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koistyfishy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
I was originally supposed to pick up Devious King first, as that was the one chosen by Grumpy from my TBR. However, since this one is the prequel to that book and the note at the front of Rina Kent's Devious King mentioned that this one should be read first, I decided to pick this one up instead.
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Astrid recently moved into her Dad Father's house after her mom died in an accident. She is invisible at RES (Royall Elite School) and intends to stay that way. One night at the start of Summer she accompanies her best friend Dan to a house party, is drugged, and lands up in the path of Levi King rubbing up on him like a cat in heat (Blame the drug in her system). Levi kicks her out as he won't take advantage of someone high and in the chaos of the rest of the night, a fire and a chase through the woods... Astrid is hit by a car... Now the summer is over and she is back at school, but she is no longer invisible... especially to Levi who wants to use her to piss off his uncle and she won't go down without a fight...
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I’ve somehow stumbled into the realm of high school bully romances, and I love them. I think this book just solidified it a little bit more. Basically, this is utter trash. You’re not going to get anything out of reading this in the long run. You’re not going to learn something profound. You’re not going to discover a new part of yourself. You’re not going to have that long-lasting impression that some books leave with you. BUT YOU ARE IN FOR ENJOYMENT.... this is darkish popcorn fluff and teenage angsty drama rolled up into an obsessive and possessive alpha-hole who likes to growl and say “mine” a lot.
My issue with this is that if you’re reading this type of book, you’ve probably seen the story before. I’ve seen these characters. I’ve seen this plot. I’ve seen where this goes. For some unknown reason, every high school bully romance I read has the male lead wanting revenge on the girl for some reason because she somehow killed, betrayed, ruined, or made his life hell. Now he has this vendetta against her, but through that he becomes obsessed, and that obsession turns from “I can’t stop thinking about you because I want to destroy you” into “I can’t stop thinking about you because you’re in my blood and now you’re mine, and no one will ever have you again.” That’s basically who these characters are. They’re very cliché, very stereotypical, and very much the cookie-cutter of what you’d expect.
Astrid is the submissive girl who gives in to Levi's pushing (she does sometimes say No and acts like a little brat with her defiance). Levi doesn’t know how to take no for an answer and forces himself into her space and her life. Somehow, she becomes deluded and falls in love with him.
It’s a toxic, messed-up relationship, and you question why the hell you’re even rooting for these two, but you can’t help it because the writing is addictive. The characters are addictive, and even though the plot is something you’ve seen and read multiple times you still keep reading! In my experience, while it seems to be the same plot over and over again in bully romances- I can’t look away. I can’t stop reading it. There are moments of cringe—like the fact that he calls her “princess” and his surname is King, which just makes you want to roll your eyes and probably throw up a little bit in your mouth at how cliché it is—but I still enjoyed the hell out of it.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ High School Romance
▶ Bully Romance
▶ Alphamale
▶ Obsessive, Possessive and Jealous MMC
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Virgin FMC
𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Undertable Touching
▷ Cages Her With His Arms
▷ Underage
▷ "Fuck It"
▷ Brat
▷ "You Taste Like...."
▷ Nicknames
▷ Soccer Jersey Heat
I had a really good time with this and while it wasn't profound or life-changing it made me happy reading the trash that this was. If you want a "Stereotypical" High School Bully Romance then this is for you...
Graphic: Sexual content, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual assault
kenzieburke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking
luckyyyyy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
cielosiluminado's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual assault
eesofagoo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
geminimarsss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
nineinchnails's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
Drugging, Amnesia, Post traumatic stress disorder, Revenge porn, Slut-shaming, Student/teacher relationship, and Date rapeali_k0's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape
emilycruz1016's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
culzean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail