Book Review: Hunt The Villain By Rina Kent

Tropes: Dark MM Romance, Mafia Rivals, Enemies to Lovers, Hate at First Sight, Forbidden Love, College Romance, Forced Proximity, Mafia Heirs, Standalone, Legacy of Gods Universe

Summary:

🤍 AD -

No MM has come CLOSE to God of Fury for me… until Hunt the Villain. I don't know if it was Vaughn and Yulian's dynamic, Yulian's chaotic violence-junkie energy giving me Niko vibes, or just the fact that Niko himself shows up AND we get a peek of Daddy Kirill but I devoured this book.

Two mafia heirs (NY Bratva golden boy meets Chicago Bratva menace), hate at first sight, forbidden, two worlds that aren't supposed to collide… Rina cooked. The tension between these two had me FERAL, every scene they shared felt like a powder keg about to go off. And Yulian? Unhinged in the best way. He's exactly the kind of unhinged blorbo I didn't know I needed. The fan service for Rinaverse girlies is unmatched, every cameo, every callback, every little Easter egg had me kicking my feet.

The angst, the violence, the slow descent into obsession, she nailed every single beat. I want more. I NEED more. Hands down 5 stars and easily my fav Rina release since God of Fury. Bring on Crave the Villain, Cyrus, I'm coming for you. 🖤

Love love LOVE.

“Now I know who Yulian reminds me of. Nikolai.”

💙 AG -

I was so excited to read Hunt the Villain, and it absolutely did not disappoint. This book had me hooked from the very beginning, I genuinely couldn't put it down. At one point, I was seriously debating pulling an all-nighter just to keep reading.

Vaughn and Yulian are everything. The chemistry? The angst? Chef's kiss. Their dynamic was so compelling, and their banter had me smiling the entire time. The push and pull between them felt earned, and the slow burn made every charged moment land that much harder. I loved them together so much.

Rina Kent made me fall in love with MM romance through God of Fury, and she's done it again here. She has a way of writing stories that completely pull you in, the pacing, the tension, the way she balances dark themes with those softer character moments—and this book was no exception. It felt like another masterpiece.

I also loved seeing characters from the Legacy of Gods series, especially Nikolai. It added an extra layer of excitement and made the story even more enjoyable, especially if you've been following the Rinaverse for a while. The crossover moments hit different when you already know these characters.

If you're a fan of MM romance, you need to pick this up, it's seriously so good. I'm already counting down to the next one.

“A universe where he belongs to someone else doesn’t fucking exist.”