Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - The Ritual

This year is my year to read more romance, and this is my first read in dark college romance. Thanks BookTok!

This felt like reading an AITA where ETA because money, entitlement, and secret societies.

While I actually enjoyed the supposed actual storyline, the characters smashing every other page just got too much. I mean, how many ways can they do the same thing and still be so surprised she likes it?!

Morally grey, dark, and quite spicy.

Content Warnings

koistyfishy's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 Emerald Eye Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (I don't often give a full 5, but oh boy did this deserve it!)

Oh, LORDY LORDY LORD! Never has a series name been quite so aptly used to describe who I need to speak to after reading this. Because I need to beg for forgiveness after all the depravity that is in this book. I am sure that I need help from either a priest or a psychologist because I enjoyed the shit out of this and that means I need therapy on a whole bunch of levels. I did not expect the ride that I got from this book and whilst refreshing, it was absurd.

This book was dark, gritty, dirty, rough, carnal, and oh-so spicy! And BOY did I lap it up like a little kitten drinking milk for the first time. It played into every dark, dirty, depraved desire that I love, and it just ticked every box in what I NEEDED in a dark twisted love story.

It follows a Dual-POV of Ryat and Blakely. Ryat is a Lord - a member of a really concerning fraternity that is also a secret society that breeds hitmen and strategically places powerful men into society, to essentially own the world. They perform despicable acts and in their final year of college, they are rewarded with the opportunity to choose a Chosen, a sex slave who they own for the year. Blakely is the ex-girlfriend of Matt, having recently broken up with him after finding out he has been cheating on her she is angry as she was saving herself for him. She is extremely frustrated and agrees to be Ryat's chosen for a little sexual adventure and wild ride. Unbeknownst to her though Ryat was ordered by a mysterious man to make her his chosen.

Blakely was a very difficult character for me to get a read on, and I couldn't decide if she was meek, timid, submissive or if she was bratty and fiercely strong-minded. Her actions fluctuate a lot between how she acts with her absentee family, Matt and Ryat. I wanted her to find her teeth a little bit sooner with Ryat, and I really wanted her to give a little bit more to fight when things got kinky.

Ryat is a psychopath. There is no other way to describe him, and he probably needs the same amount of therapy that I do... Actually, maybe he needs a shit-tonne more. He is an alphahole, commanding, powerful, obsessive and possessive in his ways and actions because even though Blakely is a "job"- he is completely besotted with her. He cannot stand being out of control and is destructive and explosive when this is challenged. These temperaments OBVIOUSLY bleed into his delicious sexual proclivities.

Their twisted romance is very much built on sexual attraction and is completely crazy. But something I really appreciated about it was the maturity that bled through in their discussions about sexual fantasy and kink. I don't like it when people kink shame, so it made me really angry when her ex-boyfriend shamed her for her fantasies. Calling her dirty and disgusting and making her feel less about herself. Ryat was able to have an adult conversation with her about what she wanted, what her boundaries were, and what they could explore together. He gave her her fantasy while still respecting her boundaries (even if they seemed blurry). It was refreshing to see his communication and openness that she allowed herself to be vulnerable and explore avenues of herself that were new.

This book is kinky, and given the SPICE rating, you would think it might just be FULL ON smut. And that's not really true. There was a plot somewhere in here, but it does not shy away from having pretty graphic scenes very early on and very frequently... that if you're pretty vanilla, it might make you uncomfortable. BUT SOMETIMES A GIRL JUST WANTS DIRTY!

I was very on track to give this five stars, given how much I was enjoying it. But at 63%, the book turned for me, and that was because it introduced the whole "I want to put a baby in you" trope, which I don't particularly like seeing in college romance. For me, these characters are too young, in my opinion, to be thinking about babies. And no offence to anybody who has had a baby early, (I respect everybody's decisions) but almost taking away her choice by forcing it on her just didn't sit right with me. I prefer if they have a chance to explore their relationship as a couple, as twisted, chaotic and depraved as it is before they start talking about bringing children into this world.

Coupled with that the plot ended up being so chaotic with aspects thrown in without their foundation being built prior in the novel. There were too many unanswered questions that left the book feeling unfinished and underwhelming

Tropes and Kinks:
▶ Obsessive and Possessive MC
▶ College/University Setting
▶ Billionaire/Rich Guy
▶ Virgin FMC
▶ Alphamale
▶ Secret Society
▶ Anal Play
▶ Dub-Con
▶ BDSM Elements
▶ Knife Play and Rope Play
▶ Primal Kink
▶ Voyeurism
▶ Mine
▶ Degradation and Praise.... oh your good girl fantasies will squeal!

Even though I might need therapy for enjoying this, it was still a great read and I love the fact that my 🐧Bestie Twinsie🐧 and I stumbled across it. I am not sure how we agreed to pick this book up, but I am so glad that I had a sidekick willing to delve into the darkness with me and enjoy the ride.

Content Warnings