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Thorns Duet #1
Red Thorns
A bet turned into a disaster.
Sebastian Weaver is the star quarterback and the college’s heartthrob.
Rich. Handsome. Bastard.
Everyone’s attention flocked toward him and all the girls dreamed to be with him.
Not me.
At least, not until he made a move on me.
See, I thought I was stronger than Sebastian’s charms.
I thought I could survive being his target.
I thought wrong.
Little did I know that he will make my most twisted fantasies come true.
Fantasies I didn’t know existed...
Red Thorns is part of a duet.
Sebastian Weaver is the star quarterback and the college’s heartthrob.
Rich. Handsome. Bastard.
Everyone’s attention flocked toward him and all the girls dreamed to be with him.
Not me.
At least, not until he made a move on me.
See, I thought I was stronger than Sebastian’s charms.
I thought I could survive being his target.
I thought wrong.
Little did I know that he will make my most twisted fantasies come true.
Fantasies I didn’t know existed...
Red Thorns is part of a duet.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2021
5569 people are currently reading
35674 people want to read
About the author
Rina Kent
56 books61.3k followersRina Kent is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 bestselling author of all things dark romance.
Better known for writing unapologetic anti-heroes and villains, Rina weaves tales of characters you shouldn’t fall for but inevitably do. Her stories are laced with a touch of darkness, a splash of angst, and just the right amount of unhealthy intensity.
When she’s not busy plotting mayhem for her ever-expanding Rinaverse, she leads a private life in London, travels, and pampers her cats in true Cat Lady fashion.
You can find her below:
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Better known for writing unapologetic anti-heroes and villains, Rina weaves tales of characters you shouldn’t fall for but inevitably do. Her stories are laced with a touch of darkness, a splash of angst, and just the right amount of unhealthy intensity.
When she’s not busy plotting mayhem for her ever-expanding Rinaverse, she leads a private life in London, travels, and pampers her cats in true Cat Lady fashion.
You can find her below:
Website
Newsletter
Bookbub
Amazon
TikTok
Reader Group
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,375 reviews
July 15, 2021
Today I really went there and set my bar that low, huh?
It kinda irks me to give this meh book 4 stars... but it also kinda doesn't.
The book had its moments and they ticked my *hidden weird mind pleasure* boxes 🤤 and made the whole experience worth it for me.
“Are you telling me that if I say no, you’ll leave me alone?”
“No.”
But I shall cut straight to the chase 😈 (see the allusion, *winkwink*) and ask what in a name? There's definitely something about the name S e b a s t i a n. 🤒 Every time I come across a Sebastian in romance book, I do a double take because your regular, adequate, normal heroes (meh) are never Sebastians. Thank goddess.
To your deepest, darkest fantasies.
The audacity of this author to dedicate this tame story to OUR deepest, darkest fantasies? Woman, trust us to have fantasies so much wilder.
The only thing that is remotely dark about this book is a rape fantasy and I still I don't see the logic in labelling consensual non-consent as something depraved, you know?
As I've already pointed out, the story is a good ranting material, lovers of roasting books have such a great space to unleash their dark urges on. 🤤
🗨️ Typical high school romance elements dominate the story:
-stupid sex bets
- queen bee and her little evil minions ruling over a college
-popular jerks aka football players acting like a bunch of horny kids who obviously OVERwatched Japanese porno
- closed off, lonely wolf type, sarcastic 🤪 rock listening/anime watching/ manga reading chick with *not like other girls* vibes going for her as a heroine
-her having one and only mousy little friend with a *dicks over chicks* mentality that would rather lick asses to gain popularity than support her bestie... oh well, let me catch my breath.
I’d rather live my twenty-one-year-old life listening to hard rock and having as little contact with humans as physically possible, thank you very much.
🤪
🗨️ Kind of obvious if we take into account the previous paragraph, but clichés and stereotypes permeated the story and turned it into a very average college romance that screams high school immaturity a mile away.
The girl behind the rare smiles and the ‘fuck the world’ attitude. The girl who wears her black hair short and her lips pink. The girl whose headphones seem to be her only friend.
🤪🤪🤪
🗨️ Simplistic approach to portraying racism (I bet it's more subtle and shows in more ways, but I'm not the one to judge. I just feel like the problem runs deeper than immature peer remarks that were for some reason put into the book) and mental health trauma (magical dick healing, byeee) .
🗨️ Zero meaningful dialogues between the main characters. Their relationship was supposed to be based on rape fantasies AND soul connection. That being said, the author decided against building the latter and focused on sex. The fact that there were other things to do and talk about?? Common interests? Topics for conversations? We were told in 1-2 sentences that they walked on the common ground when it came to certain things, but how about letting us catch a glimpse of it in action?
Write down the lifehack 📝 how to waste zero time while writing a romance book: force the main characters fuck non-stop. 😜 Other things will come naturally.
Anyways, meaningful or not, I cannot deny the *romantic* quality to their conversations, okay??
“My dick misses your lips. I think it was love at first sight.”
and my favourite one
He taps my mouth with his cock, not too hard now, but enough to get my attention. “Good slut.”
And with that, his shadow disappears from over me.
I remain in place, sprawled all over the stairs with cum, drool, and tears streaking down my chin.
🗨️ The repetitiveness and Naomi's annoying inner monologue in the beginning made me want to bang my head against the wall. Forest chase might just be my thing too but it gets old fast.
Sebastian draws the car to a halt on a gravelly road. Right in the middle of a dark, empty forest.
His voice gains a frightening edge as it penetrates my skin. “Get out.”
Those delicious, dreamlike first dates 🤤🤤
🗨️ Sebastian should have actually unleashed his beast on someone else but Naomi, I wanted something more than a supposedly terrifying growling shit he pulled on his dumb ass friends.
🗨️ Sebastian is a 5-years-old offspring of Carter Mahoney from Untouchable at his best. The boy still gotta l e a r n, okay??
In my mind, I’m jumping across the table, grabbing him by the neck, then bashing his head against the floor. Once, twice, until blood oozes from a crack in his forehead. Then I go on until he loses some of his teeth and starts wailing like a fucking bitch.
In reality, I remain still.
You see? My Carter boy would have found a way to make that happen and still keep his immaculate reputation as white as a sheet and as shining as the stars before a sunny day. He'd blackmail some poor white trash (no offence) into ruining the poor guy who had wronged him, I swear. 😙🔪
BUT
the other side of the coin... I'm a basic bitch, so yes, I gave this 4 stars for Sebasian alone, whose psycho tendencies came off fake 50% of time.
You bet I was living off the other non-fake 50% though 💅 because
“Everything is game as long as I don’t get caught.” 🤤
and
It’s not fun when the prey knows she’s going to be chased. Since I sensed that she started to expect it, I had to change gears.
... man could not sound more perfect than that ✋
They’re curious ones, her tears, and there’s this primal need pulsing inside me to see more of them. To smear them on her face with my fucking cum.
That's called dacryphilia, 😎 my dudes, and I know this important info due to my GR friend Rosabel's review that I saw just at the right time. Might be my new kink too. 😙
👁️👁️My little cronies, TJ and Anna, I have no idea whether you're reading this or not, but just take a look if, by any chance, you do.👁️👁️
SEBASTIAN KNOWS the my+ little+any nasty insult swoonworthy formula, doesn't he? 😍🤤
He grabs my shoulder blade hard. “Where do you think you’re going, my filthy little slut?”
...
“Look at how these tits are begging to be hurt, to be used and abused like the rest of you, my filthy little toy.”
But the thing I loved most about Sebastian?? His personality split ❤️
One minute the man degrades her and another he's ready to slit her offenders' throats, cuddles her, acts like a caveman and calls her my baby, my Naomi and my girl. 🥺🥺🥺
“What is it, baby? Why are you crying?” His voice is calm, soothing almost.
Now I'll go swoon peacefully in my room, rest assured that y'all got the memo of what this book is all about 😇
Original thoughts lmaooo:
(i finally finished this, gracias a dios, took me only 34 days 🤡 and the only thing I can say I'm mad confused???)
My brain cells are dancing an experimental piece right now, chanting S e b a s t i a n, Japanese porno, forest chase and some other garbage 🤤
DEFINITELY NOT A 1 STAR READ. This trash deserves better
It kinda irks me to give this meh book 4 stars... but it also kinda doesn't.
The book had its moments and they ticked my *hidden weird mind pleasure* boxes 🤤 and made the whole experience worth it for me.
“Are you telling me that if I say no, you’ll leave me alone?”
“No.”
But I shall cut straight to the chase 😈 (see the allusion, *winkwink*) and ask what in a name? There's definitely something about the name S e b a s t i a n. 🤒 Every time I come across a Sebastian in romance book, I do a double take because your regular, adequate, normal heroes (meh) are never Sebastians. Thank goddess.
To your deepest, darkest fantasies.
The audacity of this author to dedicate this tame story to OUR deepest, darkest fantasies? Woman, trust us to have fantasies so much wilder.
The only thing that is remotely dark about this book is a rape fantasy and I still I don't see the logic in labelling consensual non-consent as something depraved, you know?
As I've already pointed out, the story is a good ranting material, lovers of roasting books have such a great space to unleash their dark urges on. 🤤
🗨️ Typical high school romance elements dominate the story:
-stupid sex bets
- queen bee and her little evil minions ruling over a college
-popular jerks aka football players acting like a bunch of horny kids who obviously OVERwatched Japanese porno
- closed off, lonely wolf type, sarcastic 🤪 rock listening/anime watching/ manga reading chick with *not like other girls* vibes going for her as a heroine
-her having one and only mousy little friend with a *dicks over chicks* mentality that would rather lick asses to gain popularity than support her bestie... oh well, let me catch my breath.
I’d rather live my twenty-one-year-old life listening to hard rock and having as little contact with humans as physically possible, thank you very much.
🤪
🗨️ Kind of obvious if we take into account the previous paragraph, but clichés and stereotypes permeated the story and turned it into a very average college romance that screams high school immaturity a mile away.
The girl behind the rare smiles and the ‘fuck the world’ attitude. The girl who wears her black hair short and her lips pink. The girl whose headphones seem to be her only friend.
🤪🤪🤪
🗨️ Simplistic approach to portraying racism (I bet it's more subtle and shows in more ways, but I'm not the one to judge. I just feel like the problem runs deeper than immature peer remarks that were for some reason put into the book) and mental health trauma (magical dick healing, byeee) .
🗨️ Zero meaningful dialogues between the main characters. Their relationship was supposed to be based on rape fantasies AND soul connection. That being said, the author decided against building the latter and focused on sex. The fact that there were other things to do and talk about?? Common interests? Topics for conversations? We were told in 1-2 sentences that they walked on the common ground when it came to certain things, but how about letting us catch a glimpse of it in action?
Write down the lifehack 📝 how to waste zero time while writing a romance book: force the main characters fuck non-stop. 😜 Other things will come naturally.
Anyways, meaningful or not, I cannot deny the *romantic* quality to their conversations, okay??
“My dick misses your lips. I think it was love at first sight.”
and my favourite one
He taps my mouth with his cock, not too hard now, but enough to get my attention. “Good slut.”
And with that, his shadow disappears from over me.
I remain in place, sprawled all over the stairs with cum, drool, and tears streaking down my chin.
🗨️ The repetitiveness and Naomi's annoying inner monologue in the beginning made me want to bang my head against the wall. Forest chase might just be my thing too but it gets old fast.
Sebastian draws the car to a halt on a gravelly road. Right in the middle of a dark, empty forest.
His voice gains a frightening edge as it penetrates my skin. “Get out.”
Those delicious, dreamlike first dates 🤤🤤
🗨️ Sebastian should have actually unleashed his beast on someone else but Naomi, I wanted something more than a supposedly terrifying growling shit he pulled on his dumb ass friends.
🗨️ Sebastian is a 5-years-old offspring of Carter Mahoney from Untouchable at his best. The boy still gotta l e a r n, okay??
In my mind, I’m jumping across the table, grabbing him by the neck, then bashing his head against the floor. Once, twice, until blood oozes from a crack in his forehead. Then I go on until he loses some of his teeth and starts wailing like a fucking bitch.
In reality, I remain still.
You see? My Carter boy would have found a way to make that happen and still keep his immaculate reputation as white as a sheet and as shining as the stars before a sunny day. He'd blackmail some poor white trash (no offence) into ruining the poor guy who had wronged him, I swear. 😙🔪
BUT
the other side of the coin... I'm a basic bitch, so yes, I gave this 4 stars for Sebasian alone, whose psycho tendencies came off fake 50% of time.
You bet I was living off the other non-fake 50% though 💅 because
“Everything is game as long as I don’t get caught.” 🤤
and
It’s not fun when the prey knows she’s going to be chased. Since I sensed that she started to expect it, I had to change gears.
... man could not sound more perfect than that ✋
They’re curious ones, her tears, and there’s this primal need pulsing inside me to see more of them. To smear them on her face with my fucking cum.
That's called dacryphilia, 😎 my dudes, and I know this important info due to my GR friend Rosabel's review that I saw just at the right time. Might be my new kink too. 😙
👁️👁️My little cronies, TJ and Anna, I have no idea whether you're reading this or not, but just take a look if, by any chance, you do.👁️👁️
SEBASTIAN KNOWS the my+ little+any nasty insult swoonworthy formula, doesn't he? 😍🤤
He grabs my shoulder blade hard. “Where do you think you’re going, my filthy little slut?”
...
“Look at how these tits are begging to be hurt, to be used and abused like the rest of you, my filthy little toy.”
But the thing I loved most about Sebastian?? His personality split ❤️
One minute the man degrades her and another he's ready to slit her offenders' throats, cuddles her, acts like a caveman and calls her my baby, my Naomi and my girl. 🥺🥺🥺
“What is it, baby? Why are you crying?” His voice is calm, soothing almost.
Now I'll go swoon peacefully in my room, rest assured that y'all got the memo of what this book is all about 😇
Original thoughts lmaooo:
(i finally finished this, gracias a dios, took me only 34 days 🤡 and the only thing I can say I'm mad confused???)
My brain cells are dancing an experimental piece right now, chanting S e b a s t i a n, Japanese porno, forest chase and some other garbage 🤤
DEFINITELY NOT A 1 STAR READ. This trash deserves better
July 12, 2025
I’m a clown at this point for continuing to go back to these books because I think they’ll somehow get better. This is my formal retirement from Rina Kent’s backlog of books because I simply cannot anymore. I think just after reading legacy of gods, the monster trilogy, and the deception trilogy and them being absolute dark romance perfection, everything else just quite frankly gives me NOTHING!! Oh well.
January 6, 2022
1.5 🤡✨
This book was so poorly executed.
The most darkest twisted book? My balls.
- The chemistry? non-existent and I have to admit, this is my least favorite RK's book. these two didn't talk to each other, they were just having sex so everything else felt forced to me.
- I didn't like both MCs. Honestly, they had no personality.
Naomi was weak...and Sebastian? 😬🤐
- Another thing I found a bit stupid was the bet. Their relationship could have been developed differently and not as consequence of the bet.
› The only thing that made me laugh in this mess, Akira's letter:
I felt personally attacked here tho.
PS: Thanks to Natasha🖤 for buddy reading this mess with me 😭
✩｡:*•.───── ❁🌼 ❁ ─────.•*:｡✩
This book was so poorly executed.
The most darkest twisted book? My balls.
- The chemistry? non-existent and I have to admit, this is my least favorite RK's book. these two didn't talk to each other, they were just having sex so everything else felt forced to me.
- I didn't like both MCs. Honestly, they had no personality.
Naomi was weak...and Sebastian? 😬🤐
- Another thing I found a bit stupid was the bet. Their relationship could have been developed differently and not as consequence of the bet.
› The only thing that made me laugh in this mess, Akira's letter:
When you said you have friends, I call bullshit. It’s simple really and doesn’t take a lot of mental work to figure it out. If you had any friends, you wouldn’t be talking to some random stranger from the other side of the globe. You’re lonely and it’s not even cute or quirky. It’s your choice, so stick with it and stop bleeding my ears (or more accurately, my eyes) with nonsense about how people don’t understand you.
I felt personally attacked here tho.
Here are some facts, Naomi. You’re selfish. I don’t know what happened to make you that way or if it just runs in your genes, but you have issues.
Every time you write to me, all you do is talk about yourself and think you’re funny because you’re naturally sarcastic about everything—yourself included.
When you say you hate men, I want to reach my eyeballs and gouge them out. You don’t hate men. If you did, you would’ve veered in the other direction or in no direction at all, but you watch porn.
Straight porn.
Hardcore straight porn.
If you hate it, I don’t give a fuck. Don’t write back.
But I’ll continue writing. Don’t read my letters if that bruises your fragile ego, but I’ll keep them coming.
Go complain at customs.
Seriously. I have zero fucks to give at this point. Going forward, we’ll do it my way.
PS: Thanks to Natasha🖤 for buddy reading this mess with me 😭
✩｡:*•.───── ❁🌼 ❁ ─────.•*:｡✩
What part of leave me alone do you not understand? I hate you, asshole.”
“But I don’t.”
She grabs her plate and attempts to leave.
“You don’t have to play so hard to get, tsundere.” He taps her nose. “You’re just a fuck, remember?”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 11, 2021RED THORNS IS LIVE!
Dark New Adult Romance that contains dubious/triggering content.
AMAZON US ➜ https://amzn.to/3tkNr4K
INTERNATIONAL ➜ https://smarturl.it/RTBuy
AUDIOBOOK ➜ https://amzn.to/3gRuVxD
This book is part of a duet and is not standalone.
Thorns Duet:
#0 Yellow Thorns
#1 Red Thorns
#2 Black Thorns
Dark New Adult Romance that contains dubious/triggering content.
AMAZON US ➜ https://amzn.to/3tkNr4K
INTERNATIONAL ➜ https://smarturl.it/RTBuy
AUDIOBOOK ➜ https://amzn.to/3gRuVxD
This book is part of a duet and is not standalone.
Thorns Duet:
#0 Yellow Thorns
#1 Red Thorns
#2 Black Thorns
August 18, 2024
wth was that 😭😭
June 10, 2021
The quarterback and the cheerleader get kinky!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💋💋💋💋
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📙📕📗📘
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 👨🏻👱🏻♀🧔🏻👩🏻👩🏼🦰
The heroine: Naomi - she is a bit anti-social, but joined the cheerleading squad at her college because her mom wanted her to. Her mom is a wealthy fashion designer and she never met her father.
The Hero(es): Sebastian - his Grandfather is a a senator and his grandparents raised him. They expect him to take up the family mantle and go into politics like his Grandfather. Sebastian is the star quarterback at the college.
The Story: Naomi has had a small harmless crush on Sebastian since high school and after he accidentally tackles her on the sidelines, he starts showing interest in her. He then accepts a bet from his friend Reina that has to do with Naomi.
The two main characters have a dark side and pretty specific kinks and they both have family issues. Naomi wants to meet her father, but her Mom won’t give her any information on him. Sebastian is living under the expectations of his extremely snobbish and cruel grandparents.
This was actually a very good story despite the often used tropes and the predictability of some of the events. For example, the book begins with Naomi starting up a pen-pal relationship, with someone who wrote to her in high school. I would be surprised if she doesn’t meet him and/or find out his real identity at some point and I can bet who it is. There are also mean girls at the school who antagonize Naomi at every opportunity.
I really liked both of the characters, especially the sizzling chemistry between them. I also liked the Japanese themes in the story, since Naomi was half Japanese. There was a bunch of stuff about their mutual love of anime, Sebastian even had Japanese symbols Tattooed on his body. It is nice to see some diversity in romance novels.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💋💋💋💋
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📙📕📗📘
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 👨🏻👱🏻♀🧔🏻👩🏻👩🏼🦰
The heroine: Naomi - she is a bit anti-social, but joined the cheerleading squad at her college because her mom wanted her to. Her mom is a wealthy fashion designer and she never met her father.
The Hero(es): Sebastian - his Grandfather is a a senator and his grandparents raised him. They expect him to take up the family mantle and go into politics like his Grandfather. Sebastian is the star quarterback at the college.
The Story: Naomi has had a small harmless crush on Sebastian since high school and after he accidentally tackles her on the sidelines, he starts showing interest in her. He then accepts a bet from his friend Reina that has to do with Naomi.
The two main characters have a dark side and pretty specific kinks and they both have family issues. Naomi wants to meet her father, but her Mom won’t give her any information on him. Sebastian is living under the expectations of his extremely snobbish and cruel grandparents.
This was actually a very good story despite the often used tropes and the predictability of some of the events. For example, the book begins with Naomi starting up a pen-pal relationship, with someone who wrote to her in high school. I would be surprised if she doesn’t meet him and/or find out his real identity at some point and I can bet who it is. There are also mean girls at the school who antagonize Naomi at every opportunity.
I really liked both of the characters, especially the sizzling chemistry between them. I also liked the Japanese themes in the story, since Naomi was half Japanese. There was a bunch of stuff about their mutual love of anime, Sebastian even had Japanese symbols Tattooed on his body. It is nice to see some diversity in romance novels.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
June 26, 2024
𖥔 ࣪ ˖🍓 Pre-review ᯓᡣ𐭩
Nobody does it like Rina
𖥔 ࣪ ˖🍓 Pre-read ᯓᡣ𐭩
Another day another Rina Kent book🙈
Nobody does it like Rina
𖥔 ࣪ ˖🍓 Pre-read ᯓᡣ𐭩
Another day another Rina Kent book🙈
May 20, 2024
3.75 stars
I like Sebastian (real) better than Sebastian (beast). 😭 This book is literallyhardcore porn, and JeremyCecily's rape fantasy is child's play in front of SebNao's.
• It has the cliche 'Fuck-her-bet' story, but Sebastian never really did anything except agree just so he could be the ONE to do the fucking with Naomi because he is attracted to her. He sought her out, did some cute things, they started fucking which was WILD, and then became addicted, and the bet is revealed, and Naomi is sad! Super predictable but not bad! I think i'm finally indifferent to Rina's psycho men, and i no longer find bad things in her books but rather cute stuff 😗
Akira, whoever the fuck (I think I might know who he is because I read a spoiler a long time ago), is so toxic? HIS LETTER WAS SO FREAKING TOXIC LIKE BROOOO??? I'd be shitting 😂 and tbh Naomi about to be kidnapped in the ending is REALISTIC because the girl is stupid asf? WHO GOES TO SIT ON A ROCK IN A FOREST? alone? WHO DRIVES ON DARK ROADS WHERE THE FORESTS ARE AT NIGHT? whooooo
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
• Black Thorns – tbr
I like Sebastian (real) better than Sebastian (beast). 😭 This book is literally
• It has the cliche 'Fuck-her-bet' story, but Sebastian never really did anything except agree just so he could be the ONE to do the fucking with Naomi because he is attracted to her. He sought her out, did some cute things, they started fucking which was WILD, and then became addicted, and the bet is revealed, and Naomi is sad! Super predictable but not bad! I think i'm finally indifferent to Rina's psycho men, and i no longer find bad things in her books but rather cute stuff 😗
Akira, whoever the fuck (I think I might know who he is because I read a spoiler a long time ago), is so toxic? HIS LETTER WAS SO FREAKING TOXIC LIKE BROOOO??? I'd be shitting 😂 and tbh Naomi about to be kidnapped in the ending is REALISTIC because the girl is stupid asf? WHO GOES TO SIT ON A ROCK IN A FOREST? alone? WHO DRIVES ON DARK ROADS WHERE THE FORESTS ARE AT NIGHT? whooooo
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
• Black Thorns – tbr
June 3, 2025
╰┈➤ 1 star.
God blessed me with eyes and i abused them!
God blessed me with eyes and i abused them!
July 14, 2021
ღ I must confess I still have somewhat of hangover from just recently finishing reading Consumed by Deception
Red Thorns is the first book of a duet and is not standalone.
This book is absolutely brilliant!! I’m a big fan of bully romances but this is so much more than just a bully romance! I found this book utterly heart breaking and soul destroying and at the same just flat out crazy good with all the suspense that author through into the book ,not to mention all the 😈😈 I’ll leave that to your imagination
I just couldn’t stop reading this masterpiece! This book goes into somewhat of depth into how bullying can destroy a person!
Sebastian Weaver is the Senator Brian Weaver’s only grandchild and Blackwood’s favorite quarterback.
Sebastian needs to keep up appearances and pretend that he belongs to their secret society club. So, when he is dare by Reina to bed Naomi, he is force to take the challenge
What is Sebastian to do, when his mask, that’s almost become a part of who he is , can no longer remain intact
Naomi might be on the cheerleading team, but that doesn’t mean she is part of the inner click-the secret society club… she refuses to give in to the plastic bunch. unwilling to bow down to her cheerleading captain and her blinded followers, Naomi puts herself in Reina’s line of fire
Naomi was born to a single mother and never met her father, she is in desperate need to find her father without her mother finding out, so Naomi hires a private detective to look for her father … which only opens another unwanted can of worms
We will learn that the survival of the fittest is no joke in this small town
She has learned not only to conceal her emotions but also to never allow anyone to read them… and the one time she did look at what happen
The book was well-written, the choice of words very fitting, carefully crafted. The characters were descriptive and distinct
💖 Hope you enjoy this read 💖
⬇Always remember⬇
📚 Always keep in mind this is just my opinion+ Also I wouldn’t never discourage anyone from reading this book.
June 14, 2021
Listen, if I wanted to just read porn, I’d watch it. That’s really all this book is, sex scenes upon sex scenes and it got boring. Listen, I’ve really liked Kent’s work before. Her Deception trilogy is *chef’s kiss* 🤌🏻, but this truly was not it
Keep reading if you don’t mind spoilers
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I feel no chemistry between Naomi and Sebastian. The only thing they really have in common is that they share similar fantasy’s. He has rape fantasies and she has fantasies of being raped. Which is good for them I guess?? Though this line is kinda 😌
Anyway, their characters in general were pretty unlikable. Naomi is one of those people that thinks they’re better than everyone, so it somehow justifies her bitchy actions. I realize people are shitty to her, but there’s one point in her inner monologue when she gets pissed that her best friend Lucy got invited to join the ‘popular group’ that Naomi hates so she thinks
Is this not the most backhanded ‘compliment’ you’ve ever heard??? Like ‘ohhhh she’s average, but to me she’s bEauTiful’ like stfu. Then we have Sebastian who’s chapters are just him talking about how he hates his family (without context) and that he’s a ‘monster’ because he likes rape fantasies.
This brings me to my next point, is this actually a ‘dark’ romance or is it just 2 adults engaged in a taboo relationship? Dark romances, in my opinion, are books those in the Mindf*ck series or the Deception trilogy by Kent that I mentioned. Again, this is my personal opinion, if you think it’s considered a dark romance than that’s up to you.
Ever since I read the After series when I was like 15, I’m DONE reading about heroes making bets to take the heroines virginity. It’s honestly gross and I’m tired of the excuse ‘it was never about that, I just wanted an excuse to get close to you’ oh just shut the hell up.
The whole drama with Naomi's family is so confusing and unexpected. I thought this was just some college ‘dark’ romance, now it’s turned into some kind of mafia one???
Theory: Akira, Naomi's weird ass penpal, is actually her dad.
Idk why I’m thinking this, but it’d be hilarious after she talked about the consensual rape her and Sebastian have been having with her freaking dad.
Will I read the 2nd book? Yeah I probably will because why the hell not.
Thorns Duet
•#1: Red Thorns - 1.5 stars
•#2: Black Thorns - tbr
Keep reading if you don’t mind spoilers
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I feel no chemistry between Naomi and Sebastian. The only thing they really have in common is that they share similar fantasy’s. He has rape fantasies and she has fantasies of being raped. Which is good for them I guess?? Though this line is kinda 😌
“Shut the fuck up and take my dick like the slut you are.” And then he’s thrusting his cock inside my pussy and his fingers in my mouth at the same time.
Anyway, their characters in general were pretty unlikable. Naomi is one of those people that thinks they’re better than everyone, so it somehow justifies her bitchy actions. I realize people are shitty to her, but there’s one point in her inner monologue when she gets pissed that her best friend Lucy got invited to join the ‘popular group’ that Naomi hates so she thinks
All of Reina’s other subjects are either as beautiful or accomplished—or damn rich—as she is.
Lucy is average on all of the above. Though, in my eyes, she’s the prettiest.
Is this not the most backhanded ‘compliment’ you’ve ever heard??? Like ‘ohhhh she’s average, but to me she’s bEauTiful’ like stfu. Then we have Sebastian who’s chapters are just him talking about how he hates his family (without context) and that he’s a ‘monster’ because he likes rape fantasies.
This brings me to my next point, is this actually a ‘dark’ romance or is it just 2 adults engaged in a taboo relationship? Dark romances, in my opinion, are books those in the Mindf*ck series or the Deception trilogy by Kent that I mentioned. Again, this is my personal opinion, if you think it’s considered a dark romance than that’s up to you.
Ever since I read the After series when I was like 15, I’m DONE reading about heroes making bets to take the heroines virginity. It’s honestly gross and I’m tired of the excuse ‘it was never about that, I just wanted an excuse to get close to you’ oh just shut the hell up.
The whole drama with Naomi's family is so confusing and unexpected. I thought this was just some college ‘dark’ romance, now it’s turned into some kind of mafia one???
Theory: Akira, Naomi's weird ass penpal, is actually her dad.
Idk why I’m thinking this, but it’d be hilarious after she talked about the consensual rape her and Sebastian have been having with her freaking dad.
Will I read the 2nd book? Yeah I probably will because why the hell not.
Thorns Duet
•#1: Red Thorns - 1.5 stars
•#2: Black Thorns - tbr
June 14, 2021
*edit* : my mistake, it is a college romance. I genuinely thought it was high-school because not a single portion of the entire book made me believe it was a college setting.
Can I just start off with the cover? I mean how is that the cover of a college romance? I mean seriously.
Now on to the book ; Think about After. But Hardin says shit like this
“I’m rich, handsome, and a star. Oh, I also come from a prestigious family. What’s there not to like about me?”
“I can feel your blood coating my dick. The best lube I’ve ever had.”
I don’t even know what to say about this except it was painfully predictable? I couldn’t find it in me to give a shit about any of the characters
What did I like? Uh.. the sex? These two were kinky as fuck and this book was steamy but that’s not enough for me.
Overall: I’m so glad this book got over and I would rather slam my fingers into a car door than read the sequel.
Such a shame because I love Rina Kent’s books.
Can I just start off with the cover? I mean how is that the cover of a college romance? I mean seriously.
Now on to the book ; Think about After. But Hardin says shit like this
“I’m rich, handsome, and a star. Oh, I also come from a prestigious family. What’s there not to like about me?”
“I can feel your blood coating my dick. The best lube I’ve ever had.”
I don’t even know what to say about this except it was painfully predictable? I couldn’t find it in me to give a shit about any of the characters
What did I like? Uh.. the sex? These two were kinky as fuck and this book was steamy but that’s not enough for me.
Overall: I’m so glad this book got over and I would rather slam my fingers into a car door than read the sequel.
Such a shame because I love Rina Kent’s books.
August 17, 2025
literally 90% smut but i ate it up.
August 15, 2025
This was the most pointless duet I’ve ever read in my entire life and this is saying smth because I’ve read a lot of bad books in my life, but this is just BEYOND bad it was like torture trying to get to the end as quickly as possible.
June 7, 2021
RED THORNSIs a full length 'Romance' novel by Rina Kent. Spoken in 'Dual perspectives' Ends in a cliff hanger.
It all started with a bet..But it became so much more than that!!
This was a cat and mouse kinky read, it went from hot to scorching in no time at all, where the chase brought out their depraved tendencies.
Naomi: Is a bit of an anti-social loner, joined the cheerleader squad due to her mother requesting it of her, has had a bit of a crush on Sebastian for a while but has kept it under wraps. She's never met her father but has so many unanswered questions concerning him and has even gone so far as to get those answers herself. Her mother is a well known fashion designer.
Sebastian: Our star quarterback and the schools heart throb, is under the care of his grandparents since both his parents died. His Grandfather is a senator so Sebastian has been groomed very young on ways how he should conduct himself when in the public eye.
No one really knows the real Sebastian, he hides a darker side which he never allows himself to reveal.
Until things start heating up with Naomi.
What was a bet between himself and the mean girl on cheer to bed Naomi takes on a more sinister turn in events when things they act out turn into where all inhibitions are let loose as the predator catches his prey, a safe word which is never used.
August 28, 2025
“𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘕𝘢𝘰𝘮𝘪. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦.”
terrible book does not even BEGIN to describe the atrocity that this is 😭 i listened to the audiobook of this, and i remember cackling over how fucking unserious the entire thing is. i have actually found rina kents worst work ever
the plot itself was so dumb. it was the plot where the mmc has a bet that he wont be able to sleep with the fmc, and……… thats it. he sleeps with her. for the entire book 😕 until she finds our and breaks up with him
𝒏𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓
going into a rina kent book, i usually never expect anything from the mmcs, but i DO always somewhat like the fmcs that she writes. however, this is the first time where an fmc has been insuufferable to the point i could not stand it. this is the first page of her pov, mind you:
𝘖𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐’𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴. ‘𝘏𝘶𝘨𝘦’ 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴.
(as you can tell by the first quote, her big breasts is something that gets brought up quite frequently. its also worth noting that she is still skinny and just has these absolutely unreal proportions. its as if rina kent watched one of those animes that are written by men to constantly oversexualize women and thought that those girls are what the average japanese girl looks like)
speaking of, rina kent you should NEVER write diversity again, im begging. stick to your russians and white people, because the representation was horrible. naomis asian ethnicity was only brought up when it needed to be sexualized by the men around her
“𝘠𝘦𝘴!” 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘩 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴 𝘶𝘱. “𝘔𝘺 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦.”
putting all that aside, she is one of the most pick me characters i have ever encountered 😭 she is constantly acting better than the other girls because they openly adore the football team even though she is a big creep about them as well
“𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥. 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘵𝘰- 𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘰, 𝘪𝘵’𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳…𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴.”
in general, shes a big weirdo about the male anatomy. lily calloway (a diagnosed sex addict) talks about sex and dicks less than naomi
𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘯. 𝘖𝘳 𝘳𝘶𝘣 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘖𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘮𝘮, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦.
by the time i finished this book, i was so done with naomis holier-than-thou antics because i know damn well that any girl that says that they have a 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 ‘𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮’ 𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 when they first meet the mmc is not passing the bechdel test
𝒔𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓
im just going to say that they first time they did their little cnc thing, they had no prior conversation and he had no indication that she enjoyed what he did to her. and if i remember correctly, there was also no safe word 🤡
there is also nothing remotely dreamy about a man that says: “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘶𝘵?”
theres so much quotes i want to add but i’ll leave off on this one:
“𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦? 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?”
ps fuck you rina for making sebastian have an ARABIC tattoo my arab dad did not die for his language to be tarnished like that the fuck 😔
𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘴—𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦.
pps i just want to add that the most unrealistic part of this book was that naomi was getting turned on by a dick pic…… no need to lie babe those things are gross 😔
“𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵-𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘴. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘮. 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺-𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥.”
ppps tsundere is the worst nickname of all time
“𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘛𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦.”
terrible book does not even BEGIN to describe the atrocity that this is 😭 i listened to the audiobook of this, and i remember cackling over how fucking unserious the entire thing is. i have actually found rina kents worst work ever
the plot itself was so dumb. it was the plot where the mmc has a bet that he wont be able to sleep with the fmc, and……… thats it. he sleeps with her. for the entire book 😕 until she finds our and breaks up with him
𝒏𝒂𝒐𝒎𝒊 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓
going into a rina kent book, i usually never expect anything from the mmcs, but i DO always somewhat like the fmcs that she writes. however, this is the first time where an fmc has been insuufferable to the point i could not stand it. this is the first page of her pov, mind you:
𝘖𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐’𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴. ‘𝘏𝘶𝘨𝘦’ 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴.
(as you can tell by the first quote, her big breasts is something that gets brought up quite frequently. its also worth noting that she is still skinny and just has these absolutely unreal proportions. its as if rina kent watched one of those animes that are written by men to constantly oversexualize women and thought that those girls are what the average japanese girl looks like)
speaking of, rina kent you should NEVER write diversity again, im begging. stick to your russians and white people, because the representation was horrible. naomis asian ethnicity was only brought up when it needed to be sexualized by the men around her
“𝘠𝘦𝘴!” 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘩 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴 𝘶𝘱. “𝘔𝘺 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦.”
putting all that aside, she is one of the most pick me characters i have ever encountered 😭 she is constantly acting better than the other girls because they openly adore the football team even though she is a big creep about them as well
“𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧-𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥. 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘵𝘰- 𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘰, 𝘪𝘵’𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳…𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴.”
in general, shes a big weirdo about the male anatomy. lily calloway (a diagnosed sex addict) talks about sex and dicks less than naomi
𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘯. 𝘖𝘳 𝘳𝘶𝘣 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘵. 𝘖𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘮𝘮, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦.
by the time i finished this book, i was so done with naomis holier-than-thou antics because i know damn well that any girl that says that they have a 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 ‘𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮’ 𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 when they first meet the mmc is not passing the bechdel test
𝒔𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓
im just going to say that they first time they did their little cnc thing, they had no prior conversation and he had no indication that she enjoyed what he did to her. and if i remember correctly, there was also no safe word 🤡
there is also nothing remotely dreamy about a man that says: “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘶𝘵?”
theres so much quotes i want to add but i’ll leave off on this one:
“𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦? 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?”
ps fuck you rina for making sebastian have an ARABIC tattoo my arab dad did not die for his language to be tarnished like that the fuck 😔
𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘴—𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦.
pps i just want to add that the most unrealistic part of this book was that naomi was getting turned on by a dick pic…… no need to lie babe those things are gross 😔
“𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵-𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘴. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘮. 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺-𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥.”
ppps tsundere is the worst nickname of all time
“𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘛𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦.”
October 21, 2024
put me in the worst slump! dropping this duology until before I start LOG
June 15, 2021
What started out as a bet became so much more between two characters who on the outside are the complete opposites of each other but on the inside, they're one and the very same. But what happens when you skirt the line of danger and destroy feelings you never thought was possible with someone who brings out another side to you?
Naomi is not your regular bubbly college student popular cheerleader. If it was up to her, she would be the one on the sidelines wearing a black hoodie and imagining the queen bee breaking a leg just for entertainment. But due to other things in her life, this is her reality and she is determined to stick it out for the time being despite a lot of outside forces that are trying to take her out. Coming face to face with the football star of the school and him having an interest in her is something that Naomi never saw coming and if she thinks that this is the weird part, she is in for one rude awakening when it comes to Sebastian.
I’m going to be real right now and say that I struggled with this read and my rating for it. I’ve been going back and forth for the past few days on what I should rate it and it was not easy to do this. It took me a long time to finish this book and I came so close to giving up at certain times. Sebastian felt like he was trying to be this big dangerous dominant man in a teenager's body. I couldn't picture it and I wanted the story to be darker. I was waiting for the grit, the tingling sensation of danger looming and I didnt get either of those things.This was sadly a light read when it comes to the type of dark stories that I’m used to reading and it just fell flat for me.
I have to admit that I haven't read much of this author’s work and even though I was not too crazy about this one, I’m still very much curious to see what she’s going to do next in her other books.
![Profile Image for Lori [semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1652024485i%2F125758944._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 10, 2021
2.5 rounded to 2 (rating may change after the duet ends)
I was so ready to love this, but it fell short.
Besides their kink, the characters felt a little underdeveloped (which is why rating may change after duet ends)
Both were a little cliché. I get what Rina tried to do with Sebastian, and I love the idea of it. The execution, however, fell flat. He seemed flat. Maybe it's because we only got a few chapters from his point of view, but other than his dirty talk and supposedly good looks I couldn't find anything appealing about him.
Also Rina tried to make him j/p towards the end, but that felt forced. Again.
Naomi was a little better (because we got more chapters from her) but also a classic Asian cliché. I love that Rina tried to add diversity, but this isn't how you do it. From her interests, to some of the interactions, everything was forced. (There is a reason you should get a sensitivity beta reader. I don't buy for a moment that any Japanese person would agree with how Nao was depicted.)
I'm guessing she's trying to go for Yakuza involvement, so I'm curious how that will go, but already my expectations are very low.
The banter between the characters was great. It was the only thing that was enjoyable.
I have a few more complaints, but I'll add them under the spoiler tag.
I was excited for this because I loved the Lies and Truth lies duet, and I hoped this might be the same or surpass it. So far it's not. But I'm reserving judgement until after the end of the duet.(If I end up reading it, because this was a total miss and I don't think I'll muster the interest. But stranger things have happened)
Unlike the ARC readers, I can definitely say this is NOT Rina Kent's best, and doesn't even go in the top.
-------------------------------
If anyone has safety details on this one, please help a gal out 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I was so ready to love this, but it fell short.
Besides their kink, the characters felt a little underdeveloped (which is why rating may change after duet ends)
Both were a little cliché. I get what Rina tried to do with Sebastian, and I love the idea of it. The execution, however, fell flat. He seemed flat. Maybe it's because we only got a few chapters from his point of view, but other than his dirty talk and supposedly good looks I couldn't find anything appealing about him.
Also Rina tried to make him j/p towards the end, but that felt forced. Again.
Naomi was a little better (because we got more chapters from her) but also a classic Asian cliché. I love that Rina tried to add diversity, but this isn't how you do it. From her interests, to some of the interactions, everything was forced. (There is a reason you should get a sensitivity beta reader. I don't buy for a moment that any Japanese person would agree with how Nao was depicted.)
I'm guessing she's trying to go for Yakuza involvement, so I'm curious how that will go, but already my expectations are very low.
The banter between the characters was great. It was the only thing that was enjoyable.
I have a few more complaints, but I'll add them under the spoiler tag.
I was excited for this because I loved the Lies and Truth lies duet, and I hoped this might be the same or surpass it. So far it's not. But I'm reserving judgement until after the end of the duet.(If I end up reading it, because this was a total miss and I don't think I'll muster the interest. But stranger things have happened)
Unlike the ARC readers, I can definitely say this is NOT Rina Kent's best, and doesn't even go in the top.
-------------------------------
If anyone has safety details on this one, please help a gal out 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
June 10, 2021
Wtf😭😭😭 rtc.
Want to read
December 1, 2025she watched one Japanese anime girl with big boobs, took it and ran with it, and made this a book for weird men with “cute Japanese girl” fantasies…😭
rina…i expected better from you.
DNF at 15%
rina…i expected better from you.
DNF at 15%
June 11, 2021
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Style: Dark Romance (College)
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Dark Level: 2/5
Sexual Level: SEX-CITINGLY APPEALING
Triggers: Yes
Violence: No
Male: Stoic & Dark
Series: Book 1 of 2
Pages: 302
Audio: GOOD (m/f)
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
STORY:
When I started this story, the overall rating felt like a 3 star rating. However, as the chapters progress, the rating kept going up a bit. At first, I thought the story had no depth, but once certain layers unfolds, it became interesting. Book one is more of getting to know Naomi and Sebastian and their inner darkness and fetish that connects them. It wasn’t until chapter 10 and 11 that my interest piqued. As I like to say, I felt a pulse. Sebastian contains his inner monster. He has built this facade to always keep it at bay. He finally is able to unleash with Naomi. Naomi is new to this experience. She also has a moment in her past that triggers her need for this fetish. She wants to find her father, but I believe this is about to open Pandora’s box. The rich and popular jock with the not so popular loner cheerleader.
Book one has my interest enough to check out book two. I also don’t think the cliffhanger was an atomic bomb for me, it felt ok. Certain scenes, not all, felt a little high school but for the most part it wasn’t bad.
SEXUAL CHEMISTRY:
Sexually, this author never disappoints. At times, I find some of her stories to be ok, but the sex scenes, knuckle biting, never disappoints. This will not be for everyone. They had a rape fetish going on, and it’s like whatever they are feeling, that was their outlet of choice. In book one I don’t feel like the story is dark, but the sexual content treads that line. I have to note, I do feel there was more sexual content than storyline.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS:
Lucy -
the so call “best friend”
Nate -
Sebastian’s uncle. Interesting guy. Don’t know if his role will be anymore important in book two.
Sebastian’s friends -
no one worth mentioning.
Akira-
I’m very suspicious of him. I feel there is more to him. Something Naomi’s mom said that clicked. We shall see.
OVERALL:
I found myself liking this one as I have not really connected with the last few books for the author and opt out of reading them. When I saw she was doing a dark college romance, I needed to see if it will give me my groove back. I blame the Elite series; they set the bar too high for me personally.
TRIGGERS: rape fetish, attempted child sexual assault, racial slur/comments etc…
****I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read. I based my book reviews on my preferences and what I like, and while these preferences may not be the same for others, I hope this review was still helpful.
Style: Dark Romance (College)
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Dark Level: 2/5
Sexual Level: SEX-CITINGLY APPEALING
Triggers: Yes
Violence: No
Male: Stoic & Dark
Series: Book 1 of 2
Pages: 302
Audio: GOOD (m/f)
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
STORY:
When I started this story, the overall rating felt like a 3 star rating. However, as the chapters progress, the rating kept going up a bit. At first, I thought the story had no depth, but once certain layers unfolds, it became interesting. Book one is more of getting to know Naomi and Sebastian and their inner darkness and fetish that connects them. It wasn’t until chapter 10 and 11 that my interest piqued. As I like to say, I felt a pulse. Sebastian contains his inner monster. He has built this facade to always keep it at bay. He finally is able to unleash with Naomi. Naomi is new to this experience. She also has a moment in her past that triggers her need for this fetish. She wants to find her father, but I believe this is about to open Pandora’s box. The rich and popular jock with the not so popular loner cheerleader.
Book one has my interest enough to check out book two. I also don’t think the cliffhanger was an atomic bomb for me, it felt ok. Certain scenes, not all, felt a little high school but for the most part it wasn’t bad.
SEXUAL CHEMISTRY:
Sexually, this author never disappoints. At times, I find some of her stories to be ok, but the sex scenes, knuckle biting, never disappoints. This will not be for everyone. They had a rape fetish going on, and it’s like whatever they are feeling, that was their outlet of choice. In book one I don’t feel like the story is dark, but the sexual content treads that line. I have to note, I do feel there was more sexual content than storyline.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS:
Lucy -
the so call “best friend”
Nate -
Sebastian’s uncle. Interesting guy. Don’t know if his role will be anymore important in book two.
Sebastian’s friends -
no one worth mentioning.
Akira-
I’m very suspicious of him. I feel there is more to him. Something Naomi’s mom said that clicked. We shall see.
OVERALL:
I found myself liking this one as I have not really connected with the last few books for the author and opt out of reading them. When I saw she was doing a dark college romance, I needed to see if it will give me my groove back. I blame the Elite series; they set the bar too high for me personally.
TRIGGERS: rape fetish, attempted child sexual assault, racial slur/comments etc…
****I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read. I based my book reviews on my preferences and what I like, and while these preferences may not be the same for others, I hope this review was still helpful.
July 14, 2025
“Because it's night and you become my whore at night.”
ৎ⋆｡‧📖‧ 3★
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"(twisted - MISSIO)"
0:09 ━●────────── 3:42
ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ
-------˖⁺. ༶ ❤︎ ⋆˙⊹ 𐦍 ˖⁺. ༶ ❤︎ ⋆˙⊹-------
full playlist for naomi & sebastianღ
↬ The problem with this book was that I LOVED naomi but I HATED sebastian. The whole book I was just like girl leave him and find someone better. And the fact that they made it seem like he was only after her because of the dare. I HATED IT.
↬ I also felt that they had such bad communication, like in dark romance the communication will never be 10/10 but with them holy shit, JUST TALK WHAT. And their whole relationship was based on lust like get out. You're acting as if your a couple but you're only with each other because you like the sex, that's not a real couple bye.
↬ But like always with rina kent her books this got me addicted and I finished it in one day so I can't really be mad. ALSO THE END?? It got me yall
જ⁀➴pre - read📌₊˚⊹
my bae happyme is currently reading the legacy of gods series and I am jealous asf so I will be binge-reading all rina kent her books, thank you
I just read that prologue book, I AM SCARED YALL
August 12, 2025
тут вам дурне парі на дівчину. колледж. футбол, чирлідинг. молоді студенти та жорстка єбля в лісі, і не тільки. їх перший раз був 😳 не очікувала подібних смаків в сексі у цієї парочки. ну головне, що усі на подібне погодились та були задоволені 😏
лайк за саркастичну наомі та її шикарний смак в музиці 🤘😎
лайк за саркастичну наомі та її шикарний смак в музиці 🤘😎
June 23, 2021
*Sigh*
So I haven't read an RK book in a while, and I admit all the teasers and Rina saying that this was her 'darkest & most twisted' book get intrigued me.. but ya'll, this was not dark. Or twisted. Or intriguing.
So here we have the usual hot guy, Sebastian, who is the big man on campus and can have & nail anyone he wants, but if you guessed that there is more to the cocky dude with all the money but very little emotions, you're sadly mistaken.
As for Naomi, it was like the author took every Japanese stereotype and threw them in, but it's ok because her bullies are super sized xenephobes who have no issues displaying their dislike for her and the rest of her race. Sadly, that was the only real thing about this book, and there's nothing I hate more than a racist.
I feel like the author was trying to be too edgey here, especially with the rape fantasies they both had. I actually understood it to a point with Naomi, especially because of what happened to her as a young girl, and it's not that uncommon for survivors of sexual violence to want to recreate what happened to them in order to regain their control. That's all well and good, but the problem is these two didn't establish any kind of trust or any type of relationship before Sebastian did what he wanted to her. The sex scenes were supposed to be hot I guess, but it just came off really cringey. In order to pull off the rape fantasy scenario, you have to trust your partner to ensure they don't do anything you're not comfortable with, and I know Sebastian technically told her to say no if it was ever too much, and although she didn't.. He was just so over the top with her. And that anal scene? Ow. Ow ow ow. There's nothing sexy about shoving a nine inch dick up your asshole in one solid go.💁
As for the bet, just infinite eye roll. The whole thing is tried and done with, and I just hate these storylines with a passion.
The only thing i did like about this book is Naomi's pen pal, which will probably turn out to be Sebastian. His brutal honesty and zero fucks made me laugh so hard.
I just don't care about any of these characters, and I didn't care about the cliffhanger either. This was just a huge miss for me.
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions.**
So I haven't read an RK book in a while, and I admit all the teasers and Rina saying that this was her 'darkest & most twisted' book get intrigued me.. but ya'll, this was not dark. Or twisted. Or intriguing.
So here we have the usual hot guy, Sebastian, who is the big man on campus and can have & nail anyone he wants, but if you guessed that there is more to the cocky dude with all the money but very little emotions, you're sadly mistaken.
As for Naomi, it was like the author took every Japanese stereotype and threw them in, but it's ok because her bullies are super sized xenephobes who have no issues displaying their dislike for her and the rest of her race. Sadly, that was the only real thing about this book, and there's nothing I hate more than a racist.
I feel like the author was trying to be too edgey here, especially with the rape fantasies they both had. I actually understood it to a point with Naomi, especially because of what happened to her as a young girl, and it's not that uncommon for survivors of sexual violence to want to recreate what happened to them in order to regain their control. That's all well and good, but the problem is these two didn't establish any kind of trust or any type of relationship before Sebastian did what he wanted to her. The sex scenes were supposed to be hot I guess, but it just came off really cringey. In order to pull off the rape fantasy scenario, you have to trust your partner to ensure they don't do anything you're not comfortable with, and I know Sebastian technically told her to say no if it was ever too much, and although she didn't.. He was just so over the top with her. And that anal scene? Ow. Ow ow ow. There's nothing sexy about shoving a nine inch dick up your asshole in one solid go.💁
As for the bet, just infinite eye roll. The whole thing is tried and done with, and I just hate these storylines with a passion.
The only thing i did like about this book is Naomi's pen pal, which will probably turn out to be Sebastian. His brutal honesty and zero fucks made me laugh so hard.
I just don't care about any of these characters, and I didn't care about the cliffhanger either. This was just a huge miss for me.
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions.**
January 31, 2022
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
Star Rating : 4.5/5 Stars
POV : Dual
Cliffhanger : yes
Hero : Sebastian
Heroine : Naomi
Pace of the story : Moderate
Angst Rating : 6/10
Heat Rating : 9/10
Triggers Involved : Consensual Non Consensual scenes
Plot Summary :
Naomi has always had a crush on Sebastian. The Popular quarterback is something out of a fantasy for her. Not that it matters anyways , because he will never pay attention to her anyways. Until the day he does and nothing will ever be the same again.
Sebastian has so many faces. No one knows the real him. The one he hides from everyone because he knows what will happen when he lets out his beast. Until the day he traps a pretty little prey in his trap. What starts as a bet turns into something much more dangerous , something none of them could have predicted. And now it’s too late for Naomi to run away because once Sebastian shows her his real monster side , no one can save her. She was his , no matter how much she wanted to run away.
Overall Opinion :
OMG. I have read every book by Rina and those who follow my reviews know that I said that Jonathan was Rina's one of the kinkiest characters. Well , ladies , someone much more crazy than that man is here. I first met Sebastian in the truth and Lies duet and Nothing could have prepared me for the real Sebastian. Holy shit , I mean that man can rearrange my insdes anytime , I would gladly volunteer myself lol.
Sebastian is admittedly much more unhinged than all of Rina’s characters. Even much more than Adrian and Aiden. You guys will know what I am talking about when you meet him. The steamy scenes in this book were downright crazy, I mean a few of them had me like - fuck , did that really happen? But yes , It did and there is so much more to come. Poor Naomi never stood a chance against that man lol, He was very very persistent and ruthless .
The book completely had me hooked right from page 1 and I read this one in a single sitting . The ending was crazy and the cliffhanger just about made me chuck my phone at the nearest wall. I need the second book so bad!!!!! We can tell that there is much more to come as a lot of mysteries are still to be uncovered , and I am completely hooked for the whole ride. This duet is totally going to be epic.
Highly recommended to all the dark romance lovers out there! This one is not a bully romance but rather a one that is a dark High school romance with taboo stuff and a whole ton of mysteries! It’s one hell of a ride!
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June 7, 2021
"I’m called hot,sculpted,a beautiful creation. A modern Adonis.
But no one knows the type of monster hidden beneath the physical perfection. No one except for my Tsundere.”
What I just read?!
This is so much more than just TABOO .
I think this story changed me, it open your eyes to a completely different world than the one you are used to.
I couldn’t believe something like that existed.
“The pain is my aphrodisiac and the roughness is my fix. And I simply get to let go.”
At the beginning it wasn’t easy to accept, but then I sorted of start to understand how their minds worked. Some people have just different ‘tastes ‘ but that doesn’t make them crazy or mad. That’s just who they are.
You should start reading this story with a very open mind, and hold on your thoughts until the end . Wait until you have the complete picture of this amazing , mind blowing but also very triggering story.
The complexity of these characters and how their mind works fascinated me . I couldn’t stop reading it, i had to know what could possibly happen next.
“I’m assertive enough to accept that I’m an anomaly to what society expects from us, and I’m fine with that. I’d rather be abnormal than fit into a mold that’s not designed for me.”
Sebastian and Naomi aren’t the classic conventional couple designed by the society , they are just unique.
Two tormented souls that recognized their missing parts in each other.
I won’t spoiler anything , but you should definitely buckle up because this is gonna be a really twisted and crazy ride, that somehow you won’t help but loving every second of it.
“Now there’s nothing to stop us. Not even ourselves.”
I gave it 547264842 stars
my Blog
I hope you’ll enjoy it like I did.
*ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
But no one knows the type of monster hidden beneath the physical perfection. No one except for my Tsundere.”
What I just read?!
This is so much more than just TABOO .
I think this story changed me, it open your eyes to a completely different world than the one you are used to.
I couldn’t believe something like that existed.
“The pain is my aphrodisiac and the roughness is my fix. And I simply get to let go.”
At the beginning it wasn’t easy to accept, but then I sorted of start to understand how their minds worked. Some people have just different ‘tastes ‘ but that doesn’t make them crazy or mad. That’s just who they are.
You should start reading this story with a very open mind, and hold on your thoughts until the end . Wait until you have the complete picture of this amazing , mind blowing but also very triggering story.
The complexity of these characters and how their mind works fascinated me . I couldn’t stop reading it, i had to know what could possibly happen next.
“I’m assertive enough to accept that I’m an anomaly to what society expects from us, and I’m fine with that. I’d rather be abnormal than fit into a mold that’s not designed for me.”
Sebastian and Naomi aren’t the classic conventional couple designed by the society , they are just unique.
Two tormented souls that recognized their missing parts in each other.
I won’t spoiler anything , but you should definitely buckle up because this is gonna be a really twisted and crazy ride, that somehow you won’t help but loving every second of it.
“Now there’s nothing to stop us. Not even ourselves.”
I gave it 547264842 stars
my Blog
I hope you’ll enjoy it like I did.
*ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
September 23, 2021
CNC and primal play galore
Ah. I love reading books with CNC in it… throw in some primal play and I’m sold… but there was something missing to really sell it to me.
The book starts off by giving us the perspective of Naomi‘s pen buddy. Then we get Naomi‘s perspective and we find out that she’s a cheerleader, Japanese, and has a very sarcastic sense of humor. Although she’s a cheerleader, she doesn’t hang out with the “in crowd” or care to fit in with other people. She’s had a crush on her college’s quarterback, Sebastian, and he just so happens to bump into her when she’s distracted.
Sebastian is an all star athlete, well-liked, popular, has political connections, and is extremely handsome. One of his friends dares him to sleep with Naomi, and he takes the bet. He tells Naomi to meet him and she stands him up, so he shows up at her house and gets her to go with him. When they go to his location in the middle of nowhere, their CNC games begin.
I am a huge fan of CNC 🤤🔥🥵 (and noncon/dubcon) so when they started with their scenes, 👏🏻I was all for it😉. Buuuuuut… I didn’t feel the build up to it. So Sebastian takes her to the forest and assumes she would be game to play? How did he know that she would be into it? They barely had any interactions or talked beforehand and all of a sudden he knows she’s into it? I don’t know. This was sketchy to me.
Don’t give me wrong; all of their smexx scenes were hot🔥🥵😅. Buuuut I needed more leading up to them. I get it. There is necessary setting components and characterization that we need to know, but how did Sebastian magically surmise Naomi’s kink is CNC and primal play? Did he sense it somehow? Is there a pheromone he smelled? I mean- I enjoyed the intimate scenes, but I definitely found myself scratching my head before they began.
I also loooove me a surprise virgin… I like when the H finds out the good old-fashioned way 😉😅 but here, it was lacking in emotion for me. It’s a CNC/primal play scene and he just leaves her after- no aftercare- no cuddling- no “hey, you okay?” Nothing 😐. And suddenly, it’s a new chapter. Wasn’t she bruised? Bleeding like crazy? I don’t know. I needed more.
I also found a lot of telling versus showing. I looooove the Royal Elite series (Aiden🤤), but I found myself double checking this was the same author. Maybe because this book is on the shorter side? I also didn’t care for the xenophobic comments, but unfortunately, those are the types of comments POC deal with.
Back to what I liked- the physical component of their relationship was there and their emotional one was building. They each shared personal information that was essential to solidify the connection between them. Plus, they know that their “kink” is heavily judged and frowned upon, so they have that in common as well. I loooove that we have an interracial couple 🥰👏🏻. I also love how DIRTY Sebastian’s mouth is💦- oh dear Lord that man can talk DIRRRRRTY 🔥🥵. Annnnnd I liked that his j/p side came out eventually (but I needed more of his protective side to come out sooner)
Overall, I enjoyed it and want to read book 2 since it ends on a cliffhanger.
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/owd/omd/sharing
-CNC/primal play
-noncon/dubcon
-breath play
-xenophobic comments
-parent with cancer
-death of parents
-the H calls the h names during their scenes
Ah. I love reading books with CNC in it… throw in some primal play and I’m sold… but there was something missing to really sell it to me.
The book starts off by giving us the perspective of Naomi‘s pen buddy. Then we get Naomi‘s perspective and we find out that she’s a cheerleader, Japanese, and has a very sarcastic sense of humor. Although she’s a cheerleader, she doesn’t hang out with the “in crowd” or care to fit in with other people. She’s had a crush on her college’s quarterback, Sebastian, and he just so happens to bump into her when she’s distracted.
Sebastian is an all star athlete, well-liked, popular, has political connections, and is extremely handsome. One of his friends dares him to sleep with Naomi, and he takes the bet. He tells Naomi to meet him and she stands him up, so he shows up at her house and gets her to go with him. When they go to his location in the middle of nowhere, their CNC games begin.
I am a huge fan of CNC 🤤🔥🥵 (and noncon/dubcon) so when they started with their scenes, 👏🏻I was all for it😉. Buuuuuut… I didn’t feel the build up to it. So Sebastian takes her to the forest and assumes she would be game to play? How did he know that she would be into it? They barely had any interactions or talked beforehand and all of a sudden he knows she’s into it? I don’t know. This was sketchy to me.
Don’t give me wrong; all of their smexx scenes were hot🔥🥵😅. Buuuut I needed more leading up to them. I get it. There is necessary setting components and characterization that we need to know, but how did Sebastian magically surmise Naomi’s kink is CNC and primal play? Did he sense it somehow? Is there a pheromone he smelled? I mean- I enjoyed the intimate scenes, but I definitely found myself scratching my head before they began.
I also loooove me a surprise virgin… I like when the H finds out the good old-fashioned way 😉😅 but here, it was lacking in emotion for me. It’s a CNC/primal play scene and he just leaves her after- no aftercare- no cuddling- no “hey, you okay?” Nothing 😐. And suddenly, it’s a new chapter. Wasn’t she bruised? Bleeding like crazy? I don’t know. I needed more.
I also found a lot of telling versus showing. I looooove the Royal Elite series (Aiden🤤), but I found myself double checking this was the same author. Maybe because this book is on the shorter side? I also didn’t care for the xenophobic comments, but unfortunately, those are the types of comments POC deal with.
Back to what I liked- the physical component of their relationship was there and their emotional one was building. They each shared personal information that was essential to solidify the connection between them. Plus, they know that their “kink” is heavily judged and frowned upon, so they have that in common as well. I loooove that we have an interracial couple 🥰👏🏻. I also love how DIRTY Sebastian’s mouth is💦- oh dear Lord that man can talk DIRRRRRTY 🔥🥵. Annnnnd I liked that his j/p side came out eventually (but I needed more of his protective side to come out sooner)
Overall, I enjoyed it and want to read book 2 since it ends on a cliffhanger.
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/owd/omd/sharing
-CNC/primal play
-noncon/dubcon
-breath play
-xenophobic comments
-parent with cancer
-death of parents
-the H calls the h names during their scenes
December 19, 2023
1.50!
All the things i mentioned below were present but this book still could not live upto my already minimal expectations. not Rinas best work at all.
___
i need a fast paced dark book and i couldnt care less about the plot rn who else to go to for this if not Rina Kent!
All the things i mentioned below were present but this book still could not live upto my already minimal expectations. not Rinas best work at all.
___
i need a fast paced dark book and i couldnt care less about the plot rn who else to go to for this if not Rina Kent!
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