I don’t play by the rules.
Never have, never will.
The second our eyes met from across the club,
I could feel a shift in the air—an overwhelming pull drawing me in.
One mind-blowing night is all it was, or so I thought.
Repeating my senior year may not have been the plan,
But finding out my one-night stand is my new teacher—
That’s something I never saw coming.
His gaze bores into … teacher—
That’s something I never saw coming.
His gaze bores into me with the same intensity.
That body, those hands, I remember every touch.
I should stay away, but I don’t want to.
This time, all bets are off.
I’ll let him think he’s in control,
Until I bring him to his knees.
Passion and fire,
Forbidden and wrong.
Like I said, I don’t play by the rules.
more
This book was amazing. It’s everything I love in a NA novel. This is my first book by Kelsey, but now I am dying to read the rest in the series. I loved Asher; he was so sexy and alpha and don’t get me started on Tess; she was everything I love about a strong heroine. She didn’t take shit from anyone. The banter was fantastic, and the secondary characters made the story shine.
I can’t wait for the next one.
Kelsey has once again kept me so intrigued that I read this book straight through without stopping! It’s 1am & I now want to go back and reread The Saint! Now Asher can never beat Knox for first place in my heart but he comes a damn close second!
I was always looking forward to Tessa’s book because I liked her right from the first book & I knew it’d take a badass to match her. This book does not disappoint at all. Asher & Tessa could quite literally set your kindle on fire.
Tessa lived up to & surpassed her hilarious nickname from Knox. (CBP, Cute But Psycho) & I loved it. She was beyond strong, determined, sassy, & a firecracker but she was also hiding so so much pain.
Asher was perfect for her in so many ways & he made you fall in love with him right from the beginning. I loved his football teammates especially Colby (he better be getting a book!)
I could gush on & on about this book but basically read it. If you haven’t read the other books In the series go read them first because this is a series you don’t want to miss out on!
I received an arc of this book in return for an honest review.
*Read as part of KU*
Wow I’ve recently not only found this series but also this author and have devoured this series so much in the last few days it’s unreal… ive struggled to find concentration to read a full book lately but those Haven Grace Prep guys have had me hooked into every story more and more with each book!!!!
So meeting Tessa in the previous books especially book 2 we knew that she was a handful and needed to meet someone who could handle her and her craziness to make it work… and then along comes Asher and boom there is fireworks flying!!!!
I LOVE these guys together.. the chemistry.. the banter.. the friendship and above all else the trust between these guys is just SO good.
Tessa not only made my heart sad… she made my heart happy and made me smile so much too!
There is so much I want to say about these guys but I don’t want to give anything away but above all else this is the story that gave me all the feels from start to finish.
Instantly jumping into Book 4 asap!
Kelsey Clayton is killing me in the best way possible. Every book in this series just gets better and better. Forbidden romance is my favorite and student/teacher is at the top of my list. This is one of my new favorites. I loved Asher and Tessa together. And I loved seeing all the characters that I have grown to love in this series. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone.
The Rebel is the third book in the Rosewood High series. This book features Tessa and Asher. Tessa is Delaney’s twin sister, and she is the focus of the second book. So we met Tessa before, and see characters from the first two books often in this book. This book is told from duel points of view which is my favorite writing style.
Tessa meets Asher at a bar. She is 18, but using a fake id. They have a steamy one night stand. A few weeks later she sees him again when she’s going to English at school as he is her new English teacher. Asher did not want to be a teacher to a bunch of stuck up kids. He got in injury in football and is upset about his career ending so suddenly. Tessa is going through some of her own battles. Her uncle kidnapped her and his friends abused her to get to her sister and her sister’s boyfriend. Her sister graduated, but Tessa had to repeat Senior year. So she’s having a hard time with her sister not being there when she needs her, and her father isn’t there for her either even though they live together.
Asher and Tessa start to see each other in hiding. Things come out between the two of them. Can they work through it together? Or will it tear them apart? I loved this book, and I’m a huge fan of this author. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
** I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Each one is better than the last! Tessa’s story will break you and put you back together! I love that the totally badass chick that takes shit from no one had her own demons to fight and the growth throughout the book was amazing! I love how deeply Asher loved Tessa even though they were taboo and doomed from the start. Love really did trump all in this book. Can’t wait for Lennon’s story as we really got to see a piece of her in Tessa’s. Fantastic read!
I am LOVING this series! The Rebel was a fantastic addition to the Haven Grace Prep series. I think most of us have been looking forward to Tessa’s story and it did NOT disappoint. Tessa and Asher’s journey isn’t easy; it’s complicated, beautiful, and emotional, but I definitely enjoyed the ride
Looking forward to Lennon’s story!
Kelsey Clayton once again takes us to Haven Grace Prep and finally we see more of Tessa. Have to say from the previous books she is unlike anything I would have imagined but much more. Kelsey Clayton show us a young girl, who well is lost in many ways. Inside she is a girl trying to fit in and in the outside she hides behind a mask nobody really sees except Asher. Man talk about the sexual chemistry between these two and knowing that he is the teacher is sinfully hot. Loved seeing Asher fighting everyday for his feelings towards her and Tessa tempting him in every way was sometimes funny. All in all this is one series that has been so fun to read and cannot wait to see what else is next.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
The Rebel by Kelsey Clayton
Review
5/5 stars
Triggers: sexual assault, drug use, suicide, taboo relationship, violence
The Rebel is my favorite Haven Grace Prep book so far. Tessa and Asher despite their taboo teacher/student relationship are just so perfect together in so many ways. They push each other to be better. I’m usually not a big high school romance fan but Kelsey Clayton manages to put so much depth in her characters combined with extremely compelling plots and I can’t help but love this series. The reoccurring cast of characters along with new favorites like Colby give another terrific layer to the book. There are detailed and extremely hot love scenes between Asher and Tessa. This is definitely an 18+ mature adult book. There are extremely difficult situations discussed in the book that some may find upsetting. Please read my triggers warning. I highly recommend the Rebel and the series as a whole.
#bookreview #mustread #fivestarreview #18+book #havengraceprep #kelseyclayton #romancereaders #bookblogger #bookstagrammer
Just when I think Kelsey Clayton can’t surprise me, she ALWAYS does. The Rebel is my favorite book in the series so far.
I knew Tessa would have a story to tell, but I had absolutely no idea how powerful it would be. In the earlier novels, I learned that she was pretty tough and independent. However, I didn’t realize how complex and complicated she was.
She doesn’t believe that the rules are for her. She is the rebel. When she sees a sexy stranger, Asher, across a club that she is too young to get into, she thinks nothing of going home with him. It is a night they will both remember, even if they believe they won’t see each other again. Oh boy, how wrong they are.
Imagine their surprise when they realize he is her teacher, and she is his student. Before people freak out, she is 18. If this was any other person but Tessa, it wouldn’t work…but it does. Of course, she sees no problem. Asher, unlike Tessa, is a rule follower. He has done that all of his life, but all that goes out of the window with her. She is chaos…
“This girl is a storm–a tornado ready to wreak havoc on anything in her path–and I’m addicted to her chaos.” ~Asher~
She is a storm. She has the potential to destroy everything in her path, but it is what she has had to do to survive. She might have a beautiful home, but that is just an appearance. Deep down, this girl is like a wounded animal. She has a tendency to lash out at others. She doesn’t think she can let anyone get too close to her, not even Delaney and Lennon. They can only get so far! She does this to keep herself from breaking into pieces she may never be able to put back together again. She really wants a relationship with Asher. He has proven himself to her time and time again. Yet, she has such a hard time relinquishing any control and putting her heart and sanity on the line.
Asher is a knight in shining armor if there ever was one! He does try to do the honorable thing and stay away from her, but he can’t. He is there every single time to rescue Tessa from her poor choices. He has his own issues of trust, but he is willing to put everything on the line for her. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a guy like that?
Despite Ashser’s support, Tessa has to make the decision to help herself. Asher takes the pain away momentarily, but it doesn’t last.
“He’s the antidote to my pain. When I’m with him, everything fades away, but when I’m not, I drown in misery.”
She has the power to determine what path in life she wants to take, but it won’t be easy. Lucky for her, she has an unbelievable support system.
I was glad I got to see characters from previous books drop in and make appearances. They do play a part in Tessa’s journey. The addition of Colby, Asher’s best friend, also adds to her story. I loved Colby, and I hope at some point we get his story.
Clayton gave her readers a book that isn’t just a story, it has the power to give someone hope and the ability to change lives. We learn through Tessa that pain doesn’ have to define you. You can overcome pretty much anything if you try. As she so eloquently puts it, “You are bigger than the things that happen to you.” It was just an incredible story of love and resilience. Another winner for Kelsey Clayton!!!!
REVIEW ON MY BLOG
https://www.emilythebooknerd.com/2020/07/the-rebel-book-tour-review-giveaway.html#more
Wow!! Another fantastic book in the Haven Prep series! Book 1 hooked me and each book after just keeps me wanting more and The Rebel was no different. Sassy and full of angst. Kept me on the edge of my seat with each page turn.
I’m really loving the Haven Grace Prep series!!! I was so excited to see that Tessa’s book was age gap, forbidden and a teacher/student romance. Tessa and Asher have great chemistry. Their encounters are HOT!
The more I got to know Tessa in this book, the more I understand a lot of her actions. Her story is one of pain, feeling unwanted and not good enough. If you read Delaney’s story you know what also happened to these two. We also find out more of what happens that Tessa kept from Delaney.
That being said, there are some things in this book that could be triggers for some readers, so you may need to proceed with caution.
If age gap, forbidden and teacher/student books are your thing, I highly recommend this one! I can’t wait for the next book!
Hands down, my absolute FAVORITE of this series! I’ll admit I was hoping Tessa would get her turn and this book did not let me down. At. All.
Tessa’s going some things: her sibling and boyfriend leaving her behind as they go off to college, while Tessa is stuck having to finish half of her senior year. A night out and a one night stand seem to the balm Tessa needs to help deal with all the upheaval in her life, till she gets to school and makes the unbelievable shocking discovery about her one night stand.
To say the chemistry between Asher and Tessa is hot is a massive understatement, but given their respective personal issues, not to mention the taboo connection between them as well as the age gap, they shouldn’t have worked, yet they did beautifully. And the fact that Asher didn’t shy away from showing how much Tessa meant to him was fantastic. I was surprised by the emotional impact this story had while I was reading this, but it definitely adds another fantastic layer for this story and series. Kelsey Clayton is that rare author who’s managed to bring us readers a group of individuals we want to know and want more of with her of weaving stories and bringing her characters to life and I’m happy to say that I will gladly read and 1-click all of her future releases!
This book is no 3 on the series and after reading two books I was super excited to read about the rebel twin
And
.
It was okay. Yes just okay. I don’t know how to describe except that it was a good written story but it lacked the extra star factor as the previous books!!!
There was certain aspects in the story that I did not like but H made up for it.
This book review was purely on my reading experience and not reviewing how the author wrote or the story flow, because those two are perfect and I will still look forward to more works from this author.
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If you are looking for a forbidden romance, with a sassy h, this will definitely entertain you.
An absolutely mind blowing story that captivated me from page one.
The Revel is a forbidden , age gap teacher-student romance that has an amazing plot and more amazing characters in it.
The Haven Prep series just keeps getting better by the book.
In this book we finally get Tessa’s story. They are so many layer to that girl. Everyone sees in her the Rebel, the carefree
Strong and wild child she pretends to be but really no body know exactly how broken she feels in the inside. After some traumatic events she went through in the hands of people she trusted she is now living a shattered life but hidden it so well.
One night she mets a mysterious sexy guy that rocks her world with one night stand. In a million years she though that she will run into him but this is what happens when she walks into her first period English class in high school and she faces her new teacher Asher.
Asher is a former NFL player that had an injury leaving him out of a job and been forced to work as a English teacher and coach of the football team in no other that Haven Prep.
Omg thank the sensual tension between Asher and Tessa is HOT!!!! And their relationship might be forbidden but oh so good. They complement each other so well and I just love them.
This book is the right mix of angst, sexiness, funniest moments ever, emotional heartbreaking scenes and just pure bliss.
I devoured this book, it was so yummy! YA and angst are my favorite combination and here it is present in spades! This story is about Tessa Callahan, Delaney Callahan’s (The Saint) twin sister. While Delaney was the good girl, Tessa was the wild one. She loved to party and was frequently yelled at by her father for sneaking into the house in the early hours of the morning. After Delaney left for college and Tessa had to stay behind to repeat senior year (all that partying had a cost!), she went with friends to a club to drown her sadness in booze. There she meets this older, gorgeous man and they have a super steamy one-night stand. Three weeks later, she goes into school and finds he’s her new English teacher!
Asher Hawthorne has just lost his dream; six years into his NFL career he had an accident and can’t play. He’s now on the sidelines of the sport he loves and is understandably grumpy. Even more, he needs to stay relevant to his sport and he’s conned his publicist into helping coach the football team at this ritzy private school, Haven Grace Prep. And teach all those entitled brats!
All that pain goes away when he finds Tessa in his first period English class. He tries to keep her at arms distance, respecting school rules and all that, but Tessa has other plans. As Tessa continues to sass and challenge him, you can observe how his attitude lightens and he starts to enjoy the experience of being with his “cherry bomb”.
I devoured this book, savored and enjoyed it so much! In previous books, Tessa appears to be this brass, wild chick who doesn’t care much for anything. In this book, you get to know the real Tessa, the one who is made to feel not enough by her stuck up father, and who rebels against all rules. The only person she truly cares about is her twin sister Delaney and I got sad all the times they had to say goodbye because Delaney is in college halfway across the country.
I loved how their love developed, loved how Asher starts to care for Tessa, even against his scruples and past issues, loved how Tessa teases him, entices him, disobeys and taunts him. She really brought Asher back to life! Poor Asher had no chance against this young woman who didn’t feel all that young, despite the ten years difference in their ages.
There’s a secondary character I loved, Colby, Asher’s past teammate and best friend. He’s a player, very handsome, wicked, and very playful. Together with Tessa they make life very interesting and irritable to Asher and have a great time doing it. I had many chuckles seeing these two acting it out.
There’s angst, one tragic incident, lots of Delaney, Knox, Grayson, Savannah, and the gang. I loved reading this book and am praying for the author to write one about Colby, it should be a riot!
“Tessa Callahan is like a forest fire – reckless, unpredictable, and nearly impossible to manage.”
And Tessa arrives like a hurricane to tell her story. If in other books she arouses curiosity, here she takes opponents to the knockout and establishes herself as the best character in the entire series, without a doubt.
With everything that happened in the previous book, she, who was already intense, ends up on the verge of an attack of nerves. Clearly suffering, but not knowing how to ask for help, her already destructive behavior ends up becoming more reckless. With her sister gone and having to repeat the last year again, Tessa is a time bomb about to explode.
Asher is a famous NFL player, who because of an injury, is watching his dream crumble before his eyes. With the media maddened by the next gossip, he seeks peace by spending time with an old friend. But ending up as a coach and English teacher for several teenagers was not in his plans. Not that his PR cares what he thinks.
A night out at the club. Two strangers wanting to forget their problems. Explosive chemistry. A night that neither of them can forget. A farewell and the promise of goodbye. Until they discover that they are a teacher and student.
And if Asher thought that this forbidden relationship would stop Tessa, he was clearly mistaken. After all, a little danger and adventure doesn’t hurt anyone. Resisting this temptation will be next to impossible.
I loved the book. Tessa is intense, inconsequential and even indomitable at times, but what she has faced all her life has not been easy. Her father is despicable. All that rebellion was a cry for help and nobody saw it.
Asher is the shining knight in armor that she so badly needs. Despite the age difference and the situation they are in, he cannot deny that he likes her, no matter how hard he tries to fight it.
The book has cute, funny, hot, dramatic and has dark moments. Tessa’s story is not an easy one, but it is well worth reading. The best book in the series so far in my opinion.
Oh Ms. Clayton I do believe I’m a fan for life! The Rebel is my first Kelsey Clayton book and will not be my last. On the of my to do list is to read all of Kelsey Clayton’s books. Forbidden is one of my tropes, and Clayton just nailed it.
The Rebel was so much more than I expected. This forbidden romance is more than meets the eye. The characters have depth, and Kelsey Clayton made me feel all kinds of things I wasn’t expecting.
Tessa Callahan is anything but average. She’s smart, fierce, and strong. The girl has been through hell and is still standing. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. But there is so much to Tessa than what meets the eye. Asher Hawthorne is my favorite type of hero, possessive, alpha, and hot AF.
These two have a chemistry and attraction to each other from the very start, that’s enough to burn the house down. The pull these two have towards each other is strong, and can’t be denied. Add in the he’s her teacher and they have to see each other everyday thing and there’s no way to not give in.
Kelsey Clayton had me hooked from start to finish with The Rebel. The plot was amazing, the characters were perfect, and her writing flawless. Everything about this book was just amazing! Asher and Tessa were fantastic but the side characters were just brilliant. Without the cast of characters Clayton had this book would not have been what it was. These side characters brought so much to the book. Asher and Tessa definitely played off of them. Clayton left me needing books from a few of them.
The Rebel is my first Kelsey Clayton book but it will not be my last. I am completely hooked on her words! 5 rebellious stars to Clayton and The Rebel.
***4,5 “CBP!!!” stars***
“ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU’RE STRONGER THAN YOUR DEMONS.”
Wow!!! Kelsey Clayton is impressing me more and more with each book on this series.
“Haven Grace Prep” series has become my new addiction!!!
I love the stories and the characters in here very much, and of course, Tessa’s book was one of my most anticipated!!!
This wild girl had impressed me from the first moment and i was craving her story like an addict!!!
“Tessa Callahan is like a forest fire -reckless, unpredictable, and nearly impossible to manage.”
Tessa’s world is changing this new school year.
Her sister and all of her friends are moving on with their lives and she is forced to stay behind and to repeat half her senior year.
Tessa is not the girl that she used to be and there are reasons for that change…
She just wants to forget for a while and to put behind her nightmares that are following her around.
An one night stand with a hot guy is what she needs at the moment…
Unfortunately for her, a great surprise is waiting for her on her first day of school!!!
“Involving myself with him would lead to trouble. It’s completely against the rules, and yet, I’ve always been the rebel. The more forbidden he is, the more I crave him.”
Asher, is a famous quarterback whom, because of an injure, he is seeing his football career to abruptly ending and he is not handling it very well…
He is been forced to work as an English teacher/coach on the Haven Grace prep school and he is not very happy of how his life is turning out after all these sacrifices that he had made to become the number one player…
What he is not expecting is that his one night stand which he can’t seem to forget is one of his students…
“This girl is a storm -a tornado ready to wreak havoc on anything in her path- and I’m addicted to her chaos.”
As you can see, things will get complicated in here, but i liked seeing unfold this beautiful story.
Tessa deserved a man like Asher, even though there was a big age cap…
Asher’s life needed the excitement and craziness that Tessa could bring to it…
These two were so opposite, but they were fitting so beautifully together…
I enjoyed very much seeing their struggles and their sexy or funny moments…
I liked how they were facing things together…
“What’s stopping you? I’m right here.”
“That’s part of the problem! You’re always right there. Always looking the way you do and tempting the shit out of me, but I can’t give in, Tess. You’re my student. There are rules.”
“Fuck the rules.”
I won’t hide to you that this story wasn’t only rainbows and unicorns…
Kelsey broke my heart for once again…
Our heroes, and especially Tessa had too many things to face… Ungly and hard things… Demons of the past… And the fear of their future…
Tessa was wild and unpredictable, but her pain was too much to be swept aside…
Asher was her rock, even when he had to be away from her…
Their relationship was forbidden, but it seemed so right!!!
I don’t think i’ll ever forget this explosive couple!!!
“I knew I had screwed up. Letting her know she gets under my skin only fed her fire, and that can’t be good for me.”
“He’s the antidote to my pain. When I’m with him, everything fades away, but when I’m not, I drown in the misery.”
Also, i loved that I saw the rest of the guys for once again…
I loved how connected they were all between them… I liked how they stood beside Tessa even from miles away…
Also, I can not wait for Lennon’s story!!! I needed so badly!!!
But you know what i need the most??? I need Colby’s story!!! He is a man who had won my heart from the very first moment and i want to learn more about him!!!
Seriously, guys!!! You have to read these books!!! They are a big MUST!!!
“Stop torturing yourself. She wants you, you want her. Just make sure she doesn’t bite your dick. That shit hurts.” -Colby
***I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review***