Kaiden: King of Edgewood Prep. Nobody dares to cross me with the darkness that consumes my soul. So when the pretty little Catherine O’Farrell walks into my kingdom and away from me, I’m more determined than ever to break her. My demons cheer for a new victim...but Catherine turns out to be anything but a victim. She can try all she wants to fight back, but she’ll soon learn there’s only one way to survive her senior year; bow to the king or die trying.
Catherine: Kaiden Monaghan has me locked in his sights. He may be king of Edgewood Prep, but his schoolboy antics don’t bother me. I’ve met the devil and have the scars to prove it. Determined to keep my dark secrets buried down deep, I keep my head down and try to get through the school days. But Kaiden has other plans and tries his hardest to break me. There's just one thing he doesn't know; you can’t break somebody who’s already broken.
This is the first book in the series, The Elites of Edgewood Prep. This is a dark bully romance with triggers. 18+. Not for sensitive readers.
Hello and thanks for following my writing journey!
I am a Community Volunteer, Pinterest worthy crafts, and home type of gal, who secretly loves to read down and dirty, alpha male romance books! (shh don't tell the others!) I love all things spooky and can't live without my coffee!
I live in a beautiful small town in New England with my husband, two kids, and our three rescue cats.
It started out with great potential but the delivery failed miserably.
Kaiden and Cat have "demons" from the past. Kaiden makes a half-assed attempt to bully Cat just because he's butthurt from the fact that she turned down his cocky advances. Then all of a sudden he admires her and she's his everything. Meanwhile Cat's loving mom turns evil overnight.
K and C discover they share a past. K becomes her saviour. C goes through some ridiculously far fetched trauma at the hands of Jon. Jon gives Kaiden q run for his money at school even though Jon seems to have no friends who can help him stand up to Kaiden and his "elite" boys. But Jon keeps attacking fearlessly and gets away with it. Then he and his dad kidnap Cat and Penny in a weird and extreme attempt to make her a slave.
Turns out all the evil conveniently belongs to one family and everything wraps up too simply. There were so many random mentions of situations that took the story nowhere. There was a random ridiculous teacher who's motives and behavior were far fetched. Random mentions of K's tricked out car or cat's clothing that were just annoying and did nothing for the story.
The writing while it flowed was so cringeworthy and ridiculous. I was constantly rolling my eyes at the passionate conversations during non dramatic events and the blah conversations that glossed over climactic events.
This honestly felt like it was written by a very talented preteen with just the way the plot was executed and the way the problems were handled. Not to mention the very cringey dialogs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
DNF @ 39%. This is the kind of book that is "damned if you did or didn't". It's a HS prep book where the kids all act like immature high school kids. However, if they acted older, there would be complaints, too. I just can't go along with a kid claiming he's the king of the school on one page and then on the next page complaining that he got kicked off the Lacrosse final because someone snitched to the coach that he was smoking. There is a disconnect here. Also, the overuse of "wicked", like "that's wicked cool" got on my nerves.
I would have kept going despite that I couldn't buy into any of these boys as any kind of ruling class of anything. However, I had to DNF this because Cat, tortured by her past, finally confides in Kaiden and within 24 hours he has told all of his crew (4 boys) and his dad all of her private anguish. Spoiler:
STFU, Kaiden. It's NOT your story to tell. I had to quit reading this. There is no coming back from that kind of thoughtless betrayal. I was done.
This dark angsty romance was entertaining but had some quirks in the writing that kept taking me out of the story. First, the good...Kaiden and Cat had some steamy scenes. Kaiden was loyal, protective and confident. He was good for Cat once he got his schoolyard bullying out of the way. Cat was smart, beautiful, a broken girl...but also a survivor and fighter. I liked their chemistry and dynamic. Now the quirks...I didn’t care for the overuse of the word “wicked”. Also, the hero and heroine had such a complicated backstory that I felt like I missed a book or series. Like I should have known the characters and villains. It confused me and had me searching all of the books the author had written. But otherwise, definitely a sexy dark high school read that if you like angsty stories that have crazy psycho villains...this story is for you.
Lila Grey is back and she is bringing us one heck of a bully romance. So here we have Kaiden the king of Edgewood Prep and Catherine the ice princess. Now Catherine has some demons that she is living with and is barely hanging on. Now what kind of demons is she hiding. Well it is in her past. However, it seems as though when Kaiden starts his plans to get her to leave he never expected to see her. Kaiden is rough and is tired of hearing about how amazing Catherine is. Well it seems as though fate knew what they were doing when they bring these two together. What is funny is that Kaiden thinks that he will be able to bully her out of town. What he did not expect to see was the darkness hiding behind her eyes. You would never have imagined how the darkness calls out to him and things just start to shift. As you read you will see how the relationship develops between the two. Lets not forget that her past is not done playing with her. Can you imagine the betrayals that can possibly happen. So much mystery and it slowly unravels. Once it does you will be like oh no oh no. Yeah it gets really intense and you will tear up. It is a great book to read and I cannot wait for the next one.
This was the first book I have ready by Lila Grey and I can tell you it will not be my last!
I love bully bad boy romance especially if it has the dark elements and Wicked Ruthless has it all. Darkness, bad boy (bad boys), spice, and tons of plot twists!!!
Kaiden is every girl’s wet dream! Tall, dark, broody, pierced and tattooed! And Catherine is that fierce sassy girl who can handle him and more! I cannot wait to dive into the second book. But I can tell you… this book is one for you if you don’t have triggers. If you do… heed my warning - READ THE TRIGGERS!!!! It definitely comes with a slew of them!!!
Five-five. I loved this book from start to finish. I really enjoyed how strong Cathrine is for all that she went through. She has an amazing heart and character. Her love for Kaid is amazing. I’m so glad I got to know these characters.
Kaiden is the bad boy with a good heart for Cathrine. I really enjoyed their banter with one another. I felt like I was seeing their love for each other for real and not fake at all. I know they both have very dark pasts. I’m so glad that in ways they never fully caved to their darkness.
Penny and X are my favorite side characters and can’t wait to get to know more about them it left so many questions in my head about them. I also love Issac he is an amazing friend for Cathrine for what she goes through.
Some characters I really wanted to kill with my bare hands even though I know I can’t haha. Lila had a lot of emotions come out of me with this book and I can’t wait for more in this series. You have an amazing way with words and kept me on my toes. Some of the things I never saw coming. I never wanted to put this book down which is good cuz lately I’ve been in a book slump.
Lila does it again! I couldn't put this down. Catherine and Kaiden's story had me going through all the emotions.
Kaiden is the bad boy who rules the school with his group of friends. Catherine is the new girl who does the unthinkable and turns him down. He sees something in her that makes him want to break her down. Little does he know that she has darkness in her past that has made her tough. Darkness seeks other darkness. To watch their story unfold was amazing. I also can't get enough of Penny, Xander, and Issac. I am looking forward to their stories as well. Amazing first book in the Elites of Edgewood Prep series!
I am clearly on a different page than most others who reviewed this book. The characters were generic, the dialogue annoying and serious topics handled in a very unrealistic manner. I couldn't get past the 50% mark and believe me, I tried.
This book had great plot ideas but unfortunately they were rushed and jumped all over the place. I like the premise behind the book. It just needed more flushing out.
This is one of those books that got better the further you went. HOWEVER. Saying that, even tho the storyline got better, it was still a little bit cringey to read.
The prologue gives us Catherine, our FMC, -"Kitty Cat" or "Cat"- past trauma, and the details of how she faced her tormentor and the aftermath.
The book then begins with Kaiden, the MMC declaring himself King of the School. All the girls want to be with him, all the guys want to be him. Yep. Already his sight is on Cat, the new student, due to the fact she rejected him. This results in him determined to break her. To get her on her knees to bow before the king of the school.
You see where this goes...it's like an over privileged 18yr old bullying a girl for not falling for his usual tried and true charm. He sends his "boys" looking into her past and within days he's discovered some of the secret and decides to put the pieces together- all wrong.
Cat is dating a guy called Jon for the first few days or week of the school. He seems too good to be true...so when Cat ends it, he slaps her promising its not over.
So. We have Kaiden the "bad boy with dark demons", the king of the school and her bully. And then there's Cat. The new student who just wants to graduate with no drama, proclaimed as "ice queen" for rejecting Kaiden.
About half way thru, kaiden suddenly develops a conscience. Bamb! Out of the blue. He suddenly realises he's being out of order and wants Cat to like him.
And it doesn't take her long to like him. It's the usual bully storyline tbh! So nothing unexpected!
On homecoming she decides to be naughty and sleeps with him at a party at someone's house and the next day there was a video of it circulated from his phone. It was at this point, I started to actually like the guy tbh! (After the whole video stuff was sorted out!)
It was around 60% it seemed to get better. The problems Cat was having with Jon seemed weirdly out of proportion and seriously fixated on her.
Finding out the history of Kaiden and the weird few twists that in fact helped them grow closer eventually I did not expect!
It's this later part of the book that raises the rating. It actually feels almost a different book, a different style of writing - more intense, more emotion and a better connection to the two main characters.
I know it's part of a series, and I'm guessing it's xander who's next, but I'm not pulled to read the next. I may come back to it in the future, but for now, I'm happy to leave here!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I can't believe this was only 200 pages; it took me forever to get through and was just such a painful read.
The story felt all over the place and was so predictable, especially regarding Jon and his family. I didn't care for any of the characters, and although I usually love a bully romance story, the reason Kaiden hated her (we find out she rejected him) just seems so overly ridiculous and again, poorly written on top of that.
There was too much going on in the background, such as the random subplot with the teacher, and I couldn't wait to be done with it all. I also couldn't stand the Kitty Cat nickname - it made me cringe every time.
This is the first book in the Edgewood Prep series by Lila Grey. Kaiden rules the school and Cat is the new girl with a brutal past, so of course he bullies her. Unlike other bulky romances I’ve read though, it doesn’t last throughout the whole book, he cones around sooner which I liked. Cat is no pushover although there are trigger warnings that makes you think she might have been. Lots of evil doings here but none too over the top, and I’m looking forward to the next book. Bring on Xander and Penny! Thank you Lila for letting me read an Advanced Copy, it was so good!
This book is by far my now absolute favorite freaking book by this author for sure! I absolutely adore Cat and Kaiden and how they were there for each other. Their past, they are not going to let that define them and are stronger than that and fiercely protective and loyal to those they care about. This book definitely had my emotions all over with the things they went through but I love how they didnt let it get them down for long at all. Can not wait for the next book and to find out who its about!
Edgewood Prep series by Lila Grey starts off strong with this tale. This book had my attention from the start. Enjoyed the characters. Kaiden is the King of Edgewood Prep and Catherine is the new girl. They both have demons they struggle with. The twists and turns, bullying, unraveling secrets, emotional rollercoaster, and steamy spice will have you addicted to this page turner. Story was well written and developed nicely. Can’t wait to read Xander’s book!!! I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving an arc copy for an honest review.
I am in love with this book. The book had me hooked from the very first word.
Kaiden and Catherine are 2 broken souls who find each other. The darkness that they care around only seems to come down when they are together. But happily ever after has obstacles.
This is a great book and amazing characters. Get ready to loss yourself to the Elite Five and Edgewood Prep. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
There a times when you read a book where words can’t explain what you read. Kaiden and Cat’s story had a lot of bad s**t in it. Cat’s story alone and everything that happened is not for the faint heart. Kaiden had stuff from his own past that happened. They learned that their demons speak to one another. They fought together. And while you will never forget the nightmares you’ve been through, you learn to heal over time.
Kaiden is every high school girls dream he is Tall, dark, broody, pierced and tattooed! And Cat (Catherine) is fierce, sassy, and so very strong in all ways that she can handle kaiden and more.
The highs, the lows, the twist, the turns, heartbreak, love and steaminess was just perfect. This story does have a lot of Triggers and heart stopping moments, and abuse, but hang in there and it will be worth it.
Lila does it again! This book is super addictive and such an adrenaline rush. It will keep you glued to your seat and forget all the chores that need to be done. Heck I even read it while on the exercise bike and didn’t want to stop exercising to keep reading. If you like dark, twisted and misunderstood this is the book for you.
This book is on FIRE! Seriously. This is Lila’s best one yet. I started it at 2pm and couldn’t put it down; finished several hours later. It has everything you could want and more. I can’t wait to see how the series progresses. While there were some very dark topics; I think they were well conveyed and not over the top.
This is the first bully romance I have ever read and it did not disappoint. At first I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it because Kaid was a royal a$$hole but as he slowly grew on Cat he grew on me. By the end I was team Kaid and Cat. I loved how the epilogue was done at the four years later and then eight years later. I can hardly wait for the next book in this series.
Wow !!! First book the Elites of Edgewood Prep series. Let me tell you one of the best bully romance I have read. Kaiden the the bad boy you love to hate. King of the school nobody crosses him nobody. So when Cat shows no emotion to him. It's game on. Cat has a darkness that won't let her go. Ice princess to everyone but inside she's screaming for help. Like every bad boy he has a hero complex. By saving cat he fall for the her and will kill for her.
Wicked Ruthless is the first book in the Elites of Edgewood Prep series. Kaiden is a bad boy with is the King of the school. Cat has had a terrible past and she is living with the demons of her past. Kaiden and Cat’s story is filled with twists and turns and heartbreak and love. Love this new series, it’s absolutely a page turner.
This is definitely a dark book with many adult issues or situations. I thought it was well written and dealt with the issues in a mature way. If you like bully romance, this is definitely a good book for you. I was surprise by the twists and turns. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.
It’s a no from me. While the book had potential and I did like some of it, that ending was just a disaster. The h has already been a victim for years. I did not need her to be raped by 2 more men to prove a point. It makes the H less of a Hero when he doesn’t actually rescue her in time. Depressing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
First book in the series! Great book, I enjoyed the main characters, Kaiden and Cat. Kaiden is the king of the school and Cat is the target. I enjoyed the storyline. Very well written as well. Kept me interested and ended perfectly!
First book to be read by the author Lila Grey. I'm definitely paying attention to her now. I really enjoyed kaiden and Catherine. Their relationship just seemed, well felt different, and that made this eeally enjoyable .
Not great. Very repetitive. Same basic story like a lot of others in this genre. Mc always winking which is so annoying. Dnf. Better high school books out there.