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The Rhodes #1
Ruin
Darkness frightened her, but a killer becomes her muse.
Aaron
Death was all I lived for. Until she came along.
Lively. Beautiful. Spicy.
I need to kill her, but the urge to keep her is stronger.
For the first time in my life, I defy my demons for her.
The price? One of us has to die.
Mae
Darkness scared me. Until him.
Mysterious. Dangerous. Deadly.
He terrified me, but his hidden layers intrigued me more.
I can’t help being attracted to the man within. To his beautiful madness and twisted mind.
Even if being entangled in his world could lead to my ruin…
Ruin is a standalone, dark, romantic suspense. This is the first book of The Rhodes series, has no cliffhanger and no cheating, and ends on a happy ending. Due to language and dark content, this is advised for mature audience only.
Aaron
Death was all I lived for. Until she came along.
Lively. Beautiful. Spicy.
I need to kill her, but the urge to keep her is stronger.
For the first time in my life, I defy my demons for her.
The price? One of us has to die.
Mae
Darkness scared me. Until him.
Mysterious. Dangerous. Deadly.
He terrified me, but his hidden layers intrigued me more.
I can’t help being attracted to the man within. To his beautiful madness and twisted mind.
Even if being entangled in his world could lead to my ruin…
Ruin is a standalone, dark, romantic suspense. This is the first book of The Rhodes series, has no cliffhanger and no cheating, and ends on a happy ending. Due to language and dark content, this is advised for mature audience only.
265 pages, ebook
First published March 7, 2019
158 people are currently reading
7833 people want to read
About the author
Rina Kent
86 books62k followersRina 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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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:
Website
Newsletter
Bookbub
Amazon
TikTok
Reader Group
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April 14, 2021Ruin - The Rhodes Book One has been unpublished.
There are plans of a rewrite/republish in the future, but there are no confirmed dates yet.
There are plans of a rewrite/republish in the future, but there are no confirmed dates yet.
July 14, 2020
What happens when a schizophrenic with voices that tell him to kill, falls in love? Does he listen to the voices or to his heart?
This is one of my favorite types of stories, where the main character is a psychopath/sociopath or has some sort of mental health issues where he has no morals or empathy but becomes obsessed with the lead female. In this case, Aaron is a man from a wealthy family with a title and works for the family corporation which is a major global company. He is also a schizophrenic killer who hears the voices of his dead father and aunt in his head when he needs to kill. He meets Mae in an alley and becomes obsessed with her. At the beginning we are not quite sure if he really wants to kill her or not, but his aunt and father certainly do.
Aaron kidnaps Mae and hides her in his mansion, he is constantly at war with the voices in his head who have a lust for her blood and want to kill her, while he is more intrigued by her and starts to feel actual emotions. Meanwhile the story of the Rhodes family is introduced and Mae is learning the background of Aaron and his family which includes mental illness, murder, suicide, kidnapping and a child Assassin program.
The story of the Rhodes was first brought up in the book Crowed (Team Zero #1), which doesn’t have to be read first, but doesn’t hurt either. I did and was glad. It gives background on the Pit and why there are Assassins after Aaron and his cousin Tristan. The storyline is excellent, the romance is deep and not instant. No gratuitous smut, I will certainly continue to read the rest of the series, I can’t wait for more of the series and I hope more of Aaron and Mia are included.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
This is one of my favorite types of stories, where the main character is a psychopath/sociopath or has some sort of mental health issues where he has no morals or empathy but becomes obsessed with the lead female. In this case, Aaron is a man from a wealthy family with a title and works for the family corporation which is a major global company. He is also a schizophrenic killer who hears the voices of his dead father and aunt in his head when he needs to kill. He meets Mae in an alley and becomes obsessed with her. At the beginning we are not quite sure if he really wants to kill her or not, but his aunt and father certainly do.
Aaron kidnaps Mae and hides her in his mansion, he is constantly at war with the voices in his head who have a lust for her blood and want to kill her, while he is more intrigued by her and starts to feel actual emotions. Meanwhile the story of the Rhodes family is introduced and Mae is learning the background of Aaron and his family which includes mental illness, murder, suicide, kidnapping and a child Assassin program.
The story of the Rhodes was first brought up in the book Crowed (Team Zero #1), which doesn’t have to be read first, but doesn’t hurt either. I did and was glad. It gives background on the Pit and why there are Assassins after Aaron and his cousin Tristan. The storyline is excellent, the romance is deep and not instant. No gratuitous smut, I will certainly continue to read the rest of the series, I can’t wait for more of the series and I hope more of Aaron and Mia are included.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
August 29, 2025
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this, so we have Aaron, a rich British hotshot, he’s a Serial killer but he only kills people who deserve it (trust me they fucking do), he loves cats too (they’re technically jaguars, but cats nonetheless), so of course I’m fucking in love. Then we have Mae, an amazing artist with an even more amazing personality, the perfect couple, right? No, because Aaron went and fucking kidnapped her, I’m pretty sure there are other ways to approach someone you’re interested in, so this technically isn’t a romance but the story of how Mae developed Stockholm syndrome, but I digress.
June 28, 2024
Yeah, I had to DNF this, or I was going to have a stroke... or lose my sanity if I continued listening to this book.
Speaking of strokes, I think Rina Kent may have had a stroke while writing this, and the narrator of this audiobook most definitely had a stroke while narrating it.
Because no other explanation makes sense for the mess I found myself in when I clicked PLAY.
Speaking of strokes, I think Rina Kent may have had a stroke while writing this, and the narrator of this audiobook most definitely had a stroke while narrating it.
Because no other explanation makes sense for the mess I found myself in when I clicked PLAY.
October 5, 2023
2.8 ⭐ para Ruin, primer libro de la serie inacabada The Rhodes por Rina Kent.
📖 Para nada se cuenta entre la gran lista de buenas historias que tiene Rina en su haber pero, teniendo en cuenta que es de las primeras cosas que escribió, tampoco es tan mala. Mi mayor problema con este libro es que destrozó de principio a fin la precuela Remorse y eso me molestó muchísimo porque no tiene coherencia con lo que la autora había planteado antes.
➡️ Si les gustó la pareja de Arthur y Eva en Remorse les sugiero que no lean Ruin porque se van a enojar bastante, ya que nos enteramos que al parecer había que fingir demencia con el Arthur presentado en la precuela debido a que acá no solo está muerto sino que se revela que abusaba física y mentalmente de su esposa (esa que tanto amaba en Remorse) y de su pequeño hijo en los flashbacks. No hay un solo recuerdo de Arthur en esta entrega que no lo muestre como un monstruo despreciable que llevó a la ruina a esa pobre mujer inocente que tendría que haber corrido a la otra punta del planeta en Remorse si hubiera pronosticado su final.
◾ En cuanto a la historia presente que narra este libro, es decir la de Aaron y Mae, puedo afirmar que me entretuvo lo suficiente para no aburrirme, como ya me tiene acostumbrada la autora pero que no fue tan buena para ser recordada a largo plazo. Siento que faltó algo más de dinamismo a la trama que se encontraba estancada en algunos capítulos donde se daba muchas vueltas sobre lo mismo sin que eso condujera a ningún avance de acción real y también carisma a los dos protagonistas que por momentos resultaban algo planos y su química de pareja decaía.
📖 Para nada se cuenta entre la gran lista de buenas historias que tiene Rina en su haber pero, teniendo en cuenta que es de las primeras cosas que escribió, tampoco es tan mala. Mi mayor problema con este libro es que destrozó de principio a fin la precuela Remorse y eso me molestó muchísimo porque no tiene coherencia con lo que la autora había planteado antes.
➡️ Si les gustó la pareja de Arthur y Eva en Remorse les sugiero que no lean Ruin porque se van a enojar bastante, ya que nos enteramos que al parecer había que fingir demencia con el Arthur presentado en la precuela debido a que acá no solo está muerto sino que se revela que abusaba física y mentalmente de su esposa (esa que tanto amaba en Remorse) y de su pequeño hijo en los flashbacks. No hay un solo recuerdo de Arthur en esta entrega que no lo muestre como un monstruo despreciable que llevó a la ruina a esa pobre mujer inocente que tendría que haber corrido a la otra punta del planeta en Remorse si hubiera pronosticado su final.
◾ En cuanto a la historia presente que narra este libro, es decir la de Aaron y Mae, puedo afirmar que me entretuvo lo suficiente para no aburrirme, como ya me tiene acostumbrada la autora pero que no fue tan buena para ser recordada a largo plazo. Siento que faltó algo más de dinamismo a la trama que se encontraba estancada en algunos capítulos donde se daba muchas vueltas sobre lo mismo sin que eso condujera a ningún avance de acción real y también carisma a los dos protagonistas que por momentos resultaban algo planos y su química de pareja decaía.
March 16, 2023
Definitivamente se nota un chorro que esta es la obra prima de Rina Kent. El plot se me hace super interesa: Un psicópata que se enamora por primera vez? Ahi me tienen en sus manitas. Tristemente la forma en la que esta escrita me hace darle 3 de 5 estrellas pero espero que conforme pasen los libros de esta trilogía, mejoré su estilo aún más
September 3, 2021
This was bad. There was no chemistry between main characters. I really don't understand who she fell in love with him. There was nothing to convince me that she was truly in love with him. And I'm not sure if he ever told her that he loved her, but even if he did, I wouldn't have believed it. She was so weak and pathetic and I couldn't sympathize at all.
There were scenes where he and his cousin went to hunt deers, and the only reason I continued reading was because he was mentally ill, and he didn't understand or feel emotions.
And he had 3 pet jaguars and they were all alive after over 20 years. Google says that jaguars can live up to 20 years in captivity, but it's seems unlikely that all 3 lived that long.
About the ending
There were scenes where he and his cousin went to hunt deers, and the only reason I continued reading was because he was mentally ill, and he didn't understand or feel emotions.
And he had 3 pet jaguars and they were all alive after over 20 years. Google says that jaguars can live up to 20 years in captivity, but it's seems unlikely that all 3 lived that long.
About the ending
October 10, 2020
Wow. 4 stars!
|Review to come|
|Review to come|
March 2, 2019
Aaron seduced me. He intrigued and captivated me. He may have become obsessed with Mae but I was obsessed with him.
The chills I got reading this book and getting inside the mind of Aaron is one you can't describe...you have to feel it.
Rina took dark suspenseful romance and with a delicious twist owned it! Every page takes you further and further into a closet full of surprises with two characters that will bait you in better than the juiciest worm on a hook.
Get ready to experience obsession and the craving of wanting more!! I received an ARC for an honest and voluntarily review.
The chills I got reading this book and getting inside the mind of Aaron is one you can't describe...you have to feel it.
Rina took dark suspenseful romance and with a delicious twist owned it! Every page takes you further and further into a closet full of surprises with two characters that will bait you in better than the juiciest worm on a hook.
Get ready to experience obsession and the craving of wanting more!! I received an ARC for an honest and voluntarily review.
March 13, 2019
4.5 stars!!
This is book one of “The Rhodes” series. This book is also connected to “Crowed” and though it didn’t really make or break reading it, this can be read as a stand alone. BUT I will say reading “Crowed” gave me background info I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Aaron is a killer. A psychopath. A stalker. But he is my killer. My stalker. My psychopath. ~Mae Wilson
This is a dark romance. Like omg why did I like this so much, romance. The beginning of the book didn’t catch me right away. But a few chapters in and I was obsessed. I couldn’t put the book down. All I could think about was Aaron!! He is like a super sexy psychopath, who I just want to make better!! Ahh this book is crazy good!!
This author writes beautifully. She made me see things I wasn’t sure I wanted to see. I was team Aaron all the way. Even when he was just a crazy guy.
Tristan, Dylan and even Kane. I need to know so much more. I can’t wait for the next book!!
**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my honest review**
This is book one of “The Rhodes” series. This book is also connected to “Crowed” and though it didn’t really make or break reading it, this can be read as a stand alone. BUT I will say reading “Crowed” gave me background info I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Aaron is a killer. A psychopath. A stalker. But he is my killer. My stalker. My psychopath. ~Mae Wilson
This is a dark romance. Like omg why did I like this so much, romance. The beginning of the book didn’t catch me right away. But a few chapters in and I was obsessed. I couldn’t put the book down. All I could think about was Aaron!! He is like a super sexy psychopath, who I just want to make better!! Ahh this book is crazy good!!
This author writes beautifully. She made me see things I wasn’t sure I wanted to see. I was team Aaron all the way. Even when he was just a crazy guy.
Tristan, Dylan and even Kane. I need to know so much more. I can’t wait for the next book!!
**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my honest review**
July 6, 2024
I will say it over and over Team Zero and The Rhodes are underrated. Rina please continue this series I'm begging you 😭😭 A lot of people don't seem to know but The Rhodes and Team Zero are in the same universe as the other books in the Rinaverse (Royal Elite, Mafia World, etc) If you can read them I highly encourage you to do so.
This is the first book in The Rhodes series. It can be read as a standalone but for a better understanding, it's best to read Lured (Team Zero #1), Crowed (Team Zero #2), and Remorse (The Rhodes #0.5) before reading this book. It's not necessary but I feel this enhanced my reading experience. We first met Aaron Rhodes who is the protagonist of this book in Crowed. The timeline of this book overlaps with Crowed too. So they are basically happening more or less at the same time. This is the story of Aaron Rhodes and Mae Wilson. It's told from their point of view. We also get a chapter from Tristan's point of view. You might have noticed that this book came out in 2019 and there are no more books in the series. This was a whole series of 5 books that was planned:
0.5 - Remorse (Arthur and Eva)
1 - Ruin (Aaron and Mae)
2 - Retribution (Tristan and ???)
3 - Redemption (Unknown)
4 - Rebirth (Unknown)
5 - Reverence (Unknown)
Only Remorse and Ruin came out. Rina unpublished this series. Rina said on her website's FAQ section: "Ruin will be rewritten and the story will completely change. There's no announced release date. The Rhodes series is not in plans for the near future." It's such a shame because this book is fantastic. It's one of Rina's earlier works but her writing is exceptional. I loved this story so much. I'm devastated we are seemingly never getting Tristan's story, it was hinted that he was getting an arranged marriage or marriage of convenience. It's one of my favorite tropes and I honestly love Tristan. I also like how they are the Rhodes and all the books start with an 'R' like their family name.
Instead of listing the Good and the Bad as I usually do, because there isn't really anything bad. I will just list my thoughts:
*This is probably one of Rina's darkest books if not the darkest in my opinion. It deals with heavy subjects and trauma. Aaron suffers from a rare case of psychosis similar to schizophrenia. There's probably a genetic component as his father Arthur and aunt Ariel also suffered from similar symptoms. It was ultimately Aaron's childhood that caused him to develop his mental health issues. He hears the voices of his dead father, mother, and aunt in his head. His father and aunt are the evil voices who tell him to do bad things and demand he kill people, her mother is a good voice who tries to persuade him not to. I felt sorry for him and I'm sure if he had had a different childhood he wouldn't have developed psychosis. It was interesting to read about it though and to be inside Aaron's head. When reading Aaron's POV feels like having schizophrenia.
*Killian and Landon who? Aaron is the OG Psycho™. He actually acted and thought and felt like one. He's also the OG lordship™ (Ronan who? 😂)
*Rina writes beautifully on this one. This book is raw. It almost makes me feel a bit guilty for liking it so much given how dark it is, especially Eva's journal, and the flashbacks were so hard to read. It surprisingly has very little spice, they only have sex only and kiss like twice. It's more driven by the character's backstory and inner struggles, plus some side storyline.
*If you liked the couple of Arthur and Eva in Remorse. It can be a harsh awakening to read Ruin. Similar to Dom and Cam in Lured, we learn in this book that Arthur and Eva are dead. Through flashbacks and Eva's journal, we learn that Arthur wasn't able to keep his darkness at bay. He changed, no longer the Arthur we met in Remorse. Eva is no longer able to calm his demons. He ends up physically, sexually, and mentally abusing his wife who he had once loved so much. Eva even considers divorcing him and taking Aaron away but knows The Rhodes are too powerful and Arthur would never let her go. Arthur for some reason develops an urge to kill Eva that is too big and strong for him to control. He is cold toward her and their son. He tries to ignore them to protect them. Eva apparently turned a blind eye to his worsening state. She even suggests he hurt other women to control his urge to kill her. He routinely brings women to the house and tortures them (he also cheated with them as it implied they would do things sexually.) Eva in the end can't take it anymore of him with other women. She goes to Arthur and basically tells him to try to satisfy the urges with her. His control slips and he ends up killing her. After realizing what he had done he kills himself. This made me so sad for Eva. I really liked her point of view in Remorse. I get now why we didn't get Arthur's point of view in Remorse. It would've revealed his mental state. He had been fighting with the urge to kill Eva since he met her.
*I like that Aaron and Mae were celibate during their separation. I just wish we got more of them after they reunited and decided to be together. Mae will move back to the Rhodes estate. I guess we would've gotten more glimpses of them in future books.
*Tristan Rhodes, what an enigmatic man. He is so similar to his father Alexander, who we met in Remorse. He apparently didn't inherit the family's hereditary psychopathy, but since he went through the same kidnapping and was made a killer in The Pit. It is said he was made a monster. He definitely has some trauma but is the voice of reason in the group. He was supposed to get the next book, and he said he was getting married, apparently not out of love. So I think it was a marriage of convenience or an arranged marriage. We don't know who his fiance is. Tristan had two other siblings Thia and Trevor who were killed in the massacre.
* Dylan Hart is a childhood friend of Aaron and Tristan. His family was killed at the same massacre where The Rhodes were killed, the families were friends and they were ambushed while having lunch together. I ship him with Celeste so hard. One of my favorite tropes is childhood friends to lovers. We got some Easter eggs in Crowed where we met Dylan and Celeste for the first time. They have had a crush on each other since they were children and taken to The Pit but something happened and Celeste seemingly betrayed Dylan and shot him. Now the Rhodes want to kill Celeste and Hades contracted Celeste to kill Aaron. Celeste actually manages to almost kill him, and it seems that Aaron killed Celeste but fear not. Rina revealed on her Facebook group that Celeste isn't dead. My theory is that Dylan saved her. Despite all his talk and hers about killing each other, I don't think they would be able to do it. I so desperately need their story. 💔
* I like the family aspect of the book. There's a quote the Rhodes live by "Family is everything" which Alexander taught them. Unfortunately, only two Rhodes remain Aaron and Tristan, all the rest were killed, which was to be explored further in the other installments. The Rhodes and the only Hart surviving family member, Dylan are looking for revenge for the killing of their families and their lives destroyed since childhood.
* There are so many things unanswered that also tie to Team Zero. Who betrayed The Rhodes? Who ordered to kill the Rhodes and the Harts but spare Aaron, Tristan, and Dylan? Who is Hades? I hate that Rina left us hanging 😔
* My little unhinged theory is that Mae's father is Hades. I don't know, he seemed sus. Or maybe he's one of Hades' associates. He studied with Arthur Rhodes in university so there was a bit of connection going way back.
* I really hope that Aaron and Mae don't end up like Arthur and Eva. I mean what if Rina writes a second gen for them and then it turns out Aaron couldn't keep his demons at bay and kills Mae? I would cry.
* The Rhodes Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/AuthorRin...
Summary:
Aaron and Mae meet one night when he's wandering the streets looking to satiate his blood lust. Mae bumps into him in an alley but he doesn't kill her. There's something about her that catches his eye and he thinks she is pretty. Mae thinks he's beautiful but scary. He begins to stalk her. Mae is an artist. Aaron breaks into her college studio and sees her art it's dark very much unlike Mae. Mae is ashamed of her dark art. The more Aaron stalks Mae the more he becomes obsessed with her. Mae knows Aaron is stalking her but doesn't report him. One night Mae goes out with her friends to a club and gets drunk. She goes outside alone to take some air and Aaron is there. Mae trips trying to get away from there and loses consciousness. Aaron takes the opportunity to kidnap her.
Mae wakes up in the dungeons of the Rhodes estate. Aaron doesn't even know why he kidnapped her. The voices in his head (his father and aunt) are telling him to kill her. The voice of his mother tries to dissuade him. He wants to kill Mae but he resists the urge. Mae tries to escape, fights Aaron, and talks back at him. This infuriates Aaron but makes him more obsessed with her. He is hiding the fact that she's kidnapped in the estate from his cousin Tristan and their friend Dylan. In the meantime, they are dealing with taking care of their appearance in public. They are aristocrats, Tristan is the Duke and the head of the estate, Aaron is a Lord, and Dylan a Marquis. When they were children their families were killed but they were spared, only to be kidnapped and brought to The Pit and become Team Zero members. They were trained to become assassins. They managed to escape 8 years later and only because their family's guards never stopped looking for them and helped them escape. Due to them leaving, the owner of The Pit, Hades, wants them dead. They, in turn, want revenge for their families and their kidnapping, they are trying to figure out who betrayed them and also who Hades is so they can take him and his associates down. Hades sends Celeste, a former Team Zero colleague. She has to kill Aaron. Crow lets himself be captured and strikes a deal with the Rhodes and Dylan (we saw part of this in Crowed.)
Mae is afraid of the dark so Aaron uses this to punish her while in captivity. When she was little she got lost in some caves which caused her trauma. Mae's eyes are dulled after a day in the dark. Aaron realizes this doesn't bring him as much pleasure as he thought. Eventually, he moves her into his wing in the estate. Only his guard Kane knows about Mae. The Rhodes keep jaguars as pets and Aaron also uses this to intimidate Mae. The voices at times get worse so Aaron avoids visiting Mae when that happens. When Mae is in her new room, she discovers Eva's journal. She's Aaron's mother. Through the journal and Aaron's nightmares of his childhood we slowly discover what he went through that ultimately led to his psychosis. His father and aunt both suffered from psychosis and his aunt killed herself in front of him to cause him trauma and turn him like her and his father as his Uncle Alexander and mother were trying to avoid Aaron becoming like them. He is traumatized by this and also by seeing his father torture naked women. He stops talking. His grandmother tries to kill him and is only saved because her mother happened to be close by. His grandmother tried to asphyxiate him with a pillow. Arthur doesn't even show much emotion after this incident and we see that he doesn't treat Eva well. Arthur and Eva are having trouble in their marriage. Turns out Arthur has been fighting with the urge to kill Eva since he met her and the urge has only grown stronger with time. Despite loving her once, he can't seem to control it anymore. Eva suggests he torture and kill other women to help the urges. They seemingly also do sexual stuff. Eva eventually can't deal with that anymore despite her being the one to suggest it, she can't bear her husband with other women. So she tells him that he can hurt her. He ends up killing her and then killing himself. This adds to Aaron's trauma but he starts speaking again after their death. Taking advantage of the situation his grandmother takes him away to a mental institution where he is abused. His uncle eventually learns about the situation and brings him back home and legally adopts him. Still, ever since her aunt, father, and mother died he hears their voices in his head.
In the present time, one of the other nobles, Simon Hampton, suspects Aaron killed his father, which he did. In revenge, he (with Celeste's help), manages to get into Aaron's wing and finds Mae, he beats her up and is about to rape her in retaliation. Aaron manages to get to Mae in time and kills Simon. Mae is traumatized after the ordeal and takes a while to go back to herself. Aaron tries to cheer her up. Aaron and Mae spend time together on the estate riding horses. He takes her to the library so she can pick books and they share a kiss. Aaron turns her old room into an art studio. Mae snaps at him and calls him insane. This word triggers Aaron who spaces out and chokes her almost killing her. Aaron leaves and goes to spar with Tristan trying to get the steam off. The voices are getting louder. Tristan notices Aaron's deteriorating state. When he leaves the gym Celeste is waiting for him. She shoots him in the chest and he stabs her in the neck. Seemingly killing her (he actually didn't but we are led to believe he did.) She almost kills him. Aaron is in critical condition and has to be taken to the hospital for surgery and blood transfusions. Mae sees the whole incident from her room. After a while, Tristan discovers her in Aaron's wing. Mae wants to go to Aaron but Tristan won't allow it. Everything comes to light. Aaron kidnapped Mae and has been keeping her hostage for almost two months. Tristan realizes that Aaron loves Mae so he tries to get her to help Aaron. Aaron should be receiving treatment in a mental hospital but he refuses due to his traumatic experience in the past. Tristan reveals the rest of his past to Mae and also about the voices and his psychosis. When Aaron wakes up he wants to see Mae and he is taken home again.
Aaron is actually a doctor and feels sure he can recuperate at home where another month passes. Aaron and Mae get closer until one day they have sex. Aaron realizes his feelings for Mae, how uncharacteristically she makes him act, how possessive and jealous he feels about her, and how he wants to protect her. He doesn't mind seeing people hurt, hurting them and spilling their blood is a pleasure but there's no pleasure in Mae's blood or seeing her hurt, it's disgusting to him. After they have sex Aaron instead of hearing the voices in his head starts to see his dead aunt, father, and mother in the room and hears their voices as if they are really there, not inside his head. They surround Mae who is sleeping in his bed, demanding he kill her, even his mother who is one of the good voices demands it too if only to spare Mae of the suffering she endured. Aaron and Mae are destined to be another Arthur and Eva. Aaron argues with them and spaces out. He even sees his uncle and asks him for help but his uncle says he has to save himself. When he snaps out of it he realizes he has his hands on Mae's neck, he is about to strangle her again. Aaron leaves to help Tristan torture and kill a traitor to help with his bloodlust. The hallucinations now follow him everywhere.
When he returns to his room, his shirt is bloodied. Mae notices it and is worried that's his blood, Aaron explains it's not his. Aaron tells Mae that he slipped and almost killed her that morning. Mae had thought the sex would help because she had read about it. Aaron says he's like his father but Mae says he isn't. Mae confesses that she loves Aaron and wants to help him. Aaron feels Mae's words in his heart but doesn't understand why Mae loves him, he wonders if he damaged her. Mae tells him to fight but Aaron says he can't. Whenever he tries to fight with his head it only makes it worse. Mae is hurt and asks him if she isn't worth fighting for. Aaron is upset as he blames her for his current state. After she came into his life, the voices were worse, he had nightmares that were memories of his traumatic childhood. Aaron says Mae makes him feel and he hates her for it. Mae is crying but tells him to hate her but to let her help. He says they are like the story of the scorpion and the frog. When the scorpion stung the frog, dooming them both to drown the frog asked him why he did so. The scorpion said that he couldn't help it, it's in his nature. Aaron is the scorpion. He shoves her and leaves the room. He realizes he wants Mae but until he finds a way to get better Mae needs to stay away.
After Aaron's rejection, Mae is crying uncontrollably. She thinks of Eva, she can't endure what Eva endured. Aaron is fighting the urge to kill her and he'll end up doing so. They will be the incarnation of his parents. Mae sees herself in the mirror and sees only a ghost of herself. His rejection coupled with the trauma of her kidnapping, being away from her family, and being almost raped makes her think there's no other way out for her. She breaks the mirror and cuts her wrists deeply. She is rapidly losing blood. Aaron hears the noise from outside and when he goes to her Mae is almost dead. He is frantic as he calls for Kane and takes her to the hospital. He can't believe he's about to lose Mae and he feels empty inside. The doctors manage to establish Mae. Aaron decides to walk out of her life for her sake.
Mae wakes up in the hospital, her parents are there. They are glad she's safe. Mae is confused and doesn't know what to do or say. She is informed she has been gone for three months She waits for Aaron to show up but he never does. The doctors want her to speak to the police and a psychiatrist but she refuses. Kane visits her at Aaron's orders to deliver a letter from him. Kane asks her a personal favor, to not report Aaron to authorities. Mae just wants to know where Aaron is but Kane is not allowed to tell her. Mae reads Aaron's goodbye letter, he tells her that he isn't sorry about kidnapping her but he doesn't like almost losing her. He wanted to take everything from her but seeing her drowning in her blood was the last straw. He wants Mae to live her life and forget about him. He says she deserves better than him.
Mae doesn't report him to authorities and only says she was kidnapped but never saw her captors and didn't know where she was taken. When they ask her about her attempt on her life she only says she saw no other way out... (Continued in the comment due to Goodreads character limit 😭)
This is the first book in The Rhodes series. It can be read as a standalone but for a better understanding, it's best to read Lured (Team Zero #1), Crowed (Team Zero #2), and Remorse (The Rhodes #0.5) before reading this book. It's not necessary but I feel this enhanced my reading experience. We first met Aaron Rhodes who is the protagonist of this book in Crowed. The timeline of this book overlaps with Crowed too. So they are basically happening more or less at the same time. This is the story of Aaron Rhodes and Mae Wilson. It's told from their point of view. We also get a chapter from Tristan's point of view. You might have noticed that this book came out in 2019 and there are no more books in the series. This was a whole series of 5 books that was planned:
0.5 - Remorse (Arthur and Eva)
1 - Ruin (Aaron and Mae)
2 - Retribution (Tristan and ???)
3 - Redemption (Unknown)
4 - Rebirth (Unknown)
5 - Reverence (Unknown)
Only Remorse and Ruin came out. Rina unpublished this series. Rina said on her website's FAQ section: "Ruin will be rewritten and the story will completely change. There's no announced release date. The Rhodes series is not in plans for the near future." It's such a shame because this book is fantastic. It's one of Rina's earlier works but her writing is exceptional. I loved this story so much. I'm devastated we are seemingly never getting Tristan's story, it was hinted that he was getting an arranged marriage or marriage of convenience. It's one of my favorite tropes and I honestly love Tristan. I also like how they are the Rhodes and all the books start with an 'R' like their family name.
Instead of listing the Good and the Bad as I usually do, because there isn't really anything bad. I will just list my thoughts:
*This is probably one of Rina's darkest books if not the darkest in my opinion. It deals with heavy subjects and trauma. Aaron suffers from a rare case of psychosis similar to schizophrenia. There's probably a genetic component as his father Arthur and aunt Ariel also suffered from similar symptoms. It was ultimately Aaron's childhood that caused him to develop his mental health issues. He hears the voices of his dead father, mother, and aunt in his head. His father and aunt are the evil voices who tell him to do bad things and demand he kill people, her mother is a good voice who tries to persuade him not to. I felt sorry for him and I'm sure if he had had a different childhood he wouldn't have developed psychosis. It was interesting to read about it though and to be inside Aaron's head. When reading Aaron's POV feels like having schizophrenia.
*Killian and Landon who? Aaron is the OG Psycho™. He actually acted and thought and felt like one. He's also the OG lordship™ (Ronan who? 😂)
*Rina writes beautifully on this one. This book is raw. It almost makes me feel a bit guilty for liking it so much given how dark it is, especially Eva's journal, and the flashbacks were so hard to read. It surprisingly has very little spice, they only have sex only and kiss like twice. It's more driven by the character's backstory and inner struggles, plus some side storyline.
*If you liked the couple of Arthur and Eva in Remorse. It can be a harsh awakening to read Ruin. Similar to Dom and Cam in Lured, we learn in this book that Arthur and Eva are dead. Through flashbacks and Eva's journal, we learn that Arthur wasn't able to keep his darkness at bay. He changed, no longer the Arthur we met in Remorse. Eva is no longer able to calm his demons. He ends up physically, sexually, and mentally abusing his wife who he had once loved so much. Eva even considers divorcing him and taking Aaron away but knows The Rhodes are too powerful and Arthur would never let her go. Arthur for some reason develops an urge to kill Eva that is too big and strong for him to control. He is cold toward her and their son. He tries to ignore them to protect them. Eva apparently turned a blind eye to his worsening state. She even suggests he hurt other women to control his urge to kill her. He routinely brings women to the house and tortures them (he also cheated with them as it implied they would do things sexually.) Eva in the end can't take it anymore of him with other women. She goes to Arthur and basically tells him to try to satisfy the urges with her. His control slips and he ends up killing her. After realizing what he had done he kills himself. This made me so sad for Eva. I really liked her point of view in Remorse. I get now why we didn't get Arthur's point of view in Remorse. It would've revealed his mental state. He had been fighting with the urge to kill Eva since he met her.
*I like that Aaron and Mae were celibate during their separation. I just wish we got more of them after they reunited and decided to be together. Mae will move back to the Rhodes estate. I guess we would've gotten more glimpses of them in future books.
*Tristan Rhodes, what an enigmatic man. He is so similar to his father Alexander, who we met in Remorse. He apparently didn't inherit the family's hereditary psychopathy, but since he went through the same kidnapping and was made a killer in The Pit. It is said he was made a monster. He definitely has some trauma but is the voice of reason in the group. He was supposed to get the next book, and he said he was getting married, apparently not out of love. So I think it was a marriage of convenience or an arranged marriage. We don't know who his fiance is. Tristan had two other siblings Thia and Trevor who were killed in the massacre.
* Dylan Hart is a childhood friend of Aaron and Tristan. His family was killed at the same massacre where The Rhodes were killed, the families were friends and they were ambushed while having lunch together. I ship him with Celeste so hard. One of my favorite tropes is childhood friends to lovers. We got some Easter eggs in Crowed where we met Dylan and Celeste for the first time. They have had a crush on each other since they were children and taken to The Pit but something happened and Celeste seemingly betrayed Dylan and shot him. Now the Rhodes want to kill Celeste and Hades contracted Celeste to kill Aaron. Celeste actually manages to almost kill him, and it seems that Aaron killed Celeste but fear not. Rina revealed on her Facebook group that Celeste isn't dead. My theory is that Dylan saved her. Despite all his talk and hers about killing each other, I don't think they would be able to do it. I so desperately need their story. 💔
* I like the family aspect of the book. There's a quote the Rhodes live by "Family is everything" which Alexander taught them. Unfortunately, only two Rhodes remain Aaron and Tristan, all the rest were killed, which was to be explored further in the other installments. The Rhodes and the only Hart surviving family member, Dylan are looking for revenge for the killing of their families and their lives destroyed since childhood.
* There are so many things unanswered that also tie to Team Zero. Who betrayed The Rhodes? Who ordered to kill the Rhodes and the Harts but spare Aaron, Tristan, and Dylan? Who is Hades? I hate that Rina left us hanging 😔
* My little unhinged theory is that Mae's father is Hades. I don't know, he seemed sus. Or maybe he's one of Hades' associates. He studied with Arthur Rhodes in university so there was a bit of connection going way back.
* I really hope that Aaron and Mae don't end up like Arthur and Eva. I mean what if Rina writes a second gen for them and then it turns out Aaron couldn't keep his demons at bay and kills Mae? I would cry.
* The Rhodes Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/AuthorRin...
Summary:
Aaron and Mae meet one night when he's wandering the streets looking to satiate his blood lust. Mae bumps into him in an alley but he doesn't kill her. There's something about her that catches his eye and he thinks she is pretty. Mae thinks he's beautiful but scary. He begins to stalk her. Mae is an artist. Aaron breaks into her college studio and sees her art it's dark very much unlike Mae. Mae is ashamed of her dark art. The more Aaron stalks Mae the more he becomes obsessed with her. Mae knows Aaron is stalking her but doesn't report him. One night Mae goes out with her friends to a club and gets drunk. She goes outside alone to take some air and Aaron is there. Mae trips trying to get away from there and loses consciousness. Aaron takes the opportunity to kidnap her.
Mae wakes up in the dungeons of the Rhodes estate. Aaron doesn't even know why he kidnapped her. The voices in his head (his father and aunt) are telling him to kill her. The voice of his mother tries to dissuade him. He wants to kill Mae but he resists the urge. Mae tries to escape, fights Aaron, and talks back at him. This infuriates Aaron but makes him more obsessed with her. He is hiding the fact that she's kidnapped in the estate from his cousin Tristan and their friend Dylan. In the meantime, they are dealing with taking care of their appearance in public. They are aristocrats, Tristan is the Duke and the head of the estate, Aaron is a Lord, and Dylan a Marquis. When they were children their families were killed but they were spared, only to be kidnapped and brought to The Pit and become Team Zero members. They were trained to become assassins. They managed to escape 8 years later and only because their family's guards never stopped looking for them and helped them escape. Due to them leaving, the owner of The Pit, Hades, wants them dead. They, in turn, want revenge for their families and their kidnapping, they are trying to figure out who betrayed them and also who Hades is so they can take him and his associates down. Hades sends Celeste, a former Team Zero colleague. She has to kill Aaron. Crow lets himself be captured and strikes a deal with the Rhodes and Dylan (we saw part of this in Crowed.)
Mae is afraid of the dark so Aaron uses this to punish her while in captivity. When she was little she got lost in some caves which caused her trauma. Mae's eyes are dulled after a day in the dark. Aaron realizes this doesn't bring him as much pleasure as he thought. Eventually, he moves her into his wing in the estate. Only his guard Kane knows about Mae. The Rhodes keep jaguars as pets and Aaron also uses this to intimidate Mae. The voices at times get worse so Aaron avoids visiting Mae when that happens. When Mae is in her new room, she discovers Eva's journal. She's Aaron's mother. Through the journal and Aaron's nightmares of his childhood we slowly discover what he went through that ultimately led to his psychosis. His father and aunt both suffered from psychosis and his aunt killed herself in front of him to cause him trauma and turn him like her and his father as his Uncle Alexander and mother were trying to avoid Aaron becoming like them. He is traumatized by this and also by seeing his father torture naked women. He stops talking. His grandmother tries to kill him and is only saved because her mother happened to be close by. His grandmother tried to asphyxiate him with a pillow. Arthur doesn't even show much emotion after this incident and we see that he doesn't treat Eva well. Arthur and Eva are having trouble in their marriage. Turns out Arthur has been fighting with the urge to kill Eva since he met her and the urge has only grown stronger with time. Despite loving her once, he can't seem to control it anymore. Eva suggests he torture and kill other women to help the urges. They seemingly also do sexual stuff. Eva eventually can't deal with that anymore despite her being the one to suggest it, she can't bear her husband with other women. So she tells him that he can hurt her. He ends up killing her and then killing himself. This adds to Aaron's trauma but he starts speaking again after their death. Taking advantage of the situation his grandmother takes him away to a mental institution where he is abused. His uncle eventually learns about the situation and brings him back home and legally adopts him. Still, ever since her aunt, father, and mother died he hears their voices in his head.
In the present time, one of the other nobles, Simon Hampton, suspects Aaron killed his father, which he did. In revenge, he (with Celeste's help), manages to get into Aaron's wing and finds Mae, he beats her up and is about to rape her in retaliation. Aaron manages to get to Mae in time and kills Simon. Mae is traumatized after the ordeal and takes a while to go back to herself. Aaron tries to cheer her up. Aaron and Mae spend time together on the estate riding horses. He takes her to the library so she can pick books and they share a kiss. Aaron turns her old room into an art studio. Mae snaps at him and calls him insane. This word triggers Aaron who spaces out and chokes her almost killing her. Aaron leaves and goes to spar with Tristan trying to get the steam off. The voices are getting louder. Tristan notices Aaron's deteriorating state. When he leaves the gym Celeste is waiting for him. She shoots him in the chest and he stabs her in the neck. Seemingly killing her (he actually didn't but we are led to believe he did.) She almost kills him. Aaron is in critical condition and has to be taken to the hospital for surgery and blood transfusions. Mae sees the whole incident from her room. After a while, Tristan discovers her in Aaron's wing. Mae wants to go to Aaron but Tristan won't allow it. Everything comes to light. Aaron kidnapped Mae and has been keeping her hostage for almost two months. Tristan realizes that Aaron loves Mae so he tries to get her to help Aaron. Aaron should be receiving treatment in a mental hospital but he refuses due to his traumatic experience in the past. Tristan reveals the rest of his past to Mae and also about the voices and his psychosis. When Aaron wakes up he wants to see Mae and he is taken home again.
Aaron is actually a doctor and feels sure he can recuperate at home where another month passes. Aaron and Mae get closer until one day they have sex. Aaron realizes his feelings for Mae, how uncharacteristically she makes him act, how possessive and jealous he feels about her, and how he wants to protect her. He doesn't mind seeing people hurt, hurting them and spilling their blood is a pleasure but there's no pleasure in Mae's blood or seeing her hurt, it's disgusting to him. After they have sex Aaron instead of hearing the voices in his head starts to see his dead aunt, father, and mother in the room and hears their voices as if they are really there, not inside his head. They surround Mae who is sleeping in his bed, demanding he kill her, even his mother who is one of the good voices demands it too if only to spare Mae of the suffering she endured. Aaron and Mae are destined to be another Arthur and Eva. Aaron argues with them and spaces out. He even sees his uncle and asks him for help but his uncle says he has to save himself. When he snaps out of it he realizes he has his hands on Mae's neck, he is about to strangle her again. Aaron leaves to help Tristan torture and kill a traitor to help with his bloodlust. The hallucinations now follow him everywhere.
When he returns to his room, his shirt is bloodied. Mae notices it and is worried that's his blood, Aaron explains it's not his. Aaron tells Mae that he slipped and almost killed her that morning. Mae had thought the sex would help because she had read about it. Aaron says he's like his father but Mae says he isn't. Mae confesses that she loves Aaron and wants to help him. Aaron feels Mae's words in his heart but doesn't understand why Mae loves him, he wonders if he damaged her. Mae tells him to fight but Aaron says he can't. Whenever he tries to fight with his head it only makes it worse. Mae is hurt and asks him if she isn't worth fighting for. Aaron is upset as he blames her for his current state. After she came into his life, the voices were worse, he had nightmares that were memories of his traumatic childhood. Aaron says Mae makes him feel and he hates her for it. Mae is crying but tells him to hate her but to let her help. He says they are like the story of the scorpion and the frog. When the scorpion stung the frog, dooming them both to drown the frog asked him why he did so. The scorpion said that he couldn't help it, it's in his nature. Aaron is the scorpion. He shoves her and leaves the room. He realizes he wants Mae but until he finds a way to get better Mae needs to stay away.
After Aaron's rejection, Mae is crying uncontrollably. She thinks of Eva, she can't endure what Eva endured. Aaron is fighting the urge to kill her and he'll end up doing so. They will be the incarnation of his parents. Mae sees herself in the mirror and sees only a ghost of herself. His rejection coupled with the trauma of her kidnapping, being away from her family, and being almost raped makes her think there's no other way out for her. She breaks the mirror and cuts her wrists deeply. She is rapidly losing blood. Aaron hears the noise from outside and when he goes to her Mae is almost dead. He is frantic as he calls for Kane and takes her to the hospital. He can't believe he's about to lose Mae and he feels empty inside. The doctors manage to establish Mae. Aaron decides to walk out of her life for her sake.
Mae wakes up in the hospital, her parents are there. They are glad she's safe. Mae is confused and doesn't know what to do or say. She is informed she has been gone for three months She waits for Aaron to show up but he never does. The doctors want her to speak to the police and a psychiatrist but she refuses. Kane visits her at Aaron's orders to deliver a letter from him. Kane asks her a personal favor, to not report Aaron to authorities. Mae just wants to know where Aaron is but Kane is not allowed to tell her. Mae reads Aaron's goodbye letter, he tells her that he isn't sorry about kidnapping her but he doesn't like almost losing her. He wanted to take everything from her but seeing her drowning in her blood was the last straw. He wants Mae to live her life and forget about him. He says she deserves better than him.
Mae doesn't report him to authorities and only says she was kidnapped but never saw her captors and didn't know where she was taken. When they ask her about her attempt on her life she only says she saw no other way out... (Continued in the comment due to Goodreads character limit 😭)
May 23, 2020
DNF 65% when they literally first kiss.
Until that point nothing really important was going on, BORING,
I kept reading thinking something will start to happen between them but NOTHING...
HE kidnapped her but they only exchanged a few dialogues, the hole 67% i read.
We had other stuffs going on, or chapters with their past, which i skipped because i didn't care,why should i care if at that point nothing happened between them,and i don't care about the last 30% because i rather the author wrote about a building up relationship than lose chapters with non sense,and then of course, a rushed end when they finally start being a thing...just MEH.
I knew the story was more around this cray-cray H, but still i wanted more interaction between them too.
I skipped the last 30% but i read a few stuffs here and there
-they had sex (77%ish)
-she falls for him just like that ,without nothing going on to bring her to that point of fall in love.
-she tried to kill her self
-he let's her go and be free
-he go away in Australia
-she goes back to his home where she was kidnapped to ask about him every week,searching for him.
-after 1 year he comes back (in this time they didn't have any contact)
-they are happy to see each other again and start being together.
THE END
WTF? literally he comes back and the end, no confrontation,nothing added in their "love" story, no epilogue no nothing, an "open" ending, WHAT??? .
Until that point nothing really important was going on, BORING,
I kept reading thinking something will start to happen between them but NOTHING...
HE kidnapped her but they only exchanged a few dialogues, the hole 67% i read.
We had other stuffs going on, or chapters with their past, which i skipped because i didn't care,why should i care if at that point nothing happened between them,and i don't care about the last 30% because i rather the author wrote about a building up relationship than lose chapters with non sense,and then of course, a rushed end when they finally start being a thing...just MEH.
I knew the story was more around this cray-cray H, but still i wanted more interaction between them too.
I skipped the last 30% but i read a few stuffs here and there
-they had sex (77%ish)
-she falls for him just like that ,without nothing going on to bring her to that point of fall in love.
-she tried to kill her self
-he let's her go and be free
-he go away in Australia
-she goes back to his home where she was kidnapped to ask about him every week,searching for him.
-after 1 year he comes back (in this time they didn't have any contact)
-they are happy to see each other again and start being together.
THE END
WTF? literally he comes back and the end, no confrontation,nothing added in their "love" story, no epilogue no nothing, an "open" ending, WHAT??? .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2020
This book was so good! I was a little hesitant going into it, because while I love the Royal Elites series, I wasn't crazy about the He Hates Me/He Hates Me Not duology. I'm glad I picked this one up! Aaron is a very intriguing male protagonist, and I loved the way that Rina Kent wrote the voices in his head and his arguments with them. I kind of wish there were more books with him in them!
While there are no spoilers (at least, I don't think there are any) for the Team Zero series, it definitely made me curious to check those out too. Looking forward to more books in the Rhodes series! I hope Tristan is next :)
While there are no spoilers (at least, I don't think there are any) for the Team Zero series, it definitely made me curious to check those out too. Looking forward to more books in the Rhodes series! I hope Tristan is next :)
March 10, 2019
Rina Kent did it again.. This is my third book of this author and I am loving her writing..
Loved all the characters.. Especially aaron.. Its full of angst and suspense...Loved the book.. Looking forward for Tristan book..
Loved all the characters.. Especially aaron.. Its full of angst and suspense...Loved the book.. Looking forward for Tristan book..
March 6, 2019
This is the 3rd book I've read by this very talented author who has a special gift for writing dark and dangerous men that you should run away from as fast as possible but I can't seem to be able to do that. Who would find an a killer, an obvious psychopath, someone with no remorse, interesting enough to be fascinatingly sexy? Me, I guess...I could NOT put this book down, so much so that I was reading it the parking lots of the stores I was running errands to today!
Let's add in some extra layers to sociopathic Aaron Rhodes as I discover 'his lordship' is an aristocratic noble by day (she had me right there!) and by night, a heartless maniac who hears the voices of his dead father and aunt taunting him to do things he shouldn't but he can't stop from wanting to do. He crossed paths with a beautiful woman in an alley one night and isn't sure if he should kill her or let her go but one thing is certain...she has peaked his interest and that might not bode well for her.
Aaron's family tree has so many dark and tragic elements with more twists than a bag of pretzels. As each piece of his haunting past is pealed back, you see more of the struggle he's had to remain in control of his delusions and try to keep his compulsions at bay. Not so easy if you are a Rhodes, killing is in their nature now.
He becomes obsessed with Mae, the lovely young artist he let live in that alley and begins stalking her relentlessly. She can feel him watching but rather than fear, Mae feels excited and thrilled with his attention. Aaron makes a rash decision concerning her that is so completely out of character that it even shocks him! What happens after that is the what had me riveted to this book, with so much WTF in it, so much building excitement and mystery, there was no putting it down.
No spoilers, I'm not saying another word about it except this- read it yourself, but only if you would enjoy a dark, twisted story about a tortured man who might be looking for sanity in his bizarre world and a woman who can't look away from her own dark side.
If this all sounds appealing to you, these will be your kind of books, they are certainly mine. There are two series that are separate but connected- Team Zero and The Rhodes. My advice is to read Crowed-Team Zero #1 (loved, see my review of it) and then this, Rhodes #1, Ruin. The future books will alternate, I think, as they are released, one of each set at a time. Believe me, reading both series will enlighten you of the goings on in this crossover world where killers can be foot soldiers or aristocrats and anything can happen.
Rina Kent has some cool storyboards on Pinterest which provide a peek into what she has envisioned for her characters and books Take a look😉!
Huge recommend.
An advanced copy was generously provided, happily received and this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
Let's add in some extra layers to sociopathic Aaron Rhodes as I discover 'his lordship' is an aristocratic noble by day (she had me right there!) and by night, a heartless maniac who hears the voices of his dead father and aunt taunting him to do things he shouldn't but he can't stop from wanting to do. He crossed paths with a beautiful woman in an alley one night and isn't sure if he should kill her or let her go but one thing is certain...she has peaked his interest and that might not bode well for her.
Aaron's family tree has so many dark and tragic elements with more twists than a bag of pretzels. As each piece of his haunting past is pealed back, you see more of the struggle he's had to remain in control of his delusions and try to keep his compulsions at bay. Not so easy if you are a Rhodes, killing is in their nature now.
He becomes obsessed with Mae, the lovely young artist he let live in that alley and begins stalking her relentlessly. She can feel him watching but rather than fear, Mae feels excited and thrilled with his attention. Aaron makes a rash decision concerning her that is so completely out of character that it even shocks him! What happens after that is the what had me riveted to this book, with so much WTF in it, so much building excitement and mystery, there was no putting it down.
No spoilers, I'm not saying another word about it except this- read it yourself, but only if you would enjoy a dark, twisted story about a tortured man who might be looking for sanity in his bizarre world and a woman who can't look away from her own dark side.
If this all sounds appealing to you, these will be your kind of books, they are certainly mine. There are two series that are separate but connected- Team Zero and The Rhodes. My advice is to read Crowed-Team Zero #1 (loved, see my review of it) and then this, Rhodes #1, Ruin. The future books will alternate, I think, as they are released, one of each set at a time. Believe me, reading both series will enlighten you of the goings on in this crossover world where killers can be foot soldiers or aristocrats and anything can happen.
Rina Kent has some cool storyboards on Pinterest which provide a peek into what she has envisioned for her characters and books Take a look😉!
Huge recommend.
An advanced copy was generously provided, happily received and this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
March 14, 2019
It took me a while to get into the story, but then bam! This story ignited and it had me devouring all the words. Certain parts are pitch black dark, a dark romance lover’s delight. Aaron, a complete enigma - is a real thought/provoking character. Mae certainly holds her own and whilst the pressure of her situation could send some people barking mad, this girl has stamina. A thrilling tale and I look forward to reading more in this series.
March 12, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🖤♥️Holy Cow!! Aaron Rhodes is the Psycho we all want one of now!! How did that just happen?!?! He’s by all accounts crazy, and unapologetically a killer, and hunter. He craves blood and death. But,but, but...he’s a noble man and really freaking hot 🥵 🔥🧡. So I guess I’m okay with it. He had a super eff’d up childhood! Then Mae- sweet, gorgeous Mae manages to catch the eye of our delicious, dark anti-hero. She can feel his presence and At first it is a bit exciting as well as it causes some emotions she’s unsure of how she feels about them. This reflects in her work. She’s a talented artist.
He can’t get her off his mind and then something happens and he ends up “with” her. This starts the development of the relationship between Mae and Aaron. He knows just how messed up he is and what a danger to her he is, and she finds out some things about him that may explain why he is the way he is. Is it possible that he can get help and be the man Mae believes he can? Does he think he could ever be capable of not hurting anyone? Read this book and find out. This is a stand alone. And the first book in the Rhodes series. Crowed was the first in the Team Zero series. Both are stand alone books , but there are some character cross referencing so I would recommend reading them both. Plus they are awesome!🖤♥️Check out my review for Crowed too!
*I Received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review of my opinion on this book.
He can’t get her off his mind and then something happens and he ends up “with” her. This starts the development of the relationship between Mae and Aaron. He knows just how messed up he is and what a danger to her he is, and she finds out some things about him that may explain why he is the way he is. Is it possible that he can get help and be the man Mae believes he can? Does he think he could ever be capable of not hurting anyone? Read this book and find out. This is a stand alone. And the first book in the Rhodes series. Crowed was the first in the Team Zero series. Both are stand alone books , but there are some character cross referencing so I would recommend reading them both. Plus they are awesome!🖤♥️Check out my review for Crowed too!
*I Received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review of my opinion on this book.
March 9, 2019
This was a twisted book that appeals on just that level. Aaron has a bloodlust that is literally insatiable. The only beauty he sees is in blood spilled, especially when he’s the cause. He doesn’t seem to have any kind of conscience and it takes all of his willpower to put on a semi normal facade for the public. Aaron kidnaps Mae, with the soul purpose of breaking her on every level before he kills her. Once he has her captured he begins to torture her psychologically but it doesn’t completely give him the release he craves when he inflicts pain. He can’t bring himself to end her life, no matter how much the “demons” in his head demand him too. As time passes the two develop a twisted, Stockholm type relationship that keeps you turning the page to find out what ultimately happens. The only issue I had with this novel was that the writing itself was a little too jumpy at times and I would have to reread different parts to get the gist of things. Otherwise it was a book that will keep you guessing.
March 9, 2019
Carla's Five Star Review
Ruin is the first book in The Rhodes series, and it is Aaron and Mae's story. I will warn you-this is a dark read and may not be suitable for sensitive readers.
Gah! What a dark and extremely delicious story! Our hero, Aaron, may be handsome and sexy, but there is a darkness that lives deep inside him. That darkness urges him to kill, and he does often. He is closed off to human emotions so imagine how unbalanced he feels when the vibrant and alluring Mae crosses his path. He shouldn't want her, and she shouldn't want him, but their attraction can't be denied.
This story will grab you from the very beginning and keep you so enthralled that you won't be able to put it down-not even for a minute! I loved it so much that I read the entire story in just one sitting. If you are a fan of dark romance, this is the book for you!
Awesome job, Rina Kent!!
Ruin is the first book in The Rhodes series, and it is Aaron and Mae's story. I will warn you-this is a dark read and may not be suitable for sensitive readers.
Gah! What a dark and extremely delicious story! Our hero, Aaron, may be handsome and sexy, but there is a darkness that lives deep inside him. That darkness urges him to kill, and he does often. He is closed off to human emotions so imagine how unbalanced he feels when the vibrant and alluring Mae crosses his path. He shouldn't want her, and she shouldn't want him, but their attraction can't be denied.
This story will grab you from the very beginning and keep you so enthralled that you won't be able to put it down-not even for a minute! I loved it so much that I read the entire story in just one sitting. If you are a fan of dark romance, this is the book for you!
Awesome job, Rina Kent!!
March 6, 2019
Fear and Bloodlust
One is terrified of being alone in the dark, the other is hidden in his own darkness with a lust for blood.
Fear
She used to have pretty paintings, but since that night she saw him all she can paint is a silhouette with a broken wing. The darkness is pulling her in taking her back to that horrible, terrifying day.
Bloodlust
The need is strong pushing him for the kill. Every week he needs it, the voices need it, he is their puppet until he sees her. He has to have her, needs to see the red staining that pale China doll skin.
Fear meets Bloodlust
He is there putting her into the darkness, then pulling her from the memory, giving her something to cling to.
Can love pull her from her own darkness to help him fight his own?
I was hooked, pulled in, trying to figure out who, why, and what is happening. Where did Mae's fear come from? Why is Aaron obsessed with the kill? Why did the Rhodes get chosen for The Pit and how did they get out. Why has he not been committed or jailed? What is Aaron going to do to Mae and what is Mae going to do to Aaron?
Love is thicker than blood if you let it in.
One is terrified of being alone in the dark, the other is hidden in his own darkness with a lust for blood.
Fear
She used to have pretty paintings, but since that night she saw him all she can paint is a silhouette with a broken wing. The darkness is pulling her in taking her back to that horrible, terrifying day.
Bloodlust
The need is strong pushing him for the kill. Every week he needs it, the voices need it, he is their puppet until he sees her. He has to have her, needs to see the red staining that pale China doll skin.
Fear meets Bloodlust
He is there putting her into the darkness, then pulling her from the memory, giving her something to cling to.
Can love pull her from her own darkness to help him fight his own?
I was hooked, pulled in, trying to figure out who, why, and what is happening. Where did Mae's fear come from? Why is Aaron obsessed with the kill? Why did the Rhodes get chosen for The Pit and how did they get out. Why has he not been committed or jailed? What is Aaron going to do to Mae and what is Mae going to do to Aaron?
Love is thicker than blood if you let it in.
March 14, 2019
This is not a author I've read before, and I've been missing out. Absolutely loved the writing and this book. It was fantastically well written with depth and imagination. Great storyline which was unique, along with fascinating characters, which all added up to compulsive unforgettable reading which will stay with me and I will want to return to again and again. Definitely want to read Tristen's book.
March 12, 2019
Rina Kent is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! This isn't your typical romance, Aaron is a killer who has voices in his head constantly telling him to kill and when he meets Mae he wants to kill her but something about her intrigues him.
I could not put this book down! It was different from other books I've read, I absolutely loved it. The characters are broken but you can't help but hope for a happy ending even when one of them is a killer.
I could not put this book down! It was different from other books I've read, I absolutely loved it. The characters are broken but you can't help but hope for a happy ending even when one of them is a killer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2019
Wow this book!!
It's not often I'm speechless, but right now I am.
As this was a new to me author I wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this!
I was on the edge of my seat the whole book, cannot wait to read more.
It's not often I'm speechless, but right now I am.
As this was a new to me author I wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this!
I was on the edge of my seat the whole book, cannot wait to read more.
March 12, 2019
Dark, twisted and so darn good! This enticing read quickly swept me up into its suspenseful, well written plot. Mae and Aaron are complex, compelling characters and the chemistry between them is incendiary. Intense, emotional and absolutely not to be missed! I simple loved it. This is my honest, voluntary review.
March 13, 2019
I enjoyed this story! It's very captivating a little dark and twisted. It is well written with an intriguing and intense plot. I really enjoyed the suspense in Aaron and Mae's story. This is a very addictive story that I could not put down.
April 23, 2024
Aron & Mae🤍
March 7, 2019
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. This is my first book by this author and I’m addicted. This story was amazing! You are taken to the depths of your soul, dark and twisted, suspenseful and dangerous, you will be on the edge of your seat waiting for what’s coming next. Aaron and Mae jump off the pages, he’s attracted to her but his urges want him to continue on his path of destruction, but can he do it? Mae is more and his inner struggle may get the best of him, they are opposites and shouldn’t be together, but the heart wants what it wants and there’s no stopping it. You will be captivated from the start with this twisted story of love, obsession and need. Loved it, and I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait for more from this author.
March 8, 2019
Ms. Kent has me, lock, stock and barrel! I picked this book up, and did not want to put it down! This was an intense read. Beautifully written. The Pit created unfeeling monsters; or did they? Aaron fights not only the training he received from The Pit, but the demons of his "sick" heritage. When he bumps into the sweet Mae, his thoughts are not of her sweetness. What transpires will draw you in, and hold you. I was brought to tears more than once! Writing this review brings tears to my eyes. I have very few books on my TBRA (to be read again) list, but Ruin and Crowed, and I suspect the rest of the series, will have a place on that list! Brava! Brava! MORE THAN FIVE STARS!
March 11, 2019
I admit, I didn’t like this book in the beginning. As I got deeper into the story, it started to get interesting. This is a dark read, not for the faint heart, murder, mayhem and intrigue. Aaron and Mae are both damaged in their own ways. I’m happy to say that there is a HEA.
March 12, 2019
This is one dark and twisted read and I loved every last page. This is the first book in the series and I cannot wait for the rest I was hooked and just could not put Aaron and Mae's book down. it is a super well-written read and I would highly recommend it.
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