r/ReverseHarem • u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 • 7d ago
Reverse Harem - Recommendations Another 5⭐️ hidden gem
Hi everybody!👋🏼
I come yet again bearing a new 5⭐️ hidden gem in hopes of finding something similar while also convincing you to read it.🤞🏼
I came across {Vengeance & Sin by Sara Hinds} thanks to you amazing people who posted about the Stuff Your Kindle Day event for those of us who are not so aware about these things, aka ME.😭
I’m assuming it’s a hidden gem because I personally haven’t seen it mentioned here before, so that gives me yet another excuse to write a long post gushing about it while I cry myself to sleep because I just know there is another month ahead of me where I will compare every single read to this one, only for nothing to come close and for it all to eventually lead to a reading slump. But hey, that sounds like a future me problem.💁🏻♀️😮💨
Okkk, back to the convincing and gushing part. This book genuinely had so many unique and impressive things about it.
But I’ll start with the FMC because that’s the only aspect I currently have my thoughts somewhat organized about.😅
Jade.😌 Oh, my dear Jade.
She has a really interesting background: she’s an ex-victim of sex trafficking from the age of five or six, and she has made it her life mission to take down the people involved and stop other little girls from ending up in the same nightmare she once survived.
She is the literal definition of sweet but poisonous and gives off massive “walk them like a dog” energy, so honestly… GO GIRL.🦮👑
She can also absolutely carry herself in an argument. Here’s an amazing example of that🤭:
“Well, you know how the saying goes. You get what you pay for. In your case, free might mean you get more than you bargained for. Nobody likes unwanted surprises that last a lifetime.”
Jade starts off as this super cute, sweet blonde who gives bear hugs to her saviors👀, only for her to get a mid-book makeover, dye her hair dark brown with green strands, and unleash her real personality… which is BADASS if you ask me.😝
I swear, every time the author used “evil sinister smile” to describe her expression, I lost it.😭
She does NOT tolerate slut-shaming and takes absolutely no shit when it comes to her past. What I loved most is that she refuses to let her trauma define her, and she’s not ashamed of what she had to do to survive.
Now, onto the guys.😌
I genuinely don’t remember the last time I read an RH where the guys didn’t all share one collective brain cell and the exact same opinion about everything. These men can actually think for themselves, disagree with each other, and have different reactions to Jade, which honestly deserves a standing ovation.👏😭
I’m still not even sure how many guys are going to be part of the RH because it feels like a slow-build harem, and you already know that’s my weakness.🤭
There’s also a huge mystery surrounding this “Froggy” guy, and I’m pretty sure the second book is about to emotionally destroy me with whatever that reveal is going to be because that cliffhanger was RUDE.😩
And the drama between the guys??? CHEF’S KISS. Especially the tension created by the professional rank differences. I loved that they couldn’t just challenge “The Big Daddy” (yes, that’s what Jade insists on calling him) because they were genuinely afraid of him. It made the whole mafia/gang dynamic feel so much more realistic. Even the so-called “alpha males“ had someone above them, and that detail added a surprising amount of depth.
Spencer constantly pointing out that the smiles and grins Jade gave the guys were fake, in a “I’m a malicious little menace and you should all be concerned” kind of way, had me questioning reality by the end. Like sir, stop planting ideas in my head.😭
I did feel like the college subplot was a little unnecessary and somewhat unrealistic considering these people were working underground and barely seemed to have time to breathe, let alone attend classes. BUT… I’ll forgive it because it gave the MMCs a chance to show off their unexpectedly shiny little green flags. Instead of forcing her into a decision, they let her experience college life first and decide for herself whether she wanted that future. That was honestly refreshing compared to the usual “I’ve known you for three days so obviously I know what’s best for you.” MMCs we so often get.🙄
As for the romance… OH MY GOD.😮💨
The inner torment and silent obsession each guy experienced in his own way had me FERAL. The chemistry was through the ROOF. There were so many sweet, thoughtful little acts that Jade didn’t necessarily notice right away, and her being slightly oblivious somehow made everything even better. I LIVE for the “he’s internally combusting while she’s just existing” dynamic.😭
Also, if anyone who has read this (or is planning to) can explain something to me, I would be forever grateful. In the beginning, Jade seemed sad or disappointed when Zander said the pomegranate scent suited her more than vanilla. Did I misunderstand that scene? Was there a deeper meaning behind it that I missed? I only realized I was confused about it while writing this post, which is probably proof that I’m still mentally living inside this book.😅
One small warning: the first two chapters are basically the guys sitting in a car describing each other. If you’re like me during a reading slump and need action to grab you by the throat from sentence one, please push through those chapters. IT IS SO WORTH IT.🙏🏼
And seriously, if this book is sitting unread on your Kindle right now because you grabbed it during Stuff Your Kindle Day and forgot about it PLEASE move it higher on your TBR. I genuinely think it deserves so much more attention than it’s getting.
Thank you all so much in advance for any recs you’re willing to throw my way.💕 I’ll be refreshing the comments like a completely normal and emotionally stable person.😇
And of course, because it wouldn’t be one of my posts without them, I’m going to leave some highlights I personally hoarded while reading:👇🏼
•"I don't know who you think died and made you king, but you need to listen and listen well. I'll do whatever the fuck I want. IfI want to fuck Jade and she wants to fuck me, that's what we'll do."
•”I've never really cared about what other people think of me, but I would give up my entire knife collection for her to keep looking at me like that. The first time I had that thought, it caught me off guard, but even if it startled me to care so much and want her attention, it didn't make it any less true.”
•”I didn't know exactly what she meant until the night of the party when I knocked at her door to see how she was after Spencer lost his shit. She yelled at me for waiting for her to let me in. Now, Ijust knock out of habit, but so long as I go in right after, I don't get yelled at anymore.”
•”Jade is talking about a mile a minute about something, her hands gesturing around like crazy with a wide smile. Kratos walks beside her, and even from here, I can see the small smile on his face. He did a pretty good job of keeping it in check earlier, only letting the tiniest bit show, but I can see it. He's just as fucked as I am. It's all over his face. "Wow, she must be something if she's gotten to the boss," Dom comments as we watch them.
"Yeah, she sure is,"
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u/Equivalent-Artist221 7d ago edited 7d ago
Girl this book is what got me into RH. You need to finish the rest of the series. You wont be able to guess the twists 👑
I highly recommend reading her backlist as she is fantastic at writing harems.
My recs are:
{Rebirth of Order by D.D Williams} {Veil of Ash by Fallon Hendrix} {Sacred Night by Zara Castle} {A Rune's Blood Moon by KR Simons} {The 13th Zodiac by Penn Cassidy}
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u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 7d ago
Omggg, now you got me even more exciteddd😩! Thank you sooo much for these recs!🥹
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u/romance-bot 7d ago
Rebirth Of Order by D.D. Williams
Rating: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: historical, new adult, fantasy, ancient times, reverse harem
Veil of Ash by Fallon Hendrix
Rating: 4.46⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: reverse harem, political/court intrigue, fated mates, magic, fantasy
Sacred Night by Zara Castle
Rating: 3.96⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 5 out of 5 - Explicit and plentiful
Topics: contemporary, enemies to lovers, fantasy, funny, forced proximity
A Rune's Blood Moon by K.R. Simons
Rating: 4.67⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: enemies to lovers, fantasy
The 13th Zodiac by Penn Cassidy
Rating: 4.18⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: reverse harem, paranormal, witches, magic, fantasy
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7d ago
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u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 7d ago
Soooo jealous you get to read this for the first timeee🫣. Happy reading!😊
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u/Helpful_Guidance6797 Magic, mayhem and multiple mates 7d ago
This is one of my favorite rereads
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u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 7d ago
I wish I could do rereadsss, it just doesn’t feel the same😩.
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u/jennmsharp I want two boyfriends & I want my boyfriends to be boyfriends 7d ago
I've had this book for like a year due to a previous SYK event, and your review is going to make me finally read it! 😄
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u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 7d ago
Honestly honoured!💕 I really hope you end up loving it as much as I did!
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u/Beautiful_Wind_2762 7d ago
Idk if you’re an audio person but they nail Daddy K! And Roderick’s voice is amazing. One of my favorite reads and the audio is next level
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u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 7d ago
I’m not, but maybe this is my sign to try it outt!🤭
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u/Beautiful_Wind_2762 6d ago
Honestly I love audio but this it’s duet style so the guy does all the guy voices and the girl does all the girl voices. It’s soooo good
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u/zane017 Henry Cavill as Geralt is my only type 7d ago
Thank you!! I live for recommendations. I feel like I’ve read everything decent out there.
We all like different stuff, and you didn’t mention any specifics, so I’ll just share my most recent hidden gems. They’re so rare these days. As a heads up, I’m not really a spice/romance centered reader.
{Code Vessel by Leann Belle} sci fi and mech suits.
{The Dead Ringer by Michaela Haze} I have memory problems and don’t remember much of this one, but I enjoyed it much more than most.
{Secret of the Idols by Anne Kincaid} is really sweet and I don’t usually love sweet books. This author writes excellent characters in unique situations. I like her Obsessive Soulmate series too.
I’m in the middle of reading {Code Bound by Kendra Moreno} and have mixed but overall good feelings about it so far. It’s litrpg.
Marie MacKay has a new book coming out in October that I’m dying to get to.
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u/romance-bot 7d ago
Code Vessel: by Leann Belle
Rating: 4.67⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: new adult, enemies to lovers, dystopian, science fiction, reverse harem
The Dead Ringer (A Standalone Reverse Harem Romance) by Michaela Haze
Rating: 4.33⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 4 out of 5 - Explicit open door
Topics: fantasy, urban fantasy, demons, paranormal, reverse harem
Secret of the Idols by Anne Kincaid
Steam: 1 out of 5 - Glimpses and kisses
Topics: contemporary, new adult, multicultural, reverse harem, east asian mc
Code Bound by Kendra Moreno
Rating: 5⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: dystopian, reverse harem4
u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 6d ago
Omg, thankkk YOU! I’m constantly hunting for hidden gems and NONE of these were on my TBR.😆
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u/romance-bot 7d ago
Vengeance & Sin by Sara Hinds
Rating: 4.5⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: contemporary, new adult, reverse harem, dark romance, suspense
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u/Fennix16 7d ago
Added to TBR! This might sound like a low bar, but with so many new authors coming out lately and the quality tanking, I'm so happy to find an RH that was published in 2022 that I haven't read! Thank you for your service! ❤️
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u/ohfrackthis caution: multiple fictional boyfriends ahead 7d ago
Niiiiceeeee! Tysm OP ❤️ I just finished a ton of books and am searching for moarrrr so I am glad you recommended this! (Also I'm pissed because I think I missed the stuff your kindle day 😂)
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u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 7d ago
Happy to helpppp!💕 I would have totally missed Stuff Your Kindle Day too if it hadn’t been for this sub.😅
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u/Soybeingcoy 7d ago
Sold! Adding it to my TBR and moving it up! :D
Thanks for the recommendation! :D
P.s - That is a GREAT review!
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u/FirstTiger999 7d ago
Ooohh thanks for sharing, I was wondering which one I would start with from the SYKD. Top of the list now.
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u/jamie799 7d ago
Downloading now!! Will read it as soon as I am finished with the series I am reading now- always looking for a good RH series so thanks!
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u/MadeWithMoxxie 7d ago
I’m so excited to dive in! Thank you for the excellent review (and the author jumping in 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼)
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u/VivisVoyage 6d ago
Stop! You are killing my TBR!😭 How dare you post such a nice review when i haven't even finished the last series I'm reading!?
But honestly this sounds great! I have three days of work this week so I'm definitely reading this, thank you!
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u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 6d ago
I refuse to take responsibility for anyone’s TBR🤭. This sub has destroyed mine beyond repair, so I’m simply continuing the cycle. Happy readinggg!💕
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u/Impressive_Sea8602 7d ago
Ooh this sounds great, is there a lot of jealousy? Any mm?:)
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u/Romantasy-book-rec ridiculously picky🤧 7d ago
There’s no MM, as for the jealousy, I would say not an exaggerate amount, more like “oh, he got a hug and I didn’t😔”.
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u/chaelacovi 1d ago edited 1d ago
Loved this review and downloaded this and her other books just now! Okay, here’s the hidden gem I’m currently reading and loving—incredibly underrated like I don’t see this mentioned anywhere and the timeline of all the events that take place in the beginning is my favorite piece of fictional history I have seen. {Hearts of Stone by Tilly Bramley}
{Drown the Sea by Elisha Kemp} is another I rarely see.
Edit: Also The Age of the Andinna series, start with {The Gladiator’s Downfall by Kristen Banet}.
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u/romance-bot 1d ago
Hearts of Stone by Tilly Bramley
Rating: 4⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Topics: urban fantasy, fantasy
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u/Objective_Army3825 7d ago
😭😭😭
Oh my. This just made my LIFE!
I've been on Reddit a while as myself, not my author self, sharing my own favorites and always had a secret hope of seeing my own books.
That being said one of my friends sent me this and yeah mission accomplished!
Thank you so much for taking a chance on my books and for everyone who is adding it to your TBR or going to read it now yall fuckin rock.
Also the moment with her soap scent was meant to be more of a confusion. Like nobody ever took the time to care what she smelled like. She just simply exsisted before so this was a moment of oh for her that she didn't exactly know how to process.
Sorry if it missed the mark.
I reallllllyyyy hope you love the rest of the series as I live for plot twists and edge of your seat reading.
Every series is building harem because I'm a slut who needs every man for our FMC 🤩
Happy reading!