Drop Dead Queen

Corium University #2

by C. Hallman, J.L. Beck

In the darkness they lurk, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Danger is everywhere, and not even Quinton can protect me. Someone wants me dead and they’ll do anything to achieve their goal.

I’m back to being a rat scurrying through the halls of Corium and I know it won’t be long till I’m caught in a trap.
The only question is, can I save myself this time?

This is a Dark Bully Romance, and book TWO of a trilogy. King of Corium must be read prior to Drop Dead Queen.

Genres: Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Romance, College, New Adult, Mafia Romance

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 28, 2022

About the author

C. Hallman is a USA Today Bestselling Author who wrote her debut novel in 2018 and has since published over 100 books in various romance subgenres. Her works have been on numerous bestseller lists and have been translated into 8 languages around the world.
When she doesn't write her next novel, she publishes spicy novellas under the pen name Darcy Rose.

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Reviews

[Maditales · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, that ending was not only disgusting but made me scream and throw my phone.

First of all, I kind of thought that Quinton would at least develop a bit in this book from being an asshole to maybe a decent person but I was so wrong.

He didn’t improve at all in character and I found it unrealistic how quickly Aspen forgave him for multiple things.

I know this is a dark romance and supposed to be talking about these taboo topics but I just didn’t understand the plot of this book, if that makes any sense?

There wasn’t really a goal or a plot line as in, oh we will find out who do this with the helicopter, or, I wonder what really happened?

Yes the secrets were solved but it wasn’t the main plot rather it was Aspen getting even more bullied and somehow Quinton still not standing up for her??!!

The ending made me mad because I had hoped that we could’ve skipped that story line and maybe found her before.

I’m still going to read the third because I still want to find out what will happen but I’m saying read this book with caution because there is a lot to unpack and many scenes are very triggering.

[Lori [semi-hiatus]]

Just another instance of adding random rape by om to make a book 'dark' 🙄
And authors wonder why readers lose trust in them 😑

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

'DROP DEAD QUEEN' is the second full length, enemies to lovers romance book in C. Hallman & J.L. Beck 's 'Corium University' series. It picks up where the previous book left off. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.'

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS: can also be found on my blog:
➽ KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

This one gets that wee bit more darker too than the previous book, you could feel it escalating in the background wondering who was friend and who was foe but when it actually came at you was a shock to the core, because I wasn't ready for it.

Yet again these two gave me whiplash with their on again and off again I hate you but want you antics but it gave me all those angsty flurries which I love.

These two authors make it seem so effortless with their collaboration as you can pinpoint where one ends and the other picks up the story. And yet again making it an easy 5 star rating from me, it's unique and has you devouring those pages like a junky getting a hit.

The battle lines between these two are still drawn but even Quinton is willing to cross that line, even though both know what they have can never go further because of who they are, who their fathers are...

Remember that cliffy in the first book, well this one kind of shoves us over full throttle over another one and I for one am anticipating that next release like no other book before it!!

                  

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

Scions and hikers and bears, Oh my!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚🖤💛❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌏
Character development: 🧐😕😍😗🥰

The heroine: Aspen Mather - she is attending Corium University, a college that is hidden in the Alaskan Wilderness, most of it is underground. It basically is a college for mafia kids. Aspen is known as a “rat” since her father is in prison for trying to rat out his mob bosses, in particular Xander Rossi.

The Hero(s): Quinton Rossi - known as the King of Corium, Q is son to Xander Rossi, the biggest and baddest mob boss. Quinton has his own father issues, stemming from the death of his sister and the fact that he found out his parents have been lying to him his entire life.

The Story: Quinton has a hard time dealing with his anger and often feels the need to regain control, he is attracted to Aspen and blames her father for messing up his life at the worst possible time, when his sister was dying. So he likes to exert his control over Aspen whenever he feels the need.

This was a great bully story, it wasn’t just Q that bullied Aspen, it was everyone at Corium, including the teachers. Aspen was pushed and tripped and talked down to whenever she ventured out of her room. If it wasn’t for the one law at Corium, that nobody there could commit murder, she would most surely be dead.

At times we see Quinton as a decent guy, who is attracted to a girl. However, his inner thoughts show that he thinks himself above her and no matter what happens between them they will never be together long term. I liked how Aspen’s situation seemed to go from bad to worse, and then even worse and she perseveres through it all.

Though I can sort of see how the progeny of mafia leaders would not want to associate with the daughter of a rat. It still seems to me like none of them can just think for themselves and say, it is wrong to treat Aspen so bad because of what her father did. For one, she is not her father, and two, Mafia men traditionally don’t tell their women anything or involve them in their dealings, so she is obviously an innocent party in all of it.

I did truly like both Quinton and Aspen, who both were in many ways a product of their upbringing and background. Overall though, I just loved all the action and steamy scenes. A lot happened in this book and the cliffhanger was shocking to say the least. I can’t wait to see how it all goes. I hope that Aspen continues her reign as the one who bounces back quickly and rises above everything that gets thrown at her.

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

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[Romance Forever · Rating 2 out of 5]

**SPOILERS & CONTENT ADVISORIES**

So...I'm going to try very hard to mention the good parts first, because there were parts of this book I enjoyed. The writing style is lively. I enjoyed the strong narrative voice. The pacing is good. There's a decent start at the beginning of the book where they're away from Corium and there's a little bit of space for some desperately needed sweetness between the characters. Aspen is very sympathetic. Unfortunately, she's hampered by a weak male protagonist. I hesitate to call him the hero. Quinton is very much a morality chain protagonist, although I think it's badly executed.

Overall, this felt like an early draft of a story that had some potential, even though I didn't like every aspect of it. This does not read like a book being published next week. The first book had minor inconsistencies, but this book has so many that it was hard to make sense of the last half of the story.

Then there's Quinton, our male protagonist. Absolutely the biggest weakness. I enjoy morally gray heroes. He's just...gross.

Quinton lost me in book 1, King of Corium, which I was required to read "to understand" this book. I'm not sure I've read such a pointless, supposed alpha male... ever? I cannot fathom why anyone is afraid of him at this school. I'm sorry your sister died, that isn't a blank check to assault the heroine, Aspen, repeatedly. And seriously, what is the point of hooking up with the alpha if he can't protect you from harm? (We'll come back to this in a minute.)

He's a pathetic, emotionally stunted toddler. He's called Jekyll and Hyde a couple times, but he's just Hyde, only dumber. He can't seem to outwit anyone, has zero impulse control (this is a plot point) and generally lurches from scene to scene being aggressively horny and whiny, often both in the same sentence.

It says a lot that when he brags about his 9-inch dick, I put in the notes, "lol, 3 inches, if you're lucky." Also, please never make me read the words "mushroom head" again, unless there is an actual nuclear explosion taking place.

The sex scenes could have been steamy if we hadn't gotten off (see what I did there?) on this start:

**Spoiler & Content Advisory #1: Non-Consensual Asphyxiation** Quinton chokes Aspen to the point of going blue in the face during sex. I wish I could unread that scene. If I hadn't received a review copy and felt obligated to continue, I would have DNFed the instant she didn't want him to choke her and he did it anyway. This is AFTER he's already raped her in Book 1, which I never would have read had I known what I was picking up.

I've read dark and bully romance; the hero has to have some redeeming factor for it to work. Quinton doesn't. After Book 1 and that scene, it really didn't matter if Aspen said yes to anything sexual, because she never has the option of saying no. Her yes meant nothing. There's no choice to be made. She's just trying to survive.

And she's a survivor! This is a two-star review because I like Aspen, and that's about it. I can't figure out why she and her super-hacker librarian friend Brittney didn't set up fake identities in a nice warm place and go read romances on the beach until the mob caught up with them; at least they would have been happy for a while before getting painfully murdered. Seems simple enough and way more satisfying than this shit. (We'll come back to this in a minute.)

Quinton drags her to a party, and can't even stop his own friends from humiliating Aspen by publicly playing a video of her assault in which Quinton forced her to perform oral sex in front of his friends from book 1. Useless, abusive baby-man. He comes *thisclose* to understanding that he's the bad guy, but he never grapples with what he's done to Aspen. At all. It's brushed off as "I pushed her too far." That's all we get.

Around the 2/3 point, the story turns disjointed and hard to follow through to the last scene. Quinton learns the truth of his birth mother's death (which we see coming from a mile away) and, immediately after having informed his family that he wasn't coming home for Christmas in order to stay with Aspen, he dashes off to confront his father who...is away on a business trip. Seems like you could have asked about that before booking a helicopter from middle-of-nowhere Alaska, but I'm not the hormonal nineteen-year-old, so what do I know?

**spoilers continue**

Anyways. Before leaving, he Very Sternly orders his second-in-command, who has already attempted to kill Aspen once, to Protect Her From Matteo, The Real Villain (tm). Then it's Christmas, which seems to be a time leap, and Ren is there with the family, no discussion of the fact that he was ordered to stay behind and take care of the heroine. See? Alpha Quinton can't even get his second-in-command to do the bare minimum. Or he's just plain forgotten about giving the order? Very confusing what is happening.

The whole dead-mother issue is a big nothingburger. Apparently it's fine to be a murderer, but it's not okay to be a drug addict. We already knew dad was trash, but the whole presentation of his reasons for killing Quinton's birth mom confirms it.

Point is: Grandpa killed grandma, Dad killed birth mom, and Aspen, girl, run, because Quinton will 100% kill you. You're in a domestic violence situation. GET. OUT. Get a fake identity from Brittney and run!

Of course, she does none of this. Aspen says, in a note that made my eyes roll so hard I saw the back of my own skull, that "there is a tender soul waiting to be unleashed."

What? Are you kidding me? No. There isn't. He's a sulky teenage rapist. That's it.

This is, apparently, the basis for their HEA. But wait! There's more!

**Spoiler & Content Warning 2: Rape, Pregnancy Loss**

Because Quinton ditzily ran off to "confront" his dad, who gave him a dressing down, saying, "You act like an irresponsible child. How am I supposed to trust you? You are supposed to protect your sister, not put her in danger!"

Xander speaks for all of us. Substitute Aspen for Sister, and you have the core problem with his character: the alpha fails to protect his mate. Which brings us to...

Quinton dashed off in a tizzy, leaving Aspen alone, Matteo kidnaps her, gang rapes her in one of the worst scenes I've read in a while, and the last image of the book is her unconscious and bleeding from a pregnancy loss. If you thought Quinton was going to protect Aspen in even the smallest of ways, you would be wrong! (A granola bar and a blanket in exchange for her compliance while he rapes her DOES NOT CUT IT, buddy.) Frankly, the rapist who shot her with drugs to make her black out before the gang rape is more heroic.

Can't possibly have Mr. 3-Inch Mushroom Head be even marginally inconvenienced by using a condom, though he does give her birth control (and then fail to refill it, apparently). Not getting pregnant? That's Aspen's problem. Like she needs any more. Give the woman an IUD. An Nexplanon implant. Depo-Provera. Something within her control. This isn't 1960. WTF.

But now, now...Quinton suddenly wants a baby. Because it's all about him, and someone touched Aspen and he lost something he felt he was owed. I see the back of my skull again. There is absolutely zero concern for her well-being. I don't need to read this HEA, I know how it ends. She's just a vessel to get him a baby. He kills her. Because Aspen is nothing to him. There is no possible happiness with Quinton.

Remind me again why he's the hero? Please. No one breed with this fictional person. Or his real-life equivalent. Children deserve better. Dogs deserve better.

Back to Aspen: she's so abused that it's hard to read. The problem with Quinton being such a weak character is that she never gets a chance to be strong. She has to stay weak so he can keep "rescuing" her, when honestly, she does better on her own. Quinton gives her occasional stuff, but at such a cost, she says repeatedly that it isn't worth it, and she's right.

She never gets to be anything more than the mouse, telling herself she enjoys being devoured by the cat. It's a waste of an otherwise strong character.

Completely minor quibbles compared to everything above:
*At one point Quinton fixes her sink, then later says he "doesn't know much about repairs" when the plumber sabotages Aspen's room and steals her panties. Pick one. He knows what he's doing or he doesn't.
*The library is conveniently locked, thus forcing Aspen to seek to sleep in Quinton's room when her room is flooded with sewage due to above sabotaging plumber, but a couple of chapters later it says the library is never locked. Pick one. It's locked, or it's not.

I won't be reading book 3. The thought of Quinton getting an HEA makes me want to puke.

[Lady Raven RAVE! · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Style: Dark Romance (College)
Story: 3.5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Dark Level: 2/5
Sexual Level: SEX-CITINGLY GOOD
Triggers: Yes
Violence: Yes
Male: Sexy & Possessive
Series: book 2 of 3
Pages: loc. 3818
Audio: No
Kindle Unlimited: Yes

STORY:
What I liked:
The plot is becoming more interesting as there are a few secondary plots revolving around Quinton and Aspen .As book 2 continues, Quinton took me on an up and down ride with his emotions. He was the nice guy (thought there was hope), trickled back down to the cold unfeeling guy and then to the possessive guy. This was one of the things that made this a good read for me. He is being pulled in so many directions, but the best direction, is his uncontrollable want for Aspen. Aspen was still not treated the best. Some may consider her weak, but this is her character. I wouldn’t say she has evolved much, however, I am glad that we still saw more of her and Quinton’s interactions together. They gave me that frenzy I can’t control myself when I’m around you even though I hate you vibe.

What was so so:
The story is built in this mafia world, hence, the undercover college for crime families’ kids. However, the mafia aspect isn’t hardcore, but more the players that give you mafia adjacent.
In my first review, I noted you may not need to read Xander and Ella’s story, Keep Me from the Rossi Crime Family series, I will change that and say, maybe you do. Because there are key things in that book that will make more sense when reading this series. Of course, cliffhanger because there is still so much unanswered questions. Dark, mmm, I’ll say dark adjacent. The story isn’t that dark for me, only some contents are. The ending is definitely graphic in regards to assault on a female.



SEXUAL CHEMISTRY:
I enjoyed the sex scenes and the growing sexual chemistry and tension between Quinton and Aspen. It starts out not bad in the beginning of the book, but throughout, it intensifies. Quinton’s growing possessiveness definitely added to the tension at times.



SECONDARY CHARACTERS:
Please tell me, depending on how book 3 goes, that after this trilogy, we will have individual books with some of the secondary characters and something is in the works with Ren and Scarlet? I need something to happen.

Nash and Marcel really aren’t standing out. They are just there. They are Quinton’s friends.

Still always a pleasure to see Xander, always intense per usual.




OVERALL:
Was I entertained? yes. Did I like it? Yes. Do I find myself looking forward to the conclusion of this series? Yes.



✰✰TRIGGERS: brutal assault on a female.


****I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read. I based my book reviews on my preferences and what I like, and while these preferences may not be the same for others, I hope this review was still helpful.

[winotka.books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ta książka powinna mieć minimum jedną stronę z ostrzeżeniami (a ma ich 0). Aspen spotyka każda najgorsza rzecz jaką może tylko ją spotkać.
Liczyłam że pójdzie to w takim mrocznym niebezpiecznym kierunku, a to wyszła taka telenowela z teen dramą nieco.
No jest wciągające, ale w pierwszym tomie było dużo rozwijania tej mrocznej strony głównego bohatera i tego co robi głównej bohaterce. A tutaj jakieś dziwne to było.
W sumie niewiadomo co ma się tu stać w końcu.
Wątki są zaczynane i kończone mega szybko.
Szkoda, że nie poszło w taką poważniejszą stronę, tylko w taką typową dramę 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Izzy]

Not gonna touch this even though the first book was great, this one has rape by om and before investing in this, I think everyone should know this.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was ready for more of Aspen and Quinton's epic story, but I was wrong. This book broke me and I need book 3 right now! This read is packed with intense twists, sexy times and soul crushing moments that will break your heart and have you cursing these two authors out... all while bowing to their awesomeness. Gahhhh!

Drop Dead Queen picks up right where King of Corium ended. From the start we are thrown heart first into the sorid tale of one beautiful, but very hated Aspen. That poor girl doesn't get a breather. Not from the students at Corium, not from her mom and especially not from Quinton. There is a new player in the game and I wasn't quite sure how that was going to play out. One guy especially wants her to pay. It goes way beyond what her father may or may not have done. It's personal and she should be afraid. She finds solace in the library, romance reads and one ride or die blue haired librarian.

What started as a game of cat and mouse between Aspen and Quinton has evolved into something that neither one of them saw coming. Intimate moments are becoming more than just a quick release. Feelings are muddled, hate is changing, lust is growing stonger. Are they strong enough for what it's store for them? They are enemies and will always be only enemies. Enemies who allow for the chaos to calm and peace to emerge with each other. Always and only with one another.

I love Aspen SO much!! I also am falling for Q. Despite the hate and awfulness he dishes out... I want him, need him, gotta have him.

I feel like there is so much I want to say about this book, but most of it would give away big spoilers and I don't want to do that to you. You will want to read it all for yourself. You won't be disappointed but, you will be huddled in a corner with me not so patiently waiting for what will the be a phenomenal conclusion to this amazing series!

[Queen Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

h being gang raped by randos? ruined the series for me

[Vanessa Booked Up · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS!

WHAT. THE. FRACK!!

"What secret did that kiss tell you?" he croaks.
"It told me you're drowning too, so let's drown together."

Oh, sweet baby Jesus, this freaking series! Let me tell you, it's been quite a hot minute since I've read anything in the Bully romance trope. The last several I read had me wanting to stab a mofo, because I now have a 14-year-old daughter and when I think of someone treating her even half as disrespectfully as these "heroes" treat these poor heroines, I start considering prison time and how it really would be worth it!

Anywho, but then I saw this series and, yes, it is a bully romance, but it's also dark academia and takes place in a mafia world, and well, I mean...I'm not made of stone...okay?!?!

When I tell you that this series owned me?! I spent two days INHALING the first book, King of Corium AND this book.

(Note: I am pretty much reviewing both King of Corium and Drop Dead Queen here, though this review focuses more on DDQ. But, I have 15 ARCs on tap in January...I know, I am an idiot...so in the interest of time, I am condensing and I hope you will forgive me!)

Quinton (Q) and Aspen are the children of mafia lords, once friends, now sworn enemies because Aspen's father apparently rolled over to the FBI and ratted. So, Aspen, by association, has too been labelled a rat. They both attend a private elite boarding school that's specifically for the children of high society, important people...so, lots of children of powerful mafia families attend.

I've seen Bully romances where all the kids at the school hate the target. But in this one, even the staff hates Aspen. She has a crappy room, isn't allowed to use the laundry room, won't get served the good food in the cafeteria...it's infuriating.

I was so sucked in by these two books. They both center around Quinton and Aspen and their relationship in this dark forbidden world, and her plight for survival at Corium. I will say, it is a HARD series to read sometimes. Poor Aspen endures SO MUCH CRAP!!! Like, please leave this girl alone in the third book. If one more thing happens to her, it will officially be too much. I get it. Due to the world they're in and the power these characters have, it didn't seem OTT to me but, hell, that doesn't mean it was easy to read.

Quinton at first is just completely indifferent to her, but that begins to evolve.

"Fuck, every time I'm inside of you, I forget who we are, what we are to each other."
I nod. "We aren't enemies here..."

What begins with complete enemies to lovers, begins to evolve into Quinton being the only one who will help Aspen and literally being her savior, though there is still so much he "hates" about her, so he's fighting an inner battle.

This is definitely a mafia series. The parents of these characters are not off the page and the past is not truly in the past. Nothing is what it seems. There are secrets, lies, and betrayal. These authors have enough material to easily write an entire saga off of this world. There are SOOOOO many characters I want to know MUCH more about! (Mainly...LUCAS!!!!)

The only thing that bothered me here was that I really wanted Aspen to have more of a backbone when it came to Quinton. She does begin to in the end but he deserves way worse. I wanna see this little bastard GROVEL!!!!! And suffer. Poor Aspen has suffered so much. He needs to suffer some too in order for me to fully "buy" his evolvement in his feelings for her.

And, boys and girls, this series is f-ing SCORCHING



Like, ALLLL the dirty talk, and dub con, and cough cough...anal, and hot, dirty, possessive sex.

"Stop fighting me. You're gonna lie there and let me fuck you however I want. And right now, I want to choke you while fucking you."

Also, now I am not one for advertising trigger warnings personally, but I will say, there is a very difficult to read scene at the end of this book. Rape...part of it is off-paged, but it is disturbing still. I have included it in the spoiler tag, but please know, this is a dark read with some very dark themes.

It does end in another mother cliffy...like, holy crap that ending!!



I have to admit, I was blown away by how much I've enjoyed this series so far. I am VERY confident this is a series we will begin seeing everywhere.

I don't know what I am going to do with my life until March 25th, when Broken Kingdom: Dark Enemies to Lovers Bully Romance releases because I need more Aspen and Q LIKE NOW!!

"What is it about you that keeps me coming back for more?" I lean into her ear and tease her lobe with my teeth. Every time I slip inside you, I forget that I'm supposed to hate you."

I received an e-ARC of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC🖤

Otra vez, 24h me ha durado este libro!

Volvemos a la universidad Corium, desde donde lo dejamos en el primer libro (King of Corium). Aspen sobrevive al accidente y vuelve a la universidad.
Las cosas entre nuestros protagonistas, mejoran en la intimidad, pero en público, Quinton sigue sin defenderla. Su relación es un tanto tóxica y siguen con sus idas y venidas, hasta que por fin entienden que se están enamorando.

Me ha encantado este segundo libro! Hay muchos giros en la trama, la manera en que el libro está escrito es muy adictivo, entenderemos más a los personajes… una maravilla! Aspen me da mucha penita pobre…

Nos vuelven a dejar con un final brutal y toca esperar hasta marzo para ver cómo acabará la historia de estos dos!

5/5⭐️
2/5🌶

[Kelly_Reads_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinton and Aspen’s story takes on new twists and turns after that huge cliffhanger in King of Corium and oh my goodness it is sensational. Because of the sins of the fathers this couple are supposed to be severe enemies but why are they so drawn to each other? Quinton tries desperately to push Aspen away but only she can calm his head from the chaos in his mind. That ending, though, was brutal and heartbreaking and another monstrous cliffhanger!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending 😧

[Mandyloves2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMGGG!!! This story is sooo freaking good !!! It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through it’s dark it’s twisted and holy hell that ending!!! What am I supposed to do until the next book?!?! This I think might be my favorite story written from these amazing authors! It’s just amazing I’m speechless I know I keep repeating myself just READ THIS NOW!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHHHHHH Necesito el tercero yaaaaaa! 🥺🤧

PD: Matteo TE ODIO 🤬

[Echo's Journey Through Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Drop Dead Queen, wow what a ride! I mean I knew that going into this but damn it still surprised me with the way it was! Quinton and Aspen continue to have the back and forth angsty as heck and a bit messed up "I want you but I hate you at the same time" thing they have between them and oh boy it's wild. Although it drove me quite insane, I still adored it!

Oh Quinton, he is literally so conflicted with himself. He wants to hate her and torment her but also keep her safe and protected from everyone else. Oof the struggle! I hoped he would redeem himself a little more in this but also when I think of it I love how he stays true to himself and doesn't just flip a switch for Aspen. He's definitely all "she's mine" possessive either way though.

I loved the intensity mixed with all the things messed up like just because it had me completely on the edge and nervous of what was going to be thrown at me next! And not to even talk about the end, how dare youuu! I for real just sat there with tears rolling down my cheeks and pretty much repeated I'm fine I'm fine over and over. It's not something I thought I would actual full on tears cry over but damn my heart shattered!

Ahhh cannot wait for the third and final book because things are gonna get even more intense!

"Fuck, we’re ruining each other, and if we don’t stop, something bad will happen. Something that neither of us can come back from."

*I received this ARC from Tormented Book Promo but the thoughts are completely my own.*

[ola · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[atomickitten · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

The fact that 2 grown ass women decided that their heroine should be gang raped just for the shock aspect is kinda pathetic and brings absolutely nothing to the table.



Apart from that nothing much happened in this book.

The fact that our Romeo aka Quinton is still a complete asswipe isn't really that surpring.

Yeah, he finds out that his douche father killed his mother but i don't think anyone was shocked here.

The heroine is still portrayed as a weak and not too bright excuse for woman and these 2 gruesome twosome give her zero opportunities to shine in this stupid story.

And honestly, based on all their books I've read so far, I genuinely think they actually hate their heroines and women in general.



I will read book 3, naturally because I am honestly curious how they will try to stop this trainwreck.

Although I'm afraid it's a little too late for that.

Because honestly, making your heroine stay and have a HEA with a douchebag like Quinton who cares for her as much as I care for a root canal is wrong on so many levels, I actually am speechless.

Can't they see how fucking wrong this all is???

Come, the fuck, on...

[Zainab Alkurmanji · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the cliffhanger of the first book, I started this one immediately because I was so excited to read about what was going to happen and I wasn't disappointed because the way he rescued her was so amazing.
I loved how he took her into this university clinic, cared for her, and kept checking in on her.
But he didn't admit that he was checking because he cared for her.
And after she got better, He Gave her another room... A better room. And that was so cute.
And how he Set up a camera to keep checking on her Was possessive in the best way possible of dark romance.
I love their intimate scenes, especially the one in the bathroom. It was so ******* hot.
I still don't like how young they are. I'd like to think of them as much older than they are.
I should have read the trigger warning for this one because the ending was quite triggering for some bad memories for me, I got depressed.
So next time when I read this kind of romance, I will read trigger warnings and I advise everyone to do the same.
The cliffhanger of this book was so good that I felt disappointed when I knew that the third one would be after a month. And now, after I've read the whole series, I felt disappointed about the third one. but this one is still amazing, and I love it.

[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a plane accident to Aspen and Quentin’s burgeoning feelings, this story was very engaging. Loved Aspen and Quentin’s rapport, the honesty of the attraction, absent too much and unwarranted push and pull. Aspen’s personality was nice with inner strength and Quentin, a bit of a jerk but obviously enthralled with and protective of Aspen. While it would seem to be a love to hate relationship, there was obvious feelings on both sides. Set in the Alaskan mountains in an underground university for new adults of the mafia, this story contained mystery and intrigue as well as a healthy about of steam. Not only did I like the main characters, the side characters — best friends, family and arch enemies —link well with the protagonists and hinted at other possible stories I would invest in reading.

A great pace, this was my favorite series by these authors, with a broad plot, compelling characters with spice, and mountain setting. That ending was amazing.

[TMR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Note 2: This is a trilogy. King of Corium is the first. Drop Dead Queen is the next. Broken Kingdom is the third and final book in the trilogy.

Trigger Warnings: abuse, assault, rape/non-con, dubcon, drug use, alcoholic, abandonment issues, murder, death, violence detailed depicted, death by illness.

Remember when I said I would come back to this book, even though I hated the first book? Well if you don't, I have the review of the first book here to prove it: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Well apparently, I've changed my mind with this one. It's far more darker, erotic and heavy on the bullying and mind games. And you know I love me some mind games.

Last we saw of Aspen, she was ready to sail off captain hook's evil island: aka Corium University. But as always there's a plot twist. And as the story moves on, it's almost the same shenanigans that were happening before. But apparently, someone else has also set their stakes high in making sure Aspen does not survive Corium University. And the relationship between Quinton and Aspen was already confused, now blurry lines threaten them under, and her protection at surviving the hell of all hells.

So yeah that's all the jazz at the moment for this one. And honestly, I think this time I had slight more enjoyment with this one, even though there were way more questionable decisions taken than the last time. Something about having my emotional/moral filter tuned out between this book and the first one - who knows.

Although I should warn - and the trigger warnings already mention so - and I am sorry but this one cannot be hidden as a spoiler - the hero/dark hero does end up raping the heroine after she says No a few times without protection. I mean yes this book is noncon/dubcon but for those who still feel unease with the trigger warnings - this is your warning now. I wish the reviews had been more specific about this, but I am trying my best to be clear here. Although I moved on from that chapter quickly - reference to loss of emotion/moral filter above - still you should understand this before you read Drop Dead Queen.

The romance was still non-existent in this one, steamy times ahead with con/or noncon. Assault, violence and everything else took major standing in this novel - add to Quinton and Aspen's strange relationship. Bullying exists, and yeah it's a huge lot. Aside from that, not a whole lot of insane and connected shenanigans happen (they only happen at 98% of the novel), the rest is bullying, or noncon sex and occasional glance at family issues - though they're just at times brushed aside because "with their upbringing it's common".

So yeah it was a strange, dark and WTF moments with this novel. Still, I look forward to reading Broken Kingdom and finding out whether Quinton and Aspen's relationship improves, the family issues stop and there are actual evil shenanigans happening -so much hope for this.

Broken Kingdom - released a day before - is the last and final book in the trilogy, and I hope that it brings answers.

That is all.

Until the next read,

-TMR

[deb ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[lujine ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

*ೃ༄ book 114

i don’t know what’s in these books but i have a love-hate relationship with them (in which i hate them and the characters but i can’t stop reading)

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second of a trilogy and defiintely ends with a cliffhanger. This book is more of the same with Quinton and Aspen and how their relationship progresses. You get introduced to some new characters and see some you began to like from the first book of the trilogy. I liked getting to see more of the other characters evolve. Also, Aspen and Quinton struggle with many things, not just their feelings for one another, and you really feel for them and become invested. I will also say that this book has triggers. Kind of major ones depending on who you are and your life experiences.


This is where a bit of *Spoliers* come in........


But the end of this book is especially hard to read. While nothing is explicitly described, the aftermath is and it is/can be triggering and/or upsetting and retraumatizing. Especially for people who may have been sexually assaulted or abused. I'm a little upset (disappointed?) that it was included in the story. I had really hoped it wouldn't be, to be honest, even though I did see it coming. These scenes and storylines are very tricky to write and include in books, even Dark Romances, and personally, more often than not, they can be left out. But I will be waiting for that third book. And I really hope Matteo and whoever else was invovled brutally and tortuously gets what they deserve.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sakshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Though, I have to admit when we first started our agreement, there were times I wanted you to shut up. Now I’d rather talk to you than anyone else, besides Scarlet or my mom.”
“Nice to know you don’t see me as a blow-up doll you can fuck whenever you want.” I shove a fork full of turkey into my mouth and chew it slowly, watching his face for a reaction.
“Oh, I still see you as the girl I can fuck whenever I want, however I want, for as long as I want. The difference now is that part of me respects you. We won’t ever be equals, not in this world, not with all your father has done, but that doesn’t mean I have to hate you outright. It doesn’t mean I can’t be civil with you and enjoy what we share.”

That sums up the the entire second book in the trilogy.

Quinton is both Aspen's bully and her protector.

I can’t keep doing this with Quinton.
He could never love me, and I could never love him.
We’re enemies, and it has to stay that way.

[ina.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5
Reread: Czytałam to w tym miesiącu i cały czas miałam to w głowie. Chcę już tylko iść spac, żeby jak najszybciej wstać i przeczytać kolejną część.

Nie pamiętam kiedy ostatni raz jakaś seria tak mnie pochłonęła. Cały jej klimat jest świetny. Dosłownie czytałam to na raz i czekam totalnie na ostatni tom, bo oczywiście to zakończenie musiało być tak okropne, że nie da się długo wytrzymać bez kontynuacji 😭

[Shyralf · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 ⭐️ Star! Nope, again the MC (male) are suppose to grow and evolve, but it never did. This author need to have trigger warnings for all of these books, because it’s just horrific and horrible what she thought was ok to write. I wanted to give 2 for the poor heroine. Shitty book.

[Tereza Jurakova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it❤️

[Alysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drop dead queen picks up right where king of Corium left off with Aspen seeing she survived the helicopter crash but the pilot did not. From there, things go from bad to worse. Luckily Quinton is looking for her. After that whole thing, they eventually make it back to Corium. Aspen has a broken leg but is relatively unharmed. Her and Quintons “relationship” is progressing and they are both afraid of how it’s progressing so they keep seeking space from one another. Matteo is still a damn problem though.

Halloween comes around and he decides to take Aspen to the Halloween party. Aspen doesn’t want to go but Q drags her there. While they are there, the video that Matteo has of Aspen and Q from the beginning of the year gets played on a huge projector for everyone to see. I swear, Aspen can’t catch a break.

Q installs cameras in her room to spy on her.

Her shower leaks sewage water all over her dorm room, but luckily she gets a brand new room and new clothes and things that were ruined from Q.

Q finds out some stuff from listening to her talking to her dad on the cameras.

Q goes home for Christmas and confronts his dad.

Aspen stayed at the school for Christmas. Someone causes a gas leak at the school and it has to be evacuated. Everyone has to go home. Aspen refuses to tell Q she’s home because she doesn’t want to be weak. Only someone breaks in and kidnaps her and does awful things to her. That person texts Q and he and Ren go to find her. He brings her home and the family doctor looks over her. She’s been drugged and is in pretty bad shape. But the real revelation is what the doctor says she lost!!!

This book is such a good bully romance. He’s her tormenter but he also cares about her. No one but him can do anything to her. I can’t wait to see how the last book plays out with this new information!!!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review