Pretty Girls Make Graves

by Steffanie Holmes

Don’t go outside on Devil’s Night.

I’m always the good girl. I never stand out. I follow the rules.

At Blackfriars University, there’s one whispered rule: Stay inside the night before Halloween. Hide under your blankets and hope the Orpheus Society isn’t the monster outside your window.

If they get you, you won’t just be humiliated. They’ll put you six feet under.

But I’ve screwed up.

I found bones in a shallow grave. Another good girl, just like me.

Now I’ll do whatever it takes to get to the truth.
I’ll catch the eye of the cruel aristocrat with a haunted gaze.
I’ll tempt the dark priest with forbidden tastes.
I’ll be their shameful little secret. Their plaything. Their sacrifice.

Maybe I don’t want to be a good girl anymore.

Maybe it’s time to break all the rules.

Pretty Girls Make Graves is a dark romantic suspense and part one of the Dark Academia duet. If you enjoy tales of clever heroines, ancient rites, secret societies, cruel princes and wicked priests, dusty libraries and decadent parties, twisted relationships and buried secrets, then prepare to enter the halls of Blackfriars University. You may not return.

Genres: Dark Academia, Dark Romance, Romance, Dark, Audiobook, Fantasy, Mystery

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2021

About the author

Steffanie Holmes is the author of steamy historical and paranormal romance. Her books feature clever, witty heroines, wild shifters, cunning witches and alpha males who get what they want.

Before becoming a writer, Steffanie worked as an archaeologist and museum curator. She loves to explore historical settings and ancient conceptions of love and possession. From Dark Age Europe to crumbling gothic estates, Steffanie is fascinated with how love can blossom between the most unlikely characters.

Steffanie lives in New Zealand with her husband and a horde of cantankerous cats. Learn more about Steffanie at her website: www.steffanieholmes.com. She also writes dark science fiction under the name S C Green.

Want to be informed when the next Steffanie Holmes paranormal romance story goes live? Sign up for the mailing list! http://eepurl.com/ZrowD

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seriously!? Fuck this book. "To be continued"!? No no no no no no. I need to know the ending so I don't have to read any of this stupidity ever again. For Christ's sake.

[Marieke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Literally the only reason I suffered my way through this atrocity was for the sake of my book club but dear god, this was so incredibly bad and so insanely toxic. And every time I thought it couldn't get worse, it did.

Oh and don't get me started on the fucking plot because there was no plot. And that cliffhanger ending? Honestly, I couldn't care less how that mess is going to get resolved because I have zero faith that ANYTHING from this flaming heap of dung can be resolved.

Two days post-reading: I really do believe that this is the worst book I have ever read.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I seriously want to give this book more than 5 stars***

Like a fish out of water American student George gets the chance to study at Blackfriars University. A so called prestigious school full of entitled students who are quick to put anyone they dont like or they deem doesnt fit in in their place. A secret society, murder, underhand people, secrets, lies and a smoking hot love triangle. Theres so many plot twists in this book that it certainly keeps you on your toes. Its bloody brilliant and i seriously wanted to punch someone after that ending!!! Bring on book 2 because Ill be on tenterhooks until i get my hands on it

[Lucia · Rating 1 out of 5]

absolutely fucking not.

Georgina is not like other girls, she gets picked on by 'mean girls' who she cannot relate in any way or form, doesn't care about looks, she's so unique and everyone should call her George instead of Georgiana because her dead father used to call her that so it was the most quirky thing to do, also, THEY FUCKING TIE HER UP, PEE ON HER AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO MOVE ON FROM THAT?

I've been here before.

I'm not going down that road again.

even the hot naked priest couldn't save this one.

[Katlix · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now let me start by saying that very obviously most of the content wasn't particularly my cup of tea. I'm not opposed to smut, but don't really seek it out. The "bully" romance was definitely not my cup of tea. And while I dislike YA tropes, I don't mind them as long as they're used well.

H O W E V E R !

This book was far worse than I thought it could be. It was one bit cringe-fest and my only hope that at least at the end I would know what had happened to the FMC roommate. Instead the book ends on the most unsatisfying dumb cliffhanger and it turns out, nothing has actually been resolved at all. The book couldn't even give me that. If I could've given this 0 stars I would. I wish I could have both my money and the time spent on this book back.

Other notable downsides to this book:
- The FMC is supposed to be smart and brave, but makes the dumbest choices and draws the most unlogical conclusions
- My disbelief can only be suspended so much... FMC gets to assist with the investigation and autopsy despite being 18 and a witness/suspect? One of her love interests is an accomplished artist, accomplished musician who has played with the Philharmonic, an Olympic fencing medallist, speaks Latin and Ancient Greek conversationally? But also the FMC corrects/helps him with a translation despite the fact that she has not had more than a month and a half of lessons? Don't even get me started on the Crime lord BFF who only does crime to fund her animal shelter.
- I wasn't a fan of the teacher-priest/student relationship in the first place, but that he's so conflicted he prays while fondling her lady parts? Yikes...
- Everyone is so 1-dimensional!
- FMC gets bullied and SA'd in horrible ways, the only thing she's looking forward to are the creepy one-on-one sessions with the sexy priest, but the writer still emphasizes that she's loving the college experience and the college itself (oh but everyone she meets is crazy rude and the Orpheans can run rampant).
- Seriously, what is up with the weird love-hate relationship with all things British? There's zero nuance.
- Why is everything so weird? Why does everyone behave so weirdly? WHY DOES NOTHING MAKE SENSE? The only remotely realistic part about this book was the fact that the doors leading to the dormitory lock on the inside, which the FMC found weird... *flips table*

I could go on and on, but then I'd be wasting even more time on this horrible book. Please save your money, your time, your sanity and yourself by skipping this book.

[Kimmylongtime · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC I’m still not sure what I just read. Holy Shite !!

UPDATE
So I read this in October it is safe to say 2 months later and I still can’t wrap my head around this story. All I can say is that it was bonkers and I literally can’t wait to read book 2.

Happy reading everyone 😍🥰😘😍!!

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Might be an unpopular opinion, but I REALLY enjoyed this book! I wouldn't class it as dark academia (it's more bully/dark romance), the female lead is so confusing (girl, I'm never gonna sleep with someone who pissed on me! Might float someone else's boat but not mine) & the plot was easily guessed at, but my goodness, it's a fun read! It's very atmospheric and quietly beautiful, especially when it comes to the location of the story. The smex wasn't all that, but the slow burn? 🤌 bring me the next in the series to feast my eyes upon!

[Jess *lovetolovebooks* · Rating 5 out of 5]

”I never doubted my path before,” Sebastian continues, the rosary clinking in his hands. “But then you walk into that garden and I’m made dizzy by you, by the divine you carry inside you. By your quiet strength and your curiosity and your kind heart. Being near you is an ecstasy that feels blessed by God’s kiss, like wanting you is the most holy, most perfect thing I can do.”

Holy fuck (no pun intended).
This book.
It was absolutely perfect to read towards the end of October.
We are following George (I freaking adore her character) who has flown across the sea to attend her first term at Blackfriar’s University. I’d say the first 100ish pages or so is mainly her getting settled into life at university. Along the way we meet William who is a part of this popular rich kid clique called the Orpheus Society. Not much is known about what goes on in this society but what we do know is that no one is allowed outside on Devil’s Night which seems to be a night where the Orpheus Society runs wild and free on campus. They break shit, graffiti shit, and after her roommate disappears George thinks that something more sinister is taking place inside this secret society. They have the money to pay off anyone including the local police but George, who has a thriving true crime podcast and is determined to find out the truth, refuses to stop sniffing and digging for answers even though William and his society buddies bully, torment, threaten, and taunt her every step of the way. She knows she is in danger but nothing will stop her from finding and revealing the truth and bring the Orpheus Society and its members to their knees.

Please, kiss me until I believe you can be mine.
Kiss me until your God blesses our betrayal.
Kiss me until sin has no meaning.

In chapter one we also meet one of the priests, Sebastian, in a very naked swimming situation which is the perfect way to start a book in my opinion. The two are immediately drawn to each other and their once kind friendship develops into something more forbidden, taboo, and dirty. They both fight so hard to remain friends because Sebastian loves his faith and George doesn’t want to be the one to make him sin but fate is a steamy little bitch isn’t she?
The atmosphere of this school is so eery and full of secrets and skeletons in the closets. It was an amazing experience and had me on edge. I loved that George was into true crime and I truly felt like I was right there with her trying to figure out what in the actual hell is going on at this school and while we don’t find out much because of continued research, friendships, boys, budding romances, and other things, I am just excited to be along for the ride. Answers will come when they come. Until then I’m left in my little reader hole of making guesses and hanging in the suspense. This one is definitely a 2021 fave.
Warning: this book does end on a cliffhanger and the concluding book isn’t out yet.
TWs: Kidnapping, drug use, drinking, talk of possible ritualistic sacrifice, scientific experiments with already dead rabbits, graphic depictions of a crime scene including autopsy, murder, discussion of past rape/sexual assault, ptsd and anxiety related to past rape/sexual assault, bullying, discussion of grief and losing a parent
Overall rating 5 stars
Steaminess 3 stars

[The Karina Chronicles · Rating 1 out of 5]

15/01/2023

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

English

This was by far the worst book I've ever read. It will be hard to put my opinion in just a few sentences, but I'll try anyway. This is promoted as a Dark Academia book, which it is not. Yes it takes place at a university, is very pretentious and has some dark elements, but the main focus in this book is romance, or let's say "sexual tension". Furthermore all relationships in here are extremely toxic, which might be something you enjoy while reading, but I do not. The author depends fully on the world building of other authors and just easily points at them as comparison. "The dininghall looked like Hogwarts, but then slightly different." The book is extremely harmfull and rude against religious people, but also LGBTQ+ people or even men, women and non-binairy people in general. Not because I just think every person would hate this book, but becaue literally every "group" of people also get's their own atrocious moment. There should be a million trigger warnings for this and if you forget all what I've just said and still want to read this dark romance kind of book, know then that even the smut is quite absent. Just don't read it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dutch

Dit was met afstand het aller slechtste boek dat ik ooit gelezen heb. Het wordt moeilijk voor me om mijn mening in een paar zinnen te schrijven, maar ik ga het toch proberen. Dit boek wordt geadverteerd als een dark academia boek, wat het niet is. Ja, het vindt plaats op een universiteit, het is heel pretentieus en er zijn donkere elementen, maar het belangrijkste onderwerp van dit boek is romantiek, of laten we zeggen "seksuele spanning". Alle relaties in dit verhaal zijn extreem ongezond, wat misschien iets is wat jij graag leest, maar ik doe dat niet graag. De schrijver leunt volledig op de werelden die andere auteurs creëren en wijst eenvoudig naar deze verhalen om hun eigen wereld te beschrijven. "De dinerhal zag er uit zoals Zweinstein, maar dan net iets anders." Het boek is heel schadelijk en onbeleefd naar religieuze mensen, maar ook LHBTQ+ mensen of zelfs mannen, vrouwen en non-binaire mensen in het algemeen. Niet omdat ik gewoon denk dat iedereen dit boek zou haten, maar omdat elke "groepering" zijn eigen walgelijke scène heeft waar ze aanstoot aan kunnen nemen. Er zouden een miljoen trigger waarschuwingen gegeven moeten worden voor dit verhaal en als je alsnog besluit te negeren wat ik net allemaal heb gezegd en je nog steeds dit soort van donkere romantiek boek wilt lezen, weet dan dat zelfs de erotiek vrij afwezig is. Lees het gewoon niet.

[Missha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not even going to be sorry for the one-star review. This book was so bad that if I hear any of the following words (alabaster, dark prince, hot priest, gothic, British, old-chap) I might cry.

Side note: the title of this series being dark academia is in fact an insult to all the dark academia books out there.

Let's start with the characters. And the fact that only one of them had a personality - and that dude got way less screen time than he deserved.

George managed to sexualize anything and everybody that was within her eye-sight. Like I get that a girl has hormones and wants to get rid of some of them, but I don't think I have ever read anything like this. If it's well placed or adds something to the plot, it would've been okay. But there is absolutely no reason for it to be this bad.

Sebastian and William are like, one-dimensional. They either have their trauma or religion or both as personalities and that's exactly where it ends. Oh, and they like using people and crossing lines that should've never even been thought about crossing. Like, yikes.

Lee could've been a fun character but the person who voiced the audiobook absolutely ruined her for me. Sorry. I tried.

Monty - he's the one with somewhat of a personality. Even though he's absolutely fucked in the head, he could've made the fun, crazy, thinks-he's-a-god-reïncarnated character. Like, in one of those books that admits that their character is bad in every single way. Yet I think that might require some writing skill and I am sorry but Steffanie didn't show any of that in this book.

Because let's talk about the writing. On the first page we already get a little bit of a preview of the, for a lack of a better word, fetish the author seems to have for anything British.
"I love the storybook British names and customs for everything"
But let's not forget about the "And that British accent....mmm..." and how the term 'supper club' is beautifully British.

Steffanie also makes George talk to the readers ( "Yes, I know you want to hear about xxxxxx. I promise I'm getting there. Existential crisis stuff first, okay?" ) and loves telling rather than showing. If I hear once more just how gothic or secretive something is without having anything of the vibe, I will scream.

Other than that, this book contains all kinds of non-con and dub-con scenes, together with a huge amount of toxicity, abuse of authority, and like no plot to be found.

[Maxine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the warning

Spoilers ahead.

In the notes the author says that the male leads aren’t involved *physically* with any of the sh!t that happens to her…first of all that was a lie. She also said that the female lead wouldn’t take any sh!t & gives as good as she gets….also a lie. I’m pretty sure the FL’s middle name is doormat.

The FL is also really f_cking d_mb. Idk why she trusted someone that watched & participated in the horrible sh!t done to her.

Situation A: he forces her to pose in the n_de. The only reason she absolutely has to do it is bc the professor threatened to write her up & she’s a scholarship student so she kind can’t get a write up…I let the FL slide on this one

Sit B: his friend kidnaps her & ties her up in the boys restroom where they p!as on her & other things & he literally doesn’t help her

That’s just the tip of the ice berg. One thing I don’t get is why the FL would believe them (the group of psychos) when they were being kind to her after all they’ve done….. like you’re that desperate for friends????

Read at your own risk. I just want one ONE bully romance where the FL actually stands up for herself & isn’t constantly in heat *eye roll*

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title already tempted me, but the moment I had the book in my hands the book refused to leave me alone. It wanted to be read. Even though it's not a supernatural story, I was incredibly curious. The atmosphere, the setting, it sounded like something I was gonna love. And since I have great experiences with Steffanie Holmes and haven't read a book by her that I didn't like, I just couldn't wait any longer and dove in yesterday.

Once more this book proved how terrible I am with names. It took me some time to realize that the George in this story is the same George as the one in the Stolen Girl series. Even though I still have to read the last book in that series, I enjoyed this book immensely. After all, George had a relatively minor part in the other series, but from the very first page I was reading from her point of view I felt this connection. We had so much in common, we were so alike.

As I already expected it was the atmosphere in this book that truly stole the show. I live in Europe and I've visited quite a few castles and even though I normally don't really have imagines in my mind when reading I now could see the school quite clearly. Holmes describes its oldness, the hidden niches and she made sure I could almost taste the history, but she never lost herself in endless info-dumps. I was in a place my mind could create combining Holmes' descriptions and my knowledge of European castle and churches.

I can totally imagine that this book might not be for everyone. The plot is amazing, the mystery is great, the location is awesome, but the guys are not the easiest guys to like. It's clear that they have a lot of secrets and a shared past. And where George comes across as this honest, loyal and fierce young woman, it's clear that her guys are anything but honest and also have some issues with loyalty. They're bad boys in every possible way. But they're delicious bad boys and I somehow fell in love with them.

[Miss_Cultura · Rating 3 out of 5]

2´5

La premisa es interesante y es verdad que lo leí en unas horas, pero hay varias cosas que me chirriaron, que no llegué a entender, que con lo bien que iba la historia se desinfla.
La historia se lee rápido y te engancha, pero siento que falta mucho. Hay un segundo libro que quiero leer, pero por como me dejó el final de este libro y por pura curiosidad. Porque como os digo, empezó genial, la premisa muy interesante, pero de repente ¡boom! además hay dos chicos u hombres en la historia, pero con uno de ellos me ha quedado un poco loca, un poco ¿qué está pasando?
Todavía estoy procesando el libro.
En contexto y sin spoilers: Chica americana llega a una universidad y se topa con un grupo selecto que la hace la vida imposible. La mitología y los cultos a dioses tienen mucho que ver, pero no sé hasta donde va...
Supongo que en el segundo libro nos lo contará.

[K Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I selected this book solely based on its title. I thought it was from a Smiths’ song, but the main character quotes it from Jack Kerouac. I looked it up:

“…I regarded lust as offensive and even cruel. ‘Pretty girls make graves,’ was my saying, whenever I'd had to turn my head around involuntarily to stare at the in­comparable pretties of Indian Mexico.”
Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

For the record, I’ve always regarded Kerouac as a dick. Now that I’ve read her book, I think the author’s allusion hangs over the plot in a significant way—especially when it comes to spoiled brats and misogyny and the entitled upper crust (please hear those last two words in a British accent with a trilling tongue).

I was expecting a college campus mystery, and I liked Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, so I thought I’d give it a go. While Graves is not as literary as Tartt’s book, Holmes’ story also investigates the crumbling crypts of privileged, elite academic cliques (there must be Greek! There must be Latin!), and she executes some fine mystery plotting with just a dash of a hot priest and a good/bad boy (mostly bad) to keep it interesting.

I found her allusions to Dionysian lust and excess quite fun. The podcasts? Less fun. But it was a compelling read and it ends in the middle of a Poe-like horror, so I must read on!

File Under: A Girl Named George Moves to England

[Mandyloves2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it ! RTC

[Robin Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a dark, crazy, twisted academy book! I freaking loved it. George sees herself as a punk misfit with a podcast and is addicted to everything mysterious. Attending university in Great Britain, she's an unwanted, friendless Yank as the posh, incestuous clique makes it abundantly clear she's not welcome in their secret society. And oh the secrets and lies! While George is an atheist, she finds herself drawn to a young priest, Sebastian. Although she knows her feelings are taboo, she can't seem to stop finding comfort visiting with him. And then there's William...member of the cruel Orpheus society and friends with her mean girl roommate. She feels an inexplicable attraction to him but he's dressed in a huge red flag. I can't forget to mention there are girls that go missing from Blackfriars University. All of this has my head spinning from the intricately woven plot, insane bullying and unpredictable roller coaster of emotions. Every time I have a grasp on where I think the story is headed, George (and I) are taken by surprise and kicked in the gut. I can't wait for the rest of this story because I'm holding a HUGE grudge against some people. HUGE!

[liz ৎ୭ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiene todo los que me gusta, dark academia, sociedades secretas, desapariciones misteriosas, cultos satánicos y romace pero no terminó de convenceme y empezó bien pero de la nada se volvió soso y predecible y la protagonista terminó pidiéndome insoportable pero como no puedo con la duda de que es el asesino supongo me leeré el otro libro

acto 1: chica pobre que escucha punk, tiene el cabello azul, es amiga de una mafiosa y no es como las otras chicas gana beca para universidad británica cristiana llena de nobles ricos

acto 2. chica se entera de que en la universidad hay sociedades secretas y los miembros de una de estás sociedades la agarraran como saco de boxeo y también conoce a un padre sexy

acto 3. chica descubre que en la universidad desaparecen chicas en la noche del diablo y casualmente su compañera de cuarto desaparece y se toma la tarea de investigar las desapariciones y a la sociedad secreta

acto 4: chica se ve envuelta en medio de un medio triángulo amoroso con el padre sexy y uno de los miembros de la sociedad que le orino encima

acto 5: chica se entera que salir con el de la sociedad secreta sólo había sido una apusta hehe se deprime la corren del cuarto, alguien la secuestra, la mete en una habitación diminuta y fin...

[Bria Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

well holy shit balls that was wild! especially that last part like WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

What did I just read? The story had me intrigued but the overall cringe of this book was insane.. that ending though.. what the fuck was that?

"Dark Prince" are you for real?

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

18+
TW: Bullying, mentions of rape/sexual assault, physical assault, murder, dismemberment, sexualization of a priest character

This popped up as a suggestion for me and I've never read a bully romance so I thought I would give it a try, and as expected the bullies were bullying.

This book suffers from an insufferable main character who is quirky and different and also dumb. She acts like she's not like the other girls, so she makes no friends. Almost immediately there is a target painted on her back from the mysterious members of their schools secret club - the Orpheus Society. I cannot for the life of me remember any specific reason they target her in the beginning, but they do. She's constantly under attack from them but then always falls for their stupid antics, believing "are they really trying to make amends?" and then the cycle continues of them just making her look stupid.

Yet, for as annoying and quirky as she is she has two of the hottest men on campus falling for her. One of them is her bully and the other is a priest (Who frankly I don't really like, even tho he didn't do anything to make me feel like that). I don't really care what people wear but it was painful at times to listen to the description of what she was wearing in comparison to the Orpheus Society, or the other boys in general, she dressed like a 10 year old and they were like "you bewitched me from the moment we met" IT'S JUST REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE THEY FELL INSTANTLY IN LOVE WITH HER.

There is a lot of times conflicts are easily solved without really trying. Like Orpheus threatens to have her mom's food truck closed down so she just makes a call to her best friend Claws (who is a teenage mob boss??) and she handles it. I've read that this might be further explained in another series the author has but even if it is, it is bad writing to just never explain things to your reader. She's always dropping vague hints about 'last year' and her being involved in killing two guys and releasing some wild animals but NOTHING is explained and it's infuriating.

There isn't enough smut in this to really justify reading two whole books for me. What smut we do get it alright, I've read a little bit of the second book already and it seems like it's starting off spicer, but with a nonsensical plotline and a main character I would yeet off of a cluff idk if I can finish this series.

also what the fuck was that bathroom scene ... if you know you know

[Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tajne stowarzyszenia na uczelni która znajduje się w gotyckim klasztorze i do tego ciągle nawiązania do klasycznej literatury i starożytnej Grecji 😭 zakochałam się

[Tabatha Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty Girls Make Graves is a wild ride. This story will whip you in all different directions. I think it might be impossible to prepare your heart and mind for the journey this book will take you on.

Our heroine, Georgina Fischer, George for short is a delight. She’s authentic and righteous and flawed in the best of ways. She’s not a pushover and these wicked bullies put her through the ringer and she never breaks.

The bullying here is not for the faint of heart. It starts off mild but works up to a shocking and painful crescendo that was difficult to read. My heart was broken for George. There is a particularly horrific scene in the boys bathroom that is honestly one of the most vile and vicious bullying incidents I’ve come across in all my bully reads. I don’t know how George didn’t shatter. This girl is made of steel.

Our hero/anti-hero here are an odd pair. They might be brothers. There is definitely enough vitriol between them. Father Sebastian Pearce is a sinfully hot priest who works at the school. He and George are drawn together. Of course, this relationship is forbidden in every sense. Age gap, teacher and priest!

William Windsor-Forsyth is most definitely an anti hero. He’s one of her bullies, even participating in the bathroom incident. He tries to protect her at times but it’s never enough. He’s beyond flawed, he’s cruel, arrogant and a giant alphahole. He’s not her main bully for most of the story but his participation is definitely a gut punch and makes his actions feel worse than her other bullies.

We also have a murder/secret society mystery bubbling underneath everything else. This story is wonderful and intense and heart wrenching. You won’t want it to end. There is heartache, betrayal and a vow of revenge and impending war.

Story 5/5, Spice 3/5, Darkness 2/5, Angst 4.25/5

Bully, potential MFM ménage, taboo, forbidden romance, age gap, student/teacher, secret society, murder mystery

Slooooow burn, there are two intimate scenes. One involving a priest and alter at 85%. It’s very hot and dirty and sacrilegious. They don’t do the deed but there is oral and lots of touching and kissing. The other scene is at 90% with her beloved bully, this goes all the way.

Condom used, virgin h, possible manwhore, push away from all parties to this relationship at different times, no cheating.

This is book 1 of a duet and it ends on a massive cliffhanger. We’ll all be counting the days until book 2 comes.

*this is apparently a spin-off of the Stonehurst series. Lots of references to it and characters/events in that. I haven’t read them so I can attest to the fact you CAN read this without having read Stonehurst - however if you prefer to have zero spoilers for your reads then it would be better to read Stonehurst first so nothing in that series gets spoiled for you.*

Safety readers - as far as OW drama or cheating- you’re safe. This book does have a plethora of triggers, you definitely want to check the authors note before reading. This book isn’t messing around.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Natália Loureiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It delivers what it promises.
Secret society, taboo, mystery, dark atmosphere... I was caught up in the story, intrigued by the oscillations that appeared.
George irritated me - she seems to be very well-resolved at times and extremely needy and childish at others, to the point of being annoying.
Other characters were also tiresome and lacked charisma... simply no one is the least bit polite in this place?
But in the end, I was intrigued by what's going on in the background and I'm going to follow it to find out more.
______________________________________________

Ele cumpre o que promete.
Sociedade secreta, tabu, mistério, ambiente sombrio.. fiquei presa na história, intrigada com as oscilações que apareceram.
George me irritou - ela parece ser super bem resolvida em alguns momentos e extremamente carente e infantil em vários outros, chegando a ser irritante.
Outros personagens também são cansativos e com pouco carisma.. simplesmente ninguém é minimamente educado nesse lugar?
Mas no fim, fiquei intrigada com o que está acontecendo de história de fundo e vou seguir para saber mais.

[Elle VanGilder · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to be a hater for a quick second…you can say 'this book just isn't for you' all you want, and I do agree with you! It's not for me! But it's also bad. A hollow plot structured just to get our protagonist some mediocre dick and a blatant ripping off of The Secret History aside (seriously, she goes to the Ancient Greek class and is told 'hey, the office should've told you that I don't take new students xoxo' and I'm not meant to look at the nearly identical circumstances from TSH and call it out??? I was grossed out by a lot of things in this book, least of all the lack of creativity) this book just feels…lazy. Things move quickly without any real reason or impetus (suddenly one of the love interests is just…friendly with the protag? after being an ass to her the whole time? and the protag is into it? despite the fact that he LITERALLY PISSED ON HER like 30 pages earlier?? "I knew you were strong enough" kill me) and plot points are added and dropped at random.

Just…save yourself the hassle and don’t read this.

[Dooniereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I’m blown away. This is the first I’ve read by this author and I think I now need to check out her other books 😍

This is a dark, twisted, bully academy book with some awesome references to Greek history and Catholicism.

You meet George who has come to Blackfriars to study on a scholarship from California. She doesn’t really make friends very easily and struggles with the arseholes at the uni. The story has so much going on is drags you in and doesn’t let you leave until you try to figure out what is happening (you don’t in this book)

There is a rich self entitled boy William and a priest Sebastian who are on George’s mind a lot. (Just to mention I do not like Monty at all) Then the best friend Leigh who befriends her a bit later in the book.

“Whatever you do don’t go out on Devils Night” George didn’t listen and that’s where the fun starts.

A fantastic book with sexual tension, bully, friendship, murder, emotions, history. It has everything you want. It’s slow burn but that just makes it more exciting when the spice happens.

I’m a little broken though after that ending 😩 I can’t wait to see what happens for George in the next book. This is a single POV from George. I would love to get into the minds of some of the other characters though but with this story it needed to be only George’s POV so the mystery can continue.

Just amazing 🖤

[Disco Inferno · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dig it. Major cliffhanger to end, but the story has me by its tail. I must wag with it.

Georgie-Porgie Put-Upon-Pie. I can’t remember what film that line is from, but I feel like it was a cruel one. It fits.

[Marnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

“i’ve been a man for way longer than I’ve been a priest”. HDHAHDHAH non podo.

Malirmo pero… paseino increibleee HAHAHA o libro mais cringe que lin ata o momento (e lin a cum crisis de neverland). Onde ta o segundo??

[Juliette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a vibe

[Darci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lovely surprise to stumble upon on KU-- the title is so attention-grabbing and fits the vibe of the book perfectly!

This book contains a twisted, dark bully romance in a near-gothic academic setting. I found the main character George to be delightfully defiant, even if that defiance was sometimes displayed on the mere premise of continuing to exist in a place where she is told she does not belong. The bullying she endures is terribly cruel, so if you can't stomach that element, then this is not the book for you. I felt that the bullying didn't cross my own personal, invisible "line," especially since I could tell there was something else going on behind the scenes to explain some of the LIs bystander inaction.

I loved the cliff-hanger ending, so I'm jumping right into book 2! I even have some interest in reading the RH book this series was a spin-off to...

This book scratched an itch I didn't know I had, and pulled me out of a mini-slump, so cheers to that!

[1000_books_1000_lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping dark academia. Loved this blend of contemporary and classic gothic elements. The story had me hooked- the characters are dark and tortured and it’s so good. It’s well paced and unexpected twists and turns with an ending that had me running to download book 2! Definitely recommend