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ELLIE

For so long, secrets have ripped us apart.

But slowly and surely, I’m learning to put my trust in the five dangerous men who’ve captured my heart.

Shocking revelations prove just how deadly the Paragons of Prosperity truly are.

By taking the Paragons on, I must decide what I’m willing to give up to destroy them once and for all.

But what if that price is the lives of the men I’ve grown to love?


THE KINGS

We lied to her for way too long.

But now, everything is out in the open.

We’ll do everything in our power to protect our precious Ellie against the threats attacking us from every angle.

Will it be enough?

One thing is clear…

The Divine One refuses to let her go.

And we may not be strong enough to stop him.


This is a dark reverse harem romance with gothic academies, dangerous cults, serial killers, and a sweet girl planted smack dab in the middle of it all. This book contains strong language, sexual situations, and scenes of graphic violence.

Pandemonium is book three of five in the Kings of Grove Academy series.

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2023

569 people are currently reading
574 people want to read

About the author

Katie May

104 books2,668 followers
Katie May is a romance writer of numerous genres! She writes everything from horror to fantasy to contemporary. #whychoose

She has a gorgeous tabby cat who she adores, and she’s obsessed with coffee and horror movies.

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5 stars
708 (53%)
4 stars
398 (29%)
3 stars
185 (13%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
Profile Image for Lyrik.
928 reviews72 followers
February 11, 2023
I don't know why I like this or why I'm invested in this story, but at this point I'm in it till the end. Teenage psychos that are obsessed with and in love with their one girl friend and are fighting against an unrealistic, bonkers cult that the girl becomes a part of against her will. Seriously OTT. Objectively, none of this makes sense, but I don't care. And it's a SLOW burn reverse harem that - up to this point - is barely acknowledged or talked about which is the worst. The first two books felt like they were setting up the action that happened in this one. Definitely enjoyed this more - there was more romance (things are still not sorted out though) and more cohesiveness between everyone.
Profile Image for Laura.
775 reviews48 followers
March 13, 2024
***TRIGGER WARNING: If you've gotten this far in the series, you know this can get dark, but I strongly feel that the warning for dark content in the synopsis should be tweaked to include "sexual violence." There's a brief but extremely graphic description of a video taken of sexual assault with a knife. Enough said.***
168 reviews10 followers
February 10, 2023
Wonderful !!!

I absolutely loved this story!! Ellie and her guys suck you right in. Morally grey men trying to do the right thing and protect Ellie at the same time. The ending though...
Profile Image for Scottie Henry.
123 reviews
April 22, 2024
Really loved the characters further development in this book and the growing relationships between them all. I have blown through the first 3 books and have downloaded the 4th already!
Profile Image for Jojoreadsromance.
150 reviews2 followers
February 25, 2023
I’m going out of my mind!!

This is book three in the Kings of Grove Academy Books.A dark RH romance It’s not a standalone you will need to read them in order if you’ve not already and this one ends on cliffhanger like the previous two.

I’m truly going insane with this series and not in a bad way! There are so many mysteries and secrets and twists, and each time you think all the answers are coming you’re dropped off a cliff with more questions than answers. It really keeps you on your toes and guessing throughout.

I just love Ellie and the guys. Ellie has really grown from the naïve young woman from book one. She’s so much stronger and more determined. Ryker broke my heart in this one. I felt so bad for him. These guys love Ellie so much they need her like their next breath, and they are starting to realize they might all be able to have a relationship with her that can work. This was also the book where the spice comes in and up a notch! Which I was happy about.

Overall, I was thrilled with this read, and I’m hoping the 4th book will be out sooner because I’m not sure I can wait to see what happens next!
Profile Image for Tamarra Lynch.
896 reviews36 followers
May 6, 2023
There is a trigger warning in the forward, please heed the authors advice.

This is Book 3 in The Kings of Grove Academy Series and picks up where book 2 ended.

A deal is made out of desperation, Ryker will do anything for the woman he loves.

The truth of whether Fischer, Ellie’s brother may be involved, is a bitter pill to swallow

There mysterious informant turns out to be Ellie’s uncle, Raymond, or so we’re lead to believe, is doing everything in his power to protect Ellie, even when she learns the truth of who was responsible for the death of her parents.

Dominic has to contend with the machinations of his biological father, his overbearing wife and two step brothers, where it is suggested that Harvey, maybe also be involved.

Zane had her first kiss. Ryker got to taste her first. Beckett got her perfect mouth around his cock.
Ellie and Dominic give their innocence to each other in a night or pure unadulterated love, pleasure and passion. Yet Landon, has declared that he will claim the most forbidden place of all, the idea sending a shudder of ecstasy through her body.

Ellie is conflicted in her feelings for Zane, Ryker, Beckett, Dominic and Landon. She doesn’t know if she has the capacity to love them, to share her heart and parts of herself, individually with them. But they worship the ground she walks on, practically doing anything and everything to keep her happy and safe. They love her, in there own way, for what Ellie considers in giving them a piece, they alleviate her anxiety assuring her that she is giving them more love than any of them deserve.

The Divine One and The Paragon’s of Prosperity are still on the path of their dangerous quest, Ellie within there sights. And when they come to take a defector from them, it sets forth consequences that Ryker didn’t anticipate, putting them all at risk, yet when they put there plan into motion, they can only hope that they have deceived the deadliest man of all, for if there deception is discovered, it could mean a world of trouble for them all.

Hears to anticipating book 4 and the remainder of the story unfolds for our beloved Ellie and her Kings.

Highly recommend both author and book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Desiree.
439 reviews62 followers
May 17, 2023
I definitely preferred this book over the second one. This book continued with the cliffhanger from book two, and a new person is introduced. Something happens between POP and one of the guys. Mania and Ellie continue to try to learn more about POP and how to take them down. While there was more plot in this book, I feel there was more relationship development between Ellie and the guys. There is somewhat of a cliffhanger at the end, but it's not too bad.

One of the things that I love about these guys, is that they have saved their firsts for Ellie. Like I just love that. They've been in love with her for so long that they can't even imagine being with someone else in that capacity. It's not confirmed for all of them yet, but it sure seems like they all waited for her. Like how is that not perfect?!? It makes me love them more.


Favorite quotes/scenes:

-"I learned that there's one person who makes my body burn, makes me skin go up into flames, makes my heart warm. One tiny slip of a girl with eyes that see straight into my soul. Ellie. For her, I would willingly walk into the fires of hell with a wide smile on my face. For her, I would burn." (Ryker)

-"The thought of being with anyone but Ellie quite literally makes me sick. I've loved her since I was a child, and I'll continue to love her until the day I die. Maybe that makes me obsessive or sick or naive, but I know true love when I see it. And what I feel for Ellie surpasses anything I've ever felt for anyone in my life." (Landon)

-"He claimed that I'm as vital to him as one of this organs? I'm beginning to believe he's the same for me—him, Ryker, Zane, Dominic, and Landon. My closest friends. My first friends. My first...loves." (Ellie)

"Zane left me, what he calls, his stabby knife."
"Do you mean that literally, or...?"
The tiny pocketknife is bedazzled with pink gemstones.
"Stabby knife"
"Good lord...We're making you into a little psychopath, aren't we?
The smile on his face suggests he doesn't mind either way. (Ellie and Dominic)

-"He's the second smartest man I know. Second...to, of course. He's unable to sing and dance to Britney Spears while stabbing someone in the eye. Only smart people can do that. I call it interpr-eye-tive dance. It usually only works if you keep the victim alive—" (Zane)

"It's tiring work being a serial killer. Honestly, I don't think people consider that when they sign up for the job. The lack of benefits, for one, puts a huge damper on what may have been an enjoyable career path. No health insurance for accidental stabbings? No dental for when you get your teeth knocked in by a wayward punch? No freaking life insurance? I don't even get a 401k. It's bullshit, I tell you. Bull. Shit." (Zane, of course)
Profile Image for Annette.
3,857 reviews179 followers
February 15, 2023
I was so looking forward to this book! I absolutely loved and devoured the first two books in this series and I was so excited to find out what was gonna happen next! (That's also because the cliffhanger of book 2 was quite brutal) And yesterday my paperback copy finally arrived! It took a little detour, but eventually it landed in my hands and I was incredibly happy because today I had an entire day without plans so I could dive in.

This book starts with a prologue that confused me a little bit, but I decided to just read on and to see how our characters would get there and what would really be going on. I read the entire book in one sitting. It was impossible to put it down and I just love how Katie May writes because it makes it easy to just keep going and going and going. I was actually quite "sad" that it took me less than three hours to reach the end. I want and need more!

What I really loved about this book is that there is a lot of time for the guys and Ellie to take steps when it comes to their relationship. It's clear from the start that Ellie feels something for all the guys and that all of the guys feel something for her. In this book not only are those feelings talked about and discussed, especially because so many people are involved, but we're also seeing how Ellie is having a lot of firsts and how each of her guys gets one.

On top of that we learn quite a few new things when it comes to POP. Not only because we finally meet the guy who has been helping the guys of Mania out, but also because we meet the senator Ellie is supposed to bring to POP for whatever reason. Of course, we once more get more questions than answers in the end, we're after all only a little past the halfway point of the series, but the story sure keeps me on the tips of my toes.

I can't wait for the next book to be ready and released!
108 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2025
This series was difficult. I did not know this was going to be a high school setting, with the FMC being under 18. It’s advertised as spicy. I pushed through book 1 and aged them up to college in my head - but nothing spicy happened in book 1. I started book 2 with high hopes, and ended up skimming a lot. Again, there’s 1 spicy scene but nothing else (no sex). I started book with hesitation, since I didn’t end up enjoying book 2, and ultimately DNF book 3. Again 1 spice scene but it was…to be frank, gross.

How are these HS kids SO influential over ADULTS? I’m sorry, they have endless money, blackmail, and whatever else over ADULTS? I just couldn’t fathom how the plot was possible. You’re telling me a groups of HS kids are going to take down a highly influential secret society that’s been around for over 100 years? Like even at college setting that’s hard to really believe, so making the characters HS just doesn’t make sense. Why were they not written at the college level? That’s the biggest flaw of this series.

I know this was advertised as slow burn, but by book 3 if there’s nothing spicy going on I don’t think it should be advertised as spicy. I also don’t think spicy books should have HS kids under 18 but 🤷‍♀️. This should have been a YA book, I feel I got bait and switched.
16 reviews
August 15, 2024
Not for me

I don't like to leave a book unfinished. I really thought it was a trilogy and this would be the final book so I forced myself to continue. The plot is good and the character development isn't bad, but there truly is such a thing as too much fluff! Repeating the same descriptions over and over is unnecessary. It causes the reader to pull away from the story and lose interest. There is no need to write and entire paragraph dedicated to the description of someone's hair..... Multiple times!
I really would like to know who the villain is, but I can't justify continuing the series. Every "cliff hanger" and "plot twist" has been completely predictable.
2 stars are given simply for the mystery of the villain, other than that I would have given a 1 star review. There are so many other truly well written stories with similar plot lines. It's upsetting having my first DNF series.
410 reviews
July 30, 2025
What impressed with this im

So far I have read, what's one? I get slow, burn the books I do are hate him but I will read some of them. But this series is a known the fnche, is so scatterbrained, and so super it makes no sense to me.
The story has too much going on. These kids are dealing with it. Pedophiles. They are psychopaths, child. Molested, I mean, I get dark, but all of that, and then one series of books and I don't 1, so let's see, I mean, it's just it's a lot. I don't want to take the end but not a lot of it's just not good. I don't know, I guess to me. It's just not good. I you're not like this series so far. And I'm about to move Alaska, and I just think I do not like it. I'm just down and now she's suffering. You from one of the, I mean, in from hero, it just, I don't like it. We let you know
Profile Image for Mandi Miller.
254 reviews6 followers
February 10, 2023
Holy wow!

Absolutely loved this book, even if my feelings were absolutely all over the place. Ellie & her guys have way more problems than they realized and they’re definitely stacking up. I adored the interactions between Ellie & each of her guys, and their reactions with each other too! They are absolutely not good guys, but their love for Ellie & each other is everything they need to not be evil. The addition of Frodo definitely gave me the needed comedic relief. POP has gotten out of control & they’re not stopping & their targets are expanding. That prologue had me struggling but the entire last part had me borderline distraught! That cliffhanger was brutal, but thankfully not as bad as last time.
473 reviews9 followers
June 19, 2024
The author should thank God for the search function in Kindle

When you kill off a beloved character in the first three pages of the book, be prepared for readers not to care to finish said book. But this is the digital age, and thanks to the search function in Kindle a reader can search through the text for references to their character to see if they're truly dead or it's a plot device. I can guarantee you if the character is dead, I'm done with this book, and this series. It's a decent enough series, but between the cliffhanger endings of each volume and then this, it is too much. I ended up pretty much just skimming this one to get to the end; I'll read the first part of the next one and see if I even want to finish the series at this point I'm kind of fed up.
Profile Image for Lynnett.
803 reviews14 followers
June 30, 2024
The suspense waiting for something to happen was keeping me on edge. Every intimate encounter had me thinking something was going to happen and it was probably bad. Then, it was fine, but the anxiety never waned.

I am looking forward to book four to see how it all wraps up and if they get the vindication they deserve from the likes of Henry,Dana and the creep twins and Ryker's Mom. And I am dying to know how Ellie's brother is connected or not.

The only bad, is not something I went back to verify, but I swore they knew about Raymond in the first book. They said he was a gambler and Ellie's Dad cut ties. Also there was a second thing mentioned that I do not recall right now that was also mentioned in the first book and was changed in the third.
70 reviews
March 12, 2023
crying on how amazing this is

Katie, you really had me crying in the prologue. You really love to play with our emotions and i can’t tell if I love or hate you for it. I love my five guys because each one brings something different to the table. I can’t pick a favorite, but I am definitely craving a bigger moment between Ellie and Landon. Also, Ellie is becoming a bad a** (are we allowed to curse here lol). Well, she’s stronger than what the five guys thought which makes me happy because she’s showing them that they underestimated and never should have done that. This girl is a tough cookie
Profile Image for Lulu.
430 reviews
February 9, 2026
(hoopla audiobooks) 3.5 🌟 I think it would be much better as a college academy. These are 16-18 year olds, and their parents are not involved in their lives, they have tons of money, and apparently even grown a$$ adults are terrified of these kids and "Mania". It's all very unlikely. Still, it's entertaining and while I don't appreciate the amount of cussing that happens in this one, it was still a fun listen. Twisted and possibly triggering for some, but mostly "fun". Mild cliffhanger - but I feel like I have already figured out the mystery portion and I don't need to continue. Contains some 1 on 1 steam scenes. No main characters actually die. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Susan .
1,097 reviews
February 11, 2023
pandemonium

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The story picks up in book 3 where two left off. With even more secrets that come out. To having to lose one of there own. The boys and Ellie moved forward some in there “relationship” and added a new addition to the group.

It took a long time for book 3 thankfully there was a recap to start off the book.

This is a was a very slow burn leading to book 3 and is a RH so Ellie does not have to choose. I would definitely recommend! Domestic and Rayker *sigh*🖤😍🥵
Profile Image for Han Spillane.
568 reviews11 followers
February 11, 2023
I am sooooo invested in this series. It resides in the back of my mind constantly hoping for an update or resolution...

This book again is epic, the characters are so well developed, so unqiue, so flawed yet loved. It is slow burn, and it's taken three books to really get physical, which I nomrally hate... but somehow I just need more of Ellie and her men. More more more!

I couldn't not read it, but now the torment of waiting on the next installment ARGHHHH
Profile Image for Ingrid.
440 reviews
February 28, 2024
Honestly, this books are way darker that I thought, however they are great.
The freakibng POP is still after Ellie and her guys are trying to protect her. I love how each of the men are completely in love with her, maybe they way of showing it is dark but they still love her.
One thing that annoys me is that nobody talks any issue with the rest, they just keep to themselves and averyone thinks something different when a lot of times they are in the same page!
Can’t wait to read the next book!
Profile Image for Kelly.
707 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2026
It took till book three @ 75% of that book before any of them have sex. That's too much of a slow burn. Oh, Ellie Ellie Ellie poor thing is still on the dumb side. After all the things these guys do for her and the fact that she actually watches Dom jack off with her panties she still feels the needs to ask him if he wants her?? Like she didn't see all the 1000 red flags to showed they do. I'm also getting tired of her describing her feeling all the time, it's the same thing over and over.
Profile Image for Kelly Wheeler.
218 reviews1 follower
February 10, 2023
fave in this series

This was so good ! There’s definitely some growth from our FMC , but in a natural gradual way , so it’s realistic, the guys really start showing her how they feel and we get some steamy scenes , that ending was crazy , my fave of the series so far , looking forward to the next book :)
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,082 reviews
February 11, 2023
awesome book

Holy dumpster fire that was nuts . I can’t wait until they take those sick jerks down . Dom’s family need a shallow grave or a deep one I’m not picky. I hate Ry’s mom and I don’t trust her brother or the people around him . The only people they can trust is each other.
Profile Image for Kelly Mccurdy.
899 reviews39 followers
February 22, 2023
OMG Katie May!!

Why!!! Why did you do that, oh my heart!! But goodness woman!!! You sure know how to keep a girl needing more!! That ending! I mean, where do you come up with this stuff!! Pure gold! It has laughs, tears, psychotic moments and every bit of it I loved! I can’t wait (no really…. I need book 4&5 right meow) for the next book.
Profile Image for Gabriella Rose.
198 reviews4 followers
March 14, 2023
★★★★★

This was definitely my favourite one so far. The romance was romancing. 🙃. I really love all of these characters and they way they all adore Ellie. I am really loving Ellie’s development through the series. Seeing it all through her eyes and growing with her is a very enjoyable experience. I could not put this down and I will be waiting impatiently for the final book.
Profile Image for Jennifer Lil'n  Dunski.
1,544 reviews15 followers
August 25, 2023
Woah

**Trigger Warning**

The author does give you the info. I'm just letting you know it's there.
Ellie and the guys are still trying to figure out POP and the divine one's identities and why. Ellie is starting to come out, and the boy's are just as infuriating as always, but they're still cute
Profile Image for Kimberly Garner.
1,341 reviews29 followers
July 1, 2024
Pandemonium Perfection

So good. Man, this story and the characters are so dang awesome. I love it all. The world the author built, I can see in my head so easily, and the characters too. I love that this story is told in multiple pov, it really enhances the story. I cannot wait though for the torture to be over and I am off to read the last book.
116 reviews2 followers
February 28, 2023
such a great series

I suck the first 3 books in this series down in less than a week. I can’t wait for the next. Thanks for always putting out such awesome stories with amazing characters.
Profile Image for Lorna.
86 reviews1 follower
March 4, 2023
A***** FANTASTIC

Brilliant read as usual, and another great book of the series, I can not wait for the next one, and I would also recommend this author and add her to your reading lists...
Profile Image for katrina.
994 reviews70 followers
April 10, 2023
pandemonium indeed

A roller coaster ride from start to finish . Sexual chemistry that sizzles from the pages , intrigue , mystery and moments where you will think wtf is going on !!

A thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat .
Profile Image for Paula.
827 reviews5 followers
April 17, 2023
Liked it!!!

It felt like I waited forever for the 3rd book to be released and now I finally got to read read it. It was so good I enjoyed it so much the story was everything I hoped it would be and then a great cliffhanger. So excited for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews

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