Ravaged Devotion

Vicious Vices #2

by Chani Lynn Feener

Be vicious with your vices.

Rue Vadim made a terrible mistake.

He slept with the wrong Hart. And for the last three years, he's been paying the price. But he's home now, back on Usurn, enrolled at Sacrum Cor University. Back at Hart Estate, in a bedroom that used to mean something different, before his mother decided to marry Rhys Hart, the father of the man that Rue has loved for as long as he can remember. The man Rue has been avoiding like the plague for more than one reason, including how his stomach flips and his heart skips a beat whenever he hears the words "stepbrother" whispered in his direction.

Ryker Hart knows anger.

He's as familiar with fury as he is with oxygen, and nothing infuriates him more than the one that got away. Rue abandoned him in his time of need, and that's something Ryker will never forget. Forgiveness isn't even on the table. Black Harts don't forgive. They get revenge. Not even their parent’s random union and the fact that they’re forced onto the same family tree will stop Ryker from doing as he pleases. When they’re both dragged to a company retreat, he anticipates a long weekend wherein he gets to make Rue suffer. Only, someone else is way ahead of him, and they don’t plan on stopping with ruining just Rue’s good time.

Overnight, they find themselves trapped, unable to exit the luxury lodge without risking entering the fog that has surrounded them.

And encountering the monsters that lurk within it.

Suddenly, making Rue pay is no longer on the agenda, because no matter how angry Ryker may be, no one else gets to mess with what’s his.

Rue left him once. He’ll never get the chance to do it a second time.

Not even through death.

Trigger Warning: This is a stand-alone dark romance, which means there are many themes that some might find disturbing. Some of these include, but are not limited to, dub-con, violence, a stalker who may or may not be all there in the head, and explicit sexual content not suitable for all readers. Please be sure to read the Author's Note for a complete list of warnings! This particular book contains light stepbrother romance elements, as well as horror. HEA guaranteed!

Genres: Dark Romance, M M Romance

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2026

About the author

Librarians, please don't add books. I stay up to date and add them myself and have ended up with many multiple copies because others add them later. Thank you!

Chani majored in Creative Writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn’t writing, she’s binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. She is the author of the Xenith trilogy, and the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the penname Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut.

Have a question? Check her blog! https://chanilynnfeener.wixsite.com/a...

Find her on Instagram @TempestChani

Reviews

[Jen (Fae_Princess_in_Space) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A secluded resort for the rich and famous, cut off from the outside world. Something stalking in the fog. A pair of ex-lovers ripped apart and now forced back together… this book was so good, plus it’s perfect to get you ready for spooky season!

I loveeeee a lil horror moment and this one was definitely very slasher-fic coded! Rue has been madly in love with his best friend Ryker for years. But when a misunderstanding tears them apart he flees, only returning for his mother’s wedding… to Ryker’s father, Rhys Hart. Now he is stepbrothers with the love of his life, a man who can’t stand the sight of him.

Being dragged on a company retreat for all of Rhys’s rich friends to an isolated resort in the mountains is Rue’s idea of a nightmare, especially as Ryker and his terrifying friends will be there too. But Ryker quickly becomes the least of Rue’s problems when the group quickly find themselves cut off and smothered with a strange thick fog, with shadows crawling in it. As members of the group start to vanish and others start going mysteriously rogue, Rue and Ryker have to put their differences aside and find out what is happening before everyone succumbs to the monsters in the fog.

This has all of Chani’s signatures, a dark, possessive romance with a toxic love interest who will burn the world down for the man he loves!

Read Ravaged Devotion for:
✨ Dark MM Horror Sci-Fi Romance
✨ Trapped in an isolated house
✨ Something is creeping in the fog
✨ Second chance romance
✨ Stepbrothers
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Non-con & dub-con
✨ Touch him and die 💀
✨ The ‘Final Boys’ are all psychos 😈

Thanks to Chani for an early copy of this book! It’s available on the 21st August 😈

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
Stepbrothers? ✔️
Dark romance? ✔️
Sci-fi? ✔️
Chani Lynn Feener? ✔️
At that point, you already had me. There has never been a book I’ve read by this author that I haven’t absolutely loved, and this was no exception. As always, this is a dark romance, so please check your trigger warnings before jumping in.

Having said that, I sat down with this book and read it in one sitting, start to finish. I could not put it down.

I was hooked immediately. Mystery, danger, sci-fi, dark romance…this book basically took some of my favorite things and threw them all together. The twists were twisting, the plot was PLOTTING, and the general what the hell is happening?! energy never let up. I had theories, abandoned theories, resurrected old theories, and side-eyed basically everyone at some point. I had an absolute blast with it.

But Ryker and Rue were easily my favorite part. Their chemistry is off the charts, and I loved the complicated history between them. Ryker desperately wants to be the big bad Black Hart when it comes to Rue. He’s angry, possessive, hurt, and absolutely determined to make Rue pay for leaving him. There’s just one tiny problem: this man is entirely too soft for Rue and absolutely terrible at hiding it. Every time that tenderness slipped through all the anger and attitude, I loved him a little more.

Rue, meanwhile, has this wonderful combination of vulnerability and stubbornness, and watching all those years of hurt, longing, resentment, and devotion between them finally collide was ridiculously satisfying.

This was dark, suspenseful, sexy, emotional, strange in the best possible way, and completely addictive. There were moments when I genuinely had no idea where this story was taking me, and I loved every second of the ride.

And after that ending? Let’s just say I am very interested in seeing where this series takes us next.

[Nala · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars — I Wanted to Love This One More

Eish… Rue and Ryker’s story is something else. 😭

I’m going to be completely honest because I’m a reader who genuinely loves Chani Lynn Feener’s books, and I’ve been waiting for this one like a patient doll. 😂 After Broken Obsession, which I absolutely fell in love with, I had high hopes going into this.

And Ravaged Devotion had everything — action, monsters, death, twists, chaos… there was never really a shortage of things happening. I was interested, I kept reading, and there were definitely moments that had me sitting there like, okay, WHAT?!

But somehow, I just couldn’t connect with Rue and Ryker the way I wanted to.

That’s the hardest part for me to explain because I don't think the book was bad. It wasn't. I actually think there was a lot happening in the story and some really interesting ideas were being built. I just felt like I was watching everything happen from a distance rather than actually feeling it.

For me, the construction of the story got a little lost along the way. There were so many moving pieces that it sometimes felt more like a bridge between bigger things rather than a story I could completely sink myself into. I tried — I really did. 📖 I kept waiting for that moment where everything would click for me, but unfortunately, it never fully happened.

And yet… Ellery and Uriel? 👀 I liked them. I was definitely more invested whenever they were involved.

I think that's why I'm giving this 4 stars. Because despite my lack of connection, I could still see the imagination, the action and the world-building that I love about Chani's books. This is honestly just one of those books where the story didn't quite reach me in the way I desperately wanted it to.

And I want to stress that because I would hate for this review to come across as insulting. It isn't. This is simply one reader being honest about their reading experience.

I love your books, Chani. ❤️ That's probably why I had so much to say about this one. Broken Obsession had me completely hooked, so I think I was hoping Ravaged Devotion would grab me in the same way.

It just didn't.

But I'm still here. Still reading. Still waiting for the next one like the patient doll I apparently am. 😂❤️

4 stars from me. The story was interesting. I just couldn't find my way into it emotionally.

[maisie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely loved this one! Stepbrothers trope is one I’ve been wanting Chani to do forever, and I’m so glad she finally did!

I went into Ravaged Devotion knowing I was getting a dark and complicated romance, but I don't think I was fully prepared.

Ryker is such an intensely frustrating character (and I mean that in the absolute best way). His anger is such a huge part of who he is, and Feener doesn't shy away from making him genuinely difficult. He isn't suddenly transformed into some perfect romantic hero the moment feelings get involved. He's angry, possessive, complicated, and often completely infuriating, but underneath all of that there are so many emotions that he doesn't know how to deal with. Watching him struggle with those feelings made him so much more interesting to me.

And then there's Rue.

There was something about Rue that kept pulling me back to him. His dynamic with Ryker is so different from a conventional romance because there is so much history, tension, resentment, and emotional baggage between them. Every interaction feels like there is something underneath the words that neither of them is willing to say out loud.

I loved the way the book lets their relationship be messy. These two have to fight through all of the complicated feelings between them, and the darkness of their relationship is exactly what makes their eventual moments hit so much harder.


I also really appreciated getting Ryker's story after seeing him in Broken Obsession. Knowing him from the previous book made me even more interested in finally getting inside his head and understanding what makes him tick.

This book is basically a perfect example of why I love dark romance: I don't necessarily need the characters to be good people. I need them to be interesting, complicated, and impossible to stop thinking about. And Ryker and Rue absolutely delivered that.

I finished this book with that horrible feeling you get when you've become completely attached to fictional people who would probably be a nightmare to know in real life 😭😭

Five stars all around!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jenyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chani Lynn Feener, you did it again. 🖤

At this point, I think it’s safe to say that Chani Lynn Feener is one of my absolute favorite authors. So when I got the chance to read Ravaged Devotion as an ARC, I already knew I was going in with high expectations—and somehow, this book still managed to surprise me.

Ryker Hart… I genuinely loved his particular brand of anger issues. 😂 He is furious, possessive, vengeful, and absolutely incapable of letting go of the person who hurt him. The way his anger slowly turns into something much more protective and obsessive was so entertaining to read.

And then there’s Rue.

Rue, baby… talk to your man instead of running away! 😭
That was basically my internal monologue throughout half the book. His choices had me wanting to grab him by the shoulders and demand that he communicate like a normal human being.

The plot itself was action-packed and incredibly addictive. Between the complicated history between Rue and Ryker, the forced proximity, the family situation, the mysterious fog, and the monsters lurking outside the lodge, there was always something happening. I honestly had a hard time putting this book down.

And that plot twist?

O.O

Those were literally my eyes.

I did NOT see that coming, and I absolutely loved it. The horror elements worked surprisingly well with the dark romance, and I really enjoyed how the danger outside the lodge gradually became just as important as the danger between the characters.

Also, Ryker’s possessive side? Yeah. I was entertained. 😂

One of my favorite little moments:

“Yeah, baby, that was me.”
“Why?”
“Marking my territory.”
“Like a dog?”
“Would you rather I piss on you?”

RYKER. PLEASE. 😭

Overall, Ravaged Devotion was exactly the kind of chaotic, dark, obsessive MM romance I was hoping for. It was intense, fast-paced, unpredictable, and ridiculously easy to binge.

Thank you, Chani, for once again ruining my ability to have normal expectations for fictional men. 🖤

5/5 ⭐ — and yes, I will absolutely be reading whatever you write next.

[Dyana]

Brilliant Super Dark Romance!!

Ok, y’all will need a few ground rules for this book:

1.) Read ALL of the TWs/CWs provided! It is no author’s fault if you get triggered when you didn’t bother to check those first.

2.) One of the MCs is morally black. Not dark gray. I mean can’t-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face black. He is not going to suddenly become a different person, so don’t be surprised when he sticks to his established character traits.

3.) Any other warnings I would give are already in the TWs, so, yeah… Check them!

Now: I effing loved this book!! I am a huge dark romance girlie and have been obsessed with Chani’s work for a long time. Not all of her books are as dark as this one, but some are darker, which is why I say to always check TWs, even with authors whose work you are very familiar with already.

“Ravaged Devotion” is the second book in the Vicious Vices series (the first was equally awesome, btw), which follows the “Black Harts,” a group of men whose fathers basically run the planet. They are rich, traumatized, and have very few lines they won’t cross. This is true touch him and 💀 territory, and they don’t take no for an answer. Think psychopathic imprinting levels of won’t-let-the-one-they-want-get-away. Once they’ve claimed someone, that’s it.

This book, in particular, is gloriously toxic. Ryker and Rue are both technically Black Harts, but Rue hides it better. They basically claimed each other (in their own minds) when they were younger, so the imprinting aspect happened early on, but unfortunately, lies and miscommunication do not lend themselves to an easy HEA. Expect angst, intense and messed up spice, gore, horror, and a wonderful whodunnit. Oh! And a different kind of forced proximity than most readers probably expect.

Overall, if super dark mm romance is your thing, then you will love this book. The characters are robust, and most of them are not nice people. Have fun figuring out who the “real” bad guy is and enjoy having a book boyfriend who would burn everything down to keep you!

[Endlessly02 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giving it 2⭐️ more for the effort and time spend to finish it. The book has good reviews at the moment, so maybe my opinion is controversial, since I did not enjoy it that much.

After 50% of the book started skipping through it just because I was curious how the author decided to present the reason for the hole murders and fiasco at the retreat. I figured out Bowie had an involvement in it, but hoped until the end I was wrong because it kind of made no sense for his 'obsessive murdery' tendencies for me and also the teaming of Bowie and Rue's mom was kind of a sloppy reason for the he chaos.

What was more dissapointing was how I could see the tension and possibility of creating really good chemistry between Rue and Ryker through the book, but there was no development or emotional connection between them. It was just mentioned several times how obsessed they were to each other from the start, how much they loved each other and how much they suffered while being apart, but I did not feel any of that. Their hole connection the book was based 100% on sex. While they were fighting, while they were supposedly hating each other, while they were fucking followed by rabid bears trying to kill them, what were they doing....always fucking, always something sexual happening between them 🙄. They had no deeper conversation through the whole book, each time there was even a small hope of it happening, it immediately transformed in another sexual scene. It became boring after a while and just skipped them.

Even in the end after everyone around them was dead, they went through several days of intens horrors, in the first second they saw each other they just fucked and that was it. I guess it was supposed to feel emotional or something, but it just felt lazy. Also very 'perfect' ending and solving of their problems of being together was just killing everyone around them.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Would Classify This as Horror

Ravaged Devotion brings us back to the Vicious Vices series. The two MCs for this story or Rue and Ryker. Both have grown up in the world of the Black Harts, but only Ryker remained to continue the legacy. Rue has spent years away from his home planet trying to escape from the past. With the death of his friend and the marriage of his mother to Ryker’s father, he’s forced to come back to his home planet. Ryker torments Rue and is determined to make his life a living hell until both are forced to go on a company retreat with the family.
This book had a lot more horror elements than the other books by this author. I think it should be classified as a horror story so readers are aware of what they’re getting into.
While this diverges from what Channi Lynn Feener normally writes, I highly enjoyed it. The story was really engaging and you can just feel the absolute dread of when and where a monster will pop up next. I thought the relationship between Rue and Ryker developed nicely. I found it interesting that Rue is softer than the other Black Harts. The atmosphere of the story was impeccable and I will for sure get the heebee jeebies if I go on a nature retreat anytime soon.
Ms. Feener leaves room for other romances to develop which I’m very excited for.
I recommend if you’re up for a horror/sci-fi romance.

[Holly Deacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god... Ive never read something so fast. The twists and turns.. the horror aspect. My jaw was open the whole entire time. When i thought i knew who the villian was, I was then completely wrong. I was shocked when I learned how and why everyone was dying.
Rue and Ryker are an absolute chaotic pair. But they somehow work so well together. It was sad seeing Ryker be so mean to Rue at the start due to earlier events, but as soon as he found out the truth, he actually became sweet in his own way 😂

After being dragged on a company retreat by their parents ( who got married making Rue and Ryker step brothers ), fog starts to close in and grisly murders take place. The remaining survivors realise there is something in the fog hunting them.
It was a game of survival and those who did survive at the end, I was rooting for, even for a bunch of psychos 😂 but good psychos.

I absolutely adore Chani's work so was super excited to get this arc. It was everything I wanted in a super dark romance. Especially with the horror in it!

[Brit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent read, as always! This one actually reminded me a lot of Gale Ian Tate’s Virtual Vice duology, which I also loved and definitely recommend if you haven’t read it.

I really loved all the angst between Rue and Ryker, especially getting to watch them finally untangle the years-old miscommunication that caused their breakup in the first place. There’s something so satisfying about that kind of built-up tension when you know there’s so much history and unresolved emotion sitting between two characters.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I also really enjoyed the “whodunit” subplot. You’re so good at weaving a mystery into the story without making the answer obvious, and I genuinely kept guessing right up until the reveal. It added another layer of intrigue without taking away from Rue and Ryker’s relationship, which was definitely the heart of the book for me.

All in all, another absolute banger!

[Crystal Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, first I have somehow let a Chani Lynn Feener book slip through my fingers because I didn't realize that Ravaged Devotion was the SECOND in the Vicious Vices series. Now, I absolutely must go back and read the first one because I simply cannot let a CLF book slip by me!

Secondly, this book was awesome. I enjoyed it like I do all of Chani's books. I do wish I had read the first book in the series, but I still understood everything that happened in Ravaged Devotion.

Thirdly, wow! This plot was not like anything else that I had read. I wasn't expecting it, and I loved every second. Ryker and Rue together were delicious. I have no notes. Can't wait to now read the first and next book in this series! :)

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rue and Ryker were friends that secretly loved each other but Ryker thought Rue betrayed him and left him to suffer. He had grown cruel, selfish and hurtful but underneath still wants to possess Rue, is obsessed with him. Rue feels guilty for an act he didn't intend but still loves Ryker. After their parents marry, they are forced to be stepbrothers, to be together. Now they are at a resort trapped as people are unalived and no one knows who the bad guys are. This is a really dark book in the horror, violence and in Ryker s emotions and feelings until he learns the truth. This one is more complicated with virtual reality, monsters, conspiracies and the sheer number of bodies. Spooky, steamy goodness.

[J.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmmh, I'm not sure what to think of this book.

It was very interesting, no doubt, but there were some aspects that were just too far-fetched for me. There were some plot holes, and some decisions the characters made were plain weird.

I love second chance stories, but this one felt quite botched. I wish there had been a bigger emphasis on their relationship. Ryker was also an asshole in a way I didn't like. Some assholes' behavior can be endearing but his definitely wasn't.

If the mystery hadn't been entertaining, I would have put a 2-star rating instead.

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this is something different from Chani. I find it to be heavier on the horror and less on the romance. However, you still get the morally grey men we’ve come to love from Feener’s writing.

They did a fantastic job of keeping me hooked on the game, monster, and fight for survival elements. My only complaint is that I do feel like for it to be 352, I was left missing something. Answers to my questions, more chemistry or conversation between Ryker and Rue…

Not my favorite Chani book but the exploration of monster, and more dramatic/horror parts made this a four star read for me.

[Heather Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO GOOD! I wasn't sure what to expect with this one but just like all her other works, I was hooked from the start. This has the dark, obsessive romance that I love in her books. Rue and Ryker have a toxic relationship going on but that didn't stop me from rooting for them. I loved the added horror elements in this one!

This was a wild ride. Thank you Chani for the chance to read this one early! I devoured it in less than 24 hours!

[Danni Crass · Rating 5 out of 5]

You continue to never disappoint. A wonderful read as always. It was dark and very twisty and I was on the edge of my seat. I was gobbling this up trying to see what happens next. Honestly it threw me for a loop several times. I thought I figured something out but nope. I love the story and plot, very unique and interesting. Shame on a certain someone and what he did to keep the MMCs apart for so long in the deceit and lies but glad they figured it out.

[deppbanderasfan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chani Lynn Feener has done it again! I have never found a book of hers that wasn't a well written book. This book is no exception! Not only do you have a Dark MM Romance, you also have a who/how-done-it that you don't discover the truth till almost the very end. There are misunderstandings and scary monsters and a very well deserved HEA.

[Jessica Swan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was WILD. The first bit felt like a typical Chani book but the crazy ass plot at the lodge was insane. I was addicted. It was action packed, stressful but still had time to be smutty and progress the romance.

[Gracie Stratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chani this book was sooo good! I ate it up in 1 go 😅 literally kept me guessing the entire time.

Thank you for the advanced readers copy 🥰

[Daniela - · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect book.to get you ready for spooky season!

Chani Lynn Feener delivers a perfect dark, possessive romance with a toxic love interest who will burn the world down for the man he loves!

[Bella]

Sadly I don't like any characters in this book

[Angharad · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Read this in one sitting. Chani definitely needs to write more books with horror themes bc this was fucking spectacular.

[Duda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like, I liked it, but it’s not really focused on romance. It’s interesting anyway, though.

[Silver (they\he) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how I feel about this one tbh. It is EXTREMELY similar to Gale Ian Tate’s “Virtual Vices” books. And the twist that the mom was behind it felt very strange.