Kiss the Villain

Villain #1

by Rina Kent

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a scorching standalone professor/student dark MM romance set in the world of Legacy of Gods.

My darkness meets a darker soul.

I’m a golden boy.
A genius law student, the heir to the Carson empire, and the dutiful son.
Or, at least, that's what it looks like from the outside.
Deep inside, I have the urge to set the world on fire.
I keep these impulses in check, rarely indulging in mayhem.
Until one night of debauchery backfires, and I'm caught by a villain.
I bury the entire ordeal with the rest of my skeletons.
That is, until that night walks into my classroom in the form of my new professor.
Kayden Lockwood.
A criminal who’s teaching criminal law.
I can't expose what he's done without unmasking my secret life.
What I can do, however, is force him to taste the poison he gave me.
In the clash of titans, Kayden and I break and crumble.
And I'm starting to realize this dangerous game may have no winners.

Genres: Dark Romance, M M Romance, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Audiobook, LGBT

560 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2025

About the author

Rina Kent is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 bestselling author of all things dark romance.
Better known for writing unapologetic anti-heroes and villains, Rina weaves tales of characters you shouldn’t fall for but inevitably do. Her stories are laced with a touch of darkness, a splash of angst, and just the right amount of unhealthy intensity.
When she’s not busy plotting mayhem for her ever-expanding Rinaverse, she leads a private life in London, travels, and pampers her cats in true Cat Lady fashion.


You can find her below:

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Reviews

[Clace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Me reading this book knowing she fumbled hard with M/M:



Bro, what is Miss Kent doing?? Like, I know I don’t rate her books that high, but I really enjoy reading them even if they are straight-up dumpster fires. But this one?? I was annoyed as fuck. First of all, I genuinely don’t know why this book had to be this long, considering nothing much of substance happened in this book. Like, honestly!! Even in her Insta Q&A, she said she thought of giving Gareth and Kayden a novella, and tbh, these bitches only deserved a short story (as Buket said) because all they did was act like bunnies for most of the book. Lance Orion and Darcy Vega would be so ashamed of Gareth and Kayden for not serving the trope student x professor.

The writing style was so horrendous 😭. It’s like with each new book, she just stoops down to a lower level because the dialogue made me cringe so much. The messages between the characters were so meh, and there’s no way two grown-ass men talk like that. I did find her trashy writing enjoyable in her past books, but in this one, it was just so boring. Like, I was skimming the fuck out of this book because I honestly wasn’t getting anything out of this. Is Rina losing her charm? Her releasing three books a year certainly doesn’t help. Maybe she should just take some time to sit back and reflect on her writing and see where she can improve because the writing in this book was atrocious. It gave me ✨nothing✨

Gareth—tbh, I was enjoying his POV at the start. I was enjoying how narcissistic he was and how self-absorbed and full of himself he was. He really fit into the "rich spoiled kids thinking they’re something" group, but that actually got too much. He annoyed me so much, like I cannot with this bitch because if he wanted to praise himself—that’s fine, do it—but him using weird-ass metaphors made the whole book so nauseating. And honestly, I expected Gareth to be better. Him turning out to be a rapist 🌚 wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card, and I don’t know Rina Kent’s obsession with rape and rapists and romanticizing it.

Kayden—he was just a man??? Like, I actually don’t know how to describe him because he had the personality of a cardboard. All he wanted to do was rape and shred Gareth’s clothes and fuck him to oblivion. Him being part of an influential family? Couldn't give two shits. He tried so hard to be "strong, bad, and evil" by sending death threats, rape threats, raping Gareth, and drugging each other. So, like, how am I supposed to like such one-dimensional characters with weird-ass fetishes? It’s just getting repetitive and boring now.

The romance—Idek if it should be called that anymore. Bro, their whole relationship is based on rape. Like, the fact that Kayden said this:

"I don't believe I would've ever discovered that part of myself if it weren't for those encounters, so a part of me is grateful. The other part would still stab you, though."

To the encounters where he raped Gareth?? It was just so fucked up. But it's not even that—okay, so Kayden raped Gareth three times, and his excuses were that the first two times were "deserved" because Gareth was coming with the intention of raping him, and the third time's reason by Kayden was because Gareth looked "beautiful." So you just raped him cuz he looked beautiful?? Their whole relationship was them trying to rape each other, drug each other, and just, in general, fuck each other to get back at the other person, but somehow it turned into love. But they were still going on saying that "no, we're not bi/gay." Like, okay, bitch, then what the fuck were you doing for the past 70% of the book? I hate when that trope is played. Like, it's already so fucked up cuz they get their bi-awakening from raping and being raped, and then somehow, there’s this layer of lust that turns into love, only for them to say that and be in denial.

I also don't understand why she makes all the subs in her books so weak. Like, Gareth reminded me so much of the female characters because they would also be all bark and no bite. They would try to get back at them, but I literally kid you not, they would end up getting fucked as the punishment. It was just absolutely horrendous. Also, not Kayden calling Gareth’s ass "pussy"—that felt very weird to read, tbh 😭. Oh, and the way Kayden was mad at Gareth for coming with the intent of raping him (who Gareth thought was Yulian) and he hated that for obvious reasons, and also because Kayden's wife was gang-raped, but what did Kayden do? He raped Gareth three times.

The plot—there was none. Even if there was, it was recycled and boring.

Overall, I'm just ending this review here despite having to say more cuz I got tired and I my hater level is going down but yeah don't read this shit.
___
What I said below but the statement "Kayden is worse than Killian" is a jumpscare 😭
___
You know its an RK book when you're super excited for it but have the lowest expectations 🤣

[annie]

'this book is sooo dark and not like my other books', ah rape again!

By the way, I’m convinced she’s studied psychology and criminology, given how many terms she throws around, but still doesn’t understand how complex humans really are. If she’s writing complex characters, she should at least do it properly!

I’m seriously laughing at the whole actus reus and mens rea scene—like, why would you defend a crime like rape this way? A person committing rape has both a guilty act and a guilty mind. There’s no in-between. besides, both Kayden & Gareth are into raping others. legit so fucked up!

and why was gaz's conversation with cherry from GOM so fake? like gareth legit said 'what a simp, she thinks i like her' 😭 like WHO THINKS LIKE THAT? wkajaj like chatgpt lmaoo

as Rowan mentioned, making everyone 'scary' is ffs getting ridiculous now. it's laughable 😭🙏🏻 virgins x scary monster bimbos are her moto.

AND PEOPLE CONVERTING INTO KILLIAN STANS WAS V UNEXPECTED!! 😭

Advice: Try visiting a psychologist. You might finally learn some empathy, for women, at least.

[Rina Kent]

KISS THE VILLAIN IS A LEGACY OF GODS MM SPINOFF
➜ Order ┃ Audiobook Teaser

Tropes:
Villain x Monster
Professor x Student
Hate to Love
Age Gap
Bi & Gay Awakening
Mutual Obsession
Forbidden Romance
Dominance & Submission (not outright BDSM)

[Larissa Cambusano]

DNF at 50% i’m so sorry

[Maddy ✨ ~The Verse Vixen {AFK brb} · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, Kiss the Villain, or Should I Say—"Kiss My Expectations Goodbye" 🤡
Call me Dora-the Explorer!! bc where is the plot?🤷‍♀️

Rina literally said- Here, I know you are hungry for nothing Literally! Rina Kent is so deep in her Landon King era iykyk. she woke up and chose violence. she really said, "Let me cook you'll! and then served us a burnt, undercooked, and over-seasoned mess all at once."—and I was cruising half-way through the book, thinking, “Okay, not bad, kinda vibing,” and then BOOM—midway through, the plot pulled a UNO reverse card on me! Sigh! Tsk Tsk! Rina! Let’s unpack the chaos. Shall we?!
🔗Let’s start with Gareth.
Or as I now refer to him: "The human equivalent of a Reddit moderator in crisis." 💀
This man is supposed to be a Monster , but instead of being a sexy, brooding king, he spends 90% of the book overanalyzing his feelings like he’s writing a Wattpad fanfic in his head - His dialogue is either: He’s so full of himself. “I am the most beautiful. I am the best. My voice alone makes girls weak.” Sir, get over yourself. You sound like a rejected Wattpad bad boy, who chews strawberries like a toddler.Rina wanted to make Gareth so iconic that she Frankenstein’d him together with Killian’s psychotic edge and Landon’s narcissistic, self-obsessed energy… and yet, somehow, he still ended up absolute mess. 💀💀 Like, she gave him all the ingredients for greatness and still served us microwaved disappointment. 😭 Gareth spent 90% of the book debating his sexuality like he was writing a Reddit post about it.


I knew this book was gonna be a mess the moment Gareth started his monologue of self-importance. I was already dizzy. Man was flattering himself so hard I could hear his own echoes. But I gave him a chance. Maybe he’d be a fun, unhinged little menace, right? NOPE
Imagine being in a self obsessed competition but ur opponent is Gareth carson💀 Ur r done!
His jealousy over his brother was exhausting. He spent the entire book hating on killian ,he is damn bro, acting all bitter and petty, only to turn around pages later like “Killian belongs to me” ??? Sir, be so for real. You’re out here throwing tantrums over daddy issues, yet suddenly, you’re claiming loyalty? The math isn’t mathing. 🙄

“Stay away from what’s mine, Kill. Don’t make me hurt you.”

Gareth, my guy, the audacity is off the charts. 🤡aren't u the one who kissed ur brother's gf You started this mess, and now you're mad? Sounds like karma just clocked in for her shift.

“Because?”
“Kill belongs to me. No one is allowed to hurt what belongs to
me.”
Dad’s jaw tightens. “Is your brother an object to you?”

Lmao, Gareth really thought he ate with that line. Boy u r giving clown vibes, sit down.💀
🔪10 Things I Hate About Gareth Carson:

-He thinks he’s that guy. Spoiler: He’s not. Tries too hard to be dark and untouchable but just ends up looking like a privileged brat with daddy issues.
- Wannabe Killian energy. Like sir, please, sit down. The Elites walked so you could trip and fall.

-No real depth. I wanted layers, complexity, an actual reason to care. Instead, I got a man who broods for sport.

- Acts powerful, but is just petty. Loves to play mind games, but half the time, it just feels like a rich boy throwing a tantrum because someone dared to challenge him.

-Zero emotional intelligence. Processes feelings like Windows XP processes updates—slow, frustrating, and unnecessary.

-All bark, no bite. Talks like he’s the scariest man alive, but his actual actions? Mid at best.

-Everyone was too busy throwing hands at Kaden and the r word to notice that the real villain was chilling right there, sipping his fancy drink, plotting world domination, and somehow getting away with it. Pure evil wrapped in expensive fabric, and y’all just let it slide? Be so for real.He is the damn reason Asher hated my man killian -the reason of rift between father and son💀

“If
you want Mom to stop looking at you like that, watch how your friends act
and mimic them as best you can. It’ll get easier with time.” “Will
Dad stop hating me, too?”
“Maybe stay away from Dad. I don’t think he’s ever going to accept
you.”

Gareth really said, “Fake it till you make it,” to a nine-year-old like he’s training a corporate intern. Man had one job—be a decent brother—and he fumbled it harder than his morality.💀
-Possessive in an annoying way. Not the hot, unhinged kind. The whiny, insecure, overcompensating kind.His dialogue feels like it was written by someone who thinks “sigma male” TikTok edits are peak masculinity.

-Predictable. I knew exactly what he was going to do before he did it. Not the mastermind he thinks he is."After every growl and grudge, Gareth still ends up on his back a bottom. Tragic. 💀"

-He’s so full of himself. The constant "I’m the most beautiful, I’m the best" nonsense had me rolling my eyes so hard I almost saw my brain. Like, sir, we get it, you think you’re God’s gift to the world—now please, shut up!
🔗Kayden - Walking Mystery Box – This professor has the depth of a spilled drink. He broods, he lurks, he has a criminal past—coolAh, Kayden. The self-righteous, morally superior, walking contradiction. Mr. “I despise rapists” but also “Let me commit some for character development.". But where’s the actual character development?If I had a dollar for every time Kaden said something like, “I don’t want him, but why does my heart ache?”—I’d have enough money to hire a therapist for him. For a so-called intellectual, Kaden’s logic is so flawed it needs a recall. Holding mock trials in class, preaching about empathy—yet conveniently forgetting all that when it suits him? The mental gymnastics are Olympic-level.Kayden out here policing language like he's the morality police, meanwhile, his own actions are a whole crime documentary. 💀
🔗Plot!? where? or if u call it any!?🕳️🏃‍♀️💨

Because I checked under Gareth’s endless brooding, in between the repetitive smut scenes, and even inside his deep-seated daddy issues—and guess what? Still missing. The whole book felt like a badly scripted drama.Went in for banter, left with third-degree burns. 🔥😭
Expectations#okokokokok-lalalalalala→ Result#growl-smash-thrust-thrust
I went into this book expecting dark mind games, intense power plays, and some kind of Elite-level drama, but what I got was a whole lot of nothing. Just tension for the sake of tension and two characters going in circles with no actual development. Imagine coming up with the most interesting plot that could have blown ppl's mind and would have gagged them for eternity, but fuck it all up with bad execution and writing the most weird, insensitive and offensive shit.

🚩 Things That Had Me Screaming in Frustration::
📌~The Smut-To-Plot Ratio:
-This book really said,“Who needs depth when we can have another round of meaningless banging?”
At some point, I wanted to bargain with the author for even a scrap of character development. Like, please, can we have a scene where something actually happens besides Gareth’s endless “I am HIM” rants and weak attempts at being a ‘villain’?If you’re here purely for spice, you’ll be entertained. But if you wanted something dark and complex, you might find yourself skimming through the scenes.Reading smut in this book be like-

📌 -Kaden-I like kissing him more than I’ve liked kissing anyone.
My wife included.🤡 Graeth: exists | Kaden: "Let me disrespect him real quick.that's him"Gareth, babe, karma is your boyfriend"
📌-Pet Names? More Like Pest Names
Little Monster?? Little red! Little purple! Little what now? I swear, Rina Kent just opens a random word generator and slaps "Little" in front of it. Next book better feature "Little Existential Crisis" because that’s what this book gave me.I am sucker for the endearment, but Kayden went overboard. He says “baby” 200 times annoys the f* out of me.


📌-The spitting-in-the-mouth scene? Oh, Rina, be so for real. I have OCD, not a death wish. That wasn’t smut; that was a health code violation. 🚨
📌-The Worst Father Award Goes To... -Asher Carson🏆
Hating on 9-year-old Killian Carson his f*cking son-a kid , like it was his full-time job. Sir, I’ve read your book. You were not exactly a prize yourself with your insomniac, morally-gray nonsense and daddy issues. I actually feel bad for Killian. Once again, they cannot make me hate you killian 💅
And let’s not forget how Asher somehow managed to make all his sons miserable. Father of the Year, truly.

Asher-You keep amazing me. I’m so proud of you, son.
Gareth-Thanks, Dad.
I’m grinning wide. I love being his source of pride—something
Killian definitely isn’t.

Asher, buddy, parenting isn’t a competition. But if it were, you’d be losing. 💀
-Small Wins in This Chaos:

✔ The tension between Gareth and Kaden when the book wasn’t trying to be unnecessarily dramatic.
✔ Some of the toxic moments were entertaining. If I turn my brain off and pretend this is just a drama fever dream, I can see the appeal.
✔ Nicko's cameo—and All the cameos from my favorite Heathens and others from the LOG-chef’s kiss.
✔ Yulian & Vaughan crumbs. Like feeding a starving fandom with scraps.🫦
✔ Moka—the cat moments. The only character with common sense.
✔ Medusa—the car moments. More personality than some humans in this book.
✔ Jealousy—yeah, we love that. Nothing hits like insecure men playing tug-of-war with their egos.
✔ The book kept me hooked even though I was rolling my eyes every other chapter.
✔ Vaughan-Gareth Friendship.
~SOME FUN FACTS:

⭐ Fun Fact #1: If I were in the "Obsessed with Myself" competition but my opponent was Gareth, I’d just pack up and leave. Man is out here fighting for his life to be the most unbearable person in the room—and winning. 💀
⭐ Fun Fact #2: Cecily literally went from reading BLs for fun to living in one. Girl said, "Why just read when I can witness my husband's friends eye-f*ck each other in real-time?" A true scholar of the genre.

⭐ Fun Fact #3: Jeremy is the only straight guy in this entire book, and honestly? Feels like an endangered species at this point. Someone protect him.

⭐ Fun Fact #4: The amount of wannabe Killians running around is insane. Like, do these men not have their own personalities? The man’s basically walking around with, “Why you so obsessed with me?” energy. Killian really owns this anthem: “Every wannabe’s wanna be me, me too if I was you.”💅 Because everyone (especially Gareth) just wants to be him so bad.
⭐ Fun Fact #5:This book was basically a loop of "I hate you" -> "I want you" -> "No, I can’t" -> repeat 50x. At this point, I felt like I was in a Groundhog Day situation.PS:They already f*cked
⭐Fun Fact #6: Kaden’s dead wife had more emotional weight than half of Gareth’s dialogue.

⭐Fun fact#7:Landon king is mentioned 2 times you'll because this man isn’t even in the book yet still manages to be the main event. Truly, the King behavior🫦👑

⭐ Fun Fact #8: If everyone is busy growling-smashing-thrusting, then WHO is actually out there hunting or surviving the Heathens initiation trials?! Priorities are wild. 💀
~My Last Brain Cell’s thoughts:
I was hyped. I was READY. I wanted Gareth’s book to ruin me emotionally. Instead, it ruined my expectations. The pacing? Off. The romance? Flat. The conflict? Missing, like the plot.As you guys know, I was kinda enjoying it at the start, but it fell short real quick. The more I read, the less I felt connected to the characters. It’s like they existed just to cause chaos, but without any real depth. At this point, my expectations for the next book are six feet under, right next to Kaden’s wife.If you wanted depth and an actual story? Well… you might need to kiss this villain goodbye.

Rating: 2.5/5⭐ Would I reread this? Only if Gareth personally apologizes to me. And even then, I’d need financial compensation.

[Fairuz ᥫ᭡. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was SO EXCITED for this book—like, it was at the top of my anticipated reads list, sitting pretty, waiting to blow my mind. But instead, it slapped me in the face with one of the most repulsive, misogynistic, and downright problematic plots I’ve ever seen. Rina Kent, what was this??!

First off, the rape scenes. Oh, yes, SCENES. PLURAL. Because apparently, once wasn’t enough, and Rina Kent said, You know what would really spice up this romance? More sexual assault. WHAT IN THE TOXIC WATTPAD FANFIC?? The fact that this was even marketed as a romance is enough to make me want to launch my phone into the sun.

And now, let’s talk about Kayden. Dude, you’re supposed to be a brooding, dark, and mysterious professor, but instead, you’re straight-up giving serial predator energy. You’re out here avenging your dead wife, who was raped—so naturally, your next move is to… do the same thing to Gareth??? Be so for real. This man needs to be thrown into the ocean with a brick tied to his leg.

Gareth. Oh, my sweet, naive, disaster child. He’s supposed to be dangerous, but he just spends the whole book throwing tantrums and whining about not being loved enough. I could not take him seriously. He’s all bark, no bite, and I’ve seen more menacing threats from a toddler denied ice cream.

And the plot?? Oh, what plot?! Just a never-ending rinse-and-repeat cycle of assault, temper tantrums, and inexplicably stupid violence. By the time I reached the halfway point, I was mentally checked out, re-evaluating my life choices, and trying to remember the exact moment I decided to give this author another chance.

And can we TALK ABOUT THE MISOGYNY?!?!?!?

The dead wife was nothing more than a sad, overused plot device. She was brutally gang-raped and murdered, and instead of treating that with care, it was just tossed in as cheap drama fuel so Gareth could have his little "Does he love me or her more??" existential crisis. EXCUSE ME? This woman was tortured to death, and your biggest issue is your self-esteem?? Get help. Immediately.

And let’s talk about the complete erasure of female characters. Why do so many MM books act like women don’t exist unless they’re suffering, dead, or being insulted??? Cecily got exactly one mention, and it was a joke. One. Singular. Mention. Why does this keep happening?!

And the fetishization of SA. Rina Kent, you are a woman. Oh wait—actually, no, I’m still standing on my stance that Rina Kent is actually a man, because no self-respecting woman would write this. The way SA is thrown around like some twisted form of foreplay? Whoever you are, reveal yourself. I have questions. None of them are polite.

THE ONLY SINGLE DECENT THING IN THIS BOOK? The Legacy of Gods cameos. That’s it. That’s the only reason I didn’t fling my phone into a wall.

Final thoughts:
🔪 Disgusting.
🔪 Disturbing.
🔪 Misogynistic.
🔪 An insult to dark romance.

━━━━━━━━━━━⊱♡⊰━━━━━━━━━━

Before diving into this absolute disaster of a scene, let me just ask—why the hell is this even here? And more importantly, why is Rina Kent the one writing it? It’s not enough that she constantly romanticizes rape in her books; now she’s out here justifying it in real life too?!

Now, the scene itself:

“Now, when we talk about actus reus, the physical act of committing a crime, it’s important to remember that it's not just about the action itself, but the context in which it happens.” He walks the length of the podium, speaking in a monotone voice. “Was there intent? Did the defendant have the necessary mens rea, the guilty mind? Without both elements, you don’t have a crime. Let’s take rape, for example.”
My pen screeches to a halt on the notebook as he continues to address the class.
“The act of sexual penetration is clearly the physical component, but it’s the mental state that determines the severity and nature of the charge. Consent—or lack thereof—is crucial here. If the accused knew, or should have known, that consent was absent, the question becomes: was there willful disregard for the victim’s autonomy? Was there an intent to dominate, to exert power?
“Rape as a crime isn’t just about physical violence; it’s about the control, the manipulation, and the disregard for the victim’s agency. And this is where it becomes complex, because consent, and whether it was freely given, is often a matter of perception, a gray area that must be examined carefully. We need to ask ourselves: did the defendant act in a way that violates the very essence of someone else’s bodily autonomy?”
The pen breaks in my hand, and I let it fall on the notebook as his eyes flash toward me, deep mockery lying within.
He’s enjoying this.
The prick is having the best time of his life reminding me of the only humiliation I’ve ever experienced.

Let’s be brutally clear: the way rape and consent are being framed here is sickening. This isn’t just “dark romance”; this is a blatant attempt to excuse sexual violence. The whole mens rea discussion in the context of rape is beyond disturbing. Why the hell are we focusing on intent when Kayden has already raped Gareth? What’s the message here—that as long as he “didn’t mean to,” it’s somehow not that bad? That if he’s hot enough, it doesn’t count? Rina Kent, are you serious?!

The idea that a rapist’s mental state determines the severity of the crime is absolute bullshit. RAPE. IS. RAPE. The world already makes enough excuses for rapists—"Oh, he didn’t realize she wasn’t into it," "Oh, it was a misunderstanding," "Oh, he was just overcome by passion." Spare me. And now, Rina Kent decides to shove this garbage into a romance novel, making it seem like rapists deserve sympathy? Absolutely not.

And let’s not act like this is some deep, intellectual discussion. This isn’t a law textbook. This is a romance novel where one of the leads has raped the other. Why the hell is rape being used as an academic debate when it’s literally the foundation of this toxic relationship? If she wanted to talk about mens rea, why not use murder? Theft? Fraud? Why the hell did she pick rape?

Let’s call it what it is: this is an attempt to justify the horrific things her characters do. Is she trying to make us excuse them because their “intent” wasn’t evil? That they’re somehow redeemable because they “didn’t mean it”? That’s not just disgusting—it’s dangerous. This is the exact kind of mindset that lets real-life rapists walk free.

And even if, for some godforsaken reason, Rina Kent isn’t trying to justify anything—it still doesn’t belong here. This entire scene is tone-deaf, unnecessary, and straight-up horrifying. There is no excuse for writing something like this. None.

So I have to ask again: what was the point of this? Because all it did was make me wonder why the hell I’m even reading this book.

[isy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry haters but I ate this THE FUCK up!!
(your welcome professor for spelling it out for you I think I should get a reward now 😌)

Now if you are like me and got practically the entire book spoiled for you on, I think it was Monday morning when I woke up, checked my phone and was ambushed with them, then you probs were a little scared and freaked out by what people were saying.
Well, let me reassure you, Rina did not loose the plot, Rina did not go insane, and Rina, once again, did not let us down because HOLYYYYY FUCK!!! The fucking ride this book took me on LAUGHING MY ASS OFF!! And that was with knowing half of the plot twists!!
And can I just say, the amount of spoilers, plot points, quotes and scenes that are being taken out of context and being bashed online is CRAZY!! If you want to say something negative thats fine but you guys are out here full on LYING just to get attention. Why??? It's lame.

Gareth and Kayden... now I honestly had no fucking clue what to expect going into this book. I wanna say I had my predictions, but I feel like I just had vibes? laughing my ass off. I don't know if that will make sense to anyone else but it does to me!!
But my vibes? The shit in my head that I thought this book would possibly be like? COMPLETELY WRONG! I predicated absolutely nothing in this story. I had no clue what I was getting into when I opened the book for the first time.
And let me tell you, I LOVED IT!!!!

The start of their story, their first meeting... my face: 😳 because that was intense as fuck and also I couldn't look away or stop reading! They pulled me in from the very beginning and their chemistry was coming through the pages I swear. And it just continued to grow as I kept reading. They truly are made for each other and seeing them grow into their relationship and into themselves through each other was amazing.

I LOVED Gareth's journey through the book. From being freaked out by his attraction to Kayden to growing into himself , accepting himself, and wanting to come out and show off his man to the world, it was a treasure to get to read and see that. Watching him become such a softie and fall in love was SO CUTE!! The constant spoiling and touching was adorable and made me just want to cuddle him.

And Kayden? Sir 🧎‍♀️ I really dont even know what to say about this dude because he is just a league of his own. He's dominating, intense, hot, sexy, deli- okayyyyyy focus! Really is was fun to see all the sides to him because yes he is the intense, dominating, controlling Professor Lockwood, but he is also a little secret softie who just wants to take care of his man and live a happy, full life.

It was beautiful.

And let me just say I am SOOOOOO glad we got this book!!! Their story is unforgettable, touching, tender, intense, and toxic but also pure? Laughing out loud. That makes no sense, but I guess what I mean is that they are toxic but their love is pure?

Also, Rina has done it once again. Her damn Rinaverse!! I have no clue how she keeps this all straight in her head because I would be the meme picture of the guy with the detective board behind me trying to keep all the characters and connections straight 🤣 I love how we got to see a small glimpse into her new series and the connection that will continue the rinaverse. HEHE I manifested that we would go back to it and now I will continue to manifest that we will never leave! THE RINAVERSE WILL BE NEVER ENDING!!!!
I need to learn how to preform spells ☺️

The only thing that threw me was the whole pussy thing ngl 😭

And of course, I can't forget about the star of the show: MOKA!!!!! MY WITTLE BABY SO STINKING CUTE AND PRECIOUS I LOVE YOU!!!!

Professor I think I realllyyyyyy deserve that reward now 😏

4.5 stars

[manas (suffering) · Rating 1 out of 5]

➳ భయంకరమైన ☆

CHI CHI CHI. MY MOTHER WAS RIGHT; IT'S THE DAMN PHONE.

these are the most appalling, awful, creepy, disgraceful, distasteful, egregious, horrid, nasty, revolting, shameful, and vile characters i. have. ever. read. about. when she said it was worse than god of malice i should've known.

this is a FULL RANT. if you like this, i AM very happy. don't come for me and MY opinions. it's never that serious.

‼️‼️‼️‼️there will be spoilers‼️‼️‼️‼️

say it with me besties... GO AFTER YOUR PASSION. IF SHE CAN MAKE IT THIS BIG AFTER PLAGRASIZING HERSELF EVERY 2-3 BUSSINESS DAYS, SO CAN YOU.

every rina kent book ever :

⤷ 6'3 man, if you're special 6'4 or 6'5.
⤷ abusive man, sometimes a rapist, sometimes into underage girls, but always abusive.
⤷ blond FMC who is dumber than a box of rocks and is a victim of abusive.
⤷ virgin FMC who is banal and jejune.
⤷ corny MMC who speaks like an NPC.
⤷ stupid mothers, even more stupid fathers.
⤷ same physical description with the difference of eye color (only if you're lucky).
⤷ the same side quests and plot.
⤷ lame third act drama that leads to the same place as the previous 40 books.
⤷ the corniest smut scenes known to planet earth.

🤡👹🤡👹🤡👹🤡👹🤡👹🤡👹🤡👹🤡👹🤡👹🤡👹

where does this leave us??? reading the same unoriginal shit that took no effort, no thought, no care, and no love. if i could quit med school and take this up full time, trust i would. so i really can't say too much. good for her.

the cat was the best part.

the cat was the best part.

the cat was the best part.

⌞kayden⌝

the rapist, i mean the professor, is DISGUSTING. what the fuck was she thinking when she wrote this man. absolute tomfoolery on crack cocaine. the rapist was supposed to have traits and qualities that supposed to wow us and make us swoon. instead of that, he ended up being an abusive insolent piece of shit with a kink for tongue fucking gareth's ear. if you hate killian but you’re obsessed with him… that’s your prerogative. however, it’s very weird that people play off kayden’s disgusting behavior because gareth is a man. assault IS assault. fuck this, fuck him, fuck off.

⌞gareth⌝

the failed rapist, also known as the law student and certified good boy, equally portrayed zero relevant qualities for this book. this man had absolutely no personality besides being an introverted psychopath like his weirdo brother and was forcing himself to have these mommy and daddy issues. the entire carson family is the most disgraceful & disgusting people i've ever read about. now cue, making the women of the story to be cheaters, abusers, getting abused, or victims. zeroes across the board for this cum wipe ugly ass bitch.

─────────────୨ৎ──────────────

rk’s hatred of women. 😍

the most jarring portion of this that i have to mention, is her horrendous treatment of every single female character that she has ever written about. this was a lot of people's issue with her other MM book, god of fury. somehow in that book, she made every single woman out to be this bimbo bitch who was trying to steal the male characters attention. i have no idea why i thought this book would be different, but almost every woman that was portrayed in this book ended up being an obsessive whore, a cheater slut, dead, gang-raped, or abused/abusive. there is literally no excuse that anybody can offer this woman.

everybody justifying this and saying it was in trigger warnings is the dumbest excuse you can offer. there are a lot of authors that write triggering material however, they put effort into every single one of their books. you would never be able to differentiate these books if i took out the main characters names. i'm gonna display some of the similarities that I kept seeing because it was just so blaring and lazy.

✎ niko & kayden constantly overusing “baby”.
✎ embarrassing nickname that makes ZERO sense.
✎ gaz turning out to be every. single. heathens. man.
✎ “cum hole”, “my hole”, “HOLE”??? SHUT THE FUCK UP‼️
✎ gaz and brandon suddenly having the same issues at the 75% mark.
✎ literal copy/pasted lines from previous books.
✎ predictable third act conflict.
✎ the weirdest sibling dynamic—like every single book.
✎ the useless second epilogue always being the tasteless proposal scene.
✎ making fun of characters trauma after being the one to cause it.

rk is onto SOMETHING??? ✖️
rk is ON something!!! ✔️

captain america from temu thinks he is doing something over here with this LANGUAGE bullshit. i mean, there is no substance in this relationship. how can you write a man who lost his wife to a gang rape and murder and then actively assault YOUR STUDENT, just to say you never gave a shit about your wife??? what in the kamasutra soap opera is this⁉️

gaz having GROSS one sided beef with a deceased woman was just the cherry on top. this is not dark, this is not romance, this is FUCKING STUPID. every single woman in this was just a caricature. women do not act like this. women do not let these nasty men treat them like this. women do not flaunt themselves at these pigs. be so serious for once.

when i read all the vaughn and yulian scenes... ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

this really cannot be what everyone is foaming at the mouth over. cue KTV 10.0 since this is a copy paste of every other book.

the worst part of all of this, the inconsistency. THE initiation was supposed the heathens hunting people... instead they were just trying to get their dick wet and playing a game of love island. how can one forget their plot this badly???

i have abused, butchered, fried, destroyed, cut up, tortured, slaughtered, crushed, annihilated, evaporated, dissolved, and desolated my braincells. there is nothing functioning in my cerebral cortex.

[Emmy Rosam]

DNF at 52% unfortunately

[T.S · Rating 1 out of 5]

P Diddy behaviors

[Marianna Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, on the bright side I already know what my worst read of 2025 is gonna be. This one star goes to the Jeremy, Niko, and killian crumbs. That’s all. Nothing more. Other than that there wasn’t a single thing I liked about this book. I’m just so sick of RK writing the same copy and paste plot line, I’m the clown for hoping this book would be different and she wouldn’t just write the Walmart version of her most popular books and characters. Jokes on me.

I personally didn’t find anything about Gareth or Kayden to be likable. They lacked any and all chemistry and their dynamic just wasn’t for me. I can’t even consider this a romance in my mind. Personally I just wasn’t a fan of it being all smut and no plot. And this honestly HURTS MY HEART AND SOUL TO SAY!!! The Legacy of Gods Series is one of my favorite dark romance series ever! Not a single book was rated less than 4 stars. This just missed the mark on all fronts, I definitely won’t be reading the other books in this series.

Also Gareth talking about how crazy and pretty he is the whole time gave me the ick. Of course that’s my personal opinion, I like my psychopath MMCs to not have to tell me over and over and over again that they’re crazy and “different” like just show me plz and thank you. Yeah I didn’t like him at all. How he treated killian….. nah I hate him actually.

SPOILER WARNING:
I also practically threw up when I found out Kayden had a wife and what happened to her and how he handled that whole situation just no. It just, I don’t even know, I don’t even know how to explain how I felt reading this book. There was a lot of “huh… that’s disgusting, that’s a choice, that was forced, that was a really weird direction to go in, that was entirely unnecessary, I guess we’re strictly writing for shock value.”

Hard no. Never again.

[buket · Rating 1 out of 5]

astaghfirullah i erased all my good deeds by reading this during ramadan and it was so not worth it

not me and Clace reading today both a masterpiece(sunrise on the reaping) and whatever this is🤡


~~~~~
please be good 🙏🏻 please be good 🙏🏻 please be good 🙏🏻

(at least not be so bad)

[Eftelya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so tired of female authors and their endless fetishization of gay dudes. It's disgusting. Also... Vaughn is getting a book after all... ALSO MM. Didn't Vaughn have a girlfriend he was "loyal to like his daddy" just yesterday, and wasn't supposed to get a book? So, now that her MM book became popular, she's gonna turn every other side character gay... Regardless of what was said before? 🥴😐 How many more times does the gay community have to ask you to stop writing MM books just to cater to BL obsessed fangirls?

[maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

🗑️🗑️🚮

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh i’m fucking obsessed. 🥹🥹 so glad i didn’t have work today bc i literally binged this in one sitting and couldn’t put it down. i’m simply weak for unhinged and possessive characters and that was Gareth and Kayden to a tea. Gareth was such a hilarious mc and i loved being in his mind, but i also loved how we got Kayden’s pov bc, to me, he’s the character type whom you need to have his pov to really understand where his mind is at bc he’s good at self control and not showing how he feels on the outside but then you get his pov and he’s raging (and while Gareth does have his golden boy persona and hides his darkness, he’s also impulsive and tends to act first, think later so you can see in his expression if he’s upset or jealous or whatever… at least when it came to Kayden lmao).

[safeya ༒︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAA I LOVE THEM UR HONOUR 😭✋🏼

i ate this book up like there was no tomorrow. the banter was absolutely hilarious i loved it sm 🤭
also the nikobran crumbs? 😩😩😩 i miss my babies i’m so happy we got to see more of them.

ever since this book was announced i’ve been giggling over it. i was so excited to start it and i’m happy i liked it. i do genuinely feel bad for the people who anticipated it and yet didn’t enjoy it. hope u guys’s next read is sm better 💗

now was this book unique? no. was it toxic? yes. was it just smut the first 50%? absolutely. did i devour every single second of it? fuck yeah 🙂‍↕️

i will say gareth’s inner monologue in the first few chapters were slightly annoying and egotistical but funny asf.
nothing much happens the first half, just a fun push and pull game between gaz and kayde. but after that? (even tho i got a little spoiled by someone who already read it and hated it and just wanted to completely ruin the experience for others) i did enjoy it when the plot truly started developing.
i normally don’t like it when nothing happens for a long while and then things start to pick up BUT this book is an exception cuz i was so incredibly entertained throughout 😭

before anyone starts jumping to conclusions. i’m not defending the mcs in this book. they’re fucked up, messy, and toxic.

note: 🛑THIS BOOK IS A DARK ROMANCE. guys it’s DARK, the trigger warning ARE RIGHT BEFORE THE FIRST CHAPTER. i don’t have to be telling anyone this. if one of the warnings disturbed u, don’t read it. simple.

it’s totally fine if u didn’t enjoy this book! absolutely valid.
but please i don’t want a disrespectful comment under this review. whether u liked this book or not, it’s not okay to bash others for having different opinions.

MINOR SPOILERS 🛑
personally, i always read dark romance and i’m familiar with dub-con/non-con scenes. but if ur not, DON’T read this book.

i’m not excusing r*pe, but as someone who’s read multiple non-con romance books. here’s my opinion,
the characters that indulge in this act get off on it. it’s fucked up but it’s true. the receiver denies and says “no”, but it’s a fantasy. they want to be taken against their will. so yes they will fight back, but they still don’t want it to stop. and vise versa to the other party.
again cuz i know some of y’all will skip everything i say and come up w something else. i do not justify actual r*pe. i’m talking abt a fantasy, a sickening one yes, but a fantasy nonetheless. it’s a deep trust between both sides.
yes the first chapter gaz and kayde were strangers. they had a conversation about it later on. gaz was still gonna assault yulian. drugging someone, stripping off their clothes, but only for “fun” and to humiliate them even tho he didn’t mean actual harm is still assault. that is why kayde assaulted him back. the solution isn’t solving assault with assault it’s wrong.
fucked up? absolutely. but that’s them. i’m not excusing them. i’m only saying this cuz some ppl are bashing kayde when gaz clearly was gonna do something similar.
again, yes it’s messed up. but so are they. they both indulged in that act. these are some quotes directly from the book talking about these scenes:
“Countering assault with assault? Seriously?” “Not something I’m proud of, but we were both equally fucked up.“
“I’m not offering excuses for your actions, and it’s not like I was that innocent anyway, but I liked that.” He closes his eyes, his lashes fluttering on his cheeks. “From the start, I think I enjoyed how you dominated me and gave me no way out.”
—
“But, there’s this petulant side of me that kind of loves it when I say no and he goes for it anyway. Because I get off on this, apparently, and he knows it. He feeds on it, too. Because neither of us is normal.”
—
“Make me feel as if you’re forcing me and I have no option but to take it. I’ll enjoy it better that way.”
—
And I twist beneath him, wanting to fight this for real. To stop it—not that he’d let me. The other part, the part that can’t help coming back for more, likes that he won’t let me.

i’m not offering excuses for r*pe, i’m just explaining how gaz and kayde’a kinky dynamic is. i don’t wanna see anyone jumping my bones 😭
——————
this is my opinion. if u have something bashful u wanna say keep it to urself. just block me. simple. u’ll be saving us both the headache.

whew. since we got that out of the way. here are some quotes i loved:
MINOR SPOILERS🛑

His turbulent eyes wavering and flickering. They’re so lost and disturbed it makes me want to kill whoever put that look there—even if it’s me.

Am I jealous of a goddamn car because he speaks to it so softly and calls it baby girl? Yes. Yes, I fucking am.

“If perfection exists, it’s you, baby. You’re made for me, aren’t you?”

“Then remove me. Don’t hurt yourself. Hurt me.”

“You said you’d rip my heart out. It’s all yours, so do with it as you please, baby.”

I say softly, “My life is yours to take whenever you wish, little monster.”

”He’s my priority now. He’s the only thing that matters. Even if it costs me my life. Even if it costs me my soul.”

Everything in me roars to life. My brain, my body, my heart, my soul. Everything. He stimulates me in ways no one else can. No one else will ever be able to. And I crave it. I crave him. Because he tames my demons.

“You’re my goddamn home, baby.”

”You cracked me open, tore me apart, and molded me back together in your image. Now, I’m incapable of existing without you. The absence of your voice, your scent, your tough love, and even your impulsiveness and spoiled-brat behavior painted my world black. I was fine with that color before you, but I can’t stand it now. Will not stand it. You gave my life meaning after years of aimlessness. Your chaos soothes my calm, your darkness is a mirror of my own, and that beautiful soul of yours is a figment of mine and a torch that burns in the depths of my blackened heart. I didn’t know what love was before you, but I’m certain that’s what I feel for you, my little monster.”

Happiness is Kayden and Kayden is happiness. They’re one and the same in my mind.
—
omg can we talk abt vaughn and yulian I CANT WAIT A WHOLE YEAR 😭 i don’t think i’ll be able to handle it ugh i’m so excited for them it’s not even funny.
—
i know this book is controversial asf, but be mindful of what u say to others. ur a reader u should know by now that reading is subjective and not everyone enjoys the same thing. i’d appreciate it if everyone was respectful in the comments. ty bbs 🫶🏼

[veerali · Rating 1 out of 5]

the only reason i'll read this book again is because i'm in hell and this version of eternal suffering i've been sentenced to.

[Youssra (semi ia) · Rating 2 out of 5]

update: The more I marinate on this book, the more I dislike it unfortunately😭 I feel like the audiobook isn't enough for this to get 3 stars 😔 new rating: 2.5 stars



audio: 5 stars (very well produced)
book: 2 stars *sigh*

Been going back and forth on the final rating and will settle on 3 stars rounded up for the stellar audiobook.🎧 nevermind 😶‍🌫️

First off, this is not my first RK book, I have read a lot of her books by now and her books are just mindless fun for me. They are not peak literature; they are dark and smutty fun. If you're not a fan of her or her books, that is totally okay! But reading a book you know you're gonna hate seems like a waste of your time, right? 👀

Secondly, the triggers are clearly posted at the beginning of the book, so hating a book based on a trigger clearly stated is unwarranted and on you boo. I am not one to hate an entire book because of a few scenes that were not to my liking. 🤷

My thoughts

I didn't have very high expectations for this book, but I was excited for it because student X professor is my fav trope ever. Did I hate this book? No. Did I love it? also no. My feelings for this book are tepid at most.

The first 60% of the book was just smut and nothing really important was happening. Kayden's motives for obsessively pursuing Gareth weren't clear until 60%, and I personally would have enjoyed it more if I had known why earlier on.

The last 30% were much better but still not enough for me to rate this higher. While it did have emotional moments, I just wasn't invested in them as a couple enough 😔 I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did, but I still have to be honest with myself and whoever reads this review😓

The whole Cassandra thing? I don't see it I'm sorry. She wasn't painted as a villain and was clear on the nature of her relationship with Kayden.

My Dislikes

📍 Too much sex and way wayyy too early on. I would have loved this so much more if they had built up their relationship before sex, but it was the complete opposite.🤦

📍 The first pseudo-r*pe scene in ch 1. I knew there was gonna be dub-con and CNC in the book, that's not my issue. (I think different readers will see this scene differently and I will not get into that, everyone is free to think what they want.) I just thought it was completely unnecessary and put in there PURELY for shock value. Kayden could have just beaten him up or something and it would have been miles better.

📍 The repetition.🤦 My god Rina, at least 25% of this book is the same conversation between Gareth and Kayden. The push and pull between them got tedious. I get that Gareth was struggling with his identity and sexuality but it was way too much repetition for me. One of Rina's biggest weaknesses in her books is the repetition and I hope her editors do a better job of helping her see that.

📍 The feminization kink.😶‍🌫️ I am not one to kink-shame at all. You do you and all that😅 This kink just wasn't for me, but apparently it's kind of a thing in the MM universe🤔 So, some people like that stuff, but I didn't and I won't hate the entire book for a kink I didn't like.🙄

My likes

🤍 The praise kink was PRAISE KINKING SO HARD. 🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵

🤍Their domestic feel was actually so cute. I loved the way they took care of each other. THE STRAWBERRIES?? PLEASE THAT WAS ADORABLE!😭

🤍 Even though their obsessive possessiveness got a bit OTT, it was still hot nonetheless.❤️‍🔥

🤍 The epilogues were so cute too!💟

🤍 NikoBran crumbs 💋💋💋


Overall, there were some parts I enjoyed and some parts I didn't. Would I recommend this book? Not really, at least not to a new RK reader. Will I still read the other books in this series? Absolutely, and will do so with an open mind.🙆

[Iqra]

No expectations, just glad the rinaverse isn’t officially over 💋

[Uswah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hi! 😃
DNFed at 31%! 😃😃
I deeply apologize for that. It was literally just Lust, Lust, and more Lust… 😃

Ooooh, that scene between Vaughn and Yulian? 👀 Heheheh… I need more of that! I promise I’ll read Vaughn’s book fully because he’s my favorite! 😍 All thanks to his daddy & mommy! 🙂‍↕️ No, no, let’s stop dwelling on that topic—I'm obsessed! Let’s focus on KTV now… 😃

Honestly, I’m not sure what else to say. 😭 Oh yes—KILLIAN!!! You’re the sanest man in Carson’s family! 😃 I really feel bad for him. :(

I had a whole yap session with my bestie (she’s a fast reader 🙂‍↕️, so she gave me some spoilers), and that’s how I know certain things despite DNFing the book. Those Nikobran crumbs? 😩😩😩
Tbh, the only good parts of this book were the NIKOBRAN CAMEO, VAUGHN & YULIAN CRUMBS, and KILLIAN. That’s it, everything else except Gaz & Kayde 😭

I know it was darker than GOM, but umm still- where was the plot?!? 😃
And that Kayden’s wife thing!? Huh? 🤷‍♀️ Bruh…
I’ve never DNFed RK’s books—except for GOWAR and this “KTV.” I was so excited that we’d get something like GOF, but now I’m left disappointed. 😔 HUNT THE VILLAIN, you are my only hope now! 😭🫂
Also, the numerous mentions of the R-word in this book made me uncomfortable… so that’s another reason I’m stepping back. :(

Again, I’m truly sorry 😢 to those who loved or enjoyed this book. I would have enjoyed it too, but the constant focus on Lust just bored me. :(

Manifesting that RK will deliver with Vaughn’s book. 🙇‍♀️ (Please don’t do my Vaughnie wrong—he and Yulian have sm potential together!) 🤭

_________________________
Pre-Read

LET’S GOOOO 🖤💚🖤💚 I’M SO EXCITED PLUS SCARED CUZ OF THE SPOILERS… pls be good pls be good pls be good 😭🙇‍♀️

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread in April 2025
.
.
.
Listen, this is not a healthy relationship. I don't think Rina Kent will ever be accused of writing about a healthy relationship. I think when some authors become more popular or get put in the spotlight, it's maybe expected that they have more safe subjects in their stories. That is not the case here and I never expected it to be. This was twisted, toxic, and uncomfortable. Like other books before it, this starts with an assault. It is shocking and it is hard to watch.

But also, it had some of the most moving scenes I've read all year. I truly believe that something wild and unrestrained comes out when Rina writes relationships like this. I was riveted from start to finish. I didn't know how this couple could find an HEA, but I believed it. I was hooked.

Just don't go into this expecting anything less than the craziest thing Rina Kent has ever written. It's a cross between Malice and Fury, with a forbidden professor/student relationship thrown in. I think if you enjoyed those two, this book will speak to you. I still think Niko and Bran are my favorite couple, but Kayde & Gareth made their impression as well.

Look, I actively warn people away from Rina Kent as much as I recommend her. It's all about what you can handle, and I suggest you make sure Dark Romance is really what you want to read and not just a trend you want to jump on. Because that truly makes all the difference. The way this explores sexuality is NOT HEALTHY! It is shocking and painful and hard to watch sometimes. But I've always loved a story with a tough journey and this had a twisted but beautiful one.

The narration was spectacular. I loved the full cast narration with the lead skill of Stephen Dexter & Grayson Owen carrying the day!

On a final note, I am looking forward to Hunt the Villain, I think the couple is very well seeded in this book and anyone not interested doesn't have to read it. It's as simple as that.

5 Stars
4.5 on the spice scale

*Thank you to the author for an ALC*

CW: Self Harm, Non-Con, DubCon, CNC, Feminization fetish, Loss of a spouse, kidnapping, torture, unbalanced power dynamic, and more

[manar · Rating 1 out of 5]

STOP FUCKING WRITING

[Jay H (Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smh 😒



___________________

Pre-Read:


OK GUYS IT HAPPENING!!!!!! RINA IS WRITING KAYDEN AND GARETHS' BOOK!!!!! ok we need to calm down. I know I've criticized this author's books before, but like God of Fury, this will be an MM romance, so there won't be a heroine to abuse or humiliate. Please, Rina, if you can hear me, DON'T include any r*pe in this book!!!!!

[milene · Rating 1 out of 5]

i’m SO DISAPPOINTED with this one. ask anyone and they will tell you i was the most excited for it..

okay so to sum up, kiss the villain has:

- gareth drugging and ripping kayden’s clothes off to smear cum and lube on him while thinking it was yulian

- a rape introduction scene, way TOO similar to god of malice

- gang rape and murder of a woman to further the “romance” between two men

- this scene right here:

“Why do you hate me?”

“Let’s see. You raped me. Three times. Keep threatening me and won’t leave me alone. Take your pick.”

but it doesn’t end there:

“And last night? I wasn’t going to do anything to anyone. What’s your excuse?”

“You looked beautiful.”

AND more:

“Well, you just admitted to forcing yourself on me because I was beautiful. Excuse me if I don’t have the capacity to care about language. You won’t even try to find an excuse?”

“You’re the one who needs excuses, not me.”

“Me?”

“Here are your excuses, Carson. Last night, you could’ve fought, but you didn’t. You had the ability to call an army of guards to either restrain or kill me but didn’t. You wanted that as much as I did. But that’s just my two cents. Here’s your homework to think about tonight. Since you’re so straight, why would you come from prostate fucking?”

- kayden playing god while teaching a class about rape HOW IRONIC and then he assigned gareth with defending a rapist in a rape case

shall i continue?

[cora · Rating 1 out of 5]

do you know that moment when you’re making up scenarios before bed, and the characters in your head won’t stop backflipping or acting weird, and you’re just like, ”can you stop so we move on with the plot?”

this book felt like that. except instead of backflips, these two just wouldn’t. stop. fucking.

!!review full of spoilers!!

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

plot

Kayden is a criminal law teacher at Gareth’s university. they meet under the craziest, dumbest circumstance. don’t you guys just hate when you SA your student because you thought he was gonna rape someone else? then you keep doing it some more? this is what being underpaid does to these teachers, i guess.

their first sexual interactions are forced. it was kind of similar to what the author has written before. the scenes start, Gareth says no, Kayden keeps going, and five seconds in, Gareth thinks, wait why am i into this? later, we see Gareth scrubbing his body raw, trying to wipe away the feel of his professor forcing himself on him . that part was disturbing to read.

and yet, they keep going back to each other and having continuous sex.

i don’t mind smut, but if i don't form a connection with the characters and believe their relationship, it's just boring. not only did i dislike these two, but their insane, rabid lust for each other was just not believable to me.

the drama in the second half was some of the goofiest shit i’ve ever read. Gareth’s meltdown over Kayden having an ex-wife was so over the top (i know he’s not mentally sane, but it was still so fucking crazy and for what).

Kayden: yes i had a wife
Gareth:


characters

Gareth?

or whatever skinwalker took his place in this book.

i read the first five Legacy of Gods books and actually kind of liked Gareth. i liked any man that strayed from the author’s usual “you don’t wanna see my dark side🥀😈” type of man. now imagine my surprise when i opened this and saw that he is, in fact, exactly like all of them.

he’s crazy, unhinged, has no feelings, thinks he’s a god and has a void inside him. because of course he does.



what i hated most was him “figuring out” his sexuality after what Kayden does to him. this is such a harmful stereotype the author has pushed before (God of Fury). no one denies that men experience SA—it should be talked about. what we don’t need is yet another story where the gay character is SA’d and then realizes he’s gay. it creates this false narrative that an external event caused their sexuality—implying that if the trauma is resolved, the sexuality could be too.

🤢Kayden🤢

ear licking professor lost his wife after she was gang-raped and is now on a mission to avenge her. he even has a tattoo for her and still thinks about her daily. surely, he must’ve loved her, right?

WRONG.

did you guys know that any previous love a character feels instantly negates their feelings for their current partner?

in fact, he says he didn’t even feel pain when he lost her. because god forbid a man experience grief over his murdered wife. even if they were just platonic, he could’ve at least loved her as a friend. but no. why would he? he only cares about Gareth–whom he rapes.

writing

“It’s beyond ridiculous, but I want to confirm I’m not having some sexuality crisis.
You totally are *giggles*
Shut up, demon.”

i remember thinking there’s no way she wrote *giggles* in a published book, yet here we are. how am i supposed to take this seriously??

“Hmm. Sus af.”
“Carson.”
“What?”
“Full words.”
“Suspicious as fuck, Professor.”
“Language.”

i’ve never in my life heard someone say “sus af” OUT LOUD. this was an actual conversation the characters had (NOT THROUGH TEXT). i’m so tired!! what are we doing?????????

excuses disguised as storytelling

this book mostly felt like the author’s response to everyone’s criticism about her writing blatant rape scenes.

Kayden’s whole “mens rea” speech where he focuses on intent and the so-called gray areas of consent just felt like justifications for what he did. because Gareth ultimately enjoyed it.

you know what i hate? getting tickled. do you know what happens when I get tickled? i laugh. my body has a natural reactive response that does not correlate to how i actually feel. this is often true for SA victims too—their body responds to the act even though they DO NOT LIKE IT.

another thing that truly pissed me off? the mock-trial case in class. Gareth was the defense attorney for the rapist in the scenario (diabolical work), and he says something like:

“The fact that she changed her mind or regretted her actions later does not negate the consent she previously gave.”

QUE???

you can say no at any time—before, during, or after. it’s just as valid as saying it when first asked at the bar. the idea that prior consent somehow overrides a later withdrawal is one of the most dangerous, victim-blaming narratives out there. consent isn’t a binding contract; it’s an ongoing agreement. the second someone says no, stops participating, or becomes uncomfortable, that’s it. end of discussion.

overall

i went into this book expecting Gareth to be different. he wasn’t. i hoped for some interesting plot or character development. i got smut on repeat. i expected dark themes, but not a weird, pseudo-intellectual justification for SA.

reading this with clara was the only thing that kept me sane. thank you for listening to me rant, ily bestie.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

pre-read

buddy read with my dearest bestie clara🖤 (we're both terrified)

i've stayed away from spoilers like i had a restraining order, but it's still not looking bright. locking in—maybe i won't find it as bad as everyone else has.

[afy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heathens initiation can rival a Greek God orgy, i swear. I’m curious who was actually hunting the participants cuz every single one was busy banging their love lust interest, Kill with Glyn, Jer with Cecy, Niko with Bran, Gaz with Kayden and Vaughn with Yulian. Make it make sense Rina!!

Anyways, this was a damaged superficial version of Niko-Bran/Kill-Glyn from Meesho, no scratch that, even Meesho has some great finds but this? A literal trash in form of ink on paper. This one star is only for NikoBran cameo and Moka, the cat.

Kayden, you can never be Niko so stop trying, will ya? whenever he said ‘baby’ hypothetical Niko was rolling in his grave, he was the literal dictionary definition of hypocrite serial predator, like imagine being a rapist who despises rapists *clown emoji*

Gareth, narcissism don’t suit on you, can you pls leave it for Lan? dear rina kent, i don’t want a reminder than he is the most “scariest” self-obsessed man alive on this planet on every page, please i get it. I GET IT!!! he was in short, a failed hybrid product of cross between Lan x Kill, keyword being ‘failed’

Romance & plot, was there any? Dora, the explorer could have done a better job at finding the plot cuz i couldn’t in 512 pages. The substance and world-building was flatter than my oiled hair

Character development, both were one-dimensional, shallow version of a toxic masculinity instagram reel by a Andrew Tate “sigma fan” from the first page till the last page, even the cat Moka had more personality and emotional intelligence than them

Smut, or should i say OCD trigger. how can one find a tongue inside their ear sexy?? how?? where is hygiene?? he was literally licking his ear wax. ew brother ew. the endless repulsive cycle of spit-in-mouth/useful-cum-hole/my-pussy-cunt made me almost gauge my eyeballs with the most blunt object possible

Rina Kent, thank you for ruining them, if i weren’t broke i would have paid for your therapy sessions on learning empathy for women. nvm this dumpster fire was my last straw to say goodbye to you. i am not going to read Vaughn’s book even for Kirill crumbs cuz i know you are going to ruin him too. atp everything is better in my head than your actual book. please don’t write Damien-Mio, i beg you

Also, correct me if i am wrong, wasn’t Niko supposed to be 6’5 in previous books and now he’s suddenly 6’4 cuz obviously Rina has to describe her new fav character as the tallest. Imagine being in a competition for the most track-changing person and your opponent is Rina Kent. Even politicians can never win against her.

And don’t get me started on reuse of every single cringe-dialogue/physical-description/hole-filled smut/unequal relationship-dynamics/trauma-dump plot/daddy-issues conflict/google-search-stereotypes. It seems RK took 3R’ (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) we studied in school way too seriously.

Substance and originality = Reduce
Dialogues and Personalities = Reuse
Boring plots and cringiest smut = Recycle

If you think you are lazy, just remember Rina Kent editors are still employed, even my high school essays were less repetitive than her recent books. If i get a penny every time Rina wrote the word “control” my dream of Paisa-Gaadi-Mehnga ghar would have been come true.

Now back to the main problem, apparently some people think that the more rape scenes (between the main characters ofc) a book has means the more darker it is. You can guess who are some people. Sigh. I should’ve known this when RK compared it with Deception Trilogy and God of Malice. This is my petition to Goodreads to replace the tag of this book from “enemies to lovers” to “rapists to lovers.”

And the misogyny in this book? literally crossed every known fictional boundary. I am convinced Rina Kent is a gay man who is coming out of their closet. Cuz no sane woman would ever, i mean, EVER try to justify sexual assault as “before” consent and “after” consent. It can be revoked at any time and at the end of the day, RAPE.IS.A.CRIME. accept that even if you have fetishization of Sexual Assault.

Them in a nutshell:

Kayden: Why do you hate me?
Gareth: Let’s see. You raped me. Three times. Keep threatening me and won’t leave me alone. Take your pick.
Kayden: You shouldn’t throw stones when your house is made of glass. You started the rape thing first. I only let you get a taste of being on the receiving end instead.
Gareth: And last night? I wasn’t going to do anything to anyone. What’s your excuse?
Kayden: You looked beautiful.
Gareth: wtf

Exactly, what. the. actual. fuck. Rina was right afterall, he is worse than Killian. If i see anyone defending this waste of fictional oxygen, i would be judging your taste. Get help. This is not dark romance.

I was genuinely excited for this book cuz my stupid ass was thinking as usual professor x student trope in this book is going to serve but i was not prepared for the damage of my remaining two braincells, precious eyes and on the verge of balding hair. Still regretting that i broke my one month hiatus for reading this shit that too in Ramadan, Astagfirullah!!

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 4 out of 5]

|| 4.0 stars ||

It's official. Rina Kent should only ever be allowed to write MM and be forced to stay away from MF until the end of times.

Although there is still a clear 'alpha' in this relationship, they're nevertheless completely equal (in a way the women in her books never are):
Kayden never acts like he is superior in any way just because he is stronger and more dominant, and so he never treats Gareth like shit or like he owns him more than the other way around (which sounds like the bare minimum, I know, but please tell that to the dark romance genre nowadays, because this is more rare than you would like to think).

Instead, they both give as good as the other gets; they're both insanely jealous, possessive and obsessive, yet there's also that softer dynamic there in which Kayden wants to shelter and take care of Gareth.

They do have a very disturbing interaction at the very beginning of the book, but I'm going to shelve that situation under something called a 'misunderstanding', since I know Kayden never would have done what he did if he hadn't thought Gareth was planning to do that very same thing to someone else, as it was merely meant to be a ‘taste of your own medicine’ kind of thing. So, since it was all based on false assumptions and no actual drive to do harm, I was luckily able to ignore it and pretend it hadn’t happened (because yes, I did feel like I needed to ignore the existence of this situation in order to enjoy the book, since those entire circumstances were anything but romantic and should, in my opinion, never have even been included in a romance story).

Anyway, after they got over their initial animosity, they turned into a really cute couple that I genuinely felt was perfect for each other;
Gareth went from being a little (or a lot) psycho to feeling more emotions than he ever though he would be capable of, turning him into a clingy, mushy, and (damn-near) adorable guy, who could switch between being a fiery spitfire (or perhaps lunatic would be a better word) to a docile little kitten at the drop of a hat. His never-ending mood swings and attitude problems were quite endearing to me, no matter how weird that might sound.
Kayden, as well, turned into so much more than he ever thought he could be; he went from having a grumpy, icy cold exterior to feeling care and affection in a way he never had before. He wanted to own and love on Gareth until the end of time, and was never really shy to let him know that. Whereas Gareth fought their connection at the start, Kayden was ready to fight for them and persuade Gareth to let him in from the get-go.

They each brought out the best in each other, and when put together, they were honestly an electric combination that couldn't help but make me smile and swoon quite a lot!


Prequel 'Legacy of Gods' series:
1. God of Malice - 1.0 star
3. God of Wrath - 2.5 stars
4. God of Ruin - 2.0 stars
5. God of Fury - 3.5 stars
6. God of War - 1.0 star

[Erika Braga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok here is the thing, the more time pass the more I dislike this book. So after I was talking to my beautiful daughter and she said she DNF we start to talk about the reasons and those are the same reasons I dislike a lot of. Don’t get me wrong, I liked more than her because she’s not even finishing. I did enjoy some parts but I hope I don’t think too much about it otherwise I’ll keep lowering the rate 😂

So I am living my original first review and impression down there just so you can see what I like, but unfortunately the more I think the less I like. I couldn’t like Kayden AT ALL and that’s big for me because there’s a special way to write the big bad villain and make you hate than love him. That’s not the case here. I am telling you that I can consider myself a specialist in this because I’ve read books from author like Pam Godwin, Sam Mariano and Brooklyn Cross that can get the most DESPICABLE HORRIBLE human being in a man form and make you absolutely despise them to than pull some kind of spell witch craft on your brain and before you know you are loving the bastard. So yep I am a specialist in villains and Kayden is just not it ! I might come back later and lower the rate even more





Fair warning, if you don’t read non con, dub con and power dynamics. THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU ! I repeat THIS BOOK IS BOT FOR YOU!!!! And for the GOD OF MALICE and KILLIAN CARSON haters, please stay AWAY from this book because the first chapter is THE same as the first chapter of God of Malice. You’ve been warned!!!!!

I haven’t had a 5 ⭐️ from Rina Kent in a while, the only books I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it from her are God of Malice, God of Wrath, God of Fury, The Deception Trilogy and the Monster trilogy. Besides those she unfortunately continues the same cycle of recycling stories and characters. This books is a mix of God of Malice and God of Fury with a tad of Landon’s narcissistic personality and Nico’s manic personality mashed up with Killian’s serial killer vibes.
The first 50% of the book is trashy smut and power play and I know I am a hypocrite for saying this after what I just wrote BUT I LOVE the toxicity, trashy talk and power play. Is it new ? No . Is it original? No. Did I still like it ? YES.
I was hoping to see Gareth being a master manipulator instead of a psycho, but I guess you get what you get. I actually really laugh at his antics and OVER THE TOP obsessive personality, he was funny as hell without being actually funny. I also love how the other characters were in this book, I guess Rina heard us when we all collectively complained about God of War having nobody besides her precious Landon. This book takes place right at the same time as God of Malice, during their hunt when Killian was after Glyn, Jeremy after Cecily and Nico after Brandon. It fits right in. As much as I like and had fun with Gareth, I had a hard time connecting with Kayden. I downright hated him in the beginning and it’s not because of the non con “situation” but because he is not a likable character. I don’t like how he uses his power, how he doesn’t give Gareth credit when he knows that it is important for him. I also really don’t like that in the end Gareth was the one going after him, I want HIM to crawl after Gareth, not that the situation was something he personally cause and he was trying to protect Gareth, but still, who is not here for a good old grovel and begging ? I know I am. I really like how over the top jealous they both are, even of objects and things. It makes me giggle. Obviously this would be ridiculous in real life but here I loved it. I also loved Mocha, I love how Gareth is so hot and cold and how he absolutely despised animals and wanted to literally leave the poor kitty on the street but then almost immediately falls completely head of heels in love with her because he is “that crazy” .
Overall I would recommend the audiobook because the narration is amazing. Kayden”s voice is pantie dropping.
Idk about Hunt the Villain, another MM ?!?!? Idk how original the story will be since I already saw here that the book will be following the same style. Will see….

[riya · Rating 1 out of 5]

saw that rina made vaughns ex a cheater and closed the book. #shehateswomenfr.
also gareth drugging and ripping kayden’s clothes off to smear cum and lube on him is insanity

[taz · Rating 1 out of 5]

if i could give this zero stars? i would. rina kent’s obsession with women being raped and hated on needs to be studied.