A review by nikkieliz13
Hannaford Prep: The Complete Series by J. Bree

4.25

❝I want a mobster’s son with the face of an angel and the rap sheet of a street kid. I want the singer with a soft heart wrapped in barbs and trip wires of devastating wit to keep it safe. I want the billionaire’s unwanted son with eyes of ice and an endless love for his sister.❞

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 —» Rating:3.75 Stars

Spoiler Free Full Series Review

Hannaford Prep was supposed to be Lip’s ticket out of her old life in Mounts Bay, but it isn’t long before she realizes she jumped from the frying pan into the fire. The luxurious halls of her new home may be a far cry from the gang ruled streets she grew up on, but they’re no less deadly.

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 —» Characters:
Bree is an expert at utilizing her characters to bring to life the world around them. Every single one serves a purpose, no matter how minor they are.

Our heroine Lips is one of my favorite character types. Strong, resilient, resourceful, smart, and badass. She is definitely not a damsel in distress, even if she’s constantly being targeted. I loved how she had platonic relationships outside of her love interests, as they were vital to the development of her character.

The secondary characters of this story are fleshed out and in no way feel flat, which is a requirement for my enjoyment. Most of my favorites aren’t introduced in the first book, so to avoid spoilers, I won’t elaborate on them.

Unfortunately, the three love interests got on my nerves a bit too much. I felt like they didn’t respect Lips’ place as one of the Twelve. She earned her place among them, and she knows how to navigate that world, and yet they would constantly undermine her role, as if she was naive. They kept interfering to show they were big strong men when they weren’t needed, becoming liabilities, and it got on my nerves. Sadly, Lips allowed them to act this way with little resistance—which is frustrating because she doesn’t let anyone else walk all over her the way they do; it contradicts one of her core character traits.

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 —» Plot:
I loved the plot of each individual book, and the series as a whole. Bree managed to create a story that kept me glued to the pages.

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 —» Writing:
The writing was well done, and supported the quality of the book instead of taking away from it.

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 —» Tropes:
•Badass Heroine
•Bully Romance—heavy in first book and part of second
•Enemies-to-Lovers—first book and part of second
•Elite Boarding School—entitled rich kids, ‘heroes’ rule the school, bitchy queen bee’s, etc. 
•Famous/Rich Heroes
•Heroine Has Secret Identity
•Gangs—in the background of the first book, but becomes more prevalent throughout series

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