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Devils of Sun Valley High #1
Wicked Devil
All I want to do at my new school is blend in. But the most popular guy on campus paints a target on my back, forcing me to stand out.
Roman Valdez is untouchable. The self-appointed Devil of Sun Valley High.
A player on the football field and off. He runs hot one minute and cold the next.
I can’t tell if he wants me, or if he hates me.
All I know is he thinks he can win whatever twisted game it is he’s playing with me.
But I’m not here to play games.
And if I’m the prize, I won’t be his.
Roman Valdez is untouchable. The self-appointed Devil of Sun Valley High.
A player on the football field and off. He runs hot one minute and cold the next.
I can’t tell if he wants me, or if he hates me.
All I know is he thinks he can win whatever twisted game it is he’s playing with me.
But I’m not here to play games.
And if I’m the prize, I won’t be his.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 29, 2020
5927 people are currently reading
19377 people want to read
About the author
Daniela Romero
34 books1,029 followersDaniela Romero is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She enjoys writing steamy, new-adult and paranormal romance that delivers an emotional roller coaster sure to take your breath away.
Her books feature a diverse cast of characters with rich and vibrant cultures in an effort to effectively portray the world we all live in. One that is so beautifully colorful.
Daniela is a Bay Area native though she currently lives in Washington State with her sarcastic husband and their three tiny terrors.
In her free time, Daniela enjoys frequent naps, binge reading her favorite romance books, and is known to crochet while watching television because her ADHD brain can never do just one thing at a time.
Stop by her website to find all the fun and unique ways you can stalk her. And while you’re there you can check out some free bonus scenes from your favorite books, learn about her Patreon, order signed copies of her books, and swoon over her gorgeous alternative cover editions.
www.daniela-romero.com
You can join her newsletter by visiting
https://hi.switchy.io/VIP
Her books feature a diverse cast of characters with rich and vibrant cultures in an effort to effectively portray the world we all live in. One that is so beautifully colorful.
Daniela is a Bay Area native though she currently lives in Washington State with her sarcastic husband and their three tiny terrors.
In her free time, Daniela enjoys frequent naps, binge reading her favorite romance books, and is known to crochet while watching television because her ADHD brain can never do just one thing at a time.
Stop by her website to find all the fun and unique ways you can stalk her. And while you’re there you can check out some free bonus scenes from your favorite books, learn about her Patreon, order signed copies of her books, and swoon over her gorgeous alternative cover editions.
www.daniela-romero.com
You can join her newsletter by visiting
https://hi.switchy.io/VIP
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,094 reviews
January 29, 2021
Even the Devil was once an Angel!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💙💜❤️🖤
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📘📗📕📙📓
World building: 🌏🪐🌍🌕🌎
Character development: 👩🏼🦰👱🏼♂🧑🏻👩🏽
The setting: Sun Valley High School
The Hero: Roman Valdez, high school senior. He and his two friends are known as the Devils. They are the kings of the school, on track to the NFL after college. Football is their focus.
The Heroine: Alejandra (Allie) Ramirez, recently lost her mother and was sent to live with the wealthy father she never met.
I was immersed in this from the start. The characters were latino which was a nice change of pace. Though I hated the fact that Roman’s car is an El Camino. Just a bit too over the top, plus they are so ugly. I know Jesse Pinkman drove away in one at the end of Breaking Bad, but that doesn’t up the cool factor of those things in my book!
Aside from the the ugly truck/car issue, this book was terrific. I thought it was going to be pretty standard high school bully hate to love fare, but it ended up being so much more. Allie suffers through the loss of her mother and having to leave everything she knows, not to mention the same day that her Mom dies, she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her with her best friend. However, she perseveres and knows she just has to get through the school year.
I liked Roman despite the fact that he was a jerk for a large part of the book. He is one of those guys who is really only that way when he feels threatened or when he is trying to save face, and don’t we all do that a bit. He hurts Allie when he thinks she is only with him for a fun time. He can’t figure out his attraction to her but knows that it is different that anything he has felt before.
He wants her to want to be with him and to show that by doing things like attending his football game. When her actions hurt him, he lashes out before finding out the real story. However, beneath the bravado and the things he does to hurt her back, he really cares. He (and his friends) do what they can to protect her and he notices everything about her, like the fact that she doesn’t eat enough.
I feel bad for Allie as well when one tragedy after another seems to befall her. I was glad she had her best friend Julio and that Aaron also turned out to be a true friend to her so that she had them to lean on when she needed. There were a few scenes in this book that were difficult to read, the book gets so much deeper than your standard high school bully romance. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but this book has some very timely storylines with regards to race and brutality, which were handled perfectly.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💙💜❤️🖤
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📘📗📕📙📓
World building: 🌏🪐🌍🌕🌎
Character development: 👩🏼🦰👱🏼♂🧑🏻👩🏽
The setting: Sun Valley High School
The Hero: Roman Valdez, high school senior. He and his two friends are known as the Devils. They are the kings of the school, on track to the NFL after college. Football is their focus.
The Heroine: Alejandra (Allie) Ramirez, recently lost her mother and was sent to live with the wealthy father she never met.
I was immersed in this from the start. The characters were latino which was a nice change of pace. Though I hated the fact that Roman’s car is an El Camino. Just a bit too over the top, plus they are so ugly. I know Jesse Pinkman drove away in one at the end of Breaking Bad, but that doesn’t up the cool factor of those things in my book!
Aside from the the ugly truck/car issue, this book was terrific. I thought it was going to be pretty standard high school bully hate to love fare, but it ended up being so much more. Allie suffers through the loss of her mother and having to leave everything she knows, not to mention the same day that her Mom dies, she finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her with her best friend. However, she perseveres and knows she just has to get through the school year.
I liked Roman despite the fact that he was a jerk for a large part of the book. He is one of those guys who is really only that way when he feels threatened or when he is trying to save face, and don’t we all do that a bit. He hurts Allie when he thinks she is only with him for a fun time. He can’t figure out his attraction to her but knows that it is different that anything he has felt before.
He wants her to want to be with him and to show that by doing things like attending his football game. When her actions hurt him, he lashes out before finding out the real story. However, beneath the bravado and the things he does to hurt her back, he really cares. He (and his friends) do what they can to protect her and he notices everything about her, like the fact that she doesn’t eat enough.
I feel bad for Allie as well when one tragedy after another seems to befall her. I was glad she had her best friend Julio and that Aaron also turned out to be a true friend to her so that she had them to lean on when she needed. There were a few scenes in this book that were difficult to read, the book gets so much deeper than your standard high school bully romance. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but this book has some very timely storylines with regards to race and brutality, which were handled perfectly.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
January 22, 2022
I like to break up my fantasy/paranormal books with some romance, but this one just didn’t do it for me.
The ‘hero’ was a total asshole from the moment he was introduced. He was cocky and creepy and petty for no reason, and all the talk of him being on top and needing to show the new girl her place at the bottom? Weird. Who genuinely finds that attractive?
If this story had been longer it might have had time to delve deeper into a couple of things.
Her father
The story had little to no information about her father. What did he work as? Why did everyone hate him? Why did he want to take in his daughter only to have his personal assistant deal with her? Why was she assaulted because of him?
The whole thing about her father was just brushed over, with little attention given to it.
Her Eating Disorder?
It was mentioned several times throughout the book by the heroine that she wasn't eating, she had lost weight, food didn't appeal to her and then by the hero who kept mentioning that he noticed she was losing weight/not eating and was hinting towards him being concerned about it, but again, nothing came of it and it was just brushed aside.
I hate when things like potential eating disorders are used in the way it was in this book. If you are going to have something like this in your story, flesh it out, have it as a main focus, not a quirky plot point to have your heroine more pathetic than she already is. It isn't cool and cute when a girl doesn't/can't eat. It isn't a tool to use to make the hero interested in her or concerned about her. If you are going to touch on any kind of disorder, do it properly. It was not done properly in this book and just irritated me each time it was hinted at, because I knew it wouldn't be fleshed out.
The relationship
Roman was pushy, arrogant, rude and chauvinistic. He was creepy from the moment he clapped eyes on her. I'm not under any impression that guys don't check girls out when they first meet them and probably whenever they see them, but the way he was written left me wondering if he had any active brain cells in his skull at all.
Two sentences in and he apparently knew that she wasn't like any other girl he'd ever met before. Am I meant to be able to believe that? Is that meant to be relatable? I've never once met somebody that two minutes in I've thought wow, this person is unlike anyone I've ever met, I want to fuck them for it... but maybe that's just me?
The most realistic part of their relationship was him getting his orgasm and leaving her without getting hers, but not the way it was written. He didn't give her an orgasm because she wouldn't beg for it? Am I the only one that thought that was gross? The heroine obviously didn't, because she slept with him in a classroom at school the following Monday, so loudly that the class next door heard them, but obviously instead of a teacher or member of staff coming to investigate, the very girl that hates our heroine and is obsessed with the hero comes in to tell them everyone overheard them.
The relationship on a whole didn't have any substance for me. It was a physical relationship and nothing more. The author didn't give it time to be anything more. They slept together a couple of times and then suddenly she was the only girl in the world for him, he knew he was never going to have another, so much so that he went and got the backs of his hands tattooed just for her.
I couldn't get behind it at all.
His friends
The very same guys who continuously told him to just 'fuck her out of his system' because he needed to focus on football turned to him after meeting her for the first time and demanded they be allowed to 'keep her', despite what they had believed in only moments before.
Honestly, his friends were the best part of the story, but I even struggled with them.
You can tell the author thinks it's cute and quirky that the main female character doesn't have any true female friends and is only friends with guys. I understand the whole 'boys are easier to be friends with' stuff but come on. How many times have we seen this done?
The other girls
There was one single other female in this story in the school that Allie deemed worthy of her time and she was barely given any time in this book. All of the other girls were so jealous of her and the attention she got from Roman and his friends that they beat her up not only once but twice for it.
Does this actually happen anywhere in the world? I could not imagine being around someone so unhinged that they would physically knock the shit out of me in the school toilets for speaking to the guy they liked. Not the guy they were seeing, the guy they LIKED.
The assault
This came out of nowhere and went nowhere. It was used as a plot point to throw some more turmoil into the relationship between the two main characters.
The men that assaulted her told her they were doing it to get back at her father, but you don't find out why. There is no heartfelt moment with her father over what happens to her, and actually, all you get in a brief conversation between her and her father's PA where the woman manages to gaslight Allie into thinking she was assaulted because she was alone when she shouldn't have been, had been drinking and had been wearing revealing clothing.
She is found by Roman's father - the chief of police (or whatever the hell he is) - who knows what happened to her but does nothing. Doesn't open an investigation into what clearly happened to a minor, doesn't speak to her father, doesn't speak to the school. This happened on school grounds. Were there no cameras? Should the faculty not be told that one of their students was assaulted on school property by two random men, who are never named or caught?
The answer to all of those questions - no, because like I said, this was used as a way to throw the relationship between Allie and Roman into turmoil, because things were just starting to look good for them. Roman turns into a petulant child and starts parading a girl in front of Allie that he doesn't like - the very girl he knows battered Allie in the school toilets - and she brings a random friend from her old home to school with her where he's somehow allowed to go to all of her classes with her? Am I the only one that thought that part was weird? Maybe schools in America differ from school's in the UK but I wouldn't be able to bring in anyone who wasn't enrolled in my school and trot them into all of my classes with me for a full day.
Sometimes the miscommunication trope works in a book, but like most of the other tropes in this one, it doesn't work. It's just annoying and childish.
So yes people - the main character was sexually assaulted just so her and her not-boyfriend could not talk to each other about what happened and why she went missing from his game and didn't answer any of his text messages.
The police and Dom
This one made me roll my eyes HARD. Another real, harrowing issue in the world used in the book as a way to begin 'fixing' the relationship between the two main characters.
I was really honestly shocked to realise that the author used racism and police brutality towards the only black character in the book as a way for Roman to find out that Allie had been assaulted. Out of absolutely nowhere, two police cars worth of cops show up outside of the dining Allie is working at while Dom is waiting outside to pick her up and have him on the ground with guns pointing at him all because he 'fits the description' of someone who's stolen a car. There wasn't a single other mention or hint towards racism in this book, and it isn't mentioned again after this scene, so why? For what? Poor fucking Dom was held at gun point all so Roman's father could realise that his son knew Allie and tell him and Dom what had happened to her at the football game. Something as serious as this should not ever have been used simply as a way to pull Roman's head out of his ass when it came to how he was handling the situation with Allie.
And for nothing to come of it? Roman's father says nothing about it. He's angry for about 5 seconds when he first arrives and then focuses on telling his son what happened to Allie. I'm sorry, but if my son's best friend had just been wrongfully held at gun point simply for the colour of his skin by men that worked for me, I'd like to think that would be a much bigger issue to me than spilling secrets about an underage rape victim.
I mean, that would NOT be allowed. Surely that goes against some kind of law? I know she didn't report the crime - which was a whole other shit show - but to tell his son something so personal and confidential about someone that went to his school just seemed very iffy to me. Had Roman not liked her the way he did, he could have spread that around the entire school and made her life there hell, all because the chief of police told his son her business.
This book could have been really, really good, if the author had paid more attention to every other aspect of the book and not just focusing on the relationship between Roman and Allie. I know she has follow-up books with some of the other characters, but if the side characters are completely one dimensional, it ruins the book for me. When the themes and plot points used are flat and brushed past - especially when they hitting some really hard topics - it ruins the book for me. When feelings and beliefs change in a matter of pages with no real growth shown, it ruins a book for me!
I did read all the way to the end, because I appreciate that this is somebody's body of work, and I want them to get paid for the work they are putting out there, but I won't be tempted to read anything else by this author after struggling to get through this book.
The ‘hero’ was a total asshole from the moment he was introduced. He was cocky and creepy and petty for no reason, and all the talk of him being on top and needing to show the new girl her place at the bottom? Weird. Who genuinely finds that attractive?
If this story had been longer it might have had time to delve deeper into a couple of things.
Her father
The story had little to no information about her father. What did he work as? Why did everyone hate him? Why did he want to take in his daughter only to have his personal assistant deal with her? Why was she assaulted because of him?
The whole thing about her father was just brushed over, with little attention given to it.
Her Eating Disorder?
It was mentioned several times throughout the book by the heroine that she wasn't eating, she had lost weight, food didn't appeal to her and then by the hero who kept mentioning that he noticed she was losing weight/not eating and was hinting towards him being concerned about it, but again, nothing came of it and it was just brushed aside.
I hate when things like potential eating disorders are used in the way it was in this book. If you are going to have something like this in your story, flesh it out, have it as a main focus, not a quirky plot point to have your heroine more pathetic than she already is. It isn't cool and cute when a girl doesn't/can't eat. It isn't a tool to use to make the hero interested in her or concerned about her. If you are going to touch on any kind of disorder, do it properly. It was not done properly in this book and just irritated me each time it was hinted at, because I knew it wouldn't be fleshed out.
The relationship
Roman was pushy, arrogant, rude and chauvinistic. He was creepy from the moment he clapped eyes on her. I'm not under any impression that guys don't check girls out when they first meet them and probably whenever they see them, but the way he was written left me wondering if he had any active brain cells in his skull at all.
Two sentences in and he apparently knew that she wasn't like any other girl he'd ever met before. Am I meant to be able to believe that? Is that meant to be relatable? I've never once met somebody that two minutes in I've thought wow, this person is unlike anyone I've ever met, I want to fuck them for it... but maybe that's just me?
The most realistic part of their relationship was him getting his orgasm and leaving her without getting hers, but not the way it was written. He didn't give her an orgasm because she wouldn't beg for it? Am I the only one that thought that was gross? The heroine obviously didn't, because she slept with him in a classroom at school the following Monday, so loudly that the class next door heard them, but obviously instead of a teacher or member of staff coming to investigate, the very girl that hates our heroine and is obsessed with the hero comes in to tell them everyone overheard them.
The relationship on a whole didn't have any substance for me. It was a physical relationship and nothing more. The author didn't give it time to be anything more. They slept together a couple of times and then suddenly she was the only girl in the world for him, he knew he was never going to have another, so much so that he went and got the backs of his hands tattooed just for her.
I couldn't get behind it at all.
His friends
The very same guys who continuously told him to just 'fuck her out of his system' because he needed to focus on football turned to him after meeting her for the first time and demanded they be allowed to 'keep her', despite what they had believed in only moments before.
Honestly, his friends were the best part of the story, but I even struggled with them.
You can tell the author thinks it's cute and quirky that the main female character doesn't have any true female friends and is only friends with guys. I understand the whole 'boys are easier to be friends with' stuff but come on. How many times have we seen this done?
The other girls
There was one single other female in this story in the school that Allie deemed worthy of her time and she was barely given any time in this book. All of the other girls were so jealous of her and the attention she got from Roman and his friends that they beat her up not only once but twice for it.
Does this actually happen anywhere in the world? I could not imagine being around someone so unhinged that they would physically knock the shit out of me in the school toilets for speaking to the guy they liked. Not the guy they were seeing, the guy they LIKED.
The assault
This came out of nowhere and went nowhere. It was used as a plot point to throw some more turmoil into the relationship between the two main characters.
The men that assaulted her told her they were doing it to get back at her father, but you don't find out why. There is no heartfelt moment with her father over what happens to her, and actually, all you get in a brief conversation between her and her father's PA where the woman manages to gaslight Allie into thinking she was assaulted because she was alone when she shouldn't have been, had been drinking and had been wearing revealing clothing.
She is found by Roman's father - the chief of police (or whatever the hell he is) - who knows what happened to her but does nothing. Doesn't open an investigation into what clearly happened to a minor, doesn't speak to her father, doesn't speak to the school. This happened on school grounds. Were there no cameras? Should the faculty not be told that one of their students was assaulted on school property by two random men, who are never named or caught?
The answer to all of those questions - no, because like I said, this was used as a way to throw the relationship between Allie and Roman into turmoil, because things were just starting to look good for them. Roman turns into a petulant child and starts parading a girl in front of Allie that he doesn't like - the very girl he knows battered Allie in the school toilets - and she brings a random friend from her old home to school with her where he's somehow allowed to go to all of her classes with her? Am I the only one that thought that part was weird? Maybe schools in America differ from school's in the UK but I wouldn't be able to bring in anyone who wasn't enrolled in my school and trot them into all of my classes with me for a full day.
Sometimes the miscommunication trope works in a book, but like most of the other tropes in this one, it doesn't work. It's just annoying and childish.
So yes people - the main character was sexually assaulted just so her and her not-boyfriend could not talk to each other about what happened and why she went missing from his game and didn't answer any of his text messages.
The police and Dom
This one made me roll my eyes HARD. Another real, harrowing issue in the world used in the book as a way to begin 'fixing' the relationship between the two main characters.
I was really honestly shocked to realise that the author used racism and police brutality towards the only black character in the book as a way for Roman to find out that Allie had been assaulted. Out of absolutely nowhere, two police cars worth of cops show up outside of the dining Allie is working at while Dom is waiting outside to pick her up and have him on the ground with guns pointing at him all because he 'fits the description' of someone who's stolen a car. There wasn't a single other mention or hint towards racism in this book, and it isn't mentioned again after this scene, so why? For what? Poor fucking Dom was held at gun point all so Roman's father could realise that his son knew Allie and tell him and Dom what had happened to her at the football game. Something as serious as this should not ever have been used simply as a way to pull Roman's head out of his ass when it came to how he was handling the situation with Allie.
And for nothing to come of it? Roman's father says nothing about it. He's angry for about 5 seconds when he first arrives and then focuses on telling his son what happened to Allie. I'm sorry, but if my son's best friend had just been wrongfully held at gun point simply for the colour of his skin by men that worked for me, I'd like to think that would be a much bigger issue to me than spilling secrets about an underage rape victim.
I mean, that would NOT be allowed. Surely that goes against some kind of law? I know she didn't report the crime - which was a whole other shit show - but to tell his son something so personal and confidential about someone that went to his school just seemed very iffy to me. Had Roman not liked her the way he did, he could have spread that around the entire school and made her life there hell, all because the chief of police told his son her business.
This book could have been really, really good, if the author had paid more attention to every other aspect of the book and not just focusing on the relationship between Roman and Allie. I know she has follow-up books with some of the other characters, but if the side characters are completely one dimensional, it ruins the book for me. When the themes and plot points used are flat and brushed past - especially when they hitting some really hard topics - it ruins the book for me. When feelings and beliefs change in a matter of pages with no real growth shown, it ruins a book for me!
I did read all the way to the end, because I appreciate that this is somebody's body of work, and I want them to get paid for the work they are putting out there, but I won't be tempted to read anything else by this author after struggling to get through this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2020
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I was honestly torn between 4 and 5 stars with this book. So let's keep it at 4.5 vanilla starts.
She's a new author to me, but the only thing against her here, is that this is a highschool bully romance trope, and I've made myself clear before that this trope is starting to fade into nothing after so much of the same recycled plot.
Despite of the start of the story, where I could check every single cliche item of almost every highschool bully, meaning:
- hot new girl in school? ✓
- dead or absent parent? ✓✓
- hot jerk jock who runs the school?✓
- also his hot loyal friends with opposite personalities? ✓
- mean jealousy girls? ✓
- that initial and out of the blue hate/lust between the MC? ✓✓
Despite all that, I find myself really attached to this story. For starts I'm really happy that the 3 jock hotties were 2 Latinos and 1 black (I'm really tired of all the blue eyed and blond haired guys in every single book... The world is bigger and more miscellaneous than that).
Allie is the new girl... After the death of her mother, she goes to another city to live with her not-in-the-picture-until-now, bio-dad. She left behind everything good and bad in her life, like her house, her mom's memories, her loyal friends, and a cheater ex-boyfriend.
At her first day at school she's already target by Roman, the self proclaimed King of the school and a real jerk through and through.
Their attraction is really fast and the bully wasn't really a big presence (thanks for that), but after a moment, I couldn't let go of this book... Not until the very last end!
(I'm writing this totally sleep deprived, so it's probably just a mess of thoughts, sorry for that.)
The steamy scenes were really amazing but that's not what dragged me to this story.
All the things that happens in this book, is an emotional rollercoaster that make me feel deep in my bones for Allie and Roman, in very different ways.
Allie is so young to live such a hard life... And I'm not talking about "Rich X Poor" life... I'm talking about real trauma, real pain and things that can change someone's life forever.
I've cried my eyes out for her and for what she had to endure by herself.
I've cried even harder with her trying and struggling to let in other people who care for her...
My heart broken for her and for Roman, because it's a real bad place to be after what happened... The one who can't forget and the one who isn't allowed to help.
Another crushing moment was between Dom and Allie and I can't have words to say what I feel in that scene. Amazing!
I loved how the story ends, but why not 5 stars then?
Well... A lot of things happened and didn't get their closure. I still don't know what Allie's father do or did that lead the high events of the book. I still don't have answers as to why, who or what now, in this subject. And since the next book is with another couple, I don't think that I'll get any answers about questions from this book.
I loved how the 3 lonely boys formed a tight group with Allie and her chosen friends. How after everything that she's been through, she found her happy place in the world.
I highly recommend this book.
I'll definitely read the next in this series.
ARC Reviewer
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I was honestly torn between 4 and 5 stars with this book. So let's keep it at 4.5 vanilla starts.
She's a new author to me, but the only thing against her here, is that this is a highschool bully romance trope, and I've made myself clear before that this trope is starting to fade into nothing after so much of the same recycled plot.
Despite of the start of the story, where I could check every single cliche item of almost every highschool bully, meaning:
- hot new girl in school? ✓
- dead or absent parent? ✓✓
- hot jerk jock who runs the school?✓
- also his hot loyal friends with opposite personalities? ✓
- mean jealousy girls? ✓
- that initial and out of the blue hate/lust between the MC? ✓✓
Despite all that, I find myself really attached to this story. For starts I'm really happy that the 3 jock hotties were 2 Latinos and 1 black (I'm really tired of all the blue eyed and blond haired guys in every single book... The world is bigger and more miscellaneous than that).
Allie is the new girl... After the death of her mother, she goes to another city to live with her not-in-the-picture-until-now, bio-dad. She left behind everything good and bad in her life, like her house, her mom's memories, her loyal friends, and a cheater ex-boyfriend.
At her first day at school she's already target by Roman, the self proclaimed King of the school and a real jerk through and through.
Their attraction is really fast and the bully wasn't really a big presence (thanks for that), but after a moment, I couldn't let go of this book... Not until the very last end!
(I'm writing this totally sleep deprived, so it's probably just a mess of thoughts, sorry for that.)
The steamy scenes were really amazing but that's not what dragged me to this story.
All the things that happens in this book, is an emotional rollercoaster that make me feel deep in my bones for Allie and Roman, in very different ways.
Allie is so young to live such a hard life... And I'm not talking about "Rich X Poor" life... I'm talking about real trauma, real pain and things that can change someone's life forever.
I've cried my eyes out for her and for what she had to endure by herself.
I've cried even harder with her trying and struggling to let in other people who care for her...
My heart broken for her and for Roman, because it's a real bad place to be after what happened... The one who can't forget and the one who isn't allowed to help.
Another crushing moment was between Dom and Allie and I can't have words to say what I feel in that scene. Amazing!
I loved how the story ends, but why not 5 stars then?
Well... A lot of things happened and didn't get their closure. I still don't know what Allie's father do or did that lead the high events of the book. I still don't have answers as to why, who or what now, in this subject. And since the next book is with another couple, I don't think that I'll get any answers about questions from this book.
I loved how the 3 lonely boys formed a tight group with Allie and her chosen friends. How after everything that she's been through, she found her happy place in the world.
I highly recommend this book.
I'll definitely read the next in this series.
ARC Reviewer
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July 31, 2021
note: no spoilers in this review, just vague details to big events in the novel.
.·:·.☽✧ 2.3 stars ✧☾.·:·.
gracias a Dios que terminé con esta mierda. no lo soporto más.
first of all, the part of this novel's title that says "An Enemies to Lovers, High School Bully Romance" lied. Alejandra (Allie) and Roman don't hate each other at first. they start becoming infatuated with each other fairly quickly. now they do resent each other at one point in the novel, but they get back together anyway, so why even put that in the title?
and because this is put in the synopsis
in the beginning of this novel, Roman does want to "test" Alejandra because he knows that how she appears to others isn't who she really is. but once they get closer, that idea goes out the window. and the next time he hurts her, he doesn't have the same intention he did before. no, now he wants to make her jealous because he's hurt and he's upset at her actions. so he pulls out the theatrics just to make her feel bad without thinking, "hey, maybe there's a reason she did what she did. maybe there's an explanation to her actions".
Roman keeps doing dumb shit until someone with a big mouth tells him what really happened, and then Roman is so sad, oh so sad and filled with pity for Alejandra (because that's exactly what she needs). but once he realizes his old tactics are ineffective, he gets a tattoo full of hidden meanings that only Alejandra would understand to get her back.
and guess what, everyone, the shit works. Alejandra forgives him, and all is well because that's how this always ends.
obviously, I've left out a lot of details, but that's because I'm just rambling here and I don't want my rage to take control of this review, so I'll summarize everything I have to say real quick:
I loved Alejandra because she's that bitch who deserves a lot better than Roman. Emilio and Dom are spineless when it comes to making decisions with Roman, but I liked them a bit, so I'll probably read their stories. I regret reading this in a day because it made me angry and wasted my time.
.·:·.☽✧ 2.3 stars ✧☾.·:·.
gracias a Dios que terminé con esta mierda. no lo soporto más.
first of all, the part of this novel's title that says "An Enemies to Lovers, High School Bully Romance" lied. Alejandra (Allie) and Roman don't hate each other at first. they start becoming infatuated with each other fairly quickly. now they do resent each other at one point in the novel, but they get back together anyway, so why even put that in the title?
and because this is put in the synopsis
He sneers at me.you'd think that he genuinely hates her and does bad things to her throughout the novel. well, that's partly true.
He hates me.
He wants to hurt me.
in the beginning of this novel, Roman does want to "test" Alejandra because he knows that how she appears to others isn't who she really is. but once they get closer, that idea goes out the window. and the next time he hurts her, he doesn't have the same intention he did before. no, now he wants to make her jealous because he's hurt and he's upset at her actions. so he pulls out the theatrics just to make her feel bad without thinking, "hey, maybe there's a reason she did what she did. maybe there's an explanation to her actions".
Roman keeps doing dumb shit until someone with a big mouth tells him what really happened, and then Roman is so sad, oh so sad and filled with pity for Alejandra (because that's exactly what she needs). but once he realizes his old tactics are ineffective, he gets a tattoo full of hidden meanings that only Alejandra would understand to get her back.
and guess what, everyone, the shit works. Alejandra forgives him, and all is well because that's how this always ends.
obviously, I've left out a lot of details, but that's because I'm just rambling here and I don't want my rage to take control of this review, so I'll summarize everything I have to say real quick:
I loved Alejandra because she's that bitch who deserves a lot better than Roman. Emilio and Dom are spineless when it comes to making decisions with Roman, but I liked them a bit, so I'll probably read their stories. I regret reading this in a day because it made me angry and wasted my time.
August 7, 2020
So, I gotta be honest, during the first 30% of the book I thought it was a little cheesy and maybe a little unbelievable - a 4 star read.
But then the story started progressing and after tragedy struck I found myself so swept up in this book, feeling all the feelings, raging and sobbing and getting my heart broken.
Daniela manages to touch a very painful subject with such respect and tenderness while keeping it real and honest, broaching not only the trauma itself but the long road to recovery and learning how to deal with it and for that she gained my utmost respect.
5 stars and a vanilla planifolia.
But then the story started progressing and after tragedy struck I found myself so swept up in this book, feeling all the feelings, raging and sobbing and getting my heart broken.
Daniela manages to touch a very painful subject with such respect and tenderness while keeping it real and honest, broaching not only the trauma itself but the long road to recovery and learning how to deal with it and for that she gained my utmost respect.
5 stars and a vanilla planifolia.
September 12, 2020
When I started this book I got into it pretty easily and I was instantly intrigued by the characters. And for the most part I enjoyed the story and thought the pace of it was really good. We got the angst with some romance, sexiness, and the constant unpredictability that was captivating and kept me sucked into the book. So it was a solid 4 star read for me. And then got to 70% and it went all downhill in a way that took this 4 star read and brought it down to a 2.
The last 30% of this story almost felt like a completely different author wrote it. All of the sudden the tone of the store changed, got darker with an event that came out of nowhere, and from there it was a rush of constant huge drama's that led to nothing. I was really put off by what happened to Ally because it was never resolved. There felt like there was a big story behind it, clearly since she was attacked and her attacker said it was a message for her father, but then we never found out what that meant. I also felt like her father's assistant knew something by the way she acted but nothing ever came of that so I don't know and I wish I did. Maybe there will be answers in the next book but I'm pretty sure it's about a new set of main characters so I doubt it.
Overall, this story had a lot of potential and I can still say that I liked these characters so I may continue with the series. I wish the ending wasn't so rushed and jumbled and it did change my rating and overall feelings about the story but I would still recommend this book.
The last 30% of this story almost felt like a completely different author wrote it. All of the sudden the tone of the store changed, got darker with an event that came out of nowhere, and from there it was a rush of constant huge drama's that led to nothing. I was really put off by what happened to Ally because it was never resolved. There felt like there was a big story behind it, clearly since she was attacked and her attacker said it was a message for her father, but then we never found out what that meant. I also felt like her father's assistant knew something by the way she acted but nothing ever came of that so I don't know and I wish I did. Maybe there will be answers in the next book but I'm pretty sure it's about a new set of main characters so I doubt it.
Overall, this story had a lot of potential and I can still say that I liked these characters so I may continue with the series. I wish the ending wasn't so rushed and jumbled and it did change my rating and overall feelings about the story but I would still recommend this book.
November 7, 2022
every charcter in this goddamn book needs therapy and now after reading this so do I.
Men are absolute trash.
Literal actual pieces of shit.
Men never let a woman speak for anything, like this is the way the world works and it fucking blows. I hate a man for all the things he possess, especially his power and his idea of being correct all the fucking time.
No but Roman is actually a piece of wimpy shit, he calls her a whore just cause she missed his fucking game and he wouldn’t even let her explain herself. Like mistakes fucking happen. She was traumatized this wasn’t some little thing, and he didn’t even let her explain herself, like grow the fuck up you’re not fucking 12. Things happen MEN ALWAYS RUN. They always take the easy way out.
ALL THESE PPL FORGAVE HIM BECAUSE HE GOT A FUCKING TATTOO? That is not groveling, that is definitely not groveling. I want to see him on his knees fucking begging. Oh wait he won’t because he’s a man, but he expects all other women to beg him, yeah right. He’s absolutely full of himself, filled to the fucking brim of just him.
Then she was traumatized and they fucking kidnapped her in a car. How is this sweet? How is this close to the idea of sweet.
He made her relive her trauma again, how absolutely fucked is that.
Men = shit. Egotistical, misogynistic pieces of shit.
Men are absolute trash.
Literal actual pieces of shit.
Men never let a woman speak for anything, like this is the way the world works and it fucking blows. I hate a man for all the things he possess, especially his power and his idea of being correct all the fucking time.
No but Roman is actually a piece of wimpy shit, he calls her a whore just cause she missed his fucking game and he wouldn’t even let her explain herself. Like mistakes fucking happen. She was traumatized this wasn’t some little thing, and he didn’t even let her explain herself, like grow the fuck up you’re not fucking 12. Things happen MEN ALWAYS RUN. They always take the easy way out.
ALL THESE PPL FORGAVE HIM BECAUSE HE GOT A FUCKING TATTOO? That is not groveling, that is definitely not groveling. I want to see him on his knees fucking begging. Oh wait he won’t because he’s a man, but he expects all other women to beg him, yeah right. He’s absolutely full of himself, filled to the fucking brim of just him.
Then she was traumatized and they fucking kidnapped her in a car. How is this sweet? How is this close to the idea of sweet.
He made her relive her trauma again, how absolutely fucked is that.
Men = shit. Egotistical, misogynistic pieces of shit.
dnf
May 10, 2022DNF @ 10 % - h is Not Like Other Girls - she’s all badass tomboy and sh*t. Found out she’s raped in the book by men who aren’t the H 😐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2020
I just finished reading an advanced copy of this book, and holy shizballs, I am all in my feels right now! No spoilers. Just that I completely and totally recommend this book. It's seriously one of the best books I've read this year. ALL of the characters are amazing. I loved it so much I just pre-ordered a copy so I can read it again when it releases.
But seriously, READ THIS BOOK.
But seriously, READ THIS BOOK.
![Profile Image for Megan [At The Cottage].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1634561405i%2F25103878._UY200_CR50%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 17, 2021
MF Romance
Be warned: I’m going to spoil the fuck out of this book.
This has been on my TBR for awhile. I wanted to read it because I love enemies to lovers but also because of the diversity. Most books in this genre that take place in high school with cliques are white boys with blue/green eyes, blonde/black hair and they are “gods of the school”. The “gods” in this story are Latino and Black. The heroine is a feisty Mexican chick and it was nice to have a bit of diversity. I appreciated it. Best part of this book. The rest however…
This is NOT an enemies to lovers story. This trope is heroine is the new girl in school and gets harassed by the hero just because however it’s not a bully book either. Both of them supposedly have issues. Only the heroine had real issues, the hero was just a spoiled fuck boy.
In Chapter 25, the heroine gets raped. No one intervenes and it’s pretty brutal. It actually made me cry because I liked Allie and she had enough bad shit going on that this was just over the top. But then there is never any resolution in the book. She gets talked out of getting a rape kit done and that’s that. She’s a mess but it’s okay again in a few months. WHAT??? Roman, her boyfriend now is pissed because she didn’t show up to his football game (she did but she was raped there) and instead of asking her where she was or what’s wrong when he sees her broken, he goes back to the school slut and tries to make Allie jealous. Ridiculous.
There was a HFN ending and nothing was resolved. Never find the guys who raped her and no follow up about the things they said to her “we’re doing this to you because of your dad” UMMMM OK. Roman supposedly has daddy issues like his dad expects him to be a cop but that plot line just dies. No resolution anywhere.
I just cannot with this book.
Be warned: I’m going to spoil the fuck out of this book.
This has been on my TBR for awhile. I wanted to read it because I love enemies to lovers but also because of the diversity. Most books in this genre that take place in high school with cliques are white boys with blue/green eyes, blonde/black hair and they are “gods of the school”. The “gods” in this story are Latino and Black. The heroine is a feisty Mexican chick and it was nice to have a bit of diversity. I appreciated it. Best part of this book. The rest however…
This is NOT an enemies to lovers story. This trope is heroine is the new girl in school and gets harassed by the hero just because however it’s not a bully book either. Both of them supposedly have issues. Only the heroine had real issues, the hero was just a spoiled fuck boy.
In Chapter 25, the heroine gets raped. No one intervenes and it’s pretty brutal. It actually made me cry because I liked Allie and she had enough bad shit going on that this was just over the top. But then there is never any resolution in the book. She gets talked out of getting a rape kit done and that’s that. She’s a mess but it’s okay again in a few months. WHAT??? Roman, her boyfriend now is pissed because she didn’t show up to his football game (she did but she was raped there) and instead of asking her where she was or what’s wrong when he sees her broken, he goes back to the school slut and tries to make Allie jealous. Ridiculous.
There was a HFN ending and nothing was resolved. Never find the guys who raped her and no follow up about the things they said to her “we’re doing this to you because of your dad” UMMMM OK. Roman supposedly has daddy issues like his dad expects him to be a cop but that plot line just dies. No resolution anywhere.
I just cannot with this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2020
***4.5 ‘Vanilla’ Stars***
I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of bully romances. I’ll read them if they are by my one click authors, but most of the time I just pass them by. But this one, this one caught my attention. Actually, it was the last two sentences that hooked me and I decided to give it a go with no real expectations, just the hope that I would enjoy it in the end. Well, I more than enjoyed it. I went down the rabbit hole and didn’t want to come out and was quite disappointed when there were no more words to read.
I ADORED Allie. ADORED the girl. She is that down to earth girl who is comfortable in her own skin. Her world has gone sideways in a big way, but she takes it in stride and does what needs to be done to keep her head high. Roman. Okay. Here’s the thing with Roman. In a lot of ways he is the big bad, he made my eyes hurt from all the rolling he caused and the urge to reach out and Gibbs smack was strong ~ oh so strong ~ and yet, it was hard not to fall in love with him, because he is loyal and protective to those he calls his own.
Allie and Roman’s journey to their HEA was a fun one. It was filled with a bunch of eye rolling, growling and a few “Oh No He/She Didn’t” moments, but there was also a bunch of laugh out loud moments, swoon worthy ones and a good dose of heat because Allie and Roman just flowed for me. They had that chemistry that jumped off the page and had me wanting more, but they were also equals in a lot of ways. Roman may have been BMOC, but Allie didn’t bow down, so the balance of power between them was pretty even. Now the big fucking sinkhole in their journey was a massive one in every way and I was totally Team Allie ~ 100%, no questions asked ~ but I gotta say that once Rome figured his shit out, thanks to his friends ~ the boy did good and I loved where things were with them at the end of the book.
This is my first read by the author, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The writing was engaging, pacing good and the dual first person POV done very well. There are triggers in this book ~ big ones ~ and the author does make note of it before the books starts, but I felt that they were handled well and from what I can gather will be issues that play out as the series progresses, so there are some things left up in the air when the book ends.
Now, as you know, I’m a sucker for well written secondary characters and this baby is filled with them. I adored Dominique, Emilo, Aaron, Kasey and Julio. They totally kicked ass. I loved that while Dom and Emilio were totally Roman’s boys, they also thought for themselves ~ it wasn’t just bro code all the way. Aaron ended up being a sweetheart and Julio was just everything! And Kasey, well, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where the series takes her.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of bully romances. I’ll read them if they are by my one click authors, but most of the time I just pass them by. But this one, this one caught my attention. Actually, it was the last two sentences that hooked me and I decided to give it a go with no real expectations, just the hope that I would enjoy it in the end. Well, I more than enjoyed it. I went down the rabbit hole and didn’t want to come out and was quite disappointed when there were no more words to read.
I ADORED Allie. ADORED the girl. She is that down to earth girl who is comfortable in her own skin. Her world has gone sideways in a big way, but she takes it in stride and does what needs to be done to keep her head high. Roman. Okay. Here’s the thing with Roman. In a lot of ways he is the big bad, he made my eyes hurt from all the rolling he caused and the urge to reach out and Gibbs smack was strong ~ oh so strong ~ and yet, it was hard not to fall in love with him, because he is loyal and protective to those he calls his own.
Allie and Roman’s journey to their HEA was a fun one. It was filled with a bunch of eye rolling, growling and a few “Oh No He/She Didn’t” moments, but there was also a bunch of laugh out loud moments, swoon worthy ones and a good dose of heat because Allie and Roman just flowed for me. They had that chemistry that jumped off the page and had me wanting more, but they were also equals in a lot of ways. Roman may have been BMOC, but Allie didn’t bow down, so the balance of power between them was pretty even. Now the big fucking sinkhole in their journey was a massive one in every way and I was totally Team Allie ~ 100%, no questions asked ~ but I gotta say that once Rome figured his shit out, thanks to his friends ~ the boy did good and I loved where things were with them at the end of the book.
This is my first read by the author, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. The writing was engaging, pacing good and the dual first person POV done very well. There are triggers in this book ~ big ones ~ and the author does make note of it before the books starts, but I felt that they were handled well and from what I can gather will be issues that play out as the series progresses, so there are some things left up in the air when the book ends.
Now, as you know, I’m a sucker for well written secondary characters and this baby is filled with them. I adored Dominique, Emilo, Aaron, Kasey and Julio. They totally kicked ass. I loved that while Dom and Emilio were totally Roman’s boys, they also thought for themselves ~ it wasn’t just bro code all the way. Aaron ended up being a sweetheart and Julio was just everything! And Kasey, well, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where the series takes her.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
August 4, 2021
Pages: 340
My rating: 2.5 rounded to 2 stars
I got this book free on amazon. I picked it up, because I am alway eager to try out books from authors I don’t know. I actually loved the story which was supposed to form the frame: Girl lost her single mom in a fire and had to come to live in her bio Dads new home. Of course the bio Dad is rich. He has a personal Assistant (PA) who is a bit older than the Girl. But where in other books you will read something about forming a relationship between Dad and daughter this books does not build any relationship they are strangers the whole time and the Dad is MIA the whole time. We only get to see him once, and he behaves really bad. So the book is about the Girl meeting a Boy, who is king of the school with his two friends. And of course they are the football stars of the school. But this guy also has a bad attitude. His friends are better. They actually like the Girl and want to keep her in their group. But the guy is all about bullying the Girl, punishing her and so on. And she of course gives in, even though she is not a weak girl. All this would be an okay or good story. Of course the Girl gets some bullying from the other girls in school who want to snag the kings of the school.
But then out of the blue, two bad guys appear and assault her and tell her that they are doing this because her Dad fucked with their busyness dealing so they fuck with his daughter. And they rape her and try to rape her again but she is rescued. And this story line made this book a 2.5 star rounded to 2 read, because nothing is explained here. She never gets to talk to her Dad about this he never tries to console her the only thing he does is to buy her a car. His Assistant even tells her not to do the rape kit because there was no sperm left behind and she will be put through the wringer if they find the two rapists. That might be true, but you don’t do this, you do a rape kit and then have the evidence secured, if you want to press charges in case the guys are found. How shitty is this!!! And never they explain why she was raped, what the father did thing the reader want to know. No closure just shitty adults.
One thing I liked about the book was that the main characters were Latino and half Latina and the other two football guys were latino and black. And there was a scene where the black guy was harassed by the police in a harsh way and the Girl rescues him. The scene was brutal but might be something that happens to black people in the US.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2020
Where to start with this one. There’s so much I can say but I don’t want to give anything away.
This is the kind of book that will stay with you for a very long time after you’re finished with it.
I love the fact that Roman and Allie are Latinos. I love the Spanish here in there in the book. It’s always great to read books with characters who speak the same language as I do and characters that I can identify with them.
Allie has lost her mom and has moved in with a father she had never met. So much happens to Allie in such a short amount of time. It’s just heartbreaking. I had to put this book down a few times because I was ready to start full on sobbing.
Roman and the Devils are bullies. And they act like people are properties to be kept. But when they like someone they have their back.
I love what Allie does at one point and how that opens up a way for her to develop a friendship with Dom. I love what they do to make her feel comfortable.
There are two triggers in this book. They are big ones, you might to avoid this book if you have any triggers. If you’re extremely sensitive proceed with caution.
This book will break your heart and mend it again.
I need to know what Aaron’s deal is, why he does the things he does.
This is a must read. I highly recommend this book. I can’t wait for the next book and would love to see more Allie and Roman.
I was provided with a review copy for an honest review.
This is the kind of book that will stay with you for a very long time after you’re finished with it.
I love the fact that Roman and Allie are Latinos. I love the Spanish here in there in the book. It’s always great to read books with characters who speak the same language as I do and characters that I can identify with them.
Allie has lost her mom and has moved in with a father she had never met. So much happens to Allie in such a short amount of time. It’s just heartbreaking. I had to put this book down a few times because I was ready to start full on sobbing.
Roman and the Devils are bullies. And they act like people are properties to be kept. But when they like someone they have their back.
I love what Allie does at one point and how that opens up a way for her to develop a friendship with Dom. I love what they do to make her feel comfortable.
There are two triggers in this book. They are big ones, you might to avoid this book if you have any triggers. If you’re extremely sensitive proceed with caution.
This book will break your heart and mend it again.
I need to know what Aaron’s deal is, why he does the things he does.
This is a must read. I highly recommend this book. I can’t wait for the next book and would love to see more Allie and Roman.
I was provided with a review copy for an honest review.
June 25, 2023
This was horrendously awful, and not in a badly-written-but-entertaining way, no.
All of the characters sucked, there were many serious topics introduced and brished over in 2 seconds bc they were just used for the ML and FL to either get together, fight or fix a fight (i.e eating disorders, police brutality, rape, etc.)
The ML was a misogynist psycho and has the mentality of a 12 y/o
FL is spineless and i do feel bad for her, but bc this was so poorly structured we can’t really appreciate her character or take in properly what happens to her throughout the book
All of the characters sucked, there were many serious topics introduced and brished over in 2 seconds bc they were just used for the ML and FL to either get together, fight or fix a fight (i.e eating disorders, police brutality, rape, etc.)
The ML was a misogynist psycho and has the mentality of a 12 y/o
FL is spineless and i do feel bad for her, but bc this was so poorly structured we can’t really appreciate her character or take in properly what happens to her throughout the book
December 15, 2021
2.5*
New adult, bastante entretenido pero la historia de amor es bastante floja, esperaba mas feeling y una trama un poco más intensa ... ha sido todo como muy facilón y precipitado ...
Todo el tema casi final me ha resultado super itneresante y pensaba que le iban a dar mas juego, pero se queda todo como muy al aire ... una pena.
New adult, bastante entretenido pero la historia de amor es bastante floja, esperaba mas feeling y una trama un poco más intensa ... ha sido todo como muy facilón y precipitado ...
Todo el tema casi final me ha resultado super itneresante y pensaba que le iban a dar mas juego, pero se queda todo como muy al aire ... una pena.
Want to read
March 1, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/10/2020)! 🎁
July 26, 2020
Okay, WOW!! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Usually I'm not one for the high school bully romances but this one was different. Allie is so easy to relate to. Dealing with the death of her mother and trying to heal her broken heart after being cheated on by her ex boyfriend she's just trying to get by without showing the world just how much pain she's in. I think we can all relate to putting on a smile to fool the masses into thinking everything is fine. Roman is your typical possessive bad boy that we all LOVE to read about. There were a few things in this book that I wish had gone differently (this is just personal preference) and I wish we could have seen some more of them as a couple but overall I really enjoyed this one!
August 30, 2020
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
'Wicked Devil' is the first book of the ' Devil's of Sun Valley High' series by Daniela Romero. Told in dual perspectives , get ready to meet Roman and Allie !!
Ever since I read the blurb of this book , I have been hooked into this onem I have a particular weakness for bully Romances , and this book was so much more than that! I loved the main characters , but it was the storyline that had me entranced. This was the first book that I have read of this author and I am in awe of how quickly she sucked me into her World of Sun valley High!
Roman is a true jerk. He really doesn't know how act , apart from being a jerk but that's his defence mechanism. Allie is the sweet girl , who recently lost her mother and is sent to live with her new father. Things were going fine until she catches the eye of the devil of Sun valley High. Roman hates the attraction he has to her , and hurts her in order to push her away. Then on top of that , he gets to know that she has hurt him , so he retaliates even ruthlessly, without even knowing the whole story. But apart from the hate love they both had going on , I really loved the way Roman cared about her even though he tried his best to never show it. He noticed every small thing about her and gave her his attention when things became smooth between them.
This book was an amazing read for me , not only because it was one of my favourite bully romance tropes , but it was so much more than that. A definite recommendation to all the dark bully Romance lovers out there !!
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December 28, 2024
You know how sometimes you read too much of a particular trope and then you get bored and stop for a while and then hop back into it and you find yourself enjoying the trope all over again. That was me with the bullymance trope and Wicked Devil by Daniela Romero. This book starts with Allie Ramirez who is having to move to the small town of Sun Valley as her mother has just died and to make it worst she caught her boyfriend and her best friend sleeping together. Allie has hit a triple whammy and the friends she does have left, she has to say goodbye too. Allie is picked up and transported to a different world where her Bio-Dad is one of the wealthiest people in town and has an assistant doing all his daily work including looking after and making sure she has everything. This world is different than she is used too, at least she managed to get her Dad to let her go to Public school. On her first day, Allie meets troublemaker and jock Roman whose punishment is to show her around the school. He thinks Allie is a stuck-up snob but he is about to discover that she is the type who won't back down or cower or fall to him and his friend's charms. The story has her falling in love with Roman of course and moving into their group of friends until tragedy strikes her and she is suddenly retreating into her shell. When it comes to the crunch, will Roman the Wicked Devil - rise to the challenge of caring for Allie or will he prove to be her downfall? Find out in this bullymance Wicked Devil by Daniela Romero. Some of the darker scenes in this story could trigger readers, so be careful when reading the story.
April 9, 2022
Not for me.
So tired at the heroines who look in the mirror to see how their life has changed. Ugh. So repetitive. Good luck. You may love it. I am moving on. DNF
So tired at the heroines who look in the mirror to see how their life has changed. Ugh. So repetitive. Good luck. You may love it. I am moving on. DNF
August 18, 2023
The writing style was easy to follow, but it was one of the worst book boyfriends ever🤡
TRIGGER WARNING: on page, very descriptive r*pe scene NOT by H🛑🛑🛑
TRIGGER WARNING: on page, very descriptive r*pe scene NOT by H🛑🛑🛑
April 5, 2023
“Because when you’re adrift, when you can’t find your way to shore, I want to be the one who steadies you.”
I knew my heart was gonna tear one way or another. It was inevitable—it was the reason I decided to pick the book up in the first place. But damn, those two chapters (25;35) those where my undoing.
Bully romance with sprinkles of important thematics I was so pleased the author talked about, portrayed, in such a realistic but sensitive and emotional manner.
We also got such a good found family trope, that sometimes gets lost and forgotten in the fantasy genre. This was not a reverse harem but GOD if I was to create the emotional/friendship reverse harem trope after this book.
“Who did this to you?” x3 !!!!!!!!!
I equally love Roman, Emilio and Dom; I just can’t love one more than the others. It’s not in my DNA, not after this rollercoaster of a book.
But my whole goes to Allie.
Our vanilla.
**The one thing I wish was done differently was the rushed ending. It still fits with the overall plot, but I just felt like there was a big unexpected jump to the end.
—————————
Relationship: ❤️❤️
Spice: 🌶🌶️
Plot development: 📚📚📚
TW: ⚠️⚠️.5
Heartwarming moments: 🦋🦋
Crying: 💧💧
Dark romance: 🖤
Bully romance: ❤️🩹.5
I knew my heart was gonna tear one way or another. It was inevitable—it was the reason I decided to pick the book up in the first place. But damn, those two chapters (25;35) those where my undoing.
Bully romance with sprinkles of important thematics I was so pleased the author talked about, portrayed, in such a realistic but sensitive and emotional manner.
We also got such a good found family trope, that sometimes gets lost and forgotten in the fantasy genre. This was not a reverse harem but GOD if I was to create the emotional/friendship reverse harem trope after this book.
“Who did this to you?” x3 !!!!!!!!!
I equally love Roman, Emilio and Dom; I just can’t love one more than the others. It’s not in my DNA, not after this rollercoaster of a book.
But my whole goes to Allie.
Our vanilla.
**The one thing I wish was done differently was the rushed ending. It still fits with the overall plot, but I just felt like there was a big unexpected jump to the end.
—————————
Relationship: ❤️❤️
Spice: 🌶🌶️
Plot development: 📚📚📚
TW: ⚠️⚠️.5
Heartwarming moments: 🦋🦋
Crying: 💧💧
Dark romance: 🖤
Bully romance: ❤️🩹.5
December 13, 2022
The book that made me realize “bully romance” is not for me, someone who has been bullied.
CAUTION: contains rape (the entire assault is written)
Allie is trying to adjust to her world being turned upside down. In a short span of time her mom dies, she meets and moves in with her dick of a biological father, and has to change schools senior year which means leaving her friends. Roman is the king of the school and his eyes are set on the new girl. Tormenting her is #1 on his list.
Wow, I just wanted to hug Allie and shield her from the world. She was really given a shit hand after her mom passes. She does find her way but wow what a journey she goes through.
I will say, it is so sweet what Roman does for Allie. I was pretty blown away - talk about groveling. Still mad at him though for being a dick after the worst experience of her life.
I’m so happy she finally sees a therapist to deal with everything. ❤️
Continues in next book.. but I probably won’t continue. Don’t think this is for me.
CAUTION: contains rape (the entire assault is written)
Allie is trying to adjust to her world being turned upside down. In a short span of time her mom dies, she meets and moves in with her dick of a biological father, and has to change schools senior year which means leaving her friends. Roman is the king of the school and his eyes are set on the new girl. Tormenting her is #1 on his list.
Wow, I just wanted to hug Allie and shield her from the world. She was really given a shit hand after her mom passes. She does find her way but wow what a journey she goes through.
I will say, it is so sweet what Roman does for Allie. I was pretty blown away - talk about groveling. Still mad at him though for being a dick after the worst experience of her life.
I’m so happy she finally sees a therapist to deal with everything. ❤️
Continues in next book.. but I probably won’t continue. Don’t think this is for me.
May 13, 2021
This started off with a big bang, but it didn't take long before it reached a dead-end road. Typical sports-related seniors in high school drama when the new girl arrives. It has a bully feel and wreaks of tragedy and heartbreak. I got through most of it without much trouble other than a few eye-rolls.
But the ending leaves so many unanswered questions that it felt totally unfinished, and I was not a happy camper. I don't know what the author was thinking. There was a short freebie extra scene from the author -- but it didn't add anything positive -- just another sex scene inside a classroom at the high school.
It is a series and there are other books to follow -- so maybe there will be answers to some of the questions. But the next book features a new lead character we met here. So, I'm not really expecting much more closure. Very upsetting especially when the questions left out in lalaland were a pretty big part of the storyline. Nor do I understand how this book has gotten so many high ratings.
But the ending leaves so many unanswered questions that it felt totally unfinished, and I was not a happy camper. I don't know what the author was thinking. There was a short freebie extra scene from the author -- but it didn't add anything positive -- just another sex scene inside a classroom at the high school.
It is a series and there are other books to follow -- so maybe there will be answers to some of the questions. But the next book features a new lead character we met here. So, I'm not really expecting much more closure. Very upsetting especially when the questions left out in lalaland were a pretty big part of the storyline. Nor do I understand how this book has gotten so many high ratings.
May 3, 2025
Brilliant but brutal 👏 some hard sections to read but overall I loved it 😍.
I must admit I did expect the H to be more of an asshole...not saying he wasn't just thought he would have been worse.
I must admit I did expect the H to be more of an asshole...not saying he wasn't just thought he would have been worse.
March 2, 2023
“Because when you’re adrift, when you can’t find your way to shore, I want to be the one who steadies you.”
Тицьнула я вчора ввечері в кіндл, відкрила, бачу шось на кшталт new girl in school and the bad boy kind of shit, думаю, ай най буде. Так я просрала три години свого життя.
Про що сюжет? А я їбу про шо сюжет. Нова дівчина після смерті матері переїжджає до біологічного батька, котрого ніколи в очі не бачила, залітає в нову школу, а там бац: трійка футболістів-переростків рулить всім і вся і звичайно жи, їй треба було зіткнутися з найбільшим з цих відморозків, який на другій хвилині знайомства вже хоче завдати їй болю. З якого переляку? Бо він далбайоб.
Загалом це дико непропрацьований у всіх сенсах цього слова підлітковий романчик, де головна героїня не справляє жодного враження, де характери чуваків були побудовані за принципом «вбий, трахни, одружися» (Роман, Еміліо, Домінік відповідно), і де сюжетні повороти і проблеми з'являлися тупо нізвідки і вели в нікуда.
Серед основних проблем, просто, щоб ви розуміли (спойлери, але пофіг, ви то читати не будете):
— Ті три клоуна «рулять школою» (в лапках, бо я так і не побачила, чим вони там блядь рулять і яким чином) чисто тому, що вони топові футболісти і цим підтримують престиж школи. А інші футболісти шо гірші? А ті, кому пофіг на ту школу і на футбол їм типу не підкорюються? Непонятно;
— Роман такий «я хочу завдати їй болю просто тому шо я можу», потім це кудись ділося, а в моменти, коли Алехандра давала йому відворот-поворот знову з'являлося. Нехай йде проп'є курс валеріанки, їй-богу;
— У Алехандри з'явився РХП з якогось переляку, яке протягом всієї книги не несло жодної смислової нагрузки і вирішилось само собою, чудеса;
— Незрозумілий псевдо любовний трикутник. Я називаю його псевдо, бо жоден з його учасників не волів зізнаватись, що він таки є. Акєй;
— Персонаж батька був і збув, він там є номінально, якоїсь драми, окрім того, що його немає вдома і йому в принципі піхуй на доньку, нема;
— Алехандру зґвалтували, і цей поворот був введений тільки заради того, щоб показати, який Роман гівнюк, бо той після двотижневого ігнору з її боку вирішив «а, ну і най йде нахуй»;
— Натомість непотрібна сцена з расизмом і поліцейською брутальністю була додана, щоб Роман зрозумів, який він гівнюк і шо нада шото дєлать;
З приємних речей (ну як, відносно):
— Після зґвалтування у Еллі були проблеми з довірою до людей, вона мала перевіряти їх руки, і Роман, щоб вона його прийняла і не боялася, пішов і зробив дуже символічні татуювання, одне з яких квітка мексиканської ванілі, бо він кликав її vanilla;
— Його друзі хоч і дивні люди, але дуже підтримували і захищали від всього Еллі, це було мило.
А повелася я на все це діло через обкладинку (не цю, на Амазоні красивіша висить), думаю, а шо втрачати, а вийшло так шо втрачати було шо...
Але було... весело? Ги
Тицьнула я вчора ввечері в кіндл, відкрила, бачу шось на кшталт new girl in school and the bad boy kind of shit, думаю, ай най буде. Так я просрала три години свого життя.
Про що сюжет? А я їбу про шо сюжет. Нова дівчина після смерті матері переїжджає до біологічного батька, котрого ніколи в очі не бачила, залітає в нову школу, а там бац: трійка футболістів-переростків рулить всім і вся і звичайно жи, їй треба було зіткнутися з найбільшим з цих відморозків, який на другій хвилині знайомства вже хоче завдати їй болю. З якого переляку? Бо він далбайоб.
Загалом це дико непропрацьований у всіх сенсах цього слова підлітковий романчик, де головна героїня не справляє жодного враження, де характери чуваків були побудовані за принципом «вбий, трахни, одружися» (Роман, Еміліо, Домінік відповідно), і де сюжетні повороти і проблеми з'являлися тупо нізвідки і вели в нікуда.
Серед основних проблем, просто, щоб ви розуміли (спойлери, але пофіг, ви то читати не будете):
— Ті три клоуна «рулять школою» (в лапках, бо я так і не побачила, чим вони там блядь рулять і яким чином) чисто тому, що вони топові футболісти і цим підтримують престиж школи. А інші футболісти шо гірші? А ті, кому пофіг на ту школу і на футбол їм типу не підкорюються? Непонятно;
— Роман такий «я хочу завдати їй болю просто тому шо я можу», потім це кудись ділося, а в моменти, коли Алехандра давала йому відворот-поворот знову з'являлося. Нехай йде проп'є курс валеріанки, їй-богу;
— У Алехандри з'явився РХП з якогось переляку, яке протягом всієї книги не несло жодної смислової нагрузки і вирішилось само собою, чудеса;
— Незрозумілий псевдо любовний трикутник. Я називаю його псевдо, бо жоден з його учасників не волів зізнаватись, що він таки є. Акєй;
— Персонаж батька був і збув, він там є номінально, якоїсь драми, окрім того, що його немає вдома і йому в принципі піхуй на доньку, нема;
— Алехандру зґвалтували, і цей поворот був введений тільки заради того, щоб показати, який Роман гівнюк, бо той після двотижневого ігнору з її боку вирішив «а, ну і най йде нахуй»;
— Натомість непотрібна сцена з расизмом і поліцейською брутальністю була додана, щоб Роман зрозумів, який він гівнюк і шо нада шото дєлать;
З приємних речей (ну як, відносно):
— Після зґвалтування у Еллі були проблеми з довірою до людей, вона мала перевіряти їх руки, і Роман, щоб вона його прийняла і не боялася, пішов і зробив дуже символічні татуювання, одне з яких квітка мексиканської ванілі, бо він кликав її vanilla;
— Його друзі хоч і дивні люди, але дуже підтримували і захищали від всього Еллі, це було мило.
А повелася я на все це діло через обкладинку (не цю, на Амазоні красивіша висить), думаю, а шо втрачати, а вийшло так шо втрачати було шо...
Але було... весело? Ги
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2022
Wickedly Good
4.25 stars
“Let me pick up all your broken pieces and put you back together. Let me be your anchor when you’re lost and the world keeps spinning around you.”
Allie just can’t seem to catch a break. Wicked Devil is my first read by Daniela Romero and it certainly isn’t going to be my last. I didn’t really feel like this was an enemies to lovers romance, it definitely had those themes, but they got together pretty quickly and throughout the course of the book there was only some slight bullying. But the vibes were definitely there and I couldn’t put it down.
Roman is our tattooed, arrogant, badboy, football player and Allie is just a girl trying to survive after life keeps dealing her the wrong cards, but she’s incredibly strong and confident despite it all. Once they set their differences aside, they were undeniable and turned wickedly hot! Wicked Devil turned dark pretty quick, and it was absolutely gut wrenching reading what happened to Allie after everything that's already happened to her.
This book had an insane amount of POC representation and I was here for every second of it. There was another heartbreaking moment that happened between Allie and Dom, Roman’s best friend, that makes this story even all the more real. The bonds and friendships that were formed made Wicked Devil feel like a found family story. You don’t need to be blood related in order to be family.
Daniela did an amazing job at keeping this story intense and constantly developing these characters. There were characters you loved, you hated, you felt skeptical about, and more. I feel like the last two chapters though were rushed. I wished instead of telling us the progress that Allie made, we could’ve seen it, and see a chapter or two of Roman and Allie finally happy, instead of a time jump chapter. And there were a few unanswered questions, but I don’t know, maybe it's answered in the second book. Wicked Devil is a standalone, so it didn’t end on a cliffhanger, but I was certainly left with wanting more with the rest of the characters!
4.25 stars
“Let me pick up all your broken pieces and put you back together. Let me be your anchor when you’re lost and the world keeps spinning around you.”
Allie just can’t seem to catch a break. Wicked Devil is my first read by Daniela Romero and it certainly isn’t going to be my last. I didn’t really feel like this was an enemies to lovers romance, it definitely had those themes, but they got together pretty quickly and throughout the course of the book there was only some slight bullying. But the vibes were definitely there and I couldn’t put it down.
Roman is our tattooed, arrogant, badboy, football player and Allie is just a girl trying to survive after life keeps dealing her the wrong cards, but she’s incredibly strong and confident despite it all. Once they set their differences aside, they were undeniable and turned wickedly hot! Wicked Devil turned dark pretty quick, and it was absolutely gut wrenching reading what happened to Allie after everything that's already happened to her.
This book had an insane amount of POC representation and I was here for every second of it. There was another heartbreaking moment that happened between Allie and Dom, Roman’s best friend, that makes this story even all the more real. The bonds and friendships that were formed made Wicked Devil feel like a found family story. You don’t need to be blood related in order to be family.
Daniela did an amazing job at keeping this story intense and constantly developing these characters. There were characters you loved, you hated, you felt skeptical about, and more. I feel like the last two chapters though were rushed. I wished instead of telling us the progress that Allie made, we could’ve seen it, and see a chapter or two of Roman and Allie finally happy, instead of a time jump chapter. And there were a few unanswered questions, but I don’t know, maybe it's answered in the second book. Wicked Devil is a standalone, so it didn’t end on a cliffhanger, but I was certainly left with wanting more with the rest of the characters!
May 16, 2023
3.5 stars
July 31, 2020
Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advanced reading copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I just recently got into high school romance after falling hook and sinker with Rina Kent's high school romance series.
While I don't think this is quite up on the same par, this is still a fantastic read! I did expect it to be dark and it is, but not the kind that I was expecting. Some may find some scenes disturbing and triggering so think long and hard before you decide to read this because
As far as bullying goes, there isn't plenty. I wouldn't consider Roman and his group of Devils a bully. I would say they are...influential. But then again I have never been the recipient of any types of bullying during my school days (fortunately!) so my outlook on bullying may be unfair.
The story is pretty addictive. I finished the entire thing in less than 24 hours. I was hooked completely. I love the setting of the story and all the characters bring color to the story. Yes, even the meanies. I love the camaraderie between the Devils and I half expected them to be mean jocks but they turned out to be quite the sweethearts.
Highly recommended!
I just recently got into high school romance after falling hook and sinker with Rina Kent's high school romance series.
While I don't think this is quite up on the same par, this is still a fantastic read! I did expect it to be dark and it is, but not the kind that I was expecting. Some may find some scenes disturbing and triggering so think long and hard before you decide to read this because
As far as bullying goes, there isn't plenty. I wouldn't consider Roman and his group of Devils a bully. I would say they are...influential. But then again I have never been the recipient of any types of bullying during my school days (fortunately!) so my outlook on bullying may be unfair.
The story is pretty addictive. I finished the entire thing in less than 24 hours. I was hooked completely. I love the setting of the story and all the characters bring color to the story. Yes, even the meanies. I love the camaraderie between the Devils and I half expected them to be mean jocks but they turned out to be quite the sweethearts.
Highly recommended!
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