What do you think?
Rate this book
A Knight's Revenge #1
Storm the Gates
In Saint Gabriel City, there are the Four Families, and there are those who are owned by them. The Spencers, the Hargraves, the Ferreros, and the Knights rule the City together with their exorbitant wealth and iron fists that no one dare challenge. Each Family has an Heir, and they are raised together to one day assume control of their respective empires, trained to crush anyone who stands in their way under the heel of their unmeasurable power. At least, there were Four Families, and there were four Heirs—until three of the Families banded together to murder the Knights in cold blood one fateful summer night. Their daughter was only eleven years old. And the other Heirs—three sons—were only twelve as they watched their best friend die on the floor of a soulless beige conference room next to her parents. Seven years later, the remaining Heirs have taken their place at the ultra-exclusive Holywell Academy where the City’s elite strive to earn a coveted place in the Families’ kingdom by rubbing elbows with the exalted sons. Only what Bennett Spencer, Noah Hargraves, and Zach Ferrero don’t know—what the Families have failed to realize after all these years—is that Jolie Knight didn’t die that night. That little girl has been hiding just across the river, right under their noses. That little girl is all grown up, and now she’s the Academy’s newest scholarship student. That little girl is me, and I’m going to burn this City to the motherfucking ground. This is a New Adult, college-aged dark academy romance. It is the first book in a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger . Our heroine will have multiple love interests, and she will have a HEA with all of them at the end of the series. As always, this series is for the 18+ crowd and contains a whole boatload of foul language, very steamy scenes, and violent themes. If that sounds like your kind of adventure, then come on in.
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2022
1574 people are currently reading
7728 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 797 reviews
February 15, 2023
Review for the whole trilogy. This a college / academy RH that’s dark-ish, but not really (there’s murder and mayhem, but the main relationship isn’t dark). It’s a “power fantasy” type of read. Anyone who likes Hannaford Prep: The Complete Series or Pacific Prep: The Complete Series would like it, but it’s better than those.
What do I mean by “power fantasy?” Well, it’s one of those stories where the heroine is kickass, takes 0 shit from anybody, and basically rules her corner of the world. Usually that’s annoying, and that kind of heroine is too perfect, which is boring. But this author is good at writing that type of heroine in a way that makes me like her, and somehow is NOT annoying!
This is set in a fictional city where everything revolves around 4 mafia-ish families (but there’s no mafia terminology). Jolie was in one of the families, and best friends with the sons of the other 3. When she was 11, the other families murdered hers. Everyone thought she died, too. Now, she’s 19 or 20 and she’s out for revenge (which involves attending the city’s fancy college under a fake name, because sure, why not!). So, it's a very typical RH plot: “badass heroine goes to a fancy academy where the heroes rule the school, she pretends to be weaker than she is, everyone underestimates her.” There’s some bullying, but not from the heroes, and she handles it easily.
Most of us have seen versions of this plot before…but the way these ingredients are thrown together in this story is just FUN. And, it sidesteps a lot of stuff that’s gotten old in similar stories. For example, most other “RH academy” stories linger on the heroine suffering. This one doesn’t. In most other “RH academy” books, the heroine is alone in the world, and the heroes are mean to her for a while. But here, Jolie has a support system (adopted family), and her guys are devoted to her. There’s enough push-pull to keep things interesting with her guys, but there’s not really an “enemies to lovers” dynamic, like there is in 99% of other reads in the genre. I don’t mind that stuff – isolated heroines, or “enemies to lovers” trope – but it’s nice to see something different!
Is the story OTT ridiculous? Oh yeah. Jolie is a 19/20 year old girl who has an army of commandos at her disposal, and she’s good at everything, from school to scaling skyscrapers. I get it if someone else thinks this sounds cringe. But you know what? This trilogy is fun as hell. I liked Jolie – where, in a different author’s hands, I’d be rolling my eyes. It would be tedious to read heroines like this all the time. But I like them every so often, especially in the hands of a capable author like this.
I think this author’s secret sauce is that she knows a heroine doesn’t need to be “relatable” in her circumstances, if the way that her MIND works is relatable. Her other books are like this too. She doesn’t write heroines who are insecure, clumsy, or pretty but don’t know it (stuff that many authors do, to make heroines similar to how they think we readers are). Her heroines are confident, talented, and know their worth. But their internal monologues make them MUCH less annoying than other too-perfect heroines of this ilk.
Not every part of this trilogy is great. There are too many mean girls and one-dimensional villains. But I’ll keep it at 4 stars because I enjoyed it overall, and could see myself re-reading it. And, Frankie Fingers gets a lot of “fun side character” points, to balance out the somewhat lame villains.
So, yeah, this is over the top. And yeah, it’s similar to countless others…but it’s the most fun one I’ve read in a while. And if you’re getting tired of “RH academy” stories having too many doormat heroines, then this is the perfect one to read.
What do I mean by “power fantasy?” Well, it’s one of those stories where the heroine is kickass, takes 0 shit from anybody, and basically rules her corner of the world. Usually that’s annoying, and that kind of heroine is too perfect, which is boring. But this author is good at writing that type of heroine in a way that makes me like her, and somehow is NOT annoying!
This is set in a fictional city where everything revolves around 4 mafia-ish families (but there’s no mafia terminology). Jolie was in one of the families, and best friends with the sons of the other 3. When she was 11, the other families murdered hers. Everyone thought she died, too. Now, she’s 19 or 20 and she’s out for revenge (which involves attending the city’s fancy college under a fake name, because sure, why not!). So, it's a very typical RH plot: “badass heroine goes to a fancy academy where the heroes rule the school, she pretends to be weaker than she is, everyone underestimates her.” There’s some bullying, but not from the heroes, and she handles it easily.
Most of us have seen versions of this plot before…but the way these ingredients are thrown together in this story is just FUN. And, it sidesteps a lot of stuff that’s gotten old in similar stories. For example, most other “RH academy” stories linger on the heroine suffering. This one doesn’t. In most other “RH academy” books, the heroine is alone in the world, and the heroes are mean to her for a while. But here, Jolie has a support system (adopted family), and her guys are devoted to her. There’s enough push-pull to keep things interesting with her guys, but there’s not really an “enemies to lovers” dynamic, like there is in 99% of other reads in the genre. I don’t mind that stuff – isolated heroines, or “enemies to lovers” trope – but it’s nice to see something different!
Is the story OTT ridiculous? Oh yeah. Jolie is a 19/20 year old girl who has an army of commandos at her disposal, and she’s good at everything, from school to scaling skyscrapers. I get it if someone else thinks this sounds cringe. But you know what? This trilogy is fun as hell. I liked Jolie – where, in a different author’s hands, I’d be rolling my eyes. It would be tedious to read heroines like this all the time. But I like them every so often, especially in the hands of a capable author like this.
I think this author’s secret sauce is that she knows a heroine doesn’t need to be “relatable” in her circumstances, if the way that her MIND works is relatable. Her other books are like this too. She doesn’t write heroines who are insecure, clumsy, or pretty but don’t know it (stuff that many authors do, to make heroines similar to how they think we readers are). Her heroines are confident, talented, and know their worth. But their internal monologues make them MUCH less annoying than other too-perfect heroines of this ilk.
Not every part of this trilogy is great. There are too many mean girls and one-dimensional villains. But I’ll keep it at 4 stars because I enjoyed it overall, and could see myself re-reading it. And, Frankie Fingers gets a lot of “fun side character” points, to balance out the somewhat lame villains.
So, yeah, this is over the top. And yeah, it’s similar to countless others…but it’s the most fun one I’ve read in a while. And if you’re getting tired of “RH academy” stories having too many doormat heroines, then this is the perfect one to read.
August 14, 2024
Knew it would be good the moment I read the prologue 😌
THIS is how you write a badass fmc!! If there was ever a class for it this should be one of the textbooks.
Jolie was a BLAST. I wanted revenge just as much as her. And the guys not knowing that Jolie was their long lost best friend who they thought was dead & Jolie manipulating them and the entire academy the whole time to seek victory? She is ✨HER✨
Jolie used to be one of the four Heirs of the ruling families of Saint Gabriel City. Until one day 6 years ago, the other three families-The Spencers, the Hargraves, the Ferreros murdered her parents-the Knights, in cold blood in front of the other three Heirs - and they thought they'd killed Jolie, as well.
They told the world the Knight family died because of a plane crash. The other Heirs - Bennett, Noah and Zach, were told that their very best friend, Jolie, was dead.
Except she survived. Saved by people who would share the same hatred towards the ruling Families and would later be her powerful force, willing to help Jolie seek the revenge she craved.
She got into the most prestigious academy in the city on a scholarship; now with a new identity that she'd lived with for the last six years; Joanna Miller. Everyone thought she was just a poor girl from the slump, even the Heirs, and she let them think that, because she was there on a mission: burn the city to the ground with the three Families in it.
GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLL when I say the tension was high, THE TENSION WAS HIGH. Jolie got bullied a lot by the wealthy kids who just hated the poor because why not, but Jolie was a trained badass so it was SATISFYING every time she had to put them in their place.
That whole scene when she had to find another way to get into the lecture hall? Top tier.
AND THE THREE HEIRS. Who, btw, were worshipped by the other students in the hopes that they could someday be in their inner circle & get the same power and wealth.
Usually that would give me the biggest ick especially since these people are like college ages. The dudes were 19-20.
BUT even though they had power, it was still limited and they were still being controlled by their parents -until they had access to their trust funds after they graduated. So as much as they hated the attention and the OTT god-like service they got from their peers, they couldn't rebel against it unless they wanted it getting back to their parents - which would be BAD news.
Jolie didn't give a shit though, because in her words, fuck those guys lmao and I LOVED HER FOR IT.
I really admired that she never lost focus that entire time - except for the occasional longing towards her former best friends, which I think is a very human reaction. She used to be one of the Heirs, one of them. They used to be everything to her. But now they were in a war those three dudes were oblivious of, and she was fighting on the opposite side. It was sad.
I also adore her bond with her adoptive family. THE SIDE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK ARE AWESOME. Max and Mari, obviously. Even the idiot bullies - fucking Chad, and the three bitches who wanted to be an Heir wife so bad. Like, they were TERRIBLE but they gave Jolie opportunities to be the badass bitch she was so I wasn't gonna complain 😌
And the ENDING?! God I wish I could read that for the first time again. The whole build-up to that point was amazing.
THIS is how you write a badass fmc!! If there was ever a class for it this should be one of the textbooks.
Jolie was a BLAST. I wanted revenge just as much as her. And the guys not knowing that Jolie was their long lost best friend who they thought was dead & Jolie manipulating them and the entire academy the whole time to seek victory? She is ✨HER✨
Jolie used to be one of the four Heirs of the ruling families of Saint Gabriel City. Until one day 6 years ago, the other three families-The Spencers, the Hargraves, the Ferreros murdered her parents-the Knights, in cold blood in front of the other three Heirs - and they thought they'd killed Jolie, as well.
They told the world the Knight family died because of a plane crash. The other Heirs - Bennett, Noah and Zach, were told that their very best friend, Jolie, was dead.
Except she survived. Saved by people who would share the same hatred towards the ruling Families and would later be her powerful force, willing to help Jolie seek the revenge she craved.
She got into the most prestigious academy in the city on a scholarship; now with a new identity that she'd lived with for the last six years; Joanna Miller. Everyone thought she was just a poor girl from the slump, even the Heirs, and she let them think that, because she was there on a mission: burn the city to the ground with the three Families in it.
GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLL when I say the tension was high, THE TENSION WAS HIGH. Jolie got bullied a lot by the wealthy kids who just hated the poor because why not, but Jolie was a trained badass so it was SATISFYING every time she had to put them in their place.
That whole scene when she had to find another way to get into the lecture hall? Top tier.
AND THE THREE HEIRS. Who, btw, were worshipped by the other students in the hopes that they could someday be in their inner circle & get the same power and wealth.
Usually that would give me the biggest ick especially since these people are like college ages. The dudes were 19-20.
BUT even though they had power, it was still limited and they were still being controlled by their parents -until they had access to their trust funds after they graduated. So as much as they hated the attention and the OTT god-like service they got from their peers, they couldn't rebel against it unless they wanted it getting back to their parents - which would be BAD news.
Jolie didn't give a shit though, because in her words, fuck those guys lmao and I LOVED HER FOR IT.
I really admired that she never lost focus that entire time - except for the occasional longing towards her former best friends, which I think is a very human reaction. She used to be one of the Heirs, one of them. They used to be everything to her. But now they were in a war those three dudes were oblivious of, and she was fighting on the opposite side. It was sad.
I also adore her bond with her adoptive family. THE SIDE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK ARE AWESOME. Max and Mari, obviously. Even the idiot bullies - fucking Chad, and the three bitches who wanted to be an Heir wife so bad. Like, they were TERRIBLE but they gave Jolie opportunities to be the badass bitch she was so I wasn't gonna complain 😌
And the ENDING?! God I wish I could read that for the first time again. The whole build-up to that point was amazing.
May 24, 2023
This book was so so good. Haven't enjoyed an RH like that in a long time. The FMC was great!!! Can't wait to read the next book. Highly recommend you all read this series!
December 5, 2025
Ich liiiiebe einen guten Revenge Plot! 😮💨🙌🏽
July 13, 2025
I saw revenge and I was immediately hooked😍👏🏾✨.
Nothing's better in this world than FEMALE RAGE🤭👏🏾. This series is going to be on my God tier series and the cherry on top is that it also has reverse harem 😭♥️.
The way Elizabeth wrote Jolie is what I need some authors to start doing if you're going to write a badass FMC 👏🏾🤷🏾♀️.
From the get go Jolie didn't tolerate anybody's shit!!!!🙇🏾♀️ The fact that Zach, Bennett and Noah are obsessed with her and they finally learn why at the end....epic cinema💁🏾♀️.
My boy Max better have his own book 🙂🤭.
Nothing's better in this world than FEMALE RAGE🤭👏🏾. This series is going to be on my God tier series and the cherry on top is that it also has reverse harem 😭♥️.
The way Elizabeth wrote Jolie is what I need some authors to start doing if you're going to write a badass FMC 👏🏾🤷🏾♀️.
From the get go Jolie didn't tolerate anybody's shit!!!!🙇🏾♀️ The fact that Zach, Bennett and Noah are obsessed with her and they finally learn why at the end....epic cinema💁🏾♀️.
My boy Max better have his own book 🙂🤭.
September 30, 2022
NOW LIVE!
Amazon US * Amazon UK
There's not many authors I'd read cliffhangers from before the entire series was out but I quickly became a fan of Elizabeth Dear when I read her Blackstone Academy series and I trusted her to make the wait worth it. And for the most part I was right, but also that ending has me dying to get my hands on the next book and I know these characters will be on my mind every day until I can get more.
This series is different from the previous books I've read from Ms. Dear, most notably they aren't paranormal. But more than that, this story had a grittier vibe to it and I loved it. At no point did I know what was going to happen next and Jojo constantly surprised me which was so fun. Jojo's character is one of my favorite heroines and I loved her strength that never faltered. So many times I feel like heroines in romances are told to be so tough but then we don't get to actually see it and that wasn't the case here.
Jojo proved over and over to be one badass heroine. That's not saying she didn't have her weaknesses but those moments that her vulnerable side showed actually only helped to prove she was tough as nails and fought her demons. Even when those demons came in the form of her three childhood best friends whose families destroyed her.
Jojo was the main focus of this story but the little parts we got from each Heir was intriguing enough that I'm excited to get to learn more about them. This first book didn't involve much romance between any of the main characters but there were a lot of hints of what's to come and I thought that was weaved perfectly between all of the suspense of Jojo infiltrating the Academy.
Overall, this was a brilliant start to this series and I definitely recommend reading it. The wait for the next book just may kill me though.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
There's not many authors I'd read cliffhangers from before the entire series was out but I quickly became a fan of Elizabeth Dear when I read her Blackstone Academy series and I trusted her to make the wait worth it. And for the most part I was right, but also that ending has me dying to get my hands on the next book and I know these characters will be on my mind every day until I can get more.
This series is different from the previous books I've read from Ms. Dear, most notably they aren't paranormal. But more than that, this story had a grittier vibe to it and I loved it. At no point did I know what was going to happen next and Jojo constantly surprised me which was so fun. Jojo's character is one of my favorite heroines and I loved her strength that never faltered. So many times I feel like heroines in romances are told to be so tough but then we don't get to actually see it and that wasn't the case here.
Jojo proved over and over to be one badass heroine. That's not saying she didn't have her weaknesses but those moments that her vulnerable side showed actually only helped to prove she was tough as nails and fought her demons. Even when those demons came in the form of her three childhood best friends whose families destroyed her.
Jojo was the main focus of this story but the little parts we got from each Heir was intriguing enough that I'm excited to get to learn more about them. This first book didn't involve much romance between any of the main characters but there were a lot of hints of what's to come and I thought that was weaved perfectly between all of the suspense of Jojo infiltrating the Academy.
Overall, this was a brilliant start to this series and I definitely recommend reading it. The wait for the next book just may kill me though.
August 31, 2023
A super badass girl looking for revenge.
Her three ex best friends.
An elite school.
This one has all the classics of an entertaining reverse harem and it’s done in a way that works.
But it also offers a few new things.
A sapphic new best friend.
Her adoptive queer brother.
The queer crazy cousin of the three guys.
I listened to the audiobook in a day. 10/10
Her three ex best friends.
An elite school.
This one has all the classics of an entertaining reverse harem and it’s done in a way that works.
But it also offers a few new things.
A sapphic new best friend.
Her adoptive queer brother.
The queer crazy cousin of the three guys.
I listened to the audiobook in a day. 10/10
July 30, 2025
i love this
February 16, 2023
the writing is not for me at all so I skimmed a bunch but it was entertaining
April 29, 2024
This is my second book by this author and I liked this equally as much. I especially love how this author writes such strong take-no-shit FMCs. Jo has a backbone of pure steel alongside an iron-willed determination, add in her sass and capability and I think I had a bit of a girl crush on her.
It's an academy, bully, reverse harem, suspense with dark themes so a lot going on. Our girl Jolie Knight after witnessing the murder of her parents and her attempted one, by the other ruling families, claws herself up from the ashes of her near brush with death and hides herself in plain sight. Presumed dead by all who once knew her she bides her time living with a family who has claimed her as one of their own whilst also vowing revenge on the very monsters she holds responsible and she is determined to avenge her parents, to do whatever it takes to annihilate all of her enemies.
Securing a scholarship to the prestigious Holywell Academy Jolie is now Joanna Miller from the Southside and nothing is remaining to connect her to that scared eleven-year-old little girl she once was. Planning to keep her head down and attempt to fly under the radar, something that doesn't exactly go quite to plan, all whilst she collects the dirt on the other families gathering proof of their crimes.
Her former best friends three boys who were also witness to these past atrocities rule the school Noah, Bennet and Zach the heirs to the city and there not pleased that the new girl who has also unintentionally caught all of their attention is upsetting the balance and causing them issues.
This one is a slow burn and though the spice is low the tension and chemistry are off the charts it sizzled on the page. There is also a bullying theme here, but Jo handles it all like a champ, she is no one's victim and the bullying is more the other students, the boys themselves are mostly just being passive assholes and not stepping in. It's obvious they have their reasons and they also have no idea she's the childhood best friend that they never forgot and mourn for.
This is all from Jo's POV and this was an addictive page-turner, it was also well written and this author's writing just clicks for me. Then there's that dramatic finish, it was fantastic and now I can't wait to see what's coming next for Jolie and her men.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
May 23, 2023
This isn't normally my cup of tea - it is a mafia-esque (they don't describe themselves that way, but it is totally what they are) YA/NA bully-ish college reverse harem. But a couple friends had great reviews of this, and I was feeling like something different, so here I am.
It's pretty good. I really do like the FMC, even if she's a bit Mary Sue-ish (I've said it in other reviews, but I don't mind a touch of Mary Sue to my FMCs). The only thing that really bothered me - continuously - is her being so drawn to these guys while they were total douchebags. Yes, I know they were pre-teen best friends, but look, in the interim, these guys have become their parents. So much of their behavior pissed me off, and I have to say that at the end These guys are self-absorbed spoiled shitheads. They are friends with people who chained her to a radiator and "auctioned" her to be raped. With people who cracked her head open. Who threw her in the middle of an icy river to die. And they blame her for all the abuse inflicted on her ... and DO NOTHING. It makes it even worse that the shitty classmates are doing this all in the Heirs name - trying to impress them by abusing people beneath them in the hierarchy - and these assholes do nothing about it.
So my key problem with the book is that I don't want her with them. She's awesome and they are shit, and she could do way, way better. And I don't like how she constantly reacts to them like a cat in heat when they've done nothing to merit that.
So ... meh. I'll give it 3 stars, and I'm reading book 2.
It's pretty good. I really do like the FMC, even if she's a bit Mary Sue-ish (I've said it in other reviews, but I don't mind a touch of Mary Sue to my FMCs). The only thing that really bothered me - continuously - is her being so drawn to these guys while they were total douchebags. Yes, I know they were pre-teen best friends, but look, in the interim, these guys have become their parents. So much of their behavior pissed me off, and I have to say that at the end These guys are self-absorbed spoiled shitheads. They are friends with people who chained her to a radiator and "auctioned" her to be raped. With people who cracked her head open. Who threw her in the middle of an icy river to die. And they blame her for all the abuse inflicted on her ... and DO NOTHING. It makes it even worse that the shitty classmates are doing this all in the Heirs name - trying to impress them by abusing people beneath them in the hierarchy - and these assholes do nothing about it.
So my key problem with the book is that I don't want her with them. She's awesome and they are shit, and she could do way, way better. And I don't like how she constantly reacts to them like a cat in heat when they've done nothing to merit that.
So ... meh. I'll give it 3 stars, and I'm reading book 2.
February 16, 2025
Since I discovered this series, because someone suggested a buddy read, I have read it several times (and not all dates are marked down).
I really love this series. The FMC is a strong woman, who lived through some trauma. She lost everything when she was 10 but she was lucky because someone brought her to the Miller family who took her in, loved her and raised her right.
Year later she goes back to the city where her parents were killed and wants to revenge them. She is in school with the heirs, her former friends. But they think she is dead and since she is wearing disguise, a different hair color, different eye color and she is now older, they don't recognise her until she reveals who she is, at the end of book 1.
If you liked J. Bree's Hannaford Prep this is for you.
I really love this series. The FMC is a strong woman, who lived through some trauma. She lost everything when she was 10 but she was lucky because someone brought her to the Miller family who took her in, loved her and raised her right.
Year later she goes back to the city where her parents were killed and wants to revenge them. She is in school with the heirs, her former friends. But they think she is dead and since she is wearing disguise, a different hair color, different eye color and she is now older, they don't recognise her until she reveals who she is, at the end of book 1.
If you liked J. Bree's Hannaford Prep this is for you.
September 27, 2022
What a ride! I practically devoured this book, but I had to slow down to digest what I was reading.
There were once Four Families, each Familia with a Heir. And then the three of them decided to murder Knight Familia.
Jojo was only eleven years old when she witnessed the murder of her parents. With her best friends; Bennett, Noah, and Zach, all Heirs to the Familia, watching. She was supposed to go down with her parents, but has managed to survive.
Years later it's time for Jojo to take what's rightfully hers. She is now a badass, trained to eliminate. Her first special assignment is attending Academy, where Bennett, Noah and Zach rule.
Priviledge kids don't want her there. She has to be alert non stop and fight when no one's looking. While the golden trio isn't joining the bullying, they're also not doing anything to stop it. Little do they know that Jojo's pretty capable of taking care of herself. She's driven on angst, pain and hurt.
And she's dead set on her goal.
Storm the Gates was intoxicating, and I was hooked from the very beginning. It felt like a slow burn, there's no actual romance in this book. Which felt even better to me.
I loved the writing style, perfect pace of the story and sarcastic comebacks. That Beavis input was legendary.
So, dear reader… be prepared for a wild ride with this one!
There were once Four Families, each Familia with a Heir. And then the three of them decided to murder Knight Familia.
Jojo was only eleven years old when she witnessed the murder of her parents. With her best friends; Bennett, Noah, and Zach, all Heirs to the Familia, watching. She was supposed to go down with her parents, but has managed to survive.
Years later it's time for Jojo to take what's rightfully hers. She is now a badass, trained to eliminate. Her first special assignment is attending Academy, where Bennett, Noah and Zach rule.
Priviledge kids don't want her there. She has to be alert non stop and fight when no one's looking. While the golden trio isn't joining the bullying, they're also not doing anything to stop it. Little do they know that Jojo's pretty capable of taking care of herself. She's driven on angst, pain and hurt.
And she's dead set on her goal.
Storm the Gates was intoxicating, and I was hooked from the very beginning. It felt like a slow burn, there's no actual romance in this book. Which felt even better to me.
I loved the writing style, perfect pace of the story and sarcastic comebacks. That Beavis input was legendary.
So, dear reader… be prepared for a wild ride with this one!
July 30, 2025
I love me a good revenge story with a badass fmc
June 23, 2025
Everyone is just too cool for school in this book: the sneering boy trio in suits, and the badass female heroine back from the dead for revenge. It's OTT, a little Mission Impossible meets Cruel Intentions.
I loved it!
I loved it!
May 31, 2024
I devoured this book! It had my hooked form the very beginning! I couldn’t put it down! This book brings you on a wild ride that’s for sure! I loved it and held on until the end! That cliffy!?! Damn! I can’t wait for book 2!
Jolie is on badass FMC! I think she is is on my top 5 now! I love her! She’s so strong and I know that she’s still dealing with the trauma of her past but she doesn’t let it get her down. ( for long) Even when faced with her childhood best friends! She’s so headstrong!
Bennett, Noah, & Zach rule the school now as heirs of the Four Families. Jolie was one of the heiress until her parents were murdered and her family taken out. She’s back now and revenge is sweet!
This is a must read and I can not wait for the rest of the series!
Jolie is on badass FMC! I think she is is on my top 5 now! I love her! She’s so strong and I know that she’s still dealing with the trauma of her past but she doesn’t let it get her down. ( for long) Even when faced with her childhood best friends! She’s so headstrong!
Bennett, Noah, & Zach rule the school now as heirs of the Four Families. Jolie was one of the heiress until her parents were murdered and her family taken out. She’s back now and revenge is sweet!
This is a must read and I can not wait for the rest of the series!
January 8, 2025
Well, this book was quite unexpected... but in such a good way!!! I needed this to get me out of a book slump I've been in, and man, did it do the trick! This book had me hooked from the very beginning, and I can not wait to see what happens next! Which side will the guys be standing on when their whole worlds come crashing down around them??? On a side note, I am obsessed with JoJo. She's one tough chick!
March 15, 2025
Audio:
4-5 stars for Stefanie Kay
5 stars for Gregory Salinas, only read the prologue and last chapter
Book: 3.5-4 stars
Decent start to a series, I am interested in where this goes, and looking forward to Max and Frankie’s story after these three! Hahah
4-5 stars for Stefanie Kay
5 stars for Gregory Salinas, only read the prologue and last chapter
Book: 3.5-4 stars
Decent start to a series, I am interested in where this goes, and looking forward to Max and Frankie’s story after these three! Hahah
June 29, 2023
This book is a great start to the series - it follows Jolie as she enrols at Holywell Academy undercover to take down the city's three top families who murdered her parents. Anyone that liked J Bree’s Hannaford Prep series will enjoy this one too.
❓Why choose
🏫College/academy
🥷Skilled fmc
💣Bully-ish
🔫Gangs
🌶️Some spice
⛔️Potential content warnings
Jolie is extremely capable - she’s literally good at everything from school work, to computer programming, cage fighting and scaling buildings - but she manages to stay likeable. She's been through a lot, and I'm invested in her getting revenge. Her three love interests - Zach, Bennett and Noah - are intriguing. I really liked Max and her adoptive family too.
Unfortunately, outside the central players, everyone else feels a bit one-dimensional. There are a lot of bully girls and villains that feel like stock characters spewing cliche line after cliche line. It was also a bit slow getting started but I’d say by the time I hit the 25 per cent mark, I was hooked into the plot.
Overall, I enjoyed this book - it’s quick easy read, has the tropes I want and a great cliffhanger ending. I'm jumping straight into book two :)
❓Why choose
🏫College/academy
🥷Skilled fmc
💣Bully-ish
🔫Gangs
🌶️Some spice
⛔️Potential content warnings
Jolie is extremely capable - she’s literally good at everything from school work, to computer programming, cage fighting and scaling buildings - but she manages to stay likeable. She's been through a lot, and I'm invested in her getting revenge. Her three love interests - Zach, Bennett and Noah - are intriguing. I really liked Max and her adoptive family too.
Unfortunately, outside the central players, everyone else feels a bit one-dimensional. There are a lot of bully girls and villains that feel like stock characters spewing cliche line after cliche line. It was also a bit slow getting started but I’d say by the time I hit the 25 per cent mark, I was hooked into the plot.
Overall, I enjoyed this book - it’s quick easy read, has the tropes I want and a great cliffhanger ending. I'm jumping straight into book two :)
March 10, 2023
I've been needing a book this amazing for awhile and I'm so glad I moved this up on my list because damn it was GOOOOD. The end is absolutely explosive and it's honestly trying just trying to get out some thoughts so I can dive into the next book. The blurb does a swell job of encompassing the scope of the book though if I'm being honest the real thing is 100x's better. While there is some bullying our heroine is working behind the scenes taking them all down and it really built up my blood lust throughout the book. Jolie also does not take all the shit thrown at her which I appreciated even if she did get taken off guard occasionally. I am literally dying over how this ended and it has the villain and retaliatory pettiness inside of me ramping up and ready to explode. Honestly this was a wonderful first book in the trilogy and I can't wait to see where it goes. Considering this is a contemporary harem romance there is so much drama and situations going on you won't even realize any supernatural beings are missing :P
February 2, 2024
5 WOW Stars
This story of revenge was absolutely mesmerizing. Was all of it plausible ... nope!! But who cares 😏. Jolie is a smart, sassy, take no prisoners heroine. Such a fun read 😈
This story of revenge was absolutely mesmerizing. Was all of it plausible ... nope!! But who cares 😏. Jolie is a smart, sassy, take no prisoners heroine. Such a fun read 😈
December 15, 2024
O kadar keyifle okudum ki!
Seriyi bitireyim toplu olarak düşüncelerimi yazacağım.
- - - - - - - -
Seriyi bitirdim geldim.
Hikaye kurgusal bir şehirde geçiyor. Şehri yöneten 4 aile var. Her aile bir alanda uzmanlaşmış durumda (finans, eğlence, sağlık ve teknoloji gibi ama bir yandan illegal işleri de var tabiki) 3 ailenin lideri ihanete uğradıklarını iddia ederek dördüncü aile üyelerini öldürüyor. (Knight ailesi) Üstelik bunu, nasıl yönetmeleri gerektiğini öğrenmeleri için kendi oğullarının önünde yapıyorlar. Yani Bennett, Zach ve Noah en yakın arkadaşları Jolie Knight’ın anne ve babasıyla birlikte öldürüldüğüne tanık oluyorlar.
Fakat Jolie Knight ölümden kurtulmuş ve kimlik değiştirmiştir. Seneler sonra bu üç aileden intikam almak için şehre döner ve - eski- en yakın arkadaşlarının okuduğu (hatta sahibi olduğu) üniversitede eğitime başlar. Ve olaylar gelişir…
Öncelikle özellikle ilk iki kitapta kadın karakterimiz Jolie’ye bayıldım. Tam bir badass savaşçı karakter🤩 (üçüncü kitapta biraz sinir etti maalesef) Ve yan karakterimiz Max de en sevdiğim karakter oldu. Sevgili yazarımız onun da novellasını yazmış neyseki😁
Seriyi okuyacaksanız mantığınızı bir kenara bırakmanız gerekiyor zira 18-19 yaşındaki gençlerin bu kadar işi nasıl başardığını anlamak mümkün değil. Dövüşte ustalar, silah kullanmada, her türlü kilidi açmada ustalar, en güvenli denilen sistemleri şıp diye hackliyorlar, emirlerinde eğitimli ve donanımlı adamları var vs. Yazar önsözünde bu tip konularda oldukça özgürlük kullandığını ve adeta bir çizgi roman havasında yazdığını belirtmiş zaten. Gerçekten o hava var seride.
Bu durumu bir kenara bırakırsak gerçekten çok akıcı, keyifli, karakterlere bağlandığınız bir seriydi. Tabiki RH olduğu için ateşli sahneler de mevcuttu ama aksiyon ağırlıklı olması benim daha çok hoşuma gitti. (Özellikle de ilk kitapta smùt sahne beklemeyin.)
Tek tek puanlarım şu şekilde:
1 - Storm the Gates - 5⭐️ 1🌶️
2 - Seize the Castle - 4,25⭐️ 3🌶️
3 - Kill The King - 3,5⭐️ 3,5🌶️
3,5 - Max and Frankie - 4,5⭐️ 3,5🌶️
Seriyi bitireyim toplu olarak düşüncelerimi yazacağım.
- - - - - - - -
Seriyi bitirdim geldim.
Hikaye kurgusal bir şehirde geçiyor. Şehri yöneten 4 aile var. Her aile bir alanda uzmanlaşmış durumda (finans, eğlence, sağlık ve teknoloji gibi ama bir yandan illegal işleri de var tabiki) 3 ailenin lideri ihanete uğradıklarını iddia ederek dördüncü aile üyelerini öldürüyor. (Knight ailesi) Üstelik bunu, nasıl yönetmeleri gerektiğini öğrenmeleri için kendi oğullarının önünde yapıyorlar. Yani Bennett, Zach ve Noah en yakın arkadaşları Jolie Knight’ın anne ve babasıyla birlikte öldürüldüğüne tanık oluyorlar.
Fakat Jolie Knight ölümden kurtulmuş ve kimlik değiştirmiştir. Seneler sonra bu üç aileden intikam almak için şehre döner ve - eski- en yakın arkadaşlarının okuduğu (hatta sahibi olduğu) üniversitede eğitime başlar. Ve olaylar gelişir…
Öncelikle özellikle ilk iki kitapta kadın karakterimiz Jolie’ye bayıldım. Tam bir badass savaşçı karakter🤩 (üçüncü kitapta biraz sinir etti maalesef) Ve yan karakterimiz Max de en sevdiğim karakter oldu. Sevgili yazarımız onun da novellasını yazmış neyseki😁
Seriyi okuyacaksanız mantığınızı bir kenara bırakmanız gerekiyor zira 18-19 yaşındaki gençlerin bu kadar işi nasıl başardığını anlamak mümkün değil. Dövüşte ustalar, silah kullanmada, her türlü kilidi açmada ustalar, en güvenli denilen sistemleri şıp diye hackliyorlar, emirlerinde eğitimli ve donanımlı adamları var vs. Yazar önsözünde bu tip konularda oldukça özgürlük kullandığını ve adeta bir çizgi roman havasında yazdığını belirtmiş zaten. Gerçekten o hava var seride.
Bu durumu bir kenara bırakırsak gerçekten çok akıcı, keyifli, karakterlere bağlandığınız bir seriydi. Tabiki RH olduğu için ateşli sahneler de mevcuttu ama aksiyon ağırlıklı olması benim daha çok hoşuma gitti. (Özellikle de ilk kitapta smùt sahne beklemeyin.)
Tek tek puanlarım şu şekilde:
1 - Storm the Gates - 5⭐️ 1🌶️
2 - Seize the Castle - 4,25⭐️ 3🌶️
3 - Kill The King - 3,5⭐️ 3,5🌶️
3,5 - Max and Frankie - 4,5⭐️ 3,5🌶️
February 2, 2023
3.5 stars
I did enjoy this book, and I have the suspicion that it is a me thing, but the th genre seems saturated with strong girls back for revenge stories. It was good, but I just feel it is a little bit of overexposure. I am looking forward to the next book, however.
I did enjoy this book, and I have the suspicion that it is a me thing, but the th genre seems saturated with strong girls back for revenge stories. It was good, but I just feel it is a little bit of overexposure. I am looking forward to the next book, however.
April 25, 2023
5/5⭐️ 1/5🌶️
This is all you’re getting for now because the book was so good that I just can’t keep my mind off of needing to know what happens next.
Going to start Seize the Castle now byeeeeee
UPDATE:
5/5⭐️ 3/5🌶️
SERIES REVIEW: OHMAHGOSH What a fun, action packed ride! I could not put these books down. I got sucked in IMMEDIATELY and barely slept for a week (I’m a slow reader). But for the whole week, I breathed A Knight’s Revenge! Elizabeth knows how to make you fall in love with even the most fleeting side characters!
This series is FULL of banter, jokes, sexual tension, and blossoming relationships. What was once lost to these characters, was found and rebuilt into an in breakable fortress of love and devotion.
Jolie, my girl is unhinged!!! She’s all….touch him and die, hell, look at him and die. How many books do you read with a possessive FMC!? I ate that shit up 👏
The tension between the MCs was delicious. Y’all know I’m a tension hoe. There isn’t a ton of spice, but the scenes that are there are 👨🏻🍳💋 OMG a I was MELTING under the amount of PRAISE in this book 🫠🫠🫠
But spice and relationships aside, the plot was extraordinary. I loved every second of this fast paced, action packed, brutal series. I highly highly recommend!
Favorite Quotes:
I knew I would burn the whole world down to keep these boys with me. -KtK
She’s magnificent,” Noah whispered. “She’s dangerous,” Bennett countered. She was both of those things, but most importantly— “She’s ours.” -StC
But I hadn’t anticipated the draw that still pulled me toward those unfeeling bastards, the familiarity and the little hints of the boys I knew still there, and it was messing with my head. -StG
This is all you’re getting for now because the book was so good that I just can’t keep my mind off of needing to know what happens next.
Going to start Seize the Castle now byeeeeee
UPDATE:
5/5⭐️ 3/5🌶️
SERIES REVIEW: OHMAHGOSH What a fun, action packed ride! I could not put these books down. I got sucked in IMMEDIATELY and barely slept for a week (I’m a slow reader). But for the whole week, I breathed A Knight’s Revenge! Elizabeth knows how to make you fall in love with even the most fleeting side characters!
This series is FULL of banter, jokes, sexual tension, and blossoming relationships. What was once lost to these characters, was found and rebuilt into an in breakable fortress of love and devotion.
Jolie, my girl is unhinged!!! She’s all….touch him and die, hell, look at him and die. How many books do you read with a possessive FMC!? I ate that shit up 👏
The tension between the MCs was delicious. Y’all know I’m a tension hoe. There isn’t a ton of spice, but the scenes that are there are 👨🏻🍳💋 OMG a I was MELTING under the amount of PRAISE in this book 🫠🫠🫠
But spice and relationships aside, the plot was extraordinary. I loved every second of this fast paced, action packed, brutal series. I highly highly recommend!
Favorite Quotes:
I knew I would burn the whole world down to keep these boys with me. -KtK
She’s magnificent,” Noah whispered. “She’s dangerous,” Bennett countered. She was both of those things, but most importantly— “She’s ours.” -StC
But I hadn’t anticipated the draw that still pulled me toward those unfeeling bastards, the familiarity and the little hints of the boys I knew still there, and it was messing with my head. -StG
May 30, 2023
Speechless???
It was a little bit of a info dump in the beginning but holy shiz???? This has to be the most hypnotic enthralling RH I’ve read in a long time and that’s saying a lot because I’ve well… read a lot. When another reader told me that the fmc was a badass. They really truly meant she was. Jo was an utter badass, I was in love, I am in love? I’m more into her than the men. Wow, we need more fmc’s like this. Badass women, who are characterized as bad ass but actually follow through on it. I need more, I’m running NO sprinting to the next book. I need it like now. 10/10 I would rec this book to anyone.
It was a little bit of a info dump in the beginning but holy shiz???? This has to be the most hypnotic enthralling RH I’ve read in a long time and that’s saying a lot because I’ve well… read a lot. When another reader told me that the fmc was a badass. They really truly meant she was. Jo was an utter badass, I was in love, I am in love? I’m more into her than the men. Wow, we need more fmc’s like this. Badass women, who are characterized as bad ass but actually follow through on it. I need more, I’m running NO sprinting to the next book. I need it like now. 10/10 I would rec this book to anyone.
July 20, 2023
An unexpectedly captivating story with a gripping plot that got me hanging on the edge of my seat.
Actual rating: 4.5🌟
⇢ What to expect:
∘ New Adult
∘ Contemporary Romance
∘ College setting
∘ Unique worldbuilding
∘ City ruled by four Families
∘ Mafia vibes
∘ Reverse-Harem: 3 love interests
∘ Dark, broody & possessive MMCs
∘ Badass FMC
∘ Morally Grey Characters
∘ Revenge plot
∘ A drop of spice
⇢ Tropes:
∘ Childhood bestfriends
∘ Hidden Identity
∘ Slowburn
∘ "Touch her and die"
⇢ Trigger Warnings: bullying, murder on page, violence, sexual assault
Actual rating: 4.5🌟
⇢ What to expect:
∘ New Adult
∘ Contemporary Romance
∘ College setting
∘ Unique worldbuilding
∘ City ruled by four Families
∘ Mafia vibes
∘ Reverse-Harem: 3 love interests
∘ Dark, broody & possessive MMCs
∘ Badass FMC
∘ Morally Grey Characters
∘ Revenge plot
∘ A drop of spice
⇢ Tropes:
∘ Childhood bestfriends
∘ Hidden Identity
∘ Slowburn
∘ "Touch her and die"
⇢ Trigger Warnings: bullying, murder on page, violence, sexual assault
October 24, 2023
Very quick paced and exciting to read. I love the fmc. She is a badass.
March 4, 2025
4⭐️
Okay so I’m actually almost finished book 2 but I literally was so into this series that I didn’t even write a review for book 1🤭 So if you need a sign to pick this book up, here it is!!!
My Booktok besties were not lying when they said this series was amazing. From the start I was so down with the vibes that Jolie was giving. She’s a sneaky badass bitch and I loved it!! This first book is solely from her POV which at first I was skeptical of, but after finishing it and starting book 2, I can see it was totally the right move. I feel like we don’t really get to understand the boys that well in this book, but I’m hoping the rest of the series will fix that. Overall I’m hooked on this series so mind your business if you see me consuming this books at an alarming pace🤭
Okay so I’m actually almost finished book 2 but I literally was so into this series that I didn’t even write a review for book 1🤭 So if you need a sign to pick this book up, here it is!!!
My Booktok besties were not lying when they said this series was amazing. From the start I was so down with the vibes that Jolie was giving. She’s a sneaky badass bitch and I loved it!! This first book is solely from her POV which at first I was skeptical of, but after finishing it and starting book 2, I can see it was totally the right move. I feel like we don’t really get to understand the boys that well in this book, but I’m hoping the rest of the series will fix that. Overall I’m hooked on this series so mind your business if you see me consuming this books at an alarming pace🤭
August 19, 2025
4.25 stars
This is surprisingly very good.
I am deducting small points due to a slow first couple of chapters.
Wanted to keep putting my kindle down right at the beginning but man when it picks up, IT PICKS UP.
The FMC is actually a badass. So much of the character's background and traits are clearly well thought out and intelligently written.
Each MC is distinguishable in their own way and have a good complexity as well.
I am super excited to read the next book honestly, just really impressed with this one, after so many crappy RH's.
This is surprisingly very good.
I am deducting small points due to a slow first couple of chapters.
Wanted to keep putting my kindle down right at the beginning but man when it picks up, IT PICKS UP.
The FMC is actually a badass. So much of the character's background and traits are clearly well thought out and intelligently written.
Each MC is distinguishable in their own way and have a good complexity as well.
I am super excited to read the next book honestly, just really impressed with this one, after so many crappy RH's.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 797 reviews