Stepbrother

Bad Boys of Redwood Academy #1

by Emilia Rose

I never meant to fall for my billionaire stepbrother. Allie Keeping up a perfect image is hard, especially when my stepbrother is the notorious Jace Harbor. With my head buried in books and the haunting memories of my father’s death, I want nothing more than to end my senior year on a high note, so I can get out of this shitty town. But my stepbrother has other plans for me. Jace Swimming in money, girls, and high school football stardom, I can’t wait for graduation. I’m tired of the liars, cheaters, and football groupies at Redwood Academy. But when my father forces me to spend two weeks alone with Allie, I remember that Redwood isn’t all that bad. I remember the girl I fell in love with before our parents married. Can Jace Harbor redeem himself after what he did to Allie? Can Allie forgive the guy who broke her heart sophomore year? Will Allie and Jace find love, or is their little fling just that—a meaningless hookup to help them forget about Redwood? Stepbrother is a new-adult step-sibling romance and the first book in the Bad Boys of Redwood Academyseries of stand-alones. This series does not have to be read in order. Fans of Empire High by Ivy Smoak and Boys of Brayshaw High by Meagan Brandy will fall in love with this steamy contemporary romance! One-click to preorder today!

Genres: Romance, High School, Dark Romance, Dark, Sports, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers

492 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2022

About the author

With over seventy million online story views, Emilia Rose is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves writing about dirty-talking bad boys and alpha-holes. She currently lives in a small town in Connecticut USA with her husband, two cats, and cute little yellow ducklings.

Reviews

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an OTT mess and a complete waste of my time
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1) why were allie and jace so hung up on reminding themselves that they were stepsiblings??? not like yall grew up together like that
2) why was there so much sex??? like literally every other fucking chapter.... also the amount of plan b this bitch took... girl are you ok?
3) why was there so much going on? like murder and child abuse and a richer than jesus daddy paying off everyone to make his kid look bad wasn't enough? we had to have an underage sex ring ran by law enforcement, a pervy principal who recorded videos of underaged students to wank with, and a trio of high school students who get up to some crazy ass shit (hacking, guns, drugs, murder lol) too??? whyyyy
4) allie's dad's second family... WHY...
5) jace's mom got shot point blank in the head and you're telling me that bitch survived?! no

AND THEN YOU EXPECT ME TO READ A WHOLE FUCKING SERIES FULL OF THIS UTTER GARBAGE TO SEE HOW EVERYTHING ENDS?!?! Absolutely not

[Mandyloves2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emilia Rose is a new to me author and she did not disappoint ! The stepbrother romance trope is a favorite of mine throw in some darkness and enemies to lovers and I was sold but once I started reading it I knew I hit gold ! Jace and Allie were lovers before they became step siblings but Jace betrayed Allie and she has a love/hate relationship with him thinking he betrayed her but there is so much more to the story the chemistry between these two was on fire the angst the emotions I could feel burning off the pages my heart hurt so much for both of them. Jace is keeping a big secret and carrying so much on his shoulders I could feel his pain of having to love Allie in the dark and Allie has such a big heart and loves so passionately but also feels everything these two couldn’t have been more perfect for each other and the smutt in this book is top tier holy smokes it’s hot dirty and so freaking sexy the writing is excellent I’m obsessed with Jace and his dirty mouth and Allie is the nerdy good girl who has a kinky side and just can’t say no to her stepbrother I’m telling you this story was just so damn good I can’t recommend it enough! This book right here is why I love giving new to me authors a chance because I found a gem of a story and I can’t wait for the next book!

[Tabatha Reed · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t have the energy to wax poetic about all the reasons I didn’t care for this at all. Generally speaking it was just too overly dramatic and angsty for me.

I can’t give detailed information about safety but if you need a fully safe read I don’t think this is it. H/h are step siblings who dated prior to their parents marrying. Then he cruelly breaks up with her and publicly humiliates her because reasons though he secretly loves her and is supposedly protecting her with his bullying and cruelty. He’s seemingly a raging manwhore during their break up but we are led to believe he never actually had sex with anyone else BUT more than nothing definitely happened between him and Nicole when he was using her to push Allie away. Then later there is a scene where he’s letting Nicole kiss and grind him so he can steal something he needs from her dads safe and he’s well into resuming his sexual relationship with h.

I really think this author hates h because most of this book is her enduring various humiliations. She forgives Hs for his cruelty and bullying before he’s even done trying to explain himself. This is just a hot mess. The smut is ok and often but not worth the train wreck here.

[Cindy]

Was a rec from a FB group,not for me DNF

[Sue]

Points off for:

The H has a girlfriend he’s sexually active with while the h pines away for two years. He’s just so in love with his step sister he brings girls home for bjs, even though he knows he broke her heart. (Can you hear the sarcasm?)

When she finally has a nice guy interested they don’t even do anything. She never gives them a real chance bc she “still loves the guy who broke her heart TWICE”. I’m not a fan of doormats and double standards.


✅ MF
✅ High school
✅ second chance
✅ J/P H
✅ A lot of OW drama
✅ abuse, gets dark towards the end

[Emily (emilysdarkcorner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Allie and Jace. The push between them was absolutely everything. The spice was chef's kiss
Can't wait to read the others in the series

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emilia Rose is a new author for me and I will definitely be reading more! This book between Jace and Allie is a step-sibling romance where there is more than meets the eye. They already have a past which makes things MUCH more complicated when they become step-siblings. They claim they can't stand eachother, but are they lying to themselves? Or is there a reason for saying that protect one another? Wow, this book was amazing! The story coming together bit by bit makes you realize that there was more to the characters than they ever let on. A wonderful ending.

[bani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hotness overload. Emilia Rose never disappoints.
I got an ARC and jumped straight into coz you don’t wait to read smut like this. Want to watch all those stepbrother enemies to lovers kinks come to life in one? This book is it. Jace and allie are HOTTTT.
You probably won’t keep your hands to yourself (Ikykwim)

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may be at least in part a victim of inflated expectations here, because I have been looking forward to reading this one for months now - stepbrother, steamy excerpts, good page length for a meaty story with good steam all had me excited for this one - but unfortunately it fell short by a considerable amount for me.

For all that this book has 400+ pages, it is seriously lacking in all-around development and just... anything. We are told that the main couple, Jace and Allie, were super in love a couple of years ago and have been hurting each other ever since (according to their inner monologues), but now all of a sudden they are having instant sexual encounters that they can't stop despite thinking they won't or various other angsty "can't have her/he/she hurt me" thoughts right before. Their emotional and physical connections are completely unearned, all the way through the book. This second chance story would have been better served by showing us their first relationship then going to the angsty separation (and giving us a reason they are all of a sudden having sex again).

The sex scenes themselves are decent or even good taken out of context (those steamy excerpts that drew me to this book - I love degradation [albeit minor here] kink) but the D/s vibes don't work when Jace is completely non-dominant in personality and has whiny first-person POV chapters everywhere else, in addition to the aforementioned sex coming out of nothing and nowhere in the modern day story. They happen so fast and pretty often, with no enjoyable tension before.

Everything feels cobbled together, like this was written around a few good scenes that were written originally instead of from a cohesive plan for a book. Not only the romance but the plot points outside of that too, are woefully underdone and basic, with continual, "You just wait, something is going to happen" and then it never does or when it does it is seriously underwhelming. I can see the seeds of good ideas in some places, they were just not executed well.

I will say it was proofread well, and again, some good ideas are there. I already own several other books by this author so I will give another one a try, but if it is written as poorly I will have to say reader/author mismatch and move on.

[Brandi-Lynn Weiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! Action, lies, twists and turns, secrets, blackmail- the list could go on! From start to finish it’s packed with action & lots & lots of drama. I love a stepbrother romance & this one really lived up to it. Jace & Allie were so in love w/each other. They had plans for their future, but when Jace suddenly broke up w/her, making her think the absolute worst, she was heartbroken. Then he became her stepbrother, & for 2 years, she’s watched him w/other girls & never got over him. But there’s so much going on that Allie doesn’t know about, things that Jace is determined to protect her from- especially his father.
This was really good, but a few things that left me wondering- why did it take Jace 2 years for him to act on his real feelings for Allie. For those 2 years he was cruel to her, then all of a sudden their parents go away & boom! They’re together again. Also the ending has me wanting to throw my phone!!! It was like a cliffhanger that’ll be continued when they’re in college! And I’m not sure when book will be released. I want more answers about them now! Lol.
This was good, & I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good stepbrother romance.

[Courtney Lavallee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a blast! The smut wasnt overly descriptive but it worked. It wasn't over the top and unbelievable either which *chefs kiss*.

This book also had a fast paced twisted plot. There was some very predictable happenings but then the author would almost slap you in the face with something not seen coming.

I definitely enjoyed this book and plan to read more from this author in the future.

[AvidRomanceReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been counting down for this book and I’m so excited I received it. This book is essentially a lovers to enemies to lovers.

Jace and Allie had feeling for each other before their parents major but after Jack betrayed Allie all of that changed. She carried resentment for a long time, but she find out later on that he was trying to protect her.

When these two come back together it’s spicy hot. Jace finally said I’m over keeping us apart and I’m so glad he did! This book is definitely a rollercoaster though and I enjoyed the ride!

I can’t wait for the next book by this author!

[rosebt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I like Jace and Allie. Their chemistry is amazing. It was entertaining to read but I have to admit that I was desperate to get to the end and when I got there it felt rushed and like some part was missing. it was super super long though

[L.B. Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book had me in a chokehold!

I’m a sucker for stepbrother books. Adding in all the spice, tension and crazy plots has me turning the pages as fast as I could. I read this on one sitting and my mind is still reeling! Emilia Rose takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I can’t wait to jump into the next book in this series! Seriously, read this book!!

[Beautifully Broken Bookworm · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is a nope for me…DNF halfway through

[Kayleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m feeling conflicted about writing this review.

I’ll start by saying one of my favourite tropes is a stepbrother romance. I was always going to read this book and I’m glad I did. The actual stepbrother/stepsister relationship was the best part of this book. I have no issue with their relationship and I actually loved Jace and Allie together. I’m really glad that the author plans to continue their story in the future because I will 100% be reading it - I need to know what happens with these two!

My conflict comes with the story and what is going on with the town. There is SO MUCH DRAMA!!!! literally every person that lives in the town is corrupt and are beyond dark. The only light comes from the relationship between our two MC’s and their little group of found friends (more books to come with their stories so lots of loose ends in that regard).
This story was constantly one thing after another and I’m sorry to say for me it was too much all at once and I couldn’t enjoy it because it was just too much.
I enjoy a dark, suspenseful read but this just took it to the extreme and threw EVERYTHING into this one book.
Some of the things we see in this one book…
- Parental abuse
- Police corruption
- Sex rings
- Murder
- A school principle filming underage pupils
- Blackmail
- A group of boys capable of burning the whole town to the ground
- Emotional and physical abuse of a spouse
- Child abuse
- Alcoholism
- Drug use
- Guns
- Violence
- Coercion
- Coat hanger abortion (thankfully doesn’t actually happen)
- Billionaires throwing their money around
And probably a ton of other stuff I’ve forgotten 🤦🏼‍♀️

Something else that I found odd - Jace and Allie literally have sexy times in amongst all of this drama. Their town is literally burning down around them but they still find time for a discreet grind on the sofa. Or Jace has been apparently beaten to a pulp and held captive (at the hands of his own father!!!) but he still has the energy and need to pleasure Allie. And please done get me wrong… I LOVE SMUT. I have no issue with characters getting it on throughout the whole book if they so desire, but it just wasn’t realistic.

You may be wondering how I managed to give a 3 star review? That is purely thanks to the MC’s, the writing (some of it was sexy and swoony) and the fact that I will be reading Jace and Allie’s next book. I’m not sure I’ll continue with the secondary characters books.

🌟🌟🌟 read. But I do see potential and wouldn’t rule out the authors other books!

[Jesse Adler-Wheeler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh boy. Well, to be fair I rounded up, this was definitely 1.5 stars. So many questions. Let’s start shall we?

0. Why was there so much going on? Back and forth this and that and this and that. And 110 chapters is a bit extreme.
1. Allie and Jace I get it you guys are step siblings but for fox sake. The back and forth of their relationship gave me a stiff neck.
2. Why was she so spineless? You’d see these glimpses of her being strong then have walked by and she needs to worship the ground he walks on. Ew no.
3. I am so over girls being called ‘my little $lut, or my little wh@re’ give it up that ship has sailed. Have some respect.
4. The amount of times Jace talks about his seamen ‘filling up his stepsister’ is concerning. The boy needs help. But like dude we get it.
5. So daddy dearest (jaces dad) has a vasectomy yet allies mom still got pregnant we got nothing more except she’s a cheater and she claimed she wasn’t one?
6. The principal was a little unnerving. Child porn. A warning coulda been cool.
7. Then there’s a dad who molests his daughter? Again warning.
8. Jaces mom was shot in the head ‘between the eyes’ and lived…I’m concerned about so much yet she lives and so does her unborn child. Sus.
9. Jace says all he ever did was want to protect Allie and her mom I just didn’t see much protection more like jealousy and rich kid fits.
10. We get introduced to a character at the very end not much and now she has her own book to the series? Nope.
11. The ending? But it did say they (Allie and Jace) would get a sequel but like why? Let’s just wrapper up now.
12. The fact that the parents knew their kids were sleeping together and didn’t stop or it say they were not okay with it…didn’t happen. Weird.
13. The Poisons were odd added bonus characters. Like 17/18 year olds that everyone is scared of and they deal
Drugs and do dirty work for the rich people but it’s just those three? Weird
14. Allies half sibling? What a bomb. A weird one.
15. Her internship comes out of nowhere so random and dumb.
16. I find it weird that even as step siblings they didn’t talk about college plans until what a few months before graduation? Odd. And if Jace had a scholarship to play Michigan football he’d have been recruited and known he was going there already…

This had so much going on. It was never ending. Plots that didn’t make sense. Writing was not bad, truly. Just the story was too much for me, personally.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first story from this author. I’m not sure if I will read more of the books or not just yet as I’m still irritated and it’s been a few days since I read this story. First off, it ends on a cliffhanger. You may disagree with my assessment but the way I looked at it, it was a cliffhanger. Jace and Allie were in a relationship. They broke up and their parents got married making them step siblings. All was not good in their world and a good portion of it was due to a lack of communication. Jace was troubled and made bad decisions with good intentions.

This story was supposed to be a standalone but there were many things just left up in the air. Per the author’s note at the end of this story (Happy [?] for now ending, kinda?) there will be a sequel to this story but that the questions that remained unanswered would be answered in later stories about other characters. I recommend reading this book if you can deal with the cliffhanger.

I did like the story. It was entertaining and enjoyable for the most part. There was some violence, drug use, alcohol use, and discussion of abortion in the story. The characters were interesting. It felt like it was true to what high school issues are like (ok, some of it was over the top!) but the cliffhanger killed it for me.

[Samantha Hickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with Jace Harbor, just saying!

Stepbrother is book #1 in the Bad Boys of Redwood Academy series. Its a dark, stepbrother romance. This is a series of standalone, each book focuses on a different couple.

Jace and Allies story will have you glued to the pages!!!

Allie and Jace were so happy and in love, until something happened and Jace broke her heart.

Now, they fight and have a push and pull thing going on. Allies mom married Jaces dad, and Allie is miserable without Jace. She has never stopped loving him.

All Jace wants to do is keep Allie safe and has his reasons for pushing her away, but his feelings for her have not gone away.

And the spice in this book, HOLY HOTNESS!!!! Some of my favorite spicy scenes ever are in this book!!!

I love this book, Jace and Allie, all their friends, and all the craziness that happens in Redwood.

Emilia Rose has me hooked on Redwood and i can't wait for more!!!

[lovelyj22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved Jace and Ally and their story. They loved each other before their parents marriage. Jace betrayed Ally and she hated/loved him. Then we found out why he did and it made sense why he couldn’t tell her.
Also the smut was 🤌🌶🌶🌶🌶

[★Ruth★ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was ridiculous. I should have DNF’d but it was like a car crash, I couldn’t look away! And I what was with that ending!!! The book was overly long and then boom everything happened in the last 5% and made no sense!!

[Keia Cotton · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book had me wanting to throw my kindle across the room and I have MANY thoughts.

1. I had to keep reminding myself that these kids are in high school. They disrespect the teachers in their school, their parents and pretty much every authoritative figure within the story. I’m not saying that these individuals don’t deserve it because there are some fu$&ed up people in this damn town! Which leads me to…

2. If all of these kids parents suck so hard, where are the good ones?! I’ve only read 2 of the books in the series so far and I read them out of order but both of their parents have been horrible! These people don’t deserve kids or even to be alive! These are some of the worse parents I’ve ever read before and I felt horrible for these kids. They didn’t even have an adult they could speak to about all the crazy crap going on in their lives and that is bleak!

3. I feel as though because these kids have had such horrible examples of parents, they make some of the worse decisions ever! They always chose the wrong path no matter what. In this story, Allie was so worried about her mother but continued to put herself in danger in order to protect her. What was crazy to me was her mother never gave her that same energy. Her mother was never a mother at all. She knew the kind of man Jace’s father was but never once gave her daughter a heads up.

4. This book was WAAAAAAYYYYYY too long! I love how short each chapter is but I feel like this was just drawn out so much. Half of the spicy scenes could have been removed and shortened, tremendously. Emilia really knows how to write a spicy scene but I just can’t get into them since these kids are in high school.

5. What is with the lawlessness? How can Poison even exist? Especially in a HIGH SCHOOL! How are we just killing folks and no one bats an eye?! You got kids fighting to the death damn near…in school…and no one is even suspended?! Kids screwing in classrooms and locker rooms without a care or worry in the world. Kids having unlimited access to millions of dollars. People getting kidnapped, raped, or worse and nothing? It’s just too unbelievable!

Now I’ve said all of that to say, the next book is over 700 pages and I don’t know if I have the energy to read it. I mean, I’m going to, but sheesh….😒

[Tasma · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having this series sitting for a while, I knew I wanted to back track after initially reading My Brother’s Best Friend as an ARC. But girrrllll, I WAS NOT expecting to start out Stepbrother LIKE THAT.
Not even 40 pages in, and we already have some impeccable smut, that had me gasping. And of course, I knew it was going to be utterly amazing as soon as I picked it up. The chemistry between Jace and Allie is absolutely gorgeous, especially their hate for each other, which is incredibly hilarious. I cannot blame Allie for feeling the way she does, especially with everything that had happened, but I gotta give it to her. I can definitely relate in loving the boy who broke your heart, and you shouldn’t even give a second glance too. But not knowing the reasons why, and them finally being explained to her, that moment… THAT WAS DEVASATINGLY CUTE AS FUCK. Not to mention, why Jace is the way he is towards her, trying to do what’s right, was just GAAAAHHHH. And the fact that even after all those years too, AAAAAAHHHHHHH. These two are damn fucking cute, and I love everything about them. EVERYONE WHO DISLIKES THE IDEA CAN GO. GET. FUCKED. And the plot twist of them before they were step siblings, blew MY DAMN MIND. No wonder there was something sizzling its way to the surface *smirk*.
Don’t even GET ME STARTED ON that damn principal. God. Just nope. And having the introduction to the other members of the squad, especially Poison, I am LOVING the way that shit is going, and I cannot wait to read Poison, that shit gonna be SPICCYYYY. Oh, AND THE BOMB DROP AFTER BOMB DROP, AFTER DAMN BOMB DROP AT THE END. LIKE… WHAT THE FUCK? I could not CATCH A DAMN BREAK.
Overall, I FUCKING. LOVED IT. and I could not be any more obsessed with this series. I knew the story between Jace and Allie was iconic, just from their appearances in My Brother’s Best Friend, and I CANNOT wait to dive into the rest of the stories, and I already know they are GOING. TO. BE. FIRE.

[Tea and sweets · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly expected more. It was just a lot of smut and not a lot of plot, which is disappointing because this book had the potential to be really interesting had it been structured in a different way. The characters just felt lackluster, just,.... For how long the book was, a lot of it just felt hollow or like filler.
I wanted the family relationships and dynamics to be explored. For example why wasn't Jace's mother mystery more gradual. Why didn't the author start to point to something more ominous in that regard throughout the story. It would have made the reveal that she was alive more satisfying. Also did Jace's father really have a vasectomy, and if so did Allie's mother cheat on him? Did she survive? Why wasn't there an Epilogue to solve some of these questions. What happened to the town? Did the rioters kill people? What happened to Nicole and her father? Did he find her? Did he kill her?

Also the ending was in my opinion anticlimactic. Jace's father was painted as a monster, abuser, manipulative, alcoholic scum all throughout the book and in the end Jace's mother just arrived and was like I'll do it. And then she killed him and we didn't even witness it. It wasn't even a scene. It could have been a high point and it was just thrown away!!

Why did Allie really worry about her mother's safety in some moments and seemed to totally forget about her mother in other moments?

Just a lot of things that don't add up. And I just think it could have been an interesting story but instead the author just creamed the book with smut and forgot to develop the characters or the plot and because of that a lot felt flat or just didn't add up.

In the end I wanted to enjoy it but wasn't able to. I don't think I will be continuing on with the series.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavy and informative trigger warning by Emilia.

“? A sin or not???”
Jace & Allie once upon a time were an item. 2 people from different worlds. Rich/Poor, yet one night changed everything for them, mainly for Alice.
Moving along into the future and their parents marrying - hence ‘Stepbrother’ - back to my quote.

Stepbrother book 1 in the series has an extremely naughty storyline. May offend some readers, but do stick it out. What is the investigation/secret that Jace is spending a fortune on? How does this affect Allie? What did his dad do? Questions that keep you turning the page.

Whoa!!! A bomb is dropped. What will the consequences be? How will Jace and Allie move forward? Every page has drama printed on it. A page turner from beginning to end.

“Intoxicating”

In order to appreciate, read with care. This was one read that needs to be paced to understand and comprehend who Jace/Allie, the Redwood gang and most importantly the Rich & Upper Classs. What they can do behind closed doors, how they manipulate their wealth against the poor. Who they control & destroy. This definitely isn’t for the faint hearted. The abuse, incest and I ? On how this is perceived. Murder - it’s all here. Is it left on a cliffhanger - No. are there questions still unanswered - Yes.

Emilia will draw you into her web here with the Redwood Academy. Full of drama, action, highly and I do state highly sexual. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
You will become hooked and seek more. This is my first read by Emilia Rose and there will definitely be more.

5 +++++++ star rating

[Madame Book Wh0re · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emilia Rose really did a bang with Stepbrother! 🖤 I didn't expect the book to start the way that it did, but because of it...it drew me into the book. Now before I get all reviewy and stuff, I do want to mention that Stepbrother has some triggers that you might want to check out before reading. This book is a bit dark and taboo. But some of the things that happen and come to light are not your everyday reads. So please check those out before reading! 🖤
I was a little sad at how this book ended but....well you'll see. I know this book is about Jace and Allie..😈..but Poison really got me interested. Especially Kai!! A lot went on in this book and it's not hard to keep up. But I was so annoyed with these characters because I just wanted them to shush and make up! I believe in love, so when I see (or in this case read) that people are in love, I just want that to happen! Now the spice in this bad boy was 🤤!! Not ganna lie, I was a little blown away on the lust between Allie and Jace! More like Allie but that is because I didn't think I would read what excites her! But hey... 😈 Allie is Allie! lol I really enjoyed this book and can't wait (like really can't wait) to read the next book Poison! (Can you tell why?)
Happy Reading! 😈
🖤Christian O.🖤

STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE 💦💦💦💦💦

[Aliss (gracedby_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off i just need to say WOW!!!!!!

This book had so many twist and turns full of suspense and steam I couldn't put it down. I literally read it in one sitting. What started out as a high school bully romance turned into life or death suspense. Plus the spice in this book was so so so good. Within the first few chapters you had the spice you want from Jace and Allie.
Jace and Allie had a past from a few years ago that turned into heartbreak and torture for the next two years. Jace was trying to protect her and Allie thought he was playing games with her heart. Finally things start to change when Jace is done waiting and fro there secrets, lies, truths, and death happen. The book had moments that you knew wouldn't happen in real life, but that is why I love books like this. They allow the mind to wonder and follow the story of things a reader won't happen in your daily life.
I seriously can't wait for book two to come out. Through out the whole book i wanted to know more about the friends in Jace and Allie's life. Well Emilia is going to give it us in the best possible way.

I was given this book as a book tour from The Smutthood in exchange for my honest review. My honest review is that you need to read this book, then wait patiently for book two to come out.

[Yvonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ 4🌶️

I was under no illusion that this was going to be a good book, I came for the smut and it was just what I was looking for 🔥🤭

While the stepbrother angle in itself wasn’t really taboo since they actually dated before their parents married, they sure played it up, so if you want that forbidden feel, and like it filthy, this delivers. A few scenes are already living rent free

The rest of the plot was OTT and the writing was not good, but it moved really fast. Although the lengthier detailed spice was front loaded, it was definitely present throughout. It’s actually funny how so much shit was going down around them yet they still found time to get each other off 😂

Side Bar: If you want just a little taste of the smut but not invest in an entire book, check out Climax: Steamy Erotica Collection it’s a collection of short stories or chapters from her books. You’ll get a few of the best scenes from this book there, along with a lot more, spanning a few different romance genres. 🔥🔥🔥🥵🫠

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this caught my eye because of the authors name (we share a name, lol) but this series is wild y’all! First the scenes are very graphic, but maybe I’m feeling prudish because these are high schoolers? But about half way through this book decided that it was going to develop a plot, but also not. Like BAM, a super creep gets his favorite appendage chopped off (yes you read that right) AND a decapitated head gets tossed on the football field at halftime, no biggie. Throw in a high school sex trafficking ring run by the local cops and we got ourselves the beginning of a series folks! These HIGH SCHOOLERS can handle it 😜 but I digress. The real kicker is how this book ends in about 5 minutes after you have the build up of the entire book, then it’s like bam, he’s dead, surprise she’s alive, and poof everything’s perfect (because your dad is no longer trying to actively kill you!). What a ride! I’m torn, because there are so many good books out in the world waiting to be read…dare I keep reading? The next book is a reverse harem…of high schoolers 🤣🫠 I’m out 🤣 I’m sure the book will mention several times how they’re all just turned 18 🤣🤣🤣

[Feral Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Emilia Rose title I've read and I enjoyed it so much! I love love love Allie and Jace's story.

Allie and Jace are step-siblings with a difficult history that predates their parent's marriage. Of course, things aren't as they appear and as their story unfolds we learn more about the how and why of their ire for one another. This story is so much more complex and interwoven than it initially appears and it unravels slowly and in a very organic and satisfying way.

I am incredibly intrigued and eager for the follow up stories featuring the supporting characters. This series is bound to be a satisfying tale full of interesting characters who will have you rooting for them and wanting more.

The spice is moderate. There is a fair amount of it, but it's not gratuitous or overly graphic and flows well with the story and characters.

I really enjoyed this title and cannot wait for future installments.

My ONLY complaint is Jace's affiliation with U of M when MSU is obviously the superior school ;) Go Green!