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Rayne-Moore University Duet #2

Stutter.: Rayne-Moore University Book Two

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Maverick

There are too many secrets at Rayne-Moore, secrets I once turned a blind eye to because I wanted nothing to do with faculty gossip, nothing to do with the elite. But now that I can no longer stay blind, I'm going to let it, and watch it unravel. For her. Raven Monroe. Because it's too late. I've dived into the ocean for my Siren, fell for her song and I want her more than my next breath.
I want to see the vast shades of violet in the black and white.
But detectives are hanging about, sniffing closer, watching. stalking. all while bodies are dropping and every day grow more dangerous. I just hope we all make it out alive.

**Stutter. is Book Two of a Duet - it is a very dark why choose romance with OTT, O/P MMCs and a strong FMC exacting revenge as they look for answers any way they can.

463 pages, Hardcover

Published February 13, 2025

1462 people are currently reading
3298 people want to read

About the author

Ruby M. Darling

11 books447 followers
Ruby Darling is a small town Texas Native that reads too much Dark Fantasy Romance and sleeps too little, which has probably caused her to be delusional enough to create a world of her own. She hopes you have a great time under the glamour and in the veil.

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5 stars
2,417 (44%)
4 stars
1,837 (33%)
3 stars
904 (16%)
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247 (4%)
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64 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 618 reviews
Profile Image for Kaity.
1,980 reviews24 followers
July 16, 2025
Audio:
5 stars for Heather Firth and Joel Arden. This is a duet narration!

Book: 2 stars

Sweet Jesus, the amount of times they are fucking is insane! I swear after a while I just started rolling my eyes and skipping it. It was way too much and that I forgot the point of the book… you can’t go one chapter without all of them doing something to Raven at least 2-3 times I was so done. I should have DNF’ed.

The twist was predictable and I just wanted to make sure I was right. But holy hell this could have been 200 or 300 pages shorter instead of 500+ pages that had so much smut 😵‍💫 hahaha!
Profile Image for Brittany Ferraro.
237 reviews1,313 followers
August 3, 2025
3.75 ⭐️ I went back and forth on my rating for this one and gave myself a couple days to sit with it. While I really enjoyed the plot, the amount of smut in (basically every chapter) pulled me out of the story more than I expected, and that’s ultimately what influenced my final rating.

One thing about me: I will devour a stabby FMC on a revenge path, and this one absolutely delivered. That alone had me hooked. And since this is a why choose? Even better. Two of my favorite things wrapped into one. I loved book one, and I do think this was a solid conclusion to the duet but honestly, it could’ve been at least 100 pages shorter.

I kind of saw the ending coming not long after I finished book one, but I was still satisfied with how it wrapped up. I really enjoyed the character dynamics, their banter, and the chemistry across the board. That said… RAVEN, GIRL, AREN’T YOU TIRED? She was getting her back blown out every chance she got 😅 Normally, I’m all for heavy smut, but at a certain point I was like: okay but can we circle back to the secret society stuff?

Overall, I think this is a strong duet, and honestly, my mood might’ve played a part in how I felt about book two. But if you’re into revenge, chaos, why choose and a LOT of fucking you’ll probably have a great time😂
Profile Image for Erika Braga.
487 reviews1,790 followers
November 20, 2025
I LOVED IT ! The only reason I took a star from this books it’s because of an unexpected couple towards the end that I thought was unnecessary and was throw in there just for crowd pleasing…… I didn’t like it !
Other than that I LOVED every second. The plot is great, the MMC’S are to die for and the FMC is perfect!
I love how this author didn’t make a perfect little Barbie doll. Raven is dark and “defective “ (her words not mine) but Raven is described as a gorgeous fuller girl with big tights and celulite, she loves to eat and SHE does unashamedly. She has scars and her issues are many. Because of that her guys love her even more because she is as real as it gets for them and they are OBSESSED!!!!
Her revenge is cold and the best, I love how her men are 1000% in and help her with anything. Professor Maverick took a little to get rid of his FBI antics but he was on board sooner than later. But Damon was not only on board since 4 years ago but he was also a MASTERMIND! Helping and doing ABSOLUTE EVERYTHING for her and Jonas is so loyal and loves her sooooooooooooooooooo much and Obsessively that it was never a question of if he was on board, he just WAS point blank.
The only thing I didn’t like is the out of no where relationship between Damon and Jonas….. yes they were also with Raven and she was their main love and obsession. But it felt like the author just put this there to please the crowd and it was towards the end so there was no real relationship development….. yes they were comfortable with each other but it seemed like it went from them both being blindly in love with Raven only to in a blink of an eye start to love each other too…. I didn’t even like their sex scene because it literally didn’t do it for me, it was too shallow and out of no where…… and that’s why I keep saying that I am VERY VERY picky and specific when it comes to why choose. Because here for example we had a PERFECTTTTTTT relationship with all 3 men giving Raven something different, so having Damon and Jonas out of thin air being in love and obsessed with each other just left me with second hand jealousy and kinda of disappointed with the direction it took ! Other than that I LOVED the book !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lauren McGuirk.
354 reviews66 followers
April 4, 2025

Once again, this book had lots of 🌶️🌶️🌶️, murder, plotting, and even more 🌶️.

Book one had me drooling for Jonas, but book 2 had me SWEATING for Mav. His character arc is my absolute favorite! I also love the relationship development between 🤫 and 🤫 (you have to read to find out!)

I love the swap of POVs especially when we’re seeing things from someone who’s not a main character. I love going back in time and getting tid bits of information from their POV from scenes we’ve already been through! It gives us a quick background of that person so we know more about them.

It was emotional having Lex come back in this story! I was wondering about him so I’m so glad we got to see them together again.
Profile Image for Clairsreads.
444 reviews60 followers
July 13, 2025
Words cannot express how deeply I feel connected to this book and these characters and this universe. I have loved every moment of being in this world and being part of the process of the story is something that I will cherish forever.

Picking up where we left off at the end of Speak, Raven is on a mission for vengeance about what was done to her while still dealing with the backlash that occurred after coming clean to Maverick. While both Jonas and Damon focus on supporting Raven on her missions she is also balancing seeking out what she knows she deserves with the potential loss of Maverick in her life. As her involvement deepens and more truths are revealed the bodies start stacking up and eyes are pointing toward Raven. When push comes to shove and Maverick must make a choice everyone in this relationship is faced with the uncertainty of what the future will hold with all four of them.

After the deep, dark and twisty ride of Speak, Stutter not only answered so many questions but gave so much more insight and understanding to not only the Syndicate but all players involved. Learning Maverick’s backstory, Damon’s family life, Jonas’ traumas really made the relationship between the four of them that much more beautiful. The plot was plotting and the spice was spicing in this one. A never-ending journey of twists and turns that leave you on the edge of your seat one minute, panting the next and laughing out loud right afterward.

These characters. This book. Ruby mfin Darling. Words cannot express how much they mean to me and how much this duet has changed me. From alpha reading to now seeing this as a complete and absolute banger of a book I am so proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time. You can and will do great things bbgurl🖤
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️

Are you guys ready for Scream?! I can confirm it will be a WILD rideeeee
Profile Image for Divyangi Singh.
345 reviews15 followers
July 13, 2025
This ending was so so anticlimactic! Totally expected, haphazard and senseless!

Seriously, if this book had given even half the attention to story as it did to the sex....
The story was going so well with book 1. And then this happened. 2 sentences of story progress and 5 pages of a sexual scene. That's literally how this book progressed.
Like, if we removed the sex scenes in this book, I bet it would be a 50 page book. That's it!

Given those scenes were mostly good, just got too repetitive, and this rating is solely for the well-written scenes, no matter how redundant they got.
Profile Image for Ms. Dess.
298 reviews56 followers
December 12, 2025
My Rating: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Series Status: This book clawed its way to my elite group of 5 star reads and I'm still fucking blown.

We Have:
✅ Reverse harem that understands escalation
✅ Obsession layered on obsession layered on obsession
✅ Family trauma that refuses to be clean or comforting
✅ Loyalty vs protection vs betrayal
✅ Characters I cannot morally categorize and that’s the point
✅ Smut at a volume most readers cannot emotionally survive
✅ Zero repetition despite relentless heat
✅ Plot that weaponizes confusion
✅ Emotional whiplash as a feature, not a bug

This book is a WHOLE ASS fucking problem.

Out of more than 500 books on my Goodreads, I have nine true five-star reads. Not vibes. Not hype. Not recency bias. Earned. This book just became number ten. That alone should tell you how violently it altered my brain chemistry.

The smut alone would’ve secured its place in history. There is an obscene amount of it. Relentless. Constant. Not even three pages go by without it showing up again. And here’s the part that matters .... not a single scene felt repetitive. Not👏a👏 single👏fucking👏 one👏. Different tones. Different power shifts. Different emotional weight. I didn’t skim. I didn’t skip. I didn’t sigh and think “okay enough.” My body reacted every single time. Fucking clenching. Fucking melting. I lost so much fucking composure. Over and over again. I genuinely thought, I honestly have no idea how I have any fluid left in my body at this point, and that was not an exaggeration. (Seriously - check my notes) That level of sexual pacing isn’t accidental. That’s skill.

And yet… it’s the plot that made this book dangerous.

This book lives in moral gray and absolutely refuses to help you feel good about it. Nobody is clean. Nobody is safe. Everybody is doing their best and also making deeply fucked up choices at the same time. I spent half the book hating people, the other half understanding them, and the entire time being mad about both. Just when I’d decide someone was trash, Ruby would slide in with context like oh no babe, you don’t get to be confident about that. Family is protection and betrayal in the same breath. Love is safety until it’s damage. And the book never pauses to explain itself or hold your hand about any of it. You either keep up or you get emotionally dragged. I kept up. Barely.

One character broke my whole fucking brain. I didn’t know what to do with them. I didn’t know where to land. I softened. I hardened. I flipped back and forth like my emotions were buffering. And when the reveal came, it didn’t feel cheap. It felt earned in the most infuriating way possible. Ruby didn’t trick me. She guided me into confusion and let me drown there until I figured it out myself.

Jonas continues to be a menace in the best possible way. His loyalty is aggressive, loud, and wildly inappropriate in public spaces, and he delivers his defending rants with his whole ass chest like he’s daring someone to challenge him. Some of the shit he says when he’s going to bat for his people made me physically gush and I do not give a flying fuck what that says about me. His mouth is filthy, his conviction is feral, and the confidence is lethal. Damon, on the other hand, is beautifully delusional, terrifyingly competent, and deeply committed to saying the most unhinged, dirty things like it’s medical advice. He carries himself with full Daddy confidence and somehow avoids giving me the ick, which is saying something. Lets be so fucking for real…there is only one Daddy who owns my soul forever and that is Daddy Tobias. Nothing and no one will ever take his place. But Daddy goddamn Damon is a very solid second fucking choice. Period.

This book does not hold your hand. It does not soothe you. It does not care if you’re comfortable. It trusts you to keep up.

I finished this book emotionally compromised, sexually overstimulated, morally conflicted, and deeply impressed. I didn’t know who to trust. I didn’t know who I wanted to protect. I didn’t even know what version of myself I was by the end.

That’s not just a five-star read. That’s a whole fucking benchmark.

This book didn’t just entertain me. It fucking claimed me. Now what the fuck am I supposed to do?
Profile Image for Athena Que Será, Será.
924 reviews68 followers
December 11, 2025
Tags: abuse, age-gaaap, alphalicious, betrayal, bisexual-hero, college-romance, curvy-beauties, damaged-broken_hero, damaged-broken_heroine, dark-romance, dirty-talking, disabled-heroine-mute, duet, editing-needed, hero-hurts-heroine, jocks, kink, military-exmilitary-romance, mm, obsession, older-hero-younger-heroine, older-heroine-younger-hero, om_drama, psychos-in-love, read, revenge, rh-contemporary, rh-with-teacher-in-it, rich-hero, rich-heroine, secret-society, smut, stalker, teacher-student_romance
Profile Image for Melanie Jakusz.
322 reviews11 followers
November 2, 2025
I had to read the word “cream” 84 times. And for what!?!
Profile Image for Lana *Best left alone with books and snacks*.
774 reviews156 followers
October 19, 2025
3.5 smutty stars

Look, I'm no smut snob, god knows I like to get down with the best of them. And smut in this duet is top notch. Plentiful and with enough variety. However, if book one had a perfect balance between plot and smut, in this one smut heavily overwhelmed any plot there was and honestly there wasn't much. It felt like 90% of the book was spent settling down in the group's dynamic. It would've been fine if the book was like a 100 pages shorter but I don't know, sometimes I found myself skipping some of the smut to get to the plot. Do with that what you like.

Over and out
Profile Image for Melissa.
103 reviews1 follower
July 14, 2025
After literally devouring Speak, I thought I was ready for Stutter, but ohhh no. I was not. Oh. My. Spice. Ruby turned everything up to an eleven...maybe even a twelve on the spice...and I loved every single minute of it. Stutter didn’t just pull me in, it burrowed under my skin and stayed there. And the audiobook? Heather Firth and Joe Arden took the whole thing to another level entirely.

Heather Firth delivers such a beautifully nuanced performance. She is Raven...her vulnerability, strength, internal conflict, it’s all there, layered and aching. Every stutter, every broken syllable, every scream Raven kept trapped in her throat... Heather made me feel it. Her voice held that yearning so tight, I swear I was holding my breath half the time.

And Joe Arden? As always, an absolute magnetic force. He didn’t just play Jonas, Damon, and Maverick...he became them. Jonas’ sunshine-and-feral obsession, Damon’s cold, calm control laced with devotion, and Maverick’s dark, dirty dominance and storm of inner chaos… Joe nailed every single one. The way he swings between those voices so seamlessly? Easy to forget it was even the same person doing all 3 main male characters, plus several more.

Together, Firth and Arden are electric. The chemistry is unreal. They turned Stutter into this visceral, heart-clutching listen that didn’t let me go. Every word felt intentional, authentic, and alive. The pacing and emotion were so natural. It didn’t feel like I was listening to a book. It felt like I was living it.

This is dark romance done right. It’s messy. Violent. Erotic. Poetic. And so full of aching tenderness, you’ll find yourself clinging to every moment. Ruby, you outdid yourself. If you're into why-choose stories and love audiobooks, Stutter is the gold standard. It’s not just a story. It’s a full-body experience.
Profile Image for Alicia.
441 reviews6 followers
March 3, 2025
WTF......

I knew who it was but WTF thats what he allows to happen to RAVEN? Just no.
It was sooo long and drawn out and all that happened was them having s*x. like we get it.....

Then all of a sudden 2 of her guys find themselves in love with eachother out of no where. I was blindsided with this happenenig. Like one chapter they were so into Raven and only, then they were saying how they couldnt be without eachother....like where in the world did this come from?

Anyway---it was long and repetitive and every chapter they had s*x. GET TO THE POINT.
Profile Image for Courtenay (ceelovesbooks).
306 reviews130 followers
July 9, 2025
Stutter. Is part 2 of The Tongueless Duet. PLEASE do not pick up this book without first reading Speak. You will have no idea what’s going on. Seriously. Plus, Speak is spicy as heck and deserves a read.

I want to keep this review as honest and true as possible.. but you should know that I’m literal step-mommy to these characters (Ruby is my Book Fairy Godmother / WIFE) so this book was never going to be less than 5⭐️ anyways. I’ve read and loved these characters almost daily for 6+ months. I read this book when it was no more than a couple words on a Google Document. They’re my heart, my soul, and my drug of choice. If you pick them up, I can guarantee they’ll be yours too 😌

Raven is hunting down those who wronged her. In Speak we saw her take her revenge on some of the people on her list. This book continues with much the same, eliminating threats to her, and her men. At the end of Speak we also saw one of her three relationships fall apart. You get all the answers to that here. Raven is nothing if patient, and she’s willing to wait for all good things to come to her, even if they sometimes take their sweet time to do so.

Jonas, this book really solidified my love for my obsessed, possessive, football playing, velcro, OBSESSED (did I say that already? 🤣) man. (He’s really just SO OBSESSED with his babygirl 🥹) Jonas is Ravens happiness, and he’s mine too. This man brings a beautiful, lighthearted air to their story, and I can’t imagine anyone more perfect for Raven. He’s her ROCK. Steady. Solid. Never to be swayed.

Maverick and Damon, these two each give Raven something different. Protection. Possession, and as many microchips as you can fit in one human being 🫡 they’re her heart. Her soul. And she is the drug in THEIR veins. They live for her. Breathe for her. And never waver.

The spice. Let’s talk about it. I don’t often give out a 4+🌶️ rating, but here we are. Both books in this series get a 4.5🌶️ because as much as the PLOT was PLOTTING here, you get delicious, memorable, absolutely downright filthy spice. The amount of quotes I have of filthy things that came out of Mavericks mouth is truly unbelievable. Not to mention the demented Dr MADE SPECIAL TEA WITH RAVENS JUICES INSIDE AND SERVES IT UP IN A THERMOS FOR MAV AT WORK. AT WORK!! like who comes up with this stuff?! Genius. A first. I’ll never forget.

All in all, this book is DARK and touches on a lot of themes and subjects that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Read all TWs, if this isn’t for you.. that’s okay. Raven is NOT your typical FMC. She had a lot of trauma. A lot of healing to go through, and she does. It just takes some schmurderr and positioning to get there. Redemption. Avenging. And her men are with her every step of the way. Also to note, as a result of her trauma, she does have selective mutism. In this book we see her learning to SPEAK. With a STUTTER. A lot of these words come out slurred, or garbled. That’s how it’s supposed to be. That is not a typo. It’s her LEARNING, and OVERCOMING, to be the best Raven she can be. And man, oh man is she strong. Absolutely stunning. Beautiful. And resilient.

I’m not ready to say goodbye, and you can’t make me. If you read Stutter, you might get a glimpse into what’s coming next 👀 and you might get to see Raven and her men again.

Tell Ruby, Cee sent you. 😌🖤
Profile Image for Mysti.
1,993 reviews274 followers
December 22, 2025
Damn!!!! What a freaking ride!!!! This duet definitely delivered for me in every way. If I didn’t adequately convey before that you need to read this, let me do so now. YOU NEED TO READ THIS…. (and listen to the audiobooks).

Home isn’t always a house. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s a dysfunctional family that somehow makes it work because the love there makes it home.

Raven (Little Bird, Baby, Siren) continues to wrap our boys around her little….. finger. The pheromones this woman puts out are lethal because everyone she encounters drops at her feet.

As Raven seeks retribution for what she went through, our men step up to support her however she needs them to. What more could a girl ask for?

Damon (Daddy), our delicious doctor, really keeps our group in order. He’s the one we all turn to for guidance. He’s the glue. The bond. The keeper of the hearts.

“You exquisitely sweet little monster, let me repeat myself…... I am irrevocably fucked for you. I’m sure I’ve heard the word ‘demented' thrown around here and it’s because I am. For you. So, when you squeeze my cock with your delicious pussy so perfectly, of course I become deranged for the only woman I’ve ever loved. The rest of the world can fuck off entirely.”

“Even in your nightmares, your dreams, your hallucinations, my love for you is the realest thing. Cling to that every time you feel lost, and I’ll always find a way for you to come back to me.”

Jonas (Perfect Pup), my sweet and precious embodiment of perfection, continues to be…. Perfect. He can absolutely do no wrong, and if you say otherwise, I will wipe you out! Not only does he deliver the “O’s”, he is also Raven’s staunchest supporter. You will never get away with hurting her as long as he’s around.

“I’m crazy, for sure, baby. But… I’m crazy for you. And only you. I’m near you and I need to be closer. I’m inside of you, and it’s not enough. When I’m away from you, I feel like I’m drowning. But then I see you again and I can finally breathe right. You have totally and completely consumed whatever sanity I had left, and I don’t ever want it back. You’re my heart, baby. Every beat of it is yours.”

If her soul is mine, then mine is hers and I want her to take, take, take it from me until they’re woven together so I can find her in every lifetime…..Because I love her enough to know exactly what I have – a fucking treasure, and I’ll never let her go.

Maverick (Discipliner) took his time getting there, but he finally admits that he wants to be the bread in our love sandwich. Whether it’s doling out punishment or filling her mouth – he’s the man for the job!

Every time I even glance at my Siren, my angel, my everything… I see a woman that holds my soul in her hands, purposefully caring for it, continuously shaping it and remolding it, to fit hers.

“There is no escaping me anymore and if you want to burn your world down, then I’ll hand you the match and fan the goddamn flames as you set it ablaze. But you and I, we burn together.”

You will find all of the answers you seek at the end of this book…well, most of them.

SEX: Girl… don’t even bother putting panties on for this book…. there’s so much sex. Even my vag was tired after reading this. I’m not sure how Raven didn’t end up in the ER from being overfucked. Oh…. FYI. There’s one thing that I’d been waiting for this entire time, and Ruby finally gives it to us, and it’s over way too fucking fast!! Girlfriend, we need to have a very serious talk about what’s acceptable! Give. Me. My. D.

STUFF: I feel like there were some missed opportunities here that kept me wavering between 4 and 5 stars. Please only read these AFTER you’ve read the book. That said, I was still happy.

AUDIO: Duh. I told you fools last time to listen to the damn audiobooks. But also read them so you can highlight everything just like I did. You seriously need to do both. OH… but one thing. Since Raven has a stutter, in the audio it can get a little annoying, but it’s a small price to pay for this deliciousness.

In the end – hands down recommend this duet. One of the best this year.

“Raven… I think it’s so easy to love her because she’s so multifaceted. Every day is different and even when we argue it’s so easy to find common ground. I got so lucky. I got to fall in love with my best friend. Even when she’s having a bad day, I feel lucky that I get to make it better for her…”

“if she brings you peace amongst the chaos, if she seeks to be in your arms even when you’re angry, either of you, if she chooses you over and over again, looks at you like you’re the most interesting creature she’s ever set her eyes upon, even if she has no idea what you’re talking about, and loves you despite what a complete shite you are sometimes, you keep her. And you never let her go. A woman like that only comes once in a lifetime. She will love you so fiercely nothing will ever compare.”
Profile Image for Kylie.
720 reviews1,314 followers
December 18, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️
5/5 🌶️

DAMN. This was such a good, spicy, dark why choose duet!
Profile Image for Tia.
192 reviews495 followers
July 31, 2025
I cannot begin to describe how spicy this was… he literally put her 💦💦 in his tea!

I have loved this series!!!! Every single one of these men is just absolute pure perfection!

I loved the revenge storyline for the FMC and how the men are so obsessed they’ll do anything for her.

🫠🥵🖤
Profile Image for Alicia ◡̈.
527 reviews3 followers
September 11, 2025
I went back and forth with my review for this one. Speak was so so good, but for some reason, Stutter seemed to not hook me as deep. I love a stabby fmc on a revenge path, and these books absolutely deliver, and also being a why choose? Even better. BUT the smut was CONSTANT. 😅 At a certain point you gotta be like GIRL AINT YOU TIRED?! 💀💀

With that being said, I think this duet is worth reading and I enjoyed myself. I recommend the audio for sure. 🖤

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗯𝗶𝗰.
Profile Image for Paula Jackson.
87 reviews13 followers
June 26, 2025
“It takes me three wide steps to get to her and when I do, I drop to my knees, a servant before his goddess and crawl to her.” ~ Jonas - Stutter

Rayne-Moore University Duet by Ruby M. Darling ❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Wow, wow, wow!!! This duet is one of my top reads of 2025! One of the best duets I’ve read! If you loved Mindf*ck series, then you will absolutely love this duet. It is RH, you have Raven our badass FMC and her men Dr. Damon her Psychiatrist, Maverick former FBI agent and now Professor and Jonas the MVP Football player and soulmate. Together they form a family. Raven a curvy vivacious headstrong woman who was viciously attacked and spent 4 years in an asylum due to mutism and now she is back!!! Not being able to speak, doesn’t mean she is damaged and she will prove it. I absolutely loved Raven, she is hands down my favorite FMC, a true badass Queen! Make them kneel! The three MMC are the perfect book boyfriends. But, Maverick is so 🥵 Kink unlocked!

This duet had me on the edge of my seat with its thriller suspense plot and twist. The romance and spice was so there, too and super spicy. Even if you don’t like RH, I think you will like the story line in this duet. If you have triggers then you may want to check them. There is un-alive, age gap, bi-awakening, degradation, praise somnophilia, and some subjects may be dark.

It’s so good that I’m sad it’s over I need more!!! These were my first books from Ruby Darling I’ve read and I am now reading her new release Scream. So far it’s good, too.
Profile Image for Saraya.
110 reviews29 followers
July 15, 2025
4.25✨ overall this one was a bit anticlimactic with a fuck ton of spice but yet again I ate it up. I knew the last person was going to be step bro from like page 2 of the first book but I fear he would’ve gaslit me out of it, that ending made me so sad even though I saw it all coming🥲
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for MissDankReads .
150 reviews19 followers
February 19, 2025
Honest review by MissDankReads

Before I say anything else, I just want you to know that I like the story. I liked it enough to keep reading even with the amount of errors in this book. Please please please hire an editor before your next release. Because the editing in this is atrocious, even worse than the first book. There’s just too many instances when there’s a word missing, or an extra word that shouldn’t be there, etc. At the end of the book Raven’s friend Sabrina starts working out with her, and Raven says something about turning it up, but there’s no mention of music being on before that. So there’s just a lot of stuff that was missed that an editor would be able to pick up. I also think the book was longer than it should’ve been and eventually I ended up skimming some of the spicy scenes because they were boring.
Profile Image for Jackie L.
562 reviews17 followers
August 28, 2025
Stutter
Is book 2 of the Rayne-Moore University Duet. It’s a dark romance RH revenge story. In Speak are introduced to Raven’s Harem but at the end there is question whether the ex-FBI and morally grey Professor Maverick Harrington can bend his morals a little more for his siren. Raven already has Jonas Anderson and the good Dr. Damon Archer helping her get her revenge.

I really like that each guy is distinct. Damon is the loving caretaker. Jonas is love sick puppy. Maverick is grumpy disciplinarian. All are over the top obsessive and protective of Raven. Damon stalks and installs camera and trackers to keep tabs on Raven. Jonas follows Raven everywhere whenever he can, changes classes to be close. Maverick calls Raven into his office to ensure he gets his personal time with her. They each provide something different in the relationship.

I love the special extra relationship that is formed between Daddy Damon and pup Jonas. Flirty and naughty. And it’s nice to see Maverick opening up and making friends.
Also, the pretend relationship between Damon and Maverick was entertaining to watch.

The bit of red herring, A, didn’t fool me. Ruby Darling gave hints to the identity of the Shadow if you read closely.

The audiobook is performed in duet by Joe Arden and Heather Firth. I have the same comment as for book 1, Speak. For this a full cast would have been better. Damon, Jonas and Maverick sounds the same to me. Joe Arden doesn’t seem to have a huge range of voices. I was only able to differentiate between the characters based on their speech and behavior.

I love a resilient and strong female. I love revenge stories. I love OTT protective and possession MMCs. Overall, I highly recommend this. 4 stars for book, 4.5 stars for the series and 4 stars for audiobook performance.

TROPES/ THEMES: revenge, FMMM —> MMFM, selective mutism, age gap, primal play, bondage…

Read on for spoilers…

CHARACTERS (more or less in order of appearance, please excuse typos in name):

Nurse Elliot: nurse at Lorne Wood Falls Hospital
Maddeline Celine Bordeaux: Damon Archer’s older sister, murdered by Thaddeus Whitmore
Damon Beau Archer: MMC, Raven’s psychiatrist and bf
Raven Olivia Monroe: MFC, Syndicate victim that survived her attack
Jonas Anderson: MMC, diagnosed with Reversed Erotomania and ADD, Raven’s bf
Raelynn: “the girl that killed her stepfather, cut off his fingers and ate them”
Josiah: someone in Raven’s nightmare
Maverick Harrington: MMC, Raven’s professor and bf, former FBI catching serial killers
Detective Arlo: investigating Thadd and Ashleigh’s deaths
Dr. Henry Archer: Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Damon’s father
Tabitha: Damon’s father’s chef
Amelia “Mia” Bordeaux: Damon’s mother, Henry’s wife
Ivan Sokolov: Elena Anderson’s Enforcer, former Bratva
Charlotte De Luca: formally Harrington, Maverick’s mother, wife to a former dirty Senator of New York, currently residing in Brooklyn
Ada Howell: Raven’s speech-language pathologist
Dr. Harriet Howell: Ada’s wife, diagnosed Raven with weak vocal cords
Tasha Williams: Maverick’s old partner in the FBI and friend
Tom: Tasha’s husband, works in IT dept of FBI
Lisa: animal shelter worker
Kronos: Doberman adopted for Raven
Lucifer: kitten that bonded to Kronos
Charlotte/ Lottie: helped raise Jonas
Morgan Smithe: student in Maverick’s class
Sally: waitress at O’Malley’s
Simon Hoover: 25, participated in Raven’s failed attempted murder
Clarissa: 21, Simon Hoover’s wife
Walter: Simon’s grandfather, Elder
Coach Sutton: Yellow Jackets football coach
Andrew Mikaelson: Jonas’ former teammate and Sigma Delta Chi frat brother
Mr. Mikaelson: Andrew’s father
Roman Rossi: Raven’s classmate in Music Theory
Mr. Wilkerson: the dean interim
River: new QB quarterback
Jacobson: new RB
Enrique Paloma: Hotel Tycoon, Raven’s grandfather
Axel Monroe: Raven’s stepbrother and best friend
John Weston Monroe: Raven’s father
Sofia Paloma-Monroe: Raven’s mother
Galvina: Sofia’s chef
Lucinda: Sofia’s housemaid
Sabrina Winters: Raven’s best friend, Simon’s 2nd cousin
Maksim Giordano: Sabrina’s betrothed, “the owner of Eden, Inferno’s sister club”, son of the “heads of the mafia and bratva”
Amber: Simon’s initiation kill
Andrew Mikaelson:
…: Stephen’s halfbreed
Cheryl: Simon’s executive assistant at Hoover & Sons Enterprises
Shadow:
Lombardi: defenseman
Detective Arlo Martinez: 28, Detective that has been asking questions about Raven
O’Keeffe: cop
Smythe: cop
Maxine: real estate agent
Parker: Sabrina’s bodyguard
Elise: Stephen Prescott’s deceased wife, Tyler’s mother
Sebastian: Maverick’s military hook up

QUOTES/ SCENES (please excuse typos, transcribing from audiobook):

“The man is demented.”“The man is proactive.”

“I Went to RMU and All I Got Was Anal (audio: Dick and Coffee)”

“Secrets will either bind you or break you.”

“Deranged beast.” Damon groans.He’s one to talk. I tip my fingers to my lips. “Proactive.” I defend, using Jonas’ favorite word to describe the demented mastermind.”

“Fais-moi me sentir mieux ? S’il te plaît? Aide-moi à oublier.” Make me feel better? Please? Help me forget.
“Putain, Amourette, j’essaie d’être un homme bien.” Fuck, Amourette, I’m trying to be a good man.”

SUMMARY/ SPOILERS:
- Damon administers drugs into Dean Whitmore’s IV line. The detectives finds no foul play for the Dean, Thadd or Ashleigh’s death.
- “Jacob Cartwright. Chase Prescott. Tyler Prescott. Thaddeus Whitmore II. Ashleigh Whitmore. Simon Hoover. A…”
- Damon invites Maverick to join him, Raven and Jonas as they spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Paris with Damon’s family.
- Jonas adopts a 10 yo Doberman for Raven. And brings home a kitten who bonded with Kronos.
- Raven learns to speak for Maverick.
- Maverick ropes his former FBI partner and her husband, Tasha and Tom, in on some leads for several cold cases.
- An incident at the Ackles Farm causes Maverick to leave the FBI and pursue teaching instead.
- Maverick gets questioned by Detective Arlo about his travels. Maverick tells the Detective that Damon and him are together.
- Damon kisses Maverick before he leaves Damon’s house because they realized someone’s been watching them.
- Riordan is pushed off the bell tower on top of Raven and Jonas with Maverick as a witness. Damon rushes to them when they head to investigate the crime scene at the top of the bell tower.
- Tasha gives Maverick information but warns him that he is not safe.
- At a party, Simon practically advertises that he is allergic to strawberries.
- Raven tells Damon that she was “drugged to sleep during lightning storms” at Lorne Wood.
- Maverick tells Damon, Raven and Jonas about the Ackles’ farm. “…twin girls from UMass disappeared without a trace. Mandy and Jennifer… a buddy of his/ [Jerry’s] little sisters”. Maverick hunted the killer for years, noting every missing person report along the same stretch of highway where the twins went missing. Finally, he found blood at the crime scene that allowed him to do a more rigorous search with Tasha. Maverick pulls Mia from a pig pen from the Ackles Farm. He quit the FBI after that moment and become a professor to teach others.
- Raven and Jonas acquires strawberry extract from Raven’s grandfather. They later spiked every wine bottle intended for Sofia’s party with it.
- Simon drinks several glasses of wine at the party, leaving the party with Clarissa before the full effects of the asphyxiation sets in.
- Jonas tells Maverick that his bio-mom OD’ed when he was eight and he was in foster care for six years before being adopted by the Andersons.
- While at breakfast with Elena, the foursome finds out the Clarissa was arrested for murdering Simon. They also learned that there are polaroids of over 40 young women tied up being either tortured or killed in Simon’s basement. The FBI, in particular, Tasha is investigating.
- Elena is afraid the investigation will lead to the Syndicate. She privately tells Jonas to burn the Syndicate’s Ledger so it doesn’t incriminate Jonas or Henry Anderson.
- Jonas, Damon, Raven and Maverick steals the Ledger.
- Shadow is secretly in love with Raven and has been stalking her and her boyfriends. He killed Riordan for her.
- Jonas tells the others how the Syndicate came to be and the skin covering the ledger: “The story goes like this – Back in 1907, there were six men, the fifth generation of Rayne-Moore’s founding fathers. They wanted something that would tie them together. Something more than just a fraternity or memories of their time here, so they began the Syndicate. It wasn’t murders at first. It was just your run of the mill fancy secret parties in secret locations. Only the elite were allowed. There was another guy, Jacobson,” I point to the leathered flesh-book, “That wouldn’t shut up about it. Started just inviting everyone… people of… “lower” class. People that weren’t even students here. And the others weren’t happy about it, not to mention, this guy was a fucking skid mark of the group. Some say rape, some say he was gay, which back then, you know… Nobody knows exactly what happened, or how he ended up dead, just that he did.” I reach over and flip to the very first page.1907 - D. Jacobson – J. Prescott, S. Monroe, A. Anderson, L. Rayne, T. Moore”
- Maverick kills Detective Arlo Martinez when he breaks and enters Damon’s house.
- O’Keeffe and Smythe said they don’t know a Detective Martinez.
- Smythe said she lost an older sister, Auriel to Rayne-Moore. She tells Harrington to leave because that person was either targeting him but most likely Raven. She was familiar with Raven’s case.
- Daddy Damon… Jonas is confused, he learns that he is bi. Damon accepts Jonas.
- Jonas thinks Arlo is a half-breed, a Syndicate watcher.
- Shadow kidnaps Raven and takes her to Stephen Prescott. Stephen admits he always wanted her but bought her for his gay son, Tyler. But when Raven had the incident and became mute, he made alternate arrangements for Tyler until he got exposed for being gay. But Stephen still gain a pharmaceutical research company from the royal contract.
- Stephen injects drugs into Raven developed by the company.
- Sebastian hooks the guys up with gear so they can go rescue Raven. Ivan provides them with the blueprints to the mansion. The mansion is owned by “Ainsworth. This is where the Bones chapter conducts their… initiations.”
- The guys locates Raven while she was punching the shit out of Stephen.
- Raven goes after John Monroe.
- Shadow is revealed to be Axel.
- Axel was smitten with Raven Alvarez-Paloma the moment he met her.
- Axel learns that John killed Raven’s father because Sofia was afraid of losing custody of Raven and ruining her image.
- Axel discovers that John Monroe sold Raven to be Tyler Prescott’s wife/ Stephen Prescott’s f*ck toy. Axel approaches Tyler to end the contract but he can’t. He tells Axel he prefers another Monroe. Tyler offers to share her if he can have Axel. Axel offers himself for Raven. Tyler decides to off Raven instead with Jacob on lookout, Thadd, Ash, Simon and he will do it all and they just need Axel to bear witness and sign. This would be their initiation to the Syndicate. Axel agrees so that Raven does not have to live this horrid life.
- The contract to marry Raven to Tyler is terminated because she can’t be married off in a drug induced state. Tyler gets betrothed to a duchess and Axel gets 5y as a Watcher as punishment.
- Axel decides to sabotage Tyler’s engagement with the duchess by outing him for being gay.
- Axel confesses everything to Raven. She can’t kill him. Her guys bury him alive.
- Sabrina comes running to Raven and the boys in her Halloween costume with blood dripping from it. Cliffhanger/ teaser for next book!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
95 reviews
August 9, 2025
Unfortunately, Jonas & Damon’s relationship kinda ruined it for me cause it wasn’t made properly.

I didn’t have the boyfriends to be boyfriends, messing around in bed? Sure. But stuff like that”PROBABLY my feelings for her will be always stronger” or “I can’t see a future without you in it” just takes the FMC as a centre mostly cause she was supposed to be the one they wanted.

Also, didn’t like that Mav was left out. Either all of them had to be in this group scene or no one. And also, didn’t like them being intimate with each other WITHOUT Raven. That was the worse part. That they were making out etc WITHOUT Raven around. Hated also that they said they don’t feel the same about Mav. 🤡 So basically, they start having a relationship AND THEY DID NOT DISCUSS IT WITH RAVEN AT ALL. It just happens “naturally”. Jonas even says that Damon is his soulmate. 🤢

Lastly, considering what happened with Jonas and Damon, would be nice if Axel was forgiven and joined the group. I understand why it ended how it ended but again, since my first feelings of the group’s relationship were ruined, would be good to have an addition.

It’s such a pity cause I generally love MM in RH when it’s done right.
Profile Image for Leti.
27 reviews
August 5, 2025
Theres so many things wrong with this book I dont even know where to begin. So I will start with the most burning question (pun intended); Does this girl not get UTIs every week from all the f*cking shes doing? Why is she always freaking wet, it is just not humanly possible!!! Also (for audiobook listeners) the accents are horrrrreeennndous. Joe really put his all into this narration once again (round of applause for a the commitment) on the other hand, Heather....sweetie, I'm offended by the Spanish accent. I couldn't stand hearing ABWELO every 2 seconds when she visited her grandpa. Once again, these characters need to stop f*cking. For sure if these characters were real they would be on a TLC show. Overall, the plot was lost and this book was just a massive corn movie. Also very predictable. *SPOILER* Whoever you think A is..you are right.
38 reviews1 follower
July 14, 2025
2 ½⭐
While i loved the first book in this series ,I didn't like this one much. I had strong intuition about who "A" was in the first book and i was hoping that it was not true because i loved Axel and Raven' s relationship. And if I'd known this book was going to be mm i would have dropped it but it came out of nowhere. They were all about Raven so much and then all of a sudden ,two of her guys were suddenly into each other .I'm so fed with mm in RH books these days. When it came to me this book has some mm i was already in deep so just skimmed through most of it,should've mention it was going to be mm.Every time the word "daddy" came out i cringed so hard 😩 😂 Anyway the story was good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Shazz.
155 reviews6 followers
October 24, 2025
Omg! This has been one of my fav reads and listens! My ears are thanking me for hours of Joe Arden!
I adore Raven our FMC and cannot get enough of her! And never ask me to chose between, Jonas, Maverick or Damon because there is absolutely no way I can or want to!! If you love dark romance, why choose, found family, secret society's then go bite into this Duet!

Some tried to break her and those 3 men healed her in the most uncovential, dirty and disgusting way. I found it delicious!

Then do yourself and your ears a favour and listen to Scream by Ruby M Darling.
Profile Image for India (ChaptersAfterDark).
191 reviews9 followers
January 11, 2025
Buckle up for the sequel of a lifetime!

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

If Speak was the rollercoaster that got my adrenaline pumping, Stutter took it up a notch and launched me into an emotional freefall. Honestly, this book is everything we needed and more. More heartbreak. More spice. More plot twists. More Raven. More of her men. Just… MORE. And let me tell you, Ruby M. Darling didn’t just deliver—she served it on a silver platter and left us starving for another bite.

After that gut-wrenching cliffhanger in Speak, Stutter picks up right where we left off and takes us on a wild, emotional ride. There’s action, there’s romance, and there’s that perfect blend of darkness, emotions and hope for Raven 🐦‍⬛ that makes you feel everything so intensely. Raven is still the star of the show—she’s growing, she’s thriving, and she’s not holding back. Honestly? I was cheering for her the whole time through both books.

Ok let’s talk about what I loooved about this book
• The relationships: The emotional and steamy connections between Raven and her men? Chef’s kiss. You see deeper layers to each of them, and it’s so satisfying.
• Raven’s growth: She’s no longer just surviving—she’s thriving, and it’s stunning to witness.
• The twists and turns: Just when you think you know what’s coming… BAM. The plot unravels. And it’s deliciously executed every single time.
• The emotions: This book tore my heart out, stitched it back together, and ripped it apart again. And I loved every second of it. I was left feeling confused with my feelings throughout and just that makes this an excellent read.

The Tropes
• Why choose
• Secret society
• Breeding Kink
• Bi-Awakening
• Found Family

Stutter is the perfect conclusion to this dark and twisty duology. It’s hotter, darker, and packed with so much heart that it’ll leave you reeling. Ruby M. Darling has created a masterpiece that grips you from start to finish, and trust me, you won’t be able to put this book down. Raven and her men will steal your heart, break it, and somehow make you love them even more.

Profile Image for Blaire.
133 reviews17 followers
January 25, 2025
After the revelations at the end of 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊, Raven Monroe’s secrets are out and her relationship with her former FBI agent turned professor hangs in the balance. She’s on a mission for revenge and she isn’t letting anything or anyone stand in her way. Each day the dangerous game she and her men are playing gets closer and closer to its final end. But will they all make it unscathed?

Stutter picks up right where we left off with Speak. I desperately needed to know how the plot was going to end. Things get kicked into high gear and just when you think you know what’s coming we get a twist that leaves us hanging on for dear life. But I love nothing more than evil men getting what’s coming to them 🔪

If you thought Speak had you squirming in your seat then Stutter will have you melting straight to the floor. This book was filthy. Raven’s men are dirty dirty boys who like to do naughty naughty things to their “little love” 🥵 Oof where is a hose when you need one 💦

4 ⭐️/5 🌶️

- why choose
- taboo romance
- age gap
- bi awakening
- breeding kink
- multiple POVs
- revenge/unaliving
- stalking
Profile Image for Paige (wingsandsmut).
895 reviews75 followers
July 14, 2025
After devouring and loving Speak, I was so ready for the continuation of this story in Stutter! I was trying to hold out for the audio coming soon, but just couldn't wait! There's so many twists in this book and I'm truly obsessed with Raven and her men! The spice is delicious, but the plot has you wanting to keep reading too! The duet is easily one of my faves now and I can't wait for Ruby's next book!

Audiobook:
The audio for Stutter is duet narration performed by Heather Firth and Joe Arden. They both did an amazing job! At times, you wouldn't even know that there was only one male narrator because the voices for each character were so different and perfect. I would definitely re-listen to this in a heartbeat and would recommend this duet on audio!

What to expect:
-Why choose
-Student x professor
-Doctor x patient
-Secret society
-Feminine rage/revenge
-Age gap
-Dark academia
-Found family
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