Rina Kent’s Kiss the Villain isn’t just a plunge into the taboo—it’s a fearless, full-bodied dive into the depths of obsession, vengeance, and erotic warfare. As the first book in the Villain series, it introduces readers to Gareth Carson and Kayden Lockwood, two men locked in a lethal dance of mind games and unresolved trauma.
Known for her Legacy of Gods and Royal Elite worlds, Kent has made a name for herself with twisted, deeply psychological dark romances. In this book, she pivots into MM territory, fusing high-stakes academia with mafia undertones and sadomasochistic energy, crafting a standalone that vibrates with controlled chaos.
Plot Summary: Power Plays and Dangerous Games
From the outside, Gareth Carson is the golden boy—heir to a powerful law dynasty, genius student at King’s U, and the perfect, reliable son. But beneath the carefully curated mask lies a man driven by a hunger for control, chaos, and carnage. He’s a secret Heathen, one of the elite members of an underground group perpetually at war with their rivals, the Serpents.
A miscalculated plan to humiliate Serpents’ leader Yulian goes catastrophically wrong, leading Gareth into a sexually violent encounter with a masked man—who later turns out to be Kayden Lockwood, the new criminal law professor at King’s U. Kayden is brutal, unreadable, and dangerous, and he knows Gareth’s secret.
What follows is not so much a romance as a high-voltage collision. The line between predator and prey blurs as Gareth and Kayden play a brutal game of psychological brinkmanship. Each seeks to dominate the other emotionally, sexually, and intellectually—and slowly, horrifyingly, it becomes apparent that both are falling deeper into a bond neither wanted.
Main Character Analysis: Gareth Carson & Kayden Lockwood
Gareth Carson
Kent paints Gareth as a walking contradiction: externally polished, internally monstrous. He’s obsessive, meticulous, and driven by a violent urge he hides behind a perfect student façade. His character isn’t merely dark; it’s deviant, swimming with sadistic fantasies and a clinical desire for dominance. The internal monologue Kent crafts for Gareth is both horrifying and strangely sympathetic—he’s a man drowning in his own rage, so fully masked that even he forgets who he is.
Gareth’s arc is not one of redemption but of exposure. Throughout the novel, his tightly controlled persona unravels, thread by thread, under the weight of his obsession with Kayden. He doesn’t seek healing—he seeks acknowledgment of his darkness.
Kayden Lockwood
Kayden is a masterpiece of cold, calculated menace. His first appearance—mask on, gun in hand, orchestrating an act of retaliation that turns disturbingly sexual—is deeply unsettling. As a professor with a criminal past, he becomes a symbol of the hypocrisy Gareth thrives in: law layered over lawlessness.
Kayden doesn’t just teach criminal law—he lives it. He matches Gareth in intellect, restraint, and hunger for control. But unlike Gareth, Kayden isn’t trying to hide his true self. His dominance is deliberate and unrepentant. He’s the villain who embraces the title.
Writing Style: Viscera and Velvet
Rina Kent’s prose in Kiss the Villain is evocative and layered with duality—satin-smooth in one breath, serrated the next. She alternates between intense stream-of-consciousness from Gareth’s perspective and razor-sharp dialogue that slices through the pretense. The language is provocative, loaded with tension and charged sensuality.
Her tone mirrors her characters: precise, cruel, and captivating. Even the sexual scenes are framed more as battles than romantic interludes, aligning with the book’s psychological underpinnings. Kent doesn’t shy away from darkness—she wields it like a scalpel, carefully incising beneath the skin of her characters.
Themes Explored:
1. Control and Power
At the core of Kiss the Villain lies the battle for control—not just over others, but over the self. Both protagonists struggle to command their darker impulses, using their rivalry as an excuse to let them surface.
2. Identity and Duality
The novel obsessively examines masks—literal and metaphorical. Gareth’s double life is a performance, and Kayden’s criminal past seeps beneath his respectable façade. The tension arises from forced exposure: Gareth’s mask is ripped away, while Kayden never wore one.
3. Desire vs. Consent
The book walks a razor-thin edge between attraction and coercion. Rina Kent is careful to frame these encounters as power plays, but they challenge conventional ideas of consent. This is where the book will divide readers—it doesn’t provide comfort, only confrontation.
4. Moral Ambiguity
No one is a hero here. Kent leans heavily into moral murkiness, asking readers to empathize with violent, broken men. She doesn’t offer justification, only examination.
Strengths of the Novel
Compelling Character Dynamics
The chemistry between Gareth and Kayden is incendiary. It’s not romantic—it’s carnal, combustible, and dangerous.
Kent never simplifies their connection; instead, she allows it to simmer in ambiguity and hostility.
Psychological Depth
Gareth’s internal monologue is some of Kent’s most sophisticated character work.
His introspection provides context for his sadism without romanticizing it.
Unflinching Approach to Dark Themes
Kent commits fully to the genre. This is a dark MM romance in every sense, and she doesn’t dilute its impact with convenient redemption arcs or soft conclusions.
Authorial Confidence
This book demonstrates Rina Kent’s absolute command of tone, pacing, and character psychology. The writing is bold, unapologetic, and emotionally resonant in its brutality.
Areas for Critique
Trigger Content Intensity
While readers of dark romance expect edge, the sexual violence and psychological torment in Kiss the Villain will cross lines for many. It’s deeply uncomfortable—and intentionally so—but some scenes veer into gratuitous territory.
Limited Emotional Arc
There’s minimal evolution in Gareth’s emotional spectrum. Readers looking for even a glimmer of softness or growth may feel alienated. The characters remain largely locked in their destructive patterns.
Pacing Between Sexual and Plot-Driven Beats
At times, the plot halts in favor of extended, violent sexual scenes. While genre-appropriate, it occasionally sacrifices narrative momentum.
How It Compares: Other Rina Kent Books and Similar Titles
If you’ve read Rina Kent’s Legacy of Gods series or the Royal Elite books, you’ll recognize her signature voice—menacing, addictive, and steeped in shadow. However, Kiss the Villain veers into darker waters. Where her previous works hinted at control and obsession, this book dives headfirst into sexual dominance, psychological degradation, and moral decay.
Comparable Reads
- Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat – for MM power dynamics and court intrigue.
- Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman – thematically opposite in tone but similar in emotional complexity and exploration of forbidden desire.
- Ruthless People by J.J. McAvoy – for mafia undertones and morally corrupt protagonists.
Final Thoughts: A Villainous Start to an Unforgiving Series
Kiss the Villain is not a love story. It’s a descent into obsession, lust, and twisted attraction between two power-hungry men who see weakness as an opportunity to dominate. This is Rina Kent at her most brutal and unapologetic.
The upcoming Hunt the Villain promises to unravel Kayden’s past and escalate the psychological warfare. If Kiss the Villain was the first kiss of fire, Hunt the Villain might be the blaze that devours them both.
