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The Ritual

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The Ritual

By: Shantel Tessier
Narrated by: Aiden Snow, Meg Sylvan
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An all-new dark standalone romance from the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Shantel Tessier


THE CHOSEN ONE

Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one.

I VOW. YOU VOW. WE VOW.

People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom.

I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want.

After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.

Things to know about The Ritual
It is MF
TW (Please see the author's note on the inside)
J/P (jealous/possessive) Hero
OTT (over the top) Hero
This is a 150K word standalone romance that contains dark themes that may be triggering to some." Check authors website for TWs. shanteltessier.com

©2021 Shantel Tessier (P)2023 Shantel Tessier
Crime Fiction Genre Fiction Psychological
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The Ritual is unapologetically dark and the first thing to know is that this story is rooted in toxicity, power imbalance and moral ambiguity. This is not a romance built on healthy dynamics and it shouldn’t be approached as such. Checking trigger warnings is essential! That said, within the framework of dark romance, the book is undeniably gripping. Tessier doesn’t attempt to sanitize her characters, particularly Ryat, whose intensity, possessiveness and eventual emotional unraveling form the core of the story. Watching his control slowly give way to obsession and vulnerability is where the narrative becomes most compelling (I'm a sucker for character developpement).

The plot leans heavily into excess: both in repetition and explicit content, which can test your patience, but it also reinforces the all-consuming nature of the world and relationship portrayed. it was smooth enough and not boring for me. While not every twist lands perfectly, the final act delivers genuine surprise and the epilogue offers an unexpectedly soft emotional payoff. The Ritual isn’t flawless, nor is it meant to be comfortable, but for readers who understand the difference between fiction and reality, it can be an addictive, provocative and asurprisingly effective dark romance experience.

Uncomfortable, Addictive, Unapologetic

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