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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m a glutton for punishment so I finished reading this after initially DNF-ing it. It was brutal and honestly I wish bully romances didn’t end with her and the bully(ies) in a relationship. But I get that’s what this sub genre is about. This book is so unserious at times (like the toilet paper parts) but it is overall very dark.
Reason for DNF-ing at first (which I still stand behind):
I’ve really tried, but hard-core bully romances just aren’t for me. I haven’t even reached the main bullying part yet, and I already feel like I can’t continue. After reading the blurb for book 2 (which lists out the specific things they do to her), I know my poor heart can’t handle it. For example, (spoiler for Book 1 and probably Book 2 in terms of a specific bullying scene)the moment where they burn her dead sister’s letters —even though, as you later find out, they were "fake" letters and they have the real ones —was already too much for me. I found ZA to be borderline torture (especially that drowning scene), and it feels like this is headed in the same direction. I’ve even read that some say the bullying here is worse.
Reason for DNF-ing at first (which I still stand behind):
I’ve really tried, but hard-core bully romances just aren’t for me. I haven’t even reached the main bullying part yet, and I already feel like I can’t continue. After reading the blurb for book 2 (which lists out the specific things they do to her), I know my poor heart can’t handle it. For example, (spoiler for Book 1 and probably Book 2 in terms of a specific bullying scene)
Honestly, the story itself captivated me, but I’m just not into this style of romance. If you enjoy hard-core bully romances, then this might be perfect for you. But if you’re like me and it’s not really your thing, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. That said, I didn’t make it far enough to experience the actual bullying, but after reading the blurb for book 2 and seeing other reviews, I knew it wasn’t for me.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
- Heroine: Tatum
- Harem: Saint, Kyan, Blake, Nash (aka Monroe)
- POVs Included: Multiple POVs (Tatum, Saint, Nash, Kyan, Blake)
- Book Playlist (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep Series Playlist)
- Book Characters Cast: http://bit.ly/3jrZLR9
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)
Tatum’s dad dumped her at Everlake Prep for her senior year because he is a virologist and has to help with a potential pandemic coming from a virus dubbed Hades.
At first, things seem to be going okay at school. Sure there are some pretentious assholes to deal with. But there’s also some sweet and flirty ones. All of that changes though when news comes out that it was her dad who released the experimental virus from the lab it originated.
Now the kings of the school (especially Blake, who lost his mom to the virus) have it out for her. They want to make her miserable because of what her dad did.
As she navigates their bullshit, she also teams up with an unlikely ally — a particularly alluring P.E. teacher (who is also the football coach) who also has a vendetta against the Night Keepers too.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
REVIEW:
This. Was. Awesome. I absolutely loved it and devoured it whole. I really should’ve known I’d love it. I’m pretty sure this author duo is a sure thing for me at this point. They just do RH’s right. Strong FMC’s, sexy harem members, incredible sexual tension, and heart-racing plots. It’s the stuff great RH’s are made of.
I was initially hesitant to start this one for two reasons.
First, this author duo writes LONG books. Each book is over 600 pages so it’s a commitment. But, like with Harlequin Crew, the pages just flew by. Yes, these books are long, but they don’t feel long. These writers are incredible at pacing and the story just flows so well.
My other reason for hesitating at first is that I thought the book would be about COVID-19. And I really despise books where COVID-19 is apart of the plot. But in the case of these books, the authors clearly drew inspiration from COVID-19, but instead it’s about a fictional virus known as Hades. I was okay with this direction and thought it was a wise choice to go this route.
There’s a lot I loved about this book! Let’s first talk about the characters.
Tate is an awesome heroine. I actually read The Harlequin Crew series before this one and met her and her guys in those books. But now I can really appreciate her character so much more now that I’ve met her personally. I loved her. She’s everything I hope to see in a good FMC.
The guys are tough at this point. They definitely do some very cruel things, including (but not limited to): almost shooting her, forcing her arms into an ice bath, burning the only letters she has from her dead sister, making her sleep in a bathtub, forcing her to only eat only lettuce for an entire day, etc. They are truly bullies and kind of abusive too. But some of that starts to shift towards the end of the book, and what happens at the end really changes the whole dynamic of the harem (for the better).
An exception to the abusiveness is Nash, who is absolutely perfect in every sexy way. I adore him. He’s amazing. Love love love him so much! Also Kyan wasn’t as bad with the torture either, the things he did were more teasing. The worst of the abuse came from Blake and Saint.
Still, I find myself liking these assholes. Blake and Saint will take some getting used to, but I can see it shifting in the next book. I really like when a book series has a total asshole (or two) turn into mush for their lady by the end of the series. So as long as it shifts at some point, I’m good.
And speaking of shifting dynamics. The scene that really makes the big shift is at the end where they all stab her attempted rapist to take the blame off of her for killing him. It was strangely romantic! Like they are all willing to take the fall for her, to kill for her. Gah! So much love for that scene. And it bonded all of them in such a strong way.
There were also so many good lol moments. Like Saint claiming he’s had the toilet paper throne for years. This has me cracking up. I loved the bits of humor thrown in here and there.
Overall it was a great book and I can’t wait to pickup the next one! I was surprised the ending wasn’t super cliffhanger-y. I really expected it to be. Sure, there’s more to come, but it wasn’t the same kind of intense cliffhangers like Harlequin Crew had. Still, I’ll be moving right into the next one. Can’t wait!
- Harem: Saint, Kyan, Blake, Nash (aka Monroe)
- POVs Included: Multiple POVs (Tatum, Saint, Nash, Kyan, Blake)
- Book Playlist (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep Series Playlist)
- Book Characters Cast: http://bit.ly/3jrZLR9
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)
Tatum’s dad dumped her at Everlake Prep for her senior year because he is a virologist and has to help with a potential pandemic coming from a virus dubbed Hades.
At first, things seem to be going okay at school. Sure there are some pretentious assholes to deal with. But there’s also some sweet and flirty ones. All of that changes though when news comes out that it was her dad who released the experimental virus from the lab it originated.
Now the kings of the school (especially Blake, who lost his mom to the virus) have it out for her. They want to make her miserable because of what her dad did.
As she navigates their bullshit, she also teams up with an unlikely ally — a particularly alluring P.E. teacher (who is also the football coach) who also has a vendetta against the Night Keepers too.
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
REVIEW:
This. Was. Awesome. I absolutely loved it and devoured it whole. I really should’ve known I’d love it. I’m pretty sure this author duo is a sure thing for me at this point. They just do RH’s right. Strong FMC’s, sexy harem members, incredible sexual tension, and heart-racing plots. It’s the stuff great RH’s are made of.
I was initially hesitant to start this one for two reasons.
First, this author duo writes LONG books. Each book is over 600 pages so it’s a commitment. But, like with Harlequin Crew, the pages just flew by. Yes, these books are long, but they don’t feel long. These writers are incredible at pacing and the story just flows so well.
My other reason for hesitating at first is that I thought the book would be about COVID-19. And I really despise books where COVID-19 is apart of the plot. But in the case of these books, the authors clearly drew inspiration from COVID-19, but instead it’s about a fictional virus known as Hades. I was okay with this direction and thought it was a wise choice to go this route.
There’s a lot I loved about this book! Let’s first talk about the characters.
Tate is an awesome heroine. I actually read The Harlequin Crew series before this one and met her and her guys in those books. But now I can really appreciate her character so much more now that I’ve met her personally. I loved her. She’s everything I hope to see in a good FMC.
The guys are tough at this point. They definitely do some very cruel things, including (but not limited to): almost shooting her, forcing her arms into an ice bath, burning the only letters she has from her dead sister, making her sleep in a bathtub, forcing her to only eat only lettuce for an entire day, etc. They are truly bullies and kind of abusive too. But some of that starts to shift towards the end of the book, and what happens at the end really changes the whole dynamic of the harem (for the better).
An exception to the abusiveness is Nash, who is absolutely perfect in every sexy way. I adore him. He’s amazing. Love love love him so much! Also Kyan wasn’t as bad with the torture either, the things he did were more teasing. The worst of the abuse came from Blake and Saint.
Still, I find myself liking these assholes. Blake and Saint will take some getting used to, but I can see it shifting in the next book. I really like when a book series has a total asshole (or two) turn into mush for their lady by the end of the series. So as long as it shifts at some point, I’m good.
And speaking of shifting dynamics. The scene that really makes the big shift is at the end where they all stab her attempted rapist to take the blame off of her for killing him. It was strangely romantic! Like they are all willing to take the fall for her, to kill for her. Gah! So much love for that scene. And it bonded all of them in such a strong way.
There were also so many good lol moments. Like Saint claiming he’s had the toilet paper throne for years. This has me cracking up. I loved the bits of humor thrown in here and there.
Overall it was a great book and I can’t wait to pickup the next one! I was surprised the ending wasn’t super cliffhanger-y. I really expected it to be. Sure, there’s more to come, but it wasn’t the same kind of intense cliffhangers like Harlequin Crew had. Still, I’ll be moving right into the next one. Can’t wait!
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tatum, Blake, Saint, Kyan, Monroe
Why choose
Bully romance
Pandemic
This is an audio reread review for me but I think I love it even more this time around!
I love how strong Tatum is! She doesn't back down from anything and she just keeps on getting back up again!
Saint is the leader. Blake is the quarterback. Kyan is the tattooed biker. Monroe is the teacher 👀. What a perfect combination of men 😍
There's one particular scene near the end of the book that I absolutely love!!
I'm sooo excited to dive into book 2!
As always, the amazing Jake and Bridget Bordeaux do a fantastic job with the audio for this!!!
Why choose
Bully romance
Pandemic
This is an audio reread review for me but I think I love it even more this time around!
I love how strong Tatum is! She doesn't back down from anything and she just keeps on getting back up again!
Saint is the leader. Blake is the quarterback. Kyan is the tattooed biker. Monroe is the teacher 👀. What a perfect combination of men 😍
There's one particular scene near the end of the book that I absolutely love!!
I'm sooo excited to dive into book 2!
As always, the amazing Jake and Bridget Bordeaux do a fantastic job with the audio for this!!!
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Kings of Quarantine is the first book that I have read by Susan Valenti and Caroline Peckham. Honestly, I am still not sure if I love this book, or hate it so much that I actually love it.
The bullying lives up to its name and is brutal, probably the most intense one that I have read, and I almost stopped reading a few times, but based on the recommendations I kept reading. I am very glad I did.
Tatum is a strong character, and I really liked that she doesn't just roll over to the Night Keepers. I also really liked the multiple POV.
The bullying lives up to its name and is brutal, probably the most intense one that I have read, and I almost stopped reading a few times, but based on the recommendations I kept reading. I am very glad I did.
Tatum is a strong character, and I really liked that she doesn't just roll over to the Night Keepers. I also really liked the multiple POV.