Rich Prick

by Tijan

He walked into school on his first day and owned it.
I guess that's what happens when you're a prick, rich, and you're best friends with the ruling school's king.
Also didn't hurt he's drop dead gorgeous.

That's all fine.
I mean, I have nothing to do with them.
I'm a loner, invisible, and that's how I wanted it to be.

I was even proud of it, until I wasn't.

Until I saw a girl kneel before him.
Until I couldn't look away.
Until he caught me watching.

His name is Blaise Devroe. My name is Aspen Monson.
He only knew how to get, command, and demand attention. I knew how to do everything but that.
And this is our story.

*Rich Prick is a full 100k standalone.

Genres: Romance, High School, New Adult, Sports Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

424 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2020

Reviews

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

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS: can also be found on my blog:
➽ KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
RICH PRICK: Is a full length YA/ROMANCE novel, by Tijan. This is Blaise (Cross's brother)and Aspen's (Nate's sister) story.

As soon as this arrived on my ipad, life was forgotten, put on hold, as I sat there inhaling the words and falling in love with these two characters fully. And It’s only right that my unicorn author could pull me out of my book funk! This was a slow burn which quickly got its hooks into me and I could finally breathe again, I was finally in my happy place, loving reading again!

This wrung out ALL THE FEELS, a time or two I even got teary eyed! These two were perfection, and perfectly perfect for each other! Oh how I adored this story!!

The drama
The angst
The heartbreak
The sighing, the swooning
Came at me on high speed!!

Aspen Monson is Nate's little sister, she's the girl who likes to live under the radar, being invisible and a loner is how she likes it, camping out is the one place where she feels closer to her brother Owen, a brother she'd lost in a car accident, losing him the way she did, broke something within her. She's quirky, shy, not good in social standings as she doesn't know how to interact with her peers, and even within her own family she's invisible.

Blaise Devroe, is an arrogant entitled alpha a-hole, the king jock of Fallen Crest Academy. He doesn't love easily but when he does oh boy he loves fully, to the point where he becomes obsessively protective of them. Looking from the outside in it would seem as though he has no worries at all. But it's all a facade because once you get a closer look you'll see the cracks in the foundation tethering their family together slowly fall apart. . It's all going to come crashing down around his ears.

These two met in the most unique ways possible. She's had a crush on him as soon as she'd clapped eyes on him that first day of school. It's at a party where Aspen is on the outskirts peering in where she stands like a deer in the headlights, not being able to move is what catches Blaise's eye. He sees her.

And from that point onwards she was under his radar. And he wasn't letting her out of his sight. Two lost souls who become tethered to each other.

[mel ☽ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

why do i keep doing this to myself? honestly. whyyyy??

i literally dnf'ed this a few months ago because of the first chapter but like- as y'all know me, i don't listen to myself and hurt my own feelings so alas here i am (again).



so this is like any other new adult book out there. we have:
Aspen (h) being the loner type of character + Blaise (H) is your typical popular kid + they have dark past + they connect through trauma and shit + H helps h get out of her shell + h makes H want to be a "better man" + add a little OW drama + family drama and BAM = ✨NEW ADULT ROMANCE✨

✦✧ SPOILERS AHEAD ✧✦

k first of all, what is up with all this voyeuristic, OW shit i've been reading this month. seriously 😭 this is the THIRD book i've read this month alone with this trope and i hate it. someone. help.

but yeah, imma go on a mini-rant about the first four chapters or so because it lowkey traumatized me because- ugh just look:

"Hmmm...Blaise." My girl moaned, readjusted, and took me in again. She reached up to stroke under, and damn, that felt good. My eyes almost rolled back, but I caught myself and held steady. My hands went to her head. Sometimes a little guidance went a long way, and as I applied gentle pressure, my girl was receptive. So I started to drive her mouth over me. All the while, I never stopped watching the other girl.

yeah, yeah. Aspen caught him getting his d sucked by Mara (OW) and then Blaise fingers the OW because he's not selfish or whatever while knowing Aspen was watching but- BUT... did y'all see that? did y'all. See. THAT?? like-



my girl, guys. he called the OW MY GIRL ?! bro. nah. no way. he says he doesn't date and all that but he calls the OW "MY GIRL"????? i don't know about y'all but im pretty sure you call someone "my girl" when you're dating and im sorry i know this is probably something small and irrelevant (probably) but... seriously- "my girl"?? the above quote isn't the only time he called the OW that endearment btw, he literally repeats that quite a few times in the beginning so i swear im not being dramatic, but the fact that he calls Aspen "my girl" later on too??? ugh please.

and this little "incident" happened on the weekend so he was with the OW the whole weekend if you get what i mean. but im sorry if my future mans call someone "my girl" in their head and then proceeds to lick their fingers after they you-know-what to the OW, knowing im watching and then calls me the same endearment later on?? welll. lemme tell you. i did take taekwondo classes when i was, like, in middle school so they're about to catch these hands.

i mean am i semi-glad that this OW shit only happened at the beginning? yes.
but am i still salty about him calling her "my girl", this one scene being more descriptive than the other scenes with Aspen, and saying the best blowjob he's had is with the OW? HELL FUCKIN YES.



♡ 𝐑 𝐎 𝐌 𝐀 𝐍 𝐂 𝐄 ♡
ok so at first i was kinda eh towards their romance (because of what's said above), plus they kinda got together a little too fast because the first (or second?) time they meet for real, their conversation was very brief and then the next time they meet they make out in the bathroom and he suddenly "cares" for her, goes camping with her and you know... pleasuring her and shiii and im like whattt. but where's the development?¿ although that's the case, i thought they were pretty sweet and cute at times. i like how into her he was and only her once they're together. and i also like how Blaise kinda opened her eyes as she was so proud of being alone before him but he made her want more and then she made him want to be better blah blah. romantic cliche and all that but it's cute.

☆ 𝐁 𝐑 𝐎 𝐌 𝐀 𝐍 𝐂 𝐄 ☆
that .5 in my rating is for the bromance because this had more development than the actual romance. i don't know who Zeke Allen was before reading this but apparently he was in the other Tijan books and he was an asshole there but i love him here. there's just something about two bros saying "i love you" to one another. it's just so wholesome.

✧ Z E KE

↳ "I may be a lot of things. And I'm not proud of what I became while you were gone, but you're back. I remember how it feels to know no one's gonna mess with me with you at my side. It means something to me... Since you came back, I've remembered that I wasn't such a bad guy before. I just morphed into him when you left. It sucks, and I gotta learn how to not be this guy but it's hard. It's a lot of work."

do you guys see this shit 🥺 i just love two bros realizing they don't wanna be fboys anymore, so endearing. Zeke bonding with Aspen was cute too. but yeah i mean Zeke & Blaise >>> Aspen & Blaise. sorry.

✧ 𝐒 𝐓 𝐎 𝐑 𝐘 & 𝐖 𝐑 𝐈 𝐓 𝐈 𝐍 𝐆 ✧
to be honest i thought it was kinda all over the place. like characters would talk about one thing and then completely change the subject in the same dialogue and then forgets the original thing they were talking about. if that makes sense. and then sometimes some storyline or character traits appear out of nowhere - that's a pretty big thing by the way - and there were barely any foreshadowing for these huge revelations in the beginning. like the fact that Blaise is apparently a soccer prodigy, his abusive past, etc. i don't know. i guess we just needed more foreshadowing or some hints in the beginning because those revelations felt so out of place.

obviously, there were some emotional scenes that made me tear up a little bit though, especially when it comes to Blaise's PTSD from his abusive past and Aspen thinking about her dead brother. also, the ending was soo rushed that i feel like the last few chapters should've been longer. especially since there was girl friendship/group at the end and i wanted to see more of that!!

* * *

anyways, so um yeah. im still salty about the "my girl" thing because- because, like, whyyyyy? you know? but whatever.



i've only read 3 books from the Fallen Crest series a looong time ago and there were a lot of callbacks and characters from that and the Crew series. Aspen is Nate's younger sister and Blaise is Cross' half brother. but guys... again.. with my last 2 remaining brain cells, i could not for the life of me comprehend this much names. if y'all know Nate, he's gonna have his own book though so im excited for that.

but yeah. please for the love of God no more scenes with OW where the h witnesses it 😭 i can only handle one a month PLEASE.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

No bully, just an angry teenager. Awesome book!.



You know Nate of Fallen Crest? He is the best friend to Mason and Logan Kade. You might remember that when Nate was younger his parents (documentary film makers) did everything they could, even moved to California to keep him away from his friend Mason. Though Nate eventually rebelled and basically kicked his parents out of his life. He now lives in Boston with Logan and Mason is a huge NFL star and has been with Sam for years. Nate also had younger siblings Owen and Aspen. This is Aspen’s story.

A year or so before the book begins, Owen and Aspen were in a car accident in which Owen was killed. He was her brother and her best friend and losing him did something to her. Aspen is a loner and likes to be in the background, unnoticed by others. She doesn’t fit in and doesn’t know how to be around people. Her favorite activity is camping all alone. She used to go camping with Owen and now for her, camping is like breathing. She feels close to Owen.

Though Aspen is a normal teenager in other ways. She has a crush on Blaise, the hottest boy in school. She goes to the school parties, though always in the background or camping in the woods near the party. This is where she sees Blaise with his girl kneeling in front of him. She watched and he saw her. After that he couldn’t stop thinking about her.



Aspen isn’t the only one with issues. Blaise is fairly new at Fallen Crest Academy, though he did live in Fallen Crest when he was younger. He and his mother moved back to town recently after she got divorced and they moved away from New York. Blaise reconnected with his old friend Zeke and his mother introduced him to her new boyfriend, who it turns out looks a lot like Blaise. That is how he found out that his Dad in New York wasn’t really his Dad. Now he has a brother that could be his twin and hates him, and a sister who wants to know him.

The romance between Aspen and Blaise is awesome. Tijan writes good romance and she does great book boyfriends. Blaise is great with Aspen and though he was never one to date, he gets hooked on her pretty fast. It helps that she is model pretty (actually having done some modeling in the past). The major conflicts in the story were terrific, though I won’t specify what those are. I really enjoyed that characters from other Tijan books made up much of the supporting cast. It is really making me want to move some of those books I missed up to the top of my TBR.



I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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[FictionalDen · Rating 1 out of 5]

After Enemies I don’t even know why I even bothered with this book. Like why do I love torturing myself.

So we have Aspen, the library girl who keeps to herself, has no friends and also has a crush on Blaise. Like everyone is the school does so OBVIOUSLY so will she. I mean he is just so HOOOOT.

Anyway one day she decides to go to a party in the woods, where she ends up seeing oh the SEXY Blaise getting a blowjob. Now being a decent human you would actually turn around and leave or maybe watch for a few minutes and then leave, ESPECIALLY when the guy catches you watching. But nooooo Aspen stands there and watched Blaise get a blow job.

Then I felt throbbing and a warm feeling between my legs, and it was game over. It was all I could do not to make a sound, because I wanted to. So bad. I wanted to moan. I wanted to touch myself, but I didn’t. I kept myself reined in, but watch? Oh yeah. I watched.



I should have just stopped reading then. But 🫥🫥🫥 I wanted to give it another try.
So same scene from Blaise’s POV. He saw Aspen looking at him but he still continued fucking the girls mouth and then being a gentleman once he came he obviously returned the favor.

Kissing her, I slid my hand inside her shorts and inside her, and when she was done and moaning, I looked over my shoulder. The other girl was still there, still glued to her tree, her eyes still right on us, but this time, she saw me.

This is certainly NOT disturbing. Anyway by the time he is done with the girl he was generously making love to, Aspen is long gone. Now obviously Blaise is like who was that no makeup green eyes girl and goes looking for her. When he finally finds and confronts her about it, Aspen’s first reaction is ”it was live porn who wouldn’t watch?” and I was thinking to myself that maybe this book is not that bad after all, but then hahaha Aspen was like GIRL YOU SPOKE TOO SOON.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” His nostrils flared again, and he moved even closer. He was almost within touching distance now, his gaze locked on mine.
I had to distract him. That’s the only way I could get out of this one.
“I like you,” I blurted.
“What?” He blinked, seeming stunned.
I got him. Crisis averted.
And I doubled down. “Yeah. I mean, girls have crushes, and you’re mine. I crush on you.”
His eyebrows went up. “You crush on me?”

No this wasn’t even the worst part. Continue reading….

”So those rumors are true?” I asked. Oh wow! Like, wowza wow. “Is that why you moved here? To get to know your brother and sister? I heard they were twins.”

See, let me give you a little background here so you might understand where this is all coming from, she literally just met the guy, first time talking to him and in the spam of 5 mins not only did she tell him that she has a crush on him, she then proceeded to ask him personal questions. And then when Blaise responded back saying that it’s none of her business and that she is not normal (rightfully so)

Pain laced my chest.
I got choked up and turned away, ducking so Blaise couldn’t see my eyes.
I blinked back sudden tears.
I hurried forward, and Blaise had to move out of my way.
Then I was inside Maisie and starting the engine. “I have to go,” I said in a rush before I closed the door. A second later, I was out of there, tears streaming down my face.

I mean HUNNNYYYYYYYYYY

BUT once again I was like let’s give it one more chance because this isn’t that much of a big deal. I MIGHT just be overreacting you know?

So the next time they meet, they bump into each other, Hot coffee is accidentally spilled on Aspen so Blaise immediately removes her shirt and starts putting water on the burned area and then freezes. And............ 100 points if you guessed what happens next.

I started to pull back, but he didn’t allow it. His hands were on my face, and his mouth was on mine. He was demanding. (ONLY CHAPTER 10)

And I closed the book and was like bye bye.

[Corina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read August 2020: I’m in need of some Tijan 😍
2021 - Another re-read. I was in the mood for a YA romance and who does YA the best? TIJAN!!!
___________________________________

5 stars --- it's one of my favourites by Tijan, and on my re-read shelf.

Rich Prick turned out to be exactly the kind of novel I like. It had everything I love about this trope - YA drama à la Tijan. She does it so very well.

And the novel was actually much deeper than expected. With feelings that literally jumped off the pages. I loved the connection between the couple, the possessiveness, the way they belonged to each other in a very straight forward way. I loved the emotional depth that was hidden in this book, the vulnerability.

And I appreciated how well balanced it was regarding the drama, the OTT, and the introduction of old characters. It was all very well done.

I could read stuff like this every day of the year. It speaks to my inner teenage self, that still owns a part of my heart. And YA drama by Tijan will be on the very top of my tbr every single time.

So, yeah, sign me up for more, because this was right up my alley.


___________________________________
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[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tijan is one of my "go-to" authors and knowing I had another Fallen Crest/Crew spin-off in my hands made me giddy as hell. "Fallen Crest High" is definitely one of my all-time favorite YA series and so I knew this was gonna be an awesome read for me. Ohhh how I love it when I am right



This wonderful little gem can be read as a stand-alone, but if you haven't read any of the other series, you should really give them a go. I also think it would be more enjoyable to at least read the Crew series first, but that is just my humble opinion ;)



Anyway, this is Blaise and Aspen's love story and boy do I love those names!!!

Those of you who have read the Crew books might recognize these names because that is where these two were first introduced. Blaise being Cross' half-brother and Aspen being Nathan's sister. 

Now, these two are both dealing with some traumas from their past, but they are both dealing with those demons in very different ways. Where Aspen is trying to be invisible and hide from the world, Blaise has anger-management issues and is prone to lash out to those around them. 



When they are together though... things are pretty calm and perfect. Slowly they start to bring out the best in one another and help each other heal. Now don't get me wrong... love isn't the magic cure to their issues, but it certainly helps to have someone in your corner fighting for you and wanting the best for you ... 



I absolutely loved the (teenage) angst en drama en tears and love in this one. Made me so happy, I read it from start to finish in one go. It also makes me salivate for Nate's book who has an awesome cameo in this one which made me fall in love with him even more.

I also want to give some extra credit to all the wonderful supporting characters that made this book awesome, let's hope they all get their own story



An ARC was provided to

in exchange for an honest review

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Can you believe this is my first book I'm reading from Tijan???Omg it was amazing, I was hooked and I loved everything about it!The characters rocked this story!Such a great romance and I loved the plot!

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Blaise and Aspen stole my heart, loved them and make me swoon and melt!They have a great connection!My emotions were all over the place with these two!I fell hard for them!One of my new favorite couples!

I highly recommend it!I can't wait to read more books from Tijan!


 

  

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Update number two: I’m finally finished and just so freaking confused. This book reads more like a rough draft from a debut author than someone with Tijans experience. So many random ideas thrown together and it just doesn’t work. After the crap at the beginning, the OW is randomly referred to in his head just like an ex hookup, but then his best friend will mention her almost like an actual girlfriend. So many mixed messages. I stand by the fact that the crap at the beginning was for shock value. The H and h never talk about it, even though he was pretty gross showing off the intimacy between he and the OW (seriously who would show themselves licking another girls fluids off their fingers). So she takes the big risk but can’t have the characters actually talk about sex like adults, ok. She seemed to be going for sex positivity and not slut shaming, but it’s way to obvious. It doesn’t really work if it’s thrown at you like an after school special, good lord. Especially when it DOES NOTHING FOR THE PLOT! Not too mention that since she was sure to rub in his sliminess, it seems weird to have have a virgin (completely inexperienced) heroine. I like virgin heroines in general, but it always seems skeezy when the girl is pure and chaste for the guy while she (and we the readers) are watching him screwing with another girl. That’s a more like a guys fantasy not a girls. Even those interested in the voyeur aspect are usually interested in watching others, not their crush and a random girl...

***Update I’m still making my way through this mess**
I’m still not sure what she is doing here. It feels like she tried to draw readers in with the shock value of the first scene, but she is trying to be someone else. Basically it’s seems insincere. Especially as I move on and she tries to tackle some really complex issues but I still keep getting distracted by that chaos. Random things like “hmm the more he falls for her does he think about the story he will have to someday tell... ‘well hey kids, I met your mom while another girl was giving me a blow job and just knew that she was special. As soon as I finished my 3 day my cuddle and sex fest with my other girl I talked to her again and we began a love story ’” I guess my advice to her would be stop trying to go for shock value by emulating authors like LJ Shen, who, by the way, are starting to really lose readers over this immature BS. It’s one thing if something like this adds to the storyline. But here it really doesn’t. It is probably the most random, stupid, “why is this even here?” moment that I’ve ever read... The whole book becomes reduced to this idiocy. I have already almost DNF’d so many times. If it wasn’t for having some unexpected free time, I would have deleted it already and just moved on. I imagine many many more will actually do that. This is nothing to be proud of despite what the fan girls might say. The writing is stilted and sophomoric at best, she counted on the shock value too much. A note to Tijan if she would ever read this. DO BETTER. You are capable of it.



*I’m really not sure what is going on with this book, or at least what the point is. I read the premise, and even though voyeur scenes kind of gross me out, I figured it would still be worth the read. We knock the BJ scene out right away and I thought “ ok, let’s get it over with and get this chick out of here so the realm story can start”. Only it doesn’t. There’s the H and the OW making out, another scene of them handholding, another scene of him calling her “my girl” (over and over again) another scene where he praises her some more, a scene of them waking in bed together after he talked her into spending the weekend with him, then another an hour after he “had reached for her again”. Basically they present this cute little happy couple. They seem pretty committed, he makes a couple of comments insinuating that they aren’t official. But literally everything else he says and does points to a happy committed relationship. At one point he insinuates they are exclusive because he references her friend being disloyal for coming onto him when he was just with her, and tells his friend that he doesn’t share chicks. It just goes on and on and each time I think we are moving on to FINALLY start the hero and heroines story, nope more of him being sweet to the OW. At this point I just give up and don’t think there is a point to this book. He seems happy with the OW and I’m sure our heroine can do better than that. And I’m ready to move on to a book where I didn’t have to witness the intricacies of another relationship before getting to the characters that I actually signed up to read about. Aspen seem quirky and I like that, it’s one of the reasons that I loved Teardrop Shot. But so far all I’ve gotten is “Mara this, Mara that, my girl this, my girl that”. You kind of alienated me at the start, but you definitely did after it just wouldn’t end. I didn’t know what I should even be thinking, “are they going to cheat?” “Is he just going to bail on this girl after all of that?” I guess the long story short is that I didn’t ask for or want to be invested in Mara and Blais’s relationship, and I don’t have the patience to hope that eventually we get to the point. Especially not after all of the handholding, kissing, oral sex, actual sex, hanging out, sleeping together and last but not least the sweet way that he called her “my girl” over and over.

[Bhavya Marya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I think I love Tijan's standalones more than I like her series. The heroines are always awesome in the standalones.

Seriously, I think I have a girl crush on Aspen. She was such a werido and I was here for it !!
Blaise was also really cool. He was brutally honest and really protective of Aspen. *swoons*
He was not afraid to stand up to the actual "pricks" in the story.

From the blurb, you can infer how they met. That scene was so weird and awkward that it was funny. I couldn't stop smiling.

“I, uh…” Screw it. I shrugged. “It was live porn. What did you expect?”

I did not get bored once in this book. Something was always happening besides the romance. They both had their issues and they both helped each other through those issues.
I just flew through these pages. I kept reading and reading until I was done. I love Tijan's writing. She handled each plot line beautifully. And when a conflict was resolved, it felt natural.
If you're a die hard fan of hers, you're definitely not gonna be disappointed.

And I suddenly can't wait for Nate's book after reading this. He had such an awesome cameo in this. I'm also excited for her hockey romance that's coming since I read that tease on her website.

[Bookadmirer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot isn't bad but the author's writing is very messy, unprofessional, and all over the place. It's very confusing to me and sometimes I am unable to fathom the character's emotions in this book. Actually, I didn't feel a single thing while reading this book, Not Blaise's anger issues neither Aspen's abandonment issues. The character's emotions changes within a second. One minute they are sobbing, next they are talking, then fighting, having sex, arguing.



My vagina was singing a melody.

This is actually from the book, trust me. But I must agree this is a unique way to say someone's horny.



Now let's talk about the Hero, Blaise. I don't understand if he deserves to be a hero or not. He was plainly rude. He was abused by his non-bio dad and that's why he gets into fights with his biological brother because his brother had a good father than his. He claims he is jealous of his brother which I understand but he can't just fight with that guy. Why not talk like a normal human being first? Which is really fucked up because his brother seems a nice guy who tried many times to talk to him.

And what did our precious hero do? made rude remarks of his brother's girlfriend in front of his brother and went into multiple fights with him, ignored his brother bluntly when only that guy wanted to talk after knowing he was abused as a child.

I understand he was physically abused by his non-bio dad and have anger issues. but that doesn't mean he has to be always rude and fighting with everyone. Towards the end of the book, he beat his biological dad which was actually to save himself because he thought he was getting beat up again. That just doesn't make any sense.


One of the major things I disliked was when he shared Aspen's secret with Nate. It wasn't his place to tell. Nate is Aspen's brother, Blaise should have pushed them to talk but does he have any right to demand why Nate is away or doesn't know about Aspen's situation? He doesn't know about Nate also it was only the previous day Aspen shared her grief with him. Now that he knows he can't just throw the emotional stuff to Nate. Besides he was plainly rude to Nate too.




Now let's talk about his side chick Mara. I actually liked this girl. She was his fuck buddy, and they had no attachment which actually isn't true cause Mara liked Blaise and this is the only way to get close to him. When Blaise explained that he has feelings for Aspen and won't sleep around she got all crazy. Luckily the author didn't make her character a villain and she actually is a decent person. But the problem is, at the beginning of the book (He wasn't involved with aspen back then) Blaise called Mara his girl, got angry when one of his friends wanted to sleep with her because he doesn't share. He is saying that Mara and he aren't exclusive but his action suggests the opposite. He gets angry over small things, to me it's very childish behavior.

Out Heroine, Aspen is a loner. She recently faced a tragedy. She wants to be lonely because she has abandoned issues. She doesn't hide anything, rather straightforward, smart, and hot (according to Blaise) but still, I just didn't get her emotions. At first, she came out very strong but then it revealed she is just another doormat heroine who is smart but has no friends.

Both protagonists had some stuff that happened to them which is tragic. It's supposed to make me feel something for them. At least I should feel proud that after everything they were able to overcome their struggle. But turns out I didn't feel anything. Instead, I was annoyed throughout the whole book. Overall, it's a very confusing book for me. I feel like I wasted my time. There are many good books to waste precious time with a silly book.

[❤️ Nanda ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Reviewer

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I've said it before, but really, every book I read, just proves how much Tijan is fixed on my list of preferred authors! Like the ones you are even going to read their grocerie's list? Yeah... She's on that very short list of mine.

Aspen is the epitome of the outsider and socially isolated teenager. She has no friends and observes others live their best life from a safe distance, while dealing with her own doubts and insecurities.
Blaise is the complete opposite. He is the king of the school without ever choosing the part. Handsome, hot, rude, rich and a prick with a lot of "friends", he is also dealing with his own family and personal problems.

In an unusual way, their eyes crossed and from then on, Blaise's curiosity only increases about Aspen.

I could tear up thousands of adjectives for both characters, but if you've read any book by Tijan, you know that the universe in which it involves you, is never with a single or simple plot.
The story is extremely important and well developed on a large scale of events and characters. It's not just another Highschool romance... Far from it.
We get involved in the family dynamics of two different groups, and there is no way you can not feel on your skin, all the pain and overcoming that these characters lived. Their scars run bone deep and their healing process are not a beautiful one, it's raw and angry, but when they have each other, they also get the strength to deal with it, and it's amazing to see they overcoming their demons!

Blaise struggles with his childhood traumas, which drove him into a spiral of rage, while Aspen learns to share life again, after the loss of her brother and best friend.
Their relationship is so pure and so beautiful, that I couldn't let go of this book even for a second!

Even though It was a Standalone, Rich Prick took me back to the universe of Fallen Crest and Crew (since this is the story of Aspen Monson - Nate's sister - and Blaise Devroe - Cross's brother).
I really wish it wasn’t a Standalone, but I’m happy to know that I’ll see them again in Always Crew.

Needless to say, I more than recommend reading this book, but I recommend even more that you read Crew and Crew Princess first... It will give you the background to Blaise's issues and family.

ARC reviewer

___________________________________

Eu já disse isso antes, mas realmente, cada livro dela que leio, só prova o quanto Tijan está fixa na minha lista de autores preferenciais! Tipo aqueles que você vai ler até a lista de compras? Então... Ela tá nessa muito curta lista!

Aspen é o epitome da adolescente retraída e socialmente isolada. Ela não tem amigos e observa os outros a distância, enquanto lida com as próprias dúvidas e inseguranças.
Blaise é o completo oposto. Ele é o rei da escola sem nunca ter escolhido o posto. Lindo, descolado, grosseiro e com um monte de "amigos", ele também está lidando com seus próprios problemas familiares e pessoais.

De forma inusitada, seus olhares de cruzam e a partir daí, a curiosidade de Blaise só aumenta em relação a Aspen.

Eu poderia rasgar milhares de adjetivos pra ambos os personagens, mas se vc já leu um livro da Tijan, sabe que o universo em que ela te envolve, nunca é de um plot só.
A história é extremamente importante e bem desenvolvida em larga escala de acontecimentos e personagens. Não é só mais um romance Highschool... Longe disso.
A gente se envolve da dinâmica familiar de dois grupos distintos, e não tem como você não sentir na pele, toda a dor e superação que esses personagens viveram. Suas cicatrizes são profundas e seu processo de cura não é bonito, é cru e agressivo, mas quando eles se encontram, eles também encontram força para lidar com isso juntos, e é incrível ver eles superando seus demônios!

Blaise luta contra seus traumas de infância, que levaram ele em uma espiral de raiva, enquanto Aspen aprende a compartilhar a vida novamente, após a perda do seu irmão e melhor amigo.
A relação deles é tão pura e tão linda, que eu não consegui largar esse livro nem por um segundo!

Mesmo sendo um Standalone, Rich Prick me levou de volta ao universo de Fallen Crest e Crew (desde que essa é a história de Aspen Monson -irmã do Nate- e Blaise Devroe -irmão do Cross).
Eu realmente gostaria que não fosse um Standalone, mas estou feliz em saber que vou revê-los em Always Crew.

Não preciso nem dizer que eu mais do que recomendo a leitura desse livro, mas recomendo mais ainda que leiam Crew e Crew Princess antes.

ARC Reviewer

Segue lá no Instagram ❤️

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOW LIVE!
Amazon US * Amazon UK



This blurb really grabbed my attention and even though I'm not a big fan of YA romances I couldn't just pass this book and not read it. And I'm so glad that I gave it a chance because I loved these characters. They were all very easy to like, even when you hated them *cough* Zeke *cough*. There was angst and drama but nothing that felt too immature, which is usually my problem with YA novels and I actually liked the angst a lot.

My only complaint would be about the epilogue which kind of confused me. The first half of it or so just seemed unnecessary and I didn't really understand the point of it. I actually had to stop reading and go back to the previous chapter to see if I missed something. But other than that I enjoyed this story a lot and it actually has me wanting to go read some more of this authors books set in High School that I had previously avoided.

[Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh well, damn...
I hate when this happens :/
I love Tijan, and she wrote one of the best series I have EVER read, and she'll always hold a special place in my heart cause of it BUT this book was just okay, for me...

First of all, I found the first encounter between the main characters actually weird and awkward, and beyond that point everything else happening between the two (Blaise and Aspen) felt pushed and forced and well, lacking.

I didn't feel that connection the H "pronounces" each time for the h, and just like it was simply stated in the H's line of dialogue, and it wasn't professed in action that was believable enough, I didn't buy it, I didn't dig their "love" at all.

The writing is good as always, but the crucial connection was lacking for me :/

[Fre06 Begum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave up on this author a few years back. Glad I gave this a go as this is def one of her better books.

[Sentranced Jem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never could say no to a book by Tijan.

She is hands down one of my favourite go-to author.

One thing I have come to really find comfort when it comes to Tijan's is that: it is always intense, it is always emotional without it smacking on your face.

In a quintessential Tijan manner..Rick Prick is drama galore!(but the good kind)

Blaise and Aspen are polar opposites yet they compliment each other. Aspen is quiet and observant. I like her. She is almost quirky.
Rick Prick...that title says it all.
Blaise is...well...Blaise is all anger to be honest.

I love how protective he is of Aspen though....gosh 😍

Another thing I love about Tijan's characters is that they are not perfect. Far from it. They are flawed and almost chaotic individuals...but when the hero and heroine are together.... I'm obsessed I don't know how to explain it...they are insync.

I was itching for some amazing secondary characters and Tijan delivered that too (she does it so well!)

Another enjoyable Tijan book ☑️

[Miftahul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am confused between 2 - 3 stars to rate this book cuz i did like it but also didnt, i liked the plot and how different it was from other highschool books, but on the other hand, it was kind of boring. Ok so what i liked was that Blaise is different from other highschool romance book heros, he is like a gentleman and knows how to respect people. He wasnt a jerk to Aspen, he always cared about her from the beginning and i loved his character but he kept repeating that he is a dick, he is a prick and he ll hurt people, at some point it felt like he was trying to convince himself that he is a bad boy but he really is not. As i said, he is like 80% of a gentleman. There was no extra drama and i liked how real it was, but also as i kept reading, it got boring cuz nothing really happens expect Aspen and Blaise hanging out or Blaise fighting with his friends. I also liked the relationship between Aspen and Blaise, but there was no chemistry, i like them as friends. It was insta love kinda, really rushed up and their bonding seemed forced, their whole relationship seemed forced. Aspen is shy and socially awkward, and it was like Blaise was her only option. Sooo there were things i liked and enjoyed reading but most of the time it was just boring. Aspen seemed dramatic most of the time, I understand her struggle and i can also relate in some parts but she over exaggerate things a lot and then pretends like she doesnt care. So her character was kinda confusing and boring for me.

[TMR · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note: An ARC was provided generously in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes, being late to the hype party isn't bad. Sometimes it's good for your bookworm health.

......................................................................................................................

Oh my god, Tijan! I love your novels and yet...why was this such a disappointment?

Why am I the only one disappointed here? God, I feel like an imposter of an actual fan.

Actually, let me tell you the sad story of DNFing this novel.

................

I was just so prepared to love this novel when I was first handed this one, plus the cover was fantastic. So I was all in, literally.

But then the cringe start - where the heroine is sort of a peeping tom at a private moment between the hero and another girl.

And guess what? She's not even ashamed. Her reasoning is as follows when asked by the hero:

"It was live porn." What are you? A boy of 12 or something? A serial killer thriving on sex? A fucking stalker? (oh wait, that gets confirmed later) Didn't know how the human anatomy works during sex?

That is your explanation, woman? Seriously?

I was literally about to lose my shit during this whole cringefest of introductions. Literally. It was just so fucking bad. I couldn't even. I still can't even...

But then I was like - nah, let's give her a chance again. Or at least take it to an appropriate percentage until you can DNF.

And then I was like - fine, brain, you win. Let's go.

So I continued on, praying that something normal would come up - but nope.

Next I got introduced to the hero's family and the hero himself. It was like the male version of the mean girls, it seems almost everyone hates each other, and no one would get along, even if thrown in an apocalypse. God. They were so fucking intolerable.

Moving along - I still hadn't gotten to the 20% I was hoping to DNF at.

And then another moment happens between the hero and the bros (and oh no, someone might get hit or kicked out, oh no how terrible, I couldn't give two shits about this), and she's THERE AGAIN, watching like some goddamn creepy stalker.

GOD, I wanted to punch her right there and then. But nope. There was more to tolerate...

So, we then discovered that the heroine likes to camp like she's a 60's hippie in the woodstock area, with peace, love, aloneness, and of course pot. (just kidding - about the pot).

And even though she's 17 (underaged brat) - she never tells her mom anything (her dad is mostly out of the picture for some strange as reason), not even about this stupid camping thing. And she goes away for three days. THREE WHOLE DAYS.

Can you imagine if an Asian kid, like myself, did this? I would be disowned for life, or I'd have to pay for cosmetic surgeries all over my body (probably because of the roller pin my mom would slice and dice me over) if I ever left like this, and my mom found out, way later. Yup, I'd be rolling in an early grave.

So how does she pull this off? - With the help of the hero, who also coincidentally shows up in her landing spot as well.

And that's how you know this is a book. This shit only happens in books.

A hot moment then happens, yada, yada, yada, between the two. Slightly some fucks are given about this.
And then the mafia appear (just kidding - it's the hero's brothers) to stop him from inserting common sense into her for going alone and telling nobody.

I mean why- why does common sense hurt people? This is the 21st century, dangerous and creepy shit happens in dark places (mostly). How can you be so fucking stupid?

Oh wait, she has the IQ that is same as characters in a horror movie. So, yeah okay.

And then the author has the nerve to justify that she's a stalker, a goddamn creep by saying she's an introvert, a bookworm, a person who didn't like to interact with other people. So that TOTALLY JUSTIFIES HER FUCKING CREEPY BULLSHIT.

God, she gives girls like me such a bad name, I can't even.

HEnce why I DNFed this novel. Thank fuck.

..........................................................................................................

SO that's why I just wrote the review, instead of burning this novel to pieces. Because I am polite and still love Tijan and her novels.

Hope y'all enjoyed this review.

Until the next read,

TMR

[BLuvsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tijan does it again with this addictive read.
I was immediately pulled into the Fallen Crest world from chapter One and the drama, laughs and tears didn’t quit till the end.

Every character in her stories are unique and complex and as a reader you immediately care for them and want to see how they evolve.

Aspen is a quirky loner who is content being “invisible”.
Blaise is arrogant, popular and a “rich prick”.
Amazing banter between them and although he is a jerk to most, never to Aspen.

Both are from wealthy families and people assume they have perfect lives.
This allows them to hide from heartbreaking events both have with their families in their own way.
Aspen and Blaise gravitate towards each other because of this and have an undeniable connection.

“I’d never thought someone would care for me like this, would need me, would come to me when they were wrecked.”

Blaise and Aspen pushed each other to grow and become more while staying loyal and true to those they care about.

I loved how their story unfolded and overjoyed with the appearance of other characters in the Fallen Crest World.


You do not need to read Crew 1 and 2 or Fallen Crest series to enjoy however I highly recommend you do because they are also 5 Star reads!


Dual POV.
ARC

[GimmeAllTheWerdssss]

The synopsis makes me sooo happy I stopped reading Tijan years ago 🤢🤮😷

[Veronica WordsAreMyDrinkOfChoice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/3.5

Right so I have finally read it all, and have to admit the book got better and I actually liked it. There were so many issues, we basically had love in a matter of weeks, Aspen said stuff out loud when drunk, which has already been done with previous heroines Alex and Summer, so was boring. Blaise literally was a mix of previous heroes, and the posturing got boring. I am also so done with the absolutely horrific parents. Marie was an out and out waste of space and cried every time confronted, so as to be the victim and never face anything. She never knew her husband was physically abusing her son, which says everything, especially when there must have been facial marks as Blaise mentioned his step dad smashing his face into objects etc. But what do you expect from trash who lets everyone think her husband is her sons father. But then when shit hits the fan, let’s all hell break loose by letting it be known her baby daddy was an affair and not even he knew! She was a selfish bitch, and I had no idea why Stephen wanted to be with her. Nate was an ass in this book, but he put his ass into gear to make amends. I did not care about Jade the girl from college and was disappointed when she was the cool, judgemental chick, and only one kept around in the epilogue. I would have much rather have read about Veronica and Zeke having a love hate relationship, where they ended up together, and her being a crazy godmother to Blaise and Aspen’s child. I Cared nothing about Jade and Theo. I had some gaps in knowledge as I hated Crew, seriously it is possibly my least favourite Tijan book, the characters were all dull and Cross and Bren had zero chemistry, so could not even bring myself to read Crew Princess. Which saved me time, as the only possible romance I possibly cared about in that series was Jordan and Taz, seems to be going nowhere. So Stephen popping up etc confused me at first. I also am still confused with who Harper hooked up with from Rosseau? Also, so bored of the casual flings turning clingy. Blaise’s fuck Buddy seems cool in the beginning with the set up, but then becomes emotional and psycho as it ends? After agreeing they were not exclusive etc? Grow up, girls can have friends with benefits without falling in love! So bored of the narrative that girls just go along with mutual sexual hook ups for approval and to make guys
Fall for them, and then they turn psycho when things do not go their way! Yawn! Also, everyone loves to read about beauty and luxury sometimes, ya know escapism and all that. But I am so sick of no normal girls being in Tijan’s books, the last ‘normal’ girl I remember is Becky. All her characters are beautiful, and often compared to ridiculous standard celebrities like Nina Dobrev or Megan Fox. Nothing wrong with beautiful characters, they are good to read about and usually attract likewise beautiful people. But for the love of God it’s so unrealistic and just helps reinforce the already ridiculous beauty standards. Half the celebrities don’t look like themselves and many have help, to then reading in books about hordes of high school girls and guys and college girls and guys who all mix together in exclusive, beautiful groups, all gorgeous and generally rich, just promotes such shallowness and unhealthy expectations. I have rarely in real life walked by masses of supermodels all hanging out and bullying another stunning girl (who of course needs to smell no effort, and is so Amir ally braid up she is unaware), because she effortlessly attracted the attention of the super gorgeous, popular athletes of the school, this shit is getting old. It’s sometimes like these characters only matter because they are Stunning. Not just Tijan, but many authors do this, and I think it should be more commonplace for authors to include average characters, realistic characters who are not naturally a size 6, with long legs, flawless faces and amazing eyes, as many normal mortals exist, and those love stories can be pretty amazing too. It is commonplace for Tijan to compare her women to celebs, Victoria secrets models etc, and they are usually the girls that really get noticed,
Decent morals and character or not, it’s just lazy and predictable and at this point boring.
I also was not stoked about Aspen perving on Channing when she went to pick up Blaise after his fight with Cross.


What I liked, after all the blow job bullshit Blaise grew on me, sure he was a douche, the whole don’t label girls whores etc seemed mismatched shoe horned feminist bullshit that Blaise thought, but that was lazy writing. He actually was an ok character, he had a shitty family, shitty past, and self esteem issues, in some ways he reminded me of a male version of Alex from Broken and Screwed. Suffering from trauma, and letting the ugly and pain come out and be seen. But he had some self awareness, and he and Aspen were good together and he actually grew as a character which I like. Aspen was a decent character, a bit too similar to Summer and previous heroines, but likeable. Bren, Cross and co were much more bearable in this book, making me think they all would have worked better just as cameos in other novels. I should hate him, but I loved Zeke, he actually woke up and tried to change from being a bully in the end, he was massively loyal to Blaise even when he got shade for it, he treated Aspen well, and was actually funny. He more than any of the other guys in this book would have a good novel, and as I said before I am pro him and crazy Veronica (not because we have the same name), but I liked the fact she was not beautiful like all the other supermodels in the book, she was loud and obnoxious, but confident and funny. I liked that the family members in pain here, like Stephen, Taz etc, actively seeking counselling and were trying to change the dynamics. Over
All it was A decent read, I liked some of characters, some of the scenes were good, the leads had chemistry. But it still is no contender for Tijan’s original work, and I want her to break away from the overly beautiful people, the mean girls, the tough girl/guy posturing and competitiveness. I want more Karen’s and Summers, less Bren’s and Stone’s. I have faced the fact that I am not likely to stop reading Tijan anytime soon, Because sure lately there have been misses, but when she is good she is one of the best, and her good works are some of my favourite books. I think I would just rather she stopped giving us numerous Crew books and random one off books. I may be selfish in my thoughts, but I would much rather her give us a follow up to Anti Stepbrother, or see a book for Cord or Colt, but that is just me.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

You guys ... this book is very Tijan LOL For those of you that are die-hard fans, she’s done you proud. If you don’t know Tijan’s work and you’re reading this, let me say this praise is coming from the last reader you would expect it to come from. I don’t read this genre. New Adult is not my go-to and I can assure you that I run like I’m on fire away from YA ... usually. See, Tijan is special. She is really REALLY good with the words and this entire age group. She writes these larger than life story-lines that unfold perfectly, captivate you from beginning to end, have all kinds of real life problematic issues thrown in respectfully and with purpose. SHE IS MAGIC!!

The story of Blaise and Aspen is huge. I mean huger than huge LOL There are a lot of plot points embedded in this story that are not easy, but they are real and relatable and they are on the page respectfully. They are not dwelled upon as to make the book/story triggering or even dark, but they are dark places of society. And see, that’s one of the things I respect about Tijan as an author the most. She gives the reader just the right amount of experience on the page for the reader to get a full picture without going into full on drama/angst darkness. MAN, THAT IS REFRESHING!! And she is ridiculously good at it!

I discovered Tijan just last year, but I’ve already read enough books that I feel comfortable saying this book/story is one of her least twisty stories out there. I could be wrong, I haven’t read every one of her books yet. Reading Rich Prick was easy. You kinda know everything that is going to happen, but it is never predictable. Again, the magic! I did have one nooooooooooooooo moment where I was taken by surprise and my thoughts on the situation actually went darker than Tijan did but for the most part, the story did not surprise me but GAH, did I enjoy it! I enjoyed reading the growth and maturity in all the characters, not just Blaise and Aspen. I feel like this book was their journey, but also more. It’s hard to put an exact finger on what without giving you plot points, so you’ll just have to take my word.

There’s a lot more things I enjoy about Tijan’s writing, like the fact that she uses really crazy language (you guys, she used yodeling instead of singing ... like how does one not LOVE that kind of crazy). Her stories are always energetic and charged. Her prose is uncomplicated and easy. She writes the best characters in the best possible light while always making sure to represent real life and its issues. Again, SHE.IS.MAGIC. That’s it. That’s all I have. Until her next release ... HAPPY READING!

[Ilaria 🌸 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I loved this book
Loved her
Loved him
Found some details not perfectly edited
But all in all soo good

[❤️Emma Book Lover ❤️]

I'm not feeling this at all. Barely read 100 pages in a week time.
I don't know why I keep doing this to myself when I know high school/young adult books don't work for me.
Heroine doesn't make any sens to me, she's weak, whiny, weird and awkward girl and the Hero is just a wannabe bad boy, with a dick attitude, bad mouth and no respect for others. Come on, you are 17 and 18, act like teenagers not old people burdened by problems and a life of difficulties.
Overall, I think the girl needs some medical help (a psychologist) and he needs a good beating to get the attitude out of him.
Anyways *no rating*

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile]

Spoilers ahead

Anyway, when Blaise started kissing Mara, when Mara knelt in front of him, when she opened his pants and took out his cock—I lost all train of thought.
I watched as she took his dick in her mouth, as her head began bobbing up and down over him.
And, oh my God.
My whole body was awash with sensations, and I was captivated. Captivated! Entranced. Mesmerized.
I could not look away.
Then I felt throbbing and a warm feeling between my legs, and it was game over. It was all I could do not to make a sound, because I wanted to. So bad. I wanted to moan. I wanted to touch myself, but I didn’t. I kept myself reined in, but watch? Oh yeah. I watched.
I couldn’t not watch.
I watched the whole thing.
I loved the whole thing.


I was getting my dick sucked while a weird chick watched us.
“Hmmm…Blaise.” My girl moaned, readjusted, and took me in again. She reached up to stroke under, and damn, that felt good. My eyes almost rolled back, but I caught myself and held steady. My hands went to her head. Sometimes a little guidance went a long way, and as I applied gentle pressure, my girl was receptive. So I started to drive her mouth over me. All the while, I never stopped watching the other girl.
I couldn’t place her.


unloaded into her.
She swallowed like a champ and smiled up at me. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and for a second, the weird chick was forgotten. I grinned at Mara. I always liked Mara’s blowjobs, and because I wasn’t an asshole, I tugged her up and moved her farther behind the trees so she was hidden from view.
Now was my turn to make her feel good.
Kissing her, I slid my hand inside her shorts and inside her, and when she was done and moaning, I looked over my shoulder. The other girl was still there, still glued to her tree, her eyes still right on us, but this time, she saw me.
Her eyes bulged out, and she inhaled sharply. She jerked back, and I grinned, lifting my hand to my mouth. I tasted Mara on my fingers as I watched her. Then I winked.

I bypassed all the above and continued reading still 😔
I'm ashamed of myself
The writing was on the wall
But...... I fell for the lies.....I mean the reviews


Anywho the h was pathetic, a spineless idiot who crushed on the guy she thought she couldn't get.....what else is new

Meh


******I'm really offended at his licking his fingers!😂 I often find with manwhores anything concerning oral to OW offends me more than actual sex......

[Lauren ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well here goes my review. I was waiting anxiously for this one! I kid you not, I refreshed my amazon page so many times to see it finally available in kindle format. I dove into this book and within a day and half I finished this book. Some first let me start off by saying the first chapter for me was a what. the. hell.

Like their first initial meeting was just greattttt and I loved reading every part *insert sarcasm.*

Honestly, their first interaction was very awkward and cringy. That's why I did knock a star off for this as I really did not like that first chapter at all. Big fat nope.



My face the whole time reading that chapter...



HOWEVER, I still wanted to continued because in true Tijan fashion I was still drawn in to keep reading. I wanted to see how the rest of the story would play out.

Anyways ~~~

The nostalgia of Fallen Crest characters being mention and having a presence made my heart swell. Fallen Crest is a great YA series, which you should check out if you want more back story on some of the names dropped/some characters seen in this novel. I do feel this book had a great basis for Always Crew which focuses on Bren and her crew and Nate - Nate (Aspen's older brother) who has been prominent throughout the Fallen Crest series.

But more importantly, this spin off is Blaise and Aspen story! If you have read the Crew books, you might recognize these names because they were both introduced in that series. Blaise is Cross' half-brother and Aspen helped Bren and her crew out one time and she is Nate's sister.

Blaisey boy! If I had to describe Blaise it would be that he is an alphahole, very hot headed, veers away from emotional attachment. But when he cares for someone, he does it fiercely and he is loyal to a fault. Blaise does not think of him self as a good guy, rather he portrays himself to be the bad guy. However, the closer he becomes to Aspen, you can see she has a cooling effect on him for his anger and there is more to him than a douche bag persona. When he is with Aspen things he sees through angry lenses is slowly cleared and he is able to process his emotions a little better. Aspen is socially awkward, has a quirky personality, prefers to be the invisible girl. She is invisible... until Blaise takes an interest in her. Aspen prefers to be hidden as she can go about her life and ignore her demons. Both H and h are flawed and emotionally have baggage that they are currently unable to/chose not to cope with. However, when they are together, their care and love gives them the support needed to seek healing and once and for all put their demons to rest.

Although that first chapter had me a little doubtful, I overall enjoyed the book! I also liked the two Epilogue's for this book!

Triggers: yes - abuse and trauma

[Bozena · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
❤❤❤
I completely fell in love with this book and the characters.
The way it's written is the exact reason why I love Tijan's books so much. That's the reason I love romances period.
I'm a slow reader, but I read it in one go (1 day!). This YA romance is so damn ridiculous emotional and gripping that I couldn't stop reading.
It's a rollercoaster of emotions, feelings, grief and happiness.
Yes, I know it's a strange combination, but it's exactly what I was feeling reading this amazing story.
Aspen and Blaise were so incredibly authentic and amazing characters that I felt a need to protect them and to help them or I don't know, be their friend? 😭
Aspen is the amazing nerdy girl, that likes books more than people (yes, she is our sister 😁)
She tries to hide from everyone and doesn't want attention. Her way to grief is to separate herself from other people. That's what she tells herself is the best way to live.
If you don't get too close to anyone, then you can't get hurt.
Blaise is the polar opposite. He is popular, don't take no for answer and is the new alpha in her high school.
He is aggresive and never hide from anyone.
He is her new school crush 🤩 but what she doesn't know is, he hides too, but in his own way...
Okay....hmm...that's enough spoilers for this one.
When you want to know more about Aspen and Blaise and their unbelievable tragic but oh so beautiful story, you've to read this book 🤷🏻‍♀️
And don't let me start about this epic HEA 😍🥰😍
I recommend it to everyone ❤

[Beeg Panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINALLY a hero who KNOWS not to touch the ow when he's breaking up with her! No hugs, no last kisses for old times sake, no pats on the hand. Just firm but kind-ish words about how she needs to move on already. Like this:

“Mara.” I sighed, but I couldn’t touch her. I wouldn’t, and not just because of Aspen. It was for Mara too.
“I just didn’t—” She stopped.
We’d been friends. We’d been more than friends, but I’d said all I could. The rest was for her to figure out. There was physical cheating, and there was emotional cheating. Letting Mara lean on me now would be giving her something that should only be Aspen’s. And it would also only prolong her pain. This conversation was done, and she sensed it, looking up at me.
I shook my head.”

~~~~~~~~

FINALLY a hero who knows he's not good enough for her and is prepared to do the work to better himself INSTEAD of rejecting the h because he thinks he's not worthy of her. It’s such a cop-out, that trope.

~~~~~~~~

I was so close to DNF this book.
The h was downright creepy; 🧟‍♀️like something out of a damn horror movie.
Even the H thought she was a weirdo. 👽 Her thoughts, dialogue, actions… sheesh. There was nothing to draw anyone to her as a person, never-mind a heroine.
From the first chapter I had to force myself to continue reading because I heard good things.

And thank goodness I did.
He’s worthy
She’s worthy
They both have a healing journey to a well-deserved HEA.

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been so obsessed with Tijan's stories since her Fallen Crest series. I legit call her my kindle crack pusher because that's exactly what she does. She delivers a much needed fix on the stories that I love. Rich Prick was no exception. It was the best of the Fallen Crest and Rousseau worlds with so many great cameos. I enjoyed Aspen and Blaise's connection and how the author seamlessly tied this story in with the Crew and Fallen Crest worlds. It really was amazing!

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised that the author gave us Blaise and Aspen's stories as they both played pivotal roles (separately) in the last Crew book. Their interactions were great and while Aspen was socially awkward at times, I found her to be endearing. I loved how she was the exception to Blaise's rules and viscerally affected him like the gamechanger she was. While I would have loved more progress in Cross and Blaise's relationship, I look forward to the next crew book where we see more drama unfold. Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book and I DNFed at 80 %. I wanted to like this book, I truly did. I liked some of Tijan's previous works, but this one did not do it for me.

I simply couldn't connect to the characters and I felt the story was dragging at some parts. There was so much of unnecessary stuff and unnecessary drama that it started to feel like this story was all over the place. I also could not feel any connection and attraction between the characters.

FULL REVIEW HERE

[Hasi | hasi.readsromance]

Tijan is one of my favourite authors. However, this one didn't do it for me. DNF at 36%