Beautiful Hate

Gods of Ruin MC #1

by Lorrain Allen

From dark romance author Lorrain Allen comes a scorching friends-to-enemies-to-lovers MC romance about a boy who learned love too young, a girl who betrayed him too deeply, and the revenge that binds them when fate brings them back together.

Zilphia Kensley

My mother has my life planned down to the letter, and it doesn’t include a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

Samuel Hendricks doesn’t belong in my world. But one rainy night, fate put him in my path.

I showed him kindness when no one else ever had.

He gave me devotion in return until I shattered it with one unforgivable betrayal.

It’s been three years, and now he’s back—with a score to settle.

Samuel “Sandman” Hendricks

I’m a stone-cold killer.

There’s nothing more thrilling than watching the light fade from a man’s eyes.

Death isn’t just my trade. It’s my devotion. My craft.

Then Zilphia crashes back into my life.

Her treachery destroyed the boy I used to be.

He perished in flames of smoldering rage.

Now a monster walks in his place—and this time, it’s her turn to burn.


*A detailed content warning can be found on the author's website.

Beautiful Hate is the first of five books in the Gods of Ruin MC standalone series.

Genres: Dark Romance

436 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 19, 2026

About the author

Lorrain Allen, aka Trigger Queen, wrote her first book, The Fox and the Box, at just six years old for a class assignment—and never looked back. In middle school, she joined the poetry club and competed in several poetry slams, further fueling her lifelong love of storytelling. As a young adult, she became a full-fledged romance book junkie. That obsession eventually led her to dark romance, where she discovered a passion for the darker, more twisted side of love.

Noticing the lack of dark romance novels centered around women of color, and inspired by the many creative authors she admired, Lorrain decided to write the kind of stories she wanted to read. While she plans to explore other romance subgenres, her primary focus remains nontraditional dark romance featuring unapologetically flawed, nonredeemable antiheroes.

Lorrain lives on the East Coast with her handsome son. When she’s not writing or devouring books, she enjoys traveling, experiencing different cultures, shopping at the mall, catching a movie, or discovering new-to-her restaurants. A self-proclaimed foodie, she’s always on the hunt for her next favorite dish.

The themes in her books may be controversial—but what’s life without a little controversy?

Let's connect!

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Reviews

[romancereadswithbri · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES! I’m obsessed with the MMC for this book! The Sandman is unhinged and unapologetic! He’s possessive, obsessive and protective in his own way. Even though he couldn’t care less about redemption, which I LOVE, there is an HEA.

I love Lorrain’s writing! This is the first book I’ve read by her and now I need more! I NEED Meela’s and Jigsaw’s story!!


🖤 Dark Motorcycle Club Romance
🖤 Antihero MMC
🖤 Possessive MMC
🖤 Unhinged MMC
🖤 Serial Unaliver MMC
🖤 Forced Proximity
🖤 OTT Obsession
🖤 He Falls First
🖤 Touch her and 💀
🖤 Revenge
🖤 Kidnapping/Captivity
🖤 Hate to Love You
🖤 Hate S*x
🖤 Smut 🔥🔥🔥 (🔪 Play) (Non-con)
🖤 Friends to Enemies to Lovers
🖤 “MINE”

“I’m f*cking obsessed. Obsessed with her tears. Obsessed with her pain. Obsessed with being inside her.”

[MiSsE · Rating 5 out of 5]

LET’S GET THE PSA OUT OF THE WAY:

This book is NOT for the weak. CHECK your triggers, READ the warnings, and if YOU CHOOSE to ignore them, don’t you dare come for the author in the comments because you were warned. MULTIPLE times.

Now that the housekeeping is done: I have been waiting for this book forever. I’m a Lorrain Allen fan club junkie and I’ll scream it loud and proud! 😆

To me, this story kinda reminded me of “Romeo and Juliet’s” story if the original was set between the trailer parks streets and the elite suburban, two kids from different worlds suffering the same brand of hell.

Sam and Zilphia’s connection started in a treehouse, the only safe haven they had from the absolute monsters they called "family." The emotional and physical abuse these two endured made me want to jump through the screen and catch a case. Zilphia’s mother? Pure trash. Her brother? An ass. Her aunt and cousin? Bullying, starving, entitled nightmares.

I’ll be honest: I spent half the book wishing Zilphia would grow a backbone and stop letting these people spit on her. But the betrayal? My heart broke for Sam. He didn’t deserve that. By the end, I felt the punishment Sam doled out didn't fit the "crime" Zilphia committed, his hate definitely outweighed the hurt. You can tell he loved her in his own messed-up way, though. You could feel it coming off of him at times.

That plot twist towards the end? Jaw. Dropped. I didn't see it coming at all.

This was a total rollercoaster, and I’m already dying for the stories for Tulip/Draco, Meela/Jigsaw, and Leah/Snake. Lorrain Allen did it again, I loved everything about this book 💙

*Lemme also say that I think he’s the worst MMC out of all her books. No redemption at all, not even a little bit lol

[Mary S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been awhile since I read a new book from this author. And let me just say that the wait was worth it. Sam aka Sandman was one possessive and obsessive individual. This man I think that he beats Art,Dom,and Maverick. He sure was one dude that got me all twisted and excited. Just beware of TW because as the name title says Sandman had a beautiful hate.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a glutton reader, I devoured Beautiful Hate, in one sitting, the way people consume sugar knowing it’s too much, but unable to stop lol.
Authoress Ms. Allen unapologetically wrote Beautiful Hate raw and unfiltered, no hand holding, trigger-buffering, no romantic clean-up crew, no moral babysitting. What you see is what you get, and if it makes you uncomfortable, that’s a personal problem and or discomfort that’s yours to sit with. That’s intentional. It forces accountability on the reader. You can’t hide behind “but it’s a romance” when the behavior on the page is clearly depraved and ugly. It exposes how easily people will excuse harm when it’s packaged as trauma, desire, or passion.
Beautiful Hate was no slow burn at all. What the book calls “romance” skips real emotional connection and jumps straight into control and manipulation. Sandman wasn’t some misunderstood, complex character—he was straight-up diabolical. But Z wasn’t on equal footing with him. She was groomed a patsy, shaped and pushed into going along with things long before anything physical ever happened with Sandman.
Beautiful hate is diabolical. It looks good, feels good, and poisons you quietly. The plot and mayhem pull you in so effortlessly that you consent to the chaos as you read clearly and fully aware Sandman is a sadistic heathen from the pits of hell. How about when he told her he would go drag her to hell with him if they die and reside in two different places. OMG!!
My heart broke for both Sam and Z. They came from abusive childhoods, and that kind of trauma doesn’t simply disappear, it embeds itself, shaping how you move through the world. Watching Sandman unload all of that rage onto Z was difficult to sit with. It made me wonder whether he was damaged as a child himself (in the way he abused Z) or if cruelty had simply become second nature to him. I know this is a novel, but words carry emotion. What I felt was unfiltered anger (heartbreaking, soul shaking) because what he inflicted to Z felt intentional and relentless. It was done to someone who was his saving grace when he (Sam) was most vulnerable. Someone who could have been his soulmate. Still, one violent act committed by Z’s brother and friends, no matter how brutal, does not exonerate the years of harm Sandman endured at the hands of those who were supposed to protect him. Trauma doesn’t excuse what he became, but it does explain how the cycle started. I digress.
Notes to Self:
***Let’s be clear and I maybe wrong but Authoress Allen didn’t redeem Sandman, didn’t rescue Z, didn’t correct the imbalance for you. Instead, she said: Here it is. Decide what you’re willing to tolerate, excuse, or romanticize. That’s it that’s all!

***Some truths don’t reveal themselves until you live them.

***What feels good to you but harms you quietly can mirror what feels hard but heals you.
Z and Sandman developed an attachment to something or someone that felt good for that brief period of time but wasn’t good long-term betrayal and consequences of that betrayal and I’m honest enough to admit it.

***Once you see it, you can’t unsee it and that’s what makes this book dangerous in the best way.
My heart broke for SAM AND Z, but "Sandman" and others close to Z deserved all the smoke.

[Precious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Author
PSA * - the reading of the trigger list has to be read before proceeding with this book. Because all I thought it was a typical morally grey/morally black story. OH I WAS SOOOOOOO WRONG!

Sam. SANDMAN U are wow... ust wow! My girl Zilphia, how u stood up for yourself? Yesss character growth!!

This story was definitely friends to enemies to lovers! The plot twists, the characters, the PLOT!! The second chance at love! The obsession possessiveness!!! TOUCH HER AND U GOODBYE TO THIS WORLD????? Omig! This book is so bingeable! I couldn't put this book down, I need to be forced to put my phone down at the dinner table just to get food inside me. I loved everything about this book. I actually thought this book was not gonna finish on a good note. But all wounds must heal, all sadness will disappear and happiness will follow

This book 5 stars! I will be rereading it soon!

[AnneMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — 5/5 Stars
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 — 5/5 Spice

If you want dark, this book delivers darkness in full force. Seriously—check those trigger warnings because this story does not hold back.

That said, it’s a really good read. Sam—aka Sandman—is the embodiment of possessive, obsessive intensity. He’s controlling, territorial, and absolutely ruthless when it comes to protecting what’s his. Cross him or his woman and you’re done for.

I felt bad for Zilphia from start to finish. She’s made her share of mistakes, sure, but the girl has been through it. Her strength shines through every chapter, and you can’t help but root for her.

If you’re craving a truly DARK romance with heavy themes, intense characters, and a storyline that pulls you under, this one is absolutely for you.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorrain's writing just gets better and better. And she keeps getting darker and darker with her romance. I absolutely love it over here.

Sandman is a monster. But we love monstrous FICTITIOUS men. He is completely irredeemable and he absolutely doesn't care. But there is just something about him that makes me (and silly Zilphia) think we can fix him. SPOILER - we can't lol

This story was the best time. I love these characters so much and I want to see more of them. Lorrain has grown so much as an author and it really shows in her writing and creativity throughout this story.

I could go on and on but you just need to read it.

[Roxy Eslinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check your triggers people this one’s dark. The author was up front about the triggers and unredeemable MMC. This book will not give you butterflies and a happy ending if that’s what you’re looking for this is not the one for you. I do like the FMC and believe that our MMC could have been redeemable, but that was not the story that she wanted to write. Overall, I did enjoy this book and the level of spice included.

[Kellane Ayanna Mitchener · Rating 5 out of 5]

So dang good, I loved this book so much. I loved crazy Sandman and I loved protector Zilphia. When this comes out do your self a favor and read it. I am never disappointed with Lorrains books.

[Hannah - Twiggy | Booktok · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is DARK folks, you have been warned.
Probably one of the darkest books I’ve read.
You have been warned.

[Miss D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL HATE is a captivating story though it's not an easy story. It is dark. If you're a fan of the author, you already know that her male leads are not good men. They are anti-heroes powerful, sexy, and messed up emotionally but that's what makes the author's romance stories so interesting because they don't always end up with a redemption arc. That's definitely the case for Sandman when it comes to Zilphia.

The love story between Sandman and Zilphia is angsty plus tragic. Two young people discover first love but are ripped apart by a moment of betrayal. Sandman loves Zilphia yet his love is so entwined with a sense of hate due to his overwhelming hurt. One could have a field day psychoanalyzing Sandman. It's Zilphia who I was more intrigued by as her origin story is terrible too in a different way from Sandman and it's her growth that drives the story to me. Their love is twisted, raw, plus at times ugly yet it's always worth turning the page to see how they will try to reconcile their messy and complicated feelings for each other.