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adaskam's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have had a few days to stew on this book and I still come to the same conclusion. I simply did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would because of how much I disliked the FMC. Blakely started meh and had absolutely zero character development or progression. Her I’m weak, I’m strong routine got old fast and I just found myself rolling my eyes far too much to enjoy it. Ryat knew how to put it down 🍆, so I’ll give stars for that. Also stars for the narration! 👏 Finally, I didn’t know until this book how drugging someone in fiction land is just not my thing, who would have thought?! 🤷♀️ I’m listening to the next book in the series and crossing my fingers the next FMC is it! 🤞
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Violence
kdb_0620's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Torture, Medical trauma, Blood, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Cursing, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Violence
meganlaza's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Classism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Death, Drug abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Rape, Bullying, Sexual violence, Slavery, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
emily511's review against another edition
This book just really wasn’t for me. The multitudes of trigger warnings aside, there just wasn’t much of a plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual content, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Stalking, Physical abuse, and Sexism
thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This year is my year to read more romance, and this is my first read in dark college romance. Thanks BookTok!
This felt like reading an AITA where ETA because money, entitlement, and secret societies.
While I actually enjoyed the supposed actual storyline, the characters smashing every other page just got too much. I mean, how many ways can they do the same thing and still be so surprised she likes it?!
Morally grey, dark, and quite spicy.
This felt like reading an AITA where ETA because money, entitlement, and secret societies.
While I actually enjoyed the supposed actual storyline, the characters smashing every other page just got too much. I mean, how many ways can they do the same thing and still be so surprised she likes it?!
Morally grey, dark, and quite spicy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual violence, Classism, Drug use, and Stalking
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gaslighting
koistyfishy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 Emerald Eye Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (I don't often give a full 5, but oh boy did this deserve it!)
Oh, LORDY LORDY LORD! Never has a series name been quite so aptly used to describe who I need to speak to after reading this. Because I need to beg for forgiveness after all the depravity that is in this book. I am sure that I need help from either a priest or a psychologist because I enjoyed the shit out of this and that means I need therapy on a whole bunch of levels. I did not expect the ride that I got from this book and whilst refreshing, it was absurd.
This book was dark, gritty, dirty, rough, carnal, and oh-so spicy! And BOY did I lap it up like a little kitten drinking milk for the first time. It played into every dark, dirty, depraved desire that I love, and it just ticked every box in what I NEEDED in a dark twisted love story.
It follows a Dual-POV of Ryat and Blakely. Ryat is a Lord - a member of a really concerning fraternity that is also a secret society that breeds hitmen and strategically places powerful men into society, to essentially own the world. They perform despicable acts and in their final year of college, they are rewarded with the opportunity to choose a Chosen, a sex slave who they own for the year. Blakely is the ex-girlfriend of Matt, having recently broken up with him after finding out he has been cheating on her she is angry as she was saving herself for him. She is extremely frustrated and agrees to be Ryat's chosen for a little sexual adventure and wild ride. Unbeknownst to her though Ryat was ordered by a mysterious man to make her his chosen.
Blakely was a very difficult character for me to get a read on, and I couldn't decide if she was meek, timid, submissive or if she was bratty and fiercely strong-minded. Her actions fluctuate a lot between how she acts with her absentee family, Matt and Ryat. I wanted her to find her teeth a little bit sooner with Ryat, and I really wanted her to give a little bit more to fight when things got kinky.
Ryat is a psychopath. There is no other way to describe him, and he probably needs the same amount of therapy that I do... Actually, maybe he needs a shit-tonne more. He is an alphahole, commanding, powerful, obsessive and possessive in his ways and actions because even though Blakely is a "job"- he is completely besotted with her. He cannot stand being out of control and is destructive and explosive when this is challenged. These temperaments OBVIOUSLY bleed into his delicious sexual proclivities.
Their twisted romance is very much built on sexual attraction and is completely crazy. But something I really appreciated about it was the maturity that bled through in their discussions about sexual fantasy and kink. I don't like it when people kink shame, so it made me really angry when her ex-boyfriend shamed her for her fantasies. Calling her dirty and disgusting and making her feel less about herself. Ryat was able to have an adult conversation with her about what she wanted, what her boundaries were, and what they could explore together. He gave her her fantasy while still respecting her boundaries (even if they seemed blurry). It was refreshing to see his communication and openness that she allowed herself to be vulnerable and explore avenues of herself that were new.
This book is kinky, and given the SPICE rating, you would think it might just be FULL ON smut. And that's not really true. There was a plot somewhere in here, but it does not shy away from having pretty graphic scenes very early on and very frequently... that if you're pretty vanilla, it might make you uncomfortable. BUT SOMETIMES A GIRL JUST WANTS DIRTY!
I was very on track to give this five stars, given how much I was enjoying it. But at 63%, the book turned for me, and that was because it introduced the whole "I want to put a baby in you" trope, which I don't particularly like seeing in college romance. For me, these characters are too young, in my opinion, to be thinking about babies. And no offence to anybody who has had a baby early, (I respect everybody's decisions) but almost taking away her choice by forcing it on her just didn't sit right with me. I prefer if they have a chance to explore their relationship as a couple, as twisted, chaotic and depraved as it is before they start talking about bringing children into this world.
Coupled with that the plot ended up being so chaotic with aspects thrown in without their foundation being built prior in the novel. There were too many unanswered questions that left the book feeling unfinished and underwhelming
Tropes and Kinks:
▶ Obsessive and Possessive MC
▶ College/University Setting
▶ Billionaire/Rich Guy
▶ Virgin FMC
▶ Alphamale
▶ Secret Society
▶ Anal Play
▶ Dub-Con
▶ BDSM Elements
▶ Knife Play and Rope Play
▶ Primal Kink
▶ Voyeurism
▶ Mine
▶ Degradation and Praise.... oh your good girl fantasies will squeal!
Even though I might need therapy for enjoying this, it was still a great read and I love the fact that my 🐧Bestie Twinsie🐧 and I stumbled across it. I am not sure how we agreed to pick this book up, but I am so glad that I had a sidekick willing to delve into the darkness with me and enjoy the ride.
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (I don't often give a full 5, but oh boy did this deserve it!)
Oh, LORDY LORDY LORD! Never has a series name been quite so aptly used to describe who I need to speak to after reading this. Because I need to beg for forgiveness after all the depravity that is in this book. I am sure that I need help from either a priest or a psychologist because I enjoyed the shit out of this and that means I need therapy on a whole bunch of levels. I did not expect the ride that I got from this book and whilst refreshing, it was absurd.
This book was dark, gritty, dirty, rough, carnal, and oh-so spicy! And BOY did I lap it up like a little kitten drinking milk for the first time. It played into every dark, dirty, depraved desire that I love, and it just ticked every box in what I NEEDED in a dark twisted love story.
It follows a Dual-POV of Ryat and Blakely. Ryat is a Lord - a member of a really concerning fraternity that is also a secret society that breeds hitmen and strategically places powerful men into society, to essentially own the world. They perform despicable acts and in their final year of college, they are rewarded with the opportunity to choose a Chosen, a sex slave who they own for the year. Blakely is the ex-girlfriend of Matt, having recently broken up with him after finding out he has been cheating on her she is angry as she was saving herself for him. She is extremely frustrated and agrees to be Ryat's chosen for a little sexual adventure and wild ride. Unbeknownst to her though Ryat was ordered by a mysterious man to make her his chosen.
Blakely was a very difficult character for me to get a read on, and I couldn't decide if she was meek, timid, submissive or if she was bratty and fiercely strong-minded. Her actions fluctuate a lot between how she acts with her absentee family, Matt and Ryat. I wanted her to find her teeth a little bit sooner with Ryat, and I really wanted her to give a little bit more to fight when things got kinky.
Ryat is a psychopath. There is no other way to describe him, and he probably needs the same amount of therapy that I do... Actually, maybe he needs a shit-tonne more. He is an alphahole, commanding, powerful, obsessive and possessive in his ways and actions because even though Blakely is a "job"- he is completely besotted with her. He cannot stand being out of control and is destructive and explosive when this is challenged. These temperaments OBVIOUSLY bleed into his delicious sexual proclivities.
Their twisted romance is very much built on sexual attraction and is completely crazy. But something I really appreciated about it was the maturity that bled through in their discussions about sexual fantasy and kink. I don't like it when people kink shame, so it made me really angry when her ex-boyfriend shamed her for her fantasies. Calling her dirty and disgusting and making her feel less about herself. Ryat was able to have an adult conversation with her about what she wanted, what her boundaries were, and what they could explore together. He gave her her fantasy while still respecting her boundaries (even if they seemed blurry). It was refreshing to see his communication and openness that she allowed herself to be vulnerable and explore avenues of herself that were new.
This book is kinky, and given the SPICE rating, you would think it might just be FULL ON smut. And that's not really true. There was a plot somewhere in here, but it does not shy away from having pretty graphic scenes very early on and very frequently... that if you're pretty vanilla, it might make you uncomfortable. BUT SOMETIMES A GIRL JUST WANTS DIRTY!
I was very on track to give this five stars, given how much I was enjoying it. But at 63%, the book turned for me, and that was because it introduced the whole "I want to put a baby in you" trope, which I don't particularly like seeing in college romance. For me, these characters are too young, in my opinion, to be thinking about babies. And no offence to anybody who has had a baby early, (I respect everybody's decisions) but almost taking away her choice by forcing it on her just didn't sit right with me. I prefer if they have a chance to explore their relationship as a couple, as twisted, chaotic and depraved as it is before they start talking about bringing children into this world.
Coupled with that the plot ended up being so chaotic with aspects thrown in without their foundation being built prior in the novel. There were too many unanswered questions that left the book feeling unfinished and underwhelming
Tropes and Kinks:
▶ Obsessive and Possessive MC
▶ College/University Setting
▶ Billionaire/Rich Guy
▶ Virgin FMC
▶ Alphamale
▶ Secret Society
▶ Anal Play
▶ Dub-Con
▶ BDSM Elements
▶ Knife Play and Rope Play
▶ Primal Kink
▶ Voyeurism
▶ Mine
▶ Degradation and Praise.... oh your good girl fantasies will squeal!
Even though I might need therapy for enjoying this, it was still a great read and I love the fact that my 🐧Bestie Twinsie🐧 and I stumbled across it. I am not sure how we agreed to pick this book up, but I am so glad that I had a sidekick willing to delve into the darkness with me and enjoy the ride.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
smilestarshine's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Torture, Gaslighting, Violence, and Rape
wandering_seal's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Look it was fine. There are some really fucking questionable decisions going on storywise - the kiddos names at the end for one, and the weird need to write out the name and artist of every song they hear playing.
This is one of those books where I'm somehow meant to believe the MMC has only had sex as a teenager and has been abstinent for the past three years before getting a pet sex slave and is somehow amazing at everything he wants to do with a solid working knowledge of all the kinks and how to navigate our FMCs body. Oh and he's a super awesome killer. With a future in law. Yep. Yeah. The suspension of disbelief was hard in this one.
I think you know what your getting into with these books. The lack of kinkshaming was really nice, and the emphasis on consent was also good considering this is a story with lots of dubcon aspects. I listened to it on audiobook at twice speed so the length of the plot didn't really bother me, but it is a loooong story and the later part in particular could have been tightened up.
This is one of those books where I'm somehow meant to believe the MMC has only had sex as a teenager and has been abstinent for the past three years before getting a pet sex slave and is somehow amazing at everything he wants to do with a solid working knowledge of all the kinks and how to navigate our FMCs body. Oh and he's a super awesome killer. With a future in law. Yep. Yeah. The suspension of disbelief was hard in this one.
I think you know what your getting into with these books. The lack of kinkshaming was really nice, and the emphasis on consent was also good considering this is a story with lots of dubcon aspects. I listened to it on audiobook at twice speed so the length of the plot didn't really bother me, but it is a loooong story and the later part in particular could have been tightened up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, Drug use, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse
lexuslovesbooks's review against another edition
this is so painfully pretentious,
the lords sound like big violent babies and there is no substance or plot.
the lords sound like big violent babies and there is no substance or plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Blood
chesneisanchez's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Child death, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Sexual content, Blood, Rape, and Violence