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God of Pain  By  cover art

God of Pain

By: Rina Kent
Narrated by: James Joseph, Mackenzie Cartwright, Shane East, Jason Clarke, Desiree Ketchum
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Publisher's summary

From USA Today best-selling author Rina Kent comes a new stand-alone grumpy-sunshine college romance.

I made a terrible mistake.

Being a mafia princess, I knew my fate was already decided.

But I went ahead and longed for the wrong one.

Creighton King is bad news with a gorgeous exterior.

He’s silent, brooding, and obviously emotionally unavailable.

So I thought it was over.

Until he awakens a beast inside me.

My name is Annika Volkov, and I’m Creighton's worst enemy.

He won’t stop until he breaks me.

Or I break him.

This book can be listened to on its own.

©2022 Rina Kent (P)2022 Rina Kent

What listeners say about God of Pain

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Love this story

Story:
I am obsessed! This is literally one of my favorite books of the RK world- I just adored it. It’s just such a compelling and addictive story- the character arcs, the drama, the intricate ways the secondary characters come into play, the chemistry. But most of all, it’s surprisingly sweet, Rina’s most darkly swoony with some epically romantic Romeo and Juliet vibes.

I had been so desperate for Anni’s story because her parents are my favorite Rina couple ever, but then she goes and pairs Anni with another favorite couple’s son- and while our prior pair had some of the worst of their parents’ characteristics, these two ended up more with soft and tender hearts of their mothers’. This couple is everything! A sweet, grumpy sunshine on the surface with a more hidden submissive-sadist connection - they are so delicious! The chemistry is just so great- I love how they bring each other out in their own ways. Creighton makes Anni more independent and brave and self-assured, and she makes him feel lighter and more content. And I love the juxtaposition of their world and their sexual tastes with actually how innocent and sweet their relationship is. Like she’s so in love with him and so vulnerable about it, and he’s so obsessed with her and over the top and it’s kinda sweet and super swoony. They are just SO endearing and compelling together.

Rina also is really amplifying the ensemble dynamic and I am here for it! Each secondary character playing their part and catalyzing or creating obstacles for this couple. For the parents, we get so much GREAT nostalgic content (Adrian and Aiden in the same story! I’m in heaven!) No one outshines the others (or the main couple), but they all sparkle in their own way, and just when I’m like overly obsessed with one, someone else comes along and steals my heart. I was already fascinated by Jer but I am RAVENOUS for him now- his darkness and protectiveness with his sister, gonna be so yummy with his love interest. But the PARENTS. MY GOD. Pitch perfect. I really love how Rina is making the parents flawed even in parenthood, letting them be the true characters we know. Aiden is stil a PYSCHO, Adrian is still a controlling ruthless mafioso, so OF COURSE they aren’t gonna be perfect, loving, Hallmark parents. But they show up for their kids in ways that are just right for them- and I live for those full circle moments.

Without revealing much Rina does some great things narratively that really let us saturate in this couple and the looming conflict- including a great twist that flips this story around. I loved the tension, getting to see them grapple with it, getting to explore it from multiple emotional angles (with each other, in isolation, with their families), and it just made the conflict feel more emotionally heavier. It also sets up some amazing character arcs. The way they understand themselves and each other gives them a lot of complexity. There are real “coming of age” moments, but obviously with the big ole Rina weighty addition of them facing some dark stuff. I loved how their connection to one another was the catalyst to exploring parts of themselves they didn’t fully understand, and ultimately was the catalyst to them facing the baggage they each had.

I AM SERIOUSLY LOVING this second gen series- it’s truly the best compilation of that various tropes and strengths in the various connected series Rina has done, like the most decadent buffet of all my favorite Rina things.

Performance:
Loved having so many narrators- and getting the parents' voices- Adrian! Ah! Annika's narration was perfection- Mackenzie Cartwright captured all the energy and emotion of Annika- her spirit. And I loved James Joseph carefully captured the thinly controlled stoicism of Creighton with the undercurrent of intensity. He wasn't quite what I imagined for Creighton accent wise, but still brought all the energy I wanted for our Cray Cray.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Grumpy Sunshine Indeed

I didn’t notice the post-colon title until writing this review; it is not just a “Legacy of Gods” book, but God of Pain is also a “grumpy sunshine college romance.” It makes it sound a bit sweeter than it actually is, and lord knows that Cray Cray was portrayed as a nearly mute grunter in the last book, so I was pleased to see he had a bit more going on than just Oscar living in the trash can in his head….

So: super sweet, crowd-pleaser girl (masochist—lol don’t I know it!) is attracted to another sadist (slightly less sociopathic than Killian), and I guess we are supposed to go along with the tying up, spanking, and whipping of Miss Daisy Sunshine Pants. This guy takes possession to levels I was deeply uncomfortable with, but Annicka’s family life sort of primed her to become a captive to a caveman someday, so yeah.

The pace and spice kept this one grooving along. I only skipped a few chapters. Highly recommend listening while doing the most banal domestic tasks. It helped.

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2 people found this helpful

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Terrible story and the narrators did not help :/

Rina Kent didn’t want to write this story, did she? It seems so repetitive to God of Malice with zero new elements. Also, what’s up with the mmc’s voice? He sounds a bit… dumb…

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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More for the the younger audience

It started quite nice but when things are heating up, it is a bit awkward and does not add up with the plot . More for the 20-30 year readers

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Creighton and Annika

I honestly love how weird and quiet Creighton is, and how Annika just doesn't give up. This is a fake romance trope, as Annika needs to have a fake boyfriend to get her brother and her parents off her back. She doesn't want to marry someone she doesn't love, so the best way to do that is to get in a relationship. She might have wanted to choose Bran, but Creighton sure is going to punish her for it.

The author ties in the first generation parents, so if you read their stories, this might add to your enjoyment. I listened to the audio and it was so great! James Joseph, Mackenzie Cartwright, Shane East, Jason Clarke, and Desire Ketchum were awesome and provided great voices and characterization. Recommend the audio for the accents and engaging narration.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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✨ 4.25 ✨

God of Pain was an absolutely entertaining, spicy and emotional read. I definitely enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one in the series, as these characters and their romance had a lot more depth and passion in my opinion.

I was able to listen to the audiobook at the same time as well and I have to say that the narrators did a fantastic job and definitely immersed me in the story more.

This is the second book in the Legacy of Gods series and while the main characters of this book are the second generation of the Royal Elite series and the Deception trilogy, those are not needed to be read before starting this one. The family tree and background of these characters were well detailed and explained in this book.

I would highly recommend though, checking the content and trigger warnings before reading.

It is dual POVs of the main characters, Creighton and Annika, and has some amazing tropes like: grumpy-sunshine, opposites attract, an innocent heroine and a dark romance.

The overall plot and storyline were beautifully written and well-paced. There were some heartfelt, amusing, action-packed, angsty and heartbreaking moments. There were also some twists that I was not expecting, but definitely pulled on my heart strings and made me tear up a bit.

I will say though, there were a few subplots that weren’t as explored as I would have liked and somewhat rushed at the end, like Annika’s OCD.

The romance and development between Creighton and Annika was fantastic. Their tension, chemistry and spice was perfectly written and explored. I just loved how different but compatible they were; they definitely brought out the best in each other. Creighton’s possessiveness and jealousy was also my favorite.

There were definitely a few similarities with Creighton and Annika’s romance to their parents, which I actually really loved.

I also liked all the hints and snippets to the other potential couples in the series. It definitely made me more curious on where their stories are heading.

The banter and group chat between all the guys was absolutely hilarious as well. This book definitely seemed to focus more on Creighton’s side and group, which I didn’t mind.

I gotta say that my favorite moment was the confrontation between Aiden (Creighton’s father) and Adrian (Annika’s father). So intense but hot as hell. I also just loved Adrian’s chapter, he will always be one of my favorite characters.

The ending was a bit rushed but still good. The epilogue also gave a few hints to the next book in the series and was honestly just the perfect conclusion for Creighton and Annika’s story.

Overall, just a fantastic and enjoyable read and audiobook.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding Story & Narration🎧 Riveting & Intense

Rina Kent continues to wow me with another amazing novel set in her “Legacy” world, a series of standalone novels that feature different offspring of characters from earlier series. You do not need to have read or listened to those books to enjoy these because everything you need to know is in the descriptive details. This “opposite attract”, grumpy sunshine romance is Annika Volkov and Creighton King’s story and holy moly what a story it is! Annika is a mafia princess and the only daughter of Adrian and Lia Volkov, she has lived a sheltered life and the only reason she could attend art school at Royal Elite University aka REU was because her brother, Jeremy, who attends The King’s U on the same island has a safe place for her to live and he could look out for her. Creighton is one of Aiden and Elsa King’s son, he and his brother Eli are attending REU together on Brighton Island in the UK, the same school Annika attends. Her brother may be rivals with Creighton and his friends, but that does not stop her interest in him. Creighton is a man of few words, but Annika talks enough for the both of them. There is great chemistry between these two and he tries to fight it, thinking he is too dark for her, but she surprises him with having a dark side of her own. Creighton’s past haunts him and still has nightmares of what happened that one tragic night, his parents never talked about it so he is looking into it himself and what he uncovers blows his mind and throws him into the deep end and he is set out for revenge. I loved the layers to this story and the web Rina Kent wove, especially when it unravels. This brilliantly plotted story contains plenty of drama, angst, some twists and turns, thrilling and suspenseful moments, and some steamy hot romance with a side of kink. Rina Kent, thank you for another amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 And for the wonderful narration is performed by a brilliantly talented cast. James Joseph and Mackenzie Cartwright do an amazing job portraying Creighton and Annika. They are joined by Shane East who returns in his role as Aiden King, Jason Clarke returning as Adrian Volkov and Desiree Ketchum as Lia. These versatile voice artists are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. They have a complete understanding of the characters they are portraying, give each a voice that suits their character’s persona perfectly sounding believable in their perspective roles. They set the perfect tone for the story and capture all the character’s emotions and project them in to their performance. Thank you for another exceptional listen.

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A great and addictive story!


This book was crazy intense and insanely addictive, once I started listening I couldn't put it down!

Rina Kent really knows how to keep you glued to your kindle and in my case I was lucky enough to listened to the audiobook as well and let me tell you the narrators did a fantastic job bringing a different edge to this story. FANTASTIC, I have no other words to describe this story.

I knew Creighton's story was going to be intense based on his personality but I didn't expect his darkness to run so deep. His past was a shocking revelation to me.

Annika was such a great character. She was not the brat Creighton though she was. She was a ray of sunshine he never thought he could feel and once he decided she was his there was no stopping. Their relation was intense, dark and full of passion. Annika truly showed Creighton that she was not breakable at all and that she could match all his defiant tastes.

The revelations in this book were truly shocking and they took me totally by surprise, amazing plot twist!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Dark, twisty and steamy!

"God of Pain" is a dark, steamy story that took me on a rollercoaster ride of events and emotions.
Annika and Creighton's story was dark, twisty and I loved every word.

Annika is a mafia princess and has had her whole life planned for her. When she is finally to break
somewhat free, she attends university in England. There she meets the quiet and always brooding
Creighton. Creighton has his own demons from his past that he is battling and wants to avenge. Annika
is intrigued by Creighton and even though he warns her to stay away, she is still drawn to him and his
other interests.

I could not put this story down. I loved the innocence and strength of Annika. A mafia Princess needs to be tough, and she absolutely was. Annika never backed down from a challenge and that included anything to do with Creighton. Creighton might have a tough exterior shell and some dark tendencies, but he's a softie for Annika, even if he doesn't want to admit it. These two are the perfect grumpy and sunshine combo. The twists and turns Rina Kent threw in had me threw a loop and I loved every one of them.

James Joseph and Mackenize Cartwright were phenomenal as Creighton and Annika. James was the perfect choice to bring the broody Creighton. This was one of my favorite performances by Mackenzie. Annika had so many emotions to bring to life and she was so good.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Better than the first

“I lost to you a long time ago. I love you, Annika. I love you to the point I see darkness without you and light only when I’m with you. You’re my sanctuary and the one person who makes me whole.”

My heart went out for Creighton, him and Annika couldn't have been more opposite but I think that is the point with this series and the others that have sort of tie into this. You have the dark broody, morally grey men and the women that basically bring them to their knees.
Creighton although adopted by a family that he loves more than life he still had lots of pinned up emotions and thoughts of revenge towards those he felt caused him pain as a child. Because he had no outlet he just wanted to unleash pain on people. In comes Annika to make him see that there is more to life, as he slowly let her in the pain he wanted to inflict on her was followed with pleasure. There is so much to their story that neither of them know and when they do learn it, it could and almost does destroy their relationship. There are some pretty decent spice between the two of them and some funny moments laced with sarcasm.
I did enjoy this one much better than the first book in this series so I am hoping it continues to get better. Who is the next dark, morally grey man to be brought to his knees by a woman.

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