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So Crazy, It's Messed Up #1
Why I Still Hate You
All the reasons why I still hate you:
Reason #1: You’re the biggest bully ever.
Reason #2: You’re the best kisser ever.
Reason #3: Forget it. I can’t even say this one.
Grayson Anderson is the reason why I’m holding a pregnancy test in my hands.
How could I have been so stupid?
The guy bullied and tormented me for years in high school.
Then ten years later, I just… fall into his bed?
In my defense, I was wasted.
Wasted out of my mind.
My brain was clearly not functioning.
Being pregnant means that I’m tied to my sworn enemy for the rest of eternity.
My fate is dependent on this stupid stick that I just peed on.
So, is it going to be two lines or one?
This series is so crazy, it’s messed up. Brace yourself for a whole lot of heat, a satisfying HEA, no cheating, and absolutely no cliffhangers.
Reason #1: You’re the biggest bully ever.
Reason #2: You’re the best kisser ever.
Reason #3: Forget it. I can’t even say this one.
Grayson Anderson is the reason why I’m holding a pregnancy test in my hands.
How could I have been so stupid?
The guy bullied and tormented me for years in high school.
Then ten years later, I just… fall into his bed?
In my defense, I was wasted.
Wasted out of my mind.
My brain was clearly not functioning.
Being pregnant means that I’m tied to my sworn enemy for the rest of eternity.
My fate is dependent on this stupid stick that I just peed on.
So, is it going to be two lines or one?
This series is so crazy, it’s messed up. Brace yourself for a whole lot of heat, a satisfying HEA, no cheating, and absolutely no cliffhangers.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
May 21, 2020
This was a cute book it's the first time I have read anything by this author. I enjoyed it very much. I already preordered the second one in this series. Grayson has loved Ella since the first time he saw here. He bullied her in high school. But she had no idea how he felt about her. When he finds out what college she will be attending he follows her their. This is their story.
May 3, 2020
I was unsure what I was going to get when I started reading this book as Monica Bolt is a new author for me but I really loved this book.
Ella thought college was going to be a new start for her after the horrific last two years she suffered through in high school, little does she know after one phone call with her father her life is going to change faster than she’s prepared for. Her father had slowly but surely been removing all his support from her life and when he calls to tell her she will now be responsible for her phone bill she is forced to get a job tutoring, she’s always done everything she could to make life easier since the death of her mum but living with him drying schools was a little like being his roommate and housekeeper rather than his daughter. With the help of her best friend Quinn she finds a job tutoring ply for her nightmare to begin when her high school bully Grayson Anderson walks through the door, but she needs this job and decides to stick it out but when she sees another side to him and a glimpse of the man she knew was beneath the taunts and cruelty can she forgive him for all she suffered and has he really changed or is he going to make sure he destroys her completely this time around?
Grayson Anderson May look like he has it all but he doesn’t have the one thing he really wants and has wanted for the past two years. It took one moment for him to lose his heart to the girl next door on the day Ella moved in she settled in his heart too. But being the star of the high school football team came with a price and one he wasn’t willing to pay so he pushed Ella away and humiliated her believing he was doing the right thing, hoping that one day they could have the future he envisioned. But when she vanished straight after graduation he knew what his next move was and that was to attend the college she was. Searching for her was fruitless so when his academic career suffered he knew he had to get his head back in the game so when he arrives at his first tutoring session and there is the woman of his literal dreams it seems fate may be on his side. Can he convince Ella not to hate him or has too much happened between them for the chance of love or a happily ever after to be his? Even if she does give him a chance at forever can he really be what she needs and not screw or up?
I really liked the story in this book, there was a cute naivety about both the two main characters and how they dealt with what was happening around them that made them endearing, you couldn’t help liking them both. It was a first book for me from Ms Bolt and I can safely say it will not be my last. 4.5 🌟read. I am voluntarily reviewing an advanced copy of this book.
Ella thought college was going to be a new start for her after the horrific last two years she suffered through in high school, little does she know after one phone call with her father her life is going to change faster than she’s prepared for. Her father had slowly but surely been removing all his support from her life and when he calls to tell her she will now be responsible for her phone bill she is forced to get a job tutoring, she’s always done everything she could to make life easier since the death of her mum but living with him drying schools was a little like being his roommate and housekeeper rather than his daughter. With the help of her best friend Quinn she finds a job tutoring ply for her nightmare to begin when her high school bully Grayson Anderson walks through the door, but she needs this job and decides to stick it out but when she sees another side to him and a glimpse of the man she knew was beneath the taunts and cruelty can she forgive him for all she suffered and has he really changed or is he going to make sure he destroys her completely this time around?
Grayson Anderson May look like he has it all but he doesn’t have the one thing he really wants and has wanted for the past two years. It took one moment for him to lose his heart to the girl next door on the day Ella moved in she settled in his heart too. But being the star of the high school football team came with a price and one he wasn’t willing to pay so he pushed Ella away and humiliated her believing he was doing the right thing, hoping that one day they could have the future he envisioned. But when she vanished straight after graduation he knew what his next move was and that was to attend the college she was. Searching for her was fruitless so when his academic career suffered he knew he had to get his head back in the game so when he arrives at his first tutoring session and there is the woman of his literal dreams it seems fate may be on his side. Can he convince Ella not to hate him or has too much happened between them for the chance of love or a happily ever after to be his? Even if she does give him a chance at forever can he really be what she needs and not screw or up?
I really liked the story in this book, there was a cute naivety about both the two main characters and how they dealt with what was happening around them that made them endearing, you couldn’t help liking them both. It was a first book for me from Ms Bolt and I can safely say it will not be my last. 4.5 🌟read. I am voluntarily reviewing an advanced copy of this book.
May 1, 2020
Typical childhood-frenemies to college enemies/lovers trope. He's the football god -- she's the down-on-her-luck tutor. See where I'm going here. Of course, he's seen the error of his ways and is dead set on making her his girl. There's the usual angst and drama -- and nothing really different from a ton of others on this same playing field. It's also very juvenile in its delivery. There wasn't anything that particularly drew me in and held my attention. Actually, I was bored more often than not. But it's available on Kindle Unlimited and I can't ever pass up a "football" player -- even one who doesn't make the starting team.
The editing is frightful -- Grayson becomes GrEyson at Chapter Five, flips back to GrAyson and then back to GrEyson once again. Stupid and easy-to-fix typos clutter the rest and makes me crazy.
The editing is frightful -- Grayson becomes GrEyson at Chapter Five, flips back to GrAyson and then back to GrEyson once again. Stupid and easy-to-fix typos clutter the rest and makes me crazy.
November 29, 2022
Full review to come.
Overall, this was an okay book, however, there were some things I did not like, specifically how illogical the H's character is.
I recommend reading the prequel first. To find the prequel, go to the last page of this book and sign up for her newsletter to get your free prequel. I think it's important to read it first to understand the dynamics of the H and h. Honestly, author should have added the prequel to the book because some important context is missing if you don't read it.
Brief Summary: the summary includes info from the prequel, that is why I recommend reading it first.
H is Grayson Anderson, 18-19 years old
h is Ella Adams, 18 years old
From the prequel:
h just moved from Arizona to NC. They have moved around the country a lot for her dad's job. h is pretty much always alone and doing everything (cooking and cleaning) since her dad is always travelling for work. He treats her like a chef and maid, always asking her to iron his work clothes. She is unpacking her boxes when H meets her. They are neighbors. H is friendly with her, but when she gets to school, he acts like she doesn't exist. H is a football player.
For the next two years of school (junior and senior year), H blows hot and cold on her. There are times where he is friendly, but most times he is a jerk. H humiliates her by accusing her of being a jersey chaser and calling her unattractive and his football teammates call her names like slut, where, etc even she is still a virgin. She is not a total outcast in school, but H's friends do bully her from time to time. H sleeps around, but prevents guys from hanging out with her.
By end of high school, h is asked out to prom by a baseball player student, but it was a prank. He gives her laced cookies. H rescues her and brings her home to his bedroom. They talk and end up having sex, her first time. His mom finds them in bed and her father grounds her for two weeks. Since they had sex, H acts cold toward her again. h is hurt, but moves on and gets ready to go to college in Vanderbilt with her best friend. This is where prequel ends. We don't get H's pov in the prequel.
From this book:
We get H's pov with h's pov. H followed h to Vanderbilt and continue football there. He tries to find her at the large school, but can't. He is so obsessed, he missed classes to walk around campus to find her. He thinks she lied to him about going to Vanderbilt and is about to give up. Because he missed classes, he is in danger of being kicked out of football. He is forced to go to student tutoring and surprise! His tutor is the h. h is forced to get a job because her dad has cut her off everything. He wants to teach her the value of hard work and working for what you earn and so she gets a job as a tutor at the university.
H continues to blow hot and cold. He doesn't know how to act around h and feels guilty for how he treated h.
H eventually confess why he was such a jerk to her in high school. H said he was protecting her from his football friends. Apparently, as hazing, if a football player has a girlfriend, they all have to share the girlfriend. He had a girlfriend (the popular girl) in freshman year high school. They lost their virginity together. He loved her. When the hazing started, girlfriend liked being shared and his teammates would purposely have sex with her individually where the H would catch them. He eventually falls out of love with her and vows to not have a girlfriend. H also said, it doesn't matter if a girlfriend was willing or not being shared, the team would still share her. So essentially, his teammates are r@pists. It is not clear if H participates with any of his teammates' girlfriends. H pushed h away so his teammates would not harrass her.
They have a push and pull, but end up dating. It's not smooth sailing because they don't know how to communicate. When they are back in their hometown for a weekend, some of H's high school football teammates see H and h. H pretends they are not dating, but he is mean about it. His high school football teammates/r@pists have peaked in high school and most have not gone to college or continue football. Their jealousy is visible. One of his high school football teammate has a baby and girlfriend, but suggest they all should hang out together and veiled reference of sharing a girl. H doesn't defend h. h is heartbroken.
They don't know how to communicate so they start to spend less time together. H is part of a hazing for his college football team to potentially become team captain and it involves dancing shirtless with a bunch of girls on top of a table. H cancelled a date to do this not telling h and h finds him and is hurt. h founds out she is pregnant and goes home for the holidays. h has a heart to heart with her dad and he supports her. H apologizes with minimal grovel.
HEA. The epilogue is really brief.
Separation/Celibacy: H has been in love with h since he met her, but continues to sleep around with ow(s) while stopping h from dating for two years. H and h have sex on prom night. h was a virgin before sleeping with h. I don’t think she was with anyone else during the 6 months they were apart when they graduated high school, during the summer and when college started. H has not been with anyone else since prom.
OW/OM drama: no ow drama. Some minor OM drama in the form of H's nasty ass football teammates.
What I Liked:
I honestly did enjoy this book, but I am having a hard time finding something I liked from it. I think it was the potential of this book, that it was a bully book, though there was not much of that.
What I Did Not Liked:
1. Tagline was not accurate - I am laughing at how inaccurate it was. It says "rich as sin, popular as hell" and that was not the case. He was, at most, upper middle class and he was with the popular crowd, but did not hold the most sway which is the reason why he couldn't be with h.
2. H's character - I did not like the H. He was very contradictory. I was not convinced he loved h the whole time. He said he was in love with h since he met her, but he slept around. He acted obsessed (like choosing the university the h did), but during his inner monologues, he wanted to push h away, thought he should focus more on football, showing some regret following her to her chosen university, wanting to give up when they were having a hard time, and in reflecting the times he acted cold, he infers that he never thought h was the end game.
H never learned from his mistakes. He said he regretted how he treated h in high school. But when they are back in his hometown and he sees his football friends who he says he hates, he acts all friendly to them and mean to the h again. He didn't even apologize or explain afterwords. Then in another scene, he is involved in another hazing, this time with his college football team. In order to be captain (competing with 2 others), he has to get on top of a table, take off his shirt and let all these girls rub up on him. He allows a girl to fondle him through his pants while he is smiling and winking. He cancelled their much needed date (they still haven't made up from when he was mean again to her when they were back in his hometown) to go do this and not tell her. He was thinking about the h the whole time during this hazing. In these instances, h never comes first. He ends up picking himself/football.
Also, H was not an alpha. Yes he was popular, but he was afraid to go against his football friends. He never defended the h. He should have told the school about the hazing which was r@pe because there were inferences to past actions by teammates that they didn't care if a girl consented. It is not clear if H participates with any of his teammates' girlfriends. By staying quiet, he enabled them and the tradition to continue. I wonder how many girls have been hurt by this. Silence is complicit, therefore, he is as guilty.
3. h was borderline a doormat - even during all the times H bullied her and she saw him bringing a string of girls to his home, she still crushed on him. She let H and her dad (he treats her like a maid) take advantage of her and she acknowledged this towards the end.
4. Double standard - H said he loved h since he met her, but for two years he paraded a lot of girls in front of the h and slept with them, while preventing the h from hanging out or dating other guys. He would beat them up and threaten them to stay away from her. At one point, he kicked her out of a party that wasn't even his party or his house.
5. Plotholes - there are a few things I consider as plotholes because they don't add up:
5a. Plothole #1 ‐ Manny the prom date - a student baseball player ask h to prom. H kept warning her not to accept any prom dates. Manny turned out to be sleezy and gave her edible (weed cookies). Why didn't H beat him up like the other guys he beat up so they stay away from h?
5b. Plothole #2 - H said a lot of guys in school thought h was hot, even his football teammates were talking dirty about her all the time in the locker room. He beat up a lot of guys to stay away from h. Why didn't he beat up his football friends, was he afraid? He was beating a lot of guys up, so why didn't his football friends know about this? H's whole defense of acting mean towards her as a way to protect her falls apart because he said even if they weren't dating, his friends would still try to share, aka sexually assault, h because they would know he cared for her. But beating people up to stay away from her showed that he cared which means his friends would have known and would have tried to share her.
5c. Plothole # 3 - I said this before, but H was too contradictory to make sense most times. He acted obsessed about h, but most of his thought processes were not.
6. Epilogue - the epilogue was very abrupt and short, it was like a paragraph long; half a page. The conflicts kept going close to the ending and the resolution was pretty much the epilogue so we didn't see this natural progression of the H's grovel (none) and his apology and the time of H and h making up. Everything was wrapped up to quickly.
7. A few years ago, I remember a book that had a similar topic of H not wanting to date h because his teammates mandate that any girlfriend they have is shared. I don’t know if I read a review of this book years ago or if it was a different book. If anyone knows of a similar book, please let me know.
Overall, this was an okay book, however, there were some things I did not like, specifically how illogical the H's character is.
I recommend reading the prequel first. To find the prequel, go to the last page of this book and sign up for her newsletter to get your free prequel. I think it's important to read it first to understand the dynamics of the H and h. Honestly, author should have added the prequel to the book because some important context is missing if you don't read it.
Brief Summary: the summary includes info from the prequel, that is why I recommend reading it first.
H is Grayson Anderson, 18-19 years old
h is Ella Adams, 18 years old
From the prequel:
h just moved from Arizona to NC. They have moved around the country a lot for her dad's job. h is pretty much always alone and doing everything (cooking and cleaning) since her dad is always travelling for work. He treats her like a chef and maid, always asking her to iron his work clothes. She is unpacking her boxes when H meets her. They are neighbors. H is friendly with her, but when she gets to school, he acts like she doesn't exist. H is a football player.
For the next two years of school (junior and senior year), H blows hot and cold on her. There are times where he is friendly, but most times he is a jerk. H humiliates her by accusing her of being a jersey chaser and calling her unattractive and his football teammates call her names like slut, where, etc even she is still a virgin. She is not a total outcast in school, but H's friends do bully her from time to time. H sleeps around, but prevents guys from hanging out with her.
By end of high school, h is asked out to prom by a baseball player student, but it was a prank. He gives her laced cookies. H rescues her and brings her home to his bedroom. They talk and end up having sex, her first time. His mom finds them in bed and her father grounds her for two weeks. Since they had sex, H acts cold toward her again. h is hurt, but moves on and gets ready to go to college in Vanderbilt with her best friend. This is where prequel ends. We don't get H's pov in the prequel.
From this book:
We get H's pov with h's pov. H followed h to Vanderbilt and continue football there. He tries to find her at the large school, but can't. He is so obsessed, he missed classes to walk around campus to find her. He thinks she lied to him about going to Vanderbilt and is about to give up. Because he missed classes, he is in danger of being kicked out of football. He is forced to go to student tutoring and surprise! His tutor is the h. h is forced to get a job because her dad has cut her off everything. He wants to teach her the value of hard work and working for what you earn and so she gets a job as a tutor at the university.
H continues to blow hot and cold. He doesn't know how to act around h and feels guilty for how he treated h.
H eventually confess why he was such a jerk to her in high school. H said he was protecting her from his football friends. Apparently, as hazing, if a football player has a girlfriend, they all have to share the girlfriend. He had a girlfriend (the popular girl) in freshman year high school. They lost their virginity together. He loved her. When the hazing started, girlfriend liked being shared and his teammates would purposely have sex with her individually where the H would catch them. He eventually falls out of love with her and vows to not have a girlfriend. H also said, it doesn't matter if a girlfriend was willing or not being shared, the team would still share her. So essentially, his teammates are r@pists. It is not clear if H participates with any of his teammates' girlfriends. H pushed h away so his teammates would not harrass her.
They have a push and pull, but end up dating. It's not smooth sailing because they don't know how to communicate. When they are back in their hometown for a weekend, some of H's high school football teammates see H and h. H pretends they are not dating, but he is mean about it. His high school football teammates/r@pists have peaked in high school and most have not gone to college or continue football. Their jealousy is visible. One of his high school football teammate has a baby and girlfriend, but suggest they all should hang out together and veiled reference of sharing a girl. H doesn't defend h. h is heartbroken.
They don't know how to communicate so they start to spend less time together. H is part of a hazing for his college football team to potentially become team captain and it involves dancing shirtless with a bunch of girls on top of a table. H cancelled a date to do this not telling h and h finds him and is hurt. h founds out she is pregnant and goes home for the holidays. h has a heart to heart with her dad and he supports her. H apologizes with minimal grovel.
HEA. The epilogue is really brief.
Separation/Celibacy: H has been in love with h since he met her, but continues to sleep around with ow(s) while stopping h from dating for two years. H and h have sex on prom night. h was a virgin before sleeping with h. I don’t think she was with anyone else during the 6 months they were apart when they graduated high school, during the summer and when college started. H has not been with anyone else since prom.
OW/OM drama: no ow drama. Some minor OM drama in the form of H's nasty ass football teammates.
What I Liked:
I honestly did enjoy this book, but I am having a hard time finding something I liked from it. I think it was the potential of this book, that it was a bully book, though there was not much of that.
What I Did Not Liked:
1. Tagline was not accurate - I am laughing at how inaccurate it was. It says "rich as sin, popular as hell" and that was not the case. He was, at most, upper middle class and he was with the popular crowd, but did not hold the most sway which is the reason why he couldn't be with h.
2. H's character - I did not like the H. He was very contradictory. I was not convinced he loved h the whole time. He said he was in love with h since he met her, but he slept around. He acted obsessed (like choosing the university the h did), but during his inner monologues, he wanted to push h away, thought he should focus more on football, showing some regret following her to her chosen university, wanting to give up when they were having a hard time, and in reflecting the times he acted cold, he infers that he never thought h was the end game.
H never learned from his mistakes. He said he regretted how he treated h in high school. But when they are back in his hometown and he sees his football friends who he says he hates, he acts all friendly to them and mean to the h again. He didn't even apologize or explain afterwords. Then in another scene, he is involved in another hazing, this time with his college football team. In order to be captain (competing with 2 others), he has to get on top of a table, take off his shirt and let all these girls rub up on him. He allows a girl to fondle him through his pants while he is smiling and winking. He cancelled their much needed date (they still haven't made up from when he was mean again to her when they were back in his hometown) to go do this and not tell her. He was thinking about the h the whole time during this hazing. In these instances, h never comes first. He ends up picking himself/football.
Also, H was not an alpha. Yes he was popular, but he was afraid to go against his football friends. He never defended the h. He should have told the school about the hazing which was r@pe because there were inferences to past actions by teammates that they didn't care if a girl consented. It is not clear if H participates with any of his teammates' girlfriends. By staying quiet, he enabled them and the tradition to continue. I wonder how many girls have been hurt by this. Silence is complicit, therefore, he is as guilty.
3. h was borderline a doormat - even during all the times H bullied her and she saw him bringing a string of girls to his home, she still crushed on him. She let H and her dad (he treats her like a maid) take advantage of her and she acknowledged this towards the end.
4. Double standard - H said he loved h since he met her, but for two years he paraded a lot of girls in front of the h and slept with them, while preventing the h from hanging out or dating other guys. He would beat them up and threaten them to stay away from her. At one point, he kicked her out of a party that wasn't even his party or his house.
5. Plotholes - there are a few things I consider as plotholes because they don't add up:
5a. Plothole #1 ‐ Manny the prom date - a student baseball player ask h to prom. H kept warning her not to accept any prom dates. Manny turned out to be sleezy and gave her edible (weed cookies). Why didn't H beat him up like the other guys he beat up so they stay away from h?
5b. Plothole #2 - H said a lot of guys in school thought h was hot, even his football teammates were talking dirty about her all the time in the locker room. He beat up a lot of guys to stay away from h. Why didn't he beat up his football friends, was he afraid? He was beating a lot of guys up, so why didn't his football friends know about this? H's whole defense of acting mean towards her as a way to protect her falls apart because he said even if they weren't dating, his friends would still try to share, aka sexually assault, h because they would know he cared for her. But beating people up to stay away from her showed that he cared which means his friends would have known and would have tried to share her.
5c. Plothole # 3 - I said this before, but H was too contradictory to make sense most times. He acted obsessed about h, but most of his thought processes were not.
6. Epilogue - the epilogue was very abrupt and short, it was like a paragraph long; half a page. The conflicts kept going close to the ending and the resolution was pretty much the epilogue so we didn't see this natural progression of the H's grovel (none) and his apology and the time of H and h making up. Everything was wrapped up to quickly.
7. A few years ago, I remember a book that had a similar topic of H not wanting to date h because his teammates mandate that any girlfriend they have is shared. I don’t know if I read a review of this book years ago or if it was a different book. If anyone knows of a similar book, please let me know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2022
This was a fun college novella! They were cute together. I loved how instinctual it was for him to take care of her, even in HS when things were complicated he still drove her home when it was cold outside. I adored him always feeding her in this one and walking her home. There were a few things that were off for me but overall the drama was enjoyable and the characters were likable.
Overall: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
Want to Read
May 17, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/17/2021)! 🎁
May 7, 2020
I liked the general idea of this story but the implementation needs work. There was a lot of inner monologuing that led to pages of skimming. There were also a lot of random typos. I also need to point out that almost the entire book synopsis reads like it’s for a different book. This doesn’t take place 10 years later, and they weren’t drunk. They started dating. No idea that that’s about... I noticed that the author said in her bio that this is her first book and that she writes alpha men. I could definitely see in the writing how this could be her first book, but this H was in no way an “alpha” man. In fact I found myself thinking “where are his balls” so many times in this book that if it were a drinking game I would be dead. He spent high school supposedly “in love” with the h (while screwing other girls) because he didn’t want to stand up to the guys he played football with. He didn’t even stand up to them once he was in college, and was heading down that road with his college team as well. It was a real turn off. Back to the screwing other girls part. That was a real turn off as well. It made no sense, and makes taking his feelings seriously pretty much impossible. The h was of course a virgin, who compared every guy to him so she didn’t date much. Why do authors do this? Why write a guy who is supposedly so into the h, but give them a history of screwing other girls while he “loves her” but it’s ok for her to be patiently waiting for him. Before he met her, I understand, but after? It just makes no sense, and makes your story trash. I will say that at least she had him not screw anyone else after he and the heroine slept together after prom. A few months of celibacy is better than nothing I guess. I hope this author gets a few beta readers and an editor.
May 22, 2020
This is NOT the book advertized
First this is a new adult romance that occurs entirely during their first semester of college with the exception of the flashbacks to high school and the epilogue. There is no 10 year gap, and there is no drunken hook up. There is a middle of the night waking up and deciding to risk pulling out instead of using a condom. They drank earlier in the night but it was hours earlier and long enough to be sober. They were also dating at the time. Honestly that blurb is complete and utter bs that has very little to do with the actual book. She doesn't even get pregnant until the book is almost over. The majority of the book the couple is in a voluntary relationship. The reasons behind their past are at best complete unbelievable crap and at worst a leading man who doesn't have the balls to stand up against rapists. The whole high school scenario if it were really occurring would not only be a scandal that rocked the school enough to potentially lose the funding for their football team but would have resulted in numerous arrests. If we're supposed to believe all that, our supposed hero is the guy who knew and looked the other way. He regularly treats the girl like crap and she instantly forgives him because he's just so hot... Are You Kidding Me?! The leading man doesn't belong as a hero, he belongs in a jail cell.
First this is a new adult romance that occurs entirely during their first semester of college with the exception of the flashbacks to high school and the epilogue. There is no 10 year gap, and there is no drunken hook up. There is a middle of the night waking up and deciding to risk pulling out instead of using a condom. They drank earlier in the night but it was hours earlier and long enough to be sober. They were also dating at the time. Honestly that blurb is complete and utter bs that has very little to do with the actual book. She doesn't even get pregnant until the book is almost over. The majority of the book the couple is in a voluntary relationship. The reasons behind their past are at best complete unbelievable crap and at worst a leading man who doesn't have the balls to stand up against rapists. The whole high school scenario if it were really occurring would not only be a scandal that rocked the school enough to potentially lose the funding for their football team but would have resulted in numerous arrests. If we're supposed to believe all that, our supposed hero is the guy who knew and looked the other way. He regularly treats the girl like crap and she instantly forgives him because he's just so hot... Are You Kidding Me?! The leading man doesn't belong as a hero, he belongs in a jail cell.
December 13, 2022
Another "Reformed bully" romance that ended up being a disappointment.
As I understood, this is a first book from this author, so don't want to judge it too harshly, but at the same time can't help to point out a few faults.
The heroine is too naive, that saying: Trick me once....,Trick me twice... is about her specifically. The Hero did practically nothing for her to give him another chance, and yet here she is throwing herself at him. Not using a condom is another proof of pure stupidity.
The Hero's way of showing a remorse was poor. What the heck was the last blow up?? And instead of properly explaining himself (what kind of an idiot he really is), he comes to her, tells her he'll be there for her and their baby, and that's it. I guess it was supposed to be some grand gesture coming to the OB/gyn to surprise her in front of people, but it was pitiful...
So glad, I gave the previous reformed bully book higher rating. This one didn't work for me 😕
September 26, 2020
It was good until it wasn’t
I was all for this story and the characters until I wasn’t.
Grayson was a disappointing character from the get but, he had potential and I didn’t completely hate him. Ella on the other hand I liked, even if she was a doormat at times.
The story was okay, good in some parts even. And then I got closer to the end and I just lost it. Grayson is an immature boy who needs a lot of growing up to do and I saw none of that growth happening. The word “sorry” starts to mean nothing when repeated behavior continues. Grayson is trash. I’d hope to see Ella grow a backbone but, nope Grayson treated her like trash and then said sorry and she’s back in his arms. Gross.
I was all for this story and the characters until I wasn’t.
Grayson was a disappointing character from the get but, he had potential and I didn’t completely hate him. Ella on the other hand I liked, even if she was a doormat at times.
The story was okay, good in some parts even. And then I got closer to the end and I just lost it. Grayson is an immature boy who needs a lot of growing up to do and I saw none of that growth happening. The word “sorry” starts to mean nothing when repeated behavior continues. Grayson is trash. I’d hope to see Ella grow a backbone but, nope Grayson treated her like trash and then said sorry and she’s back in his arms. Gross.
March 15, 2021
This was sweet. It was sort of a bully romance except after the bullying.
The bully in question, Grayson, has actually been in love with Ella practically since the moment he first saw her. But he can’t be with her and he distances himself by being mean to her.
But as soon as they get away from high school he decides to peruse her. And once they get together he really was so sweet. He is regretful of hurting her and it’s clear that he loves her so much.
But not everything is all sunshine and roses just because they decide to finally get together. They still have some kinks to work out and learn to trust each other.
The bully in question, Grayson, has actually been in love with Ella practically since the moment he first saw her. But he can’t be with her and he distances himself by being mean to her.
But as soon as they get away from high school he decides to peruse her. And once they get together he really was so sweet. He is regretful of hurting her and it’s clear that he loves her so much.
But not everything is all sunshine and roses just because they decide to finally get together. They still have some kinks to work out and learn to trust each other.
July 14, 2020
A cute romance filled with angst, hate and so much steam!
Ella and Greyson aren’t exactly friends and after he broke her heart in high school he’s lucky she didn’t punch him the first time they saw each other again!
As Greyson makes up for his past their future is about to get a lot more exciting!
Ella and Greyson aren’t exactly friends and after he broke her heart in high school he’s lucky she didn’t punch him the first time they saw each other again!
As Greyson makes up for his past their future is about to get a lot more exciting!
May 7, 2020
If you bought this book based on its blurb, then you will be disappointed. The blurb is not accurate. So I must admit i spent most of the book waiting for the things to happen and they never did.
But in so saying it was a good book. It’s about a bully and and the quiet neighbour girl. They had an instant connection to first time they met. He seemed like such a great guy and then he got to school and he changed into a bully. He broke her heart and her confidence.
As you go through their history and the reason he behaved the way he did, you understand why he did it but part of me wishes he had just told her right at the beginning the reason why, so it wouldn’t gut her so much.
All in all a good book
But in so saying it was a good book. It’s about a bully and and the quiet neighbour girl. They had an instant connection to first time they met. He seemed like such a great guy and then he got to school and he changed into a bully. He broke her heart and her confidence.
As you go through their history and the reason he behaved the way he did, you understand why he did it but part of me wishes he had just told her right at the beginning the reason why, so it wouldn’t gut her so much.
All in all a good book
May 1, 2020
KU*
3.75/4 stars
Okay so first things first, I did enjoy this book, I love a good enemies to lovers romance; however, there was an issue. The synopsis of this book doesn’t match what happens in the book: this is a college romance (19 years old), but it was supposed to be 10 years later, and there is no drunken one night stand.
Possible Spoilers:
We have the tortured jock who tormented his beautiful woman in high school to save her from his crazy friends. In order to save her, Grayson bullied the crap out of her and emotionally demolished her; although he did bully her, Ella still gave into his touches and kisses without a second thought. Now the book is set in college, but we get some flashbacks into their high school interactions and I have to say Grayson was a turd. Grayson’s actions were so confusing because I couldn’t tell who he was protecting more his idiots friends, Ella, or himself; unless they were going to do her harm the only thing in danger was his football playing.
Now that being said, Grayson was a turd then he was swoon-worthy then turned back into an immature turd accidentally. Ella is portrayed as strong girl with some family issues, but she fell for Grayson anytime he was nice to her. I loved their friends, Quinn and James, even if there was an awkward morning after moment with the two couples ;)
At the end, I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t what I was looking forward to reading and immature decisions that were made at times made me roll my eyes. Again that can be result of my thinking the book focused on adults in their late twenties versus what it was: a teenage romance.
Synopsis:
All the reasons why I still hate you:
Reason #1: You’re the biggest bully ever.
Reason #2: You’re the best kisser ever.
Reason #3: Forget it. I can’t even say this one.
Grayson Anderson is the reason why I’m holding a pregnancy test in my hands.
How could I have been so stupid?
The guy bullied and tormented me for years in high school.
Then ten years later, I just… fall into his bed?
In my defense, I was wasted.
Wasted out of my mind.
My brain was clearly not functioning.
Being pregnant means that I’m tied to my sworn enemy for the rest of eternity.
My fate is dependent on this stupid stick that I just peed on.
So, is it going to be two lines or one?
This series is so crazy, it’s messed up. Brace yourself for a whole lot of heat, a satisfying HEA, no cheating, and absolutely no cliffhangers.
3.75/4 stars
Okay so first things first, I did enjoy this book, I love a good enemies to lovers romance; however, there was an issue. The synopsis of this book doesn’t match what happens in the book: this is a college romance (19 years old), but it was supposed to be 10 years later, and there is no drunken one night stand.
Possible Spoilers:
We have the tortured jock who tormented his beautiful woman in high school to save her from his crazy friends. In order to save her, Grayson bullied the crap out of her and emotionally demolished her; although he did bully her, Ella still gave into his touches and kisses without a second thought. Now the book is set in college, but we get some flashbacks into their high school interactions and I have to say Grayson was a turd. Grayson’s actions were so confusing because I couldn’t tell who he was protecting more his idiots friends, Ella, or himself; unless they were going to do her harm the only thing in danger was his football playing.
Now that being said, Grayson was a turd then he was swoon-worthy then turned back into an immature turd accidentally. Ella is portrayed as strong girl with some family issues, but she fell for Grayson anytime he was nice to her. I loved their friends, Quinn and James, even if there was an awkward morning after moment with the two couples ;)
At the end, I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t what I was looking forward to reading and immature decisions that were made at times made me roll my eyes. Again that can be result of my thinking the book focused on adults in their late twenties versus what it was: a teenage romance.
Synopsis:
All the reasons why I still hate you:
Reason #1: You’re the biggest bully ever.
Reason #2: You’re the best kisser ever.
Reason #3: Forget it. I can’t even say this one.
Grayson Anderson is the reason why I’m holding a pregnancy test in my hands.
How could I have been so stupid?
The guy bullied and tormented me for years in high school.
Then ten years later, I just… fall into his bed?
In my defense, I was wasted.
Wasted out of my mind.
My brain was clearly not functioning.
Being pregnant means that I’m tied to my sworn enemy for the rest of eternity.
My fate is dependent on this stupid stick that I just peed on.
So, is it going to be two lines or one?
This series is so crazy, it’s messed up. Brace yourself for a whole lot of heat, a satisfying HEA, no cheating, and absolutely no cliffhangers.
May 1, 2020
Grayson Anderson is a guy who will be in my top ten book boyfriends. So this is book was a bit different. You know how you always read a book with the girl falling in love with the boy next door. This is a bit reversed. So its the boy who falls in love with the girl next door. So we get his point of view. The sacrifices that he makes to keep her in his life is so sweet. Only she does not know of these sacrifices. Ella Adams meets the boy next door when she moving into her new house and does not bat an eye. However, she does catch feelings for him. Will she love him or hate him? Does she find out what he has done for her? You will get to read what Grayson goes through and how he feels. This book has a great build up and will have you on the edge of your seat til the end. I loved this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 1, 2021
Cute story
I enjoyed this former bully story. Grayson was really sweet and o like that he hadn’t been with anyone in over six months (since they first hooked up). It would have been nice if he’d have stopped sleeping around all together when he knew he loved her though. At least there were no OW scenes. He was 100% about getting his girl during this story. The author needs to update her description though. There was no 10 year separation, it was only about 6 months and he was so desperate for her he followed her to college.
I enjoyed this former bully story. Grayson was really sweet and o like that he hadn’t been with anyone in over six months (since they first hooked up). It would have been nice if he’d have stopped sleeping around all together when he knew he loved her though. At least there were no OW scenes. He was 100% about getting his girl during this story. The author needs to update her description though. There was no 10 year separation, it was only about 6 months and he was so desperate for her he followed her to college.
May 21, 2020
It started out ok, I think I'm just so used to the clique bully enemie that I kept waiting for the big scene, I feel a fool to say I don't think the bully was mean enough. Like the characters were too emotional? And I was racking my brain to think why dad was so cold towards her.
June 2, 2020
Cute read!
For this being the debut book from this author she sure blew me away! It was such a cute read! There was alot of drama but it was put together quite nicely!
For this being the debut book from this author she sure blew me away! It was such a cute read! There was alot of drama but it was put together quite nicely!
July 19, 2021
Cute, quick read.
Cute, quick, and a !little angsty. First read by this author and enjoyed it.
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: second chance romance
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥
Triggers: none
Cute, quick, and a !little angsty. First read by this author and enjoyed it.
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: second chance romance
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥
Triggers: none
May 3, 2020
When Grayson first sees Ella he is gone. To protect her he freezes her out. WhT. He finds out she is going to Vanderbilt, he follows her. He made some bad decisions. When the two finally get their act together, life throws more curve balls. The story was okay but the synopsis didn’t quite match. College age romance. Nice epilogue.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 11, 2020
I don’t think the person who wrote the synopsis actually read the book because the timeline does not match. That’s problem number one, problem number 2 the Hero had no redeeming qualities. I’m sorry to say so but that’s how I feel. I feel like this is the kind of book that lets young women believe it’s okay to forgive men who emotionally abuse you as long as they have a good reason for it and apologize without change in their behavior. So this was a major NO for me.
April 27, 2020
Ella and Grayson became neighbors while in high school and Grayson seemed to run a bit hot and cold towards her. They ended up at the same college and Ella becomes his tutor and grow closer. Fast-paced read with plenty of drama and steamy chemistry. I liked it.
May 19, 2020
Ella moved to a new town 2 years before finishing high school, she met her new neighbour Greyson whilst unloading the moving truck. They hit it off and got on really well, until the first day of school where he ignored her, and over the next two years tormented and humiliated her constantly.
When Ella went to college she thought she had moved on and relaxed into a routine, that is until she walked in a room to meet the person she was going to tutor and saw Greyson, her own personal nightmare. Eventually she agreed to tutor him, but again he started to blow hot and cold, she never knew where she stood with him, until one night he told her the truth about why he treated her the way he did for those two years.
Things are going well between the two and they become a couple, they are happy, until they return home one weekend and bump into two people from high school, and Greyson reverts back to his old ways. Ella needs space so they agree to get their finals over with and get together a week later. But plans change at the last minute and Ella walks in on something no girlfriend wants to see, so she heads back home, once again hurt and humiliated by the one person she loves.
Can Greyson prove to her that it wasn’t what it looked like, can he show her how much he loves her, and will Ella be able to forgive him - again!
If you like high school/college books then you will enjoy this one, it has both the immaturity of teenagers and the moving into adult thought process.
When Ella went to college she thought she had moved on and relaxed into a routine, that is until she walked in a room to meet the person she was going to tutor and saw Greyson, her own personal nightmare. Eventually she agreed to tutor him, but again he started to blow hot and cold, she never knew where she stood with him, until one night he told her the truth about why he treated her the way he did for those two years.
Things are going well between the two and they become a couple, they are happy, until they return home one weekend and bump into two people from high school, and Greyson reverts back to his old ways. Ella needs space so they agree to get their finals over with and get together a week later. But plans change at the last minute and Ella walks in on something no girlfriend wants to see, so she heads back home, once again hurt and humiliated by the one person she loves.
Can Greyson prove to her that it wasn’t what it looked like, can he show her how much he loves her, and will Ella be able to forgive him - again!
If you like high school/college books then you will enjoy this one, it has both the immaturity of teenagers and the moving into adult thought process.
April 29, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this NA novel by Monica Bolt. Her writing flowed so well and her characters were very relatable. Grayson and Ella attended High School together and Grayson made her High School years miserable. Ella has always had a bit of a crush on Grayson but he treats her terribly. One of the last conversations they have, Grayson asks Ella where she plans to attend college. Grayson, a star receiver on the High School football team, has several scholarship offers and then realizes that he also has an offer from the college Ella plans to attend. Once at college, Grayson starts skipping classes just to look for Ella, without success. His coach calls him out on his grades and the fact that he’s missed so many classes and demands that he start seeing a tutor to get his grades up if he wants to remain on the football team. Well, I imagine you can guess who his tutor is. The story evolves from there with Grayson and Ella starting a relationship and Grayson’s bombshell about why he acted the way he did in High School buy the book and find out what happens between the two. You wont be disappointed!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 30, 2020
Young love. Sometimes Murphy's law shows itself time and time again. I found this book somewhat exasperating and quite frankly wanted to kick Grayson in the proverbial backside for repeatedly treating Ella so badly. He gives the name 'bad boy' a new meaning. It is true I suppose that boys, well, the immature ones anyway treat the object of their desires very badly as a means of coping with their emotions vs. playing the cool leader of the pack in front of peers. Ella's immaturity and inexperience let her put up with so much from Grayson but as someone no longer a teenager/youngster, I perhaps view relationships differently but I find it hard to accept a girl allowing herself to be treated like a doormat. That of course, is when Grayson is in love with Ella. Imagine how he would have treated her if he didn't. However, through a series of tension points, our couple miraculously finds their resolution, and the reader can give out a pent-up sigh ' thank goodness'. I found the characters and their behaviour juvenile even for youngsters. Nevertheless, it is a book well worth reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 30, 2020
Ella's is attending Vanderbilt University she's left behind her awful high school experience but then her father drops a bomb she needs to get a job to pay for her phone bill so she decides to tutor unfortunately her new tutor job brings her into contact with her high school bully Grayson why is he even at the same college as her.
Grayson I followed a girl to college using a football scholarship she hates my guts I was a huge jerk to her in high-school but I had to protect her from the other psychos I went to school with but now I'm in trouble my grades are slipping and I need a tutor and there she is the girl I've been looking for Ella's. These to have there ups and downs Grayson dose some major stupid crap that I can't believe Ella's for gave him for im not sure that I'm sold on Grayson by the end of the book I think this book need to be a bit longer and that stuff with Graysons team mates both in high school and college should have been dealt with i feel like it was just brushed under the carpet so thats why I gave this book a 4 star rating.
I was allowed to read and advance copy of this book via Booksprout and this is my honest review.
Grayson I followed a girl to college using a football scholarship she hates my guts I was a huge jerk to her in high-school but I had to protect her from the other psychos I went to school with but now I'm in trouble my grades are slipping and I need a tutor and there she is the girl I've been looking for Ella's. These to have there ups and downs Grayson dose some major stupid crap that I can't believe Ella's for gave him for im not sure that I'm sold on Grayson by the end of the book I think this book need to be a bit longer and that stuff with Graysons team mates both in high school and college should have been dealt with i feel like it was just brushed under the carpet so thats why I gave this book a 4 star rating.
I was allowed to read and advance copy of this book via Booksprout and this is my honest review.
May 3, 2020
This is the story of Grayson and Ella, who meet each other when Ella moves in next door to Grayson in High School. He’s instantly smitten, and Ella thinks she’s found a friend. Then school starts and it’s all downhill from there, as Grayson bullies and torments her.
So, I liked Ella. I liked her determination and drive to succeed no matter what. I liked Grayson when he wasn’t being a turd. It was like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The reasons given for his crazy antics are juvenile at best, and far fetched at worse. Bully romances have a lot of far fetched scenarios so I can generally overlook that. It’s a quick read, so I felt the pacing was a bit off and we didn’t get the time we needed to really gel this couple together. Additionally, the blurb is completely off. If you base this book off the blurb you will be very disappointed as that is not the story you get. This takes place their Freshman year of college, and it’s not a drunken one night stand scenario. Overall it’s not a terrible book, but it wasn’t what I thought I was going to be reading.
April 28, 2020
Bright heavens, this pair makes me feel old. I just haven’t made up my mind if that’s a bad thing or not. As a victim of school bullying, I should have immediately connected with Ella, but I didn’t. I think of lot of that has to do with the fact that most of the incidents we see are through Grayson’s eyes and that disconnected me from Ella’s reactions and emotions. Maybe it’s because we start the book in Grayson’s head and he’s the first one to present his argument, I was willing to give him a lot of slack for a lot of pretty abysmal behavior. And even while my heart was crying out for Ella to hear him out, to give him another chance (again), my brain was cheering her on for putting herself first. So, yeah, I completely understood all the emotional ups and downs. I loved the ending. It was sappy and sweet and almost too perfect for words. But it seemed a bit too easy for all the chaos this pair created.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.
April 29, 2020
The story line went about as well as I expected due to the characters ages. Ella and Grayson are college freshmen that have more than a little bit of a past with each other. They are actual neighbors and went to the same high school. Not to give out spoilers but be aware that there’s a lot more that occurred between these two in high school. Grayson’s behavior was deplorable then and even though he’s in college, his thought process still needs work. Not the most mature guy but he does demonstrate that he can be redeemable and reprogrammed. Good or bad, depending on how you feel, but Ella seems to be the only one who he’ll do it for. Ella for me needed to be more assertive with him and gave in too easily for most things. Somewhat juvenile in its delivery and character dialogue but overall not a bad book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 11, 2020
This is my first book by this author. Ella moved next door to Grayson and went to the same high school where Grayson tormented Ella for 2 years. On prom night Grayson saves Ella as she was drugged by her date and then she gives him her virginity and then she leaves town. Move forward a couple of months and they are attending the same college.
Grayson knows Ella is at the same college and has been looking for her. When fate puts them together sparks fly however Grayson can't seem to do anything right and thing go down hill when they go home for the weekend I did think that Ella did make a bit of a big deal out of it and she did treat him as a doormat.
Ella then finds out she is pregnant and runs home without telling him. Will she tell him about the baby and let him back into their live.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Grayson knows Ella is at the same college and has been looking for her. When fate puts them together sparks fly however Grayson can't seem to do anything right and thing go down hill when they go home for the weekend I did think that Ella did make a bit of a big deal out of it and she did treat him as a doormat.
Ella then finds out she is pregnant and runs home without telling him. Will she tell him about the baby and let him back into their live.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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