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jaynemae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Abusive, not healthy relationships between the mains. They treat her like absolute garbage and it just turns her on. I get it when people have kinks and fetishes, but this isn't that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Classism, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Incest, Emotional abuse, and Bullying
bororareads's review against another edition
4.0
I would give this book a 5 star however i did not here are some issues i need to address as to why i wont give it. Ill try and keep it spoiler free.
• i think the author could have change some of the dynamics and make it less teenage rivalry but I understand the tropes of enemies to lovers.
• in my opinion some of the men have a little less personality but maybe the next book will help with that then this one.
I will take this book as just an intro.
• i think the author could have change some of the dynamics and make it less teenage rivalry but I understand the tropes of enemies to lovers.
• in my opinion some of the men have a little less personality but maybe the next book will help with that then this one.
I will take this book as just an intro.
prettymonsters's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a Fantasy Girl and don't venture out into contemporary very often but when I saw book 1 of this series was available with my audible subscription I decided to give it a try and big round applause for this Drama-Filled addicting Friends to Family to Enemies to (hopefully) Lovers Why Choose Romance.
Not only was the audiobook well done, with just two narrators, but the storyline was nail-biting, sitting on the edge of your seat enthralling. This could be a TV show, in fact, it reminds me a bit of the CW show Dynasty.
The story centers around the FMC a girl who grew up with a drug addict negligent mother. Thankfully friends of her mother took her in and gave her a wonderful home to grow up in. At the start of Book One, the negligent mother dies and the FMC finds her birth certificate while cleaning out her mother's trailer, a birth certificate that had the name of her father that she never knew about. The good news is her adopted family knows her real father and he has always wanted kids of his own but couldn't conceive after contracting mumps, and he's so excited to get to know the daughter he never knew.
However, since Daddy Dearsts couldn't conceive kids he adopted 7 of them. He's a very rich man and head of Neighpalm Industries which seems to have a hand in every investment cookie jar. So far we learned about Airplane lines, Clothing, Film Production, and even a Tattoo parlor just to name a few. All the kids seem to work in different areas of the family business and love thier adopted father. However, they all came from less-than-ideal circumstances before being adopted, and after grew up very rich. This caused them to have less-than-ideal interactions with people who wanted to use them for thier money or status. It seems they've had too many bad experiences in relationships of any kind. This has made them a close-knit family who don't trust outsiders easily.
All the kids in the family immediately decide that thier adopted father's real daughter must be a gold digger user of some kind and make no secret of what they think of her time and time again. They bully and demean her in private. The FMC however is not easily cowed and her Father and grandparents are thrilled to have her come out to the family estate so she can get closer with the family. She decides to give it a try but she has prospects, went to school and became a Veterinarian, helps take care of the horses at her adopted family's ranch. She's willing to try and make a relationship with this new family work, but can always go back to the only place she's ever truly called home.
She puts up with more than I would have and gives back a good bit not letting them walk all over her. But that doesn't mean she isn't affected by thier cruelty, she's not made of stone and breaks down at times when things go too far, as they did at the end of book one. I won't give you any spoilers but those spoiled step-siblings of hers are in for a reckoning.
I hope those brats will pull thier heads out of the sand soon, actually, a few of them have already started but still didn't stop the others from unveiling thier cruel prank. So they all need to start apologizing starting with the only step-sister, all the other step-siblings are boys. Sadly the evil step-sister needs more time to come around, and I think she will because she doesn't seem to be evil just delusional.
I enjoyed this, it was a good balance of drama and storytelling with interesting characters that I'm looking forward to learning more about. I'm only sad that Audible only has book one available with the subscription and now I want to listen to them all. I'll probably switch to reading at some point but for now, I'll be spending some of those credits I've saved up.
Not only was the audiobook well done, with just two narrators, but the storyline was nail-biting, sitting on the edge of your seat enthralling. This could be a TV show, in fact, it reminds me a bit of the CW show Dynasty.
The story centers around the FMC a girl who grew up with a drug addict negligent mother. Thankfully friends of her mother took her in and gave her a wonderful home to grow up in. At the start of Book One, the negligent mother dies and the FMC finds her birth certificate while cleaning out her mother's trailer, a birth certificate that had the name of her father that she never knew about. The good news is her adopted family knows her real father and he has always wanted kids of his own but couldn't conceive after contracting mumps, and he's so excited to get to know the daughter he never knew.
However, since Daddy Dearsts couldn't conceive kids he adopted 7 of them. He's a very rich man and head of Neighpalm Industries which seems to have a hand in every investment cookie jar. So far we learned about Airplane lines, Clothing, Film Production, and even a Tattoo parlor just to name a few. All the kids seem to work in different areas of the family business and love thier adopted father. However, they all came from less-than-ideal circumstances before being adopted, and after grew up very rich. This caused them to have less-than-ideal interactions with people who wanted to use them for thier money or status. It seems they've had too many bad experiences in relationships of any kind. This has made them a close-knit family who don't trust outsiders easily.
All the kids in the family immediately decide that thier adopted father's real daughter must be a gold digger user of some kind and make no secret of what they think of her time and time again. They bully and demean her in private. The FMC however is not easily cowed and her Father and grandparents are thrilled to have her come out to the family estate so she can get closer with the family. She decides to give it a try but she has prospects, went to school and became a Veterinarian, helps take care of the horses at her adopted family's ranch. She's willing to try and make a relationship with this new family work, but can always go back to the only place she's ever truly called home.
She puts up with more than I would have and gives back a good bit not letting them walk all over her. But that doesn't mean she isn't affected by thier cruelty, she's not made of stone and breaks down at times when things go too far, as they did at the end of book one. I won't give you any spoilers but those spoiled step-siblings of hers are in for a reckoning.
I hope those brats will pull thier heads out of the sand soon, actually, a few of them have already started but still didn't stop the others from unveiling thier cruel prank. So they all need to start apologizing starting with the only step-sister, all the other step-siblings are boys. Sadly the evil step-sister needs more time to come around, and I think she will because she doesn't seem to be evil just delusional.
I enjoyed this, it was a good balance of drama and storytelling with interesting characters that I'm looking forward to learning more about. I'm only sad that Audible only has book one available with the subscription and now I want to listen to them all. I'll probably switch to reading at some point but for now, I'll be spending some of those credits I've saved up.
zealous_bibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Before we get into this can we first talk about how disgusting and ignorant it is that Winston thinks it's so cute to name the company neighpalm, it's a horse and a palm tree a name change from a bet; so cute
efua_arthur's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
locket1981's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
This was hit and miss from me and is possibly more of a 2.5
kellythroughthestones's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
apicstory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is a great read that really builds its characters and fully forms them. They have distinct voices and personalities which makes it easy to remember who is who, which is fantastic when reading a book with so many leading characters.
This is actually my second read through. I enjoyed it very much the first time, but never got around to finishing the series, but intend to now. I loved it the first time through, and I love it now as well.
I will head on to the next one right away!
I also had the pleasure to listen to the audiobook version of this book. Performed in duel narration, the two narrators did a great job. I’d definitely recommend you giving it a listen as well.
5⭐️ .5🌶
maschlemmer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookwormbetty's review against another edition
4.0
good story
This is a good story, with the promise to be much more. I have put off reading this series, mainly because it wasn’t done, and because it didn’t seem like something that would float my boat. Oh but it is something to float my boat, and it’s exciting, and intriguing. A few of the characters are horrid, it I’m hoping with time they get better, it we shall see. Over all great character development, great world building, and the pace is steady and true.
This is a good story, with the promise to be much more. I have put off reading this series, mainly because it wasn’t done, and because it didn’t seem like something that would float my boat. Oh but it is something to float my boat, and it’s exciting, and intriguing. A few of the characters are horrid, it I’m hoping with time they get better, it we shall see. Over all great character development, great world building, and the pace is steady and true.