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Watch Me Burn #1
Pretty Lies
My dad’s an asshole. Plain and simple.
He’s made it obvious that I can only ever rely on myself.
Until I meet them.
Caden, Tyler, Jensen, and Lukas.
My new stepbrother and his best friends have suddenly become my everything.
Until they aren’t.
They think they can break me, but they’re dead wrong.
They wouldn’t have bet on me having someone else on my side, or in my bed.
These rich boys haven’t seen anything yet.
Their pretty lies are nothing compared to what’s coming though, and I’m going to need them to anchor me when I finally break.
Death is coming to those who deserve it, and I don’t care if I lose myself in the process.
Did I mention the local street crew being on my side?
No one will ever see me coming.
My name’s Rory Donovan, and I’m about to paint the walls red.
*Pretty Lies is a 75k word dark romance reverse harem novel. This is the first book in the series and it must be read in order. The first four books are Rory's, and the harem grows over those books, so other guys will be added as the story goes. It contain abuse and rape content, and the series will have m/m. If you are triggered by sensitive content, this series is not for you.
He’s made it obvious that I can only ever rely on myself.
Until I meet them.
Caden, Tyler, Jensen, and Lukas.
My new stepbrother and his best friends have suddenly become my everything.
Until they aren’t.
They think they can break me, but they’re dead wrong.
They wouldn’t have bet on me having someone else on my side, or in my bed.
These rich boys haven’t seen anything yet.
Their pretty lies are nothing compared to what’s coming though, and I’m going to need them to anchor me when I finally break.
Death is coming to those who deserve it, and I don’t care if I lose myself in the process.
Did I mention the local street crew being on my side?
No one will ever see me coming.
My name’s Rory Donovan, and I’m about to paint the walls red.
*Pretty Lies is a 75k word dark romance reverse harem novel. This is the first book in the series and it must be read in order. The first four books are Rory's, and the harem grows over those books, so other guys will be added as the story goes. It contain abuse and rape content, and the series will have m/m. If you are triggered by sensitive content, this series is not for you.
Paperback
First published August 10, 2020
About the author
R.E. Bond
27 books1,162 followersR.E. Bond is a dark romance author from Tasmania, Australia. She is obsessed with reverse harem books, especially if they have m/m! She collects paperbacks as a hobby, has read or written every day since she started high school, and constantly needs music in her daily life. She loves camping and rodeos in the summer, and not getting out of bed in the winter. Coffee and books are life, and curse words are just sentence enhancers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 541 reviews
October 14, 2020
PRETTY LIES: is the first full length romance book in the series 'Watch Me Burn', by new to me author R.E. Bond. Spoken in 'Multiple Perspectives.'
I'd had my eye on this book for a while, but wanted to wait until the next one was out before diving in. And this was so worth the wait. Twists and turns came at me left field and there was no dodging them.
As with any highschool bully romance you have your 'Kings' of the school, and the mean girls, but none of them were ready for Rory. She was beautifully damaged but a fighter, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who had clawed her way back to humanity only to get kicked back down again. But this time she has some very scary tough guys behind her back, guys you do not want to mess with.
This book was riveting, dark, gritty, so full of angst I wasn't sure how much more my nerves could take. So easy to get into, even harder to put down. There's nothing I would change.
January 18, 2021
WTAF did I just read?
The premise sounded interesting in a "need a smutty read with some effed up elements guilty pleasure" kind of way (plus, it inexplicably has so many high ratings!), but it ended up being a ginormous disaster. WAY too much going on in this --- too many "reveals" that were ridiculously improbable unless you lived in a town with about 100 people where everyone really is interconnected with everyone else, which was not the case here, though the setting was never made very clear. And it read like a child telling me a story: on and on with laughable embellishments and immature rantings. Literally the only reason I kept reading was because I am working towards a "year in reading" challenge where one of the items on the list is making it all the way to the end of a terrible book.
To give an overview.... Aurora ("Rory") is a beyond damaged 17 year old whose mother allegedly left her and whose father is a drunken, degenerate gambling, abusive SOB. At the start of the book, they are moving out of their shithole house into the mansion of some woman her dad has been screwing, and Rory is pissed bc she doesn't want to leave her house and knows her dad is just using this woman. But as a minor, she has no choice. She also has no choice but to live in the same house as the unfortunate lady's son who happens to be close to her age and attends the same snotty prep school she has recently been accepted to as a scholarship student (I think - that wasn't very clear as to why she was there).
Anyway, this guy apparently is the coolest and "runs the school" with his friends who are also mega douche bags. He concocts this elaborate plan to make her think he is being nice to her and accepts her into his group with the ultimate goal of "destroying her" by publicly humiliating her in the end. But first he and his 3 friends (one of whom Rory has some kind of past with but is pissed at him for wronging her somehow a few years ago) need to get her to trust them. And mess around with them. And do drugs. And party. And tell off teachers when leaving class bc they are too cool for school and own the place. Literally. (EYE ROLL)
In the middle of all this teenage BEYOND melodrama, there is some hard core gang that openly talks about killing people and traffics drugs through the town that she also ends up hooking up with and is somehow confident enough in her 17 year oldness that she can tell these "look at me wrong and we will kill you" badasses off without consequences. Yeah. Totally believable. All the while, she has all these conflicting feelings for the preppy rich boys and they somehow all fall in love with her. Oooooookay.
What I liked:
--- Honestly, pretty much nothing - even the sex scenes were ridiculous and not at all hot
What I didn't like as much:
--- Seriously? How is this story supposed to even remotely feel believable? It is so far off the reservations with the nonstop things happening; the "scandals" and "reveals" were more than over-the-top (it's one thing if there is something that jumps out as a "holy crap!" moment, but when every single storyline element has that kind of aspect, it is extremely ineffective)
--- All these pretty rich boys who are 17 or 18 years old are somehow AMAZING at sex. Nope. Sorry.... just nope. LOL
--- The "screw over" plot fell totally flat - not really planned out and then they all circled back to being in love with her suddenly? Can totally tell why bc the description of her was ever so charming (is the sarcasm coming through here?) -- other than having had a very rough go of it with her home life, she was a crazy bitch that threw punches at other girls at school and joined some clandestine fight club run by the hard core gang bangers.... what?! Just too much.
Yeah, so unless you like EXTREMELY unrealistic stories with sex scenes that are anything but hot, drug and alcohol abusers, asshole teenagers, wannabe gangsters, random fight clubs, and a few murders for good measure, I would advise skipping this one. You're welcome.
Plot --- 1/5
Main Characters --- 1/5
Supporting Cast --- 1/5
Steam Level* --- 4.5/5 (everything but M/M -- description referenced M/M, but that wasn't in this book - maybe later in the series that I will definitely not be continuing?)
Violence --- yes, and definite triggers
Language --- nonstop
POV --- Dual (mostly Rory, some quick paragraphs interspersed from a few of the guys)
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
The premise sounded interesting in a "need a smutty read with some effed up elements guilty pleasure" kind of way (plus, it inexplicably has so many high ratings!), but it ended up being a ginormous disaster. WAY too much going on in this --- too many "reveals" that were ridiculously improbable unless you lived in a town with about 100 people where everyone really is interconnected with everyone else, which was not the case here, though the setting was never made very clear. And it read like a child telling me a story: on and on with laughable embellishments and immature rantings. Literally the only reason I kept reading was because I am working towards a "year in reading" challenge where one of the items on the list is making it all the way to the end of a terrible book.
To give an overview.... Aurora ("Rory") is a beyond damaged 17 year old whose mother allegedly left her and whose father is a drunken, degenerate gambling, abusive SOB. At the start of the book, they are moving out of their shithole house into the mansion of some woman her dad has been screwing, and Rory is pissed bc she doesn't want to leave her house and knows her dad is just using this woman. But as a minor, she has no choice. She also has no choice but to live in the same house as the unfortunate lady's son who happens to be close to her age and attends the same snotty prep school she has recently been accepted to as a scholarship student (I think - that wasn't very clear as to why she was there).
Anyway, this guy apparently is the coolest and "runs the school" with his friends who are also mega douche bags. He concocts this elaborate plan to make her think he is being nice to her and accepts her into his group with the ultimate goal of "destroying her" by publicly humiliating her in the end. But first he and his 3 friends (one of whom Rory has some kind of past with but is pissed at him for wronging her somehow a few years ago) need to get her to trust them. And mess around with them. And do drugs. And party. And tell off teachers when leaving class bc they are too cool for school and own the place. Literally. (EYE ROLL)
In the middle of all this teenage BEYOND melodrama, there is some hard core gang that openly talks about killing people and traffics drugs through the town that she also ends up hooking up with and is somehow confident enough in her 17 year oldness that she can tell these "look at me wrong and we will kill you" badasses off without consequences. Yeah. Totally believable. All the while, she has all these conflicting feelings for the preppy rich boys and they somehow all fall in love with her. Oooooookay.
What I liked:
--- Honestly, pretty much nothing - even the sex scenes were ridiculous and not at all hot
What I didn't like as much:
--- Seriously? How is this story supposed to even remotely feel believable? It is so far off the reservations with the nonstop things happening; the "scandals" and "reveals" were more than over-the-top (it's one thing if there is something that jumps out as a "holy crap!" moment, but when every single storyline element has that kind of aspect, it is extremely ineffective)
--- All these pretty rich boys who are 17 or 18 years old are somehow AMAZING at sex. Nope. Sorry.... just nope. LOL
--- The "screw over" plot fell totally flat - not really planned out and then they all circled back to being in love with her suddenly? Can totally tell why bc the description of her was ever so charming (is the sarcasm coming through here?) -- other than having had a very rough go of it with her home life, she was a crazy bitch that threw punches at other girls at school and joined some clandestine fight club run by the hard core gang bangers.... what?! Just too much.
Yeah, so unless you like EXTREMELY unrealistic stories with sex scenes that are anything but hot, drug and alcohol abusers, asshole teenagers, wannabe gangsters, random fight clubs, and a few murders for good measure, I would advise skipping this one. You're welcome.
Plot --- 1/5
Main Characters --- 1/5
Supporting Cast --- 1/5
Steam Level* --- 4.5/5 (everything but M/M -- description referenced M/M, but that wasn't in this book - maybe later in the series that I will definitely not be continuing?)
Violence --- yes, and definite triggers
Language --- nonstop
POV --- Dual (mostly Rory, some quick paragraphs interspersed from a few of the guys)
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
August 14, 2020
Oh my god! This book pissed me off at a grand level!! I like cursing as much as the next person but when there's a "fuck" after every four words, I can't take it. I am pretty sure I too was screaming "FUCK" in frustration, 4-5 chapters in.
Aurora "Rory" Donovan was not a badass, strong heroine but a foolish and self-destructive person who wouldn't know what toxic is if it slapped her on the face. She is too much trigger happy and while I love a psychopath more than anything, she was not one! I was literally cringing every time she did something. Also, mental breakdowns do not involve just a bout of crying and then everything turning back to normal with Rory again wanting to kill someone 🤦.
Among the guys, I just liked Skeeter because he was the only one character who knew who he was and what he was doing. Other's just seemed like rich kids pretending to be badass.
It might be good for some, but it wasn't for me.
Aurora "Rory" Donovan was not a badass, strong heroine but a foolish and self-destructive person who wouldn't know what toxic is if it slapped her on the face. She is too much trigger happy and while I love a psychopath more than anything, she was not one! I was literally cringing every time she did something. Also, mental breakdowns do not involve just a bout of crying and then everything turning back to normal with Rory again wanting to kill someone 🤦.
Among the guys, I just liked Skeeter because he was the only one character who knew who he was and what he was doing. Other's just seemed like rich kids pretending to be badass.
It might be good for some, but it wasn't for me.
January 20, 2023
This could have been a book about Rory and Skeeter and I would have been so happy. But instead it was just a drawn out, overstuffed mess. There was so much going on that it didn't honestly make all that much sense. Especially with the guys and their random need to betray the heroine with pretty much no reason. Essentially they had already had this plan to hurt her before they knew her, met her and liked her, and yet still went ahead with their plan and we don't really get a reason why. And in that time after the betrayal is when she randomly hooked up with a gang member who killed people and talked about it a lot and somehow he was the only guy in this book worth keeping around.
From there the book only got messier and so much was thrown in at the end that I couldn't help but skim. I just didn't care about these characters enough to invest more energy in them and I can't imagine what another three books will do to this group. I also didn't really like how Rory's past was handled and how her emotional damage seemed to just vanish in the second half of the book. At first the guys seemed to be sensitive to the fact that she didn't like being touched and clearly had some issues but later they were all over her with little care. And she herself seemed to forget all about it since they had magic dicks or something and she was fine as long as it was "her guys" who she had recently been betrayed by and didn't seem to actually trust outside of bed. Overall, there was just too much in this book to unravel and a lot of it didn't get as much page time as I think it needed.
Side note, I had this book on my wish list on Amazon and realized after I started it that I originally saw the recommendation on TikTok and I should have run far away. This has officially been my last TT recommendation that I'll try since I've yet to find any that actually turn out good for me.
From there the book only got messier and so much was thrown in at the end that I couldn't help but skim. I just didn't care about these characters enough to invest more energy in them and I can't imagine what another three books will do to this group. I also didn't really like how Rory's past was handled and how her emotional damage seemed to just vanish in the second half of the book. At first the guys seemed to be sensitive to the fact that she didn't like being touched and clearly had some issues but later they were all over her with little care. And she herself seemed to forget all about it since they had magic dicks or something and she was fine as long as it was "her guys" who she had recently been betrayed by and didn't seem to actually trust outside of bed. Overall, there was just too much in this book to unravel and a lot of it didn't get as much page time as I think it needed.
Side note, I had this book on my wish list on Amazon and realized after I started it that I originally saw the recommendation on TikTok and I should have run far away. This has officially been my last TT recommendation that I'll try since I've yet to find any that actually turn out good for me.
October 13, 2020
Seriously almost gave this 3 stars 🤷
Wow
Like watching a train wreck. Horrible to see but just can't look away. Oh boy ,like a unbelievable train wreck ,one where the trains derail and fly in the air ,do some flips and then barrel head on and bam!!! Train wreck.
What can I say ? ( spoilers )
She was all kinds of things mixed up in one and doing just fine with no pro help. Like a fragile ,tough,warrior,timid,shy,BA##sy,damaged,victim,seductive, almost virginal,naive,worldly and a whole bunch of other stuff all mixed into one. I mean the writer was going for broke here. Abusive dad ,raped ..repeatedly at 13 ( dad setting it ALL up), just all kind of bad going on . But she's a Trooper
guys. Nothing going keep her down . enter little rich bullies and oops ! One old friend that watched her get raped but didn't do anything because dear old dad said he'd do big baddies to her and him worse. Wow.
So we go on and yea they want her and her dad gone , but end up liking her but hey who ever let that get in way ? They'll just have to.protect themselves from her , read her diary find rapist picture ( guess who ? Oh no ! One of their dads!) And go to school and rape shame her in from of everyone ...then have all.of them laugh about it. ( not old bestie. Oh no he just simply wouldn't do it ...great guy 😕) .
Sigh ..enter gang bangers. She's an old hand at cage fighting ..yep.😘 what's not to love about getting with a sexy gang banger that likes to cut and be rough? Why nothing to a repeated raped girl.
And the bullies ?why they realize they need her to keep em together .of course ima skip a lot of unbelievable stuff and say she does ,has permission to sleep with other guys,becomes a murderer ( understandably) ,finds out about secret sister ( girl at school she hates and that hates her of course) and finds out mom wasn't mom that she died giving birth but fake mom loved her , never left her was trying to steal her but got put in ground by dad instead......... Skipped a lot ,but you get picture.
So yea almost gave it three stars for the shear unbelievable train wreck I couldn't get my eyes to stop reading and just think ...there are MORE books!😯 like three or four? Not sure. Oh boy ,what more can happen? Ill leave it there . had to get it out of my head and wrote down just to get it off brain.......
Wow
Like watching a train wreck. Horrible to see but just can't look away. Oh boy ,like a unbelievable train wreck ,one where the trains derail and fly in the air ,do some flips and then barrel head on and bam!!! Train wreck.
What can I say ? ( spoilers )
She was all kinds of things mixed up in one and doing just fine with no pro help. Like a fragile ,tough,warrior,timid,shy,BA##sy,damaged,victim,seductive, almost virginal,naive,worldly and a whole bunch of other stuff all mixed into one. I mean the writer was going for broke here. Abusive dad ,raped ..repeatedly at 13 ( dad setting it ALL up), just all kind of bad going on . But she's a Trooper
guys. Nothing going keep her down . enter little rich bullies and oops ! One old friend that watched her get raped but didn't do anything because dear old dad said he'd do big baddies to her and him worse. Wow.
So we go on and yea they want her and her dad gone , but end up liking her but hey who ever let that get in way ? They'll just have to.protect themselves from her , read her diary find rapist picture ( guess who ? Oh no ! One of their dads!) And go to school and rape shame her in from of everyone ...then have all.of them laugh about it. ( not old bestie. Oh no he just simply wouldn't do it ...great guy 😕) .
Sigh ..enter gang bangers. She's an old hand at cage fighting ..yep.😘 what's not to love about getting with a sexy gang banger that likes to cut and be rough? Why nothing to a repeated raped girl.
And the bullies ?why they realize they need her to keep em together .of course ima skip a lot of unbelievable stuff and say she does ,has permission to sleep with other guys,becomes a murderer ( understandably) ,finds out about secret sister ( girl at school she hates and that hates her of course) and finds out mom wasn't mom that she died giving birth but fake mom loved her , never left her was trying to steal her but got put in ground by dad instead......... Skipped a lot ,but you get picture.
So yea almost gave it three stars for the shear unbelievable train wreck I couldn't get my eyes to stop reading and just think ...there are MORE books!😯 like three or four? Not sure. Oh boy ,what more can happen? Ill leave it there . had to get it out of my head and wrote down just to get it off brain.......
October 26, 2020
There is nothing light about this book. The author wasn't lying when she stated there were triggers... and they were abundant! This IS a dark, bully romance. It's not your typical bully read either. It's intense and intriguing. It's captivating and draws you into the darkness that surrounds the characters.
But.... but... this story! Wow, it threw me for a loop. My emotions were everywhere while reading this. There's drama, suspense, violence, steaminess (oh so good) and don't forget to throw in some good ol' fashion revenge into the mix. This story has it all.
Rory was a badass. She was strong and cunning. She didn't bow to anyone. Despite what happened to her at a young age. No one was looking out for her best interest, that she was aware.
She has to move from her current home shortly after finding out her father is dating a "rich" woman. The woman also has a son named Caden, attends Rory's new school. He just so happens to be one of the Kings at said school. Along with his group of friends - Tyler, Jensen and Lukas. They vow to ruin her, but they will need to reel in their pretty prey beforehand. That they do...
Unfortunately, Rory opens up to one of the guys and they use that information to hurt her. Even though they all had second thoughts about "the plan", they just couldn't NOT break her and by doing so she ends up spiraling pretty hard. Uses drugs, alcohol and sex to try to numb her feelings. She gets involved with one of the main guys of a local street crew. He is bad news.
Her guys - Ummm, yeah.. I think Jensen and Caden are my favs. Yummy! Tyler and Lukas aren't far behind them. Although, at times during this read I was willing to push them off a cliff for Rory. She didn't deserve their crap! Skeeter is skeevy. Ick.
I also enjoyed that we got a taste of all the characters POVs. Mostly Rory's, but it was refreshing to know what was going on in the guys heads as they attempted to break her. It made me not want to hurt them lol.
Pretty big cliffhanger at the end so be prepared to read book 2 ASAP! I know I will be!! Looking forward to see how this story progresses.
But.... but... this story! Wow, it threw me for a loop. My emotions were everywhere while reading this. There's drama, suspense, violence, steaminess (oh so good) and don't forget to throw in some good ol' fashion revenge into the mix. This story has it all.
Rory was a badass. She was strong and cunning. She didn't bow to anyone. Despite what happened to her at a young age. No one was looking out for her best interest, that she was aware.
She has to move from her current home shortly after finding out her father is dating a "rich" woman. The woman also has a son named Caden, attends Rory's new school. He just so happens to be one of the Kings at said school. Along with his group of friends - Tyler, Jensen and Lukas. They vow to ruin her, but they will need to reel in their pretty prey beforehand. That they do...
Unfortunately, Rory opens up to one of the guys and they use that information to hurt her. Even though they all had second thoughts about "the plan", they just couldn't NOT break her and by doing so she ends up spiraling pretty hard. Uses drugs, alcohol and sex to try to numb her feelings. She gets involved with one of the main guys of a local street crew. He is bad news.
Her guys - Ummm, yeah.. I think Jensen and Caden are my favs. Yummy! Tyler and Lukas aren't far behind them. Although, at times during this read I was willing to push them off a cliff for Rory. She didn't deserve their crap! Skeeter is skeevy. Ick.
I also enjoyed that we got a taste of all the characters POVs. Mostly Rory's, but it was refreshing to know what was going on in the guys heads as they attempted to break her. It made me not want to hurt them lol.
Pretty big cliffhanger at the end so be prepared to read book 2 ASAP! I know I will be!! Looking forward to see how this story progresses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2021
Dnf at 57%
Ok this book was like a typical, not realistic, with a stupid heroine and even stupider hero reverse harem book. The heroine from the first page is too aggressive and the guys are annoying af, they are..guess what? Typical boring dudes who thinks they are hot and turns out others even think they are hot and then they rule the school cuz why? They are hot 🙄. I have read many reverse harem highschool books so this is like the 100th shittiest one i came across with so i am used to these types of nonsense and the level of ridiculousness where heroine gets bullied by popular girls who lust over the hero’s but the dudes focus on the heroine blah blah blah. The writing from the beginning frustrated me cuz the characters had no personality except the heroine being too aggressive and hero’s being too cocky and doing nothing but smirking. Anyway, these characters were really annoying ugh. I love strong badass heroines but Aurora here was not badass..she was annoying like her harem. Just like Trash recognises trash , annoying recognised annoying in this book.
Ok this book was like a typical, not realistic, with a stupid heroine and even stupider hero reverse harem book. The heroine from the first page is too aggressive and the guys are annoying af, they are..guess what? Typical boring dudes who thinks they are hot and turns out others even think they are hot and then they rule the school cuz why? They are hot 🙄. I have read many reverse harem highschool books so this is like the 100th shittiest one i came across with so i am used to these types of nonsense and the level of ridiculousness where heroine gets bullied by popular girls who lust over the hero’s but the dudes focus on the heroine blah blah blah. The writing from the beginning frustrated me cuz the characters had no personality except the heroine being too aggressive and hero’s being too cocky and doing nothing but smirking. Anyway, these characters were really annoying ugh. I love strong badass heroines but Aurora here was not badass..she was annoying like her harem. Just like Trash recognises trash , annoying recognised annoying in this book.
July 24, 2020
I started this book thinking it would be like a lot of other bully romances where boy is mean to girl, boy goes too far, girl forgives then they fall in love.
THIS IS NOT THAT STORY!!!
Rory is a total firey little psycho badass who has some awful, horrible, traumatizing things happen to her and she still manages to follow her own true self and destroy those who've hurt her.
The guy's she meet's along the way are all such dominant characters and total badboy's and its great to see them become as addicted to Rory's fierceness as I am.
You will not regret reading this book and I just can't get enough of these characters.
THIS IS NOT THAT STORY!!!
Rory is a total firey little psycho badass who has some awful, horrible, traumatizing things happen to her and she still manages to follow her own true self and destroy those who've hurt her.
The guy's she meet's along the way are all such dominant characters and total badboy's and its great to see them become as addicted to Rory's fierceness as I am.
You will not regret reading this book and I just can't get enough of these characters.
May 13, 2021
Dark contemporary high school reverse harem with a bit of bully and bit of street crew. Multi-POV.
Triggers for rape and abuse. There is some OW/OM cheating, depending on where you draw the line with that stuff; it doesn't seem to bother these characters but I know that doesn't fly for all readers.
Kinks include rough sex and knife play. "Dark" includes violence, murder, drug use, and above.
Fast burn but steam factor was like 2/5 for me (eh)
On the surface, this book had all the markings of my next favorite read -- released by a debut author and I love supporting indie authors. I enjoy 'dark', don't really have triggers, and flove psycho characters. However, this one didn't quite land for me, which I'll try to explain here without getting into spoilers. Overall, it was OK, but I never quite connected with the characters and often didn't understand their motivations or felt confused by their actions.
The FMC, Rory, has been through a lot of sh*t. You start out knowing that her dad is a piece of sh*t, but as the story progresses, learning more of what he's done to her and he continues to be an abusive POS -- he just needs to die like a thousand times over. The story also starts with that 'poor girl with nothing gets moved to the rich kid school' trope and the 'hot for girl/guy my same age living in the house I just moved into' trope. I liked Rory's "give no Fs" attitude and that she knows how to throw a punch. I found it odd that she trusted the guys so easily, but I just went with it. When the bully stuff happens (both from head mean girl at school and her posse and from the Hs who I don't even know why wanted to "break her" *eyeroll*), she keeps her chin raised and acted like a badass b*tch. Her character development had potential, but I never quite connected with her - some of it was lack of depth, other things just didn't feel believable, like more stated than felt, if that makes sense.
I didn't like how she forgave the Hs so quickly. It wasn't enough groveling or redemption path for me. I don't care that they're assholes; they can be assholes, but that sh*t needed more than an "I'm sorry". Even the one who "stayed out of it" because he loves her and didn't want to be a part of the plan - No, f**k that. He didn't do sh*t to protect her or warn her or stand by her, so he can f**k all the way off. Really, all of them can. The only soft spot I have right now is for the street crew because I love me some psycho Hs.
I liked the guys OK at first. I didn't know what Caden's problem was or his motivations. Their actions and words with her felt superficial and they were treating her like a plaything, despite public claimings of her being one of them. Three of them fight their feelings for the FMC and carry out a plan to "break her" -- which at some points in the story said to be a plan set in motion before they met her and other times their reasoning was a scared defensive reaction to push her away before she could tear them apart. Then there's the one H who has history with her and loves her but is too much of a gd coward (argh). By the end of the book, I think I liked the four of them even less than the beginning. Even when they start to admit their feelings for her to themselves and to her, they still talk about her like she's just a hot piece of ass to f**k when they're bored or horny. I didn't get it. I'm all for the imperfect, broken Hs, but I need more layered depth to be engrossed.
About halfway into the book, after the bully sh*t with the Hs goes down and she walks the f**k away with her head held high - which got a big "hell yeah" from me - we learn a secret about Rory that I did not see coming, but I guess I should have expected given that she knocked a girl out at a party with a single punch and clearly knew how to punch, though to me it came across as more scrappy than skilled. Apparently she has some skills. I think this is the point in the story where it could have started to win me over but the delivery fell short. I was excited to see what was going to happen when she entangles herself with the street crew, and I thought I was going to fall for Skeeter - the only character I connected with somewhat - but then he's too blase with her for my liking. I liked that he was protective of her, had her back, though under his terms, and gave her an outlet for her rage/hurt. But then he goes from hot to lukewarm; he's both there but not there. Which only made me feel apathetic.
While I was fine with them not putting a label on their relationships, it did start to bother me that there were no explicit conversations about sleeping or not sleeping with other people. The guys are constantly thinking about or implying about getting their dicks wet, and I honestly don't know if they've been f*ng around with other girls during parts of the story or this whole time. There's one admission of OW as a one-time f**k, which neither the H or h regarded as cheating, though the h has a bit of jealous rage over it, but one time or not I didn't care for it. And then there's a time where the FMC is DTF a random guy after one of the Hs encourages her to "get laid", and she's just immediately on board with it, which I didn't care for the OM aspect and also didn't get how someone who cannot stand the physical touch of others (with exception of the Hs for inexplicable reasons) and doesn't/shouldn't trust others would be rolling with this like she's about to get her rocks off (hard side eye).
Triggers for rape and abuse. There is some OW/OM cheating, depending on where you draw the line with that stuff; it doesn't seem to bother these characters but I know that doesn't fly for all readers.
Kinks include rough sex and knife play. "Dark" includes violence, murder, drug use, and above.
Fast burn but steam factor was like 2/5 for me (eh)
On the surface, this book had all the markings of my next favorite read -- released by a debut author and I love supporting indie authors. I enjoy 'dark', don't really have triggers, and flove psycho characters. However, this one didn't quite land for me, which I'll try to explain here without getting into spoilers. Overall, it was OK, but I never quite connected with the characters and often didn't understand their motivations or felt confused by their actions.
The FMC, Rory, has been through a lot of sh*t. You start out knowing that her dad is a piece of sh*t, but as the story progresses, learning more of what he's done to her and he continues to be an abusive POS -- he just needs to die like a thousand times over. The story also starts with that 'poor girl with nothing gets moved to the rich kid school' trope and the 'hot for girl/guy my same age living in the house I just moved into' trope. I liked Rory's "give no Fs" attitude and that she knows how to throw a punch. I found it odd that she trusted the guys so easily, but I just went with it. When the bully stuff happens (both from head mean girl at school and her posse and from the Hs who I don't even know why wanted to "break her" *eyeroll*), she keeps her chin raised and acted like a badass b*tch. Her character development had potential, but I never quite connected with her - some of it was lack of depth, other things just didn't feel believable, like more stated than felt, if that makes sense.
I didn't like how she forgave the Hs so quickly. It wasn't enough groveling or redemption path for me. I don't care that they're assholes; they can be assholes, but that sh*t needed more than an "I'm sorry". Even the one who "stayed out of it" because he loves her and didn't want to be a part of the plan - No, f**k that. He didn't do sh*t to protect her or warn her or stand by her, so he can f**k all the way off. Really, all of them can. The only soft spot I have right now is for the street crew because I love me some psycho Hs.
I liked the guys OK at first. I didn't know what Caden's problem was or his motivations. Their actions and words with her felt superficial and they were treating her like a plaything, despite public claimings of her being one of them. Three of them fight their feelings for the FMC and carry out a plan to "break her" -- which at some points in the story said to be a plan set in motion before they met her and other times their reasoning was a scared defensive reaction to push her away before she could tear them apart. Then there's the one H who has history with her and loves her but is too much of a gd coward (argh). By the end of the book, I think I liked the four of them even less than the beginning. Even when they start to admit their feelings for her to themselves and to her, they still talk about her like she's just a hot piece of ass to f**k when they're bored or horny. I didn't get it. I'm all for the imperfect, broken Hs, but I need more layered depth to be engrossed.
About halfway into the book, after the bully sh*t with the Hs goes down and she walks the f**k away with her head held high - which got a big "hell yeah" from me - we learn a secret about Rory that I did not see coming, but I guess I should have expected given that she knocked a girl out at a party with a single punch and clearly knew how to punch, though to me it came across as more scrappy than skilled. Apparently she has some skills. I think this is the point in the story where it could have started to win me over but the delivery fell short. I was excited to see what was going to happen when she entangles herself with the street crew, and I thought I was going to fall for Skeeter - the only character I connected with somewhat - but then he's too blase with her for my liking. I liked that he was protective of her, had her back, though under his terms, and gave her an outlet for her rage/hurt. But then he goes from hot to lukewarm; he's both there but not there. Which only made me feel apathetic.
While I was fine with them not putting a label on their relationships, it did start to bother me that there were no explicit conversations about sleeping or not sleeping with other people. The guys are constantly thinking about or implying about getting their dicks wet, and I honestly don't know if they've been f*ng around with other girls during parts of the story or this whole time. There's one admission of OW as a one-time f**k, which neither the H or h regarded as cheating, though the h has a bit of jealous rage over it, but one time or not I didn't care for it. And then there's a time where the FMC is DTF a random guy after one of the Hs encourages her to "get laid", and she's just immediately on board with it, which I didn't care for the OM aspect and also didn't get how someone who cannot stand the physical touch of others (with exception of the Hs for inexplicable reasons) and doesn't/shouldn't trust others would be rolling with this like she's about to get her rocks off (hard side eye).
January 10, 2022
Kudos to RE Bond on a solid debut! Pretty Lies is the first in the Watch Me Burn series, a dark reverse harem, bully/street gang story. The first book is jam packed with story action- introducing us to several flawed, perplexing, and emotionally volatile characters who quite frankly can’t figure each other out- which makes for lots of good, fun relationship dynamics. This story is loaded with triggers, sex, violence, partying, secrets, and twists. Truly a wild ride.
Our characters are hella interesting- albeit still a bit of a mystery to me. We know Aurora, Rory, the best- but much of her characterization is around her vacillation between anger and fear as it relates to her traumatic past. This was a huge part of the action of this story AND the relational arc, so this felt like the right call, but I’m hoping we get some additional emotional layers from her in book 2 as we explore other aspects of her identity- including some big decisions she makes at the end of this book. I did feel like her coping mechanisms to her trauma gave me a bit of whiplash- but I think this could be true for anyone who has suffered what she did. She’s definitely a character of contrasts- she’s tough but vulnerable, strong but fragile, independent but emotionally needy. My conclusion is that she really doesn’t know who she is- she’s spent so long being a victim of others, that she spends most of this book trying to reclaim control over her own destiny. And I think she does- although it’s hard for me to tell if that is a rationale and explicit choice in embracing an inner darkness or an emotional one she’ll regret later- clearly that is a question for book 2. And, I imagine with the resolution of some loose ends in this one, we’ll also start to see who she really is now that she has space to explore that.
Our guys- well, jury is still out on them for me. I see so much emotional potential in them, but I don’t feel like we know them. I trust them, or at least I think I do, but most of the book I’m disappointed in them- we have two grade a jerks and two cowards in the harem- and given how long it takes for them to exact some damage, it make me dislike them even more because at that point they had every reason NOT to harm Rory, and still did. I’m not sure they fully redeemed themselves here- or earned Rory’s love. I hope that is a function of there being some major action and we get more of that in Book 2- I think I need it to really trust them and their intentions. Since this is book 1, I know we’ve got a lot to learn still about our characters- which is exciting, because I’m not sure we yet KNOW them as humans either- just as romantic interests, so I’m looking forward to getting more complexity in them- especially Tyler and Jensen. I also really hope Skeeter sticks around romantically- he’s the most interesting of the men to me at the moment.
RE Bond clearly has a passion for complex reverse harem relationships...because this harem is messy, and that’s putting it lightly. The steam felt a bit concise to me early on, but once we got into the poly-scenes the steaminess really ramped up- and it was hot. Like our characters themselves, the harem situation is grey and constantly changing. I suspect this is by design- we’re still figuring this out, as is Rory- not only who she is connected to, but what she is willing to compromise on AND who she can trust. This didn’t bother me- in fact, I appreciated it. This character has suffered greatly as the result of trusting male relationships, and these men HURT her. Intentionally. I like that Rory is unabashedly just going with her confusing emotions, without fully understanding or labelling anything. It makes everything exciting and unpredictable, and also completely on her terms. A control that she’s rarely had when it comes to physical and emotional intimacy. The harem still has a bit of a toxic flair to it- which I always dig, although not sure if this is just the result of the earlier bully themes or if that is the longer term vision for the relationships. We’ll see in book 2!
The story- relationships and action- both move at a fast and furious pace. At first, I was craving a bit more exposition, but then I realized that is the tone that RE Bond is seeking to set for this story. Our characters are volatile, unpredictable, and rash- and, the action mimics that tenor. This is a very dialogue driven narrative- and since the characters are interesting and the character voices are unique, that worked for me, although I normally prefer a bit more of a descriptive style in my prose- but the story is very action packed, so it flowed well. A LOT was achieved in this book- some authors would have dragged it out for several, and I’m glad she didn’t- because this leaves book 2 to be open for more of a focus on working through these relational dynamics which are still being developed- and, to me, are more interesting than some of than the action.
All in all, an exciting debut. I know many will love this series- it is dark, our heroine is unique, and there are some interesting themes that RE can play with- question is, what will she? For a debut novel, this is a strong start- and as she continues to refine her voice, the thematic focus, and hits her stride in terms of her narrative style, I know this series will attract more and more traction! Excited to see more from this author!
PS: If you have triggers, please take caution. There is definitely some sensitive material in this book- both traumatic and violent-and some drug use. The treatment of it all is pretty casual (though not fully explicit/described)- not disrespectful- just that’s what this world and characters are.
Our characters are hella interesting- albeit still a bit of a mystery to me. We know Aurora, Rory, the best- but much of her characterization is around her vacillation between anger and fear as it relates to her traumatic past. This was a huge part of the action of this story AND the relational arc, so this felt like the right call, but I’m hoping we get some additional emotional layers from her in book 2 as we explore other aspects of her identity- including some big decisions she makes at the end of this book. I did feel like her coping mechanisms to her trauma gave me a bit of whiplash- but I think this could be true for anyone who has suffered what she did. She’s definitely a character of contrasts- she’s tough but vulnerable, strong but fragile, independent but emotionally needy. My conclusion is that she really doesn’t know who she is- she’s spent so long being a victim of others, that she spends most of this book trying to reclaim control over her own destiny. And I think she does- although it’s hard for me to tell if that is a rationale and explicit choice in embracing an inner darkness or an emotional one she’ll regret later- clearly that is a question for book 2. And, I imagine with the resolution of some loose ends in this one, we’ll also start to see who she really is now that she has space to explore that.
Our guys- well, jury is still out on them for me. I see so much emotional potential in them, but I don’t feel like we know them. I trust them, or at least I think I do, but most of the book I’m disappointed in them- we have two grade a jerks and two cowards in the harem- and given how long it takes for them to exact some damage, it make me dislike them even more because at that point they had every reason NOT to harm Rory, and still did. I’m not sure they fully redeemed themselves here- or earned Rory’s love. I hope that is a function of there being some major action and we get more of that in Book 2- I think I need it to really trust them and their intentions. Since this is book 1, I know we’ve got a lot to learn still about our characters- which is exciting, because I’m not sure we yet KNOW them as humans either- just as romantic interests, so I’m looking forward to getting more complexity in them- especially Tyler and Jensen. I also really hope Skeeter sticks around romantically- he’s the most interesting of the men to me at the moment.
RE Bond clearly has a passion for complex reverse harem relationships...because this harem is messy, and that’s putting it lightly. The steam felt a bit concise to me early on, but once we got into the poly-scenes the steaminess really ramped up- and it was hot. Like our characters themselves, the harem situation is grey and constantly changing. I suspect this is by design- we’re still figuring this out, as is Rory- not only who she is connected to, but what she is willing to compromise on AND who she can trust. This didn’t bother me- in fact, I appreciated it. This character has suffered greatly as the result of trusting male relationships, and these men HURT her. Intentionally. I like that Rory is unabashedly just going with her confusing emotions, without fully understanding or labelling anything. It makes everything exciting and unpredictable, and also completely on her terms. A control that she’s rarely had when it comes to physical and emotional intimacy. The harem still has a bit of a toxic flair to it- which I always dig, although not sure if this is just the result of the earlier bully themes or if that is the longer term vision for the relationships. We’ll see in book 2!
The story- relationships and action- both move at a fast and furious pace. At first, I was craving a bit more exposition, but then I realized that is the tone that RE Bond is seeking to set for this story. Our characters are volatile, unpredictable, and rash- and, the action mimics that tenor. This is a very dialogue driven narrative- and since the characters are interesting and the character voices are unique, that worked for me, although I normally prefer a bit more of a descriptive style in my prose- but the story is very action packed, so it flowed well. A LOT was achieved in this book- some authors would have dragged it out for several, and I’m glad she didn’t- because this leaves book 2 to be open for more of a focus on working through these relational dynamics which are still being developed- and, to me, are more interesting than some of than the action.
All in all, an exciting debut. I know many will love this series- it is dark, our heroine is unique, and there are some interesting themes that RE can play with- question is, what will she? For a debut novel, this is a strong start- and as she continues to refine her voice, the thematic focus, and hits her stride in terms of her narrative style, I know this series will attract more and more traction! Excited to see more from this author!
PS: If you have triggers, please take caution. There is definitely some sensitive material in this book- both traumatic and violent-and some drug use. The treatment of it all is pretty casual (though not fully explicit/described)- not disrespectful- just that’s what this world and characters are.
April 19, 2023
If I had a dollar for every dark romance reverse harem that I've read where the main characters are all in high school, fighting in gang wars while also being absurdly rich kids, covered in tattoos, "fuck like porn stars" (that's a real quote in this one), and the murderous villain is one of the MC's parents, I'd be as rich as the self-proclaimed "kings" that these main characters always call themselves in all of these high school RH books. Bonus point if there's a step-brother in the harem.
I think I could list like 15 other series that I've read with the exact same premise as this book, and I always know how ridiculous the premise is and how much I'll laugh at myself for reading it, but yet here I am.
Is this book good? No. The FMC might be one of my least favorite FMCs of all time, and it brings ridiculously unrealistic to a whole new level.
However, did I enjoy this book and finish it in less than a day? Yes.
And will I probably read the next one anyways? Also probably yes (unfortunately, I am who I am).
I think I could list like 15 other series that I've read with the exact same premise as this book, and I always know how ridiculous the premise is and how much I'll laugh at myself for reading it, but yet here I am.
Is this book good? No. The FMC might be one of my least favorite FMCs of all time, and it brings ridiculously unrealistic to a whole new level.
However, did I enjoy this book and finish it in less than a day? Yes.
And will I probably read the next one anyways? Also probably yes (unfortunately, I am who I am).
August 10, 2020
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
'Pretty Lies' is the first book of the 'Watch me Burn' series written by Author R.E. Bond. Told in multiple perspectives , this book was one hell of a debut by this author!
From the moment I read the blurb of this book I knew that this one was my exact type! And the author sure did not disappoint. If you are into reverse Harem with bullying themes then by all means dive into this one! You won't regret it!
Rory and the Boys now have a special place in my heart. I absolutely loved Rory for her courage. She had gone through so much in her life , and still she was so strong! Her life takes a sudden turn when her asshole of a father , forces her to move in with his new boyfriend and her son. Her new stepbrother is all sorts of hot and has his friends with him as well.
The boys want to hate Rory , but at the same time are in awe of her courage! They realise that she means more to them , so the dynamics between them change and they end up accepting her into their circle. Things are however not that easy ! This book had so many twists and turns and that author kept me right at the edge of my seat for the whole time!! And that was one hell of a cliffhanger at the end!!! I want the next book now 😭😭
Recommended to all the reverse Harem fans out there who would love a healthy bully Romance!
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July 18, 2021
Ofc they want her
Ofc she's the hottest,strongest sassiest girl they've ever met😒
I just want to know why there are so many harem books when it comes to this troupe with the same bad girl ,sassy wannabe strong girl better yet if the heroes are so Alpha how are and why are they all sharing 1 girl(heroine) with 4 or 6 different wannabe dark alpha males 🙄
Ofc she's the hottest,strongest sassiest girl they've ever met😒
I just want to know why there are so many harem books when it comes to this troupe with the same bad girl ,sassy wannabe strong girl better yet if the heroes are so Alpha how are and why are they all sharing 1 girl(heroine) with 4 or 6 different wannabe dark alpha males 🙄
September 17, 2020
I spent days reading and trying to get through the plot. I must be honest the FL is doing drugs, drinking and constantly sleeping with different male characters. Then let’s add in she kills for the gang. My emotions were a roller coasters just up and down. Her father horrible and his abuse is disgusting but when the boys throw her child rape in her face I was about done. I didn’t understand why they still had the hots for her then dumped her and embarrassed her. It’s uncalled for.. they plot dragged on and on. She went from one group of guys to a gang. Then when crushed she was fighting, I wish she would of beat up her father. I understand she was hurt but the plot was scattered. I didn’t see any romance it was mostly lust and sex. The ending wasn’t my favorite, I had so many questions but it went way too quickly. I still don’t trust the boys or forgive them. The plot is trying complete fantasy, nothing related back to truth. I read plenty dark romance books but in my eyes this isn’t too dark. Give it a try you may love it but it is not my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2021
Ahhh takes me back to Wattpad. I’m honestly just wanting to find a reverse harem without all the dramatics and actual characters that are developed outside of the sexual tension. There were some very glaring issues in this book, but I will say that I am intrigued enough to read the next one and we’ll see if the writing improves.
Read
June 11, 2021DNF
I lost interest pretty soon. Something about the heroine, I guess..may check it out later but not now and so leaving this book unrated.
I lost interest pretty soon. Something about the heroine, I guess..may check it out later but not now and so leaving this book unrated.
March 8, 2021
I had to stop at 70%.
Rory did cocaine. She had sex in front of the guys with Skeeter while high.
No one used protection. They would just asked her if she was on the pill.
Skeeter told Rory to have sex with anyone she wanted when he had to go away for a couple of days, so she picked up someone just to have sex with them. This got her in trouble. She was kidnapped.
There are secrets.
The 4 heroes always saw Rory as a game.
This was not a romance. It left a bad taste in my mouth.
This was a troubled girl that needs therapy. What those “heroes” did after what they knew, there is no coming back.
Rory and her father move into his rich girlfriend’s house. Caden is the woman’s son. Rory’s dad is abusive physically and emotionally. At first you think Caden and his crew want to protect Rory, but they want to destroy her.
How can anyone like these heroes after they found out she was “given” and raped at 13 and still want to destroy her and throw it in her face?!?!. They brought her diary and the picture of her rapist to school.
Good luck. This is not for me. Reading is subjective. You may love this.
Rory did cocaine. She had sex in front of the guys with Skeeter while high.
No one used protection. They would just asked her if she was on the pill.
Skeeter told Rory to have sex with anyone she wanted when he had to go away for a couple of days, so she picked up someone just to have sex with them. This got her in trouble. She was kidnapped.
There are secrets.
The 4 heroes always saw Rory as a game.
This was not a romance. It left a bad taste in my mouth.
This was a troubled girl that needs therapy. What those “heroes” did after what they knew, there is no coming back.
Rory and her father move into his rich girlfriend’s house. Caden is the woman’s son. Rory’s dad is abusive physically and emotionally. At first you think Caden and his crew want to protect Rory, but they want to destroy her.
How can anyone like these heroes after they found out she was “given” and raped at 13 and still want to destroy her and throw it in her face?!?!. They brought her diary and the picture of her rapist to school.
Good luck. This is not for me. Reading is subjective. You may love this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2022
nope. no. no. i’ve never seen a book so all over the place. i’m actually flabbergasted bc how does one even come up with this. full review coming later tonight probably
May 10, 2022
Holy fucking shit. I have no words after that huge bomb was dropped… Running to read book two!
August 5, 2020
Hoooolllyyyy cannoli y’all! I have waited for what feels like forever to get my hands on this book, and I’m glad to say I was not at all disappointed.
Rory is probably one of the most BA main characters I’ve ever come across. She’s sassy and smart and tough as nails. Like for real, home girl has been through some shit and hasn’t lost her marbles—that’s impressive af.
I honestly cannot wait for book 2 and see what else is in store for this bad bitch!
Rory is probably one of the most BA main characters I’ve ever come across. She’s sassy and smart and tough as nails. Like for real, home girl has been through some shit and hasn’t lost her marbles—that’s impressive af.
I honestly cannot wait for book 2 and see what else is in store for this bad bitch!
August 11, 2020
This is a brilliant debut novel.
I was hooked from the start and devoured the story. The twists and turns kept on coming. Characters are very likeable. Well written hot sexy scenes. In all honesty I can’t fault this story- I loved everything about it.
What team am I? Can I say them all lol
This is book one and now I’m wanting all the stories. It’s written exceedingly well and my expectations are high for the rest of the series. I got a feeling this author will exceed my expectations.
I was hooked from the start and devoured the story. The twists and turns kept on coming. Characters are very likeable. Well written hot sexy scenes. In all honesty I can’t fault this story- I loved everything about it.
What team am I? Can I say them all lol
This is book one and now I’m wanting all the stories. It’s written exceedingly well and my expectations are high for the rest of the series. I got a feeling this author will exceed my expectations.
December 23, 2020
Rory and more
I love this book and I cant wait to see where book 2 takes us. Rory is amazing as a FMC. The guys still need a bit of smacking around... but I kinda love Skeet and Slash. They are my faves.
I love this book and I cant wait to see where book 2 takes us. Rory is amazing as a FMC. The guys still need a bit of smacking around... but I kinda love Skeet and Slash. They are my faves.
November 20, 2020
Rory and her attitude! This girl roped me in from the beginning. Y’all can have the boys, I’ll keep Rory!
The struggles she went through and how R.E. Bond really showed that anyone can rise above.
I’m officially a fangirl.
The struggles she went through and how R.E. Bond really showed that anyone can rise above.
I’m officially a fangirl.
June 30, 2022
4.75 Stars
I honestly loved this book and the main female character was chef’s kiss. I loved how Rory evolved through out the book and how fierce she became. I fell in love with her, honestly.
I also loved the guys. I can’t wait to read the next in the series. Definitely recommend. Toodles!
I honestly loved this book and the main female character was chef’s kiss. I loved how Rory evolved through out the book and how fierce she became. I fell in love with her, honestly.
I also loved the guys. I can’t wait to read the next in the series. Definitely recommend. Toodles!
March 11, 2021
It was okay. The main focus is definitely the relationships between the characters. None of them had much depth though. I'd probably still continue the series.
October 9, 2021
DNF at 50%… this story didn’t flow and the writing was so abrupt I just couldn’t enjoy it.
December 19, 2022
It takes a lot for me to give a book anything less than 3 stars and sometimes I prefer to not rate at all but this book was bad. Like really bad. The writing was all over the place. The story was completely absurd and I kept asking myself “ wait these are high schoolers? The spice was so dull thankfully since again I had to remind myself that they are in high school!??The longer I read it the dumber it got. This book was just silly and not in a fun way.
June 29, 2021
dnf @ 8%
November 23, 2021
0 stars
I like to think that I give authors credit where credit is due.
I like to think that I give authors credit where credit is due.
February 20, 2021
Holy ok, wow! This book was amazing. I couldn’t put it down. I was up so late reading it. It was absolutely so worth it. I needed to find out what happened. Rory is amazing, damaged but so strong. Enter five amazing, hot guys who aren’t there to rescue her, she is there is rescue them.
The love they share, the steamy hot moments together are everything! This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Twists, turns, awesome hero in the main character and 5 super hot new book boyfriends to drool over! What more could you want!!!
This is an absolute MUST READ!!! I can’t wait for book 2 to see where the story goes! R.E. Bond, I am a fan for life! Her writing flows perfectly. You aren’t confused as to who is talking she makes it incredibly clear! This book is incredible! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
The love they share, the steamy hot moments together are everything! This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Twists, turns, awesome hero in the main character and 5 super hot new book boyfriends to drool over! What more could you want!!!
This is an absolute MUST READ!!! I can’t wait for book 2 to see where the story goes! R.E. Bond, I am a fan for life! Her writing flows perfectly. You aren’t confused as to who is talking she makes it incredibly clear! This book is incredible! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
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