New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Penelope Douglas delivers an unforgettable romance that toes the fine line between love and hate… he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I was humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got worse as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went away for a year just to avoid him.
But I’m done hiding from him now, and there’s no way I’ll allow him to ruin another year. He might not have changed, but I have. It’s time to fight back.
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Top 5 Reads of ALL time.
5 “Yesterday lasts forever.” Kisses
Sadness. Anger. Betrayal. Frustration. Lust. Happiness. Joy. Love. Do I sound like a crazy person yet? I’m not just listing these feelings cause I feel like it – I’m listing them because this book painstakingly ejected them from my soul while I read. After all that, I should be emotionally drained…but I’m not! I’m infused! I absolutely loved this book! GAH! Prepare for another babble filled rant of insanity from yours truly about a book that hypnotized, captivated and enraptured me. Apologies in advance.
Tatum Brandt…Tate…or at least that’s what everyone else calls her. Except for him. He’s always the exception. The one that lives to make her cringe, make her fearful of anything and everything, make her miserable. She’s a good girl, a pretty girl…she’s smart, does well in school, runs cross country, likes rock music – she’s unique! That’s one of the many things I liked about her…she’s not a girly girl, she’s not your typical teenager, but in all honesty…there’s nothing to dislike about Tate. But…of course, he can find any number of ways to make her miserable and for no reason at all…leave it to the one person who knows her the best to hurt her the worst. So, after being away for a year abroad, she comes back home to turn over a new leaf, start fresh, put the past behind her because nothing – not even the bully that has tormented her for years, is going to ruin her senior year.
“Everything still hurts, but I know none of it is my fault. There are a lot of words that I could use to describe you, but the only one that includes sad, angry, miserable, and pitiful is “coward.” In a year, I’ll be gone, and you’ll be nothing but some washout whose height of existence was in high school.” My eyes were still on Jared, and my voice got strong again. The ache in my face from trying to hold back tears eased. “You were my tempest, my thunder cloud, my tree in the downpour. I loved all those things, and I loved you. But now? You’re a fucking drought. I thought that all the assholes drove German cars, but it turns out that pricks in Mustangs can still leave scars.”
Jared Trent…oh how this boy toyed with my emotions. I wanted to hate him. Especially for the way he treated Tate, and especially because I didn’t know the reason. But once I knew the reason, all that possible hatred was gone – poof! Vanished into thin air because this poor, broken, sad boy doesn’t deserve anything but pure love in his life. He’s so the classic example of the strong silent type…and every time you get a glimpse inside, hear his emotions, his past, there’s just no hope. You cannot help but melt into a puddle at his feet and scream ‘TAKE ME NOW!’ Hmm…maybe it’s just me.
‘Once my gaze met his, it was impossible to look away. His eyes were like the cover of a book— giving you hints but not the whole story. And I wanted to know the story. If I searched his eyes long and hard enough, maybe what I craved would seep out.’
Tate and Jared clearly have a very complicated relationship. They have a lot of history, which is another thing that really gets me. They grew up together, were neighbors, he got her thru some really hard times, it’s hard not to cling to a past like that. You can’t fake memories and those threads that bind you to another person, be it a friend, a lover or a family member. And I loved the little flashbacks we got, those happy memories where you saw tiny pieces of them when they were growing up…their friendship and how it used to be before everything got ugly and feelings got hurt. That’s another reason why it was easy to see past what Jared did was because you knew that deep down, this wasn’t who he really was and there had to be a reason why he was acting the way he was. It just torture getting to that point!
‘His body inched closer, but I didn’t care. I wanted to hear more. “You were never clingy or a nuisance, Tate. The day you moved in next door I thought you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I fucking love you.”’
I think part of the reason why this book and the emotions hit so deep with me was because it’s very relatable. We were all teenagers once, feelings those insecurities, those desires to just be liked, to have friends and feel cool. I know I experienced similar things to Tate, not to that extreme mind you but my heart broke for her because I knew what it felt like to have your dreams crushed, your heart broken, your desires smashed to smithereens and above all to feel so hopeless in the situation when you’ve done nothing wrong but still feel the punishment. I wanted to hold, hug and protect Tate because no one deserves that…least of all her. Not only that…but at some point we’ve all been bullied in one way or another and when it’s done by someone you considered a best friend….I mean that’s pretty freaking low. How can that not make you cry and break your heart.
‘He put a hand to my face and guided my eyes to his. “We never lost that. As much as I tried, I could never erase you from my heart. That’s why I was such an asshole and kept guys away from you. You were always mine.”
“Are you mine?” I asked as I wiped my tears.
He kissed the corners of my mouth softly, and I felt heat rise up my neck. “Always have been,” he whispered against my mouth.’
At the same time, once you learn the reasons behind Jared’s behavior and actions…is it justifiable? No. What he did was still fucked up, wrong and uncalled for. But…my heart did break for him too. These aren’t adults, their teenagers filled with pent up emotions, hormones and when you’re stuck in a situation you can’t fix or control, you do dumb things. The fact that he could sit back and recognize his mistake, apologize for it and make amends…that’s what makes him a decent guy. And you saw him trying to make up for his past and what he did, trying to mend things with Tate, to earn her forgiveness and trust, which only made me fall more in love with him! Gah, I’m such a sucker!
“You made me mean. And now I pummel poor, defenseless girls… and guys.” I tried to make my voice sound accusing and innocent.
Jared gripped me tighter. “If you beat metal long enough, it turns to steel.”
I buried my nose in his hair, kissing the ridge of his ear and joked. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, you big bully.”
Bully got me…it was sometimes difficult to remember they are seniors in high school…especially with Tate because she acts very mature for her age. I did love the ending…and the good news keeps coming cause this little gemstone is…drum roll please…a series! And what does Lisa love more than anything in this world? Series Books! Squee! I cannot wait to dive head first into Jared’s brain in Until You – and FYI, that title is fucking GENIUS and I love it more than words can ever express. Aaaaand that’s not all! Rival…Madoc’s story – Jared’s equally hot bff and he’s hilarious…love him. O…M…G….I just can’t wait. 🙂
First I’ll start off by saying I LOVE Penelope Douglas! Her writing is amazing!
I hated Jared basically through the whole book! I didn’t get why he was so mean to Tate and he pissed me off royally! I was so glad that when Tate came back from France she grew a spine and stood up for herself! High school kids can be major a**holes!! I cried when Tate did her monologue! When I finally found out why Jared was the way he was toward her I was still mad at him! He did redeem himself to a certain extent but he had a lot of making up to do! I wish Tate would’ve broke Pipers nose!
I can not believe I waited so long to read this book! I loved everything about it. The characters were perfect. So tortured, so twisted, so strong, and then breaking to become even stronger. Jared and Tatum were everything! They were perfect for each other. And the storyline was amazing. The drama and the angst and the heat, I loved it all!
I loved everything about it! BULLY was sharp and no kidding was hurtful at one point. Tatum had a bestfriend until one day he just became a total stranger. Everything was a joke and life suck.
Bully was crazy good! The teenager drama was hillarious and wild. Tatum and Jared were so good with driving each other crazy. I loved the tenderness between them despite of everything.. one unique read
another amazing series that will keep you hooked from book 1, page 1!!
I didn’t see this book coming. I had been warned, but I still didn’t see it coming. I am still processing all the emotions. I’m on a book hangover of epic proportions! This is how you know you have read one he!! Of a book, and trust me this us that book! Jared and Tate are everything and more! The push and pull, love and hate, ying and yang. So much is happening only Tate has no freakin idea why. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting more the entire time!
I wish I could give this book way more than 5 stars! I’m a sucker for a Love/Hate romance and this book was so much more than that! Bully is book one in the Fall Away series and I have a feeling I’m going to be devouring the series this whole weekend! This is Tate and Jared’s story and it’s a complicated, cruel mess! Jared and Tate used to be inseparable as children into early teens but one summer changed everything. Tate doesn’t understand Jared’s cruelty, all she wants is her friend back. Jared is a grade A A******, unraveling him was pure agony. I felt so much for these characters! I hated Jared and I cried for Tate and then I cried for Jared! Ugh, the angst was high! When it comes to the heart we all should know by now that Hate and Love share a thin line. Bully was a second chance for two people who deeply needed the other and it couldn’t be more perfect! A Great Read so glad to have found it! Can’t wait for Madoc ‘s book!
4.5 stars. I actually really enjoyed this book, read it all in one setting. I had read tge reviews and was unsure if it was going to be enjoable. I liked the push and pull, the love vs. hate between the two characters. I thought it was a well written and exicuted book and am glad I read it. I didn’t think that Jared’s reason for being a bully was good enough for the damage he caused, but being that this is fiction, it worked well enough. I also loved how fisty and strong the female lead was even after everything. I will not be reading the book from Jared’s point of view, becsuse as I mentioned above I didn’t think his reasoning was good enough, so I don’t want to ruin the story I just read with this point of view. I will be checking out Madoc’s book though.
This series moved this author into my favorites list.
An emotionally charged friends-to-enemies-to-lovers YA romance. I have heard about this book for years and I’m sad that I waited this long to fall in love with these characters, but I am so glad that I finally read it.
Jared is complicated. Angry. He takes his anger and frustration out on the girl that used to be his best friend.
Tate is smart and driven. She keeps to herself and her one friend and does her best to fly under the radar. However, Madoc and Jared have made it their life’s mission to make her miserable.
The bullying started freshman year in high school. She just took what they dished the first two years, but now after studying abroad for a year she’s back to finish out her senior year. She’s done wit just taking it. Now Tate is about to push back! The only problem with fighting a bully is trying not to become one yourself in the process.
This story is about secrets that eat away at us. The secrets that burden us and make us act out negatively and hurt other people. This is Tate and Jared’s story of love. Jared was responsible “turning metal into steel.” Tate relieved Jared of the burden of his past by being someone to confide in. Together they found the love they both deserved.
“I was his. He was mine.” That’t the way it was always meant to be.
Penelope Douglas really has a way with words! *5 amazing stars*
This was my first read from this author and man I am so glad I finally got to read her. I definitely don’t think this will be my last read from this author; I just want to read the whole series now. I’m glad this one was recommended to me and I read this first ‘cuz I was hooked from the very first word in the story until the very end! I couldn’t stop reading; I just wanted to know how it would end.
Tate & Jared have known each other since they were little and were inseparable but when Jared returned home one summer after being gone for a couple of weeks, something changed between them and things were never the same again. He tortured her every single day at school and not once Tate knew why he turned on her that way…
After being gone for a year spending time away abroad, Tate’s back at the same school and hopes things are different now and Jared will leave her alone. But it hasn’t and Tate decides it’s time to fight back. But the past keeps on haunting both of them and when secrets are finally laid to bare, maybe they’ll find their way back to how it was between them…
I live and die for this book and this entire series! I read it and passed it on to my teen daughter who also loved it. This was my first Penelope Douglas book and I absolutely fell in love with her writing…so I’ve read everything!
This is my absolute favorite book of all time. The push and pull between the two MC’s is wonderfully written. You can feel the pain and indecision from the h throughout the entire book. The love that blossoms between the two is one for the ages. The H comes off as a total d*** at first, but you quickly can see the emotion that he is suppressing. The depth of love and emotion that rolls off of these pages is amazing. I have recommended this book to everyone and will continue to do so forever. I have read many books after this one, but I have yet to find one that gives me the complete satisfaction that I got from Bully.
I loved this book. It was super angsty. I feel that teenagers have these feelings. Not to this extent, but to some degree. It’s fiction of course.
ReRead Rating: 5 Stars
I read this book a couple of years ago and I remember the thoughts I had going into it. I had not read a whole lot of new adult romance and this book really hooked me because I went into thinking I was going to really not care for it based on it’s title. I was pleasantly surprised then that I really really enjoyed it. Later, I tried reading the next books in the series but I felt like I was missing out on some things because I couldn’t recall some details about this book so I put the series aside until I could complete this reread. Flash forward to now and while I still really like this book, now that I have way more new adult romance, it doesn’t give me as big of hearts in my eyes. That is no way me saying that I don’t still adore this though. I just found more issues with it this go around. I still really loved the story and angst of Tate and Jared. I loved their drama. It was a side character that made me not enjoy it as much. I do recall in my first read being on the edge of my seat because I honestly didn’t know how things would go. Knowing now, it made this side plot just suck. Not, that the story pertaining to it but I hated it for Tate. I don’t want to go into specifics because it would be spoilers in my opinion. There is just what I perceive as a betrayal and I wanted Tate to be like *middle finger* BYE. But there isn’t anything I can do about it. I am so happy that I have complete this reread though so now I can hopefully devour this series. I adore Penelope Douglas and what she does with angst, even with characters still in high school. This very much reads like a new adult. This also gave me major Punk 57 vibes. Science labs.. I could really tell that the same author wrote both. And Punk 57 is major hearts in my eyes. I would highly recommend this book and I’m going to guess probably this whole series. Time will tell. I understand that there is going to be a spin off soon so that was my motivation to get back in this world and get in on all of the Penelope Douglas goodness that is to come.
4.5 Stars. I seriously only started to read this book so that I could read books 2 and 3. With a title like ‘Bully’, I thought this book was going to be a lot darker. I don’t mind the steamy stuff in books and I don’t mind reading about if someone has been mistreated (you gotta have some drama somewhere!) but what I don’t like to read about, is when someone is mistreated in regards to the steamy stuff. That’s what I thought this book was going to be but to my very delighted surprise, it was not. I read the “One Year Ago” opening chapter and I was hooked. While yes, there were some grammatical errors here and there, it was not enough to turn me off from this book. I really enjoyed the story. There were a few things that I wish the writer would have touched more on or wrapped up better but it was nothing important to the central story so I can deal. Overall, I am very happy with this story and this author. I’ll definitely be continuing on with this series.
I have fallen in love with Bully, all of the Fall Away series honestly. The characters are flawed and they go through horrible events, but they come through in the end, together.
Bully follows Jared and Tate, who have grown up next door to each other from the age of 10, through their ups and downs.
This story makes you want to punch Jared, shake your head at Tate, and figure out how to find a love like theirs.
I started to read this book with some apprehension because the subject matter is such a controversial and pervasive issue. As I kept on reading, I caught on to the reason for the bullying and even though it was still reprehensible, I could understand the reason behind the action.
Tate and Jared were friends since they were ten years old. When Tate and her father moved into the house next door to Jared’s family, he was instantly attracted to this girl who was beautiful and tomboyish, He was entranced by her coveralls and red baseball hat. Once they meet, he’s touched by her pain, having lost her mother to cancer recently. Since Jared and Tate’s father love tinkering with cars, they all bonded together by working on Tate’s father’s car. For Tate, who was hurting so bad from her loss, Jared gave her a sense of security and joy she needed sorely. They also had this huge tree that spanned the distance between their second-floor rooms, and this was their highway into each other’s rooms, where they had innocent sleepovers. You see, Jared’s father had left them when Jared was a small child and his mother was an alcoholic, very self-involved and completely absent from her son’s life. In Tate and her father, Jared found his center and they filled the hole he had in his heart.
When he was fourteen years old, he spent the summer with his father and he came back a stranger full of hate and resentment. He turned into a monster who hated her, threw verbal abuse to her, humiliated her, alienated and turned her into a pariah in school. This went on for three years, until she left one year for a student exchange in France. When she came back for their high school senior year, she decided she was not going to continue taking all that bullying and decided to strike back… Oh boy!
Jared had a best friend Madoc, who was a jokester. Tate had only one friend K.C. These two were instrumental in the fight for redemption and domination these two characters had. The story is angsty, passionate, very entertaining, although hurtful at times. Jared was very hard on Tate, and we later learn that while he hated her, he also loved her and needed her. It was very tangled up, twisted, and symbiotic. Initially I hated Jared, then I understood that he was fighting something inside, protecting some happenings in his past, and he was also mad because in some way, he felt Tate had failed him and he was rallying against her. I think Tate represented the love he should have had and didn’t have, and he was hurting her because there was no other person he trusted more. Twisted but such is the human mind.
In spite of the subject matter, the story was entertaining, tender, passionate, psychological, and riveting. It kept my nose glued to the book, and then I went on to the next book.
Loved it
This novel not only brings to light “bullying” and the emotional and mental damage that comes along with it, but I feel as if it had a deeper meaning within the storyline. For me, that meaning was: “One cannot possibly know what is going on in someone else’s life until they ‘live in that person’s shoes’”. That simply means, don’t judge a person and hold things against them without knowing the whole story…”Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Tate and Jared were once best friends and inseparable, then one day they were not. Tate had NO idea what caused this fissure in their friendship, but whatever it was, she didn’t seek out the reasons…in a way, she just gave up on the friendship. Jared was the only one who knew why their friendship ended…which was of his own doing, but there was more at play that no one knew and Jared was not willing to share that with anyone. He literally froze Tate (and others) out of his life and became a “bully” to her…he felt as if he was “protecting” her from all the negative that surrounded him, but ultimately he was hurting her. She just wanted their friendship back. And also, in a sense, he developed the attitude, “if I can’t have her, no one can.” He needed a way to express his anger…an outlet. Tate became that for him…bullying her gave him a “high”…a sense of control, but he never sought out to hurt her, he just wanted her to see how he was suffering. Ultimately, he ended up hurting them both with his actions and words and Tate became collateral damage. He ruined something that was great, something that didn’t need to be ruined in the first place. Now that Jared has realized that it was all for nothing, can he find a way to repair their friendship.
“Yesterday lasts forever. Tomorrow comes never. Until you.” –Jared
This book is based in a high school setting, but don’t let that detour you from giving it a chance! I LOVED everything about this book. The high school innocence was still there, but with a mature element. It had a believable plot and it was emotional. I felt everything that Tate was going through…all the pain, hurt, anger, hate, and even love…I felt it all! Penelope did an exceptional job of developing the characters. I loved reading the growth of each character. Tate started out as this timid mouse and as the book went on she became stronger. She stood her ground and developed a spine. *go Tate!*Jared was this aggressive character from the beginning, but it was obvious he was hiding pain underneath the facade. He had an invisible shield that was fun to watch dissolve as the story unfolded. The tension and constant battle between Tate and Jared kept me glued to the page and praying that they would go to a truce and be friends again…or more *wink*.
5 stars!