Dark Dance

by H.H. Knotty

Dove Dexter knows what she wants. She knows her goal of being the next great Black American ballerina means more hours in the dance studio than living the classic college freshman experience.

RJ Cage—one of the undeniable kings of Colorado Athletics University—is popular, desirable, and skilled on the ice. What starts as an innocent interaction at a holiday party soon escalates into a dangerous duet of manipulation and control.
RJ’s unbending dominance and emotional aloofness are tested when he sets his sights on Dove. RJ quickly finds that Dove won’t be so easy to break. Her quiet but fierce defiance only makes his dark obsession grow. As their twisted attraction blossoms, the line between cruelty and desire blurs.

Dove finds herself torn between fear and fascination, drawn to the darkness RJ offers, even as she finds she wants to pull him from it. As secrets from RJ’s present start to surface, they discover that they are trapped in a deadly dance of passion and power.

One they might not escape.

Dark Dance is a dark college bully romance. It’s perfect for readers who crave intense emotions, raw passion, and a love story that’s anything but simple.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2025

Reviews

[iluvdarkromanceok · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! your debut kicks fucking ass girl!!!!! can’t wait for book 2. also RJ??? yeah my type of carrying on 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

[Keya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not been this pleasantly surprised by a book in a long time. Dark Dance has been coming up in my suggestions on Instagram and KU for quite some time, and I had been reluctant to read it. I am so glad that I finally read this book and now I am just on the edge waiting for the next book. I don’t even know if there are words to describe how excellent this book is, I could not put this book down. The writing is superb, the characters are superb, the spice is out of the park, the drama, the dark romance elements. This book grabs a hold of you and does not let go. Whatever you’re reading right now put it down and immediately read Dark

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an easy read

This touched the very edge of how dark I can tolerate, I almost didn’t make it pass the first encounter between the mains. But I need to clarify that this isn’t even the darkest thing I’ve ever read, I just think my tastes are changing. The author toed the line very effectively. Dove always managed to just smooth over the darkness in RJ’s actions for me. I think what I needed was a bit more of an actual apology or several and some groveling for what happened at the lake and this would have been five stars for me. I have high expectations for what I want to see in part two.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need book 2 more than I need air to breathe. I read a lot of dark romance and while I feel like it could have been darker, it still gets 5/5. The spice was sooo good!

[CLorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Dance by H.H. Knotty is a sports romance set in a college with dark overtures and cloudy motivations from some of the characters. Dancer Dove Dexter brings light and sweetness to the narrative, even as I wondered about her personal choices. Gifted hockey star, RJ Cage, is a towering figure on campus. He can (and has) have almost any girl he wants. Dove and RJ come from the same hometown and while he has not actively pursued her, he has casually surveilled her for the past few years. Their trajectory changes when Dove stumbles into RJ’s dorm room while attending a frat party. His actions are fueled by hubris and intoxication, and he pushed the limits of acceptable boundaries around VERY dubious consent. Against the backdrop of this shaky start, Dove and RJ are able to make a viable connection. This author gives us a very well written first book and the good times are great, and the bad times are interestingly angsty. I thought that Dove was both too forgiving and understanding, while RJ carried a lot of dangerous baggage from school and from home, especially his father…the book ends on a cliffhanger, and I look forward to seeing how the author will mend this very fractured relationship.
https://theretiredreader.com/f/dark-d...

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew, this book is NOT playing. I skipped the trigger warnings, and it made my reactions raw, loud, and very real. H.H. writes with razor-sharp pacing and emotional grit, and Dove, the MFC, feels like a woman cracked open on the page. The story sits deep in the dark lane of the genre, exploring violence, coercion, generational harm, and the toxic ways trauma bleeds into relationships.

Despite the backstory of the MMC, RJ, there were several of his actions that crossed my boundaries of redemption as a woman and a reader. For me, love cannot coexist with fear and coercion, no matter how soft or tender the moments in between. So while I struggled with RJ’s behaviour, that emotional turmoil is proof of H.H.’s strong storytelling talent, because I also cared deeply about Dove and wanted better for her.

Learning what inspired H.H. to write this book, and how it became part of her healing, added nuance and humanity to my reading experience.

Dark Dance ends on a cliffhanger, and yes—I’ll be reading Dark Games. I’m rooting for my girl Dove, and hoping healing and accountability step firmly into the room.

[Nonagesimus Reads [Em] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no clue what to expect when I started this. But wow, I could not stop reading this book once I started it. I love how toxic RJ is and how dark his obsession with Dove runs. Genuinely this is a book where you need to pay attention to the trigger warnings or else it’s going to possibly be an issue. Yet for me, I was completely obsessed and could not stop reading. RJ may be one of my new fav book dudes for sure. The only frustrating part is having to wait for part two. Still, definitely a book worth checking out.

[Monica Ashdown · Rating 5 out of 5]

It cannot just end this way?!? What did RJ do? Who were those people?! What is happening?! I need to know. The cliffhanger is killing me.

[Cynthia Espeseth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book for a first time author. Good character development, intriguing story line between the 2 main characters. I’m not into a lot of sex scenes, still I can see how they contributed to the story and character development. I want to read the second one to find out where she takes everyone.

[RomanceReaderExtraordinaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the debut novel of H.H. Knotty and the first book in the Dark Universe Series.

Dove is celebrating the end of her first semester of college when she runs into RJ Cage at a party. While their initial interaction is fine, it quickly becomes a nightmare for Dove.

When she goes home for the holidays for a respite, hoping to escape him, she realizes in their small hometown, RJ seems to be everywhere she is.

RJ is the typical athlete playboy, but Dove awakens something in him. He is determined to make her his, no matter the cost.

This was such a great intro book to the series. This book does end on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see what happens next with them.

Since this is the first in the series, I am excited to see who else is going to get a story.

[SanLynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have sued for emotional distress from that cliffhanger but thankfully the second book is out already so I don't have to wait to find out what happens.

This book was FABULOUS. My only quibble from giving this a 5 star is that sometimes the book would have benefited with the action picking up exactly from the where the previous chapter ended instead of the mini time jumps of a few days here and a few days there.

However, I definitely appreciate a less than 300 page read from time to time.

RJ and Dove's story was such a roller coaster. I can't wait to see the twists and turns in book two!

[Michelle Dehnel-Snavely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully Surprised

Holy crooooooow!! Romance is not my genre of choice, much less dark romance. But I am SO glad I gave this book a chance. I've never devoured a book so quickly in my life. The twist and turns are wonderful. I love and appreciate all of the idiosyncrasies and little gems sprinkled throughout this novel. Thank you Hope for a great read!! I'm excited to be starting Dangerous Duets Book 2 right away!

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The writing is really good and kept me intrigued from beginning to end. The only reason why it’s not 5 stars because the scenes of 🍇 were a bit much. Also, made me want to stop reading in the beginning. But I’m glad I continued to read because it was a good read. I might reread.

[Joy Hamsher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

I thoroughly enjoyed the flow of this book, it's characters and subject matter. I read it fairly quickly due to it keeping my interest. I can't wait for the next book in the series!