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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Homies I went on a JOURNEY with this one.
When I was 100 pages in it was a 2. The writing felt forced. The dialogue was cringe. I hated every character.
When I was 300 pages in, it was a 3. Suddenly, I was into the plot, into the twist of Tatum's relationship with the Night Keepers.
I read the remaining 350 pages today. In one day. So listen, it's not a 5 for me and it never will be but I have to give Peckham and Valenti because this book pulled my whole body out of my book slump. This book introduced me to not one but TWO new genres that it turns out I'm pretty into. (Bully romance and reverse harem). There is something to be said for a book that doesn't tick every box, but the ones it ticks it does strongly.
I already grabbed the next book and I'm going to start it once I finish writing this review. I really feel like this book earned its rating. It didn't change my life, and it cannot be overstated how no-for-everyone it is, but it's for me apparently.
It's wild how I really don't find myself rooting for any of the characters. It's the bond I'm rooting for. I don't *like* Tatum or any of the Night Keepers, but I'm here for the bond and journey it takes me on.
I recommend this for those who liked Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and a dash of Twilight.
When I was 100 pages in it was a 2. The writing felt forced. The dialogue was cringe. I hated every character.
When I was 300 pages in, it was a 3. Suddenly, I was into the plot, into the twist of Tatum's relationship with the Night Keepers.
I read the remaining 350 pages today. In one day. So listen, it's not a 5 for me and it never will be but I have to give Peckham and Valenti because this book pulled my whole body out of my book slump. This book introduced me to not one but TWO new genres that it turns out I'm pretty into. (Bully romance and reverse harem). There is something to be said for a book that doesn't tick every box, but the ones it ticks it does strongly.
I already grabbed the next book and I'm going to start it once I finish writing this review. I really feel like this book earned its rating. It didn't change my life, and it cannot be overstated how no-for-everyone it is, but it's for me apparently.
It's wild how I really don't find myself rooting for any of the characters. It's the bond I'm rooting for. I don't *like* Tatum or any of the Night Keepers, but I'm here for the bond and journey it takes me on.
I recommend this for those who liked Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and a dash of Twilight.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK DID I JUST READ. I didn't DNF this book but I should have. I just couldn't put this damn train wreck down and had to see how much worse it got and boy did it get worse every single chapter. Originally 2 stars but after finishing I dropped it down to 1.
The FMC is the biggest Mary sue I’ve ever had the displeasure to read about. Blonde, blue eyes, perfect body, a martial arts superstar, the “most earth shattering” sexual partner etc etc etc.
I rolled my eyes every time. She even has her teacher panting after her like a dog cause she’s “not like other girls” gag me
She’s able to go toe to toe with her 23 year old PE teacher. What a joke. Then he proceeds to grill her and question his 17 year old student about her sex life. Creepy. “I’m not judging you for getting laid, I’m judging you for choosing Bowman when you could have your pick of anyone” UMMM OH and she joins in on a fight ring and takes down a grown man. SHES SO AMAZING.
Here are some awe inspiring quotes in case you are trying to find the vibe of this book.
“I wouldn’t have just blown his dick, I’d blow his mind”
“Every move that girl made screamed sex”
“She had everything I wanted in a woman- total badass, smart mouth, long blonde hair and a body”
Now let me go read the next one because I have no self respect.
The FMC is the biggest Mary sue I’ve ever had the displeasure to read about. Blonde, blue eyes, perfect body, a martial arts superstar, the “most earth shattering” sexual partner etc etc etc.
I rolled my eyes every time. She even has her teacher panting after her like a dog cause she’s “not like other girls” gag me
She’s able to go toe to toe with her 23 year old PE teacher. What a joke. Then he proceeds to grill her and question his 17 year old student about her sex life. Creepy. “I’m not judging you for getting laid, I’m judging you for choosing Bowman when you could have your pick of anyone” UMMM OH and she joins in on a fight ring and takes down a grown man. SHES SO AMAZING.
Here are some awe inspiring quotes in case you are trying to find the vibe of this book.
“I wouldn’t have just blown his dick, I’d blow his mind”
“Every move that girl made screamed sex”
“She had everything I wanted in a woman- total badass, smart mouth, long blonde hair and a body”
Now let me go read the next one because I have no self respect.
Ok. I’m not justifying this rating you will just have to trust me?
That ending 10-15% was insane?
The writing at the beginning of this is pretty meh but as it went on I have to say either it got better or I stopped noticing.
These sorts of stories are super melodramatic and OTT so if that annoys you don’t read this series but I devour them in all their ridiculous glory.
If you are opposed to the darker bully romances step away and don’t look back. This is. Dark. These boys are the absolute worst. I’m not mad at it, I want proper lows that lead to proper redemption.
These authors have three books to convince me of their (more specifically Saint’s) redemption. Game on.
REREAD 29.01.22 - ok so on reread it’s a three star but man I enjoy the fuck out of this story in all it’s messed up glory. Cant wait to reread book 2 and finally get to the second half of the series.
That ending 10-15% was insane?
The writing at the beginning of this is pretty meh but as it went on I have to say either it got better or I stopped noticing.
These sorts of stories are super melodramatic and OTT so if that annoys you don’t read this series but I devour them in all their ridiculous glory.
If you are opposed to the darker bully romances step away and don’t look back. This is. Dark. These boys are the absolute worst. I’m not mad at it, I want proper lows that lead to proper redemption.
These authors have three books to convince me of their (more specifically Saint’s) redemption. Game on.
REREAD 29.01.22 - ok so on reread it’s a three star but man I enjoy the fuck out of this story in all it’s messed up glory. Cant wait to reread book 2 and finally get to the second half of the series.
never thought that i would like a book about quarantine so much lmao. here’s to hoping that tatum doesn’t give in too easily!
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