Heartless Beloved

North Shore #2

by Lola King

I’m from a place where you eat or get eaten. Two gangs are at war, and I’m hungry for survival.

Growing up in a broken town doesn’t make you a good man. In fact, the North Shore of the Falls has made me merciless.
I survive because I’m a good soldier for the North Shore Crew. I’m cool-headed, I never lose sight of my goals, and my only obsession is to wrench our town from the clutches of our sworn enemies, the Kings.

Alexandra Delacroix is just a job. Plain and simple. She lives in our neighboring town, in the millionaires’ heaven they call Stoneview.
The plan is charm her, uncover incriminating information about her senator father, and tip the balance of power in our favor.

But unlike the other rich girls from Stoneview I use as toys, Alexandra is kind, selfless… sweet. Sickeningly so. A bright pink cupcake with glitter and sprinkles on the icing. That kind of sweet.

We have nothing in common. Nothing but the secrets we keep.

And before I know it, my priorities change.

Before I know it… Alexandra Delacroix is my new obsession.

This book is a standalone, the second in a series of four interconnected standalones. It contains scenes that some readers may find triggering. Please check CW in the book.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, College, Mafia Romance, Spicy

522 pages, Paperback

Published August 22, 2023

About the author

Lola King is a dark, steamy romance author who loves giving happy ever after’s to antiheroes. She writes about flawed and deeply broken characters and the women who bring them down to their knees. Her books are sometimes cute, sometimes angsty, but always sexy!
Lola lives in London and if she isn’t writing, she is most likely keeping her mind busy putting together a play or making music.

Let’s keep in touch on IG @lolaking_author or on FB readers’ group Lola’s Kings !

Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS THE DARK ROMANCE IVE BEEN YEARNING FOR!! I cannot get over how obsessed I am with this series and I just know nothing is going to beat this book. XI AND ALEX HAVE MY WHOLE HEART!! Your honor im obsessed with them.

Again again this is dark dark dark. Check your triggers. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

THIS IS GRUMPY SUNSHINE AT ITS FUCKING FINEST!! These two together are EVERYTHING! There’s just something about a grumpy, lethal, quiet, emo sad boy MMC with a tortured soul WHO ONLY HAS A SOFT SPOT FOR HER!! IT GETS ME EVERY TIME!!!

Xi…. Xi!!!!!!! Don’t even get me started on this man. He will forever live in my head rent free. This man is literally a gang lord who can and will unalive you with his bare hands, yet….
- cooks for her because he found out she hadn’t eaten all day and got VERY mad about it.
- Buys a pink lighter because of her
- Drew her and kept the sketch on his dashboard
- Smashed an arcade game so she can get prize she wants
- Never takes of the beaded pink heart bracelet she made for him
- Was incapable of focusing because she had a little cut
- Listened to every single Taylor swift album for her. 1989 is his favorite btw.
- Made and entire art collection dedicated to her.
HE IS SO BABY GORL I CANT!!!

Also I’m obsessed with Alex! Her character development was absolutely everything to me. Lola king knows how to write an FMC let me TELL YOU!!

FINALLY A DARK ROMANCE SERIES WITH PLOT!!!!!!

Also tell me why these books are making me cry so much…?!

✔️anti-hero
✔️bad boy/good girl
✔️touch her and you literally 💀
✔️moral black MMC who may have a thing for arson
✔️grumpy sunshine
✔️swiftie FMC
✔️Dub-con

[manas · Rating 1 out of 5]

➳ astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah ☆

OH MY GOD. if anyone is seeing this... i need you gone now. i am so embarrassed i read this. there are no words to describe this monstrosity. i had no clue whether to laugh or cry while suffering through this book. this is going to have some spoilers and can be VERY triggering. i care about you guys more than this fuck ass book, so please read with caution.

⌞the prologue⌝

lola king is rina kent 2.0 in the making. when i tell you, this ENTIRE prologue was stupid as fuck. i mean that with my whole chest. if you saw my review of beautiful fiend, the beginning of this novel is the SAME. ziad—xi, our MMC—kidnaps and then mentally, sexually, physiologically, physically, and emotionally abuses, assaults, traumatizes, scars, and threatens our FMC—alex. in addition to this fuckery, he has his friends watch, film, and SENDS THIS TO HER FATHER??? WHERE IS YOUR SHAME??? i guessed the reason for all this quite fast, and when it was finally revealed, i just laughed. i am sorry.

⌞the rest of the novel⌝

the rest of the novel follows alex being TRAUMATIZED about what happened, and ziad not giving a shit and continuing to abuse and assault her. at this point i have to ask, WHY? why is this ROMANCE? why is this being ROMANTICIZED? reading this with my pakistani best-friend is an experience i will never forget. we know going into these, we are NEVER the target demographic for these novels. however, in her words : “this is one of the worst depictions of muslims in any book i have ever read. what the fuck.” yeah... one day my brothers and sisters will be free of this disgusting representation. this white british woman gotta stick to butchering her own people. fuck you, fuck off.

⌞alex⌝

there is nothing to say about this girl because she is a victim of rape, abuse, assault, and manipulation, while simultaneously being a doormat with no functioning braincells. reading her character just made me sad if i am being serious. women who write books like this and then make the FMCs suffer time after time after time, needs to be studied. the only other personality point alex possessed is being obsessed with taylor swift. why do you hate women so much? answer, quickly. if anyone starts the “it's only fiction” bullshit, i am blocking yo ass.

⌞ziad⌝

the way i know lola king is an upcoming rina kent, is the way all the side characters were so interesting, only for them to get their own book and be a cum wipe. THIS?? is the book boyfriend so many people are thirsting over?? this is a fucking buffoon please. even if you take out the violent sexual assault and rape (that happens for the entire duration of the novel), this man—who is infact just a clown—physically slapped her and hit her multiple times... like ok, call me woke for the joke, but this shit is embarrassing. in addition, making him an arab muslim when you don’t know SHIT about the culture, is so disgusting. NO muslim mother is allowing this behavior in the home. speaking to several of my bestfriends—who are arab/muslim men—confirmed that i was NOT overreacting. they were all horrified and pissed off that this shit is as popular as it is.

too many “dark romance authors” nowadays are just writing BLATHER. arrant fucking blather. not one ounce of effort, thought, care, or concern go into these stories. if the only way you can depict a book being dark is by glorifying rape and making women out to rape apologists with stockholm syndrome, imma need you to clock the fuck out and pick up a new hobby. more embarrassingly, dragging algerian and moroccan culture into this mess, deserves author revocation.

i don't wanna hear anyone say, it was in the trigger warnings. first, that's the dumbest excuse if i have heard one, and second, fiction EXISTS through reality so miss me with that shit. it is also very topical to note that lola king said this book contains CNC & DUB-CON like, no! that is rape and sexual assault. be so ever lovingly serious! i am not even triggered by anything, but this just makes me mad and gives me second hand embarrassment.

on a positive note, i had the best time laughing and making fun of this shit with my best-friends khadija & vee! i love you both so much omg. <3

lastly, i have to note, the BIGGEST jumpscare was realizing that lik was indeed short for malik. this is my father's name. i take FULL PERSONAL offense to this.

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh… I need to go touch grass and take an iced cold shower, for like 8 hrs straight

[Krisha (break) · Rating 3 out of 5]

✯ 𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

"𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗦𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲."

This book follows the story of Alexandra delacroix, who is the senator's daughter and Ziad Benhaim, who has been tasked to gather dirt on the senator. But what happens when what was intended to be a simple task instead causes him to become fixated on the senator's daughter?

I enjoyed 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 for the most part but I liked 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 even more. I can't help but feel the first book was much better than this. However, I still enjoyed this book and the plot twist in the end totally caught me off guard. I like how lolas’ writing immediately grips my interest. She truly has a way with her words.

𝗭𝗶𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗺, who also goes by the nickname 'Xi' totally caught me off guard with his character development throughout the book. I both loved him as well as hated him but as I went further into the book, he grew on me. He never takes off his pink bracelet because the fmc made it for him (he despises that colour). He left nsc for her, cooks for her, sketched her, killed others who intended on harming her and even chose to prioritise her over getting his town back when the latter has always been his ultimate goal for years.

𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗶𝘅, I strongly disliked her. She's so docile and clearly lacks backbone. This girl literally can't stand up to her best friends let alone the bullies and the mmc. Her only personality trait is being a swiftie and being obsessed with the pink colour. I liked the Taylor Swift reference in the start but I got so fucking annoyed later on, because TS was mentioned in every single chapter. And the worst part is, Alex isn't just submissive to ziad, but she literally lets anyone and everyone walk all over her and ziad has to rescue her from every situation, because this girl is so stupid, she literally can't speak up for herself.

Also, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 prior to starting the book because this series is indeed dark and includes SA and non-con. I don't condone any of that shit.

However, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘄𝗮𝘀, the way lola misrepresented SA victims trauma. Because when alex came to know the mmc was the masked man who assaulted her, she literally didn't give a fuck. Like what? She was deeply traumatized for weeks after being assaulted and all of that just disappeared when she came to know her assaulter was none other than her boyfriend?? I'm no expert in the medical field but even I know that's not how SA victims seek closure. I was more angry at ziad for assaulting her than the fmc was for being assaulted by him. 𝗟𝗼𝗹𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵.

My ratings would've been higher if the fmc took a stand for herself instead of forgiving him so easily. Ziad's character grew on me, I won't lie, but I wanted to see him grovel so bad and own up to his mistakes.

Usually these reasons are more than enough for me to rate a book one star, but that wouldn't be fair, because despite the several issues I had with the book, I still enjoyed it for the most part. I don’t know what it is about lolas’ books but they're really addictive and binge-worthy, even if they aren't up to mark. If you're looking for a darker read, then this one's for you. Be sure to check out the triggers though.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

CASTRATION!! ALL THE VILE CREATURES (MEN) IN THIS HORRID ABOMINATION OF A SERIES NEED TO BE CASTRATED!! WHY IS EVERY MALE IN THIS SERIES A CRINGE RAPIST?? i would genuinely feel safer in a room full of actual demons than in a 10ft radius of any man in this series. i’m not even being hyperbolic.

you know those books that are so irredeemably bad they shouldn’t even count toward your reading goal? the books in this series shouldn’t merely fail to count—it should set your progress back by ten books and it shortens your lifespan by 20 years. this series is literary self-harm. truly the most catastrophically stupid series i have ever read. i refuse to believe this was written in earnest—this has to be satire, or a cry for help. either way, i’m throwing tomatoes. spoiled ones. i’m also starting a petition for goodreads to allow zero-star ratings

am i going to continue? yes. because i am a certified masochist and hate-reviewing can be fun. but also because this is an act of public service. a PSA. stay 100 feet away from this series. if you’ve ever experienced joy, love, or hope—don’t let this series touch you. this review won’t be as long as my beautiful fiend one, as my brain is being increasingly fried.

the plot (if you can call it that) is an incomprehensible mess of horny threats, psychotic insta-lust, and an endless cycle of xi doing things that provoke deep reflection within me on 1000 different ways to kill him (like with caden!). xi is, essentially, supposed to seduce the fmc alexandra and get information about her abusive father so his gang can get “protection”. though, the whole time it just felt like: hour-long soliloquies about how horny they are and their “undeniable pull”, xi committing arson because someone breathed near alex, 100 taylor swift references every 5 seconds, ubiquitous sex scenes/smut with cringier dialogue than wattpad fanfiction (one time they did it in the middle of the road, might i add), and xi talking about how he’s going to “fuck alex into oblivion”, like that’s supposed to be sexy. i want to throw this hoe into oblivion. the dialogue is also painfully millennial.

xi: oh how i YEARN for a man like him! he’s just so boyfriend. NOT ONLY was he previously in love with his step-sister billie, he’s another abusive, psychopathic rapist (just like caden, he raped the fmc and recorded it at the start!) that never ceases talking about his “alluring and big” dick like it deserves a national holiday and how “you don’t want to see his angry side!”. and then we’re somehow supposed to swoon when he dedicates an art gallery to her later among other things. there’s no redemption arc for this thing. a rapist is not redeemable. you don’t get to violate someone and buy a pink lighter and listen to 1989 like that makes it okay. leave taylor swift out of your crimes!!

"It’s always been my own personal form of revenge to fuck them into oblivion and turn them into the sluttiest girls for me. I’m the exact man their stuck-up parents always warned them about. The kind they look down upon until they’re on their knees begging to suck my cock." i had to go outside and touch grass after this. i was (and still am) utterly embarrassed that i read this, so i also considered burying myself alive.

“Me, seconds away from killing you. I decide when you come. I decide when you live. I decide when you die.” so swoony!! quotes like this is why therapy should be free.

“Please,” I whine. “I need to be away from you.”
“And I need to be inside you.”
???!?!!?!?!

"You matter, baby. Your feelings matter. Your opinion matters. Your Happiness. Fucking. Matters" and then he continued to rape and emotionally abuse her right after. AGAIN, THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE!! ARE YOU LISTENING TO YOURSELF? this is what happens when narcissists discover affirmations on pinterest.

“Say sorry, baby. Be my good little
pet and beg your owner for forgiveness.” i will literally drag you on a leash and fling you into a brick wall.

alexandra: a manic pixie dream girl with a trauma subscription and a sparkling veneer of quirkiness, yet she did almost nothing to fix this manwhore. she’s painted as sweet and eccentric, with humongous boobs and a funky, “smart” personality™—but beneath all the “sunshine incarnate” and “intellectual charm” her entire arc is being bullied, assaulted, and sa’d repeatedly. AND she does almost nothing to challenge her abusers, nor reclaim her agency in any meaningful way. until we learn about the plot twist that was so brain-numbingly stupid. and she even found her mom and somehow healed their estranged relationship in 2 pages!! so much substance.

another insanely dumb book i finished and physically celebrated after finishing!! read this series if you want to annhilate your neurons. or if you want to know what it’s like to have your inner peace waterboarded. kidding, listen to my psa and do not think about touching this series!! stay tuned for part 3.

my other reviews for this series:
beautiful fiend
delightful sins
lawless god

-
hate reading with my bff ivy!!!! see her review here!!

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ the taylor swift references >>>

[ivy · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star.

this series is terrible. 0/10 would never recommend.

this book was in my opinion, a little bit better. and when i saw a little, i mean by a hair. book 1: beautiful fiend, was disgusting, but this one was cringe, boring, and so, so, stupid. the only reason this one is better is because there wasn't SA every other page. but it made up for it with the absolute stupidity that it contained. i was staring at my screen fuming reading this book.

DISCLAIMER: triggers of on page SA, mentions of SA, abuse, violence. i am also not judging anyone who enjoyed this book/enjoys these types of books. i'm simply stating my opinion and who gives a fuck honestly on what books u like, read & love what u want <3

xi benhaim WHAT IS UP WITH THESE MMC'S AND SA'ING THE FMC'S. the book starts the same way that the first books started: with the mmc kidnapping & raping the fmc while their friends are recording. on top of him being a rapist, he was just utterly full of cringe. there was multiple times in the book where "don't get me mad, or you'll see my bad side" or “i’m a bad boy i’m so dangerous you don’t want to see me angry” like boy...be so fr rn.

some beautiful quotes said by our precious mmc:
➪ "it’s always been my own personal form of revenge to fuck them into oblivion and turn them into the sluttiest girls for me. i’m the exact man their stuck-up parents always warned them about. the kind they look down upon until they’re on their knees begging to suck my cock" oh so scary!!
➪ “you’re going to be so fun to play with, cupcake. every time you think of refusing anything, remember this exact moment. me, seconds away from killing you. i decide when you come. i decide when you live. i decide when you die.”
➪ “say sorry, baby. be my good little pet and beg your owner for forgiveness.” as ash said: i want to drag him on a leash and spin him 100 times until he flies and crashes into a wall and dies
➪ "everyone always pisses me off about my attitude. especially in the last two years. of course, i’ve been in a constant shit mood; the Kings are reigning over the North Shore. no one’s gonna see a smile on my fucking face until i get my town back." billy badass over here!! 🫣🫣
➪ he mentioned her innocence so many times it was downright predatory.
➪ made her crawl around like a dog with his belt on her neck and him dragging her around
➪ the author tried so hard to redeem him. like oh my God!! he bought a pink lighter?!? that definitely makes up for the PTSD that he gave her 😍😍

elisabeth alexandra decroix oh... good LORD. if you don't like doormat FMC's, you would HATE her. we were supposed to believe that she was this genius but she had zero common sense throughout the entire book. she believed every single word that xi said, although he was CLEARLY part of a gang and dangerous, instead of believing her best friends. and i get it, love is blind sometimes, but you just met him a day ago...
➪ "like coming out from underwater, i gasp as reality hits me. oxygen burns my lungs, and i face the truth i’ve been blindly avoiding all this time: xi is dangerous. xi is violent." btw.. she realized this SEVENTY PERCENT THROUGHOUT THE BOOK. like no SHIT GIRL???
➪ her CRINGE taylor swift references made me want to bang my head against the wall. like they could've just killed someone and she would say: "i'm in my i did something bad moment" (which actually happened). there was at least a run of 4-5 chapters where there was a taylor swift song mentioned in every chapter. i'm a swiftie, but this is a book that contains rape, violence, abuse, etc. this isn't the time. maybe if it was a cute rom-com, i could get behind it. “i still can’t breathe properly. ziad’s presence is lingering, his effect immortal. i’m having a real I Knew You Were Trouble moment.” 🧍🏻‍♀️
➪ again, a D O O R M A T.

by the way, they had sex in the middle of the road with cars swarming around them.

overall: 🚮 x2

thank you again to & ash for buddy reading this horrendous pos with me. ily forever, you made it so much more fun.
- her review <3

[veerali · Rating 1 out of 5]

before i dive into this review, let me get a couple of things off my chest. first off, i swore i wouldn’t be a hater and would keep it generous while rating this book, but guess what? this book shattered that little promise like it was made of glass. so, yeah, thanks for that. secondly, if you’re one of those people who adored this book, save your breath. everyone’s entitled to their opinions, and i’m not here to swipe your precious kitty, so just relax. and if you haven’t read this book yet, do yourself a favor and stop right here because this review is about to drop some serious spoilers.

*claps twice* alright, alright, gather 'round for the latest episode of rant with vee. i know, i know, it’s been ages since i unleashed my book rants, but this one really got under my skin, so here we are, ready to spill the tea.

heartless beloved is the second installment in the north shore stories series, serving up all the juicy tropes you crave: good girl meets bad boy, gang wars, and a boy who's totally obsessed. and of course, it’s dripping with dark romance. the author thought it’d be cute to sprinkle in some dub con because, you know, our main man is an anti-hero and all that jazz. but let’s be real—it wasn’t just dub con; it crossed the line into SA territory. yikes!

if you have already read the first book in the series, my serious condolences to your brain cells but i hate to break it to you, you're in for the same ride in this book as well.


part 1: prologue

I startle awake.
“Don’t scream.”
The coldness of the gun against my forehead forces me to inhale sharply. My body freezes as my eyes dart around.
He’s wearing a balaclava, dark eyes looking down at me...

the prologue kicks off with our leading lady sprawled in bed, a gun pressed to her forehead—classic dark romance nonsense, right? but what really grinds my gears is how our male lead, xi, is just a walking red flag, abusing alex in every possible way—mentally, sexually, physically, you name it. and to top it off, he does this in front of his buddies, who think it’s a great idea to film the whole thing and send it to her dad. seriously, it’s like the darkest temptation 2.0. come on, lola, you can do so much better than this.

row row row your boat the fuck away from me.


part 2: the plot

welcome to the north shore, where the dudes are full of shit and love raping their ladies.

seven months after all that drama with xi, alex is still reeling from the trauma of his abuse. she decides to enroll at silver falls university, where the students are basically the offspring of billionaires and old money. classic. being the ultimate people pleaser, she’s desperate to fit in with the elite crowd, especially xi ep the ridiculous club that nobody really cares about. while trying to find her way to silver falls, she hilariously ends up on the north shore instead. and guess what? she spots xi and instantly starts drooling over him. as the plot thickens, it turns out xi has his own agenda—he’s looking to use alex because his gang is running low on drugs. they’re planning to hit up an Italian Don for a little supply boost to take down their rivals, the kings. drama alert. in the midst of all this chaos, xi suddenly gets all mushy on her. like, seriously, possessive much? and then he starts calling her cupcake and baby chick. i can't even. this book is dripping with insta-love vibes, and honestly, it was so over-the-top that i felt like i might just pass out from the absurdity.

the ending had me grinding my teeth, pulling my hair out, and cackling like a maniac because it was just that ridiculous. so, xi is at it again, assaulting her and casually admits, "uep, it was me who assaulted you," (he wore a ski mask during the kidnapping, so of course, she couldn't recognize him.) amd get this—her own dad was the one who gave xi and his crew the heads-up to snatch her, all in the name of family values. i mean, he’s a senator, so clearly, family image is his top priority. i wanted to throw up.


part 3: characters

the main characters were such a hot mess that i seriously considered giving them a good smack. elisabeth alexandra delacroix, or alex for short, is a total victim with some serious trauma from her kidnapping. but she’s also your classic doormat sunshine heroine who just lets everyone trample all over her while trying to find the silver lining in every cloud. and don’t even get me started on her obsession with fuchsia—because apparently, pink just doesn’t cut it for her. it's like the author had a fuchsia quota to fill, mentioning it a hundred times. oh, and she’s a die-hard taylor swift fan, dropping a swiftie reference in every single scenario. can we get a little originality here.

ziad benhaim, or should I say xi, is your classic anti-hero who’s head over heels for his girl and ready to take out anyone who dares to lay a finger on her. and “no” isn’t in his vocabulary—consent? what’s that? to top it all off, he’s rocking a mix of albanian and moroccan heritage. as someone from an arab country, i can’t even begin to express how much this irks me. i'm all for authors creating diverse characters, but can we please get it right.

"Why is it that all I want to do is wrap you in my arms and protect the fuck out of you, so only person who can hurt you is me."

first of all, there are 6600 languages in the world and you decide you wanna talk shit. second, no man in love would hurt his woman intentionally. take notes.


part 4: conclusion

this book was a total dumpster fire. it had a glimmer of potential, but the characters were a hot mess. honestly, i couldn't stand any of them—except for zara, you're my queen!

i don't even know what i wrote in this review because i'm freaking brain dead after reading this book.

and i am sooo exhausted with dark romance authors throwing in sexual assault and rape like it’s just another plot twist. rina kent, shantel tessier, i'm looking at you.

big thank you to manas for being my rock through this chaotic journey. i seriously couldn’t have made it without you 🫶

[madi · Rating 1 out of 5]

⋆˙⟡ — 1 star
i need this series to end. rtc!!

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ did the first book almost make me cry? yes. am i still finishing this terrible series? absolutely 😭

[becs ౨ৎ⋆.˚ (semi-ia + comment restriction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay guys i know 😭 i went into this series fully expecting to hate it because her stoneview series is the worst thing i’ve put myself through. however, all of you who told me that i’d love this book weren’t that far off 🫠 please always read the content/trigger warnings with this author!!! the prologue, without fail is filled with disturbing scenes but again, i knew what i was getting myself into.

i won’t lie, for the first 25% i was making fun of the mmc a lot because i found his actions ridiculous and couldn’t take it seriously. i was also so annoyed and upset with the bs he did to her in the prologue so i was sorta holding a grudge BUT that all came crashing down quick 😞 lmaoo i kid you not, 27% in and he got me bad. i’m so fucking easy 😭

they were so fucking cute i can’t do this… i loved how much he loved her and wouldn’t stop showing/saying it. also please we’ve hit rock bottom because why was i happy he was actually apologizing to her, multiple times. in book one, the mmc stands by what he did and refuses to apologize but in this one, the mmc’s constantly trying to tell her the truth and come clean just so they can have a relationship not built entirely on lies. i know it’s the bare fucking minimum but i was still touched that he did it lol. he cooks for her, worries about her, tries his best to look after her, wants her to stand up for herself and be assertive 😮‍💨 and i never expected him to give up on that part of his life, but he did for her and his loved ones 🥹 loved that!!!! i didn’t like the cupcake nickname but whatever :’) him wearing the fuchsia/pink/hot pink beaded heart bracelet she made for him all the time 🙂‍↕️ the paintings, you guys i’m a sucker for an artist and his muse 💓

the plot twist you guys????? MULTIPLE plot twists might i add 🫠 lmaooo everyone kept telling me about it but nothing prepared me for that last 10% that was so ???? here’s the thing, in the prologue itself i had a moment where i thought to myself the dad set this whole thing up only i thought he did it to kill her 😭 i quickly let go of that because i thought it was absurd… lmao. i felt like i was getting hit left and right with how the plot twist had a plot twist that also had a plot twist. it was entertaining i won’t lie and i always rate based on if i had fun which i did with this!!

i could’ve done without the endless mentions of taylor swift. i really hated that 😭 if i had to read another scene of her having a (insert taylor swift song) moment i think i’d lose my mind. it was overkill, once or twice was bad enough but all throughout the book even until the epilogue…

i can’t wait to get to silver falls!!! peach and wren??? i need their book. i’m already obsessed and chris and ella seem so good because i always love a brother’s best friend trope and we got so many hints of them in the stoneview series!

i hate ethan and elliot 🫩 fuck the redemption arc (if they’ll even have one) need all the prayers and luck possible to get through the next book

———

i am sooo excited to start this one!! what pushed me to finally read this series was a quote i saw in a video for xi and alex 🫡 lol i was scared because i don’t have the best track record with lola’s books (jake and rose white yes i’m looking at you) but i surprisingly enjoyed beautiful fiend!

[⋆˙sanyae˙⋆]

i have no idea how to rate these books ...

i enjoyed it for the most part. but the sexual assault between main characters isn't something i like reading at allllll. that seems to be a common occurrence with this series so far. i have mixed feelings.


⋆⭒˚.⋆ pre~read⋆.˚⭒⋆
good girl × bad boy just does something to me. and xi is sooo hot
*i hope i enjoy this more than book no. 1*

[nadine (semi ia) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want Peach to burn Xi alive, and I'd be more than happy to hand her the lighter.

[purlpur · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
полтавський палій таки харош 🔥😮‍💨🫠
це було щось.
зіад - вибухова суміш неконтрольованої одержимості. ходив по такому тонесенькому лезу, що пару разів хотілося сказати: «чувак, ну ти не перегинай», незважаючи на їх взаємне тяжіння до кінку приниження 😏

ось ці слова ідеально описують його почуття до алекс:
✍️ «у зі є два способи показати мені, що він мене кохає: вбити заради мене людину і слухати мою улюблену виконавицю». це, до речі, про тейлор свіфт 😁

і в цьому весь зі - чоловік контрастів. в один момент він безжальний, одержимий і власницький, в інший - ніжний, романтичний і захисний. в один момент холоднокровно вб'є людину на її очах, в інший - не зможе витерпіти навіть маленького порізу на коліні алекс, щоб не надати їй допомогу. або приготує їй вечерю, бо вона не їла весь день, або буде постійно носити дурний рожевий браслет із бісеру, бо це саме вона йому зробила 💗🥹💗

десь подібне ставлення в мене до нього і було протягом читання: моментами хотілося придушити, а потім слухняно стати перед ним на коліна 🤭 поки під кінець, як завжди, усе не перевернулось з ніг на голову, і окей, тоді цю парочку зі+алекс я остаточно благословила 😇

разом з цим сподобалося, як тяжіння до приниження обігране зі сторони алекс. воно не взялося нізвідки, а її патерни поведінки мають цілком логічне пояснення.

але фінальний твіст зацінила соу соу. так, крутий поворот, хоча подібний вже був в іншій серії авторки. правда ця книга була написана раніше, тому будемо вважати це моєму проблемою, що я не читаю хронологічно 😝 і все ж трохи підбішує той факт, що до цього моменту ми сто разів були в голові персонажа і читали його пов, а тут опа, їжте тепер цей сюрпрайз сюрпрайз 😈

в іншому ж усе стабільно. історії лоли читаються максимально швидко і з постійною цікавістю. несіть ще 😋

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading and devouring the first book within the series, I couldn't wait to jump into this one, even though I enjoyed it, I didn't love it as much as the previous book, but it was still a solid read, I guess from the previous character Billy and then Alexander the two were like chalk and cheese, Billy was as tough as nails, Alexander was a yes girl, it's not till later in the book where we see she does in fact have a backbone.

Alexandra Delacroix is controlled by her father, with how to speak, how to dress, how to present herself to outside forces, he's even fitted her out with a GPS device so he knows where she is every minute of the day. He rules her with an iron fist, one step out of line and he'll reign down on her. She may be a princess in a castle but life is nothing like you'd expect with being a senators daughter.

When she's kidnapped and held against her will for ransom, the dark captive unleashes something within her, revealing a side of herself that enjoys to be dominated in the most wicked of ways.

Even though that night broke her it also awakened her, from nightmares, to panic attacks, to dreaming of being taken she fantasies what her captive did to her.

A few weeks pass and she's finally off to college where she can finally get out from within her fathers grasp, on her way to reach her dorm she's had to take a detour and has ended up in her worst nightmare, the place she never wanted to step foot in again. But it's here where a knight in shining armour comes to her rescue.

If you read the previous book you would've already met Xi, he's Billy's stepbrother. So you kind of already privy to his background story and his involvement within gang life.

Xi and Alexandra come from two different worlds, they should not of crossed paths, she's rich, he's poor, she's nerdy, he's a killer, she uses her brain, he uses his fists.

But together they were perfect, he gave her everything her little heart desired and for the first time ever in Xi's life he started thinking about more important things other than the gang life.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am convinced there is crack in these books because I didn’t think I would be obsessed with Xi and Alex, but here I am … obsessed!! I love them!!

This was again super dark and twisted, but I ate it up!! ( pls check your TW’s) This was grumpy/ sunshine done so right! The dynamic between Alex and Xi was so good and their banter had me so hooked!! I am a sucker for a grumpy emo mmc who only has a soft spot for her and only her, but will also get rid of anyone who hurts her.

Xi…. Where do I start ?!! Did this man as all the other men do questionable things in the beginning… yes, but did he also redeem himself…. Yes , he really did. I really didn’t think much of him in the Silver falls trilogy and Beautiful fiend , but here I am completely blown away! This freaking man!! The way he fell for Alex was everything!! He cooked for her, wore a pink bracelet she made him, has a pink lighter cause it’s her favorite color, drew her so many times that he did a whole art collection just based on her ( called her his muse) and even listened to Taylor Swift for her!! … and listen did he hurt people and unalive people and do questionable things, yeah, but I loved him regardless and idk what that says about me.

Alex, my gosh I love her!! Her growth throughout out the book was the best I’ve scene so far in this series!! I love how she grew such a strong back bone, but still maintained being her sweet self and what she did at the end.. I really didn’t see that coming !!

The plot in this one was waaaaay too good as well!

I need to go touch some grass now.

[Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sexy dark surprise this was!! Lola King was not messing around with these characters and seeing that this my first time ever reading anything from this author, I’m glad that I started with this one. I fell for an anti hero and I regret NOTHING!



If you were to ask Alexandra Delacroix how happy she is with her life right now, she would give you her sweetest smile and tell you that her life is a fairytale dream and it’s perfect. Sweet boyfriend, a house that might as well be a castle and cool girlfriends. Everything is perfect. That is until one night she truly learns that no one is really untouchable and danger comes in the form of something alluring and wicked.



Xi has never been the kind of guy to sit still. If he wants something, he’s going to get it and to everyone else, have mercy on your soul if you get in his way. He’s unapologetic, ruthless and deep down to the core, he’s crazy af. When he crosses paths with the rich girl from the other side of town, Xi decides to do the one thing that he’s extremely good at. Getting what he wants.



I was not expecting this type of story if I’m being completely honest. I thought that I was going to get a little sprinkle of a dark romance with some sexy scenes thrown in but that was not the case. Yall need to listen to me very carefully. THAT WAS NOT THE CASE!!! My god I was sweating and angry at the same time. How is that even possible??? Xi was not a good person in a lot of ways but he was passionate and protective. Everything that he did had meaning and you felt it whether it was good or bad.

I’m pretty sure that the author gives a warning to her readers in the beginning of the book so please for the love of your panties and sanity, do not skip it. Read it, memorize it, inhale it, and if and ONLY if you’re ready to go forward with these crazy, demented frustrating characters that will take you to the edge of bliss, then you start. Don't say that I didn't warn you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be rocking in the corner waiting for the next character's book.

[Salma [Ramadan HIATUS]]

Tell me you hate Muslims without telling me you hate Muslims.

Check out this lovely review by Manas to see what I mean.

Manas’s review

[•°Dahlia ( hiatus ) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pure shit give me bleach please , regretted why I didn't dnf 🥱🤡
I officially announce that I found Rina Kent's long lost twin.. 💀
This is lot all SA every damn chapter, the only acceptable scene is when he listened to all of her favorite artist's albums.. But all I have to say is that I tortured myself with this one 🤚

---
➻Pre-Read:
Am probably making the worst decision in my lie by reading this since the reviews I read lol, but Instagram made me curious about this one.💀
So here I am skipping the first one and jumping in this one, wish me luck 🙈

[Bailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

I literally could not put this down!!!

Book 2 in the North Shore series. This one follows Xi who is a part of the NSC gang, and Alex who is the daughter of a senator. NSC needs money and backing in order to take over from the rival gang, so Xi makes a deal to get close to Alex so he can get dirt on her dad, but what he didn’t realize was that she was going to completely turn his world upside down.

Xi. Was. Everything. That man was absolutely unhinged in the BEST way (and the worst way). He would literally do absolutely anything for the people he loves, and he absolutely does. He had me GIGGLING!!! Listening to Taylor Swift just because she loves her, buying a pink lighter because its Alex’s favorite color and it reminds him of her, breaking a gumball toy machine so that she can get the toy she wants… and also maybe hurting people but that’s neither here nor there he’s PERFECT.

Alex’s character arc was freaking beautiful. She started off as timid and had no backbone, constantly apologizing for everything she did, good or bad, and ended up so. Much. Better.

Also, if you want some SPICE, look no further. This has PLENTY. But the plot still wasn’t overshadowed by it!

I love them, I really enjoyed this book, and I am so glad I read it when I did. Right book right time!!

[NMmomof4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise, the opposites attract aspect, and the characters.

The Not-So-Good: The pacing towards the end and how we didn't get an explanation of how the drama with the h's dad impacted everything else (especially the H)

The Bad: The ending and lack of closure.

Overall: This was different! It has the storyline where people from totally opposite lifestyles connect despite their differences -- which I'm always a sucker for. The H was really darkly intense and the h was sugar sweet, so they were kind of an awesome match! I didn't like how they were separated up until the very end and how it ended. I also didn't like that the epilogue/very last chapter was more about setting up the next book than about giving us more closure. Other than that? I enjoyed it.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Alex and Xi's story. Alex is the mega rich daughter of a senator that finally gets to get away from his severe expectations when she goes off to college a few months after a traumatic event. She constantly meets Xi, a guy from the wrong side of town, when she finds herself in need of saving. They start up an intense relationship that gets messy quickly when feelings develop and secrets are exposed. There are some suspenseful moments, some big changes, and some sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Alex and Xi's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.

Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings (instalust for sure)

H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Xi. I liked him, but it feels weird saying that. He was probably a sociopath that became obsessed about the h and did some crazy things without hesitation 🫣

h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Alex. I liked her. I appreciated how she cared for others and found her inner strength as time went on.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes they both push away and I'd say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship

Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Rough sex, degradation/humiliation/praise, borderline rape fantasy, and the h is a virgin

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes the h's ex causes some drama and the h is jealous of the H's friends that are girls and an ex hookup of his causes some drama too

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: Yes They are separated shortly (months?), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time.

Possible Triggers: Yes Kidnapping/violence/murder/attempted sexual assault/arson/domestic violence/verbal and emotional abuse (on page), selling drugs/criminal behavior (H on page), sorority/fraternity hazing (on page), forced drug use (cocaine - h on page), and the h is a virgin

Closure: This ends right after their separation and was more focused on setting up the next book. I would call it a HFN ending they're reunited and have shared "ILYs", but I definitely was a little frustrated that we didn't have time with them on page working out their new lives together.

Safety: This one is probably either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have both the h and H pushing away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does have abuse
- Does Not have a HEA ending

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bumpy road with ups and downs.
I almost DNF, but it got better again, and then bad and then better.
The MC was too unhinged for my taste. The murders were too much. The heroine's dad was too much. Her mother was a ditzy. One person can't be all bad or all good.
I think there was a lack of balance in each character.
The h asked for some time to sort herself out and it made a lot of sense considering all the abuse she suffered. But then everything was resolved very easily in a short period of 3 months.

It felt rushed and unbelievable.
One thing is for sure, book #1 was much better.
Looking forward to the next in this series.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I couldn't read any single word anymore.

[klinta]

my instagram fyp will NOT stop shoving this couple’s artwork down my throat and i WILL be ignoring all the 1 star reviews when i pick this up. what i don’t see doesn’t concern me 💋

[♡Gabi♡ [grad school hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

definitely, my least fav of the series so far, but alex and xi were cute, albeit polar opposites in every way, yet it worked perfectly.

the plot twists at the end took me by surprise, which I always love and I’m happy xi and his “cupcake” got their hea after all the betrayal and drama that went down!

[maggies_reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was incredibly hard to get through. i’m not sure if it was because the plot or the writing style. personally the writing felt juvenile almost like something that would be posted on wattpad. Alexandra was a character i could not like at all. The beginning of the book she was so incredibly childish it hurt. Xi was also a horrid character and had absolutely no redeeming moments. I felt as if I was reading a book just about abuse and not a dark romance. this felt way too much to be dark romance and i have read so many dark romances. i’m highly disappointed in this read.


ARC reviewer

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆

I am giving them four point five stars looks like my friends were right n i was indeed underestimating xialex's game. They were a treat n alex is so sexyy pls 😩

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Rating: 4 🌟
Spice Rating: 4 🥵🔥

This was SO GOOD… I think Lola king may be becoming an auto-buy author for me. Because even though there were a few things that are an ick to me personally when reading (aka the main girl giving baby chick vibes hard core, but also naming Taylor Swift songs OUT LOUD for any situation… girl please stop), I absolutely devoured this book.

My man XI absolutely stole the show for me. I love his brand of insanity. He was possessive, controlling, fucked up… BUT IN THE MOST ADORABLE WAYS POSSIBLE! He is the pinnacle of what I want in a dark romance MMC. Where does he do things that are seriously fucked up and not right? Yes, absolutely he does. Does he ALSO do it in such a cute way and have such sweet moments with our FMC? YES AND ITS EVERYTHING!

I think Lola’s writing is some of my favorite in the dark romance genre. And I do not say that statement lightly. Even when there are things I dont particularly like in her books, I am still locked into the story and cant stop reading. And the full circle moment that was the ending of this book?! 🤯 Had my jaw dropping…. I have a good feeling that Lola King may just be my most read author of 2025 because I am absolutely going to go devour her back list

For more bookish content and reviews, please follow my bookstagram💕

www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf

[ᥫ᭡. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 ⭐️

I know this series is a dark romance but the limit is SA.
This would have been 5 ⭐️ if there wasn’t any SA 🙏 and it felt a bit rushed.

The MMC killed a guy because he was trying to SA the FMC when he did it aswell ?????? It’s giving it’s only okay when I do it.

[EricaB · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

“The night she chose me.”😭

It was perfection. Xi was perfection. I think we all need a little Xi in our life. 🩷

[_kenzie_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5🌶️

•bad boy/good girl
•touch her and 💀
•opposites attract
•degrading
•LOTS of dirty talk & kinks
⚠️LOOK UP TRIGGERS!!⚠️

“i’ll be the bonnie to your clyde for a simple taste of forever with you”

ngl i wasn’t very intrigued by Xi in the first book. so when i found out book 2 was about him..i was just like eh. boy was i wrong….he is fkn sexy. i loved this book so much and could not put it down. Xi and Alexandra come from two very different worlds and are two completely different people. she’s rich, he’s poor, she’s academic, he’s part of a gang, she uses her brain and he uses his fist, guns, knives…anything really. these two were toxic as hell but gollyyyyy were they so perfect together too. the character development AND relationship development was so damn good.

Alexandra Delacroix: beauty and brains🩷 she’s taylor swift obsessed, i loved how she had a song for every situation. i loved her, but i was soooo team Peach when she said our girl needs to grow a backbone. because myyyy god. Alex was a “yes girl”, she said sorry way too damn much (Xi changes that real quick💅🏻) and just never ever stood up for herself. you can tell she’s like this because of the way her father treated her. he controlled her ever chance he could, from telling her what to wear, how to speak, how to present herself & even putting tracking devices in expensive jewelry so he knew where she was at every second of the day. everyone thinks it’s all sunshine and rainbows for her, but she’s living her own personal hell and i wanted to squeeze her so hard. watching her slowly finally have a backbone, and finally standing for herself in situations, was the best. i also loved the aspect of her being so innocent and sweet but in the bedroom she’s so kinky and loves being degraded. like honestly….period queen.

Ziad Benhaim (Xi): this man surprised me fr. like i said i didn’t much care for him in the first book. he just seemed boring…he’s anything but. Xi was everything. he listened to taylor swift just because Alex loved it. he buys a pink lighter because that’s her favorite color. he wears a pink heart bracelet that she made him 24/7. he paints her in canvas and has an entire art exhibition inspired/dedicated to her, because HE IS just that obsessed. he would do anything and everything for her. he wanted to be the best version of himself for her. and he made all her kinkiest fantasies come true. he was everything she needed and she everything he needed. they brought out the best and the worst in eachother. they were firecrackers and i just couldn’t get enough.

fav quotes🩷🚬

“why is it that all i want to do is wrap you in my arms and protect the fuck out of you, so the only person who can hurt you is me?”

“…now i take you to your room and fuck you like the bad girl i turned you into”

“the woman i’m in love with associates every situation in her life with a taylor swift song. you can bet your ass i was going to listen to every single excruciating album”

“alexandra is the kind of person you hug in bed, then. she’s the breeze on a hot summer day, caressing your back and bringing goosebumps of relief to your skin”

“everyone has their flaws, yet somehow hers make me want to smile.”

“whenever someone makes you feel who you are is not who you should be, or that us being together isn’t the right thing, i want you to remember this moment. when i hold you in my arms, it’s exactly where you belong, and the moments we share are yours to own. i want you to know that i belong to you. i will always keep you safe”

“you matter, baby. your feelings matter, your opinion matters. Your. Happiness. Fucking. Matters”

“with you, i’m finally learning how to breathe. you’re my oxygen, alex. you’re my everything”