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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
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
Really good, just missing that slight umpf-factor (the tv-series was indeed better)
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-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
Save Me is the first installment in Mona Kasten’s Maxton Hall series and is being released for the first time in English this year (2025). After watching the TV show Maxton Hall on Amazon Prime last year, I went searching for the books on Goodreads and was sad to realize the books were only in German. I was ready to start taking German to read the books, but thankfully, Berkley picked up the books and had them translated (translator: Rachel Ward), and I have to say this series may very well consume me.
I loved that I found Mona Kasten’s Maxton Hall series thanks to Amazon Prime because if there is one thing I always love is finding new authors and their books. As soon as I started reading Save Me, I was transported back to when I watched the first season of Maxton Hall. I loved that the book is told in Dual POV, mainly in Ruby’s POV, but there is James’s POV, too, but not as much as Ruby’s.
I absolutely adore Ruby in the TV show, and I absolutely adore her in the book. She has such a kind heart and loves her family dearly, and it’s portrayed in both the book and TV show how she wants to keep her life at Maxton Hall and her family separate, and I can understand why. There are some ruthless people at Maxton Hall. Sadly, Ruby is about to become visible after two years of being at Maxton Hall because she saw something she shouldn’t have. Now, she has the notorious playboy and ruthless James Beautfort bugging her at every turn to make sure she doesn’t expose what she saw with his sister, and he’ll do anything to make sure she doesn’t talk.
I don’t want to go anymore into the storyline, but just know that the TV show and book are almost similar with slight differences, especially when it comes to the end of the book/TV show. I actually prefer the TV show’s cliffhanger ending over the book because, let’s just say James does something stupid at the end of the book, which made me not like him much, and here it was, he was, winning me over. Nope, not anymore! Hopefully, he’ll redeem himself in the next book.
I feel for Ruby for what she was put through with James since he was going back and forth with her, but I’m glad I got his POV because I understood him a little better as a character and why he was the way he was. It all has to do with the family he’s a part of and what he is being forced to do after he finishes Maxton Hall. Let’s just say the antagonist of the whole book is someone close to James, and I really can’t stand this person. He can kick rocks and leave James and Ruby alone.
Both the book and TV show had me hooked from the beginning, and here is one reader (and watcher of the TV show) who is anxious for the second book/second season of the TV show. I’m so glad I came across Maxton Hall on Amazon Prime, and I watched it because then I would have never known about the books. (Now, if only I could convince my oldest daughter to read the book and watch the TV show so she could fall for the story and characters just as much as I have.)
Overall, I give this book four stars and can’t wait to read the next book, especially after Mona Kasten left me with such a brutal cliffhanger. I need to know what Ruby does next and if she’ll forgive James. I don’t know if she should, but I’m here for whatever she decides.
Single/Dual POV: Dual POV
Cliffhanger: Yes.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoyed watching Maxton Hall on Amazon Prime, then pick up Save Meand read it. If you haven’t watched the show and enjoyed Enemies to Lovers plus Opposites Sides of the Track storyline, then add Save Me to your reading list now.
What to Expect:
✔️New Adult Romance
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Opposite Sides of the Track
✔️Slow Burn
✔️Sports/Lacrosse
✔️New Adult Romance
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Opposite Sides of the Track
✔️Slow Burn
✔️Sports/Lacrosse
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
“Dreams are important, James,” I whisper. “Then you’re my dream.”
So let’s just say I’ve been absolutely dying to read this since I’ve seen the Maxton Hall TV series and this book did not disappoint at all. The fact that I read this in less than five hours just shows how obsessed with this story I am. While I always love the show and will rewatch it forever more, the books always hold such a special place in my heart. I feel like we get to know the characters so much better. So thank you Berkley for bringing this amazing story into my life.
I just absolutely love this contemporary romance. I love the boarding school. I love the idea of the events team, and lacrosse, and the oxford study groups. They truly are trying to show off Ruby’s achievements in the best way. I love seeing her thrive. I also love James (most of the time). This poor kid just cannot catch a break. Yes he is probably one of the most privileged people, but his inability to have any desires or aspirations of his own really drive his behavior which is so interesting to see.
I truly love their dynamic as they really are from different worlds yet seem to see each other and understand eachother on a deeper level. Anyways the pool scene will always be one of my roman empire scenes. I just love how protective he is over her. I will be seated for the rest of this series as soon as they release. I adore these characters and Maxton hall. I love everything about this book.
Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for an earc. All opinions are my own.
So let’s just say I’ve been absolutely dying to read this since I’ve seen the Maxton Hall TV series and this book did not disappoint at all. The fact that I read this in less than five hours just shows how obsessed with this story I am. While I always love the show and will rewatch it forever more, the books always hold such a special place in my heart. I feel like we get to know the characters so much better. So thank you Berkley for bringing this amazing story into my life.
I just absolutely love this contemporary romance. I love the boarding school. I love the idea of the events team, and lacrosse, and the oxford study groups. They truly are trying to show off Ruby’s achievements in the best way. I love seeing her thrive. I also love James (most of the time). This poor kid just cannot catch a break. Yes he is probably one of the most privileged people, but his inability to have any desires or aspirations of his own really drive his behavior which is so interesting to see.
I truly love their dynamic as they really are from different worlds yet seem to see each other and understand eachother on a deeper level. Anyways the pool scene will always be one of my roman empire scenes. I just love how protective he is over her. I will be seated for the rest of this series as soon as they release. I adore these characters and Maxton hall. I love everything about this book.
Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for an earc. All opinions are my own.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Save Me is the first book in the beloved Maxton Hall series. I saw the tv adaptation first and was so excited to read the story that started it all! Ruby Bell is a scholarship student who survives at the prestigious Maxton Hall by staying out of the spotlight. When she witnesses something she shouldn’t, Ruby and James Beaufort are brought into each other's orbit. As Ruby and James clash, they realize they have more in common than they thought. Will their connection survive Maxton Hall?
Save Me was such a fantastic book! Ruby and James are a sweet couple. I loved how James ends up absolutely gone for Ruby! He’s determined not to like her and falls anyway. Their chemistry is excellent and I love the banter between them. Ruby is a great character who has a very loving family. The twist at the end made me very eager for the sequel! I can’t wait to see how the story continues. I’m excited to see more of the tv adaptation too!
Readers who love enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and slow-burn romance will love Save Me.
Thank you to Mona Kasten, Berkley, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Save Me was such a fantastic book! Ruby and James are a sweet couple. I loved how James ends up absolutely gone for Ruby! He’s determined not to like her and falls anyway. Their chemistry is excellent and I love the banter between them. Ruby is a great character who has a very loving family. The twist at the end made me very eager for the sequel! I can’t wait to see how the story continues. I’m excited to see more of the tv adaptation too!
Readers who love enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and slow-burn romance will love Save Me.
Thank you to Mona Kasten, Berkley, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
Okay, I watched the first season of the tv show based on a German book on Amazon Prime after seeing a bunch of my favorite authors talk about it last year. And I loved it!
But at the time, the book hadn’t been translated into English yet. So as soon as I saw it pop up and then the publisher sent me a widget to read early on Netgalley, I jumped on the chance. I was a bit worried of course, because often the books don’t match what I loved about a show. But honestly, this book, or should I say the show, stayed so on track with the other. Reading this book put me right back into that world that I fell in love with last year.
Another issue I was worried about, but wasn’t an issue at all, was that I’m not always a fan of the whole boarding school storyline. But as with the tv show, I was hooked with the characters and the plot in the story right away when reading this.
I loved the way Ruby honestly did not want to even be seen by these rich people at her school. How she reacted when James tried to buy her off, and all the other things he tried and she was able to blow him off perfectly. Of course there is the slowly building attraction to each other, more than physical, as the story goes along. There are the times that he pulls back and is an arse (have to use that term as it is the one in the book, lol). As well as the in crowd bullies and mean girls, but even they seem to have their own backgrounds and reasons, whether good or not, for behaving the way they do.
I hated putting the book down to do other things, even as I was reading during a time when I had family commitments that forced me to do that. And as I remembered the story as I read along, I couldn’t remember exactly what happened that left us on the cliffhanger at the end of the first season of the show. But oh when that happened, yeah, all my emotions were right back there. I do feel like I remembered something else about the chauffeur that wasn’t mentioned in this book, so I don’t know if it was made up for the show, from another book in the series but added in early to the show, or if I’m remembering completely wrong.
So I decided to go back and rewatch the first season, even if part 2 isn’t until November I think? And as I restarted it, I saw that as usual with shows/movies from books, the show has added things that aren’t in the book. But again I wonder if those are things later in the other books since I haven’t read them. Or it’s possible that they just needed to flesh out a few of the storylines more than in the books. I also noticed that James is a little meaner seeming in the show than in the books. And the show is giving more hints to something that happens at one of the parties in the book that has to do with Ruby’s past.
I also have put in my request for the 2nd and 3rd book on Netgalley, here’s hoping I get those approved!
But at the time, the book hadn’t been translated into English yet. So as soon as I saw it pop up and then the publisher sent me a widget to read early on Netgalley, I jumped on the chance. I was a bit worried of course, because often the books don’t match what I loved about a show. But honestly, this book, or should I say the show, stayed so on track with the other. Reading this book put me right back into that world that I fell in love with last year.
Another issue I was worried about, but wasn’t an issue at all, was that I’m not always a fan of the whole boarding school storyline. But as with the tv show, I was hooked with the characters and the plot in the story right away when reading this.
I loved the way Ruby honestly did not want to even be seen by these rich people at her school. How she reacted when James tried to buy her off, and all the other things he tried and she was able to blow him off perfectly. Of course there is the slowly building attraction to each other, more than physical, as the story goes along. There are the times that he pulls back and is an arse (have to use that term as it is the one in the book, lol). As well as the in crowd bullies and mean girls, but even they seem to have their own backgrounds and reasons, whether good or not, for behaving the way they do.
I hated putting the book down to do other things, even as I was reading during a time when I had family commitments that forced me to do that. And as I remembered the story as I read along, I couldn’t remember exactly what happened that left us on the cliffhanger at the end of the first season of the show. But oh when that happened, yeah, all my emotions were right back there. I do feel like I remembered something else about the chauffeur that wasn’t mentioned in this book, so I don’t know if it was made up for the show, from another book in the series but added in early to the show, or if I’m remembering completely wrong.
So I decided to go back and rewatch the first season, even if part 2 isn’t until November I think? And as I restarted it, I saw that as usual with shows/movies from books, the show has added things that aren’t in the book. But again I wonder if those are things later in the other books since I haven’t read them. Or it’s possible that they just needed to flesh out a few of the storylines more than in the books. I also noticed that James is a little meaner seeming in the show than in the books. And the show is giving more hints to something that happens at one of the parties in the book that has to do with Ruby’s past.
I also have put in my request for the 2nd and 3rd book on Netgalley, here’s hoping I get those approved!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2,5*
Tato kniha je pro mě velké zklamání. Od autorky jsem četla sérii začít znovu, což je jedna z mých nejoblíbenějších romantik. Bohužel tato kniha se opravdu nepovedla. Asi začnu s tím málem, co se mi líbilo.
Autorka má velmi čtivý styl a kniha se čte opravdu dobře. Navíc nad ní nemusíte přemýšlet a je tak super na dovolenou, kdy chcete u něčeho vypnout. Zároveň jí romantika jde a objevilo se několik velmi povedených momentů, kdy jsem se culila jako malá. Z postav si mě velmi získala Ember a Lýdie, která má velký potenciál na dobrou linku, tak uvidíme, co s ní autorka udělá.
Bohužel hlavní hrdinové Ruby a James mi vůbec nesedli. Skrz celou knihu se u nich neobjevil skoro žádný vývoj a ten jejich vztah… Bad boy a hodná holka je velké klišé, které jste četli už mnohokrát a tady je to přímo učebnicová ukázka. Vůbec, ale nevychází ta část, kdy se změní a ukáže se, že bad boy je doopravdy strašně super a miluje hlavní hrdinku. Jamesova backstory má sice dobrý námět, ale stejně celou dobu máte pocit, že je pro něj Ruby pouze výzva a chce si pomocí ní něco dokázat než, že by mu na ní záleželo.
Dalším problémem byl překlad. Několikrát byly přeloženy spojení, která mohla být anglicky a naopak zas některé fráze v angličtině by zněly lépe přeložené. No a co mi šlo proti srsti nejvíce bylo oslovování “maminka a tatínek”. Kolik osmnáctiletých lidí, kteří své rodiče takhle oslovují znáte?
Zároveň se v knize objevily dvě poměrně problematické scény, vztahy. Nebudu spoilerovat, ale doufám, že v dalším díle na to autorka nějak poukáže a nebude to takovéto, že je to vlastně v pohodě, i když fakt není.
Do dalšího dílu se plánuju pustit, protože mě zajímá, jak si autorka poradí s osudy některých postav a jedním z tech problémových vztahů, tak snad to bude více Mona Kasten, kterou jsem si zamilovala v začít znovu.
Tato kniha je pro mě velké zklamání. Od autorky jsem četla sérii začít znovu, což je jedna z mých nejoblíbenějších romantik. Bohužel tato kniha se opravdu nepovedla. Asi začnu s tím málem, co se mi líbilo.
Autorka má velmi čtivý styl a kniha se čte opravdu dobře. Navíc nad ní nemusíte přemýšlet a je tak super na dovolenou, kdy chcete u něčeho vypnout. Zároveň jí romantika jde a objevilo se několik velmi povedených momentů, kdy jsem se culila jako malá. Z postav si mě velmi získala Ember a Lýdie, která má velký potenciál na dobrou linku, tak uvidíme, co s ní autorka udělá.
Bohužel hlavní hrdinové Ruby a James mi vůbec nesedli. Skrz celou knihu se u nich neobjevil skoro žádný vývoj a ten jejich vztah… Bad boy a hodná holka je velké klišé, které jste četli už mnohokrát a tady je to přímo učebnicová ukázka. Vůbec, ale nevychází ta část, kdy se změní a ukáže se, že bad boy je doopravdy strašně super a miluje hlavní hrdinku. Jamesova backstory má sice dobrý námět, ale stejně celou dobu máte pocit, že je pro něj Ruby pouze výzva a chce si pomocí ní něco dokázat než, že by mu na ní záleželo.
Dalším problémem byl překlad. Několikrát byly přeloženy spojení, která mohla být anglicky a naopak zas některé fráze v angličtině by zněly lépe přeložené. No a co mi šlo proti srsti nejvíce bylo oslovování “maminka a tatínek”. Kolik osmnáctiletých lidí, kteří své rodiče takhle oslovují znáte?
Zároveň se v knize objevily dvě poměrně problematické scény, vztahy. Nebudu spoilerovat, ale doufám, že v dalším díle na to autorka nějak poukáže a nebude to takovéto, že je to vlastně v pohodě, i když fakt není.
Do dalšího dílu se plánuju pustit, protože mě zajímá, jak si autorka poradí s osudy některých postav a jedním z tech problémových vztahů, tak snad to bude více Mona Kasten, kterou jsem si zamilovala v začít znovu.
emotional