THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THAT STARTED A PHENOMENON…
You’re not supposed to want the one who torments you.
When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a jerk he’d be.
I hated that he took it out on me because he didn’t want to be here.
I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room.
But what I hated the most …
But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.
At first, I thought all he had going for him were his rock-hard tattooed abs and chiseled face. But things started changing between us, and it all came to a head one night.
Then, just as quickly as he’d come into my life, he was gone back to California.
It had been years since I’d seen Elec.
When tragedy struck our family, I’d have to face him again.
And holy hell, the teenager who made me crazy was now a man that drove me insane.
I had a feeling my heart was about to get broken again.
Stepbrother Dearest is a standalone novel.
Contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. It is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+
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This was really addicting… Just could not put it down. Amazingly entertaining
4
Spanish & English Opinion
ESP ::
Me gusta mucho esta historia. Tiene un poco de “enemies-to-lovers” y Elec al inicio es patán con Greta, pero su dinámica es divertida y evoluciona muy lindo.
Él tiene mucha carga emocional familiar y por eso Greta es prohibida. No tanto por ser hermanastra, que tampoco impacta tanto.
Me gusta el camino que recorren juntos y la forma en que se vuelven a encontrar. Este es un libro emocional y lindo, con una buena historia de fondo y un final feliz.
ENG ::
I really like this story. It’s more enemies-to-lovers than bullying, because the dynamic is not hurtful but more in the teasing side.
Elec is a bit of a jerk with Greta at the beginning, but they start knowing each other and it evolves in a nice way. She’s forbidden but more because of the emotional situation with Elec’s family than because of the Stepsibling situation.
I love how they grow and how they find each other again. There’s no cheating which I also like and their HEA is lovely.
I love the stepbrother/sister trope and this one is a favourite. Elec and Greta are great characters and the storyline that’s equal parts angst and steam definitely hits the mark. I loved it!
FORBIDDEN LOVE + BROKEN HEARTS + SECOND CHANCES
I am always drawn to the forbidden loves. The ones where one risks the judgement of those surrounding them in order to be with the one who turned their world upside down in the best ways possible. Stepbrother Dearest has so many forbidden aspects and as delicious as it is; it also has some heartbreakingly serious moments as well.
Won’t lie…it took me a bit at the beginning to get into this one! Yes I could feel the attraction between these two characters but it was moving so slowly. What I could feel more than the attraction was the anger. Elec has just arrived at his dad’s to live for the next year while his mom is away; he had originally planned on living the entire year hating life and those around him…counting down his days until he could return home. What he did not count on was the gorgeous caring and sweet Greta! What started out as a way to irritate and push her boundaries quickly turned into his inability to resist her and his own boundaries he set vanishing entirely!
Life pulls him away and years pass between. Neither one considering a future with the other… until tragedy pulls them both home and throws them back together. All those feelings return; the old..the new and the feelings that never went away….just got buried under all the pain.
SECRETS! HURT! ANGER! LOVE! CONFESSIONS! HEARTBREAK!
It seemed as if the second half of this book was my favorite. It all came together perfectly and all the emotions rolling around had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen!
Coolest thing…one of the characters from this story has their own book too! Don’t cheat and go look it up to spoil this book for you!! But when you DO finish this book (you’ll know who it is) and if think you want more of that person….check out Neighbor Dearest! It is one of my FAVORITE books by Penelope Ward!
This wasn’t my favorite book by Penelope Ward by a long shot.
Did I enjoy the story? Yes, but felt like I was missing something. It needed more compared to reading more of her other works.
5 stars!! This is one of my favorites. I’ve listened to this and read it more times than I can count. It has everything. I cried and laughed. This is about two people who really love each other but time is not on their side. They eventually find the way back to each other. Beautifully written.
I have never sobbed as bad as I did while reading this book. Definitely have your tissues read.
I have read so many of Penelope’s books, and I’ve really loved each and every one of them, but this one has got to be my all-time favorite! Penelope writes with so much passion, you just can’t help falling in love with the characters. Stepbrother Dearest is full of angst and jealousy (two of my favorite tropes!), so needless to say, this is a must read!!!
This is one of those books that I have been meaning to listen to and keep getting distracted by my TBR. Today I pulled trigger & I’m so glad I did. Greta & Elec both delivered. Greta is a different person than I was expecting but I love how she turned out. And the same goes for Elec. I highly recommend reading this book!
Spineless heroine and asshole hero without any redeeming qualities.
I read this book in one sitting. It was an emotional roller coaster of missed second chances that culminated in an unforgettable HEA ending.
really amazing
I personally quite enjoyed this book. The story was believable, as well as the characters. It was relatable to how two young people would be with each other in the situation they were in. It was romantic, yet sad at times. Definitely worth the read or listen.
I just finished it… and I’m a little bit speechless….
This book is officially one of my favorites…
It was from that kind of books that you want to read them so quickle with an urge hugger because you need so badly to find out what happen next, but in the same time as you see the pages come out to an end you feel a deep sadness because you don’t want that story to finish ever…
It captured me and i have loved Elec and Greta so much and so deeply… The connection between them was so powerfull and i felt it all over my skin…
The half first made me laugh so mush in the beginning, make me so exciting with the development of their story…
and in the second half left me with a bittersweet sense, i was feeling devastating and i was so anxious about what will be the end of this “GREAT” love…
I was very mooved from the finale and i want to tell that i adore every single moment of this book…
I loved Elec and i loved very much Greta…
Thank you very much Penelope Ward for this great story…
I will never forget it!!!!
There were several plot twists that I did not expect, but I really enjoyed it.
I have always attempted to give ‘star’ ratings on my completed reads, just as a tracking method for my titles that I have completed. I have unlimited packages for audio, kindle, and utilize the local/state library.
However, I do not check the ‘I recommend this book’ unless I am willing to reread a book and or a series.
[I read about 5-15 books a month through kindle, and I listen to about 15-30 books monthly]
I have a full life as a nurse, professor, wife, daughter [daughter in law], sister, and mother. I love to read and love a thousand other lives by turning the pages in countless books.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a review. Happy reading 🙂
* A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review *
What can I say….Penelope Ward had done it again!!! There is a reason why she will always be one of my favorite authors. She knows how to create a story and characters that live on in your mind even after you are done with the book.
She has BLOWN me away with Stepbrother Dearest. I have read every book she has written and I fall in love them more and more as she releases them. I always wonder how she will top her last book, but never worry because she always does!!!! Her books just keep getting better and better. Her writing style is effortless and smooth and you just get lost in her stories. I know that when I start her books it is going to be a long night of reading for me. What I loved about this book was she took a taboo subject and created a great love story out of it. Her character development is spot on and you can’t help but get swept up in the emotions these two people were feeling. She had me laughing, smirking, yelling, blushing, and ugly crying!!!! I LOVE when a book does that to me.
This story is written over the course of a 7 year span. We first meet Elec and Greta when they are 17 years old and are forced to live with each other because Elec’s mother is going away for awhile and sends him to live with his father and new family. I have to say at first Elec was not my favorite Hero of Penelope’s. He was mean, rude, and crass. He wasn’t afraid to say what he was thinking whether or not it was appropriate. Even with saying that, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face whenever I read about him. There was just something about him that sucked me in and by the end I was totally in love with him. During this time Elec and Greta actually get to know each other and become close. Then something happens and he is forced to leave immediately, leaving Greta behind. 7 years later tragedy strikes and reunites these two characters and what happens then is a wild ride. Talk about an emotional ride…Will these two come out okay in the end?? You’ll have to read the book to find out. Greta was a very lovable and relatable character. I really enjoyed reading about her. She didn’t annoy me at all and I never rolled my eyes at her once. My heart did break for her on a couple of occasions though.
This book was told primarily from Greta’s POV, but we do get a small glimpse into Elec’s head and get his POV, but I can’t tell you when or why because it would spoil some of the story. I LOVED the epilogue!!!! This is a standalone book, that is a complete story and has a HEA!!!
I would whole heartedly recommend this book to everyone!!! This is a book I don’t think anyone should miss reading. I know this is one I will read again and again.
This book was the first I had read by Ward, and the story was so interesting that I couldn’t put it down.
Love this. Read it over a lot.
Read: 3/23/19
Stepbrother Dearest was a stand-alone by Penelope Ward.
Elec O’Rourke’s parents were divorced and he had lived with his mother until he was forced to move across the country to live with his dad and step family for his senior year. He was gorgeous, cocky, angry and a nightmare to handle.
Greta was the step sister Elec tormented. She lost her father to cancer when she was young and her mother remarried. She was beautiful, innocent and inexperienced.
The story was told in two parts, the first part when they were seventeen and the stage was set; then the second part seven years later when they met again. Overall, I enjoyed it but there were a few parts I would have done differently. Additionally, it had a few more editing errors than my liking.
Otherwise, It was emotional but I was captivated from start to finish. The theme was a mixture of taboo and second chances. As the storyline progressed, I loved both characters. It was heartbreaking at times but by the end, I felt it came full circle and was worth it.
***** This is My first Penelope Ward Book*****
***** 10 Stars if it was possible!!!*****
I am so in love with this story!!!!
WOW! I devoured this book. I couldn’t put it down, it was a wonderful emotional ride and I definitely shed some tears. I love Penelope’s writing and how she connects you with her characters and their emotions. This book was definitely worth the wait and Elec is so much more than I thought he would be. This is definitely a five star!
WOW! this is definitely worth the read. it is a HOT and somewhat forbidden love! I loved this from beginning until end and just couldn’t put it down. that’s how good this one is. I would recommend it to everyone 🙂 definitely a 5 stars read. Oh and yes this is a must read!