Dark Game

Dangerous Duets #2

by H.H. Knotty

When RJ Cage crashed into my life, he changed everything. He hurt me in ways that I will never forget, but despite the hurt, he won my love. When it ended, it shattered me. I vowed to forget the man that imploded my world and stole my heart.
But I can’t…
From the moment I saw Dove Dexter, she captured me. When I finally made her mine, I knew there was no one else for me. But my life is too dangerous, too filled with darkness and destruction.
So I pushed her away.
But months have passed and I still can’t get Dove out of my system. I want her back, yet how can I protect her from a man who thrives on pain and control?
The same villain who tore us apart the first time doesn’t seem content with the broken pieces of my life. He wants to remake them into his image, another game piece in his endless quest towards power and influence.
Delve into a world of heartbreak, vengeance, and rekindled love. The only way out is to play the game, but RJ and Dove soon learn that love may be the deadliest play of all.

Genres: Sports

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2025

Reviews

[RomanceReaderExtraordinaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great conclusion to the story of RJ and Dove. HH Knotty left us on a cliffhanger with book one, and book two delivered! If you like angst, spice and heart, definitely check this book out. 👏🏾👏🏾

[CLorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

When readers reeled away from Dark Dance by H.H. Knotty, we were confused and hurt. Against common sense, optics and self-preservation, Dove had allowed RJ into the quiet spaces of her life and soul, accepting his unexpected love and devotion as truth. When without warning, he callously relegated their connection to almost at best, a simple fling, or at worst, an experiment in dating diversity Dove is understandably devastated. When the next book in the series, Dark Game, opens Dove and RJ are apart and miserable. We now understand that RJ was sacrificing his happiness and his mental health to ensure that Dove is safe and not on his father’s vile radar! Dove has taken measures to stay away from RJ, specifically, spending the summer in California and once she is back on campus, she navigates so that they are almost never in the same place. RJ and Dove are visibly and viscerally altered, separately in agony and just going through the motions of living. How long will it be before RJ caves and explains his actions or Dove really examines their break and comes to understand that nothing in their final confrontation that RJ hurled at her made sense? For her readers’ peace of mind, H. H. Knotty soon puts not only us but RJ and Dove out of our collective misery. Now the reunited pair must take on the real elephant/villain in the room and try to outsmart RJ’s father and that will not be an easy feat given his penchant for true and unrelenting evil. With much higher stakes in this book, our author certainly increased the levels of tension and stress; after all, their hearts were only in danger in the first installment, now they could very well lose their lives! This book is truly excellent, even better than the first one and I sincerely hope that some of the secondary characters end up with their own stories, especially Will, Raven and the morally gray Indra.
Favorite Lines:
My beautiful blond monster edges his way toward me as people move to and fro in the ballroom.
But he underestimated our connection. That was his first mistake.
All I deserve from her is malice. All I crave is mercy.
If you run into him in town, just be chill, girl. Show him what an idiot he was. And then just walk away.
I just want you to make me forget for little while how much you hurt me.
She’s seen me at my worse and still, she lets me near her.
It is this sense of oneness, like our bodies are both key and lock.
You are the greatest gift I have never earned.
https://theretiredreader.com/f/dark-g...

[Nonagesimus Reads [Em] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so sad this duology is done, but it was so great! I was blessed to have an arc and be part of the street team - thank you so much to the author! But seriously - this was such a great book! I loved the growth between RJ and Dove after what happened. I was worried they would not reconcile, but it turned out so well. Dove is so strong and her love for RJ is so strong. They both work together so well despite the differences they have to work through. I felt like this one wasn’t quite as dark, but it didn’t take away from my entertainment! I can’t wait for more from this author!

[Edijana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wild amazing ride

So. Freaking. Amazing. RJ is so perfect it hurts. And Dove the perfect FMC👌🏿🙌🏿Definitely one of the best I’ve ever read!

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable

I’m not one to get annoyed by the predictability of romance typically but this was just… I saw it coming before I even opened the book. what I was hoping for most was actual groveling and for RJ to express like genuine remorse other than just like pining. so I was pretty disappointed from the beginning with the way they started and everything after that was just confirming what I expected to happen so it wasn’t really all that enjoyable to read, but I finished it anyway. Uber abusive father as the catalyst for the darkness in the MMC as a trope is not my favorite just because they paint the dad to be so powerful and unbeatable , and then the ending is always anticlimactic on how they out smart him.

[Keya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Game is the brilliant conclusion to Dark Dance and this book does not disappoint. From the start of this book grabs you, captures your attention and does not let you go until the absolute end. I love the growth of both characters in this book. Dove the FMC is still finding her strength, but also doesn’t realize how strong she actually is. She is completely honest with herself and is not playing any games about what she will and will not tolerate from RJ. RJ the MMC is still a work in progress but the reader can see the differences in him from the first book versus now. He is honest and he knows that he needs to take charge of his own life versus being a pawn and a puppet for his father. I definitely recommend this

[SanLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great follow up to Dark Dance. The action and the relationship development was top tier. So much to love about this book.

Dark Game picks up a few weeks after the events of Dark Dance. It's essential to read Dark Dance first and Dark Dance is such a great read as well. Dove and RJ have been broken up but it's about time to move back in to university for RJ's Senior season and Dove's Sophmore season.

I was a little surprised by how quickly H.H. Knotty got RJ and Dove back together but it was really great move. Especially with the added stakes of RJ confessing to Dove exactly why he broke up with her so brutally at the end of book one.

I won't go too much more into the plot because it would be spoilery but RJ and Dove's deepening relationship set amidst the tense familial relationship RJ is dealing with added such a great depth of feeling and drama to the book.

The climax was so well earned and I loved the flash forward to end the book. H.H. Knotty has become one of my new favorite authors and I'm really looking forward to reading additional books by her in 2026.

Happy New Year!

[Michelle Dehnel-Snavely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defo Recommend!!

Holy crap!! The only other book I've devoured like this was Dark Dance (the first one Hope wrote). This book was so incredibly intense, I think I forgot to breathe a couple times while reading it. 🤷‍♀️ I tried sooooo hard to make the book stretch out because I didn't want it to end. The writing style is to die for: the words sometimes overbearing and sometimes sweet, the ending such a crazy twist you don't see it coming. But when you get to the ending that you've been dreading reaching because it means the story is over, you will not be disappointed in the slightest. Can't wait to see what other brain goblins comebout of this author's noggin in the future!!

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVED the first book. It was so good. But this book wasn’t really that great tbh. Very predictable and just kind of boring. I skimmed through a lot of the book. Also, RJ should have put in way more work to get her back. I wish there was more accountability on RJs part on what he put her through. And I wish we could have learned more about RJ in the epilogue. Like did he play in the NHL, even though it was implied since he stayed in Denver.