Like You Hurt: A Standalone Enemies to Lovers Romance
Book 2:
Devilbend Dynasty
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Synopsis
International Bestselling author Kaydence Snow delivers a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance, packed with twists and high stakes.
Donna
What kind of idiot gets on my bad side on his first day at my school? Hendrix Hawthorn is arrogant, cocky, infuriatingly attractive and clearly doesn't realise I can make his life hell.
Which is exactly what I intend to do... until he shows up in the one place no one knows I go to – the one place that makes me feel alive. Now my reputation is in his hands, but I'll be damned if I go down without a fight.
Hendrix
What kind of spoiled brat thinks I'll just fall at her feet like the rest of these jerks? Donna Mead is a manipulative mean-girl and I don't want anything to do with her or her friends.
It's bad enough I have to finish senior year at Fulton Academy – exactly the kind of place where I made the single biggest mistake of my life. I just want to keep my head down, get decent grades... until she shows up where she doesn't belong. Now I can't seem to stop myself from trying to prevent Donna from ruining her life like I did.
** Like You Hurt is a full length standalone, enemies to lovers, dark high school romance where she makes his life hell from the moment they meet. An angst filled love story where the hero and heroine will fight their feelings as readers root for them to find their HEA. This is Donna's story!
Donna
What kind of idiot gets on my bad side on his first day at my school? Hendrix Hawthorn is arrogant, cocky, infuriatingly attractive and clearly doesn't realise I can make his life hell.
Which is exactly what I intend to do... until he shows up in the one place no one knows I go to – the one place that makes me feel alive. Now my reputation is in his hands, but I'll be damned if I go down without a fight.
Hendrix
What kind of spoiled brat thinks I'll just fall at her feet like the rest of these jerks? Donna Mead is a manipulative mean-girl and I don't want anything to do with her or her friends.
It's bad enough I have to finish senior year at Fulton Academy – exactly the kind of place where I made the single biggest mistake of my life. I just want to keep my head down, get decent grades... until she shows up where she doesn't belong. Now I can't seem to stop myself from trying to prevent Donna from ruining her life like I did.
** Like You Hurt is a full length standalone, enemies to lovers, dark high school romance where she makes his life hell from the moment they meet. An angst filled love story where the hero and heroine will fight their feelings as readers root for them to find their HEA. This is Donna's story!
Release date: June 18, 2020
Publisher: Sonder Publishing Pty Ltd
Print pages: 390
Reader says this book is...: action-packed (1) emotionally riveting (1) entertaining story (1) escapist/easy read (1) rich setting(s) (1) sex scenes (1) suspenseful (1)
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Welcome back to the Devilbend Dynasty- I’m loving this series and loved Donna and Hendrix’s story. We saw Queen Donna make grown men proverbially pee their pants in Book 1, so I knew we were in for a treat with Like Your Hurt. And, I knew Kaydence would have to create a pretty fantastic male lead to match Donna’s fire. Like Donna, this story is fiery and passionate, complicated and gritty.
This time we spend our story with the prep school kids- Donna is queen of the school, and new kid Hendrix intrigues her. Too bad he isn’t interested in being friends- he’s hidi...
Welcome back to the Devilbend Dynasty- I’m loving this series and loved Donna and Hendrix’s story. We saw Queen Donna make grown men proverbially pee their pants in Book 1, so I knew we were in for a treat with Like Your Hurt. And, I knew Kaydence would have to create a pretty fantastic male lead to match Donna’s fire. Like Donna, this story is fiery and passionate, complicated and gritty.
This time we spend our story with the prep school kids- Donna is queen of the school, and new kid Hendrix intrigues her. Too bad he isn’t interested in being friends- he’s hiding secrets and just wants to skate by unnoticed. Donna notices him though, and his disinterest ruffles her feathers. Thus begins an angsty push-pull, love-hate journey between these two characters who are so similar and so in need of truly being seen but also so threatened by what they see in each other. Their paths keep crossing- an every time it is fireworks.
Donna- she’s a FORCE. She’s complicated. I vacillated between adoring her and being frustrated with her- which I think is the point. Donna is trying to figure herself out- she’s living two personality realities, but the central thread is that she needs control in both of her realities. Hendrix threatens her control- because he sees her for who she really is, he challenges her. Donna doesn’t do well when her control is threatened, and, thus, she often acts with resistance and denial, and at times, jerkiness. Hendrix brings out the best and worst in her. At her best, she’s smart, bold, fierce, independent, loyal, and driven. But, she’s trapped within the perfectionist facade, the Queen Bee persona, that she’s created for herself. Her “dark Donna” alternate life is her way of breaking out of that mold, a self destructive therapy that leaves her feeling alive, subverting expectations of herself. Dark Donna owns her desires, her needs- and she likes the risk that goes with it. I loved these parts of Donna, but as she’s trying to go through a metamorphosis to marry both sides of her identity, she frustrates me some- she’s not always kind (she says some very hurtful things to Hendrix, which she feels bad for), she’s defensive and combative, and she’s stubborn- refusing to see beyond herself. Again, this is part of the journey- she has to reconcile these negative coping strategies to realize she doesn’t like that version of herself- and she gets there...but that means there are times when we don’t like her (a few moments in particular).
Hendrix is a dreamboat the entire book- what wonderful and compelling characters. His journey mirrors Donna’s, but he’s ahead of her- he’s already battled the different versions of himself, suffered the consequences of giving into the parts of himself he liked less, and has learned his lesson. He’s evolved and grown- and he recognizes aspects of himself in Donna. So, when they aren’t bugging each other, he’s trying to help her- she just doesn’t always want it. I loved Hendrix so much- he’s made terrible mistakes, but he’s owned them, has suffered for them. He’s self-aware, selfless, and kind. And when he opens up- my heart exploded. He’s somehow this tough, stoic guy that is also a bleeding heart, vulnerable and raw and exposed.
The romance is rocky and challenging, imperfect like our characters- both characters are stubborn and both are hiding huge secrets. The attraction is immediate, the physical chemistry is SCORCHING, but it takes a minute for the emotional connection to evolve as neither Donna or Hendrix are very trusting. The action at the end was surprising and fast paced, and I’m still so curious where KS is going with all this Bestlyfe intrigue.
Fans of Mena and Hunter will be elated to find them happy and wonderful here. Kaydence smartly juxtaposes their personalities, and their story, with Hendrix and Donna’s- here we have more gritty, edgier characters, and a darker, more gritty romance with it. Mena and Hunter’s roles in this story made me love them even more- especially Mena, who is more and more embracing her strength.
Donna and Hendrix have an angsty, complicated love story that is emotionally gripping and complex. Both characters are so layered, so compellingly imperfect, that you’ll find yourself reading this is one sitting. I’m loving how Kaydence is exploring the theme of identity in this series- here in this book, the trappings of self-imposed facades and the liberating experience of self-acceptance. The character growth in Like Your Hurt is what really shines- the growth that can be found when someone truly sees you, and helps you see yourself. Looking forward to what’s next in this series!
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