Let the Game Begin (Kiss Me Like You Love Me #1), by Kira Shell (softback, english edition)

🇬🇧 This Book Is In English

"Love the players. Hate the game."

Let the Game Begin by Kira Shell
(Softback — Kiss Me Like You Love Me Series, Book 1 of 3)

The dark college romance where forbidden love and deadly games collide — and the only way to win is to risk everything.

Selene Anderson reluctantly moves to New York to live with her estranged father and his new family for her first year of college. She is immediately drawn to Neil Miller — the eldest son of her father's new wife, constantly battling a sinister past that gives him no respite. Selene would do anything to break down the walls Neil has built around his heart. But Neil is not ready to open up to anyone. He believes himself too damaged to be loved.

And in the shadows lurks Player 2511 — a stalker with a score to settle. With riddles, threats, and attacks, the ruthless stranger drags Neil into a wicked game he must play if he wants his family to live — and win if he wants a future with Selene. As forbidden feelings collide with real danger, nothing is safe. Not their hearts. Not their lives.

In a game with no rules and no mercy, falling in love may be the most dangerous move of all.

Why readers can't put this down:

• 🖤 Stepbrother romance — forbidden, electric, and impossible to resist
• 🔍 Cat-and-mouse suspense — Player 2511 keeps the tension razor-sharp throughout
• 💛 Tortured MMC — Neil's walls, his scars, and his golden eyes will haunt you
• 🏛️ Dark college romance — binge-worthy, high-heat, and utterly consuming
• 🔥 Romantic suspense — love and danger intertwined from the very first page
• 📖 720 pages of dark romance you won't want to end

Perfect for readers who love:
Dark college romance · Stepbrother romance · Forbidden love · Romantic suspense · Fans of Penelope Douglas, Ana Huang & Rina Kent

But what stood out wasn't the game.

It was the themes underneath.

🖤 Loving Someone Who Doesn't Believe They Deserve It
🖤 The Forbidden Pull That Refuses to Be Ignored
🖤 Being Watched — and Not Knowing Why
🖤 Walls Built from Trauma and the People Who Try to Scale Them
🖤 What It Costs to Play a Game You Never Agreed to Enter

At Dark Rose, we believe stories are often about far more than their plot.

You may never find yourself falling for your stepbrother while a shadowy figure pulls strings from the dark, turning love into a survival game.

But you may know what it feels like to want someone who keeps pushing you away, to be drawn to what you've been told is off-limits, or to sense that something is watching — and not know what it wants.

👤 Recommended Age: 18+

⚠️ Trigger Warnings:
Dark themes • Violence • Stalking • Trauma • Forbidden relationship • Explicit content • High-stakes danger

✨ Best for readers who love:
Dark College Romance • Stepbrother Romance • Forbidden Love • Romantic Suspense • High Heat • Kira Shell

⚠️ Probably not for readers looking for:
Light Romance • Standalone Stories • Low-Heat Romance • Consent-First Stories

📚 Format & Details

• Format: Softback
• Dimensions: 132 x 198 x 48 mm
• Pages: 720
• Author: Kira Shell
• Series: Kiss Me Like You Love Me, Book 1 of 3
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
• Published: 26 August 2025

This work has been translated with the contribution of the Centre for Books and Reading of the Italian Ministry of Culture.

"In a game with no rules and no mercy... falling in love may be the most dangerous move of all."