Total Control

Deadwater Bay is serving secrets, power, and four men who absolutely did not come to play. Dove is back in the orbit of the Deadwater Crew — Kasen wants out, Bodhi wants more, River wants what he lost, and Jayden is gone — which means y’all are getting messy history, dangerous devotion, and that delicious why choose tension where everyone has unfinished business and nobody is fully safe. Expect morally gray men, touch-her-and-die energy, murder mystery stakes, and a heroine chasing answers in a town that already thinks it owns her. Go in ready for dark romantic suspense with claws — this one has trilogy-binge bait written all over it.

Book Description

In Deadwater Bay, they own everything. Including me.
Kasen wants out.
Bodhi wants more.
River wants what he lost.
Jayden… is gone.
And me, Dove Dawson? I want answers.
When I was fifteen, my mother, the mayor, was murdered, and my life shattered with her. Ten years later, I’m back in Deadwater Bay, chasing the truth.
I just didn’t expect them.
The Deadwater Bay Crew. The boys who once owned my heart… before they destroyed it.
But they’re not boys anymore.
They’re powerful, ruthless, ink-covered, walking wet dreams.
The kind of men who don’t ask. They take.
Who don’t share… except when it comes to me.
This town belongs to them. The cops, the courts, and the shadows in between.
And now?
So do I.
They say I’m hiding secrets. But every look, every touch, every whispered threat tells me the truth. They’re the ones lying through their teeth.
When I start digging into my mother’s cold case, I’m pulled into a game I don’t understand. One that could cost me everything.
Because the closer they get… the harder it is to tell if I’m their prisoner, their lost love, or their weakness.
And if I’m not careful?
I won’t just lose my heart to them again.
I’ll lose my life.

Note: Total Control is Book One in the Deadwater Crew trilogy — a dark, steamy why choose romance where Dove’s search for answers gets her way more than she bargained for including four love interests and eventually a happily ever after.
This series features complex characters, first-person present tense from all main characters POV, why Choose, second chance, enemies to lovers, small town secrets, touch her and die, who hurt you?, murder mystery, stalker and morally gray heroes. It also contains mature and sensitive themes. A full content guide is available on my author website or in the front of the book.

Genre, Tropes & Kinks Triggers ⚠️ DETAILED TRIGGERS ⚠️ (contains spoilers)

Content Warnings

This one appears to involve murder tied to Dove’s past — specifically the death of her mother, the mayor — plus dark romantic suspense, power games, morally gray men, and controlling/possessive dynamics around the Deadwater Crew. Expect psychological manipulation, toxic relationship energy, violence, possible captivity or coercive control vibes, and trauma connected to past loss and secrets. The available public info points more toward dark suspense and power dynamics than explicit extreme triggers, so some tags are included on an “err on the side of caution” basis.
Book Meta
Publication Date2026-07-16 Relationship Pairing(s)Other Darkness Score7/10
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