I absolutely adored *The Wallflower* by J.L. Beck! This enemies-to-lovers romance set in a prestigious college setting, Oakmont, had me hooked from the very beginning. The chemistry between the fierce and independent Belle and the brooding Drew was palpable and kept me eagerly turning pages.

The author masterfully weaves a complex tale of unexpected love, simmering tension, and emotional depth that left me breathless. Belle's character is strong, relatable, and incredibly well-developed, while Drew's charm and complexity added layers to the story that I couldn't get enough of.

But what truly sets this book apart is the mind-blowing cliffhanger at the end. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, Beck delivered a twist that left me reeling and desperate for more. I cannot wait to see where the story goes next!

Overall, *The Wallflower* is a five-star read that combines passion, drama, and suspense in a way that will captivate any lover of romance. J.L. Beck has created a captivating world filled with intrigue and heart, and I cannot recommend this book enough.

I was pulled into this new adult dark romance from the start. Drew, the MMC, is arrogant, forceful, and used to getting exactly what he wants. Maybel (Bel) the FMC is smart, quiet, and generally lives under the radar until she barrels right into Drew’s sight lines. He’s intrigued. She’s disgusted. Then comes the annual Hunt where anything goes in the woods.

It took me a minute to decide if Drew could be redeemable, but I was soon team Drew & Bel. Their backstories are intriguing and troubled, and I was on board to see how their story played out. The question of who is truly "bad' was intriguing to me. Is it the obvious "bad boy" who is undoubtably ruthless but never really crosses some hard lines? Or is it the smiling "good guy" who looks the part but might cross hard lines without a second thought?

Since this is Book One, The Wall Flower ended on a major cliffhanger! And I'm eagerly awaiting Book Two. The narrators, Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone, were very good. I especially liked Ryan Stone's interpretation of Drew who is dark and demanding.

I recommend this book for lovers of dark romance that are willing to hang in there while the most troubled characters grow and change. It will be worth it!

I am not much of a pure romantic genre girl and this proved it to me. I need some witty dark humor or some fantasy because the icks in this book were serving every few lines. This is not for me, but good for you if it is.
Drew is head of the college football team and a millionaire. Bella is a nerdy girl who is dealing with family drama and dwindling finances. They both participate in "The Hunt" and calamity ensues.
One last thing I will say, I know men behave like Drew and his friends, but I don't want to read about it. The idea that women are to be used and discarded is already such a reality in our world that I do not want to pick up a book that just talks about violations so normally.

It was the cover.
I was lured in by the cover when it was first revealed.
Then the blurb because who doesn’t like a good bully romance?
And the plot twists? Chef's kiss.

Each character in this book was intriguing in their own way. All of them have contrasting personalities and moral codes. Something that i loved about Bel is how she fought back against Drew. This is something you don't see as much in dark bully romance. The FMC usually gives in pretty quickly but not her. She held her ground for as long as possible. I think in part thats the reason why she had Drew wrapped around her finger. He looked and wanted now one but her.

The ending was brutal. The plot twists just kept on coming. It's honestly made me excited for book 2 and for Sebastian to get his own book (hopefully!!). He needs one, for sure.

✨️𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬+𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔✨️
- bully romance, college romance, dark and broody mmc, dark romance, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, forced proximity, morally grey, opposites attract, OM drama, plot twists, rich boy x poor girl, secret society, stalker mmc, touch her and 💀
- degradation, dubcon, hand necklaces, possessive mmc, praise, primal play, v!rgin h
- tw: mental health depictions, d0mestic abvse, sick parents (health), blackmail, etc.

Pheeww okay! I devoured the audiobook of The Wallflowers within a day. It was all things spice and suspense and I loved it!

The Wallflower was a fast pace, touch her and die, enemies to lovers, dark romance that started with the hunt which is a chase in the woods. Drew had his eyes set on Maybel after she witnessed an altercation in the library and was set on her being his.

Drew was a super captivating, dark, emotionless MMC. He desired Bel in more ways than one and wasn’t going to give up until he owned her. Drew existed in an elite secret society that his father controlled, while also controlling Drew’s life. The abuse that Drew deals with and keeps bottled up really makes you feel for him.

Maybel came from a poor family of just her single mother, who was sick from cancer. Maybel was willing to do anything to help her mother get experimental treatment, including tolerating Drew by tutoring him so she could afford to pay her mother’s medical bills.

The constant push and pull between Drew and Maybel was raw and captivating. The spice level in this book 🥵 was insane. I think any fan of authors similar to Rina Kent would love this book! It does end on a cliffhanger with a million plot twists all at once and I’m anxiously awaiting the next books release!

The audiobook version was really great! Having two narrators, a man and woman, each play the respected chapters was so helpful with keeping points of views interesting. I think the only way to elevate it more would be to completely have dual points of view so anytime Drew or another male character spoke no matter who’s chapter it was, Ryan Stone narrated, and same for the female parts for Renee Thorn. All and all, a solid audiobook and I would definitely recommend!

Special thank you to author J L Beck, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this early ALC and the opportunity to review!

Thank you NetGalley, the author, dreamscape media, and the publisher for his ARC of The Wallflower in exchange for my honest review.

Spice level is higher than my overall star rating, but let's be honest, I love it when I don't have to work for spice.

The book takes place on The Oakmount College campus and the vibe is secret society-esk. Enemies to lovers troupe comes in heavy and fast with the two main characters, Bel (THE WALLFLOWER) and Drew. Bel is a book nerd who is only there because she was given a scholarship and she is barely scraping by trying to focus on school while being the main caregiver of her sick mother. Drew is a billionaire, (well his daddy is), star football player, and a frat boy who is the president of the super elite secret society

Let the "Hunt" begin. This reminds me of two very popular dark romance other books I've read. It's a game where there is a money prize if you can make it to a certain designated place without getting caught by the men playing the game.

Bel needs the money to take care of her mom, so she finds herself at the hunt being chased by Drew.

Why do I give this book 3.5 stars? There was a lot of plot lines and it seemed a bit frantic trying to pull all the lines together. Which was unsuccessful, to say the least. The author did end leave us on a cliff hanger (SERIOUS BECK!?) I needed to know more!!

IMO this was an addictive read. I can say with confidence that I will finish this series. Even though the ending was confusing, I am invested in Bel and Drew.

Troupes
Secret Society
Dark Romance
Opposites Attract
Enemies to Lovers

"There's no escaping the beast now that you've awakened him, flower."

You have to understand what you're getting when you sit down to listen to The Wallflower.....you are getting a over the top man who claims to never be with the same girl twice that takes a fancy to an innocent nerdy bookworm. Along with this plot there is a "hunt" where guys literally hunt girls to have their way with them wherever they find them "in the wild" of the forest. It's consensual as there is some contract the girls all sign before they choose to participate. Apparently there's prize money if someone makes it through the forest and to the cabin where it's located. Let's just say it's a spicy story and some of the encounters aren't tame. So, read the trigger warnings before you jump in.

Maybell is the proverbial "wallflower" and Drew is the overbearing jock that finds himself becoming obsessed with her. Maybell is dealing with a lot of things - - her mother is sick, they don't have much money and she has to keep her grades up to keep her scholarship. Drew has a toxic relationship with his father, his mother is also sick and he has a lot of emotional baggage. Overall, I thought the general storyline was pretty good and I look forward to the next book since this one left us with a bit of a cliffhanger.

Since I listened to the audiobook, I should say that I felt the narration was done well and fit the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for this early listening copy of the audiobook.

This far from reinvented the wheel but I did enjoy it. I feel like the hero wanted to be Carter Mahoney so bad but just missed the mark. And I'd love to know who was telling the truth about Bel. Bel was not my favourite heroine but she's the best character in this book by a country mile. Audio was solid but I would have enjoyed oh so much more if it had been done duet style.

!This book ends on a cliff hanger! I really need to be better about reading blurbs or looking into books before I start them because I had no clue what I was getting into and was really upset when I saw I had 20 minutes left in the audio and there were too many loose ends for it to be that close to the end lol oops
This book totally could have been a solid 5 stars for me BUT some of the dialogue/internal monologue was really...cringe? Mainly with MMC. It just felt TOO over the top or awkward in some instances and gave me the ick. I'm definitely eager to start the second book though!

"Even villains need to be loved, Bel."

Absolutely incredible!! I had already read The Wallflower as an ARC so I jumped at the chance to listen to the ALC when I saw it. I devoured it and loved it all over again!! Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone were fantastic narrators, embodying everything about Drew and Maybel. Their thoughts and emotions, their strengths and weaknesses, their flaws and broken pieces, everything they had experienced together. My only criticism is that their voices weren't quite what I had envisioned from reading this the first time. Even though he captured Drew's darkness perfectly, Ryan sounded a little too mature for the role and I think he would be a better fit for a billionaire or dark mafia romance. And Renee sounded more confident and sure of herself, less innocent and naive than Maybel appeared to be. Regardless, I enjoyed their narration and I would love to listen to them more. I'm so excited for the release of The Wildflower and I'm counting the days until I can see Drew and Maybel find their way back together.

***** ORIGINAL ARC REVIEW *****

"Oh, this is only the beginning, little flower. You have no idea the things I could do to you. I could hurt you a little. Break you. Rip those petals off that lush little body you try so desperately to hide."

🖤 Dark Bully Romance
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Rich Boy/Poor Girl
🖤 OTT Possessive/Obsessive MMC
🖤 Virgin FMC
🖤 Secret Society
🖤 Dubious Consent
🖤 Touch Her and Unalive
🖤 Cliffhanger

I am beyond words!! It started with the Hunt, an elite tradition, a chase in the woods, a twisted little game, turning into an absolutely wild ride! Drew set out to capture his wallflower, Maybel, who first appeared on his radar when she witnessed an altercation in the library. He chased her, claimed her, took control in the only way he could.

"Why keep running if you didn’t want me to chase you, little wallflower?”

Drew was so captivating, dark and deviant, unhinged and unapologetic in his actions. He desired Maybel, needed her, became totally obsessed in his quest to make her his. More than morally grey, he was a walking red flag, consumed by her and willing to do anything to own her. Absolutely anything!

Drew and Maybel existed in two different worlds with Drew under the control of his father, unable to make his own choices. Maybel cared about him even though she shouldn't have and could truly see him, the real person behind the mask, wanting him for him, not for what he could give her. I loved when cracks of light came through his darkness in how he protected her and in the love he had for his mother. But was he too damaged, too far gone to hope for anything more?

Maybel was Drew's weakness, raw vulnerability hiding beneath the surface as they both saw deep down to the flaws and broken pieces of each other. She was fierce and sassy, challenging him as she resisted him but that only intensified his obsession. The way he desired her, the way he needed her, pain mixing with pleasure, all of it took my breath away. They made each other feel so much, so deeply, a powerful connection tethering them together.

"He makes me feel more than I’ve ever felt, and somehow, I can’t make him see the destruction he’s causing, what he’s doing to me when I’m already so fragile. He can never build me back up in the way I need. He only knows how to destroy, and there’s only so much heartbreak I can take before I shatter."

The angst, the push and pull, the countless plot twists kept me enthralled in this absolute whirlwind of a story and I cannot wait to see what happens next after that mind-blowing cliffhanger. What was real, what was fake, who could be trusted? I know it’s not over for these two and I loved the crazy roller coaster of emotions they put me through. I was completely caught up in this story. It was so dark and twisted, playing out in ways I never could have imagined. My mind is still spinning in so many different directions with all the unexpected jaw-dropping moments and I'm holding my breath until their story continues.

*****

* Special thanks to author J.L. Beck and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available April 16, 2024. *

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

Wow! I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book and have never read any of J.L. Beck’s writing, but it was amazing! I loved this story! It was interesting, fast paced and enough pieces given to keep me reading and reading to find out more! The spicy scenes were sooo good! Loved it! So sad it ended with a cliffhanger and have already added the next book to my list when it releases on 4/26!

I don't even know where to begin. I had know idea what to expect. I have seen this author before and her books always looked good, my type of book. Beck took morally grey to a whole new level. I would hate Drew and them love him. I tend to fall for the overly powerful misunderstood MMCs. She wrote him perfectly. There were so many predictions that I had going through my head throughout the book but not one of them was how this book ended. I have thought about it for two days because I am shocked to say the least. Maybell's relationship with her mom really resonated with me. I adore their closeness. This book is dark and I was not sure at first but ended up loving this book.

The Wall Flower is book one of the Oakmount Elite series and is a Dark Romance. It takes place in a college setting that has a not so secret society. This book may contain content thats triggering for some, so check your trigger warnings.

This audiobook is narrated by Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone. They played their roles perfectly and helped bring this story to life.

The FMC Maybel AKA Bel, is a poor scholarship student just trying to get through school and to take care of her sick mother. Drew is a bully of a MMC, rich, football captain, with a ton of daddy issues.

Each year, the society that Drew is a part of, hosts a game similar to adult hide and go seek, where basically anything goes. This is something Bel would never partake in, but seeing as she has a push roommate and held a 25k grand prize in front of her, Bel gave in.

This story does leave you on a cliffy so be prepared to dive into the next book after reading this. I haven't read many Dark Romances this year, but so far this is at the top of my list. If you are a fan of the cat and mouse series, then check this one out!

THAT ENDING THOUGH!

Tropes:
Alpha/Bully MMC
Dark College Romance
Football-ish Romance
Secret Society
Jock x Nerd


I was given an ALC from Dreamscape Media/Net Galley for my honest feedback.

This book wasn’t for me. I probably should have DNFed but I decided to push through since I had the ALC. I was hoping it would get better, but the ending just left me annoyed, angry and confused. I can see why some people are eager for the next book but I won’t be continuing. It was such a struggle to even get through this book.

My issues:
1. The MMC is not likeable. I couldn’t stand him at all.
2. A lot of the dialogue is repetitive. I felt like the characters were saying the same things over and over.
3. Too much spice because it became repetitive.
4. The plot was confusing to keep up with.

I’m struggling really to find any positives. I was annoyed the majority of the book. The ending was quite shocking but also left me thinking “huh?” It was very strange.

I do think the narrators, Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone, did a good job with the audio. I’ve never listened to either of them but I believe they gave a solid performance.

Thank you to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

In this gripping tale, Drew, a wealthy and aggressive college athlete, becomes obsessively fixated on Maybel, a reserved scholarship student who initially detests him. Their relationship is a tumultuous whirlwind of power struggles and intense emotions, set against a sinister event known as the Hunt, where Drew's desire to dominate Maybel reaches new heights. The story masterfully explores themes of obsession, control, and the fine line between love and hate. As Maybel gets entangled in Drew's dark and dangerous world, the story keeps you on the edge, eagerly anticipating the next twist. This book is a compelling dive into the darker side of romance, perfect for those intrigued by complex power dynamics and intense character-driven plots.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance audio-copy of The Wallflower in exchange for an honest review.

In the alluring world of dark academia and secret societies, this book plunges readers like me into a whirlwind of emotions, leaving us reeling with anger, sadness, and a fervent desire for retribution. Our MMC Drew Marshall, emerges as an initially detestable character, his arrogance and entitlement drawing the ire of readers from the outset. As the narrative unfolds, however, a glimmer of understanding emerges, revealing the complexities that have shaped Drew's flawed character. The intricate web of deceit and manipulation that unfolds within the hallowed halls of the university's secret society keeps readers enthralled. The author skillfully weaves a tapestry of intrigue and suspense, leaving them yearning for more. The animosity between Drew and Mabel sets the stage for an explosive conflict that threatens to consume both of them. While the Drew's behavior may challenge readers' moral compass, the author deftly explores the nuances of his character, revealing the underlying motivations that drive his actions. The gradual shift in perspective towards Drew invites readers to confront their own preconceived notions and grapple with the complexities of human nature. As the story reaches its climax, a series of unforeseen twists and turns leaves readers breathless. The cliffhanger ending serves as a tantalizing glimpse into the tumultuous future that awaits Drew and Mabel. With a palpable sense of anticipation, I eagerly await the sequel, where I can indulge in the long-awaited grovel that will undoubtedly reshape the dynamics of this captivating tale. This was a solid 4.75 Star read!

My morals left this galaxy while I ate up this audiobook. I was so immersed in the story that 6 hours had passed and it ended in a cliffhanger I did not see coming.

I didn't read the blurb and had no idea what I was getting into with this book. I've never read a romance like this, is it romance? Whatever it is, it is well-written and I was drawn into the story despite being somewhat horrified by the content. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a good job bringing the characters to life. It isn't for me, but it will be for the readers that enjoy this type of book and my rating reflects that.

When Maybell stands up for a stranger against Drew, it puts her on his radar. He finds her intriguing and challenging and will stop at nothing to possess her. Unfortunately, Drew is an unlikeable character throughout the book, along with his entitled group of friends.

On the other hand, I had high hopes for Maybell's character until she became another weak female lead. Despite this, I was intrigued by the cliffhanger and will likely read or listen to the second book to find out what happens next. Additionally, I enjoyed Ryan Stone's narration as Drew.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the free audio copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed the narrators for this one, the story just didn't do it for me. Parts in the beginning were very reminiscent of another book I read, and it made it really hard to get into. 
Unfortunately, that didn't get better as the story progressed. Some of the drama felt a little over the top. 
By no means am I saying it's a bad book, it just didn't do it for me. Give it a shot if the tropes/story sounds interesting to you.