A long time ago, I was one of them. Now I’m back, and they hate me for it.
Plucked out of the harsh life I was living and thrust into a world of unimaginable wealth, power, and privilege, all I want to do is keep my head down and survive until graduation.
But they have other plans—Mason, Finn, Elias, and Cole.
Everyone at my new school calls them the Princes, and that’s exactly what they act like. They always get what they want… and who they want.
And they want me.
I’m not sure why, since they all seem to hate me.
The Princes are gorgeous, flawless, and cruel. They own this town, and they’re determined to own me too.
To break me.
What they don’t know is that I’ve already been broken once.
I won’t let it happen again.
***AUTHOR’S NOTE: Savage Royals is a reverse harem high school bully romance, the first book in the Boys of Oak Park Prep trilogy. It contains cursing and sexual situations.
Callie Rose is a bestselling author who loves to write books that will grab you by the feels and not let go till the very last page. She loves twisty plots, tortured bad boys, strong FMCs, and redemption stories where that shit is *earned*.
This is literally just the plot of Rich Boys of Burberry Prep by C. M. Stunich except the characters were changed a little and it has a different cover. But fuck if I didn’t like it. Although the characters and plot were interesting, I just felt that because of the strong resemblance it bears to C.M’s book, it was a little predictable to me, not that other books aren’t regardless to their genre or trope. Undeniably well written, but the shared plot is a little too similar to ignore.
Edit: I do understand that Callie’s book was put up for preorder first and I really do appreciate that being brought to my attention, but regardless C.M’s FRB was published quite some time before which means that the timing does work out. Furthermore, an author doesn’t need to submit the final copy that is going to be sent out to customers until I think a week before the publication date, so it could’ve been a totally different book until say the 10th of may. That being said, she does deserve the benefit of the doubt, but with the way C.M. posted teasers and blurbs way before, in my opinion I really doubt that this just a huge coincidence.
I know bully romances have several specific plot lines they tend to follow, and this one did, but the ending still shocked me and elicited a full gasp. It was TOUGH. To be clear, I love my bully romances--but for me, once the MC is in the group, she's in. I don't like the insidious "this was all to get you back."
I'm shook. I'm writing this immediately post finishing, and my stomach hurts from the final chapter. And like
Read it, just know you'll need a steel stomach against public humiliation.
Woahhh! This is a hard-core bully romance. So many trigger warnings for abuse, drug & alcohol usage, and more.
Despite all this I found this story one I could not put down and I felt so much for Talia the MC. The book starts off when she finds her father dead after working her 14 hour shift to support them and his drinking habit. Before she gets placed into a foster home in Idaho she is informed she has grandparents out in California. She boards a plane and believes the world of exclusive boarding schools, cute billionaire boys, and fancy cars will be her new life. But she catches the attention of “the Princes” (insert eye roll). She is bullied non-stop once they set their sights on her.
I don’t know what it is about this genre of romance I seem to be devouring at the moment but this was a pretty dark bully RH! The characters could have been a bit more fleshed out but for the most part they were pretty solid. There are a bunch of questions about the boys and their lives that are not answered and I’m hoping it will be in books 2 & 3.
My emotions where just everywhere with this novel. I’d go from happy and smiling to heartbroken to angry in the matter of one chapter. A roller coaster of a book that I absolutely need the next book in my hands now!!
Okay, so here’s where I’m at with this one (and all the other RH bully romances)
I love “Bully Romances” - it’s seems to be mine (and many other people’s) favourite trope right now. I love Reverse Harem, because, well...#WhyChoose?
BUT...I am really struggling when both of these tropes are put together. I wasn’t quite sure what my issue was until I started to think about it. When I was in high school, I was THE MOST socially awkward person ever, and I could barely handle one boyfriend, never mind 3 or 4...AT THE SAME TIME!!! I think what I’m trying to say is that I have a little bit of a problem believing the whole RH scenario with high school aged kids...my imagination can’t seem to stretch that far.
I know that I will definitely continue to read bully romances, and I will absolutely carry on reading reverse harem books...but not when they are mixed together.
Rating: Niet as I was not going to enjoy it to begin with
I did not read Savage Royals entirely. A bit now and there, the beginning, the middle and the end. But I have read enough to tell you what is it about.
Talia's father is dead and she ends up at her utterly wealthy grandparents, that eagerly ship her to the nearest elite academy. Because rich kids are extremely bias and narrow-minded, she becomes very quickly the target of the worst jerks on the planet for -to be honest- absolutely no reason at all. Think Paper Princess without the Royals or an ounce of goodness in the tormentors or anything redeemable. Savage Royals is like every other bully RH romance out there, but an even darker version.
You think this is fiction? But it isn't. The characters are over the top but they exist in real life. And some of us were unlucky enough to encounter them one day or another.
Bully romances are definitely not my thing. I don't get it. I don't get the trope and I certainly don't get how we are supposed to like it. In my eyes, this is pure cruelty and I assume anyone that got bullied at least once in their life would agree.
okay i felt kind of annoyed at the mc Talia, she was so naive sometimes and to trusting and kind.. i wanted her to have a backbone and be more savage and stand up more for herself, rather than just obey them at the beginning cuz she didn´t want any drama or so. I liked that she was so passioned about ballet/dancing , her strength laid there. the guys where hot, but i felt like they where kind of meek and just plain, lol. Her so called friend was not really there for her, i felt like she could have stood by her side even when she was "friends" with the guys
omg that ending was just soo predictable, i knew it was coming. The ending was exacly like how Filthy rich boys by cm stunich was ending. The girl trusted the guys and she got humiliated for the whole school and her "parents". + mean girl gang beat her up, what was the difference was that she got beat up before she got humiliated. I expect Talia to be fucking ruthless and savage and to fucking give a big PAYBACK for what they did to her. Be ice cold to them and just slayy
Prior to reading this book, I read the Kings of Linwood Academy series and really enjoyed it! Callie Rose has such a great writing style and I tend to love the whole “reverse harem high school bully” books.
Living in Idaho at 16 years old, Talia takes care of the home and has an abusive father. One night, Talia comes back from work and her father had passed away.
Now Talia is an orphan, and she gets sent across the country to California - to live with her grandparents (who she’s never even heard of up until now).
Her grandparents are extremely wealthy and one of the most well known families in Cali. They enrolled Talia into Oak Park Prep, where she’s treated awfully by “the Princes” aka Mason, Cole, Finn, and Elijah.
After the end of semester break, a flip switches and the Princes call a ceasefire. Talia finds herself hanging around with them a lot more and even ends up putting her trust in them.
Can the Princes really be trusted, though? Or are they just keeping their friends close and enemies closer?
I was really enjoying the way the book progressed, but I will say that the ending disappointed me a little. Not that it was a bad ending by any means - but it just reminded me way too much of the Rich Boys of Burberry Prep series, and it didn’t feel original.
That said, this book is a part of a three book series and I look forward to reading the other two books. I was a bit disappointed in the ending of this one, but that won’t outweigh how I felt through the rest of the book. If you also enjoy books that have the whole reverse harem high school bully trope, then definitely check out this series! x
📌 Savage Royals by Callie Rose. This read is a Reverse Harem Bully Romance. You will possibly run into triggers or this type of read might not be up your alley. I assure you its definitely up mine. I'm what I would like to call a "Bully Romance Junkie". It's sometimes very hard to find a B.R. that really gets the grit of what I like. Savage Royals passes with flying colors. Savage Royals explains the book very well because they are just that Savage Royals. Silver spoon in their mouth savages, everything I love and hate all wrapped into one. (Not actually royal in a monarch sense, but royal in a American too much money sense.) Talia is a amazing MC with a backbone, something I absolutely love. She doesnt run around with a mouse like behavior. No she has passion, strength, and a mind of her own. You will definitely want to read this amazing story. Although Talia has had a rough life there are secrets, questions, and heartbreak that is still not told and will leave you begging for more. ⭐5 out of 5 stars⭐ for me. So much that I believe this read deserves a spot in my top 5 for 2019. I honestly wish I could go into strict detail and would really like to but you will have to read it for yourself upon release 5/31/2019. I promise you if this is your guilty pleasure like it is mine you will thoroughly enjoy it. ⭐My review from my Bookstagram⭐
Don't ask me why this book works for me, I can't tell you. This has the same cliche bully highschool RH plot and characters every other one does, but this is just cat nip to me even though it can be so cringe haha. We've got: 16 year old boys acting like adults, some with giant, well-done tattoos, all four "ruling" the school including teachers, unironically calling themselves "the princes"/"royals" 🥴, catty, slutty mean girls, lots of bullying, a plucky orphan h that can't be beaten down, illicit school fight club in the forest, I mean the list goes on and on lol this is the recipe for my nightmare, but for some reason I have a great time reading this book 😅 can't wait to re-read book 2 now.
4.5 Stars I loved this book! It grabbed my whole heart and would not let go! The plot moved really fast, the characters were super relatable and interesting to follow, and I got swept up in this world that these characters had found themselves in. The ending absolutely KILLED me and I am dying to start the next book!!!
I agree with other reviews that said the ending reminds them of Filthy Rich Boys... But at the end of the day, you can’t own a trope or a cliche. For example, if an author includes a love triangle between two brothers, you can’t say that another author copied the first one’s idea if they use it in their book! It’s a trope! They are called that because they repeat and you see them a lot. I don't think that this book deserves some of the hate it is getting over a similar trope. For that one thing that was similar to C.M.'s book, there were a hundred other things in this book that were different.
Man, I love bully reverse harems, they’re honesty one of my favorite genres. And this book definitely cements that. I loved this book! The writing hooked me from page one! And ugh don’t even get me started on the guys, they each have their own personalities which in reverse harems can be difficult to find. Although I loved all of them, Finn has my whole heart! 😍
Was the book very similar to others in the genre, definitely but I stilled enjoyed it!
Callie Rose is a new to me author and I've got to say she had me hooked from the first chapter. The editing is great, and the flow is on point. This book centers around Talia a 16 y/o who discovers has rich grandparents she never met. Said grandparents whisk Talia away from Idaho (she recently becamed orphaned when her father died) to Cali where she is to attend an uber-exclusive private H.S. From day one she is ridiculed, taunted, ostracized. You name it, it was done to her. Her main tormentors were the 4 princes; Mason, Cole, Finn and Elijah. They were the puppet masters pulling all the strings. During her first semester at school is when the bullying was very prevalent. It was a common everyday occurrence. Talia was able to make a friend or 2 during this time so she wasn't completely alone.
During the 2nd semester things start to change. The princes take her under their wings, although she has her guard up, not trusting 100%, Talia eventually starts to develop deeper feelings/bonds with the 4 M.C. and it appears as though the same could be said about the boys and thir feelings for Talia. Thru out the rest of the book they become inseparable. There was always at least one of the 4 guys always with her.
Then that freaking cliffhanger happened!!! And I was like "OOHHH SH!T". I have so many dam questions about so many things and at this point I don't know when/if books 2 and 3 will be available, im not even sure the author knows but will be on the look out none the less.
Look, I'm not gonna lie - it's been a long time since I wrote a review. When I quit blogging in 2017, that basically ended me writing anything more of a review than a few lines. But this book legit made me consider bringing back my blog just so I could tell the world how amazing this book it.
I also might be a little obsessed with figuring out who the authors are that co-wrote this, but that's another story.
I've suddenly found myself obsessed with bully reads. Maybe I'm a sucker for a good redemption story. Maybe I like to see (fictional) people put through hell to get to their HEA. Whatever it is, I'm not sure how I stumbled onto this book, but once I finished, I immediately pre-ordered the authors other books. One-click, no second guessing.
Talia is a strong AF girl. She's been through shit, and you can't help but cheer for her. Her path throughout this book sets her up to be a f*cking force to be reckoned with in the sequel, Defiant Princess. I'm counting the days until I can watch her exact her revenge.
I'm not gonna lie; I was 100% with Talia in this book. I felt for her when the Princes tormented her, making her the target of 95% of the school. My heart broke for her page after page after page.
Looking back, the twist at the end of the book isn't really a twist. I was just so invested in Talia, and like her, I wanted to believe these guys had changed. But when IT HAPPENED (that elusive twist I'm not gonna spoil), I literally curled myself into a ball, hugging my kindle as if it was Talia and I was trying to protect her.
That's just amazing freaking writing. When the author(s) can elicit a *physical* response from the reader, you know they've done their job in SPADES.
So there you have it. I wrote this review to try and get some of my feels out, but honestly, now I just want to re-read every glorious chapter of this book again while I wait for book 2.
I almost did not read this book. I hate the cover. The model looks too old to be a junior in high school. Also, in this cover, the model looks like she needs her teeth whitened...zombie teeth. I am so glad I did not judge a book by its cover because I really liked the book!
I saw the low reviews. I almost agreed with many of them in the beginning. The heroine was weak at times. She kind-of did ditch her only friend at school. The minute the heroes paid any attention to her, she fell for them. However, I felt it all came together with the cliffhanger. I think she needed to appear weak, so she could grow a spine after what they did to her. Maybe, she did become insta-friends with them because she had been all alone all her life. Her mom died when she was young and her father was an abusive alcoholic. I think we will see a whole new heroine in book 2. I love a good cliffhanger and I thought this one was amazing. Yes, I saw it coming, but I still loved it. I don't care what many readers said I LOVED IT.
I was not sure if I was going to mark this book M/M/F/M/M with all the kissing that was happening within the group. I enjoy RH stories, but not when the heroine is making out with all the heroes at the same time. However, it worked in this story.
I am just disappointed I have to wait until July 2019 to read book 2!
It was a great read. I hope there are no delays in the release date of book 2.
Cliffy ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I’m not a fan of RH books, but that seems to be the popular genre lately so it’s all I see on Goodreads and Amazon. With that said, every once in awhile, I’ll be like hey, okay, why not?
Nope. Not for me
I’m giving this book 3 stars because it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me so that doesn’t really warrant a low rating.
I didn’t read any of the reviews until now and I do see how this book mirrors a lot like another series. I didn’t read the other series and I probably won’t now since it’s similar.
First off, I just don’t get it. I mean, what’s the appeal to reading about a girl being bullied? I feel like there has to be a fine line of bullied and not terrorized? I know it’s a fictional book, but I kept on thinking if this happened in real life the poor girl probably would have killed herself.
I guess we will find out the reason for the boy’s hate in the second book, but I’m not going to pick it up so there you go.
The second half of the book was better for me, less tension and more sweet. BUT everything can change and when I finished the book I was just left with an icky feeling.
Also, what’s up with RH with no steam? Not that I needed steam in a book, but I just don’t get it. Isn’t the point of reading a RH for the steam? Or is it just a new love triangle, but with two extra guys?
It wasn’t for me. I felt like it could have gone different for me for a few points but it didn’t. I hate that I stayed up late trying to finish. I hate that I’m left with an icky feeling. I just simply don’t get this whole genre and I need to stay away from it … clearly.
Bruh, I was all in love with this book, chugging along and then BAM! The big scary boys went and did something irredeemable. Why do they have to go so far? I love a good enemies to lovers book but this one is just plain sadistic. First off let me say that we never find closure as to why they hate on her so hard, secondly, Talia's girl Leah bounces at the first sign of trouble, inconsistent with what a real friend would do. And also, Talia herself is one of the weakest heroine's in a bully to romance story I have ever read! Like, she's a fricking punching bag. Just when I think she is going to grow a backbone and fight, she caves in and trusts them! I don't want to read about someone who doesn't fight back, I want to read about someone who goes down swinging. And don't give me shit about the next book will be better because it's already too late for that. I won't be reading it because the Princes went so far beyond what is appropriate in a bully to romance that I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE TOGETHER! I can suspend my belief for a good plot but this doesn't fit that bill, it's more like enemies to enemies with some kissing thrown it. It bordered on abuse and I don't care to read anymore of it. It's really too bad because it was a great story till the end, I was just hoping they could pull together against a common enemy.
Warning this is a cliff hanger and I'm not sure I think the cliff hanger is good...
Mixed feelings about this, as it took a predictable turn. Didn't stand out or wow. Also felt I wasn't very connected to the boys. Not invested enough as felt it flipped too quickly. I want to know what happens but also don't care... Feel that with this sort of cliff hanger, if it's not explained enough next book, I may end up with a few eye rolls.
I don't want to spoil, but it's the kind of book that has ups and downs. Some parts were a okay read and some parts were lacking. Didn't have much humour or good dialogue between characters. Which is why I felt less invested.
I would be completely honest for the sake of being completely honest, but I only tried to read this book for smut. It wasn’t really present in this book, and I don’t really care. A good storyline and good characters can easily be a substitute. But no. Just.... no.
There is no “good” storyline and no good characters. The four boys were completely fucking childish and the main character Talia is just so fucking stupid I just want to fucking kill her myself. I’m fucking embarrassed for her. Did she not see that coming? Like, the four shits that bullied her just became her besties after one night, and she isn’t at all getting second doubts? I mean, she did take her time before trusting them, but the time she took was still too fucking short. It was too obvious from the minute with the scene with Mason at the party that they were planning to ruin her.
So. Fucking. Dumb. Talia.
So fucking dumb.
I shouldn’t care, but she should at least make an effort to represent the Hildebrand name. But no. That is not what happened.
It wasn’t her fault for being humiliated at the end, but it was her fault for being too fucking naive. Grow some balls, Talia. You seriously thought you’re a Royal now? After one night? Is that not suspicious at all? Thank God I finally finished the book because I cannot stand her fucking mind.
Also, this story is so fucking similar to the Rich Boys of Burberry Prep series. I’m not the only one who’s thinking it. Everyone is thinking it. Girl from trailer trash goes to private school. Meets hot asf assholes. Those assholes bully her, make her fall in love. Then throw her into the gutter.
Yup.
I just started reading book 2, and so far, I’m laughing my ass off. I’m only including this part in my review because I have no energy to write a separate review, and because I’m not finishing the pile of predictable shit that is book 2. Basically, the only thing I’m going to mention here to avoid too many spoilers is that Talia is going for revenge, and that she is digging some shit about the four assholes. But her research skills about rich, elitist men that have empires are quite lacking. Her platform: Google. I mean, if dark shit about billionaires can easily be found in the open web, shouldn’t the FBI be pounding on their doorstep by now?
I only started reading book 2 because of the blurb. I hated book 1 because Talia fucking embarrasses me and the whole society of women, but when I saw the blurb for book 2, the one with the “mysterious ally,” I just thought that there would be a fifth addition to her harem. But I don’t think so. I read a couple of reviews that may have suggested otherwise. So I stopped.
Overall:
Cole, Mason, Finn, and Elijah are too similar to each other. They may have different interests, like how Elijah likes his music and Finn likes his football, but their personalities and the way they talk are too fucking the same. Just the usual hot-but-cool-and-swagger type of guy, with a sprinkle of “assholiness.” And Talia is just the same as other high school bully romance main characters out there. Doesn’t matter if they’re bad. They’re handsome and gorgeous, so why not? You could have at least played hard-to-get. But you were just too fucking easy.
How did I feel after reading this book?: I feel ashamed I even read it. I didn’t even hope for the book to get better because I already knew how it would end since the beginning. Like I said, too fucking predictable.
Was the book life altering?: Hell yeah it was. I have learned, after reading this book, not to be overly eager when my bully proposes to be besties just right after insulting them.
Will I share this to my local peers?: No.
And the girl-on-girl rivalry with the.... fuck I forgot her name already. Oh yeah, Adena. Adena was also sort of vanilla. And when I say vanilla, I mean she is sooo very typical. In every high school bully romance reverse harems, there is always that ONE GIRL who is a slut for the boys and will do anything to bring down the MC. Let me just say that Adena fit all of those qualities, except she had nothing special to offer. Reading this book was like reading every other RH high school bully romances I have ever read for the second time.
Also, there’s Leah. Leah was there for Talia when Talia had nobody, and when the princes became besties with Talia, Leah was practically left in the dirt. Doesn’t matter how Talia felt. Sorries don’t fix broken plates. Another reason why I hate Talia so much was because she wasn’t at all suspicious at the boys’ sudden change of heart. And that left Leah and her separated.
After the grand finale at the end, I just could not stand all the self-pitying shit that I skimmed through it. If I took a shot for every time Talia said something like “how could I have not seen that?” like the dumb shit she is, I would have died because my liver could not take it. Seriously, it could go for pages and pages with her self-pitying herself, and let me tell you, authors, that it does not change our perspective on the characters. Once a dumb bitch, always a dumb bitch. It would have been fine if she just admitted to her “mistakes,” but please don’t make entire monologues after it. It’s a complete fucking eyesore.
I would not be finishing book 2. I stopped after 5% through it. I’m in chapter three and I give up. I suddenly remembered I don’t want to waste my quarantine reading about girls romanticizing her tormentors.
Oh my god...my heart was just lit up with vivid colors of joy and then ripped out and stomped on with that cliffhanger. I did NOT see that coming, holy moly....
But let me back up a few steps and start off by saying WOW! That was an amazing book! At first I really hated the Princes, but eventually they grew on me and I couldn’t help but like them along with Talia! Talia has to go through so much and I just want to jump into the book and hug the poor girl! Damn is she a fighter!!
I’m left here with my jaw stuck open in shock, looks like I’ll be jumping into the next book ASAP!
It’s one thing to use a book for inspiration it’s something else completely to steal someone’s plot ... the heroine was weak spineless and drab and the male characters were lacking in depth and personality ... I really can’t rate this book because it so close to the cm Stunich series which I am totally obsessed with and this book cannot even compare
They all pretty much read the same the girl comes to a new school, they make it clear she isn't wanted, they make her life hell, until one offers up an olive branch a cease fire call it what you will. Then she is wrapped up in their protection constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop but when they finally get her to drop her guard that's usually at the point theyre having some big public event at the school and someone always plays a very embarrassing video of the girl and she's humiliated and ruined. Just for a little while because eventually she always picks herself up and dusts herself off and goes back for revenge. Like I said all these stories are the same and the so called reverse harem is a joke it's always either 3 or 4 boys and all they do is have heavy make out sessions. Sorry I like my books with a little bit more excitement and spice.
I really liked this. Especially the first time when I read it as Filthy Rich Boys.
All jokes aside, there are a BUNCH of similarities between this book and FRB but I still couldn’t help but devour the shit out of it. Everything was very predictable and anyone who read FRB could tell you they knew exactly what was going on. The ending wasn’t a surprise. I’m just mad we have to wait for the next book and wait for Talia to come back and hurt the assholes where it hurts most. I can’t help but think that the one who really cared for her and regretted what they did was Elijah. After what he said after she got jumped and in the end with his fist clenched... I could be wrong but I want them to HURT!
I also want to know if the story will continue on with the similarities with FRB? Aside from that, I look forward to seeing Talia fight.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
DAAANG! I don't know what to say, but this was a wild ride and I was here for it!
All of the "Princes" wow there are no words, the way that they changed over the book that the ending was so shocking to me! I just read it and was staring at my kindle thinking, "No way". That twist at the end, it's been a while since a book has gotten me that good.
This is shown as a reverse harem, but there isn't too much of that happening throughout the book, but you do feel the chemistry with all the boy, none of them really felt less than the other in my opinion.
I think that the main thing that would really bump this book up would to get the different POV's of all the main characters. I think that would make this story that much stronger, and really just blow it out of the park.
I can't wait to see what happens to Talia in the next book!