I don't usually like the whole bully romance situation, but this was actually well done! I enjoyed the characters, the dark romance aspect, and the overall quality of writing.

Publishing date: 27.09.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Evernight Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Features:
Very edgy edgelords
Unlikable characters everywhere
Over the top toxic romance full of cheesy cheese
Cliches
Mafia elements

Finished this because of my morbid curiosity and the fact that it was entertaining (derogatory). I think my biggest problem with it is that I would have enjoyed it as the cringy 14 year old I once was, and being aware of that fact. It has been years since I stopped finding "edgy" things cool, and this was the epitome of walking cliches and edgelords.

The characters are cliches, all of them. They are also not likeable at all. Seemingly they don't like each other either, and if it seems like they do they are probably lying or hiding something. Most of them lacked depth, those who had were still shallow.

The romance lacked chemistry, but had a little tension regardless. They hated each other, kept hating each other while making out, and kept saying "no homo" at the same time. This is a very toxic romance, and it starts being toxic the moment they meet.

Main story was meh. Not really convincing with the so-called "secrets" everyone was keeping. Still entertaining even if I had to suspend my disbelief.

Final ranking and star rating?
3 stars, C tier. This is a very entertaining book. It has a lot of problems, isn't believable at all (I don't think it was meant to be either), and feels like a book that a younger edgier version of me would enjoy for all the wrong reasons. I got a bit of whiplash back to simpler times when AO3 and Fanfiction was all I consumed (with the edgy and angst tags on). Now that I am grown ... I am not sure if this is up my street anymore.
As entertaining as this was, I am not sure who this is really for. It has too many adult themes to go to the younger edgelords, and it has too many "holes" and "problems" to go to the adult audience that I think it was meant for.

Maybe I should take it less seriously and let this be another entry into the "fast food but book" group. Not anything groundbreaking, but absolutely a treat to turn your brain off.

Oof. Beautiful Dark Temptation had potential, but it missed the mark in so many ways that I almost didn’t make it to the end. I’m giving this one 2 stars because while there were a few moments that hooked my attention, the cringe factor was high, and the story felt like it was trying way too hard to be “dark and edgy” without actually delivering any depth.

The setup is classic dark romance territory—Tomás, a damaged soul, finds himself stuck in a twisted university setting where everyone seems to have a vendetta. Then there’s Kieran, brooding and sinister, carrying family baggage and way too many secrets. He’s supposed to be this “dark temptation,” but honestly, most of his interactions with Tomás were either overly dramatic or just plain awkward. The toxic attraction trope can be great when done right, but here it was hard to buy into the chemistry between them because the dialogue and interactions felt forced, even cringe-worthy at times.

Kieran’s inner monologues about vengeance and his family legacy could have been intriguing, but instead they read like one long brooding cliché. I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the lines, and the lack of real character development made it hard to feel invested in either him or Tomás. And as for the “dark secrets” and danger supposedly lurking at this “university”—they never felt that convincing. It was like the story was trying to build this sinister atmosphere without really giving us any meat to work with.

If you love dark romance that’s unapologetically over the top, you might find something to enjoy here, but be ready for some major cheese. This one wasn’t for me, and if it hadn’t been such a quick read, I probably would have DNF’d.

This book requires an almost ridiculously severe suspension of disbelief that I found myself tempted to DNF it within the second chapter. By the fifth I started keeping track of how often my eyes rolled, or how many times the characters were the edgiest of edgy edgelords that I realized the only fun I was getting out of this book was laughing at it, not with it.

The characters are 18/19 year old mob monsters, so jaded from all the killing and torturing they do, so angry and violent and crazy, so hot for each other — and all of them are beautiful, powerful and deadly. They’re heirs and monsters and going through a combination advanced high school or very sloppy college where they can fight and fuck and posture and preen.

They dissect a human body in class, have bars on campus for the boys to play in, places for them to have their oh-so-scandalous kinks.show off how cool they are, how dangerous and how sexy;this isn’t a subtle book and the characters are mostly just cliches wandering around on search of something to get off on. The book isn’t terribly written; it’s … fine. The pace is okay, the bare plot with the expected tropes is all there, but this is just not the book for me. I’m not sure exactly who it wants to be for, but I hope it finds its audience.

The blurb kinda decieves you, as you expect a magical school setting, and it turns out its mafia romance. While I don't mind that sub-genre, I did not expect it when I started this book and it thus kinda threw me off. I sadly also never felt anything for the characters, so this was a tough read...

I really liked this! Beautiful Dark Temptation was not perfect, but imo it was a lot better than some of the books i've read in the MM Mafia sub-genre, so i was pleasantly surprised. Tomás' POV was complex and emotional and gave this story the heart it needed to be more than just a stabby sexy read. Set mostly at a uni for mafia bastards, there was the expected melodrama, some murder, some spice, and OFC that flex for adding killing games to the curriculum in order to hone special ops murder boys.

Lbr, I'd take that over romantasy masquerade Balls any day of the week though js.

And while i would have felt more for Kieran, if his early insta-aggression against Tomás leaned more into his closeted yearning instead of coming off as a-holery, he was still a dynamic and interesting character who had a lot going on in the background that would exhaust even a team at Langley, and ngl i really got that.

This story had a bit of everything these OTT NA romances are typically known for, but where Roxas Winters really shone was in the way she brought the Moyas alive for me. Her narrative truly evoked the palpable intensity in the family dynamics that shaped Tomás' character, and his journey after the death of his father and brothers was more compelling to read because of that evocative depth.

The future of the Arcadia U series will be a wild and entertaining one, if this first installment is anything to go by! Very much looking forward to what the rest of the Ark boys get up to, especially Fox, who was mega ferocious but with a weakness for a certain someone i can't wait to get the whole story on! Can't wait!

I have to admit I was looking for a bit more to be honest but it wasn't bad just needed a little bit more improving, I know that a lot of people would enjoyed more than me.. It was fast paced and intriguing but I feel like something was missing with Tomas and Kieran

Rated low because it is just simply not the type of book I enjoy…

Mafia romance. I enjoyed the book but I feel as though the characters did not have a lot of time together. It was frustrating. World building was good. I went into this book knowing it was not my usual type of read. And I can now say I will be going out feeling the same way. It just wasn’t for me but I strongly believe others will enjoy it.


This is an ARC read via NetGalley 🤍—Reviews/Opinions are honest and my own.

This book was not what I expected. I went into it with the misconception that Arcadia University was a school for witchcraft and demi-gods, so I was flummoxed when it turned out to be a mafia romance fic instead, but it was an exciting surprise. This was my first mafia romance fic, too, so it was an interesting exploration into a genre I hadn't tried my hand at before, and I am intrigued to read more in the future.

Beautiful Dark Tempation was a little slow to start, in my opinion, which is insane to say given the events of the prologue alone because that had me chatting with a friend about how the story could possibly escalate beyond the violence and intensity of that opener, but here we are. From the perspective of being a gripping tale, I confess it took me a while to get into this one. I wasn't really 'hooked' until about 50% of the way through (blame the expectation of witches instead of mob bosses' illegitimate sons), but I am also guilty of staying up until the wee small hours on a work night once the romance kicked in.

The plot was fast-paced and action-heavy, the characters a little... flat, maybe? They didn't grab me and inspire empathy for their situations or their arcs.... I think I'd have appreciated a little more chance to gel with them and their experiences (difficult given all they've each been through). Kieran was the hardened dark solider, Tomas the delicate flower in desperate search of a protector but with some grit under the surface, it had real enemies-to-lovers vibes, everything the genre calls for, but I didn't really gel with either of them. I think my favourite characters might have been the side guys, Fox and Dasher, and I do hope Winters writes their story in the future. I confess the ending was not how I wanted it to go, but no one promised the ending I envisioned, so thems the kicks. The rating system on @netgalley doesn't allow halves, but this one was a 3.5 star read for me.

This was an okay read for me, not bad but not the best. This may not just be the book for me. I would still recommend because I know others would love it very much.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. 4.5 stars and 3.75 chilis for spice. I think I’m in my mafia romance era right now because I loved this! The characters were nicely written and the plot was well thought out. It was a dark academia plot I hadn’t encountered yet which was fun to read. I like the dynamics between the two main characters. I also really am interested to see if the next books are about the supporting characters because there was a lot of sexual tension between a couple of them. This book was a HEA but also sort of a cliff hanger. I’m excited for the second book.

This was, unfortunately, a DNF for me. I make an extra effort to finish ARCs, but when I get to 50% and still don't like, care about, or understand any of the characters (or find the setting plausible), I think the kind thing to do for everyone involved is stop reading.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's not bad at all, but it isn't for me.

Beautiful Dark Temptation by Roxas Winters is a fascinating spicy dark romance set in the mysterious Arcadia University. The story follows Tomás, a young man struggling with loss and danger, and Kieran, a powerful figure with a thirst for vengeance. Their intense, forbidden attraction drives the plot, creating a thrilling mix of suspense and emotional depth.

Winters’ writing is evocative, drawing readers into a world of power dynamics and hidden secrets. The characters are well-developed, with Tomás’ resilience and Kieran’s complexity adding layers to the narrative. This book is a must-read for fans of dark romance, offering a gripping tale of love, hate, and everything in between.

𝓽𝓪𝓰𝓼: lgbtq+, mafia, college, enemies to lovers
𝓻𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓮: September 27, 2024
𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
𝓶𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:

Tomás…where do I even start? He’s a bit reactive, a whole lotta depressed, a little reckless, and DESPERATE for someone to care for him.
Kieran is cold and detached and controlled until he meets Tomás and can’t help but be drawn to the unknown boy.

“𝙎𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙚.”
“𝘼𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨.”

I’m a bit upset.
This one could’ve been SO GOOD.
We have enemies to lovers, but really it’s bully.
The things Kieran does to Tomás were unforgivable.
Toxic asssssffffff.
I could feel their emotions but they ignored them.
Until the end.
And I’m assuming a cliffhanger?
Not an HEA…kinda just a TBC…
Really?

The writing was pretty good but the story just upset me.
Some things cross a line and there were many things that crossed the line.
I wouldn’t call this a romance.
I’m assuming it’s going to continue?
I’m just not feeling it. 😫
I mean, there were some explicit scenes and the ONE “emotional” sexy scene was glossed over!!!
WTF⁉️

𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

Dark and dangerous, this was such a gripping story. Tomas is in a school that he thinks is more of a prison, and his only way out will be both a blessing and a curse.

“Falling in love happened all at once.”

“Beautiful Dark Temptations,” by Roxas Winters

I loved this book. it has so many tropes and themes that I love like mafia, boarding school, M/M, enemies to lovers, bullying, etc. the inner turmoil about being attracted to another man helped explain why the bullying was so bad and the hostility. I loved the personal growth of the characters. I would love to have a book dedicated to the other characters because the side characters were so good too. I absolutely adored it, 5 out of 5 stars.

-Mafia
-M/M
-Boarding School
-Enemies To Lovers
-Bullying

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this story!

You are in with the wrong crowd... and then find you are dragged in deeper...

I thought that the storyline was good and it was a well written book.

Turns bad to evil but romance finds a way when you least expect it.

It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

Beautiful Dark Temptation
Is the first I’m a series, it’s a dark romance
Has some dark themes but overall it was a good read, really enjoyed it.
Did enjoy the chemistry between the Tomas and Kieran.