Rina Kent is back with Sweet Venom, the second book in the Vipers series. It is an intense, dark hockey romance that can be read as a standalone, but it would make for a better reading experience to start with Beautiful Venom first.
Violet Winters has a terrifying shadow watching her. She has no idea why, but this stalker is determined to destroy her. And Violet is so tired of the world that she just might let him.
Jude Callahan wants revenge on the woman who witnessed his mother’s murder and just stood by and let her die. He will do anything, no matter how unhinged, to make her pay.
Normally, he would hunt Violet, kill her, and move on to the next name on his list, but something about this kind and broken girl has him questioning everything.
What happens when a girl with suicidal ideation meets a boy who wants to kill her? An obsessive fire that could burn them both.
Pain is what unites these two main characters, and they defy societal norms and healthy relationship norms at every turn. This is a quintessential feature of the Rinaverse, but in this book, there’s something a little more tender about it. Jude and Violet are bound by their trauma, but by the end, they truly bring each other peace in a way that feels so meaningful.
Much like the psychological aspect of this relationship, the sex between them also diverges dramatically from what most of us would consider a normal sexual relationship. Violet and Jude both have some serious hang-ups, and this is a Rina Kent book, so consent is iffy, but passionate chemistry abounds.
Sweet Venom has undeniably dark themes, from stalking to child abuse, and everything in between. This book is not for the faint of heart, and if you have triggers, I highly recommend heeding the content warnings.
This book is on the longer side of dark romance, but it doesn’t feel like it at all. Wild twists and turns will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Every book I read in this universe, I fall deeper in love with the twisted world of Rina Kent and its unhinged characters. Sweet Venom is an exciting and vicious book that is unexpectedly emotional, striking the perfect balance for a salacious dark romance.
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