Beautiful Venom

Beautiful Venom is a romance novel by Rina Kent and the first title in her Vipers series. Originally published in 2025 by Bloom Books, the novel falls under the dark romance and sports romance subgenres. Dahlia Thorne and Kane Davenport meet on campus at Graystone University. When Dahlia discovers that Kane, his fellow hockey players, and his secret society Vencor might be behind her sister’s near-death, she is determined to infiltrate their group. Dahlia ends up in a sexual relationship with Kane that both disturbs and excites her, and over the course of their enemies-to-lovers romance, she vacillates between hating and loving him. Written from their alternating first-person points of view, the novel explores themes including Healing From Trauma, the Journey Towards Self-Discovery, and Complex Power Dynamics in Intimate Relationships.

This guide refers to the 2025 Bloom Books paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of cursing, sexual content, sexual violence, rape, sexual abuse, child abuse, physical abuse, graphic violence, mental illness, antigay bias, and death.

Plot Summary

Shortly before Dahlia Thorne transferred to Graystone University, her foster sister Violet was kidnapped and nearly killed, and Dahlia is determined to discover who is behind the attack. Violent has been in a coma since the attack, but one day, Dahlia discovers her sister’s journals and realizes that the members of a local secret society called Vencor might be behind her attack. She also learns that the Vencor members are players on Graystone’s Vipers hockey team. Dahlia applies for a medical internship with the Vipers and starts spying on the players in an attempt to infiltrate their organization and find her sister’s attacker.

One day, Vipers captain and Senior Vencor member Kane Davenport catches Dahlia spying on him and his friends. He discovers her interest in joining Vencor and invites her to participate in an initiation. He warns her that she is entering a risky world and gives her a chance to back out. Dahlia refuses.

On initiation night, Kane and his friends stage a series of physical and psychological tests for Dahlia. The first test requires Dahlia to watch repeating footage of her parents’ deaths in a car crash when she was six. Dahlia has blamed herself ever since the accident. She is distraught as the imagery is projected on the walls around her, but she survives the challenge. For her next challenge, Kane leads her into a dark tunnel where he violently has sex with her. Dahlia screams for him to stop but doesn’t use the safe word they established beforehand. She is both determined to avenge her sister and finds herself enjoying Kane’s sexual aggression.

Dahlia starts seeing Kane more often. Although she still suspects him of being involved in Violet’s attack, she can’t ignore her attraction to him. They have several more sexual encounters, all of which are intense, violent, and exciting. They each realize that they are in danger of developing feelings for each other. However, Dahlia doesn’t want to sabotage her own plans to help Violet, and Kane is afraid of betraying his cold-hearted reputation at Graystone and within Vencor.

Dahlia starts secretly collecting and testing DNA from each of the Vipers players and Vencor members. Despite her efforts, none of the DNA matches the DNA found under Violet’s fingernails after her attack. Dahlia starts to despair.

She and Kane finally confess their feelings for each other, and they decide to be in a sexual relationship and enjoy each other’s company. However, not long after, Kane starts to feel guilty for letting Dahlia soften him. He has been abused by his father, Grant Davenport, since he was a child; Grant treated him violently in an attempt to eradicate his kindness. Kane fears that if he starts showing weakness, his father will punish him, and his friends will turn against him. He breaks up with Dahlia, insisting he doesn’t care about her.

Shortly after, Dahlia gets her revenge against Kane by attending a Vencor party with her ex-boyfriend. Kane is furious. He drags her outside and has sex with her. Afterwards, they admit they want to be together and reinstate their relationship.

After a hockey game, Dahlia takes some final DNA samples to the lab for analysis. Grant shows up and threatens her. He demands that Dahlia break up with Kane, telling her that if she doesn’t, he will kill Violet.

Dahlia invites Kane to go to Maine with her—she was born there but hasn’t been back since her parents’ deaths. Kane agrees, but during the trip, Dahlia abruptly disappears. He checks his phone and discovers through his friend Jude Callahan that Grant and his brother Julian kidnapped Violet. Kane also discovers that Julian and his dad have been threatening Dahlia.

Grant holds Dahlia captive in his torture chamber. Kane races in to save her, shooting and killing his father. The next day, Julian confronts Dahlia and reveals that Kane was involved in Violet’s attack. He, Jude, and their friend Preston Armstrong have been seeking revenge against everyone who failed to save Preston’s late stepmother Susie from being murdered. Violet was among them. Julian promises to reunite Dahlia and Violet if she cuts off contact with Kane for good. A shocked Dahlia agrees to Julian’s arrangement.

Dahlia is reunited with a recovering Violet, who is now out of her coma. Dahlia is delighted to be with her sister but furious with Kane. Violet suggests that Dahlia might be in love with him.

A few days later, Kane resurfaces, and he and Dahlia make amends. Then one day, Kane disappears. Dahlia fears he has abandoned her yet again, but she learns through a friend that Kane returned to Graystone to help Jude and Preston after they were in a car crash.

Dahlia races back to Graystone to see if Kane is okay. He reveals that he made a deal with Preston, and they won’t be coming after Violet anymore. Dahlia is thrilled, and the lovers make amends.

A year later, Dahlia and Kane are in a committed relationship. They are also living together. One day, Kane proposes to Dahlia, and she accepts. Through tears, the lovers embrace.