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The 4 Horsemen #1

The Initiation

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𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴.

𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐋
LA wasn’t home… just home for now.
Transplanted here to model I learned Hollywood isn’t where dreams survive the harsh reality of millions all sharing that same dream.
Executive assistant is who I am now.
Slave.
Hollywood’s darling took a liking to me. One not easily ignored when they give you a taste of the high life.
I was supposed to give up hope and give in to LA’s bad reputation but I had rules.
Well, just one: read the rules before you break them.
Unwilling to abandon all my morals, the filter came off my life to see the world I was one foot in was invitation only...

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐌
I’m not sure I was ever really Jason.
Whoever he was, was a distant memory now.
Grimm is who I am now.
Death.
I abandoned my birth name, companionship, happiness that wasn’t shaped like Xanax all because I was expected to be the kind of elite that pulls the strings.
Pull the strings but follow the rules.
No distractions.
No serious relationships.
Keep what we do secret.
Born into a rite I didn’t ask for, a society of puppeteers.
An invitation I marked not attending...

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2020

180 people are currently reading
1,935 people want to read

About the author

Elena Monroe

17 books547 followers
Elena Monroe grew up in Florida scribbling down stories from a very young age. These stories were really just wavy lines filling the paper, but she knew each word, each emotion, each character's name, and there was no tricking her into forgetting what each line signified. Just like her unconventional way of writing as a toddler Elena is setting her own rules and just telling stories.

Much like her debut novel, The Best Years, life certainly imitated art. Transplanting from the South to the East Coast, Elena currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, reformed bad boy.

Find her on her social media through Twitter at @elenamonroe, Instagram at @elenamonroewrites, Facebook at @elenamonroewrites, and more!

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
Profile Image for Halle Reads.
917 reviews181 followers
August 10, 2020
3 Stars 🌟

The Initiation is the first book in the 4 Horsemen series and follows Grimm (Death) and Abigail. This is a Dark Romance with strong secret society and cult vibes. As this is a Dark romance there is some content warning for anxiety, addiction, mentions of animal cruelty and attempted sexual assault.

I love Elena's writing I always find her books easy to read/follow and I love getting lost in these worlds she creates. The Cult vibes and elements in this story were probably my favourite parts. They were well written and kept me invested in the story and wanting more. They had those mysterious and sinister elements that this book promises and I'm hoping with each new book that they get explored more and are even darker and grittier.

The beginning of the book was a little slow for my liking and it took me longer to get into the story than I would've liked and as much as I did end up enjoying this story I found it very hard to connect with either Abigail or Grimm. They had chemistry and their steamy scenes had a lot of fire and passion but the flow and development of their relationship was something that didn't work for me. It was a lot of hot and cold, push and pull, give and take which is something that doesn't bother me but everytime I thought they (mainly Grimm) were going to admit that their relationship and feelings were more serious than just replacing one addiction for another it would turn cold again and this made it hard for me to really invest in them as a couple.

I understand both characters had difficult pasts that bled into their present and were affecting their actions but I wish that even these events had been explored more. A lot of Grimm's issues were explored and heavily influenced the story but it also felt repetitive. I would've loved more of Abigail's past explored, which it was but I wanted more of it as it would've helped connect more to her and understand why she was so quick to accept Grimm in all his dark and twisted glory.

Another major part of Elena's story telling that I love is her ability to write secondary characters. Before the story was even over I found myself craving the stories of the other 3 horsemen as they all had qualities that intrigued me and I'm very excited to see what comes next and how the story plays out as a whole.

20200716-144017
Profile Image for Abstract ♥ Books.
1,281 reviews1,741 followers
August 5, 2020




ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS



'The Initiation' is the first part of 'The four Horsemen' series by Elena Monroe. One look at the blurb of this book and I knew that I was in for a dirty mysterious treat !

This was the third or fourth book that I have read by this author and I was so excited to delve into this new world of characters she has created! The blurb sounded so mysterious and hot that I knew this book was right up my alley!

Grim… Ughh that man can induce shivers in anyone! He was the hot scary type , of whom everyone was terrified of but still wanted to be near him. There was just one girl who confused the hell out of him! Abigail was a girl who was scared of very few things. Her sass and attitude amused me a lot and I loved seeing Grimm loose his shit whenever he was near her! This book was full of so many twists and turns that I was hooked right from the start. I am definitely in love with the world of the 4 horsemen and can't wait for the next read!!!

A definite recommendation to all the dark mysterious romance lovers out there! Reading this book is a wild ride that you won't ever regret!

My-Post-3

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Profile Image for NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books}.
1,506 reviews82 followers
November 11, 2020
***4 "DEATH." stars***



"Don't drink the Kool-Aid... it tastes like cult vibes."

Wow!!! What a great introduction to a new series and to a new author to me!!!
The storyline was unique and very intriguing...
The characters (leading and secondary) were such fascinating creatures and I can not wait for more of them...
As for Grimm and Abigail??? Their story was rocky, but in a weird way... it was perfect!!!

"Four horsemen. Can you hear the chains that bind us? It's deafening."

Well, this story had a slow pace in the beginning, but honestly, it didn't get me tired at all, cause i was starting to learn more about our heroes and I liked that we had the chance to built a rounded aspect for their lives and characters...
For a weird reason, my heart was aching for Grimm. Yep, he had the role of the Death in this strange arrangement between the 4 horsemen, but this man was deeply wounded and depressed!!!!
He was a broken boy trapped inside the body of a killer and for a reason, my heart was aching for him...

"Why can't you accept this is our life? You kill. I start wars..." Pointing at the other guys, he finished: "He deprives people until they beg us for it back, and he bring chaos. We're balanced."

"I used to think I was just a villain, until I realized villains are redeemable. I'm not. Monsters aren't."


Well, how can I explain to you the situation in here?? I believe i can't!!!
This was a unique story which was mixing cults with religion without a strong belief of faith... There were so many games that everyone was playing in here and there were four young men whom were in the top of the food chain with promising futures who were also trapped in a future that none of them had decided for themselves...
Only for that reason, it's impossible to not be drown toward the horsemen and to not wait for each of their turn like an addict who is craving his next fix...

"They wanted to control what shouldn't be controlled. We were the apocalypse waiting to happen, but they had been trying to stave off with rules and bullshit elbow rubbing."

"I don't love. We're four horsemen. We have a job to do, and it doesn't come with the luxury of falling in love with anyone they don't choose for us."


Grimm was a weird, but very unique character. He was the antihero in its full meaning!!! He wasn't the usual bad boy who everyone is loving to the dark romances...
He was a character with so many layers that his behavior was giving you whiplash...
Grimm was surrounding by death but you could see that this ability of him was tearing him down... His need of control was the only thing that was keeping him sane along with Xanax and a lot of others drugs!!!
And then Abiggail stepped into his life and she could calm his storm better than a Xanax!!!

"I didn't let them break me; I just let them have all the pieces I broke myself and didn't care if they put me back together wrong."

“I fell for her the minute I saved her, and now our monsters had just fallen in...”


Unknowningly, Abigail had stepped into the lion's den. She didn't know it, but Grimm had saved her life without her knowledge...
I loved Abigail... She seemed plain and uninteresting, but she was anything but that.
She was a unique creature who was more openminded than anyone else and who has stepped through hell in order to survive...
If anyone could tame Grimm, she was the perfect candidate...

"He was just as stubborn as I was; we were just fueled by different things. I was fueled by fear of the rules, and he was fueled by the need to break them."

"You never asked if I had monsters too. We all build walls around our trauma. That trauma turns into little monsters."


Well, these two were fitting perfectly together. They both had demons that were chasing them, but together could conquer anything..
But always there are obstacles in love and everything is against them...
Would their feelings conquer everything and with what cost???

"I'm a fucking warning sign, Abigail. One you didn't bother reading before you broke that rule."

"I'm never going to be ready to be told you're a monster with no heart. Nope. Unwilling to accept it. Everyone is worthy of love."


I loved this story with its cult vibes... Darkness and mystery, desire and hotness, suspense and intriguing moments were some of the things that you will meet in here and in between you will get two dark, beautiful and broken characters who are fighting for their place on this earth...
And don't we forget that there are three more horsemen out there who had given us crumbs of their personalities and i can not hold myself back for craving their turns... Especially, Khaos's!!!

"I wasn't loving how much she was making me believe she could be the catalyst to something big: maybe hope for the four of us stuck in thinking we were the apocalypse in our own lives."

*An ARC was provided for the exchange of an honest review*
Profile Image for 💜VGreedyReader🖤.
624 reviews126 followers
September 3, 2020
4.75 I want more Clave stars
The Initiation is the first book in the 4 Horsemen series. The title alone is juicy enough to invite you to take the plunge. What awaits you is a world of mystery, secrets and old traditions with a very good dose of darkness.

The story is told in dual POV and the author introduces you into this world very slowly with the perfect pace that makes you want to read on and wanting to know more.

I like stories involving secret societies, religions, rituals, mysteries, old centuries traditions, but I’m also demanding when it comes to this trope, the author has the ability to handle all of it beautifully. The story is enticing from the beginning, we discover every morsel with the right timing and in an orderly fashion, so the end results is one perfect plot with no loopholes.

Grimm and Abigail are both fascinating and perfect together, they complement each other and the chemistry between them is tangible. I could connect to both very easily and instantly. I liked how the author shows us every hidden corner of their minds and all their inner thinking. I also liked how they grew and evolved as a couple in their relationship. I’m looking forward to read more of them in the future books.

The second characters are also introduced so that we have a clear picture, another bonus is that they were given a personal POV so that we could already sample their craziness.

The quotations at the beginning of each chapter were a nice bonus, they set the right atmosphere and give that sense of doom which makes the whole experience very apocalyptic.

One strong point of this book was how the author takes her time to ease the reader into this messed up world so much so that sometimes it felt too slow, but then Grimm and Abigail are so fascinating that even in slow motion it was a pleasure being in their heads.

Ms Monroe I’m so ready for more please keep these dysfunctional antiheroes coming 🖤 pretty please 🖤
Profile Image for  ❤️MaLu_Reads❤️.
422 reviews90 followers
September 3, 2020
The Initiation (The 4 Horsemen #1) by Elena Monroe 

5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Initiation by Elena Monroe is the first book in the 4 Horsemen series.
The main subject of this book is The Clave.
The Claven is a cult, a secret society, that has all the power in the world. It is made up of the top 4 bloodlines and their children are the 4 Horsemen

Grim as Deat
Kaos as Chaos
Vic as War
Bowen as Famine.

Grim is a monster. He was raised to kill for The Clave, the Elite.
Every one of them has an unique role, but only Grim is the only one of the 4 Horsemen that hates this life. His main weapon is the Control.

But what happens when his control is challenged?

Abigail is the only one that challenges him and she accepts him as it is. He battles with himself.
He is the bad boy, sexy, hot but lonley.

Abigail is Grim's perfect match. A bad b*tch. She has her own demons, her own hurtfull past, and it isn't a pretty one, but with all this, she is strong, beautiful smart, but broken. She accepts Grim the way he is.
They are perfect for each other. Two broken souls that fit perfectly together.

This book was so gooood, dark, twisted, and perfect for me.

Can't wait for the next one.

I highly recommend this book
Profile Image for Diana.
678 reviews171 followers
November 5, 2020
goodreads-pic

With his red right hand...
*arc generously provided by the promo team in exchange for an honest review*

This was a thoroughly dark read with lots of drama. I loved the leads. They were darkly charming in their own ways. Grimm is my fav. He's so tortured and bad and just a whole package. Abigail was cool as well. She stood her ground, and she didn't feel ashamed of her wants and needs. Go in blind. There are aspects that will surprise you. I loved this read, and I picked up book 2 right away!

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Profile Image for Karla Lopez.
340 reviews75 followers
August 5, 2020
Ahhhh Elena did it again. This woman is so dang creative. Every time I read one of her books the story is so creative and well researched. This was soooo scary, but sooo good. (I’m a baby when it comes to some elements that this book contained). I was hooked from the beginning to end. Grimm is definitely an undercover softie. He struggled with who he was and who was created to be. He played the game of the cult. This book freakin scared me, the whole concept was so interesting, but scary to wrap my mind around.

Abigail’s character was intriguing to see who she was going to be from the prologue to being an adult. She was sassy and fought for what she wanted. She never let Grimm man handle her even though they kept getting lost in each other’s pleasures. She even accepted enough to stay and all of him but in secret. I love the ending. It was scary how the outcome could of ruin their family.

Grimm definitely possesses the alpha and controlling type, which I love. I seriously do, but I also love when Abigail fought him on a few things.

The whole cult is pretty messed up and it gave me purge vibes, but ahhhhh and it’s dark, but I couldn’t stop reading. It’s crazy how each generation especially the horsemen are controlled by this society. Be ware there are triggers.
Profile Image for Cami.
39 reviews2 followers
August 8, 2020
❤️ Follow me on Instagram 💋

Rating: 4/5

There's not much to say about this book without giving big spoilers, so I'll just try to comment about it.

Grimm is a man of the Clave, who can easily be considered a kinda of cult and/or a secret society.

Being who he is, he follows orders from the Clave, and yet, he isn't what I would call a insane person. In any case, he doesn't lie about who he is, who he considers himself. He's the bad guy and he knows it.

But somehow, when his partner Vic assigns Abigail to be his secretary, something start to change in his instincts.

Abi (yes, I've put a nickname on her) is strong, determined and persistent. Although she's working for Grimm, she is not easily intimidated by him.

Grimm wants her, but he doesn't trust Abi to want him back, when she finds out about his dark layers. And that's when he doesn't have a choice anymore.

I really liked the book and I believe that what made the difference was that Grimm is wicked, but he isn't insane. He knows that he's a bad person, but he has a conscience that says that what he does, isn't the absolutely right choice.

**ARC Reviewer**

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Profile Image for Mg ♥ The Bookishmedialite.
1,237 reviews320 followers
August 9, 2020
3.5 stars!

The Initiation starts off Elena Monroe's newest series, The 4 Horseman. And while Secret Societies and the Four Horsemen aren't new in the dark romance genre, I believe Elena's concept of it was unique—she delivered a wild and crazy ride with this book.

This book was a good introduction to these characters and their story. I enjoyed getting to know the boys, and it was interesting to try and unravel the mystery that surrounds them. I think that the intrigue and the world of The Clave was the best part of it—definitely what kept me reading.

Where I had my issues was the couple. It took me a while to feel the connection between them, and when I started getting it, the book was almost ending, so it was a bit frustrating for me.

Elena Monroe has created a world that will trap you in and never let you go. And even though I have my issues with the story, I'm intrigued, and I can't wait to understand more of this world and get more of the boys.

So if you're into dark romances and secret societies, give this story a chance!

Thank you so much to the author for the chance to read the book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ri.
5,115 reviews13 followers
August 3, 2020
4.3 stars

The blurb of this drew me in. This is the first time reading this author and I will definitely be looking into more from this author. The story started out a little slow for me. I think that it was because there was a lot being put into place in order to set the foundation for this series. I was just wanting to get straight into the connection between Abigail and Grimm.

I really was intrigued by Grimm. It was interesting to see him separate into three versions of himself; Jason, Grimm, and his monster. I noticed the significance of three, especially, with the symbolism associated with that number and the trifecta. Abigail had her own demons, but I liked her resilience. The two together offered each other something. Around 75% things got very interesting. I did have a few areas that I wanted further clarification but for the most part this was a great solid book.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
2,633 reviews43 followers
August 3, 2020
This is the first book I have read by this author and I was thrown down such a rabbit hole that my mind is blown and honestly not sure what just happened! The concept alone behind this book and this soon to be series, is unique, raw and downright crazy. But OH did I love every moment of it. Grimm is someone you should walk away from, be scared of. But not Abigail. Her wit, sass and so much more, kept Grimm on his toes and guessing everything about his world. There is such a push and pull between these two plus the sizzling chemistry that you cannot help but sink deep into the world of the Clave and the Four horsemen! There were twists and turns and what the heck just happened moments that add to the depth of this story. Honestly, you hit the ground running with this book right from the start and it doesn’t stop. If you want something dark and twisty, this book is for you! Looking forward to what else comes of the Four Horsemen!
Profile Image for Lilith  *EUPHORIA_READS_*.
565 reviews194 followers
August 11, 2020
THE REVIEW FOR THE BOOK THE INITIATION BY ELENA MONROE.

GENRE: DARK ROMANCE.
AUTHOR:ELENA MONROE.
TYPE:BOOK #1 OF THE 4 HORSEMEN.
POV:MUTIPLE POV...FIRST PERSON.
MY RATING: 5 STARS.




This is the first installment in the series THE 4 HORSEMEN. Its a really dark gritty erotic romance...well everything you expect from cult romances...
GRIMM ( DEATH) is by profession and birthright, a hired assassin who kills the innocent people who dare to question the intentions of the cult CLAVE.
ABIGAIL is a secretary to Grimm who loves control as much as life itself. WHEN both their life collides, Control and power took a spin out of their hands and they are left to face all the consequences of their actions. As they move on, he finds out there is more to Abigail than a LA girl facade she masks her own demons with.

Abigail wasn’t a cure for the kind of person I was… She was the placebo helping me survive it


Gahhhh!!! I just love the uniqueness of this book...The plot twist ..the steamy scenes ...the dark minds....the cult traditions..all of them together make this unputdownable!!!...
Grimm was really an asshole to her at first ..but like always she warmed her way into his heart. But mind you, she has gone through some serious shit...
HEED THE WARNING TRIGGERS ... this is not an easy read...
The traditions of the cult were really frustrating at times. Both of their childhood was difficult...they both never have choices given to them and that is why they both crave control.
They try to fight the attraction between them as much as possible but they end up succumbing to it.
Now, they have to fight the Clave to be together....

They wanted me to learn a lesson; only this time, it wasn’t that my dad was a horrible guy. This lesson was to teach me not to fall for someone I can’t actually have.


A MUST READ FOR ALL THE DARK ROMANCE LOVER...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!...

Profile Image for Mimiorphee.
651 reviews39 followers
November 13, 2020
First book in The 4 Horsemen series, The Initiation sets the tone for an intriguing world of cult. 


Each of the four young men featured in this book will get his own story, They are bad, very very bad, embodying Death, Chaos, War and Famine. 

In this opus, we follow Jason aka Grimm who incarnate death. He is definitely one of these antiheroes we like to be mad at, and boy! His jaded personality, his dark psyche utterly fitted his job. When Abigail caught his eye, a protectiveness he didn't expect sent him reeling. 


I've been trying to find a way to express my mixed feelings about this opus for days. I can tell you that one moment I was in love with the story and the next my reading bubble was close to the implosion.


Grimm's jadded personality gripped me. Sarcastic, dark, deadly, to see him fall in love and protect the naive, albeit feisty Agigail was endearing. Now, the storyline was a bit weak considering the possibilities this world of cult offers. 


I am not going to list everything that worked or didn't. Just keep in mind that this is only my humble opinion and that I encourage you to try this series and see for yourself what you think of it!
Profile Image for j..
130 reviews
August 4, 2020
Wow. Wowowowowow.

I am blown away by this book, and this author?! Like hello, why is this my first read by Elena Monroe?!

I won’t lie, the first 25% I was a little bit like is anything exciting going to happen soon? But as soon as I hit the 30% mark, something changed for me, and there was no way I was putting this book down. Grimm is dare I say it—PERFECT and Abigail is A BABE. The cult vibes are everything I didn’t know I needed and I just wanted more and more and more.

Angst
Action
Heat


It has it all. I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

-arc exchanged for honest review-
Profile Image for Laura Jackson.
411 reviews18 followers
September 9, 2020
This is the first book I have read by Author Elena Monroe, it was so good it definitely won’t be my last . It was well written.. contains triggers!!!

This is the story of Grimm and Abigail.
Grimm, a hot psycho that is deadly. He’s part of the four horsemen..
Abigail, who’s been forced to be his secretary but has no clue what to do for him and he’s no help whatsoever!


The story really begins when Grimm is forced to go to the annual hunt. It seems as messed as Grimm is,he also has a moral compass sometimes at least. I love how he cares about her instantly and how she plays on his conscious without even knowing. I like how she sort of excepts him how he is. They have that instant connection.. I like how he compares her to his vices.


‘Grimm was the kind of guy who wanted to be wanted not had. I was the kind of girl who was kept and praised.’

Grimm is a full circle of hot and cold .which Is confusing AF and Abigail is too nosy for her own goof. They seem to collide epically at times.
Ugh I really do love the psychos.

Wow so when secrets are revealed.. it’s both heartbreaking and a relief. This book is amazing and it definitely brought out so many feels!!
Profile Image for Emma (emjbookshelf).
930 reviews20 followers
August 8, 2021
I would have loved to start reading this series however I purchased the paperbacks from the author and she did not send them. After 6 months she told readers she will refund everyone via PayPal and set about doing this. When the money did not clear into my account I called PayPal to find out why and they advised Elena retracted all the refunds and now because it's over 6mths the readers who have been affected by this cant do a Paypal dispute as it's over 6mths. I would not recommend this author to any reader. She scammed her readers and took alot of people's money...Shame on her
Profile Image for Elena Monroe.
Author 17 books547 followers
December 21, 2020
We have dates y'all!

TEASER REVEAL: 7/7
COVER REVEAL: 7/29
RELEASE DATE: 8/4


XO
Profile Image for Sarah 🤍.
9 reviews6 followers
January 25, 2021
I’ll try to make this short:

⭐️ 5 STARS ⭐️ FIVE FREAKING STARS ⭐️

THIS BOOK, this hero, this heroine and these guys.

Okay first of all let me start with. Someone recommended this book to me and I added to my TBR like all the other books and I said I’ll read it eventually. And I did. I’m so glad I did.

I was unable to put it down or stop talking about it to everyone I know.

CHARACTERS:
Abigail: 1000/10. This girl is what a true strong person is like. And yet she doesn’t whine about her past to everyone every 2 seconds like most characters I read. We get to understand what exactly happened to her in the latest chapters WHY? Because she’s not whining about not growing up like normal kids.

Grimm/Jason: 1000/10. Okay so I wouldn’t say he’s my favorite horsemen because I have a particular horsemen that I’m calling dibs on. But WOW never seen an asshole written so beautifully. He’s not your average bad boy who MUST treat the heroine like shit in order for her to love him or in order for all the readers to love him. Nope. Yes he does some pretty bad shit. But he NEVER disrespected Abigail NEVER. Treated her like an equal and had the need of protecting her at all costs even though he knows she doesn’t need protection. I love how he began to accept himself. love himself and give life another chance. Also HIS LOVE FOR OREOS.

Khaos: 10000000000/10. Now that’s my baby. I’d die for him. Give him all the Starbursts he needs. Cook for him. Buy him a new watch. He seriously made this book a lot funnier and out of all the dark shit that was happening he somehow found a way to make things less shittier. Literally he actually saved the day. And I LOVED how he respected and cared about Abigail. I can’t wait for his book.

Bowen: 9.5/10. He didn’t make much appearances so he remains a mystery to me but I loved what he did in the ending. I gave him 9.5/10 because I like his character so far and he didn’t harm Abigail in anyway so yeah I like him.

Victor: I’m sorry Vic, Idk how to rate you. I seriously don’t know if I love you, hate you, like you, wanna kill you. But I’m glad you came around and stopped being a pain in the ass for a chapter or half a chapter. I still have to read his book before I rate him because at this point I’ll give him a 0 but I know when I read his book I’ll change my mind.


Jessica, Oscar, Grimm’s Mom & Dad: Germs GERMS GERMS GERMS. JAIL. EXECUTION. ROT IN HELL. PISS OFF.


The only thing that I wish we got was a scene of Abigail’s mom and dad. Other than that the book was so perfect. My first Elena Monroe book definitely not my last.
Profile Image for Madalina.
327 reviews9 followers
November 3, 2020
4.5 stars

This is the first book in The 4 Horsemen series, and is a dark romance which comes with some triggers, so be aware before you start reading it.

“I don't love. We’re four horsemen. We have a job to do, and it doesn’t come with the luxury of falling in love with anyone they don’t choose for us.”

Grimm and Abigail are the perfect match, both damaged, with enough problems happened in the past, but they are a match made in heaven, completing each other very well, despite the Clave's rules.

"I fell for her the minute I saved her, and now our monsters had just fallen in love too."

I liked Abigail's vibe, the talking back, and that she accepted Grimm with all his demons, not being afraid of him. Grimm, as the nickname suggests, is the choosen one to bring death upon enemies and people who wronged in a way the Clave. He does not want this life, but he does kot have enough power to leave the cult. Grimm and Abigail enable their control addiction using each other, until they fall in love. The ending and the epilogue were great.
I would have liked to read more about Abigail's past, but this was not a deal breaker for me.
The whole plot was well written, with mysterious elements and the way how the secondary characters were part of the story and how they were presented, it made me really intrigued about the next stories, which will feature each one of the horsemen.
All in all, this was a great start for the series, and I can't wait to read the next books.
Profile Image for SELINA.
268 reviews39 followers
August 11, 2020


The Initiation (The 4 Horsemen #1) by Elena Monroe (2020/08/11)
Rating 3/5 Stars
Disclaimer: Thank you to Give Me Books Promotions and Elena Monroe for providing me with an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Initiation is book one in the 4 Horsemen series. This story follows Abigail and Grimm and I really enjoyed this novel.

I loved the writing style it was really easy to follow the story. It did take me a whole to get into the story, I felt like the beginning was a bit slow. I had a hard time commenting with the characters and truly understanding some of the decisions they made. However, although I couldn't connect to the main characters, I didn't appreciate how complex they were.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series. I would recommend this to dark romances lovers out there or people who are looking to get into the genre but don't know where to start.


This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lenor.
698 reviews
August 11, 2020
“I fell for her the minute I saved her, and now our monsters had just fallen in...”

One dark and really intense series beginning!!! This is my very first book by Elena Monroe and OMG the level of hotness these alpha heroes have is hitting the roof!! This is the first book in the 4 horsemen series.

Four families; they are death, famine, war and chaos. They make truth to their name, the evil of them goes by Grimm Reaper, Death. Grimm, he’s the one you fear…there’s nothing good on him, his facade goes deeper into the bad but something is calling Abigail to him, she can’t understand the need to be close to him; there are secrets on both sides but neither of them is willing to dig deeper; but Grimm knows one thing, Abigail is his.

This is a standalone in a series, a dark, steamy, and evil one…one you’ll love to fall in.

description
Profile Image for Amanda Anderson (Beauty.and.the.bookies).
1,460 reviews67 followers
August 13, 2020
Good story for a first time author for me. I really enjoyed the darkness that consumed Grimm and Abigail. The way they were both tortured and still found their way together. Khaos was true to his name. Crazy.
I really liked Bo and the way he hid in the shadows. That ending with the priest made me laugh.
Vic was a mystery for the entire book.
I liked the way Grimm didnt hide who he was. A killer.
I did kind of feel like the blindfold dinner was alittle rushed but all in all it was a good story.
Profile Image for Julie-Blue Monday Girl Blog.
105 reviews21 followers
August 18, 2020
Abigail hadn’t met the monster, not actually. She only took glimpses here and there. It was like looking at an appalling photograph. You see it and quickly look away, because if you stare too hard, the discomfort may be contagious. Abigail needed to look directly in the monster’s eyes and tell me she loved that part of me too before I admitted to feeling anything.



I mean.. can Elena's books keep getting better and better? The answer is YES!
This book introduces us to the world of The Horsemen and a secret society, a dark romance with a twist and heavy issues that most authors don't dare to tell us about, but THIS, this is what I love the most about Elena, she's no afraid of showing us the ugly, raw and dark places of a character, what makes them real people, flesh and blood like us.

Grimm, he's dead, lonely, he doesn't do feelings nor lets anyone get closer. He's been trained his whole life to do just ONE thing: kill, when The Cloth demands, anytime anywhere. Calculated, cold, he hunts its pray without even flinch..but underneath all those layers deep down he has a heart, that pumps just for her..Abigail.




Abigail is one of the most stubborn heroines I've ever read, but not in a bad way..after all, you get to see why she is the way she is, controlling, doesn't take shit from anyone and doesn't scare easily..how someone can live with all that baggage is beyond me..but she did and she ended up gaining my respect, in the end, I get to see how perfect she's for Grimm, she completes him in a particular way, a way no one saw it coming..but guess what the story is all about..right?

Profile Image for Tees_BookCave.
597 reviews110 followers
August 8, 2020
Going into this book, I went in blind, with only reading the blurb which I am going to tell you is vague as fuck. Then the cover hit me and I was absolutely dead. Like everything about the cover of this book screamed all these words at me. It fit Grimm to the T.

Although it gave me questions, like who are the horsemen, what do they do? What am I even going to expect.

This is my first read by this author and I absolutely loved this authors words that were written. One thing I noticed is that she writes unique romances, it’s not your norm, she ventures out to places that not many authors have written about.

To say this book took me by surprise would be an understatement, with this book being the first in the series it is an information loader as it’s setting the tone, the vibe, the layout and the storyline that is going to feature throughout.

Welcome to the Clave? Known as the Cult.
Are you ready to be initiated?

This book sucked me in from the get go, pulled you deep inside of a rabbit hole with no escaping. Everything about this book had me hooked, from the storyline, the characters, the secondary characters and everything else in between.

Sometimes with books, the authors create over the top drama for their characters. In this book it had the perfect blend to keep you wanting more. Their really wasn’t any necessary drama besides learning about the cult, and everything to do with their pasts and present.

Their relationship is rocky at the best of times but being in the cult has its disadvantages, it’s rules that you can’t break and the two have to navigate their way to find a loop hole to make their relationship work as it’s forbidden.

I absolutely love the heroine Abigail and the way she is. She doesn’t take any shit from Grimm, she’s so strong, smart, fiery and harbours her own monster deep inside.

Grimm, his not your ordinary hero. His like the anti-hero in his story. Grimm is definitely one of a kind and unique in his own way that I haven’t read a character like him before. Grimm is like a rubix cube, his very hard to work out and only a few people can see the real him.

There is so many layers to Grimm that you can’t help but want to unravel piece by piece. Wanting to find out what makes this guy tick and what would set his monster free. I was rooting to see his monster be set free. The thing is with Grimm is that he has so many issues and quite frankly mentally unstable.

Together, they just fit, two broken souls blending together to make one. Their scars matched one another, caused by different traumas but created by others that broke them.
Ones darkness calls to another. They know when they want something and they want each other. All Grimm needed was someone who can accept all that he is and to except the different sides to him and Abigail accepted him without a doubt. That is love, that is their perfectly imperfect story.

This book was filled with so many twist and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat in angst and suspense. I am definitely in love with this world that this author has created and I can’t wait for the other horsemen to get their books and to meet the girls that bring them to their knees.

Profile Image for Samantha Love HEA Romance Book Blog.
826 reviews44 followers
August 7, 2020
2.5 Stars

This is a hard review for me to write. I will try to get my thoughts across without giving anything away. Please know that this is only MY opinion. I recommend reading the book yourself, as you may love it.

This is my first read from this author, and I was really excited to jump in to it. I love dark romances and the feelings they evoke. This book unfortunately didn't evoke many of those feelings for me. The book was a lot of inner dialogue. There was a lot of the character's thoughts, the character explaining things to the reader and a good lot of those thoughts were repeated throughout the book. Because of this, I did find myself skim reading a good chunk of the book.

I unfortunately didn't feel the connection between the two main characters. There was no sizzle on the pages for me. Although I must say that i may not have felt the connection, but their steamy scenes were HOT! The book was also written in multiple POV's. For me, I am not sure the other POV's were needed. There also felt like a big part of the plot, that impacted the character, was pushed to the side until the epilogue.

There were things I really liked about the book, starting with the cover. I love this cover so much! I like the story line. I think the idea of this book is intriguing and it was one of the things that kept me reading it until the end. I was intrigued by The Clave. I wanted to know more about Zeus. I really liked Grimm's character, he definitely pulled me in and had me wanting more of him. Khaos seems like he would be a fun character to read about as well.

I can't say much more without giving too much away so I will leave it at that. I definitely think if you are interested in this book, you should pick a copy or sample up and give it a read. xx

Profile Image for Kodie Mackay.
1,142 reviews65 followers
March 4, 2021
This is depravity at its best in it's truest form. This isn't the sweet kind of romance, it's the kind that tortures and consumes you. Grimm and Abigail's story is dark, twisted and all kinds of chaotic. Two different kinds of monsters playing a game of deception. Don't be fooled, they are their own worst enemy.

The chemistry was fire!. These two are drawn to each other in a way that most definitely is not healthy but is fucking hot all the same. They see eachother's broken.

" You never asked if I had monsters too. We all build walls around our trauma. That trauma turns into little monsters.


The story is a crazy journey of secrets, lies and unpredictability. It has so much going on I was completely consumed in their journey trying to figure out what's next. It's forbidden and yet tempting. It's raw and at times horrifying. Its sensual and it's fucking thrilling. It's everything and them some.

It's a whole angst fest that I would usually avoid but can't help but read when it comes to this author and her unique plots, crazy world building abilities and brutally raw honest characters. She just gets me every damn time and leaves me wanting more, damnit!. I loved this book and I'm so excited to see where she takes us with the next. I want Khaos, he's going to be a hot mess, I just know it.

Im claiming Bowen though. He's mine. I don't know his damage but I know he's going to rip me apart.

Coming back to Grimm after reading Bowens book And I CANNOT!!!!!!!!.
Profile Image for Kelly • Kell of a Read.
762 reviews246 followers
November 16, 2021
1 ⭐️ Two thoughts after finishing this:
1) Did I read a different book than everyone else? Why don’t any reviews mention the fact that this clearly needs an editor? I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no English scholar so I try to keep an open mind and assume the writers know a lot more than I do. That being said, a lot of the convoluted sentences make zero sense and so many words were either left out or used totally wrong (like using can when they clearly meant to write can’t). Ugh. I’m not expecting a life changing work of literature here but TONS of obvious grammar and spelling errors drive me nuts:

Abigail’s “skin care regiment
“dress up dolls, cult addition
One character’s road trip had him driving out of California and right into Washington state. Last time I looked at a map Oregon was still hanging out between these two.

2) I have already decided that my 2022 New Years resolution is going to be to give up on terrible books. I am pretty incredible at giving up on things (diets, cleaning, exercise, my alarm clock....) but for some reason I hate to DNF a book after I’ve wasted an hour or two reading it. The plot of this book wasn’t terrible especially considering I typically love dark romance with tortured crazy characters. I might have actually enjoyed this if it didn’t read like a total rough draft.
Profile Image for Ana Manjić.
614 reviews53 followers
October 2, 2020
A1-D9-A635-39-B2-4177-BAD8-DAF8-F710-DAC9

”Silence is the devil you trust; speaking is a temptation you don’t.”

So, not to talk too much (maybe later I will) without any shadow of a doubt this was straight 5⭐️ read. Enough dark and twisted for my little heart to embrace it.
Can't wait for book 2 and all others in this series.

162-B0119-4-BD9-4808-8-C2-B-8-D66-FA465639
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