Author: Liz Plum
Publish Date: March 9th, 2021
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Source: Received a copy from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
From the outside, being the heir to a million-dollar auto repair company, the girlfriend to the school’s quarterback, and admired by her peers, means Scarlet Tucker’s life seems perfect. But after the tragic death of her brother, every day is a struggle to keep up appearances―especially with her boyfriend, who cares more about his reputation than about Scarlet’s feelings. When Scarlet accidentally slams into her school’s resident bad-boy-slash-outcast, Elijah Black, in the hallway, he shakes up more than her notebooks. Scarlet’s heard rumors about Elijah, but she’s drawn to him because they share the same sorrow―they’ve both lost a brother. As they grow closer, Elijah lets Scarlet into his hidden life of underground fighting, where long-buried secrets that impact both of their lives unravel. Before long, Elijah and Scarlet are in too deep to turn back, and the only way they’ll survive is to stick together.
Penelope's Review
Starting off my new year with this book turned out to be a great idea! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this fun, quick read.
I found the main character, Scarlet, to be enjoyable and relatable. She wasn't the type to sit back and wait for a guy to rescue her, but rather takes matters into her own hands in all aspects of her life. I found her rambling cute, and her manner of speaking true to her age. I also really loved that she worked and saved her money to buy her own things rather than wait for handouts from her parents. And the same goes for school - she worked hard to achieve high grades, didn't buy her way to the top. It made her character that much more enjoyable to read. Her character grew throughout the book and her experiences only made her stronger.
Scarlet's boyfriend Jack on the other hand, was frustrating as heck. I mean, what a jerk!! Acts one way in front of his friends and another way when he's alone with Scarlet. I did not like him - but then again, I wasn't really supposed to like him so that is a testament to the great writing style of this young author!
As for Elijah Black... yum. My family always looks at me like I'm crazy when I say a character from a book is hot but... all you bookish people out there know exactly what I mean. Elijah was strong yet vulnerable, protective yet not overbearing. He was the perfect combination of all the best traits in a guy! I loved how he was with Scarlet and rooted for them the whole time!
As for the story itself, I thought it had a great plot! A little bit cheesy closer to the end, but great nonetheless. There were new twists and turns that kept popping up right to the very end. What I expected to be a basic cliche love story turned into so much more!
I will definitely be keeping my eye out for what Liz Plum comes out with next.
Rating: 4/5 Devils!
