When something is forbidden, it becomes maddeningly tempting.Judas Barron, for example. Wicked blue blood and heir to a severely twisted cutthroat society.Everyone knew who he was and what crew he ran with—a clandestine group of filthy rich kids surrounded by ominous secrets. Secrets that were rumored to be dark, dirty, and stained with blood.It was never my intention to get tangled up with them, … intention to get tangled up with them, but Judas and I had a secret too, one he was determined to make sure I took with me to my grave, which meant keeping me by his side.
Now forced to be part of a savage coterie, I start to see his world through a new pair of eyes. It isn’t long before temptation becomes something dangerous and wild, breeding the sickest kind of infatuation.
And those secrets Judas keeps?
They’re about to tear my life apart.
WARNING
Before beginning this series please be aware that while LK is mild in terms of darkness, the following books in this series will be on a drastically different level, containing graphic violence, total power-control, explicit sexual content, and varying triggers. LK is a percursor that sets the stage for the rest of the series. 18+ only.
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This book is super intense, gripping and faced paced..The story is unbelievably good.Every character here drips some kind of power.Judan Baron is a beast who sparks fire by just looking..His possessive nature made him more appealing and he is truely unforgettable.Mafia hugh school romance is totally new for me and I enjoyed every single page. Cant wait to read more!!
5 STARS
Review by Leah
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
I have been told time and time again to read Natalie Bennett and for some reason or another I just have not picked up one of her books yet. Well, I finally did with Lawless by Natalie Bennett and OMG this book is a smooth as butter. Just an amazing bully romance. Not your normal bully romance of “I don’t like you but maybe I do under all this gruff exterior”. This is a dark Savage bully romance. And Natalie’s little “this is not as dark as normal” intrigued me more.
I freaking love Judah. This guy is twisted as heck. There is no mask his sweet lovey side is hiding behind. What you see is what you get. And what he wants he gets and no one stops him.
Rhiannon is a perfect little spitfire for Judah. A queen for the king. She gives as good and she gets with Judah.
I will say I am dying for the next book in this series. I wanna read all of their stories. So freaking good. Dark and Twisted just like I like them.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
One town. One school. One illicit affair that will span a lifetime. When something is forbidden, it becomes maddeningly tempting. Judas Barron, for example. Wicked blue blood and heir to a severely twisted cutthroat society. Everyone knew who he was ans what crew he ran with, a clandestine group of filthy rich kids surrounded by ominous secrets. Secrets that were rumored to be dark, dirty, and stained with blood. It was never my intention to get tangled up with them, but Judas and I had a secret too, one he was determined to make sure I took with me to my grave, which meant keeping me by his side. Now forced to be part of a savage coterie, I start to see his world through a new pair of eyes. It isn’t long before temptation becomes something dangerous and wild, breeding the sickest kind of infatuation.. And those secrets that Judas keeps? The’re about to tear my life apart.
Wow!!!! Holy Wow!!! If you want a book that your not going to be able to put down and not stop thinking about then Lawless Kingdom is that book. I loved every single second of it and need more like right now. Rhiannon and Judas has quiet the story to tell and I am not going to ruin it by telling you anything about it. If you like your stories dark then you do not want to miss this one.
This is a new to me author and one I have heard many great things about so I was excited to finally try.
This book was only a slight glimpse of how epic she can be I’m sure, so I will definitely be looking out for more of this series.
From the start you will be drawn in, wondering what on earth is going on and by the end your head will be spinning.
The characters and plot have so many layers to them, I can’t wait to uncover more inthe continuation of book 2.
I understand now why I’ve heard rave reviews about this author if this is her normal style.
Will definitely be reading more from her.
Lawless Kingdom was everything I wanted it to be and then some! All the dark bully romance, the secrets and lies, twists and turns and an HFN ending that will definitely leave you wanting more. Judas and Rhiannon were an explosive duo with chemistry and a lot of skeletons in their closets that we have yet to discover… Honestly, I feel like LK just scratched the surface of what’s in store for us with these two and now I’m left with way more questions than answers and a book hangover to match! I cannot wait for Savage Gods!
This is the first book in the Reign & Ruin series, and the story of Judas, and Rhiannon. This was a dark read, twisted, gritty, intense, depraved, suspenseful, mysterious, and steamy. The characters are well written, and have great chemistry, and I look forward to continuing this series.
Rhiannon’s world is about to change as she knows it. When she ends up with the attention of Judas Barron, the king of the school, she is unsure just how that happened. But as her world keeps changing, it doesn’t take long for her to figure out just how that happened. After more secrets are revealed, Rhiannon is going to have to make a choice, does she play her role willingly or unwillingly?
I can not wait to see how this all plays out in the next story! We have come to expect a certain level of dirty, nasty, and a tad bit gruesome with Natalie Bennett’s stories, and she does not disappoint. Very good first story, sucks you in and doesn’t let go; I give this 5 stars.
Lawless Kingdom is AMAZING!! Must read! 5 dark, twisted stars! I love Natalie Bennett’s twisted mind, if I could live in there I would! Judas Barron is a complete psychopath and I LOVE HIM! It’s a dark and twisted Romeo and Juliet.
I love with the hot alpha a-hole gets taken down by a woman Judas meets his match in Rhiannon. She takes him down without even trying. Rhiannon is trust into a world she didn’t even know existed and doesn’t show weakness.
Lawless Kingdom is the perfect start to the Reign and Ruin series, and I cannot wait to see what she gives us next! This book was on the tamer side for Natalie Bennett. I thought it the first time I read it in Noble Savages and still think it now. However, I now know it’s book one in the series and it’s the introduction to them. But what an introduction it was.
A bully romance with a Natalie Bennett twist? Sign me up immediately!
I loved this couples backstory, and their ride to a relationship. Well, I use relationship loosely here, but they definitely took quite a journey to get to it, and it most certainly had some bumps in it that others don’t.
Judas is building an empire in a sense, on a mission to become, not merely a King, but a God amongst his peers. And what he needs is a Goddess molded perfectly to his brand of mayhem.
Rhiannon doesn’t want to be the queen, but she can’t seem to stay away either, not by choice anyways. She definitely has conflicting feelings about what Jude brings out in her.
Absolute perfection in these pages.
I need the next book after that ending.
This is the 1st on a new series and what a fantastic introduction this is! Judas is extremely possessive with Rhiannon but appears to hate her as well. No spoilers: this is a definite must read, you will not be disappointed. This is a well written story which is dark, intense, raw, gritty, twisted and with secrets, which all lead to an all-consuming and riveting page turner. I cannot wait to read #2 in this fascinating series. Be aware that there may be triggers for some readers!
A bully romance by a go to author for me! Smart move. Really smart. I think what draws me is the sharp dialogue that you must have when reading a bully genre book.
I started this, and could not put it down. Thank goodness I’m working from home! I could sleep later than normal!
This has started out with such intensity. But, hey, that’s a Bennett hallmark!
Got to love the main characters name “Judas,” right? Oh my Rhia, where will Judas take you two? I will go with you! Can’t wait for the next!
I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Lawless Kingdom (Reign and Ruin book1) by Natalie Bennett is at it again. This time there is Rhiannon, a girl who feels like an out cast in her own family. She doesn’t look like her mother or her father. Rhiannon is both beautiful and shapely. She is a good girl, respectful of her parents but has thoughts that aren’t quite right. When her and her bestfriend go to an exclusive party she comes across a captivating guy. She has no clue their paths have crossed and the plans he has for her. Judas has had his eye on Rhiannon for a while and he wants her to be his Queen to the kingdom. Judas and his circle are as close as they are deadly and get quite the pleasure in their devious activities. There are many secrets to this story which I look forward to discovering. I also love this author’s stories on the truly sick, twisted and devious with their personal added kinky sex. Just can’t get enough of these two, Rhiannon and Judas. Two extremely good looking sexy and twisted individuals. A King and Queen together in depraved desires. 4 stars for me.
This story gave my black little heart all the feels. Natalie Bennett definitely is amazing at what she does! This story is dark and twisted has a great story plot. This is the story of Rhia and Jude they are in their senior year of high school and Rhia can not help herself around Jude but knows he is bad for her. This is a phenomenal prequel beginning to a series. I love that Rhia is not weak and has plans of her own! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
First off I am just going to say…DANNNNNGGGG! This book was fabulous! I absolutely devoured it in one sitting from start to finish. The characters and their intense chemistry was insanely addicting. The suspense as to what is coming has me reeling and I’ve been reeling for days now after I finished the book. Exactly what you would need for a dark and delicious read. I don’t want to spoil anything, so read the book. You won’t regret it. That is for sure! If you love dark and suspenseful, this is the book you’re looking for.
Exciting and edgy!! Natalie takes you into a world of mystery! She’s engulfed my mind with Lawless Kingdom wondering what’s in store next! Amazing book and intrigued of what’s to come!!
***4 “WTH???” stars***
“Even toxic things can be beautiful.”
Darn!!! I wasn’t expecting for this book to end in a sort of cliffy!!!
Darn!!! And now, I’m burning inside to find out how this story will end up after all…
This was a dark fucked up story!!! Nothing unusual for Natalie Bennett i will add!!!
It started a little bit crazy with that prologue and then it proceed like a normal bully romance story, until … it wasn’t!!! Nothing romanting in here!!! None!!!
This story was intense, dark, wild, immoral…. It was fucking with your head and morality, but still… It was so intoxicating!!! I need more… and soon!!!!
“Everything happens for a reason, right? Even things that fuck with your head and your heart.”
Well, Rhiannon is a normal girl with normal activities… Or isn’t she???
Her first time proved us that she had a very dark side…
And then the royalty of the town has setting his eyes upon her and her world is starting to change…
,i>”Judas hadn’t come into my life to save me. He was the catalyst that would destroy me.”
Judas Barron is not your normal guy….
He is a little bit too much of everything… He is very intense and possessive of Rhiannon and he is determined that even though he supposed to hate her, that she is going to be his and only his…
The truth is that Judas and his friends are very shady human beings and they are having too many dark secrets…
“Rhiannon Clermont was a goddamn siren. Too damn beautiful for my world of depravity and sin. Yet, at the same time, so fucking right for it.
All I wanted to do was consume her entirely, drag her into it and make sure she’d never find a way out.”
So what is happening in this town and with these three royal families???
What secrets are hiding Judas and his friends???
How Rhiannon is fitting into his world???
And what are the secrets that are surrounding her own existence???
She and Judas are really in love with each other or they are just toxic as hell???
So what the hell is happening in here????
“We’re not enemies and we’re not friends. We’re something that holds more meaning and can’t be labeled.”
“That doesn’t make sense. What does that even mean?”
“It’s not supposed to make sense. It’s meant to be twisted, dirty, and chaotic. Like us.”
As you can understand i have a shitload of questions in here and i can not wait to receive the answers…
Judas was a crazy, manipulative and not so right on his head man, but still he was a very appealing, even though complicated character….
But for once again, as in almost every other book that i have read by Natalie Bennett, i really don’t know if the heroine should stay with him at the end…
The romance, if i can call it that way, is a little bit twisted…
Ughhhh!!! Of course, Rhiannon was a fantastic heroine and i loved that she was trying to fight off Judas, even though at the end, she was under his fucked up spell…
I only have an advice for her!!! Run, girl!!! Run far away from all these fucked up persons!!!! Bahaha…
“So, what? You’re my hero now? My gallant white knight?”
“No. A hero is altruistic. They don’t expect things in return.”
“And you do?”
“Yeah… You. Every fucking part of you.”
I’d being sarcastic. I had a feeling he wasn’t.
*********************************************
“If only she knew there was nothing wrong with being a little monstrous. Every single one of us had a darkness within ourselves. Most feared it, some fought it with light, others ignored it, and people like me? We fucking thrived off it.”
***I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
What an intriguing and captivating start to a new series! And, a surprising turn for our beloved savage queen of darkness- we mostly have a (light) bully romance here- but with a dark and twisted future ahead. Natalie is also a great creator of worlds (Savages) or dark sub-worlds within a contemporary one (Dahlia series), but this one is 100% contemporary and 100% a high school bully love-hate, and I am here for it! (and we do have a few twisted scenes (not as graphic and grotesque as Natalie’s usual- mostly implied vs. described))
“We were a new age Romeo and Juliet, but for one of us our curtain call would come with a much more satisfying ending, and a sinister twist.”
And, holy depraved kink- that first chapter pulls you right in and warns you of the twisted, toxic attraction to come. Our story centers on the explosive and dynamic chemistry between our two main characters- Judas and Rhiannon. Rhiannon is witty, dry, and feisty- but, the best part about her is she’s instinctual and open- she doesn’t second guess her attractions or gut instincts, she doesn’t try to put herself in some box, she just goes with it- and this makes her character development interesting and leaves a lot of space for us to explore the darkness Judas apparently sees in her (we are left wondering more!). Judas is your class dark, demented alpha king- moving al the chess pieces around, wickedly good looking, excellent at concealing his true nature, somehow sinister and charismatic all at once. He both loves and hates Rhia- and the start to form a toxic interest and codependence that is magnetic. He both dominates her and lusts after her- and she likes it. He makes his intentions to keep her clear, but what exactly that means time will tell.
The bully part is light both because we blissfully have a dual POV and because Judas makes his intentions clear early on- which I appreciate. We get in both character’s heads straight away, and we aren’t left second guessing motives- rather, we are just trying to figure out everyone’s secrets, understand what the true reality is in the world that Judas inhabits, and are deeply invested in Rhiannon’s reaction to it. There are still secrets to unpack, including just what Rhiannon is willing to do. (you can sense the chaos and darkness starting to spark within her)
If you are a Natalie lover like me, you’ll find the darkness, depravity, and grotesqueness that is the undercurrent of her twisted stories is much lighter here than normal- and it still works for me, both because you can see there is much more at play than what we learn in this first installment and we have tiny snippets of the brutality we can expect from Judas and gang as well as the darkness that lies in Rhiannon…..and, we also have the book snippet, in which Natalie full out warns us that more darkness is to come. Be warned, this is the first of a series, and it will leave you wanting MORE. I can’t wait for Book 2 and the tangled, depraved, toxic web that is the story of Judas and Rhiannon:
Judas: “Even after I destroy your world, I promise I’ll be there to help you pick up the shattered pieces.”
Rhiannon: “…why would you put it back together.”
Judas: “Because I get to rebuilt it however I want.”
No one does toxic, dark, and depraved relationships like Natalie- SO excited for this series!
Love these characters and how easy they were to follow and like and hate at the same time. Natalie Bennett has a way with words, a way to twist and flip the story that makes me love every book she writes
This book moves pretty fast, the storyline flows quickly and before you know it you’re at the end craving the next book in the story
As usual, This book did not disappoint and I look forward to the next one from the mind of this author !!
“It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t sweet. Nevertheless, it grew into something bigger than either of us expected. He could’ve had anyone. I could’ve been free. The moment he chose me, we became an endless, infinite us.”
Okay, first things first. I love me some Natalie Bennett. There is no denying that fact. She is my go-to queen for all things dark and disturbing. So, when I found out she had written a high school bullymance I was pretty excited. Hell I was fucking giddy. Confession time: I am a total whore for bully books. All the drama and angst. Ugh. Be still my heart. But all those books don’t come with that splash of darkness I so crave. Needless to say, I had to get my grabby hands all over it.
This is the story of Judas and Rhiannon and the fucked up world they live in. I swear, all these high school stories I read, the kids are just living these crazy ass lives. Drugs, sex, booze. Okay, I mean that part’s normal. I was in high school once, just saying. But where are the damn parents of these kids?! Coming and going all night, attending wild ass ragers. And this story is no exception. These kids have secret societies, are committing serious felonies…jesus. The only thing I was worried about in high school was how to get out of P.E. for the day. Dodgeball anyone?
The guys in this story are running murder mafias. So much more dedicated than I was at their age.
Anyway, as much as I loved the concept of this book, I was slightly let down. I never thought I would write such a thing about one of Natalie’s books but an honest review is all you will get from me. This might be a bit spoilery, but to me, this wasn’t a bully romance. I expected Judas to fuck with Rhiannon every moment possible. Turn her life into a living hell. That’s what a bully does, right? But he didn’t. He was not a bully at all. I am dissapoint. Insert frowny face. He was, however, super alpha and had a dangerous aura about him that I loved. The story was too short for my tastes as well. I so wished it was a bit longer. So many parts could have been filled in more.
I will say this. It did satiate my dark needs. Their relationship was anything but normal. Full of secrets and insane twists. They were ultimately perfect for one another. And it left me wanting more. I’m crossing my fingers for a follow-up soon.
“We were a new aged Romeo and Juliet, but our curtain call would come with much more satisfying ending and sinister twist.”
This new series from Natalie Bennett is completely intriguing and captivating. I especially love the names of the families Barron, Rook & Knight. Natalie has a way of taking something like chess and turning it into a deadly love filled with obsession. Rhiannon is such a feisty, no nonsense, speak her mind young woman who takes no crap off anyone. She doesn’t care about what people think of her, but just like any young woman she has had her own body issues. But when the big bad wolf finds little red he always gets his feast one way or another. But will little red really just let the wolf truly have her? Or will she fight back and show everyone what darkness she hides away from everyone she loves. But as a Judas likes to remind her he adores her darkness and wants her to be who she’s always meant to be. But will Judas’ game of chess end with him capturing the queen and surviving or will the queen eventually destroy him and herself. Only time will tell what fate has in store for these two dark souls and who Rhiannon’s “parents” are and what deadly games do they continue to play. Still lots of questions left to be answered that only Natalie Bennett can in her wonderfully beautiful twisted world of love.