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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5 Stars.
š° The vibes:
- Fancy private school
- Good girl / bad boy
- Book 1 in trilogy
- Rich kids behaving badly
- New adult
- Open door
š° My thoughts:
Welcome to Maxton Hall. We have studious Ruby who is organized and focused on getting into Oxford. All she wants is to blend in and be invisible. Then we have James who is co-captain of the school lacrosse team. Heās set up to take over his dadās massive clothing business (regardless of what he wants); heās popular and is a major party boy at school. When James takes a prank too far, heās kicked off lacrosse and forced to help Ruby in her school events club. Itās very much the good girl and the bad boy who meet and both are forever changed.
š° Wow. So many feelings. First of all, I was very entertained and couldnāt put this down. There are so many teenage train wrecks that you canāt look away from. I LOVED this story. I donāt agree with the choices of the characters, but I really loved this story.
š° The author wrote these characters well because they are deeply flawed (specifically James and his group of friends) but I was still rooting for James. I so badly wanted James to do the right thing, and at almost every turn when it really counted- he chose wrong. And somehow I still loved the guy. Thatās good writing. It was gut wrenching to see what he dragged Ruby through, but having Jamesā pov was so necessary and a strong part of the writing. His POV was where you see his intentions and where his mind is at, and thatās where you feel so much for the guy and just want him to have a win.
š° I loved Ruby so much. She had such grace and class at almost every turn. She brought out the best in others, and I wanted to give her a big hug the entire time.
š° Thereās a situation involving a student and a teacher, and I felt extremely uncomfortable with that entire storyline. It wasnāt necessarily romanticized, but it wasnāt frowned upon as it should have been by the peers involved. It gave me the major ick.
š° Overall- this was an entertaining read, and I completely devoured it and immediately dove into book 2.
š° Book is set in the UK, so their age for drinking is different from the US, but lots of highschool parting involving alcohol, drugs, and sexual activities mentioned. This book is labeled New Adult - not YA, which I appreciated.
Note- open door (1 scene); language
Release date: July 1, 2025.
Thank you so much to Mona Kasten, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is nearly identical to the show, so good on them for staying true to the story. The cliffhanger is a bit different than the show; I might like this version better.
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the complimentary copy!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!
This book is out now!
I like many people out there indulged in Maxton Hall last summer and I knew it was a German book and was so sad when I learned there was not an English translated version out there. But lucky for us US readers, Berkley picked up all 3 in the series!
I don't normally like to watch the adaptation before reading the book but this was a special case and honestly this was such a refresher. Because I have to admit from what I remember of the tv show, they really adapted it closely to the book! So if you are a fan of this book, you should be happy with how the tv show is done.
I felt that the book did really well with classism amongst high schoolers. Ruby attends Maxton Hall on a scholarship and is not part of the privilege crowd like her counterparts. And her paths are crossed with the playboy, super popular, James Beaufort for a reason I don't want to spoil. Ruby wants no part in his world and because of that James is immediately intrigued. There is just something about James that just stands out for me. He is in this world of privilege and has all these expectations from his father but you can just tell he wants more from life and not to be part of that world. And meeting Ruby who lives just a simple life with her parents and sister really makes me him want to be something different. At one point he states "Ruby gave me a feeling I've never known before. Which is that, with her at my side, everything is possible. A beautiful, ugly lie. Because the truth is that for me, nothing is possible. Unlike her, the world is not my oyster. The course of my life is preset."
Despite their rocky start, I just love seeing their relationship progress from friends to more. Some things had happen that at the moment they were not talking to one another but landed an opportunity to spend a few days at Oxford to interview for college. What she had not been expecting was to also find James there as well. A moment before her first interview, he sees her in the common room where the students were waiting to be called in, he reaches out his hand and strokes her wrist and wishes her "Good luck".- SWOOON
Towards the end of the book, I feel bad for both characters - for James because something happens and clearly rocked his world and he becomes a shell of himself. And then for Ruby because she knows this isn't him even if she doesn't know the reason why he's gone back to drinking and drugs. And the book kind of ends on a cliffhanger after she sees James and another girl kiss - gasp! I am very excited to get to the next book to see what happens and I hope these characters get their act together (okay I know they are young but let me liveee).
I primarily read this one via audio and I thought the two narrators were really good - Will Watt and Marisa Calin. Both narrators are new to me (though I am reading another book where Marisa is the narrator for) and I would certain listen to them again.
I highly recommend if you love angst, academia, enemies to lovers, rich boy x poor girl!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!
This book is out now!
I like many people out there indulged in Maxton Hall last summer and I knew it was a German book and was so sad when I learned there was not an English translated version out there. But lucky for us US readers, Berkley picked up all 3 in the series!
I don't normally like to watch the adaptation before reading the book but this was a special case and honestly this was such a refresher. Because I have to admit from what I remember of the tv show, they really adapted it closely to the book! So if you are a fan of this book, you should be happy with how the tv show is done.
I felt that the book did really well with classism amongst high schoolers. Ruby attends Maxton Hall on a scholarship and is not part of the privilege crowd like her counterparts. And her paths are crossed with the playboy, super popular, James Beaufort for a reason I don't want to spoil. Ruby wants no part in his world and because of that James is immediately intrigued. There is just something about James that just stands out for me. He is in this world of privilege and has all these expectations from his father but you can just tell he wants more from life and not to be part of that world. And meeting Ruby who lives just a simple life with her parents and sister really makes me him want to be something different. At one point he states "Ruby gave me a feeling I've never known before. Which is that, with her at my side, everything is possible. A beautiful, ugly lie. Because the truth is that for me, nothing is possible. Unlike her, the world is not my oyster. The course of my life is preset."
Despite their rocky start, I just love seeing their relationship progress from friends to more. Some things had happen that at the moment they were not talking to one another but landed an opportunity to spend a few days at Oxford to interview for college. What she had not been expecting was to also find James there as well. A moment before her first interview, he sees her in the common room where the students were waiting to be called in, he reaches out his hand and strokes her wrist and wishes her "Good luck".- SWOOON
Towards the end of the book, I feel bad for both characters - for James because something happens and clearly rocked his world and he becomes a shell of himself. And then for Ruby because she knows this isn't him even if she doesn't know the reason why he's gone back to drinking and drugs. And the book kind of ends on a cliffhanger after she sees James and another girl kiss - gasp! I am very excited to get to the next book to see what happens and I hope these characters get their act together (okay I know they are young but let me liveee).
I primarily read this one via audio and I thought the two narrators were really good - Will Watt and Marisa Calin. Both narrators are new to me (though I am reading another book where Marisa is the narrator for) and I would certain listen to them again.
I highly recommend if you love angst, academia, enemies to lovers, rich boy x poor girl!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Save Me by Mona Kasten
-Maxton Hall, Book 1-
3.5/5āļø
1/3š¶ļø (1 scenes, lots of innuendo)
1/3š¦
ā¢My Thoughtsā¢
This is a quick read full of teen angst and drama. Definitely NOT my usual type of read but I was intrigued by the show (which I havenāt seen) and the love people have for it! Plus NetGalley got me with their āread nowā. The writing was engaging and addictive. The characters were a hot mess EXCEPT for the FMC. Ruby was amazing - little level headed, go-getter and I loved how she valued herself when it mattered. James had moments where I liked him and moments where I wanted to whack him in the back of the head. Through it all, though, you understand why he is the way he is and I just wanted to hug him and pat his head. I didnāt like all the drinking, drugs and the school culture of the mean and wealthys. I did like Ruby, her family and friends, and the way Ruby and James intrigued and complemented each other. Did I love this? Not really. Was it addictive and easy read? Absolutely and that ending has me super curious as to how things are going to come around! Good thing I got book 2 on āread nowā as wellā¦
Thank you to Berkeley Publishing and Mona Kasten for the copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 āļø
Thank you, Berkley Romance | Penguin Random House
& NetGalley for my gifted advanced book copy š
āSave Meā delves into the stark socio-status disparities in society. Ruby comes from a hardworking, blue-collar family that loves her dearly. Sheās a perfectionist who finds solace in completing tasks, making list, organizing, etc. Ruby works tirelessly to achieve perfection, make her parents proud, secure admission to Oxford, and remain invisible at Maxton Hall, an elite academy attended by the wealthy and powerful.
Initially, Ruby appears meek, studious, quiet, and submissive. She doesnāt like to draw attention to herself. However, her life takes a turn when she meets James. James is the complete opposite of Rubyāa typical elite, posh, and snobbish playboy. His character unleashes a confident and no-nonsense attitude in Ruby, and I thoroughly LOVED seeing her transformation.
Their relationship starts rocky, built on lies and reluctance. As they spend time together, they gradually grow comfortable with each other, revealing the beautiful and vulnerable sides they bring out of one another.
Mona Kastenās writing is exceptional in its ability to address socio-status disparities with tact and grace. Her writing style is both swoon-worthy and engaging.
While the story is captivating, there are some repetitiveness and filler chapters that detract from the overall reading experience. And given this was a quick read, Ruby and James relationship happened pretty quickly and that took away from feeling their love had any substance to it.
Canāt wait for book two, āSave Youā š
All my reviews are my own opinion.
Thank you, Berkley Romance | Penguin Random House
& NetGalley for my gifted advanced book copy š
āSave Meā delves into the stark socio-status disparities in society. Ruby comes from a hardworking, blue-collar family that loves her dearly. Sheās a perfectionist who finds solace in completing tasks, making list, organizing, etc. Ruby works tirelessly to achieve perfection, make her parents proud, secure admission to Oxford, and remain invisible at Maxton Hall, an elite academy attended by the wealthy and powerful.
Initially, Ruby appears meek, studious, quiet, and submissive. She doesnāt like to draw attention to herself. However, her life takes a turn when she meets James. James is the complete opposite of Rubyāa typical elite, posh, and snobbish playboy. His character unleashes a confident and no-nonsense attitude in Ruby, and I thoroughly LOVED seeing her transformation.
Their relationship starts rocky, built on lies and reluctance. As they spend time together, they gradually grow comfortable with each other, revealing the beautiful and vulnerable sides they bring out of one another.
Mona Kastenās writing is exceptional in its ability to address socio-status disparities with tact and grace. Her writing style is both swoon-worthy and engaging.
While the story is captivating, there are some repetitiveness and filler chapters that detract from the overall reading experience. And given this was a quick read, Ruby and James relationship happened pretty quickly and that took away from feeling their love had any substance to it.
Canāt wait for book two, āSave Youā š
All my reviews are my own opinion.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes