A Wreck, You Make Me: A Dark Forbidden Bully Romance

Bad Boys of Bardstown #3

by Saffron A. Kent

St. Mary’s Rebels spin off. Each novel is a STANDALONE.
____

Meet the bad boys of Bardstown:
Ledger Thorne
Shepard Thorne
Stellan Thorne
Ark Reinhardt
Homer Davidson
Byron Bradshaw


And the girls who will reform them:
Tempest Jackson
Jupiter Jones
Isadora Holmes
Lively Newton
Maple Mayflower
Snow Jones

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Sports, Sports Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Forced Proximity

406 pages, Paperback

Published August 10, 2025

About the author

Saffron A. Kent is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary and New Adult romance. She writes dark, forbidden, and emotional romance that blurs the line between love and obsession. Her books feature burn that hurts, the broken boy who shouldn’t be touched, the girl who can’t stay away, and the secret that could destroy them both. She's known for her poetic prose and romance that delivers both beautiful destruction and the promise of being remade by love that should never have happened.

Reviews

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

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒

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

I seriously haven't read a book by this author in a few years, I've loved her previous books, so I'm excited to get back on the saddle and dive back into the world she creates..I'm glad I took the plunge and jumped into this, this wrung out all those angsty stabby feels I seek when it comes to this genre and this author delivered it flawlessly.

After reading and devouring this I'm definitely going to take the time to read the previous books in this series.

He claims he saw her first, but ask her and she claims it was her that *coughs* stalked him first, either way before the other was aware of each other once they clapped eyes on the other they were bound to become more at some point. The tug of war, the push and pull these two had going on was my kryptonite, I live for that thrill.

I honestly didn't connect with Shepard Thorne in the beginning. After losing his girlfriend to his twin brother and off his game to the point of losing everything he'd worked so hard for, his world was crumbling down around him.

Then add in the toxic way he treated Jupiter, I didn't think he'd redeem himself but with more pages and chapters under my belt I came to love him, he cared more than he let on for the ones in his corner, especially when it came to his siblings, then throw in Jupiter (his sisters best friend) and and her sister Snow all his walls came tumbling down, layer by layer.

You saw a softer nurturing side of him evolve, the taking control and obliterating any obstacles which stood in the way, he destroyed me in the best way possible.

Jupiter was one tough cookie, but when it came to her sister Snow and the lengths she went to protect her was so endearing and heartfelt, because she went above and beyond for her when a mother should've been the one to take care of them.

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[Rochelle ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i never found time to pick up saffron a kent’s romances, but the list of tropes in a wreck, you make me is so damn irresistible, nothing would’ve stopped me from requesting an arc, or finding an opportunity to read this author’s work finally. we have a step-brother (who wasn’t a true step-brother in my opinion, as jupiter and shepard didn’t grow up together) who bullies his “step-sister”; who has an obsession with stalking her and breeding her, with an addition of praise and degradation to sweeten the combination. see? irresistible combination.

i read a wreck, you make me during my travels of vietnam and it was the best kind of mind-numbing entertainment i wanted and needed. it didn’t demand my undivided attention, nor a ridiculous amount of critical thinking. i could consume it at my leisure and pleasure, and reading this book was one of the best and worst decisions i ever made. the best, because as mentioned before it was undeniable entertainment, but the worst because it is delicious filth and if my face could blush, this book would’ve been my official undoing. do not read this book in crowded locations. however, no matter the amount of entertainment this book offers, a wreck, you make me does have its downsides and was not able to become at minimum a four star read for me.

she’s always been the reason. jupiter jones. my little sister’s best friend and the girl, for some strange, strange reason, i don’t ever stop thinking about.

♡ jupiter jones
i often find female main characters irksome, but jupiter shocked me. between an absent mother and worrisome stepfather, jupiter is an older sister who carries an abundance of admirable qualities and internal strength. she’s smart and fierce; determined to be strong for her sister and the mother figure she deserves, as jupiter sacrifices so much of herself to ensure her sister is cared for. considering the difficult situations, such as dead end jobs, and financial pressures she finds herself navigating, jupiter didn’t whine, and the realisations and acceptance of the realities of her life was such a difference and welcomed change. over time, she learns to embrace herself outside of her family and friends, and her relationship with shepard allows jupiter to develop a different kind of strength that is no less admirable than what she’d started with.

i fell in love with the idea of him a long time ago and only fell deeper when i met the flawed man.

♡ shepard thorne
shepard thorne is, for the lack of a better word, intense and one of the most unlikeable characters i’ve ever encountered. he’s full of faults, is oftentimes dramatic and, as a result, tends to mistreat jupiter. a little overbearing and almost suffocating, but everything he does is with purpose, intention and commitment—even though it isn’t obvious what they are from the beginning. however, shepard does have redeemable qualities that made me like him in the end; the fact that he sacrificed his own happiness to be the ‘perfect’ family member to his siblings in an attempt to keep them whole is admirable—something his family member doesn’t seem to realise or appreciate to its full extent. it’s not often you encounter a character who can be that selfless.

only and forever her. she’s my first and my last, and everything in between.

♡ jupiter jones + shepard thorne
the romance between jupiter and shepard is also intense. there’s a decent amount of push and pull between them, but it’s only ever between them—with shepard making demands of jupiter; at times, jupiter giving it back to shepherd in equal measure. shepard’s affection and obsession with jupiter is shown in subtle ways of actions, not words (my absolute favourite form of love language), but it’s filled with genuine intention even if he doesn’t realise it at the time. as someone who doesn’t appreciate instant-love, the attraction between jupiter and shepard is immediate and the relationship flirts dangerously close to instant-love. however, the shared history between jupiter and shepard, and the tropes saffron a kent inserted into this contemporary romance, made it work. yet, despite the history between jupiter and shepard, they never actually interacted with each other when they “met”, so it felt like reading a romance partway through, which meant missing chemistry and genuine buildup between the characters.

my issues with a wreck, you make me stemmed from the lacking sweeter, more comforting moments between jupiter and shepard (we had small glimpses of such moments); and the sudden ending to the book, where we reach the resolution and the characters come to sudden realistics, but there’s nothing further to make it balanced—and the lacking epilogue makes this more obvious. however, a wreck, you make me is filled with pure, unadulterated entertainment. you can read this without needing your full, undivided attention; it doesn’t demand critical thinking, or require a substantial amount of time to finish it. is the most perfect, best-written romance? no, far from; but it delivers if you’re searching for unashamed smut and filth.

────────────────────

˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
received my first saffron a kent arc, which also happens to be my first romance by her too! i’ve over consumed fantasy and romantasy, so a contemporary palette cleanser sounds fabulous, especially after seeing the list of tropes.

a massive thank you to saffron a kent and the author agency for the gifted e-arc.

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

Over the top wonderful ❤

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: bully, step-brother
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Fans of Saffron Kent are going to love the latest addition to her Boys of Bardstown series. We finally get Shepard's (the other twin) and Juniper's book. This one is a little bit darker than Saffon's usual, but I was totally here for it. It had so many micro tropes that I love:
✔ bully
✔ step-brother
✔ br33ding schmink
✔ praise/dev
✔ st@lking
✔ all the drama

This story was a non-stop emotional roller coaster ride from beginning to end. The quirky heroine had me frequently laughing out loud, but also teared me up. The writing is fantastic and completely over the top dramatic. But I love it. I think it reminds me of when I was younger and everything in life was felt so dramatic and over the top. All the huge feelings. Dark. Angsty. But sweet ❤.

[audrey (completely gone rn)]

OH MY GOD THE TROPES 😩

[Lia Tinoco · Rating 5 out of 5]

shepard thorne can absolutely wreck me.

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*+:｡.｡3.75 stars ｡.｡:+*

The way I didn't want this to end 😭.



If you know me 😭 and you've read my reviews for the previous books that SAK has released, in this series in particular, you'll know that I did not mesh well with them.

So to read this and to really enjoy it feels like coming back to a toxic ex and it being worth it 💀 BECAUSE WAR IS OVERRR.



Reading this made me realize what I wanted from those last releases, and I'm so glad that I decided to pick this one up. I always planned on reading this book because I was SO excited when I read the blurb and saw the tropes. I was definitely hesitant, but like I always say, SAK has written some of my favorite books, so I'm always searching for more.

Side note, I actually reread 'My Darling Arrow' before starting this, one of my all-time favourite books by this author, and I didn't know how much I missed that style of her writing until I read it. And to read this after, I genuinely saw a lot of similarities, especially between Arrow and Shepard.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Ok, so let's get into my thoughts on the book:



I really enjoyed reading this. I felt like I was going kind of crazy because in my mind I kept asking myself: 'If I'm liking this book so much, why didn't I enjoy the previous ones'- because let me preface, Shepard was an absolute asshole. Genuinely, he did some awful things to Jupiter, and he reminded me a lot of Ledger, whose book I didn't like. And I think the reason was down to two things: Jupiter (the h), and the writing/ tropes.

I loved Jupiter as a character. As an older sister, I related so much to her and admired her strength. I think that there was so much more depth to her than I was expecting. I loved the realizations that she had about her life, and how she got the chance to figure out who she was outside of her family and commitements. And I loved the way that she balanced out Shepard.

With SAK and her heroines, they're always in love, and will put up with a LOT, from the heroes, and as a reader, you're either ok with it or not. It's such a writing style preference, and there are definitely limits to it. I personally really enjoy how extreme/ OTT the MCs feel for one another, and I really liked the dynamic between them in this one.

With Ledger and Tempest, (and I'll keep bringing them and their book up, because I thought a lot about it when reading this one), their dynamic did not work for me at all. Shepard was quite similar to Ledger in the way that he would speak to Jupiter; however, I feel like she handled it really differently from Tempest.

Yes, there were still a lot of pushover moments where she let him treat her badly; however, there were also moments where she pushed back and cut him off, and gave back- which I appreciated so much. Their relationship with each other was toxic and angsty, but I just felt like it worked in the ways that the past books didn't.

And like I mentioned earlier, I do think that the tropes played a lot into it, for me at least. Their dynamic made sense for their tropes.

When looking at Shepard, he really grew on me. I think part of why I liked him so much was because of Jupiter, but he also reminded me a lot of Arrow. The way that he took care of his family and wanted to be 'perfect' for them made me understand why Jupiter cared for him in the way that she did.

Was he an absolute asshole? Yes.
Did he know that? Also yes.
Did I still like him? Guilty.



∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

With how their romance played out, it was a lot. There was a big push and pull dynamic between them, but I didn't mind in the slightest because it was only ever between them, which I loved. Their chemistry was also soooo good.

I defintely wished that there were more comfort/ sweeter scenes between them, because those were some of the best moments for me. A lot of how Sheaprd cared for Jupiter was quite subtle, which in and of itself was quite sweet; however, towards the end in particular, I wish he were more 'loud' with his love.

Which leads me to my next point:

Overall, there were 2 things that didn't really work for me: The beginning of their dynamic, and the end of it.

My thoughts on the beginning of the book are very similar to my thoughts on 'You Beautiful Thing You' as a whole- there was a lot of history between the MCs and when the book started there was already this really strong established dynamic between them that felt like we were starting their story midway through instead of the beginning.

When I read 'MDA' again, one thing that SAK did so well with that story was that, despite the MCs having grown up around each other and having history with one another, we truly got to see their relationship develop from start to finish, and grow in a way that felt natural.

With Shepard and Jupiter, although there were prologues in the beginning where we got to see their first interaction with one another, there felt like such a gap between that and their chemisty when the story started?

I felt like I skipped part of the story, which was how I felt when reading 'YBTY'. It's hard to explain, but I wish there were more of a buildup in the beginning. I was definitely worried when I started the story because of this, but aside from that initial feeling, everything played out really nicely.

In terms of the end of the book, my only issue was that it ended so abruptly? We finally got the climax and all these realisations, but we didn't really get any of those sweeter moments to balance it out. There also wasn't an epilogue included in the book, which I found so strange.

It felt like a weird choice because there was an epilogue you could get on the website, and I just wished that it was included in the book. When I read it, it made so much sense and had such sweet moments and concluded some other plot points, which would've made a huge difference to the ending of the book.

All in all, I really enjoyed this. There were things that I could pick out, but this felt so reminiscent of some of her SAK's older work, and I loved that.

I also want to say that some of the Cameos in this gave me lifeeeee. I need to reread Conrad and Wyn's book ASAP, because I'm obsessed with them and the way that they love each other.

I'm also SO excited for Snow and Byron's book (I just know they're going to hit).

I'm so happy with how this turned out, and this felt like a really big turning point for me in the series. I can't wait to see what's next 🤭.

[Jaz k · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly not safe

This after meeting the h

“I’m partying it up because I’m trying to move the fuck on. I’m fucking girls left and right because I’m trying to get over a certain girl who chose my brother over me”

This to the h
“Yeah, the only difference is you’ll be dancing with my dick inside you so I can fuck you to get over my twin brother’s girlfriend”

“Which means if I tell you to do something you don’t wanna do, you take a look at this.” He taps his finger on the table, pointing to the money. “Every time you wanna say no to me, you think about how much money you’ll be making tonight. Easy money” 🙃

“It wasn’t love that made me want Isadora, it was loneliness”

At least we have that !

[☆Kylie☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this is the last Torn Brothers book… and honestly, I didn’t like it. The insta-love hit hard, and all the progress I noticed in the first book was completely missing here. The guys went back to being over-the-top again, and the writing style turned into a flowery mess—again.

I don’t know if I can give this series another shot. This one really tested my patience while I was reading it.

[K]

jupiter jones ♃ 🫶🏼🍓🧸



i need shepard thorne to walk barefoot on broken glass or crawl to jupiter jones. or both. after oh, you're so cold—iykyk. all that is to say, i need a wreck, you make me, like yesterday!!

[Huda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a complete disaster from start to finish.

[hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍓 “You think my eyes are pretty?”
“I think your eyes are more than pretty,” he tells me, his voice a rough caress.
“Everything about you is more than pretty. Everything about you is fucking beautiful and luminous and alive and full of color. But that’s not the point. Anyone can be those things. What you are is something else.”
“What am I?”
He takes his time answering, taking me in, tracing my features with his dark, intense eyes. “Unforgettable.” 🍰

and here's a second intro quote because i can't stop myself

🍓 “If you think, even for a single second, that my brain is going to have space for anyone else other than you, then we seriously need to sit down so I can explain to you how goddamn motherfucking over the top obsessed I am with you. And this time I’ll bring over study cards and graphs and fucking Venn diagrams so you don’t ask me this bullshit question again.” 🍰

i'm going to say it, SHEPARD IS SUPERIOR TO HIS BROTHER and i will FOREVER stand by that 🤭🫠😛

i think he's definitely one of the most obsessive mmcs i've read before and simultaneously the most delusional man ever. he reached never foreseen levels of delusion i can't even describe it-

✨ prepare for lots of major spoilers and a long review (rant)...i don't normally do this but i see a lot of people do it, and i think it's really helpful in my personal opinion, so there is safety info at the bottom. ✨

shepard is the perfection obsessed man i could ask for in a book, he was such a possessive asshole but if he didn't bitch about getting over isadora because he was "in love" with her, he'd be a lot better 😂 because tell me why it took until almost 70% to realize his shit when we've seen it from the very beginning!!! if you look through my highlights, you can see how fucking pissed i was at him (plus how much i already hated him from book two wasn't helping). how can one person be so fucking oblivious i have no idea. what made it so annoying was that you knew he was never actually in love with isadora. YOU CAN SEE IT, but he wouldn't fucking realize it. it was making me want to jump into the book and smack him so hard 😭

i really disliked how he was "using" jupiter to get over isadora because she was the only one who could "cure him" his words, not mine. i was bothered by it a lot, but it was easy to see deep down that wasn't the truth in the slightest. he was lying to himself because he was scared of his real feelings for jupiter and he knew he didn't deserve her. so as i read on, don't get me wrong i was still furious, but it made it a lot easier to understand his situation. he was such a broken and sad boy, and he wanted to be loved like everyone else around him. but seriously that man would lay down his life immediately for jupiter, even when we has engaged to isadora, from the moment he saw her for the first time. ❤️

i can't believe i'm saying this but i grew to love him by the end. which is why i'm giving this four stars instead of three because once he realized his shit, it hurt so good!!! the book was three stars steadily but the lengths he went to for jupiter!!! i gotta say, saffron impressed me. i didn't think it was possible for me to adore and want to protect this man. my other issue was the end!!! because wtf was that!! it ended so abruptly. shepard broke it off with her at 90%, he realized that he can actually be with her, she accepts his apology (🙄), then she makes him watch her go on a date with a random dude from her work (good for her tho but it was still kinda weird and random). they make up quickly and AND THEN IT ENDS????? what even is that?? i wanted more. there is an epilogue you can download afterwards, but why not include that in the book???

okay now that i got that off my chest, i can talk more about what i loved.

jupiter jones. (my favourite girl ever) 💖
the sweetest girl ever. she was the cutest and most precious girl ever. i was crying for her the whole time because she didn't deserve what was happening to her. she was so strong and there is something so amazing about saffron’s fmcs. she writes girl obsessed so well because i love when each mcs gives the same equal energy. this girl made it her mission to help shepard because she wanted HIM to be happy, she put herself aside to help him. it broke my heart because at that point in the story, she knows shepard is "in love" with isadora still, but that didn't stop her. she wanted him to find his passion back in soccer, wanted him to find himself again, and win the championship 😭😭😭😭 she is stronger than me because i could never 💀 shepard truly did not deserve her. she is such a giving and kind person, and would do anything for those she loved. her and her sister? bitch don't get me started, how fucking adorable their bond was 😭😭😭😭😭😭 i loved the fight she had too. yes, she did give into shepard quickly, but can we blame her? she's helpless when it comes to him and deeply in love with him. she definitely gave it back to him though and she didn't accept his apologies right away.

shepard throne. (asshole 🤬 but i love him.. sadly 😔)
we all know i am trash for a possessive man. and he gave me that in spades. he even managed to shock me with how deep his obsession ran. one of my favourite things about him was the way he punished himself when he hurt jupiter. seeing how miserable he was feeling was such a highlight. can we talk about the whole boot thing and the broken glass?? jesusssssssssss (iykyk). the way he couldn't get to her so he kicked a soccer ball threw her window??? how he'd show up to her dates and get rid of the men 😭 she doesn't live in a safe neighbourhood, so he would stay in her room and watch her sleep to keep her safe EVERY NIGHT. anyway, the list goes on for all the things he would do for her. i'm so happy with how much depth he had though. i was worried i wasn't going to connect with his character or feel sympathy for him since i hated him so much. i predicted that shepard was going to realize he wasn't actually in love with isadora and i was right THANK GOD. because this man literally gave nothing!!! he was the worst boyfriend to isadora ever and it made no sense since he was supposed to be in love with her. i loved how he couldn't stop thinking about jupiter the whole time he was engaged. it haunted him, i loved it 🤭 so thankfully, there is MUCH more to the story. i wish he would have realized sooner but i'm not too mad because i was pretty satisfied in the end. and how could i not with how swoony he was?? 😭 he had me loving him one second and then hating him the next, to the point i was crying!!! i'm not even joking.

quote time!

🍓 This is too intimate, too personal, him staring at me from this close. Not just staring but actually devouring me. I want to tell him to stop, but he speaks first.
“I know they say you can’t count the stars in the sky, but one day…”
“One day what?” His mouth pulls up in a tiny smile. “I’m going to count all the freckles on your face.”


🍓 That thing I felt right in the center of my chest when she said yes. It felt like… Well, for the lack of a better phrase, it felt like my heart fucking skipped a beat. Like my heart stopped for a few seconds, went still before jumpstarting and pounding like a goddamn maniac. I’ve never had that happen before. I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. I thought she finally said yes, and I was going to fucking pass out on her.
~ after saying this he still doesn't realize he's in love with her 😂 LIKE DUDE

🍓 When I’m with her, I feel free. And freedom is addictive. She is addictive. And I’ve had a taste. Which means I’ll do anything to have that taste again. I’ll destroy everything in my path, go behind everyone’s back. I’ll betray anyone. I’ll lie, cheat, steal, do any fucking thing to have her again. To get to touch her, smell her. Watch her laugh and catch her shy smile. To take things from her she isn’t willing to give and make her like it. I’ll do anything to make her, mold her, bend her to my will.

🍓 “Your hair, it goes everywhere. It touches everything, your face, your neck, your arms, bursting with life. It’s the first thing anyone sees when they look at you. And your face, dotted with a million freckles. It’s like cream sprinkled with cinnamon. Like crispy fall. So if Joe’s more interested in looking at your fucking dress than staring at your face, and mapping out your freckles to see what constellations they’re hiding then yeah, he’s a moron on top of being a fuckface.”

🍓 She may be out like a light when I’m there, but she knows I come to her every night. Because turns out, ever since I climbed through her window, I can’t stop doing it. I can’t rest until I’ve made sure she’s safe in her bed. And I can’t go to sleep anywhere else other than her armchair.

🍓 To the point where it made me feel like I was doing something wrong. It felt wrong to put my arm around Isadora. To smile at my girlfriend in front of her. It made me feel shitty. Made me feel like I was cheating on her. It felt like I owed her something. That I owed it to her to mend her heart and wipe all the tears I made her cry. That it was my fucking job to fulfil her dreams and give her whatever the fuck she desired. It wasn’t. It isn’t.
~ mawahahahahahahhahaah yes feel bad asshole 🥰

safety info for those who want it (hella spoilers so beware)
- one sided om drama (she goes on dates to try to get over shepard but she never feels anything and shepard ruins them anyway lol)
- ow drama: isadora. he was engaged to her but only because he wanted push her together with stellan, and he did it purposely in front of jupiter because he didn't want jupiter falling for him. he never did anything intimately with isadora as well.
- shepard was a previous manhoe 🙄 before his engagement with isadora AND after they break it off until he's back in town to see jupiter. this is at the start of the book so we don't get any actual scenes or anything, it's just mentioned.
- all of jupiters first are with shepard
- shepard thinks he's in love with isadora but he realizes around 70% that he's never actually loved her. but don't worry because you see it coming from a mile away 😂 he makes up for it 🥰
- shepard has a period sex kink so expect that and he does want to get her pregnant to trap her.... he almost ALMOST tampers with with her birth control
- extreme j/p like this man will do ANYTHING
- so in conclusion i would consider this not safe or safe with exception since he sleeps with other people after meeintg juniper and he already had a thing for her (he just didn't really know it yet lol)
_____

i read this in one sitting, i’m not sure if i want to rate this 3 or 4 stars yet so i’m going to leave it for now but rtc!

pre-read: OKAYYYYYYYY IT'S FINALLY HERE 😭 i've been scared for this since we first got the teases in the first book of this series AND in the St Mary's Rebels series before this one. i HATED shepard (as you can see here in my review for the last book i wanted to punch tf outta him 🤬). so i need that to change asap because my girl jupiter deserves the world (and i trust saffron to do this because i adore her). lets see if shepard is superior to his brother because stellan is going to be hard to beat 😛

[Janie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one just didn’t do it for me. DNF at 5% i didn’t connect with the characters at all. 🫠😭

[Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕]

DNF at 30%

I tried. I really did but I just couldn't get into this one.

[Dawn Cornelius · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was hard to finish for me. I knew going into it that it would have bully romance/degradation but it was like the author wrote things just to fulfill those tropes when it wasn’t necessary.

I was reminded every other page they were step siblings - it was overkill.

The MMC wasn’t a bully, his tactics were emotional abuse so it took it too far for me personally.

The FMC was a doormat to him but not anyone else so it was like dual personalities.

The parents aspect felt like a random side note thrown in and resolved out of nowhere in the storyline.

It was also about 200 pages too long - a good chuck of the first could’ve been condensed and all the same points being made for the audience.

[Jo]

Stellan / Isadora?
With brother's girlfriend?
A horrible brother (Shepard), because in Conrad&Bronwyn's book he seemed satisfied (conceited) for "stealing" the girl he loves from his twin.
No, thanks.
I'm tired of drool-eating heroes (Of brothers and/or best friends) Especially if they have had any type of intimacy.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I just read? Shepard might just take the crown for one of the most lying, manipulative, toxic MMCs I’ve ever come across…. and somehow, I couldn’t look away. And Jupiter? Whew. A hot mess in her own right because who puts up with the shit Shep throws at her like he does? This man is a RED FLAG the way he treats her… had my head spinning. Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold. What a ride! She’s this strong gal, basically doing all she can for her sister. I have to hand it to her though… even with putting up with Shep and all his toxic unhinged shit… she believes in him… stays strong for him.

Together, they were a car crash I couldn’t stop watching… a gloriously toxic, disastrous journey getting to that HEA.

Oh, and Shepard’s filthy mouth? 😮‍💨🥵🫠 And y’all that hotel-bathroom-birth control scene… WTF. Horrible, awful, wrong on so many levels—yet, embarrassingly, so hot.

This book was chaos. It was toxic. It was a wreck. And I liked it.

[Cristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had potential. Unfortunately, it was disappointing to read about an H trying to get over his ex. While the h has been in love with the H since she’s 12. Add to that, the H being with tons of women while the h remains pure? It’s not a good mix 🥴

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's so broken...

KU Read
378 Pages
Bad Boys of Bardstown #3
Dark Bully Romance
Triggers
Forbidden
Step-Siblings
Stalking
Forced Proximity

I actually thought Shepherds story would be a bit lighter but no... He is just as dark as his brothers and successfully made me want to punch him more than once... But thats the making of a good book right? When I have a visceral reaction to what's going on and I just wanted to shake Jupiter for not kicking Shepherd in in the junk... Well more than the once she actually did, on that occasion I was her biggest cheerleader!
This book has a fair few triggers, it's not sweet and the MMC is more than morally grey. I do recommend you read the first two in the series for reference but it is not essential, it's just that his brothers feature regularly and you may want to know their tales first.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

TEN STARS ACROSS THE BOARD

Saffron, I know I already told you, but this is a MASTERPIECE. The longing, stalking, yearning, toxicity, banter, red flags, venom...filthy, pure, and filthy love between Shepard and Juniper. This book had everything I needed, and I will reread it religiously because it's THAT good.

The banter, the back and forth, the insults, while both of them are so down bad for each other, is embarrassing. I was high on life reading the relationship change from stalker to stalked to obsessed to lovers, enemies, friends-but-don't-say-friends-or-Shepard-will-get-mad, partners, lovers...they covered every relationship in the spectrum and I loved every aspect of it.

The change and growth in the characters was so real and progressive, the realizations about themselves, the changes for each other, the love languages, the self-discoveries about what they like and are willing to try for the other. How Shepard saw her and immediately couldn't get her out of his mind, time after time, his feelings were screaming at him, but his habit of shoving them down made everything hard for him to see, even when painfully obvious. And Juniper, how alone and independent she was, but with Shepard, he made her realize she could share the load, that he wanted to carry it for her so that she was free...to give him all her attention, but still free.

All I can say is that I will go back to read about all the couples mentioned in this book, because having read Saffron before, and this one right here, I just know I need to read ALL her books like yesterday...and so should all of you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, LoveNotes and Saffron for this e-arc. I still can't believe I got to read this early!

Quotes - There are a lot, yes, but mind you, this is a 530-page book with INCREDIBLE moments, so if you don't want minor spoilers/scene spoilers, DO NOT READ:

He's eating me with his touch, his fingers. They squeeze my flesh, knead it, pinch it.

I like his brutal fingers and bullying touch. I like it so much that I have widened my legs.

So if Joe's more interested in looking at your fucking dress than staring at your face, and mapping out your freckles to see what constellations they're hiding then yeah, he's a moron on top of being a fuckface."

I had a girlfriend I was in love with and like a fucking jackass, I couldn't stop thinking about my little sister's best friend and her strawberry hair.

She needs a break. She needs someone to take care of her. And it's going to be me.

She's been my biggest distraction since the moment I saw her a year ago.

And those eyes, God. They're dark and shiny. They're saying something to me.
Just one word: mine.

"Just so you know, you're a toxic snake."

"Yeah, but when I bite it hurts so fucking good you can't help but want more."

"In fact, I think I just found my favorite pastime. Making you dance for me."

And if I got a hit of your taste, you'd be walking around with my teeth marks on your neck 24/ 7.

"You wanna wear a necklace made of my teeth marks, baby?"

"You wanna follow me around, baby, you go for it. I'll follow you back. Hell, I'll even get matching leashes for each other.

"No more sexy schoolgirl outfits."
>"I...What?"
"Or any outfit," he clarifies,"short enough to get a peek of those white lacy panties every time you walk. Or flimsy enough that I can take it apart with my teeth."
>"You... have a w-weird fascination with your t-teeth." He chuckles, or more like blows out a puff of air.
"I'm a toxic snake, remember? I bite back."

That his hand on me looks like it belongs.
His rough, chafed fingers belong on my soft, unblemished skin.

"Good. Because I thought I'd go crazy if I didn't get to touch you again."

I don't think it's funny that ever since I saw you at that goddamn strip club, prancing around in your frilly little skirts and your fuck-me heels, looking like a piece of candy that every man in that joint wants to eat, I can't stop wanting to beat the shit out of the first person I see.

"But you wanna know the least funny thing? It's that six hours and forty-three minutes ago, give or take a few minutes, I had you in my lap. I had you exactly where I wanted you, exactly where I've been thinking about putting you, in the goddamn cage of my arms so you can't run from me, but instead of doing something about it, I let you go. Instead of playing with you like I wanted to, all I did was play with your panties like a fumbling fucking teenager in the back seat of his first car.

Because all I did was touch you a little bit, grazed your wet panties a few times.
Maybe circled your clit once, and you lit up for me like I'd been petting you for hours. Like I'd been pampering that pussy, paying special attention to it for days on end and you couldn't take it anymore.

“You were fully primed and so you had no choice but to gush for me. Drip on my fingers like you really were my ripe little strawberry, just waiting for me to toy with you. So now I'm stuck, aren't I? I'm goddamn motherfucking stuck trying to chase after that little taste you gave me, binging on strawberries all night, hoping that I'll find one that tastes exactly like your pussy.”

"I d-don't taste like strawberries."
>"What?"
"If anything, I taste a little musky and tart and—"
>"Are you really fucking describing to me what you taste like in this goddamn motherfucking café with all these people around us?" He leans closer. "Because if so, then everyone here is going to get a hell of a show along with their morning coffee."

"I hated that I wanted to fucking count the freckles on your face instead of paying attention to my girlfriend. I hated that everything about you, your smile, your laughter, your voice, the little purple things you always seemed to have on, the way you watched me not-so-secretly, took up all the space in my head instead of the girl I should've been thinking about. So yeah, you are annoying because you've been my goddamn distraction since the moment I saw you when you shouldn't have been."

He pulls me toward him and makes me sit in his lap. He arranges me how he wants to, mostly with my legs spread and over his so he can control my movements, and makes me dance for him with his thorny hands on my rosy body, with his filthy words in my ears.

"It's time to turn my Little Strawberry into my Little Whore."

And as if that wasn't enough of a shock to my system, him exposing my throbbing and wet core, he proceeds to run his finger up and down between my lips. As if he's trying to bathe his fingers in my juices. Trying to scoop it out.
Trying to pet my pussy. Before he smacks it.

"Because what a waste of a fucking rose, baby, don't you think? What a waste of a tight fucking pussy if I don't get to wreck it and make it mine."

"I fucking love the way you say my name,"

"It sounds needy. Desperate. So fucking good. So fucking horny. It sounds like you need me to breathe life into you. It sounds like you'll die without me. Without my touch."

"You agree to be mine and I'll say your name day and night. I'll moan it in your ears when I'm pounding into your hole. I'll spell it out with my tongue when I'm licking this cunt. I'll fucking tattoo your name on my skin. All you have to do is say yes."

"Say yes to letting me fuck your juicy little pussy that loves it when I choke your neck a little too much, with my dick, later," he explains. "And I won't stick my finger in it now."

"You being a cock tease out there,"
"Making me lose my fucking head like you don't love doing that to me, and then dancing in my lap like you wouldn't dance better with my dick in your hole every single night."

"And you know why that is, don't you?
It's because she knows. That pretty, little, tight as fucking fuck kitty knows she belongs to me. She knows she's mine. Every single strawberry-tasting inch of you is fucking mine."

I'll be inside that pussy, fucking it, banging it, tearing it the fuck up before the week ends and you know it.

He breaks my heart, but he somehow makes it beat harder and faster than anything else in this world. It's because I'm his.

Because turns out, ever since I climbed through her window, I can't stop doing it. I can't rest until I've made sure she's safe in her bed. And I can't go to sleep anywhere else other than her armchair.

I fucking hope to all that's holy that the next time she bites, she makes me bleed.
So I can lick my blood off her lips like she just licked that frosting.

In fact, I will be licking that too. I will be licking all sorts of things off her body now. She needs something licked off her skin, I'll be the man for the job.

Maybe I'll buy a pack of cupcakes to eat off her skin in celebration. I'm definitely eating strawberries off her pussy. Maybe I can also slather her in pancake syrup and slurp it off her body. Actually, I should start a list of all the depraved things I want to do to her. It's shocking I haven't done so before.

"Just know that I'm here. Always. Doesn't make up for everything or maybe anything really, but you are the other half of my soul, and your other half may be shitty but mine is someone I'm proud of."

"Everything about you is more than pretty. Everything about you is fucking beautiful and luminous and alive and full of color. But that's not the point. Anyone can be those things. What you are is something else."
>"What am I?"
"Unforgettable."

"Fuck around some more and find out exactly what we do to people who threaten our own."

"She's ours. And we don't like when people interfere in our family business. So leave. Now."

I want to be her first. Her first kiss.
Her first touch. First to teach her things, show how it is between two people, as obsessed as we are with each other.

When I'm with her, I can breathe. I can breathe easy. Which is so strange because I didn't even know my breaths were difficult.

She is addictive. And I've had a taste.
Which means I'll do anything to have that taste again. I'll destroy everything in my path, go behind everyone's back. I'll betray anyone. I'll lie, cheat, steal, do any fucking thing to have her again.

Who gets mad because they weren't the first? And not just about anything but about finding someone first.

Me: Did you steal my new perfume?
My Not-So Toxic Stepbrother: Well, I thought friends share things.

My Not-So Toxic Stepbrother: If you don't want any secrets, that's fine. But I don't mind keeping secrets for you. I don't mind cheating, stealing, lying or sneaking into your room when you're not there just so I get to be close to you.

I wanna make you come on my fingers. And then I wanna make you ride my thigh and hump my stomach. And if I'm doing all of that, I'm also going to make you sit on my face and ride my tongue. I'm going to make that pussy come and come and fucking come until I'm covered in you.

Because none of that matters. Nothing matters but you. I can't stay away from you. It's too painful.

When you kiss someone that you've wanted to kiss for ages, you never stop. You can't stop, because you lose all control. Every bit of it.

At this, I come. I have to. The thought of him using my body to give himself relief turns me on so much that I can't help but climax, arching my spine and throwing my head back, moaning out his name.

"You know I have dreamed about this, don't you?" he asks, his tone hypnotic.
>"Yes."
"I have. A million times," he goes on. "I've dreamed about sliding into you.
Stretching you out. Stretching out your tight, tight, so fucking tight pussy."

Because the truth is I'm not letting her go. The truth is she's here to stay. Stay in my house. In my family. In my life.

I want him to lose that little grip on his sanity before he gets to me. I want him to teach me a lesson for locking him out, ruin me for saying I was done with him when I'm not. And I never will be.

"I sat in it. I took off the boot I made you ride, the one you came on, and..." Another pause. "And licked it."
"I licked it. I licked your cum off my boot, because..."
"It's bad manners, see. It's bad manners to let it go to waste when you made it for me. When you gave it to me. As a gift."

And you know I've been hungry for a long time, yeah?" I blink, my belly feeling heavy with arousal. "A long fucking time," he almost groans, his nostrils flaring. "So hungry for you, baby. So fucking hungry for your pussy.
"So. Fucking. Hungry for any scrap you'll throw at me."

"I call everyone who wants to sniff under your skirt a dog, don't I? But the truth is it's me. I'm the dog. An animal. Who wants to sniff under your skirt, lick your skin, bite your body. I'm the one who wants to rut inside you and leave my mark everywhere. Even on the inside."

"I have this thing," he says, with clenched teeth, "inside of me. This crazy fucking thing that won't let me stay away from you. It makes me obsessed with you. It makes me need you in a way I've never needed anyone.

"But I need it. I need to eat your pussy, lick it, fuck it, French kiss it while I kneel on broken glass and bleed for it."

And he's watching himself do it. He's watching his fingers play with my pussy from only inches away. And he likes it so much that his cheeks have become all flushed.

"I'm your... p-princess?" He looks up then.
"Yeah, because I guess that's what you call the girl you're a slave for."

"I'm more yours than I am mine. That you own me."

"Because you're the only girl I'll ever bleed for, baby," he whispers against my mouth. "You're the only girl I'll ever kneel on broken glass for. Or lick a leather boot for. You're the only girl I'll ever be hungry like a fucking dog for."

And he's mine in a way that I know what his collarbone tastes like, or that groove in his throat.

"Why are you...drawing on my skin?"
>"I'm tracing your freckles."

Why did I think that he was going to be all sweet like he was last night? I mean, he made me ride his boot and told me he liked it. He broke his own window to get to me and then kneeled on broken glass to eat my pussy.

"We don't want our sister to know, baby, the things we're doing up here, the things I'm doing to you with my dick and the things you're letting me do to your pussy, are the things no brother or sister should ever do to each other. Doesn't matter if you add 'step' in front of it. But it sure as fuck makes my stepsister's pussy wetter and makes her come harder, thinking about it."

You need to be more worried about the kind of man you've let into your bed, in between your thighs, in your fucking cunt. And what lengths he'll go to, to keep fucking that cunt. To keep you.
Because finally, fucking finally, I've got you. I've caught you in my arms, in my clutches, and you're not going anywhere.
I won't let you. I won't let anyone else have you.

While his eyes say he doesn't want to do this. He doesn't want to be so far away from me. His eyes tell me he needs me close. He needs to smell me, touch me, kiss me, fuck me. He wants to hold me and instead of going to sleep alone in his bed, he wants to go to sleep with me.

Wearing his jersey that he put on me last night before he taught me how to ride his dick, I kneel down in front of him and his nostrils flare.

I love him. I love the kind of a wreck he makes me. I'd tell him, let me make you a wreck too.

Because for some reason, being tied to him feels like freedom and happiness, safety, and I don't need any reminders of that right now.

"So I could just look at you. And touch you and feel you. Talk to you even though I know nothing about talking."

"We had a family. All of us. And we're happy. We have everything he never did and he never will."

[Grecia Robles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estos libros son mi guilty pleasure, yo sé que no son buenos que dan HARTO CRINGE, pero ahí me tienes leyéndolos.

[Chiara^•^ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wreck You Make Me by Saffron A Kent
4,5/5⭐
3,5/5🌶️

This was my first book by this author, and I can confidently say it won't be the last! It had been a while since I read about a bully and a toxic relationship, and I devoured this story. Despite having over 500 pages, I found myself finishing it in just one day—I couldn't put it down! From the moment Jupiter laid eyes on Shepard, she was instantly captivated. It quickly spiraled into an obsession as she sometimes stalked him. Shepard is a well-known soccer player, captain of NYC FC, and incredibly talented. He enjoys partying and has a playboy reputation, especially after his fiancée left him for his twin brother.

Shepard is such a complex character. On the surface, he's laid-back, the life of the party, seemingly trouble-free, and always the one people turn to for help. Yet beneath that cheerful exterior, he feels everything deeply. He strives to be a dependable brother for his siblings, hiding his true emotions. Jupiter, however, has a way of making him unravel, which he struggles with. As a result, he acts out—sometimes hurting her, manipulating, and even stalking her. He’s a red flag at times, but he also shows his protective side, making her life a bit easier and lightening her burdens. Some of his actions are thoughtful and swoon-worthy, so I couldn’t help but warm up to him!

Jupiter has had a tough childhood. Throughout her life, she has focused on protecting herself and, later, her sister. She’s doing her best to make ends meet and provide her sister with the medical care she needs. I admired her fierce love for her sister and how sweet and caring she is. She understands Shepard like no one else and gradually begins to break down the walls he has built around himself.

The spice in this book is off the charts! There aren’t tons of steamy moments, but the tension and back-and-forth between the characters made those moments even more electric. I was pleasantly surprised by the family dynamics in the story. The Thorne siblings are fiercely protective of one another, showing unconditional love and support. Overall, this book was a wild ride, and I loved every moment of reading it. I’m curious about the other characters and can't wait to dive into the rest of this series!

[Linathebookaddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hot angsty summer here! Phew. This was a crazy ride full of angst, SPICE and an over the top couple that will make you swoon!
Shepard is such a possessive, jealous, and whipped character. I just loved it.
This book reminded me a bit of My Darling Arrow as it had the unrequited love trope in spades.
Jupiter was such a sweet heroine who would do anything for Shepard , even stay away from him if it meant that he was happy.
The spice was SPICING in this one. I am talking about unhinged stuff, but oh so toe-curling!
And of course we see the entire Thorne family in this one. I was such a highlight for me to see all the brothers. And yes, Conrad will always be my favorite. Shh, don't let the other know.
I loved it. Saffron A. Kent has such a unique writing style, it's just my jam.

[Insomnolent Reader °ㅠ_ㅠ° · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I wanted to see a doormat, I would have just gone to Walmart.

This book is unnecessarily long. Their is zero connections between the characters whatsoever. Even the siblings had no chemistry.

The conversations are so cringey and didn't do much to the story. just annoued tf out of me.

[Cynema]

HIGH PRIORITY!!!

[Shannai · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 ⭐️

Thank you to Love Notes PR for sending me a complimentary e-arc of A Wreck You Make Me. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

This was my first time reading a book by Saffron A. Kent, and truthfully I am at a bit of a loss for words. After reading this, I think it’s safe to say that I do not think bully romances are for me. When there is a male main character who is so deeply unlikable and treats the female main character poorly, I find it hard to see how their actions can be redeemed, no matter the reasoning given later in the story.

On paper, this sounded like something I would enjoy. I like forbidden romances and the tension that comes with step-sibling dynamics. The mention of an obsessed female stalker immediately caught my interest because it is something I rarely see in romance novels. Unfortunately, the way it was handled here felt flat and lacked the intensity I was expecting. I think that came down to how I perceived Jupiter’s character and my overall inability to connect with either of the main characters.

With Jupiter, I was uncertain about her manner of speaking. At times, particularly around Shepherd, it came across as if she had a stutter. If this was meant to convey nervousness or intimidation in his presence, it did not translate clearly to me, and instead it read awkwardly. There were also many moments where the characters cut each other off mid-sentence, which disrupted the flow of dialogue and made conversations feel choppy and disjointed. To add, also, the inner monologues for both characters were overly long and filled with information that I felt was unnecessary at times.

Shepherd was even more difficult for me to connect with. His personality swings gave me emotional whiplash. One moment he was speaking quickly, sharing openly and almost overwhelming Jupiter with his words, and the next he was closed off and distant. His behaviour often contradicted his actions, which made it hard to understand his true feelings or motivations.

The reasoning behind the bully element did not make sense to me either. His fixation on Jupiter seemed to stem from the fact that he was trying to get over his brother’s girlfriend, who had initially been his girlfriend. And in spite of that, I could not see how his treatment of her could be justified, and I struggled to follow where the plot was going as a result. I can’t say that I’m too mad about the third act break up… given how temperamental Shepherd was I just didn’t see the point because the morning after he’s begging for forgiveness. And time and time again, Jupiter rolls over and forgives him, like it’s just a toxic, tiresome cycle between them.

I enjoy morally grey, unhinged male characters when their actions feel driven by a genuine fixation, but in this case, it felt inconsistent. On one hand, Shepherd said that he was unable to breathe or function without her, yet he often made her feel like an afterthought. There is even a point where he attempts to impregnate her so she would be bound to him forever, which could have been a moment to show the depth of his obsession, but instead it came across as selfish and manipulative.

In the end, while I am grateful for the opportunity to read this book early, I was left feeling underwhelmed and frustrated by the writing style and character dynamics. I can admit that the bully romance trope might simply not be a good fit for me, but I also believe the execution here made it harder for me to enjoy the story.

[Isabella Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ʙʀᴀɪɴ ɪꜱ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟꜱᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱɪᴛ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ꜱᴏ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴇxᴘʟᴀɪɴ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏᴡ ɢᴅ ᴍꜰ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴘ ᴏʙꜱᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪ’ʟʟ ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴜᴅʏ ᴄᴀʀᴅꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴀᴘʜꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰɴɢ ᴠᴇɴɴ ᴅɪᴀɢʀᴀᴍꜱ ꜱᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴀꜱᴋ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙꜱ Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.”


What. The. F… 🤯🤯🤯🤯 This book is the kind of book that will literally pummel me into a book slump because there’s no way another book is going to make me feel the range of emotions I felt through all 500 pages. There’s only a handful of books that have literally make me feel this destroyed and insane all at the same time. You guys know…you KNOW…I love some toxic , soul shattering, angsty, make you want to cry, scream and drop your panties at the same time kind of books. The redder the MMC’s flag the better…hate me before you love me and keep that energy…and this book DELIVERED!!!!

This is an interconnected stand alone. You DON’T have to technically read the others to understand this one…BUT…you should. You will feel a little…out of the loop? If you don’t. And in my opinion…you need to build that hate for Shepard that brews in the previous book that’s about his twin brother. That’s when Shepards story TRULY begins for me.

That being said….Shepard is an ahole…not just an ahole…THE AHOLE TO END ALL AHOLES. And your honour…I both love and hate him 😩 I’m sorry ! I’m as toxic as the toxic men I love!!! This man does unforgivable things to everyone in his life. No one is safe. He gives me very big Nate Jacobson vibes…and I don’t care what ANY OF YOU SAY…every single one of you wanted his toxic a$$ just like I did. The more unhinged he got, the sexier he was. I said…what…I…said 😤😤😤 he’s engaged to someone else but had always had a secret yearning and obsession for one girl in particular. His stepsister Jupiter. And now that his fiancé has been stolen by his twin brother…his rage and obsession is solely focused on her.

Jupiter is our FMC…and as much Shepard is obsessed with her, she’s been obsessed with him since the moment she saw him at 12. She loves him. She’s obsessed. She’s been sitting by watching from afar. And now that his fiancé is out of the way…it’s finally her turn. Jupiter is definitely like Maddy…obsessed and unhinged for one man and one man alone. She’s doesn’t care what he does to her…as long as she’s the one he wants…But what ensues is nothing close to a fairytale.

These two together are the literal definition of TOXIC. Shepard is hot and cold so often that I was starting to question my own sanity…I’m pretty sure he was gaslighting ME and I was just reading the book 😩😩 Jupiter did not care. All she cared about was his happiness. She wanted to be everything for him. But this man couldn’t decided if he loved her or wanted to strangle her…and on many occasions he did both…in a consensual way…calm down 🙄

The filth that takes place between these two should be illegal. And I think it is in certain states 👀👀 there was no line he wouldn’t cross with Jupiter…and she was willing to take it everytime. Same girl…same…. 🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️These two are the definition of push and pull. They broke up and got together so many times that I lost track. It was chaos, it was intense and heartbreaking.

Shepard is hiding and keeping a lot of heartbreaking stuff locked up deep inside. And while that doesn’t excuse his actions and behaviour, it makes you realise that he’s , at the core, a broken boy who just wants to be loved.

Jupiter needed more of a back bone. I love her but she also did NOT stand up for herself when it came to Shepard. She forgave him every time without question. And there definitely some times when she should have put her foot down and punched him in the 🥜 just saying. But I get it. That intense love and obsession makes you blind to certain things and forgive things you normally wouldn’t. Like I said…TOXIC.

This isn’t even breaking the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this ridiculously good story. You need to grab a drink and your kindle and settle in to have your soul shattered. My only thing that I didn’t love was the ending…it seemed so quick compared to the rest of the story. I blinked and it was over and resolved. BUT…there’s an epilogue that can be downloaded that wraps it up even better. So I can’t really complain too much.

Either way…I’m obsessed. I’m emotionally destroyed. I’ll never recover and I’ll be reading it on repeat. Thank you 🖤

Thank you SO MUCH to Saffron A. Kent for the absolute PRIVILEGE of getting to ARC read this absolute soul shattering masterpiece💜

⚽️Sports Romance (kinda)
💜Forbidden
⚽️Taboo
🖤Step-Siblings
⚽️Interconnected Stand Alone
💜Contemporary Romance
⚽️Bully
🖤Breeding K!nk
⚽️Praise/Degradation
💜Stalking
⚽️Equally Obsessed MC’s
🖤Quirky Heroine
⚽️Soccer Player Hero
💜ANGST/TENSION
⚽️TOXIC AF
🖤Bad Boy x Good Girl
⚽️Blackmail
💜Parental SA/Physical Abuse
⚽️Period Play
🖤Grief
⚽️Dom/Sub
💜Push and Pull
⚽️Touch Her & 💀
🖤Multiple Breakups
⚽️OW/OM Drama
💜Dual POV
⚽️HEA

[Yesmina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was my most anticipated read for 2025 and it's long overdue for reasons I'd like to discuss later (under the Paragraph titled Author's persona).

1/The Back Story/ Setting the premise:
I was super excited about reading this book since Jupiter and Shepard were featured brilliantly in previous books. Shepard is known as the soccer star who's dedicated to his job. You never see him ditching his job to lounge in bars or chasing girls.
He works hard and that's why he plays harder. When he wins, that's when he's all fun, random girls and partying. He's cocky, cheerful a blast to be around.
At the contrary to his wild persona, there is Jupiter: this shy petite redhead who watches him from sidelines. From previous books: we know that she likes him despite never having a conversation with him. And yet he never noticed her. I'm all for Unrequited Love! And I like the vibes of shy girlie who will humble our loud arrogant male.

2/Quick synopsis and my expectations:
Before releasing the book: the author explained that we're in for a surprise. Jupiter is the secret step-sister of Shep. People gone wild: how did that happen?
I knew how: Shep has an estranged father who ran away leaving his 5 kids to fend for themselves. That piece of shit father is Jupiter's step-father and only Jupiter knows which makes her fascination with Shep obsessive. That's what the author promised: mutual obsession and mutual stalking (She delivered y'allll!!!)

1/The FUCKED UP "first 100 pages":
It's my motto that if you can stomach the first 100pages, you're in for a good read. Saffron did me dirty in those:
A- She had MMC and previous books' MMCs comparing their dicks' measurements like that's a normal conversation (every man would be like: I'm the bigger one!!!!!)

B/ She made Shep look like a creepy rapist: While he's engaged (I will explain that later) he sees Jupiter dancing with s.o. He pushes the man violently and yells at Jupiter: "if you take one step towards him, I'll break his bones."
Plus: when he was moving from his fiancée, allegedly heartbroken, he crashes Jupiter's date sists beside her at the table and when her date is talking, Shep is molesting Jupiter thigh under the table. Of course the author isn't saying molesting, she depicts him running his hands up her thigh as something romantic and it's like staking his claim.

Mind you: the thigh incident happened when Shep and Jupiter have never been in any romantic relationship, never even flirted with each other before.
And the way he talked to her made me uncomfortable for all women's rights. When she wore a beautiful dress he said "If you know what kind of men are out there, you wouldn't go out like that."
"I don't like the dress because it's nothing compared to what it hides."
WTF, Shep why are you being a creepy dude! (but I know it's not your fault. It's Saffron's delusions speaking."

C/ Someone murders Stellan and Isadora please: the bane of my existence the bitches of the book

So: Stellan and Isadora are the previous book's MCs. Stellan is the twin brother of Shep. And Shep and Isadora used to be engaged while Isadora cheated on him with the twin brother and broke his heart.
Stellan the bitch broke 4 RIBS AND 6 BONES of Shep when he saw him being cozy with Jupiter in the previous book and accused him of breaking Isadora's heart (Needless to say Stellan the bitch needs to be tranquilized and hospitalized and lobotomized).

We know that Shep knew all along that his twin secretly likes Isadora but was too much of a pussy to make the first step so he pretended to be in love with her so his twin would wake the fuck up. The game escalated: Shep definitely caught some feelings and proposed and Isadora ended up cheating on him. That's the gist of the previous book in the series.

In this book we're told that Shep is suffering in his soccer play because of his injuries (remember: 4 broken ribs and 6 bones) and that it's his fault and he needs to do better. The management of the team is thinking about benching him. At the same time: Bitch Stellan and Isadora are attending those soccer practices hugging and kissing with 0 accountability and Shep has to endure watching them.
Fuck Stellan and Fuck Isadora they're horrible and when they disappeared for quite a long time in the book I felt medicinal relief.

4/The rest of the book:
it was good. There are somethings that had me gagging: like period sex and how it's described and there are other things that had me swooning and sometimes horny and updating my kinks list. All in all the relationship was well-built and beautifully paced.

5/The author's persona:
If you want to understand the text, you need to know the context aka the author's persona. And let me tell you that Saffron's biggest enemy in life is Consistency. (She even goes to therapy for that)
I'm all for human flaws until it becomes lying and I despise mendacity and deceit especially in literature.

A/This book was supposed to come out in June. Saffron began promoting it since FUCKING January getting all her readers excited You think that she wrote it or at least wrote 50% percent of it. Fucking no, she came out in march saying: the release is postponed to August because I'm flying in June.
The stubborn stalker that I am knows that the release was supposed to be in the first week of June and her flight was in late June. Truth is, till June she was not finished with the book. Do you know when she finished it. In the last week of July when the book is releasing August 8! She did not give us the Epilogue (which is not like her) because she needed to proofread it and correct it and she ended it like literally 7 of August after the book was distributed and out of her hands.

And this is a recurring problem with her. Always hyping up her characters, giving us tropes and some quotes and writing the book slowly. She is one of those writers that genuinely wakes up in cold sweat thinking that the world hates her and all her readers have forgotten about her (her words not mine) and that gets her in a state a paralysis and extreme anxiety so she stops writing and all her promises to the readers become broken and they get mad and she has more anxiety
it's a never ending circle!

Also consistency is poorly held in her book: example: Jupiter put bright red lipstick, yet her lips were described as pink after that/ Shep and Jupiter fought at night, she went to a date 2 days later saying that she agreed to the date 2 days ago when she ended up her night with that fight and then went to sleep.
A window is broken yet the next morning rays of sunshine are entering from the glass??? which is not there, one sentence later the window is described as barricaded until it's repaired so how did the sunshine enter in the first place?!!

Also, how the fuck their estranged father is living in their small as ass town without his 5 kids encountering him. Especially if he's an alcoholic and his sons are always in the town's bar!!!

This book ticks the box of a read representing the Summer Season in my Bingo Challenge!
25⭕ ┃37⭕┃87┃13┃68┃40⭕┃32┃59┃76┃44
10⭕┃86┃4 ┃45┃47┃98┃50⭕┃14⭕┃85┃75
88┃51┃ 9⭕┃2┃42⭕┃29⭕┃ 24┃92⭕┃ 82┃1⭕
100┃34⭕┃17┃96┃43⭕┃49┃64⭕┃70┃15┃38⭕
84┃31⭕┃ 62⭕┃7⭕┃21┃73┃28┃46⭕┃90┃77
3⭕┃12⭕┃80⭕┃ 69⭕┃52⭕┃ 65⭕┃54⭕┃ 91⭕┃23⭕┃ 72⭕
18┃95┃ 22┃99┃93┃74⭕┃41⭕┃8┃35⭕┃ 58⭕
57┃94┃ 16⭕┃56┃ 5⭕┃60⭕┃78⭕┃ 26┃81┃ 61
97┃48⭕┃ 79⭕┃67┃ 53⭕┃30⭕┃ 6⭕┃36⭕┃89┃ 33⭕
71⭕┃19┃ 39⭕┃66┃ 55┃27⭕┃ 20┃63┃ 11┃83

[Kushbo Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️ and 10/5 🌶️!! 🥵🥵

I haven’t read the other books in this series since I got this as an ARC , but wow this was amazing! i loved Shepard & Juniper’s chemistry 🤭 I will definitely be checking out the other books tho, i loved all the other characters and am curious to know their stories 🥰

[Diana~ (Kiss Me Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saffron A. Kent returns with a provocative tale of toxic obsession, manipulation, and an all-consuming forbidden love that burned up the pages. I was completely enthralled by Shepard and Jupiter's rollercoaster of a romance—even if it did frustrate me at times. I had been highly anticipating their story ever since Stellan and Isadora's book, and the author did not disappoint. Shepard was previously portrayed as this nonchalant and charming playboy but he was so much more than that. As the last Thorne sibling to get his happily ever after, it was shocking to realize that he was just as broken, if not more, than Ledger or Stellan. I was also surprised by how unhinged and insane he was when it came to Jupiter. Their hot and cold relationship was off the charts dirty and kinky. That hotel scene will forever live rent free in my head. Shepard and Jupiter's sexual chemistry and tension was so intense and palpable—Saffron simply excels at writing this. The lengths that he went through to keep an eye on his Little Strawberry… the man was completely crazy and manic, possessive and obsessed over her. Jupiter may have been Shepard's stalker but he became hers. While I felt so bad for Jupiter when Shepard was being intentionally cruel to her, she also made him suffer too.

"I know nothing about love. Not one thing. I can’t even recognize it for what it is so it’s safe to say I have no idea how to love someone. All I know is I want to. I want to love her because I do love her. She’s it for me. She’s my sweet dream and my dark desire. She is my lost bird and my good girl. She’s my Little Strawberry."

In the end, I enjoyed Shepard and Jupiter's toxic romance because even though they kept hurting each other, they were also two pieces of a puzzle made whole together. This was a true cat and mouse relationship because Jupiter loved to run away from Shepard, which would always trigger him to chase after her. Also, I absolutely can't wait for Ark and and Byron's book. These two amused me to no end when they were giving Shepard advice on Jupiter. I highly recommend reading Stellan's book, Oh, You're So Cold, because it is a direct sequel to this book and will provide a lot of context as to why Shepard is the way he is. I loved seeing everything come full circle between Shepard and Jupiter. Fans of Saffron A. Kent and those looking forward to Shepard and Jupiter's book will absolutely love and devour this one because it has all of the tropes, sexiness, and insanity that the author is known for. I thought Ledger was unhinged but Shepard absolutely took his crown and made it his own. Although their journey was a long and difficult one, Shepard and Jupiter were truly made for each other and I was completely satisfied with their ending.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author for an honest review*

[Avery Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Steam: 1.5/5
Spice: 4/5
Star: 2/5

“Like she’s a piece of juicy fruit and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into her.” - A Wreck, You Make Me by Saffron Kent

Shepard Thorn is everything to Jupiter: her best friend’s brother, the bad boy of soccer stardom, and, secretly, her stepbrother. She’s been obsessed with him and his family for years, but he’s made his rejection known. Until one night at the club she works at, where she interrupts Shepard getting a lap dance. Seeing that as the final straw to her crush on him, he decides to make Jupiter pay by giving her all of his attention until she can’t get enough.

Have you ever read a book and think “Hmm, I’m not sure if I’m reading this correctly. Maybe I need to listen to the audiobook?” Those were my exact thoughts while reading “A Wreck, You Make Me”. I’ve read the author’s other words which are complicated in unique ways, but for some reason, I couldn’t break the surface of this one. Whether the writing, the characters, the pacing, or a combo of all three, I still don’t know how I feel about this book, even after 500+ pages.

Jupiter and Shepard feel oddly matched together despite their obsessive personalities with each other. Besides their unique family connection, both were very flat unless it came to a spicy book scene. Not to mention the times that Shepard seemed to hate that he cared for Jupiter to the point of going out of his way to keep it strictly sexual. An easy-peasy obstacle to overcome in a romance, but sadly, I would be much happier if they went their separate ways.

Sadly, the star rating is not much better as this story was stretched way too thin to fit 500+ pages. I must confess that I skimmed much of the story as I couldn’t hold my attention for very long. The writing just felt like it… babbled for too long, taking up room for our cast and story to truly sink in. I know that this is the end of a book series, but much was left alone and our narrators struggled to fill in the gaps.

Even a longterm book reviewer will face a book that they don’t have a connection with, and this one is one of mine. I’ll probably try again in the future with the audiobook edition, but for now, it’s time to say bye bye.