The Rivals of Elite · Book 1
He Played Me is a dark college romance by Amalia Brooks, book 1 in The Rivals of Elite.
Tiffany Sinclair is first in her year. Top of every list, one scholarship away from Paris, and utterly untouchable. Until you count Tristan Ford.
$4.99 KindleFree with Kindle Unlimited
Tiffany Sinclair is first in her year. Top of every list, one scholarship away from Paris, and utterly untouchable. Until you count Tristan Ford.
He has matched her mark for mark since the day they met, a ruthless shadow refusing to let her breathe. But when one stupid mistake drags Tiffany into a world she was never meant to see, her perfect rival drops his mask.
Tristan doesn't just want to win anymore. He wants to break her.
Her best friend's life has a price, and Tristan is the one who sets it. Two months as his absolute property.
No one warned her what waits past the heavy gates of that manor. Seven vicious millionaires. One house where no law can reach. And a man who has spent two years burning to destroy her, finally holding her exactly where he wants her.
Official description from Amazon.
First in her year
Her academic rival
18+ dark academic romance with explicit sexual content, dark obsession and possessive relationship dynamics. A full content-warning list is in the book's front matter.
| Book | Series | Genre | Pages | Published | Kindle Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| He Played Me | The Rivals of Elite #1 | Dark college romance | 634 | August 2026 | Yes |
| Marked by Him | Standalone | Second-chance romance | 335 | April 2026 | Yes |
| They Played Me | The Rivals of Elite #2 | Dark college romance | 499 | September 2026 | Yes |
He Played Me: A Dark College Romance was written by Amalia Brooks, an indie dark romance author. Published in August 2026 (Kindle ASIN B0HFDW66FZ), it is book one of her series The Rivals of Elite and is followed by They Played Me.
He Played Me follows Tiffany Sinclair, first in her year and one scholarship away from Paris, and her ruthless academic rival Tristan Ford. After one mistake, Tristan sets the price for her best friend's life: two months as his property, inside a manor where seven millionaires answer to no law.
Yes. He Played Me is an 18+ dark academic romance with explicit sexual content, dark obsession and possessive relationship dynamics. Amalia Brooks includes a full, detailed list of content warnings in the front matter of the book, so readers can check it before they start.
Yes. He Played Me can be read with Kindle Unlimited, bought as a Kindle ebook, or ordered as a 634-page paperback on Amazon. It is book one of The Rivals of Elite, so it is the place to start before They Played Me.
Amalia Brooks is an indie dark romance author. Her Wattpad debut reached over 200,000 readers before she brought her books to Kindle Unlimited. She writes The Rivals of Elite, a dark college romance series of He Played Me and They Played Me, and the standalone second-chance romance Marked by Him.
Marked by Him is a standalone, so it can be read at any time. The Rivals of Elite must be read in order: start with He Played Me, book one, and continue with They Played Me, book two, which picks up Tiffany Sinclair and Tristan Ford's story.
He Played Me is an 18+ dark college romance, which the author also describes as dark academic romance. It is built on an academic rivalry between Tiffany Sinclair and Tristan Ford, and it is the 634-page first book in The Rivals of Elite series.
The Rivals of Elite currently has two books: He Played Me (book one, 634 pages) and They Played Me (book two, 499 pages). Both follow Tiffany Sinclair and Tristan Ford, so they should be read in that order. New releases are announced on Amalia Brooks' Amazon author page, TikTok and Instagram.
Two Rivals of Elite books have been published so far, He Played Me and They Played Me, and no third title is listed on Amazon yet. Follow Amalia Brooks on her Amazon author page, Goodreads, TikTok or Instagram to hear first about any new book in the series.
Yes. Amalia Brooks describes The Rivals of Elite as a strict 18+ dark romance. He Played Me focuses heavily on obsession, possessiveness and dark rituals, with explicit sexual content, and They Played Me continues Tiffany Sinclair and Tristan Ford's story in the same tone.
All three novels — He Played Me, They Played Me and Marked by Him — are on Amazon as Kindle ebooks and are available with Kindle Unlimited. He Played Me is also sold in paperback. You can follow new releases on her Amazon author page and on Goodreads.
Yes. All three novels by Amalia Brooks — He Played Me, They Played Me and Marked by Him — are included in Kindle Unlimited, so Kindle Unlimited members can read them at no additional cost. They are also available to buy as Kindle ebooks.
The main characters in He Played Me and They Played Me are Tiffany Sinclair, a fiercely ambitious top student one scholarship away from Paris, and Tristan Ford, her ruthless academic rival who demands two months as his property inside a private manor of seven millionaires.
The Rivals of Elite series (He Played Me and They Played Me) features enemies-to-lovers / academic rivals, dark academia, an obsessive and possessive hero, a bargain or debt trope (two months as his property), and a private lawless manor of seven millionaires.
Amalia Brooks is an indie romance author who writes dark romance, dark college romance and second-chance romance. She started on Wattpad, where her debut reached over 200,000 readers, before bringing her books to Kindle Unlimited. Her novels include Marked by Him, which she began writing at 17, and The Rivals of Elite series: He Played Me and They Played Me.
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Amalia Brooks writes for adult readers. The book descriptions on this site include explicit themes, dark obsession and possessive relationships. Please confirm you are 18 or older (or the age of majority where you live).
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