amanda_reads13's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
You need to check the TW before reading this one and check your feminism at the door, because this was dark.
The LORDS, a glorified frat, have high expectations for their members. Their initiation process includes forced celibacy and murder. After three years of celibacy, each man gets to chose a "chosen" (essentially a sex-slave). Of course Ryat, psychopath that he is, is a member.
Blakely's boyfriend of 3 years (another psychopath) is also a member of the LORDS, but she has no knowledge of it. She is also in a forced arranged marriage with this douche, no biggie. How has she been in the dark this long, considering both her boyfriend and father are members?
Anyways, Ryot choses Blakely as his "chosen" after being told to do so from her FATHER. WTF! and it spirals out for control from there.
Ryot is your typical controlling, possessive, jealous asshole. Blakely is the innocent virgin who is magically into all these intense acts .. ya ok... She is honestly the most idiotic and naive character.
Their connection was very forced, shallow, and based on a physical connection. He protects her, she gives herself to him, that pretty much sums it up. This is basically Stockholm Syndrome at its worst.
Tropes: dark, secret society, touch her/you die
Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Sexual content, Stalking, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Blood, Murder, and Sexual violence
bergha1998's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Dark Romance, Arranged Relationship, Secret Society, 4 1/2 🔥
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Body horror, Drug use, Confinement, Bullying, Cursing, Sexual content, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Medical content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, and Violence
alxisrae's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Drug use, Torture, Body horror, Grief, Violence, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Kidnapping, Rape, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence
cait's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Infertility, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Body horror, Classism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
kaadee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Violence
siffpedersen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Death, Drug use, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Vomit, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Violence, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Gun violence
zc2's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Vomit, and War
rainyautumnreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Trafficking, Drug use, Gaslighting, Body horror, Confinement, Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Violence, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Rape, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
naaytaashreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a 3 star for me. It could have been a 4 if not for the slow burn for like 50% of the read in the beginning.
I enjoyed the concept of the plotline of secret societies, Lords and Lady's. BDSM, thriller and all.
However, for most of the first half of the book, I was utterly confused.
Like so many things were happening, but nothing was really happening other than the nonstop sex fest.
I guess the first half of the read was focused on the sexual tension, chemistry and build-up of Ryat and Blakely.
We get to see the crazy side of Ryat. In a way, some sneak emotions of how he feels towards her and his loyalty to the Lords and his responsibility.
While Blakely in the first half was on a journey of trying to understand her love for all her kinks, this new world it introduced her.
The plot threw some plotline of secrets, betrayal, family arrangements etc.
Later on, in the second half of the book was where we see all the plotline strings together.
Of the secret all these people were hiding, which, let me tell you, is a lot. I can't bloody hell trust anybody.
The plotline picks up with more adrenaline and action.
However, sometimes the plot can be quite confusing and predictable.
Yes, Ryat is a huge possessive alpha, but I love we get to see his emotions and fluffy scenes of him and Blakely.
I see little character growth for Blakely in terms of individual, but I guess her character development focused was more towards her trust and loyalty to Ryat.
The author has a push and pull in, making me hook to her plotline.
I definitely would love to read her other works.
Hoping she writes a story for Ty.
"I wanted to fight for him. For us. In a world full of smoke and mirrors, he's something real. We got here by chance, but we're still together by choice."
Graphic: Drug use, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual content, Stalking, Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Violence