Royals of Forsyth University 1-3 (Lords) by Angel Lawson & Samantha Rue
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I never claimed to be a good girl, but I definitely never asked for this.
Killian, Tristian, and Rath.
These three men are a part of my past—one that I'd rather never look in the eye again. In high school, they knew my secrets and I knew theirs. They had power and I had nothing. The night everything fell apart, my stepbrother allowed his two best friends to take their rage out on me while he watched. While they laughed.
But what happened that night wasn’t my biggest secret. So I ran, planning on never coming back.
Three years later I’m standing on their doorstep like a stray. They’re more powerful than ever now, having risen to the rank of Lords at Forsyth University. But I’m still on the run and there's another monster chasing me down.
What could bring me back into their lives, their homes, and ultimately, their beds?
Fear.
Shame.
Desperation.Killian, Rath, and Tristian aren’t the only ones who want me. There’s someone far more dangerous out there who's been stalking me since I left town the first time. Someone who makes the evil I know feel less dangerous than the evil I don’t.
But being their Lady is more than just fancy clothes and reputation.
I might be under their protection, but I’m also at their mercy.
And there's nothing a Lord loves more than taking control.
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They hurt me, abuse me, use me…
I signed up for it. Literally. I agreed to the contract that made me the Lords’ Lady, a position that requires me to do whatever they want, but only as protection from someone worse. I agreed to be in their beds, on my knees, and punished should I disobey.
I just wasn’t expecting punishment like this.
Killian is two-hundred-and-twenty pounds of muscle, brutal physicality, and pure spite. He thinks I don’t know that he watches me when I sleep.
Tristian is fair-haired and charming to anyone who doesn’t know better. To me, he’s the man who seeks to control me, with his cold eyes and possessiveness.
Rath is the dark-eyed tempest who took me into his bed. Even having been subjected to his barbed tongue, he’s the first man to ever make me feel safe.
I hadn’t realized how much they’ve worn me down and made me feel complacent, but it turns out they’ve messed with my head just as much as they abused my body. Despite the awful things they’ve done to me, they actually made me feel special. Cared for. Protected.
And then I found out it was all a lie.
The way Tristian cares, Killian’s vigilant eyes, and worst of all, my contented moments in Rath’s bed, were all part of a game.
A game to see who can use me best.
A game they’ve been playing since day one.
And now?
It’s a game I’m going to win.
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I came back to Forsyth and agreed to be their Lady for two reasons: protection and revenge.
I put up with the abuse, the degradation, the humiliation, and bided my time. I wanted vengeance and I took it. The Lords give as good as they get and the consequences were fierce, but there’s one truth when it comes to Killian, Dimitri and Tristian.
They keep what’s theirs.
They wanted to break me, but instead, they molded me into their perfect weakness. They fought for me. Bled for me. Championed for me. I was put through the gauntlet and came out stronger. I earned the title of Lady.
Then they became my weakness.
I agreed to sleep under their roof, but on my terms. No more rules, no more punishments, no cameras or dress codes or sneaking into my bedroom. In return, I’ll give them a chance to earn the title of Lord.
Building trust takes time, but with all the threats nipping at our heels, that’s a luxury we don’t have. We have to rely on one another despite our complicated pasts—to find a murderer, a stalker, and a traitor.
This new life of pain, wrath, and mercy is a confusing maze of twists and turns. Fortunately for us, there will always be one fixed constant, guiding us home:
The Royal we.
After The Ravenhood, diving into Royals of Forsyth U was like taking a headfirst plunge into the deep(er) end of dark romance. These first three books in the series became my second foray into the why-choose subgenre, and from there I was lost to an entire winterlong obsession, fueled by the endless pipeline of Kindle Unlimited dark romance. This series (and dark romance at large) is absolutely not for everyone, though. The themes of dubcon and noncon are heavy, and the books don’t shy away from showing sexual power plays, toxic dynamics, and morally gray—and at times, pitch black—characters. It’s a guilty pleasure read in every sense.
The heroine, Story, is such a fascinating character in this world. Unlike in more traditional romance where the heroine must eventually choose her one perfect match, Story is never asked to pick between the three MMCs. Girlypop takes them all, and unapologetically. Good for her. That freedom, in the middle of a deeply toxic and insular environment, felt refreshingly transgressive. The “sharing” aspect is woven into the narrative without guilt or handwringing, and it makes the series stand out in a genre where heroines are often punished for desire.
Of the three men, Dimitri Rathbone’s character arc is easily the most compelling for me. The infamous Pit scene is legendary. It’s one of those moments that the girlies whisper about in dark romance corners of BookTok for good reason: shocking, intense, and iconic. The other Lords each bring their own flavor of danger and allure, but Dimitri’s storyline is the one that kept me glued.
The worldbuilding in this series is wild. Not in the sense of expansive lore, but in how insular and lawless Forsyth feels. The university exists almost like a bubble, one where the outside world (and its rules) don’t seem to matter. The atmosphere is one of unchecked privilege, cruelty, and deviance, and while it sometimes made me wonder what state this school is supposedly in, it also creates the perfect backdrop for the Lords’ brand of chaos. That claustrophobic, anything-goes environment gives the books their power. The characters are playing by Forsyth’s rules, not anyone else’s.
Royals continues with three more trilogies following Lords. There are the Dukes, Princes, and just recently released first book of the Barons. After reading the first three sets of trilogies within this series, I can confidently say that Lords is still my favorite.
Royals of Forsyth U won’t be for every romance reader, and that’s exactly the point. These books are taboo, unapologetically dark, and designed to push boundaries while still delivering addictive, emotional storytelling. For me, they opened up the why-choose world beyond Ravenhood, showing just how far dark romance can go. And sometimes, guilty pleasure or not, that’s exactly the kind of reading experience a girl like me craves while curled up in bed during winter.
Content Warnings
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of content and trigger warnings.
contractual servitude • dubcon • somnophilia • stepsibling romance