I have read more in the first three months of 2024 than I did in the ENTIRE year of 2023. My renewed love of reading is all thanks to The Royals of Forsyth University series by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue. I can’t remember how I found the first book, Lords of Pain, but I went into it blind and woo, it was a ride😝 I’ve never been a big fan of contemporary romance and definitely not of darker romance but this series totally changed my mind. There are currently eight books and I’ve read them all. I reviewed them on Goodreads but didn’t review them here because I literally read them in the span of a week and a half… I was obsessed. This series is dark, why choose romance and honestly, I think I loved it so much because it took me back to watching super dramatic Lifetime movies and devouring every book by V.C. Andrews. If you’re into those vibes, I highly recommend this series.
I had to mention The Royals of Forsyth University because it led me to Secrets We Keep. This book is by Angel Lawson alone and is book one in the four book Thistle Cove series. This series is also contemporary and why choose romance but it lacks the dark edge (at least so far) that The Royals of Forsyth University has. I’ll talk about it more below after the synopsis. This review will be spoiler free.
🔥I like to give a heat level rating for all books with romance. If you’re curious about my rating system, you can check it out here.
Synopsis:
Small towns carry dark secrets, it wasn’t until my best friend went missing that I discovered exactly how dark. Three years have passed since a vicious prank tore apart my group of friends. Three years since Finn Holloway, football star and the boy next door, broke my heart by choosing my best friend over me. Three years since Ezra Baxter turned to crime; selling drugs and being chased by the law. Three years since Ozzy Drake became isolated and lost. One night changes everything, brings us together and forces us to face our past and future. When the secrets of Thistle Cove start to unravel, revealing a dark twisted world of the taboo; arranged relationships filled with sugar daddies, sugar babies, sex, power, money, and control. I’m instantly sucked in, wanting to know more. Wanting to know why. What lines am I willing to cross to uncover the truth and will the boys come with me?
My Thoughts:
- Rating- ⭐⭐⭐
- Heat Level- 🔥🔥
Like with The Royals of Forsyth University, Secrets We Keep is very much like a V.C. Andrews’ book and a Lifetime movie had a baby. The most popular girl in town goes missing and her boyfriend, ex best friend and two other friends come together to try and figure out what happened. Along the way, though, feelings start to develop within the foursome. I loveee a good mystery tied in with some romance and drama so this whole story line was *chef’s kiss*
I did decide to give this book three stars, though, because it fell a bit flat. The characters weren’t quite as developed as I would have liked and there wasn’t enough angst. However, this book is fairly short and there is so much potential for development in the later books. I’m also very interested in the mystery plot line so I will be reading the second book, Games We Play, very soon.
Final Thoughts:
I have read many books in this genre now and have reviewed almost all of them on Goodreads. I typically read them pretty fast and it’s easier to just write a short review there. However, I do want to start sharing more of them here. I would love to know which dark romances you recommend! As always, thanks for reading and have a great day!
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