Between Sin and Ruin: A Dark Marriage Betrayal Romance

by SS Rayne

In the Dominion, marriage was never about love.
It was about power, loyalty, and survival.

I knew that when I said my vows.

So I became exactly what my new husband needed. The kind of wife a man like Alaric Kostas could put beside his throne and never question.

I let him build a world around me that looked like devotion and felt like a fairytale. A gilded cage so beautiful, I almost forgot it was one until I saw what I was never meant to see, and the illusion shattered.

That was the night I stopped being his perfect wife.

The night I decided I would become the woman who walked out of his empire—and watched him tear it apart trying to drag me back to where he thought I belonged.

Author’s Note
This is a dark romance exploring themes of power, control, and betrayal, including one instance of infidelity . This is a duet . The central couple’s HEA unfolds in Book Two.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 15, 2026

Reviews

[KaylaJane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note to myself for why I need to avoid this series......

He allowed OW to give him a BJ and he had absolutely no reason or explanation why he did that because he had gotten the information he needed from OW long before he allowed her to touch him, unzip him and take him in her mouth. There was absolutely no reason for doing what he did, especially as he is supposed to be besotted, possessive and secretly in love with the FMC. And then he fucks it up more when he tells his wife (FMC) that OW means nothing to him and that he doesn't regret what happened with him & OW.

So he betrayed his wife for no reason at all other than what? He was bored? He wanted to see if the OW can get him off?

He says he was seconds away from pushing OW away when FMC walked in because he realized what he was doing was wrong. And the fact he sees his wife gutted and broken doesn't stop him from telling her that he regrets nothing of what happened with him & OW.

Outside of the never-ending grammar, misspelling and run-in sentences which author desperately needs an editor, only good thing here is that FMC tasers him in the end and leaves him on his knees in pain but I know how it will end in follow-up book which is her forgiving this asshole. No thanks.

[lacey solbro · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oh my heart. OH MY HEART.
I need everyone to stop what they are doing and read this book RIGHT NOW because I am not the same person I was before I started it and honestly I don't want to be.
Where do I even begin. Alaric Kostas. ALARIC. Yes he makes mistakes. Yes some of those mistakes are significant. But can we talk about the man who races home just to lie on the nursery floor in the dark counting his son's breaths? The man who has never once lied to his wife even when the truth costs him everything? The man who has been quietly bleeding himself dry trying to protect his family from threats they don't even know exist? He is not a villain. He is a man who does not yet know how to love out loud and I believe with my entire soul that he is going to figure it out in Book 2 and I will be an absolute wreck when he does.
And Selene. She deserves the world and I love her so much it hurts. The way she was raised, everything she survived, and she still has so much grace and strength and quiet fire in her. I just want to wrap her in a blanket and tell her it's going to be okay. It IS going to be okay. I truly believe that.
The writing is stunning. The world is rich and immersive and I was completely lost in it from the first page. The slow burn made me absolutely feral in the best way. Yes the ending wrecked me. Yes I cried. Yes I am counting down the days until Book 2 with my whole being.
SS Rayne has done something really special here and I just know the redemption coming is going to be everything.
Five stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Just tears and hope and a very long wait ahead of us.

[SusanT62 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first came across this author on Wattpad. The story started there and was removed. I am glad she decided to finish it and it is available again.

It goes without saying that Alaric is an unlikable man. He is not normal and doesn’t function like normal people especially with his emotions. He is pretty clueless as he thinks his indiscretion is nothing. Unfortunately his wife doesn’t see it as nothing. What broke her wasn’t the lack of love but the lack of respect shown. She was brought up not to expect love as girls are commodities. She was raised to be the perfect wife. The other woman drama was extremely disrespectful since it was someone she has known most of her life: her father’s mistress.

This was a highly painful and emotional story. The reader feels Selene’s pain and will want to kick Alaric to the curb. Unfortunately, he is Selene’s endgame. The next book will resolve the story line but I don’t expect Alaric to be more palatable.

My ratings: 5 is a book I will definitely reread. Think of comfort reads that makes you feel better. 4 is a solid book, probably will not reread as it is not a comfort read. So others will easily give this book a 5 as the writing is solid, characters will pull you into the story and you feel invested in what happens.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this so fast, devoured it. It was so good and exactly what I needed. It had some buildup that made the betrayal a real sucker punch! 🤛

The FMC Selene, I just wanted to give her a hug through out the book. 🥺 She endured so much pain and suffering from her POS father and the MMC Alaric really came like a knight in shiny armor. ✨

Their relationship from the star and then a wedding seemed like close to a fairytale but we all know those doesn’t exist at first in the kind of book I read.. 😏

This was book one I’m a duet and I’m sooooo ready for the second book and se how Selene makes Alaric suffer. 🫶

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new duet, and this is Selena and Alaric’s story.
Selena has been through so much in her life, and she knows an arranged marriage is not about love, so she becomes the wife her new husband needs. Selena’s fairytale marriage shatters when she witnesses something she should not have.
I look forward to reading the conclusion!
This is a well written story which has family dynamics, emotions, an arranged marriage, corruption, betrayal, loyalty, survival, power, and morally grey, which leads to an entertaining, twisted, and unpredictable, dark romance.
I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

[4katydid Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new to me author that touches my heart and emotions with her writing. She brings the drama so many of us are looking for while developing an interesting and in-depth relationship and world to enjoy. Selene grew up without love or a place where she could thrive. While Alaric was playing the game trying to get information against her father he crosses the line and takes away the comfort and love they had built. I can hardly wait for the second book in this duet.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need book 2…now!

Well, when the author tells the reader that we’ll hate Hero/Alaric…. believe it.
This egoistic chauvinistic piece of garbage doesn’t have a single meaningful thing going on in his head about his wife. He doesn’t love her or respect her.
Selena go be the Queen you were meant to be.

[BK reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic in just about every way if you’re an angst slut like me. I originally read part of this on Wattpad, and I’ve been salivating for the KU release ever since. I seriously almost never ever give a book 5 stars, but this one was just too good to be cheap with my appreciation. I can’t get enough of these mafia worlds SS has written. Please give us book 2 soon!!!!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confused with the ending. Did he say all of this to protect her? Or does he truly believe it? I can't understand why he would be so cruel with everything.

I loved Selene, she is a badass character and loved the fact she tasered him.

I guess I will wait for the second book

[Cory M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Can’t wait for book 2! Such a great start! Selene is awesome and I’m excited to see what happens next.

[Zainab · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing and captivating read.

[Tracee · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read

Absolutely loved this book. An amazing read. Loved Selene. Hurry up book 2 you cannot come quick enough. First time reading this author