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Laguna Grove Vipers #3

Varsity Property

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You’re serving your true purpose, Raven. Get used to it.

She agreed to help a friend and ended up here…

Traded to Dustin Rathbone, a sociopathic campus hockey player whose brute instincts make him want to use her supple body in every way.

Dustin is fifteen times hotter than he is intelligent.

And Raven’s a straight A student, consistently at the top of the class.
Maybe there’s a way for her to buy her freedom…


Book #3 of the Laguna Grove Vipers BWWM Hockey Romance Series by bestselling African American interracial romance author Jamila Jasper. If you enjoy romantic love stories between black women and white men, and appreciate dark and twisted multicultural romance stories, check your cheeky hipster undies at the door and take a peek inside this sizzling full-length steamy romance.

381 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2022

173 people are currently reading
125 people want to read

About the author

Jamila Jasper

384 books525 followers
My stories put black women first and that will never change. If you enjoy interracial romance stories with kickass alphas, strong women and action-packed storylines, you’ll enjoy my growing catalog of interracial romance stories.

Learn more about my books here: https://linktr.ee/JamilaJasper

Sign up to my text or email list and get a FREE interracial romance book:
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I love getting to know readers and staying in touch. Please add me as a friend on Goodreads and I’ll follow you back so we can share reviews and recommendations. Don’t hesitate to add me on here and chat. :)

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5 stars
268 (51%)
4 stars
127 (24%)
3 stars
85 (16%)
2 stars
24 (4%)
1 star
17 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
7 reviews1 follower
May 29, 2022
I tried...

I'm usually all for an enemies-to-lovers or a try-to-fight-my-feelings romance, but I just couldn't with this book. The lengths this man went to in order to control and own her...as if she was nothing more than chattel was DISGUSTING. He called her a slave...a white man paid this black woman money to have sex with him, clean for him, and to basically be at his beck and call, and she somehow was still attracted to him? Even after she found out that he catfished her? Even after he drugged her, kidnapped her, and refused to release her until she signed away her rights as a human being? And I get that some people enter sex work because they're desperate, but if she were so desperate, wouldn't she have gone to a more affordable school or even chosen a major that had a better odds of a return on her investment? And the audacity to bring up the ancestors! With all the rape, torture, and death that they endured, you'd think the protagonist would've mustered up some self respect and dignity, anything that would've stopped her from being a bedwench. This book was trash through and through. I've read plenty of bwwm, bdsm, controlling "alpha male" romance novels, and none of them have ever left me as sick to my stomach as this did.
1,160 reviews4 followers
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December 19, 2023
THE TITLE & IMAGE GIVES OFF SLAVERY/SERVITUDE.
I SINCERELY WISH THAT THE AUTHOR WOULD THINK BEFORE SHE CRAFTS THESE STORYLINES!
Profile Image for Alysha.
362 reviews11 followers
March 26, 2025
I wouldn’t call this a hockey romance just because he plays hockey in college. I wouldn’t call this a dark romance because where was the dark? What I would call this though is not great. Like at all. Dustin is basically a psychopath. He stalks Raven for a year, catfishes her, lies to her, and then has her sign a contract to be his slave for a year. HE, A RICH WHITE MAN, HAS A BLACK WOMAN SIGN A CONTRACT TO BE HIS SLAVE FOR MONEY!! And she goes along with it. She agrees to give up her virginity to him and his 12 inch dick.

The characters had no growth and no redeeming qualities. And then all of a sudden Raven is in love with Dustin. Like, make it make sense at least. No world building. No explanations. Just “you guys don’t get him like I do” Bitch please! And Raven was so damn boring and not an interesting character at all.

I am a white bitch ok, so it’s not my place to speak on how a POC writes her POC characters, but this book was pretty disgusting on how it handled BWWM (in my opinion)
Profile Image for Reecereads.
72 reviews17 followers
February 8, 2024
This was the worst thing I’ve ever read in my entire life. I’ve read some pretty fucked up shit but this took the cake. It’s just really disappointing that a black woman wrote this. I honestly thought this was satire at first but after a little digging, I realized that this was meant to be a romance book. This was supposed to be romance????
Be so incredibly fucking for real.

I did a buddy read with my bestie expecting to laugh at smutty trash but by the first chapter, we were SILENT.
Profile Image for ashley.
890 reviews17 followers
May 20, 2022
Best out of the 3

This one made sense... it flowed well and it was so good see the other couples. The bond although weird made it feel real. Dustin was the most put together one at getting the girl and his obsession with her was cute. Also enjoyed the bff getting hea.
1,063 reviews5 followers
October 24, 2022
Unconvinced

*****Spoilers*****

Dustin and Raven, the last of the friends to make a go at a relationship. He's a hockey player in college and she's a book worm. Dustin has been obsessed with and stalking Raven for over a year before coming up with a plan to get her. The plan? Drug her, tie her up, and present her with a lucrative financial offer she can't refuse. From there, Dustin admits to loving Raven and eventually all of his secrets come out. They're able to have their happily ever after and we get a glimpse of them married and expecting.

The book could use a good editor to go through and identify inconsistencies to clean it up. It'll keep the book on track in terms of staying with the circumstances going on in the book. I didn't believe anything about the story and Dustin could've been deeper. Raven was just sighs.
Profile Image for Page Passion .
856 reviews9 followers
December 25, 2023
First off the new cover on KU is much better than the Goodreads cover.

This was some unhinged and dark romance. The hero, Dustin, obsession with reptiles and creepy crawlies even worse to me since I hate those things! His dedication to those pets of his was nothing I’ve read before.

Raven wasn’t your typical hapless romance heroine. Plenty of times I laughed out loud when she called him out on nonsense.

JJ is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. These stories are unhinged, sexy and entertaining.
Profile Image for Danielle Loving.
107 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2023
I was more than willing to ignore all of the blatant red flags in this book, but the entire Sydney plot line ruined it for me. It was unnecessary and unwarranted, and it added nothing to the plot. It was a random storyline that wasn’t properly developed and just thrown in for shock value. I almost DNF’d but I forced myself to see how this train wreck would end.

Not impressed.
Profile Image for Brandolynn Miles.
256 reviews4 followers
May 11, 2022
When I tell you I am in love with Dustin Rathbone! He’s a creep, stalker, liar, kidnapper and crazy lol. This final chapter in this series is amazing. You will see another side of Dustin that you wouldn’t think was possible. But with the right person, anything is possible.
Raven is a sweet girl who lives her romance novels. She always has her nose in a book and doesn’t even realize what’s in front of her. That is until Dustin comes along and shows her. He always gets what he wants and he wants Raven Rose.
Raven signs a contract with Dustin to give him what he wants in exchange for what she needs. But little by little, she discovers new things about him that he has failed to tell her.
Dustin, rich kid, hot, plays hockey and loves his creatures. He has been determined for a year to get Raven to be his. He will do whatever it takes to make that happen.
I recommend reading the entire series to better understand each character. You will not be disappointed! Jamila has really done it with this one.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
284 reviews2 followers
May 22, 2022
I love this series.

I want more please say you will do a reunion book for them all so we can catch up with their new lives. I hope others read the books yes they a little dark but they give a truth that campus life isn't always rainbows and sugar cookies. This bring to mind that young people on the cusp of adulthood still have to deal with real issues an not just boyfriend or homework but real adult things like a stalker or a shooter or people who one think got their back but turns an betrayal them because of their own mental issues. This book made me see them in a new light. Yes I got kids but I am mom so for me they are mine but I forget they are younger adults that got to live their own life an experience it themselves. I am like all parents want to protect them always but I got to let them grow up an learn. This last book was very dark but had show that sweet raven wasn't so sweet she had a bad side that love Dustin bad side. Hey they work. Happy reading .😊
136 reviews2 followers
May 29, 2022
Best of the best

I was hesitant to read this series..the blurbs for all 3 hit me the wrong way but I am so glad I did.

As with others, this was the best book out of the 3. I loved Dustin crazy tale in this story. He had issues but he knew what he wanted and went after it. He was just misunderstood.

Now as much as I loved Dustin and Raven's story, I had issues with the side stories: What was with Cole and Kya issue? Kya mentioned it to the girls but nothing was ever said or addressed between the couple.. possible follow up story for them?

What was Sydney's problem besides jealousy because there had to be so much more to go to the extremes that she did.

I was also expecting more about Logan, maybe he will have his own story.

Dustin and his dad.. there should have been more about their issues besides him being a screw up. The father knows why? Maybe we can get another book with them being in their 30s.
Profile Image for Cal D.
944 reviews3 followers
August 22, 2024
I got this book in a Dark & Disturbed box and was so pumped to read it! Hockey, new adult, dark, bad boy/good girl… it has all the makings of a book that is right up my alley! Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.

THOUGHTS 💭
🏒 Our MMC started out absolutely unhinged and I was here for it. The level of unhinged dimmed after the first half of the book, which was kinda disappointing.
🏒 The spice is slightly coerced and messed up, but I love a good non-con/dub-con story. The reference to Dustin’s 🍆 as a “third leg” and a woman not even being able to give him head, because he was too girthy/wouldn’t fit into her mouth? 🤔
🏒 The constant reference to race was… uncomfortable?
🏒 I feel like we’re missing some connecting pieces in this plot. Example: Raven is scared of Dustin and thinks he’s crazy and then all of a sudden she loves him? Like… how? Why?

Overall, I found myself having a hard time finishing this read. I wanted to love it and just didn’t. 🤷‍♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
349 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2023
Worthwhile Read

This book was better than I thought it would be. I've read this series out of order because this is the 1st one I've read. I'll go backwards and read the 2nd story and then the 1st story last. I really liked Raven, and Dustin grew on me. Dustin had to grow on me because he was talking more about how he was going to ruin Raven and I was waiting for him to hurt her, but once you start reading more you find out that Dustin was hopelessly in love with Raven and would never hurt her. I liked seeing how Raven grew up and became more confident in herself and did what she wanted too. This book had a good plot twist that made the friendships stronger between them all. Definitely worth reading.
Profile Image for Keepingupwithlauryn.
112 reviews1 follower
November 3, 2023
best one

This is by far was the best one in the whole entire series. I have to say truly. Again, the author has very dark themes and glides right over them like it didn’t even happen, but that’s just the theme for most of her books, so I tend to look past it at this point. Their love, story, Dustin and raven is so cute truly this one I would have to say is like dark romance in the sense that like he’s like a stalker and he hunted down made her sign a contract I mean she truly got that pasta and lobster in the back and on top of that got love, I mean what more could a girl want !!!
Profile Image for Gail.
571 reviews36 followers
October 28, 2022
The story wasn't the best, but I really enjoyed the characters a lot. Stalkers don't bother me, and I'm all about that toxic AF trope, so I was hyped at just how creeptastic Dustin was and continued to be throughout.  
Despite the stalking, Dustin's horrific past, and at least one dead body, I would still consider this a palette cleanser. Mostly because WITH all that, this was a fun read. 
Also, any man who can eat the cookie like he wins Olympic gold medals for it, gets my vote. 
Profile Image for Tina.
228 reviews
December 15, 2022
Good book

I like to do this book it was very interacting I liked it I stayed with the other books that you could know what happened with the others and how they stayed together it was really good how she believed in you when nobody did believe in it and even though he was Very hurtful what happened to you and she was there because she found some scary stuff but she says that too it was a good it was a good book too
21 reviews1 follower
November 21, 2023
So awesome

I read all three books. My favorite part of the series is the crossovers. Raven and Dustin what a ride. They honestly were the most chill couple. Honestly my favorite part of this book was her girls showing up all the time and when all 3 couples were together hashing plans. Or bickering. I love love loved it. So funny. I hate it ended but all stories have to end. MS JJ thank you for the journey. Great series. Them boys was crazy but, loved it.
Profile Image for Y-vonn Teh.
47 reviews2 followers
January 6, 2024
Unfinished Ramble

If you have the time and the temperament for a rambling word vomit, this is your chance. Read through all 3 books hoping to see connections. Disappointed to know this is what interracial communication has come to. The entire time spent reading through a music video of snippets linked together where we hopped from one scene to the next with convoluted sentences and “stage right, exits”.
2 reviews
February 22, 2024
So good I read all 3 in 4 days! Defo a re-read for the whole series

This series was amazing! The characters were all so distinct and well developed. The humour is off the charts too, It catches you off guard. I’m going back to Cole and Kya’s story because it was just that good.
I wish there was a sequel for all the couples or at least Cole and Kya though. I’m going to miss all the characters.
95 reviews
December 27, 2024
pretty good

This hands-down was the best in the series. Though some of the antics were over the top I actually enjoyed the story between Dustin and Raven. The vulnerability between the two of them made the storyline better. Kyra was still annoying. Sydney proved that even in fiction, you can’t be friends with someone who’s jealous of you. I can’t help but wonder how so much kidnapping takes place in one school..odd.
75 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2022
This book had a slave-like theme. I am glad the author addressed this and spoke honestly about race and stereotypes a white guy might have dating a Black woman. I didn’t read the first two books so I’m missing some back story. Raven was strong and mouthy, which helped make the domination aspect of the story not so cringey. I didn’t think I would like this book, but it worked.
21 reviews
July 17, 2022
Enemies-to-Lovers

In the beginning of this book 📕, I was still amazed how she took book 📖 1, book 📚 2 and was able to roll them into book 📕 3. The start of how Dustin have been loving her for over a year from afar. The way he was able to confess his darkest secrets to and not hid in the shadows. I love this book and enjoy reading the writers book. Thank for your love of diversity❤️
226 reviews
September 19, 2022
Dark, Sinful, Sexy,

I love the characters. They were funny, dark and kick ass. She was able to bring each of the characters to live with their own uniqueness and personalities.
Also I love how she uses dialogue in her stories to add depth humor and suspense. Honestly, she can do no wrong when it comes to writing crazy, sexy dark instant hits.
662 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2022
Still obsessed with a series

Another great book another great interesting slightly dramatic story but well put together I like the ending especially. Love the character representation that is in the book.
81 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2022
Varsity Property

Let me start by saying, out of the three books in this series this was by far my favorite. The chemistry between Dustin and Raven just drew me in. It wasn't conventional but it was their own. And it kept me engaged.
357 reviews4 followers
May 22, 2022
Great ending

This was a terrific ending to a wonderful trilogy, although Dustin was the weirdest of all the hockey guys . Glad he got his love and they have their happily ever after in the end. You did it again, Jamila.
15 reviews
July 17, 2022
Dustin is LITERALLY INSANE!!

I LOVE IT!!!
Dustin is crazy about his baby and I love it. I love reading about men being obsessive when it comes to their women and Jamila Jasper really did amazing with this one!!!
23 reviews
August 2, 2022
So good

Loved this series! Dustin and Rose are my favorite. He's used to being in control and Rose is like ok but always have the upper hand. His love for her and how he goes about showing her leaving question about his mental health lol but it's so good.
Profile Image for Crushed sage.
39 reviews
September 26, 2022
2.2 rated stars
COULD NOT finish the book at least that’s what my memory tells me. Home slice was just a lil too overbearing to the pint of annoyance and the mfc had no back bone when it came to her friends over stepping boundaries 🤦🏾‍♀️I just couldn’t
87 reviews
April 25, 2023
Not Bad

Enjoyed reading Dustin and Ravens' story. This was almost a better read than the first two books. Dustin was immediately honest with Raven about his feelings once they were involved.
Sydney what a strange friend she was!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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