Reckless Little Game (Crimson College Book 3)

ARC Review of Reckless Little Game Book 3 in the Crimson College Series by Raleigh Ruebins. This book is part of an interconnected series but can be read as a standalone. This is a 5 star read for me. I love love love this book so much. It is a dark MM romance and it sucked me in from the very first page I didn’t want to put it down. I absolutely love Sev and Wes and am addicted to their tension and their banter, they are complete opposites and can’t stand each other but they are so cute together I cant help but swoon. I loved all the suspense and drama in this book along with the soft tender vulnerable moments. This is a MM, spicy, mutual bi awakening, enemies to lovers, bad boy and golden boy, rival secret societies, dark college romance. Weston (Wes) is a junior at Crimson College and he is a member of Onyx one of the secret societies on campus. Sevan (Sev) is also a junior at Crimson College and he is a member of Double Daggers one of the other secret societies on campus. The Double Daggers and Onyx are rival societies. Wes and Sev hate each other they have disliked each other since they met. Wes strives on order, is a rule follower and doesn’t like violence, he also doesn’t do hook ups. Sev has a bad boy reputation, he likes fighting, and he is a lone wolf he doesn’t want a relationship at all. Wes is referred to as Frat Dad by his friends and called Sheriff by Sev because of his need to follow the rules and need to keep everyone safe. After things go wrong at a invite…

I read the book previous to this, but I haven't read book 1. Which I am definitely going to do to just close some holes I have. Especially because in book 2 Sevan is in a wheelchair with 2 broken legs and he definitely doesn't come across big scary dude like he does in this book. So ya, I need some answers. But even without book 1, you can figure it out. And so we get Sevan, cousin to one of the 3 brothers featured in this trilogy but not the other two because different moms. Good thing because that could get awkward. The brother featured in this book is Wes. The uptight, plays by the rules guy. So much that he has earned the moniker of Frat Dad. He and Sevan have crossed paths before and it was never good. It was usually Sevan causing some type of trouble and Wes kicking him out of the function. Plus they are in competing frats. One thing that didn't make a lot of sense to me was Wes' motivation at the beginning. I mean, I know it is explained. But it still doesn't seem like something he would do. And how it was going to achieve his goal. (obv vague bc spoilers!) As with most enemies to lovers, that part moves fast. And that is when we see that Sevan is actually...not fragile, but has feelings? Isn't always the big tough guy? And because of that I really enjoyed seeing them together as a couple. Too many times I feel like the one who is a jerk stays a jerk way too long so by the time he is redeemed, he doesn't deserve the redemption. But Sevan does. I liked this book…

I didn’t read the first 2 books. This is amazing mm read that I enjoyed reading and devoured this fast paced read.

3.5 Okay so again my silly self got this book not knowing there was a book 1&2 before, but I still knew what was going on and I loved the two MCs. I love a college dark mafi@ romance! Weston and Sev are so hot together! I loved that they both were so obsessed with each other. I'm going to go back and read books 1&2.

Sevan has always had a feud with Weston, believing they were complete opposites in every way imaginable. However, everything changes when Weston crashes a party, proving Sev that he was far from the truth. Weston isn’t the uptight “sheriff” he’s portrayed himself to be. Now Sev is drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Will Sev’s newfound obsession change things for the better, or will this game leave the tables overturned? Weston had always believed that the hatred Sevan has for him was unprecedented. But things take a turn when Wes is presented with the exact circumstances he had planned. Realizing that he may have made the biggest mistake he has ever made. Now the person he disliked the most is the one person he can't live without. But he has secrets and the risk of losing Sev is greater than he ever thought. Can they win this game as teammates? Or will they forever be on opposite sides of the board? I really enjoyed these two. Their intense obsession for one another developed quickly, giving true meaning to the phrase “There's a thin line between love and hate.” The care and compassion Wes showed Sev when he found out about Sev's mother was so heartwarming, leading Sev to see what was underneath Wes’s thick armor. If you love Enemies to Lovers, secret society, and dark academia, then you’ll love this book.