Welcome to their kingdom…I never thought I’d step foot in Royal Manor again. But four years later, here I am…back to finish my senior year at Royal Hearts Academy.And forced to face Jace Covington. My first friend. First crush. First kiss. The one I left behind.Only—he isn’t the same boy I gave my heart to.This new Jace is as cruel as he is gorgeous.And he’s determined to make my life a … Jace is as cruel as he is gorgeous.
And he’s determined to make my life a living hell.
Along with the rest of his glorified family and crew of tyrants.
They expect me to worship the ground they walk on like everyone else, but I’d rather eat dirt.
If Jace Covington wants me gone…he’ll have to try harder.
Because I’ve never been the kind of girl to play by the rules.
WARNING: Royal Hearts Academy is a New Adult/High School series of standalones filled with drama, a touch of angst, and boys who are bad to the bone.
This series is recommended for mature readers due to graphic language and sexual content.
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REVIEW: 3.5 < 4 STARS "But the heart doesn't choose who we love by their worth. Because love isn't a choice." Where do I go from here? I mean, being my first Ashley Jade book, I know I have a world of possibilities out there because I've seen her catalog, but like....I need more of these kids!! First and foremost, I can't believe it took me this long to read her. And now the wait for the next few books in this series is going to be rough. Not only did she tell me a story that I thought about while I wasn't reading, but she set up the series with characters that I can't wait to follow. I can't even begin to imagine how their stories are going to go! This story was the power of teenage love mixed with the brutal side of bullying and miscommunication, so it made for a fantastic ride for me!! I loved Dylan's strength and determination in this book. I loved that she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, but, also, that her fears and pain were spelled out and highlighted accordingly. Jace was giving me whiplash with his constant back and forth, along with his covert comments and arrogance in regards his attraction to her. So for her to make it through his shade, that made my eyes wide because I would have folded like a wet noodle. His cold demeanor was pissing me off and he lived up to the 'asshole' part verrrrry well. Yet, I loved it! The uphill battle made for a treacherous ride, but once they were there....they seemed to soar and it was all worth it. Because....holy hell, these two were combustible!!! Like, scorching hot sexiness and broodiness was coming from Jace. He set the bar for steamy seduction quite well. Was it a little intense for teenagers? I don't particularly think so because I remember that need and intensity, and getting caught up in the flirting and the allure of your soulmate is intoxicating and disabling, all in one. Basically, they were both powerless in their attraction of each other, and it was a serious cat and mouse game while reading this one. The reason for my rating was because while I loved the book and didn't want to put it down, there were a few things that didn't jive with me. Some parts felt a little gratuitous and unnecessary in the drama aspect. It didn't really take away from or detract from the story as a whole, but I didn't feel like it added substance, nor did it warrant the aggravation it provided. Totally a personal opinion, because I was loving it without the added side drama/storylines. What I did love was the chain of events that set everything in motion. That felt well thought out and Jade interspersed it throughout the story by dropping little clues here and there with precision. Small lies painted a very different truth, for sure. I do admit to struggling with some of the actions that transpired - mainly because it didn't fit with the outline of the characters she was giving me in the beginning. It felt 'off' and that added to the unnecessary drama aspect of it, for me. However, having said all that - I enjoyed the spin she gave this story and I didn't want to stop reading. I was completely invested and was anxious to see it play out. I honestly think the biggest letdown I felt was the epilogue, and only because that didn't read like the Dylan I came to know and love throughout the story, so I struggled with that part. But if that's really all I can complain about, I can't really complain. I am unequivocally excited to try out more by Ashley Jade, not only in this series, but in her other books too - and I'm excited because I have quite a few to choose from. Seeing what she did with the YA/Bully genre, I am looking forward to some hot reading with some of her other stories as well. Do YOU have any suggestions for me?? "I'm tired of living without the other half of my soul." ~BEE Amazon Affiliate: https://amzn.to/2HvPehx
Enter here for your chance to win an ecopy: http://bit.ly/2NArj4p
Goes live 8/28/19
A Bully with a heart…..
Wow! This story is amazing. I love the characters, they all have a uniqueness between them. This book is everything Ashley, said it was and more. The pressure of being a high school student who have to deal with the ugliness of others is heartbreaking. This story is totally emotional, with all that happens in it, you will have some tears appear.
Cruel Prince is about Jace Covington, and how he feels about his town Royal Manor and the people in it. He think they are the worst kind of people and want to make them suffer for what happens to his sibling. But when he finds out that his best friend Dylan might be involved, he becomes the biggest A-hole Royal Manor has ever seen.
Being bullied or being a bully is not nice. No one knows what anyone is going through and to be mistreated for entertainment, is repulsive. This story hit some dark triggers but it’s an awesome read.
Omg what a absolute fantastic 5 book. Ashley has gone above and beyond in this story of Jace and Dylan. With as much detail that she put into this book it’s high school all over again. This book has something for everyone it does touch on thing’s that will break your heart and have you feeling all the feel’s so have tissues close by.
I cannot express how good this book was you’ll just have to one click it and find out. I can’t wait till the next book comes out.
Great book. It has tear jerking moments. Jace is an a..hole to the max. Dylan is a girl that’s been dealt a raw deal. They’re made for each other. However, people and circumstances get in the way. High school suicide and bullying are the main problems. Love this book so much. It takes you back to high school the good and bad times. Love it.
I couldn’t stop reading this book, hooked from chapter one and needed to know how the story would end.
Since this story is a true Ashley Jade ‘s book,, there was twists that I didn’t see coming and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.
I highly recommend this story, because Ashley never ever disappoints.
Congratulations on your newest series and release!
I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) and in return I am giving you my honest opinion about this incredible story. I Absolutely loved it and will highly recommend this book and amazing Author to my friends and family members.
This is my first book by this author and it will not be my last. I clicked on the book because I thought the cover was smoking hot and then read the blurb thinking it would be like all of the other high school bully romances out there – it wasn’t. There was a fair amount of angst, a few humorous antics (mostly involving Oakley!) interspersed throughout the chapters, as well as some rather steamy scenes.
Jace Covington is a bully, but he wasn’t what I expected. He is a complex character and I couldn’t help but love him. He is a loving big brother who seems to have taken the weight of the world on his shoulders. My heart broke many times over for him. So while I wanted to at times shake him for his actions towards Dylan, I also wanted to wrap him up in a big hug.
Dylan is a likable heroine. She too has persevered in the face of all the bad things that happened to her. Her sarcastic wit was entertaining and I like how strong and resilient she was.
Cruel Prince has a great cast of characters. Both Jace and Dylan are likable, well developed characters who mature throughout the book. Her cousin, Oakley is both funny and endearing with a serious side as well. Sawyer, is the ultimate friend. The you have Jace’s siblings and I cannot wait for their books! Additionally, this author incorporates some tough subject matter with great sensitivity. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t your typical bully romance and I loved the characters. The plot was good and moved at a good pace.
“And while most people would walk away out of fear of being cut… I want to merge my broken pieces with his. See what kind of alliance our strange, jagged pieces could form.”
This is one of those I had been impatiently waiting to release….its a bully romance (which is my fav) AND it is one from Ashley Jade (who wrote one of my fav duets ever). She has the perfect twisted mind, able to make you uncomfortable in all the right ways without making the anti-hero someone you can’t eventually turn into a book boyfriend.
He’s the opposite of colorless. Jace Covington is blue. A beautiful, turbulent ocean full of depth… and an incandescent sky that only gives you small glimpses of all its radiant colors… before turning gloomy and dark. “I see you,” I breathe between kisses. “You’re my favorite color.”
Told in dual POV, Cruel Prince is everything I hoped for and expected from Ashley. The first installment of the Royal Hearts Academy series, it sets the setting for what is going to be one heck of a series of books. It is a bully romance and it does contain some very sensitive subject matter (suicide, bullying, mental illness, cheating spouses, and fat shaming). This is NOT one of those bully romance stories where the bully hates the girl because he secretly wants her…..he has a legit reason to hate her (whether its true or not you will find out). It does time jump throughout to set the history between our two leads and ends with a HFN ending.
After her father lands in prison for embezzlement, Dylan finds herself back in her childhood town taken in by her aunt and her husband. Its been years and she is eager to see her first love and best friend Jace….the problem? He hates her and she has no idea why. So many things have changed since shes been gone…..Jace’s family and their minions (including her step-cousin Oakley) rule the school, and Jace is determined to break her. Dylan refuses to back down, not until Jace tells her exactly what changed while she was gone.
“I’ve never been the kind of girl to give up. The locks to his fucked- up kingdom might have changed, but I still remember the layout.”
Jace never wanted to see Dylan again….so when she moves back into town, he makes it his mission to make her pay. She took from him something that could never been replaced…..no matter the feelings that seeing her stirs up in him, he cannot give into them.
“We were best friends… but our demons were kindred spirits.”
But what happens when you discover the truth you believe might not be true at all? Is it too late to come back? And is there a way to have the one thing you want when it is also the one thing you swore you wouldn’t have?
“I’ve spent the last four years pining for the opportunity to destroy this girl’s life so I could watch her break. Who knew success would taste so fucking bitter.”
This story does end with a HFN (I imagine it will carry on in the background of the other installments) and there is enough drama, shocking revelations, hot chemistry, and action to keep you anxiously turning the page until the very end.
“You were the best thing that ever happened to me, Jace Covington. I’m so sorry I ended up being the worst for you.”
Dylan isn’t your average heroine in a bully romance. She is a true badass….she doesn’t back down, she doesn’t give up. She doesn’t deny or ignore her feelings and she demands answers. She fights for what she wants, and she also fights (and beats up) a guy in fantastic fashion lol. Hands down in my top 5 fav heroines ever.
The chemistry and build up between our two leads is so worth it and so steamy. It is a slow burning build, one that makes the explosion worth every bit of it. The way Ashley was also able to create authentic feeling friendships between others (like Dylan and Oakley) made me eager to also get to know those supporting characters too. But maybe more important than all of that, the time jumping did an amazing job at creating that emotional connection to their past (including Liam and the event that created the hatred now). I felt for these characters….all of them.
“Liam died because a bunch of aholes at our school thought it was fun to bully a kid with anxiety and a stutter. And I wasn’t there to protect him like I should have been. Because of her.”
All in all, this is a MUST READ. It will gut you, excite you, stress you out, and make you rage…..but in the end it will heal your broken heart every bit as much as it does for Dylan and Jace. Don’t even consider it, just READ IT!
“I lost you once… and I’ll burn the whole fucking world to the ground before I ever make that mistake again.”
Oh holy macaroni! This book will bring you through all the feels. Like you’ll legit feel every emotion the characters felt. I literally sat an emotional ball before I could write my review. This is hands down the best book this author has written to date. I loved every second of it.
So Ashley Jade likes to push me out of my comfort zone. I don’t like bully romances.. i REALLY dont. And there were parts in this book that made me want to throw my kindle, and i cried at least 4 different times.. but it is so beautifully written. You will change your mind about characters so fast you’ll have whiplash (I’m looking at you Oakley). And you’ll cheer for some and want to push others into traffic. Tragedy abounds as does love.
Cruel Prince was everything! It gave you the ultimate gamete of emotions. You truly felt the highs and the lows of these characters. I was not expecting to shed some tears on this one. I literally had to slam my kindle closed for a few moments and compose myself since I was in public. Just WOW!
Jace dang dude he was harsh and cruel! However don’t tell anyone I loved every moment when he was on the page! Dylan good grief can this chick catch a break! I so admired her strength. As always Ashely does not give you fluff side characters. Every single person who she writes are fully developed and intriguing. Oakley I want to just chill with. I know Cole is going to do a number on my heart. Sawyer is like another kindred spirit character to me.
Some take aways. I love pineapple and pepperoni pizza. It may be awhile before I can eat a slice of that. I went to a concert the night after I read this. It was not outside but for the first time in a while I danced like no one was watching just like Dylan. I needed that! Thank you!
Ashley Jade created a YA/NA world where the characters are like friends and family. I began the book and never stopped reading until I had devoured every single word. I laughed, cried, gasped, fist pumped and sighed. I’m just as in love with side characters as I am main characters. Gimme all your words, Ashley Jade, I need them!!
Have you ever dove into a book and found yourself wholly captivated by characters you wanted to hate but absolutely loved instead? If so then you’ll totally understand me when I say Cruel Prince just did that but if not get ready to fall for the Royal Hearts Academy crew.
This book and these amazing characters owned me from the very start. I absolutely fell in love with them all. I found myself reading until the wee hours of the morning in spite of knowing I had a new group of kiddos to deal with first thing the next morning. If you’re an angst lover like myself this book checks off all the boxes plus more. My emotions were constantly flying all over the place I laughed, cried, ranted and raved and swooned like a lovesick fool. That’s not even including the times I wanted to punch certain characters repeatedly or the twists that made my jaw drop.
New adult books are always a bit of a hit and miss read for me. I never know whether the author or a book will grab my attention or just blend in with all the other books I’ve read. Cruel Prince definitely stood out and demanded my attention. The world created within the pages of this book was one that had me quickly invested with unforgettable characters and made me feel like I was walking the halls right alongside them. After this fantastic introduction to Royal Hearts Academy I am eager to see what’s in store for the rest of the crew!
5*
Wow what can I say, this book gives it you all. Mean girls, super hot guys add in the Jealously, rage & laughs.
The book starts with Jace & Dylan as childhood friends always there for each having lots in common. A decision by her father However leaves lots of unanswered questions.
Years later her return isn’t met with the reception she hoped for. Life is certainly about to get worse.
So looking forward to reading
Ruthless knight- Cole’s book.
Wickedly princess- Bianca’s book
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
This book has many potential trigger warnings
I’m not really a fan of high school bully romances but I have been wanting to read something from A. Jade and my reading group selected it for this month.
I really enjoyed the beginning. There is a lot of intrigue and questions that need to be answered.
As the book went on you find out the whole 4 years worth of anger and resentment boil down to a case of communication. I also found the MC Dylan to be such a pushover. She constantly throws herself at Jace for him to continually make her feel awful about herself.
This is a good story, even if it’s not my cup of tea. I was able to finish it in a couple days and was not bored by it. I do wish all the resolution happened sooner so we could get a better glimpse of who Dylan and Jace are now.
I am intrigued by Cole and Sawyer’s connection! I think they will have an interesting story
I can say that this will not be the last book I read in this series. This was a good childhood friends to enemies, to lovers high school romance story. I enjoyed most of the characters in this story but I have to say that Dylan and Sawyer are definitely my favorite. I wished Dylan wouldn’t have let her guard down so easy when it came to Jace but I also loved that she stood up for herself. It took me a minute to warm up to Jace because there were times where I wanted to throat punch him. Cole was okay and Oakley was just a whole mess, but he was the most easy going character in this story to me out of all the boys. Tommy was conniving and from his actions I knew he was obsessed with Dylan, however the part he played when it came how things ended with Liam was shocking. This story was full of laughs, angst, drama, surprises, steamy scenes, lies, betrayal, regrets, family secrets and more. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series not only to get Cole and Oakley’s story but to see how things will turn out for Sawyer.
This book wrecked me. I did not see the suspense and heartbreak coming. Everything is written so beautifully and realistically. I can’t even imagine what this situation would feel like to be in, and I really don’t want to. Great job!
My Rating: 3/4
Type: Can be read as Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Fiction Romance, YA, High school Bully
Primary Characters: Dylan and Jace
Narration: Dual POV
I read reviews on this book from several fellow bookstagrames . I was intrigued after that. Somehow it didn’t leave up to my expectation. Story was very predictable; I was sort of bored after some point. Ex childhood best friends turned enemies because of miscommunication and tragedy seemed interesting but drama was too much for me.
As blurb says Dylan is back in Royal Hearts Academy after four years. For reasons unknown to her, her childhood best friend Jace and his family hates hers now. Jace not only doesn’t like Dylan, he’s down right cruel to her. I could understand with time why he was so hurt and even though I hate that miscommunication thing that always happens, I can understand more with this situation. The best part of the book is, it toggles between past and present which gives more info at right times.
Plot become very much predictive. Character development in past is good, but it wasnt up to the present not so good. Dylan is strong and feisty and pushes back Jace, yet it wasn’t sufficient. I didn’t like Jace. I just couldn’t connect with him. I didn’t get attached to the characters, the bully wasn’t all that bully, it was more like a drama. Writing style is ok. Cole, Sawyer and Oakley were intriguing but not enough for me to pick up next book in series.
Overall, it was disappointing to me. Read for yourself and let me know your view on this.
Blog — https://meander23.com
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Phoah Royal Heart Academy – I’m addicted! This first book introduces us to Jace and Dylan.
Jace and Dylan grew up together and were best friends till they were 14, when Dylan’s father unexpectedly moves her away. Flash forward 4 years, and Dylan returns back to Royal Heart Academy – hoping to reconnect with Jace, her first real best friend, her first everything. Only to find Jace bullying her and spreading rumours. However as much as Jace keeps pulling away, at the end of the day – he cares about Dylan as much as she does and their connection won’t cease.
A dark family secret from their past then comes to alight which answers why Jace was so cruel to Dylan when she first returned. However of course, love prevails.
This story is so addictive and I really like Dylan. However, I did feel like the ending was rushed and look forward in continuing the series to hear more about Dylan and Jace future love relationship.
4/5 Stars, 3.5/5 Steam.
This is my first ever Ashley Jade book and I have to say even though I was skeptical about the title of the book it wasn’t too bad. Well there’s room for improvement to the story, character development, writing style and the plot.
But it was an easy read and that’s the kind of fuel your soul needs after a hectic week of work.
So here are my thoughts.
This is a high school bully, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story. There are trigger warnings for suicide, depression and for people dealing with grief and you should definitely check that out before you dive into this book.
So I love the fact that the main female character Dylan isn’t a doormat. She stands up for herself for her friends and family at all times. But on the other hand, there was a chapter which she beat the sh*t out of her cousin brother and slaps the main male character Jace and his brother which I think is a little too much. We wouldn’t want a male protagonist who goes around beating and slapping women in the book do we? It’s a two way road people!
I love the banter between Dylan and her cousin Oak but I didn’t see the point why the author made Dylan’s boss, the owner of the bakery a weirdly quirky character for no apparent reason.
Even thought the book is 400 pages long we didn’t get a conclusion to Dylan’s issue with her father or Jace’s issues with his father. While there were too many unnecessary incidents, details mentioned, overall the plot is very light and an easy read. Which might be the kind of book you’d want to read after a stressful week of work without putting a lot of thought into it.
In conclusion this book was alright but noting too remarkable. So, I’m giving this a 2 stars and if I feel like it I might pick up the rest of the 2 books in the series mid this year.
Let’s see how it goes.
Yours Truly,
Bookish Lankan – instagram.com/bookish_lankan
PS: I’ve voluntarily read and reviewed this book
“You’re my favorite color.”
Holy hell! I was so not prepared for the epic mind blowing ride reading Cruel Prince! It surpassed everything that I thought it would possibly be and it blew my mind! I laughed, I woke my hubby from a dead sleep, screaming at my phone because these characters, this story just Ahhh!!
This story took my heart, and my tears! I was so captivated, I couldn’t put my phone down and when it was over, I still wanted more!
Hands down on of my top favorites of 2019 and I cannot wait for the rest of of the Royal Hearts Academy!
This book IS a Standalone