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The Villain's Beast
Once upon a time, Gideon North was a teenager with an ill-fated crush on Fletcher Sinclair. Nothing good could ever come from having feelings for the son of his father's sworn rival, but Gideon never expected Fletcher to kiss him on the lips and then stab him in the back.
Six years later, Fletcher has grown from a boy into a man, living in a fairytale world where he's never been told no. The privileges granted by his name have come at a steep price—unwavering allegiance to his father, and no one else. There was no room for Gideon in his life before, and now there’s even less.
Caught in a world of money, power, and loyalty, Gideon and Fletcher find themselves forced to lead dueling societies cursed by rules designed to control everyone involved—including, and especially, themselves. But in some stories, curses are meant to be broken. Tired of being pawns in someone else’s game, Gideon and Fletcher team up—then tumble into bed—with Daren and Luca, the men meant to keep them in line. As former enemies turned lovers, they’re ready to take control of their own destinies and take down anyone who tries to stop them…even the golden-haired beauty sent to spy on them, even their own fathers.
Gideon North wasn’t always known as The Beast, and Fletcher Sinclair hadn’t always been the villain. But one thing is certain—the rivalry between them is not only forever; it’s also old as time.
Six years later, Fletcher has grown from a boy into a man, living in a fairytale world where he's never been told no. The privileges granted by his name have come at a steep price—unwavering allegiance to his father, and no one else. There was no room for Gideon in his life before, and now there’s even less.
Caught in a world of money, power, and loyalty, Gideon and Fletcher find themselves forced to lead dueling societies cursed by rules designed to control everyone involved—including, and especially, themselves. But in some stories, curses are meant to be broken. Tired of being pawns in someone else’s game, Gideon and Fletcher team up—then tumble into bed—with Daren and Luca, the men meant to keep them in line. As former enemies turned lovers, they’re ready to take control of their own destinies and take down anyone who tries to stop them…even the golden-haired beauty sent to spy on them, even their own fathers.
Gideon North wasn’t always known as The Beast, and Fletcher Sinclair hadn’t always been the villain. But one thing is certain—the rivalry between them is not only forever; it’s also old as time.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2025
35 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Kate Hawthorne
94 books931 followersWith over two dozen published romances to her name, Kate Hawthorne has built a recognizable brand around telling emotional stories that pack a figurative (and sometimes literal) punch.
Existing on a steady diet of wine and coffee, Kate spends her days dreaming up angsty stories full of heat, kink, and heart. Kate now lives in Louisville, where she writes romance, reads romance, and hides from the humidity.
Visit her website at http://www.katehawthornebooks.com
Existing on a steady diet of wine and coffee, Kate spends her days dreaming up angsty stories full of heat, kink, and heart. Kate now lives in Louisville, where she writes romance, reads romance, and hides from the humidity.
Visit her website at http://www.katehawthornebooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 24, 2025
Hot Xs 5
This doesn’t always go where you think it will go.
Some big reveals and surprises. This series is going to be another hot one. It’s just the right amount of angst to keep it interesting from beginning to end. Don’t want to give anything away but if you like poly relationships and a little on the morally gray side of things this book is for you!
This doesn’t always go where you think it will go.
Some big reveals and surprises. This series is going to be another hot one. It’s just the right amount of angst to keep it interesting from beginning to end. Don’t want to give anything away but if you like poly relationships and a little on the morally gray side of things this book is for you!
April 8, 2025
Tak bardzo nie wiem, co o tej książce myśleć. Nie byłą zła, ale czytając opis i recenzje (zwłaszcza recenzje) spodziewałam się czegoś innego.
Poly MM+ dark academia... Przynajmniej według opisu, bo w rzeczywistości otrzymaliśmy coś, co udaje bycie poly. Z tą mrocznością też bym nie przesadzała.
Mamy tu 5 mężczyzn, połączonych zbiegiem okoliczności i intrygami rodziców, którzy czują do siebie pociąg (i decydują się walczyć ze wszystkim, co dotychczas znali) w ciągu 5 sekund. Tak naprawdę mamy tu dwie pary Gideona i Fletchera oraz Darena i Lukę, i Bellamy, który jest wolnym elektronem i krąży pomiędzy pozostałymi czterema bohaterami. Gideon i Fletcher znali się już wcześniej i zakochali się w sobie w ciągu dwóch tygodni. A miłość to była rodem z "Romea i Julii", bo obaj są potomkami zwaśnionych rodów. I być ze sobą nie mogli. Na szczęście spotkali się ponownie po wielu latach i wyjaśnili sobie wszystko w ciągu 5 minut rozmowy.
A tak faktycznie, to kompletnie nie czułam żadnej chemii pomiędzy nikim. Opisy spicy scen były tak bardzo nijakie i bezosobowe + Daren i Luca byli w otwartym związku (kompletnie nie mój temat).
Sama fabuła też nie porywała oryginalnością. I podobno były tu plot twisty. Nie wiem, nie znalazłam takich.
Ale jednak nie mogłam się oderwać i nawet jestem ciekawa drugiego tomu. Też ma być poly i dark. Może autorka tym razem czymś nas zaskoczy?
Poly MM+ dark academia... Przynajmniej według opisu, bo w rzeczywistości otrzymaliśmy coś, co udaje bycie poly. Z tą mrocznością też bym nie przesadzała.
Mamy tu 5 mężczyzn, połączonych zbiegiem okoliczności i intrygami rodziców, którzy czują do siebie pociąg (i decydują się walczyć ze wszystkim, co dotychczas znali) w ciągu 5 sekund. Tak naprawdę mamy tu dwie pary Gideona i Fletchera oraz Darena i Lukę, i Bellamy, który jest wolnym elektronem i krąży pomiędzy pozostałymi czterema bohaterami. Gideon i Fletcher znali się już wcześniej i zakochali się w sobie w ciągu dwóch tygodni. A miłość to była rodem z "Romea i Julii", bo obaj są potomkami zwaśnionych rodów. I być ze sobą nie mogli. Na szczęście spotkali się ponownie po wielu latach i wyjaśnili sobie wszystko w ciągu 5 minut rozmowy.
A tak faktycznie, to kompletnie nie czułam żadnej chemii pomiędzy nikim. Opisy spicy scen były tak bardzo nijakie i bezosobowe + Daren i Luca byli w otwartym związku (kompletnie nie mój temat).
Sama fabuła też nie porywała oryginalnością. I podobno były tu plot twisty. Nie wiem, nie znalazłam takich.
Ale jednak nie mogłam się oderwać i nawet jestem ciekawa drugiego tomu. Też ma być poly i dark. Może autorka tym razem czymś nas zaskoczy?
Read
April 1, 2025I wanted to love this one more than I did, I’m not sure why I didn’t, I like the dark academia setting. I liked poly relationships, and this one is no exception, and honestly I think people will really enjoy this book, because if I’m honest I can’t figure out why I didn’t love it - maybe I don't like dark academia in my adult content? honestly I have no idea.
Troupes
Dark(ish) Romance
Starting as a Retelling
Complicated and Morally Gray Five Man Polycule
Dark Academia Vibes
Rival Secret Societies
Fucked up Intitial Rituals
Rivals to Almost Lovers to Enemies to Lovers arc
Kink: Rough/Edge Play, DubCon, Primal Play, Exhibitionism
CW: Ritualising Branding and whipping, off-page child abuse, on-page patricide
Characters: Gideon North, Fletcher Sinclair, Daren Moore, Luca Mandeville, Bellamy Marchant
*will try and remember to rate this a week or two after release day - 3 stars
Troupes
Dark(ish) Romance
Starting as a Retelling
Complicated and Morally Gray Five Man Polycule
Dark Academia Vibes
Rival Secret Societies
Fucked up Intitial Rituals
Rivals to Almost Lovers to Enemies to Lovers arc
Kink: Rough/Edge Play, DubCon, Primal Play, Exhibitionism
CW: Ritualising Branding and whipping, off-page child abuse, on-page patricide
Characters: Gideon North, Fletcher Sinclair, Daren Moore, Luca Mandeville, Bellamy Marchant
*will try and remember to rate this a week or two after release day - 3 stars
April 6, 2025
This dark academia polycule was such a different genre for Kate Hawthorne that I was excited but hesitant. I knew she would do well with the story, and I wasn't disappointed. She has woven a tale so intricate that I'm surprised it only took one novel to tell the tale of these five men. Well, that's a small lie—there is a second book, but it's centered around a side character who was introduced in the second part of the book.
Kate starts the novel with Gideon and Fletcher and their love/hate relationship with each other in primary school, then expands their world when they enter private college life. A secret relationship -- not theirs, they fight each other tooth and nail until they find out the truth about their families behind the scenes -- brings Gideon and Fletcher together. This is where the fifth man in their polycule comes in, bringing everyone together through a behind-the-scenes plot mastered by Gideon and Fletcher's fathers. The same behind-the-scenes plot that kept the two men apart in the first place. It seems complicated, but the way that Kate has written the tale turns it into a dark, sometimes brutal, love story with a well-deserved, hard-fought, happy ending for all five men involved.
I look forward to reading more about this complex yet beautiful world that Kate Hawthorne has written.
Kate starts the novel with Gideon and Fletcher and their love/hate relationship with each other in primary school, then expands their world when they enter private college life. A secret relationship -- not theirs, they fight each other tooth and nail until they find out the truth about their families behind the scenes -- brings Gideon and Fletcher together. This is where the fifth man in their polycule comes in, bringing everyone together through a behind-the-scenes plot mastered by Gideon and Fletcher's fathers. The same behind-the-scenes plot that kept the two men apart in the first place. It seems complicated, but the way that Kate has written the tale turns it into a dark, sometimes brutal, love story with a well-deserved, hard-fought, happy ending for all five men involved.
I look forward to reading more about this complex yet beautiful world that Kate Hawthorne has written.
April 13, 2025
4☆
🇸 🇵 🇮 🇨 🇪 :🌶🌶🌶🌶
🇱 🇦 🇺 🇬 🇭 🇸 :🤣
🇹 🇪 🇦 🇷 🇸 :😭😭
🇲 🇨 🇸 : Fletcher, Gideon, Bellamy, Luca, Daren.
🇵 🇴 🇻 : 1st, 5 PoV
🇹 🇷 🇴 🇵 🇪 🇸 : MMMMM, Polycule, Dark Romance, Dark Academy, Vouyerism.
Okay esto fue raro pero sumamente adictivo que pasara después de ese final. necesito el libro 2
🇸 🇵 🇮 🇨 🇪 :🌶🌶🌶🌶
🇱 🇦 🇺 🇬 🇭 🇸 :🤣
🇹 🇪 🇦 🇷 🇸 :😭😭
🇲 🇨 🇸 : Fletcher, Gideon, Bellamy, Luca, Daren.
🇵 🇴 🇻 : 1st, 5 PoV
🇹 🇷 🇴 🇵 🇪 🇸 : MMMMM, Polycule, Dark Romance, Dark Academy, Vouyerism.
Okay esto fue raro pero sumamente adictivo que pasara después de ese final. necesito el libro 2
March 15, 2025
The Villian's Beast is a dark romance fairy tale retelling that embodies all the queer, kinky angst you expect from a Kate Hawthorne book. The narrative is balanced well across the five main characters' pov, weaving together a tale of enemies to friends to enemies to lovers across rival secret societies who come together in a complex polucule to reshape the futures dictated for them by their families. I loved this new direction Hawthorne has taken with her writing and can't wait to see what happens next.
Read
March 31, 2025I gave this book a solid try but due to the heavy triggers included I couldn’t finish it. I did like the start with Gideon and Fletcher in the younger years. Other characters are included which I liked their backgrounds and would have loved to read further but yeah I couldn’t get there. Please heed the warnings for reading this book.
April 5, 2025
The Villain's Beast was a richly layered dark academia story with a cast of complex characters and a deliciously forbidden rivals-to-lovers polyamorous romance. As heads of dueling societies, Gideon and Fletcher had been born to hate each other and everything their families stood for. I could feel the burden of their obligation to their fathers weighing them down even as high school boys, and some of the trauma they experienced was truly horrendous. The two of them got the barest taste of what it might be like had they been born into a different household before it was snatched away cruelly, and that betrayal cemented Fletcher and Gideon as enemies for the next several years. In their college years was when the plot really began to thicken, the introduction of Luca and Daren as right hand men to Gideon and Fletcher respectively and the changing of the guard that began with a vicious initiation ritual that unsuspecting Bellamy was snared into. That one night set things in motion that I could only barely understand, but I so enjoyed puzzling it all out as the four villains and their golden boy grew gloriously tangled up in each other. If you like steamy moments with a bite, you're going to love the way these characters took each other apart -- consuming each other in every sense of the word and ready to burn the world down with their convictions. The intricate politics of family loyalty and one-upmanship kept me constantly guessing at what each man's true motives were, and Kate Hawthorne planned out some clever twists and turns that I would never have seen coming. Each individual in this book kept their cards close to their chest, so it was almost impossible to get a read on any of them outside of what they were willing to share with each other. In the end, Gideon and Fletcher had to decide what mattered most to them: loyalty to the family that had viciously shaped them into the men they'd become or forbidden love that had the potential to raze everything to the ground. I know I was satisfied with the dark path of justice they chose, and while their journey may have ended in a satisfying HFN, I'm so excited to see that Kate Hawthorne is continuing the overarching storyline into a second book with Vince at the helm.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
April 4, 2025
The Villain's Beast is angsty, forbidden, twisty, and steamy x 10000!! 🥵🔥🥵 It's a tale as old as time...two rival families, born to wealth, but also with the perception that the other is a villain, never to be trusted and that they will always be the enemy. However, hearts are fickle creatures and no matter what the brain says, the heart wants what the heart wants. Lucky for me it wanted this story!!
Gideon North and Fletcher Sinclair are sworn enemies, but for a brief moment in time they share something special, something that breaks through a lifetime of rivalry and bitter feelings. They recognize something in their togetherness that could tear down decades of darkness and evil, but so do their fathers. Punishment is swift and years go by that allow their bitterness to grow and fester, and the next time they meet it's an entirely different experience. Gideon is now known as the Beast and Fletcher is all too happy to be his villain.
While this is a why choose romance, for the most part Gideon and Fletcher felt like the central characters. However, there are three more men that are important to the polycule; Daren, Luca, and Bellamy. I won't say much more about how they all work or interact between Gideon and Fletcher, because I need to leave a bit of mystery, but between the five of them they all have their own relationships between well...just about everyone, but remember those hearts, they also speak differently within their unique bond.
The steam is super steamy, I mean how can it not be when there are five men, am I right...along with the tension...it is enemies to lovers, mainly between the two main characters, so lots of angst and lots of steam...notice how I keep mentioning the steam, cause it was all good!🥵🔥 Lastly, there are a lot of dark themes and this is a fictional world that runs on its own rules, so read the CW's they are there for a reason.
Gideon North and Fletcher Sinclair are sworn enemies, but for a brief moment in time they share something special, something that breaks through a lifetime of rivalry and bitter feelings. They recognize something in their togetherness that could tear down decades of darkness and evil, but so do their fathers. Punishment is swift and years go by that allow their bitterness to grow and fester, and the next time they meet it's an entirely different experience. Gideon is now known as the Beast and Fletcher is all too happy to be his villain.
While this is a why choose romance, for the most part Gideon and Fletcher felt like the central characters. However, there are three more men that are important to the polycule; Daren, Luca, and Bellamy. I won't say much more about how they all work or interact between Gideon and Fletcher, because I need to leave a bit of mystery, but between the five of them they all have their own relationships between well...just about everyone, but remember those hearts, they also speak differently within their unique bond.
The steam is super steamy, I mean how can it not be when there are five men, am I right...along with the tension...it is enemies to lovers, mainly between the two main characters, so lots of angst and lots of steam...notice how I keep mentioning the steam, cause it was all good!🥵🔥 Lastly, there are a lot of dark themes and this is a fictional world that runs on its own rules, so read the CW's they are there for a reason.
August 28, 2025
Just like the last book I read the prologue was the best of the book. I’m all for more than two MCs but this one wasn’t in any characters favor.
These secret societies or powerful families weren’t really explained. Other that they were powerful I have no idea what they are doing. They aren’t mafia, the sons were abused and threatened by their fathers but there were no murders or remotely something like that.
The main MCs Gideon and sin (forgot his real name) had a shitty story. They kissed in Highschool but then something happened and sin felt he had to get away from Gideon and hurt him in the process. It wasn’t explained what happened only that in was something with his father. 6 years later at college they are enemies for life. They meet again and sin acts nowhere near like the enemy more like he is pining. What?
Them there are 3 more characters and they have strange rituals with branding and whipping because of the family heirloom (something like that).
All 5 are fucking somehow but not all with each other. Sin fucks everyone. Gideon fucks sin and Bellamy but only because he reminds him of a younger sin. Daren and Luca love each other but fuck other people on the regular. They include Bellamy somehow in the end. So they are all 5 together but they are not. Gideon especially has my pity. He doesn’t want to share and gets jealous but it seems sin doesn’t care.
It’s all a mess if you ask me.
The plot is lacking as are all the backstories. The sex felt transactional most of the time. The writing was mid. I’ve read better from this author and I was disappointed.
Didn’t like it at all, will not read another book in this series.
Not recommended.
These secret societies or powerful families weren’t really explained. Other that they were powerful I have no idea what they are doing. They aren’t mafia, the sons were abused and threatened by their fathers but there were no murders or remotely something like that.
The main MCs Gideon and sin (forgot his real name) had a shitty story. They kissed in Highschool but then something happened and sin felt he had to get away from Gideon and hurt him in the process. It wasn’t explained what happened only that in was something with his father. 6 years later at college they are enemies for life. They meet again and sin acts nowhere near like the enemy more like he is pining. What?
Them there are 3 more characters and they have strange rituals with branding and whipping because of the family heirloom (something like that).
All 5 are fucking somehow but not all with each other. Sin fucks everyone. Gideon fucks sin and Bellamy but only because he reminds him of a younger sin. Daren and Luca love each other but fuck other people on the regular. They include Bellamy somehow in the end. So they are all 5 together but they are not. Gideon especially has my pity. He doesn’t want to share and gets jealous but it seems sin doesn’t care.
It’s all a mess if you ask me.
The plot is lacking as are all the backstories. The sex felt transactional most of the time. The writing was mid. I’ve read better from this author and I was disappointed.
Didn’t like it at all, will not read another book in this series.
Not recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2025
👿🖤 So many years lost, Gideon. So many years left, Sin 🖤😈
"I loathed Fletcher Sinclair and everything he stood for, including the lies he'd once let me believe. Taking him and his family down was the only thing my father and I would ever see eye to eye on."
"You are all of my firsts and all of my lasts, Sin." "I've wanted you my whole life. You're my biggest regret. No, I'm my biggest regret."
"If you ever try to leave me again, I'll kill us both." "I'd expect nothing less, Gid. Nothing less."
This was an amazing dark academia secret society story. I wasn't sure how this story would be since I've never read a polycule story before. The relationships, connections, sexy times, and romance all varied between all five characters. I was hoping for more sharing or interactions with one MMC, but it was still good. This definitely was an interesting read. The plot and story arc kept me fully engaged. All characters were fleshed out perfectly. The spicy scenes were chef's kiss 🔥🔥🔥🔥. I loved how the story started with Gideon and Fletcher and ended with them as well 😍. The love they have is so sacred and transcendent. Seeing the back story as to how Gid and Fletcher met was everything. I was rooting so hard when they finally gave in to each other 🥵🥵! Luca and Daren were interesting characters. They both loved each other but easily shared their bed with others. Bellamy was loved and bedded by all, lol. I loved his connection with Gid and wanted to see more 😭. This ended their HEA but the storyline continues in the next book with Vince. I can't wait to read that next!
"I loathed Fletcher Sinclair and everything he stood for, including the lies he'd once let me believe. Taking him and his family down was the only thing my father and I would ever see eye to eye on."
"You are all of my firsts and all of my lasts, Sin." "I've wanted you my whole life. You're my biggest regret. No, I'm my biggest regret."
"If you ever try to leave me again, I'll kill us both." "I'd expect nothing less, Gid. Nothing less."
This was an amazing dark academia secret society story. I wasn't sure how this story would be since I've never read a polycule story before. The relationships, connections, sexy times, and romance all varied between all five characters. I was hoping for more sharing or interactions with one MMC, but it was still good. This definitely was an interesting read. The plot and story arc kept me fully engaged. All characters were fleshed out perfectly. The spicy scenes were chef's kiss 🔥🔥🔥🔥. I loved how the story started with Gideon and Fletcher and ended with them as well 😍. The love they have is so sacred and transcendent. Seeing the back story as to how Gid and Fletcher met was everything. I was rooting so hard when they finally gave in to each other 🥵🥵! Luca and Daren were interesting characters. They both loved each other but easily shared their bed with others. Bellamy was loved and bedded by all, lol. I loved his connection with Gid and wanted to see more 😭. This ended their HEA but the storyline continues in the next book with Vince. I can't wait to read that next!
April 10, 2025
DARK, COMPELLING AND ENGAGING READ!💕
Honestly I’m not a Polycule or any Polyamory relationship reader but the blurb intrigued me as I like bullying and secret societies with enemies/rivals to lovers and this story has it all!
“The boy whose heart I’d once broken… along with my own. Gideon North. The Beast.”
“Sub rosa,” he murmured, a long forgotten promise that existed between us.”
A four part story that starts when two generational rival families- the Sinclairs and the North’s sons- Fletcher Sinclair and Gideon North attends the same high school and get paired up on a school project which leads to two hormonal adolescent teens dreaming about a future where they are not ruled by a familial Rivalry until Fletcher does the unthinkable…
“The Gideon you knew is dead, Sinclair.” After all, you’re the one who turned me into The Beast.”
Six and a half years later their paths cross again in College and this is where their journey to finding redemption,love and peace begins with three other morally ambitious men- sassy Luca Mandeville, passionate Daren Moore and sweet Bellamy Marchant!
♟️Dark Initiation rituals- Branding & Whipping
♟️Dubcon
♟️Rough/Edge Play
♟️Primal Play
♟️Off page Child Abuse
♟️On Page Patricide
♟️Mafia Ties
This was a gripping, dark and beautiful story about finding your true found family with unconventional love be it a triad or two long lost loves finding each other and fighting for their happiness!
The second book will include Vince 😈
I voluntarily received an ARC from Forward PR & Marketing for an honest non biased review.
Honestly I’m not a Polycule or any Polyamory relationship reader but the blurb intrigued me as I like bullying and secret societies with enemies/rivals to lovers and this story has it all!
“The boy whose heart I’d once broken… along with my own. Gideon North. The Beast.”
“Sub rosa,” he murmured, a long forgotten promise that existed between us.”
A four part story that starts when two generational rival families- the Sinclairs and the North’s sons- Fletcher Sinclair and Gideon North attends the same high school and get paired up on a school project which leads to two hormonal adolescent teens dreaming about a future where they are not ruled by a familial Rivalry until Fletcher does the unthinkable…
“The Gideon you knew is dead, Sinclair.” After all, you’re the one who turned me into The Beast.”
Six and a half years later their paths cross again in College and this is where their journey to finding redemption,love and peace begins with three other morally ambitious men- sassy Luca Mandeville, passionate Daren Moore and sweet Bellamy Marchant!
♟️Dark Initiation rituals- Branding & Whipping
♟️Dubcon
♟️Rough/Edge Play
♟️Primal Play
♟️Off page Child Abuse
♟️On Page Patricide
♟️Mafia Ties
This was a gripping, dark and beautiful story about finding your true found family with unconventional love be it a triad or two long lost loves finding each other and fighting for their happiness!
The second book will include Vince 😈
I voluntarily received an ARC from Forward PR & Marketing for an honest non biased review.
April 10, 2025
What’s better than two hot MCs? How about 5?! The Villain’s Beast was absolutely fantastic. Gideon and Fletcher are your modern day Romeo and Juliet with a twist.
Having had their lives mapped out for them by their fathers, Gideon and Fletcher couldn’t love each other openly. Their fathers’ hunger for power and money put them in a situation where they were more than rivals, they were nemesis.
They had no choice but to follow their fathers’ orders or there would be fatal consequences none of them could handle.
In an attempt to keep Gideon safe, Fletcher had to betray him causing Gideon to resent him for years, making their rivalry even stronger and consequently making them want to win over each other.
As if their relationship wasn’t complicated enough, Luca, Daren and Bellamy are thrown into the mix.
Luca is Gideon’s right man but is in love with Daren who is Fletcher’s right hand putting them both in a position where loyalties are tested.
Bellamy is the fifth piece that really cements their dynamic. Sent by his father to get close to Fletcher by all means necessary, Bellamy becomes an unexpected but needed piece of the quintet.
Together they look for a way to get their lives back from those that had decided for them.
It’s my first time reading a book where there are five people involved with each other and I gotta say I love it.
I hope this is a series because I can’t wait to read more about the boys!
Having had their lives mapped out for them by their fathers, Gideon and Fletcher couldn’t love each other openly. Their fathers’ hunger for power and money put them in a situation where they were more than rivals, they were nemesis.
They had no choice but to follow their fathers’ orders or there would be fatal consequences none of them could handle.
In an attempt to keep Gideon safe, Fletcher had to betray him causing Gideon to resent him for years, making their rivalry even stronger and consequently making them want to win over each other.
As if their relationship wasn’t complicated enough, Luca, Daren and Bellamy are thrown into the mix.
Luca is Gideon’s right man but is in love with Daren who is Fletcher’s right hand putting them both in a position where loyalties are tested.
Bellamy is the fifth piece that really cements their dynamic. Sent by his father to get close to Fletcher by all means necessary, Bellamy becomes an unexpected but needed piece of the quintet.
Together they look for a way to get their lives back from those that had decided for them.
It’s my first time reading a book where there are five people involved with each other and I gotta say I love it.
I hope this is a series because I can’t wait to read more about the boys!
May 11, 2025
So close to 5 stars. I need to read it again and really take my time with it, because there’s just something I feel that’s missing. Some plot point that I’m not understanding or some underlying thing that I can’t put my finger on. I loved the writing and the relationships, it was a great dark romance with passionate heat and plenty of spice that I ate up. I like the way the relationships functioned within the polycule, and how they all worked together but separately as well. I felt like maybe at some points there were too many people involved, and again there was something about the plot that I felt was missing, which is why I want to read it again to see if I can figure out what it is. It might be the “why” of it all. There didn’t seem to be a reason for these men and their families to be doing the things they did- their wealth and power is mentioned all the time, but that’s supposed to be the whole plot. They’re just rich and they have these secret societies and the fathers are manipulating their sons because that’s just what they do. There was no real reason or driving force behind the plot, no real catalyst to move the story forward. Maybe I’m missing something but it feels incomplete. But I’ll definitely be reading the sequel. I’m a little disappointed it isn’t focused on the same characters but I’m interested enough in the world now to keep going.
April 6, 2025
Being skeptical of this book because of how many tropes and genres Hawthorne crams together would be easy...until you read it and understand how the disparate pieces are only fleshed out enough to create a brilliant, cohesive whole. She doesn't waste time on unnecessary details, instead keeping the focus narrowed to the five main characters and how external plot factors affect the shifts and facets of their individual relationships. A dark romance allows for a delightfully messy polycule, with relationships at various points of development and power imbalances that are as sexy as the men themselves. The dark academia aspect reads as a proto-mafia, but this didn't feel like a book that would necessarily work with older characters in a "traditional" dark mafia romance setting. Gideon, Fletcher, Daren, Luca, and Bellamy are allowed to be, at various times, both older and younger than their years in how they confront and react to the family politics that they've vowed to dismantle. Hawthorne never skimps on the emotion she packs into her books, and I hope she had as much fun indulging in developing characters on the darker end of the spectrum as I did reading them. While this book is a bit of a departure from her previous projects, I hope that she also finds plenty of new audience who will appreciate the unique elements of this book.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.
April 10, 2025
The Villain's Beast is a dark, intoxicating blend of rivalry, power, and forbidden desire, all wrapped in a gothic academic aesthetic. Gideon and Fletcher, raised on opposite sides of an age-old family feud, were never meant to fall for each other—but that's exactly what makes their dynamic so electrifying. Their shared past is filled with pain, betrayal, and moments that hint at what could have been if they had been allowed to choose their paths. When they reach college, those wounds harden into bitter resentment—until everything changes.
The slow unraveling of motives, the push and pull between devotion and destruction, and the magnetic chemistry among the five men make this an utterly addictive read. The romance is messy, sharp-edged, and scorching hot, with stakes that feel dangerously high at every turn. Kate Hawthorne masterfully plays with power and vulnerability, loyalty and betrayal, and the blurred lines between love and vengeance. I love Hawthorne's writing, and this is no different.
The slow unraveling of motives, the push and pull between devotion and destruction, and the magnetic chemistry among the five men make this an utterly addictive read. The romance is messy, sharp-edged, and scorching hot, with stakes that feel dangerously high at every turn. Kate Hawthorne masterfully plays with power and vulnerability, loyalty and betrayal, and the blurred lines between love and vengeance. I love Hawthorne's writing, and this is no different.
April 4, 2025
This book was so amazing! It's the best book I've read in a long time. It's definitely a dark so please check trigger warnings. I was rooting for
Gideon and Fletcher from the beginning and seriously hated their dad's. I wasn't sure how it would feel when everyone else was added to the mix and I've read some books that just leave some of the partners out but this one definitely did NOT do that. I loved that we got everyone's point of view and Kate did amazing at making me loved everyone of them. I am so excited and cannot wait for Vince's book.
Gideon and Fletcher from the beginning and seriously hated their dad's. I wasn't sure how it would feel when everyone else was added to the mix and I've read some books that just leave some of the partners out but this one definitely did NOT do that. I loved that we got everyone's point of view and Kate did amazing at making me loved everyone of them. I am so excited and cannot wait for Vince's book.
April 16, 2025
Beauty and the beast is arguably my least favorite fairy tale (as a book lover, thT might be a hot take lmfao) but this retelling??? *chefs kiss* this checked off so many boxes for me and I would honestly kill for a Novella a year later for these men 🥹
The story, past and present was beautifully written. The polycule? Perfection - although I would have liked to have read a scene with all 5 of them (Gideon you possessive, hunk). The way the plot wraps up?? Kinda have to suspend belief but these guys worked hard for the HEA.
Absolutely check the CW. Bellamy’s back story could triggering.
The story, past and present was beautifully written. The polycule? Perfection - although I would have liked to have read a scene with all 5 of them (Gideon you possessive, hunk). The way the plot wraps up?? Kinda have to suspend belief but these guys worked hard for the HEA.
Absolutely check the CW. Bellamy’s back story could triggering.
May 26, 2025
Wow....I was not sure what I would read when I started this book, and holy crap it exceeded all my expectations! The dynamic characters and conflicts all of them faced were so well written I am still reeling. Lies, secrets, power, and murder. It is all there in the twisted plot that constantly had me guessing what was coming next. But one thing was never in doubt, the love these men have for each other and the things they will go through to protect it.
June 24, 2025
Conflicted Feelings not sure if it’s a 3.5 or maybe a 4. Didn’t feel the chemistry or the love between Gideon and Fletcher may be between Darren and Luca again Bellamy I’m not sure what his character is supposed to be. I felt the story was just thrown together rather than building the story. I would probably not read the next one.
March 23, 2025
This book is so good and so hot! I really loved it. The tension, chaos and the relationships *chef's kiss* . I recommend this book to anyone who loves poly relationships and dark romance :) I am already looking forward to the next book in the series
Thank you!
Thank you!
April 4, 2025
Sooooooo good!!
I love a good complicated polyamorous story and wow do these boys make it complicated…but oooohhhhh so very very good! This is more than just Gideon and Fletcher and it takes a minute to see how everyone connects but I loved all the twists and turns in the story.
I love a good complicated polyamorous story and wow do these boys make it complicated…but oooohhhhh so very very good! This is more than just Gideon and Fletcher and it takes a minute to see how everyone connects but I loved all the twists and turns in the story.
July 6, 2025
it was a good story. it wasn't spectacular or anything. but it was good.
August 15, 2025
Too many people, not enough story. Too violent.
April 4, 2025
Dark academia is totally up my alley. This group of men all entangled in some way , trying to break the mold. I really enjoyed the dynamics between each "grouping" . I think Bellamy wins everyone over. I really enjoy Kate Hawthornes writing. Kinda hoping these guys get a second book.
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