Kingmakers · 2021
The FreshmanSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Sophie Lark
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 3 trigger warnings flagged · Series: Kingmakers, book 1 of 5
The Freshman is book 1 of Kingmakers by Sophie Lark, first out in 2021. Expect mafia and academy. Spice is explicit (4 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 31 March 2021 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Kingmakers.
The Freshman tropes
On this shelf, The Freshman is filed under Mafia dark romance and Dark academy romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
The Freshman spice level
Is The Freshman dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Freshman scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
The Freshman trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Full The Freshman trigger warnings
Kingmakers reading order
The Freshman is book 1 of 5 in Sophie Lark's Kingmakers series. Start here.
- Book 1 Year One (this book) · 2021
- Book 2 Year Two · 2021
- Book 3 Year Three · 2021
- Book 4 Year Four · 2021
- Book 5 Graduation · 2022
Order checked against the Goodreads Kingmakers series page on 9 October 2026. The Kingmakers series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like The Freshman
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Rising
Rising
Jessica Ruben
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
- Accacia's Bite
Accacia's Bite
Bea Paige
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Dark academy romance, Mafia dark romance
- Avalanche of Desire
Avalanche of Desire
Bea Paige
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Dark academy romance, Mafia dark romance
- Chasing Temptation
Chasing Temptation
Tracy Lorraine
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
- Corrupt Union
Corrupt Union
Tracy Lorraine
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
- Dark Knight
Dark Knight
J. L. Beck
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
- Pretty Little Savage: A Dark Enemies to Lovers College Romance
Pretty Little Savage: A Dark Enemies to Lovers College Romance
Lucy Smoke
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
- Hannaford Prep
Hannaford Prep
J. Bree
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Dark academy romance
Books like The Freshman, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of The Freshman?
The Freshman spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the The Freshman trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Murder. Minor: Organised crime, Crime. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is The Freshman dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Freshman scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in The Freshman?
On this shelf The Freshman is filed under Mafia dark romance and Dark academy romance.
Who is The Freshman for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is explicit. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like The Freshman?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Rising by Jessica Ruben; Accacia's Bite by Bea Paige; Avalanche of Desire by Bea Paige; Chasing Temptation by Tracy Lorraine; Corrupt Union by Tracy Lorraine; Dark Knight by J. L. Beck. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/the-freshman.
Is The Freshman a standalone?
No. The Freshman is book 1 of 5 in the Kingmakers series by Sophie Lark. The series starts with Year One.
What order should I read the Kingmakers series in?
1. Year One; 2. Year Two; 3. Year Three; 4. Year Four; 5. Graduation.
How many books are in the Kingmakers series?
The Kingmakers series by Sophie Lark has 5 main books.
What is the The Freshman age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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