Ruining Him: Blackwater University, Book 1 by S. Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Have you ever taken one look at someone and wanted to destroy them?
Ruining Him
That was the only thought going through my mind when I laid eyes on Lana James after she literally crashed her way into my life.
So that’s exactly what I set out to do. Only I didn’t take into account the way her body would make me feel, the way her words would set my soul on fire, or how her lips pressed against mine would rewrite everything I’ve ever known.
I think maybe, I won’t be the one to destroy her, she’ll be the one to ruin me.
His Biggest Distraction Has Secrets
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💛💚
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 😋🙂😁
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration
Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary
Lana James arrives at Blackwater University already feeling like an outsider. Unlike the students around her, she is not part of the elite world Blackwater is known for, and the suspicious looks she gets from other students make it obvious that people are wondering how she managed to get in. I liked that Lana does not immediately shrink under that pressure. Her first encounter with Cole Aston sets the tone perfectly when she literally runs into him and tells him to watch where he is walking. Cole is definitely not accustomed to being challenged, especially by someone nobody seems to know anything about.
Cole initially sees Lana as an annoyance, but his reaction becomes much more complicated because he cannot stop being intrigued by her. That curiosity really takes off when he sees her at the gym where he trains for underground fights. Watching Lana take on one of the best fighters there and win completely changes the way he sees her. Suddenly, the mysterious transfer student he dismissed as an outsider has a skill and toughness he never expected.
Cole has his own reasons for keeping people at a distance. Although his family has money and he is expected to eventually take over the family business, his childhood was not simply a privileged life handed to him on a silver platter. His relationship with his father has clearly left its mark, and his underground fighting gives him an outlet that contrasts sharply with the polished world he is expected to inherit.
Highlights and Limitations
The biggest draw for me was the mystery surrounding Lana. I understood why Cole became so fascinated with her because she clearly was not what she appeared to be. Her ability to hold her own in the underground fighting gym was one of my favorite moments because it forced Cole to reevaluate his assumptions about her. I also enjoyed the tension created by their very different positions at Blackwater. Lana is constantly aware that she does not fit in, while Cole has spent his entire life being part of the world she is trying to navigate.
I wasn’t so fond of the way that Lana was kind of cocky about knowing how attracted Cole was to her, I just didn’t like that kind of attitude she displayed at times. I also didn’t like how Lana was far too good at fighting, killing and being an all-around bad girl. It was one of those times where she was too self-assured and good at everything that it was like the author was trying to make her too much of a professional outlaw (and mystery) or something that it didn’t quite work.
I especially liked that Cole’s interest in Lana is not based solely on attraction. His curiosity grows because she repeatedly challenges what he thinks he knows about her. Their first confrontation could have easily been dismissed as a typical enemies-to-lovers setup, but the fighting scene gives their dynamic another layer.
I did find myself wanting more at certain points, particularly when it came to Cole’s complicated relationship with his father and the pressure surrounding his future. That part of his character interested me because it explains why he is so determined to simply get through college and take over the family business. I would have liked even more time spent digging into how his childhood shaped the man he became.
Narration
Maxine Mitchell and Scott Rose worked well as the narrators for this story. Mitchell gave Lana a voice that suited her independence and the fact that she refuses to let everyone else’s assumptions define her. I particularly enjoyed how her performance captured Lana’s confidence during the confrontational moments, especially considering how different she is from the image the other students have created of her.
Scott Rose brought the right attitude to Cole, particularly during his more guarded and confrontational scenes. His performance helped convey Cole’s irritation with Lana at the beginning while still allowing that fascination with her to come through as his feelings changed. The contrast between Cole’s polished university life and his underground fighting world also came across nicely through the narration.
Final Opinion
I enjoyed Ruining Him because Lana and Cole have a dynamic that kept me interested beyond the initial attraction. Lana’s mysterious background, her refusal to be intimidated by Blackwater’s elite students, and the revelation that she can hold her own in an underground fight made me want to know what else she was hiding. Cole was equally interesting because beneath the wealthy family name and privileged surroundings is someone carrying plenty of baggage from his upbringing.
The underground fighting scene was probably the moment that sold me on Lana and Cole as a pair. Cole thinks he has her figured out, then watches her defeat someone he knows is a serious fighter. That was exactly the kind of moment I wanted because it changed the balance between them.
I came away wanting more of both characters, especially Cole’s family history and the secrets surrounding Lana. Their chemistry, combined with the mystery of why Lana is really at Blackwater, made this an entertaining start to the series.
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