July 18, 2026
„Chaos & Ruin” by A.Em
BLURB
She’s a girl fresh out of juvie, and he’s a boy who never got to speak. Together, they are forbidden, and while he is finding his voice, she discovers her peace.
Broken, and branded a lost cause, with fire in her eyes and a spirit that refuses to die, she is handed a second chance she doesn’t want. She’s adopted into a house with a picture-perfect family. But inside those walls lives an imperfect eighteen-year-old son, who is mute. With no friends and no freedom, the only things he loves are his bike and the long roads.
He doesn’t need words to haunt her. He doesn’t need to speak to watch her every move. Behind his silence, he is chaos wrapped in ruin, and in her, he sees the same.
They are not blood, but they are forbidden. Together, they are dangerous, drawn by a hunger that shouldn't exist. When engines roar and secrets come to light, their world becomes something violently alive.
"Ride or die. Love with no breaks.
Either way… someone's going down."
MY OPINION
“Chaos & Ruin” was my first book by A. Em, but I can already tell it definitely won’t be my last.
The book starts with a note from the author. A. Em talks about trigger warnings, where readers can find help if they need it, and explains why the story is divided into two parts. She also tells us what to expect from each of them. It’s a really nice gesture toward readers.
“Chaos & Ruin” is a taboo dark romance featuring a step-sibling relationship.
At only sixteen years old, Carmen has already seen more than her fair share of terrible things. Now she's being adopted by Judge Harrington and his wife. In her new home, she meets Judas — a boy who immediately catches her attention but who barely speaks.
A connection forms between them almost instantly.
Soon, they feel more like friends who might become something more than step-siblings brought together by foster parents.
Both of them find comfort in each other.
Both of them are broken.
Both of them carry a painful past.
And both of them have the power to heal each other.
Unfortunately, the world has different plans for them.
I picked up this book because it had been sitting on my TBR for a long time. I'm still trying to reduce that endless list. I went into this story with absolutely no expectations, but in the end, I finished it in about three hours and immediately started looking for the next book in the series.
This was such a refreshing read.
The two-part structure works really well. The first part gives us a calm introduction, and then everything turns into a rollercoaster. We're still following the same characters, but by the end of the book they feel completely different from the people we met at the beginning.
“Chaos & Ruin” was a really enjoyable ride, and I can't wait to meet Carmen and Judas again.