Insidious Secrets

Crimson Elite University #1

by Zenna Rose

***Insidious Secrets is a dark, secret society, mafia, bully romance and is the first book in the Crimson Elite Series.***

My life, thus far, has been an orchestrated performance, confined within a golden prison. Molded into a lethal instrument. Taught to dance with shadows.
But then, the moment to seize my destiny was shaken by a letter from my mom, turning my world upside down.
Crimson University. It's got all the answers I need to puzzle out my past. Its hallowed halls beckon to me, pulling me towards the truth. And I won’t let any obstacle deter me from my path.
Especially not Ryker Pendragon.
From the moment our gazes collided, he ensnared me, presenting an image of himself that I yearn to trust, but know is woven with deception.
I see it in those deep, dark eyes of his - he knows the dance of shadows just as well as I do. A flame dancing in the night, irresistible, yet dangerous.
Nevertheless, I must guard my secrets… Even if I shatter.
Even if he shatters me.

The Crimson Elite Series contains themes that may not be suitable for all readers.

Genres: Dark, Dark Romance

542 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2024

Reviews

[Cristina]

DNF

Slow and descriptive. There is a lot of writing but nothing happens. Needs more action, way too boring.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

The book lives up to its name, diving into the mysteries surrounding Lia's mother's death.

Lia, who has been extremely sheltered her entire life, is suddenly thrust into Crimson Elite University without any preparation on how to fit in, fight for herself, or navigate even friendly interactions.

It’s puzzling how a parent could leave their child so unprepared for the real world. Despite this, the story intrigued me enough to keep reading and even look forward to book 2. I'm curious to see where the story goes and how Lia will exact her revenge. 📚

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book as an ARC reader

This book is very well written in terms of world building- it’s not too short where you have no idea what is going on nor too long that you get lost in the description.

I also liked the concept of a girl coming to school to uncover the secrets of her mother’s passing.

With that being said I had a few issues with the book. For starters the level of sheltered this girl was in life, it was almost painful how ignorant she was - never high fived anyone, never had friends, never been to a restaurant, doesn’t know what music she likes (despite being amazing at dancing). She mentioned she’d seen high fives in shows, however had no idea how to order food at a restaurant (I presume she had a show with a restaurante before).

Additionally, if she was being sheltered by her father to keep her safe, it would be unlikely she would be sent to school without learning self defense or anything. More than likely she is the mafia princess that Ryker is looking for- wasn’t sent to school with a weapon..nothing. It just did not seem realistic.

I also hope her disguise as Lia (if she is the mafia princess) is more than just dyed hair, because if she is described to look like her mother and Ryker’s friends have access to alot of spy-like tech, I can’t imagine it would be difficult to figure out who she is.

A lot of her dialog was parroting what was said to her back as a question.

I think if someone was caged as much as she was, realistically she’d develop some form of psychiatric illness, PTSD anxiety etc, no indication of this whatsoever.

At the end of the book she became person non grata, but she was allowed to be friends with Harper, despite Marissa running her sorority? I would think that Marissa would have kicked her out or something.

This story would have been amazing with a badass lead who didn’t take crap from anyone, it seems the next book might go in that direction?

I think the way she was bullied was overkill as well.

Despite all of this the ending hooked me and I am going to read the sequel to see how she seeks revenge.

[Nichole Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read the TWs, this book has some very dark moments.

Okay… where to start… The book started a little slow and the way it was written to begin I thought maybe I was missing something, but tit was just the layout. Once I got past that point to Lia on her way to the school, the layout and pace adjusted and drew me in.

Lia at times is so strong and at others comes off as so meek and small and shy. I don’t know if it’s her upbringing from being sheltered, an act as part of the persona she’s giving off or something else. Harper comes on strong but is so sweet and caring and seems like a true friend. I hope she doesn’t betray Lia. Ryker… after the ending, my love for him turned to hatred. He was definitely dark and secretive and had asshole moments throughout but when it came to Lia he was always patient and caring and protective - at least until the end. Freddy is someone I’m on the fence with. He seems funny and definitely crazy.

Seeing Ryker flip into 100% asshole hurt me almost as much as it did Lia. I hope we find out early on in book two what exactly happened to make him change. We get hints that his dad beat him again, so was it something he did or said that Ryker decided he needed to push her away or something else? If it was just his dad or wanting to end things to protect her like he hinted at before, I don’t see him doing half of what he did. And I feel like when Ryker realizes what he’s doing is wrong, he’s going to hate himself with a passion. I kept thinking that at any point she’d call or text her dad and say she was done and wanted to leave.

That ending was so f***ed up. The Halloween party, the recordings, the pigs the blood, the lamb and letter and all her belongings. The cruelty is so strong.

I cannot wait for book two to see where things go after that cliffhanger.

[Toula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had me hocked from the first page. Love how Zenna Rose ; the author , had a great word building, how her description of the school and characters were spot on , you actually were able to visualize all the events that were happening, the words pulled you into the story.

Heroes is Lia. Hero is Ryker
Lia goes to the university to find our more about her now time there , and why was she murdered. .
Ryker father tells him to do a chore , to find a girl , a mafia princess, his father is obsessed with his Rose , his words ,
Ryker spots Lia at a house party and he’s obsessed, with her so little by little he tries and does Lia over. Meanwhile Ryker has no luck tracking down the mafia princess
Meanwhile Lia has to hind who she really is . Talking code to her dad via Tex , hiding things. , Lia changes her hair colour
After a few weeks Ryker breaks it off with Lia , is it because she’s opening up his heart or did he find out who Lia really is .
All I can tell you is WHAT a Cliffhanger. Can’t wait for book 2

A teaser from when Ryker sees her

She whirls around to face me, staring with wide hazel eyes, her lush lips parted to make way for staggered, shaking breaths⁠— And my world stops. The light, the heat, the music—all reduced to a distant mirage. She’s not just looking at me; she’s seeing me. Like I’ve never been seen before.

[Sarah Coggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book a bit slow to start but once I got into it I got drawn in enough to keep on reading. Lia was pretty much hidden away from the real world as a way to supposedly protect her, but was then allowed to go off to college with no real preparation or actual form of protection other than a change of appearance, which I found quite hard to believe after her dad seemed to be so overprotective. The reason given for her lack of life experience and social skills was due to being home schooled but I couldn’t quite understand how none of the characters found this anymore than a little bit weird, especially from the way she seemed to come across. After reading the first chapter I was expecting Lia’s character to be a bit of a badass but this wasn’t really the case, maybe this was due to her having to hide her identity but I felt this made her character come across quite bland. That being said I did enjoy this book, the way it was written and how the story was unfolding. Now I have finished it, I have so many questions about why certain things happened the way they did and what comes next, so I will be definitely needing to read book number 2. I’m just hoping Lia’s character improves and we get to experience the real her!

[Raine Riny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I've read this year. The inner thoughts and the behaviour of Lia considering her circumstances were more realistic and I liked how grounded she was. She is definitely not a pushover. I liked how she was honest and strong when it came to Ryker. Lia's character is what I would consider as strong. A person who will not shed their principles when they see something exciting.

Call me old fashion but I am a sucker for the FMC being inexperienced and the MMC being the anti hero. Most of the books I've read is where the heroine is inexperienced but is VERY naive. Lia was definitely VERY naive in most aspects but she definitely is not stupid.
I think I am repeating things again. Well in short I loved Lia.

As to Ryker, Let's see how the author redeems Ryker in the next book. I wished he showed more remorse after the whole bullying scene. But besides that I don't have any complaints.

Soon as I finished the book, I went to get the next book. It's not released yet. I want it like right now. In the meantime I am going to find other books of this author to entertain myself in the meantime.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review

3.9 stars

I was excited and very eager to read this book, but despite the world building and the writing being beautifully done, there’s a lot that made me cringe or was simply an overkill. Lia was so sheltered, and I feel like given her hidden identity, she should have been more prepared for real life. She should have had the means to defend herself. Being sheltered means she never had friends, never went hung out, didn’t understand basic human social skills—Lia’s character was written in a way I couldn’t connect with. The “sheltered” part of her character was just overly done. Considering Lia’s father sent her to Crimson Elite “to keep her safe” why wasn’t the school or the people in the school vetted? The end of the book was probably my favorite. I’m hoping in book 2, Lia will turn into this badass character who is better prepared for the world she now lives in, and who could defend herself. I don’t think I could continue onto the next book if she’s still written as Book 1 Lia.

[Christina Yau · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨✨✨✨✨🌶️🌶️ this is the first book from the author I've read and I am a FAN! This book has Lia who is sheltered like extremely sheltered because of who her father is but also taught plenty of "life skills". Her mother passed away when she was a baby. Come her 18th birthday everything is supposed to change. She convinces her father to allow her to go to college and she experiences life. The very same place her mother went. She has her mom's journals and is on her own mission for vengeance but gets distracted. She is very naive at times but the dark bully college experience is heart wrenching. Then the mmc Ryker is secret society and very dark because of his father. I believe he wants change but his actions prove the opposite. Ryker has a best friend who's psycho but loyal and I definitely want to see more of him. The books keeps your attention from the jump and is a whirl wind of emotions while keeping a fast pace. I would recommend it 💯! The book ends on a cliffhanger and it was a doozy of one! I'm excited to see what book two brings because revenge is on the mind!

[Yuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full of mystery and angst, plus the cliffhanger ending making you anticipate the next book in the series. Lia is a contradiction as she is naive in the way of how to navigate the real world but is a total professional when it comes to combat and weapons. Though growing up sheltered because your mafia father is afraid of losing like your mother it's understandable.

Ryker is a character I wish we got to see more of because I feel that so many things were left unanswered in regards to his character. His father is a complete psychopath and Ryker is just trying to survive long enough to get away until he meets Lia. I'm hoping he'll get more scenes in the next book because a lot of this book is told from Lia's POV and I just feel like we needed to get Ryker's more especially towards the end.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It very much matches my reader vibe. Gothic dark academia setting. With bully, dark secret society plot. The characters had so many layers, I saw some reviews that the FMC, Lia was too naive, she was that was the draw for the MMC Ryker and the bestie Harper. It was alittle wild that she’d never high fived or had Chinese food before.
The setting of the book, I couldn’t tell if it was in Italy or a part of the United States. But as soon as I got to the dark castle university on a remote island, that all went out the window. I was HOOKED!
I cannot wait to see the revenge world tour that Lia goes on, she knows she’s a baddie she’s just quiet about it. She forgot who she was but she’s figuring it out. I look forward to the darkness whenever the rest of the series lauches.

[Ada · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve never had a book go from so good to so bad. It started out great with a lot of similarities toNocticadia. We had a gothic university, mafia ties, and the occult. Great, right?

The “climax” of the book was terrible, because there wasn’t one outside of the 3rd act breakup. I basically skimmed the last two chapters because it felt stupid to DNF at that point, but the book totally lost me.

Regarding the 3rd act breakup, it was the worst one I’ve read. Without going into detail, the 3rd act breakup can go one of two ways: if it was fake (e.g., “for your own good”), then I can’t get behind them getting back together. It was too cruel, and I actively don’t want them together anymore. If it’s real, then the first 80% of the book was a waste of my time.

There were also several plot lines that just got dropped. I get that this is a series, but some of the plot lines need to progress or I need a good romance. I got neither. What’s up with Lia’s mom? What’s up with the mission that Ryker was assigned? What’s up with the cult? I need something.

I won’t be continuing the series.

[Book.bestie.Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be like any other typical mafia romance. It definitely proved me wrong, in the best way possible. The main character, Lia has grown up very sheltered and because of this has never had a social life. She’s attending Crimson Elite University. She wants to find out why her mother died, and believes a secret society called the Order had something to do with it.

This book was so well-written and definitely sucked me in after the first couple chapters. I love the mystery aspect of the Order, and Lia’s bravery to attempt to infiltrate it. I’m looking forward to more of that story line in book 2.

I’m most looking forward to finding out how she exacts her revenge. I cannot wait to read book 2!

[Audrianna Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many unanswered questions!!! The books starts off a bit slow, but then takes off full speed without looking back. Lia’s character is a bit hot and cold to me and comes off a bit too meek considering the beginning, but maybe we will see more of that Lia in book 2…
Ryker is the usual dark, bad boy in these dark academy romances, but with those small redeeming qualities. You just have to squint really hard to see them.
There are triggers, which should be noted. Also please note this book does end in a pretty major cliffhanger, so be ready for that wait!
If you are into dark bully mafia/secret society academy romances this is a great one to add to your TBR!.

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

[chesirern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insidious Secrets (Crimson Elite University book 1) by Zenna Rose is a college mafia romance novel. This book starts out slow but definitely picks up and delivers as Lia is whisked off to college. While Lia has lived a very sheltered life she also has dealt with a lot growing up missing her mother. I enjoyed the descriptions of the university and area in the book. Lia deals a lot with new circumstances and meets an unlikely match in Ryker.
There is more to this story such as secret societies, learning more about her mother and dealing with classmates and family.
I can’t wait to continue the series in book 2.

[Amanda O'Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! It has all the dark angst and emotional pull to the characters. Lia is the daughter of a mafia leader and grew up extremely sheltered because her father was so overprotective for fear of loosing her like her mother. When she receives a letter from her deceased mother, it leads her to crimson University and thrusts her into the real world completely unprepared but seeking answers non the less. She meets Ryker pendragon a dark mysterious enigma and things take a turn quickly ! This book does end on a cliffhanger that will leave you dying for more! But it’s so worth the read ❤️.

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

[GKP2460 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insidious Secrets is just that. It's about uncovering secrets and getting to rhe bottom of Lia's mother's death. After being extremely sheltered her entire life she's thrust into Crimson Elite University with no knowledge of how to fit in, fend for herself or social interaction. I'm a little perplexed at how a parent can throw their child to the wolves so to speak without preparing them to be our in the world. That being said, it interested me enough to keep me reading and to read book 2. I'm a bit intrigued to see where this story goes and how Lia will exact revenge.

[lena RuiZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this!! I love how Ryker is just soo grumpy and morbid to others around him but sooo soft and awed when it comes to Lia. It made my heart flutter reading his inner dialogues when he is looking at her and watching her . And Lia is exactly the female character I have been wanting to real lately. Sheltered , inexperienced in almost EVERYTHING in life but being a badass at the same time. The writing is amazing in this and can’t wait for the next book and more from this author in the future!

[Lofty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4*
Lia has been sheltered all her life, but has now been allowed to attend college where she's hoping for answers about her mother.
Ryker is fed up with his father's demands and is looking for a way out. When he spots her he knows needs to get closer unfortunately for her it's not all good.
Betrayed in the worst possible way she's determined to make everyone pay!
My first book by this author and really need the next story.

[JM G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. Once I started reading Insidious Secrets, I didn't want to put it down. The characters are great and the storyline hooked me from the start. I don't want to spoil this book for anyone so I won't go into details. Please read the book blurb for some information. I recommend reading this book. I really enjoyed it and I hope you do too.

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

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

This was certainly one book you don't want to put down it was exhilarating to read, the story kept me on the edge of my seat, with the characters Ryker and Lia were captivating. This book was definitely awesome one that I cannot wait for the next book. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

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

[Toni Amey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hooked me In right away. I officially hate Ryker and I hope Lia gets her revenge so good with him and everyone else. She deserves it and she really deserves to become the true bada** I know she is! Ryker went too far with the bullying and you never got an answer as to why exactly. I can’t wait for book 2 because I need more ASAP.

[Carmela Dimattia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read that I enjoyed very much. The story was very engrossing and Lia and Ryker were wonderful, complex characters. Even though I felt the book started off a bit slow I found that the more I read the more I was getting hooked. The title of this book is very fitting and I am looking forward to the next book.

[Devonne Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need book 2 asap!

This book takes you through a roller coaster. I have never fallen for the MMC and then absolutely despise him. I’m not sure he will be redeemable. Really hope there’s some serious grovel from him to Lia and I hope Lia flips the whole school upside down. Can’t wait for the next part!

This book ends on a cliffhanger. Be prepared!

[S I · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insidious Secrets by Zenna Rose
My first book by this author and I enjoyed it so much! It closes on a cliffhanger but the story will captivate you to the last page. It has a bit of mystery and bulling but you want to see where this will go.

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

[Kaitlin Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. Well written, with exciting twists and turns. I’m a big fan of secret society stuff, but I will say I expected more from the FMC.

The girl is beyond sheltered…doesn’t know what a TV is…but yet is suppose to be this badass trained to kill anyone that’s a threat to her. Yet she’s so docile and ignorant….yet is suppose to be super intelligent.

[Gina Burkart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a read. This is a first read for this author and I loved the way this story grabbed me from the very first page. This is a dark secret society bully romance. This does have triggers and should be read before starting this amazing book. Can’t wait to read the second book.

[Rhea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! I was hooked, poor Lia hasn’t had it easy from the beginning. And when she manages to get into uni Lia thinks she will finally get a normal life and at first that is how it seems until Ryker makes her life hell!

[Summer Steelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book! I loved it and couldn't put it down! Devoured every word and will totally check out more by Rose.

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

[Emily VanDrunen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book lives up to its name, diving into the mysteries surrounding Lia's mother's death. please check the trigger warnings before diving into this one.

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