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Empire #1
Empire of Desire
Gwyneth Shaw ha sempre avuto un sogno proibito: Nathaniel Weaver. Ricco, potente, affascinante e… molto più grande di lei.
Il giorno del suo diciottesimo compleanno, Gwyneth decide di rischiare il tutto per tutto e baciarlo, ma le cose non vanno come sperato, poiché Nathaniel la respinge e comincia a tenersi a distanza da lei.
Gli anni passano, ma il destino è sempre pronto a giocare qualche scherzo e i due si ritroveranno a doversi sposare per poter affrontare un nemico comune.
Nathaniel sa che non deve cedere al desiderio che prova per Gwyneth, non solo perché l’ha vista crescere, ma anche perché è la figlia del suo migliore amico, al quale ha giurato di proteggerla.
L’attrazione che Nathaniel e Gwyneth provano l’uno per l’altra divampa però inarrestabile, rendendoli schiavi di una passione a cui nessuno dei due sembra voler rinunciare, costi quel che costi.
Avvertenze:
Empire of Desire è un office romance, age gap con una buona dose di angst. È il primo della serie Empire ed è autoconclusivo.
Il giorno del suo diciottesimo compleanno, Gwyneth decide di rischiare il tutto per tutto e baciarlo, ma le cose non vanno come sperato, poiché Nathaniel la respinge e comincia a tenersi a distanza da lei.
Gli anni passano, ma il destino è sempre pronto a giocare qualche scherzo e i due si ritroveranno a doversi sposare per poter affrontare un nemico comune.
Nathaniel sa che non deve cedere al desiderio che prova per Gwyneth, non solo perché l’ha vista crescere, ma anche perché è la figlia del suo migliore amico, al quale ha giurato di proteggerla.
L’attrazione che Nathaniel e Gwyneth provano l’uno per l’altra divampa però inarrestabile, rendendoli schiavi di una passione a cui nessuno dei due sembra voler rinunciare, costi quel che costi.
Avvertenze:
Empire of Desire è un office romance, age gap con una buona dose di angst. È il primo della serie Empire ed è autoconclusivo.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2021
4264 people are currently reading
39458 people want to read
About the author
Rina Kent
56 books62.9k 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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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,183 reviews
November 5, 2021
Admit it, you bitches are giving this book low ratings because you're salty that Gwen
has
Uncle Nate to kiss her goodnight and you
don't
, aren't you? 💋💋
May 8, 2022
2 stars
The best part about this book was when it ended and I got to read the preview for Knox's book 💋
🍌There was zero angst or tension
🍌I got so much secondhand embarrassment, especially at the beginning when the heroine kept throwing herself at the hero—
🍌There's a scene where the heroine is about to go down on the hero and she tells him 'don't worry...I've practiced'...he thinks she means on other guys, but nope—
🍌There's also a point where the heroine gets mad at the hero for absolutely no fucking reason and decides to go to a club and dry hump two guys??? All while being legally married to the hero and in love with him...
Then when the hero become pissed at her for this, as he should be, she starts fucking crying and goes...
🍌The heroine has this weird hard-on for vanilla and vanilla milkshakes??? Like everything needs to be vanilla. Her shampoo, her bedroom walls, her food, her fucking underwear. In fact, every time it was mentioned, I died a little inside
🍌The heroine is a little 'pick me girl' because she likes NF and Twenty One Pilots 🤪
empire of sin review
empire of hate review
empire of lust review
The best part about this book was when it ended and I got to read the preview for Knox's book 💋
🍌There was zero angst or tension
🍌I got so much secondhand embarrassment, especially at the beginning when the heroine kept throwing herself at the hero—
The moment my lips touch his, I think I've reached another level of existence...I move my mouth against his closed one and even dart my tongue out to lick his lower lip.
→ma'am...he is not kissing you back, please stop assaulting him 😁
🍌There's a scene where the heroine is about to go down on the hero and she tells him 'don't worry...I've practiced'...he thinks she means on other guys, but nope—
"You practiced?" I ask with a calm I don't feel,
"Yeah, why do you think bananas are my favorite fruit?"
→you did not just fucking say that sweetie....
🍌There's also a point where the heroine gets mad at the hero for absolutely no fucking reason and decides to go to a club and dry hump two guys??? All while being legally married to the hero and in love with him...
You hurt me first. This is what it feels like to be hurt, asshole.
→UM MA'AM HOW YOU GONNA GET BACK AT SOMEONE WITHOUT MAKING IT CLEAR WHY YOU NEED TO GET BACK AT THEM?????
Then when the hero become pissed at her for this, as he should be, she starts fucking crying and goes...
"In case you didn't notice, you ruined my evening."
🍌The heroine has this weird hard-on for vanilla and vanilla milkshakes??? Like everything needs to be vanilla. Her shampoo, her bedroom walls, her food, her fucking underwear. In fact, every time it was mentioned, I died a little inside
🍌The heroine is a little 'pick me girl' because she likes NF and Twenty One Pilots 🤪
...I slow down, way down, and put on a mash-up playlist of Twenty One Pilots and NF because they calm me. They're special, like me.
Special people are misunderstood and that's okay. Special people get hurt and that's also okay. Because we're special that way. No forts would destroy us or keep us out.
→Someone should create another Pulitzer Prize where the goal is to 'make the most people want to slam their heads into a wall while reading your work’. This book would surely win 💞
empire of sin review
empire of hate review
empire of lust review
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April 10, 2022EMPIRE OF DESIRE IS A COMPLETE STANDALONE!
Forbidden age gap, father's best friend, marriage of convenience romance.
AMAZON US ➜ https://amzn.to/3qR7ac1
INTERNATIONAL ➜ https://smarturl.it/EODBuy
AUDIOBOOK ➜ https://amzn.to/31D106V
Teaser:
“You should be scared, because…” Nate's thumb slides from behind my ear to the hollow of my throat, to the insane pulse that’s currently self-destructing me. “If you don’t stop flaunting yourself around, if you keep provoking me and don’t stay in your lane, I’ll be inclined to take action. I’ll swallow you down so fast, there’ll be nothing left of you, let alone your sarcasm and naiveté. You’ll stare in the mirror and not recognize yourself anymore. This is my last warning and the only courtesy I will give you. Stop, Gwyneth. You don’t know what the fuck you’re dealing with. So go back to college, to your safe boys and vanilla milkshakes and boring little life.”
[...]
“But I don't want safe and boring.”
©2021 Rina Kent
Forbidden age gap, father's best friend, marriage of convenience romance.
AMAZON US ➜ https://amzn.to/3qR7ac1
INTERNATIONAL ➜ https://smarturl.it/EODBuy
AUDIOBOOK ➜ https://amzn.to/31D106V
Teaser:
“You should be scared, because…” Nate's thumb slides from behind my ear to the hollow of my throat, to the insane pulse that’s currently self-destructing me. “If you don’t stop flaunting yourself around, if you keep provoking me and don’t stay in your lane, I’ll be inclined to take action. I’ll swallow you down so fast, there’ll be nothing left of you, let alone your sarcasm and naiveté. You’ll stare in the mirror and not recognize yourself anymore. This is my last warning and the only courtesy I will give you. Stop, Gwyneth. You don’t know what the fuck you’re dealing with. So go back to college, to your safe boys and vanilla milkshakes and boring little life.”
[...]
“But I don't want safe and boring.”
©2021 Rina Kent
July 7, 2024
This should’ve been illegal. RTC!!
𖥔 ࣪ ˖🍓 Pre-read ᯓᡣ𐭩
I’m finally getting back to my comfort universe🥹
𖥔 ࣪ ˖🍓 Pre-read ᯓᡣ𐭩
I’m finally getting back to my comfort universe🥹
November 6, 2021
Sweet baby Jesus, I need an Uncle Nate.
After reading so many mixed reviews, I do what I do best. I went in with an open mind and judged myself. I always love an honest review, negative or positive, unless they are bashing the reader or the author.
At Gwyneth’s eighteenth birthday party, she kissed Nate, her father's best friend. Nate, however, didn’t reciprocate. Now twenty years old, the unthinkable happens, and for convenience, she marries Nate. On paper only.
I didn’t know what to think of Gwen in the beginning; my heart broke for her. My first impression, she is too needy for me, and desperately needs a mother figure. I’m here to tell you that she won my heart in the end. Don't mess with her loved ones. That girl is fierce. Great character development.
Nate, he is sexy and dirty as all hell. He is right up my alley. When Nate has his mindset on something, he is full steam ahead. And oh so possessive and protective.
Nate and Gwen are so much alike. Both with some of the same issues. If any two people belong together, it’s these two. I love some side characters and some I couldn’t stand. There is a major twist in the book. I mean, this is Rina Kent after all. Just follow the bread crumbs. The book is full steam ahead. Thank you to the author for writing outside the box on her sex scenes.
Let's talk about Kingsley. the father. I give him credit for being a single father; however, his actions are toxic and he refused to let his daughter grow up.
I love a good Rina Kent book. When she posted that it was going to be outside her normal range, I said why not. I still like her writing. I am up for the challenge. My only constructive criticism is for me, I wanted to see a little more angst.
I have to add to all my Goodreads reviewers I have to give thanks to all who bashed the readers and author; you pushed me to read this, and I ended up loving it. To all those who wrote a constructive review, negative or positive, I also thank you, you keep me going, and I love your reviews.
Books are subjective to the reader. What I like, you may not like, and vice versa. I suggest staying away from saying whoever said this is the best book is lying, or they don’t know better. We all have different views. That is the beauty of it all.
After reading so many mixed reviews, I do what I do best. I went in with an open mind and judged myself. I always love an honest review, negative or positive, unless they are bashing the reader or the author.
At Gwyneth’s eighteenth birthday party, she kissed Nate, her father's best friend. Nate, however, didn’t reciprocate. Now twenty years old, the unthinkable happens, and for convenience, she marries Nate. On paper only.
I didn’t know what to think of Gwen in the beginning; my heart broke for her. My first impression, she is too needy for me, and desperately needs a mother figure. I’m here to tell you that she won my heart in the end. Don't mess with her loved ones. That girl is fierce. Great character development.
Nate, he is sexy and dirty as all hell. He is right up my alley. When Nate has his mindset on something, he is full steam ahead. And oh so possessive and protective.
Nate and Gwen are so much alike. Both with some of the same issues. If any two people belong together, it’s these two. I love some side characters and some I couldn’t stand. There is a major twist in the book. I mean, this is Rina Kent after all. Just follow the bread crumbs. The book is full steam ahead. Thank you to the author for writing outside the box on her sex scenes.
Let's talk about Kingsley. the father. I give him credit for being a single father; however, his actions are toxic and he refused to let his daughter grow up.
I love a good Rina Kent book. When she posted that it was going to be outside her normal range, I said why not. I still like her writing. I am up for the challenge. My only constructive criticism is for me, I wanted to see a little more angst.
I have to add to all my Goodreads reviewers I have to give thanks to all who bashed the readers and author; you pushed me to read this, and I ended up loving it. To all those who wrote a constructive review, negative or positive, I also thank you, you keep me going, and I love your reviews.
Books are subjective to the reader. What I like, you may not like, and vice versa. I suggest staying away from saying whoever said this is the best book is lying, or they don’t know better. We all have different views. That is the beauty of it all.
April 20, 2023
oh my god. she did it. she did it again.
another shitty book 😍
another shitty book 😍
August 17, 2025
gwen is meant to be a grown woman but acts like a naive teenager. her and nate relationship was more uncomfortable than romantic. they gave me the major ick.
![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)
November 5, 2021
1* for the other characters and 1* for the preview for the next book.
Serious question: Has RK forgotten how to do chemistry between characters?
This is the same issue I had with the Thorns duet. The chemistry was close to nonexistent. I get that she tried to tread carefully around the I knew you since the day you were born issue so it didn't come across as creepy or predatorial, but it wasn't done well IMO. I didn't feel any connection between them. They also seemed too much of archetypes and not real characters. Besides having a vanilla fixation, there wasn't much depth to Gwen. Even less so to Nate, who was written as the typical commitment phobe but jealous and possessive hero.
The short (and only ) version.
Nate: my pussy
Gwen: senpai please notice me
And just to get things out of the way, sex does not equal chemistry .
I also consider what Gwen did at the club cheating. They had already fucked by that point, and she would have taken it to the next level if Nate hadn't shown up.
That being said, I am curious about Aspen and Kingsley and how that will change now that the secret is out in the open. I am excited about Knox and Anastasia too.
Safety:
Serious question: Has RK forgotten how to do chemistry between characters?
This is the same issue I had with the Thorns duet. The chemistry was close to nonexistent. I get that she tried to tread carefully around the I knew you since the day you were born issue so it didn't come across as creepy or predatorial, but it wasn't done well IMO. I didn't feel any connection between them. They also seemed too much of archetypes and not real characters. Besides having a vanilla fixation, there wasn't much depth to Gwen. Even less so to Nate, who was written as the typical commitment phobe but jealous and possessive hero.
The short (and only ) version.
Nate: my pussy
Gwen: senpai please notice me
And just to get things out of the way, sex does not equal chemistry .
I also consider what Gwen did at the club cheating. They had already fucked by that point, and she would have taken it to the next level if Nate hadn't shown up.
That being said, I am curious about Aspen and Kingsley and how that will change now that the secret is out in the open. I am excited about Knox and Anastasia too.
Safety:
November 11, 2021
all the reviews prepared me for the worst😶 idk it's not a romeo and juliette type of thing but it worked just fine for what was worth😅
what i liked:
possessive hero who fell for h pretty quickly
imperfect h who did chase a bit but not in a gross way. i think it's okay she acted impulsively at times like any human being does sometimes😜
good chemistry
banter between her dad and hero
what I found annoying:
basic ott characteristics (too bad when love for vanilla is one of the key personality traits😅)
why did he fall for her?
lack of ANY depth lol (bit more focus on relationship development would be nice)
3.5 stars overall
what i liked:
possessive hero who fell for h pretty quickly
imperfect h who did chase a bit but not in a gross way. i think it's okay she acted impulsively at times like any human being does sometimes😜
good chemistry
banter between her dad and hero
what I found annoying:
basic ott characteristics (too bad when love for vanilla is one of the key personality traits😅)
why did he fall for her?
lack of ANY depth lol (bit more focus on relationship development would be nice)
3.5 stars overall
June 20, 2024
3.00!
This has potential to be good and it had angst but it was so taboo 😭😭 like no NO NO NO you can not write about a FMC falling for an MMC who literally is her father's bestie and had a huge part in raising her since she was a fucking infant and the only explaination to his actions were I didn't know how much of a woman she was until I fucked her 😃
This has potential to be good and it had angst but it was so taboo 😭😭 like no NO NO NO you can not write about a FMC falling for an MMC who literally is her father's bestie and had a huge part in raising her since she was a fucking infant and the only explaination to his actions were I didn't know how much of a woman she was until I fucked her 😃
September 29, 2024
What in the monstrosity was this ✋🏻
WTF FIRST OF ALL WHEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS FORBIDDEN I WAS SO FREAKING HAPPY cz forbidden romance is my JAM.
But the writing and the way the plot had so much potential but was executed so poorly?
I hated everything. Everything and EVERYONE sent me off - Gwyneth felt like a 12 year old who is horny and wants to bang her uncle Literally she was the most spoiled brat I've ever reas about. And no, having a mansion maid and everything is not enough for her that she also wants the UNCLE and I never understood why she had depression ✋🏻
AND NATE god what was he in this 😭😭😭 he gave me those "aRe yOu LoSt bAby gOrL" vibes. yes he do calls her baby girl he also describes FMC waist as
She’s a woman now. A grown-up fucking woman with legs that go for miles and a tiny waist that can almost fit in only one of my palms.
Woman!? You call that a woman??
He was so cool in Sebastian's book, I really wanted to like him.
And the fucking was so ugh fake! Idk there was zero chemistry zero potential zero burn between them.
And Kingsley? 😐 I got beef with him now. The way he handled the 'situation with aspen' pls TF happened to being an adult and COMMUNICATION!!!!
The epilogue 😭 was them being horny and a letter from him THAT REALLY REMINDED US THAT HE WAS IN FACT HER UNCLE.
I wont be reading the next books in the series. might one day read Knox's and Kingsley's but not dan's yeah no , i need a break from RK books, please. They're getting worse 😭😭😭⚠️
The only thing I highlighted was the dedication.
To those who didn’t only dare to hope, But also went for it, And grabbed that motherfucker by the throat.
And this... Whatever this was made me smile a bit
“Hi, Dad.” I kiss his cheek.
“So now you have a dad?”
“Your jealousy is showing, King.” Nate smirks at him.
“You shut up, daughter stealer.”
WTF FIRST OF ALL WHEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS FORBIDDEN I WAS SO FREAKING HAPPY cz forbidden romance is my JAM.
But the writing and the way the plot had so much potential but was executed so poorly?
I hated everything. Everything and EVERYONE sent me off - Gwyneth felt like a 12 year old who is horny and wants to bang her uncle Literally she was the most spoiled brat I've ever reas about. And no, having a mansion maid and everything is not enough for her that she also wants the UNCLE and I never understood why she had depression ✋🏻
AND NATE god what was he in this 😭😭😭 he gave me those "aRe yOu LoSt bAby gOrL" vibes. yes he do calls her baby girl he also describes FMC waist as
She’s a woman now. A grown-up fucking woman with legs that go for miles and a tiny waist that can almost fit in only one of my palms.
Woman!? You call that a woman??
He was so cool in Sebastian's book, I really wanted to like him.
And the fucking was so ugh fake! Idk there was zero chemistry zero potential zero burn between them.
And Kingsley? 😐 I got beef with him now. The way he handled the 'situation with aspen' pls TF happened to being an adult and COMMUNICATION!!!!
The epilogue 😭 was them being horny and a letter from him THAT REALLY REMINDED US THAT HE WAS IN FACT HER UNCLE.
I wont be reading the next books in the series. might one day read Knox's and Kingsley's but not dan's yeah no , i need a break from RK books, please. They're getting worse 😭😭😭⚠️
The only thing I highlighted was the dedication.
To those who didn’t only dare to hope, But also went for it, And grabbed that motherfucker by the throat.
And this... Whatever this was made me smile a bit
“Hi, Dad.” I kiss his cheek.
“So now you have a dad?”
“Your jealousy is showing, King.” Nate smirks at him.
“You shut up, daughter stealer.”
September 16, 2023
I find it really bizarre when authors assign the most random things as a character’s defining feature, because being the vanilla girl is not a flex. I can give her music tastes and love for white sneakers a pass, but vanilla? Vanilla milkshakes? With breakfast, lunch and dinner??
It's a no from me.
Vanilla milkshake aside, this book could have been so much more! I'm not a big fan of the whole dad's best friend trope but I was really looking forward to the other tropes.
Sadly, the author doesn’t really do much with them though.
Age gap? Yup, there’s a gap in their age, alright…
Grumpy hero? 🤡
Sunshine Dumbass heroine? Check.
Marriage of convenience? asdfghjkl
Workplace romance? Girl did no work 'cause nepotism ✌️
I don't think Gwen and Nate were necessarily the worst characters I've ever read about. They just didn't live up to their potential. Gwen could've easily been an interesting character if she wasn't all vanilla this vanilla that. I liked the concept of the notebook she had and her struggle with not having a mom, but she was constantly overshadowed by aspects of her personality that were so shallow! Honestly, I don't remember much about Nate, other than that I disliked him and that he was intense for no reason. Dude thought he was Batman or something. Smh.
Romance wise... Gwen and Nate lacked chemistry. Even though Gwen had known Nate her entire life, it honestly didn't feel like they even knew other; they could've been strangers with how stilted their conversations were. I think what made their romance so underwhelming was the fact that their age gap relationship was supposed to be this big taboo thing, but there were barely any obstacles to their relationship.
Honestly, the only character I liked was Gwen's dad, Kingsley. Kudos to him for fighting Nate for me.
This was my first Rina Kent book, but judging from the reviews, this isn't her finest work so I'll definitely be giving her other books a chance.
Rating: 2.5/5
It's a no from me.
Vanilla milkshake aside, this book could have been so much more! I'm not a big fan of the whole dad's best friend trope but I was really looking forward to the other tropes.
Sadly, the author doesn’t really do much with them though.
Age gap? Yup, there’s a gap in their age, alright…
Grumpy hero? 🤡
Marriage of convenience? asdfghjkl
Workplace romance? Girl did no work 'cause nepotism ✌️
I don't think Gwen and Nate were necessarily the worst characters I've ever read about. They just didn't live up to their potential. Gwen could've easily been an interesting character if she wasn't all vanilla this vanilla that. I liked the concept of the notebook she had and her struggle with not having a mom, but she was constantly overshadowed by aspects of her personality that were so shallow! Honestly, I don't remember much about Nate, other than that I disliked him and that he was intense for no reason. Dude thought he was Batman or something. Smh.
Romance wise... Gwen and Nate lacked chemistry. Even though Gwen had known Nate her entire life, it honestly didn't feel like they even knew other; they could've been strangers with how stilted their conversations were. I think what made their romance so underwhelming was the fact that their age gap relationship was supposed to be this big taboo thing, but there were barely any obstacles to their relationship.
Honestly, the only character I liked was Gwen's dad, Kingsley. Kudos to him for fighting Nate for me.
This was my first Rina Kent book, but judging from the reviews, this isn't her finest work so I'll definitely be giving her other books a chance.
Rating: 2.5/5
November 6, 2021
Five stars because uncle Nate said so and that’s final!
God, this girl breaks my fucking heart. The love she has with her dad is a fine line between wonderful and co-dependent. As a parent I know I need to give my kiddo the space to spread his wings so I know he’ll be ok with or without me. (Did you just think of that U2 song? Because I did)
He’s not the knight sweetheart, he’s the dragon.
Jeez, his bedside manner leaves much to be desired. I’m relieved he’s explaining that she’s not a burden but could you do it in a less caustic way? Mmmkay?!
I do appreciate him calling her out on her bs. Someone needs to hold her accountable or she’ll never grow. She’ll die in her little box.
Gwyneth’s little flashes of ferocity are breathtaking, especially when they’re aimed at Nate. I’m really hoping she flourishes into the badass I know she’s hiding under all those layers of uncertainty.
Nathaniel doesn’t realize how much he enjoys beating his head against a brick wall. He keeps trying to intimidate her but that just lights an even bigger fire under her ass. The crash is coming and when they explode it’s going to be the most gorgeous fireworks.
Jesus, he really is the hottest when he’s angry. It’s like catnip, no wonder Gwen is a masochist.
Nate has obviously seen Pretty Woman too many times and has this hair brained idea that holding out on the kissing will hold off the emotional attachment. As if!
Sometimes the smallest catalyst can change the trajectory of your entire life. In Nate and Gwyneth’s case it was one kiss.
God, this girl breaks my fucking heart. The love she has with her dad is a fine line between wonderful and co-dependent. As a parent I know I need to give my kiddo the space to spread his wings so I know he’ll be ok with or without me. (Did you just think of that U2 song? Because I did)
He’s not the knight sweetheart, he’s the dragon.
Jeez, his bedside manner leaves much to be desired. I’m relieved he’s explaining that she’s not a burden but could you do it in a less caustic way? Mmmkay?!
I do appreciate him calling her out on her bs. Someone needs to hold her accountable or she’ll never grow. She’ll die in her little box.
Gwyneth’s little flashes of ferocity are breathtaking, especially when they’re aimed at Nate. I’m really hoping she flourishes into the badass I know she’s hiding under all those layers of uncertainty.
Nathaniel doesn’t realize how much he enjoys beating his head against a brick wall. He keeps trying to intimidate her but that just lights an even bigger fire under her ass. The crash is coming and when they explode it’s going to be the most gorgeous fireworks.
Jesus, he really is the hottest when he’s angry. It’s like catnip, no wonder Gwen is a masochist.
Nate has obviously seen Pretty Woman too many times and has this hair brained idea that holding out on the kissing will hold off the emotional attachment. As if!
Sometimes the smallest catalyst can change the trajectory of your entire life. In Nate and Gwyneth’s case it was one kiss.
November 6, 2021
me and rina have such a good relationship going on- I’ve rated all the 3 books I read recently by her 1 star. You guys wish u were me😏😏
but on a serious note, this book was really bland and meh or maybe it’s just cause I have a really bad book hangover.
but on a serious note, this book was really bland and meh or maybe it’s just cause I have a really bad book hangover.
November 4, 2021
1 star ☆
I should've kept my expectations low for empire of desire because it ended up disappointing me and it turned me into a brainless zombie. i'm sorry for putting tanaz and hala through my dumb idiotic questions. I sincerely apologize. it was the book, not me. the book brought that side out of me.
and when I think about it, not much happened in the book. the beginning was okayish, the middle was just all over the place and so confusing and the ending was horrible, just pure garbage. there was literally no plot to it and I figured out who gwen's mother was before it was revealed. shocking. it shocked me to my core.
and all nate and gwen ever did was argue, lust over each other, and fuck against walls and trees. it was an endless cycle. also, the marriage part happened way too fast for my liking and their 'i love you's' felt very forced.
I mean, I know they had to get married as asap as possible so he could protect her and her dad's assets from susan. but how can she think about marriage when your dad is in a coma? in the next room? how can she think about touching him WHEN YOUR DAD IS IN A COMA? Is she going through the grief stages? Is this her way of coping? i'm not judging if it is.
“This marriage is only for convenience. Do you understand, Gwyneth?”
“Oh.”
“It’s a yes or no question. Do you understand?”
“Does…does this mean you won’t touch me?” see what I mean?
and the only part where I felt something was when he told gwen to get the fuck off him because he saw her doing this—
'Then I rub my ass and stomach against their erections, feeling them get hard all at once. Grunts and groans fill my ears and I lick my lips, so intoxicated on the feeling of having them both so turned on by me.' I still don't see the point of this scene. it's like she ran out of ideas and threw in whatever she could think of to get to the word count.
'My core clenches in remembrance of him inside me and the image turns me delirious as I glide myself against his bulge.
“Gwyneth, stop.”
I shake my head frantically. “I lied. I didn’t like it, not really.”
“You didn’t like what?”
“Grinding against Alex and Chris.” i wish i could slap fictional characters through book.
I should've kept my expectations low for empire of desire because it ended up disappointing me and it turned me into a brainless zombie. i'm sorry for putting tanaz and hala through my dumb idiotic questions. I sincerely apologize. it was the book, not me. the book brought that side out of me.
and when I think about it, not much happened in the book. the beginning was okayish, the middle was just all over the place and so confusing and the ending was horrible, just pure garbage. there was literally no plot to it and I figured out who gwen's mother was before it was revealed. shocking. it shocked me to my core.
and all nate and gwen ever did was argue, lust over each other, and fuck against walls and trees. it was an endless cycle. also, the marriage part happened way too fast for my liking and their 'i love you's' felt very forced.
I mean, I know they had to get married as asap as possible so he could protect her and her dad's assets from susan. but how can she think about marriage when your dad is in a coma? in the next room? how can she think about touching him WHEN YOUR DAD IS IN A COMA? Is she going through the grief stages? Is this her way of coping? i'm not judging if it is.
“This marriage is only for convenience. Do you understand, Gwyneth?”
“Oh.”
“It’s a yes or no question. Do you understand?”
“Does…does this mean you won’t touch me?” see what I mean?
and the only part where I felt something was when he told gwen to get the fuck off him because he saw her doing this—
'Then I rub my ass and stomach against their erections, feeling them get hard all at once. Grunts and groans fill my ears and I lick my lips, so intoxicated on the feeling of having them both so turned on by me.' I still don't see the point of this scene. it's like she ran out of ideas and threw in whatever she could think of to get to the word count.
'My core clenches in remembrance of him inside me and the image turns me delirious as I glide myself against his bulge.
“Gwyneth, stop.”
I shake my head frantically. “I lied. I didn’t like it, not really.”
“You didn’t like what?”
“Grinding against Alex and Chris.” i wish i could slap fictional characters through book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2021
I need RK to write about a fat guy with nothing but a good personality. Because I cant get over the fact that every single fucking person here has a six pack.
“My dad hasn’t aged much. At thirty-seven going on thirty-eight, he still has a strong build that fills out his suit. He’s tall and broad and has an eight-pack. No kidding. He’s the healthiest man I know. But he also has a few age lines that make him the wisest ever—aside from a certain someone.”
The book was well. We all knew it was over the top and trashy going into it; so it was what it was🤷♀️
“My dad hasn’t aged much. At thirty-seven going on thirty-eight, he still has a strong build that fills out his suit. He’s tall and broad and has an eight-pack. No kidding. He’s the healthiest man I know. But he also has a few age lines that make him the wisest ever—aside from a certain someone.”
The book was well. We all knew it was over the top and trashy going into it; so it was what it was🤷♀️
August 15, 2025
I hope every single memory i have about this book just fades away as quickly as possible because this was not it😭
November 6, 2021
First i need to say that i hate the model on the cover so Nate in my mind did not look like a rat!😌
*also warning spoilers ahead*
I have love and hate relationship with Rina's books but ever since i've read The thorns duet(which was so bad btw) i anticipated Nate's book bc he was the most intriguing character there.
So when i saw that it's a BIG age gap book i had some doubts.😂
First i really dislike age gaps. That's obv my personal preference and i can get over 10 years, 12 years max but an 18 years age gap is just too much. The problem is that Nate is Gwen's dad best friend so he knew her since she was just a baby. How is that not gross?🤢
"Gwyneth,
I met you the day you were born.
King freaked out when he found a baby at his doorstep and thought it was a good idea to call in his nemesis for crisis control.
He pushed you in my arms and flew to the kitchen like a madman. It was the first time I held a baby and it was pretty awkward at best, but then something happened.
You stopped crying.
Just like that.
You stared at me with those colorful, inquisitive eyes that somehow pierced through my chest."
He basically raised her with King and he was like an uncle to her. That is just yuck to me.
Okay age-gaps aside the storyline is basically Gwen started developing feelings for Nate since she was 15 and on her 18th b-day she kisses him but he rejects her. Then he starts seeing her differently so he avoids her for 2 years. And 2 years later her father Kingsley is in a car accident and falls in a coma. Nate and Gwen need to get married so King's evil stepmother can't take the law firm and everything he owns. There is also the mystery of who Gwen's mother is which was so obvious imo but later on that.
I think that Nate had a lot of potential and he deserved SO MUCH BETTER.
He did not need to end up with an immature child. There i said it, Gwen was like an annoying teenager who was coddled and sheltered by her overprotective father her whole life so she finally started to act out. Talk about privileged life.
Their relationship was not even a slowburn, Nate lost his mind one day after they married so he needed to feel her tight pussy.
“Tell me, baby girl. Did he touch my fucking pussy?”
“Is this hard enough for you, baby girl?”
If i read baby girl one more time🔪
Gosh i was sick of their dirty talk..
“Does that mean I’ve been a bad girl, husband?”
"What else do you like?”
“Being your slut.”
“So you’re my slut?”
“I am.”
“Only mine?”
“Did someone touch this ass, Gwyneth?”
She shakes her head frantically.
“Use your voice.”
“No…”
“Is it because you were saving it for me, too? Like you saved your virgin pussy?”
God i'm embarrassed by reading this😭
And in the end i still couldn't figure out why Nate loved Gwen, it felt like Gwen was obsessed with him and he just liked fucking younger girls.
The plot twist Aspen being Gwen's mother was obvious but the reason why Aspen left her or in reality thought she was dead was so absurd😂
“But how?” Gwyneth stares at Aspen. “I thought you said you didn’t remember my dad.”
“I didn’t. I tried to find him when I realized I was pregnant, mainly to protect you from my aunt and uncle, but I had nothing to do with it. My aunt and uncle must’ve dug deeper and gone asking around about the night of the party, because they clearly planned to leave you with Kingsley.
Yeah her aunt and uncle knew who was at the party so they went from home to home to ask with whom their niece had sex😂
that was just plain stupid and so funny.
This rating is mainly bc i have soft spot for Nate and also his banter with King was hilarious.
“Hi, Dad.” I kiss his cheek.
“So now you have a dad?”
“Your jealousy is showing, King.” Nate smirks at him.
“You shut up, daughter stealer.”
Maybe we can get a book with King and Aspen, i know now that it's going to be full of angry sex and messiness. I'm here for it.😌
*also warning spoilers ahead*
I have love and hate relationship with Rina's books but ever since i've read The thorns duet(which was so bad btw) i anticipated Nate's book bc he was the most intriguing character there.
So when i saw that it's a BIG age gap book i had some doubts.😂
First i really dislike age gaps. That's obv my personal preference and i can get over 10 years, 12 years max but an 18 years age gap is just too much. The problem is that Nate is Gwen's dad best friend so he knew her since she was just a baby. How is that not gross?🤢
"Gwyneth,
I met you the day you were born.
King freaked out when he found a baby at his doorstep and thought it was a good idea to call in his nemesis for crisis control.
He pushed you in my arms and flew to the kitchen like a madman. It was the first time I held a baby and it was pretty awkward at best, but then something happened.
You stopped crying.
Just like that.
You stared at me with those colorful, inquisitive eyes that somehow pierced through my chest."
He basically raised her with King and he was like an uncle to her. That is just yuck to me.
Okay age-gaps aside the storyline is basically Gwen started developing feelings for Nate since she was 15 and on her 18th b-day she kisses him but he rejects her. Then he starts seeing her differently so he avoids her for 2 years. And 2 years later her father Kingsley is in a car accident and falls in a coma. Nate and Gwen need to get married so King's evil stepmother can't take the law firm and everything he owns. There is also the mystery of who Gwen's mother is which was so obvious imo but later on that.
I think that Nate had a lot of potential and he deserved SO MUCH BETTER.
He did not need to end up with an immature child. There i said it, Gwen was like an annoying teenager who was coddled and sheltered by her overprotective father her whole life so she finally started to act out. Talk about privileged life.
Their relationship was not even a slowburn, Nate lost his mind one day after they married so he needed to feel her tight pussy.
“Tell me, baby girl. Did he touch my fucking pussy?”
“Is this hard enough for you, baby girl?”
If i read baby girl one more time🔪
Gosh i was sick of their dirty talk..
“Does that mean I’ve been a bad girl, husband?”
"What else do you like?”
“Being your slut.”
“So you’re my slut?”
“I am.”
“Only mine?”
“Did someone touch this ass, Gwyneth?”
She shakes her head frantically.
“Use your voice.”
“No…”
“Is it because you were saving it for me, too? Like you saved your virgin pussy?”
God i'm embarrassed by reading this😭
And in the end i still couldn't figure out why Nate loved Gwen, it felt like Gwen was obsessed with him and he just liked fucking younger girls.
The plot twist Aspen being Gwen's mother was obvious but the reason why Aspen left her or in reality thought she was dead was so absurd😂
“But how?” Gwyneth stares at Aspen. “I thought you said you didn’t remember my dad.”
“I didn’t. I tried to find him when I realized I was pregnant, mainly to protect you from my aunt and uncle, but I had nothing to do with it. My aunt and uncle must’ve dug deeper and gone asking around about the night of the party, because they clearly planned to leave you with Kingsley.
Yeah her aunt and uncle knew who was at the party so they went from home to home to ask with whom their niece had sex😂
that was just plain stupid and so funny.
This rating is mainly bc i have soft spot for Nate and also his banter with King was hilarious.
“Hi, Dad.” I kiss his cheek.
“So now you have a dad?”
“Your jealousy is showing, King.” Nate smirks at him.
“You shut up, daughter stealer.”
Maybe we can get a book with King and Aspen, i know now that it's going to be full of angry sex and messiness. I'm here for it.😌
March 21, 2025
2 stars
I love forbidden romance, and I love it even more if there’s an age gap involved. I hated this one because the MMC is the FMC’s father’s best friend of years, and he saw her grow up since she was just a baby. Hell, he even helped his friend with his daughter, so it’s as good as him raising her for me. It’s not like he saw her as anything else except a baby until she turned eighteen and kissed him. It didn’t make sense to me. Maybe it was all just hormones or whatever, and she suddenly started having a crush on her uncle because he was handsome and she developed a thing for older men, or maybe it was because of how he helped her a few times. It just wasn’t for me.
“Our fate. I’m his and he’s mine. Probably ever since I was born.”
Also, the fact that he calls her baby girl?! That’s another reason why I hated their relationship/marriage of convenience. And why was he so obsessed with her virgin blood on his dick, calling her a woman because she finally lost her virginity and broke her hymen?! Rina, you do realise that breaking a hymen while losing virginity is a myth, right? And in the end, I didn’t like how he told her that she belonged to him since she was born. That’s sick and fucked up!
“Nate isn’t watching that, though. He’s watching my legs with a frown. I also look down and, through my unfocused vision, I make out a trail of blood gliding down my leg and to my ankle, then soaking my white sneakers red. A long moment of silence stretches between us as we observe the evidence of my becoming a woman.”
Seriously, we are in the 21st century, for fuck’s sake!
“But most of all, I can’t stop staring at the blood. Her virginal blood, because she hasn’t had sex before.”
Rina took blood kink to another level this time.
What I liked in this book was Kingsley and his protective, grumpy arse. I was shocked when I read the plot twist, and I can’t wait to read his book!
I love forbidden romance, and I love it even more if there’s an age gap involved. I hated this one because the MMC is the FMC’s father’s best friend of years, and he saw her grow up since she was just a baby. Hell, he even helped his friend with his daughter, so it’s as good as him raising her for me. It’s not like he saw her as anything else except a baby until she turned eighteen and kissed him. It didn’t make sense to me. Maybe it was all just hormones or whatever, and she suddenly started having a crush on her uncle because he was handsome and she developed a thing for older men, or maybe it was because of how he helped her a few times. It just wasn’t for me.
“Our fate. I’m his and he’s mine. Probably ever since I was born.”
Also, the fact that he calls her baby girl?! That’s another reason why I hated their relationship/marriage of convenience. And why was he so obsessed with her virgin blood on his dick, calling her a woman because she finally lost her virginity and broke her hymen?! Rina, you do realise that breaking a hymen while losing virginity is a myth, right? And in the end, I didn’t like how he told her that she belonged to him since she was born. That’s sick and fucked up!
“Nate isn’t watching that, though. He’s watching my legs with a frown. I also look down and, through my unfocused vision, I make out a trail of blood gliding down my leg and to my ankle, then soaking my white sneakers red. A long moment of silence stretches between us as we observe the evidence of my becoming a woman.”
Seriously, we are in the 21st century, for fuck’s sake!
“But most of all, I can’t stop staring at the blood. Her virginal blood, because she hasn’t had sex before.”
Rina took blood kink to another level this time.
What I liked in this book was Kingsley and his protective, grumpy arse. I was shocked when I read the plot twist, and I can’t wait to read his book!
November 5, 2021
The way i waited FOREVER FOR THIS.
Ya'll cmon take a seat we'll need to sit through all this rant.
Okay before I word vomit let us all go over the plot.
Nathaniel Weaver is best of friends with KIngsley Shaw who has a daughter Gwyneth Shaw . Gwen acts on her crush and kisses 'uncle Nate' on her 18th birthday.
After that he avoids her like a plague for the next two years ONLY to marry her after Kingsley gets into an accident and falls into a coma.
He swears to not touch her only to finger her after seeing her with someone. And when i say he swore believe me that man acted like he'll burn to the pits of hell if he touches her.
That's the plot.
He owns half of the world and eats the rest of it for breakfast.
(i'd still let him hit *hides* )
I'll point out and make a list for you about everything and more that icked me. (there's a lot more than the ones i'm pointing out)
1) have to hear about it from Martha and wallow in misery by eating a shitload of vanilla ice cream.
Yeah, I’m boring that way.
Yes you ARE boring like that.
milkshakes, cakes, damn panties everything vanilla.
What even is vanilla panties.
I bet bitch shits vanilla too.
2) The thought of the D-word happening to Dad makes me shake uncontrollably in my closet.
Ya'll that little notebook is like a little voodoo something believe me.
You better watch out before she jots your name down in her notebook.
3) He’s taking care of the legal side, the firm, and Dad’s hospital procedures.
Everything.
Except for me, obviously.
Ever since the day we got married, he hasn’t touched me. Not even a brush of his hand or fingers or whatever
The biggest reason I did not like this woman is because goddamn she did not have any...just nothing of her own. It was everything Nate. Like woman where is the spine? where is the sauce?
4) he jams my middle finger inside me.
Just like that.
Like he’s had the right to do that for a long time. My back arches off the bed and I bite my lower lip to keep from moaning or screaming like a whore.
But maybe that’s what I am right now.
I’m a whore in his hands, and all I want is more.
YO who says that😭😭😭
4) A grown-up fucking woman with legs that go for miles and a tiny waist that can almost fit in only one of my palms
I swear to god this man has something for tiny girls.
Because oooooofff i read him calling her tiny like a hundred times.
5) I remove my seatbelt and close the distance separating us, pressing my breasts against his shirt-covered arm.
“What the fuck are you doing, Gwyneth?”
“I’m showing you how much of a slut I am.”
6) Him *NOT* kissing her back was just straight up painful to read.
7) “You’d have to want me to want to play with me, Nate.”
He narrows his eyes on me. “You’re supposed to say you’re not a toy and I shouldn’t want to play with you.”
“A normal person probably would, but I’m a little weird and a very bad girl, so you can play with me all you want. I’ll be your toy.”
8) Her "practice" on bananas?? i-
9) Him just staring at her virginal blood.
10)
Gwyneth,
I met you the day you were born.
He pushed you in my arms and flew to the kitchen like a madman. It was the first time I held a baby and it was pretty awkward at best, but then something happened.
You stopped crying.
Just like that.
You stared at me with those colorful, inquisitive eyes that somehow pierced through my chest
Since then, you have always held a special place in my life.
TELL ME THAT WAS NOT AWKWARD TO READ YA'LL.
The letter was very cute.okay i agree but still...
I physically cannot fucks with it.
Gwen just had ...little to nothing.
Ya'll cmon take a seat we'll need to sit through all this rant.
Okay before I word vomit let us all go over the plot.
Nathaniel Weaver is best of friends with KIngsley Shaw who has a daughter Gwyneth Shaw . Gwen acts on her crush and kisses 'uncle Nate' on her 18th birthday.
After that he avoids her like a plague for the next two years ONLY to marry her after Kingsley gets into an accident and falls into a coma.
He swears to not touch her only to finger her after seeing her with someone. And when i say he swore believe me that man acted like he'll burn to the pits of hell if he touches her.
That's the plot.
He owns half of the world and eats the rest of it for breakfast.
(i'd still let him hit *hides* )
I'll point out and make a list for you about everything and more that icked me. (there's a lot more than the ones i'm pointing out)
1) have to hear about it from Martha and wallow in misery by eating a shitload of vanilla ice cream.
Yeah, I’m boring that way.
Yes you ARE boring like that.
milkshakes, cakes, damn panties everything vanilla.
What even is vanilla panties.
I bet bitch shits vanilla too.
2) The thought of the D-word happening to Dad makes me shake uncontrollably in my closet.
Ya'll that little notebook is like a little voodoo something believe me.
You better watch out before she jots your name down in her notebook.
3) He’s taking care of the legal side, the firm, and Dad’s hospital procedures.
Everything.
Except for me, obviously.
Ever since the day we got married, he hasn’t touched me. Not even a brush of his hand or fingers or whatever
The biggest reason I did not like this woman is because goddamn she did not have any...just nothing of her own. It was everything Nate. Like woman where is the spine? where is the sauce?
4) he jams my middle finger inside me.
Just like that.
Like he’s had the right to do that for a long time. My back arches off the bed and I bite my lower lip to keep from moaning or screaming like a whore.
But maybe that’s what I am right now.
I’m a whore in his hands, and all I want is more.
YO who says that😭😭😭
4) A grown-up fucking woman with legs that go for miles and a tiny waist that can almost fit in only one of my palms
I swear to god this man has something for tiny girls.
Because oooooofff i read him calling her tiny like a hundred times.
5) I remove my seatbelt and close the distance separating us, pressing my breasts against his shirt-covered arm.
“What the fuck are you doing, Gwyneth?”
“I’m showing you how much of a slut I am.”
6) Him *NOT* kissing her back was just straight up painful to read.
7) “You’d have to want me to want to play with me, Nate.”
He narrows his eyes on me. “You’re supposed to say you’re not a toy and I shouldn’t want to play with you.”
“A normal person probably would, but I’m a little weird and a very bad girl, so you can play with me all you want. I’ll be your toy.”
8) Her "practice" on bananas?? i-
9) Him just staring at her virginal blood.
10)
Gwyneth,
I met you the day you were born.
He pushed you in my arms and flew to the kitchen like a madman. It was the first time I held a baby and it was pretty awkward at best, but then something happened.
You stopped crying.
Just like that.
You stared at me with those colorful, inquisitive eyes that somehow pierced through my chest
Since then, you have always held a special place in my life.
TELL ME THAT WAS NOT AWKWARD TO READ YA'LL.
The letter was very cute.okay i agree but still...
I physically cannot fucks with it.
Gwen just had ...little to nothing.
August 21, 2024
nope. never again. ☠️
November 19, 2024
3.75⭐️
okay I’ve never read the dad’s best friend trope and this absolutely slapped 😂😅
this follows Nate & Gwen, Nate is Gwen’s dads best friend since childhood, who he started an extremely successful law firm with and is 38 years old… Gwen is 20 👀
She’s always pined over Nate as a teenager and kisses him at her 18 birthday which all goes wrong and he distances himself from her after that
Fast forward two years, Gwens dad is in an accident and in a coma and Gwen & Nate have to enter a marriage of convenience to protect Kings assets (her dad) with the firm and from an aunt who’s trying to take everything
This was so fucking spicy I was SCREAMING, honestly it just felt so taboo and there’s so many mummy/daddy issues in this it’s lowkey a bit cringe but couldn’t help but LOVE them both
The tropes are so good
It’s office/workplace
Dads best friend
Age gap
Unrequited love
Forbidden romance
I loved Gwens character, she was relatable in so many ways Rina built such a good personality for her, I loved her list of negative words she had to desensitise her 😭❤️ she does have a lot of trauma about being abandoned by her mum as a baby and Nate has the same abandonment issues of his own
I did find her to act a bit childish/bratty for her age sometimes which annoyed me, and the dynamic between them was very much like he’s being her father and telling her off etc which sometimes got a bit weird otherwise I probably would’ve given it 4 stars
It was also so weird how much Nate talks about watching her grow up as a baby and that’s why he knows her so well, and then he’s railing her all over the house LOL we didn’t need that much inner monologue over that but regardless it made it feel super taboo and extremely spicy 😅🤷🏽♀️
okay I’ve never read the dad’s best friend trope and this absolutely slapped 😂😅
this follows Nate & Gwen, Nate is Gwen’s dads best friend since childhood, who he started an extremely successful law firm with and is 38 years old… Gwen is 20 👀
She’s always pined over Nate as a teenager and kisses him at her 18 birthday which all goes wrong and he distances himself from her after that
Fast forward two years, Gwens dad is in an accident and in a coma and Gwen & Nate have to enter a marriage of convenience to protect Kings assets (her dad) with the firm and from an aunt who’s trying to take everything
This was so fucking spicy I was SCREAMING, honestly it just felt so taboo and there’s so many mummy/daddy issues in this it’s lowkey a bit cringe but couldn’t help but LOVE them both
The tropes are so good
It’s office/workplace
Dads best friend
Age gap
Unrequited love
Forbidden romance
I loved Gwens character, she was relatable in so many ways Rina built such a good personality for her, I loved her list of negative words she had to desensitise her 😭❤️ she does have a lot of trauma about being abandoned by her mum as a baby and Nate has the same abandonment issues of his own
I did find her to act a bit childish/bratty for her age sometimes which annoyed me, and the dynamic between them was very much like he’s being her father and telling her off etc which sometimes got a bit weird otherwise I probably would’ve given it 4 stars
It was also so weird how much Nate talks about watching her grow up as a baby and that’s why he knows her so well, and then he’s railing her all over the house LOL we didn’t need that much inner monologue over that but regardless it made it feel super taboo and extremely spicy 😅🤷🏽♀️
November 5, 2021
It is very disappointing to write this review but honestly, there’s no way I can love this book. It was by far my least favorite book from Rina. I did not feel any love between the main characters. I only felt lust, and that too was mainly from the female’s side.
I don’t know how to put into words how I feel about Nate. He really disappointed me. He seemed content with or without Gwen in his life. It felt like the only reason he decided to let her into his life was because he would be getting to fuck her. Honestly there was no build up that led me to believe that what they had was true love. I can’t tell you how much I was disappointed when reading this book.
I waited months to read this books and then to be given the shock of my life with the disappointment? It’s saddening. Honestly I feel like Rina’s books have also been lately skewing towards the unsafe side. I hate when we have to read about the ways the H treated other women. Even though it may be that he never spent the night with them etc, I do not need to read about that.
For safety readers I would definitely classify this as unsafe. The h is in love with him since she was 15, he obviously fucked other women during that time, and even when she was in love with him, she kissed other guys and I believe she let them touch her.
Another thing, I felt like Nate kept trying to push away Gwen or keep her at a distance for too long that it really made me believe that he doesn’t truly love her.
At the end of the book he told Gwen that he think he fell in love with her after kissing her on her 18th birthday. Honestly, to me that felt like a huge lie and he was just trying to make Gwen feel special since she said she loved him since she was 15. I mean he used to see her as a little child and only because she kissed him he suddenly fell in love with her? What the fuck? It doesn’t make sense.
Another thing, the dirty talk. Honestly Rina write some of the best dirty talks, however, in this book it just wasn’t it. It was more cringy thanks turn on. I was not feeling those dirty talks at all.
Another weird thing, I don’t know my mind just couldn’t wrap around this. When Gwen’s father came out of the coma and found out about her and Nate, both Gwen and Nate would sneak around and have sex (for example in the parking garage) and it just seemed odd. So fucking odd. I couldn’t help but imagine an old gray headed dude sneaking around like a little boy all to fuck a girl who’s almost half his age. Nate obviously isn’t a gray headed old man but I couldn’t get that scenario out of my head.
During the months before this book was released, Rina mentioned how her writing had faced some difficulties. You can clearly see that because this book is definitely not of the Rina Kent quality and standard. I swear to God that it felt like someone else wrote this book and it Rina. I cannot emphasize this enough!!! When I was reading this book it felt like I was reading a book from another author. I swear to God I am not lying. This DID NOT feel like a Rina Kent book. I am truly disappointed by this.
The series that she recently unpublished had some of my favorite books in it and I loved her writing in those books, unfortunately she said those books aren’t her style anymore (something to that effect). I do wish though that her more recent books were like that though. Also, I feel like her books are starting to lean on the edge of being unsafe. And I really don’t like that. Rina used to be and still is to an extent one of my go to authors because I love all her books, however, if her books start becoming less and less safe then unfortunately I’m not sure how much I will love her writing anymore. Sadly. I am very disappointed but I do hope her future books improve.
I forgot to mention a very important scene that was unsafe!!! Gwen was dancing at a club drunk off her ass. She was grinding against two guys who both got hard due to her dancing and she was just grinding against their erections!!! This was when she and Nate were already in a relationship, married, consumed their relationship!!! What the fuck? She was turned on by grinding on their dicks. What the fuck??? This emphasizes my point about her books beginning to become unsafe and that is just so sad!!!
I don’t know how to put into words how I feel about Nate. He really disappointed me. He seemed content with or without Gwen in his life. It felt like the only reason he decided to let her into his life was because he would be getting to fuck her. Honestly there was no build up that led me to believe that what they had was true love. I can’t tell you how much I was disappointed when reading this book.
I waited months to read this books and then to be given the shock of my life with the disappointment? It’s saddening. Honestly I feel like Rina’s books have also been lately skewing towards the unsafe side. I hate when we have to read about the ways the H treated other women. Even though it may be that he never spent the night with them etc, I do not need to read about that.
For safety readers I would definitely classify this as unsafe. The h is in love with him since she was 15, he obviously fucked other women during that time, and even when she was in love with him, she kissed other guys and I believe she let them touch her.
Another thing, I felt like Nate kept trying to push away Gwen or keep her at a distance for too long that it really made me believe that he doesn’t truly love her.
At the end of the book he told Gwen that he think he fell in love with her after kissing her on her 18th birthday. Honestly, to me that felt like a huge lie and he was just trying to make Gwen feel special since she said she loved him since she was 15. I mean he used to see her as a little child and only because she kissed him he suddenly fell in love with her? What the fuck? It doesn’t make sense.
Another thing, the dirty talk. Honestly Rina write some of the best dirty talks, however, in this book it just wasn’t it. It was more cringy thanks turn on. I was not feeling those dirty talks at all.
Another weird thing, I don’t know my mind just couldn’t wrap around this. When Gwen’s father came out of the coma and found out about her and Nate, both Gwen and Nate would sneak around and have sex (for example in the parking garage) and it just seemed odd. So fucking odd. I couldn’t help but imagine an old gray headed dude sneaking around like a little boy all to fuck a girl who’s almost half his age. Nate obviously isn’t a gray headed old man but I couldn’t get that scenario out of my head.
During the months before this book was released, Rina mentioned how her writing had faced some difficulties. You can clearly see that because this book is definitely not of the Rina Kent quality and standard. I swear to God that it felt like someone else wrote this book and it Rina. I cannot emphasize this enough!!! When I was reading this book it felt like I was reading a book from another author. I swear to God I am not lying. This DID NOT feel like a Rina Kent book. I am truly disappointed by this.
The series that she recently unpublished had some of my favorite books in it and I loved her writing in those books, unfortunately she said those books aren’t her style anymore (something to that effect). I do wish though that her more recent books were like that though. Also, I feel like her books are starting to lean on the edge of being unsafe. And I really don’t like that. Rina used to be and still is to an extent one of my go to authors because I love all her books, however, if her books start becoming less and less safe then unfortunately I’m not sure how much I will love her writing anymore. Sadly. I am very disappointed but I do hope her future books improve.
I forgot to mention a very important scene that was unsafe!!! Gwen was dancing at a club drunk off her ass. She was grinding against two guys who both got hard due to her dancing and she was just grinding against their erections!!! This was when she and Nate were already in a relationship, married, consumed their relationship!!! What the fuck? She was turned on by grinding on their dicks. What the fuck??? This emphasizes my point about her books beginning to become unsafe and that is just so sad!!!
February 10, 2022
Such an annoying heroine!
I fell in love with Rina Kent when I read the Deception Trilogy. It’s one of my favourite series. I’ve recommended it to countless people. The writing was top notch, the characters had so much depth, the plot was intricate and engaging, and the smexy scenes were hot AF. So I was expecting more of the same in this book. I thought it ticked all of my boxed:
✔️ age-gap
✔️ taboo relationship (dad’s best friend/uncle figure)
✔️ arranged marriage
Sadly though, I was disappointed. This was largely due to the heroine, Gwyneth. She was just SOOOOO weak, naive and annoying. She kept gasping, squeaking, and squealing. She was constantly breathless and stammering. Always shaking and trembling. She also came across as a huge airhead, who constant said “like” and “huh?” and “oh” and “totally”. She also had a phobia of words… especially words that started with the letter D, like Death, or Decay, or Distance. I understand wanting to give a character some “flaws” to make them more troubled or relatable, but this was just dumb!
She was so immature it was painful! Despite being twenty, she acted like a five year old. She was OBSESSED with vanilla. She would have vanilla milkshakes and vanilla cupcakes for breakfast everyday. Her favourite food was vanilla ice cream. Her dad read her stories at night when she had a nightmare, and she hid in the closet when she got anxious or scared. I don’t know if those traits were supposed to be endearing but I just found them annoying.
There were quite a few AWKWARD AF interactions between her and Nate, especially at the beginning. Their banter made me cringe so hard sometimes. I had some SERIOUS second hand embarrassment reading some parts. Like this gem:
“I’m twenty, you know, and that means I have crushes, boyfriends, and urges. It means I go out and ride motorcycles and do whatever the hell I wish.”
“What type of urges?”
“Huh?”
“You said you have crushes, boyfriends, and urges. What are the urges?”
…
“Sexual urges,” I whisper in a breathy voice that surprises me.
Even his voice is as stiff as the rest of him. “Sexual urges like what?”
“You know.”
“I don’t know. Tell me, Gwyneth, what are the sexual urges you need the not-some-normal bike kid for?”
“K-kissing, for starters.”
“Kissing.”
“Yeah, with tongue and groping.”
IT. WAS. SO. AWKWARD!!!! I died a little on the inside 😖🥴.
This wasn’t all bad. I liked Nate. He was kind of an a$$hole at first, but he grew on me. Kingsley and Aspen were awesome and I can’t wait for their book. The sex scenes that weren’t awkward (mainly when Gwen wasn’t doing any talking) were hot. The other characters, like Jane, Knox, Chris and Sebastian were also great.
If it wasn’t for Gwen’s character, this would have actually been a great book; sadly, she ruined it for me.
I fell in love with Rina Kent when I read the Deception Trilogy. It’s one of my favourite series. I’ve recommended it to countless people. The writing was top notch, the characters had so much depth, the plot was intricate and engaging, and the smexy scenes were hot AF. So I was expecting more of the same in this book. I thought it ticked all of my boxed:
✔️ age-gap
✔️ taboo relationship (dad’s best friend/uncle figure)
✔️ arranged marriage
Sadly though, I was disappointed. This was largely due to the heroine, Gwyneth. She was just SOOOOO weak, naive and annoying. She kept gasping, squeaking, and squealing. She was constantly breathless and stammering. Always shaking and trembling. She also came across as a huge airhead, who constant said “like” and “huh?” and “oh” and “totally”. She also had a phobia of words… especially words that started with the letter D, like Death, or Decay, or Distance. I understand wanting to give a character some “flaws” to make them more troubled or relatable, but this was just dumb!
She was so immature it was painful! Despite being twenty, she acted like a five year old. She was OBSESSED with vanilla. She would have vanilla milkshakes and vanilla cupcakes for breakfast everyday. Her favourite food was vanilla ice cream. Her dad read her stories at night when she had a nightmare, and she hid in the closet when she got anxious or scared. I don’t know if those traits were supposed to be endearing but I just found them annoying.
There were quite a few AWKWARD AF interactions between her and Nate, especially at the beginning. Their banter made me cringe so hard sometimes. I had some SERIOUS second hand embarrassment reading some parts. Like this gem:
“I’m twenty, you know, and that means I have crushes, boyfriends, and urges. It means I go out and ride motorcycles and do whatever the hell I wish.”
“What type of urges?”
“Huh?”
“You said you have crushes, boyfriends, and urges. What are the urges?”
…
“Sexual urges,” I whisper in a breathy voice that surprises me.
Even his voice is as stiff as the rest of him. “Sexual urges like what?”
“You know.”
“I don’t know. Tell me, Gwyneth, what are the sexual urges you need the not-some-normal bike kid for?”
“K-kissing, for starters.”
“Kissing.”
“Yeah, with tongue and groping.”
IT. WAS. SO. AWKWARD!!!! I died a little on the inside 😖🥴.
This wasn’t all bad. I liked Nate. He was kind of an a$$hole at first, but he grew on me. Kingsley and Aspen were awesome and I can’t wait for their book. The sex scenes that weren’t awkward (mainly when Gwen wasn’t doing any talking) were hot. The other characters, like Jane, Knox, Chris and Sebastian were also great.
If it wasn’t for Gwen’s character, this would have actually been a great book; sadly, she ruined it for me.
May 27, 2023
Empire of Cringe is more like it💀
this was bad. i mean, dating your dads best friend whos almost twice your age is taboo enough. but to do it while said dad/best friend is in a coma... thats just bad manners. i think the author shouldve created a more “tolerable” plot device to bring the H & h together. i couldnt root for their relationship because they lacked chemistry. most importantly, the fact that the H had known the h since she was a baby felt weird to me. like, the H isnt some distant uncle, but hes quite constant & influential in the h’s life. i simply couldnt see past it without feeling a little creeped out. 😬 the h’s personality was also just a big ICK.
(read as an audiobook)
this was bad. i mean, dating your dads best friend whos almost twice your age is taboo enough. but to do it while said dad/best friend is in a coma... thats just bad manners. i think the author shouldve created a more “tolerable” plot device to bring the H & h together. i couldnt root for their relationship because they lacked chemistry. most importantly, the fact that the H had known the h since she was a baby felt weird to me. like, the H isnt some distant uncle, but hes quite constant & influential in the h’s life. i simply couldnt see past it without feeling a little creeped out. 😬 the h’s personality was also just a big ICK.
(read as an audiobook)
September 19, 2024
Let’s get the “baby girl” issue out of the way before I start,
Every time he called her “babygirl” I was like “insert miss juicy grimacing meme*, it was too much considering the age gap
So a short summary of the book:
Gwen has been obsessed with her dad’s best friend AKA Uncle Nate for years and when she turns 18 she takes a shot at it and kisses him and obviously he rejects her
Fast forward to when she’s 20, her dad has an accident and ends up in a coma and as the only possible way to keep her assets since she isn’t 21 yet, Uncle Nate offers a marriage of convenience.
Now this is where it went wrong, I was expecting a whole lot of emotional tension and angst but because this book was overall very fast paced we didn’t get enough of that.I really believe if the author had gone for a higher page count and made it a bit of an slow burn it’d have worked better for me.
Every time he called her “babygirl” I was like “insert miss juicy grimacing meme*, it was too much considering the age gap
So a short summary of the book:
Gwen has been obsessed with her dad’s best friend AKA Uncle Nate for years and when she turns 18 she takes a shot at it and kisses him and obviously he rejects her
Fast forward to when she’s 20, her dad has an accident and ends up in a coma and as the only possible way to keep her assets since she isn’t 21 yet, Uncle Nate offers a marriage of convenience.
Now this is where it went wrong, I was expecting a whole lot of emotional tension and angst but because this book was overall very fast paced we didn’t get enough of that.I really believe if the author had gone for a higher page count and made it a bit of an slow burn it’d have worked better for me.
June 26, 2024
no.
absolutely not..💀
absolutely not..💀
April 17, 2025
2.5⭐️
перша половина йшла так добре, друга половина пішла по одному місцю. гвен почала себе вести ніби розбещений підліток, хоча до цього пів книги кричала яка вона доросла. плюс стільки непотрібної санта барбари і драми на пустому місці зіпсували враження. спайсі сцени.. meh 😐 зараз ріна точно вміє краще.
а і головне. ви зрозуміли чому нейт закохався в гвен? бажання сексу я помітила. кохання? смішно, але ніт, не відчула.
хоча тропи тут усі, які мені подобаються, але є але.
➰різниця у віці. окей, вона є і не маленька, але він буквально її нянчив з народження 😳
➰найкращий друг батька. але про цю драму забули майже до кінця зі зрозумілих причин. нема батька, нема проблеми.
➰бос-підлегла. але гвен нормально і не працювала. привіт, непо бейбі.
➰шлюб за домовленістю. ах ну так, він виключно на папері задля обʼєднання власності, а інші про це і знати не будуть.
➰стосунки батьки-діти. окей, тут були ніби як гарні і погані приклади. але кінгслі, сорі, як ти умудрився виховати дитину настільки розбещену, нахабну, поверхневу та залежну в усьому від інших. шось трохи перелюбив татко.
і всі ці моменти, коли нейт колихав новонароджену гвен, годував її молочним коктейлем, виховував її разом з батьком. ну допоміг виростити, тепер можна і в ліжко тягнути. ем, сорі, але, читаючи все це, хотілось трохи блювати 🤢
тому улюблений момент, коли кінгслі дубасив нейта. я чекала і дочекалась 🌚
накинула зірку за фішку з блокнотом, яка сподобалась, і за круті музичні згадки. бо twenty one pilots та nf це любов 😮💨
перша половина йшла так добре, друга половина пішла по одному місцю. гвен почала себе вести ніби розбещений підліток, хоча до цього пів книги кричала яка вона доросла. плюс стільки непотрібної санта барбари і драми на пустому місці зіпсували враження. спайсі сцени.. meh 😐 зараз ріна точно вміє краще.
а і головне. ви зрозуміли чому нейт закохався в гвен? бажання сексу я помітила. кохання? смішно, але ніт, не відчула.
хоча тропи тут усі, які мені подобаються, але є але.
➰різниця у віці. окей, вона є і не маленька, але він буквально її нянчив з народження 😳
➰найкращий друг батька. але про цю драму забули майже до кінця зі зрозумілих причин. нема батька, нема проблеми.
➰бос-підлегла. але гвен нормально і не працювала. привіт, непо бейбі.
➰шлюб за домовленістю. ах ну так, він виключно на папері задля обʼєднання власності, а інші про це і знати не будуть.
➰стосунки батьки-діти. окей, тут були ніби як гарні і погані приклади. але кінгслі, сорі, як ти умудрився виховати дитину настільки розбещену, нахабну, поверхневу та залежну в усьому від інших. шось трохи перелюбив татко.
і всі ці моменти, коли нейт колихав новонароджену гвен, годував її молочним коктейлем, виховував її разом з батьком. ну допоміг виростити, тепер можна і в ліжко тягнути. ем, сорі, але, читаючи все це, хотілось трохи блювати 🤢
тому улюблений момент, коли кінгслі дубасив нейта. я чекала і дочекалась 🌚
накинула зірку за фішку з блокнотом, яка сподобалась, і за круті музичні згадки. бо twenty one pilots та nf це любов 😮💨
November 5, 2021
Jesus Christ please someone take away the covers of the men who look like they want to die staring at nothing with an awkward pose.
January 16, 2022
3,5. I thought repetitive and boring sometimes. Unfortunately because I love her books.
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