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lo_loves_toread's review
4.0
What a damn rollercoaster
Holy hell this story takes you for a wild ride for sure! It’s Romeo + Juliet meets spicy modern gang dark romance. The characters are surprisingly likeable and I found myself freaking out over the plot twists and turns several times.
Holy hell this story takes you for a wild ride for sure! It’s Romeo + Juliet meets spicy modern gang dark romance. The characters are surprisingly likeable and I found myself freaking out over the plot twists and turns several times.
tj9390's review
I can't read books where the MMC sexually assaults the MFC - no redemption from that.
bibliophilebookstackswithdi's review
5.0
Lola King spins a bully romance that draws the reader in from the beginning. Beautiful Fiend causes the reader to start out hating the male protagonist, but at the end you are head over heals pining for him. The female protagonist is a strong character but learns it’s okay to be soft for the right person. It is an excellent story, although I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings as there are some touchy subjects. I recommend this book. It left me in tears during some parts just with the constant guessing and wondering if they were going to make it all. A “keep you on the edge of your seat” dark romance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@Bibliophilebookstackswithdi on Instagram
Merged review:
Lola King spins a bully romance that draws the reader in from the beginning. Beautiful Fiend causes the reader to start out hating the male protagonist, but at the end you are head over heals pining for him. The female protagonist is a strong character but learns it’s okay to be soft for the right person. It is an excellent story, although I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings as there are some touchy subjects. I recommend this book. It left me in tears during some parts just with the constant guessing and wondering if they were going to make it all. A “keep you on the edge of your seat” dark romance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@Bibliophilebookstackswithdi on Instagram
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@Bibliophilebookstackswithdi on Instagram
Merged review:
Lola King spins a bully romance that draws the reader in from the beginning. Beautiful Fiend causes the reader to start out hating the male protagonist, but at the end you are head over heals pining for him. The female protagonist is a strong character but learns it’s okay to be soft for the right person. It is an excellent story, although I highly recommend reading the trigger warnings as there are some touchy subjects. I recommend this book. It left me in tears during some parts just with the constant guessing and wondering if they were going to make it all. A “keep you on the edge of your seat” dark romance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@Bibliophilebookstackswithdi on Instagram
kirsberry's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lore_1703's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A morally pitch black Romeo finds his Juliet: a dark romance story that isn’t for the weak at heart.
Overall: This book had me at the edge of my seat during the last 15%. Like the other book I read by Lola King, I loved the ending. This author knows how to write a great ending without using stereotypical tropes.
I read this book after ‘Heartless Beloved’ and although Xi and Alex still have my heart I enjoyed reading the story of Billie and Caden. He was sometimes too unhinged for my liking, but Lola knows how to write a morally pitch-black man who you can easily fall for.
Reasons to bump this up your TBR: I adored Billie in this story. She portrays a strong, literally fighting FMC with the urge to break free from the life she was born into. The duality she feels between choosing the protection of her family and the forbidden feelings she has for Caden broke my heart more than once.
Their love for each other is forbidden: Caden is an important figure in the King’s crew, and Billie is the daughter of the NSC’s leader. Their hate for each other, turns easily into an enjoyable tension, while they play the attraction and rejection game. Not only do they fight for each other, but they fight and struggle to get out of the messy destructive life they’re caught in.
I loved the communication through song, by Caden. It adds such a nice layer to the story. As a reader, you can listen to what he wants to tell Billie, everything he can’t find the words for.
Reasons to bump this down your TBR: This book is not for you if you just started your dark romance journey or want to get into this genre.
I sometimes missed the deeper layers of Caden. I wished I understood better why he would do the unhinged, illegal and questionable activities he does. But I feel like that’s part of how the author wanted to portray him.
Quotes I loved:
“Be my villain. Take my heart and keep it for yourself.”
“Be my villain. Take my heart and keep it for yourself.”
“Are you sure you want to push me away when I’m trying to help? Because there’s no option in your life where I’m not part of it.”
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Forbidden love
Touch her and die
Blackmail
Anti-hero
Content warning:
Violence
SA
Parent with mental health issues
Please check the list of TW before reading.
always_reading_rachel's review
4.0
***This book has very dark themes that may not be for everyone so check your triggers***
Oh Caden King, where do I even begin. I have so many thoughts and feelings!!!
This one goes real dark, sometimes to a point where I kind of have to take a pause, but just like Billie I’m still sucked in, which I don’t know how that should make me feel, but here I am wanting more. The spice is definitely spicy, the kind of spicy that makes you question whether or not you should like it but you totally do.
Lola does a great job of showing how every person, every character has elements of a hero and a villain in them and they have ability to not only choose which they’re going to be, but they can also be both at the same time.
I also love how she shows that everyone may not understand a relationship, but that doesn’t invalidate it or make it any less deep or real. Not saying Caden and Billie don’t have their boat load of issues because they totally do, but they still deserve their chance at happiness together.
Oh Caden King, where do I even begin. I have so many thoughts and feelings!!!
This one goes real dark, sometimes to a point where I kind of have to take a pause, but just like Billie I’m still sucked in, which I don’t know how that should make me feel, but here I am wanting more. The spice is definitely spicy, the kind of spicy that makes you question whether or not you should like it but you totally do.
Lola does a great job of showing how every person, every character has elements of a hero and a villain in them and they have ability to not only choose which they’re going to be, but they can also be both at the same time.
I also love how she shows that everyone may not understand a relationship, but that doesn’t invalidate it or make it any less deep or real. Not saying Caden and Billie don’t have their boat load of issues because they totally do, but they still deserve their chance at happiness together.
kreadsoften's review
4.0
4.5 stars.
This is a dark bully romance, so check the trigger warnings. It follows Billie Scott, a girl from the NSC gang, and Caden King, a boy who belongs to the King gang. Their gangs are rivals, so naturally, Billie and Caden are not meant to be together, and they are enemies, at first.
When I started this, I truly thought there was no way I would like Caden. He was truly awful and just seemed like an a**hole. As the story went on, Caden had soft moments, but then his period of kindness could just snap. Honestly, he seemed pretty psychotic. But, he really brought the whole "touch her and unalive" in this book. He was very possessive of Billie. Now, while he was still cruel to her, he also did so much for her; it was just so sweet, especially considering how ruthless he was with everyone including Billie.
I admired Billie. She went through traumatic experiences, but still kept going and didn't give up. She had big dreams, and her key to achieving those dreams was by winning her MMA fights. First of all, I haven't come across many stories where the heroine is the MMA fighter, so I loved that.
This story just had so many dark themes, yet it was packed with emotional moments. It was a wild ride, and I enjoyed it. This was my first Lola King book, but it definitely won't be the last.
Merged review:
4.5 stars.
This is a dark bully romance, so check the trigger warnings. It follows Billie Scott, a girl from the NSC gang, and Caden King, a boy who belongs to the King gang. Their gangs are rivals, so naturally, Billie and Caden are not meant to be together, and they are enemies, at first.
When I started this, I truly thought there was no way I would like Caden. He was truly awful and just seemed like an a**hole. As the story went on, Caden had soft moments, but then his period of kindness could just snap. Honestly, he seemed pretty psychotic. But, he really brought the whole "touch her and unalive" in this book. He was very possessive of Billie. Now, while he was still cruel to her, he also did so much for her; it was just so sweet, especially considering how ruthless he was with everyone including Billie.
I admired Billie. She went through traumatic experiences, but still kept going and didn't give up. She had big dreams, and her key to achieving those dreams was by winning her MMA fights. First of all, I haven't come across many stories where the heroine is the MMA fighter, so I loved that.
This story just had so many dark themes, yet it was packed with emotional moments. It was a wild ride, and I enjoyed it. This was my first Lola King book, but it definitely won't be the last.
This is a dark bully romance, so check the trigger warnings. It follows Billie Scott, a girl from the NSC gang, and Caden King, a boy who belongs to the King gang. Their gangs are rivals, so naturally, Billie and Caden are not meant to be together, and they are enemies, at first.
When I started this, I truly thought there was no way I would like Caden. He was truly awful and just seemed like an a**hole. As the story went on, Caden had soft moments, but then his period of kindness could just snap. Honestly, he seemed pretty psychotic. But, he really brought the whole "touch her and unalive" in this book. He was very possessive of Billie. Now, while he was still cruel to her, he also did so much for her; it was just so sweet, especially considering how ruthless he was with everyone including Billie.
I admired Billie. She went through traumatic experiences, but still kept going and didn't give up. She had big dreams, and her key to achieving those dreams was by winning her MMA fights. First of all, I haven't come across many stories where the heroine is the MMA fighter, so I loved that.
This story just had so many dark themes, yet it was packed with emotional moments. It was a wild ride, and I enjoyed it. This was my first Lola King book, but it definitely won't be the last.
Merged review:
4.5 stars.
This is a dark bully romance, so check the trigger warnings. It follows Billie Scott, a girl from the NSC gang, and Caden King, a boy who belongs to the King gang. Their gangs are rivals, so naturally, Billie and Caden are not meant to be together, and they are enemies, at first.
When I started this, I truly thought there was no way I would like Caden. He was truly awful and just seemed like an a**hole. As the story went on, Caden had soft moments, but then his period of kindness could just snap. Honestly, he seemed pretty psychotic. But, he really brought the whole "touch her and unalive" in this book. He was very possessive of Billie. Now, while he was still cruel to her, he also did so much for her; it was just so sweet, especially considering how ruthless he was with everyone including Billie.
I admired Billie. She went through traumatic experiences, but still kept going and didn't give up. She had big dreams, and her key to achieving those dreams was by winning her MMA fights. First of all, I haven't come across many stories where the heroine is the MMA fighter, so I loved that.
This story just had so many dark themes, yet it was packed with emotional moments. It was a wild ride, and I enjoyed it. This was my first Lola King book, but it definitely won't be the last.
m_reads24's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
halffast's review
4.0
Gang member dreams of becoming a professional MMC fighter and leaving her hometown, but when a guy from a rival gang blackmails her into working for them and subsequently becomes obsessed with her, it threatens her safety, her relationship with her family, and her chances of ever escaping gang life.
This book was an interesting and emotional mix of Romeo & Juliet, Untouchable by Sam Mariano, and a splash of MMA. It opens with a scene similar to Untouchable, which Caden (the MMC) films and later uses to blackmail Billie (FMC). Overall this book is darker than Untouchable, with loads more violence and uncomfortable sexual situations.
I really loved the chapters from Billie's POV as she balances gang politics with her hotheaded nature, the highs and lows of her MMA training, and an extremely complicated CNC relationship with Caden. The author did a wonderful job portraying Billie's inner strength as she acknowledged how broken she was, but forged ahead despite (or in spite) of everything she'd endured.
Caden is pretty unhinged, and while I didn't always agree with his motives or actions, I liked how hard he fought for Billie—even when she didn't necessarily want him to. The writing is a little shaky at times, but the plot moves along at a blistering pace and I found myself sucked into the story far more than the last several books I read.
Be warned that the book does contain some infidelity from the MMC, though I personally didn't consider it cheating because of the circumstances. (Hard to explain without spoilers, and it's also sort of heartbreaking.) But anyone who's super sensitive to that kind of thing may want to give this book a pass.
CW:
This book was an interesting and emotional mix of Romeo & Juliet, Untouchable by Sam Mariano, and a splash of MMA. It opens with a scene similar to Untouchable, which Caden (the MMC) films and later uses to blackmail Billie (FMC). Overall this book is darker than Untouchable, with loads more violence and uncomfortable sexual situations.
I really loved the chapters from Billie's POV as she balances gang politics with her hotheaded nature, the highs and lows of her MMA training, and an extremely complicated CNC relationship with Caden. The author did a wonderful job portraying Billie's inner strength as she acknowledged how broken she was, but forged ahead despite (or in spite) of everything she'd endured.
Caden is pretty unhinged, and while I didn't always agree with his motives or actions, I liked how hard he fought for Billie—even when she didn't necessarily want him to. The writing is a little shaky at times, but the plot moves along at a blistering pace and I found myself sucked into the story far more than the last several books I read.
Be warned that the book does contain some infidelity from the MMC, though I personally didn't consider it cheating because of the circumstances. (Hard to explain without spoilers, and it's also sort of heartbreaking.) But anyone who's super sensitive to that kind of thing may want to give this book a pass.
CW:
Spoiler
noncon, CNC, attempted SA from third party, infidelity kinda-sortamehler2010's review
5.0
I absolutely devoured this book! Def had some triggers! Make sure to look at them! But man such a great read with rivaling families. Smut. Love. Loss.