Lacey had always been seen as the unlucky, fat girl when she was growing up. “Chubs” was one of the nicknames her tormenters delighted in using. Over the years, she allowed their teasing to take hold. It ate away at her self-esteem and the way she felt about herself. Until, Chase Hayes, the school rugby team captain and resident jock wooed her into believing she was beautiful. He allowed her to … her to believe she was the only one for him and they would be together forever. But, like always, the luck of having him in her life ended when he made it clear, their relationship would only be acknowledged in secret.
He broke her heart, shattered her soul and she ate her way into depression.
Tanner Marshall, the school geek, stood by her during her darkest hours but he wasn’t enough and she refused to allow him into her life.
Years later, can he break down her walls and be the man she now wants? Has her luck turned around?
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I’m on the Aleisha Maree train and I ain’t getting off!
Sweet Vengeance is a short romance that will knock your socks off while leaving an everlasting impression.
Lacey James is faced with demons which leads to nasty insecurities. She’s what bully’s like to make fun of, but what they don’t realise it that she’s not at all what they see. At least not on the inside.
When things turn from bad to worse, she easily shuts everyone out and that includes the one who has been there in the background with no care about personal appearances.
When her past catches up on her, she’s forced to remind herself of what’s important which brings her to ‘stick it to the man’.
Will she find her self worth or keep listening to all the bad voices in her head?
I loved this novella!! The life lessons it holds runs deep in your core.
The characters and this story are pretty easy to fall for. I’m hooked.
I recommend this to all Romance lovers.
Another awesome book by this author. Sweet Vengeance is a wonderful friends to lovers short story. It was first published in the Kiss My Luck Anthology under the title Just My Luck.
Lacey put up with so much in high school from the star rugby player that she fell in love with and allowed to use her , when deep down she knew that he wasn’t as into her as she was to him. Tanner was there to pick up the pieces then and now ten years later for their 10th High school reunion he is back to hold together the pieces to assure that Chase, Emma, the jock squad and the cheer squad doesn’t get into Lacey’s psychy and send her down that spiral depression again.
5 Stars
Sweet Vengeance by Aleisha Maree is a wonderful friends to lovers story, with a ‘Geek Charming’ vibe that hooked me right from the beginning! The story has a very strong anti-bullying message wrapped up in an emotional story of transformations, high school torment, humiliation, pain, insecurity, body image, reunions, running from the past, and finally seeing what was in front of you the whole time! There is definitely a bit of a “Mean Girls” vibe to the story, but done in Aleisha Maree’s own unique way.
Lacey James has been running from her humiliating past for ten years now. Her high school experience has continued to haunt her. Once the ‘fat’ girl, she was the butt of many ‘jokes’ and was the one the bullies chose to single out. Chase Hayes her first love, broke her heart when he treated her like his “dirty little secret”- and sent her spiralling into a binge eating depression. Tanner Marshall was the geek who was always there for her in her darkest hours. But in her pain, she pushes him away.
She has worked incredibly hard to get to where she is today- successful, slim, and sexy- and she’s desperate to ‘forget’ her high school years. But now, an invitation to the high school reunion brings everything flooding back in vivid and painful detail. When Lacey runs into a blast from the past who wants to take her to the reunion, what will she decide? Will she finally get to put the past behind her? Will she finally find love?
I really felt for Lacie and what she had gone through at the hands of her tormentors. I wanted to give her a great big hug! I was cheering her on from the sidelines and wanted her to kick some butt! There were a few characters I wanted to see get kicked in the head by Karma!!!! Lacey is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for.
The story is told from past and present perspectives, using flashbacks to fill in the backstory. There is a lot of heavier, darker elements such as the bullying, body image issues, humiliation, depression, and pain- but it is balanced by some humour and the ‘steamy’ romance.
I loved the ending- a was a perfect way to end the story!!!
Thank you, Aleisha Maree!