The Vetrov name comes with expectation.My role in this world is simple: do as Father asks and live my life how he planned it.My future is already written: run the empire.Old Values. Old Rule. Old Money.Until her.Everything I do lacks purpose.Everything I do is empty.Women. Money. Power. It meant nothing.Until her.When the Volkov rose showed up at my home a disgraced package, hand-delivered by a … my home a disgraced package, hand-delivered by a Vasiliev prince, I began paving my own path.
I vowed to make her bloom once more.
She consumed me.
Her. Her. Her.
But you can’t love a rose and expect not to be damaged by her thorns.
She cut me too deep.
And I bled out.
My soul fled.
All that’s left is a cold, calculating monster.
I am Veniamin.
Volcanic. Victorious. Valiant. Vetrov.
When you enter my world to play games, prepare to lose.
In the end, I always find the thorn in my side, and I pluck it right out.
This is book two in The V Games series. Book one, Vlad, must be read in order to understand this story.
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Ven intrigued me in book one so I was very anxious to see where he and Diana would go. His story was EVERYTHING. I love dark, twisted reads and this series just speaks to my black heart. Ven and Diana are such a ruthless dynamo when they are together…both such strategic thinkers and willing to risk it all. And the V games…OH THE V GAMES! I was sucked in with how completely sadistic and corrupted they play out! I’m addicted to the Russian Mafia. And Ven’s cousins, the Madmen of Moscow, gave me chills and I just need MORE of them. I can’t wait for Vas’ book! He really stepped up for his family and I want him to takeover the Volkov powerhouse.
***5 ‘A Rose With Vicious Thorns’ Stars***
I loved and adored Vlad (the book as a whole) and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Ven (the book).
I NEEDED to know what was coming next for Diana and everyone else, because in this world it’s all about the chaotic, psychotic, dark, gory and bloody village and alls I can say is…
Move on over Vlad (the book), Ven (the book) just booted you out of the top spot.
I honestly didn’t think it would happen, and to absolutely honest both books had the same level of dark debauchery, violence, gore and smex going on, but the reason why Ven got the top spot has a lot to do with Diana and Ven themselves, and a few other things we’ll get to in a minute, but Diana and Ven were simply EVERYTHING.
Diana is my new girl crush. I mean this woman is strong, yet vulnerable. Calculating, yet compassionate and knows how to get things done. She is a force to be reckoned with. Ven is all kinds of alpha AF male: ruthless, determined, charming and OMFG smexy, but there is a touch of compassion in him that comes out and it makes him quite an enigma since he dances with the darkest of demons. Their journey was all kinds of goodness. These two fit perfectly together in every way. The sinkhole in their journey was a big one and the fall out was huge, but what comes out of it in the end was so worth it…especially the “grovelling” that takes place. That was awesome!
I loved everything about this book. The romance, the dark, gritty and disturbing things that happen throughout it ~ and believe me, the are dark and disturbing so be prepared. We do get to spend time with everyone we met in Vlad, some more than others, but my absolute favorites were Rodion and Zahkar ~ I NEED more of these two. Lots and lots more. And then there is Vas, he’s on the same level as R & N and after that epilogue I cannot wait to get my hands on his book because with all that happened, the craycray is gonna epic!
~ Copy provided via IndieSage PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
What can I say K&K strike again, I have to say this book blew me away fantastic storyline, and as usual they keep you on the edge of your seat biting your nails thinking what is going to happen next.
Ven and Diana are childhood friends which we will know from Vlad book, Diana must pay for the mistakes she made against Vlad, and that is the V games will she survive who knows, you bet she does she fights for her honour not for men or family and she comes out a queen but will she get her king Ven, she is his weakness his true love and once he sees her in the V games all bets are of he will claim her he will be victorious.
After reading Vlad’s story I couldn’t wait to dive into Ven’s. This story has more secrets being revealed, and was just as twisted as previous book. It had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Another great book!
We definitely get to see the dark, really dark side of the V Games. Amongst all of the depravity Diana finds her strength and does what she needs to do to find her peace.
After a terrible loss that both Ven & Diana experience Ven goes down a dark path. Once he is faced with possibly even more loss he fights for what he truly wants for his life.
Fave quote:
…It was fated long before our fathers decided shit. We made that decision. Maybe it was a silent one, but a decision nonetheless. The moment you kissed me in that hall when you were sixteen, we’ve been linked. I knew it, and I waited until you were ready.” “I’ll never be ready,” she chokes out. “You will,” I growl, and nip at her plump bottom lip. “And when I think you’re ready, I’ll be there for you.”—-with all of the devastation & loss Ven & Diana still fight to be together. Love can conquer the darkest of people.
Ven is the second book in The V Games and if you haven’t as yet read Vlad then please do, as this is one continuous story even though each book focuses on different leading characters.
This second instalment is much darker than the first in my opinion. There are scenes that I found very difficult to read. Much of the book, as well as highlighting Ven and Diana’s story, draws our attention to the preparation for those V Games that the authors I feel have pleasantly teased us about – which I have been intrigued to learn more about. I’ll be honest and say that what happens added an extra star to my overall rating of this book. I was not left disappointed with those scenes at all!
I cannot decide how I feel about Diana at the moment but I have an inkling that I will come to like her completely her in the end. What she has been through allows me to understand the reasons behind some of her actions, and I do admire the immense strength and determination that she possesses.
What is it about mafia men that makes me fall for them in the end? I must say that some of Ven’s actions tested my sentiments for him. I realise that this is a completely different world to the one I live in, but I’m not sure I could ever totally forgive him for some of the scenes he was involved in.
After everything that has happened in this book, I have no clue as to what will happen next, and I cannot wait to find out. I’m hoping that the authors will close this series with a book that ties up all the loose ends and is filled with many exciting scenes that I enjoy reading.
I loved book 1, but dang if book 2 wasnt even better! These characters and the story line are just awesome and just keeps getting better!
MIND BLOWN!!!!
O.M.F.G!!!!!!…. That ending was everything!
The whole installment was so enthralling and allconsuming!
This series just keeps getting better and better, even though I already thought it was amazing.
I’m so ready for VAS!
The V games are back! We finally have Vas’s book and I think I fell in love with this one! This is the third book in this series but can be read as a standalone, however it helps to get the full story if you read them in order. Vas has know Dayra, one of the slave girls, for a while. He has a soft spot for her but things are gonna change for them both when the truth of who she really is comes to light. Darya is one of Yuri’s slaves but no one expected what came next!! A total shock that would change everything. Tasked to train Alyona for the games and protect Darya at the same time, will Vas be able to keep it professional or will his feelings for Darya become to much to fight? We get all our favorite characters back together in this book. Told in dual POV.
Dare i say i loved this more than Vlad. because well its Ven and he’s just so good. I loved Diana and his story. And omg the actually V games as well!!! Was so epic. I loved everything in this book im excited for what is to come.
~She is beauty and grace wrapped in vines of chaos. She is my rose. My Diana.~
I loved this installment of The V Games. The strength of Diana, she is a force to be reckoned with. She rose up and put all those old world players in their place and showed them who is Queen!
Ven knew her worth and bided his time. He would make her his and together they would be the new world rulers!
Blood, money and power will be the spoils of war. Arising from the carnage, a new empire will be forged.
Ven and Diana’s story was everything I hoped it would be. Loyalty, love, lies,and deception rule the V games and only the strong and witty survive. Can Ven and Diana find their way to the end together or will the families step in and ruin it all.
Holy Moly!!!! This is the second book in the V Games series and I highly recommend that you read the first (Vlad) book in order to understand all the characters relationships.
I do not want to give anything away, so just let me say – Diana U ROCK!!!! This book is DARK, VERY DARK. If you have triggers than this is NOT the book for you, but if you can handle blood, murder, rape, hot/dirty sex, and everything in between than this is the book for you!!!
I can’t wait for the third book (Vas) to be released.
I honestly can’t remember how I heard about Ker Dukey, K. Webster, and DH Sidebottom, but I am so happy that I did.
There is nothing sweet about this story at all. I was excited to read this story after the way Vlad ended. Diana being thrown to the wolves and all. Having no idea what was in store for her. We knew she was at the V Games but how did she get there? We assume that it has to do with Vlad and how things ended there, but could it be more?
Ven and Diana have been friends forever. They should have been more than that, but families have a way of getting in the way. When everyone finds out what Diana did behind Vlad’s back she becomes a pariah and nobody wants her. Except for Ven. But Diana has healing to do, and he wants that for her.
Needless to say, Ven’s family is SCREWED UP! You thought Vlad’s family was out there, they are all like that. Not only does Diana have to be tough in her family but now that she is in Ven’s home there is even more at stake.
I do have to say there are some major triggers in this book, but it isn’t more till the middle/end. So you are already invested in the story and the characters. I am not big on drug use and even though Ven and Diana were apart due to circumstances I won’t tell you about-there was sex between Ven and other women. So that bothered me a little. I understand it, but it bothered me.
I am in love with this book when I thought book one was awesome the ladies go and write this amazing book 2 great love scene between the main character. Love the story plot definitely going to be in my rereads pale. No spoilers here I Voluntarily review this book for my honest opinion.
4.5 stars
This vindictive, vengeful tale is just what the volatile and voracious readers need. Think Russian mafia. Think Hunger Games on crack with depraved indifference to life, liberty, consent, and happiness.
While you mellow on those thoughts, consider this:
Raising children in this environment will only make them indifferent to the violets acts.
Now those children of ages where they hold power over their overseers, I mean parents. I say children but there is zero innocence left in these young people. Their lifestyle has afforded them none. Darkness is a shadow of the evil they have seen and taken part in. This series isn’t for the faint of heart.
If you love the bad guys…
If you enjoy the shadows…
If you long for the pleasure that pain can bring…
I shall see you at The V Games.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
“You can’t be my savior,” she hisses. “I don’t need a guardian angel, not anymore.”
“Fuck no you don’t need an angel. You need a devil. You need the demons inside me. You’re a dark angel, and together, the angel and demons can create a new world, a new empire.”
Man, oh man! When I first read Vlad, I was kind of intimidated by the massive storyline surrounding these families. These families have created their own empire inside the “regular” world. Watching the dynamics between the families, and inside the families, was something I truly loved. I had to go back and re-read before I could read Ven.
This story … Diane is a woman who should be admired, in ways. There was a lot about her that I didn’t agree with, but living in her world might cause my mind to think differently, so I went with it. As her story evolved, Diane turned into a force to be reckoned with. Intelligent, commanding, and strong, this woman needs to rule.
Ven was someone I wondered about all through reading Vlad. Being a winner of the games, I knew that he definitely had some darkness fueling his strength, but he seemed to keep it well contained. As I went deeper into this craziness, it became apparent just how dark Ven could be…
This series has captivated me and my love for darkness. At every turn more is discovered and it seems that every thread that is captured begins unraveling another yet another. I love the complexity of these families and their world.
This is going to be short and to the point.
Wow! What a book.
Please….if you can’t handle darkness and blood and if you need any kind of a trigger warning, this book is not for you.
I don’t wanna give anything away because there are so many twists and turns but this book is dark. Like holy cow.
There were parts that were a bit hard to read but I know K. Webster and Ker Dukey won’t let me down and they didn’t.
I can’t wait for Vas’s book!!!
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Mary –
Trigger warnings: This book is full of triggers for some people, so if you can’t or don’t like to read about rape, sex trafficking, spousal abuse or abuse in general, then please stay away from this series.
After the way the first book ended, I wasn’t sure how Diana was going to survive; but with a little help from Ven, she just might come out of this even stronger. Or so I thought. She is trying to plot her revenge on her father for the chain of events that has led her to Ven’s house. While Ven’s father is old school and doesn’t want her in his house, he thinks he can use her any way he wants. Diana can’t let that happen, as she spends more time with Ven, her feelings begin to grow more and more.
Ven has loved Diana since she was 16 years old when she kissed him to get rid of Vika, the little girl who at age 10 was always plotting to get her way. While the kiss did make Vika mad, it also made Ven want Diana more. Now that she lives in his house, he will protect her until he can make her his.
While Diana is a strong, independent woman, it is Ven who will bring her to her knees. But his father will destroy both Ven and Diana.
When Diana ends up in the Games, Ven knows he can’t save her but he will get his revenge on the one person who put her in that pit of hell. Diana has trained for the Games and must stay alive to get her revenge. And in the end, will she get what she is after or just more pain?
When I saw that book two was ready in the review group, I thought, oh yeah, Double K is at it again and I am ready. While this series is full of cringe-worthy dialogue and is a painstakingly dark storyline, it will have you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what will happen next. So if you love an awesome, dark read that covers all the triggers, then you need to read this series, K. Webster and Ker Dukey have done it again and I can’t wait for book three.
Mary Jo –
Trigger warnings: sex trafficking, domestic abuse, rape
This is a dark book and not for the faint of heart. The violence of The V Games is not something to take lightly, even though some of the violence takes place off the page.
Diana portrays herself as strong and does her best to protect her family. In doing so, she makes a rookie mistake that gets her and her lover caught. He’s killed and she’s all but disowned. She’s taken in by Ven’s family and for a while it seems that life might be looking up.
Ven has always been intrigued by Diana. She could be the Queen to his King when it’s their turn to run the first families. However, the perceived betrayal to him and his family has him leaving Diana to fend for herself. Ven didn’t realize the cost to his soul until he saw her in the Games.
If you enjoy dark reads, then this is the book for you.
Shannan –
Ven is the second installment in The V Games series. The books can be read as standalones but are so much better if read in the order the authors intended.
Veniamin Volkov’s life has been plotted and planned long before he was even an adult. His destiny is to run the Volkov empire. Ven is powerful, smart, and oh so sexy. The first families are to be feared. They make the rules and when you cross one of them, vengeance will be theirs. There was always a closeness between Ven and Diana even as children, but they were never supposed to be together. Diana was to be married off to Vlad, but when her affair was brought to light she was dumped at Ven’s doorway like trash. Ven knew from that moment he would take care of Diana, she was going to be his.
Diana was doing what she had to do to protect Irina. After taking time to mourn her lover, she made a plan for vengeance. She wasn’t the delicate rose everyone thought she was. She was about to prove herself in this man’s world.
I loved the dynamic between Ven and Diana. She wanted him but didn’t need him to take care of her. She was stronger than anyone knew.
This author duo is an amazing writing team. The suspense factor was high and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.
I can’t wait for Vas!
Avid Reader –
4.5 stars
M/F Thriller, Romance
Triggers: Human trafficking, Rape, Murder, Addiction, Drugs
WARNING: This is a very dark romance. If you’re sensitive to things, I would not recommend this story as there are a ton of triggers.
Ven and Diana’s story is a dark one. You cannot decide whether to root for them or condemn them. I really liked Diana’s character. She was strong and dangerous, delicate and vulnerable. She was an amazing character. Complex and well written, well developed too.
Then you have Ven. He is complicated, dangerous, mean, and demanding. He demands and commands respect, but also terrorizes too. He sometimes acts like a toddler not getting his way and then other times, acts like he’s in control of himself. He loves Diana with a fierceness that is unrivaled.
These two characters are amazing together and you can really see their history. The action in this story keeps you on the edge of your seat and you want to root for them, but also want to see them fail. It’s a book that evokes a lot of emotion. I really enjoyed it.
Shelby –
Book two in The V Games was everything I was hoping for from the collaboration of Ker Dukey and K Webster!! I highly recommend reading this series in order, as Ven picks right up from where Vlad ended.
In this world of the Russian mob there is a hierarchy, everyone knows their place, and this especially applies to the women. The darkness and depravity know no bounds and seeps into every aspect of their lives. Please be advised this series, and story in particular, contains human-trafficking, rape, murder, and drug use.
Diana has fallen from grace, as a woman from a First Family this is an awful place to be, and needs to find herself. Thankfully her childhood crush, Ven Volkov, is there to catch her… or is he?
I loved every single chapter in this book – EVERY SINGLE ONE! Diana is NOT a wilting-flower, she will NOT be condemned nor disrespected. I love her strength, determination, and grit. Ven is my new book boyfriend. He’s strong but kind, scary but sweet, and the perfect man NOT tainted by his position in the mob.
Overall, this story has everything: darkness, action, romance, suspense, and at times, humor. The twists and turns kept my eyes glued to my e-reader, but the characters truly made me fall in love. I wasn’t convinced I would like the series based on the first book but now I’m a total believer!
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Ven (The V Games #2) by Ker Dukey & K. Webster to read and review.
This is book 2 in the V games series and you must read book one beforehand in order to follow the timeline of events and to gain an understanding of who each family is. This is Ven and Diana’s book.
I won’t go into to much detail on the plot line because when it comes to Russian mafia most will know that it’s going to be angsty and explosive in all the right places and these two authors execute that fact perfectly. Diana Volkov has disgraced her family and gets sent to live with the Vetrov family. Ven Vetrov seems taken by this fact because after that one kiss with Diana when she was a young 16, it’s something he hasn’t stopped thinking about. Fast forward a few weeks and Diana has caused mayhem again breaking Ven’s heart in the process, but not all is what it seems and revenge is a term that is taken seriously in the mafia world. Maybe the V games is the only way to sort it all out once and for all! Blood will be spilled and secrets revealed but nothing is ever straight forward.
I know this is only book 2 in this series but so far my favourite. Ven may be a strong mafia male but the fact that he has a heart shines through in this book. Alluring, powerful and totally alpha, Ven has done wrong in the past but the good side of him shines through when it comes to Diana. Diana is one strong heroine who isn’t afraid to show that she’s got what it takes to fight back. There was a couple of instances where I wanted to shake her repeatedly but by the end she showed that she was more than capable of surviving the brutal world she lives in.
Overall another great read from Ker Dukey and K Webster that I enjoyed immensely. I have come to expect nothing but chaos and mayhem from these authors when they write together and long may it continue.