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.

I received an ALC (Advanced Listener Copy) of this audiobook from NetGalley & Dreamscape Media.

2 Stars ⭐⭐🎧

I requested this book because people on TikTok were raving about it, and I thought, why not?

I will tell you this was different from my type of book. I don't mind some dark romance, but this wasn't for me. So please, don't let my rating scare you away. I should have looked more into the description, which is on me.

But if you like: secret society, CNC, chase bait, touch her and die, stalking, financial blackmail, parental blackmail, violence, threat of violence, virgins.
Then this book you're going to love. Oh, that twist. I sure as heck didn't see it coming! It's fast-paced, and you're never left wondering because something is always happening. It will suck you in and keep you wanting more.

The narrators did a fantastic job. They did give these characters their voices. It is worth looking them two up again because they were great.

Holy hot hell. This book was spicy, kinky, twisted and psychotic . Those are just a few of my fave things. Despite what some think, I loved Drew. He went through this book thinking he was the tin man without a heart , but he actually had one and it beat for two people : his mom and Bel. I loved this and I’m mad about the cliffhanger, but I’m excited to see Bel and Seb explore their new dynamic .

I have a lot of feelings about this book that are honestly hard to put into words, but of course I’ll try 😉

I really liked the plot of the story, as soon as I saw that there was a “hunt” sort of like adult hide n seek, I immediately wanted to read. I do wish however, that that “event” took up more of the story and added more of a “thrill”, a harder chase. I was hoping for a little more “cat and mouse” vibes and less, damaged boy looking for someone to love him? I don’t want this to come off as negative because the book did grip me and keep me reading, just not in the way I had expected.

Now when it comes to plot twists, there was definitely no shortage of those here! So many things I didn’t see coming and others that I had an idea were coming but not one hundred percent figured out. I was not expecting the cliffhanger at the end. It definitely left me with many unanswered questions and looking forward to the second book!

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Romance 🩷
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Darkness ☠️☠️☠️☠️

Enthralled by the allure of a steamy yet dark romance, I found myself captivated by the audiobook rendition of this enthralling tale. From the very beginning, the voices of the characters, coupled with the atmospheric narration, drew me into a world of forbidden desire and suspenseful intrigue.

As the story unfolded through my ears, I was transported into a realm where passion and mystery intertwined seamlessly. The narrators' performances brought the characters to life, their emotions palpable with every word spoken, keeping me eagerly tuned in to uncover the secrets lurking within the shadows.

Beyond the intense romance, the intricate plot twists and turns held me in suspense, each revelation leaving me on the edge of my seat, craving more. And that cliffhanger! It left me hanging, eagerly anticipating the next installment to delve deeper into the mysteries left unresolved.

This captivating audiobook delivers a spellbinding blend of passion, suspense, and unexpected twists, making it a must-listen for anyone craving an immersive and electrifying experience.

I have mixed feelings on this one.
This is a twisted enemies to lovers, bully romance with college aged students. I found myself on the edge of my seat but cringing at the same time in certain points. It definitely has some spice to it.
Rich, handsome, elite MMC who is used to getting what he wants meets studious bookworm, virgin, nice girl FMC. The relationship is toxic as the MMC stalks, harasses, bullies, and torments the girl while she low key enjoys it.
The overall story line seemed to drag on. There was nothing overly thrilling about the characters. The twists were easily identified, and this story ends on a major cliff hanger.
I was not head over heels about this one, but I didn't hate it either.
Just kind of an okay book. I'd say a 3.5 rating rounded up to 4.

I did listen to this on audio book as I received an ARC. The female voice was very well done. She sounded young and way able to portray the emotions necessary. The male narrators voice did not seem to match the MMC voice to me. He seemed too old and mature to be this young man.

Thank you very much NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Title: The Wallflower By J.L. Beck (Oakmount Elite #1)


Release Date: April,16th 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars

This is a dark enemies-to-lovers romance with many triggers. Please read Trigger warnings as this contains sensitive matters.

When forced to attend an event hosted by the Ruthless Disciples, Bel finds herself entangled with Andrew "Drew" Marshall, a popular football star and leader of the group. Initially, she sees him as a Greek god, but soon discovers his true nature—a cruel and dark monster. Despite his outward appearance of normalcy, she becomes his newest obsession, thrust into a dangerous world she never anticipated.

J.L. Beck's writing is richly descriptive, skilfully delving into the depths of the characters' emotions and their darker desires, providing readers with a vivid understanding of their innermost thoughts and motivations.

With its gripping storyline and well-developed characters, this book is an absolute must-read for fans of dark romance!

Tropes:
Enemies-to-lovers
Dark Desires
Bully
Secret society
College
Touch her and die
CNC & chasing bait fantasy


Thank you to Dreamscape Media, J.L Beck & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.


📖📚💕
#NetGalley #BookReview #BookRecommendation #BookishThoughts #BookCommunity #BookNerd #BookAddict #PageTurner #Bookworm #Bookish #Bibliophile #BookObsessed #InstaBooks #BookClub #BookishLife #GoodReads #BookishFeatures #BookReviewers #BookishCommunity #jlbeck thewallflower

Holy hotness! This is an amazingly twisted bully romance that will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. This book does end in a cliffhanger as this book is just part one, but you will be left saying wow and waiting impatiently for the next book. The characters are extremely well crafted and those you think are enemies are indeed enemies, but some may turn out to be allies while some who are written as allies may just turn out to be enemies. I am blown away by the twisted rightness of the plot that keeps you turning pages or in my case, listening for hours past my bedtime as I don't want to stop and wait another day for more of the plot to be revealed. Speaking of listening to the book, the narration truly adds an emotional edge to the story that will having craving more, more, more. I have always loved audiobooks, but dual narration definitely ups the ante on bringing the book more fully to life!

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

TROPES:
Bully Romance
College
Nerd/Jock
Dub Con/Non con
Primal Play
Opposites Attract
v1rgin heroine

To start, it's your obvious bully romance.
Bel is a quiet girl. She spends her free time in the library and tends to be on the shy side. Drew, however, is the complete opposite. He's a bigheaded, rich jock and you can't tell him anything. Bel is having a hard time staying afloat in life. She has a sick mom and is in need of money, fast. When tutoring students isn't enough to get her by, her friend gets them both a personal invite to an event that could win her $25k. The Hunt. This event had my jaw drop. Basically, you run through the woods and play cat and mouse with the "hot jocks." If they catch you, you're screwed....literally. But if you make it to the cabin without getting caught, then you win the prize money. Hesitantly, she participates. Drew craves her. He isn't sure why he's so attached to her, but his eyes are set on Bel.

"Go ahead and run. It doesn't matter. I'll always find you.
I'll always catch you."

Drew is a WALKING red flag and Bel knows it. Yet, somehow, her body seems to always betray her when she's around him. Bel hates this man and rightfully so, but her body says otherwise and the inevitable happens between the two.

Overall, I have to keep this one at 3 stars. It felt plateau and very familiar up until the twist at the end. It does end in a cliffhanger so you'll have to read book 2 to know more! If you're in the mood for a dark bully romance though, I would still recommend! If you love primal play, fast burn, college setting, 100% bully, entitled MMC, touch her and d!e vibes....you may really enjoy this one!

I received this audiobook from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

I received this audiobook and I really enjoyed the narration. This book has a dual point-of-view and it was nice to get to listen to both sides, Drew and Bel. Their voices didn't sound monotone and they did a nice job enunciating the words. Their reading of the story was not sloppy in any way; they did great!

The Wallflower is about Drew, who is part of an elite group and has a ton of money. He is a part of the football team and is super popular. Drew ends up becoming obsessed with Bel after she sticks up for a guy that Drew was about to beat up. Bel is a quiet girl who's main goal is to help her mom. However, when she finds out that she can be part of "The Hunt" and possibly win 25K, she agrees and participates. From here, Drew "catches" her and becomes more obsessed with her. Their relationship is very different, with Bel starting to have feelings for Drew, but because of his circumstances, Drew knows he can never be with Bel. There are definitely triggers to this book and it is a dark romance with explicit spicy scenes that some may not like.

This book was different for me because I don't normally read dark romances. After listening to the beginning portion of the book, I wasn't too sure where this book was going to go. However, by the end, I couldn't stop listening to it and I cannot wait for the next book to be released. At some point, I got hooked and with the twists at the end, I really did end up enjoying the book. I would recommend The Wallflower, if you are okay with the triggers and spicy scenes.

I am almost chuckling as I write this review. Yes, this was a dark story filled with debauchery. Yes, I read others comments/reviews before I agreed to listen to it. I still thought, by the description it sounded interesting and sometimes reviewers can go a little overboard in their content warnings.... but they didn't...

This review will contain spoilers because I have trouble expressing why I find this story twistingly comical (yes, I did chuckle several time while listening and I don't think it was supposed to be funny - some of the dialogue though made me laugh).

Honestly, this story could have been very interesting and a bit less cringy. The stalking was over the top and the fact that Drew was such a sexual deviant he would coerce Maybel (Marybel... something bel)... Wall Flower... to succumb to him otherwise he would ravage her in public is a bit sick. Like, who would do that, and honestly would people just sit around and watch if he did, especially if the girl did not seem willing? I would like to think Drew would have been pummelled by a bystander or kicked out of university or arrested for indecent exposure.

Also, Drew would comment about how he never would hurt his Wall Flower, while he is... physically and verbally harming her before, during, or after thinking it. Then saying how he would never cheat on his wife like his father does, yet Drew just uses and abuses women. Really... Drew actually thinks about getting married someday? I find that hard to believe with his current treatment of women... really do... See why chuckles and eye rolls were common.

Now... Maybel (Marybel... something bel) Wall Flower doesn't do anything like call the cops when Drew breaks into her dorm several times. The stalking could have been a bit more suspenseful, but as I said it was over the top, completely unrealistic or believable. Like call the cops girl, yet oh, she doesn't want to because for some twisted reason she enjoys it and doesn't understand why.

The narration was okay. I actually liked the female's voice overall. She did a great job on the male and female voices. The male narration, as you may have read from others sounded way too old for a twenty something college student. I have listened to him before, but cannot remember which audiobook before.

I am giving this 2 stars because of for some reason, I didn't hate it. Didn't like it either. I don't know how I feel about it becuase I still find it unrealistic and comical. The twist at the end was not really a surprise... nor was much of the mystery involved. I wish the stalking was a bit more suspenseful and less cringy... not that I want a woman to be stalked, but really that could have been done well.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media. Although this book was not for me... looks like there are many people out there who enjoyed it. I am just not one of them.

The Wallflower is a dark, bully college romance, and I use romance loosely. There is lust, obsession and the burning need for control. Drew is a rich football star and leader of a secret society who has control issues and obsessive tendencies and he has found a new obsession with a cute, scholarship, library nerd. There is dub-con, bullying, abuse, parents with medical issues (cancer). Honestly, the content/ trigger warning list is pretty long. With that being said, I personally enjoyed the story a lot. I listened to the audio book and while I feel the narrators did a great job with these characters I do feel that they sounds older then the college kids they were playing. But overall, good performance, good story and the cliffhanger made me want to continue the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the copy of the audio book.

This book is sooooo good! I loved listening to it audiobook form, as I have read it! I love the obsessiveness that
I absolutely enjoyed the bad boy, possessive, bully in Drew and the “wallflower” that Maybel is. Drew is not a good guy, and vulnerability is not in his repertoire. This is an enemies to lovers, where Drew torments Maybel and gets her to participate in the secret society’s night of debauchery. It’s raw, it’s dirty, and boy oh boy was it spicy. I need more!

I am DNFing this one. I tried, but could just not get into it. The H was an obsessed jerk. I also didn't care for either audiobook narrator.
They both sound too old, but especially Renee Thorn.

Thank you for the opportunity, but this one was not for me. I am not leaving a rating on any sites as I feel I did not read enough to write an accurate review.

Okay first thing first, is this narrator also Joe Arden? Because my ears hear him and I no longer support him so be aware if you’re feeling the same

The story imo isn’t anything “new” it’s almost taking from two very popular dark romance series and made it into their own book.

Being said I was a bit bored being I felt it has all been said before but the audiobook was pretty good. Would have been better duel style.

Audiobook kindly provided through NetGalley

★ 3 stars ★

📖 what is it about?
Maybell needs money and when her friend brings her along to "the hunt," Maybell thinks it's an innocent game of hide and seek with a chance to win some money. "The Hunt" is a tradition that goes way back and everyone wants an invite. Drew craves the exhilaration that comes with the chase and when his attention lands on Maybell, his obsession begins.

💭 my thoughts
I love dark romances and I really tried to like this one but it didn't really get me excited and I couldn't connect with the characters or the story itself. Drew and his crew (hahah) are a different kind of breed honestly and there were times I had to pause the audio to breathe.

If I had read this book, instead of listening to the audiobook, I think the rating would've landed at a 2 but the audio kept my interest long enough for me to finish the book.


My ratings
Heroine: 2/5 🩷
Hero: 2/5 💙
Story: 2/5 📚
Steam: 4/5 ❤️‍🔥
Pace: 2/5 ⌛️
Audio: 3/5 🎧

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🎧 or 📖: I listened to the audiobook.

🎙️ Narrators: Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone.

📜Favorite quote[s]:
“Even villains need to be loved, Bel.” – Drew

💜Tropes:
⏵ Nerd x Jock
⏵ Rich Boy x Poor Girl
⏵ OTT Obsessed Hero
⏵ College Romance

📚Series or Standalone:
This is part of a series (ends on a cliffhanger).

🤔 Would I recommend:
Yes, if you like dark romance where the hero has some questionable attributes and is overly obsessed with his girl–you might like/love this one!

It's been a while since I delved into darker romances, and 'The Wallflower' by JL Beck plunges straight into the unhinged and depraved out of the gate.

A heads up for readers: although I knew this was the first book in the series, I made the wrong assumption it would be a series of standalones but it leaves you hanging on a major cliffhanger!

Content warnings are essential here, as the book delves into dub-con and r*apey moments, making it unsuitable for some.

The story is packed with intrigue, with mysterious side characters and hidden backstories adding layers of complexity. The constant unveiling of bombshells in the last few chapters keeps you on edge, leading to a cliffhanger ending that leaves you craving more.

The MMCs development is layered. Initially portrayed as a dark, possessive alpha, he gradually reveals a softer, more caring side, especially in his interactions with his mother and the FMC. Despite his brutal nature, moments of tenderness shine through.

The narrators, Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone, deliver an outstanding performance, that kept me engaged and captivated throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and DreamScape Media for providing the Advanced Copy Audiobook.

Tropes:
- dark romance
- hate to like
- bad rich boy x good poor girl
- college football player x tutor

"The Wallflower: A Rollercoaster Ride of Twisted Romance"

Are you ready for a wild ride? Buckle up because J.L. Beck's "The Wallflower" takes you on a journey through the murky waters of enemies-to-lovers romance, where love, hate, and obsession collide in a whirlwind of chaos and passion.

Set in the elite world of Oakmount, this book introduces us to Maybell and Drew, two characters whose lives intertwine in the most unexpected and intense ways. Maybell, a scholarship student with a heart of gold, finds herself drawn into Drew's orbit, a rich bad boy with more issues than Vogue magazine.

From the moment Drew sets his sights on Maybell, you know things are about to get interesting. But what starts as a simple game quickly escalates into a battle of wills, with Maybell caught in the crossfire of Drew's obsession and his tumultuous family dynamics.

With dual perspectives that give you a front-row seat to the madness, "The Wallflower" is a masterclass in angsty, twisty storytelling. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, biting your nails as you navigate the dark and wicked world these characters inhabit.

But don't let the intensity fool you; there's plenty of romance to be found amidst the chaos. Drew may be an asshat of epic proportions, but there's something oddly endearing about his sheer determination to win over Maybell, even if it means resorting to questionable tactics.

And Maybell? Well, she's not your typical damsel in distress. Sure, she may be book smart and introverted, but she's also got a fire burning inside her that refuses to be extinguished, especially when faced with Drew's relentless pursuit.

But beware, dear reader, for "The Wallflower" is not for the faint of heart. With its steamy scenes, dark themes, and jaw-dropping plot twists, this book will leave you questioning your morals and begging for more.

So, if you're in the mood for a gripping, heart-pounding read that will leave you breathless and wanting more, look no further than "The Wallflower." Just be sure to hold on tight because this rollercoaster ride is one you won't soon forget!

Thank you for the arc! I look forward to the next installment.

An amazing bully romance! Andrew is awful but amazing I can’t wait for the next book to come out! The narrators were amazing! I want all the JL Beck books!