Very Bad Things

Briarwood Academy #1

by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She’s an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She’s perfect...

Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex.

Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn’t want her.

When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about... until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference.

As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy... where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, High School, Young Adult, Abuse

389 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2013

About the author

#1 Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills pens angsty new adult and contemporary romances.

A former high school English teacher and librarian, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online. ☺


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New Book News:

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Not My Match drops January 19/21 (pre-order on Amazon)

Reviews

[MischaS_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely predictable and not really surprising. However, it was exactly what I needed at the moment; it just fit my mood — an easy read to relax a bit.
I just wish there were a few more chapters at the end when it finally became more interesting than the rest of the book.

[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER FREE REVIEW -mature content reader discretion is advised.
5 STARS out of 5
Genre: New Adult Romance







It is not often you come across an author whose writing has the ability to captivate your mind and infiltrate your heart with beautiful well developed characters such as Nora Blakely.

She’s a beauty queen.
She’s super intelligent.
She’s super rich.
She is an accomplished pianist.
She's little Ms. Perfect. Or...is she?
When Nora decides her perfect to the outside world yet secretly flawed and pain filled life is too much to bare; she creates a list of Very Bad Things to do to break that perfect image.



Leo Tate does not do commitment and he is very upfront with the women who want in his bed. All Leo wants is to get his gym up and running and to give his brother Sebastian, the best education he can provide. Briarcrest Academy is that place. So imagine his surprise when the spitfire blonde on stage grabs his attention in a way he has yet to comprehend.

As his thoughts for the young girl who is soon to be his brother’s classmate turn carnal he quickly checks himself and reels it in. At 25yrs old he should not be thinking that way towards this young girl; especially when he knows plenty of chicks his age willing to have sex with him no strings attached. Still, here he is drawn to this young girl in an inexplicable way.





‘I didn’t know much about her, but I did know one thing: she was the first girl to ever show up uninvited at my house and get an invitation to spend the night, much less to have breakfast in the morning.’ –Leo

These two are inadvertently thrown together and the attraction they feel for one another becomes so strong that Leo has to purposely go out of his way to steer clear of Nora. And just when he thinks he can resist temptation and he makes it abundantly clear to Nora that nothing can be between them... A whole new emotion overtakes him catching him completely off guard. JEALOUSY.


“Forget dressing slutty for a guy: just lick an ice cream cone in front of him.” –Nora




I have a HUGE girl crush on Nora and I know you will too! Everything you think you know about her is nothing compared to the real thing. She is sweet, sassy and possesses a maturity well beyond her years. She is also in pain and has been suffering in silence for many years. She sees herself as broken and unlovable and that alone will BREAK YOUR HEART.

As you read and get know her you will learn that Nora is also very courageous. Not too many young girls can survive what she has and still keep their heads held high. Not too many girls would be able to stand up for what is right when no one else will do it for them. NOPE. Nora Blakely is in a class all on her own.


FIRST OFF you should all know that the heat level and the angst level comes in on an EPIC FIRE WAVE and when hit..you will melt into LAVA leaving behind a scorching fiery mark that was once your presence. Yes, it’s that freaking HOT! And I purposely left no steamy quotes so that you could read them and savor each and every line. *Grins* you know you love me! *wink, wink*

My thoughts
READ THIS BOOK! The writing, the characters and the plot all blend together perfectly making Very Bad Things an automatic FAVORITE and topping my list of MUST READS in 2013.

My Ratings
Characters- Lovable, fun and witty
Writing Style- Excellent
Plot/Storyline- Sexy, intense and highly addictive
Steam Factor- HIGH/VERY STEAMY
Overall- I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!!!

Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on Goodreads!
For more reviews got to http://realitybites-letsgetlost.blogs...

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars...

Okay, I'm going to start off by prevaricating....hehe...so's you guys (and the author) don't hate me. The most vast majority of my friends, and indeed, all of Goodreads, five starred this book. Not only that, but there was a nice mix of my friends who have extremely varying tastes who really loved this book. So I was ever so hopeful, and quite possibly set the bar too high before I ever even started. I'm just jotting down my thoughts now, and take this opinion for what it's worth - ONE lone opinion amid hundreds.

The most promising part of the book was the premise...a nineteen year old senior in high school who lives in the richie-rich City in the middle of Dallas...Highland Park, Texas, has been the epitome of perfection her entire life. And I'm not saying that lightly. This chick has been a robot. Dressed, talked, walked, eaten, and basically lived exactly as her dearest (bitch) mother told her to. It's BAD. She's not really even sure who she is, exactly. Not to mention, one VERY BAD THING that happened in her past...and let me tell you folks, it's a doozie.

Now, I'm a Fort Worth, Texas resident...we're the redneck cousin of Dallas...everyone around here knows it. We're cowboys and steak, while Dallas is upper class business and sushi. But we all know how those upper class rich people are, and Nora's parents are the worst.

Okay, so what didn't work for me:

#1 - Hero slutting it up
Leo is banging someone else throughout the ENTIRETY of this book. Literally up until the very end. Um...NO. Huge no-no for me. I don't care that he says she "understands his stance" and doesn't expect anything more from him than sex. It's apparent that she does, and even if that weren't the case, the fact remains...this hero fucks another girl for this whole book.

#2 - Lack of self respect
Nora, in my mind, has no pride when it comes to Leo. She chases him, offers herself up to him over and over again, strips naked for him, and no matter how many times he rejects her, she comes back for more, insisting that he loves her, that they are meant to be. I can't stand when a woman begs after a man. Sexist? Yes. My apologies. I want the man to do the begging and the chasing.
"Are you saying we're soul mates? That you're in love with me?"
Yes, Leo...she says it over and over again.

#3 - Insta Love
Insta love that is never backed up with REAL love. Both Nora and Leo have a bad case of insta love. Thing is, I totally like insta love...I think it's romantic. I knew within days that my husband was the love of my life....so yeah, I truly believe in love at first sight. But only when the ensuing story solidifies that attraction with real meaning, real purpose, real feelings. Nora's CONSTANT waxing on about soul mates made me want to laugh...it was just cheesy, because I didn't understand why she and Leo were so googly eyed over each other. Nearly every scene that they are in together is nothing but heated looks, longing eyes, sexual innuendo, or actual sexual acts. But not much talking about anything of importance. I never actually got to the point that I liked either of them...I didn't know them well enough...the entire plot consists of Nora's terrible childhood and her new obsession with Leo. That's it.

#4 - The DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA
Nora's initial breakdown was pretty over the top. Who suddenly decides to just go crazy...tattoos, piercings, becoming a drunk, vandalizing cars, destroying expensive household things, doing drugs, etc....not to mention that she plans it all out. It was just so...high school, and I never got the feeling that Nora dealt with her issues. It was all about this obsession with Leo, nothing focused on how she really needed to heal and deal with her truly messed up life.

I lost count of how many times Leo and Nora lip locked, got hot and heavy, then pushed away from each other, had words, and stormed away...either in anger or tears. Soooo many times. It was a wash, rinse, repeat in a different setting. Also, When Nora's brother is in the alley with her, instead of running away, Nora DRAMATICALLY sinks down to her knees, giving him plenty of time to pull the rope out of his pocket and walk over to her, verbally threatening her the entire time.

The GOOD part -
Drew!!!!!!!!!!! I loved Drew!!! And I really loved Sebastian!! I'd love to see them get their own HEAs...these two boys were the levity in this book. They added some much needed lightheartedness and gave Nora true friendship when she needed it most. I wish that her aunt had been more of a part of the story, because I really think she needed some stability in the form of an adult. I think possibly this is what kept me from connecting with Nora more. To me, she was just a lost little girl making bad decisions.

But read it for yourself and see what you think!!!!

[Ilsa Madden-Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazon Top 10 Bestseller

"One of the top five New Adult romances of 2013." --A is for Alpha, B is for Book Blog

What happens when the perfect girl makes a very bad list?

Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She's an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She's perfect.
Or is she?

Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex. Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn't want her.

When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about...until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference. As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.

Welcome to Briarwood Academy...where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.

**Recommended for mature audiences 18+ due to strong language and sexual content.

**Also part of the Series:

Very Wicked Beginnings (1.5)

Very Wicked Things (2)

Very Twisted Things (March 1, 2015)


Early Reviews:

"From the writing style to the exquisite formatting, from the captivating storyline to the colourful characters, this book was truly the full package for me."
Natasha is a Book Junkie

"Ilsa Madden Mills. Watch this name, people...you will be hearing it a lot...Very Bad Thingssucked me in from the start, and despite my not wanting to read as much NA lately, I fell for this book. It had quality about it that just made it stand out as a little more unique...there was just something special."
Ana from Ana's Attic

"Very Bad Things is beautiful and heartbreaking...an epic love story."
The Lovely Books

"It's the kind of story you think about for weeks...wishing you could read it all over again for the first time."
Two Crazy Girls with a Passion for Books

"Very Bad Things in on my list of top ten reads this year."
Morning After a Good Book

"Ilsa Madden-Mills has an exquisite writing style that makes you feel their pain and anguish, their happiness, and their heartaches and fears."
A Lust for Reading

"A brilliant debut novel."
Nose Stuck in a Book

"If I had to pick one book to recommend to everyone I know, this would be the one."
My Fictional Boyfriend

"...it is maddening, passionate, heart-breaking, all-encompassing, and about a million other adjectives."
Sarah Griffin of Books to Breathe and Angie's Dreamy Reads



Because of adult content, this book is for 18 and up.

[Akanksha❤ Søren♰ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to laugh at this book.

All I saw in this book was that the chick NORA is a wannabe.. She wants to become a self proclaimed party animal.. [New Miley Cyrus]



She wants to have A LOT of sex, do drugs, and always be drunk.

THIS book has no emotions, No story-story as such. I see NO base plot.

HERE THEY SIT, discussing her RAPE and GANG-RAPE as if its the most NORMAL THING ON EARTH... LIKE "Oh, did you know.. My brother kept raping me.. then got his friends to do the same? How cool is that right Father. He took pictures... Oh and mother knew and did nothing. Now give me a hug and get going"
AND after all that fucking nonsense.. the father did nothing.. sat into his Merc and drove off.. just feeling angry for her. THATS FUCKING IT.
Thats how fucking unemotional/emotionless this book is.

Girl finds guy hot, Guy finds girl hot. They have a 6year age difference so he's hesitant. She become like some bold whore when around him.. otherwise is a spineless BEE.
She talks her heart out to him BUT

He's a wacko who has his own commitment issues because of the whole 'PEOPLE ALWAYS LEAVE' drama.

"I don’t like commitments. I can’t love someone and then lose them.” - Leo




Its stupid. Because he was fucking dumb.. she loves him.. he loves her but he has to act like a freak about it.

The first two chapters felt like a COPY of Waiting for You (Waiting for You #1) by Shey Stahl

She has mommy, daddy, bro issues.. SO? Fucking go into details about it man!! Its like all skimming thought types. She's a spineless pussy who in her head thinks she's too great..

Even when shit happen in the book I felt nothing. I was like.. MEH.. wtv.. fuck it.. move on!
The rape, the funeral, the going to happen rape again, the sex [at fucking last], the bitchiness, the useless father, the whore mother.
I felt NADA


This book did have some amazing quotes and one lines thought

He was my Prince Charming, but I wasn’t his Cinderella.

“As soon as forever is gone, I’ll be over you.”

'I stared into the night sky, I saw no star in sight; I had no wishes to be wished. No hope.'

'Happiness is simply collecting and remembering all the good moments in your life, kinda like beads on a necklace.'

But overall, I didn't enjoy this book. I felt nothing for it.. it has no emotional aspects to it so that I could connect.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great in Audio!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Romance: 💋💋💋💋
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📙📕📗📙
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 👨🏻👱🏻‍♀️🧔🏻👩🏻

Favorite Quote: Nora to mean girl “Sometimes I wish I had a lower IQ so I could enjoy your company.”

The heroine: Nora Blakely - she has a genius IQ and is spinning out of control because of her terrible home life. She is tired of faking so much in her life and doing all she can to be the perfect everything for her mother (perfect daughter, perfect student, perfect manners, etc…). When she blanks out in front of a crowd at school and curses the school and everyone in the audience.

The Hero(es): Leo Tate - He lost his parents seven years ago when they were murdered by a carjacker. He became the guardian of his younger brother Sebastian and recently they moved to the area to open a new Gym. Sebastian is starting school at Briarwood Academy for his senior year.

The Story: After seeing Nora’s melt down on stage and the way her mother treated her afterwards, Leo can’t help his interest in her despite her being in high school with his brother. Though after getting to know her, she tells him how she was sick prior to entering kindergarten and is nearly 19 years old.



However, despite the fact that her age is no longer an issue, Leo still won’t start anything with Nora because he likes girls that know what to expect from him. Which is definitely not love and forever. After losing his parents, Leo doesn’t want anything to do with Love, since it is just a precursor to pain when the object of your affection leaves or is taken from you.

The narrators were perfect for the characters and I really enjoyed the story. There was a lot of pining, but I like the pining stage, especially when it isn’t just one sided. There were several super steamy scenes and I like that the Hero’s in the next few books were set up in this book but not the heroine’s. I tend to like a new couple in each book not two known main characters, so that their story starts in a prior book.

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[Catarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Bad Girl Stars!!

Unfortunately, after all the good things I read about this, it was just “meh” for me.



On the outside Nora is the perfect girl. Pressured by her mother she is popular, belongs to every club in her prestigious academy and has perfect grades, perfect style, and perfect behavior.
But after something that happened to her on the past, she feels ugly inside and she is done with being the perfect girl. Now, she’s going to be herself. Except she doesn't know who the real her is and so she creates a rebellious Nora that doesn't put up with anything.



Then she meets Leo. The older brother of a friend of hers and 6 years older, she immediately becomes attracted for him. And him for her.
But after losing so much in life, Leo doesn’t allow himself to fall in love. He just wants a girl that wants no compromise.
But Nora is persistent and wants him and she’s decided to let him know that they’re made for each other, even if he doesn’t believe that.



Well, thank God for the supportive characters, who were awesome, because the heroes were a great disappointment. They both started promising but soon lose their charm. Nora started to get clingy and insistent. I’m sorry, but you DON’T go after a guy that already told you no more than once. And Leo start it out really sexy and soon became a coward asshole. And you really don’t f*ck a girl during a whole book while having feelings for another one!!
And all that talk about “soul mates” and “meant to be together” soon stopped being sweet and just became cheesy.
But, oh well, it was an enjoyable reading so if you are into this type of books, give it a try ;)

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars!



^because Leo’s “stupid on a stick.”

Anyways, this book was truly a disappointment. What started out as a promising 4 or 5 star read gradually dwindled down to the point where I loathed the main characters (especially the hero) and just wanted the book to be OVER with.

I’m going to start off positive and say that the first 25% was awesome – love Nora’s defiance, was intrigued by Leo’s feigned indifference, and adored the secondary characters, especially Leo’s younger brother Sebastian. The writing was at-times brilliant and I never felt bored. However, not even all those great book qualities can mask the inherently weak storyline and flaws that made it nearly impossible for me to finish, let alone enjoy.

1. This book boasts one of the WORST heroes I’ve ever read. Actually labeling him as hero is too nice since he doesn’t act like one until the very end. Look, I get all the insecurity and blah after he loses his parents and doesn’t want to lose another person he loves but sheesh how many times does Nora need to admit her feelings for him and get squashed?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Oh and let’s not forget how he sluts it up with his bimbo booty call Tiffani for the entire book. Not cool dude.

2. I liked Nora significantly more than Leo, but she still got on my nerves too. This chick is way too clingy and needy – constantly voicing her love for Leo and he rejects her EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Stop beating a dead horse!!!!!!!!

3. The secondary characters stole the show. Look when a book is about the main characters Leo and Nora I shouldn’t want to shove the two off a cliff and read about the secondary characters instead but that’s what I felt like doing. Characters like Sebastian, Drew, Cuba, and Mila stole my heart and I found that the more I read, the more I was reading for those characters instead of Leo and Nora. How sad….

4. The drama llama came to town and didn’t leave. I thought Nora’s list of “Very Bad Things” was stupid and over the top. Not to mention that almost everything that could’ve happened in a typical NA story DID happen. Especially the issue of her half-brother Finn raping her. That could’ve added a very dynamic angle to Nora’s character but instead the author dangled the ambiguity of the whole issue for most of the book and then revealed and tidied it all up in such a messy way. To be honest I didn’t see how her rape molded any part of her character so that whole thing with Finn felt completely unnecessary.

I feel generous giving the book 2 stars but one’s for effort and another is for the entertainment and truly kickass secondary characters. I don’t give a flying cow about Nora and Leo but I will be checking out Cuba’s book and any other book the author decides to write about one of the secondary characters.

Copy provided by Bolero Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Geri Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This was me before I started the book.



After a couple of chapters, I was feeling like this...



And then...



Yeah. This book had a lot of promise but sadly, it didn't deliver. The plot had a lot of promise. A troubled young girl meets a hot, albeit older guy (he's 25 and she's 18 and still in high school), they have that connection and undeniable attraction. It's kismet, right?



Don't get me wrong, there are things that I really liked. But somehow the things I didn't like just overwhelmed the things that I did like. Well, that becomes a given when one of the reasons why you didn't like the book was because of the main characters themselves.

Let's start with Leo.



There is no easy way to say it. Leo was a big p*ssy throughout the whole book. Dude, I get it. You lost your parents, you had to grow up fast and take care of your brother and all that but seriously?



All that self-loathing and guilt was just too much. He was the weakest hero I have ever seen. His whole "I-don't-want-to-love-because-I-don't-want-to-get-hurt" thing got old really fast. It took the whole book before he finally got his ass out of his head and by the time it happened, I just didn't care anymore.



At least Nora got her shit together halfway through. Although, again, the self-loathing and the guilt was too heavy for me. I do understand why because of all the horrible things she went through. But I have to admit, at the very beginning, I failed to understand the logic behind her actions and decisions. She doesn't know who she is anymore, so she decided to become a "bad girl." Huh?



But as I've said, she did grow on me and I ended up respecting her character. She was stronger than Leo, in my opinion. Not that I like her chasing after him after being rejected multiple times but at least she was honest about her feelings. I got to give her that.

I just felt that there were so many things that took too long to be resolved and when they did get resolved, it felt rushed. Case in point, Nora's abuse at hand of her brother. It was hinted throughout the book but when it was revealed, it was anticlimactic. Even the confrontation between Finn and Nora felt rushed. And then suddenly her brother died in a car accident. Pretty convenient, in my opinion. Even Nora's relationship with her mother was swept under the rug. After their confrontation, we get nothing.



Loved the cover though and the secondary characters were pretty awesome. But overall, it didn't work for me. But hey, even though this was a disappointment for me, who knows, you might like it better than I did. So definitely give this book a chance.

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmmmmm... 3.5 stars (don't hate me!!)

I read this one because of all the glowing recommendations I'd received for it. So many readers are absolutely loving this book at the moment and I can certainly see why. It has a lot of the "check marks" for me too -- swoony, tattooed hero, a slightly angsty, almost forbidden (ish) tension/attraction between the hero and heroine, and it's a standalone so you can read the whole story in one sitting. But... it didn't fully float my boat because there were just too many things that kept pulling me 'out' of the story and annoying me -- it took the main couple (okay - specifically, the hero) way too long to actually agree to try a relationship, I found the heroine to be too immature for my personal liking in many respects, and I felt the ending was way too rushed. So overall, I did like some of it but it wasn't a 100% fit for me. I'll explain further...

The story follows Nora, an 18 year old high school student who is suffocated by her mother's constant and stifling need for perfection and one day she just reaches her limit. No more good girl, no more playing by the rules. From this point on, she is determined to be as bad as she can be. And it starts at one of her school speeches where she publicly tells everyone to fuck right off (teehee, it was kind of awesome).

This is the first time that Leo sees her and he's drawn to her. He knows (or rather, thinks) he shouldn't be because he's the 25 year old guardian of his brother who attends her school. Besides, he's the love 'em and leave 'em kind and in his own words has "never met a girl I couldn't say goodbye to." Nora is the first girl who makes him want more but their age gap is too much for him to handle and despite wanting her, he refuses to allow himself to give into his feelings.

And so begins the back-and-forth game. She wants him. He wants her. He holds back. She wonders why. And life goes on. He stays with his fuck buddy girlfriend and Nora continues to want him but, since he so blatantly makes it clear that doesn't want her, she fools around (just fooling around though, nothing "all the way") with her admirers at school... until finally, towards the end, he realizes the error of his ways and that they might actually be perfect for each other.

Ok so, except for the fact that he kept on rejecting her over and over and over and over again, I actually really liked Leo. The rest of him (minus that element) was absolutely the kind of guy I'd fall for. He was swoony and protective and certainly made my heart flutter in nearly all the times he was around. But I hated that for the majority of the book, he was sleeping with someone else. Don't get me wrong, he was not cheating since he and Nora weren't technically together while that was happening but it still really bothered me. A lot.

In all honesty, I did consider putting the book down in places but at the same time, there were certainly parts of it that gave me butterflies. It was addictive, I have to give it that, and I was curious enough to see where the Nora/Leo side of the story would go that I wanted to see it through to the end.

I found some elements to the story to be over-the-top and Nora's immaturity had me rolling my eyes on several occasions BUT, something about that first scene where she and Leo connected in the parking lot had really grabbed me and I wanted to know what happened so I kept going.

I will admit though that the part of the book that had my attention were the Leo/Nora parts, and also the Sebastian parts (he's Leo's brother) and there were a lot of in-between scenes that weren't about them (more about Nora and her school friends). Personally I felt that the story would have been stronger if some of those in-between scenes had been cut down in length.

The message was that "having" physical things isn't what brings you happiness, that comes from the inside and from being true to yourself. Friends, lovers, following your dreams... those are the precious things in life and sometimes you have to fight to be able to hold onto those.

I will say though that the ending was very sweet. Finally they both admitted and gave into what we all knew from Chapter 2. Despite the fact that it took them 95% of the book to get there, it still did make me swoon because like I'd said, I couldn't help but be drawn in. But... it was very sudden and basically a complete 180 turn from "we can never be together" to "we will be together til the day we die".

I liked how passionate they were about each other, I just wish they'd realized it earlier because there was actually only 4% of the book where they are officially "together" and 3% of that is a sex scene. So... I just felt it was rushed. I liked the direction it was going in but I wish that there had been more of a focus on them after they got together or at least an epilogue set a few months/years into the future to give us a bit more balance.

Oh, and WARNING: and really, this was my fault 'cuz I guess should have looked more closely at the table of contents before reading but... the book ends at 84% on my kindle because there are seven previews for other books after it!! So just, be warned... 84% is the end.

Overall I hovered between 3 stars in some places and 4 in others and am rounding it off to 3.5 stars. That being said, this is just my personal opinion. A lot of other readers are absolutely loving it so who knows, you might too... 

3.5 stars

****************************

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[.Lili. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm conflicted on how to rate this one. After thinking about it more feels like 2.5 stars and going by how I felt and the Goodreads rating system I will round up to the 3 stars meaning:

3 stars - it means 'it really was ok, not very good, but I don't want to say mostly bad, either'.

This is one of the few times in which the Hero, Leo, was more annoying than the Heroine,Nora. Yes, she had issues and she did some dumb shit - but you know what that's part of growing up and self discovery. I found myself really rooting for Nora.

I wanted her to succeed. I found her strength, vulnerability, and quirkiness endearing. I hated though how she was always after him. I'm all for going after what you want but come on, have some pride too. I hated that at the end she still needed to push him. After everything he put her through, IMO he needed to come to her. That almost rounded the book down to 2 stars.

Leo....

I understood where he was coming from but I found him weak and lacking. There were many positive attributes to his character but his constant back and forth and and the whole thing Tiffani just didn't sit well with me. I often found myself thinking: he's 25? I found Nora's actions more mature than his as the story progressed. I actually wanted her with either Sebastian (loved him!!!) and even Drew. Their relationship became an insta-love story gone bad. His actions cause me not to believe they were soulmates as they referred to themselves. Nope.

This author shows promise and I would read more of work in the future. Also, I do want to add, that what bothered me about Leo may not bother other readers- it's a personal thing. I'd encourage others to give this book a try.

[Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Some would say love at first sight is ridiculous, and perhaps love never happens for those people at all. I kept thinking about what Sebastian had said: that when it was real then you know it. I looked at Leo, sitting there around his friends and family and knew the truth. I loved him. Forever. Was it surprising that as I was searching for myself, I’d also found love? Yeah. Fate, destiny, karma, kismet, God, crazy coincidences, or whatever you wanted to call it, had written in the stars that I would find my soulmate."



Is the perfect really perfect??

That's the big question, so begins Nora's story- at 18yrs old everyone thinks Nora has it all-beauty, intelligence, money, on her way to Princeton...

Ever Struggle with the feeling your life isn't yours??

"I realized that being happy could be a choice , not some elusive state of euphoria that few ever achieve"

That's what Nora struggles with everyday. Doing things to please her superrr biach of her mother, Nora does everything that isn't the real her.



Until one day she says fcuk it and starts being herself.

She becomes reckless and meets Sebastian and Leo.



Little did Nora know that her life would change forever...



"Falling for someone can be a lot like playing roulette. You don’t know what will happen when you place that bet, but you take a deep breath anyway and put all the chips out there. And when the ball spins around and around, you pray it lands on your number. Probability says you’ll likely loose, and in this game of love with Leo, odds were I would lose, too, but I had to try"

Finally Nora finds all the things she's desperately been craving and faces her fears and Demons of her past and tells off that biach of a mother.

Nora finds that she has feelings for Leo who is 6years older than her.

So she cannot have an effect on him right?

"She came out of the restroom. And, damn, she looked spectacular, making me forget my own name as she strolled across that lobby in those red heels and tight as hell skirt. She shot me that sexy smile, and I got an instant hard-on. And yeah, seeing her walk toward me was like hearing the sweetest fucking rock ballad ever, playing loud and clear in my head. You know the ones, songs about love and how you never believed it existed, until you met her; songs about how you’ve been alone for what seems like forever, but she’s gonna make it alright; songs about how you can’t breathe without her. Yeah. It was like that."

Only he doesn't feel the same or does he???



"Nora’s like that storm. It’s like she came out of nowhere and knocked me off course. She makes me wild, like I can’t control myself. She’s this beautiful chaos, and I do want her, but you know I don’t like commitments. I can’t love someone and then lose them"

This is an awesome read that will keep you glued till the end.




"It’s hard to give up something when it’s everything you want"



"You are everything .” He sighed. “I had to lose you before I figured it out.”

Cannot wait for book 2!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...You can't let the shame of your past affect your future."

I found this book to be a pleasant surprise, and so much more than just a romance story. In fact, the main characters; Nora Blakely, and Leo Tate did that pull and push thing that we all hate so much, and for the majority of the book they were not together. My higher rating comes from the fact that I really enjoyed the writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of the secondary characters and the relationships that everyone had with one another. I went into this story knowing that the hero had a huge issue with the age gap between Nora and himself (there is a six year difference; she is 19 and he is 25)and he fought a relationship with her until the bitter end. Another issue that I was prepared for that may turn some off was that he was sleeping with another girl (skanky hoe!!!LOL). Considering I was prepared, and Nora and him weren't technically together..I was able to overlook it...Or at the very least..not beat my Kindle over it!!!

I am actually very glad that I was armed with that information because I then could focus on the "real" heart of the story in my opinion. That was the wonderful relationships that developed between all of the characters. There is such a diverse cast of characters and they are all so likeable. My favorite would have been the autistic guy named; Teddy! He melted me, and the way that Nora interacted with him was so heart warming!

Nora is a very screwed up girl. She has been through so much in her young life, and she is harboring a very dark secret that she has grown up with. She comes from a major wealthy family, and on the outside she is expected to portray perfection..meanwhile; she is absolutely dying on the inside. Her mother is a biatch...Gosh, I felt so sorry for Nora..At one point she states that she only ever wanted to feel loved. Often what happens when there is so much emotional pain inside of a person, they tend to lash out. This is exactly what Nora does. She has a list she has developed, and basically she wants to be BAD..This includes: drugs,alcohol,and meaningless sex. When she is caught one night vandalizing a young man's car; her life will never be the same.

Enter Leo Tate; who is 25 years old and has taken care of his brother Sebastian since they were teens. Their parents were murdered, and Leo is that kind of guy. He is quite the caretaker. The thing with Leo is that he refuses to ever fall in love again. He knows how it feels to lose people that you love and he doesn't ever want to put himself through that kind of pain ever again. His main focus is opening up a gym, and taking care of Sebastian; who is a teenager too. You would think that because these young men have been on their own with no guidance, that they would be messed up..but ironically they are just awesome, caring individuals. I fell in love with the both of them. Even though, I would have liked to bash Leo upside the head more than once for his indifference to Nora, he was hard not to love!Yes, he used the skanky hoe, Tiffani...but she let him..and Leo was very clear that there was nothing major going on between them. On the sidelines, him and Nora had many encounters that will cause your heart to melt. I loved any scene with them together, as they truly were soul mates!

I could talk for days about this story; but I wouldn't want to give it all a way. I'm glad that I gave it a chance despite the few downfalls that I knew I was headed for. I have a ton of respect for this author's writing as I felt she had so much good to say. I highlighted a great amount of phrases as her words were so full of wisdom in my eyes. Exceelent read, and I am looking forward to continuing on with this series!

[Patrycja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden Mills is so freakin’ bad, I want to be naughty girl myslef!

Roller coaster ride full of twist and turns, Very Bad Things is suspenful, full of action, intense and passionate read that can be finished in one sitting, while biting your nails, laughing hard, wiping tears and fighting with lady boner.

Step by step, page by page I slowly fell in love with this complex bittersweet story about finding yourself, finding closure, love and finally happiness.

This story follows Nora, who feels worthless and alone. Living the way her parents tell her, Nora is prim and proper lady, that never does anything bad. For her mother she needs to be ‘perfect’ in every way. But being super rich and super talented pianist as well as having 162 IQ is still not enough. So the good girl goes wild. Why should she try to be perfect when there is no such a thing? Nora prefers to be bad and imperfect. Well, it’s defintely more fun, isn’t it? So she creates list of Very Bad Things to do. Things that will give her mother heart attack.



When she meets Leo, guy six year older than her and possibly dangerous Nora knows she wants him. He’s the man that will help her with one of the things on her list. But Leo knows that he can’t touch Nora. She’s off limits. Especially because of her age and the fact she’s not a girl to have meaningless sex with. Not when he can have other woman. He has to steer clear of Nora.

“Every time I say I’m going to forget about her, five minutes later, I find myself thinking about her all over again.” – Leo Tate

But Nora badassery grabs Leo’s attention and there is no way he will be able to stop himself before he taste her. The temptation is too strong. When Leo fights with strong attraction toward this girl and struggles with feelings he never had before, Nora becomes very bad girl. Very, very bad…

“I’m the only one for you, just me. You’re my bad girl. No one else’s…"

Leo didn’t consider that Nora’s charm could change him.

"Falling for someone can be a lot like playing roulette. You don’t know what will happen when you place that bet, but you take a deep breath anyway and put all the chips out there. And when the ball spins around and around, you pray it lands on your number."

I love Nora. She’s fantastic and unique heroine, which made it so easy to connect with her. Smart, sexy, quirky and extremely naughty Nora stole my heart.

“I thought of that rush you get when you ride a roller coaster, how it climbs higher and higher and then does crazy twists and turns, and you feel like you might just fly right out of your seat."

This quote exactly summarizes how I felt while reading Very Bad Things. I felt glued to the pages. From the first page to the last sentence, I couldn’t put it down, and when I finished reading last word, immadiately I wanted more. It’s simply heartbreaking story that is amazingly hot and steamy. The sexual chemistry is explosive, plot full of angst, nothing feels rushed and there isn’t a thing I would add, because this is a simple perfection! I enjoyed it immensely and Ilsa Madden Mills made her way to my favorite New Adult authors.

More reviews on Smokin' Hot Book Blog and my Facebook Page

[♥ Barb ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bad decisions can make some damn good memories."




"I NEVER met a girl I couldn't say GOODBYE to".... that is until Nora walked into my life.
This is the story about 25 yr old gorgeous business owner, Leo and 19 yr old sweet, broken Nora. Leo doesn't do girlfriends, flowers, relationships EVER, he has been busy raising his younger brother Sebastian since their parents died for the past 8 years. Nora? My heart went out to this girl. Her family life was crazy, seriously her mother was "Mommie Dearest" times a million....it's no wonder Nora doesn't know what love is....until Leo. *sigh*
I need to mention 18 yr old Sebastian....he was amazing as Nora's friend and Leo's brother. I loved him and everyone needs a Sebastian in their lives!!!

I give this book 3.5 ALMOST 4 stars



My Leo




“Why did I want her so fucking much? Why couldn't I push her away like I did everyone else? Why couldn't I breathe when I saw her?”



My Nora




“Is it true that soulmates always end up together? I didn't think so, but I hoped that if there was such a thing as reincarnation, we would meet again in a another life and try again. If it was possible, I'd find him, for another chance at love.”


"Even after all that has happened to me, I've never given up wishing on stars."



My Sebastian




“Loving people hurt; losing them could destroy you.”

“If love is the answer, then I'm changing the question."







“Truth can be awful and even excruciating, but once it's released, it's like a bird that's been caged too long who finally flies to freedom. I felt a little like that. Free”







I just want you close
Where you can stay forever
You can be sure
That it will only get better

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cause
Everything's gonna be alright

People keep talking
They can say what they like
But all I know is
Everything's gonna be alright

And no one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

When the rain is pouring down
And my heart is hurting
You will always be around
This I know for certain

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cause
Everything's gonna be alright

People keep talking
They can say what they like
But all I know is
Everything's gonna be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel

I know some people search the world
To find something like what we have
I know people will try, try to divide something so real
So till the end of time, I'm telling you that in the world

No one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh









Falling for someone can be a lot like playing roulette. You don't know what will happen when you place that bet, but you can take a deep breath anyway and put all the chips out there. And when the ball spins around and around, you pray it lands on your number. Probability says you'll likely lose, and in this game of love with Leo, odds were I would lose, too, but I had to try.”

[Kristina]

It always baffles me when reviews go on & on about soulmates and true love when the bottom line is that this piece of shit fuckwit spends almost 100% of this "love" story fucking OW while constantly rejecting his soulmate who keeps demeaningly throwing herself at him. Since when did "degrading" become the new word for "love story".

Someone tell me how this is a great love story of soulmates and how this dirtbag is a great hero. And don't bother bleating on about this moron's mediocre pathetic insecurities that's just justifying his sordid actions. Man up loser. Why is it always more important for these losers to fuck OW (who HE says means nothing to him) for weeks, months, years then make any kind of effort with the supposed great love of his life. While you push her away why do you feel the need to go stick your dick repeatedly in OW, you know, the one that means "nothing" to you. It's a joke. This is not love, this is not romance and this is definitely not soulmates territory.

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5--Very Good--Stars!!

I had no idea this story took place in Dallas--my hometown! So it was fun to read about some of the places and things I was familiar with.

The story begins with Norah giving a big 'ole Fuck You to the upcoming Senior class of Briarcrest Academy. Norah has always tried to be perfect. Get the perfect grades, wear the perfect clothes, act a perfect way.....all to please her mother.

Norah and Leo meet that day....he's parked in the car next to hers where Norah is waiting for the wrath of her mother after the FU incident. They make eye contact and nothing is ever the same.

Norah's mom is a straight up



I hated her. Norah decides she no longer wants to be perfect anymore. Because perfect does not equal happy and Norah just wants to be happy.

So she does a little



And partying, and flirting. All the while trying to get Leo to see her the same way that she see's him. Norah loves Leo, he's her soulmate, her happily ever after. Leo doesn't do commitment, he's afraid of loving anyone for fear of losing them, Leo's in denial. And some more denial and even more denial.



Listen Leo--there was a time or two you made me just a wee bit



Get your shit together dude!! Wake the eff up! Open those beautiful eyes and see what is right in front of you! We get moments here and there where we see the potential of what could be between Norah and Leo but he fights it and fights it.

Norah questions whether she should continue to persue something that might never be. Will Leo ever see Norah as his happily ever after? As his soul-mate? Or will it be too late???

So this one didn't have a lot of action....and by action I mean sex. Believe it or not. Another GRs friend classified it as High Steam but I would say it's moderate at best. Especially since it takes them the whole flipping book to get together. Mind you the action that was there....was it HOT?



That little masturbation scene in the music room!



Eventually Norah's past catches up with her....the root of a lot of her pain. Will Norah ever be happy and free from the chains of her past??

"It isn't just angels who have wings. All kinds of beautiful creatures have them. And someday you're going to fly away from here and leave all this shit behind. You need your own wings."

Norah and Leo. Leo and Norah.



I really think my only complaint is that I wanted MORE of Norah and Leo. This was a quick, short read...the book actually ends at the 84% mark which was a bit disappointing. I would classify it as having more of a HFN ending. The author does make note of book 2 but I am not sure if it will also be about Norah and Leo or other characters.

Overall, I give this one an....

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Bad Girl Stars



Well there’s angst and then there’s waiting a whole book for the guy to get his head out of his ass. I mean I get his issues with hiding from true love when it hit him right in the face. Their age differences and the loss of his parents, but ugh I was frustrated pretty much till the last chapter. Thus my lower end rating.

Nora Blakely was a great main character! She is a senior in high school with a famous mother (BITCH) who expects her daughter to maintain her perfect imagine. Nora excels academically and is musically gifted and is terrific with a sewing machine.

The story opens much like Shey Stahl’s Waiting for You where our main character gives a “kiss my ass speech” at her school. Leo Tate witnesses this speech and is instantly drawn to “Buttercup”.

Nora battles molestation and threats all the while she makes a list of bad things to do. Once Nora realizes that she is solely responsible for her own happy story, she changes classes, tattoos, piercings, hair color and eventually moves out of her mother’s home.

Leo’s brother Sebastian (great character) enrolls in BA and when Nora embraces her inner bad girl Leo and Nora’s paths cross once again.

The sexual attraction is STRONG between Nora and Leo. Sadly, Leo constantly throws our Nora into the friend zone even though he too feels she is his soul mate.

Have no fear this book ends with a nice hea which will leave a smile on your face as Nora’s list becomes one of good things.

"I'm the only one for you, just me. You're my bad girl. No one else's."

[✝✝ Ⓓaisy ❣ ✝✝ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book so didn't work for me, sadly!

Nora is American princess with rich parents, lives in mansion, smart, beauty queen and yet has a past that she tries to hide from. On top of that, her parents for busy with their lifestyle. And she meets her knight, Leo Tate. Leo Tate, on the other hand, has commitment issues as he lost his parents at a young age and lives for his younger brother, his band and to keep his dad's gym dream alive. Music connected them both.

Their UST is delicious in the beginning, and the it just annoying for me. Ooo dear, that bimbo with faked boots, what's the deal? Another factor that made me wanna slap Leo more!
Blimey, he is so hot but he just way too confusing! All territory one minute and next not!

Plus point of this book, LEO IS HOT AND TATTOOED.

There was nothing special for me!

My Leo and Nora:

[Toski Covey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very.
Bad.
Things.

Doesn't that title reel you in? I mean, what do you consider Very Bad ? Making lists of your deepest darkest desires? Being promiscuous? Chasing the older Very bad boy? Well, what if you are acting as though you are Very Bad when in reality.. you are living a Very Bad "fake" life..

Nora Blakey is living a life of luxury.. She has it all.. Money, perfect looks, perfect grades, perfect home.. Or so it appears to the outside world.

Leo Tate is a bad boy who is raising his brother after a tragedy strikes - living a life he didn't choose but now has to own.

When Nora and Leo meet it's electrifying. The sexual tention is OFF the radar. Although he fights it- Nora wants him and is not going down without a fight. Leo appears Bad... Off limits.. A good time. What she doesn't know? He will be the one who can change her life..

All kinds of spoilers happen throughout this book that had me SCREAMING- WTH JUST HAPPENED.. OH NO SHE DIDN'T.. Tira Misu say what- High FIVE NORA.

Nora is my IDOL. I think I fell in love with her just as much as Leo. SHe says what she feels- uninhibited. And believe me- it's HOT.

69%- I needed a cold shower. OH LEO. LEO LEO LEO. Clarity tastes bad huh? Yea, that part rocked my world. Again- HIGH FIVE NORA. YOU ROCK..

I got the pleasure of meeting Ilsa back in April and the honor of shooting her cover.. I found her Nora and made her ideas come to life.. The cover is beautiful. The story inside- PERFECTION. From cover to cover - it's a shining star ..

Five stars would be an insult to this book.. I can't even give it stars because THAT'S how much I LOVE it.
I can see this as a tv series or a movie. Nora is one of the best heroin's I have ever read. Although this rollercoaster is crazy, full of angst, and you WILL want to punch your kindle a time or two- it was flawless. PERFECT story flow, characters were all fantastic, and I can not wait to read more about Briarcrest Academy and their very naughty students..

Kellan Kyle rating scale- Leo baby you are sitting right up there with my boy.. Yes sir, you are HOT.

WELL DONE ILSA MADDEN MILLS. THAT IS HOW A FIRST NOVEL IS WRITTEN.

"I love you so much Buttercup, it hurts.."

[Jess-i-ca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was this book good? Yes but I almost feel like there was too much going on....It was every possible NA storyline all thrown together....

Where to start...Lets go through our list of characters....

So you have our heroine, Nora, child genius, music prodigy, spelling bee champ, debate club, yearbook staff, etc etc. etc, overachiever b/c of her mom who used to be fat and ugly who decides she has had enough and is going to rebel and dye her hair, wear slutty clothes, get drunk, tattoos, piercings, and have tons of sex.



Then you have her half brother Finn, coke addict, who raped her when she was younger



Then you have her overbearing mother, Mrs. Blakely, who is never at home bc she works for the Dallas news and reminds me of Mommy dearest.



Dad is absent as well. I don't remember it saying what he did.

Leo, Nora's love interest is the older brother to Sebastian, who becomes Nora's new BFF. Leo is wanna be musician who gave up his life dream to become owner of a fitness club he inherited when their parents died. Luckily he and Sebastian are rich so life is grand. He is worried about letting someone in and getting hurt so he continues to screw bimbo psychic caterer girlfriend Tiffani <---with an I and wants to be friends with Nora.



A few more small side characters were:
- Nora's fat single aunt, Portia, who owns bakery next to Leo's gym.
- Nora's straight as an arrow current BFF, Mila.
- Cuba the hot player who Nora thinks about screwing for grins and giggles.
- Drew the guy she gave her V-card to that still wants her.
- Matt the guy who wants to get with her. (Does she have a gold plated vagina??)
- Teddy the autistic musical genius.



Are you still following me?? Ok so throw all this shit together and add a few girl fights and sex scenes and you have your book.




Don't get me wrong this book was entertaining but I was like dang the only thing we are missing is a pregnancy and we will be set....




It is a standalone with a HEA. I'm assuming if there are more books it will be on the other characters.

[Missy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you get near the end of a book and you slow down your reading because as much as you want to find out what happens you don't want it to end?

Or maybe that's just me...either way, that's how this book had me feeling.

I loved everything about this book. I'd been aching to read it since Ilsa announced it's upcoming release at the start of the year, so naturally I had really, really high expectations. I'm happy to say VBT exceeded them all.

I fell in love with Leo and Nora, and even Sebastian and Mila. Loved them all. They were well rounded characters with flaws that made them seem even more real and as the story moved along, I felt as though I knew them (and I REALLY wanted to get to know Leo better if you catch my drift...)

The story I loved too. I could see where it was going, but it didn't bother me one bit. I felt like I was right beside them, egging them on, screaming 'just get together!' But not in a frustrated way. More in a 'I'm about to burst into tears, then laugh about nothing' kind of way.

One of my favourite things about this book was the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter. I loved them :)

Great job Ilsa, and now I'm eagerly awaiting your next release, so hurry up! :)

[Ashleyjo · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Very Bad Things" indeed... Namely this book!


All Aboard The KuKu Train As We Coast Into Incest & Rape

First, I think the author should've included a warning that this book contained trigger subjects of rape and incest... Cheating, too. So, I don't consider those bits of info a spoiler!

Moving on...




Good gravy in Pelahatchie was this bitch nutso; I'm talking certifiable KuKu for CoCo, okay?!?

Rich girl problems with parents that treat her like a doll and demand unobtainable perfection... I get it. I really do.

A childhood and innocence pillaged and destroyed by those that should've been her strongest protectors. It's indeed tragic and gut wrenching.

That being said, the bitch is still a nutso ho bag.

I could've handled nuts, but what I can't handle is a character that has let hate, self loathing, and victimization LEAVE HER with no redeeming qualities.

1. She desperately throws herself at every dick within a 2 ft radius. She practically begs for someone, anyone to fuck her. Then she decides she's in love, but is still thinking about ducking countless other guys. Wtf?

"Tonight's goal was to get drunk and get fucked."

"I wanted him for my meaningless sex."

"Let's go in the bathroom and fuck."

"Sex was on my mind, and Cuba was in my sights."

On and on it goes...

2. Insta love and insta lust x ... I dunno...I lost track at who was in love with whom and when.

3. Childish

4. Emotional doormat that continued to throw herself at a man telling her no, lead other men on before telling them no, cheating on someone offering you themselves, & bitching about no one putting her first. Well, when your first encounter w a guy is always to throw your vagina at them, it's kinda hard to empathize with why you're never "loved" and "put first."

5. Reckless

6. Self-important

"I've been a model student here since the seventh grade. I made this school look good when I won the spelling bee, and my debate team has given this school numerous trophies. I think you owe me here."

Yes, because that spelling bee and debate trophies are the reason the school is a success, and of course the guidance counselor owes you something because you won a mfing spelling bee. Lmao is she 19 or 9?

7. Alcohol, drugs, etc. Did I mention drunk driving?

8. Cheater

9. Hater twat

"Charming. Seriously do people in their twenties even use that word in conversation? I mean I had a large vocabulary and used words no one else did, but charming just seemed pretentious."

^ This from the girl that goes to the bathroom and recites the definition and etymology of various and assorted words to the fucking toilet.... that has inner monologues that include the word "dichotomy" as a guy is massaging her breasts.... & that uses the word "digress" when speaking to a dance chick that's barely passing high school & passes out moments later.

I could go on with just how horrid this chick is, but what's the point.


Speaking Of Pretentious

I get that they are rich. I really don't need designer name bombs - Coach, Burberry, LV, True Religion, etc- at every turn.


Him

"I like you." "Because you're like .... I don't know.... a Lamborghini in a parking lot full of Kias. Special."

What the fuck kinda almost 30 year old says that kinda shit?!?

"I wonder if she'd ever made love in a movie theater?"

Huh?

News flash to the 'I fuck... I don't do relationships', tattooed, pushing 30 guy >>>>> people that screw, fuck, play hide the sausage, etc in movie theaters aren't "making love."

He doesn't want her. He pushes her away in the cruelest of manners, although with the way she throws herself at him, one could hardly blame him. He fucks other women while musing if he indeed loves the mc because she's all he fing thinks about.

Not enough?

We constantly have to hear him asking himself, her, and every other person in ear shot if she's fucking various and assorted other characters. Ehhhsh:/

When she finally tells him that her brother molested her, what does he do? He ignores her for weeks and pretends she doesn't exist. Well, damn if that don't just fucking scream "soul mates" that these two keep rambling on about.

You've Got To Be Shitting Me



Ironically, enough for all this talk of "fucking," you'll have to read 87% of the book before she actually screws anyone lol. The kicker? I think it took up two very un-detailed paragraphs. That's laughable for a book that completely focuses on thinking about sex.

The plot



Wait... Was there an actual plot?!? I dunno I must've blinked and missed that shit.

The writing

Borrrrrrrrrrrrrring. Nonsensical half the time. Repetitive. I get it... She's hot but too young and too much risk to your heart. I get it .... He's hot and you want him to fuck your horrible life's woes away with his magical stick. I get it... You thought Drew was the ahiznet till he broke your heart. I get it... Your parents are fucking vile creatures. I get it... You are tired of pretending to be perfect. <<<< But, good hell, that is all I hear on repeat till it's just all suddenly okay because everyone is too tired of fighting.

DNF



After the only MC sex scene at 87%, I had to ask myself wtf am I still reading this shit?!? Coming to a big fat 'I dunno,' that was it. Bottom line? Well, It's saying something when you force yourself through almost 90% of something and could care less how it all ends.


NOTE: Btw: I read "Dirty English" before this, and while the storyline was almost as atrocious as this one in that it's angst upon angst upon angst until it smoothed over with a balm of sap, I saw some potential in the author's writing and the way she phrases her sentences and wanted to give her another shot. Sadly, that one saving grace from "Dirty English" wasn't even here to save this train wreck of a book. I think I'll just have to wish this author luck and bid farewell.

[Pikolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pues sí, 2 estrellitas se lleva ésta historia, porque no he conseguido simpatizar en ningún momento con Nora, y porque hay cosas muy rebuscadas que se resuelven en medio capítulo y porque tampoco me creo los sentimientos de Leo.
Al principio me parecía que podía ser una historia distinta y con muy buena pinta, pero se ha quedado en un chasco.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars You have to give it points for being so readable. And hot.

Things I liked:

-- strong, vulnerable heroine who is unapologetically secure in her femininity, sexual power, and identity
-- engaging narrative voice
-- humor
-- extremely flammable sexual tension
-- memorable characters
-- story that isn't just about the romance, but is also about college, pressure to perform, future plans, parental relationships, and side friendships as well
-- drugs and alcohol included in a way that didn't feel exploitative or cheap.

In the middle:

-- teetering on melodrama at times. But that's somewhat expected in NA.
-- there is a lot going on in this book, which actually didn't feel like too much, except that one plot line involving Nora's brother escalated throughout the book so much that the resolution felt rushed.

Things that could have been better:

-- pacing felt uneven. The first half is pretty well structured, but then the story felt a little dragged out later on, too much waffling back and forth.

-- in the end, the actual consummation felt a little rushed and not quite as big of a payoff as expected, given all the tension that had been building up.

All in all, a fast and fun read, however, and among the better NA and indie titles out there. Would definitely read the next book.

[Tanya Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE+++++++++FANTASTIC FUCKING STARS!!! Let me start this one by saying I have a huge girl crush on the main character, Nora! I loved her so much! What a beautiful, intelligent young woman that my heart broke for because underneath it all she was hurting and just wanted to be loved. Might I also mention she is rich too, but money can't buy happiness and that cannot be more true when you read a book like Very Bad Things.

Happiness. I believed few people ever achieved it.

Nora is in her last year of high school at Briarcrest Academy and she is what you consider a genius with a high IQ. She is tall and thin, plays the piano, has won several spelling bees and even a few pageants. Her mother made sure she was the epitome of perfection in every way. Sadly her mother failed miserably at what a mother is supposed to do for their child and I hated her for that.

She dressed me up and paraded me around like a doll.

But, Nora has secrets and she has lost herself quite possibly gone mad. She is drinking and partying. She has also made this list of bad things she wants to do and I was intrigued. I wanted to know her secrets.

Who was Nora Blakely?

"I don't know who I am anymore," she said with a sad smile.

Her mother and father are always gone and Nora is left alone. She also has a brother Finn who she did not have the best relationship with and I just new in the beginning he was trouble.

Nora is practically on her own but deep down she is so lonely and it made me so very sad! She had her quirks like we all do and what really tripped me out was her thing for words!

"Yeah I got a thing for words. You know how some people collect sea shells? I collect words. I think about them all the time. They make me feel better when I'm jittery. I can't get through the day without them. Well, I guess I could, but it wouldn't be fun."

She also people watches and quite frankly I was enamored by her.

After a particular episode at school, that is witnessed by all, we are introduced to Leo Tate and his younger brother Sebastian. They are new in town and Sebastian will be going to Briarcrest Academy. Leo, however is older, about 25, and Sebastian's guardian since their parents were killed. Leo is gorgeous but of course, doesn't do relationships.

"I never met a girl I couldn't say goodbye to."

He watches Nora from across the room at open house at the school, he thinks she is spoiled, rich and doesn't have a clue about the real world but boy is he wrong.

Nora Blakely was everything I avoided when it came to girls. Her kind expected love and commitments, two things I'd run away from a long time ago.

I loved Sebastian and Leo.

Nora had pretty much shocked the shit out of every one at open house including Leo and a little while later they had a stare down in the parking lot but it wouldn't be until a very tipsy Nora is in the process of committing a crime when they meet again.

Everything clicked in my head, and I knew him. He was the one, the gorgeous guy from the open house whose gaze had been the glue that held me together in the parking lot.

These two had that connection but Leo thought it be best to be friends and nothing more, after all he was too old for her but could he stay away? Even though Nora had her secrets, she was brave and didn't lie about how she felt. She never ceased to amaze me. The easy banter she had with Sebastian and Leo was funny and heartwarming. Sebastian and Nora became very good friends as well, he even fell in love with her but in a different way. She was able to confide in him and you might of thought it was possible that they could have something. Even Leo thought they had something until Sebastian set him straight.

"We don't have sex, Leo,. You're so stupid, man. And your're right, I do love her. Like a sister."

Then there was Tiffani with an "i" lol. She is Leo's whatever you wanna call it and she drove me crazy! He was with her because Leo claimed she knew there would be nothing more. Over time though, the buildup and angst that Leo and Nora shared was heated and spectacular. The more he tried to convince himself he didn't want her the more he did.

Why did I want her so fucking much? Why couldn't I push her away like I did everyone else? Why couldn't I breathe when I saw her?

Loving people hurt; losing them could destroy you.

There was no denying his feelings but he could and did manage to hurt Nora and push her away. Then a love from her past, Drew, is back in the picture and he wants another chance. Nora is still hurt and in love with Leo but feels like there is no chance.

Why was he my Romeo, but I wasn't his Juliet?

Does Nora finally face her demons and reveal her secrets? Does Leo give in to what he can't deny or will Nora give Drew another chance?

Go buy this awesome book to find out all these answers and I promise it will be so worth it. This can be read as a standalone and there is an HEA. It is an awesome book with fantastic writing, lovable and sexy ass characters. There is not one negative thing I have to say about it. I could read about these characters FOR.EVER!! A couple more of my favorite quotes and there were a ton of them.

"I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream."

We all have a choice in life, to either quit or try again.

[Jac K · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 “young angsty” Stars

He was my Prince Charming, but I wasn’t his Cinderella.

I read this book years ago but never got around to writing a review and noticed the audiobook was on scribd. I had a vague memory of it being angsty, so I decided to give it a shot. I finished basically agreeing 100% with everything my GR buddy Mojo said… (I gobbled certain parts up, but other parts made me roll my eyes hard.) so this will pretty much be a regurgitation of her review. 😊

Nora is a wealthy 18/19-year-old HS senior golden girl with demons eating her alive. Leo is an equally wealthy 25-year-old former bad-boy rocker that’s raising his 18-year-old brother, Sebastian. The books opens with Nora losing her shit during a school open house speech and sharing an epic eye connection with Leo. Shortly after, Nora starts acting out and vandalizes a truck that happens to be Leo’s.

Some readers may find Nora pathetic; she does put her heart/feelings on the line several times and is the pursuer, but I found that kind of brave. She didn’t let him walk all over her and called him out several times…but does pretty much beg for his love a couple of times. Leo for his part isn’t cruel. We get his POV, so we know how he feels about her and what his hold ups are. I found them both likable enough.

The good
✅ Great sexual tension and angst generated from Leo’s flip-flopping behavior
✅ Aggressive OW constantly trying to stir shit up (Tiffan-with-an-i)
✅ Unsinkable h that rolls with the punches

The not-so good
❌ The angst is young-person angst. Their “issues” are understandable but not super relatable.
❌ There wasn’t enough conflict to generate the level and length of drama.
❌ The back-in-forth/not a couple goes on way too long (85%)
❌ The last 30% goes sideways. Loads of filler then a rushed ending that goes into cringy CHEESE territory.

**Spoilers from here on out**

Bottom Line- I was sucked in and enjoyed the first ½, but then things began to drag. I started to lose patience spinning my wheels and trudging through filler. IMO, the biggest issue is that there wasn’t a big enough obstacle to explain/justify the stagnation of their relationship.

The book is built on one conflict… Leo’s unwillingness to date/love Nora. That’s it. We’re given several reasons to justify his reluctance (older, parent’s death, not good enough, etc.), but he’s in the exact same place (still older/orphan, etc.) at the end. I needed more… and the deeper I got into the book, the more it bugged me. We’re in both their heads, we know how they feel about each other, there’s no reason for them not being together… it started to feel juvenile as it stretched on.

Basically, the plot is drama driven not logically developed. For example, Leo doesn’t ever correct Nora when she assumes he’s still hooking up with Tiffani. Her assumption prolongs her heartbreak, but it makes zero sense that he wouldn’t clarify this when he loves her. That’s silly.

The other issue is the pacing. We tread water for large chunks of story, broken up with (school, family, band) filler, but then the last 30% RUSHES to the finish line … and goes Marshmallow Fluff level cringy with OTT love declarations and soulmate connections.

My heart sang, recognizing its mate.
“Is it always like this? Like I just went to heaven?” “Never. That’s what happens when soulmates make love.”
“Be my star, Nora.”

Trigger Warning- Nora is dealing with a hateful mom and was a victim of incest-sexual assault from her ½ brother when she was 14. Nothing is on page, but it’s discussed a few times. He also drugged her/held her down for his friend.

Safety- Leo has a sex buddy, Tiffani. (she also works as his caterer) She’s around a few times, always bitchy, always clinging, always insinuating, but there’s nothing on page romantically except one scene… and it’s just a kiss, but we know they had sex. (@45%) We're told at the end that nothing romantic/sexual happened after that.

“I wanted to forget you so bad that I…I was with Tiffani. I used her to hurt you, and I’m sorry. The night you saw us was the last time I ever touched her. She catered the party tonight, nothing else. She was never what I wanted. Only you.”


SCENE DEETS-

N drops by on the way to a party wearing a sexy dress. (OW is there peddling her appetizers) Leo follows her to bathroom and starts sucking her face until he gets spooked.

“Leo, love me,” I begged, rocking against him, needing the friction. Abruptly, his hand stopped, and he pulled away, taking deep, gasping breaths. His chest heaved up and down as he struggled to gain control. He eased me away from him, pushing me until we were no longer touching. “Wait a minute . . . shit, shit, shit . . . I went too far,” he said in a raspy voice, like he’d just finished a run. He bent over and put his head in his hands. “Fuck!”

Then he does the usual push away.

“I won’t kiss you again,” he said, rubbing his hands across his mouth, wiping it away….

“Nora, I know you’re hiding secrets, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get you back from that. No matter what, you’re a good girl with all these great talents, and someday you’ll have a big future. Just not with me. I’d just drag you down. I’d end up hurting you.” ….

Then, as if he’d come to a hard decision, he tore his eyes from mine, focusing on something over my shoulder. He seemed to gather himself, and I saw his face harden. I saw the remoteness settle in his expression. “There was never any eye- meeting connection. And there will never be a chance for us, Nora,” he said.

N rushes off, and L reflects.

I felt like shit, and I wanted to chase after her and beg her to forgive me for being a prick in the bathroom. But I had to let her go. And I’d lied to her. That kiss had been epic. It had been white- hot and more passionate than any kiss I’d ever had.

I rubbed my forehead, wishing I’d told Tiffani to not come over. Whatever we’d had was done. But I’d wanted her here so I could forget about Nora.

“What’s up with you and that Blakely girl?” Tiffani said, coming to stand beside me, running her red lacquered fingernails across my chest. “Nothing,” I said, feeling empty inside as I watched the car pull out and drive away. Feeling numb as Tiffani touched me. “Nothing at all,” I said, still staring out the window. Nora was gone. Tiffani wrapped her arms around me and pulled me down for a kiss. “Prove it.”

She goes to a party makes out with dude and gets in a fight.

I walked down the hall as Leo came out of his bedroom with his arm wrapped around Tiffani’s shoulders. Her fingers clutched the belt loops on his jeans, like she owned him. As I watched, she smiled up at him, looking pleased. Then Leo kissed her, just like he’d done with me earlier. Her hands roamed all over his back, pressing him close. She moaned a little as the kiss went on and on. It. Broke. Me. I stood there stunned, scanning my eyes over her mussed hair and inside out shirt. I closed my eyes, wishing I could scrub the memory from my brain.

And as the truth of it sunk in, that he had been with her right after kissing me, I felt demolished, like a bus that I’d never seen coming had collided with me. Bam! Our kiss had meant nothing to him.

Leo spoke. “Nora?” I found my voice, barely, and it came out dull and lifeless. “Sorry, I didn’t . . . I didn’t mean to interrupt your after- you’ve- fucked goodbye kiss.” She gasped and turned to look at an ashen- faced Leo, like she expected him to chastise me, but he was frozen, his jaw clenched tight as he stared at my face.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure how I feel about this one. First off I had some seriously high expectations, and I am a bit disappointed. I hate when I do that, it almost seems unfair to the story - because maybe I would have felt different if I had not been expecting so much. The writing was good and there were times when I was really interested in where the story was going... But there was so much going on and it all seemed skimmed over. I needed more depth or something. I just don't know.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Fave of 2013

I've been totally drawn to this story since the day I watched the trailer, and the freaking gorgeous cover also had me gaga for this book. So, once I finally had it at my wee little fingertips, I DEVOURED it. I could not stop reading, I needed to satiate my hunger for all things Nora Blakely....and Leo Tate too!

Nora, Nora, Nora!!! Girl you've gone and rocked my world. I've never hoped for a character to come out on top, as I did Nora. She's the epitome of perfection, beauty, and brains. She has the world at her fingertips and little does she know it, men within arms reach. She may have been fed by the silver spoon, but it wasn't always skittles rainbows and fluffy unicorns. Nope! Life has been anything but wonderful for Nora. Basically she was thrown to the wolves....and by wolves I mean her wonderful family. They are wolves in sheep's clothing. Other than the wolves, I was completely intrigued with Nora's approach on life. She is ready to let go of the good girl persona, and step into the world of carelessness, fun, partying, and God knows what else. She may walk on the wild side, but sometimes life throws you a gazillion curve balls when you least expect it to....enter Leo Tate, Baby!

Dear goodness, Leo had me wrapped around his pinky finger the moment he waltzed into my life. Not only does he have stunningly good looks, he has bad boy written all over him. So yeh he's super sexy!! And he also shines bright like a diamond, in my eyes. He is a bad boy in every which way, but holy hell he is also one of the kindest men on the planet. Oh did I mention he is also a freaking delicious Rocker Man?!?!?!?! Yeh, he is. He literally will boogie woogie his way into your heart. As much as he is kind and beautiful, he is totally off limits to any woman under the age 25....but little does he know, his world is gonna tilt on its axis when Nora Blakely, not so graciously, enters his life.

I need more Sebastian's and Mila's in my life. These two are the very bestest friends ever ever ever!!! I loved them to pieces. They are the type of friends that would bend over backwards to fulfill any request to make Nora happy. They love her completely. They're her rock when she needs them, and they help keep her sane and somewhat smart when decision making. Seriously, Mila and Seb complete me. They helped Nora spread her wings, so she could to learn to fly!

Wanna talk angst? Well ok. I didn't know what to expect in the angst dept., but damn it was off the charts. I kept waiting for it to stop. But it didn't, not once. The angst first begins the second Nora and Leo meet, and then it snowballs from there. Their sexual chemistry is angsty too.....hot damn!!! I could talk for days about the desires and want that was flaming, but it would get boring....so you just need to know it had me at hello! I loved every second of their angst/chemistry factor!

Sooooo...I went into this book thinking things were going to be hunky-dory and all will be right in the world. Well I was in for a surprise. All my first thoughts about this book, flew out the window. They were then replaced with WTH?!?! moments, and swoony ones too! For this being a debut book by Author Ilsa Madden-Mills, she hit the ball out of the park! She wrote a story full of hope, dreams, love, heartache, and chances. If you're looking for a book to eat up, then this is the one for you. I could not put this book down. I am head over heels in love with it. And I am so eager to continue reading this series. Author Ilsa Madden-Mills turns heartache into extreme contentment and happiness. Your heart will be overjoyed with love and all things Leo and Nora! So go use that lovely little one click finger and purchase your copy of Very Bad Things, Right.This.Minute. Once you've done that, hold onto your panties....You're in for one helluva ride peeps!!!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

To the outside world Nora Blakely appears to have a perfect life. She’s smart, pretty, rich and put together... but all that is just what’s on the outside. The perfect appearance is just a way to hide the secrets. But when pressed to put on her fake smile and give the audience what they expect, Nora can’t find the words... so instead she tells them all to fuck off. Nora isn’t going to be perfect. She is tired of being good. For one moment she felt numb and she wants to feel that again and again. Doing bad things gave her that numbness and Nora has a list of bad things to accomplish.

Leo gave up everything when he had to raise his kid brothers. But the loss of his parents forced Leo to realize that loving someone has the chance to hurt you like nothing else. Giving your heart to someone will lead to them destroying you when they leave. So it’s simple. His heart isn’t being given to anyone. Casual relationships with women who know the score... nothing with emotion or risk. But all that is about to change when the girl that looks perfect starts to show just how damaged she is.

I loved the angst of the first 60ish% of this story. The way that Leo fought his attraction to Nora – not just the way his body wanted her – but the way he saw through her behavior. The build up to the moment when all is revealed was done well - although the author did not hide away the twist of the story, she still delivered an impact when it all came out.

Nora’s character was so damn lovable. The author did a fantastic job of ensuring that you felt connected to her and could feel so much empathy for her. Although I expected to be frustrated with her attempts at being destructive, I never got there. I just felt like I wanted to hug the shit out of her.

Added to the dynamic of Nora and Leo was the cast of characters we got to meet. Even those that we only got a small taste of were stars. The set up for this series was infused perfectly. The future stars of the series never felt pushed up me as a reader.

The only thing that really prevented me from giving this five stars came with the last 20% or so of the story. The angst and the feel of the story just seemed to have been dropped. I felt like the last chapters of their story were just too rushed and the both characters shifted so dramatically that I lost some of the parts that I enjoyed of them at the start of the story. However, I still really enjoyed the hell out of this book. It had great chemistry between the characters, a solid story and moments filled with high emotions. I adored Nora and I think I actually leave this book with more feels towards her than Leo... which is rare. I look forward to the rest of this series.