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Elite of Eden Falls Prep #1
A Hurt So Sweet
If you can't beat the rich boys...
F*ck them.
Lily Anna Oakes and I share everything.
We have the same billion-dollar name, the same designer clothes, and the same messed up problems.
But Lily Anna and I will never meet. She died years ago.
This town broke her. I’ll burn it to the ground before I let that happen to me.
In Eden Falls, I’m forced to attend a school for the elite. The Firstborns own this place and they think they own me, too. It’s not long before Dexter, Caspian, Lai, and Julian become the bane of my existence.
There are only two people I’m afraid of – my strict father, and my malevolent fiancé. Unfortunately for me, my husband-to-be is one of the Firstborns ruining my life.
Dexter Booth and I will marry on my birthday to secure our families’ bond.
Every woman in this damn town wants to be Dexter’s toy. Except me.
Dex and his Eden Falls Prep cronies have forced me to give up my body. I know my betrothed wants my mind next.
I play along… But soon, I’ll leave the beautiful jerk behind without the thing he wants most from me.
His heir.
F*ck them.
Lily Anna Oakes and I share everything.
We have the same billion-dollar name, the same designer clothes, and the same messed up problems.
But Lily Anna and I will never meet. She died years ago.
This town broke her. I’ll burn it to the ground before I let that happen to me.
In Eden Falls, I’m forced to attend a school for the elite. The Firstborns own this place and they think they own me, too. It’s not long before Dexter, Caspian, Lai, and Julian become the bane of my existence.
There are only two people I’m afraid of – my strict father, and my malevolent fiancé. Unfortunately for me, my husband-to-be is one of the Firstborns ruining my life.
Dexter Booth and I will marry on my birthday to secure our families’ bond.
Every woman in this damn town wants to be Dexter’s toy. Except me.
Dex and his Eden Falls Prep cronies have forced me to give up my body. I know my betrothed wants my mind next.
I play along… But soon, I’ll leave the beautiful jerk behind without the thing he wants most from me.
His heir.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
About the author
Betti Rosewood
11 books698 followersBetti Rosewood is a romance junkie and cat enthusiast in her late twenties. She lives in a picturesque European country with her partner, 2 rowdy cats and a friendly Lab Retriever. When not writing damaged alphas, she can most likely be found binging TV shows and movies, and always jotting down new book ideas.
Betti's upcoming release, A Hurt So Sweet Volume Two, is coming out in September 2019!
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MY LIST OF BOOKS!
Series
Lords of Wildwood (high school romance):
Elite of Eden Falls Prep (dark school romance):
Love Song Duet (ugly cry erotic romance):
Translations
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Newsletter - https://www.subscribepage.com/bettiro...
Website - https://www.bettirosewoodbooks.com/
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Betti's upcoming release, A Hurt So Sweet Volume Two, is coming out in September 2019!
HANG OUT IN MY READER GROUP!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookB...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
amazon.com/author/bettirosewood
VISIT ME ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBettiR...
MY LIST OF BOOKS!
Series
Lords of Wildwood (high school romance):
Elite of Eden Falls Prep (dark school romance):
Love Song Duet (ugly cry erotic romance):
Translations
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS!
Newsletter - https://www.subscribepage.com/bettiro...
Website - https://www.bettirosewoodbooks.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bettirosewo...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
August 13, 2020
Every guy in this book needs to be castrated with a dull butter knife! I HATED how spineless Pandora was. She was all bark and no bite (her personality made me believe she would fight back, but she just "played along"). I swear to god, if Pandora ends up falling in love with either of those pigs, I may commit a murder. Pandora better gets her revenge by the end of this series.
This is just a twisted dark bully book with zero romance and filled with (sexual) abuse. The fucker("hero") and his friends degrade and abuse the heroine in every way. I kept reading because I naively thought that some twist would happen where Pandora gets the upper hand, but NOTHING happened! I want to cry out in rage.
This is just a twisted dark bully book with zero romance and filled with (sexual) abuse. The fucker
September 18, 2019
TL;DR?
I received this novel from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
I have looked at a lot of reviews written by others regarding A Hurt So Sweet, I am clearly not part of the majority. I firmly believe that a reviewer does an author no service in gaslighting stories that are half way to maturation. I will be critiquing A Hurt So Sweet in favor of Betti Rosewood and not in an attempt to flat out slam this novel.
I have no issue regarding the subject matter, subgenre and tropes in relation to this story. I have no prejudice regarding dark romance. I love bully books. I thoroughly enjoy broken heroes. I love despicable antiheroes who cross lines of humanity. I need push and pull between characters and conflict. But I want the complete package. I want to unwrap a book and I want to hate to love the feral madness in with I’m gifted.
The backstory in regards to the plot is that Eden Falls is a particular place with a strict patriarchal hierarchy; the First Born of the founders having ultimate and complete power. It is within the same world as Betti Rosewood’s Lords of Wildwood but outside the common society that we know from those books. I am saying that characters mentioned in both novels know one another but you would be wrong to assume that these two series share the same level of dark romance or bullying. The plot itself--while somewhat a stretch--could easily be rumors regarding a salacious ‘secret society’.
This novel has catastrophic shortcomings from the start in characterization; the characters simply do not equal the potential of the plot. Pandora is a conscripted imposter to fulfill a purpose within the Eden Falls aristocracy. She has the blood of an Eden Falls family but she did not grow up amongst the rules and strictures. Her backstory is not well established by the exposition despite clunky suggestions. Considering the scene that the author is setting for Pandora her characterization and behavior make little sense.
There is no depth to who Pandora is, what her motivations are, and why it is she both assumes entitlement and claims captivity. It is a disrespect to a protagonist for the author to handle her so lightly. It felt to me that Rosewood portrayed Pandora as someone to whom she might have heard of and not someone she was creating. There is no breath of life breathed into her. She was difficult to understand or relate to in any sort, and her actions felt like role play rather than psychology.
When Pandora comes to this Eden Falls Estate she enters a home to which she has no personal history. She is being introduced to this new and baffling family for the first time with all of them virtual strangers. The backstory given is that she, nor the family, realized that the Oakes Heiress had been mistaken with that of another child at birth? We as readers don’t know how this was discovered or why it matters. So the first pages of this book Pandora is as new to the Oakes story as we are. She is dropped into the unknown just as we are. And she is given the handbook for Eden Falls (that is a real thing) and told to begin educating herself on the families and the exceptions of the founders. The first interaction with these strangers she behaves like a two year old without a sense of boundaries. Further into the stories you find that she doesn’t even attempt to understand how to manage or maneuver as an Eden Falls citizen. Her character lays on top of the story rather than being anchored to a purpose. Without having a foundation for her personality or complexity to her persona every time she interacts with another character it reads as if she is made of paper and not written upon it.
Because of the lack of conviction in the writing it reads like the heroine has no backbone. The secondary characters become nothing more word count padding. And it feels like I just wasted my time getting less than I was promised from a really strong narrative platform.
The antagonists--to which there are many--are all of the same shade of gray. With there being no gradient between the denizens of Eden Falls there is nothing to sink into and everyone feels one dimensional. One of the worst sins a writer can commit against their own works is to undervalue the reader. If you won’t give your reader the same reason to invest in your characters as you yourself took to write your novel you fail yourself and your readership. I couldn’t find any reason to care about the narration or plot because there was no one for whom I could rally to succeed and no one to whom I would want to save in a book burning.
Dexter, Lai, Caspian, Julian and Brazen are part of the patriarchy with Dexter holding some higher position than the others. Why? Well that isn’t well established other than that the others in Eden Falls appear to defer to him. Beyond that there is no differentiating aspect other than their names. They need a pathology outside of a corrupt system. They yearn to be molded into characters that will feed a reader enough to make them hunger for more of why the hero or heroes are rotten inside. Dexter needs to be someone that looks delectable but tastes like depravity.
The male First Born are more or less celebrities. They have favor, fortune and power and countless sycophants. Because the fraternal nature of the founders men maintain a higher level of influence. Any rules regarding polite society are brushed aside in favor of the unspoken norm of hedonism. Dexter and his close friends who are all First Born take whatever they fancy and lack of consent isn’t a deterrent. You can’t mistreat something without substance. You can’t defile something that has no profile. But the story is a series of D/s sexual encounters connected by bad script; sadly it’s terrible porn.
The absence of conscience in A Hurt So Sweet needs to be a character just as much as the main and secondary actors. I want to be able to find something inside each individual that is substantive. The story should infuse the reader with the same lunacy of the heroine to want the abuse, shame and humiliation that is taking place in the narrative. I want to experience the same helplessness the heroine does to need the debasement and I want to know that the author wants me to experience it too. If it is being phoned in it reads like nothing more than fan fic and roleplay.
I won’t even get into an analysis of the timeline and suggested sequence of past events because this critique is already longer than anyone will read.
There are so many incredible parts of this story that could be something more.
When I was reading Boys that Tease many of the same issues existed in that novel. Tinsley is a delicate and precious with a genuine psychopathy for which the reader can relate but Rosewood’s writing left her flat for most of the book. And Estella was the paper doll version of a mean girl. The formula and outline are here but the development is missing.
Betti Rosewood has incredible first drafts of stories but she is publishing them when they need to be given a second draft. She needs honest beta readers. The books need thorough editing. And the stories and characters need to be better loved before these books see the light of day.
And I am guessing this review will be disliked by many.
I received this novel from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
I have looked at a lot of reviews written by others regarding A Hurt So Sweet, I am clearly not part of the majority. I firmly believe that a reviewer does an author no service in gaslighting stories that are half way to maturation. I will be critiquing A Hurt So Sweet in favor of Betti Rosewood and not in an attempt to flat out slam this novel.
I have no issue regarding the subject matter, subgenre and tropes in relation to this story. I have no prejudice regarding dark romance. I love bully books. I thoroughly enjoy broken heroes. I love despicable antiheroes who cross lines of humanity. I need push and pull between characters and conflict. But I want the complete package. I want to unwrap a book and I want to hate to love the feral madness in with I’m gifted.
The backstory in regards to the plot is that Eden Falls is a particular place with a strict patriarchal hierarchy; the First Born of the founders having ultimate and complete power. It is within the same world as Betti Rosewood’s Lords of Wildwood but outside the common society that we know from those books. I am saying that characters mentioned in both novels know one another but you would be wrong to assume that these two series share the same level of dark romance or bullying. The plot itself--while somewhat a stretch--could easily be rumors regarding a salacious ‘secret society’.
This novel has catastrophic shortcomings from the start in characterization; the characters simply do not equal the potential of the plot. Pandora is a conscripted imposter to fulfill a purpose within the Eden Falls aristocracy. She has the blood of an Eden Falls family but she did not grow up amongst the rules and strictures. Her backstory is not well established by the exposition despite clunky suggestions. Considering the scene that the author is setting for Pandora her characterization and behavior make little sense.
There is no depth to who Pandora is, what her motivations are, and why it is she both assumes entitlement and claims captivity. It is a disrespect to a protagonist for the author to handle her so lightly. It felt to me that Rosewood portrayed Pandora as someone to whom she might have heard of and not someone she was creating. There is no breath of life breathed into her. She was difficult to understand or relate to in any sort, and her actions felt like role play rather than psychology.
When Pandora comes to this Eden Falls Estate she enters a home to which she has no personal history. She is being introduced to this new and baffling family for the first time with all of them virtual strangers. The backstory given is that she, nor the family, realized that the Oakes Heiress had been mistaken with that of another child at birth? We as readers don’t know how this was discovered or why it matters. So the first pages of this book Pandora is as new to the Oakes story as we are. She is dropped into the unknown just as we are. And she is given the handbook for Eden Falls (that is a real thing) and told to begin educating herself on the families and the exceptions of the founders. The first interaction with these strangers she behaves like a two year old without a sense of boundaries. Further into the stories you find that she doesn’t even attempt to understand how to manage or maneuver as an Eden Falls citizen. Her character lays on top of the story rather than being anchored to a purpose. Without having a foundation for her personality or complexity to her persona every time she interacts with another character it reads as if she is made of paper and not written upon it.
Because of the lack of conviction in the writing it reads like the heroine has no backbone. The secondary characters become nothing more word count padding. And it feels like I just wasted my time getting less than I was promised from a really strong narrative platform.
The antagonists--to which there are many--are all of the same shade of gray. With there being no gradient between the denizens of Eden Falls there is nothing to sink into and everyone feels one dimensional. One of the worst sins a writer can commit against their own works is to undervalue the reader. If you won’t give your reader the same reason to invest in your characters as you yourself took to write your novel you fail yourself and your readership. I couldn’t find any reason to care about the narration or plot because there was no one for whom I could rally to succeed and no one to whom I would want to save in a book burning.
Dexter, Lai, Caspian, Julian and Brazen are part of the patriarchy with Dexter holding some higher position than the others. Why? Well that isn’t well established other than that the others in Eden Falls appear to defer to him. Beyond that there is no differentiating aspect other than their names. They need a pathology outside of a corrupt system. They yearn to be molded into characters that will feed a reader enough to make them hunger for more of why the hero or heroes are rotten inside. Dexter needs to be someone that looks delectable but tastes like depravity.
The male First Born are more or less celebrities. They have favor, fortune and power and countless sycophants. Because the fraternal nature of the founders men maintain a higher level of influence. Any rules regarding polite society are brushed aside in favor of the unspoken norm of hedonism. Dexter and his close friends who are all First Born take whatever they fancy and lack of consent isn’t a deterrent. You can’t mistreat something without substance. You can’t defile something that has no profile. But the story is a series of D/s sexual encounters connected by bad script; sadly it’s terrible porn.
The absence of conscience in A Hurt So Sweet needs to be a character just as much as the main and secondary actors. I want to be able to find something inside each individual that is substantive. The story should infuse the reader with the same lunacy of the heroine to want the abuse, shame and humiliation that is taking place in the narrative. I want to experience the same helplessness the heroine does to need the debasement and I want to know that the author wants me to experience it too. If it is being phoned in it reads like nothing more than fan fic and roleplay.
I won’t even get into an analysis of the timeline and suggested sequence of past events because this critique is already longer than anyone will read.
There are so many incredible parts of this story that could be something more.
When I was reading Boys that Tease many of the same issues existed in that novel. Tinsley is a delicate and precious with a genuine psychopathy for which the reader can relate but Rosewood’s writing left her flat for most of the book. And Estella was the paper doll version of a mean girl. The formula and outline are here but the development is missing.
Betti Rosewood has incredible first drafts of stories but she is publishing them when they need to be given a second draft. She needs honest beta readers. The books need thorough editing. And the stories and characters need to be better loved before these books see the light of day.
And I am guessing this review will be disliked by many.
September 20, 2019
Five messed up stars for Pandora and Dexter 💞!!!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is the first book I've read by Betti Rosewood and I was really surprised by this book because it wasn't anything I expected.
I needed to take sleep before writing this review because my feelings were so mixed and they still are.
"A Hurt So Sweet" is also the first book this year I've read in only one day.
The storyline is very good and it made me turning pages si fast only because I was so hungry to find out what will happen next.
Before you start reading this book, you have to know that this is truly a dark book.
It wasn't similar to any book that I've read before and I read so many dark high school romance.
So, you know what I am talking about.
My heart was so heartbroken for Pandora 😭.
And still, it is.
There were so many times that I wanted to go into the book and protected her from Dexter and his friends.
Usually, I love the main male character, no matter, how cruel he is, because in some time in the book, he changes.
But this didn't happen here.
There were several times that I started to like Dexter, but as fast they came that fast ended.
So, I really hope that in the second book he will somehow change and I'll find out why he was like that, so cruel...
Pandora's and Dexter's relationship isn't romantic. They are forced to marry.
To be together.
But yeah, you can feel that there is some attraction.
Only that, because...
...they don't love each other 💔.
And the end 😱😱😱!
I need to know what was Dexter going to say Pandora 😵!
If you're looking for a romance with truly dark content, this is a perfect book for you and you need to read it immediately!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is the first book I've read by Betti Rosewood and I was really surprised by this book because it wasn't anything I expected.
I needed to take sleep before writing this review because my feelings were so mixed and they still are.
"A Hurt So Sweet" is also the first book this year I've read in only one day.
The storyline is very good and it made me turning pages si fast only because I was so hungry to find out what will happen next.
Before you start reading this book, you have to know that this is truly a dark book.
It wasn't similar to any book that I've read before and I read so many dark high school romance.
So, you know what I am talking about.
My heart was so heartbroken for Pandora 😭.
And still, it is.
There were so many times that I wanted to go into the book and protected her from Dexter and his friends.
Usually, I love the main male character, no matter, how cruel he is, because in some time in the book, he changes.
But this didn't happen here.
There were several times that I started to like Dexter, but as fast they came that fast ended.
So, I really hope that in the second book he will somehow change and I'll find out why he was like that, so cruel...
Pandora's and Dexter's relationship isn't romantic. They are forced to marry.
To be together.
But yeah, you can feel that there is some attraction.
Only that, because...
...they don't love each other 💔.
And the end 😱😱😱!
I need to know what was Dexter going to say Pandora 😵!
If you're looking for a romance with truly dark content, this is a perfect book for you and you need to read it immediately!
September 13, 2020
I did not like this at all. Why is it in a high school setting. Found way too much errors. How is Dexter 19 in high school? What. Also if they’re so filthy rich why the gold American Express??
I didn’t like but I’m still going to continue.
I didn’t like but I’m still going to continue.
September 19, 2019
Just awful! I can't believe how much this book is disrespectful and demeaning for women, you have to read it to understand my outrage, but for that you'll have to buy it, and I honestly can't recommend that!
I understand It's not easy writing dark romance with non-con/dub-con content, but the body betrayl excuse has become really tiring, and if the purpose is to erase the guilt from people who like reading this genre, it doesn't help, it just adds confusion to frustration.... Is it still rape when you're wet and you have an orgasm but you're saying no? YES, it is! Sorry but a woman genitals haven't a free will of their own, it's physiology's fault!
And dark romance or dark erotica doesn't mean porn!
I understand It's not easy writing dark romance with non-con/dub-con content, but the body betrayl excuse has become really tiring, and if the purpose is to erase the guilt from people who like reading this genre, it doesn't help, it just adds confusion to frustration.... Is it still rape when you're wet and you have an orgasm but you're saying no? YES, it is! Sorry but a woman genitals haven't a free will of their own, it's physiology's fault!
And dark romance or dark erotica doesn't mean porn!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2019
Holy wow! That was an intense read!
The drama, the intensity, the chaos made for a breathtaking, and anticipated read.
I was not expecting this story with the angst and atrocities and WOW!
Bettie Rosewood this story just made me grasp and hang on for the ride!
I look forward to the next book!
The drama, the intensity, the chaos made for a breathtaking, and anticipated read.
I was not expecting this story with the angst and atrocities and WOW!
Bettie Rosewood this story just made me grasp and hang on for the ride!
I look forward to the next book!
May 23, 2020
This is my first book by Betti Rosewood. It won’t be the last. Let’s start off with there are many triggers in this book, like sexual abuse, cruelty, and humiliation. I can see why this book may not be for some and for the faint of heart.
This is NOT a dark romance book, far from it. If you're looking for romance, A Hurt so sweet is not for you. It’s very dark and at times was almost too much to take for me. I wanted to punch some of the characters.
Pandora is forced to pose as the firstborn daughter, Lily Anna Oaks, Dexter is the First Born son and fiancée to Lily Anna. Pandora is now expected to marry Dexter and give him a child. Dexter is a cruel bastard. At this point I can’t stand him, but I do see a small hint of compassion in his own way. All and all I do like this book.
This is not a standalone, and what a doozy of a cliffhanger.
This is NOT a dark romance book, far from it. If you're looking for romance, A Hurt so sweet is not for you. It’s very dark and at times was almost too much to take for me. I wanted to punch some of the characters.
Pandora is forced to pose as the firstborn daughter, Lily Anna Oaks, Dexter is the First Born son and fiancée to Lily Anna. Pandora is now expected to marry Dexter and give him a child. Dexter is a cruel bastard. At this point I can’t stand him, but I do see a small hint of compassion in his own way. All and all I do like this book.
This is not a standalone, and what a doozy of a cliffhanger.
September 10, 2020
"This town broke her. I’ll burn it to the ground before I let that happen to me."
3.5 Dark & Twisted Stars
I am a mega fan of all things bully, social hierarchy, dark, & scandalous when it comes to my reads. When I read the blurb on this one I knew it would be worth my time. And although there were some issues (I will list further down), I enjoyed the story Betti introduced in book 1. It didn't begin for me that way though, I considered putting it down at least a few times because of some contradictions within the pages, but the more I read the more I couldnt get enough.....the contradictions were overlooked and what I got was a a true page turner.
“It’s this town, toy. It fucks us all up.”
Told in dual POV (mainly from our heroine), the first volume in Hurt So Sweet is a bully romance set in a town where FirstBorns have all the power and the secrets and betrayals create a stench in the air. It does end with quite a cliffy, with Volume 2 coming out in October. Because it contains dark and sensitive topics (forced sexual situations, bullying, abuse), some readers may find this upsetting or hard to read.
"I keep waiting for her. Keep glancing at the stairs to steal a glance of the toy that has stolen my thoughts and refuses to let go."
Pandora has been uprooted from the life and family she loved and thrown into a town filled with sharks, forced to take on the name she was given at birth but never knew....Lily Anna. The former Lily Anna threw herself off a cliff a few years ago, Pandora is determined not to allow the people in her new hometown to force her to do the same. Now a Firstborn and the fiance to the most powerful of them, Dexter, she must find a way to survive if she wants to get out of there. She may have a huge diamond on her finger and a powerful last name, but Pandora finds out that she is only a toy meant to be played with and broken.
Dexter Booth isn’t the kind of boy who gets bored of his toys. He’s the kind of monster who breaks them on purpose.
Dexter doesn't want the replacement for the love of his life, shes plain and disobedient. He intends to break her, using her as a toy he sometimes shares with the other Firstborns. He must marry her, but that doesn't mean he will ever see her as more than a nice body at his disposal. He knows the rules.....she must remain a virgin until they are married on her 18th birthday. So why is it getting harder and harder to resist her by the day? And why is she suddenly all he thinks about and evoking feelings of jealousy and possessiveness?
"Her voice so sweet it makes me want to show her every shade of darkness there is when the sun disappears. I want to spoil her. Ruin her. I want to be the one who shows her every fucked-up thing I can do with her, with or without her consent."
She shouldn't like the things Dex and the guys do to her, she shouldn't like the way Dex makes her feel.The constant bullying, toying with her mind and body, and her father's control all have pushed Pandora to her breaking point.....if they want Lily Anna that's what she will give them. Only will she be prepared for the consequences?
“I think you don’t have a clue about your new fiancé. You may be his newest toy, but you’re a far way off from being his favorite.”
It does end on one heck of a cliffy, the story continues in Volume 2.
"Remember that," he mutters at me. "Every fucking time you forget who owns you, I'm going to come back and make you do that again. And I'm going to drink from your pussy like a goddamn tap until you have nothing left to give."
So what didn't work for me....
1. Contradictions/Factual Errors: Throughout the book, I felt almost like two people wrote this and didn't pay attention to what the other one said first. Ex: Its said the main character's dads founded the town (it was nothing more than dirt 30 years prior), yet in a later part of the book Dexter says his father grew up there with Anders watching over him from infanthood. This happens in multiple parts of the book so it took away from the overall story.
2. Typos/Content Error: This needs no explanation. Since I read an ARC version I am hoping these were corrected. Its not so many that its impossible to read, but too many for it to be completely ignored.
3. Pandora and her "place" in Eden Falls: Not to spoil anything, but it was difficult to understand exactly how the heck the events took place that landed her in Eden Falls (trust me, on this) and how she is the ONLY Firstborn that is treated the way she is in front of others lower in the social hierarchy. She always talks about "fighting back", but she just spews some insults or curses their way and does whatever they want anyways.
Overall, I felt like it was more of a prelude to the "main event"....I have no doubts that will be Volume 2 and I am impatiently waiting until October for that!
"I’ll be damned if they’ll break me. I’m not like the girl before. I’m nothing like Lily Anna at all."
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3.5 Dark & Twisted Stars
I am a mega fan of all things bully, social hierarchy, dark, & scandalous when it comes to my reads. When I read the blurb on this one I knew it would be worth my time. And although there were some issues (I will list further down), I enjoyed the story Betti introduced in book 1. It didn't begin for me that way though, I considered putting it down at least a few times because of some contradictions within the pages, but the more I read the more I couldnt get enough.....the contradictions were overlooked and what I got was a a true page turner.
“It’s this town, toy. It fucks us all up.”
Told in dual POV (mainly from our heroine), the first volume in Hurt So Sweet is a bully romance set in a town where FirstBorns have all the power and the secrets and betrayals create a stench in the air. It does end with quite a cliffy, with Volume 2 coming out in October. Because it contains dark and sensitive topics (forced sexual situations, bullying, abuse), some readers may find this upsetting or hard to read.
"I keep waiting for her. Keep glancing at the stairs to steal a glance of the toy that has stolen my thoughts and refuses to let go."
Pandora has been uprooted from the life and family she loved and thrown into a town filled with sharks, forced to take on the name she was given at birth but never knew....Lily Anna. The former Lily Anna threw herself off a cliff a few years ago, Pandora is determined not to allow the people in her new hometown to force her to do the same. Now a Firstborn and the fiance to the most powerful of them, Dexter, she must find a way to survive if she wants to get out of there. She may have a huge diamond on her finger and a powerful last name, but Pandora finds out that she is only a toy meant to be played with and broken.
Dexter Booth isn’t the kind of boy who gets bored of his toys. He’s the kind of monster who breaks them on purpose.
Dexter doesn't want the replacement for the love of his life, shes plain and disobedient. He intends to break her, using her as a toy he sometimes shares with the other Firstborns. He must marry her, but that doesn't mean he will ever see her as more than a nice body at his disposal. He knows the rules.....she must remain a virgin until they are married on her 18th birthday. So why is it getting harder and harder to resist her by the day? And why is she suddenly all he thinks about and evoking feelings of jealousy and possessiveness?
"Her voice so sweet it makes me want to show her every shade of darkness there is when the sun disappears. I want to spoil her. Ruin her. I want to be the one who shows her every fucked-up thing I can do with her, with or without her consent."
She shouldn't like the things Dex and the guys do to her, she shouldn't like the way Dex makes her feel.The constant bullying, toying with her mind and body, and her father's control all have pushed Pandora to her breaking point.....if they want Lily Anna that's what she will give them. Only will she be prepared for the consequences?
“I think you don’t have a clue about your new fiancé. You may be his newest toy, but you’re a far way off from being his favorite.”
It does end on one heck of a cliffy, the story continues in Volume 2.
"Remember that," he mutters at me. "Every fucking time you forget who owns you, I'm going to come back and make you do that again. And I'm going to drink from your pussy like a goddamn tap until you have nothing left to give."
So what didn't work for me....
1. Contradictions/Factual Errors: Throughout the book, I felt almost like two people wrote this and didn't pay attention to what the other one said first. Ex: Its said the main character's dads founded the town (it was nothing more than dirt 30 years prior), yet in a later part of the book Dexter says his father grew up there with Anders watching over him from infanthood. This happens in multiple parts of the book so it took away from the overall story.
2. Typos/Content Error: This needs no explanation. Since I read an ARC version I am hoping these were corrected. Its not so many that its impossible to read, but too many for it to be completely ignored.
3. Pandora and her "place" in Eden Falls: Not to spoil anything, but it was difficult to understand exactly how the heck the events took place that landed her in Eden Falls (trust me, on this) and how she is the ONLY Firstborn that is treated the way she is in front of others lower in the social hierarchy. She always talks about "fighting back", but she just spews some insults or curses their way and does whatever they want anyways.
Overall, I felt like it was more of a prelude to the "main event"....I have no doubts that will be Volume 2 and I am impatiently waiting until October for that!
"I’ll be damned if they’ll break me. I’m not like the girl before. I’m nothing like Lily Anna at all."
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 14, 2021
First read
Definitely a different kind of bully romance. Actually there was no romance. The hero felt some attraction for the heroine but there was no real chemistry between the two. There was simply a power play with the hero always winning and the heroine showing some defiance yet always succumbing to his physical, sexual pull. The hero displayed no redeeming qualities though at times they were hinted at, but not demonstrated in his interaction with the heroine.
The book was a little disjointed with a plot line that didn’t seem to follow an understanding that there would be other books in the series. There was very little character development and a very obvious unbalance in characterization — all bad / evil, and only a couple of good, the heroine and the maid. This is the definition of melodrama.
Despite these deficiencies which would ordinarily yield a fair rating, I give this book some positives because of the dark themes, which are my preference, the power exchange and dominance, dub-con. I could feel the "Fawn Bailey" influence. I enjoyed that it was an untraditional bully tale not having a real investment in the overplayed academy trope elements — the mean girls and their pranks, the best friend / confidante, the parties, etc. Yes, there was some of that but they were portrayed differently, uniquely in this book.
This book was so creatively atypical I will likely be reading the next part. I am curious as to the outcome and revelations.
Second read
I don’t know if I’ve changed or the book changed. (Of course it’s me.) I absolutely loved this book. The level of deviousness, the sexual tension, the aholery were off the charts. Spellbound the entire time, I was constantly ranting to myself: can you f*ing believe what is happening in this book? You have to crank your willing suspension of disbelief all the way up, and when you do, prepare yourself for the biggest ride of debauchery you can imagine. A true anti-hero, our guy Dexter with his cohorts of disregard Lai, Caspian, and Justin equally willing to exact punishment on the sometimes rebellious but more often compliant Pandora. Yes, her body controlled her mind. Yes, her body responded in contrast to the words she expressed, the insults she flung. And I enjoyed every minute, every page, every word.
A little summary for myself should I forget storyline (no spoilers), though how could I, I don’t know. This story follows the introduction of Pandora, unbeknownst to herself, privileged daughter and society “firstborn” of the powerful Oakes family. She is betrothed to equally powerful firstborn (family) Dexter Booth who resents her for taking the place of his true love along for reasons that have not been revealed to us. He commences to dominating her, bullying her - better likened to psychological and sometimes physical events of humiliation - while not wanting to be attracted to her. They begin a deviant repartee of rebellion and retribution, played out in front the school, in social gatherings, and often instigated acts of punishment against the heroine. It is safe to say most of the male figures in this volume elicited antipathy, were in fact despicable but oh so charismatic and sexually attractive, while the women were beguiling, beautiful and vapid.
And with all that I couldn’t tear my eyes from the pages, constantly wondering what was doing to happen next and why. If you like devilishly deviant tales with charming, smirkish alpha a*holes and demure women with flashes of rebellion, you will love this book. For me, a definite twisted 5-star read.
Definitely a different kind of bully romance. Actually there was no romance. The hero felt some attraction for the heroine but there was no real chemistry between the two. There was simply a power play with the hero always winning and the heroine showing some defiance yet always succumbing to his physical, sexual pull. The hero displayed no redeeming qualities though at times they were hinted at, but not demonstrated in his interaction with the heroine.
The book was a little disjointed with a plot line that didn’t seem to follow an understanding that there would be other books in the series. There was very little character development and a very obvious unbalance in characterization — all bad / evil, and only a couple of good, the heroine and the maid. This is the definition of melodrama.
Despite these deficiencies which would ordinarily yield a fair rating, I give this book some positives because of the dark themes, which are my preference, the power exchange and dominance, dub-con. I could feel the "Fawn Bailey" influence. I enjoyed that it was an untraditional bully tale not having a real investment in the overplayed academy trope elements — the mean girls and their pranks, the best friend / confidante, the parties, etc. Yes, there was some of that but they were portrayed differently, uniquely in this book.
This book was so creatively atypical I will likely be reading the next part. I am curious as to the outcome and revelations.
Second read
I don’t know if I’ve changed or the book changed. (Of course it’s me.) I absolutely loved this book. The level of deviousness, the sexual tension, the aholery were off the charts. Spellbound the entire time, I was constantly ranting to myself: can you f*ing believe what is happening in this book? You have to crank your willing suspension of disbelief all the way up, and when you do, prepare yourself for the biggest ride of debauchery you can imagine. A true anti-hero, our guy Dexter with his cohorts of disregard Lai, Caspian, and Justin equally willing to exact punishment on the sometimes rebellious but more often compliant Pandora. Yes, her body controlled her mind. Yes, her body responded in contrast to the words she expressed, the insults she flung. And I enjoyed every minute, every page, every word.
A little summary for myself should I forget storyline (no spoilers), though how could I, I don’t know. This story follows the introduction of Pandora, unbeknownst to herself, privileged daughter and society “firstborn” of the powerful Oakes family. She is betrothed to equally powerful firstborn (family) Dexter Booth who resents her for taking the place of his true love along for reasons that have not been revealed to us. He commences to dominating her, bullying her - better likened to psychological and sometimes physical events of humiliation - while not wanting to be attracted to her. They begin a deviant repartee of rebellion and retribution, played out in front the school, in social gatherings, and often instigated acts of punishment against the heroine. It is safe to say most of the male figures in this volume elicited antipathy, were in fact despicable but oh so charismatic and sexually attractive, while the women were beguiling, beautiful and vapid.
And with all that I couldn’t tear my eyes from the pages, constantly wondering what was doing to happen next and why. If you like devilishly deviant tales with charming, smirkish alpha a*holes and demure women with flashes of rebellion, you will love this book. For me, a definite twisted 5-star read.
Read
September 15, 2019
AHSS is a full-length novel within the Elite of Eden Falls Prep series. The book IS NOW LIVE. Please be warned this book has a CLIFFHANGER. 🖤
LIVE NOW and in #KindleUnlimited!
Amazon US ➡️ https://amzn.to/2Z1C4il
Amazon UK ➡️ https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TJVHBTH
Amazon CA ➡️ https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07TJVHBTH
Amazon AU ➡️ https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07TJVHBTH
Excerpt:
“Where should we start?” Dexter taps his chin thoughtfully, and I hate him even more intensely for drawing out the inevitable.
“Just get it over with,” I bark at him. “Whatever you’re going to do to me, just get it the fuck over it. And don’t think you’re going to break me. That’s never going to happen.”
“Okay, let’s get this party started. Toy’s request.” Dexter smirks at me before nodding at Lai. “Hold her arms up. Above her head.”
His errand boy advances on me, and my back hits the tiled wall in the showers as I realize I have nowhere else to run. The cold water is hitting me from all angles in the shower now, and both Lai and I are getting drenched. But neither of the boys seem to care. There’s a certain hungry glint in their eyes that sends waves of fear rushing through my body.
Lai grabs me by the wrists, making me gasp out loud. He pins my arms above my head, firmly holding me in place as he smirks at me. I struggle against him, but I’m powerless against his strong grip. Once again, I know I’m going to have bruises when they’re done with me. What’s wrong with these people? Why are they so intent on causing me pain?
I feel Dexter’s eyes drinking me in, lingering on the now soaked-through bodysuit I’m still wearing. I become painfully aware of my puffed-up nipples, and I know my shirt is probably see-through by now. But I don’t give him the pleasure of crying out in frustration. Instead, I return his gaze, focusing my eyes on him, almost daring him to say something. And he doesn’t hesitate, laughing in my face before addressing Lai again.
“Don’t you think she looks pretty like this?” he asks the taller boy, who laughs in response. “So helpless. So powerless. I love it when she struggles.”
“Me too.” Lai’s words leave his lips in a low growl and I flush a dark red shade as they regard me. “How soon do you think she’ll start begging us to let her go?”
“Let’s see.” Dexter taps a finger against his chin, inspecting me with a gaze that doesn’t miss a single movement I make. “Would you like us to let you go, little toy?”
“Fuck you,” I snarl in response. “I’ll never give you what you want.”
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September 17, 2019
SON OF A BITCH!!
What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened?
Seriously, Betti? What the shit? What did I ever do to you?
I can't... GAH!!!!
How could you?...
MY HEART... MY POOR STUPID HEART!
Woah... Okay, so this isn't the first book by Betti I have read. I started reading her from the beginning, and just like the first books I read, this was just as amazing. In saying that, this is the first book in this series and it is a little different from her other work under this pen name, still holds a lot of the same elements but this one? It taps into the darker side. It's a dark and twisted bully romance and holy fucking shit, it was everything I want when it comes to these tropes. I've become a little bit obsessed with bully romances, it's become a guilty pleasure, then add in dark and twisted, which are two elements to a story I crave most... Well, you get this masterpiece.
FIRSTLY, be prepared for twists, be prepared for darkness, be prepared for the unknown... I went into this book thinking I knew what I was up against, but oh how wrong was I... SO VERY WRONG.
This book slayed me to pieces. It was dark, it was twisted and it had my emotions strung the hell out... Anger, hate, pain... It was raw I'm not 100% sure why, but when it comes to Betti's darker side to romance, as in her older work that was listed under Fawn Bailey and Isabella Starling, I have found that they play on my emotions. I can't exactly explain it, but reading this book bought me back to what first made me fall in love with this author. The darkness... The twisted shit you don't see coming, that feeling in the pit of your stomach... The anxiety and the build-up, the suspense and angst... It was all there and it was fucking E. V. E. R. Y. T. H. I. N. G!
I have been so eager to dive into this, the anticipation growing in bounds every time I saw a teaser, or the cover... and when I got it in my hands... I was almost scared to start it... In fears that I had built it up too much, that it wouldn't be able to live up to her other books... BUT... Not only did it, but it also exceeded all expectation and to be honest I think this book is the best one she has written in any of her pen names, to date... And I don't say that lightly because her other work is AMAZING! But this just up this crazy game... She has come back and she's come back swinging,... HARD!
Pandora was a complex character... She is returning home from 4 years away for school and in her world, appearance is everything. She's not thrilled to be returning, but she has no choice other than to smile and act as though life is nothing but perfect... but in reality, all the dark and dirty secrets are just hidden away behind the closed doors. It's not a fun life to live and now she is back, she has to live in the shadow of a dead girl... Even going as far as having to marry the dead girls' ex's boyfriend..and all she wants to do is go back to her old life away from this place that has become her very own personal prison. Her father forbids it, he wants to keep her there, pawn her off to marry a man she doesn't love, Dexter. She hates him, she despises him, she loathes him, but to make the two families stronger and to produce an heir she must marry. Firstborns were like royalty in this town, Pandora was a firstborn, but she was an outcast, and she was treated like one, brutally...It really isn't a life to live. She feels imprisoned, she feels stuck, but with those feelings, her strength rises above and she pushes.. and she pushes against her fathers commends... Even though everyone around her is working against her... She still tries, but the more she tries the more she seems to be getting punished... It was like everyone was always there to push her down. Some of the things that were done to her were cruel, brutal and were fucked up and it hurt to read it, yet I couldn't look away... Even though each time this girl was pushed down it broke my heart... I was obsessed. As the book progressed, more and more questions came with it, and more and more secrets were made...
Dex and Pandora's story was mind fuckingly insane, beautiful, messed up and all kinds of twisted. But something about these two drew me in. The hatred, the loathing, and the constant push and pull, it was addictive and enough to send the sanest of people crazy. I couldn't get enough. It was dirty, dark, disturbing and deliciously so!
And as messed up as it was, I couldn't get enough of Dex and Pandora,... That familiar tug, the push, and pull, the tension, the hate, the lust, the loathing... ALL OF IT!
𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗙𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚?!
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗨𝗖𝗞?
I have a love to hate and hate to love kind of thing going on with cliffhangers and this one has gotten me fucked up!
𝗜. 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗. 𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗦. 𝗡𝗢𝗪
𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁.
I swear Ms. Rosewood may get a little joy out of having her readers this strung out and bent out of shape... I feel she is sitting there with a smirk on her face knowing exactly what games are being played, and for that? I have to bow down to her. Everyone, the Queen is BACK... Well, she never really went anywhere but honestly, I think when it comes to her books, it is this kind of romance where she shines bright and where she's in her element.
This was fucking insane, it left wanting to punch something and someone, it left me wanting to scream and throw things... Yet it left me craving more. Which is exactly what this author does time and time again.
𝗔𝗹𝗹-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸, 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁-𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆
𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
𝟲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝟱 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵!
What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened?
Seriously, Betti? What the shit? What did I ever do to you?
I can't... GAH!!!!
How could you?...
MY HEART... MY POOR STUPID HEART!
Woah... Okay, so this isn't the first book by Betti I have read. I started reading her from the beginning, and just like the first books I read, this was just as amazing. In saying that, this is the first book in this series and it is a little different from her other work under this pen name, still holds a lot of the same elements but this one? It taps into the darker side. It's a dark and twisted bully romance and holy fucking shit, it was everything I want when it comes to these tropes. I've become a little bit obsessed with bully romances, it's become a guilty pleasure, then add in dark and twisted, which are two elements to a story I crave most... Well, you get this masterpiece.
FIRSTLY, be prepared for twists, be prepared for darkness, be prepared for the unknown... I went into this book thinking I knew what I was up against, but oh how wrong was I... SO VERY WRONG.
This book slayed me to pieces. It was dark, it was twisted and it had my emotions strung the hell out... Anger, hate, pain... It was raw I'm not 100% sure why, but when it comes to Betti's darker side to romance, as in her older work that was listed under Fawn Bailey and Isabella Starling, I have found that they play on my emotions. I can't exactly explain it, but reading this book bought me back to what first made me fall in love with this author. The darkness... The twisted shit you don't see coming, that feeling in the pit of your stomach... The anxiety and the build-up, the suspense and angst... It was all there and it was fucking E. V. E. R. Y. T. H. I. N. G!
I have been so eager to dive into this, the anticipation growing in bounds every time I saw a teaser, or the cover... and when I got it in my hands... I was almost scared to start it... In fears that I had built it up too much, that it wouldn't be able to live up to her other books... BUT... Not only did it, but it also exceeded all expectation and to be honest I think this book is the best one she has written in any of her pen names, to date... And I don't say that lightly because her other work is AMAZING! But this just up this crazy game... She has come back and she's come back swinging,... HARD!
Pandora was a complex character... She is returning home from 4 years away for school and in her world, appearance is everything. She's not thrilled to be returning, but she has no choice other than to smile and act as though life is nothing but perfect... but in reality, all the dark and dirty secrets are just hidden away behind the closed doors. It's not a fun life to live and now she is back, she has to live in the shadow of a dead girl... Even going as far as having to marry the dead girls' ex's boyfriend..and all she wants to do is go back to her old life away from this place that has become her very own personal prison. Her father forbids it, he wants to keep her there, pawn her off to marry a man she doesn't love, Dexter. She hates him, she despises him, she loathes him, but to make the two families stronger and to produce an heir she must marry. Firstborns were like royalty in this town, Pandora was a firstborn, but she was an outcast, and she was treated like one, brutally...It really isn't a life to live. She feels imprisoned, she feels stuck, but with those feelings, her strength rises above and she pushes.. and she pushes against her fathers commends... Even though everyone around her is working against her... She still tries, but the more she tries the more she seems to be getting punished... It was like everyone was always there to push her down. Some of the things that were done to her were cruel, brutal and were fucked up and it hurt to read it, yet I couldn't look away... Even though each time this girl was pushed down it broke my heart... I was obsessed. As the book progressed, more and more questions came with it, and more and more secrets were made...
Dex and Pandora's story was mind fuckingly insane, beautiful, messed up and all kinds of twisted. But something about these two drew me in. The hatred, the loathing, and the constant push and pull, it was addictive and enough to send the sanest of people crazy. I couldn't get enough. It was dirty, dark, disturbing and deliciously so!
And as messed up as it was, I couldn't get enough of Dex and Pandora,... That familiar tug, the push, and pull, the tension, the hate, the lust, the loathing... ALL OF IT!
𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗙𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚?!
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗨𝗖𝗞?
I have a love to hate and hate to love kind of thing going on with cliffhangers and this one has gotten me fucked up!
𝗜. 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗. 𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗦. 𝗡𝗢𝗪
𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁.
I swear Ms. Rosewood may get a little joy out of having her readers this strung out and bent out of shape... I feel she is sitting there with a smirk on her face knowing exactly what games are being played, and for that? I have to bow down to her. Everyone, the Queen is BACK... Well, she never really went anywhere but honestly, I think when it comes to her books, it is this kind of romance where she shines bright and where she's in her element.
This was fucking insane, it left wanting to punch something and someone, it left me wanting to scream and throw things... Yet it left me craving more. Which is exactly what this author does time and time again.
𝗔𝗹𝗹-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸, 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁-𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆
𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
𝟲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝟱 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵!
April 24, 2020
NOT A ROMANCE.
Of you're looking for a high school bully romance, this is not it. I LOVE reading Isabella Starlings books, but not this one.
I hope Amazon accepts this review.
This book has sexual and physical abuse. I felt no romance/connection between Dexter and Pandora. Pandora, is the new girl, she gets sexually abused by her "fiance" friends, and the messed up part is that he let's them while he watches them take advantage of her. 4 men against 1 women... sad. He made 2 of his friends hold her down for him naked, while he does whatever he wants to her. He made her go down on them too. He punishes her, just because his friends took advantage of her, like it's not her fu**ing fault. He blames her for disobeying him, and punishes her in front of everyone.
Dexter is an asshole. He's ex died and it basically broke him, but you know what he did to Pandora. He gives her his ex's perfume, asked her to wear it and she does, once he smells it on her, he gets angry and pushes her. Like what the Fu** did you expect. He made Pandora kneel down next to a women who is about to go down on him, so she can learn how it's done, then makes Pandora kiss her with spe** on her mouth, and makes his friends watch.
Her family is fucked up too. I can't even. I feel so bad for Pandora that I needed to take a break and calm down, I got mad and cried. In this books the men rule the world and women need to kneel down on their needs. They have to do what the men say, they cannot say no, or they will be punishes, tortured, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I love Dark Romancez but this was just ridiculous. NOTE: they're kids, teens, young adults. THIS IS JUST DARK WITH NO. AND I MEAN NO ROMANCE!
I love heroes that get possessive and jealous, and Dexter did, but what did he do? Just got mad at her! HER! Not his friends. And made her do things that I felt like crying if I was in Pandora's shoes.
This is not for everybody.
Some will find it offensive and disgusting.
I don't like reading about women being powerless and abused. It's heartbreaking.
Of you're looking for a high school bully romance, this is not it. I LOVE reading Isabella Starlings books, but not this one.
I hope Amazon accepts this review.
This book has sexual and physical abuse. I felt no romance/connection between Dexter and Pandora. Pandora, is the new girl, she gets sexually abused by her "fiance" friends, and the messed up part is that he let's them while he watches them take advantage of her. 4 men against 1 women... sad. He made 2 of his friends hold her down for him naked, while he does whatever he wants to her. He made her go down on them too. He punishes her, just because his friends took advantage of her, like it's not her fu**ing fault. He blames her for disobeying him, and punishes her in front of everyone.
Dexter is an asshole. He's ex died and it basically broke him, but you know what he did to Pandora. He gives her his ex's perfume, asked her to wear it and she does, once he smells it on her, he gets angry and pushes her. Like what the Fu** did you expect. He made Pandora kneel down next to a women who is about to go down on him, so she can learn how it's done, then makes Pandora kiss her with spe** on her mouth, and makes his friends watch.
Her family is fucked up too. I can't even. I feel so bad for Pandora that I needed to take a break and calm down, I got mad and cried. In this books the men rule the world and women need to kneel down on their needs. They have to do what the men say, they cannot say no, or they will be punishes, tortured, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I love Dark Romancez but this was just ridiculous. NOTE: they're kids, teens, young adults. THIS IS JUST DARK WITH NO. AND I MEAN NO ROMANCE!
I love heroes that get possessive and jealous, and Dexter did, but what did he do? Just got mad at her! HER! Not his friends. And made her do things that I felt like crying if I was in Pandora's shoes.
This is not for everybody.
Some will find it offensive and disgusting.
I don't like reading about women being powerless and abused. It's heartbreaking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Shelved as 'avoid'
November 2, 2022Self note avoid
This is not romance.
Degration porn? H forces the h to go down on his friends while he watches, makes her watch him get a bj from ow, then makes her kiss the ow with his sperm in mouth, etc.
-H still not over his dead ex. Makes h wear his ex perfume.
Read Chelsea review.
This is not romance.
Degration porn? H forces the h to go down on his friends while he watches, makes her watch him get a bj from ow, then makes her kiss the ow with his sperm in mouth, etc.
-H still not over his dead ex. Makes h wear his ex perfume.
Read Chelsea review.
September 12, 2019
MY RATING: 3.5*
TITLE: A Hurt So Sweet
AUTHOR: Betti Rosewood
SERIES: TBC #1
RELEASE DATE: 15 September 2019
CLIFFHANGER: Yes
ARC was kindly provided for an honest review
“I can do whatever the hell I wasn’t to you and you’ll keep coming back for more. You really are a glutton for punishment, Pandora.”
It is becoming apparent to me that rich, elite and bully type of books are becoming more and more popular. Or maybe I just have the propensity to be drawn to them. Either way, because it seems there are so many of them, it’s very hard to find one with a vastly different story from the ones I previously read; basting with freshness from page one to the last. This was a fantastic introduction to Betti’s books, and although the storyline wasn’t necessarily new, her writing style was fantastic; portraying the fucked-upness of rich people in that delicious way that has me sporting my “what the fuck” face throughout.
After four years in an etiquette school, Pandora Oakes returns home to a life that she apparently is entitled to, but is entirely foreign and unwelcomed by her. She is followed by the ghost of the girl she is replacing… yes replacing; which I found bizarre, but let’s talk about that later. She is expected to fill in her shoes; live her life, marry her fiancé, have kids that were meant to be hers. Basically die to her old self and assume the role and life of Lily Ann Oakes. With the reality of her new life setting in, she can’t help but be defiant, despite the consequences of her actions. But she finally makes acquaintance with her fiancé, she finds her body and her mind are at war; at least that’s what she’s telling herself.
“I shouldn’t be thinking about the new girl. I have too many other things to worry about, yet my mind is constantly circling around her…”
Dexter Booth is the only heir to one of the six founding families of Eden Falls. After the death of his parents, he assumes responsibility previously executed by his father. When the love of his life commits suicide, she leaves Dexter aggrieved and broken and very resentful of the girl that is expected to assume her role and replace her. He loved Lily Ann, so imagine his surprise when he finds himself attracted to Pandora. It angers him but he can’t deny that he’s intrigued by her; not enough not to be a dick to her.
“My little toy is sobbing now, the precious cries interspersed with moans of a hurt so sweet it makes me want to ruin her.”
Okay so let’s get into the details then. The book had me captivated from page one. I loved Pandora’s fighting spirit to begin with, which quickly dwindled and left me seething. I mean what the fuck? Why are teenage girls so stupid? They are always attracted to motherfuckers who treat them like shit. My respected for Pandora quickly faded. I mean Dex and her friends made her life a living hell but lawd help me, defiant as she claimed to be, were her virginal hormones raging so much for her to respond to such humiliation the way she did? I mean it get it; some people are exhibitionists but come on
Do virgins really act that way? Anyway it started to piss me of when she continued to insist that she was not into Dex like that and that she was in fact horrified by how he was treating her. Do ya’ll remember the scene where Dex was on the phone and fucking with her while watching the video?
I mean if she really was that appalled, she could have pretended to do as he was asking while she was in fact painting her nails. And it stands to reason that she’d think he wouldn’t know about it because she didn’t know that he was watching. I mean
And then there was the “lesson” with Audra. All I have to say about that is
And of course she swears to get her revenge on that. And you know what that constituted? Dressing up in the late Lily Ann’s clothes. Again
By the time that scene with Lai, Caspian and Julian took place in Caspian father’s office, I was done with Pandora. Once again her body dictates her response. My response?
By the end of the book, I thought to myself
I say this with love and respect, because I’m not one to judge
Home girl was displaying some
Anyway, upon reflection
Where is her mother? What is the big plan with Pandora? What does her father have to gain by getting her pregnant? What is the story between Pandora’s dad and Minnie? Who is the girl in the padded room at the Booth mansion? The story really left a lot of questions that are thought were critical to the book unanswered I’m hoping book two answers them; hence my rating. Its not because the story was bad; it is because I am left with a lot of questions for this to be a solid 4*.
“…you think breaking girls gives you power. You think if you steal something, and lock it away, it’ll never belong to anyone else, but what you’re forgetting is, it’ll never belong to you either. When I leave, I’m going to make sure your heart is broken.”
TITLE: A Hurt So Sweet
AUTHOR: Betti Rosewood
SERIES: TBC #1
RELEASE DATE: 15 September 2019
CLIFFHANGER: Yes
ARC was kindly provided for an honest review
“I can do whatever the hell I wasn’t to you and you’ll keep coming back for more. You really are a glutton for punishment, Pandora.”
It is becoming apparent to me that rich, elite and bully type of books are becoming more and more popular. Or maybe I just have the propensity to be drawn to them. Either way, because it seems there are so many of them, it’s very hard to find one with a vastly different story from the ones I previously read; basting with freshness from page one to the last. This was a fantastic introduction to Betti’s books, and although the storyline wasn’t necessarily new, her writing style was fantastic; portraying the fucked-upness of rich people in that delicious way that has me sporting my “what the fuck” face throughout.
After four years in an etiquette school, Pandora Oakes returns home to a life that she apparently is entitled to, but is entirely foreign and unwelcomed by her. She is followed by the ghost of the girl she is replacing… yes replacing; which I found bizarre, but let’s talk about that later. She is expected to fill in her shoes; live her life, marry her fiancé, have kids that were meant to be hers. Basically die to her old self and assume the role and life of Lily Ann Oakes. With the reality of her new life setting in, she can’t help but be defiant, despite the consequences of her actions. But she finally makes acquaintance with her fiancé, she finds her body and her mind are at war; at least that’s what she’s telling herself.
“I shouldn’t be thinking about the new girl. I have too many other things to worry about, yet my mind is constantly circling around her…”
Dexter Booth is the only heir to one of the six founding families of Eden Falls. After the death of his parents, he assumes responsibility previously executed by his father. When the love of his life commits suicide, she leaves Dexter aggrieved and broken and very resentful of the girl that is expected to assume her role and replace her. He loved Lily Ann, so imagine his surprise when he finds himself attracted to Pandora. It angers him but he can’t deny that he’s intrigued by her; not enough not to be a dick to her.
“My little toy is sobbing now, the precious cries interspersed with moans of a hurt so sweet it makes me want to ruin her.”
Okay so let’s get into the details then. The book had me captivated from page one. I loved Pandora’s fighting spirit to begin with, which quickly dwindled and left me seething. I mean what the fuck? Why are teenage girls so stupid? They are always attracted to motherfuckers who treat them like shit. My respected for Pandora quickly faded. I mean Dex and her friends made her life a living hell but lawd help me, defiant as she claimed to be, were her virginal hormones raging so much for her to respond to such humiliation the way she did? I mean it get it; some people are exhibitionists but come on
Do virgins really act that way? Anyway it started to piss me of when she continued to insist that she was not into Dex like that and that she was in fact horrified by how he was treating her. Do ya’ll remember the scene where Dex was on the phone and fucking with her while watching the video?
I mean if she really was that appalled, she could have pretended to do as he was asking while she was in fact painting her nails. And it stands to reason that she’d think he wouldn’t know about it because she didn’t know that he was watching. I mean
And then there was the “lesson” with Audra. All I have to say about that is
And of course she swears to get her revenge on that. And you know what that constituted? Dressing up in the late Lily Ann’s clothes. Again
By the time that scene with Lai, Caspian and Julian took place in Caspian father’s office, I was done with Pandora. Once again her body dictates her response. My response?
By the end of the book, I thought to myself
I say this with love and respect, because I’m not one to judge
Home girl was displaying some
Anyway, upon reflection
Where is her mother? What is the big plan with Pandora? What does her father have to gain by getting her pregnant? What is the story between Pandora’s dad and Minnie? Who is the girl in the padded room at the Booth mansion? The story really left a lot of questions that are thought were critical to the book unanswered I’m hoping book two answers them; hence my rating. Its not because the story was bad; it is because I am left with a lot of questions for this to be a solid 4*.
“…you think breaking girls gives you power. You think if you steal something, and lock it away, it’ll never belong to anyone else, but what you’re forgetting is, it’ll never belong to you either. When I leave, I’m going to make sure your heart is broken.”
Want to read
May 22, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/22/2020)! 🎁
September 12, 2019
DARK TWISTED AND HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL.... This book will leave you BREATHLESS!
There are truly no words to describe the perfection with which Betti writes. Wickedly-dark and magically delicious.
What an incredible ride.... from Beginning to the pulsating end... This story will show you how both darkness and light exist within all of us.
6 Agonizing Breathtaking Beautiful Twisted Stars.. Betti, delivers this story was chilling and it's execution was perfect.. It's dark, it's suspenseful it will set both your kindle and panties on FIRE!
Anger, hate and darkness burns throughout the pages of this book. Leaving you wanting and aching for more.. fast paced, intense, and extremely well written storyline that flows effortlessly a hurt so sweet is everything..
The Twists and turns swirled throughout the pages.. I’m in a totally hangover I don't know what to do Betti, has a way with words her writing is masterful.
This is one of the best dark books of 2019.. I bow down to you Betti!” 6 stars!
There are truly no words to describe the perfection with which Betti writes. Wickedly-dark and magically delicious.
What an incredible ride.... from Beginning to the pulsating end... This story will show you how both darkness and light exist within all of us.
6 Agonizing Breathtaking Beautiful Twisted Stars.. Betti, delivers this story was chilling and it's execution was perfect.. It's dark, it's suspenseful it will set both your kindle and panties on FIRE!
Anger, hate and darkness burns throughout the pages of this book. Leaving you wanting and aching for more.. fast paced, intense, and extremely well written storyline that flows effortlessly a hurt so sweet is everything..
The Twists and turns swirled throughout the pages.. I’m in a totally hangover I don't know what to do Betti, has a way with words her writing is masterful.
This is one of the best dark books of 2019.. I bow down to you Betti!” 6 stars!
December 26, 2019
Brutal book!!
I read it in 24h. I couldn’t put it down. The book was something I totally didn't expect it.
So brutal, but so breath taking... I hate them all and still love them all...
I read it in 24h. I couldn’t put it down. The book was something I totally didn't expect it.
So brutal, but so breath taking... I hate them all and still love them all...
August 1, 2020
Pandora was taken from her family when a DNA test proved she had a rich and powerful father in Eden Falls. Her father thought that his other daughter Lily Anna was biological daughter, but after DNA proved otherwise Lily Anna committed suicide. Pandora is forced to move to Eden Falls and become engaged to Dexter Booth who was previously engaged to the Lily Anna.
Pandora is not only bullied by Dexter and his friends, but abused. They can do whatever they want. This is not a romance. This is not an RH. There is pining. Dexter loved Lily Anna. He recalls how much he cared for her.
There is OW drama in this book. Dexter is involved with OW, Audra.
This one ends in a cliffhanger.
Pandora is not only bullied by Dexter and his friends, but abused. They can do whatever they want. This is not a romance. This is not an RH. There is pining. Dexter loved Lily Anna. He recalls how much he cared for her.
There is OW drama in this book. Dexter is involved with OW, Audra.
This one ends in a cliffhanger.
September 16, 2019
Pandora is in the town of Eden Falls and forced to pose as the firstborn daughter Lily Anna Oakes. Dexter is the first born son and fiancee of Lily Anna. Now Pandora is expected to marry and give him a child. The cruelty and sexual abuse in this book are almost too much to take. I hate Dexter, Pandora and his friends at this point. The ending is a doozy of a cliffhanger. I am going to read the next book just to see how this story will unfold.
3.5 Stars
3.5 Stars
April 2, 2021
Utter garbage 🗑.
Shelved as 'did-not-like-it'
June 8, 2024não consigo listar UMA COISA DECENTE nesse livro, meu deus do céu
September 17, 2019
I’m always looking forward to a new dark romance read with seemingly unredeemable hero and strong feisty heroine. That was also what I expected from this book based on blurb. However, I don’t even know where to begin with how disappointed I am. I keep giving this author a chance but it’s not worth it anymore.
All characters were poorly portrayed without any depth. I didn’t see strong Pandora I was promised from the blurb. She was weak and spineless. I was waiting for her to fight back but nothing. She was too wishy-washy and was just constantly crying.
Storyline and writing seemed all over the place. There were so many things without any explanation that I felt like I was missing paragraphs and pages. It all felt really disconnected. In the end the storyline also ended up being bland and predictable. And that poor excuse for a cliffhanger..I don’t know what more to say.
This book was just a complete mess and I’m being generous with 2 stars rating.
I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
All characters were poorly portrayed without any depth. I didn’t see strong Pandora I was promised from the blurb. She was weak and spineless. I was waiting for her to fight back but nothing. She was too wishy-washy and was just constantly crying.
Storyline and writing seemed all over the place. There were so many things without any explanation that I felt like I was missing paragraphs and pages. It all felt really disconnected. In the end the storyline also ended up being bland and predictable. And that poor excuse for a cliffhanger..I don’t know what more to say.
This book was just a complete mess and I’m being generous with 2 stars rating.
I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
September 17, 2019
"I've gotten used to this town now, It's easier to understand how it all works when you accept everyone in Eden falls is a sick, perverted fuck."
The only way you enjoy this book is to do as the quote above says – believe that the story is set in a place where no one reacts in a rational or responsible way. Instead, they live in a society where both private and public physical and sexual abuse is not only normal and expected, but encouraged.
A blurry line of non/dub con underscores nearly every encounter the h has with males throughout the story. You're meant to think she's this strong heroine who won't put up with any of this for herself or the poor vulnerable staff she befriends, but instead her big moment to establish how she's to be treated going forward.....well, does not end that way.
With fewer typos than expected for such a poor plot line and character building, I'll give this a 2 star rating instead of 1.
The only way you enjoy this book is to do as the quote above says – believe that the story is set in a place where no one reacts in a rational or responsible way. Instead, they live in a society where both private and public physical and sexual abuse is not only normal and expected, but encouraged.
A blurry line of non/dub con underscores nearly every encounter the h has with males throughout the story. You're meant to think she's this strong heroine who won't put up with any of this for herself or the poor vulnerable staff she befriends, but instead her big moment to establish how she's to be treated going forward.....well, does not end that way.
With fewer typos than expected for such a poor plot line and character building, I'll give this a 2 star rating instead of 1.
September 12, 2019
OMG! What the heck did I just read here? I’m speechless, oh and lets add breathless while I’m at it. There are so many feels with this book, you will be sucked in from the start with this one, holy crap, you have no idea what you are in for. This book is unputdownable, I know it’s probably not a word, but oh well, it is now. Dex and Pandora’s story is delectably delicious, wickedly devious, dark and twisted perfection. Pandora loathes Dexter with every part of her body, but sometimes we betray ourselves and that’s what he’s hoping for. So many twists and turns, pantie melting hot, suspenseful page turner that you won’t put down. My hat goes off to this author for her amazing read, and what we are left with will leave you asking yourself, “what just happened?” Now we wait for the next book in this new series by Bettie Rosewood.
September 18, 2019
I love bully romances so this fit the bill quite nicely!! Pandora was a good character but she was bothersome at times but Dex I can’t put into words how much I loved him and his sick sense of well everything lol. Pandora hates him with a passion but her body has missed the memo totally lol. The dark factor along with grittiness if this book had me hooked and I can’t wait for more
I voluntarily reviewed a advanced readers copy of this book
I voluntarily reviewed a advanced readers copy of this book
September 18, 2019
“𝑫𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒚𝒔. 𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆.”A Hurt So Sweet, Book One in the Elite of Eden Falls Prep Series by Betti Rosewood is finally here! Now, THIS is what I call a bully romance! This was my second read from Rosewood, and I am thoroughly impressed! My first read was Boys That Tease which was a ‘bully romance’… and well, that one fell kind of short for me. (Check out my review to see why... http://bit.ly/2XtYNnm ) Sooo when I saw that she was releasing another one, I figured I would give her another shot! I am sooo glad that I did, this one is a hell of a lot more darker, and a whole lot more twisted! I was completely enthralled, could NOT put it down! I HAD to know what kind of crazy shit these boys were going to do to Pandora next! Told in dual POV but mostly from the heroine, the anti… I can’t even call him an anti-hero, so I’ll say the main male villain, gets a couple of chapters of his own though.
While there are NO rape scenes, there are some scenes that some readers may find upsetting… forced sexual situations, dubious consent, extreme bullying, abuse… A Hurt So Sweet is a dark and twisted read and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Pandora Amberly was abruptly taken from the only world she’s ever known and taken to her so-called “biological family” where she had only briefly met them before she was being shipped off too boarding school. Now, after four long years, Pandora is back in Eden Falls at the Oakes Estate. Where everything looks perfect on the outside but is far, far from it on the inside.
“𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒏, 𝒕𝒐𝒚. 𝑰𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒑.”Pandora is now expected to step in and take the place of Lily Anna in the Oakes world. The former Lily Anna threw herself off the Oakes Estates cliff when she found out that she was not a biological Oakes and was being “traded” back with her biological parents, the family Pandora grew up with. Now, she is expected to live the life that Lily Anna left behind, even going as far as marrying the Firstborn that Lily was engaged to marry.
Firstborns are treated like royalty in Eden Falls and although Pandora IS a firstborn, she’s certainly not treated like one. She’s an outsider and even if she wasn’t, firstborn girls don’t have nearly as much power as the boys UNTIL she marries, and ONLY if she has remained a virgin until her wedding night.
Pandora must marry and produce an heir to Dexter Booth to join the two founding families together. All the First Born’s are powerful, but Dexter… Dexter Booth has even more power then Emilian Oakes (Pandora’s bio-dad) himself, which is why Emilian is determined to see this engagement off without a hitch. That hitch being Pandora’s resistance. Emilian tries to keep her in check with threats against the only family she’s ever known, so she does what she has to do and grins and bears it.
These boys, this town, and even her own biological family are determined to break her but Pandora isn’t easy to break. Despite everything they put her through Pandora is still defiant and strong-willed. But Dexter… he’s determined.
“𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍.”After the death of his parents, right before his 18th birthday Dexter has assumed responsibility of more than any 18-year-old normally would or should. When the love of his life commits suicide, and a new girl is brought in to “replace” her Dex is left feeling resentful. But as much as he hates the new girl, he finds that he can’t get her off his mind either. He’s intrigued by this plain girl who has come out of nowhere… But not enough not to make her life a living hell.
“𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍. 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝒔𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓.”Want more of life in Eden Falls?!
Check out A Hurt So Sweet!
When I read the blurb I just knew I HAD to give this author another go. I LOVE bully romances, and whereas the last “bully romance” I read from this author fell short for me, A Hurt So Sweet made up for it tenfold and exceeded my expectations! BRAV-FUCKIN-O Betti, my apologies for ever doubting you. The more the story unraveled, the more questions there were. Just when I thought I was figuring it out, BOOM, another secret and I was back to square one with NO FREAKIN CLUE on what was going to happen next. As totally screwed up as this story is, I couldn’t get enough of Dexter and Pandora. All the sexual tension, the absolute hate, the lust… SHEESH!
“𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒂.”
Pandora I really wanted to like. I’m still rooting for her because come on let’s face it, Pandora was treated brutally throughout this whole book, like seriously some of the shit made my stomach turn. BUT, I just felt like she caved wayyy to easy, and wayyy too often. She would have these intense thoughts about standing up for herself and getting revenge etc, and I’m cheering her on like “yea girl kick their asses, beat them at their own games!” But then she’d get jealous when Dex was around other females, and although she “said” she didn’t want him touching her, etc, as soon as he put his hands on her she was begging for more of what he was giving… It’s like her mind tells her one thing but her body, her body is what is in control of her when Dex walks into the room. But what really causes me to feel the most sympathy for Pandora is her father, Emilian. He is an EXTREMELY vile man and I think we are going to see a lot more nastiness coming from him…
Dexter ‘Dex” Booth… or who I like to refer to as Dexter The Despicable, Despicable Dexter (whichever you prefer 😉) what can I say about Dex. Typical, arrogant, entitled, DOUCHE CANOE! I know there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Dex but fuckkk… he is ALMOST irredeemable and with the way that cliffhanger was left… well, let’s just hope he doesn’t cross that line that in my eyes he won’t be able to come back from. Antagonist can’t get much meaner then Dex is to Pandora. He derives pleasure in torturing her and disrespecting her in front of the other firstborns and all their friends. Worse yet, no one even cares when he does.
“𝑰 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒂 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒈𝒐.”
The steam… HOLY HOTNESS! Pandora puts on a good front like she doesn’t want their hands on her but honestly, she enjoys everything these boys were doing to her, and she continued to come back for more! 🔥🔥🔥
“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒑 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆.”Speaking of, there are quite a few secondary characters that are all pretty damn intriguing in their own right and I am hoping to see much more of each and every one of them.
OK, now here is the tricky part. Although I did really enjoy this one, there were a few things that played a part in lowering my rating, and why it just wasn’t quite a 5-star read for me…
For starters, there were quite a few things that unless you are a member of Betti’s Readers Group, I would have had no idea about because they aren’t explained in the book at all, so for those who aren’t a member, it’s pretty much left for you to just guess on how things came about the way they are. Then, the character contradictions. For example, in one scene Dex doesn’t want anyone else to see her… whoo-ha… but then at a later scene, he basically says whatever, do to her as you wish just to keep her a virgin? Whattt?!
Now, although there is a TON of things that are riding the line of “too far” with this one, I’m a dark read lover so I can deal (nothing is really “too far” for me…) BUT on that note, what I really DESPISE in books, and what dropped my rating VERY quickly, was the “lesson” with Audra. FUCKKK THAT! I didn’t care that he was messing around with her at the beginning and all that but UMMM, YEA NO! Not once things started to heat up and all that between him and Pandora. We know he’s a complete asshole but that, THAT put me wayyy off and now I’m left feeling like I have no freakin clue how this author is going to pull off redeeming him. No clue at all.
However, IF she’s able to pull it off, then BRAV-FUCKIN-O. But again, that’s a REALLY big IF so we shall see…
I am just now hearing that apparently, Rosewood wrote under a different pen name and that those novels were more of the dark and delightful type that I enjoy. So maybe I need to check into those a bit more… after reading AHSS I am most definitely open to reading more of her work for sure!
I am left with SOOO many questions, and I’m just sitting here still stupified because I have no idea WHEN or IF we will get the answers! Like, WHY after all these years did this DNA test happen to prove that Lily Anna was not Emilia’s child and that Pandora was, how the hell did that even happen they are almost 18 years old? WHERE is Pandora’s biological mother? WHAT is going on with Minnie and Emilia?! Because I feel like it’s more than just an old sick f**ker getting his rocks off (but that too!) And last but not least, WHO IN THE HELL IS IN THAT ROOM AT BAXTER’S?!
THAT FUCKING ENDING!!?? OMFG… I can’t even… my jaw literally dropped when I turned the page and realized there were no more words. Huge, huge, HUGEEEE CLIFFHANGER!
Get ready for a whole bunch of mindfuckery and just try to keep up, I suggest a note pad and a pencil to write down notes! 😂 A Hurt So Sweet is deliciously dark, twisted, angsty, and an absolute MUST READ, and this is only the beginning! It has completely changed my opinion of this author and I will most DEFINITELY be reading A Hurt So Sweet: Volume Two!
“𝑴𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓.”
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April 18, 2021
The first story of this series is very, very messed up. But why am I hooked on it?
The way every male characters treated Pandora is degrading. I expected Pandora to go all Lara Croft on them. But she ended up liking being degraded by Dex and his croonies. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around that...
The way every male characters treated Pandora is degrading. I expected Pandora to go all Lara Croft on them. But she ended up liking being degraded by Dex and his croonies. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around that...
March 16, 2021
Just don't read this book
It is dark but it's not the good dark. The main male character is just a rapist really as well as his cronies . That gut needs some serious therapy
The FMC has no backbone - she is feisty but she doesn't fight back
It is dark but it's not the good dark. The main male character is just a rapist really as well as his cronies . That gut needs some serious therapy
The FMC has no backbone - she is feisty but she doesn't fight back
December 31, 2019
Head scratching.?
Okay so the start off let me just be honest I'm the type of person that I'll read Ⅰ 2 chapters of a book and if it don't draw me in like I wanted to I'll stop reading it and I won't go on any further however after reading just Ⅰ chapter it kept pulling me and like it kept giving me all these things and then taking them back to where you wanna keep reading you wanna keep finding out these things and this book you find out who Pandora really is and who lilyann oaks is Or should I say was it kind of gives this fill as to where her real parents kind of shelter off into this place and just took another girl and prepped her and told her how to act and how to be and who she was and then ripped it away from her and in this book you kind of see that it's like well it was kind of make switched at birth and a way but more darker kind of book.And then you tell yourself why did this happen why was Pandora away why did they have a replacement was it because of family drama was because they just didn't want her and as you read along further into the book you start to get little bits and pc to the puzzle and even though I think of the book it's not quite done and you're still left question mean certain things it has that feel to where you wanna keep reading you're like oh my god scratching my head what's gonna happen next and that's what I feel about it and then you add in Ⅰst borns and dexter it's like okay well he don't like Pandora all because of lily an That kind of pushing pool with chemistry between them of love and hate it's like your Like you know something's gonna happen in every time something happens you think okay dexter's this way because of this reason but he's coming around and then bam slap you in the face all these things start pouring out and it's like she's grasping at straws trying to figure out what's going on she knows that her dad want something from her dexter wants something from her and she know that there's a lot of secrets that need to be told and need to be found out but there's always something blocking her and it has me saying where the next book I need to buy it to find out if Pandora finds out what she knows everyone hiding.so this is a read read now book .
Okay so the start off let me just be honest I'm the type of person that I'll read Ⅰ 2 chapters of a book and if it don't draw me in like I wanted to I'll stop reading it and I won't go on any further however after reading just Ⅰ chapter it kept pulling me and like it kept giving me all these things and then taking them back to where you wanna keep reading you wanna keep finding out these things and this book you find out who Pandora really is and who lilyann oaks is Or should I say was it kind of gives this fill as to where her real parents kind of shelter off into this place and just took another girl and prepped her and told her how to act and how to be and who she was and then ripped it away from her and in this book you kind of see that it's like well it was kind of make switched at birth and a way but more darker kind of book.And then you tell yourself why did this happen why was Pandora away why did they have a replacement was it because of family drama was because they just didn't want her and as you read along further into the book you start to get little bits and pc to the puzzle and even though I think of the book it's not quite done and you're still left question mean certain things it has that feel to where you wanna keep reading you're like oh my god scratching my head what's gonna happen next and that's what I feel about it and then you add in Ⅰst borns and dexter it's like okay well he don't like Pandora all because of lily an That kind of pushing pool with chemistry between them of love and hate it's like your Like you know something's gonna happen in every time something happens you think okay dexter's this way because of this reason but he's coming around and then bam slap you in the face all these things start pouring out and it's like she's grasping at straws trying to figure out what's going on she knows that her dad want something from her dexter wants something from her and she know that there's a lot of secrets that need to be told and need to be found out but there's always something blocking her and it has me saying where the next book I need to buy it to find out if Pandora finds out what she knows everyone hiding.so this is a read read now book .
September 15, 2019
"Dexter Booth isn’t the kind of boy who gets bored of his toys. He’s the kind of monster who breaks them on purpose."
OMG, this book was a mind f***k. Knowing it's a bully romance I dived head straight into this one, and booooy was I in for a treat. Since when are high school romances so dark and twisted!? Well.. since Betti Rosewood started writing them.
This was the first book of the Elite of Eden Falls Prep series and the story intrigued me from the beginning. I'm a sucker for bad boys so I have to say I utterly loved Dexter. He is the ultimate bully, she is like royalty in Eden Falls, his father being one of the founding members of this town. He is arrogant, cruel and painfully gorgeous. He treats the heroine badly, he takes pleasure in torturing and humiliating her in front of their colleagues and friends. But there seems to be more to his behavior than beeing a spoiled rich boy. He has a secret confined between the walls of his mansion that nobody knows about.
Pandora is also a Firstborn, and important member of their community, but unlike Dexter, she's been away from this town for too long, so nobody gives her the respect she deserves. She is one tough cookie, she learns to adapt to the cruel environment that surrounds her in her father's mansion and at her school. She is feisty and doesn't bow her head to Dexter's nasty behavior. But even so, she still feels a pull towards him, an attraction that she doesn't want to acknowledge at first.
The twisted bearing of all the characters in this book made my jaw drop several times. The storyline was suspenseful, with lots of intense scenes, some of them borderline brutal. I had lots of teenage drama and conflict and the plot kept me really invested in knowing more. I would have wanted more details about Pandora's mother, and how the heck Lilly Anna ended up living at the Oakes mansion in the first place!? I have so many questions... plus that cliffhanger... gahhh... I wanted to scream at the end. I can't wait for the next volume to come out. I'm so curious to see what will happen between Pandora and Dexter and I have a theory about his secret and I'm so anxious to see if it's what I think.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OMG, this book was a mind f***k. Knowing it's a bully romance I dived head straight into this one, and booooy was I in for a treat. Since when are high school romances so dark and twisted!? Well.. since Betti Rosewood started writing them.
This was the first book of the Elite of Eden Falls Prep series and the story intrigued me from the beginning. I'm a sucker for bad boys so I have to say I utterly loved Dexter. He is the ultimate bully, she is like royalty in Eden Falls, his father being one of the founding members of this town. He is arrogant, cruel and painfully gorgeous. He treats the heroine badly, he takes pleasure in torturing and humiliating her in front of their colleagues and friends. But there seems to be more to his behavior than beeing a spoiled rich boy. He has a secret confined between the walls of his mansion that nobody knows about.
Pandora is also a Firstborn, and important member of their community, but unlike Dexter, she's been away from this town for too long, so nobody gives her the respect she deserves. She is one tough cookie, she learns to adapt to the cruel environment that surrounds her in her father's mansion and at her school. She is feisty and doesn't bow her head to Dexter's nasty behavior. But even so, she still feels a pull towards him, an attraction that she doesn't want to acknowledge at first.
The twisted bearing of all the characters in this book made my jaw drop several times. The storyline was suspenseful, with lots of intense scenes, some of them borderline brutal. I had lots of teenage drama and conflict and the plot kept me really invested in knowing more. I would have wanted more details about Pandora's mother, and how the heck Lilly Anna ended up living at the Oakes mansion in the first place!? I have so many questions... plus that cliffhanger... gahhh... I wanted to scream at the end. I can't wait for the next volume to come out. I'm so curious to see what will happen between Pandora and Dexter and I have a theory about his secret and I'm so anxious to see if it's what I think.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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