Cruel When He Smiles: Sinners of Blackthorne U, Book 3

"You need this. You need someone to see you, and break you, and rebuild you until you don't have to carry the weight of your pain anymore." "I'm the one who saw past the armor you wear. I'm the one who noticed the cracks before anyone else did. And I'm the one who's not going anywhere." "Love is for the ones who feel without twisting it. You and me? We don't feel that way. We claim. We obesses. We possess. That's what our fathers gave us." "Because for the first time in my entire life, I know what I want. You're the only thing I've ever touched that didn't feel like punishment. " "He's the kind of beautiful that gets mistaken for delicate." "We're not meant for pretty, for clean lines or gentle edges. We're sharp corners and broken glass, held together by obesession and something so twisted it can't be called pure. But none of that matters, because this is ours." Avery has become one of my favorite authors as of late. Everything I have read by this author has been full of passion and emotion. She has a phenomenal gift of building up the characters arcs, personalities, appearances, and back stories. I've never seen an author flesh out a character so much. This is probably one of the best series I have ever read. This series keeps getting better with each book. This story, in particular, is my favorite thus far. This author really writes trauma so well. It's not only realistic, but raw and gritty. You feel the pain. You feel the grief. This story is not for the faint of…

⚽️ 🐶 🗡 Alright. Damon and Roman took me through the ringer. Luca and Sage broke my heart. Liam and Nate had me staring at the wall contemplating life. This isn't a love story. This is a push and pull of the psyche, a bending of the mind and will until it conforms perfectly with another. Liam is the golden boy, soccer captain, perfect smile, always saying the right thing. Nate, on the same team, sees right through the mask and hates him for it. It starts as a game, Liam taking Nate's hatred and trying to break him. The mind games between these two are brutal. The games turn into obsession. The obsession turns to ownership. But for Liam and Nate, its ownership of the mind, body and soul. I don't know what Avery Collins sprinkles on her pages and in her words but its magic! This story was a journey, and I loved every second. I am obsessed with this series and these broken boys. Very excited for what's next!! Started: February 19th, 2026 Finished: February 23rd, 2026 Format: Kindle

Holy crow, I have no idea why it took me so long to start this series, because I’m completely obsessed. Yes, I know I’ve said that a million times already, but seriously, I’m at a loss for any other word for it. Liam and Nate are the perfect twisted pair. This book is absolutely nuts, and I love every dark, messy moment of it. These two are certifiable, no doubt, and they might just be my favorite couple so far, but it’s tough to say because, well, I’m obsessed. Hahahaha. I’m going back and re-reading Wicked When He Cries and then diving back into the whole series. I devoured it so fast that I know I missed something, and I need to catch it all. Avery, your books are wicked good, deliciously dark, and exactly the twisted kind of read I live for. Thank you for creating this world! Sincerely, your newest (and most obsessed) fan!

Im glad to see this series grow, but this wasn't my favorite. It was hard to keep my attention through it, and maybe its just me, and life going on that affects my reaction to this book. It was also different from the other books in the series. It read more as an almost mafia-like dark romance as opposed to a college dark romance. Just caught me off guard a little. Its still a good story. It took me a minute to find the twist. It built up other characters that im looking forward to learning more about in their own stories. 3.7 ☆

Liam and Nates story had me feeling so many emotions and my heart broke for both of them. The way they both were manipulated and molded by the people who should have loved them unconditionally is horrible, but life brought them together for a purpose. They were walking through life with no feeling, internalizing everything, ticking time bombs waiting to explode, but love refuses to let them self destruct. I have devoured this series with all the characters being so flawed yet absolutely perfect and real. I highly recommend this story, but there are heavy topics so I strongly recommend reading the triggers before you begin reading and if you have not read the other books in this series I recommend reading them in order for a better reading experience.