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    REVIEW: The Bitter Rivals Fiasco by Hayden Hall

    Frat Brats of Santa Barbara: The Bitter Rivals Fiasco – Hayden Hall

    I fell in love with the enemy. Twice.

    Hudson

    For my twenty-first, I threw a masquerade party and met the most exciting guy on the planet, dressed as a fallen angel. Then, I never saw him again.

    And just when I think my life is perfect, in walks my nemesis, Tate Anderson.

    The guyโ€™s got no finesse. He looks down on everyone, especially me. So, when the mischievous wannabe matchmaker of a professor forces me into a project with none other than Tate, I seriously consider dropping out.

    Except, the more time I spend with him, and the more we growl and bark at each other, the tighter my chest feels around him.

    To put him out of my mind and escape the feelings Iโ€™d kept at bay for so long, I keep throwing the biggest parties in the city. Like some modern version of Jay Gatsby, I hope to run into my mysterious fallen angel, but heโ€™s ever so elusive.

    Until he shows up again.

    And I take his mask offโ€ฆ

    Tate

    My life sucks but donโ€™t make a mistake thinking I would let anyone know.

    Especially not Hudson Blackwood. That guyโ€™s gloating enough already. Ughโ€ฆ He laughs too much, pretends heโ€™s so cool, nothing really bothers him.

    Well, except the fact heโ€™s stuck with me on a semester-long project. But Iโ€™m stuck with him just as much. Heโ€™s also hot as hell and knows it, which makes him infinitely more annoying.

    And if thatโ€™s not enough, my stepmother is spending the last of my late dadโ€™s fortune on her two sons and I have to study every waking moment to keep my scholarship.

    The only escape Iโ€™ve had since coming to Santa Barbara were the masquerade parties a tall, handsome guy dressed as The Phantom keeps throwing.

    Before I know it, I am hurtling into love and I hate it. I know my stepmother will uproot me again before the year is done. Besides, I donโ€™t even know who this smoking hot Phantom is. This can only end one way, and itโ€™s not good.

    Itโ€™s just better for everyone if the masks stay on.

    The Bitter Rivals Fiasco is an enemies-to-lovers story featuring one certified player, his moody, lifelong rival, and a Cinderella-meets-Great-Gatsby storyline. This is the fourth book in the Frat Brats of Santa Barbara series. While it can be read on its own, itโ€™s just more fun to read them in order, since the series follows a group of friends as they grow and mature at a prestigious, boys-only business school, Highgate Academy.


    The Bitter Rivals Fiasco is a blind read that turned out to be a win! Not perfect, but fantastic enough to hook me on the Frat Brats of Santa Barbara series. The book is the 4th installment of the contemporary romance series by Hayden Hall, set in a prestigious all-boys business school.

    The plot is a Cinderella + Romeo and Juliet retelling with a side of Phantom of the Opera. Bitter rivals Tate Anderson and Hudson Blackwood hate each other since high school after Tate’s father edged Hudson’s parents out of a deal. They met again at Highgate Academy and promptly resumed one-upping each other in class so intensely that the professor assigned them to work together on a project.

    Tate’s father was a workaholic who always told Tate to choose his battles. The man later married a cold-hearted woman who pretended to care for him, then grabbed the power of attorney out from under Tate’s nose when his father was on death’s door.

    Now, the solitary broody Tate has to earn the money that was rightfully his, doing all the chores in the house and whatever else his stepmother orders in exchange for a meager allowance. He’s in Highgate on a scholarship he is busting his balls to keep, on top of his other tasks.

    In contrast, Hudson comes from a loving home, is surrounded by friends, and is so rich he throws parties at the most exclusive clubs whenever he wants. On his 21st birthday, he threw a masquerade party where everyone was encouraged to be as unrecognizable as possible.

    Cue the Phantom, the Fallen Angel and one unforgettable night.

    Tate, as Cinderella, abides by his stepmother’s rules, as per necessity, but by no means a doormat. He snarks, negotiates, or even loses his temper at the last straws. But then, has to pay the price later on. His stepmother became especially vile towards him when he came out. She forces him to live in the attic and locks him out of the house when he’s out past curfew.

    Hudson used to crush on Tate in high school until he learned what happened with their fathers. He held on to his grudge until he learned the true state of affairs. Then, as the prince, sweeps his fallen angel off his feet, and with the help of their fairy godmother, a.k.a. Hudson’s badass mom gives a satisfactory comeuppance for the villain.

    This is an enemies-to-lovers story, and this part is done to sizzling perfection. The succeeding masked encounters in more parties, still anonymous to each other, and their public interactions as bickering rivals created a fabulous, squee-tastic buildup to the big reveal.

    The antagonism mixed so deliciously with the magnetic pull towards each other. The air of mystery, the tingle of anticipation, the zing of sexual tension, FEELS you can cut with a knife!

    The friendships were also one of my favorite parts. The Frat Brats were loyal friends to Hudson, cheering him on his pursuit of his fallen angel. Though they were wink*wink* to the angel’s true identity, knowing Hudson has no clue and looking forward to him blowing his mind when he finds out.

    Alex is a fellow student and another fairy godmother, the master designer who created Tate’s beguiling look. He and his boyfriend Franklin befriended the lone wolf. They and the Frat Brats were memorable so I’m looking forward to their books.

    The writing is why I’m not 100% into the story. The prose and the dialogues tend to veer towards melodrama. Not sure if it’s because of the fairy tale themes, but sometimes the phrasing is too fancy, like something out of a Victorian romance novel. One reviewer used the term “purple prose.” The effect is enhanced by how narrator Jon Waters sometimes sounds like he’s about to break into a British accent.

    Still, The Bitter Rivals Fiasco is a retelling done right, with well executed tropes, familiar yet still exciting. All in all, sweet, spicy and utterly captivating!

    Rating:
    4 Stars โ€“ minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Masquerade Butterfly
    Artist: Miura Ayme
    Album: Masquerade Butterfly


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    REVIEW: Igni Ferroque by Ashlyn Drewek

    Tennebrose: Igni Ferroque – Ashlyn Drewek

    Despite being branded as an outcast amongst outcasts, Phelan Oliver devotes his life to helping his fellow Necromancers. But even with his vast knowledge, nothing prepares him for the day he comes face to face with a demon he didnโ€™t summonโ€”one who embodies everything he has been taught to hate, whose wickedness sparks sinful feelings Phelan canโ€™t ignore no matter how much he tries.

    Taken captive by a prince of Hell, Phelan strikes a desperate bargain. In exchange for his soulโ€™s freedom, heโ€™ll give his captor what he wants, even if it means betraying his own family.

    But demons arenโ€™t the only ones with secrets and Phelanโ€™s might end up costing them both more than theyโ€™d ever imagined. 

    IGNI FERROQUE is a dark MM paranormal romance about a pious Necromancer and an incorrigible demon and what happens when their paths intersect. Thereโ€™s scorching steam and brutal violence in this enemies-to-lovers tale, wrapped up with plenty of intrigue and betrayal. It is intended for a mature audience and reader discretion is advised. A full list of triggers can be found in the front matter of the book and at my website under Tropes & Triggers. 

    This book can be read as a standalone, but it is highly suggested to read the series in order, as the history of Winslow and its witches builds on itself with each book. 


    Igni Ferroque is a book that comes with a long list of trigger warnings: non-con, dub-con, blood play, torture, mental illness, occult practices, mentions of animal and human sacrifices, controversial commentary on religion, particularly Catholicism, and more listed in the book.

    Author Ashlyn Drewek excels at darkly delicious enemies-to-lovers romances and pulled no punches in this sequel to Malum Discordae, Book 1 of Tennebrose. I definitely enjoyed this book more than its predecessor.

    Tennebrose is a secretly magical university in Winslow, where witches trace their family histories to the past 400 years. The university is where their sons and daughters study among unaware non-magical students.

    Phelan Oliver is a necromancer from a renowned family of necromancers currently working as a research librarian at the university. The necromancers of Winslow have been systematically summoning demons listed in the Book of Lazarus, only to kill them once they appear. Phelan is one of those involved in the rituals, though his powers barely exist.

    The fun started when Demon Prince Remiel spotted him and took a liking to the necromancer. After stalking Phelan for a while, only to find out how blah the man’s life is, he whisked the necromancer to his domain in hell and had his wicked way with him.

    On her website, the author admitts that writing the non-con parts was difficult.

    “Given all the other horrible things Remiel does, why should that one thing stop him? So even though I knew some readers would hate me for it, I left my human morality at the door and wrote my demon prince as authentically as I could. Did I say it was ok? No. Does Phelan say it’s ok? No. In fact, he brings it up to Remiel on two different occasions to let him know he hasn’t forgotten. But Phelan (and I) also realized Remiel would never apologize for something he didn’t feel bad about because he doesn’t see right/wrong the same way we do. “

    And yes, Remiel is the best character here. Sardonic and sauve, he was always true to his demon nature. He was both the dastardly villain and the charming prince sweeping our boy off his feet. He resorts to torture and seduction to weaken Phelan’s resolve, he could be so amoral and cold in some situations, then be a source of comfort and subtle but heartfelt affection.

    And always, Phelan’s most fiercest protector.

    Complicated he may be, there are no doubts about his deep, unspoken feelings for the necromancer. The tender feather caresses were my favorite!

    Phelan, on the other hand, behaves as most ultra-religious MCs I’ve read. This is a man who lives like a 14th-century monk, denying himself pleasure, remaining completely celibate throughout his 30 years, and even whipping himself with those nasty whips used by flagellates.

    Initially, he proved quite resistant to Remiel’s methods of seduction because our boy is nothing if not stubborn. He even outwitted the demon prince once. At times, I wasn’t impressed with his actions and reactions, always with the woes, the blame, or begging for punishment from God because he was in complete denial of who he is

    Phelan shines best when he’s going toe to toe with demons. Our boy can be quite ballsy and surprisingly wily, outwitting yet another demon prince to save his demon prince. The necromancer even challenged the king of hell in a gutsy move that completely won me over.

    This is a long book about the ever-evolving and hella nuclear relationship between Remiel and Phelan. The sexual tension burns like the flames of hell, leaving our virgin hero scorched, conflicted, and then later, became Remiel’s most feral savior. The evolution of their romance was well-paced, convincing, and deliciously satisfying!

    Interwoven with the romance are fascinating twisty-turny threads of family secrets, dark pasts, demon wars, town conspiracies, deadly grimoires, and powerful arcane relics bestowed by God himself. Tennebrose lore was already rich and here it brought the series to another level!

    There are minor hiccups, things the editor might have missed. Like how one body part was able to reach a certain body part when they were already in a certain position. Or a couple of reactions that seemed confusing or out of character.

    Also, just a heads up if you are sensitive about religion, the story might appear to have a grim view of Catholicism and religion as a whole. This is usually voiced through Remiel, who continuously challenges Phelan to be honest with himself and embrace his true nature.

    But, however tumultuous and dark the journey is for Phelan, in the end, it’s all in God’s plan. And it was the most bombastic, genius coup de etat + coup de gras + literal deus ex machina climax, I could only shake my head in amazement!

    It turned Phelan’s world upside down and inside out, and just like that, he found his place in the grand scheme of things. I could imagine the Almighty giving Phelan and Remiel a big, cheeky wink across the cosmos.

    Igni Ferroque is a potent brew of occult and romance told with the skill of a born storyteller. Overall, unapologetically dark and incendiary!

    Rating:
    4.5 Stars โ€“ perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: Sanctify
    Artist: Olly Alexander (Years & Years)
    Album: Sanctify

    P.S.

    Tennebrose books can be read as standalones but get to know the discordant town of Winslow in Malum Discordiae.


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    IGNI FERROQUEKindle I Audiobook

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