Wicked Games

by Kristin Buoni, Stella Hart

They’re young, rich, ruthless… and one of them is a killer.
In the halls of Babylon Prep, a group of wealthy students reign supreme, led by the brutal and hypnotically handsome Maverick Reinhart.

I’m the new scholarship kid from the wrong side of the tracks, instantly marking me as Maverick’s latest target. I thought I could survive his wrath if I kept my head down, but then the invitations arrived; the ones with blood-red seals and ominous instructions. Before I knew it, I was trapped in a locked-down mansion with all of my worst bullies, and now high school is no longer my biggest survival challenge.

The rules in this place are play the deadly games, or you don't get out.

I’ll do whatever it takes to stay alive and unmask our mysterious captor, even if that means seeking sanctuary with Maverick. But his protection comes with a price… and it could cost me my heart.


Wicked Games is a standalone read. Containing bully romance, dangerous games, and power struggles in an elite world, this thrilling story will get your adrenaline pumping and leave you questioning everything…

This book includes scenes that may be disturbing to some readers.

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Thriller, Dark, Horror, Mystery

358 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2024

About the author

Kristin Buoni is the shared pen name of dark romance author Stella Hart and her romance-loving sister-in-law, K, who has always had a passion for writing and finally decided to give it a proper try.

S and K both love coming up with new ideas and gut-wrenching twists, so it was only a matter of time before they decided to team up and write books together! When they aren’t plotting, reading, or writing, they’re hanging out with their cats and bingeing their favorite TV shows.

Find them on Facebook here --->

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Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

'𝐖I𝐂K𝐄D G𝐀M𝐄S' Is a full length dark romance book by new to me author Kristin Buoni. Spoken in 'dual perspectives.' Carey & Maverick

First off whilst searching for my next read the cover caught my eye, one read over the blurb and it was game over one clicked off Amazon and I dived right in, and what a goody this one turned out to be. Twists and turns had me lapping up the pages, easy to get into, harder to put down. As soon as I started this, I was hooked. I wouldn’t really say this is a bully book, a few instances occurred but not enough to peg it as a bully book.

Carey had been offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, basically a get out of prison card free and that was to accept a place at one of the best boarding schools in the West Coast on a full scholarship, clearing all her misdemeanors of multiple chargers one including grand theft auto. So who in there right mind would refuse, it was either that or prison.

Maverick is one amongst many of the rich kids which attends Babylon Preparatory Academy, he's hot, he's popular, and a guy you don't want to mess with. As soon as Carey steps onto the school grounds she's under hs radar, to make matters even worse there was a mix up with dorm assignments and she's been assigned to share his dorm room.

Then mysteriously twelve students are handed invitations to an exclusive gathering at a high end mansion to join their society, each arriving at different times.

And that's when the games begin...

Like puppets on strings a group of twelve students were subjected to a few deadly games, neither of them knew why they were chosen to partake in these games with the Game Master pulling all the strings, each level one student would die a gruesome death.

The aim..one survivor

All of them had a secret
All of them would be revealed

This had me sitting on the edge of my seat as I raced through the pages trying to piece together the puzzle revealing who the Game Master was. Not going to lie, I had my doubts about all of them and not the one I should’ve been focusing on. This was inhaled in one sitting, the plot pulled me in, the deadly games had me by the throat, and even though this was my first read by this author it most definitely won’t be the last.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ao3 mention….*insert homelander wig gif*

[benevolent bastard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing mind fuck

[Melissa Houpt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearing her 18th birthday, Carey was facing some legal issues but is given the opportunity to attend a school as an alternative to harsher punishment. 12 members of the school are invited to play a game. Will they all die or can they survive the Game Master? This is a dark romance and suggest checking trigger warnings before reading. This had a great plot and was easy to devour in one sitting. This was my first book by Kristin Buoni but after reading this, it won’t be my last. I loved the flow of her writing. If you love dark romance and you liked saw, definitely add this to your TBR.

[ThatNerdViolet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark bully academia meets SAW in this spicy thriller. I was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The less you know going into it, the better.

[Brandi-Lynn Weiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I started reading the prologue I was instantly hooked. But I was not expecting the turn of events this book took. I wasn’t fully surprised at who the Game Master was, I was kinda suspicious about this person, but when it was actually revealed I still found myself surprised by everything. I loved the plot, & the setting was perfect. I maybe would’ve liked to have felt more of a connection between Maverick & Carey. But regardless this was a great read that I devoured in one sitting!
I wouldn’t necessarily consider this a bully book, but it’s definitely a dark romantic suspense! It had me saying “oh no!” a couple times. Definitely has Saw vibes.
I’ve read every book Kristin has out & really enjoyed them all, this one included! I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next with this author.

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this mind bending, twisty, turny banger!
Carey causes an accident and is expecting jail time until an offer for a full scholarship to a prestigious college and a clean record falls in to her lap.
What seems like a fabulous opportunity turns into a complete nightmare when she’s drugged and made to take part in the wicked games! People die, they all suffer physically and psychologically and I loved every gruesome minute of it.
An absolute page turner I’m glad I picked up. Will definitely be reading more by this author.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this kept me on my toes. Glad I dived into this. New author to me. The Characters and the story was amazing kept me hooked and I could not put it down. I had the escape room feels.

[Nyx (Nikki) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

3.75 ⭐
It's giving Point Horror for adults and I'm here for it!!!
This book is described as bully romance, but it wasn't THAT extreme. I felt it was a little more enemies to lovers, where one side totally hated and the other disliked because they thought they should. This isnt a negative by any means! Just a shout out for those extreme "bully" readers.
The pace was fast, the plot was twisty and intriguing, and the Saw-type games were great! I would have perhaps like to see more build up between our MC's, but overall a fun read 🖤

[shreena · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay so this book was so much better than i expected. as the title suggests i thought it was just gonna be like a typical high school enemies to lovers situation but it turned out to be a horror thriller kinda thing. which honestly im not composing like yea i started reading it for the romance but by the end i could care less about that. although i wish that we could’ve seen more of a connection between carey and mav because i feel plenty hey didn’t really connect like the only thing they share are trauma bonds from that house of horrors. ok and moving on to that. i was in SHOCK😱🤯😮 when i found out that the game master was april. like i was reading some of the review that didn’t have spoiler before starting the bio and they were like yea i kinda knew it the person from the beginning. like what!!? i genuinely thought it was either hunter or like one of the other guys i didn’t in a million years think that it was one of the girls let alone APRIL. like i was kinda pissed because she was so two faced and like psychotic. in the beginning i was like oh she’s sweet like she gonna e the best friend NOT THE FREAKING KILLER! and the whole reason that she was doing it made me so mad. revenge really girl bsfr. anyway i love that it showed our what happened like month or years later because i hate when authors leave it right at the resolution like i want to know more you know. i’m kinda happy that we didn’t get more romance because i don’t think it would have made sense to be all lovey while everyone around you is getting killed and you are basically stuck in a house that’s one some random island. also if that ever happened to me i would hands down just jump or like start swimming. but yea overall i love this book!! 4⭐️

[Vchilling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Devoured this in one sitting because the suspense keeps you going but I really must say the writing was not good.

The dialogue felt cringy af.
The exposition was so bad that 80% of the plot was told to us in dialogue as if someone was explaining what the book was about instead of us experiencing it. (Except for the games those weee written amazingly. I will say it’s just outside writing that was awful)
This should have been a duet, so they could have built relationships, built angst, anger, etc between the characters cause I didn’t care for any of them. Like all the interactions felt superficial.

The plot itself was absolutely amazing. Well thought out, intricate, suspenseful, thrilling, and entertaining. It’s just how the book was written.

Like nothing was left in the air for the reader to guess or assume, everything was over explained and so there was never thAT OMG NO WAY. Moment cause they assumed the reader was too stupid to keep up with a clues and twist. Idk

Was I surprised by who it was? No.


And stop reading here if you don’t want any spoilers cause I’m spoil who it is and why I suspected them all along.

.x
X
X
X
Stop.
X
X
X
I’m so serious
X
X
X
I warned you
X
X
X

My first hint that it was April was her dad being the one to hand out the invitations.
Once they got to the house, they said she was the only one that had the resources to pull it off and they were right.
During the truth or die part, some of the truths were clearly things that tied easily into her sisters overdose.
Tate selling drugs. Hudson raping girls. What maverick did to Carey with the help of jasmine and Keri easily pointed them as bullies. Then Zach and Courtney’s affair, all boiled back to things that would drive a highschool girl to drugs.
And even tho Brooke, Evan, and Rhys and Carey had not so obvious parts, 7 out of 11 people having clear to me roles was enough to solidify that April was the game maker.

I had always suspected that the game maker was going to fake their own deaths, and I’ll admit tho after the 7 levels of hell I was confused bc I didn’t put it together like Carey did that aprils body wasn’t present (cause tates arm wasn’t convincing me too much) but still

[Mimiru Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has by far been one of my most unique reads this year! Perfect for someone seeking a spooky, Halloween vibe but also want a sizzling, bully/enemies-to-lovers romance between pages filled with psychological thrills, blood and paranoia!

This book starts off like a typical dark bully romance with Carey (FMC) given a chance to clear her criminal record by attending a prestigious school on a sponsored scholarship. After she takes it, she realizes that Maverick, the guy whose car she ended up crashing into, also attends. The pacing in the first part of this book leads one to believe that this is a well-written, run of the mill romance....until Carey and her friends receive an invitation to interview for a secret society in a creepy murder mansion. After waking up, she and her friends find that they are among 12 victims drugged and forced to fight for their lives in seriously fkd up versions of famous childhood games.

But are they all victims? Or is there someone among them the person known as the Games Master? When they start dying off one by one it is up up Carey and Maverick to narrow down their suspects...or else none of them will make it out alive. This book is perfect for fans of franchises like Saw and Squid Games but also want a dash of spice in their pages!

⚠️💀CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING as there may be situations not suitable for everyone.💀⚠️

🔥What to expect:🔥
🩸Dark Romance
🖤Bully/Academy Romance
🩸Whodunnit
🖤🌶🌶
🩸Mvrd3r Mystery
🖤Psychological Thriller
🩸Masked Villain
🖤Saw/Squid Games vibes
🩸Enemies to Lovers
🖤Perfect for Horror Babes
🩸Dual POV
🖤Lies & Betrayals
🩸HEA

⚠️Some Triggers to Expect:⚠️
💀Blood
🏴K!dnapp!ng
💀Drvgg!ng of main characters
🏴Forced Proximity
💀K!ll!ng/Death
🏴Bully!ng of FMC
💀Graphic depictions of gore

[Dimitra A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliciously dark

This was my first book by Kristin Buoni and I loved the way she weaved the story, the characters and the generally the whole book vibes. It was definitely a dark romance, but I wouldn’t categorize it as a bully one per ce, although there were some bully things included.

I loved Carey and Maverick. Carey was a strong, levelheaded heroine, with a heart of gold. Maverick, although he has his reasons hating her at first, can’t deny his attraction for long. He is determined and protective – he would literally get a bullet for her. I loved their dynamic. The story starts when Carey is given a choice – face legal charges leading to juvenile or attend Babylon Prep Academy – one of the most prestigious and sought after schools in the world as a scholarship student. She is suspicious from the start – as she should be. There is a whirlwind of events that lead to a bunch of students (Carey and Maverick included) trapped into playing the lethal Wicked Games – there can only be one of them left alive in the end. There were numerous jaw dropping moments in this rollercoaster of a story. I mean, who or why would target those specific students? When the truth comes to light, I was shocked – even if I was a bit suspicious of who might be behind all. I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t tell anything else about the plot, but rest assured that it is fast paced, intriguing and engaging and I couldn’t put my kindle down till the very last page.

All in all, a great 5-star read that I highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this mind-bending, twisty, turny banger! 📚✨ We are thrown headfirst into a whirlwind of deceit, danger, and psychological torment.

Carey, our protagonist, finds herself at a crossroads after causing an accident, her future seemingly destined for jail time. However, a miraculous offer of a full scholarship to a prestigious college and a clean record changes everything—or so she thinks. 🎓🕵️‍♀️

What seems like a fabulous opportunity turns into a complete nightmare when she’s drugged and made to take part in the wicked games! 😱 What initially appears as a golden ticket quickly transforms into a nightmarish descent into the depths of human depravity. 💉🩸

Kristin's mastery of suspense keeps the tension taut throughout, leaving readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning pages to uncover the next shocking twist. What truly sets "Wicked Games" apart is its unflinching portrayal of the human psyche under extreme duress. Carey's journey is a harrowing one, filled with moments of despair and resilience in equal measure. The characters feel achingly real, their pain and fear palpable with every turn of the page. 😨

Despite the dark subject matter, there's an undeniable allure to the story—a morbid fascination that compels readers to continue, even as the horrors unfold. It's a testament to the author's skill that such gruesome events can be so compellingly rendered. 💔

An absolute page-turner I’m glad I picked up📚🔥 If you're looking for a thriller that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, "Wicked Games" is the one for you! 🌀

[Precious C Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God! I am totally breathless and filled with adrenaline. This book was totally worth it and if there was more than five stars, I'll give it a hundred. The book is absolutely brilliant and the authors...I give it to you. You are really amazing and mindblowing. I could kiss you if I could. This book is the best read of my year. The games orchestrated by the villains in this book? No, I didn't see it coming. However, from the first glance getting to know the characters, I figured the predator.

The character I loved most was Zach. There was something about him that made me want to read from his P.O.V. Forget about Maverick and Carey. But Carey really had the guts. And I loved her for it.

This book is a mix of Squid game and The Hunt and if you are really a fan of thriller novels, Wicked Games by Kristin Buoni is the best home alone read for you. And you know what darlings, watch your backs because you never know what's coming next.

[chesirern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked Game (Sinners of Babylon Prep) by Kristin Buoni is psychological, dark, twisted, romance novel. Oh my goodness, okay review is done. Seriously though this book was a twisty dark but excellent reading ride. I want to add before going further check what’s in the book before reading just to make sure it’s for you!
Carey is a scholarship student sent to Babylon Prep after an incident. Everything is not as simple as it seems when she catches the eyes Maverick Reinhart. Then things get even stranger when she is invited to a crazy game in a locked mansion with other people including Maverick.
I do not want to give to much away but this book is so good. The mystery, intrigue, twist of romance and you have to wait to see what the end has in store. I can not wait to see what else this author has in store.

[Nichole Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely some triggers, so please read the TWs before reading.

I really enjoyed this book. I was both shocked and not shocked by who the Game Master ended up being. I didn't want it to be this person and at times I thought it was someone else when everyone else made their points, but then other times, it just seemed like it would have to be this person.

Seven Minutes in Hell might have been the worst game in my opinion, but they were all horrible. And as many secrets that came out, I don't think it was a reason for any of these people to actually die.

I was glad that the Final Five ended up close at the end, especially Carey and Maverick. Their HEA was nice after all the torture that happened to them.

I'm looking forward to reading other things by this author.

[Jill Mess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I was going into a typical NA bully romance, but boy, was I wrong.
Carey finds herself as a fish out of water in the ultra-rich ultra exclusive boarding school after a series of potentially life ruining events. As she becomes accustomed to this new environment, she gets an exclusive invite to a secret society that could be the end of her life.

I really liked the characters. The plot at the beginning was a little slow for me to get into, but it definitely picked up once the action started. It was a pretty cohesive story, their motivations made sense, and the intimate scenes were definitely spicy. I'm excited to see more in this universe (if there is more) and really enjoyed this author's voice.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hunger Games meets Saw in this book when Carey (FMC) and Maverick end up in this sadistically violent murder house. One where secrets are used against you and everyone is a suspect.

Carey finds herself left like a fish out of water when she's given a proposal that she either enrols on a scholarship to Babylon Prep (A School for Rich Kids) or Prison. Not much choice there then really!! Only this school is chock full of kids that all have deep-seated secrets. When 12 invites are sent out to 12 students it kicks off a violent set of games for all of them.

A brilliantly dark book with great plot twists and turns that lead up to one hell of an ending. I was gripped by it from start to finish. It was a cracking read.

[KayCee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bully romance with SAW vibes? Yes please. Carey, a poor girl with legal troubles, enters the ridiculously rich world at Babylon Prep as a plea deal. However, things go wrong for her right off the bat. Carey runs, literally, into the guy whose car she ruined that landed her in the legal trouble to begin with. When Carey gets an invitation to a secret society event, she thinks it's yet another elaborate scheme to get her to leave. Carey discovers that 11 others have been invited to this elite party as well. But once the games start and the Game Master reveals the plan, no one is safe. Will they all make it out alive or will they fail the games.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the halls of Babylon Prep, a group of wealthy students reign supreme, led by the brutal and hypnotically handsome Maverick Reinhart. Carey is the new scholarship kid from the wrong side of the tracks, instantly marking her a target in Maverick’s eye. She thought she could survive his wrath if she kept her head down, but then the invitations arrived; the ones with blood-red seals and ominous instructions. Before she knows it, she’s trapped in a locked-down mansion with all of her worst bullies, and now high school is no longer her biggest survival challenge. Wow!!! An intense and suspenseful read. But has trigger warnings. Am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Games were definitely wicked!

These authors did an amazing job of weaving and incredible story! From bullying to mystery and suspense, to terror and horror. With a little love story thrown in too.
The first few chapters were a little slow starting. But, once the invitations were received, the story really picked up, took off, and didn't let go. It kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat. I stayed up all night reading because I couldn't put it down until the end.
I was shocked by who the Game Master was.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If gossip girl got trapped in a "saw" themed escape room with squid game level consequences.

While this book was advertised as a dark romance/bully romance...I think it fits more under the suspence/thriller trope. Yes there is a sprinkle of romance, but that's not the main concept of the book.

I absolutely looooved this book. I love how once the twist is revealed you can think back to tiny things from even the beginning of the book put all the pieces together.

[Danii_NH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn’t consider this book dark romance. It’s basically a high school squid game. Very elaborate and very intriguing but I didn’t like the love connection. I just didn’t feel it. The plot is amazing, and I loved the FMCs personality, but I would have loved it if the MMC was more ruthless and at least had friends. He was too Prince Charming and soppy for a dark romance. And also popular because it was stated, but nothing showed.

[Kasey Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well the story line was very intriguing and good. I didn’t expect the twist at the end though! The whole time I thought it was Maverick! Never suspected who it actually was. It was a really good read, and it just reminded me of a huge escape room! I’m glad the characters got along at the end, and they were able to put aside differences and just be together. As for spice I’ll give it a 2. It wasn’t like a dark romance book, but it had a good little romance in it.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun thriller and horror book. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

I knocked out one star because I thought the romance was very underdeveloped. They come from enemies to lovers in record time with no realization in between, so if that means a lot to you, you may want to sit this one out. Honestly, I would read something like this again WITH the underdeveloped romance. If anyone has any recommendations, please DM me or comment with suggestions!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sinners of Babylon Prep School were the elite rule and games are played. But this game is were you die. 12 school members get an invite and all show up, but they never thought they could die playing a game. Did they all die or beat the host of the game.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its been a while since I've read a book by this author and wow did this one blow me away! I really enjoyed the plot and twists, devouring this in one evening! A dark bully romance that really gave me all the right feels and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Yane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had potential but fell short for me. I enjoyed the concept of the games and trying to figure out who it was. What I didn’t like was the development of the MCs relationship. I felt there was a disconnect between them and didn’t really feel their relationship was genuine. Basically, it didn’t give me the feels and the story lacked angst and spice for me.

[Teresa Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Totally not expecting this, raw, brutal, anda great juicy storyline that never flagged, weakened, or run out of steam. I really didn't want it to end as snippets, lives, and relationships were dissected, and all the badness oozed out into the world. Loved it, loved it, loved it🖤🖤🖤