Book Review: Sick Boys By Clarissa Wild
Sick Boys By Clarissa Wild
Sick Boys by Clarissa Wild - Book 1 in the Spine Ridge University series
Tropes: Enemies-to-lovers, Dark romance / romantic horror (RH), revenge plot, bully / bully redemption elements, multiple male leads / poly-adjacent dynamic, morally grey heroes, slow burn + instant-chemical scenes, university / campus setting, secret society, emotionally messy / angsty romance
Summary:
Sick Boys drops you straight into Spine Ridge University’s darkest corners. After her sister’s death, our heroine infiltrates campus determined to find the person responsible and get revenge. Instead she meets three terrifyingly magnetic members of the Skull & Serpent Society: Felix, Dylan and Alistair, who propose a brutal bargain: her body for information. What begins as a dangerous, venomous game of manipulation and depravity slowly turns into something messier and more dangerous: an obsessive, all-consuming bond. This is raw, dark RH (romantic horror) with high heat, brutal edges, and jaw-dropping twists.
💚 LD
I went into Sick Boys ready for a revenge plot and came out absolutely wrecked. This book is messy, raw, and addictive in the best possible way. The premise hooked me immediately: a sister seeking answers, a campus with secrets, and three dangerous men who don’t play by the rules.
Felix, Dylan and Alistair are all so different, but each one brought something wild and magnetic to the table. Felix is the brooding, controlled type; Dylan is chaotic and reckless; Alistair has that slow-burning, dangerous charm. Watching them circle the heroine, push her, break her down and (somehow) build something twisted in the ashes was compelling and intense.
Yes, it’s explicit.. very explicit but the smut is paired with real emotional stakes. The revenge thread kept me scanning pages for answers, the twists left me gasping, and the character dynamics were messy in the best way. If you want dark, high-heat, morally grey romance with a strong revenge core, add Sick Boys to your TBR immediately.
“The people you hate are the people who know you the best, and that’s exactly why you hate them.”
🤍 AD -
This was my first ever dark RH read and, honestly, it blew my expectations out of the water. Sick Boys is unapologetically filthy, and yes this was the spiciest book I’ve ever read. But beyond the steam, the story delivers.
The trio of MMCs is the real showstopper. Each man is distinct: Felix’s intensity, Dylan’s unpredictability, and Alistair’s dangerous tenderness combined into a three-headed force that kept the chemistry at nuclear levels. Scenes oscillate between pure depravity and raw, tender moments that land hard.
Plotwise, there are twists and reveals that genuinely surprised me, and the revenge mission gives the book a gritty backbone. The heroine’s search for the truth and the compromise she makes pull you along for the ride. Yes it’s morally messy, but the emotional payoff and the heat make the uncomfortable parts worth it. I inhaled this book.. heavy, dark, and unforgettable.
“Use me, corrupt me, ruin me beyond repair. Because that’s what I signed up for. That’s the deal I made with the devil himself.”
💙 AG -
Clarissa Wild is not here to make you comfortable. Sick Boys is a brutal, electric story that mixes revenge, obsession, and a three-way dynamic that actually works. The Skull & Serpent guys are written with bite! Rude, possessive, and dangerously charming and the heroine’s quest for vengeance ensures the stakes never drop.
What I loved: the pacing. It moves fast when it needs to, slows to let emotional consequences land, and then hits you with another twist. The chemistry between the four leads is relentless, there are moments that are disgustingly hot and moments that are achingly human. Despite the darkness, there’s a core of loyalty and protectiveness that sneaks up on you and makes the more tender scenes hit even harder.
This is not light fare. It will challenge you, shock you, and keep you glued to the page. If you want a book that’s equal parts depravity and aching devotion, Sick Boys is next-level.
“I have no intention of ever letting you go. Make no mistake, Pen. You may hate me, but you belong to me until the day you draw your last fucking breath.”
