The Wallflower

Oakmount Elite #1

by J.L. Beck

She needs me, because she needs money. 

I don’t need her. Just her complete submission…

Maybell Jacobs is the Wallflower: quiet, shy, socially awkward and hell-bent on hiding even from herself, that is until a chance encounter takes place between us.

Instantly she hates me and for good reason. I'm a walking-red-flag. Filthy rich jock, short tempered, and violent.

I can have anyone and anything I want.. except her.

Little does she know her disgust, anger, and hate for me fuels my obsession to own her, completely in every single way. 

Maybell resists, predictably... but her fight only makes her more desirable and I have plans that will lead her right into my lap and never want to leave. 

When she joins the sinful tradition put on by the elite of the town, the Hunt, I’m shocked. The pretty little thing has no idea how much danger she’s in if she decides to become my prey.

Sweet, innocent, and fragile like a flower. I'll have to be careful or risk breaking her. 

Because I’m the ultimate predator and when I play there are no rules. 

I don’t chase. I capture.

And I like to own my bait.

★ Tropes include: secret society, college, touch her and die, CNC & chasing bait fantasy ★

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, College, Sports, Sports Romance

378 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2024

About the author

J.L. Beck is the USA Today Best Selling author of unapologetic romance. She lives in WI with her husband, two kids, and four dogs. She enjoys writing and recently starting a literary agency to help represent authors in the industry.

To learn more about her books or interact with her go here: https://linktr.ee/jlbeckbooks

J.L. Beck xoxoxo

Reviews

[Hey Lin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well...i gave it a chance. I knew better than to read this, but all the glowing reviews made me curious. So I read it. I rolled my eyes a lot. I got annoyed, but I finished and you're lucky I gave this a one star. 😂😂

I think a lot of (maybe dark) romance readers like this flowery sex talk but I dont. Lots of mentions about how he smells like teakwood whatever the fuck that is and how he wants her vagina to STRANGLE his cock 🙄🙄🙄🤷 So people who like books like Rina Kent and/or shantal tessler and their flowery over the top words of degradation will probably love this shit. I did not.

She's a poor Virgin h who is taking care of her sick mom and we never hear what she's sick from. Cancer? A cold? Who the fuck knows.

She goes to this random hunt in the woods with her bestie and roommate Jackie where the guys or girls can Do whatever they want to their prey.....including rape whoever they find. She joins because they're told that there is a $25k prize for whoever can make it to a shed or cabin so she wants to win that for her mom. He catches her 🤷

After that, it was a whole bunch of eye rolling. His dad treats him like crap and his mom also has a mystery sickness. Hes also poor. None of his money is his money and he is emasculated at every turn by his dads wants and machinations. I didnt feel bad for him😂😂🤷 big man on campus with a big cowboy hat with no horse or farm. Give me a break. His dad uses her treatments as blackmail to get him to do what he wants his son to do.

The ironic thing is that H treats the h in the exact same way as his dad treats him.....like a fucking dog. He tells her that she can't date anyone else because shes his but never treats her well except for a fuck. NOICE. She's supposed to just roll over and listen to everything he says and shes like.....panting over her wet panties because he's hawt? Nah bruh. She tries to go on a carnival date with another basketball dude she tutors after he asks her out and drew won't allow it. The basketball guy was trying to drug her drink and date rape her. So that ended that blossoming romance 😂😂😂🤔

H goes to a ball where his dad announces his engagement to a business associates daughter and the girl forces a kiss on him. h is at the ball passing drinks because she wants to make more money and sees the kiss. He tells her it doesn't mean anything and he's doing it because of his dad.

Dad beats him up more at the ball and then he tells H that shes his half sister. I wanted to throw up at this revelation 😂😂 But then Hs friend Sebastian comes in and tells them that shes HIS sister and ahe shouldn't have been touched. how many dads and moms can she have???!!🙄🙄🤔 then her roommate Jackiecomes in and hugs/kisses the H's dad like shes his girlfriend????????

Then the end. 😂😂

What the fuck is this?

She also has a college aged kid say hellion. I haven't heard that word outside of a historical romance. Dies anyone born after 1998 know the word "hellion?!" Come the fuck on. I will answer for you. No. No, they DONT!!!!! I didn't even know what it was til I started reading historical romance novels 😂😂😂😂 And a college BOY says it in this book?!?! Dafuqqqqqqqqqqq. They say no cap. Or rizz. Or bruh. Or lets goooooooooooo!!!!!!! But not hellion. Sigh. Its like that Kandi Steiner book where they say brute and marvelous, but they're in college. 😂😂😂😂😂😂🙈💩💩💩💩 Bruh, that's cap.

Sigh. Never again. I always hesitated with jl Becks books because they seemed all the same with Rina Kent kind of books and I was right. I'm done with this author.

[Kursed Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pressured by her bestie and lured by the idea of winning $25k, Bel agrees to participate in The Hunt.

Obsessed and egotistical, not used to hearing no, Drew is fascinated by the submissive but sassy, headstrong and prideful, Bel.

The definition of push and pull, they’re drawn to one another but walk that thin line between love and hate.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🩶🩶
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🫣😲🥵🥺😳
Ending: 🧗🏻‍♀️ {Cliffy}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}

🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): Dark, New Adult, Sports, Suspense

✨ Tropes: Billionaire/Rich AF, Enemies-to-Lovers, Insta-Obsession, Rich Boy x Poor Girl, Secret Society
💫 Microtropes: Alphahole, Athlete, Bad Boy x Good Girl, Boy Obsessed, College, Good Girl, Hand Necklace, MINE!, Pet Name, Tracking/Spying, Virgin FMC

💋 Kinks: Domination, Finger Licking Good, Fisting, Primal

⚠️ Warning: This one-handed read may cause blushing, squirming, combusting panties, and/or self-care. It may also leave you questioning your morals.

🚩 Safety Squad: Attempted Assault, DubCon, and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!

📣 Type: The Wallflower is part of the Oakmount Elite series and ends on a cliffhanger. This series must be read in order.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

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

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

❀ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 ❀ Is the first full length enemies to lovers romance book within the (Oakmout Elite) series by author J.L. Beck. Spoken in 'dual perspectives. ❥ Maybell & Drew ❥

Due to an altercation she witnessed in the library between him and another boy she's now on his radar. And he takes no prisoners!! A game that dates back centuries has her taking part to hopefully win the cash so that she can afford to take care of her ailing mother. This game is dark, wicked and will push boundaries.

One thing you can trust in this author is her ability to give us those unique angsty twisty reads, and this book was no different.

This was like the calm before the storm, lulled into a false sense of security before your thrown into utter chaos.

So many twists and turns, foot tapping, nail biting moments, a roller coaster of love, hate, anger, like a yo-yo my feelings were catapulted into utter disbelief with the plot twist upon plot twists.

Here I sit, trying to think of something nice to say about this guy, and nope nothing 🤷‍♀️ he was a puppet on a string obeying his father's every command only to keep his mother out of the firing line, that was his saving grace, his love for his mother showed me that he can love.



When it came to Maybell god this guy took things to the extreme, obsessive, a walking red flag who should be avoided. But we were warned how we may feel about him because I got no warm fuzzies or swooning moments from this guy and I did not claim him once lol

Maybell was kind of a nerd, scholarship girl, basically had a worn track from her dorm room to the library, she rarely frequented anywhere else. Being the only sibling with an ailing mother and as far as she knew a deceased father she took on extra tutoring jobs to pay for her mothers medication and basic needs. She was so relatable, even though she was book smart she kind of held her own, but up against Drew she had no chance. He was a tornado intent on striking her down and making her his.

The anticipation and waiting game until the next book will be my undoing!

* Teaser used is off the authors facebook page *

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[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

*audiobook

-Not a standalone.
-Ends on a cliffy, sort of.



SPOILER:

MMC cheats on fmc. At 85 percent, he makes out with another woman.

Ew.

Even if i liked this book, this would have still been a one-star.

Cause no one wants cheating in romance books.

I have a no-tolerance policy for mmc cheating on fmc.

Short review:

Had great potential, and I could tell what the author was aiming for here, but unfortunately, everything fell flat. And when i say everything, I mean everything:

Characters, plot, chemistry, world, development, pacing, smut etc.

That's a real shame. Cause this book has the potential to be amongst my favorites. Cause the writing was there, the concept was there. But the execution lacked cohesion and tension.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hurt people hurt people!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙❤️💚💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 😊😘🤓😟🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The Hero: Andrew “Drew” Marshall - he comes from a wealthy family and is a football star, the quarterback of the football team at Oakmount university. He is bored, arrogant, obsessed and more than a bit psychotic. He is the guy all the other guys want to be, and all the girls want. He takes full advantage of that. He and his friends, Ares, Sebastian and Lee are in charge of The Hunt, which is a spectacle they put on once a year by the elite of the town. It is a game where the guys chase the girls through the woods and get to enjoy whichever prize they catch.

The heroine: Maybel “Bel” Jacobs (a.k.a. Wallflower) - she is a scholarship student, from a poor family. She is also a bit of an introvert, though she isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and others if she feels they need it. She is also socially awkward and tries to stay in the background where she isn’t noticed. Her mother is sick, and she is trying to get enough money for her mom to go to the doctor.

The Story: One thing I didn’t like was from the beginning, Drew was shown harassing a nerd who was supposed to deliver him an essay he paid for. I think the scene was to show what a bad guy Drew was, and it was the vehicle for Bel to first see Drew being a jerk and standing up to him. Though to me it just showed that he wasn’t smart enough to do his own college work. I like a Hero who is able to take care of his own business.

Anyway, Bel gets Drew’s interest when she stands up for the nerd in the library. Even more so, when she wants nothing to do with Drew. He tells her that there is no escaping him now that he wants her. Later, Bell’s best friend tells her that she got them an invitation to The Hunt, and that there is a $25,000.00 prize for the first person that makes it to the cabin. She can’t turn it down since she needs the money for her mother.

I didn’t really understand Drew and his friend's relationship to the mill and what exactly the mill was. Drew certainly had some daddy issues. I have to say, I really disliked the way Drew, Lee, Aries and Sebastian talked about women at the start of this book, though this is far from the only dark romance where men have a terrible opinion of women at the beginning of a book. I guess seeing a Hero, or Anti-Hero changing throughout the book is part of what I like. Drew’s dad treated him terribly and he ended up treating Bell in much the same way.

This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone. Ryan Stone has a nice deep voice that I like, though he does sound somewhat older than what the main characters are supposed to be, but I grew to like his voice more and more as the story went on and he sounded very sexy in the intimate scenes. Renee Thorn has a pretty deep voice for a female narrator. Her voice isn’t unpleasant, but I guess I just expected a more feminine voice for Bel. Though she did show emotion through her voice very well and she was able to do different voices for different characters.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

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[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

I want you to scream for me because of me. I want you gasping for breath. I want you crying, your eyes shimmering with tears. I want you running, doing everything you can to escape me, while knowing deep down inside you’ll never get away. I want all of it. So I'll give you one more chance to get away."

Well then, clearly I have been sleeping on JL Beck, because this hit all sorts of spots for me. ALL THE SPOTS.
Enemies to lovers? CHECK
Bully/alphahole vibes? CHECK
DubCon/CNC? CHECK
Primal Play? CHECK
Bad Boy/Good Girl? CHECK
Obsessive hero and touch her and die vibes? CHECK CHECK AND CHECK

If your hate tastes this good, I can’t imagine what your desire tastes like.”

I live for a dark secret society read almost as much as I live for a good alpha hole and this was pure book crack. Drew is a bad boy that I loved to hate. Part of the elite, of course this is a guy who has broody and tortured down to a science. Every year, he and his friends host something called The Hunt. And yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. But it's been a while since a woman truly gave Drew the chase he craves. A woman who doesn't just pretend to run from him. The man is depraved with a capital D and I loved him for it.

Maybel (Bel) is the quintessential good girl. A scholarship student, she's used to being unseen and blending in. In a school of the rich and elite, she's the wallflower...until she unwittingly catches the attention of Drew. And now he'll stop at nothing to have her, even if she doesn't want anything to do with him.

Drew isn’t the person he plays or the mask he slips on. He’s unhinged, sinister, and dark. He’s hiding in plain sight, afraid of what the world will think of him if they see the monster beneath the beautiful exterior.

Their relationship is one of antagonistic push and pull. Bel runs and Drew chases. But somewhere along the road, the lines begin to blur and someone that Bel couldn't stand, she soon unwillingly gets feelings for. But Drew's family and history is a dark one and Bel lands in the middle of something she can barely comprehend.

This was a twisty, deliciously dirty story. I loved the chemistry between Drew and Bel. I craved every morsel of information about these two. And while we only graze the surface in this one, I think we're in store for a great deal more with the next one. I'm fully hooked on the series and as much as I'm dying for the conclusion, I also can't wait for the rest of the guys to get their story. Especially Sebastian. That boy will likely put Drew to shame with his depraravity. I just know it. And that ending? JAW DROPPING!


ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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[Melluvsbooks]

DNF @ 5%. - the hero outed himself as a tool in the first few paragraphs - I knew it wasn’t going to be for me when he was psychoanalyzing himself to death - no college kid thinks like this. Get out of here with “doe eyes” from a college bro. 🙄The fact that he’s been seeking out his chase/r@pe kink with all the girls is annoying. Being told everything instead of shown is extra annoying. I don’t enjoy being spoon fed every single thing. And then having the random girl he meets in the library to immediately tell us she’s into rape fantasy as well… well you just killed the story. He’s looking for an authentic scenario but instead of allowing that to organically play out between these characters, the tension is immediately killed, since we know whatever happens between them won’t be the authentic scenario he’s hoping for. We’re assured this blushing virgin is totally into rape fantasy as well. Only that makes her just like all the other bimbos who play his games, who he’s bored with. So how is she different? The author just killed all the tension and could have made the scenario interesting.

Also… is something in the water?? That’s a lot of college kids out and proud with their rape fantasies… -apparently the whole football team and their groupies? Plus the random virgin girl he finds in the library.

And finally - the hero is an indiscriminate bully - he’s beating up “nerds” for their homework and just going around being an all out dick to everyone. Thats not really my jam.

Stop telling and start showing. Then you’ll have a compelling book.

[atomickitten · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars?

Welcome to college for future gold diggers and pimps, where education is non-existent and reading books will make you a social pariah.



Honestly?

I had really high hopes for this book. After reading so many rave reviews and so much hype on social media, I said yessss, i wanna give it a shot.

I must also confess that I am no fan of this author because her characters are always so superficial, one dimensional, plain stupid and just obnoxiously annoying, I just can't enjoy the storyline, no matter how much I try.

And sadly this book was no exception.

It's just the same old shit, just a different cover.



Those who follow my reviews know I am a huuuuuuge fan of Rina Kent.
Because this woman is brilliant.
She is one of the very few who are actually able to pull off the dark college vibes, the mystery aura of the characters, the unforgettable chemistry between the characers together with their fucked up personalities, kinks, and all the perverted glory.

Her God of Wrath and the entire Legacy of Gods series is the epitome of perfection when it comes to this genre and all the tropes mentioned above.

And this book was like a very ineffective and bizarrely grotesque copycat of all that, something you order on Temu or Aliexpress.



Sooooo...
We have the characters:

1. The idiotic queen of all doormats and martyrs, airheaded heroine Bel and her betraying body syndrome.
I could say a lot of things about her but none of them would be positive.
She claims to be a smart girl and you know, maybe she is, for a 12 - 13 year old, because I assume this is where she stopped when it comes to mental development.
She had nothing to offer to me as a reader that would make me root for her.
She was crude, kinda ignorant, and swore like a sailor on a stormy cruise.
Just unlikeable and annoying.

And for the life of me I couldn't understand why people loved her character so much.

Is stupid the new black?



2. Then we have the tormented hero, a Jeremy Volkov wannabe with a golden heart and zero class when it comes to dating, Drew.

Honestly? I was very curious of him at first.
And I gotta say that I was intrigued. I love me a fucked up hero who is not afriad of anything or anyone. But Drew? He just wasn't that.

He was fucked in the head, I'll give you that. But apart from that, he was just his father's little bitch: doing what he told without batting an eyelid and completely dependent on him financially.

He kept bitching that his father is a monster, that he treats his mother like dirt (she was sick apparently and needed pricy treatment), blackmailed Drew with his mom's illness to make him do whatever he wanted.
And yet, he kept doing the same to Bel and saw no problem with that. *smh

Also, he kept saying that she was one of a kind and not like the other girls.

I dunno what he meant. Was it that, unlike the other girls on the campus, she didn't dress and act like a cheap skanky prostitute?
It had to be it, right?

I kept scratching my head wondering what it was that was so different. Because I could see nothing in this girl that would make me agree with him.



3. The walking venereal disease in the form of Bel's bestie, Jackie.

Do I really need to say more?

This girl's coochie was busier than a one-armed paper hanger.
And her IQ couldn't be higher than her age.



All in all, no I didn't like it.
It was stupid and frustrating as hell.

The writing wasn't the worst, true, but the story was quite repetitive.
And I tried to finish but at some point I just gave up and skimmed till I hit the end.

When I reached for this book I wanted the beautiful mysterious darkness, the tormented psycho hero who hates and hurts everyone but the heroine.

But what I got was 2 imbeciles with no money, no intellect and no idea what a realtionship is about.

It of course ends on this idiotic cliffhanger but I have zero desire to continue with this shitshow.

I'd rather go and dive into one of Rina Kent's books.

And I suggest you do the same.

[Erika Braga · Rating 5 out of 5]

It kinda gives God of Malice in the beginning and I am here for it.

This book took me for a ride. I thought it was just a simple bully romance but it’s way more than that.
It has bully and you get angry at the guy but at the same time and as you learn parts of his story you feel really bad for him and the situation he is in.
Drew is the alpha quarterback, leader in every aspect, gorgeous broody violent psycho. They live in this house that kinda resembles a fraternity but in reality is a secrete society of sorts. Every year they promote “The Hunt” in the woods around their mansion and they offer a money prize, people can only participate by invitation (very Legacy of Gods). The thing is, Drew is kinda of tired of the fake girls that participate but are not truly afraid, he has this primal kink, he really wants to feel and he hasn’t in a while. He never dated anyone, he only hooks up once with a girl and never again. He has a reputation for being unattainable and it makes every single girl want him more, he is the king of the school and everyone either wants him or wants to be him.
Bel is this book warm nerdy girl who is in the school in a scholarship, she practically starves because her mother, the only person she has is dying of cancer and she loves her mom, it’s the two of them only. She works herself to the limit as a tutor to be able to pay for her mom’s treatment, they are really poor. Her mom lives close to campus so she is always there cleaning for her, taking care of her and taking her to the hospital. She is truly a great daughter and she is in PAIN because she is losing her mom and she has no money to help. One day she is in the library where she practically lives, and she sees Drew (who she doesn’t know is the “king”)threatening a guy, and she intervenes because she is very brave. But now she is under his radar and she didn’t coward to him, she fought him and he loved. He saw her fear but also her strength, and now he NEEDS to have her. She is NOT a doormat, she fights and she is feisty and scrappy as hell. She needs the money so she accepts the invite for the hunt to go with her best friend and roommate. Little does she know that Drew has no intention whatsoever to let her get the money because he is hunting her, and omg what a hunt that was, he becomes completely obsessed with her, she hates him but she also liked everything he did to her because she doesn’t know but she has the same desires “kinks” as him. He also shows her “kindness” if you can say that. For everything he goes through and that no one besides his best friends Sebastian, Lee and Aries know, he is truly trying everything to keep Bel but also to keep her at a distance. He truly lives an awful life and he doesn’t want to drag Bel into his shitty life and more importantly he can’t allow his father to learn about her. So at the same time that he is completely obsessed with her, he tries to make her and everyone else believe that she is just a distraction for him that he doesn’t like her, that she is nothing serious and as mad as I was with him I was also really sympathizing and liking him because omg the poor guy goes through it with his father and even when he doesn’t fully understand his feelings for Bel, he is truly in love with her in his own way, he has very sweet moments with her and she is the only person that sees this side of him. She hates him but also likes him.
Everything that happens in the end of this book is crazy and heartbreaking, yes he was mean with Bel but he was protecting her and we see this the entire time. His father did all he did in the end behind his back and he was completely blindsided. He hates his father with fury. And the only way to protect Bel is to do what he did in the end 😭😭😭
This book took me for a ride, what a rollercoaster of emotions, plot twists, manipulation, lies, big surprises, sadness and loss 😭😭😭
I was at the edge of my seat. I KNOW this book is not for everyone, but it was definitely for me. Ends in a cliffhanger of sorts and I’m reading the second immediately.

[Koisty · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Bratty Wildflower Stars ⭐️
Spicy level 🌶️🌶️.5/5

Wellllll crap on a cracker… or is it crack because that’s sure as heck what this book was filled with… utter trashy crack… and I couldn’t look away…

Fuck me…

I promised a FULL review to come, but then I read book 2 and DNF'ed it when nothing was happening and the book was going nowhere... So I decided I am not going to flesh it out AS MUCH AS I NORMALLY DO WITH MY REVIEWS...

Maybell is a nerdy super smart freshman at Oakmount University/College and when she rescues someone being bullied in the library she piques the interest of Drew and lands herself smack damn in the middle of his Radar. Drew, the current head of the Elite, a secret society at the university wants to hunt her down and claim his pretty little wallflower and make her scream. He wants to own her and pretty soon becomes obsessed. When his Elite society hosts "The Hunt" event, Maybell's best friend urges her to join as she needs the money and if she wins, she gets a $25k payout. The only thing is Drew REALLY LIKES TO HUNT....

What should be noted is I was GUSHing about this book. Drew is everything you DO NOT WANT in real life... which means he is the perfect alphahole book boyfriend with dosen's of red flags. I kept thinking he was what I WANTED to see in Killian in God of Malice because his "dark" kept growing. He kept doing heinous things and he does not understand no for an answer, like it is NOT in his vocab. He is a bully (but let's face it, I was reading this because he was a bully who was going to chase her through the woods and then have his way with her).

It gave me everything my DARK ROMANCE heart adored, the delicious spice that might or might not have been slightly dubious. We had the Rich boy and Poor Girl who was super submissive and shy but at times could also be super feisty and pull out the sass when she needed to.

Both Drew and Maybell have a lot of trauma to deal with, both on the page and from historical events - so it's not always easy to read and at times, as much as you wanted to hate Drew for his horrific actions, what he went through and the abuse he faced, you couldn't help but root for him.

There were twists and turns and SO MUCH DRAMA that I couldn't look away! It was unexpected, riveting and equivalent to a rollercoaster - where I didn't know up from down...

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Primal Play
▶ Non-Con/Dub Con
▶ Stalking
▶ Psychopath MMC
▶ Secrety Society
▶ Collage Romance (Football Romance)
▶ Virgin FMC

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ Good Girl
▷ Cages her with his arms
▷ "Not God...Me"
▷ Mine
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Brat

Overall I ACTUALLY had a great time with this... it played into my favourite Dark Romance Tropes and made me happy... It ended on a cliff =hanger and then I read book 2... and if felt like 2 different books - So I don't know how to recommend this because THIS IS A GOOD BOOK... but then if you get invested...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I blame my bestie penguin for sending me on a scavenger hunt trying to find out who the cover model is… while I still don’t know the answer (seriously authors put your models in the info section) in my quest for answers I downloaded this…



I guess I HAVE TO READ IT NOW…. Else it’s a waste of a download…

[CriSsStina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reactions through the last chapters and when I finished the book: 🤬🤬🤬🤯👀😭😱😱😱🤪!

4.5 ⭐️

Can't wait for the next book.

That cliffhanger! 🥺🫣

What I want from the next book, besides their HEA: Drew 🔪 his father 😂🤬🤬🤬.

Drew, it's that perfect tormented, full of trauma, asshole of an anti-hero that we love to hate until we actually understand him and just suffer together with him 😭.

I loved Bel. She's so precious and only secretly deprav3d and out of her shell with Drew. They just complete each other 😭. I want them to have an HEA so muuuuch 😭😭.

This book took me through all the feelings. Those last few chapters. I almost threw my kindle out the window (almost, hehe 😂). The betrayal, all the secrets, his forced behavior, that twist in the last few pages. For the first time in my life, I just can't wait to put my hands on the next book 😂.

▫️V h, some sort of man hoho H, but hear me out: once he sees her, that's it!!! Obs3ss3d!!
▫️jock H/smart, introverted h
▫️a quite weird secret society (I do have some open questions here. I hope they will be answered in the second book of the duet)
▫️he hates cheating, so I can't wait to see how everything will be solved in the next book 😭💔
▫️all kinds of triggers and kinks; don't skip the TW!!!



"Her eyes are frozen lakes of fear, and I think—no, I know this—this is how he will break me for good."

I just want to hug both of them 🥹😭😩.



I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[🍸 · Rating 1 out of 5]

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[april ♡ probably reading smut - safety reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

TROPES:
~secret society
~dark college romance
~bad boy x good girl
~bully

PLOT: Bel is a poor student who has a sick mom. She agrees to go to something called "The Hunt" where there's a massive cash prize. It's by invitation only and for the deviants who like to be chased down in a primal prey scene. If they reach the cabin, they win. If they don't reach it, they're fucked. Literally.

Drew is a rich asshole manwhore with family problems and trauma out the ass. He sets his eyes on Bel and he's sold. He wants her. And he'll do anything to have her.

As they continue their game of push and pull, what happens when other people get involved? When secrets come out, will they rely on each other or will it break them apart?

THOUGHTS: Wow. Man oh man oh man. This was an intense read with a psycho hero and I LOVED IT. Drew is a perfect man in the eyes of a dark romance book girlie. The non/dub scenes were so hot, the kinks explored were interesting, and the twists and turns just kept coming. It DOES end on a massive cliffhanger. Be sure to read trigger warnings!

SAFETY:
Virgin/celibate?: virgin heroine, manwhore hero. but he stops his ways once he sets eyes on the heroine!
OM/OW?: yes, both. OM is dealt with, OW is to be dealt with in the next book hopefully. He does kiss OW.
Cheating/sharing?: no
Triggers: dub/noncon, child abuse, stalking, bullying, murder, emotional and physical abuse, domestic violence, blackmail, childhood poverty, cancer, psychiatric disorders, violence
Kinks: dub/noncon, blood play, primal, breeding, marking, forced O, exhibitionism, hand necklaces, choking, fisting
HEA? CLIFFHANGER!

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I think I've read just about anything that could happen during a *spicy scene* I come across books like this 😼

It said it was a dark bully romance and that's ✨️exactly✨️ what it delivers! Our MMC, Drew, is not a sweet man but he's absolutely obsessed with the FMC! Perfect bully romance I ate it up!

[Darkdirtysmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy #### that ending!!!! I have not been so sucked into what's going to happen next than I was reading the last two hours of this book. The cliffhanger is a nail biter but fortunately the next part will be out in the next two months.

Brief summary so not to give away anything because there are several twists and turns that if you're not paying attention you'll miss the breadcrumbs or I've read so much that predicting the potential outcomes has made it hard to find something that I don't see coming long before all the pieces fit.

As the story goes, you have a scholarship student, Maybel(Bel) who tutors the rich jocks to help pay her way and support her sick mother. She's smart, but has a fire inside her that when she stands up to the star quarterback, she finds herself caught in his crosshairs.

Andrew(Drew) is the star quarterback, whose father's only concern is their family image and extending their power and connections. In true elite fashion, Drew is an heir but while his father is at the helm, he's just a pawn. Drew becomes obsessed with Bel, but his hot and cold attitude puts her through some awful emotional situations.

There is so much packed into this first book, I definitely recommend reading this. As always check the trigger and content warnings there's some intense situations throughout this whole book. J.L. Beck knocked this one out of the park! I can't wait to read the rest of Drew and Bel's story and how the other characters in this story continue to evolve and hopefully end up with books of their own!!!

[O’rion Risher · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did try. I got 68% and the eye rolling is starting to give me a headache…

The book is soooo repetitive. We are reminded over and over again with the same basic things. She is his, his father is an abusive ass, his mother is sick, her mother is sick, she’s poor, he rapes her… rinse and repeat. At this point, they’ve spent like 15 minutes or so total speaking. Ehhh let’s make that one hour just because I’m not sure how long their sexcapades last. But she’s starting to care about him. Umm what? How? You don’t know the dude. The only “caring” you can have for someone you don’t know aside from his raping tendencies is pity when you saw his obvious wounds turning into bruises… and idk why she would assume something happened to him when she knows he’s a football player and a douche canoe.

Also, can we stop trying to pretend this isn’t rape. Just because you say it isn’t or that she gets off from it, doesn’t mean it’s not freaking rape. Now I’m down for some dark and dirty romance, but I also hate when someone tries to flower up the reality by pretending it’s consensual when it’s not. She may not have said the actual word “no”, but she begs and pleads for him to let her go and says she doesn’t want to do this and she will leave right away (at the hunt). Yeah, forcing someone to have sex (especially after all that) is still rape. Period.

There’s really not much of a storyline. Or time for feelings to develop. It’s more of a weird love at first sight/infatuation with no real development. You never read about her going to classes. You only read about her tutoring students and worrying about her mom. Same for him, honestly. Stalking his prey, worrying about his mom, thinking about his dad’s demands. No real character development. And the whole story isn’t much of anything besides reading about his sexual kink of hunting to rape and hers of being caught and raped.

[Mysti · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first time I read this I DNF’d at 68%. I decided to give it another chance, and I did raise the stars on it. It's not great, but I've read worse. For me, this had every single freaking cliché, it’s predictable, and I just didn't like it. Plus, I got the audio the second time and it definitely didn’t improve the book. I did up it to 2 stars for one specific reason…. Also, this review will be a little different.

"Come here, my little wallflower. I want to get a better look at you."

Maybel Jacobs (21-ish, virgin) needs money to pay for her dying mothers’ medical bills, so while attending school, she also tutors. She’s broke, can’t afford to eat, and doesn’t know who her daddy is (see where this is going?)

Andrew Marshall (22-ish, captain of the football team) finds Bel in the library and he’s insta for her innocence. She’s not interested in his arrogant ass, so she runs away.

What better way to get a girl to attend “The Chase” (where you run through the woods trying to reach a cabin to win $25k while a group of rich boys chase you, and if they catch you, they can do whatever they want to you) than to manipulate her roommate into bringing her?

I grip her by the thighs and drag her pretty pussy up to my mouth. She lets out a squeal but doesn’t try to stop me as I bury my face between her legs and feast on her. Top to bottom, I lick her pussy clean, tasting the sweet sacrifice she’s given me.

Drew chases Bel through the woods, catches her, and takes her V. They fight for the entirety of the book, talk about their dying mothers, yada yada, cliffy.

“Hate me all you want, baby. If your hate tastes this good, I can’t imagine what your desire tastes like.”

Honestly, the first few chapters had me interested, but after that it became the most predictable book ever, with excessive inner monologue, useless filler info, and a fuck ton of repetition. It’s basically three chapters worth of info repeated twenty times. Here’s the thing, if you’re going to do something that’s been done a thousand times before, you need to either improve on it or do something unique enough to make it your own. This author didn’t accomplish either of those things in my opinion.

I’ll just tell you all the tropes/ micro-tropes that are here. I’m putting them in spoilers in case you want to be surprised…..

MMC & FMC both have sick/dying mothers. (have fun with the ENDLESS talk about how depressing and painful everything is).

The FMC doesn’t know who her biological father is. (gee, can’t wait to find out who it is).

MMC is always trying to get the FMC to eat. "Maybel, eat the damn sandwich….If I left it up to you, you’d still be sitting in your bedroom, listening to your stomach growling. So now I’m feeding you."

FMC is poor, often referred to as “white trash” by the MMCs father. Repeated a hundred times: “why me? I’m no one. A book nerd who tutors for extra money, has no popularity, and is attending on a scholarship sponsored by some rich, elite family.”

FMC is nearly roofied and the MMC comes to her rescue.

MMC wants to give her money, and she continuously says, "I’m not a whore, you can’t pay me for sex". That said, she does accept some money and I was thankful for that.

MMC is forced into a relationship by his father. “Why he's pimping me out to a client's daughter?”

MMC has to break her heart to save her.

Surprise familial ties.

Friendship betrayals.

I think I got most of them. Oh, here's an example of what I mean by useless filler info:

The cafeteria serves a combination of both hot food and premade items. I grab a yogurt cup, an egg salad sandwich, and water while Jackie goes for a sub sandwich and a slice of pizza.

NOBODY NEEDS THIS INFORMATION!!! Stop telling me about what they're eating and start focusing on improving the actual plot.

SEX: This is what caused me to up this from 1 star to 2. Most author’s tease us with a “chase her and take her” just to have the FMC or MMC to chicken out. This author went for it and he took her at 24%. Hell yes!!! You know how happy that made me!!! Plus….drumroll please…. No Condoms!!!! YAYYYYY. Seriously, that right there is worthy of 2 stars. There’s some oral given later on, and I think just one more pounding, but they weren’t as good as the first time. FYI – In this book, there is no surprise pregnancy. I don’t plan on reading the second book, so I don’t know if it happens there or not. OH – and there’s some fisting. I’m not into that, but maybe some of you are?

FLOWER: His nickname of wallflower and flower was actually cute. Better than kitten.

DEAD: You know I hate reading about characters that are dying. It’s not fun!!! It’s depressing as fuck and you know what else – it takes the MCs away from each other. I hate that. I’m reading a “romance” for the MCs to be together, and they can’t do that if one of them is always running off to be with their dying parent. When it comes to romantic fiction, I’m definitely heartless.

SMELL: FYI “intoxicating scent of teakwood and mint.” is repeated a billion times. Ok maybe not that many times, but enough that it annoyed me.

AUDIO: Truly awful. If you still plan to take this on, I suggest reading vs. audio. Renee Thorn narrates for Bel, and her voice is deeper than Ryan Stone, who narrates for Drew. I can’t explain it. Neither of them are good voice actors. Skip it.

As you might guess, I don't recommend this book. If you're looking specifically for dark college romance, these are some of my faves:
Any of Rina Kent's dark college romances.
Surrender by Sam Mariano
Untouchable by Sam Mariano
Even If It Hurts by Sam Mariano
The Ritual by Shantel Tessier

[blueberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5- 3,75⭐

Was there anything groundbreaking about the book? No, but it was exactly what I was in the mood to read.

So what is it about?

A bunch of wannabe rapists, rich college boys, who organise an annual "hunt" in the woods based on primal play and (sort of?) consensual non consent 🤡.

Only the hero, Drew, wants someone for whom fear is real and who isn't used to this kind of "game", so when he meets the heroine, who is more the discreet, "innocent" nerdy type, he decides he's found the perfect prey.

I'm not going to lie, there are definitely a few cringe-worthy moments, like every time someone tries to sell me millionaire boys who are between 18 and 20 and have the confidence in bed of someone at least 10 years older... I have a bit of trouble taking them seriously, but the MMC was manipulative enough for me to get over it.

I always appreciate when the supposed golden boy hides a darker (and OTT J/P) side.

The heroine is relatively likeable, but unfortunately she has a huge "not like other girls" syndrome ("I love eating carbs and I don't pay too much attention to how I dress, unlike other girls"🙄).

Maybe I'm being hypocritical given the type of romance I read, but as much as I don't mind the whole dub/noncon thing, I don't like when every woman except the heroine is portrayed negatively.
The heroine's only friend ends up betraying her and all the other girls are portrayed as superficial groupies.

Rant over.

Anyway, the book was definitely entertaining and as it ends on a cliffhanger, I'll definitely read the rest of the series.

Safety/ Spoilers

- No sharing or cheating.
- H is/was a manwhore.h is a virgin.
- OW drama : the hero is forced by his father to kiss OW (but he has no interest or attraction for her)
- OM drama: the heroine goes on a date with OM but the H gets rid of him very quickly.


TW
- Dubcon/ CNC
- Mention of physical abuse (the hero's father is sometimes violent towards him)
- Mention of illness ( MMC’s & FMC’s mothers)

[vivareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A FREAKING 5 STARS 🌟
(After reallyyyy long!!)

Lately, I’ve been picking books and leaving them in between, not that the books are interesting, it’s been a ‘ME’ problem but omg THIS BOOK!! I couldn’t put it down!!!

The characters, FABULOUS truly. A h as equally good as the H after a long time 😍 the story, the smut, the possessiveness, the wickedness, EVERYTHING ON POINT. 🫶🏼

If you love your H’s extremely possessive and psycho, YOU NEED TO READ THIS bec not only was it just this but the story is entirely captivating too, so you won’t be disappointed.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew!

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: bully
Angst: 😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

How did I miss this was going to end on a cliffy?!? What a complete roller coaster ride, lol. Drew illicits all the emotions - most of them bad ones 😂😂. He is mad at the world and completely obsessed with his Wallflower. Somehow I saw the twist coming, but still felt really good about it. Can't wait to see how this all plays out!

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mmmmm.. nope. Idk if it’s because I just finished legacy of gods recently and was obsessed, but this just didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t stand the mmc.

It was like a Walmart version of legacy of gods in my honest opinion 🫣

Dark college romance
Bully romance
Football
Rich jock x poor shy girl
CNC / chasing kink

[Lunarbookwyrm aka Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Spice Level 4/5🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
Rating4.5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ 💫


🏈Dark Bully Sports Romance
🏈 Football
🏈 He’s A Psycho like literally walking red flag
🏈 OTT Obsessive possesive AF
🏈 Dubcon and NonCon
🏈 Rich Elite Guys
🏈 Alphahole Jock - Nerd Girl
🏈 Stalking
🏈 Denied O’s
🏈 Primal Play
🏈 Heavy on Triggers so please read TW/CW

Seriously not for the faint of heart read CW ⚠️

If legacy of gods Killian by Rina Kent and One of the Hockey gods By S. Massery had a baby that would be Drew. Unhinged AF.

This book is definitely not for anyone to read. So theres a hunt led by the elite mostly the football team and its an invite only and they consensually get chased thus the primal play and the one that wins gets the prize.

Others are there to get f*cked well Bel had eyes on the prize for her sick mom, but Drew was there for his prey. Man the ending was WILD. Drew wild and unhinged AF. Their situation is just complicated AF they are rich kids who are f*cked up by either trauma or their parents.


The ending just mindf*cked me I had theories but they were all wrong I didnt EXPECT THAT! i only guessed one thing in the end. I thought this was a standalone, but we are getting a next book and im excited to see how this resolves.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio of this the other day and here are my thoughts.

It was very well performed; however, the male narrator was a little too... creepy? I'm sorry, I don't know another way to say it. There was just something about the performance that felt a bit off. I got into it eventually. The female narrator was excellent. She did all voices very well.

This book was not quite for me. I like the psychopath and the edgy manboy who wants to dominate and play with a new toy. But this one lacked the softening that I need to see to make me want to stay with him. Maybe it's because it was only part 1, but by the end of this one, I didn't see WHY she would even want him back. Is it only their physical connection?

This is always the issue for me with bully style dark romances. I have to still see what the heroine might want. Honestly it only felt like the physical by the end of this.

I was intrigued by some of the plot points enough that I am curious about The Wildflower, I just don't know when I'll get to it because I don't feel the urge.

3.5 stars
4 on the spice scale

CW: dubcon, non con, choking, Virgin heroine, voyuerism

[Hailey Goshert · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ this was… something. an intriguing premise, but honestly one that feels a bit recycled. a ‘hunt’ put on by a secret society in a college setting where if he catches you, he… ya know. but! i was willing to give it a try. sad to say it did not live up to my expectations, and the overall plot was both disappointing and predictable.

the convos between main characters were pretty cringey tbh. i’m no stranger to dark or taboo romances, but this was just hard to get thru. there really was no emotional connection between MC’s in my opinion. it was mostly just a lame combination of lust and family trauma. then add in the plot twist at the end- yeah, no thank you. this is the second book i’ve read in like two weeks that incorporated that kind of twist, and i’m just not into it. at all (even if it was remedied somewhat quickly). just the idea of it gave me a major ick. wasn’t that keen on it when i read The Mortal Instruments series as a teen, and definitely not now either. idk why or how i unwittingly keep picking up books with *that* in it, lol. ugh!

i toyed with the idea of reading the second book in this duet just to see how the story ends, but honestly after reading some reviews on here, i’ve decided it’s probably not worth it and to save my time.

maybe this is your jam- i’m not one to yuck somebody’s yum- but i’ve concluded it’s 100% not mine lol.

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sport Romance
Hate to Lovers
Dark Romance NA

Mabel es la chica buena que asiste a una universidad de ricos gracias a una beca, le gusta pasar desapercibida y no llamar la atención es una wallflower, hasta que capta el interés de Drew un chico rico miembro del equipo de futbol y lo que él quiere lo obtiene así que empieza una caza por Bel.

Tengo sentimientos encontrados, porque en todo el libro no sentí que él tuviera sentimientos por ella o que se estuviera enamorando, sino que la trataba como un objeto del que se obsesionó, pero entendí que él no se podía permitir enamorarse por eso la trataba así y es que ese maldito de su padre es un ser despreciable.
Y con ese final entiendes porque de su comportamiento en todo el libro.

Esta es una bilogía por lo que tiene un gran cliffhanger.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wallflower
Oakmount Elite book one
J.L. Beck
Stars:🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Burn level:🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Time to read: 7 hours
Cliffhanger
My review may contain spoilers
Read Trigger Warnings

Tropes:
Dark romance
Bully romance
Enemies to l0vers
College
Touch her and 💀
V1rg1n heroine
Forbidden
Opposites attract

Maybel Jacobs (Bel); sweet, dócil, V1rg1n, poor, studious, tutors students for money to help with her sick mother’s medical bills.

Andrew Marshall (Drew); rich, handsome, football player, used to getting his way, girls basically throw themselves at him.

The Plot: Sweet Bel is a student at Oakmount Elite. She is a pretty typical nerdy seemingly invisible student. That is until a chance encounter with Drew in the library and her fate was sealed. Was it her beauty that made drew obsessed with her? That probably was a factor however I think a good majority of it also came down to the fact that he is used to getting what he wants and girls throwing themselves at him. Since Bel not only shot down his advances but also stood up against him for another student, I feel like this is what really put her on his radar. Drew then dug up information in order to basically blackmail her into being his plaything. When he found what he wanted he gave her a personal invite to his event, The Hunt. The hunt is a glorified adult version of hide and seek. I’ve seen this game played out numerous times in books, usually called Manhunt, where the girls hide and the guys try to find them to scr*w. That is the case in this book, however it has a pretty big twist. If the female is able to evade capture and make it to a cabin in the woods, she will win $25,000! Bel desperately needs this money so she can continue to help her mother with her medical bills so she agrees to go. And there, my friends, is where Drew gets his claws into her.

I would estimate at least 70% of the book is semi “flat” for me as not much happens except Andrew tells everyone she’s his girl, while telling her they can’t be together. He stops her from seeing anyone else and attacks anyone who’s giving her attention. As the story progresses w e do start to see a little background as to why he is acting the way he is. Honestly, the last few chapters is what changed this book from three stars to four for me. There was two pretty big twists I did not see coming at the end that I feel could impact the next book to be more exciting. I will absolutely be reading the next book as I am dying to find out what happens next.

This was a voluntary arc review.

[Vanessa Booked Up · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!

"There's no escaping the beast now that you've awakened him, flower."

OMG...

I mean, did I love this book? Did I hate it? I really don't know! Little of both I think!
Did I also already order the special edition of the paperback? I mean...obviously!

What to Expect:
• Bully romance (like AF!)
• Academia setting
• Nerd/jock
• Dub con
• Primal play
• Touch her and die vibes ☠️

"Go ahead and run. It doesn't matter. I'll always find you.
I'll always catch you."

This was a dark academia, secret society read that had me in a complete chokehold from the beginning. The hatred that I had for Drew (my husband's name, btw!) is something that I felt on a primal level during the first half of this book. The author really toes the crap out of that line and does a phenomenal job of juuuuuusst keeping him redeemable.

Drew Marshall is bored and also gearing up for the annual Hunt with his fraternity. When he stumbles across Maybel in the campus library, she's exactly what he wants and is instantly intrigued by her. She, on the other hand, can't stand him and his usual appeal does nothing for her.

This is past morally gray...

However, I too did begin to feel for the MMC toward the end of this book when we start to learn all the crap he's going through and why he is the way he is.

Does that excuse his behavior? Hell no!

The ending is FILLED with twists and a major cliffhanger. I cannot wait for book 2... and I'll be there strictly for the grovel!

Recommend If You Like:
📖 Penelope Douglas's Devil's Night series

Drew terrifies me, not because of his actions, but because of the way his actions make me feel. In his arms, I’m so much more than the nerdy girl.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is this what dark romance has become these days? Because this is not it.

So many of the elements of the story did not fit with the plot, and what I could believe could actually happen. If this was set in a fantasy setting where our MC had some type of mind reading powers then I would have ate this book up. But you’re telling me a 20 something college kid can read this girls emotions just off of her face and what she does/doesn’t say? I’m sorry but I’m not believing that 😭

In my opinion, I think if you’d taken this out of the modern world it would have been more realistic and enjoyable for me. Drew could have been a prince from a long line of immortal royalty (if he’s immortal then he’s had a long enough life to actually be able to read people’s emotions through nonverbal cues OR he has some type of magic that allows him to read minds or intentions). Maybel could have been some type of newly hired help or maybe a girl from the village who participates in the Hunt and that’s how they meet. Now just add the rest of the storyline but alter it for this new fantasy world. Of course this is just my opinion, but I think this would have been a much more enjoyable story if it were written this way.

Our characters can have the dynamic that they had, but that comes with a lot of trust, communication, and consent. And you’re telling me they didn’t even have a safe word??

To me, Maybel deserved so much better and shouldn’t have been the metaphorical punching bag for Drew.

[Alayna Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEED THE SECOND PART NOW!!!

[Jen Altman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried sooooo hard to make it through this one, but by the time the second extremely graphic and puke-inducing rape scene came along, I was so checked out.

As a fan of dark romance novels, this sounded different… unique… what it was? A twisted extremely explicit rape erotica in a college setting. You’ve got broken & flawed characters… a guy who treats a girl like complete crap because his dad treats him like crap and it’s all one vicious cycle, mystery illnesses, wayyyyy too much boring non-eventful overly drawn out storyline in the middle, then a ton of unrealistic twists thrown at you before ending on a cliffhanger. 🫠

🎧 Audiobook review:
The narrators were both clear and concise, but I don’t feel like either of them truly fit the characters. Neither voice honestly portrayed a college aged student.

I’m really struggling on rating this because truthfully I tend to be generous (but honest) on my ratings. Authors depend on these but I really have no idea how there’s so many 5 star ratings for this book. 🥴 I can’t in good conscience give it a higher rating than it deserves.

Summary of book:
Cringey.
Rape.
Boring stuff not worth mentioning.
More depraved rape.
WHOA - mind blowing unbelievable things happen that make zero sense!
Cliffhanger.

There ^^ I just saved you 12 hours of your time. Thank me later.

My gratitude to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.