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A review by ppchili93
Hannaford Prep: The Complete Series by J. Bree
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
What was this? 😠I mean it was my own fault for going into a four-book, bully romance, reverse harem, prep school series, but still. You know it's not great when my favorite part of the entire series was book one where the FMC is essentially tormented for an entire school year by three assholes and one awful girl for literally no reason. The later books where she is dating the three of them and the girl is now her best friend get progressively worse and emotionless somehow. By the end, I was skipping entire paragraphs and my eyes were glazing over even though the plot had become more and more unhinged. I was actually legitimately shocked by the lack of spice throughout the series but it makes sense when you realize the characters are literally fifteen at the beginning. Imagining a fifteen-year-old girl as the leader of an underground criminal organization was laughable. I liked that she was not physically dominant but very intelligent (she didn't always act that way though), but the setup of this world and the story was wildly unbelievable. I don't know why Hanaford couldn't have been a college instead of a high school. Aging these characters up by four years would have made everything better.
0. Lips - the things that happened to this girl 😳. Also, why the hell was her name Lips?! Like Eclipse is an interesting (weird) but pretty name . . . Lips is just embarrassing. Honestly, I preferred Mounty or even Star (where were the usual reverse harem nicknames lol)? I started out liking Lips but grew more and more tired of her as the series went on. I wanted her to be much more than she was - more bloodthirsty, more calculating, more unforgiving, even more vulnerable. Also, her virginity status was whatever (of course she's a virgin while the love interests have slept with hundreds of girls), but I was over her embarrassment about this so quick. Being shy/blushing is a characteristic of hers (and that's fine), but it made the dynamic between her and everyone else very unbalanced (I'm sick of the male characters having sexual knowledge/experience and "giving" it to the FMC). Avery was a virgin too, but she didn't have the same strangeness about it. I wanted an assassin, leader of the criminal underworld FMC to own her sexuality (even if she was a virgin) instead of being so awkward about it.
Now for the boys:
1. Ash - easily the most boring even though he has the most compelling backstory. A serial killer father and brother? A twin he has to protect by working with those psychos? Yet he's somehow still a weird blank. I'm not sure what Ash's personality was really besides yelling at Avery and trying to prevent her from dating (or talking about dating) boys. Out of all three of the boys, Lips definitely spends the least amount of time with Ash and this kinda makes sense (although he has the biggest dick . . . a point we are repeatedly reminded of).
2. Blaise - I love a rockstar romance, but Blaise was just meh. I think he was supposed to be the goofy, comedic relief member of the harem, but he does a poor job of it. In actuality, he's the most dramatic, emotionally unstable, and absolutely worthless in terms of the circumstances the group faces. His family story is also the least traumatic and that pairing makes me wonder (like Lips' sociopathic brother does at the end of book four) what the hell is the musician doing here? He's also the biggest manwhore.
3. Harley - the only one of the boys that I actually liked and even that took me until the end of book two. Mostly I enjoyed this character because he was the most competent, intelligent, driven, un-privileged, protective, possessive one. Actually . . . he was the only one who really ever expressed his feelings verbally and the only one I believe really sees a long-term future with Lips. Blaise was cast as too much of a manwhore and Ash was too emotionally unavailable, but Harley does eventually get over himself and devotes the rest of the series to making it up to Lips. This is why reverse harems always strike me the wrong way though. Why did Lips even like Ash or Blaise? Why were the boys okay with sharing? Especially because Harley is her first kiss, first makeout, first orgasm, and he took her virginity! Plus, he is the first one to confess his feelings to her and he sleeps in her bed every night when the other two don't. Like Ash and Blaise are just waiting around in the wings for Harley to do everything first. Where is the balance in that type of relationship?
4. Avery - not one of the boys, but definitely one of the central points of the series. She is a very confusing character - vaguely likable (mostly because Lips won't shut up about how great she is), but if you think about any of her actions or behaviors beyond 'the family,' she's really just an awful bitch. That's why I think I enjoyed the first book the most, because Lips had a clear moral code and only used her skills to protect herself or bring down truly vile people. She had the clear high ground and the boys and Avery did not. Why did Avery want her out in the first place? This was the weakest part of the premise for me. Why not make it so that the whole group thinks that Lips is a plant/spy for Joey or Senior? That would make their anger and cruelty so much more understandable (and eventually forgivable). Instead, they target her because . . . she snorted at Ash's flirting with the secretary and witnessed Harley being sentenced for stealing a car? That means that they have the green light to verbally abuse her, break into her room, destroy all of her belongings (repeatedly) with pee and paint, drug her, humiliate her, etc., etc., etc.? I don't think so. This is where I wanted Lips to be more bloodthirsty and/or hold out and expect groveling. Instead, Lips literally befriends Avery immediately and then allows the boys to continue to treat her however they want until they realize, hey, I think I actually like her.
I will not be reading the other series or more from this author. Solemnly swear.
0. Lips - the things that happened to this girl 😳. Also, why the hell was her name Lips?! Like Eclipse is an interesting (weird) but pretty name . . . Lips is just embarrassing. Honestly, I preferred Mounty or even Star (where were the usual reverse harem nicknames lol)? I started out liking Lips but grew more and more tired of her as the series went on. I wanted her to be much more than she was - more bloodthirsty, more calculating, more unforgiving, even more vulnerable. Also, her virginity status was whatever (of course she's a virgin while the love interests have slept with hundreds of girls), but I was over her embarrassment about this so quick. Being shy/blushing is a characteristic of hers (and that's fine), but it made the dynamic between her and everyone else very unbalanced (I'm sick of the male characters having sexual knowledge/experience and "giving" it to the FMC). Avery was a virgin too, but she didn't have the same strangeness about it. I wanted an assassin, leader of the criminal underworld FMC to own her sexuality (even if she was a virgin) instead of being so awkward about it.
Now for the boys:
1. Ash - easily the most boring even though he has the most compelling backstory. A serial killer father and brother? A twin he has to protect by working with those psychos? Yet he's somehow still a weird blank. I'm not sure what Ash's personality was really besides yelling at Avery and trying to prevent her from dating (or talking about dating) boys. Out of all three of the boys, Lips definitely spends the least amount of time with Ash and this kinda makes sense (although he has the biggest dick . . . a point we are repeatedly reminded of).
2. Blaise - I love a rockstar romance, but Blaise was just meh. I think he was supposed to be the goofy, comedic relief member of the harem, but he does a poor job of it. In actuality, he's the most dramatic, emotionally unstable, and absolutely worthless in terms of the circumstances the group faces. His family story is also the least traumatic and that pairing makes me wonder (like Lips' sociopathic brother does at the end of book four) what the hell is the musician doing here? He's also the biggest manwhore.
3. Harley - the only one of the boys that I actually liked and even that took me until the end of book two. Mostly I enjoyed this character because he was the most competent, intelligent, driven, un-privileged, protective, possessive one. Actually . . . he was the only one who really ever expressed his feelings verbally and the only one I believe really sees a long-term future with Lips. Blaise was cast as too much of a manwhore and Ash was too emotionally unavailable, but Harley does eventually get over himself and devotes the rest of the series to making it up to Lips. This is why reverse harems always strike me the wrong way though. Why did Lips even like Ash or Blaise? Why were the boys okay with sharing? Especially because Harley is her first kiss, first makeout, first orgasm, and he took her virginity! Plus, he is the first one to confess his feelings to her and he sleeps in her bed every night when the other two don't. Like Ash and Blaise are just waiting around in the wings for Harley to do everything first. Where is the balance in that type of relationship?
4. Avery - not one of the boys, but definitely one of the central points of the series. She is a very confusing character - vaguely likable (mostly because Lips won't shut up about how great she is), but if you think about any of her actions or behaviors beyond 'the family,' she's really just an awful bitch. That's why I think I enjoyed the first book the most, because Lips had a clear moral code and only used her skills to protect herself or bring down truly vile people. She had the clear high ground and the boys and Avery did not. Why did Avery want her out in the first place? This was the weakest part of the premise for me. Why not make it so that the whole group thinks that Lips is a plant/spy for Joey or Senior? That would make their anger and cruelty so much more understandable (and eventually forgivable). Instead, they target her because . . . she snorted at Ash's flirting with the secretary and witnessed Harley being sentenced for stealing a car? That means that they have the green light to verbally abuse her, break into her room, destroy all of her belongings (repeatedly) with pee and paint, drug her, humiliate her, etc., etc., etc.? I don't think so. This is where I wanted Lips to be more bloodthirsty and/or hold out and expect groveling. Instead, Lips literally befriends Avery immediately and then allows the boys to continue to treat her however they want until they realize, hey, I think I actually like her.
I will not be reading the other series or more from this author. Solemnly swear.