Root Rot Academy: Term 1

Root Rot Academy #1

by Rhea Watson

The warlock who murdered my parents is teaching at Root Rot Academy—and now, so am I.

Once upon a time, a monster killed my parents and left me to burn in my bed.

Twenty-six years later, I finally found him.

We might have both become professors, but we are nothing alike. Benedict Hammond is a liar, a murderer, a psychopath.

And I’m the witch here to punish him.

I renamed myself after the fury Alecto years ago, and now it’s time to taste her madness—to exact my righteous revenge.

You know…

Once I figure out what that is, exactly.

But it’s coming, and nothing is going to distract me.

Not my gorgeous vampire roommate, the complete package and totally off-limits.

Not the mysterious head librarian, a fae as intriguing as he is infuriating.

Oh, and definitely not my powerful warlock headmaster who makes me feel so deliciously small.

I’m here to collect a life debt—that’s all that matters.

And…

And…

And I’m not terrified.

Nope. Not at all.


Root Rot is an academy Why-Choose romance trilogy centered around the professors and faculty. It contains mature subject matter that might not be suitable for all readers.

Genres: Paranormal, Fae, Vampires, Magic, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2020

About the author

Rhea Watson is a Canadian paranormal romance author who writes lone wolves and found family, fated mates and forever love. She dreams about living in a cottage in the woods that would make any fairytale witch jealous, and wishes every day was Halloween.

In her spare time, Rhea babies her herb garden, watches hilariously bad horror movies with her own hero, bows to her cat's every whim, and flies through Netflix shows like it's her day job.

Rhea writes MF, MFM, Reverse Harem / Why Choose, and (paranormal) omegaverse.

Reviews

[Taryn]

Things I've Learned from RRA:

- If a subordinate/coworker is nice to you, it means they want to be submissive/subservient to you

- Men fixing women's problems is doing them a favour

- Crop Tops are professional clothes

- Constantly having hysterical, crying breakdowns makes you a strong person

- Giving a guy blue balls after fucking them twice makes you fierce

- Having a panic attack whenever you're in the same vicinity as your parents' murderer isn't sus at all

- Playing the long game is a much better plan instead of just straight up killing your parents' murderer

Alecto is a basket case, Bjorn is a cardboard box, Gavriel is a typical "bad boy player", and Jack is a simpering moron who misses the glory days of BDSM, apparently. I didn't like anyone.

Nothing happened with Alecto getting justice for her parents. This dude probably didn't even kill them if it's this drawn out. I don't mind SOME of the school stuff (the Samhain and Mabon stuff were boring and could have been left out), but with the focus so much on random crap instead of the plot or the characters, I wasn't feeling it.

WHY isn't there some eighteen-year-old sassy boy who is all hot for teacher? Come on. If Alecto was a student and the new teacher was a hot twenty-something man, you bet your ass he'd be in the harem. Double standards, man. I'm not saying I want that, but I'm surprised there isn't some kid panting after Alecto.

Meh. I couldn't really get into this. At this point, I don't care about the murder "mystery".

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like Alecto, I feel like she accomplished nothing throughout the book. She went in with no plan and just freaked out whenever she even thought about Benedict. I like Bjorn and feel like he deserves better than Alecto. He was missing for way too long before she even tried looking for him. And when she finally did, she was distracted by Jack?? Plus, she wouldn't let Gavriel get her there faster because she was being petty. Then, when they finally reached Bjorn, she didn't do anything to help but try to reason with a bunch of psycho kids. I liked Gavriel too, I didn't feel like he was as big of a jerk as she tried to make him out to be. Alecto chose to have sex with him twice and acted like it was all his fault. I did not like Jack though. Everything he thought was dom this and sub this and all before he even talked to Alecto. If you are into BDSM then you might like Jack. It was a total turn off for me when he was fantasizing about Alecto being bruised, crying, and marked up by a cane. That's not something I enjoy reading about. Then he grabbed her by the throat in the stairwell when they hadn't done much more than dance? And she was all excited about that when she shoud have been trying to find Bjorn? The one person who actually showed he cared about her?

[TheQDB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Steam: 🔥🔥
Feels:🪄🤓😔😏😲😤

~REVIEW🖋~
The Quick and Dirty: Alecto Clarke gets a job at a reform academy with the aim of taking down her parents’ murderer who is disguising himself as another professor.

A fun start to a new academy series! I loved that while the story overall was new and fresh, the magic contained had a warm and familiar feel to it, like it was tipping its hat to HP without copying it. This book in particular read more like a YA than some of Rhea’s others (short of the explicit scenes); in the narration of the scenes, the length and pacing as well as the focus on Alecto’s quest versus just the romance piece. We’re teased by two of the characters who we can assume will be come love interests but the explicit scenes are with one character in particular (who, gonna be honest, I was pretty miffed at for a bit there). Overall an enjoyable read and knowing how Rhea has written in the past, I’m excited to see what twists she’s undoubtedly going to throw into the next books!



~QD STORY DETAILS~
Shelves: PNR, RH, Academy romance
Location: Scottish highlands
MC age range: 20s & immortal
Lead: Alecto Clarke
Love interest(s): 🧛‍♂️🧝🧙‍♂️
POV: Multiple
Tear jerker: No
HEA: Cliffhanger

~QD BOOK INFO~
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Paperback page count: 295
Publisher: Self published
Audible: No
Series: Yes - Root Rot Academy
1. Term 1 - released 11/12/20
2. Term 2 - releasing January 2021
3. Term 3 - releasing March 2021

~QD 🔥~
Sex/kink type: manual, penetrative
Possible triggers: violence, workplace romance

[Rhea Watson]

Happy Release Day to Alecto and her men!! Let the Root Rot Trilogy begin. xoxo

[Nildene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for MATURE READERS ONLY and contains sensitive themes. If you are under the age of 18, please kindly back away from this review and this book until you’re older, thanks.

So I’ve read Rhea’s other Why-Choose romance and first thing I have to say is that I feel that this trilogy is going to be the wildest! Term 1, this book, was deceptively full of plot even though it was short (in comparison to other novels I’ve read) and I loved every bit of it.

To be honest, I did think that more would be explained and there’d be less loose-ends (I can’t really call them cliffhangers because they aren’t things that are inherently on a need-to-know, just things I WANT-to-know) like just each characters backstory in way more detail essentially.

I love this world to be honest. I love the way supernatural/fantasy elements meet the real world in an urban fantastical mash-up.I hope we kinda get to see cameos...or some sort of way to connect the previous stories to the newer ones! (Like I can imagine Root Rot becoming like a top tier school and our cute as little witch-dragon-shifter and witch-fae halflings attending!!)

Alecto was a great character too. I think I’ve read too many books where it’s a revenge-based story and the goal is to kill-kill-kill but Alecto is blatantly the opposite. She wants to to exact her vengeance on her family’s killer but isn’t someone who would kill so I kinda hope it stays that way (but also that the men in her life don’t decide to make that kill for her in the future but we will see)

”Do not hit on her, you ancient fuck.”

Bjorn was adorable. Like, what a tortured soul as a Viking vampire who’s trying his best with all the other children vampires at the academy and no one turns up to hear his stories? I WANTED TO HUG HIM, HE IS PRECIOUS. He is also clearly the gentleman of the trio of men that will belong to Alecto. I loved how they are friends first, romance hinted at but not the e foundation of their relationship.

”Gods—“
“Gavriel will do,”

Another tortured soul but HILARIOUSLY so. And what an intriguing backstory intro to him. I cannot wait to see what else comes of his storyline, and what role he’ll end up taking in the quad. And what’ll happen with his deal with the devil who I think may be the Djinn Alecto deals with tbh.

I have no quote for Jack. His presence in the book so far was a lot of bemoaning about not wanting to think about Alecto as a potential submissive, so I don’t know if he’s actually seen her fiery side (like we saw with her and Bjorn or her and Gavriel) but I think he’s in for a massive surprise there to be honest. I would have liked to see them interact a bit more; like they ran together once and I think that would have been a nice kind of bonding thing for them since they don’t see each other much outside of their work settings. Hopefully in the next book!!

I have a couple of theories about things but I think they’re kinda spoilery and I’m trying to maintain a non- to low-spoiler rating on this review but if you’ve read and want to now, there at the end of this review in spoiler tags (do not scroll if you’re on GR mobile, there’s sometimes a glitch where spoiler tags don’t work!)

•

4.5/5

•

This book was received as an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

•

THEORIES

Last warning not to scroll.

3


2



1



I think the vice headmaster (or assistant, I don’t remember), Iris or something, is a villain character who wants the academy to go back to how it was before.

I’m lowkey on the line about Ash Cedar/Benedict Hammond. I think maybe he isn’t the killer – as I said earlier in a non-spoiler spoiler-tagged theory about Lucifer being the Djinn (since Alecto couldn’t contact the djinn again etc etc), I think maybe Lucifer or something else was the reason her parents were killed and maybe Hammond was really just in love with Alecto’s mother (star-crossed lovers maybe?? There’s a whole family/coven feud to unpack there!)

I think Lucifer is the Djinn right, and somehow Gabriel’s conveying stint will become null and void and he’ll end up working on building up on himself instead of being reliant on the Ash Court (which I guess will be with the other three but I kind of hope that he also finds his sense of worth/purpose on his own too!)

THERE BETTER BE A SCENE WHERE STUDENT VAMPS GO VISIT BJORN DURING HIS OPEN HOURS BECAUSE HE CARES SO DAMN MUCH AND IS TOO PRECIOUS.



I think that’s all for now. I might add more, especially if I do a reread!

[Alicia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC of this book for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this book and delve into my first series from Watson! I absolutely loved her previous standalone novels and the plot for this trilogy is really interesting. I like that the relationships are all with the professors/staff, so there aren't any student/adult relationships. I liked Alecto right away--she's confident in herself and what she wants, plus she truly cares about her students and her work. I adored the setting too. It made me think fondly of reading books and fan fiction housed at Hogwarts.

I did have a harder time getting into this book that the previous books from this author, and I think that it was because it is a trilogy so the pacing is different. I kept expecting her to start sexual relationships with the rest of the menfolk, but sadly I must wait for that. I came to enjoy Gavriel by the end, but he was not likeable for most of the book, and that was frustrating in a way considering that he was the partner that Alecto had as of this installment. By the end, their relationship started verging into more verbal sparring with a lot of eye-rolls, but it was a little tricky in the middle there.

I look forward to seeing how this relationship and the others will develop. I am also curious to see how the larger plot pans out. I wanted to know more about it in this book, but sadly I will have to wait for that too. I could see these points being disheartening for other readers too, but I know that the next books will be AMAZING and the build-up will be well worth it. I can't wait!

Tropes or flags: reverse harem; confident out-for-revenge witch meets a vampire, a fae, and a warlock (3 males); roommate romance, hate/love romance, and boss romance; NOT a slow burn (sex around 17-19%) with one partner, though no sex with other partners in this installment; crude language and sex; blood, death, murder, violence, gore, and characters in peril; rough sex; mentions of BDSM, though not explored in this installment; torture, prejudice, bullying, and suicide; previous death of family members.

Heat rating: HOT—sex scenes throughout with explicit language, which adds to the overall story and relationships (more build up here than sexy times).

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

To me, this just wasn't that good a book. I finished so it wasn't the worst thing I've ever tried reading but the longer I read it, the less enjoyable it go. Alecto, I don't even know how to describe her. Her plot to avenge her parents death vanishes very quick and she's sent into panic attacks ever time she meets the killer. For someone who has spent years following him to get a job in the same place, she is massively unprepared. This plot barely moves forward other than them working at the same school, it looks like it's gonna take numerous books before she actually does something.
Her men weren't any better. There's the vampire roommate who most of the plot is about. There's some kind of anti-vampire campaign going through the school that no-one does anything about. To be honest, there's just a blank spot in my brain about any interesting character aspects of the vampire other than the plot against him. Onto the most memorable guy, Gavriel the Fae. He is a massive dick. Alecto has sex with him the first day, I don't mind that. But he turns out to be both a douche, and evil working for the literal Devil to corrupt students. When he gets involved in the plot against the vampires, he is so arrogant that he's no help in the situation. And finally her boss, the progressive headmaster who doesn't actually do anything about the anti-vampire rhetoric.
So it's just a group of idiots fumbling about with a plot mentioned in the blurb that doesn't happen, and a true plot that couldn't have been fixed right at the start with a bit of discipline.
Would I recommend this book? Not at all. I read so many books that my memory is kind of blurred when it comes to writing reviews, but even though it has been actual months since I read this book, I can still remember the exact reasons that I don't like it.
Will I be carrying on the series? What do you think?

[Gsmitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GIDDY AUNT. Root Rot Academy: Term 1 by Rhea Watson is EPIC. Seriously. And how long do I need to wait not so patiently for Term 2? But I digress.

Alecto is EVERYTHING I could have wanted her to be and more! Fiery, feisty, and full of sass and vinegar, she's enchanting!

Bjorn? Holy Batman indeed, he is DELICIOUS! I love his wit and inner monologue. He's such a sweetheart!

Gavriel is a sneaky, charming, devious, and oh so mysterious! I adore him and his reluctant involvement in just about everything.

Jack? Let me tell you, I needed a moment, okay a few moments after his introduction. GOODNESS GRACIOUS. So stern, so stoic, so divine!

The descriptions are on point and I'd like to book a tour of this Academy please and thank you!

The chemistry sizzles and simmers, SHMEKSHAY times are on point, and I am INTRIGUED and CAPTIVATED and you need to get on this mystical rollercoaster ride because you will not regret it! So, what are you waiting for? Time to fall in love with this who cares story that will have you HOOKED!

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book. There are so many academy romances out there that it was getting to be a bit much. But Root Rot is perfect. No questionable high school or college age MCs here.

Root Rot Academy focuses on the professors and does not (as of now) have any student teacher relationships. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate that. Student/teacher relationships just creep me out a bit.

I loved the world building and cannot wait to see where this goes. So far the harem isn’t a harem but it will be and I am so looking forward to it. We only get a little romantic action here in book one. But the lead up means that book two is going to be explosive.

All in all I totally recommend giving Root Rot a try. Especially if you’re tired of the typical paranormal academy romance like I am. 🖤

[Nicola Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, as always.

From the moment I open the first page on a Rhea Watson book, I'm always sucked right in.

Her characters are so real and relatable, so down to earth despite them being incredible supernatural beings, and I LOVE that.

There's no rush to get to the finish line. Time is taken to really get to know the characters - to let them get to know each other - playing on slowburn and mystery, and getting deep into their feelings.

The quality of the writing itself is so sublime, I could honestly stay lost in Rhea's worlds forever. Such a pleasure to read.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

WTH!!! This academy read is simply awesome! Off to a fantastic start this well written storyline gets off to a slow start but boy does it pick up! A slow burn why choose romance with some intriguing characters including a strong but relatable heroine and some sexy hot ‘guys’ I look forward to seeing how their relationships grow and the story develops.

[Sarah Mitcham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alecto had been working towards getting justice/revenge against Benedict Hammond for years, and had spent every penny she had investigating him, finding him and changing her name and making sure she had all the paperwork and history to go with her new identity. He's changed his name too, according to the djinn p.i. she had hired. He's now Ash Cedar and he's teaching at Root Rot Academy. Alecto leaves her teaching job at Glencrest Prep in Canada after arranging for a position to become vacant at Root Rot, in the Scottish Highlands. She is determined that now is the time to make him pay for her parents deaths, burning their ancestral home to ash and leaving her three year old self there to die, it was only luck that a human neighbour had rescued her. There is little time once Alecto is there to formulate a plan to deal with Benedict/Ash, her days are long tending to the plants, teaching, grading papers, but due has made a great friendship with Born, her flatmate and there's an attraction there. But she's also drawn to Jack (Headmaster Clemente) aswell as the hook ups with Gavriel. There are more malevolent things happening, some are not happy with how Jack is running the Academy and there are others that are against Vampires and are making them aware of it devious.
There are so many things going on within the story that you are ensnared almost immediately, there is a need to continue reading to see what's happened next. I loved this book, it really does tick all the boxes EVEN boxes you didn't know you wanted to tick!

[Giulia Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much, Rhea, for the opportunity to read Root Rot <3

This book is imposible to put down: the academy feel, the characters' motivation, Alecto and the guys relantionships, everything made Root Rot a story that pulls you in <3 I never knew I needed an academy book focused on the professors, it was so cool! Made me feel like I was reading Harry Potter for adults! Alecto is extremely relatable and I loved her inner strength.
I'm curious to see how Gavriel is going to turn out, I loved Jack's integrity and wanted to make him see himself for the great headmaster and guy he is, but Bjorn stole the show (and my heart): I never thought I'll want to keep a Viking in my pocket and protect him from all the bad in the world, but here I am lol
I'm dying to see how the second term goes, how Alecto and the guys come together <3

______________________________
Eu simplesmente amei o ambientação desse livro: um livro estilo academy, mas focado nos professores?! Demais! Minha sensação era estar lendo um Harry Potter para adultos, e foi incrível <3
Eu admito estar curiosa para saber como a relação do Gavriel e da Alecto vai se desenvolver, mas o Jack e o Bjorn são meu favoritos. Amei como o Jack é super íntegro, e gostaria que ele se enxergasse como o cara legal que é, mas o Bjorn roubou meu coração: queria deixar ele num potinho e protegê-lo de todo mal!
Estou ansiosíssima para ver como os relacionamentos vão se desenvolver e como a Alecto vai lidar com certo vilão...

[Dew · Rating 1 out of 5]

‘90’s Pop

The fmc dresses like Britney Spears from the ‘90’s. The aesthetics of wearing a plaid mini-skirt with thigh-high stockings and kitten heeled shoes (🙄) for her first day at work was apparently extremely important to the author in establishing the character. The outfit is completed with a “rigid black blazer” and wild, frizzy hair reminiscent of Anne Hathaway’s pre-makeover character from the Princess Diaries. For her second day at her brand new job, she wears a crop top and a gold chain belt with a boho skirt, which is also early ‘90’s pop Princess. I did not stick around to see if the denim dress made an appearance. The AU cribs heavily from Hogwarts, complete with a willow tree that the author refers to as “old man”.

Onward to the story, the fmc is supposedly at the Root Rot Academy as a Professor to gain revenge on the man who killed her family...when she was 3. Yet she can hardly recall the fake name that she’s supposed to be using. It’s quite obvious that the grisly murder is just an excuse to put her into sexual situations with the multiple male teachers that she meets.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, well, well…Looks like I have my position at Root Rot Academy and I'm not leaving anytime soon!

Alecto, man. How lucky are you that you have three sexy, handsome men who WANT YOU??!!??

There is a definite mystery. I'm not really sure, all is as it seems! Ash, hmmmm......

Some very sexy scenes, and many sweet too!

Bjorn, I love him! And Jack, oh boy is he fighting himself. But, for how long?

I absolutely loved attending Root Rot Academy. I'm sure coming back! I said that right! Can't wait!

I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Ruman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like Alecto. She accomplished nothing throughout the book and had meltdowns each time she thought about Benedict, who I doubt is the killer from how drawn out the plot is. I like Bjorn and believe he deserves better than Alecto. I did not like Gavriel as much as Bjorn. He was manipulative, selfish, and not truly interested in Alecto. However, I will defend Gavriel in that that I am not sure why Alecto had a "holier than thou" attitude against Gavriel when he was upfront about their encounters and she never rejected his advances. I did not like Jack, however. I do not like BDSM and that is all he ever thought about. No, thank you.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing twist to Academy romance. Set at a Reform School for troubled youths, Root Rot Academy is a paranormal reverse harem that isn’t about the students, but the teachers. This alone is pure genius. I was completely drawn in to the plot from the start. It’s got a dark edge to it that I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
As this is book 1 in a series our FMC and her potential harem are still finding their feet, relationships of various types are forming be it friendship, random hook ups or just lusting after the dominant Headmaster.

[Sarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic start

I really really enjoyed this beginning to a series. A bit different to the standard 'academy' tropes, and with a great cast of characters, this book had me on the edge of my seat several times. Also well written and edited, no annoying errors to spoil the flow. Genuinely excited for the next book.

[Melissa Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique spin on Academy life through the eyes of its teachers. I loved the push and pull of the different relationships. I was intrigued by the guy who her nemesis. The depth of feeling and the sheer drop at the end have me wanting more.

[bersabea giudice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Questo libro è stato un pò diverso, ambientato in un'accademia magica ( e fin quì niente di nuovo ) ma con protagonisti degli insegnanti.
Non che avessi tutta questa voglia di leggere di adulti arrapati come ragazzini che scopano nella sala professori, ma Rhea Watson è una scrittrice che ho apprezzato in passato, e ho voluto darle fiducia.
Ahimè, è stato deludente e noioso, in questo libro succede veramente poco.
Il fulcro della storia dovrebbe essere un piano di vendetta, purtroppo non c'è nessun piano, peggio, ogni volta che Alecto incontra il presunto assassino dei suoi genitori ( io dubito che sia veramente lui l'assassino ) le viene l'ansia, crisi di panico, tremolii vari e attacchi di vomito.
Oltre a questo, ribadisco, succede poco altro, e quel poco che succede non mi incuriosisce abbastanza da spingermi a leggere il resto della storia.

[Carol 27 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an intriguing premise for a story – troublesome teenaged witches, warlocks, shifters and vampires sent to a remote Scottish academy to sort out their misguided decision-making. I enjoyed Alecto’s often feisty and complex character and the unique relationships she forged with Bjorn, Gravriel and Jack. I was glad that she wasn’t hopping between the men’s beds – far from it in fact. While Alecto was exceptionally skilled as an educator, she was far less equipped for the secret mission that had actually brought her to Root Rot Academy. I’m looking forward to Term Two to see how Alecto’s budding relationships evolve and her vendetta progresses.

While I quite enjoyed the story, it did seem overly long at times – getting weighted down with the inclusion of many day-to-day happenings within the school. With that said, the story is well written and told through the POV’s of the four characters. There’s drama and suspense plus some magic, danger, brutality, and violence. There’s also some humour along with several explicit M/F encounters featuring some spanking courtesy of one sexy Fae. I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have given this 4.5 stars!

I really loved this! It was such an interesting take on an academy story. The series is off to a great start and I can’t wait to read more. Alecto is a great FMC. I like how real she is and accepting of her problems. She has fears like regular people. She’s also kind and a great professor.

I enjoy the male characters too. I liked the multi POV elements to really get inside their heads. Bjorn is an interesting character and I really liked the vampire prejudice aspect of the book. It felt like the author is tackling real world problems within a fictional world. Jack is the ultimate character. I love him. End of discussion. I’m not sure about Gavriel just yet... I’m hoping he redeems himself further in the next books.

[T.P.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reform school, vampires, warlocks, fae, shifters and a woman determined to get her revenge. I did enjoy the fact that all of them were professors, each having some exquisite power that makes them stand out. Alecto was lovely and although she seems to be finding herself in more than precarious situation with her main target as her colleague, she seems to have stumbled upon something unexpected. Her friendship with Bjorn was so tender, so genuine that I could not get enough. How does one describe Gavriel... walking and talking temptation, he certainly has that aura that lures you straight in. Now Jack... not sure yet where I stand with him.
So far, it has been intriguing and I wonder what the next book shall offer.

[Noemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alecto changed her name to join Root Rot Academy as a professor and get the revenge against the man who killed her family, also a professor at the academy. But Alecto is not bloodthirsty nor violent. She doesn't know how to get even, and the appearance of her hot vampire roommate, a fae librarian and the warlock headmaster might derail her plans a tiny bit.

I really liked Alecto. She is not as strong as many FMC I've read about, but she knows it and she tries to do her best anyway. She doesn't shy away from what she misses. I'm curious to see how Alecto will take her revenge and how her relationship with the three guys will develop.

[KLynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf 30%
I just couldn't get into this book and the thought of pushing through 70% more of the book was too much for me.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robbed of an actual story

I was looking forward to this series. I liked the debut book from this author and was on board with her second. This effort though, it really left me wanting. The writing is fine bordering on good, points for that. This is an academy book about the teachers, so maybe 1,000 points for not making me feel like an uncomfortable pedo reading about polyamorous children. The breakdown starts with the story, it drags, getting absolutely no where at all. No development of character or plot, frankly. The book is an extended intro to our main protagonists and it does them zero favors. The fey male is a douchenozzle. So, ok, redemption opportunity, but mostly all he is here is an a$$. And I don’t like him, grasping, selfish, manipulative, not truly interested in the female. The Dom, ffs, all he does is angsty hand wringing over the female. I’m on board with humanizing these guys, but 400 pages of it makes me so far from interested, it’s going to be a hard road back. The vamp, yeah, ok, he seems great and the relationship seems to be there, but... as the reader there wasn’t enough significant interaction there to actually feel the bond outside of the author telling me it was there. The witch, she’s freaking ripe for any, any, for gods sake, any of the guys to... lower your expectation bar here... engage her in heartfelt conversation. Yeah, that’s how low we’re going. Even the vamp, bestie that he is, has engaged in NO intimate (not sexual, intimate) conversation. Ok, slow burn, but, this is no burn. So many times the author goes out of her way to show the witch as tired, overwhelmed, beating herself up, confused and then nothing. Literally, cue next scene where the witch could use some support from anyone, and nothing. Why bother with all this? Having angry sex 2ce does not a romance novel make. The book felt like a slog and by the end I was unimpressed with the guys and bored by the lack of progress in story, relationship, character development and whatever. So, I would probably recommend waiting for the next installment in hopes you’d get more story and then skim this one since it’s just a prologue and intro anyway.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

23% of the way in & I had to stop. (Will not be finishing)

Alecto is quite possibly one of the most ANNOYING characters I’ve encountered in a book.

-She completely uprooted her life (emptied her savings, bought a new last name, moved across the world, etc.) so that she can be a professor at the same academy as the warlock who apparently murdered her family & left her to die when she was 3. No plan of attack as far as I can tell, other than she doesn’t plan to kill him because “she’s not a murderer”...so why are you there? What’s the point?

-Shes on campus for maybe an hour before having a complete breakdown in an empty stairwell, brought on solely by the thought of meeting her parents “murderer”. She also has a full on panic attack (complete with fleeing the scene back to her apartment to vomit) when she actually does meet him for the first time. Honestly, she’s completely over the top & it’s not endearing at all. It’s just plain annoying.

-The first night culminates in a staff meeting / welcome back party where she gets plastered & does questionable things with / in front of her coworkers and new boss. She then leaves the part to walk around the campus drunk where she finds one of her future harem members and has sex with him outside against a wall. AT A SCHOOL. WHERE STUDENTS ARE CURRENTLY LIVING.

I just couldn’t do it. The premise of the story seemed interesting but the FMC made it impossible for me to keep reading.

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Count on Rhea Watson to give us a Why Choose romance that should be more accurately classified as impossible to choose. This first in the trilogy gives us the scoop on why Alecto is at the Academy as well as introducing the players in this game, both good and bad. As far as love interests go, each of these guys brings something different to the table - but don't expect Alecto to actually taste them all in this first book. We do need something to look forward to, after all, and I definitely look forward to seeing more of these characters. Each character has something I like in a love interest, but Gavriel is the sexy, arrogant troublemaker that gets under your skin, and Watson lets him show just enough heart that you know he's redeemable if only he'll cooperate. Then we have the vampire with a heart of gold and great sense of humor, and the bossy warlock trying to avoid the inevitable. Of course, the romantic entanglements run side by side with a bit of suspense that's just taking shape and some trouble makers stirring up enough danger to keep us guessing. All in all, Term 1 of Root Rot Academy is a solid mix of engaging characters, wit and sarcasm, steamy goodness, and all-around great story-telling that I've come to expect from this author no matter which pen name she uses.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm trying to get better at remembering to write reviews. I know they help authors, i just hate them because opinions are so subjective. One persons taste will never align perfectly with another's. That being said, in my personal opinion this was an awesome book. I love RH stories with hold outs. Its always a more satusfying story when there is building angst and the inevitable fall. This story has all the markings of that so far. Can't wait for the next.

[Christina Sturgill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first release in a 3 book series for Rhea Watson and it is such a beautiful start.

I will say that it took me a little bit to really get into it. But like others said, I think it was due to the pacing. There is NOTHING wrong with the pacing of the book (in my opinion). It's just different. Coming off of the other two books by the author, it just wasn't what I expected. With them being standalones and this being a series, that should have been more expected on my part.
This book has a slower build, but the story is being told over the course of three books so keep that in mind.
This is also a slow burn romance. By that I mean that the relationships are developing at very slow speeds. For those of you looking for sex within your romance stories, this book has that. It has that pretty early on and the steam levels during those times are quite high. But the romance / relationships themselves are much slower going.
There is mystery, a little bit of playing "clue" throughout as a sort of "side story" that I thoroughly enjoyed. Honestly, each of the main characters in this book bring along a sort of "side story" that is wrapped up into the main plot. For me, it's not confusing at all; very well written to identify with each of the main characters and what their own stories are.

As for the characters:

Main Heroine: Alecto
I like her character quite a lot. She’s strong when she needs to be but also shows us a weaker / human side that I felt was refreshing. I love strong female leads, but I also enjoy seeing that they have a weak side to them as well. Makes them a bit more relatable so it’s easier to connect with them. Not every woman is super snarky and strong 100% of the time. She’s confident, realistic, and logical. She actually thinks things through instead of just jumping right into them like she’s invincible.

Main Hero: Jack
Look, I'm not saying he's not an enjoyable character or that he's not going to be awesome as the story progresses. But, I am saying that right now...I just don't care for him. Honestly, this guy is the reason I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5. I like that he's going to play the role of the Dom (I thoroughly enjoy some BDSM in my steamy romances). I also like that he has composed moments where he seems almost sweet to her but also moments (behind closed doors) where he loses his composure. The one aspect that truly drove me crazy was the continued references to Dom/Sub. I think by his third POV I was feeling a bit frustrated and lightly skimming through his parts, not enough to miss anything, just enough to skip his Dom/Sub repetition. You ever just feel like something was beaten into you over and over again until you're numb to it? I had a few moments like that during his POV sections. However, I DO think that once this gets put into action rather than just being talked about it will be VERY enjoyable.

Main Hero: Gavriel
I know this guy isn't getting much love right now from other reviewers but I adore him. The playboy looking out for himself with a secret caring heart. I mean...yum. When this boy realizes what we already know and he makes his "turn around" I'm going to be so happy. I can't really say much more about him without giving too much of the story away, but I like him. Yes he's a selfish jerk for most of the book, but he's a wonderful addition that you can't help but be drawn to. I can't anyway.

Main Hero: Bjorn
Okay, so the stand out guy of the story is obviously the Viking vampire with the heart of gold. Sweet, caring, thoughtful, and monstrously mistreated. I felt for him. I was angry for him. I hurt for him. I WANTED him. He's her roommate and first/best friend there. I can't say anymore about him without giving away spoilers. Just know, going into it, this guy is completely and utterly amazing. I don't like to pick favorites in my reverse harem books/stories but this guy is absolutely my favorite in this series, so far.

I LOVE that this book focuses on older characters rather than the kids at the academy. It's pretty difficult to find older MFC's with good stories/plots. I also love that even with this focusing on the Professors there is still a bit of an age-gap romance tossed in.

I am very anxious/excited to see where the second book takes us and how things develop more. I want to see the relationships grow. I NEED Alecto to kiss / be with Bjorn (the other guys as well but, well, you'll see if you read the book!).