Saint Céline: A Dark College Romance

by Lilac Rivers

At Bellamont University, Céline Martin is everything Selena Martin never was.

Elegant. Desired. Untouchable.

No one sees the girl beneath the designer dresses and perfect smiles. The girl who grew up in the shadows of the Montgomery estate wanting desperately to belong to a world that would never truly accept her.

Professor Vincent Moreau sees too much.

Brilliant, charming, and impossible to read, Vincent takes an unsettling interest in Bellamont’s newest obsession. He watches Céline too closely. Understands her too easily. And with every lingering glance and dangerous conversation, she begins to realize he may know far more about her than he should.

But Bellamont is built on secrets, and Céline is not the only one hiding something.

As her carefully constructed life begins to fracture beneath the weight of obsession, privilege, and buried truths, Céline finds herself drawn into a relationship that is equal parts intoxicating and destructive. Because at Bellamont University, love is never innocent, and the people who look the most beautiful are often the most dangerous.


Saint Céline is a dark college romance featuring a villain FMC, obsessive attraction, hidden identities, dark academia aesthetics, morally gray characters, toxic relationships, and dangerous secrets meant for mature readers. Content warnings are included and reader discretion is advised.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Dark Academia, Romance, College, Academia

458 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2026

About the author

Romance has always fascinated me most when it’s a little obsessive, a little dangerous, and impossible to look away from.

I’m Lilac Rivers, a dark romance author writing stories filled with morally gray characters, beautiful disasters, emotional obsession, and love that borders on ruin.

Reviews

[˚₊‧꒰ა vruxreads ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

This was not the book I expected based on the blurb. I went in thinking I was getting one type of romance and ended up with something darker and more twisted. One of those stories where the bad people don't necessarily lose. Celine and Vincent were the villains!!

The strongest part of the book for me was the plot, mystery, and overall atmosphere. I was constantly trying to figure out everyone's motives and secrets. In fact, I found myself more invested in Celine's relationships and dynamics outside the romance than the romance itself. Vincent was a true anti-hero. The type of man where it's basically "I'll support your rights, but I'll support your wrongs too." Morally questionable, fascinating, and impossible to fully trust.

My biggest issue was the romance. It felt a little flat compared to everything else happening in the story. I wanted deeper conversations, more emotional vulnerability, and more buildup between Céline and Vincent. Sometimes it felt like they were speaking in riddles or one-word responses instead of actually connecting. Overall, a good read with a compelling mystery, beautiful writing, and an interestingly toxic cast of characters. I just wish the romance had hit as hard as the rest of the story. That being said amazing book as an debut author

-no cheating, no ow drama

[Blair · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many ChatGPT lines. I can tell it’s AI.

Oh author, you are not being click. ChatGPT has quite a few tells and this book is full of them. For anyone not well versed in ChatGPT tells - it does a lot of “Not ___, but ___.” “Not the” shows up almost 40 times in this book. It also does the “The room smelled like ____” quite a bit - and that shows up 30 times!

“The air smelled like fresh laundry detergent and sea air coming through the windows.”

“The summer Katherine lost her passport began with more rain. Not the dramatic kind that crashed and thundered across cliffs, but the steady, cold kind that rolled in.”

“Vincent smiled. Not the public smile. Not the warm one. The real one.”

I see you, ChatGPT user. I see you. Not gonna call you author because you aren’t one :)

[Vaishali · Rating 2.25 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for giving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book reminds me how surprisingly rare it is to read a book about actually selfish characters in love...in a genre like DR!!

Everyone categorizes their characters as "morally grey" in DR. But honestly, they aren't. Most of the DR leads just have unresolved trauma, which leads them to behave in a morally askewed way, but deep down they are still decent people.

This book is not like that.

When the authors says Villain wins.. it means Villain wins.

It's not pitch black.. but more like selfish characters who don't care about anyone but each other (and also themselves).

And it's sooo fascinating to read.

[timap · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️WOW this was a debut novel?! Instant author follow 🙌 so this felt different from your normal dark university romance, but I did feel it gives off Cruel Intentions vibes 😏 and I may be in the minority here, but I loved her. I loved him. I’ve apparently got a problem loving the villains 😆

I think this had such a great plot set up, loved getting breadcrumbs between past and present. Loved the cat, and also loved the 2 friends. Wish we got to see more of that development, but honestly this book was all about Selena. And as she was just surviving, she was not focused on relationships. I’m excited to get more of the friends they will be getting their own books. The twist at the end?! Uhhhh yes. 🙌

MMC:Professor Vincent Moreau (29)
FMC: Selena aka Céline Martin
❤️Tropes: professor / student, dark romance, manipulative MMC, morally grey FMC & MMC 😏, mild stalking
📍Setting: Blackwater, Maine @ Bellamont Academy
💁POV: dual, first person
🖤Darkness level: 2/5
🔥starts at 55
🌶️Spice: 2/5
📚Plot: 4/5
🌎World building: 4/5
⚠️Triggers: toxic abusive parent (not on page), talk of suicide, dub-con, mild stalking, red flags, blackmail manipulation

[Nasreen Maszidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good book!

I love how each character had their own flaws and it showed. I wish there was more... build...? With the characters though especially Vincent.

I loveee his character but he has the potential to be so much more.

I would still kick him in the nuts though 🤣

[Dhimma Ayogu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was mildly intense!!

[Cheyanne Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saint Céline by Lilac Rivers
⚠️Trigger warnings: Noncon/bubcon content, Toxic relationships, murder, mentions of suicide, childhood trauma (non-sexual), grief, power imbalance relationships, substance use/medication themes

This is one of the best dark romances I’ve read in a while, the multiple perspectives making piecing the story together extremely fun, the more you read the deeper down the rabbit hole you go trying to discover the truth.

This is not a story of good and evil. It is a story of reinvention, obsession, envy, desire, and grief—and of how love, left unchecked, can become something dangerous.

I loved that both the FMC and MMC are unapologetically themselves, they do not try to look for redemption, they know who they are and do not struggle to live with the consequences of their actions.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, dark romances, with related characters that you’ll love and secrets to uncover than this is the next read for you!!

Due to release on 19th June 2026!

[Neko chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐
"You misunderstand me, Céline. I don’t want to be chosen because he is gone. I want you to run out of places to hide.”
⚠️ Trigger warnings becus your mental health matters: • Noncon / Dubcon content • Toxic relationships • Murder • Mentions of suicide • Childhood trauma (non-sexual) • Grief • Power imbalance relationships • Substance use/medication themes
Tropes: Professor x student, touch her and 💀, Morally grey villain FMC x Morally black obsessed MMC, Dark academia
Summary: A morally grey FMC Céline Martin goes to Bellamont University with a borrowed name, borrowed clothes, borrowed identity and a tiny part of herself hidden beneath the layers craving to be chosen without the layers.
This is not a story about heroes or villains. It is a story about people. About performance, reinvention, envy, desire, grief, and the ways love can slowly turn into something dangerous.
Personal thoughts: I don't know about anyone else but Céline and Selena were both so relatable to me that the story itself felt personal. The fear of losing your pretense infront of people who might destroy your entire life. The contradicting self of fearing being known by someone on one hand while craving to be known by our ugliest part on the other while still being chosen. I understood every single part of Celine, her pretense, her self-preservation, her pretense, everything. And I still can't bring to hate her for anything. She bent my morals but she showed me the reality of myself. She'll probably be the character I will never be able to get over.
And Vincent Moreau was definitely too manipulative and I kinda was holding a grudge over him which apparantly vanished by the end. I loved him very much and the tension between him and FMC was amazing.
Critiques: I liked Vincent through everything but in the end he didn't really seem himself, he grew kinda soft and I wanted him a little more obsessed with finally having Selena with him. The plot twist was a little predictable but I still liked it.
Spice: 3/5 🌶️ and ofcourse open door
For the readers who love dark academia, manipulating and obsessive characters with a professor x student trope, this should be a perfect read.

[Alina Dobrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright, so. Let me tell you about this book and why it was a 5 star read for me.

Saint Celine is probably my favorite find this year, and I first learned about it on instagram. I don’t usually read dark college romance, but I’m so glad I picked this up. Honestly, it was the name that sold me. There is just something intriguing about “Saint Celine,” and I thought it might be the name of the school at first because I don’t read blurbs (blind dates are best dates), but NO, it’s the FMC who earned that name right at the start of the book, and it doesn’t quite land why until later. So let’s get into it.

First, I didn’t expect the prose to be SO GOOD. The dark academia vibes were there, and they continued all the way through. Just that vines-on-brick-and-it’s-always-raining with young adults who only drink champagne (or wine, if daddy owns the winery). It starts with the FMC’s best friend’s funeral, which immediately got me because you just know there is going to be plot right off.

We meet the MMC right away, and he has the exact aura promised to us—intelligent, calm, just very put together professor. And of course it’s “best face forward” even though we know there is going to be something shady there. And there is. I really hope that it’s not a spoiler to put that he is definitely out of his mind and he absolutely takes what he wants, but he’s classy about it.

Through the first half of the book I kept thinking that his obsession with the FMC was founded on her being brilliant, and therefore easily replaceable as soon as another smart hottie walked in, but I was pleasantly surprised (and should have trusted the author more; she earned it) when it was revealed where it stemmed from, and why she was always going to be the one. Honestly, they’re perfect for each other, and I feel like that’s hard to find in a dark romance because a lot of the time it’s emotionally unbalanced, even at the end. Not here though.

Vincent and Selena match each other’s energy, even though it's a student x professor relationship. I thought there would be a power imbalance, but I really don’t think there was. She’s strong, intelligent, cunning, and knows how to work a room without being obnoxious about it. And the best part is that we get to see it, not just be told to accept it.

I’ll touch on the plot for a second, because I feel like I’ve already written a whole dissertation here. There is actually a plot, you guys. We get to experience the FMC in a beautiful and complicated way. She exists as essentially two people, one living in a world built for the lower class, and the other built for “fuck you” money. She is going through the grief of her best friend’s death. We get to see how Kathryn came into her life and how important they were to each other. It does push the MMC aside for a minute, but for good reasons that resolve themselves. He is very much present, but we don’t understand just how present until later on.

Also, the spice is spicing, and THE event (or, the first one) is wild. I actually think her roommates didn’t freak out enough when told because WHO DOES THAT. WHO.

And I feel bad for Thad/Chad, he didn't even like Thai food.

And there’s a cat, and I would die for her.

Everything just came together so nicely, it’s atmospheric, it’s fun, you get an FMC that is so rare in the genre, and the writing is top-notch. Highly recommend.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 8/10
🌶️ 2.25/5

The dedication had me before I even made it to chapter one.

“For the beautiful liars, and the people willing to ruin themselves for them.”

One of my favorite parts of this book was the emotional complexity. Céline is complicated, grief-stricken, and the more I learned about her, the more I wanted to understand everything. At some point, though, this book managed to have me questioning whether I even stood behind either of the MCs anymore.

There is so much happening beneath what these characters actually let anyone see. Grief, vulnerability, lies, manipulation, and the versions of ourselves we allow other people to see all play such a large role in the story. I especially loved the lines that made me stop reading for a second and say “damn.”

“People were rarely honest in whole form, but their discarded pieces told the truth.”

And then:

“They never asked what it was like to watch someone lie for years and be loved more for every lie.”

YEAH.

The deeper I got into the story, the less certain I became about literally anyone. There were moments when I thought I understood a character or their motivations, only for something else to make me start questioning them all over again.

The middle did drag just a tiny bit for me. If I mentally split the book into four sections, sections two and three felt slightly longer than they needed to be, and this did end up taking me quite a while to finish (but that was bc of my real-life circumstances lol.) At the same time, what was happening in these sections mattered to the plot and characters, so I wouldn’t have wanted the story rushed either. I think some of it could have been condensed, but I’m also glad the story was given the time it deserved.

And then there are the last 60-ish pages.

The revelations, answers, and remaining mysteries?

Those are between you and Lilac Rivers.

I’ve already said too much.

[Amanda Montague · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lilac Rivers – Saint Celine

This was my first dark academia novel, and what a baptism it turned out to be. The story pulled me in from the very first page with its alternating timelines and shifting POVs, each one adding another layer of intrigue and emotional depth. The writing is beautiful, vivid, immersive, and so richly atmospheric that I could see every corridor, every shadow, every carefully constructed lie.
At the heart of the story is Selena, a girl desperate to better herself and escape the path she’s been set on. What begins as a friendship with Katherine quickly becomes something far more transformative.
Bellamont University doesn’t open its doors to just anyone, so together they create Celine. A confident, mysterious persona who can glide into that elite world without question. Watching Selena slip into this new identity is both thrilling and unsettling, and it becomes clear that the façade she builds comes with consequences she never anticipated.
Vincent is a gifted Science professor, from a wealthy and influential family with links to the university going back generations. He is intense and hard to read and seems to have an unhealthy interest in Celine.
As their worlds collide, the web of lies that Katherine and Selena constructed begin to unravel. The truth being exposed slowly, almost hypnotically, revealing the cracks beneath Bellamont’s polished surface and the darker secrets that are lurking. Nothing is quite what it seems, and that tension, that constant sense of beauty edged with danger, is what makes the story so compelling.
A beautifully written, layered, and atmospheric read that left me thinking about its characters long after I turned the final page. For a first step into dark academia, this was an unforgettable initiation.

[mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book, especially for the atmosphere and the whole idea of Céline/Selena trying to become someone else. That part really stayed with me because it made her feel so lost, but also so desperate to be seen and chosen. I liked reading from her perspective because even when she made choices I didn’t agree with, I still understood where they came from. She was a very refreshing FMC, completely morally grey and that’s what made me love her.

Also, I really liked how complicated her relationship with Katherine was. It wasn’t just friendship, and it wasn’t just jealousy either. Katherine helped create Céline, but then had to watch everyone love the version of Selena that she helped build. That made their whole dynamic feel so sad and uncomfortable, because you can understand both of them even when they hurt each other.

I also really liked the tension between her and Vincent. Their scenes had something that kept me interested, but I do wish the romance had been developed more. I wanted more moments between them, more conversations, more build-up, more reasons to really feel why they were becoming attached to each other beyond the obsession and the situation they were in.

I still enjoyed the book because it kept me reading and I liked the messy emotions, the secrets, and the way everything slowly fell apart. I just wish the romance had been given more space, because I feel like it could have hit even harder

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I would like to say about this book is that the plot and the tropes were very promising. This plot, if handled a little differently could be absolutely incredible. The issue I had is the pacing - for the first 60%ish I felt like nothing major really happened.

Vincent is a VERY intriguing character in a great way. I love his whole possessive, touch her and d*e vibe - he does do some very questionable things though, and by questionable I mean confusing. I wish we got to see more of Vincent as a person, with much more context to his story and how his obsession with Celine was formed.

I really liked that we get to see a lot of the history between Selena and Katherine because it really helped to paint a picture of the dynamics of their friendship and the found family element of their life too. As much as Katherine seems difficult I actually really do understand her troubles that she’s facing and I think she’s quite a relatable character!

I would’ve liked to see some more buildup and aftermath of the twists. Once the twists (which are fab) are revealed the book was wrapped up quite quickly. I think they should’ve been revealed earlier on with us then getting to see more of the fallout.

All in all this book was likeable and very easy to read. I just wish it was either a shorter story or the drama was amped up a lot earlier on.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

My name is Anthony. I am a man from Germany and this was my first book from this author.

I start reading because I like dark academia stories and the university setting looked interesting. After reading, I can say the characters are what made me continue.

Céline is not perfect FMC. Many times she is selfish and makes wrong decisions, but I think this is why she feels realistic. She wants things very badly and sometimes hurts people because of it. I do not always agree with her, but I understand her feelings.

The friendship between Céline and Katherine was maybe my favorite part. It is difficult relationship. They care for each other but also compete with each other. Sometimes I was more interested in their scenes than the romance.

Vincent is very strange MMC in good way. He is calm and intelligent but there is something not right about him from beginning. He does not need to say much because you can always feel his presence when he is around.


I finished the book in two evenings because I wanted to know what happens next. The story is not very fast but it keeps your attention because of the characters and their choices.


For me this is good dark romance if you enjoy morally grey people, obsession and complicated emotions. I will read next book from this author.

[Monzerrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧

Rating (4.5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ✨)

𝑺𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝑪é𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 was not the book I expected, but it ended up being one of the things I loved the most about it. While I went in think about professor x Student romance, I found myself immersed in a story about identity, grief, privilege, and the lengths people go to in order to belong. The mystery surrounding Céline, Katherine, and Bellamont University kept me turning pages, while the slow building tension with Vincent left me wanting more. 🖤

Céline (Selena) was such a fascinating character. Watching her navigate the world she always dreamed of being part of while hiding pieces of herself kept me hooked. Her past with Katherine and the Montgomery family added so much depth to the story, and I found myself constantly questioning what was real and what was part of the image she created.

Vincent Moreau was equally intriguing. He has that unsettling presence that makes every scene feel charged with tension. The way he seems to see through Céline's carefully crafted mask had me wanting to know more every time they interacted.

What I loved most was the atmosphere. Bellamont University feels beautiful on the surface but dark and rotten underneath. The mystery, the social hierarchy, and the psychological elements created a story that felt addictive and impossible to put down.

[Riley Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely phenomenal!

I went into Saint Celine expecting your typical, spice heavy, student × teacher romance and owe a massive apology to Lilac Rivers for my assumptions.

The writing alone is incredible, every scene is described with such intentional and vivid detail that you feel like youre in the moment yourself.

Celine is an extraordinary character, shes complex, intense, and flawed in a way that makes her feel real. Despite anything she did her justifications were so believable that I could understand even her worst decisions. She's a character I felt so much empathy for while still being able to recognise everything she did wrong, making her as unforgivable as she was understandable.

Vincent is charming, terrifying, and intriguing all at once. Everything he did made sense in a twisted way that fit so beautifully into the narrative that it felt natural instead of calculated. Being aware of his obsession made him a fascinating character to follow because I've rarely read stories where a character is so aware of their own flawed attachments.

Everything about this story pulled me in deeper with every chapter. The relationships, the intentions, the twists, and the exceptional storyline all added up to a book I couldn't put down. Without a doubt this a 5 star read.

[Baleigh Lobdell · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥀 ☠️ 🩸 🖤 👀 💔 🤍 🌶️

Saint Céline was nothing like I expected… yet somehow everything I didn’t know I wanted at the same time.

I knew it was dark academia. I knew it was student × professor. I knew Céline was the villain.

What I didn’t expect was the kind of villain she turned out to be. I was anticipating mean girl energy, but… I’ll let you discover the rest for yourself.

Vincent is a morally gray golden retriever, and I absolutely adored him. The banter between him and Céline is top tier, and the way he casually drops the boldest statements had me smiling every time. How he just agrees with her bold defiance.

Everyone says “for a debut novel, this was phenomenal,” and it drives me crazy. This was a phenomenal debut. Point blank. Had I picked it up off a bookstore shelf without knowing anything about the author, I never would have guessed it was a debut. I can’t wait to see what Lilac Rivers writes next!

dark college romance
obsessive attraction
hidden identities
dark academia aesthetics
morally gray characters
toxic relationships
dangerous secrets

At Bellamont University, Céline Martin is everything Selena Martin never was.

Elegant. Desired. Untouchable.

No one sees the girl beneath the designer dresses and perfect smiles. The girl who grew up in the shadows of the Montgomery estate wanting desperately to belong to a world that would never truly accept her.

Professor Vincent Moreau sees too much.

Brilliant, charming, and impossible to read, Vincent takes an unsettling interest in Bellamont’s newest obsession. He watches Céline too closely. Understands her too easily. And with every lingering glance and dangerous conversation, she begins to realize he may know far more about her than he should.

But Bellamont is built on secrets, and Céline is not the only one hiding something.

As her carefully constructed life begins to fracture beneath the weight of obsession, privilege, and buried truths, Céline finds herself drawn into a relationship that is equal parts intoxicating and destructive. Because at Bellamont University, love is never innocent, and the people who look the most beautiful are often the most dangerous.

[Chloe’ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ

I want to start by thanking the author for selecting me as an ARC reader for her debut novel.

This book was a rollercoaster in the best way possible. I had a theory (which ended up being right), but there was still a plot twist that took me way by surprise. I’ve never read a book where the MCs are purposefully not likable and I have to say, this was wonderfully done.

I felt conflicted from the beginning about Vincent and then about Selena halfway in. Doing Katherine’s POV was a surprise, but I think was perfectly inserted at just the right time. Rivers has a way with words and this is definitely a book I will never forget. I gave this a five star because I want to read it again knowing what I know to see where foreshadowing/hints were dropped that I missed.

The only issue I really had with the book was some of the either repetitive descriptions (ex. rain on the windows, the water crashing against the rocks) and the impossible descriptions (at least to me) (ex. smelling the wet cloth from the coats filling the room). It was a very minor thing though and it’s probs just a me thing, so caused me 0 grief haha

Thank you again! I’m intrigued to see what Sophia and Anya’s books are about :))

[a-coffee-book · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Tags**
- Dark academia
- Morally black characters
- Campus mystery
- Dual/multi POV
- Suicide mystery
- Romance with power imbalance

**Thoughts**
- Bellamont University, Vincent (29) is a well known molecular biology professor and Celine (21) is a senior undergrad student
- Story opens at the memorial for Celine's best friend Katherine and slowly unravels the mystery behind her suicide through Celine, Katherine and Vincent's POVs
- Prose is rough and full of plot holes
- Dialogue is repetitive and weak, especially between Celine and Vincent. Every confrontation with the man who is blackmailing her boils down to "you're insane" "I hate you" "you're insufferable" by Celine
- Celine's inferiority complex doesn't excuse how she treats Katherine just because Katherine was born wealthy
- If the goal was to make the reader hate Celine it worked. Her self preservation being framed as her "gift" (Katherine's words) says it all
- Setting is strong, writing sucks
- Katherine deserved so much better than this ending. She was killed because Celine wanted to steal her bioscience proposal to get into Vincent's lab and after all that, Celine just quits bioscience for art. Justice for my girl, Katherine!

[Simone Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut is, without a doubt, one of the best dark romances I’ve read in a very long time. I couldn’t put it down!

The non-linear structure and multiple perspectives make piecing the story together half the fun. You’re only ever seeing fragments, and with each chapter you fall deeper and deeper into the dynamics at Bellamont.

What sets it apart is how unapologetically it refuses to soften its characters. Vincent is a rare MMC: selfish in motive, uninterested in justifying himself, and all the more compelling for it. So many morally grey love interests get their edges filed down by some hidden nobility, but not here. Celine is the same way. Her drive is self-preservation, and even when she tries to dress it up, she knows exactly who she is. There’s something refreshing about characters who have no interest in redeeming themselves in anyone’s eyes.

My favorite part about this book, however, is the romance. It’s not your typical lovey-dovey attraction. It’s obsession. It’s possession. It’s toxic. It’s forbidden. And it was perfect.

Thank you so much, Lilac, for the Advanced Copy 🤍 I can’t wait to see what happens at Bellamont next!

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this expecting a typical dark academia romance, but this book surprised me in the best way possible.

Céline was such an interesting protagonist because she isn’t written to be likable all the time, but somehow you still understand her. A lot of her decisions are selfish or questionable, but the book does such a good job showing where those feelings come from that I couldn’t stop rooting for her anyway.

I also loved how obsessive and psychological the romance felt. Vincent isn’t your typical dark romance MMC who’s aggressive all the time. He’s controlled, patient and observant, which somehow made him even more intimidating. The tension between them was genuinely addicting.

The emotional core of the story for me was actually the friendship between Céline and Katherine. It felt tragic from the beginning because you could see how much they needed each other while also bringing out the worst in each other.

This book felt way more character-focused than plot-focused to me, and I mean that as a compliment. It really dives into jealousy, identity, class differences, obsession, and the ugly side of wanting to belong somewhere.

Also… Miss Astoria was iconic.

[Jailyn Groschen · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. I have not read anything like this before. The main characters are morally grey/black and found myself wondering what their motives for everything were. The FMC, Celine (Selena) comes from a humble background filled with trauma. She befriends Katherine Montgomery who takes her under her wing and transforms her life into something new, enviable and filled with prestige. Celine enrolls in the prestigious and elite Bellamont University and blends in with her new environment. Celine is someone that is admired, is perfectly poised, knows how to work the room and is everything people expect her to be. Celine wrestles with her old life and her new glamourous life when her past comes back to haunt her. This all is being threatened. Celine encounters her Professor who has become dangerously obsessed with Celine. Celine is cornered and is pressured to act to save her new life.
This book is filled with twists and turns. You empathize with the morally grey characters and I started to wonder if I would react the same way if cornered.

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
spice:🌶️🌶️

[Dell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good debut book, I did not really like the characters once I found out what happened to Katherine. Vincent’s POV felt clinical, almost like a robot and there was no chemistry between him and Celine. Also some things did not make sense to me, how was Vincent monitoring Celine so much to know her preferences for food/wine when they barely interacted before and after Katherine’s death until she began his research class(was he stalking her? Professors and students barely hang out together so how did he know? It kept sticking out to me)

I did not like Celine, she felt too jealous and envious of Katherine for someone who could easily get people to like her and also had rich friends.

I felt sorry the most for Katherine, I don’t like MCs who murder innocent side characters for self interest. And in the end when the truth about Selena came out, she left Bellamont anyway, starting anew in France and still had her friends who stood by her, making Katherine’s death useless, I can’t root for their HEA. I’m not even interested in the follow Anya and Sophia’s story because they also annoy me.

[Six · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a specific scene in this book that made a redditor recommend this book to someone else and that specific scene is what made me pick it up.

I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would, but not for the romance, more so the mystery and the friendship between Katherine and Céline. If you want something different from a female main character, definitely pick this one up; you'll get no heroic heroine here.

Normally, I hate whenever an author have us jump between settings or timelines, but this added so much to Katherine and Céline's friendship and really shows how friendships can deteriorate and grow toxic for everyone involved. I think it's one a lot of women will be able to relate to in some capacity. (Hopefully not all of it...)

The romance, however, was not expanded upon or build up enough that I felt like it was believable or very interesting. The entire premise is there, don't get me wrong, but I wanted more from it. Like how much is obsession and which part of it was genuine love?

I think this was an excellent debut, I will consider reading more from this author in the future.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥀✨𝚂𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝙲é𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 (𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝟷) by 𝙻𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚌 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5) | Gifted Book 🥀✨

This is a Dark College Romance built around a girl who spent years becoming someone else. Céline Martin is the version of herself she built with her best friend Katherine: poised, magnetic, and impossible not to love. But when Katherine dies, Céline is left carrying a truth about that night that is far messier than grief.

Told across a dual timeline, present-day Céline and Katherine's own "Past" chapters, this book slowly tightens its grip until the final reveal recontextualizes everything you thought you understood. Add in Vincent, her professor and the most unsettling kind of love interest, a found-family trio that actually feels earned, and one incredibly dramatic cat named Miss Astoria, and you have a read that is dark, twisty, and deeply uncomfortable in all the right ways.

⚠️ Please note: this book includes noncon/dubcon content, mentions of suicide, murder, and power-imbalance relationships. Check the content warnings before diving in ⚠️

If you love morally grey heroines, professor/student power dynamics, and a twist that actually lands, add this one to your TBR.

[Debleena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply put together, I felt sorry for Katherine. She deserved way better and Selena deserved worse. No matter how much the author tried for us to sympathize with the poor cindrella, it was not enough. Selena came as selfish, villainous in a bad evil way, malicious and greedy. She literally stole everything from Katherine. If she hated being Celine she could have grown a spine, if she hated owing to her, she shouldn't have taken and accepted things from Katherine in the first place!!!!! The only way I was able to control my anger and disgust at the fmc was by imagining that in her afterlife, she suffers,and she suffers bad by Katherine.
I honestly thought that Vincent would come as an avenging angel, but well I was simply heartbroken and disappointed with the twist of Katherine's death. I legitly cried for that poor girl. She was innocent, a bit misguided, but pure and lost and didn't deserve this fate. Funny how the author tried for the reader to sympathize with the entitled needy fmc and not the loney, misguided best friend who wanted to just be someone's first choice.

[Melissa Toye · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖤 Saint Céline was so much darker and more addictive than I expected.

This book thrives on atmosphere, secrets, manipulation, and morally grey characters you can’t fully trust. Vincent was the definition of an anti-hero, and the tension throughout the story kept me hooked the whole time.

I honestly loved the mystery and character dynamics more than the romance itself, which is the only reason this wasn’t a full 5⭐ for me — I just wanted a little more emotional depth between the main couple. But the writing, vibes, and overall obsession factor? Incredible. ❤️‍🔥

Also, I absolutely loved the friendship between Sophia and Anya. Their bond felt genuine and supportive, and it added such a good balance to all the chaos and toxicity happening throughout the story. 🖤

If you love:
✦ dark college romance
✦ toxic characters
✦ obsession & secrets
✦ haunting atmosphere
✦ morally grey love interests
✦ messy friendships & emotional chaos

…you’ll probably eat this up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that the characters were selfish and didn't stop at anything to get what they want, it was refreshing. The prose was good, especially with Celine's POV, we got such a deep explanation of the her personality and understanding of her actions.
The romance was interesting (please do check the trigger warnings, as it gets dark), wish it was a bit longer and see how their relationship developed. Vincent could have been shown deeper, revealing more of his obsession with Celine, that part felt a bit rushed. He came a bit flat, compared to Celine's character.
I got a bit disappointed with Celine being sloppy with the murder, and Vincent covering for her. Don't come for me but I was really, really rooting for her to succeed with the second murder, and get away with it. I didn't like how she was turned into a helpless little girl, that needed saving. Especially after she was threatening to ruin Vincent.

[Mirza M. S. Baig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Saint Céline: A Dark College Romance from the author, and while this isn’t my usual type of read, I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless.

The story immediately brought back the vibe of earlier CW & WB shows like Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and Gilmore Girls, mixed with the addictive tension of Netflix series such as Elite and You. That blend of collegiate romance and darker undertones gave it a nostalgic yet fresh energy.

Lilac Rivers’ writing is sharp and immersive, with pacing that keeps you hooked from page one. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, one particular twist came out of nowhere — completely unexpected and all the more satisfying. Well done Lilac!! I can't wait to pick up what you come up with next and too see the Bellamont Sinners world expand.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay wow. i was hooked from the first few chapters and accidentally stayed up way too late finishing this.

céline is such a trainwreck in the best possible way. she's not a perfect heroine and honestly that's what made her so interesting. i spent half the book wanting to shake her and the other half completely understanding why she was making terrible decisions.

and vincent??? that man had me stressed every time he showed up. the tension between them was insane and every conversation felt like something was about to go very wrong.

also the dark academia vibes were immaculate. rich people, secrets, obsession, questionable life choices... exactly what i signed up for.

if you like toxic relationships, morally gray characters, and books where everyone needs therapy but you're having too much fun to care, definitely pick this up.