Bully

by Sky Corgan

Just the sight of Dustin Nikoli spiked fear in my heart. The memories of the things that he had put me through in high school made me want to run in the other direction. I was the dirt on the bottom of his shoes, my only purpose someone for him to torment. No one else saw it. To his peers, he was a man's man. To all of the girls unaffected by his cruelty, a lust object. He was the hottest *sshole you could ever meet. Pretty face. Amazing body. Ugly on the inside. I moved to another city for college to avoid him. I never expected that he would already be there. Maybe I should have done my research better. The night that I ran into him couldn't have been any worse. He was the straw that broke the camel's back. I wasn't taking his crap anymore though. I used my inebriation to give me courage and told him everything I thought about him. And then I ended up in his bed... This is a stand alone novel.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, College, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, College Romance

175 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2016

Reviews

[Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 "unexpected love way" stars

This was a bit different...

As oppose to the blurb which promised some good angsty enemies-to-lovers thing, this was not quite "it" but i did in fact like it, despite the first feeling of a let down!

The first 40% of the book the main character Brenna is pinning over her friend Bobby through out the high school, but who only sees her as a friend, and not even as a good friend but as someone who is a part of the same friend group as he is :/

And then she follows him to the same college! *sigh* only so she could witness Bobby's hooking-ups with every single girl out there and she still can't escape of feeling hurt by his actions!

At this point I m so aggravated!

*Grow the fuck up and get over the fucker! He 's neither your friend nor he'll ever be anything else!*

Enters the guy who is actually supposed to be the guy from the title-the bully (from highschool) and we only find that fact from one line in the story at about 50% mark!

Hmmm...

By now, I would have expected a true fuckin culmination of enemies to lovers dhit push-pull and stuff but now, we see the different side of this BULLY- Dustin Nicoli is now a decent guy!

And we slowly learn why! What changed his way and why he acted as an asshole in the first place...

And honestly, this is exactly why I m.giving a 3.75 stars rating...cause the second part of the book or "the redeemed asshole Dustin" as he interacts with Brenna again, is called a nice input into "growing up" process, figuring out who you are or at least who you think you are by following simple enough rules of engagement and that lingering feeling deep in your gut!

So yeah, there are mixed reviews about this book but if you are willing to surpass the immature actions of annoyance in "sick puppy love" kinda drill in the first 40% of the story then you'd be somewhat rewarded with the true essence of adulthood process, love and what not...and find it enjoyable after all! Well, at least I did. ;)

Your choice...*wink*

Or just to put this fantastic quote from Romeo & Juliet as the author uses the same one to emphasize the essence of this story, well for me, it does exactly that!

My only love, sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathed enemy.

And all that jazz...lol😏👍

[Jaime · Rating 1 out of 5]

So the synopsis of this book makes absolutely no sense in relation to the book. Brenna didn't move to avoid her bully- she moved because she followed a guy she'd been crushing on for 4 years and that was what the first almost 50% of the book was about.

Brenna was unbelievably immature. I actually laughed out loud when she internally criticizes the maturity of her roommate who, in my opinion, was a way better person than her. Brenna had zero redeeming qualities. She wasn't fun, she didn't have a good head on her shoulders, she wasn't a strong heroine. She was just obsessed with her friend and was ridiculously delusional/naive when it came to him. I honestly couldn't blame him when he stopped hanging out with her after the first party. She was like a damn wet blanket and would NOT leave him alone. She even went so far as to look for him in rooms where people were hooking up! Give it up girl! Brenna was also really rude to her friends. She constantly snapped at them and acted holier-than-thou. Why they kept trying to be friends with her, I'll never know. I literally wanted to smack that girl in the face from the first chapter to the last.

Bobby wasn't anything to write home about. We were never even given the chance to like him or shown any redeeming qualities. He ditches her within minutes of going into the first party and then that's it. He seemed like a tool. I didn't buy it when he told her he didn't want to just hook up with people anymore. A) He doesn't need to be ashamed of sleeping around, that's his business (except for when he tried to hook up with some guys girlfriend...that's overboard) and B) He never acted like it was leaving him feeling empty or anything.

Dustin was the best character in this book. I wish he was more developed. He was supposed to be Brenna's "bully" but we were never told anything that he actually did, we were just told that he bullied her. There was never any *warranted* conflict. Brenna made all of the conflict up in her head. Dustin was never anything but nice to her in college.

Like I said, the synopsis is not at all what the book is about. It should read more like "Brenna follows her crush of 4 years to college and then proceeds to obsess over him. At a party, she's crying because he was hooking up with someone else so this guys who apparently used to bully her came to check on her. He's no longer an asshole, but she won't let it go. Just like she won't let this crush go. Finally she does. And they live HEA"

Sadly, there wasn't anything memorable about this book. Overall, I don't recommend wasting your time or money. If you want a good bully book, read Bully by Penelope Douglas.

[Mariℓina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars

[Jenny B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story by Sky Corgan and I think this is my favorite by this author. I loved the coming of age issues and this felt like a read straight out of a John Hughes movie. I loved how the characters grew and realized what was truly important.

I highly recommend this book as I found myself sitting in my car much longer than necessary just so I could listen more.

[Rabiya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bully by Sky Corgan is a novel of a girl named Brenna. She is in love with her friend Bobby who keeps her in a "friend zone" but she's so desperate about him that she even leaves her true friends and family to study with Bobby in another university. According to the Book's title and synopsis its NOTHING related to it. I had myself mentally prepared to cry but damn its so simple. This book could have been a lot better.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the cover was wrong for the first third of the book. I thought Bobby was the cover man. Think again. The bully really doesn't enter into the book the way you'd think but I really liked how it turned out I wanted to beat Brenna myself most of the first half of the book. I realize that we (us girls) can crush for a long time but self respect goes along ways.
A good read.

[Brigitte · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bully Review

When I originally bought this book I figured I was in for a heartbreaking, soul crushing, love concurs all sort of book. But this book is nothing like what I expected. NOTHING!
To begin with the title of the book "Bully" I would think it would be 100% of female lead Brenna going through some very harsh high school experiences of dealing with a bully. Instead what we get in the first chapter is a detailed account of a naive, idiotic, desperate and frankly sad example of a bully victim. The first chapter alone was very disappointing, all we got was internal dialogue of how she was crushing on Bobby and how much she wanted Bobby so bad, Bobby, Bobby, Bobby! Nowhere did I get any inclination that Brenna was a bully victim. Half way through reading chapter one I thought I had opened the wrong book. For me I lost all respect for Brenna when she mentions Bobby having rebound sex with some random chick and how she desperately wanted to be that girl for Bobby. She wanted to be anything for Bobby, and she would wait for Bobby until he broke up with his GF and then Bobby would be hers for the taking. She was so desperate it was pathetic. It made bully victims look weak and pathetic. This girl is a 16 year old high school kid, but the author made her acting like a twentysomthing promiscuous woman. It seemed like all Brenna wanted was to have sex with Bobby throughout the whole damned book. Nowhere did I get a vibe that Brenna was going through any trauma as a bully victim. She had tons of friends, she had tons of boyfriends, she was happy. The complete antithesis of what a bully victim is. I just didn't get this book. The whole "bully" thing comes from internal monologue from Brenna in her mind it was just pathetic. We as readers are just told about what she went through as a bully victim, which I have no idea what it is besides Dustin kicking her chair and stabbing her with a pen. Other than that, I didn't get to read about what she went through, I would have liked to read her struggles in high school. This book just fell short. As a person who has been subjected to vicious torment from a bully, I know what that's like. And my life was not like Brenna's. Finding a boyfriend and having so many friends would have been a God send! Someone to help me and defend me, but it just seemed so unrealistic and so farfetched for Brenna to have time to think about dating and having so many boyfriends was laughable. I know this book is not supposed to be true in anyway but I like my books to have a smidgen of reality, just a drop of something real. This book just failed to portray that for me. To give a voice on how being a bully victim is an absolute nightmare! This author had a great opportunity to shed some light on what is still a very real nightmare for some, and that is still happening in schools. I won't be reading anything again from this author, and I hope you find this review helpful. Happy reading! :)

[Reader]

The synopsis for this book is totally misleading, the main guy doesn’t appear till halfway through. Instead were told about Brenna the heroine and her obsession with another guy, whom she stalks even as far to go to the same college, she doesn’t seem to get the message that he’s not interested. The supposed bully the hero, is nothing but nice to her when he enters the story, where was the bullying?

An awful short story that is not written well, it’s disjointed with shallow characters and with a heroine who is quite frankly obnoxious.
All I can say is thank goodness for kindle unlimited returned

[Angela Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book at my request in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This book is about Brenna who is obsessed with a douche bag asshole friend, Bobby. She is seems so desperate in this book. I understand what young love is, been there done that, however at no point in this book did Booby give Brenna any sign that he was interested. The title of the book makes sense but not in a conventional way.

When we are first introduced to Brenna she is like any high school girl with a crush. I was annoyed with her because Bobby seemed to become an addiction very quickly within this book. What got me upset with Brenna, there are many instances where I wanted to shake her, is the moment she decided to go to a random school because Bobby was going there. The fact she changed her plans over an individual got me annoyed. I get it, he is so wonderful and amazing and nice

Through this entire book Brenna made bad decisions after bad decisions. Bobby was the worst person ever in this book and that is saying a lot. Dustin, who is/was supposed to be the 'Bully' in this book is the hero. I am using the term 'hero' to describe Dustin because he saves and takes care of Brenna when she decides to drink her troubles away. She tends to do this often not to mention that she thinks, like every teenager, that she knows best and everyone around her knows nothing.

Dustin is a good redeeming character. He admits his faults and he is repentant. When Brenna decided Bobby is not where its at and realized that Dustin was it I was excited. I am glad that she grew in this book because mama had to grow A LOT in order for me to be okay with what tomfoolery this first half of the book was. I understand she is 18 but I wanted her to have a bit more dignity when it came to Bobby. I would have been okay with Brenna being single and enjoying her life but she could not understand that fact until half way through the book.

The title of the book threw me off at first. Brenna states in this book a lot that Dustin is a bully and how horrible he is. She judged him by his past most of the book but refused to see all of the misdeeds that Bobby had even in high school. Thinking about the title Bobby seems to be the bully. He is not a physical bully but he constantly hurts, even though 9 out of 10 it is Brenna's fault, Brenna. A bully is someone who hurts someone and does not care about the consequences. Near the end of the story Bobby knew Brenna liked him but did not care what he did to her. I think the title fits him well.

After all of the wallowing and all of the heartache and the constant eye roll that I gave this book. It turned out to be a good book. Is it a book that I will read again, maybe. I would read this book to only show myself that it is not okay to judge someone by what you think they are in your head. Always go by what you see and not what you remember. People change for the better or worse but change regardless.

[Claire Louise¤°.¸¸.•´¯`» · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars. It was okay, but it probably should have been called something else because there was zero bullying in this book. Bully implies this is an anti hero hate to love story but it's all inferred off the page before the story begins and the "bully" this heroine is so scared of is actually a sweet guy. She spent a good portion of the short book pining for her best male friend and for me it didn't have a conclusive ending and no epilogue. Cute for what it was, but overall lacking.

[G. K. Malathi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too mediocre and bland.

[Jazzysmum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this 3.5 stars because of Justin and how well he was written, and how the story developed around his growth.
Brenna grew too, but for the majority of the book she was unlikeable and whiny. Pining for a boy she couldn't have, but did some great growing when she realised that it wasn't really Bobby who was for her and I guess this was the purpose of the journey.

[Tracy's Place · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brenna is a typical boy crazy HS girl who's stuck on one guy, Bobby. We hear all about how she was crushing on Bobby for 4 years. She does date other people as Bobby's in a committed relationship but she dumps them in a heartbeat if she thinks she can get Bobby. She even follows him to college.

They're friends in college as they were in HS but soon Bobby's off banging chicks right and left as he's no longer with his girlfriend and soon leaves Brenna by the wayside. I'm not sure if he was just an ass or he thought she would cramp her style, or what.

At her first college frat party she sees Dustin Nikoli who bullied her all through HS. She's scared of him at first but soon realizes he's changed. They eventually start a friendship and start a relationship. I was happy he did change but here was my biggest problem with the whole book: after all that Brenna talked about her high school years at the start of the book she NEVER mentioned Dustin. Ever. You'd think if this guy was such a torment to her for four years we would know. I mean the whole premise of the book was that this guy was a bully. You know, the name of the book is BULLY. We're TOLD that he was a bully and then given a couple of examples but that's it. Nothing else. In my mind this guy wasn't a bully at all because we hadn't been shown anything to prove differently.

While I thought Brenna was totally immature until the last few pages of book and she drove me batty, I still thought it was a cute story.

[amanda s. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always love a good love-hate relationship romance. In fact, I craved it. That's why I pretty much read most of the books that carry this theme. Including Bully by Sky Cogan. But boy, oh boy, I was disappointed. Let's just say Brenna is not my favorite heroine and Dustin is not your lovable anti-Hero. Plus the plot also not how I want or at least usually goes. I was expecting so much better than this but yeah, Bully is definitely not my book.

[Badeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

WARNING: The synopsis of this book has nothing to do with the story!

[Tila · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice read , loved it.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am voluntarily reviewing this book.

So what happens when the love of your life turns out not to be and the one you have hated turns out to be not a bad guy?
Sky once again gives us a story that you can actually relate to the lead female character because at some point in our lives we too have had the crush on the boy/man who will thought if they just would give it a chance we would be perfect together. And then we never see the one that is "the one" coming.
Brenna has loved Bobby through high school and even followed him to college. But at every turn he lets her down. He is her friend but never the person she wants him to be.
Dustin is the boy who tormented Brenna throughout high school. He was her bully. She loathes him. He also happens to be at the same college.
When Dustin begins to "save" Brenna at every turn she fights her loathing of him. Even though everyone thinks he is hot she can only remember the boy who bullied her.
Brenna fights the struggle of trying hard to have the boy she wants Bobby see her as more than just a friend when he doesn't have a girl. She doesn't want to see him as the manwhore he has become at college. It hurts to much. She misses her friend.
Dustin seems to always be there when she need him. He saves her more than once when Bobby lets her down.
As Brenna begins to let Bobby go she starts to see Dustin in another lite.
This is a great romance and a book you won't want to put down.

[Shy Gawerecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book started a little rough for me. I read the synopsis and had an idea what direction I thought the book would head. But it went so completely different. Not that that necessarily has to be a bad thing, but I was certainly expecting to hear about Dustin way earlier in the story then I did. I expected actual details of the torment. I expected to read about and get a real feel for the foundation on which our leading lady, Brenna's dislike was formed. But I honestly never really felt like I got that. I just got mentions of it and how bad it was, no details or specifics. So in all honesty I was a bit disappointed with that because I never really got to understand the issues between the two main characters.

Then there was the fact that there was this other character that I felt was a pretty important one in the story, especially for Brenna, but I had no idea he would be so important. And again, if I'm being honest, I disliked him more than Dustin from the very beginning.

But then there were all these other really good aspects of the book. The message regarding the devastation bullying can cause. The dangers that can arise from college parties and the need to be careful at them. The growth of the characters. The romance that builds subtly. All of these things were really enjoyable for me. And that's why it got 3 stars for me.

The narrator on this one was really good as well. She pulled off college angst and drama quite well and was easy to listen to.

[🥬 ab · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS

Eh. More than half of this book was the lead pining for a different guy from the one advertised in the synopsis. It was all about Bobby this, Bobby that from high school to Brenna's first year of college. Even as it's so clear he didn't give a shit about her what with the gfs, the hook-ups with women not named Brenna. There was strangely a lot of build-up of that relationship.

Dustin (the "bully") was not even MENTIONED 'til after she gets to college. So it was again strange that the main conflict suddenly leapfrogs over to him and we're instantly asked to believe that he was such a huge stain on her high school life. Which is again strange bc uhh I thought her Bobby pining was the biggest stress of her life...? I just....

Sigh. IDK. But it was still pretty engaging bc of the writing. Divisive, but I sure loved that Bobby first half. The way her desperation for him was revealed - lol, I could not stop reading it! And for such a short, choppy story, I did admire with how much you felt Brenna and Dustin's development. Literally only a few pages, but the slow burn was absolutely there and with the little time we had, was used properly. That's what happens when you do Insta-Lust/Love right. Utilize tender dialogue and romantic build-up without obviously using superlatives.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little bit confusing after reading the books description, because you didn't hear about a bully or anything to do with him her moving away, but once you got into the book that didn't matter anyway, I did admittedly think she was a bit of a pain with her obsession in the beginning which was starting to feel uncomfortable, but then you couldn't help but feel sorry for her loneliness, and then came Dustin and their story began and it completely carried me away 😊 It ended up so sweet and although I really enjoyed this book and thought the ending was lovely, I really REALLY would've liked a later epilogue to just make it perfect 😊 Still 5 stars for me (can't help it, I am just a sucker for a happy ending 😊

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the first chapter starts off with Brenna talking about highschool and her love for a boy named Bobby. Her obsession with him and everything he does is a little bit crazy but I went with it. Not once in the beginning is mention of a bully named Dustin.

Brenna ends up following her crush Bobby to the college of his choice away from home (not weird right). One night when going to a party she runs into Dustin and that is the first mention of this bully from the title and synopsis. Through out the story she emphasizes how much Dustin hurt her in high school and how mean he was to her but we didn't have any experience with that to build on so it was kind of empty.

The story does not match the blurb but I still didn't hate it. Brenna was a bit immature but the story kept my attention and I was fine with the way it ended.

[Book-Lover-49 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most interesting character, the one with most growth by far is Dustin, the bully. But most of the book is about Brenna and her obsession with Bobby, a boy she has crushed on for years and follows into college.

Brenna and Bobby are not very likable characters, each is self-centered, immature and naive. I don't think it's ever really said in the book, or if it is I missed, but I believe they are freshman in college. Maybe not Dustin, I think he's ahead.
But Brenna and Bobby act more like middle schoolers.

If the intention of this book was to gain sympathy for Dustin, the bully, then the way it was written is brilliant because he's the only character I liked. 3.5 stars and all of them for Dustin.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bully is a coming of age love story. The blurb is all wrong for the book. Brenna didn't run away from Dustin Nikoli by going to college. She followed Bobby, who she believed that he is the love of her life, to the college he is attending at. Unfortunately, Bobby just saw her as a friend.

Dustin Nikoli has been a bully to Brenna in high school. He was Mr. Popular. Just seeing Dustin, scared Brenna the most. She could spend another 3-4 years with his bullying toward her. Dustin has matured through a life altercation. He is no longer the bully that Brenna has remembered him to be.

Brenna has yet to matured. Her character is a typical college freshman except she doesn't have any friends. Whenever there is a problem, Brenna tends to be a drunk. Coping with reality isn't her strong suit. Dustin spent most of his time saving Brenna from herself especially when she plans on getting drunk to deal with her problems. As the story progressed, Brenna realized that Dustin may be the guy for her.

The narrator, Ainslie Caswell provided the perfect voice for Brenna. The narrator makes Brenna sounds mature but at the same time, she portrays Brenna with a bit of immaturity that Brenna still has some growing up to do.

I received this audiobook from the author. I have decided to write an unbiased review for the book. I was not compensated or influenced in any way for writing this review.

[Toula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have it in audio.
This story is a stand alone . I have listened to a lot of Sky’s audios .
This was a great listen but a bit of confusing. The hero that the story was supposedly be about appears near the end.
Heroine is Benna. Hero is Dustin. The other male is Bobby .
Benna has had a crush on Bobby forever. He only sees Benna as a friend nothing more and nothing less.
Benna has an obsession on Dustin so much so that she follows him to another town for college.
You meet Bobby who is suppose to be her love in the story Yes at the end they do get together

The narrator was great . She has a clear preside voice. There was some noise in the background

[María · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must say that I hated the girl at the beginning. I mean she was essentially a stalker with no self respect. I think it took her way too long to realize the king of guy Bobby was. There was tons of pages on that drama and then when you start liking the girl for accepting the true and realizing her worth it's over. I am just saying that the story could have been more develop the ending seem a bit abrupt and sudden. Like its was rushed and unfinished. I would've hope to read more about her relationship with Dustin.

[T Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super-sweet College with Enemies-to-Lovers

College is a time of transition for a lot of young adults, and this story builds out of the premise that a new setting and new challenges can provide new lenses on old beliefs. Brenna has to deal with the ways relationships are changing, both between her friend and long-time crush, and the person who traumatized her during high school. The plot rests on the characters and their development, the romance is slow-burn and the love scenes are very gentle and implicit. Not what I expected, but still satisfying.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, but lacking

I enjoyed the book, although something felt lacking. The read was really short and it didn't feel like there was really an actual foundation to the relationship. Meanwhile the Bobby thing seemed just odd and kinda forced, esp towards the end. I wish the book was rewritten into a longer, more involved story, that lets us see into the bullying that we barely hear about way after the fact, more of a build up of the relationship, and even more between Bobby and Brin. A decent read but could be so much better.

[Sara ✨ Next Book Review Blog ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

*************** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

So if you can make it past the first third of this story it is amazing! I struggled a bit with that first part of the book but after that it was sooo enjoyable! Perhaps it was just Brenna that I didn't really like. She just wasn't the best heroine. However, there were some real coming of age issues that were good and really entertaining.

Now, the narrator, Ainslie Caswell, did a great job projecting feelings and the tone's she was able to take one was just perfect. I loved listening to this book. The narrator could not have been better!

[Victoria Haugen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be careful what you ask for, they say. Being 50 now, it drives me crazy to hear (in real life or in fictional setting) girls acting young/stupid crazy in love, but hell I did the same exact thing when I was that age. You learn by experience. So, taking that info consideration, I found myself immersed in the story, wondering who at times to root for. I always root for love. Loved the story, and the narration. :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Hope Shurden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a really good enemies to lovers. Her obsession with Bobby was a little unnerving at times. I kind of wanted to shake her and tell her not to look so desperate. He was an asshole. The classic I don’t want you but don’t want anyone else to have you. Those guys piss me off in the worst way. Dustin was a total surprise throughout the whole book. I do wish we had more of them as a couple. His little brother’s story broke my heart. Kids can be such assholes. Why do some of them have to be so mean? Anyway, overall, I really liked this book.