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To Burn in Rapture: Dark Romantasy Novella
One look and he broke all the rules.
One drop and she was his.
What if the Roman gods were real, and one of them broke one of the cardinal rules of being a god? Never give a mortal god blood … One drop is all it takes for a human to become immortal.
Sabine has had enough. God or bust is her new motto. It’s been nearly 3000 years, and she still hasn’t found a way to be with the god Janus, who saved her millennia ago. She will do whatever it takes, including sacrificing her latest husband to the god of the Underworld, to bring him back to her.
Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, has distanced himself from Sabine for centuries. He won’t fall for her tricks. Janus doesn’t care that she’s married. He wants her to be someone else’s problem—if she’s someone else’s problem, she’s not on any other gods’ radar.
With Sabine hell-bent on going against Janus’s wishes, she finally finds herself in the world of the gods—just not with the one she’s fallen for.
One drop and she was his.
What if the Roman gods were real, and one of them broke one of the cardinal rules of being a god? Never give a mortal god blood … One drop is all it takes for a human to become immortal.
Sabine has had enough. God or bust is her new motto. It’s been nearly 3000 years, and she still hasn’t found a way to be with the god Janus, who saved her millennia ago. She will do whatever it takes, including sacrificing her latest husband to the god of the Underworld, to bring him back to her.
Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, has distanced himself from Sabine for centuries. He won’t fall for her tricks. Janus doesn’t care that she’s married. He wants her to be someone else’s problem—if she’s someone else’s problem, she’s not on any other gods’ radar.
With Sabine hell-bent on going against Janus’s wishes, she finally finds herself in the world of the gods—just not with the one she’s fallen for.
165 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2025
15 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Raine
5 books86 followersR.A. Raine is an author from coastal Australia. When she’s not immersed in epic romance stories, you can find her searching for fairy portals, spending time with friends and family, or reading tarot cards.
She loves to write about inner turmoil and love, so that is what you will find in her stories, with tension and spice thrown in for good measure.
You can find her hanging out on Instagram @r.a.raineauthor, or in her Facebook readers group (R.A. Raine Readers Group).
All enquiries can be directed to her email at raraineauthor@gmail.com.
She loves to write about inner turmoil and love, so that is what you will find in her stories, with tension and spice thrown in for good measure.
You can find her hanging out on Instagram @r.a.raineauthor, or in her Facebook readers group (R.A. Raine Readers Group).
All enquiries can be directed to her email at raraineauthor@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 401 reviews
May 12, 2025
3,5 stars rounded to 4
I love all things mythology so I was hooked after a few teasers. First of all, huge thanks to the author for sending me the ARC!
This is a short novella that tells a story of a god and a human who, almost 3,000 yers ago, was made immortal by the said god - despite it being against all the rules. The story shifts between past to present, showing what they’ve gone through and what they’re willing to risk to be together.
I loved the setup and the plot, and Janus’s emotions were so well written I could truly feel his appreciacion for Sabine, along with his pain and despair.
“And now I’m going to worship at the altar of the only body that means anything to me in this godly existence.”
Extra points for the artwork—it really added to the experience.
However few things held me back from fully enjoying the book:
- The main one was the missing backstory of Sabine falling in love with Janus. I could feel his love and understood where it came from, but her feelings and how they developed remained a mystery to me.
- I’m a bit particular about characters’ heights, so him being 7 feet tall and her being described as "petite" threw me off a few times. The issue isn’t his height (he’s a god, after all), but rather the extreme height difference between them.
There are explicit sex scenes with the FMC and another man. I think it fit the story and didn’t feel like cheating to me but it could be triggering for someone. Also amongst TW - child loss.
While it didn’t fully land for me, it’s still a memorable story about love, loss, and the cost of defying fate.
I love all things mythology so I was hooked after a few teasers. First of all, huge thanks to the author for sending me the ARC!
This is a short novella that tells a story of a god and a human who, almost 3,000 yers ago, was made immortal by the said god - despite it being against all the rules. The story shifts between past to present, showing what they’ve gone through and what they’re willing to risk to be together.
I loved the setup and the plot, and Janus’s emotions were so well written I could truly feel his appreciacion for Sabine, along with his pain and despair.
“And now I’m going to worship at the altar of the only body that means anything to me in this godly existence.”
Extra points for the artwork—it really added to the experience.
However few things held me back from fully enjoying the book:
- The main one was the missing backstory of Sabine falling in love with Janus. I could feel his love and understood where it came from, but her feelings and how they developed remained a mystery to me.
- I’m a bit particular about characters’ heights, so him being 7 feet tall and her being described as "petite" threw me off a few times. The issue isn’t his height (he’s a god, after all), but rather the extreme height difference between them.
There are explicit sex scenes with the FMC and another man. I think it fit the story and didn’t feel like cheating to me but it could be triggering for someone. Also amongst TW - child loss.
While it didn’t fully land for me, it’s still a memorable story about love, loss, and the cost of defying fate.
May 11, 2025
2 stars – Dark, moody, but ultimately not for me
This book had all the ingredients I should love — broody romance, dark vibes, and a touch of the supernatural 🖤🔥. But somewhere along the way, it just didn’t click for me.
The pacing felt off ⏳ — long stretches where not much happened, mixed with moments that felt rushed. I couldn’t really connect with the characters, and their relationship felt more forced than fiery. Lots of telling, not enough showing. And the inner monologues? Whew… too much for my taste 💤
The writing tried to be lyrical and intense, but sometimes it leaned more toward melodramatic and confusing 🎭. The world-building left me with more questions than intrigue, and I just never fully bought into the story.
There’s definitely potential here ✨, and I know some readers will vibe with it. But for me, it was a miss.
This was an ARC read. This review is honest and entirely my own. And I truly thank the author for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
This book had all the ingredients I should love — broody romance, dark vibes, and a touch of the supernatural 🖤🔥. But somewhere along the way, it just didn’t click for me.
The pacing felt off ⏳ — long stretches where not much happened, mixed with moments that felt rushed. I couldn’t really connect with the characters, and their relationship felt more forced than fiery. Lots of telling, not enough showing. And the inner monologues? Whew… too much for my taste 💤
The writing tried to be lyrical and intense, but sometimes it leaned more toward melodramatic and confusing 🎭. The world-building left me with more questions than intrigue, and I just never fully bought into the story.
There’s definitely potential here ✨, and I know some readers will vibe with it. But for me, it was a miss.
This was an ARC read. This review is honest and entirely my own. And I truly thank the author for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
May 19, 2025
imagine having a roman god so completely obsessed with you he saved your life, makijg you an immortal all those millennia ago even though he could lose his own powers just because of one look 😩
“The only god you will ever scream for is me.”
please check your triggers before jumping into this book !!
this is a dark romantasy, accent history, roman gods, immortality, gore, rape (not between main characters), violence, murder, feminine rage, portals, demons, hell, war, child loss, grief, mental health representation, loss touch of humanity, and duo pov ❤️🔥
“If I could, I would serve this world to you on a platter, or I would burn everything to ash if it were in my power. Your pain brings me pain for the first time in my existence, and I have no idea what to do but bow at your feet and hope that, one day, you will forgive me. I’m yours infinitus. I only hope that is enough. Vale, cor animae meae.”
all these years living with the mortals in plain sight, sabine yearns for janus, the god that gave her immortal life when she laid dying on the battlefield. janus only comes when there’s death and even then he never stays. he can’t. none of the other gods know of what he did to save sabine’s life. but sabine has lost touch with her humanity and is determined to have janus in any way. she kills all the bad people she comes across. and every time janus is there to carry the soul through the realms. but just as quickly as he comes, he’s gone in the next blink, no matter how much he wants to stay. it’s too dangerous to stay for long. no one can know about sabine and janus’ relationship. so when sabine has the bright idea to go to the underworld by summoning the god of the underworld pluto … oh … shit goes down 👀
“I never thought I’d experience love like the humans do. Love that requires sacrifice. Love that requires patience. Love that takes over your whole body and soul. Love without conditions. Love that drives you crazy. It was the only part of the human existence I envied. And then I found you, my sweet cor animae meae.”
i absolutely ate this up so fast omg 🤩 it was super quick and easy to get into. i loved the fast pace and straight to the point while also leaving room for lots of details. this is such a great book to pick up when you’re not sure what you want to read / falling into a slump. it was such a refreshing read that got me out of a slump !! i’m so invested in these characters and wish there was more 💥💳 the storyline is absolutely insane. this has lots of dark themes and is on the darker side of romantasy. definitely check the trigger warning list and be aware of what you are diving into.
“All I ever want is you needy and pliant underneath me, screaming my name so the other gods can hear everything they’ll never have.”
🌶️🌶️
“The only god you will ever scream for is me.”
please check your triggers before jumping into this book !!
this is a dark romantasy, accent history, roman gods, immortality, gore, rape (not between main characters), violence, murder, feminine rage, portals, demons, hell, war, child loss, grief, mental health representation, loss touch of humanity, and duo pov ❤️🔥
“If I could, I would serve this world to you on a platter, or I would burn everything to ash if it were in my power. Your pain brings me pain for the first time in my existence, and I have no idea what to do but bow at your feet and hope that, one day, you will forgive me. I’m yours infinitus. I only hope that is enough. Vale, cor animae meae.”
all these years living with the mortals in plain sight, sabine yearns for janus, the god that gave her immortal life when she laid dying on the battlefield. janus only comes when there’s death and even then he never stays. he can’t. none of the other gods know of what he did to save sabine’s life. but sabine has lost touch with her humanity and is determined to have janus in any way. she kills all the bad people she comes across. and every time janus is there to carry the soul through the realms. but just as quickly as he comes, he’s gone in the next blink, no matter how much he wants to stay. it’s too dangerous to stay for long. no one can know about sabine and janus’ relationship. so when sabine has the bright idea to go to the underworld by summoning the god of the underworld pluto … oh … shit goes down 👀
“I never thought I’d experience love like the humans do. Love that requires sacrifice. Love that requires patience. Love that takes over your whole body and soul. Love without conditions. Love that drives you crazy. It was the only part of the human existence I envied. And then I found you, my sweet cor animae meae.”
i absolutely ate this up so fast omg 🤩 it was super quick and easy to get into. i loved the fast pace and straight to the point while also leaving room for lots of details. this is such a great book to pick up when you’re not sure what you want to read / falling into a slump. it was such a refreshing read that got me out of a slump !! i’m so invested in these characters and wish there was more 💥💳 the storyline is absolutely insane. this has lots of dark themes and is on the darker side of romantasy. definitely check the trigger warning list and be aware of what you are diving into.
“All I ever want is you needy and pliant underneath me, screaming my name so the other gods can hear everything they’ll never have.”
🌶️🌶️
May 15, 2025
Thankyou to R.A Raine for the opportunity for the arc! ♡
It’s a spicy little dark romance and usually i THRIVE with these types of books, this one was only about 100 pages long and everything felt like it was happening way too fast. Every second page there was a spicy scene and I would have enjoyed a bit more slow burn and courting from Janus.
I actually loved Sabine so much, i thought she was chaotic and just an enjoyable character to read about.
Overall I did enjoy this book and I loved the storyline, i think it could have been a bit longer with more cute romance scenes, personally i just felt the spice scenes every couple pages were TOOOOOOOOO much and the pace of the book was so fast
It’s a spicy little dark romance and usually i THRIVE with these types of books, this one was only about 100 pages long and everything felt like it was happening way too fast. Every second page there was a spicy scene and I would have enjoyed a bit more slow burn and courting from Janus.
I actually loved Sabine so much, i thought she was chaotic and just an enjoyable character to read about.
Overall I did enjoy this book and I loved the storyline, i think it could have been a bit longer with more cute romance scenes, personally i just felt the spice scenes every couple pages were TOOOOOOOOO much and the pace of the book was so fast
May 11, 2025
This book. This book. My gosh, it completely ruined me in the best way. I’m still thinking about Sabine and Janus like they’re real. This novella is short, yes, but it burns. It’s sharp, tragic, romantic, destructive, and divine.
Sabine is a morally grey, obsessed, fierce, completely driven by love and pain. And Janus is this heart-wrenching, duty-bound god who wants nothing more than to be with her. Every time they touched, every time they had to say goodbye again, it shattered me.
This story spans thousands of years, from ancient Rome to modern day, and somehow still feels intimate and raw. Sabine would literally burn the world to see him again, and I don’t blame her one bit.
There’s so much emotion packed in these pages and that hard-earned HEA. I loved it so much. It's definitely a favorite of the year. Thank you so much to the author for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review
Sabine is a morally grey, obsessed, fierce, completely driven by love and pain. And Janus is this heart-wrenching, duty-bound god who wants nothing more than to be with her. Every time they touched, every time they had to say goodbye again, it shattered me.
This story spans thousands of years, from ancient Rome to modern day, and somehow still feels intimate and raw. Sabine would literally burn the world to see him again, and I don’t blame her one bit.
There’s so much emotion packed in these pages and that hard-earned HEA. I loved it so much. It's definitely a favorite of the year. Thank you so much to the author for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review
May 10, 2025
A spicy little novella between a human turned immortal and the god of beginnings and endings.
The FMC, Sabine, is chaos and destruction, all in the name of love/obsession. The MMC, Janus, is a god imprisoned to his godly duty, when all he wants is Sabine.
This was a fun little smutty read! Lots of spicy chapters and lots of death. If you like short stories, gods x human, and murder in the name of love - this book is for you!
Rated 3.5⭐️ (dang Goodreads lol)
The FMC, Sabine, is chaos and destruction, all in the name of love/obsession. The MMC, Janus, is a god imprisoned to his godly duty, when all he wants is Sabine.
This was a fun little smutty read! Lots of spicy chapters and lots of death. If you like short stories, gods x human, and murder in the name of love - this book is for you!
Rated 3.5⭐️ (dang Goodreads lol)
May 21, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
3 🌶️
This is the perfect little dark romantasy novella! I flew through this story, immediately captured by the forbidden love romance between the Roman God Janas and Sabine.
Janas saved Sabine almost 3,000 years ago, making her an immortal human, forging a lasting bond. However, they cannot be together since they are of different worlds. This novella shows events from the past and present and I was invested in every part of their story.
Sabine is a morally grey, fiesty FMC. This is my second book by @r.a.raineauthor and I find that I love her sassy women! Her internal thoughts in the first few chapters were cracking me up.
Janus is a dark and broody MMC, typical of a God. He pines for Sabine but also wants to protect her from being discovered by the other Gods, as it was forbidden for him to save her.
This is a great little dark star-crossed lovers romance with plenty of spice and angst. It’s a standalone as well! I haven’t read many standalone novellas but now I need to read more! It’s a great little break from long series!
Thank you @r.a.raineauthor for the arc!
3 🌶️
This is the perfect little dark romantasy novella! I flew through this story, immediately captured by the forbidden love romance between the Roman God Janas and Sabine.
Janas saved Sabine almost 3,000 years ago, making her an immortal human, forging a lasting bond. However, they cannot be together since they are of different worlds. This novella shows events from the past and present and I was invested in every part of their story.
Sabine is a morally grey, fiesty FMC. This is my second book by @r.a.raineauthor and I find that I love her sassy women! Her internal thoughts in the first few chapters were cracking me up.
Janus is a dark and broody MMC, typical of a God. He pines for Sabine but also wants to protect her from being discovered by the other Gods, as it was forbidden for him to save her.
This is a great little dark star-crossed lovers romance with plenty of spice and angst. It’s a standalone as well! I haven’t read many standalone novellas but now I need to read more! It’s a great little break from long series!
Thank you @r.a.raineauthor for the arc!
May 10, 2025
Thank you so much to R.A. Raine for the ARC of this book.
This is my first book from this author and it was amazing. In such a short time this book had be feeling all the feels! I love the way the story builds between the main characters. The FMC is a total bad ass and I love her!
If you like a witty, morally grey FMC who likes to get stabby, Roman gods, spice, and interesting characters then you’ll love this novella. It comes out in June and I HIGHLY recommend this one! So glad I took a chance on this author and will definitely be picking up more of her books soon!
This is my first book from this author and it was amazing. In such a short time this book had be feeling all the feels! I love the way the story builds between the main characters. The FMC is a total bad ass and I love her!
If you like a witty, morally grey FMC who likes to get stabby, Roman gods, spice, and interesting characters then you’ll love this novella. It comes out in June and I HIGHLY recommend this one! So glad I took a chance on this author and will definitely be picking up more of her books soon!
May 23, 2025
Thank you to the author for selecting me to arc read this book. I must say I was never one to like to read about god’s but this book was something else. It was better, it was good. I liked the story. I liked the spice and I liked how it ended. 8/10!
May 18, 2025
This was such a great short novella! I honestly wish it was longer lol definitely unleashing my new love for roman mythology in fantasy 👀
Thanks again to R.A. Raine for sending me an arc ❤️
Thanks again to R.A. Raine for sending me an arc ❤️
May 13, 2025
This was my first mythology fantasy read, and it did not disappoint. The author wrote a nice little novella about Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, falling for a mortal. He breaks all the rules of the gods by showing himself and giving her his blood to save her life, and ultimately making her immortal. However, none of the other gods can know, so the only time Sabine can ever see him is when death is involved, sometimes life. This story takes place over the course of about 3000 years, and it shows the struggles of them trying and failing to stay away from each other. I also appreciated the actual mythology in this story, like the references to the other gods, as well as a slight nod to Sabine. In mythology, there were Sabine women who Janus actually protected. Loved that! Really enjoyed this sweet, little novella! Perfect for anyone who wants a break from the heavy series reading! Definitely recommend!
July 2, 2025
“𝕬���𝖑 𝕴 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖎𝖘 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖉𝖞 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝖒𝖊, 𝖘𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖞 𝖓𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖘𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝕲𝖔𝖉𝖘 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖞’𝖑𝖑 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊.”
If you are looking for a quick, smutty, godly read with female rage?? This is it. Look no further than this book because R.A. Raine is serving it to you on a gold platter.
Sabine is a human turned immortal by the God Janus as she lay dying on the battlefield…since that day she’s been obsessed with him. Wanting him in any way she can have him…unaliving anyone she deems “bad” that crosses her path…because she k knows when she does, Janus will appear to claim their soul and she can steal a moment of his time.
Janus is equally as obsessed with Sabine but he has to keep his distance…him turning her into an immortal human is against the rules but he couldn’t let her go. And even though he knew he shouldn’t, he had to save her.
There’s a lot…a lot of smut…I love it. 🤭🤭 it’s only 150 pages so it’s the perfect quick read when you want something spicy with a bit of angst.
I’m HOPING…fingers and toes crossed…that this novella turns into more….I really really want to know more about Sabine and Janus. I want to know WHY Sabine loves Janus…we get Janus’ point of view but we don’t have Sabines and I’m itching to know. There’s a lot of plot laid down, but again, it’s a novella so it doesn’t get explored but I 10000% think that it has the groundwork for a really snaring full length book.
Please check your trigger warnings. It’s a very very dark read, and some of the topics can be very triggering. Remember, your mental health comes first, ALWAYS! Happy reading, loves X
Thank you so much to R.A. Raine for the opportunity to ARC read this novella ❤️
❤️🔥Novella
❤️🔥God MMC
❤️🔥Immortal Human FMC
❤️🔥Female Rage
❤️🔥Dark Romantasy
❤️🔥Grape (not the mc’s)
❤️🔥Morally Grey FMC
❤️🔥Violence
❤️🔥Shmurder
❤️🔥Roman Gods
❤️🔥Emotional Turmoil
❤️🔥He Breaks All the Rules For Her
❤️🔥Pregnancy Loss
❤️🔥Cheating (sort of/FMC)
❤️🔥Star Crossed Lovers
❤️🔥Love Over Millenia
If you are looking for a quick, smutty, godly read with female rage?? This is it. Look no further than this book because R.A. Raine is serving it to you on a gold platter.
Sabine is a human turned immortal by the God Janus as she lay dying on the battlefield…since that day she’s been obsessed with him. Wanting him in any way she can have him…unaliving anyone she deems “bad” that crosses her path…because she k knows when she does, Janus will appear to claim their soul and she can steal a moment of his time.
Janus is equally as obsessed with Sabine but he has to keep his distance…him turning her into an immortal human is against the rules but he couldn’t let her go. And even though he knew he shouldn’t, he had to save her.
There’s a lot…a lot of smut…I love it. 🤭🤭 it’s only 150 pages so it’s the perfect quick read when you want something spicy with a bit of angst.
I’m HOPING…fingers and toes crossed…that this novella turns into more….I really really want to know more about Sabine and Janus. I want to know WHY Sabine loves Janus…we get Janus’ point of view but we don’t have Sabines and I’m itching to know. There’s a lot of plot laid down, but again, it’s a novella so it doesn’t get explored but I 10000% think that it has the groundwork for a really snaring full length book.
Please check your trigger warnings. It’s a very very dark read, and some of the topics can be very triggering. Remember, your mental health comes first, ALWAYS! Happy reading, loves X
Thank you so much to R.A. Raine for the opportunity to ARC read this novella ❤️
❤️🔥Novella
❤️🔥God MMC
❤️🔥Immortal Human FMC
❤️🔥Female Rage
❤️🔥Dark Romantasy
❤️🔥Grape (not the mc’s)
❤️🔥Morally Grey FMC
❤️🔥Violence
❤️🔥Shmurder
❤️🔥Roman Gods
❤️🔥Emotional Turmoil
❤️🔥He Breaks All the Rules For Her
❤️🔥Pregnancy Loss
❤️🔥Cheating (sort of/FMC)
❤️🔥Star Crossed Lovers
❤️🔥Love Over Millenia
June 19, 2025
4.5 rounded up!
“All I ever want is you needy and pliant underneath me, screaming my name so the other gods can hear everything they’ll never have.”
The perfect lil Dark Romantasy novella filled with heartbreak, spice, & Roman mythology. It’s fast paced and sucks you in from the very beginning.
Sabine is a baddie (and a little unhinged, but it's fine. we love her lol) I mean, who's to say I wouldn't do the same in her shoes? Stab my loser husband to get the attention of my foine Roman God ex-lover? Easy peasy decision if you ask me 🤣
Zero complaints, other than I wish it was it was a full length novel 🥲
𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐁𝐑 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲:
❤️🔥 Star-crossed lovers
🗡️ Stabby morally grey FMC
❤️🔥 Roman God 😮💨
🗡️ Feminine Rage
❤️🔥 Spice
🗡️ Dual timeline
“All I ever want is you needy and pliant underneath me, screaming my name so the other gods can hear everything they’ll never have.”
The perfect lil Dark Romantasy novella filled with heartbreak, spice, & Roman mythology. It’s fast paced and sucks you in from the very beginning.
Sabine is a baddie (and a little unhinged, but it's fine. we love her lol) I mean, who's to say I wouldn't do the same in her shoes? Stab my loser husband to get the attention of my foine Roman God ex-lover? Easy peasy decision if you ask me 🤣
Zero complaints, other than I wish it was it was a full length novel 🥲
𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐁𝐑 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲:
❤️🔥 Star-crossed lovers
🗡️ Stabby morally grey FMC
❤️🔥 Roman God 😮💨
🗡️ Feminine Rage
❤️🔥 Spice
🗡️ Dual timeline
May 19, 2025
To Burn in Rapture is a fast burn novella dark romance.
Janus, the Roman God of beginnings and endings, has never paid much attention to the humans as they die, but for some reason, Sabine catches his attention as she lays dying, and he decides to break an important rule of being a God, and gives her just 1 drop of his blood...
Sabine, now immortal due to having the God blood, is initially thankful to the God who saved her life, but as time goes on, she only lives for the times when she gets to glimpse Janus again, which only occur during deaths. She works in various fields and wars throughout the centuries that involve death, as that is the only way that Janus appears to her on earth. She has had many men, but all she wants is Janus, the one man she cannot have.
I personally know more about the Greek Gods vs Roman, so I was really excited to read a Roman God retelling, because I haven't read one before, and had honestly never heard of Janus. I think this was a perfect novella, and dove directly into the story of Janus and Sabine. The writing is just wonderful, I could really feel/understand the pain that Sabine was dealing with, going centuries sometimes between seeing the one man she wanted the most, but could not have. The physical and emotional torture would create such a grueling existence. And the fact that no matter how bleak her life became, she could not die, and is stuck to walk the earth alone. But, Sabine is a strong woman, and decided enough was enough, if Janus wouldn't give her the time of day, she would take matters into her own hands...
It would have been equally as difficult for Janus to continue on with his Godly duties, also in love with a human woman he could not have, mainly because if any other Gods found out about her, she would probably be thrown in Tartarus. So Janus has to keep his distance.
This story is of two tortured souls....and you have to read to find out how it ends for them!
Some Fav Quotes:
"I may have called her mine, but we can never be. We are doomed to linger in the periphery of each other's lives."
"Her eyes find mine, and it's as if I'm falling down a never-ending galaxy where only she and I exist. I love so much about this creature-my human."
"If I don't consume her, she will consume me."
"Grief would take me, sucking me down deep into its despair where all I could think of was him. The one man I could never have."
"Pain is my pleasure. When you spend an eternity having your heart ripped out of your chest over and over again, how else are you meant to find joy?"
"I pick prey I inevitably kill to open a doorway for my god to enter through."
"I was trying to reform myself at the time, hoping I could be better, do better....Stop craving him. But it's impossible to stop a drug when it's already working its way through your system."
"If I could, I would serve this world to you on a platter, or I would burn everything to ash if it were in my power. Your pain brings me pain for the first time in my existence, and I have no idea what to do but bow at your feet and hope that, one day, you will forgive me. I'm yours infinitus."
"Obsessions doesn't even come close to how I feel about this woman."
Thank you so much to the author for a copy of this book!
Janus, the Roman God of beginnings and endings, has never paid much attention to the humans as they die, but for some reason, Sabine catches his attention as she lays dying, and he decides to break an important rule of being a God, and gives her just 1 drop of his blood...
Sabine, now immortal due to having the God blood, is initially thankful to the God who saved her life, but as time goes on, she only lives for the times when she gets to glimpse Janus again, which only occur during deaths. She works in various fields and wars throughout the centuries that involve death, as that is the only way that Janus appears to her on earth. She has had many men, but all she wants is Janus, the one man she cannot have.
I personally know more about the Greek Gods vs Roman, so I was really excited to read a Roman God retelling, because I haven't read one before, and had honestly never heard of Janus. I think this was a perfect novella, and dove directly into the story of Janus and Sabine. The writing is just wonderful, I could really feel/understand the pain that Sabine was dealing with, going centuries sometimes between seeing the one man she wanted the most, but could not have. The physical and emotional torture would create such a grueling existence. And the fact that no matter how bleak her life became, she could not die, and is stuck to walk the earth alone. But, Sabine is a strong woman, and decided enough was enough, if Janus wouldn't give her the time of day, she would take matters into her own hands...
It would have been equally as difficult for Janus to continue on with his Godly duties, also in love with a human woman he could not have, mainly because if any other Gods found out about her, she would probably be thrown in Tartarus. So Janus has to keep his distance.
This story is of two tortured souls....and you have to read to find out how it ends for them!
Some Fav Quotes:
"I may have called her mine, but we can never be. We are doomed to linger in the periphery of each other's lives."
"Her eyes find mine, and it's as if I'm falling down a never-ending galaxy where only she and I exist. I love so much about this creature-my human."
"If I don't consume her, she will consume me."
"Grief would take me, sucking me down deep into its despair where all I could think of was him. The one man I could never have."
"Pain is my pleasure. When you spend an eternity having your heart ripped out of your chest over and over again, how else are you meant to find joy?"
"I pick prey I inevitably kill to open a doorway for my god to enter through."
"I was trying to reform myself at the time, hoping I could be better, do better....Stop craving him. But it's impossible to stop a drug when it's already working its way through your system."
"If I could, I would serve this world to you on a platter, or I would burn everything to ash if it were in my power. Your pain brings me pain for the first time in my existence, and I have no idea what to do but bow at your feet and hope that, one day, you will forgive me. I'm yours infinitus."
"Obsessions doesn't even come close to how I feel about this woman."
Thank you so much to the author for a copy of this book!
May 17, 2025
This is an arc review
After the God Janus (mmc) the mortal woman Sabine (fmc) with a drop of her blood their hearts and souls are tied together. The blood also gave Sabine immortality which makes her wander through time, trying to deal with the mortality of others while also longing to see Janus again.
This novella jumps between different times in Sabines existence, telling of her struggle being immortal and yet not a god, which separates her from Janus and makes their love illegal. Those time jumps are clearly marked and although povs switch at times, the author also managed to make it very clear who is speaking.
The main plot was interesting and felt fresh. The time jumps made it especially fun to read, with our fmc and mmc the constant we needed to follow the story.
The authors writing style was easy to follow and captivating. Aside from the steamy scenes (I am not a fan of using all sorts of weird words you wouldn’t otherwise use) I enjoyed the way she described surroundings and wrote dialogue.
The fmc is morally grey at best. Her thoughts and decisions are often irrational, yet manipulative. I found it difficult to connect with her on any level which made it hard for me to cheer for her.
And one word of caution: there are quite a few steamy scenes. In novella this short a total of 5 spicy chapters were a bit too much for my taste.
All in all a fast moving novella with a solid plot that didn’t quite hit home for me - but it might do just that for you!
After the God Janus (mmc) the mortal woman Sabine (fmc) with a drop of her blood their hearts and souls are tied together. The blood also gave Sabine immortality which makes her wander through time, trying to deal with the mortality of others while also longing to see Janus again.
This novella jumps between different times in Sabines existence, telling of her struggle being immortal and yet not a god, which separates her from Janus and makes their love illegal. Those time jumps are clearly marked and although povs switch at times, the author also managed to make it very clear who is speaking.
The main plot was interesting and felt fresh. The time jumps made it especially fun to read, with our fmc and mmc the constant we needed to follow the story.
The authors writing style was easy to follow and captivating. Aside from the steamy scenes (I am not a fan of using all sorts of weird words you wouldn’t otherwise use) I enjoyed the way she described surroundings and wrote dialogue.
The fmc is morally grey at best. Her thoughts and decisions are often irrational, yet manipulative. I found it difficult to connect with her on any level which made it hard for me to cheer for her.
And one word of caution: there are quite a few steamy scenes. In novella this short a total of 5 spicy chapters were a bit too much for my taste.
All in all a fast moving novella with a solid plot that didn’t quite hit home for me - but it might do just that for you!
May 11, 2025
To Burn in Rapture may be a short novella, but it’s rich with emotional resonance and layered storytelling. Perfect for readers who love emotionally intense, morally complex stories in a compact format.
It was a welcome shift to see the main female character portrayed with complexity and moral ambiguity. Sabine’s inner world is vivid, and her yearning for transformation feels deeply human and relatable.
Janus carries his own pain with quiet intensity. The tension between what he desires and what feels possible is palpable, and beautifully explored.
When they reconnect, it’s less about traditional romance and more about two fierce, complicated souls igniting, together, they burn brighter than any flame.
Though brief, this story doesn’t shy away from darkness. It embraces it, makes space for it, and weaves it into something powerfully compelling. I found it deeply satisfying.
I received an ARC of this story, but this review reflects my genuine thoughts and was shared voluntarily.
It was a welcome shift to see the main female character portrayed with complexity and moral ambiguity. Sabine’s inner world is vivid, and her yearning for transformation feels deeply human and relatable.
Janus carries his own pain with quiet intensity. The tension between what he desires and what feels possible is palpable, and beautifully explored.
When they reconnect, it’s less about traditional romance and more about two fierce, complicated souls igniting, together, they burn brighter than any flame.
Though brief, this story doesn’t shy away from darkness. It embraces it, makes space for it, and weaves it into something powerfully compelling. I found it deeply satisfying.
I received an ARC of this story, but this review reflects my genuine thoughts and was shared voluntarily.
June 3, 2025
This one’s a fast-paced, steamy read—perfect for when you’re on the go and craving something intense and emotionally charged. It leans hard into the smut (no complaints here 😏), so if you’re in the mood for heat over depth, it delivers. This book is inspire by the Roman mythology which is a bonus for me.
Still, I found myself wanting more story—especially when it came to their daughter. Also, I would have like just one heartfelt scene where Janus listens to Sabine's adventures. It would’ve added so much more depth and connection. I was definitely craving that emotional beat.
That said… I really liked the main character. She’s fierce, independent, and totally owns her power. 💥 And the fact that he would’ve done anything for her? Obsessed. 🖤
If you’re into dark romance with a badass female lead and unapologetic spice, this is one to add to your TBR.
Thank you R. A Raine for sending me this ARC! It was an amazing experience 💖💖
Still, I found myself wanting more story—especially when it came to their daughter. Also, I would have like just one heartfelt scene where Janus listens to Sabine's adventures. It would’ve added so much more depth and connection. I was definitely craving that emotional beat.
That said… I really liked the main character. She’s fierce, independent, and totally owns her power. 💥 And the fact that he would’ve done anything for her? Obsessed. 🖤
If you’re into dark romance with a badass female lead and unapologetic spice, this is one to add to your TBR.
Thank you R. A Raine for sending me this ARC! It was an amazing experience 💖💖
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2025
Okayyyy this was a blazing-fast novella - these fools obsessed with each other but this stubborn god is out here edging himself with his refusal to stay with the human he turned immortal (naughty, naughty, that’s against the rules!) She’s desperate for this mf and he rolls up every few centuries (once she figures out how to “call” on him), they spend a short time together, and he dips again. The story bounces back and forth across almost 3,000 years between 752 BC to present day. Mostly told from Sabine’s POV, but Janus has a few chapters sprinkled in. This shit is tragic, and romantic, and happy, and then sad again, and wrapping up with a HEA. Remember, this shit is a novella, so she moves REAL quick lol.
This is my first book by this author, and I’ll definitely be checking her backlog! Thank you to the author for the gifted advance copy! This sucker releases 6/1/25.
This is my first book by this author, and I’ll definitely be checking her backlog! Thank you to the author for the gifted advance copy! This sucker releases 6/1/25.
May 14, 2025
The writing was done very well! & the story was unique.
But I didn’t connect well to the characters. It seemed a bit rush, which I get it’s a novella, but I think if you had less things happening over long periods of time within a small number of pages and slowed it down, I would have enjoyed it a bit more. It seemed too centered around the spicy moments and less about the actual story. Which I get it’s meant to be spicy but some scenes were a bit too much for my liking.
And for those reasons I gave it 3 stars.
I do think people would enjoy this read. As I said before the writing was phenomenal. It’s was easy to read. And what I may not have liked, other readers may love! It’s personal preference, and from the ratings so many people love this book. So please give it a try and don’t let my rating persuade you other wise.🥰
But I didn’t connect well to the characters. It seemed a bit rush, which I get it’s a novella, but I think if you had less things happening over long periods of time within a small number of pages and slowed it down, I would have enjoyed it a bit more. It seemed too centered around the spicy moments and less about the actual story. Which I get it’s meant to be spicy but some scenes were a bit too much for my liking.
And for those reasons I gave it 3 stars.
I do think people would enjoy this read. As I said before the writing was phenomenal. It’s was easy to read. And what I may not have liked, other readers may love! It’s personal preference, and from the ratings so many people love this book. So please give it a try and don’t let my rating persuade you other wise.🥰
May 25, 2025
This was a fast paced novella that I read in one sitting! I knew it was a novella before I started reading it but I don’t think I knew just how much I would love these characters and want more of their story. I loved getting to see the love of Sabine and Janus blossom over the centuries. This was everything that person might want in a novella. Our FMC knows what she wants and is willing to do what it takes to get it, even if it is a little morally grey. Our MMC just wants to protect and love our FMC, He does this in the only way that he know. With this being a novella, I don’t want to say too much and ruin it for you. If you like Roman God inspired stories, then you should definitely give this a read!
May 10, 2025
Solid 4 stars. For being ~100 pages, I was invested in the relationship, and this could easily be expanded into a 400-500 page standalone. Because it is so short, everything gets wrapped up really quickly, which is a tad unsatisfying, but that's only because I would have liked to have more time with the characters.
Sabine is as amoral as you'd expect for someone who has lived ~3000 years. I always feel like it makes no sense that truly immortal people who still care about short-lived humans, so her attitude feels more real than a lot of other scenarios like this.
The spice was spicin', too.
Sabine is as amoral as you'd expect for someone who has lived ~3000 years. I always feel like it makes no sense that truly immortal people who still care about short-lived humans, so her attitude feels more real than a lot of other scenarios like this.
The spice was spicin', too.
June 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This novella is about the obsession between Sabina, a human made immortal, and Janus, the God of Endings and Beginnings, and their inability to truly be together over millennia. It’s a quick read and I found myself wanting more details and character/world building. But I think that this need for more from the story parallels to how Sabina is feeling, when she cannot get enough of the little that Janus is giving her. Whether the author meant to write it this way, I think it’s a cool parallel between the readers and Sabina both wanting more but Janus is only giving glimpses of himself when he is actually preset. Very interesting concept.
This novella is about the obsession between Sabina, a human made immortal, and Janus, the God of Endings and Beginnings, and their inability to truly be together over millennia. It’s a quick read and I found myself wanting more details and character/world building. But I think that this need for more from the story parallels to how Sabina is feeling, when she cannot get enough of the little that Janus is giving her. Whether the author meant to write it this way, I think it’s a cool parallel between the readers and Sabina both wanting more but Janus is only giving glimpses of himself when he is actually preset. Very interesting concept.
May 13, 2025
I was excited about this novella as I love ancient mythology and hadn't read any books that focus on Roman rather than Greek versions of the gods.
For me personally this fell a little flat though. Between the time jumps and the quick pacing a novella requires, I found it hard to connect with either Sabine or Janus or care about their relationship. I also wanted more world building in the parts that took place in the past. The scenes in the present felt more fleshed out.
For those looking for just a quick romance between two very morally gray characters with a few unique twists this could definitely be a good time.
Thanks to R.A. Raine for the ARC!
For me personally this fell a little flat though. Between the time jumps and the quick pacing a novella requires, I found it hard to connect with either Sabine or Janus or care about their relationship. I also wanted more world building in the parts that took place in the past. The scenes in the present felt more fleshed out.
For those looking for just a quick romance between two very morally gray characters with a few unique twists this could definitely be a good time.
Thanks to R.A. Raine for the ARC!
May 12, 2025
even though this book is a novella, it is still such a captivating story. it draws you in from the very beginning. the storyline between sabine and janus is so good and the author keeps you wanting more! human turned immortal by a greek god who then become obsessed with each other. i absolutely loved this story. thank you R.A. Raine for letting me a ARC reader. i can’t wait to read more of your stories!
May 16, 2025
I am so lucky to have been chosen as an ARC for @r.a.raineauthor ‘s To Burn In Rapture. A novella that has you hooked on page 1! The story jumps back and forth through 2 POVs and thousands of years but keeps you flipping the page wanting more. There are TWs but nothing detailed or graphic and it is a “spicy” read but doesn’t overpower the storyline. Very well written and so glad I was able to read it! #bookstagram #bookreview #loveyourlibrary #readersgonnaread #booknerd #pagesandprimrose
June 7, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5
I really enjoyed this story of Sabine & Janus, it’s a very quick read but it’s got a decent amount of plot and just the right amount of spice.
Sabine, found by Janus going through a traumatic experience, is given blood by Janus and left with immortal life but stuck on earth.
Janus will only appear around death, so Janus over many centuries, lives a human life, human interactions, relationships, whilst sticking around death in hopes of seeing Janus.
Their relationship changes over time and things get tough for Sabine.
I’ll happily read any extra content about the pair ☺️
🌶️.5
I really enjoyed this story of Sabine & Janus, it’s a very quick read but it’s got a decent amount of plot and just the right amount of spice.
Sabine, found by Janus going through a traumatic experience, is given blood by Janus and left with immortal life but stuck on earth.
Janus will only appear around death, so Janus over many centuries, lives a human life, human interactions, relationships, whilst sticking around death in hopes of seeing Janus.
Their relationship changes over time and things get tough for Sabine.
I’ll happily read any extra content about the pair ☺️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2025
This book was really good! Very short so I was able to finish it in about an hour and a half. I love how Sabine and Janus were finally able to be together after so long of only seeing each other every 100 years or so. The spicy scenes hit and the plot was good. I really appreciate R.A. Raine for giving me the opportunity to ARC read this book. Now I need to go read more of her work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2025
This is a short dirty Novella! This is my first read by R.A. Raine and it won't be my last.
This book is about a God who saves a human! Janus first meets Sabine 3,000 years ago where he saves her life by giving her some of his blood. He never felt one way or another about humans until her.
I liked how this book followed Sabine through the centuries. While she has married and had other relationships she has always wanted Janus. You could feel in the writing how much they cared for each other. Wait until you see how she ends these relationships...lol. What will she do to see her god again? There is child loss if that is a trigger for you also.
I would recommend this book if you like mythology! I was able to finish this pretty quickly.
This book is about a God who saves a human! Janus first meets Sabine 3,000 years ago where he saves her life by giving her some of his blood. He never felt one way or another about humans until her.
I liked how this book followed Sabine through the centuries. While she has married and had other relationships she has always wanted Janus. You could feel in the writing how much they cared for each other. Wait until you see how she ends these relationships...lol. What will she do to see her god again? There is child loss if that is a trigger for you also.
I would recommend this book if you like mythology! I was able to finish this pretty quickly.
May 13, 2025
4⭐️
🌶
First, I would like to thank the author, R.A. Raine, for allowing me to tag this ARC.
This novella was captivating from the start. Janus, a God, found Sabine dying in the years Before Christ (BC) and made her immortal. Sabine will do anything to be able to see her God again 🔥🔥
This kept my attention and made me want to keep reading it. I loved the aspect of this story and would LOVE to read more about Janus and Sabine.
🌶
First, I would like to thank the author, R.A. Raine, for allowing me to tag this ARC.
This novella was captivating from the start. Janus, a God, found Sabine dying in the years Before Christ (BC) and made her immortal. Sabine will do anything to be able to see her God again 🔥🔥
This kept my attention and made me want to keep reading it. I loved the aspect of this story and would LOVE to read more about Janus and Sabine.
May 21, 2025
Thank you R.A. Raine for the arc read
This was enjoyable. The plot and characters were interesting. There was spice, love, heartbreak, and a bit of darkness. The writing was done well, too. I know it's a novella, but I feel like I needed a little more.
Overall, it was good.
This was enjoyable. The plot and characters were interesting. There was spice, love, heartbreak, and a bit of darkness. The writing was done well, too. I know it's a novella, but I feel like I needed a little more.
Overall, it was good.
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