Untamed

by Willow Prescott

"Oh, princess, you don’t know a thing about torture. But don’t worry, I’m a good teacher."

Liliana Hargrave

My father lords over Crimson Heights with an iron fist, and I’m stuck here playing the perfect princess to a kingdom I never asked for.

Smile.

Look pretty.

Don’t resist.

Follow the rules.

Family always comes first.

I didn’t choose this life. Or this name. Or this family. And I’d like nothing more than to give it all back.

Vander Lockwood turns my life into even more of a nightmare when he shows up in my first class of freshman year. He’s vicious and cruel, his unprovoked hatred so obvious that it stings like a fresh cut whenever he’s near. He's always there—watching, judging, tormenting.

And I’m torn between surrendering like I’ve been taught or uncaging the thirst for blood that’s suddenly clawing its way to the surface.

Vander Lockwood

Football and legacies are the heart and soul of Crimson Heights University, and that makes me the uncontested king on campus.

But I’m not here to rule—I’m here to burn it all to the ground.

Liliana Hargrave is the key to driving a knife right into the poisoned heart of this town.

I hate her.

I crave her.

I want her.

I can’t untangle my need for revenge from my need for her, both the desires twisting together until they form a deformed bond that pulses loud and strong in my veins. There’s no denying I want her. But I want to break her just as much.

And she’s going to be mine right after I topple that golden crown of hers.

Warning: This is a dark bully romance that contains very morally grey characters and themes some readers may find triggering. Please read with caution.

Tropes: Dark Romance, College Bully Romance, Good Girl x Bad Boy, He Falls First, Hate to Love, Trauma Bonding, Touch Her and Die

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark

408 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2026

About the author

Willow Prescott lives in Amsterdam with her husband and small coven of mini monsters. She spends her nights in a caffeine haze dreaming up twisted sexcapades and deliciously dark villains who make you get on your knees and beg for more.

Reviews

[Anastasia ｼ]

╭ ✦ •
│ ⊹ 𝟸.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 ⊹
╰ ✦ •

This really wasn't what I was expecting.

I love Willow's writing, and I really enjoyed her Sharp Edges Duet, but I really wanted to love this one too. The atmosphere was honestly one of my favorite parts. The dark, secretive small-town setting of Crimson Heights, the 6 founding families, the masked MMC. Honestly, it gave me The Covenant (2006) vibes, and I was soooo ready for something similar to that, with a darker element.

Unfortunately, Untamed left a lot to be desired.

Also... marketing this as having a "Secret Society" trope had me confused because WHERE was this in the book? Maybe this becomes more relevant in book two? And I don't want to be too harsh, but this honestly felt like a watered-down version of Shantel Tessier's L.O.R.D.S. series, but without the plot and character development that made me want to keep turning the pages.  There was so much potential here, but I kept waiting for the actual story to show up.

Untamed was all smut with zero plot or character development to balance it out. Which was kind of frustrating because of the potential here. We have the small town of Crimson Heights, and there are 6 founding families, the obvious history and bad blood between the Lockwoods (MMC) and Hargraves (FMC), secrets surrounding the town, Liliana's relationship with her father, and Vander's obsession with her. There were so many pieces that could have made this story really interesting, but they were not fully explored. With small hints of lore sprinkled throughout what is essentially a smut-filled story... honestly, I wouldn't even call this a story.

There seems to be this huge feud between the Lockwoods and Hargraves, and we're constantly reminded of the history/hatred between these families, and I kept waiting for an explanation...but like WHY? What actually happened? Why do they hate each other so much? And why is Vander so determined to bully Liliana specifically? I JUST wanted history, the secrets, and the actual reasoning behind Vander's behavior. It just doesn't make sense. There was clearly a bigger story trying to happen here, but we never got to it.

Honestly, I wish I loved this more because the vibes were so good... but it felt like such a waste of time reading it.

Vander... Vander, Vander... where do I begin?
Vander is genuinely an awful person. I knew going in that he was going to be an unhinged, obsessive MMC, and I can usually get behind a morally questionable book boyfriend, but some of his actions genuinely gave me the ick! I didn't care for his bullying; I felt like it was a forced aspect of the story. I used to like bully romances, but it was really hard to root for himThe things he does... just no thanks. I would honestly say he's worse than the L.O.R.D.S. boys (Ryat, Sin, Tyson, Saint, Haidyn, Kashton), put together.

He secretly recorded Liliana while she was being forced into intimate situations with him, and he gets some of his football team involved in assaulting her in the woods ... yeah, Vander is definitely not the book boyfriend I would have wanted.

Also, the fact that he kissed her in front of the whole stadium after his game, calling her his girlfriend, knowing her father is watching... which he did on purpose btw because he knew she'd get in trouble... If only he knew what her father has been forcing her to do as punishment... We got to know early on the type of punishment her father enjoys... knowing what her father is actually doing to her makes that kissing scene even worse. Her father forces her to perform sexual acts (blowjobs) as punishment, while her parents also lock her in her room and starve her. Vander intentionally getting her in trouble by the person already abusing her was kind of hard to read.

I just don't get Vander's obsession with Liliana. He's supposed to be this unhinged, obsessive guy, but I wanted more of a reason behind it. Why is he so fixated on her? Why does he go out of his way to bully her? I kept looking for a deeper motivation and never really found one to make his obsession feel meaningful rather than simply being something we're told is there. And again, I guess this ties back into the lack of explanation surrounding the Lockwoods and Hargraves

Then we have our FMC, Liliana, who is portrayed as the “perfect princess” of Crimson Heights. She has so much going on, and I really liked the idea of watching this perfect, proper princess slowly find herself and start standing up for herself... but that never really happened; she had no backbone tbh.
She has so much going on, and honestly, her situation is really sad, but she simply went along with whatever the men around her wanted: the same cycle of chaos, abuse, and Vander pushing her further. I just... wanted to see more of her actually fighting back and taking control of her own life instead of constantly being pushed around by everyone else. It felt like she wanted to, but again... we never get to see this😭

One of the biggest reasons I kept reading, aside from the vibes, was Rowyn. I really liked Liliana's best friend, and honestly, I would absolutely read her book if she gets one.

Okay, last thing... the Gen Z/Alpha slang at the beginning of this was a bit... distracting and didn't really vibe with the atmosphere of the book... I almost DNF'd based on that.

Unfortunately, Untamed just wasn't the story I was hoping it would be. I really, REALLY wanted to love this one. I really, REALLY wanted to love this one. The aesthetic, the atmosphere, the potential for dark secrets and fucked-up family drama? PLEASE! But by the end, I felt like I had spent a lot of time reading without actually getting much of a story or meaningful character progression in return. I did read this in three days, so I can't say it wasn't entertaining, but there were definitely way too many moments where I was sitting there thinking, "wtf is happening, and WHYYY is this happening."

The side characters also had me way more interested than I expected, and honestly... I would absolutely read books about them.

────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────

⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹

❥Elite University
❥Secret Society
❥Dubcon & CNC
❥Knife & Primal Play
❥Masked Hunt on Halloween
❥Pieced Dick & Tattoos
❥Dark Romance
❥College Bully Romance
❥Good Girl x Bad Boy
❥He Falls First
❥Hate to Love
❥Trauma Bonding
❥Touch Her and Die

Thank you for the ARC, Willow Prescott!

_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook

[Pearl Angeli (pearlreadsnovels)]

DNF @ 22%

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I had to stop because the themes and content were simply too much for my personal reading preferences.

There are some very dark sexual themes involving the FMC’s relationship with her father, while the MMC’s methods of “punishment” and some of his sexual preferences were also outside my comfort zone.

I know darker and more unconventional themes work for many readers, but I quickly realized I’m definitely the wrong audience for this particular story. 🥲

No hate to the book as I love dark romance but some scenes were a surprise that weren't hinted in the blurb. It wasn’t for me after all.

Thank you to the author and publisher team for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Kayla]

I really couldn't get into this book because it felt like there was no real plot or character progression. It was just constant fighting and abuse on repeat, which made me lose interest pretty quickly. I am grateful for the arc opportunity. I just wish I could have liked the story. A little bit more

[Angela T.]

Tropes:
• Dark college bully romance
• Bad boy x Good girl
• knife & primal play
• masked hunt halloween
• pierced MMC


I honestly have no idea how or when I signed up for the ARC but i was pleasantly surprised. This is a dark bully romance check your trigger warnings!

There was an aspect of the book that was difficult to read(trigger warnings: on page SA) but I pushed through.

I read this book within 24 hours. I didn’t even realize I reached the end and now I am left with a cliff hanger.

There are so many questions left unanswered. I felt like we should have gotten some answers like why the MMC cane back to town and automatically made it his mission to ruin the FMC.

The book held my attention from start to end. I cant wait for the next book to come out!

[Lynnmarie542_books]

This book had me hooked from the very beginning! Unhinged, smutty goodness from start to finish, and I devoured every damn page.

Absolutely loved it!

I’m actually mad that it ended, I want more!

[Courtney Hall]

No, becuase what kind of CRACK does Willow put in her books??? I had the honor of Beta reading this and OMG, i've been thinking about this book ever since I finished it.

FIRST OF ALL, this is a DARK bully romance so if you have any triggers at all PLEASE either check the TWs first or just don't open it ok lol some of these scenes will be living RENT free in my head forever tho - the amount of times that I was shookith to the core

This is absolutely perfect for the season rn - spooky & FOOTBALL, count me in dawg. The way I was absolutely SWOONING for a man that I had no right to be swooning over.

" It’s not a kiss—it’s a promise. A promise that, one day, I’ll consume her whole.
“Look at me, Liliana,” I demand in a harsh rasp. I need something to ground me. To remind me of my anger when all I want to do is crumble under her touch. "

"I want your hatred. I need it like a flame needs oxygen to survive. Feed me your hatred. I want every last drop of it, Liliana. Help this fury inside me grow strong enough to scorch this fucking town to the ground and everyone in it.”

Tropes:
🖤 Dark Academia
🖤 Bad Boy x Good Girl
🖤 HEAVY bully romance
🖤 Degradation
🖤 Knife & Bl00d play
🖤 Football players
🖤 Masked hunt on Halloween
🖤 Spooky Town
🖤 Stalker

[Bri]

Thank you to much to Willow for an ARC copy of this!!!

How can I simultaneously completely hate and also somehow kinda love a character?
Cause that’s how I felt about Vander in this book. He made me feel so much (mostly hate lol) while reading this and fyi? I had tears streaming down my face at the end.

My heart aches for Liliana and what she’s experienced / experiencing throughout this book. Check your triggers before reading this one because there are some on the list that may not be for everyone.

I’m a hugeeeeeee sucker for games or bets in books. This one delivered with “would you rather” and “simon says”. And of course who doesn’t love a masked chase scene in the woods on halloween!

The ending of this had me clicking back and forth fully confused at the fact since in my mind, there was no way that this book ended the way that it did... the silence that followed once I realized that it did in fact end that way was not fun at all.

Not ashamed to say that I loved this book so much and devoured it in 24 hours. I can’t wait to read book 2 and to see where the Crimson Crowns Series goes from here!

Once again - CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS!!! This is also part of the Dark Star shared universe.

What you can expect:
🦁 Dark College Bully Romance 
🏈 Hate to Love / Family Rivalry
🦁 Bad Boy x Good Girl
🏈 Virgin FMC x Quarterback MMC
🦁 Dubcon + CNC + Somno
🏈 Sexy Would You Rather 
🦁 Pierced + Tattoos
🏈 Masked Hunt on Halloween 
🦁 Knife Play + Primal Play
🏈 Shared with the Team
🦁He Washes Her Hair
🏈 Blackmails Her So She Attends His Game

[Sophia Terry]

I actually cannot read this anymore

I’m all for NCC (non consent consent) but combining it with the girl being actively sexually abused by her father is to much

I feel sick.

Yes one could argue I should have checked the trigger warnings but also no I think this is too much. I usually enjoy the dark romance and taboo of this author but this crossed a line.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for a review

[Jojobean_reads]

Well damn! That was one way to end a book.

I went into this thinking enemies to lovers, bully romance vibes but sheeeesh is it that and then some.
This is like a mega f**ked up Romeo and Juliet but if Romeo was a pitch black MMC with questionable morals and Juliet was a traumatised Rapunzel but her tower exists because shes protecting the person she loves the most.

I couldnt put this one down. Bravo Willow.

[Drishika Bikraj]

PLEASE read the trigger warnings before reading Untamed, as there are a lot of dark themes explored.

3.5 stars
My second Willow Prescott book, and wow! What. A. Ride. This was unhinged in the best way! I still can’t believe I finished it in 24 hours 🤯
Vander Lockwood has Liliana Hargrave in his sights, and he’s not letting go. He will do whatever it takes to break her. He is absolutely psychotic, morally black, and ruthless in his actions. I really felt for Liliana because between her home life and being tormented by Vander at school, she had a TOUGH time. Huge shoutout to Rowan, Liliana’s bff, though! She was really there for Liliana, and I need a book for her rn, please.
This was very fast-paced, and there was a lot happening. I just didn’t feel like there were a lot of deeper explanations for certain decisions the main characters made, especially Vander. There is a lot of supposed history between their families but none of it is mentioned so it kinda looks like Vander is bullying Lilliana just for the fun of it. I hope we get this in the second book. I felt we got more of a backstory to Rowan and the guy she was hooking up with than with Vander.

[Mollie Smith]

This is a very dark romance, that leans heavily towards the smut over plot.

Firstly, please read the trigger warnings before delving into Untamed, there are a lot of dark themes explored.

I will start by saying I know there are plenty of people that would love this book, and the exploration of sexuality and obsession it conveys. However the on page SA by a family member was a bit much for me.

We have our FMC who is the ‘perfect princess’ of Crimson Heights but she is hiding many dark secrets, just trying to make it through to the next day without getting burned by them. Then along comes, Vander, our MMC who is unhinged. Not morally grey…. Totally f*cked. Their explosive relationship dives off the page as soon as they meet and it doesn’t simmer at any point.

The dialogue is engaging and the writing is quite fast paced. I read this in two days so was kept entertained easily.

I do have to say where it fell down for me was the ‘why’ of it all. I never quite got why our main characters acted the way they did, or why they would be happy to stay in certain situations. There are plenty of themes around coercion, guilt, manipulation that could have been explored a bit further to really solidify their actions. I found I couldn’t sympathise or understand either main characters actions. It left me just feeling like “well you guys are a bit dumb”.

However, the two main SIDE characters… give me their books immediately! We got more backstory and moral dilemmas through the side characters which made me understand their actions and I want to know more!

I will be keeping my eye on the Crimson Crown series by Willow Prescott, I think if we can get just a smidge more plot over smut I could be hooked. BUT that’s just my opinion!

[Emma Thomas]

💛 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 💛

"ᴛʜᴇɴ sʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴄʟᴀᴡs, ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀ."

“𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙇𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙚."

"ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴜɴᴛᴏᴜᴄʜᴀʙʟᴇ ɴᴏᴡ, ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇss. ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ғᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴍɪɴᴇ."

"𝙺𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜. 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝."

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ:
🦁 ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇɢᴇ ʙᴜʟʟʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🏈 ʙᴀᴅ ʙᴏʏ x ɢᴏᴏᴅ ɢɪʀʟ
🦁 ᴋɴɪғᴇ & ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʟ ᴘʟᴀʏ
🏈 ᴍᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ʜᴜɴᴛ ᴏɴ ʜᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴇɴ
🦁 sʜᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ
🏈 sᴇxʏ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ
🦁 ʜᴇ ᴡᴀsʜᴇs ʜᴇʀ ʜᴀɪʀ
🏈sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ sᴏᴄɪᴇᴛʏ
🦁ᴘɪᴇʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴅ!ᴄᴋ & ᴛᴀᴛᴛᴏᴏs

"𝑽𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒖𝒑."

"𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳."

"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘝𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮."

5✨✨✨✨✨
ᴀʀᴄ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ
WILLOW HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME ON THAT CLIFF LIKE THAT. i will be counting down the days until january for the rest of Vander & Liliana’s story. Untamed was 10/10 no notes. Vander, dear god. this man and his 9inches. i love him and im also extremely mad at him at the same time lol Liliana my sweet broken girl, i hope everything comes to light and Vander can be a smidge humbled by what you go through.

[Jen Morris]

I am a Willow Prescott fan girl and look forward to reading the menu (whoops I mean Trigger warnings) she puts at the start of her books to see what kind of ride we are in for! I have been very fortunate to have ARC read all her books and they are all amazing!

Untamed is a dark college bully romance (Please read the trigger warnings as this is dark) and is bad boy x good girl book that will make shake you to your core but the scenes will never leave your head and make you question yourself! This book is unhinged and whilst you might absolutely hate the MMC, you grow to love him, he is morally black and completely and utterly unhinged. Lillian is the sweetheart but has her own dark secrets, between her home life and being ruthlessly tormented at school, your heart goes out to her. I am not going to go into detail but if you like a dark bully romance this one is for you but please read the trigger warnings!

As for the two main side character's? I will take a book for them IMMEDIATELY please WIllow!!

[Sarah S.]

I had the honor of ARC reading this and I finished it in 24 hours or less. Wow, what a RIDE! Willow knows how to write a page-turner, and she is a master at writing morally black characters!

There is so much I want to say but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone.

So I will say this - I normally hate bully romances but this one? Only Willow would be able to make me love this sub genre. My heart really does ache for Liliana and all that she has to endure without knowing why from Vander. The way I need book two like YESTERDAY.

Willow, you smashed it. As always. I can’t wait for more!

[Heather Walker]

This is dark and depraved and not for those with triggers as there are some pretty strong ones.
Lillian and vander are both children of elite members of the crestwood alumni sworn enemies although lillian doesn't know this. She is bullied and torchered to do his bidding. To a spectacular clifhanger ending.

[Merissa]

When I tell you I DEVOURED this book… I literally inhaled it like it was my last breath.
The plot, the spice, the bullying… it was freakin AMAZING. I LOVED every second of it. I seriously couldn’t put it down.
And that ending?! I can’t wait to continue this story because DAMN, did it leave me wanting more.

Willow did such an amazing job bringing these characters to life, and it was so easy to connect with them. I’m officially invested and NEED to know what happens next!

[Liliana]

My first book by Willow Prescott and I’m officially a fan! I had the opportunity to read this ARC, so a huge thank you to the author!

The book starts off strong right from the dedication: "For anyone who has fantasized about getting chased and d*cked down by a few masked men in the woods." It promised and it definitely delivered!

I have to confess that one of the things that immediately caught my attention was the FMC being named Liliana. Being portuguese, I never expected to find my own name in the international books I read!

This book is undeniably a bully romance and an enemies-to-lovers (sort of...), with some pretty dark scenes. There is no doubt that he spends most of the story being absolutely horrible to her! Vander’s goal is revenge against Liliana’s family and she is his chosen pawn. But that dynamic quickly turns into a fierce obsession neither of them can escape, even though they fight it with everything they have!

Throughout their relationship, Liliana makes some highly questionable decisions. She lacks any real sense of self-preservation, finding herself in bizarre situations that have every potential to go terribly wrong (or right, depending on how you look at it).

As for the parents of the founding families, they all seem to be awful people and we quickly learn to absolutely loathe her father. Their initial scene together was honestly the hardest for me to read in the entire book.

And, of course, the best part for me was the chase scene in the woods, both the group one and the couple one! I confess I didn't expect his possessiveness would actually allow that to happen!

He tries so hard to resist any real feelings for her, hurting her even when his instinct is to protect her. And that ending...!!! I was not expecting it at all and I truly believe part of it wasn't his fault, even if he didn't try to defend himself.

The next book will probably bring the answers about his history with her family and his real motives for revenge. Right now, I'm genuinely scared for her when she has to face her father... and I am dying to see Vander’s reaction when he finally realizes what she goes through at home and just how unfair he was to her.

I was also really happy to hear that the other main guys on the team will be getting their own books. I’d love to get to know their stories better!

Now, all that's left is to anxiously wait for January to see the conclusion of Vander and Liliana’s story.

[Theresa]

Hook line and sinker…… I was all in.

I read Untamed in literally two sittings and wow, this is dark romance done completely right.

Vander is the MMC and honestly… there are so many red flags you question if you should love him….but he’s hot as heck!
I enjoyed seeing the layers being revealed.

Liliana (the FMC) might put on a perfect princess persona, but there is so much more to her under the surface.

The heat, the angst, the hatred, and the raw emotion in Untamed are through the roof and totally addictive.

I am here to tell you to add this to your cart immediately!!

[Kari Tidwell (karisbookstodevour)]

Rude! Willow Prescott drops this dime of a dark romance with blackmail, revenge, manipulation, founding families that make torture look pleasant, a QB1 that makes obsession look good, and a princess with a few claws of her own, that I am over the top obsessed with and leaves me absolutely dying until 2027 for relief! I need Unatoned like yesterday because whatever Vander’s got up his sleeve and however Liliana makes him pay for it is something I am feral for. If you like it dark, a little twisted, and absolutely on fire get this book now, you will one hundred percent not be sorry!

[Amber]

Another unhinged read from Willow. All of her books just keep you engaged and wanting more. Liliana and Vandor's story is no different. Both have so many issues going on. This is a dark bully, very dark. Vander is truly an alphahole. We learn about Liliana's past and what she overcomes. Their tension and explosive relationship keeps you wanting more.

[Alexis Miller]

Good book. Definitely heavy for sure. Lots of heartache, betrayals, pain and much more. Lots of triggers. So many questions for the next book. Have so many things I want to know about Vander in the next one.

[Escape_withStephanie]

ARC REVIEW
I love a good enemies-to-lovers and bully romance; When they’re done well, they can make the perfect setup for a story. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t hit the spot for me. It felt like there was a lot of smut and bullying, but barely enough story development to balance it out. And as much as I wanted to like Vander, he honestly came across as a baby half the time.
We have the small town of Crimson Heights, its six founding families, the obvious history and bad blood between the Lockwoods (MMC) and Hargraves (FMC), secrets surrounding the town, Liliana’s relationship with her father, and Vander’s obsession with her. There were so many pieces here that could have made this story incredibly interesting, but they were never fully explored.
There were small hints of lore sprinkled throughout what was essentially a smut-filled story, and I kept wanting MORE. I especially didn’t understand Vander’s obsession with Liliana. He’s supposed to be this unhinged, obsessive man, but I wanted more of a reason behind it. Why is he so fixated on her? Why does he go out of his way to bully her? I kept looking for some deeper motivation that would make his obsession feel meaningful rather than simply something we’re told exists.
And honestly, I think that ties back into the lack of explanation surrounding the Lockwoods and Hargraves. There’s clearly a history there, but I wanted to understand it. I wanted to know what made their feud so deep and how it connected to everything happening in the present.
Then we have Liliana. She has so much going on, and honestly, her situation is really sad. But despite everything happening around her, I felt like she mostly went along with whatever the men in her life wanted—the same cycle of chaos, abuse, and Vander constantly pushing her further. I just wanted to see more of her actually fighting back and taking control of her own life.
It felt like she wanted to. The potential was there. But again, we never really got to see it.
And then there’s Rowyn, who they were using as blackmail against Liliana. She can clearly fight for herself, yet her dynamic with Rhodes felt strange to me. She goes from being scared and annoyed with him to indulging him and even swapping her classes to match his. I wanted more development there too because the shift felt too quick.
Ultimately, this story had the bones of something that could have been really good. The town, the founding families, the secrets, the feud, Liliana’s family situation, and Vander’s obsession all had so much potential. I just wish more of those pieces had been explored instead of leaving them as hints in the background.
It had the bones of a great novel. It just wasn’t it for me.

[Bells]

𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴, 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺.

Dude, as an Aug Leo, I was excited about this book! This is Willow’s first sports romance, and the sports aspect was actually done pretty well. Vander is the QB of the football team, and he’s on a rampage to destroy the mayor’s virgin daughter. Honestly, I HATE the purity culture! Vander is pierced and tatted, but he’s also an absolute alphawhore, and unfortunately, he doesn’t bring anything to the table that made me actually like him. Lilliana, meanwhile, has a seriously dark life behind closed doors. And I absolutely wanted to burn every damn parent in this book. Mama Blackthorn is obviously the exception because she can stay. She actually gets the mother-of-the-year pass in this universe. I read the TWs beforehand, but good fucking lawd, a child being SA’d by a parent repeatedly and then being forced to maintain the perfect princess persona to avoid it? That was way too much for me. And Vander continues to make her life even more miserable on top of all of that!!

Willow’s books are always unhinged, and I’ve fallen for her MMCs every damn time 🤣. I think this is the first time I’m NOT the one falling. I love a good bully romance and masked men, but this one just wasn’t for me. Honestly, my 3 ⭐️s are for Mama Blackthorn and Row. 😂 Thank God the FF scene was mild because I didn’t have to perform any mental gymnastics to get through it. 🙏🏻

And to everyone saying this was more smut than plot, I disagree. There was enough plot here, and I absolutely cannot call this a smut-heavy book. If anything, it had more abuse than spice. Also, in Willow’s previous books, the jerk usually falls at some point and, at the very least, admits he’s fallen before book 2. Meanwhile, Vander is in complete denial, and even after everything he got, he STILL continued to whore around. So yeah, I still don’t like him.

That said, I’m still reading book 2 because this ended on a cliffhanger, and I still don’t fully understand the actual revenge plot. I need answers!!! Especially because I need to know what the hell Vander’s endgame is supposed to be.

If you like pierced men, tatted men, QB x goody-two-shoes, unhinged men, masked men, virgin FMC, bi characters, and degradation, you might like this one a hell of a lot more than I did.

[Kimberley White]

A Masterclass in Dark Romance, Tension, and Exquisite Spice! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Willow Prescott completely blew me away with Untamed. From the very first chapter, I was captured by her beautiful, highly descriptive writing technique. She paints such vivid, visceral pictures with her words—especially when describing Vander Lockwood, with his stormy grey eyes, hardened stone-like features, and dangerous, wolf-like grin.
The plot revolves around the Founding Sons, and the sheer dynamic of having Liliana under the same roof as Knox Rhodes, Dane Masters, Cillian Cartwright, Atlas Hawke, and the newest addition, Vander, creates a pressure cooker of tension. Vander is the ultimate dark, possessive anti-hero. He has a truly twisted, delicious obsession with Liliana, claiming that he is the only one allowed to hurt her. Yet, behind his "demolition project" exterior, Prescott drops hints that leave you with so many questions about his past. He plays the villain, but in a world full of real, hidden monsters (including some questionable parental figures), Vander might just be the monster she needs. On a brighter note, I completely fell in love with Rowyn’s mum—she is a total standout secondary character!
The romance and heat level in this book are off the charts (a solid 4/5 on the spice scale). If you love a book that features the art of high-tension edging, this is absolutely for you. The tension builds perfectly up to the highly anticipated Halloween chase, and it pays off spectacularly. Furthermore, the queer representation is brilliantly woven in; it is the perfect, seamless mix of MM, MF, and FF dynamics that feel entirely natural to the chaotic, high-stakes environment of the characters.
The chemistry is undeniable, perfectly encapsulated by Liliana's thought: “But my body can’t resist Vander Lockwood any more than my lungs can resist air.”
This is a flawless 5-star read for dark romance lovers who want incredible writing, multi-partner spice, and a plot that keeps you turning the pages past midnight. Highly recommend!

[Kat]

💛 ARC REVIEW 💛

Untamed by Willow Prescott
Vander & Liliana

💛 RELEASING: October 1st 💛

My Rating: 3☆
Dark College Bully Romance
Dark Star Shared World Book 7
Crimson Crown Book 1
Ends in Cliffhanger
MF/MM/FF Scenes
Leo FMC
Quarterback
Pierced MMC
Virgin FMC
Enemies to Lovers
Bad Boy/Good Girl
Masked Hunt
Knife & Primal Play
He Whimpers
Elite University
Secret Society
Good Girl
My Spicy Rating: 4🌶

Untamed is book 7 in The Dark Star Series shared world, a series written by 12 different authors. Each book dives into the core obsession of its zodiac sign and can be read as a standalone in any order. Untamed dives into Leo.

Untamed is the first book in the Crimson Crowns series. Vander and Liliana’s story will conclude in Unatoned. The second book will release in January of 2027.

💛 REVIEW 💛
I've only read one other book by Willow Prescott and that was back in 2024. I wasn't a fan of that book and now reading this one, I think this authors writing is not for me.

Overall, it's an alright read but I was bored. I felt the plot was boring. I was uninterested. It felt too long. There was no reason for it to be this long and to end in a cliffhanger. But that's my fault. I swear I don't remember reading this book would end in one. Interactions between MC's was weird to me. I had to remind myself several times this book is a college romance. The main MC's are still young, in their late teens, early 20's so of course they act as such. Untamed is a MF romance but it has MM/FF Scenes. Honestly, not sure what the purpose was to add those extra scenes unless it was only to add more spiciness to the book. The best friends showing each other their intimate parts was just unnecessary to me. It finally started to get interesting at the end though. It finally started to pick up but it wasn't enough for me.

I highly suggest reading trigger warnings for this book. A few heavy triggers include: Extreme Bullying. Food Deprivation as Punishment, Isolation and Confinement as Punishment, Skinny Shaming & Mention of Eating Disorder and detailed On-page SA by a Parent.

Also, I made a mistake. When I signed up to ARC read books from the Dark Star Series Shared World. I don't know why I thought it would be like Wellard Asylum Series Shared World that came out last year where they had something in common which was the asylum. Here, they are completely separate, complete standalones and have nothing in common except mentioning their Zodiac sign. Sigh.

Untamed will be available to read on October 1st.

[Teresa Silva]

This rating is actually 4.5-5 stars.

Wow! This book was intense, crazy & pulls you in from the very first page. It makes you not want to put it down. No matter how busy you might be, or how tired. I swear I would have finished it in one sitting if I didn't have "responsibilities".

Liliana Hargrave is a descendant of one of the founding families. She's the good girl princess just trying to stay out of trouble & not cause any scenes, because as the mayor's daughter she has to portray a certain image. But it's kind of hard to do when Vander walks into her life. Vander Lockwood, another descendant of a founding family, is pitch black, sadistic & the new quarterback for Crimson Heights University. He's looking for revenge for some past wrong doing, & what better way to do that then to torment the Crimson Heights princess, Liliana.

Sadistic Vander makes you want to hate him, especially when he's such an asshole. I loved Liliana's fierceness when it came to him. They have this push-pull "relationship" because of their hate for each other, which can give you a bit of whiplash. It's a hate-to-love & love-to-hate type of thing, & you couldn't help but feel the exact same way about them as they do about each other.

These characters draw you in & make you want to learn everything about them. & I'm not just talking about Liliana & Vander. You want to learn the secrets that aren't written on page. I can't wait to finish Liliana & Vander's story, especially after that cliffhanger. & to learn more about the other characters in future Crimson Crowns books.

I have no idea how I received this ARC. I honestly don't even remember signing up for it or for signing up to be part of Willow's ARC Team. Maybe it was from receiving an ARC in the past. No clue, but I am so happy to have received it & I can't wait to continue this series. Thank you Willow & Lauren.

[Tasma]

It’s DEFINITELY been a hot minute since we have indulged into some Willow Prescott! I have missed you! And what A WILD FUCKING RIDE WE WERE IN FOR!

Being the perfect daughter of the mayor is what Liliana has been trained her whole life to do. Smile. Look pretty. Don’t resist. Follow the rules. Family always comes first. But when a rivalling founder’s son gets transferred to Crimson Heights, he has a plan to make her life a living hell. LITERALLY. What he doesn’t plan for is the way that he wants her, even though he hates her.
MY HEART HURT FOR LILIANA BECAUSE LITERALLY LIKE WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?! With this book GIVING the trope of a bully romance, and it does, WHOLEHEARTEDLY might I add (thanks to Vander), for what she has to deal with at home? Heartbroken for her. She deserved none of that shit FOR REAL. But MY WORD the shit she has to put up with (again, thanks to Vander), and still has the fire inside her, let alone the way she is determined to fight back? WHAT A BAD BITCH! Speaking of Vander, while he mostly presented himself in not the best light, which was mostly majority of the book, there was a moment where he showed more to his character, which I REALLY HOPE we get to see more of in the next book! I need to see more cuteness from him PLEASE!

Not forgetting to mention Rowyn, I REALLY enjoyed her and hopefully we are able to see more of her! It’s going to be interesting to see how Liliana & Vander’s story ends in the upcoming final instalment for their duology! Speaking of, THAT FUCKING ENDING?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT’S WHERE IT ENDS? WILLOWWWWW WHY YOU LEAVE ME HANIGNG LIKE THAT?! UGH!

[Abbey Janke]

⭐ 3.5/5
🌶️ 4.5/5
📚 Dark Romance
📅 Release Date: October 1, 2026

What it’s about:
She’s the mayor’s daughter—the perfect daughter who smiles for the cameras, attends every public event, and looks like she has everything together. He’s the lawyer’s son, star quarterback, and captain who is used to making the rules and having everyone follow them.

When their two very different worlds collide, things get complicated. She begins discovering that she’s more than the pretty face everyone expects her to be, while he starts to discover that maybe there is a softer side to him after all—especially when it comes to her.

My thoughts:
First, please read the trigger warnings before starting this book. There are quite a few, and this book definitely won’t be for everyone.

That being said, I really enjoyed the banter between the characters. It kept the story interesting and added some fun moments to the darker aspects of the romance. I also really liked the opposites-attract dynamic and watching these two characters challenge each other while discovering different sides of themselves.

The MMC’s possessiveness was definitely one of my favorite parts. I loved watching his tough, intimidating exterior crack just a little whenever he was with her. Seeing that “big beast” facade tremble around the one person who could get under his skin was so good.

But my favorite character has to be Rowyn. She is a force to be reckoned with, and I absolutely loved her friendship with Liliana. Their friendship added another layer to the story that I really enjoyed.

I thought the author did a great job developing the characters and their relationships. My one lingering question is that I still wanted more details about Vander’s previous life at Crimson Heights University. I’m hoping we get to learn more about that in book two!

Perfect for readers who love:
🖤 Dark bully romance
🖤 Possessive MMCs
🖤 Dual POV
🖤 Good girl x bad boy
🖤 Hate-to-love romance

Would I recommend it?
Yes! But I’ll say it again: read the trigger warnings first. This is a dark romance with some heavy content, so definitely make sure it’s a book that fits your reading preferences before picking it up.

[Moesha]

Untamed was one of those books where I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and somehow ended up completely sucked into the chaos 😂

This book is DARK, spicy, messy, and seriously addictive. The atmosphere of Crimson Heights was one of my favorite parts; the secrets, the powerful families, the history between everyone, and that constant feeling that there’s something lurking under the surface made the whole setting feel dangerous.

And Vander… I have SO many feelings about this man. 😂 I simultaneously hated him and couldn’t stop being fascinated by him, which honestly feels like exactly what Willow Prescott was going for. He is cruel, obsessive, possessive, and completely unhinged, but he makes the story impossible to put down. His dynamic with Liliana is toxic, intense, and complicated in all the ways I expect from a dark romance.

Liliana really pulled at my heartstrings, too. I felt for everything she was dealing with and loved getting to see the person underneath the perfect-princess image. Her situation made so many of the darker moments hit harder emotionally.

I also really enjoyed the side characters. There are definitely characters here who left me wanting MORE of their stories, and I’m hoping we get to see more of them going forward.

This isn't a fluffy romance so heed the content warnings but if you love dark college romance, morally gray characters, obsessive heroes, bully romance, good girl/bad boy, and a whole lot of spice, this is absolutely one to check out.

Willow Prescott definitely knows how to create a dark romance that gets a reaction out of you and I’m already counting the days 'til the next installment!

[sue_zees_bookshelf]

Untamed
by Willow Prescott

5⭐️
4🌶️

“Untamed” is a dark bull¥ romance with some very sensitive topics that may have some readers( “clutching their pearls”) …so check those triggers ‼️

I absolutely ate this book up and loved every second of this train-wreck of a story!
It was twisted , tragic , extra smutty and so messed up!
A typical Willow Prescott story that I always crave!

In the haunted town of Crimson Heights the privileged students of
Crimson Heights University follow their own depraved rules.
MMC Vander Lockwood the handsome and devious football star and
“king of campus “is a walking red flag!
And his goal in life is to destroy the life of fellow student Liliana Hargrave .

FMC Liliana goes through unimaginable torment from Vander.
She tries her best to be free of his and his teammates wrath.
But things between these two heat up in the wrong way !
And soon the cold -hearted Vander starts to feel the thaw.
And his motives towards Liliana start to turn and just maybe …the soulless king starts to catch unwanted feelings for his “princess .“

Also a extra shout out to Liliana’s BFF Rowan ! I really loved her character and how supportive she was!
She’s also a great “teacher “ who helped her friend with some “biology lessons “ 🥵💦🐱(wink wink 😉 ) , if you know what I mean lol 😂

Overall I loved everything about this dark college romance !
And can’t wait to see what happens in the next book ( because omg 😳 that cliffhanger)

Thank you to author Willow Prescott for the ARC ! These honest opinions are my own .