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Van der Borne University #3
Brutal Kingdom
A lie for a lie. His heart for mine.
My revenge was bittersweet. I broke Logan’s heart and crushed mine in the process.
I thought that would be the end, but it wasn’t. My actions set off a chain reaction, now I’m drowning in half truths and surprise reveals.
Turns out there’s more going on at this school and in this town than I realized. Someone else is pulling the strings and learning about my heritage is a complication to their master plan.
I’m learning there’s no such thing as a fair fight. No limit to how far they’ll go to knock me down.
The elite sit on a throne of deceit. They think I’m weak and I’ll give up without a fight. I’ve got one warning for them all.
I’m coming for that crown.
Brutal Kingdom is the final book in Logan and Jordanna’s story.
My revenge was bittersweet. I broke Logan’s heart and crushed mine in the process.
I thought that would be the end, but it wasn’t. My actions set off a chain reaction, now I’m drowning in half truths and surprise reveals.
Turns out there’s more going on at this school and in this town than I realized. Someone else is pulling the strings and learning about my heritage is a complication to their master plan.
I’m learning there’s no such thing as a fair fight. No limit to how far they’ll go to knock me down.
The elite sit on a throne of deceit. They think I’m weak and I’ll give up without a fight. I’ve got one warning for them all.
I’m coming for that crown.
Brutal Kingdom is the final book in Logan and Jordanna’s story.
- GenresCollege Romance
491 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2022
28 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Dakota Lee
8 books61 followersDakota Lee is an overworked mom of three human garbage disposals and a dog who thinks she’s a wolf.
In the daylight, she loves paranormal/ supernatural books and tv shows, comic book movies, action movies, and the comfort of a good Hallmark movie.
When the sun goes down, she’s been known to tune into some after dark deliciousness that she would never tell her co-workers about.
She’s here to push boundaries through her words and hopefully take you on a twisty, thorny journey on the way to a happily ever after.
And if you happen to fall for the asshole before he’s redeemed, that’s okay.
Dakota’s got a weakness for the bad boys too.
In the daylight, she loves paranormal/ supernatural books and tv shows, comic book movies, action movies, and the comfort of a good Hallmark movie.
When the sun goes down, she’s been known to tune into some after dark deliciousness that she would never tell her co-workers about.
She’s here to push boundaries through her words and hopefully take you on a twisty, thorny journey on the way to a happily ever after.
And if you happen to fall for the asshole before he’s redeemed, that’s okay.
Dakota’s got a weakness for the bad boys too.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 7, 2023
Longer than needed, sweet conclusion 3.5 ⭐️
This last book left us with a sweet ending but also a few head scratches. Sometimes it felt more like a compilation of scenes rather than a cohesive novel. The overuse of commas is still as problematic as it was with the first two books.
What I liked:
-The smut was pretty good here! Definitely some spicy scenes that will kick your heart rate up a notch.
-Logan’s character growth was great
-SIMON - just more of him please hot tamale
-We finally get clued in who was on the bus, the bigger plan etc.
- highlighted a few great quotes, both funny and sappy
-Happy Ending
What Needed Work:
- Graham, Rocco and Rumi- ? What was the point of them other than a plot device for jealousy? Jordy and Noels relationship could have been used for that instead. Graham was just randomly introduced as a love interest with no rhyme or reason, and no conclusion.
Same with Sterling, wouldn’t miss him at all because he never really had a role.
- I wanted to see Logan’s reaction to a marriage contract with Jordy and Noel. I REALLY felt cheated as a reader here! I was hoping Simon might come across it and send it to Logan, or Jordy might pretend like Logan was. That story line had so many possibilities that never came to fruition.
- The plot went off the rails around the 80% mark and began to drag. Bella would never had released that first video. It would have embarrassed her, potentially cost Logan the company, going against her goals. A good edit would have cut this out and just went with the second video story line.
Overall this was an entertaining read and I would recommend if you can look past the gross overuse of the almighty “comma”. If you need to save time skip all the Graham/Rocco parts because they never go anywhere.
This last book left us with a sweet ending but also a few head scratches. Sometimes it felt more like a compilation of scenes rather than a cohesive novel. The overuse of commas is still as problematic as it was with the first two books.
What I liked:
-The smut was pretty good here! Definitely some spicy scenes that will kick your heart rate up a notch.
-Logan’s character growth was great
-SIMON - just more of him please hot tamale
-We finally get clued in who was on the bus, the bigger plan etc.
- highlighted a few great quotes, both funny and sappy
-Happy Ending
What Needed Work:
- Graham, Rocco and Rumi- ? What was the point of them other than a plot device for jealousy? Jordy and Noels relationship could have been used for that instead. Graham was just randomly introduced as a love interest with no rhyme or reason, and no conclusion.
Same with Sterling, wouldn’t miss him at all because he never really had a role.
- I wanted to see Logan’s reaction to a marriage contract with Jordy and Noel. I REALLY felt cheated as a reader here! I was hoping Simon might come across it and send it to Logan, or Jordy might pretend like Logan was. That story line had so many possibilities that never came to fruition.
- The plot went off the rails around the 80% mark and began to drag. Bella would never had released that first video. It would have embarrassed her, potentially cost Logan the company, going against her goals. A good edit would have cut this out and just went with the second video story line.
Overall this was an entertaining read and I would recommend if you can look past the gross overuse of the almighty “comma”. If you need to save time skip all the Graham/Rocco parts because they never go anywhere.
April 14, 2022
An interesting conclusion to this series. One thing for sure, a deserved HEA for the Beautiful Prince and the Broken Princess.
As the title rightly describes their world, this a brutal kingdom filled with so many players and everyone having their own kind of shady in play. At times, there is so much going on made it hard to keep track.
Jordanna and Logan still have great chemistry; but for me, things fell a bit flat. Perhaps it’s the numerous outside forces that took away from them; I’m not really sure. They both seemed to be puppets in this crazy world with Bella taking the lead.
I hope that wasn’t harsh because overall this is a great first series for Dakota. I love me some bully romances and this series ranks up there. Can’t wait to see what Dakota has up her sleeve next!
As the title rightly describes their world, this a brutal kingdom filled with so many players and everyone having their own kind of shady in play. At times, there is so much going on made it hard to keep track.
Jordanna and Logan still have great chemistry; but for me, things fell a bit flat. Perhaps it’s the numerous outside forces that took away from them; I’m not really sure. They both seemed to be puppets in this crazy world with Bella taking the lead.
I hope that wasn’t harsh because overall this is a great first series for Dakota. I love me some bully romances and this series ranks up there. Can’t wait to see what Dakota has up her sleeve next!
November 26, 2023
Logan and Jordanna's: spoiler alert 🚨
I read the entire series; the review is for the three books. I liked the storyline and the plot. It is not the usual bully plot where the main character is defenseless and ostracized by her peers. It is still a school bully story, but it is well-written. Jordanna is a scholarship student, and Logan is a legacy student. Bella is the mean secondary character. The storyline contains some twisted events that are quite unexpected. Bella bets Logan regarding Jordanna to make her miserable, with the purpose of making her leave the school and town. Although Logan at one point perceives that Bella is not trustworthy about the deal made, he cannot back off, or he loses his leadership position at school; however, in the end, the deal backfires. Logan lives by his rules and principles regarding relationships, friendship, and leadership at school; these rules allow him to gain allegiance in his future endeavors. Jordanna is a likable character and not easily intimidated by the elites, and she is brilliant. In the beginning, Jordanian is guarded by the sudden attention received from Logan. However, Logan did not foresee his attraction to Jordanna (Jordy). In the second book, I found the writing was conflicted at one point, meaning he wanted Jordanna to leave the school, and then he wanted her to forgive him, and work out a relationship. The two have a deep connection and chemistry; they fall for each other, but again, when Logan’s rule and legacy are compromised, he does not choose Jordanna. Jordanna feels betrayed and, therefore, cannot trust Logan. In the second book, Jordanna gets her revenge, and she is heartbroken. The third is about building trust and relationships. In the last book, the events and plot unfold, and the reader better understands how many people are involved in the plot and the true nature of Bella’s hatred for Jordy.
I read the entire series; the review is for the three books. I liked the storyline and the plot. It is not the usual bully plot where the main character is defenseless and ostracized by her peers. It is still a school bully story, but it is well-written. Jordanna is a scholarship student, and Logan is a legacy student. Bella is the mean secondary character. The storyline contains some twisted events that are quite unexpected. Bella bets Logan regarding Jordanna to make her miserable, with the purpose of making her leave the school and town. Although Logan at one point perceives that Bella is not trustworthy about the deal made, he cannot back off, or he loses his leadership position at school; however, in the end, the deal backfires. Logan lives by his rules and principles regarding relationships, friendship, and leadership at school; these rules allow him to gain allegiance in his future endeavors. Jordanna is a likable character and not easily intimidated by the elites, and she is brilliant. In the beginning, Jordanian is guarded by the sudden attention received from Logan. However, Logan did not foresee his attraction to Jordanna (Jordy). In the second book, I found the writing was conflicted at one point, meaning he wanted Jordanna to leave the school, and then he wanted her to forgive him, and work out a relationship. The two have a deep connection and chemistry; they fall for each other, but again, when Logan’s rule and legacy are compromised, he does not choose Jordanna. Jordanna feels betrayed and, therefore, cannot trust Logan. In the second book, Jordanna gets her revenge, and she is heartbroken. The third is about building trust and relationships. In the last book, the events and plot unfold, and the reader better understands how many people are involved in the plot and the true nature of Bella’s hatred for Jordy.
April 7, 2022
So goooddddd!!!
I was lucky enough to receive an arc for the third and final book of Logan and Jordanna’s story, in which I’m so grateful because the anticipation from the last was lowkey killing me. I’ll start off by saying that I’ve read numerous amounts of school setting bully romances, but very few are able to accurately make them to be more than just a fun read.
I loved how Dakota portrays female empowerment, throughout this series with Jordanna by showcasing the good, bad, and ugly. It really reiterates that it isn’t an easily attainable feat to truly encompass, which I really appreciated.
There was some parts however, where I’d leave off and return to be a bit lost trying to remember who was who and where they fit into the storyline. There may have been quite a bit going on in this one, probably due to trying to fully piece it together for the finale. This being said, I still really enjoyed every side character and hope we get more series about the rest of them. (Simon and Tabitha)……..
Let’s not forget how hottt is was..
The smut did not lack. I knew she was going to pull through, AGAIN. I think part of what makes the smut so good is their power struggle against each other. They’ll never truly give that up when it comes to sex, and I love that. It allows them to be equals in every other aspect of their life.
In all, I highly recommend this series if you’re a fan of elitist assholes v. charismatic sweetheart love-stories. I’m a new fan of miss Dakota’s work, and look forward to reading more of it.
I was lucky enough to receive an arc for the third and final book of Logan and Jordanna’s story, in which I’m so grateful because the anticipation from the last was lowkey killing me. I’ll start off by saying that I’ve read numerous amounts of school setting bully romances, but very few are able to accurately make them to be more than just a fun read.
I loved how Dakota portrays female empowerment, throughout this series with Jordanna by showcasing the good, bad, and ugly. It really reiterates that it isn’t an easily attainable feat to truly encompass, which I really appreciated.
There was some parts however, where I’d leave off and return to be a bit lost trying to remember who was who and where they fit into the storyline. There may have been quite a bit going on in this one, probably due to trying to fully piece it together for the finale. This being said, I still really enjoyed every side character and hope we get more series about the rest of them. (Simon and Tabitha)……..
Let’s not forget how hottt is was..
The smut did not lack. I knew she was going to pull through, AGAIN. I think part of what makes the smut so good is their power struggle against each other. They’ll never truly give that up when it comes to sex, and I love that. It allows them to be equals in every other aspect of their life.
In all, I highly recommend this series if you’re a fan of elitist assholes v. charismatic sweetheart love-stories. I’m a new fan of miss Dakota’s work, and look forward to reading more of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
Lines drawn, guns blazing, and threats issued. Jordanna is taking the whole status quo down, one player at a time. She's dethroned the King, but the battle isn't over. When one King falls, another rises to power and with Bella, their battle has always been personal.
In her game of chess, she's clearing the board. But what Logan forgot is that the queen is the most powerful piece.
And this queen is burning down the kingdom!
I have been captivated by Jordanna and Logan since the first page of Beautiful Prince. Jordanna is underestimated at every turn, but her strength and determination make her a formidable opponent and she's not taken the fight laying down.
And Logan, blissfully unaware of just how important Jordanna was. This time, she wasn't playing games or giving in easily. He had to work for it, work for her and towards her end game!
An absolutely AMAZING ending to Jordanna and Logan's story.. the character growth in both of them from that first book was inspiring. Jordanna came into her true self and Logan helped her pave the way for the change he'd always dreamed he could make in Kingsley Hollow. I'm hoping to get more Simon and Tabitha in the future? I'm dying to know what's going on there!
In her game of chess, she's clearing the board. But what Logan forgot is that the queen is the most powerful piece.
And this queen is burning down the kingdom!
I have been captivated by Jordanna and Logan since the first page of Beautiful Prince. Jordanna is underestimated at every turn, but her strength and determination make her a formidable opponent and she's not taken the fight laying down.
And Logan, blissfully unaware of just how important Jordanna was. This time, she wasn't playing games or giving in easily. He had to work for it, work for her and towards her end game!
An absolutely AMAZING ending to Jordanna and Logan's story.. the character growth in both of them from that first book was inspiring. Jordanna came into her true self and Logan helped her pave the way for the change he'd always dreamed he could make in Kingsley Hollow. I'm hoping to get more Simon and Tabitha in the future? I'm dying to know what's going on there!
April 4, 2022
This was an emotional, wild ride and an amazing ending to Jordanna and Logan's story!!
Brutal Kingdom is book #3 in the Van der Bourne University series.
Everyone is back on campus, Logan is trying to regain control of the school, and Jordanna is trying to figure out the inheritance stuff and avoid Logan.
"My only crime was that I was just stupid enough to fall for Logan. That was real."
Man, Logan and Jordanna are brutal to each other for some of this book!!! They fight so hard against their feelings for each other. But once the truth comes to light of whats really going on, Logan sees that Jordanna needs his help and will stop at nothing to get his girl back.
"Even after everything thats happened, she's turned around my heart, under my skin and has her hooks in my soul."
There are so many twists in this book you wont see coming. I was on the edge of my seat almost the whole time!
And that ending!!! Ugh it was PERFECT!!!
I love the Van der Bourne world so much and i love Logan and Jordy! Their story is a must read!! I cant wait to add Brutal Kingdom to my bookshelf!!!
Brutal Kingdom is book #3 in the Van der Bourne University series.
Everyone is back on campus, Logan is trying to regain control of the school, and Jordanna is trying to figure out the inheritance stuff and avoid Logan.
"My only crime was that I was just stupid enough to fall for Logan. That was real."
Man, Logan and Jordanna are brutal to each other for some of this book!!! They fight so hard against their feelings for each other. But once the truth comes to light of whats really going on, Logan sees that Jordanna needs his help and will stop at nothing to get his girl back.
"Even after everything thats happened, she's turned around my heart, under my skin and has her hooks in my soul."
There are so many twists in this book you wont see coming. I was on the edge of my seat almost the whole time!
And that ending!!! Ugh it was PERFECT!!!
I love the Van der Bourne world so much and i love Logan and Jordy! Their story is a must read!! I cant wait to add Brutal Kingdom to my bookshelf!!!
July 26, 2024
VDB University
This review is for books 2 and 3. I refused to read book 1 because I'm sick of the bully tropes. I prefer the redemption saga. I was quite comfortable skipping it and was able to pick up the story quickly. This series is a contemporary mf bully to lovers story complete with lost heritage, poor girl, rich corrupt bullies, very mean girls, evil step father and unraveling mystery. I enjoyed some of the background including the interests in art and the sister's athletic prowess. The characters are so flawed it's painful. But the books are well written and the story flows, keep me entertained. However, it is so poorly edited that the errors are just irritating and break the flow repeatedly. The author needs an editor that knows the differences between plurals and possesives and a dictionary. Letters are added or left off words changing the meaning of entire paragraphs. Spoiler follows: the somewhat predictable conclusion of this series should have been satisfying. But, it was so short and undeveloped that it felt like driving off a cliff after a long drive.
This review is for books 2 and 3. I refused to read book 1 because I'm sick of the bully tropes. I prefer the redemption saga. I was quite comfortable skipping it and was able to pick up the story quickly. This series is a contemporary mf bully to lovers story complete with lost heritage, poor girl, rich corrupt bullies, very mean girls, evil step father and unraveling mystery. I enjoyed some of the background including the interests in art and the sister's athletic prowess. The characters are so flawed it's painful. But the books are well written and the story flows, keep me entertained. However, it is so poorly edited that the errors are just irritating and break the flow repeatedly. The author needs an editor that knows the differences between plurals and possesives and a dictionary. Letters are added or left off words changing the meaning of entire paragraphs. Spoiler follows: the somewhat predictable conclusion of this series should have been satisfying. But, it was so short and undeveloped that it felt like driving off a cliff after a long drive.
April 15, 2022
Come on a whirlwind adventure with Jordanna and Logan and see who comes out on top!
VDU certainly lives up to the book title as being brutal! Jordanna and Logan are butting heads again but this time they are fighting their true feelings! In this book we follow closely with how each of the main characters truly feels and watch them make mistakes then learn that accepting help doesn't make you weak. They love hard, the spice is still hot!
We see friends try and patch things up and help build and shape our MCs! There is also two new characters that totally need their own story to be told! I'm also hoping Kass, Tabby and Simon get their own story!
Bella is your typical tyrant queen bee but how long can she hold court especially with the way she burns bridges and leaves fallen comrades to pick up the mess!
Dakota has finished this series off perfectly! It won't disappoint!
VDU certainly lives up to the book title as being brutal! Jordanna and Logan are butting heads again but this time they are fighting their true feelings! In this book we follow closely with how each of the main characters truly feels and watch them make mistakes then learn that accepting help doesn't make you weak. They love hard, the spice is still hot!
We see friends try and patch things up and help build and shape our MCs! There is also two new characters that totally need their own story to be told! I'm also hoping Kass, Tabby and Simon get their own story!
Bella is your typical tyrant queen bee but how long can she hold court especially with the way she burns bridges and leaves fallen comrades to pick up the mess!
Dakota has finished this series off perfectly! It won't disappoint!
May 12, 2024
The editing on this book—even the whole series, isn’t great. Wrong words, incorrect placements of commas, semi-colons, and sometimes periods. It’s enough to make an English teacher seize.
Doesn’t matter. Regardless of the errors, this book and series are flat out compelling. The character progressions, development, and dynamics are exceptional. The steaminess spot on. The storyline engaging.
I tend to hate books with poor editing—it pulls one out of the story in jarring ways. With this trilogy, I couldn’t have cared less. My brain noted the errors, but the books truly were good enough for me to not give a flying furry rodent’s behind about the errors.
Doesn’t matter. Regardless of the errors, this book and series are flat out compelling. The character progressions, development, and dynamics are exceptional. The steaminess spot on. The storyline engaging.
I tend to hate books with poor editing—it pulls one out of the story in jarring ways. With this trilogy, I couldn’t have cared less. My brain noted the errors, but the books truly were good enough for me to not give a flying furry rodent’s behind about the errors.
May 28, 2024
Finally, My Review
I read this as a Beta reader, and again, when it was first released and now, I read it again. If you want to read a series that starts with a scholarship that the Elite try to bully and chase from their school, that same girl puts them in their place, and in this final book she takes her place and becomes a queen, then this is the series you want to read. I cannot say enough good things about Dakota and this series. Her writing style is gripping, the spice is a ten out of ten, and storyline and plot is not only intriguing, but it's interesting in all the good ways. Enjoy.
I read this as a Beta reader, and again, when it was first released and now, I read it again. If you want to read a series that starts with a scholarship that the Elite try to bully and chase from their school, that same girl puts them in their place, and in this final book she takes her place and becomes a queen, then this is the series you want to read. I cannot say enough good things about Dakota and this series. Her writing style is gripping, the spice is a ten out of ten, and storyline and plot is not only intriguing, but it's interesting in all the good ways. Enjoy.
April 14, 2022
This is the last book in this trilogy and what a crazy drive this has been. Since I started reading these books I instantly loved the world Dakota has created, but what I couldn't anticipate was the absolutely perfect character development, the growth in our MC was amazing. Also the mystery about Imogen Summers was a very clever plot twist. The three books keep you on your toes from the first page. I really enjoyed and loved these books.
Our MC deserved the HEA that they got, and I am truly looking forward to more stories in this world, I would totally love reading about Simon and Tabitha's, and even Noel, who I really liked.
4.5 stars (not 5 stars, only because Bella deserved worse lol)
Our MC deserved the HEA that they got, and I am truly looking forward to more stories in this world, I would totally love reading about Simon and Tabitha's, and even Noel, who I really liked.
4.5 stars (not 5 stars, only because Bella deserved worse lol)
April 21, 2023
Couldn't put it down!
I read this whole series in 4 days. I will admit that the characters got under my skin BUT in a way where I had to find out what happened next. If you don't like spicy or slightly taboo encounters, I'm not sure how you would like this. This isn't overly crazy but it's definitely not vanilla.
I read this whole series in 4 days. I will admit that the characters got under my skin BUT in a way where I had to find out what happened next. If you don't like spicy or slightly taboo encounters, I'm not sure how you would like this. This isn't overly crazy but it's definitely not vanilla.
October 2, 2023
Perfect ending
I honestly didn't think this was going to wrap up as well as it has. What a whirlwind of a story. I love Jordanna. There is something about a character that grows so much during a plot that I really appreciate. Logan, too. But he grew very differently. I am so glad I read these.
I honestly didn't think this was going to wrap up as well as it has. What a whirlwind of a story. I love Jordanna. There is something about a character that grows so much during a plot that I really appreciate. Logan, too. But he grew very differently. I am so glad I read these.
July 5, 2023
Satisfying ending
This is a satisfying ending to the trilogy. I hope the author will explore Simon's relationship with Tabby and. I would also like to see a book on Rocco and Rumi figuring out their lives.
This is a satisfying ending to the trilogy. I hope the author will explore Simon's relationship with Tabby and. I would also like to see a book on Rocco and Rumi figuring out their lives.
April 13, 2022
This series was fire, I love the push and pull and how strong the characters are. I love how everything played out and the twist and turns along the way!!!
April 19, 2022
phenomenal
I did not like because I LOVE. Such a great series I rate it 5 stars because it was worth the read. The author was good with all the drama, suspense and plot twist.
I did not like because I LOVE. Such a great series I rate it 5 stars because it was worth the read. The author was good with all the drama, suspense and plot twist.
July 5, 2023
it was Interesting
September 27, 2023
I really enjoyed the series. Only complaint is lots of typos / grammatical errors.
September 28, 2023
Could've been shorter.
Loved the ending...
Loved the ending...
April 3, 2022
Amazing have loved this series. So glad that jordanna and Logan finally ended up together was starting to wonder if Simon was helping her out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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