Welcome to the world of Hawthorne Prep. A seemingly idyllic school where ivy clings to the thick stone walls and a wrought iron gate keeps out the townies who can’t afford to foot the hefty price tag.
Except…I’m one of those townies.
I don’t belong here.
Most of the time, I feel like an outsider with her face smashed against a windowpane while staring inside. It’s a lonely feeling. One I’ve gotten used to. There are times when I secretly wonder if I’ll make it through senior year intact.
But then someone comes along and turns my world upside down and inside out. He makes me feel things I never dreamed possible. There’s a possessiveness to the way he watches me, and it sets my nerves on edge.
Especially when it’s in front of my boyfriend.
The one I desperately want to break up with.
The very same one who will make my life hell if I try to pull the plug.
Steering clear of Austin Hawthorne is my only option. A little attempt at self-preservation. For both our sakes.
One night changes everything between us and has me believing in the possibility of something more.
Just as swiftly as I’m given hope, it all comes crashing down around my head, making me a pawn in a game between two boys who will stop at nothing to take each other down.
Betrayal. Blackmail. Revenge.
How is it that those three words now rule my life?
I picked up Prince of Hawthorne Prep with the intention of reading just a couple of chapters before bed, but instead, I didn't stop until the sun came up. This is my first read from Jennifer Sucevic, and I'm definitely going to be reading more from her in the future. New adult romance is my shit, so I'm always looking for new ones to enjoy. Shout out to my girl, Michelle, that brought this one to my attention!
Before I go any further, I want to mention that I had no idea there were other books in the series before this one, so heads up to anyone else that isn't aware of that either. I still enjoyed the story without the previous installments, but I did feel like I was missing a few things. Aside from getting to know more about Summer and Kingsley, the couple from books 1 and 2, I felt like I missed out on information about Austin's family, their history with the town, and how and why they came back to it.
Moving on to the story!
Austin and Delilah have an instant connection that Delilah tries to ignore, because she's in a relationship with Jasper, the starting quarterback of Hawthorne Prep. She doesn't actually want to be with Jasper, but she's scared of how he will react to her breaking up with him. He's a hot headed, arrogant, aggressive, manipulative asshole that doesn't like the word no. When she finally works up the courage to leave, Jasper manipulates her once again making Austin think Delilah is out to destroy him, changing her from the object of his affection to the target of his revenge.
If frustration was a book, it would be this one! I wanted to slap these characters upside the head so many times it was unreal and shake them to make them act right or to see what was right in front of them. It took everything in me not to scream to the top of my lungs and wake up my husband as I watched them making one stupid choice after the other, some of which could cause irreparable damage, especially at the end of the book! I'm surprised that my Kindle is still intact!
Delilah is a heroine that is on the weaker side which tested my patience, but I tried to remember that she's a young girl at a disadvantage. Not only does she have the kids at school and the principal to worry about, but her own mother doesn't even listen to her or take her side against absolutely anyone. I'm so done with her mom. I can't imagine believing my daughter's ex-boyfriend over her, especially if they told me said boyfriend was mean to them. What is wrong with this woman?! She needs a foot up the ass to go along with the smack upside the head. I can't with her.
Don't even get me started on Jasper! Somebody needs to beat the shit out of him in the next book, or I won't be able to cope. All of Delilah's so called friends made me sick, but Audrey deserves a special place in hell. Principal Pembroke can also get fucked. That man makes me sick to my core.
Saying all of that might make you think I didn't enjoy this story, but that's not true at all. I fucking love drama in books! If an author can make me invested enough to get upset for the characters and want to do bodily harm to the people that hurt them, they've done their job! They made me feel, and they made me care. That's a credit to the author's writing. Period. On top of that, Austin spent a lot of time naked in this book which of course, I was totally here for! He enjoys torturing Delilah with his body which just makes the sexual tension between them more intense, and it made the payoff more than worth it.
I talked a lot about the characters I can't stand in the beginning of this review. Now, let's discuss the ones I loved! I absolutely adore Summer, Duke, and Austin. Summer is Austin's ride or die. The way she always has her brother's back endeared her to me immediately, and out of everyone in the book, she's the only one that heard Delilah out completely and took her at her word. That also got her major points with me.
Duke stole my heart by being such an amazing friend to Delilah. He was ready to defend her at any given moment no matter who he had to go up against. It didn't matter if she asked for his help or not, he always spoke up when he saw something that wasn't right, and he didn't back off unless he was assured she was okay. I'm assuming we'll be getting his and Everly's story once this one is complete, and you better believe I'm going to be reading it!
Austin started out sweet but direct. He didn't shy away from letting Delilah know how he felt about her. After he thinks she betrayed him, he goes into bully territory for a hot minute, but I loved that it didn't last long. He's a good guy at heart, and there was never a second where I didn't believe that. I fully understood his hesitation to believe Delilah, so I didn't blame him for anything he did as a result. The only time I wanted to kick his ass was at the end, but I'll reserve that ass kicking until I see how bad it needs to be based on how everything plays out in the next book.
Overall, Prince of Hawthorne Prep was an a fun, drama filled new adult romance that I couldn't put down. I can't wait to see what's next for Delilah and Austin. In the meantime, I'm putting Summer and Kingston's books on my TBR!
New to the Hawthorne Prep world? Start the series with King of Hawthorne Prep for 99pennies! https://books2read.com/u/4A7K8p
About the Author:
Jennifer is the USA Today Bestselling Author of King of Campus. She currently resides in Michigan with her husband, kids, a dog named Rocky, and a kitten named Lily. After pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology also from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, she spent five years working as a high school counselor before moving out of state with her family. She enjoys reading, writing, and traveling.
We're three bookaholic girls who LOVES to read and talk all things books.Our tag line has never been more true : Give Us a Story, and We'll Talk About It.
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