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booklovinmamas's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The first thing I’m going to mention about Deviant King is that it’s a Dark Bully Romance. Not everyone enjoys reading bully romance, but this reader loves these types of books, especially when the FMC puts the bully in his place or ends up falling for the bully because, secretly, he’s been harboring feelings for the girl for so long. The second thing is this book is the first in a trilogy and it needs to be read in order.
Just because I enjoy bully romances in fictional books doesn’t mean I condone bullies in real life. Bullies are a major red flag in real life, but in fictional books, they are acceptable. Rina Kent definitely knows how to write bullies and make me despise them, but the moment they show some good qualities, I fall head over heels for them, especially when I know they are harboring a secret or two.
The FMC, Elsa, is someone I felt sympathy for immediately, not only because the MMC, Aiden, made her life miserable at school but also because she possibly has a traumatic past that is hidden from her. She lost her parents and is now living with her Aunt and Uncle, who are very protective of her, especially when she had heart surgery and is still dealing with a heart condition. She has nightmares about her past that give her glimpses into what perhaps happened, but not enough to go on. She just wants to finish school and go off to Cambridge afterward, but unfortunately, her nemesis, Aiden has other plans. I loved how she fought back against Aiden and wasn’t willing to give in to him. Eventually, though, she does give in and that’s due to him showing another side of himself.
Aiden was a downright a-hole to Elsa, and he tended to grate on my nerves while reading Elsa’s POV on what he and his minions were doing to her. (FYI…This book is told solely in Elsa’s POV.) Some of the things were crossing the line a lot, but I had to remember it’s a Dark Romance, which means Aiden is going to push the boundaries. (Check your triggers before reading this book.) But I knew deep down Aiden had a soft side, or in his case, a very jealous and possessive side toward Elsa.
“If anyone dares to look at you, let alone touch what’s mine, I’ll fucking murder them. Is that clear?”
He had kept guys away from her for two years, and whenever someone else approached her, he would take action against them, including his friends, such as Xander, who tried to rile up Aiden when it came to Elsa.
“Are you jealous, mighty king?” “Damn straight I’m jealous. I’m so possessive of you, it drives me fucking crazy.”
Aiden and Elsa’s relationship is very complicated, especially when Elsa doesn’t trust Aiden and she is not willing to give in to his advances at first, and Aiden won’t accept no as an answer and pushes her constantly. But, when it does finally happen between the two, it’s intense, deviant (like the title suggests), and off-the-charts steamy.
I was definitely drawn to the mystery behind Elsa’s past, and I need to know what happened to her. It was only touched a bit in this book with her nightmares, so I’m hoping Rina touches more on it in the next book. Aiden is harboring something, and I need to find out more about what he is hiding about himself. I hope I also get his POV, eventually, in the trilogy. I would love to know his true feelings about Elsa, especially with how this book ended. Yes, there is a cliffhanger, and it left me with more questions than answers. I need to make time to read the next book, already and I will soon.
This book is definitely for readers who love dark bully romances where the MMC is unhinged, obsessed with the FMC, and willing to do anything to have her as his.
Trope(s)/Element(s):
⚽️Bully Romance
⚽️Enemies to Lovers
⚽️OTT Jealous/Possessive Hero
⚽️Scarred Hero
⚽️Virgin Heroine
⚽️Amnesia (Heroine) – Possible Traumatic Past
⚽️Bully Romance
⚽️Enemies to Lovers
⚽️OTT Jealous/Possessive Hero
⚽️Scarred Hero
⚽️Virgin Heroine
⚽️Amnesia (Heroine) – Possible Traumatic Past
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
The MMC, Aiden King is unhinged and he's not a hero, so he does things that are a red flag in real life. This book/series won't be for everyone.sshpurple1's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexism, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, and Alcohol
jdsils's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Very dark
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
jg93's review
The early chapters having a prolonged scene where the MMC sexually assaults the FMC is making me nope out. And from reading reviews, it seems that she later retcons and has a whole
Inner monologue about how she actually was into it…despite the fact that she’s literally being physically restrained and groped by her bully Also I know it’s common for the subgenre, but the whole super powerful teenager shtick was already making me cringe.
Inner monologue about how she actually was into it…despite the fact that she’s literally being physically restrained and groped by her bully
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
berkekilic's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Blood
jamsu's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
I didn't actually know that there would be three books about Aiden and Elsa, so when I started this book I thought they would have their happy ending in this book. We still have two more books with these two and I don't know how I'm going to survive them.
It seemed to Elsa that only looking into Aiden King's eyes made him hate her and turn the whole school besides Kim against her. She had a rule about bullies, so she never asked why he hated her. Elsa believed that you should never try to understand bullies.
Elsa never wanted to feel anything towards her bully. She's not a pushover and even though Aiden could ruin her life she didn't let him tell her what to do. But she can't stop her attraction to him either and no matter how much she protested, she secretly liked whenever he comes to find her, corners her and takes away her decisions. Aiden also let her be free since she was used to do whatever she knew that her aunt and uncle wished her to do and she never rebelled against them.
I remember learning to like Aiden's father in the last book. Well, I'm back to not liking them. He has his reasons to act the way he does but at this moment as I'm writing this review I just can't stand him. He's a grown man and I just don't accept this.
I don't really know what to feel about Kim. Sometimes she was such a good friend and sometimes I hated how she acted.
All in all I enjoyed reading this but there was also times I just wasn't feeling it. I think my love for Aiden and Elsa's relationship will grow as I continue the trilogy. I didn't see enough saving qualities in Aiden yet but I loved how possessive he was of her.
It seemed to Elsa that only looking into Aiden King's eyes made him hate her and turn the whole school besides Kim against her. She had a rule about bullies, so she never asked why he hated her. Elsa believed that you should never try to understand bullies.
Elsa never wanted to feel anything towards her bully. She's not a pushover and even though Aiden could ruin her life she didn't let him tell her what to do. But she can't stop her attraction to him either and no matter how much she protested, she secretly liked whenever he comes to find her, corners her and takes away her decisions. Aiden also let her be free since she was used to do whatever she knew that her aunt and uncle wished her to do and she never rebelled against them.
I remember learning to like Aiden's father in the last book. Well, I'm back to not liking them. He has his reasons to act the way he does but at this moment as I'm writing this review I just can't stand him. He's a grown man and I just don't accept this.
I don't really know what to feel about Kim. Sometimes she was such a good friend and sometimes I hated how she acted.
All in all I enjoyed reading this but there was also times I just wasn't feeling it. I think my love for Aiden and Elsa's relationship will grow as I continue the trilogy. I didn't see enough saving qualities in Aiden yet but I loved how possessive he was of her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
darknesslighttt's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
🐚 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🐚
📖| Deviant King - Rina Kent
5 ⭐
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: enemies to lovers, bully romance, dark, forced proximity, high school romance
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: cliffhanger, death of a parent
Now it's time for the famous Aiden King.
Aiden is dark, soulless, very manipulative, has no compassion or remorse and is infatuated with our sweet and innocent Elsa. Aiden wants her, to manipulate her to attract her to him, but all Elsa can do is to be drawn to him. And I don't judge her, because I was too.
I think that there's a story between Aiden and Elsa that only Aiden knows about it, and I hope we learn more in the next books.
They are like like cats and mouse. They fight, Aiden tries to keep her close to him, Elsa tries to distance herself and fight back, but somehow they always end up together.
Rina wrote very beautifully the contrast between the two: Aiden is the perfect alpha bully who does anything to get what he wants, he is possessive and has a darker, sadistic side, compared to Elsa who is strong, sweet, but who knows to fight back.
Deviant King is not for everyone. Aiden does some very horrible things to Elsa, but if that's not your cup of tea, then might not be the book for you. But if you have read dark books, especially with the bully trope, and you can handle it then go for it.
I really liked this book, but that cliffhanger kills you. I need to find out what happens next!
📖| Deviant King - Rina Kent
5 ⭐
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: enemies to lovers, bully romance, dark, forced proximity, high school romance
𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: cliffhanger, death of a parent
Now it's time for the famous Aiden King.
Aiden is dark, soulless, very manipulative, has no compassion or remorse and is infatuated with our sweet and innocent Elsa. Aiden wants her, to manipulate her to attract her to him, but all Elsa can do is to be drawn to him. And I don't judge her, because I was too.
I think that there's a story between Aiden and Elsa that only Aiden knows about it, and I hope we learn more in the next books.
They are like like cats and mouse. They fight, Aiden tries to keep her close to him, Elsa tries to distance herself and fight back, but somehow they always end up together.
Rina wrote very beautifully the contrast between the two: Aiden is the perfect alpha bully who does anything to get what he wants, he is possessive and has a darker, sadistic side, compared to Elsa who is strong, sweet, but who knows to fight back.
Deviant King is not for everyone. Aiden does some very horrible things to Elsa, but if that's not your cup of tea, then might not be the book for you. But if you have read dark books, especially with the bully trope, and you can handle it then go for it.
I really liked this book, but that cliffhanger kills you. I need to find out what happens next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Death of parent
shaykay's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
I picked this one up because it's the next book in the flipping universe. I swear Kent is about to become a new favorite author, and if I was doing those how I used to, she would be one. Anyway, I was nervous going into this one because this is the first book by Kent that needed to be a standalone. The story between Elsa and Aiden spans over three books, and they go through a lot. In this first book, we barely scratch the surface. We got to see how they met when she first went to Royal Elite, who, when he shunned her, the rest of the students bullied her relentlessly to even the present day. The present-day does take place the year after Levi and Astrid. So they've graduated already; we sometimes see them in this book. However, when I finished this book, it wasn't my favorite. I really wanted more from this world and hated the slow pace. Still, after completing this trilogy, I understand why the series started this way. I appreciated it, even though I wanted the story to speed up slightly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Minor: Fatphobia and Death of parent
rudeyk16's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
3.5/5⭐️
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! Rina can’t end like that. Just when I thought everything was going good and I started trusting Aiden, Rina drops the biggest bomb ever. And it doesn’t help that I read the blurb of the next book and it’s confirming more of my suspicions of this all being a game.
I think I have a love-hate relationship with this book, at times I was soo engrossed and couldn’t put the book down and at times it was really boring. I’m also not a Aiden Supporter at the moment if you can’t tell. He’s… questionable. Both Levi and Aiden have that possessive streak in them which to an extent is good. But when it gets too much I’m like no thank you.
Also, I’m not over that scene where Elsa recorded Xander and Aiden caught her. Idk why I thought these men will have any boundaries or morals, I should’ve just prepared myself tbh. They say throw your morals out before you read Cora Reilly books, I say do that when reading Rina Kent. Cause the emotions (Hate, Anger, Frustration) that I felt reading 2 of Rinas books, The 7 books from Cora that I read come nowhere close compared to that.
I was wondering throughout the whole book about why on earth would they need 2 more books, what more could they add to their story? It sort of makes sense for the second book now because there’s still so many unanswered questions but why a third book? The ending left me so confused, so anxious that I’m picking up the next book right now, who cares if it’s 11pm.
Coming to the characters, Elsa was nice, again not my favourite but she was better than Astrid in my opinion she had more of a back bone if you get what I mean. She still attempted to defy and face Aiden head-on whereas Astrid gave up and didn’t put up a fight after one incident (car park). I really want to know what’s up with Xander and Kimberly, obviously we won’t be told about her backstory in this book but I really want to know about what she did in the past😭😭 idk how I’m gonna wait 2 more books ughh.
Overall, I’m so confused about what to rate this book, I don’t think I’ve fully processed my feelings for it yet. I’ll just give it a rating rn but it could change after I process it a bit more.
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! Rina can’t end like that. Just when I thought everything was going good and I started trusting Aiden, Rina drops the biggest bomb ever. And it doesn’t help that I read the blurb of the next book and it’s confirming more of my suspicions of this all being a game.
I think I have a love-hate relationship with this book, at times I was soo engrossed and couldn’t put the book down and at times it was really boring. I’m also not a Aiden Supporter at the moment if you can’t tell. He’s… questionable. Both Levi and Aiden have that possessive streak in them which to an extent is good. But when it gets too much I’m like no thank you.
Also, I’m not over that scene where Elsa recorded Xander and Aiden caught her. Idk why I thought these men will have any boundaries or morals, I should’ve just prepared myself tbh. They say throw your morals out before you read Cora Reilly books, I say do that when reading Rina Kent. Cause the emotions (Hate, Anger, Frustration) that I felt reading 2 of Rinas books, The 7 books from Cora that I read come nowhere close compared to that.
I was wondering throughout the whole book about why on earth would they need 2 more books, what more could they add to their story? It sort of makes sense for the second book now because there’s still so many unanswered questions but why a third book? The ending left me so confused, so anxious that I’m picking up the next book right now, who cares if it’s 11pm.
Coming to the characters, Elsa was nice, again not my favourite but she was better than Astrid in my opinion she had more of a back bone if you get what I mean. She still attempted to defy and face Aiden head-on whereas Astrid gave up and didn’t put up a fight after one incident (car park). I really want to know what’s up with Xander and Kimberly, obviously we won’t be told about her backstory in this book but I really want to know about what she did in the past😭😭 idk how I’m gonna wait 2 more books ughh.
Overall, I’m so confused about what to rate this book, I don’t think I’ve fully processed my feelings for it yet. I’ll just give it a rating rn but it could change after I process it a bit more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Grief
sashasauroras's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
<spoilers>
so um
yeah this book was a LOT. not great to say the least like.. just no..
yeah i’m confused.. this book is just not great like plot wise and overall??
so um
yeah this book was a LOT. not great to say the least like.. just no..
yeah i’m confused.. this book is just not great like plot wise and overall??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment