To The Bone

by Kylie Cross

I want revenge, but they want me .

Atwood University is supposed to be my escape.

The man who assaulted me won’t let me go. But once I arrive on campus, his attempts to ruin me are mysteriously thwarted.

Until his frat brother’s murder is pinned on me, and my dark protectors are forced to step out from the shadows.

the whip-smart hacker who knows everything about me.

the charmer who can talk their way out of any crime and into any bed.

And their brutish leader who wants me dead.

She’s hiding a bloody secret — one that involves me.

Their protection comes at a complete loyalty.

But staying loyal doesn’t mean I trust them.

Everyone has their secrets — some darker than others. I need to clear my name to survive. And distractions as gorgeous as Teresa, as roguish as Kennedy, and as lethal as Xander won’t make that easy.



To The Bone is a dark, sapphic, New Adult, Why Choose (f/f/f/x), university, bully romance. Please see the CW in the Author's note.

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, Why Choose, Dark Romance, Queer, Spicy, Lesbian Fiction

482 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2024

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75, I liked it. The suspense with the sorority and the cause they worked towards was well done, very tense in moments. To the bone is book one in a sapphic romance series and while it was a long book, I didn't feel like the romances between the 4 characters was developed enough. There where more focus on Ellie and Teresa but very slow burn with Kennedy and Xander.
not sure if I want to continue the series.

[Anna Demosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was fantastic i actually have no words right now i need time to process but please read. and search trigger warnings bc wow

even better the second time around

[Sybrenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ I was so so excited for this book.. like it’s a sapphic why choose! I was immediately sold and I liked the premise of the book. It’s sapphic, with sororities and secret societies, feminine rage and revenge who target men who hurt women.. like i just knew this was going to EAT, and while the plot was okay, i just feel like there was a disconnect with the characters for me. It was so much spice and so little romance between the main female character & all her love interests.. i can’t even tell you how many times she said she throbbed or ached because of just seeing one of the main characters😭 it started to irritate me LMAO. Idk, personally i just wanted a little more romance and even just more dialogue between the MC’s. Like i feel like i know so little about any of the characters. But, 3⭐️ it was alright!

[Celina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodness

I don't even know where to start but I love hot and messy angst. Vengeful women are definitely something enticing. Xander... I need your POV, coz what is going through your head?

[Mars · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf @ 64% I’m honestly frustrated with this one. The writing is rough, so many typos & editing errors that it kept pulling me out of the story.

& the amount of sex… so much sex my god. Elle the mc literally gets wet at the drop of a dime like omg be a fucking lady. At a certain point it just feels excessive & repetitive. You could breathe in her direction & she would get turned on. She’s so easy no bullshit😭😭

What really disappointed me is the lack of actual relationship development. I want ROMANCE there’s no ROMANCE! Just wet pussies & dildos! Vibrators & strap ons! Lesbian orgys! WHERES THE ROMANCE!??? The relationships lack emotional intimacy & meaningful development they’re driven entirely by lust rather than any real connection imo.

The plot doesn’t make up for it either. The plot is so mid & nothing really stood out enough to keep me invested.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the fuck did I just read?!?

Uh ok I guess i'll start positive

Pros:
Pacing - I never felt like it was too dragged on or too slow at any point
Cult Tactics - the way the cult was presented I think was well done
Some Smut - some smut scenes actually weren't too bad

Cons:
Writing - there are so many typos and awkward sentences in the novel
Horniness - the main character is consistently horny throughout the book in an extremely unrealistic and cartoonish way that makes it hard to take the story seriously
Abuse - I was not aware from content warnings or the synopsis that the main character was going to be physically assaulted by her love interest?!?
Mystery - 90% of the questions mentioned in the book were not answered, I know its a trilogy but I want more than that for an almost 500 page novel
Consent - although there is a content warning for dubious conset I would argue that a scene or two at the start was unconsensual and should have been warned for
Character Development - although it can be argued the main character changed the love interests stay flat through the entire book and its hard to connect with them
Smut - although I put this as a pro I will say some of the scenes were just not attractive and made me uncomfortable, they felt forced in and the writing wasn't the best at times
Character Description - Xander's hair is described once in the entire novel as dark and that is it, I feel thats an important thing to know about a love interest. Also Jake is not physically described at all which makes visualizing him hard.
Misgendering - Kennedy is repeatedly misgendered in the text especially in the first 250 pages referred to with she / her pronouns at least 5 times

I will probably read the sequel just to see what happens but I can't in good faith actually say I enjoyed this

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dream of mine came true thanks to this author. To The Bone is the first Sapphic Why Choose romance I read, and it surpassed everything I imagined, this book gave me all the feels. I don't know how many times I laughed, literally giggled, was shocked, and got hyped for these characters. The spice in this book is real and hot as hell. This book is definitely a masterpiece. When I found out that this is a Dark Sapphic Why Choose romance, I couldn't believe it and was so excited, and I was not disappointed. This book surprised me so damn much, but in the best way. The pace and writing style were so perfect and smooth. The plot is incredible, and I've never read anything like this before. Without giving any spoilers, all I will say is that the mystery in this is incredible, and the tension throughout this book makes it impossible to stop reading. I love dark sapphic romance so much, and this one is so beautifully dark. And to the characters, simply put, I'm obsessed. The depth and tension between these characters is amazing, and their buildup is so well written. I genuinely love all these characters Elle, Kennedy, and Teresa, but when it comes to Xander, I'm obsessed. She is a character I was looking for in a Sapphic Dark Romance, and she is everything. This was Book One of a duet, and I'm so damn excited for Book Two. For everyone who loves dark romance, Sapphic, high tension, incredible plot and spice, and an insane story written so damn well, this is a must read. This was my first book by this author, and it really is a masterpiece. I'm looking forward to reading more.

[MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, what a rollercoaster of a book! It felt like a lot and not enough all at once. I really enjoyed it and definitely need to pick up book two asap!
I haven’t read many sapphic why-choose books, purely because there isn’t many! So I was super happy to get my hands on this one.

Written in First Person with 3x POV’s (1 Main POV). Book One in the Killer Queens series. Check Content Warnings. Students, Sororities, Forced Proximity, Masc/Femme & Femme/Femme, Why-Choose, Revenge. 9x Spicy Scenes.

[Lauri MissDysfunktion · Rating 4 out of 5]

To the Bone is book one in the Killer Queens series

This is your vibe if you like
Sapphic
Poly
Secret society
Mystery/suspense plot

This is my first time reading Kylie and I was not disappointed. The vibe is on point! I was hooked by the first couple of chapters and while I did have my doubts as to where the story might be leading I was impressed by it.

It’s very sisterhood based and harnessing the power of women who band together, which I love! But it still has those sinfully spicy moments and a great mysterious plot.

I will say the book does end on somewhat of a cliffhanger. But book two is nearly out so not long to wait!

[matcha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had ssssoooo much potential and left on a damn good cliffhanger. I’m not sure I’ll be reading the second book coming out on February 15th, I loved the overall plot of this book and the dynamics between the characters left me wanting sssooo much more of Xander and Kennedy. That being said, there were so many editing errors I found that just ruined the flow of the book for me.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this author grows as they continue to write, I think they have so much potential and I can’t wait to see what other stories they come up with.

[Kalliope Graves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elle is so. damn. annoying. love the plot, hate the main character. and I was really excited as it says it's a dark romance...
there was absolutely no romance, only lust. to say it's a representation of dark relationships is a stretch because all they do is fuck.. don't actually spend any time getting to know eachother. I'm invested in Xander and Kennedy so I'm continuing the series, but apprehensively

[Rh :)]

Review contains spoilers.

I have no idea what to rate this book, so until I do have an idea I'll just not add a rating.

I really liked some parts of this book and also didn't really like some other parts. I'll start with the negative stuff because apparently that's what I do best.

The main issue was the very noticeable amount of grammatical/spelling errors, as well as quite a few sentences or paragraphs that just didn't flow quite right. I don't know if that's an issue with the book itself or just with the ebook transcription, but it definitely needed another round or two of rigorous editing. I don't mean to sound pedantic, but I just really struggle to read a book when my eyes keep catching on misspelled words, or I get caught up in trying to figure out a sentence that doesn't quite make sense to me.

I've had the American university system explained to me before, as well as how sororities and fraternities work and what they are, but apparently I still don't understand it. At all. I think this book is very USA-centric, which in some ways I suppose is fine because everyone has to have a target demographic and no book can be for everyone, but on the other hand why write a book that's difficult to understand unless you're from one specific country? It made it quite confusing because I was trying to follow the plot but I just had no idea what was going on most of the time when the sororities/frats were involved. I tend to enjoy understanding the basic events in a book I'm reading, so I imagine I would've enjoyed it much more if I were American.

I did like the why choose aspect, it annoys me in this type of romance book when someone has always liked being with multiple people and sought that out, whether they're in a relationship or not, but then when they find "the one" they suddenly become strictly monogamous because of how much they just want their partner, as though there was this one perfect person out there just waiting to turn them monogamous or something (and I say this as someone who is extremely monogamous in relationships), it just rubs me up the wrong way the majority of the time when authors do that with their poly characters, so I liked that the MCs feelings for one character didn't offset the feelings for another at any point.

I liked most of the characters, but I found Xander to be a bit too much to the extreme for what she was meant to be, to the point were I was just like "oh my god just use your words dude please". I think the timescale could've been a little longer for everything that was going on, but it's an enjoyable plot and dark romance storyline(s) (in all honesty I think I'm usually here more for the dark part than the romance part).

I feel like I had some more somewhat negative thoughts after reading, but my memory is bad, and I don't like being too mean about anything. I don't feel that very much about this book was actively bad, just that some parts were maybe a bit lacking or repetitive. But I think the kinds of people that go for books like this will for the most part enjoy it - I liked it enough to pick up the second book, but I'm not sure if I'd have carried on the series if I hadn't been able to read it for free. But also I am objectively bad at any form of review or critique, so I'd recommend you take literally anyone else's word for it on whether you should or shouldn't read this.

Final note is definitely don't read this without checking content information/warnings if there are any dark or difficult topics you might struggle with reading about.

[Lu Diogenes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sapphic why choose dark romance?? I’m sold!!! 😌
I took 1 star just because I thought Elle was a bit controversial at times, but in general it was great! The cliffhanger at the end wasn’t a fair game though! Must jump to second book right away!
4⭐️4🌶️

[greyreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A searing hot and dark book that was exhilarating from start to finish.

[Anne Hartley Pfohl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Badass sorority girls out for revenge. Why choose f/f/f/nb can't loose. Not the best writing, but what else is new?

[Magalie Bonneau · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story follow Elle (Eleonore) who starts college a year after taking a sabbatical after highschool due to high bullying after a horrible situation.

She gets there and gets noticed by the most “elite and obscure” sorority house on campus. She catches the eyes of adorable Teresa (fierce latiana) Kennedy (in my mind they’re like Hunter Schafer in the show Euphoria) and masc Xander who’s the co-leader of the sorority.

The first day she’s there, she sees the guy who bullied her in highschool Jake. That night, to shake it off, she goes to a party with her roommate Maddie. That night, Elle gets in trouble after almost hooking up with a douche from a rival house that ends up dead the next morning. She ends up needing protection from that sorority due to Jake being in the same group that the dead guy (Wolfe) belonged to.
For most of the book, its Elle’s POV, I wished they’re would have been more of T, L and X’s pov.
The relationship evolution was hard to get for me. It felt like there was something more between Elle and Teresa and basically just lust for Kennedy and Xander.
The hazing was hard to get. Why would a sorority force orgies on all their members.
Elle was painfully naive.
I didn’t get much bullying either oddly enough. Maybe it’s due to having read many more bully savy books before.
I’m not sure if I will continue the series.

[iread · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uhm no actually.
Should I have DNFd this? Absolutely.
This girl fell in love in three milliseconds. She was lusting the whole book without end. And then there was the plot. I do not care nor did it interest me. It was lowkey boring. I’m definitely not reading the rest.

[Solely Sapphic Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multiple 1st Person POV. 5⭐️ 5🌶️. 483 pages

I adore the Killer Queens series and have read them several times.

Killer Queens is a why choose F/F/F/NB, bully/stalker romance, that revolves a secret society/sorority who unalive 🍇ists. It follows Elle and her 3 love interests Teresa, Kennedy and Xander, who not only shadow her around their college campus but become her protectors.

I want to point out that the dynamic between Elle and Xander can often times come across as abusive, which may make some readers uncomfortable. But it is important to know that everything between them is consensual.

These books are a must read if you love dark and emotional romances, smutty BDSM scenes, murder (deserved) and an abundance of group scenes.

TW: mentions of sexual assault, stalking, murder, intimidation by men, bullying, intense BDSM, dubcon, CNC and punishments.

[Tess]

Sapphic Sorority Shenanigans

While I wish there was more depth and mystery to this read, overall it was a decent read. I enjoy the over arching story, the bedrooms scenes are good, and the idea of the Sorority as a whole is amazing. I do wish there was a true apex met in this novel, rather than ending on a type of cliffhanger that feels like I’m in the middle of the book. Hoping the next one the series wraps this up well

[Chelsea French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uggggh, March 16th, for book two of this series,I need it now! ***dramatic collapse *** Seriously, this book sat in my tbr pile for months, and I'm sorta glad it did so i don't have to wait so long for the next one. It's such a good read that I might read it again while not so patiently waiting for the next one!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially enjoyed this novel, but it included many sex scenes. While this might appeal to some readers, I felt that the characters' connections started primarily from physical attraction rather than deeper personal relationships. It would have felt more genuine if their bonds were more meaningful beyond just the physical aspect.

[Elise Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know I loved why choose until I read this, but also daaaaaamn this trope is amazing. Love the banter, love the mystery and was dying to learn more and more about these characters.

I’m bingeing this whole series currently and I don’t want it to end. If you like some dark romance and you love sexy dark MCs this is it babes this is for you

[_kenzie_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars⭐️
4/5 spice 🌶️
•sapphic why choose (f,f,f,nb)
•sororities
•enemies to lovers
•light bdsm
•secret societies
•revenge (on men who target women)
•feminine rage
⚠️look up TWs⚠️

sapphic why choose? i’m sat. i was immediately sold. the revenge on men who hurt women…yuuupppp while i really liked the plot (though i found myself wanting more of it) and i loved the characters, i felt there was a disconnect with the characters. i felt the romance between the 4 characters was not developed enough. i felt it focused more on Elle and Teresa and it’s a very slow burn with Kennedy and Xander. which if you know me, that’s one of my biggest pet peeves in a why choose romance. feeling the main character likes one more than the others and you definitely felt it in this book. i will say the smut was good asf tho. 😝

Elle: not quite sure if i like her yet. sometimes i did, but i found myself getting very aggravated with her a lot. i felt she should make Teresa, Kennedy and Xander grovel more but she’s constantly horny and let’s shit just go under the rug. like literally they could blink and it turns her on. she’s definitely closed off a bit but i hope as i read the other books more layers start to show and she grows more as a person.

Xander: no she’s hot. i wanted so much more of her. the tension between her and Elle was electric. i kept wanting something to happen between them. Xander is broody and she’s an asshole but you can tell how much she wants to protect the ones she cares for.

Teresa: we got a lot of her in this book. shes sexy asf and knows exactlyyyyyy what she’s doing. i loved her personality so much. she had me blushing multiple times

Kennedy: ugh i wanted more of them so much. when they call Elle “little bird”…my heart did a thing everytime.
——these 3 each have a role to fulfill but they compliment eachother so perfectly and keep eachother in check. i can’t wait to see more character/relationship growth. i need more scenes with them all together. also love the separate nicknames they all have for Elle

•••••••••
fav quotes ❤️🩸👩‍❤️‍👩

“They might make you come. Hell they’ll probably do it a few times. But I don’t make love. I fuck. I destroy. When I’m finished with you, God won’t answer you anymore. I’ll leave you begging for the devil.”

“There’s no way I think she’s hot while she’s asking me to commit a felony.”

[Jacquie Dore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went back and forth about this books rating after reading it twice (I couldn’t finish it the 2nd time) because while I LOVE the story overall, I couldn’t get past Xanders character. It’s amazing when a book about girls who get justice for other women who have been sexually assaulted and had their autonomy taken from them has a main character with no concept of what CONSENT means. It’s ironic that this is a story about taking back control, if you really break it down, because the women of LD take away Elle’s choices left and right. And the worst part?! Ellen acknowledges how messed up it all is and her reason for sticking around is dubious at best. I just couldn’t get past Xander physically assaulting Elle in the first 200 pages and Elle being turned on by it. (NO shame for people with an impact and/or smothering kink but that’s not what this was by any means) She was sexually assaulted a year before but seems to have no problem with someone she barely knows nearly chocking her out?! Of course, all of things Xander does could be understandable if there was EVER a conversation about consent ahead of time but I just don’t buy that a women who is so afraid of Jake seems to be able to sweep Xanders insane behavior under the rug.

I loved Theresa and Kennedy and desperately wanted to love this book/series. I tried, I really did but in the end, I couldn’t get around Xander. But please give it a chance, if you love Why Choose or if you just want a REALLY spicy sapphic novel. It has a lot of potential but too many gapping plot and character issues.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot to like about this: the story, the setting, the characters, generally how everything that happened was described. It was nice that Elle’s relationships with Xander, Kennedy, and Teresa were each distinct. I want to say that Teresa’s got the most attention, but when I think about it, perhaps Xander’s did too, it just looked a little different.

I guess there were two reasons this wasn’t five stars for me: first the plausibility — I’m not sure how many men can be killed in one semester without some kind of major blowback, but we’re told that “dozens of girls go missing every year at this school” which seems equally unlikely to be ignored. Second, I hoped for, I guess, a bit more foreplay and getting-to-know-you in the relationships as opposed to the instant physical reaction every time one of the pertinent characters so much as came into view. There were perhaps reasons for these characters to trust each other, but by the end of the book I wasn’t convinced they actually _know_ each other, despite everything passing between them?

Anyway, those were somewhat minor issues in that the point of the story seems to be more to put these characters in a crazy situation and follow how it plays out… and as far as that goes it was great. It’s just… I’m not sending MY kids to school there, okay? 😂 I’m in for the second, but I might wait until the third comes out because I’m not sure how many cliffhangers I can take.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

To The Bone, first of the Killer Queens series, dark, sapphic, secret society, why choose romance.

The book intrigued me from the very start. The plot is enthralling, beautifully written and characters are charming and fascinating. The main character, Elle, though sometimes aggravating, has a spirited personality. With every chapter, we see more and more of her layers. The fear of her past has definitely closed her off a bit, but our wonderful sorority sisters help her find herself anew.

The Laniidae is a very tight-knit group, built on trust and loyalty. Their cult-like methods are as unnerving, as they are hot. The three main sisters we get to know better - Teresa, Kennedy and Xander - are definitely enigmas. Each of them has a role to fulfill, but they complement each other magnificently and keep one another in check.

The story is truly captivating, the spice out of this world and delivered in generous portions. The sisters were enthralled with Elle from the very beginning, and though their encounters felt a little fast-paced, it just made sense.

It definitely left me with high expectations for the second book.

Highly recommend to anyone who's a fan of morally grey characters and a strong sense of vengeance.

[Jessica Bradford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone really needs to take my kindle away from me. I should not be allowed to choose books based on the cover.

August Book 14 (completely out of order but I needed to get this one out).

This was supposed to be about a girl that went to college and was completely against joining a sorority. Obviously she has a past because what book doesn’t have a girl with a past? A frat boy goes missing and she is being hunted by his frat brothers and SOMEHOW I landed in the middle of a damn sorority orgy… like the whole middle of the book was sorority sisters scissoring it up in every way you could possibly imagine. And then it goes back to the girl being hunted.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️ because the basis of the book would have been a good story. But please don’t let that deter you from jumping in, if that’s your thing. Or you’re just curious. Who knows maybe there was some plot in there, but I definitely missed it between the slick folds and the dildos.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first ever sapphic why choose romance, and I was NOT prepared for the all out inferno this book had going on from start to finish!

Elle's discovery of herself was really beautifully written. She had really struggled to find her true self after a horrific experience in high school that changed the trajectory of her life.

Kennedy's charm, Teresa's seduction, and Xander's obscurity really make for the perfect collective of partners.

The plot is really original, and unlike most things I've read. I really enjoyed the different approach to a sorority that was taken here, it really gives sisterhood a whole new meaning 😉

Here are some of my favorite aspects of this book:

Sorority ✔️
Secret society vibes✔️
Feminine rage ✔️
Revenge✔️
Woman power✔️

Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶🌶🌶

[Char Dafoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I "walked" in with an open mind and gave this book a chance as I don't particularly care for academic settings. I came for the plot but I stayed for one character: Xander. Unfortunately, I never got I wanted from her. What I got instead was tender love making between the protagonist and the femme out of the group - not really my thing. I was hoping/craving for some straight-up rough fxcking with the most unhinged yet tightly controlled Alpha Dom butch in the house. Sorely disappointed.

Plot aside, this book needs another round or two of editing. Punctuation, grammar, and sentence restructuring. I appreciated the "avenging angels"/revenge plot, but the ending was far too abrupt. If I pick up book two it's only because of Xander - I wanna watch her come undone.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

I’m going to preface this by saying that Elle gets on my nerves but I appreciate the boldness and her acceptance of who she is. But god damn girl, you’re a horny little thing, which I don’t mind but calm yourself at least sometimes lol.

Theresa and Kennedy, my loves, you’re so hot. Idk if I’m still on the fence with Xander or not but I definitely put all my trust and loyalty in her tbh, even though I literally got nothing lol.

Anyway, story was gripping and I loved the writing. Spice was phenomenal. The main character getting on my nerves is what really brought the book down for me but I’m continuing the series because I’m so intrigued with the story and invested in X, T and K.

Plus I really need to see Xander get some, she deserves it for the shit she has to put up with.