A review by weelasswithabook
The Bully, by Sophie Lark
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
CW parental death, parental abandonment, torture/interrogation
I'll be honest, I was going to skip this one in the series. I can't express my loathing for Dean in The Heir, so I had no idea how Sophie was going to make me fall for him.
Well, I was proved the fuck wrong because this is my favourite of the series so far 😂
If you know me, you know I love character development. I want in their heads and see why they are how they are. I want to see their vulnerabilities come to the surface and see them soften. I also like seeing someone gradually realising their strength and self worth. This was a prime example of that well executed in both characters.
Bully romance rarely works for me. More often than not, I'm not a fan. But this had just enough of the "bully" aspect to create a negative push and pull between the MCs, instead of causing extreme discomfort. Straddled the line between bully and enemies to lovers, if that makes sense.
I can't sign this off without mentioning the bell tower scenes 👀 10/10 *chefs kiss* round of applause. I love a D/S dynamic, it's my bread and butter 😍
I'll be honest, I was going to skip this one in the series. I can't express my loathing for Dean in The Heir, so I had no idea how Sophie was going to make me fall for him.
Well, I was proved the fuck wrong because this is my favourite of the series so far 😂
If you know me, you know I love character development. I want in their heads and see why they are how they are. I want to see their vulnerabilities come to the surface and see them soften. I also like seeing someone gradually realising their strength and self worth. This was a prime example of that well executed in both characters.
Bully romance rarely works for me. More often than not, I'm not a fan. But this had just enough of the "bully" aspect to create a negative push and pull between the MCs, instead of causing extreme discomfort. Straddled the line between bully and enemies to lovers, if that makes sense.
I can't sign this off without mentioning the bell tower scenes 👀 10/10 *chefs kiss* round of applause. I love a D/S dynamic, it's my bread and butter 😍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Bullying