Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and everyone involved for this Advance audiobook!

Check your trigger warnings!!!

And be weary of where you listen to this book 😅

There is so much tension and angst. The main male character is OBSESSED with the main female character! And will do anything to make sure that she is okay (as long as he is the only one who can ruin her 😉).

I loved this and recommend it to those who want a morally grey, dark, bully romance.

I'm still not quite sure how I feel about this book. The beginning had me ready to close it, and quick! I did not like Drew and how much of an entitled bully he is. The start of the book gave r*pe, honestly, and it was just awkward. I started getting comfortable with his character closer to the middle of the book, however he still didn't sit right with me. Maybell's character was alright, your typical nerdy girl, in school on a scholarship, trying to make ends meet and help her sick mom. The twists at the end were interesting, to say the least. The first twist was shocking, but then the second seemed uncalled for, with it being the exact same revelation as the first. The spice was definitely there though!
I did find myself getting annoyed with the repetition though- Drew's peppermint and teakwood scent mentioned three times already within the first half of the read, and the mention of Bell's "p**** strangling Drew's c***".
Overall, this book was an alright read, however I don't think I was invested enough to pick up the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this read in exchange for my honest review!

Bully/alphahole
DubCon/CNC
Primal Play
Bad Boy/Good Girl
Obsessive hero and touch her and die vibes

This book could not have been more perfect, but he is the perfect morally gray man!

You have Maybel (Bel) who is the epitome of good girl. Virgin girl who just wants to help her mom recover from her sickness. Then you have the morally gray jerk, Drew. He is the jock that has all the women throwing themselves at him, but he wants someone to chase and someone who is not so easy to catch.
Him and his friends annual “Hunt”, Bel goes to get the grand prize of 25K for her mother. Well of course Drew will do anything to make sure she doesn’t make it to the shed because he wants her!
The ending though, goodness I was so angry because how can a book end like that?!? I will be waiting patiently for the next book to come out! But I also want to know more about Sebastian, Drews friend.
“I want you to scream for me because of me. I want you gasping for breath. I want you crying, your eyes shimmering with tears. I want you running, doing everything you can to escape me, while knowing deep down inside you’ll never get away. I want all of it. So I'll give you one more chance to get away.”

This was really well written and well performed by the voice actors. It wasn’t really for me though. I like dark romance and usually enjoy the cat and mouse dynamic but there wasn’t enough going on in the book for my liking. At 40% I had no real idea where the plot was headed and while I’m down for plot twists, I like knowing the general direction.

4 stars, its good just not my cup of tea.

I loved this. The character development was fanominal. The MMC is so unhinged. And onmg that cliff hanger I will be anxiously awaiting the 2nd book!

The wallflower

- College romance
- Dark bully romance
- Secret society
- primal
- Run/chase me
- Good girl x bad boy

“You’re such a good girl when you wanna be.”

Drew is a college quarterback and son to a millionaire. Drew is sinister but knows how to hide his true nature from everyone. Maybell is the opposite. Shes a good girl and bookworm who doesn’t come from money. Her mother is sick and she helps care for her.

In this town, they hold an annual hunt. During the hunt for a large cash prize, anything goes 😈 The more she fights, the more he wants her.

I think the book was good but overall a little slow. A lot happened with the plot at the end

Audiobook:
This is a dual narration audiobook. I enjoyed the female narrator. The male narrator was new to me but I think they both did a good job bringing the characters to life.


⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The Wallflower by J. L. Beck (AARC)
Rating: 4/5
Tropes: Billionaire, Enemies-to-Lovers, Instant Obsession, Rich/Poor, Jock/Bookworm.

Instant obsession, opposites attract, a virgin falls prey to the captain of the football team. The Hunt is on and Drew is all but ready to stalk his prey, Bel. This book has it all.

Bel, the typical nerd, is convinced by her best friend to attend The Hunt, where she stands to win 25K. But unlike everyone else, Bel needs this win. Her mother is sick and the medical bills are stacking up quicker than she can breathe. What she didn’t count on though was the instant obsession from the football team’s captain, Drew.

This audio was well paced and was a decent listen at 1.5x. Narrated by Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone, it breezed past and kept you entertained.

I highly recommend that if you are sensitive to certain triggers, that you have a look at the warnings before diving into this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I love dark romances but I’m quite picky about them.

This one starts with a meet-not-cute, great tension, lust, and hate at first sight and immediately drew me in.

Drew’s inner dialogue was very accurate, I love it when dark romances heroes are aware of their fucked-up-ness and he’s perfectly aware of his wants and needs. The fact that he uncovers Maybell’s own desires was great to witness.

And it was also a great show to read. Stalking, chase in the woods, dubious consent, threatening, blackmailing, etc you name it, this was an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The chemistry between the characters was explosive for sure, and I loved to dive into their backstories as well. I’m just sad to learn just now that it’s the first book in the series and ends on a cliffhanger. I can’t wait to read the next book!

4.5/5 ⭐
3.5/5 🌶️
4.0/5 🎧

First off, HOW DARE YOU, JOSIE? That cliffhanger was brutal, especially since I didn't realize this wasn't a standalone... This of course is my bad, but that doesn't make it hurt any less! On a serious note though, this was so good. Josie writes some of my favorite bullies, noncon/dubcon, and college series and Oakmount has officially joined the ranks. The Wallflower was riveting from start to finish and I couldn't get enough.

I can't decide if the mystery or the spice was my favorite. Like, what on earth is going on here? Drew's father is something else and hiding so dang much... And then that betrayal and whatever the opposite of a betrayal is at the end? WHAT? Ugh, how long until The Wildflower audio releases? Can I wait that long? I'm not sure...

Then the spice. These two are hot hot hot hot hot right from the start. I love that The Hunt inspired some dubcon/cnc and honestly I just kept getting better. The sneaky public spice was top notch and I'm hoping that doesn't stop even after Drew and Belle start getting along.

The audio was really great. Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone both did phenomenal jobs and I can't wait to hear them narrate The Wildflower.

JL Beck has grabbed my attention. This is the first book I have listened to that was written by her as the only author. Why did I wait so long to pick up one? I didn't want to pause the audiobook! This story made me cringe and my heart pound as well as squeeze my heart tight with heartbreak. I was riveted and did not expect the outcome. This left off as a cliff-hanger and I cannot wait for the next audiobook. I absolutely have a hate/love relationship with the characters. It can't come soon enough!

Ryan Stone and Renee Thorn are excellent narrators! They are both new to me. I love their smooth voices. They performed with emotion that had it rolling like a movie in my head. PERFECTION.

I would like to thank NetGalley, J.L. Beck and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

JL Becks books are always entertaining and very addictive. This book gave me The Ritual by Shantel Tessier vibes. I do think any dark romance reader will enjoy this book. The narrators did an amazing job telling the story. Some part were predictable. But the twist at the end I did not see coming. I will immediately be starting the next book in the series.

This is not your sweet college romance of two young people crashing into love. This is a dark, twisty, and violent tale of lust, greed, and power. The characters are executed in a way that makes you feel so many mixed emotions. If you have triggers I strongly encourage you to look into trigger warnings prior to starting this book - it is full of them! There is very significant amount of spice in this book and not the lovey dovey kind that leaves you floating in clouds…..it is graphic, and often contains violent themes.

The female main character is likable and relatable in ways that make it difficult for you to know how you want things to end. The male main character is complex yet simple, dark yet protective, and most of all eager to gain power yet weak in so many ways. This novel surprised me while being somewhat predictable with certain aspects. The predictability does catch up in the end with some jaw dropping moments that leave you in disbelief, disgust, and full of so many questions.

Fans of J.T Geissinger, H.D. Carlton, and Penelope Douglas, you will likely enjoy the book which is the first of The Oakmount Elite series. The only thing that I found slightly off was the choice for narrators, I felt both the male and female narrators voices sounded very matured considering these are young adults. The narration was good and the emotion captured, so it definitely shouldn’t be a deterrent for those interested in the audiobook version.

I would like to thank NetGalley, J.L. Beck and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑
𝙾𝚊𝚔𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝙴𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚎 #𝟷
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐️⭐️
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ:🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆
⏳ 13𝗛 03𝗠
🎙️𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗻 & 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲

🌸High School Bully Romance
❤️‍🩹Bad Boy x Good Girl
🌸Instant Attraction
❤️‍🩹Virgin Heroine/Player Hero
🌸Secret Society

So I gave this book another chance, I DNF’d the book and thought I could get through it via audio. NOPE. Drew has no redeemable quality, being abused is not an excuse for what he did. And to be honest, the abuse he got from his father is not even that serious to warrant his behavior (this is fiction, I will not downplay any abuse in real life). I don't know if he's trying to convince Maybel or himself that she actually wanted all of this assault. He has the audacity to have a go at the guy who tried to drug Bel, when he's the one who has been assaulting her. And his POV keeps trying to convince me that Bel wanted it, but I don't buy it one bit. The way that the author writes Bel, she keeps refusing verbally, and I don't see enough sign that she actually wanted it? So all sexual encounters feel like grape to me, and it's so icky to listen to. Top it off with Drew's line that basically keeps calling her his whore, the amount of time he said her c*unt is just a warm hole is highly disturbing.

And I don't get how all of a sudden Maybel is supposed to have feelings for him and hurt cause he doesn't want more from her? That is so fucked up if she fell for him after all of the assault with not much real moment or kindness from Drew. Don't even get me started with all the twists that were dumped on me during the third act conflict, what a dumpster fire. If you think that will make me want to read the second book, NOPE. No more from this author.

🎧𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄🎧
I have to say the audio was quite good, it's the only reason I was able to get through this book. Both narrators are new to me, and I think they did a good job portraying these characters.

⚠️𝗖𝗪/𝗧𝗪/𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀/𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿⚠️
- Noncon/Dubcon
- Grape
- Period Play
- Primal Play
- Use of Date Rape Drug
- And many, many other thing, please proceed with caution

✿ 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 audiobook 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 Dreamscape Media 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚖 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚢 ✿

The narration was wonderful!!

I love JL’s books they are always entertaining borderline addictive. This one was much the same drawing me in then leaving me jaw dropped scraping for the next! I do wish that there had been a touch more aftercare to balance the bully intensely but otherwise it was great!

4.25/5

This book gives similar vibes to The Ritual by Shantel Tessier or Haunting Adeline by H. D. Carlton, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a predator/prey romance where the MMC will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Definitely check your trigger warnings before reading, but if you are a dark romance lover this will be a fast favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I am far too wholesome for this one. My vampire smut has everyone consenting. The male in this book doesn't seem to like consent and also he is so crude.
That said his voice is lovely. I just would like to hear him narrating a book about wildlife. I pictured him as a man who specializes in some species of animal in some specific location.
Then he starts saying crude things and I am like "oh no!"
The woman's voice is also beautiful.
This was not my college experience at all.

Let me preface this review by stating that my opinions are based on the fact that NetGalley said "It is a complete standalone that contains a happily ever after." And if you've read this book, you know that nothing could be farther from the truth. This has one of the biggest cliffhangers I've read and is far from an HEA. When reviewing books via NetGalley, I always make a point to avoid the Goodreads for it. I don't want my opinions to be swayed and I want to be objective in my review. Had I looked at Goodreads, I would have immediately seen that "standalone" and "HEA" are wholly inaccurate and my reading experience may have been different.

My biggest frustrations with this book included the central relationship (primarily the MMC) and a variety of plot and world aspects that felt jarring to read.

Within the relationship, I was having trouble coming to terms with the balance of light and dark. The dark and controlling aspects were heavy. The MMC was continually saying that the FMC had no control in their relationship. If she didn't want him around, it didn't matter because he wanted it. There was minimal aftercare (besides one night of cuddling) and very little caretaking (throwing money at her doesn't count). I didn't feel that the light balanced this level of dark and therefore couldn't root for the relationship. Maybe this balance will be found in the entirety of the series, but having expected a standalone book I was just getting more and more frustrated.

There were a few world/character aspects that felt jarring to me to read. First, the sickness of both the mothers. We are never told what this sickness is, only that they are very sick. Second, the MMC's football career. It felt out of place and would randomly pop up. I feel that something like boxing or wresting would have been more true to his character. I just could not picture him being a quarterback and then he'd randomly mention it and I'd be surprised all over again. Third, there is no mention that the FMC also picks up shifts as an events server. Then the big final event of the book comes along and BOOM she's there working. Didn't see that coming, but not because it was a plot twist - it was because the only job that is mentioned is her tutoring.

I also assume that the two big "omg what" reveals at the end will be resolved through the next book. If the one isn't, then I am very disappointed that it wasn't listed as trigger warning because I wouldn't have read this if it was the case.

All of this being said, the audiobook production and narration was probably the only thing that kept me from DNFing. Had I been reading this with my eyes and not my ears, I would have put it down. The narrators were fantastic and perfectly portrayed the characters in my mind. Some of the sexual dialogue was pretty heavy-handed (lots of C strangling P) but the narrators both did such a good job with it that I was able to move past it easily.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced listening copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I listened to this on audio and the narrators did a great job portraying Drew and Maybell. Ryan Stone especially did such a good job portraying Drew’s hard exterior that only shows signs of weakening for Maybell and Drew’s developing feelings for her.

Maybell enters the Hunt at a chance of $25k - she needs the money to pay for her mother’s expensive medical care. She met Drew before the hunt and to say he’s obsessed with her is putting it lightly. They develop a seemingly odd friendship/relationship but they really do compliment each other. This one had major twists and turns that kept me interested the whole time and I cannot wait for the next book!

Perfect if you like a spicy, secret society, college romance.

Wow wow wow! This is my first JL Beck book and I didnt really know what to expect, but from the synopsis and cover it felt a little dark to me and I WANTED TO LISTEN TO IT!

The Narrators were FABULOUS 🤌🏻👏🏻 and thank GOODNESS the next book comes out April 12 on kindle unlimited because i don’t think i can wait for the next audiobook!!

This story definitely takes you through All the angst and emotions and heartbreak and PLOT TWIST!!!!!

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗲𝘀:
💕Virgin FMC
💕Dark Romance
💕Parental issues
💕Rich vs Poor
💕Alpha Hole
💕Touch her and Die
💕Secret Society

‼️Triggers! There’s definitely some dark stuff in this book proceed with caution ⚠️

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m obsessed. I typically don’t listen to bully romances but this was so good I’m glad I did.
Drew is so unhinged. I loved to hate him. He has a lot of potential to have a redemption. Drew and Bel had intense chemistry and I ate up their entire relationship. I can’t wait to see Bel’s growth in the next book, I hope she stands up for herself!

The ending had me SHOOK! I did not see that coming, and I cannot wait for the next book, I need to know what happens next. I can’t wait to learn more about the other boys especially Sebastian. He’s going to pop off and I’m here for it.

🖤 Dark college romance
🖤 Secret society
🖤 Bad boy x good girl
🖤 Bully romance
🖤 Dual POV
🖤 Touch her and 💀

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I would recommend checking trigger warnings before reading!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape media and the author for the arc.