Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Black Iris
    Black Iris
    Black Iris
    Audiobook11 hours

    Black Iris

    Written by Leah Raeder

    Narrated by Grace Grant

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    The next dark and sexy romantic suspense novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Unteachable, praised for its “lush, haunting prose, deft storytelling, and scorching sensuality” (M. Pierce, bestselling author of the Night Owl trilogy), and called “one of the best forbidden romances” (Lauren Blakely, New York Times bestselling author).

    Love is not a thing that we create. It’s an undoing.

    It only took one moment of weakness for Laney Keating’s world to fall apart. One stupid gesture for a hopeless crush. Then the rumors began. Slut, they called her. Queer. Psycho. Mentally ill, messed up, so messed up even her own mother decided she wasn’t worth sticking around for. If Laney could erase that whole year, she would. College is her chance to start with a clean slate.

    She’s not looking for new friends, but they find her: charming, handsome Armin, the only guy patient enough to work through her thorny defenses—and fiery, filterless Blythe, the bad girl and partner in crime who has thorns of her own.

    But Laney knows nothing good ever lasts. When a ghost from her past resurfaces—the bully who broke her down completely—she decides it’s time to live up to her own legend. And Armin and Blythe are going to help. Which was the plan all along. Because the rumors are true. Every single one. And Laney is going to show them just how true. She’s going to show them all.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateApr 28, 2015
    ISBN9781442389496
    Author

    Leah Raeder

    Leah Raeder—known now as Elliot Wake—is the author of Unteachable, Black Iris, Bad Boy, and Cam Girl. Aside from reading his brains out, he enjoys graphic design, video games, fine whiskey, and the art of self-deprecation. Visit him at LeahRaeder.com.

    Related to Black Iris

    Related audiobooks

    Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Longer on Moon

      Sep 22, 2022

      Longer on Moon
      19 min read

    • Article

      Averted Vision

      Sep 1, 2022

      Averted Vision
      25 min read

    • Article

      My Mother’s Stalker

      Jan 16, 2024

      My Mother’s Stalker
      24 min read

    • Article

      The Family Plot

      May 7, 2020

      The Family Plot
      10 min read

    • Article

      Rising Sign

      Feb 4, 2021

      Rising Sign
      10 min read

    • Article

      Penny

      Jul 2, 2020

      Penny
      6 min read

    • Article

      What The Magpie Says

      Oct 16, 2022

      What The Magpie Says
      8 min read

    • Article

      Pulling Up Azaleas

      Jan 10, 2023

      Throughout their lives, women are showered with bouquets of roses on numerous splendid occasions. But men? They’re only given flowers at their funeral. It’s a harsh world for men, as our lives tend to go unappreciated until death. Such was the case a

      22 min read

    • Article

      The Leather Coat

      Apr 4, 2024

      The Leather Coat
      6 min read

    • Article

      Mothers As Makers Of Death

      Aug 14, 2018

      Mothers As Makers Of Death
      8 min read

    • Article

      Devotional

      Sep 1, 2021

      Devotional
      11 min read

    • Article

      On Death Row, There's No Such Thing As Closure

      Aug 2, 2019

      It is August of the year 2000, and I am cold. I know the sun is shining outside, but there are no windows in the courtroom. The lighting is subdued, darker in the back where spectators sit and lighter in the front where tragedies play out—like a the

      5 min read

    • Article

      Diary of My Leg Hair

      Dec 8, 2022

      Diary of My Leg Hair
      21 min read

    • Article

      The Space Between Us

      Oct 9, 2019

      The Space Between Us
      8 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reads

      Dec 30, 2019

      Summer Reads
      7 min read

    • Article

      Announcing The winners Of Our FLASH CONTEST

      Feb 29, 2020

      I sever the first two fingers of my left hand on a Tuesday. They fall to the ground at my feet, causing a momentary confusion as I wonder what tree has dropped this odd fruit. Then I see the crescent scar left behind by a fish hook and know that thes

      8 min read

    • Article

      THE HOUSE with the BLUE DOOR

      May 7, 2020

      THE HOUSE with the BLUE DOOR
      6 min read

    • Article

      Noctuary

      Sep 2, 2021

      Noctuary
      11 min read

    • Article

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time

      Dec 1, 2023

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time
      9 min read

    • Article

      KILL A STRANGER Chapter 2

      Dec 31, 2020

      If you’ve never been in a situation like this before, you just can’t understand it. I’ll be blunt. It was absolutely terrifying. The nightmare started just like that. Bang. I literally woke with a start, and realised that I was being flung around in

      5 min read

    • Article

      Come with Me

      Dec 1, 2022

      Come with Me
      12 min read

    • Article

      Three Poems by Rohan Chhetri

      Sep 8, 2020

      All summer the half voice lurked behind me & I played deaf for days for to live To not write about it to use my body Part the river’s flesh to operate Machinery is human too to love & for once stay awake through it all. Now it comes like the deer sle

      3 min read

    • Article

      All My Tomorrows

      May 10, 2022

      It was Misha’s first day minding the shop, and already she’d broken the fifth rule. Always lock the door immediately. When you had the most valuable merchandise in the universe, you had to take the utmost precautions. She hadn’t meant to disobey. It

      13 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Black Iris

    4/5

    90 ratings12 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      I like the lyrical haunting way it was written. The narrator did a fantastic job, I loved the voices. However I didn’t much care about the story before 65% but then the story picked up.
    • 5/5
      This book was absolutely freaking amazing! It was beautiful and dark. And I loved every minute of it
    • 1/5
      Groan. There’s not one likable or redeemable character in this book.
    • 4/5
      This book was like a huge, decadent dessert of vengeance, sex and the complexities of teenage sexuality.

      At times a little over-the-top, I still really enjoyed it. The out-of-order narrative can be a turn-off but I felt it was well utilized here, without feeling excessively messy. It was a fun, delicious read, despite the dark subject matter.

      Rating: 8/10
      Gay-o-meter: 10/10
    • 4/5
      4.0

      The character in this book are vengeful, jaded, often self involved, fractured, and hold a very flexible morality. The story zig Zaha around in an often off putting semblance of a timeline. The writing is as lyrical. The discussion of sexuality raw, real and honest. The plot was dark in the best of ways. The plot twists at the end -some brilliant and one...reaching.

      I loved to hate the characters, I enjoyed struggling through the disjointed time line, and the writing had me grabbing my highlighter. Also, I don't think I can forget this book. I'm glad I gave Elliot writing another chance after Cam Girl.
    • 4/5
      Deliciously dark and completely off-the-wall. A twisting tale of revenge that's absolutely worth reading.
    • 5/5
      *NETGALLEY REVIEW WITH NO SPIOILERS*
      Black Iris isn't a book that can be easily be summed up without giving away too much. The story was complex and unlike any other story I've ever read. It was risqué, emotional, intense, dangerous, romantic, and at times, a complete twisted up mystery. It switches back and forth from past to present to show you how everything came into play. Crucial details are revealed and important characters are introduced. The plot is one that will make your mind hurt in the best way possible. It will strip away at everything you believed and make you feel completely different. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book... The pages couldn't turn fast enough. I wasn't sure how everything would come together, but I never expected the outcome we got. When I finally finished I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I could finally breathe again. My tense body fell relaxed and mind felt sane again.

      Honestly it was like a 1,000 piece puzzle. Each word came together to a form a slightly flawed, slightly messed up... absolutely captivating picture. My heart went out to these fictional characters. Yeah, they were emotionally unstable and yeah, at times I wanted to punch each one, but somehow, someway... They managed to capture my heart and fill my body with sympathy.

      It was an intense subject and the Author's writing was flawless. It felt raw and vulnerable. While at times the story became jagged and sharp, it somehow remained smooth and flowing. I did question how Leah went from writing Unteachable to this dark, heavy story and after I read the acknowledgements I understood. My hat goes off to her and anyone else who lived similar scenarios. Sadly, this happens a lot more than we would like to think. It opened my eyes and made me feel things I didn't feel before reading. I am utterly head over heels for this book and quite frankly I now have a girl crush on Leah Raeder.

      I definitely recommend this one to every reader out there. It is a MUST READ.
    • 4/5
      This is Leah Raeder's second book... I read her first one, Unteachable, and liked it, but I didn't love it. I had some personal issues with it. So, going into this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I already knew that Leah is a fantastic writer. Her first book was just not the type of plot I would normally go for. This one, though, I totally dug into!

      This story is a unique and phenomenally written book. I will say, this somewhat dark read might not be for everyone. I have seen some that either had a hard time finishing it or just didn't finish it at all. Not every book is for everyone. I can understand where some had difficulty with this book. It is slower moving, for the most part. A lot of books that go slower tend to lose readers' interest. I almost stopped for this reason, but I am glad I didn't.

      In this book, you will find some complete mind-fuckery going on! This is a triangle of sorts. You have one girl who is lost and broken and out for revenge, you think... Then you have another girl who is twisted and shows some serious signs of mental illness. Then you have a boy... a boy who likes girls he needs to fix. Throw these three together and you get one big cluster of head games, plot twists and heart breaks.

      I don't want to be a spoiler. If I go into the plot too much, I will give too much away. Just know that not everyone is as they seem in this story. Things aren't anywhere near black and white. This book is about trust and manipulation of the worst kind. It isn't light and fluffy or unicorns and rainbows. In fact, I am pretty sure some of these characters would chop off the unicorns horn if given the chance.
    • 4/5
      Could have done without the cultural name drops but I'm all about a book that's essentially characters holding guns to each other's heads for 300 pages.
    • 5/5
      For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.Some of you may know that I wasn’t a fan of Raeder’s debut novel Unteachable, unlike everyone else I know who read it. While I liked the writing, I couldn’t get past the teacher/student romance, which I probably should have seen coming, since they only very rarely work for me. Obviously, I was a bit nervous trying Black Iris, despite the great advance buzz, since those same people loved Unteachable too. The funny thing is that Unteachable didn’t work for me because of how fucked up the romance was, but Black Iris is a million times more fucked up, and I loved it. What can I say? I like what I like.On page one, I was hooked. As soon as I started Black Iris, I had absolutely zero interest in anything else I was reading. This is one of those books that starts out compelling and just gets more and more impossible to put down as you get further into it. The way things unravel is masterful. I’ve been taken for a fucked up ride, but I enjoyed every moment of it.The difference for me in the two books lies in intent. Unteachable was first and foremost a romance, which tied my enjoyment up in whether or not I shipped it. Black Iris has romance, but I’m not certain I’d call it a romance; that really could go either way. Plus, the book warns you what to expect right out the gate, and I do mean in chapter one: "I’m not the heroine of this story. And I’m not trying to be cute. It’s the truth. I’m diagnosed borderline and seriously fucked-up. I hold grudges. I bottle my hate until it ferments into poison, and then I get high off the fumes. I’m completely dysfunctional and that’s the way I like it, so don’t expect a character arc where I finally find Redemption, Growth, and Change, or learn How to Forgive Myself and Others. Fuck forgiveness."This quote is one hundred percent on the level. Don’t expect a surprise twist where Laney realizes that vengeance isn’t sweet; this isn’t that kind of story. Don’t expect good sex to cure her. Black Iris starts out fucked up, and it lives down there in the muck and the blood. It very much doesn’t sound like a Christina book, even though I’ve read and loved it. I’m ALL about character arcs, and I’m very much anti drugs. But in Black Iris all of that stuff works, because it’s all important and the book wouldn’t work otherwise. It doesn’t feel like it’s all in there just to add shock value; it’s intrinsic, and it IS the story.Raeder does a really good job in Black Iris of walking the line between condemnation of acts and endorsement of them. I think a lot of the fucked up stuff comes off as truly fucked up, and it’s not romanticized, but I think Raeder also makes you consider some of the actions from a different angle and see gray where you might once have seen just black and white.For me, the fact that the characters know they’re fucked up, and they own their decisions is what really makes dark books like Black Iris work for me. Laney’s not looking for forgiveness anymore than she’s going to give it. Black Iris is a very self-aware book. Ironically, I end this book shipping relationships more unhealthy than in the book where the romance infuriated me; I do see the irony, but the shippy feels cannot be contained. I shall remain on the sinking OT3 of Laney, Blythe, and Armin. I feel like they had better balance and more potential long term than Laney and Blythe alone. Plus, they are insanely hot and sexy in every iteration.Leah Raeder’s writing is poetry like a bat to the face. It’s gorgeous, lyrical, lilting, but it’s also sharp, metallic and bitter. Her prose is the taste of blood on your tongue. Raeder excels at writing feelings in this brutal way where they just punch the reader right in the brain. Everything’s immediate, raw, and harsh, yet oddly lovely in its broken honesty. This dichotomy in Raeder’s writing is what really makes her writing stand out to me from all the other books I read.Black Iris is told using confusing time jumps, which oddly enhanced the experience. I was constantly struggling to piece things together, but it felt right to have to do so. Laney and her story aren’t straight forward. She’s an unreliable narrator, and she doesn’t want you to be able to add things up until she’s ready for you to add them all up. She leaves things out, mixes them up, and makes the reader unsure.You know what writing technique I pretty much always hate? The one where the book you’re reading is supposedly by the main character of said book. However, I love the way Raeder uses this trope in Black Iris. For one thing, that’s not used for the final twist; it’s something you know pretty early on, and Raeder/Laney throw this postmodern hyper-awareness that it’s a book at you constantly. We’re told over and over that Laney’s an unreliable character, both directly and through reference. Knowing that this is the novel Laney wrote adds another layer to Black Iris which made me constantly question everything. Even so, I was not prepared and I didn’t see anything coming.Black Iris is a level of fucked up that the term “fucked up” doesn’t really prepare you for. I’m still not sure if I think of Black Iris as a romance or not. One thing I know for sure is that I will be thinking about Black Iris for a while. I also know that I’ll be ordering a finished copy for myself.
    • 4/5
      ‘Scars tell a story. My whole life was written on my body. How are you supposed to leave the past behind when you carry it with you in your skin?’Laney Keating is a troubled teen questioning her sexuality while battling bullies and a severe drug addition. She just wants to successfully make it to college so that she can start completely over with a fresh slate. That’s the bottom line, however, that doesn’t even begin to touch the contorted sort of life she leads. Still reeling from her mother’s suicide, Laney becomes intensely close with two individuals: Armin and Blythe. After finding out the details of her sordid story, the two agree to help her get back at those that hurt her so she can finally get the revenge she’s been dying for for so long.‘I am not the heroine of this story.And I’m not trying to be cute. It’s the truth. I’m diagnosed borderline and seriously fucked-up. I hold grudges. I bottle my hate until it ferments into poison, and then I get high off the fumes.’First and foremost, Black Iris is one seriously dark and twisted thrill-ride of a tale. With a sense of being on a rollercoaster whipping you to and fro, the story throws us back in the past and forward into the future with each alternating chapter, slowly uncovering the facts of what caused Laney to become the sort of person she is. It’s such a thoroughly absorbing and well-written tale that keeping your facts straight isn’t ever a chore. And speaking of well-written, this book is simply sublime. Leah Raeder sees this world from a different perspective than the rest of us mere mortals. She sees this world in vibrant colors and intense detail and has the poetic ability to bring it to life for the rest of us.‘I don’t categorize people by who I’m allowed to like and who I’m allowed to love. Love doesn’t fit into boxes like that. It’s blurry, slippery, quantum. It’s only limited by our perceptions and before we slap a label on it and cram it into some category, everything is possible.’This book touches on a lot of severely dark aspects of life such as excessive drug use, mental illnesses such as depression and mania and not only the personal effects but how it manages to effect everyone in your life. It also tackles bullying, self-denigration and learning to come to terms with your sexuality despite it not being ‘the norm’. Revenge is a central part of the story as well and I loved how unrepentant Laney is about taking it, regardless of any ramifications. Her actions might not have been the easiest to understand or even to stomach, but her raw brutality still managed to be profound.Black Iris may not be for everyone because its crudely savage and Laney remains remorseless to the very end without your quintessential self-realization over all the wrong that was done. But that crudeness is what completely ensnared me, shocked me and by the end left me completely stupefied (in the best way possible).
    • 5/5
      If I’m lucky; each year 2, maybe 3 books come along that totally & completely crush the world around me, and I mean this in the best possible way! These rare books leave you feeling like your guts have been torn out; ripped to shreds and cast into oblivion, never to be seen again. With no knowledge of how you got there you’ll find yourself sobbing on the floor because what you’ve just read was so beautiful - so devastating, like liquid poetry for your soul and now you have no idea how to continue on in your life cause it’s over. These kind of books make you want to change all your previous 5 star reviews to a 4 cause they’re just not worthy of being in the same category, how did you ever think they were?? Damn I love books like this! I crave them deep down in my core, forever searching for these elusive books that cause this kind of soul crushing reading experience. I can tell you the exact moment that I read my last one; it was October 20, 2014 and I still talk about that book & its characters weekly to random people. It has been 7 LONG months but finally, FINALLY it has happened once again!!

      Two little words that brought me to my literary knees……….BLACK IRIS

      “I am not the heroine of this story. It’s the truth. I’m diagnosed borderline and seriously fucked-up. I hold grudges. I bottle my hate until it ferments into poison, and then I get high off the fumes. I’m completely dysfunctional and that’s the way I like it, so don’t expect a character arc where I finally find Redemption, Growth, and Change, or learn How to Forgive Myself and Others…….Fuck Forgiveness.”

      I’m not going to give any additional description about the plot, anything you need to know going in is already said in the synopsis and knowing any more would seriously ruin your experience. What I will say is that Leah Raeder is genius, pure and simple! Never has teen angst and intensely addictive female friendships been written so beautifully, raw and honest. Leah brought it all back for me; the pain and confusion, the insecurities of being young and sexual yet not fitting the “normal” mold. Both Laney and Black Iris are complex, gritty, dark and suspenseful, I dare you to read this and not to FEEL………

      “….I fall in love with minds, not genders or body parts. People wouldn’t say I’m ‘just a slut’ or ‘faking it’ or ‘undecided’ or ‘confused.’ I’m not confused. I don’t categorize people by who I’m allowed to like and who I’m allowed to love. Love doesn’t fit into boxes like that. It’s blurry, slippery, quantum. It’s only limited by our perceptions and before we slap a label on it and cram it into some category, everything is possible.”

      Prepare yourself for a majorly delicious mind-fuck! Twisting back and forth through the previous year of Laney’s life is like getting a glimpse into the darkest places of the human psyche. You’ll think you’ve got it figured out, placed all the pieces in their proper order. Read a few more pages and you’ll realize you’ve got no clue!! There’s no fast paced action here and there doesn’t need to be, this is just one long, delicious slow burn of story…….hate, revenge, desire, addiction, hopelessness as well as love, forgiveness, acceptance & hope

      “Falling for someone is like pulling a loose thread. It happens stitch by stitch. You feel whole most of the time even while the seams pop, the knots loosen, everything that holds you together coming undone. It feels incredible, this opening of yourself to the world. Not like the unraveling it is. Only afterward do you glance down at the tangle of string around your feet that used to be a person who was whole and self-contained and realize that love is not a thing that we create. It’s an undoing.”

      On a closing note, Black Iris is riddled with sexual tension throughout and has some of the HOTTEST F/M/F and F/F action I’ve ever read! I actually woke my hubby out of a deep sleep so I could read him one of the intensely charged F/F scenes! Needless to say…….. he started Black Iris two days ago ;) BUT if that’s not your thing, then you probably want to skip this one, although you’re seriously missing out!!! Highly, highly recommended this book to anyone and everyone! Thank you to Leah Raeder for writing what is currently my favorite read of 2015!!

      “Girls love each other like animals. There is something ferocious and unself-conscious about it. We don’t guard ourselves like we do with boys. No one trains us to shield our hearts from each other. With girls, it’s total vulnerability from the beginning. Our skin is bare and soft. We love with claws and teeth and blood is just proof of how much. It’s feral.”