Rink Rash: A Rivals to Lovers Romance
Santana Knox
Reader Reviews
5.0
1 rating
Carla B.
Feb 8, 2026
Vera Havik (aka Havoc) lives life hard and fast—on and off the roller derby track. She’s tough, unapologetic, and carrying more weight than most people realize. Then comes Madeline Maddox, a bright spot in the chaos, determined to love Vera through her darkest days. Set in the heart of Kentucky, Rink Rash is an unfiltered, emotional ride through addiction, grief, and the kind of love that doesn’t come with easy answers. It’s messy. It’s painful. And it’s real.
Whew, this one hit deep.
I went into Rink Rash expecting grit, but what I got was so much more, it’s raw, vulnerable, and emotionally intense. Santana Knox doesn’t shy away from the realities of addiction, and I appreciated that honesty. This isn’t a glossy romance. It’s a look at what it really means to love someone who is struggling, whether they're using or in recovery. It hurt in all the right ways.
The connection between Havoc and Maddox? It’s magnetic. Their love isn’t clean or easy, but it’s powerful. It felt real. Their bond is built through pain, humor, and that stubborn kind of loyalty that refuses to give up. I loved watching them try to hold each other up while healing their own wounds.
Also, I was instantly obsessed with the roller derby world. The derby names alone made me grin, and the action on the track added such a fun, chaotic layer to everything else happening. As someone from Kentucky, it was extra special to read a story that takes place in my home state. It gave it that added layer of authenticity for me.
There’s no sugarcoating in this book. Some of it is hard to read, and rightfully so. But it’s also written with so much heart and truth. Knox mentions that certain parts were intentionally formatted differently, and that choice made the emotional moments hit even harder. It’s a book about scars, visible and invisible, and how we live with them.
Huge thanks to Santana Knox and The Smuthood PR for sending me a copy of Rink Rash. This story will stick with me for a long time.
The Vibes It Brings:
Whew, this one hit deep.
I went into Rink Rash expecting grit, but what I got was so much more, it’s raw, vulnerable, and emotionally intense. Santana Knox doesn’t shy away from the realities of addiction, and I appreciated that honesty. This isn’t a glossy romance. It’s a look at what it really means to love someone who is struggling, whether they're using or in recovery. It hurt in all the right ways.
The connection between Havoc and Maddox? It’s magnetic. Their love isn’t clean or easy, but it’s powerful. It felt real. Their bond is built through pain, humor, and that stubborn kind of loyalty that refuses to give up. I loved watching them try to hold each other up while healing their own wounds.
Also, I was instantly obsessed with the roller derby world. The derby names alone made me grin, and the action on the track added such a fun, chaotic layer to everything else happening. As someone from Kentucky, it was extra special to read a story that takes place in my home state. It gave it that added layer of authenticity for me.
There’s no sugarcoating in this book. Some of it is hard to read, and rightfully so. But it’s also written with so much heart and truth. Knox mentions that certain parts were intentionally formatted differently, and that choice made the emotional moments hit even harder. It’s a book about scars, visible and invisible, and how we live with them.
Huge thanks to Santana Knox and The Smuthood PR for sending me a copy of Rink Rash. This story will stick with me for a long time.
The Vibes It Brings: