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Series: Raven River Academy #1
Publication date: May 28th, 2020
Pages: 294
Synopsis:
My parents forgot something when they ran... me.
After scamming most of our town out of their life savings, my folks disappeared in the middle of the night.
Forced to take me in, my estranged aunt and uncle shipped me off to Raven River Academy the first chance they got.
In my town, the line between the haves and the have-nots is actually a twelve-foot gate that keep the unwanted where they belong. Nothing could unite the two factions until I set foot on campus.
For the first time in our history, they all agree on one thing:
I must pay for my father's sins.
But why should I care?
The joke is on them because I have nothing left inside. No part of me that isn't already broken. I invite them to do their worst.
Until The Angels enter the game.
The most dangerous gang in town has a score to settle with my family, and Cassius, Clay, Hiro, and Royal are here to collect.
Raven River soon becomes a battleground of lies, deceit, and violence, and I stand at the heart of it.
The gorgeous otherworldly Angels will remind me that there is one thing left that I care about... and they'll destroy it in heavenly fire.
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Review:
It isn't bad enough for Ember that she is the lightning rod of all the hate aimed at her parents, but now she must attend Raven River Academy and walk the halls with the children of the people wronged by her parents. Between an Uncle and Aunt who want to send her and her deaf younger brother away to avoid having to parent and everyone in their life abandoning them when their parents disappeared, Ember has had to develop a thick skin. When hate and curses are thrown at her and demands are made for her to tell anyone where her parents are and where the $25 Million dollars is life becomes a medley of misery.
Enter the Angels who also have a vendetta of their very own on the Bancroft family. The Angels are a sub-crew of the illustrious Horsemen gang who have been seen in equal parts as the less than's saviors and the more than's plague. And among the four deliciously dangerous men is a familiar face. A man from Ember's past that she thought she would never see again. However, he has made it is mission to pretend he doesn't even remember the night of passion they shared so long ago while also demanding the money that Ember's parents cheated them of.
The question is, when Ember is blackmailed and threatened will the Angels be her saving grace or will they let her fall into the depths of hell?
I have personally always had a hard time with books where the main character is blamed for something that had nothing to do with her at all. Ember's parents were con artists who ripped off the town and then ran away from their problems, leaving Ember and her brother to pick up the pieces. How, in any way, is that Ember's fault. She didn't take the money. She didn't know her parents were liars. She is an innocent party in the whole thing but people were willing to maim, torture, bully, and ruin her life simply for being the daughter of bad people. I'm not saying that this isn't plausible in today's society, but it's irritating to see.
I also don't understand why Eli seemed to not be tormented or ridiculed in the slightest. He's as much the son of con artist parents as Ember is, and yet, he's not put through the same torment. Is it because he's younger? deaf? Less culpable than his older sister? I struggled with this a bit.
I did love the way the romance started slowly and scorched up the pages once they were explored.
I also liked that Cassius and Clay were so different personality wise even those they were identical twins. Cassius was the blunt muscle and Clay was the sweet support. Cassius wanted things hard, fast, and immediately. Clay was willing to wait and make things emotional and real. They were identical but the polar opposites.
Hiro was one I did not grow to like within this book's pages. I am hoping that we dig deeper into him the further we go in the series so that I can see why there may be a chance of a romance between him and Ember.
Royal was the alpha-hole we all love to see. He was domineering, growly, and demanding. He took what he want and didn't let a person argue about it. His chemistry with Ember was undeniable even as they try to resist it completely.
Overall, the story was a good start to what I hope is a stellar series. The boys are well rounded characters and the female is not a wilting flower, but a fighter. All good things in my opinion.
