Speak: Rayne-Moore University, Book One

Rayne-Moore University Duet #1

by Ruby M. Darling, Heather Firth (Narrator), Joe Arden (Narrator)

Raven Monroe

I think I always knew I was going to die young. Like I had this… silent, invisible clock ticking down to my final moments plastered above my head. Maybe that’s why I was so reckless, crazy. Why I sought after adventure. Why nothing scared me… Except, there was always this… feeling I couldn’t shake that something was in the darkest parts of every corner, under every bed, closet, or room, like a ghost watching me. Waiting to take me. My own, personal reaper.

But it was always only during a lightning storm that I could see the outline of my reaper. No scythe. Just a tall, faceless shadow in a hood, staring at me in the dark…

That was the thing though. It was never the storm itself that scared me. Never the loud booming of thunder. Never the howling wind or the way the windows rattled. Never the sound of rain pounding against said windows. It was just that goddamn lightning.

Seems fitting, I suppose, that I’d die before my twentieth birthday during a freak lightning storm of the century… I just always thought I’d die while doing something dangerous—F*ck it. I’d even take a boring death like simply dying in my sleep from a brain aneurysm or even an early onset heart attack.

Anything.

I’d take any other way other than this...

Genres: Dark Romance, Why Choose, Dark, Audiobook, Romance, College, Secret Society

Audible Audio

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ You ever finish a book and just sit there like… what the actual hell did I just read and why did I love every second of it?? Because SAME. This book was unhinged in all the best ways, and I ate it up. The hype around this one is definitely valid

I went in blind (per usual), and let me tell you I was not prepared. The plot was wild and the vibes were Immaculate. The FMC? A stabby, clever, emotionally-damaged queen on a revenge mission aka my dream girl. Add in the fact that she knows exactly how to use her body to get what she wants makes her my idol.

And her men??? LAWD help me. We’ve got a little taboo with her therapist and her professor (👀) And then Jonas my sweet, crazy, ride-or-die baby. I love him so much it hurts. When I tell you he rides out for his girl. We love a supportive king. Raven is deeply traumatized and each one of these men give her a little piece of herself back, while also cracking her back in every which way. Love this for you BB

The spice? Unhinged. I was absolutely feral. The Group scenes were SO HOT. Don’t speak to me. I’m still recovering. (Though yes I would like to personally ban the word “cream” from all smut writing going forward. Please and thank you😭😭)

I feel like I have to warn you that this is definitely insta/lust love but I promise you it just works okay trust me 😂 just let go and enjoy the ride.

Now, while this is extremely spicy , it still has a really solid plot to keep you invested. This book has everything: secret societies, dark secrets, manipulation, obsession, trauma, SMUT FOR DAYS, violence and it worked perfectly I was hooked from the prologue and now I need everyone to read it so we can scream together.

I’m starting book 2 IMMEDIATELY because I need to see how this story plays out.

I’m a little slut for why choose I can’t help it I AM WHO I AM

[Courtenay (ceelovesbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

I don’t know about you, but I have NEVER in my life read a Why Choose, Dark Academia, Secret Society, Primal Play, Spicy, Crawl To Me, Serial Killer FMC who’s out for revenge and gets it book, but you’ve heard it here first friends. This is it, and it has EVERYTHING 😈

Raven Monroe is broken. She’s out for revenge on the people responsible for ruining her life and almost killing her. Now, she is silent, she’s been silent and not spoken a word since the attack, she doesn’t see a point, no one listens to her anyways.

When she returns to Rayne Moore University years later, she meets Jonas, a yummy puppy of a jock. She runs into her Dr Archer, who is absolutely obsessive and possessive over her. And meets a sexy, grumpy, moody professor Maverick Harrington. These three are absolute FIRE. SPARKS, FLAMES, STRIKE A MATCH TO YOUR 🐱 HOTTTT. 🔥

Raven has a lot of mystery to uncover, and she plans to get back at her enemies, and get her life back in the process. Her men are there for her every step of the way.

This book was fun, exciting, spicy af, and full of heart pounding excitement! You never knew what was going to happen next, and you still don’t 🫢 this is part 1 of a duet, and it does end on a small cliffy, to be continued. BUT DON’T WORRY! YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT LONG! 🖤

The star of the show here really is Raven, she is so strong, resilient, powerful, cunning, and you all know how I feel about a bad a** FMC. She is stunning. You will love this, and the vibes are PERFECT for spooky season. Trust me, you don’t want to sleep on these 4! 😌

Please read all TWs before reading, as some topics may be triggering for you.

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give me a moment to pick my jaw up off the f*cking floor! Maybe it’s my short-sightedness, but I did not see some of those twists coming. The characters defied my expectations, and the meek wallflower heroine turned out to be the biggest wolf in sheep’s clothing. I loved it

The revenge plot gave me hints of the Mindfuck series, and as a deep Lana stan, I was instantly hooked. The mystery kept me locked in…who hurt her, and why? I had my predictions (partly right), but this was no easy plot to crack

The fact that she didn’t speak, but still found ways to communicate was amazing. She didn’t sign or text much at first, so I worried about how she’d connect with others, but through subtle tells and actions, those around her learned to understand her. Also proving the point that if a man wanted to he would 😅

I honestly didn’t know where one relationship was heading, and doubted anyone would support it after his constant jabs about her appearance, weight, and even calling her arms “bat wings.” The urge to punch this man was so strong. He later claimed it was to scare his friend off her, but that’s peak manchild behaviour. I lost hope when she chose him. Don’t worry the scales of life balanced out.

This felt like a different approach to a “why choose” story. Not all members are on board at first, leading to a breakup. I appreciated that reluctance, and the early tension was palpable. Regardless of the healthy communication, all the relationships were a little f*cked, in a good way.

We have the :
🧑‍⚕️The doctor
🧑‍🏫The professor
🧑‍💼The athlete

I won’t go into detail, but just know, they’re all slightly deranged, obsessive, possessive… and we love them for it.

Especially Jonas. Praise Jonas 👏This👏man👏 can 👏give 👏 a 👏 good 👏 speech

My only negative is how smut-heavy this book is. I’m usually all for it, but in the second half it amped up, got a bit repetitive, and some scenes dragged. I needed more...maybe words.

Overall, I loved the plot, was shocked by the twists, and now I need book two 🙌

[Courtney Stephens · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Nan died while I was reading this book, and this was still the worst part of my week

[Momma Eureka · Rating 4 out of 5]

- RH
- SECRET SOCIETY
- REVENGE ARC
- NOT SPEAKING DUE TO A TRAUMA
- SPICY
- OVER THE TOP MMC’S


WOW ! I heard about this book and I didn’t have any intentions of reading ……. But read I did and I regret nothing !
This is the story of Raven a very rich girl that goes to the pristine University for the one percents only. She goes there with her stepbrother who’s her best friend and her rock. She doesn’t want to be entangled in the shallow life they all have, she wants more for her life, she wants to be free and follow a music career instead of been force into a loveless marriage because that’s what they do in her circle.
But she is caught completely off guard when a group of masked people attacks her to kill her. They were cruel and left her to die locked in a locker room beating, stabbed and broken beyond repair. She didn’t die for a miracle. But now she’s in a mental institution, hasn’t spoken a word in 4 years and the only person in her family that still supports her and loves her is her stepbrother. Her psychiatrist Damon is the one in her company all the time and he became OBSESSED with her through the years. He is deranged and crazy in love with her so obsessed that when she finally leaves the institution and goes back to the same university where she almost lost her life he leaves everything behind and follows her. Everyone is shocked she went back to the place of her trauma but she has a reason, REVENGE. And oh that revenge is sweet and becomes sweeter as we go. There she meets the delicious professor Maverick and he also becomes obsessed with her and he is a ex FBI agent teaching criminology. Also there she meets the AMAZING also delicious Jonas who’s the only one her age because the YUMMY handsome doctor plus the professor are 10 years older than her.
The relationship is a little rocky in the beginning but omg it is VERY satisfying to read it 🥵🥵🥵🥵 all 3 men are decadent and they all have a dirty mouth, specially Jonas !
Needless to say I loved it ! I’m going right now immediately to the second book ! 😏😈

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ★

“There was something in Raven Monroe that screamed at my soul and no matter how much I wanted it to stop, my soul wanted all the depraved things she had to offer.”

listen.. this book was WILD and i loved every second of the mess. i don’t know which man was more unhinged: her doctor Damon, or her professor Maverick. then we have Jonas, who is the literal definition of a down ass ride or die. Raven is now mute, after the trauma of being almost murdered and left for dead in her locker. all of them are now trying to uncover who exactly was responsible and Raven’s path to retaliation and revenge threw me so off guard.. but good for her. there were so many spelling and grammatical errors, but when a book is this entertaining, i choose to selectively ignore ok.

[Angely Marrero · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐️ No Judgment Just Opinions. If you enjoyed it, I am happy for you. ⭐️

I saw a video describing the beginning of this book and immediately downloaded it. The first few pages already told me what I was getting myself into: A weak attempt at making a reverse harem with badly written men she tried so hard to convince readers were morally grey. Was I expecting greatness? Absolutely not. But this was awful and hard to get through without rolling my eyes and growing annoyed. This also needs some serious editing becausè there were too many typos and too many sentences that made no sense.
It lacked character growth/development.

None of these characters were able to slowly develop feelings over time. It was love at first sight. This book could've also been 200 pages shorter if the author didn't continue giving us the same situation through multiple PoVs.

After the college football game, Raven gets assaulted and shoved into a locker, left for dead for 3 days. She didn't attempt to scream or punch the locker but could tap it to the sound of music. After she was found, she is sent to an asylum because she was deemed "violent" for attacking a nurse, one who was told where not to touch her wrists and proceeds to touch her there anyway. Raven decides she doesn't want to talk. Her trauma caused her to self- mute (because when she finally talks she wants her words to mean something...stfu), The author mentioned the FMC refused to learn ASL but halfway into the book she somehow already knew how to fluently sign. I'm guessing the author ran out of ways to describe her lack of communication by point, stomping her feet, and pouting like a child instead of the 24-year-old she is.

For four years, she's surrounded by mentally ill patients while going to therapy. This is where the author introduces her therapist, Damon. He fell head of heels instantaneousty. Straight out of graduating ivy league colleges and falling for his very first patient. (insert eye roll) Damon becomes obsessed and stalks her. But she doesn't mind it (of course, why would she) even after the trauma that caused her to stop speaking, she still wants to be touched inappropriately by her doctor.

Raven decides she wants to go back to Rayne-Moore to find out why and who assaulted her.

Jonas is introduced to us as a "f**k boy," but not even a chapter later becomes a marshmallow. He gives himself the job of protector and boyfriend title after seeing her once..

Professor Maverick decides two seconds after meeting Raven that she should be bullied by
hìm. He degrades her, insults her character, and everything about her because she refuses
to speak to him (even though she doesn't talk to anyone). This somehow turns him into a
beast that needs to have her (biggest eye roll). He blames her for how she looks and the.
skirts she wears... Her school uniform...

Somehow, every male character that's introduced fell for her charm.... I guess having her
stare at them with no way of letting them know what she wants was good enough for them,
to drool over. Can't even call them men without laughing. More like cavemen. "Me see
woman. Me like thick thighs. Me rut and try to make quiet woman make sound."

These characters are in their 20s and older, set in college but written like teenagers. Other students bullying someone who just returned. Students shouting verbal abuse and spitting wads of papers at her while in the classroom. It's like the author wanted the excuse of having them older so she can write the smut because the plot was lost midway.

I will not be reading the next book.

Was there anything I did enjoy? The dirty talk. I'll gobble a filthy mouth proudly and happily.

This had so much potential but was poorly executed.

P.S. JUST BECAUSE JOE ARDEN NARRATED THE BOOK, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT GOOD.

[Clairsreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ALC REREAD- 5 Mfin stars no fuckin notes✨



4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5 because this book changed me

Wow. Just wow. I am utterly and completely speechless. This book took me on such a wild ride I will need approximately 5-7 business days to process. The plot. The smut. The relationships. The growth. Absolute perfection.

Raven was horrifically attacked and left for dead. Once she survives she decides to return to the scene of the crime and investigate while also seeking revenge. During her recovery she attracts the attention of her doctor, Damon. He is utterly obsessed with her and upon finding she’s going back to her university he makes a transfer. Once she moves in she meets Jonas the lovable jock, he’s immediately smitten with her and the two bond instantly. One of her professors challenges her at every opportunity, Maverick, but it seems like the two can’t seem to avoid each other either.

As the relationship with each of the men grows the plot thickens as Raven discovers more about her attack and the powers at be at the university. Each of her relationships has so much difference and depth but is so clearly unique in its own way while also complimenting her relationship with the others. As Jonas protects her, Damon supports her and Maverick challenges her. These three weave and intricate web of intimacy and trust while also learning more about Raven and the circumstances that lead her to where she is now. As more is revealed and she continues on her vengeance tour the ones she has grown to love must make decisions.

Wow. That is literally allI have to say at this point. There was so much depth to this plot and the characters that I am still processing and spinning my multiple questions and theories. The way this story absolutely captivated me and took me for the most wild ride I can 100% confirm this is a must read. Raven, Maverick, Jonas and Damon will live rent free in my brain until book two comes out and then probably for forever after that.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Absolutely obsessed. Mindf*cked. Carried away. I cannot even.
Please do me a favor and read this book so we can discuss…tysm.

[makayla ♱⃓ · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝖢𝗈𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝗍𝖻𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗃𝗈𝖼𝗄 𝗑 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝖿𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗋 𝗑 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗂𝗌𝗍 😮‍💨

Picked this up as a palette cleanser and wow I’m glad I did!! I DEVOURED THIS

The audiobook??? HELLO?! Joe Arden deserves an award for this performance I think I am in love 🙂‍↕️🥵
-I am a chronic 2.75x listener but this one had me SAT at 1.5x like literal perfection

The smut in this holyyyy moly the definition of screaming kicking my feet giggling!!! 🤭🫦🤸🏻‍♀️ UNHINGED. FERAL.

But also I was actually interested in the plot? It was giving Mindfuck vibes and I LOVEEEE that

This is severely underhyped imo, easy 5 🌟

“𝖭𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗆𝗒 𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌, 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝖺𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗌. 𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗏𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖺𝗂𝗇.”

[Samwise · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
Where do I even begin? This book was a lot, and not in a good plot-heavy, tension-building, emotionally wrecked kind of way. Nahhhhhh. This was 75% smut, 20% questionable plot structure, and 5% “just fill in the logic gaps yourself, sweetie.” 😵‍💫
Let’s start with the bright spot: the audiobook narrators. 🎙️ Joe Arden is a menace to society in the BEST possible way. The growls, sighs, deranged chuckles… I mean, the man put his whole psycho into this performance. Heather Firth held her own too, giving a solid performance that tried to wrangle what little character development there was.
Now for the “story”. I don’t normally touch reverse harem with a ten-foot pole, and guess what? I still don’t. To each their own but 🫤 I fell into this one by accident, shrugged, and kept going because apparently I make poor decisions when Joe Arden is involved. 🤷🏼
The FMC is essentially mute, by choice, and her entire personality can be summed up as: plays the cello and is apparently so adorable that three successful, powerful, morally-bankrupt-in-a-sexy-way men all just… share her. Like a timeshare. Except instead of beachfront views, it’s public sex, random violence, and loyalty that defies all logic or real-world emotional nuance. I had to suspend my disbelief so high it left orbit. ☄️
Also, how is she surviving this much physical activity without so much as a mention of a UTI or a diflucan?
That said, I didn’t DNF it. Joe Arden carried the whole unhinged circus on his back, and I will admit Maverick’s little late-game redemption arc gave me a flicker of emotional investment. But overall, this felt like someone smashed together a dark erotica Mad Libs and hit “publish.” ☑️
Would I recommend it? Only if you love chaos, have no expectations of realism, and want Joe Arden whispering filthy sweet nothings while you’re wondering what life choices brought you here.

[GCR | Book Realm]

Joe Arden was the highlight for me. He voiced multiple characters and I could clearly tell who was speaking every time. His range and delivery are outstanding and honestly carried the experience.

The story itself started off explosive and really promising, which is why I was so locked in early on. But at some point it lost that momentum and the plot began to feel repetitive, like it wasn’t building toward anything new. Around 60% I was close to DNF’ing.

I was immersive reading at first, but I ended up dropping the text and just finishing on audio because… it’s Joe. You really can’t go wrong with him in the background while you do what you need to do.

Strong performance, but the story didn’t stay as gripping for me as it started.

[Bookishness · Rating 1 out of 5]

The audiobook is incredible, honestly, anything Joe Arden narrates, I completely devour.

That said, Speak just didn’t work for me. Hear me out. Why is everyone instantly obsessed with the FMC when she barely has any personality or depth? She’s just… there, and every character immediately wants her. On top of that, the guys are all willing to share, and she’s completely fine with anyone touching her.

I don’t know it just wasn’t for me. And don’t get me wrong, I love dark romance. But this felt like it was all spice with every MMC she comes across, without enough substance to back it up. 👀🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good suspense story with a lot of sex scenes.
L really enjoyed.
It’s worth reading.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lets start with the fact that this story is completely atrocious, and the trigger warnings were inaccurate. When someone is unconscious due to sleeping medication, there is no CONSENT!! That is rape, plain and simple. I finished this story ONLY to write this review and it be a complete review of the entire book. Not only did the lack of appropriate trigger warnings get me, because I wasn't prepared for sleeping rape, but the horrific writing and repetition of skin crawling terms like "sweet ambrosia" "her/my sex" (it's a vagina, freaking call it that) and so many other cringe terms, eventually made me want to vomit. On top of all this, I cannot get over the star rating for this book, it goes to show that with the social media readers, as long as you have a ton of sex in the book, that you can have the most atrocious, lazy writing possible and still sell plenty of books, while also getting top-notch narrators to help you sell more of your awful books. If I could put a negative star review. I would.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn.
4.75/5 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio:
5 stars for Heather Firth and Joel Arden. This is a duet narration!

Book: 4 stars

This kept me hooked, but I felt like there was a little too much hooking up compared to plot… but I still want to see where this duet ends especially with that cliffhanger!

Also I love Jonas haha who wouldn’t want a slightly psychotic obsessive golden retriever (and not the dog) haha!

[Ms. Dess · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Series Status: Book one of the Rayne-Moore Duet and I’m already sweating about book two like it’s finals week and I didn’t study.

We Have:
✅ Reverse Harem
✅ MMMF Romance (no M/M)
✅ Mystery
✅ Revenge
✅ Secret Society
✅ Virgin FMC
✅ professor x student
✅ morally black MMCs
✅ trauma and trauma healing
✅ stalking but make it sexy
✅ obsession that should honestly require a permit
✅ possessive men who choose violence over therapy
✅ smut that requires electrolytes
✅ plot twists hitting like chair shots in the WWE
✅ vibes so chaotic I squealed, kicked, and demanded more

Raven Monroe is that bitch. Strong, broken but not beaten, and absolutely refusing to let the world dull her edge. I fucking love her for that. She never loses her power… even when men twice her size, twice her darkness, try to swallow her whole. She stands firm. She chooses survival every time. And when she finally lets herself want… god, it’s just so fucking good.

Let's talk about Jonas and how he is fucking unhinged perfection. The way he speaks up when it matters and the way he says it loud, proud, and with his whole muthafucking chest… I was kicking my feet like a teenager with a crush except I’m grown and paying my own health insurance. I fucking love him.

Then we have the good doctor… Dr. Hottie… Damon. Baby. BAAAAABEEEEYYY. When I tell you this man triggered something in my DNA… I would let him do filthy things to me and then crawl back asking may I have more please. The delusion he operates under is so bold it should be illegal. It is chef’s kiss insanity - of course I love it. He’s out here acting like Raven is already wearing his last name and honestly… I respect that level of commitment.

By the fucking way… can I tell you that I absolutely need a Damon and Jonas scene. I need that with every unhinged fiber of my being. If those two ever touched the same page with intent… oh god… the way I would spontaneously combust. Someone would need to come peel me off the furniture… and definitely call in some professionals for a deep cleaning lol.

Now let’s talk about Maverick… our confusing little enigma baby. He’s hanging on by a thread, but he’s hanging on hard. Buuuuuuut fuck… this might be the first fucking time in my entire reading career that I have ever understood the miscommunication trope. Hell has iced over. But Ruby wrote it in a way where I genuinely got it. I hated that I got it… but it made sense.

His mouth though... is filthy… I love his mouth… seriously, you need to listen to him on the audiobook for at least this one fucking part. He delivers this god damn line… “The beast inside purrs.” … and you are not living your best fucking life if you don't hear it. Joe Arden says that line like he’s trying to repopulate the species through audio alone. My ovaries burst. My uterus did Olympic floor routines. My coochie did a full baptism. I had to pause the book and reevaluate my moral standing - of course I didn't care where I landed - just needed to check and be sure.

As a matter of fact that entire scene in the woods… oh baby. I felt that shit in my spinal cord. I’m driving down the street, minding my business, and suddenly my coochie clenches like it’s preparing for combat and my legs start trembling like I’m the one getting tackled in the goddamn forest. I am sweating just thinking about it again. FUUUUUUUCK.....

BUT ALSO there's fucking more!!!!!!! There’s one particular character who had me spiraling. I went from hating him to feeling sorry for his tragic little existence to being absolutely unwell about his choices. The way everyone’s motives twist and flip had me confused, aroused, emotional, offended, and feral all at once. I finished this book not knowing who I was anymore. I wanted to sit silently in the dark and contemplate my life… but it was almost midnight and a bitch gotta work in the morning.

The smut in this book is fucking AMAZING. People saying there was too much smut have no clue what the fuck they are talking about because there is no universe where there was too much. Every fucking scene was a religious experience. Every one topped the last. My soul left my body so many times I owe the universe rent. The filth level was fucking delicious… the kind of smut that makes you forget your name, your morals, and your WiFi password (does anyone really remember their WiFi tho???). Between the growls, the dominance, the delusion, the obsession, and the sheer athleticism of these men, I was overstimulated, dehydrated, and wholly unprepared. This book didn’t give smut… it gave revelations - I just had to keep breathing through it all.

Speak had me fucked up in the best possible way. I didn’t know who the hell to trust. One minute I’m convinced a man is pure villain energy… the next I’m ready to defend him in court. Then boom… back to side-eyeing him like he stole my debit card. Ruby played in my face the entire time and I loved every second of it.

This book is so fucking solid. Disturbingly good. Unputdownable. I am genuinely terrified for book two because this level of obsession feels dangerous. I started this book at 8:17 AM and finished at 11:52 PM the same damn day… 400+ pages devoured like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. If that’s not obsession, I don’t know what is.

[Anna_Si · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ну що ж, це було цікаво, але не вау. Дарк академія, таємне товариство. Було цікаво читати до другої половини книги, під кінець (особисто для мене) вже було трохи забагато сцен 18+
А їх тут дуууже багато😅
Трохи смішно з того, як усі троє, абсолютно різні чоловіки, неймовірно одержимі нею.
Тут є різниця в віці. Двоє чоловіків старші, а один на пару років молодший 🌚 Квартет ще той😁
Цікаво було читати за таємне товариство, і коли вже професор доєднатися до цієї компашки😅

[Jessica Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars- this started off really strong and sucked me in but then it just felt repetitive. I got bored and started to skim a lot (especially w the endless smut in the second half of this book). There was a lot of potential and it def was fun at times but I had trouble being emotionally invested by the end.

the second 50% just got annoying... lowkey I started to like Chase during his POV!! Why show us him falling in love w the FMC if they’re never gonna be together?! And then getting Trevor’s POV right before he died?! Ugh I was annoyed w that !! Why make me empathize w him before he dies ?!! The writing was just choppy and difficult to read the last 50%.

[ulmee · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf 24%

i will carve my own eyes out if i see one more mention of “her nectar” and “her sweet ambrosia” are we in camp half blood???

i also never say this. ever. but everyone in this book needs to go to horny jail immediately.

[Jazzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book goes as follows: A gimped mute who is smelly, constantly covered in semen, and also dresses like a gothic teenager, decides to become a serial killer to get revenge on a secret society that leave skin bound books detailing their crimes around for her to easily find.

Even though she doesn’t speak, has questionable hygiene and dresses like shit, somehow three sexual deviants fall madly in love with her. It’s insta lust. It’s weird. They’re weird. Everything is fucking weird.

One is a prof, the other is a weird student and the other is a doctor.

Anyway, I got this on audible because people on here said it was good. Now I’m wondering if the five star reviews are coming from people who were drunk or high… maybe both?

This book is absolutely horrendous and makes no sense. It’s terrible.

Coming back to add to my review that there is no way in hell a gimped mute would get hired at a strip club. There’s also no way people wouldn’t recognize her in said club, dancing with her “sex” lips hanging out in front of her STEP DAD because she has some shitty face mask on.

This thick thighed stinker sticks out like a sore thumb in social situations because she is a MUTE and she is a GIMP. NO ONE COULD NOT RECOGNIZE HER.

The author is always talking this chick up- talking about how men perceive her as royalty. How people tried to kill her because they are jealous of her. How during her stripper audition (of which she has zero experience or skill) other women walked out because she was sooooo amazing. We are constantly told this.

Yet this character isn’t amazing. She doesn’t give a shit about anyone but herself. She kills her boyfriend’s friends. Says she doesn’t give a shit about killing her brother’s love interest cause she’s busy getting dicked down by three predators. She’s either overweight or a rack of bones. She doesn’t bathe to the point where she has to be told to take a bath. She dresses very oddly and intentionally has her genitalia on display during class. She doesn’t speak and she has a limp. There is nothing impressive or sexy about this woman.

Everyone in this book calls a vagina a sex, and they’re always painting this poor woman in cum. I mean really, what’s wrong with this author? Did she have some sick fantasy about three men taking advantage of a mentally and physically challenged woman?

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️🌟 I want to marry Jonas 💖
I love the revenge, the healing journey, the underestimated hero, the love, the jokes, the smuuuuuuuut omg the smuuuuut 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Esmé Elzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF’d this book at like 40% because the trigger warnings are dead wrong. I encourage the author to change the trigger warning of “consensual non-consent” to just “non-consensual.” CNC is the couple talks before hand, they have a safe word, it is something very much planned out (ex: the cnc scene at the end of the book Lights Out comes to mind). CNC is not “get on your knees and open up your mouth and take it” said by a person who’s in a position of power (older, professor, a big strong man), and then she does it. But it’s ok because she enjoyed it? No, that is straight up not consensual, which is fine in books but you have to have a proper trigger warning for it. Or else it sends the wrong message to women who may have been put in that position and felt it was wrong but then are told by this book that it’s CNC, but really it’s not. Please change the warning.

Also, most hymens aren’t like that. Otherwise virgins wouldn’t be able to wear tampons. 👍

[Rachel ⭐️🖤💋Dark & Dirty & A Lot Of Smutty Reviews💋🖤⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing wrong with this deliciously dark romance is it needs editing. It had a LOT of grammatical errors, sentence structure, and run-on sentences. That usually doesn’t bother me, and I just ignore it, but this one was pretty bad. I had to read sentences over a lot so it was read correctly in my head. But seriously, I absolutely loved this book! I devoured it! The spice was spicing, utterly delicious. It kept me engaged from the first sentence. I think I know where this is going, and it’s going to break me! I want her to get her revenge, but I am literally scared to read and see if I’m correct in my assumptions, but I also can’t stop reading this duet cause I HAVE TO KNOW! Who needs to eat and sleep? Psshh, not me! Just throw some sour patch kids and Reese’s at me, hook me up to an IV, even do a catheter for all I care! I am not stopping!
P.S. Mav, slap me and call me names. I am so here for it!

[Chantelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book until 30%.

I don’t need to hear how one of the MMCs goes to a sex club and blows his load into one the dancers mouthes! Wasn’t particularly graphic and he thought of the FMC (how romantic), but nah that’s a hard pass from me!!!

He’d already had some sexual contact with the FMC, he did it to get her out of his head! Oh….feck off!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun and oh so spicy 🔥
The audiobook? OUT OF THIS WORLD
Joe Arden is a storyteller and performer!
I'm a sucker for a mute main character, and I loved that this time, it was the FMC.
Doctor, professor, and athlete?
My girl hit the damn jackpot.
Did I often get sucked into the narration and forget real life existed? Yes.
Was I blushing while listening? Yes.
Please consider the audiobook if this is on your TBR. You won't regret it!

[Saraya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨ this was not at all what I was expecting but I ate it up with no complaints so for that I will round it up🥰 Jonas is definitely going to live in my head till my last days. I also thought the victim pov was something different that made it so much more conflicting/ interesting but I’ll always supports women’s rights and wrongs, fuck those guys. The only thing that was kind of confusing was when a chapter changed pov’s, the story would go back to re tell what just happened which annoyed me a little sometimes because I’m impatient😁

[MadameD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steamy, Original, and Impossible to Put Down!

Story: 5/5
Narration: 5/5 (The narrators are excellent!)

I really enjoyed listening to and reading Speak by Ruby Darling.
I loved the chemistry between the characters, and I found the story surprisingly original. Raven, Jonas, Damon, and Maverick made me laugh and left me hot and blushing.
If you’re craving a dark romance that blends heat, passion, and a storyline that hooks you from start to finish, this one’s a must-read.

[Mysti · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I’m so glad that Ms. Dess talked me into purchasing these because I 100% plan to relisten/reread them over and over again! The number of times I messaged Ms. Dess either saying, “Oh My Goddddddd” or “I’m dyingggggg” or "WTF is happening!?!" and "I LOVE JONAS!!" is astronomical!

Let me say this – as I looked over my notes while trying to write this review, I got sucked back in and started reading the book AGAIN. That’s how good it is.

I really thought I was untouchable. I thought I was safe. The only thing I was afraid of was that goddamn faceless shadow. Until the universe sent me the biggest message of all; monsters aren’t faceless shadows creeping in the dark. Real monsters have faces.

Raven Monroe (24, virgin, music student) is returning to school five years after she was attacked and left for dead. Now, there’s one specific thing she’s looking for…. Revenge.

Every time I try to forgive, every time I sit there and I try and try so hard to forgive that my heart forgets to beat, I’m back in that fucking locker, bound and gagged …. and suddenly I can’t breathe, can’t think, and all I feel is pain and anger…..Anger for the stupid girl I used to be.

School will be a little tricky this time around since she was left unable to speak after the attack, plus she’s spent the past few years in an asylum. Yikes! But our Little Bird has nothing to fear! Not with her devoted doctor so near!

Damon Archer (34, psychiatrist) is absolutely obsessed with his Little Bird, and he’s not going to just let her walk away when she’s released from his care. Daddy D is there to guide Raven through the revenge he knows she needs, as well as fulfill all of her sexual desires, no matter how many people it takes to do it.

I’ll be whatever the fuck she wants, whatever the fuck she needs me to be in her quest for retribution. Fuck a hero. I’ll happily help her become the villain she so desperately needs. ……. I can’t wait to watch my Raven rise from the ashes she’ll leave at her feet like a fucking phoenix.

I know the look she’s giving him. It’s the same one that warped my mind. The one I love. The one that can and has made me commit atrocities as her doctor and later on as a man obsessed. The one that has made me as psychotic and sick as the other patients that deserve to be at Lorne Wood.

Jonas Anderson (22, football star) is left speechless when he spots Raven arriving at school. He doesn’t care that she can’t talk, or about the rumors surrounding her hospitalization. He’s ready to lay himself at her altar and ensure that she gets everything she wants.

“I love you… My soul has seen yours and I know yours has seen mine and there’s no going back for me, baby. We were meant to collide; nobody can tell me otherwise.”

“I’m so fucked for you baby…… Let me love you. Let me be good to you. You’ll probably do a lot of terrible shit and to be by your side, so will I. But if you’re going to drown the world, then I’ll be on the boat with you.”

Maverick Harrington (35, ex-FBI, criminal professor) is quite content living his boring and regimented life. When he acquires a mute little Siren as a new student, all of his well-constructed life comes crashing down! His addiction to her knocks him off his axis, but he’s not sure he can be what she needs.

I am not a kind man. I do not care about her delicate little feelings. I just want to rid myself of this need to have her submit to me and be at my disposal, waiting for me on her knees, to worship me and then pound into her from all angles.

My lizard brain, the most Neolithic, primal part of my brain, wants so much to be buried inside this woman. This beautiful fucking mute and I don't understand it….. all I know is Raven deserves to be punished. She’s been a good girl, I’m sure, for them… but for me, she’s always fucking bad.

I lean forward and kiss her lips. Simple and yet somehow even more binding. And my heart beats again.

Alphabet games, A secret society, skin to skin contact, Syndicates, choke on this!, heartbreaks, thigh control, sharing really is caring, Inferno, team switch, French accents, water sports, a new job, and a seriously harsh cliffy!!!!

Damn guys!!! This book had me HOOKED!!! I gobbled up every single bit of this and I’m ready to read it all again! Since there is more than one MMC, I’ll do this a little different from my normal reviews.

SEX: Ohhhh yeahhhhhh! Come to mama! Our little Raven’s V is consumed at 51%. Thank you, Jesus, there are never any condoms. You know your girl was here for that!! There are some somno moments, and FUCK ME that was hot! Personally, I wanted way more of that! Honestly, there’s so much sex in this duet that your panties won’t ever stay dried!

FAT: A friend DNF’d this at one point because she thought it was heavy on the fat shaming. As a super fat girl, I didn’t find this book offensive or “fat shaming” in any way. That’s just from my perspective. There are a few characters that talk about her weight at the very beginning, but that really only lasts until the 8% mark. The MCs absolutely worship every single one of her curves. Plus, the author doesn’t talk about them in excess. Some writers try to write a plus size FMC and throw in a ton of references to her weight. Ruby Darling doesn’t do that. She writes it so that the curves are something normal and not something to be ashamed of.

RAVEN: I love that she goes after what she wants, and that she isn’t a shy fragile thing. She doesn’t have any issues with having more than one guy in her life. She just takes it as it is. She also doesn’t complain about the dirty work she has to do. She’s a pretty damn good FMC. Oh… there actually was one thing that irritated the fuck out of me – WHY WON’T YOU JUST TEXT THEM!?!? I get not being able to speak can cause issues, but you can type that shit on your phone and show it to the person you want to communicate with! It’s not an impossible feat.

DAMON: Daddy D. I absolutely love his psychotic obsession with her. Our man said, “Ethics? Never met ‘em?”. He’s not afraid to cross the lines. I also love how accepting he is when it comes to Raven. He’s willing to mold everyone and everything to meet her needs. Instead of, “She wants other men? I’ll kill them”, he’s a “She wants other men? Then I’ll get her other men.”.

JONAS: I seriously loveeeee Jonas. He’s EVERYTHING to me. He’s my #1 in this trio and I will fight you for him. At first, you’ll think he’s too much of a golden retriever, and while that’s true, he also has a dirty fucking mouth and will fuck that ass like he needs to. He’ll lie, cheat, kill, steal, and anything else you can think of. I seriously love every single thing about this man. This book was added to my list of “Top Tier MMCs” and it’s solely because of Jonas. He’s the full package and he also makes me laugh!!! Should I get his name tattooed on my chest?

MAVERICK: He’s a dominating prick!! He usually goes to the sex club to fulfill his needs to tie women up and fuck them. When he gets with Raven, he’s the one who spanks her and degrades her. That’s not my thing, but it does give really good balance to this group of men. I don’t think it would feel the same without him in the mix.

MYSTERY: Holy fuck. I was shocked by how many times this author made me think I was crazy and how often I would change my theories. It was honestly so much fun. In this book specifically, it kept me on my toes! There was one part that really pissed me off, but I guess if it wasn’t there, we really wouldn’t have a mystery.

AUDIO: Excellent!!! And…. IT’S A DUET!!!!! Squeeeee. Heather Firth was a very pleasant surprise! I don’t think I’ve heard her narrate before. I loved her. Also…. Guess what….. Joe Arden narrates for our guys!!!! Double squeeee! It was perfect. Well… almost. The only thing that irritated me might be a spoiler, so if you aren’t listening to the audio, don’t read this. When Raven tries to speak, she has a stutter. When you’re listening to that it really gets on your nerves. At least it did mine.

TRIGGERS: Um….. I don’t guess I can think of any? There’s murder. Ms. Dess yelled at me for telling her a trigger so I’ll just keep them to myself. Check the author’s description for all the other things if you want to know.

CHEATING: There are two tiny things that will upset some of you, so I’m going to warn you because it pissed me the fuck off. But don’t rule this out because it’s SO FUCKING GOOD. I probably shouldn’t tell you, but I don’t want you to yell at me later. So….. Jonas is already halfway to loving Raven, but they’ve only held hands and kissed. Then he overhears her getting nasty with one of our other MCs and it breaks his sweet and perfect heart. He dumps Raven and says it’s over. He gets drunk and fucks some other girl. It happens early on and it doesn’t last long. It still fucking hurt my heart. Then, with Maverick – he’s not coupled up with Raven, but she has sucked him off. He does get a BJ from someone at the sex club, but it’s referenced in past tense. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t give up on this book because of those things. I promise this book is so fucking good.

Guys – I loved this book so much. It was a fun read, and I enjoyed every bit of it. There were a few things I wish were different, but not enough to change this from 5 stars.

She is the embodiment of crisp cool nights, warmth of roaring bonfires, pink super moons, the silence of absent cicadas and critters, of death in its most beautiful and natural form. She is the promise of new beginnings and transitions that come with time and rage. Furious like a fire devouring a house until only its charred skeleton remains standing.

[Jenifer Briggs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Just straight up nope. The premise was interesting, and I've seen this book reccomeded literally everywhere, and since I adore RH, I figured why not.. but this just left a bad taste in my mouth -- no pun intended. We are in a society where rapists are quite literally the president of the united states and sex trafficking rings are undiscovered daily, so no, I don't want to hear/read about another man in a position of power traumatizing an already traumatized woman. This isn't CNC -- for that to happen, there's a whole discussion the characters need to have, and trust established. This was just abuse.


The only thing i liked about this book was Jonas. Had this been an M/F romance with just him and Raven it would have been so much better. But even he couldn't keep me interested.🙃