Okay, where do I even begin??? So, I gave this a 2-star rating, b/c I always give 1 star for even writing a book. It's a huge accomplishment. If not for that, this story would have received 1 star from me. I saw other poor ratings for it and wanted to form my own opinion about it, b/c everyone's different. I've learned my lesson with this tale.
I am a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, with a bully element. Up until now, I've been fortunate to read stories where the guy is a major jerk, but is ultimately redeemable...in some way...ANY way. This was not the case.
Adam is a grade A jerk. He hurt someone he loved, based on what someone else, a person he couldn't even stand, told him about women. So he listened, pushed Emily away for no reason, then proceeded to bully her for 3 years. Now, maybe that would have been enough to accept, and possibly improve from there, but Emily wasn't the only person he treated horribly.
Typically, in stories like these, the bully (usually the guy, based on my reading history) can be awful, but he/she can still be understood through relationships with other people such as family and friends. Adam had no loyalty to anyone. The way he talked about about his mother, brother, and friends was just heinous. I especially detested the way he treated and talked to/about Kevin, simply b/c Kevin didn't come from money. There were several times he mentioned that in a fight, his friends, Kevin and Nick, could basically demolish him, but that he was still better. I don't know how. He just was, okay? He also mentioned how his clique was the most popular and that football players came in second. He then turned around and acknowledged that people would consider his clique to come in second and the football players first. What? He talks tough about his stepfather, who happens to be the principal at his school, and how he could take him down with what he knows about him, but he constantly backed down. His grand plan to do this was throw a ridiculous rager, with the goal of trashing his own house, just so his parents could find it in disarray. Whoa...hardcore. The party ended up lasting half an hour, with a ton of money spent and Adam looking like the chump he is, with no one calling him out on his epic fail. The worst he actually did was tell him off later and then nothing.
Adam's logic for the awful things he said about his mom was so nonsensical. Some years after he lost his dad, his mom revealed his father had cheated on her and contracted AIDS, yet he was still placed on a pedestal. He knew his stepfather was a serial cheater who didn't really love his mother the way he should and yet he took this man's word and crappy opinion about women as gospel, even though he was drunk off his ass when he said it. He blamed his mother for everything, b/c she told him the truth about his dad and walked away. But not only that, when his dad died, she was so upset that she didn't answer him when he was screaming for her. That's it. She didn't mistreat him, she wasn't mean to him at all, or neglect him, but goodness, she had the audacity to be sad and grieving, probably suffer from some degree of depression, and have the misfortune of choosing cheaters. What an awful woman.
Adam did a whole lot of nothing besides complain, treat people poorly, and then play victim. His brother and friends called him out constantly for his mistreatment of Emily, and he would only double down. Of course, it's shocking that when Nick tells him Emily agreed to be his date for the dance, Adam felt betrayal. How dare his friend, someone he always insults, take his ex, someone he has tortured for years, to a dance? Why, she was supposed to remain alone and pine for him, while he was just horrible b/c that's what he wanted. At one point in this story, he referred to her as being a bully. I couldn't tell if that was awful sarcasm, b/c no. What I found hilarious was that as much as he tried to get in Nick's face, he never once actually did anything. Adam is nothing more than a coward who talks a lot of crap. He has such an over-inflated sense of self worth that astounds.
What can I say about Emily? I can't say as much about her as I can Adam, but what I can is all good. I found her to be strong, intelligent, resilient, and just all around amazing. I loved it when she would go off on him and defend herself. There was no excuse for Adam to treat her the way he did. She never hurt him or betrayed him. There was never a miscommunication or anything that could be misconstrued that warranted his behavior. She is way too forgiving, especially at the end, but no one is perfect. She deserves so much better and Adam is 100% unworthy. I couldn't really get a gauge on her friendships with Samantha and Jackie. There wasn't that much of them, but I do know if I were Emily, my friendship with Jackie would've ended after that party in the beginning. There was nothing after that between them, but they're supposed to be a trio. Then, there was a random line from Emily in the end about Samantha being her best friend and not Jackie (which, obviously, but still). It was just thrown in the epilogue. What a weird dynamic.
Oh, oh! How could I forget? And... he was a big ol' whore who could have any girl he wanted, at any time. The girls just loved him. He's disgusting. At no point did I feel bad for him or root for him, not even in the flashback when he was 5. Don't even care. At the end, he made a comment about how he needed to earned Emily's trust, but that she also had to earn his. How has she not, by that point??? She endured A LOT from him and ultimately forgave him b/c of a banner. She doesn't need to work for anything else from that douche. I'm now re-thinking my 2-star rating.
I'm disappointed with the way this story ended. There was no resolution with Adam and his parents. We were told things about Emily's parents that weren't really explored. I can't buy Adam's new attitude, when he hasn't apologized or changed his tune with his so-called friends. Kevin needs to pop him one. I've had it.
I have the other books in the series, but it may be a while before I read them. I need to decompress.