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Lochkelvin Academy #4
Bad Winners
They want war. We want the hell out of this situation.
We've made a mistake and it's cost us dear.
The country's gone to hell and people are screaming bloody murder.
Death and darkness follow us everywhere we go.
For our own protection, we need to get out of here.
Our only salvation is with the saint and each other.
At least then we can be ourselves instead of jaded political pawns.
-----
I've realized a lot about myself this year.
How broken, how confused, how depressed I've been.
That ends now.
With the chiefs' help, I'm growing more powerful than I ever knew possible.
The world's still in turmoil and the turmoil only stills when I'm in their arms.
Is this winning? Is this me winning? It can't be.
Because there's one thing I've learned during my time at Lochkelvin:
No one ever truly wins at politics.
Bad Winners is the fourth book in the Lochkelvin Academy reverse harem series.
We've made a mistake and it's cost us dear.
The country's gone to hell and people are screaming bloody murder.
Death and darkness follow us everywhere we go.
For our own protection, we need to get out of here.
Our only salvation is with the saint and each other.
At least then we can be ourselves instead of jaded political pawns.
-----
I've realized a lot about myself this year.
How broken, how confused, how depressed I've been.
That ends now.
With the chiefs' help, I'm growing more powerful than I ever knew possible.
The world's still in turmoil and the turmoil only stills when I'm in their arms.
Is this winning? Is this me winning? It can't be.
Because there's one thing I've learned during my time at Lochkelvin:
No one ever truly wins at politics.
Bad Winners is the fourth book in the Lochkelvin Academy reverse harem series.
- GenresM M Romance
663 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 29, 2022
32 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 1, 2022
I honestly struggled a bit reading this book mainly because it was 64 chapters and parts of it were a little bit slow going to read. Jessa (FMC) and the guys - Rory, Finley & Danny put on a united front giving Lucas their support. It also bring all of them much closer together. Which i kinda think that they needed the time for not only individual but the dynamic between them all. With plenty of steamy sexy times involved. Im still enjoying reading this series and now im wondering how it will all end?
April 29, 2024
this might be the most frustrating book series i’ve ever read in my life. on the one hand, it’s completely brilliant. writing something like this that has a vibe like a political thriller but also engages in representations of actual current lines of thought and revolution is a hell of a task. and it’s done pretty well. there’s enough of a sense of fiction and playfulness that doesn’t make it feel quite as heavy as a politically resonant work could feel.
and there’s several moments in these books that really make you think about the concept of political nuance and hypocrisy, and the fact that bluster and rage can only get you so far until you actually have to put in some work and effort. and that’s a powerful message, especially among younger people who are trying to really figure out what political involvement and influence really means for them.
however, i’m still feeling a lot of frustration and disdain for jessa’s character. rory seems to be getting better, or at least we’re being allowed some more insight to the way his schemes are created to protect his friends and loved ones. however, jessa is still using both danny and finlay’s attraction to rory as a sex object for herself. she doesn’t even talk to either of them in this one, which feels so hostile in a way. in my opinion, at some point, she should have asked both danny and findlay when she’s alone with either of them like “hey, when rory brings you in during sex, and i push you guys to do things, is that actually okay with you? or am i using your attraction to both of us to manipulate you into doing something that hurts you.”
and the fact that she never asks them that question, and never really discusses with rory the way that he treats the other guys, it just really rubs me the wrong way. and she’s still acting as though first importantly is rory, and then there’s all the other guys who may or may not become disposable depending on what rory asks of her. which is annoying because i still want her to stand up for these people that she says she loves instead of just blindly throwing herself at rory’s feet every time he says anything.
and i get it, i understand that rory’s attraction is this dark, unpredictable, knife-edge between mocking and appreciation, and i totally understand that it’s hot and fun and flirtatious in this bantering way that’s extremely sexy and charming. but again, he’s fucking with real people’s actual emotions, and he should have to acknowledge that to them at some point, with care for their feelings and reactions.
but either way, i’m way too deep to stop now, so i’ll definitely be reading the next one, and i’m very hopeful that it will finally take the threads of an actual reverse harem that we’ve been given in this book, and finally bring everyone together in a way that feels solid, instead of just being at rory’s whims.
also there’s just so much stuff that’s happened that we’re still waiting to see if it ever gets addressed? this whole magic thing is bizarre. the fact that we’re only now getting the barest glimpses of jessa sharing her past. her whole thing with her mom was a big deal for 30 pages and then just…over. her weird attraction she keeps alluding to with oscar and the fact that no one has called her on it yet? these are just a few of the things that have been brought up over the course of four books that im hoping will finally come back and matter.
and there’s several moments in these books that really make you think about the concept of political nuance and hypocrisy, and the fact that bluster and rage can only get you so far until you actually have to put in some work and effort. and that’s a powerful message, especially among younger people who are trying to really figure out what political involvement and influence really means for them.
however, i’m still feeling a lot of frustration and disdain for jessa’s character. rory seems to be getting better, or at least we’re being allowed some more insight to the way his schemes are created to protect his friends and loved ones. however, jessa is still using both danny and finlay’s attraction to rory as a sex object for herself. she doesn’t even talk to either of them in this one, which feels so hostile in a way. in my opinion, at some point, she should have asked both danny and findlay when she’s alone with either of them like “hey, when rory brings you in during sex, and i push you guys to do things, is that actually okay with you? or am i using your attraction to both of us to manipulate you into doing something that hurts you.”
and the fact that she never asks them that question, and never really discusses with rory the way that he treats the other guys, it just really rubs me the wrong way. and she’s still acting as though first importantly is rory, and then there’s all the other guys who may or may not become disposable depending on what rory asks of her. which is annoying because i still want her to stand up for these people that she says she loves instead of just blindly throwing herself at rory’s feet every time he says anything.
and i get it, i understand that rory’s attraction is this dark, unpredictable, knife-edge between mocking and appreciation, and i totally understand that it’s hot and fun and flirtatious in this bantering way that’s extremely sexy and charming. but again, he’s fucking with real people’s actual emotions, and he should have to acknowledge that to them at some point, with care for their feelings and reactions.
but either way, i’m way too deep to stop now, so i’ll definitely be reading the next one, and i’m very hopeful that it will finally take the threads of an actual reverse harem that we’ve been given in this book, and finally bring everyone together in a way that feels solid, instead of just being at rory’s whims.
also there’s just so much stuff that’s happened that we’re still waiting to see if it ever gets addressed? this whole magic thing is bizarre. the fact that we’re only now getting the barest glimpses of jessa sharing her past. her whole thing with her mom was a big deal for 30 pages and then just…over. her weird attraction she keeps alluding to with oscar and the fact that no one has called her on it yet? these are just a few of the things that have been brought up over the course of four books that im hoping will finally come back and matter.
December 6, 2024
Well here we are at what was meant to be the final book in the series and it's here that we learn that this is not in fact going to be the last book, that there is in fact going to be one more book after this one. I am really very torn on this one. Bad Winners is full of stunning writing that reads like a political thriller and also engages you in representations of an actual line of thought and revolution. This is brilliantly done in this book. Evie Kady gives us enough of a sense of fiction with enough playfulness that we don't really get that heavy political resonant workload that it could have felt like.
We get a moments in this book that makes you think about political nuance and hypocrisy and how bluster and rage can only get you really so far until you have to put the work in and you have to put the work in and that's such a powerful message. And when you have younger people who are really trying to figure out what it means to be involved in politics and what it means for them, that makes the message that much more powerful.
I still, sadly, have this dislike Jessa. Rory is getting better, thankfully, or at least we are getting insight into his schemes that are created to protect his friends and loved ones. Jessa, though, is still using Danny and Finlay's attraction to Rory as a s$x object for her own reasons. She's not even talking to either of them in this one, which is just hostile and at some point she should have asked Danny and Finlay “Hey, when Rory brings you in during s$x, and I push you to do thinks, is that OK with you? Am I using you? Manipulating you into doing something that hurts you? What can I do to help you be more comfortable?
She never asks the questions, and he never talks to Rory about how he's treating the other guys. It's not sitting so well with me. She's acting as though Rory is the be-all and end all, and the other guys are disposable depending on Rory's mood. I want her to finally get her back bone back and stand up to Rory for the other guys. They deserve that and so much better from her. They have been there for her and treated her so much better than Rory has.
I know that Rory's attraction is dark, unpredictable, and a double-edged knife between mocking and appreciation. I get that it's hot and fun, and it can even be a flity. The banter is on par and s$xy and charming. But on the flip side, he is hurting real people and needs to acknowledge that and her needs to take accountability for that.
But I can't stop now. I'm already in this deep, I have to finish now. I'm just hoping there will be redemption for Jessa and accountability for Rory and everyone will finally come together as a real reverse harem and not this thing that feels so disjointed and just this thing that is for Rory's whim's.
There is a lot that happens in this one, and we will have to wait and see if it all gets addressed in the last one. The threads of magic are bizarre. The fact that only now Jessa is sharing her past when she should have done that before is so strange. That we only get 30 pages with Jessa's mom, and then it's over. Nothing else. This weird attraction she keeps alluding to with Oscar, and no one is calling her on it? What is really going on here? I'm just hoping we finally come back and close up everything that has been brought up and has been left open.
We get a moments in this book that makes you think about political nuance and hypocrisy and how bluster and rage can only get you really so far until you have to put the work in and you have to put the work in and that's such a powerful message. And when you have younger people who are really trying to figure out what it means to be involved in politics and what it means for them, that makes the message that much more powerful.
I still, sadly, have this dislike Jessa. Rory is getting better, thankfully, or at least we are getting insight into his schemes that are created to protect his friends and loved ones. Jessa, though, is still using Danny and Finlay's attraction to Rory as a s$x object for her own reasons. She's not even talking to either of them in this one, which is just hostile and at some point she should have asked Danny and Finlay “Hey, when Rory brings you in during s$x, and I push you to do thinks, is that OK with you? Am I using you? Manipulating you into doing something that hurts you? What can I do to help you be more comfortable?
She never asks the questions, and he never talks to Rory about how he's treating the other guys. It's not sitting so well with me. She's acting as though Rory is the be-all and end all, and the other guys are disposable depending on Rory's mood. I want her to finally get her back bone back and stand up to Rory for the other guys. They deserve that and so much better from her. They have been there for her and treated her so much better than Rory has.
I know that Rory's attraction is dark, unpredictable, and a double-edged knife between mocking and appreciation. I get that it's hot and fun, and it can even be a flity. The banter is on par and s$xy and charming. But on the flip side, he is hurting real people and needs to acknowledge that and her needs to take accountability for that.
But I can't stop now. I'm already in this deep, I have to finish now. I'm just hoping there will be redemption for Jessa and accountability for Rory and everyone will finally come together as a real reverse harem and not this thing that feels so disjointed and just this thing that is for Rory's whim's.
There is a lot that happens in this one, and we will have to wait and see if it all gets addressed in the last one. The threads of magic are bizarre. The fact that only now Jessa is sharing her past when she should have done that before is so strange. That we only get 30 pages with Jessa's mom, and then it's over. Nothing else. This weird attraction she keeps alluding to with Oscar, and no one is calling her on it? What is really going on here? I'm just hoping we finally come back and close up everything that has been brought up and has been left open.
July 4, 2022
So we’re back for what should have been the final instalment of Lochkelvin. And if you’ve been weirdly missing this politically charged academy based reverse harem then you’re not on your own.
Who thought it could all get even spicier than it had gotten and not even be finished with yet?
The more mystery that unfolds around the school, the more danger Jessa and her guys seem to be in - but this book contains lots more scenes where we really get to know their dynamic as a group, filling in little questions you’ve gathered along the way….
Will Luke ever be ok again? Will Finlay forgive himself?Will Benji really come up smelling of roses? What HAS this all got to do with Oscar Munro?
The book is full of twists and turns, sprinkled with gloriously crass phrases and never shy of an exciting little plot that has you blowing through chapter after chapter, trying to guess where it all goes next! And who ever thought a group scene with icing would have been so raunchy?
If snarky boys with mystical backgrounds aren’t your thing, then how about a melancholic renounced king, a best friend with a comically pointed out endowment,or a kilt-wearing silver tongued musician with a talent for mischief?….they’re what’s on offer up at Lochkelvin and you’ll be sorry you missed it all!
I can’t wait for the final installation, another 5star read for me!!
Who thought it could all get even spicier than it had gotten and not even be finished with yet?
The more mystery that unfolds around the school, the more danger Jessa and her guys seem to be in - but this book contains lots more scenes where we really get to know their dynamic as a group, filling in little questions you’ve gathered along the way….
Will Luke ever be ok again? Will Finlay forgive himself?Will Benji really come up smelling of roses? What HAS this all got to do with Oscar Munro?
The book is full of twists and turns, sprinkled with gloriously crass phrases and never shy of an exciting little plot that has you blowing through chapter after chapter, trying to guess where it all goes next! And who ever thought a group scene with icing would have been so raunchy?
If snarky boys with mystical backgrounds aren’t your thing, then how about a melancholic renounced king, a best friend with a comically pointed out endowment,or a kilt-wearing silver tongued musician with a talent for mischief?….they’re what’s on offer up at Lochkelvin and you’ll be sorry you missed it all!
I can’t wait for the final installation, another 5star read for me!!
July 5, 2022
It has been a while since I last read about Jessa and the guys so I was excited to delve in to Bad Winners after the events of the last book.
Luke was forced to abdicate due to the overwhelming influence of Antiro who are becoming more and more powerful as well as violent.
We see Jessa, Rory, Finley, Danny and Luke return to Lochkelvin after a summer away hiding from the masses. This is the only place in the country they hope will be safe for Luke.
The steam level in this book was off the charts! This isn't your typical reverse harem where the girl gets all the attention as the guys are into each other too. The cake scene was especially hot!
There were a lot of really fantastic moments in this book, but there were also some really low moments. Towards the end we see them cope with grief and we see Jessa and Rory start to open up about there own personal grief.
I'm intrigued to see how this series will end. I can't wait for Arabella to be proven wrong and I hope that they don't have to fight too hard to achieve their happy ever after.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Luke was forced to abdicate due to the overwhelming influence of Antiro who are becoming more and more powerful as well as violent.
We see Jessa, Rory, Finley, Danny and Luke return to Lochkelvin after a summer away hiding from the masses. This is the only place in the country they hope will be safe for Luke.
The steam level in this book was off the charts! This isn't your typical reverse harem where the girl gets all the attention as the guys are into each other too. The cake scene was especially hot!
There were a lot of really fantastic moments in this book, but there were also some really low moments. Towards the end we see them cope with grief and we see Jessa and Rory start to open up about there own personal grief.
I'm intrigued to see how this series will end. I can't wait for Arabella to be proven wrong and I hope that they don't have to fight too hard to achieve their happy ever after.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 2, 2022
It had been a while since I read the third book in the Lochkelvin Acadamy series, but it wasn't a problem to grab the storyline and the characters from the start of this fourth book. This is a big book, and a lot happens throughout the story.
I was a bit apprehensive about starting this book, because I remember having problems with how Danny was treated by Rory in the previous book. The author managed to clear up a lot about that in this book though, making me really understand the connections between all these characters. I love the political atmosphere in this book; it made me question a lot of the dynamics that happen in the real world as well, like the influence of fake news, mob dynamics, ... It's a bit scary how close fiction can get to reality sometimes.
Interesting book in this series, and I'm curious to find out how this tale will end
I was a bit apprehensive about starting this book, because I remember having problems with how Danny was treated by Rory in the previous book. The author managed to clear up a lot about that in this book though, making me really understand the connections between all these characters. I love the political atmosphere in this book; it made me question a lot of the dynamics that happen in the real world as well, like the influence of fake news, mob dynamics, ... It's a bit scary how close fiction can get to reality sometimes.
Interesting book in this series, and I'm curious to find out how this tale will end
September 23, 2022
When I first started this series, I liked that it was different. I liked that the author didn’t back away from the politics that are integral to the story. And I still liked this book. But, at this point, it’s beginning to feel drug out. And the author has added another book. I found myself skimming at multiple times throughout the story, and ended up reading it over months instead of devouring it in days. I still love the characters and I’m loving the relationships developing not just between Jessa and the guys, but between the guys as well. I’m hoping that the next book is able to hold my interest better and that we are able to get the many threads of this story wrapped up, because there’s nothing I hate more than sticking with a story just because I want to know how it ends. I want to love the story and be sucked in.
January 17, 2024
What a book… damn.
Things are looking better for the guys and Jessa. As well as the relationship among the guys, I did not expect all the things that happed and all the feelings they have for each other. However, as time passed they get more tight and they formed and amazing team.
In the political sphere things do not look good. It is a complicated situation and it definitely have me some anxiety. It didn’t help that some of the characters keep getting on my nerves.
And the plot twists? The plot keeps you on your toes.
Things are looking better for the guys and Jessa. As well as the relationship among the guys, I did not expect all the things that happed and all the feelings they have for each other. However, as time passed they get more tight and they formed and amazing team.
In the political sphere things do not look good. It is a complicated situation and it definitely have me some anxiety. It didn’t help that some of the characters keep getting on my nerves.
And the plot twists? The plot keeps you on your toes.
July 2, 2022
Excellent
This penultimate book in the Lockelvin Academy series was incredibly intense, tragic and uplifting all at once. The Cheifs have grow and become stronger as the world descends into chaos due to the dastardly Antiro.
I love this series, and can barely wait for the final book to be released next year!
This penultimate book in the Lockelvin Academy series was incredibly intense, tragic and uplifting all at once. The Cheifs have grow and become stronger as the world descends into chaos due to the dastardly Antiro.
I love this series, and can barely wait for the final book to be released next year!
July 4, 2022
This is a story with a lot of struggles and drama. Jessa and the boys learn to deal with death. They try to keep Luke safe with all the turmoil and uprising going on around them. All of them learn that love is a strong Feeling.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 6, 2022
Evie has shown these teenagers in a very different light. To see how these kids are expected to learn such indepth politics and how some people are so easily swayed. Great characters and interesting storyline. Opened my eyes to the way of politics in other countries,.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 17, 2022
This book brought tears to my eyes. Brilliantly written, emotional and beautiful, it is one of the best RH stories I’ve ever read (and maybe I am repeating myself but I’ve been completely impressed…something that doesn’t happen very often). It’s just amazing and I can’t wait for the next one. Great job on getting me hooked 🥰
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews