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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All the stars
I know they tell you not to judge a book by its cover, but what do you do when the cover is this hot?
I immediately assume what’s inside is also as hot, and put it on my TBR.
Jace Covington is a world class jerk. He’s a lot of words that you can’t say in polite society, mixed with a helping of something special underneath, something that he saves for the people in his life that he deems worthy. Immediately after Dylan returns to town, he’s out to make her life as miserable as possible, but without telling her why.
So poor Dylan(not really, bc my girl held her own) has no clue why this jerk is out to ruin her life, but she’s not backing down.
Dylan understands Jace has some sort of grudge, but she is not here to be walked all over, no matter who he thinks he is. Dylan gave them all a run for their money. The scene with Oakley, in the hallway, man I cheered for her so loudly. I’m not gonna lie, my favorite character is Oakley. He gets all the adoration from me.
The chemistry between the characters is palpable as you turn the pages, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
This book has been highly anticipated for awhile now, and was definitely worth it!
The turmoil, the angst, it gave me all the classic AJ vibes! I’m here for the Royal Hearts bunch!
I loved this book! Dylan is a bad ass who doesn’t back down!
Gah! Such a bittersweet ending!
This story was too good to resist; Too good to put down. Everything about it was perfect, yet heartbreaking. So much to take in and so much to unravel. The ending was like standing at the airport and waving goodbye to someone you hold so dear in your heart, with tears streaming down your face because you know it will be a long while before you get to see them again. Goodbyes always hurt, especially if those goodbyes are permanent ones.
This story takes you on a journey that will not leave you unscathed in the end. You will be cut and you will be bruised, but the good thing about it is that it will heal. Eventually, it will heal.
This was Jace and Dylan’s story, but each character deserves their story to be told and read. I will eventually finish all their stories because they are too much a part of me to ignore.
Great story with a great ending. This story might have had a few issues but they were more background noise. They were easy to overcome. This was worth the read.
My first Ashley Jade novel!
I am a huge high school bully romance novel lover.
This one in particular was a beautifully written heart wrenching tale of 2 best friends destined to be together, but torn apart by cruel twists of fate.
The story is set at an interesting pace that keeps you on the hook till the end. There is intensity in the emotions and the chemistry is off the charts.
Without spoiling the story i’ll just say that there is a constant push and pull b/w Jace and Dylan. They both have their internal struggle to overcome.
Now this isn’t just a sappy highschool romance. The elements of family as well as friends have also been woven in so beautifully. As the story progresses we get a few glimpses of their past and what made them grow apart.
From Jace’s guilt and responsibility weighing on his shoulders to Dylan’s dad’s current situation and her adjustment to her new living situation to Oakley’s ordeal and his protectiveness towards his cousin, this book is filled with so many delicately written emotions.
“She’s the one this fucked-up thing in my chest beats and bleeds for”
Man you can’t help but root for Jace and Dylan. Even though Jace infuriated me to no extent at various points of the story, I still cheered for him. And our heroine was not a weak little damsel. She was strong and had a ‘no bullshit’ attitude which to be honest is one of the best parts. I despise the doormat heroines so much.
So all the bully romance lovers out there, just pick up this book and start reading. I assure you, you wont regret it!
5 sopping wet stars because I bawled like a baby for like the last 90 pages. If you are looking for a story that will break your heart, make you laugh, make you cry and make you shout then this is the book for you.
Dylan and Jace kept me enthralled with their hot and cold romance. I mostly found myself wanting to strangle Jace. Until I understood at least. When the pieces all fell together my heart broke for these characters. My poor Liam. I’m not okay. I’m working up the courage to continue to the next book in the series cause I know it’s going to hurt just as much.
Ashley has a way of breaking your heart in the most profound ways and then glueing you back together, although I’m not sure it will ever be completely whole again. A brilliant story with amazing characters that you just couldn’t get enough of. I look forward to the rest of the series and finding out more about Cole and Sawyer.
Let me start off by saying I have read several of Ashley other genre books all of which are good. Wow, this here ya Cruel Prince she did a phenomenal job writing it. I need more!!!
5 freaking stars! In this day and age where bully romances are freaking awesome it is hard to find something new and refreshing, but oh my gosh did Ashley Jade deliver that for us. This story is heartbreaking and I freaking loved every minute of it!
The characters are so freaking strong! Dylan is fierce and fiery but also loyal to a fault, which could also be considered her downfall. After being away from Royal Hearts for years, she is back, but super jaded. The biggest thing she looks forward is seeing her former best friend- Jace, the guy that she has been in love with forever. Lets just say that the reception she gets is NOT what she is expecting, Jace freaking hates her, but why?
All in all, this book is complex and gut wrenching. It takes a bit for everything to come to light, but that did not take away from the story, just builds it to be even better. The characters are real and you can feel their anguish and hurt and it totally touched my heart just a bit. They always say that there is a fine line between hate and love and geez Dylan and Jace totally border that line. I loved the story line and how everything came to be, I cannot freaking wait for the next books in the series! Fingers crossed Cole’s book includes the awesome Sawyer!
I would like to thank Ashley Jade and Candi Kane PR for allowing me an advanced copy of the book, it was freaking great!
This book was amazing! I stayed up until 6am reading because I just could not put it down! Cruel Prince is the story of Dylan and Jace, childhood best friends before Dylan was forced to move away 4 years ago and Jace stopped speaking to her. Now she is back and Jace has nothing but hate and disgust for her but she has no idea what she did wrong. She has dealt with so much family drama lately and there is no way that she is going to back down and allow Jace to ruin her life. Jace’s best friend is Oakley, also Dylan’s step-cousin. He is by far one of my favorite characters! His constant pot smoking makes him a generally laid back character but he is absolutely hilarious! So is Sawyer, another outcast who quickly becomes Dylan’s best friend at school. This book kept me laughing (and then almost crying) throughout the night and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!!!
The last series I read from this author was the Complicated Hearts series. This was different from that, but just as good. This story was full of angst and an emotional roller coaster!
I received a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Cruel Prince
Royal Hearts Academy #1
By: Ashley Jade
REVIEW
Dylan and Jace-once close friends but now bitter enemies. Dylan had to leave four years ago, but she has returned. Jace, her best friend years ago, is not the same guy that Dylan remembers. The question is why. Dylan is dumbfounded by Jace’s behavior. He is a bitter angry jerk of epic proportions. Cruel Prince is not a happy silly high school romance. At all. This story is dark and brooding with characters who have some serious issues. Life is a lesson in pain for Dylan and Jace, and it manifests in the form of rage, cruelty and sorrow. I felt sorry for Dylan and angry with Jace. He was a bit sour, but I know he was supposed to be that way, thus granting a slight amount of leniency for his lowtish behavior. I enjoyed the overall story and would recommend it. All the feels are here!
This is a beautifully written flawless story which had me totally captivated throughout this additive page turner and I cannot wait to read more from this extremely talented author whose work I highly recommend for all readers.
Whoa!!
What can I say about Ashley Jade and Cruel Prince? I’m truly speechless as I write this review due to the fact that Ms. Jade made this book so full of angst which I love!! I was not expecting the emotional whiplash that this book or it’s characters would give me. Between Jace Covington and Dylan Taylor, I had no idea what their deal was or why Jace was so angry with Dylan but as I continued reading…everything came out. My heart broke so many times for Dylan and Jace as well. I honestly think it was more for Dylan than Jace in the beginning, that was until I found out why with Jace.
This book had me at the very beginning and refused to let me go!! Ms. Jade truly has this ‘It’ factor when telling her stories, this may be my first book of her’s but already she’s a new favorite, I look forward to reading more of her stories but I’m especially looking forward to Ruthless Knight!!
Wow! I AM HOOKED! This was a wild ride of emotions, but I am soooo glad I found this author! Bully romance has really garnered my attention over the past year, and this author has solidified her place as a must read, one-click author by her extraordinary writing. My heart hurt for these characters to where it literally had my chest tight with tears in my eyes. I’m so excited to read book two in this series. I’ll just know to be prepared with chocolate and a box of tissues. Well done.
This is my first book by this author and I am in awe of her words she has taken bully romance to another level ! The Covington’s the whole lot of them are mean bully’s but there my favorite kind of characters to love . This series is a must read if your into the bully romance genre even if your not this story is intense angsty emotional drama filled and I just can’t get enough ! Definite 5 stars from me!
The words use and overall review shouldn’t reflect personally on the author or any other of her series and books.
Entertaining and Steamy!
If you are looking for a book about a bully that will make you try to grab him and shake him around most of the time, this is for you hehehe hey if that’s your thing go all out 😉 no judging here.
Jace… Jace You are such a meanie Jace. I read the second book first than this one. I have to say I have no connection to the characters, maybe they seem to mean to me hehhe. Like I find Cole and Jace more scary than sexy. I do prefer the characters from the second book tho. Here is the thing what does it mean that I didn’t like the characters that much? Well that the author wrote them so well that she portrayed what she wanted from her characters. The plot is exciting and the writing is pretty good it’s just that some books are just for us others aren’t. I’m very specially on how I pick my bullies it has to have the perfect mix I like.
Hey some people love this type of bullies maybe this is for others the best bully book.
Also they do redeem themselves and the books on the series are HEA.
I can’t believe it took me so long to get into this series!
I never used to read many bully romances but holy crap I’m hooked on them and this book is a prime example of why. The angst is killer and I couldn’t get enough! Even when I hated some of the characters, I loved them just the same. I was completely in love with the main characters’ story but I fell in love with the secondary characters just as much!
This world and characters have captured a piece of my heart and I don’t ever want to leave it. I can’t wait to get my hands on book two and I’m so glad I can dive into it right away. The wait for further books in the series is going to kill me.
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
Cruel Prince is Book 1 in the Royal Hearts Academy series and it’s off to a great start!
Told in dual POV past and present, you get a clear perspective of who these characters are, what happens between them, and set the stage for their connection.
That said, this is a new genre of high school student romance meant for adults only!!
One thing for sure, these are not typical teens, and this is NOT a typical YA read!
Oh my goodness!
Emotional, twisted, unpredictable and fast paced, these characters are not very nice!
They don’t play well with others, don’t follow directions, and they are mean spirited and bullyish.
Now for me, I have a love/hate relationship with these kinds of characters because I want to see what happens to them.
Can they redeem themselves?
Ohhhh…this unputdownable nugget left me hungry for more!
Cruel Prince is Book One in the Royal Hearts Academy Series, this book is a complete stand-alone with no cliffhanger. Each book in this series will feature a new character.
Cruel Prince: Jace Story
Ruthless Knight: Cole’s Story
Wicked Princess: Bianca’s Story
When I first started this book, I didn’t think it would take me on the emotional ride that it did. I also didn’t expect for this book to completely take over my life until I finished it. I lived and breathed these characters.
This is not only Jace Story but it’s the love story of Jace and Dylan.
Expect the whole childhood best fiends turned enemies to lovers trope.
Jace and Dylan used to be the best of friends four years ago until tragedy strikes and everything changed completely.
Dylan life hasn’t been easy, her life has turned to shit. Due to family reasons Dylan has come back and she is looking forward to seeing her best friend after 4 years.
But when it comes to seeing him face to face, she’s looking at the face of hate. Dylan is confused of what has happened to make Jace hate her. Dylan is determined to find out.
From here on, we see the lengths that Jace will go to to break her. It isn’t until towards the end of the book that we actually find out why Jace acted the way he did.
We soon realise that all is not what it seems, secrets and lies will be exposed. Who is telling the truth?
Every time Jace and Dylan are near each other, you can feel the sexual chemistry and the connection they have to one another. You just know that besides all the hate their is brewing, their love they once had for each other is still there beating for one another. You just know with these two that they are soul mates.
Their journey was not easy, it was raw and real and it was everything I hoped it would be. They had lots of obstacles to overcome before they could get the chance at their happily ever after.
You will absolutely fall in love with Jace, he is your typical A-hole Bully, his good looking and he knows it. His unapologetic, broody, and is a mission to get rid and break Dylan.
The secondary characters in this book I loved. I can’t wait for Cole’s and Bianca’s stories to be written as well as Oakley. He is one guy that I need his book, this series wouldn’t be complete without his story being told. I especially loved Sawyer, Dylan’s Bestfriend. These characters just topped this book off that extra mile.
Let’s just say I am eager for what’s installed next for these characters. If you haven’t picked up this book yet then I suggest you do. You won’t regret it.
This book was a rollercoaster and yet I love it, the series and the author’s writing!
I HATED the way that Jace treated Dylan in the beginning. But his reasoning was understandable, albeit annoying because it was all a misunderstanding. I do really enjoy second chance romances and this was it all rolled into one.
The characters are so complex and yet so real, I feel that’s what I love about this series. It all feels so natural and I truly feel for all of these characters in it.
I’m a sucker for development and there is so much character development in this book, as well as hints of character development for future!
The Covington sibling dynamic was amazing and I loved it so much, it really makes the series.
Oakley, Cole, Bianca and Sawyer really brought this book up for me and the latter half of the book was so good!’m looking forward to reading Cole and Sawyer’s story though!
3 or 4 starts? I guess it will be at 3.5.
I’m not ready to leave a full review in this one, without being a little harsh, so I will be back here later…
For now I would like to say that a book doesn’t have to be a thousand pages one to be good.
I’ve read excellents two hundred pages books and horrible thousand pages books.
This book would be a five stars book with at least fifty pages less. Or maybe a hundred.
The author stretched to much the angst and hatred between the couple, too much push and pull, and after 40% of the story, I already knew what was the issue around Liam’s death and Jace’s loathe upon Dylan.
It was a little mess, and I hated Jace in most part of the book, which is really sad, because it had everything that I love in a Bully romance, and also everything that I think it’s unnecessary in a good book.
But I still have a good time.