Design: 5/5

The cover design of this book soooo echoes the interior pages! The look on the model’s face… he’s supposed to represent Austin and boy does it give us a sinister feeling. But that’s the feeling we get at times in this book. So can we say “spot on”? Seriously! This cover with its black and white photo combined with the two font choices, one script and the other a sans serif, in white and gold – the juxtaposition of them combined with their juxtaposition as a unit across the chest and center of the cover… It speaks volumes in emotion. The books that preceded this book in this series all followed this same style guide and all are just so fitting for this dark high school romance story. To me, the fact that the designer is able to convey the feelings you will have when you read the pages, and convey that on the cover is major designer life goals! #designerlifegoals But the layout of this cover – aside from all of those emotions – is fantastic: the imagery, the font choice, even the color choice works so well. The three dimensionality of the gold… well done!

Review: 4.9/5

Oh Jennifer Sucevic, you sneaky, sneaky wickedly cruel temptress, you. How is it that you can make us – dare I say – “love” a bully – let alone a bully romance? Isn’t that an oxymoron? I mean, who likes a bully to begin with – let alone … really enjoys a good bully romance story? I never thought I would… but here I am. Captivated. Addicted. Hanging onto every word in this book. Begging for more…

I’ll say that since I first encountered Jennifer Sucevic’s books in the “Campus” series I’ve been a big fan. So of course I love a good author binge and was quite happy to start binging Sucevic’s other books. That’s how I found both “The King of Hawthorne Prep” and “The Queen of Hawthorne Prep” not too long ago – which, I will admit, the tone, setting, and content of those books took me a little by surprise. I guess I was in a happy college sports romance bubble after the “Campus” books – not expecting Sucevic to totally flip the script! Who knew she could be so sinister and borderline cruel at times – it was a real shocker! The best kind though.

But I won’t dive too much into the two books preceding this one, except to say that I flipping loved them! It took a minute to get over the “evilness” of the bully aspect and the cruelty of the characters (who knew privileged high schoolers could be so evil?), but once I came to terms with this new tone… who am I kidding, I was captivated from go. And that’s what happened with this book, too, “The Prince of Hawthorne Prep” is no different.

We met Austin and Delilah in book #1, but we mostly got to know Austin and just saw glimpses of Delilah in books 1 and 2. This book is all from Delilah’s perspective, and I have to admit that I was craving Austin’s perspective throughout the book. I had gotten used to the back-and-forth perspectives in all of Sucevic’s previous books, so just getting the one perspective was an interesting change of pace. But man does Sucevic make us like Delilah – she’s so sweet and smart… yet Sucevic – yet again – has us hating the main character’s weaknesses – Delilah’s lack of backbone at times, but she’s still strong so it was such an emotional kunundrum. Likewise she has us hating Austin and his – shall we just call it for what it is? Asshole-ish ways? Because that’s what they are – yet we still swoon over him. It’s messed up, I know – but you just crave it all! And if these contradicting emotions weren’t enough to confuse you – then we find ourselves judging… and that creates a whole situation because who wants to be a judgy biotch? But you’ll totally find yourself judging, while simultaneously sympathizing. It’s a whole thing. You feel for Delilah and her situation with her boyfriend, you find yourself rooting for her and Austin because of the undeniable chemistry… oh swoon. Yet then the tables turn, as they inevitably always do and boy does Sucevic take us on a ride! Yowsa!!! I can’t even talk about it – it would all be a spoiler alert situation and there’s just too much to unpack… AND THEN!!! The end of this book – oh-my-everloving-gawwwd!!!!! The way that Sucevic ends this book and has us barely holding on with the tips of our fingernails – and then the freekin’ book just ends!!! I’m not going to lie – I was yelling… I immediately DM’d Sucevic to complain that the wait for the next book is entirely too long. I think she chuckled… again, cruel temptress. But she wears it well.

All in all, Jennifer Sucevic is a fantastic writer and her stories are always captivating. Her body of work shows an array of types of contemporary romance – yet in each and every one, I have found that the tone and emotions that the books set is so all-enveloping that it covers you like a blanket and you get lost in her world. This Hawthorne Prep world is one of her darker worlds, but it is nonetheless captivating. Just prepare yourself for some major bully situations, and the frustrations that ensue… I found myself so frustrated throughout these books – but nonetheless captivated. I literally could not put any of the books in the Hawthorne series down and I am salivating for the fourth book! Fantastic writing, even better character development and storyline – frustration and contradicting emotions included! Well done, Sucevic – I very impatiently await book 4. I’d be happy to be a fly on the wall when you’re proofing it… I need to know what happens!!!

Excerpt:

Betrayal. Blackmail. Revenge.

How is it that those three words now rule my life?

From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Sucevic comes a dark, sexy high school bully romance.

Welcome to the world of Hawthorne Prep. A seemingly idyllic school where ivy clings to the thick stone walls and a wrought iron gate keeps out the townies who can’t afford to foot the hefty price tag.

Except…I’m one of those townies.

I don’t belong here.

Most of the time, I feel like an outsider with her face smashed against a windowpane while staring inside. It’s a lonely feeling. One I’ve gotten used to. There are times when I secretly wonder if I’ll make it through senior year intact.

But then someone comes along and turns my world upside down and inside out. He makes me feel things I never dreamed possible. There’s a possessiveness to the way he watches me, and it sets my nerves on edge.

Especially when it’s in front of my boyfriend.

The one I desperately want to break up with.

The very same one who will make my life hell if I try to pull the plug.

Steering clear of Austin Hawthorne is my only option. A little attempt at self-preservation. For both our sakes.

One night changes everything between us and has me believing in the possibility of something more.

Just as swiftly as I’m given hope, it all comes crashing down around my head, making me a pawn in a game between two boys who will stop at nothing to take each other down.