Black Knight (Royal Elite, #4) by Rina Kent

Black Knight (Royal Elite, #4) Reviews

• 
  mel ☽

  3 stars ✧
  
  first of all, just wanted to say that before you plan on reading this, please keep in mind that this book deals with:
  

  « depression, suicidal thoughts, fat-shaming, eating disorder (bulimia), emotional abuse from a parent, bullying, suicide attempt, and alcohol addiction »

  .
  the chapter that y'all would have to look out for is chapter 19. also, the author mentions these triggers right at the beginning and i APPRECIATE that.
  
  since book 1, i've wanted to know what the hell is up with Kim and Xander. why is he such an asshole to her? why did he stop being friends with her, ignored her, and let others bully her??
  

  

  
  I NEEDED TO KNOW cuz these two were driving me insane, especially Xander with all his pushing and pulling and the whole "my mind says no but my body says YES", and the "i hate you but i highkey love you" thing he does.
  
  so a little backstory, Kim (h) is the best friend of Elsa and she's the shy girl who used to get bullied. we also know that her ex best friend, Xander (H), is one of the "Four Horsemen" aka the popular, rich and entitled assholes in Royal Elite School. we don't know what happened between them and why Xander all of sudden cut her off of his life when they were 11 years old. this book starts i think right after the third book (sorry! im not too sure about the timeline but it's still the same year as the first 3 books since they're still seniors) and this can also be read as a standalone.
  
  — Kimberly Reed (h)
  

  "I flip off those who slowly broke me, who turned me into this pathetic shell of a person. Those who took pleasure in igniting my breaking point and watched me as I fell. Those who threw me under the bus instead of pulling me to safety. Those who fed the fog and allowed it to rule my life."

  
  first of all, i NEVER knew that she was going through what she's going through. all of her inner monologue about the "fog" taking over her mind actually made me shed a few tears cuz she was all alone and no one knew what she was feeling. what's also heartbreaking is the fact that she wants to get help and wants to change but people keep bringing her down (her mom and Xander) that i wanted to give Kim a hug.
  

  

  
  her relationship with her little brother, Kir, was my favorite part of this book cuz they were adorable! every time Kir shows up, i just aww all the time cuz this cute little human deserves to be aww'ed. also, can we talk about how she loves K-drama and how fast she falls in love with fictional characters?? cuz same.
  
  — Xander Knight (H)
  

  "My knight, she used to call me. Now, I'm a rusty one without armour or a sword. I abandoned being her knight to become War."

  
  ok i actually hated this dude in the beginning. he was mean to my girl and i was having none of it. he kept getting her hopes up but then becomes his asshole self again which then hurts Kim A LOT especially since she's already vulnerable. it was annoying and i was like
  

  

  
  did i like him? ehh i feel like he should've done more grovelling. did i like him more than Aiden? ehh it's not him, it's me. i guess i have a thing for heartless assholes who's a jerk to everyone except the heroine. one thing i liked about Xander is that he is a NOT a ho. I REPEAT. he is NOT a ho. he is a (
  spoiler)
  
  i just thought this was an ok book. even though i shed a few tears when it came to Kim, i didn't have the overwhelming emotions that i usually feel with the dark subjects that are presented here. i guess it was how it was written and all.
  
  also, i just wish that once Kim and Xander became a couple, there were more scenes of them WITHOUT doing sexual things and instead emotionally connect. plus, after she forgave him, there were time jumps and their cute couple moments were mostly told and not shown. i needed more sentimental moments considering their history AND considering that Xander was literally one of the reasons why Kim hurts herself. all in all, by the end of the book, i had the feeling of wanting more, so i wasn't satisfied with some aspects of the book.
  
  there was A LOT going on here. there's like drama after drama that at times, it feels like it was thrown in which resulted in the drama to be OTP sometimes. this is especially apparent when it came to the family drama and the reason why Xander stopped talking to Kim.
  
  also, for those who want to know (SPOILERS), we were told from book 1 that Xander is apparently a "ho" but he's really not. there's 1 OW scene where he walks in the class with a girl in his arm, her lipstick smudged on his lips and heroine sees this. there are more OM drama here tho where Ronan (H's friend) makes Xander jealous cuz he flirts with Kim and goes on a date with her.
  
  one thing i did appreciate here is the fact that the MCs actually wanted to seek out professional help because they know they need it and don't ridicule or ignore the concept of therapy unlike other books *cough*
  hades hangmen series *cough* (i still love that series tho! but the Cursed really needed professional help).
  
  so basically, this book is a combination of
  broken knight,
  ruthless knight, and
  bully, so if you like these, y'all should try this but again, keep in mind the triggers people!!
  

  

  
  
  ARC provided
• 
  Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️

  3.5 Stars
  
  This book (and series in general) is over the top with immature drama and overall ridiculousness. High school characters, with little to no actual adult supervision (par for the YA/NA romance novel course, obviously) act and get treated more like 30-somethings than teenagers.
  
  Also, this book especially included a lot of triggers topics and scenarios that were handled in potentially problematic ways.
  
  And yet...
  
  
  
  I can't stop eating it, you guys.
  
  
  
  And I can't stop, won't stop.
• 
  Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️

  Not at all what I expected from Xander and Kim!
  
  
  
  I have been waiting for Xander and Kim’s story since Deviant King when Elsa befriended Kim on her first day of school at Royal Elite. Elsa saw a kindred soul in Kim, someone who was doing her best not to be noticed and was lonely like her. Though Elsa was targeted by Aiden and the rest of the four horsemen (the Kings of the school and the team’s football heros). It soon became apparent that Kimberly used to be in with those people but something occurred to change things and now she was hated at the school and Xander Knight who lives across the street from her was her main bully.
  
  Once Elsa began dating Aiden, Kim was sort of accepted into their group, in that Elsa insisted Kimberly come with wherever she was invited. So Kim started attending Ronan’s parties, as well as the weekly football games where they all get together in the theatre room in Aiden’s house to watch his cousin’s pro team play on the big screen.
  
  Ronan accepted Kim and was friendly to her but Xander wouldn’t talk to her unless it was to say something mean and it seemed that she would never be forgiven for what she did seven years ago. I wondered throughout the last few books what it was that Kim could have done that was so bad. I am not sure if I was disappointed or not in this book and the revelations.
  
  There was a lot more angst in this book than I expected and I didn’t really like that too much. Both Xander and Kim are very broken and it isn’t because of what Kim did when they were eleven. Both of them have awful parents that have really messed with their minds. Kim is basically a mother to her younger brother because her Mother can’t be bothered to do anything motherly.
  
  
  
  At one point during the previous books I thought that maybe her brother Kirian was her and Xander’s child and Xander hated her for letting her parents claim him as theirs. However, I realized that wasn’t possible when I found out Kirian was too old and Kim would have had to have been ten or eleven when she had him. Though I do think that would have been a great story, if Kirian would have been younger.
  
  One thing I really liked about this book, as well as the others is the supporting characters. I love the four horsemen. Xander is known as the horseman war which is fitting because he is full of anger. Ronan is a great guy in this one and he sets out to make Xander jealous throughout the book by dating Kim. Aiden and Cole even jump in to help a few times to try to get Xander to make a move or at least do something different.
  
  I won’t give away the strife between Xander and Kim because it all came as quite a big surprise. But I will say that they were best friends when they were young, so they have had a connection for a long time. The chemistry between them is explosive and the tension is high. I loved the romance and the steamy intimate scenes. Great book, but a bit too much angst to give it 5 stars. So I will stick with 4.
  
  
  
  I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
  
  
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• 
  Rina Kent

  BLACK KNIGHT - Xander Knight & Kimberly Reed
  
  AMAZON US ➜
  https://amzn.to/37YIGm4
  AMAZON UK ➜
  https://amzn.to/2xDwIBT
  INTERNATIONAL ➜
  https://smarturl.it/BKBuy
  AUDIBLE US ➜
  https://adbl.co/30xgkO4
  
  This book is a standalone, but for better understanding of Royal Elite's world, it's advised to read the previous books in the series first.
  
  Royal Elite Series:
  #0
  Cruel King
  #1
  Deviant King
  #2
  Steel Princess
  #3
  Twisted Kingdom
  #4
  Black Knight (Xander)
  #5
  Vicious Prince (Ronan)
  #6
  Ruthless Empire (Cole)
  #7
  Royal Elite Epilogue
  
  
  
• 
  Sheena ☆ Book Sheenanigans

  
  Updated review posted after processing everything that has happened but you can get the gist of it
  here.
  
  UPDATE: 06/16/2020
  First things first, I would like to point out I am not a spiteful or malicious person by any means which I hope my fellow Goodreads members/friends/followers can testify to with my interactions with them. Everything that has happened in and out of these groups, not to just me but others as well, the author addition to her little minions need to be called out on their shit. All of that rambling and ranting that you’ll bear witness to below aside, everything that has transpired has left a bad taste in my mouth and I can’t support authors who treat readers or anyone in general like this. So I would like to apologize in advance for this long ass message so without further adieu...
  
  The behavior of RK and her PR manager Brittany Franks has led me to add this author to my trash pile and personal shitlist. I will no longer be reading any of her future works nor anyone that she decides to collaborate with.
  
  If you haven't already seen and read through the link posted above, as part of being on RK ARC, all readers are required to provide a minimum of 4 stars along with rave reviews (
  https://i.imgur.com/iBF6q7u.jpg) (and check out her BK amazon reviews if you don’t believe something fishy is going on). If the 4+ stars are not provided to any or all releases, you basically get the boot when they originally made it out to seem to wait a few days after speaking to Brittany to get the okay (hey girl!) before posting any negative reviews. No joke. I was removed and blocked (what warranted this exactly?) from Rina's Gritty Gang and Team Zero without any notice for what I am assuming is because I didn't provide the required rating (and quite possibly showing my support for WhoIShallNotBeName who has been vocal about her experiences with them) which was abruptly changed (unbeknownst to me) with ‘Black Knight’ release. I would like to point out, when I first joined the Team Zero (ARC team) group initially, there was a 3 star rating policy which I had always abided by and even gave ‘Black Knight’. Though I'm not a fan of, still supported because with my RK reading history, I had normally rated her books 2.5 (rounded up) stars above so I still decided to join for the time being. Then with the sudden change of the policy, it was a big no-go for them when members didn’t flock to their demands and ridiculous review rating policy.
  
  I'm sorry but the last I checked, don't authors typically want reviewers to provide honest feedback and criticism? Even if they're unfavorable? Haven't you heard any publicity is good publicity? On that topic, there's no way in hell I could ever give her book such a high rating. RK is NOT that good of an author. Her stories are repetitive, unoriginal and the characters that she built up she completely ruins with the next release. She's an author that reminds me too much of L.J Shen *eye fucking roll* and to be blunt, if you want me to give you a top notch rating you better write something to damn deserve it because I'm sure as hell not riding anyone clit for a fucking ARC. I chose to review your book because either the blurb caught my eye, theme, or set of characters. Don't think for a moment that I owe you anything for the ARC. The whole purpose of creating an ARC team is to get feedback good and bad from readers to draw attention to your novel. Google what the purpose of an ARC team is because you lack knowledge on anything pertaining to it. And while you’re doing that, do me and everyone else a favor and reeducate yourself and your underling Brittany on what it means to be an actual author/PR team because it’s only a matter of time before you're called out for more of your bullshit and problematic actions.
  
  Speaking of problematic, I’m reminded of the most recent troubles that have occurred with your team. Didn’t other ARC readers pirate RK particularly ‘Black Knight’ books online and to their non ARC friends? That also led to problematic RK being exposed as a xenophobic? If you didn’t know, she falsely threw out accusations and remove Brazilians readers (mainly blaming them for piracy) from her Readers/ARC team and when members called out her behavior, she or her little minion Brittany (leaning more towards since RK doesn’t have a backbone to do anything herself) deleted the comments and banned them from the Facebook group. Now why would anyone stand by an author who is xenophobic? Why would anyone stand by an author/team who treats readers and people in general like this? Perhaps with the recent piracy issues, maybe that's God's way of telling you to stop being ugly. Karma's a bitch huh?
  
  
  ORIGINAL REVIEW
  
  

  
  

  

  Besides Cole and Silver pending release, I couldn’t wait to dive into Xander and Kimberly's story, especially after reading their intense interactions in the previous installments. And needless to say, wow! I really enjoyed reading this book and was surprised I was able to read this in one sitting. When that happens, you know shit’s good.
  
  I think what set “Black Knight” release apart from the rest, was the highly emotional and obviously triggering topics that were featured which is probably want I liked the most about this read. I didn’t anticipate the author to include some sensitive issues (precede with caution my fellow bookfolks). It was real. It was raw. It was everything I didn’t expect but needed to get a better understanding of the intense dynamic between Xander and Kimberly including the bombshell (if you want to call it that) that dropped later on in the read.
  
  Everything just flowed seamlessly and the author was able to immersed me into this read. It got to the point that I did in fact get a little teary eyed with some of the scenes. It was so relatable and heartbreaking to read. The only flaws I would like to point out is the duration of the read and how easily Kimberly was able to forgive Xander for all the pain he had caused her. She was obviously a push over. Like girl, make him grovel. Additional to that, Xander and Kimberly's story could have easily ended at the 70ish% mark. Everything after the 70% seemed redundant, dull and boring in which case I did skim through it but nevertheless kudos to the author. This was a fairly decent read.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  The Girl Murdered by Her TBR

  Yep, still the same. The feels. The characters. My deep obsession with Kim, Xander and Ronan. I’m still obsessed with them even after 2 years.
  —————————————-
  
  5 stars!
  
  Warning: This book contains sensitive topics about mental health that can cause triggers.
  
  You know, there's really something in Rina Kent's books that makes so freaking addicted to it.
  
  I have been impatiently waiting for this book to be released and alas! It was released and got the chance to read it asap.
  
  To me, this was absolute perfection. It contains strong emotions that will make you feel alive. Kim and Xander's chemistry is so strong that I felt high while reading this. It's very unputdownable.
  
  Rina Kent is genius. Period.
• 
  ellie

  if i ever meet this Joffrey Lannister wannabe bitch in a dark alley
  
  
• 
  Bookadmirer

  One thing for sure is that the author's writing has improved. If she didn't drag Aiden and Elsa's story in three books I might have liked their story as well. What I missed in this book are Levi and Astrid. Their story was decent and it would have been great if there were also more glimpse of their life like the rest.
  
  The best part of this book was where Kir was included. That little guy literally lightens up my mood every time he appeared.
  
  
  
  Who goes to the bathroom of a friend's house and doesn't lock the door? It's Kimberly and that's how Xander found out she vomits the food she ate to lose weight. It worked for the story but this was pretty dumb. Other than these stupid mistakes it wasn't that bad.
  
  I have always been curious why Xander bullies Kimberly. The reason was shocking but also makes sense. Although it was a misunderstanding, luckily things went well. I didn't have any expectations from this book however it turned out really good.
  
  Ronan was funny like all the previous books. I hope he only jokes about the threesomes but not act upon it. I am not a fan of sharing and these stuffs. His interaction with Teal was mysterious now I am interested in their story. It was funny when Ronan tried to make Xander jealous by getting close to Kimberly. Those scenes were hilarious but also worked because Xander actually got jealous.
  
  Although Silver annoyed me in the previous books, in this book she came to a different light. Behind her facade she is suffering. I wonder what's Cole and her story would be. Cole is quiet but very observant. Actually before this book, I didn't have much interest but now I want to know what will happen to every character.
  
  The most shocking part is that Xander is actually a virgin while he acted he was a manwhore which was just a facade. That was an interesting plot twist. The epilogue at the end was cute. Is this book safe? I don't know . It has suicide attempt and bullying. The bullying wasn't the worst like the previous books rather mild but the suicide attempt scene was explicit. Other than these it's pretty safe.
  
  The romantic development was good. It wasn't boring rather interesting. I enjoyed it a lot. It was overall entertaining. I never felt bored rather was on the edge to know what happens next.
• 
  Sonia

  4 Green and Knight Stars
  
  After reading Aiden and Elsa's trilogy, I knew I needed to get to Kimberly and Xander's... cause there was so much tension in their books... plus, I needed to know what Kim had done to make Xander hate her... and, well, we find out...👀
  
  Kim and Xander had been best friends since they were kids🥹. They were inseparable and had the connection of also loving her younger brother, Kir. When Xander was 6, his mother abandoned him and he's been scarred since. Kim lives life with an unloving mother, a mother who's there but constantly belittles her and makes her feel fat😒. As time progresses, Xan started getting closer to the boys (RES boys), and when they were 11, something happens that separated them for good. Kim no longer had her best friend in her corner; he was her enemy now.
  
  It's currently their senior year in high school and the tension between them continues👀, but Kim's done being a doormat; she's going to try to fight back, even though she has a lot of turmoil going on in her life behind the scenes.
  
  What I loved/liked:Possible Spoilers
  -The tension between Xan and Kim😅. Don't get me wrong, I wanted there to be more, but I think if you've read the previous books, you really get the full picture of what's been going on with them. Even though there are other people in the room, Xan and Kim's eyes gravitate toward each other👀
  
  -The smexy times🔥. Oh LAWD... their first time doing stuff was so 🥵hot! The way Xan worships Kim's body💦, her scars❤️, everything was *🤌🏻chef's kiss* (plus, he makes sure she gets pleasure😉... I see you Xan🔥). And their first official time was hot 🔥af... I mean, the wall didn't see it coming💁🏻‍♀️! And don't get me started on all the other times later in the book. Yes, this is on the slow burn ish side (first time after 70%), but they sure make up for their lack of intimacy after this... even the epilogues were STEAMY😉
  
  -The past🥹. I loved seeing how playful and cute they were when they were young. Could there have been more of this to really see how close they were? Yeah, but I liked what was presented.
  
  -How JP Xan gets💅. Well, of course, I'm going to comment on this💁🏻‍♀️. When Ronan (OM) starts flirting and trying to date Kim, he gets soooo JP! LOL even when he's drunk and upset, he can't stop imagining that Ronan's going to take Kim's virginity lol 🤷🏻‍♀️I LUUUUURVED IT (Ronan does all of this on purpose💅👀 lol). What can I say? I looove OMD 😈
  
  -Kir❤️!! This little boy was so darn cute ERMAGOD🥹... even when he walks in on Kim and Xan, he's like "ohhh I wanna join the sleepover" 🫣🫣🫣bahahaha! Plus, I love how genuine the love is between the three of them
  
  -the reasons for the separation actually made sense😬. Sigh... I'm glad it wasn't what Kim thought the whole time... but I'm going to comment on this down below
  
  -the side characters. It just warms my heart ❤️. It also gets me excited to read the next ones 👀 I mean... I'm already in love with Aiden and Elsa lol
  
  -EPILOGUES 🥹🥰 (yes... P L U R A L lol). I am such a hooooooar for epilogues🤤. We get two in the book... sigh... I luuurved them😫... and then you can sign up for RK's newsletter to get Xan's POV chapters
  
  -the swoooonines🥰. Sigh... yup... Xan made me swoon a few times... and in the epilogues I swooooned even more🥹😫
  
  -the angst with the triggers😬. I knew going in that it was going to be angsty; I mean, there's a reason why Xan and Kim aren't best friends, plus, we get glimpses of some of their issues in the first three books, especially with Kim's struggles. I liked how RK addresses this and has them get help❤️. It wasn't just brushed under the rug
  
  -the family drama👀. Considering the reasons for both Xan and Kim's struggles and the aftermath of it all, I like that we get some info on what happens, and consequences for the respective parties. The moms of these two p!ssed me off🤬🤬🤬
  
  What I didn’t like/love
  -grovel? Where? 😐It needed some kind of a grovel 😒
  
  -Xan standing by while Kim's being bullied😑🤬. Look. I get it. He finds out why they can't be together and it breaks him, leads him down the road of addiction, but standing by and watching Kim get bullied p!ssed me off to no end🤬. Not only is Kim fat shamed, but there are other things that happen that cause Kim to be extremely unhappy, leading to her attempting soo-i-cide more than once. Where's the comeuppance? 😐... This leads me to…
  
  -the OW he "hangs" out with are the primary bullies. GRRRRR!!! 🤬🤬🤬We find out that he doesn't do anything with them Xan's a virgin and never had sex with any of them. He just watches p0rn with them, or if there's two of them, each other , but it still angered me that he didn't try to actively stop them😑. He's "supposed" to hate her... but I don't think that should've been his answer. Aiden would've never allowed anyone to bully Elsa... I'm just saying 🤷🏻‍♀️ (he would’ve been the only bullying her lol 💅)
  
  Overall, I really enjoyed it... just wish he would've been a little more active when it came to Kim's struggles...
  
  ⚠️safety squad⚠️possible spoilers
  -no cheating/sharing
  -dual virgins
  -bullying
  -child abandonment/neglectful and harsh parents
  -eating disorders, mental health, cutting, attempted soo-i-cide, fat shaming, drinking, alcoholism, and drug/pill use
  -OW- the H is rumored to have been with tons of girls. The h has seen him leave with girls in the past and they both come back disheveled. In the book, she sees H slap OW’s butt after they’ve clearly made out. Dances with OW2 at party. Many of these have bullied the h
  -mild OM- one of H’s friends flirts with h and tells H he wants to sleep with her. He asks her out of a date but it’s really to rile the H up. The H is PISSSSSED
• 
  Grecia Robles

  ME ENCANTÓ!!!
  
  Este sin duda es mi libro favorito y para este momento ya los he leído todos no pude parar de leer para detenerme hacer reseñas así de OBSESSED estoy con la serie, es que estos libros son demasiado adictivos, estoy amando a RINA KENT es mi autora revelación.
  Nunca pensé que me iban a gustar tanto estos libros.
  
  Desde que leí el libro de Levi y Astrid y salió Kim empecé a leer las sinopsis y ansiaba este libro y no me decepcionó, es tan atrapante, adictivo que no dormí hasta que lo terminé Y LITERAL NO DORMÍ me dieron las 7 am.
  
  Es la historia más emocional de todas, la que más me hizo sentir y luego es Childhood Friends to Adult Lovers y yo AMOOOOO ese tipo de libros.
  Sufrí con su separación y la manera tan horrible que Xander trataba a Kim pasó de ser su mejor amigo una de las personas más importantes en su vida a la persona que más la lastima
  
  Kim y su sufrimiento me LLEGÓ, era demasiado triste todo lo que le pasaba y nadie se daba cuenta sus pensamientos hacían que se partiera mi corazón.
  Odié a la mamá y en algunos momentos a Xander.
  Kim también es mi protagonista favorita, la chica es dulce, es amable, tan necesitada de amor.
  
  A Xander como dije lo odié en momentos pero ya cuando estaba con Kim fue demasiado lindo y no entiendo como no pudo ser siempre así con ella, bueno si lo entiendo pero no hay justificación.
  Al final si se redimió y lo perdoné, soy muy fácil.
  
  Si bajó un poco la intensidad al final pero se lo perdoné con el epílogo estaba bien bonito
• 
  CourtRocks (Villains Do It Better)

  1.5 Stars
  
  Spoilers!!
  
  Ya... This book wasn't for me😅, for many reasons. It felt like a bit of a washed down version of Aiden's trilogy mixed with Broken Knight by LJ Shen and a couple other books I can't think of right now. Then the big revelation came, which was pretty obvious, and I just liked this book less. I've read multiple books/series where the revelation is a plot device or the main plot (still scarred from The Mortal Instruments series tbh), and I am currently watching a show where it was used as a plot device, so I am even more annoyed that that was the big reason he hated her and caused her to suffer for so many years, which is still inexcusable in my book.
  
  Then the story in itself was a bit boring for me. This was definitely a story that I kept putting down and procrastinating with social media😂 because I just stopped caring a bit. Even when I was close to the end. I wanted to get it over with, but I also didn't care to read it and kept flip flopping back and forth.
  
  Kim bugged the crap out of me in the previous books, and though she wasn't as annoying in this, she was still a bit tainted from them, and still just as weak as ever. She's constantly pining after him, or staring at him and other girls, big time second-hand embarrassment, and I just needed her to grow a spine, which she did a little too late IMO, and then it disappeared QUICK. Then I felt like Ronan, who WAY outshines Xander, should have ended up with Kim instead. Xander was just a very bland, no personality, character, which I kind of figured he would be from the previous books too. I honestly didn't care for him or his struggles at all, especially because of what he did to Kim. Ronan at least had a personality and was funny, though the constant mentions of threesomes are getting repetitive.
  
  So anyways, the first about 60% of the book I felt had hardly any real interactions or conversation between Kim and Xander. It's mainly Xander throwing girls in her face, or her worrying about those girls, or the people bullying her, or her eating disorder and any other issues she has, or hanging out with the 4 horsemen. If they didn't hate each other, I feel like they should have been more friends than lovers with how little chemistry and depth they had. Then the revelation comes and they find out they're not brother and sister like Xander thought and was the reason he hated her, shocker, they're just in some f**ked up Switched at Birth scenario. And apparently finding out she may be your sister is a great reason to bully her and have the school bully her, and fat shame and lower her self-esteem completely, he's a great hero for sure.
  
  Then after the revelation, they immediately jump into bed together, with us finding out he's a virgin, Broken Knight anyone? I mean, I'm glad he is, but that still doesn't excuse any of his previous behavior. We don't even get groveling. Zero. Nada. Nothing. He hates her the entire book, while her weak self does hardly anything, then they find out there is no reason to hate each other, they jump into bed, then they live happy ever after pretty much. She doesn't even demand an apology really. All she says was she was really hurt and it's not gonna go away, but it sure seems like it did exactly that. The only thing I liked about her was with Ronan and letting Xander suffer seeing them together. Everyone needs a Ronan in their life👏
  
  Besides the no groveling part, one of the things that really bothered me were her eating disorders and cutting, and his alcoholism. I felt like we had a lot of build up with them being a part of the character's past and it being more engrained into their lives, but then I felt like they just went away too quickly when it became convenient to the story, and we never had any actual healing, we were just told it. I never saw any of the emotional impact the years of bullying took on her either, or the impact from her near suicide. It's like it never happened except some mentions of her scar. And then with him, I felt like I needed some big blow out or something (Broken Knight again anyone?), instead of being told he has alcohol issues and then going to rehab and coming back fine. Both of these could have given the story more depth with a deeper emotional impact, but just as I started feeling anything, the whole issue just became glossed over and became more about their parents and starting their HEA.
  
  Overall, this is definitely my least favorite so far. I love seeing Aiden still and the rest of the horsemen, and I'm pretty excited for their stories, especially Coles, but I'm hoping Silver doesn't turn into a weak heroine like Kim is. I'm hoping Rina doesn't disappoint with theirs, especially with how much of a disappointment this one was with spineless Kim and weak Xander. And also crossing my fingers Teal won't be a virgin because that seems to be a theme in this series and I'm not a fan lol. This book was fine because he was a virgin too, but if Teal and Silver both are too, while Cole and Ronan are manwhores? Then I'm out lol. 🤞
• 
  The Romantic Rush Blog

  This book is for those of us who have felt invisible, who have felt shackled by our pain, our insecurities, and fears. This is for those of us who have silently screamed to be seen while we drown and suffocate, trapped in our bodies, trapped in hollow expectations and dreams, smothered in our own feelings, surrounded but yet all alone. This book is for me.
  
  Our story is about Kimberly and Xander. We’ve seen them in prior books, but we get them unfiltered and exposed here. Xander is a bully- vindictive, the “War,” hateful- Kimberly’s ex best friend that is now an enemy for reasons we don’t yet understand. Kimberly is isolated, unhappy, verbally abused, and suffering from some dark mental health challenges. She’s hiding in her own skin, in broad daylight, and only Xander sees her- much to both of their chagrin. Our story centers much on their emotions and interactions- the plot feels like it moves quickly but it is driven by emotion- by interaction- which helps us deeply connect with our characters. We see their heart, not just their pain, we see their hopes- their light and dark. They find their way to each other as two soulmates, struggling to accept themselves and cope as they first repress and then address the demons that are cutting them from inside out.
  
  Have you ever read a character that feels like the author bisecting you and examined your every working- even the dark, small parts of yourself that you squirrel away so no one can see their ugliness? The ins and outs of what makes you tick? You feel seen and exposed all at once- affirmed and uncomfortably vulnerable, because fiction blurs with reality. This character for me is Kimberly. I saw pieces of myself at every turn- ugly pieces that myself and others hide. Or I thought they were ugly- but Rina tenderly unmasks them with Kimberly, not exploitatively but with care, and makes them beautiful. I’ve never felt as seen, as visible, as understood- as worthy. Rina so beautifully puts words to feelings I’ve felt, that Kim experiences- metaphors and allegories,and so much powerful imagery.
  
  This story is an excellent read- moments felt like therapy. I wish we’d gotten to live into the recovery of our characters a bit more, seen the non-linear process that healing takes- but that is perhaps a whole other story. And, to be honest, I’m not 100% sure about the twist (this book does have several MAJOR twists) still- even though they were necessary for both the conflict and conflict resolution- but the resolution of them felt easy, but maybe that is just the juxtaposition we need to see just how NOT easy Kimberly and Xanders journeys are- both in facing their own demons and in figuring out how two people, trapped within themselves, can be soulmates. That was the story that compelled me, that left me crying, exposed, and raw multiple times. And that is why you should read this book.
  
  This story is raw and real- and Rina doesn’t just scratch the surface of dark and heavy subjects or experiences as an exploitative plot device. Rather, she brings them front and center, unmasks and exposes them and asks us to sit in them as our characters do- to breathe their air. This story hurts, it's painful, it's visceral- but in that you find emotional resonance, some peace and hope- either because you see aspects of your own journey or because she has so richly, tenderly and carefully crafted dimensional characters whose feelings have almost become your own. (or in my case, both). That said, there are multiple triggering subject matters dealt with- this is not sensationalized, it feels personal and gritty and real. Rina has been very proactive in sharing a warning with this book, which some readers may need to heed.
  
  So, I say again, this book is for those of us who have felt invisible, who have felt shackled by our pain, our insecurities, and fears. This is for those of us who have silently screamed to be seen while we drown and suffocate, trapped in our bodies, trapped in hollow expectations and dreams, smothered in our own feelings, surrounded but alone. AND, this is for those of us who know it can get better, that there is beauty and hope in the struggle.
  
  This book is for me. And, I believe this book is for you.
• 
  marwah

  see y’all in therapy there’s no going back now 😃
  
  ----------------------------------
  
  I’m the biggest hypocrite for saying I wouldn’t read another rk book after deviant king….🌚
  
  not that bad tbh
  
  I don’t support her by the way I’m only continuing because of peer pressure (a joke)
• 
  Sophia Triad

  I should go, leave, never return.
  But I take a step towards her instead.
  I can’t have her, but that doesn’t mean I can’t play with her.
  Love is impossible, but hate is an open game.
• 
  Penny

  the way all of rina kent's heroes are carbon copies of each other 💀
• 
  ♥️Dev♥️ ~ Dark & Depraved Old Soul

  Review to come♥️ Unfortunately updates will take a few more days since of my finals and i really need to pass😑 But will do my best😪
• 
  Lelia

  I've been trying to write this for four days, but I simply think that whatever I write is not good enough to do this book justice. So I gave up trying to translate everything I felt while reading, but I'll do my best to get close to it. 
  
  I want to start by talking about the main couple. Usually, I would rather start it by talking separately about each of the characters, but I can't do it now and I don't even know why. I simply need to talk about Xander and Kim and how they are love, pain and the perfect match. They are not two perfect parts that together form a whole, but rather two broken parts that fit together as if they were made for each other. It's beautiful and emotional to see their development, the support they give each other, the patience, the bravery, how they want to be what each other need. The selflessness they have between them is beautiful, it’s pretty amazing.
  
  Now I want to talk about the one who stole my heart and my affection in this book: Kimberly Reed. I suffered with her. I felt all of her pain. There are very few characters who I have loved the way I loved her, in my entire life. I identified myself with the girl with green hair in a way that I really put myself in her shoes. Kim made me cry as I did few times in my life, and like I never did before with a book. I love her… it's that simple. She is one of the strongest characters I have ever read. I'm delighted with her, and Kim is an inspiration for me. Thank you for this amazing character, Rina.
  
  Xander Knight really annoyed me in the beginning of the book, but as I kept reading it, that anger disappeared only to be replaced by pure understanding and affection for the blue eyed boy that won my heart. He is a combination of the best traits a male character can have, from his complexity to his tenderness. You can love bad boys or prefer good guys, but no matter what, Xander will give you silly smiles and butterflies, for sure.
  
  One of the things I liked the most about this book were the amount of time the other characters appear. Since I read the other books in the series, I want to know more about the horsemen and the other girls, and Black Knight gave us the opportunity to see more of their friendship and personalities. All I can say is that if I loved Ronan before, now I'm borderline obsessed. I won't talk much about it because I want everyone to be surprised, but he is perfect, and I can't think of anything else to describe him. I also loved seeing the friendship between Kim and Elsa, how they support each other and are always close in difficult times. I started to love their friendship in Deviant King, but after seeing more of it in a deeper and more sentimental level, I love my Frozen even more and admire their friendship a lot.
  
  Beyond what we already know well, we see a new relationship in this book that really made me emotional: Kir and Kim. I don't have any siblings, but after seeing these two I want to have one, because it's the purest relationship I ever read. I was enchanted with their love, the safe heaven they give each other. I smiled without even realizing it when Kim talked about her brother, it was so natural, and I felt the same as I reread it (yes, I'm obsessed with this book and maybe have highlighted it all, just maybe.)
  
  Lastly, I want to talk about the book itself. Rina Kent has yet again surprised me with how genius she is. I honestly don't know what to expect anymore from this brilliant author. From the writing to the plot twists, Black Knight made it impossible to put it down until I was done reading it. It's addicting. I created a thousand theories in my head to try understand the past of these two broken souls. I thought "Xander needs to have a really good reason for this" but when I finally found out, I had to reread in order to be sure I understood it right. I couldn't believe it. I just wanted to hug him, while my head was screaming "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON????". I wanted to find out everything and at the same time I didn't want the book to end. My brain had a breakdown during this read, in a good and unexpected way. I won't say much so I don't give any spoilers, but you won't be disappointed for trusting Rina Kent's mind. Black Knight will devour your heart and souls, make you cry until all your tears run dry and in the end you're still going to be like "What? I need more!" even after going through every possible emotion. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is now one of my favorite books and I'm also not exaggerating when I say I wanted to give it a thousand stars.
  
  And Rina, here's a message for you... thank you for this book. I'm not sharing my issues here but I have never felt so connected with a book and with a character as I felt with Kim. In a world that often ignores the existence of mental illness, when they affect people more and more, someone with an influential voice needs to talk about it in a way that touches people's feelings and you did it. I was crying already just from the dedication because I needed to read that. I almost always need a reminder that my life matters, so I don't break, and you reminded me of it in a very, very, beautiful way. This last part was written after some bad things I went through today and, after a lot of crying, I opened Black Knight and there was, already in the dedication, what I needed to read. Maybe I took advantage and I'm rereading the whole book right now, just maybe. When I finished writing this review earlier, I thought something was missing and now I found out what it was. I needed to talk about how you touched me, how you touched my life with this book. Thank you, Rina, for such an emotional book and thank you for putting a smile on my face with those powerful words. I was in need of that. Maybe you don't know but you have a power and it's your writing.
• 
  moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus]

  i'm glad i went into this with little to no expectations bc i surprisingly ended up enjoying this. the plot twist fucked me up though and i kept on thinking what is happening? bc of all the revelations. i think i preferred Kim and Xander's dynamic before the reveal, not bc of the reveal itself, but bc everything felt too rushed after the reveal? not to mention, the story didn't go where i was hoping it would.
  
  KIRIAN IS STILL THE BEST CHARACTER TO ME. <3
• 
  Birjis

  Xander and Kim's story wasn't what I expected, this story was too tame compared to Aiden amd Elsa. I've to admit this story kind of felt lame. Not to insult the author, this book was additionally different from the authors other books.
  
  Xander and Kim was friends once upon a time, they were neighbours and each others everything. Something happened that turned Xander hateful towards Kim. The plot turned to an interesting twist by 70% of the book. The story blurred to me at that part and that's when I lost interest.
  Xander's bullying to Kim was excessive compared to the reason. Kim was a quiet girl but her adjustment to become strong didn't give that feels. Kim has serious mental issues partly because of her mother and is not comfortable in her own skin. The only good thing in her life is Kirian, who was an absolute adore. Xander is explosive. While he is vindictive he cares for Kim.
  
  This book has triggers - attempt suicide, about-to-be-taboo, mean Mums. I thought Xander and Kim's story to be more since in previous books they had lots of angst amd sexual tension among them. This book was not the best but I would encourage you to give it a go.
• 
  Safi

  update: i set myself up having too high of expectations
  
  
  
  
  giving it 5 stars and i haven’t even read it but i just know they’re gonna serve
• 
  hooked_on_books

  image:
  
  (𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.)
  𝑅𝐴𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐺: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
  To be honest I knew this book was gonna break my heart the second I heard the playlist, but I was so ready for it.
  
  To those of you who have read the previous books in this series you probably know a little about Xan and Kim, but I knew nothing about them because unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to read the previous books, but that will change. Soon.
  
  Xan and Kim are probably one of my favorite couples this year. That’s how much I loved them. When I started Black Knight I had no idea what to expect, I know the author said that I’ll be intense, but boy I WAS NOT expecting that.
  
  "𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕."
  
  From the first few chapters I was a goner. I fell in love with both Xan and Kim in a heartbeat. Kim was broken in so many ways, and to be able to see inside her mind and feel her pain was beautiful and agonizing all together. I felt everything with her I swear, I lost count of how many times I cried with her and for her. The way she kept pushing herself not for her but for her little brother was heartwarming.
  
  Kim was hurting but no one cared enough to notice, the only one who promised to always be there for her did not keep his promise.
  
  "𝑯𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅. 𝑵𝒐𝒘, 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓. 𝑨 𝒃𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚. 𝑨𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒚."
  
  Xan was an asshole to Kim; I had no idea why he was doing that. He could see what no one else could, he could’ve made it all stop if he wanted to but he didn’t. It was obvious that he felt the same way towards her but there was something holding him back something big enough to make him hurt her.
  
  "𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖."
  
  And that plot twist!!! You’re so not ready for this trust me.
  
  image:
  
  This book was EVERYTHING. Beautiful, sad, breathtaking, heartbreaking, but above all, it was EPIC. I was really satisfied the way everything ended for both of them.
  
  Xander and Kimberly are both flawed in so many ways, but together they are perfection.
• 
  Iris

  War. Green.
  
  Let me first start out by stating that this book deals with sensitive subjects. It does have triggers including depression, eating disorder, cutting, etc.
  
  This was mentioned right at the beginning of the book so kudos to Rina Kent for that. She has been pretty proactive about warning readers about this and I think it should be commended because in my opinion, too many times authors have overlooked how many readers have hard limits and need this for their sanity as they would rather protect their plot line rather than trying to look out for their reader. But I digress.
  
  First of all, I’ve got to point out I’m not a very avid reader of academic/elitist type books, it’s just not my usual cuppa tea. I’ve always tended to avoid reading books set in high school and that’s usually because of all the unnecessary OW/OM drama, but this author hasn’t steered me wrong. & Now, I’m fully invested in this Royal Elite world she’s created. And since starting this series, I’ve never anticipated a book more than I have for Black Knight. And in my opinion, It. Did. Not. Disappoint.
  
  The story »»
  

  I am emotionally spent.  Black Knight was so much more heartfelt than I could have imagined. The emotions and the rollercoaster ride that Rina Kent makes of their journey as a couple and as individuals is why I enjoy reading Romance so much. This was an excellent read and now, a favorite of mine.
  
  For months, I was wracking my brain trying to come up with possible scenarios of what could’ve happened between these two and I still couldn’t come up with one plausible enough to warrant all the torment Kim had went through because of Xander.
  
  

  

  
  I waited a long time before I was able to finally get my hands on their story. What could a 7/8 year old possibly have done??? Like cmon dude, now you’re just being petty.
  
  Now we’re finally here unraveling it all. Rina keeps you on the edge each page of this book and you constantly think you’ve finally figured it out but NOPE and then all of a sudden...
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
  Basically, this story just kept me turning the pages as fast as possible. Along with some steamy and romantic moments, it was mainly emotionally heavy and a ton of relationship angst that kept my heart hurting, yearning, cursing and cheering. This book was a great example of why I now understand the appeal of the New Adult genre. There’s just something about reading a bunch of a high school aged characters go through pain and emotional turmoil while growing up lol. And there was a lot of growing up in these pages. But I really couldn’t fault it, it was addicting to read.
  
  And while, Xan and Kim’s relationship was undoubtedly center piece, I was also very happy to not only see some fantastic four horsemen interactions (which I absolutely loved) but a few little breadcrumbs hinting of Ronan & Cole’s future stories.
  
  Characters»»
  

  ◦ Kimberly Reed- You know those special heroines that you just would do anything for as long as she got her HEA, for me, that’s Kimberly Reed. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a character to find happiness more than this girl hiding in her own skin. Before reading this book, I wanted a whole comeback, a full on revenge plan, like I wanted her to kick. some. ass. She’s been bullied for far too long, I needed to see some people suffer.
  
  But then I got inside her thoughts. And I understood. This isn’t the kind of story where you want to see the h do a complete 180 and all of a sudden give a middle finger to everyone who’s ever screwed her over, because while that’s fun and all, this was just so much more. More to Kim and her story. More than her relationship with Xander, this was a character raw and broken with demons that Rina unmasks for all of us to bear with her. I don’t know about anyone else but for me, while it’s easy to fall in love with a Hero (as long as I actually like the book), it’s harder with the heroine. But when I fall for one, I fall hard. Kim is not the kickass guns blazing type of heroine but she’s one many can identify with and that’s exactly why I loved her so much and was rooting for her the entire way.

  
  

  ◦ Xander Knight- Woooo he’s a doozy. If you haven’t read any other books in this series; here’s a small play by play. Blonde, tall and handsome. The ultimate popular golden boy. Intimidating, arrogant but popular, you know the type— except he goes out of his way to torture poor Kim’s life. I have been really anticipating getting to know more about his character since Cruel Prince and even more so when I saw how awful he was being towards Kim in the DK trilogy. I kept thinking what is this guys problem?? And throughout all the other books, we get a few hints of their past relationship but that KIM was the problem/to blame and not him?? Okaaay sold, I have to know. As I've said, before going into this book I thought he was the harshest with how he treated ‘Berly’ since the beginning, and to be so unforgiving for something that happened when they were children?? Again, that’s just petty…but little did I know what was going on through Xander’s head.
  
  In my opinion, granted we haven’t read all of the books in this series yet but, Xan runs the deepest. He felt so much. So much anguish, suffering, anger, hate and love all wrapped in his complex self and it was a bit misplaced but nonetheless, it was his feelings and I’ve always been a strong advocate about not being able to help how you feel. How you act on the other hand…. 🙂
  
  Well as the story goes on, I started to view Xander’s golden boy persona with new eyes, and after all the plot twists and turns, the truth comes out. & I’m not sure if everyone will feel the same, but I understood him. In the case that emotions really do rule your actions sometimes, I understood. And now, he’s my favorite. I love him and all his many layers. Stay with him, have faith...he ends up being exactly what Kimberly needs.
  
  & A very special mention to Kim’s little brother, Kirian—My heart!! He was the sweetest thing and I only wish I saw more moments with him and Kim and Xan 😭 I also wouldn’t complain if down the road... he gets his own spinoff story 😉 lol I just don’t wanna leave this world.

  
  
  And now, I am going to go reread this story again. Also side note no one asked for, their relationship dynamic was also reminiscent to one of my other all time favorite couple of hers in her book Misted. Full of hate stemmed out of a love too strong and a past you can’t change. If you’ve read it and than read this one, you’ll see why. If not, please read it! I love that book.
  
  Lastly, this is classified as a standalone and while I do believe it’s enjoyable on it’s own, I strongly suggest reading the first three books of this series if you haven’t already, as the couple in this book was mentioned several times and it kind of sets up their dynamic that’s followed up in this book.
  
  SWE
• 
  Simran .

  4-4.5 ”Xan and his Green” stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  
  Kim and I are the same in so many ways. We’re both broken, flawed, and have unsatiated hunger.
  A hunger so furious, it chips at our souls.
  A hunger so strong, nothing but the other one can satiate.
  
  I absolutely.. D.E.V.O.U.R.E.D this book. It was heart wrenchingly beautiful. It’s no surprise that I have been eagerly waiting for Xander and Kimberly’s story and just after finishing it, I am proud to say it blew my fucking mind and made me shed ugly tears. The writing in this was completely different from the author’s previous books. It was slightly soft and much more emotional. It brought out so many emotions in me. My heart broke for both of them especially Kim after learning how damaged they really were.
  
  The book deals with lots of trigger such as self harming, emotional abuse, alcohol addiction, suicide, eating disorders and bullying. So I suggest you keep them in mind and heed the author’s warning.
  
  If you have read the previous books in the series, you’ll know there’s always something been going on between them. The push and pull, what happened when they were kids, why is Xan always so mean to her. It was obvious things were not good at home for both of them. All our questions get answered and it will leave you in a ugly crying mess. I know I was.
  
  ”Instead of dancing alone, dance with others. Instead of living alone, lean on others. Instead of purging the pain, talk about it.”
  
  This is one of my favourite quotes from the book.
  
  Kim has been body shamed and bullied her whole life by her own mother and at school. Xander also played part in tormenting her too. They were close and best friends once but then something happened and Xan cut himself off from her. He was someone she really trusted, so when he pushed her away she thought it was cause of something she did in the past and has blamed herself since. The only reason she wakes up in the morning is ‘cause of her little brother Kir ( who was freaking ADORABLE ). She will do anything for him. She’s close to her Dad but he’s always away on business.
  
  My heart broke seeing her go through so much turmoil. Feeling alone and getting lost inside your own head is not the way to live, it’s something even I can relate with. Along with everything else, the hot and cold behaviour of Xan wasn’t helping her either. I absolutely hated Xan whenever he hurt her. But then the author dropped a big BOMB, one I could not have anticipated in a million years. Things finally started to make sense.
  
  ”Fuck, you’re soaked,” he groans against my lips.
  “For you,” I whisper back.
  “You’re killing me, Green.”
  “And you’re owning me, Xan.”
  “Only me?”
  “Only you,” I breathe out.
  
  Xander was everything I hoped he would be. He was possessive, broken, angry and totally deserving of the nickname War. He could be really cruel at times but once I knew the real reason, I understood him perfectly. He really was her soulmate. He had his own demons to fight too like alcohol addiction. Their chemistry was off the charts hot and addicting.
  
  She said Ronan and Elsa see her, but she couldn’t be any more wrong.
  She doesn’t even see herself.
  Not like I do.
  I see her when she’s a mess, when she’s fake, when she forces herself to laugh and just be there.
  I see her even when she refuses to fucking see herself.
  
  I loved how they healed each other together. They could not have been more perfect for each other. Their journey was heartbreaking to watch but am glad they got through it. Their story is one am not going to be forgetting for a while. Kimberly is going to have a special place in my heart forever. The author proved yet again that she’s BRILLIANT.
  
  Only reason I didn’t give it a full five stars was because I wanted it to be bit more lengthy. I wanted to read more about them. I read this in one seating.
  I highly recommend this series. ♥️
  
  Now I am going to patiently wait for Ronan’s story to come out. 😍 Also isn’t the COVER downright sinful.🔥
• 
  mia

  Xander is the type of war you never see coming, and when you do, it’s already too late

  Tropes in this book: sports, high school, bully, second chance, childhood friends to lovers
  Trigger warnings: depression, mental health, eating disorder and self harm
  
  Update: I uprated this to 5 stars because this book has been on my mind constantly.
  
  I had my eyes on Xander after Aiden since Levi's book but he..... surpassed my expectations yet disappointed me a little. Is that even possible? Like I love who he is but I expected a little more angst?
  
  THIS IS NOT SPOILER FREE
  
  The book started off with Kim and Xander's cute friendship when they were little, where Kim starts to have feelings for her knight:

  He's in pain and I don't like it when he's in pain

  but suddenly one day it all changed when Xander became:

  He used to be my best friend. Now, he's a stranger. A bully. An enemy

  the opposite instead and for no reason. She thinks its because she lied about Luna the cat being lost and he got lost in the snow but it was for another reason.
  
  Since then Xander has been bullying her in school and she has no one else except Elsa to stand up for her. Kim also has her own:

  I hate this fucking body. I hate myself in it. I wish there was a way to detonate it from the inside out

  body image issues that is caused by:

  because I’ve been patient with you, but you’re not watching your weight. You’re not even tall, so you can’t afford the extra kilos. I expect results

  her mother's projection of perfection onto her. With Xander's bullying and:

  How can he manage to make me hate myself by just looking at me? Why does he have that power?

  harsh words it makes Kim spiral more and relapse:

  Whenever I cry, that fog crawls faster under my skin and the next thing I know, it’s invading my brain and occupying my thoughts

  But Xander is not what Kim thinks, he was an angel when he was younger:

  You just like to eat and I like it when you eat

  look how assuring he is 🥺
  
  Although Xander appears to be a big bad bully outside, on the inside:

  I see her even when she refuses to fucking see herself

  There’s no way in fuck I’m going to let her be invisible to her own self. Not even if that costs me in the long run

  he's actually just a puppy wrapped around Kim's finger. He thinks about her and cares for her (in a rough way because he's a fighter after all):

  You don’t get to take the easy way out just because you can. You don’t get to disappear just because you want to

  though he knows he can't be the man she desires:

  Didn’t I tell her to stop fucking tempting me? To stop hoping for things from me?

  The more she does, the harder I’ll destroy her

  
  
  When things happen and Kim lands into Xander's arms:

  kissing me harder and faster, like it’s the first and the last time

  his kisses show her that she can only take and not give back because:

  his slight moments of closeness, only have heartbreak tied to them

  he's not a forever type of man in her eyes. Even though she feels:

  held me like we’ll never be apart in any reincarnation

  whole with him, she knows she can't fantasise more about what she wants. He literally is both sides of the coin, tender yet harsh:

  He’s even worse than her. At least she never pretended to care about me. He showed me the world, then pushed me off the edge

  
  
  Until one day, Xander snaps after the incident:

  Don’t go, please. I’ll be the one to go, I promise

  Either she lives or I don’t

  and that is the turning point because he realises how much of a dick he was to her. And that's when I started melting:

  "I lie about a lot of things, I’m a liar." “Things like what?” "Like how much I hate you. I don’t. Or how much you’re nothing. You aren’t. Or how I can live without you. I can’t.”

  like just imagine a man with muscular thighs who has been bullying you, who rogue fights and comes to school with bruises all the time become a soft giant infront of you. How can you not melt? Especially when he says:

  "I wanted to take you from the world and keep you for myself”

  and the fact that he was:

  “What others?” “You’re my first, Green.”

  a virgin who acted like a manslut around and saved himself for her, protect this man at all costs!
  
  I knew he'd be hot af in bed because of the way he was described to be in other books but when:

  I reach over and clutch her chin, opening her mouth, and stare at my seed all over her lips and tongue. Marked and claimed

  he did this, can't I be her? Pretty please? I'm surprised that's the only smut scene I highlighted in the entire book but that's how invested I was in the book.
  
  So I gave this 4 stars because the big conflict to me, was big but it was resolved within 2 chapters it made me feel like a fool. Like I thought he'd be the brother and I was secretly hoping for a forbidden romance (bc I'm messed up) but it turns out the daddies swapped themselves and I'm just reading and sitting here looking at myself and thinking "wow Ms Kent really did that to me". This book, also made me cry especially at the part where she self-harmed and collapsed because the way Xander talked to her as though he'd kill himself if she wasn't around really hit home. Like no baby don't leave, both of you. The way he's so attentive to her mental health is such a turn on, he's really boyfriend material. Get yourself a man who sees through your masks because you won't need anyone else's help. Also the bitch who's Kim's mother should have just drowned in her own paint, literally no other words for her.
  
  That being said, the trigger warnings are mentioned at the start of the book please read them. For a book of this length, it was almost perfect except for that wonky plotline. I liked that it concluded in one book and there wasn't any dragging in the plot or over-emphasis on the side characters (can't complain since I get to see the horsemen in every book). There also wasn't just smut, actually there was more plot than smut which the smut lover in me can't agree with but I'd say a good balance of both makes the best books. Kim-Xander are a couple who fought for one another and for that they deserve the stars I rated them. Also petition to have Xander feed me pistachio gelato please.
  
  Royal Elite ratings
  
  Levi-Astrid
  
  Aiden-King #1
  
  Aiden-King #2
  
  Aiden-King #3
• 
  Ria | Abstract ♥ Books

  
  
                               
  
  
  Rina's done again!! absolutely destroyed me again in just a few chapters, let alone the whole book.
  I mean my mother caught me crying and is now interrogating me non-stop!! what am i supposed to tell her??🤔🤔😐🤥
  I mean the sole reason why I started book blogging and arc reading was because I just had to get my hands on black knight!!! its not a lie, really!!! the only reason I stared was for this book, that's how excited I was !!!! and now after completing the book , the only thought I have is that
  -- '' XANDER IS MY BABY!!!MINE ONLY🤭🤭💖💖!!"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  When I woke up this morning and saw this ARC on my kindle, I had to blink for a few times to make sure I was seeing correct or not! then my only aim was to savor every word of this book, I literally didn't want to miss anything and shouted at anyone who disturbed me!!🤣🤣
  .
  .
  "He told me I’m beautiful and he hates me for it, and it’s the same for him. He’s so brutally handsome, I curse him for it every day. I curse him every time I see a good-looking man and compare him to Xander. I curse his perfect hair and ocean-deep eyes and charming fucking smile because they never belonged to me."
  .
  .
  From the very chapter I fell in love with Kimberly. She was truly broken and being in her mind was
  a really agonizing experience for me. I felt everything with her, every pain and every happiness.
  The way she handled herself was a real inspiration for me. No matter how her journey started, she was indeed a very strong character. The way she sacrificed everything for her brother, and the way she loved those limited people in her life was heart-warming.
  .
  .
  "The boy, the person, who cut me off from his life and left me to fend for myself. The knight I took refuge in, but he offered no shelter. The person I shared my life with, but he erased me as if I were never there."
  .
  .
  "here’s the thing, Kimberly, you can hide from the world and from your fucking self, but you’ll never be able to hide from me."
  .
  .
  Then there was Xander. I had been in love with him since the starting of the royal elite trilogy. But I will admit , even I in the staring of the book wanted to bitch slap him!!! he was such an ass to kimmy!!
  I was just so greedy for his vulnerable moments, and just nearly broke my finger while highlighting those scenes!! the scenes where i saw the real Xander.
  .
  .
  " The world doesn’t revolve around you.” Because it revolves around you. Nope. No. I didn’t think that. That thought needs to be fucking eradicated.
  .
  .
  “Maybe I should burn.”“Burn?”“Yeah.” His eyes close. “Because you’re worth being burned for.”
  .
  .
  But then when the true reason came out for his behavior , I was literally shocked. I mean I could have never imagined that reason!!! let me warn you all , none of you will expect that twist!!
  Suddenly every step he took made sense .
  The ending of the book was so perfect and now I again have this itch to have Cole and Ronan's book. All those small scenes I read in the book which highlighted their future relationships were just amazing and made me yearn for there story even more!!!!
  its going to be very long months ahead , waiting for both Ronan and Cole!!!😔😔
  I truly loved the way Ronan supported Kim and made her feel loved , because she really needed that sort of stability in her life. I loved how he made her feel loved when Xander somehow fucked up . He is truly amazing!!
  .
  .
  “He doesn’t look at me. Full stop.”“Are you blind? You’re the only one he looks at when he thinks no one is watching. He’s perfected it so well, even you don’t notice him.”
  .
  .
  If I had a 10 star rating, I would have given this book 10 stars, because this book truly deserves all the damn stars!!!
  none of you are ready for Xander and Kim, but beware, they are going to wreck you!!😳😳😆😆
  
  
  
  
  
  
           
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  I

  yeah sure, saving yourself for your sister is called a plot these days
• 
  Alaina

  Okay, so this series is getting really freaking good. I'm loving to see everyone else relationship too.
  
  After meeting Kim and Xander in the previous book of this series, I just wanted to know what their deal was. So once I saw that they were getting their own book, I was really excited to dive into the Black Knight. Long story short, everyone you've ever met since the first book is still here. Not going to lie, I loved seeing everyone again and how they banter with one another. Oh lord, no idea who's book is next but I can't wait!
  
  Okay, back to Kim and Xander. So they grew up being best friends and living near one another. Until one day they just weren't. Kim never truly knew why she was held at arms length.. or why Xander despised her but she was bound to find out one way or another. It just didn't occur that Xander would come back into her life the way that he did.
  
  Xander has a lot of dark secrets surrounding him and Kim has a lot of dark demons. Well, technically they both have their demons but I knew that they needed to lean on one another to see the light. Once Xander realizes something is completely off with Kim, the vomiting and cutting, he says that her life is now his business.
  
  It also doesn't take long for drama to surrounded them. Things get pushed too far and they almost lose one another. It took such a tragic event for all the secrets to come out and for everyone to slowly heal. I honestly felt bad for Kim throughout this book. She definitely deserves a way better mom. Xander should've groveled more in my opinion with how he treated her. Just saying.
  
  In the end, they were cute and I could see that they finally found happiness.
• 
  Ellie °•

  “The universe doesn't matter, green, you do.
  Then. Now. Always.”
  
  THIS BOOK
  -AHHHHH
  PREPARE TO CRY 😭😥
  
  This book hits differently mmmkay (Ronan is growing this on me ) - TW check them out and take them seriously as always 🙏
  
  I loved Kim and her story -she is a survivor 🖤
  Xander, for me should have tried more - I felt that he was easily forgiven but that is my opinion .
  Although his jealousy was so funny for me 😆
  
  
  Well, I’m making it my business. You don’t get to hurt Ro on my watch.”
  Ro.
  Fucking Ro.
  If she’s calling him that on purpose to worsen my insanity case, then it’s fucking working.
  Someone book the psychiatrist ward. And the ambulance because if I’m going to be locked up for being crazy, might as well kill this fucker.
  
  One think I have to mention while I was reading this book is:
  WHAT IN THE CASSANDRA CLARE JUST HAPPENED
  
  but everything made a twisted kind of sense in the end 🙃
  
  What a fucked up family 😃
  
  4✨
• 
  FictionalDen

  
  
  
  4 KIMBERLY STARS
  
  TRIGGER WARNING PLEASE BE AWARE THIS BOOK CONTAINS SENSITIVE SCENES REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH
  
  My eyes are puffy and red. I have never cried so much while reading a book. Honestly I have never cried so much in my 21 years of life. Kim. Kimberly. Kimberly Reed. I want to give her a big tight hug, actually I want to hug her and never let her go. That girl owns both me and Xander. So far she is my favorite character from the entire series and right next to her is Ronan. I’m just going to say I CAN NOT WAIT for his book. That boy deserves the whole fucking world, just like Kimberly.
  
  When Rina promised us angst? She really meant it. And honestly, I wasn’t excited for their book. I was like meh this is just going to be another childhood friends to enemies book etc. But boy was I wrong. This book has SO MUCH MORE story than Deviant King and was so beautifully executed. Rina you really did do an amazing job.
  
  Xander, I don’t blame him for his hatred towards Kim. Yes, he pissed me off so much during the first half of the book because he knew how much Kimberly was being affected by his behavior, he should have been there for her, especially after leaning about certain stuff. But I did understand his point and in the end of the day he was the one who saved her. Plus he surprised both me and Kimberly with a secret of his own that finally stopped me from crying and made me smile like a Cheshire Cat. So all was forgiven.
  
  And obviously let’s not forget the rest of the gang, Aiden being Aiden. I just love the psycho possessive side of him 😂😂 It will honestly never get old. Xander not being too far behind..... I already expressed my love for Ronan and teal omg I can not wait to read more about her. Cole and Silver are a huge question mark for me and are the most mysterious couple and I can not wait to read about them. LETS NOT FORGET KIRIAN, HE DESERVES ALL THE BROWNIES IN THE WORLD! THAT SWEET LITTLE POTATO!
  
  Kirian played such an important role for Kimberly, he was her happy place, she was waking up in the morning and putting a smile on her face just for him. Their bonding was so cute. Rina again you really did surprise me with this book. The twist omg like I can not even with them. When I thought i finally figured everything out, Rina would throw some other twist at me. This book was a roller coaster of emotions, so honestly enjoy the ride and good luck 😂 Also again, I have so much love for Kimberly. She was such a surprise for me, I thought she would be a weak heroin and would let Xander bully her and get his way with her, but I was so so so wrong. This one scene, just fucking broke my heart and I sobbed so so so much, especially during the father daughter bonding moment. Fuck.
  
  I’m trying to keep this review spoiler free because trust me, you don’t want to know ANYTHING about this story before starting it. What idea you have in your head regarding the plot? Trust me it’s not even close to what the actual story is, maybe 30%? But for the rest? grab a fucking tissue box and get ready for the ride.
  
  UPDATE REREAD THIS BOOK
  I just want to say the reason I gave this book 5 stars at first was ONLY for Kim and her struggles. I literally cried my eyes out for her. After things were fine with her the story turned a little quick pace for me, Xander was more of a side character than a main one. And after Kim’s struggles everything happened very fast. No built up regarding Xander and Kim’s relationship. They just fucked and everything was okay. So this is why after reading it again I changed the rating to four.
  
  
  
  RECEIVED AN ARC FOR A HONEST REVIEW
  
  
  
  
• 
  Karen

  Since Rina announced the release of Xander and Kim's book, I was crazy creating theories in my head to explain their relationship based on the little I had read of them in previous books and I wasn't able to come up with anything close to this. As expected, I devoured this book like everything I read from Rina before, starving to finally understand both and get to know them better. I have to say that their story was a delightful surprise, I didn't expect it to touch me emotionally as it did but when I found myself sobbing and my heart beating so fast I knew I was totally wrong. If I'm being honest, despite my curiosity, they weren't one of the couples I was anticipating the most but they certainly left their mark.
  
  I was able to finally understand beyond Kim's surface and everything she was dealing with, that's when I saw myself admiring 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 this girl's strength. My chest was filled with pride every time she stood up for herself, faced her own demons and yet remained to be 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. There were many times that I wanted to protect her from the entire world, Kim just felt so real, she could be someone I know dealing with all these struggles and it touched my soul.
  
  Xander was a mystery with many façades for me and when I thought I had finally unraveled a layer of it, there was a deeper one to be solved. I got really mad at him many times but when his deepest layer was unveiled, I could truly understand him and notice that - for my relief -, he had his reasons, definitely good ones, to act the way he did. Then it came to that point in the book that I was completely shocked. Totally stunned as if something had hit me and I didn't know what it was and where it came from. Rina did it again. She completely surprised with an unexpected plot that I didn't see coming, she's really good at it. When I thought things were going to one direction she turned everything all the way to the other side.
  
  Their relationship development was amazing, each one of them had personal battles to fight and still managed to support each other and still fight for their love together. The fact that all their problems weren't solved just because they were in love was, once again, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭. I loved Kir so much, the kid strengthened the line that bound them together for all these years and he's the cutest little man. I enjoyed so much the dynamic of the Horsemen and their girls as well, no doubt these guys are trying to drive each other crazy and still, I think that's their way to keep one another sane. There was a great introduction to Ronan and I have to say that I managed to be even more obsessed with him than I was before, I'm so ready for his book that's coming next! Last but not least, the parents, that as usual had their parts messing up their kids lives. I guess the children always end up paying for the parents' actions.
  
  Everytime I finish a book of Rina, the regret of reading it too fast comes, but I'm never able to help myself. Black Knight wasn't different and surely was way above my expectations, it was heartbreaking and overwhelming, but mainly a 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 story.