Empire of Desire (Empire, #1) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Content warnings include: depictions of depression, anxiety, and parent in a coma.

No matter how many times I say that I will not be reading every single book Kent has published, I seem to find myself back at the scene of the crime. At least with this book, I was spared from yet another initiation chapter of college student tormenting their peers and hunting them in the woods for sport. Yay! I did not go into this book with any expectations and only went in with the bare minimum knowledge that this was an age gap forbidden romance where a girl marries her father's best friend... scrumptious!

This was juicy, juicy and I ate it up like no tomorrow - literally flew through this and had my jaw on the floor the entire time. I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did and was extremely surprised on how enjoyable this book was. Gwen and Nate are a pair that beats nearly every single couple in the Legacy of Gods series and definitely overthrows the first two couples in the Vipers series. Their chemistry was so palpable it was insane, they were literally made for each other. It has risen to a top spot when it comes to ranking the now twelve Rina Kent books I have tackled, and with the knowledge that Knox is next up in line in this interconnected standalone series, I have a good feeling that this series will be worth the read.

"Uncle Nate" and "kiddo" I have to say I did not hate it! It added to their banter while making their age difference prominent and reminding readers of that they were both capable of taunting one another. It honestly reminded me a lot of Uncle Jake from Credence by Penelope Douglas, but at least in that case they had never met each other until she was already an adult. The whole marriage of convenience aspect in Gwen and Nate's story being built out of controlling shares and ensuring holdings and property were not taken away sets them up for an interesting dynamic. Gwen is put in her dream scenario, only lacking the actual desire she wants Nate to feel for her, and Nate is running around thinking that he cannot even look at her without being struck down. When things escalate between them and lines become crossed, readers get thrown into some wild happening between the two and I have to say... I ate it uppppp.

The spicy scenes were insane - probably some of the better ones in the books that I have read by Kent (though nothing will come close to God of Fury, Kiss the Villain, and Hunt the Villain). Once again, their chemistry was off the chart and I loved every minute of it - there was never a moment where I felt like they were acting out of place, and I was glad that they were both able to finally cave in and experience that release. And as much as I love a secret marriage, especially forbidden, I did feel bad that Gwen could not really speak to anyone about her relationship or "put her mark" on Nate without blowing up the workplace.

The few Kingsley chapters low-key had me laughing out loud - my guy, she is your adult daughter! Let it go! That being said, from his perspective, it definitely does not shine in the brightest of lights. And the little secrets that he has been keeping certainly did not help the situation when he was trying to act all high and mighty. The major conflicts that come up in this book really stem from Kingsley and his past, and with Gwen's anxiety playing a key role in her hesitations and worries, you would think he would want to make sure she is happy at the end of the day.

The one thing that could not leave the back of my mind was the fact that it was constantly mentioned that Nate knew Gwen when she was a baby and when she was a child - I am all for an age gap romance, but did not love the reminders that he was present for her entire life. It would have been better if he came into her life when she was eighteen, but alas a taboo romance would not be taboo without a bit of unconventional meetings. I cannot wait to see what is in store for readers in the next book as we follow Knox and his love interest - I can only hope it's as enticing as Gwen and Nate's story.

Looking for more Rina Kent? You can read my reviews for Legacy of Gods series: God of Malice, God of Pain, God of Wrath, God of Ruin, God of Fury, God of War; Vipers series: Beautiful Venom, Sweet Venom, and Tempting Venom; and Villain series: Kiss the Villain and Hunt the Villain on my blog, now!

You can add Empire of Desire on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter (X), and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Threshing Day (The Empyrean, #3.5) by Rebecca Yarros Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm on my blog, now!

I was weary going into this considering my certain distain towards the second and third installments of this series, but with the promise of many more character perspectives compared to what we have seen in the series, I decided to endure. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this novella - perhaps it was due to the fact that Violet's perspective did not follow me here - she infuriated me during Onyx Storm, and this was a welcome respite from her droning on and on about things she knows nothing about. To be completely honest, I may need to do some re-reading because when the first chapter was in Sawyer's perspective, best believe I had no recollection of who this man is.

Dain's perspective chapter is like cutting open the bottoms of your feet and then having to walk through salt - he is quite literally one of the most annoying characters I have come across. And considering this was literally only one chapter and I was already over his whining? It continues to proved my point. There were definitely a few perspective chapters that were not as thrilling or funny as the others, but the overall vibe of this novella was certainly more enjoyable than what I expected. Ridoc, Garrick, and Xaden had the best chapters in my opinion, and I could have done without Sawyer and Imogen. Sloane's chapter came close to being as annoying as Dain's but it does allows readers to form a slightly better opinion of her - for me, I found her incredibly frustrating throughout the series so far.

Taking into consideration my past reviews and opinions on this series and the characters, I will say that this novella is a decent aid when needing to refresh a reader's memory. There are so many characters and just as many dragons, so I found the stories of their threshing days and the bonds the riders formed with their dragons to really shed some light on characters that may not have held my interest. Since we have basically been watching The Violet Show for thousands of pages, it was nice to take a break and explore what else this series has to offer.

I cannot believe I am about to say this, but this addition has actually made me more interested in continuing on with this series. If you have followed my reviews of the first three installments, you are more than aware that I may have been less than inclined to keep reading on after the... experience... that was the second and third books. For those who finished the first three books before diving into Threshing Day, you know there is much more at stake with the cliffhanger we left off on. I can only hope that the wait is worth it, and in that time, maybe Violet gained some common sense and maturity.

You can add Threshing Day on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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Fetal Position by Carolyn Huynh ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC - any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review. Fetal Position will be available to purchase on December 8, 2026. 

I would first like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. The premise of this book, in addition to the alluring cover, really made me stop in my tracks - a declining birthrate, male loneliness epidemic at its height, and seventh wave feminism catapulting women into a world fueled by robot servants and climbing the corporate ladder. But what if the modern, independent, corporate woman grew tired of her success? What if the burn out lured her into a mindset of looking for a way out? Lena Do, a product created by artificial sperm and the daughter of Gemma Do, a pioneer in technological advancements, is supposed to be loving every minute of her child-free, man-free life. Hatch, a start-up garnering traction by promising select women a relaxing, ease-filled life in exchange for producing children for men who want to continue their lineage, catches the eye of Lena when she reaches her breaking point, and she soon finds herself shuttled away to the trad wife lifestyle. The cost? More than she ever anticipated.

Science fiction is such an impactful genre, especially when the concepts at its core hit all too close to home - government policing bodies, making decisions on who can love who - it is jarring in its similarities to the current modern age. Much like in Annie Bot by Sierra Greer, readers are exposed to how even in a futuristic setting that operates under the illusion that women are appreciated, men still are able to use them for their own personal advantages. Huynh creates a world that has women at the top of the career ladder and men at the very last rung, with the appearance that they can only make it in life with the assistance of robot butlers at home as their jobs are replaced by the very things that do their laundry. The sentience of the robots provides an interesting perspective throughout the book - they are not human, yet there is an eerie underlying feeling like they know the characters so much more intensely than another human could. Anticipating needs, telling them how to feel, and being an intricate part of day-to-day tasks makes them an ever-present entity that the characters and the readers cannot escape.

The way Lena slowly falls deeper into Hatch and the promised lifestyle while still remaining hesitant regarding how their practices actually work shows the duality of woman - she is supposedly here to leave behind the hardship of her current life, yet she is determined to discover the secrets those in charge of Hatch are keeping from the women. As more women begin to disappear or meet an untimely end, Lena's suspicions grow deeper, she is thrust into a dangerous game of ensuring her life is not put on the line while she attempts to get to the bottom of what exactly Hatch is using these women for beyond being baby machines.

As Lena's backstory is slowly uncovered and the readers become exposed to the likelihood of her presence causing more harm than good to Hatch's operation, we also see the horrors of incel dogma impacting the children birthed from Hatch. Without having father figures, their ideology still becomes rooted in misogyny and their distaste towards stay-at-home mothers and career women is present without the social construct at play. While they were basically engineered to think this way, it was ever too real as today's modern society is encompassed by being male-centered, even when it comes to women's issues and rights.

Since this is an advanced reader copy, I expected a few typos here and there and likely some choppiness before the final draft - the main thing that stood out to me was an inconsistency about 75% into the book, where it notes that Lena is being asked about a lease renewal for her second insemination. Why is this odd? Because she already had her second insemination - failed, nonetheless - so unless the author was trying to rewrite history, an update is to be made. Obviously I would not let this influence my overall opinion of the book since I know it is not the final version.

An interesting exploration of motherhood, influence, and survival, Fetal Position dives into the thought process of what if being a mother was able to be profitable and be engineered? What are the costs? And more importantly, what are the sacrifices?

You can add Fetal Position on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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Twisted Little Truths (Saint View High, #3) by Elle Thorpe Review

This review contains spoilers - read with caution. Content warnings include: Sexual assault, death, grief, past abuse, substance abuse, mental trauma, past child neglect, past child abuse, child sexual abuse, abuse, graphic violence, past sexual abuse, and torture. Reader discretion is advised. You can read my review of Dangerous Little Secrets on my blog, now!

Sure, it has been about four and a half years since I read the second installment of this series, but considering I was able to remember everything even after all that time, I would say that this series certainly left a lasting impression. Lacey, our leading lady, is what I consider to be the greediest girl on the planet with her not one, not two, but THREE boyfriends. Like girl, please leave some for the rest of us, this is getting out of hand. And how is this possibly socially acceptable to the town?? It is fiction, so I will live in bliss, but this is one of the reasons I typically do not venture into the world of why choose or reverse harem - I will always imagine the group breaking up after the end of the book. The only thing that surprised me upon returning to this series was the fact that I forgot one of the boys is literally named Banjo... I just cannot believe it.

Lacey may be a greedy little girl, but boy oh boy....the spice was there and readers will be forever grateful for it. For a why choose, I do think the author could have written more scenes with all four involved, as it felt like we were watching Lacey go on a world tour of getting bent in new ways by one or two of the boys at a time, but we only got a couple scenes with the whole little gang. To be quite honest, it would have been more impactful if these polyamorous amateur detectives spent more time together doing freaky stuff.

Did I have to look back at my review of Dangerous Little Secrets to remember what exactly happened before this final installment? Yes indeed. And thank goodness I included spoilers in that review, because while I did begin to remember the events after getting through a few chapters, so much goes on with all of these characters and perspectives, it can get overwhelming. I do wish we got to see more of Banjo's perspective - his characterization definitely deserved some more attention, especially since Colt was basically the number one boy whose attention consumed Lacey. And on that note, it truly felt as though Lacey put Colt on a pedestal and the other two boys felt like consolation prizes by the end. I would have been fine if it ended with Lacey and Colt together and having Rafe and Banjo as their own pair. With a why choose, I should be rooting for everyone to be together, not splitting off - the chemistry needed some work when it came to the four of them as a whole.

Owen is still a little nasty piece of work that apparently has two favorite activities - drugging people and assaulting girls. He is like a little gnat that will not leave you alone, and every single time he showed up on page, I wanted to throttle him. And with the father he has, I am not surprised that his behavior has been brushed aside and even encouraged. Meredith had me wanting to pull my hair out at the end - my girl, you were underage and sleeping with a married man!! Truly had me gobsmacked when that was revealed, but the second Lacey noticed her tattoo, I knew it was only a matter of time until the dots were connected. Lawson can rot deep down for the rest of eternity.

I hate, hate, HATE the accidental pregnancy trope, even more so when it happens to high schoolers... truly nauseating. Especially with everything that Lacey and the boys are dealing with, I cannot imagine them thinking that having a child at this very moment was an alluring idea. It really did not make sense for the characters - you would think that the polycule would want to be child-free for a long time, considering their extracurricular activities. It felt like the author was trying to put a bow on the ending, but it came off as though this child would basically be the security to tie the group together so they would never break up or separate. Realistically, I would imagine this group would not want to have child, if ever, for years to come.

The slow reveal of what Lacey's mother was put through and the true horrors that Lawson inflicted upon both his family and a handful of girls in town was diabolical. I felt like I was doing a complete 180 on my feelings towards her mother and truly felt bad for her by the end. I always had a lingering feeling that Lawson was up to no good, but for it to be this insane and vile was something that nauseates the reader. While there are certainly characters that still should have received the same fate as Lawson, one can only hope they meet their maker sooner rather than later. This series was entertaining, shocking, and I had an overall enticing experience - considering the content warnings, this may not be the series for everyone, but the author maintains reader engagement. I flew through this so quickly and could have read another one hundred pages if Thorpe provided it. If you are new to why choose or bully romance, this may be the series to kick start your adventure.

You can add Twisted Little Truths on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications. The complete Saint View High trilogy is available now to read and add on Goodreads.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter (X), and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Hunt the Villain (Villain, #2) by Rina Kent Review

This review contains spoilers - read with caution. Content warnings include: Parental abuse, homophobia, the death of a parent due to cancer, and scenes of violence and shootings. You can read my review of Kiss the Villain on my blog, now!

While you do no necessarily need to read the Legacy of Gods series or Vipers series in order to dive into Villains, I do think it makes the reading experience more enjoyable - having the knowledge of the other couples' stories really immerses the reader into the world. Vaughn and Yulian's relationship was always lingering in the background of some of Kent's books, and while readers were able to pick up on some small hints and eggs hidden throughout the stories, we finally get to do a deep dive on what has been eating these two up for years. There is so much tension surrounding them, and color me surprised when Kent decided to show us the very flashbacks that had these boys at each other's throats.

The little callbacks to other couples are always nice and make the readers feel connected to a largest story at hand, and you can appreciate the fact that Kent tries to keep any spoilers from bubbling up to the surface when they are mentioned. Especially regarding the main events in some of the other books - while I would recommend reading them in order, you can always hop around if you do not mind already knowing some minor details about the other couples beforehand. The earlier couples from Legacy of Gods are not mentioned nearly as much as others, and to be frank, the mothers and fathers of those characters have more mentions. Maybe now is a good time for me to finally read this series in order beyond Legacy of Gods and Vipers.

Vaughn witnessing the way Yulian's father beats him like no one's business throughout the years felt like a wake up call to him - Yulian may be unpredictable and outlandish, but he is so incredibly burdened by an abusive household that holds his sister against him to make him compliant. While on the other hand, Vaughn, while still expected to be the perfect example of an heir, does not have to face brutalization from his own family. From what we have seen in Kiss the Villain, we know that the elders are not supportive of same sex relationships, so watching both of these boys hide from public view while trying to be together is just as heartbreaking knowing the consequences to Vaughn and Yulian would be barbaric. Considering everything that Kayden and Gareth went through in that book, you could only imagine what the elders would be capable of. We certainly bear witness to Yulian's father's brutality when he has him kidnapped and beaten to a pulp just for being with a man - it was heartbreaking to read the horrors he had to endure.

Kent's past couples all have been pretty strict when it comes to who seems to take charge in the relationship, and yet with Yulian and Vaughn, we see them truly fight to best the other. Whether that applies to familial disputes or bedroom activities, they both are comparable to one another - I never felt as though they were unequal in the relationship. The jealously from the two of the boys is unmatched as they struggle to come to terms with what they mean to each other while trying to maintain their secret hookups. Both act like this is a casual thing, but it is clear from the beginning that they could never be casual about one another, taking things to the extreme no matter the cost.

I was honestly surprised this installment had so few content warnings compared to Kiss the Villain - I was expecting to be put through the ringer with Vaughn and Yulian - and while they certainly had their obstacles, it was mild in comparison to what we have seen before. The closest we got was Yulian's torture by his father compared to what Gareth endured from Kayden's family. The smut was insane in this installment - even though Yulian and Vaughn were relatively new to doing things with men, they evolved together and it made for some wild chapters that put some of Kent's other works to shame. My jaw dropped several times and the flow of it all felt very natural, it never felt like Kent was throwing in spicier scenes to make up for pages or plot. I am certainly intrigued to see what she has in store for the third couple in Crave the Villain.

Looking for more Rina Kent? You can read my reviews for Legacy of Gods: God of Malice, God of Pain, God of Wrath, God of Ruin, God of Fury, God of War, and Vipers: Beautiful Venom, Sweet Venom, and Tempting Venom on my blog, now!

You can add Hunt the Villain on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter (X), and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Forgiven (Forlorn, #3) by Gina Detwiler Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Forlorn and Forsaken on my blog, now!

This is starting to become a personal form of torture... I simply need to stop reading these books but I am in too deep and have to see it to the very end. After the lackluster events of the second installment, my hopes were even lower going into this book - the writing unfortunately shows no signs of improving and the pacing still feels like I am being jerked between directions, with no clear goal that seems fighting for. 

I feel as though I have given these characters so many chances to try and charm me, and yet every page continues to show me that it simply will not be happening. Grace continues to baffle me as she is incapable to drawing readers in and her problem-solving skills are comparable to a child. I frankly do not care about her any longer and can only hope she gains some common sense in the near future. Her choices often take a vast majority of overthinking before being implemented, or she has to make a decision in the very last moment, making her appear either ill-prepared or just not up to the task.

Jared at least has some interesting characters that keeps readers mildly entertained, and considering his plot lines are more "intense" and have more dire consequences, his perspective chapters outweigh Grace's by a mile. That being said, his story still does not have me on the edge of my seat and I find myself wishing the maturity level of this series would increase so at least the action scenes would be more entertaining. The lack of development of any fight scenes or more intensity when the stakes are supposed to be high dampens the reading experience.

I am finding it harder after each book to be able to express my opinions into words - there is only so much I can say and reiterate before I feel as though there is simply nothing else to say. It is a rare occurrence that I have found myself at a lack of words, but I just cannot muster up anything beyond what I have divulged into in my reviews for the two previous books. The Christian "mythology" and religious aspect would be more alluring if it was something that we had not seen before, but with so many books utilizing fallen angels in the height of the 2000s and 2010s, this series is not measuring up to the detail that those other books were able to summon. At this point, I do not even know how many books I have left in this series, but the one thing I am certain on is that I will be grateful once it is over.

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Tempting Venom (Vipers, #3) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of Beautiful Venom and Sweet Venom on my blog, now! Contents warnings include: Depictions of mental illness such as bipolar disorder and manic episodes, as well as mentions and on-page descriptions of child sexual abuse. The story also features graphic violence, homophobia (both external and internalized), the death of a parent by suicide, and suicidal ideation. Kink elements involving consensual masochistic tendencies are present.

While not necessary to understand Marcus and Preston's story in Tempting Venom, I would recommend reading Kiss the Villain before embarking on this journey. This is simply due to the fact that events from Kiss the Villain take place prior to the events in this series and while there are no spoilers, some plot aspects mention relationships or events that readers should be aware of in order to make the most of this book.

There seems to be a phenomenon with Rina Kent in which her MM books are significantly better than her MF books - the characters are more fleshed out, relationship development seems to take place on a deeper level, and the obstacles/traumas that we see in these books go into more depth and are explored without being rushed. The tension between these characters are leagues above their MF counterparts, and it astounds me that after going through thousands of pages of secret society, mafia, and hockey romance, we only get to see a glimpse of what Kent is capable of with a handful of couples.

Preston is going through The Horrors in this book, both past and present, meanwhile Marcus is running around town chasing him down like his life depends on it. There is always somewhat of an imbalance between the leading characters in Kent's books - someone is always suffering more while one is always doing more of the chasing. At least with this installment, we were spared any initiations (which I cannot say for Beautiful Venom) - but rest assured, we did get a chase scene, as it would not be a Rina Kent book without someone either running for their life or being the predator. Marcus has this very intimidating energy surrounding him, and while readers only got glimpses of his personality in the previous two books, I appreciated the mystery surrounding him. On the completely opposite side of the scale, Preston appears to be unable to keep his mouth shut and is always on the move, whether it is terrorizing people or causing commotion, he speaks his mind and is refreshingly open about some of his struggles.

Marcus basically spends this entire book fussing over the fact that Preston does not remember something from their youth and takes out that frustration by what I would consider straight-up stalking the boy. Preston frankly does not seem to mind and at this rate, I would go far as to say that he makes his location known so it is easier for Marcus to find him. Preston has a number of moments in this book where you can see the toll of his own mental afflictions start to weigh on him - readers see him start to retreat into himself and as he dives deeper into this spiral, it affects not only his relationship with Marcus, but the relationships he has with his friends and his father.

Preston's backstory was absolutely heartbreaking and was making me nauseous by the time he recounted everything that happened to him from childhood until present moments. With the internal struggles he was facing, this is probably Rina Kent's more complex characters from any of her series, and while this is only my third series from her, I can without a doubt say it is one of her stronger books. As seen in the other two Vipers books, Preston loves to tease Dahlia by never referring to her by her correct name, and his friendship with Violet still comes through in this installment. Considering these books all overlap at some point, it was nice to see the other side of conversations and the fallout from actions that we did not get to see before.

Yes, this is a dark hockey romance book - no, you do not have to follow hockey in order for this series to make sense. I would dare say that the hockey does not even truly come into play in a serious manner in this series, with the exception of Jude, Preston, and Kane having their own little tussles on the ice or shining winning moments. The hockey aspect feels more like a plot driving force in order for the leading men of this series to have an outlet for their aggression, other than the fact that they literally kill people on the regular. These guys are so much like the Devil's Night series by Penelope Douglas, where the college basketball players in that town run around committing crimes left and right.

This trilogy ended on a high note, and with this third installment, I can safely say that it was before than its predecessors. Raw emotion, internal and external conflict, and some pretty solid spicy scenes allowed this book to pick up the slack from Dahlia and Kane's and Jude and Violet's relationships. With what feels like one hundred more Rina Kent books to get through, I can say that while I do not always fall in love with some of the relationships, she certainly will keep you entertained.

Looking for more Rina Kent? You can read my reviews of God of Malice, God of Pain, God of Wrath, God of Ruin, God of Fury, God of War, and Kiss the Villain on my blog, now!

You can add Tempting Venom on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter (X), and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!