Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

How could anyone be so innocent and so devious at the same time?

Sweet, hot, a little kinky, violent and bloody, and of course a touch of suspense. Everything I have come to expect from an Onley James book, and it delivered on all fronts. I remember reading an excerpt a while back from a scene where the other students basically treat Gift like a pet, giving him and his chubby cheeks all of the cuddles, and I was immediately smitten. His character is a delight. Yeah, he’s got a bit of the ‘innocent blushing virgin’ thing going on, but that’s far from his entire personality. He needs to be taken care of, but also wants autonomy and to be his own man, which he is. He can take care of himself and stand up for himself when it’s needed, and he knows what he wants. That, along with letting the psychopaths in the assassin school manhandle him into hugs whenever they please, just made me go ‘awww’ basically all of the time. I want to adopt him.

Gift yelped as Payton grabbed him beneath his arms and dragged him into his lap, squeezing him tightly. “I missed you.”

I also liked Park a lot. There is of course an element of ‘forbidden fruit’ here as it’s student/teacher as well as ‘best friend’s kid’, but it wasn’t overdone, imo. They are all murderers teaching young adults to be assassins, so riding that high horse too hard would’ve gotten annoying really quick, lol. It was more of a personal moral dilemma situation. Park took charge in bed and has a strong protective streak, but he doesn’t smother Gift, which I appreciate.

“I loved you as a meek innocent virgin. I love you as my needy little baby. I love you as my mouthy little brat. I love all of you. Every incarnation. In this life and in all the rest.”

Overall, the entire premise of the series is seriously cool. A school for psychopaths and their neurotypical handlers where they learn to be the best assassins? It’s awesome, lol. Can’t wait for the next book.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap
Size difference
Teacher/student
Former assassin
Parents’ best friend
Touch starved
Pining
Demisexual MC
Virgin MC
Office shenanigans
Degradation kink (mild, imo)
Biting/marking
Subspace and sub drop
Edging

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mentions of the death of a child (past)
Degredation (slut, etc.)
Mentions of assault
Graphic violence
On page killing
On page torture (side character)
References to sexual abuse
(past, side character)
Explicit sexual Content
Spanking with a belt
Restraints
Brief Mentions of captivity
(side character)
Mentions of child theft

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 21 and 37

“Oh, come on. You made us clean up after [redacted] and now, we have to clean this, too?” Morgan whined, flopping onto one of the gym mats. Boone sighed. “Fine. Just this once, I’ll let the professionals handle it. But you will learn proper body disposal. Got it?” “Yes, sir,” they all said in unison.

Should he have been worried about how much he craved Park’s punishments? Even the edging? Maybe he should have been more worried about the fact that he was thinking about his sex life at an execution.

“I can feel you here,” Gift whined, touching his lower belly.

Is that it?” He felt Gift shake his head from his hiding spot before he said, “And also…I like when you’re a little mean to me. When you talk down to me just a little.” Gift leaned back to look at Park, still shy. “But only, like, a little. I don’t want you to be, like, really, really mean to me. Not verbally, anyway. That would make me cry.” “Not verbally, anyway.” Christ. Park gave him a reassuring smile. “I only want to make you cry when you feel good.[…]”