Review: Dark Delights by Mila Kane

DARK DELIGHTS
Series: Hellions of Hade Harbor Book 2
Author: Mila Kane
Genre: Dark Romance, New Adult Romance
Release Date: March 8, 2024

 

My little Cinderella nearly cost me everything. Now it’s time to pay…

Eve Martino is off limits. Her brother, my best friend, makes sure of that.

But when he transfers to play hockey at another school, he leaves his sister in my hands.

He has no idea about our history, no one does.

It’s our little secret.

The truth is, Eve nearly ripped my life apart, and threatened everything I care about.

… and I’ve been waiting for the chance to get even.

Now she’s my partner in class, my roommate and my ward.

Ruining her will be my perfect revenge.

 

Meet the Ice Gods, the Hockey players who never play by the rules and own Hade Harbor and everyone in it. Dark Delights is a standalone bully romance featuring a possessive hockey playing Ice God, and the smart, mouthy object of his obsession. This is a bully romance, and contains dark themes, please read with caution.

AMAZON

The jealous girl and the lonely boy.

Bad Intentions was my first Mila Kane book and I have been obsessively making my way through her new and old releases. But this book? This book right here? This turned my obsession into immediate auto buy. I thought I liked Bad Intention, but Dark Delights? The immediate and permanent chokehold that this book had on me should be illegal in at least 40 states.

Shut up, you stupid degenerate,” she fumed at me, moving her hips in subtle circles she seemed to have no idea she was making, fucking herself on my fingers.
“You want to be the only virgin at HHU?”
“Stop. Talking,” she ground out.
“Make me,” I growled against her lips.

Let’s talk about tropes for a second.

Enemies to lovers? Check
Rich boy/poor girl? Check
Bully elements? Check

But this book was so much deeper than those tropes and I’ll try to explain without giving any details away because you really want to go into it blind.

Beckett and Eve meet as kids when Eve’s mom takes a cleaning job in Beckett’s family estate. But while Beckett and Eve’s twi brother Asher become best friends, the relationship she has with Beck is contentious at best. One night, when they were kids, she overheard something she shouldn’t have. She saw the turmoil and pain that Beck hides behind his vicious and untouchable surface. When a mix up in the college dorms leaves no other solution for Eve but to take her brother’s room, she lands in the crosshairs of Beck. Roomies with benefits? Yes please. But these two hate each other and the hate lust? OH MY GOD. It was delicious.

I’d grown up with every single luxury in the world, materially, that was. There had never been anything that I couldn’t have. Until Eve. I wanted her surrender.

Now I loved Eve’s sassy mouth and inner strength. This is a girl who takes no sh*t and I loved her for it. But Beck? I was obsessed. This poor, tortured boy and his hidden inner scars owned my heart. I loved the way Mila wrote him and how she peeled back his layers to reveal one of the most complex characters. Yes he was a d*ck at times. Yes, I wanted to punch him at times. But I also wanted to hug him and take away all of his pain. This is not a guy who’s a d*ck just for the sake of being a d*ck. He’s complex, multilayered, and impossible not to fall for. Oh and the dirty mouth on him. *swoon*

You’re the fucking worst,” she muttered and reached out, circling my dick with her hands. That touch felt better than anything had ever felt, including any drug I’d ever taken. “And yet you’re about to gag on my cock and swallow my cum. Open wide, sweetheart,” I instructed her, gripping her jaw and guiding her forward.

But then his inner thoughts were even better.

I enjoyed every sign of her capitulation. Her reluctant fall into lust for a guy she couldn’t stand was half the turn-on. She wanted me against her better judgment, and that made me a king.


This was an addictive read from start to finish with a splash of suspense. I wouldn’t call it dark, per se, more like it had dark tones with a grittiness to it that I couldn’t get enough of.

I’m so obsessed with this series. And the set up for Asher’s book? I need it immediately!

 

I’m obsessed with cats, coffee, and anti-heroes just the right side of insane.

I write dark and dirty romance with the alpha-holes of your most filthy nightmares.

While I like my heroes obsessed and powerful, I like my heroines smart and independent. My headstrong, capable women will bring their own personal demons to their knees, and capture their hearts at the same time.

I only write SAFE stories, there is never a place for another woman in my heroes sights, once he’s caught the scent of the heroine, and there will always be, no matter how dark and twisted the story might be… a HEA guarantee xx

 

Connect with Mila

Website | https://www.milakane.com/

Amazon | https://amzn.to/44E1nt6

Facebook | www.facebook.com/MilaKanewrites

Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3NOGG6C

Instagram | www.instagram.com/milakanebooks/

TikTok | www.tiktok.com/@milakanebooks

Pinterest | www.pinterest.co.uk/MilaKaneWrites/

 


 

Review: Bad Intentions by Mila Kane

BAD INTENTIONS
Series: Hellions of Hade Harbor Book 1
Author: Mila Kane
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: August 16, 2023

When trouble follows you home…

Lily
His name was Cayden, and he was a golden boy, an instant hit with everyone I knew.
But the mask chipped and cracked in front of me, and I saw underneath.
If I hadn’t, maybe everything would have been different.
Maybe he would have let me go.
I guess I’ll never know.
I saw him, and I can never change that.
Most importantly…. he saw me.
Now, the Coach says he’s staying with us for the season, in the room right next to mine…
I’m locked inside with my bully, and he’s watching my every move.

Cade
It started with needing to make the coach’s daughter keep her pretty little mouth shut.
It ended with an obsession… mine.
I’m burning…. consumed – and she’s the reason.
Now, there is no way back.
Lily Williams isn’t like anyone think she is, underneath her straight-A student veneer.
I’m the only one to see the real her, I’m the only one to know her…
And I’m the one who is keeping her.

Meet the Ice Gods, the Hockey players who never play by the rules and own Hade Harbor and everyone in it. Bad Intentions is a standalone bully romance featuring a possessive hockey playing Ice God, and the smart, sheltered object of his obsession.

AMAZON

One day, you’re going to realize how wrong you are. You’re going to understand that I never betrayed you and that I always wanted the best for you, but by then it’ll be too late. The one person you opened up to will be gone forever.”

I have been firmly in my hockey romance era, desperately looking for something similar to S Mastery’s dark hockey romance vibes. When I saw the cover and blurb for this book, I knew instantly this would be my first Mila Kane book. I’ve been eyeing this author for some time, but this blurb finally pushed me over and I’m so happy it did because this book definitely hit the spot.

This is your bad boy from the wrong side of the track meet the good girl trope that I needed. Cayden comes with some real demons from his dark childhood and everything riding on his success in hockey. When the coach of the HHU team takes him under the wing, he knows nothing will stop him from his college hockey dreams, including the coach’s goodie two shoes daughter, Lily.

A restatement to my seriously f-ed up excpectations, I didn’t feel this was as dark as the trigger implied. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t deliciously gray. Because it was. Cade has a painfully dark past and the more you learn about him, the more you want to heal all his bad boy boobos. The trigger warning lists CNC, but I didn’t really feel that in that scene. Not to say it wasn’t deliciously steamy, because it was. There’s some primal play and definitely, hand necklaces, and some rough f-ery. But Lily most definitely enjoys every moment of it.

For all her parent pleasing, outcast/nerdy vibes, Lily is no pushover. She gives as good as she gets when it comes to Cade messing with her. And though I did want her to make him work for it more, especially at the end, the things Cade does to keep her safe made me more than ok with their easy reunion.

This is a promising beginning to a series that I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in and I will definitely be stalking Mila’s backlist. I do wish this was set in college rather than high school, but it was still super entertaining, with grayish undertones, and an intriguing cast of secondary characters.

 

I’m obsessed with cats, coffee, and anti-heroes just the right side of insane.

I write dark and dirty romance with the alpha-holes of your most filthy nightmares.

While I like my heroes obsessed and powerful, I like my heroines smart and independent. My headstrong, capable women will bring their own personal demons to their knees, and capture their hearts at the same time.

I only write SAFE stories, there is never a place for another woman in my heroes sights, once he’s caught the scent of the heroine, and there will always be, no matter how dark and twisted the story might be… a HEA guarantee xx

 

Connect with Mila

Website | https://www.milakane.com/

Amazon | https://amzn.to/44E1nt6

Facebook | www.facebook.com/MilaKanewrites

Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3NOGG6C

Instagram | www.instagram.com/milakanebooks/

TikTok | www.tiktok.com/@milakanebooks

Pinterest | www.pinterest.co.uk/MilaKaneWrites/

 


 

Review: Secret Obsession by S. Massery

SECRET OBESESSION
Author: S. Massery
Genre: Dark, Bully Romance
Release Date: June 28, 2023

Hockey goalies are known to be obsessive—but none more so than my ex’s brother.

I just didn’t expect to be on the receiving end of his dark possessive streak.

After a mortifying public break up with his older brother and teammate, Miles Whiteshaw declares me as his. That I’ve always been his, minus my year-long lapse in judgment.

The only problem? I’ve sworn off of two things:
Whiteshaw boys and love.

But Miles will go to any length to prove that we belong together—and I’m not sure we’ll survive the fall out if he’s wrong.

AMAZON

“The day I kneel at your feet is the day I die,” I manage to respond.
He shrugs, sitting straighter and focusing back on his easel. “We can simulate your death if you want, baby. But you’re not leaving this earth one second before me.”

Oh Miles, you psychopath, you. If you like your fictional men obsessed beyond reason and willing to do bad and depraved things to get the woman they want, look no further.

She thinks I’m going to leave her here after I take what I want from her. But I want everything.

I wasn’t sure about Willow when I finished Twisted Obsession: A Dark Hockey Romance. I mean, the girl was dating Miles’s older brother, who unbeknownst to her was only with her to win a bet. A part of me had hoped that her and Knox may end up together because I love the whole bet turned to feelings trope. But alas, Knox has not yet matured but I cannot wait to see this man fall hard. Miles was the understated secondary character who kind of flew under the radar, but boy did he take his center stage hard in his own book.

The book begins with the very public humiliation when Willow finally learned the truth about her boyfriend. She turns to a dark place after of numbing with partying and alcohol. Miles is determined to have her, even though she’s sworn off relationships and love. He knows there will be no other man for her, come hell or high water. And the man is nothing if not good to his word. He puts Willow through some hard therapy to break through her walls with all the grace of a tractor. But dang if I didn’t love his ways.

If you’ve read the rest of this series, you know it runs on the dark and gritty side. This was even more so than the previous two. Almost to the point of suspend your disbelief kind of dark, but I can’t seem to care because it was super entertaining.

Though I did get a bit tired of the back and forth between these two, I still devoured this book in a sitting. I’m obsessed with this series. See what I did there? And the set up for the next book? OH MY GAWD. NEED.

S. Massery is a dark romance author who loves injecting a good dose of suspense into her stories. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her dog, Alice.

Before adventuring into the world of writing, she went to college in Boston and held a wide variety of jobs–including working on a dude ranch in Wyoming (a personal highlight). She has a love affair with coffee and chocolate. When S. Massery isn’t writing, she can be found devouring books, playing outside with her dog, or trying to make people smile.

Connect with S. Massery
Website | http://smassery.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/smassery-gr
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3T64F2s
Facebook | https://bit.ly/3fRud4N
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3T3kl6C
Instagram | https://bit.ly/3edBQCp
TikTok | https://bit.ly/3RKdoWW
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3edBVWJ
Pinterest | https://bit.ly/3edBYBT
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/3RM1Rqb



Review: Devious Obsession by S. Massery

DEVIOUS OBESESSION
Author: S. Massery
Genre: Dark, Bully Romance
Release Date: March 23, 2023

“If you want to stay, you have to play the game…”

Steele O’Brien is everything I hate in hockey players.
He’s cocky, brooding, antagonistic.

I played his game, learned his secrets.
But that was before I found out he’s my new stepbrother.

Now we’re at college together, and I can’t escape him.
Or his demons.

It seems that, for him, the game isn’t over.
He says I’m his to play with. His to torment.
And he’s determined to not only get under my skin, but carve his name into it.

AMAZON

I’m going to give you a two-minute head start,” I say softly, still pinching her hair in my fingers. “And then I’m going to hunt you down. You’ll know I’m coming. When I catch you, you fight me. Do your worst…
…What are you waiting for?” I bark, my voice suddenly loud and cruel. “Run.”

What sort of magical crack does S Massery sprinkle into her books that make me so obsessed with them? Because I swear, it’s like she dug straight into my head and took out every single trope I love and put it into this book.

CNC? Check
Alphahole? Check
Bully/Enemies to Lovers? Check
Primal Play? Check
Completely addictive NA romance with a deliciously deviant college hockey star? Check and CHECK.

It’s an awkward position to be in, caught between wanting to knee him in the balls and suck on them.

Same, girl. SAME.

I thought I loved Brutal Obsession but that was simply because I hadn’t met Steele O’Brien yet. Because this man is the epitome of still waters run deep. You know what they say about the quiet ones, right? Because wowza! Steele is a man of some interesting tastes. As in no holds barred, anything goes sort of vibes. And I was so here for it!

Steele and Aspen first meet at a party and share an unbelievably hot encounter. Steele is not prepared to meet a stranger who seems to be as into what he likes as the beautiful girl whose name he doesn’t even bother to get. So imagine his surprise when he sees her again 6 months later at his school, only to discover she’s his new stepsister. Well, suffice it to say he doesn’t take it very well.

Every day you stay at CPU, your life will get worse.” I run my finger down her jaw, and a spark of pleasure goes through me when she jerks her head away. “If you leave, it all stops. But if you stay… I’m going to have so much fun tormenting you, sweetheart. Fucking count on that.”

But Steele isn’t the only one with dark wounds from his past. Aspen hides some of her own demons that haunt her waking hours. And when these two get together, sparks definitely fly.

They hate lust between them was deliciously incendiary. I couldn’t get enough of their hot and cold. Now if you don’t like your fictional men borderline unforgivable, you may not like Steele. But I happen to love depraved ones that haven’t met a boundary that they bend to. Boundaries? Who even is she? Steele doesn’t know her. He gets off on making Aspen’s life at school hell, and there is nothing too dark and depraved that he’s above not doing. I mean, the man does some pretty unforgivable things. Though he does make up for it at the end.

Aspen certainly gives as good as she gets and doesn’t just take his sh*t lying down. And while I do wish she fought him more at times, I simply couldn’t find myself caring. I devoured and I mean DEVOURED this book. I cannot wait for the next one. I’m a total S Massery addict now and I have zero regrets.

S. Massery is a dark romance author who loves injecting a good dose of suspense into her stories. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her dog, Alice.

Before adventuring into the world of writing, she went to college in Boston and held a wide variety of jobs–including working on a dude ranch in Wyoming (a personal highlight). She has a love affair with coffee and chocolate. When S. Massery isn’t writing, she can be found devouring books, playing outside with her dog, or trying to make people smile.

Connect with S. Massery
Website | http://smassery.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/smassery-gr
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3T64F2s
Facebook | https://bit.ly/3fRud4N
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3T3kl6C
Instagram | https://bit.ly/3edBQCp
TikTok | https://bit.ly/3RKdoWW
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3edBVWJ
Pinterest | https://bit.ly/3edBYBT
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/3RM1Rqb



Review: Brutal Obsession by S. Massery

BRUTAL OBESESSION
Author: S. Massery
Genre: Dark, Bully Romance
Release Date: November 30, 2022

He shattered my leg, and now he wants to ruin the rest of me.

Greyson Devereux is a menace–but only to me.
To everyone else, he’s charismatic.
He’s the son of a senator and the star of the university’s hockey team.

When all I want is to be invisible, he drags me into the spotlight.
He wants my blood, my fear, my attention.

Resisting him only worsens his obsession.
Fighting solidifies it.

He’s brutal, and he draws out a sick darkness in me that enjoys it.
But I’ll be damned if I let him become my downfall.

AMAZON

She’s breathing hard, although I’m not sure if she realizes it. Her chest rises and falls rapidly. It’s an elixir I didn’t know I needed, so I open my mouth and give the only order she’ll listen to. “Run.”

If you know me even a little then you already know that I love my fictional men mean. Like MEAN. Ya know? I want to hate them for the majority of the book and then I need them to change my mind irrevocably at the end. And Greyson Devereux is a menace to my ovaries if I ever found one. I am OBSESSED. Completely obsessed. And if you’re a fan of the bully romance trope, this book is not to be missed.

So let’s see. Greyson is a cocky, rich and privileged with some extreme daddy issues. Coming home one night he gets into an accident that causes a severe injury to the other car’s occupant. So what’s a guy to do? Put his date in the driver’s seat, check to make sure the other occupant is alive, call his dad, and then escape the scene of the crime. Suffice it to say he’s not a good guy.

Now look, if this already sounds like it isn’t your cup of tea, then I suggest skipping this one. This girl? Needed a good redemption arc and happy to report I got one.

Violet Reece is back at school following an accident that took the dream of dancing from her. So imagine her surprise when the guy behind the wheel of the other car that night of the accident is at her school, and looking at her like she did something wrong.

Thu begins their back and forth dance of hate lust, pure hate, blackmail, bullying, and unwanted attraction. I saw the author mention that this is the darkest book she’s ever written, and while I didn’t find it to be particularly dark, I can see it won’t be for everyone. There’s dubcon, blackmail, and bullying. And while I love my MFC with a backbone and thought Violet gave in too easily in some parts, I did love the way she fought back in others. One scene of blackmail in a locker room particularly comes to mind. But I digress.

Was this book a sweet romance? Not even a little. Did I find it dark? No, but it certainly had dark undercurrents. Was it addictive? Very much so. Do I need to read everything else by this author immediately? Absolutely.

Review: Cruel Prince by A. Jade

CRUEL PRINCE
Series:
Royal Hearts Academy #1
Genre: New Adult, Bully Romance
Author: Amelia Wilde
Release Date:
 August 20, 2019

Welcome to their kingdom…

I never thought I’d step foot in Royal Manor again.
But five years later, here I am…back to finish my senior year at Royal Hearts Academy.

And forced to face Jace Covington.
My first friend. First crush. First kiss.
The one I left behind.

Only—he isn’t the same boy I gave my heart to.

This new Jace is as cruel as he is gorgeous.
And he’s determined to make my life a living hell.
Along with the rest of his glorified family and crew of tyrants.

They expect me to worship the ground they walk on like everyone else, but I’d rather eat dirt.

If Jace Covington wants me gone…he’ll have to try harder.
Because I’ve never been the kind of girl to play by the rules.

WARNING: Royal Hearts Academy is a New Adult/High School series of standalones filled with drama, a touch of angst, and boys who are bad to the bone.
This series is recommended for mature readers due to graphic language and sexual content.

AMAZON 

No one in the whole wide world has the power to make me feel both love and hate simultaneously the way Jace Covington does. He’s the yin to my yang. The down to my up. The crazy to my normal. The damaged pieces to all my broken parts.

Did this spend entirely too long on my TBR? Yes.
Did I randomly pick it up last night expecting to try the first few pages? Yes
Did I binge read it in one sitting and stay up till 3 am to finish? Also yes
Actual footage of me at work today:
Do I have regrets? Not. A. One.

Now first of all, all of my friends who have read this book and didn’t wallop me over the head with their kindle to get me to read this sooner? Friendship over! You hear me? FRIENDSHIP OVER.

If you know me then you know that bully romance is my crack of choice. The meaner the hero, the better. I want the angst so thick I can taste it. I want the feels. I want to hate to love it and love to hate it. And when you spend 80% of the book wanting to cock punch the hero, well you know you’re in for a good time.

But the heart doesn’t choose who we love by their worth. Because love isn’t a choice. It’s an illogical, all-consuming consequence that results from someone stealing a vital piece of you.

Jace and Dylan became an obsession. I love the story here of childhood friends turned bitter enemies. Dylan is back in her home town after her father’s fall from grace, of the lock up variety. She’s expecting things to change, of course, but nothing prepares her for the sheer venom directed at her by the boy who was once her everything.

Jace was cruelty personified. He’s determined to make Dylan pay for the past, though you don’t quite know what it is that happened. That is slowly unraveled by small glimpses into the past.

Now if there’s one thing I need in my bully romance, is a good reason for the hero to be the utter douchebag that he is. And boy did this have it. My heart broke for this tortured boy. There is so much emotion, pain, and heartbreak that’s packed into this story that it sucks you right into the dark depths of it. I also want a fierce heroine and Dylan definitely gave as good as she got. This is a girl that gets pushed down but comes up swinging and I loved her for it. She definitely has a weak spot for Jace, and loves him unconditionally no matter how cruel he is. Their sexual chemistry being her particular weakness. Can’t say I blame her though lol. My one quibble is I wished for a longer grovel at the end, but it was still immensely satisfying so I can’t complain much. Now on to the next book because I NEED Oakley’s book. My poor tortured boy.

Review: Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

TRYST SIX VENOM
Genre:
 FF, Bully Romance
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date: June 3, 2021

???? ?????, ???? ?????, ??? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ?????… ??? ?????!

????

Marymount girls are good girls. We’re chaste, we’re untouched, and even if we weren’t, no one would know, because we keep our mouths shut.

Not that I have anything to share anyway. I never let guys go too far. I’m behaved.

Beautiful, smart, talented, popular, my skirt’s always pressed, and I never have a hair out of place. I own the hallways, walking tall on Monday and dropping to my knees like the good Catholic girl I am on Sunday.

That’s me. Always in control.

Or so they think. The truth is that it’s easy for me to resist them, because what I truly want, they can never be. Something soft and smooth. Someone dangerous and wild.

Unfortunately, what I want I have to hide. In the locker room after hours. In the bathroom stall between classes. In the showers after practice. ?? ℎ??? ????????. ?? ℎ??? ?? ℎ?? ?????.

For me, life is a web of secrets. No one can find out mine.

??????

I cross the tracks every day for one reason—to graduate from this school and get into the Ivy League. I’m not ashamed of where I come from, my family, or how everyone at Marymount thinks my skirts are too short and my lipstick is too red.

Clay Collins and her friends have always turned up their noses at me. The witch with her beautiful skin, clean shoes, and rich parents who torments me daily and thinks I won’t fight back.

At least not until I get her alone and find out she’s hiding so much more than just what’s underneath those pretty clothes.

The princess thinks I’ll scratch her itch. She thinks she’s still pure as long as it’s not a guy touching her.

I told her to stay on her side of town. I told her not to cross the tracks.

But one night, she did. And when I’m done with her, she’ll never be pure again.

*TRYST SIX VENOM is a standalone, new adult, bully romance suitable for readers 18+. It will release directly into Kindle Unlimited!

AMAZON

I hate Olivia Jaeger. I f*cking hate her, and I’d happily never love anything if I could hate her my whole life. My eyes pool with tears, and I don’t know why.

The author that first introduced me to bully romance now coming out with an FF bully romance? You best believe I’d be all over that. I was downright salivating for this book for moooooonths. Desperately awaiting the release. So when it landed on my kindle, I must have jumped on it quicker than you can say “mine”. True story.

When you’re in the eye of the storm, the only way out is through.

A prestigious high school for the rich and entitled. A girl from the wrong side of the tracks. And the spoiled girl who seems to have everything she wants, except the one thing that alludes her. I was instantly hooked on the story.

Clay is a bully that you can’t help but love. She’s tortured, angry, and no matter how much venom she spits, you see the pain it’s rooted in. She’s the popular girl in the school. The one who seems to have everything at her fingertips. The captain of the lacrosse team and the girl all guys want and all girls want to be.

Olivia “Liv” Jaeggar is her antithesis. She’s the black sheep of the school and the brunt of everyone’s jokes. She doesn’t hide herself and makes no apologies. The only girl amongst her 5 brothers, she’s a bit of a bad girl with an aura of I don’t give a d@mn. I loved her. She’s venomous in her own right. She takes everything Clay has to give and dishes it right back. But where Clay hasn’t quite figured out who she is, Liv knows it and wears it openly.

I loved the fact that Pen also focused on some very real pieces of bullying and I appreciated this story so much more for it.

As for the romance, I lived for it. It’s a slow burn, full of angst and emotion. It had so much depth that I found myself happily drowning in it. And the epilogue? *chefs kiss* Perfection.

But even though I loved this book, I’m completely unsatisfied too. Why? Because I need more. I need a book for each and every single one of Liv’s bothers. Particularly Macon and Dallas. Like I would DIE for their book. I need it BAD.

Aside from that, I’m in book heaven. This book hit every single spot. I loved every page of it.

Review: Hate Me by A. Jade

HATE ME
Genre: Dark Bully Romance
Series: (Standalone in the BLACK MOUNTAIN ACADEMY)
Author: A. Jade
Release Date: January 28, 2020

A Stepbrother Bully Romance

I’m the whispers in the dark you can’t ignore.

The bully you can’t run away from.

I’m the tormentor who makes your life a living hell.

The villain you love to hate.

I’m the vicious stepbrother sleeping in the next room.

The one who knows all your secrets.

And I’ll stop at nothing to make you pay.

 

 

WARNING: This book is recommended for mature readers due to graphic language, sexual content, and dark elements.

AMAZON

Sheridan is nothing more than a pretty little pawn. A means to an end. A heart I intend to shatter into a million jagged pieces. I won’t hurt her physically.
Frankly, that isn’t my style. But I will ruin her.
I’ll ruin her for any other man.

The second I read this blurb, I was salivating for this book. SALIVATING. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and this one sounded utterly delicious. Admittedly, the blurb is deceiving. Because it wasn’t quite that. And while I did enjoy this book for the most part, there were a few parts that just didn’t live up to the promise of the blurb for me.

The premise of the story is amazing. Sheridan and August are the children of families with a long and dark history rooted in lies and pain. August is the youngest son and doesn’t take much seriously. But when he catches the daughter of his family’s enemy in his pool, he’s determined to make the best of it. He sets out to make her pay for what her father did to his family, or at least what he thinks he did. But it leads to something that neither of them expect.

Sheridan fights the allure of August for as long as she can. He’s the epitome of forbidden fruit to her. His family ruined hers, after all. But August is determined and chases her until she gives in. Thus begins their tumultuous secret relationship.

Now, I loved the complexity of their family history and both Sheridan and August’s characters. The secrets that lie between their families was alluring and had me turning the pages to figure it all out. What left me a bit disappointed was the timeline. August’s fall seemed sudden and quick. It wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped considering the set up where he wants to make her pay and be the pawn. It seems the second he first sleeps with her, all of it is forgotten. It just didn’t seem fleshed out enough to be satisfying for me. I love when the bad boy falls, especially when it’s in spite of himself. And while the set up alludes to that, it didn’t end up that way.

The other piece of it is the blurb. The blurb alludes that they fall apart to crash back together. And while it did happen, sort of, it wasn’t quite as satisfying as it seems. Their separation is really over the span of a few pages and ultimately lasts just a few months. It’s barely fleshed out and happens in the blink of an eye towards the end of the story. I was hoping for a big falling out and a falling back together. But really, they reunite at the end and then just face some family drama. The blurb just felt a bit…deceiving to me. It set up my hopes to one story, but this turned out different.

Did I ultimately enjoy this book, yes. It wasn’t quite what I thought, but I did like it. It was my first book by this author but certainly won’t be my last. I had my quibbles with it, but those things aside, it was a nice read.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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