So I believe this may be my first high school bully romance. In this, we have Jace and Dylan. They’ve been best friends since 5th grade. But she has to move away unexpectedly just before high school and she never hears from Jace. She thinks it’s because she left without saying goodbye when he was facing one of the hardest times of his life. But as it turns out, it’s much more than that. When she returns for their senior year, she discovers just how much he actually hates her. But she has no idea why. She spends most of the book trying to survive his brutal bullying attacks and wonder how she could both hate and love someone so much.

This lost a star for me because Jace was beyond terrible to Dylan. The way he treated her was sick and twisted and intentionally hurtful. He truly hated her. And he wanted her to know that he hated her. I think Dylan and the readers deserved way more graveling from Jace when it was time for their reconciliation. The happy ending was way too rushed. Oddly enough, as much as I hated Jace for most of this book, I actually liked the way things worked out for them in the end. However, I just wish there was more time devoted to him facing the ramifications of the way he treated her for the majority of this book. I wanted him to suffer the way he made her suffer. But alas, I didn’t get nearly enough. Hardly any. It kind of skipped straight from them clearing up the misunderstanding that happened to them being happy and in love. This really needed more Jace groveling. ( )

Three stars because while I was definitely entertained while reading this I think it was a little too over the top for me.

I think one of my issues with this was that part of this book was set when the characters were in middle school and their actions in those past times just seemed unrealistic for the ages they would have been. I think this should have been a college setting with the past events occurring when they were all a bit older.
My other issue was just the excessive use of jealously as a plot point. I just didn’t like how Britany, the other woman, was utilized in this book. It just got so predictable where Jace would feel something for Dylan, come on to her, abandon her at the last second, and then go to Brittany so Dylan would feel bad. By the last time it happened it just felt repetitive.
There were also a lot of twists packed into the end. Without giving anything away some of the twists I saw coming a mile away while some I just thought were stupid. There was nothing that really surprised me.
There were also some storylines I wanted a better conclusion for specifically Dylan and Tommy, which was only really alluded to, and Oakleys plot. I’m sure some of these may be explored more in other books but I wasn’t satisfied with how it ends here.

Like I said I was entertained by all the drama. It was definitely OTT at times which occasionally took me out of the story but it was definitely a page turner. I would recommend this if you want a dramatic high school romance that still deals with some heavier themes. ( )

Honestly, I didn't really like Dylan that much. I don't know what about her it was...but she was a no for me. Her and Jace's relationship starting again in the end of the book was kind of odd, it felt a bit rushed, in my opinion. I loved the backstory with Liam and Tommy, that was a great unexpected twist. The book could've been better, but it was good overall. I just wouldn't re-read it. ( )

I enjoyed this one way more than the second book (which I accidentally read before this one). The smut is great and this is one of the better high school bully romances I’ve read. ( )

I was worried going in that I would feel a little creepy lusting over these hot teenaged alphaholes because it makes me feel like that cougar lusting over boys. Much like I did after the High School Musical movies with Zac Efron (I don't feel as guilty now because that boy aged very well.) But, I digressed. I need not have been worried because just because these guys were High School they seemed like future aged Zac's. I should have known that she would have knocked it out of the park because this was fire. It was ruthless. Jace breaks my heart so many times but once the mystery was out it changed. Dylan gave just as hard. I liked her fierceness and how she wasn't going to take it standing.

There are so many things happening to her. So many characters that need to have their stories told. I cannot wait as I am sure it will continue with the great foundation and include all the ruthlessness, angst, hot steamy times for all these characters and Sawyer too.

There always seems to be a cruel undertone in the books that I have read by this author but there is something redeemable too for all her characters, and that is one of her biggest draws, at least for me, because she did it with this book too. She walks the precipice of pushing boundaries without going too far all while teetering on the edge of the abyss. She will have you hugging your kindle while swooning and in the next make a person contemplate throwing their Kindle. That takes skill and is why her words are crack. I expected a little darker but am not disappointed as the story she did tell was heartless and cruel at times but it was also redemptive, and rewarding. ( )