[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"work-reviews-detail-kiss-the-villain-etru":3,"work-reviews-list-kiss-the-villain-etru":155},{"id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"original_title":7,"description":8,"first_publish_year":9,"original_language":10,"primary_cover_url":11,"cover_3d_url":12,"cover_blurhash":13,"preferred_edition_id":7,"community_rating_avg":14,"community_rating_count":15,"page_count":16,"estimated_reading_minutes":17,"shelves_added_this_week":18,"enrichment_status":19,"community_depth_avg":20,"community_momentum_avg":20,"community_atmosphere_avg":20,"community_craft_avg":20,"community_impact_avg":20,"community_spice_avg":20,"is_non_fiction":21,"is_romance":22,"is_indexable":22,"rating_distribution":23,"authors":25,"genres":32,"characters":49,"places":72,"subjects":79,"series":109,"editions":115,"enrichment":136,"community_distribution":7,"default_edition":152,"faqs":153,"reviews_count":15,"contributions_count":18,"quotes_count":18,"photos_count":18,"created_at":154},"01kjvxwbxhtq1eyx4a069pv40c","kiss-the-villain-etru","Kiss the Villain",null,"Gareth Carson is the golden boy of a powerful family: a gifted law student, the dutiful Carson heir, and outwardly everything an ambitious young man should be. Beneath the polished surface, he hides darker urges he cannot fully control. One night of indulgence brings him face to face with a dangerous stranger, and the encounter takes an unwelcome turn when that same man walks into his lecture hall as Kayden Lockwood, the new criminal-law professor at King's U. Kayden is controlling, calculating, and carrying his own agenda tied to Gareth's family. What begins as a tense game of nerves between student and professor becomes a forbidden entanglement neither can walk away from, even as the stakes grow lethal. Set in the Legacy of Gods universe, this is a standalone professor-student dark MM romance built on power imbalance, hidden violence, and obsession. The relationship is antagonistic from the first page, and the threat that pulls the two together is also the thing most likely to destroy them.",2025,"en","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Fcovers\u002Feditions\u002F01\u002F01kjz6g4wd6ex9nh5bppfs5hfv.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Fcovers\u002Fworks-3d\u002F01\u002F01kjvxwbxhtq1eyx4a069pv40c.png?v=5273a4b3ca","L17250.800Dj^-xuIAD%z7WCuHae","4.20",3,536,609,0,"pending",5,false,true,[18,18,18,18,18,24,18,24,18,24],1,[26],{"id":27,"slug":28,"name":29,"role":30,"bio":31},"01kjstcdr58f9s3637cyr5ahyp","rina-kent-bwo5","Rina Kent","author","Writing under a pen name, Rina Kent is a New York Times, USA Today, and number-one bestselling author of dark romance, known for centering anti-heroes and villains: characters readers are not supposed to fall for but do. She grew up in London in a multilingual household where English, French, and Arabic were all spoken, and she still leads a deliberately private life there. By her own account she traces the fascination back to childhood, when an early attachment to a villain set her on a lifelon...",[33,37,41,45],{"id":34,"name":35,"slug":36,"is_fiction":22},33,"Contemporary Romance","contemporary-romance",{"id":38,"name":39,"slug":40,"is_fiction":22},4,"Romance","romance",{"id":42,"name":43,"slug":44,"is_fiction":22},36,"LGBTQ+ Romance","lgbtq-romance",{"id":46,"name":47,"slug":48,"is_fiction":22},37,"Dark Romance","dark-romance",[50,55,59,64,68],{"id":51,"name":52,"description":53,"role":54,"is_spoiler":21},"01KVBB1GQWA0HQMHHJKSFCPARF","Gareth Carson","A law student and dutiful Carson heir hiding dark, violent urges.","protagonist",{"id":56,"name":57,"description":58,"role":54,"is_spoiler":21},"01kjvxwc1es3v48fpzjgg6rb3v","Kayden Lockwood","A controlling, calculating criminal-law professor with a hidden agenda tied to Gareth's family.",{"id":60,"name":61,"description":62,"role":63,"is_spoiler":21},"01kq33zdqk9ref8jc860r86h9f","Niko","Gareth's cousin.","supporting",{"id":65,"name":66,"description":67,"role":63,"is_spoiler":21},"01kjxg065gq0dhv97t8acsx887","Harper","Gareth's girlfriend early in the story.",{"id":69,"name":70,"description":71,"role":63,"is_spoiler":22},"01kjy2pdxayxh8y7y9ekqpz015","Lady Cassandra","Kayden's deceased wife, central to his motivations.",[73,76],{"id":74,"name":75,"description":7,"is_fictional":21,"real_world_location":7},"01kkca2gn86026g5c8npscv0ch","A classroom",{"id":77,"name":78,"description":7,"is_fictional":22,"real_world_location":7},"01kwweastkes7kdxk75trkmdqv","King's U",[80,83,86,88,91,94,97,100,103,106],{"id":81,"name":47,"type":82},"01kjq6vwfxtygzjwmpq3fxhkh7","subject",{"id":84,"name":85,"type":82},"01kjq6vs83d74v5bndm9cypm8p","M M Romance",{"id":87,"name":39,"type":82},"01kjq6vr3m8qn7pggm93dmpeqh",{"id":89,"name":90,"type":82},"01kjq6vwctyppja15d5hegkbtn","Dark",{"id":92,"name":93,"type":82},"01kjq6ypn0p08drz3t48p720ms","Enemies To Lovers",{"id":95,"name":96,"type":82},"01kjq6ypnadjepx4b9nb5xw8bn","College",{"id":98,"name":99,"type":82},"01kjq6yv38zz58fc2azzfc42jj","Lgbt",{"id":101,"name":102,"type":82},"01kjq6vr3fcedg3h4dbn78sgkb","Contemporary",{"id":104,"name":105,"type":82},"01kjstk28wm3ysqjjn07xzedm2","Bdsm",{"id":107,"name":108,"type":82},"01kjrg9aztn3zsyd6cj1aer2qs","Asexual",[110],{"id":111,"slug":112,"name":113,"position":114,"is_main_entry":22,"parent_id":7,"parent_slug":7,"parent_name":7},"01knbhcph2879cryvm0vgz4shk","villain-pxdw","The Villain","1.00",[116,126],{"id":117,"title":6,"edition_name":7,"format":118,"format_label":119,"page_count":120,"audio_duration_minutes":7,"narrator":7,"publish_date":121,"cover_url":11,"cover_blurhash":7,"isbn_13":122,"asin":7,"publisher":123,"language":10,"quality_score":124,"submission_status":125},"01kjz6g4wd6ex9nh5bppfs5hfv","paperback","Paperback",512,"2025-03-18","9781685451134","Blackthorn Books, LLC",10,"approved",{"id":127,"title":6,"edition_name":7,"format":128,"format_label":129,"page_count":130,"audio_duration_minutes":7,"narrator":7,"publish_date":131,"cover_url":132,"cover_blurhash":133,"isbn_13":134,"asin":7,"publisher":135,"language":10,"quality_score":124,"submission_status":125},"01kjz6g5swaep0v2e5v8qzbtx3","unknown","Unknown",560,"2025","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Fcovers\u002Feditions\u002F01\u002F01kjz6g5swaep0v2e5v8qzbtx3.jpg","L28}PX-;00D$^nWBjEDjD8IU?[V[","9781911746133","Evermore",{"summary":137,"pace":138,"complexity":138,"complexity_score":38,"audience":139,"mood":140,"themes":145,"setting_period":102,"content_warnings":149},"Golden-boy law student Gareth Carson hides violent urges beneath his polished Carson-heir image — until a dangerous stranger from one reckless night reappears as Kayden Lockwood, his controlling new criminal-law professor with an agenda tied to Gareth's family. Their antagonistic professor-student entanglement turns obsessive and lethal. A standalone dark MM romance in Rina Kent's Legacy of Gods universe.","moderate","adult",[141,142,143,144],"dark","tense","spicy","romantic",[146,147,148],"enemies-to-lovers","morally-grey","forbidden-love",[150,151],"sexual-content","violence",{"id":117,"title":6,"edition_name":7,"format":118,"format_label":119,"page_count":120,"audio_duration_minutes":7,"publish_date":121,"cover_url":11,"cover_blurhash":13,"isbn_13":122,"asin":7,"publisher":123,"language":10},[],"2026-03-04T08:01:57.000000Z",{"data":156,"links":216,"meta":217},[157,186,201],{"id":158,"slug":159,"title":160,"user":161,"work_id":4,"is_draft":21,"verified_reader":22,"featured":21,"body":168,"overall_rating":20,"depth":20,"momentum":20,"atmosphere":20,"craft":20,"impact":20,"spice":20,"spoiler_level":169,"locale":10,"feed_item_key":170,"like_count":38,"comment_count":18,"top_likers":171,"viewer_can_reply":21,"created_at":184,"updated_at":185},"01kwvrq2z5hj5qcknqwapddemq","review-of-kiss-the-villain-by-paige","Review of \"Kiss the Villain\" by paige",{"id":162,"name":163,"username":164,"avatar_url":165,"is_system":21,"published_reviews_count":166,"books_read_count":167},482,"paige 🦇","paige","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Favatars\u002F482.webp?v=1782535408",44,58,"I can’t believe *Kiss the Villain* was my first Rina Kent book because it definitely won’t be my last! I was completely hooked from the first few chapters. The chemistry, the tension, and the emotional rollercoaster kept me turning pages way past my bedtime.\n\nI loved how flawed and complex the characters were, and the banter and angst were exactly what I look for in a dark romance. Rina Kent has a way of making you fall for morally grey characters that you probably shouldn’t love—but absolutely do.","none","rv-01kwvrq2z5hj5qcknqwapddemq",[172,176,180],{"id":173,"name":174,"username":7,"avatar_url":175,"is_system":21},345,"Roudayna El hazgui","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Favatars\u002F345.webp?v=1780612170",{"id":177,"name":178,"username":7,"avatar_url":179,"is_system":21},421,"Fatma","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Favatars\u002F421.webp?v=1779832402",{"id":181,"name":182,"username":7,"avatar_url":183,"is_system":21},2,"Sabri Ben Chaabane","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Favatars\u002F2.webp?v=1783102436","2026-07-06T13:08:40.000000Z","2026-07-06T16:38:32.000000Z",{"id":187,"slug":188,"title":189,"user":190,"work_id":4,"is_draft":21,"verified_reader":22,"featured":21,"body":7,"overall_rating":38,"depth":7,"momentum":7,"atmosphere":7,"craft":7,"impact":7,"spice":7,"spoiler_level":169,"locale":7,"feed_item_key":196,"like_count":24,"comment_count":18,"top_likers":197,"viewer_can_reply":21,"created_at":199,"updated_at":200},"01kws0ks7g8a2n82vxb0y9zmyd","review-of-kiss-the-villain-by-tara","Review of \"Kiss the Villain\" by tara",{"id":191,"name":192,"username":193,"avatar_url":194,"is_system":21,"published_reviews_count":20,"books_read_count":195},498,"Tara","tara","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Favatars\u002F498.webp?v=1782897530",23,"rv-01kws0ks7g8a2n82vxb0y9zmyd",[198],{"id":173,"name":174,"username":7,"avatar_url":175,"is_system":21},"2026-07-05T11:28:57.000000Z","2026-07-05T15:59:25.000000Z",{"id":202,"slug":203,"title":204,"user":205,"work_id":4,"is_draft":21,"verified_reader":21,"featured":21,"body":212,"overall_rating":15,"depth":7,"momentum":7,"atmosphere":7,"craft":7,"impact":7,"spice":7,"spoiler_level":169,"locale":7,"feed_item_key":213,"like_count":18,"comment_count":18,"top_likers":214,"viewer_can_reply":21,"created_at":215,"updated_at":215},"01kqps8w9hyvmwd9c4d4jf0wzs","review-of-kiss-the-villain-by-nyx","Review of \"Kiss the Villain\" by nyx",{"id":206,"name":207,"username":208,"avatar_url":209,"is_system":21,"published_reviews_count":210,"books_read_count":211},185,"Nyx","nyx","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fstorage\u002Favatars\u002F185.webp?v=1777807436",279,282,"This was my very first time reading a book by Rina Kent—and I think that’s kind of an important thing to mention right off the bat.\nIf someone’s already read her other books and then comes to this one, of course their opinion might be different from mine, since I started with this as my intro to her world. Just something to keep in mind!\nNow, let’s talk about the character development.\nHonestly? I liked it. I think the author gave it enough time and focus. Some descriptions felt a little repetitive or over-the-top here and there, but overall, I found it enjoyable.\nThe two main characters are Kayden and Gareth—and I really, really connected with Gareth.\nThat actually surprised me. So many of his fears, worries, and mental struggles felt similar to my own, and that made his character feel extra special to me.\nSomething else I noticed: the world-building could’ve been a bit more detailed. Maybe it’s because I jumped into this book without reading any of the other Legacy of Gods books in the same world, so I was missing a bit of context. I definitely found myself wishing for more information about certain side characters—but then again, a lot of them seem to have their own books, so I guess if I want to learn more, I need to read those too.\nOne thing I really loved, though, was Gareth’s family dynamic. I won’t go into details because of spoilers, but it really stood out to me in the sweetest way. The way everything slowly starts fitting together—like puzzle pieces—it was just so lovely to watch unfold.\nThat said, I do need to mention this:\nIf age gap romances or certain triggers bother you, this might not be the book for you.\nWhile I was checking out reviews on Goodreads, I saw a lot of negative ones. Some readers weren’t familiar with the MM genre at all and had only read Rina’s other books. They skipped over the trigger warnings and dove in—and ended up a bit shocked. So yeah, please make sure you’re okay with the themes before you start. And definitely, definitely read a few other MM books first before picking this one up.\nAnother thing I realized—even though I haven’t read Rina’s other books yet—is that there seems to be a big difference between her MM romances and her straight ones. So don’t expect them to feel the same!\nThe language itself wasn’t hard at all. It’s actually pretty easy to read, and if you sit down with it, I think you’ll fly through it.\nPersonally? I really liked it. I connected with it.\nSure, it had its little flaws—some things felt a bit too emphasized—but I loved the pull between the two main characters, how their bond slowly formed, how close they grew. That kind of emotional build-up really works for me. I think for any reader, it’s important whether or not you can connect with the characters, and for me, that totally happened here.\nOne last thing: I wish the plot had been a bit more complex. It had the potential for it, and I would’ve loved to see more depth.\nBut still—I didn’t put pressure on myself while reading. I just let myself enjoy it, and it turned out to be a really cute experience overall.\nSo, if you're thinking about reading your first MM book—maybe don’t start with this one. Try a few others first.\nAnd make sure you see it as something separate from Rina Kent’s straight romances. A lot of readers did that with God of Fury too (I haven’t read that one yet, but something tells me I might like it even more than Kiss the Villain).\nStill, this book? It gave me a sweet little experience I’m glad I had.","rv-01kqps8w9hyvmwd9c4d4jf0wzs",[],"2026-05-03T11:23:41.000000Z",{"first":7,"last":7,"prev":7,"next":7},{"path":218,"per_page":219,"next_cursor":7,"prev_cursor":7,"has_more":21},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.seekquel.app\u002Fapi\u002Fworks\u002F01kjvxwbxhtq1eyx4a069pv40c\u002Freviews",20]