Review: Twisted Lies by Nora Cobb

Twisted Lies by Nora Cobb

Series: Stonehaven Academy #2

Publication date: June 25th, 2021

Pages: 294

Spice: ⛔

Synopsis:

I'VE BEEN HURT, HUMILIATED, AND USED.

Stonehaven is an endless nightmare come to life.

A nightmare I can't escape from--a nightmare I can't fight back against.

The kings of campus will do everything in their power to hurt me.

To humiliate me.

To wear me down and break me - inside and out - as punishment for every little transgression.

I was ready to hate them--Bryce, Pierce, Justin, and Wyatt

I was ready to hurt them back as hard as they hurt me.

But somewhere along the way, I did the worst thing possible:

I found myself craving their attention.

Somewhere along the way, I found myself wanting to fall into their arms.

To beg for their attention, their touch, and their hard bodies pressed against mine as their hands and lips did whatever they wanted with me.

I was foolish enough to believe that there was a reason for their cruelty.

That they cared for me in their own fucked up way.

That this would all be worth it in the end.

Then I learned it was all just a lie.

A lie for a game they were playing the moment they set their eyes on me.

A game where I can't even imagine what it means to lose.

A game that I was already badly losing.

But now, I'll do whatever it takes to crush them.

Whatever it takes for me to win.

They want to shatter me into a million pieces?

I'll show them that even broken shards can draw blood.

They expect me to fall for their lies?

I'll expect them to fall to their knees.

Twisted Lies is the second book of the 4-book Stonehaven Academy series. It is meant to be read as part of a series, not a standalone, and contains a cliffhanger. A dark high school RH bully romance that contains triggers for sensitive readers.

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Review:

The second book picked up just where the first one left off. Astrid is still navigating Stonehaven's tumultuous waters and can't seem to figure out who her friends are. Her sister Charlotte seems to have an agenda all her own, Roni, her roommate is more focused on how likely Astrid is going to be out of the room so she can do her own thing, and Nova, her friend from before, seems more busy than she ever was. She also has teachers trying to teach her the ways of rich kid decorum and four boys who are still determined to make her pay for her mere existence. However somewhere along the way Astrid as started to feel strongly for a few of the boys. Strong enough to no longer keep actual sex off the table. She had been resisting due to a fear of getting pregnant young like her mother did but that resistance melted away once the boys started showing just a modicum of kindness towards her.

I was unable to finish this book. I was so sick of watching Astrid take all their abuse on the cheek and letting them get away with it. No, not just letting them get away with it, enjoying it. I am not one to kink shame but that seems a bit more humiliation/degradation kink than I have seen in normal settings. That coupled with the very short and very awkward sex scenes... You can't straddle the line. Either go all the way with the erotica setting if you're going to have blatant kinks presented or pull back on the bullying and let there be some slivers of sweetness. 

I stopped reading at the 77% mark. Could I have kept going just to see how it turned out? Yes. But I had finally had enough when the one boy who seemed to be the kindest to her turned icy. No thanks. Stick a fork in me. I am done. I will not be continuing with the series. I am letting Astrid and her bullies stay unresolved until my stomach can take the endless amounts of rage these books have given me.