Blurb:
"Look into the camera, Ripley.
Tell us what happened in Harrowdean Manor."
Serving a three-year sentence after a violent manic episode, I own this psychiatric institute and every last patient in it.
Dealing contraband to the desperate and disturbed has earned me this kingdom. To survive, I simply sacrificed my soul.
They all fear me.
Worship me.
Hate me.
But no more than the demons I barely escaped last year. They thought they'd broken me with their greed and depravity. Instead, they made me ruthless.
Now, my enemies are back.
And they're out for blood.
Lennox wants to kill me.
Xander wants to break me.
Raine just wants to feel alive.
But in here, it's kill or be killed. As the horrifying reality behind Harrowdean's lies starts to surface, a bloody battle for survival begins.
Their social experiment is set to burn.
And I'm the one holding the matches.
My 5* Review:
Sin Like The Devil is book one in the Harrowdean Manor series by J. Rose. The timeline runs parallel to her Blackwood Institute series and has links to her Sabre Security series. This is a dark reverse harem romance set in a sinister universe, following Ripley Bennet, Xander Beck, Lennox Nash and Raine Starling. These four have found themselves trapped in an evil system, exploited and abused, forgotten and discarded, left to fend for themselves. A complicated and violent story full of hatred and revenge but it is also about the struggle to survive, the price you have to pay and what happens when enemies become allies in that battle.
In the prologue Ripley is being interviewed about her time incarcerated in Harrowdean Manor, one of six experimental psychiatric institutes which all hid a horrendous truth. Everyone wants to find out what happened and who was involved. She'd sworn never to tell about the torture and horrors endured but needs to move forward and heal. She still suffers from the guilt over the part she played and how she'd sacrificed others to save herself. The author then takes us back ten years and Ripley's harrowing story begins.
Ripley was sent to her uncle after being orphaned, then was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. After a manic episode he sent her to Priory Lane but after a traumatic event she was moved to Harrowdean Manor. She's spent a year building up her reputation and selling contraband but when Priory Lane is closed down and patients transferred, her reign of terror is under threat.
Lennox and Xander arrive at Harrowdean Manor with their own issues, traumas and reasons for being detained. They have lost everything, endured the unimaginable and found friendship in adversity. Lennox is full of anger and Xander shows no emotion, both are out for revenge after what they went through due to Ripley. Together they are very powerful and ready to gain control of their new institution with their sadistic cruelty. They are joined by Raine, a blind, violin playing drug addict who Lennox fiercely protects.
The story is action packed and moves quickly as the mind games begin, relationships develop and friendships are tested. The author keeps you on a knife's edge and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. We find out how and why they all ended up confined to a psych ward and their battles with mental health and addiction. Who has done what to stay alive and escape the sadistic program. It is very thought provoking especially as they all make some controversial and morally corrupt choices. Ripley isn't a scared girl anymore and is determined to fight for her survival so at times you will question who is the villain?
The reverse harem romance builds in the background. Ripley's relationship with Raine is a friends to lovers as they begin to care about each other. My heart went out to him when he admits he feels alive when he's with her and less alone. Xander and Lennox have many reasons to hate Ripley and the feeling is mutual after what they did, so they are very confused when their feelings change. It's an enemies to lovers scenario when they find themselves not wanting to kill each other anymore.
Beware there are some very graphic scenes of brutality, physical and mental abuse, self harm and murder. The ups and downs of depression and addition are very well described. A few twists at the end leave us with a great cliffhanger. Who deserves to survive and what sacrifices will be made. Will the deals they made be a lifeline or a death sentence? Can the four of them escape and the cruel regime be exposed. I found all four main characters complex and very interesting. What they have been through is awful and heartbreaking so I can't wait to see how the author concludes their stories.
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