Like You Care: A Dark High School Bully Romance
Book 1:
Devilbend Dynasty
Genres:
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Synopsis
From International Bestselling author Kaydence Snow, Like You Care is a deeply emotional love story about friendship, self-esteem, and embracing one's true self.
I am nothing.
Nobody.
I'd rather be invisible than deal with what happens on the days my classmates decide to acknowledge my existence.
But then Turner Hall shows up - all cool confidence and witty banter - and all of a sudden I don't want to be invisible any more. I want to be seen.
I want him to see me.
I'm not who he thinks I am but I'm starting to suspect he's not all he says he is either.
Just my luck that he starts to make friends with my tormentors. How am I supposed to tell him who I really am? How am I supposed to show him my true face? What if the boy I'm falling in love with decides I'm nothing too?
I am nothing.
Nobody.
I'd rather be invisible than deal with what happens on the days my classmates decide to acknowledge my existence.
But then Turner Hall shows up - all cool confidence and witty banter - and all of a sudden I don't want to be invisible any more. I want to be seen.
I want him to see me.
I'm not who he thinks I am but I'm starting to suspect he's not all he says he is either.
Just my luck that he starts to make friends with my tormentors. How am I supposed to tell him who I really am? How am I supposed to show him my true face? What if the boy I'm falling in love with decides I'm nothing too?
Release date: May 7, 2020
Publisher: Sonder Publishing Pty Ltd
Print pages: 252
Reader says this book is...: emotionally riveting (1) entertaining story (1) escapist/easy read (1) realistic characters (1) rich setting(s) (1) satisfying ending (1) sex scenes (1) suspenseful (1) terrific writing (1) unputdownable (1)
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The formation of...
The formation of this relationship was really touching- we have a little Cyrano de Bergerac vibes going on as they connect emotionally long before they lay eyes on each other physically. We see two souls, both weighed down by their own troubles, find peace and connection with a stranger- finally feeling seen and understood, even though they don’t actually SEE each other right away. We knew trouble was brewing once Mena’s real identity came out, and Kaydence left us with that epic cliffhanger- where we witness the painful truth that bystanding hurts just as much as the actual bullying- and makes you just as culpable. These moments were beautifully written- tenderly and delicately conveyed, tugging at my heart and soul for Mena in what she experienced- even the small moments of bullying struck me, which is a sign of Kaydence’s character building- I felt so personally connected to Mena. I remember what it felt like to be so insecure within your own skin, the need to hide in plain sight to protect yourself. The shield of resilience and disconnection you put on everyday.
The first one half was a 5 star read- I immediately one-clicked a pre-order for the entire story and anxiously awaited. The second one half was more a a 3.5 read- the story telling felt a bitrushed, even though we still had the same uncurrent of sweetness in the slow burn romance, and the plot itself almost seemed distracted- taking focus off the romance (though this is still the core) and delving into some somewhat far fetched side plots/side characters, and doing so pretty quickly. We knew Turner had something going on- I was surprised by what it was, and I didn’t feel emotionally connected to it, either (again, perhaps because it felt a bit rushed). To be fair, I did read this in two one halves- with a month between them, so perhaps my feelings might be different with one fluid experience. One win of the second half, however, was the depiction of female friendships- this was refreshing, and so rare in bully books. I needed that optimism, and it created a beautiful juxtaposition that just reinforced the themes of the randomness and futility of bullying.
The resolution was definitely my least favorite part of the book- it seemed a bit over the top and incredibly abrupt- two pretty intense situations (one the focus of this book-the bullying and another the side-plot with Turner’s family) were wrapped with a neat bow SO quickly that it made these very epic moments (two huge climaxes) feel anticlimactic and non-impactful. And, I’m still not sure what the whole BestLyf stuff was about- wasn’t resolved and didn’t feel necessary, perhaps in future books?
The book is a full length novel but on the shorter side (about 200 pages), so I think a few more chapters (or a tighter focus) would have made it a perfect read….plus, I’m all for insta love, but I wanted to swim around in Turner and Mena’s relationship a bit more in the 2nd half (and I feel like we don’t know Turner as well as we know Mena- the book is entirely from her POV), after that Bully Me cliffhanger that left me reeling., I needed a it more repairing and a bit more HEA.
Overall, though, I liked it- and I’ll read the next in the series (Donna’s story). The character connection was there, the bully darkness, and a sweetness I don’t always get in NA romances- even if the back half didn’t wow me like the first.
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