The Help

Kings of Linwood Academy #1

by Callie Rose

Rich boys don’t fraternize with the help.
They don't torture the help.
They don't crave the help.

For as long as I can remember, my mom and I have lived on the edge of ruin, so when she finally gets a decent job offer, she moves us cross-country to take it.

Who cares if it means working as a live-in housekeeper for a man wealthier than God? The paycheck is good, and it comes with a roof over our heads.

She even manages to get me enrolled in the fancy prep academy his son goes to—the kind that spits out future CEOs and politicians like a vending machine.

But this new town has a few things my old one didn’t…

Like secrets that could get a person killed, and four of the hottest, meanest guys I’ve ever met.

I might live in their world now, but I am not a part of it, and they’ll do whatever it takes to remind me of that.

We go to school together, live together, and share a dangerous secret, but as far as Lincoln, River, Dax, and Chase are concerned…

I’m just the help.


***AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Help is a reverse harem high school bully romance, the first book in the Kings of Linwood Academy trilogy. It contains cursing and sexual situations.

Genres: Romance, High School, Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance, Contemporary, Why Choose, New Adult

282 pages, ebook

First published June 5, 2019

About the author

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*.

For new release updates and other fun goodies, sign up for her mailing list: https://www.callieroseauthor.com/news...

She promises not to bite (or spam you)!

Reviews

[⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually really hate teen girl protagonists who authors try to make "edgy" because that usually (i.e. most of the time) just makes them a super bland, terrible archetype with several of these qualities:

1) They're """tough""" because they're poor and have had a hard life, so they swear and get in fights and are bitchy because of this chip on their shoulder.
(Being tough doesn't mean you have no decorum and all you do is fight and act moody. It's actually more commendable to see someone have a hard life but still be capable of being nice and having the vulnerability that comes with being open and accepting)

2) They have some life tragedy or circumstance that, in the eyes of the author, gives them leeway to be bitchy/cold/reckless/etc., so we're not supposed to "judge" them.
This, of course, often goes hand in hand with them being poor and having a tragic life, but is usually the single "event" that causes a character a particular issue to use as an excuse for something; either they're sick (like the heroine here), or an important friend/family member died, or they had some traumatic experience that's never explored or utilized and is instead slapped on haphazardously to make the heroine have a notion of complexity and emotional depth without any work--like them being kidnapped or assaulted or being responsible for a death off screen.

3) They all smoke weed or gamble or drink; some manner of addiction that's destructive but "cool." I don't see why being moody or tough or edgy means you need addictions and substance abuse problems, but it's bizarrely common in "edgy" protagonists. There are other ways teens can be destructive or act out that isn't addiction based.

4) They're all constantly horny all the time because "bad girls" are tough and edgy, so that means they're all sexual creatures who lost their virginity at 12 and love a good hard fuck with strangers despite being 16 years old and not really super physically or emotionally to the point of that making any sense. (Please chill on "sexual woman means she's bad/evil/tough/edgy/unconventional/etc." and also stop just making ANY heroine simperingly horny all the time in these books, especially for bullies who are hot.)

5) They do SUPER dumb shit, like a lot of heroines, but because the author is probably thinking with her own pussy and not her brain, she forgets that her ""tough"" heroine doesn't have the excuse of naivete to back them up anymore (as per my next bullet point).

6) The story will infer or even outright insist the heroine is worldly and mature and responsible and basically has been an adult since they were 13 or whatever (usually implying a parent was inadequate or that being poor or sick made them instantly as rational and capable as an any adult) and this is lorded over readers as a reason why the heroine is great because it means she's so much better than every other teen girl who didn't have terrible parents or an illness or poverty or whatever tossed in excuse the author used. Meanwhile, the truth is, the heroine has 2 brain cells. One is dedicated to being an edge lord doing dumb shit and the other is dedicated to being aroused by anything remotely hot breathing in her direction and neither of the two can rub against the other to fire a synapse to make the heroine do anything remotely sensible.

That's not what a strong character is, just, for your information. Strong=well written. It does not mean heroine is physically strong or verbally assertive or a horny teen temptress.

Harlow is a weak character and a weak person because her personality amounts to "I'm tough and horny." She starts off okay, making in few chapters in, but, the moment she fell into that "the hot guy is awful to me, but I'm still aroused by everything he says and does" trope, everything went to fuck.

The first really stupid thing she does is agree to uphold a poker wager with River to do him any favor he asks for, no questions asked.

She knows these four guys have bullied her for no reason and she knows that they'll probably ask something of her she won't want to do. She should realize that they could be trying to force her to do something to get her in legal trouble so that they'll be rid of her, since they clearly don't like her or want her around, yet she goes with it anyway.

So, why does she agree? Any reasonable explanation? No. She agrees because the bitch has a gambling addiction and doesn't want to banned from playing poker at this one, single warehouse of teenage gambling.

Upon reading this, I wanted to bash her nose in again and again and again for being aggressively stupid. She has to be TRYING to seem brain damaged. Guess her chemo killed more than just cancer cells, didn't it?

The story might flimsily argue that Harlow feels obligated to supplement her mom's savings by gambling because Harlow's own medical needs put them in debt, but, at present her mom has a nice live-in job with a very wealthy family and is probably paid pretty well, plus they're clearly getting a place to stay and food, so, the medical debts shouldn't be such a pressing matter that Harlow should feel like she MUST gamble. They should be able to make payments without it impacting their standard of living, since they don't have rent or anything to worry about now and Harlow is cancer-free at this point.

Therefore, this is Harlow having an addiction/ardently refusing to give up something she does mostly for funsies because it's risky and reckless--another """tough, edgy girl""" personality staple.

Don't know if Harlow's aware, but uh, I'm sure she could find other rich kid gambling dens if she looked for the nearest private school and like, befriended some of the kids on social media or something. It's not as if these rich kids have a monopoly on teen gambling with high stakes.

Or she could, I don't know, invest in a fake ID? I'm sure with all her street smarts that the author infers she has by the bucket-load, the bitch should be capable of doing the singular teen criminal act of getting a fake ID to lie about her age to get into 18+ and 21+ venues. It's like... the most basic teenage criminal act.

All I'm saying is, she didn't need to protect her ability to go to those specific gambling nights at that specific warehouse in order to keep playing poker and she didn't need to keep gambling to begin with. All the reasoning the book offers is inane.

Therefore, upholding her bet was completely stupid and gained her nothing.

At this point, she shouldn't want or need their respect, their friendship, their attention... so even if the argument was just that she "keep her word" and be honorable, no one is going to say anything about her bailing on a promise to someone she knows is most likely going to misuse the favor to ruin her and her mom's lives. Is it really dishonorable to not keep your word when you know your intentions will be used against you to hurt you and your family?

Seems to me like maybe Harlow doesn't actually care that much about her mom's well being at this new job and house if keeping her spot at a gambling den is worth the risk of her getting in serious trouble and potentially ruining the new life she and her mother have... hmmmm.

Then she does things like give her bullies ammunition to get her in serious trouble by accepting marijuana from them and smoking it while on the clock as a server at a party and then also smoke marijuana on school property with the twins several times.

Again, for a girl who claims to be concerned about her mom losing this nice job, Harlow certainly goes out of her way to do things that could negatively impact her mother.

Like, those are grounds for being fired or expelled because decriminalization does NOT mean it's a free for all.

Alcohol is legal, but you'll get fired if you go into work drunk or drink on the job, won't you? And when it comes to school, rules there aren't accommodating-- if they were, schools wouldn't freak out over girls in tank tops-- so you can't expect me to think a school wouldn't immediately punish kids found smoking and getting high on school property during school hours, regardless of legalization or the student's medical needs.

Plus, Harlow no longer has cancer, so, the license is irrelevant all around. Connecticut decriminalized use, so she can have like a joint and use it recreationaly legally in the correct circumstances, much like alcohol consumption and Harlow's license would've expired a year after it was issued and wouldn't be renewable, so, it's not like she could've actually brought that up to either her employer or her school as a justification for being high on the job and high at school.

Also, uh, pretty sure if she medically needed to intake cannabis while at school it wouldn't be through a joint she smokes under the bleachers. They'd probably call her down to the office and administer an edible or extract or something that would provide benefits without getting her inebriated and therefore unable to properly participate in class.

I can't see any school just being like "yep, you can carry around weed and go smoke it whenever you like because you once had cancer." If I couldn't even carry around my necessary medications (that I couldn't get high off anyway, even if I overdosed) and had to go to the office and get them dealt to me, I call bullshit on the idea. Not only would that be irresponsible to trust a teen to not abuse their weed, but if other students found out, that could create issues, as they might steal from the student or assault/harass them to forcibly acquire it.

It's honestly pointless. I see no other reason for Harlow's cancer backstory than to try to make her not seem like a typical edgy stoner kid about to burn out under the bleachers. The author wanted justification for Harlow's habit, but also wanted Harlow to have that "I'm edgy and I break the rules to go smoke at school" vibe. You can't have it both ways. Harlow can't be using weed responsibly for medical needs and then also ditch class to light up under the bleachers and get high.

Like a lot of other edgy teen romances, this has a lot of Paper Princess beats and I hate that.

We also just, get a random ass murder thrown in and things happen without much reasoning or just cause and I'm like, why couldn't we just stick to the fucking RH plot and not try to throw in a murder plot when the RH plot is barely being handled at all? There aren't many RH that can adequately do both, I'm just saying. Just look at Sinners. That series was also a fucking mess.

Speaking of RH... Harlow like, kisses Chase/Dax/River one time and then has sex with Lincoln multiple times. He's the most developed so, either the next books will really play catch up or it's really just Lincoln + Harlow except Harlow fucks her man's best friends also because why not? She's horny and they're hot.

This is, without a doubt, the laziest, worst way to do RH. The point of RH is not so the heroine just randomly sleeps with 3-10 guys and gets away with it because "polyandry is so progressive", it's for her to form a unique dynamic and relationship with multiple partners and explore how everyone learns to live with that dynamic.

Overall, wasn't great. Not picking up the next three.

[Vee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear all I currently crave are bully romances and this one was EVERYTHING & MORE !!! It had enemies to lovers. It had rich boys x poor girl. It had sexual tension for days. It had a massive mystery plot (remember to look both ways). It was a RH which was a massive plus for me, but if it had just one of the MMCs, I would have equally liked it.

(No big spoilers are revealed btw)

As the book title suggests, there was definitely a power imbalance between the FMC and the MMCs, but this just made it all the more dramatic. Both sides see the world very differently and their lives can’t really be compared. The guys live in a well-manicured bubble, but looks can be deceiving. The main characters are all in their final year of sixth form/high school, so the classic characters that accompany this trope are all alive and well.

This is characterised as a bully romance, which I often think refers to the MMCs, but in this case, it doesn’t really. I can only deal with a little bit of meanness from the love interests because if they are a complete A-h**e I find it much harder to forgive them. This only has a little MMC bullying at the start and then it is mostly side character bullying. Mostly for general elitist reasons 😒

The FMC was a force to be reckoned with, despite the trials she faced. She wasn’t one to back down and didn’t pander to those who thought they were above her. Her relationship with her mum honestly produced some of the sweetest moments to read.

The MMCs definitely grow on you and they can be mean at points, but never cruel. After you got to know each character, the reasons for their actions made more sense, although it was never justified. As the book progressed, each individual relationship started to form and so many new personality traits were revealed. Hands down one of my favourite parts was when they are searching an office and River’s revelation comes to light. So stinking cute !!!!

This was a single POV, so you never hear the MMC’s inner monologue, but I personally prefer this.

I’m sad I didn’t find and read this earlier because it’s soooooo good. You have equal measures of romance, mystery and humour. It slightly reminded me of the movie 'Spanglish’, but more so because of the parental characters.

There was just something about the writing. It drew me in and then devastated me at the same time. The cliffhanger made me want to throw my Kindle into oblivion, but I am so excited for book 2 !!!! I had previously read (and loved) Sweet Obsession, but I didn’t realise it was the same author. If you hadn’t read this I would definitely recommend it, as well as this book 😅

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

Full rtc in the morning

Saw this recently pop up in a conversation on Facebook and thought I’d give it a try. Definitely worth the read, pulled me in straight away.

[Jamie Paciorek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just before I step through the arched doorway at the back of the room into a small gallery space, I glance over my shoulder.
Lincoln is standing on the second-floor balcony, hands braced on the railing, gaze locked on me.
It’s only then that I realize his rude behavior earlier was actually him holding back—putting on a mask of civility. He must’ve been restraining himself, keeping his emotions in check in front of his dad and my mom.
Because the look on his face now?
It’s one of pure loathing.


Condom?”
Oh. Right. It wasn’t exactly on purpose that we did it without one last time. But I don’t want to stop, and I don’t want anything between us.
“I’m on the pill,” I gasp, shaking my head. “Are you good?”
Maybe I should be more concerned about this. I know he was with Iris last year, and given the hoard of female groupies all the kings seem to have, I’m sure she wasn’t the only one.
Goddammit. Why am I even thinking about that?
When he pulls away, he rests his forehead against mine, pressing into me in little pulses, just the head of his thick length breaching my entrance. It makes my pussy clench, makes me desperate to feel him buried inside me.
“I’m good,” he murmurs, his voice rough. “I’ve never fucked anyone like this before. Never fucked raw.”

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending annoyed me but ugh, I knew it was coming.

The Help is another RH book that I devoured in a short sitting. I thought it was interesting getting to see Harlow's little backbone. I mean the girl already kicked cancer's ass.. a bully means nothing to her right? Other than that, I really enjoyed that she was trying to help her mom out. I get that see saw how tough it was on her while she was dealing with cancer. I mean the whole money problem is no joke. So it was really sweet that she would help along financially. Doesn't mean she got to enjoy being a kid every now and then but it was really cute.

Other than her, you meet the guys. Ugh, dreamy asshole bully guys that magically fall in love with her. There is also some mystery going around and again, the ending really annoyed me with it. I really need to know what is going to happen next with her mom and the guys. I wonder if she's going to have her own revenge on the guys, take over her moms job until she gets out, or ignore the guys forever. I doubt the last one but there's still some hope to put them in their place.

Overall, where's the next book?

[Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on a roll here...

I'm actually having fun with these books...LOL, I don't usually venture into the "bully romances" but somehow the enemies to lovers anticipation and pent up energy always gets me in, somehow, so yeah, I read these too...

[BokaniSak*BookWhore · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars**

this was just a nah for me..

1. unprotected sex.. these are 17 year olds btw
2. relationship build up is dumb as F. so its okay to go around kissing random boys who are actually friends? it just doesnt feel right in the RH set-up world (yes, self conflicting statement but real RH lovers will understand what i'm trying to say), it feels more loose in morale cause i dont think under normal circumstances a group of tightly neat friends go fucking the same girl unless they think she is just "a lay". so from a RH perspective, the author failed in building the plot imo.
3. just boring as F plot.

sorryNotsorry..

[♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

This was my first read by Callie Rose and I enjoyed it so much! It’s one of those high school bully dramas, with a bit of mystery incorporated into it.

Harlow’s mother gets a new job as an executive housekeeper, so they move from Arizona to Connecticut. They’re used to living in a trashy neighbourhood, but now they’ll be living in the wealthy subdivision of Fox Hill.

Harlow’s mother works for Samuel Black and his family. She’s able to get Harlow enrolled in a private school, where she’ll be studying with Samuel Black’s son, Lincoln.

Lincoln and his friends make an effort to make Harlow’s life hell, pulling typical stunts and calling her “the help”.

When Harlow, Lincoln, and his friends witness a tragic event together - they become connected in a sense. Now they’re working together to protect themselves and trying to uncover a mystery.

Does Harlow trust too easily? Will she be betrayed once again? Or will the situation work out in her favour?

This book is the first in the series, and I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next one - since there was bit of a cliffhanger! x

[Tarynrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.35

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would.

Literally read it in one sitting😅

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a feeling of deja vu when I read this book. Most likely because it's labeled as a "bully romance" but still it was easy to read and quite enjoyable even if I really disliked Harlow. Her behavior was unacceptable in several occasions. There was very few heated encounters and it ends in a CLIFFHANGER.

[Patricia's Book Kingdom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am relatively knew to the whole reverse harem bully romance genre but I absolutely eat this shit up.

- new girl moves into a rich people's home who have a son her age - check
- there are boys who rule the school and everyone is afraid of them - check
- the new girl is instantly disliked by the boys that rule the school but eventually she wins them over - check

I am not in the slightest embarrassed to say that I live for that shit and I absolutely devoured this book within a day.

Just before I step through the arched doorway at the back of the room into a small gallery space, I glace over my shoulder.
Lincoln is standing on the second-floor balcony, hands braced on the railing, gaze locked on me.
It's only then that I realize his rude behavior earlier was actually him holding back-putting on a mask of civility. He must've been restraining himself, keeping his emotions in check in front of his dad and my mom.
Because the look on his face now?
It's one of pure loathing.

I absolutely LOVED The Help by Callie Rose. It had everything I crave. I loved the four boys, Lincoln, Chase, River and Dax. While they were large dicks to Harlow, it did not make them any less charming and delicious. I also enjoyed the fact that River had a disability because you do not see that very often these days in romance books. Most of the time the hero is this perfect specimen with galloping abs. So having River with a disability really appealed to me and it made me like him a lot more.

If there was an emergency stop lever on this runaway train I find myself on, I would've pulled it a long time ago. But I don't think there is.

I seriously love the shit out of Harlow. She never backs down and always holds her head high even when she's being bullied by everyone at school. She is quite sensible and protective of the people she cares about. She can be a bit impulsive but she always has the best intentions and she has good head on her shoulders. I also really adore Hunter, Harlow's best friend, and I hope she will make more appearance in future books.

It's not a sweet kiss.
It's not even a hot kiss.
It's more like a natural disaster, a tornado tearing through the landscape, destroying everything in it's path and leaving the world as it once existed in ruins.
It's fire.
It's pain.
It's need.

The chemistry between Harlow and the boys is off the charts, especially with Lincoln. Maybe it's because they live together with her mother being his family's live-in maid. But phew, the tension between them burns hot. They say that they hate her, but we all know that the line between love and hate is a thin one. And it could not be more of a case than here.

The Help ends on one hell of a cliffhanger and there is still so much left unanswered. Who really killed Iris because I am sure as hell it was not Harlow's mother. Why does Savannah hate Harlow so much because there must be a reason. And what on earth possessed the boys to do what they did? I cannot wait to read The Lie to see what explanation the boys will come up with. I totally recommend everyone to read this!

[Amanda Anderson (Beauty.and.the.bookies) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell! 5 stars! This was my first Callie book and I am jumping to Savage Royals asap after this. Lincoln, oh my broody boy, you are by far my favorite boy of them all. This book had it all! Mystery, suspense, romance, hot boys, troubled teenage girl, lustful events etc. River is definitely a close second for me, I cannot get that boy out of my damn head. Cant leave out Dax & Chase though..sexy ass boys..
AND THAT ENDING!!!! OMG it came straight out of nowhere and left all of us readers on the edge of our seats DYING for the next book! The only thing negative I can say about this book is that the heroine, Harlow will sometimes give off a bad ass vibe (like kicking someones phone in the pool etc.) and then other times, when Lincoln tells her to get on her knees and start cleaning in front of people, she actually does it...That ticked me off BUT I realize this is just the first book and I know there will be alot of character growth.
I have so so so many questions I need answers to!!
Lincoln's dad....
Lincoln's step mom..
The lab result in the drawer..
Iris..
I. NEED. MORE! Book 2 cannot come fast enough!

[BLuvsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending! Wow. I did not predict that at all.
If you love bully romance then this book is for you.
Fast paced, twists and secrets.
Looking forward to the next.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/9/2020)! 🎁

[madie dragoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

this is a romantic suspense novel that is a super quick read and the first book in a trilogy. i didn’t love the main character at first, but she did grow on me by the end. i’m very interested in who did it and the ending was certainly a cliffhanger so i will be diving into book 2 right away. also, i’m sensing the beginning of a RH trope, so hoping that appears in book 2. overall, a pretty good read with an interesting plot

“harlow. breathe, baby. just breathe. just look at me and breathe.”

[Autumn Miller ~ autumnbookreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

MINOR SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:
I love this book. It was fast pace, constantly had my attention, I loved the characters and their complexity, and the plot just wrapped me up. The intrigue, the mystery, the murderer, the sex, and the romance just all came together in an addictive way and I could not put this book down for the life of me!

The Bullying- Going in, I knew this was supposed to be a bully romance. And I don’t know if it’s because of the first bully romance I read, but I honestly expected the bullying in this book to be 10 times worse than it was. It was fairly light compared to some other things I have seen. After getting to the ending though, I am wondering if the real bullying hasn’t even really started.

The Guys- I loved the guys. I feel like this book was more Lincolns and maybe Rivers though? The twins are still a bit of a mystery and we haven’t gotten a lot of them yet. I’m hoping for some more development from them in the next book. I would like to see more River as well though. He was developed in this book is a little bit but I really want to dive further into his character.

Overall, if you couldn’t already tell, I HIGHLY enjoyed this book. I am dying to get my hands on the next book (especially after that cliffhanger) and I’m so excited to dive deeper into this story.

[Jessica *The Lovely Books* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t sold on these relationships at all. Maybe it’s because I just finished The Ballers trilogy and I’m still in a bit of a hangover from that. The heroine was...weak and annoying. The build up for the RH set up—what build up? One second they’re bullying her and then bam, all of a sudden they have a bond? Yawn.

I thought the characterization and the overall story line needed a little bit more work. But because a certain twist of the story has piqued my interest... I’m gonna try and read the second book.

[Nikisha Neely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This book was everything I love Harlow and her mom’s relationship. I can’t wait for book 2 I hope Harlow goes crazy on those boys,

[Bookish.Midnight. and. black · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is bad! very bad! a stupid, irresponsible and arrogant heroine and 4 guys that ARE NOT MEN, because they are 17yo *for crying out loud! *

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

Entertaining trash 🙇🏼‍♀️ 🗑️

You know that feeling when you absolutely must read a high school academy bully book? Even better if it’s RH with rich H’s and a poor h? No? Just me? Okay, well…this wasn’t the best and the bullying part was over a way too quick for my liking, but I flew through this and it was entertaining🙏. I love this author’s other series Boys of Oak Park Prep (for some unfathomable reason) and while this isn’t as good it scratched the itch and I will be reading book 2 🤭✌️ oh and everything clicked for me right at the end of this book and I’m 99% sure I know who the murderer is 🤪 (yeah that’s right, this is a murder mystery teen high school bullying rh academy romance 😌)

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Direi un bel 3,5.
Lo stile mi piace, il ritmo è incalzante.
La fortuna è che tutti e tre i libri sono usciti insieme e sfruttando l’abbonamento a kobo Books posso tranquillamente continuare la serie senza dover aspettare.
Purtroppo la mia ship è già partita, ma dubito che possa davvero avere un happy ending.
Un giallo si insinua nella vita di questi quattro ricchi ragazzini viziati, Linc, River, Chase e Dax, le cui vite sono stravolte dall’arrivo di Harlow, la domestica.
Ma l’iniziale disprezzo si trasforma presto in qualcosa di più, ma sai un tacito patto che lì lega… per sempre.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve had this book for over a year and only bought it because TikTok told me too. So I had no idea what this was going to be about.

Let me tell you was I surprised when it turned into a smutty reverse harem murder mystery. I assumed based on the cover it was going to be steamy but I didn’t see murder coming.

Overall I did like this book. But sometimes I was annoyed by Harlow, the MFC, who moves into a fancy home where her mom has gotten a job as the housekeeper. Like she sees a girl get hit by a car and in her shock starts to fool around with two guys 🤷‍♀️ talk about an unhealthy trauma response. I did though like Lincoln. 😍

I also didn’t realize this was the first book in a series so when it ended on a cliffhanger I was not happy. So now I need to download the next one..

[Skye Minnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow that was really good

I was so shocked how quickly I was sucked into this story. Loved the flow and was when I looked down, I saw I was 83% finished, I was dumbfounded how fast it went by. I forgot to eat or even vape (THAT IS WHEN I KNOW IT IS GREAT). I just found my vapor and now am hanging on to it for dear life as I throw myself into book 2! I am not even hungry either. Will post again once 2 is finished.

[Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The romance part is such a slow burn!!! I keep waiting for everyone to just pounce on each other 😆

[mimi brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I couldn't connect with the story, the writing was easy flowing for me to keep reading.

[Oredeen (honest reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far so good. Story is engaging and there isn’t too much going on to be frustrating but there is a lot going on. Some steam and two detailed sex scenes, not quite a rh yet, but working its way there.
Few things I didn’t like are the side characters, or rather Harlow’s life at school. The story is far more about her relationships with the guys and specifically Black mansion. There’s a good amount of them at school though, I feel should be more explained or less. It’s in that gray area where it’s almost enough but I feel things are missing.
Like who she’s made friends with and why, how. Instead we get that she’s kinda friends with two girls and one guy but no idea how exactly that happened nor do we really get any time spent on those characters to know anything about them.

[Kim Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOODNESS!! What a whirlwind! From enemies to lovers! Twists and turns! Right when you think you’ve got it figured out, key word think, Bam it twists again! And holy moly the ending had me stunned I mean flat out stunned! What an awesome beginning to this series! Freaking awesome!

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Antonietta - per RFS
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Il mondo è immenso nel silenzio. O forse, tremendamente chiassoso, ma non riesco a sentirlo. Ogni rumore sembra attutito, mentre fronteggio i padroni della Linwood da un lato di una linea invisibile, con loro dall’altro.

(Tratto dal libro)

I quattro padroni della Linwood, Lincoln, River, Dax e Chase, sono quattro amici inseparabili, compagni di scuola che spadroneggiano nel college più altolocato di Fox Hill in Connecticut.

La città, sul mare della costa orientale, è abitata prevalentemente da giovani professionisti di successo e da ragazzini viziati e pieni di sé, in un ambiente corrotto e inaccessibile a chi non fa parte della loro stessa cerchia.

Immaginate quando la nuova domestica di casa Black, la “colf”, si presenta a scuola come se fosse una di loro… non sia mai!

Harlow si trasferisce nella nuova città in cui la mamma, Penelope Thomas, è stata assunta come Governante Esecutiva e lei come assistente.
È piena di aspettative per il futuro che le si prospetta e che fino a quel momento non è stato molto clemente con loro: hanno dovuto farsi carico delle costosissime cure mediche per il cancro di Low, negli ultimi anni, ma per fortuna sono, ormai, solo un lontano ricordo doloroso.

Il legame molto speciale fra madre e figlia è descritto molto teneramente, questa mamma, infatti, è molto giovane, avendola avuta a soli diciannove anni. Il fatto poi che il padre le abbia abbandonate senza prendersi la responsabilità della gravidanza, le ha unite ancora di più.

Nel contratto di lavoro è inclusa l’iscrizione alla Linwood Accademy, un dettaglio importante e fondamentale che Penelope ha stipulato per il futuro della figlia adorata.

Lincoln Black è il figlio del datore di lavoro, ed è colui che darà filo da torcere fin da subito alla povera Harlow: in casa con occhiate intense e aperto antagonismo; a scuola, invece, col supporto dei fidati amici, con atti di bullismo nei corridoi.

Che cosa c’è in loro, che rende così difficile distogliere lo sguardo? In parte l’aspetto, immagino. Sono decisamente sexy, lasciando perdere le tendenze da stronzi. Ma c’è anche qualcos’altro, che non riesco bene ad inquadrare. È perché, d’istinto, una preda tiene sempre d’occhio i predatori nelle vicinanze, di continuo? O è dovuto a tutta quell’aura di comando che li circonda, e al fatto che loro, in qualche modo, senza alcuna parola, sembrano chiedere la mia attenzione?

(Tratto dal libro)

Il primo libro della trilogia ci apre le porte di questo angolo di mondo, corrotto e violento, dove i segreti e le apparenze sono linfa vitale di questa microsocietà.

Ho trovato interessante il modo in cui l’autrice ha sviluppato la trama, rendendola ricca di vari generi narrativi e molto scorrevole. Confonde per gli sviluppi che attendono il lettore e per i colpi di scena inaspettati. La sobrietà dell’ambiente liceale, le scaramucce fra cheerleader e le infatuazioni giovanili sono soltanto l’inizio di un intricato rebus, i cui tasselli verranno svelati col sangue e la sofferenza.

Il rapporto, fra Harlow e i quattro inseparabili, subisce un repentino sviluppo per via di un evento inaspettato che li unirà per sempre. Il coinvolgimento emotivo crea un legame ambiguo nel gruppo, molto interessante e solo agli albori (nell’attesa di sviluppi futuri), fra Harlow e Lincoln.
L’attrazione tra loro è incontenibile e, fra alti e bassi, esplode, allietando la narrazione con qualche scena più bollente, verso la fine del libro. Unica pecca è il POV esclusivo di Harlow che mi ha privato del piacere di conoscere i pensieri e i retroscena all’interno del gruppo maschile.

Adesso mi fiondo a leggere La Menzogna, il secondo libro della serie che è già uscito e vi aspetto per la prossima recensione.

La vita, per me, non è stata esattamente in bianco o in nero e ciò che fanno questi ragazzi rappresenta un’ulteriore sfumatura di grigio.

[Jordan | jordans.bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took a bit for me to get into but I was in a book slump when I started it. I’m so glad I picked it back up again!

I went into this one not knowing the plot so I got a nice surprise! Can’t wait to continue the series!

[Sanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my heart is broken forever...