I was obsessed with season one of Maxton Hall, so I wasn't surprised that I enjoyed this book. I liked how closely the TV adaptation stayed true to the book. The translation does seem a bit awkward at times and may come off as a bit cheesy, but I expected that since some phrases can be harder to translate. I do think that the adaptation was more fleshed out, which helped with the buildup of chemistry and tension between Ruby and James. The book had time jumps between chapters, making it harder to see a deeper connection between the two of them. Regardless, I think anyone who really enjoyed the adaptation will likely enjoy this book, and vice versa.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been dying to read this since watching the show last year, and when I saw the English translation pop up on NetGalley about I lost it! And once I had my hands on it, I finished this book in one sitting.

Since I had already seen the show, I knew what I was in for and the book did not disappoint. The pacing was great and the MCs were even more incredible than I expected. I mean, Ruby is such a force to be reckoned with. While, I didn’t think James could be more sensitive than he is in the show, but man his POVs are brutal. And that ending…that cliffhanger. I knew it was coming, but still. 🫠 I am going to need that next one rn.

Would I recommend this? Uh, duh. What’s not to like about a spicy, forced proximity romance based at a rich private school in the UK? Uh, nothing. Just promise me to have the show queued up on Amazon because this series is easily going to become your newest obsession.

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for this ARC and the opportunity to give my candid feedback.

3.75 stars, 1.5 spice

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the e-arc.

I am a die hard Super fan of the Maxton Hall show on prime - as in I’ve watched it 15 times, the first 12 being in the first couple weeks of the shows release. And I have been BEGGING for this English translation.

I was actually surprised how accurate the show was to the book. There are of-course some differences around hair color, or which character catches someone else in the act and so on, but mostly it was in line.

Just a heads up to the other Dramione loving girlies, James is a redhead in the books haha. Also the dress isn’t ‘Hermione pink’ in the book either - but I think they did make great choices in the show.

I wasn’t as swept away with the characters in the book as I was the show. Though I definitely still saw elements of myself in ruby. I don’t think the secondary relationships were highlighted as much (especially Ruby with her dad or James with his mom).

I also don’t think the emotion between James and Ruby read as strong, this is the first of 3 books though so they definitely have room to grow. And they definitely feel younger in the book than in the show as well. Looking forward to seeing how their arc is developed over the series though.

Ending beware - CLIFFHANGER (I was warned about the ending by a German reader on TikTok) there is something that happens beyond what we see in the show. And I know some of you are gonna be Pisseedddd. But I am here for the Drama.

If you want a Dramione-esc, high school, gossip girl vibe - look no further!

I LOVED the show adaptation, and while I still enjoyed this read for the most part, I felt like the translation wasn't the best. I loved the addition of James' POV. The prep-school, slow burn, enemies to lovers vibes were great! Thanks to Berkley for an eARC.

3.5☆ rounded up

Okayyy, I NEED the second book NOW! Holy cliffhanger!!!!

I will admit that the first 30% of this book is pretty slow going. But, I didn't mind. I am a sucker for slow-burn, angsty, romances where the MMC and FMC bicker and pine and slowly get to know each others' quirks. For characters still in high school, this book did not read YA to me at all (which is a major plus).

I LOVED the FMC -- Ruby is unapologetically herself. She's smart, driven, mature, funny, and incredibly loyal. She was not afraid to stand her ground and say what is on her mind. And her relationship with her family was so genuine and pure. You can't help but fall in love with them all!

As far as the romance, there's a touch of enemies to lovers which was done perfectly. They have polar opposite backgrounds and family dynamics so there's a strain there and is what most of the storyline is centered around. Once the romance picks up towards the end, I had non-stop butterflies. I physically could not put my kindle down until it was over.

Read if you're looking for:
-academia setting
-slow burn
-angsty, pining
-"we come from different worlds"
-great characters

The ending of the book reminded me a lot of Saving 6/Redeeming 6 by Chloe Walsh which is the highest compliment coming from me! I'm not lying when I say I cannot wait long for this second book. I need to know when it's coming LOL

Thank you so much for allowing me to be an early reader!! I will post my review on my bookstagram page a little closer to pub day.

4.5/5 stars

Ruby Bell just wants to make it through school, get into Oxford, and avoid unnecessary attention. Unfortunately the last one fails when she walks into a class to see the richest girl at school, Lydia Beaufort, kissing a teacher. Afraid she'll use that information to blackmail their family, Lydia's twin brother James decides to pay Ruby off. However, when Ruby refuses the money, James' suspicion grows until he's determined to know everything about her. The two are from totally different worlds, but maybe they're not so different.

This book is not especially well-written, or breaking any records on being the most creative story, but the show is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine so it bumped my rating up to 4 stars. I absolutely cannot wait for the english versions of the next two books to come out, because while it is definitely meant for younger audiences, I will be devouring those as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC of the English edition. Projected publishing date: July 1st, 2025

I got so excited when I saw this on Netgalley because I watched the show when it first premiered and became OBSESSED!!!! I got so happy when I saw that the books were being released in English because I always love reading the original content the show or movies are based on. Save Me gave me more insight into James and Ruby which I really really loved! It was so fun seeing all the differences or things that were in the book but no in the show. I loved all the school backgrounds we got and all the drama, tension, and buildup for James and Ruby!! I can't wait until book 2 and season 2 releases!!

Thank you to Berkley for the e-ARC!

I was so excited to jump into this book because I watched the show and was OBSESSED!! I loved getting a deeper dive into the story and see what wasn’t shown in the show. James and Ruby just have my whole heart.!! I’m so excited for the rest of this series to get released so I can see more of them!

I absolutely loved the Amazon show of this, and was thrilled to see the book being published in the US. This did not disappoint, and I was fascinated by how strong the show adaptation is. Like that, it’s light and quick-paced, a fun read with Dramione overtones. I will eagerly be awaiting book 2.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was not expecting this from a ya book. Its a bit spicy for teenagers actively in high school, regardless of the fact that one of them turns 18 in the book. Also the conflict between the male main characters friend group and the female main character just up and disappeared out of nowhere about two thirds of the way into the book. The plot devices where just a bit cliched and I found the book overall kind of boring. Every time it got interesting the author seemed to deviate away from the interesting part. The MMC has to plan a party as punishment and its supposed to be for the whole year that he party plans? Well he did one successfully so lets have the FMC end his punishment so he can go back to his precious sports. The bar is literally in hell and this book is an example of just how extremely low the bar is for guys. It pissed me off and bored me.

I watched the show first, so a lot of this book was familiar to me, but I liked reading about it, especially about what was going on in the main character's head during the book. Just like the show, this is basically a British college prep school romance with enemies-to-lovers. The fmc catches the daughter of one of the richest families in the UK making out with a teacher, which catches the eye of the mmc as he tries to get her to not say anything. AS the main characters get closer through forced proximity, there is drama, partnership, and rich people stuff that makes the story interesting. It's a slow burn with some steam towards the end and lots of push and pull between the characters. Thanks to Berkley for this arc.

Save Me by Mona Kasten is a drama filled romance that perfectly blends elite private school glamour with an irresistible enemies to lovers dynamic. Originally an international bestseller, this first installment in the Maxton Hall series is now available in English—and I couldn’t be more excited to finally read the book that inspired the show I absolutely love!

Ruby Bell is a hardworking scholarship student at Maxton Hall, a school full of the ultra rich and entitled. She wants nothing more than to keep her head down and secure her future at Oxford. James Beaufort, on the other hand, is the epitome of privilege. He is handsome, arrogant, and used to getting his way. Their worlds collide when Ruby uncovers a scandalous secret about James’s family, putting her directly in his crosshairs. What starts as an unwilling partnership on the school’s gala soon turns into undeniable chemistry, forcing both of them to question their preconceived notions about each other.

Kasten does a fantastic job weaving tension, slow burn romance, and high society drama into a compelling narrative. Ruby is a relatable, determined protagonist, while James’s character development makes him more than just a brooding bad boy. Their interactions are filled with banter, frustration, and longing, making their romance all the more satisfying.

Having loved the Maxton Hall show, I was thrilled to dive into this English translated version of the book, and it did not disappoint! The story captures all the angst, glamour, and heart I adored on screen, while offering even more depth to Ruby and James’s relationship. The novel ends on a cliffhanger that will have you desperate for the next book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on Save You!

If you love books with Gossip Girl-esque vibes, forbidden romance, and emotional depth, Save Me is perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mona Kasten, and Berkley for the eARC of this book.

📖 𝙎𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙖 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣

“𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴,” 𝘐 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳.
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮.”

I fell in love with Ruby & James’ story in the Amazon tv series adaptation of Mona Kasten’s book Save Me! Seriously, this story hooked me from the first episode and by then end I had so many questions! I was beyond excited to hear that this series was getting an English translation and screamed when Berkley allowed me to read an early copy of it.

After reading this book I can safely say that Amazon did a great job of sticking to the books original plot, but as always, THE BOOK WAS BETTER! 🤣❤️‍🔥

I freaking adored Ruby. She’s such a determined and strong woman. She knows exactly what her goals are and is giving literally everything she has to make them a reality. The initial angsty tension between her and James was PERFECT. They come from polar opposite walks of life but complete each other.

James may look like he has the world at his feet but what he’s missing is the freedom to do what he truly wants to do with his life. His whole future has always been mapped out and Ruby is the one who helps him understand he can be more than just the Beaufort name.

The villain of this story will have you absolutely raging by the end of the book. The ending had me literally bawling because the cliffhanger is seriously something else. 😭🫠

I can’t wait for the next book, Save You, to come out in September!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
❤️‍🔥 𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
🫶🏼 𝘖𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵
💰 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘰𝘺 𝘹 𝘗𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭
📚 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦
💋 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵
✨ 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴
👀 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 & 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴
🔥 𝘚𝘓𝘖𝘞 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯

Came here after watching Prime's Maxton Hall TV show. LOVE THE BOOK EVEN MORE!!! I am so happy this series by Mona Kasten is being translated into English. Truly a wonderful enemies to lovers story!

*Review will be posted on Goodreads and Amazon!*

📖Boarding School Setting
⚔️Enemies to Lovers
💕Contemporary Romance

If you haven’t heard of the very popular series Maxton Hall on Amazon Prime, girlie, I’m going to need you to run, not walk, to watch. Save Me is the original novel that Maxton Hall was based off of, however, the original language is German so it is now being translated and will be available for release this upcoming July!

With that being said, I absolutely loved the Maxton Hall series when I watched it. Of course once I realized it was based on a novel, I ran to read it, only to find out it was not in English. So the second I saw this available for review, Immediately requested it. Big thank you for penguin for gifting me this copy to read and review!

Maxton Hall is an elite boarding school where all the rich, socialites go to for high school before going on to other prestigious universities. Our main FMC is Ruby. Ruby, unlike, most students at Maxton Hall does not come from an affluent family. In fact, she had to earn her way into Maxton Hall with lots of hard work to get a scholarship. Her family is rather poor, but very close and loving. Ruby has one main goal/dream — Oxford. She wants to keep a low profile free of any high school drama, study hard, and earn her place into Oxford. However, when Ruby accidentally walks in on her teacher making out with Lydia Beaufort — Sister to James Beaufort (Maxton Hall’s IT boy)and daughter of one of the school's most affluent families, Ruby’s plan to remain in the shadows is no longer possible and the one person making her life harder? James Beaufort

Going into this, I had no expectations on how much the show truly followed the book. Usually with most series, the shows either follow the books very closely or very loosely. One thing I was really pleasantly surprised to find out, is that this book was a dual POV of Ruby and James. In the show, we don’t really get to see a lot of Jame’s inner thoughts, we see mainly everything from Ruby’s perspective, so getting to hear the inner thoughts of James was really fascinating. It really makes it that much more real having both sides. The book in the beginning, was very true to the show, but I was very surprised by the ending as it was not anything we saw in the series!

If you are someone who loves an international boarding school setting, enemies to lovers and a good coming of age contemporary romance, you will love this book. Also, if you loved the show and really wanted to dive deeper into the story you will also love the dual POV’S that give the story so much more depth than what we see on screen with a surprise ending! I can’t speak for the German version of this novel, but I have to give props to the translator of this novel because nothing is lost in translation when it comes to the overall realness and feelings of this story!

Absolute perfection! I’ll admit, I watched the show first, but I knew I HAD to read the books, and this first installment did not disappoint. I loved how well the show follows the book. While I already knew what was coming, I thoroughly enjoyed really getting inside James and Ruby’s heads. I loved the slow and believable build of their relationship from the first time James cornered her all the way to their time together at Oxford. Somehow, James’s dad was even worse in the book? And I hate him just as much. I loved seeing more of Ember and Ruby’s friendship with Lin, and the dynamics between James and his friends as well. Cannot wait for book 2!

This book feels real in many ways — it has that high school stress feeling, with an added dose of privilege vs. underprivileged in that setting, internal pressure and external pressures. But the character’s personal struggles feel real enough too. I cared about both protagonists and their connection seemed genuine…and genuinely fraught. Only “bad” part of the book is having to wait to read the 2nd and 3rd!

I can’t find the new English translated version on Goodreads so I’ll leave those here!!

Maxton Hall is a 2024 FAVORITE series - even with the English dubbing the Enemies-to-lovers series is sooo good! I was excited to see the books were being translated into English and even more excited when I received an early eARC for it!!

I LOVE getting all the behind the scene thoughts from Ruby and James that we don’t get in the series. It makes you love them both even more!! I’m picking my jaw up off the ground after that ending - as it’s a little different than the series!!! What in the what?!!!

Dying to get my hands on the next book!!

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for my #gifted ARC!

Romance Content: One open-door scene

If you haven’t watched the show Maxton Hall yet, what have you been doing?? The show is fantastic, and so is the book! Author Mona Kasten’s German series has finally been translated into English, and Save Me was a rollercoaster of a novel.

Save Me follows two characters from completely different worlds. Ruby Bell is a scholarship student at the British school of Maxton Hall. When she walks in on a compromising situation between a fellow student (Lydia) and a professor, her life is turned upside down. The one trying to make her life difficult? James Beaufort, Lydia’s brother and a privileged boy from a rich family. As Ruby and James are thrust together for a club project, they start to fall for each other and begin to question everything they thought they knew about the other.

I think the best part of this book was the way James fell HARD for Ruby. He went from not knowing who she was, to loathing her presence, to thinking about her constantly, to being so down bad for her he was willing to risk everything to be with her. Their romance was adorable, and I liked the way they cared for each other. (Although James could be a bit mean…) While a lot of the prose in this book felt very young adult, the romance was well developed; it pulled at your heart strings.

Kasten explored many topics throughout this book: privilege, pride, prejudice, LGBT+ relationships, the impact of social media on the youth, etc. I think this is a good read for young adults who are looking for a dramatic book with twists and turns and larger social themes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I am excited for the next one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved the Maxton Hall tv show so I was very happy to get approved for this ARC, so thank you NetGalley. I really enjoyed this. The show clearly stayed very close to the source material because reading this often felt like rewatching the show. I don’t feel like the writing was particularly amazing, and at times I felt like things were phrased oddly, making me think perhaps something was lost in translation. Even still, I love the bones of this story, I love how strong Ruby Bell is, and how broken James Beaufort is, and how together they just somehow make sense. It’s a classic bad boy and good girl, polar opposites, enemies to lovers story. Their chemistry gives me butterflies, but with this first book they had a very rocky start to their relationship, but I’m excited to see what happens in the next two books. The ending was different than the show so that was the only thing that actually surprised me, and it almost had me crying. These characters will definitely be continuing on rocky ground in book 2 and I’m here for it.