West thinks he knows something about the new girl. Never mind, she’s smoking hot or that she comes from the wrong part of town. She’s crossed a line, done the unthinkable and he’s going to make her pay. Blue doesn’t understand why Cypress Prep’s King seems intent on giving her whiplash. She couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend a top school. She needs to change her family’s fortune around and make life better for her little sister. Her goal is to fly under the radar and use this opportunity to get into college. Unfortunately, West Golden isn’t making that possible.
I loved this story. It’s a cross between Gossip Girl and Veronica Mars. Blue is the girl from the wrong side of town with the runaway mom, drunk dad, and jailbird brother. She’s doing her best to raise her sister and give her a better life. West is the oldest of the Golden triplets. Rich, gorgeous, powerful, popular. West’s life looks perfect but he has secrets. And anger. And he thinks Blue is his chance to get a little revenge. Most books with misinterpretations and lack of communication drive me crazy, however, it made sense here. West jumped to a faulty conclusion (and we still don’t know the truth) but it made sense. There was communication, it just never went far enough. So it worked. I also bought into the West-Blue connection. I could feel the sexual tension and the hate. My only issue is the same one I have with every lead female in the bully genre. Pride and self-respect. When a guy tells you who he is, tells you he hates you, believe him. That also means, don’t drop your panties! Especially if you are supposed to be a tough, smart girl. Same goes for you Parker. Have some pride, girl!
The side characters from the Southside are fantastic. Jules, Ricky, Scar are the people you want to go him to. You know who they are and that you can trust them. I didn’t find anyone worth knowing at Cypress, even the perfect Joss. I didn’t see the appeal of her character at all. The other Golden triplets didn’t bring value to the story. Hopefully, they come more alive in book 2. I do have to say I adore @QweenPandora. Like Gossip Girl, she has eyes everywhere and nos secret is safe with her. I love that she put her own touches on the gossip without ever being mean. Hard to draw the line. Like P, I look forward to seeing what Southside has planned to take down Cypress Royalty.
Neill Thorne, Lessa Lamb, and Sarah Puckett were fantastic at bringing this book to life. Neil and Lessa captured West and Blue’s tumultuous, back and forth perfectly. You felt their frustration, confusion, distrust, and especially their sexual tension. Sarah Puckett always delivers a top-notch performance but she outdid herself with Pandora. She was brilliant. Her coy delivery while dropping gossip bombs elevated the entire book. “AudiobookObsession”