Dark Romance, Erotica, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance

My Review: God Of Malice (Legacy of Gods #1): by Rina Kent

Publish Date: July 14th, 2022
Number of Pages: 576 Pages
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre(s): Dark Romance, New Adult Romance

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

Not all girls like the hero. I was fated to fall in love with the villain. Because I know, I just know that he’ll put me ahead of everyone. Himself included.”

— Rina Kent, “God Of Malice”

What It’s About:

The Official Synopsis:

~~~

Now here’s a book that, in my humble opinion, lived up to the MASSIVE hype it’s received…

Being a part of the book community, and a growing fan of the Dark Romance sub-genre specifically, it’s probably hard to traverse this particular corner of the community without having coming across the Legacy of Gods series by Rina Kent. It feels like it’s just about everywhere, and there are multiple different sets and editions that go for astronomical resale prices on the BST market too.

I’ll admit seeing that stay pretty consistent also made me super curious about these books and the hype around them…

Okay, so this book definitely starts off with a bang…and then it just devolves into more beautiful chaos from there. This book revolves around Glyndon King and Killian Carson, two college-age students of the ultra british elite. Glyndon is on a cliff looking over the ocean where she’d witnessed a friend drive over towards his unexpected but brutal death. Haunted with those past images stuck in her brain, that’s where a grieving Glyndon meets the enigmatic and chaotic Killian, and like I said…it just gets more and more out of control from there!

Killian was a really fun anti-hero, dark knight sort of character because the dude was a legit psychopath/sociopath, but he still had a ton of charm to him! He gave me Joe Goldberg from YOU vibes sort of in that sense, but he makes Joe look pretty mild in comparison if that says anything. His snark and banter were top tier throughout; I even found myself falling for the villain here.

My only critiques of this book were it felt like it didn’t need to be as long as it was, like it could’ve been condensed somewhat, because I did find myself getting a little impatient towards the 75% mark in this book. My only other critique was all the many other characters introduced, especially right away in like the 3rd or 4th chapter, but I also know most if not all of them are the main stars of the next books in this series. I maybe just wish we were introduced to them more smoothly throughout the book instead of all clumped together…it’s like when you’re introduced to a whole lunch table of new people and their names are listed off back to back; how many of those people’s names do you actually remember after 5 minutes?

I will admit, I was hesitant to start this sooner because of the MASSIVE universe these books are a part of with a lot of Rina Kent books/series. I know the parents of the characters are stars in other series that take place way before these, but luckily I found myself able to get through this book no problem without having read any of the previous books beforehand. Sure, you’d probably get more out of this book if you HAD read them before and learned the stories of the parents, but here’s me saying it’s not entirely necessary. Thank god for that too, because it’s a HUGE commitment to read all the books that take place before the Legacy of Gods series, which then ironically has become the most popular of them.

~~~

Understand this, Glyndon, there’s nothing noble or tender about what I feel for you. It’s violent volcano of obsession, possession, and deranged lust. If you want love, then I do love you, but it’s the unorthodox version of love. I love you enough to let you within my walls. I love you enough to let you talk to my demons. I love you enough to allow you to have a hold over me when I’ve never allowed anyone to have the power to destroy me from inside out.”

— Rina Kent, “God Of Malice”

What I Liked:

  1. The Banter! The back and forths between Killian and Glyndon were just so so good. It felt like it was like a third of the book, and I don’t have any complaints about that at all! I am always a sucker for good snarky banter.
  2. Killian Carson! He is a dark, sexy, psychotic MOFO who actually had quite a bit of depth to him too. That was surprising to me, like he wasn’t a dark character just for the sake of it or for cheap shock value, it felt natural and explored wonderfully in this story with some explanations brought forward to make him feel like a truly well thought out and fleshed out character.
  3. Amazing Cast of Characters! While a lot of them get thrown at you right away, once you start to distinguish them from each other, I did really enjoy each character and the different dynamics that were presented. A lot of easter eggs were definitely planted for the next books too, it was fun to try and catch them with what limited knowledge I had.
  4. The Start of the Book! This book starts off in a really exciting and attention grabbing way, and as someone who gives a book 100 pages to grab my attention before I decide to DNF it and move onto the next, I thought with how this book started was a great way to instantly hook readers!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Too Many Introductions At Once…Way too many characters were introduced to me all at the same time and all right away in the very beginning of the book…It felt like a dark college romance version of like Game of Thrones or something…I eventually got them all figured out and distinguished, but man was it overwhelming at first!
  2. Part of Multi-Series Universe…This could be a good or bad thing depending on the kind of reader you are, but the fact that this series is the very latest in a LONG line of other books/series that are all connected was a major yellow light/yield sign that made me hesitate for like a year before finally deciding to dive in. Luckily it’s not required to have read all of them before starting LOG series, but it enhances your overall experience reading this too, and part of me does feel the FOMO of not having read from the very chronological beginning

Conclusion:

Overall, this was one hell of a way to start a series, and I can say I am HOOKED and I will definitely be reading on to see how the other books are! Killian was a perfect addictive psychopath and Glyndon was the perfect angel who could make him see the light as well as explore her dark side too…

This book is perfect for fans of opposites attract, dubcon/noncon, mafia/secret societies, dark college romance type stories with lots of banter and spice to boot.

Like I mentioned above, this is one of those massively hyped/popular books that actually lived up to all the hype! I definitely recommend it if this sounds like your kind of book to dive into.

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Show Me (Extracurricular Activities #3): by Neve Wilder

Publish Date: March 21st, 2021
Number of Pages: 318 pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): LGBT, Erotica, New Adult Romance

***Warning! This book contains spoilers for the previous books in the series, so continue reading this review at your own risk! You’ve officially been warned!***

To see my review for book #1 – Want Me – Click HERE

To see my review for book #2 – Try Me – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

You’re ridiculously simple at times and incredibly complex at others. I can’t pin you at all.

– Neve Wilder, “Show Me”

What It’s About:

The official blurb:

Two Roommates. One Camera. A whole lot of action.

I get crushes the way some people get seasonal allergies.
And sharing a house with four hot roommates is like being stuck in permanent spring.
Too bad I keep getting friend-zoned.

But it’s senior year now, and I’m done pining for the impossible.
Time to live it up and go out with a bang.
Or a lot of bangs.

And I’m definitely, definitely not getting attached to anyone.
Especially not my straight, gym-loving, football-player roommate Sam whose impressively large… smile I caught a glimpse of once.
Or several times.

That’s why, when Sam asks me for help with a very special, very NSFW project so he can make a little cash, of course I agree. In the name of friendship.

And if it turns out that Sam’s more than just muscles—that he’s sweet, and smart, and a little bit filthy, and a whole lot less straight than I thought—well, that’s neither here nor there, because this time I’m gonna be smart. This time, I’m friend-zoning myself.

We’ve got a list of deliciously hot scenarios, a camera, and Sam’s huge… smile. What could possibly go wrong?

From the author of Want Me comes the third new adult college romance in the Extracurricular Activities series. Expect low angst, high heat, plenty of laughs, a flustered redhead, a gentle giant of a football player, and enough BDE to power a mid-size city.

~~~

Sometimes you just need a book NOT because it’s some literary masterpiece or because it’s the latest trending title on social media or because it’s some epic, grand adventure with an exciting plot…readers like me sometimes just seek out books for the hot sex scenes! I have no shame in admitting I’m a spicy smut reader, and this trilogy has been just a total delight in this sense! Neve Wilder is now one of my go-to’s when it comes to me looking for sexier books that I know will have some absolutely scorching scenes to enjoy.

If you liked the first two books of these, you most likely will appreciate this one too, and I personally thought the author didn’t disappoint with this final installment into this college romance story.

This final book revolves around Jesse and Sam. There’s a prequel scene at the beginning of the guys back in freshman year, and Jesse discovers his boyfriend in a compromising position with someone else…thus making him to believe he has the absolute worst luck in love…It makes him twice as snarky, and The Great British Bakeoff fan vows to have a smutty good time when it’s back to present day, senior year, and all the other guys in the house have surprisingly all gotten in serious relationships but him. Then there’s Sam: large, boy next door, football player, seemingly straight, and literal human golden retriever who has a secret of his own that Jesse finds out about…

I especially enjoyed both Sam and Jesse equally, I think they both felt fleshed out and had great personalities that fit each other well. There was definitely some chemistry there from the get go that only becomes more obvious as they keep hanging out and become closer as friends and more.

Was this book as strong as the other books? Yes and No.

The sex was hot as all the other scenes, but if I’m being a little critical, the actual relationship didn’t feel as strong as Nate/Eric’s and Chet/Mark’s. There wasn’t as much actual ROMANCE involved or tender hearted moments to make you swoon. I’m not saying this is a bad thing at all, and like I said Sam and Jesse defs have some chemistry between them, I guess it’s more that the author just doesn’t really show it as well this time around. Heck, even some moments only fade to black in the back half of the book which didn’t make the most sense.

I would say as far as content goes: this book is right up there with the others in terms of spice rating (which it gets a 4 peppers from me), but if you’re someone who likes to see deeper connections and have your heart feel like its fluttering out of your chest and want to read relationships that make you think true love is real…this might not be the one.

Personally, I didn’t have a problem with that in this story because by this point I knew what to expect in the overall tone of these books, but I can see other readers maybe turning away because out of them all this feels like the weakest of the connections.

I guess you’ll have to read it yourself to see what you think! Besides the fade to blacks, I immensely enjoyed this book!

~~~

“You’re the first person I look for in any room. I hear you louder than anyone else. Even when you’re quiet. Sometimes especially when you’re quiet. I’ve never wanted to be with someone else as much as I want to be with you. Making you happy makes me happy. I’ve never felt that way with someone else either. Everything about you makes me feel impulsive and excitable, and it’s both scary and exhilarating as hell.

– Neve Wilder, “Show Me”

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. Neve Wilder Writes Really Good Smut! This author skyrocketed up my list of authors whom I know will add the fire and steam to their stories! And the fact that it’s MM makes it even better! If you’re looking for hot, graphic scenes between younger and eager college age guys, these are an excellent option!
  2. Sam is Total Book Book Boyfriend Material! I totally adored Sam in this book! I’m a sucker for the big muscles, bigger smile, slight himbo jock vibes that he gives off and how he’s probably one of the most easy-going characters I’ve ever come across…I didn’t think much of him when he was a background character in the previous books, but once the spotlight shined upon him, oh did it ever shine so brightly!
  3. Surprisingly No Angst About Queer Self Discovery! With Sam being so go-with-the-flow and super chill about literally everything, he was even this way during his journey of self discovery. Before him and Jesse start going at it, he’d never done anything with another guy or really even thought of it, but then he realized he had feelings and just kind of shrugged and went “Well… I guess I’m bi or whatever.”

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Either Needed to Be Shorter or It Needed More Conflict… If I’m going to be critical–I’m a Gemini and we ALWAYS have something to say–I would say maybe this book could be a little shorter, or if not shorter, maybe it could’ve actually added more angst or conflict to the story. I’m good if it’s not about gay discovery since Sam seemed actually pretty chill about all that, but maybe Neve could’ve added more drama with Jesse’s ex or something to maybe push the story a little faster?
  2. Later Sex Scenes Were Fade to Black…the first chunk of the book is phenomenal, but then the last bit feels a little rushed in this sense and the spicy scenes start to fade into the background, literally…for some of the scenes, it felt like a real missed opportunity.
  3. There’s Not Much Actual Romance…While there is a LOT of sex–no complaints there–there’s not actually a whole lot of softer moments that make you really believe that its a deeper, more serious relationship…Personally I didn’t mind this too much, but I can see other readers being disappointed by this.

Conclusion:

Overall, this was another great addition to a smokin’ hot MM college romance series that Neve Wilder has come out with! Sam was an absolute favorite of mine, and Jesse was a great fit with him too with his sassy snark. It couldve ended on a stronger note, but I think this book is still perfectly fine for what it is: a spicy new adult college romance.

Neve Wilder has totally gained a fan in me for these books now, and you can definitely bet I’m going to be exploring other titles too!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell