HEARTLESS GAME
Series: Kings of Reina University #2
Author: Jo Brennar
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: April 27, 2025
The hottest hockey player at Reina U has dark plans for me.
Everyone on campus loves Isaac Jones. The gorgeous, dimple-cheeked charmer can do no wrong in the public’s eyes.
But they don’t know what I do.
I know the truth about his violent past. Exposing his real identity and his family’s crimes won’t just help me graduate with a journalism degree—it will save my mother’s life.
When Isaac discovers I’m writing an article that will ruin his hockey dreams and destroy his family, he’ll do anything to bury it—unleashing his deepest, darkest, most depraved desires on me.
Twisted battles in the locker room.
Wickedness on the ice.
Cruelty to keep my mouth shut.
The worst part? I’m starting to fall for him, even as I fight back.
And I’m not sure who will win our heartless game.
Heartless Game is a standalone romance in the Kings of Reina University series, and can be read independently of the others. It contains several dark themes that some readers may be sensitive to. For more information, please visit the author’s website at jobrenner dot com.
When I was done with Tovah Lewis, she’d be nothing more than a broken shell. And I’d be free, no longer haunted by her face, her voice, her goddamned scent.
After first discovering Jo Brenner with Brutal Game, I was itching to get my hands on Isaac and Tovah’s book. If you know me then you know that I love a spicy dark romance full of trigger warnings and a walking red flag of an MMC. And this certainly delivered on that. Isaac may seem like the more down to earth guy of the bunch compared to Jack, but boy did he give Jack a run for his money. This man was toxic with a capital T, jealous, possessive, and with a penchant for the kinky stuff. So of course I loved him.
Tovah, while I enjoyed her character, never fully clicked for me. I can’t put my finger on what it was exactly, but she frustrated me more often than not. And while I loved that she gave as good as she got, I also found that she gave in too easily to Isaac at times where I wanted her to make him crawl for some of the stunts that he pulls. One in particular was so bad that I fully expected Tovah to make him GROVEL. And while she did push back, it wasn’t as much as I would have expected.
The story itself was suspenseful and I loved the mysterious connection that these two share, unbeknownst to Isaac. You spend a good chunk of the book waiting for that other shoe to drop, because you just know that it will be GOOD. There were parts of the writing that did feel repetitive at times. I lost track for the amount of times that Isaac’s inner monster is referenced. And while the depth of his darkness was written well, the receptiveness of the “monster” just felt unnecessary.
As someone that enjoys a good push and pull, I didn’t mind Isaac’s hot and cold behavior towards Tovah. Though I will say that it also felt a bit much with the three times it happened. I felt that two would have more than sufficed. But as it is, I can’t say I minded it too much because it was still entertaining.
The spice was spicing and as a reader that thoroughly enjoys dub con in books, this one hit all the spots. I loved Isaac’s brand of psycho. These two were as toxic as they get, and this reader devoured it greedily. The story did begin to drag a bit towards the end, but I still devoured it in two days.
If you’re looking for a deliciously spicy dark hockey romance, you need to check this series out. Can’t wait for the next installment!
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