Speak.

Rayne-Moore University Duet #1

by Ruby M. Darling

Raven MonroeI think I always knew I was going to die young. Like I had this… silent, invisible clock ticking down to my final moments plastered above my head. Maybe that’s why I was so reckless, crazy. Why I sought after adventure. Why nothing scared me… Except, there was always this… feeling I couldn’t shake that something was in the darkest parts of every corner, under every bed, closet, or room, like a ghost watching me. Waiting to take me. My own, personal reaper.
But it was always only during a lightning storm that I could see the outline of my reaper. No scythe. Just a tall, faceless shadow in a hood, staring at me in the dark…
That was the thing though. It was never the storm itself that scared me. Never the loud booming of thunder. Never the howling wind or the way the windows rattled. Never the sound of rain pounding against said windows. It was just that goddamn lightning.
Seems fitting, I suppose, that I’d die before my twentieth birthday during a freak lightning storm of the century… I just always thought I’d die while doing something dangerous - F*ck it. I’d even take a boring death like simply dying in my sleep from a brain aneurysm or even an early onset heart attack.
Anything.
I’d take any other way other than this...

Genres: Dark Romance, Why Choose, Dark, Audiobook, Romance, College, Contemporary

412 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2024

About the author

Ruby Darling is a small town Texas Native that reads too much Dark Fantasy Romance and sleeps too little, which has probably caused her to be delusional enough to create a world of her own. She hopes you have a great time under the glamour and in the veil.

Reviews

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ You ever finish a book and just sit there like… what the actual hell did I just read and why did I love every second of it?? Because SAME. This book was unhinged in all the best ways, and I ate it up. The hype around this one is definitely valid

I went in blind (per usual), and let me tell you I was not prepared. The plot was wild and the vibes were Immaculate. The FMC? A stabby, clever, emotionally-damaged queen on a revenge mission aka my dream girl. Add in the fact that she knows exactly how to use her body to get what she wants makes her my idol.

And her men??? LAWD help me. We’ve got a little taboo with her therapist and her professor (👀) And then Jonas my sweet, crazy, ride-or-die baby. I love him so much it hurts. When I tell you he rides out for his girl. We love a supportive king. Raven is deeply traumatized and each one of these men give her a little piece of herself back, while also cracking her back in every which way. Love this for you BB

The spice? Unhinged. I was absolutely feral. The Group scenes were SO HOT. Don’t speak to me. I’m still recovering. (Though yes I would like to personally ban the word “cream” from all smut writing going forward. Please and thank you😭😭)

I feel like I have to warn you that this is definitely insta/lust love but I promise you it just works okay trust me 😂 just let go and enjoy the ride.

Now, while this is extremely spicy , it still has a really solid plot to keep you invested. This book has everything: secret societies, dark secrets, manipulation, obsession, trauma, SMUT FOR DAYS, violence and it worked perfectly I was hooked from the prologue and now I need everyone to read it so we can scream together.

I’m starting book 2 IMMEDIATELY because I need to see how this story plays out.

I’m a little slut for why choose I can’t help it I AM WHO I AM

[Courtenay (ceelovesbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

I don’t know about you, but I have NEVER in my life read a Why Choose, Dark Academia, Secret Society, Primal Play, Spicy, Crawl To Me, Serial Killer FMC who’s out for revenge and gets it book, but you’ve heard it here first friends. This is it, and it has EVERYTHING 😈

Raven Monroe is broken. She’s out for revenge on the people responsible for ruining her life and almost killing her. Now, she is silent, she’s been silent and not spoken a word since the attack, she doesn’t see a point, no one listens to her anyways.

When she returns to Rayne Moore University years later, she meets Jonas, a yummy puppy of a jock. She runs into her Dr Archer, who is absolutely obsessive and possessive over her. And meets a sexy, grumpy, moody professor Maverick Harrington. These three are absolute FIRE. SPARKS, FLAMES, STRIKE A MATCH TO YOUR 🐱 HOTTTT. 🔥

Raven has a lot of mystery to uncover, and she plans to get back at her enemies, and get her life back in the process. Her men are there for her every step of the way.

This book was fun, exciting, spicy af, and full of heart pounding excitement! You never knew what was going to happen next, and you still don’t 🫢 this is part 1 of a duet, and it does end on a small cliffy, to be continued. BUT DON’T WORRY! YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT LONG! 🖤

The star of the show here really is Raven, she is so strong, resilient, powerful, cunning, and you all know how I feel about a bad a** FMC. She is stunning. You will love this, and the vibes are PERFECT for spooky season. Trust me, you don’t want to sleep on these 4! 😌

Please read all TWs before reading, as some topics may be triggering for you.

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give me a moment to pick my jaw up off the f*cking floor! Maybe it’s my short-sightedness, but I did not see some of those twists coming. The characters defied my expectations, and the meek wallflower heroine turned out to be the biggest wolf in sheep’s clothing. I loved it

The revenge plot gave me hints of the Mindfuck series, and as a deep Lana stan, I was instantly hooked. The mystery kept me locked in…who hurt her, and why? I had my predictions (partly right), but this was no easy plot to crack

The fact that she didn’t speak, but still found ways to communicate was amazing. She didn’t sign or text much at first, so I worried about how she’d connect with others, but through subtle tells and actions, those around her learned to understand her. Also proving the point that if a man wanted to he would 😅

I honestly didn’t know where one relationship was heading, and doubted anyone would support it after his constant jabs about her appearance, weight, and even calling her arms “bat wings.” The urge to punch this man was so strong. He later claimed it was to scare his friend off her, but that’s peak manchild behaviour. I lost hope when she chose him. Don’t worry the scales of life balanced out.

This felt like a different approach to a “why choose” story. Not all members are on board at first, leading to a breakup. I appreciated that reluctance, and the early tension was palpable. Regardless of the healthy communication, all the relationships were a little f*cked, in a good way.

We have the :
🧑‍⚕️The doctor
🧑‍🏫The professor
🧑‍💼The athlete

I won’t go into detail, but just know, they’re all slightly deranged, obsessive, possessive… and we love them for it.

Especially Jonas. Praise Jonas 👏This👏man👏 can 👏give 👏 a 👏 good 👏 speech

My only negative is how smut-heavy this book is. I’m usually all for it, but in the second half it amped up, got a bit repetitive, and some scenes dragged. I needed more...maybe words.

Overall, I loved the plot, was shocked by the twists, and now I need book two 🙌

[Erika Braga · Rating 4 out of 5]

- RH
- SECRET SOCIETY
- REVENGE ARC
- NOT SPEAKING DUE TO A TRAUMA
- SPICY
- OVER THE TOP MMC’S


WOW ! I heard about this book and I didn’t have any intentions of reading ……. But read I did and I regret nothing !
This is the story of Raven a very rich girl that goes to the pristine University for the one percents only. She goes there with her stepbrother who’s her best friend and her rock. She doesn’t want to be entangled in the shallow life they all have, she wants more for her life, she wants to be free and follow a music career instead of been force into a loveless marriage because that’s what they do in her circle.
But she is caught completely off guard when a group of masked people attacks her to kill her. They were cruel and left her to die locked in a locker room beating, stabbed and broken beyond repair. She didn’t die for a miracle. But now she’s in a mental institution, hasn’t spoken a word in 4 years and the only person in her family that still supports her and loves her is her stepbrother. Her psychiatrist Damon is the one in her company all the time and he became OBSESSED with her through the years. He is deranged and crazy in love with her so obsessed that when she finally leaves the institution and goes back to the same university where she almost lost her life he leaves everything behind and follows her. Everyone is shocked she went back to the place of her trauma but she has a reason, REVENGE. And oh that revenge is sweet and becomes sweeter as we go. There she meets the delicious professor Maverick and he also becomes obsessed with her and he is a ex FBI agent teaching criminology. Also there she meets the AMAZING also delicious Jonas who’s the only one her age because the YUMMY handsome doctor plus the professor are 10 years older than her.
The relationship is a little rocky in the beginning but omg it is VERY satisfying to read it 🥵🥵🥵🥵 all 3 men are decadent and they all have a dirty mouth, specially Jonas !
Needless to say I loved it ! I’m going right now immediately to the second book ! 😏😈

[Courtney Stephens · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Nan died while I was reading this book, and this was still the worst part of my week

[Angely Marrero · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐️ No Judgment Just Opinions. If you enjoyed it, I am happy for you. ⭐️

I saw a video describing the beginning of this book and immediately downloaded it. The first few pages already told me what I was getting myself into: A weak attempt at making a reverse harem with badly written men she tried so hard to convince readers were morally grey. Was I expecting greatness? Absolutely not. But this was awful and hard to get through without rolling my eyes and growing annoyed. This also needs some serious editing becausè there were too many typos and too many sentences that made no sense.
It lacked character growth/development.

None of these characters were able to slowly develop feelings over time. It was love at first sight. This book could've also been 200 pages shorter if the author didn't continue giving us the same situation through multiple PoVs.

After the college football game, Raven gets assaulted and shoved into a locker, left for dead for 3 days. She didn't attempt to scream or punch the locker but could tap it to the sound of music. After she was found, she is sent to an asylum because she was deemed "violent" for attacking a nurse, one who was told where not to touch her wrists and proceeds to touch her there anyway. Raven decides she doesn't want to talk. Her trauma caused her to self- mute (because when she finally talks she wants her words to mean something...stfu), The author mentioned the FMC refused to learn ASL but halfway into the book she somehow already knew how to fluently sign. I'm guessing the author ran out of ways to describe her lack of communication by point, stomping her feet, and pouting like a child instead of the 24-year-old she is.

For four years, she's surrounded by mentally ill patients while going to therapy. This is where the author introduces her therapist, Damon. He fell head of heels instantaneousty. Straight out of graduating ivy league colleges and falling for his very first patient. (insert eye roll) Damon becomes obsessed and stalks her. But she doesn't mind it (of course, why would she) even after the trauma that caused her to stop speaking, she still wants to be touched inappropriately by her doctor.

Raven decides she wants to go back to Rayne-Moore to find out why and who assaulted her.

Jonas is introduced to us as a "f**k boy," but not even a chapter later becomes a marshmallow. He gives himself the job of protector and boyfriend title after seeing her once..

Professor Maverick decides two seconds after meeting Raven that she should be bullied by
hìm. He degrades her, insults her character, and everything about her because she refuses
to speak to him (even though she doesn't talk to anyone). This somehow turns him into a
beast that needs to have her (biggest eye roll). He blames her for how she looks and the.
skirts she wears... Her school uniform...

Somehow, every male character that's introduced fell for her charm.... I guess having her
stare at them with no way of letting them know what she wants was good enough for them,
to drool over. Can't even call them men without laughing. More like cavemen. "Me see
woman. Me like thick thighs. Me rut and try to make quiet woman make sound."

These characters are in their 20s and older, set in college but written like teenagers. Other students bullying someone who just returned. Students shouting verbal abuse and spitting wads of papers at her while in the classroom. It's like the author wanted the excuse of having them older so she can write the smut because the plot was lost midway.

I will not be reading the next book.

Was there anything I did enjoy? The dirty talk. I'll gobble a filthy mouth proudly and happily.

This had so much potential but was poorly executed.

P.S. JUST BECAUSE JOE ARDEN NARRATED THE BOOK, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT GOOD.

[Clairsreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ALC REREAD- 5 Mfin stars no fuckin notes✨



4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5 because this book changed me

Wow. Just wow. I am utterly and completely speechless. This book took me on such a wild ride I will need approximately 5-7 business days to process. The plot. The smut. The relationships. The growth. Absolute perfection.

Raven was horrifically attacked and left for dead. Once she survives she decides to return to the scene of the crime and investigate while also seeking revenge. During her recovery she attracts the attention of her doctor, Damon. He is utterly obsessed with her and upon finding she’s going back to her university he makes a transfer. Once she moves in she meets Jonas the lovable jock, he’s immediately smitten with her and the two bond instantly. One of her professors challenges her at every opportunity, Maverick, but it seems like the two can’t seem to avoid each other either.

As the relationship with each of the men grows the plot thickens as Raven discovers more about her attack and the powers at be at the university. Each of her relationships has so much difference and depth but is so clearly unique in its own way while also complimenting her relationship with the others. As Jonas protects her, Damon supports her and Maverick challenges her. These three weave and intricate web of intimacy and trust while also learning more about Raven and the circumstances that lead her to where she is now. As more is revealed and she continues on her vengeance tour the ones she has grown to love must make decisions.

Wow. That is literally allI have to say at this point. There was so much depth to this plot and the characters that I am still processing and spinning my multiple questions and theories. The way this story absolutely captivated me and took me for the most wild ride I can 100% confirm this is a must read. Raven, Maverick, Jonas and Damon will live rent free in my brain until book two comes out and then probably for forever after that.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Absolutely obsessed. Mindf*cked. Carried away. I cannot even.
Please do me a favor and read this book so we can discuss…tysm.

[makayla 𐦍 ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝖢𝗈𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝗍𝖻𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗃𝗈𝖼𝗄 𝗑 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝖿𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗋 𝗑 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗂𝗌𝗍 😮‍💨

Picked this up as a palette cleanser and wow I’m glad I did!! I DEVOURED THIS

The audiobook??? HELLO?! Joe Arden deserves an award for this performance I think I am in love 🙂‍↕️🥵
-I am a chronic 2.75x listener but this one had me SAT at 1.5x like literal perfection

The smut in this holyyyy moly the definition of screaming kicking my feet giggling!!! 🤭🫦🤸🏻‍♀️ UNHINGED. FERAL.

But also I was actually interested in the plot? It was giving Mindfuck vibes and I LOVEEEE that

This is severely underhyped imo, easy 5 🌟

“𝖭𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗆𝗒 𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌, 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝖺𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗌. 𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗏𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖺𝗂𝗇.”

[Samwise · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
Where do I even begin? This book was a lot, and not in a good plot-heavy, tension-building, emotionally wrecked kind of way. Nahhhhhh. This was 75% smut, 20% questionable plot structure, and 5% “just fill in the logic gaps yourself, sweetie.” 😵‍💫
Let’s start with the bright spot: the audiobook narrators. 🎙️ Joe Arden is a menace to society in the BEST possible way. The growls, sighs, deranged chuckles… I mean, the man put his whole psycho into this performance. Heather Firth held her own too, giving a solid performance that tried to wrangle what little character development there was.
Now for the “story”. I don’t normally touch reverse harem with a ten-foot pole, and guess what? I still don’t. To each their own but 🫤 I fell into this one by accident, shrugged, and kept going because apparently I make poor decisions when Joe Arden is involved. 🤷🏼
The FMC is essentially mute, by choice, and her entire personality can be summed up as: plays the cello and is apparently so adorable that three successful, powerful, morally-bankrupt-in-a-sexy-way men all just… share her. Like a timeshare. Except instead of beachfront views, it’s public sex, random violence, and loyalty that defies all logic or real-world emotional nuance. I had to suspend my disbelief so high it left orbit. ☄️
Also, how is she surviving this much physical activity without so much as a mention of a UTI or a diflucan?
That said, I didn’t DNF it. Joe Arden carried the whole unhinged circus on his back, and I will admit Maverick’s little late-game redemption arc gave me a flicker of emotional investment. But overall, this felt like someone smashed together a dark erotica Mad Libs and hit “publish.” ☑️
Would I recommend it? Only if you love chaos, have no expectations of realism, and want Joe Arden whispering filthy sweet nothings while you’re wondering what life choices brought you here.

[Acrossallrealms]

Joe Arden was the highlight for me. He voiced multiple characters and I could clearly tell who was speaking every time. His range and delivery are outstanding and honestly carried the experience.

The story itself started off explosive and really promising, which is why I was so locked in early on. But at some point it lost that momentum and the plot began to feel repetitive, like it wasn’t building toward anything new. Around 60% I was close to DNF’ing.

I was immersive reading at first, but I ended up dropping the text and just finishing on audio because… it’s Joe. You really can’t go wrong with him in the background while you do what you need to do.

Strong performance, but the story didn’t stay as gripping for me as it started.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good suspense story with a lot of sex scenes.
L really enjoyed.
It’s worth reading.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn.
4.75/5 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lets start with the fact that this story is completely atrocious, and the trigger warnings were inaccurate. When someone is unconscious due to sleeping medication, there is no CONSENT!! That is rape, plain and simple. I finished this story ONLY to write this review and it be a complete review of the entire book. Not only did the lack of appropriate trigger warnings get me, because I wasn't prepared for sleeping rape, but the horrific writing and repetition of skin crawling terms like "sweet ambrosia" "her/my sex" (it's a vagina, freaking call it that) and so many other cringe terms, eventually made me want to vomit. On top of all this, I cannot get over the star rating for this book, it goes to show that with the social media readers, as long as you have a ton of sex in the book, that you can have the most atrocious, lazy writing possible and still sell plenty of books, while also getting top-notch narrators to help you sell more of your awful books. If I could put a negative star review. I would.

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio:
5 stars for Heather Firth and Joel Arden. This is a duet narration!

Book: 4 stars

This kept me hooked, but I felt like there was a little too much hooking up compared to plot… but I still want to see where this duet ends especially with that cliffhanger!

Also I love Jonas haha who wouldn’t want a slightly psychotic obsessive golden retriever (and not the dog) haha!

[Ms. Dess · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Series Status: Book one of the Rayne-Moore Duet and I’m already sweating about book two like it’s finals week and I didn’t study.

We Have:
✅ Reverse Harem
✅ MMMF Romance (no M/M)
✅ Mystery
✅ Revenge
✅ Secret Society
✅ Virgin FMC
✅ professor x student
✅ morally black MMCs
✅ trauma and trauma healing
✅ stalking but make it sexy
✅ obsession that should honestly require a permit
✅ possessive men who choose violence over therapy
✅ smut that requires electrolytes
✅ plot twists hitting like chair shots in the WWE
✅ vibes so chaotic I squealed, kicked, and demanded more

Raven Monroe is that bitch. Strong, broken but not beaten, and absolutely refusing to let the world dull her edge. I fucking love her for that. She never loses her power… even when men twice her size, twice her darkness, try to swallow her whole. She stands firm. She chooses survival every time. And when she finally lets herself want… god, it’s just so fucking good.

Let's talk about Jonas and how he is fucking unhinged perfection. The way he speaks up when it matters and the way he says it loud, proud, and with his whole muthafucking chest… I was kicking my feet like a teenager with a crush except I’m grown and paying my own health insurance. I fucking love him.

Then we have the good doctor… Dr. Hottie… Damon. Baby. BAAAAABEEEEYYY. When I tell you this man triggered something in my DNA… I would let him do filthy things to me and then crawl back asking may I have more please. The delusion he operates under is so bold it should be illegal. It is chef’s kiss insanity - of course I love it. He’s out here acting like Raven is already wearing his last name and honestly… I respect that level of commitment.

By the fucking way… can I tell you that I absolutely need a Damon and Jonas scene. I need that with every unhinged fiber of my being. If those two ever touched the same page with intent… oh god… the way I would spontaneously combust. Someone would need to come peel me off the furniture… and definitely call in some professionals for a deep cleaning lol.

Now let’s talk about Maverick… our confusing little enigma baby. He’s hanging on by a thread, but he’s hanging on hard. Buuuuuuut fuck… this might be the first fucking time in my entire reading career that I have ever understood the miscommunication trope. Hell has iced over. But Ruby wrote it in a way where I genuinely got it. I hated that I got it… but it made sense.

His mouth though... is filthy… I love his mouth… seriously, you need to listen to him on the audiobook for at least this one fucking part. He delivers this god damn line… “The beast inside purrs.” … and you are not living your best fucking life if you don't hear it. Joe Arden says that line like he’s trying to repopulate the species through audio alone. My ovaries burst. My uterus did Olympic floor routines. My coochie did a full baptism. I had to pause the book and reevaluate my moral standing - of course I didn't care where I landed - just needed to check and be sure.

As a matter of fact that entire scene in the woods… oh baby. I felt that shit in my spinal cord. I’m driving down the street, minding my business, and suddenly my coochie clenches like it’s preparing for combat and my legs start trembling like I’m the one getting tackled in the goddamn forest. I am sweating just thinking about it again. FUUUUUUUCK.....

BUT ALSO there's fucking more!!!!!!! There’s one particular character who had me spiraling. I went from hating him to feeling sorry for his tragic little existence to being absolutely unwell about his choices. The way everyone’s motives twist and flip had me confused, aroused, emotional, offended, and feral all at once. I finished this book not knowing who I was anymore. I wanted to sit silently in the dark and contemplate my life… but it was almost midnight and a bitch gotta work in the morning.

The smut in this book is fucking AMAZING. People saying there was too much smut have no clue what the fuck they are talking about because there is no universe where there was too much. Every fucking scene was a religious experience. Every one topped the last. My soul left my body so many times I owe the universe rent. The filth level was fucking delicious… the kind of smut that makes you forget your name, your morals, and your WiFi password (does anyone really remember their WiFi tho???). Between the growls, the dominance, the delusion, the obsession, and the sheer athleticism of these men, I was overstimulated, dehydrated, and wholly unprepared. This book didn’t give smut… it gave revelations - I just had to keep breathing through it all.

Speak had me fucked up in the best possible way. I didn’t know who the hell to trust. One minute I’m convinced a man is pure villain energy… the next I’m ready to defend him in court. Then boom… back to side-eyeing him like he stole my debit card. Ruby played in my face the entire time and I loved every second of it.

This book is so fucking solid. Disturbingly good. Unputdownable. I am genuinely terrified for book two because this level of obsession feels dangerous. I started this book at 8:17 AM and finished at 11:52 PM the same damn day… 400+ pages devoured like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. If that’s not obsession, I don’t know what is.

[Jessica Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars- this started off really strong and sucked me in but then it just felt repetitive. I got bored and started to skim a lot (especially w the endless smut in the second half of this book). There was a lot of potential and it def was fun at times but I had trouble being emotionally invested by the end.

the second 50% just got annoying... lowkey I started to like Chase during his POV!! Why show us him falling in love w the FMC if they’re never gonna be together?! And then getting Trevor’s POV right before he died?! Ugh I was annoyed w that !! Why make me empathize w him before he dies ?!! The writing was just choppy and difficult to read the last 50%.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️🌟 I want to marry Jonas 💖
I love the revenge, the healing journey, the underestimated hero, the love, the jokes, the smuuuuuuuut omg the smuuuuut 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[klinta · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf 24%

i will carve my own eyes out if i see one more mention of “her nectar” and “her sweet ambrosia” are we in camp half blood???

i also never say this. ever. but everyone in this book needs to go to horny jail immediately.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun and oh so spicy 🔥
The audiobook? OUT OF THIS WORLD
Joe Arden is a storyteller and performer!
I'm a sucker for a mute main character, and I loved that this time, it was the FMC.
Doctor, professor, and athlete?
My girl hit the damn jackpot.
Did I often get sucked into the narration and forget real life existed? Yes.
Was I blushing while listening? Yes.
Please consider the audiobook if this is on your TBR. You won't regret it!

[Saraya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨ this was not at all what I was expecting but I ate it up with no complaints so for that I will round it up🥰 Jonas is definitely going to live in my head till my last days. I also thought the victim pov was something different that made it so much more conflicting/ interesting but I’ll always supports women’s rights and wrongs, fuck those guys. The only thing that was kind of confusing was when a chapter changed pov’s, the story would go back to re tell what just happened which annoyed me a little sometimes because I’m impatient😁

[Esmé Elzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF’d this book at like 40% because the trigger warnings are dead wrong. I encourage the author to change the trigger warning of “consensual non-consent” to just “non-consensual.” CNC is the couple talks before hand, they have a safe word, it is something very much planned out (ex: the cnc scene at the end of the book Lights Out comes to mind). CNC is not “get on your knees and open up your mouth and take it” said by a person who’s in a position of power (older, professor, a big strong man), and then she does it. But it’s ok because she enjoyed it? No, that is straight up not consensual, which is fine in books but you have to have a proper trigger warning for it. Or else it sends the wrong message to women who may have been put in that position and felt it was wrong but then are told by this book that it’s CNC, but really it’s not. Please change the warning.

Also, most hymens aren’t like that. Otherwise virgins wouldn’t be able to wear tampons. 👍

[Rachel ⭐️🖤💋Dark & Dirty & A Lot Of Smutty Reviews💋🖤⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing wrong with this deliciously dark romance is it needs editing. It had a LOT of grammatical errors, sentence structure, and run-on sentences. That usually doesn’t bother me, and I just ignore it, but this one was pretty bad. I had to read sentences over a lot so it was read correctly in my head. But seriously, I absolutely loved this book! I devoured it! The spice was spicing, utterly delicious. It kept me engaged from the first sentence. I think I know where this is going, and it’s going to break me! I want her to get her revenge, but I am literally scared to read and see if I’m correct in my assumptions, but I also can’t stop reading this duet cause I HAVE TO KNOW! Who needs to eat and sleep? Psshh, not me! Just throw some sour patch kids and Reese’s at me, hook me up to an IV, even do a catheter for all I care! I am not stopping!
P.S. Mav, slap me and call me names. I am so here for it!

[MadameD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steamy, Original, and Impossible to Put Down!

Story: 5/5
Narration: 5/5 (The narrators are excellent!)

I really enjoyed listening to and reading Speak by Ruby Darling.
I loved the chemistry between the characters, and I found the story surprisingly original. Raven, Jonas, Damon, and Maverick made me laugh and left me hot and blushing.
If you’re craving a dark romance that blends heat, passion, and a storyline that hooks you from start to finish, this one’s a must-read.

[Jenifer Briggs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Just straight up nope. The premise was interesting, and I've seen this book reccomeded literally everywhere, and since I adore RH, I figured why not.. but this just left a bad taste in my mouth -- no pun intended. We are in a society where rapists are quite literally the president of the united states and sex trafficking rings are undiscovered daily, so no, I don't want to hear/read about another man in a position of power traumatizing an already traumatized woman. This isn't CNC -- for that to happen, there's a whole discussion the characters need to have, and trust established. This was just abuse.


The only thing i liked about this book was Jonas. Had this been an M/F romance with just him and Raven it would have been so much better. But even he couldn't keep me interested.🙃

[Chantelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book until 30%.

I don’t need to hear how one of the MMCs goes to a sex club and blows his load into one the dancers mouthes! Wasn’t particularly graphic and he thought of the FMC (how romantic), but nah that’s a hard pass from me!!!

He’d already had some sexual contact with the FMC, he did it to get her out of his head! Oh….feck off!

[✨alexandria✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

not at any point did i guess what was coming next LMAO

[Maven_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Speak by Ruby M. Darling

Speak (Rayne‑Moore University Duet #1) follows Raven Monroe, a young woman left psychologically mute after a brutal attack at an elite university, whose silence becomes both her shield and her weapon as she returns to uncover the truth and seek justice against the secretive cabal that harmed her. Alongside the mystery and creeping Gothic campus atmosphere, Raven’s world is tangled with intense, morally complicated relationships involving three very different men, each drawn into her quest in ways that blur care, obsession, and power. The novel weaves dark romance, revenge, and psychological suspense into a gritty, provocative narrative that is as much about trauma and agency as it is about thrill and desire.

I felt the rawness of Raven’s internal landscape, her silence conveying a wounded strength that made every confrontation and whispered emotion pulse with meaning; her transformation from victim to agent of her own story hit hard and stayed with me. The intricate mystery and stormy dynamics kept me hooked, though the explicit content and ethically grey romance will not suit all readers and at times felt overwhelming. It is atmospheric, disturbing, and unforgettable in its own fierce way.

Rating: 3 out of 5
Because it is emotionally intense and compelling, but its darkness and complexity may not resonate with every reader.

[Tam ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The trigger warnings at the start of this book nearly turned me off but omg I’m so glad I read it. What an insane wild ride! I literally could not put it down!

[TwinreadsandReds-Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was disappointed with this one 😩 wish there was more story line and less spice

[Vanessa]

i — genuinely have no words.

this book … WOW.

i thought i’ve read dark and depraved things and then this book fell into my lap. there was SO much happening i don’t even know how that was 400 pages because it felt like way more with the plot that happened

if you read this READ THE WARNINGS PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GODDDDD this book is not for you if you have ANY TRIGGERS. TRUELY. SAVE URSELF NOW. I WARNED YOU.