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
O.M.F.G. This book went above and beyond d every single one of my expectations. I knew it would be good as I have LOVED every book from this series so far, but this one has a special place in my heart out of the 3 currently available. This age gap, forbidden teacher students romance is so much more than that. It’s Raw, Real, emotional, Dark, twisted, heart wrenching and yet beautiful all at the same time. Asher and Tessa’s journey isn’t always easy and has some major hardships but these two come out stronger and better than ever together!
I can’t wait for more of this series!!
Is it wrong to fall for an older man? No, simple as that. Then you find out he’s your new teacher and you have to see him every morning. Feelings weren’t supposed to be involved. But, seeing him sparks something……Asher and Tessa’s forbidden involvement with each other gets steamy. But even as they try to stay apart they feel pulled together.
When Asher and Tessa met at a over 21 club and had a one night stand the last thing they ever expected was to see each other again especially while she’s repeating her senior year and he’s the new teacher. Both are thrown for a major loop but can’t help the pull they both feel. This story goes much deeper then a student/teacher story and I devoured it
And this is why Kelsey Clayton has been my favorite new author this year and I am so glad I stumbled across her books. The Rebel is hot, heartbreaking, emotional as hell and with so many jaw dropping moments that I couldn’t move until I finished reading. The Rebel is Tessa’s story, she was hell on wheels in The Saint, but in The Rebel she was an explosion.
Tessa’s character is chaos and you’ll never want to take your eyes off of her because if you blink you’ll miss something. She is blunt and to the point, knows what she wants and goes for it. But underneath that hard exterior is a heart of gold that’s hurting. Asher, the hot QB has just been dealt a harsh reality and when his bestie suggests to blow off some steam and go out he was not expecting to meet someone that would turn his life around. Only what he wants is forbidden for him to take.
Ahhhh!! I can’t say this enough Asher and Tessa’s story is FIRE and I want more of them. The push and pull, all of the emotions and angst had me smiling, laughing and crying with each page. I can’t wait for more from Kelsey’s book to come.
Tessa is down in the dumps since her sister is leaving for college, she broke up with her boyfriend so she’s feeling kind of blue. She goes out for a night on the town and meets Asher. Oh boy what a night that turned out to be!!!
They agreed for it to be one night, imagine when Tess walks into her class and sees Asher. She can’t believe her luck!!! They can’t have a relationship because yeah, he’s a teacher and she’s a student. He comes up with a sort of solution that is going to drive Tessa out of her mind.
Will Tessa be able to open her heart to Asher, let him all the way in?
I LOVE this series and am so happy I found this author!!!
5 STARS
Review by Leah
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Well, I found another author to binge on and I love it! I get into book funks and I dig and dig for new authors and nothing grabs me. And then (insert singing birds in the background) Kelsey Clayton. I am so excited. Thank you, Lord!
If you have not read The Haven Grace Series before and you enjoy the darker version of the high school type genre and mix in a little “hot for Teach”. Yes, the student and the teacher are of age. Grab this series pronto.
The Rebel is Tessa’s turn. This one is packed full of so much emotion. So much heartache but recovery. Tessa’s story is my favorite. But before you dive into this one you will need to read the other 2.
The best part of this series there is not 1 female character that is weak. Drives me nutzo when they kowtow and then whamo all is good. Nope…
“I think you should check your ***** attitude before I take your three-inch stiletto and jab it into your eye socket.”
Standing ovation.
Tessa ripped apart my soul and put it back together again.
I love age gap romance. I’ve read a lot of them. This was a beautiful, amazing, and wonderful take on it. The Rebel exceeded my expectations.
Trigger warning, this can get dark. However, it is in that darkness, we see Tessa. Her strength. Her fight. And through it all, her ability to still love. Not just romantically, but in the things she does for her sister, for her friends. In that darkness, we learn it’s okay to accept help, to lean on others. Being broken doesn’t mean you are unfixable, or worthless. It means while you are bent, bruised, and in so much pain, you are also strong, courageous, and a warrior.
Tessa and Archer find each other after events that for some would destroy them. They took their punches on the chin, and got back up. They were there for each other. They fought for each other. The were perfect for each other.
Their passion and connection was deep. While unconventional, while taboo, while uncomfortable, it still was real. We learn age is just a number, and your heart loves who it wants.
I loved The Sinner, I was obsessed with The Saint, and I don’t know how to recover with The Rebel. I don’t know if I’ll survive what’s coming next.
Tessa quickly became my favorite heroine!! I might even have a Book Girlfriend! Her sass, strength, confidence and character were something I totally admired. Tessa is packing the ultimate Bombshell attitude that’s he knows can be seem from a mile away. And when Asher is introduced, the Hot Football quarterback with a bad attitude because his life’s been turned upside down, you know they are meant for one another. Being able to be inside of Ashers head as well helped their story pull together perfectly.
This is the third book in this series and it just keeps getting better. Sexy, fun, emotional, and a bit haunting. An HEA you are rooting for.
Tessa has a past that she wants no one to use against her and Asher is in the complete spotlight. Their road was not an easy one to travel on but I absolutely fell for this couple.
“Always remember you’re stronger than your demons”
When I read that, it was the perfect line. It fit so well into this story.
One of my favorite parts is when you see all the characters from the entire series come together to help support Tessa in her journey. It made me feel that much more for the series as a whole.
A Cherry Bomb and The Caveman.
A Forbidden Love and Age-gap.
It says “Our love story may not have been traditional, but it’s ours-and like I said, I don’t play by the rules”
I can see Tessa smirk from here.
Know that she is a force and a Survivor.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.
Haven Grace Prep is back and it’s time for Tessa to meet her match after everything she went through.
Kelsey’s writing just gets better and better in my opinion. I’ve been waiting for Tessa’s story, especially after everything I watched her go through in her twin’s book. If you haven’t read that one yet, I highly suggest you go back and read each and every one of the books in this series. They are all standalone novels, but the series is interconnected. They are definitely worth the read.
Tessa’s story will break you in ways you aren’t ready to be broken yet. And her hero is everything you never knew you needed. The way he rebuilds her is a thing of absolute beauty. Kelsey took these two and ran with them in a direction I didn’t see coming and it was worth every single minute of lost sleep.
This book will hook you in and have you begging for more. Each detail is intricately woven so that you have no choice but to keep turning the page, wanting – no needing – more. These two will break your heart and then put it back together in ways you weren’t expecting. You won’t be the same after this is all said and done.
Five stars for this read that will keep you invested with every turn of the page.
I’ll preface this review with the knowledge that I have not yet read the first two books in this series. I love that I was able to read this and still be able to follow this story even without that.
I was somewhat iffy about reading an age gap romance as I’ve read some that were borderline creepy. This was the total opposite of that. The storyline was great. The chemistry was out of this world. We all need a Colby and a Knox in our lives. This book was amazing. I can’t wait to go back and read the first two and also to read any others that come after this one.
Forbidden
Tessa’s story is one I’ve been waiting for. The “bad girl” of the group, I knew watching Cupid take her down would be a rollercoaster ride.
And of course this is EXACTLY how it should go down.
I loved the dynamic between her & Asher, her and her sister, and the introduction of Colby. This series has become one of my favorites and I can’t wait for more.
“Always remember that you’re stronger than your demons”
WOWWWWW- the Haven Prep series just keeps getting better and better!! I loved the first two books in the series but was so excited for Tessa’s story. Happy to report that it was so worth the wait! Tessa is such an amazing female lead- she is so fiery and is basically a BOSS. When she decides what she wants, there is no stopping her. And what she wants is Asher Hawthorne. Asher is an older football star that was recently injured and ends up taking a job as a high school coach/teacher. These two immediately spark with each other and they fall in immediate lust with each other. But there HEA is lined with pitfalls, namely that Asher is Tessa’s teacher and that there is a significant age differnece. But of larger concern is Tessa’s emotional baggage after undergoing so much trauma. Tessa definitely has moment where she is spiraling and her emotional vulnerability will just kill you. Asher is definitely her safe haven as he helps her to heal. These two are amazing together and you will definitely be rooting for them! Kelsey Clayton pens an intense and emotional romantic story that will take you on a rollercoaster and leave you on a high! Don’t miss this book!
“The Rebel” is the third book of the Haven Grace Prep series, that can be read as a standalone, although I suggest you read the first two before, because the stories are connected. The rebel is Tessa Callhan, whom we’ve already seen in Delaney’s book “The Saint”. Tessa is Delaney’s twin, except she’s always been the problematic child: always breaking the rules, always doing what she pleased. This is why she’s also needing to repeat her senior year, and she has to endure the separation from her dear sister that she’s going to college on the other side of the country.
Tessa is a wild girl, sassy, smart, brilliant – she looks older than her age, and this is why Asher Hawthorne probably falls for her. She isn’t one who lets things wait to happen, and she makes them happen. But she didn’t expect that the stranger she met at a bar, Asher, turns out to be her English professor when the new school year starts. Asher is a football player who has suffered an injury on the field, thus he can’t probably play anymore. This depresses him, naturally, but he should still make his fans believe everything is ok and he’s recovering, hence he decides to be an English teacher and the coach of the football team at Haven Grace Prep.
Tessa and Asher don’t have it easy. Not only he’s older than her, which wouldn’t be a problem since it’s not a crime to be with a 18 year old in the state they’re in. The problem is that Asher is currently her professor, and it wouldn’t be great in the eyes of the media and of the school, if they were to be discovered. Yet, Tessa keeps on tempting him, because of course she likes him and knows he does as well. Read the book to see how things turn out… hehe.
Of course, the story isn’t just about the forbidden romance between Tessa and Asher. If you read “The Saint”, you know what Tessa and her sister Delaney went through. Well, Tessa may seem like she’s ok, but she isn’t, and she’ll have to face her past head on at some point, and stop running away from it and fall into oblivion. Asher has some issues as well, but he may have found the person who could help him overcome them.
This is a high school romance but trust me, even if Tessa is a high school student, you’ll see the character are really complex and not superficial, as well as in the previous two books. This is not a bully romance, it borders on new adult… so it’s perfect if you love this genre. I’m sure you’ll like this one.
My favorite Haven Grace Prep book. A beautifully broken girl and a swoon worthy hero. There was something extra about this book, the characters, the storyline, the emotions it brought out of me everything just reached me on a deeper level.
Tessa and Asher had an intense chemistry that just got more intense with every page. The banter between them and the secondary characters was entertaining.
This book dealt an emotional punch that I wasn’t expecting, it broke me, it shattered me then sewed my feels all back together to give Tessa and Asher the happily ever after they deserved.
WOW. This book was INSANE GOOD. I LOVE THIS AUTHOR! I am instant one clicking everything she ever writes. I laughed SO much. Every single chapter I was laughing out loud!!!!! That RARELY happens!!! The angst between Tessa and Asher was so intense. I loved them SO much!!!! The banter between the two flowed effortlessly. And the sex, OMG the sex was FIRE. I need Colby to have his book next because I love him. I also love Lennon!!! I love Kellan!! Oakley!! I love EVERYONE! I have never loved so many side characters before! This author just makes you fall in love with everyone that she writes in her world. But ya know, not everything was hot. Not everything was funny. Not everything was laughter. I cried. My heart broke at times for Tessa. This author pulled out all the emotions out of me. That is HARD let me tell you. I am a tough cookie. I wanted to SLAP the name right off Blaire’s birth certificate and erase her from this world. She made me soooo angry!!!! Anyways, Everyone needs to read this author. Take a chance if you havent before. You will not be disappointed! Amazing 5 star read!
This is my first book by Kelsey Clayton and definitely not my last! I will definitely be going back and reading the first 2 books in this series.
I have a secret love for student/teacher romances and Kelsey Clayton killed this one.
It’s forbidden, sexy, enthralling and captivating!
The rebel is full of angst and I was sat on the edge of my seat rooting for Tessa and Asher! I needed everything to be ok, but no love story worth reading is ever easy and the Rebel wasn’t either.
Please note that there maybe some triggers for some people in this story as the characters have been through a lot!
An age gap, forbidden, student/teacher romance that will lead you into the dark before helping you find the light! A must read!!
Living Their Dreams
5 Stars for this super sexy, emotionally charged, forbidden romance!!! This couple stole my heart! The author brings us a girl struggling with moving on from past pain and a man who lost his dream but is trying to start over. Together they’ll find a future where they both get their dream.
Tessa is struggling with a break up, plus her twin sister’s leaving for college. A night out at a club to forget is just what she needs. When she spots him across the bar, she realizes he’ll be the perfect distraction.
A one night stand that goes down as the hottest night of her life. It was exactly what she needed, even though she’ll never see him again. Such a shame since now he’s the star of all her late night fantasies.
Now Tessa is ready to start her senior year for the second time and get it over with. What she doesn’t expect is her new English teacher, Asher Hawthorne, former NFL quarterback. A career ending injury led him down a new path. He’s coaching football at Haven Grace Prep and he’s her new English teacher.
Asher hasn’t been able to forget that night. He never expected to walk into his new classroom and see Tessa. Staying away may just be the hardest thing he has ever done. He won’t cross that line, but Tessa has no problem obliterating it.
This story was very emotional. Tessa carries so much pain. Asher will be exactly what she needs. Their chemistry is just incredibly HOTTTT! While they struggle with wanting to be together, they form a relationship of love and mutial respect. It started out as just an attraction, but Asher became the man that would love and protect her no matter what.
Forbidden romance is an all time favorite trope to read and this one delivered! Each new couple the author writes, becomes a favorite. Tessa and Asher were no exception. I absolutely fell in love with them. This was an emotional story of healing and love. Throw in some amazing side characters, the past two couples and this story was perfect. It is so much more than just a taboo romance. It’s about healing and unconditional love. My favorite of the series to date.
This is a fantastic series by an author I’ve recently discovered that will keep you on the edge of your seat and continually guessing on what on earth will happen next. Let’s just say I’ve been eagerly awaiting The Rebel…
Even by the first few pages I’m instantly grinning from being back in this world. There’s not a lot of detail I can tell you about the male counterpart of this story since it has been a closely guarded secret, but let me just say Tessa’s sass is out in full force so whoever it is, is kept well and truly on his toes.
This book kept me up to the wee hours until I had finished the last page, seriously every book gets better and better. You do not want to miss out. You’ll be sent on a rollercoaster of emotions that will stick with you for a long time to come.
Holy crap Tessa is my girl! She is so confident and not afraid to go after what she wants I LIVED for every page she teased and tortured Ashor until he gave in to her. Like holy damn the steam in this book!!!
This is the third book in the Haven Grace Prep series, and the story of Asher, and Tessa. When Tessa’s whole world changes on her, she decides to find a place to forget, and ends up in Asher’s bed for the night. But when he ends up being her teacher, keeping it to just one night ends being harder than she thought. This was a great read, the characters have hot chemistry, and kept me engaged. This was emotional, dramatic, steamy, and intense.