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Empire #1
Empire of Desire
My forbidden husband.
I kissed my father’s best friend and it kind of didn’t go well.
Not only because he’s eighteen years older than me—but he also didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
In my defense, I didn’t mean to fall for him. It just happened.
Nathaniel Weaver is the most attractive man I’ve ever seen with enough charisma to blind the sun.
He’s bigger than the world, owns half of it and conquered the other half.
He was forbidden.
Wrong.
So I totally got over him. Or so I told myself.
Until we’re forced to get married.
Now I’m trapped.
But maybe he’s trapped too.
Because we’re both reaching for that forbidden fruit dangling between us.
Empire of Desire is a complete STANDALONE. No book should be read prior to this.
Note: This is NOT a dark romance.
I kissed my father’s best friend and it kind of didn’t go well.
Not only because he’s eighteen years older than me—but he also didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
In my defense, I didn’t mean to fall for him. It just happened.
Nathaniel Weaver is the most attractive man I’ve ever seen with enough charisma to blind the sun.
He’s bigger than the world, owns half of it and conquered the other half.
He was forbidden.
Wrong.
So I totally got over him. Or so I told myself.
Until we’re forced to get married.
Now I’m trapped.
But maybe he’s trapped too.
Because we’re both reaching for that forbidden fruit dangling between us.
Empire of Desire is a complete STANDALONE. No book should be read prior to this.
Note: This is NOT a dark romance.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2021
About the author
Rina Kent
48 books33.4k followersRina Kent is a USA Today, international, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of everything enemies to lovers romance.
She's known to write unapologetic anti-heroes and villains because she often fell in love with men no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of darkness, a pinch of angst, and an unhealthy dose of intensity.
She spends her private days in London laughing like an evil mastermind about adding mayhem to her expanding universe. When she's not writing, Rina travels, hikes, and spoils cats in a pure Cat Lady fashion.
You can find her below!
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She's known to write unapologetic anti-heroes and villains because she often fell in love with men no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of darkness, a pinch of angst, and an unhealthy dose of intensity.
She spends her private days in London laughing like an evil mastermind about adding mayhem to her expanding universe. When she's not writing, Rina travels, hikes, and spoils cats in a pure Cat Lady fashion.
You can find her below!
Website
Newsletter
Bookbub
Amazon
TikTok
Reader Group
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,603 reviews
November 5, 2021
Admit it, you bitches are giving this book low ratings because you're salty that Gwen
has
Uncle Nate to kiss her goodnight and you
don't
, aren't you? 💋💋
May 8, 2022
2 stars
The best part about this book was when it ended and I got to read the preview for Knox's book 💋
🍌There was zero angst or tension
🍌I got so much secondhand embarrassment, especially at the beginning when the heroine kept throwing herself at the hero—
🍌There's a scene where the heroine is about to go down on the hero and she tells him 'don't worry...I've practiced'...he thinks she means on other guys, but nope—
🍌There's also a point where the heroine gets mad at the hero for absolutely no fucking reason and decides to go to a club and dry hump two guys??? All while being legally married to the hero and in love with him...
Then when the hero become pissed at her for this, as he should be, she starts fucking crying and goes...
🍌The heroine has this weird hard-on for vanilla and vanilla milkshakes??? Like everything needs to be vanilla. Her shampoo, her bedroom walls, her food, her fucking underwear. In fact, every time it was mentioned, I died a little inside
🍌The heroine is a little 'pick me girl' because she likes NF and Twenty One Pilots 🤪
empire of sin review
empire of hate review
empire of lust review
The best part about this book was when it ended and I got to read the preview for Knox's book 💋
🍌There was zero angst or tension
🍌I got so much secondhand embarrassment, especially at the beginning when the heroine kept throwing herself at the hero—
The moment my lips touch his, I think I've reached another level of existence...I move my mouth against his closed one and even dart my tongue out to lick his lower lip.
→ma'am...he is not kissing you back, please stop assaulting him 😁
🍌There's a scene where the heroine is about to go down on the hero and she tells him 'don't worry...I've practiced'...he thinks she means on other guys, but nope—
"You practiced?" I ask with a calm I don't feel,
"Yeah, why do you think bananas are my favorite fruit?"
→you did not just fucking say that sweetie....
🍌There's also a point where the heroine gets mad at the hero for absolutely no fucking reason and decides to go to a club and dry hump two guys??? All while being legally married to the hero and in love with him...
You hurt me first. This is what it feels like to be hurt, asshole.
→UM MA'AM HOW YOU GONNA GET BACK AT SOMEONE WITHOUT MAKING IT CLEAR WHY YOU NEED TO GET BACK AT THEM?????
Then when the hero become pissed at her for this, as he should be, she starts fucking crying and goes...
"In case you didn't notice, you ruined my evening."
🍌The heroine has this weird hard-on for vanilla and vanilla milkshakes??? Like everything needs to be vanilla. Her shampoo, her bedroom walls, her food, her fucking underwear. In fact, every time it was mentioned, I died a little inside
🍌The heroine is a little 'pick me girl' because she likes NF and Twenty One Pilots 🤪
...I slow down, way down, and put on a mash-up playlist of Twenty One Pilots and NF because they calm me. They're special, like me.
Special people are misunderstood and that's okay. Special people get hurt and that's also okay. Because we're special that way. No forts would destroy us or keep us out.
→Someone should create another Pulitzer Prize where the goal is to 'make the most people want to slam their heads into a wall while reading your work’. This book would surely win 💞
empire of sin review
empire of hate review
empire of lust review
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April 10, 2022EMPIRE OF DESIRE IS A COMPLETE STANDALONE!
Forbidden age gap, father's best friend, marriage of convenience romance.
AMAZON US ➜ https://amzn.to/3qR7ac1
INTERNATIONAL ➜ https://smarturl.it/EODBuy
AUDIOBOOK ➜ https://amzn.to/31D106V
Teaser:
“You should be scared, because…” Nate's thumb slides from behind my ear to the hollow of my throat, to the insane pulse that’s currently self-destructing me. “If you don’t stop flaunting yourself around, if you keep provoking me and don’t stay in your lane, I’ll be inclined to take action. I’ll swallow you down so fast, there’ll be nothing left of you, let alone your sarcasm and naiveté. You’ll stare in the mirror and not recognize yourself anymore. This is my last warning and the only courtesy I will give you. Stop, Gwyneth. You don’t know what the fuck you’re dealing with. So go back to college, to your safe boys and vanilla milkshakes and boring little life.”
[...]
“But I don't want safe and boring.”
©2021 Rina Kent
Forbidden age gap, father's best friend, marriage of convenience romance.
AMAZON US ➜ https://amzn.to/3qR7ac1
INTERNATIONAL ➜ https://smarturl.it/EODBuy
AUDIOBOOK ➜ https://amzn.to/31D106V
Teaser:
“You should be scared, because…” Nate's thumb slides from behind my ear to the hollow of my throat, to the insane pulse that’s currently self-destructing me. “If you don’t stop flaunting yourself around, if you keep provoking me and don’t stay in your lane, I’ll be inclined to take action. I’ll swallow you down so fast, there’ll be nothing left of you, let alone your sarcasm and naiveté. You’ll stare in the mirror and not recognize yourself anymore. This is my last warning and the only courtesy I will give you. Stop, Gwyneth. You don’t know what the fuck you’re dealing with. So go back to college, to your safe boys and vanilla milkshakes and boring little life.”
[...]
“But I don't want safe and boring.”
©2021 Rina Kent
November 6, 2021
Sweet baby Jesus, I need an Uncle Nate.
After reading so many mixed reviews, I do what I do best. I went in with an open mind and judged myself. I always love an honest review, negative or positive, unless they are bashing the reader or the author.
At Gwyneth’s eighteenth birthday party, she kissed Nate, her father's best friend. Nate, however, didn’t reciprocate. Now twenty years old, the unthinkable happens, and for convenience, she marries Nate. On paper only.
I didn’t know what to think of Gwen in the beginning; my heart broke for her. My first impression, she is too needy for me, and desperately needs a mother figure. I’m here to tell you that she won my heart in the end. Don't mess with her loved ones. That girl is fierce. Great character development.
Nate, he is sexy and dirty as all hell. He is right up my alley. When Nate has his mindset on something, he is full steam ahead. And oh so possessive and protective.
Nate and Gwen are so much alike. Both with some of the same issues. If any two people belong together, it’s these two. I love some side characters and some I couldn’t stand. There is a major twist in the book. I mean, this is Rina Kent after all. Just follow the bread crumbs. The book is full steam ahead. Thank you to the author for writing outside the box on her sex scenes.
Let's talk about Kingsley. the father. I give him credit for being a single father; however, his actions are toxic and he refused to let his daughter grow up.
I love a good Rina Kent book. When she posted that it was going to be outside her normal range, I said why not. I still like her writing. I am up for the challenge. My only constructive criticism is for me, I wanted to see a little more angst.
I have to add to all my Goodreads reviewers I have to give thanks to all who bashed the readers and author; you pushed me to read this, and I ended up loving it. To all those who wrote a constructive review, negative or positive, I also thank you, you keep me going, and I love your reviews.
Books are subjective to the reader. What I like, you may not like, and vice versa. I suggest staying away from saying whoever said this is the best book is lying, or they don’t know better. We all have different views. That is the beauty of it all.
After reading so many mixed reviews, I do what I do best. I went in with an open mind and judged myself. I always love an honest review, negative or positive, unless they are bashing the reader or the author.
At Gwyneth’s eighteenth birthday party, she kissed Nate, her father's best friend. Nate, however, didn’t reciprocate. Now twenty years old, the unthinkable happens, and for convenience, she marries Nate. On paper only.
I didn’t know what to think of Gwen in the beginning; my heart broke for her. My first impression, she is too needy for me, and desperately needs a mother figure. I’m here to tell you that she won my heart in the end. Don't mess with her loved ones. That girl is fierce. Great character development.
Nate, he is sexy and dirty as all hell. He is right up my alley. When Nate has his mindset on something, he is full steam ahead. And oh so possessive and protective.
Nate and Gwen are so much alike. Both with some of the same issues. If any two people belong together, it’s these two. I love some side characters and some I couldn’t stand. There is a major twist in the book. I mean, this is Rina Kent after all. Just follow the bread crumbs. The book is full steam ahead. Thank you to the author for writing outside the box on her sex scenes.
Let's talk about Kingsley. the father. I give him credit for being a single father; however, his actions are toxic and he refused to let his daughter grow up.
I love a good Rina Kent book. When she posted that it was going to be outside her normal range, I said why not. I still like her writing. I am up for the challenge. My only constructive criticism is for me, I wanted to see a little more angst.
I have to add to all my Goodreads reviewers I have to give thanks to all who bashed the readers and author; you pushed me to read this, and I ended up loving it. To all those who wrote a constructive review, negative or positive, I also thank you, you keep me going, and I love your reviews.
Books are subjective to the reader. What I like, you may not like, and vice versa. I suggest staying away from saying whoever said this is the best book is lying, or they don’t know better. We all have different views. That is the beauty of it all.
April 20, 2023
oh my god. she did it. she did it again.
another shitty book 😍
another shitty book 😍
November 11, 2021
all the reviews prepared me for the worst😶 idk it's not a romeo and juliette type of thing but it worked just fine for what was worth😅
what i liked:
possessive hero who fell for h pretty quickly
imperfect h who did chase a bit but not in a gross way. i think it's okay she acted impulsively at times like any human being does sometimes😜
good chemistry
banter between her dad and hero
what I found annoying:
basic ott characteristics (too bad when love for vanilla is one of the key personality traits😅)
why did he fall for her?
lack of ANY depth lol (bit more focus on relationship development would be nice)
3.5 stars overall
what i liked:
possessive hero who fell for h pretty quickly
imperfect h who did chase a bit but not in a gross way. i think it's okay she acted impulsively at times like any human being does sometimes😜
good chemistry
banter between her dad and hero
what I found annoying:
basic ott characteristics (too bad when love for vanilla is one of the key personality traits😅)
why did he fall for her?
lack of ANY depth lol (bit more focus on relationship development would be nice)
3.5 stars overall
![Profile Image for Lori [semi-hiatus].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1652024485i/125758944._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
November 5, 2021
1* for the other characters and 1* for the preview for the next book.
Serious question: Has RK forgotten how to do chemistry between characters?
This is the same issue I had with the Thorns duet. The chemistry was close to nonexistent. I get that she tried to tread carefully around the I knew you since the day you were born issue so it didn't come across as creepy or predatorial, but it wasn't done well IMO. I didn't feel any connection between them. They also seemed too much of archetypes and not real characters. Besides having a vanilla fixation, there wasn't much depth to Gwen. Even less so to Nate, who was written as the typical commitment phobe but jealous and possessive hero.
The short (and only ) version.
Nate: my pussy
Gwen: senpai please notice me
And just to get things out of the way, sex does not equal chemistry .
I also consider what Gwen did at the club cheating. They had already fucked by that point, and she would have taken it to the next level if Nate hadn't shown up.
That being said, I am curious about Aspen and Kingsley and how that will change now that the secret is out in the open. I am excited about Knox and Anastasia too.
Safety:
Serious question: Has RK forgotten how to do chemistry between characters?
This is the same issue I had with the Thorns duet. The chemistry was close to nonexistent. I get that she tried to tread carefully around the I knew you since the day you were born issue so it didn't come across as creepy or predatorial, but it wasn't done well IMO. I didn't feel any connection between them. They also seemed too much of archetypes and not real characters. Besides having a vanilla fixation, there wasn't much depth to Gwen. Even less so to Nate, who was written as the typical commitment phobe but jealous and possessive hero.
The short (and only ) version.
Nate: my pussy
Gwen: senpai please notice me
And just to get things out of the way, sex does not equal chemistry .
I also consider what Gwen did at the club cheating. They had already fucked by that point, and she would have taken it to the next level if Nate hadn't shown up.
That being said, I am curious about Aspen and Kingsley and how that will change now that the secret is out in the open. I am excited about Knox and Anastasia too.
Safety:
September 16, 2023
I find it really bizarre when authors assign the most random things as a character’s defining feature, because being the vanilla girl is not a flex. I can give her music tastes and love for white sneakers a pass, but vanilla? Vanilla milkshakes? With breakfast, lunch and dinner??
It's a no from me.
Vanilla milkshake aside, this book could have been so much more! I'm not a big fan of the whole dad's best friend trope but I was really looking forward to the other tropes.
Sadly, the author doesn’t really do much with them though.
Age gap? Yup, there’s a gap in their age, alright…
Grumpy hero? 🤡
Sunshine Dumbass heroine? Check.
Marriage of convenience? asdfghjkl
Workplace romance? Girl did no work 'cause nepotism ✌️
I don't think Gwen and Nate were necessarily the worst characters I've ever read about. They just didn't live up to their potential. Gwen could've easily been an interesting character if she wasn't all vanilla this vanilla that. I liked the concept of the notebook she had and her struggle with not having a mom, but she was constantly overshadowed by aspects of her personality that were so shallow! Honestly, I don't remember much about Nate, other than that I disliked him and that he was intense for no reason. Dude thought he was Batman or something. Smh.
Romance wise... Gwen and Nate lacked chemistry. Even though Gwen had known Nate her entire life, it honestly didn't feel like they even knew other; they could've been strangers with how stilted their conversations were. I think what made their romance so underwhelming was the fact that their age gap relationship was supposed to be this big taboo thing, but there were barely any obstacles to their relationship.
Honestly, the only character I liked was Gwen's dad, Kingsley. Kudos to him for fighting Nate for me.
This was my first Rina Kent book, but judging from the reviews, this isn't her finest work so I'll definitely be giving her other books a chance.
Rating: 2.5/5
It's a no from me.
Vanilla milkshake aside, this book could have been so much more! I'm not a big fan of the whole dad's best friend trope but I was really looking forward to the other tropes.
Sadly, the author doesn’t really do much with them though.
Age gap? Yup, there’s a gap in their age, alright…
Grumpy hero? 🤡
Marriage of convenience? asdfghjkl
Workplace romance? Girl did no work 'cause nepotism ✌️
I don't think Gwen and Nate were necessarily the worst characters I've ever read about. They just didn't live up to their potential. Gwen could've easily been an interesting character if she wasn't all vanilla this vanilla that. I liked the concept of the notebook she had and her struggle with not having a mom, but she was constantly overshadowed by aspects of her personality that were so shallow! Honestly, I don't remember much about Nate, other than that I disliked him and that he was intense for no reason. Dude thought he was Batman or something. Smh.
Romance wise... Gwen and Nate lacked chemistry. Even though Gwen had known Nate her entire life, it honestly didn't feel like they even knew other; they could've been strangers with how stilted their conversations were. I think what made their romance so underwhelming was the fact that their age gap relationship was supposed to be this big taboo thing, but there were barely any obstacles to their relationship.
Honestly, the only character I liked was Gwen's dad, Kingsley. Kudos to him for fighting Nate for me.
This was my first Rina Kent book, but judging from the reviews, this isn't her finest work so I'll definitely be giving her other books a chance.
Rating: 2.5/5
November 6, 2021
Five stars because uncle Nate said so and that’s final!
God, this girl breaks my fucking heart. The love she has with her dad is a fine line between wonderful and co-dependent. As a parent I know I need to give my kiddo the space to spread his wings so I know he’ll be ok with or without me. (Did you just think of that U2 song? Because I did)
He’s not the knight sweetheart, he’s the dragon.
Jeez, his bedside manner leaves much to be desired. I’m relieved he’s explaining that she’s not a burden but could you do it in a less caustic way? Mmmkay?!
I do appreciate him calling her out on her bs. Someone needs to hold her accountable or she’ll never grow. She’ll die in her little box.
Gwyneth’s little flashes of ferocity are breathtaking, especially when they’re aimed at Nate. I’m really hoping she flourishes into the badass I know she’s hiding under all those layers of uncertainty.
Nathaniel doesn’t realize how much he enjoys beating his head against a brick wall. He keeps trying to intimidate her but that just lights an even bigger fire under her ass. The crash is coming and when they explode it’s going to be the most gorgeous fireworks.
Jesus, he really is the hottest when he’s angry. It’s like catnip, no wonder Gwen is a masochist.
Nate has obviously seen Pretty Woman too many times and has this hair brained idea that holding out on the kissing will hold off the emotional attachment. As if!
Sometimes the smallest catalyst can change the trajectory of your entire life. In Nate and Gwyneth’s case it was one kiss.
God, this girl breaks my fucking heart. The love she has with her dad is a fine line between wonderful and co-dependent. As a parent I know I need to give my kiddo the space to spread his wings so I know he’ll be ok with or without me. (Did you just think of that U2 song? Because I did)
He’s not the knight sweetheart, he’s the dragon.
Jeez, his bedside manner leaves much to be desired. I’m relieved he’s explaining that she’s not a burden but could you do it in a less caustic way? Mmmkay?!
I do appreciate him calling her out on her bs. Someone needs to hold her accountable or she’ll never grow. She’ll die in her little box.
Gwyneth’s little flashes of ferocity are breathtaking, especially when they’re aimed at Nate. I’m really hoping she flourishes into the badass I know she’s hiding under all those layers of uncertainty.
Nathaniel doesn’t realize how much he enjoys beating his head against a brick wall. He keeps trying to intimidate her but that just lights an even bigger fire under her ass. The crash is coming and when they explode it’s going to be the most gorgeous fireworks.
Jesus, he really is the hottest when he’s angry. It’s like catnip, no wonder Gwen is a masochist.
Nate has obviously seen Pretty Woman too many times and has this hair brained idea that holding out on the kissing will hold off the emotional attachment. As if!
Sometimes the smallest catalyst can change the trajectory of your entire life. In Nate and Gwyneth’s case it was one kiss.
November 7, 2021
I need RK to write about a fat guy with nothing but a good personality. Because I cant get over the fact that every single fucking person here has a six pack.
“My dad hasn’t aged much. At thirty-seven going on thirty-eight, he still has a strong build that fills out his suit. He’s tall and broad and has an eight-pack. No kidding. He’s the healthiest man I know. But he also has a few age lines that make him the wisest ever—aside from a certain someone.”
The book was well. We all knew it was over the top and trashy going into it; so it was what it was🤷♀️
“My dad hasn’t aged much. At thirty-seven going on thirty-eight, he still has a strong build that fills out his suit. He’s tall and broad and has an eight-pack. No kidding. He’s the healthiest man I know. But he also has a few age lines that make him the wisest ever—aside from a certain someone.”
The book was well. We all knew it was over the top and trashy going into it; so it was what it was🤷♀️
November 4, 2021
1 star ☆
I should've kept my expectations low for empire of desire because it ended up disappointing me and it turned me into a brainless zombie. i'm sorry for putting tanaz and hala through my dumb idiotic questions. I sincerely apologize. it was the book, not me. the book brought that side out of me.
and when I think about it, not much happened in the book. the beginning was okayish, the middle was just all over the place and so confusing and the ending was horrible, just pure garbage. there was literally no plot to it and I figured out who gwen's mother was before it was revealed. shocking. it shocked me to my core.
and all nate and gwen ever did was argue, lust over each other, and fuck against walls and trees. it was an endless cycle. also, the marriage part happened way too fast for my liking and their 'i love you's' felt very forced.
I mean, I know they had to get married as asap as possible so he could protect her and her dad's assets from susan. but how can she think about marriage when your dad is in a coma? in the next room? how can she think about touching him WHEN YOUR DAD IS IN A COMA? Is she going through the grief stages? Is this her way of coping? i'm not judging if it is.
“This marriage is only for convenience. Do you understand, Gwyneth?”
“Oh.”
“It’s a yes or no question. Do you understand?”
“Does…does this mean you won’t touch me?” see what I mean?
and the only part where I felt something was when he told gwen to get the fuck off him because he saw her doing this—
'Then I rub my ass and stomach against their erections, feeling them get hard all at once. Grunts and groans fill my ears and I lick my lips, so intoxicated on the feeling of having them both so turned on by me.' I still don't see the point of this scene. it's like she ran out of ideas and threw in whatever she could think of to get to the word count.
'My core clenches in remembrance of him inside me and the image turns me delirious as I glide myself against his bulge.
“Gwyneth, stop.”
I shake my head frantically. “I lied. I didn’t like it, not really.”
“You didn’t like what?”
“Grinding against Alex and Chris.” i wish i could slap fictional characters through book.
I should've kept my expectations low for empire of desire because it ended up disappointing me and it turned me into a brainless zombie. i'm sorry for putting tanaz and hala through my dumb idiotic questions. I sincerely apologize. it was the book, not me. the book brought that side out of me.
and when I think about it, not much happened in the book. the beginning was okayish, the middle was just all over the place and so confusing and the ending was horrible, just pure garbage. there was literally no plot to it and I figured out who gwen's mother was before it was revealed. shocking. it shocked me to my core.
and all nate and gwen ever did was argue, lust over each other, and fuck against walls and trees. it was an endless cycle. also, the marriage part happened way too fast for my liking and their 'i love you's' felt very forced.
I mean, I know they had to get married as asap as possible so he could protect her and her dad's assets from susan. but how can she think about marriage when your dad is in a coma? in the next room? how can she think about touching him WHEN YOUR DAD IS IN A COMA? Is she going through the grief stages? Is this her way of coping? i'm not judging if it is.
“This marriage is only for convenience. Do you understand, Gwyneth?”
“Oh.”
“It’s a yes or no question. Do you understand?”
“Does…does this mean you won’t touch me?” see what I mean?
and the only part where I felt something was when he told gwen to get the fuck off him because he saw her doing this—
'Then I rub my ass and stomach against their erections, feeling them get hard all at once. Grunts and groans fill my ears and I lick my lips, so intoxicated on the feeling of having them both so turned on by me.' I still don't see the point of this scene. it's like she ran out of ideas and threw in whatever she could think of to get to the word count.
'My core clenches in remembrance of him inside me and the image turns me delirious as I glide myself against his bulge.
“Gwyneth, stop.”
I shake my head frantically. “I lied. I didn’t like it, not really.”
“You didn’t like what?”
“Grinding against Alex and Chris.” i wish i could slap fictional characters through book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2021
me and rina have such a good relationship going on- I’ve rated all the 3 books I read recently by her 1 star. You guys wish u were me😏😏
but on a serious note, this book was really bland and meh or maybe it’s just cause I have a really bad book hangover.
but on a serious note, this book was really bland and meh or maybe it’s just cause I have a really bad book hangover.
November 6, 2021
First i need to say that i hate the model on the cover so Nate in my mind did not look like a rat!😌
*also warning spoilers ahead*
I have love and hate relationship with Rina's books but ever since i've read The thorns duet(which was so bad btw) i anticipated Nate's book bc he was the most intriguing character there.
So when i saw that it's a BIG age gap book i had some doubts.😂
First i really dislike age gaps. That's obv my personal preference and i can get over 10 years, 12 years max but an 18 years age gap is just too much. The problem is that Nate is Gwen's dad best friend so he knew her since she was just a baby. How is that not gross?🤢
"Gwyneth,
I met you the day you were born.
King freaked out when he found a baby at his doorstep and thought it was a good idea to call in his nemesis for crisis control.
He pushed you in my arms and flew to the kitchen like a madman. It was the first time I held a baby and it was pretty awkward at best, but then something happened.
You stopped crying.
Just like that.
You stared at me with those colorful, inquisitive eyes that somehow pierced through my chest."
He basically raised her with King and he was like an uncle to her. That is just yuck to me.
Okay age-gaps aside the storyline is basically Gwen started developing feelings for Nate since she was 15 and on her 18th b-day she kisses him but he rejects her. Then he starts seeing her differently so he avoids her for 2 years. And 2 years later her father Kingsley is in a car accident and falls in a coma. Nate and Gwen need to get married so King's evil stepmother can't take the law firm and everything he owns. There is also the mystery of who Gwen's mother is which was so obvious imo but later on that.
I think that Nate had a lot of potential and he deserved SO MUCH BETTER.
He did not need to end up with an immature child. There i said it, Gwen was like an annoying teenager who was coddled and sheltered by her overprotective father her whole life so she finally started to act out. Talk about privileged life.
Their relationship was not even a slowburn, Nate lost his mind one day after they married so he needed to feel her tight pussy.
“Tell me, baby girl. Did he touch my fucking pussy?”
“Is this hard enough for you, baby girl?”
If i read baby girl one more time🔪
Gosh i was sick of their dirty talk..
“Does that mean I’ve been a bad girl, husband?”
"What else do you like?”
“Being your slut.”
“So you’re my slut?”
“I am.”
“Only mine?”
“Did someone touch this ass, Gwyneth?”
She shakes her head frantically.
“Use your voice.”
“No…”
“Is it because you were saving it for me, too? Like you saved your virgin pussy?”
God i'm embarrassed by reading this😭
And in the end i still couldn't figure out why Nate loved Gwen, it felt like Gwen was obsessed with him and he just liked fucking younger girls.
The plot twist Aspen being Gwen's mother was obvious but the reason why Aspen left her or in reality thought she was dead was so absurd😂
“But how?” Gwyneth stares at Aspen. “I thought you said you didn’t remember my dad.”
“I didn’t. I tried to find him when I realized I was pregnant, mainly to protect you from my aunt and uncle, but I had nothing to do with it. My aunt and uncle must’ve dug deeper and gone asking around about the night of the party, because they clearly planned to leave you with Kingsley.
Yeah her aunt and uncle knew who was at the party so they went from home to home to ask with whom their niece had sex😂
that was just plain stupid and so funny.
This rating is mainly bc i have soft spot for Nate and also his banter with King was hilarious.
“Hi, Dad.” I kiss his cheek.
“So now you have a dad?”
“Your jealousy is showing, King.” Nate smirks at him.
“You shut up, daughter stealer.”
Maybe we can get a book with King and Aspen, i know now that it's going to be full of angry sex and messiness. I'm here for it.😌
*also warning spoilers ahead*
I have love and hate relationship with Rina's books but ever since i've read The thorns duet(which was so bad btw) i anticipated Nate's book bc he was the most intriguing character there.
So when i saw that it's a BIG age gap book i had some doubts.😂
First i really dislike age gaps. That's obv my personal preference and i can get over 10 years, 12 years max but an 18 years age gap is just too much. The problem is that Nate is Gwen's dad best friend so he knew her since she was just a baby. How is that not gross?🤢
"Gwyneth,
I met you the day you were born.
King freaked out when he found a baby at his doorstep and thought it was a good idea to call in his nemesis for crisis control.
He pushed you in my arms and flew to the kitchen like a madman. It was the first time I held a baby and it was pretty awkward at best, but then something happened.
You stopped crying.
Just like that.
You stared at me with those colorful, inquisitive eyes that somehow pierced through my chest."
He basically raised her with King and he was like an uncle to her. That is just yuck to me.
Okay age-gaps aside the storyline is basically Gwen started developing feelings for Nate since she was 15 and on her 18th b-day she kisses him but he rejects her. Then he starts seeing her differently so he avoids her for 2 years. And 2 years later her father Kingsley is in a car accident and falls in a coma. Nate and Gwen need to get married so King's evil stepmother can't take the law firm and everything he owns. There is also the mystery of who Gwen's mother is which was so obvious imo but later on that.
I think that Nate had a lot of potential and he deserved SO MUCH BETTER.
He did not need to end up with an immature child. There i said it, Gwen was like an annoying teenager who was coddled and sheltered by her overprotective father her whole life so she finally started to act out. Talk about privileged life.
Their relationship was not even a slowburn, Nate lost his mind one day after they married so he needed to feel her tight pussy.
“Tell me, baby girl. Did he touch my fucking pussy?”
“Is this hard enough for you, baby girl?”
If i read baby girl one more time🔪
Gosh i was sick of their dirty talk..
“Does that mean I’ve been a bad girl, husband?”
"What else do you like?”
“Being your slut.”
“So you’re my slut?”
“I am.”
“Only mine?”
“Did someone touch this ass, Gwyneth?”
She shakes her head frantically.
“Use your voice.”
“No…”
“Is it because you were saving it for me, too? Like you saved your virgin pussy?”
God i'm embarrassed by reading this😭
And in the end i still couldn't figure out why Nate loved Gwen, it felt like Gwen was obsessed with him and he just liked fucking younger girls.
The plot twist Aspen being Gwen's mother was obvious but the reason why Aspen left her or in reality thought she was dead was so absurd😂
“But how?” Gwyneth stares at Aspen. “I thought you said you didn’t remember my dad.”
“I didn’t. I tried to find him when I realized I was pregnant, mainly to protect you from my aunt and uncle, but I had nothing to do with it. My aunt and uncle must’ve dug deeper and gone asking around about the night of the party, because they clearly planned to leave you with Kingsley.
Yeah her aunt and uncle knew who was at the party so they went from home to home to ask with whom their niece had sex😂
that was just plain stupid and so funny.
This rating is mainly bc i have soft spot for Nate and also his banter with King was hilarious.
“Hi, Dad.” I kiss his cheek.
“So now you have a dad?”
“Your jealousy is showing, King.” Nate smirks at him.
“You shut up, daughter stealer.”
Maybe we can get a book with King and Aspen, i know now that it's going to be full of angry sex and messiness. I'm here for it.😌
May 19, 2024
You know this book was horrible when it brought me out of my cave bc I fully stopped writing reviews anymore. Pardon me I couldn’t contain my hatred.
Lets start:
Smoke was coming out my ears reading this horrible book, I had a problem with quite literally every single one of her books but this was a completely different New torture level upon my mind.
But the biggest question here is not why but where? Where do I start with my thoughts about this book? I fully thought that lies and truths is my least fav work by her so far but this took the crown. In being the worst 😍
It’s an accomplishment nonetheless right? Yeah right.
Everything that I hate about RK books is in here as well *acts shocked* but at least I had some fun reading her other awful works. But this? This felt like The Cruciatus curse. Torturous. Excruciating. I’m glad I made it out alive.
Let’s start with my main hatred for this book which is ✨Gwen✨ oh yeah. I’ll talk a lot about this bitch.
Lemme pull a Kendrick Lamar rq *clears throat*
I hate the way that you talk, the way that walk, I hate the way that you dress🎶
This has to be the worst FMC I’ve ever read without a doubt. Worst personality award goes to her. Awful. SO so awful. I truly want to choke her to death. Blinding hate for this useless oxygen consumer.
She’s so ungrateful for everything she owns, a spoiled brat, a doormat. You name it. She’s the whole package.
I hate this trope alooot, I don’t mind age gabs, I just loath the trope where the MMC knows her since she was a kid. I’ve read only one book before with this trope, and it was more than enough to confirm my hatred.
But I thought, hey? What if RK does it different?
I should’ve known better. But for me the main issue was the characters bc I could’ve ignored the trope if I found likable characters.
Gwen is so insufferable, nothing about her was likable for me, she’s so so ungrateful for everything she owns. Girl lives in a mansion, have maids, study in the best school, with the best father that worships her.
but no! She have severe severe depression 🥹 while owning everything.
Why? I couldn’t tell you, even though I read the book back to back. I kept waiting for something. that maybe something bad happened to her but nothing happened. She’s just a spoiled brat that gets everything she wants it turned her into a narcissist.
She don’t have friends because according to her people just want to use her for her father’s name since elementary school. Wow. I didn’t know kids worried about that.
She cuts herself open with a glass till she bleed bc Nate was walking and she’s watching him. Vine boom soundeffect
She Called him a god 19 times. Vine boom soundeffect
(yes. I counted it. I’m pathetic like that)
Can we also mention how miss girl drinks milkshake like twice a day without working out but still so small managing a Victoria’s Secret model body 😭
Dignity? Who? I don’t know her 🤔
Imagine a man repeatedly telling you to stop touching him and stop getting close to him but you still do it ☹️ I feel like that’s one of the parts that made me hate her. Okay you have a Major crush on him but why being this clingy?
“this girl has zero understanding of the word boundaries”
Thank you Nate, only time you were real.
”now he really thinks I’m an unstoppable, pervert that will keep touching him whenever I can”
It's what you are tho. 😍
Take a look at this scenes friends:
”we need the joint property. That’s why we need the marriage.”
“so. you do want to marry me”
“did you hear a word I said Gwyneth?”
“yeah, you want to marry me”
“this marriage is only for convenience do you understand Gwyneth?”
“Does…does this mean you won’t touch me?”
“no. it will be on paper only”
“What if you do touch me?”
“it won’t happen”
“but it happened before two years ago. I was the one who touched you, but it still counts, right?”
“No touching, Gwyneth I mean it”
she lifts a shoulder “fine”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s not like you won’t change your mind”
This is actually crazy Pathetic.
The way she wants to be depressed and emo made me laugh tbh. She didn’t have any trauma go argue with the wall I don’t believe this shit.
“so during my teenage years, I’ll get that list out and and read it loud, throw up a little, feel more nauseous, hide in my closet for an hour and then take a cold shower and eat vanilla ice cream. It was a process a long one that nearly drove me to want to kill myself and ask Dad for help.”
Excuse me? What exactly made her suicidal?
she have quite literally every single thing at the palm of her hand! She have Emotional support from her father and people around her! It’s just that she never met her mom. not to be a bitch but really? Your mom left you. okay. it’s horrible. but she didn’t verbally or physically hurt you for you to have this deep hatred for her that made you want to kill yourself!!!!
She gets afraid of words, And she still hides in her closet for HOURS even when she’s a grown-up, this author just want to add some sort of complex to her characters no matter how stupid it is!
Matter of fact do you know who’s the suicidal now? Me 😍 after being in this fool’s head.
”It’s one of the reasons why I don’t watch tragic movies, or any movies that display emotions that can trigger me. I relate to that stuff so much”
Few chapters later:
”I prefer horror”
“Even though they scare you?”
“I like to live on the edge… wait. how do you know the scare me?”
*Guys I watch horror and gore but… but I…. I throw up when I see words 🥹 but hey! I live on the edge 😜*
Bitch be for real. 🙂
She’s entirely irresponsible as well:
”Not even when I swallowed like three sleeping pills or maybe it was five I lost count somewhere”
-She also jumped in a pool when she can’t swim.
-She don’t eat until he reminds her.
-She got mad at Nate, went to the club and danced and grind against a creepy guy that might’ve hurt her if Nate didn’t show up.
Very entitled and a narcissist that only cares about her own feelings. They kept saying that she’s an empath, she kept repeating and repeating to every person who will listen that she just have lots and lots of emotions inside her.
I hate to be the one to bring it down to you. She never did anything to another person. She only prioritize herself and her wants and needs. If ppl do anything to her but they mess up one time she hates them!
Her father literally worships her and look at what she said when he told her he doesn’t approve of her and Nate:
”I hate Dad like this”
When Her father was literally in a coma, his last words being (take care of Gwen) again, I’ll repeat a coma 🗣️ Something he can’t control and I’m pretty sure he didn’t ask for but look at gwen and her mind:
“He abandoned me like she did”
“He said he wouldn’t leave me alone that he’s not mom. But he didn’t keep his promise”
“I’m a little mad at him because he didn’t keep his word”
Such a childish Petty little bitch, I’ve met middle schoolers more mature than Gwen. You raised a horrible fucking person the nerve of you Kingsley.
When Her lost mother finally explained to her that she thought that she died that’s why she never reached her. Telling her that she was scared bc she got pregnant at 14 and her uncle and aunt physically hit her and abused her look at what she says like the selfish fuck she is
”You did leave me” Gwyneth wipes her eyes
Are you 5? She just fucking said she didn’t know you were alive You dumb fuck!
”despite knowing her reasons, and that she didn’t really did abandon me that she was so young when she had me, I’m unable to beat those facts into my brain”
You narcissistic entitled little shit I hate you so much.
And she projects her narcissism into Nate as well, she wants him to believe that if a person hurts you? they are in the wrong and you’re always the right no matter what their reasons is!
”You hate him for it don’t you? you hate that he left you alone with the parents who never cared about you. he abandoned you and you did not deserved to be abandoned back then by both your parents and your brother. they’re assholes”
This is followed by Nate telling her please don’t call my dead brother an asshole, look at what she says:
”But He was. he knew you will be all alone but still left anyway because he was selfish. like my mother”
Girl what the fuck exactly is wrong with you?
As a person who always pretend that she cares and feels too much *snorts* you hate way too much I think.
I’ve never been provoked to beat the fuck out of the a woman that way I do now! Literally STOP.
People have lives and emotions and burdens that they bear that you need to count even if you don’t understand, People’s lives aren’t revolved around you and your fragile emotions.
Nicholas’s life is not revolved around Nate!
He wanted to be with the woman he loved and it’s his right, and he was actually there for Nate when no one was. it’s actually rich coming from you gwen when you told your father he’ll lose you if he separates you and Nate!
See how you’ll turn your back so easily when you want something? And why bringing up your mother? Why you want everything to revolve around you?
She’s a doormat / selfish / narcissist / privileged / acts emo / irresponsible she’s also a virgin, stutters every sentence, shakes like leaf, her fav thing (vanilla) was given to her by Nate but…. Wait for it…… she’s a bad girl 😈
Alexa play bad girl by Jojo siwa 😍 bc that’s exactly what she sounded like.
”Full body shake takes hold of her”
He just held her chin…
“So I don’t think I can be a good girl”
“No, you can’t”
“I’m a bad girl though”
Another scene:
“You’re a bad girl, right?”
“Am So, so bad”
”a normal person probably wouldn’t but I’m a little weird and a very bad girl so you can play with me all you want I’ll be your toy”
She’s bad y’all 😝 she’s so weird and quirky and not like other girls 🤪
”judge me, even if I’m a little weird and have a strange phobia of words and people and I can be empty sometime”
Thank god you know that you’re shallow.
”I play twenty one pilots and NF because they calm me down. They’re special, like I am. special people are misunderstood”
We both know that you’re not 😭 calm down and come to earth from your pedestal bc you’re not special, you’re delusional.
And Nate? Hate him too.
I was really happy reading the first chapters bc Nate seemed different from the previous MMCs, he seemed mature. But I was wrong again ofc ofc.
Bro knows her since she was hours old and thought he’s going to get away with it 💀
Nate loves to say that Gwen is a grown woman but he also keeps on emphasizing about how everything childish about her gets him hard 😍
He keeps on calling her a child… No scratch that, he actually calls her kiddo *pukes*
“I shouldn’t be thinking about how small my best friend’s daughter is or how she feels in my hold.”
I agree, you really shouldn’t.
”the curfew. answering you damn phone. not getting on the back of a fucking kid’s bike”
Umm…. She's fucking 20?! I love protective MMCs but RK men take it to an insufferable and icky level! Who the fuck do you think you are?
"𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭."
What the hell is this corny shit? This sounds like a man wrote it Ngl.
How the hell a grown ass woman have flour covering her to her shoes while baking? Am I the only one who thinks of this as a childish reference that sets me off?
"𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬"
Such a turn off. We get it. You get jealous and your lawyers are playboys but he’ll pull this move with every man she meets.
"𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰"
huh? 😨 what? 😰 when? 😱
How the fuck is she bleeding down to her sneakers? you can’t make this disgusting shit up 🤢
”ice cream…..” she mumbles in her sleep
Bombastic side eye.
Be so fucking for real.
Is she a baby? 💀
”she scrambles between my legs on her small hands. My dick is turning harder with each of her innocent movement.”
Goodbye.
*nate fucking her*
*gwen says the word “fuck”*
“Language” he growls 🤬
Ummm… y’all are fucking? And a word is inappropriate?
And the last straw was him calling her “Baby girl”
Shoot me right now.
This whole thing is disgusting, the whole emphasizing on about how small and innocent and pure and unexperienced she is Just sets me the fuck off and him being her father’s friend Made it more creepy.
Sue me.
“our fate. I’m his and he’s mine. Probably ever since I was born.”
Please die 🥰🫶🏻
I also hated how we never saw that big talk about him being one of the best lawyers in the country, he’s a co-founder of W&S yet throughout the entire book, he didn’t solve a single case LOL?
Despite the Romance I love knowing about characters’s jobs/hobbies. And there was none. Both from Nate and Gwen. They’re both so empty it’s pressing down on my chest!
How can emptiness feel so heavy?
And the worst part for me was the vanilla thing.
So she loves everything vanilla. you know why? Because he fed it to her when she was a baby
she stops crying when he held her as a baby.
She only smile to him as a baby.
When her dads jokingly says he’ll hurt Nate she says “don’t hurt him daddy” when she a baby.
What’s the purpose of these scenes? Romantic sparks between a grown ass man and a baby?
I can get she liked him when she was 15 but what’s with the scenes when she was a baby? WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?
“I’m in love with your colorfulness as much as your emptiness”
Nate stating Facts 🗣️ she IS empty.
And since I mentioned Aspen above I want to talk about her more.
RK’s deep rooted misogyny in this book didn’t surprise me, the way girls are always at each other’s throats is a main trope in her books atp, but the way that Gwen hated Aspen when that DEVINE, hard working, charming woman never even spared her a glance pissed me the fuck off.
“I hate it and her I hate how put together she is how she wears high heels and walks comfortably in them as if they’re nonexistent and has the best collection of pant and skirt suits ever not like my doll jean shorts and favorite white sneakers. I hate how her hair is bright red like her lipstick not coppery or rusty like mine”
She wars heels and I wear sneakers 🥹
She’s put together and I’m messy like a kid 🥹
Bitch compose yourself and stop being a pick me, Aspen is not responsible for your insecurities hoe.
“I don’t tell you to stop talking to Aspen. I’m being an adult even though I hate her”
Are you sure you are tho? Being an adult I mean 😂 she keeps complaining that her age doesn’t define her, yapping about that she’s not a child, but she acts just like one.
“Why you hate Aspen?”
“because..Because she’s mean”
“Has she been mean to you?”
“She doesn’t even talk to me”
Then why the fuck are you being a women hater you stupid jealous bitch!? Pathetic little fool.
“it’s her face it’s too beautiful and to put-together and I hate it”
“her mere existence is enough to push me to my limit”
“i’ll add her name to the A section of negative words”
Ewwww imagine jealousy being your entire existence 🤢
“She stands up and marches in my direction, then towers over me it’s on purpose. I swear she likes being taller, prettier and older than me. She likes having the upper hand on everything. the witch”
Girl she’s way above your low place, she’s not childish like you to do this stuff.
All of her stupid and quirky moments wasn't cute or adorable. They were insufferable and made me want to die.
You can make soft girls, but make them have a good and loving personality at the same time. You don’t even have to make them strong and badass just decent people at least.
The Romance was horrible. No cute or memorable moments between them at all. No chemistry, no tension, no spark. they were just having sex the entire time. And it wasn’t even good sex 😂 just her blood running to the floor 💀 gwen calling herself (a bad girl 😈 that have sexual urges) while being the lamest most vanilla bitch on earth, and him focusing on how small she is 🥹
Lastly the plot made me hate the book all over again, I don’t want Aspen to be her mother even tho i’m excited to see her story with Kingsley.
Gwen is the opposite of her, Aspen is strong and beautiful and successful and have never put a woman down. If I read her book and RK fuck her up I’ll commit arson or something.
Fav moment: Kingsley beating the fuck outta Nate and calling him a predator 😩
Anyway. I need a medal and a bat on the back for surviving this. Scratch that I need drugs to rest my cute brian.
Going to read throne duet now, Ria Sokolov sounds like a boss bitch let’s hope RK don’t fuck up AGAIN.
Lets start:
Smoke was coming out my ears reading this horrible book, I had a problem with quite literally every single one of her books but this was a completely different New torture level upon my mind.
But the biggest question here is not why but where? Where do I start with my thoughts about this book? I fully thought that lies and truths is my least fav work by her so far but this took the crown. In being the worst 😍
It’s an accomplishment nonetheless right? Yeah right.
Everything that I hate about RK books is in here as well *acts shocked* but at least I had some fun reading her other awful works. But this? This felt like The Cruciatus curse. Torturous. Excruciating. I’m glad I made it out alive.
Let’s start with my main hatred for this book which is ✨Gwen✨ oh yeah. I’ll talk a lot about this bitch.
Lemme pull a Kendrick Lamar rq *clears throat*
I hate the way that you talk, the way that walk, I hate the way that you dress🎶
This has to be the worst FMC I’ve ever read without a doubt. Worst personality award goes to her. Awful. SO so awful. I truly want to choke her to death. Blinding hate for this useless oxygen consumer.
She’s so ungrateful for everything she owns, a spoiled brat, a doormat. You name it. She’s the whole package.
I hate this trope alooot, I don’t mind age gabs, I just loath the trope where the MMC knows her since she was a kid. I’ve read only one book before with this trope, and it was more than enough to confirm my hatred.
But I thought, hey? What if RK does it different?
I should’ve known better. But for me the main issue was the characters bc I could’ve ignored the trope if I found likable characters.
Gwen is so insufferable, nothing about her was likable for me, she’s so so ungrateful for everything she owns. Girl lives in a mansion, have maids, study in the best school, with the best father that worships her.
but no! She have severe severe depression 🥹 while owning everything.
Why? I couldn’t tell you, even though I read the book back to back. I kept waiting for something. that maybe something bad happened to her but nothing happened. She’s just a spoiled brat that gets everything she wants it turned her into a narcissist.
She don’t have friends because according to her people just want to use her for her father’s name since elementary school. Wow. I didn’t know kids worried about that.
She cuts herself open with a glass till she bleed bc Nate was walking and she’s watching him. Vine boom soundeffect
She Called him a god 19 times. Vine boom soundeffect
(yes. I counted it. I’m pathetic like that)
Can we also mention how miss girl drinks milkshake like twice a day without working out but still so small managing a Victoria’s Secret model body 😭
Dignity? Who? I don’t know her 🤔
Imagine a man repeatedly telling you to stop touching him and stop getting close to him but you still do it ☹️ I feel like that’s one of the parts that made me hate her. Okay you have a Major crush on him but why being this clingy?
“this girl has zero understanding of the word boundaries”
Thank you Nate, only time you were real.
”now he really thinks I’m an unstoppable, pervert that will keep touching him whenever I can”
It's what you are tho. 😍
Take a look at this scenes friends:
”we need the joint property. That’s why we need the marriage.”
“so. you do want to marry me”
“did you hear a word I said Gwyneth?”
“yeah, you want to marry me”
“this marriage is only for convenience do you understand Gwyneth?”
“Does…does this mean you won’t touch me?”
“no. it will be on paper only”
“What if you do touch me?”
“it won’t happen”
“but it happened before two years ago. I was the one who touched you, but it still counts, right?”
“No touching, Gwyneth I mean it”
she lifts a shoulder “fine”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s not like you won’t change your mind”
This is actually crazy Pathetic.
The way she wants to be depressed and emo made me laugh tbh. She didn’t have any trauma go argue with the wall I don’t believe this shit.
“so during my teenage years, I’ll get that list out and and read it loud, throw up a little, feel more nauseous, hide in my closet for an hour and then take a cold shower and eat vanilla ice cream. It was a process a long one that nearly drove me to want to kill myself and ask Dad for help.”
Excuse me? What exactly made her suicidal?
she have quite literally every single thing at the palm of her hand! She have Emotional support from her father and people around her! It’s just that she never met her mom. not to be a bitch but really? Your mom left you. okay. it’s horrible. but she didn’t verbally or physically hurt you for you to have this deep hatred for her that made you want to kill yourself!!!!
She gets afraid of words, And she still hides in her closet for HOURS even when she’s a grown-up, this author just want to add some sort of complex to her characters no matter how stupid it is!
Matter of fact do you know who’s the suicidal now? Me 😍 after being in this fool’s head.
”It’s one of the reasons why I don’t watch tragic movies, or any movies that display emotions that can trigger me. I relate to that stuff so much”
Few chapters later:
”I prefer horror”
“Even though they scare you?”
“I like to live on the edge… wait. how do you know the scare me?”
*Guys I watch horror and gore but… but I…. I throw up when I see words 🥹 but hey! I live on the edge 😜*
Bitch be for real. 🙂
She’s entirely irresponsible as well:
”Not even when I swallowed like three sleeping pills or maybe it was five I lost count somewhere”
-She also jumped in a pool when she can’t swim.
-She don’t eat until he reminds her.
-She got mad at Nate, went to the club and danced and grind against a creepy guy that might’ve hurt her if Nate didn’t show up.
Very entitled and a narcissist that only cares about her own feelings. They kept saying that she’s an empath, she kept repeating and repeating to every person who will listen that she just have lots and lots of emotions inside her.
I hate to be the one to bring it down to you. She never did anything to another person. She only prioritize herself and her wants and needs. If ppl do anything to her but they mess up one time she hates them!
Her father literally worships her and look at what she said when he told her he doesn’t approve of her and Nate:
”I hate Dad like this”
When Her father was literally in a coma, his last words being (take care of Gwen) again, I’ll repeat a coma 🗣️ Something he can’t control and I’m pretty sure he didn’t ask for but look at gwen and her mind:
“He abandoned me like she did”
“He said he wouldn’t leave me alone that he’s not mom. But he didn’t keep his promise”
“I’m a little mad at him because he didn’t keep his word”
Such a childish Petty little bitch, I’ve met middle schoolers more mature than Gwen. You raised a horrible fucking person the nerve of you Kingsley.
When Her lost mother finally explained to her that she thought that she died that’s why she never reached her. Telling her that she was scared bc she got pregnant at 14 and her uncle and aunt physically hit her and abused her look at what she says like the selfish fuck she is
”You did leave me” Gwyneth wipes her eyes
Are you 5? She just fucking said she didn’t know you were alive You dumb fuck!
”despite knowing her reasons, and that she didn’t really did abandon me that she was so young when she had me, I’m unable to beat those facts into my brain”
You narcissistic entitled little shit I hate you so much.
And she projects her narcissism into Nate as well, she wants him to believe that if a person hurts you? they are in the wrong and you’re always the right no matter what their reasons is!
”You hate him for it don’t you? you hate that he left you alone with the parents who never cared about you. he abandoned you and you did not deserved to be abandoned back then by both your parents and your brother. they’re assholes”
This is followed by Nate telling her please don’t call my dead brother an asshole, look at what she says:
”But He was. he knew you will be all alone but still left anyway because he was selfish. like my mother”
Girl what the fuck exactly is wrong with you?
As a person who always pretend that she cares and feels too much *snorts* you hate way too much I think.
I’ve never been provoked to beat the fuck out of the a woman that way I do now! Literally STOP.
People have lives and emotions and burdens that they bear that you need to count even if you don’t understand, People’s lives aren’t revolved around you and your fragile emotions.
Nicholas’s life is not revolved around Nate!
He wanted to be with the woman he loved and it’s his right, and he was actually there for Nate when no one was. it’s actually rich coming from you gwen when you told your father he’ll lose you if he separates you and Nate!
See how you’ll turn your back so easily when you want something? And why bringing up your mother? Why you want everything to revolve around you?
She’s a doormat / selfish / narcissist / privileged / acts emo / irresponsible she’s also a virgin, stutters every sentence, shakes like leaf, her fav thing (vanilla) was given to her by Nate but…. Wait for it…… she’s a bad girl 😈
Alexa play bad girl by Jojo siwa 😍 bc that’s exactly what she sounded like.
”Full body shake takes hold of her”
He just held her chin…
“So I don’t think I can be a good girl”
“No, you can’t”
“I’m a bad girl though”
Another scene:
“You’re a bad girl, right?”
“Am So, so bad”
”a normal person probably wouldn’t but I’m a little weird and a very bad girl so you can play with me all you want I’ll be your toy”
She’s bad y’all 😝 she’s so weird and quirky and not like other girls 🤪
”judge me, even if I’m a little weird and have a strange phobia of words and people and I can be empty sometime”
Thank god you know that you’re shallow.
”I play twenty one pilots and NF because they calm me down. They’re special, like I am. special people are misunderstood”
We both know that you’re not 😭 calm down and come to earth from your pedestal bc you’re not special, you’re delusional.
And Nate? Hate him too.
I was really happy reading the first chapters bc Nate seemed different from the previous MMCs, he seemed mature. But I was wrong again ofc ofc.
Bro knows her since she was hours old and thought he’s going to get away with it 💀
Nate loves to say that Gwen is a grown woman but he also keeps on emphasizing about how everything childish about her gets him hard 😍
He keeps on calling her a child… No scratch that, he actually calls her kiddo *pukes*
“I shouldn’t be thinking about how small my best friend’s daughter is or how she feels in my hold.”
I agree, you really shouldn’t.
”the curfew. answering you damn phone. not getting on the back of a fucking kid’s bike”
Umm…. She's fucking 20?! I love protective MMCs but RK men take it to an insufferable and icky level! Who the fuck do you think you are?
"𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭."
What the hell is this corny shit? This sounds like a man wrote it Ngl.
How the hell a grown ass woman have flour covering her to her shoes while baking? Am I the only one who thinks of this as a childish reference that sets me off?
"𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬"
Such a turn off. We get it. You get jealous and your lawyers are playboys but he’ll pull this move with every man she meets.
"𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰"
huh? 😨 what? 😰 when? 😱
How the fuck is she bleeding down to her sneakers? you can’t make this disgusting shit up 🤢
”ice cream…..” she mumbles in her sleep
Bombastic side eye.
Be so fucking for real.
Is she a baby? 💀
”she scrambles between my legs on her small hands. My dick is turning harder with each of her innocent movement.”
Goodbye.
*nate fucking her*
*gwen says the word “fuck”*
“Language” he growls 🤬
Ummm… y’all are fucking? And a word is inappropriate?
And the last straw was him calling her “Baby girl”
Shoot me right now.
This whole thing is disgusting, the whole emphasizing on about how small and innocent and pure and unexperienced she is Just sets me the fuck off and him being her father’s friend Made it more creepy.
Sue me.
“our fate. I’m his and he’s mine. Probably ever since I was born.”
Please die 🥰🫶🏻
I also hated how we never saw that big talk about him being one of the best lawyers in the country, he’s a co-founder of W&S yet throughout the entire book, he didn’t solve a single case LOL?
Despite the Romance I love knowing about characters’s jobs/hobbies. And there was none. Both from Nate and Gwen. They’re both so empty it’s pressing down on my chest!
How can emptiness feel so heavy?
And the worst part for me was the vanilla thing.
So she loves everything vanilla. you know why? Because he fed it to her when she was a baby
she stops crying when he held her as a baby.
She only smile to him as a baby.
When her dads jokingly says he’ll hurt Nate she says “don’t hurt him daddy” when she a baby.
What’s the purpose of these scenes? Romantic sparks between a grown ass man and a baby?
I can get she liked him when she was 15 but what’s with the scenes when she was a baby? WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?
“I’m in love with your colorfulness as much as your emptiness”
Nate stating Facts 🗣️ she IS empty.
And since I mentioned Aspen above I want to talk about her more.
RK’s deep rooted misogyny in this book didn’t surprise me, the way girls are always at each other’s throats is a main trope in her books atp, but the way that Gwen hated Aspen when that DEVINE, hard working, charming woman never even spared her a glance pissed me the fuck off.
“I hate it and her I hate how put together she is how she wears high heels and walks comfortably in them as if they’re nonexistent and has the best collection of pant and skirt suits ever not like my doll jean shorts and favorite white sneakers. I hate how her hair is bright red like her lipstick not coppery or rusty like mine”
She wars heels and I wear sneakers 🥹
She’s put together and I’m messy like a kid 🥹
Bitch compose yourself and stop being a pick me, Aspen is not responsible for your insecurities hoe.
“I don’t tell you to stop talking to Aspen. I’m being an adult even though I hate her”
Are you sure you are tho? Being an adult I mean 😂 she keeps complaining that her age doesn’t define her, yapping about that she’s not a child, but she acts just like one.
“Why you hate Aspen?”
“because..Because she’s mean”
“Has she been mean to you?”
“She doesn’t even talk to me”
Then why the fuck are you being a women hater you stupid jealous bitch!? Pathetic little fool.
“it’s her face it’s too beautiful and to put-together and I hate it”
“her mere existence is enough to push me to my limit”
“i’ll add her name to the A section of negative words”
Ewwww imagine jealousy being your entire existence 🤢
“She stands up and marches in my direction, then towers over me it’s on purpose. I swear she likes being taller, prettier and older than me. She likes having the upper hand on everything. the witch”
Girl she’s way above your low place, she’s not childish like you to do this stuff.
All of her stupid and quirky moments wasn't cute or adorable. They were insufferable and made me want to die.
You can make soft girls, but make them have a good and loving personality at the same time. You don’t even have to make them strong and badass just decent people at least.
The Romance was horrible. No cute or memorable moments between them at all. No chemistry, no tension, no spark. they were just having sex the entire time. And it wasn’t even good sex 😂 just her blood running to the floor 💀 gwen calling herself (a bad girl 😈 that have sexual urges) while being the lamest most vanilla bitch on earth, and him focusing on how small she is 🥹
Lastly the plot made me hate the book all over again, I don’t want Aspen to be her mother even tho i’m excited to see her story with Kingsley.
Gwen is the opposite of her, Aspen is strong and beautiful and successful and have never put a woman down. If I read her book and RK fuck her up I’ll commit arson or something.
Fav moment: Kingsley beating the fuck outta Nate and calling him a predator 😩
Anyway. I need a medal and a bat on the back for surviving this. Scratch that I need drugs to rest my cute brian.
Going to read throne duet now, Ria Sokolov sounds like a boss bitch let’s hope RK don’t fuck up AGAIN.
May 10, 2024
I love forbidden romance and I love them even more if there is an age-gap involved. I hated this one because the mmc is fmc's father's bestfriend of years and he saw her grow up since she was just a baby. Hell he even helped his friend with his daughter so it's as good as him raising her for me and it's not like he saw her as anything else except as a baby until, she turned eighteen-years-old and kissed him. It didn't made sense to me. Maybe, it was all just hormones or whatever and she suddenly started having a crush on her uncle because he was handsome and she developed a thing for older man, or maybe it was because of how he helped her a few times. It just wasn't for me.
“Our fate.
I’m his and he’s mine.
Probably ever since I was born.”
Also, the fact that he calls her BABY GIRL 🥲 that's another reason why I hated their relationship/marrige of convenience. And why was he so obsessed with her virgin blood on his dick, calling her a woman because she finally lost her Virginity and broke her hymen?! Rina you do realise that breaking hymen while losing virginity is a myth right? And in the end I did not liked how he told her that she belonged to him since she was born. That's sick and fucked up!
“Nate isn’t watching that, though. He’s watching my legs with a frown. I also look down and, through my unfocused vision, I make out a trail of blood gliding down my leg and to my ankle, then soaking my white
sneakers red. A long moment of silence stretches between us as we observe the evidence of my becoming a woman.”
Seriously we are in 21st century for fucks sake!
“But most of all, I can’t stop staring at the blood. Her virginal blood, because she hasn’t had sex before.”
Rina took blood kink on another level this time 😭
What I liked in this book was Kingsley and his protective and grumpy ass. I was shocked when I read the plot twist and I can't wait to read his book!
“Our fate.
I’m his and he’s mine.
Probably ever since I was born.”
Also, the fact that he calls her BABY GIRL 🥲 that's another reason why I hated their relationship/marrige of convenience. And why was he so obsessed with her virgin blood on his dick, calling her a woman because she finally lost her Virginity and broke her hymen?! Rina you do realise that breaking hymen while losing virginity is a myth right? And in the end I did not liked how he told her that she belonged to him since she was born. That's sick and fucked up!
“Nate isn’t watching that, though. He’s watching my legs with a frown. I also look down and, through my unfocused vision, I make out a trail of blood gliding down my leg and to my ankle, then soaking my white
sneakers red. A long moment of silence stretches between us as we observe the evidence of my becoming a woman.”
Seriously we are in 21st century for fucks sake!
“But most of all, I can’t stop staring at the blood. Her virginal blood, because she hasn’t had sex before.”
Rina took blood kink on another level this time 😭
What I liked in this book was Kingsley and his protective and grumpy ass. I was shocked when I read the plot twist and I can't wait to read his book!
November 5, 2021
The way i waited FOREVER FOR THIS.
Ya'll cmon take a seat we'll need to sit through all this rant.
Okay before I word vomit let us all go over the plot.
Nathaniel Weaver is best of friends with KIngsley Shaw who has a daughter Gwyneth Shaw . Gwen acts on her crush and kisses 'uncle Nate' on her 18th birthday.
After that he avoids her like a plague for the next two years ONLY to marry her after Kingsley gets into an accident and falls into a coma.
He swears to not touch her only to finger her after seeing her with someone. And when i say he swore believe me that man acted like he'll burn to the pits of hell if he touches her.
That's the plot.
He owns half of the world and eats the rest of it for breakfast.
(i'd still let him hit *hides* )
I'll point out and make a list for you about everything and more that icked me. (there's a lot more than the ones i'm pointing out)
1) have to hear about it from Martha and wallow in misery by eating a shitload of vanilla ice cream.
Yeah, I’m boring that way.
Yes you ARE boring like that.
milkshakes, cakes, damn panties everything vanilla.
What even is vanilla panties.
I bet bitch shits vanilla too.
2) The thought of the D-word happening to Dad makes me shake uncontrollably in my closet.
Ya'll that little notebook is like a little voodoo something believe me.
You better watch out before she jots your name down in her notebook.
3) He’s taking care of the legal side, the firm, and Dad’s hospital procedures.
Everything.
Except for me, obviously.
Ever since the day we got married, he hasn’t touched me. Not even a brush of his hand or fingers or whatever
The biggest reason I did not like this woman is because goddamn she did not have any...just nothing of her own. It was everything Nate. Like woman where is the spine? where is the sauce?
4) he jams my middle finger inside me.
Just like that.
Like he’s had the right to do that for a long time. My back arches off the bed and I bite my lower lip to keep from moaning or screaming like a whore.
But maybe that’s what I am right now.
I’m a whore in his hands, and all I want is more.
YO who says that😭😭😭
4) A grown-up fucking woman with legs that go for miles and a tiny waist that can almost fit in only one of my palms
I swear to god this man has something for tiny girls.
Because oooooofff i read him calling her tiny like a hundred times.
5) I remove my seatbelt and close the distance separating us, pressing my breasts against his shirt-covered arm.
“What the fuck are you doing, Gwyneth?”
“I’m showing you how much of a slut I am.”
6) Him *NOT* kissing her back was just straight up painful to read.
7) “You’d have to want me to want to play with me, Nate.”
He narrows his eyes on me. “You’re supposed to say you’re not a toy and I shouldn’t want to play with you.”
“A normal person probably would, but I’m a little weird and a very bad girl, so you can play with me all you want. I’ll be your toy.”
8) Her "practice" on bananas?? i-
9) Him just staring at her virginal blood.
10)
Gwyneth,
I met you the day you were born.
He pushed you in my arms and flew to the kitchen like a madman. It was the first time I held a baby and it was pretty awkward at best, but then something happened.
You stopped crying.
Just like that.
You stared at me with those colorful, inquisitive eyes that somehow pierced through my chest
Since then, you have always held a special place in my life.
TELL ME THAT WAS NOT AWKWARD TO READ YA'LL.
The letter was very cute.okay i agree but still...
I physically cannot fucks with it.
Gwen just had ...little to nothing.
Ya'll cmon take a seat we'll need to sit through all this rant.
Okay before I word vomit let us all go over the plot.
Nathaniel Weaver is best of friends with KIngsley Shaw who has a daughter Gwyneth Shaw . Gwen acts on her crush and kisses 'uncle Nate' on her 18th birthday.
After that he avoids her like a plague for the next two years ONLY to marry her after Kingsley gets into an accident and falls into a coma.
He swears to not touch her only to finger her after seeing her with someone. And when i say he swore believe me that man acted like he'll burn to the pits of hell if he touches her.
That's the plot.
He owns half of the world and eats the rest of it for breakfast.
(i'd still let him hit *hides* )
I'll point out and make a list for you about everything and more that icked me. (there's a lot more than the ones i'm pointing out)
1) have to hear about it from Martha and wallow in misery by eating a shitload of vanilla ice cream.
Yeah, I’m boring that way.
Yes you ARE boring like that.
milkshakes, cakes, damn panties everything vanilla.
What even is vanilla panties.
I bet bitch shits vanilla too.
2) The thought of the D-word happening to Dad makes me shake uncontrollably in my closet.
Ya'll that little notebook is like a little voodoo something believe me.
You better watch out before she jots your name down in her notebook.
3) He’s taking care of the legal side, the firm, and Dad’s hospital procedures.
Everything.
Except for me, obviously.
Ever since the day we got married, he hasn’t touched me. Not even a brush of his hand or fingers or whatever
The biggest reason I did not like this woman is because goddamn she did not have any...just nothing of her own. It was everything Nate. Like woman where is the spine? where is the sauce?
4) he jams my middle finger inside me.
Just like that.
Like he’s had the right to do that for a long time. My back arches off the bed and I bite my lower lip to keep from moaning or screaming like a whore.
But maybe that’s what I am right now.
I’m a whore in his hands, and all I want is more.
YO who says that😭😭😭
4) A grown-up fucking woman with legs that go for miles and a tiny waist that can almost fit in only one of my palms
I swear to god this man has something for tiny girls.
Because oooooofff i read him calling her tiny like a hundred times.
5) I remove my seatbelt and close the distance separating us, pressing my breasts against his shirt-covered arm.
“What the fuck are you doing, Gwyneth?”
“I’m showing you how much of a slut I am.”
6) Him *NOT* kissing her back was just straight up painful to read.
7) “You’d have to want me to want to play with me, Nate.”
He narrows his eyes on me. “You’re supposed to say you’re not a toy and I shouldn’t want to play with you.”
“A normal person probably would, but I’m a little weird and a very bad girl, so you can play with me all you want. I’ll be your toy.”
8) Her "practice" on bananas?? i-
9) Him just staring at her virginal blood.
10)
Gwyneth,
I met you the day you were born.
He pushed you in my arms and flew to the kitchen like a madman. It was the first time I held a baby and it was pretty awkward at best, but then something happened.
You stopped crying.
Just like that.
You stared at me with those colorful, inquisitive eyes that somehow pierced through my chest
Since then, you have always held a special place in my life.
TELL ME THAT WAS NOT AWKWARD TO READ YA'LL.
The letter was very cute.okay i agree but still...
I physically cannot fucks with it.
Gwen just had ...little to nothing.
February 10, 2022
Such an annoying heroine!
I fell in love with Rina Kent when I read the Deception Trilogy. It’s one of my favourite series. I’ve recommended it to countless people. The writing was top notch, the characters had so much depth, the plot was intricate and engaging, and the smexy scenes were hot AF. So I was expecting more of the same in this book. I thought it ticked all of my boxed:
✔️ age-gap
✔️ taboo relationship (dad’s best friend/uncle figure)
✔️ arranged marriage
Sadly though, I was disappointed. This was largely due to the heroine, Gwyneth. She was just SOOOOO weak, naive and annoying. She kept gasping, squeaking, and squealing. She was constantly breathless and stammering. Always shaking and trembling. She also came across as a huge airhead, who constant said “like” and “huh?” and “oh” and “totally”. She also had a phobia of words… especially words that started with the letter D, like Death, or Decay, or Distance. I understand wanting to give a character some “flaws” to make them more troubled or relatable, but this was just dumb!
She was so immature it was painful! Despite being twenty, she acted like a five year old. She was OBSESSED with vanilla. She would have vanilla milkshakes and vanilla cupcakes for breakfast everyday. Her favourite food was vanilla ice cream. Her dad read her stories at night when she had a nightmare, and she hid in the closet when she got anxious or scared. I don’t know if those traits were supposed to be endearing but I just found them annoying.
There were quite a few AWKWARD AF interactions between her and Nate, especially at the beginning. Their banter made me cringe so hard sometimes. I had some SERIOUS second hand embarrassment reading some parts. Like this gem:
“I’m twenty, you know, and that means I have crushes, boyfriends, and urges. It means I go out and ride motorcycles and do whatever the hell I wish.”
“What type of urges?”
“Huh?”
“You said you have crushes, boyfriends, and urges. What are the urges?”
…
“Sexual urges,” I whisper in a breathy voice that surprises me.
Even his voice is as stiff as the rest of him. “Sexual urges like what?”
“You know.”
“I don’t know. Tell me, Gwyneth, what are the sexual urges you need the not-some-normal bike kid for?”
“K-kissing, for starters.”
“Kissing.”
“Yeah, with tongue and groping.”
IT. WAS. SO. AWKWARD!!!! I died a little on the inside 😖🥴.
This wasn’t all bad. I liked Nate. He was kind of an a$$hole at first, but he grew on me. Kingsley and Aspen were awesome and I can’t wait for their book. The sex scenes that weren’t awkward (mainly when Gwen wasn’t doing any talking) were hot. The other characters, like Jane, Knox, Chris and Sebastian were also great.
If it wasn’t for Gwen’s character, this would have actually been a great book; sadly, she ruined it for me.
I fell in love with Rina Kent when I read the Deception Trilogy. It’s one of my favourite series. I’ve recommended it to countless people. The writing was top notch, the characters had so much depth, the plot was intricate and engaging, and the smexy scenes were hot AF. So I was expecting more of the same in this book. I thought it ticked all of my boxed:
✔️ age-gap
✔️ taboo relationship (dad’s best friend/uncle figure)
✔️ arranged marriage
Sadly though, I was disappointed. This was largely due to the heroine, Gwyneth. She was just SOOOOO weak, naive and annoying. She kept gasping, squeaking, and squealing. She was constantly breathless and stammering. Always shaking and trembling. She also came across as a huge airhead, who constant said “like” and “huh?” and “oh” and “totally”. She also had a phobia of words… especially words that started with the letter D, like Death, or Decay, or Distance. I understand wanting to give a character some “flaws” to make them more troubled or relatable, but this was just dumb!
She was so immature it was painful! Despite being twenty, she acted like a five year old. She was OBSESSED with vanilla. She would have vanilla milkshakes and vanilla cupcakes for breakfast everyday. Her favourite food was vanilla ice cream. Her dad read her stories at night when she had a nightmare, and she hid in the closet when she got anxious or scared. I don’t know if those traits were supposed to be endearing but I just found them annoying.
There were quite a few AWKWARD AF interactions between her and Nate, especially at the beginning. Their banter made me cringe so hard sometimes. I had some SERIOUS second hand embarrassment reading some parts. Like this gem:
“I’m twenty, you know, and that means I have crushes, boyfriends, and urges. It means I go out and ride motorcycles and do whatever the hell I wish.”
“What type of urges?”
“Huh?”
“You said you have crushes, boyfriends, and urges. What are the urges?”
…
“Sexual urges,” I whisper in a breathy voice that surprises me.
Even his voice is as stiff as the rest of him. “Sexual urges like what?”
“You know.”
“I don’t know. Tell me, Gwyneth, what are the sexual urges you need the not-some-normal bike kid for?”
“K-kissing, for starters.”
“Kissing.”
“Yeah, with tongue and groping.”
IT. WAS. SO. AWKWARD!!!! I died a little on the inside 😖🥴.
This wasn’t all bad. I liked Nate. He was kind of an a$$hole at first, but he grew on me. Kingsley and Aspen were awesome and I can’t wait for their book. The sex scenes that weren’t awkward (mainly when Gwen wasn’t doing any talking) were hot. The other characters, like Jane, Knox, Chris and Sebastian were also great.
If it wasn’t for Gwen’s character, this would have actually been a great book; sadly, she ruined it for me.
May 27, 2023
Empire of Cringe is more like it💀
this was bad. i mean, dating your dads best friend whos almost twice your age is taboo enough. but to do it while said dad/best friend is in a coma... thats just bad manners. i think the author shouldve created a more “tolerable” plot device to bring the H & h together. i couldnt root for their relationship because they lacked chemistry. most importantly, the fact that the H had known the h since she was a baby felt weird to me. like, the H isnt some distant uncle, but hes quite constant & influential in the h’s life. i simply couldnt see past it without feeling a little creeped out. 😬 the h’s personality was also just a big ICK.
(read as an audiobook)
this was bad. i mean, dating your dads best friend whos almost twice your age is taboo enough. but to do it while said dad/best friend is in a coma... thats just bad manners. i think the author shouldve created a more “tolerable” plot device to bring the H & h together. i couldnt root for their relationship because they lacked chemistry. most importantly, the fact that the H had known the h since she was a baby felt weird to me. like, the H isnt some distant uncle, but hes quite constant & influential in the h’s life. i simply couldnt see past it without feeling a little creeped out. 😬 the h’s personality was also just a big ICK.
(read as an audiobook)
November 5, 2021
It is very disappointing to write this review but honestly, there’s no way I can love this book. It was by far my least favorite book from Rina. I did not feel any love between the main characters. I only felt lust, and that too was mainly from the female’s side.
I don’t know how to put into words how I feel about Nate. He really disappointed me. He seemed content with or without Gwen in his life. It felt like the only reason he decided to let her into his life was because he would be getting to fuck her. Honestly there was no build up that led me to believe that what they had was true love. I can’t tell you how much I was disappointed when reading this book.
I waited months to read this books and then to be given the shock of my life with the disappointment? It’s saddening. Honestly I feel like Rina’s books have also been lately skewing towards the unsafe side. I hate when we have to read about the ways the H treated other women. Even though it may be that he never spent the night with them etc, I do not need to read about that.
For safety readers I would definitely classify this as unsafe. The h is in love with him since she was 15, he obviously fucked other women during that time, and even when she was in love with him, she kissed other guys and I believe she let them touch her.
Another thing, I felt like Nate kept trying to push away Gwen or keep her at a distance for too long that it really made me believe that he doesn’t truly love her.
At the end of the book he told Gwen that he think he fell in love with her after kissing her on her 18th birthday. Honestly, to me that felt like a huge lie and he was just trying to make Gwen feel special since she said she loved him since she was 15. I mean he used to see her as a little child and only because she kissed him he suddenly fell in love with her? What the fuck? It doesn’t make sense.
Another thing, the dirty talk. Honestly Rina write some of the best dirty talks, however, in this book it just wasn’t it. It was more cringy thanks turn on. I was not feeling those dirty talks at all.
Another weird thing, I don’t know my mind just couldn’t wrap around this. When Gwen’s father came out of the coma and found out about her and Nate, both Gwen and Nate would sneak around and have sex (for example in the parking garage) and it just seemed odd. So fucking odd. I couldn’t help but imagine an old gray headed dude sneaking around like a little boy all to fuck a girl who’s almost half his age. Nate obviously isn’t a gray headed old man but I couldn’t get that scenario out of my head.
During the months before this book was released, Rina mentioned how her writing had faced some difficulties. You can clearly see that because this book is definitely not of the Rina Kent quality and standard. I swear to God that it felt like someone else wrote this book and it Rina. I cannot emphasize this enough!!! When I was reading this book it felt like I was reading a book from another author. I swear to God I am not lying. This DID NOT feel like a Rina Kent book. I am truly disappointed by this.
The series that she recently unpublished had some of my favorite books in it and I loved her writing in those books, unfortunately she said those books aren’t her style anymore (something to that effect). I do wish though that her more recent books were like that though. Also, I feel like her books are starting to lean on the edge of being unsafe. And I really don’t like that. Rina used to be and still is to an extent one of my go to authors because I love all her books, however, if her books start becoming less and less safe then unfortunately I’m not sure how much I will love her writing anymore. Sadly. I am very disappointed but I do hope her future books improve.
I forgot to mention a very important scene that was unsafe!!! Gwen was dancing at a club drunk off her ass. She was grinding against two guys who both got hard due to her dancing and she was just grinding against their erections!!! This was when she and Nate were already in a relationship, married, consumed their relationship!!! What the fuck? She was turned on by grinding on their dicks. What the fuck??? This emphasizes my point about her books beginning to become unsafe and that is just so sad!!!
I don’t know how to put into words how I feel about Nate. He really disappointed me. He seemed content with or without Gwen in his life. It felt like the only reason he decided to let her into his life was because he would be getting to fuck her. Honestly there was no build up that led me to believe that what they had was true love. I can’t tell you how much I was disappointed when reading this book.
I waited months to read this books and then to be given the shock of my life with the disappointment? It’s saddening. Honestly I feel like Rina’s books have also been lately skewing towards the unsafe side. I hate when we have to read about the ways the H treated other women. Even though it may be that he never spent the night with them etc, I do not need to read about that.
For safety readers I would definitely classify this as unsafe. The h is in love with him since she was 15, he obviously fucked other women during that time, and even when she was in love with him, she kissed other guys and I believe she let them touch her.
Another thing, I felt like Nate kept trying to push away Gwen or keep her at a distance for too long that it really made me believe that he doesn’t truly love her.
At the end of the book he told Gwen that he think he fell in love with her after kissing her on her 18th birthday. Honestly, to me that felt like a huge lie and he was just trying to make Gwen feel special since she said she loved him since she was 15. I mean he used to see her as a little child and only because she kissed him he suddenly fell in love with her? What the fuck? It doesn’t make sense.
Another thing, the dirty talk. Honestly Rina write some of the best dirty talks, however, in this book it just wasn’t it. It was more cringy thanks turn on. I was not feeling those dirty talks at all.
Another weird thing, I don’t know my mind just couldn’t wrap around this. When Gwen’s father came out of the coma and found out about her and Nate, both Gwen and Nate would sneak around and have sex (for example in the parking garage) and it just seemed odd. So fucking odd. I couldn’t help but imagine an old gray headed dude sneaking around like a little boy all to fuck a girl who’s almost half his age. Nate obviously isn’t a gray headed old man but I couldn’t get that scenario out of my head.
During the months before this book was released, Rina mentioned how her writing had faced some difficulties. You can clearly see that because this book is definitely not of the Rina Kent quality and standard. I swear to God that it felt like someone else wrote this book and it Rina. I cannot emphasize this enough!!! When I was reading this book it felt like I was reading a book from another author. I swear to God I am not lying. This DID NOT feel like a Rina Kent book. I am truly disappointed by this.
The series that she recently unpublished had some of my favorite books in it and I loved her writing in those books, unfortunately she said those books aren’t her style anymore (something to that effect). I do wish though that her more recent books were like that though. Also, I feel like her books are starting to lean on the edge of being unsafe. And I really don’t like that. Rina used to be and still is to an extent one of my go to authors because I love all her books, however, if her books start becoming less and less safe then unfortunately I’m not sure how much I will love her writing anymore. Sadly. I am very disappointed but I do hope her future books improve.
I forgot to mention a very important scene that was unsafe!!! Gwen was dancing at a club drunk off her ass. She was grinding against two guys who both got hard due to her dancing and she was just grinding against their erections!!! This was when she and Nate were already in a relationship, married, consumed their relationship!!! What the fuck? She was turned on by grinding on their dicks. What the fuck??? This emphasizes my point about her books beginning to become unsafe and that is just so sad!!!
February 13, 2022
Let’s get the “baby girl” issue out of the way before I start,
Every time he called her “babygirl” I was like “insert miss juicy grimacing meme*
So a short summary of the book:
Gwen has been obsessed with her dad’s best friend AKA Uncle Nate for years and when she turns 18 she takes a shot at it and kisses him and obviously he rejects her *meh*
Fast forward to when she’s 20, her dad has an accident and ends up in a coma and as the only possible way to keep her assets since she isn’t 21 yet, Uncle Nate offers a marriage of convenience. *not so meh,I actually like this trope*
Now this is where it went wrong, I was expecting a whole lot of emotional and sexual tension and angst but because this book was overall very fast paced we didn’t get enough of that.I really believe if the author had gone for a higher page count and made it a bit of an slow burn it’d have worked better for me.
Every time he called her “babygirl” I was like “insert miss juicy grimacing meme*
So a short summary of the book:
Gwen has been obsessed with her dad’s best friend AKA Uncle Nate for years and when she turns 18 she takes a shot at it and kisses him and obviously he rejects her *meh*
Fast forward to when she’s 20, her dad has an accident and ends up in a coma and as the only possible way to keep her assets since she isn’t 21 yet, Uncle Nate offers a marriage of convenience. *not so meh,I actually like this trope*
Now this is where it went wrong, I was expecting a whole lot of emotional and sexual tension and angst but because this book was overall very fast paced we didn’t get enough of that.I really believe if the author had gone for a higher page count and made it a bit of an slow burn it’d have worked better for me.
March 31, 2023
empire :
#1: empire of desire ↠ 1.5 stars!
#2: empire of sin ↠ dnf at 60%.
#3: empire of hate ↠ 2 stars.
#1: empire of desire ↠ 1.5 stars!
#2: empire of sin ↠ dnf at 60%.
#3: empire of hate ↠ 2 stars.
January 16, 2022
3,5. I thought repetitive and boring sometimes. Unfortunately because I love her books.
November 5, 2021
Jesus Christ please someone take away the covers of the men who look like they want to die staring at nothing with an awkward pose.
Read
December 2, 2021First book by this author I just could not finish!
August 7, 2022
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 1 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
why was the romantic letter him describing the journey of what it was like meeting her as a ONE DAY OLD BABY to her becoming his wife?💀💀💀💀💀 i can not
why was the romantic letter him describing the journey of what it was like meeting her as a ONE DAY OLD BABY to her becoming his wife?💀💀💀💀💀 i can not
╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮
• Empire Series •
Empire of Desire #1 — 1 stars
Empire of Sin #2 — 3.5 stars
Empire of Hate #3 — 3.25 stars
Empire of Lust #4 — 3 stars
╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯
May 14, 2022
There was a lot of crazy and over reaction in this one... but it also had some really good parts. The heroine may have drove me up a wall and the hero was a bit too cruel in the way Rina Kent does it...
But.. I liked the anxiety and depression rep. The hero resisting her for dear life. Some Baby Girl calling and some Big Dick Energy.. so I'm gonna give it a
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale.
But.. I liked the anxiety and depression rep. The hero resisting her for dear life. Some Baby Girl calling and some Big Dick Energy.. so I'm gonna give it a
4 Stars
4 on the spice scale.
February 8, 2022
Its Nate, oh my god, I can't wait till November 😭😭
November 4, 2021
⭐️5 empathic stars ⭐️
An addictive age-gap romance. Rina delivers the ultimate treat with this magnificent story. You know when a book is good as you can’t put it down, you can’t tame the compulsion to read, to want more it’s one you can’t control, when said book still keeps you on your toes and gives you shivers just to think back to its magic then there’s no doubt that book is brilliant.
~𝑯𝒆'𝒔 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒇. 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒔'𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝑰'𝒎 𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒃𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 ~
It’s not mystery I love Rina’s heroines, Gwen just confirmed that no matter the setting or the environment this author can depict one hell of a good heroine. I appreciated how Gwen is a real 18 years old, we don’t get a femme fatale which would have been so far from reality to seem absurd, at the same time she isn’t an annoying whiny teen. I love her persona, her empathic nature, she is a
fascinating young woman down to the core. The way her character grows and evolves is flawlessly and beautifully portrayed.
~𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒐𝒅. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒆~
Nate is as impenetrable as he’s devastatingly handsome, his closed off persona would deter the strongest of people, yet in all his controlling nature he’s not ready for the storm hitting him with a full force he’ll have trouble standing, let alone resist temptation. Nate is a detached character and difficult to like but Rina’s talent make him impossible to resist, she worked her magic and I fell head over heels for him. I loved watching Nate losing control, to see his possessive side come to surface, even if I wanted to smack him on the head more times than not! I thoroughly enjoyed how Gwen faces him. She isn’t deterred by his less than kind actions or words she responds to his misbehaving with witty come backs and a determined attitude.
~𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅... 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒔 ~
Told in dual POV, the fast paced narrative will keep you glued to the pages, the slow burn angsty moments will make you hot and bothered the steamy sex scenes will make your kindle explode and your panties melt.
This experience was even more special as I read this with my Twinsie Maria ❤️ thank you for the fun ride and the much needed visuals 🔥🥰
January 12, 2022
2.5⭐️
i'm a lil bit disappointed. i was excited for months for this and then when it came out, i saw all those reviews i was skeptical.
it wasn't "bad", it was just so boring. i feel like this trope is so overused that authors need to add something unique or else its a carbon copy of another book.
i loved nate. i hated gwen. i didn't see any chemistry between them and i just felt like nate was babysitting her the whole time. the girl goes ahead grinds on guys even tho she has a husband, she jumps into pools while drunk. i love age gap romances but god this was bad because gwen acted like an oversized toddler.
i'm just sad because i wanted to love this but i just have no feelings towards it. it wasn't the worst rina kent book but it was nowhere as good as her other books. it was average that i'm probs not gonna remember even reading this book.
“Once upon a time, I thought I’d gotten over him.
Turns out, I’m still waiting for him to kiss me back.”
i'm a lil bit disappointed. i was excited for months for this and then when it came out, i saw all those reviews i was skeptical.
it wasn't "bad", it was just so boring. i feel like this trope is so overused that authors need to add something unique or else its a carbon copy of another book.
i loved nate. i hated gwen. i didn't see any chemistry between them and i just felt like nate was babysitting her the whole time. the girl goes ahead grinds on guys even tho she has a husband, she jumps into pools while drunk. i love age gap romances but god this was bad because gwen acted like an oversized toddler.
i'm just sad because i wanted to love this but i just have no feelings towards it. it wasn't the worst rina kent book but it was nowhere as good as her other books. it was average that i'm probs not gonna remember even reading this book.
May 18, 2022
3.25 stars :)
pardon me, my whorishness for age gap romances knows no bounds these days; so much so that im willing to let go of the intermittently refrenced vanilla milk shakes (ew, gag) and the atrocious writing and the not so loveable main characters.
pardon me, my whorishness for age gap romances knows no bounds these days; so much so that im willing to let go of the intermittently refrenced vanilla milk shakes (ew, gag) and the atrocious writing and the not so loveable main characters.
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