Kiss the Villain is the much-anticipated continuation of Rina Kent’s Legacy of Gods series. It is a dark MM romance featuring characters that fans of the series will recognize from previous books. While the two male main characters were a controversial choice for some readers, for this reader it was without a doubt my favorite installment so far.
Gareth Carson has always been the golden boy in his family. He’s an accomplished law student at The King’s University and is the heir to the Carson empire. Underneath all that, though, he’s hiding a vicious darkness. None of his friends know he’s been spending his nights behind enemy lines, indulging the violent side that lives beneath the surface.
He has everything completely under control, always steps ahead of any situation, until a case of mistaken identity on one of his secret nights out brings him into the clutches of Kayden Lockwood, a criminal law professor whose tastes just might run even darker than Gareth’s.
Like the rest of the Legacy of Gods books, Kiss the Villain has overlapping timelines with the previous stories. The author’s notes must be absolutely insane to make all of the stories line up properly.
Again keeping with the theme of continuity in style, this story uses first person narration with both Gareth and Kayden’s perspectives, which allows the reader to read all of their messy thoughts. For this story specifically, it is an excellent choice.
There is an almost ominous tone to the writing that matches the characters so well, with genuinely surprising plot twists that will keep the pages turning.
Like all of Rina Kent’s characters, these two are extraordinarily fucked up, with monumental amounts of trauma and unhealthy coping mechanisms to match. These two are sick, twisted, and fucking adorable.
Some of the fans of the Legacy of Gods books were rather vocally opposed to the fact that that this book is MM. While I review books professionally and therefore clearly believe that readers have a right to their opinions, I think it’s obnoxious when readers try to tell their favorite authors who their characters should love, especially before the book is even out yet.
It is even worse when those opinions are so obviously rooted in homophobia. I love all kinds of romances. MM, MF, FF, NB, and Why Choose, or any combination of the above are all welcome in my library. You do not have to like them, but the outspoken hate is disappointing, although unfortunately not surprising.
It’s important to note that trigger warnings are essential in Kiss the Villain. There are significant moments where consent is dubious at best, or closer to non-existent.
The spice meter here is at ghost pepper levels. This book does not shy away from the taboo, and every scene feels just oh-so naughty. There are twisted power dynamics that constantly play with the idea of who is in control, and what control really means. It is so much fun to read.
Despite the 512-page length, I read this book in approximately 24 hours. I simply could not put it down. It’s dysfunctional, with deeply flawed characters and intense spice. I loved every page.
Leave a Reply