Book Review ~ Kiss The Villian

4 Stars | 5 Spice

Part of the Rinaverse ~ Gareth Carson & Kayden (Lockwood) Davenport

Rina Kent’s Kiss the Villain is a dark, deliciously twisted romance featuring a student/professor dynamic unlike any other. Obsession, power plays, and emotional unraveling collide as two brilliant manipulators fall into a spiral of love and destruction. If you crave obsessional tension, unhinged characters, and jaw-dropping spice, this book is the one for you.

QUICK REVIEW

Kiss the Villain is an intoxicating blend of obsession, control, and unexpected vulnerability, wrapped in the dark romance aesthetic we know and love from Rina Kent. This isn’t your typical student/professor forbidden love trope, it's also the unraveling of two men who are both master manipulators in their own right. The spice? Off the charts. The tension? Palpable. If you're a fan of morally grey characters and spiralling obsessions, this will scratch that itch; hard.

FULL REVIEW

SPOILERS AHEAD     ~     SPOILERS AHEAD

Writing & Plot...

I'm not usually a student/ professor trope fan, so I haven't read too many, but this is the Rinaverse, so I had to read this.

As always, Rina’s dialogue is so well done. Every line feels natural and organic, making the characters really spring off the page. You can feel the tension in every conversation, especially between Gareth and Kayden. It’s like a chess match soaked in pheromones and bad intentions (lol).

I really enjoyed the subtle breadcrumbs of the plot early on, it made me want to keep reading because I had to know what Kayden was really up to. Why does Kayden hate Gareth so much? What did Gareth do 6 years ago? It made want to keep reading and stick with the first half of the book, even when the spice was taking centre stage.

However, the only thing I think let this book down a little was how long it took to get to the depth of the plot. Now, I love spice in a book, but I think the fist 40-50% was so focused on the spice other aspects - like the emotional stakes and character development - were delayed.

For example, Gareth comes across more of  initially reads more like a sociopath—clinical, detached, methodical, rather than a psychopath like his brother. Then later, we see a shift into full-blown obsessional and erratic behaviour that felt like a bit of a contradiction with how he was first introduced. I enjoyed seeing that descent (that feels weird to say but you know what I mean), but it was too quick. I wish it had been seeded in earlier to make the transformation smoother and more believable.

Characters...

Gareth Carson

Gareth is a walking contradiction: emotionless but obsessive, composed but dangerous. He’s the mastermind type. The one in true control. Everyone thinks they know him, everyone thinks he's harmless, but MY GOSH did he have us all fooled. What I enjoyed about Gareth's character development was how we saw his control begin to crack when Kayden enters the picture. Suddenly, Gareth is making impulsive decisions causing him to make mistakes that are unlike him. Soon he can't help exposing the parts of himself he’s kept hidden from his friends, his family and the world at large. Ultimately, this is exactly what Gareth needed; to remove the mask. Doing this allowed him to resolve his irrational fears around losing his fathers love, and it allowed him to grow closer to his brother.

Kayden (Lockwood) Davenport

Kayden is he’s sharp, composed, and carries a quiet authority that makes it clear he's used to being in control. I think the best way to describe him is: suave.

But, beneath the polished surface lies a man shaped by betrayal and loss, and a need for vengeance. What makes Kayden stand out is his ability to maintain that power even when Gareth pushes every one of his buttons. Kayden doesn’t react, he calculates. Kayden is as much a strategist as Gareth, and watching him navigate the chaos with restraint, fire, and just enough vulnerability made him impossible not to like.

Gareth & Kayden's Relationship

Their relationship is all-consuming. At first, it’s laced with manipulation, power plays, dominance, and obsession. But, surprisingly, at it's heart is vulnerability.

Gareth sees Kayden as a problem to solve, a curiosity to poke at. But Kayden doesn’t play along—he pokes back. Gareth tries to control every move, but Kayden turns the tables on him every single time. The dynamic quickly flips into a dangerous game where feelings get tangled with manipulation, and what starts as strategy becomes desperation.

At first, Gareth doesn't fall for Kayden so much as fixate on him, but that fixation soon turns into love. And Kayden, for all his bravado, gets pulled into Gareth’s gravity until neither of them can breathe without the other.

Their connection is passionate, yes, but it’s also built on pain, secrets, and a reluctant understanding that maybe, just maybe, they’re both too broken for anyone else but each other. It’s twisted, passionate, and full of tension, and exactly what you’d want from a dark, forbidden romance.

Special Mention...

Nikolai

Nikolai’s brief appearances were pure gold. Even though he’s only on the page for a short time, he completely steals the scene. His effortless chaos and perfect (often unintended) comedic timing brought a breath of Niko filled goodness when you needed it most. Honestly, every book could benefit from a Nikolai cameo.

Killian

Psycho, meet socio. When Killian realises Gareth is just as dark and emotionally wrecked as he is, there’s this instant, disturbing bond formed between them. It’s less 'brotherly bonding' and more 'unhinged minds recognising each other and coming together'. The scene of them together after Gareth has been rescued is laced with quiet vulnerability, mutual understanding, and that dark Carson charm we’ve come to love and expect. It was really heartwarming to see two brothers who were so disconnected from one another, finally come together, respect one another for who they truly are, and start to become friends rather than just blood relations.

Something I Have To Mention...

VAUGHN. VAUGHNNNNNN. I cannot express how desperate I am for Vaughn's book. Ever since the mysterious fifth Heathen was mentioned in God of Malice I was like, this guy needs a book. And then when I read the Monster Trilogy* (Vaughn's parents books), I was like if he is even half like Kirilll, I NEED HIS GODDAMN BOOK. So, the fact Rina has now said she's going to write one for him... I'm really having to work on my deep breathing to remain calm because it's not coming out until next year.

*Yes, I read the Rinaverse in an odd order. I started with the Legacy of Gods series because I honestly didn't know about the entire Rinaverse (yes, I was living under a rock evidently). But, I am so happy I read it with the kids books (minus Eli/ Ava's as it wasn't out yet) because I made me so much more excited to read all of the parents books.

Thoughts on Beautiful Venom Now We've Met Kane...

{Coming Out May 27th, 2025}

I'm honestly so excited for this book now. I was excited before I read Kiss The Villain, don't get me wrong, but now we've had a glimpse into Kane and his world, I am beyond excited for this book to come out. I mean, guys, it's Dark Hockey Romance AND secret society!!! [insert mind blown emoji here] [insert swooning gif here] [insert Natalie jumping around her room because she can't contain her excitement here]

Thanks for reading ~ Natalie x

And please, feel free to comment below! What did you think of the book? Did you love it? Like it? Hate it? Let's talk!

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