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Dangerous Games #1
The Contract
Dante
My moral compass is broken. That’s why I need rules. They keep me from killing people I shouldn’t. They keep me from crossing certain lines. I’m possessive. Obsessive. Deviant. And I like to fight.
That’s what I see in Tristan when I spot him working in the swanky nightclub. His cool detachment is a mask. He’s angry, he’s lost, and he’s totally new to what he’s feeling.
I want to feel that anger. I want it to burn me. I want him to fight me—then I want to feel him submit. He won’t have any choice, not in my play room. He would look perfect there on the black sheets … with red blooming across his creamy skin.
Tristan
Okay, so I’m not as straight as I thought. I can deal with that, but I don’t know if I can deal with him. I could tell Dante was dangerous even before I saw him talking to a mobster connected to my brother’s death. I mean, Dante cornered me and bit me. I don’t even know him! He’s a thousand red flags. And yet … my body has never responded to anyone like it responds to him. That’s why I sit down with him one night after work.
Is this real? Are we actually about to discuss a sex contract? It looks so normal at first. He can’t hit me in the face. He can’t maim me. Why do we need rules for this?
“I don’t think you’re understanding this,” Dante tells me in his dark, sexy voice. “These are hard limits. Everything else—everything else—is fair game.”
He won’t tell me what that means. Half the fun, he says, is finding out.
*Books in the Dangerous Games series can be read as standalones, though some events are connected and characters may cross over. Please note that these dark MM romances have HEAs but contain potentially triggering content. Each book's content list (which will contain spoilers) can be found in its ebook sample.
My moral compass is broken. That’s why I need rules. They keep me from killing people I shouldn’t. They keep me from crossing certain lines. I’m possessive. Obsessive. Deviant. And I like to fight.
That’s what I see in Tristan when I spot him working in the swanky nightclub. His cool detachment is a mask. He’s angry, he’s lost, and he’s totally new to what he’s feeling.
I want to feel that anger. I want it to burn me. I want him to fight me—then I want to feel him submit. He won’t have any choice, not in my play room. He would look perfect there on the black sheets … with red blooming across his creamy skin.
Tristan
Okay, so I’m not as straight as I thought. I can deal with that, but I don’t know if I can deal with him. I could tell Dante was dangerous even before I saw him talking to a mobster connected to my brother’s death. I mean, Dante cornered me and bit me. I don’t even know him! He’s a thousand red flags. And yet … my body has never responded to anyone like it responds to him. That’s why I sit down with him one night after work.
Is this real? Are we actually about to discuss a sex contract? It looks so normal at first. He can’t hit me in the face. He can’t maim me. Why do we need rules for this?
“I don’t think you’re understanding this,” Dante tells me in his dark, sexy voice. “These are hard limits. Everything else—everything else—is fair game.”
He won’t tell me what that means. Half the fun, he says, is finding out.
*Books in the Dangerous Games series can be read as standalones, though some events are connected and characters may cross over. Please note that these dark MM romances have HEAs but contain potentially triggering content. Each book's content list (which will contain spoilers) can be found in its ebook sample.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2024
590 people are currently reading
1866 people want to read
About the author
Rina Saint
4 books419 followersRina loves her romances dark and dirty. Her books take you into the erotic lives of her complex, morally gray characters. If you love high intensity and fabulous smut, you're in the right place.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
June 9, 2025
This one is dark, a little messed up, but it was so incredibly good. Dante and Tristan are both very broken, and amidst the shattered pieces of their lives they come together through a contract, a sex contract, using each other as outlets to release all their pain. While Dante is a lot more expressive with his emotions, all his thoughts and memories eventually bubbling up into rage. Tristan is a bit more reserved, he keeps most things locked away in his head and prefers to drift in the shadows, going unnoticed. He only speaks when he has something to say or when he’s angry. I liked them both very much, they are complicated and intricate, not what I was expecting from this book. And despite how dark their relationship is there were still a handful of tender moments shared between the two that broke my heart wide open.
Now for the first half of the story it mainly introduces Dante and Tristan as characters with a lot of smut involved. The second half is where the plot really starts to unfold, actually it more cracks open then unfolds. Everything just kind of explodes in your face, and honestly with this type of book I think it works. I was ultimately shocked with how much I liked this one. I just grew very invested in every little thing, especially their relationship. And there’s a second book!! I just figured that out so now I have to go read it.
Now for the first half of the story it mainly introduces Dante and Tristan as characters with a lot of smut involved. The second half is where the plot really starts to unfold, actually it more cracks open then unfolds. Everything just kind of explodes in your face, and honestly with this type of book I think it works. I was ultimately shocked with how much I liked this one. I just grew very invested in every little thing, especially their relationship. And there’s a second book!! I just figured that out so now I have to go read it.
May 28, 2025
This one was dark, steamy, and intense.
My moral compass is broken. I have almost no empathy. So I need rules instead.
This story is about obsession, control, and complicated power dynamics between two broken men. They are trying to make sense of their pain through each other, it’s a precarious balance.
Dante is possessive, dangerous, and operates by a strict set of rules, which somehow makes him even more terrifying.
I fucking love his attention. I love when he’s furious with me. I love when he’s desperate for me.
Tristan is understandably overwhelmed but can’t help being drawn in. Watching him wrestle with his own identity and desire was excellent. Their chemistry was off the charts.
Tropes/themes:
Dark gay romance
D/s power dynamics
Sex contract/kink
Obsessive love interest
Enemies-to-lovers vibe
Gay awakening
Morally gray
Trauma and grief
Mafia/mob
Violence, gore
Childhood SA, off-page
HEA
I liked this one but I didn’t connect with it quite as much as Possession. While the writing is sharp and the emotional tension is high, this one felt a bit colder to me. I missed the big heart and emotional depth that made Possession stand out.
My moral compass is broken. I have almost no empathy. So I need rules instead.
This story is about obsession, control, and complicated power dynamics between two broken men. They are trying to make sense of their pain through each other, it’s a precarious balance.
Dante is possessive, dangerous, and operates by a strict set of rules, which somehow makes him even more terrifying.
I fucking love his attention. I love when he’s furious with me. I love when he’s desperate for me.
Tristan is understandably overwhelmed but can’t help being drawn in. Watching him wrestle with his own identity and desire was excellent. Their chemistry was off the charts.
Tropes/themes:
Dark gay romance
D/s power dynamics
Sex contract/kink
Obsessive love interest
Enemies-to-lovers vibe
Gay awakening
Morally gray
Trauma and grief
Mafia/mob
Violence, gore
Childhood SA, off-page
HEA
I liked this one but I didn’t connect with it quite as much as Possession. While the writing is sharp and the emotional tension is high, this one felt a bit colder to me. I missed the big heart and emotional depth that made Possession stand out.
January 16, 2025
first 5 star read for this year!!!
I don’t know what else to say beside, that you have to read it for yourself and that it was an absolute masterpiece all along!
It was hot, dark, dirty and flirty but it also had such tender moments and I adored them.
It really was never boring with this book and I can’t wait to read the second one, I really hope it will live up to the first one.
Yes I could have made a full review but honestly I don’t want to because I think it’s the best to get into it without knowing too much about it.
I don’t know what else to say beside, that you have to read it for yourself and that it was an absolute masterpiece all along!
It was hot, dark, dirty and flirty but it also had such tender moments and I adored them.
It really was never boring with this book and I can’t wait to read the second one, I really hope it will live up to the first one.
Yes I could have made a full review but honestly I don’t want to because I think it’s the best to get into it without knowing too much about it.
January 4, 2025
4.25**** stars
God, how I love when they use the safe word. It always means one of them fucked up royally and the other didn’t have any other choice than to use it to get away.
High heat and absolute glorious in its intensity. It almost hurt the few times I had to put it down. I’m so damn glad it’s only a few short weeks until the next book.
I wasn’t 100% satisfied, tho. Wished the author would’ve delved deeper into the plot besides the romance. Wished she would’ve done more for Tristan and Dante in the end. Let them come a little bit further in their relationship. Dante did so well at the end I would’ve loved to see more. But maybe their story isn’t quite over yet. We’ll see I guess.
*Please heed TWs
*************
Dangerous Games Series
Book 1 - The Contract - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - The Club - 3.5 stars
“Red.”
God, how I love when they use the safe word. It always means one of them fucked up royally and the other didn’t have any other choice than to use it to get away.
I’m usually very patient when I hunt prey, but I’m struggling tonight.
High heat and absolute glorious in its intensity. It almost hurt the few times I had to put it down. I’m so damn glad it’s only a few short weeks until the next book.
I wasn’t 100% satisfied, tho. Wished the author would’ve delved deeper into the plot besides the romance. Wished she would’ve done more for Tristan and Dante in the end. Let them come a little bit further in their relationship. Dante did so well at the end I would’ve loved to see more. But maybe their story isn’t quite over yet. We’ll see I guess.
*Please heed TWs
*************
Dangerous Games Series
Book 1 - The Contract - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - The Club - 3.5 stars
October 23, 2024
⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️
Oh my, oh my. This was delicious & filthy. Just how I like it.
Going into The Contract, I thought this was just gonna be a quick sexy dirty read, but I got so much more. I loved the domination, the intensity, the passion.
Alongside the hot sex, there were also some achy hurt/comfort moments, a dark story and a growing romance.
I also just found out it’s the same author that wrote Silk & Sand so no wonder I fell in love with the writing and the characterizations. [also who TF told her there was too much spice in that series???! It’s perfect, I don’t wanna hear complaints]
The spice was on the edge of too much, pushing not only Tristan’s boundaries but maybe even our own, and I loved that. I loved the edge of danger, the possessiveness, how they both were addicted to each other. This tickled all my secret dirty kinks.
Yes, yes I did.
The plot was a little basic, nothing we haven’t seen in the dark romance world, but I still really enjoyed Dante and Tristan’s story. I love how we got to see Dante’s more vulnerable side, his caring side, his brokenboi in need of love side.
I already can’t wait for the next installment to come out, because I need more of this — of mind-melting smut and murderous [but only the bad dudes so that makes it okay] unhinged sexy men.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Dubcon/ CNC
- Homophobic slurs (not by MCs)
- Mentions of past sexual abuse & human trafficking (off page, semi graphic)
- Touch-aversion
- Fuck first, kiss later
- Queer awakening
- Abduction
- Drugging
- Strict top/bottom
- Bondage
- Coming hands-free
- Rimming & frotting
- Breath play
- Knife play
- Brief spanking
- Forced orgasm & multiple orgasms
- Rough sex
- Overstimulation/extreme edging
- Toys
- Forced feminization (underwear)
- Somnophilia
I shiver as I lift the pen because I know what I’ve done. I’ve signed my life away.
I’ve made a deal with the devil.
Oh my, oh my. This was delicious & filthy. Just how I like it.
Going into The Contract, I thought this was just gonna be a quick sexy dirty read, but I got so much more. I loved the domination, the intensity, the passion.
Alongside the hot sex, there were also some achy hurt/comfort moments, a dark story and a growing romance.
I also just found out it’s the same author that wrote Silk & Sand so no wonder I fell in love with the writing and the characterizations. [also who TF told her there was too much spice in that series???! It’s perfect, I don’t wanna hear complaints]
I want him to claim me. I want him to possess me. I’ve never wanted that before. Or maybe I’ve simply never allowed myself to want it.
The spice was on the edge of too much, pushing not only Tristan’s boundaries but maybe even our own, and I loved that. I loved the edge of danger, the possessiveness, how they both were addicted to each other. This tickled all my secret dirty kinks.
“I thought about you all day,” he says. “I imagined that plug inside you, pressing against your sweet spot, making you hard for me. I imagined your cock dripping as you waited for me. Did you imagine me inside you?”
Yes, yes I did.
The plot was a little basic, nothing we haven’t seen in the dark romance world, but I still really enjoyed Dante and Tristan’s story. I love how we got to see Dante’s more vulnerable side, his caring side, his brokenboi in need of love side.
« Because he’s making feel things that I don’t know how to feel. And he’s making me want things that I don’t know how to want. »
I already can’t wait for the next installment to come out, because I need more of this — of mind-melting smut and murderous [but only the bad dudes so that makes it okay] unhinged sexy men.
“I was … afraid,” he admits. That’s not what I expected. “Of what?” “Of you. Of what I wanted with you.” My breath catches. “And what do you want?”
“Everything.”
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Dubcon/ CNC
- Homophobic slurs (not by MCs)
- Mentions of past sexual abuse & human trafficking (off page, semi graphic)
- Touch-aversion
- Fuck first, kiss later
- Queer awakening
- Abduction
- Drugging
- Strict top/bottom
- Bondage
- Coming hands-free
- Rimming & frotting
- Breath play
- Knife play
- Brief spanking
- Forced orgasm & multiple orgasms
- Rough sex
- Overstimulation/extreme edging
- Toys
- Forced feminization (underwear)
- Somnophilia
dnf
June 23, 2025dnf @ 70%
idc where their relationship goes atp.
idc where their relationship goes atp.
November 9, 2024
You know what makes me hehe?..
When one MC is like- "I don't kiss" and "I dont like to be touched" but, by the end... they're huggin, touchin' peepees n swappin spit.. I LOoVVEE that!!
This was hot and naughty with a pinch of drama. I had fun.
Dantes' parents can eat shit.
No cheating/sharing. Lil bit of jealously..(Raphael is definitely in love with Dante)
"I haul him upright so he can see his own leaking cock. I turn us slightly so he can see mine as it punches up into him—and he starts to come. The upward spurt of his ejaculation, the sight of it leaping from the flared tip of his stiff cock, is so fucking erotic that I absolutely lose it. I slam him down against the counter and unleash myself on his ass."
🥵
When one MC is like- "I don't kiss" and "I dont like to be touched" but, by the end... they're huggin, touchin' peepees n swappin spit.. I LOoVVEE that!!
This was hot and naughty with a pinch of drama. I had fun.
Dantes' parents can eat shit.
No cheating/sharing. Lil bit of jealously..(Raphael is definitely in love with Dante)
"I haul him upright so he can see his own leaking cock. I turn us slightly so he can see mine as it punches up into him—and he starts to come. The upward spurt of his ejaculation, the sight of it leaping from the flared tip of his stiff cock, is so fucking erotic that I absolutely lose it. I slam him down against the counter and unleash myself on his ass."
🥵
May 8, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
I haven’t seen anyone mention this in their reviews—maybe you all have better taste in literature than me 😅 and skipped Fifty Shades of Grey 🙌
Spoiler alert: this is way better. But it does have a lot of similarities: the contract, the lip biting, the “I don’t like to be touched,” the waxing, the piano, the playroom, the shopping spree, the dinner with the parents while wearing a plug, and even sex scene in the party 🥵. Dante’s personality and his trauma? Definitely gave me Christian Grey vibes—but Dante and Tristan are so much better than Christian and Anastasia.
Look, this relationship is messed up and toxic, and we really shouldn’t like this kind of dynamic, and the fact that I loved it this much, even with all the dub-con/non-con elements… yeah, my therapist’s gonna have a field day 😅. The dominance and submission, the way they both admit and accept their desires—it hit all the right spots.
It starts out as a simple arrangement (right? RIGHT???) but then it turns into something so much more. And I loved that shift. When the possessiveness kicks in and it actually means something? Chef’s kiss. That kiss scene? Living in my head rent-free forever.
There is a plot behind all the smut (and omg, the smut smuted hard 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵), and it’s not just filler—it’s emotional, a bit sensitive, and even brings in some mystery and action. Plus, bad guys getting what they deserve? Yes, please.
Now I’m curious about Rafael… time for more dark romance yumminess for me 🤤🖤
I haven’t seen anyone mention this in their reviews—maybe you all have better taste in literature than me 😅 and skipped Fifty Shades of Grey 🙌
Spoiler alert: this is way better. But it does have a lot of similarities: the contract, the lip biting, the “I don’t like to be touched,” the waxing, the piano, the playroom, the shopping spree, the dinner with the parents while wearing a plug, and even sex scene in the party 🥵. Dante’s personality and his trauma? Definitely gave me Christian Grey vibes—but Dante and Tristan are so much better than Christian and Anastasia.
Look, this relationship is messed up and toxic, and we really shouldn’t like this kind of dynamic, and the fact that I loved it this much, even with all the dub-con/non-con elements… yeah, my therapist’s gonna have a field day 😅. The dominance and submission, the way they both admit and accept their desires—it hit all the right spots.
It starts out as a simple arrangement (right? RIGHT???) but then it turns into something so much more. And I loved that shift. When the possessiveness kicks in and it actually means something? Chef’s kiss. That kiss scene? Living in my head rent-free forever.
There is a plot behind all the smut (and omg, the smut smuted hard 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵), and it’s not just filler—it’s emotional, a bit sensitive, and even brings in some mystery and action. Plus, bad guys getting what they deserve? Yes, please.
Now I’m curious about Rafael… time for more dark romance yumminess for me 🤤🖤
April 28, 2025
“No one touches my man,”
DAMN but I wasn't the slightest bit ready for this one
Rtc
DAMN but I wasn't the slightest bit ready for this one
Rtc
October 24, 2024
Tristan gets a job as a bartender at a sex club where he meets Dante, a sexy but dangerous man who offers him a sex contract with minimal limits. Tristan signs the contract, but doesn't know what he's getting into with Dante. Can they learn to trust each other or will their secrets break them apart? Dante, with his rules about how and where he can bear to be touched. And Tristan, who is desperate to find out what has happened to his brother, and how Dante is involved.
Rina Saint is a new-to-me author and I went into reading this book with no expectations. And excuse me but I was not expecting the spice to be that spicy! What a fun surprise! I prefer dark romance where both MCs are clearly into it even if there's some elements of CNC, and Rina delivered! There's some 50 Shades of Grey parallels but this book is much better and leaves out the awkward self loathing and weird nicknames. I loved the incorporation of sex toys and honestly, I hope the next book goes farther! I'm hoping If you like dark romance, I highly recommend giving The Contract a try!
Rating: 4.5 stars
Angst: 3.5/5
Steam: 4.5/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
"'You've never been with a man before, have you,' I ask. I won't deny that the idea thrills me. I'll get to watch as he experiences totally new sensations. [...] I bring my mouth to his ear and whisper, letting my lips brush him. 'You have no idea what your body can do for you. You have no idea what my body can do for you.'"
Rina Saint is a new-to-me author and I went into reading this book with no expectations. And excuse me but I was not expecting the spice to be that spicy! What a fun surprise! I prefer dark romance where both MCs are clearly into it even if there's some elements of CNC, and Rina delivered! There's some 50 Shades of Grey parallels but this book is much better and leaves out the awkward self loathing and weird nicknames. I loved the incorporation of sex toys and honestly, I hope the next book goes farther! I'm hoping If you like dark romance, I highly recommend giving The Contract a try!
"It won't hurt this time", I tell him. "Come on. You'll feel better when you're on my dick."
Rating: 4.5 stars
Angst: 3.5/5
Steam: 4.5/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
February 15, 2025
I'm a sucker for tortured heroes, revenge, and kinky sex in lieu of therapy. And this book has all of that. As far as the plot- it was better than I expected. It gets into some pretty dark themes (pedophilia, rape, torture, trafficking, etc.) but all of this happens off page, and in spite of the dark themes (and the fact that the MMC is described as "dangerous" about 100 times), it's actually pretty lighthearted and sweet overall.
As far as the smut- it was not as good as I was expecting, but it was still pretty good. And the writing style, character development, and relationship development is about what you would expect for erotica. This is one of those "I'm not saying it's good, I'm saying I liked it" kinda books. But I really did like it, enough to keep going with this series.
As far as the smut- it was not as good as I was expecting, but it was still pretty good. And the writing style, character development, and relationship development is about what you would expect for erotica. This is one of those "I'm not saying it's good, I'm saying I liked it" kinda books. But I really did like it, enough to keep going with this series.
April 19, 2025
4.5 stars!
Did I just go down a Rina Saint rabbit hole and binge? I absolutely did. This author writes emotional and filthy MM stories that grab you by the throat and don’t let go until the end.
Tristan is alone in the world and looking for answers about his missing brother. This lands him at a club working the bar while also looking for clues. This puts him in the path of Dante.
Dante is scary, a certifiable psychopath. He doesn’t enter any relationships without a contract and set rules. But when his eyes land on Tristan, things change for him. He wants to be more for Tristan even though his trauma makes him dangerous.
Tristan is hesitant to accept the contract that Dante lays out but these two are moths to a flame and need each other more than they know.
These two are so hot together. Like boily lobster. But their connection has a genuine and emotional vulnerability that is so special. I don’t know how Rina does it but she writes filth that is also incredibly delicate and loving.
A little bit of plot, a whole lot of smut and some violence and bloodshed made this story just everything I wanted. Check your triggers because this is full of them but don’t worry Dante and Tristan get their hard earned HEA.
Did I just go down a Rina Saint rabbit hole and binge? I absolutely did. This author writes emotional and filthy MM stories that grab you by the throat and don’t let go until the end.
Tristan is alone in the world and looking for answers about his missing brother. This lands him at a club working the bar while also looking for clues. This puts him in the path of Dante.
Dante is scary, a certifiable psychopath. He doesn’t enter any relationships without a contract and set rules. But when his eyes land on Tristan, things change for him. He wants to be more for Tristan even though his trauma makes him dangerous.
Tristan is hesitant to accept the contract that Dante lays out but these two are moths to a flame and need each other more than they know.
“I want to fuck you, Tristan. Again and again and again. I want my cum inside you and all over you. I want you always ready for me, always anticipating me. I want you getting hard at the sound of my voice because you know how I’m going to use you. And I will be using you.”
These two are so hot together. Like boily lobster. But their connection has a genuine and emotional vulnerability that is so special. I don’t know how Rina does it but she writes filth that is also incredibly delicate and loving.
“I think you hate me because I see the truth of you, and I make you see it too. And it’s hard to come to terms with the fact that what you really want, what you really need, is base and raw and fucking primitive.”
A little bit of plot, a whole lot of smut and some violence and bloodshed made this story just everything I wanted. Check your triggers because this is full of them but don’t worry Dante and Tristan get their hard earned HEA.
April 5, 2025
Tropes: sex contract, hurt/comfort
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: exhibitionism, BDSM, toys, somnophilia, dubcon, breath play
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past CSA, foster care, murder, violence, gore, torture, trafficking, MC drugging other MC
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: neither have any thought of being with anyone else in this book. Tristan is jealous of Dante's friend Rafael, who Dante "kind of" fucked in the past.
3.5 stars
Tristan is 26. He's never been with a man before. He grew up poor. He was in foster care. His brother Evan disappeared during childhood and then reappeared a few months ago, only to disappear again. Tristan is trying to find him again so he steal some fancy clothes and gets a job in a fancy nightclub where one of Evan's associates frequents. There he catches the attention of Dante, one of the customers.
Dante is 31. He was raised in a wealthy family, who came from dirty money and was trying to go clean. In going clean they pissed off one of their dirty partners in crime, who abducted Dante as a teen in revenge and sold him into sex slavery for a network of rich pedophiles to abuse. It really f***** him up. He was rescued after a few years by Noah, a former FBI agent. He returned to his regular life, but he moonlights finding and unaliving pedophiles and scum, to get his bloodlust out and revenge. He arranges sex contracts where he is in control rather than having relationships. When he sees Tristan, he wants him. And Tristan is surprised to see that he wants him too, so he gives in.
They have a contract relationship, though they both start to feel things they shouldn't. Tristan starts to look into Dante, wanting more out of him, and he stumbles into what happened with Evan.
This was a pretty decent story. It was a compelling dynamic between Dante and Tristan. I liked how anti-rich people Tristan was, and I liked how Tristan fought back and gave attitude, how he got stabby with Dante and Dante let him. Tristan was a bit of a black cat character, even though his past wasn't as dark as Dante's, and it was nice to see his claws retract and him become vulnerable and soft with Dante. There was a lot of plot going on, though mind your triggers cuz it is extremely dark. I liked Kenzie and Saylor and Noah, those were nice side characters.
One complaint I had, which is minor, was that the characters kept describing things as erotic, using that word. It seems like a bit of a crutch, a bit of a cheap way to describe something, when you could write it in terms of sensuality and show us rather than tell us that something is erotic.
Other than that, I kind of wish that there had been a bit more emotion between Dante and Tristan earlier. It just would have helped me to ship and enjoy them if there had been softness earlier. But that's completely my personal preference, me being picky! But it would have elevated the book.
Some notable moments:
I love how Tristan is judgy about fancy things. "Then he sniffs the air. “What is that?” “Eggplant Parmesan.” His eyebrows jump. “Okay, Mister Fancy Pants.” “You work at one of the fanciest nightclubs in the city.” “Yeah, but.” He says that like it’s a complete sentence. “But what?” His cheeks flush. He ignores my question. “But what, Tristan?” He shrugs and looks away. “You’ve seen my place.” Yeah, I have, and he’s never going back to that mold-infested shithole. But he doesn’t know that yet."
"I feel so fucking vulnerable as I let my body release like that, as I let him hold me and catch the spill from my ass. It’s so intimate that even though I’m not upset, my eyes prickle. Tears spill. Dante’s face shifts. Hesitantly, his lips press against my temple. He kisses me. With anyone else, such a small kiss wouldn’t mean much, but Dante has never, ever kissed me before, not in any way. I sigh against him and relax."
Tristan being stabby... "I say, “I notice you offered me two dishes that require a spoon.” “Yeah, well, you’re very stabby today. Though I’m sure you could still hurt me with that if you wanted.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: exhibitionism, BDSM, toys, somnophilia, dubcon, breath play
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past CSA, foster care, murder, violence, gore, torture, trafficking, MC drugging other MC
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: neither have any thought of being with anyone else in this book. Tristan is jealous of Dante's friend Rafael, who Dante "kind of" fucked in the past.
3.5 stars
Tristan is 26. He's never been with a man before. He grew up poor. He was in foster care. His brother Evan disappeared during childhood and then reappeared a few months ago, only to disappear again. Tristan is trying to find him again so he steal some fancy clothes and gets a job in a fancy nightclub where one of Evan's associates frequents. There he catches the attention of Dante, one of the customers.
Dante is 31. He was raised in a wealthy family, who came from dirty money and was trying to go clean. In going clean they pissed off one of their dirty partners in crime, who abducted Dante as a teen in revenge and sold him into sex slavery for a network of rich pedophiles to abuse. It really f***** him up. He was rescued after a few years by Noah, a former FBI agent. He returned to his regular life, but he moonlights finding and unaliving pedophiles and scum, to get his bloodlust out and revenge. He arranges sex contracts where he is in control rather than having relationships. When he sees Tristan, he wants him. And Tristan is surprised to see that he wants him too, so he gives in.
They have a contract relationship, though they both start to feel things they shouldn't. Tristan starts to look into Dante, wanting more out of him, and he stumbles into what happened with Evan.
This was a pretty decent story. It was a compelling dynamic between Dante and Tristan. I liked how anti-rich people Tristan was, and I liked how Tristan fought back and gave attitude, how he got stabby with Dante and Dante let him. Tristan was a bit of a black cat character, even though his past wasn't as dark as Dante's, and it was nice to see his claws retract and him become vulnerable and soft with Dante. There was a lot of plot going on, though mind your triggers cuz it is extremely dark. I liked Kenzie and Saylor and Noah, those were nice side characters.
One complaint I had, which is minor, was that the characters kept describing things as erotic, using that word. It seems like a bit of a crutch, a bit of a cheap way to describe something, when you could write it in terms of sensuality and show us rather than tell us that something is erotic.
Other than that, I kind of wish that there had been a bit more emotion between Dante and Tristan earlier. It just would have helped me to ship and enjoy them if there had been softness earlier. But that's completely my personal preference, me being picky! But it would have elevated the book.
Some notable moments:
I love how Tristan is judgy about fancy things. "Then he sniffs the air. “What is that?” “Eggplant Parmesan.” His eyebrows jump. “Okay, Mister Fancy Pants.” “You work at one of the fanciest nightclubs in the city.” “Yeah, but.” He says that like it’s a complete sentence. “But what?” His cheeks flush. He ignores my question. “But what, Tristan?” He shrugs and looks away. “You’ve seen my place.” Yeah, I have, and he’s never going back to that mold-infested shithole. But he doesn’t know that yet."
"I feel so fucking vulnerable as I let my body release like that, as I let him hold me and catch the spill from my ass. It’s so intimate that even though I’m not upset, my eyes prickle. Tears spill. Dante’s face shifts. Hesitantly, his lips press against my temple. He kisses me. With anyone else, such a small kiss wouldn’t mean much, but Dante has never, ever kissed me before, not in any way. I sigh against him and relax."
Tristan being stabby... "I say, “I notice you offered me two dishes that require a spoon.” “Yeah, well, you’re very stabby today. Though I’m sure you could still hurt me with that if you wanted.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2025
Eh, this didn't hit the mark for me personally.
I was excited because it sounded like a fun MM.
It's started off good, and I was intrigued, but then it kind of just fell flat.
I was excited because it sounded like a fun MM.
It's started off good, and I was intrigued, but then it kind of just fell flat.
July 27, 2025
This one surprised me with how dark the subject matter was, most of it was past and hinted at (until the end), but it’s enough to break your heart.
Honestly the star of the show is the filthy, delicious & feral spice in this book. I mean, it’s about a sex contract so that should be a given. The emotion behind it all is just icing. It’s kind of surprising because it’s a relatively short book, but the author is really able to flesh out these characters. Tristan and Dante are just fire together. I’d honestly be happy to have another book with just those two, but I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series.
Contemporary MM
Dark Romance
Morally Grey Vigilante
Sex Contract
Dom / Sub-ish
Hurt / Comfort
Don’t Touch Me
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Honestly the star of the show is the filthy, delicious & feral spice in this book. I mean, it’s about a sex contract so that should be a given. The emotion behind it all is just icing. It’s kind of surprising because it’s a relatively short book, but the author is really able to flesh out these characters. Tristan and Dante are just fire together. I’d honestly be happy to have another book with just those two, but I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series.
Contemporary MM
Dark Romance
Morally Grey Vigilante
Sex Contract
Dom / Sub-ish
Hurt / Comfort
Don’t Touch Me
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
April 27, 2025
⭐️2.5/5 🌶1.5/5
Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me. While the beginning showed a lot of promise, I found it hard to connect with the characters emotionally as the story progressed. The romance felt flat, and despite the heavy focus on physical intimacy, it didn’t evoke much chemistry for me personally. I'm sure others might enjoy it more, but sadly, it just wasn't my cup of tea. 🫤
Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me. While the beginning showed a lot of promise, I found it hard to connect with the characters emotionally as the story progressed. The romance felt flat, and despite the heavy focus on physical intimacy, it didn’t evoke much chemistry for me personally. I'm sure others might enjoy it more, but sadly, it just wasn't my cup of tea. 🫤
May 1, 2025
good? no. did i have a great time? absolutely.
did i quote some passages to a few friends to laugh over? yes. did i stay up late at night because i didn't want to stop reading? also a yes.
🤷♀️
did i quote some passages to a few friends to laugh over? yes. did i stay up late at night because i didn't want to stop reading? also a yes.
🤷♀️
July 9, 2025
I couldn’t put this one down. I had chores to do so I listened to it with assisted reader with the damn robot voice because I couldn’t stop reading it. I’m obsessed. I love Tristan and Dante so much. This was hot and dark and sooo possessive and unhinged. It was great!
October 9, 2025
˗ˏˋ ꒰ 𝟒/𝟓 ★ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
this was very Fifty Shades of Gray - but gay✨ plus much more unhinged & dark😈
the similarities were sometimes quite uncanny so i can't imagine that Rina Saint didn't draw inspiration from E.L James's books (to list a few examples: obsession/stalking, bdsm-like sex contract, the kinky playroom, no touching certain body parts, scars, demons from the past, sleeping with someone in his bed, waxing, family dinner while wearing a plug, lip biting (iykyk)..) but it was still different enough to make it it's own book.
the MCs chemistry was impeccable, dark & filthy & toxic & feral but it worked for them & i couldn't help rooting for them🫠🖤 just two broken, lost souls who found each other - & became totally obsessed with one another!! tbf their relationship didn't start easily haha but it was still perfect & i loved every crazy j/p moment too!!
the smut (which was deliciously wicked, filthy & scorching hot) was more in focus in the beginning but then the plot started to pick up too which was really entertaining with some mysteries & twists so i just flew through the pages.
soo about half of the book i actually listened to as an audiobook bc i checked a teaser Rina Saint shared & well, i just had to..🫠🎧 also, as a side note, this was probably my first duet narration (if my memory serves right), which was awesome! i loved Tristan's narrator so much!! Dante's was.. a bit.. weird sometimes? i liked his deep voice!! but his voice acting during the smut scenes sometimes gave me second-hand embarrassment😳🙈 idk.. sorry, i might be a hater? it was good overall ig but could've been better?? yk??😅🙈
it was still awesome overall, i loved this book!🖤 & i'm looking forward to the next one, Rafael was a very interesting character in this book!👀
➥ ᴍᴍ
➥ ғɪʀsᴛ-ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴇʏ ᴍᴄ
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴠɪɢɪʟᴀɴᴛᴇ ᴍᴄ (ᴏɴ ᴀ ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ ᴍɪssɪᴏɴ)
ᝰ.✍︎ ʜᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴊ/ᴘ, ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴠᴇ
ᝰ.✍︎ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴄᴀᴛ ᴠɪʙᴇs
ᝰ.✍︎ sᴛᴀʙʙʏ ᴍᴄ(s)
ᝰ.✍︎ ɪɴsᴛᴀ ʟᴜsᴛ/ᴀᴛᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ
ᝰ.✍︎ ɢғʏ / sᴇxᴜᴀʟ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇɴɪɴɢ
ᝰ.✍︎ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇs
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴋɪɴᴋs: ᴅ/s ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄ, ᴅᴜʙ-ᴄᴏɴ, ᴄɴᴄ, ʙᴏɴᴅᴀɢᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ, ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴘʟᴀʏ, ᴋɴɪғᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ, ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴏʀɢᴀsᴍ, ʀᴏᴜɢʜ sᴇx, ᴏᴠᴇʀsᴛɪᴍᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ/ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇ ᴇᴅɢɪɴɢ ᴛᴏʏs (ᴠɪʙʀᴀᴛᴏʀ, ᴀɴᴀʟ ᴘʟᴜɢ, ᴅɪʟᴅᴏ), ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ғᴇᴍɪɴɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ (ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴏɴʟʏ), sᴏᴍɴᴏᴘʜɪʟɪᴀ, sᴘᴀɴᴋɪɴɢ, "ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴏʏ", ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ sᴄᴇɴᴇs
➽ ᴛᴡ: ᴅᴜʙᴄᴏɴ/ᴄɴᴄ, ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ, ᴅᴇᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ, ᴀʙᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴅʀᴜɢɢɪɴɢ, ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ/ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟs, ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ, ᴛᴏʀᴛᴜʀᴇ (sᴄ, ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴄs), ʜᴏᴍᴏᴘʜᴏʙɪᴄ sʟᴜʀs, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ sᴀ/ᴀʙᴜsᴇ, ᴛᴏxɪᴄ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ɪʟʟᴇɢᴀʟ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛɪᴇs, sᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ, ɢʀɪᴇғ, ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛ, ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄʜᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪssᴜᴇs, sᴀғᴇᴡᴏʀᴅɪɴɢ
this was very Fifty Shades of Gray - but gay✨ plus much more unhinged & dark😈
the similarities were sometimes quite uncanny so i can't imagine that Rina Saint didn't draw inspiration from E.L James's books (to list a few examples: obsession/stalking, bdsm-like sex contract, the kinky playroom, no touching certain body parts, scars, demons from the past, sleeping with someone in his bed, waxing, family dinner while wearing a plug, lip biting (iykyk)..) but it was still different enough to make it it's own book.
₊˙ ⌇ 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍. ⌇ ˚⭒
the MCs chemistry was impeccable, dark & filthy & toxic & feral but it worked for them & i couldn't help rooting for them🫠🖤 just two broken, lost souls who found each other - & became totally obsessed with one another!! tbf their relationship didn't start easily haha but it was still perfect & i loved every crazy j/p moment too!!
₊˙ ⌇ “𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏. 𝑨𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒖𝒎 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” ⌇ ˚⭒
the smut (which was deliciously wicked, filthy & scorching hot) was more in focus in the beginning but then the plot started to pick up too which was really entertaining with some mysteries & twists so i just flew through the pages.
₊˙ ⌇ 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒔𝒔. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒖𝒑𝒔𝒆𝒕, 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒍. 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆’𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒔. 𝑯𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚, 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆. 𝑯𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆. 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑰 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒙. ⌇ ˚⭒
soo about half of the book i actually listened to as an audiobook bc i checked a teaser Rina Saint shared & well, i just had to..🫠🎧 also, as a side note, this was probably my first duet narration (if my memory serves right), which was awesome! i loved Tristan's narrator so much!! Dante's was.. a bit.. weird sometimes? i liked his deep voice!! but his voice acting during the smut scenes sometimes gave me second-hand embarrassment😳🙈 idk.. sorry, i might be a hater? it was good overall ig but could've been better?? yk??😅🙈
it was still awesome overall, i loved this book!🖤 & i'm looking forward to the next one, Rafael was a very interesting character in this book!👀
₊˙ ⌇ “𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈?” 𝒉𝒆 (𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏) 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒔, 𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈.
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚.”
“𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒆.”
“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆.” ⌇ ˚⭒
-- they were so cute🤭
₊˙ ⌇ 𝑰 (𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏) 𝒔𝒂𝒚 “𝑰 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒐𝒏.”
“𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒉, 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚. 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅.” ⌇ ˚⭒
-- i loved how their crazy matched, actually lmao
➥ ᴍᴍ
➥ ғɪʀsᴛ-ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴇʏ ᴍᴄ
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴠɪɢɪʟᴀɴᴛᴇ ᴍᴄ (ᴏɴ ᴀ ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ ᴍɪssɪᴏɴ)
ᝰ.✍︎ ʜᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴊ/ᴘ, ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴠᴇ
ᝰ.✍︎ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴄᴀᴛ ᴠɪʙᴇs
ᝰ.✍︎ sᴛᴀʙʙʏ ᴍᴄ(s)
ᝰ.✍︎ ɪɴsᴛᴀ ʟᴜsᴛ/ᴀᴛᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ
ᝰ.✍︎ ɢғʏ / sᴇxᴜᴀʟ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇɴɪɴɢ
ᝰ.✍︎ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇs
ᝰ.✍︎ ᴋɪɴᴋs: ᴅ/s ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄ, ᴅᴜʙ-ᴄᴏɴ, ᴄɴᴄ, ʙᴏɴᴅᴀɢᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ, ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴘʟᴀʏ, ᴋɴɪғᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ, ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴏʀɢᴀsᴍ, ʀᴏᴜɢʜ sᴇx, ᴏᴠᴇʀsᴛɪᴍᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ/ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇ ᴇᴅɢɪɴɢ ᴛᴏʏs (ᴠɪʙʀᴀᴛᴏʀ, ᴀɴᴀʟ ᴘʟᴜɢ, ᴅɪʟᴅᴏ), ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ғᴇᴍɪɴɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ (ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴏɴʟʏ), sᴏᴍɴᴏᴘʜɪʟɪᴀ, sᴘᴀɴᴋɪɴɢ, "ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴏʏ", ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ sᴄᴇɴᴇs
➽ ᴛᴡ: ᴅᴜʙᴄᴏɴ/ᴄɴᴄ, ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ, ᴅᴇᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ, ᴀʙᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴅʀᴜɢɢɪɴɢ, ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ/ɪɴᴊᴜʀʏ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟs, ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ, ᴛᴏʀᴛᴜʀᴇ (sᴄ, ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴄs), ʜᴏᴍᴏᴘʜᴏʙɪᴄ sʟᴜʀs, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ sᴀ/ᴀʙᴜsᴇ, ᴛᴏxɪᴄ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ɪʟʟᴇɢᴀʟ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛɪᴇs, sᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ, ɢʀɪᴇғ, ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛ, ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄʜᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪssᴜᴇs, sᴀғᴇᴡᴏʀᴅɪɴɢ
March 25, 2025
if you want to switch off your brain for a while to have some mindless entertainment then I recommend this because it kept me occupied for a good 2 hours 🧣🧣
May 5, 2025
Awesome 👍😎 plot 🥰🥰.
November 3, 2024
This was a solid 4 stars.
It would have easily been 5 stars but it was a 90/10 sex to story ratio and it’s hard for me to 5 star a book that’s mostly sex. Usually I DNF books that are mostly sex scenes but for some reason I didn’t with this one.
For me this book felt like a MM 50 shades of grey. Dante sees Tristan working as a bartender in the bar and immediately wants him. Tristan who’s never been attracted to a man has no idea what to do with how Dante’s intensity makes him feel. Dante has some demons from his past so he offers Tristan a “relationship” in the form of a contract. Dante needs this contract to keep himself in control. On it, it states Tristan isn’t allow to touch him intimately with his hands or mouth. Dante also doesn’t kiss and he doesn’t do feelings.
We quickly see that Tristan is going to be a very different case than what Dante usually deals with (I’m guessing just like mr grey he’s done this many times before). We don’t hear about any of his past sexual experiences which I’m very grateful for.
Now Tristan and Dante have sex most of the book but through all that we see how Dante changes when he’s with Tristan. He moves him into this house, he kisses Tristan and he’s also very possessive of him. I loved how they both only had eyes for each other. Neither of them wanted to be with anyone else.
I do wish we would have gotten more of a backstory on what Dante went through. We get some info and it’s very vague but I feel like it would have been better to understand why he is the way he is if we would have gotten the full story and not just bits and pieces of it.
Anyway even though this story is very sex based I still really enjoyed it and surprisingly I read every single scene instead of skimming them like I usually do.
Now Rafael’s book is next and I’m nervous about it. Mainly because he has this weird obsession with Dante that bugged the crap out of me. Also when Tristan told Dante that Rafael was in love with him I very much agreed with him. Rafael is also an asshole, he’s a manwhore and he owns a kink club so that’s three more marks against him. His love interest has internalized homophobia so that intrigues me but I have a feeling we won’t only see them together in their book. I have a feeling we will have some scenes of Rafael with other people but I’m crossing my fingers that won’t be the case.
NO CHEATING
NO OM DRAMA
THIRD ACT BREAK UP (2 days both celibate)
PAST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
TALK OF TORTURE
MURDER
HOMOPHOBIA (not from MCs)
It would have easily been 5 stars but it was a 90/10 sex to story ratio and it’s hard for me to 5 star a book that’s mostly sex. Usually I DNF books that are mostly sex scenes but for some reason I didn’t with this one.
For me this book felt like a MM 50 shades of grey. Dante sees Tristan working as a bartender in the bar and immediately wants him. Tristan who’s never been attracted to a man has no idea what to do with how Dante’s intensity makes him feel. Dante has some demons from his past so he offers Tristan a “relationship” in the form of a contract. Dante needs this contract to keep himself in control. On it, it states Tristan isn’t allow to touch him intimately with his hands or mouth. Dante also doesn’t kiss and he doesn’t do feelings.
We quickly see that Tristan is going to be a very different case than what Dante usually deals with (I’m guessing just like mr grey he’s done this many times before). We don’t hear about any of his past sexual experiences which I’m very grateful for.
Now Tristan and Dante have sex most of the book but through all that we see how Dante changes when he’s with Tristan. He moves him into this house, he kisses Tristan and he’s also very possessive of him. I loved how they both only had eyes for each other. Neither of them wanted to be with anyone else.
I do wish we would have gotten more of a backstory on what Dante went through. We get some info and it’s very vague but I feel like it would have been better to understand why he is the way he is if we would have gotten the full story and not just bits and pieces of it.
Anyway even though this story is very sex based I still really enjoyed it and surprisingly I read every single scene instead of skimming them like I usually do.
Now Rafael’s book is next and I’m nervous about it. Mainly because he has this weird obsession with Dante that bugged the crap out of me. Also when Tristan told Dante that Rafael was in love with him I very much agreed with him. Rafael is also an asshole, he’s a manwhore and he owns a kink club so that’s three more marks against him. His love interest has internalized homophobia so that intrigues me but I have a feeling we won’t only see them together in their book. I have a feeling we will have some scenes of Rafael with other people but I’m crossing my fingers that won’t be the case.
NO CHEATING
NO OM DRAMA
THIRD ACT BREAK UP (2 days both celibate)
PAST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
TALK OF TORTURE
MURDER
HOMOPHOBIA (not from MCs)
October 9, 2024
This author is my MAIN. I am a loyal supporter. I have yelled about the Seth and Raider series a lot on here (my reviews for that duology are on my page, HIGHLY recommend those books). This is a new series by the same author but under a darker romance pen name. And y'all when I tell you it DELIVERED. Not to keep going off on the caps but omfg I can die happy now that I have this series.
You know a book is good when you stop half way through just so it won't be over so quickly. I don't know what this author puts in their books but I am addicted. I love the balance of romance, spice, and action. Yes, they are high heat and loose morals, obviously these books are only for you if you like those themes, but god if you do they are so freaking good. The writing style absolutely shines in this darker romance.
That being said, I honestly didn't feel like it was too bad in the grand scheme of dark romances. The love is still there and clearly felt between Dante and Tristen. They were incredible together. Dante is the perfect possessive and intense MC and Tristen takes it all in stride without letting himself get completely run over. It's entertaining, steamy, and still somehow full of romance. Absolutely loved and so excited about where this series goes.
You know a book is good when you stop half way through just so it won't be over so quickly. I don't know what this author puts in their books but I am addicted. I love the balance of romance, spice, and action. Yes, they are high heat and loose morals, obviously these books are only for you if you like those themes, but god if you do they are so freaking good. The writing style absolutely shines in this darker romance.
That being said, I honestly didn't feel like it was too bad in the grand scheme of dark romances. The love is still there and clearly felt between Dante and Tristen. They were incredible together. Dante is the perfect possessive and intense MC and Tristen takes it all in stride without letting himself get completely run over. It's entertaining, steamy, and still somehow full of romance. Absolutely loved and so excited about where this series goes.
January 4, 2025
4 and 1/2 you knocked me off my feet stars. This was incredibly hot. In fact, I’d say it was the best dark and dirty book I’ve read in years. If you like dark dangerous characters, then you’ll love Tristan and Dante. Can’t wait to read the next book.
August 31, 2025
1.75 ⭐️
This was almost a DNF so many times 🫠
The MCs could have been interesting but were flat, the romance was non-existent, like I don't mind an insta-love but this just didn't make sense to me 🤷♀️
I kept going to see where the plot would go but it was just all so predictable and not enjoyable at the same time...
It was an overall big meh 😐 for me
Also, Dante's narrator really took me out of the story, in some moments it sounded like he was reciting grocery lists (don't know if it's the writing or him).
Narrator: Devon Ryder & Joe Arden
This was almost a DNF so many times 🫠
The MCs could have been interesting but were flat, the romance was non-existent, like I don't mind an insta-love but this just didn't make sense to me 🤷♀️
I kept going to see where the plot would go but it was just all so predictable and not enjoyable at the same time...
It was an overall big meh 😐 for me
Also, Dante's narrator really took me out of the story, in some moments it sounded like he was reciting grocery lists (don't know if it's the writing or him).
Narrator: Devon Ryder & Joe Arden
September 22, 2025
★ ★ ★ ★ ✬
Well this was one spicy as fuuuuuuck little dark romance. We’ve got a toxic, obsessive, traumatized Dom and a newly awakened baby gay with a penchant for being a bit stabby.
Some parts were a bit cliche and OTT, but y’all, the spice was SO FUCKING HOT.
I legit was like 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 HOT DAMN.
But I also adored the relationship. It was rough and raw but also sweet and funny at times. Well balanced other than the snippets of jealousy involving another little psycho.
Am I going to read more? Abso-fucking-lutely. 🫡
Well this was one spicy as fuuuuuuck little dark romance. We’ve got a toxic, obsessive, traumatized Dom and a newly awakened baby gay with a penchant for being a bit stabby.
Some parts were a bit cliche and OTT, but y’all, the spice was SO FUCKING HOT.
I legit was like 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 HOT DAMN.
But I also adored the relationship. It was rough and raw but also sweet and funny at times. Well balanced other than the snippets of jealousy involving another little psycho.
Am I going to read more? Abso-fucking-lutely. 🫡
May 18, 2025
4.25 ⭐️
April 9, 2025
4 ⭐️
The contract. The safe word. The termination of any other kind of relationship not explicitly outlined. The need for Dante to have complete control over the relationship due to circumstances in his past. This book was kinda giving Fifty Shade of Grey.. but make it MM.
I will say, contracts as the premise of a relationship is not usually my cup of tea. One of the most important things for me in a romance book, is for the MCs to have an intense emotional connection, and I feel like when the start of a relationship is built on something so clinical, it's difficult to get away from that and develop more sincere interactions and feelings. It definitely did take a while for Dante and Tristian to work their way from the contracted relationship. I know why everything was so difficult on Dante and why he needed the contract, but I still would have loved some more time after they terminated the contract to see them develop that deeper emotional bond. Although, yes, I definitely feel like they loved each other, there were still so many milestones I wish I could have seen them go through that definitely would have helped develop a more sincere feeling to their relationship:
1. Even though we got a glimpse of it at the end, I would have loved to see more of Tristian being able to touch Dante, and them working through that aspect of their relationship.
2. Dante talking to Tristian about his past, as opposed to him finding out about it from Noah.
3. A deeper glimpse into their life afterwards, possibly an epilogue of some sort?
I will say, I love in any BDSM relationship where the MC has to safe word. It feels like the climax in the plot and I usually am so eager to see how the other MC makes up for it. But, in here, it didn't live up to the expectations. I understand why Tristian used his safe word when he did, but I would have much preferred he used it while they were being intimate as opposed to him using it during a conversation. For this relationship having been as sexual as it was, and with the amount of spice in the book, I feel like it would have made more sense for Tristians breaking point to be one of those moments-- especially since he was technically so inexperienced.
Overall, this book was really good. I think what I loved most was every time Dante would push Tristian past his boundaries, and how Tristian would react to those moments. I def think that most of my "issues" with this book stem from the fact that it was pretty short.. I am manifesting the day Rina writes a longer book, because I just know that shit would be so perfectly developed and would satisfy every plot and steam dream of mine.
*Starting The Club next! I already know I’m going to like Dominic, not sure yet how I’ll feel about Rafael.
The contract. The safe word. The termination of any other kind of relationship not explicitly outlined. The need for Dante to have complete control over the relationship due to circumstances in his past. This book was kinda giving Fifty Shade of Grey.. but make it MM.
I will say, contracts as the premise of a relationship is not usually my cup of tea. One of the most important things for me in a romance book, is for the MCs to have an intense emotional connection, and I feel like when the start of a relationship is built on something so clinical, it's difficult to get away from that and develop more sincere interactions and feelings. It definitely did take a while for Dante and Tristian to work their way from the contracted relationship. I know why everything was so difficult on Dante and why he needed the contract, but I still would have loved some more time after they terminated the contract to see them develop that deeper emotional bond. Although, yes, I definitely feel like they loved each other, there were still so many milestones I wish I could have seen them go through that definitely would have helped develop a more sincere feeling to their relationship:
1. Even though we got a glimpse of it at the end, I would have loved to see more of Tristian being able to touch Dante, and them working through that aspect of their relationship.
2. Dante talking to Tristian about his past, as opposed to him finding out about it from Noah.
3. A deeper glimpse into their life afterwards, possibly an epilogue of some sort?
I will say, I love in any BDSM relationship where the MC has to safe word. It feels like the climax in the plot and I usually am so eager to see how the other MC makes up for it. But, in here, it didn't live up to the expectations. I understand why Tristian used his safe word when he did, but I would have much preferred he used it while they were being intimate as opposed to him using it during a conversation. For this relationship having been as sexual as it was, and with the amount of spice in the book, I feel like it would have made more sense for Tristians breaking point to be one of those moments-- especially since he was technically so inexperienced.
Overall, this book was really good. I think what I loved most was every time Dante would push Tristian past his boundaries, and how Tristian would react to those moments. I def think that most of my "issues" with this book stem from the fact that it was pretty short.. I am manifesting the day Rina writes a longer book, because I just know that shit would be so perfectly developed and would satisfy every plot and steam dream of mine.
*Starting The Club next! I already know I’m going to like Dominic, not sure yet how I’ll feel about Rafael.
April 27, 2025
4.25⭐️
In search of his missing brother, Tristan follows a lead to Lush, and gets a job as the club’s bartender. There he meets Dante, who is instantly obsessed with him. Tristan is soon offered a contract. The kind of contract that you can expect from a book that’s basically 50% 🌶️. Tristan is in for so much that he didn’t expect.
This book had a lot of classic dark romance tropes that I ate up:
-dark, tall, and dominant MC with control issues
-queer awakening
-D/S vibes, ample use of toys
-controlling behaviour
-touch him and die
-dubious consent but he loves it
-violence
But it’s also actually really good with character development?!! I was not expecting that! Dante’s past is slowly revealed, and his relationship with Tristan goes from just s*xual to so much deeper. He allows himself to be vulnerable. And I am a SUCKER for a hard, violent guy being vulnerable.
Though the writing quality of the book wasn’t the best, it was still really entertaining. It was definitely sexy, though the spice was a little over the top. And the subplot was slowly revealed in the perfect way to keep you interested. It’s fast paced and exciting.
Definitely recommend! But check TWs.
In search of his missing brother, Tristan follows a lead to Lush, and gets a job as the club’s bartender. There he meets Dante, who is instantly obsessed with him. Tristan is soon offered a contract. The kind of contract that you can expect from a book that’s basically 50% 🌶️. Tristan is in for so much that he didn’t expect.
This book had a lot of classic dark romance tropes that I ate up:
-dark, tall, and dominant MC with control issues
-queer awakening
-D/S vibes, ample use of toys
-controlling behaviour
-touch him and die
-dubious consent but he loves it
-violence
But it’s also actually really good with character development?!! I was not expecting that! Dante’s past is slowly revealed, and his relationship with Tristan goes from just s*xual to so much deeper. He allows himself to be vulnerable. And I am a SUCKER for a hard, violent guy being vulnerable.
Though the writing quality of the book wasn’t the best, it was still really entertaining. It was definitely sexy, though the spice was a little over the top. And the subplot was slowly revealed in the perfect way to keep you interested. It’s fast paced and exciting.
Definitely recommend! But check TWs.
June 22, 2025
Second book I've read by Rina Saint. Another fun read, but a little bummed because the Tristan character is VERY similar to one of the characters in the other book I read. I'm hoping this author is able to have more variety in her other books. And while it's a fun read, it's literally about 75% sex, so don't expect to find out much about the characters and don't expect much of a plot. The side story was actually really interesting and could have been an epic story if it was fleshed out more. I can only recommend this as a 3-star read that is fun, quick, and entertaining---which is always nice to find.
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