Special Release Price!WSJ bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a gripping enemies-to-lovers, secret admirer, high school romance.The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, I wanted to be part of their world–until they destroyed me.The last thing I expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them.Please. I hate every one of those … them.
Please. I hate every one of those rich jerks for what they did to me. The question is, which Shark is my secret admirer?
Knox, the scarred quarterback.
Dane, his twin brother.
Or Chance, the ex who dumped me. . .
Dear Ava,
Your eyes are the color of the Caribbean Sea.
Wait. That’s stupid.
What I really mean is, you look at me and I feel something REAL.
It’s been ten months since you were here, but I can’t forget you.
I’ve missed seeing you walk down the hall.
I’ve missed you cheering at my football games.
I’ve missed the smell of your hair.
And then everything fell apart the night of the kegger.
Don’t hate me because I’m a Shark.
I just want to make you mine.
Still.
★★★★★
“A gut punch right in the feels. These characters wreck you. It’s a deep storyline, with such tender, beautiful, unbelievably perfect romance. Gah. I. Am. Wowed. Five Stars!” Angie, Angie’s Dreamy Reads
Not part of any other series. Dark High School Romance. Recommended for 18+.
A short excerpt of Dear Ava appeared in Team Player 2. (No longer available) This all-new, full-length version is 331 pages and 100,000 words.
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This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Ilsa Madden-Mills has away of making you slip into the character and feel what they feel. Ava and Knox have been through so much that you just want to do anything to make their lives better. This is a book you don’t want to miss.
Oh. My. God. This book! It’s amazing!! Dear Ava is set at Camden Prep, the school that seniors Ava, the smart scholarship student and Knox, the quarterback of the football, attend. Ava is a survivor of a sexual assault that happened at a post game party the previous year. She is so incredibly strong and brave! Knox is a player, on and off the field, but he is way more than that. He is loyal and protective of the ones he loves and cares about. Ava and his brother Dane.
This book is an emotional rollercoaster and an incredibly written story that is very sensitive in the way it portrays sexual assault and mental health issues. I could feel these characters. I could feel their pain and happy…..the mark of an amazing author! While this is an emotional book, the author perfectly balances it out with fun, happy times and even some steamy sexy times. Ava’s HEA is hard fought and perfect!!
My heart is overflowing with so many feelings. After reading about these characters in the novella featured in Team Player Anthology I desperately needed more. I was so happy when Ilsa announced that Dear Ava would be a full length book. And the added content did everything the novella did—it had me reeling with emotions.
Dear Ava hit me with ALL. THE. FELLS. I’m utterly a hot mess after reading this. Right from the start this story consumed me. I had no idea of the amount of emotions that came out of me. Rage, sadness, anger, etc. This story is honest and real and everything heart-pounding and soul-searing.
I freaking love Ava. I admire her determination so much. She’s a fighter and doesn’t let anything get to her. Even though something terrible and unimaginable happened to her she’s not going to hide and give them the satisfaction. She’s seeking answers and will not stop until she gets them. She’s brave and fierce and will do anything for the people she loves. Her heart is so pure and she’s so kindhearted. She’s her own hero and I’m just in awe of her.
Knox was an enigma. He’s the star quarterback and the most popular guy in school. He’s rich and worshipped by his peers, but underneath there’s more than meets the eye. And when he shows that side of himself it’s really something else. I don’t know if it’s possible to love Knox more than I already do because he definitely claimed my heart from the beginning.
Ava and Knox are complete opposites, but in actuality they have more in common. They have so much chemistry that it’s off the charts. Their vulnerable moments were my favorite, so raw and beautiful. I adore and love these two immensely.
Dear Ava is packed with emotion. The mystery surrounding this storyline kept me in suspense and I couldn’t wait to get the answers I had ever since I read the novella. The romance in this book was felt inside the pages. It was beautiful, heartwarming and left me breathless. Ilsa did a phenomenal job writing this story with sensitivity. Ava and Knox will stay with me forever and will always hold a special place in my heart.
A definite must read!
Dear Ava is undoubtedly a beautiful love story of pain, healing, and perseverance. It’s heartbreakingly emotional, but also uplifting, romantic, and inspirational. It’s so much more than an enemies to lovers or a secret admirer plot.
I was so deeply moved by Ava and Knox’s story. They’ve both known extreme pain, they’ve both experienced loss and both have had to take on immense responsibility at a very young age. They are so unbelievably good for one another. Their chemistry, the tension and the love. Theirs is a romance of epic proportions, and Ilsa Madden-Mills did a brilliant job with it. She made me feel EVERYTHING, and she did it beautifully.
Dear Ava filled me with all the feels. I was completely enchanted with the storyline and with its complex but wonderful characters. This story is raw, real and deeply emotional. The mystery kept me in suspense throughout and I couldn’t wait to get answers right with the heroine. And the romance was so wonderfully heartwarming. Ilsa definitely knows how to pull on the heartstrings! I loved this story and the strength and perseverance of these characters. The last chapter and epilogues were absolutely perfect. Ilsa Madden-Mills has an exceptional job with Dear Ava. A must read.
I read both the novella and full length version of Dear Ava. This story starts off pretty dark and while reading the novella, it was hard for me to decide if this was a story I wanted to finish. But I love this author, and she didn’t disappoint with this book. Ava is so strong and brave and willing to face her fears for the sake of her brother. Knox is a troubled hero who finally reveals his affection for her. Their journey will have you turning each page and not wanting to put this one down. The full length version allows us to discover more about Knox and Ava. The depth of the storyline and these two troubled characters make this book a must read for all who enjoy this genre.
Rate: 4.5 / 5 stars
Dear Ava is a sweet sports & high school romance that deals with important issues. You’ll fall in love with these two, individually and as a couple.
Ava is a strong girl who has been through so much throughout her life and is now ready to face her fears and do anything for her future and her little brother’s. And Knox is a football player that surprised us all… he has a depth that I wanted to know more about and once I did I fell more and more in love with him. He himself has been through a lot and those events shaped him into who he is today and it’s also those events that connect him and Ava althemore. I loved how he always believed in her, defended her and then made it his mission to find out the truth.
When it comes to the team when I read the novella I was not a fan of anyone besides Knox, not even his brother. He had secrets and I was kind of scared of what he has been hiding but this book made me see things in another light. Knox’s brother had no clue what had happened because he himself had been plagued with his own nightmares and couldn’t remember that night either. Ilsa made me feel so much for Dane, he was going through so much and my heart really hurt for him and Knox because he went through everything with him.
Dear Ava is very innocent when it comes to the development of the main character’s relationship but not when it comes to the whole issue of the story. It deals with rape so be careful if it might be a trigger for you. Knox and Ava are pretty special and I loved watching them slowly get to know each other and trust one another. I love how their relationship grew little by little and became such a strong love. When the truth came to light it messed things up but Ava was finally able to breathe and move on with her life and I loved watching her be able to let things go and grab her future by the balls even if it meant she had to let some important things go.
When I first started reading the last few chapters my heart was in my throat, I was scared but boy that ending could not have been more perfect. That saying – If you love something let it go, and if it’s meant to be, it’ll be – or something along those lines, it really hit deep with these two and gosh were they meant to be. Their ending made my heart happy.
Ava Harris goes to the prestigious, Camden Prep, where she wanted to try to fit in. She is there on scholarship and isn’t one of the rich kids. 10 months after a horrendous event at a party, Ava finds herself back, but with a whole new mission than when she started there. Knox Grayson is part of the “sharks” Football Elite at Camden. He was there that fateful night a year ago along with the other “sharks”. He has always been cold to her but is there a reason why? When Ava starts receiving strange notes in her locker, can she figure out who is sending them? These two have both been through some awful experiences and yet find the strength to go on. This is an emotional, eye opening and beautiful story of self preservation and finding yourself. “Scars serve as medals of honor, and the strongest hearts have the most.” Ava is such a strong young lady. Will anyone ever believe her with what happened at that party? Can she find the truth of that fateful night? There are triggers and some serious topics for some in this book so beware. This was originally a novella within the Team Player 2 Anthology and is now a full length book. I really cannot divulged much more as I don’t want to spoil anything but this is a wonderful, eye opening and beautiful story. Told in dual POV
Betrayed by those she trusted and wanted so desperately to be accepted by, Ava Harris is back and she’s ready for revenge. She will find the person who hurt her and in the meantime, she’ll make sure everyone who turned their backs on her knows that she isn’t broken.
Knox is cold as ice and hard as stone. He’s generally detached – but he’s always wanted Ava and he feverishly searched for answers to what happened to her. Now that she’s back, he wants to help her, but without making it known who he is … because why should she trust him when a Shark hurt her, and he’s the top Shark?
Knox and Ava have always wanted each other but it was never that simple … and it’s not any easier now. Knox tries to keep his distance but he can’t manage and Ava, for all her reservations, is ready to give what’s between them a shot.
Their banter is hilarious and neither one of them holds back (like … at all). They find solace in each other, opening up about their hardships that they’ve kept to themselves. Both of them are incredibly strong but also incredibly vulnerable and filled with their own uncertainties.
Not only are Ava and Knox amazing (I’m seriously obsessed with them), but each of the side characters are fleshed out and awesome. The book also manages to handle an emotionally charged topic (sexual assault) with care.
The book isn’t overly explicit but it doesn’t shy away from it either. It also fully embraces and acknowledges the role of rape culture in shaping survivors’ experiences and the way the outside world perceives them. Victim blaming and shaming, the role of privilege, and systemic barriers to believing and helping victims are all part of the story in a way that allows the narrative to challenge them and doesn’t detract from this story. It strikes the perfect balance between being a book about romance and being a book confronting sexual assault.
This is an incredible book that I can’t get over. The characters are sublimely developed, the story is compelling and sucks you right in, and the overall message is incredibly empowering!
Dear Ava, you have my heart forever! 5 stars
Wow, this book wrecked me in the best way, and it was such a moving story. Ava was so strong, brave, fierce, and I admired her so much. Knox was absolutely everything! He was such an intriguing character at the beginning, and I couldn’t wait to peel back his layers through the book. He was fighting his own battles just like Ava, but when he opened up to Ava and was vulnerable he made me cry and swoon. Ava and Knox had electricity when they were together, and I was fascinated with to know how their intense slow-burn relationship would unfold. I so wanted justice for Ava, and I was pleased with the outcome. This book took me on an emotional, suspenseful, intense romantic journey that captivated me, and now it has my heart forever! Read this book!
*I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the author for my honest review.*