A Dangerous Game

by Kira Shell

She is the salve to his tortured soul. He is the answer to her darkest fantasies. Together they are the target of a deadly villain in this thrilling dark college romance from international bestselling author Kira Shell.

After barely surviving Player 2511’s attack, Selene decides to move back in with her mother in Detroit, take the reins of her life, and forget about Neil, his golden eyes, and his contradictions. Despite being aware that her feelings for him run deep, Selene understands that Neil cannot let himself be loved by anyone, least of all her, and that his soul is permanently riddled with scars that keep him from living a normal life.

However, when they reunite unexpectedly, Selene realizes she cannot live without him and chooses to remain by his side. Neil must then fight his trauma and inner turmoil to return her feelings. At the same time, Neil is forced to be constantly vigilant, as Player 2511 is still lurking, determined to have his revenge. No one is safe, and fear prevails, because nothing less than life is at stake.

This work has been translated with the contribution of the Center for Books and Reading of the Italian Ministry of Culture.

496 pages, Paperback

Published January 27, 2026

Reviews

[Bookish_Winnie]

I first want to thank NetGalley and Kira Shell for allowing me the opportunity to read this arc. When I say I was sobbing 😭 I was sobbing uncontrollably feeling so horrible for Neil I wanted to just wrap him up and protect him. The amount times I screamed as if I was yelling at Neil to just love Selene. She is head over heels for you dummy. The trauma the heartbreak was something and got me.

And the spice 🥵 wow chefs kiss 💋

[Alexandria Williams]

If book one was chaotic obsession and forbidden tension… A Dangerous Game is emotional damage.

This sequel dives even deeper into the complicated, addictive connection between Selene and Neil. A relationship built on longing, fear, and the constant question of whether love is enough when someone is still at war with themselves.

After surviving the attack, Selene tries to reclaim control of her life and put distance between herself and the one person who both ignites and destroys her. Watching her attempt to move forward while still feeling tethered to Neil added a raw emotional weight that made this installment feel more intense and personal.

Neil remains one of the most frustratingly compelling characters. He wants Selene close but is convinced that loving her means ruining her. His push and pull behavior can be painful to witness, but it also feels rooted in genuine trauma and self loathing.

What stood out in this book was seeing him slowly realize that avoidance and self destruction aren’t sustainable coping mechanisms. His struggle toward growth while messy and imperfect adds depth to the story.

The suspense element continues to linger like a shadow. Even when Player 2511 isn’t physically present, the threat never fully disappears. That constant sense of danger keeps the tension simmering and adds urgency to every emotional decision the characters make.

This book leans more heavily into psychological and emotional conflict than action, which has expecting nonstop suspense. However, the intense internal battles, heartbreaking misunderstandings, and undeniable chemistry make it incredibly bingeable.

The dual POV adds another layer, showing how much love and pain coexist beneath the harsh words they throw at each other.

The ending raises the stakes again and left me BEGGING FOR BOOK 3!!!!!
Seriously can you pretty please let me have it.

Angsty, obsessive, emotionally charged, and impossible to quit… this sequel proves the series isn’t pulling any punches.

Tropes & vibes:
🖤 Dark college romance
💔 Toxic / obsessive love
🧠 Trauma & mental health struggles
🔥 Push-pull relationship
⚠️ Ongoing stalker threat
🥀 “I can’t love you without destroying you” energy
❤️ Good girl x damaged bad boy
🎭 Emotional angst & dual POV
📖 Cliffhanger sequel

[Spicy Book Confessions]

3.5 stars

I was anxiously awaiting the release of this book. I love how Kira’s writing makes you not want to put down the book. I mean I literally finished in a day!!

While I enjoyed the character development - mostly with Neil, I was definitely wanting more spice throughout the book. The yearning was nice, but the amount of teasing “blue balls” was a bit much. Especially since we had so many hot scenes in the first book.

I also wish the plot surrounding the Player was throughout the book and not just in the last chapter. I have my theories on that and am dying to know if I’m right!! Now I have to wait for the final book!!!

Overall still loved it, just was hoping it would have matched the intensity I felt in the first book. Definitely excited to see how this story ends and when Ryan is going to make an appearance!!

[Renae Simangan]

First I want to say thank you Bloom Books for the ARC read I really appreciated it!!

Now let’s get to it! Kira Shell has me crying. Literally in tears! The pain I feel with every word has shattered me. The story picks back up immediately after Selene’s accident. Neil tries his best to keep Selene away from himself in order to keep her safe while Selene is conflicted on whether she should stay by Neil’s side or forget him completely.

Each hurtful word that came out of both Neil and Selene’s mouth cut me so deep. It hurt so much more because you get both their POVs, they say one thing out loud to each other but something else to themselves. You see where the hurt is coming from.

I gave this a 3.5 stars just because it was beautifully written showcasing pain from both Neil and Selene. But you definitely get to see a lot more of Neil spiraling and trying to fix himself. I liked that his actions are now speaking louder than his words.

I wish though that there was more plot to the story though. Why was Player barely mentioned?? This entire store was more of just Neil trying to push Selene away. You didn’t get the suspense or the thrill. You just keep circling back to the problem about Neil struggling with his past. I wish we had gotten more clues and appearances from Player. I think it would’ve impacted the storyline more.

[Brittney]

A Dangerous Game by Kira Shell
Kiss Me Like You Love Me 2 | Dark Romance

✨ A charged, emotional continuation that explores love as persistence, fear, and choice rather than salvation.

After surviving the attack by Player 2511, Selene returns to Detroit determined to reclaim control of her life and put distance between herself and Neil. Loving him has taught her a painful truth. Some wounds cannot be healed by love alone. Yet when their paths cross again, Selene realizes that walking away from Neil is far harder than staying.

Neil is still fractured by the version of love he learned as a child. He wants Selene close but believes that protecting her means keeping her at arm’s length. With Player 2511 still lurking and danger pressing in from all sides, the relationship between Selene and Neil becomes a constant push and pull between desire, fear, and survival.

What I Loved:
🖤 A relationship built on emotional tension rather than easy resolution
🔥 Neil’s internal struggle between wanting love and fearing it
💔 Selene’s growth as she chooses presence without illusion
⚠️ A constant sense of threat that keeps stakes high
🧠 Exploration of trauma and how it shapes attachment
💋 Moments of intimacy that feel intense and symbolic
🧩 A fast moving plot that balances romance and suspense
💥 An ending that raises anticipation for what comes next

Tropes & Elements:
🖤 Dark Romance
🔥 Enemies to Lovers Energy
💔 Broken MMC
⚠️ Ongoing External Threat
🧠 Trauma Driven Character Arcs
💋 High Emotional Intensity
🎭 Push and Pull Relationship

Vibe: emotional, tense, obsessive, fast paced dark romance
Spice: present but driven by emotion rather than explicit detail
For fans of: tortured MMCs, relationships shaped by trauma, high tension romance, and series that end on a breath holding note

💜 A Dangerous Game deepens Selene and Neil’s story with more emotional weight, more danger, and more unanswered questions. A strong second installment that keeps you turning pages and waiting for the next move.

#ADangerousGame #KiraShell #KissMeLikeYouLoveMe #DarkRomance #EnemiesToLovers #TorturedMMC #EmotionalRomance #ItalianRomance #Bookstagram #RomanceTropes #Scourcebooks #Casablanca

[Erica]

Describing someone’s appearance as “exuding eroticism” was a bit unnecessary in my opinion. It’s reminiscent of Neil constantly saying how and why he calls Selene “Tinkerbell”. This book is very reminiscent of the first book but we get a little bit of character growth from Neil as the book goes on. Neil is incredibly irritating in that he’s very much aware of how and why the way he is, but instead of seeing help and sticking with it, it’s as if he’s happy the way he is.

This storyline is still all over the place. You go from reading dialogue from one intense scene thinking you know exactly what’s going to happen next only to catch Neil, or whoever, deep in thought that has absolutely nothing to do with the prior scene. And what doesn’t help is the fact that some of the chapters are an hour and a half or close to two hours long which drags out the story. For example, chapter seven could’ve easily been broken down into three chapters at least. Same with chapters 10,11, and 14.

I hadn’t even realized until reading about 60% of the book, they weren’t even talking about Player 2511; The antagonist of this book who almost took Selene out for good.

I want to be optimistic and hope that Game Over will be better.

[Kristie Kieffer]

A Dangerous Game is a sharp, suspense-driven thriller that pulls you in with a sense of unease that never lets up. Kira Shell creates a world where secrets simmer beneath every interaction and danger feels only a breath away, making this a compulsive, binge-worthy read from start to finish.

The characters are layered and unpredictable, each carrying motivations that keep you guessing. Watching them maneuver through lies, shifting alliances, and rising stakes is both exhilarating and unsettling. Shell’s pacing is excellent—short, punchy chapters, escalating tension, and twists that land with impact.

What sets this book apart is how personal the danger feels. The emotional undercurrents—fear, betrayal, trust, and the consequences of risky choices—heighten every moment. Shell balances psychological tension with real heart, making you genuinely care about what happens even as you brace for the next shock.

Gripping, clever, and full of perfectly timed reveals, A Dangerous Game is a must-read for anyone who loves thrillers that keep you on edge until the final page.

[Ashley D K]

I really enjoyed book one in the Kiss Me Like You Love Me series. Book two, however, was not quite a hit for me for certain reasons. I can't say exactly how without giving away a spoiler, but it doesn't take long into the book for you to realize what I mean. I did enjoy seeing some growth in Neil because it was much needed. You understood his struggles, and in his first book, and in the words of Tyra Banks, "We were all rooting for you". Finally, you get to see the layers of who Neil truly is. I also love Liam, and you get to experience more of the side characters and fall more in love with them all. I honestly don't know whether I like the FMC or not. At times, I love her; at other times, she is infuriating. With all that said, I can't wait to finish this series and already have book 3 on pre-order.

[Kita Knoke]

The suspense was so good in this, and I love how easily it flowed from book 1 to book 2, allowing readers to get right back into the story without much trouble. I don’t like how aggressive the main male figure is, but I understand why he would be that way, simply due to his trauma. The book has a good way of explaining traumatic experiences without delving too deep into the issues. I appreciate
how there is no grammar mistakes so far throughout this series. I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3, I am so excited!!!!

[Kseniya Vishnyakova]

Yes, as you can see I did cave and bought the other two books in the series. I feel like the plot overall was good but I don’t feel like we had a lot of Player 2511 plot points and so when the end happened with Chloe, it felt like whiplash that it’d been brought up again when we really haven’t heard from him in awhile. Interested to see how the series finishes out.

[Katlin Stokes]

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC book. With the first book leaving you on a cliffhanger I KNEW I had to read the second one. Love the relationship between Selene and Neil! This book was so good.

[Zuley]

I am hooked on the toxicity that is Neil and Selene <3.

Ugh the angst, the spice?? Poor Neil deserves a huge hug for all that he has been through. I cannot wait for the next book in the series