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Burned by Sin

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Rhys Waversea is holding a lit match to a can of gasoline, and Clayton Michaels is no longer standing in his way.

The plan was simple. Infiltrate my father’s empire and watch it crumble from the inside. Waversea Academy was never meant to last, it was just another playground to poison with my hatred. And for a while, it worked. I made sure everyone who thought they belonged here tasted the same misery I was born into.

But Harper wasn’t a part of that plan. She wasn’t supposed to matter. Somehow, she peeled back every layer I built to survive, carved her name into the ruins of who I used to be, and left me exposed. I got what I wanted, I should be celebrating. Instead, I’m spiraling, locked in a war with my own mind. The thrill is gone, the high’s worn off, and now I’m left hollow and alone.

Still, she haunts me. My dreams are plagued by her voice, one sentence on repeat which cuts deeper than any blade. “Rhys Waversea is nothing, and he knows it.”

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2025

136 people are currently reading
99 people want to read

About the author

Maddison Cole

39 books632 followers
Maddison Cole is a married mum of two, and a serial daydreamer. As a huge fan of fantasy romance novels for the past 7 years, she has finally decided to put pen to paper (finger to keyboard doesn't sound as poetic) and begin to write her own.

As a child, life was moving around the UK and a short stint in the Caribbean, before Maddison has found herself back in the south east of England where she is now happily settled. With a double award in applied arts and an A-level in art history, Maddison is just your average musical-loving, Disney-obsessed, jive-dancing woman with a dark passion for steamy fantasy books.

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5 stars
187 (59%)
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96 (30%)
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26 (8%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
Profile Image for ashlee ❤.
1,925 reviews104 followers
November 19, 2025
Harper, Clayton, + Rhys

-dark academia bully romance
-forced proximity
-bad boy + golden retriever jocks
-hate to want > lust to love > whychoose
-rivals & jealous/possessive mmcs
-deaf girl representation

wellll we sure are getting somewhere haha the guys dynamic is still fun & entertaining mostly haha but offf courseee....they had to go & ruin it!! lets hope they can get their shit together quickly!! stupid boys!!
Profile Image for Bailey (Myveinsbleedink).
462 reviews12 followers
December 12, 2025
Book 2 of the War at Waversea where we are in a whirlwind of chaos with Rhys, Clayton & Harper. There is a lot of back and forth in this instalment but I can confidently say that this book is for Rhys and him to prove who he truly is for Harper. I absolutely love the dynamic between the 3, how each one has a special relationship with Harper and they complete her when together. Clay & Rhys are constantly at odds but you see glimmers of hope for the 3 of them. As every Maddison book this one is no different in the emotions it evokes, emphasizing each MCs personal traumas and the growth they are all experiencing separately as well as together. Also as only Maddison can do so well....leaving us on a damn cliffhanger. It's like being left on read, sooooo frustrating and I just need book 3 NOW! lol! I'm really looking forward to the final instalment I have so many predictions and thoughts about what is happening at Waversea and can't wait to see where my feelings lie.
Profile Image for Mona  Brown .
1,807 reviews18 followers
November 27, 2025
Burned by Sin

This book picked up without missing a beat, and wow.....I have no words for all that i just read. So much emotions, and yeah wondering who is doing the stalking...it's a book that's hard to put down
Profile Image for Kristina.
711 reviews19 followers
January 13, 2026
Exhilarating

Absolutely in love with the War at Waversea series and in LOVE with Rhys!!

Maddison Cole is a genius.

Burned by Sin had me hooked. The story flows great and it had me up to like 1am reading.
Profile Image for Becca Snow.
58 reviews1 follower
January 17, 2026
can’t wait for book 3

This book took me a little longer to read, due to going back to work. But I never thought I’d have my heart broken and put back together by some team work! Clay and Rhys are some of my favorite MMC’s and I love Harper as the FMC. Just a few more weeks and book three will be out!!!
Profile Image for Nicole Henderson.
800 reviews4 followers
December 3, 2025
We follow Harper, our amazing, fierce, and beautifully raw character, along with her two men who couldn’t be more different. Rhys, the rich alpha bully, is still his beautifully awful self—unhinged, possessive, and maddeningly stubborn. He’ll have you dying laughing at one moment, then melting at how for Harper, he’ll burn the world down. His need for her love is unmatched. And Clay, our beautiful, sweet golden retriever. It’s such a push and pull for him—still dealing with the thought of having her love AND the possibility of having to share her with Rhys. Rhys and Clay together, watching them become reluctant allies, is so good. I love how Harper is done apologising for wanting both men. She’s trapped between a love that feels like safety and a love that burns her alive. When they get together, these scenes burn—they’re so hot, the chemistry and passion are unreal.

In the midst of it all, they’re trying to figure out who’s targeting all three of them, and oh my gosh, I didn’t see it coming! The ending and that brutal cliffhanger sent my jaw straight to the floor. Maddison just has this way of writing such beautifully raw lines that you find yourself highlighting them all. She draws you in with these three, and you can’t let go. You feel their passion, their pain, their connection, and their love. I absolutely cannot wait for book 3!

Burned by Sin throws you straight back into the fire the moment book one ends and trust me, it does not give you a second to breathe. The fallout is intense, the stakes soar, and every chapter tightens the emotional noose in the best, most addictive way.

Harper, Rhys, and Clayton are trapped in this delicious, dangerous push-pull where nothing is simple and everything is charged. They’re trying to figure out who they are together, and it’s messy, raw, and wildly compelling.

But the character glow-up of the century? Rhys.
Our beautifully unhinged psycho steps into himself in a way that absolutely wrecked me. Every moment with him drips with vulnerability and obsession – he wants to be the man Harper deserves, and watching him try (sometimes failing, sometimes soaring) is unforgettable.

Harper is done apologising for wanting both men, and honestly, she shouldn’t have to. She’s caught between adoration and pure, scorching passion, and the way Clayton keeps trying (and failing) to stay away gives this book a magnetic tension you can practically feel.

And the mystery? Yeah, I had my suspicions about the stalker, but the execution, the reveals, the emotional fallout – it was phenomenal.

Then there’s the ending. Oh. My. GOD. It’s brutal, brilliant, and guaranteed to leave you screaming into the void for book three.

If you crave morally grey love interests, obsession with teeth, heroine-centred power, and a story that scorches and shatters in equal measure, you need this book.
Profile Image for Renee.
5,219 reviews73 followers
November 21, 2025
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

This is the second book in the War at Waversea. You have to read the first book in the series Deafened by Silence or you will not know what is really going on. We know that we all got left hanging off a cliff in the first book and I could not wait to get this second book in my hands. Burned by Sin picks up right were we left off and things are such a mess. Rhys is spiraling, Harper is basically hiding in her room or the library and Clayton, his life has imploded and if not for the kindness of a stranger he would be living on the street. But when Rhys and Harper come to an understanding that didn't happen without Clayton right in the mix. That girl has is so bad for both these boys and I for one could not wait for things to explode between her and Clayton because they never really did in the first book. Total opposites is what these guys are. Rhys is all fire and chaos, determined to blow up his fathers empire from the inside out and watch it burn. Clayton is the sweet protector who is holding on to the past and really living his life for someone else and I couldn't wait for him to sort of shed that and live for himself. Harper is a girl who knows what she wants and the time has come for her to be able to have that. But boys will be boys and one is falling and not sure how to deal with it and one has fallen and tries to keep putting a wedge between them. I really thought that while all these characters are amazing and steal your heart, in this book you really get to see Rhys make some huge I don't know what is happening to me kind of experiences progress. This poor guy doesn't know love. He doesn't know what it is like to have it and he doesn't know what to do to give it back. But he is opening up and trying. I loved that he wasn't afraid to try and either fail or be successful and feel that small victory. But boys will be boys and they keep this book very interesting. Harper for her part is tired of apologizing to anyone for the way she feels. She is going for what she wants and I love a girl who knows exactly what she wants and goes for it. Then we still have the stalker!! That darn stalker. That stalker was driving me crazy because I think I know who it is and then the next second I am second guessing myself. Then the end. Bam in your face, throw your Kindle against a wall ending!!! Buckle up and please please for the love of everything can I have that final book in my hands already!!! This is a great series!!!! If you haven't started it then you really need to because I am having the best time reading this series.
41 reviews
November 21, 2025
This is the second book—so if you haven’t read the first one, what are you doing here? Go catch up.
Sure, this could technically be read as a standalone, but let’s be honest… why would you want to miss the background, the foundation, the meaning behind everything?

This one starts slowly, but chapter by chapter it gains momentum like a train leaving the station—until, suddenly, there are no brakes.

We pick up exactly where part one left off. Throughout the book, we witness both men transform, each enduring their own version of torment they must face and overcome. Even their original motivations feel long forgotten.

Clay is more collected now, his anger simmering beneath the surface—quiet, controlled, only revealing itself in the most serious moments.

Rhys is… a wild animal half-forced into domestication. And although this change isn’t necessarily bad for him, it feels like he’s losing the very thing that made him unique. He tries to be good, but the effort feels like a noose tightening around his neck, pushing him slowly toward his downfall.

Harper remains strong and fierce as always… yet there’s an undercurrent of naivety to her. A sense that she’s oblivious to the full weight of everything around her. And I can’t shake the fear of what happens when her strength finally cracks. What if she hits her breaking point?

The lurking threat keeps the three of them bound—solidified. At least partially. Even with their so-called truce, the guys can’t stop fighting and arguing, leaving Harper stuck in the middle, barely holding herself together. She’s the force trying to unite them, but that also places her directly in the eye of the storm.

You can feel something—someone—moving in the shadows, keeping you on edge. And that someone becomes more aggressive. There’s no doubt now: this isn’t a joke. Through book one and now part two, the main target still hasn’t been revealed.
Who are they?
Someone from Clay’s past?
Someone with influence and power tied to Rhys?
Or someone envious of Harper, craving her downfall in epic proportions?
And what is the end game?

But make no mistake—the true perpetrator(s) and the motives behind everything will come to light. The circle of intrigue tightens with every chapter.

I was curious after book one, but now—after book two—this trilogy has my full attention. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. I loved the tension of the mystery, the rivalry between Clay and Rhys, and the crushing weight of an impossible choice on Harper’s shoulders.

And those last chapters…
Chapter 36 is heartbreaking.
And the ending?
OMG.
November 21, 2025
- Dark romance
- Academy
- Why choose
- Enemies to lovers
- Possession and obsession
- Betrayal and revenge

“You don’t know what love is. It’s not owning someone, it’s setting them free with the knowledge they will always come back to you.”

Okay so if you thought Deafened by Silence was a world wind of beautiful chaos then look out for Burned by Sin, it’s certainly gotten more intense, so I hope you’re ready. Now if you haven’t already, this is a second in a series, so you will need to read the first book. This is a rapid release series, so we haven’t had to wait long and won’t have to wait long for the next book!

I devoured this book and I didn’t think it was possible to love these characters any more, but Maddison has exceeded! There is so much going on, and the story is the gift that keeps on giving. The plot is plotting and the spice is spicing. Maddison and her creative ways will have you hooked, the story that continues you can’t say just one more chapter, you have to keep reading to find out what happens next and that’s exactly when I know I’m reading a masterpiece!

The story continues where Rhys is struggling since what went down in Deafened by Silence and is hurting from the words Harper had used to expose his insecurities. Through this book, the character development you see in Rhys is eye opening and gets you thinking which side you’re on and definitely makes it hard to choose as I now love Rhys even more🥹 Clayton was my guy but now I can’t choose🙊 He’s got a lot more banter and cheeky ways rather than mean, although he still has his dark edge😈 He’s now more attentive and when he realises he needs Harper back in his life, he’s willing to go to any extreme to make that happen!

Clayton is soon found where he’s been trying to make a start of a new life for himself and Harper wants nothing more than to have him back in her life. She wants him to see she’s not the person at fault for all the pranks/taunts that’s targeted to him. He’s her loyal protector, and couldn’t stay away for too long when it comes to all things Harper.

With someone out there targeting pranks/taunts to get to Clayton, both him and Rhys know they have to try and put their hatred for each other and differences aside to ensure Harpers safe, and the rivalry between Clay and Rhys for Harpers attention and affection is stronger than ever🥵

Clayton is the golden retriever but Rhys is now the mastiff “loyal, but tugs the leash when he’s bored”😜

With Clay as Harpers protector and Rhys as her challenger, are they going to make it through their twisted all consuming love triangle and work together to find out who the enemy is or will it all be too much? Will Harper finally make a decision on where her heart lies? Get your copy to find out🏀
Profile Image for BooksBooksandmoreBooks69.
1,996 reviews39 followers
December 25, 2025
If the first book in the War at Waversea series, Deafened by Silence, hooked you with its brooding enemies-to-lovers tension and shadowy academy intrigue, Burned by Sin cranks the heat to inferno levels.

Rhys, the heir to a crumbling empire, is no longer just the villainous instigator, he’s a man unraveling, torching his own world in pursuit of revenge, only to find his carefully laid plans upended by the one person he never saw coming….Harper.
What starts as a calculated infiltration of Waversea Academy devolves into a personal apocalypse, blending high-stakes sports drama, forbidden “why choose” romance, and the kind of emotional gut punches that leave you breathless.

Maddison Cole, continues her signature style here….filthy mouthed anti-heroes, feisty heroines who bite back, and twists that hit like a sucker punch.
Clocking in at around 350 pages, delivers fast-burn spice amid the slow simmering angst, making it a binge worthy follow up for fans of bully romance with heart.

With Clayton Michaels out of the picture, the path to destruction seems clear… poison the elite halls of Waversea Academy, make the privileged pay, and walk away unscathed. Right? But Harper? She’s the wildcard no one, least of all Rhys, could anticipate. She strips him bare, exposes the ruins beneath his armor, and leaves him haunted by a single, soul shredding line: “Rhys Waversea is nothing, and he knows it.” (That had an OMG moment I won’t forget in a hurry!)

The story spirals from triumphant sabotage to devastating isolation, as Rhys grapples with the hollow victory of his schemes. It has clandestine hookups that blur hate and hunger, and a campus war that escalates from whispers to full blown chaos!

The author weaves in threads from book one….Harper’s resilience, the jock feuds, the undercurrent of family secrets, while propelling the series toward an explosive cliffhanger that demands book three.

This isn’t a slow burn, it’s a wildfire! The plot hurtles forward with short, punchy chapters that mirror Rhys’s chaotic mindset, building to revelations that add to book one’s events.

It’s the kind of rollercoaster that leaves you with “sooooo many questions,”

If revenge tastes this bittersweet, sign me up for the fallout. Grab it …. your TBR (and your heart) won’t thank you. 😂

🦋
Profile Image for Chasity7474&#x1f4da;❤️.
394 reviews34 followers
November 15, 2025
Book two came in like a wrecking ball! My heart is broken and my mind is reeling.

This one picks up right after the ending of book one (deafened by silence) and you must read that one first.

We are left with the boys wreaking absolute havoc on Harper. I was so excited for the story to continue because I expected epic level groveling for the crap they pulled. Rhys groveled some in his own way. Seeing him broken broke me. I just want to hug him. The change in his from the start of book one to the ending of this one is enormous. His character growth was fantastic to read. The way he made sure Harper could still study without being in the library was freaking awesome. I’m here for the guy that does something like that.

Let’s talk about out Clayton. I loved him in book one. The silent sentry helping to keep Harper safe. The good guy to Rhys’s bad guy. I was so upset with his actions at the end of book one but I was looking forward to the groveling he owed Harper. What I got instead was her groveling and asking for forgiveness for things she didn’t even do. It actually made me dislike him somewhat which is sad. This is the reason for the 4 stars instead of 5. She treated him with kid gloves basically begging him to be with her after what he did? He still never apologized for accusing her of things she didn’t do. He finally gets his crap together and is back to being the guy we all liked in book one but it was too little too late. I still want him in the throuple though so I’m glad he got it together.

Now comes Rhys’s awful father to ruin it all. I still don’t think they should have given him that power. The hell with his threats. Anyway I suspected who the stalker was in book one and was not at all surprised when it was revealed at the end of this book but didn’t know why until this book. I am still thinking that the one Rhys suspected is in some way guilty of something. They are just a little too perfect to not be involved. I cannot wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Booksbystarlightandshadows .
589 reviews4 followers
November 23, 2025
This was definitely Rhys's time to shine and I am here for his redemption tour. Rhys is still his morally grey self but seeing him open up to Harper whilst coming to realise how she was truly effecting him was such a satisfying arc. The vulnerability, the hitting rock bottom to coming back ready to fight for this girl, I am all in on Team Mastiff. When he said he had a spreadsheet, I was a goner!

FFS Clay; that's all I'm saying about him in this book. I could see where he was coming from, but the scales never quite tipped back the way for me and I couldn't quite connect with him the same way I did with Rhys this time round. However, I did like seeing some of Clay's past being revealed and how he is overcoming his trauma. Its always good to see Garrett again too.

Harper continues to be the strong FMC from book one even with her heart in a million pieces. I love her relationship with Addy too and how she took Addy to task about Rhys. I don't normally like a love triangle, but I like how the relationship between Harper, Rhys and Clay, is showing that the characters from book one haven't changed overnight. Rhys understands Harper is it for him, whilst Clay is waiting for him to get bored and Harper just wants them to realise they both give her different things and they're better together. Chapter 36 broke my heart, on top of that we have Chekov's birthday party ultimatum to content with and the reveal of the mystery stalker. I wasn't surprised but I think this is wrapped up a little too neatly and would put money on there being a player no 2 in the game. I have read those last few chapters a couple of times now looking for extra clues but I'm just going to have to wait it out until book three!

My interpretation of the star system;
3 stars - I enjoyed it; would read the author again
4 stars - I really liked it; I am invested and definitely want more from this author/series
5 stars - I loved it; I engaged with this book completely until I finished it and it is one I will re-read
Profile Image for BookishMarineMama03.
158 reviews6 followers
November 23, 2025
I HAVE NO WORDS!! THIS SERIES IS EVERYTHING!! This book broke me so beautifully. Burned By Sin by Maddison Cole is book 2 in the War At Waversea and it begins where we left off. If you love dark, why choose college romance with so much obsession, possession, betrayal and every other possible emotion, you MUST read this series!

We continue to follow Harper, our amazing, fierce and beautifully raw character along with her two men who couldn't be more different. Rhys, the rich alpha bully is still his beautifully awful self—unhinged, possessive, and maddeningly stubborn. He will have you dying laughing at one second, then melting at how for Harper, he will burn the world down. His need for her love is unmatched. And Clay, our beautiful, sweet golden retriever. It’s such a push and pull, him still dealing with the thought of having her love AND the possibility of having to share her with Rhys. Rhys and Clay together, watching them become reluctant allies is so good. And I LOVE how Harper is done apologizing for wanting both men. She’s trapped between a love that feels like safety and a love that burns her alive. When they get together, these scenes burn they are so hot, the chemistry and passion is unreal.

In the midst of it all they are trying to figure out who is targeting all three of them and omg I didnt see it coming! The ending and that brutal cliffhanger sent my jaw straight to the floor. Maddison just has this way of writing such beautifully raw lines that you find yourself highlighting them all. She draws you in with these three and you can't let go. You feel their passion, their pain, their connection and their love. I absolutely cannot wait for book 3!

Rate: 10/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 3/5🌶️🌶️🌶️

Download Now: https://www.books2read.com/burnedbysin
💣 Dark Romance
🎓 Academy Setting
🏀 Sports + Secrets
🖤 Why Choose
🧨 Enemies to Lovers
🥀 Possession • Betrayal • Obsession
Profile Image for Samantha Silensky.
422 reviews3 followers
December 4, 2025
Okay. I was not prepared for that emotional rollercoaster, but here we are.
Seeing Rhys do a strange, but painfully real character development/growth, that also feels like an unhinged kid life crisis is powerful, raw, and heartbreaking all at once. Like, you know he’s a jerk, and a bully, but seeing his spiral and how badly he’s handling his feelings, while also getting some of his backstory on why he is this way, makes you feel for him. Especially if you’re emotionally mature enough to see the layers of his acting out and make educated guesses on why he acts certain ways. He’s essentially turned himself into a big self destruct button.
Clay? I loved seeing him come out of his shell more. Being less self conscious and more confident in his place with Harper. Only after his complete spiral of feeling betrayed, while also being a bleeding heart. His backstory was also tragic. Still a bit cloudy, but heartbreaking and tragic nonetheless. All of the things he’s going through aren’t made better by finding out someone else has been visiting his mom, even more than he has.
Now with a stalker on Harper and Rhys’ tail, and a mysterious intruder in Clays life, the circle is getting tighter, and bringing people back together, whether they like it or not. For better or for worse. With no way of knowing when their enemies will strike again, paranoia and fear run rampant through their lives. And with good reason. But heartbreak and devastation follow an unexpected threat from an unexpected source. And despite this one having a face to go with the threat, it’s just as foreboding.
Side note, I was super excited to see I was right on who I guessed was the stalker since the beginning. They always heebied my jeebies. But I’m even more excited for the next book.
Profile Image for Lory.
3,270 reviews33 followers
November 14, 2025
Burned by Sin throws you straight back into the fire the moment book one ends and trust me, it does not give you a second to breathe. The fallout is intense, the stakes soar, and every chapter tightens the emotional noose in the best, most addictive way.

Harper, Rhys, and Clayton are trapped in this delicious, dangerous push pull where nothing is simple and everything is charged. They’re trying to figure out who they are together, and it’s messy, raw, and wildly compelling.

But the character glow up of the century?
Rhys.
Our beautifully unhinged psycho steps into himself in a way that absolutely wrecked me. Every moment with him drips with vulnerability and obsession he wants to be the man Harper deserves, and watching him try (sometimes failing, sometimes soaring) is unforgettable.

Harper is done apologizing for wanting both men and honestly, she shouldn’t have to. She’s caught between adoration and pure, scorching passion, and the way Clayton keeps trying (and failing) to stay away gives this book a magnetic tension you can practically feel under your skin.

And the mystery?
Yeah, I had my suspicions about the stalker… but the execution? The reveals? The emotional fallout? Phenomenal.

Then there’s the ending.
Oh. My. GOD.
It’s brutal, brilliant, and guaranteed to leave you screaming into the void for book three.

If you crave morally gray love interests, obsession with teeth, heroine centered power, and a story that scorches and shatters in equal measure
you need this book.

📌 Voluntary review. No compensation, just one reader who is delightfully destroyed and begging for more.
Profile Image for Anne Darcy.
200 reviews
November 25, 2025
Do I really care for Harper? The question echoes around my head, but I don’t have the tools to fully understand the answer. I have no comparison to what this feeling actually is, but it’s something. It’s real and alive, pulsating in my chest everything I think about her. Yet, admitting it out loud sets me up for everything I try to avoid. Rejection. Humiliation. It opens up a void in which others can witness my demise, should Harper eventually tire of me. She bends my steadfast morals, she’s the voice of reason in my head. I feel her burying herself into my soul, the weight of her burdens causing my own to seem irrelevant. She’s my weakness and my strength, my power and my flaw. It’s not so much do I care for her but that I need her. I need her to bring the light to my darkness. A dull, bitter laugh trickles from between my lips as I realize, I am completely and utterly f**ked

Once again we are drawn back into waversea academy and back with our deaf fmc and her two boys. After the ending of the last one clay is gone Harper is heartbroken and Rhys is self destructing.

But when the stalker makes himself known again what is a person supposed to do but go find clay and Rhys is helping cause he wants to prove he is can do what Harper needs.

But who is the stalker trust me you will think you know who it is then your certain your wrong but then you realise hey you were actually right. So many twists and turns and redemption well kinda that you also can't choose which guy you want more but why should I.

Thankfully this series is a rapid release cause I need the last book now but will only have to wait a short time.
Profile Image for Kilee Goode.
142 reviews11 followers
November 20, 2025
Burned by Sin is everything I crave in a why-choose academy romance—dark, angsty, emotional, and scorching—but Maddison Cole takes it to another level with Rhys Waversea’s raw, unraveling descent.

Rhys is a lit fuse in human form, and this book lets us watch the explosion up close. What starts as a calculated mission of revenge becomes a gut-wrenching journey of identity, trauma, and the terrifying vulnerability that comes with letting someone matter. His voice is brutal and honest, the kind of narration that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.

Harper is the unexpected variable that changes everything—she slips past every wall he’s built, challenges him, exposes him, and forces him to confront who he really is beneath the poison he’s been raised on. Their dynamic is electric, messy, tender, and absolutely addictive.

The emotional spiral, the internal war, the tension between destruction and redemption—it’s all written with such intensity that I had to stop more than once just to breathe. And that line—“Rhys Waversea is nothing, and he knows it.”—is going to stay lodged in my chest forever.

The stakes are higher, the heat is hotter, the secrets are heavier, and the character growth is phenomenal. This series keeps getting better, darker, and more irresistible.

If you love academy settings, morally gray love interests, why-choose tension, and stories where the emotional payoff hits just as hard as the action—Burned by Sin is a must-read. I’m obsessed and already counting down the seconds until the next book.
Profile Image for Shannon.
424 reviews14 followers
November 16, 2025
'If she wants to cut me open, burn me to ash, and crush out the rest of my pathetic presence, she’ll have to do it herself.'

🏀 Burned by Sin by Maddison Cole 🏀

Burned by Sin is the second book in the War at Waversea series by Maddison Cole. This is a dark why choose academy sports romance that will wreck you in the best way.

'I may be cruel, but Harper Addams is a savage. And yet I want her more than ever.'

I had the absolute pleasure to beta read this, luckily straight after the first one because I was desperate to know what happened next! From the very start I was hooked and so ready to see where this one would take me. I loved having more POVs from the guys, it made me love them even more. 

'Harper is pure sin wrapped in a silent strength others don’t have the right to see.'

Harper really gets put through the wringer in this one, yet still she is a badass who knows what she wants. I really admire her character and how determined she is but also the way she overcomes the hurdles thrown at her. I also still love Addy, she is the ultimate BFF though she needs to stop hating on Rhys 😭 

'I want to make it clear I’m just as invested in winning you. He may be fire, but I’m ice. I’ll soothe away the burns he creates and pull you back from the flames when they grow too wild.'

Rhys, oh my sweet bad boy Rhys, my heart bleeds for that guy. I really loved getting to see more of his background as well as the way his character develops through the book. I equally love my boy Clayton. Though he is a broody frustratingly stubborn man I absolutely love his relationship with Harper and the way he ribs on Rhys. I also loved getting to see him with his mum! 

This was full of twists and turns that I did not expect and some things I knew I had guessed right but still was shocked! 1000% recommend this series though be prepared because that ending was insane!! 

🏀 Enemies to Lovers 

🖤 Sports + Secrets 

🏀 Possession • Betrayal • Obsession 

🖤 Why Choose 


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️.75/5
Profile Image for Diana Martins.
246 reviews8 followers
November 21, 2025
Holy...everything.

I knew it. I knew it! Let’s play Cluedo—I’m ready! LOL.
What saved my nerves (and my nails!) was knowing that the third book isn’t far behind, because that cliffhanger? Damn!

There were moments when I thought I had figured out everything, but then I’d start doubting myself, getting confused, and getting annoyed with the characters when, in my opinion, they missed things that were right in front of their noses—important things they're not seeing!

Maddison makes me suffer from beginning to end, but it’s so good I couldn’t stop reading. I just want more and more…

If you’re looking for a dark book with suspense, action, drama, steamy scenes, YA, and:
- an academy setting
- an MFM story, where the FMC doesn’t want to choose between the two MMCs
- an FMC with an incredibly strong and unique personality, who embraces both her dark and light sides (even if she occasionally forgets—thankfully she has the best BFF to remind her)
- two MMCs so different yet absolutely perfect for the FMC, even when they don’t want to (or can’t?) see it
…then you definitely need to give this book a try. It’s an amazing read—I’m addicted.

This is the second book, and the plot just keeps getting better and better, leaving me anxious to uncover all the “whys” and “whos.”
Profile Image for The_Book_Brat.
947 reviews163 followers
November 23, 2025
*Menage (MFM)
*Contemporary
*Multi-1st-PoV
*College Setting
*Bully Romance
*MMCs as rivals
*Deaf FMC
*Tragic Pasts
*Mid Burn
*Book 2 / 3
Dangerous Games
Offttt honestly this book starts off hard hitting emotionally for our girl and I’m not sure it ends of much better 😳😳 just when you think things will be alright for them there’s definitely some heat wrenching moments for Harper!
Surprisingly it’s Rhys who has become her rock in this book and honestly he shows a truly different side to him..:.yet the way he fights it is rather amusing (the whole science library scenes had me cackling 😂) but his growth is true and believable especially as you feel his damage and the turmoil 😢 oh and there’s a LOT of seggs scenes between these two, at some point it was very other chapter soooo enjoy 🔥🌶️ Clayton is a little more tricky in the book, he really wants to be there for Harper but he’s got some residual anger to let go off and really needs to ask some questions of himself and what he wants because he holds Harpers heart in his hands and I’m not truly sure he realises the impact🥺
Things really move in as well with this danger that’s threatening them, Harper is targeted a lot more in this book creating some drama and action and some snippets are dropped as to what it could be about and who but enough questions are still left for the last book! Very much looking forward to seeing if the two knuckleheads can work it out and get the girl 😄
Profile Image for sycokittykat - Stefanie.
1,131 reviews35 followers
December 16, 2025
More chaos, more emotion, more to lose

So this book picks up immediately where the last one ended. None of our characters are doing okay. Rhys has to make the first move but when we have him back to being kind of like himself the attacks escalate. We have Harper our deaf female character who is being targeted but we don't know why or by who. This person is also targeting Rhys and Clayton though we do not know who the sole focus is on.

With Clayton losing his scholarship he is no longer on campus. Without her protector the attacks are becoming more focused on Harper. They are easily getting where they shouldn't be able to and even Rhys agrees to help get Clayton back to the school. The series of events that happened before even getting back to campus will have you feeling all kinds of ways.

Once we return to the college the two men are dealing with the outsider who has them in their cross hairs as well as trying to prove to Harper they are the only one she needs. Unfortunately for them she knows they both offer her something different and they both own part if her.

The amount of sh¡t Harper has to deal with on top of school and being the deaf kid is crazy. While I had my suspicions about part of what was happening I definitely did not see that ending coming. I absolutely can't wait for the next book because I need to know what happens next.
Profile Image for Amber.
23 reviews
November 13, 2025
Burned by sin is the second book in the war at waversea. It picks up exactly where book one ended and wow was that ending a wild one.

In this book we got a lot more character development, it was written in a way that it didn’t feel forced but a natural growth. Enemies are still everywhere and Rhys’s father decided to be a pain.

Clayton and Rhys are now in a position where they need to work together (finally) to help harper. Harder had made it clear she’s not choosing and the boys don’t want to leave her.

The writing was phenomenal and made it feel as though you were apart of all the decisions. The end of the book was once again a cliffhanger that leaves you questioning everything and wanting the next book immediately. Can’t wait for book 3 and hopefully we’ll get some solid relationships

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Triggers:

* Orphaned FMC
* Stuck in the middle of a physical rivalry
* Bullying
* Stalking
* Blackmail
* Gaslighting
* Invasion of Privacy
* Ableism / Discrimination
* Privilege Dynamics
* Eyes Open/Eyes on Me sex
* Open Door Sex
* Possessive behaviour
* Substance Use
* Party Culture
* Mentions of childhood trauma
* Battles with Depression
* Flashbacks/Nightmares from one of the MMC’s

Profile Image for Torie Raven.
125 reviews1 follower
November 20, 2025
Book two came in like a wrecking ball my heart is shattered, my mind is reeling, and I am absolutely not okay in the best way possible.

Burned by Sin picks up immediately after the brutal ending of Deafened by Silence, and let me be clear: you must read book one first to fully feel the impact of this continuation. The moment you turn the first page, you’re thrown straight back into the fire with no time to breathe. The fallout hits hard, the tension skyrockets, and the emotional stakes explode off the page.

After everything that went down in book one, I was ready for some epic-level groveling. And while they each handle the aftermath differently, Rhys absolutely stood out. His version of groveling isn’t dramatic or poetic, but it’s real, raw, and devastatingly honest. Seeing him broken broke me. His character growth from the beginning of book one to the end of this book is massive and beautifully written.

This book is relentless, emotional, and addictive in all the right ways. Every chapter tightens the tension, deepens the wounds, and pulls you further into a story you can’t look away from.

And now? I’m counting down the days until book three. I need more. Immediately.
Profile Image for Lauren .
872 reviews
November 25, 2025
Book two did not let up for a single second. We pick up right where everything shattered, and Harper is still fighting like hell to stay afloat. She’s hurting, furious, and done pretending she doesn’t want both of the men who keep crashing into her life. I loved her even more in this book. She’s sharper, braver, and finally stops apologizing for taking up space. Her deafness continues to be written with the same care as book one, and it adds so much weight to every scene she’s in.

Rhys is still the beautifully unhinged menace who’d blow up the world just to keep her breathing. Clayton is still sunshine with teeth, desperate to be the safe choice even though nothing about their life is safe anymore. Watching them circle each other, fall apart, and somehow work together made this book feel even more chaotic in the best way. Their tension with Harper is unreal, and when all three of them collide? It’s fire.

The mystery behind who’s targeting them gets darker, and the twist hit way harder than I expected. And that ending? Somehow even more brutal than book one. I closed the book and just stared at the ceiling like… are you kidding me.

Five stars. This series owns me.
Profile Image for Elle Davis.
88 reviews1 follower
November 19, 2025
Oh my poor babies… this sequel put my emotions through it. Picking up after Deafened by Silence, Burned by Sin dives even deeper into the messy, magnetic chaos that is Harper, Rhys, and Clay. I devoured up every page.

Rhys continues to be his beautifully terrible self: volatile, possessive, stubborn to his core… but still the first to listen when Harper speaks. The way he demands her full attention one moment and then reluctantly steps back to give Clay space the next? The growth, the tension, the very begrudging respect between the boys. I need so much more of that dynamic. Their reluctant-allies energy is my fave and I hope book 3 gives us even more of it.

And listen… without spoiling anything… I totally called it in book one, and seeing that connection finally revealed here was so satisfying. Maddison Cole sprinkled the breadcrumbs perfectly.

The ending? RUDE. I’m fully in a book hangover and already desperate for book 3. If you love toxic-but-healing boys, intense emotions, and a heroine who anchors the storm around her, this series is absolutely delivering.
Profile Image for Michelle Ann.
712 reviews30 followers
November 20, 2025
Can I just say that I fallen so freaking hard for Rhys freaking Waversea. Seriously, daddy's money cannot buy everything. And while he still throws his money and his status around the school. I mean that school does have his last name but he is starting to realize money won't buy the love from Harper Addams. Harper could give 2 Fs about that but yet here she is, still standing right beside Rhys with her hand in his.

Harper has the love of 2 men. But yet Clayton Michaels cannot get out of his head to even realize that he is enough for our dear Harper. What I loved most aside from this gritty story is the vulnerability of Rhys. My heart. Seriously.

This story takes an absolute turn and it is gritty and pulls you in from all sides. It creates so much more tension, and that push and pull between Clayton is like a wreck that you just cannot stop but watch. But the electricity between Rhys and Harper is just palpable. I really hope Clayton wakes up soon and realizes everything. Learn to share, boys.

Now I just need book 3.
35 reviews
November 20, 2025
Round 2 with our favorite trio is back, with a brooding Rhys and a doubtful Clayton at center stage.

You're immediately drawn back into the aftermath of everything that occurred Deafened by Silence, with a ton of questions and no immediate answers. The trio still has their issues and hang-ups, with Rhys determined to do whatever he can to keep Harper, and Clayton bidding his time waiting on Rhys to screw up. Harper in the meantime is handling both men perfectly, being what both of them need simultaneously. All 3 have their trauma, and yet are finding ways to support each other, and of course keep each other protected.

Our mysterious stalker is still wreaking havoc, and where I had my suspicions of who it would be, the reveal of who they are and why had my jaw ON THE FLOOR for a solid 5 minutes. I still don't think I've recovered. I'm still not convinced by second guess for the stalker is completely innocent. Maybe they're in on it together? Of course, Burned by Sin ends right there, and now we wait for the finale.
Profile Image for MissWho.
257 reviews12 followers
November 22, 2025
STRESSED 🙃

Book 2 in the War At Waversea series and we pick up where we left off thankfully, I'm so happy to be back for the next round of shenanigans.

After B1 I had an inckling regarding which direction things would go and let me tell you, I was wrong, happy to be wrong but wrong! Maddison really spun this one well because each main character in this book aggravated the living day lights out of me at one point and I just wanted to collectively bump all their heads together. Rhys' diabolical actions, Clay's unwillingness to compromise and Harper not speaking her truths...shake the lot of em! 🤭

You've got to understand, I'm deep in the play with the characters and plot at this point, balls deep! I'm invested and I only want what's best for them regardless of what they want. 😆 There's a mad man on the lose for crying out loud!!!!

It was a very tense read for me and I went through all the emotions as you can probably tell...5 STARS!!!

Book 3 can't come quick enough.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
Profile Image for Jens_Book_Cubby.
1,512 reviews55 followers
November 25, 2025
Burned by Sin is the second book in the War At Waversea Series. It is a dark, contemporary, enemies to lovers, why choose, academy romance. The story is told in first person with multiple POV.

This was such an awesome read. It has so many elements that I absolutely love in a book. It has action, intrigue, mystery, suspense, dark elements, and of course spice. I really loved the mental health and ASL representations as well. I fell seriously hard for the flawed, but beautiful characters and could not get enough of their story. I was thrilled that we got to learn more about Clayton's past in this book. I loved the relationship developments and struggles between the three MC's, and was absolutely floored by the cliffhanger.

The writing, pace, and flow of the
story are incredible, as are the plot, characters, storytelling, character development, relationship development, storyline, and world building. If you love dark romance with amazing and complex characters, mystery, intrigue, and spice, then this book is for you.
Profile Image for Alicia.
2,054 reviews23 followers
November 27, 2025
Settle in because you are in for another wild ride as the intense, fiery trio go through more ups and downs than a hyper kid on a pogo stick! Harper has Rhys and Clay spinning round her, though, at the start of this book, Clay is MIA, after the events at the end of Deafened by Silence (which you definitely need to read first in order to know what going on!). Burned by Sin takes us on a wild ride as Rhys starts to try to understand those pesky feelings other than anger and..well, anger. Clay, that sweet man, is a strong counterbalance who starts to push himself forward more. And Harper, what a brave, loving, honest, clever young woman, has to face more issues and events than you can shake a stick at.
With a steady build-up of threats and danger, Rhys' imperious and horrible dad's interference, this book romps along building the tension, both between these three, and the threats. I'm a bit smug about getting the identity of the bad guy, right..and, again, aghast at this cliffhanger! 💖💖💖💖💖
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