A Hurt So Sweet Volume One: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Elite of Eden Falls Prep Book 1)

Lily Anna Oakes aka Pandora is back home from the boarding school that she was sent to. Everything she knew has been taken from her because of a weird mistake she has no control of her life anymore. All she wants to do is return to where she came from where she was loved and wanted. Now all she gets is tortured and hate. She is the first born so she is forced into some weird lifestyle where she has been engaged to Dexter from birth so close to it. She has no friends and is repeatedly torture by Dexter and his cronies at her new school. Just when it seems like things can’t get worse they do.

This is a very dark bully story that will draw you in from the first chapter and keep you guessing about what will happen to her next. Some of the scenes are really dark but are spot on for the story. This is a well written story and if you enjoy dark romances then this is one for you. However it ends with a cliffhanger.

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

This first volume in the Elite of Eden Falls Prep was a dubious beginning for me. The blurb seemed interesting and I have enjoyed almost all that I have read from this author before (in all of her many pen names). There were more questions than answers, which may be resolved in the rest of the series, but if felt disjointed. I’m not sure about either Dexter or Pandora and as the main characters, that’s a problem. As a reader I have to relate on some level and I did not. I’m hopeful that Volume 2 will clarify some questions and make these two more likable. We’ll see.

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

Deep, dark, depraved….Hold on tight peeps this is a roller coaster ride but you’ll never want it to stop! You’ll feel like you’ve arrived on an alien planet where first born elitists rule the roost, they can do absolutely anything to anyone without fear of repercussion. Are they all arrogant & sinful? Most act the part but I hope that book 2 might reveal at least one showing a morsel of caring for his betrothed. Can’t wait to read it. I received an arc & this is my honest & voluntary review.

Oh My! What is happening?! These boys of Eden Falls are way too big for their britches and need to be cut down a peg or two. Even so, I can’t help but be intrigued by their entitlement and crave learning all the secrets.

Author Betti Rosewood as delivered a dark, bully romance filled with so much angst and left us reeling with questions. I can’t for the life of me think of one reason why I should like any of these entitled Firstborns, but a tiny piece of me feels like Dexter may have something inside him to make him redeemable. He may have shown us a little glimpse of some light inside his dark soul. That, of course, is still left to be seen. Does anyone else have any theories on just who he has stashed away in his house? I have one, and it’s a doozy!

I don’t think this book is for everyone, but knowing from the start what you are getting into should help you decide. It is dark. These boys, and dare I say girls as well, have no shame, no morals, no conscience. If that is what turns your crank and gets your motor running, then you are going to love this series. I was shocked by their behaviour, by everyone’s behaviour actually. What is this place called Eden Falls? Why does it exist? Why was it founded? What secrets is it hiding?

On a whole, I was not blown away by this book as there is just too much left hidden and the whole book focused on boys being degrading to women and getting their rocks off. I just felt there was storyline and plot missing and too many threads left dangling in order to make it a compelling read. I hope all will be revealed in time, and I am curious enough for all the answers that I know I’ll read book two. Hopefully Betti is busy typing away to bring us all the deliciousness we crave and won’t leave us disappointed.

I am left with so many emotions after reading this book. Bully romances are definitely my favorite type of read right now and I have read a ton of them. Betti managed to find a way to create one that has stood out to me and one that I haven’t felt like I have read before. It is so different and so dark and delicious and absolutely heartbreaking and frustrating at times. It is also breathtaking and so well written. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and I am dying for the next story.

TO SEE MY FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/2kROKdA

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A Hurt So Sweet, Book One in the Elite of Eden Falls Prep Series by Betti Rosewood is finally here! Now, THIS is what I call a bully romance! This was my second read from Rosewood, and I am thoroughly impressed! My first read was Boys That Tease which was a ‘bully romance’… and well, that one fell kind of short for me. Sooo when I saw that she was releasing another one, I figured I would give her another shot! I am sooo glad that I did, this one is a hell of a lot more darker, and a whole lot more twisted! I was completely enthralled, could NOT put it down! I HAD to know what kind of crazy shit these boys were going to do to Pandora next! Told in dual POV but mostly from the heroine, the anti… I can’t even call him an anti-hero, so I’ll say the main male villain, gets a couple of chapters of his own though.

While there are NO rape scenes, there are some scenes that some readers may find upsetting… forced sexual situations, dubious consent, extreme bullying, abuse… A Hurt So Sweet is a dark and twisted read and it’s not for the faint of heart.

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When I read the blurb I just knew I HAD to give this author another go. I LOVE bully romances, and whereas the last “bully romance” I read from this author fell short for me, A Hurt So Sweet made up for it tenfold and exceeded my expectations! BRAV-FUCKIN-O Betti, my apologies for ever doubting you. The more the story unraveled, the more questions there were. Just when I thought I was figuring it out, BOOM, another secret and I was back to square one with NO FREAKIN CLUE on what was going to happen next. As totally screwed up as this story is, I couldn’t get enough of Dexter and Pandora. All the sexual tension, the absolute hate, the lust… SHEESH!

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Pandora I really wanted to like. I’m still rooting for her because come on let’s face it, Pandora was treated brutally throughout this whole book, like seriously some of the shit made my stomach turn. BUT, I just felt like she caved wayyy to easy, and wayyy too often. She would have these intense thoughts about standing up for herself and getting revenge etc, and I’m cheering her on like “yea girl kick their asses, beat them at their own games!” But then she’d get jealous when Dex was around other females, and although she “said” she didn’t want him touching her, etc, as soon as he put his hands on her she was begging for more of what he was giving… It’s like her mind tells her one thing but her body, her body is what is in control of her when Dex walks into the room. But what really causes me to feel the most sympathy for Pandora is her father, Emilian. He is an EXTREMELY vile man and I think we are going to see a lot more nastiness coming from him…

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Dexter ‘Dex” Booth… or who I like to refer to as Dexter The Despicable, Despicable Dexter (whichever you prefer ) what can I say about Dex. Typical, arrogant, entitled, DOUCHE CANOE! I know there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Dex but fuckkk… he is ALMOST irredeemable and with the way that cliffhanger was left… well, let’s just hope he doesn’t cross that line that in my eyes he won’t be able to come back from. Antagonist can’t get much meaner then Dex is to Pandora. He derives pleasure in torturing her and disrespecting her in front of the other firstborns and all their friends. Worse yet, no one even cares when he does.

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The steam… HOLY HOTNESS! Pandora puts on a good front like she doesn’t want their hands on her but honestly, she enjoys everything these boys were doing to her, and she continued to come back for more!

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Speaking of, there are quite a few secondary characters that are all pretty damn intriguing in their own right and I am hoping to see much more of each and every one of them.

OK, now here is the tricky part. Although I did really enjoy this one, there were a few things that played a part in lowering my rating, and why it just wasn’t quite a 5-star read for me…

For starters, there were quite a few things that unless you are a member of Betti’s Readers Group, I would have had no idea about because they aren’t explained in the book at all, so for those who aren’t a member, it’s pretty much left for you to just guess on how things came about the way they are. Then, the character contradictions. For example, in one scene Dex doesn’t want anyone else to see her… whoo-ha… but then at a later scene, he basically says whatever, do to her as you wish just to keep her a virgin? Whattt?!

Now, although there is a TON of things that are riding the line of “too far” with this one, I’m a dark read lover so I can deal (nothing is really “too far” for me…) BUT on that note, what I really DESPISE in books, and what dropped my rating VERY quickly, was the “lesson” with Audra. FUCKKK THAT! I didn’t care that he was messing around with her at the beginning and all that but UMMM, YEA NO! Not once things started to heat up and all that between him and Pandora. We know he’s a complete asshole but that, THAT put me wayyy off and now I’m left feeling like I have no freakin clue how this author is going to pull off redeeming him. No clue at all.

However, IF she’s able to pull it off, then BRAV-FUCKIN-O. But again, that’s a REALLY big IF so we shall see…

I am just now hearing that apparently, Rosewood wrote under a different pen name and that those novels were more of the dark and delightful type that I enjoy. So maybe I need to check into those a bit more… after reading AHSS I am most definitely open to reading more of her work for sure!

I am left with SOOO many questions, and I’m just sitting here still stupified because I have no idea WHEN or IF we will get the answers! Like, WHY after all these years did this DNA test happen to prove that Lily Anna was not Emilia’s child and that Pandora was, how the hell did that even happen they are almost 18 years old? WHERE is Pandora’s biological mother? WHAT is going on with Minnie and Emilia?! Because I feel like it’s more than just an old sick f**ker getting his rocks off (but that too!) And last but not least, WHO IN THE HELL IS IN THAT ROOM AT BAXTER’S?!

THAT FUCKING ENDING!!?? OMFG… I can’t even… my jaw literally dropped when I turned the page and realized there were no more words. Huge, huge, HUGEEEE CLIFFHANGER!

Get ready for a whole bunch of mindfuckery and just try to keep up, I suggest a note pad and a pencil to write down notes! A Hurt So Sweet is deliciously dark, twisted, angsty, and an absolute MUST READ, and this is only the beginning! It has completely changed my opinion of this author and I will most DEFINITELY be reading A Hurt So Sweet: Volume Two!

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I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.

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

This is a dark romance and you gain all that and more from it. Betti Rosewood is not a new author to me, but each book I’ve read by her feels like that spine-tingling descent into something new and real and pulsing. In the case of A Hurt So Sweet Volume One, it seems all the more relevant. When I look back on my experience reading it, I think of only one word: pulsing. You can feel the energy radiating from the pages in a way that grips you instantly.

If you are like me, you grew up reading Gossip Girl and slowly progressed your way into darker territory. You’re greedy when it comes to down to it, and honestly? Rosewood gets that. She gets her target audience. She gets her characters. And, as always, she hooks us from the start with this one.

Typically, I am not big on the trope of bullies and victims falling into a pattern. It is a tricky ground to tread. It has to be developed by the right person. Fans of Betti Rosewood know, however, that she never falls short. Rosewood is as tantalizing as ever in her exploration of this twisted little story. You cannot look away from A Hurt So Sweet.

This is not hearts and butterflies and sweet, underlying passion–this is gritty, at times achingly painful and the very sort of romance that will leave your emotions feeling hoarse with the sheer torment of it all. I hated and loved these characters in a way that is inexplicably enthralling and can still feel my heart racing at the mere thought of them.

In short? If you like that feeling of uncertain tension, that buildup of angst and questions, then A Hurt So Sweet is ABSOLUTELY for you.

Everything about A Hurt So Sweet felt like Rosewood was dangling my heart, soul and mind on the edge of a cliff. Slowly but surely taking up home inside me. I was unable to look away from this book because of its darkness. Secrets, lies, and so much more lay just beneath the surface of A Hurt So Sweet. It certainly comes with its own slew of trigger warnings (what dark romance DOESN’T?) and won’t be for everybody. As for me? I’ll be here. Anticipating the next tangled installment, with wide eyes and high hopes.

WOW!!! This was my first time to read one of Betti Rosewood’s books and man did I pick a good one. Talk about dark and twisted.
Pandora and Dexter’s story is very unique and different from your typical love story so if you are looking for candy and roses this book isn’t for you!
Their relationship is arranged, twisted, full of secrets and filled with hate and darkness. Pandora returned home after being away 4 years and is being forced to marry Dexter a guy she despises. I feel bad for her because she is treated wrong by so many people. Dexter is a jerk and you want to hate him, but then Betti lets you see a peek of his past and this softens you just a little. There is so much anger and angst between the two but then Pandora gives into her needs at times too.
I was sucked in at the beginning and was left speechless at the end. Hurry up book 2.

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

This book is a hard one to review. I had a really HARD TIME liking the characters in the book. Even Pandora! Yes, It’s very dark and twisted…that is one thing…but not giving the characters something to like about them leaves you somewhat empty. BUT I have to say, it is VERY ADDICTIVE!! I’m probably going to try and read book two, because a.) I’m addicted and need to know what happens & b.) I’m hoping in the next book the characters will become more likable. If not, I’m not so sure I’ll continue with the series. However long it is.

Intense, dark, shocking, and steamy

This book is not for everyone.
It pushes boundaries,
It is dark and titillating,
It is emotional and intriguing.

The ending leaves you gasping for air, (and wanting more!!!!)