I am DNFing this one. I tried, but could just not get into it. The H was an obsessed jerk. I also didn't care for either audiobook narrator.
They both sound too old, but especially Renee Thorn.

Thank you for the opportunity, but this one was not for me. I am not leaving a rating on any sites as I feel I did not read enough to write an accurate review.

Okay first thing first, is this narrator also Joe Arden? Because my ears hear him and I no longer support him so be aware if you’re feeling the same

The story imo isn’t anything “new” it’s almost taking from two very popular dark romance series and made it into their own book.

Being said I was a bit bored being I felt it has all been said before but the audiobook was pretty good. Would have been better duel style.

Audiobook kindly provided through NetGalley

★ 3 stars ★

📖 what is it about?
Maybell needs money and when her friend brings her along to "the hunt," Maybell thinks it's an innocent game of hide and seek with a chance to win some money. "The Hunt" is a tradition that goes way back and everyone wants an invite. Drew craves the exhilaration that comes with the chase and when his attention lands on Maybell, his obsession begins.

💭 my thoughts
I love dark romances and I really tried to like this one but it didn't really get me excited and I couldn't connect with the characters or the story itself. Drew and his crew (hahah) are a different kind of breed honestly and there were times I had to pause the audio to breathe.

If I had read this book, instead of listening to the audiobook, I think the rating would've landed at a 2 but the audio kept my interest long enough for me to finish the book.


My ratings
Heroine: 2/5 🩷
Hero: 2/5 💙
Story: 2/5 📚
Steam: 4/5 ❤️‍🔥
Pace: 2/5 ⌛️
Audio: 3/5 🎧

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🎧 or 📖: I listened to the audiobook.

🎙️ Narrators: Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone.

📜Favorite quote[s]:
“Even villains need to be loved, Bel.” – Drew

💜Tropes:
⏵ Nerd x Jock
⏵ Rich Boy x Poor Girl
⏵ OTT Obsessed Hero
⏵ College Romance

📚Series or Standalone:
This is part of a series (ends on a cliffhanger).

🤔 Would I recommend:
Yes, if you like dark romance where the hero has some questionable attributes and is overly obsessed with his girl–you might like/love this one!

It's been a while since I delved into darker romances, and 'The Wallflower' by JL Beck plunges straight into the unhinged and depraved out of the gate.

A heads up for readers: although I knew this was the first book in the series, I made the wrong assumption it would be a series of standalones but it leaves you hanging on a major cliffhanger!

Content warnings are essential here, as the book delves into dub-con and r*apey moments, making it unsuitable for some.

The story is packed with intrigue, with mysterious side characters and hidden backstories adding layers of complexity. The constant unveiling of bombshells in the last few chapters keeps you on edge, leading to a cliffhanger ending that leaves you craving more.

The MMCs development is layered. Initially portrayed as a dark, possessive alpha, he gradually reveals a softer, more caring side, especially in his interactions with his mother and the FMC. Despite his brutal nature, moments of tenderness shine through.

The narrators, Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone, deliver an outstanding performance, that kept me engaged and captivated throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and DreamScape Media for providing the Advanced Copy Audiobook.

Tropes:
- dark romance
- hate to like
- bad rich boy x good poor girl
- college football player x tutor

"The Wallflower: A Rollercoaster Ride of Twisted Romance"

Are you ready for a wild ride? Buckle up because J.L. Beck's "The Wallflower" takes you on a journey through the murky waters of enemies-to-lovers romance, where love, hate, and obsession collide in a whirlwind of chaos and passion.

Set in the elite world of Oakmount, this book introduces us to Maybell and Drew, two characters whose lives intertwine in the most unexpected and intense ways. Maybell, a scholarship student with a heart of gold, finds herself drawn into Drew's orbit, a rich bad boy with more issues than Vogue magazine.

From the moment Drew sets his sights on Maybell, you know things are about to get interesting. But what starts as a simple game quickly escalates into a battle of wills, with Maybell caught in the crossfire of Drew's obsession and his tumultuous family dynamics.

With dual perspectives that give you a front-row seat to the madness, "The Wallflower" is a masterclass in angsty, twisty storytelling. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, biting your nails as you navigate the dark and wicked world these characters inhabit.

But don't let the intensity fool you; there's plenty of romance to be found amidst the chaos. Drew may be an asshat of epic proportions, but there's something oddly endearing about his sheer determination to win over Maybell, even if it means resorting to questionable tactics.

And Maybell? Well, she's not your typical damsel in distress. Sure, she may be book smart and introverted, but she's also got a fire burning inside her that refuses to be extinguished, especially when faced with Drew's relentless pursuit.

But beware, dear reader, for "The Wallflower" is not for the faint of heart. With its steamy scenes, dark themes, and jaw-dropping plot twists, this book will leave you questioning your morals and begging for more.

So, if you're in the mood for a gripping, heart-pounding read that will leave you breathless and wanting more, look no further than "The Wallflower." Just be sure to hold on tight because this rollercoaster ride is one you won't soon forget!

Thank you for the arc! I look forward to the next installment.

An amazing bully romance! Andrew is awful but amazing I can’t wait for the next book to come out! The narrators were amazing! I want all the JL Beck books!

DNF at 46%

This one is a bully romance and a dark romance, and within certain conditions, I am okay reading those subgenres. Unfortunately, this one crosses the line from dubious consent into nonconsensual, which is a hard no for me.

I read about 20% past the major nonconsenual scene set during the hunt to see how the MMC would have some sort of redemption arc, but aside from his love for his mother and the depictions of his father's atrocious behavior--which, although abhorrent, does not forgive the sins of his son--I didn't see major behavioral shifts or remorse.

And it was tough seeing how the FMC internalizes her own guilt about what happens to her on the hunt. What he does to her is not her fault.

I do tend to enjoy romances where the MMC falls hard for the FMC and doesn't realize what's happening--like he can't fathom the idea of falling in love. In this one, though, the FMC deserves much better.

I do feel like the narrators--especially the male one--are well cast for this audiobook. The male narrator's tone immediately set me on edge, throwing me into the mindset of the MMC.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advance copy of the audiobook. All review opinions are my own.

The summary did not adequately prepare me for this book—I was expecting something along the lines of The Socialite, The Family Game, The Vacation: a rich people problems thriller involving a murder or game.

This is literotica lol. The Good Reads summary has a good list of all the triggers. It was well written and entertaining but definitely a surprise given what I went into it expecting!

I tried sooooo hard to make it through this one, but by the time the second extremely graphic and puke-inducing rape scene came along, I was so checked out.

As a fan of dark romance novels, this sounded different… unique… what it was? A twisted extremely explicit rape erotica in a college setting. You’ve got broken & flawed characters… a guy who treats a girl like complete crap because his dad treats him like crap and it’s all one vicious cycle, mystery illnesses, wayyyyy too much boring non-eventful overly drawn out storyline in the middle, then a ton of unrealistic twists thrown at you before ending on a cliffhanger. 🫠

🎧 Audiobook review:
The narrators were both clear and concise, but I don’t feel like either of them truly fit the characters. Neither voice honestly portrayed a college aged student.

I’m really struggling on rating this because truthfully I tend to be generous (but honest) on my ratings. Authors depend on these but I really have no idea how there’s so many 5 star ratings for this book. 🥴 I can’t in good conscience give it a higher rating than it deserves.

Summary of book:
Cringey.
Rape.
Boring stuff not worth mentioning.
More depraved rape.
WHOA - mind blowing unbelievable things happen that make zero sense!
Cliffhanger.

There ^^ I just saved you 12 hours of your time. Thank me later.

My gratitude to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

OKAY. Whew.

I went into this pretty blind and was not emotionally prepared for it to be a duet with a cliffhanger... And that is all because of how much I loved this and how attached I was to these characters. I am in ruins LOL This is exactly what I want out of an enemies to lovers bully romance. This is the standard. I can't wait to read everything this author has written. I should have known that as I got closer and closer to the end of the this, that it would end in a cliffy.. I need the next one. NOW.

My only thoughts on this audio is that neither narrator sounded like a college student? The narration was greattt and I actually really enjoyed both narrators a considerable amount. They just sound older than these characters? However I highly recommend nonetheless.

Quick Summary: An extremely dark and disturbingly twisted bully romance

My Review: The Wallflower by J.L. Beck is book #1 in the Oakmount Elite series.

About the Book: A scholarship student finds herself hunted and pursued by the resident golden boy, who just so happens to have a penchant for wicked games.

About the Conflict: When Maybell Jacobs decides to help out a fellow student, she immediately places herself in the direct line of vision of a very rich, very depraved jock (Drew). He wants her with a fierce hunger that borders on the extreme. When she makes the decision to participate in a special annual event hosted by his group, she unknowingly enters into his strategic line of attack. He wants everything from her and still, he longs for more. Will he get to claim her as his own?

About the Characters:

The Jock (Drew) -> A wealthy bad boy with Daddy issues and a heart for his mom; likes control, even though he seems to have none where and when it matters most; he has a plan that he will execute...no matter what

The Wallflower (Maybell) -> A smart and sassy innocent with a need to be dominated; she has a desperate home situation and longs for connection; there is more to her story than can be seen

The Elites (Sebastian, Ares, Lee) -> A band of brothers who are strangely protective of each other, yet difficult to lock down; shadow warriors looking for...

The Mothers: Both women suffer; both are hiding something in plain sight

The Antagonist: Evil incarnate; rotten to the core

The Minions (of the Antagonist): Self serving abusers and manipulators

About the Narration: Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone did a good job communicating the story. Their style was fitting and engaging.

Things That Boggled My Mind (coded to avoid spoilers):

- The Chase

- The Entanglements

- The Bad

- The Threat

- The Mothers

- The Betrayal

- The Cliffhanger

- The Next

- The Rule

My Final Say: This novel! It's hard to put into words exactly what it was. In my opinion, it was spicy erotica involving college students. It was an anti romance romance. It was Beauty and a seemingly psychotic Beast. It was hidden secrets and deceptive manipulations galore. It was a mix of the familiar and the strange. The author did a fantastic job laying a foundation for the series. That ending!

Beneath all of the lewdness and horrible acts, there lies a heartbreaking story. The Beast, the Elites, and the Wallflower all play a crucial role in something much bigger. The die has been cast.

Other: It was incredibly difficult to rate this book. It introduced some really heavy issues. There were major triggers throughout that, quite frankly, both tainted and tantalized (in terms of interest being piqued). Because of the nature of the content, this book gets a four-alarm grade.🚨🚨🚨🚨 Anyone who chooses to read this novel needs to thoroughly review the author's notes. The book IS NOT for every reader. You have been warned.

For those readers who have read and/or enjoyed books with a dark, hard core, enemies to lovers, ero-romance theme, this would be right up your alley. It is imperative that all potential readers understand that this story is not for those who cannot digest twisted stories.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Refer to the aforementioned comments.
Audience: A
Status: M
Level: R
Series: Yes
Audiobook: Yes
Narration: +
Triggers: Violence, multi-tiered abuse, bullying, stalking, lasciviousness, coercion, cancer, hospice considerations

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Dreamscape Media), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to an audio ARC of this work. I look forward to seeing what happens next in this dark romance series.

♡ Audiobook Review ♡
♤ Release April.16 ♤
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-Tropes
Secret Society
College
CNC
Chasing Bait Fantasy
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The wallflower is book 1 in the Oakmount Elite series. The audiobook is narrator by Renee Thorn and Ryan Stone! They did a great job with this book.
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Maybel Jacobs is the Wallflower, quiet, shy, socially awkward, and hell-bent on hiding even from herself, that is, until a chance encounter takes place between us. Instantly, she hates me, and for good reason. I'm a walking-red-flag. Filthy rich jock, short tempered, and violent. I can have anyone and anything I want.. except her.....
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This book does end on a cliffhanger, and that cliffhanger literally took my breath away. I need book 2 like now.
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the ALC for my honest review.

First let me start by saying that the narrators did a good job with the characters, although it took me a while to get used to the female narrator as her voice sounded like a person with a cold. I think this story is perfect for readers that enjoy a dark and steamy story. I have to say that none of the characters in this story are perfect and that makes them even more relatable. The only difference between Maybel and the other characters are that she's loyal and trusting to a fault. However, her desires are just as dark as the other characters in this story. The one thing that I disliked when it came to her was all of the tears she shed. There was just too much crying on her part for something that she eventually wanted in the end. Drew, Lee, Sebastian and Aries are all friends from a wealthy family but with that wealth brings its own darks secrets within their families. Everything may seem perfect from the outside but couldn't be further from the truth and no one knows that better than Drew in this story, since this story focuses more on his character. His father uses his wealth, power, fists and threats to control his son and never lets him forget his place. This story ends with a major cliffhanger regarding Sebastian, Maybel and their families and it definitely left me excited to listen to the next book in this series. This story is full of dark desires, steamy scenes, revenge, regret, betrayal, abuse and more. It's not a story for the faint of heart or anyone looking for a light read.

If you like bully college romance with some questionable sexy times then this book will be right up your alley. I did like this book but didn't love. I think the MMC is afraid to grow up and actually become a man and just lives in his Daddy's shadow. I hate how he treated Maybell even after they had been together for a bit. He was just like his dad tbh. It also ends on a cliffhanger which I am not a big fan of, but I understand the reasoning.

I did get an ARC of the audiobook so I will also say that I think the female narrator and male narrators both did a good job but I did NOT like the male narrator's voice for this particular MMC. I thought he sounded too old for a college age kid. Of course this is just my opinion.

I am not sure if I am invested enough to read the second book in this series, but I will continue to read other work by this author.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and JL Beck for a copy of the ALC in exchange for an honest review.