“He may be the big bad villain in my story. Too bad, he doesn’t know just how villainous I am.”
Rosalie
Matches are made in heaven Except mine was custom made in hell. Scorched in the flames of hate, sown in the seed of deception and cursed with a life of doom. A piece of paper I signed at sixteen and I was betrothed to him. Nova D’Cruz. The Heir to the Cruz Empire. The son of my family’s biggest rival and enemy. Now, my arranged husband. Villainous. Manipulative. Vindictive. He vowed to make me burn for eternity. Little does he know, I’ve been burnt long before he touched me.
Nova
I never wanted a wife. Period. Certainly not a girl who roamed like she’s the devil’s own child in all her black glory. Until my father declared I was to marry her and end the decade long rivalry between our families. Rosalie Kapoor. Exquisitely stunning. Fiery. A bloody thorn in my side. Nevertheless, I wasn’t deterred. My plan was to marry her, right the wrongs done and get my revenge. Then divorce her to pick up the tattered remains of her life. But then she got under my skin. With her fire. With her vengeful pranks. With every insult. Especially her resistance to not bend to my will. And all my plans went to hell. Until a single vow remained, to make her bow… and keep her.
Please Note: This is the second installment in the arranged games series. It is a steamy, medium to high burn contemporary billionaire romance with a morally grey antihero and an equally sassy heroine. NO CHEATING. HEA. Although, it is not required to read the series in order. However, it is recommended to read the first book for better enjoyment.
I wanted to DNF around the 50% mark but felt like I invested too much time…at that point Rosalie’s emotions felt repetitive with very little growth. She has very little growth overall in the book while Nova is a far more dynamic and enjoyable character. I did enjoy the twist towards the end however Rosalie’s reaction to his justified reaction at the end of the book didn’t sit right with me. The betrayal on both sides led to horrible consequences and i didn’t see the need to make him grovel or go down the self pity and self loathing route while she made herself the victim. I loved the first book with Bianca and Dash and it remains a favorite this one just didn’t do it for me.
Ok first of all why tf is this book over 800 pages? Not to mention the first 200 pages were just backstory and was also the only good part of this book. It was so dragged out and boring after the wedding. like how and why did Nova do a complete 180? One second he hated her and wanted to kill her and the moment they kissed at the wedding he was in love with her?? Also Rosalie is portrayed as some badass rebellious person when really she just acts like a stupid 15yo? Fucking one of his best friends???? You could have chose ANYONE ELSE?? And running off to Vegas and doing body shots and shit AFTER her and nova are basically together and then not even 3 days later running off to go cheat AGAIN and then when Nova revealed himself shes mad at him and calling him a liar and asshole?? You've been literally been cheating on him? Hello? I get before the marriage they barely saw each other and didnt really care about each other BUT WHY AFTER YALL R ACTUALLY TRYING TO MAKE THE MARRIAGE WORK?? And why is Nova always the one apologizing? Like did Rosalie apologize a single time besides that one chapter in this entire book like Istg the author just needed a reason for Nova to grovel. And speaking of Nova, he had no personality this entire book the only thing we got from him was his dick being hard for Rosalie’s piercings. They both were extremely immature, and this book had no real plot or action even the smut was repetitive and boring. Waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
WOW! This is what enemies to lovers in an arranged marriage looks like. Nova & Rosa did not disappoint! I know I have written before, that every time I get teasers and get to know bits of the book before the book's release, I get disappointed when I actually read it. That was not the case when I read this book. I felt the tension between them, and the ending before the HEA was completely unexpected! The plot twists were everything, and it was so heartwarming to see Nova & Rosa open up and trust each other, as well as feeling them fall in love.
I am in awe. 800 pages, the real shit only goes down on maybe the last 70 pages but it was still so fucking good from start to finish. Damn. I want me a Nova myself, or maybe a Dash? I think both.
Why did it take 20 pages to figure out this was set in INDIA. Why are the INDIAN characters named Nova, Rosalie and D’Cruz? It’s like the author was trying to create a mafia Romeo and Juliette but set in India. Descriptions of the characters was also very spotty, one time Nova described her skin as pale but then a little later also brown.
On the other hand I loved the very few Indian cultural moments like the weddings, some of the outfits and the few mentions of food.
Another annoyance was once they introduced sex into the book that’s all it became for dozens and dozens of pages, it got boring.
I will say there were several moments where the writing and the banter and the sweet moments were really nice and I enjoyed it. There were also times when it felt like low quality wattpad and I could barely push through.
The manipulation throughout the book from Nova made me roll my eyes but I understood the author was just trying to be dramatic with the dark romance theming.
The twist at the end was pretty good but could have happened 200 pages sooner. The drama did surprise me but I wish we could have seen how the news of her parentage affected Jasmine. The confrontation with Rosalie’s mother was over too quickly, she should have had to hear every piece of abuse Rosalie suffered bc of her and then one little apology and she’s forgiven? It felt rushed.
I like that Rosalie didn’t get back with Nova instantly but took time to heal and then slowly let him force his way back into her life.
Will I read another book from this author? No Do I wish I had never read this book? Also no.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Just don’t It’s just arranged marriage - it’s forced so let’s get this right Second there’s cheating in the book. I stopped reading after 40% because of how repetitive the banter got. Not sure if they ever shaped Nova actually cheating but it was shown several times that rose was. All because she assumed he was also. Only liked Miya tbh
They aren’t not late 20 year old - they are still 15. So ya it got annoying. This is the first book I read from the author and I’m hearing dash and Bianca book is better but I am confused Isn’t the book based in India? Why is everyone’s name so western?
I really wanted to like this book more. I loved Nova he had so much growth through the whole book and I ended up just waiting for his POV. Rosalie didn’t seem to grow much and parts of her personality were very hypocritical and unlike able. Over all I feel like the plot was great and I liked all the twists. This probably would have been a 4 star read for me if it wasn’t for the ending. Her betrayal felt so much deeper and more disgusting. And his smaller betrayal in retaliation wasn’t that big of a deal to me and should have been revealed anyways. But then for the author to behave as if she was perfect and make him the bad guy was not okay. She made him grovel and wait for a whole year for a basically nothing compared to what she did to him. When I first got to her betrayal I thought the book was going to be her earning him back and I was so excited to read a book like that (I don’t know if I ever have) but this was unjustified and didn’t make sense with the overall plot.
Loved Nova. Rosalie needed more self reflection.
Bianca really bothered me at the end in how she treated Nova as well. All of her friends seemed to behave like Rosalie didn’t just betray him for 8 years and then claim she never loved him. That was cold and he deserved more. Not sure I can read another book in this series but that’s just me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
WOW!! This book was everything! It had major plot twists, betrayal, love, hate! It was amazing! This book sucked me in and I dove right in from the beginning. The story kept building and building and never stopped. A true masterpiece! The raw love/hate between Nova and Rose was off the charts! I cried at the end this story was gut wrenching! I loved every minute of it and I went through a myriad of emotions while reading it! I couldn't put it down!!
This one was a harder review to write. I loved the premise of the book, arranged marriage/ enemies to lovers/ suspense... some of my favorite tropes. Unfortunately, everything I loved was overshadowed by a book that was just way too long for me.
The MMC was definitely a 5 star book boyfriend... we had, who did this to you, touch her and I'll unalive you, and the banter was so much fun! The FMC was also a fun character to read! She was strong, independent, and knew exactly what she wanted!
There is some great world building and some amazing scenes in the book that I'm glad were as long as they were, but it got a little repetitive and there were a few plot likes that could have been removed without impacting the overall story!
Overall, this book has a few scenes that have been favorites (seriously so so good) but at just under 800 pages, it is definitely an investment.
The banter was really good, but calling a woman a slut because she has erotic needs are a no go, the same with the many miscommunications.
I loved the first part a lot but the last half was by my opinion bad. It was refreshing though that it took him a year to get her back, instead of one conversation like most books.
When tell you the last 15% of the book is a roller coaster 🎢it’s a roller coaster. I love Nova he’s just amazing but clearly has some flaws.
I do not like that Nova had to be the one to apologize what happened in the end when Rose had a major part of it by standing by her dad. Like the betrayal 😒. After the I love yous moment that was just mean and cruel. She could have told him what was happening, it wasn’t like she got threatened a day ahead and didn’t have time to tell him. Nova always said he will protect his wife. So why didn’t she tell him, at that point she trusted him and loved him. He proved that he wanted to have this marriage work.
This was going to be a 5 until the and since it took a while to read this I’m giving it a 3.5
Also there’s no cheating at all. It does seem like there is cheating but it gets explained later in the story.
i wanted it to make a habit to not rate or review a book if i hated it, but i'll make an exception because of how horrible this book is. -Nova and Rose have been an arranged engagement for 10years but hate each other -Nova is a manwhore who doesn't respect their engagement. and slept around before Nova. - so Rose says hell with it if he's cheating then i'll also lose my virginity to someone else, then she picks Malcom aka Nova's roomate to sleep with in a sex party. - at the end of the book we find out that Malcom was actually Nova, he lied to Rose about his identity and basically sexually assaulted by making her believe he was someone else when he KNEW she hated him and would have NEVER slept with him otherwise. the development of their relationship gave me whiplash, one minute they hate each other then bam after the wedding they're so lovey dovey and infatuated. where did this change come from?
I was so entertained ngl. The banter/back and forth between nova and Rosaline had me hooked. The plot was fun and a lot of drama. Plot twist got me. A lot of spice
What a stupid f***ing book, I am legitimately over booktok recommending the most abhorrent books. This book is EIGHT HUNDRED PAGES AND NINETY-ONE CHAPTERS!!! Over and over and OVER we hear the same childish and disturbed actions of deeply broken and traumatized individuals. Nova and Rosalie need psychiatric evaluations and mental health resources STAT. I couldn’t stand Rose’s character (not that Nova was any better). She wasn’t fooling anyone, she was a spoiled dimwitted naïve woman. The fact she actually f***ed Nova multiple times throughout the years but wasn’t able to put two and two together that she was having s*x with the same man is WILD. Like girl… you honestly think every man in the world is 6’4, Indian, and has a TEN INCH PEEN PEEN?!? Like come onnnnn, give me a break. Even if he took the piercing out every year during their little fetish romp, there’s no way a woman with basic common sense wouldn’t be able to figure things out. I read over 600 pages of dribble before plot twists were shoved down my throat. And my god the end of the book was total trash. I skimmed the last five chapters in an angry haze. I’ll close with one more remark: of all the cringe romance phrases I’ve read, “our mouths mate” takes the cake.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Dnfed very long too detailed First off, this book had too many twists while a good thing it became boring. It was well written but the amount of twists and detailing. Second, the misunderstanding, the need for validation i think rose could have told nova about all of this when she aaw he cared but she chose to be stubborn. While i liked she was independent it became too much. I know it’s fiction but even that has limits. Apparently mihir kept her uncle alive just to torture her. Still don’t understand why did he like jasmine more than rose. Third, i dnfed it but then read the end and it was yet another twist mihir kills nova’s mom rose finally fights her father and not nova who was actually on her side. Still too much for me but you may enjoy it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Nova... my man, my man, my man Let's talk about it, because the way he got a kindle for all their cars???!!!!! or getting Ro the plot of land for her shelter?!!!? this man was OBSESSED with her. I also cannot believe that he created a whole club for her to play out her fantasies. Still not she how she didn't recognize him over the years. CRAZZZZZY
this was so fun and had so much drama
i full on GASPED when it was revealed about Jasmine
also Ro is such an arsonist LOL
did this have to be over 800 pages tho (on kindle)
not sure how Iris' book will play out... will it be with nathan or...???? Kian??? also are malcom and miya getting a book or what
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Two stupid characters. Just two perverts having s*x for the rest of the book. Rose is so dumb it is frightening. The two characters are very badly balanced. And the story is too boring, there's nothing going on except smut. The book is too long for anything and too many scenes. What a waste of time. Booktok when I catch you Booktok. 🔫
❤️Arranged Marriage 🔥 Enemies to Lovers ❤️ Billionaire Romance 🔥 Rival Families ❤️ Romantic Suspense 🔥 Forced Proximity ❤️ Primal/Mask Play 🔥 Groveling ❤️ Steamy and Kinky 🔥Possessive, Dirty Talking OTT Hero.
Star: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.25 Spice: 🌶️🌶️
"Hateful Games" by Simran is a riveting dark romance that immerses readers in a world of rivalry, deception, and intense passion. The story of Rosalie Kapoor and Nova D’Cruz, who are forced into an arranged marriage to end a decade-long family feud, is marked by searing tension and complex emotions, making it a compelling read for fans of the genre.
Rosalie is introduced as a strong, fiery character who has been scarred by her past and the circumstances surrounding her betrothal. Her marriage to Nova is portrayed as a sentence rather than a union, a pact that fuels her resentment and determination to resist him. Rosalie's strength and resilience are captivating, providing a robust counterpoint to Nova's initial portrayal as a ruthless, manipulative heir intent on exacting revenge.
Nova D’Cruz, burdened by his own legacy and family expectations, approaches the marriage with cold calculation. He plans to use Rosalie as a pawn in his schemes, only to find himself drawn to her fiery spirit and unwavering resistance. Nova’s character development is intriguing, as his intentions gradually shift from vindictive to genuinely conflicted, revealing layers of vulnerability beneath his hardened exterior.
The dynamic between Rosalie and Nova is electric, characterized by a series of vengeful pranks, heated exchanges, and moments of unexpected tenderness. Their evolving relationship is a testament to Simran's ability to craft multifaceted characters whose interactions are as explosive as they are intimate. The push and pull between the protagonists keep the readers on edge, eager to see how their story unfolds.
Simran's writing vividly captures the intensity of the protagonists' emotions and the high stakes of their situation. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of tension with deeper character exploration. The backdrop of family rivalry adds an extra layer of complexity, highlighting the protagonists' struggle to reconcile their inherited animosities with their growing personal connection.
"Hateful Games" delves into themes of power, revenge, and redemption, challenging the characters to confront their deepest fears and desires. Rosalie and Nova's journey is one of transformation, where hate and love intermingle, and where the boundaries between the two blur in the face of undeniable chemistry.
Overall, "Hateful Games" is a dark and enthralling romance that captivates with its intense character dynamics and gripping storyline. Simran masterfully weaves a tale of love born from hate, making this novel a must-read for those who enjoy stories of passion, conflict, and ultimate redemption.
I’m a beast let out of his cage, hungry and primal to claim her for forever this time.
I went into this completely blind and not having read the first book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a big book, at 700 something pages, but it honestly didn't feel like it was, I could probably read another 700 pages and not get bored! A mixture of emotional characters and in-depth plot, it was perfectly balanced, allowing us to feel completely immersed in the story and connected to the characters. Rosalie and Nova were divine, battling the push and pull between them with a strong resentment, I couldn't see if they would get a happy ending, making it more enjoyable! Overall this was an awesome read and I will be adding the author to my auto-buy list for sure!
What To Expect: ⨳ MF Dark Romance ⨳ Arranged Marriage ⨳ Rival Families ⨳ Forced Proximity ⨳ Strong FMC ⨳ Hate to Love
Our marriage will never be a traditional one with meaningful vows. Till death do us part will be till one of us kills.
❤︎ ARC provided in exchange for an honest review ❤︎