He’s prince charming. Just not hers.
I have a secret.I stole a heart, or rather a marriage contract.It wasn’t mine to own, to look at or to even consider.But it was there for the taking so I took it.Huge mistake.Ronan Astor is a nobility in this world.Arrogant player.Heartless bastard.Vicious prince.Now, he’s out to destroy me. What he doesn’t know is that I’m out to destroy him too.My name is …
What he doesn’t know is that I’m out to destroy him too.
My name is Teal Van Doren, and I’m where princes go to die.
Vicious Prince is part of Royal Elite Series but could be read on its own. For better understanding of the world, you might want to read the previous books first. This is a mature new adult and contains situations that some readers might find offensive or triggering.
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Ronan and Teal’s story took me completely by surprise, in the best way. I was anticipating this book, but I didn’t expect for it to consume me in the way it did.
Ronan was everything I wanted and more. I knew there was a story behind his smile, and he broke me. I love his character even more now, and as with the previous books, I lived for the interaction between the horsemen. Teal is officially my new girl crush. I loved her depth of character so much – getting inside her head, the way she was and how her experiences had affected her.
The connection between the two of them was undeniable – so much chemistry, and with that there was a vulnerable, deep rawness that just drew them together in such a powerful way.
Amazing five star read, and now I am even more excited for Cole’s book!
Vicious Prince is the fifth book of the Royal elite series by the best selling author Rina kent. Told in dual perspectives , this book is hot with a capital H !!!!
The much awaited story of Teal and Ronan is finally here!! I can’t even tell you people for how long I have been waiting for this release , and when it came on my kindle this morning , I dived straight into this one.
Teal is the foster sister of Elsa. She is the emo girl and the girl who rarely shows emotions. Ronan is the real fraud of the elite kings. From the outside you see a man trying to shag his way through college , and a man without any actual depth. He is the best imposer of them all. The pain he hides even shocked me. My heart hurt so much for him!! Also his humor had me laughing so hard all the damn times!!
Roman’s father and Elsa’s father want a better relationship by making the ties between their families even stronger. For this they decide an arranged marriage scenario. As Elsa already Loves Aiden , Teal steps in her place to marry Ronan. Her actions confused everyone , but what they didn’t know was that she had a Endgame. One that included destroying her enemies.
What she didn’t count on was the playboy with shaggy brown hair. She dismissed Ronan as a pawn in her game and then was shocked when he turned out to be much more. Ronan wanted the engagement to end and for that he wanted Teal to surrender. Teal wanted the opposite. From there started a battle of wills , and who makes whom surrender fastest!!
Ronan thought he could bend Teal to his will. But she managed to shock him a lot. At first he thought that she was just an emo girl who didn’t know how to socialize or show emotions. But when he went to know her more, he realised that there was a lot more to her !! Both of them had a lot of common demons and her beauty intrigued him.
This book was everything I anticipated and much more. I absolutely loved the bond the elite kings had. Specifically the bond between Xander and Ronan. It was so endearing to see how much Ronan wanted Xander’s approval and his presence in his life.
Then there was Aiden with his usual brooding self. I don’t think I will ever tire of seeing him pamper and love Elsa. Those were one of my favourite scenes.
This was the book where we got to see the most of cole. For me atleast , he was a mystery in the rest of the books. There were very few scenes of him and he was sort of in the background. Teal and Cole had a special relationship , much to Ronan and Silver’s disgust. Both of them had bonded over the love of books and articles. Cole was a true nerd!! Almost all of his scenes consisted of him sitting somewhere and reading a book. His nerd activities were really cute for me!!
This has to be the longest review I have ever written, but I just can’t stop telling you guys about this book!! Rina kent has done an amazing job once again. Now all I have to do is to wait for Cole’s book. It seems like Rina Kent is saving the best for the last!! I just hope she has some mercy on my poor soul and somehow gives us an early release for Cole’s book!
Rating:
Five Stars “Now and Always”
So the bully romance with the rich privileged guy and the girl from the poor troubled background has been done before. But I love it anyway and this book one was a step above the rest. I actually wanted Cole’s story to be next in the series because he is intelligent and a bit mysterious. I thought Ronan’s story would be a bit boring since Ronan is such a nice guy. He didn’t seem to have much depth other than being a playboy.
I was so wrong! Ronan is hiding surprising intensity beneath that happy go lucky exterior and the heroine Teal had the same misconceptions as I did about Ronan. We met Teal in previous books when her and her twin brother Knox were found to be the foster children of Elsa’s father and they began attending the Royal Elite School. Teal was the quite and introspective girl who gives off the vibe that she doesn’t care what other people think about her and she does her own thing.
Teal was a tough nut to crack in this book which is why she is perfect for Ronan. She has a lot of secrets and some are much darker than others. However, she agrees to the arranged marriage to Ronan that her father and his father want to set up in order to cement their business partnership.
Ronan, as the son of an Earl can’t say no to an arranged marriage, as that is how it has always been done in his family. However, he threatens Teal and tries to get her to call it off, like he had done with a few girls his father tried to set him up with in the past. Though Teal isn’t as easily swayed because she has her own reasons for going through with the arrangement.
I don’t want to give too much away, but to say that one of the things that put this book above so many is the humor despite the troubling circumstances and backgrounds of our main characters. I laughed on and off through the entire book. Especially scenes between Ronan and his butler Lars. Lars is a traditional butler, Ronan even referred to the fact that he took cues from Downton Abbey and watched it regularly, taking it way too seriously.
“Lord Astor’s face remains blank as he talks to her, no expression, no smile, no nothing.”
“We agree that Dad is a robot, and by we, I mean Lars and me. Fine, Lars just listened with a judgmental expression while I informed him of that fact.”
Overall I just really liked the story and I read it through in one sitting. Both Ronan and Teal were lovable characters and made a great couple. The bully theme was not too strong and ended fairly quickly and they became a couple. I liked that there were some scenes where they provoked each other’s jealousy and there were some scorching hot intimate scenes between Ronan and Teal as well.
I am still looking forward to Cole’s book, though I am not too fond of Silver as his love interest. Though the fact that she is his step-sister does add another level to the story. I like that Cole reads a lot and apparently he has some crazy kinks, so it should be a fun one.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
OMG Ronan Astor! Swoon…
What was I doing again? Oh right, it’s book review time. Just give me a moment to wipe away the drool. I’ve always been a sucker for the fun and flirty types and Ronan is no exception.
Before I continue with my review, I’d like to detour down controversy lane. I’ve read some of the scathing reviews and thought I’d defend my stance on this book. Firstly, I want to point out that different people process trauma in different ways. I do not believe that Rina Kent has stereotyped these characters. The point is that Ronan and Teal are young adults who are still working through their issues. I would not call them survivors of abuse, not at the start of the story anyway. All good character-driven tales involve character growth, and this means starting with protagonists who have room for improvement. In the case of Vicious Prince, the author has presented us with two broken people who find comfort in each other’s arms. These characters put me in mind of Chiron, the wounded healer. Helping each other was the therapy they both needed.
So back to the rest of my review. Tense and gripping. This book hooked me from start to finish. A revenge plot sat at the core of this story and watching it unravel felt a little like watching an accident waiting to happen. It horrified me, yet I couldn’t look away because I needed to know if the characters would be okay in the end. Heart-warming and intriguing. Finding what lay beneath Ronan and Teal’s facades pleasantly surprised me. Original and refreshing. I loved the author’s spin on the old high-school bully trope. Teal just didn’t give a damn, so most of the bullying washed over her like water off a duck’s back.
I recommend this book for lovers of dark and steamy romance. While it is true that this novel can be read stand-alone, there are numerous references to characters from previous books in the series. I suggest starting with the first 3 instalments to enhance the reading experience.
Rina Kent never disappoints with her books!
Ronan Astor! I have been waiting for him for so long now. Ever since the first book in this series I just knew he is going to be my absolute favorite. And I was damn right!
From the outside Ronan is perfect. He seems like fun loving, always smiling and all in all a nice guy. But he is far from it. He is an enigma. Reading his point of view was so exhilarating. Rina brought in so much depth in this character, I was not at all expecting it.
Teal Van Doren was fire. She was a headstrong girl who is not deterred by Ronan’s charismatic exterior. She has secrets and she has a goal. That was the reason she agreed to get engaged to Ronan.
Ronan can’t refuse to this arrangement and so he tries his level best to scare Teal away. But while doing this he gets enthralled by Teal in many ways. There is an undeniable chemistry between both of them. They both constantly provoked each other.
And I just have to mention just how scorching hot this whole book was. I really don’t want to give out any spoilers but I will just be prepared for Ronan & Teal to bring on the heat.
I actually loved this story more than I thought I would!
I didn’t really like Teal from the previous books, so was a bit anxious to see how her character actually was. However I have adored Ronan throughout this series so far, so knew I wouldn’t hate their love story.
Well, I loved it. Teal and Ronan were definitely one of those “meant to be” couples, and it didn’t just show with how their love grew – but also how they faced their past nightmares together.
However, Teal did still annoy me towards the end (you know when) so for that, 4 Stars.
Steamy Showcase
I was surprised at the intermingled twist of both Ronan and Teal’s past, present and fates. This was lent another dark aspect (trigger warning) and touched base on pedophilia.
Steamy perversion moments also started showcasing a bit more of Cole’s story, which is next in the series. Ronan and Teal = off the charts steamy right behind Aiden and Elsa.
I enjoyed the POV chapter of Ronan’s father that explained his own inner thoughts and past dealings.
Ronan completely snuck up on me. I always thought of him as some funny playboy, which is the perfect mask he has worn all along. But this book is different, and I love it! There are layers to him and it is exactly what his character needed.
The character development in this book is spot on, the darkness is inticing, and we learn so much about Teal. 5 stars!
This has got to one of favourite series this year. Every book keeps getting better, and better. Teal and Ronan’s story was absolutely AMAZING!
I knew Teal would have one hell of back-story. Ronan is a playboy / joker of the horseman, but hadn’t a clue what these two characters had been through in the past. Even off the glimpses and titbits from previous books, nothing prepared me for this. Then add in their chemistry and love to hate each other, present day antics. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, with my jaw on the bloody floor. Not wanting this story to end. In awe as this story unfolds.
Vicious Prince by Rina Kent is a dark high school bully romance that I listened to on audio narrated by Shane East and Keira Stevens. This is the fifth book in the Royal Elite Series.
This book does come with a warning “This is a mature new-adult work and contains situations that some listeners might find offensive or triggering.”
I absolutely love this series! Rina is an amazing writer! She pulls me into the story and makes me fall in love with the characters. I loved the relationship between Teal and Ronan. I think they may be my favorite couple so far. I can’t wait for the next book in the series Ruthless Empire to be released on September 10, 2020 so I can get Cole and Silver’s story.
Shane and Keira did an amazing job on the narration! I absolutely love duet narration it just brings the story to life.
I would highly recommend this book if you love dark romance or bully romance.
AudiobookObsession
AudiobookObsessionReviewer
AudiobookObsessionVIPReviewer
This story really surprised me, it totally wasn’t what I expected it to be from what I had learned about the characters from the previous books. So much hidden away, so much pain and brokenness. It tore at my heart but I had to know what was going to happen and how it was going to resolve. It kept me right there with them all the way through. Shane East and Keira Stevens did another fantastic job with the narration, they bring the story to life so beautifully.
Vicious Prince is the fifth book in the enthralling Royal Elite Series. You can listen to this story has a standalone, but believe me, you don’t want to miss one book in the Series. Ronan and Teal are opposites attract, and they are unexpectedly perfect together. They share a sizzling hot chemistry. The characters are well developed and likable. Teal is secretive, wounded, strong, and determined. Ronan is the perfect antihero, alpha, dark, broken, possessive, intriguing, and surprisingly supportive and caring. Their traumatizing past is heartbreaking. I loved to follow them in their emotional journey. This intricate, and darkly beautiful story has drama, secrets, suspense, and twists and turns. The world building is well done and complex. The supporting characters are great and intriguing. The Epilogues are fantastic. Keira Stevens and Shane East did an outstanding job with the duet narration. I love their voices together, and they are perfect as Ronan and Teal. I highly recommend this Series. #AudiobookObsession
Audio Review:
Vicious Prince (Royal Elite, Book 5) is absolutely addictive. I can’t get enough of these characters and their storylines. I’ve listened to book one through five continuously and I want more. Ronan and Teals tumultuous relationship is spine-tingling and will have you emerse yourself. I absolutely loved getting to epilogues, one from Ronan and one from Teal. Dark yet beautiful lovestory with secrets entwined with unexpected twists creating a euphoria of emotions. I love the world building aspect and the descriptions and settings are well detailed and complex. The writing style is captivating and keeps you craving more.
Shane East, Keira Stevens duet narration was a flawless performance. Duet narration makes the story sad characters come alive and like you ate right there with them. The icing on the cake was the narration. Shane East is additive to listen to. His inflection is deep and sexy. Absolutely love his British accent. Keira Stevens sweet inflection I adore. I love listening to her performance. Excellent collaboration with two highly talented narrators.
Loved everything about it, story, characters and the narrators
Audiobook Obsession
Two dark souls intertwined in this story. Both had childhood trauma but dealt with it their own way. Teal was quiet, and always had walls built up around her. Ronan didn’t want to be alone, being arrogant, and obnoxious. Both had an agenda, to manipulate each other. Ronan to get out of the marriage contract, Teal for revenge. this story is dark, intense, sexual, and reference of child abuse.
Shane East and Keira Stevens are excellent vocal performers. Wow, they really brought this story to life! Every emotion, every voice , every character was perfection! They flawlessly transitioned from one character to another. Thank you for the great listen!
audiobookobsessionreviewer
Vicious Prince
Royal Elite, Book 5
By: Rina Kent
Narrated by: Shane East, Keira Stevens
Dark, gritty, and passionate, Rina Kent has written the story of Ronan and Teal. These two are arranged to be married, and don’t realize how fate has stepped into their lives. These two are broken, have agendas and together find a way to heal. The story is absolutely amazing. Kent has encompassed so much in their story. The two have so much in common yet are completely different. She has them dealing with relevant issues, dysfunctional families and finding love in the most unexpected places. Teal is a complex woman. There are so many layers to her, it takes a while for us to get to know her. Ronan is intuitive, and the depth of his brokenness had me falling for him early on. The two have undeniable chemistry, and they had my heart invested in them finding their happily ever after.
Shane East and Keira Stevens narrate this story with an achingly, emotional performance. The two bring Teal and Ronan to life and let us feel every emotion. From frustration, to fear, to excitement to love, we feel every tug to our hearts. It’s an amazing narration.
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What an emotional ride! I felt absolutely everything these characters did and I have to tell you, I may have a book hangover after this one. The writing flows perfectly and the narrators were the perfect choice.
“Now and Always”
Oh my goodness! (Sighs) I’m still coming down after this read. I’m so in my feelings right now. Teal and freaking Ronan are toxic for each other, their haunted by their past trauma. They hate each other…. They wear this mask and hide and/or pretend for others while they really hurting, dying inside. That’s exactly why they Need each other.
Who knew they’d understand, love and heal one another… Ugh! I cried reading this book, how could I not? I felt the characters pain, I was heartbroken for them.
This story was so well written. I’m addicted to this series. It has its triggers but goodness it’s really good. The banter, the steamy goodness, real life trauma that many people have gone through, hate turned love, weird friendships, family who doesn’t always have to be blood related… It was truly an Ah-mazing Read!
4 STARS
Review by Leah
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
I am at an impasse with my own brain on this one. I feel like I am missing something, I cannot put my finger on it though. From the beginning, Ronan has been my favorite but Cole is sneaking up on me. It’s always the quiet ones. He has always been the breath of air for me in this series. The one that can take a dark scene and give it a bit of light and laughter. But now in Vicous Prince, I find out exactly why he is all smiles and jokes.
There are survivors that use laughter, sarcasm as a coping mechanism for the demons marching through your head. And I never connected that with Ronan until now. At first, I felt like the “nightmare” did not fit the picture until we finally hear the rest of the nightmare further in the book. It just did not fit the “I know where you are coming from” pep talk.
I really did not know much about Teal except for the broody teenager from the previous books. Here we see her a bit more of her. As rough as her beginnings where I kind of wish they were explained a bit earlier in the book rather than the huge bang towards the end of the book. I knew she had demons herself but I could not connect why the need for revenge. Also, not recognizing her abuser was a little odd to me.
Rina Kent is a marvelous storyteller and I am dying to read about Cole. I kind of wish there was more of Ronan and Teal at the one place but that is ok. Hopefully, we will be able to visit more with Cole.
These two honestly made such a great couple and I really loved the growth of both of them throughout the book. I’ve always liked Ronan ever since the first book in the series and with every book he has made me laugh and want to learn more.
I really could connect with some of Teal’s inner thoughts and she is just such a ballsy girl who has found her perfect match in Ronan!
But my golly has this made me even more excited for Ruthless Empire! Throughout, every mention of Cole and Silver had be guessing at just what their relationship entails and I am soooo excited to find out more.
This series has really grown with each book and Rina’s writing has come along by leaps and bounds and honestly, this series is a go to for anybody who loves possessive alpha males and characters with dark inner struggles that they are trying to overcome.
The ending was a little predictable for me which is why I rated this four stars, but other than that, I flew through this book as it was such an easy read and I just wanted to know more with every page.
Oh my gosh!!!! This is the best book of the series so far!!!!
So, Ronan seems like he has it all. That is what I thought as I read the earlier books in the series. He is loved by all and loves to be surrounded by others! Boy, Rina Kent sure had me fooled. Never did I even dream what was going on behind that sexy and happy facade he presented to others. With his arranged marriage to Teal, all that pretense starts to fall away. As the title suggests, he can be a “vicious prince.” Teal seems to bring that out in him when she refuses to go back on the marriage contract! What begins as a sensuous and emotional game of cat and mouse becomes so much more!! I wasn’t sure who would be the winner…Ronan or Teal.
Kent really threw me for a loop with this one. My heart broke…I cried. I was angry. Not only were my emotions raw, but she somehow weaved in a mystery I wasn’t expecting! Ahhh…it was so good! I have loved all her characters, and it’s because of their flaws that they are so dear to me. Ronan and Teal are my favorite so far. They are so complicated and complex.
From the beginning, Teal makes it well-known that she has ulterior motives for agreeing to marry Ronan. They are from two completely different worlds. He was born into wealth and privilege. She was lucky to be rescued and brought into that world yet she never can forget her traumatic origins. She never cared about fitting in.
“When girls did everything to fit in, she just followed what she liked. She never once laughed or smiled because it was expected.”
“If Marquis de Sade and Snow White had an offspring, it’d be her.”
To say Teal has suffered would be the understatement of the decade. She has learned to just go through the motions of life without having any emotions. This is where the magic that is Ronan comes in. He is the lightness to her darkness. He makes her feel things which is both good and bad for her. He could be the prince she never saw coming.
While Ronan thinks he and Teal have nothing in common, he comes to realize they actually have more in common than he ever imagined. They just deal with their traumas in completely different ways. Teal has tried to be invisible and Ronan has surrounded himself with others.
“It’s a commitment I made to myself when I decided to never be alone. Not for one second. Not even for a blink.”
This is one of those books I devour, but I have to stop and let it seep into my soul before I can ever sit down and write a review. The chemistry between them was electric, but it was all their own…just like their road to love was! It was the right one for Teal and Ronan. Rina Kent continues to amaze me. She can take something so dark and make it into something so beautiful. I think Teal not only accurately describes who Ronan is, but she accurately describes Rina’s Kent’s writing:
“You’re the light despite the darkness. You’re the hope despite the black dots. You’re strong despite the weakness.”
Kent gives her readers light in the darkness, she gives hope despite the circumstances, and she gives her characters’ strengths in spite of weakness. This is why she has become one of my favorite writers in such a short span of time!!!!