌Ewan–The Ex or the Target Next?
A reserved, patient, ACTUALLY supportive ex??? In a dark romance?? A rare species. I don’t know if I was supposed to like Liam, but honestly, I did. He’s reserved, patient, and accepting of Aria, even when she’s being the absolute worst. The fact that he even entertained a friendship with her after everything? Unreal. Aria didn’t deserve either of these men, but Liam deserved peace.. willing to accept Aria, even when she keeps flip-flopping between him and Tobias This man stood by Aria even when she clearly did not deserve him. He’s calm, understanding, and the only reason I didn’t lose my mind completely. Aria: "I don’t trust you anymore."
Also Aria: Immediately all over him again while pregnant with another man’s child.TSK TSK!! He is as a Good man he is!

Aria:Liam, “So, do you think this is it between us? Do you think we’re fully over?” after 10 years of history.I want to tell him it has always been him, always will be
Ewan:“Aria… you had a boyfriend.” But of course, Aria’s like, “Oh, that? Pfft. Who cares? Let me just throw myself all over you.🤡”

📌What I Liked:
-The drama that kept me hooked and invested in the chaos.
-The tension - even though it was toxic, kept me turning the pages.
-Aria’s friendship with Gabs—I loved their bond and how it provided a much-needed grounding in the chaos ,the best BFF you could ever ask for.
-The hospital moments with Tobias were surprisingly sweet, showing a different side of their colleague relationship.
📌What fell short:
-Aria’s indecision between Tobias and Ewan—her constant back-and-forth was exhausting and frustrating.
-The lack of emotional growth or clarity from the characters, especially Aria.
-The repetitive focus on smut that took away from the story’s depth.
-Gabs death -that was cruel.She sacrifices her life for her bestie😭 "The story had potential, but the writing style and pacing didn’t click, like with the kade's books"
📌Final Thoughts:-

Psychotic Obsession is a messy, dramatic rollercoaster that pulls you in despite the chaos. Aria’s back-and-forth between Tobias and Ewan is infuriating, and honestly, at times, the whole thing feels more like a soap opera than a romance. But once the story hits its stride, it becomes hard to put down. It’s not for the faint of heart if you’re looking for stability or rational decisions, but if you love high-drama, emotional turmoil, and a bit of smut with your chaos, this one will keep you hooked. Just don’t expect any emotional clarity or growth from the characters—it’s a trainwreck, and sometimes, we just can’t look away.

[veerali · Rating 3 out of 5]

⁀ ⊹ ₊ Love is dangerous. Trust is a weakness. Possession is a toxic game.

okay, deep breaths. deep breaths. i need to get this out, because i am seething. i went into this book with the kind of anticipation you reserve for seeing your favorite band live, after waiting for an year. i'm talking hyped. TEOD is leigh's BEST work, period. the character dynamics, the twisted relationships, it's all chef's kiss. tobias and aria in kade and stacey's story? legendary. manas and i practically counted down the seconds until we could read this.

and what did we get? a soggy, disappointing mess.

i'm not even exaggerating when i say i was gutted. i originally read psychotic obsession on wattpad, aria's pov only. so when leigh announced she was adding tobias's perspective, making it dual pov? i practically combusted with excitement. i imagined layers, complexity, a deeper descent into madness.

instead, i got...nothing. just a lackluster, utterly unfulfilling read. this book wasn't BAD, per se, but it wasn't GOOD either. it just existed. i expected tears, heartbreak, a total emotional rollercoaster. manas and i predicted we'd be emotionally destroyed. and what happened? i barely registered a blip on the emotional radar. i'm not even being dramatic, i'm just HONESTLY PISSED that this book didn't live up to the hype.

⁀ ⊹ ₊ He wanted to own me. And I let him–as long as I was able to own him too. He was mine and I was his.

let's talk about tobias. okay, fine, tobias mitchell is daddy. the daddiest daddy EVER. i know, i know, he does terrible things in this book. i will NEVER, EVER romanticize his actions. stalking, manipulation, the whole shebang? NO. but in kade and stacey's story, he had control. he was calculated, devastating. we see the foundation of that in this book, tracing back to his prime, to when he first becomes obsessed with aria.

here's the problem: watching him unravel was...boring? the story leads us back 20 years to show us tobias's descent. he stops therapy, stops taking his meds, all in a desperate attempt to be "normal" for aria. again, his actions are horrific, and i condemn them. but the execution of it all felt so…flat.

⁀ ⊹ ₊ “Yeah. I’ll wait forever if I need to, because you’re mine.”

and speaking of horrific…

ARIA. OH. MY. GOD. ARIA.

this dumb bitch got on my NERVES every. single. time. she. opened. her. mouth. her inner monologue was a symphony of stupid. i wanted to bang my head against the wall with every idiotic decision, every ridiculous habit, every MORONIC thought that dribbled through her brain. everything she did was just...STUPID.

⁀ ⊹ ₊ Did Tobias Mitchell care? No. Unless it involved me…nothing else mattered to him.

honestly, i'm not even sure what i expected. maybe too much? maybe the original wattpad version painted too vivid a picture. all i know is that this book felt like a massive betrayal. a hollow shell of what it could have been.

the only thing keeping me from giving this a lower rating is the faint hope that base and luceilla's story doesn't get butchered in the same way. please, leigh, PLEASE don't ruin them too.

so where does that leave us? with a 2.75 star rating. i rounded it up to 3 because, alright, tobias had redeeming qualities in kade's book (mostly in retrospect to his other appearances). but honestly? this book was a colossal waste of potential. it had all the ingredients for a masterpiece, and instead, we got a lukewarm, unsatisfying, and frankly, infuriating, mess. i'm going back to reread kade and stacey's story to cleanse my palate. 

thank you manas for reading this with me ilysm x

[yuvi • ia · Rating 4 out of 5]

━━━━━━━━━━━━
❀post reading thoughts❀

(★★★★.5)
━━━━━━━━━━━━
tw: stalking, extremely possessive behavior, murder, kidnapping, drugging, trauma, mental health, pregnancy, child death (not detailed), abuse, unreliable narrative, dub con, non con, and mental abuse.
━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Marry him. Go live your life and raise our kids. Make sure he makes you happier than I ever can, but just know, once I’m out, I’m coming for you.”

tobias mf mitchell🫦🫦🫦




yeah so hiii. i read it and i'm not okay🙂🙂🙂
this book made me cry. like, i was inconsolable. and i was dry heaving. it takes place 20 yrs b4 the EOD trilogy and the author said that tobias isn't the same person we met in the trilogy and ngl, after reading the first 10 chapters, i was skeptical bc he was genuinely so sweet and caring at first- yk he had a metal band named after a 15 yo cancer patient- he used to sit w her for hours, read to her and watched cartoons with her. okay. that was so wholesome. i loved his pov's. but then once he stopped taking his meds- to get a semblance of having a normal life- it got worse. like rlly rlly worse. his descent after his spiral into psychosis started was rlly hard to read abt. bc he wasnt the same tobias that we met in EOD. in the second half (during the later chapters), we saw glimpses of the tobias from EOD. and i really do mean ONLY GLIMPSES. like twice or thrice. but most of the times, it was difficult to read abt. aria and tobias were so toxic tgth. but it's clear that he loves aria. and his children. but he also needed help. he was a victim of his mind. they both were. and it broke my heart (esp during that scene when he told aria that the voices taunt him abt her). i wish he'd gotten help sooner than that- so much of what happened could've been prevented. the last few chapters broke me.
psychopath or not, tobias mitchell is one of my fav mmc's. and i love him sfm (sry not sry)

⤷sidenote: i also really loved ewan-he was so caring and he was always there for aria. idk if she would've survived had it not been for ewan. (edit: i read the epilogue2 of little liar-and only the second epilogue. cs i'm not going to read that incestuous clusterfuck. hell to the nawwww. i'm sad but also happy at the same time😭😭😭😭)
also, baby jason cameos? after what happened in EOD- those fucking broke my heart 😭😭😭😭😭😭


i loved this book. the only reason it isn't a complete 5 was cs aria got on my nerves at times. and writing felt lowk immature at times (and i also felt that it was kinda insta-lust at first)

omw to reread EOD now 🫡🫡🫡

━━━━━
❀ quotes ❀~
━━━━━
---"For those who crave darkness yet hide in the light.
You can come out now.
Tobias is home."

---"My mind isn’t too kind to me when it’s supposed to be quiet."

---"I think I just died and went to heaven."
(their first date and this was his first thought)

---"I’m losing my fucking mind thinking about you, and I don’t know how to stop it."

---"She will know how to fix me, right?"

---"My fingertips gently trace her lips, desperate for her to wake up and let me kiss them. Or see them move and sound the words that keep replaying in my mind

I want you. I need you. I love you. You’re a good person. We belong together. We’re going to be a family. Let’s run away together. I want you. I need you. I love you. You’re a good person. We belong together. We’re going to be a family. Let’s run away together. I want you. I need you. I love you. You’re a good person. We belong together. We’re going to be a family. Let’s run away together. I want you. I need you. I love you. You’re a good person. We belong together. We’re going to be a family. Let’s run away together. I want you. I need you. I love you. You’re a good person. We belong together. We’re going to be a family. Let’s run away together.

Like a mantra."

---It's quite sad actually, that the man opening the door behind me and staying silent while I sob into the coldness has no chance of a proper life. Yet, when he's with me, he's good at keeping himself balanced. When I'm not there, he's somehow capable of murder.

---“I love you more than life itself. I’d die for you if I had to.” His expression drops. “Will you show me how to be a good dad?”

---"Promise me they'll know who I am, the real me, the one you once fell in love with."
screaming crying throwing up

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side note
started- april 03
finished- april 04

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❀pre-read❀
━━━━━
we won't talk about the fact that i'm reading 3 other books atm and that i still haven't written the reviews for the main 3 books in 'the edge of darkness trilogy' (i promise i'll get around to it. soon-ish? maybe after a reread of the whole trilogy but no promises) mhmm 🙂‍↕️

[Bailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Tobias? Everything to me. Check TW's and be prepared for your heart to break.

I ate this up. Like actually was chomping at the bit to pick it back up every time I had to put it down. This was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and while it wasn't a 5 star, it was still amazing. I love these characters so much.

In my opinion, I ABSOLUTELY think you need to read the Edge of Darkness trilogy before reading this. If only for your mental health, do that please. I don't think I would've loved this nearly as much if I hadn't done that myself.

Tobias is just so broken in this book, he's broken and he needs help and that made my heart SEVERELY ache for him. The only thing that kept me somewhat sane while reading was knowing that this takes place in the past, and knowing what happens in the future. He is still my favorite character in this entire series, besides Kade, because he has overcome so so much. The character growth? Insane.

Can we take a minute to talk about Ewan??? DOWN BAD. I LOVED HIM. I loved that we got more of him in this book!!! No WONDER Aria loves him, he's amazing. Aria? An icon. She's been through so much and honestly I can't be mad at her for loving BOTH of these men, because honestly, who wouldn't? This is the exception to the "you can't love two people at the same time" rule, because I get it, girl. Gabriella, she got on my nerves for half the book, but that did lessen as the book went on. I do wish we had gotten less spice and more emotional connection between Aria and Tobias, but I will say that spice was GOOD. I wish we had gotten more of Tobias' POV, even if it would've broken my heart further.

I love them. Now I need Base & Lu's book, please and thanks!!!!

[sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

FREE MY MAN ! HE DID IT ALL BUT FREE HIM 😭🙏🏼

[manas · Rating 3 out of 5]

➳ i love ewan??? ☆

this rating shocked me and vee so much. never in a million years did we think TOBIAS' book would get less than a 5-star rating. however, there were a lot of aspects that felt superfluous to their story. tobias & aria had the potential to have the best story in this universe, however, i do think leigh prioritized fan service over writing their story. i didn't feel like these were the same characters i fell in love with in kade's story. this doesn't mean i didn't enjoy this book, more so, i feel like leigh lost her spark after EOD.

⌞tobias⌝

what did she do to him??? listen. i understand this man is an actual diagnosed psychopath. this is not why i am upset. i also knew not to expect EOD tobias since that is 20 years in the future. however, you cannot tell me this is the same man that she wrote. even in the OG wattpad version, everyone loved how dynamic his character was. i still love him, but he got the short end of the stick. he was a decent character, but i think kade is still my favorite man in this universe.

⌞aria⌝

brother, what??? she pissed me off so bad. i have no clue what leigh had against her, but the character assassination was insane. aria is not responsible for anyone else, especially tobias. when i say she was annoying me, it's hard to explain but i promise, it's not because she was scared of him or was rejecting ewan. she just felt like a cardboard cut out of a female character. as a doctor, i found her to be quite jejune and vapid. with characters like this, i truly believe having equal parts backstory & present story make them interesting. there was a little wasted potential here.

⌞the future⌝

unsure what this world is going to look like moving forward. her best work is still EOD and i feel like that is going to remain that way. base & lu—who easily could take the number one spot for me—have a lot of potential after reading EOD. it was a given fact that those characters weren't going to get much page presence in this since they were literally not in the picture. i am happy we got more of them but i really wish their conclusion was better crafted. all of her books end on this ubrupt note. i did love this and i was so happy reading with my absolute favorite person ever, vee. i think we may have hyped it up too much, but we are still satisfied with the prequel. <3

the real jumpscare is vee and i having to read that incest shit-show for their conclusion. we are already praying to all the gods to forgive us.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

ꕤ pre-read ꕤ

my favorite girl, veerali and i can’t wait to read about father tobes!!!

[Youssra (semi ia- shelving books don't mind me) · Rating 4 out of 5]

update: I just read epilogue 2 from Little Liar and now I have a tiny shred of happiness thank you.




So this book kind of depressed the hell out of me... even though I knew it was coming, it was still painful 💔

I think it is very very very important to read the trilogy first, just for your own sanity and overall enjoyment😅

Watching the downward spiral of both Aria and Tobias was so painful and frustrating because you just want to shake Aria and wake her up from this nightmare and you want to help Tobias and let him see how wrong his behavior is. I think sometimes it is so easy for us to just say that you would just leave a toxic relationship and never be in that situation yourself, but when you're so deeply in love with a person and suffering from mental health problems, it is simply not that easy.

Aria went through it and at times you just want to scream at her because of how frustrating she was, but she was truly a victim here just as much as Tobias. Tobias truly did some horrible things, but you can't help but love him because he just isn't a bad person. He was also a victim of his own mind💔

I really wish we got more of Tobias's pov after he began losing it; I really think it would have elevated the experience and helped us understand him more. I still really felt for him throughout the story because he really was not a bad person deep down, he was just lost in his own mind💔

The standouts were definitely Ewan and Gabriella in this book for me. Ewan omg??? Aria I get it girl. This man was literally perfect! What an angel of a man and they truly deserved each other (for the time they had💔) That epilogue in Little Liar simultaneously gave me hope and broke my heart guys😭

I love all these characters and this world so much I need Base and Lu's books already pls😭
_________________

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Pre-read:

Time to cry.

[Momma Eureka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might need to be sedated…….

Did I finish this book or did this book finish me?

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“He wanted to own me. And I let him–as long as I was able to own him too. He was mine and I was his. Being in a toxic relationship is pretty bad. Being in love with a psychopath is way worse. “
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“The devil himself delved into my mind and whispered he was everything I ever needed, wanted, craved, and I listened. “
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“I almost want her to slap me. It would be amazing. Imagine having her hand on my cheek? I’d be dreaming. “
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“You’re everything to me.” “Are we forever, Aria?” “I love you more than life itself. I’d die for you if I had to.” “Will you show me how to be a good dad?”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
I have so much to say and I don’t know how to even start. This book broke me ! I’ve been begging for Tobias and Aria story since the Edge of Darkness. Than I obviously read the Web of Silence duet and got a little more of daddy Tobias and I was frothing at the mouth for his story. But now I kinda wish I didn’t…..
I have to say that if you want to feel any semblance of happiness with their story you MUST read the Edge of Darkness and The Web of Silence duet, because than you see that this is just the beginning of their journey and not the end.
Tobias Mitchell aka daddy Tobias is EVERYTHING, but he is everything in both ways, good and bad. His good side is really good but his bad side is EVIL AND REALLY REALLYYYYY BAD. Everything makes so much sense now. I get it why he needs to be institutionalized, he truly can’t be free 🥺 and Leigh Rivers did a fantastic job mirroring Kade’s personality to Tobias. I saw him in Tobias and vice versa the whole time 🥺
MY HEART BROKE for Tobias, for Aria, Ewan and Gabriella. My heart literally SHATTERED with everything we get from Jason. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I can’t I was crying the whole time he was in it. I was a blobbing sobbing mess in the end. I had to wait till today to write this review.
Aria goes through it and I felt so bad and sad for her, but she is way stronger than I imagined, I don’t think anyone would’ve be able to keep it together after all of that and still allow Tobias to be part of their lives.
I am ashamed to say that reading the Edge of Darkness and the Web of Silence I was always wishing for Ewan to be gone, out of the picture, dead or whatever. I am horrible, I know. But now I see that he was actually the right choice and the perfect person to be by Aria’s and the kids side. I have so much I want to say but I don’t want to spoil anything . I know this book will have a lot hate because of the way it ends, and I thought I was going to be one of those people, however I am not people . I do think it ended the way it was supposed to and it was perfect. Unfortunately this book gave me the same feeling that The Torment duet from Dylan Page gave me. It gave me Shay vibes and we all know that duet is fucking golden 5 ⭐️ but it’s painful AF and a heartbreaking story.
I beg anyone who is reading this review to please read the Edge of Darkness trilogy and the Web of Silence duet if you want to know more about Tobias and Aria. And also when Base’s and Luciella duet comes we will have a lot of them again.
I going to stop now so I don’t accidentally spoil anything.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“I was taken into the arms of the devil and exposed to a world I didn’t belong in. With a desired thirst and need for destruction, our demons danced, and I lost myself. I lost myself in him. And now, I’m found. We both”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Ps. The spicy is IMMACULATE 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am forever changed. There’s no moving on from this book. ♾️⭐️

I honestly don’t even know how to write a review for this. There’s something about the way Leigh wrote this world and these characters that just hits differently. When I heard she was giving us Tobias and Aria’s story, I was equally thrilled and terrified. Somehow, she exceeded my expectations by a longshot. This story was equal parts spicy and fucking hot as it was emotionally draining and heartbreaking. And that’s a very confusing feeling to experience, honestly. One second, I’m like, “Tobias 🔥😘🤭😮‍💨🥵” and the next, I’m like, “Tobias!! 😭😔☹️😤😖.”

Writing a complex character like Tobias is no easy feat. Capturing his mental illness accurately while still making readers love him is incredibly difficult, yet it was done perfectly here. Despite all of the terrible things Tobias has done, you can’t help but feel immense pain and sadness for him. You love him, despite everything. We’re used to seeing Tobias as everyone’s rock, the go-to person, and the problem solver. He’s so controlled. So, to go back and see him spiral was devastating. By the end of this book, I had no more tears left to cry. I felt it in my BONES. There are so many layers to this man, and each one added depth to the story.

Reading the Edge of Darkness trilogy before this made it even more emotional for me. So much of it felt like a gut punch. Witnessing what Aria actually went through killed me. I’ve never seen a FMC sacrifice so much of herself for the person she loves.I know Tobias is the one who’s "psychotically obsessed," but Aria is obsessed in her own way. She deserves the world for loving him through all of his faults and the horrible things he did to her. I’m crying again just thinking about their relationship and everything they’ve been through and overcome.

I was always curious about the dynamic between Tobias, Aria, and Ewan. After reading this, everything makes so much more sense. I never fully understood how Ewan could be okay with this love triangle, but after reading it, I have so much respect for him. Giving half of Aria to Tobias was the ultimate sacrifice, but he did it for the woman he loved. 😭😭

Just like the Edge of Darkness trilogy, this book is going to live deep in my soul. I will never stop thinking about it. It was everything I hoped for and more. I was moved, distraught, emotional and I just love feeling things when I read a book. Whatever I thought I was getting myself into with this backstory, I fear I still wasn’t prepared. Watching it all unfold felt like a car crash I couldn’t look away from. Honestly, I feel like I was in the car crash. I had to go back and read the epilogue in Little Liar just to find some peace. I will never stop recommending this universe that Leigh has created. It’s truly a masterpiece and one of a kind

"Thank you for loving me” 💔😔😭

[aira · Rating 4 out of 5]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ TOBAIS ✋😩🤰

“Marry him. Go live your life and raise our kids. Make sure he makes you happier than I ever can, but just know, once I’m out, I’m coming for you.”

This line got me for sure. I'm in tears as I type this review out because the last chapter brought out all the emotions!! 🥺

It started with the moment when the twins go to see Tobais when they are five. There were literal tears in my eyes and streaming down my face. It's the first time I cried in any book in this universe and I was literally so close to just sobbing. It was so sweet, yet so freaking painful to read. That was by far the most beautiful moment in the book.

Well, aside from that though, I got some other comments, which might not be so positive. *cough* Aria *cough*

You know what I said about Aria in my reviews in the trilogy. Yeah, erase it, forget it. She 100% deserves a thappad, so allow me (me usse zaroor thappad marungi, aur aap log mujhe nahi rok sakte 🤭). It's the fact that she was so confused about her feelings for so long and the fact that she kept going back to Tobais even when she knew how toxic they were together and how being together might endanger their children.

I kid you not, one second, she's saying she loves Tobais and the next, she's talking about loving Ewan. Just pick one lady and we both know who it's supposed to be. Hint: Ewan, because you were not supposed to keep running back to Tobais every free second when you knew he needed help (as much as it hurts me to say this about daddy Tobais.)

The amount of times this bitch put herself in danger herself was insane. She was literally so annoying. I'm pissed at this woman and her fucking audacity.

You know what the biggest mystery in this book is? NOT ONE, BUT TWO men being attracted to Aria. I actually have no clue how TWO men want something to do with her, I guess that's why they say men think with their dick, because if they were going off personality, nobody should want her. 🤡

"bundle of nerves" I need to have a (very polite) conversation with whoever thought that was a good idea to describe a woman's you know because I cringe so hard every time I read it in books. Please just call it something else, I beg. 🙏🧎‍♀️‍➡️

Let me end off by saying that if anyone wants my opinion on the trilogy and this book, I would say yes to reading them for Tobais bc same. 🤭

finally another square on bingo done!!

square 23: main character shares your first initial ✔︎ (unfortunately it's the character that pissed me off the most)

| o | o | o | o | o |
| o | o | o | ⨯ | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | o | ⨯ | o | o |
| o | o | o | o | o |
| o | o | ⨯ | o | ⨯ |

-----------------

pre-read: I think I've mentally prepared myself enough for this book and also I can't wait for Tobais anymore, but I'm still low-key kind of nervous for this. Younger Tobais better hit the same way that Daddy Tobais did. ✋

[Hoda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was a wild ride!! The first half of the book was so fun i was having the best time laughing and enjoying how obsessed tobais was and his pov was so fun because i loveed how the author wrote about mentality and how psychopathic he really was! It was terrifying and interesting and fun all the same. I loved how slowly his obsession with aria started. How he couldn’t see anyone but her and how he focused and stressed about the little things because he was so scared it’s gonna put her off 😭🥹 he was really cutie in the first half ✋🏻

With that being said I didn’t like how their relationship with only build on lust!! I wanted less fucking more talking plss they were literally fucking every chapter i started to skim because it got to the point where it was actually annoying ✋🏻 but the last 20% were sad and ugh I enjoyed then sm tbh!! I know what was gonna happen because i read the edge of darkness trilogy but i still felt so sad with the out comes 😭😭

aria omg she was so annoying snd selfish and very very frustrating!! She was horny 24/7 like omg it was actually embarrassing like girl are u on something 😭 she annoyed me so much was jumping from one to another not knowing which one she wanted!! It was so frustrating.

Tobias here comes the biggest hear me out 🧍‍♀️✋🏻 I absolutely hate everything he did! It was so fucked up, so unhinged, so messy and he doesn’t deserve forgiveness but 😭 i don’t hate him. Idk what that says about me but i don’t hate him here i said it he is still tobais ✋🏻

ewan justiceee for him for real!!! He deserves better than what he got!! But again i knew this was gonna happen but still he deserves better 😔🤍

[amber ⋆౨ৎ˚]

what the hell just happened. RTC

₊˚ ✉️ ⊹ ⌇ pre-read ࣪ ˖
⤿ started: april 11

after reading and absolutely loving the edge of darkness trilogy, i NEED to know more about aria and tobias’s relationship. i’m already prepared to be sobbing during this read 🫠

[isy]

✨new personality incoming✨

[Nerlie౨ৎ&#x1f3a7;&#x1f4da; · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆˚࿔ Review 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
╰┈➤ 4⭐️
I actually understand the unhappy ending, and I’m genuinely happy about it!

My girl Aria went through hell and back for that man, and honestly, I never once saw their relationship as truly romantic. If I’m being honest, it was more horrifying than anything else. It felt unhealthy and twisted, not something to root for. But I can’t lie it was so entertaining to read. The drama, the intensity, the sheer chaos of it all? Completely gripping.

I’m beyond glad she ended up with Ewan. That man was the peace and stability she deserved, and it felt so right seeing her choose someone who actually saw and valued her.

Now let’s talk about Tobias, he’s absolutely unhinged, and not even in a charming or funny way. I was genuinely concerned for everyone’s safety anytime he was in a scene. His presence alone brought this constant tension and unpredictability that kept me on edge the entire time.

This book? It’s actually insane in the best way possible. Wild, emotionally intense, and full of morally grey chaos just how I like it.

P.S. I know it’s called Psychotic Obsession, and yeah, it definitely lives up to the name.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚pre read⋆. 𐙚 ˚

Finally diving into this, I’m fully prepared to have my heart broken, but honestly, I’m even more excited to see Tobias!🤭

[Malak♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update:Still thinking about them 🥲
(had to quickly change the rating for this from 4 to 5 stars because this cannot be topped 👏)

"Don't get me wrong, I wish it was me, but I can see he gives you all something I can't."
"What's that?" I ask.
"Happiness."

₊⊹ 5 Stars ᯓ★🫧
      ⤷No matter how fucked up or how bad this book got, I couldn't bring myself to stop reading and hate it. I was just so in love with the way it was written and how much I was hooked to read it. As always Spoilers ahead!!!

I have been brought to tears in the last few chapters, It was like I got stabbed and then every scene twisted the knife a bit more.

With all due disrepect I just wanna say FUCK JUSTIN I fucking hate his bitch ass so glad he got what he deserved.

💫 Tobias: The first few chapters he was such a nervous little cutie patootie, we got a glimpse of the Tobias we all know and love, he had kicking my feet and giggling. Then he flushed his meds...🙆‍♀️ and all hell broke loose. He slowly started becoming more agitated, possesive and obsessed with Aria. He stalked and watched every one of her movements, he had cameras in her home and laced her drinks and manipulated her...then proceeded to say that Ewan is a threat to her. 🙆‍♀️ Brother, huh?!?!?!

Whatever we move on, tries to kill Ewan 1000 times and fails every time. And then he kidnaps her about a solid 2 times. And is convinced he'll give her stockholm syndrome, by telling her he'll run away with her.

Ugh he pissed me off for some of the chapters, then when he started slapping and hitting himself it quickly morphed to sadness. Be flushed his meds because he wanted Aria to have someone normal, which wasn't the case. The motherfucker killed a solid 4 or 5 people and claimed it was for her, which wasn't the case. He obviously did love her...just in his own twisted, evil way.

And had the people around him not failed him, especially his mum, it wouldn't have gotten this far ever.

But the way he was so happy when she told him she loved him in Chapter 50 or when he told her to go marry Ewan and be happy with him, it was nice to see that there was definitely some improvement in his behaviour and in the end he got the help he required.

💕 Ewan: Now, the edge of darkness trilogy never truly conveyed how hot this guy was? And I don't mean by looks. I mean as in no one told me he was this sweet and caring. He literally loved her from beginning to end and he didn't let Tobias's bullshit hget between them. I'm gonna be honest I'm glad she took Ewan as her choice in this book. Because why would you not want to spend your life with this sweet ass kid. Don't get me wrong I love Tobias from the other books and I was loving them being together in the other books but I'm glad she chose a healthy Ewan over a broken Tobias.

I also loved the little love triangle stuff, like honestly good for Aria 😭😭😭 I would love them both too to be honest. 😭😭😭

💕 Aria: Poor Aria, dude. Manipulated into a toxic relationship and instead of people helping her out she got yelled at for going back to Tobias. I understand where her friends were coming from but it was obviously not a normal relationship and she obviously needed help. She was driven to insanity and I was definitely...tweaking🧍‍♀️ while reading her POVs sometimes. Her brain told her to run but her heart brought her back to him.

I definitely loved this but will I ever reread it? No. Too much rage bait to be honest 😭

But I definitely enjoyed my time with it, it was a good book, super well written.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

⋆. 𐙚 ̊Pre-read ⋆˚࿔🧠
⤷So like I'm terrified to read this, he's unhinged but I think I'm gonna like feeling my heart shatter 🧍‍♀️

[nadine &#x1fad0; · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never recover 😭😭😭😭

I was taken into the arms of the devil and exposed to a world I didn’t belong in. With a desired thirst and need for destruction, our demons danced, and I lost myself. I lost myself in him. And now, I’m found. We both are.

[Bookishness · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️

“Thank you for loving me.”

I need a few days to gather my thoughts…. 💭

[Poppy Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ (I think it’s 5 stars but I’m so heartbroken I need to sit with it 😅)

Tobias and Aria’s story did not disappoint. It’s been 2 years since I read edge of darkness and I feel like I forgot how much Leigh Rivers is not shy to write the darkest story lines, so I’ll be sending her my therapy bill.

My heart was BREAKING for Tobias throughout this whole book, I just wanted someone to HELP him 😭 I lowkey did not like how Aria played with both Tobias and Ewan’s emotions throughout this book. But then again, god knows what I’d do in her situation
This is such a high stakes/high stress book, with extreme focus around mental health so definitely check your triggers

Ewan absolutely needs to be protected at all costs, I can’t really remember how I felt about him in EOD. It’s almost like a love triangle but not in the traditional sense and it just breaks my heart for everyone involved 🥺

It’s super toxic, dark, and heart wrenching so be prepared

[Spice and Shelf Love · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ohhh this was... not good at all. It was a mess. There's no genuine foundation to Aria and Tobias' relationship at all - honestly did they ever talk about anything personal? The few conversations they have are like "we can't do this, it's unprofessional" and "how do you have an expensive car?" It's the most flimsy excuse for a relationship. Yes, Tobias becomes fixated on her and that's fueled by his psychosis, but what about her? There's literally nothing here that shows why she'd love him. It's bare bones in the beginning and then it's just sex.

And I loved Tobias in the Edge of Darkness series! Loooovveddd him. But this was such a dud. Aria was the biggest idiot alive, and honestly it made me root for Ewan. Ewan deserved so much better.

Wish I could unread this.

[annie]

tbh, I've already read a review of the Wattpad version (while reading the trilogy), and I was so shocked by all of the past stuff. Kade was right—they're not meant to be together. Aria and Tobias are way too toxic for each other. As for Tobias in EODT, he was amazing. He's gone through the best character development, and this book is not HEA, but Aria and Tobias did get their HEA at the end of EODT and the 'Web of Silence' duet.

side note: 'The Legacy' is coming with Malachi's son and Kade's daughter, and I'm legit sad kahsjs because DAISY DESERVES BETTER!!

[destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

DADDYS HOME 🤲🏼

yeah this one ruined me and i’m currently crying writing this. leigh just has such a way with storytelling. she will grab you by the throat and make you see heaven just from her words alone. leigh my angel, i love you. i love your mind. i love your creativity. thank you for writing and sharing these characters with the world. thank you for giving me the opportunity to arc read this book 🖤 i think it’s time for a teod trilogy reread after this. these characters will forever have my mind, body, and soul. they live permanently in my heart. there’s not a day that goes by where i won’t think of your stories and characters.

if you’ve read the edge of darkness trilogy, then you already know daddy tobias and aria 🥹 this follows them twenty years before teod trilogy !! it is a dark workplace romance, toxic love triangle, scientist and assistant, jealous possessive and ott mmc, reserved fmc, psychopath, kidnapping, stalking, and duo pov 🥼🩸 this one is all about the beginning of a beautiful tragedy ending in a non hea.

i already knew i loved this book. the good old wattpad days 😭 wow. wow. wow. and fuck if i love it even more now. what a mindfuck and emotional roller coaster in the best way.

DADDY TOBIAS COME HERE 💥💳 the way i swoon over this man is actually concerning. this man is unhinged and has absolutely no idea how to control his feelings. and his obsession with aria just takes it to a whole other level 🫀 aria my love 😩 the back and forth was so raw and real. the way she stood by tobias had me ugly crying 😭 the way she understood him in ways no one else does is so fucking beautiful. she fought for him. she’s so ride or die. ewan ??? HELLO 🫢 oh to be aria in this toxic love triangle.

THAT ENDING RIPPED MY HEART OUT
leigh 🫴🏼🫀 here’s my heart. i give you full permission to stomp on it. i fucking loved this.

bye. i need to reread teod trilogy. everything about this book universe has me in a trance.

[emma nicole ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this on wattpad & I CANT WAIT TO READ IT AGAIN!!! tobias & aria <3

[Ashley Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My jaw is on the floor and my tears are streaming down my face!
This book…OH MY GOD.

[⋆˙sanyae˙⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

♡alc review♡
🎧the audiobook was great. duet style narration!!! jf harding, shane west and roxelana waters did a wonderful job. ewen's voice (narrated by shane west) was like music to my ears lmao. i highly recommend the audiobook!!!


➳ dark romance no hea
➳ toxic love triangle
➳ scientist×her assistant



i knew what i was getting into but i still cried at the ending.

i highly recommend reading the edge of darkness trilogy as this is the prequel of the parents set 20 years in the past. i ate up every single tobias×aria crumb in the trilogy and i have been waiting for the day that i could read more about them. overall, im glad that i read this but it didn't hit me like i thought it would.

aria really bothered me and i can't quite put a finger on why. she was giving horny teenager, not a mature, adult doctor. her constant back and forth gave me whiplash at first and in the end irritated tf out of me. i didn't understand her as a character at all.

tobias is a really intriguing mmc. he's extremely possessive, obsessive, over the top, and mentally unstable. i really liked the way leigh wrote his mental illness. being inside of his head made me understand where he's coming from (even though i don't agree with what he did, i know why and i forgive him lmao) i just feel sad for him. soo so sad:'(

shocking, i love ewen. the audiobook definitely helped because his scottish accent is soooooo hot. the unconditional love he had for aria was beautiful!! but i truly think he deserves better. i know they are highschool sweethearts but she put him through absolute fucking hell. that man was there every second without question. i love him so bad.

things i didn't like:
× the pacing was off at times and the ending felt rushed
× i really enjoyed tobias' pov chapters especially during his psychosis but i wish we had more!!!
× there was too much smut and too little conversation
× why is there an ending for tobias×ewen×aria in the epilogue of the web of silence duet but not this.....? i don't understand why authors do this??? bc aria×tobias do end up together eventually in the future but you would never know unless you read more of leigh's books..

♡thank you so much mla + leigh rivers for an alc
[audiobook release date was changed. leigh is releasing this one after the edge of darkness trilogy audiobooks. possibly September 2025?? I will update with the exact date when I know]

⋆⭒˚.⋆pre~read⋆.˚⭒⋆
i got approved for the ALC!! it is duet narration with jf harding, roxelana waters + shane east. i'm so excited!!! but also nervous asf.

➳dark romance
➳no hea
➳toxic love triangle
➳scientist×her assistant

[purlpur · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
той випадок, коли відсутність хе, єдине правильне рішення для стосунків тобіаса та арії на момент подій в цій книзі 💔
без утримання і реабілітації вони не змогли б отримати шанс на своє щастя через 20 років. але усі ці моменти авторка приберегла для трилогії «the edge of darkness» та книги «little liar». тому знаєте, куди можн�� заглянути, якщо захочете побачити майбутнє цієї парочки 👌

я ж вже була знайома з тобіасом в серіях вище, тому знала, що отримаю маніпулятивного психопата з купою діагнозів, із зверх одержимою поведінкою і, як родзинка, серійного вбивцю по ходу книги 😏
але так само я була здивована милими моментами, коли він ще приймав свої таблетки і більш-менш контролював себе. точно не очікувала побачити трохи невпевненого і закомплексованого тобіаса, такого собі ботана в окулярах, який сумнівався, що може сподобатись дівчині 🤓
хіба що трохи не вистачило розділів від тобіаса, після того, як він почав злітати з котушок. мені хотілося більше покопирсатися в його хаотичних думках.

арія. ця дівчина мене здивувала. вона імпонувала і підбішувала водночас. в якийсь момент подумала «психотична одержимість» це про неї. і справа не тільки у впливі таблеток. вони в цілому один одного вартують, бо арія одержима тобіасом не менше, ніж він нею.

але серед усього цього безумства було важко розгледіти та відчути ті почуття, через які гг втратили голову. бо в основному вони займалися сексом, замість того, щоб розмовляти та пізнавати один одного. або авторка просто пустила ці моменти настільки фоном, що запам'ятався один секс 😅
але спайсі сцени, як завжди у ріверс, дикі і смачні 😮‍💨 накормлені розпустою будете наповну 🌶️🔥

емоційні гойдалки на висоті. моментами вибухав мозок 🤯🤯, але прийшлися до смаку. я навіть розчулилася над першою зустріччю з дітьми. чисто спрацював чіт-код з усією сценою і хотілося довшого закінчення 🥹

єдиний мінус, в фінальному екшені ріверс стільки всього накрутила. вже і забула, наскільки авторка полюбляє переборщити з жорстокістю заради жорстокості. в ці моменти трохи закочувала очі з думками «нашо так багато». хоча, якщо буди відвертою, в інших її книгах жестяку ще більше 🌚

в іншому ж я полюбляю її абсолютно крейзі персонажів і справді темні сюжети, тому моя темна душенька була задоволена 😎

[Kendra Renae · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW POSTED FOR RELEASE DAY
⭐️5 🌶️4


”There’s a massive difference between strong emotions and feared mental submission.”



I speak for all the wattpad girlies that were able to read this years ago when I say it’s even better the second time around👏🏾. For all the readers that have read the Edge of Darkness (EOD) trilogy, then you know we were introduced to Kade and Luciella as well as their parents Aria and Tobias. Psychotic Obsession is the story of the parents and how we can finally understand how Kade and his daddy are so similar and yet vastly different all at once.


What happens when Aria meets her new assistant Tobias ? MADNESS! How can one person turn your entire world upside down without you even realizing?


”…she’s starting to get sick of this psychotic obsession.”


The ups and downs, the angst, the tension, the absolute stress I felt for Ewan and Gabriella trying to help Aria realize Tobias was emotionally manipulating her, but even he himself was fighting his own demons I felt bad all around 😭 . Once readers learn the difference between Tobias and Toby ; Doctor and Aria. It’s all a tornado from there folks.


”I’m dangerous. I’m the bad guy. I’m fucking insatiable when it comes to pain, and I can’t help it. But I do love you.”



Miss Rivers has done it again and I must say I’ve never been more proud to have her as a irl bestie🥹 you never disappoint Lee Lee love you mamas🤗