Dukes of Peril

Royals of Forsyth University #6

by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue

The ruin of obsession, the madness of love, and the peril of duty.

Remington Maddox broke my heart.

Simon Perilini bruised my body.

And Pretty Nick Bruin tried his hardest to steal my soul.

As we struggle to make amends, the four of us must face the real fights occurring in Forsyth: The battle against the legacies of our fathers, the conflict for a Kingdom that's stronger than its King, and the wars we wage within ourselves.

My Dukes have become capable warriors, but Forsyth needs more than their fists. They need a leader. Who will rise to the challenge?

They plucked me from captivity, giving me a home and purpose, and now it's my turn to fight for them. The fury of Forsyth will burn hot enough to melt my cage.

And my Dukes will forge a crown from it.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Why Choose, College, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary

561 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2022

Reviews

[Valkyrie ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like getting on my knees and thanking the gods for receiving this ARC.

Here comes my honest review.

Fair warning, I’m not responsible for the kind of person these books turned me into. I’m absolutely feral as I type this. This book made me lose my goddamned mind, let me tell you.

It made me laugh, kept me in suspense, gave me tingles and made me very emotional. What a wild ride!!!

I love Livvy so much, she’s been an incredible main character and probably the reason why this trilogy worked as much as it did. She gave us that something that Story was missing in the first one. She’s a fighter who never gives up. But watching her opening up to her men and allowing herself to be vulnerable was just incredible.

The mystery surrounding her sister was so friking good. Same as all the other intricate relationships, secrets and politics. This series is so much more than just a dark romance. We need a mystery board and probably several family trees.

Me with this series:



Sy is my favorite Duke, mostly because he’s been an absolute loser for the most part of these books, and there’s something irresistible in such a hot man being a disaster when it comes to women.

His character development has been impecable. He read very real, which is rare to see in male characters in romance books. And I just loved how soft and vulnerable he was with Livvy, how desperate he was for her and how he fought to be who she needed him to be.

The way he went from not understanding why even kissing was a thing, to the way he worshiped Livvy in this one… 😮‍💨I’ve never been so proud of a man for finally losing his v card. It even made me get emotional, wtf? Lol

In my review for the first Dukes book, I said Sy was closer to becoming an incel. And reading his character development from that moment to how he admits in this book the problem weren’t women, the problem was him, was just chefs kiss.

Nick’s utter obsession with Lavinia was even better in this book, because he was not longer taking from her, but giving to her. His devotion and how shameless he’s about it was the hottest thing. His support to his brother and how ruthless he was in his love for his chosen family had me in such a choke hold.

I have to admit Remy lost me in the second book when he cheated on Lavinia. I understood the reasons and the drama behind it, but I just didn’t like it. In this book, though, I liked the way they resolved this conflict. I think it helped to make the devotion they felt for one another more real and believable.

The plot twist about the next Duke King was amazing, I even got teary eyed!!! Wtf, I swear these book broke my sanity.

All these Royal men being obsessed with breeding their women is such an impecable kink. Imagine the craziness that’s going to be in the Princes trilogy. God. I cannot wait.

There’s so much snowballing in this book, the Dukes are some nasty mofos and I couldn’t be more into it lbr


-

Spoilers

-


“A sisterhood, right? One that doesn’t need Royal blood or special last names. A sisterhood for everyone.”

I probably preferred the Lords’ Epilogue because it went further in time and gave us more details. But oh god, the set up for the next trilogy was immaculately done. I knew Verity was going to be the main girl in another trilogy, she was just too interesting. And that moment between her and Wicker sealed the deal for me. I can’t believe we are getting the princes next, I can’t wait to learn exactly how depraved those dudes are lol

This new sisterhood is going to become my obsession for the next months, I honestly can’t wait to read about these badass women helping each other. Verity working as a spy for Livvy and Story and the three of them becoming BFFs is going to fuel my soul until I can read the next book. I’m so happy these authors are giving us this 😭

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

*audiobook

If you want me to NOT enjoy your book, here are some things to include.

This is NOT an exhaustive list. For the sake of staying on topic, let's keep it at a minimum of 4, shall we:

1.Cheating. (Specifically the hero cheating).

2. Hero(es) not suffering after fucking heroine over AKA Zero or not enough grovel.

3. Heroine being jealous or fighting with another woman over the hero(es)/men.

4. Hero is struggling with alcohlism/drug addiction.

And yes, you guessed it. This book had all 4.

As per usual with this series, the smut is good. Great, even.

But I could have done without the CHEATING.

I don't even know why the authors even included ACTUAL cheating. Nobody wants that shit.

Lavigna should not have forgiven Remy so fast/easily. Remy should have suffered!

I also could have done without the literal CHICK FIGHT.

Like a whole spectable of Hayley and Lavigna fighting over a man, like it's a sport... literally on a ring and all the things like it's fucking MMA or something.

Um, no thanks.

I could have done without Remy being strung up on that drug shit... it just made him super unattractive... and drugs only take the hero's attention away from the heroine, and that is not romantic.

I've said it before, and I am saying it again, drug and alcohol addiction does not belong in the romance genre.

So, not only did Remy cheat with Hayley, he also was occupied with being a drug addict. How am I supposed to believe he's in love with the heroine...?

I also think Lavigna devolved as a character more and more. She was decent in the first book, and even the second, I especially loved it when she locked Nick up in a cell for days.

Should have made Nick suffer even more, in my opinion, but I guess she had to let him out of the cell at some some point...

But she's a complete mess in this third book... punching a girl’s tit and pulling her hair over a man... when that man is the one who pulled his dick out and cheated...

Why didn't she punch Remy instead?

Girl, stand up!!

But yeah, again, the one star is for the smut. Great work...

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well now. This trilogy officially absolutely rules, and it has a very satisfying ending.

This book picks up EXACTLY where last one left off, so if your memory is fuzzy about the end of book 2, I’d suggest re-reading that before reading this. Lavinia, Nick, Remy, and Sy all get fitting conclusions to their arcs: Sy becomes the King of the Dukes. Remy goes to drug counseling and gets his shit together. Nick is happy with Sy being King and himself NOT being King, and he gets an “I love you” from Lavinia, so he's living his best life. And, Lavinia is a Queen, fixes the clock, and is the one who gets to kill her dad!

This book has a great mix of spice, emotion, and plot. I didn’t love it as much as the second book, which is the best one in this trilogy, but it's a worthy ending to this story. Part of me also is a little irritated that Nick jumped through so many hoops last book to make things right with Lavinia - which I loved! His arc was amazing! But, Remy and Sy both didn't even do HALF as much in this book (after their screw ups at the end of last book). Remy especially feels like the story lets him off the hook too easily for cheating on Lavinia with Haley last book. Lavinia beating her up was a fun scene, but I didn't like how that made dealing with Haley feel like Lavinia's responsibility, when it should have been Remy's.

But , Nick’s fuck up at the end of the first book WAS bigger than Remy and Sy's at the end of Dukes of Madness. And since Nick is my favorite, I’m mostly okay with the fact that he did more than the other guys to prove himself to Lavinia, because he got the most character growth and the best arc overall. It's hard to feel that displeased when this story delivered such a fantastic psycho hero -and such a great heroine, with Lavinia. So, this still gets a full 4 stars despite my minor quibbles.

I'm impressed with how much emotion is in this book. A lot of dark stories aren't great at making that transition to "hero is psycho and is awful to the heroine" to the phase where they're in love. But these authors are GOOD at it. It doesn't feel too abrupt, and it also doesn't feel too ooey-gooey sappy even when they're all loved-up, because it feels EARNED. These characters all fought hard to get to this place, and their journeys were well done and filled with emotional complexity. Plus, I appreciated how even though Lavinia and Nick are finally together and on good terms, it wasn't totally smooth sailing - as much as I adore Nick, he is not an easy partner, so that felt realistic. This series found the sweet spot where the characters change just enough, but not so much that they lose their edge.

I do have some nitpicks, like the plot is a bit scattered with almost too many villains (Saul, Lavinia's dad, Remy's dad, random terrible frat boy Bruce). But I'm willing to wave off some plot messiness when a story is satisfying on a character level, and this one is.

I AM a little salty we didn't get a soft epilogue that focuses on their relationship in the future, the way the Lords trilogy had - these characters deserve that more! The epilogue is more about setting up the Princes trilogy, which is next up in this world. But the epilogue is not bad, these characters just deserve the world. And it’s annoying that there’s no resolution with Bruce, the member of their frat who was awful — but I will let a dangling plot thread slide, since this is a trilogy within an ongoing series. Most of the other plot threads were wrapped up, except for the Barons. But that makes sense since they'll have their own trilogy. Still, it would have been nice to have the Dukes deal with Bruce themselves (instead of I assume future characters dealing with him). On a better note, I was convinced the sweet and wholesome pledge Ballsack would die. So even though he's such a minor character, I'm oddly relieved he survived this story.

The set up for the next trilogy is that Verity will be the Princess, which many of us guessed, so we can feel smug. The Princes will be guys named Lex, who is a pre-med with a drug problem, Pace, who just got out of jail for "stuff over spring break," and Wicker Kayes, who has some kind of connection to the Barons and seems like a smarmy entitled jackass, and not in a sexy way. To be honest, none of the Princes seem appealing or interesting, except maybe the one who just got out of jail for mysterious reasons. But the set up of Verity kind of being a spy on behalf of Lavinia and Story is interesting, and so is the set-up of the 3 guys being the adopted sons of their King. I’ll probably read the Princes more for crumbs of the Dukes characters, plus set-up for the Barons, who seem WILD. But maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I’m also calling it now: Cash Money (the friendly drug dealer that Lavinia used to babysit who is affiliated with the Counts) is going to be one of the heroes when the Counts get books. And since his real last name is Mallis, it’s going to be called “Counts of Malice.”

It's hard to believe I was so Meh on the Lords trilogy (and still am, to be honest) because Dukes has become a favorite, and it’s one that I’d highly recommend to anyone who reads dark RH (and can handle a high level of dark). It's impressive how the authors improved on their Lords trilogy in EVERY way in this one: the Dukes trilogy has so much more character depth and character growth.

I’ll continue to read the other trilogies in this series about the other houses as they come out….but it’s going to be VERY hard for these authors to get me to love any future characters as much as I love Nick or Lavinia. Dukes will be a tough act to follow.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to miss these characters 😢

[Beatriz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This Review contains huge spoilers, it is for me to vent my frustration about a book that I was so excited about but was dissapointed for ME fom the moment I started to read it.

Did I read the epilogue before starting the book and found out that Simon became King and it made me hate read the entire book? YES.

To me it became clear that Simon is the writers favourite boy, I mean Nick rapes Lavinia and he gets locked on a cage, electrocuted, is ignored by her for weeks, and she only forgives him when he plays russian roulette with his life to find something for her. Simon rapes her in front of the whole DKS, makes her bleed and feel pain for days and he gets a date that ends with a kiss after he doesn’t even apologize and just gives a bullshit excuse to “explain” why he treated her shitty. Also is so frustrating how Lavinia said that she sleeps better with Simon, he raped her for f*cks sake, you can't make two boys do basically the same thing and make the outcomes and punishments so different.

The Mental gymnastics that the authors wrote to make what Simon did to Lavinia not matter because apparently he only did that because he wanted her too much?! WTF. That's not an explanation and he was the only boy that didn't suffer any consequence from his actions in hurting her, and to me, he was the worst because she didn't trusted Nick whe he did what he did to her, Remy was there but he wasn't her anchor, and Simon was her safe place, so him using her body like that after she kept saying that she was more than a body, it made me lose some respect for the writing, you can't make some of the boys pay for something so much and just brush things over with one of them.

Stop telling us how much Simon is this amazing leader and so unselfish, show me it, him bringing Lavinia back from her mental break was just for his benefit, him controlling Remy was his controlling side showing.

Also why every steamy scene between Lavinia and Nick Simon needs to be present or be talked about?

The Writers should had make this a MF romance between Simon and Lavinia since he's the only boy they really care about.

SO MANY PLOT HOLES AND THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE. Why is the King voted by a bunch of teenage boys, which some aren't even part of the house, but pledges still? If the voting was voted by the former Dukes I would understand, but have some boys and pledges choose the next King was a reach so big that, jesus, I don't understand. Also a frat who talks so much about Legacy choose the non legacy brother over the legacy brother was another reach, again, you're showing favourites authors, not cool.

I have never been so disappointed in a book like I'm with this one, I came to the realization that when an author says that they need to delay the release of a book to give the characters justice it always ends with a badly thought out book, it happened so many times with books that I read. Also why this book has so many things like the Lords trilogy? Story and Rath on the Pit=Lavinia and Nick on the poker game; Story being marked by the Lords=Lavinia being branded by the Dukes. Where's the creativity?

Didn't thought that I was going to be disappointed in Nick, but him not owning the mess he created when he duped Killian and instead making Lavinia suffer made me lose my respect for him, In fact I hate all four main characters of this book, they just look weak bending to everything that Saul makes them do, they don't deserve to be King and Queen.

Simon being voted King wasn't it, and him killing Saul was definitely not it, he was the one who suffered the least in Saul's hand. WTF? I never hate read a book so much like this one.

The epilogue wasn't really one, it was to set up the Princes' story. I just know that when the authos do a kickstarter for the Dukes a bigger epilogue will be one of the things offered, shame.

Simon is now officially in my top 3 of the characters that I hate the most, the other two being Aelin (TOG) and Gabriel (RBOTZ).

[nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read 02/03/24: Aight. Imma say nothing atp. OKAY BYEEEEE🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️

Re-read 18/11/23: I'm obsessed. That's it. That's the review.

Re-read 12/08/23: 4⭐️
My third re-read of this book and the high of going through the emotional wringer still hasn't worn off GODDAMN. I'm not mad as I used to be at Rem, but yeah, he ain't my favorite that's for sure. My man Sy is it for me. And then Nicky obv (because DUH boy obsessed hello?). Re-reading DoP actually made me realise things that I missed during my first, second and third time reading this book - things that make so much more sense now after having read PoC. I'm pretty sure that I'll be re-reading PoC again soon (prolly before the release of PoA) but until then, this series will be living in my head rent free🥰

Re-read 24/07/23: 4⭐️
I think, at this point, y'all pretty much know how much I love ranting and bitching about Remy. If I were Lav, I woulda pushed him off the cliff and given him a permanent concussion. Maybe even knee him in the family jewels as a safe side. As I've also said before, if this book/series would have been written by anyone other than Samgel, I most def would have ended up DNFing it because cheating is a huge no for me. The sad fact is that I actually adored Remy and he was my number one for most of the second book until he pulled that shit at the end. But, I'd like to stay delulu and pretend that it never happened and that he grovelled (when he actually didn't) for my own sanity heheh🤪 Lav is hands down my fav heroine in this series so far (but my baby Ver is giving her some pretty tough competition eventhough only the first Princes' book has been released). Sy, my precious bby boo, is obv my fav (the irony that I absolutely despised him in DoR isn't lost on me lmaooo💀) followed closely by Nicky. I very rarely do re-reads and most def have never done a second re-read within the span of a little over a month of the same book - this is my first time reading a book for the third time fyi lol. That's how addictive the Royals of FU are. It's crack, besties. Anywho, I'm honestly kinda sorta scared for Oct because PoA hellooooo. It's gonna ruin me, wreck me and make me wanna murder somebody. Based on experience, the second book always has the most pain and drama but it's also the book where the guys start feeling remorse for the actions and at least 1 or 2 of them warm up to the heroine. I know I'm gonna need copious amounts of therapy for Verity and the Princes' next installment but it's alright ig, because the third book will be full of sweet moments and a HEA🥰🥰🥰

Re-read 06/06/23: 4⭐️
Still hurt by Remy's actions in the previous book but not triggered, surprisingly. Nor do I feel murderous - maybe. Normally, when one of the characters cheats, my instinctual reaction is to want to throttle them. Not Remy (which still baffles me). I found myself making excuses for him and even forgiving him (a little) - when I wouldn't be caught dead tolerating this shit irl. That's the power of Samgel ig. They just make things seem...not so bad. Idk. Also, I believe that Remy should have been the one taking accountability for his fuck up and not Lav fighting with Haley FOR him (no matter how much I enjoyed that scene). Remy saying that this wasn't the first time had a wandering dick but was the first time he actually felt bad about it wasn't it. Like that just ain't gonna cut it, buddy. Despite it all (and if I really pretend that Remy cheating on Vinny didn't happen), I really did enjoy the book (especially now that I've read PoC and because I saw little crumbs that were basically building up the Princes' story). Also I wish I could give Ver a hug like YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING YOURSELF INTO BBY💀

Look, imma be honest with y'all. Remy's def not my favorite. Yes, he fucked up and regretted and even made up for it in a way. But there could have been more grovelling imo but I guess it's fine lol🙂. Sy was just...god he was precious. I wasn't a huge fan of him in DoR but I did like him the most outta the three guys. Safe to say that he really grew on me - especially in this book. He's def my fav out of all three followed by Nick. Nick could have easily been my number one had it not been for his fuck up and the end of book 1 and the stuff that followed after that - that's the only reason I'm knocking off brownie points for him😒. Thankfully, nothing happened but still...I'm a little disappointed in him, though not too much because I do love meself an obsessed and unhinged psychopath hehe. The only that had me feeling a lil miffed was that Lav never said "I love you" back to Sy (if I'm not wrong). She said it to the other two and not him which kinda made me sad and that's the reason why I cut half a star (idk don't ask me about it okay?) but oh well I'll get over it ig🥲. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and it's a great one time 4⭐️ read🥰 Looking forward to the Princes' and Verity's book ajshjsksksksj😍💗

P.S. Another reason why I couldn't give this a full 5⭐️ is because of Remy. I just cannot imagine getting back tg with a guy who already broke your trust once. Maybe it's just who I am I guess, but I don't think I could come back from that typa hurt ever. Hence, 4⭐️. If not for Remy's fuck up in the previous book, I woulda gladly given this 5 stars🥰

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 4 out of 5]

INFURIATINGLY, I wrote a whole review for this yesterday which has now inexplicably disappeared. I can't be bothered to write it all out again, so here are the takeaways:

⤅ This is a 3.5 star endeavour, rounded up to 4 entirely because of Pretty Nick Bruin. He is hands down one of the best dark heroes I've ever encountered. He's insanely psychotic, possessive, and selfish, but also dementedly tender and affectionate. It's a true testament to the authors' skill that they can write a hero like him who also believably manages to share the object of his affections with his brothers.

⤅ Remy and Sy have totally lost me. Remy got a blowjob from an OW in the last book after he and Lavinia had already been intimate, which is basically cheating in my book. As for Sy, he never fully redeems himself in my eyes from the physically abusive bastard he was in book 1.

⤅ Speaking of book 1, that and book 3 are really all that was needed for this series. I honestly could not continue with book 2 because it felt so bogged down in filler. This book also has a pretty high filler quotient, and I was ready to reach the end before it actually arrived, but at least things happened.

⤅ I LOVE the authors' penchant for writing romance heroes who would be the villains elsewhere - not even because they're dark, but because they're the thugs and creeps of the world. Like I mean, Nick has face tattoos! The best example I can think of to illustrate what I mean is Joey Donner, from 10 Things I Hate About You. This kind of sleazy rich-boy player is the vague villain in 90% of romance media, but he'll be a central hero in the Princes trilogy, and I for one cannot wait.

⤅ Plot as usual is fairly meh. I was rereading bits of the Lords series yesterday, and I'm amused by how far the plot has diverged from the original low-stakes 'Game' between frats. I don't think that's even been mentioned in the Dukes series.

[Kursed Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment begins immediately following the cliffy from Dukes of Madness. From there, we start the rollercoaster finale for the Fists of Forsyth.

Finally!! We get our questions answered. Not only that, we experience tremendous character growth and a strong redemption arc. And some seriously satisfying smexy times.

While Pretty Nick remains true to himself as incredibly over-the-top jealous and possessive, he is navigating it without being selfish and hurtful. He’s learned what Lavinia needs and how to temper that with Sy and Remy’s needs as well making him pretty dang swoony.

Sy. Ermergerd. The edging was painful, but so worth it. Watching him grow from the angry virgin into a thoughtful and passionate lover was the highlight of the trilogy for me.

Of course the angst and absolution for Remy was an emotional element in this book. I understood his motivation and could even empathize, but I was incredibly angry with him for being so immature. I’m not generally forgiving where cheating is concerned, and the grovel could have been (much) better, but he still ultimately won me over.

Lavinia has been strong throughout and I was glad that she never wavered in that regard. That she got closure related to Leticia AND vengeance against her father were icing on the cake.

Not my favorite of the series, but a solid read. The setup for the princes’ trilogy? Chef’s 🤌🏻.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: ☺️🥵🤬🥵😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻👨🏼‍🤝‍👨🏽 {Multiple}

🗂 Genre: Gothic Romance

✨ Tropes: Alphahole Hero(es), College, Enemies-to-Lovers, Grovel, Secret Society, Touch-Her-and-💀, Why Choose

💋 Kinks: Somnophilia, Voyeurism, All 🕳️ Filled, Restraints, Cum Jammer

⚠️ Warning: This book may cause blushing, squirming, combusting panties, and/or self-care.

🚩 Safety Squad: There are multiple triggers. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!

📣 Type: Dukes of Madness is part of the Royals of Forsyth University world and ends on a cliffhanger. This series must be read in order.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor Sy had to wait one more bk to really get it.😕🤣♥️🌶
So far, I hve no clue on who tf killed her.😩🫣

After reading

I can't believe I missed two huge book releases and I still can't find time to start it. 🥺🥺
IDK if its becuz I am busy but it took me forever to finish this book. I liked the lord's book more than this. Honestly?? I am disappointed. I expected more from the Baron's side of the story and also Ashby is coming baby😉♥️♥️.

[Wobilba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew!! What a rollercoaster. So glad Sy finally got to tap lol i really was rooting for him too lol. And the setup for the next book is so interesting….can’t wait!!

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

I’d kill for her, die for her, burn this whole fucking city to the ground for her.

When I tell you I have been dying a slow death waiting for the conclusion of the Dukes' trilogy I'm not even slightly exaggerating. I loved The Lords, but The Dukes had me in a full chokehold. The irony, though, is while book three of The Lords was my favorite of the three, the Dukes of Peril I found to be the weakest installment. Did I still enjoy it? Abso-fucking-lutely. But did it have the chokehold on me that the first two books did? Not really.

But even after all these years, you still think the way I love you makes you a prisoner. When are you going to get it?” His jaw tightens, and he reaches up, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “You’re not shackled to me, Lavinia. I’m shackled to you.”

After the slow edging...erm...I mean burn, between Lavinia and Simon, I was really hoping for him being center stage in this book. But can't help feeling slightly disappointed because I feel like he played a bit of second, or rather third fiddle.

The story was entertaining but felt anticlimactic in parts. There were parts of the book that felt dragged out and it almost had too much going on with Saul, Lavinia's father, Remy's father, and the Princes. I loved Nick and his crazy possessive jealousy. The man just continued to grow on me with each book. But dang, I needed more Sy in this book.

I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but I still wished for more. However, the set up for the next trilogy at the end? Delicious. Bring on the Princes and their breeding kink please!

Find me on:

[Balia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was my least favorite in the series. I felt like everything was rushed in this book. Also, it becomes pretty obvious that Sy is the author’s favorite (can’t relate I couldn’t get over his incel mentality in the last two books). If we compare how Nick had to redeem himself over the course of two books with the way Vinny handled Sy, it’s easy to recognize who got preferential treatment. Sy getting away with a slap on the wrist, while doing the bare minimum to get back in Vinn’s good graces was annoying asf. Incel boy literally rapes her with his gargantuan cock in front of a crowd and rips her pussy open –and surprise, two paragraphs later he’s depicted as her safe space. 🤢

Then we have the fact that Remy (who was literally my fav boy) barely grovels????? Come on dude. Like how can you make him cheat on her while Vinny watches him getting head(which is disgusting enough) and instead of making him beg for forgiveness we literally have to read about Vinny fighting Haley in the ring to mark her territory!? What kind of fucking logic is this? Istg these dramatic ass men want to be won over so bad.

He didn’t even put Haley in her fucking place once!! His whole wounded puppy act was so annoying. The fact that he didn’t have a problem with doling out punishments to Vinny when she “lied” to him about Cash in the previous book was just another slap in the face. Talk about double standards.

This is exactly why I’m always having such a hard time with dark romance books. The heroines always take what’s thrown at them and go through so much humiliation and sexual violence. Instead of seeing them fight back, they always transform into these submissive shells of their former selfs. Most of the events that these heroines endure are traumatic. Their bodies shouldn’t suddenly betray them into developing feelings for their rapist just because he’s hot. That’s not how it works.

Anyway I’m still going to read the princes books.

[↬ Ⓛ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Idgaf about Remy or Sy. Nick is the only highlight, king I fuck with, and wanna fuck. My thug boo thang could have been a solo Duke without his bros. Lavinia trifling lookin’ ass still don’t deserve my man, Nicky! 🥹 “Freedom?” A wretched breath of laughter tears through his throat. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I’d follow you anywhere, put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, leave my family, my friends, my whole fucking world if you asked me to. But even after all these years, you still think the way I love you makes you a prisoner. When are you going to get it?” His jaw tightens, and he reaches up, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “You’re not shackled to me, Lavinia. I’m shackled to you.” He only deserves me! 😩👉🏻👈🏻 Homegurl ruins this whole series for me, only for Nick I kept ongoing. Let’s get dat straight. 😏

[Clarice · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 rounded up to 3 stars.

If you have not read the first 5 books please read those before reading this book, you won't understand this book if you have not. There have been some reviewers saying you can read the Dukes books separate from the Lords, but you really can't. You won't understand all the Kings' politicking in this book if you don't read the Lords books first.

*********Spoilers below*********

I'm not going to lie, I'm very disappointed with this latest instalment in The Royals of Forsyth University. The Dukes and Lavinia's story started off really strong in the first book "Dukes of Ruin". The second book, "Dukes of Madness", although not as strong, was at least interesting. It took me awhile to read this book, and I almost dnf'd 60% of the way through. The main issues I had with this book is that it seems like the authors just wanted to be done writing this part of the story and get on with the Princes books. I think it is really easy to tell when an author, or in this cases authors, lose interest in their own story, the characterization isn't as rich and the plot falls flat.

I think what else really bothered me in this one was how easy Lav forgave Sy after he r*ped her in front of the entire frat in the last book. Like Nick has to beg and scrape almost the entire book of "Dukes of Madness" even though he did the same thing (with less of an audience) in "Dukes of Ruin". Even the entire frat forgave Sy really easy in "Dukes of Peril" even though they were all mad at him in "Dukes of Madeness". Sy even gets to become King in this over Nick! I get why, he's technically pledged to the Dukes longer than Nick, and has known the guys longer, but still to me it makes no sense based on how the authors wrote the last two books. Don't even get me started on how the selection process was to make him the Dukes' "heir". We got an entire section in this book about the Duke's alumni before Sy was selected as the Dukes' heir, but somehow they are not included in on the selection process! Only the frat guys selected Sy! Ahhhhh!

The only reason I read this book was so I would know what is happening in the Princes' books coming up. The last 50 ish pages set-up for those books with the reveal that Verity (The girl who was supposed to be the Duchess) is going to be the Princess. I like her character and I am interested to see where these books go. I also liked in this book how there was a reference to the "Rowdy Ruff Boys" (the Power-Puff girls nemesis). Nick at one point calls the Princes "Ashby's Powerpuff girls", and in context it's kind of funny. The Princes' King, Ashby, adopts or more so collects the Princes and they all have some special skills or lineage (heir's to other houses). Case in point one of the Princes, Wicker Asby or formerly Wicker Hayes, is supposed to be the Baron's heir. I have a feeling Verity's father is a King of one of the houses.

I just hope the authors focus more on these books and less on side projects (multiple books, kick starter, ect.), because it shows in their writing.

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS



Star Rating : 4 / 5 Stars

POV : Multiple

Cliffhanger : None

Hero : Sy , Nick , Remi

Heroine : Lavinia

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 5/10

Triggers Involved : * will be updated after release

Overall Opinion :
The last book of the Dukes trilogy is here!! I have been hooked into this series ever since I met the lord's and then the authors are giving us series for all the crazy anti heroes?! My heart went crazy lol. I already have my favorite picked up in the princes and don't even get me started on the barons lmao. They are gods hahahahah . Can't wait for their books!

Livvy is totally my favorite heroine of all time. She is sassy but the strength the girl has , it's nothing like i have ever seen before. The best ❤️ Sy , Remi and Nick compliment her in the best way. They still have a ton of issues to work out because the world never gives them a chance to do that.things are very complicated between them and Lavinia is not sure that she can once again trust the same men who broke her heart and her soul so thoroughly a while ago. Who never cared about her and only wanted her for their pleasure, she can't fall for them. But what happens when they all see a different side to their story. A side where they are all together and happy? Or is it too far-fetched for these people right now? It all depends on how much they are willing to sacrifice to get their happily ever after.

The only thing was that I somehow found this book a bit less interesting than the ones before it. There were parts where I had to drag myself to finish it but I did it lol because the storyline is good and it keeps you hooked to know what is going to happen next!

Definitely recommending this one to all the dark romance loving people out there. If you are into tropes like Reverse Harem , Boss girl , anti heroes , TONS OF TRIGGERS BUT MAJOR DARK ROMANCE , then go for this one! But as the authors have said multiple times and I am saying it too , these series are not just light dark romance , they are truly messed up in more than one way and I hope you all are ready for it!

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[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly i expected more from lavinia. in the beginning, she was portrayed as a fighter, but tbh she seems just as submissive as story. i get that this is part of the whole kinky fantasy, but i expected lavinia to be more... dominant? she really seems the same as story. it felt like her personality was pushed to the side for the sake of smut. idk this is really just a clusterfuck of stockholm syndrome. i like nick, but i'm still not sold on sy or remy.

and the whole queen thing is such a farce. these "queens" literally have no power without their "king" and that's just sad. i feel like the authors are self aware about all the problematic, misogynistic shit that goes on in forsyth, but i wish the characters they wrote made more of an effort to change the status quo. the epilogue had a hint of that, but honestly it felt more like a forced set up for the next book.

you may be wondering why i'm 6 books deep into a series i have so many problems with. it's somewhat sunk cost fallacy, somewhat that i'm addicted to psychotic love interests. nick really hit the spot for me... and despite all the fucked up shit, the writing is actually really good for the most part. it's emotional, it's nuanced. and i'm hoping by the end of this series things will actually change in forsyth for the better.

[Parvati Patil]

Can't wait.

[Nerdy.Scientist.Reads || NERDY · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️
When I tell you the ending of this book had me SO HYPE for the next…
Oh my gosh, this was such a ride. I’m kicking myself for the long break I took in starting this one. It’s fast paced, chaotic, sexy afffff, and freaking savage.

Lavinia is hands down my favorite royal woman so far. She’s so badass. So resilient. She can take whatever is thrown at her or shoved in her 🤣 Am I jealous? Maybe a little. What I’d give to have those 3 hot Dukes wrapped around me like that 🥵

The spice was downright dirty…just how I like it. The series overall was a sloooow burn BUT THIS BOOK! This one was the one I was waiting for. It ticked all the boxes. So many highlights.

Sooo, everyone asks…who is my favorite Duke?
100% Pretty Nick Bruin 💋
His OTT possessiveness just does things to me. The way he loves LB and has to have his hands on her at all time. 😮‍💨
But don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the other Dukes as well. I swear I’ll be talking in colors for the rest of my life and saying, “To the victor!” That shit was hype. I loved it. Beginning to end.

Now time to satisfy my FOMO and jump into the Princes 🤪

Favorite Quotes:

“You really don’t know the new guard, do you?” I wave the knife between us. “We all get a little psycho over our girls.

I’d probably cry if I had any yellow to spare.

Anything you want… She has to know that by now. I’d kill for her, die for her, burn this whole fucking city to the ground for her.

Nick wants me. That’s the beginning and end with him. The blessing and the curse. The rights and the wrongs.

It all makes such perfect sense to me that my head spins. Words are colorless. Vinny and I are an arc of lightning in an endless expanse of black. We need the spark, not the void.

“My Dukes don’t lose.”

Making love to Nick is always all-consuming, and when Remy’s inside of me, sex is basically a wild, emotional tornado. With Sy, I find, it’s the edge of a knife. A loaded hand grenade. Two bodies struggling to only take what the other is willing to give.

when Vinny and I fuck, we fly. It’s always been that way with her, thrilling to the most extreme heights, and cataclysmic when we finally fall. But with Nicky and Sy, it’s different. We’re not just a star and a moon, we’re a whole goddamn constellation.

[Sentranced Jem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosh I've been waiting to get my hands on this book.
Truth be told, I don't think I loved this as much as the 4th and 5th book.I still enjoyed it but at the same time I was kind of left disappointed.

A solid 3.5 stars

[Randi Upton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as epic as DoM

A good ending, but not a great climax after DoM. The book moved entirely too fast, and we got little to no glimpses of Vinny's life with her dukes like we got with Story. Not to mention, all the timeline mistakes that the authors have already admitted were basic editing mistakes. Maybe there should have been 1 or 5 fewer times that some dudes eyes were being described with blown pupils while they rutted or were undulating, and more of an actual story regarding these people.
On that note, Nick and St had a great redemption. I enjoyed seeing them both as doting and horny boyfriends. Remy, on the other hand, basically just had to not do drugs for 2 weeks and take his meds, and all was forgiven. He hurt her emotionally, he broke her heart. With her past we really expect her to just decide to be okay with that? I really thought at first she was going to make him work for it, that he would have to prove himself. Nick had to have 2 books to redeem himself, Remy could have had at least a few chapters. As someone with a similar diagnosis to Remy, and as someone who has been the toxic one, it takes a lot more than going to a couple of meetings to be forgiven. Obviously there was going to be a HEA and all so he would be eventually, but seeing him have to actually do something not just for himself but for her would have been nice. At least Sy got her flowers. I love the Dukes more than the Lords, because it was nice to see men in romance who aren't some perfect amazing sex god (the lords still fall under that trope) but I was really disappointed. Especially with how the publication date was postponed a month.
The authors chose to pick the profit of a kick starter over meeting a deadline for a book, a book that followed a crazy cliffhanger. Any time I habe expressed my disappoint in this, my comments get deleted. The main job of a writer is to make deadlines. Every time I have contributed to a KS it has been delayed in shipping stuff. That is expected. Postponing the publication of a book by a month because the writers haven't finished it isn't acceptable. It tells me not to trust this team of writers when they say they will be doing something.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE HUGE STARS!

This book picks up where the last book ends and doesn’t let up until the very end. The rollercoaster you’re taken on is full of twists, turns, and epic reveals that will continue on into the next books in the world of Forsyth.

First- Vinny and her men. Each pairing had their own issues as well as the friendships having issues. Reading this book is like figuring out how to put a broken puzzle back together while adding new pieces to it. The growth from all the characters is exceptionally well done and does not feel forced in the slightest. Every relationship within the harem needed mending in some form and the progression of the resolutions of these issues and the internal revelations within the characters themselves felt like a natural progression to them finding a way to exist together in the Forsyth world trying to not only tear them apart but literally kill them. We still get the funny, tender, heartbreaking, rough, fighting, hurtful and everything in between with these characters that made us root for them since book 1. Oh and cold course we still get the sexy times too!!

Second- plots. Omg! The plots. There are so many intricate plot lines running though not only this book but the Forsyth world as a whole and the way everything written is done with intention right down to a particular word used is flawless in execution. There is a reason for every scene big or small within this book (all the books). Trying to figure out where a plot like is going before the reveal feels like a reader should win a golden kitten trophy if we guess correctly and if we end up surprised by a reveal it’s so epic of a plot twist it doesn’t matter we couldn’t guess bc where these author’s are going to lead us will be worth the next rollercoaster ride.

Third- all the cameos from old characters and side characters were spot on. The friendships formed. The empowerment. The chess pieces moved and played were touching and epic!

Lastly- read the book! If you liked the first two you’ll love the conclusion for this harem and the lead in to the next books for the Forsyth world.

[Kseniia ✨️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore these books. Great character development, mystery plot, hot smut. But this book has not so much action in it and I was bored just a little.

I can't decide who is my favorite duke. Probably, Sy. He's finally dealt with his insecurities and become an overprotective big bear. I also like Remy despite I'm still mad at him. Nick's changed but still not my cup of tea.

However, my heart belongs to the Lords❤️

[Bec · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I finished this just to see how it all turns out and it did end up disappointing me. There are plot holes big enough to fly a plane through, a lot of inconsistency, and too many things that are just nonsensical. The epilogue was a setup for their next trilogy but I don't think I'll read it.

[She Reads So Much · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are we surprised? No. No weren’t not! I devoured the Lord’s books when I read them. Just like I did with the Dukes! Can’t wait for the Prince’s books next!

I could go on entire rants about how much I like this world and these characters, but it would take too long and I’m lazy. All of these characters have mega flaws to work through, and it’s always so amazing to see their progress and the acceptance. Bravoooo!

Overall rating:
10/10⭐️ 3.5-4/5🌶🔥(depending on book)

[Lanae (findmeonsmutlane) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading this series since the Lords, and I have to say of all the books, this one was probably my favorite.

I wasn't shy about the fact that for me, I wasn't a fan of the Lords books. I felt like Story was groomed, the men were way too misogynistic, the importance put on Story's virginity grossed me out, and I hate how the men went from abusive assholes to doting boyfriends quickly.

But I felt like this wasn't the case with the Dukes. Yes the story starts was consent/non consent and basically sexual assault. But Vinny was always different. She wasn't a virgin or underage when the guys meet her. She never rolled over for them and just took it. She fought from day one and never put up with their shit. And she never forgave them easily. Like I think it's Sy says in the books "we didn't change you Vin, you change us". And she did. I saw great character growth and development from all the men. They understood what they did wrong and when, and they truly tried to atone for their mistakes.

Were they huge gross disgusting mistakes? Yes. But this is a dark romance. It's to be expected. But I appreciated that all the dukes grew and changed. Remy and Sy the most.

Remy is still my absolute favorite. I've got a soft spot for the wild manic boys in every dark romance. But in this book is was truly great to see the fog lifted from him, that manic behavior settle down, and him grow into himself, while at the same time not changing fundamentally who he was. I loved that he still saw colors, and was still an artist.

I loved the twists we got in the plot. Between the vote, Vinny's sister, and a few other things. It kept the story interesting and moving.

And I'm interested to see where the story with the princes go. I'm not gonna lie I got confused and may have to reread some parts that are leading up to the next book. It was a little confusing keeping track of names and frats and histories. I feel like with this many books we need a diagram showing everything we know so far. But I'm excited to get more Verity. I love her character and the fact that she is caring and kind. Little irritated that we're gonna probably get another story that's so heavily focused on virginity again, but at least we won't have the underage aspect.

[The Romantic Rush Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a disappointing first two books, I found this conclusion satisfying (though predictable)- at long last we have more chemistry between these four, genuine emotion, and character progression, not to mention steam that was definitely more enjoyable :) Intrigued by what's next, and definitely reinvigorated my love for the series.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it! God the DRAMA with these people and the pure toxicity is fucking unbelievable. I loved how the author ties it up and leaves us ready for the next on while also making us mad about the amount of time we have to wait. Can't wait to read more!

[m · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I’d give the series 4 stars. This is a review for all three books.

I was obsessed with Lords of Pain and quickly became obsessed with the Dukes too.

The first book was *it* for me. I’m a sucker for angst and the push and pull between the characters. Nick’s obsession with LB was chef’s kiss (someone give me the number to a good therapist). Let me just say though that LB is better than I am because I would’ve folded immediately. Remy was my second favorite though. I loved how he talked in colors and how everything he said didn’t really make sense but did at the same time. Sy and his monster c*ck were my third and fourth favorite :) however, I didn’t really connect with him when I first read it. He was just kind of .. there.

While the book was about her navigating her new circumstances, it also revolves around the mystery surrounding her sister’s disappearance which made it that much more interesting.

Book two was great too. Lavinia was slowly accepting the boys and they were finding their rhythm and all that. I even started to like Sy a little more. The ending was fanfckingtastic and the plot twist? Chefs kiss AGAIN.

Book three was irritating and I read through it slowly because I just wasn’t that interested in it. The big conflict resolved itself way too quickly. LB started to piss me off and she didn’t seem as strong as used to be. I liked that she was more vulnerable but idk. It seemed like the third book was just setting the stage for the next installment in the series. Also, Story just seemed .. off. Confident yeah (which was great) but idk. She seemed like a completely different character.

Now here’s what really bothered me.
SPOILERS AHEAD



This book seemed a little too much like LOP.
*One of the guys being called big brother?
* Their king ordering Lavinia having to perform a sexual act and one of her Dukes offering himself up to do it with her
* Lavinia being branded the way Story was scarred
* In LOP, there was one lord who was obsessed, the artistic one, and one who was her “protector”. The same description can be applied to the Dukes.
* The fact that Lavinia “brands” them all back somewhat like Story did.

All in all, it was a pretty good series and I’ll most likely be reading the Princes’ book once it’s published.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

NIIIICK! So jealous of anything involving Lavina, even when she gives Remy a tattoo.

A little annoyed Lavinia never, not once, says "I love you" back to Sy. What's up with that?

Full NSFW spoilers and book summary:
Picks up where Dukes of Madness ended. Remy and Lavinia jump off the cliff and land in the water below. Lavinia surfaces and Remy holds onto her as they swim to shore.
His shoulder is dislocated and back bruised from turning her so he lands in the water on his back to protect her.
He tells her Nick and Sy will find them with her tracker. They show up, Nick is panicked and furious but relieved to find them alive, freaked out seeing her tracker appear in the ocean.
They get to a safe place. Lavina pops Remy's shoulder back in. Nick helped her find the strength to do it by making her angry, reminding her Remy hooked up with Hayley. Remy just feels worse.

Nick freaks out seeing her sleep paralysis for the first time. Sy tells him to pleasure her because it's how she will come back. He does, then has sex with her as she regains control of her body. Sy watches.
Sy and Remy both talk about how Lavinia clearly forgave Nick so they both think they have a chance at winning her back.
Sy makes Remy realize that he can't be his crutch anymore, if he wants to get better, Remy has to fight for himself, but the guys will always be there to support him. Remy starts to get clean, goes through withdrawls.

Sy has a plan to deal with Remy's dad. He sets up a meeting to negotiate. They both threaten each other. If Maddox gets the Count King, Lionel Lucia to drop the hit on Nick, the Dukes won't reveal the secret that Maddox is the Baron King. Sy will also take care of Remy.
The hit gets called off and everyone is safe again.

The 3 Dukes tell the frat they are trying to make a statement now with their behaviour and that they have to respect the Dutchess and protect her at all costs. Bruce calls out the guys for treating her like a toy before, Nick wants to kill him, realizing he's the guy who tried to trade her for a watch. They set new rules too, like no more buying Viper Scratch, the drugs that the Counts are selling in their territory.

Remy encounters Hayley in the gym and she hits on him again, he turns her down.
Remy admits to Nick he told Lavinia he loved her before they jumped. Nick shares he told her a few times and she kneed his balls the first time he said it.

Sy asks Lavinia on a date. She thought it was for all of them at first, not a date, so Sy gets embarrassed but they go and Sy tries to act like a gentleman worthy of her.
Sy admits he didn't think about her before, she was a job, but now she's more. He's willing to put in the work to get her to look at him the way she used to.
They're interrupted by one of the Princes, Whitaker Ashby (Wicker). He hits on Lavinia, says he wants a turn. Accuses the Dukes of killing two of their guys - namely, their cousin, Felix Ashby.

Sy gets frustrated, saying they aren't compatible. He's not used to losing but that's how he feels with her. He admits he never had a girlfriend, not because of his sexual hangups, but because he sees his parents and others and thinks caring that way makes them a weaker fighter. But since he met Lavinia, he's felt stronger. He wants to show her he can be worthy of her and will be her protector again. He says even if she doesn't want him anymore, he'll keep his promise.
She kisses him and he doesn't push it. He asks if she's his again and she doesn't deny it.

Remy asks for Lavinia's help with getting his shirt and sling on, levering his weakness so he can be close to her again. He tries to kiss her but she backs away, basically saying he can't do that anymore but she still cares about him getting better. He says he attends an addict meeting and is taking his pills. Lavinia realizes he's reluctant to take them because they are in an orange bottle, she suggests to Sy that he get a different color pill container.
Sy asks Lavinia when she'd forgive Remy. He tells her that when he saved her from her dad, he did it for Remy. Because he knew Remy would have done it himself and more dangerously if he hadn't and he knew Lavinia helped Remy with his issues.

Sy asks to watch Nick and Lavinia having sex, he jacks off as he watches and she makes eye contact with him the whole time. Nick doesn't want to push her to come to his bed, not after what he did to her there, but he says he would do anything for her.

Nick is summoned to see Saul Cartwright, Duke King, in his office. Lavina is brought crying because she was put in the elevator. Saul knows her weakness now. He tells them the alumni donors for the poker game have concerns about a Lucia being Dutchess - not sure where her loyalties are, so she will have to "entertain" them during the game. Nick says no. Saul pulls up a video of the guys attacking Lavinia in the Hideaway. He says that he would show the video to Killian, which would get Nick killed for betraying him unless they agree. They do and Nick says Saul signed his death warrant.
Nick takes Lavinia out, both feeling like that video opened up old wounds. He gets a bit defensive saying he thought he was doing the right thing so he could take her away from there and bring her to him and she says she knows but doesn't want to be put in the position of having to defend him attacking her. He feels more guilty because he made her claustrophobia worse than before.
He wants to know what he can do to make things better and promises no one would ever put her in an elevator or chest again.

Lavinia asks the cutsluts who actually wants to participate in the poker game, as apparently, they used to be whored out. She lets some girls off the hook, and tells the others who want to do it that they can up their prices. Girls start to respect Lavinia now.
She overhears Hayley saying Lavinia is just a viper and doesn't belong in West End, her being a Dutchess is a joke. She makes comments about how she's gonna get all the guys back. Lavinia confronts Hayley and they fight. The guys break them up before Bruce says Dukes settle their disputes in fights so Sy suggests the ring.

While they get ready, Sy tells Remy it's his fault. Remy thinks what Sy did to Lavinia is worse than what he did, so he's confused why she forgave him first. Sy says he hurt her because he wanted her too much, but Lavinia thinks Remy hurt her he didn't want her enough. She doesn't like someone else being picked over her, growing up that's all she felt in comparison to her sister and Remy made her feel like she's not special anymore. Sy broke her body, but Remy broke her heart.
Remy goes to talk to her, wrapping her wrists to give him time to touch and talk. He says he was out of his mind when he cheated, his issues are not his fault but his responsibilities. He says she doesn't have to fight Hayley because he's already hers.
He says he gave her space and time but doesn't know what else to give her. She says it's not a punishment, she's just not ready to figuratively "jump off that cliff again" with him.

Lavinia owns Hayley, then tells the crowd they might question her loyalty, might not respect her, but she's earned the right to call the Dukes hers and nobody can touch them.

She heads back into the change room and Remy follows, confused why she fought for him if she doesn't want him. He sees her crying and tells her to hit him, he won't leave until she does something to him. She hits him and says she gave him what he asked for the night they had sex under the storm, he said they would never go back and he wanted her soul and she said to take it.
Remy grabs her now and they kiss, it's violent and desperate, they start to have sex and Remy reassures her he is hers, and says whatever is left of his soul is hers and he says I love you again.

They get back to the Tower and Remy has the idea that she should tattoo him - something nobody has ever done. Whatever she wants: a crescent moon on his hip, to match the spot where he tattooed a star on her.
The moon represents the moon on the night they jumped from the cliff. She's the guiding star, but he is the moon revolving and he always comes back for her.
He promises to never let her go again.
Nick learns about the tattoo and gets jealous she hasn't marked him.

Lavinia meets with Story and the other Royals to plan the carnival. The Countess, Sutton is addicted to Viper Scratch and she blames Nick for killing Perez, causing the North Side to fall apart.

Nick meets Lavinia, unable to be without her for long. They have sex in the stairwell, and Lavinia says she understands he wants all of her, not a third.
Nick asks what she and Remy did the night before and gets jealous, wants a tattoo of his own now from Lavinia.

Sy takes her to bury her sister's skull, giving her the option to bury her next to her mom in the Lucia plot, or with Tate in the West End part of the cemetary. She chooses next to Tate and Sy digs the grave. Lavinia says a few words, essentially realizing Leticia did what it took to survive their dad too and she promises to find out who killed her and Tate.
Sy admits to Lavinia that he lied: He likes to lose control and he could have stopped hurting her, but didn't want to. She says she knows. Doesn't need apologies.
She and Sy have another wet hump session in the car and they plan to work on building up to her taking him.
At home, he uses his 3 fingers to stretch her out. Remy comes home and helps, teaches Sy to find her G-spot and fingers her asshole.
Nick arrives and goes feral at the scene too.

Nick and Lavinia later tell the other two of Saul's plan for her at the poker game and they aren't happy but feel forced to play the game. House leaders are trained by the Kings to be soliders, not leaders, so their throne is not at risk, so they have to think their their brains now and not fists. Nick was trying to get new customers that weren't alumni to avoid Lavinia stripping in front of them.

She says that now Saul knows her weakness of elevators and tight spaces, she wants the guys to help her confront it.
Sy explains the exposure therapy. Sy waits downstairs, Remy waits at the top. She wants Nick to ride with her down to meet Sy. She panics but Nick talks about his fear of crickets to distract her. She gets to the bottom and says wants to go back up. She reaches Remy and touches his tattoo as a touch point. Nick gets jealous of their tattoo again.
She's ready to do it again.

They go to the gym - its their first fight since being on probation and NIck is next. They watch as one of the PNZ Princes, Whitaker Ashby (Wicker) beats up Bruce. Lavinia shares how all three of the Princes were adopted by the Prince King, Ashby, and gave them his name. He had a biological son but he died of cancer.
After the fight, Lavinia and Nick hear Wicker talking to Verity, saying he wants her as his prize. Lavinia interrupts to save her and Nick pushes his buttons, saying he's an orphan.

Nick wins his fight. They go to the Tower to celebrate, telling Bruce to leave because he lost his fight and losers don't enter the Tower. He's pissed and eyes Lavinia.
Nick wants his reward, and tells Lavinia to tattoo him. He thought about getting her to tattoo his dick but he doesn't want to wait for it to heal before he can have her. He does it right about his dick and wants the initials "L.B." in Lavinia's own handwriting, she think it stands for "Little Bird" and he lets her.
Tattooing gets heated and Nick and Remy take Lavinia to Sy's bed. Remy and Nick take her first with a little snowballing action, warming her up for Sy. They handcuff Sy to the bed so he doesn't lose control while Lavinia rides him at her own pace, taking him deeper than before. Sy says I love you.

They go to their parents house, Sy tells his mom he loves Lavinia and let her read his journal. She's all of theirs and she makes them a family.

The guys get advice from their dads about how to deal with Saul and the poker game night. Truth comes out that their dads didn't exactly leave the DKS or being Dukes by choice. Saul had the idea to sell more guns, monopolizing them in the city, and making all the DKS richer than before, so they voted for him instead of Nick's dad.

Sarah (Nick and Sy's mom) talks to Lavinia about what it was like for her as Dutchess. She gives her a knife hairpin in the shape of a snake that Lavinia's mother loaned her - a concealed weapon to keep on you in minimal or no clothes.

They get home, Lavinia wants to know if things changed, so she asks Nick if he would let her go. He gets mad, saying he's done everything for her but now she wants to leave him? She explains she doesn't want to leave him but wants to know if she has some freedom. Nick says he would do anything for her, even put a gun to his own head. He's the other shackled to her, nor the other way around. He leaves pissed and hurt, doesn't sleep in her bed or talk to her for a few days.

Sutton, the Countess, overdosed and died. Remy talks about it in is AA meetings.
Comes home and wants to expel some of his anxious energy. Lavinia comes to him and asks him if he would let her go. He says he couldn't stop her and she reminds him of the tracker and that Nick would stop her from leaving. Remy says they work because they all balance each other out: Remy and Sy would stop Nick from going all obsessive on Lavinia, Nick and Remy stop Sy from accidentally hurting/being too rough with her, and Sy and Nick stop Remy from getting in his head and helping him with his issues.
He asks for anal as he wanted to be her first for so long now, they do it and he says I love you. She says it back (the first time to any of the guys).

Mama B helps Lavinia get ready for the poker night, pulling out lingerie for her to wear. She lets slip that Tate used to work for Saul years before, but Lavinia doesn't get any more information.
At the poker game, men hit on Lavinia, groping her. She's grabbed by Bruce, introducing her to his family who were all previous Dukes, explaining his anger at being denied his "rightful spot" when Nick decided he wanted to be a Duke.
He forces Lavinia to her knees, about to make her blow him before letting his brother have a turn but she grabs her hairpin knife and slices his face and stabs his brother in the thigh until Nick got to her and held a gun to Bruce's head. The other men pull out their own guns and Saul interrupts the standoff telling them all to put the guns away.
He thinks the guys broke the deal of being good hosts. She begs him not to tell Killian, and will strip Bruce's dad says she should get on her knees for Bruce. Nick stops and asks if they want a show with a Bruin as a way to stall but he wants to shoot them all. Lavinia convinces him they should do it for real. She says sorry for not trusting him, and touches his tattoo, realizing it means "Lavinia Bruin", not Little Bird.
She says I love you, which he wants to hear again and again.

They put on a show for the men, pretending he's making her do it. He rips her robe off, revealing her lingerie and tells her to dance on the pole, then puts her on her knees and cums all over her face, which Remy licks away on their way home before having sex in the car.

Saul waited for them in the Tower, saying the men all accept Lavinia as the Dutchess now and he wants them to complete the initiation - to brand her with the DKS symbol. The guys fight it, Nick gets held down, Remy says they tattooed Lavinia already but Saul says that was part of their initiation, not hers, and they have to follow tradition. He brings Bruce to do it, who wants to make it hurt, so Remy says it's his right as a Duke to do it himself. He wants to make it quick and painless as possible for her, and holds the iron to the back of her shoulder for 10 seconds.
The guys have had enough of Saul and make a plan to kill him and let Nick become King.

The guys set up a meeting with the rest of DKS members, except for Bruce so he won't interfere with the vote.
Nick speaks, saying why Saul is a bad leader and that he proposes a death sentence on their King. The guys all have to vote if they want Nick as their King, which would mean accepting Saul's death by any means necessary. DKS say its not personal against Nick, but Sy has been there from the beginning and votes for him instead, and all the guys follow. Nick gives Sy his ring saying he would be a King worth following and Sy accepts.

Sy ambushes Saul in his office. Saul offers Sy a deal that he would let Nick live, not in West End, if he leaves DKS and Bruce takes his place. And he would make Sy the leader of the Dukes. Otherwise, he would kill him. A Bruin is "dangerous" but the name/legacy lives on, and that's why Saul didn't kill Nick's dad. Sy pretends to consider it, but under a stipulation: He wants to know the truth about Tate.
Saul shares: Tate was working with him to get Leticia for him and Daniel but they fell in love, betraying Saul. Remy showed up to help but Saul disarmed him and killed Tate and Remy and Leticia jumped off the cliff.
Sy pulls his hidden gun on Saul, who realizes guard was bought off and Sy's been voted in instead of Nick before Sy kills him.

Sy then goes to Killian and tells the truth to clear the air and get on good terms to break the cycle because they're a new generation of Kings.
He tells the others what happened to Tate and Leticia.

Sy starts to doubt his ability to be King. Lavinia reassures him, and for the first time without Nick&Remy supervising, they have sex and she takes him deeper.
She wakes to find Remy giving Sy a new tattoo, an elaborate Bear on his upper arm and Lavinia finishes the tattoo.

Sy meets with the Kings. Lavinia confronts her dad and wants to feel strong again, so she takes the elevator back home. She and the guys have a 4some with Nick's turn to take her ass.

Lavinia finds the bomb in the Clock Tower and makes the connection that Leticia's leverage was reprograming the bombs to Lionel's house - only didn't blow it to avoid killing Lavinia.
Maddox's phone that Remy stole is the remote: Maddox had it because he found Lavinia's body.

The guys warn the Kings. Lavinia blows her dad & house up.

Lavinia finally gets the Clock to work again, surprising the residents, bringing new heartbeat to West End.

All 4 get ring tattoos to represent their commitment.

Epilogue:

Verity tells Lavinia the Princes invited her to their masquerade to maybe be the new Princess.
Story & Lavina ask Verity to go and be their spy, she agrees.

Wicker Ashby's real last name is Kayes - like "Clive Kayes", who everyonet thinks is the Baron King.

[Lynnzie (lynnziebooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will literally eat up anything these authors write for this series. This book was the perfect conclusion to the dukes story. So many story lines were wrapped up and a few are open but I think that’s due to the nature of this series and will play a part later.

The arcs these characters have gone through. Some being horrible to getting better and others being good and then messing up and having to fight for their place again. I loved the different progressions after everything happened in Dukes of Madness and how their relationship ends.

These characters are so complex and lord do they go through it. We see a lot of their darker moments, more mentally for some, and how they’re coming to terms with their issues and helping one another. Some moments broke my heart but I’m honestly so proud of this group and they’ll hold a special place in my heart. I’d be surprised (pleasantly of course) if any fraternity can top the Dukes for me.

This book definitely has some surprises, there was one big one that I definitely didn’t think would happen yet but glad that it did. But overall, their story wraps up well and sets up for the next fraternity, the Princes, which I’m already excited about.