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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I cannot even put into words how much I love Knox. There is so, so much more to him than meets the eye. He is loyal and sweet and omg I loved him and Ava together. I adored Ava and my heart broke for her…well, for both of them. But Ava was so strong and determined and just an amazing character. There were also some secondary characters I loved in this story. As well as a few I loathed. Some parts in this book were hard to read…especially right off the bat, but stick with it because this book was amazing! I loved Ava and Knox’s story. It wasn’t an easy one. It was heartbreaking and crazy and beautiful. I desperately wanted them to get their happily ever after. And omg thank you Ilsa Madden-Mills for those epilogues!! I loved this story and can’t wait for more from this author.
AND
It’s hard to find words for this story. Loved Ava hard. She was stronger than most people who’ve survived a tragic event. She was wonderfully feisty and such a survivor. Knox was such a loyal soul. Loyal to his brother, his family and he wanted to be loyal to Ava. This story is dark and twisted but full of hope as well. It kept me glued to the pages until the very end.
Enemies-to-lovers Sports Romance AND a secret admirer?? Yes please!
This story is going to put your heart through the wringer, HARD!
You are going to feel so many emotions while you turn the pages, from anger to fear and most importantly hope and love.
This is the story of Eva and Knox.
Eva is absolute strength personified. She has been through so much in her young life, yet her perseverance is so well written. She is brave, she is fierce and she wants vengeance. Yet Ms. Madden-Mills writes this character with a vulnerability that will absolutely take your breath away.
Knox is brute strength. He is struggling with his long time feelings for Ava and he doesn’t know how to express them. He too has been dealt with some ugly things in his past that has molded him to the young man he has become. He loves hard, but he unsure on how to express that.
These characters may be young in age, but they are written so well. They have old souls and when they are near each other their souls seem to call to each other and it is so swoony to read.
Ms. Madden-Mills has a true magic to her words, I am not a huge YA/NA fan, but this author never fails to surprise and make me like this trope a little bit more.
I mean… COME ON!! Just look at that cover!! I knew I’d get the feels and I was RIGHT!! Grab this new adult and fall in love!
This really was 6* read for me, you know when you pick up a book and read the first few pages, and YOU JUST KNOW … this book is gonna be a game changer for you, you know your gonna be shredded, you know your not going to get through it with your heart intact!! I loved this book as a novella and i did have expectations for this full novel, but each and ever expectation i had, was blown totally out of the water.
One fateful night changes everything for Ava, now she’s returning to the place that destroyed her, but she’s determined to make it, she’s determined to show they can’t ignore her or put her down.
Omg i loved this girl, and my heart bled for her, she’s a warrior, yet with each and every adversity she has to face, she stands tall, a girl with so much love to give.
Knox, her unknown admirer and her Dark Black Knight in shining Armour, but even he can’t be trusted, right? He’s one of them !!! He’s their leader !!!
That’s all i can tell you because this book HAS to be read blind!! You deserve to experience every moment of this story, just be prepared!!!
Holy spittin fireballs this book hit me hard, my heart hurt, my soul wept and my tears bled out of me with ease!! Ilsa Madden Mills, has taken sensitive subjects and absolutely nailed it !!! Every now and again, we are gifted a Hero and Heroine with so much strength, love and determination to carry them through lifes adversities. That leave us reeling and raw. The despite all the odds, become our beloved champions. Ilsa Madden Mills not only knocked it out of the ballpark, she’s set an exceptional standard !!
Bless Ilsa; she made this into a WHOLE BOOK! I knew when I read the original short story; there was a beautiful tale here. I have been eagerly anticipating the “rest of the story,” I just knew there was so much more we could explore. I finished it last night, and I just had to sit and feel all the feels.
Ava and Knox had a ton of angst going on. One of the main themes running through the story is that it doesn’t matter how much money you have or your societal position; there are good and bad people everywhere. Ava had to work hard to overcome much and be present for a younger sibling. This kid is one of the very best I have read; he had me laughing out loud with his signature sentence opener. His character brought another facet and dimension that I adored. Knox’s family was a trainwreck due to tragedies. His brother was heart-wrenchingly sad. Add in absentee parents causing early adulthood responsibilities for not-quite-grown teens. We have angst, lots of angst. There was an authenticity to how they reacted to and dealt with situations. And the way Ilsa handled Ava and Knox was highly satisfying and not gratuitous, which would have been very easy to do in getting to the ending. I was delighted with how this book played out and how the characters matured and grew.
Woven all through this story, which touched on a highly sensitive topic, was the romance between Knox and Ava. Ilsa always manages to create heroes that make you cry because of the depth of their devotion and care for the one they love. I have seen this in her other books, and Knox is no different. Ilsa is continuing her tradition of excellence by bringing us another winning story of love and triumph.
I absolutely fell in love with the small glimpse that we got of Knox and Ava in the Team Player 2 Anthology. But, their full story absolutely blew me away! I could not wait for Ilsa to release their full story because I wanted to know more about all of the extras that we never got to see and if Ava gets justice for what happened to her. I loved Knox and Ava’s interactions throughout their story and it ripped me apart whenever Knox would show his vulnerability and felt that he wasn’t good enough for Ava but would always be there whenever she needed him. And, I loved the Hades and Persephone metaphor, it was perfection! Couldn’t get enough of Wyatt, Piper and Dane, they were perfect supporting characters throughout this book. Thank you, Ilsa for another heart wrenching and beautifully written story!
Deep and Emotional …. angsty but not overkill
Loved this book. It dealt with real life issues of insecurities, lies, betrayal and how the strong cope and survive. Ava had difficult choices to make. She chose the hardest route, but for her it was the best route. To survive she had to put on a hardened steel exterior and keep her inner emotions buried.
I loved the extra epilogues at the end of this book. Too often authors end a book like a Hallmark movie…. a HEA kiss and the story is over. That’s not this book. There’s more to life than a HEA kiss and we get a peak into how life goes on for Ava, Knox and others.
^ OBSERVATIONS & WISHES
… These were high school students but the book came across more of college age for the main characters. I guess a hard life will make you grow up quickly. I normally don’t read high school drama, but this one was different, not your typical high school mentality, IMO.
… I did end up feeling sorry for Ava’s ex, Chance. But, like real life, he had to sleep in the bed he made.
… As for those who didn’t like Ava’s middle name being Tulip, I would expect a ‘flower power’ type name from Ava’s mother. Her mom was a real loser, a drunk and went from man to man. Mama only cared for herself and prolly the best thing she ever did for Ava was abandon her. Ava was about 10 (give or take) when she and her baby brother were ‘disposed’ to the Sisters of Charity children’s home. So her middle name of Tulip seems fitting considering who gave Ava that name. Why would we expect anything ‘normal’ from a mother like that?
… I didn’t see the need for ‘mama’ to make a brief appearance later in the book. And, I thought Ava would garner that steel exterior and send her ‘mama’ packing. After all, Ava knew mama’s blackmail was lame and had no ground to stand on.
… I did want all those pompous Sharks to be eaten alive by a great white ki11er whale
… I would like to know more about Camilla and her confession. Also, wanted to see more of Jolena’s reaction when she found out about Liam. As they say, the bigger they are the harder they fall.
… Saw no need for the $ex scene details, and I’m not talking about the rape. I also saw no need for the PC addition that Wyatt and Jeggar played. It was not needed. Wyatt’s role as best friend was needed and perfect but didn’t need the PC topic.
… I would have liked another epilogue…. yep, another one in addition to the two we have. I wanted to get at least of glimpse of Aunty Karma making an appearance at Camden Prep and those rich, entitled students reaping what they sowed. I love redemption stories but want real redemption. These ‘kids’ and their parents needed a dose of true remorse and looking at themselves in the mirror. Until they do that, their future will be empty and bleak.
I review lots of books before published. This was not one of those. I actually put this ahead of three books waiting for me to read/review. I was drawn to this book by both the synopsis and the good vs bad reviews. I wanted to know what caused readers to be so worked up. I’m so glad I did.
I loved this book and that surprises me considering the subject. Ilsa has delivered a stunning look into the destruction left on everyone after a deplorable action blows up a junior school year. No amount of money can fix what is taken without regard or permission, only love, understanding and justice can begin to truly heal.
Ava is a true bad***. She and her young brother Tyler have been delt the ultimate crap hand in life. She has managed by her sharp wit and with the help of the Nuns and a few kind people to cobble together a life with the potential to set them up for success one day. She’s smart and a plum scholarship student at Camden Prep. Enter the rich prep kids, long ago titled Sharks, to decide who does or does not belong.
This story is a stunning look into how people show their good or bad side in adversity. Some desert the person in need, some turn on them and others step up in the most remarkable ways to protect and defend.
Knox and his twin Dane might be at the top of the food chain, but looks are deceiving. Home isn’t a a rosey place for them, they’re just getting by. I loved being in Knox head. A thoughtful guy with a sharp mind. He and Ava make a great couple. They have a wonderful loved for each other.
Ten months after the most horrific night of her life, Ava returns to school for her senior year. She has ulterior motives aside from getting a good education to get into the college of her dreams. She wants to get her little brother into the elementary special needs program and she wants to get answers to that night but mostly she wants to prove that they didn’t break her. Knox is the king of the campus, the captain of the football team, the guy all girls want but can’t have because he doesn’t do relationships. He has also openly shown distain for Ava since she started at their school. But when she returns the school and they have a class together they can’t seem to stay away from each other no matter how much Knox tries to push her away.
I was not expecting this book to be what it was. I went in blind and the first chapter kind of hurt. I had to put it down, reset my expectations and come back. It was only for 10 min but I wasn’t expecting that so I need to breathe for a hot minute. The secret admirer aspect of the story was very very minimal and that kind of bummed me out; I was looking forward that that mystery and the moments were so cute but very minimal. I would have liked to have seen more of that. But I loved this story. I loved how strong and fierce Ava was – nothing was stopping her from reaching her goals. Especially not the dill holes that bullied her and tried to convince her that she made it all up. I loved how she was willing to do anything to give her brother a better life, even to her own detriment. Knox, although strong and dominate when it came to protecting Ava, he was a bit of a beta when it actually came to their interactions together. I loved him and his vulnerability when it came to her. He was so perfect for her. They were prefect. I heart Ava and Knox.
The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, Ava wanted to be part of their world, until they destroyed her. The last thing she expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them. She hates every one of the rich jerks for what they did to her. The question is which Shark is her secret admirer. She thinks it is Knox, the scarred quarterback; his twin brother Dane; or Chance, the ex who dumped her. – This is an awesome book. I admired Ava’s strength and commitment. She is a wonderful character, as is Knox. He has had sadness in his life, but he is trying hard to overcome it. He and Ava have a strong connection. I liked their respect for each other. Knox is kind and honorable. I especially liked the two epilogues. This is a wonderful read.
At a fist glance, it is so easy to get swept up in all the drama and abuse that Ava went through in the beginning of this book. It happened to me when I first read it back in 2020.
Second time around, upon closer inspection, I noticed that the characters lack enough characterization. What do we really know at the end of this book? Aside from Ava’s shitty life growing up, her determination to find her rapist and make him pay and her great grades. What does she have in common with Knox? Aside from instant attraction (ok, they’re 17) and his mom having been through the same kind of abuse as her.
The author is a great angsty storyteller as I’ve noticed with other books of hers I’ve read. But I find the characters lacking and flat, without any real depth. Ava went through so much, but her healing is left out for the most part. The ending is so wholesome and awesome. It left me feeling hopeful but it cannot account for the rest of the book.
About the audio: Zachary Webber as Knox was great. I didn’t like Savannah Peachwood as Ava so much. Their reading speeds are different and that annoyed me a lot. Also, Savannah reads to dramatically. Ava is 17 not 27. And she lives near Nashville. Aren’t the characters supposed to have at least a slight southern accent?
This is not me telling you not to read the book. I think it’s a book worth reading. It will speak to young audiences for sure.
Safety: trigger warning for rape; 2 sexually explicit scenes
Admittedly, I seem to be captivated by this type of story and some may not understand it. I think it comes down to seeing the beauty in the struggle and the flaws. Ultimately, it’s love in all its tattered and frayed glory.
The characters are strong. Ava, in particular, bravely reinvents herself more than once. Knox’s devotion is being pulled in more than one direction. The story reveals that they don’t get there all at once or even at the same time at first. It also shows how sometimes you have to be patient for the things we want the most.
I’ve enjoyed other Ilsa Madden-Mills books but this is by far my favorite. I really should have put this higher on my TBR list as I bought it when it first came out.
P.S. Maybe it says it in the book description itself, but since I didn’t notice it on the blurb – there is at least one trigger in this book that some may find unsuitable. It’s not overly graphic but nonetheless, keep that in mind.
Contemporary sports romance twisted from enemies to lovers, secret admirer, high school romance.
The Sharks, rich and prestigious, at Camden Prep. Knox and Dane, twin brothers, or Chance, Ava’s ex. Who is Ava’s secret admirer that was a part of her destruction? The destruction being during her journey year, a horrible turn of events which left her shattered during a bonfire. That fateful night had her hospitalized and led to 10 months away from school.
Senior year, starts up, with her entering the school grounds after 10 months with a giant target on her back. The feelings Knox’s character exudes is heartbreaking along with his twin brother Dane. Continuously hiding his empathy towards her when in the end he’s unable to bottle his feelings anymore. The emotions running rampant through these pages from all the characters and their upbringings is heart-wrenchingly breathtaking.
This is one if those books where you get attached to the characters right away. I could not put this book down!
Great story and word flow
High school read.
Nice long read starting in HS. H is rich, football player and popular. But h is poor smart, pretty, charity case. She is violated and they both have issues to work through but have a HEA years later.
I loved this book. It was believable with heart warming characters. Good can overcome evil with a happy ending.
Oh my goodness, I’m not even really sure where to start. I feel kind of like I need to stop and catch my breath after the roller coaster of emotions this book took me on. I really don’t want to give much away so I’m just going to say the writing was incredible, the storyline was so good and the characters were amazing. It was a little hard to get through at first just because the subject matter is so tough and you just want to hate some of these characters so much but keep reading. It hooks you in all the way to the end.
I was all over the place with this one. In the end, I did enjoy it. And it was a very fast and engrossing read. I will read more from Ilsa Madden-Mills, but don’t feel the need to right away. That’s probably good for my bank account.
My main issue was with Knox. His behavior and personality was all over the place. She definitely tried to explain why he was like this, but it just didn’t work for me. I can suspend my disbelief, but the whiplash it caused me would just bring me right out of the story.
Ava was a nice character and it was easy to root for her. But she also didn’t feel like anything special. I’m already starting to forget things about her.
A lot of this is standard NA romance. There’s a rich guy and poor girl. There’s a sexual assault storyline. The romance has a forbidden aspect. The author did do something with the resolution that I wish more authors did. It really helped me buy into their romance.
I haven’t read a lot of bully romances and I’m not sure it’s a trope for me. I like some enemies to lovers (mostly rivals) romance and angst (when I’m in the mood). I get the impression bully romances always have angst which is good to know if I ever want that in the future.