I usually find books with high school characters lacking since I'm older but this had me intrigued from the start. Love Ruby's determination and James's arrogance. She humbled him and he showed her how to enjoy. Love it.

I really enjoyed this book, it was cute at times, but sometimes infuriating, and one of those novels that sucks you in with its complex characters. lookingforward to the next one!

This was so fun to read and felt so self-indulgent in the best way possible!! I was waiting until the books got published in english before watching the show, and omg it didn't disappoint!! I am so hyped to finally watch the show but also continue this series!! There was something so nostalgic in the writing and plot that i loved so much! I have personally not been in the reading mood due to school, but this reminded exactly why I love reading!! I had so much fun and can't wait to read the sequel!! Now i have to study for finals, but i keep thinking about ruby and james !!

Ruby was character i saw so much of myself in and seeing her stronghold personality never falter was such a heartwarming feeling to read! i love her so much and gosh i hope she gets into Oxford!! SHE DESERVES IT!!!

James is such an interesting character and i hope we get to see more of his layers unfold!! but i am so happy that when we did get to see glimpses of him, it was with ruby!! gah my heart melted!! ALSO that ending was cruel, but I am excited to see how it continues </33

also I loved seeing the side characters and their stories slowly unfold as well!! it really does feel like a complete universe at maxton hall, and it has me so intrigued on what's going to happen next!!

I will always love people from opposite backgrounds falling in love but this one just made me feel like a young teen again reading late at night!! love love love and highly recommend picking it up before watching the show's season 2!! i can't wait to read the second book in the series!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!

5 stars: OMG i absolutely loved this book. I watched the show prior to being able to read the book due to the fact it hadn't been published in english. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. Not only was it so much like the show but it had so much more. Please please please love this. I am so obsessed and I need the second one right now.

I saw the tv show and immediately had to read this book becuase I loved Maxton hall so much and the books just made me even more excited for this series and the second season!

4-4.5⭐️ Ruby Bell lives two lives - one at her elite prep school and the other at home - each vastly different from the other. She is determined that the two shall never mix; that is until she uncovers a scandal that will change her life and force her to go toe-to-toe with James Beaufort, the head of the lacrosse team and ringleader of the school’s party boys.

I had no idea this was a newly adapted series, nor an international hit. But when I saw a couple of intriguing reviews, my interest was piqued. I ran and downloaded it on NetGalley and never looked back. I found myself completely enthralled, disappointed any time I needed to put it down.

If To All the Boys and Gossip Girl had a baby, it would be this series. While there was nothing especially new about this story, it still felt fresh and fun and had me completely hooked from the go. Each of the characters felt fully fleshed out, with a good amount of backstory presented. I found myself connecting most with our FMC and her family, thought I was incredibly intrigued with the subplot that is at the center of the story, and would love to see a little more focus on it in the second book (I do love me a good scandal after all).

The writing felt more YA than new adult; however, the themes are definitely on the mature side, and there is a bit of spice, though not overly descriptive or frequent in nature. I noticed there were occasional issues with the verbiage, mainly stylistic, but I think that may be due to the fact that this is translated from the original, which was written in German. Even with that, this book is very easy to become completely absorbed in, which, as it turns out, is just what I needed. I now anxiously await the second book in the series.

Read if you like:
▪️new adult
▪️prep school
▪️rich behaving badly
▪️enemies-to-lovers
▪️forced proximity
▪️opposite sides of the track
▪️ensemble cast
▪️moderate spice

Thank you Berkley Romance for the advanced copy.

It wasn't necessarily bad, but it feels like I've read this a ton of times before and there was ultimately nothing that distinguishes this book from the multitudes

Thank you NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I watched the show a few months ago and LOVED it, so when I saw the arc I knew I needed it. I’m so disappointed though. The amount of detail in the characters and overall world building was majorly lacking. The inner monologues were cringey and I honestly think reading made the story worse.

After watching this show on Amazon, I knew I had to read this and was thrilled there was an English translation. I ate this up just like I did the show. I genuinely think that having watched the show first in this situation helped bring the book to life for me because I was able to keep the images of the characters and setting in my head throughout, which I loved. Usually, I am just making up how I think the characters look in my head, like everyone else lol. Of course, in a private school full of rich kids, there is drama galore, and I was here for it. The tension between Ruby and James was palpable even on the page, and I could feel all of their hatred, curiosity, and lust for each other throughout. I am absolutely requesting the next one immediately, while I eagerly await season 2 of the show. Thank you so much for the e-ARC!

3.25 stars
Coming from someone who had seen the show first this was ok. The author is talented albeit at times the book felt cringy. I hope the next 2 books are better.

The story follows Ruby Bell, a scholarship student at the elite Maxton Hall, whose carefully laid plans for Oxford are thrown into chaos when she stumbles upon a secret involving the powerful Beaufort family. Thrust into the orbit of the charismatic and privileged James Beaufort, Ruby finds herself battling an undeniable attraction while trying to maintain her focus and distance.
Kasten expertly crafts the familiar enemies-to-lovers trope, layering it with the classic contrast of wealth and ambition. Ruby is a relatable protagonist, her quiet determination and academic focus making her a refreshing counterpoint to the extravagant lifestyle of Maxton Hall. James, while initially fitting the typical "rich bad boy" mold, reveals layers of vulnerability and internal conflict as the story progresses, making his character arc genuinely compelling.
The chemistry between Ruby and James is undeniable, fueled by witty banter, forced proximity, and the growing realization that they are more alike than they initially believed. The tension is palpable, and Kasten skillfully teases out their connection, making the inevitable fall all the more satisfying.
Overall, this was a great read, one I would really recommend if you're looking for a story with enough drama, angst, and undeniable chemistry to keep you hooked from beginning to end.

Did I read this because I was obsessed with the show from Amazon Prime? YES I DID!
Was it pretty much the same? YES IT IS!
Did I eat this up?? SURE DID!!

This is your typical normal girl gets admitted into an exclusive private school full of rich kids and falls for the rich boy. The parents hate her and will make their life miserableee. Is it anything new? Nopeee but still soo good! I need the next book like now!!! It ended righr where the show ended and I need to know what happens nextt!!

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley and Random Publishing House for this ARC! ❤️

I'm so thankful to Berkley and Mona Kasten for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. If you love angsty, dramatic, high school / college, rich kid dramas (it's giving a bit of Gossip Girl), you're going to love this. I think this is also going to be great for fans of the show, which again is rich kid, melodrama.

This is a super easy to read story. It's going to be very approachable for literally any reader (18+), and the pacing was good. Lots of drama throughout the first book to keep things moving. The tension between the two main characters was fun and also maddening. The ending I wanted to shake these kids!

However, I feel this is going to be best for 20somethings. I felt very out of place reading this story, which is my fault for requesting. But I think if you're older and haven't watched the show, this one might be a skip. FMC starts the story at 17, and these kids are in high school. One of the relationships is a high school teacher / student, and I struggled with this a lot. There were also no trigger warnings, so I wasn't anticipating this relationship or the physical abuse on page from the MMC's father. I think if you're going to tackle difficult topics, there needs to be a trigger warning. I also felt the characters were a bit surface level and one dimensional and predictable, but there will be 2 more books to flesh this out.

Overall I think if this gets into the right hands, people will love this story. Unfortunately, I am just not the target audience.

Was this book good? lol, no.
Was I up until 3am to finish it? lol, yes.
Will I keep on reading this series? Obviously.

So I just finished Save Me by Mona Kasten, and I’ll be honest—I didn’t really enjoy it, but I can understand why others might.

The story follows Ruby, a scholarship student at an elite private school, and James, the typical rich, emotionally unavailable guy with drama and secrets. It’s got all the ingredients for a steamy, dramatic romance, but I just couldn’t connect with the characters. Ruby felt kind of flat to me, and James gave me emotional whiplash. I get the whole opposites-attract trope, but their chemistry didn’t quite land for me.

The pacing was okay, and the writing style is pretty accessible—nothing too flowery, which I usually like. But the plot felt kind of predictable and, at times, a little shallow. There were moments that hinted at deeper emotional themes, but they never really got explored enough to make me feel invested.

That said, I know a lot of people are into this kind of angsty, elite-school romance, and if that’s your thing, you might like it more than I did. For me, it was just kind of “meh”—not terrible, just not memorable.

Immediately upon finishing my binge of Maxton Hall, I went looking for the English versions of the books. I was so sad there wasn't one but then I was BLESSED with this early copy of the translation! As someone who learned German many years ago, there are some grammatical tip-offs that this version is indeed a translation, but overall it was very well done. James and Ruby are everything and getting this part of their story in words was so enjoyable. It's an unusual experience to come to a book after something like a show or movie but this was worth every moment. The enemies to lovers academy vibes are immaculate with this series. Can't wait for more!

ARC REVIEW: I watched Maxton Hall last year and completely fell in love with James and Ruby. After reading this, I feel like the TV show held true to the main storyline (at least until the end…)

James Beaufort is king and any Dramione lovers will EAT this story up

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ms. Kasten for the opportunity to read an ARC of this translated title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I watched Maxton Hall on Amazon Prime probably three times in the last several weeks, in the original German of course (do yourself a favor and definitely watch in German. I tried both and it's WAY better in German. I always like to hear the actor's actual voices, and even though I can 90% understand the German I generally prefer the original language regardless of what it is.) and was delighted to come across the translation of Save Me on NetGalley. I had been debating reading it in German - and I still might - but it's certainly easier to read in English, ha.

Having seen the show first, I definitely pictured the actors in my head when I was reading, so I was intrigued to find that in the book James is a redhead (strawberry blonde, I suppose, but still.) THANK YOU CASTING CREW for changing that up. Damian Hardung is quintessential James Beaufort in my brain and I much prefer his hair color to the book's description. I think the actors have softened the characters up a little bit on the show; Ruby is a little harsher in the book, with a lot less emphasis placed on her familial relationships (particularly her father). In the book James is also less vulnerable than on the show. With the exchanges with his mom, with his drawing, with his relationship with Lydia, and certainly with Ruby, the show version gives James a lot more emotional depth than I saw in the book. I have to hand it to the show runners for changing certain scenes for the better (especially at the end), and adding details (live quails!) and expanded plot (Alistair's entire character and story arc, and Lydia's too [such as her role in the company], and even the dress bit with Ember) that gave the story a lot more richness and complexity. The chemistry between the actors is also a lot more gripping than between the book characters; they definitely bring a maturity and realism to the relationships. One thing about the book I DID really like: James' POV chapters. While Damian Hardung does a GREAT job at portraying James' emotions, the book does fill in a few of those gaps to know exactly what he was thinking.

Overall I would say, I think I enjoyed the book because I LOVE the show and it was an opportunity to wallow in the characters a little longer. Completely on its own it isn't hugely distinct from any number of YA or NA enemies to lovers-style high school or college romances. It's the show, and the little changes made, that makes the book come alive. However, this is book #1, and seeing as how the show has already diverged slightly from the path I'm curious to see where it will go next. I'm also very curious now to read the original German version of the book to see what perhaps did not survive translation.

Overall I think this book will probably STRONGLY appeal to fans of the show, especially to tide them over until season 2 comes around.

I really enjoyed this! It's the perfect enemies to lovers, rich x poor, boarding school-vibes and the tv-show is so true to the book. I have been waiting for the English translation for these books for years and I have not been disappointed. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

4.25 ⭐️

save me by mona kasten completely took me by surprise in the best possible way. i went in curious—half because i enjoyed the maxton hall series on amazon and half because i wasn’t sure what to expect from the english translation of a german bestseller. but wow, did this book deliver. it’s got everything i crave in a romance: elite boarding school vibes, a sizzling enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and just enough drama to keep you flipping pages way past bedtime.

we follow ruby bell, a hardworking scholarship student who’s laser-focused on getting into oxford. she’s all about discipline, routine, and flying under the radar… until she stumbles on a scandal that involves lydia beaufort, sister of the school’s golden boy (and certified heartthrob) james beaufort. from that moment on, ruby’s life becomes tangled in the very world she’s been trying to avoid.

james is the classic rich, broody bad boy—lacrosse captain, heir to a fashion empire, emotionally guarded, but oh-so intriguing. watching his icy demeanor slowly melt as ruby chips away at his walls? absolute perfection. and the tension between them?? kasten knows how to write a slow burn with just the right amount of banter, angst, and longing. i found myself equally frustrated and swooning through so many of their scenes.

one thing i really appreciated was the dual pov—it gave the story more emotional weight, especially seeing james’s inner struggles. his development felt genuine, and his vulnerability added so much depth beyond the privileged playboy persona. ruby, on the other hand, was easy to root for. she’s driven, loyal, and a total girls’ girl—her dynamic with lydia was one of the unexpected highlights for me.

the writing itself is smooth and accessible—kudos to the translator for making this story feel so natural and heartfelt in english. while the prose is more straightforward than lyrical, it suits the tone and pace of the book. my only small gripe is some of the miscommunication and drama felt a bit forced at times. still, i couldn’t stop reading.

oh, and the cliffhanger?? yeah… i was not okay. 😭 thank god save you is coming soon because i need answers immediately.

if you’re into books like gossip girl, cruel intentions, or just love a good “rich boy falls for the strong, smart girl who challenges everything he knows” trope—save me is 100% worth the hype. whether you’re new to the world of maxton hall or a fan of the show looking for more depth, this book is a total binge-read.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review!