Bully: 1 (Fall Away)

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K.C.? Pour some Coke into here, please.” Jared spoke to K.C. but his eyes were on me as he held up his cup for her. Fallon: ’’ Madoc was always calm, after all. So calm all the damn time growing up. He didn’t shout or show his anger until he’d had enough. And you never knew exactly when that was going to be. That was the scary part about him.’’. Once Fallon and Madoc got over their hate for each other, I truly began to enjoy them as a couple. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy how their stubbornness fueled their passion. But I absolutely loved all those heartwarming moments between them. It did take a while for these characters to come together as a real couple, and I definitely wished Madoc would have fought harder to have Fallon, but it was very enjoyable. I liked having Tate, Jared and Jax be a part of their story. I liked knowing what was new with them after their book ended. why the hell would they get married? They're too young, still step siblings and why couldn't it wait til after college if the truly want to be together forever? So unrealistic!! A part of me couldn't help but try to rationalize or at least understand what was going on inside his head because the more I read, the more it was clear that his actions were not just straight up meanness. There was something more behind it. Misguided and wrong perhaps but I could sense something... 'good' in him maybe? Although at first I wondered if maybe that was just my natural desire to redeem the hero of my book... needless to say, it stirred up a lot of questions and kept me totally hooked and curious to see where the story would go next.

Rival is the second novel in Fall Away series by Penelope Douglas. Even though a second installment, the story can be read as a standalone, the only challenge is that the characters from the previous (first book in the series) play a vital in this book. The story introduces two star-crossed lovers, Madoc and Fallon fighting against the secrets and the pains of the past. Their connection to each other is strong, and their obsession with each other does not end but instead gets stronger each day. They both need each other but will the hate, games, dark pasts, and family connection stop a love that was destined to flourish or will they have to fight for their love beyond themselves? One whole year, I reminded myself, savoring the promise. I was going to have a whole year away from Jared.I fist stumbled upon this book through my local library app. The cover looked sweet, and the description pulled me in. I found myself entrapped from the beginning with the need to know what happened between these two for this hate to have grown and festered. This book was an emotional whirlwind but damn was it good. They’re not in there!” I repeated, looking around the room. My money and my phone were in my bag. Two lifelines safe and sound. My other escape plan was missing, and the walls felt like they were caving in. Curses ran through my head, and the weariness that got me running before turned to anger. I clenched my fists. Of course, I should’ve known this was going to happen. For her whole high school career, Tate has been bullied. By one person in particular... Jared. Jared is Tate’s neighbor and used to be Tate’s best friend, but Bully was a read that was incredibly thought provoking for me, and it teetered on the edge of young adult. Rival is all out romance from the start. It got steamy 25% in (yay!) and remained so throughout the rest of the book. This book had all the things I love in a romance: angst, betrayal, and forgiveness. Sure I got a bit tired of the off and on between Fallon and Madoc, but when they made their choices, they remained faithful to one another, which I loved. I made a comparison between Jared/ Tate and Madoc/Fallon. The first couple based their relationship on more feelings than the second one. Jared and Tate bonded as kids and were driven by hate, love, lust. But there are feelings involved, more intense than Madoc/Fallon. From my point of view our heroes were more intense and explosive, having this attraction impossible to ignore. The attraction was there, but I was not very convinced of the love. This constant push and pull diminished a little the love it had to be between them. I don't know if I made myself clear, but I tried.

Good!" he shouted in my face, boring down on me. "Finally. Because it's been a long time since I could stand the sight of you... I promise you will be in tears by next week."You know, maybe you should’ve just driven like I suggested,” I blurted out, even though I never liked anyone else to drive when I was in the car. Am I deterred from reading Falling Away when it releases April 15? My answer would be not at all. I still like the characters, the set-up and the writing. Although I wasn’t blown away this time, I can see the reasoning behind the addition of the aspects that I disliked, and I am intrigued too see what Penelope Douglas decides to do with K.C. and Jax… The sex scenes were pretty darn hot. If you think Bully and Until You were hot, this book surpassed both of them in the steam department. And I got to tell you, for readers who are looking for some serious steam in their book, read this book.

The two characters are fantastic. For instance, there is Fallon, a loner seeking retribution for all the wrong things that were committed against her. She is tough and a tender-hearted young woman who gave her love as well as body to a man who has managed to remain deeply ingrained in both her heart and soul. Imagine how heartbreaking it could be finding out that the person whom you cared and loved the most could deceive and break your heart into a million pieces? This is what Fallon feels and the main reason why she seeks revenge. However, the question is, was all that she was meant to believing true or just mere fabrications?

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When Jared was fourteen, his father called and asked if Jared could come and visit him for the summer. Happily, Jared agreed and left for eight weeks. After that visit, though, he returned cold and cruel." I will say though that despite everything going on between them – Jared and Tate had some seriously chemistry!! Talk about unresolved sexual tension! I mean really! But I loved that despite everything he did while he was being mean, that he never crossed the line into touching her… that again was more proof to me of him feeling something deeper for her. Also, I felt that the "aha" epiphany moment where they realize they love each other just wasn't as seamless and clearly done as it was in Bully. Yes, I realize that this is a different book, but it's impossible not to compare the two. All my energy was just so directed towards my vexation at them, I couldn't take it anymore. The sole reason I even finished this off was to finally discover what had induced Jared's initial coldness towards Tate (spoiler alert: it's disappointing). And then I forced myself to reach the finish line with ragged breaths to see how the author planned on ending this because THERE'S ACTUALLY A SECOND BOOK???????? Gag me.

Red Solo cups littered the lawn, and people filtered in and out of the house, enjoying the balmy summer night. Several guys I recognized from school lunged out of the front door, chasing each other and sloshing drinks in the process. Maddox was lied by his stepmother who is Fallon's biological mother. She also lied to Fallon, her own daughter. She is a despicable character. It was devastating when Maddox gets to know what Fallon went through, that she never lied, that her mother forces her to abort their baby. Jaxon actually found it out and told Maddox, even if he didn't Fallon will eventually tell him.

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As we walked up the driveway, she trailed behind me. Texting Liam, I assumed. Her boyfriend had arrived earlier, having spent most of the day with his friends at the lake while K.C. and I shopped. There is always a reason when it comes to bullying, and so is to Jared’s case. There are some reasons as to why he becomes a bully, and there are also reasons for his hate. However, does this make it right? Not. Jared anger and his hurting behavior have some explainable causes; he is a lonely young man dealing with his pain but decides to lash it on others. In this particular case, he unleashes his burdens on the one person who loved him unconditionally.