Book Review: Heavy By M. L. Burns
Heavy By M.L Burns
Heavy by M.L Burns
Tropes: Age Gap Romance, Forbidden Love, Taboo Relationship, Step-Uncle Romance, Morally Grey MMC, Ex-Con / Fresh Out of Prison, Forced Proximity, Isolated Cabin Setting, Broken Characters, Trauma & Healing, Damaged Heroine, Dark Obsession, Emotional Angst, Slow-Burn Tension, Power Imbalance, Touch Her and Die, Who Did This to You, Intense Chemistry, Hurt/Comfort (Dark Edition), High Emotional Stakes
Summary:
Heavy by M.L. Burns is a raw, emotionally devastating dark romance that explores trauma, healing, and desire through a forbidden, age-gap relationship that refuses to play it safe. When Calista’s life implodes under the weight of her past mistakes, she retreats to a remote family cabin hoping to rebuild what she’s lost. What she doesn’t expect is Ronan, her step-uncle, a convicted murderer recently released from prison, and a man carrying scars just as deep as her own.
Set in isolation and fuelled by secrets, pain, and undeniable chemistry, Heavy is a story about two broken people colliding in the worst possible way and somehow finding something dangerously real in the wreckage. Dark, taboo, and emotionally intense, this book lives up to its name in every sense.
💚 LD
This book truly hit all the right spots for me and not in a shallow, shock-value way, but with depth, emotion, and substance that made it impossible to forget.
Age gap ✔️
Taboo ✔️
Forbidden ✔️
Hot, pierced MMC ✔️✔️
From the very beginning, Heavy pulled me in with its emotionally charged atmosphere. The age-gap and taboo elements were handled so well — they weren’t there just to push boundaries, but to add weight and complexity to the story. There’s a strong underlying plot woven throughout, along with a mystery element that kept me turning the pages late into the night.
The emotional heaviness of this book really lives up to its title. Some chapters felt suffocating in the best way: raw, confronting, and deeply intense. You don’t just read this book, you feel it.
While the Daddy kink wasn’t personally for me, it didn’t take away from how powerful the story was overall. The writing, the tension, and the emotional payoff more than made up for it. This is a bold, fearless dark romance, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who loves their books dark, layered, and emotionally gripping.
“Why her?” he asks through his teeth.
“Why anyone else when she exists?”
🤍 AD -
Dark. Taboo. Completely consuming. Heavy doesn’t just pull you in — it drags you under and refuses to let go.
This book is devastating in the most addictive way. It’s gritty, reckless, painful, and beautifully broken. Every page carries weight - trauma, desire, guilt, obsession and it all settles deep in your chest. It hurt… and I would absolutely put myself through it again without hesitation.
Calista is messy, damaged, and trying desperately to survive the aftermath of her own choices. Watching her attempt to rebuild herself in a cabin filled with memories and secrets was heartbreaking. But what truly stood out was her resilience. She doesn’t give up. She fights, even when the world keeps handing her matches and daring her to burn.
And then there’s Ronan. God, Ronan. A man hardened by fifteen years behind bars, convinced he’s beyond redemption. He’s rough, dangerous, and morally grey to his core but beneath that feral exterior is a slow, devastating vulnerability that sneaks up on you. His belief that he’s unfixable makes every tender moment hit harder.
Yes, this is a step-uncle romance. It’s taboo. It’s uncomfortable. And it’s written so well that it feels inevitable rather than cheap. Their chemistry doesn’t simmer it explodes. You know you shouldn’t root for them… but you do anyway.
Heavy is raw and unapologetic. It hurts. It lingers. And it leaves a mark.
“In the end you may find I’m not worth redemption of any kind.”
💙 AG -
From start to finish, this book completely blew me away. I loved every second of it.
The age-gap trope - one of my absolute favourites, was done beautifully, and the chemistry between Calista and Ronan was undeniable. Every interaction felt charged, tense, and emotionally layered, making it impossible to put the book down.
What really surprised me was how unpredictable the story was. I genuinely had no idea where the plot was heading, and every twist kept me fully invested. The shocking moments and emotional turns added so much depth, turning this into more than just a forbidden romance.
If you’re looking for a dark romance with intense chemistry, emotional weight, and twists that actually deliver, Heavy is absolutely worth the read.
“He might be the death of me, but I’d embrace the grave willingly if it means feeling like this until my heart finally stops.”
