If You Dare

“I killed my best friend. I didn’t mean to.” That’s exactly how the book begins, and that one sentence was enough to hook me. Violet killed her best friend Chloe, and not only did she lose her, but she also lost Wes—her best friend’s brother. Every shred of tension and connection between the two vanished when Violet received her verdict: not guilty. She returns to college anyway, even though she knows she’s not welcome. And when she runs into Wes again, he no longer looks at her the way he used to, but only with contempt and hatred. I mean, I can understand it. She killed his sister, and he was truly a great brother—we read that over and over again. What I loved is that there are constant flashbacks so we readers can understand the story that happened. And I can say one thing: the tension between the two was already hot before, but even hotter afterward. Wes can’t forgive her, and he couldn’t forgive himself if he ever let Violet get close to him again. But fuck, he still wants her. But she has to suffer. And I’ll tell you, he doesn’t make it easy for her. As captain of the hockey team, everyone listens to him, of course, and so his plan begins: Violet won’t continue her studies here—and if she does, it’ll be a living hell. And I have to say, I was shocked from time to time by how far Wes went—or would have gone. I don’t want to give too much away, of course, but things got pretty crazy between the two of them. And the spice was next-level good. Violet is portrayed as a weak person, but I think it takes a lot of courage to rise above it all and not give up. What both of them forget, though, is that both Violet and Wes are grieving. But Wes is so blinded by his hatred that he doesn’t even see or acknowledge it. But overall, it was a great book. I liked both protagonists from the start. The writing style is fluid, and it never drags—you just want to keep reading. Here we really get the “Haters to Lovers” trope. I only have one small complaint. Please take note of Trey. I can’t believe he’s getting his own book. Trust me, you’ll understand why I feel this way. And you’ll hate him.