Sudden Uprooting, Shocking Marriage

Aurora "Rori" Summers returns home from her last day of high school to find her mother, Emilia, has not only packed up their lives but also married a wealthy, enigmatic businessman, Damien Icari. Rori is forced to leave behind her plans and move to California, where she's expected to start college at Hazelwood University—an elite institution for the privileged. The abruptness of the move and her mother's self-absorbed, impulsive nature leave Rori feeling abandoned and angry, especially as she's thrust into a new family dynamic with a stepfather she doesn't trust and a stepbrother she's never met.

Broken Families, New Alliances

Rori's arrival in California is marked by tension and resentment. Her mother's pattern of serial marriages and neglect has left Rori emotionally guarded, while her brother Marcus, already at Hazelwood, is fiercely protective. Damien's son, Isaac Icari, is equally damaged—haunted by his father's criminal legacy and his own anger. The two families are forced together, but alliances are fragile. Rori and Isaac's first meeting is electric and adversarial, setting the stage for a relationship defined by mutual suspicion, attraction, and the shadow of their parents' choices.

The Icari Heir's Burden

Isaac Icari, heir to the Icari empire, is tormented by his father's criminal dealings and emotional abuse. He's tasked with watching over Rori—not out of care, but as a pawn in Damien's larger schemes. Isaac's loyalty is constantly tested: he despises his father, but is forced to play along, surveilling Rori and reporting back. His friendships with Paris and Shep, fellow sons of powerful men, are his only solace. Isaac's internal war between rebellion and obedience is mirrored in his growing obsession with Rori, whom he's supposed to control but can't help being drawn to.

Rumors and Reputation Wars

As Rori tries to settle into Hazelwood, she's immediately targeted by malicious rumors—engineered by Isaac and his friends to isolate and destabilize her. The elite university is a pressure cooker of privilege, gossip, and hidden agendas. Rori's reputation is attacked, her past weaponized against her, and she's forced to confront the cruelty of her peers. Yet, she refuses to be a victim, fighting back with her own cunning and resilience. The rumor war becomes a twisted courtship between her and Isaac, each trying to outmaneuver the other.

Dangerous Games at Hazelwood

Isaac's surveillance of Rori intensifies, with hidden cameras and orchestrated humiliations. Rori, however, is not easily broken. She leverages her own trauma and street smarts, refusing to let Isaac or Hazelwood's elite define her. The psychological games blur the line between hate and desire, as both Rori and Isaac become obsessed with each other's reactions. Their friends—Selene, Hel, Paris, and Shep—are drawn into the conflict, each with their own loyalties and secrets.

Masks, Parties, and Power Plays

The Gods and Goddesses party is a pivotal event, where students wear masks and shed inhibitions. Rori and Isaac, both disguised, engage in a dangerous seduction—each believing they're using the other for leverage. The party becomes a battleground for dominance, with sexual tension and blackmail at its core. Rori records their encounter, intending to use it as protection, while Isaac sees through her disguise, turning the tables. The night marks a shift from psychological to physical warfare, with both scarred and aroused by the encounter.

Seduction and Blackmail

The aftermath of the party is explosive. Rori and Isaac's tryst is exposed through rumors and social media, each trying to control the narrative. Rori retaliates by posting a video of Isaac, threatening his reputation. Isaac counters by releasing humiliating footage from Rori's past, weaponizing her trauma. Their mutual destruction is both public and intimate, as they use sex, secrets, and shame to hurt and possess each other. The line between victim and perpetrator blurs, and their obsession deepens.

Past Trauma, Present Schemes

Rori's history of abuse—her mother's neglect, a predatory stepfather, and high school bullying—comes to the fore. Isaac's own trauma, shaped by his father's violence and criminality, is revealed. Both are products of broken families and toxic legacies, and their relationship becomes a crucible for confronting pain. Rori's brother Marcus and her friends try to intervene, but the cycle of manipulation and revenge is self-perpetuating. The past is never truly buried, and both Rori and Isaac are forced to reckon with what they've survived.

The Web of Surveillance

Isaac's need for control manifests in constant surveillance—he watches Rori through cameras, tracks her movements, and orchestrates her social isolation. Rori, in turn, becomes hyper-vigilant, never sure who to trust. The theme of being watched and judged pervades their world, from the literal cameras to the ever-present gaze of Hazelwood's elite. The surveillance is both a violation and a twisted form of intimacy, as Isaac's obsession with Rori grows more possessive and dangerous.

Sibling Bonds and Betrayals

Marcus, Rori's brother, is both her protector and her jailer—his overbearing concern mirrors the control exerted by Isaac and Damien. Hel, Rori's best friend, betrays her trust by reporting to Marcus, believing it's for Rori's own good. The betrayals cut deep, forcing Rori to question her own agency and the meaning of loyalty. The siblings' relationship is fraught with guilt, love, and resentment, as each tries to save the other from self-destruction.

The Gods and Monsters Party

The masquerade party is a microcosm of Hazelwood's power dynamics. Rori and Isaac's masked encounter is both a liberation and a trap—sex becomes a means of asserting control, but also of exposing vulnerability. The party's anonymity allows for confessions and cruelties that would be impossible in daylight. The aftermath is a reckoning, as both are forced to confront the consequences of their actions and the depth of their obsession.

Obsession, Control, and Consent

Rori and Isaac's relationship escalates into a cycle of seduction, domination, and reluctant surrender. Their sexual encounters are marked by power struggles, with consent negotiated and withdrawn in the heat of the moment. Pain and pleasure are intertwined, as both seek to mark and possess each other—literally, through piercings and bruises, and figuratively, through secrets and promises. The question of who is in control is never fully answered, as both are trapped by their own desires.

Escalation: Pain and Pleasure

The relationship reaches new heights of intensity as Rori and Isaac push each other's boundaries. They pierce each other—tongue, nipples—as acts of trust, defiance, and ownership. The pain is both punishment and proof of devotion. Their encounters become increasingly raw and violent, blurring the line between love and hate, pleasure and suffering. The outside world—family, friends, Hazelwood—fades as they become each other's sole focus and addiction.

The Truth About Damien

Damien Icari's true nature and criminal enterprise come to light. He is not just a manipulative husband and father, but a ruthless trafficker, using his marriage to Emilia as a front for smuggling and exploitation. Isaac, caught between loyalty and rebellion, is forced to work with the FBI to bring his father down. Rori's mother is a pawn in a much larger game, and Rori herself becomes a target. The stakes are no longer just emotional—they are life and death.

The Reception: Lies Unravel

At the lavish wedding reception, Rori confronts her mother about Damien's infidelity and criminality, sowing seeds of doubt. The event is a powder keg—old enemies resurface, secrets are revealed, and alliances shift. Eric Wood, Rori's abusive former stepfather, is invited as a power play, retraumatizing Rori and exposing the depths of Damien's cruelty. The reception becomes a battleground for truth, with Rori risking everything to save her mother and herself.

The Price of Defiance

Rori's defiance triggers Damien's wrath. Isaac is punished for his divided loyalties, beaten and threatened by his father. The cost of rebellion is high—physical pain, emotional devastation, and the threat of death. Rori is left isolated, her relationships with Marcus and Hel strained by betrayal and misunderstanding. The cycle of violence and control tightens, as Damien moves to eliminate all threats to his power.

The Monster in the Shadows

The story ends with Isaac bloodied and chained, forced to choose between loyalty to his father and his love for Rori. Damien's warning is clear: anyone who defies him will suffer, and women are always the greatest weakness. Rori, scarred but unbroken, faces an uncertain future—her mother's fate, her own safety, and her relationship with Isaac all hanging in the balance. The final message is one of survival in the face of monstrous power, and the enduring hope that love, even when twisted, can be a weapon against darkness.

Characters

Aurora "Rori" Summers

Rori is the daughter of a neglectful, serially-married socialite and the sister of Marcus. Scarred by past abuse (including sexual assault by a former stepfather) and high school bullying, she is both vulnerable and resilient. Rori's psychological complexity is rooted in her need for control and her refusal to be a victim. Her relationship with Isaac is a battleground for agency—she is both drawn to and repelled by his dominance. Rori's development is marked by her struggle to trust, her willingness to fight back, and her ultimate decision to risk everything to save her mother and herself.

Isaac Icari

Isaac is the son of Damien Icari, raised in a world of violence, crime, and emotional manipulation. Tasked with surveilling Rori as part of his father's schemes, Isaac is torn between loyalty and rebellion. His psychological profile is defined by his need for control, his fear of vulnerability, and his growing obsession with Rori. Isaac's development is a descent into obsession—he moves from tormentor to lover, from manipulator to protector, but is never fully free of his own darkness. His relationship with Rori is both a source of salvation and destruction.

Damien Icari

Damien is the patriarch of the Icari family, a man who uses charm, wealth, and violence to get what he wants. He marries Emilia for her connections, using her and her children as pawns in his criminal enterprise. Damien's psychological makeup is defined by narcissism, a lack of empathy, and a belief in his own invincibility. He is both a literal and symbolic monster, representing the cycle of abuse and the dangers of unchecked power.

Emilia Summers

Emilia is Rori and Marcus's mother, a woman who seeks love and validation through a series of disastrous marriages. Her neglect and self-absorption have left her children emotionally scarred. Emilia is both a victim and an enabler—her inability to see the truth about Damien puts everyone at risk. Her relationship with Rori is fraught with guilt, denial, and a desperate hope for redemption.

Marcus Summers

Marcus is Rori's older brother, fiercely loyal but overbearing. He is both her protector and her jailer, struggling to balance his own life with his need to save Rori from herself and others. Marcus's psychological struggle is rooted in guilt—over leaving Rori, over failing to protect her, and over his own limitations. His relationship with Rori is marked by love, resentment, and the pain of betrayal.

Hel

Hel is Rori's best friend and roommate, a voice of reason and concern. She is the first to see the dangers in Rori's relationship with Isaac and is willing to betray Rori's trust to protect her. Hel's psychological role is that of the outsider—she is not part of the elite, and her perspective is grounded in reality. Her relationship with Rori is tested by secrets and the limits of loyalty.

Selene

Selene is Rori's other roommate, a model and socialite who struggles with her own family pressures and body image issues. She is both a confidante and a cautionary tale, representing the costs of living under constant scrutiny. Selene's development is a subplot of survival in a world that values appearance over substance.

Paris

Paris is Isaac's closest friend, a fellow child of privilege with his own demons. He is the owner of the club Labyrinth and a participant in the games of power and pleasure that define Hazelwood. Paris is both a source of support and a mirror for Isaac's darker impulses.

Shepherd "Shep" Hunt

Shep is Isaac's other close friend, a tech-savvy enforcer who helps orchestrate the surveillance and manipulation of Rori. He is more cautious than Paris, often serving as Isaac's conscience and reality check. Shep's loyalty is unwavering, but he is not blind to the dangers of Isaac's obsession.

Eric Wood

Eric is Emilia's former husband and Rori's abuser. His reappearance at the reception is a calculated act of cruelty by Damien, designed to destabilize Rori and assert dominance. Eric is a symbol of the cycle of abuse and the lasting scars it leaves.

Plot Devices

Dual POV and Alternating Narration

The novel alternates between Rori and Isaac's points of view, allowing readers to experience both the victim's and the antihero's internal struggles. This structure creates dramatic irony, as each character's motives and vulnerabilities are revealed to the reader but often hidden from each other. The dual POV also blurs the line between protagonist and antagonist, making the reader complicit in both the seduction and the destruction.

Surveillance and Voyeurism

Hidden cameras, rumors, and constant observation are central to the plot and themes. Surveillance is both a literal tool of manipulation (Isaac's cameras, the rumor mill) and a metaphor for the scrutiny faced by women in elite society. Voyeurism is sexualized, weaponized, and ultimately turned against the watcher, as Rori uses Isaac's own tactics to fight back.

Trauma and Repetition

Both Rori and Isaac are shaped by cycles of abuse—parental neglect, sexual violence, emotional manipulation. The plot is structured around the repetition of trauma: Rori's abuse is mirrored in her relationship with Isaac, and Isaac's rebellion against his father is both a repetition and a rejection of Damien's methods. The narrative uses flashbacks, rumors, and public humiliations to show how trauma is relived and re-enacted.

Power, Consent, and Obsession

The novel's central relationship is a study in power dynamics—who controls whom, and at what cost. Consent is negotiated, withdrawn, and weaponized. Obsession is both a source of pleasure and a path to self-destruction. The plot uses sex, pain, and humiliation as both punishment and reward, forcing characters (and readers) to question the boundaries between love and abuse.

Social Hierarchy and Reputation

Hazelwood University is a microcosm of privilege, where reputation is currency and cruelty is a means of survival. The plot uses parties, rumors, and public confrontations to explore how social hierarchies are maintained and challenged. The reception scene is a climax of public and private conflict, where secrets are exposed and alliances shift.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

The Icarus myth is invoked throughout—flying too close to the sun, the danger of hubris, the inevitability of falling. Fire, wings, and masks are recurring symbols, representing both the desire for transcendence and the risk of destruction. The novel foreshadows its own tragedies, warning that no one can reach the sun without getting burned.

Analysis

Burn With Me is a dark, psychological romance that interrogates the boundaries between love and abuse, power and vulnerability, survival and self-destruction. Through the toxic, obsessive relationship between Rori and Isaac, the novel explores how trauma shapes identity and desire, and how cycles of violence are perpetuated by both individuals and institutions. The elite world of Hazelwood is a crucible for cruelty, where reputation is weaponized and intimacy is always a risk. The story's use of dual POV, surveillance, and mythic symbolism invites readers to question the nature of consent, the costs of obsession, and the possibility of redemption. Ultimately, Burn With Me is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked power—whether in families, relationships, or society—and the resilience required to survive, resist, and reclaim agency in the face of monstrous control.

Last updated: May 19, 2025