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From Best to Bested
Roman Grayson has turned his prison stint into an opportunity of fame by becoming the reigning champion in an underground fight club. But when he’s dethroned by a new inmate, Roman quickly loses everything that made his incarceration bearable. From the extra perks of being champion, to the authority of keeping fellow inmates in line, all the way to his best friend being forced to room with the man who stole everything from Roman.
In a desperate attempt to win back his title and respect, Roman challenges the new reigning champion to a rematch, but Ezra Delgado only wants one thing from Roman. His pride. Roman has more enemies than he can count in the form of hostile inmates, angry guards, and a corrupt warden who’d gladly see Roman dead so long as it made a profit. If he wants to survive, Roman will have to decide how much of himself he’s willing to sacrifice for Ezra’s entertainment.
From Best to Bested is a MM dark romance. This is a tale about defeat, surrender, and submission, then clawing a way back out. Please check content warnings at the beginning of the book.
In a desperate attempt to win back his title and respect, Roman challenges the new reigning champion to a rematch, but Ezra Delgado only wants one thing from Roman. His pride. Roman has more enemies than he can count in the form of hostile inmates, angry guards, and a corrupt warden who’d gladly see Roman dead so long as it made a profit. If he wants to survive, Roman will have to decide how much of himself he’s willing to sacrifice for Ezra’s entertainment.
From Best to Bested is a MM dark romance. This is a tale about defeat, surrender, and submission, then clawing a way back out. Please check content warnings at the beginning of the book.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 13, 2025
131 people are currently reading
3361 people want to read
About the author
M.N. Bennet
11 books371 followersMN Bennet is a high school teacher, writer, and reader. He lives in the Midwest, still adjusting to the cold after being born and raised in the South.
He enjoys writing paranormal and fantasy stories with huge worlds (sometimes too big), loveable romances (with so much angst and banter), and Happily Ever Afters (once he’s dragged his characters through some emotional turmoil).
When he’s not balancing classes, writing, or reading, he can be found binge watching anime or replaying Baldur's Gate 3 for the millionth time.
He enjoys writing paranormal and fantasy stories with huge worlds (sometimes too big), loveable romances (with so much angst and banter), and Happily Ever Afters (once he’s dragged his characters through some emotional turmoil).
When he’s not balancing classes, writing, or reading, he can be found binge watching anime or replaying Baldur's Gate 3 for the millionth time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
May 9, 2025
This book was an absolute WASTE of my time. What the high pitch of hell this came from ?
This first of all was marked as a Dark Romance and it’s ABSOLUTELY NOT ! ROMANCE WHERE? Please show me ! This is humiliation and degradation, an absolute break of a person’s will and morals just because …. (I can’t tell why so it is not a spoiler)
There was no in depth exploration of Roman’s character, you know why he is in prison and you know he is a cocky champion of the prison underground fight. But he has morals and he does use his influence to help others, SPECIFICALLY his best friend Levi….. don’t you even get me started on Levi ! FUCK ! I want to unread this book. I want my time back, I want to erase from my brain.
Ezra was a HATE from the minute he shows up. I DESPISED his character, he was a pice of shit son of a bitch rap?!$t and I like that he got what he deserved, cause you know? FUCK HIM and FUCK LEVI too. Sadly Roman will never know about it…… 😤
Also Roman broke wayyyyyyyyyyyy too easily, I thought he was going to put more of a fight. 🙄🙄 but regardless of all and the reason Roman was in prison for, he truly didn’t deserve all that happened to him, it was an accident.
And this is coming from me a person who LOVESSSSSSS dark romance, bully romance, I don’t love it but I will take degradation when it’s well written, I can tell you that I am A BIG FAN and LOVE TO DEATH the Alabaster Penitentiary series by Nyla K. and I was expecting this book to be in this line and I was sadly mistaken. I get that some people liked this book, however I am not some people. In fact I hated.
This first of all was marked as a Dark Romance and it’s ABSOLUTELY NOT ! ROMANCE WHERE? Please show me ! This is humiliation and degradation, an absolute break of a person’s will and morals just because …. (I can’t tell why so it is not a spoiler)
There was no in depth exploration of Roman’s character, you know why he is in prison and you know he is a cocky champion of the prison underground fight. But he has morals and he does use his influence to help others, SPECIFICALLY his best friend Levi….. don’t you even get me started on Levi ! FUCK ! I want to unread this book. I want my time back, I want to erase from my brain.
Ezra was a HATE from the minute he shows up. I DESPISED his character, he was a pice of shit son of a bitch rap?!$t and I like that he got what he deserved, cause you know? FUCK HIM and FUCK LEVI too. Sadly Roman will never know about it…… 😤
Also Roman broke wayyyyyyyyyyyy too easily, I thought he was going to put more of a fight. 🙄🙄 but regardless of all and the reason Roman was in prison for, he truly didn’t deserve all that happened to him, it was an accident.
And this is coming from me a person who LOVESSSSSSS dark romance, bully romance, I don’t love it but I will take degradation when it’s well written, I can tell you that I am A BIG FAN and LOVE TO DEATH the Alabaster Penitentiary series by Nyla K. and I was expecting this book to be in this line and I was sadly mistaken. I get that some people liked this book, however I am not some people. In fact I hated.
November 4, 2024
I come in peace(and for guidance because maybe I'm a rookie but y'all are fraternizing with TEN INCH DICKS?
Christ. Would explain the hollow feeling y'all keep claiming when relationships end.
Why does Ezra have a 10 inch dick? It's neither necessary for the plot or the sex😂😂😂😂😂I'm so amused honestly. WHY?!
“Hold it,” Ezra demanded, keeping a firm grip on Roman’s head while the entirety of his dick ached in Roman’s throat.
The entirety of the 10 inch dick? I call bullshit.
' Roman believed Ezra had stretched his entire throat out already, but somehow, he managed to find some muscles still tight enough to please him.'
💀💀💀💀Ezra the Explorer.
'As Roman lapped at Ezra’s ball sack, the man slapped Roman’s face with his dick'
This guy is such a menace, honestly 😂
'He smacked Roman in the face with his dick, laughing lightly every time Roman flinched when the dickhead hit his eye.'
😂😂😂😂😂Come on, man.
“All right.” Ezra stepped closer, his dick almost touching Roman’s nose. “Open your mouth and say oooooo.”
I see now why one of the TWs on this was degradation because what is this rubbish 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
This started out funny and then got really dark, really sad, really fast. And then the twists started coming and they didn't stop coming.
You ever started a book, seen the page with trigger warnings and skipped it, figuring, 'meh, I can probably handle it'? Yeahhhh, DON'T DO THAT with this one.
Even having read the TWs, I was still aghast at some of the things I read(but tbf, I rarely read dark romance, but also, genuinely, the TWs are accurate. Nothing was a surprise)
I don't know if there's a good way to exhaustively review this without spoiling what I can say are some of the best plot twists I've read recently. There's stuff that's not even hinted at in the blurb and I feel should be experienced by each reader on their own so I won't get into the latter half of the book for that reason.
My one annoyance was that the big bad undefeated champion in this penitentiary is a 22 year old. Christ. Howwwwww is this even possible? I wish authors feared older MCs less. Especially in a book with this many triggers.
I had a range of feelings with this one. First it was funny, then I was confused. Then I got sad, THEN enraged, then I got a glimmer of hope, thought it would end on a nice warm note, THEN it ended with a WTF feeling.
If I wanted my mom to come pick me up because I was scared BUT I also really wanted to know what happened next, that sounds like a win to me.
***If dark romance is your thing, I feel like this will be right up your alley. If it's not, once again I implore you to read the TWs because the author MEANT that list. Exhaustively.
CWs:
- CNC
- Dubcon
- Manipulation
- Gaslighting
- Coercion
- Humiliation
- Bullying
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Self-loathing
- Name calling (pet names that are not affectionate)
- Homophobia
- Toxic masculinity
- Power Imbalance
- Hazing
- Violence/fighting
- Physical assault
- Hospitalization
- Torture (physical and psychological—not in relation to sex)
- Toxic relationship
- Emotional assault
- Emotional submission
- Graphic deaths (off page but explicit)
- Graphic violence on page
- Death on page
- Blood
- Service-oriented submission
- Attempted SA (on page)
Extreme acts of sex: oral, face and throat fucking, total top who is rough/aggressive, anal, choking, spanking, face slapping, fingering, rimming, biting, public play, pain, cum swallowing/eating/playing, breath play, praise and degradation, vocal top, noisy sub, hands-free orgasm, voyeurism, power dynamics including extreme acts of submission, cock warming, tongue baths, somnophilia, gagging, spitting, breeding, conditioning (psychological)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Christ. Would explain the hollow feeling y'all keep claiming when relationships end.
Why does Ezra have a 10 inch dick? It's neither necessary for the plot or the sex😂😂😂😂😂I'm so amused honestly. WHY?!
“Hold it,” Ezra demanded, keeping a firm grip on Roman’s head while the entirety of his dick ached in Roman’s throat.
The entirety of the 10 inch dick? I call bullshit.
' Roman believed Ezra had stretched his entire throat out already, but somehow, he managed to find some muscles still tight enough to please him.'
💀💀💀💀Ezra the Explorer.
'As Roman lapped at Ezra’s ball sack, the man slapped Roman’s face with his dick'
This guy is such a menace, honestly 😂
'He smacked Roman in the face with his dick, laughing lightly every time Roman flinched when the dickhead hit his eye.'
😂😂😂😂😂Come on, man.
“All right.” Ezra stepped closer, his dick almost touching Roman’s nose. “Open your mouth and say oooooo.”
I see now why one of the TWs on this was degradation because what is this rubbish 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
This started out funny and then got really dark, really sad, really fast. And then the twists started coming and they didn't stop coming.
You ever started a book, seen the page with trigger warnings and skipped it, figuring, 'meh, I can probably handle it'? Yeahhhh, DON'T DO THAT with this one.
Even having read the TWs, I was still aghast at some of the things I read(but tbf, I rarely read dark romance, but also, genuinely, the TWs are accurate. Nothing was a surprise)
I don't know if there's a good way to exhaustively review this without spoiling what I can say are some of the best plot twists I've read recently. There's stuff that's not even hinted at in the blurb and I feel should be experienced by each reader on their own so I won't get into the latter half of the book for that reason.
My one annoyance was that the big bad undefeated champion in this penitentiary is a 22 year old. Christ. Howwwwww is this even possible? I wish authors feared older MCs less. Especially in a book with this many triggers.
I had a range of feelings with this one. First it was funny, then I was confused. Then I got sad, THEN enraged, then I got a glimmer of hope, thought it would end on a nice warm note, THEN it ended with a WTF feeling.
If I wanted my mom to come pick me up because I was scared BUT I also really wanted to know what happened next, that sounds like a win to me.
***If dark romance is your thing, I feel like this will be right up your alley. If it's not, once again I implore you to read the TWs because the author MEANT that list. Exhaustively.
CWs:
- CNC
- Dubcon
- Manipulation
- Gaslighting
- Coercion
- Humiliation
- Bullying
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Self-loathing
- Name calling (pet names that are not affectionate)
- Homophobia
- Toxic masculinity
- Power Imbalance
- Hazing
- Violence/fighting
- Physical assault
- Hospitalization
- Torture (physical and psychological—not in relation to sex)
- Toxic relationship
- Emotional assault
- Emotional submission
- Graphic deaths (off page but explicit)
- Graphic violence on page
- Death on page
- Blood
- Service-oriented submission
- Attempted SA (on page)
Extreme acts of sex: oral, face and throat fucking, total top who is rough/aggressive, anal, choking, spanking, face slapping, fingering, rimming, biting, public play, pain, cum swallowing/eating/playing, breath play, praise and degradation, vocal top, noisy sub, hands-free orgasm, voyeurism, power dynamics including extreme acts of submission, cock warming, tongue baths, somnophilia, gagging, spitting, breeding, conditioning (psychological)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 14, 2025
Roman is the reigning champion of his prison's fight club. He enjoys the privileges that come with his status and uses his influence to improve the lives of his fellow inmates until he is dethroned by cruel, manipulative Ezra. Now that the protection that came with his title is gone, Roman and his cellmate Levi become the targets of the other inmates. Becoming Ezra's plaything seems to be Roman's only option. How far will he need to go to keep Ezra entertained?
My advice to anyone reading this book is to heed the trigger warnings. This book is dark and explores the injustice of the American prison system, and features some sadistic characters that Roman is not able to get away from. There is very little kindness in prison.
The reason for my 2 star rating...In my opinion, this book is not a romance. I know that may be a matter of personal opinion, and while it might technically meet the criteria for a romance, the vibes of this book are not romantic at all. I read a lot of dark MM romance and erotica, and have no problem with those stories as long as they are categorized properly. Going in, I need to know what I'm reading. If it's full on non-con, manipulation, abuse and mind break, I can still read and enjoy those books, as long as I don't go in expecting romance or a somewhat tolerable ending. I felt uneasy and honestly kinda gross reading this book. The twist at the end did not improve my reading experience at all and actually made me question how much of the book was believable when you have characters manipulating situations in a prison environment where they have very little control, and so many things happen purely due to luck or happenstance.
I think there are quite a few dark MM romance readers who will enjoy the book quite a lot because it is different from any other dark MM romance I've read. I think that it may end up being one of those polarizing books that you absolutely love or completely loathe. I am, unfortunately, in the latter group. With that said, I can't fault the writing or the way the author researched the book. The book is edited well. I did not find the characters compelling but I believe others may.
Rating: 2 stars
Angst: 5/5
Steam: 0.5/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
My advice to anyone reading this book is to heed the trigger warnings. This book is dark and explores the injustice of the American prison system, and features some sadistic characters that Roman is not able to get away from. There is very little kindness in prison.
The reason for my 2 star rating...In my opinion, this book is not a romance. I know that may be a matter of personal opinion, and while it might technically meet the criteria for a romance, the vibes of this book are not romantic at all. I read a lot of dark MM romance and erotica, and have no problem with those stories as long as they are categorized properly. Going in, I need to know what I'm reading. If it's full on non-con, manipulation, abuse and mind break, I can still read and enjoy those books, as long as I don't go in expecting romance or a somewhat tolerable ending. I felt uneasy and honestly kinda gross reading this book. The twist at the end did not improve my reading experience at all and actually made me question how much of the book was believable when you have characters manipulating situations in a prison environment where they have very little control, and so many things happen purely due to luck or happenstance.
I think there are quite a few dark MM romance readers who will enjoy the book quite a lot because it is different from any other dark MM romance I've read. I think that it may end up being one of those polarizing books that you absolutely love or completely loathe. I am, unfortunately, in the latter group. With that said, I can't fault the writing or the way the author researched the book. The book is edited well. I did not find the characters compelling but I believe others may.
Rating: 2 stars
Angst: 5/5
Steam: 0.5/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
January 24, 2025
Roman made a mistake that landed him in prison. He ends up turning it into an opportunity to be the reigning champion of the Underground Fight Club in the prison. That is until Ezra shows up. He quickly loses everything that made his incarceration livable when Ezra becomes the new champion. In an attempt to keep his head above water, Roman submits to Ezra and offers him something he hasn’t offered anyone else. Despite Levi, Roman’s best friend in prison begging him to see the light, will Roman ever?
PLEASE READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS for this book and the Author’s Note. It’s a lot. It’s incredibly dark and sad and hard to read for about 80%. I was so angry while I was reading and I’m not going to call it a dark romance novel. The ending doesn’t make up for it, but I do wish the ending had been a bit more of the book. I wanted to see Roman bloom. It is well written, I’ll give it that. MN Bennett created a world that was very easy to envision it was obviously researched. I would never rate a book less because it had stuff I’m not into in it, so that’s not what’s going on here. I knew what I was getting into but this is falsely advertised as a romance. It is my belief this book contains sexual assault and rape and is not properly noticed in the content warnings. I can read almost anything if I know what I’m getting into. I didn’t here and that isn’t okay. I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
PLEASE READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS for this book and the Author’s Note. It’s a lot. It’s incredibly dark and sad and hard to read for about 80%. I was so angry while I was reading and I’m not going to call it a dark romance novel. The ending doesn’t make up for it, but I do wish the ending had been a bit more of the book. I wanted to see Roman bloom. It is well written, I’ll give it that. MN Bennett created a world that was very easy to envision it was obviously researched. I would never rate a book less because it had stuff I’m not into in it, so that’s not what’s going on here. I knew what I was getting into but this is falsely advertised as a romance. It is my belief this book contains sexual assault and rape and is not properly noticed in the content warnings. I can read almost anything if I know what I’m getting into. I didn’t here and that isn’t okay. I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 14, 2025I think this would make a great horror book, but based on the first half, it isn't really a dark romance. I would have enjoyed it more if I'd known that going in.
November 26, 2024
Book/Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Book Cover: ⭐
Please read the author’s note at the start of the book for a list of content warnings!
POV: Singular, Third Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Trope(s):
Enemies to lovers (maybe)
Friends to lovers (maybe)
Alpha males (maybe)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️️🌶️
Genre: MM Romance, Dark Romance
Debut Novel: No
Safe or Dark: Dark
Release Date: January 13, 2025
Please, please, please make sure you check the content warnings before starting this book. I CAN’T STRESS THAT ENOUGH! This is an extremely dark, sad, and at times difficult read. Please also make sure you’re in the right mindset to dive into this type of story. Some parts of this are darker than midnight on a boat in the middle of the ocean.
🚨 FALSE ADVERTISEMENT WARNING!🚨
If you are looking for a romance story you might want to check elsewhere. Although this is classified as a “Dark Romance” I don’t feel like it was that at all. There was nothing romantic about anything that was going on here. No romantic vibes were to be found.
Honestly, I enjoyed this book much more than I initially thought I would.
This book gave off the same vibes as the movie Fight Club.
If Fight Club were set in a penitentiary.
The first rule of Penitentiary Fight Club is: you don’t talk about Penitentiary Fight Club. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
Well, Roman Grayson should be kicked out of the club because he does talk about it. A lot. In fact, that’s pretty much the only thing he talks about during the entirety of this book.
We don’t get much backstory on Roman, so that made it hard to relate to him as a character. We know that he ended up in jail and why, but that’s pretty much it. All he did was tell us about how big of a badass he was but never explained what made him that way. He also gave into things rather quickly for someone who was headstrong and didn’t consider himself a pushover. Roman was supposedly a cold-hearted bastard, but he used his clout within the penitentiary to protect others from some pretty heinous acts. Which honestly, I loved. That was the best thing about him.
Roman very early on made it clear that there were certain things he would NVER EVER do. However, he turns around and bends over for Ezra pretty easily. He gives into him without much of a fight. So that was confusing and somewhat of a bummer.
I wanted to see more out of Roman’s character development. While we do get some, it ultimately falls flat and doesn’t do enough to redeem him in my eyes.
Levi Pierce is by far the best character in this story. I would love for him to have his own book. He was my absolute favorite. Levi was such a ride or die. He was a big teddy bear. Levi definitely had the most engaging off-page story arc.
I enjoyed Ezra Delgado more than Roman, but he wasn’t all that wonderful. He’s a lunatic. Plain and simple. The man was a bona fide psychopath. We get zero backstory on Ezra, but somehow that worked for him. You don’t know what his motives are for treating Roman the way that he does. You just know there is something deeper going on under the surface. Dare I say I liked his character? Excuse me while I go question my sanity and morals.
The whole story is told from Roman’s point of view, which is a shame because I would have loved to get Ezra and Levi’s POVs as well. Especially since, in my personal opinion, they were far more interesting than Roman.
I’m not much of an expert when it comes to penitentiaries and the way they operate, but I feel confident enough to say that some parts of this book were farfetched. I have also never been incarcerated, so I’m not sure what life is like on the inside, but I feel like so many aspects of this story were blown out of proportion. So, keep in mind that you might have to suspend reality for a bit in order to thoroughly enjoy this story.
I don’t even know where to start with the smut. It’s a huge aspect of the plot. However, it is not the kind of smut I usually enjoy. I don’t think it’s the kind of smut any reader would enjoy (well, you do you, I don’t kink shame). It’s uncomfortable, sad, and at times enraging.
Let me tell you, folks. I had a slight inkling about the first plot twist in this story but could never confirm it. However, the twist in the epilogue caught me totally off guard. THE EPILOGUE! So well done. I would love to see more of how that particular storyline played out.
The first 60% of the book is pretty repetitive. The same things are happening over and over again, but it didn’t feel like too much of a chore to get through. You just have to make it a bit past the half-way mark for things to pick up.
Despite my qualms and complaints, overall I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, fairly fast-paced read. Bennet’s writing style flowed nicely while still being easy to follow. The plot is done well, and the story telling is pretty good. At some points it felt like there was a lot more telling than showing in some scenes, but for me that wasn’t all that bad because that does tend to happen sometimes with any author.
At the end of the day. This was a decent read that had a lot of emotion behind it.
TLDR: A VERY DARK READ THAT SHOULDN’T BE CATEGORIZED AS ROMANCE! WORTH CHECKING OUT IF YOU ARE IN A SAFE MINDSET!
As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊
I would like to thank M.N. Bennet and BookSirens for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.
Book Cover: ⭐
Please read the author’s note at the start of the book for a list of content warnings!
POV: Singular, Third Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Trope(s):
Enemies to lovers (maybe)
Friends to lovers (maybe)
Alpha males (maybe)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️️🌶️
Genre: MM Romance, Dark Romance
Debut Novel: No
Safe or Dark: Dark
Release Date: January 13, 2025
Please, please, please make sure you check the content warnings before starting this book. I CAN’T STRESS THAT ENOUGH! This is an extremely dark, sad, and at times difficult read. Please also make sure you’re in the right mindset to dive into this type of story. Some parts of this are darker than midnight on a boat in the middle of the ocean.
🚨 FALSE ADVERTISEMENT WARNING!🚨
If you are looking for a romance story you might want to check elsewhere. Although this is classified as a “Dark Romance” I don’t feel like it was that at all. There was nothing romantic about anything that was going on here. No romantic vibes were to be found.
Honestly, I enjoyed this book much more than I initially thought I would.
This book gave off the same vibes as the movie Fight Club.
If Fight Club were set in a penitentiary.
The first rule of Penitentiary Fight Club is: you don’t talk about Penitentiary Fight Club. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
Well, Roman Grayson should be kicked out of the club because he does talk about it. A lot. In fact, that’s pretty much the only thing he talks about during the entirety of this book.
We don’t get much backstory on Roman, so that made it hard to relate to him as a character. We know that he ended up in jail and why, but that’s pretty much it. All he did was tell us about how big of a badass he was but never explained what made him that way. He also gave into things rather quickly for someone who was headstrong and didn’t consider himself a pushover. Roman was supposedly a cold-hearted bastard, but he used his clout within the penitentiary to protect others from some pretty heinous acts. Which honestly, I loved. That was the best thing about him.
Roman very early on made it clear that there were certain things he would NVER EVER do. However, he turns around and bends over for Ezra pretty easily. He gives into him without much of a fight. So that was confusing and somewhat of a bummer.
I wanted to see more out of Roman’s character development. While we do get some, it ultimately falls flat and doesn’t do enough to redeem him in my eyes.
Levi Pierce is by far the best character in this story. I would love for him to have his own book. He was my absolute favorite. Levi was such a ride or die. He was a big teddy bear. Levi definitely had the most engaging off-page story arc.
I enjoyed Ezra Delgado more than Roman, but he wasn’t all that wonderful. He’s a lunatic. Plain and simple. The man was a bona fide psychopath. We get zero backstory on Ezra, but somehow that worked for him. You don’t know what his motives are for treating Roman the way that he does. You just know there is something deeper going on under the surface. Dare I say I liked his character? Excuse me while I go question my sanity and morals.
The whole story is told from Roman’s point of view, which is a shame because I would have loved to get Ezra and Levi’s POVs as well. Especially since, in my personal opinion, they were far more interesting than Roman.
I’m not much of an expert when it comes to penitentiaries and the way they operate, but I feel confident enough to say that some parts of this book were farfetched. I have also never been incarcerated, so I’m not sure what life is like on the inside, but I feel like so many aspects of this story were blown out of proportion. So, keep in mind that you might have to suspend reality for a bit in order to thoroughly enjoy this story.
I don’t even know where to start with the smut. It’s a huge aspect of the plot. However, it is not the kind of smut I usually enjoy. I don’t think it’s the kind of smut any reader would enjoy (well, you do you, I don’t kink shame). It’s uncomfortable, sad, and at times enraging.
Let me tell you, folks. I had a slight inkling about the first plot twist in this story but could never confirm it. However, the twist in the epilogue caught me totally off guard. THE EPILOGUE! So well done. I would love to see more of how that particular storyline played out.
The first 60% of the book is pretty repetitive. The same things are happening over and over again, but it didn’t feel like too much of a chore to get through. You just have to make it a bit past the half-way mark for things to pick up.
Despite my qualms and complaints, overall I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, fairly fast-paced read. Bennet’s writing style flowed nicely while still being easy to follow. The plot is done well, and the story telling is pretty good. At some points it felt like there was a lot more telling than showing in some scenes, but for me that wasn’t all that bad because that does tend to happen sometimes with any author.
At the end of the day. This was a decent read that had a lot of emotion behind it.
TLDR: A VERY DARK READ THAT SHOULDN’T BE CATEGORIZED AS ROMANCE! WORTH CHECKING OUT IF YOU ARE IN A SAFE MINDSET!
As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊
I would like to thank M.N. Bennet and BookSirens for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.
October 11, 2024
ARC REVIEW 2.5 ⭐️
This book fell flat for me. I am apparently a very picky reader.
The characters:
•Roman: This didn’t even feel like Roman’s story. He felt like a side character, and was easily the least interesting person in the book. From page one, he is fickle and his driving factors are inconsistent. The audience is not given a clear picture of who he is besides “champion”. It’s hinted at that his childhood wasn’t the best, but that’s it. He has a temper and seems mighty full of himself for no other reason than he is the champion in this prison. He enjoys the superficial benefits of his reign and is supposed to be this uncaring badass, but uses his clout to stop unnecessary cruelty in the prison.
Later, he runs from the consequences of his loss to Ezra because he is just too proud to submit, but once he does give in, he does it SO QUICKLY.
•Ezra: The villain, and much more interesting than Roman (in my humble opinion). Quite likely a psychopath, but you almost want to like him just a little bit. Again, kind of inconsistent in personality, but it makes more sense for his character because you don’t know his motives or backstory. You can sense there is more behind his intent.
•Levi: Probably my favorite character tbh, and his arc, though not shown on page, felt more important and was more interesting than Roman’s.
The plot:
Let’s start with the setting. This felt more like the detention hall of an all-boys academy than a prison. Free rein during the day, a clique-centric cafeteria, and the champion runs it all like the quarterback of the football team in high school. Where are the guards? The schedules? Yes, it is intended to be a corrupt place, but it felt too safe and too unrealistic.
The first 60% of the book was repetitive and felt pointless. I skimmed a lot of it. There was way too much telling, very little showing. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I’m being told how hard Roman’s life is, but it’s like reading a report; I felt nothing. Honestly, it wasn’t even that dark of a story (in my opinion). PLEASE do take into consideration the CW before you read this, but know that if you like dark, emotional stories that this might fall short.
The only reason I gave this book 2.5 instead of 2 stars was the last 40% with a big part of that being the insane plot twist in the EPILOGUE. THE EPILOGUE.
This book fell flat for me. I am apparently a very picky reader.
The characters:
•Roman: This didn’t even feel like Roman’s story. He felt like a side character, and was easily the least interesting person in the book. From page one, he is fickle and his driving factors are inconsistent. The audience is not given a clear picture of who he is besides “champion”. It’s hinted at that his childhood wasn’t the best, but that’s it. He has a temper and seems mighty full of himself for no other reason than he is the champion in this prison. He enjoys the superficial benefits of his reign and is supposed to be this uncaring badass, but uses his clout to stop unnecessary cruelty in the prison.
Later, he runs from the consequences of his loss to Ezra because he is just too proud to submit, but once he does give in, he does it SO QUICKLY.
•Ezra: The villain, and much more interesting than Roman (in my humble opinion). Quite likely a psychopath, but you almost want to like him just a little bit. Again, kind of inconsistent in personality, but it makes more sense for his character because you don’t know his motives or backstory. You can sense there is more behind his intent.
•Levi: Probably my favorite character tbh, and his arc, though not shown on page, felt more important and was more interesting than Roman’s.
The plot:
Let’s start with the setting. This felt more like the detention hall of an all-boys academy than a prison. Free rein during the day, a clique-centric cafeteria, and the champion runs it all like the quarterback of the football team in high school. Where are the guards? The schedules? Yes, it is intended to be a corrupt place, but it felt too safe and too unrealistic.
The first 60% of the book was repetitive and felt pointless. I skimmed a lot of it. There was way too much telling, very little showing. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I’m being told how hard Roman’s life is, but it’s like reading a report; I felt nothing. Honestly, it wasn’t even that dark of a story (in my opinion). PLEASE do take into consideration the CW before you read this, but know that if you like dark, emotional stories that this might fall short.
The only reason I gave this book 2.5 instead of 2 stars was the last 40% with a big part of that being the insane plot twist in the EPILOGUE. THE EPILOGUE.
November 4, 2024
I’m rating it a 3 because the writing and the story were good.
The 2 stars being knocked off comes from a …wtf did I just read.
I feel like I was there… it was awful. I went into this thinking it was a romance and my GOD it isn’t. At all.
Poor Roman 😭😭😭 it almost started off kinda cute (in ways) and I was like yesss come on — and then it just got more and more awful and painful and just … poor ROMAN 😭
While I could have done without that epilogue reveal (can anyone just be a good guy for once? Lmao) I appreciate the authors commitment to the plot.
It’s fucking crazy. Super depressing. Dark and with no real light at the end of the tunnel (just the tiniest sliver of fake happiness for now?)
And I liked Levi too 🤧
The 2 stars being knocked off comes from a …wtf did I just read.
I feel like I was there… it was awful. I went into this thinking it was a romance and my GOD it isn’t. At all.
Poor Roman 😭😭😭 it almost started off kinda cute (in ways) and I was like yesss come on — and then it just got more and more awful and painful and just … poor ROMAN 😭
While I could have done without that epilogue reveal (can anyone just be a good guy for once? Lmao) I appreciate the authors commitment to the plot.
It’s fucking crazy. Super depressing. Dark and with no real light at the end of the tunnel (just the tiniest sliver of fake happiness for now?)
And I liked Levi too 🤧
January 10, 2025
This was an ARC and this is my honest review.
Frankly, I wish I didn't have to review this book. Frankly, I wish I dnf'ed it and just erase it from my memory altogether. However, the promise of the that plot twist made me stick around. What a mistake lol
First of all, this is not romance, dark or otherwise. Wtf was "romance" about this book? Just bc a story has gay fucking, doesn't mean it's romance. This was psychological torture, and it should've been advertised accordingly. But bc I was promised ROMANCE, there needed to be LOVE.
Tbh I will never understand how there's so many high ratings. People will 5⭐ anything ig
And the plot twists were so underwhelming, I saw them a mile away. Maybe not to the extent they were explained, but come on.
Waste of my fucking time.
Frankly, I wish I didn't have to review this book. Frankly, I wish I dnf'ed it and just erase it from my memory altogether. However, the promise of the that plot twist made me stick around. What a mistake lol
First of all, this is not romance, dark or otherwise. Wtf was "romance" about this book? Just bc a story has gay fucking, doesn't mean it's romance. This was psychological torture, and it should've been advertised accordingly. But bc I was promised ROMANCE, there needed to be LOVE.
Tbh I will never understand how there's so many high ratings. People will 5⭐ anything ig
And the plot twists were so underwhelming, I saw them a mile away. Maybe not to the extent they were explained, but come on.
Waste of my fucking time.
January 2, 2025
Um, so, yeah. I read this.
Somehow I'm left feeling like this book was both way too much, like unnecessarily humiliating for one of the MCs and also didn't live up to its promise of being some dark and twisted shit. Allow me to elaborate...
Roman is the champion of an underground prison fight club run by crooked wardens and what seems to be an interconnected network of high-powered funders (although this is not really explained and didn't really need to be for the story). As champion, he runs shit and has a ton of luxuries...and a target on his back.
He is challenged, and beaten by Ezra, a newcomer to the scene, who fights dirty. When ousted from the throne by Ezra, Roman becomes a pariah. He watches from the sidelines for a while, longing for the days when he had it easy. He is especially upset with how his downfall has affected his best friend, Levi, who is now bullied by Ezra. So, Roman challenges Ezra to another fight. The stakes? Roman promises to become Ezra's "friend" (aka cumslut) if he loses.
Well, I think you can imagine how this goes. So, Roman goes from being champion to Ezra's cumslut. He's never done anything with another guy, but all the sudden, Ezra has him on his knees, ramming his 10 INCH DICK down his throat.
So, here's the deal... Ezra treats Roman like trash. But my problem with the book, is that it all seems so superficial. Like, does Ezra do humiliating things to Roman? Yes. He makes him walk around the prison with a glob of his cum on his face. Disgusting. Humiliating. But, somehow, the totality of Roman's humiliation really just seems shallow and showy, like it doesn't GO anywhere. There's no PURPOSE for it.
Also, for a book packed with CWs, this one sure does rinse and repeat sex scenes quite a bit: face fuck, ass pounding, face fuck, ass pounding, face fuck ass pounding, Oh! spice it up...I want you to eat my ass, face fuck ass pounding... I just felt like I was waiting for something to happen the entire way through.
There is a scene in the story (told through flashback) where Roman is drugged and passed around to 6 or 7 of Ezra's friends. This is terrible. I hated this for Roman. But I especially hated it, because it didn't seem to have a point. In the retelling, Roman was completely drugged. He didn't have any thoughts or feelings while it was happening, and he didn't explore his thoughts or feelings after it happened, not really. It was just something terrible that happened to him.
Then... we get to the questionable HEA at the end. I won't spoil it (it's not even really worth spoiling), but it left me feeling like WHY? Why does this author want to punish Roman so much? Just because?
I don't know. It's not nearly as filthy as it sounds like it's going to be based on the CW -- just humiliating, but not in a kink sense. There is zero redemption arc for any character in the book. Zero. There seems to be little point to anything that actually happens.
This was an ARC review. I hate being so critical of ARC copies, because I appreciate the opportunity to review, but this is my honest reaction.
Somehow I'm left feeling like this book was both way too much, like unnecessarily humiliating for one of the MCs and also didn't live up to its promise of being some dark and twisted shit. Allow me to elaborate...
Roman is the champion of an underground prison fight club run by crooked wardens and what seems to be an interconnected network of high-powered funders (although this is not really explained and didn't really need to be for the story). As champion, he runs shit and has a ton of luxuries...and a target on his back.
He is challenged, and beaten by Ezra, a newcomer to the scene, who fights dirty. When ousted from the throne by Ezra, Roman becomes a pariah. He watches from the sidelines for a while, longing for the days when he had it easy. He is especially upset with how his downfall has affected his best friend, Levi, who is now bullied by Ezra. So, Roman challenges Ezra to another fight. The stakes? Roman promises to become Ezra's "friend" (aka cumslut) if he loses.
Well, I think you can imagine how this goes. So, Roman goes from being champion to Ezra's cumslut. He's never done anything with another guy, but all the sudden, Ezra has him on his knees, ramming his 10 INCH DICK down his throat.
So, here's the deal... Ezra treats Roman like trash. But my problem with the book, is that it all seems so superficial. Like, does Ezra do humiliating things to Roman? Yes. He makes him walk around the prison with a glob of his cum on his face. Disgusting. Humiliating. But, somehow, the totality of Roman's humiliation really just seems shallow and showy, like it doesn't GO anywhere. There's no PURPOSE for it.
Also, for a book packed with CWs, this one sure does rinse and repeat sex scenes quite a bit: face fuck, ass pounding, face fuck, ass pounding, face fuck ass pounding, Oh! spice it up...I want you to eat my ass, face fuck ass pounding... I just felt like I was waiting for something to happen the entire way through.
There is a scene in the story (told through flashback) where Roman is drugged and passed around to 6 or 7 of Ezra's friends. This is terrible. I hated this for Roman. But I especially hated it, because it didn't seem to have a point. In the retelling, Roman was completely drugged. He didn't have any thoughts or feelings while it was happening, and he didn't explore his thoughts or feelings after it happened, not really. It was just something terrible that happened to him.
Then... we get to the questionable HEA at the end. I won't spoil it (it's not even really worth spoiling), but it left me feeling like WHY? Why does this author want to punish Roman so much? Just because?
I don't know. It's not nearly as filthy as it sounds like it's going to be based on the CW -- just humiliating, but not in a kink sense. There is zero redemption arc for any character in the book. Zero. There seems to be little point to anything that actually happens.
This was an ARC review. I hate being so critical of ARC copies, because I appreciate the opportunity to review, but this is my honest reaction.
January 13, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ the writing was actually very good, like I flew through the pages so i definitely will be checking out more of this author. I just didn’t care for the plot development. Like eh. I like dark romance with a twist but this just didn’t do it for me. No major surprises and when the “plot twist” finally came it didn’t really “hit” soooo yeah…
Maybe because I expected it to be more romanceyyy?? I mean I love some disturbed dubcon turns into (slightly…… or totallybrainwashed) romance 😂 but that wasn’t even the vibe here. Idk I like, I said it didn’t really do it for me.
Maybe because I expected it to be more romanceyyy?? I mean I love some disturbed dubcon turns into (slightly…… or totallybrainwashed) romance 😂 but that wasn’t even the vibe here. Idk I like, I said it didn’t really do it for me.
October 13, 2024
In a blind rage Roman accidentally kills his best friend and lands himself in a corrupt prison. The only way to survive is to stay at the top of the food chain but when a newcomer knocks him off his throne his choices aren’t much of a choice: die alone in a pit or submit fully to his new master.
Look, this wasn’t bad per se but you gotta suspend a lot of disbelief to enjoy it and it’s not a romance.
Read if you like prison settings (but not very realistic ones), mind break, underground fighting that reads like gladiator games, very large penises, and sex that is more uncomfortable to read than sexy.
The epilogue was surprising but not enough for me to rate this higher. I would’ve liked multi-POV with Ezra and Levi (aka the more interesting characters) getting some time to build up their motivations instead of everything being revealed rather abruptly at the end. As is, it was kind of just okay.
I received an ARC for review and this is my honest opinion.
Look, this wasn’t bad per se but you gotta suspend a lot of disbelief to enjoy it and it’s not a romance.
Read if you like prison settings (but not very realistic ones), mind break, underground fighting that reads like gladiator games, very large penises, and sex that is more uncomfortable to read than sexy.
The epilogue was surprising but not enough for me to rate this higher. I would’ve liked multi-POV with Ezra and Levi (aka the more interesting characters) getting some time to build up their motivations instead of everything being revealed rather abruptly at the end. As is, it was kind of just okay.
I received an ARC for review and this is my honest opinion.
January 12, 2025
5 ⭐️ This book surprised me so much, in the best ways! We follow Roman, an inmate in prison, who is the champion of the fight ring that is conducted by the corrupt warden. But when he is fighting for his place when a new prisoner challenges him for his spot, his whole world crumbles.
This is a very dark story, so remember to read the TW’s! For me personally, not really being into dark (romance) stories, this one was a huge surprise in the most positive way! As much as the story is uncomfortable, the twists and turns had me never really knowing what to expect, and after thinking about the story, I think it was conducted very well and with the ending things are tied up very well.
I also want to say how much I loved MN Bennet’s writing, and I’m excited to read more of their work in the future!
Overall, I really enjoyed this very dark, brutal and thrilling story. As for anyone going into this thinking it is a «stereotypical» dark romance, it is not - but it is a heartbreaking and tough read, but also such a great story, with twists I did not see coming!
A big thank you to the author for giving me an arc of this book!
This is a very dark story, so remember to read the TW’s! For me personally, not really being into dark (romance) stories, this one was a huge surprise in the most positive way! As much as the story is uncomfortable, the twists and turns had me never really knowing what to expect, and after thinking about the story, I think it was conducted very well and with the ending things are tied up very well.
I also want to say how much I loved MN Bennet’s writing, and I’m excited to read more of their work in the future!
Overall, I really enjoyed this very dark, brutal and thrilling story. As for anyone going into this thinking it is a «stereotypical» dark romance, it is not - but it is a heartbreaking and tough read, but also such a great story, with twists I did not see coming!
A big thank you to the author for giving me an arc of this book!
December 29, 2024
2/5 stars! Let me say that Levi was fascinating. I enjoyed his development across the story and the epilogue had an extra twist I doubt many readers saw coming. But 0% was this a romance. I cannot stand when genres are misrepresented. This is not a dark romance. This is dark erotica with no romance. Just because two characters end up together at the end does not make it a romance, when one has been lying from day one. I appreciated the author including content warnings, but what happened was not consensual. It was dr*gging and r*ping the character and then him being made to feel guilty about it. I think this works as a dark story but should never be characterized as a romance.
January 23, 2025
Hmmm. So just putting it out there. This is a dark psychological mystery book. This isn’t dark romance as there is no loving up happening between the antagonist and the protagonist.
Dark romance, no matter what dark shits happens, there ends up being romance, and a messed up version of love between the protagonist and the enemy. That wasn’t the case in this book.
So here is the thing. I went into this thinking Ezra was Roman’s love interest, the blurb made it seem like this was going to be a dark romance book about Ezra and Roman and that’s not the case.
First of all, this really doesn’t needs the dark romance tag. Because even until this ended there was not one romance in sight. I couldn’t even call what happened between Levi and Roman ‘falling in love.’
I would’ve loved this so much if with all the dark themes, we started this off with who the real love interest was. Ezra wasn’t the main character yet his stint with Roman took about 80% of the book. 80% of this book was dedicated to a character that was merely a side character which his role was quite obvious so the plot twist weren’t really hitting. Even the plot twist at the end with Levi felt unnecessary and made no sense.
Now, if this book had started in Levi’s pOv, and we saw him obsess over Roman and orchestrated everything to make Roman his and was even the one who bested Roman, and broke Roman and made Roman fall in love with him, then this would’ve been a Gold Star read. But instead, the supposed love interest who is supposedly the main character only gets his pov at the end of the book and only gets with the guy he’s been obsessed with for years at 90% into the book.
It’s makes no sense that Levi wanted Roman so bad, he was so obsessed with Roman and wanted Roman to fall in love with him so bad that he recruited someone to rape and abuse Roman, and humiliate him and have him ganged raped just so Roman would break and then Roman would rise again and Roman would want him? What? 😹😹😹 I’m sorry, that seems so off and just no. Nope. It doesn’t seemed true to character.
And after everything that happened the fact that Roman’s mental health wasn’t addressed once, was highly disappointing, aside from the disappointing factor that this isn’t romance or whatever.
I really would’ve enjoyed this if the author had just made Ezra the love interest, the enemies to lovers would’ve ate so bad giving Ezra’s purpose and what brought him to the prison. Them falling in love despite all the nasty shit would’ve also been downright messy but also intense because that’s what dark romance is all about getting with the enemy, the bad guy. Would’ve made sense as Ezra breaking Roman and being the person who puts Roman back together because he fell in love with Roman and he doesn’t want revenge anymore. That would’ve made such a beautiful read and a beautiful messed up love story. But instead…. Sigh. 😮💨😮💨😮💨
I love some parts of this, until I didn’t.
*I got a complimentary arc copy of this book and this is my honest review.*
Dark romance, no matter what dark shits happens, there ends up being romance, and a messed up version of love between the protagonist and the enemy. That wasn’t the case in this book.
So here is the thing. I went into this thinking Ezra was Roman’s love interest, the blurb made it seem like this was going to be a dark romance book about Ezra and Roman and that’s not the case.
First of all, this really doesn’t needs the dark romance tag. Because even until this ended there was not one romance in sight. I couldn’t even call what happened between Levi and Roman ‘falling in love.’
I would’ve loved this so much if with all the dark themes, we started this off with who the real love interest was. Ezra wasn’t the main character yet his stint with Roman took about 80% of the book. 80% of this book was dedicated to a character that was merely a side character which his role was quite obvious so the plot twist weren’t really hitting. Even the plot twist at the end with Levi felt unnecessary and made no sense.
Now, if this book had started in Levi’s pOv, and we saw him obsess over Roman and orchestrated everything to make Roman his and was even the one who bested Roman, and broke Roman and made Roman fall in love with him, then this would’ve been a Gold Star read. But instead, the supposed love interest who is supposedly the main character only gets his pov at the end of the book and only gets with the guy he’s been obsessed with for years at 90% into the book.
It’s makes no sense that Levi wanted Roman so bad, he was so obsessed with Roman and wanted Roman to fall in love with him so bad that he recruited someone to rape and abuse Roman, and humiliate him and have him ganged raped just so Roman would break and then Roman would rise again and Roman would want him? What? 😹😹😹 I’m sorry, that seems so off and just no. Nope. It doesn’t seemed true to character.
And after everything that happened the fact that Roman’s mental health wasn’t addressed once, was highly disappointing, aside from the disappointing factor that this isn’t romance or whatever.
I really would’ve enjoyed this if the author had just made Ezra the love interest, the enemies to lovers would’ve ate so bad giving Ezra’s purpose and what brought him to the prison. Them falling in love despite all the nasty shit would’ve also been downright messy but also intense because that’s what dark romance is all about getting with the enemy, the bad guy. Would’ve made sense as Ezra breaking Roman and being the person who puts Roman back together because he fell in love with Roman and he doesn’t want revenge anymore. That would’ve made such a beautiful read and a beautiful messed up love story. But instead…. Sigh. 😮💨😮💨😮💨
I love some parts of this, until I didn’t.
*I got a complimentary arc copy of this book and this is my honest review.*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2025
“Kiss me like your life depended on it. […] Like my lungs hold the air you crave, the breath you need, the love you lost.”
My main opinion about this book is that it felt like it was… unnecessary. I agree that it usually only happens with books that are part of a longer series, but From Best To Bested doesn’t really have a story to tell. It’s mostly a bunch of genres mixed all together but none of them got its own opportunity to shine.
There are some sex scenes that are not really good written, some fights, a plot twist that doesn’t make any sense, a romance that pops out of nowhere… and all of that could be just fine if it wasn’t for one more problem: the story is not believable. The setting, the situations, the characters.
Everything that happens, just happens, without motivations or consequences.
The characters are okay, but the unrealistic setting and situations are not by their side.
The writing is not bad, and you can tell Bennet is an experienced author. It is, however, kind of repetitive.
The Best: It’s a fast easy reading.
The Worst: Like I said before, it seems like the story didn’t have a specific direction/criterion to follow.
I received this for free via Booksirens in exchange for an honest review.
My main opinion about this book is that it felt like it was… unnecessary. I agree that it usually only happens with books that are part of a longer series, but From Best To Bested doesn’t really have a story to tell. It’s mostly a bunch of genres mixed all together but none of them got its own opportunity to shine.
There are some sex scenes that are not really good written, some fights, a plot twist that doesn’t make any sense, a romance that pops out of nowhere… and all of that could be just fine if it wasn’t for one more problem: the story is not believable. The setting, the situations, the characters.
Everything that happens, just happens, without motivations or consequences.
The characters are okay, but the unrealistic setting and situations are not by their side.
The writing is not bad, and you can tell Bennet is an experienced author. It is, however, kind of repetitive.
The Best: It’s a fast easy reading.
The Worst: Like I said before, it seems like the story didn’t have a specific direction/criterion to follow.
I received this for free via Booksirens in exchange for an honest review.
October 7, 2024
**ARC Review**
Let me start off by saying this book was very very very dark, and at times it had me questioning if I could really finish it. Yes, I did read the triggers and I don’t know if it was so much of the content that made me want to push it away or that it was just so daunting to read every brutal thing that happened over and over again. Although, there was light at the end of the tunnel. First off based on the blurb I didn’t really know what to expect and I think I had a preconceived notion as to what this book was truly entailing but I soon realized it was definitely a lot. Roman, who found himself in a sticky situation due to his past winds up in prison and in a fight club at that. The reigning champion, for sometime, one night finds that it is all snatched away when an unknown contender who he didn’t see coming will change his life beyond anything he could’ve imagined. This contender, Ezra, comes in and at first it seems very typical and expected but the reasoning as to why he does what he does to Roman, is very sinister. I would love to dive deep and explain the mental gymnastics and “tricks” that Ezra concocted but I don’t want to give too much away. I will say though, through reading this it definitely shows how manipulation can be stretched so far beyond repair it had me even questioning as I was reading. In the end, the outcome was also something I wasn’t expecting and I thoroughly understand now why the author strategically placed this story as one of submission and survival because it is exactly that, definitely hard earned too. I will be honest and say it made me feel a variety of emotions but overall it is written greatly, easy to follow, paced very well, and the only reason it didn’t give it 5 stars was because I would’ve liked a little more detail into some of the events.
Let me start off by saying this book was very very very dark, and at times it had me questioning if I could really finish it. Yes, I did read the triggers and I don’t know if it was so much of the content that made me want to push it away or that it was just so daunting to read every brutal thing that happened over and over again. Although, there was light at the end of the tunnel. First off based on the blurb I didn’t really know what to expect and I think I had a preconceived notion as to what this book was truly entailing but I soon realized it was definitely a lot. Roman, who found himself in a sticky situation due to his past winds up in prison and in a fight club at that. The reigning champion, for sometime, one night finds that it is all snatched away when an unknown contender who he didn’t see coming will change his life beyond anything he could’ve imagined. This contender, Ezra, comes in and at first it seems very typical and expected but the reasoning as to why he does what he does to Roman, is very sinister. I would love to dive deep and explain the mental gymnastics and “tricks” that Ezra concocted but I don’t want to give too much away. I will say though, through reading this it definitely shows how manipulation can be stretched so far beyond repair it had me even questioning as I was reading. In the end, the outcome was also something I wasn’t expecting and I thoroughly understand now why the author strategically placed this story as one of submission and survival because it is exactly that, definitely hard earned too. I will be honest and say it made me feel a variety of emotions but overall it is written greatly, easy to follow, paced very well, and the only reason it didn’t give it 5 stars was because I would’ve liked a little more detail into some of the events.
January 11, 2025
Just holy wow! Im not going to give an actual review, instead I’ll give you vibes, Romans story is jail house fight club meets Stockholm Syndrome. Romans story is so hard. It’s heartbreaking, harsh, and dark it’s full of past and current trauma. I had no idea what was happening or where the story was going for about 85% of the book, but I could not put it down. My brain was always swirling trying to figure out how Roman would get a HEA, who would end up with, was he broken beyond repair? This was a complete 180 from what I’ve read from M.N. Bennet and I am so happy that he just went all in and told this story. Best and Bested was the best parts of a dark romance and the fun cleaver twists that make a thriller! I really don’t want to give anything away, and if you have no triggers please go into the book blind. Just read the story, get completely immersed in the story and “enjoy” the ride that is Roman, Ezra, and Levi.
June 10, 2025
The PLOT TWISTS. I don’t know that I would actually consider this a dark romance. Lol. But I was hooked from page 1. And mind blown by the ending.
December 26, 2024
Roman landed himself in prison when a night out at the bars after finals leads to someone’s life expiring, and he was the cause. Now the only way to survive his time locked up is to fight, for power, for control, for his life. When his year of reign is stripped away with one miscalculated move landed him at the mercy or the new champion. With his downfall came an offer, an offer to submit ALL of him for safety of himself and his best friend.
Would Roman fight and risk his safety, or would he agree to relinquish his power to save his friend? He has a choice, he always has a choice, but will the choice actually be HIS?
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book is Bennet’s for contemporary book, I can’t even write a long review for this one. Only because if I did I’d be giving away the story and you have to read this one and experience it for yourself. I did NOT see that ending coming my mind was like “W.T.F noooo. No that cannot be what happened” but guess what, it freakin did! It has an HEA I think that’s what you can consider this one lol. This is in a prison setting so please read the TW/CW and take them seriously because this one has some dark moments.
Would Roman fight and risk his safety, or would he agree to relinquish his power to save his friend? He has a choice, he always has a choice, but will the choice actually be HIS?
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book is Bennet’s for contemporary book, I can’t even write a long review for this one. Only because if I did I’d be giving away the story and you have to read this one and experience it for yourself. I did NOT see that ending coming my mind was like “W.T.F noooo. No that cannot be what happened” but guess what, it freakin did! It has an HEA I think that’s what you can consider this one lol. This is in a prison setting so please read the TW/CW and take them seriously because this one has some dark moments.
October 21, 2024
I received an ARC of this book gorgeous an HONEST review.
Okay. So. Prison, fighting, jail etc etc etc - definitely not my usual. I'm a fantasy gay-ly that loves a sweet smutty romantasy and this is nothing of the sort.
IN SAYING THAT I was goooed, gagged (not on 10 inches but I don't think that's for me anyway) but my God. The little wuss in me was very entrapped in reading this book so much so that I stayed up all night to finish it after putting it down for a week getting to late 40.
CW - bullying, humiliation, forced proximity, drug use, abuse, literally SA while being drugged, physical violence, murder there's a LOT going on in this book.
And I feel like I need to preface - this is not my fantasy at all, it's someone's fantasy for sure but not mine - HOWEVER it was a thrilling read. I was waiting for what I thought the plot was gonna turn into and it completely twisted on me and I was caught of guard.
Romans character was annoyingly likeable as you got to see more of the inner machinnations of his mind and how broken down he had been made to feel
Ezra was a little hollow but he was sort of just there to be this big brutish asshole with a third leg and a snooty attitude so I didn't mind that he wasn't a multi faceted character.
The only thing that I was wanting, was closer to the end getting a more fleshed out romance and understanding of the relationship of Levi - in saying this we do get glimpses of what i would almost call fanatical obsession.
All in all 4 stars. I was not expecting this from M N Bennet after reading the Branches of Past and Future but he is definitely on to something. Very dark romance, a lottle bit sexy but still has feeling and pretense behund it.
Thank you for the ARC!!!!
Okay. So. Prison, fighting, jail etc etc etc - definitely not my usual. I'm a fantasy gay-ly that loves a sweet smutty romantasy and this is nothing of the sort.
IN SAYING THAT I was goooed, gagged (not on 10 inches but I don't think that's for me anyway) but my God. The little wuss in me was very entrapped in reading this book so much so that I stayed up all night to finish it after putting it down for a week getting to late 40.
CW - bullying, humiliation, forced proximity, drug use, abuse, literally SA while being drugged, physical violence, murder there's a LOT going on in this book.
And I feel like I need to preface - this is not my fantasy at all, it's someone's fantasy for sure but not mine - HOWEVER it was a thrilling read. I was waiting for what I thought the plot was gonna turn into and it completely twisted on me and I was caught of guard.
Romans character was annoyingly likeable as you got to see more of the inner machinnations of his mind and how broken down he had been made to feel
Ezra was a little hollow but he was sort of just there to be this big brutish asshole with a third leg and a snooty attitude so I didn't mind that he wasn't a multi faceted character.
The only thing that I was wanting, was closer to the end getting a more fleshed out romance and understanding of the relationship of Levi - in saying this we do get glimpses of what i would almost call fanatical obsession.
All in all 4 stars. I was not expecting this from M N Bennet after reading the Branches of Past and Future but he is definitely on to something. Very dark romance, a lottle bit sexy but still has feeling and pretense behund it.
Thank you for the ARC!!!!
October 11, 2024
4/5 stars 4/5 spice
- Dark
- Corrupt prison
- Fighting
- Humiliation, degradation, submission, and manipulation
- Twists
I don’t even know where to start with this book. This isn’t a read for the people who like dark romances but more for the people who like pitch black with a hint of romance. As a person who enjoys dual POV’s and first person writing, I struggled just a little bit reading this. However, the story was just so gripping, I was hooked and ended up finishing it in a day.
There are no innocent characters in this but my heart definitely ached at some parts in this book, especially for Roman. The way he was broken down, manipulated, used, and that scene with Jake and his guys, it was devastating to say the least.
I think M.N did a wonderful job conveying how Ezra broke Roman and brainwashed him. All of his thoughts were structured around believing he needed him and his mind wouldn’t let him think otherwise. I fully empathised with Roman when chose to bury all the red flags and bad memories, and to just think positively to keep his sanity to survive, even though I was internally screaming at him to open his eyes to what was going on.
I saw one of the twists coming and had somewhat of inkling about the second one but it was even darker and had more scheming than I predicted. I kind of wish we saw more of Roman and Levi’s romance. M.N if you’re reading this please make this a duology, I need to know if Roman figures things out and what his reaction would be.
This really is one of those pitch black reads that will leave its mark and be totally unforgettable. I recommend reading this if that’s what you like.
- Dark
- Corrupt prison
- Fighting
- Humiliation, degradation, submission, and manipulation
- Twists
I don’t even know where to start with this book. This isn’t a read for the people who like dark romances but more for the people who like pitch black with a hint of romance. As a person who enjoys dual POV’s and first person writing, I struggled just a little bit reading this. However, the story was just so gripping, I was hooked and ended up finishing it in a day.
There are no innocent characters in this but my heart definitely ached at some parts in this book, especially for Roman. The way he was broken down, manipulated, used, and that scene with Jake and his guys, it was devastating to say the least.
I think M.N did a wonderful job conveying how Ezra broke Roman and brainwashed him. All of his thoughts were structured around believing he needed him and his mind wouldn’t let him think otherwise. I fully empathised with Roman when chose to bury all the red flags and bad memories, and to just think positively to keep his sanity to survive, even though I was internally screaming at him to open his eyes to what was going on.
I saw one of the twists coming and had somewhat of inkling about the second one but it was even darker and had more scheming than I predicted. I kind of wish we saw more of Roman and Levi’s romance. M.N if you’re reading this please make this a duology, I need to know if Roman figures things out and what his reaction would be.
This really is one of those pitch black reads that will leave its mark and be totally unforgettable. I recommend reading this if that’s what you like.
October 8, 2024
One mistake ruined Rowan for life. Now in prison, he is in the fight for his life. One wrong move could mean his end.
Levi befriends Rowan. Even though Levi is massively muscled, he is very meak and mild. Or is he?
This story is about the struggles, mentally and physically, that Rowan goes through just to survive his own situation. And the lengths that Levi is willing to go to in order to save Rowan.
Please read all the trigger warnings before reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Levi befriends Rowan. Even though Levi is massively muscled, he is very meak and mild. Or is he?
This story is about the struggles, mentally and physically, that Rowan goes through just to survive his own situation. And the lengths that Levi is willing to go to in order to save Rowan.
Please read all the trigger warnings before reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 21, 2025
A heavy, challenging story about grief and defeat that shows you the worst kind of good along with the most devastating kind of villains. Even though I would like to see a sequel, this works as a standalone story that takes you on a downward spiral that doesn't let you go until you are finished. Devastating, addictive, definitely not for everyone, but excellent.
December 27, 2025
This "book" is just about a guy getting raped repeatedly in prison. terrible
April 6, 2025
The book was absolutely NOT A ROMANCE and almost killed me to read 99% of the time. (Other reviews show that this book is falsely advertised)
I went into it thinking it would be a Dark Romance story, BUT STILL ROMANCE.
Totally wrong. I thought Ezra and Roman would be the protagonists and fall in love after being enemies. HELP, it was just nonstop emotional abuse throughout the whole book.
I don't think any book has ever traumatized me like this💀 Dark Romance is always toxic, but this was a whole different level of emotional abuse (I even feel manipulated and gaslighted as a reader).
Reading it was unbearable, which is why this is not meant to be a positive review. After 30%, I already wished I had never picked it up.
And just when I thought Roman had woken up from the abuse and Toxic Ezra was dead... and the sweet best friend Levi, Roman’s true love, was showing up, EVEN THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME.
I have to give the author credit because I definitely didn’t see the plot twist coming in the last 10 pages???
Spoiler: Levi is a psycho who planned all of this to get Roman😭
Actually, it's understandable that the plot was hard to expect because the characters were never really explained in-depth.
I could have forgiven Levi, the mastermind (after all, it's dark romance), if he hadn't put Roman through the craziest most painful mental hell just to be his hero at the end. Worst part, Roman will never know about it.
I have to say, the book just made me sad and angry while reading, and after the plot twist reveal, I was just hopeless. It got me speechless but i was not happy that even at the end, Roman got punished again from life.
Its obvious to say this type of genre is not for me.
The fact that I was so sure at the beginning that this was going to be my next 5-star book and it ended up being 2 stars speaks volume.
I wouldn’t recommend it, and I lowkey wish I hadn’t picked it up because it’s definitely NOT A LOVE STORY.💀🙏
I went into it thinking it would be a Dark Romance story, BUT STILL ROMANCE.
Totally wrong. I thought Ezra and Roman would be the protagonists and fall in love after being enemies. HELP, it was just nonstop emotional abuse throughout the whole book.
I don't think any book has ever traumatized me like this💀 Dark Romance is always toxic, but this was a whole different level of emotional abuse (I even feel manipulated and gaslighted as a reader).
Reading it was unbearable, which is why this is not meant to be a positive review. After 30%, I already wished I had never picked it up.
And just when I thought Roman had woken up from the abuse and Toxic Ezra was dead... and the sweet best friend Levi, Roman’s true love, was showing up, EVEN THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME.
I have to give the author credit because I definitely didn’t see the plot twist coming in the last 10 pages???
Spoiler: Levi is a psycho who planned all of this to get Roman😭
Actually, it's understandable that the plot was hard to expect because the characters were never really explained in-depth.
I could have forgiven Levi, the mastermind (after all, it's dark romance), if he hadn't put Roman through the craziest most painful mental hell just to be his hero at the end. Worst part, Roman will never know about it.
I have to say, the book just made me sad and angry while reading, and after the plot twist reveal, I was just hopeless. It got me speechless but i was not happy that even at the end, Roman got punished again from life.
Its obvious to say this type of genre is not for me.
The fact that I was so sure at the beginning that this was going to be my next 5-star book and it ended up being 2 stars speaks volume.
I wouldn’t recommend it, and I lowkey wish I hadn’t picked it up because it’s definitely NOT A LOVE STORY.💀🙏
January 14, 2025
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This latest book from author M.N. Bennet comes with a lot of content warnings. The few I will mention would be rape, dub-con, assault, torture, manipulation, and humiliation. There are more, so check those warnings if you need to. This book is marketed as a dark romance, but while the book is dark and violent, I will disagree that it is a romance.
The writing here is good. Bennet sets the tone for the prison and the desperation that Roman feels. However, I didn’t like any of the characters and I found it impossible to root for any of them. The author is fully committed to the story he wrote. The ending adds more layers to an already complex storyline and the POV shift was a great addition. There is potential for a follow up to this book and that story would once again upend the world that Roman thinks he knows.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
This latest book from author M.N. Bennet comes with a lot of content warnings. The few I will mention would be rape, dub-con, assault, torture, manipulation, and humiliation. There are more, so check those warnings if you need to. This book is marketed as a dark romance, but while the book is dark and violent, I will disagree that it is a romance.
The writing here is good. Bennet sets the tone for the prison and the desperation that Roman feels. However, I didn’t like any of the characters and I found it impossible to root for any of them. The author is fully committed to the story he wrote. The ending adds more layers to an already complex storyline and the POV shift was a great addition. There is potential for a follow up to this book and that story would once again upend the world that Roman thinks he knows.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
January 9, 2025
Roman & ...
😮🤯😮🤯😮🤯
This was a solid 4.5⭐ read for me, and it was with regard to the talent of the author.
I was appalled and enthralled throughout this read. The story is incredible and horrifying. The level of depravity could be very difficult to get through at times, but it's like a disaster that you can't look away from.
The best I can do is break down bits of my feelings from different parts of the story that stand out to me the most.
- The arena: A somewhat Hunger Games feel with much of the rich audience calling the shots or at the very least charging up the crowds and funding staged fights.
- The champion's cell/room: Everything that happened in there after Roman's fall from "grace" will be difficult to scrub from my memory, but only because it was so detailed and the number of things that went down, as well as the sheer amount of stockholm syndrome craziness, will take some time to move on from.
- The epilogue: Never in a million years would I have expected it to go in that direction. None of this book was super predictable, but the epilogue simply blew me away. I'm usually pretty good about guessing where things were going, and some of the story leading to the end was easy to follow, but the epilogue was just insane.
Dark romances are in a league all their own, because you have to be able to accept the morally gray areas of everything, as well as be accepting of any and all triggers, because you'll never know where the author might take you, even if they give you a heads up at the beginning of the book.
I really appreciate the hard work the author did on this project, especially since it was way out of the norm for them. It makes it all the more impressive.
This book captured my initial interest with the blurb provided where offered, and I have absolutely no regrets for reading it, but it's noteworthy to be prepared for the unexpected.
I received an advance copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.
😮🤯😮🤯😮🤯
This was a solid 4.5⭐ read for me, and it was with regard to the talent of the author.
I was appalled and enthralled throughout this read. The story is incredible and horrifying. The level of depravity could be very difficult to get through at times, but it's like a disaster that you can't look away from.
The best I can do is break down bits of my feelings from different parts of the story that stand out to me the most.
- The arena: A somewhat Hunger Games feel with much of the rich audience calling the shots or at the very least charging up the crowds and funding staged fights.
- The champion's cell/room: Everything that happened in there after Roman's fall from "grace" will be difficult to scrub from my memory, but only because it was so detailed and the number of things that went down, as well as the sheer amount of stockholm syndrome craziness, will take some time to move on from.
- The epilogue: Never in a million years would I have expected it to go in that direction. None of this book was super predictable, but the epilogue simply blew me away. I'm usually pretty good about guessing where things were going, and some of the story leading to the end was easy to follow, but the epilogue was just insane.
Dark romances are in a league all their own, because you have to be able to accept the morally gray areas of everything, as well as be accepting of any and all triggers, because you'll never know where the author might take you, even if they give you a heads up at the beginning of the book.
I really appreciate the hard work the author did on this project, especially since it was way out of the norm for them. It makes it all the more impressive.
This book captured my initial interest with the blurb provided where offered, and I have absolutely no regrets for reading it, but it's noteworthy to be prepared for the unexpected.
I received an advance copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.
December 14, 2024
I was in the mood for dark, but this was not the dark romance I was looking for or thought of. I think it's the prison aspect of it that made me feel a bit triggery. (Like sometimes things you read are not triggers until you read it and it hits you.) It was far too twisted and graphic for me.
However the storyline was very well written, it was detailed and well thought out. I did enjoy the gasping epilogue and the author's note at the end. (Sometimes author notes are whatevs, but I like it when the author reveals a bit more about the writing process of the book.) And the cover is definitely going to draw readers in.
I know others will enjoy this book more than me. I initially rated it a 2 star, but I think the gasping epilogue and author's note at the end saved it to a 3 for me.
However the storyline was very well written, it was detailed and well thought out. I did enjoy the gasping epilogue and the author's note at the end. (Sometimes author notes are whatevs, but I like it when the author reveals a bit more about the writing process of the book.) And the cover is definitely going to draw readers in.
I know others will enjoy this book more than me. I initially rated it a 2 star, but I think the gasping epilogue and author's note at the end saved it to a 3 for me.
January 13, 2025
From Best To Bested ARC Review:
What a wild, upsetting, and twisty ride this book was! This book is very dark, so I want to stress to check the trigger warnings!
Roman is the reigning champion of the underground fighting ring at the prison he is at until he gets beat by a new guy. Trying to keep his only friend and himself safe, Roman does things he never would have thought he'd do.
This book was well done and took some interesting, and depressing, turns! I'm still stunned at where this ended up going! I had a fun time reading this book, and wow do I not want to give anything away! It is indeed dark and twisted to its core.
4.25/5🌟
What a wild, upsetting, and twisty ride this book was! This book is very dark, so I want to stress to check the trigger warnings!
Roman is the reigning champion of the underground fighting ring at the prison he is at until he gets beat by a new guy. Trying to keep his only friend and himself safe, Roman does things he never would have thought he'd do.
This book was well done and took some interesting, and depressing, turns! I'm still stunned at where this ended up going! I had a fun time reading this book, and wow do I not want to give anything away! It is indeed dark and twisted to its core.
4.25/5🌟
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