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Primas and Predators: A Dark College Romance
Five years ago, my best friend became my worst nightmare. The boy I adored in middle school turned into the person who tormented me during high school. I never thought fate would be cruel enough to trap us on the same college campus, but here we are. Now, the boy I once loved has become a hardened man… who refuses to let me go.
Ian Vargas claims that he’s never cared for anyone the way he cares for me. He says that there was a time when he saw me as his weakness, a vulnerability he wanted to cut out of his system. But after a year apart, he’s convinced that I’m his salvation, and he refuses to lose me again. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that there isn’t a force in existence strong enough to stop Ian from getting what he wants.
As old enemies resurface and long-buried grudges ignite, Ian batters away at my resistance, determined to prove that our destinies have always been tangled together. At the same time, danger stalks us, gearing to shatter the fragile peace we’re creating. The demons we left behind aren’t finished with us yet, and they’ll do whatever it takes to destroy our tenuous bond.
Primas and Predators is a dual-POV spicy dark college romance. It features an unapologetic anti-hero who doesn’t ask for a second chance—he simply takes it—and a heroine who’s headstrong, independent, and determined to resist the man who refuses to let her go. This book contains content that may be triggering for some readers. Please check the Author’s Note before reading.
Ian Vargas claims that he’s never cared for anyone the way he cares for me. He says that there was a time when he saw me as his weakness, a vulnerability he wanted to cut out of his system. But after a year apart, he’s convinced that I’m his salvation, and he refuses to lose me again. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that there isn’t a force in existence strong enough to stop Ian from getting what he wants.
As old enemies resurface and long-buried grudges ignite, Ian batters away at my resistance, determined to prove that our destinies have always been tangled together. At the same time, danger stalks us, gearing to shatter the fragile peace we’re creating. The demons we left behind aren’t finished with us yet, and they’ll do whatever it takes to destroy our tenuous bond.
Primas and Predators is a dual-POV spicy dark college romance. It features an unapologetic anti-hero who doesn’t ask for a second chance—he simply takes it—and a heroine who’s headstrong, independent, and determined to resist the man who refuses to let her go. This book contains content that may be triggering for some readers. Please check the Author’s Note before reading.
419 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 30, 2024
37 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Rose Gravestone
9 books67 followersRose likes to write about complex, oftentimes twisted main characters who grow stronger together on whichever journey they take. Watch out for sexy morally grey heroes and sharp, intelligent heroines within settings ranging from fantasy to academia to the underworld of organized crime.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 8, 2024
Very Dark romance. What our Heroine went through was just despicable and she was too forgiving.
June 6, 2025
⭐️ Rating: 4.25/5
🔥 Spice Level: 3.5/5 (Emotional kink, obsession, and some very sharp-edged tension)
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Dub-con, childhood trauma, past sexual abuse, stalking, manipulation, obsessive love, toxic power dynamics, and sociopathic behavior.
Let’s get one thing straight—this isn’t your cutesy childhood friends-to-lovers fluff fest. This is childhood friends to psychological terrorism and sexual tension with enough venom to make a cobra clutch its pearls.
Enter Ian Vargas: a walking red flag with the charisma of a cult leader, the ego of a god, and the moral compass of a villain in a Greek tragedy. He’s not trying to earn forgiveness—he’s steamrolling through redemption like a freight train of delusion and dominance. At eight years old, he was setting honey-spider traps for nannies. At eighteen? He’s emotionally waterboarding the girl he once promised the world to.
And April? Oh, bless her jaded little heart. She’s fierce, talented, and still picking splinters from the bridge he emotionally set on fire. She’s not a pushover—she’s a former ballerina turned fire-breather, and if there’s one thing this book nails, it’s the “I hate you but also why is my body betraying me?” energy. Their chemistry is electric. It’s also toxic, twisted, and entirely addictive.
The writing is sharp, sarcastic, and full of that unhinged, “we shouldn’t root for this but here we are” flavor. Rose Gravestone doesn’t hold back—she leans into the psychological warfare and makes it dance in pointe shoes. It’s naughty in that “we’re definitely going to hell, but we’ll be hot and holding hands” kind of way.
Highlights:
• Ian’s voice: unhinged, sexy, terrifying. Like a sociopathic poet with abs.
• April’s resilience: this girl carries her trauma like a sword.
• Banter that bites, burns, and bruises.
• Obsession done right—not romanticized, but undeniably magnetic.
Downsides:
• It will make you question your taste in men.
• Do not read this if you need your characters morally upright or even slightly sane.
• Therapy is not just recommended—it’s practically a character.
Final Thoughts:
This is a twisted, intense, and unapologetically dark ballet of betrayal and fixation. If you love your romance with a side of psychological warfare and enough red flags to start a parade, then welcome to your new obsession.
🔥 Best read with: a locked door, a glass of red wine, and a good therapist on speed dial.
💀 Mood: Dark academia meets emotional revenge fantasy.
🎭 Verdict: It’s not healthy—but damn, it’s hot.
🔥 Spice Level: 3.5/5 (Emotional kink, obsession, and some very sharp-edged tension)
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Dub-con, childhood trauma, past sexual abuse, stalking, manipulation, obsessive love, toxic power dynamics, and sociopathic behavior.
Let’s get one thing straight—this isn’t your cutesy childhood friends-to-lovers fluff fest. This is childhood friends to psychological terrorism and sexual tension with enough venom to make a cobra clutch its pearls.
Enter Ian Vargas: a walking red flag with the charisma of a cult leader, the ego of a god, and the moral compass of a villain in a Greek tragedy. He’s not trying to earn forgiveness—he’s steamrolling through redemption like a freight train of delusion and dominance. At eight years old, he was setting honey-spider traps for nannies. At eighteen? He’s emotionally waterboarding the girl he once promised the world to.
And April? Oh, bless her jaded little heart. She’s fierce, talented, and still picking splinters from the bridge he emotionally set on fire. She’s not a pushover—she’s a former ballerina turned fire-breather, and if there’s one thing this book nails, it’s the “I hate you but also why is my body betraying me?” energy. Their chemistry is electric. It’s also toxic, twisted, and entirely addictive.
The writing is sharp, sarcastic, and full of that unhinged, “we shouldn’t root for this but here we are” flavor. Rose Gravestone doesn’t hold back—she leans into the psychological warfare and makes it dance in pointe shoes. It’s naughty in that “we’re definitely going to hell, but we’ll be hot and holding hands” kind of way.
Highlights:
• Ian’s voice: unhinged, sexy, terrifying. Like a sociopathic poet with abs.
• April’s resilience: this girl carries her trauma like a sword.
• Banter that bites, burns, and bruises.
• Obsession done right—not romanticized, but undeniably magnetic.
Downsides:
• It will make you question your taste in men.
• Do not read this if you need your characters morally upright or even slightly sane.
• Therapy is not just recommended—it’s practically a character.
Final Thoughts:
This is a twisted, intense, and unapologetically dark ballet of betrayal and fixation. If you love your romance with a side of psychological warfare and enough red flags to start a parade, then welcome to your new obsession.
🔥 Best read with: a locked door, a glass of red wine, and a good therapist on speed dial.
💀 Mood: Dark academia meets emotional revenge fantasy.
🎭 Verdict: It’s not healthy—but damn, it’s hot.
July 8, 2025
Primas and Predators is the second book of the series and gives us April and Ian's story. I wasn't sure going in how I was going to feel about this one as I don't typically care for "bully" romances, but luckily we didn't really get a whole lot of those scenes. We got just enough for us to understand why April was so hesitant to let Ian back in but it wasn't so over the top that he was unredeemable, especially considering his reasonings for acting the way he did. I liked the characters in this one and I loved getting more glimpses of Seth, Elia, and Carson so I will say you definitely need to read that one first as the two books are sort of intertwined. Like the first book, there were some grammatical issues - I would even say there were more in this one than the first. There were also a few inconsistencies with parts of the story here and there. I also think that while I love the way Rose writes and how she tells a story, I do wish there was a bit more substance to the plot in this one. Some parts of it felt very repetitive and then once we did start to get somewhere with them communicating with each other, it would just jump to an intimate scene. I do love the way she writes those but sometimes I just wanted them to pause and talk with each other.
I received a free ARC of this book via BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received a free ARC of this book via BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 23, 2025
This book had me hooked from the end of Muses & Monsters. I love how in depth April is and how fleshed out Ian feels as a character. And to see the personal growth from both characters is refreshing!
The way Rose writes her characters makes them feel like real people instead of this impossibly high standard of fiction. And the way that April doesn't expect Ian to hide who he is, embraces it really, adds so much to her as a character.
When I first started this book and once I found out about younger Ian, I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy him as a love interest, but boy was I wrong. Ian holds a special place in my heart with how devoted he was to April and to show her he is not the same young boy he used to be. I encourage anyone who might not vibe with the first bit to power through because the dynamic between these two, and April making him work for it, is a delight.
The way Rose writes her characters makes them feel like real people instead of this impossibly high standard of fiction. And the way that April doesn't expect Ian to hide who he is, embraces it really, adds so much to her as a character.
When I first started this book and once I found out about younger Ian, I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy him as a love interest, but boy was I wrong. Ian holds a special place in my heart with how devoted he was to April and to show her he is not the same young boy he used to be. I encourage anyone who might not vibe with the first bit to power through because the dynamic between these two, and April making him work for it, is a delight.
May 10, 2025
Second book in the series... and I will not stop!! This is my personal favorite Rose Gravestone book so far. April and Ian are two characters who are so close to my heart, throughout the story we slowly learn their history and the paths that shaped both of their lives. The depth they both have and how well thought-out their characters are is absolutely stunning. The tension, passion, and angst in this book are unmatched. Ian is the deep, dark book boyfriend who will stop at nothing to get his girl, and April is a badass FMC with many, many walls up. Their journey is just CHEF'S KISS emotional, intense, and perfectly paced- not to mention filled with the ideal amount of spice.
November 16, 2024
Over all the novel left nothing that said YES I loved that or I did not like that. It was a quick read for me as I wanted to know what happened next with April and Ian.
April though I loved her character and development, I thought she forgave Ian a little too early. Ian was less unhinged than I thought he would be. I tend to read more darker novels than this so maybe that is just my fault. However if you are just starting to get into this genre I recommend you immerse yourself with April and Ian's story. You won't be disappointed.
April though I loved her character and development, I thought she forgave Ian a little too early. Ian was less unhinged than I thought he would be. I tend to read more darker novels than this so maybe that is just my fault. However if you are just starting to get into this genre I recommend you immerse yourself with April and Ian's story. You won't be disappointed.
March 23, 2025
Fantastic! Who doesn't love an alpha, sociopathic dom? April is Ian's other half to make him whole. Who doesn't love that kind of love? He will love and protect her at all costs while trying to make up for what he did to her in the past. April is a strong fierce woman who loves him even through everything. Definitely worth a read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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October 27, 2024April had bad high school years of bullying because her ex-best friend Ian created the problem. She had loved and needed him since she was young. When he came home from vacation and cut ties with April, she was confused about why Ian did not want to be in her life. She started her first year at Greywood College and ended up running into Ian. She is a different person from who he used to know.
March 28, 2025
Needs editing
I really liked the premise of this book, and there were some really good parts, but it had some issues. It read more like a series of scenes and exposition but with some of the major scenes missing and then kind of recapped. There were also probably too many tropes and a good number of inconsistencies.
I really liked the premise of this book, and there were some really good parts, but it had some issues. It read more like a series of scenes and exposition but with some of the major scenes missing and then kind of recapped. There were also probably too many tropes and a good number of inconsistencies.
April 17, 2025
This author creates the most intriguing characters. I'm not simply referring to her main characters either. Being fairly new to her books, I get the feeling that there are entire series I have missed just from the rich peripheral characters here. So if you like strong self reliant love interest that clash as often as they mesh, check out her very well written twisted tale of obsession.
May 17, 2025
DNF'd at page 49, but should have done so sooner. I held on hoping that the first few chapters were only so bad because she had trouble writing children. However, things did not improve when the characters matured to college-aged. It felt like I was being beaten over the head with exposition, and the dialog was painfully unrealistic and awkward. no flow.
May 31, 2025
I devoured this book, it did everything Muses did but better and added tropes that I adore, was better written and allowed to see more of the characters we already loved as well!
I loved the dynamic between April and Ian and found myself very attracted by Ian.
Also, I did not see the climax coming and it put me at the edge of my seat!!
I loved the dynamic between April and Ian and found myself very attracted by Ian.
Also, I did not see the climax coming and it put me at the edge of my seat!!
April 28, 2025
DNF at 60%, ugh.
June 25, 2025
Loved this one!
A great story. I loved that April was such a strong character and that Ian was so enamoured of her. Possibly my favourite of the series so far.
A great story. I loved that April was such a strong character and that Ian was so enamoured of her. Possibly my favourite of the series so far.
December 31, 2024
Such a good book. Love how it flowed with the first book. I will definitely be reading more books from this author.
April 17, 2025
Some good ideas and chapters, but over all repetitive and boring. Tried to finish but DNF with 80%.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews