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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
It is no secret of mine that one of my favorite niche romance genres is Bully Romances. The angst and tension are simply on another level in BR books. Probably because it could be argued that the romance is toxic, but, hey, I can have my (non)guilty pleasures, thank you very much. And so can you. There's another conversation to be had about how often I see shaming within the book community nowadays, about what people like and don't like. Alas, I'm here to talk about this book, but please keep in mind that just because you don't get anything out of a book, that makes it an OPINION.
Devil May Care is book one in a new BR series set at a prep school. Of course, it follows the proper BR tropes: "different" girl is bullied by the rich popular boy(s). She fights back, he falls for her, and crazy romps ensue.
Devil May Care was a thick read with actual substance to all the characters and the world at Preston Prep. At 366 pages, it's a pretty average length for this genre. BR books tend to always be self-published since publishing houses are still stuck in the middle-ages about what constitutes publishable work. (This is yet another conversation that could be had about the lack of not only diverse authors and characters within the main-stream publishing circles but also the diversity in genre.) Anyways, the book was engaging, full of tension, bickering, and tackles a few really heavy societal issues.
This one doesn't get a trigger warning for dubious consent, it was all pretty willing 100% of the time on both sides. But I will warn you that there are some tough moments of prejudice and hate against some characters that some might be upset by, especially if you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. But, everyone gets what's coming to them in the end and the book actually wraps up with a rare kind of resolution you don't see too often in this genre.
All in all, I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I usually expect four books in BR series', so finger's crossed I get that this time too!
Devil May Care is book one in a new BR series set at a prep school. Of course, it follows the proper BR tropes: "different" girl is bullied by the rich popular boy(s). She fights back, he falls for her, and crazy romps ensue.
Devil May Care was a thick read with actual substance to all the characters and the world at Preston Prep. At 366 pages, it's a pretty average length for this genre. BR books tend to always be self-published since publishing houses are still stuck in the middle-ages about what constitutes publishable work. (This is yet another conversation that could be had about the lack of not only diverse authors and characters within the main-stream publishing circles but also the diversity in genre.) Anyways, the book was engaging, full of tension, bickering, and tackles a few really heavy societal issues.
This one doesn't get a trigger warning for dubious consent, it was all pretty willing 100% of the time on both sides. But I will warn you that there are some tough moments of prejudice and hate against some characters that some might be upset by, especially if you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. But, everyone gets what's coming to them in the end and the book actually wraps up with a rare kind of resolution you don't see too often in this genre.
All in all, I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I usually expect four books in BR series', so finger's crossed I get that this time too!
28/12/2023 reread: they are still so perfect. the only crime is that we will never get another book about them again
—
gwenhamilton you are perfect and loved by me
note: we need a better cover than this please
^dec 2023 edit: new cover we got herrr
—
gwenhamilton you are perfect and loved by me
note: we need a better cover than this please
^dec 2023 edit: new cover we got herrr
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars 1.5 spice // REC via Instagram Ads
Bully x enemies to lovers trope.
It felt really similar to an 8th year dramione fic if it was set in present day/US. Both MCs were academic and athletic rivals, they shared a dark past where MMC is the reason why the FMC is an outcast. He gives in to his feelings and falls for her. The line between hate and love is thin, right?
HEA obvi
Bully x enemies to lovers trope.
It felt really similar to an 8th year dramione fic if it was set in present day/US. Both MCs were academic and athletic rivals, they shared a dark past where MMC is the reason why the FMC is an outcast. He gives in to his feelings and falls for her. The line between hate and love is thin, right?
HEA obvi
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The manipulation and just a man that thinks only the rich should get richer and poor should get poorer. For someone so fucking dumb he’s smart for manipulating someone so perfectly. I’m at 58% and I’m not sure if dnfing it or not. I’m definitely not going to continue reading it tonight.
Made the mistake of judging this based on the fact it's set in the same universe as the Lords. Which was a huge disservice, actually stopped reading it 5% because I was making unconscious comparisons which was ruining my enjoyment. Coming back to it now I can see it's a completely different genre but in the same universe.
That being said there was nothing outstanding or new happening but I was a good palate cleanser between the swathes of MM romance I've read.
It wasn't bad it just wasn't outstanding.
That being said there was nothing outstanding or new happening but I was a good palate cleanser between the swathes of MM romance I've read.
It wasn't bad it just wasn't outstanding.
Enjoyed the major love/hate vibes going on between Gwen and Hamilton. I really empathized with how lonely Gwen was, and how Hamilton's distant, bullyish interest ramped up into obsession, especially once they started being intimate with each other. I like when a book can pull off enemies to lovers, and the characters actually stay enemies for some time after getting together physically. It took them a bit longer to recognize their mental attraction to each other, and the sneaking around and tension in the meantime made for an interesting story.
I wish they had resolved the plotline with
Also, I loved Micha, when can we read his book?
I wish they had resolved the plotline with
Spoiler
Reagan a little earlier, especially since she (supposedly) knew about them the whole time. I was actually surprised the two of them weren't caught or called out way sooner.Also, I loved Micha, when can we read his book?
I was not sure I would ever read a bully romance as good as BULLY by Penelope Douglas, but Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue did so beautifully!
Falling in love with the devil never felt this good!
QUOTE
Still a bit breathless, Hamilton meets my glazed eyes and ticks off with his fingers, “Never happened. All my fault. You hate me. I’m the worst. Hasty post-coital exit.” He sweeps his own bag from the ground, throwing it over a shoulder. “There, covered all the bases for you. I’ll go ahead and take the last one.” And then he’s gone.
Falling in love with the devil never felt this good!
QUOTE
Still a bit breathless, Hamilton meets my glazed eyes and ticks off with his fingers, “Never happened. All my fault. You hate me. I’m the worst. Hasty post-coital exit.” He sweeps his own bag from the ground, throwing it over a shoulder. “There, covered all the bases for you. I’ll go ahead and take the last one.” And then he’s gone.