Now, I’ve never been into bullymance. I never thought I’d enjoy that subgenre because why do I want to read about a man tearing his love interest down but also say he loves her? Then, I read Cruel King by Rina Kent and my entire opinion changed. She has me OBSESSED with this world she’s created and her twisted love interests.
I want to start off by making it absolutely clear that this is a DARK BULLY romance. I hate when readers rate a book low because it is dark and the male love interest is a bully. Like, this isn’t a walk in the park. There are dubious situations all over. Boundaries are pushed. Just because the characters are teens doesn’t mean this is a YA romance. You want a male love interest that is fucked up and not all that stable? You want an enemies to lovers romance? This will be great. It is steamy and has more plot than many other romances. But seriously, don’t go into this thinking it is just going to be name calling and that’s the extent of the bullying.
The characters themselves were pretty decent. Levi, I really enjoyed because he is such a mess and I’m a masochist for bad men that need fixing. He is possessive with daddy issues a mile long. His family is pretty fucked up, but even still, he’s considered the ‘normal’ one. Astrid is okay. She isn’t a doormat but she does easily fall under Levi’s sway. I like them together.
If you’re looking for a dark, bully romance, and are someone that isn’t looking for Shakespearean caliber writing, I absolutely recommend Cruel King by Rina Kent. While the story itself is good, the smut hot, what really makes me push this is the rest of the series. This is a solid foundation for the Royal Elite series which is beyond hot.
