Killing my brother’s murderers has become my latest obsession.Against the advice of my alcoholic therapist, I’ve left my life behind, moving across the country with just two goals in mind: Take down the elite Ivy League School that covered up my twin brother’s death, and seek revenge on the ones responsible.But nothing is what it seems at Blackwood University, and it starts to feel like I’m … feel like I’m grieving a stranger.
Although I’m prepared to do whatever necessary to bring his murderers to justice—nothing could prepare me for falling in love.
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….Holy moly, thats what I have to say! I love how Coralee June makes you fall in love with all her broken and dark characters, especially Tav! Just when I think CJ writes her darkest book yet, she goes and says “HA just kidding! Challenge accepted!” I mean, the premise of the story was intriguing from the start, and CJ amazingly delivered
Octavia is going through a really, really tough time in her life and decides that she is going to find out who murdered her twin brother, William. I thought I had each of the guys figured out and her harem buuuuut I was sorely mistaken. I had a guess on the killer and I was wrong; you will be shocked I think by the end of the book. The one guy I thought I would love was definitely my favorite, but with how it ended, I think he will have to work to get back into her good (really baaaad and dark) graces haha. Noah’s backstory killed me btw and I loved how he stepped up and continued to be there for her no matter what. Is it sad I wish she kinda ran away/didn’t go quietly?
Noah was a big surprise for me. I did figure out his 1 secret right away, but I didn’t see his big dirty secret coming haha. I think his relationship with Tav is going to be the toughest for her, but I was happy with the ending and cannot wait to see where that goes in Book 2!! I loved him/was rooting for them by the end. I also hope Renon makes another guest appearance, he seems like a wild card and will help Tav with her personality/feeling too much but not feeling anything at all.
CJ has nothing to worry about with this story (that we wouldn’t like Octavia). It grabs hold of your heart and squeezes it a lot (sometimes to the point of turning it to ash) but keeps you in check/grounded the whole time (doesnt go off to unicorns and rainbows, keeps reminding the reader what the characters are going through, all the darkness that is occurring that wont be overcome yet or if at all). I loved it so much. I think it was nice to read a book that doesnt shy away from mental illness, doesnt come out and give you a diagnosis because at that point, you would forget about Octavia as a person, and makes you want the darkness in each of the characters to meld with each other and help them. I thought some of the steam scenes were off the chart (definitely had to drink some cold water after a few!). I snorted a couple times with the humor that was added to the story (with some of Tav’s quips or how she lacked sort of decency when it came to the other guys she was sleeping with/loved).
I definitely recommend this book, but do not expect it to be super happy/bubbly. I almost broke down when she continued to listen to the last VM William left her. It reminded me of loosing a dear friend and looking over our photos together. It will hit you in the feels, thats for sure!
Need Book 2 SOON
This book is unlike any I have ever read before. What an incredibly vivid, unforgettable romance about broken people making each other whole.
I absolutely love an author who isn’t afraid to go all the way and CoraLee June is one of the best. The storyline is brilliant and the characters are complex and so messed up which makes for an exciting read!
I can’t wait to start the next book in the trilogy. I highly recommend it!
Octavia has lost her twin brother. The official report is an accidental overdose but she knows better. It was murder. And her sole purpose in life, her obsession is to kill his murderer. So she drops her life as an artist in California and heads across the country to Blackwood University to destroy the ones responsible for his death. Justice. Revenge. At any cost.
I’m not sure what to say. If you know me, you know I am a Pollyanna (Look it up). I want everyone to hug it out, I demand the HEA. Coralee June took me out of my comfort zone with Sunshine and Bullets. She shattered me with this book. Each character is flawed, none are truly likable. It’s ugly, dark, raw. It’s powerful. Octavia is broken. Her mind is schizophrenic. She feels too deeply but not as a normal person feels. Her twin loved and hated her. It seemed he could only take her in small doses, he feared her on some level and hid parts of himself from her. Her closest relationship is with her alcoholic therapist Noah. He may really love her but it’s toxic at this stage. Her brother’s lover, Youngblood becomes Octavia’s first target. Their time together is twisted. Young isn’t a bad guy but he’s weak and that makes him dangerous. Octavia’s chemistry with Samuel is nuclear but he’s just no good. Samuel is also weak. His obsession with appearance and not failing is common enough but the extremes he goes to show a complete lack of character. Renon would be the lowest character in their world but he’s also the most honest. He never hides his motivation. His night with Octavia is interesting on every level. Even Mrs. Mulberry is a compellingly original character. I am not sure there has ever been a more complex or more disturbing cast of characters in any book.
This is not my kind of book. It upset me, destroyed me at times. I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. I become the lead female in every book I read. We exist as one. Being Octavia hurt. Meeting the men made it worse. I would sympathize with the characters for a moment and then they would do something so upsetting, that I was repelled. There is not one lasting moment of sweetness or tenderness. It’s page after page of pain. Yet it’s enthralling. It’s so well-written, so different. I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t understand Octavia’s harem or if it even qualified as a harem. Hook-ups with no emotional attachment, no affection. What does this mean? It drew me in with each increasingly disturbing revelation. The end left me desperate for more. This is a book that disturbed me, troubled me, hurt me, and possibly possessed me. I am fearfully awaiting book 2. I’m not sure how much more I can handle but I know that I have no choice. Octavia now owns me. We are on this journey together until the end.
This was one twisted ride that I cannot wait to pick up on again in book 2!